THE LIBRARY

OF

THE UNIVERSITY
OF CALIFORNIA

Biology

BEQUEST OF

Theodore S. Palmer

. ^, OX OU\AASVL*,

Photo by the Duchess of Bedford, Woburn Abbey.

FEMALE KUDU.

The Kudu is one of the handsomest of the African Antelopes, the corkscrew-like horns of the bucks
forming some of the most striking of all sporting trophies.

-he Worl

' Mankin

•

,THE PEOPLE'S

Natural History

EMBRACING

Living Animals of the World
and Living Races of Mankind

EDITORS AND SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS:

Charles J. Cornish, F. C. Selous, Ernest Ingersoll, Sir Harry Johnston, K.C.B.,

Sir Herbert Maxwell, F.R.S., H. N. Hutchinson, F.R.G.S.,

J. W. Gregory, F.G.S., R. Lydekker, F.R.S.,

F.Z.S., and many other eminent

naturalists

Nearly Two Thousand Illustrations

Vol. I

MAMMALS

THE UNIVERSITY SOCIETY

NEW YORK

COPYRIGHT, 1901-1902
By DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY

COPYRIGHT, 1903
By THE UNIVERSITY SOCIETY

GIFT

v, I

£ /

LIVING ANIMALS

OF THE WORLD

VOLUME I

521

PEKIN DEER IN SUMMER DRESS

example of the -white spotted type of coloration to common among hcrbi-vorout mammalt

;< . .'

INTRODUCTION

THE interest now taken
in Natural History is
wide-spread and intel-
ligent to a degree never known
before, and any publication that
purports to present the animal
world in a new and clearer
way is sure of a welcome, and
as wide an acceptance as it
deserves.

Nothing is more essential
to the successful presentation
of animal life and habits than
good pictures. The universal
interest of the public in zoologi-
cal gardens, traveling menageries
and museums, the educational
value of which is more and more
strongly recognised, arises not
only from a natural curiosity, but
also from the need of seeing the
real creatures or their preserved
embodiments, in order properly
to understand and realise the
descriptions of animals and

Bj pirmittim «/ HITT Ctrl Haftnkttli] [

NEGRO BOY AND APES

An intereittng picture of a Negro toy, -with a young Chimpanzee (lef side of figure)
and young Orang-utan {right tide of figure)

i

11

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

their ways with which books of exploration and travel, school treatises and current
terature are nowadays crowded. Without such help, indeed, the study of zoology
would be practically impossible, and therefore pictures have always been considered
necessary to books of natural history. Too often, however, they have been sorry treatises
upon the reality, reflecting the imaginations of the draughtsman rather than the truth of

nature.

Photography was therefore welcomed by naturalists and scientific writers as a means

of vastly needed improvement, yet only recently has it been possible to utilise it in any

important picturesque way
in the illustration of living
animals. For a long time
the difficulties to be over-
come baffled both photog-
raphers and naturalists. The
makers of photographic in-
struments and materials were
compelled to experiment for
many years before they were
able to perfect " quick "
plates and lenses that would
answer the purpose, and then
it was only here and there
that a man was able or will-
ing, or had the opportunity
to make use of the portable
cameras, telephoto lenses, and
other special apparatus re-
quired to obtain successful
portraits of living creatures,
especially those at liberty
" on their native heath."

It must be remembered,
too, that the processes of
mechanical engraving had to
be perfected in order to re-
produce such photographs so
that they might be printed
without the intervention of
brush or graving-tool, with

Bjfermistlm of tierr Vmlauff\

{Hamburg

SKELETONS OF MAN AND GORILLA

their chances of loss cf

This photograph shows the remarkable similarity in the structure of the human frame (left} Correctness

<d that of the gorilla (right}. Thh gorilla happened to be a particularly large specimen j

the man was ef ordinary height

What would we not give

Photo by G. Watmiugh Webster &• Son}

[Chester

SEA-SWALLOWS

From their long wingi, forked tail, and flight, the Term are popularly called Sea-tiuallytos

111

IV

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Phelt by Ottomar jfnichiitx]

[Btrlin

AFRICAN LEOPARD

had the pioneers of America or Africa
been able to take with them cameras, and,
instead of taking advantage of the tame-
ness of the game unused to the hunter,
which enabled them to kill it, sometimes,
with clubs, had gathered for us easily the
portraits of many an animal, perhaps in
flocks and herds, which have now disap-
peared ! It is one of the most important
functions of out-door photography, to-day,
to preserve for posterity a record of pass-
ing conditions and of diminishing species;
and a work like the present is of per-
manent interest, and will increase in
historical and bibliographical value as time
goes on.

One by one in various parts of the
world within the last half a dozen years,
ingenious, energetic, and capable men and

A n example of the black-spotted type of coloration so prevalent in
Carnivora

women have overcome the obstacles,
and partly by great patience and skill,
and partly by seizing happy chances, have
captured and preserved for us the por-
traits of a host of animals of every sort.
It is these which have now been gathered
to illustrate, in a comprehensive and orig-
inal manner this new general history of
the Living Animals of the World, — mam-
mals, birds, reptiles, fishes, and lowly life
of land and sea.

It is no disparagement of its often
excellent predecessors to say that in its
illustrations, at least, this work surpasses
anything that has gone before it, since no
previous publication could have presented
its pictorial contents. The materials, in
respect to both pictures and written text,
have been gathered from the whole world,

EAST AFRICAN GIRAFFE

This photograph -was taken in the -wilds of Africa by Lord Delamerc,

and shows the animal at home. The tree is a

mimosa, on the top shoots of -which the

giraffe habitually feeds

INTRODUCTION

Photo by W. Savilli-Ktnt, F.Z.S.]

FLYING-FOX

[Crtydtn

This bat, -which it a native of Australia (where it was photographed} , is commonly called the Flying-fox. Great flocks set out at sunset
from the forest to feed upon the indigenous fruits, such as that of the native Jig

and represent the latest studies, much of which has never been before popularly published.

Specialists of distinction and renowned scientific travelers have contributed photographs

and field-notes, often from remote regions

where alone many of the most rare and

interesting animals may be found. These

unique contributions come from the most

distant islarfds of the Southern Ocean,

the deserts and coral reefs of Australia,

the New Zealand hills, the Indian

jungle, the African forest and veldt, and

the wilds of tropical and polar America.

Such a collection as is here made of

photographs and accounts of the domestic

animals of the world would alone be a

valuable and entertaining contribution to

Ifterature.

Another highly interesting feature is
the large number of pictures given of the

fhttt bj F. G.

animals of various sorts trained by Carl
Hagenbeck and others, shown in " happy

o, F.Z.S.

DOLPHINS

TAis photograph -was taken in mid-ocean, and shows a QQUfle of
dolphins folio-wing a ship across the Atlantic

VI

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Fhm, tj Frattlli Alln

A HAPPY FAMILY

Hyerna, tiger, and lions living in amity — a remarkable proof of their tamer's poiver. In
the same park at Hamburg, belonging to Herr Hagenbeck, are also bears, dogs, leopards, and
pumas, all loose together

family" groups, or in the
performances of various
feats; for this is material
toward a better knowl-
edge of the mental char-
acteristics and powers of
the brutes, which is a sub-
ject attractive to every
thoughtful person, and upon
which all the light is needed
that can be gained.

The editor has had em-
inent assistance. Mr. F. C.
Selous deals with the African
Lion and the Elephants, with
which he has had thrilling
experiences; and other

sportsmen treat of other game animals of the Dark Continent. To Mr. W. Saville-

Kent, author of " The Great Barrier Reef, " has been assigned the Marsupials of Australia,

and also the Reptiles generally. Sir

Herbert W. Maxwell writes on the Salmon

family, and so on ; while Dr. Richard

Lydekker, Dr. Bowdler Sharpe, Mr. F.

W. Kirby, and other specialists are

editorial advisers in regard to the

branches in which they stand as

authorities.

Wherever ii has not been possible to
get really good pictures of some shy wild
creature in its native haunt, living examples
have been sought in the great Zoological
Gardens of the world — London, Berlin,
Antwerp, Florence, New York, Calcutta,
Sydney, etc., — or in the parks of American
men of wealth and European noblemen.
These have been "posed" as nearly as
possible in the surroundings natural to
them, and faithful portraits have been ob-
tained. Now and then it was desirable, in
order to complete a family history, to
include portraits of varieties which are not

ELEPHANTS

even known in captivity, and here the

TAis is another of Lord Delamere' s East African photography and.
shows a couple of -wild elephants in the open

INTRODUCTION

Vll

museums have been drawn upon and
photographs of stuffed specimens and
groups, naturally mounted, have been
obtained ; but these cases are not many,
and though less interesting serve their
purpose almost as well as the " living
pictures " that predominate from end to
end of this portrait-gallery of the animal
life of the globe.

Such a book as this, covering in an
entertaining style the whole range of
zoology, carefully prepared by men of
exact knowledge, yet avoiding technicali-
ties, and wholly illustrated by precise
reproductions cf photographs, many of
the full size of the quarto page and colored
to life, is not only novel and beautiful,
but of high value as an educator; and it
would seem to be as indispensable a part This f>Aotosraf>A °f Mr- Waiter Rothschild riding on one of hh huge

tortoises gives a good idea of the relative sizes of one of the "giant tortoises"

of the library of every family and school- and a human being

Byfe

ofthi Hon. Walttr Rothschild]

GIANT TORTOISE

(Tring

Phita by Fratelli Alinari]

[Fltrtnci

A GROUP OF CROCODILIANS

A vi

mder of modern animal-training. Tht photograph shows a number of living crocodilian! -with their trainer. They have ban an
exhibition in Florence for some years past, and are still to be seen there

Vlll

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

room as is a dictionary or year-
book, since by its aid all reading
may be illuminated, and perchance
corrected, and the whole view of
nature enlightened and enlarged.

ERNEST INGERSOLL.

SOMALI ZEBRAS

This is a photograph of a group of zebras taken in Africa, and gives some idea of
the surrounding country, -where they li-vc in happy freedom

The special thanks of the Editor and
Publishers are due to a great many
naturalists and zoologists for the -valuable
help they have given to, and the interest
they have taken in, this work while it has
been in preparation. No doubt, before the
complete work is published, a great many
more names will be added to the list, but
meanwhile grateful acknowledgment should
be made to the following : — Her Grace the
Duchess of Bedford, who has kindly allowed
many of her fine photographs to be repro-
duced in these pages ; the Hon. Walter
Rothschild, M. P., for the splendid collec-
tion of photographs taken especially for him
in all parts of the world; Lord Delamere,
for several unique photographs taken with
a telephoto lens during his celebrated ex-
pedition to Africa; Major Nott, F. Z. S.,
for the use of his scientific series of animal

photographs; Dr. R. W. Shufeldt, of Washington, for many photographs of fish and other animals in their

natural surroundings; Mr. W. Saville-Kent, F. Z. S., F. L. S., for the photographs taken by him while

in Australia; Mr. Lewis Medland, F. Z. S., for the use of his singularly complete set of animal photographs;

Herr Carl Hagenbeck, of Hamburg, for permission

to use his photographs of some extremely rare speci-
mens of animals which from time to time have found

a temporary home at his wonderful Thierpark ;

the Trustees of the British Museum, for permission

to photograph some of their animals; Professor

E. Ray Lankester, Director of the Natural History

Branch of the British Museum; and the Zoological

Society, for permission to photograph some of the

animals. And also to Herr Ottomar Anschiits,

of Berlin; Messrs. Bond fir- Grover, of the Scho-
lastic Photographic Co.; Signor Alinari, of Florence ;

Messrs. Kerry fir* Co. and Mr. Henry King, of

Sydney; Mr. Charles Knight; Mr. J. W.

McLellan; Messrs. Charles and William Reid;

Messrs. A. S. Rudland &• Sons; and Messrs.

York fr Sons, for permission to reproduce their

photographs.

Phttt b} Dr. R. W. Schufildt']

SUN-FISH

[Washington

This photograph -was taken through the -water by Dr. R. W.
•who has made a speciality of this kind of photography

Photo by G. W. Wlson & Co., Ltd.]
singer

A YOUNG CHIMPANZEE

Pleasure

[ Abtrditn

Fear

The Living Animals of The IVorld

BOOK I. MAMMALS

CHAPTER I

APES, MONKEYS, AND LEMURS

THE MAN-LIKE APES

O

fhttt by FrattlH dlinari, Flortnct

ARABIAN BABOON

THE CHIMPANZEE

F all the great apes the CHIMPANZEE most closely ap-
proaches man in bodily structure and appearance,
although in height it is less near the human standard
than the gorilla, 5 feet being probably that of an adult male.

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

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

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

to Dr. Savage, a missionary, for
our first account of its habits,
in 1847.

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

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

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

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

Pkuc by Schtiaitic P/itto. Co.] [fanon'i Green

"JENNY," THE WELL-KNOWN CHIMPANZEE

A VERY CHARACTERISTIC POSE

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

APES, MONKEYS, AND LEMURS

3

gorilla and baboon have often been laid on its shoulders, and information derived from natives is
usually untrustworthy. Apparently the chimpanzee avoids coming into collision with man,
although, when attacked, it is a formidable antagonist. Tales of chimpanzees kidnapping women
and children need stronger evidence than they have yet obtained. The natives kill this ape by
spearing it in the back, or by driving it into nets, where it is entangled and easily dispatched.
According to Livingstone, the Soko, as the chimpanzee is called in East Central Africa, kills the
leopard by biting its paws, but falls an easy prey to the lion.

In captivity it is docile and intelligent, but usually fails to stand a northern climate for more
than a few months. It is easily taught to wear clothes, to eat and drink in civilised fashion, to
understand what is said to it, and reply with a limited vocabulary of grunts. Sally learnt to
count perfectly up to six, and less perfectly to ten ; she could also distinguish white from any
colour, but if other colours were presented her she failed, apparently from colour-blindness. Of
this ape the late Dr. G. J. Romanes wrote with something more than the enthusiasm of a clever
man pursuing a favourite theme : " Her intelligence was conspicuously displayed by the remark-
able degree in which she was able to
understand the meaning of spoken lan-
guage— a degree fully equal to that pre-
sented by an infant a few months before
emerging from infancy, and therefore
higher than that which is presented by
any brute, so far at least as I have
evidence to show." Romanes here
speaks only, be it noticed, of ability to
understand human speech — not to think
and act But this is in itself a great
mark of intelligence on human lines.
" Having enlisted the cooperation of the
keepers, I requested them to ask the ape
repeatedly for one straw, two straws,
three straws. These she was to pick up
and hand out from among the litter of
her cage. No constant order was to be
observed in making these requests ; but
whenever she handed a number not asked
for her offer was to be refused, while if
she gave the proper number her offer
was to be accepted, and she was to re-
ceive a piece of fruit in payment. In
this way the ape had learnt to associate
these three numbers with the names.
As soon as the animal understood what
was required, she never failed to give
the number of straws asked for. Her
education was then completed in a similar
manner from three to four, and from
four to five straws. Sally rarely made

mistakes up to that number; but above pt,»,b, G. w. wn,>» «• c.., Ltd.]

five, and up to ten, to which one of the A YOUNG CHIMPANZEE

keepers endeavoured to advance her Thit excellent photograph, by Major Nott, F.Z.S., is particularly good,

education, the result is uncertain. It is ai sAowins the manner in "which 'Aese animals use their handi an*f«*

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

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

THE GORILLA

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

The gorilla has a limited range, extending from 2° north to 5° south latitude in West Africa,
a moist overgrown region including the mouth of the Gaboon River. How far east it is found
is uncertain, but it is known in the Sierra del Cristal. In 1851-52 it was seen in considerable
numbers on the coast.

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

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

Phtti bj A. S. Rutland & Sans

HEAD OF MALE GORILLA

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

Ry : permission of ff err L'mlaaff. . _™ , ,-> p p.

THE LARGEST GORILLA EVER CAPT

Ihl. hug. ape, o feet 5 inch-s MSh, m^on. . dl.t»» "I over 8 fee, f ringer to flnge,

APES, MONKEYS, AND LEMURS

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

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

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

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

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

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

THE ORANG-UTAN

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

There are three varieties of the
ORANG, called by the Dyaks Ml AS-

B) firmiishn of Htrr Omlaujf]

A MALE GORILLA

[Hamburg

This photograph of the largest gorilla known -was taken immediately after death
by Herr Paschen at Yaunde, and gives an excellent idea of the size of these ani-
mals as compared ivitA Negroes. The animal "weighed 400 Ibs,

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

PAPPAN, MIAS-RAMBI, and MIAS-KASSU, the third of which is smaller, has no cheek-excrescences,
and very large teeth. Some naturalists recognise a pale and a dark race.

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

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

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

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

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

Photo by Ottomar dnichiitx]

YOUNG ORANG-UTANS

IBerlin

It "will be seen here, from the profile, that the young anthropoid ape has only the upper part of
the head at all approaching the human type

s

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

the run of the ship on the voyage to England, and would play with the sailors in the rigging.
When refused food he pretended to commit suicide, and rushed over the side, only to be found
under the chains.

The orang is the least interesting of the three great apes ; he lacks the power and brutality
of the gorilla and the intelligence of the chimpanzee. " The orang," said its keeper to the writer
" is a buffoon ; the chimpanzee, a gentleman."

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

THE GIBBONS

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

PJictt by Ottnaar jfnteMtx]

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

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

The SIAMANG, one of the largest of the long-armed, tailless gibbons, lives in the Malay

The arms of a specimen only 3 feet high measured 5 feet 6 inches across. This,

the gibbons, makes its way from tree to tree mainly by swinging itself by its arms. But

siamang can walk upright and run. One kept on board ship would walk down the cabin

breakfast-table without upsetting the china. The WHITE-HANDED GIBBON is found in Tenasserim,

APES, MONKEYS, AND LEMURS

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

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

Phett by Tori 6* Son]

HULOCK GIBBON

The great length of arm in comparison -with the body and head should here be

noted

Photo by Tfork & Son] [Netting Hill

WHITE-HANDED GIBBON

This gibbon is found in the forests of the Malay Archipelago

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

MONKEYS
THE DOG-SHAPED MONKEYS

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

I Nutting Hill

10

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

habits and appearance of the
monkeys specially noticed.

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

ph,t, b, A. s. Rutland *• s,n, saw them in their native haunts,

HEAD OF PROBOSCIS MONKEY says that the proboscis monkeys

A native of Borneo. Next to the orang-utan, the most striking monkey in the Malay kept in the trees Overhanging the

Archipelago river, and were most difficult to

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

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

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

APES, MONKEYS, AND LEMURS

1 1

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

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

Photo bj A. S. Rudland if Sons

CROSS-BEARING LANGUR AND YOUNG

A forest monkey of Borneo

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

12

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

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

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

THE GUEREZAS AND GUENONS

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

fhtto t>f A. S. Rutland Iff Son,

MALE HIMALAYAN LANGUR

A king of ike jungle, not often met -with in captivity

GELADA BABOONS AT HOME

This photograph it probably unique, as a gelada baboon has been rarely seen. It shows them at home looking for food on the ground under the
bamboos and palms. It was taken by Lord Delamere in the East African jungle

13

THE

LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Photo by A. S. Rutland <V Son.

MANTLED GUEREZA

Thit group of monkeys supplies the "monkey muff's'"'' once -very fashionable.
The species with white plumes is used to decorate the Kaffir Melds

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

THE MACAQUES

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

APES, MONKEYS, AND LEMURS

Photo fy L. Mtdiand, F.Z.S.] North FinMty

DIANA MONKEY

One of the most gaily coloured monkey t of Africa

THE BABOONS

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

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

mon, they were very mischievous. The fol-
lowing story was told by Mr. Bidcup : " The
apes of the Rock, led by one particular
monkey, were always stealing from the kit of
a certain regiment encamped there. At last
the soldiers caught the leader, shaved his
head and face, and turned him loose. His
friends, who had been watching, received him
with a shower of sticks and stones. In these
desperate circumstances the ape sneaked back
to his old enemies, the soldiers, with whom
he remained." Lord Heathfield, a former
Governor of the Rock, would never let
them be hurt; and on one occasion, when
the Spaniards were attempting a surprise, the
noise made by the apes gave notice of their
attempt.

Photo by G. W, Wilson &• Co., Ltd.}

BARBARY APE

\.A berate*

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

16 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Photo by C. Riid]

RHESUS MONKEY

N.B.

A young specimen of the common Bengal monkey

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

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

They are the only mammals which thoroughly understand combination for defense as well as
attack. But Brehm, the German traveler, gives a charming story of genuine courage and
self-sacrifice shown by one. His hunting dogs gave chase to a troop which was retreating
to some cliffs, and cut off a very young one, which ran up on to a rock, only just out of reach of
the dogs. An old male baboon saw this, and came along to the rescue. Slowly and deliberately
he descended, crossed the open
space, and stamping his hands on
the ground, showing his teeth, and
backed by the furious barks of the
rest of the baboons, he discon-
certed and cowed these savage

o

dogs, climbed on to the rock,

picked up the baby, and carried

him back safely. If the dogs had

attacked the old patriarch, his

tribe would probably have helped

him. Burchell, the naturalist after

whom Burchell's zebra is named,

let his dogs chase a troop. The

baboons turned on them, killed

one on the spot by biting through w.r. h A. s. Rudtand & Smt

the great blood-vessels of the RHESUS MONKEY AND SOOTY MANGABEY

neck, and laid bare the ribs of The sooty mangabcy (to the right of the picture) is gentle and companionable, but petu-
lant and active

APES, MONKEYS, AND LEMURS

Photo hi L. Midland, F.Z. S., North Finchlt,

GREY-CHEEKED MANGABEY

One of the small African monkeys

Photo by A S. Rudland &* Stni

CHINESE MACAQUE

This monkey lives in a climate as cold as ours

another. The Cape
Dutch in the Old Colony
would rather let their
dogs bait a lion than
a troop of baboons.
The rescue of the infant
chacma which Brehm
saw himself is a remarka-
ble, and indeed the most
incontestable, instance
of the exhibition of
courage and self-sacri-
fice by a male animal.

If the baboons were
not generally liable to
become bad-tempered
when they grow old, they
could probably be
trained to be among the most useful of animal helpers and servers ; but they are so
formidable, and so uncertain in temper, that they are almost too dangerous for attempts at
semi-domestication. When experiments have been made, they have had remarkable results. Le
Vaillant, one of the early explorers in South Africa, had a chacma baboon which was a better
watch than any of his dogs. It gave warning of any creature approaching the camp at night long
before the dogs could hear or smell it. He took it out with him when he was shooting, and used
to let it collect edible roots for him. The latest example of a trained baboon only died a
few years ago. It belonged to a railway signalman at Uitenhage station, about 200 miles
up-country from Port Elizabeth, in Cape Colony. The man had the misfortune to undergo
an operation in which both his feet were amputated, after being crushed by the wheels of a train.
Being an ingenious fellow, he taught his baboon, which was a full-grown one, to pull him along the
line on a trolley to the " distant" signal. There the baboon stopped at the word of command, and
the man would work the lever himself. But in time he taught the baboon to do it, while he sat
on the trolley, ready to help if any mistake were made.

The chacmas have for
relations a number of other
baboons in the rocky parts
of the African Continent,
most of which have almost
the same habits, and are
not very different in ap-
pearance. Among them
is the GELADA BABOON, a
species very common in
the rocky highlands of
Abyssinia ; another is the
ANUBIS BABOON of the West
Coast of Africa. The latter
is numerous round the

ph.t, by rork & son. Nomng Hiii Portuguese settlement of

GRIVET MONKEY Angola. Whether the so-

This is the sma^mon^ommon ly taken about ^^ £^0* BABOON of

Photo by A. S. Rudland &• Stni

BONNET MONKEY, AND ARA-
BIAN BABOON (ON THE RIGHT)

i8

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

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

RHESUS MONKEYS

[North

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

Equally strong and far more repulsive
are the two baboons of West Africa — the
DRILL and the MANDRILL. As young
specimens of these beasts are the only ones
at all easily caught, and these nearly always

Thit photograph is particularly interesting. It -was actually taken by another die when Cutting their SCCOttd teeth when in

monkey, -which presied the button of Mr. Mediants cimera captivity, large adult mandrills are seldom

seen in Europe. They grow to a great

size, and are probably the most hideous of all beasts. The frightful nose, high cheek-bones, and
pig-like eyes are the basis of the horrible heads of devils and goblins which Albert Diirer and
other German or Dutch mediaeval painters sometimes put on canvas. Add to the figure the mis-
placed bright colours — cobalt-blue on the cheeks, which are scarred, as if by a rake, with scarlet
furrows, and scarlet on the but-
tocks— and it will be admitted that
nature has invested this massive,
powerful, and ferocious baboon
with a repulsiveness equaling in
completeness the extremes of
grace and beauty manifested in the
roe-deer or the bird of paradise.

The natives of Guinea and
other parts of West Africa have
consistent accounts that the
mandrills have tried to carry off
females and children. They live
in troops like the chacmas,
plunder the fields, and, like all
baboons, spend much time on
the ground walking on all-fours.
When doing this, they are quite
unlike any other creatures. They
walk slowly, with the head bent
downwards, like a person walking
on hands and knees looking for
a pin. With the right hand
(usually) they turn over every

stick and stone, looking for insects, fittn *, A. s. Rutland & son,
scorpions, or snails, and these they ORANGE SNUB-NOSED MONKEY

Seize and eat. 1 he Writer has Seen ^'s *hould be contrasted with the Proboscis Monkey

APES, MONKEYS, AND LEMURS

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

One of the earliest accounts of the habits of the Abyssinian baboons was given by Ludolf in
his " History of Ethiopia." It was translated into quaint, but excellent old English : " Of Apes,"
he says, " there are infinite flocks up and down in the mountains, a thousand and more together,
and they leave no stone unturned. If they meet with one that two or three cannot lift they call
for more aid, and all for the sake of the Worms that lye under, a sort of dyet which they relish
exceedingly. They are very greedy after Emmets. So that having found an emmet hill, they

Photo by Ottomar jlnichutx."]

PIG-TAILED MONKEY

" Footing the line." Note how the monkey uses its feet as hands when walking on a branch

[Btrlin

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

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

20

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

victory, they were at a loss
to guess who these new foes
might be. The alarm was
given, and the Macedonian
troops set out in battle-array.
Then through the morning
mists they saw that the
enemy was an immense troop
of monkeys. Their prisoners,
who knew what the alarm
was caused by, made no small
sport of the Macedonians.

THE SPEECH OF MONKEYS

Something should be said
of the alleged " speech of
monkeys" which Professor
Garner believed himself to
have discovered. He rightly
excluded mere sounds showing
joy, desire, or sorrow from the
faculty of speech, but claimed
to have detected special words,
one meaning " food," another
" drink," another " give me
that," another meaning
" monkey," or an identification
of a second animal or monkey.
He used a phonograph to
keep permanent record of the
sounds, and made an expe-
dition to the West African forests in the hope that he might induce the large anthropoid
apes to answer the sounds which are so often uttered by their kind in our menageries.
The enterprise ended, as might have been expected, in failure. Nor was it in the least
necessary to go and sit in a cage in an African forest in the hope of striking up an acquaint-
ance with the native chimpanzees. The little Capuchin monkeys, whose voices and sounds he
had ample opportunity of observing here, give sufficient material for trying experiments in the
meaning of monkey sounds. The writer believes that it is highly probable that the cleverer
monkeys have a great many notes or sounds which the others do understand, if only because
they make the same under similar circumstances, otherwise they would not utter them. They
are like the sounds which an intelligent but nearly dumb person might make. Also they have
very sharp ears, and some of them can understand musical sounds, so far as to show a very
marked attention to them. The following account of an experiment of this kind, when a violin
was being played, is related in " Life at the Zoo " : " The Capuchin monkeys, the species selected
by Professor Garner for his experiments in monkey language, showed the strangest and most
amusing excitement. These pretty little creatures have very expressive and intelligent faces, and
the play and mobility of their faces and voices while listening to the music were extraordinarily
iapid. The three in the first cage at once rushed up into their box, and then all peeped out,
chattering and excited. One by one they came down, and listened to the music with intense
curiosity shrieking and making faces at a crescendo, shaking the wires angrily at a discord, and

Anschutx.}

CHACMA BABOON

This photograph thoivs hts attitude 'when about to make an attack

[Birlin

Pfutt by C. Rtiil]

A YOUNG MALE CHACMA BABOON

[trishaw, ft. 3.

Note the protruding tusk in the upper jaw. A baboon utting in this position cf rest can instantly leap six or seven feet, and inflict a.

dangerous b:t«
21

22

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

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

THE AMERICAN MONKEYS

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

trils, which are not mere slits close together, but like the nostrils of men. They also have
human-looking rounded heads. Their noses are of the " cogitative " order, instead of being

snouts or snubs with narrow

openings in them ; and the

whole face is in many ways

human and intelligent. The

HOWLER MONKEYS, which

utter the most hideous

sounds ever heard in the

forests, and the SPIDER

MONKEYS are the largest.

The latter have the most

wonderfully developed

limbs and tails for catching

and climbing of any living

animals. As highly special-

ised creatures are always

interesting, visitors to any

zoological garden will find

The most intelligent of the comn.on monkeys jt worth while to WPfrV. 3
of America. It uses many sound* to express

•ions, and ptrhafs desiret Spider monkey climbing,

Photo by A. S. Rutland <5r> Sons']

HEAD OF MALE MANDRILL

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

L. Midland, F.Z.S., N^h~nnM
BROWN CAPUCHIN

Photo bj L. Midland, F.Z.S., North FinMij

DRILL

Only less ugly than the Mandrill. Its habits art
_ the same

APES, MONKEYS, AND LEMURS

Phatt by A. S. Rudland (V Soni

RED HOWLER MONKEY

The male possesses a most extraordinary voice

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

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

P halt bf A. S. Rudland &• Sim

A SPIDER MONKEY

In the private room behind the monkey- Thil mankey it specially adapted for arboreal life. The to*

house at the Zoo there are always a number of the

acts as a fifth hand

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

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

ptiotc b) Stholaitic Photo.Co.] [Parian"! Gntn

PATAS MONKEY

Found in West Africa. A large and brilliantly coloured species

allied tamarins as presents for friends at home in England ;
the Brazilians themselves like to have them as pets also ; so
there is to some extent a trade demand for them.

Among the most delicate of American monkeys are the
OUKARIS, which have somewhat human faces, exquisite soft
fur, and are as gentle as most of these forest creatures. They
seldom live long in captivity, a few months being as much as
they will generally endure, even in Brazil. Perhaps the rarest
of all is the white-haired SCARLET-FACED OUKARI. This monkey
has long white hair from neck to tail, sandy whiskers, and a
bright scarlet face. It lives in a district of partly flooded forest,
and is only obtained by the Indians using blow-pipes and
arrows dipped in very diluted urari poison. The WHITE-
HEADED SAKI is a rare and very pretty little monkey of Brazil ;
and there are a very large number of other species of this
group whose names it would be mere weariness to mention.
All these small monkeys are very quick and intelligent, while
the rapidity of their movements, their ever-changing expres-
sion, and sharp, eager cries heighten the idea of cleverness
given by their general appearance. Other little imps of these
forests are the SQUIRREL MONKEYS. In the common species
the face is like a little furry man's, its arms brilliant yellow (as
if dipped in gamboge dye), the cheeks pink, and eyes black.
In habits it is a quick-tempered, imperious little creature,
carnivorous, and a great devourer of butterflies and beetles.

Photo by C. Reid] [lfishaw, N. B.

WANDEROO MONKEY

The number of monkeys -which ha-ve leonine
manes is large. The manes act as capes te keep

* •* f^1*-"1- »-*<- v wui v_i »Ji L/ULLCI llico cHIU UCCLlca. ••»•«•••»• •*••&-• •, . ,,

, , the dew and -wet from their chests and shoulder^

beautiful and entertaining of all monkeys are

Phtto by A. S. Rutland & Sent

COMMON SQUIRREL MONKEY

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

4 25

26

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

fhott by A, S. Rudland <V Soni

BLACK-EARED MARMOSET

These are among the prettiest of small tropical monkeys in America : they art
insect-feeder •$, and "very delicate

these New World species. No person
clever at interpreting the ways of ani-
mals would fail to consider them far
more clever and sympathetic than the
melancholy anthropoid apes, while
for appearance they have no equals.
Probably the most attractive monkey
in Europe is a South American one
now in the London Zoological Gardens.
It was first mentioned to Europeans by
Baron von Humboldt, who saw it in the
cabin of an Indian on the Orinoco.
These forest Indians of South America
are gentle creatures themselves. Among
other amiable qualities, they have a
passion for keeping pets. One who
worked for a friend of the writer, with
others of his tribe, was asked what he
would take in payment, which was given in kind. The others chose cloth, axes, etc. This
Indian said that he did not care for any of these things. He said he wanted a " poosa." No
one knew what he meant. He signed that he wished to go to the house and would show them.
Arrived there, he pointed to the cat ! " Pussy," to the Arawak Indian, was a " poosa," and that
was what he wanted as a month's wages. Humboldt's Indian had something better than a
" poosa." It was a monkey, as black as coal, with a round head, long thickly furred tail, and
bright vivacious eyes. The explorer called it the LAGOTHRIX, which means Hare-skin Monkey.
The fur is not the least like a hare's, but much resembles that of an opossum. The more suitable
name is the WOOLLY MONKEY. The one kept at the Gardens is a most friendly and vivacious
creature, ready to embrace, play and make friends with any well-dressed person. It dislikes
people in working-clothes which are dirty or soiled — a not uncommon aversion of clever animals.

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

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

[North Finchley

UMBOLDT'S WOOLLY MONKEY

This is the most popular monkey in captivity. He looks for all the -world like a Ne*ro and has
>ut,fult soft, -woolly coat. He is very tame, and love* nothing better than being petted

APES, MONKEYS, AND LEMURS

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

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

THE LEMURS

THE South American monkeys, with their
forms and fur, are followed by a beautiful and
of creatures, called the LEMURS, with their
Maholis, and Pottos. Their resemblance to
their hands and feet. These are real and
hands, with proper thumbs. The second
always terminates in a long, sharp
alist, who kept them as pets no-
themselves with. Some of them
sensitive disk, full of extra
" Unlike the lively squirrels
hiding-places till the tropical
when they seek their
but by ascending to the
and again, at the first ap-
the light in the recesses
The RING-TAILED LEMUR
most of the race are so
the light seems to
they turn over
same inarticu-
But at night
they fly from
so that the
whether they

Photo by Ottomar dnschutx] \_3irltn

PIG-TAILED MONKEY CATCHING A FLY

Most of the smaller monkeys, as ivell as the baboons, are fond of eating
insects. Beetles^ white ants, and flies are eagerly sought and de-voured

squirrel-like
*• interesting group
cousins the Lorises.
monkeys is mainly in
very highly developed
toe on the hind foot nearly
claw. " Elia," the Indian natur-
ticed that they used this to scratch
have the finger-tips expanded into a
nerves. Lemur means " ghost."
and monkeys, they do not leave their
darkness has fallen on the forest,
food, not by descending to the ground,
upper surface of the ocean of trees,
proach of dawn, seek refuge from
of some dark and hollow trunk,
is as lively by day as night ; but
entirely creatures of darkness that
stupefy them. When wakened,
like sleeping children, with the
late cries and deep, uneasy sighs,
most are astonishingly active;
tree to tree, heard, but invisible ;
natives of Madagascar doubt
are not true lemures, the unquiet
departed dead.

ghosts of their

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

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

28

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Phot, b, L. Midland, F.Z.S.] [North FinMiy

RING-TAILED LEMUR

This lemur is often keft as a domestic animal, and allo-wed to run about the
house like a cat

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

Madagascar is the main home of the
lemurs, though some of the related animals
are also found in Africa and in the East
Indies. But the dense forests of the great

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

Photo by L. Midland, F.Z.S., North Finchli)

A DWARF LEMUR

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

APES, MONKEYS, AND LEMURS

29

INDRI, and the BLACK INDRI all belong to this group.

The SIFAKAS, as some of these and the allied forms

are called, are venerated by the Malagasys, who never

kill one intentionally. Mr. Foster observes that

" they live in companies of six or eight, and are

very gentle and inoffensive animals, wearing a very

melancholy expression, and being as a rule morose,

inactive, and more silent than the other lemurs.

They rarely live long in captivity. In their native

state they are most alert in the morning and evening,

as during the day they conceal themselves under the

foliage of trees. When asleep or in repose, the head

is dropped on the chest and buried between the

arms, the tail rolled up on itself and disposed between

the hind legs. The sifakas live exclusively on vege-
table substances, fruits, leaves, and flowers, their diet

not be-
ing varied, as in the other lemurs, by small birds,
eggs, or insects. Their life is almost entirely
arboreal, for which the muscles of their hands and
feet, as well as the parachute-like folds between
their arms and bodies, and their peculiar hooked
fingers, are well fitted. The young one is carried
by the mother on its back, its hands grasping her
armpits tightly."

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

Photo by L. Midland, F.Z S.] [North Finchltj

BLACK LEMUR

Found on the coast of Madagascar

Photo by L. Midland, F.Z.S., North Finchliy

COQUEREL'S LEMUR

A lemur 'which strongly objects to being awakened in the day-

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

THE TRUE LEMURS

Of these there are several
species, all confined to Mada-
gascar and the Comoro Islands.
One of the best known is the
RING-TAILED LEMUR, mentioned
above. It is called LEMUR CATTA,
the Cat Lemur, from being so
often kept in domestication. The
WEASEL LEMUR, the GRAY LEMUR,
the MOUSE LEMUR, the GENTLE
LEMUR, the SPORTIVE LEMUR, the

Photo by L. Midland, F.Z.S.] [North FinchUj

RUFFED LEMUR

Another of the nocturnal lemur i. It li-ves mainly on fruit and insects

3°

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Photo by L. Midland, F.Z.S~\ [North finMty

GARNETT'S GALAGO

One of the squirrel-like temuroids

CROWNED LEMUR, and COQUEREL'S LEMUR, all
represent various small, pretty, and interesting
varieties of the group. The BLACK-AND-WHITE
LEMUR, one of the larger kinds, is capable of
domestication. A specimen kept in a London
house, where the present writer saw it, was always
called " Pussy " by the children. The other small
kinds are very like squirrels, mice, weasels, and
other creatures, with which they have no connec-

and primitive fauna of Madagascar tried to make
up for its want of variety by mimicking the
forms of other animals, and something of the
same kind is seen in Australia, where the mar-
supials take the place of all kinds of ordinary mammals. There are marsupial rats, marsupial
wolves, marsupial squirrels, and even marsupial moles. The small squirrel and rat-like lemurs
are calleu CHIROGALES. COQUEREL'S LEMUR is really a chirogale. It is a quaint and by no
means amiable little animal, sleeping obstinately all day, and always i ready to growl and bite
if disturbed. Its colour is brownish gray and cream-colour. A pair of these, rolled up tightly
into balls in a box of hay, will absolutely refuse to move, even when handled. They only
feed by night.

THE GALAGOS

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

r

Photo by L. Midland, F.Z.S~\ [North FinMey

MAHOLI GALAGO

This little animal is a native of East Africa. It has -very large eyes,
and fur as soft as the chinchilla's

APES, MONKEYS, AND LEMURS

31

Phttt bj L. Midland, F.Z S.] [Ntrth FtnMq

SLENDER LORIS

Thh extraordinary creature has the habits of a chameleon when
iteking insects for food. The f holograph ii unique

tion of many northern mammals. Tropical animals
often become torpid to avoid the famine caused by
the hot season, just as creatures in cold countries
hibernate to avoid the hunger which would otherwise
come with winter.

THE SLOW LEMURS OR LORISES, AND TARSIERS

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

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

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

In the Malay islands a distant rela-
tive, even more curiously formed, is found
in the TAKSIER. It has the huge eyes,
pointed ears, and beautiful fur of the
galagos, but the tail is long, thin and
tufted. The fingers are flattened out into
disks, like a tree-frog's. These creatures
hop from bough to bough in a frog-like
manner in search of insects. They are
not so large as a good-sized rat. Our
photograph does not give an adequate

,

[North finMt,

idea of the size of the eyes.

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

SLOW LORIS

Another of the slow-moving loris group. These animals are not shown to tOe
general public at the Zoo, but kepi in a specially "warmed room

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

J'hoti by A. S. Rudland & Sam

TARSIER

These little animals hop about in the trees like frogs

seen

They are nocturnal, and seldom

THE AYE-AYE

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

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

Photo by L. Midland, F.Z.S., N. FinMtf

HEAD OF AYE-AYE

The aye-aye lives mainly in the wild

AFRICAN LION AND LIONESS.
These animals are so num.™. ta East Africa that t.,ey .re exempt,,! from P™«

FHmo b) bra

[FItrtnit

AFRICAN LION
Thit lion if a/most in the attitude of those sculptured by Sir Ediuin Landseer for the Nelion Monument, but the Jeet art turned in, not lying Jiat

CHAPTER II

T

THE CAr TRIBE

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

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

The characteristics of the Cats and their allies are too well
known to need description. We will therefore only mention
the chief types of the group, and proceed to give, in the fullest
detail which space allows, authentic anecdotes of their life and
habits. The tribe includes Lions, Tigers, Leopards, Pumas,
Jaguars, a large number of so-called Tiger-cats (spotted and
striped), Wild Cats, Domestic Cats, and Lynxes. The
Hunting-leopard, or Cheeta, stands in a sub-group by itself,
as does the Fossa, the only large carnivore of Madagascar.
33

Bj ftrminian of Hirr Carl Hagtnbtik, Hamburg

AN UNWILLING PUPIL

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

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

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

THE LION

RECENT intrusions for railways,
sport, discovery, and war into Central
and East Africa have opened up new
lion countries, and confirmed, in the most
striking manner, the stories of the power,
the prowess, and the dreadful destruc-
tiveness to man and beast of this king
of the Carnivora. At present it is found
in Persia, on the same rivers where
Nimrod and the Assyrian kings made its
pursuit their royal sport; in Gujerat,
where it is nearly extinct, though in
General Price's work on Indian game
written before the middle of the last
century it is stated that a cavalry officer

killed eighty lions in three years ; and in Africa, from Algeria to the Bechuana country. It
is especially common in Somaliland, where the modern lion-hunter mainly seeks his sport.
On the Uganda Railway, from Mombasa to Lake Victoria, lions are very numerous and
dangerous. In Rhodesia and the Northern Transvaal they have killed hunters, railway officials,
and even our soldiers near Komati Poort. It has been found that whole tracts of country are
still often deserted by their inhabitants from fear of lions, and that the accounts of their ravages
contained in the Old Testament, telling how Samaria was almost deserted a second time from
this cause, might be paralleled to-day.

THE AFRICAN LION

BY F. C. SELOUS

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

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

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

Photo by rork &> Son] [Netting Hill

LIONESS AROUSED

The post of the animal here shows attention, but not anger or fear

'*AT

ALGERIAN LIONESS

This lioness, sitting under an olive-tree^ -was actually photographed in the Soudan by the intrepid M, Geiser

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

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

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

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

A FOSTER-MOTHER

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

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

[Abtrdun

Mot* by G. If. Wilson <5r> Co., Ltd.]

LIONESS AND CUB

Lion cuts thri-ve both in Dublin and Amsterdam, but not to well at the London Zoo

By permission of Htrr Carl Hagtnbeck~\ [Hamburg

A PERFORMING LION

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

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

THE CAT TRIBE

37

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

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

Phote bj Frattlli Altnarf]

A YOUNG LIONESS

The sole of the hind foot shows the soft fads on -which the Cats noiselessly approach their prey

[ Florcnci

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

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

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

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

By fermiuion of Herr Carl Hagtnbeck] [Hamburg

A HAPPY FAMILY

Here is a group of animals and their keeper from Herr Hagenbeck" s Thierpark. The animal in
front is a cross between a lion and a tigress ; he lives on quite friendly terms "with his keeper, and also
with lions, tigers, and leopards, as seen in the photograph

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

probably be large tufts

of hair in each flank just where the thighs join the belly ; but I have never yet seen the
skin of a lion shot within the last thirty years with the whole belly covered with long, thick
hair, as may constantly be observed in lions kept in captivity in menageries. There is,
however, some evidence to show that, when lions existed on the high plains of the Cape
Colony and the Orange River Colony, where the winter nights are much colder than in the
countries farther north where lions may still be encountered, certain individuals of the species
developed a growth of long hair all over the belly, as well as an extraordinary luxuriance of mane
on the neck and shoulders.

From the foregoing remarks it will
be seen that wild lions, having as a rule
much less luxuriant manes than many
examples of their kind to be seen in
European menageries, are ordinarily not so
majestic and dignified in appearance as
many of their caged relatives. On the
other hand, the wild lion is a much more
alert and active animal than a menagerie
specimen, and when in good condition is
far better built and more powerful-looking,
being free from all appearance of lankiness
and weakness in the legs, and having strong,

well-formed hindquarters. The eyes of the
menagerie lion, too, look brown and usually
sleepy, whilst those of the wild animal are
yellow, and extraordinarily luminous even

«T permission of Herr Carl Ha^inbicl'] [Hamburg

A CROSS BETWEEN LION AND TIGRESS

This unique photograph shows a remarkable hybrid and its proud parents.
The father (on the right] is a lion, and the mother (on the left) a tigress.
The offspring (in the centre) is a fine, large male, now four years old; a

after death. When WOUnded and Standing is bigger than an average-sized lion o" tiger

Phut, b) Onomar Jnichiitx]

[Btrlin

A HUNGRY LION

Notict that the mane, at in most wild tiom, Is very scanty

39

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

J»*.i. h L. MtJUmJ, F.Z.S., K.nl, Flnililt

TIGER CUB

Natt tkt great Jevclofmtnt of tkt leg*

greater part of the natives of Southern Africa to put an end to
any lion which may take to eating men that prevents these
animals as a rule from becoming the formidable pests which
man-eating tigers appear to be in parts of India. But man-
eating lions in Africa are not invariably old animals. One
which killed thirty -seven human beings in 1887, on the Majili
River, to the north-west of the Victoria Falls of the Zambesi,
was, when at last he was killed, found to be an animal in the
prime of life ; whilst the celebrated man-eaters of the Tsavo
River, in East Africa, were also apparently strong, healthy
animals. These two man-eating lions caused such consterna-
tion amongst the Indian workmen on the Uganda Railway
that the work of construction was considerably retarded, the
helpless coolies refusing to remain any longer in a country
where they were liable to be eaten on any night by a man-
eating lion. Both these lions were at last shot by one of the
engineers on the railway (Mr. J. H. Patterson), but not
before they had killed and devoured twenty-eight Indian
coolies and an unknown number of native Africans.

THE TIGER

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

A ROYAL TIGER

Tiger, «,,,* tht „,„,*, th,n «»t g

in that hot

THE CAT TRIBE

Ph»l, by Fralilli Alinar,]

A TIGER BEFORE SLEEPING
Tigers, -when about to sleep, at in this position -t -when more drowsy, they lie down or roll over on their backs

IF linnet

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

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

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

44

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

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

the water as it ran off their
bodies on to the sand. Next
night they came again. This
time, though it was dark, he
shot one in a very ingenious
manner. The two tigers
walked into the water, and
apparently lay down or sat
down in it, with their heads
out. They only moved occa-
sionally, lapping the water,
but did not greatly disturb
the surface. On this was re-
flected a bright star from the
sky above. The sportsman
put the sight of the rifle on
the star, and kept it up to his
shoulder. Something obliter-
ated the star, and he instantly
fired. The " something " was
the tiger's head, which the
bullet duly hit.

The hill-tigers of India are, or were, much more given to hunting by day than the jungle-
tigers. In the Nilgiri Hills of Southern India the late General Douglas Hamilton said that before
night the tigers were already about hunting, and that in the shade of evening it was dangerous
to ride on a pony — not because the tigers wished to kill the rider, but because they might mis-
take the pony and its rider for a sambar deer. He was stalked like this more than once. Often,
when stalking sambar deer and ibex by day, he saw the tigers doing the same, or after other
prey. "My brother Richard," he writes, " was out after a tiger which the hillmen reported had
killed a buffalo about an hour before. He saw the tiger on first getting to the ground, and the
tiger had seen him. It was lying out in the open watching the buffalo, and shuffled into the
wood, and would not come out again. Next morning, when we got to the ground, the tiger
was moving from rock to rock, and had dragged the body into a nullah. . . . We were upon
the point of starting home when we observed a number of vultures coming down to the carcase.
The vultures began to collect in large numbers on the opposite hill. I soon counted fifty ; but
they would not go near the buffalo. Then some crows, bolder than the rest, flew down, and

[Par ion'/ Grim

. Phttt by Schalaitic Photo. Co.]

A HALF-GROWN TIGER CUB

Tigers "groiv to their head," like children. The head of a half-grown cub is as long, though
not so broad, as that of the adult

\_Florrnct

Pfuio bj frtutlll Minari]

TIGERS IN ITALY

These tigers were photographed in Turin. Italy was the first European country to which these animals "were brought from the Eatt

45

46

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

made a great row over their meal. All of

a sudden they all flew up, and I made certain

it was the tiger. Then my brother fired, and

there he was, shot right through the brain,

lying just above the buffalo. He had been

brought down by the noise the crows were

making. Upon driving the sholas (small

woods on these hills), tigers were often put

out. Sometimes they availed themselves of

the drive to secure food for themselves. A

wood was being driven, when a tremendous

grunting was heard, and out rushed an old

boar, bristling and savage. B — - was about

to raise his rifle, when a growl like thunder

stopped him, and a great tiger with one spring

cleared the nullah, and alighted on the back

of the old boar. Such a battle then took

place that, what with the growls of the tiger

and the squeals of the boar, one might believe

oneself in another world. I thought of nothing

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

so, as they were rolling down over and over,

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

two the noise went on ; then the tiger jumped

off, and the boar struggled into the nullah

close by. The tiger pulled up, and coolly

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

nullah and disappeared."

