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32X

]

RKNOV,

Tht

THE PECl

Atla

AND OP^
SHI

Vast

EMBEL

EARTH, SEA and sKY

MARVELS 01^ TliH UNIVI'RSE

A FULL AND ORAIMHC Dl'SCRIl'TIOX OF ALL THAT Ir5 WOXDFK FUI. IN

KVHliV CONTINENT OF THE (U.OBE, IN THH WORLD OF

NVATuRS AND TIIL: STARRY II i:AV1:NS.

COX I'AIXIXC.

^h^illing HdVentoe^ on Land and Sea

RENOV.'XKD DISCOVICRIKS OF TIIK WORLD'S CrRl'.ATIvST ICXl'LORURS

IN ALL AGES, AND RK.AIARK A15LF PHENOMENA IN

EVERY REALM OF NATURE.

EMUUACIXG

The Strikiiio- Physical Features of the Earth

THE PECULIAR CHARACTERISTICS OF THE HUMAN RACE, OF AXLNLVLS, BIRDS,
IXSECTS, EIC, INCLUDlXi; A VINID DESCRIPTION OF THE

Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans

AND OF THE POLAR SEAS, THE MONSTERS OF IHE DEEP, HEALTIFl'L bEA

SHELLS AXD PLANTS, SINOILAR FISHES AND DWELLERS IN IHE

WORLD OF WATERS, REM \kKALLE OCEAX CURRENTS, ETC.

-h

TOOUTHKR WITH THli

^^111(121110 plicuoiiu'iia of* tlic ^olac aui( .Sianu ^U!:itcin.:

TtiE. ^VHOLE COMPRISINO A

Vast Treasury of all that is Marvelous and Wonderful

IN THE EARTH, SEA, AIR, AND SKIES.

HENRY DAVENPORT NORTHROP, D. D.

Author of "Mat-'eloits Wonders of the Whole World,"' etc., etc.

EMBELLISHED WITH OVER 300 FINE ENGRAVINGS

R. A. n. MORROW,

ST.. jomsr.

Entered according' to Act of Congress, in the year 1887, by

J. R. JUNES,

In the Office of the librarian of Congres';, at Wahliington, D. C.

-''■■;l'

ANIMALS OF THE TKOFICS.

.«!

In the [

ume whicl

tcrtainincr;

terest resp

people; re

vels of na(

the animal

A natur;

sions oi iIk

tion of Thi

In the fii

tries and cl

fore the ad'

able delu^rt

He sees im

imajj[inary c

Coniini; (

of the crlobe

on Alps," vv

and landsli(

thousands o

sky, and th(

relics that i

creatures art

The varioi

h'gioiis rites,

exploits of hi

cost to explo

be seen, the

terestin.q^ anc(

ing revelatior

^^^f

PREFACE.

Tn the preparatior. <if this wiirk, the object has been to furnish a vol-
ume which wouhl m itself form a complete hbraiy of knowledge ami cn-
tertainmLiit. Whatever is worth knowin<r, wlnitcver is of abscMbin;^ in-
terest respecliiiL,^ the history, manner.^ anti customs of stran<^e ami curious
people ; rcspectini:^ the sinG[ular animals of pre-historic times aiid the mar-
vels of natural history, including; the curiosities and unique creations of
the animal kin'^dom, will here be found.

A natural ilivision has been made accordin;^^ to the three <^reat divi-
sions oi the universe, Earth, Sea, and Skv, and the result is a combina-
tion of Three Hooks in one Volume.

In the first part of the work the reader is conducted through the coun-
tries and climes of the whole world. He is even led back to periods be-
fore the advent of man. 'I'he ancient world with its vast forests, remark-
able delu;^es, strancTe animals and <^iL,Mntic ui)heavals rises before him.
He sees immense quadrupeds and birds, more monstrous than any of the
imai^inary creatures of old mythology.

Coming down to a later period the reader visits the famous countries;
of the globe, climbs th^ mountain ranges of Asia, stands on " Alps piled
on Alps," witnesses burnin'j, volcanoes, j.xtmct craters, terrible avalanches
and landslides, moving glaciers, earthquakes that swallow cities with'
thousands of clieir mhabitants. the brilliant aurora painted on the northern,
sky. and the fatal ravages ol cyclones, and tornadoes. The mar\'(.'lous.
relics that are discovered under the microscope, together with living,
creatures are computed by tens of thousands to the square inch.

The various Races of Men. their customs, forms of government and re-
hgious rites, human sacrifices and savage wars are fully described. What
exploits of heroism, and bravery in the face of danger and death it ha.s
cost to explore these realms and reveal their amazing secrets! As may
be seen, the book aboimds in strange adventures, startling situations, in-
teresting anecdotes, de.scriptions of curious animals and the most fascinat-
ing revelations in natural history.

(iii)

f:^-

PREFACE.

In the second part of the volunic the reader is made a vo)-a.;er over the
world of waters and an explorer of its wonderful depths. He sees here
the vast variety of inhabitants in the briny deep, coni[)risinL,r innumerable
species of livin;^ creatures, from the coral insect, building its sini^ular is-
lands, up to the huge sea-serpent, that astounding monster an 1 object (if
terror.

He is shown in this Worltl's Atiuarium the lowest forms of life, fantas-
tic shrubs, brilliant sponges, bell-shaped jelly-fishes, tlu: hairy medusae,
the glutinous hag, the curious star-fish, the electric torpetU), the fishing
frog, creatures that wear armor, the sa\'age cuttle-fish the p^'arly nau-
tilus, the flv ing-fish, the voracious shark, the singing-fi>h and other mar-
velous creatures whose multitude is as the sands of the sea.

The perils of the deep, celebrated voyages and miraculous escapes, the
most terrible shi[)wrecks, the dangers of whaling cruises and the loss of
hundreds of lives, the notable feats of tlie diving bell and the deep .sea-
dredgings which have revealed miracles of creation in the cavernous
depths of the ocean, the venturesome exploits of p.,'arl-fi:5hing : these and
niN-riad other things are here placed before the reader in glouing descrip-
tions, with elegant illu.strations, the beauty and charm of which are
apparent on every page.

The reader finds that the \-olume docs not end liere, and that he has
more worlds to conquer. He has yet to survey the starry universe and
stand in awe before the abysses of infinite space, and be dazzled by the
armies of light that sweep over the celestial plains. He