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

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

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

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

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

Mr. J. D. Cobbold shot a tiger in
Central Asia in a swamp so deep in snow
and so deadly cold that he dared not
stay for fear of being frozen to death.
Tigers sometimes wander as far west as the
Caucasus near the Caspian. The farther
north, the larger your tiger, is the rule.
The biggest ever seen in Europe was
a Siberian tiger owned by Herr Carl
Hagenbeck, of Hamburg, and the largest
known skin and skull is from the Far
North. The skin is 1 3 feet 6 inches from
the nose to the end of the tail. The

By ptrmisiion of Htrr Carl Hagtnbeck]

A LEOPARD-PUMA HYBRID

This is a photograph from life of a -very rare hybrid. The animal's
father was a puma, its mother a leopard. It is now dead, and may be
seen stuffed in Mr. Rothschild" s Museum at Tring

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

(North Fimhltf

LEOPARDS

A pair of leopards, one spotted, the other black. Black leopards may be the
offspring oftht ordinary spotted form ; they are generally much more sa-vage

THE CAT TRIBE

47

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

LEOPARDS

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

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

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

fh,tt bj C. R,id]

A YOUNG LEOPARD

The leopard cub it far more cat-like in appearance than the young tiger or lion

[lfi,haw, N.

48 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

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

Leopards are essentially tree-living and nocturnal animals. Sleeping in trees or caves by
day, they are seldom disturbed. They do an incredible amount of mischief among cattle, calves,
sheep, and dogs, being especially fond of killing and eating the latter. They seize their prey by
the throat, and cling with their claws until they succeed in breaking the spine or in strangling
the victim. The largest leopards are popularly called PANTHERS. In India they sometimes
become man-eaters, and are always very dangerous. They have a habit of feeding on putrid
flesh ; this makes wounds inflicted by their teeth or claws liable to blood-poisoning. Nothing in
the way of prey comes amiss to them, from a cow in the pasture to a fowl up at roost. " In
every country," says Sir Samuel Baker, " the natives are unanimous in saying that the leopard is
more dangerous than the lion or tiger.

Wberever I have been in Africa, the ^^^^^fc

natives have declared that they had no
fear of a lion, provided they were not
hunting, for it would not attack unpro-
voked, but that a leopard was never to
be trusted. I remember when a native
boy, accompanied by his grown-up
brother, was busily employed with
others in firing the reeds on the op-
posite bank of a small stream. Being

frl

Photo b- J. IT. McLellan-} [Highburf

SNOW-LEOPARD, OR OUNCE

This is a striking portrait of a -very beautiful animal. Note the long bushy tail, thick ccat, and targe eyes

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

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

V 177

fhnt h Otttmar Anicnutx] [Btrlin

CHEETA

A chceta is a hunting-leopard; thit one is a particularly large specimen. Tht cheetas are dealt luith later on in this chapter

1 49

5°

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

flute ty G. W. Wilson &• Co., Ltd.!

\_Aberdnn

JAGUAR

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

THE AMERICAN CATS

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

THE JAGUAR

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

Phote by Scholastic Photo. Co., Panon' i Grttn

PUMA

A puma in the act of lying down, like a domestic cat

THE CAT TRIBE

5'

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

THE PUMA

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

1

Phett bj Ottttmar jtnichiitx]

iBirlin

FEMALE PUMA

Thit ihows a puma alert and vigilant, "with eart pricked forward

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

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

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

As space forbius further
quotation from Mr. Hudson's
experiences, which should be
read, the writer will only add one
anecdote which was told him by
Mr. Everard im Thurn, C. B.,
formerly an official in British
Guiana. He was going up one
of the big rivers in his steam-
launch, and gave a passage to an
elderly and respectable Cornish
miner, who wanted to go up to
a gold-mine. The visitor had his
meals on the boat, but at night
went ashore with the men and
slung his hammock between two
trees, leaving the cabin to his

host. One morning two of the Indian crew brought the miner's hammock on board with a
good deal of laughing and talking. Their master asked what the joke was, whereupon, pointing
to the trees whence they had unslung the hammock, one said, " Tiger sleep with old man last
night." They were quite in earnest, and pointed out a hollow and marks on the leaves, which
showed that a puma had been lying just under the mans hammock. When asked if he had
noticed anything in the night, he said, " Only the frogs croaking wakened me up." The croak-
ing of the frogs was probably the hoarse purring of the friendly puma enjoying his proximity
to a sleeping man. Mr. Hudson quotes a case in which four pumas played round and leapt over
a person camping out on the Pampas. He watched them for some time, and then went to sleep !
Many of those brought to this country come with their tempers ruined by ill-treatment and
hardship ; but a large proportion are as tame as cats. Captain Marshall had one at Marlow
which used to follow him on a chain and watch the boats full of pleasure-seekers at the lock.

The puma is always a beautiful creature, — the fur cinnamon-coloured, tinged with gold ; the
belly and chest white ; the tail long, full, and round. Though friendly to man, it is a desperate
cattle-killer, and particularly fond of horse-flesh, so much so that it has been suggested that the
indigenous wild horses of America were destroyed by the puma.

There are two other cats of the Pampas — the GRASS-CAT, not unlike our wild cat in appear-
ance and habits, and the WOOD-CAT, or Geoffrey's Cat. It is a tabby, and a most elegant
creature, of which there is a specimen, at the time of writing, in the Zoo.

THE OCELOT
In the forest region is also found the most beautiful of the medium-sized cats. This is the

Photo b) Ottomar Anschutx}

OCELOT

Note the elongated spots, and their arrangement in chains

[Berlin

Photo by Ottomar Anschiitz, Berlin.

OCELOT FROM CENTRAL AMERICA.

This is one of the most beautifully marked of all Mammals. The ornamental colouring
is seldom quite the same in any two specimens.

THE CAT TRIBE

53

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

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

Photo bj Ottomar Jnichutx]

OCELOT FROM CENTRAL AMERICA

The ocelot can be tamed and almost domesticated if taken young, and is occasionally kept as a pet by theforett Indiant

[ffirlln

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

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

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

54

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

OTHER WILD CATS

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

Photo by A. 5. Rudland &> Sans

FISHING-CAT

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

gray and spotted, and those which are gray
and striped, or " whole-coloured." There
is no wholly gray wild cat, but several
sandy-coloured species. All live on birds
and small mammals, and probably most
share the tame cat's liking for fish. Among

o o

the gray-and-spotted cats are the MOTTLED
CAT of the Eastern Himalaya and Straits
Settlements and islands ; the TIBETAN
TIGER-CAT ; the FISHING-CAT of India and
Ceylon, which is large enough to kill
lambs, but lives much on fish and large
marsh-snails ; GEOFFROY'S CAT, an Ameri-
can species ; the LEOPARD-CAT of Java and
Japan, which seems to have gray fur in

Photo by A. S. Rudland &> Soni

CLOUDED LEOPARD

It shares -with the ocelot the first place among the highly ornamented cats

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

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

Photo by A. S. Rudland & Sons

MARBLED CAT

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

ffittt tj Ottomar jtnithutx]

[Btrltn

GOLDEN CAT

Sumatra it tht home of thh very beautifully coloured cat. The general tint h that of gold-itone. Sometimet the belly it fure -white

55

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Photo by A. S. Rutland &* Sons

PAMPAS-CAT

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

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

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

Japan and a fulvous leopard-like skin in
India, where it is also called the TIGER-CAT •
and the smallest of all wild cats, the little
RUSTY-SPOTTED CAT of India. This has
rusty spots on a gray ground. "I had a
kitten brought to me," says Dr. Jerdon
of the species, " when very young. It
became quite tame, and was the delight
and admiration of all who saw it. When
it was about eight months old, I introduced
the fawn of a gazelle into the room where
it was. The little creature flew at it the
moment it saw it, seized it by the nape
of the neck, and was with difficulty taken
off." Of the whole-coloured wild cats — which
include the BAY CAT, the American PAMPAS-
CAT, PALLAS' CAT of Tibet and India the

ftltto tj/ A. S, Rudland &• Sons

BAY CAT

Photo by A. S. Rudland SC Soni

EYRA CAT

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

rats, birds, and small mammals generally.

The BLACK-FOOTED WILD CAT is another
African species. It is a beautiful spotted-
and-lined tabby, the size of a small domestic
cat, and as likely as any other to be the
origin of our tabby variety, if tame cats
came to Europe from Atrica. At present
it is only found south in the Kalahari Desert
and Bechuanaland.

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

THE CAT TRIBE

57

PHttt k) A. S. Rutland &> Son,

KAFFIR CAT

The common -wild cat of Soul A Africa. It will interbreed -with
domestic cats

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

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

, , , f ,. , Phttt by A. S. Rutland &• Stni

impudent jungle-cat rushed for the door, AFRICAN CHAUS> OR JUNGLE_CAT

but had the coolness to seize the hen The ckaut it tht ln£ttn and African e^aUm Ofour -wilder hit

3 equally strong and savage

I

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

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

As the chaus is common both in India and Africa, a comparison of its habits in both conti-
nents is somewhat interesting. Jerdon, the Indian naturalist, writes : " It is the common wild
cat from the Himalaya to Cape Comorin, and from the level of the sea to 7,000 or 8,000 feet
elevation. It frequents alike the jungles and the open country, and is very partial to long reeds,
and grass, sugarcane-fields, and corn-fields. It does much damage to all game, especially to
hares and partridges. Quite recently I shot a pea-fowl at the edge of a sugarcane-field. One
of these cats sprang out, seized the pea-fowl, and after a short struggle — for the bird was not
quite dead — carried it off before my astonished eyes, and, in spite of my running up, made
his escape with his booty. It must have been stalking these very birds, so closely did its spring
follow my shot. It is said to breed twice a year, and to have three or four young at a birth. I
have very often had the young brought to me, but always failed in rearing them ; and they
always showed a savage and untamable disposition. I have seen numbers of cats about villages
in various parts of the country that must have been hybrids between this cat and the tame ones."
The late Sir Oliver St. John was more fortunate with his jungle-cat kittens. He obtained
three in Persia. These he reared till they were three months old, by which time they became
so tame that they would climb on to his knees at breakfast-time, and behave like ordinary kit-
tens. One was killed by a greyhound, and another by a scorpion — a curious fate for a kitten to
meet. The survivor then became morose and ill-tempered, but grew to be a large and strong
animal. " Two English bull-terriers of mine, which would make short work of the largest domes-
tic cat, could do nothing against my wild cat," says the same writer. " In their almost daily
battles the dogs always got the worst of it."

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

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

countable aversion to black men. Its,

.. , .

otherwise even temper is always;

arOUSed at the .. Sight of 3. native.'

SERVAL

Phete tj Otttmar

MALE SERVAL

The serval is a link tenveen the leopardi and tiger-cats, quite large enough to kill the young of the smaller antelopes

59

6o

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

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

THE COMMON WILD CAT

The WILD CAT was once fairly common
all over England. A curious story, obviously
exaggerated, shows that traditions of its
ferocity were common at a very early date.
The tale is told of the church of Barn-
borough, in Yorkshire, between Doncaster and
Barnsley. It is said that a man and a wild
cat met in a wood near and began to fight ;
that the cat drove the man out of the wood
as far as the church, where he took refuge
in the porch ; and that both the man and
cat were so injured that they died. Accord-
ing to Dr. Pearce, the event was formerly
commemorated by a rude painting in the
church.

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

Photo bj Otttmar Anscttutx\

SERVAL CLIMBING

Note the active, cat-like method of climbing

[Birlin

THE CAT TRIBE

bi

and it is therefore easy to know where to set a trap for them. Having caught and killed one of
the colony, the rest of them are sure to be taken if the body of their slain relative is left in the
same place not far from their usual hunting-ground and surrounded with traps, as every wild cat
passing that way will to a certainty come to it."

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

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

By ptrmtiiitn •/ Ptrcj Liigti Ptmktrttn, Ely.

EUROPEAN WILD CAT

The British ret>retentaeii/e of this species is rapidly becoming extinct. The ."iccimcn -white portrait is given here -was caught in

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

litn of ftrcy Lfig* Ptmhirttn, Esq.

SCOTCH WILD CATS

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

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

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

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

THE LYNXES

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

The CARACAL is a southern, hot-country lynx. It has a longer tail than the others, but the
same tufted ears. It seems a link between the lynxes and the jungle-cats. It is found in India,
Palestine, Persia, and Mesopotamia. In India it was trained, like the cheeta, to catch birds,

THE CAT TRIBE

gazelles, and hares. The COMMON LYNX is probably the same animal, whether found in Norway,
Russia, the Carpathians, Turkestan, China, or Tibet. The CANADIAN LYNX is also very probably
the same, with local differences of colour. The NORTHERN LYNX is the largest feline animal left
in Europe, and kills sheep and goats equally with hares and squirrels. The beautiful fur, of pale
cinnamon and light gray, is much admired. In some southern districts of America we have the
RED LYNX, or so-called " wild cat," which is distinct from the lynx of Canada. The MEDITERRA-
NEAN or SPANISH LYNX seems likewise entitled to rank as a distinct species.

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

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

» «<•>

Phttt b) Ottomar Anichufx.\

[Btrlin

LYNX

Thil animal it a uniformly coloured sfecies common to India and Africa

64

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

flutt bj A, S. Rudland &• Sons

EUROPEAN LYNX

The largest of the cat tribe left in Europe

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

In Siberia and North Russia
most of the lynx-skins taken are
sold to the Chinese. The lynx-skins
brought here are mainly those of the
Canadian species. The fur is dyed,
and used for the busbies of the
officers in the hussar regiments.
These skins vary much in colour,
and in length and quality of fur.
The price varies correspondingly.
The Canadian lynx lives mainly on
the wood-hares and on the wood-
grouse of the North American forests. The flesh of the lynx is said to be good and tender.
Brehm says of the Siberian lynx : " It is a forest animal in the strictest sense of the word.

But in Siberia it occurs only singly, and is rarely captured. Its true home is in the thickest

parts in the interior of the woods, and these it probably never leaves except when scarcity of

food or the calls of love tempt it to wander to tl.e outskirts. Both immigrants and natives hold

the hunting of the lynx in high esteem. This proud cat's activity, caution and agility, and

powers of defense arouse the enthusiasm of every sportsman, and both skin and flesh are valued,

the latter not only by the Mongolian tribes, but also by the Russian hunters. The lynx is

seldom captured in fall-traps ;

he often renders them useless .

by walking along the beam

and stepping on the lever,

and he usually leaps over the

spring-traps in his path. So

only the rifle and dogs are

left."

The RED LYNX is a small

American variety, the coat of

which turns tawny in summer,

when it much resembles a

large cat. It is called in some

parts of the United States the

Mountain-cat. This lynx is

30 inches long in the body,

with a tail 6 inches long. It

is found on the eastern or

Atlantic side of the continent, Bf flrmissitn tf Mr ,. B. Gund^

and by no means shuns the CANADIAN LYNX

neighbourhood Of Settlements. Great numbers of these are trapped every year for the sake of their fur

Flute by Otttmar Anichutx] [Birlin

CHEETAS
Cheetas can be distinguiihcd at a glance from the ordinary leopards by the tolid black sfots upon the back instead of the " raiettet."

9 65

66

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

PlHto by York &> Sen]

A CHEETA HOODED

[Netting Hill

THE CHEETA
THE NON-RETRACTILE-CLAWED CAT

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

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

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

Tht cheeta is not unhooded until fairly near his ouarry, ivhen he is given
a sight of the game, and a splendid race ensues

THE CAT TRIBE

67

This charming and accurate description shows the cheeta at home. In the field he is quite
another creature. He is driven as near as possible to the game, and then unhooded and given a
sight of them. Sir Samuel Baker thus describes a hunt in which a cheeta was used : " The chase
began after the right-hand buck, which had a start of about 1 10 yards. It was a magnificent sight
to see the extraordinary speed of pursuer and pursued. The buck flew over the level surface,
followed by the cheeta, which was laying out at full stretch, with its long, thick tail brandishing
in the air. They had run 200 yards, when the keeper gave the word, and away we went as fast
as our horses could carry us. The horses could go over this clear ground, where no danger of a
fall seemed possible. I never saw anything to equal the speed of the buck and the cheeta ; we
were literally nowhere, although we were going as hard as horse-flesh could carry us ; but we had
a glorious view. The cheeta was gaining in the course, while the buck was exerting every muscle
for life or death in its last race. Presently, after a course of about a quarter of a mile, the buck
doubled like a hare, and the cheeta lost ground as it shot ahead, instead of turning quickly, being
only about thirty yards in rear of the buck. Recovering itself, it turned on extra steam, and the
race appeared to recommence at increased speed. The cheeta was determined to win, and at this
moment the buck made another double in the hope of shaking off its terrible pursuer ; but this
time the cheeta ran cunning, and was aware of the former game. It turned as sharply as the
buck. Gathering itself together for a final effort, it shot forward like an arrow, picked up the
distance which remained between them, and in a cloud of dust we could for one moment distin-
guish two forms. The next instant the buck was on its back, and the cheeta's fangs were fixed
like an iron vice in its throat. The course run was about 600 yards, and it was worth a special
voyage to India to see that hunt."

Phcti by Otttmar jlnichufx."]

IBirlin

A CHEETA ON THE LOOK-OUT

Chtetai are common to Africa and India. By the native princet of the latter country they are much used for taking ante/of e and other game

68

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Phot, bf r. Fall] \Ba\,r Strttt

WHITE SHORT-HAIRED

Most white cats are not albinoes — that is to say, they Aa-ve ordinarily
coloured and not red eyes

THE DOMESTIC CAT
BY Louis WAIN

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

LONG-HAIRED WHITE
White tats with blue eyes are generally deaf, or at all events hard of hearing

Phttc by f ratlin Alinarl, Fltrinct

MACKEREL-MARKED TABBY

Phcttkj L. Midland, F.Z.S., Ntrth Finchly

CAT CARRYING KITTEN

Tatties are probably the best known and the A unique photograph, showing the -way in

commonest cats

•which the cat carries its young

Phitt by E. Lander, Eating

BLUE LONG-HAIRED, OR
PERSIAN

Persian or long-haired cats are of •variout
colours } this is one of the least common

By firmiuion of Lady Altxandir

ORANGE TABBY

A champion "winner of go first prixes

Phut by E. Landtr, F.aling

SMOKE AND BLUE LONG-HAIRED

Tivo pretty and "valuable Persian kittens

Phata by E. Lander, Eating

LONG-HAIRED TABBY
A pretty pose

Phut by E. Landtr, Ealing

SILVER PERSIAN

A handsome specimen

6Q

Photc h E. Landtr, Eating

SMOKE LONG-HAIRED, OR
PERSIAN

A new breed

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

SHORT-HAIRED BLUE

This champion cat belongs to Lady Alexander, by tvhou
kind permission it is here reproduced

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

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

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

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

and dropping it at regular intervals until he
heard that his signals had produced the required
effect, and the door was opened to admit him.

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

fhctv by T. Fall]

SILVER TABBY

A beautiful -variety of a typical cat

{Baktr Strut

THE CAT TRIBE

SHORT-HAIRED TABBY

This is perhaps the most fatnoui cat notu living. It hat won no leis than 200 prizes

The nearest to perfection

perhaps, and yet at the same

time extremely soft and finely

made, is the BLUE CAT, rare

in England as an English cat,

but common in most other

countries, and called in

America the Maltese Cat — for

fashion's sake probably, since

it is too widely distributed

there to be localised as of

foreign origin. It is out in

the mining districts and

agricultural quarters, right

away from the beaten tracks

of humanity, where the most

wonderful breeds of cats

develop in America ; and

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

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

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

reminded them of homelier times.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LONG-HAIRED ORANGE

A good tpecimen of this "variety is always large and
finely furred

72 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Phot, by C. Riid] [trishaw, N. B.

MANX

These tailless cats are "well known; they were formerly called
" Cornwall ca«." Note the length of the hind le^s, -which is one
of the characteristics of this -variety of the domestic cat

Photo by E. Landor]

[Ealing

SIAMESE

These strikingly coloured cats are no-w fairly numerous, but com-
mand high prices. They ha-ve white kittens, which subsequently
become coloured

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

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

UE LONG-HAIRED, OR PERSIAN

This cat belonged to S^ueen Victoria

SILVER PERSIANS

Three of Mrs. Champion's celebrated cati

THE CAT TRIBE

73

Phot, by F.. Landor] [Eating

LONG-HAIRED CHINCHILLA

Note the beautiful "fluffiness" of thii cat's fur

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

The SAND-COLOURED CAT, with a whole-
coloured coat like the rabbit, which we know
as the ABYSSINIAN or BUNNY CAT, is a strong
African type. On the Gold Coast it comes
down from the inland country with its ears all
bitten and torn away in its fights with rivals.
It has been acclimatised in England, and Devon-
shire and Cornwall have both established a new

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

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

Siam sends us a regal aminal in the SIAMESE ROYAL CAT ; it has a brown face, legs, and tail,

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

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

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

can think out ways and means to attain an end.

I have tried for years to trace the origin of the LONG-HAIRED or PERSIAN CATS, but I cannot

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

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

Chinese history holds some hidden

lights in its records, we are thrown

back upon the myths of Persia to

account for the wonderful modern

contribution of the long-haired cat,

which is gradually breeding out

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

greater care and trouble are taken

over the long-haired, and they will,

as a breed, probably soon surpass

the short-haired for intelligence

and culture.

One variety is quite new and

distinctive — the SMOKE LONG-
HAIRED, whose dark brown or black

surface-coat, blown aside, shows an

under coat of blue and silver, with

a light brown frill round its neck.

All the other long-haired cats

can pair with the short-haired ' *'" h "• Tr""r 7"">

for colouring and marking, but I ™E "BUN" OR -TICKED" SHORT-HAIRED CAT

Ian n one of the rarest of cats. It belong* to Miss K. Maud Bennett who has kindly

have not yet seen a BUNNY LONG- had it photographed for this -work

HAIRED.

CHAPTER I II

THE FOSSA, CIVETS, AND ICHNEUMONS

I

rn~.lt e, y>. S. kudlanj &> Sons

FOSSA

The only feline animal of Madagascar

THE FOSSA

N the FOSSA Madagascar
possesses an altogether
peculiar animal. It is a
very slender, active creature,
with all its proportions much
elongated. It is of a bright
bay uniform colour, with thick
fur, and has sharp retractile
claws. It has been described
as the natural connecting link
between the Civets and the
Cats, anatomically speaking.
Thus it has retractile claws,
but does not walk on its toes,
like cats, but on the soles of
its feet (the hind pair of which
is quite naked), like a civet.
Very few have been brought

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

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

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

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

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

probably full grown. It is about the same

length and height as a large ocelot, but with a

far longer tail, and is more slenderly built. The

extreme activity of the fossa no doubt renders

it a very formidable foe to other and weaker

creatures. It has been described by a recent

writer as being entirely nocturnal, and preying

mainly on the lemurs and birds which haunt

the forests of Madagascar. The animal kept at

the Zoological Gardens has become fairly tame.

It is fed mainly on chickens' heads and other

refuse from poulterers' shops. Apparently it

has no voice of any kind. It neither growls,

roars, nor mews, though, when irritated or

frightened, it gives a kind of hiss like a cat.

74

Phot, by L. Midland, F.Z.S.] tNorth FinM>'

LARGE INDIAN CIVET

Civets are nocturnal in their habiti. That shown here Aasjuit
awakened in broad daylight

THE FOSSA, CIVETS, AND ICHNEUMONS 75

THE CIVETS AND GENETS

THE CIVETS are the first marked deviation from the Cat Family. Their bodies are elongated,
their legs short, their claws only partially retractile. Some of them have glands holding a strong
scent, much esteemed in old days in Europe, when " The Civet Cat " was a common inn-sign
even in England. The civets are generally beautifully marked with black stripes and bands on
gray. But none of them grow to any large size, and the family has never had the importance
of those which contain the large carnivora, like the true cats or bears. Many of the tribe and its
connections are domesticated. Some scholars have maintained that the cat of the ancient Greeks
was one of then — the common genet. The fact is that both this and the domestic cat were kept
by the ancients ; and the genet is still used as a cat by the peasants of Greece and Southern Italy.

The AFRICAN CIVET and INDIAN CIVET are large species. The former is common almost
throughout Africa. Neither of them seems to climb trees, but they find abundance of food by
catching small ground-dwelling animals and birds. They are good swimmers. The Indian civet
has a handsome skin, of a beautiful gray ground-colour, with black collar and markings. It is
from these civets that the civet-scent is obtained. They are kept in cages for this purpose, and
the secretion is scooped from the glands with a wooden spoon. They produce three or four kit-
tens in May or June. Several other species very little differing from these are known as the
MALABAR, JAVAN, and BURMESE CIVETS.

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

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

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

Photo bj A. S. Rudland &• Sons

AFRICAN CIVET

This is one of the largest of the G-vct Tribe. The perfume knoiun as " civet " Is obtained from it

76

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Phttt kj StMastic Pluto. Co.] \_Panon '} Gritn

AFRICAN CIVET

This photograph shows the finely marked fur of the specie* and the front view of the head

killing rats. Several other
very similar forms are found in
Africa. The presence of such
a very Oriental-looking ani-
mal in Europe is something
of a surprise, though many
persons forget that our South
European animals are very
like those of Africa and the
East. The porcupine, which
is common in Italy and Spain,
and the lynx and Barbary ape
are instances. A tame genet
kept by an acquaintance of the
writer in Italy was absolutely
domesticated like a tame
mongoose. It had very pretty

fur, gray, marbled and spotted with black, and no disagreeable odour, except a scent of musk.

It was a most active little creature, full of curiosity, and always anxious to explore not only

every room, but every cupboard and drawer in the house. Perhaps this was due to its keenness

in hunting mice, a sport of which it never tired. It did not play with the mice when caught as

a cat does, but ate them at once.

The LINSANGS, an allied group, are met with in the East, from India to Borneo and Ja

They are more slender than the genets, and more arboreal. Of the NEPALESE LINSANG Hodgson

writes : " This animal is equally at home on trees and on the ground. It breeds and dwells in

the hollows of decaying trees. It is not gregarious, and preys mainly on living animals." A

tame female owned by him is stated to have been wonderfully docile and tractable, very sensitive

to cold, and very fond of being petted. There is an allied West African species.

The PALM-CIVETS and HEMIGALES still further increase this numerous tribe. Slight difife

ences of skull, of the markings of the tail, which may only have rings on the base, and of

foot and tail, are the naturalist's guide to their separation from the other civets ; HARDWICKE

HEMIGALE has more zebra-like markings. Borneo,

Africa, India, and the Himalaya all produce these

active little carnivora ; but the typical palm-civets are

Oriental They are sometimes known as Toddy-cats,

because they drink the toddy from the jars fastened to

catch the juice. The groves of cocoanut-palm are their

favourite haunts ; but they will make a home in holes in

the thatched roofs of houses, and even in the midst

of cities. There are many species in the group.

The BINTURONG is another omnivorous, tree-

haunting animal allied to the civets; but it has a

prehensile tail, which few other mammals of the Old

World possess. It is a blunt-nosed, heavy animal,

sometimes called the Bear-cat. Very little is known

of its habits. It is found from the Eastern Himalaya

to Java.

The last of the Civet Family is BENNETT'S CIVET,

the only instance of a cat-like animal with partly

webbed feet. Found in the Malay Peninsula and in

PJ"""''f L- M'dland> F-z-s-l [*•"* rinM>J

SUMATRAN CIVET

AmM ""* ^'*

THE FOSSA, CIVETS, AND ICHNEUMONS 77

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

THE MONGOOSE AND ICHNEUMON FAMILY

THESE are a numerous and useful race of small mammals, feeding mainly on the creatures
most annoying to man within tropical countries. Snakes, the eggs of the crocodile, large lizard,
rats, mice, and other creatures known generally as " vermin," are their favourite food. It must
be added that, though they are most useful in destroying these, they also kill all kinds of birds,
and that their introduction into some of the West India Islands, for the purpose of killing rats,
has been fatal to the indigenous bird life.

THE INDIAN MONGOOSE
This universal favourite is one of the largest, the head and body being from 15 to 18 inches

Phttt hj A. S. Rudland &> Sent

GENET

The genets arc smaller than some civets, but allied to them. One was anciently domesticated Hike a cat

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

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

78 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

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

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

fhtto k} L. Midland, F.Z.S ] [North VinMty

TWO-SPOTTED PALM-CIVET

Thit is a ffest African species, ivAicA, -wit A an allied form from East
Africa, ref resents the palm-civeti in the Dark Continent

THE MEERKATS, OR SURICATES

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

was his

.

< t, L. Midland, F.Z.S. -\ \.Ntrth

MASKED PALM-CIVET

A -whole-coloured species of the group

THE FOSSA, CIVETS, AND ICHNEUMONS 79

fhttt t) Ro

rt D. Canon]

BINTURONG

[Philadtlfh,,

The binturong is placed -with the civets. It has a pre-
hensile tail like the kinkajou (see page

to her (her favourite is a sparrow), and makes her
usual cry, and Janet runs to her and carries off the
bird, which she eats, feathers and all, in a very few
minutes, if she is hungry." When near a farm, the
meerkats will devour eggs and young chickens.
They are also said to eat the eggs of the large
leopard-tortoise. The commonest is the SLENDER-
TAILED MEERKAT. It is found all over South Africa,
and is very common in the Karroo. It eats insects
and grubs as well as small animals, and is commonly
kept as a pet throughout the Colony.

WE have now traced the long line of the
Carnivora from the lordly Lion, the slayer of man and
his flocks and herds, and the Tiger, equally formidable
and no less specially developed for a life of rapine on
a great scale, to creatures as small and insignificant
as the Meerkat, which is at least as much an insect-
feeder as a devourer of flesh, and the Ichneumons
and Civets. The highest form of specialisation in the
group is the delicate mechanism by which the chief
weapons of offense, the claws, are enabled to keep

their razor edge by being drawn up into sheaths when the animal walks, but can be instantly

thrust out at pleasure, rigid and sharp as sword -blades. The gradual process by which this

equipment deteriorates in the Civets and disappears in the Mongoose should be noted. There

are many other carnivora, but none so formidable as those possessing the retractile claws. Thus

the Bears, though often larger in bulk than the Lion, are far inferior in the power of inflicting

violent injury. At the same time such delicate mechanism is clearly not necessary for the well-
'being of a species. The members of the Weasel Tribe are quite as well able to take care of

themselves as the small cats, though they have non-retractile and not very formidable claws.

Such a very abnornal animal as the BINTURONG — of which we are able to give an excellent

photograph — is doubtless rightly assigned to the place in which modern science has placed it. But

it will be found that there are several very anomalous forms quite as detached from any general

type as is the binturong. Nature

does not make species on any strictly

graduated scale. Many of these

nondescript animals are so unlike

any other group or family that they

seem almost freaks of nature. The

binturong is certainly one of these.
The next group with which we

deal is that of the Hyaenas. In these

the equipment for catching living

prey is very weak. Speed and pursuit

are not their metier, but the eating of

dead and decaying animal matter, and

the consumption of bones. Hence

the jaws and teeth are highly de-
veloped, while the rest of the body

is degenerate.

Phott b) L. Midland, F.Z.S.}

MONGOOSE

'1 /« Indian mongoutc is the great enemy oj snakes,
of the crocodile

[North Finchlif

species eats the eggt

8o THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Phttt i; A. S. Rudland &* Sent

MEERKAT

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

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

CHAPTER IV

THE HYENAS AND AARD-WOLF

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

THE HYENAS AND AARD-WOLF

81

Phtto by A. S. Rudland &* Sen,

SPOTTED HYAENA

The largest of the carrion-feeding animals. A Sf'Uth
species

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

The BROWN HYAENA, or STRAND-WOLF, is an
African species, with very long, coarse hair, reach-
ing a length of 10 inches on the back. It is not
found north of the Zambesi ; and it is nocturnal,
and fond of wandering along the shore, where
it picks up crabs and dead fish. Young cattle,
sheep, and lambs are also killed by it, and offal of
all kinds devoured.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

man's face. Drummond states

that he has seen many men

who had been thus mutilated,

wanting noses, or with the

whole mouth and lips torn

away. This is confirmed by

other authors." Drummond

gives an instance of seven

cows being mortally injured in

a single night by two hyaenas,

which attacked them and bit

off the udders. Poisoned meat

is the only means to get rid of

this abominable animal.

Sir Samuel Baker says:

" I can safely assert that the

bone-cracking power of this

animal is extraordinary. I

cannot say that it exceeds the

lion or tiger in the strength

Fhttt by A. S. Rudland &• Sons

SPOTTED

The jauii of the hyaena art specially made for cracking bones. They -will unatA the thtgh-bont

of a buffalo

82

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

\_Honh t'tnctliij

of its jaws; but they will
leave bones unbroken which
a hyaena will crack in halves.
Its powers of digestion are
unlimited. It will swallow
and digest a knuckle-bone
without giving it a crunch,
and will crack the thigh-bone
of a buffalo to obtain the
marrow, and swallow either
end immediately after. . . .
I remember that once a
hyaena came into our tent at
night. But this was merely a
friendly reconnaissance, to see
if any delicacy, such as our
shoes, or a saddle, or anything
that smelt of leather, were
lying about. It was bright
moonlight, and the air was

Photo by L. Midland, F.Z.S.\

STRIPED HYAENA

Thii is the hytena of Northern Africa^ Palestine, and India

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

The STRIPED HYAENA is found in India as well as in Africa. In portions of Abyssinia these
animals are so numerous that on the Nile tributaries Sir Samuel Baker used to hear them crack-
ing the bones after supper every
night just as they had been thrown
by the Arabs within a few feet of the
deserted table. In this way they are
useful scavengers.

THE AARD-WOLF

This small African hyaena-like
creature stands in a family by itself.
The animal is like a small striped
hyaena, with a pointed muzzle, longer
ears, and a kind of mane. It is com-
mon all through South and East
Africa, where it lives on carrion, white
ants, and lambs and kids. It has not
the strong jaws and teeth of the dog or ph"° hf A- s- Rudland & s°n>
hyaena family. The colonists com- AARD-WOLF

11 ji-ii-^ • i /• • The aard-wolf stands in a family by itself. It is allied to the Ay anas, but is ajar

monly hunt and kill it with fox-terriers. feMtr animal

Phut by Niw York Zoological Stcitt)

YOUNG GREY WOLF

The grey wolf of North America^ which once preyed mainly on young bhon cal-ves, ii noiv a formidable enemy to the increasing flocks of sheep

and herds of cattle in the north and -west

83

CHAPTER V

THE DOG FAMILY

I T

Photo hi Scholaitic Photo, Co., Parson •; (j*un

A GROWING CUB

Note hoiv the -wolf cub develops the long pasterns,
large feet, and long jaw before its body groivs in
frofortion

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

THE WOLF

This great enemy of man and his dependents — the
creature against the ravages of which almost all the early
races of Europe had to combine, either in tribes, villages,
or principalities, to protect their children, themselves, and
their cattle — was formerly found all over the northern
hemisphere, both in the Old and New Worlds. In India
it is rather smaller, but equally fierce and cunning, though
as there are no long winters, it does not gather in pacl
It is still so common in parts of the Rocky Mountaii
that the cattle and sheep of the ranch-holders and wile
game of the National Yellowstone Park suffer severely. In Switzerland the ancient organisations
of wolf clubs in the cantons are still maintained. In Brittany the Grand Louvetier is a govern-
ment official. Every very hard winter wolves from the Carpathians and Russia move across th
frozen rivers of Europe even to the forests of the Ardennes and of Fontainebleau. In Norwa
they ravage the reindeer herds of the Lapps. Only a few years ago an artist, his wife, and serv
ant were all attacked on their way to Budapest, in Hungary, and the man and his wife kill
The last British wolf was killed in 1680 by Cameron of Lochiel. Wolves are common in Pales
tine, Persia, and India.

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

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

84

Plmla I,,/ Ottomar AnM-liiitz, Berlin.

WOLF FROM CENTRAL EUROPE.
The last persons recorded as killed by these animals were an .artist an 1 his wife travelling in Hungary

THE DOG FAMILY

Phtti by Scholaitic Photo. Co.] [Fa

WOLF CUBS

These are e-vidently the fatter-brothers of Romulus and Remus

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

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

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

The same species practically haunts the whole of the world north of the Himalaya. It varies
in colour from almost black to nearly pure white. In the Hudson Bay fur-sales every variety
of colour between these may be seen, but most are of a tawny brindle. The male grows to a
very great size. One of the largest ever seen in Europe was for years at the London Zoo. It
stood 6 feet high when on its hind legs, and its immense head and jaws seemed to occupy one-
third of the space from nose to tail. Horses are the main prey of the NORTHERN WOLF. It will
kill any living creature, but horse-flesh is irresistible. It either attacks by seizing the flank and
throwing the animal, or bites the hocks. The biting power is immense. It will tear a solid mass
of flesh at one grip from the buttock of a cow or horse. In the early days of the United States,
when Audubon was making his first trip up the head-waters of the Missouri, flesh of all kinds
was astonishingly abundant on the prairies. Buffalo swarmed, and the Indians had any quantity
of buffalo meat for the killing. Wolves of very large size used to haunt the forts and villages,
and were almost tame, being well fed and comfortable. Far different was the case even near
St. Petersburg at the same period. A traveler in 1840 was chased by a pack of wolves so

86

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Phtto by L. Midland, F Z S ]

WHITE WOLF

White -wo/ires are quite common in North America. Recently fwo
lohite wolves -were brought to the Zoological Gardens from Russia

closely that when the sledge-horses reached the
post-house and rushed into the stable, the doors
of which were open, seven of the wolves rushed
in after them. The driver and traveler leaped
from the sledge just as it reached the building,
and horses and wolves rushed past them into it.
The men then ran up and closed the doors.
Having obtained guns, they opened the roof,
expecting to see that the horses had been killed.
Instead all seven wolves were slinking about be-
side the terrified horses. All were killed without
resistance.

In Siberia and Russia the wolves in winter
are literally starving. Gathering in packs, they
haunt the roads, and chase the sledges with their
unfaltering gallop. Seldom in these days does a human life fall victim ; but in very hard
winters sledge-horses are often killed, and now and then a peasant. Rabies is very common
among wolves. They then enter the villages, biting and snapping at every one. Numbers of
patients are sent yearly from Russia and Hungary to the Pasteur Institutes, after being bitten by
rabid wolves. In Livonia, in 1823, it was stated that the following animals had been killed by
wolves: 15,182 sheep, 1,807 oxen, 1,841 horses, 3,270 goats, 4,190 pigs, 703 dogs, and numbers
of geese and fowls. They followed the Grand Army from Russia to Germany in 1812, and
restocked the forests of Europe with particularly savage wolves. It is said that in the retreat
from Moscow twenty-four French soldiers, with their arms in their hands, were attacked, killed,
and eaten by a pack of wolves.

From very early times special breeds of dogs have been trained to guard sheep against the
attacks of wolves. Some of these were intended to defend the flock on the spot, others to run
down the wolves in the open. The former are naturally bred to be very large and heavy ; the
latter, though they must be strong, are light and speedy. Of the dogs which guard the flocks
several races still survive. Among the most celebrated are those of Albania and the mountain-
ous parts of Turkey, and the wolf-dogs of Tibet, generally called Tibetan Bloodhounds. The
Tartar shepherds on the steppes near the Caucasus also keep a very large and ferocious breed of
dog. All these are of the mastiff type, but have long, thick hair. When the shepherds of
Albania or Mount Rhodope are driving their flocks along the mountains to the summer pastures,
they sometimes travel a distance of 200 miles. During this march the dogs act as flankers and

scouts by day and night, and do battle with the
wolves, which .know quite well the routes along
which the sheep usually pass, and are on the
lookout to pick up stragglers or raid the
flock. The Spanish shepherds employ a large
white shaggy breed of dog as guards against
wolves. These dogs both lead the sheep and
bring up the rear in the annual migration of
the flocks to and from the summer pastures.
In the west of America, now that sheep-ranch-
ing on a large scale has been introduced, wolf-
dogs are bred to live entirely with the sheep.
They are suckled when puppies by the ewes
instead of by their own mothers, and become,
as it were, a part of the flock.

bj Scholastic Photo. Co.] \_Parson', Grim

PRAIRIE-WOLF, OR COYOTE

'i'/tis it the small, grey, thickly furred species found on the prairies

THE DOG FAMILY

President Theodore Roosevelt gives an interesting account of wolf-coursing in Russia, in an
article contributed to " The Encyclopaedia of Sport" (Lawrence & Bullen). " In Russia the sport
is a science," he writes. " The princes and great landowners who take part in it have their
hunting-equipages equipped perfectly to the smallest detail. Not only do they follow wolves in
the open, but they capture them and let them out before dogs, like hares in a closed coursing-
meeting. The huntsman follows his hounds on horseback. (These hounds are the Borzoi,
white giant greyhounds, now often seen in England.) Those in Russia show signs of reversion
to the type of the Irish wolf-hound, dogs weighing something like 100 Ibs., of remarkable power,
and of reckless and savage temper. Now three or four dogs are run together. They are not
expected to kill the wolf, but merely to hold him. . . . The Borzois can readily overtake

rhott b) Otto

chutx]

"THE WOLF WITH PRIVY PAW"

The photograph sAo-ws admirably the slinking gate and long stride of the -wolf

and master partly grown wolves, but a full-grown dog-wolf, in good trim, will usually gallop away
from them."

A number of these Borzoi dogs have been imported into America, and are used to course
wolves in the Western States. But there professional wolf-hunters are employed to kill off the
creatures near the ranches. One such hunter lives near President Roosevelt's ranch on the
Little Missouri. His pack of large dogs will tear in pieces the biggest wolf without aid from
the hunter. Of his own efforts in wolf-coursing he writes : " We generally started for the
hunting-ground very early, riding across the open country in a widely spread line of dogs and
men. If we put up a wolf, we simply went at him as hard as we knew how. Young wolves, or
those which had not attained their full strength, were readily overtaken, and the pack would
handle a she-wolf quite readily. A big dog-wolf, or even a full-grown and powerful she-wolf,

88

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

fhatt by J. U-

RUSSIAN WOLF

This is a most characteristic photograph of one of the so-called "greyhound wol-vet " of the

Russian forests

offered an altogether different
problem. Frequently we came
upon one after it had gorged
itself on a colt or calf. Under
such conditions, if the dogs
had a good start, they ran into
the wolf and held him. . . .
Packs composed of nothing
but specially bred and trained
greyhounds of great size and
power made a better showing.
Under favourable circum-
stances three or four of these
dogs readily overtook and
killed the largest wolf. . . .
Their dashing courage and
ferocious fighting capacity
were marvelous, and in this
respect I was never able to see
much difference between the
smooth and rough — the
Scotch deerhound or the
greyhound type."

Wolf cubs are born in April or May. The litter is from four to nine. There was one of six
a few years ago at the Zoological Gardens at the Hague, pretty little creatures like collie puppies,
but quarrelsome and rough even in their play. When born, they were covered with reddish-
white down ; later the coat became woolly and dark.

The European wolf's method of hunting when in chase of deer is by steady pursuit. Its
speed is such and its endurance so great that it can overtake any animal. But there is no doubt
that the favourite food of the wolf is mutton, which it can always obtain without risk on the wild
mountains of the Near East, if once the guardian dogs are avoided. M. Tschudi, the naturalist
of the Alps, gives a curious account of the assemblage of wolves in Switzerland in 1799. They
had, as it is mentioned above, followed the armies from Russia. Having tasted human flesh, they
preferred it to all other, and even dug up the corpses. The Austrian, French, and Russian
troops penetrated in 1799 into the highest mountain valleys of Switzerland, and fought sangui-
nary battles there. Hundreds of corpses were left on the mountains and in the forests, which
acted as bait to the wolves, which were not destroyed for some years.

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

THE COYOTE, OR PRAIRIE-WOLF

Besides the large gray wolf, a smaller and less formidable animal is common on the prairies
and mountains of the northern half of the continent of America. This is the COYOTE. It tak
the place of the hyaena as a scavenger, but has some of the habits of the fox. It catches bir
and buck-rabbits, and feeds on insects, as well as small rodents like prairie-dogs and mice. Its
melancholy howls make night hideous on the northern prairies, and it is the steady foe of all
young creatures, such as the fawns of prong-horned antelope and deer. Its skin, like that of
most northern carnivora,is thick and valuable for fur wraps. The coyotes assemble in packs like
jackals.

In the National Park in the Yellowstone Valley gray wolves and coyotes are the only

THE DOG FAMILY

89

animals which it is absolutely necessary to destroy. As the deer and antelope and other game
increased under State protection, the wolves and coyotes drew towards a quarter where there
were no hunters and a good supply of food. It was soon found that the increase of the game
was checked. The coyotes used to watch the hinds when about to drop their calves, and
usually succeeded in killing them. The large gray wolves killed the hinds themselves, and gener-
ally made life most unpleasant for the dwellers in this paradise. Orders were issued to kill off all
the wolves by any means. Poison was found to be the best remedy ; but in the winter, when all
the game descended into the valleys, the wolves found so much fresh food in the carcases of the
animals they killed for themselves that they would not eat very eagerly of the poisoned baits.
The coyotes were killed off fairly closely, as they are less able to obtain living prey ; but the
gray wolves are constantly reinforced from the mountains, and are a permanent enemy to be
coped with.

A curious instance of change of habit in wolves on the American prairies was recently noted
in the Spectator. Formerly they followed the caravans ; now they come down to the great
transcontinental railways, and haunt the line to obtain food. Each train which crosses the prairie
is, like a ship, full of provisions. Three meals a day take place regularly, and these are not
stinted The black cooks throw all the waste portions — beef-bones, other bones, stale bread, and
trimmings — overboard. The wolves have learnt that the passing of a train means food, and
when they hear one they gallop down to the line, and wait like expectant dogs in the hope
of picking up a trifle. The coyotes come close to the metals, and sit like terriers, with their
sharp noses pricked up. The big gray wolves also appear in the early morning, standing on the
snow, over which the chill wind of winter blows, gaunt and hungry images of winter and famine.

Photo tj Ottomar Anschutx]

[Berlin

WOLF OF THE CARPATHIANS

This <wolf is a shorter and more heavily built specimen than the Russian -wolf on the previous page

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Some years ago experiments were made at the
Regent's Park Zoological Gardens to ascertain if there
were any foundation for the old legends that wolves
feared the sound of stringed instruments such as the
violin. Every one will remember the story of the
fiddler pursued by wolves. It is said that as the pack
overtook him he broke a string of his instrument, and
that the sudden noise of the parting cord caused the
pack to stand still for a minute, and so enabled him to
reach a tree, which he climbed. Further, that when
he improved on the hint so given, and played his fiddle,
the wolves all sat still ; when he left off, they leapt up
and tried to reach him. Experiments with the Zoo
wolves showed that there was no doubt whatever that
the low minor chords played on a violin cause the

Phot, by L. Midland, F.Z.S.'] [North tinimey . . . .

INDIAN WOLF greatest fear and agitation in wolves, both European

This photograph sho-ws the Indian wolf alarmed, it has a and Indian. The instrument was first played behind

reputation for stealing children as 'well as killing cattle tne ^en of an Indian Wolf, and Out of sight. At the

first sound the wolf began to tremble, erected its fur, dropped its tail between its legs, and crept
uneasily across its den. As the sound grew louder and more intense, the wolf trembled so violently,
and showed such physical evidence of being dominated by excessive fright, that the keeper begged
that the experiment might be discontinued, or the creature would have a fit. A large European
wolf is described in " Life at the Zoo " as having exhibited its dislike of the music in a

different way. It set up all its

'

I'hute by (Jitamar dnschutx]

WOLF'S HEAD

A -very fine study of the head, jaws, and teeth of a female

much larger

[Btrlin

•wolf. The head of the male is

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

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

THE DOG FAMILY

Among these were three
terriers, with which it made
friends. There were plenty
of wild foxes near, some of
which occasionally laid up
in the laurels in a shrub-
bery not far from the
house. These laurels were,
in fact, a fairly safe find for
a fox. It was the particular
sport of the terriers to be
taken to " draw " this bit of
cover, and to chase out any
fox in it. On these ex-
peditions the tame fox
invariably accompanied
them, and took an active
part in the chase, pursuing
the wild fox as far as the
terriers were able to main-
tain the hunt.

In Central Asia the
wolves lie out singly on

Photo by Scholastic Photo. Co.]

[Parson 's Green

RUSSIAN WOLF

Note the expression of fear and ferocity on the face of this wolf ; also the enormously powerful jaws

the steppes during the

summer, and feed on the young antelopes and the lambs and kids of the Tartar's flocks. The
Kirghiz organise wolf-killing parties, to which as many mounted men and dogs come as can be
brought together. In order to aid the dogs, the Tartars often employ eagles trained to act like
falcons, which sit on the arm of the owner. As the eagle is too heavy to be carried for any time
in this way, a crutch is fastened to the left side of the saddle, on which the bearer of the falcon
rests his arm. When a wolf is sighted, the eagle is loosed, and at once flies after the wolf, and
overtakes it in a short time, striking at its head and eyes with its talons, and buffeting it with its
wings. This attack so disconcerts the wolf that it gives time for the dogs to come up and seize it.

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

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

92 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Ph,to Ij L. Midland, F.Z.S] [N.rth FinMtj

NORTH AFRICAN JACKAL

Thii is the common jackal of Cairo and Lower Egypt

THE JACKAL

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

sheep and lambs in the Colony. A reward of

$1.80 per tail is paid to the Kaffirs for killing

them. The SIDE-STRIPED JACKAL is a Central

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

easily tamed.

Both in India and South Africa the jackal

hctt- been found to be of some service to the

white man by providing him with a substitute

for the fox to hunt. It has quite as remarkable

powers of endurance as the fox, though it does

not fight in the same determined way when

the hounds overtake it. But it is not easy to

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

coursed by two large greyhounds, to disable

both almost instantaneously. One was bitten

across the muzzle, the other through the foot.

The fox escaped without a bite from either. In

India the hounds used are drafts from English

packs. The hot weather does not suit them, """ *' * *' Rudl""d *" S°"'

and they are seldom long-lived ; but while they . , .. , ,. ..„ R jvara Ktp-

3 This Indian jackal might be sitting for his portrait in Mr. Rudyard H'p-
m health they Will run a jackal acrOSS the ling's tale of the " undertakers" —the jackal, alligator, and adjutant

THE DOG FAMILY

93

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

rnoto bj L. Mtdland, F.Z.S.]

TURKISH JACKAL

This Jackal is common in both Turkey in Europe and in Asia. Afc. •
Constantinople it feeds largely on the bodies buried in the cemeteries at
Scutari

Photo by A. S. Rudland &> Sent

MANED WOLF

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

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

THE MANED WOLF

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

94

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Phttt by A. S. RudUnd &• Sim

WILD DOG

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

THE WILD DOG OF AFRICA,
OR CAPE HUNTING-DOG

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

and ridden to the place.

THE INDIAN WILD DOGS

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

he -wild dog of Australia. I, -was found there by the first discoverers, but -was probably Central Siberia. ThcSC

introduced from elsewhere

DINGO

[Parson '} Gree

•

95

Photo by A. S. Rudland &* Sons

CAPE HUNTING-DOG

This animal Aunts in packs. It is -very active and most destructive to large game
of many kinds

96 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

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

Several South American wild dogs and foxes are included in the series with the wolves and
jackals. Among these are AZARA'S DOG and the RACCOON-DOG. These are commonly called
foxes, though they have wolf-like skulls.

THE DINGO

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

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

THE DOG FAMILY

97

THE FOXES

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

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

Photo by C. Rtid]

FOX CUBS

Fox cubs are born Jrom March 25 tilt three "weeks later, the time -when young rabbits, their best food, are most numerous

, N. B.

nowhere else. As the habits and structure of foxes are much alike, allowing for differences
of climate, and the discrepancies in size, not more than can be accounted for by abundance or
scarcity of food, it seems pretty certain that these animals are some of the few, almost alone
among mammals, showing almost every variety of colouring, from black to white, from splendid
chameleon-red to salmon-pink, and many exquisite shades of brown, gray, and silver. At the
Hudson Bay Company's sales you may see them all, and trace the differences and gradations over
whole continents. The most important are those of North America. There the RED CANADIAN
Fox, of a ruddier hue than brown, shades off into the yellow and gray CROSS Fox of farther north.
But of these there are many varieties. Then farther north still comes an area where red foxes,
cross foxes, and black foxes are found. The black fox, when the fur is slightly sprinkled with
white, is the famous SILVER Fox. This and the black fox are also found in North Siberia
and Manchuria. Farthest north we find the little stunted ARCTIC FOXES. In the Caucasus
and Central Asia large yellowish-red foxes live, and in Japan and China a very bright red
variety. A small gray fox lives in Virginia, and is hunted with hounds descended from packs

98 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

the East, from

Photo b} G. If. Wilson &* Co., Ltd.]

MOUNTAIN-FOX

In hilly countries the fox becomes a powerful and destructive animal, killing not only game

but lambs

taken out before the American Revolution. India has
its small DESERT-FOXES (" the little foxes that eat the
grapes ") and the BENGAL Fox.

The value of the foxes as fur-bearing animals is
immense. Only white, blue, and black skins seem to be
appreciated here. The black fox has been known
to fetch $750 a skin. But in
Minor to China, red, gray, and
yellow fox skins are the lining
of every rich man's winter wraps.
Splendid mixed robes are made
by the Chinese by inserting por-
tions of cross fox-skins into coats
of cut sable, giving the idea that
it is the fur of a new animal.

The COMMON Fox, the
foundation or type of all the
above, is the best known carnivorous animal in this country. Abroad its habits do not
greatly differ, except that, not being hunted much with hounds, it is less completely nocturnal.
It drops its young in an earth early in April. Thither the vixen carries food till late in June,
when the cubs come out, and often move to a wood or a corn-field. There they are still fed,
but learn to do a little on their own account by catching mice and moles. By late September
the hounds come cub-hunting, partly to kill off superfluous foxes, partly to educate the young
hounds, and to teach the foxes to fear them and to make them leave cover easily. Four or five
cubs in a litter are commonly seen. The distance which a fox will run is extraordinary. The
following is a true account of one of the most remarkable runs ever known. The hounds
were those of Mr. Tom Smith, master of the Hambledon Hunt. He was the man of whom
another famous sportsman said that if he were a fox he should prefer to be hunted by a pack
of hounds rather than by Tom Smith with a stick in his hand. The fox was found in a cover
called Markwells, at one o'clock in the afternoon in December, near Petersfield. It crossed into
Sussex, and ran into an earth in Graf ham Hill a little before dark. The fox had gone twenty-
seven miles. The hounds had forty miles to go back to kennel that night, and three only
found their way home four days afterwards. Dog-foxes assemble in considerable numbers

when a vixen is about in spring, and

Photo b) C. Reid]

LEICESTERSHIRE FOX

at all times common foxes are sociable
creatures, though not actually living
in societies. Sometimes as many as
five or six are found in a single earth.
Two years ago five foxes and a badger
were found in one near Romford.
They eat mice, beetles, rats, birds,
game, poultry, and frogs. Their
favourite food is rabbits. If there
are plenty of these, they will not
touch other game. They hunt along
the railway-lines for dead birds
killed by the telegraph-wires. In the
New Forest they also go down to the
shore and pick up dead fish. One in
the writer's possession was shot when

Phati by Ottomar jtnschutx]

TOO DIFFICULT !

Foxes can easily climb trees with small projecting branches. One -was found J7 feet up a tree in Sa-vernake Forest ; but a branchless stump such

at that here sht/'wn no fox could climb

99

ioo THE LIVING

fhott by Scholastic Photo. Co.]

In summer

ARCTIC FOX

Changing his coat

n'j Grim

In "winter

The Arctic Fox is one of the few animals showing different phases of colour, some being blue at all seasons, -while others are -white in -winter and

mottled brownish in summer

carrying away a lamb from a sheepfold near the cliffs of Sidmouth, in Devon. The shepherd
thought it was a marauding dog, and lay in wait with a gun.

THE ARCTIC Fox

The ARCTIC Fox is somewhat different in habits from others. It is also much smaller than
the red foxes. Its fur is almost as soft as eiderdown, and so thick that the cold does not pene-
trate. In winter the whole coat changes colour, not gradually, but in patches. At the same
time a dense growth of under-fur comes up on the body. In summer this is shed in patches,
almost like loose felt. The foxes live in colonies, but are so hard put to it for food in the winter
that they desert their homes to gather round whaling-ships or encampments. There they steal
everything edible, from snow-shoe-thongs to seal-flesh. Blue foxes are bred and kept for the
sake of their fur on some of the islands in Bering Sea. They are fed on the flesh of the seals
killed on the neighbouring islands, and are, like them, killed when their coat is in condition.

THE FENNECS
Africa has a group of small foxes of its own. They have very large ears and dark eyes.

Some of them
Maholis and other
Several are not more
long ; they are a
but the eyes are very
The COMMON
over the whole of
food is dates and
but it is also fond
eat mice and insects,
original hero of the
and the grapes,
fennec, which is
the SILVER Fox, is
Cape to as far
It is 23 inches
mainly on insects

Photo by A. S. Rudland &• Sons

FENNEC-FOX

Remarkable for the great size of the ears. An African species,
senst of hearing is probably -very acute

Its

remind us of the
large-eyed lemuroids.
than 9 or 10 inches
whitish-khaki colour,
dark and brilliant.
FENNEC is found
Africa. Its favourite
any sweet fruit,
of eggs, and will
It is probably the
story of the fox
The large-eared
sometimes called
found from the
north as Abyssinia,
long, and lives
and fruit.

THE DOG FAMILY

101

DOMESTIC DOGS

BY C. H. LANE

THE DOG, almost without exception, shows a marked liking for the society of human beings,
and adapts itself to their ways more than any other animal.

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

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

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

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

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

Pbttt by F. H. Dembrey\

[Briittl

STAG-HOUND PUPPIES

This gi"ves an interesting group of hounds in kennel

102

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Phot, by T. Fall-]

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

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

\_Baktr Strttt

GREYHOUND

A typical specimen of this elegant variety

red in colour, rather higher on the leg, with narrow skulls, glossy coats, feathered legs and
stern, ears set low and lying back, and lustrous, expressive eyes.

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

The SPANIEL group is rather large, including the English and Irish water-spaniels, the
former an old-fashioned, useful sort, often liver or roan, with some white or other markings,
and a good deal of curl in the coat and on the ears. His Irish brother is always some shade of
liver in colour, larger in the body and higher on the leg, covered with a curly coat, except on the
tail, which is nearly bare of hair, with a profusion of hair on the top of the head, often hanging
down over the eyes, giving a comical appearance, and increasing his Hibernian expression. They

Phcle bj C.

, N. B

RETRIEVER

TAis represents a flat-coated retriever at -work, and is remarkably true to life
103

104

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BLOOD-HOUND

This photograph shoivs "what an a/most perfect blood-hound should be like

Photo by E. Landor]

[Ealing

ENGLISH SETTER

^ typical but rather coarse specimen of a beautiful 'variety

SMOOTH-COATED SAINT BERNARD

The illustration gives a capital idea of these handsome dogs

THE DOG FAMILY

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

NON-SPORTING VARIETIES.

SAINT BERNARDS, although
sometimes exceeding 3 feet at
the shoulder, are as a rule very
docile and good-tempered, and
many are owned by ladies. The
coat may be rough or smooth,
according to taste; but either
are splendid animals. They are
sometimes seen self-coloured,
but those with markings — shades
of rich red, with white and
black, for preference — are the
handsomest. They are still used
as " first aids " in the snow on
the Swiss mountains. So far as
I remember, this is the only
breed of dog used for stud and
exhibition for which as much as
$7,500 has been paid ; and this
has occurred on more than one
occasion.

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

MASTIFFS are looked on as one of the national breeds. Their commanding presence and
stately manner make them highly suitable as guards, and they are credited with much attach-
ment and devotion to their owners. The
colours are mostly shades of fawn with black
muzzle, or shades of brindle. I am able to
give the portrait of one of the best speci-
mens living, belonging to Mr. R. Leadbeater.
BULL-DOGS are also regarded as a national
breed. They are at present in high favour.
The sizes and colours are so various that all
tastes can be satisfied. Recently there has
been a fancy for toy bull-dogs, limited to 22
Ibs. in weight, mostly with upright ears
of tulip shape. In spite of the many

aspersions on their character, bull-dogs are ,Bj^r ^

usually easy-going and good-tempered, and DACHSUND

are Often Very fastidious feeders what fanciers The photograph conveys a fair idea of these quaint dogs

call " bad doers."

Phot, by Frattlli Alinari}

GREAT DANE

[ Florence

This shows a typical specimen of this breed, "with cropped ears, "which -will be dis-
continued in shoio dors

io6 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

ROUGH COLLIES are very
graceful, interesting creatures,
and stand first in intelligence
among canines. They are
highly popular. Several have
been sold for over $5,000, and
the amounts in prize-money
and fees obtained by some of
the " cracks " would surprise
persons not in " the fancy." A
high-bred specimen " in coat"
is most beautiful. The colours
most favoured are sables with
white markings ; but black,
white, and tans, known as

4< tricolors," are pleasing and effective. I quite hoped to give a portrait of one of the most perfect
of present-day champions, belonging to H. H. the Princess de Montglyon,but could not find room.
SMOOTH COLLIES are a handsome breed, full of grace, beauty, and intelligence, and very
active and lively. A favourite colour is merle, a sort of lavender, with black markings and tan
and white in parts, usually associated with one or both eyes china-coloured. Specimens often
win in sheep-dog trials ; a bitch of mine won many such, and was more intelligent in other ways
than many human beings.

OLD ENGLISH SHEEP-DOGS are a most fascinating breed, remarkably active, possessed of
much endurance and resource, and very faithful and affectionate. I have often made long

Photo by Kitchintr Portrait Co.

DALMATIANS

AU art typical, but thefrst is the best in quality and marking

Photo by T. Fall]

[Baiter Street

NEWFOUNDLAND

£kt dog sAo-u'n here gives a good idea of size and character, but is not in best coat

THE DOG FAMILY

107

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

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

Pfcofo by T. Fair]

BULL-DOGS

The photograph is remarkably good and characterise of thit variety

\_Balttr Street

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

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

io8 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

OLD ENGLISH SHEEP-DOG

This is a remarkably fine f holograph of a 'well-known specimen of this
interesting -variety

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

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

IRISH TERRIERS are very popular, and
should be nearly wholly red in colour, with
long lean heads, small drooping ears, hard
coats, not too much leg, and without coarse-
ness. They make good comrades.
BEDLINGTON TERRIERS have long been popular in the extreme north of England, and are
another fighting breed. It is indeed often difficult to avoid a difference of opinion between show
competitors. Their lean long heads, rather domed skulls, with top-knot of lighter hair, long
pointed ears, and small dark eyes, give them a peculiar appearance. The coats, which are
" linty " in texture, should be shades of blue or liver.

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

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

SCOTTISH TERRIERS are very interesting,
often with much " character " about them.
The usual colours are black, shades of gray,
or brindle, but some are seen fawn, stone-
bolt upright, the coat as hard as a badger's,

MASTIFF

>es almost an ideal picture of this splendid breed, the
being known as black-brindie

Phtt, b} Lambtrt Lambirt] [Bath

DEER-HOUND

Thii it a cafital fartrait tfcnt nf tht but ifthitg ractful uaritty

Ph,!, by a. CtrnhH] [Cndittn

POINTER

Thit it a young dog not yet shown, but full of quality and type

Photo b) yHiitrt 6* SOBJ] [Ntwfart

SKYE TERRIER

The photograph is of a "well-known winner in show form

that by '/". tan] [Baktr Stntt

CORDED POODLE

The length of the cords of -which the coat is composed is clearly shown

B, firminion >j Mrs. HM-Walkir pntt, by Kitchtntr if Salmon] [Btnd Strut

POMERANIAN SCOTTISH TERRIER

Probably about the best all-black Toy Pomeranian ever shown A smart picture of one of the best of these popular dogs

Ph,i, by G. N. Tar/or] \_Ciwlt, Rtad

MALTESE TOY TERRIER

"very excellent representation of one of the best specimens of the
present day

fhtti by E. Lander] [Ealing

BUTTERFLY-DOG

The photograph gives an excellent idea of this tomewAat rare variety

IOC)

I 1O

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Ptitt, *r T. Fair] [BaltrSlritt

HER MAJESTY QUEEN ALEXANDRA,
WITH CHOW AND JAPANESE SPANIELS

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

DANDIE DINMONT TERRIERS have many
quaint and charming ways. They are very
strongly built, being among the most muscular
of the terriers, of high courage, devotedly
attached to their owners, and admirably
adapted for companions, being suitable for
indoors or out, and at home anywhere. The
colours are pepper (a sort of darkish iron-
gray) and mustard (a yellowish red fawn),
both with white silky hair on head, called the
top-knot, and lustrous dark eyes, very gipsy-
like and independent in expression.

SKYES, both PRICK- and DROP-EARED, are another Scottish breed which well deserve their
popularity, as they are thorough sporting animals. The colours are chiefly shades of dark or light
gray, but sometimes fawn with dark points and whites are seen. The texture of coat should
be hard and weather-resisting ; the eyes dark and keen in expression ; bodies long, low, and well
knit ; legs straight in front ; even mouths ; tails carried gaily, but not curled over the back.

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

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

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

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

„ /-u TV »

" Champion Pippin.

' . r , ,, i u r u- A

PUGS, both fawn and black, are old-fashioned

T. rait]
SAND

LBatir Str

DOG

a quaint picture of a quaint -variety , quite h air-

/<«, and much the colour of Caoi/e soaj>

THE DOG FAMILY

ill

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

MALTESE TERRIERS are very beautiful when pure bred.
They have a long straight coat of silky white hair nearly
reaching the ground, black nose and eyes, and the tail curled
over the back of their short cobby body. Their beauty well
repays the trouble of keeping them in good condition. The
illustration, from a photograph taken for this article, is that
of the high-class dog " Santa Klaus."

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

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

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

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

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

Photo by County if Gloucuttr Sludit, Chiltinham

PUG AND PEKINESE SPANIEL

A typical portrait of t-wo -well-known -winners in
these popular -varietiet

Photo by C. Riid}

, ff. B.

FOX-TERRIER

A picture full of life and go — at present odds in favour of our friend -with the prickly coat

Photo b} E. Landir]

BLENHEIM AND PRINCE CHARLES SPANIELS

This little group "will serve to shoiv the appearance of these charming little pets

lEaling

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

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

The AFRICAN SAND-DOG occasionally seen in this country (mostly at shows) is remarkable
for being entirely hairless, except a few hairs of a bristly character on the top of the head and

a slight tuft at the end of the tail ;
in colour, something in shape and
terrier, and very susceptible to
Having been supplied with an
will say a few words about this
numbers at Constantinople and
roam about unclaimed, and act as
to divide the places they inhabit into
leader, and resent any interference
cases where they have made a de-
late at night ; but they are rather a
with a little firmness on the part of
the descendants of the dogs so often
probrium ; and, among Eastern peo-
now the most insulting epithet that
ancient times, the dog never seems
hunting and pursuing game and
guardian of their flocks, herds, and

Photo by tht Duchtsi of Bedford,
H^oburn Abbiy

PARIAH PUPPIES

This capital photograph of a
•variety seldom seen in this country
will be "very interesting

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

illustration of PARIAH PUPPIES, I
variety, which is seen in large
other Eastern cities, where they
amateur scavengers ; they are said
districts or beats, each with its own
with their authority. I have known
termined attack on travelers out
cowardly race, and easily repulsed
the attacked. Probably these are
mentioned in Scripture with op-
pies, to call a man " a dog" is even
can be used. By the Jews, in
to have been used, as with us, in
wild animals, but merely as a
sometimes dwellings.

Photo bf Ottomar

COMMON BROWN BEAR

In Scandinavia a fnu still haunt the highest mountain-ridgcit at here
113

\_Birlin

CHAPTER VI

E

THE BEJRS

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

Every one will
have noticed the
deliberate flat-
footed walk of the
bears. This is due
partly to the for-
mation of the feet
themselves. The
whole sole is set flat
upon the ground,

and the impressions in a bear's track are not

unlike those of a man's footsteps. The claws

are not capable of being retracted, like those

of the Cats ; consequently they are worn at

the tips where the curve brings them in contact

with the ground. Yet it is surprising what

wounds these blunt but hard weapons will in-
flict on man — wounds resembling what might

be caused by the use of a very large garden-
rake. Against other animals protected by hair

bears' claws are of little use. Dogs would

never attack them so readily as they do were

they armed with the talons of a leopard or tiger.

The flesh-teeth in both jaws of the bear are

-.£. :'> a^ _U*Sd

Photo by Ottomar dnschutx,, Berlin

AN INVITING
ATTITUDE

The upright position is not natu-
ral to the broiun bear. It prefers
to sit on its hams, and not to stand

Photo by Frattlli Alinari}

THREE PERFORMING BEARS

Those on the right and left are Himalayan black bears. The

collar is plainly seen

114

THE BEARS

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

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

THE COMMON BROWN BEAR.

Only one species of bear is found in Europe south of the ice-line, though above it the white
ice-bear inhabits Spitzbergen and the islands off the White Sea. This is the BROWN BEAR, the
emblem of Russia in all European caricature, and the hero of innumerable fragments of folk-
lore and fable, from the tents of the Lapps to the nurseries of American children. Except the ice-
bear, it is far the largest of European carnivora, but varies much in size. Russia is the main home
of the brown bear, but it is found in Sweden and Norway, and right across Northern Asia. It is also
common in the Carpathian Mountains, inthe Caucasus, and in Mount Pindusin Greece. IntheSouth
it is found in Spain and the Pyrenees, and a few are left in the Alps. The dancing-bears commonly
brought to England and America are caught in the Pyrenees. The " Queen's bear," so called
because its owner was allowed to exhibit it at Windsor, was one of these. But lately dancing-
bears fromServia and Wallachia have also been seen about our roads and streets. In Russia the bear
grows to a great size. Some have been killed of 800 Ibs. in weight. The fur is magnificent in

Photo by Otto

jtmchitat]

EUROPEAN BROWN BEAR

The specimen of the broivn bear of Europe from -which this picture -was taken -was an unusually
light and active bear. Its faith are almoit flat

no THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Phtto by E. LanJtr]

SYRIAN BEAR

This is the bear generally alluded to in the Old Testament

winter, and in great demand
for rich Russians' sledge-rugs.
The finest bear-skins of all are
bought for the caps of the
Grenadier and Coldstream
Guards. In the Alps the bears
occasionally visit a cow-shed
in winter and kill a cow ; but
as a rule the only damage done
by those in Europe is to the
sheep on the hills in the far
north of Norway. Tame brown
bears are amusing creatures,
but should never be trusted.
They are always liable to turn
savage, and the bite is almost
as severe as that of a tiger.
Men have had their heads
completely crushed in by the
bite of one of these animals.
In Russia bears are shot in the following manner. When the snow falls, the bears retire into the
densest thickets, and there make a half-hut, half-burrow in the most tangled part to hibernate in.
The bear is tracked, and then a ring made round the cover by beaters and peasants. The
shooters follow the track and rouse the bear, which often charges them, and is forthwith shot.
If it escapes, it is driven in by the beaters outside. High fees are paid to peasants who send
information that a bear is harboured in this way. Sportsmen in St. Petersburg will go 300 or
400 miles to shoot one on receipt of a telegram.

The brown bear, like the reindeer and red deer,
is found very little modified all across Northern Asia,
and again in the forests of North America. There,
however, it undergoes a change. Just as the red deer
is found represented by a much larger creature, the
wapiti, so the brown bear is found exaggerated into
the great bear of Alaska. The species attains its
largest, possibly, in Kamchatka, on the Asiatic side
of Bering Sea ; but the Alaskan bear has the credit
with sportsmen of being the largest. A skin of one of
the former, brought to the sale-rooms of Sir Charles
Lampson & Co., needed two men to carry it. Last
spring, in the sale-rooms of the same great firm, some
persons present measured the skin of an Alaskan bear
which was 9 feet across the shoulders from paw to paw.

THE GRIZZLY BEAR.

This is a very distinct race of brown bear. It has
a flat profile, like the polar bear ; in addition it grow
to a great size, is barely able to climb trees, and has the
largest claws of any— they have been known to meas-
ure 5 inches along the curve. The true grizzly, which
used to be found as far north as 61° latitude and south

rhet, by IT. D. Dandc] [Regent's Part

LARGE RUSSIAN BROWN BEAR

The picture shows to ivhat a size and strength the
broion bear attains

THE BEARS

117

as far as Mexico, is a rare animal now. Its turn for cattle-killing made the ranchmen poison it,
and rendered the task an easy one. It is now only found in the Northern Rocky Mountains, and
perhaps in North California and Nevada. Formerly encounters with " Old Ephraim," as the
trappers called this bear, were numerous and deadly. It attacked men if attacked by them, and
often without provocation. The horse, perhaps more than its rider, was the object of the bear.
A great furrier measured a grizzly which was 9 feet long from nose to tail. The weight some-
times reaches 800 Ibs. Measurements of much larger grizzly bears have been recorded, but
it is difficult to credit them. On a ranche near the upper waters of the Colorado River several
colts were taken by grizzly bears. One of them was found buried according to the custom of
this bear, and the owner sat up to shoot the animal. Having only the old-fashioned small-bored
rifle of the day, excellent for shooting deer or Indians, but useless against so massive a beast as
this bear, unless hit in the head or heart, he only wounded it. The bear rushed in, struck him a
blow with its paw (the paw measures a foot across), smashed the rifle which he held up as a
protection, and struck the barrel on to his head. The man fell insensible, when the bear, having
satisfied himself that he was dead, picked him up, carried him off, and buried him in another
hole which it scratched near the dead colt. It then dug up the colt and ate part of it, and went
off. Some time later the man came to his senses, and awoke to find himself " dead and buried."
As the earth was only roughly thrown over him, he scrambled out, and saw close by the half-
eaten remains of the colt. Thinking that it might be about the bear's dinner-time, and remem-
bering that he was probably put by in the larder for the next meal, he hurried home at once, and
did not trouble the bear again. Not so a Siberian peasant, who had much the same adventure.
He had been laughed at for wishing to shoot a bear, and went out in the woods to do so. The
bear had the best of it, knocked him
down, and so frightfully mangled his arm
that he fainted. Bruin then buried him
in orthodox bear fashion ; and the man,
when he came to, which he fortunately
did before the bear came back, got up,
and made his way to the village. There
he was for a long time ill, and all through
his sickness and delirium talked of noth-
ing but shooting the bear. When he
got well, he disappeared into the forest
with his gun, and after a short absence
returned with the bear's skin !

THE AMERICAN BROWN BEAR.

The brown bear of America is closely
allied to that of Europe ; it was first de-
scribed by Sir John Richardson, who
called it the Barrenlands Bear, and noted,
quite rightly, that it differed from the
grizzly in the smallness of its claws. The
difference in the profile is very marked —
the brown bear having a profile like that
of the European bear, while that of the
grizzly is flat. The brown bear of North

, , , , ,. .. , Phutt kf Kiw Tcrh Z

America lives largely on the fruits and AMERICAN BLACK BEAR

berries Of the northern plants, On dead The bjack ^,r W<M the sf>ecies frit encountered by the early tettlen on the

deer, and On putrid fish, Ot Which quanti- Atlantic udt of America. The grimly belong* to the Rocky Mountain region

n8 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Photo by L. Midland, F.Z.S.] [North Finchlej

YOUNG SYRIAN BEAR FROM THE CAUCASUS

This is, properly speaking, a Syrian tear, but the species is found in the Caucasus and in the Taurus

Range

ties are left on the banks of
the northern rivers. Whether
the large brown bear of the
Rocky Mountains is always
a grizzly or often this less for-
midable race is doubtful. The
writer inclines to think that
it is only the counterpart of
the North European and the
North Asiatic brown bear.
The following is Sir Samuel
Baker's account of these
bears. He says : " When I
was in California, experienced
informants told me that no

^rue p-fizzlv bear Was to be

found east of the Pacific slope.
There are numerous bears of three if not four kinds in the Rocky Mountains. These are
frequently termed grizzlies ; but it is a misnomer. The true grizzly is far superior in size, but of
similar habits, and its weight is from 1,200 Ibs. to 1,400 Ibs." After giving various reasons for
believing this to be a fair weight, Sir Samuel Baker adds that this weight is equivalent to that
of a large cart-horse. There are certainly three Rocky Mountain bears — the Grizzly, the
Brown, and the small Black Bear. There is probably also another — a cross between the
black and the brown. It is ridiculous to say that the brown bears which come to eat the
refuse on the dust-heaps of the hotels of the Yellowstone Park, and let ladies photograph them,
are savage grizzly bears.

THE SYRIAN BEAR.

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

THE AMERICAN BLACK BEAR.

This is the smallest North American species, and perhaps the most harmless. It seldom
weighs more than 400 Ibs. Its coat is short and glossy, and its flesh, especially in autumn, is
esteemed for food. The early backwoodsmen found it a troublesome neighbour. The bears
liked Indian corn, and were not averse to a young pig. " Like the deer," says Audubon, " it
changes its haunts with the seasons, and for the same reason — viz. the desire of obtaining food.
During the spring months it searches for food in the low alluvial lands that border the rivers, or
by the margins of the inland lakes. There it procures abundance of succulent roots, and of the
tender, juicy stems of plants, upon which it chiefly feeds at that season. During the summer
heat it enters the gloomy swamps, and passes much of its time in wallowing in the mud like a
hog, and contents itself with crayfish, roots, and nettles ; now and then, when hard pressed by
hunger, it seizes a young pig, or perhaps a sow or calf. As soon as the different kinds of berrie:
ripen, the bears betake themselves to the high grounds, followed by their cubs. In much-retired
parts of the country, where there are no hilly grounds, it pays visits to the maize-fields, which it
ravages for a while. After this the various kinds of nuts and grapes, acorns and other forest

THE BEARS

119

fruits, attract its attention. The black bear is then seen wandering through the woods to gather
this harvest, not forgetting to rob every tree which it comes across."

THE INDIAN SLOTH-BEAR.

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

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

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

Phett by C. Reid]

, N.B.

A BROWN BEAR IN SEARCH OF INSECTS

The photograph shows a bear feeding on insects, possibly large ants, which he licks up from the ground, after scratching them out with his claws

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

I2O

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

[Flertnt

Phtic by FrattlH Minari}

POLAR BEARS

Though Arctic animals, polar bears can endure great heat.
During a "heat wave" at Hamburg , Herr C. Hagenbeck
found two of his leopards suffering from heat apoplexy, but the
polar heart were enjoying the sun

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

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

There is good reason to believe that wher
large carnivora, or beasts large in proportion to tht
size of their victims, strike and kill them with
great previous shock, the sense of pain is deadenec
Not so if the person or animal is seized quietl)
Then the pain is intense, though sometimes onlj
momentary. A tigress seized Mr. J. Hansard,
forest officer in Ceylon, by the neck. In describing
his sensations afterwards, he said : " The agony I
felt was something frightful. My whole skull seemed
as if it were being crushed to atoms in the jaws of
the great brute. I certainly felt the most awful pain
as she was biting my neck ; but not afterwards, if I
can remember." Sir Samuel Baker says he has

twice seen the sloth-bear attack a ho wdah -elephant. Lord Edward St. Maur, son of the Duke
of Somerset, was killed by one. Mr. Sanderson, the head of the Government Elephant-catching
Department, used to hunt bears in the jungle with bull-terriers. Against these the bear was
unable to make a good fight. They seized it by the nose ; and as its claws were not sharp like
those of the leopard, the bear could not get them off.

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

THE ISABELLINE BEAR AND HIMALAYAN BLACK BEAR.

The former animal is a medium-sized variety of the brown bear. The coat in winter is of a
beautiful silver-tipped cinnamon colour. The HIMALAYAN BLACK BEAR has a half-moon of white on
its throat. The habits of both do not differ markedly from those of the brown bear of Europe.

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

Photo by f 'ratilli Alinari}

TWO POLAR BEARS AND A BROWN BEAR

\_Flortnct

Although this is a photograph from life, it is scarcely a "very natural scene ,• as a matter of fact, all three animals belong to Herr Carl

Hagenbeck's remarkable menagerie

16 121

122

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Photo By J. fr. Sicilian) [Highbury

POLAR BEAR

TAts bear is the most formidable of all aquatic mammals. It is almost as much at home

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

THE MALAYAN SUN-BEAR.

These small, smooth-coate
bears have a yellow throat-patch
like a mustard plaster, and are
altogether the most amusing
and comical of all the tribe.
They are almost as smooth as a
pointer dog, and are devoted to
all sweet substances which can
be a substitute for honey, their
main delicacy when wild. There
are always a number of these
bears at the Zoo incessantly

in the -water as a seat begging for food. When one

gets a piece of sugar, he cracks

it into small pieces, sticks them on the back of his paw, and licks the mess until the paw is
covered with sticky syrup, which he eats with great gusto. This bear is found in the Malay
Peninsula, Borneo, Sumatra, and Java. It is only 4 feet high, or sometimes half a foot taller. It
is more in the habit of walking upright than any other species.

THE POLAR BEAR.

ICE-BEAR is the better name for this, the most interesting in its habits of all the bears. It is
an inhabitant of the lands of polar darkness and intense cold, and one of the very few land
animals which never try to avoid the terrible ordeal of the long Arctic night, which rolls on from
month to month. It can swim and dive nearly as well as a seal, climbs the icebergs, and goes
voyages on the drifting ice, floating hundreds of miles on the polar currents, and feeding on the
seals which surround it. Of the limits of size of the ice-bear it is impossible to speak with
certainty. From the skins brought to this country the size of some of them must be enormous.
One which lived for more than thirty years at the Zoo was of immense length and bulk. When
the first discoverers went to the Arctic Seas, dressed in thick clothes and skins, the polar bears
took them for seals. On Bear Island, below Spitzbergen, a Dutch sailor sat down on the snow
to rest. A bear walked up behind him, and seized and crushed his head, evidently not in the
least aware of what kind of animal it had got hold of. When the Jackson-Harms worth Expedi-
tion was wintering in Franz-Josef Land, the bears were a positive nuisance. They were not
afraid of man, and used to come round the huts at all hours. The men shot so many of them
that they formed a valuable article of food for the dogs. The flesh is said to be unwholesome
for men. The power of these bears in the water is wonderful ; though so bulky, they are as
light as a cork when swimming, and their strong, broad feet are first-class paddles. Whenever a
dead whale is found near the shore, the polar bears assemble to feed upon it. In the various
searches for the Franklin Expedition they pulled to pieces nearly all the cabins erected to hold
provisions for the sledge-parties. In one case it was found that the bears had amused themselves by
mounting the roof of a half-buried hut, and sliding down the snowy, frozen slope. Cubs are often
brought home in whaling- and sealing-ships, after the mothers have been shot. There is a ready
sale of them for the great menageries. Herr Hagenbeck, of Hamburg, by purchasing them
quite young, has induced bears to live on good terms with tigers, boar-hounds, and leopards.

THE BEARS

123

The manoeuvres of an ice-bear in the water are marvelous to watch. Though so bulky a
beast, it swims, dives, rolls over and over, catches seals or fish, or plays both on and under the
water with an ease and evident enjoyment which show that it is in its favourite element. One
favourite game of the ice-bear is to lie on its back in the water, and then to catch hold of its
hind toes with its fore feet, when it resembles a half-rolled hedgehog of gigantic size. It then
rolls over and over in the water like a revolving cask. Its footsteps are absolutely noiseless, as
the claws are shorter than in the land-bear's, and more muffled in fur. This noiseless power of
approach is very necessary when it has to catch such wary creatures as basking seals. A very
lar^e proportion of the food formerly eaten by ice-bears in summer was probably putrid, as they
were always supplied with a quantity of the refuse carcases of whales and seals left by the
whaling-ships. This may account for the bad results to the sailors who ate the bears' flesh.
Now the whaling industry is so little pursued that the bears have to catch their dinners for them-
selves, and eat fresh food.

/>*.». by tni tftw Tcrl Zotltglcal Sttltt)

HALF-GROWN POLAR BEARS

When young polar heart art brought to England or Nnv York on board sAipt they arrive "with coats almost as yellow as a sponge. It takes a

•week's bathing to restore the pure "white colour

The Arctic explorer Nordenskiold saw much of the ice-bears on his voyages, and left us what
is perhaps the best description of their attempts to stalk men, mistaking them for other animals.
" When the polar bear observes a man," he writes in his " Voyage of the Vega," " he com-
monly approaches him as a possible prey, with supple movements and a hundred zigzag bends,
in order to conceal the direction he means to take, and to prevent the man feeling frightened.
During his approach he often climbs up on to blocks of ice, or raises himself on his hind legs, in
order to get a more extensive view. If he thinks he has to do with a seal, he creeps or trails
himself forward on the ice, and is then said to conceal with his fore paws the only part of his
body that contrasts with the snow — his large black nose. If the man keeps quite still, the bear
comes in this way so near that it can be shot at the distance of two gun-lengths, or killed with a
lance, which the hunter considers safer."

When a vessel lies at anchor, a polar bear sometimes swims out to it, to inspect the visiting
ship ; it has also a special fancy for breaking open and searching stores of provisions, boats aban-

124 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Phttt bj G. W. Wihtn & Co., Ltd.]

THE ICE-BEAR'S COUCH

{Aberdeen

A favourite attitude of the polar bear is to lie stretched on its stomach, -with the hind and fore
legs extended fiat. The head often lies between the fore paws. Notice the hair on the feet, -which
tteps the animal from slipping when on the ice.

doned and covered over,

mf ' and cabins of wrecked

^ j$ g ships. One bear which

had looted a provision
depot was found to have
swallowed a quantity of
sticking-plaster. The ice-
bear has been met swim-
ming at a distance of eighty
miles from land, and with
no ice in sight. This shows
how thoroughly aquatic
its habits and powers are.
Polar bears do not hug
their victims, like the
brown bear, but bite, and
use their immense feet and
sharp claws. It has been
said that when one catches
a seal on the ice it will play
with it as a cat does with a mouse. The size of these bears varies very much. Seven or eight
feet from the tip of the nose to the tail is the usual length ; yet they have been known to exceed
even 1 3 feet in length. This would correspond to an immense difference in bulk and weight.
An ice-bear was once found feeding on the body of a white whale, 15 feet in length, and weighing
three or four tons. The whale could not have got on to the ice by itself, and it is difficult to
imagine that any other creature except the bear could have dragged it there from the sea, where
it was found floating. When hunting seals, polar bears will chase them in the water as an otter
does a fish, but with what result is not known. Besides stalking them in the manner described
above, they will mark the place at which seals are basking on the rim of an ice-floe, and then dive,
and come up just at the spot where the seal would naturally drop into the water. Those shot for
the sake of their skins are nearly all killed when swimming in the sea. The hunters mark a bear
on an ice-floe, and approach it. The bear always tries to escape by swimming, and is pursued
and shot through the head from the boat. When the females have a cub or cubs with them, they
will often attack persons or boats which molest them ; otherwise they do not willingly interfere
with man, except, as has been said above, when they mistake men for seals or other natural prey.
The instances recorded of the affection shown by these animals for their young are some-
what pathetic. When the Carcase frigate, which was engaged on a voyage of Arctic discovery,
was locked in the ice, a she-bear and two cubs made their way to the ship, attracted by the scent
of the blubber of a walrus which the crew had killed a few days before. They ran to the fire,
and pulled off some of the walrus-flesh which remained unconsumed. The crew then threw
them large lumps of the flesh which were lying on the ice, which the old bear fetched away
singly, and laid before her cubs as she brought it, dividi T* it, and giving each a share, and

o o o o

reserving but a small portion for herself. As she war, fetching away the last piece, the sailors
shot both the cubs dead, and wounded the dam. Although she could only just crawl to the place
where the cubs lay. she carried the lump of flesh which she had last fetched away, and laid it
before them ; and when she saw that they refused to eat, laid her paws on them, and tried to
raise them up, moaning pitifully. When she found she could not stir them, she went to some
distance, and looked back, and then returned, pawing them all over and moaning. Finding at
last that they were lifeless, she raised her head towards the ship and uttered a growl, when the
sailors killed her with a volley of musket-balls.

CHAPTER VII.

THE SMALLER CARNIVORA.

THE RACCOON FAMILY.

A LINK between the Bears and the Weasel
Tribe is made by the RACCOONS and
their allies. They are bear-like in hav-
ing a short, thick body, and in their flat-footed
manner of walking ; also in their habit of sitting
up on end, and using their paws as hands, to
some extent, in aiding them to climb. But they
are also much like the Civets ; and the pretty
little CACOMIXLE, or RING-TAILED CAT of Mexico,
was formerly classed with the civets. They are
all very active, enterprising, and quick-witted
creatures of no great size, very different in
temperament from the bears.

Photo bj Scholastic Photo. Co.] [Parjon'j Grein

COMMON RACCOON

THE RACCOON.

This is the typical representative of the Raccoon Family. It is found
in most parts of the United States, and also in South America.

The type of the family is the AMERICAN
RACCOON itself. Its scientific name of " Loter,"
the " Washer," was given to it from an odd habit these creatures have of wetting and washing their
food in any water which is near. One kept at the Zoo washed her kittens so much when they

were born that they all died. ^^m^^^^^^^^^^^^m

The 'coon inhabits ' 1

America from Canada to the
south as far down as Para-
guay. In size it is equal to
a common fox, but is short
and stout. Restless, inquisi-
tive, and prying, it is a most
mischievous beast where farm-
yards and poultry are within
reach. It kills the fowls,
eats the eggs, samples the
fruit, and if caught shams
dead with all the doggedness
of an opossum. It is very
fond of fish and shell-fish.
Oysters are a special dainty,
as are mussels and clams.

P kit, b, C. RtU]

, N.B.

RACCOON

This animal has the habit of always washing its food, if possible, before it eats it
125

126 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Photo by A. S. Rutland if Stnl

GREAT PANDA

This -very rare animal is found on the high plateau of Tibet

A gentleman who kept one
says : " It opens oysters with
wonderful skill. It is sufficient
for it to break the hinge with
its teeth ; its paws complete
the work of getting out the
oyster. It must have a
delicate sense of touch. In
this operation it rarely avails
itself of sight or smell. It
passes the oyster under its
hind paws ; then, without
looking, it seeks with its
hands the weakest place. It
there digs in its claws, forces
asunder the valves, and tears
out the flesh in fragments,
leaving nothing behind." Its
favourite haunt is in the cane-
brakes of the south. There

the planters follow it by night with dogs, and shoot it in the trees in which it takes refuge. The
skins, with handsome alternations of yellow and brown, make fine carriage rugs.

THE COATIS.

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

THE PANDAS AND KINKAJOU.

Among the small carnivorous mammals the BEAR-CAT, or PANDA, is a very interesting crea-
ture. Its colour is striking — a beautiful red-chestnut above, the lower surface jet-black, the tail
long and ringed. The quality of the fur is fine also. It is found in the Eastern Himalaya, and
is as large as a badger. The GREAT PANDA, from Eastern Tibet, is a much larger, short-tailed,
black-and-white animal, once thought to be a bear. The KINKAJOU has a prehensile tail, and
uses its paws as hands so readily that it was formerly placed among the lemurs. It is a native
of Southern and intertropical America. Nocturnal, and living in the great forests, it is seldom
seen by man. Its head is round and cat-like, its feet are the same, but with non-retractile claws,
and it has a long, full tail. It has a long tongue, with which it can lick out insects from the
crevices and holes of trees. Baron von Humboldt says that it attacks the nests of wild bees. It
uses its tongue to draw objects of food towards it, even if they are not living. A pleasant
description of this animal appeared in Charles Knight's " Museum of Animated Nature," pub-
lished many years ago : « In its aspect there is something of gentleness and good-nature. In
captivity it is extremely playful, familiar, and fond of being noticed. One lived in the gardens of
the Zoological Society for seven years. During the greater part of the morning it was asleep,
rolled up in a ball in its cage. In the afternoon it would come out, traverse its cage, take food,
and play with those to whom it was accustomed. Clinging to the top wires of its cage with its
tail and hind paws, it would thus swing itself backwards and forwards. When thus hanging, it

Photo ly Dr. R. W. Shufeldt, H ashington.

RACCOON.
This animal is found from Alaska, through tho United States, to Ontral America.

THE SMALLER CARNIVORA

127

would bring its fore paws to the bars, as well as the hind pair,
and in this manner would travel up and down its cage with
the utmost address, every now and then thrusting out its long
tongue between the wires, as if in quest of food, which, when
offered to it, it would endeavour to draw in between the wires
with this organ. It was very fond of being gently stroked
and scratched, and when at play with any one it knew it
would pretend to bite, seizing the hand or ringers with its
teeth, as a dog will do when playing with its master. As the
evening came on, it was full of animation, and exhibited in
every movement the most surprising energy."

THE OTTERS.

As the badgers and ratels seem specially adapted to
an underground and cave-making existence, so the OTTERS
all conform in structure to an aquatic life ; yet, except the
webbing of the space between the toes and the shortening
and flattening of the head, there is very little obvious change
in their structure to meet the very great difference in the con-
ditions under which they live.

The SHORT-TOED OTTER is a small Indian species. It
has nails on its hands in place of claws. One kept at the
Zoo was a most amusing and friendly little pet, which let itself
be nursed like a kitten.

The NORTH AMERICAN OTTER has the same habits as the
English kind, but is somewhat larger, and has a far finer coat.
It is trapped in thousands, and the fur sent over to this country to the Hudson Bay Com-
pany's and other great fur-sales. These otters, like all their family, are very fond of playing.
One of their regular games is to make a snow-slide or an ice-slide down a frozen waterfall. The
alighting-place from this chute is, if possible, in the water. There the trapper sets his traps, and

the poor otters are caught.

The COMMON OTTER is
far the most attractive of the
British carnivora. It is still
fairly common all over Britain
where fish exist. It is found
on the Norfolk broads and
rivers, all up the Thames, in
Scotland, Devonshire, Wales,
Cumberland, and Northumber-
land. It travels considerable
distances from river to river,
and sometimes gets into a
preserved trout-pool or
breeding-pond, and does
much mischief. The beau-
tiful young otters here fig-
ured are in Mr. Percy Leigh
Pemberton's collection of

Photo tf Scholastic Photo Co., Parian' i Grim

KINKAJOU

The kinkajou eats birds and eggs as well as
honey and fruit. One kept in South America
killed a whole brood of turkeys, and was partial
to birds' eggs.

B,fe

liision of Percy Leigh Pemberton, Eiq.

YOUNG O TTERS

Otters, when taken young, can be trained to catch fsh for their o-wntrs.
employ them for this purpose

In India several tribes

British mammals. Their

128 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

TWO TAME OTTERS

These tiuo little otters -were photographed by the Duchess of Bedford. Alluding
to the old signs of the zodiac and their fondness for the -watering-pot, their portrait
•was called '• jtfyuarius" and " The Twins."

THE SEA-OTTER.

owner made a large brick tank
for them, where they were allowed
to catch live fish. Once one of them
seized a 4-lb. pike by the tail. The
pike wriggled round and seized the
otter's paw, but was soon placed hors
de combat. The largest otter which
the writer has seen was bolted by a
ferret from a rabbit-warren on the
edge of the Norfolk fen at Hockwold,
and shot by the keeper, who was rab-
biting.

English dog otters sometimes
weigh as much as 26 Ibs. They
regularly hunt down the rivers by
night, returning before morning to
their holt, where they sleep by day.
No fish stands a chance with them.
They swim after the fish in the open
river, chase it under the bank, and
then corner it, or seize it with a
rush, just as the penguins catch
gudgeon at the Zoo. Captain Salvin
owned a famous tame otter which
used to go for walks with him, and
amuse -itself by catching fish in the
roadside ponds.

Common otters killed on the coast are often confounded with the SEA-OTTER. This is a
great mistake. The sea-otter is as much a marine animal as the seal or the sea-lion. It swii
out in the open ocean, and is even more of a pelagic creature than the seal, for it either produce
its young when in the water, or at any rate carries and suckles them on the open sea. The sez
otter is much larger than the common otter. Unfortunately the fish and other marine creature
which form the food of the sea-otters are found mainly near the coast. Following them,
otters come near the Aleutian Islands,
where the hunters are ever on the
watch for them. If a single otter is
seen, five or six boats, with a rifleman
in each, at once put out, and the otter
stands little chance of escape. It never
was a common animal, and the prices
given for the fur, up to $1000 for a
first-class skin, have caused its destruc-
tion. The skin, when stretched and
cured, is sometimes 5 feet long, and
is of an exquisite natural rich brown,

like long plush, sprinkled all over with
whitish hairs like hoarfrost.

Photo by A. S. Rudland & Son

SEA-OTTER

The sea-otter has the most -valuable fur of any animal

THE SMALLER CARNIVORA

129

Phtti by A. S. Rudland V Sons

A SKUNK

An American animal, noted chiefly for the scent-gland it possesses, from "which it
emits a most obnoxious-smelling fluid

THE SKUNKS.

OF all the strange equipments
given by nature to animals for their
protection that possessed by the various
species of SKUNK is the most effec-
tive. These animals are able to emit
a fluid so vile in odour that it seems
equally hateful to all animals. Dogs,
pumas, men, alike shun them, and the
animals seem to know this and to pre-
sume on their immunity. An ordinary
skunk is about the size of a cat,
black, with bright white stripes down
the sides and back. The fur is thick
and handsome, and, if the animal be
killed before it discharges its fluid,
is not too strongly odorous to make
trimmings for jackets. Mr. Hudson,

in his " Naturalist in La Plata," says : " In talking to strangers from abroad, I have
never thought it necessary to speak of the dangers of sunstroke, jaguars, or the assassin's
knife. But I have never omitted to warn them of the skunk, minutely describing its habits
and personal appearance. I knew an Englishman who, on taking a first gallop across the
Pampas, saw one, and quickly dismounting, hurled himself bodily on to it to effect its capture.
Poor man ! He did not know that the animal is never unwilling to be caught. Men have been
blinded by them forever by a discharge of the fiery liquid in their faces. The smell pervades
the whole system of any one subjected to it, like a pestilent ether, nauseating the victim till
seasickness seems pleasant in comparison." Dogs can be taught to kill skunks ; but they show
the greatest disgust and horror when the fluid of the animal falls upon them, and sometimes roll

in mud or dust in the
endeavour to get rid
of it.

THE BADGERS.

THE BADGERS in-
clude several genera.
The SAND-BADGERS of
the East have a naked
snout, small ears, and
rough fur, with softer
fur underneath. The
INDIAN BADGER is
larger than that of
Europe, while that of
Java, Sumatra, and
Borneo is smaller, and
has a very short tail.

The FERRET-

Phtto bj C. Riid] flfiihaw. ff.B. /•-«.. +V.*»

A BADGER IN THE WATER BADGERS from

They are nocturnal animals East have elongated

130 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Photo by Scholastic Photo. Co.]

[Parjen'j Green

EUROPEAN BADGER

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

bodies and short tails. They are tree-
climbers, and as omnivorous as the
badger itself. The CAPE ZORILLA, with
another species found in Egypt, is
more nearly allied to the polecats, but is
striped like a skunk.

The EUROPEAN BADGER is still fairly
numerous. There is not a county in
England where it is not found. A
large colony has been established in
Epping Forest, some fifty yards square
of hillside being honeycombed with
badger-earths. The European badger
is found all over temperate Northern
Europe and Asia ; but being shy, wary,
and mainly nocturnal, is seldom seen.
At night it wanders about, and in
August gets into the corn-fields,
whence it is chased and caught by
dogs. A Somersetshire farmer had a
pointer and sheep-dog which were
adepts at this night catching of badgers. They would accompany their master along the roads,
and the pointer instantly winded any badger which had crossed. Both dogs then bounded off, and
soon their loud barking showed that they had found and " held up " the badger. The dogs' owner
then came up, picked the badger up by its tail, and dropped it in a sack. The badger's " earth "
is wonderfully deep and winding ; in it the badger sleeps during the winter, and gives birth to its
young, three or four of which are produced at a time. The end of March is the period of birth,
but the cubs do not come out until June. In October they are full-grown. The badger carries
in a great quantity of fern and grass as a bed for its cubs. Mr. Trevor-Battye writes : " I had a
pair which were probably about six weeks old. They were called Gripper and Nancy. They
would rest on my lap when feeding, and sit up and beg like dogs. Their hearing and power of
scent were remarkable. The badgers were in a closed yard ; but if any of the dogs came near,
even following a path which ran at a distance of six or seven yards, they would instantly jump
off my lap and disappear into a corner. The animals could walk and trot backwards with the
greatest ease." I have never seen this noticed elsewhere, yet it is worth mentioning, because it
is characteristic of the Weasel Family, not being shared, to my knowledge, by any other mammal
— not, for instance, by the Bears.

Mr. A. E. Pease says of the badger : " It is easily domesticated, and if brought up by hand
is found an interesting and charming companion. I had at one time two that I could do any-
thing with, and which followed me so closely that they would bump against my boots each step I
took, and come and snuggle in under my coat when I sat down."

THE RATELS.

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

THE SMALLER CARNIVORA

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

THE WEASEL TRIBE.

No animals are more bloodthirsty and carnivorous than most of the Weasel Tribe. They
are also well equipped both in actual weapons and in activity of body, and have powers quite out
of proportion to their size. They are also gifted with magnificent coats, and constitute the most
valuable source of choice furs. Sable, Marten, Mink, Wolverine, Ermine, Otters, and several
others are among the most highly prized. Their claws are sharp, but not retractile. It is
indeed fortunate that these creatures are so small in size, otherwise they would be among the
greatest enemies of animal life. As things are, they are useful in keeping down the numbers of
creatures which, like field-mice, moles, rabbits, and rats, might, and occasionally do, become a pest.

THE MARTENS.

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

THE SABLE.

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

Phtti by A. S. Rutland V Sent

RATEL

Ratels are curioutly restless little animals, -with a peculiar trot-like walk

132 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

THE MINK.

Ladies are very familiar with the fur of the MINK, which is one of the best of the less expen-
sive varieties ; it is not glossy as marten or sable, and of a lighter and more uniform brown.
The mink is a water-haunting polecat, found in Siberia, North America, and Japan. Its mair
home is in North America, where the immense system of lakes and rivers gives scope for it
aquatic habits. The under-fur is particularly warm and thick, to keep out the cold of the watt
in which the animal spends more time than on land. It is not stated to catch fish, as does
otter, in the water ; but it lives on frogs, crayfish, mussels, and dead or stranded fish. Mini
have been kept in confinement and regularly bred in " minkeries," as is the blue fox, and it
Manchuria the chow dog, for the sake of its fur.

THE POLECAT.

This is now probably the rarest of the British weasels. It is almost identically the same
the polecat-ferret, a cross-breed between it and the domesticated variety. It survives in a few of
the great woodlands of the Midlands and of Oxfordshire, in Scotland, and Wales. It is found
Cumberland, near Bowness, and on Exmoor and Dartmoor where rabbits abound. It is an expert
swimmer. Its habits are the same as those of the stoat, but it is slower in its movements. It
catches fish, and can pick up food from the bottom of the water. Wild ones can be trained to
work like ferrets. " They do not delay in the hole, but follow the rat out and catch it in a couple
of bounds " (Trevor-Battye). The FERRET is a domesticated br^ed of polecat. It is identical in
shape and habits, but unable to stand the cold of our climate in the open.

trmiuhn of ttrty Leigh Pemkerton, Esq.

PINE-MARTEN

Pine-martens have most beautiful fur, and for that reason are much hunted in America

THE SMALLER CARNIVORA

By ftrminitn of Perty Ltigh Pimbtrttn, Etq.

POLECAT

THE WEASEL.
The smallest, fiercest, and
commonest of its race, the
little WEASEL is by no means
the least formidable to other
animals of the carnivora of
our country. It is cinnamon-
coloured, with a white throat
and belly, and climbs as
neatly as a cat, running up
vertical boughs with almost
greater facility. A weasel in
a high hedge will run the
whole length of the fence,
from twig to twig, without
descending; it threads the
galleries of the field-mice,
sucks the eggs of small birds
in their nests, and attacks
rats, mice, rabbits, and even

such large birds as grouse without fear or hesitation. During a great plague of field-voles in
the Lowlands of Scotland in the years 1890 and 1891 the weasels increased enormously. A
shepherd took the trouble to follow a weasel down a hollow drain in the vole-infested hillside ; he
found the bodies of no less than thirteen field-mice, which the weasel had amused itself by kill-
ing. In winter weasels hunt the corn-stacks for mice, and often make a home among the sheaves.
One was seen chasing a vole by Mr. Trevor-Battye, who picked up the vole, which the weasel
was just about to jump up for, when he threw it into the hedge. There the weasel pounced on
it and carried it off!

The main food of the weasel is the field-mouse and small voles. Weasels are very devoted
to their young ; they will pick them up and carry them off as a cat does a kitten, if the nest is
in danger. Their hunting shows great marks of cunning. One was seen in a field in which a
number of corn-buntings were fly-
ing about, alighting on thistles.
The weasel went and hid under one
of the tallest thistles, on which a bunt-
ing soon alighted ; an instant after it
sprang up and caught and killed the
bird.

THE STOAT, OR ERMINE.

This is the commonest and most
widely distributed of all the Weasel
Tribe. In winter the fur turns to
pure white in the northern countries,
and occasionally in Southern England.
It is then known as the ERMINE, and
yields the ermine fur. In every

country where it is found it is the p*'" *' A- s- *udland * s>nt
deadly foe of all small animals, from HIMALAYAN WEASEL

the hare tO the smallest field-mice. They are fierce, and absolutely fearless -when in pursuit of game

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

COMMON STOAT

In summer coat In winter coat

These photographs shoio the stoat (or ermine, as it is often called) in its summer and winter coats. This animal gives us the "well-known ermine fur

It has the same passion for killing for killing's sake shared by the ferret. If a stoat finds a rabbit's
nest, for instance, it always murders all the young ones. These creatures sometimes contrive to
hunt in packs, or to migrate in society. They are very fond of their young, which they lay up in
old crows' nests, holes in banks, or straw-stacks. They have often been seen to carry them out
of danger in their mouths. The length of the head and body is 10^ inches, and of the tail
6l/z inches. The young are usually from five to eight in number, and are born in April or May.
They soon move into the long standing-grass, and remain there till it is cut. After that they
move to the woods and covers, and great numbers are trapped. If not, they attack the young
pheasants, and do great damage. They can climb well, and are known, as is the polecat, to
ascend trees and kill birds on their nests. They also suck eggs. Forty-two pheasants' eggs
were taken by Mr. de Winton from one stoat's hole.

THE GLUTTON, OR WOLVERINE.

This largest and most destructive of all the Weasel Tribe is found all round the northern
edge of the Arctic Circle, from Norway to Hudson Bay. It is a large heavy animal, with a short
head, sharp claws, long thick fur, and a clumsy gait. Its tusks are very long and sharp ; and its
appetite, if not so insatiable as the old travelers were told, is sharp enough to keep it always

hunting. It follows the fur-
trappers in the woods, and,
being very cunning, breaks in at
the back of their fall-traps, and
robs the baits or the prey caught.
When Lord Milton and Dr.
Cheadle made the Northwest
Passage by land, they lost nearly
all their furs in this way. Once,
having trapped a valuable silver
fox, the only one caught by
them, they found nothing but
shreds of fur left by the glutton.
As the marten-hunters' line of
traps is perhaps fifty or sixty
miles long, the loss and damage
caused by the glutton is most
GLUTTON mortifying. This animal can

A cunning, destructive animal, which follows, the trappers and robs them of the animals taken Only be Caught in StCCJ

that with great difficulty.

Photo bj A. 6'. Kudland & Soni

in the traps

firminun of tht ttiio fart Zoological Suittf

CALIFORNIAN SEA-LIONS, OR EARED SEALS

Stal-Aerdiform " rix>/ierie* " when on land at the breeding-season^ during which date they undergo a complex fast

'35

CHAPTER VIII.

Photo by G. W. Wilion & Co., ltd.] \_Abtraetn

STELLER'S SEA-LION

The eared seal, or sea-lion^ has the hind flippers divided, and is thus able to move "with com-
parative ease on land

MARINE CARNIVORA: THE SEALS, SEA-LION, AND WALRUS.

THERE are three
families of the Sea
Carnivora, — the
Fur-seals, or Eared Seals ;
the Walrus; and the True
or Earless Seals.

The first group, which
are called EARED SEALS, and
occasionally SEA-LIONS and
SEA-BEARS, have a small outer
ear, and when on land the
hind flippers are folded for-
wards beneath the body.
There is a distinct neck, and
on the flippers are rudiment-
ary claws. Some of the eared
seals have the close and fine
under-fur which makes their
capture so remunerative.
Under the skin there is often
a thick layer of blubber,
which is also turned to commercial uses by the sealers.

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

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

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

THE EARED SEALS, OR SEA-LIONS.

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

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

136

MARINE CARNIVORA

137

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

THE FUR-SEALS.

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

fhttt by G. W. Wllitn V Cc., Ltd.} \Aktrdttn

SEA-LION

Tkit photograph shows the dry mane of the tea-lion, a rather uncommon sight, as it rarely remains long enough out of the "water for its fur

to become absolutely dry

138 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

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

The CAPE FUR-SEAL, SOUTHERN FUR-SEAL, and
NEW ZEALAND FUR-SEAL are practically extinct for
commercial purposes.

THE HAIR-SEALS.

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

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

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

The PATAGONIAN SEA-LION is perhaps the most numerous species, though its numbers have

\iislon of Professor Bumpus] [New Tort

SEA-LION

All sea-lions are polygamous. The males guard their
harems very jealously; and fight determinedly ivith any
intruder

MARINE CARNIVORA 139

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

The sea-lions are much more powerful animals than the fur-seals. The male of Steller's sea-
lion attains a length of 10 feet and a weight of 1,000 Ibs. The AUSTRALIAN SEA-LION is even
larger than that of the North Pacific. Some specimens are said to attain 12 feet in length. Cap-
tain Cook mentions seeing male Patagonian sea-lions 14 feet long and from 8 to 10 feet in cir-
cumference. Though none are now seen of such dimensions, skulls found on the beach show
that anciently some of the sea-lions were larger than any now known.

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

B) fermiiiion of Herr Carl Haginbtct]

FEMALE WALRUS

This is a photograph of the only -walrus -which has ever been tamed and taught to perform tricks. It -was taken "when she -was Pwo years old
and -weighed 380 Ibs. At that time she consumed JO Ibs. of boneless fish a day } a year later not less than too Ibs. satisfied htr. She is now
an inmate of the Roumanian Zoological Gardens

140 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

By firminion cf the Htn. Walter Rothschild} [Tring

MALE WALRUS

The " tusks" of the "walrus art put to many practical uses during fife,
and after death are much valued for the ivory

THE WALRUS.

The distinguishing features of the walrus
have been mentioned in the introductory re-
marks to this chapter. It should be added
that it has an external ear-passage, though no
external ears, and very thick and bristly whis-
kers. It is practically confined to the Arctic
Circle, though once its range extended to the
British coasts (where its bones are found in
the Suffolk Crag) and to Virginia. The skull
of one was found in the peat at Ely — evidence
that it once ascended rivers.

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

THE TRUE SEALS.

The TRUE SEALS, with their greatly modified forms, heads set almost on to their shoulders,
with no neck visible, have well-developed claws on all the toes, and in the typical species have
double-rooted and small cheek teeth. The number of the incisors is variable. The GRAY SEAL
of the North Atlantic is a large species which visits the North British coasts and the Hebrides.

MARINE CARNIVORA

141

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

THE COMMON SEAL.

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

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

~,, f, A . By firmiinin of Htrr Carl Hagtntttt] (Hamburg

The HARP-SEAL is an Arctic WALRUS AND SEA-LION

or ice-seal which sometimes finds Another photograph oftke Wfl/rw tamed by Herr Carl Hagenbeck. Notice the „„_#„„ fa

itS Way here. The young are born the right-hand corner^ -which alto formed one of the tame performing troupe

142 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Photo b) York and Son] [Netting Hill

GRAY SEAL

itals are not so ivell adapted as sea-lions for getting about on the dry land, and, except for
their habit of coming ashore to bask in the sun, are thoroughly aquatic

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

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

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

Photo bf J. »f. McLiUan]

GREY SEAL

Note the difference bet-ween the *ar, and the lea-lion', hind JJipper,. When on land, ,he teal advance, by a jumping movement, produced by

the muulet of the body, assisted far-ward by the front ftppert

143

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

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

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

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

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

BJftrmlllhn of the Han. Walter Rothschild] [.Tring

HARP-SEAL that the fishermen caught it by tnrow-

The harp-seal comes from Greenland ing coats over it as it lay on the mud.

Br ftrmusicn tftht Hen. Walnr

LTrlng

SEA-ELEPHANT

These enormous seals ( about 20 feet in length ) are becoming very tcarce. When they come ashore, they are easily approached, though not
so easily killed. They are much valued for their oil. Nott the trunk-like prolongation of the nose, -which, when the animal it excited, becomes
distended

145

CHAPTER IX.

THE RODENTS, OR GNAWING ANIMALS.

T

HE Rodents, or Gnawing Mammals, have all
the same general type of teeth, from which
the order receives its distinctive name. There
are a very large number of families and of genera among
the rodents, more than in any other order of mammals.
All the rodents possess a pair of long chisel-shaped in-
cisor teeth in each jaw. The ends of these teeth are
worn into a sharp edge which cuts like a steel tool. In
most rodents these are the only teeth in that part of the
jaw, a wide gap intervening between them and the other
teeth. The hares, rabbits, and calling-hares have a
minute pair of teeth set just behind the large pair in
the upper jaw. The grinding-teeth are set far back,
and are never more than six in number, these being
sometimes reduced to four. Rodents generally have
five toes on the fore feet ; in the hind feet there are in
some cases only four, or even three. None of the
species are of great size ; the largest, the CAPYBARA, \
water-living animal of South America, is about the
dimensions of a small pig. But the number of species
of small rodents is prodigious, and their fecundity so
great that they constantly increase in favourable seasons
until they become a
plague. Voles, lem-
m i n g s , field-mice,

and rabbits are constant sources of loss to agriculture in their
seasons of extraordinary increase. Most rodents feed on
vegetables, though rats and mice have developed carniv-
orous tastes. No rodents have canine teeth.

THE SQUIRRELS.

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

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

146

Photo by W. P. Dando]

CAPYBARA

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

By fermission of Professor Bumpus, New T

FLYING-SQJJIRREL

One of the small species of the group

THE RODENTS, OR GNAWING ANIMALS 147

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

THE RED SQUIRREL.

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

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

Photo hy A. S. Rutland if Sent

FLYING-SQJJIRREL

The large flying-squirrels are mainly nocturnal. They can leap a distance 0/40 feet with the aid
of the parachutes of skin stretching from the fore to the hind limbs

148 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

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

A most beautiful sfecies. The main colour h red, but the back is French gray, and the tail roots of trees and bushes, and
French gray and red mingled. quite hidden when the SHOW fell.

THE GRAY SQUIRREL.

In Northern Europe, and across Northern Asia and America, a large gray squirrel is found.
From its fur the " squirrel-cloaks " are made. These squirrels live mainly on the seeds of pines
in winter, and on wild fruits, shoots, and berries in summer. It has been noticed that they will
entirely forsake some great area of forest for a year or two, and as suddenly return to it. The
marten and the sable are the great enemies of the gray squirrel, but the eagle-owl and goshawk
also kill numbers of them. In many countries the flesh of the squirrel is eaten.

The gray-and-black squirrel of the United states was thus described some sixty years ago :
" It rises with the sun, and continues industriously engaged in the search of food for four or five
hours every morning. During the warm weather of spring it prepares its nest on the branch of a

tree, constructing it first of dried
sticks, which it breaks off, or, if these
are not at hand, of green twigs as
thick as a finger, which it gnaws off
from the boughs. These it lays in
the fork of a tree, so as to make a

& ^..~^r"' fZ£3t - ;' - framework. It lines this framework

=™ • with leaves and over these again it

spreads moss. In making the nest,
the pair is usually engaged for sev-
eral days, spending an hour in the
morning hard at work. The noise
they make in cutting the sticks and

A. s. Rutland iff Sons carrying material is heard at some

ASIATIC CHIPMUNKS distance." In winter they reside en-

Small ground-squirrels which store food for the winter tirely in the holes of trCCS, where

THE RODENTS, OR GNAWING ANIMALS 149

thtit by W P. Dandt]

RED-FOOTED GROUND-S QJU I R R E L

Tbii sfecies has some of the characteristics of the trce-syuirre/s, among
them the busby tail

their young are in most cases born. Green
corn and young wheat suffered greatly from
their depredations, and a wholesale war of
destruction used to be waged against them
everywhere. In Pennsylvania an old law
offered threepence a head from the public
treasury for every squirrel destroyed, and in
1749 the enormous sum of $40,000 was paid
out of the public funds for this purpose. In
those days vast migrations of these squirrels
used to take place, exciting not only the
wonder but the fear of the old settlers. In
the Far Northwest multitudes of squirrels
used to congregate in different districts,
forming scattered bands, which all moved
in an easterly direction, gathering into larger
bodies as they went. Neither mountains
nor rivers stopped them. On they came, a
devouring army, laying waste the corn- and
wheat-fields, until guns, cats, hawks, foxes,
and owls destroyed them.

THE FLYING-SQUIRRELS.

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

In Africa, south of the Sa-
hara, the place of the Oriental fly-
ing-squirrel is taken by a separate
family. They have a different ar-
rangement of the parachute from
that of the flying-squirrels of India.
This wide fold of skin is supported
in the Asiatic squirrels by a carti-
lage extending from the wrist. In
the South African flying-squirrels

this support springs from the elbow, j.*,,, *, Dr. R. w. sw*w»i [ira

not from the wrist; they have also BLACK FOX-SQUIRREL

horny plates On the Under-SUrfaCC The fur of this species is as -valuable as that of the gray squirrel

150 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Photo by Scholastic Photo. Co.] [Panon's Green

LONG-TAILED MARMOT

The marmots live by preference on high and cold mountains just beloio the line
of eternal snow in Europe. In Asia, where the snow-line is higher^ they are found
at altitudes of 12,000 feet

of the tail. Many of the tropical fly-
ing-squirrels are quite large animals,
some being as large as a small cat

Mr. W. H. Adams says of PEL'S
FLYING-SQUIRREL, a West African
species : " These squirrels come out
of their holes in the trees some hours
after sunset, and return long before
daybreak. They are only visible on
bright moonlight nights. The na-
tives say that they do not come out
of their holes at all in stormy weather,
or on very dark nights ; they live on
berries and fruits, being especially
fond of the palm-oil nut, which they
take to their nests to peel and eat.
They pass from tree to tree with
great rapidity, usually choosing to
jump from a higher branch to a
lower one, and then climbing up again to make a fresh start. . . . They litter about twice
in a year, once in September. The young remain in the nest for about nine weeks, during
which they are fed by the old ones on such food as shoots and kernels. They do not attempt to
jump or ' fly ' till the end of that period, extending the length of their jumps with their growth."

The ETHIOPIAN SPINY SQUIRRELS have coarse spiny fur; the little INDIAN PALM-SQUIRREL
is marked with longitudinal dark and light stripes on the back ; others have light bands on
their flanks.

THE GROUND-SQUIRRELS.

Many tree-living squirrels pass a good deal of their time on the ground ; but there are
others which burrow like mice, and, though they climb admirably, prefer to make their nest, and
the regular squirrel's store of nuts, in the earth, and not in the branches. The best known is the
little CHIPMUNK of the United States, a favourite pet of many American children. There are
many kinds of chipmunks, all of which have pouches in their cheeks for carrying food. The
commonest is the STRIPED CHIPMUNK. It is from 8 to 10 inches long, with white stripes,
bordered with dark brown on each side. The chipmunks' hoards of grain and nuts are so large
that the Indians used to rob them in times of scarcity. There is also a ground-squirrel in
Northern Europe and Northern Asia with much the same habits as the chipmunk.

The burrows of the chipmunks are deep and extensive, and into them these rodents convey
such quantities of grain and maize as to inflict considerable loss on the farmer. The SIBERIAN
GROUND-SQUIRREL has been known to conceal 8 Ibs. weight of corn in its hole. This has a

o

sleeping-chamber at the end, filled with moss and leaves, on which the family sleep. From this
side passages are dug, all leading to chambers stocked with food, often far in excess of the wants
of these provident little creatures. The surplus stores are said to be eaten in the spring by wild
boars and bears.

THE PRAIRIE-DOGS AND MARMOTS.

Between squirrels which live in holes in the ground and the marmots and their relations no
great gap is found. These creatures drop the climbing habit and increase that of burrowing. In
disposition most of them are still very squirrel-like, though they gain something in solemnity of
demeanour by never going far from their holes. A prairie-dog or marmot is like a squirrel

THE RODENTS, OR GNAWING ANIMALS 151

which has left society and settled down in a suburb. The little creatures known in America as
PRAIRIE-DOGS have in Northern Europe and the steppes of Asia some first cousins, called
SUSLIKS. Both live in colonies, burrow quickly and well, feed on grass, and have a habit of sit-
ting bolt upright outside their holes, keeping a lookout for enemies. The prairie-dogs also bark
like a little dog when alarmed. Before going to sleep, the latter always carry the dry grass on
which they slept out of their burrow, and carefully bite up into short lengths a fresh supply to
make their beds. The susliks and prairie-dogs are of a khaki colour, like the sand in which they
delight to burrow. Every one has heard that the little burrowing-owls live in the same holes in
company with the prairie-dogs, and that the rattlesnake sometimes eats both the young prairie-
dogs and the young owls. An acquaintance of the writer who had killed a rattlesnake actually

trminltn o/tfit New Tori Zoological Socitty

PRAIRIE-DOGS, OR MARMOTS

A most characteristic picture. It shows the prairie-dogs' method of holding their food while they eat, or cutting up grass to make their teds

took a young prairie-dog from its mouth. The snake had not struck it with the poison, but had
begun to swallow it uninjured. It was still alive, and recovered.

The suslik was once found in England ; its remains, with those of other steppe animals, arc
found in the river gravels and brick earth in the London basin. The prairie-dogs form a kind
of connecting-link between the susliks and the true marmots. They have short ears, short tails,
rounded bodies, and possess great powers of digging. When a prairie-dog has nothing better to
do, it usually spends its time either in digging holes or in cutting up grass or anything handy to
make its bed with. Young prairie-dogs are not so large as a mouse when born. The adult
animals feed almost entirely on grass and weeds in their wild state ; they seem quite independent
of water, and able to live in the driest places.

The ALPINE MARMOT is a much larger species than the prairie-dog. It lives on the Alps
just below the line of perpetual snow. From five to fifteen marmots combine in colonies, dig
very deep holes, and, like the prairie-dogs, carefully line them with grass ; they also store up dry

152 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

grass for food. In autumn they grow very fat, and are then dug out of the burrows by the
mountaineers for food. Young marmots used to be tamed and carried about by the Savoyard
boys, but this practice is now rare. The monkey is probably more attractive to the public than
the fat and sleepy marmot. Marmots are about the size of a rabbit, and have close iron-gray fur.

Tschudi, the naturalist of the Alps, says of the marmots that they are the only mammal
which inhabits the region of the snows. No other warm-blooded quadrupeds live at such an
altitude. In spring, when the lower snows melt, there are generally small pieces of short turf
near their holes, as well as great rocks, precipices, and stones. Here they make their burrows,
outside which they feed, with a sentinel always posted to warn them of the approach of the eagle
or lammergeir. The young marmots, from four to six in number, are born in June. When they
first appear at the mouth of the holes, they are bluish gray ; later the fur gains a brownish tint.
The burrows are usually at a height of not less than 7,000 or 8,000 feet. Winter comes on
apace. By the end of autumn the ground is already covered with snow, and the marmots retire
to sleep through the long winter. As they do not become torpid for some time, they require
food when there is none accessible ; this they store up in the form of dried grass, which they cut
in August, and leave outside their burrows for a time to be turned into hay.

The ALPINE MARMOT is also found in the Carpathians and the Pyrenees. Another species,
the BOBAC, ranges eastward from the German frontier across Poland, Russia, and the steppes of
Asia to Kamchatka. In Ladak and Western Tibet a short-tailed species, the HIMALAYAN
MARMOT, is found, sometimes living at a height of nearly 17,000 feet. The GOLDEN MARMOT is
found in the Pamirs.

THE BEAVERS.

The BEAVERS are classed as the last family of the squirrel-like group of the Rodents, and the
largest creatures of that order in the northern hemisphere. The value of their fur has caused
their destruction in great measure where they were once numerous, and has led to their total
extirpation where there is evidence that they existed as a not uncommon animal. They were
formerly distributed over the greater part of Europe. In England semi-fossilised remains show

that they were not uncommon. In
Wales beavers' skins were mentioned
in the year 940 in the laws of Howel
Dha, and in 1188 Giraldus stated that
they were living on the river Teify,
in Cardiganshire. Beavers were for-
merly found in France, especially on
the Rhone, where a few are still said
to survive, in Germany, Austria, Rus-
sia, Poland, and in Sweden, and Nor-
way, on the rivers Dwina and Pet-
chora, and on the great rivers of
Siberia. A few still remain in two
districts of Norway, and some were
known to frequent the Elbe in 1878.
The Moldau, in Bohemia, is also
credited with a colony ; but parts of
the Danube are believed to be the

B) ftrmitsion of the New Tori Zoological Society ,-, i

chief haunt of the European beaver
AMERICAN BEAVER at the present time. The American

The engineering fiat* of the heaven, in damming streams and forming pooh, are the beaver, though its range haS greatly

J & r 1 • -tMi _..£e~:~.,4-1-ir Miimpr-

*nost remarkable achievements performed by li-v:ng animals

contracted, is still sufficiently numer-

3S3

154 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Photo by C. Rild\

N.B.

BEAVER

This is a photograph of a swimming bea-ver. Note the advantage it bas taken of the
eddy in the stream

ous for its fur to be a valuable
item in the winter fur-sales.

The beaver's tail is flattened
like a paddle and covered with
scales ; its hind feet are webbed
between the toes ; it has sharp
claws, which aid it in scratching
up mud, and a thick, close fur,
with long brown hair above, and
a most beautiful and close under-
•M» ^_ fur, which, when the long hairs
^H have all been removed, forms the
beaver fur of which hats were
once made, and trimmings for
ladies' jackets and men's fur coats
are now manufactured. There are
two separate lines of interest in
connection with the animal — pol-
itical and zoological. The value of the fur was anciently such that, when the first French
explorers began to search the Canadian lakes, and later when the Hudson Bay Company suc-
ceeded to the French dominion, the history of Canada was largely bound up with beaver-catch-
ing and the sale of the skins. In the early days of the Company the " standard of trade " of
the Northwest was a beaver skin. For nearly a century the northern territories were organised,
both under French and English rule, with a view to the beaver trade. The beaver was, and is,
the crest of the Canadian Dominion.

The beavers' engineering feats have for their object to keep up a uniform depth of water in
the streams where they live. On large rivers there is always enough water for the beaver to
swim in safety from its enemies, and to cover the mouth of the hole which it makes in the
bank, just as a water-rat does. But on small streams, especially in Canada, where during the
winter the frost prevents the
springs from running, there is
always the danger that the
water may fall so low that the
beavers would be left in shal-
low water, a prey to the wol-
verine, wolf, lynx, or human
enemies. To keep up the
water, the beavers make a
dyke or dam across the
stream. This they go on
building up and strengthen-
ing until they have ponded
back a large pool. In time,
as they never seem to stop
adding to their dam, the pooi
floods the ground on either
side of the stream and makes

Phttt b) Dr. R. W. Shufcldt] [ffaihingttn

a small lake. It flows over MUSK-RAT

i parts of the bank where A imall -water rodent, a native of our rivers. Immense numbers are killed for the sake of

their holes are ; these also be- their fur

THE RODENTS, OR GNAWING ANIMALS 155

come filled up, because the beavers carry into them every day fresh quantities of wood-chips to
make their beds. The beavers then scrape out the earth on the top, pile sticks over this, plaster
the sticks with mud, and so build a dome over their bedroom. In time this is raised higher and
higher, the artificial lake rises too, and the complete " beaver-lodge " surrounded with water is
seen. The old trappers who found these in situ imagined they were built at once and outright
in the water. The experiments and observations at Leonardslee, in Sussex, where Sir E.G.Loder
has kept beavers in a stream for ten years, show that the " evolution " of the lodge is gradual and
only incidental. But the building of the dyke, the cutting of the trees, and the making of the
pool are done with a purpose and definite aim.

What this is, and how done, is explained in the following description of the beaver colony
at Leonardslee : " Their first object was to form in the brook a pool, with water maintained
at a constant height, to keep the mouth of their burrow in the bank submerged during
the droughts of summer. To this end they build a dam, as good a specimen of their work
as can be seen even in Canada. Its situation was carefully chosen. A small oak, growing
on what appears to have
been a projection in the
bank, gives support to the
work. It may be con-
cluded that this was part
of their intention ; for
though they have cut
down every other tree in
their enclosure to which
they had access, except
two or three very large
ones, they have left this
small tree which supports
the dam untouched.
(Later, when the dyke was
stronger, they cut it down.)
Above this stretches the
dam, some 1 2 yards wide,
and rising 5^ feet from
the base to the crest. The
beavers build it solidly of
battens of alder, willow,

larch, and other straight-limbed trees, cut into lengths of from 2 to 3 feet. The bark of each
was carefully gnawed off for food ; and the whole work, constructed of these cut and peeled
logs, has a very regular and artificial appearance. Smaller twigs and sticks are jammed in
between the battens, and the interstices are stuffed with mud, which the beavers bring up from
the bottom of the pool in their mouths, and push in with their feet, making the whole structure
as water-tight as a wall." This dam converted what was a narrow brook into a long lake, some
50 yards by 15 or 20 yards broad. Later the beavers made another larger dam below this,
cutting down some more trees. One tree gave them a great deal of trouble ; it was a beech, 40
feet high, and hard to gnaw ; so they waited till the water rose round it, and then dug it up.
When the large dam was made, quite a considerable lake was formed below the first. They
then neglected their first dam, and let the water run out of the top lake into the lower one
At the time of writing there are five old beavers and a family of young ones at Leonardslee.
The work done by these beavers, so few in numbers, shows how large colonies may alter the
course of rivers.

Phttt kj W. P. Dando

GAMBIAN POUCHED RAT

Thett ran art obit to carry food in their check-pouches, which are uted at pocketi

156 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

THE DORMICE.

There are a considerable number of animals, even here, which hibernate. Most of these
feed largely on insect food, which in winter is unobtainable in any great quantity. Conse-
quently the hedgehog and the badger, which live largely on snails and worms, go to sleep in the
famine months. So does the sleepiest of all — the DORMOUSE. This alone would show that this
little rodent probably feeds on insects very largely, for if it only ate nuts and berries it could
easily store these, and find a good supply also in the winter woods. It has been recently proved
that dormice are insectivorous, and will eat aphides, weevils, and caterpillars. But a dormouse
hibernates for so long a time that one might imagine its vitality entirely lost ; it sleeps for six
months at a time, and becomes almost as cold as a dead animal, and breathes very slowly and
almost imperceptibly. Mr. Trevor-Battye says that if warmed and made to awaken suddenly in

the winter it would die in a minute or two, its
heart beating very fast, " like a clock running
down." Before their hibernation dormice grow
very fat. There is a large species, found in
Southern Europe, which the Romans used to
eat when in this fat stage. In winter dormice
usually seek the nest of some small bird, and
use it as a sleeping-place. They pull out and
renew the lining, or add a roof themselves. Into
the interior they carry a fresh supply of moss,
and sleep there in great comfort. Their great
enemy at this time is the weasel. There are two
main groups of the dormice, divided by natural-
ists in reference to the structure of their stomach.
The South African GRAPHIURES have short tufted
tails. The hibernating habit is confined to the
more northern species.

THE MOUSE TRIBE.

This family, which includes the MICE, RATS,
and VOLES, contains more than a third of the
number of the whole order of Rodents. Some are
arboreal, others aquatic ; but most are ground-
living animals and burrowers. The number of
known species has been estimated at 330. Among
the most marked types are the WATER-MICE of
Australia and New Guinea, and of the island
of Luzon in the Philippines. The feet of the
Australian species are webbed, though those of

the Philippine form are not. The GERBILS form another group, mainly inhabitants of desert
districts. They have very large eyes, soft fur, and tails of various length and form in different
species. They have greatly developed hind legs, and leap like jerboas, and are found in Southern
Europe, Asia, and Africa. The PHILIPPINE RATS, large and long-haired, and the TREE-MICE of
Africa south of the Sahara, form other groups. A very mischievous race of rodents is repre-
sented in Europe by the HAMSTERS, and in America by a closely allied group, the WHITE-
FOOTED MICE.

THE HAMSTERS.
The HAMSTER is a well-known European species, and represents the group of pouched rats.

Photo by A. S. Rutland & Sons

POCKET-GOPHER

The pocket-gophers are almost entirely subterranean. Their
burrowing powers are remarkable. The teeth as well as claivs
are used to aid them .

THE RODENTS, OR GNAWING ANIMALS 157

Phott I- A. S. Rudland » Son,

LONG-EARED JERBOA

These curious little animals are mainly desert creatures. They move by
a series of leaps

These creatures have cheek-pouches to
aid them in carrying food. In addition
they are most voracious and inquisitive,
so that the hamster is a type throughout
Central Europe of selfishness and greed.
We are sorry to add that John Bui!
occasionally appears in German cartoons
as the " Land-hamster," or land-grabber.
Hamsters are numerous from the Elbe
to the Obi. They burrow and make
cellars in the corn- and bean-fields, and
convey thither as much as a bushel of
grain. As soon as the young hamsters
can shift for themselves, each moves off,
makes a separate burrow, and begins to
hoard beans and corn. As the litter
sometimes contains eighteen young, the
mischief done by the hamster is great.
Its coloration is peculiar. The fur, which
is so thick as to be used for the linings
of coats, is a light yellowish brown
above. A yellow spot marks each cheek. The lower surface of the body, the legs, and a band
on the forehead are black, and the feet white. Thus the hamster reverses the usual natural
order of colour in mammals, which tends to be dark on the back and light below. The animal
is 10 inches long, and very courageous. Hamsters have been known to seize a horse by the
nose which stepped on their burrow, and at all times they are ready to defend their home.
Besides vegetables and corn, they destroy smaller animals. They spend the winter in a more
or less torpid state in their burrows, but emerge early in spring. They then make their summer
burrows and produce their young, which in a fortnight after birth are able to begin to make a
burrow for themselves.

Among the South American members of the group to which the hamster belongs are the
FISH-EATING RATS, with webbed hind feet. The RICE-RAT, which is found from the United States
to Ecuador, lives on the Texas
prairies much as do the prairie-
marmots, though its burrows
are not so extensive, and often
quite shallow. In these the
rats make beds of dry grass.

THE VOLES.

The VOLES are allied to
the preceding groups, but are
marked externally by a shorter
and heavier form than the
typical rats and mice. Their
ears are shorter, their noses
blunter, their eyes smaller,
and the tail generally shorter.
They are found in great num-
bers at certain seasons, when

CAPE JUMPING-HARE

This animal is very common in South Africa. The Boers call it the ff Sfringbaas '

158 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Phtto b) A. S. Rudland & Sont

OCTODONT

The octodont, so called because they ba-ve four molar teeth on each side of the jaw
are a group of rodents found mainly in South America

they often develop into a pest. The
SHORT-TAILED FIELD-VOLE is respon
sible for much destruction of crops in
Europe. One of the latest plagues of
these animals took place in the Low-
lands of Scotland, where these voles
devoured all the higher pastures on
the hills. Nearly at the same time
a similar plague occurred in Turkish
Epirus. When a special commis-
sioner was sent to enquire into the
remedies (if any existed) there in
use, he found that the Turks were
importing holy water from Mecca to
sprinkle on the fields affected. The
BANK-VOLE is a small English species, replaced on the Continent by the SOUTHERN FIELD-VOLE.

The WATER-RAT belongs to the vole group. It is one of the most commonly seen of all
American mammals — probably, except the rabbit, the most familiar. Although not entirely
nocturnal, it prefers the darkness or twilight ; but whenever the visitor to the waterside keeps
still, the water-rats will allow him to watch them. The writer has had rather an extensive
acquaintance with these cousins of the beavers, and, while watching them, has never ceased to be
struck with their close resemblance to those creatures. At Holkham Lake, in Norfolk, he no-
ticed a willow-bush, in which a number of twigs had been gnawed off; and then saw the missing
sticks lying neatly peeled, just like " beaver-wood," in the water below. Waiting quietly, he
noticed a water-rat climb into the bush, gnaw off a willow twig, descend with it to the edge of
the water, and there, sitting on some crossed boughs, peel and eat the bark, just as a beaver does.
By rivers a sound is often heard in the round reeds as of something tearing or biting them ;
it is made by the water-rats getting their supper. The rat cuts off three or four sedges and
makes a rough platform. It then cuts down a piece of one of the large round reeds full of pith,
and, holding it in its hands, seizes the bark with its teeth, and shreds it up the stem, peeling it
from end to end. This exposes the white pith, which the rat then eats. Water-rats have been
seen to swim out and pick up acacia blossoms float-
ing on the water. When swimming under water, each
hair is tipped by a little bubble, which makes the rat
look like quicksilver. When it comes out, the rat
shakes itself with a kind of shiver, throwing all the
water off its ccat. Though so good a swimmer, its
feet are not webbed. It is found from Scotland to
the Bering Sea, but not in Ireland.

In the Far North the LEMMING takes the place of
the voles. It is a very small, short-tailed creature, like
a diminutive prairie-dog. Like the voles, lemmings
have seasons of immoderate increase. They then
migrate in enormous flocks, and are said never to
stop till they reach the sea, into which they plunge.
It is believed that they are following an inherited
instinct, and that where there is now sea there once
was land, over which they passed onwards.

The MUSK-RAT inhabits the same waters as the

[North FinMt)

Photo by L. Midland, F.Z.$.\

COYPU

This is a large aquatic rodent, found on the South
American rivers. Its fur, called "nutria," forms a.

SITncr HUH rt-vcra. -i*J y**' > ••

North America. It makes a house, generally -valuable export from Argentina

THE RODENTS, OR GNAWING ANIMALS 159

Phtto by A. S. Rutland & S,n>

SHORT-TAILED HUTIA

The butias are another group of octodonts, found in the Wen India
Islands

of reeds piled in a mound, in the lakes and
swamps. The body is only 12 inches long,
but the fur is thick and close, and much used
for lining coats and cloaks. The vast chains of
rivers and lakes in Canada make that country
the favourite home of the musk-rat. This crea-
ture lives upon roots of aquatic plants, fresh-
water-mussels, and stems of juicy herbs. Be-
sides making the domed houses of grass, reeds,
and mud, it also burrows in the banks of
streams. There it makes rather an elaborate
home, with numerous passages leading to the
water. The odour of musk is very strong even
in the skin. The tail is narrow and almost
naked. This species is the largest of the vole
group.

THE TYPICAL RATS AND MICE.

These animals were originally an Old
World group. Though the brown rat is now
common in America, it is believed to have
come originally from China.

A very large number of animals are now almost dependent on man and his belongings.
Such creatures are said to be " commensalistic," or eaters at the same table. They are often
very unwelcome guests, whether they are flies, sparrows, or cockroaches ; but probably the least
welcome of all are the rats and mice. The BROWN RAT is the best known of any. It has come
into worse repute than usual of late, because it is now certain that it harbours the plague-bacillus,
and communicates the disease to man. Its habits and appearance need no description. The
BLACK RAT is the older and smaller species indigenous in Europe, which the brown rat has
almost extirpated from England. A few old houses still hold the black rat, and there are always
a few wild ones at the Zoological Gardens which feed in the animals' houses. The BLACK-AND-
WHITE RAT (not the albino white rat) kept tame in this country is probably a domesticated form
of the ALEXANDRINE RAT of Egypt.

The HOUSE-MOUSE is now found in all parts
of the world to which Europeans have access.
In England its main home is in the corn-ricks.
Were the farmers to thresh the grain, as is done in
the United States, as soon as it is cut, mice would
be far less common. Besides these parasitic mice,
there are a host of field- and forest-mice in this
and other countries. One of the best-known Eng-
lish species is the HARVEST-MOUSE, which makes
a globular nest of grass in the wheat-fields, at-
tached to stems of corn or weeds. In this the
young are born. In winter the mouse lives in
holes in banks, and lays up a store of kernels
and grain. The WOOD-MOUSE is larger than the
former, or than the HOUSE-MOUSE. It is yellow-
ish brown in colour, lays up a great store of
winter food, and is itself the favourite prey of the
weasel.

trminion of the Hon. Walttr Rcthuhiid, Tring

PORCUPINE

Tht common porcupine it found in North America, Italy,
Spain, and North jifrica

160 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Phtto by A. S. Rudland & Sonl

PORCUPINE

This photograph shoivs the arrangement of the porcupine's defense of
spines ; but •when frightened it erects these, so as to form a complete protection
to the body

THE BANDICOOT.

A very mischievous class of rats is
represented by the various species of
BANDICOOT. They are found throughout
Southern Asia as far as Ceylon, and in
Kashmir and Turkestan. The BANDI-
COOT-RAT of India is a large and de-
structive species which is sometimes
brought to the London docks in ships,
but has not spread into the country.

OTHER MURINE RODENTS.
Among the numerous other rodents
allied to the rat group are the MOLE-
RATS, with short mole-like bodies. The
largest is the GREAT MOLE-RAT, found in
Southeastern Europe, Southwestern Asia,
and Northeastern Africa. It is a sub-
terranean creature, burrowing for food like a mole. The BAMBOO-RATS have minute eyes, small
external ears, and a short tail partly covered with hair. In Somaliland a small, almost naked
SAND-RAT is found, which burrows in the sand of the desert, throwing up little heaps like
mole-hills.

THE GOPHERS.

In North and Central America the POCKET-GOPHERS form a curious group of small rodents
with cheek-pouches opening on the outside. They spend their entire existence underground,
and are said to use their incisor teeth as picks to open the hard earth in their tunnels. They
push the loosened soil out by pressing it with their chests and fore feet. When a gopher has
eaten enough to satisfy the immediate calls of hunger, it stores all spare food away in the large
cheek-pouches. When gophers desire to empty the pouches, they pass their feet along their
cheeks from behind, and press the food forwards on to the ground.

THE JERBOAS, SPRINGHAAS, AND JUMPING-MICE.

The hopping rodents have an immense range, from Southern Europe, through Africa,

Arabia, India, and Ceylon, and even in the New
World, where the AMERICAN JUMPING-MOUSE is
found throughout the northern part of the con-
tinent. The latter is only 3 inches long. The
true JERBOAS are mainly found in Africa. All
these, when excited, move like kangaroos. Their
main home is the Central Asian steppe region,
but they are found in Egypt, India, Syria, and
Arabia. The hind legs are much elongated, the
fore legs very small, and the body usually of a
sandy colour. The American jumping-mouse,
though a very small creature, can cover from 3 to
5 feet at each leap. It inhabits the beech and
hard-wood forests. In winter it makes a globular
nest about 6 inches under the surface of the ground.
The CAPE JUMPING-HARE forms a family by
itself, with no near allies. It is of a tawny brown

W.«. h IT. t. Band,] [Regent^ Park

VISCACHA

The Viscacba forms colonies like those of the prairie-dogs. It is
Jound on the pampas south of the La Plata

THE RODENTS, OR GNAWING ANIMALS 161

colour, becoming almost pure white be-
low. The tail is long, and carried up-
right as the animal leaps. The head and
body are nearly 2 feet long, and the tail
20 inches. It is found both in the plains
and mountains of South Africa, where it
makes deep burrows, in which several
families live. It is mainly nocturnal.

THE OCTODONT FAMILY.

America is the main home of this
family of rodents, though there are sev-
eral representatives in Africa. Their name
is due to the fact that they have four
molar teeth on each side of the jaw. The
best-known species is the COYPU, or NU-
TRIA, of South America, an aquatic, fur-
bearing animal. It is very plentiful in the

large rivers of that continent, where its fur is a valuable commodity for export. When swim-
ming, the female coypu carries its young on its back. The coypu is usually 20 inches long, with
a tail two-thirds of the length of its head and body. The general colour is brown above and
brownish yellow below. Coypus live in pairs in holes in the river-banks. In the Chonos
Archipelago they frequent the seashore, and burrow near the beach.

The HUTIA, another large octodont, is found in the West Indies. There are two species,
both partly arboreal. The TUCO-TUCOS, burrowing octodonts of the pampas and the far south of
the American Continent, are rat-like animals, with large claws and very small eyes and ears.

Photo by If. P. Vanda

CHINCHILLA

A small rodent of the Andes , possessing -very soft and valuable gray fur

THE PORCUPINES.

These animals are either tree-climbers or ground-dwellers.
America, though one, the CANADIAN PORCUPINE, is
found in the North; the latter are European and
Asiatic. In Africa they are also common. The
Canadian porcupine passes nearly all its life in trees,
feeding on the leaves ; but it has not a prehensile
tail. The COMMON PORCUPINE is abundant in Italy
(where it is eaten by man), Greece, Spain, and Africa.
It lives in burrows or among rocks. In India a very
similar species is found. The head and shoulders of
these ground-porcupines are not protected by the
larger sharp spines which guard the rest of their
bodies.

The tree-porcupines of the forests of Central
America have long prehensile tails, and are very
lightly built. The quills are short, the head
rounded, and the appearance very different from
that of the European or African species. The
common porcupine of Europe and North Africa
measures about 28 inches in length from the nose to
the root of the tail. The head, neck, and shoulders
are covered with short spines and hairs, and the

The former are found in South

Ph,l, by York Sf Stn]

[tftttlng Hill

AGUTIS

The agutis are also a South American groupt found both in
the forests and on the plains

162 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

SPOTTED CAVY

Photo I) A. S. Rudland » Sons

PACA, OR

The facas are among the larger rodents, found mainly In the northern part of
the South American region

shoulders and back by a crest of long
spines, varying from 12 to 15 inches in
length. The tail also carries spines

VlSCACHAS AND CHINCHILLAS.

On the plains of La Plata the com-
monest large rodent is the VISCACHA. It
assembles in societies like the prairie-dogs,
but is a much larger animal, from 1 8 inches
to 2 feet long. Viscachas always set a
sentinel to give warning of danger. They
cut every kind of vegetable near and drag
them to their holes ; they also have a
habit of picking up and collecting round
the burrows any object which strikes them
as curious. Articles lost by travelers, even
whips or boots, may generally be found
there. The viscacha belongs to the chin-
chilla family, but differs much from the

beautiful creature of the high Andes from which chinchilla fur is taken. The COMMON CHIN-
CHILLA is about 10 inches long, and the SHORT-TAILED CHINCHILLA rather smaller. The exqui-
site fur is well known. Two other chinchillas are more like hares in appearance. All four
creatures are found on the Andes.

THE AGUTIS AND PACAS.

South America also produces a family of rodents not unlike small pigs, but nearer to the
mouse-deer in general appearance ; they are called AGUTIS. Mainly forest animals, but living
also in the plains, they feed on grass, leaves, and plants of all kinds ; they are very swift in their
movements, and have much the habits of the small South African bucks. The fur is long, olive-
or chestnut-coloured, and thick.

The PACAS are allied to the agutis, but are stouter ; they live either in burrows made by
themselves, or in holes in the banks of rivers, or in old tree-roots. The pacas are spotted and
rather ornamentally marked ; they are found from
Ecuador to Brazil and Paraguay.

THE CAVIES.

The DINOMYS, a spotted rodent known by one
example from Peru, has been thought to form a link
between the pacas and the cavies, of which the guinea-
pig is the most familiar and the aquatic capybara the
largest. The original of our guinea-pig is believed
to be the RESTLESS CAVY, a small rodent common on
the plains of La Plata. It is dark blackish, with
yellowish-gray and white hairs of the domesticated
species ; and it is suggested that the original of the
present name was " Guiana pig." This cavy lives in
thickets rather than in forests or plains.

The PATAGONIAN CAVY is a larger form, about

o '

twice the size of our hare. It burrows in the ground,
and has a gray coat, with yellowish markings on the
sides. It has been acclimatised successfully in France

Photo by York & Son]

[Kotting Hill

rnviu vj ,..-—--, irTT-'C

PACAS, OR SPOTTED CAVIES

This photograph, -which represents young animals, sk
great perfection the linear arrangement of the str.pa

THE RODENTS, OR GNAWING ANIMALS 163

and England. The flesh is like that of the
rabbit.

The CAPYBARA is the largest of all rodents.
This species is, in fact, a gigantic water guinea-
pig. It is found in all the great rivers of South
America, from the Orinoco to the La Plata.
It swims as well as a water-rat, though it is as
large as a small pig. It feeds on weeds, water-
plants, and grass. A capital photograph of
this animal appears on page 146.

PIKAS, HARES, AND RABBITS.

The last two families of the Rodents have
a small pair of rudimentary incisor teeth be-
hind the large ones in the upper jaw. The
PIKAS, or CALLING-HARES, resemble the mar-
mot tribe in general appearance. Their heads
are short, their ears rounded, and, being tail-
less, they still less resemble the common hare ;
but their dentition marks them as allied. One
species, about 9 inches long, is found in Si-
beria ; and another, only 7 inches long, in
the Rocky Mountains. The former has a
habit of cutting grass and storing it in small
stacks outside its hole for winter use ; the
Rocky Mountain species carries its hay into
its burrows.
The HARES are a widely distributed group. They are found from the north of Scotland

(where the gray mountain species turns white in winter) to the south of India, in South Africa, and

across the continent of Asia to Japan. The MOUNTAIN-HARE takes the place of the brown species in

Scandinavia, Northern Russia, and Ireland ; it is rather smaller, and has shorter ears and hind legs.
As early as 54 B.C., Caesar, in

his account of Britain, writes that

the COMMON HARE was kept by the

ancient Britons as a pet, but not

eaten by them. It was protected by

the Normans in the second list, or

schedule, of animals reserved for

sport. The first list included the

Beasts of the Forest, the second

the Beasts of the Chase, of which

the hare was one of the first. The

word " chase " has here a technical

meaning, by which was understood

an open park, or preserved area,

midway in dignity between a forest

and an enclosed park. " Hare parks "

were also made, perhaps the most

recent being that made at Bushey

for the amusement of the sovereign

Ih.tt by Scholastic Photo. Co.

PATAGONIAN CAVY

This large species of cavy has been acclimatised successfully both
England and in France

Bj ftrmtisttn of Profits

[Ntw rtrt

Bumfu,]

WOOD-HARE

Tbit it one of (be forms intermediate between the bares and rabbitt

164 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

when at Hampton Court Palace. The name is often found surviving elsewhere. Near one of
the large country English seats a walled park of 1,500 acres holds almost all the hares on the
estate. If these parks and forest laws had not existed at an early date, it is probable that the
hare would have become very scarce in this country.

Hares produce their leverets about the middle of April, though in mild seasons they are born
much earlier. The number of the litter is from two to five. They are placed in a small hollow
scraped out by the doe hare, but not in a burrow of any kind.

The instinct of concealment by remaining still is very highly developed in the hares and
rabbits. They will often " squat" on the ground until picked up rather than take to flight. This
seems almost a perverted instinct • yet hares often exhibit considerable courage and resource
when escaping from their enemies. The following is an instance : — A hare was coursed by two

"**-v^
- _ «**'• - *-,-'?

Phot!, by C. Reid

WILD RABBITS

young greyhounds on some marshes intersected by wide ditches of water. It first ran to the side
of one of these ditches, and doubled at right angles on the brink. This caused the outer dog to
lose its balance and to fall heavily into the deep and cold water. The hare then made straight
for the line of walkers, and passed through them, with the other greyhound close behind it.
The dog reached out and seized the hare by the fur of the back, throwing it down. The hare
escaped, leaving a large patch of fur in the dog's jaws, doubled twice, and was again seized by
the second dog, which had come up. It escaped from the jaws of the second pursuer, leapt two
ditches 1 2 feet wide, and then sat for a moment behind a gate on a small bridge. This use of
the only cover near caused the dogs to lose sight of it ; they refused to jump the second drain,
and the hare escaped.

The RABBIT is too well known to need description either of its habits or appearance,
originally came from the countries south of the Mediterranean, but is now common in Northern
Europe, and has become a pest in Australia and New Zealand. The rabbit breeds when six
months old, and has several litters in each year.

CHAPTER X.

THE BATS AND INSECT-EATING MAMMALS.

BY W. P. PYCRAFT, A.L.S., F.Z.S.

THESE two groups are really closely allied ; but the bats are generally considered apart,
on account of their totally different mode of life. Originally, like their more com-
monplace relatives, they were dwellers upon the earth, or, more correctly, among the
trees. By gradual modification of the fore limbs, and a corresponding development of folds of
skin attached thereto, and to the body, they have acquired the power of flight. The cobego,
to be mentioned presently, gives us a hint of how this may have come about.

The bats are the only members of the Mammalia which possess the power of true flight.
The so-called flying-squirrels do not rightly deserve this title, for they have no wings. The
wings of the bat have been formed by modification of the fore limbs, the finger-bones having
become excessively lengthened, so as to serve as a support to a thin web of skin extending
outwards from the body, much as the ribs of an umbrella support the covering. The hand of
the bat is therefore a quite unique organ.

[Crtjdm

Phot, kj W. SaviUt-Kint, F.Z.S.]

AUSTRALIAN FRUIT-BAT, OR « FL YI N G- FOX"

Tbit Photograph shows the "jiying-fox " '» its customary resting position. A photograph of it flying is shown on page v of Introduction

165

.66

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

!

The wing-membrane serves yet
another purpose, for its sense of touch
is exceedingly delicate, enabling even
blind bats (for bats are not blind usually,
as is popularly supposed) to avoid
objects placed in their path. Some
bats, however, appear to depend also in
some slight degree upon hearing. The
sense of touch is still further increased
by the development of frills or leaf-like
expansions of skin round the nose and
mouth, and by the excessive develop-
ment of the external ears. Delicate
hairs fringing these membranes proba-
bly act like the " whiskers " of the cat.
Insect-eating bats inhabiting re-
gions with a temperate climate must in
winter, when food supplies cease, either
hibernate or migrate to warmer re-
gions. The majority hibernate; but
two species at least of Canadian bats
perform extensive migrations, it is
supposed to escape the intense cold.

The power of flight has made
the bats independent of the barriers
which restrict the movements of ter-
restrial animals, and accordingly we
find them all over the world, even
as far north as the Arctic Circle.
But certain groups of bats have an
extremely restricted range. Thus the
Fruit-bats occur only in the warmer
regions of the Old World, the Vam-
pires in America, whilst some of the

more common insect eating forms are found everywhere. Those forms with a restricted
distribution are, it should be noticed, all highly specialised — that is to say, they have all become
in some way adapted to peculiar local conditions, and cannot subsist apart therefrom. It is the
more lowly — less specialised — forms which have the widest geographical range. There are some
spots, however, on the world's surface from which no bat has yet been recorded — such are Ice-
land, St. Helena, Kerguelen, and the Galapagos Islands.

THE FRUIT-BATS.

These represent the giants of the
bat world, the largest of them, the
KALONG, or MALAY FOX-BAT, measur-
ing no less than 5 feet from tip to tip
of the wing. The best known of the

fruif K-irf-o <-1 T T- <-«•

the INDIAN FOX-BAT. Sir

ennent tells us that a favourite
esort of theirs near Kandy, in

[Sydney

Photo by Henry King]

AUSTRALIAN FRUIT-BATS

In their roosttng-places these bats bang all over the trees in enormous numbers,
looking like great black fruits. Although shot in thousand;, on account of the
they do to fruit orchards, their numbers da not appear to be reduced

Photo by A. S. Rudland SfSont

TUBE-NOSED FRUIT-BAT

The tMar nostri!s dhtinguhb Ah and a sfecies ofinsecf^g tofrm * •*•

THE BATS AND INSECT-EATING MAMMALS 167

Phttt hi Fratiiii Altnani

PIPISTRELLE BAT

This is one of the commonest tats. It is the first to appear in tie spring, and the last to retire at the fall of the year

Ceylon, was some india-rubber-trees, " where they used to assemble in such prodigious numbers that
large boughs would not infrequently give way beneath the accumulated weight of the flock." An
observer in Calcutta relates that they occasionally travel in vast hordes, so great as to darken the
sky. Whether they are performing some preconcerted migration or bent only on a foray to some
distant feeding-ground is a matter for speculation. These hordes are quite distinct from the " long
strings " which may be seen every evening in Calcutta on their way to neighbouring fruit-trees.

One of the most remarkable of this group is the TUBE-NOSED FRUIT-BAT, in which the
nostrils are prolonged into a pair of relatively long tubes. Strangely enough, a group of insect-
eating bats has developed similar though smaller tubes. Except in these bats, such tubes are
unknown among mammals. Their function is not known.

INSECT-EATING BATS.

The vast majority of the bats comprising this group feed exclusively on insects.
however, have acquired the habit of
fruit-eating, like the true fruit-bats ;
and a few have developed quite ogre-
like habits, for they drink blood —
indeed, they subsist upon nothing else.
This they obtain from animals larger
than themselves.

Many of the bats of this group
have developed curious leaf-like expan-
sions of skin around the nose and mouth,
which are supposed to be endowed
with a very delicate sense of touch.
In some, as in the FLOWER-NOSED BAT,
the nose-leaf is excessively developed,
forming a large rosette. The upper
border of this rosette is furnished with
three stalked balls, the function of

. , . i LI

which it is surmised is probably orna-
mental— from the bat's point of view.

TO OUr more aesthetic taste the whole
effect is hideOUS.

Some,

Phttt kt A. S. Rutland V Son;

LEAF-NOSEDBAT

The /eaf_nouj are the mgtt h.ghly organiiej ofal/ the ^ Tte

Uaf-Kke folds of skin around the nose or chin, at the case may be, serv<
organs of perception. There are numerous species of leaf-nosed bats

remarkable
• as delicate

168 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Limited as is our space, we cannot pass over the SUCKER-FOOTED BATS. These are met
with, strangely enough, in countries so far apart as Brazil and Madagascar. The suckers from
which they derive their name, in the Brazilian species, are small circular, hollow disks, attached
to the thumb and the sole of the foot, recalling the suckers of the cuttle-fish and brown water-
beetle. By their means the animal is enabled to climb over smooth vertical surfaces.

A white bat is a rarity in the bat world. We cannot therefore afford to pass without mention
the fact that Central and South America possess two species of WHITE BATS. This colour is
probably developed for protection's sake, the bats being found nestling between the silvery leaves
of a cocoanut-palm. Bril-
liant coloration, on the other
hand, is by no means so rare.
WELWITSCH'S BAT, for in-
stance— a West African spe-
cies— is remarkable for its
gorgeous coloration, the col-
ours being orange and black.
An Indian species, known as
the POINTED BAT, is said to be
so brilliantly coloured as to
resemble a gorgeous butterfly
rather than a bat.

Ugliness is more common
than beauty amongst the bats,
and perhaps the ugliest of all
the tribe is the NAKED BAT
of the Malayan region. It is
absolutely repulsive. The skin
is naked, save for a collar of
hair round the neck ; whilst
on the throat it gives rise to
an enormous throat-pouch,
which discharges an oily fluid
of a peculiarly nauseating
smell. On either side of the
body is a deep pouch, in which
the young are carried — a very
necessary provision, for they
would be quite unable to cling
to the body of the parent, as do
the young of fur-bearing bats,
on account of the naked skin.

Of the great group of the VAMPIRE-BATS we can only make mention of the blood-sucking species.
These are natives of South America. It is to Dr. Darwin that we owe our first absolutely reliable
information about these little animals. Before the account in his Journal, it was uncertain to which
of the vampires belonged the unenviable distinction of being the blood-sucker. During the stay
of the great naturalist in Chili one was actually caught by one of his servants, as evening was
drawing on, biting the withers of a horse. In the morning the spot where the bite had been
inflicted was plainly visible, from its swollen condition. These two species, it has been stated,
" are the only bats which subsist entirely on a diet of blood, yet it is possible that .
of the JAVELIN-BATS or their allies may on occasion vary their ordinary food with it."

Ptiote by W. Savillt-Kent , F.Z.S.]

COBEGO

Back -view of the cobego, -with the limbs extended, showing the great sisse of the fying-mem-

branes, or parachute

some

THE BATS AND INSECT-EATING MAMMALS 169

THE INSECTIVORA, OR FLIGHTLESS INSECT-EATERS.

Some members of this group have departed from the traditional insect diet. Thus the
:obego feeds upon leaves, a curious aquatic shrew — the Potamogale of West Africa — upon fish,
ind the moles upon worms.

The group has a very wide geographical distribution, but there are nevertheless large
Dortions of the globe in which they are conspicuous by their absence. They are never found in
Australia or South America. Madagascar, Africa, and the West India Islands produce the most

remarkable forms.

THE COBEGO.
This is a peculiarly inter-
esting animal, which lives in
the forests of Sumatra, Borneo,
the Malay Peninsula, and the
Philippine Islands. It dwells
among the trees, moving from
one to another by taking
flying leaps through the air,
covering as much as seventy
yards at a jump. Prodigious
leaps like this would be quite
impossible but for the fact that
the animal, which is almost as
large as a cat, is provided with
a sort of parachute, formed by
a broad web of skin stretched
between the body on either
side and the fore and hind
limbs, and between the hind
limbs and the tail.

SHREWS, HEDGEHOGS, AND

TENRECS.

The variation in form
presented by the members of
this group is considerable.
^ The most noteworthy ex-

rtydtn

amples of this variation are
Note the furnished by the pretty little
squirrel-like TREE-SHREWS of
India and Borneo and neigh-
During lands, the mouse-like JUMPING-SHREWS of Africa, the HEDGEHOGS, the TENRECS, the ele-
int little MOUSE-LIKE SHREWS of almost world-wide distribution, and the WATER-SHREWS. Of
ese, hedgehogs and tenrecs have undergone the greatest transformation. By a curious modi-
;ation of their original hairy covering they have developed a formidable armour of sharp spines,
/hen alarmed, the former roll themselves up into a ball by the contraction of powerful muscles,
id so present an almost impregnable armour to an enemy. Stoats and foxes, however, appear
least occasionally to succeed in overcoming this defense and making a meal of the vanquished.
Tenrecs are found in Madagascar. The COMMON TENREC is the largest of all insect-eaters,

/•*»»• fy fr. Savillt-Ktnt, F.Z.S.]

COBEGO

ertical (front) view of the cobego, -with newly born and naked young attached,
extension of the membrane between the toes of the fore feet of the adult

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

and one of the most prolific, as many as
twenty-one having been produced at birth.
Of all living mammals it is the one most
nearly allied to the Marsupials.

THE MOLES.

The COMMON MOLE shows a most perfect
adaptation to its underground mode of life.
The general form of the animal is long,
cylindrical, and pointed in front, whilst the
legs are exceedingly short, the foot only in
the fore limb projecting from the body. This
foot is very broad and spade-like and im-
mensely powerful, its use being to force a way
— often with incredible speed — through the
soft, yielding soil, and not to support the body,
as in running or walking. The hind feet are
weak, but resemble those of its allies the shrews,
for instance. The eyes have become reduced
to mere vestiges, very difficult to find. The fur
has become so altered in structure that it will lie
equally smooth whether brushed towards head
or tail, so that it should not be damaged when
the animal travels backwards in its burrow.
External ears have been dispensed with.

Worms form the staple diet of the mole,
but besides underground insects of all kinds
are greedily devoured. This animal is one of
the most voracious feeders, falling ravenously
upon its prey. It has been said with truth that

so great is the ferocity displayed by the mole that if it could be magnified to the size of the lion it

\vould be one of the most terrible of living creatures. That a constant supply of food is necessary

to satiate its enormous appetite is shown

by the fact that a mole will succumb to

an abstinence of from ten to twelve hours.

Moles fight among themselves furiously ;

and .;f two are confined together, the

weaker will be attacked and devoured.

They take readily to the water, and in-
stances of moles observed in the act of

crossing streams are numerous.

It is a curious fact, but the mole is

unknown in Ireland ; yet it ranges from

England in the west through Asia to

Japan.

Careful observation seems to have

shown that with the common mole «•«• *r *. AW/--*
„., THREE BABY HEDGEHOGS

males are more numerous than females.

•,-,., , Young hedgehogs are bom blind and naked. The spines on tkar frtt

Whether this is true of other species fffearijare^^. they ^ ^d^ and at the
remains to be seen. The moles of North nil the body up into* bail i> acquired

fiut kj fT. Stvillt-Ktnt, F.Z.S.] [Crtfdtn

COBEGO ASLEEP

All four limbs are Hied in suspending itself -when asleep, as in tie
slftbs. In this position the cobego closely resembles, and is mistaken by its
enemies ftrt the fruits of one of the native trees. It is a nocturnal

THE BATS AND INSECT-EATING MAMMALS 171

Phttt t>y A. S. Kmdltnd Sf S,mi

COMMON MOLE

Note that this mole it changing its coat

tj ff. Savtllt-Knt, F.Z.S.]

COMMON MOLE

The skeleton it here revealed by the Rtntgen rays

.

America form a group distinct from those of the Old World, though closely allied thereto.
The WEB-FOOTED and the STAR-NOSED MOLES are the most interesting of the American forms.

Speaking of the prodigious speed with which these animals burrow their way through the
ground, Dr. Hart Merriam remarks that in a single night, after rain, they have been known to
make a gallery several yards in length, and that he had himself traced a fresh tunnel for nearly a
hundred yards. As he says, we can only appreciate the magnitude of this labour by comparison,
and " computation shows that, in order to perform equivalent work, a man would have to exca-
vate in a single night a tunnel thirty-seven miles long, and of sufficient size to easily admit of the
passage of his body."

The star-nosed mole is peculiar in that its nose is surrounded by a ring of finger-like proc-
esses, forming a kind of rosette, which probably acts as a highly sensitive organ of touch ;
furthermore, it differs from other moles in the great length of its tail, which is nearly as long as
its body. Like the mole, this species makes its way through the ground with great speed.

Beneficial as moles undoubtedly are in destroying worms and obnoxious insects, yet they
are regarded as a pest both by the farmer and gardener. That there is some justification for this
dislike must be admitted ; for the farmer suffers in that, in the search for food, crops are damaged
by cutting through the roots of plants — the gardener not only for the same reason, but also
because the ridges and hillocks which they make in their course disfigure the paths and beds of
a well-kept garden.

The nearest allies of the moles are the curious aquatic DESMANS of Russia, and the SHREWS.

some of which are
form, owing to their
similar mode of
The BURROW-
the onlyforms in the
have assumed a
allied to the hedge-
is a remarkable
the GOLDEN MOLE.
of the body of this
instance of adapta-
mode of life. The
golden mole is
claws, which are
purposes ; the hand
out spade-like, as in
the claws rendering

Ptutt h A. S. Kudland V Snt

GOLDEN MOLE

Thit it found only in South Africa. The name it derived from the wonderful
metallic lustre of the fur : tht brilliancy of the huet it intensified by immersion
in spirit

quite mole-like in
having adopted a
life.

ING SHREWS are not
great group which
mole-like shape, for
hog-like TENRECS
animal known as
The mole-like shape
animal is another
tion to a similar
fore limb of the
provided with huge
used for digging
is not broadened
the common mole,
this unnecessary.

CHAPTER XL

THE ELEPHANT, TAPIR, HYRAX, AND RHINOCEROS.

THE ELEPHANT.

A

BY F. C. SELOUS.

T once the mightiest and most majestic of all terrestrial
mammals, the elephant appeals to the imagination
more forcibly than any other living animal, not only
on account of its great sagacity and the strangeness and
singularity of its outward appearance, but also because it is such
an obvious link between the world of to-day and the dim and
distant past of Pleiocene and Miocene times.

There are two existing species of elephant, the AFRICAN and
the ASIATIC, the latter, from the structure of its molar teeth and
the shape of its skull, appearing to be very nearly related to the
MAMMOTH, which lived upon the earth in comparatively recent
times — geologically speaking — and was undoubtedly contem-
porary with man in Europe during the Stone Age.

There are very considerable differences both in the external
appearance and also in the habits of the two existing forms of
elephant. In the African species the forehead is more convex
and the eye relatively larger than in its Asiatic cousin ; and
whilst the ears of the latter are only of moderate size, those of
the former are so large that they at once arrest the attention,
and are one of that animal's most remarkable external character-
istics. Both sexes of the African species, with few exceptions,
carry well-developed tusks, but in the Asiatic form the tusks of
the females are so small as scarcely to protrude beyond the jaws.
In Asia, too, tuskless bull elephants are common, whilst males
of the African species without tusks are extremely rare. The
latter species has but three nails on the hind foot, the Asiatic
elephant four. In the African species the middle of the back is
hollowed, the shoulder being the highest point, whilst in the Asiatic

elephant the back is arched, and the top of the shoulder lower than the highest part of the back.
The extremity of the proboscis is also different in the two species, the African elephant being
furnished with two nearly equal-sized prolongations, the one on the front, the other on the hinder
margin, with which small objects can be grasped as with the finger and thumb of the human
hand, whilst in the Asiatic species the finger-like process on the upper margin of the end of the
trunk is considerably longer than that on the under-side. In external appearance the skin of the
African elephant is darker in colour and rougher in texture than that of the Asiatic form. The
molar teeth of the former animal are, too, of much coarser construction, with fewer and larger
plates and thicker enamel than in the latter, which would naturally lead one to suppose that the

172

A FINE TUSKER

The male Indian elephant has smaller tusks
than the African species

Phot" *r Fratill' Alinart\

[Flirinct

A YOUNG INDIAN ELEPHANT

W. animal ha* been trained to « taiut, » by rating in trunk and foot. It hat lo* tnc end of it, tail

173

174

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

African elephant is accustomed to eat coarser, harder food than the Asiatic species. This sup-
position is borne out by fact ; for whilst the Asiatic elephant feeds mainly upon grass, the leaves
and fruit of the wild plantain, and the young shoots of the bamboo, together with the leaves,
twigs, and bark of certain trees, the African species never eats grass, and, although very fond of
certain kinds of soft and succulent food, such as wild fruits and the inner bark of certain trees,
is constantly engaged in chewing up the roots and branches of trees as thick as a man's wrist for
the sake of the sap and bark, the woody portions being rejected after having been reduced to
pulp. The Asiatic elephant appears to be far less tolerant of exposure to the heat of the sun
than the African ; and whilst the latter may often be found standing at rest or sleeping through-
out the hottest hours of the day in long grass or scrubby bush of a height not sufficient to afford
any protection from the sun to the whole of the upper portion of the head and body, the former,
when in a wild state, is said to always seek the shade of the densest forests it can find during hot
weather.

The Asiatic elephant often lies down when resting and sleeping. This is in marked contrast
to the African species, which, if it ever does lie down at all, except to roll in mud or rub itself
against an ant-heap, can only do so very rarely, since in all my experience, though I have seen
some thousands of African elephants standing sleeping during the heat of the day, I have never
yet seen one of these animals lying down, nor found the impress in the ground where one had
been so lying.

When excited and charging, both species of elephant raise their heads and cock their ears,
which in the African animal stand out at such a time like two sails, and, being each upwards of
3^ feet in breadth, cover, together with the animal's head, an expanse of fully 10 feet. The
Asiatic elephant is said to remain mute whilst charging, and to hold its trunk tightly curled up
between its tusks. The African elephant, on the other hand, usually accompanies a charge with
a constant succession of short, sharp trumpeting screams. Sometimes, though rarely, however,
animals of this species remain mute whilst charging, but they never, I believe, coil their trunks
up under their throats. Often an African elephant will swing round for a charge with a loud
scream and trunk held high in the air ; but in my experience, when settling down to a chase, it
drops its trunk and holds it pointing straight down in front of its chest.

In the southern portions of the
African Continent the average standing
height at the shoulder of full-grown bull
elephants ranges from 10 feet to 10 feet 6
inches, though individuals have doubtless
been met with in those districts which
have much exceeded these dimensions. In
North Central Africa the average standing
height appears to be some inches higher,
approaching 1 1 feet, and in those districts
it is quite possible that individuals exist
which exceed 12 feet in height. African
cow elephants stand from 8 feet to 8 feet
6 inches at the shoulder. The Asiatic
species is considerably smaller than the
African, the average height of full-grown
males not exceeding 9 feet, though certain
individuals now and then attain to a much
greater size, as is indicated by the fact ?*.,. *, M. E. F.
that there is a mounted skelton of an THE CHIEF OF CHIENGMAI' S CARRIAGE
Indian elephant in the Museum at Cal- Tte vicuna *>* A-awnly a young Man <U?*«*

ELEPHANT, TAPIR, HYRAX, RHINOCEROS 175

Phitt to M. E.

TIMBER-ELEPHANTS
This photograph ivas taken at Lakou, in Upper Siam. Notice the large teak log in the foreground

cutta which stands 1 1 feet 3 inches at the shoulder. In the size of its tusks the African ele-
phant far surpasses the Asiatic species. In India a pair of tusks measuring 5 feet in length and
weighing 70 Ibs. the pair would, I think, be considered large, though an elephant was killed by
Sir Victor Brooke in the Garo Hills with a single tusk measuring 8 feet in length, 17 inches in
circumference, and weighing 90 Ibs., and a few tusks even exceeding these dimensions have been
recorded. In Southern Africa the tusks of full-grown bull elephants usually weigh from 80 to
1 20 Ibs. the pair, and measure about 6 feet in length, with a circumference of from 16 to 18
inches ; but these weights and measurements have often been much exceeded, and in my own
experience I have known of two pairs of elephants' tusks having been obtained south of the
Zambesi, each of which weighed slightly over 300 Ibs., each tusk measuring upwards of 9 feet in
length, whilst a single tusk brought from the neighbourhood of Lake Ngami in 1873 weighed
174 Ibs. The average weight of cow-elephant tusks in Southern Africa is from 20 to 30 Ibs. the
pair, but I have seen the tusk of a cow elephant killed in Matabililand which weighed 39 Ibs. and
measured over 6 feet in length, whilst its fellow almost equaled it in size and weight. In North
Central Africa, according to Sir Samuel Baker, the tusks of full-grown elephants average about
140 Ibs. the pair, and tusks weighing upwards of 100 Ibs. each are not at all uncommon, whilst
many of a much greater size have been obtained.

Until quite recently a tusk in the possession of Sir E. G. Loder, which weighs 184 Ibs. and
measures 9 feet 5 inches in length, with a circumference of 22^ inches, was supposed to be the
largest in existence; but in 1899 two tusks were obtained near Kilimanjaro, in East Central
Africa, both of which much exceed this weight. These enormous tusks were at first stated to be
a pair taken from a single elephant ; but though nearly equal in weight they are said to be differ-
ently shaped, and as their history is not yet fully known it is possible, though not probable, that
they originally belonged to two different elephants. The larger of these two tusks has recently
been purchased for the collection of the British Museum (Natural History), where it may now be

Photo b) M. E. F. Baird, Esq.

FEMALE INDIAN ELEPHANT DRAGGING TEAK

The teak logs are floated down the Burmese rivers and dragged out by elephants

seen. It weighs 228 Ibs., measures 10 feet 2^ inches on the outside curve, and 24*^ in girth at
the thickest part. The tusks of cow elephants are also considerably larger and heavier on the
average in East Central and North Central Africa than in the southern portions of the continent

At the present time the Asiatic elephant is found in a wild state in most of the forest-
covered tracts of India, Ceylon, Assam, Burma, Siam, Cochin-China, Sumatra, and Borneo ;
whilst the African species, although it has been hunted out of large tracts of country in South
and Southwestern Africa, still inhabits the greater part of the continent south of the Sahara, and
in many districts of Central Africa appears to be extraordinarily abundant. In the Cape Colony
two herds still exist under the protection of the Government.

As might be expected from the greater length of its legs, and consequent longer stride, tne
African elephant is admitted by those who have had experience of both species to be a more
active animal than its Asiatic cousin. Speaking of the walking and running powers of the Indian
elephant, that great authority Mr. Sanderson says that " the only pace of the elephant is the
walk, capable of being increased to a fast shuffle of about fifteen miles an hour for very short dis-
tances. It can neither trot, canter, nor gallop. It does not move with the legs on the same
side, but nearly so. A very good runner might keep out of an elephant's way on a smooth
piece of turf, but on the ground in which they are generally met with any attempt to escape by
flight, unless supplemented by concealment, would be unavailing." This description exactly
coincides with my own experience of the African elephant, except that I think that animals of
the latter species, especially cows and young bulls, are capable of getting up a pace of at least
twenty miles an hour, and keeping it up for from IOO to 200 yards, when charging.

ELEPHANT, TAPIR, HYRAX, RHINOCEROS 177

In disposition both African and Asiatic elephants are as a rule timid animals, and, excepting
in the case of males of the latter species when suffering from sexual excitement, are always
inclined to shun danger. I have never heard of male elephants of the African species becoming
savage and aggressive at any season of the year ; indeed, old bulls always appeared to me to be
less inclined to charge than cows or young bulls. The eyesight of the elephant — of the African
species at least — is bad, and his hearing not particularly acute ; but his olfactory nerves are prob-
ably more highly developed than in any other animal, and, aided by this exquisite sense of smell,
he will avoid a human being if possible. But if elephants are attacked and wounded, they
become savage and dangerous animals ; and the charge of an African elephant, coming on with
the great ears outspread, to the accompaniment of a quick succession of short, sharp trumpeting
screams, besides being very sudden and rapid, is very disconcerting to the nerves of a man unac-
customed to such experiences. I remember the case of a young Englishman who was killed in
Matabililand many years ago by the first elephant he had ever seen. This animal — an old bull
—had retired, after having been wounded, into a small but dense patch of thorn-bush, into which
its pursuer thought it unadvisable to follow on horseback. He therefore left his horse, and
advanced on foot towards the cluster of trees amongst which the elephant was concealed. The
latter, having either seen or smelt the approaching enemy, at once charged out, screaming
loudly; and the young hunter, instead of standing his ground and firing at the advancing
monster, lost his presence of mind, and, turning, ran for his horse ; but before he reached it he
was overtaken and killed. It seemed to the friend who found his body (he was close at hand
shooting another elephant at the time, and pieced the story together from the tracks of man,
horse, and elephant) that the victim had first been struck in the back of the head by one of his
pursuer's tusks — at any rate his skull had been smashed to pieces and emptied of its brains.
Then the elephant had rushed upon him where he fell, and, after first having driven a tusk right
through his chest and deep into the ground, had stamped him into a bloody pulp with his huge

Fhttt

INDIAN ELEPHANTS BATHING

These animals love a bath, and ivill -walk on the bottom of a deep river -with only their trunks raited above the water

178 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

feet. A waggon was brought the same night, and the mangled body carried to the hunter's
camp on the banks of the Ramokvvebani, where it was buried.

The strength of the elephant is proverbial ; and in India and Burma, where this animal has
for ages past been trained in the service of man, this power is habitually made use of in moving
and stacking large baulks of timber, or in dragging heavy guns through muddy ground or up
steep ascents. In Africa the traveler is often astonished at the size of trees which have been
uprooted and overturned by elephants. These trees, however, have no tap-root, and have not
therefore a very firm hold in the ground, especially during the rainy season, when the ground is
soft. At this time of year large trees are butted down by elephants, which push against their
stems with the thick part of their trunks, and get them on the swing, until the roots become
loosened and the trees are at last overturned. Small trees of 2 or 3 inches in diameter, as well
as branches, they break off with their trunks. In 1878 a tuskless bull elephant — I met the same

animal again in 1885, and he is the only African bull elephant without tusks I have ever seen

killed a native hunter in Mashonaland. This man, a big powerful Zulu and a great friend of my
own, was torn into three pieces. I imagine that, after having caught him, the elephant held the
unfortunate man down with his foot or knee, and then, twisting his trunk round his body, tore
him asunder — surely a terrible exhibition of strength.

The elephant is a very slow-going and long-lived animal, not arriving at maturity until
upwards of thirty years of age ; and since cases are on record of elephants having lived for
upwards of 130 years in captivity in India, it is probable that in a wild state these animals, both in
Asia and Africa, often attain to an age of 150 years. The female elephant produces, as a rule, but
one calf at birth, the period of gestation lasting from eighteen to nearly twenty-two months.
The mammae of the cow elephant are placed between the fore legs, and the new-born calf sucks
with its mouth, holding its trunk turned back over its head. I have seen elephant calves so
engaged.

Although there is no reason to doubt that the African elephant is as intelligent as the Asiatic
species, its domestication has never been attempted by the Negro or Bantu races of Africa. It is
believed, however, that the African elephant
was in ancient times domesticated by the
Carthaginians, and used by them in their wars
with the Romans. The opinion, too, is gen-
erally held that the elephants with which Han-
nibal crossed the Alps were of the African spe-
cies, as well as those which, after the conquest
of Carthage, were used in the Roman amphi-
theatres and military pageants. On the other
hand, it is well to remember that the late Mr.
W. Cotton Oswell, who had had great ex-
perience both with African and Asiatic ele-
phants, wrote as follows on this subject : " I
believe some people suppose the Carthaginians
tamed and used the African elephant they could
hardly have had mahouts Indian fashion, for
there is no marked depression in the nape of
the neck for a seat, and the hemming of the
ears when erected would have half smothered

them. My knowledge does not allow me to photo by j. W. McLean] [m^ur,

raise any argument on this point ; but might AFRICAN ELEPHANT

not the same market have been open to the Tbe difference ,„ profiu benuetn tbis and tbe Indian sfecies is noticeable.

dwellers at Carthage as Was afterwards tO Tbe forehead is receding and the ears much larger in tbe African species

ELEPHANT, TAPIR, HYRAX, RHINOCEROS 179

Mithridates, who, I suppose,
drew his supply from India?
I know in the representations
of elephants on the medals of
Faustina and of Septimus
Severus the ears are African,
though the bodies and heads
are Indian ; but these were
struck nearly 400 years after
Carthaginian times, when the
whole known world had been
ransacked by the Romans for
beasts for their public shows ;
and I still think it possible
that the Carthaginians — the
great traders and colonisers
of old — may have obtained
elephants through some of
their colonies from India."

An interesting example
of the intelligence of these
animals can be seen any
day at the public Zoological
Gardens. A large African ele-
phant restores to his would-be
entertainers all the biscuits,
whole or broken, which strike
the bars and fall alike out
of his reach and theirs in
the space between the barrier
and his cage. He points his
trunk at the biscuits, and

blows them hard along the floor to the feet of the persons who have thrown them. He clearly knows
what he is doing, because, if the biscuits do not travel far enough, he gives them a harder blow.

TAPIRS AND HYRAX.

BY VV. P. PYCRAFT, A.L.S., F.Z.S.

TAPIRS are odd-looking creatures, and, strange as it may seem, are nevertheless related on
the one hand to the rhinoceroses, and on the other to the horses. They are furthermore
extremely interesting animals, because they have undergone less modification of form than any
other members of the group to which they belong. This we know because fossil tapirs, belonging
to a very remote period of the world's history, are practically indistinguishable from those now living.

The general form of the body may perhaps be described as pig-like ; the head, too, suggests
that animal. But the pig's snout is here produced into a short proboscis, or trunk. The feet are
quite unlike those of the pig, and resemble those of the rhinoceros. The fore feet have each
four and the hind feet three toes ; these are all encased in large horse-like hoofs. The tail is
reduced to a mere stump.

Tapirs are shy and inoffensive animals, living in the seclusion of dense forests in the neigh-
bourhood of water, in which element they are quite at home ; indeed, it is said that they will
frequently dive and walk along the bed of the river. They are also fond of wallowing in mud

ftitto by L. Midland, F.Z.S.] [North Finthit)

MALE AFRICAN ELEPHANT DRINKING

Not. the great si-ze of the tusks and base of the trunk

i8o THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Photo b) Tork & Son]

The largest of all the tafirs.

[Not ting Hill

MALAYAN TAPIR

Is easily distinguished from the American tapirs by the patch of
•white on the middle of its body

partly, it is believed, that they
may encase themselves with it
as a protection against the an-
noyance of flies. They feed
on shoots of trees, bushes,
leaves, and fallen fruits, forag-
ing during the evening, and
possibly far into the night.

Tapirs are hunted by the
natives for the sake of their
thick hides, which are cut into
thongs for reins and bridles.
The flesh also is esteemed
by some. There are three
methods of capture. In South
America the lasso is used with
occasional success. But when
not foiled by undergrowth,
the hunter often loses his
victim by reason of the vio-
lence and force of its rush, which snaps the thong. The Gauchos intercept it with dogs on its way
to the water, when it will fight furiously, and many dogs may be killed before its dispatch is accom-
plished. Others imitate its peculiar, shrill call, and shoot it on its approach in answer thereto.
Captives are easily tamed, and may be seen walking about the streets in many South American
towns. They wander into the forest by day, returning in the evening to be fed, and are said to
display great affection. On account of their great strength, it has been suggested that such cap-
tives should be used as beasts of burden.

Except the MALAYAN TAPIR, which is black and white, tapirs are black or dark brown in
colour, and but scantily clothed with hair ; but the young, it is interesting to note, are spotted and
striped with white or fawn-colour on a dark ground, a coloration recalling that of the wild pig.

There are five different species of tapir. Their geographical distribution is remarkable, four
species being South American, and one belonging to the Malayan region. But far back in the
world's history, as we know from fossils, tapirs roamed over the warm and temperate regions of
Europe, and their remains have been found in China and the United States. Thus the interve-
ning gaps existing to-day have been made by the extinction of these intermediate species.

By nature the tapir appears to be a harmless and inoffensive animal, flying even before the
smallest dog. Occasionally, however, it displays great courage and ferocity, and this appears to
be especially the case with females deprived of their young. At such times they will charge with
great spirit, and knock down, trample on, and bite their victim after the fashion of wild swine.

Man alone excepted, the most deadly foe of the AMERICAN TAPIR is the jaguar, as is the tiger of
the Malay species. The American tapir often gets rid of the jaguar by rushing at full speed into
the dense jungle, thus sweeping its assailant from its back, the jaguar's claws finding but an
insecure hold on its victim's thick hide. Tapirs are often found bearing scars all over the back,
witnessing the terrible nature of the wounds received at such times.

That the tapir is a comparatively unknown animal is partly accounted for by the fact that it
is but little sought after by the big-game hunter — who finds more excitement in pursuit of its
larger relative the rhinoceros — and partly, perhaps, owing to its inhabiting regions comparatively
little visited by Europeans. Nevertheless, the tapir is an animal of quite peculiar interest, having
undergone but little change during long ages, whilst its ally the horse has effected in the same
time a complete transformation, not only in its general shape, but more especially in its teeth and

ELEPHANT, TAPIR, HYRAX, RHINOCEROS 181

feet. The gradual steps by which this transformation has been brought about we can trace
through certain fossil forms, of which we can say little here.

Amongst these fossils occur remains of an animal bearing a very strong resemblance to the
living tapir, but which, strangely enough, is not really so closely related thereto as to the horses.
It does not, however, stand in the direct line of descent of these latter, but must be regarded as
representing a collateral branch thereof. The occurrence of this distinct tapir-like animal is of
great scientific interest.

The short, stout legs and spreading toes of the living tapirs, rhinoceroses, and ancestral
horse are admirably adapted for plodding deliberately over soft and yielding ground, such as is
afforded by reed-beds and banks of rivers, or the shady depths of forests. Speed in such
surroundings is not necessary, food in plenty being always at hand, and escape from enemies
being sought by concealment in thick herbage rather than flight. With a migration to drier
and higher plains, the spreading foot has undergone a change. The short legs and numerous
toes have given place to long ones, and of the several toes growth has taken place in one only —
the third ; whilst the others have slowly dwindled, till eventually only traces of the second and
fourth remain, as in the modern horse. Thus has a firmer support over hard, unyielding ground
been brought about, and great speed gained. The animals with this type of foot (in which the
third is the largest toe) are known as the Odd-toed Hoofed Animals. The pigs, sheep, deer, and
oxen have gained an equally
efficient foot, yet retaining four
toes. Of these, the third and
fourth are equal in size, and
serve as a support to the body,
whilst the second and fifth
have now become function-
less, and do not reach the
ground. This type of foot
characterises that group of the
hoofed animals known as the
Even-toed.

THE HYRAX.
This is one of the most
remarkable of living mam-
mals, and one of the greatest
puzzles to zoologists, having no
near living relatives. Though
bearing some resemblance to
an earless rabbit, it really
belongs to the hoofed
animals, and amongst them
comes perhaps somewhat
nearer the rhinoceros than
to any other animal. It is
the CONEY of the Bible. It
inhabits the rocky districts of

J . ,

Syria and parts of Africa.
is a vegetable-feeder, and very

Wary. About a dozen Species
are known.

Ph,t, t, G. If. tVil,.n V Co., Ltd.}

COMMON AMERICAN TAPIR

. . . , . , . ,

This tapir inhabiti tropical America. It is a nocturnal animal, frequenting we depths of
^j forutl /„ the neighbourhood of -water, to which it frequently resortt for the purpose of
bathing, or as a refuge from pursuit

182 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Photo by W. P. Dando

HAIRY-EARED SUMATRAN RHINOCEROS

This specie* if found in Eastern Bengal and in the Malay Peninsula and
adjacent large islands

THE RHINOCEROS.

BY F. C. SELOUS.

OF the five existing species of RHINO-
CEROS, three are found in Asia, whilst two
are inhabitants of Africa.

Of the three Asiatic species, two, the
INDIAN and the JAVAN, are one-horned, and
have a single pair of broad incisor teeth in
the upper jaw, and a pair of sharp-edged and
pointed tusks in the lower, the nasal bones
being long and narrow, and terminating in
a point. In both these species the skin is
hairless (except for tufts or fringes at the
extremity of the tail and on the edges of
the ears), and is arranged in shield-like folds
over the body. The arrangement of these
folds, however, differs somewhat in the two
species, and the large round tubercles with
which the skin of the great Indian rhinoceros
is profusely studded are wanting in the Javan
species.

The INDIAN RHINOCEROS inhabits the
Terai at the foot of the Himalaya from Bhutan
to Nepal, and is said to be very abundant in
Assam and the Bhutan Dooars. It frequents

swampy ground, and lives amongst jungles and dense growths of reeds and grass, which attain a height
sometimes of 20 feet, and cover vast areas of ground in the valley of the Brahmaputra and other rivers.
Owing to the nature of the country in which it lives, the Indian rhinoceros cannot often be
hunted with much prospect of success, except with the aid of elephants, which sagacious animals
are not only employed to carry the hunters, but are also used to beat the great grass jungles in
which the rhinoceroses lie hidden, and drive them towards the guns.

Despite its great size and strength, the Indian rhinoceros seems to be regarded as, in
general, a timid and inoffensive animal, and even when wounded it seldom charges home.
Elephants, however, appear to be as a rule nervous when in the near proximity of rhinoceroses,
perhaps objecting to the smell of those animals. When the Indian rhinoceros does make good
its charge against either man or elephant, it cuts and rips its enemy with its teeth, and makes
little use of its horn as an offensive weapon.

The Indian rhinoceros is said to live principally, if not entirely, on grass and reeds. As a
rule it is a solitary animal, but sometimes several are found living in a comparatively small extent
of grass-covered plain.

Large males of this species will stand from 5 feet 9 inches to 6 feet at the shoulder, and they
are enormously bulky. Both sexes carry well-developed horns, which, however, do not usually
attain a length of upwards of 12 inches. There is a specimen in the British Museum measuring
19 inches, and it is believed that in very exceptional instances a length of 2 feet has been attained.
The JAVAN RHINOCEROS, though it has been called the Lesser Indian Rhinoceros, is said by
a late authority — Mr. C. E. M. Russell — to stand about the same height at the shoulder as the
Indian species. It is found in the Sunderbunds of Eastern Bengal, and has been met with in the
Sikhim Terai and in Assam, ranging eastwards through Burma and the Malay Peninsula to
Sumatra, Java, and Borneo.

TJ,

Photo *r J. W. McLillan]

GREAT INDIAN RHINOCEROS

The largest land mammal of the Eatt after the elephant
183

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

But little appears to be known of the habits of this species of rhinoceros. Although it is
found in the swampy grass-covered plains of the Sunderbunds, its more usual habitat seems to be
hilly forest-covered country, and both in Burma and Java it ascends to a height of several
thousand feet above sea-level. It feeds principally upon leaves and the young shoots of trees
and bushes. In disposition it is timid and inoffensive. Only the male carries a horn, which,
being very short, is a very poor trophy for a sportsman.

The third Asiatic species of rhinoceros, known as the SUMATRAN, is the smallest of all living
rhinoceroses. This species carries two horns, and its skin, which is very rough, is usually thinly
covered with hair of a dark brown colour and of considerable length. The folds in the skin of
the Sumatran rhinoceros are not nearly so well developed as in its single-horned relatives, and
the one behind the shoulders is alone continued over the back. Although furnished with tusks
in the lower jaw, the small pair of incisor teeth, which in the other two Asiatic rhinoceroses are
always present in front of these tusks, are wanting in the Sumatran species.

The Sumatran rhinoceros is rare in Assam, but is found in Burma and the Malay Peninsula,
as well as in Siam, Sumatra, and Borneo. The two horns of this species are placed at some

distance apart. Although they are as
a rule very short, the front horn oc-
casionally grows to a considerable
length, sweeping backwards in a grace-
ful curve.

In height adult males of the Su-
matran species stand on the average
from 4 feet to 4^ feet at the shoulder,
and females sometimes not more than
3 feet 8 inches.

Like the Javan rhinoceros, the
Sumatran species is by preference an
inhabitant ot hilly, forest-covered
country, and browses on the leaves
and shoots of trees and bushes. It is
a timid and inoffensive animal, soon
becoming tame in captivity. Its flesh
is said to be much appreciated by the
Dyaks of Borneo ; and as its horns are

of value for export to China, where they are used for medicinal purposes, it has of late years
very much decreased in numbers in the province of Sarawak, but is more plentiful in Central and
North Borneo. Living as it does in dense jungle, it is an animal which is seldom seen by
European sportsmen, and its habits in a wild state have never been yet very closely studied.

Turning to the two species of rhinoceros which inhabit the continent of Africa, both are
double-horned, and neither furnished with incisor teeth, the nasal bones being thick, rounded,
and truncated in front. Both, too, are smooth-skinned and entirely hairless, except on the edge
of the ears and extremity of the tail, which are fringed or tufted.

f the two African species, the WHITE or SQUARE-MOUTHED RHINOCEROS is the larger and

the rarer. Until quite recently the range of this huge ungainly-looking animal, the biggest of

terrestrial mammals after the elephant, was supposed to be entirely confined to the southern

portions of the African Continent ; for although from time to time horns had found their way to

Zanzibar which seemed referable to the square-mouthed rhinoceros, the fact of the existence of

the white rhinoceros in any part of Africa north of the Zambesi remained in doubt until a female

^shot in the year 1900, in the neighbourhood of Lado, on the Upper Nile, by Captain A. St.

Gibbons, who brought its skin, skull, and horns to England. The fact, however, that the

Photo b} York & Sen] [Netting Hill

GREAT INDIAN RHINOCEROS

This sfecies inhabits the grass jungles of Northeastern India

ELEPHANT, TAPIR, HYRAX, RHINOCEROS 185

Phitt b) C. B. Hamburg. £14.

BLACK AFRICAN RHINOCEROSES

A if Undid snapshot of nvo black African rhinoceroses taken on the open veldt. They "were afterwards shot by the party

white rhinoceros has never been encountered by any other traveler in Central Africa seems to
show that the animal is either very rare in those districts, or that it has an exceedingly limited range.

In the early years of the nineteenth century the square-mouthed or white rhinoceros was
found in large numbers over the whole of South Africa from the Orange River to the Zambesi,
except in the waterless portions of the Kalahari Desert, or those parts of the country which are
covered with rugged stony hills or dense jungle.

Speaking of his journey in 1837 through the western part of what is now the Transvaal
Colony, Captain (afterwards Sir) Cornwallis Harris wrote : " On our way from the waggons to a
hill not half a mile distant, we counted no less than twenty-two of the white species of rhinoceros,
and were compelled in self-defense to slaughter four. On one occasion I was besieged in a bush
by three at once, and had no little difficulty in beating off the assailants." Even so lately as
thirty years ago the white rhinoceros was still to be met with in fair numbers in Ovampoland and
other districts of Western South Africa, whilst
it was quite plentiful in all the uninhabited
parts of Eastern South Africa from Zululand
to the Zambesi. In 1872 and 1873, whilst
elephant-hunting in the uninhabited parts of
Matabililand, I encountered white rhinoceroses
almost daily, and often saw several in one day.
At the present time, however, unless it should
prove to be numerous in some as yet unex-
plored districts of North Central Africa, this
strange and interesting animal must be counted
one of the rarest of existing mammals, and in
Southern Africa I fear it must soon become
extinct. A few still exist amongst the wild
loquat groves of Northern Mashonaland, and
there are also a few surviving in Zululand ; but

Phttt ky C. B. Hamburg, Elf.

ONE OF THE SAME RHINOCEROSES DEAD

I fear that even with the most rigid protection This picture gives tome idea of the size of the commonest surviving sptciet

i86 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Phtti b} J, W. McLellan] [Hlghburj

RHINOCEROS BATHING

All the Asiatic species of rhinoceros are fond of bathing and •wallowing in mud

they are too few in number to restock
the country. They have a better
chance, I think, of increasing in num-
bers in Zululand than in Mashonaland,
in which latter country it is at present
impossible to afford them any protec-
tion either from natives or Europeans.
A full-grown bull white rhinoceros
stands from 6 feet 6 inches to 6 feet
9 inches at the shoulder, and is very
massively built, with short, stout legs.
The head is very much elongated,
and the mouth square, like that of
an ox. When white rhinoceroses
were still plentiful, very considerable
differences were observable in the
length and shape of their horns. The
anterior horns of full-grown bulls

might measure from 18 inches to 40 inches in length ; those of cows from 24 inches to 60 inches.
The longest horn known — that of a cow — which was brought from South Africa by the well-
known hunter the late Roualeyn Gordon Gumming, measures 62^ inches over the curve. As
a rule, the front horn of the white rhinoceros curved slightly backwards, but was often straight
or bent slightly forwards, and sometimes curved strongly backwards. The posterior horn varied
from a few inches to 2 feet in length.

The white rhinoceros lived in families, usually a bull, cow, and calf being found together;
but there might be two or even three calves of different ages, and of which the youngest alone
would be suckling, living with the father and mother. In the early South African spring (Sep-
tember and October), when the young green herbage was just sprouting after the first rains, two
or three families of white rhinoceroses might be seen feeding in close proximity, presenting the
appearance of a herd ; but I fancy the several families of these animals had only been brought
together for the sake of the young green grass. In Southern Africa the white rhinoceros lived
entirely on grass, and I have never seen any evidence of their having eaten anything else.
When either walking, trotting, or galloping, the white rhinoceros always carried its nose close to
the ground. A calf always preceded its mother, and she appeared to guide it by holding the
point of her horn on the little creature's rump ; and in all changes of pace, no matter how
sudden, this position was always maintained. The white rhinoceros was easily killed by a shot
through the heart or through both lungs, but would travel very long distances, and probably, as
a rule, ultimately recover from wounds in other parts of the body. They could travel at a great
rate and for a considerable distance with a broken fore leg or shoulder, but if a hind leg were
broken they were rendered almost immediately helpless. In disposition they were sluggish and
inoffensive animals, lying asleep in the shade of trees or bushes during the heat of the day, and
coming to the water to drink at night or often before sundown in parts of the country where
they had not been much molested. When disturbed, white rhinoceroses would go off at a swift
trot, but if chased on horseback would break into a gallop, which they were capable of maintain-
ing for a considerable distance, and at a wonderful pace for so large and heavy an animal,
meat of the white rhinoceros was most excellent, the part in greatest favour amongst hunters
being the hump on the back of the neck in front of the shoulder, which was cut off whole and
roasted in the skin in a hole dug in the ground.

The colour of the so-called white rhinoceros is dark gray. The second species of African rhi-
noceros, which is also dark gray in colour, is known as the BLACK or PREHENSILE-LIPPED RHINOCEROS.

ELEPHANT, TAPIR, HYRAX, RHINOCEROS 187

Less than a hundred years ago the range of this fast-disappearing species extended from the
northwestern districts of the Cape Colony to Abyssinia, and at that time it must have been plentiful
over almost the whole of the intervening country. It never seems to have penetrated into the equa-
torial forest regions of West Central Africa, where the climate is probably too damp to suit its require-
ments ; for both species of African rhinoceros appear to like a dry climate, and not to object to very
arid surroundings. At the same time they never wander many miles from a river or pool, and drink
regularly every night, and in hot weather probably very often a second time in the early morning.
In Southern Africa the black rhinoceros appears to attain to a larger size than in the coun-
tries farther north. To the south of the Zambesi large bulls of this species will stand 5 feet 8
inches at the shoulder ; whilst the height of an adult bull, as taken by Mr. F. Jackson at
Naivasha. in East Africa, was 5 feet 5 inches ; and Mr. A. H. Neumann gives the standing height of
another adult bull shot by himself still farther north, near Lake Rudolph, as only 4 feet 9 inches.

It is now gener-
ally recognised that
there is but one species
of prehensile-lipped
rhinoceros in Africa,
though the horns, and
especially the hinder
one, differ in length
and shape to such an
extent that it was long id*»^^
thought that there
were at least two
distinct species, those
with both horns of
equal or nearly equal
length having been
distinguished from the
more common form,
with a comparatively
short second horn, as
the KEITLOA, this
being the name in
the Sechuana dialect
for a prehensile-lipped

rhinoceros with horns of equal length. Speaking on this subject, Mr. A. H. Neumann, who has had
great experience with the black rhinoceros in East Africa, writes : •' Length of horn is a purely
fortuitous individual trait ; and the extremely long horns (mostly of females) which have occasionally
been obtained from traders on the east coast, and brought home, are merely exceptionally fine
specimens, selected from among large numbers brought to the coast (the bulk of which, I am told,
go to China to be ground up into medicine), and do not belong to any distinct species, nor come
from any particular region. In proof of this contention I may mention that I have a 4O-inch horn,
the owner of which I myself shot at the northern base of the Jambeni Range (near Kenia), in a
neighbourhood where I hunted a great deal and saw great numbers of rhinos, and shot a good
many. The vast majority have quite short horns — under a foot — and anything over 18 inches
is uncommon, while a length of 30 inches or upwards is extremely rare." The black rhinoceros,
I believe, never eats grass, but browses on the young shoots of trees and bushes, which are often
quite leafless and seem excessively dry. In this way it chews up and swallows great quantities
of dry-looking twigs, much of which passes through its stomach undigested.

Phttt by Norman B. Smith, Elf.

BLACK AFRICAN RHINOCEROS

This photograph, taken by a sportsman in Africa, shows a charging rhinoceros just before it -was that

188 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

There has been a good deal of
controversy as to the character and
disposition of the black rhinoceros, some
hunters and travelers regarding it as
most dangerous and aggressive, whilst
others are inclined to take an almost
opposite view. That some black
rhinoceroses are certainly aggressive and
therefore dangerous animals, the experi-
ences of C. J. Anderson and W. Cotton
Oswell in South Africa many years ago,
and of many travelers and hunters in
East Africa during the last few years,
certainly prove beyond a doubt ; and as
one never knows that any particular
rhinoceros, when encountered, may not
prove to be a vicious brute, a certain
amount of caution should be employed
in approaching one of these animals.
In my own experience I always found
that black rhinoceroses ran off at once
on getting the wind of a human being ;
whilst, on the other hand, if they only
heard one approaching, they would come
towards the noise, and I have often
known them to trot up to within
twenty yards of where I was standing,

snorting and puffing loudly; but as these animals always turned round and went off eventually
without charging, I came to the conclusion that they were inquisitive and very short-sighted
rather than vicious. When fired into, a black rhinoceros goes off at a gallop — his usual pace,
when alarmed, being a very fast trot — puffing and snorting loudly. He can gallop at a very
great pace, considering his size and weight ; but a South African shooting-pony can easily come
up with him, or get away from him if pursued. In death a black rhinoceros will often sink down
on its knees, and remain in that position, looking as if it were simply resting. When dying, it
often gives vent to a pitiful squeal, the sound seeming very small and thin for so large a beast.
The meat of the black rhinoceros is not ill-flavoured, and, if fat, very palatable ; but as a rule
these animals are very lean, and their flesh tough and coarse. The tongue, however, if well
cooked, is always good ; and the liver if first roasted under the ashes, and then, after being beaten
up in a native wooden mortar, cooked with rice and fat, makes a dish which is good enough for
a hungry man.

During the making of the Uganda Railway the engineers came upon something like a pre-
serve of this species of rhinoceros, especially in the thick and waterless thorn jungle near the
coast. The rhinoceros was almost the only animal, except the lion, which was able to penetrate
the bush. As many as five of these animals were seen in one day when the line was being
made ; they did no injury to the coolies, other than by frightening them, and appeared to be
stupid and by no means vigilant animals, perhaps because no other creature attacked them. The
lion never meddles with a grown-up rhinoceros, though it might and probably does kill a calf
occasionally, when the latter is no larger than a full-grown pig. The horns of some of these
East African black rhinoceroses were of unusual length and thinness.

Photo by York & Son] [Netting Hill

SUMATRAN RHINOCEROS

This species of rhinoceros is the smallest of the three Oriental forms. It has
two horns

CHAPTER XII.

THE HORSE TRIBE.

ZEBRAS AND WILD ASSES.

BY F. C. SELOUS.

1

ZEBRAS.

THE ZEBRAS have many points in common with the asses, from which latter group of
animals they are principally distinguished by their beautifully striped skins. Both
asses and zebras carry
short, erect manes, and in both the
upper portion of the tail is free from
long hair. In both groups there are
naked callosities on the fore legs only,
whilst the head is larger in propor-
tion to the size of the animal, and
the ears longer than in the horse. In
BURCHELL'S and GREVY'S ZEBRAS the
hoof is intermediate between that of
the horse and the ass ; for altho.ugh
narrower than the hoof of the horse, it
is broader and more rounded than that
of the ass. In the TRUE ZEBRA, how-
ever, the hoof is thoroughly asinine
in character, and the ears very long.
The TRUE or MOUNTAIN ZEBRA
appears never to have had a very
extended range. It was once an
inhabitant of all the mountainous
regions of the Cape Colony as well
as of the great Drakensberg Range,
and fifty years ago was also found
amongst the rugged hills of Great
Namaqualand. The mountain-zebra
is the smallest of the group, standing
only from 12 to 12^ hands at the
shoulder. It is a most beautiful
animal, the whole of the head, body,
and limbs, with the exception of the
under-parts and the insides of the MOUNTAIN-ZEBRA

The true or mountain zebra is now becoming scarcer than formerly. At one time it
•was to be seen in great numbers on tbe mountains of Cape Colony
189

ptut, bf G.

thighs, being striped. The ground-
colour of the body is white, the stripes

190 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

fhutt by W. P. Dand

GREVY'S ZEBRA

This speries of zebra come from the Gal/a country, and has narrower and more numerous strifes
than the mountain-zebra

being black and the muzzle
bright brown. Both hind and
fore legs are banded down to
the hoofs. The stripes on the
neck and body are narrower
and more numerous than in
Burchell's zebra, and on the
hindquarters the median
stripe, which runs down the
centre of the back from the
mane to the tail, is connected
with the uppermost of the
oblique longitudinal stripes by
a series of short horizontal
bars. The ears in this species
are much larger than in
Burchell's zebra.

The true zebra seems
never to have been an in-
habitant of the plains, like

all its congeners, but to have

confined its range entirely to mountainous districts. Speaking on this point, Captain (after-
wards Sir) Cornwallis Harris wrote upwards of sixty years ago : " This beautiful and wary
animal never of its own free will descends into the plain, as erroneously asserted by all natural-
ists, and it therefore never herds with either of its congeners, the quagga and Burchell's zebra,
whose habitat is equally limited to the open and level lowlands. Seeking the wildest and most
sequestered spots, the haughty troops are exceedingly difficult of approach, as well on account of
their watchful habits and extreme agility and fleetness of foot, as from the abrupt and inaccessible
nature of their highland abode."

An allied species, of which examples have been obtained by Mr. G. W. Penrice, occurs in
Benguela, Portuguese West Africa.

I once saw the carcase of a zebra stallion which had been sent by rail to the Cape Town
Museum by a farmer living in the neighbourhood of the village of Worcester. This animal had
come down from the mountains, and joined a troop of donkeys running on the farm. Its intrusion
was, however, resented by a male donkey, which fought with and overpowered it, and, having
seized it with its teeth by the back of the neck, held it fast until it was secured by the farmer and
his men. The captured animal, however, refused food, and soon died, when its carcase was sent
to the Cape Museum for preservation.

GREVY'S ZEBRA is the largest and perhaps the handsomest of all the zebras. This fine

animal is an inhabitant of Eastern Africa, its range extending from the central portion of
Somaliland southwards to the Tana River. It appears to be plentiful in the country between
Mount Kenia and Lake Rudolph, but has not, I believe, been met with to the west of that lake.
Full-grown specimens of Grevy's zebra will stand from 14^ to 15 hands at the shoulder, with a
girth of body immediately behind the shoulders of nearly 5 feet. The arrangement of the stripes in
this species differs considerably both from that of the mountain-zebra of the Cape Colony and also
from Burchell's zebra. The body-stripes are very narrow, numerous, and deep black in colour,
and are separated by equally narrow white bands. The longitudinal stripes on the haunches
are also shorter and finer than in any other species of zebra, and on the top of the centre of the
back from the neck to the tail. The belly and insides of the thighs are white, and the legs banded
right down to the hoofs as in the mountain-zebra, and the ears are as large as in that species.

Phtti b) Ptrcy dihtndtn

BURCHELL'S ZEBRA AT HOME

Thit excellent photograph was taken in South Africa, and shoioi theit animalt in their native state

I92 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Grevy's zebra is, as a rule, an inhabitant of open or thinly wooded country, and it appears to
avoid anything in the nature of thick cover. In Central Somaliland Major Swayne met with it
on low plateaux some 2,500 feet above sea-level, the sides of which fell in broken ravines to the
river- valleys. This country is described as broken and hilly, and here Grevy's zebras were met
with in small droves of about half a dozen. In the country between Mount Kenia and Lake
Rudolph, Mr. A. H. Neumann frequently met with herds of Grevy's and Burchell's zebras
consorting together. The contrast between the two species when thus seen side by side was
very marked, the former animals looking like horses among a flock of ponies. Mr. Neumann
never observed stallions of the two species fighting together, but on the other hand he states that
the stallions of the larger species fight viciously amongst themselves for possession of the mares.
Grevy's zebras seem never to collect in large herds, more than twenty, or at the outside thirty
being very seldom seen together.

Although this species is an inhabitant of arid plains and bare stony hills where the herbage

is short, it requires
to drink daily, and
is never therefore
found at any great
distance from water.
The cry of Grevy's
zebra is stated to be
quite different from
that of Burchell's.
Mr. Neumann de-
scribes it as a very
hoarse kind of grunt,
varied by something
approaching to a
whistle, the grunts
being long drawn
out, and divided by
the shrill whistling
sound, as if the latter
were made by draw-
ing in the breath
which had been ex-
pelled during the
sustained grunt.

Like all other species of the genus to which they belong, Grevy's zebras, especially the mares
when in foal, become very fat at certain seasons of the year, and their flesh is much appreciated
both by natives and lions, the latter preying on them and their smaller congeners, Burchell's
zebras, in preference to any other animal, now that the rinderpest has almost exterminated the
great herds of buffalo which once roamed in countless numbers all over East Central Africa.

BURCHELL'S ZEBRA once inhabited the whole of Southwestern, Southeastern, Central, and
Eastern Africa from the Orange River to Lake Rudolph ; and though it has long ceased to exist
in the more southerly portions of its range, it is still the most numerous and the best known of
all the species of zebra.

The typical form of this species was first met with early last century by Dr. Burchell in
Southern Bechuanaland. In this form the legs are white below the knees and hocks, and the
body-stripes do not join the median stripe of the belly. In examples met with farther north
the legs are striped down to the hoofs and the body-stripes join the belly-stripe. South of

Photo h J. T. Newman} [Bfrtoamsttd

THE HON. WALTER ROTHSCHILD'S TEAM OF ZEBRAS

Mr, Rothschild was f radically the first person to break in xebras to harness. At one time these
animals -were thought to be quite untamable

THE HORSE TRIBE

193

the Zambesi all forms of Burchell's zebra seem to have faint markings, known as shadow-
stripes, on the pale yellow ground-colour of the spaces between the broad black stripes.
North of the Zambesi varieties are met with in which these shadow-stripes are wanting. As,
however, the differences between all the various sub-species of Burchell's zebra are superficial
and not structural, and as, moreover, the habits of these animals seem to be the same in every
part of their widely extended range, I shall henceforth speak of them as one species.

Burchell's zebra is without the small horizontal bars on the hindquarters, which in the
mountain-zebra connect the dorsal stripe with the uppermost of the broad longitudinal bands
running across the flanks. Its ears, too, are smaller than in the latter species, and its mane
fuller. In size Burchell's zebra is intermediate between the mountain-zebra and Grevy's
zebra, standing from thirteen to thirteen and a half hands at the shoulder.

By firminitn cf Mr. William Crtn

BURCHELL'S ZEBRA, CHAPMAN'S VARIETY

Where they have not been shot down, Burchell's zebras often live in large herds of from
fifty to over a hundred together. I have met with them almost at the level of the sea, as in
the Pungwe district of South-east Africa, and all over the high plateaux of the interior up to
a height of 5 000 feet above sea-level. They are partial to sparsely forested country intersected
by open glades, but also frequent open plains entirely devoid of trees or bush, having been
once numerous on the open downs of the Western Transvaal and Orange River Colony,
never live in dense jungle, but I have met with them frequently amongst broken rugged hills
Burchell's zebras are both fleet and enduring, but I have often galloped right amongst a her
of them when mounted on a fast horse, and in good ground. In broken, hilly, and stony
ground, however, no horse can live with a Burchell's zebra. The hoofs of this spec.es seem
made for running in rocky ground, being deeply hollowed and as hard as iron.

I have always found the presence of Burchell's zebras a sure indication that water was i

25

194 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

MARE AND FOAL OF BURCHELL'S ZEBRA

These animals breed regularly in captivity

far distant, and it is my experience
that these animals require to drink
daily, and never wander more than
a few miles away from the pool or
river they frequent.

This species of zebra may often
be seen in Southern Africa in
company with other animals, such
as buffaloes, blue wildebeests, elands,
gemsbucks, roan and sassaby ante-
lopes, and ostriches, and I have upon
several occasions seen them come up
to domestic cattle and horses. They
are naturally not very wary, and in
parts of the country where they
have not been much molested are
often very inquisitive, and will come
trotting quite close up to a caravan,
provided they do not get the scent
of human beings. Foals of this

species are easily caught, and become at once very tame and confiding; nor do I believe that

adult Burchell's zebras are such vicious animals as is generally supposed, since I have seen

several which were very quiet and well broken, whilst even the half-broken animals, which

were at one time used on one of the coach-lines in the Transvaal, did not appear very vicious.
As with Grevy's zebra, the flesh of the species under consideration is much appreciated

both by natives and lions. I have often seen the fat on the quarters of the mares quite an

inch thick. It is of a dark yellow colour, and too rich to suit the stomach of a European.

The meat is rather sweet in taste, but if fried with bacon not at all unpalatable.
Professor Ewart has lately carried out a very

interesting series of experiments on the hybrid-
ising of zebras and horses. The results were very

satisfactory. The zebra cross proved to be very

hardy creatures, capable of wintering in the open

on the hills of Scotland. The scientific data

obtained were of singular value, as showing the

effect of crossbreeding on subsequent generations

of foals of the same mother. It has long been

believed that the influence of the first sire was seen

in foals cf which other animals were subsequently

the fathers. Thus, if a white mare threw a foal

to a black stallion, it was considered that her

subsequent progeny would occasionally be black,

and instances were freely quoted to support this

theory The scientific name of " telegony " was

given to this supposed influence of previous sires

on futureoffspring. Professor Ewart's experiments,

in which pony mares were first mated with a

zebra and afterwards with horses, show that this

theory of telegony is erroneous. The foals sired

afterwards by ponies and horses showed no trace

whatever of zebra stripes, but were normal pony

foals, and not altered either in shape or disposition.

Fhtti by Norman B. Smith, EJJ.

BURCHELL'S ZEBRA

Thit species is occasionally domesticated and driven in
Africa, as it it not injured by the tsetse Jiy

South

THE HORSE TRIBE

195

The QUAGGA, which became
extinct about thirty years ago,
never had a very extended range,
but in the early part of the
last century it existed in great
numbers on all the upland plains
of the Cape Colony to the west
of the Kei River, and in the
open treeless country lying be-
tween the Orange and Vaal
Rivers. North of the Vaal it
appears to have been unknown.

The quagga seems to have
been nearly allied to Burchell's
zebra — especially to the most
southerly form of that species —
but was much darker in general
colour, being of a dark rufous
brown on the neck and upper-
parts of the body, becoming
lighter on the sides, and fading
off to white beneath and behind. Instead of being striped, too, over the whole body, it was
only strongly banded on the head and neck, the dark brown stripes becoming fainter on the
shoulders and dying away in spots and blotches. On the other hand, in size and build, in
the appearance of its mane, ears, and tail, and in general habits, it seems to have nearly
resembled its handsomer relative. The barking neigh " qua-ha-ha, qua-ha-ha " seems, too, to
have been the same in both species. The word " quagga " is pronounced in South Africa
" qua-ha," and is of Hottentot origin, being an imitation of the animal's neighing call. To-day
Burchell's zebras are invariably called Qua-has by both Boers and British colonists.

fhtto by Pirtj Aihtndtn

ZEBRAS ON TABLE MOUNTAIN

Another South African photograph. Notice Cape Town in the far distance

WILD ASSES

QUAGGA

Thit is, -we believe, the only known photograph from lift of this -very rare
animal. There •will probably never be another t for the quagga is generally
supposed to be extinct

The true asses are without stripes
on the head, neck, and body, with the
exception of a dark streak down the
back from the mane to the tail, which
is present in all members of the group,
and in some cases a dark band across
the shoulders and irregular markings
on the legs.

In Africa the wild ass is only
found in the desert regions of the
north-eastern portion of that continent,
being an inhabitant of Abyssinia,
Somaliland, Gallaland, the Soudan, and
the arid districts bordering the Red
Sea. The form of wild ass found in
Somaliland differs in some respects from
its near relative of the Nubian Desert,
in that it is of a paler colour, has the
dorsal stripe but faintly marked, and is
without a cross stripe over the shoulders,

196 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

whilst on the other hand it has numerous markings both on the front and hind legs. Naturalists
are, however, agreed that, although there may be certain small differences in the colour and
markings of the wild asses found in different localities of Northern Africa, such variations are
of no specific value, and only one species is recognised.

The AFRICAN WILD Ass is a fine animal, standing between 13 and I4hands atthe shoulder.
It lives in small herds or families of four or five individuals, and is not found in mountainous
districts, but frequents low stony hills and arid desert-wastes. It is as a general rule an
alert animal and difficult to approach, and so fleet and enduring that, excepting in the case
of foals and mares heavy in young, it cannot be overtaken even by a well-mounted horseman.
Notwithstanding the scanty nature of the herbage in the districts they frequent, these desert-
bred asses are always in good condition. They travel long distances to water at night, but
appear to require to drink regularly. Their flesh is eaten by the natives of the Soudan. The
bray of the African wild ass is said to be indistinguishable from that of the domesticated
animal, which latter is undoubtedly descended from the wild African breed.

In Asia three varieties of the wild ass are found, which were formerly believed to
represent three distinct species; but since the points of difference between these varying forms
do not appear to be of specific value, all the local races of the Asiatic wild ass are now
considered to belong to one species.

These wild asses have a wide range, and are met with in the deserts of Asia from
Syria to Persia and Western India, and northwards throughout the more arid portions of
Central Asia.

In Tibet and Mongolia the wild ass inhabits the high mountain-plateaux, and lives at
elevations of 14,000 feet and upwards above the sea. This local race, know as the KlANG,
approaches in size to the African wild ass, standing 13 hands at the shoulder. It is dark
reddish brown in colour, with a very narrow dorsal stripe. The ONAGER of Western India
and Baluchistan is a smaller and lighter-coloured animal, with a broader stripe down the
back. In parts of its range it is found at sea-level. In Persia and Syria a third local race
of wild ass is found, which, however, differs from the two forms already enumerated in no
essential particular.

Like their African congeners, the wild asses of Asia are inhabitants of the waste places
of the earth, frequenting desert plains and wind-swept steppes. They are said to be so fleet
and enduring that, except in the case of a mare heavy with foal, they cannot be overtaken

by a single horseman.

The wild asses of the
desert plains of India and
Persia are said to be very wary
and difficult to approach, but
the kiang of Tibet is always
spoken of as a much more
confiding animal, its curiosity
being so great that it will
frequently approach to within
a short distance of any un-
familiar object, such as a
sportsman engaged in stalking
other game.

Asiatic wild asses usually
live in small families of four
or five, but sometimes congre-
gate in herds. Their food
consists of various grasses in
the low-lying portions of their

Phito by J. W. McLfllan

BALUCHI WILD ASS

This

tnc of the three hading -varieties of the Asiatic -wild ass. It h found in Weaern India
and Baluchistan

THE HORSE TRIBE

97

MALE KIANG
The kiang comes from the Tibetan highlands. It is the largest and most horse-like of the -wild asses of Asia

range, but of woody plants on the high mountain-plateaux, where little else is to be obtained.
Of wild asses in general the late Sir Samuel Baker once said : " Those who have seen donkeys
only in their civilised state can have no conception of the wild or original animal; it is the
perfection of activity and courage."

DOMESTICATED HORSE, ASSES, AND MULES

BY W. P. PYCRAFT, A.L.S., F.Z.S.

THE DOMESTICATED HORSE

LIKE the wild camels, genuine wild horses are very generally believed to be extinct. The
vast herds which occur to-day in a wild state in Europe, America, and Australia are to be
regarded, say those who believe in the extinction theory, as descended from domesticated
animals which have run wild. So far as the American and Australian horses are concerned,
this is no doubt true ; but of the European stocks it is by no means so certain. For
Dr. Nehring — and he speaks with authority — assures us that the wild horses known as
TARPANS, which occur on the steppes north of the Sea of Azoff, between the river Dnieper and
the Caspian, are veritable wild horses, the last remaining members of enormous herds which
occurred in Europe before the dawn of civilisation. These horses formed no small part of the
food of the savage races of men then inhabiting this continent. This we know because of the
quantities of their remains found in the caves of the south of France, for instance, associated
with the remains of the men who hunted them. Further evidence of this we have in the
shape of crude engravings on pieces of bone and deer horns, carved by the more artistic
spirits amongst these early hunters. From these drawings we gather that the horse they
hunted was small in size and heavy in build, with a large head and rough, shaggy mane and

198 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

tail — a horse, in fact, almost identical with the above-mentioned tarpan. But long before
historic records begin these horses must have been domesticated ; man discovered that they
could be even more useful alive than dead, and from that time forth the horse became his
inseparable companion. " Caesar found the Ancient Britons and Germans using war-chariots
drawn by horses."

But the stock of domestic horses drawn from this tarpan breed appears to have died
out almost entirely, the majority of horses now existing being probably descendants of the
native wild horses of Asia, the product of a still earlier domestication. In Egypt the horse,
as a domestic animal, seems to have been preceded by the ass; but about 1900 B.C. it
begins to appear in the r6le of a war-horse, to draw chariots. Its use, indeed, until the
Middle Ages was almost universally as a war-horse.

From the time of its domestication till to-day the history of the horse has been one
of progress. The care and forethought of the breeder have produced many varieties, resulting
in such extremes as the London Dray-horse, the Racer, and the Shetland Pony.

The coloration of our various breeds of horses is generally without any definite marking
piebald and dappled being the nearest approach to a pattern. Occasionally, however, horses are

found with a dark
stripe along the back,
and sometimes with
dark stripes on the
shoulders and legs.
Darwin, discovering
a number of horses so
marked belonging to
different breeds, came
to the conclusion that
probably all existing
races of horses were
descended from a
"single dun-coloured,
more or less striped
primitive stock, to
which [stock] our
horses occasionally
revert."

YEARLING ARAB COLTS

Note the colts examining the photographer* i bag. They are •very inquhhi-ve creatures, tut easily frightened

" If we were not

so habituated to the sight of the horse," says the late Sir William Flower, "as hardly ever
to consider its structure, we should greatly marvel at being told of a mammal so strangely
constructed that it had but a single toe on each extremity, on the end of the nail of
which it walked or galloped. Such a conformation is without parallel in the vertebrate series."

By the aid of fossils we can trace out all the stages through which this wonderful foot has
, . . .

in arriving at its present state of perfection : we can see how it has become more

and more beautifully adapted to fulfil the requirement demanded — a firm support to enable
its owner to cover hard ground at great speed. The study of the structure of this foot, and a
comparison with the intermediate forms, make it clear that this toe corresponds to the third
finger or toe of the human hand or foot — according as we compare the fore or hind limbs —
and that its development was at the expense of the remaining toes, which gradually dvvindledj
and disappeared, leaving in the living one-toed horse only traces of the second and fourth toes
in the shape of a pair of splint-bones, one on either side of the excessively developed third toe. j

The horses, it must be remarked, may be distinguished from the asses by the fact that the
tail m the former is clothed with long hair throughout; in the latter long hair springs only
from the sides and end, forming a tuft. Furthermore, the horses have a remarkable horny

Phot, by r. FaU

ARAB MARE;

Nothing -would induce this hone to stand still in order to be photographed ; so as a last resource the rider put on her Arab cottumt.

like magic, for under its spell the animal at once became quiet

I99

This acted

200 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Photi by T. fall

ARAB MARES AND FOALS

excrescence, resembling a huge black and flattened wart, on each hind leg just below the
" hock," or heel-joint. This excrescence is commonly known as the " chestnut." Its function
is unknown. A similar pair of " chestnuts " occurs on the inner side of the fore limb just
above the wrist, or " knee," as it is generally called. The " chestnuts " of the fore limb occur
also in the asses, but not those of the hind limb.

THE ARAB HORSE

This magnificent and justly celebrated animal is chosen first for consideration because
it is probably a direct descendant of an original wild breed — the Asiatic wild horse. How
far back the domestication of this breed began will probably never be exactly known. Till
the third century after Christ the Arabs were almost certainly camel-riders ; but by the
sixth century of our era we find them in possession of a breed of horses which they regarded
with great reverence, and spoke of as an heritage from their forefathers. They were probably
introduced from the Caucasus or Asia Minor. The Arab horse found its way into Europe, perhaps
accompanied by an allied breed — the Barb — with the Arab invasion of Spain in the eighth and
ninth centuries, leaving traces of its sojourn in the Andalusian and the French Limousin. But
the great value of Arab blood was not appreciated till armour ceased to be used, the excessive
weight of this demanding a horse of heavy build.

The Arab does not appear to have been introduced into England till the seventeenth
century ; but the result of that introduction, as we shall see presently, has been fraught with
tremendous consequences. In its native land it appears to have been bred chiefly for thej
purposes of warfare. The success with which the breeders' judicious selection has been!
rewarded is plainly seen in the wonderful powers of endurance on long marches ; so that, at
the end of a raid, the animal is still fresh enough either for flight, if necessary, or for a final
rush on a retreating enemy. Besides, Arabs possess great courage, and are frugal both in the
matter of food and drink.

THE HORSE TRIBE

201

As a race-horse, one enthusiast
assures us, the Arab is superior to
every other natural breed ; he is
beaten only by his own half-breed
offspring — the English Race-horse.
But this seems to be rather an over-
estimate.

The colour of the Arab varies ;
white is the most highly esteemed,
but bay and chestnut are common,
black being rare. Strange as it may
seem, the white breed is never born
white.

The great affection of the Arab
for his horse is proverbial. The
following story is certainly worth
repeating : " The whole stock of an
Arab of the desert consisted of a
mare. The French Consul offered to
purchase her, in order to send her
to his sovereign, Louis XIV. The
Arab would have rejected the pro-
posal ; but being miserably poor, with
scarcely a rag to cover him, his wife
and children starving, he was tempted
greatly. At length he yielded. He
brought the mare to the consul's
house, and stood leaning on her neck,

Phttt b} T. Fall

HACKNEY AND FOAL

A specimen of the English carriage-horse

PERCHERON HORSE

and looking, now at the gold, and now
at the horse. The gold was good to
look upon; it would make him rich
for life. Turning at last to his
favourite, he said : ' To whom is it
I am going to yield thee up? To
Europeans, who will tie thee close,
who will beat thee, who will make
thee miserable. Return with me, my
beauty, my jewel, and rejoice the
hearts of my children.' At the last
of these words he sprang upon her
back, and was in a few moments out
of sight."

THE BARB

This is an African breed, which,
like the generality of African horses,
is distinguished from those of Asia
by its long limbs and small girth
at the loins, thus resembling the
foals of other breeds. It displays
great powers of enduring hunger and

202 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Photo by C. Rtld

A perfect English thoroughbred. With this racer Lord Rosebcry won the Derby

in 1894

thirst; and is fleet, with a high
and graceful action. The barb takes
its name from its native land —
Barbary. It is a larger breed than
the Arab.

LEVANT AND PERSIAN HORSES

These are very closely allied to
the Arab, but generally of larger
size ; and in Southern Persia, at least,
less delicately framed. The Turko-
man horses are related to those of
Northern Persia.

THE ENGLISH RACE-HORSE

This animal is the product of
very careful selection and gradual
improvement of an original native
breed, extending over several cen-

LADAS turies. Long since, so long ago as

the reign of James I., it had reached
a high degree of excellence.

Upon this native stock there has

been built up, by the infusion of Arab blood, the swiftest horse which the world has ever

known — the BRITISH THOROUGHBRED. " Of this breed, it may be stated," says Mr. Allison,

" that every such animal in the stud-book of the present day, in this country or any other,

descends . . . from one of three original Eastern sires — the Darley Arabian, the Byerley

Turk, or the Godolphin Arabian." This is an extremely interesting fact, and constitutes

a lasting monument to the enterprise and acumen of the British horse-breeder.
The Byerley Turk hailed from

the Levant, and was introduced by

Captain Byerley about 1689. From

t!ie Byerley Turk came Herod, the

most celebrated of his descendants,

who has given rise to the Herod line,

which to-day is but feebly represented.
The Godolphin Arabian, or the

Godolphin Barb, was born about 1724.

From his grandson Matchem is

derived the Matchem line, which is

also to-day bordering on extinction.
The Darley Arabian carries us

back to the reign of Queen Anne.

Flying Childers and Bartlett's Childers

are directly descended from him ; and

from the latter is descended Eclipse,

the fastest horse which the turf has

ever known. It is interesting to note

that the descendants in the Eclipse

line enormously outnumber those of ph°'° by °- R'id

the other two lines which we have con- FLORIZEL II

sidered. Of his descendants, one of the One of King Edward's racing-stud

THE HORSE TRIBE

203

SHETLAND PONY AND FOAL

most illustrious is Stockwell,
who has been described as
the most extraordinary sire
of all time, whose blood is
coming more than ever to
the front.

THE TROTTING-HORSE

This is an American
breed. The trotting-horse is
a combination of barb and
Arab on an English stock.
Most of the trotting- and pac-
ing-horses of America may be
traced to an English thorough-
bred — Messenger — who was
imported into America in
1 780. This horse became the
founder of the greatest trot-
ting family in the world. The
speed attained by some of the
fastest trotters is wonderful,
a mile being covered in some
three or four seconds over
two minutes.

Russia is the only European country with a distinct breed of trotter — the ORLOFF.
This breed was made by crossing Arab and English horses with the native races. The Orloff

. has not the speed of the

r

American horse, but has

greater powers of endurance.
The trotting-season in Russia
is winter, the races taking
place on the ice.

The PACER is not a
distinct breed, but so called
on account of its curious
method of trotting. In
trotting the left fore and
right hind leg strike the
ground at the same moment;
in pacing the fore and hind
leg of the same side move in
unison. Some wild animals
— as the giraffe — are pacers.
" Many American horses,"
says Mr. Winans, " are able to
move with either action, a
set of lighter shoes often
sufficing to convert a trotter
into a pacer." Pacing is
CHAMPION SHIRE STALLION a swifter mode of motion

A celebrated cart horu than trotting.

ty T. fall

SHIRE MARE AND FOAL

Pkolt, by T. Fall

WELSH PONY

This photograph shows the Duchess of Newcastle with one of her -white Wchh ponies

2O4

THE HORSE TRIBE

205

Phatt kj C. Kiid

POLO-PONY

furious breedt of ponies are used in this game, but the most estetmtd at the
present day art the English-bred New Forest, Dartmoor, or Exmoor, or
Welsh ponies.

The pacing record time stands
at one mile in I minute 59.] seconds, as
against the trotting record of one mile
in 2 minutes 3| seconds.

THE HUNTER

This also is not a distinct breed, as
some suppose. Any good riding-horse
may be used as a hunter. " Hunters "
have been made by infusing the blood
of the race-horse with native breeds.
The chief requirements are a muscular
neck and chest, with a rather short
body, and shorter and stouter legs than
the race-horse.

From the half-bred hunter we pass
by insensible gradation to the ordinary
saddle- and carriage-horses. The ideal
carriage-horse, however, is more of a
distinct breed than the hunter, and
known as the CLEVELAND BAY. It has
been produced by mingling the blood
of the thoroughbred with that of a
horse of stouter make than that of the
hunter type.

The record broad jump for the hunter, we might mention in passing, is variously stated
to be from 33 to 37 feet!

THE SHETLAND PONY

This is a native of the Shetland
Islands, and remarkable for its small
size, docility, and hardihood. It is
allowed to run nearly wild, and made to
forage almost entirely for itself. In the
winter it grows a coat of great length,
which, soon becoming matted, forms a
most effective protection against cold and
wet. TheDARTMOOR, ExMOOR.andNEW
FOREST are likewise small breeds, but
lack the symmetry and beauty of the
Shetland.

CART-HORSES

Under this head are included all
the large, heavily built draught-horses.
These are of European origin, and
without intermixture of foreign — Asiatic
or African — blood. In England the most
important breeds are the BLACK or SHIRE
HORSE, the CLYDESDALE, and the SUF-

DONKEY FOLK PUNCH. These are wonderful in-

A Typical Coster's Donkey stances of the results of selective breeding

Pn,t, tj T. Fall

206 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Photo b, W. R,id

EGYPTIAN DONKEYS

towards a definite end — large size, accom-
panied by great physical strength and powers
of endurance. To accomplish this, speed has
had to be sacrificed.

ASSES AND MULES
ASSES

THE DOMESTIC Ass, so common to-day
in these islands, is of African origin, and
has, moreover, departed but little in either
form or colour from the wild race. This is
probably due to the fact that the ass has
not been subjected in this country to that
process of rigorous and careful selection that
the horse has undergone.

We have no record of its first intro-
duction to England, but it was certainly
known in the reign of Ethelred, though it
was a rare animal. Later it appears to
have died out, and to have been reintroduced
in the reign of Elizabeth ; but it has never
become popular. This is unfortunate; its
sterling qualities have never been really
appreciated there. Spain, Italy, and Malta
have all succeeded in raising some fine breeds.
The United States has, however, produced
the finest of all in animals standing some
15 or 1 6 hands (5 feet or 5 feet 4 inches)

The an has long been kno-wn to the Egyptians, having been in use by high.
them before the introduction of the horse

MULES

The term MULE, strictly speaking, should be reserved for the offspring of the male ass and
the mare : the offspring of the opposite cross is called the HlNNY. Mules are valued on account
of their great powers of endurance and their sure-footedness. The finest and handsomest are
bred in Spain, the United
States, and North-west India.

It is interesting to note
that mules exhibit a strong
tendency to revert to the
dun-coloured and striped col-
oration believed to belong to
the primitive horses. The spi-
nal and shoulder stripes which
sometimes appear in horses,
and more frequently in asses,
occur yet more frequently in
mules. The legs of the mules
appear particularly liable to
revert to this striped colora-
tion in the United States, it

Phut by C. Riid]

is said nine out of ten being
so marked.

CHAPTER XIII

THE HOLLOW HORNED RUMINANTS: OXEN, BISON
BUFFALOES, AND MUSK-OX

CATTLE, Deer, Camels, Pigs, Horses, Tapirs, Rhinoceroses, and Elephants differ greatly in
structure from the orders already described. They are classed as the Ungulates, or
Hoofed Mammals. In most of these, such as the Horse, Deer, and Oxen, the toes are
contained within a solid hoof; in others, such as the Rhinoceros, they are protected by broad
nails. Great differences exist in the feet of the various groups of Ungulates, caused by the
degree in which the digits, or " toes," remain in use or not. Except in the Elephant, where
there are five, the greatest number of " working " digits found in existing forms is four. In
the Horse and its surviving allies the digits are reduced to one; in the Giraffes, to two.

The general process, as it can be learnt from the remains of the horse-like animals of the
past, seems to have been as follows. One or more of the toes were developed in length and
strength at the expense of the others, until, in the case of the Horse, only one toe remained,
which was enclosed in a large and solid hoof, little splints on either side of the cannon-bone
being left to hint where the second and fourth toes had once been. In the Oxen and Deer the
third and fourth toes developed equally, at the expense of the others, and each gained a case
or covering, which makes the two parts of the " cloven hoof" of these groups.

The first group of the order of Ungulates is represented by the Hollow-horned Ruminants.
These have horns set on a core of bone, the horns themselves being hollow throughout. They
" chew the cud," after receiving the food eaten into the first of four divisions in the stomach,
whence it is brought up into the mouth, and then swallowed again for digestion. The Oxen,
Sheep, and Goats have no popular name by which they are collectively distinguished, but their
characteristics are sufficiently
well known. The horns are
never shed annually, as is the
case with the Deer ; and the
hoofs are cloven. They have
no incisor teeth in the upper
jaw, acharacteristicalso shared
by the Giraffes, the Prongbuck
(or American antelope), andthe
Deer. The lower jaw has its full
complement of incisor teeth.

The Oxen and the allied
Bison, Yak, and Buffaloes are
the bulkiest and most impor-
tant to man of all ruminants.
Some are found in nearly all
inhabited parts of the Old
World, and there is one North

. Phots kf £. L

American species, now practt- ENGLISH PARK-CATTLE

Cally exterminated as a wild Jhif fkatografh rtfrtunu two animals of Afferent tyfei. The bulllipurt-brtdi thtcoviit*

animal.

207

crou-brtd

208 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Phot, by W. P. Dande

ENGLISH PARK BULL

The similarity in shape to the best-bred modern shorthorns is obvious

BRITISH PARK-CATTLE, AND
THE AUROCHS

THE so-called " WILD CATTLE " found in
the parks of Chillingham and Chartley, as
well as in Lord Leigh's park at Lyme, and
in that of the Duke of Hamilton at Cadzovv
Castle, Scotland, are probably not the
descendants of an indigenous wild race. It
is not without reluctance that the belief in
their wild descent has been abandoned. But
the evidence seems fairly conclusive as to
the antiquity of these white cattle, regarded
as a primitive breed, and of the unlikelihood
of their being survivors of a truly wild stock.
They are almost identical in many points
with the best breeds of modern cattle, and
probably represent the finest type possessed
by the ancient inhabitants of these islands.
But they are far smaller than the original
WILD Ox, or AUROCHS, the ancestor of our
domestic breeds. The skulls of these large
wild oxen, which still survived in the Black Forest in Caesar's time, have been dug up in
many parts of England, especially in the Thames Valley, and may be seen at the Natural
. History Museum. The remains of the extinct wild ox, the Bos urns of the Romans, show
that, if not so large as an elephant, as Caesar heard, its size was gigantic, reckoned by any
modern cattle standard whatever. It probably stood 6 feet high at the shoulder, and there
is every reason to believe that it was the progenitor of the modern race of domestic cattle
in Europe. It seems certain that the Chartley Park herd did once run wild in Needwood
Forest ; but so do the Italian buffaloes in the Maremma, and the Spanish bulls on the plains
of Andalusia. Those at Chartley have been kept in the park, which is very wild and remote, so
long that they have gradually lost
many of the attributes of domestica-
tion. This is even more marked in
the case of Lord Tankervill's white
cattle at Chillingham. An observant
visitor to Chillingham lately noted
that the bulls fight for the possession
of the cows, and that one is occasion-
ally killed in these combats. The
cows still " stampede " with their
calves when alarmed, and hide them
for a week or ten days after they are
born. The horns of the Chillingham
cattle turn up ; those of the bulls of
the Chartley herd are straight or
slightly inclined downwards. Cross-
breds between the Chartley cattle and
some other herds of reputed ancient
descent may generally be seen at the
London Zoological Gardens. They CALF OF ENGLISH PARK-CATTLE

remain remarkably true to type. Though the stock is -very old and inbred, the -white park-cattle are still fairly prolific

THE HOLLOW-HORNED RUMINANTS 209

Formerly there were
several other herds of ancient
white cattle. One was at
Gisburne, in Yorkshire;
another at Chatelherault Park,
in Lanarkshire ; and records
of herds at Bishop Auckland
in Durham, Barnard Castle,
Blair Athol, Burton Constable,
Naworth Castle, and other
ancient peaks are preserved.
Probably all were of a breed
highly prized in ancient days,
which was allowed the run of
the forests adjacent to the
homes of their owners ; then,
as the forests were cleared,
they were gradually taken up
and enclosed inparks. Another
theory is, that they were the
white cattle of North-western
Italy, imported by the first settlements of Italian monks after the conversion of the Saxons.

Phttt b) J. T. Ntwman

JERSEY COW

Though small in size, the Jtrsey cows produce more butter than any English breed

SOME DOMESTICATED CATTLE

THE various species of European domestic cattle have in most cases been brought to a
degree of excellence even higher than that which might be expected from the long period of
time in which their improvement has been an object of solicitude to man. Of the foreign
races, the dark red cattle of the Spanish Peninsula — animals which have been exported to the
Canary Islands and Madeira with great success — are justly famous. The white oxen of North-
east Italy have been famous since the days of the Romans. The tall long-horned cattle of
Hungary are excellent alike as beasts of draught and for beef. The black-and-white Dutch cows
are, and have been, the mainstay of the dairy industry of Holland, and later of Denmark;
while the small Brittany cows are perhaps the best butter-producers on the continent of
Europe. But England and the Channel Islands may justly claim to rear the finest cattle of the

temperate parts of the world. The diminutive
Jersey cows, now reared in all parts of the
kingdom, surpass all the animals of Europe
or America in the richness of their milk,
while stock from the pedigree herds of
various English breeds is eagerly sought by
foreign and continental buyers on both sides
of the Atlantic, and in New Zealand and
Australia. These foreign strains need constant
replenishing from the English herds, and the
result is a golden harvest to the breeders in
these islands.

The SHORTHORN was the first breed to be
brought to perfection. Two main stocks —
one for producing beef, the other for the
d . _ are recognised . they are the " all-

SPANISH CATTLE ', , ,„ . . c , .. . .,

, round breed most in favour, and it is said

These belontr to the long-horned race of Southern and Eastern Europe. In . ... , ,

the bulls the horns are shorter, and often turn doivnwardt that the improvement in thlS race alone has

27

210 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

raised the value of average Irish store cattle $10 per head during the last twenty years. The
shorthorns are level-backed, large animals, maturing very quickly. The commonest colours are
roan, white, red, and red-and-white. HEREFORD CATTLE are red, with white faces and long,
upturned horns; they fatten quickly on good grass, and are in most demand for summer
beef. HIGHLAND CATTLE have long horns, rough, shaggy coats, and bodies of moderate size
and great symmetry; they are grazed on the mountains of the West Highlands mainly, and
fattened in the south. The beef is of the finest quality. SUSSEX CATTLE are an "all red"
variety, large, and formerly much used for draught and farm work. The DEVOXS are another
red variety, very like the Sussex, yielding excellent and rich milk, and, when fattened, being
little inferior to any breed as beef. The long-horned black WELSH CATTLE grow to a great
size, as do the polled AXGUS breed of Scotland. The polled or hornless cattle include the
red SUFFOLKS, a most valuable breed, hardy, and wonderful producers of milk. The cows
often give milk every day of the year. The LoNGHORX breed is almost disappearing, as the

horns are a disadvan-
tage both in the fields
and when the animals
are carried on board
ship or in the train.
The HUMPED CATTLE
of India and East Africa
belong to a race dif-
ferent from European
cattle, of which the
parent stock is not
known. They have a
hump upon the withers,
drooping ears (a. sign
of ancient domestica-
tion), and a very large
dewlap. The coat is
always exquisitely fine.
They are of all sizes,
from the tall Brahminee
bull to dwarf breeds
not larger than a New-
foundland dog. The

commonest colours are cream, grey, mouse-colour, and white. They do not low, but grunt,
and are by no means so fond of shade and water as European cattle.

WILD OXEN

THIS group consists of the GAUR of India ; the GAYAL of Assam, which is possibly a
domesticated form of the gaur, but rather smaller in size, with skull and horns different in
character ; and the BANTING, a lighter and more slender wild ox, of which different varieties
are found in Burma, in Java (where it is kept in a half-domesticated condition;, and in
Manipur.

THE GAUR

The GAUR, the so-called INDIAN BlSOX, is probably the largest of all the wild be
animals. It is found at the foot of the North-eastern Himalaya, in the Central Provinces
of India, the forests of Madras and Mysore, and in parts of Burma and the Malay Peninsula,
but not in Ceylon. Its range eastward is not accurately known. In habits the gaur is
mainly a forest animal, retiring always at daybreak into the depths of the jungle.
sometimes attains a height of over 6 feet at the shoulder, and a length of 9 feet 6 inches

Ptutt by C. W. Wili*t V C.., Ltd..

YOUNG GAUR

The largest and handumett if the -wild oxen

THE HOLLOW-HORNED RUMINANTS 211

from the nose to the tail. The colour of
the fall-grown gaur is dark brown, turning
to black; the legs from above the knees
and hocks to the hoofs are white, the
hair being short and fine. Its horns are
upturned, and tipped with black, with white
hair covering the junction on the top of
the skull. The cows are much smaller than
the bulls, standing about 5 feet high at the
shoulder. This species feeds both on grass
and on the young shoots of trees and of
bamboos. The calves are dropped in August
and September. The pure-bred animal does
not appear capable of domestication.

Hunting ganr by tracking in the jungle
has long been a frvourite sport of Anglo-
Indians. General Douglas Hamilton says:
"I have lolled bulk mi um^ 6 feet at
the shoulder, and the average height of the

b from 5 feet 8 inches to 5 feet 10 **"
An old bull gaur m a magnificat

The normal colour is a brownish black, sometimes in very old
quite black. The white stockings reach from the hoof to above the knee, and are very
conspicuous. When on the Anamahes, I had a grand fight with a big bull. I was out early,
and came on the spoor of bison, and soon saw two. one a very large bull To my disgust lie
lay down, and was completely covered by creepers and bushes. After a bit I attempted to
more to get a better view ; but there to my left was a cow bison staring at me. She at oace
gave the alarm, and I waited for the large bull to rise. This he did so quickly, and disappeared
so suddenly, that 1 only got a snapshot. As I stopped to load. I saw a young calf squatting
at the foot of a tree Eke a hare, intently watching me. I put the rifle down, crept up
behind the tree, and suddenly threw myself on the little calf, and managed to get hold of its
hind legs, but it got from under me. I managed, however, to tie its fore legs securely by
Means of some slender stems from the creepers. All this time it continued to below and to
make a great row. and I fully expected to see the mother come charging down. I went back
to the bungalow, and got some men to bring my little captive home. After breakfast I started
again, and got on the track of the bison. ... I saw some branches move, and on looking
carefully perceived a large bull bison; but he was among the thick bushes, and I could not
see his outline. I guessed as nearly as possible the position of the shoulder, and fired the
big rifle at him. He gave a bound forward, and then vlpff*4 long enough far vie to give him
a shot with the other barrel. . . . The next moment I saw the buQ standing on the high
gjfuni} above us. I fired again, and hit him well behind the thnalrinr. He liuhfrf off. but
only went fifty yards, and then stopped. I walked up. thinking to finish him. when he made
a fearful rush at me. My man put the double rifle into my hands and then bolted, and I
thought it prudent to retire and await my opportunity. But be only moved a few paces
forward, and then stopped. Then began a regular siege of his position.** The result of the
siege was that the bison received four more bullets, charged and routed the hunter twice,
and then walked off. It was shot twice more, charged again, and was finally killed by
General Hamilton with his hunting-knife tied to a bamboo spear-pole.

Considering the size and tenacity of life of the ganr. it is rather wonderful that more
accidents do not occur in the pursuit of this animal ; but as it live* mainly in thick jna^f,
where large trees grow, the sportsman has more chance of getting out of sight of a wounded
animal than when attacked by the Indian buffalo, which generally haunts jungles of high grass.

212 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

THE GAYAL

The doubt whether this animal
is found in a wild state has recently
been considerably increased. It is
well known in a semi-domesticated
condition, in which it is kept by
the tribes in and around the Assam
Valley, where the wild gaur is also
found. These herds roam during the
day freely in the jungle, and return
to be fed at the villages. It has
been stated that wild gayal are
enticed to join the tame herds by

INDIAN HUMPED BULL

The hump and dewlap mark the Oriental cattle. The ears are often more drooping
than In this specimen

mens may be only those which have
belonged to or have descended from
the domesticated herd. Gayal have
been kept in England not only in
the Zoological Gardens but in some
parks, and crossed with English cattle.
The offspring furnished excellent beef, but were rather wild and intractable. The horns of the
gayal are thicker and flatter than those of the gaur, and placed lower on the skull and farther
apart. The domesticated gayal stands lower than the gaur, but is a very massive animal.

THE BANTING

The common wild ox of the Malay countries of Borneo, Java, Eastern Burma, and
northwards, in Manipur resembles the European oxen rather more than does the gaur. In
size the bulls sometimes reach 5 feet G>\ inches. The old bulls are black, the younger bulls
chocolate red, and the cows a bright reddish brown. The rump is marked with a large white
patch, and all have white stockings from above the knees and hocks down to the hoofs. The
tail is considerably longer than in the gaur, coming well below the hocks. As might be
expected from its distribution, the size of this animal and the shape of the horns vary
considerably in the different districts which it inhabits. In Borneo the horns often curve
forwards ; in Java they spread outwards. In the latter island large herds of this species are
kept in a state of domestication. When wild, banting live in small herds, and in Burma
feed from early morning until ten o'clock, when they retire into the jungle for shelter. The
Manipur race is smaller than that of Burma (of which the males are not black), and the bulls
have not the white rump.

THE YAK

THE YAK is naturally an inhabitant of the very high plateaux and mountains of Tibet,
where the climate is cold and the air excessively dry. Lower down on the Indian side of the
Himalaya a smaller race is found domesticated, which is the only one able to stand the
climate of India, or of Europe, where it is now kept in some parks as a curiosity. The tamed
yaks are usually much smaller than the wild ; these sometimes reach a weight of between
1,100 and 1,200 Ibs. In form they are long and low, very massive, and with hair almost
entirely black ; this falls off along the sides into a long sweeping fringe. The tail is thickly
tasselled with fine hair, and is employed by Indian princes for fly-flaps. The wild yak has
large, massive black horns, curved upwards and forwards in the male. In Ladak and Chinese
Tibet the yaks inhabit a desolate and barren country, in which their main food is a dry,

THE HOLLOW-HORNED RUMINANTS 213

coarse grass, on which they nevertheless contrive to keep themselves in condition, feeding in
the mornings and evenings, and lying down by day to rest among the rocks.

THE BISON

THE BlSON form a marked group, differing from others of the Ox Tribe. They possess
fourteen pairs of ribs, while the oxen have only thirteen (the yak has fourteen) ; and have very
heavy, massive heads, broader and more convex foreheads than the oxen, longer spinal processes
on the vertebrae of the front part of the back, and larger muscles to hold the ponderous head,
causing a hump, which in the American bison is very marked. There are two living species
of bison, one of which is found in Europe, the other in North America.

THE EUROPEAN BISON

This is the most interesting survival of the primitive fauna of the Old World. It is still
found wild, though protected, in a large forest in Lithuania, the property of the Czar of Russia,
called the Forest of Bielowitza. A few are also left of the purely wild stock in the Caucasus.
Those in Lithuania have been protected for several centuries, and the herd is numbered from
time to time. In 1857 there were 1,898 of these bison left; in 1882 there were only 600;
in 1889 the herd had sunk to 380, but in 1892 it had risen to 491. The presence of
the bison in the Caucasus had been almost forgotten till Mr. Littledale and Prince Demidoff
gave accounts of hunting it there quite recently. The ZUBR, as it is called, only survives
in some very inaccessible parts of the mountains, preserved by the Grand Duke Sergius
Michaelovitch, in the Kouban district. There it exists as a really wild animal. The dimensions
of one recently shot were 10 feet from the muzzle to the end of the last vertebra of the
tail. The Grand Duke has to obtain special permission from the Czar to shoot one whenever
he goes to the Caucasus.

This bison seems to have been an inhabitant of most of the forests of Europe and
Northern Asia; its remains show that it existed in Britain, and it was plentiful in the Black
Forest in the time of Caesar. It is the largest of all European quadrupeds, measuring as
much as 10 feet I inch from the nose to the root of the tail, and standing nearly 6 feet
high at the shoulder. Prince Demidoff states his belief that it is found on the southern
slopes of the Caucasus Range between the hills and the Black Sea. The weight of this bison
reaches i./oolbs. It is now
rare to see more than five
or six together. Though the
animal is so massive, its horns
are rather small and slender,
and curve upwards. The
mane — which, like the rest of
the coat, is of a uniform rich
brown — is thick and curly, but
not developed like that of the
American bison.

THE AMERICAN BISON

The American bison is
the western representative of
the bison of Europe. The
almost complete disappear-
ance of this species is one of

the warnings against reckless INDIAN HUMp£D CATTLE

destruction of animal lite. It
was formerly found in millions »«« "" °ften <aUed ^" ''" Eurofe> but ilu °"&n if the name " unknown

214 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

[Regint't Park

Phttt by If. P. Dande]

DOMESTICATED YAK

The wild bo-vine animal of the Central Asian plateau, tamed and domesticated

on the prairies, and its meat formed
the staple food of the Red Indians,
who lived on the flesh and used the
" robes " of those killed in winter
for great coats and bedding. When
Audubon went up the Upper Missouri,
bison were in sight almost through-
out the voyage ; they were even
carried down on ice-flows on the river.
The bulls were very large, and were
occasionally savage, especially when
attacked and wounded ; but usually
they were harmless animals. Every
winter and spring they made migra-
tions along regular routes to fresh
pastures. These lines of travel were
then black with bison. The females
had their calves by their sides, and
all travelled in herds, feeding as
they went. At the present time the
only remains of the bison are the
paths they left on the prairies, and
their bones and skulls. The paths
are still distinctly seen, worn by the
" treks " of the great beasts which
have now perished. The bones were collected in stacks and sold to make manure.

President Roosevelt, in an article contributed to " The Encylopaedia of Sport," thus describes
the destruction of the bison: "Pursuit by sportsmen had nothing to do with the extermination
of the bison. It was killed by the hide-hunters, redskin, white, and half-breed. The railways,
as they were built, hastened its destruction, for they gave means of transporting the heavy
robes to market. But it would have been killed out anyhow, even were there no railroads in
existence. Once the demand for the robes became known to the Indians, they were certain to
exterminate it. Originally the bison ranged from the Rocky Mountains to the Alleghanies, and
from Mexico to the Peace River. But its centre of abundance was the vast extent of grass land
stretching from the Saskatchewan to the Rio Grande. All the earlier explorers who crossed
these great plains, from Lewis and Clarke onwards, spoke of the astonishing multitudes of the
bison, which formed the sole food of the Horse Indians. The herds were pressed steadily back,
but the slaughter did not begin till after the Civil War; then the commercial value of the
robes became fully recognised, and the transcontinental railways rendered the herds more
accessible. The slaughter was almost incredible, for the bison were slain literally by millions
every year. They were first exterminated in Canada and the southern plains. It was not till
1883 that the last herd was killed off from the great north-western prairies."

The height of a fine bull American bison at the shoulder is 6 feet. The horns are
short, blunt, and curved, and set farther back on the forehead than in the European species.
The hindquarters are low and weak, and the mane develops in winter into a thick robe,
covering the neck, shoulders, and chest. An adult bull bison was found to weigh 1,727 Ibs.
The woodland bison of Athabasca, now nearly exterminated, are larger than the prairie-bison,
and have finer coats. In 1897 there were said to be between 280 and 300 head remaining
in two herds.

THE BUFFALOES

THE BUFFALOES are so far distinct from other wild cattle that they will not interbreed
with them ; yet one species, the INDIAN BUFFALO, has been domesticated for a long, though

Bj firminim «/ thi Niw Ttrlt Z»l>gical Sttittj

AMERICAN BULL BISON

TAe American bison {locally called " buffalo " ) it lower behind than its European brother ; but the ivithcrst at will be teen from the photograph^

are ttronger and more maisi-ve, and itt mane considerably longer

215

216 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

EUROPEAN BISON

TAese wild animals of the Caucasus are -very much scarcer than formerly , and are in danger

of becoming extinct

unknown period, and is
among the most valuable of
tame beasts of draught, as
well as for dairy purposes.
The various buffaloes usually
have little hair, especially
when old, and have flatter
shoulders than the gaur,
gayal, or bison. The pairs
of ribs number thirteen.

THE AFRICAN BUFFALO

Great differences in size
and colour exist in the AFRI-
CAN BUFFALOES. Whether
they are separate species or
not may be doubtful; but
the small yellow CONGO
BUFFALO, with upturned short
horns, is a vastly different
creature from the large black
CAPE BUFFALO. There is also an Abyssinian or brown race of African buffalo, and another in
Senegambia smaller than the former, and a reputed grey race near Lake Tchad. The Cape
buffalo is a heavy, thickset animal, all black in colour, with large massive horns covering the
skull, and nearly meeting in the middle line of the forehead. In height it varies from 4 feet
IO inches to 5 feet at the shoulder. This species ranges from South Africa to the Congo on
the west, and to the region of the Equator on the east of the continent. Firearms, and
lately rinderpest, have greatly reduced the number of these creatures. They live and feed
in herds, and, like the Indian species, are fond of the neighbourhood of water, in which they
bathe, but are not so dependent on bathing and wallowing as the former.

Fully as formidable as the Indian buffalo, and much like it in habits, the African species
is quite distinct. It has different horns, broad at the base and curled and tapering at the
ends. Among the extreme measurements of the Indian buffalo's horns recorded is one of
12 feet 2 inches from tip to tip along the curve. Those of the African buffalo are seldom
more than 6 feet, measured in the same way. By far the greatest number of hunting accidents
in Africa are caused by the buffalo. Sir Samuel Baker shot a buffalo bull one evening near
the White Nile. His men actually danced upon the body, when the animal rose to its feet,
and sent them flying into the river like so many frogs. It then disappeared in the thick
vegetation. On the following day, supposing that it must have died during the night, thirty
or forty men, armed with double-barrelled guns, went to look for it. The result was thus
recorded by Sir Samuel Baker: "They had not been ashore for many minutes when I
first heard a shot and then a regular volley. My people returned with the head of the
buffalo and a large quantity of meat, but they also carried the body of my best man, who,
when leading the way through the high reeds, following the traces of blood, actually stumbled
upon the buffalo lying in the swamp, and the light guns failed to stop its charge. The
crooked horn had caught him behind the ear, and, penetrating completely through the neck,
had torn out the throat as though it had been cut. The savage beast had then knelt upon
the body, and stamped it into the muddy ground, until it fell beneath the fire of thirty men."
The head and body of a male Cape buffalo are 9 feet long. It is stated that the parasite
conveyed by the tsetse fly remains in the blood of the buffalo (which is not affected by it),
and that this forms a reserve whence the fly, after sucking the blood of the buffalo, poisons
other animals.

THE HOLLOW-HORNED RUMINANTS

217

THE CONGO BUFFALO

This is a very small race, the height at the shoulder being about 3 feet 6 inches. The
shape of the horns varies, but they are wrinkled at the bases and flattened, and turn upwards,
ending in thin, sharp tips. The hair is bright reddish yellow. It is entirely a West African
species. Sir Samuel Baker records an instance in which his brother was nearly killed by a
small West African buffalo, probably one of the species in question. It is said to be less
gregarious than the Cape buffalo, and usually found in pairs.

THE INDIAN OR WATER-BUFFALO

Very great interest attaches to this animal, if only from the fact that it is evidently a
species domesticated directly from the wild stock. It therefore deserves consideration both as
a wild and as a domesticated animal. It is found wild in the swampy jungles at the foot of
the Himalaya, in the Ganges Delta, and in the jungles of the Central Provinces; also, it is
believed, in the jungles of West Assam. Like the African species, it is an animal of great
size and strength, with short brown hair, white fetlocks, and immense long, narrow, flattened
horns. It is almost aquatic by preference, passing many hours of each day wallowing in the
water, or standing in any deep pool with only the tips of its nostrils and its horns out of
the water. By general consent it is the most dangerous of Indian animals after the tiger. A
buffalo bull when wounded will hunt for its enemy by scent as persistently as a dog hunting
for a rabbit. A writer in Country Life lately gave an account of a duel between himself,
armed with a small and light rifle, and a buffalo bull, in which the latter hunted him for
more than an hour, each time being driven off by a shot from the light rifle, and each time
returning to the search, until it was killed. Sir Samuel Baker, when he first went to Ceylon,
found the buffaloes practically in possession of the meadows round a lake in the neighbourhood
of his quarters, and waged a war of extermination against the bulls, which were very dangerous.

r

AMERICAN BISON

Notice the £ference in the fore and kind quarter! of thit animal and the European representative of the tame group. (See
28

218 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

The buffaloes of Ceylon
are the same as those of
India, but the horns are
inferior in size. " The charge
of a buffalo is a serious
matter," says Sir Samuel
Baker. "Many animals charge
when infuriated, but they can
generally be turned aside by
the stunning blow of a rifle-
shot, even if they be not
mortally wounded. But a
buffalo is a devil incarnate
when it has once decided on
the offensive ; nothing will
turn it. It must be actually
stopped by death, sudden and
instantaneous, as nothing else
will stop it. If not killed,
it will assuredly destroy its
adversary. Thereisnocreature
in existence so determined
to stamp the life out of its
opponents, and the intensity
of its fury is unsurpassed
when a wounded bull rushes
forward upon its last desperate
charge. Should it succeed in
overthrowing its antagonist, it
will not only gore the body

with its horns, but will kneel upon the lifeless form, and stamp it with its hoofs till the

mutilated remains are beyond recog-
nition."

The true Indian buffalo is usually

shot from the back of an elephant.

Hunting it on foot is dangerous in

the extreme, for the buffalo can crash

through obstacleswhich would prevent

any man from making his way through

them when escaping. When domesti-
cated, the Indian buffalo loses most

traces of its savageness ; it is habitually

managed by the children, who take

the herds out to graze in the jungle,

and drive them back, often riding on

one of the bulls, at night. They

dislike Europeans, and often show

this by attacking them; but other-
wise they are quite tame, and are

docile when in harness or carrying

burdens. The buffalo's milk is very

rich, and makes a much larger per-

CAPE BUFFALO

Notice the striking difference depleted on this page between the nvo species of buffalo — the

Indian and the Cape

DOMESTICATED INDIAN BUFFALO

This animal is found as a wild and domesticated species in India.
at a blast of draught and for the dairy

It is valuable

THE HOLLOW-HORNED RUMINANTS

219

centage of butter than ordinary cow's milk. So useful is this mud- and water-loving animal
in all swampy districts, that wherever rice is cultivated it is almost indispensable. The
result is that the Indian buffalo has been transported, probably in comparatively modern
times, to many distant quarters of the globe. When this was done is not known ; but it is
probable, for instance, that it was not known in Egypt in the days of the Pharaohs, for its
form never appears in the paintings and sculptures. Now it is seen very far up the Nile, and
plays an important part in Egyptian agriculture ; it is also the general beast of burden and
for the dairy in the Pontine Marshes of Italy. In Spain it was probably introduced by the
Arabs, and is used to cultivate the marshy plains near the mouths of the rivers of Andalusia;
it is also in use in the marshes of Hungary, in the Crimea, and across Western Asia to
Afghanistan. We have thus the curious fact that a wild animal once confined to the jungles
of the Indian Peninsula is now domesticated on two other continents. It has not been

A PAIR OF ANOAS

The anoa is the smallest and most antelope-like member of the Ox Tribt

introduced into America yet, though it would be useful in the Mississippi swamps; but the
Chinese have taken it to the Far East, and established it as their favourite beast of burden.

THE TAMARAU AND ANOA

In the island of Mindoro, in the Philippines, a small black buffalo, with upright, slightly
incurved horns, is found in the dense forests. The height at the shoulder is about 3 feet
6 inches ; a few irregular marks of white are found on the fore legs, face, and occasionally
the throat. It is called the TAMARAU by the natives, most of whom fear to attack it. Its
habits are said to be much the same as those of the other buffaloes ; but it is reputed to fight
with the Indian buffaloes which have escaped and become semi-wild in the forests.

In Celebes a still smaller wild forest-buffalo is found, called the ANOA. It is only 3 feet
3 inches high at the shoulder, and has upright, almost straight horns. The general colour
is brownish, tinged with yellow, that of the adults being very dark brown or black. Scarcely
anything is known of its habits.

220 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

THE MUSK-OX

THE MUSK-OX was formerly
found in immense numbers on
the barren lands and other regions
bordering on the Arctic ice. The
hair of this animal reaches almost
to the ground, and the horns are
large and massive. At present it
is only common in the corner of
North America north and east of
a line drawn from Fort Churchill,
on Hudson Bay, to the mouth of
the Mackenzie, and on the adjacent
islands of the Arctic Sea. In
former Arctic expeditions'the flesh
of the musk-oxen was a great
and reliable source of food. Now
some pw'ts of the herds seem to
have retired inland, and in the
winter to become mainly forest-
dwellers ; but large numbers seem
to endure the coldest parts of the
Arctic winter in the open country
of the Far North, in the snows
of Grinnell Land and of Northern
Greenland. The remains of musk-
oxen have been found in the river
gravels of the Thames Valley, with
those of the reindeer and other
northern species. The musk-ox

gallops at a great rate of speed when disturbed in the open, and makes as little of a steep
mountain-side as does the wild sheep. When fat, the flesh is very tolerable food ; but if the
animals grow thin, the taste of musk is very unpleasant. The colour of the coat is dark
brown ; it is now in great demand for sledge-rugs in Canada. This remarkable animal appears
to be a form standing apart both from the oxen and the sheep.

*

IT will be seen from the above accounts of the whole wild bovine race that they all exhibit
in a high degree many of the traits which are' seen in domesticated animals of the same
tribe. The chief differences made by man's selection and breeding affect the form of the body
and the development of the udder, otherwise there is no great modification, except the production
of the drooping ear in some of the Indian species of domesticated oxen. No wild cattle have
the level, flat back and rectangular body which mark all the best shorthorns and other breeds
intended for beef. In the Asiatic and Galla humped breeds, the races which first domesticated
the original wild species seem to have used the long processes of the vertebrae which cause
the back of many wild cattle to form a hump as the basis of a valuable feature, the hump
becoming as it were another joint of meat. The development of the udder has for untold
centuries been the object of the breeders of cows ; consequently we find that in the domesticated
races this has become abnormally large. There is at present a very general tendency to get
rid of the horns among all breeds of high quality, as these appendages cause much loss by
wounds inflicted by cattle upon each other ; but even in this respect sentiment rather tends to
preserve the horns as an ornament in some of the best milking breeds, such as the Jerseys.

YOUNG BULL MUSK-OX

The musk-ox is nearly allied to the sheep. It is about the size of Highland cattle, and
inhabits Arctic America and Northern Greenland

CHAPTER XIV
THE SHEEP AND GOATS

THE SHEEP

THE sheep are represented at the present time by several wild species, one of which is
found in Northern India east of the Indus, in the Punjab, and in Sind; one in
North America ; and another in North Africa. The rest inhabit the high ground of
Europe and Asia as far south as the Himalaya. These mountains, with the adjacent plateaux
of the Pamirs and the great ranges of Central Asia, form the main home of the group.
Wild sheep are of various types, some so much like the goats that it is difficult to draw a
hard-and-fast line between them; while others, especially the Curly-horned Argalis, Bighorns,
Oorial, and Kamchatka Wild Sheep, are unmistakably ovine in type. The wild original of
the domesticated breeds of sheep is unknown ; but the extreme differences between various
breeds of tame sheep — as, for instance, between the smooth-coated, drooping-eared breed of
Nubia and the curly-horned, woolly sheep of Dorsetshire — must not be allowed to divert the
attention from the considerable likeness of habit which still remains between other breeds
and the wild species. Domesticated sheep which live on hills and mountains are still inclined
to seek the highest ground at night. The rams fight as the wild rams do, and many of them
display activity and powers of climbing and of finding a living on barren ground scarcely less
remarkable than in the wild races.
The apparent absence of wool in
the latter does not indicate so
great a difference as might be
thought. The domesticated sheep
have been bred by artificial selection
for unnumbered ages in order to
produce wool. It is said that in
some of the wild breeds there is
an under-fur which will " felt " like
wool. Most of the species are short-
tailed animals, but this is not the
case with the Barbary wild sheep.
Wild sheep are mainly
mountain-living animals or
frequenters of high ground. They
generally, although not always,
frequent less rugged country than
that affected by the wild goats, and
some are found at quite low levels.
The altitude at which other wild
sheep are found is, however, very
great; on the Pamirs it reaches '*•'•

20,000 feet. Here the country is
quite open.

h «• T. tru,™ & c,., Ltd.

YOUNG BARBARY SHEEP

Note the length of the tail at compared with other iv ild iheep

221

222 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

THE EUROPEAN MOUFFLON

The only wild sheep of Europe is the MOUFFLON, found in the mountains of Corsica and
Sardinia. Its height at the shoulder is about 27 inches. In the rams the horns are strong,
and curved into a spiral, forming almost a complete circle. The hair is close, and in winter
has a woolly under-fur. In summer and autumn the coat is a bright red-brown on the neck,
shoulders, and legs'; the rump and under-parts are whitish, and the back and flanks marked with
a white saddle. In winter the brown becomes darker and the white saddle broader. A rather
larger moufflon is found on Mount Elburz in Persia, in Armenia, and in the Taurus Mountains.
A smaller variety exists in Cyprus, where it has been preserved since the British occupation.
The moufflon is a typical wild sheep. In Sardinia and Corsica are dense scrubby forests of
tall heather, some 5 feet high. This maquia is practically impenetrable to hunters. When
alarmed, the moufflon dash into it, and are safe. The maquia has preserved two very interesting
survivals of antiquity — the moufflon, and the Corsican or Sardinian bandit. The Corsican bandit,

like the moufflon of the same island,
is nearly extinct. In Sardinia both
flourish. Many sportsmen have had
their first taj£e of big-game shooting
in the diffic^m pursuit of the moufflon
on the Sardinian mountains. Some
declare that the sport is so fascinating
that they have seldom found much
to equal it since. Mr. S. H. Whit-
bread, whose notes in "The Ency-
clopaedia of Sport " are very full on
this subject, deems that the best
season to stalk moufflon is in October
or November. The animals are then
less disturbed by shepherds and dogs,
and the moufflon are on the move
and more easily seen during the day
than in summer, when they feed at
night and rest or sleep by day.

There is a small herd of moufflon
running wild in one of the English

f *o/o by W. P. Dando

SIBERIAN ARGALI

One of the large -wild sheep of Central Asia

parks. They have a specially built
" mountain-top " of stone to make a

home of, but are free to feed where they like in the park. They produce lambs yearly. It is
an interesting sight to see the quick rush of the little flock, when frightened, to their sheltering-
place, led by an old white saddled ram.

THE ARGALIS

The ARGALIS are the largest of all living wild sheep. Some measure from 3 feet 9 inches
to 4 feet at the shoulder. The horns are broad, corrugated, and curling in the male, and
in the female short, erect, and curving backwards. The male TIBETAN ARGALI has a ruff on
the throat. The usual colour is a stony grey, mingled with white in the summer in the case
of the old males. The name is applied collectively to several wild sheep found in Northern
and Central Asia. Whether these are only varieties or separate species it is difficult to say;
but the following are some of the most marked forms.

The SIBERAIN ARGALI is the characteristic wild sheep of the rocky hills and mountains of
Southern Siberia, the Altai Mountains, and Northern Mongolia. The horns curve so as to form
more than a complete circle; the upper parts are tinged with grey, and the lower are white..

THE SHEEP AND GOATS

223

BARBARY SHEEP

That fine wild sheep are found in the Atlas and Aures Mountains of North Africa

The TIBETAN ARGALI is a little

smaller in size, and has slightly

smaller horns. The rams have also

a large white ruff on the throat.

These sheep descend in winter to the

lower valleys of the Tibetan plateau,

returning to the higher ground in

spring. The lambs are born in May

or June.

LlTTLEDALE'S SHEEP is a

smaller animal, found on the Sair

Mountains in the Great Altai, on the

northwestern border of Mongolia. It

is darker in colour than the argali or

Marco Polo's sheep, and has dark

under-parts.

Writing of the argali of Southern

Siberia, the naturalist Brehm says

that when the Tartars want mutton

an argali hunt is organised. The

Tartar hunters advance on their horses

at intervals of 200 or 300 yards, and

when the sheep are started generally

manage, by riding, shooting, coursing them with dogs, and shouting, to bewilder, shoot, or

capture several.

On the high plateau of the Pamirs and the adjacent districts MARCO POLO'S SHEEP is

found. The rams are only slightly less in size than the Siberian argali ; the hair is longer than

in that species, and the horns are thinner and more slender and extend farther in an outward

direction. An adult ram may weigh 300 Ibs. The first description of this sheep was given

by the old traveller whose name it now bears. He said that on the Pamir plateau wild

animals are met with in large numbers,
particularly a sheep of great size,
having horns three, four, and even
six palms in length. The shepherds
( ? hunters) form ladles and vessels
from them. In the Pamirs, Marco
Polo's sheep is seldom found at less
than 1 1,000 or 12,000 feet above the
sea. In the Thian-shan Mountains
it is said to descend to 2,000 or
3,000 feet. They prefer the hilly,
grassy plains, and only seek the hills
for safety. On the Pamirs they are
said to be very numerous in places,
one hunter stating that he saw in
one day not less than 600 head.

THE BIGHORN SHEEP OF AMERICA

AND KAMCHATKA
North America has its parallel
to the argalis in the famous BIGHORN.
It is now very rare even in Northern

BARBARY SHEEP

Thii shows a Jine ram, -with a mane reaching almost to its hooft

224 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

at various
Mountains
In habits
other

as

Canada, and becoming scarce in the
United States, though a few are
found here and there
points on the Rocky
as far south as Mexico.
it is much the same
wild sheep — that is to say, it
haunts the rock-hills and " bad
lands " near the mountains, feeding
on the scanty herbage of the high
ground, and not descending unless
driven down by snow.

The bighorn sheep are very
partial to salt. Mr. Turner
Turner, who hunted them in
East Kooteney, says : " Wild sheep
make periodical excursions to the
mountain-tops to gorge themselves
with salty clay. They may remain
from an hour to two days, and
when killed their stomachs will
be found full of nothing but the
clay formed from denuded lime-
stone, which they lick and gnaw until sometimes deep tunnels are formed in the cliffs, large
enough to hide six or seven sheep. The hunter, standing over one of these warrens, may
bolt them within two yards of him. In the dead of winter sheep often come to the woods to
feed on fir-trees. At such times they may be seen mixed with black-and-white-tailed deer,
low on a river-bank. I have known them come within forty yards of an inhabited hut."

While on the subject of the fondness of sheep and deer for salt, we may mention an
anecdote told by Mr. H. C. Nelson in Country Life. He was sleeping with two other friends
in a hut in the mountains where some miners had lived for a time. These men, when
they washed up their pots and pans, threw the slops away at a certain place close by the
hut. As all water used for cooking meat has salt put into it, a little salt remained on the
surface. This the wild deer had found out, and were in the habit of coming to lick it at
night. Mr. Nelson had a shot at one some twenty yards from the hut.

The bighorn sheep stands from 3 feet 2 inches to 3 feet 6 inches at the shoulder. The
horns are of the general type of the argalis, but smoother. Another bighorn is found in
Kamchatka. There is also a beautiful white race of bighorn inhabiting Alaska. The typical
Rocky Mountain race is browner than the Asiatic argalis, and in winter is dark even beneath
the front parts of the body. It is not found on the high peaks of the great ranges, but on
difficult though lower ground on the minor hills.

l-hittt by J. U'. Me Lilian

BURHAL WILD SHEEP

Sometimes called the Blue Sheep. They have a wide range both on the Himalaya and
north of those mountains

THE OORIAL

The vast range of the Himalaya affords feeding-ground to other species of wild sheep
and wild goat, so different in the shape of the horns that the variations of the ovine race
under domestication need not be matter for wonder when so much variety is seen in nature.

The OORIAL, or SHA, is found in North-west India, on the Trans-Indus Mountains, and
in Ladak, Northern Tibet, Afghanistan, Baluchistan, Turkestan, and Southern Persia. The
horns make a half-curve backwards, and are flattened. The angle with the horizontal line
across the ears is about half a right angle. The coat is of a reddish-brown colour, with white
on the belly, legs, and throat. This species has a very wide geographical distribution, and is
the only wild sheep found in India proper.

THE SHEEP AND GOATS

225

THE BARBARY SHEEP, AOUDAD,

OR ARUI

This is a large wild sheep of
the North African highlands. The
old rams have a very fine appearance,
with a long flowing beard or mane,
and large horns. These wild sheep,
though somewhat goat-like in appear-
ance, are typical of their race in
general habits. They live in the
Atlas Range, and in the splendid
heights of the Aures Mountains, which
lie at the back of Algeria and fringe
the great Sahara Desert. In the
isolated and burning rocks which jut
up in the desert itself into single
mountains they are also found, living
on ground which seems absolutely
destitute of water, grass, or vegetation.
They live singly or in small families ;
but the rams keep mainly alone.
Sometimes they lie in shallow caves
during the heat of the day. These
caves smell like a sheep-fold. More
generally the sheep repose on some
shelf of rock, where they exactly
match the colour of the stone, and
are invisible. The ground is among
the most difficult in which any hunt-
ing is attempted, except perhaps in

Photo b, J.r. frwman-} [B,rkham,t.d

PUNJAB SHEEP

Thil it an example of one of tht breedi -which carry no woo. whatever

chamois stalking; but the pursuit seems to fascinate sportsmen. Mr. A. E. Pease recently

gave some charming descrip-
tions of the silence, the rugged
rocks, and the astonishing
views over the great orange
Sahara Desert seen from the
tops of these haunts of the
Barbary sheep — mountains on
the summits of which his Arab
guides would prostrate them-
selves in evening prayer as
the sun sank over the desert,
and then, rising, once more
resume the chase. The young
lambs of the Barbary sheep
are charming little creatures,
more like reddish kids. They
can follow the mother over the
steepest ground at a great
LN.rth F,«MV pace. When caught, as they

Photo b) L. Midland, F.Z.S.] . , A ,

FAT-TAILED SHEEP sometimes are by the Arabs,

The fat tail of tbi. .beef vat considered by Charle, Darvin a, due to degeneration they SOOtt become tame. The

29

226 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Phott by W. P. Dandt]

[Rigent'i Park

FOUR-HORNED SHEEP

There are several breeds of these sheep, some from China, some from Iceland, and others from

South Africa

tail is longer than in other
wild sheep, and in the males
a large mane covers the chest.

THE BURHAL, OR BLUE SHEEP

This species possibly indi-
cates the transition-point from
the sheep to the goats. It
was pointed out by Mr. Brian
Hodgson that it had certain
features more like the goats
than the sheep, and later
other writers laid stress on
structural differences of the
same kind, both in skull and
horns. It has not the dis-
agreeable odour of the goats ;
but the black markings which
separate the white of the belly
from the brown of the flanks, and run down the front of the legs, are like those seen on some goats.
The horns rise in a curve outwards and downwards. The largest are only some 30 inches long.
Burhal are perhaps the commonest of all Asiatic wild sheep. They inhabit the whole
length of the higher Himalayan Range, and are found over and round the Central Asian plateau
as far north as Yarkand. The horns make two half-moons at right angles to the skull. Unlike
some of the other wild sheep, burhal often climb the very highest ground of all. Much of
the best burhal ground is above 17,000 feet high, and, as Mr. Whitbread remarks, this alone
makes the chase of such an animal difficult. As in the moufflon, the mutton is excellent.
There is no difficulty whatever in taming these wild Himalayan sheep ; those in the Zoological
Gardens are practically domesticated.

DOMESTICATED SHEEP

Under domestication sheep exhibit a wide variety of coat, shape, and size, very striking
to the eye, and very important in regard to
the produce of wool or mutton. The intro-
duction of a particular breed, with long wool
or short wool as the case may be, has often
saved or altered for a time the economic
condition of a colony or province. It was
the introduction of the sheep which gave
Australia first rank among the rich colonies
of the world ; and the discovery that the
Cheviot breed would thrive on the Scotch
hills made millions of acres remunerative
which might otherwise have been very un-
productive. But the only important change
in the structure of the sheep in domestica-
tion is the lengthening of the tail. The
carcase may be fat mutton or thin mutton,
the wool long or short, fine or coarse ; but
the sheep itself remains true to type, and of
much the same docile habits, under all the

changes of the breeders.

Photo by J. T. Ntwman"]

SOUTH DOWN SHEEP

The finest breed of down-sheep

i Berlhamited

THE SHEEP AND GOATS

227

We may first say a word or two as to foreign breeds of sheep, especially those of the East.
Some of these resemble the wild breeds in having smooth coats and almost no wool. The SOMALI
SHEEP, for instance, yield no wool useful for felting or spinning. They have drooping ears and
black heads. Some of the finest natural wool is developed by a white sheep in Tibet. The fur
is usually sold as Tibetan lamb. The wool is exactly like white floss-silk. When cured by
the Chinese, the leather is like white kid, with this flossy wool attached.

In India and Persia the sheep is sometimes used as a beast of burden. Mr. Lockwood
Kipling, in his " Beast and Man in India," says : " Borax, asafoetida, and other commodities
are brought into India on the backs of sheep in bags. The flocks are driven in large numbers
from Tibet into British territory. One of the sensations of journeying in the hills of the
' interior,' as the farther recesses of the mountains are called by Anglo-Indians, is to come
suddenly on such a drove, as it winds, with the multitudinous click of little feet, round the

Photo h W. Rtitf]

, N.B.

MERINO RAMS

The bat -wool-producing sheep. Imported from Spain to Australia

shoulder of some Himalayan spur. The coarse hair bags scrape the cliffside from which the
narrow path is built out or hollowed, and allow but scant room for your pony, startled by the
hurry and the quick-breathing rush of the creatures as they crowd and scuffle past. Only
the picturesque shepherds return from these journeys. The carriers of the caravan (*. e. the
sheep), feeding as they go, gather flesh in spite of their burdens, and provide most excellent
mutton. ... In the towns of the plains rams are kept as fighting animals. A Mohammedan
swell going out for a stroll with his fighting-ram makes a picture of foppery not easily
surpassed by the sporting ' fancy' of the West. The ram is neatly clipped, with a judicious
reservation of the salient tufts, tipped with safifrpn and mauve dye, and besides a large collar
of blue beads it wears a necklace of hawk-bells."

The FAT-TAILED SHEEP of Persia and Tartary exhibits a curious provision of nature. Wher,
food is plentiful, a quantity of fat accumulates on the tail and croup. As the pasture dries up
and the animal finds little food, this store of fat is gradually absorbed. Another fat-ta.le
sheep is found from Syria and Egypt to the Cape. This has a long tail reaching to t

228

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

ground. In the Egyptian breed the tail is
broad throughout ; in the Syrian it narrows
to a point. The ordinary weight of the
Syrian sheep's tail is 15 Ibs.; but in some
well fattened examples it reaches 70 or
80 Ibs. Ludolph saw in Egypt a sheep's tail
of 80 Ibs. weight. This overgrown tail is a
great encumbrance to the animal. In order
to lighten the burden, the shepherds fasten
under it a small board, sometimes with wheels
attached, to make it easy to draw over the
ground.

In Greece, Wallachia, and Western Asia
a fine breed of sheep, quite different from
the English forms, is seen. It is called the
WALLACHIAN SHEEP. When the Zoological
Gardens were first founded here, some of
these sheep were introduced and crossed with
English breeds. The horns are tall spirals,
as in the great kudu antelope. The body
is large, and the fleece long and straight,
and more like that of the long-haired goats
than curly wool.

There are now few countries in the
world to which sheep have not been intro-
duced. They were probably among the
earliest animals to be domesticated. Cer-
tainly they are the first to be mentioned ;

for we learn that " Abel was a keeper of sheep," while Cain tilled the earth. The feud

between the keeper of flocks and the grower of crops

typified in this ancient quarrel still goes on wherever

the wild mountain breeds of sheep are kept, for

there is of necessity always danger that the wander-
ing sheep may raid the plots of corn. In Spain a

curious and ancient set of laws regulates the passage

of the flocks to and from the mountain pastures

through the corn-lands.

It is said that the name of the famous breed of

Spanish sheep known as MERINOS recalls their foreign

origin from across the sea, and that they were originally

imported into Spain from England. Whether that be

so or not, it is certain that no one could recognise

them now. The finest merino sheep, especially those

bred in Australia, into which country they were

imported some forty years ago, look as if covered

with a dense growth of moss. The close wool grows

not only on their backs, sides, and bellies, but on legs,

forehead, and nose. There are believed to be ten

millions of merino sheep in Spain, most of which

are migratory. They are called " transhumantes,"

and are taken from the plains to the mountains

and from the mountains to the plains yearly. These

Photo by J. T. Ntwman]

BLACK-FACED MOUNTAIN-SHEEP

The sheep of the high mountains and heather-moors

Photo by J. f.

mm

[Btrkhamsttd

LEICESTER EWE

A heavy t long-ivoolled breed

THE SHEEP AND GOATS

229

" transhumantes " are divided into flocks, each under a head shepherd, or " majoral." The
flocks follow the shepherds, who lead the way, and direct the length and speed of the journey.
A few wethers, trained to the business, follow the shepherds, and the rest come in due order.
Powerful dogs accompany them as guards. This system of sheep migration is controlled by
a tribunal termed the Mesta. It can be traced back to the middle of the fourteenth century.
By it persons are prohibited from travelling along the course of the route pursued by the
flocks so long as they are on the road. It also maintains the right for the flocks to graze
on all the open or common land that lies in the way. Moreover, it claims a path ninety
yards wide through all enclosed and cultivated country. The length of the journey is over
400 miles, which is accomplished in six or seven weeks. The system works greatly to the
injury of local cultivators and stationary flocks, whose fields are injured by the migratory sheep.

Phot, by W. R,i,f]

[JTUkm, N.B.

CROSS-BRED SHEEP

Tht clati af theep keft mainly on cultivated land in the North Midlands

In England are reared the finest and most valuable sheep. This is evident from the
prices paid for them by foreigners and breeders in our colonies. Except for merinos, no
one comes to any other country but this when about to seek new blood for their flocks or
to stock new lands. Recently 1,000 guineas were paid by a firm in Argentina for a single
Lincoln ram.

Differences, well marked and of great importance, exist between our different breeds. Each
suits its own district, and each is carefully improved and kept pure by herd-books, in which all
pedigree animals are entered.

The "general utility sheep" in England is the SOUTH DOWN; in Scotland, the BORDER
LEICESTER. The former is a small, fine sheep, with close wool, and yielding excellent mutton.
It provides the meat sold in our best shops, and has largely stocked New Zealand. The
original breed of England was possibly the COTSWOLD ; it is a tall, long-woolled, white-fleeced

230

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Phott b} J. T. Ntwman]

LONK RAM

This is a photograph of the largest sheep on record

[Birihamsttd

sheep. Later a large heavy
sheep, with long wool and a
massive body, was bred in
the Midlands, and called
the LEICESTER LONG-WOOL.
This sheep gives a great cut
of wool, and much coarse
mutton. The CHEVIOT SHEEP,
originally bred on the hills of
that name, is now one of the
mainstays of the Scotch moun-
tain farmer. The Cheviots
eat the grass on the high
hillsides, while the BLACK-
FACED HIGHLAND SHEEP
live on the heather higher
up. The SUFFOLK, OXFORD,
HAMPSHIRE, and other
" Down " sheep are larger
breeds than the South Down.
The ROMNEY MARSH SHEEP
are a heavy long-woolled
breed. The ExMOORS are

small heather-sheep like those of Wales, and the SOA and ST. KILDA SHEEP, which are often

four-horned, the smallest of all.

The maintenance of flocks is now almost an essential part of English agriculture on all

chalk lands, which comprise a very large percentage of the southern counties. On the chalk

downs the flocks are the great fertilisers of the soil. Every night the sheep are folded on

the fields which are destined to produce corn in the following year. The manure so left on

the soil ensures a good crop, with no expense for carting the fertiliser from the farmyard, as

is the case with manure made by oxen kept in straw-yards.

On the South Downs, Oxfordshire Downs or Chiltern Hills, Salisbury Plain, and the

Berkshire Downs the farms have been mainly carried on by the aid of the flocks. Where

these are no longer kept the land reverts to grass, and the growing of corn ceases. On the

coarse, new-sown grasses cattle take the place of sheep, and an inferior style of farming, like

the ranches of South America, replaces the

careful and highly skilled agriculture of Old

England. In the far north of Scotland cross-
bred sheep are now reared and fed in winter

on turnips, which will grow luxuriantly where

the climate is too bleak and wet for wheat.
Formerly cattle were the main source

of wealth to the owners of Highland estates.

The sheep was only introduced after the

Highlands were subdued subsequently to

the rebellion in 1745. It was found that

the rough-coated heather-sheep throve on the

wet and elevated hills. This led to their

substitution for cattle, as wool was then dear.

Sheep are now in their turn giving way to

grouse and deer over much of the Central WELSH EWES

Highlands, as the price of wool has fallen. Ismail breed of bill-sheep

[Btrihamitid

THE SHEEP AND GOATS

231

Photo by E. Lander]

FEMALE ANGORA GOAT

The breed from -which mohair it obtained

[Eating

THE GOATS

Though the dividing-line between

the Sheep and Goats is very indistinct,

some differences are of general appli-
cation. The goats are distinguished

by the unpleasant " hircine " odour of

the males, and by beards on the chins

of the same sex, by the absence of

glands in the hind feet, which sheep

possess, and by certain variations in

the formation of the skull. The

difference between the temperament

of the sheep and goats is very curious

and persistent, showing itself in a

marked way, which affects their use

in domestication to such a degree that

the keeping of one or the other often

marks the owners as possessors of

different degrees of civilisation. Goats

are restless, curious, adventurous, and

so active that they cannot be kept

in enclosed fields. For this reason

they are not bred in any numbers in

lands where agriculture is practised

on modern principles ; they are too enterprising and too destructive. Consequently the goat is

usually only seen in large flocks on mountain pastures and rocky, uncultivated ground, where

the flocks are taken out to feed by the children.

On the high alps, in Greece, on the Apennines, and in Palestine the goat is a valuable

domestic animal. The milk, butter, and cheese, and also the flesh of the kids, are in great

esteem. But wherever the land is enclosed, and high cultivation attempted, the goat is banished,

and the more docile and controllable
sheep takes its place. In Syria the
goat is perhaps more docile and better
understood as a dairy animal than
elsewhere in the East. The flocks are
driven into Damascus in the morning;
and instead of a milk-cart calling, the
flock itself goes round the city, and
particular goats are milked before the
doors of regular customers.

The EUROPEAN GOAT is a very
useful animal for providing milk to
poor families in large towns. The
following account of its present uses
was recently published : " The sheep,
while preserving its hardy habits in
some districts, as on Exmoor, in Wales,
and the Highlands, adapts itself to
richer food, and acquires the habits as
well as the digestion of domestication.

Tbest goatt -were originally obtained from Turkey in Asia, and exported to South

Africa

Phtt, bj E. Landor]

ANGORA RAM

The goat remains, as in old days, the

232 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

enemy of trees, inquisitive, omnivorous, pugnacious. It is unsuited for the settled life of the
English farm. Rich pasture makes it ill, and a good clay soil, on which cattle grow fat, kills it.
But it is far from being disqualified for the service of some forms of modern civilisation by the
survival of primitive habits. Though it cannot live comfortably in the smiling pastures of the
low country, it is perfectly willing to exchange the rocks of the mountain for a stable-yard in
town. Its love for stony places is amply satisfied by the granite pavement of a ' mews,' and
it has been ascertained that goats fed in stalls and allowed to wander in paved courts and yards
live longer and enjoy better health than those tethered even on light pastures. In parts of
New York the city goats are said to flourish on the paste-daubed paper of the advertisements,
which they nibble from the hoardings. It is beyond doubt that these hardy creatures are
exactly suited for living in large towns; an environment of bricks and mortar and paving-
stones suits them. Their spirits rise
in proportion to what we should deem
the depressing nature of their sur-
roundings. They love to be tethered
on a common, with scanty grass and
a stock of furze-bushes to nibble. A
deserted brick-field, with plenty of
broken drain-tiles, rubbish-heaps, and
weeds, pleases them still better.
Almost any kind of food seems to
suit them. Not even the pig has so
varied a diet as the goat ; it consumes
and converts into milk not only great
quantities of garden stuff which would
otherwise be wasted, but also, thanks
to its love for eating twigs and shoots,
it enjoys the prunings and loppings
of bushes and trees. In the Mont
d'Or district of France the goats are
fed on oatmeal porridge. With this
diet, and plenty of salt, the animals
are scarcely ever ill, and never suffer
from tuberculosis; they will often
give ten times their own weight of
milk in a year."

The Kashmir shawls are made of
the finest goats' hair. Most of this
very soft hair is obtained from the
under-fur of goats kept in Tibet, and
by the Kirghiz in Central Asia. Only
a small quantity, averaging 3 ozs., is produced yearly by each animal. The wool is purchased
by n-.iddlemen, and taken to Kashmir for manufacture.

In India the goat reaches perhaps the highest point of domestication. The flocks are in
charge of herd-boys, but the animals are so docile that they are regarded with no hostility
by the cultivators of corn and cereals. Tame goats are also kept throughout Africa. The
valuable ANGORA breed, from which " mohair " is obtained, is now domesticated in South Africa
and in Australia. In the former country it is a great commercial success. The animals were
obtained with great difficulty, as the Turkish owners did not wish to sell their best-bred
goats; but when once established at the Cape, it was found that they proved better producers
of mohair than when in their native province of Angora. The " clip " from their descendants
steadily improves.

I

Phott by E. Lander] [Eaiing

BRITISH GOAT

A much-neglected breed in this country. Note the shape of this animal

THE SHEEP AND GOATS

233

By firminitn of P. Thomai, Eiq.

FEMALE TOGGENBURG GOAT

These goats are milk-goats par excellence ; they remain in profit for at least ten
months in the year. Each goat produces on an average from I/O to 120 gallons of
milk during the year

WILD GOATS

THE TUR

In the Caucasus, both east and
west, in the Pyrenees, and on the
South Spanish sierras three fine wild
goats, with some features not unlike
the burhal sheep, are found. They
are called TUR by the Caucasian
mountaineers. The species found in
the East Caucasus differs from that
of the west of the range, and both
from that of Spain. The EAST
CAUCASIAN TUR is a massive, heavy
animal, all brown in colour (except on
the fronts of the legs, which are
blackish), and with horns springing
from each side of the skull like half-
circles. The males are 38 inches high
at the shoulder. The short beard and
tail are blackish, and there is no white
on the coat. The WEST CAUCASIAN
TUR is much lighter in colour than
that of the East Caucasus, and the
horns point backwards, more like those
of the ibex, though set on the skull
at a different angle. The SPANISH
TUR has the belly and inner sides of
the legs white, and a blackish line
along the flank, dividing the white
from the brown ; also a blackish chest,
and some grey on the flank.

In the Caucasus the tur are
found on the high crags above the
snow-line in summer, whence they
descend at night to feed on patches
of upland grass ; but the main home
of the tur by day is above the snow-
line. The Spanish species modifies its
habits according to the ground on
which it lives. Mr. E. N. Buxton
found it in dense scrub, while on the
Andalusian sierras it frequents bare
peaks 10,000 feet high. In Spain
tur are sometimes seen in flocks of

B) firmiiitin if P. Tntmai, EIIJ.

from 100 to 150 each.

STUD TOGGENBURG GOAT

THE PERSIAN WILD GOAT

The original of our domesticated
goat is thought by some to be the
PASANG, or PERSIAN WILD GOAT. It is a fine animal, with large scimitar-shaped horns, curving
backwards, flattened laterally, and with knobs on the front edge at irregular intervals. It is
more slender in build than the tur, light brown in general colour, marked with a black line
3°

This breed originally came from Switzerland1, tut is now -well known in
England. The animals are Jine in tone, have a long, thin neck, with two tassel-
like appendages

234

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

along the nape and back, black tail, white belly, blackish shoulder-stripe, and a black line
dividing the hinder part of the flank from the white belly. Formerly found in the islands of
South-eastern Europe, it now inhabits parts of the Caucasus, the Armenian Highlands, Mount
Ararat, and the Persian mountains as far east as Baluchistan. A smaller race is found in Sind.
It lives in herds, sometimes of considerable size, and frequents not only the high ground, but
the mountain forests and scrub, where such cover exists. The domesticated goat of Sweden is
said to be certainly a descendant of this species.

THE IBEX

Of the IBEX, perhaps the best known of all the wild goats, several species, differing
somewhat in size and in the form of their horns, are found in various parts of the Old World.
Of these, the ARABIAN IBEX inhabits the mountains of Southern Arabia, Palestine, and Sinai,

B) fermission of P. Thomas, Ely.

SCHWARTZALS GOAT

A large, long-haired breedt which derives its name from its peculiar colour, the fore part of the body being black and the hinder part -white.

These goats are good milkers

Upper Egypt, and perhaps Morocco. The ABYSSINIAN IBEX is found in the high mountains of
the country from which it takes its name. The ALPINE IBEX is now extinct in the Swiss
Alps and Tyrol, but survives on the Piedmontese side of Monte Rosa. The ASIATIC IBEX is
the finest of the group ; its horns have been found to measure 54! inches along the curve.
This ibex inhabits the mountain-ranges of Central Asia, from the Altai to the Himalaya, and
the Himalaya as far as the source of the Ganges.

The King of Italy is the great preserver of the ALPINE IBEX, and has succeeded where
the nobles of the Tyrol have failed. The animals are shot by driving them, the drivers being
expert mountaineers. The way in which the ibex come down the passes and over the precipices
is simply astonishing. One writer lately saw them springing down perpendicular heights of
40 feet, or descending " chimneys " in the mountain-face by simply cannoning off with their
feet from side to side. Young ibex can be tamed with ease, the only drawback to their
maintenance being the impossibility of confining them, They will spring on to the roof of

THE SHEEP AND GOATS

235

a house, and spend the day there by prefer-
ence, though allowed the run of all the premises.
The kids are generally two in number ; they
are born in June.

The ibex was long one of the chief
objects of the Alpine hunter. The Emperor
Maximilian had a preserve of them in the
Tyrol mountains near the Aachen Sea; these
he shot with a cross-bow when they were
driven down the mountains. Sometimes they
were forced across the lake. A picture in
his private hunting-book shows the Emperor
assisting to catch one in a net from a boat.
He notes that he once shot an ibex at a
distance of 200 yards with a cross-bow, after
one of his companions had missed it with a
gun, or " fire-tube." When away on an ex-
pedition in Holland, he wrote a letter to the
wife of one of the most noted ibex-poachers
on his domain, promising her a silk dress if
she could induce her husband to let the
animals alone. In the Himalaya the chief
foes of the ibex are the snow-leopard and
wild dog.

THE MARKHOR

The very fine Himalayan goat of this
name differs from all other wild species. The
horns are spiral, like those of the kudu I

Phott by S. G, Paym, Jjliiburj, bj pirmttiitn if
RtthsMld

II i

YOUNG MALE ALPINE IBEX

The photograph shows the corrugated horns of the malt

MALE ALPINE IBEX

The finest wild goat of Europe, formerly common on the, Swiss dips,
now only on a limited area t/n the Italian side

antelope and Wallachian sheep. It may well
be called the king of the wild goats. A
buck stands as much as 41 inches at the
shoulder, and the maximum measurement of
the horns is 63 inches, or over 5 feet! It
has a long beard and mane, and stands very
upright on its feet. Besides the Himalaya,
it haunts the mountains on the Afghan
frontier. The markhor keep along the line
between the forest and snow, some of the
most difficult ground in the hills. The horns
are a much-prized trophy.

THE TAHR

The TAHR of the Himalaya is a very
different-looking animal to the true goats,
from which, among other characters, it is
distinguished by the form and small size

236 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

By firmission of P. Tftcmai, Esq.

NUBIAN GOAT

These goats come from Nubia and Upper Egypt. They are generally hornless
mud short-haired} the colour "varies, being sometimes black, and sometimes tan and
spotted.

of the horns. The horns, which are
black, spring in a high backward
arch, but the creature has no beard.
A buck stands sometimes as much as
38 inches high at the shoulder. It
has a long, rough coat, mainly dark
stone colour in tint.

Tahr live in the forest districts
of the Middle Himalaya, where they
are found on very high and difficult
ground. General Donald Macintyre
shot one standing on the brink of
an almost sheer precipice. Down this
it fell, and the distance in sheer
depth was such that it was difficult
to see the body even with glasses.
The tahr is fairly common all along
the higher Himalayan Range. Its
bones are believed to be a sovereign j
cure for rheumatism, and are exported j

to India for that object. A smaller kind is found in the mountains of Eastern Arabia, where ;

very few, even sportsmen, have yet attempted to shoot them.

THE NILGIRI TAHR, OR NILGIRI IBEX

Though not an ibex, the sportsmen of India early gave this name to the tahr of the
Nilgiri and Anamalai Hills. The Himalayan species is covered with long, shaggy hair; the
South Indian has short, smooth brown hair.

" The ibex," says Hawkeye, the Indian sportsman, of this animal, " is massively formed,
with short legs, remarkably strong fetlocks, and a heavy carcase, short and well ribbed up,
combining strength and agility wonderful to behold. Its habits are gregarious, and the does
are seldom met with separate from the flock or herd, though males often are. The latter
assume, as they grow old, a distinctive appearance. The hair on the back becomes lighter,
almost white in some cases, causing a kind of saddle to appear ; and from that time they
become known to the shikaries as the saddle-backs of the herd, an object of ambition to
the eyes of the true sportsman. It is a pleasant sight to watch a herd of ibex feeding
undisturbed, the kids frisking here and there on pinnacles or ledges of rock and beetling
cliffs where there seems scarcely safe hold for anything much larger than a grasshopper, the
old mother looking calmly on. Then again, see the caution observed in taking up their
resting or abiding-places for the day, where they may be warmed by the sun, listening to
the war of many waters, chewing the cud of contentment, and giving themselves up to the
full enjoyment of their nomadic life and its romantic haunts. Usually, before reposing, one
of their number, generally an old doe, may be observed gazing intently below, apparently
scanning every spot in the range of her vision, sometimes for half an hour or more,
before she is satisfied that all is well, but, strange to say, seldom or never looking up to
the rocks above. Then, being satisfied on the one side, she follows the same process on the
other, and eventually lies down calmly, contented with the precautions she has taken.
Should the sentinel be joined by another, or her kid come and lie by her, they always lie
back to back, in such a manner as to keep a good look-out to either side. A solitary
male goes through all this by himself, and wonderfully careful he is; but when with
the herd he reposes in security, leaving it to the female to take precautions for their
joint safety."

ITALIAN GOAT

From the earliest Roman Jays these goats have been the main form of livestock kept by the mountaineers of the Apennines

237

I fin-nut

238 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

ROCKY MOUNTAIN GOAT

America possesses only one species of wild
goat, the place of this genus being taken in the
southern part of the continent by the camel-like
guanacos. The ROCKY MOUNTAIN GOAT, the North
American representative of the group, is a some-
what anomalous creature. It has very few of the
characteristics of the European and Asiatic species.
In place of being active in body and vivacious
in temperament, it is a quiet, lethargic creature,
able, it is true, to scale the high mountains of the
North-west and to live among the snows, but with
none of the energetic habits of the ibex or the
tahr. In form it is heavy and badly built. It is
heavy in front and weak behind, like a bison. The
eye is small, the head large, and the shoulders
humped. It feeds usually on very high ground ;
but hunters who take the trouble to ascend to these
altitudes find little difficulty in killing as many wild
goats as they wish. These goats are most numerous
in the ranges of British Columbia, where they are
found in small flocks of from three or four to
twenty. Several may be killed before the herd is
thoroughly alarmed, possibly because at the high
altitudes at which they are found man has seldom
disturbed them. None of the domesticated sheep
or goats of the New World are indigenous to the
continent of America. It is a curious fact, well
worth studying from the point of view of the history
of man, that, with the exception of the llama, the

dog, and perhaps the guinea-pig, every domesticated animal in use from Cape Horn to the

Arctic Ocean has been imported. The last of these importations is the reindeer, which, though

the native species abounds in the Canadian woods, was obtained from Lapland and Eastern Asia.
The history of this effort at acclimatisation is curious, and maybe quoted in this connection.

When the first rush to Klondike was made, the miners were imprisoned and inaccessible during

the late winter. The coming of spring was the earliest period at which communication could

be expected. to be restored, and even then

the problem of feeding the transport animals

was a difficult one. The United States

Government decided to try to open up a

road from Alaska by means of sledges drawn

by reindeer, and the Canadian Government

devised a similar scheme. Agents were sent

to Lapland and to the tribes on the western

side of Bering Sea, and deer, drivers, and

harness obtained from both. The deer

were not used for the Klondike relief ex-
peditions by the Americans ; but theanimals

and their drivers were kept in Alaska, native

reindeer were caught, and the latest news of **"* h Ml" E' 7' B'ck

the experiment is that the deer were found HIMALAYAN TAHR AND YOUNG

Very useful for Carrying the mails in winter. The typical representative of the short-horned -wi/J goats

Photo by Mist E. 7. Beck

ROCKY MOUNTAIN GOAT

This is one of the few animals -which are white at all
seasons of the year. The horns and hoofs are jet-black,
forming a striking contrast to the beautiful coat

CHAPTER XV

THE ANTELOPES

BY F. C. SELOUS

THE TRUE ANTELOPES (including the Gazelles) are
strictly confined to the Old World, the Prongbuck
of North America differing so much from all other
living ruminants, in its horn growth and other particulars,
that it is considered to be the sole representative of a distinct
family.

THE HARTEBEESTS

With the exception of one species — the Bubal — which is
found both in North Africa and Arabia, the HARTEBEESTS are
entirely confined to the African Continent. They are animals
of large size, standing from 43 to 48 inches at the shoulder,
and are characterised by their long, narrow faces, high withers,
and doubly curved horns, which are present in both sexes.
Nine different species of this group are known to exist.

Although the ranges of these various species of harte-
beest cover the greater part of the African Continent, it is
noteworthy that each species keeps to its own ground, their
several ranges but rarely overlapping.

All the hartebeests have a strong family resemblance,
and are very similar in their habits. They are never found
either in dense forests or in swampy or mountainous country,
but are inhabitants of the arid deserts of Northern and
South-western Africa, and of the open grassy plains and
thinly forested regions of the high plateaux of the interior
of that continent. They are extraordinarily fleet and enduring,
and in my own experience I have never heard of one of
these animals, of whatever species, having been overtaken or
ridden to a standstill by a man on horseback. They are very inquisitive, and where they
have not been molested will allow any unaccustomed object — such as a European in clothes -
to walk to within easy shot of them before running off. They soon gain experience, however;
and in countries where they have been most persecuted hartebeests are the keenest-sighted
and the most wary of all African game. They are very fond of climbing to the top of the
large ant-heaps with which the plains of Africa are profusely studded, and from this point of
vantage surveying the surrounding country. They live, I believe, entirely upon grass, and
in the desert areas of their range seem able to subsist for long periods without drinking
water. Their meat I have always thought very palatable. They are generally in fairly good
condition, though they seldom carry much fat. Their fat, after being melted, becomes solid
again immediately on cooling, and clogs on the teeth whilst being eaten. But very few African
species, except the eland, ever become really fat; their life is too active, and the food-supply
too uncertain, for them to put on flesh like European deer.

239

Photo by Mill E. J. Btck

BUBALINE HARTEBEEST

A small species, found in Syria as -well as in
North Africa

240 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

'**, V" ' •

gf^'T

Philt by Ptrcy Ashtndtn]

\_Cafi Town

BLESBOK

A species formerly -very numerous in South Africa, but no-w ivell-nigh
exterminated

BONTEBOK AND BLESBOK GROUP

Nearly allied to the hartebeests are
certain other antelopes of which it will be
sufficient to mention but two species — viz.
the BONTEBOK and the BLESBOK. These
two antelopes, though doubtless distinct,
since their points of difference are constant
arid unvarying, are nevertheless so much
alike, and evidently so closely allied, that I
look upon the former as a highly coloured
and specialised race of the latter. The bles-
bok once had a far wider range than the
bontebok, and ran in countless herds on
the plains of the northern districts of the
Cape Colony, the Orange River Colony, the
Transvaal, Griqualand West, and British
Bechuanaland, whilst the latter animal has
always been confined to the sandy wastes
in the neighbourhood of Cape Agulhas, the
extreme southern point of Africa.

I think it, however, not improbable
that ages ago the blesbok ranged right
through Cape Colony to the sea-shore, and
that subsequently the gradual desiccation

of the south-western portions of the country — which is still continuing — or several years of

continuous drought, caused the withdrawal of the species northwards from the waterless parts

of the country. Those, however, which had reached the neighbourhood of Cape Agulhas, where

there is plenty of water, would have remained behind and formed an isolated race, which, being

influenced by local conditions, would naturally in course of time have become differentiated

from the parent stock. Be this as it may, the bontebok of to-day is nothing but a glorified

blesbok, being slightly larger and

more richly coloured than the

latter animal. Its horns, too, are

always black, whilst those of the

blesbok are of a greenish hue.

When they are in good condition,

the coats of both these species

of antelope, as well as of the

SASSABY, another member of this

group, show a beautiful satiny

sheen, which plays over their

purple-brown hides like shadows

on sunlit water.

The few bonteboks which still

survive are now all preserved on

large enclosed farms; but their

numbers are very small — less

than 300, it is believed. The

farmers of Dutch descent now do

their best to preserve rare species WHITE-TAILED GNU AND CALF

On their land. Thii « j^udebeest " is believed to be practically exterminated as a -wild animal

THE ANTELOPES

241

This gnu, -which is ftill found in great numbers in East Central Africa, indulges in the same curious antics as the white-tailed species

THE GNUS

These remarkable animals were once distributed throughout the greater part of Africa from
the Cape to Abyssinia, and their range is even now very extensive, though what was once the
most numerous and the most eccentric-looking species of the group has almost ceased to exist.

The gnus are of large size, and at first sight appear to have the head of a buffalo, the
tail of a horse, and the limbs and hoofs of an antelope. Their heads are very massive, with
broad muzzles and widely separated, hairy nostrils ; their necks are maned, tails long and
bushy, and both sexes carry horns. They are known as " wilde beeste," or " wild cattle," to
the Dutch colonists of South Africa.

The WHITE-TAILED GNU, or BLACK
WILDEBEEST, as it is more commonly called,
was once found in great numbers on the kar-
roos of Northern Cape Colony, and through-
out the vast plains of the Orange River
Colony, Transvaal, Griqualand West, and
British Bechuanaland. Its range, in fact,
was coequal with that of the blesbok. Even
as lately as in 1875 and 1876 I personally
saw very considerable herds of these quaint
animals in the Orange River Colony and the
Western Transvaal. When the present war

broke out in 1899, there were only two
herds of black wildebeest left alive. These
animals numbered some 500 head altogether,
and were protected by Dutch farmers. There

Phttt b} Min E. J. B"*

RED-FLANKED DUIKER

The duikers are for the most part diminuti-ve and graceful antelopes, with
simple, spike-like horns

242

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

are probably very few of them left to-day, and it is scarcely possible that this most interesting
animal will long escape complete extinction.

Black wildebeests, before they had been much persecuted, were so inquisitive that, in the
words of Gordon Gumming, they would " caper and gambol " round a hunter's waggon or any
other unusual object, and sometimes approach to within a couple of hundred yards, when,
whisking their long white tails, they would gallop off with loud snorts. They were always,
however, very keen-sighted, and soon became extremely wary and almost impossible to approach
on foot in the open plains 'they frequented, whilst their powers of endurance and fleetness of
foot were such that they could only be overtaken by a well-mounted hunter. In spite of
these advantages, however, the value of their skins, and the ever-increasing number of hunters,
armed with long-range rifles, practically brought about the extermination of this species of gnu
in a few decades.

The BRINDLED GNU is a larger animal than the last-named species, standing 4|- feet and
upwards at the shoulder. This animal once ranged from the Vaal River northwards, throughout
Eastern and Central Africa, to the north of Kilimanjaro, where its range overlaps that of
a closely allied form, the WHITE-BEARDED GNU, which is only found in certain districts of
Eastern Africa. In general habits these two varieties seem to be identical.

In the interior of Southern Africa, both north

r -^ and south of the Zambesi, I have met with very

large numbers of BLUE WILDEBEESTS. They usually
run in herds of from ten to twenty individuals, but
towards the end of the dry season collect in droves of
200 or 300. They are often found in company with
zebras and sassaby antelopes. Their flesh resembles
coarse beef, and, to my thinking, is not ill-flavoured.

THE SMALLER BUCKS

In addition to the great number of antelopes
of large size which inhabit the African Continent,
there are also very many small species, the life
history and habits of some of which are as yet
but imperfectly known, since they are denizens of
dense forests, and feed principally at night.

All these small African antelopes are divided into
two sub-families. The first comprises the African
DUIKERS and the Indian FOUR-HORNED ANTELOPE,
and the second the DIK-DIKS, ORIBIS, KLIPSPRINGER,
and certain other small bush-antelopes.

The African duikers are distributed throughout
Africa south of the Sahara, and are represented
by some twenty different species, the largest of
which approaches a small donkey in size, whilst the
smallest is not much larger than a hare.

The majority of these dainty little antelopes
are inhabitants of the dense tangled forests of the
coast-belts of Africa, and are therefore but seldom
seen by travellers and sportsmen. One species of
the group however, the COMMON DUIKER of South
Africa, is a very well-known animal. This little
antelope inhabits much more open country than
most of its congeners, and has an enormous range,
extending from Cape Agulhas to Somaliland, whilst

fnttt by Miss E. J. Beck

KLIPSPRINGER

The « cliff-jumper " Is as active in its habits as a chamois,
and is found in most of the mountain-ranges of Africa

* . - :• • *

SING-SING WATERBUCK

243

c. J* WM». ar

244 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

fhttt by W. P. Dando]

MOUNTAIN REEDBUCK

One of a group of small antelopes still common in many parts of Africa

two very nearly allied forms are found
in Senegal and Abyssinia respectively.

In most species of duikers both
sexes are horned, but in the case of
the common duiker it is very excep-
tional to find a female with horns,
and in all my experience I have only
known of three such cases.

The FOUR-HORNED ANTELOPE is
the Indian representative of the African
duikers, and is found along the foot
of the Himalaya from the Punjab to
Nepal, and in suitable localities through-
out the peninsula of India. It frequents
wooded hills, but avoids dense jungle.
Like its nearest allies, the duikers, it
is solitary in its habits, more than
two of these antelopes seldom being
seen together. The growth of four
horns on the skull of this antelope and
on certain breeds of domesticated sheep is a curious fact which has not roused as much comment

as it deserves.

THE KLIPSPRINGER

Turning to the second sub-family, we may select the KLIPSPRINGER as the most characteristic
species to describe. This beautiful little animal, which is often called the African Chamois, is
found in suitable localities from the Cape to Abyssinia. In the southern and northern portions
of its range the klipspringer is an inhabitant only of rugged mountain-ranges, and ascends
to a height of 9,000 or 10,000 feet above sea-level. In the more central regions of its
habitat, however, although it always lives amongst rocks, and thoroughly justifies its name
of " rock-jumper," it is often found in regions where there are no high mountain-ranges. It
used to be very common in Matabililand, both in the Matopo Hills and on the isolated
granite kopjes which are so numerous
in that country, and usually are
not more than 200 or 300 feet in
height. In Mashonaland I have
found it living amongst granite rocks
in the beds of the larger rivers, and
actually on the same level as the
surrounding country; whereas on
Wedza, a great mountain-mass of
slate and ironstone, which rises to
a height of about 2,000 feet above
the surrounding country, and to the
top of which I once climbed, I did
not see any klipspringers. The hoofs
of this little animal are curiously
different from those of any other
African antelope, being remarkably
short and small, with very deep

, ,, „,, . Photo by S. G. Patni, Ayltsbury, by firmission of thi Han. Walter Rothschild

hollows. This adaptation to its re-

quirements enables the klipspringer MALE IMPALA> OR PALLA

to obtain a foothold On any Small The beautifully curbed born, of the male palla form i0m, of the moSt graceful of

• iropbtcs

THE ANTELOPES

projecting piece of rock, and to climb in a series of little jumps up the faces of cliffs which
seem almost perpendicular.

In height the klipspringer stands about i foot 9 inches at the shoulder. The males alone
carry horns, which are straight and ringed at the base, and vary from 3 to 5 inches in
length. The coat is of a greeny yellow-brown colour, with the hairs hollow and brittle. These
little animals are usually met with singly, or in twos and threes together. When caught
young, they become wonderfully tame, and make the most charming pets, being very playful
and fond of jumping, with surprising ease and grace, from the floor of a room on to any
elevated position, such as a table, mantelpiece, or window-sill.

THE WATERBUCKS

The largest animals in the first of three groups now to be considered are the WATERBUCKS,
antelopes of stout and sturdy build, standing from 45 to 50 inches at the shoulder, and covered
with long, coarse hair, especially on the neck, in both sexes. The males alone carry horns,
which vary from 20 to 36 inches in length, and are strongly ringed in front for three-fourths
of their length. They are sublyrate in shape, being first inclined backwards and then forwards
at the tips. There are three well-marked species of waterbuck — viz. the COMMON WATERBUCK
of South Africa, whose range
extends from the Limpopo
northwards, through Nyasa-
land to German and British
East Africa, and to the
Shebeyli River, in Somali-
land; the SlNG-SING of Sene-
gal and Gambia; and the
DEFASSA WATERBUCK of
Western Abyssinia and the
Nile Valley, south to Uganda
and British and German East
Africa. In habits all species
of waterbuck are very similar.
They live generally, though
not invariably, in herds of
from ten to twenty individ-
uals, and in such small herds . , .
there is seldom more than one full-grown male present. In the mtenor of South Africa tt
waterbuck is often met with amongst steep stony hills and at a distance of more than

' z :

Photo by

G. Paym, Aylubury, by ftrmiitun tf tht Hen. Waltir Ruhichild

MALE SAIGA ANTELOPES
These antelope* inhabit the East Russian steppes. The thick -woolly coat turns nearly wUu in

in good condition the fat is very hard. waterbucks, but are of

The REEDBUCKS are similar in essential beneath

smaller size, and have more bushy tails, and naked spots on the

the ears. AfnVa U the best known. This animal

Of this group the COMMON REEDBUCK > ^ ^ fluffy ^ which

stands 3 feet at the withers, and is of a soft greyis ' under-surface The males alone

is always thrown up when the animal runs, exposi . Q l6

carry horns, which curve backwards and then forward. .am ajeni [ ^

inches. Reedbucks are met with singly or in twos and

246 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

though I have seen as many as eight, belonging probably to three or four families, feeding in
close proximity to one another on young green grass.

Another member of the reedbuck group is the Rooi R.HEBUCK of South Africa. This
latter species, though a much smaller animal, is very similar to the common reedbuck in
colour, shape, and general appearance ; it is quite distinct in its habits and mode of life, as it
lives in small herds of from four or five to fifteen head, amongst rugged stony hills, often far
from water.

THE BLACKBUCK OF INDIA

This handsome species is found throughout India wherever there are open cultivated
plains. The male stands about 32 inches at the shoulder, and when full grown is of a
glossy black colour, with the exception of a chestnut-coloured patch at the back of the neck,
and some markings of the same colour about the face. The belly and insides of the limbs
are pure white, the line between the black and white being very clearly defined. The whole
body and frame are very compact, strong, and beautifully proportioned, and the head is carried

high. The males alone
in shape, annulated almost to
from 1 8 to 28 inches. Young
coloured instead of black,
met with in considerable
cultivated tracts alternate with
much damage to the natives'
first execute a series of pro-
before finally settling down to
prisingly fleet, and can seldom
greyhounds, although they
down without difficulty by
are often called, hunting-
The PALL A, which is
Eastern Africa fromBechuana-
the most graceful of animals,
and is never found far from
general bright reddish brown,
alone carry horns, which are
vary from 14 to upwards of
finest specimens of the palla
southerly and most northerly
animals inhabiting the inter-
and carrying shorter horns,
in herds of from twenty to
alarmed, they bound over

Photo by Miss E. J. Beet

ARABIAN GAZELLE

Gazelles are some of the most slenderly
built of all antelopes

carry horns, which are spiral
the tips, and vary in length
bucks and does are fawn-
These antelopes are usually
herds on open plains in which
waste land, and they often do
crops. When alarmed, they
digious bounds into the air
a steady run. They are sur-
be overtaken by the fastest
can be caught and pulled
trained cheetas, or, as they
leopards.

found in Southern and
land to Kordofan, is one of
It is a forest-loving species,
water. Both sexes are of a
with white bellies. The males
very graceful in shape, and
20 inches in length. The
are met with in the extreme
portions of its range, the
mediate districts being smaller
Pallas are gregarious, living
over one hundred. When
bushes or any other obstacles

with the utmost ease and grace, and appear to get over the ground at a high rate of speed.
They are, however, very commonly run down and torn to pieces by wild dogs, which hunt in
packs, and are very destructive to African game.

Of far less graceful appearance than the two preceding species is the SAIGA, which,
though structurally closely allied to the gazelles, has been placed by naturalists in a genus
by itself.

This curious-looking animal, which is chiefly remarkable for its large swollen-looking nose
and light-coloured horns, is an inhabitant of the steppes of the South-eastern Europe and
Western Asia. In height it stands about 30 inches at the withers, and is of a dull yellowish
colour in summer, turning to nearly white in winter. The males alone carry horns, which are
sometimes 13 or 14 inches long, and of a peculiar colour which has been likened to pale amber,

THE ANTELOPES

247

At the present day the saiga is only found in Europe on the plains between the Don
and the Volga, but to the east of the Ural River its range extends over the Kirghiz Steppes
and the high plains of all Western Siberia. Living in open country, and having the senses of
hearing, sight, and scent all highly developed, the saiga is a difficult animal to approach, and
can only be successfully stalked by an expert hunter. In summer it is usually met with in
small, scattered bands, which, when driven southwards by snow and cold, are collected into
considerable herds in the more southerly portions of its range. In very severe winters whole
herds have been known to perish in snow-drifts, and in such inclement seasons large numbers
are also killed by the natives. The flesh of the saiga is said to resemble mutton, and is held
in much esteem.

THE GAZELLES

We now come to the Gazelles, among which are comprised many of the best known
and most beautiful of the small or medium-sized antelopes. In the true gazelles both sexes
generally carry horns. Indeed, this rule is universal in those of Africa and Arabia ; and there

By firmissim of Htrr Carl Hag

[Hamburg

GOITRED GAZELLES FROM MESOPOTAMIA

7*«« animal* art inhabitants of rocky and dcxrt ground. They arc often kept tame hy the -wandering Arab*

are only four species known — all Asiatic — in which the females are hornless : wr. the TIBETAN
GAZELLE, PREJEVALSKI'S GAZELLE, the MONGOLIAN GAZELLE, and the PERSIAN GAM

The range of the various species belonging to this large group is very extensive, compr,
the whole of Northern and Eastern Africa, Arabia, and Western and Central Asia, as
Mongolia and India. The gazelles are inhabitants of the open plains and arid de
of the Old World, and, although sometimes met with in tracts of country whcr
certain amount of scattered bush or open stunted forest, are never found in any 1

" '"on thTldy plains of North-western Africa are found the RED-FRONTED GAZELLE of
Senegal and Gambia; the little-known MHORR GAZELLE of South-western Mo o
DAM! GAZELLE, a species which has been known to naturalists ever smcc bo.

A near ally of the last-named animal is the RED-NECKED GAZELLE «*£^*£££ul
North-ea/ern Africa are found the large and handsome So™^g^^^^
GAZELLE, of the coastlands of the Red Sea; ™^<%£££ of the'nterior of the same
maritime plains of Northern Somahland ; and t£ large and beautiful GRANT'S

country; whilst farther south the group is represented

248

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

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

[North Finchlty

SPEKE'S GAZELLE

Found in the interior of Northern Somaliland

GAZELLE, with its allies PETERS'S
GAZELLE and THOMSON'S GAZELLE.
The well-known DORCAS GAZELLE is
an inhabitant of Morocco and Algeria,
ranging through Egypt into Palestine
and Syria ; the MARICA GAZELLE, the
MUSCAT GAZELLE, and the ARABIAN
GAZELLE inhabit the deserts of Arabia ;
the EDMI GAZELLE is found in the
mountain-ranges of Morocco, Algeria,
and Tunis ; while LODER'S GAZELLE
inhabits the sandy tracts of the interior
of Algeria and Tunis. In Asia, besides
the four species of gazelle already
enumerated in which the females are
hornless, one other member of the
group is met with. This is the INDIAN
GAZELLE, a species very closely allied
to the Arabian form.

Of the whole genus GRANT'S GAZELLE is the most beautiful. This handsome animal, which
was first discovered by the explorers Speke and Grant in 1860, is an inhabitant of Eastern
Africa, from the neighbourhood of Lake Rudolph southwards to Ugogo. In size the average
height at the shoulder of males of this species is about 34 inches. The coat is close and
short and of a general fawn colour, the rump and belly pure white, and the face marked with
a rufous band from the horns to the nose and with streaks of white on each side. The upper
surface of the tail is white, with a black and tufted tip. The horns, which are very elegant
in shape, being first curved slightly forwards and then backwards, are much longer and more
powerful than in any other gazelle, and attain a length of 30 inches in the males and 17 inches
in the females.

Grant's gazelles, though they undoubtedly find their most congenial home in open
country, have also been met with by recent travellers in bush-sprinkled wastes and stony,
rugged hills. They are, however, never found in dense jungles or high mountains. They live
in herds of from half a dozen to twenty or thirty individuals, though in certain localities as
many as 200 have been seen together. They
are fond of consorting with other game, such as
Burchell's and Grevy's zebras, Coke's hartebeest,
and the beisa oryx, and are often met with at
long distances from the nearest water. They
are keen-sighted and wary, and from the open
character of the country in which they are
usually encountered are often difficult to stalk.
When in good condition, the meat of this gazelle
is said to be excellent.

The nearest ally of the true gazelles is
undoubtedly the SPRINGBUCK of South Africa.
Owing to the protection which it has received
of late years, this graceful antelope is now a
common animal in many parts of South Africa,
and in the north-western portions of the Cape , ,

Photo by If. P. Danda]

Colony still sometimes collects into prodigious

herds, which travel through the country in dense GAZELLES FROM EGYPT

masses, destroying every Vestige Of graSS On the Seen in great numbers in the Bayuda Desert

THE ANTELOPES

249

Photo by W. P. Dando]

RED-FRONTED GAZELLE

Inhabits Dongola and Scnaar

line of their advance, and causingconsiderable

anxiety to farmers, whose flocks of sheep

and goats are sometimes swept away by the

migrating springbucks. In former years the

migration of these antelopes in countless

thousands from the deserts of Namaqualand

to the countries farther south was a common

occurrence, an unerring instinct guiding the

wandering herds to districts where rain had

lately fallen and caused a new growth of

green grass. The animals composing these

migrating herds were called by the Dutch

settlers of the Cape Colony " Trekbokken,"

or " travelling-bucks."

Two other antelopes, the DIBATAG and

the GERENUK, are included in the present

group ; but both, whilst typically gazelline

in certain respects, differ so much in other

ways from all members of that group that

each has been placed in a separate genus.
The DlBATAG is a very remarkable-
looking antelope, only found in certain

districts of Central Somaliland, where it was first discovered by Mr. T. W. H. Clarke in 1890.

This species shows the face-markings of the gazelles, whilst the horns, which are only present

in the males, much resemble in shape those of a reedbuck. They are rather short, attaining

a length of only II or 12 inches, and their basal halves are strongly ringed in front.

The neck of this antelope is singularly long and thin, and the tail, which is held curved

forwards over the back when the animal is in motion, is also much elongated, and only tufted

at the tip. The dibatag frequents sandy ground sparsely covered with low thorn-bushes,

and lives in small families, being usually met
with in twos or threes, whilst it is rare
to find more than four or five consorting
together.

The GERENUK, like the last-named animal,
is an East African species, but has a more
extended range, being found all over Somali-
land, and thence southwards to the Tana
Valley and the Kilimanjaro district of British
East Africa. The most remarkable external
characteristic of this species is the exces-
sively long neck. The males alone carry
horns, which attain an average length of
12 or 13 inches, and, though somewhat
gazelle-like in shape, are more strongly
crooked forwards at the points. The skull
of this species is more dense and solid in
structure than in the true gazelles, and the
cheek-teeth are smaller in size.

Coming now to the Sable Antelope
group, we find an assemblage of antelopes
which are all of large size and handsome
appearance, and in all of which both the

Photo by IF. P. Dando']

RED-FRONTED GAZELLE

Another -v't-w of the specimen shown abo-va
32

[Rtgtnt's Par

Phvto Ay Percy Jtshtndtn]

[Caft Town

MALE SPRINGBUCK

Once the most numerous species in South Africa, 'where it is still not uncommon. Its migrations, or (t treks," at certain seasons "were one

of the sights of the -veldt

males and females are horned. With the single exception of the BEATRIX ORYX, which
inhabits Arabia, all these antelopes are denizens of Africa. One species of the group, the
BLUEBUCK, which appears to have been entirely confined to the mountainous districts of the
Cape Peninsula, became extinct during the first decade of the last century. Little is known
as to the life history of this animal, but it was undoubtedly nearly allied to the larger and
more handsomely marked ROAN ANTELOPE. This latter animal once had a more extensive
range than any other antelope, as it was found in almost every part of Africa south of
the Sahara, with the exception of the Congo forest region. It has now been exterminated
in the more southerly portions of the country, but from the Limpopo to the Upper Nile,
and thence to the Niger, it is still to be found wherever the surroundings are suitable to its
requirements.

A large bull roan antelope will stand 4 feet 9 inches at the withers. The general colour
of the body differs in individuals, even in the same district, varying from a very light shade
of brown to dark grey or red-roan. The front and sides of the face are jet-black in the adult
male, and dark reddish brown in the female, with two long white tufts of hair under the
eyes. The muzzle and extremity of the lower jaw are white. The hair on the under side of
the neck is long and coarse, and a stiff mane about 3 inches in length runs from behind
the cars to the withers. The ears are very long, and in the females and young males
tufted. The horns are curved backwards, and in the male are very stout and strong, attaining

THE ANTELOPES

251

a length of from 26 to 34 inches. In the female the horns are shorter and slighter, and
not so strongly ringed.

Roan antelope are usually met with in small herds of from six to a dozen members, and
never congregate in large numbers. I do not think I have ever counted as many as thirty
together. I have found them fairly common in certain districts, but nowhere very plentiful.
They frequent open plains and thinly forested country, and are never found far away from water.
Bucks often become savage when wounded, and will sometimes charge viciously if approached
incautiously. They can use their horns with great dexterity, and play havoc with a pack of dogs.

The SABLE ANTELOPE, though considerably smaller than the roan, is yet a handsomer
animal. In colour the adult male, when in high condition, is jet-black all over with the
exception of the white face-markings and the snow-white of the belly and insides of the
thighs. The mane is longer and more bushy than in the roan antelope, and often hangs down
on either side over the withers. The horns, too, are much finer, and, sweeping backwards
in a bold curve, are commonly upwards of 42 inches long, and have been known to reach
50 inches. The striking colour, large size, and horns of this creature make it one of the
most-prized trophies of the sportsman. The skin, when prepared and laid down as a rug
in halls or dwelling-rooms, is far more handsome than that of any deer. The female of this
species is usually of a rich
red-brown in colour instead
of black as in the male.
South of the Zambesi, how-
ever, old cows become almost
absolutely black. North of
the Zambesi both male and
female sable antelopes are
dark red in colour rather
than black. The horns in
the female are slighter and
less curved than in the
male, and are also consider-
ably shorter, as a rule not
measuring over 30 inches in
length.

The range of the sable
antelope extends from the
northern districts of the
Transvaal to German East
Africa. In the country be-
tween the Limpopo and the
Central Zambesi it used to
be a very common animal,
especially in the northern
districts of Mashonaland. It
is partial to open forests
intersected by grassy, well-
watered glades, and is never
found on open plains entirely
devoid of bush. It is usually
met with in herds of from
twelve to twenty individuals,
but I have often seen as
many as fifty, and once

P)ut» by S. G.

Ajltiburj, ir ftrmiuien »/«*« «•». If alt" KotfiithiU

SABLE ANTELOPE

A near alh of the Roan Antelope, from -which it is broadly distinguished by its striking cohra-
tion — black and -white

252 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

fhoto by the Duchess of Btdford]

ROAN ANTELOPE

In common with the Sable Antelope and the Oryx group, both sexes of this species carry

harm

counted between seventy and
eighty together. However large
a herd of sable antelopes may
be, it is very exceptional to find
with it more than one fully
adult male, from which fact I
should judge that these animals
of a very jealous and

are

pugnacious disposition. When
wounded and brought to bay by
dogs, a sable antelope defends
itself with the utmost fury, using
its long scimitar-shaped horns
with most wonderful quick-
ness and dexterity. If badly
wounded it will lie down, other-
wise it fights standing. Keeping
its face to some of its foes, with
a sideways twist of its head
it will transfix and throw into
the air any dog which attempts
to attack it from behind. I
have seen a wounded sable
antelope, when lying down,
drive one of its horns clean
through a large dog deep into
its own haunch, and I have

had four valuable hounds
killed and four others
grievously wounded by one
of these animals in less than
a minute. I once knew a na-
tive hunter who was stabbed
through the kidneys and
killed byasable antelope cow.
The nearest allies of the
sable and roan antelopes are
the various species of the
genus Oryx. In this group
are included the WHITE
ORYX, which inhabits the des-
ert regions of the interior of
Northern Africa from Don-
gola to Senegal ; the BEATRIX
ORYX of Southern Arabia;
the GEMSBUCK of South-
western Africa; the BEISA,
which is found in North-east
Africa from Suakim south-
wards to the river Tana ; and
the TUFTED BEISA, which is

Photo by Ntrman B Smith, Esq.]

MALE OF GRANT'S GAZELLE

This fine East African species is one of the handsomest of its kind

THE ANTELOPES

253

very nearly related to the last-named species, whose place it takes south of the Tana River in
certain districts of British and German East Africa. In general appearance there is a strong
family resemblance between the different species of oryx. In all of them both sexes carry
horns, which are considerably longer, though somewhat slighter, in the females than in the
males. In the white oryx the horns are curved backwards ; but in the other four species they
are straight, or nearly so. In all the faces are conspicuously banded with black and white,
and the tails long, with large dark terminal brushes. The two most desert-loving species, the
white and the Beatrix oryx, are paler in general body-colour than the other three, and
the latter animal is considerably smaller than any other member of the group, standing not
more than 35 inches at the withers. The gemsbuck is the largest and undoubtedly the
handsomest of the group, standing 4 feet at the shoulders; the horns of the females are
often upwards of 40 inches long, and have been known to attain a length of 48 inches.

In habits all species of oryx seem to be very similar. They are denizens of the arid sun-
scorched plains of Africa, which are not necessarily devoid of all kind of vegetation, but are
often covered with stunted bush, and carry a plentiful crop of coarse grass after rain. Oryx
usually run in herds of
from four or five to fifteen
or twenty, though the
beisa, the most abundant
of the group, has been
met with in troops
numbering 400 or 500
head. All the oryx are
shy and wary, and in the
open country they usually
frequent are difficult to
approach on foot. If
pursued on horseback,
they run at a steady
gallop, which they can
maintain for long
distances, swinging their
bushy black tails from
side to side, and holding
their heads in such a
way that their long
straight horns are only

sloped slightly backwards. Fleet and enduring, however, as oryx undoubtedly are, I am of
opinion that in these respects the gemsbuck of South Africa, at any rate, is inferior to all
other large antelopes living in the same country, with the single exception of the eland. I
have often, when mounted on a fast horse, galloped right up to herds of gemsbuck, and on
two occasions have run antelopes of this species to an absolute standstill. Oryx of all
species should be approached with caution when badly wounded, as they are liable to make
short rushes, and can use their horns with great effect.

Nearly related to the antelopes of the Oryx group in many essential characteristics, yet at
once distinguishable by its spiral horns and broad reindeer-like feet, the desert-haunting ADDAX
has been placed in a separate genus, of which it is the sole representative.

This remarkable animal stands about 38 inches in height at the withers, and vanes in
general colour at different seasons of the year, from brownish grey to a reddish hue.
forehead is covered with a thick growth of bushy black hair, beneath which there is a patch
of white extending across the nose to under the eyes. The hindquarters, tad, an
are white. The horns are spiral, and are present in both sexes.

GROUP OF BEISA ORYX

This most interesting photograph, taken by Lord Delamere, sho-ws a group of these fine antelopes on the

East African plains

In the male they attain

254 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Phut by S. G. Paynt, Aylubury^ by ftrmission of the Hon. If alter Rothschild

WHITE ORYX

Found in Northern Africa from Dongola to Senegal

those thirsty regions. It is killed in considerable
its flesh and hide, and is either stalked or hunted on
by Europeans.

The last of the sub-families into which modern
naturalists have divided the antelopes of the
world comprises some of the handsomest species
of the whole group, and includes the largest of
all antelopes, the Eland, as well as such small
and beautifully marked creatures as the Harnessed
Bushbucks.

With one exception — the Nilgai — all the
members of this sub-family are denizens of the
great African Continent.

The NILGAI, or BLUE BULL, is an inhabitant
of India, and is found throughout the greater
portion of the peninsula, from the base of the
Himalaya to the south of Mysore. It is an animal
of large size, standing about 4 feet 6 inches at the
shoulder. In general colour the male is of a dark
iron-grey, the female tawny fawn. White spots
on the cheeks and just above the hoofs on the fore
and hind feet are the outward signs of its affinity
to the African harnessed antelopes. The male
alone carries horns, which are nearly straight and
very small for the size of the animal, rarely exceed-
ing 9 inches in length.

Passing now to the Harnessed Antelopes of
Africa, our attention is first claimed by the BUSH-
BUCKS. Excluding the Inyala and the Broad-

a length of about 28 inches in
a straight line, and about 36
inches following the spiral. In
the female they are thinner and
less spirally curved. The addax
is confined to the desert regions
of Northern Africa from Dongola
to Senegal, and the broad, rounded
hoofs, so unlike those of any
other antelope, would seem to
show that it inhabits countries
where the soil is deep, soft
sand.

Very little is known of the
life history or habits of this
antelope. It is said to associate
in pairs or small herds, and to
be entirely independent of water,
though it travels great distances
over the desert in the track of
thunder-storms for the sake of
the young herbage which grows
so quickly wherever rain falls in
numbers by the Arabs for the sake of
horseback, with the help of greyhounds,

Photo by IV. P. Dando] [Rigint' i Park

BEISA ORYX

The beisa is found in North-east Africa ; by some it is believed
to have, suggested the original idea of the unicorn

THE ANTELOPES

255

horned Antelope, we find

several forms of the smaller

bushbucks recognised by

naturalists: viz. the HAR-
NESSED ANTELOPE of the

forest regions of Western

Africa; the CAPE BuSHBUCK

of South Africa ; CUMMING'S

BUSHBUCK of Eastern Africa;

and the DECULA BUSHBUCK

of Abyssinia. The various

forms of bushbuck vary in

general colour from verydark

brown to various shades of

grey-brown, yellow-brown,

and rich red. In all species

the young are more or less

striped and spotted ; but
whereas in some forms the

adultanimalslose theirstripes

and spots almost entirely, in

others the adults are more
richly marked than immature
specimens. Formypartjam
inclined to believe that, if
largeseries of bushbuck-skins
were collected from every
district throughout Africa, it
would be found that all the
varieties of this animal at
present accepted as distinct
species would be found to
grade into one another in
such a way that only one true
species could be recognised.

The bushbucks vary in height at the shoulder from 28 inches to 33 inches, and only the
males carry horns, which are nearly straight, with a close spiral twist, and measure in adult
animals from 10 inches to 18 inches in length.

Bushbucks are not found in open country, but live in forest or thick bush near the
bank of a river, stream, or lake, and are never met with far from water. They are very
partial to wooded ravines amongst broken, mountainous country, provided such districts are well
watered; and are very solitary in their habits, both males and females being usually found
alone, though the latter are often accompanied by a kid or half-grown animal. They are shy
and retiring, and should be "looked for between daylight and sunrise, or late in the evening, as
they are very nocturnal in their habits, and lie concealed in long grass or thick bush during the
heat of the day. Their call resembles the bark of a dog, and may often be heard at nights.

The BROAD-HORNED ANTELOPE is only found in the forests of the West African coast range,
from Liberia to Gaboon. The male of this species is a very handsome animal, standing about
43 inches at the withers, and is a bright chestnut-red in general colour, with a white spinal
stripe extending from the withers to the root of the tail, and fourteen or fifteen wh.te stripes
on the shoulders, flanks, and hindquarters. The ears are large and rounded, and the horns very
massive, and about 30 inches in length, measured over the single spiral twist.

by S. G. Tayne, Ajltsbury, by firmission of I hi Han. Walttr Rothschild

GERENUK

A gazelle-like antelope -with long neck and legs, inhabiting North-east Africa

256 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Phtti by Ytrli & Son'] [Noting Hill

FEMALE NILGAI

The largest of the antelopes of India, and a distant cousin of the Kudu

horns, which are only present in the male,
attain a length of about 2 feet in a straight
line, and 30 inches along their spiral curve.
The standing height at the shoulder of males
of this species is about 42 inches.

This most beautiful antelope has a very
restricted range, being only found in a narrow
belt of coastland extending from St. Lucia Bay
to the Sabi River, in South-east Africa, and in
a still smaller area in the neighbourhood of the
Upper Shiri River, in British Central Africa.

Before the acquisition of firearms by the
natives in South-east Africa, the inyala was very
plentiful in Northern Zululand and Amatonga-
land, and was then to be met with in herds of
from ten to twenty individuals ; whilst the males,
which at certain seasons of the year separated
from the females, were in the habit of consorting
together in bands of from five to eight. Constant
persecution by the natives in Amatongaland and
the countries farther north very much reduced
the numbers of inyalas in those districts a long
time ago; but in Zululand, where this animal
has been strictly protected by the British
authorities for the last twenty years, it was still
plentiful up to 1896, when the rinderpest swept
over the country, and committed such sad

three large white spots on the cheeks, and a
broad white arrow-shaped mark across the nose
below the eyes. The female is similar in
colorationto the male, but smaller and hornless.

Little or nothing is known as to the
habits of this very beautiful antelope. Du
Chaillu, who met with it in the interior of
Gaboon between 1856 and 1859, says that it
is " very shy, swift of foot, and exceedingly
graceful in its motions " ; but he does not
tell us whether it lives in pairs like the
bushbucks, or in small herds like some of its
other near allies.

The IXYALA is another bush-loving ante-
lope closely allied to the bushbucks. In this
species the general colour of the adult malt
is a deep dark grey, that of the female and
young male bright yellow-red, and both sexes
are beautifully striped with narrow white
bands on the body and haunches. In the
male long dark hair hangs from the throat,
chest, and. each side of the belly, and fringes
the front of the thigh almost to the hock,
and the back of it up to the root of the
tail. The ears are large and rounded ; and the

[Nutting Hiil

ADDAX

Unfortunately, the specimen from 'which this photograph was taken
had lost its splendid spiral horns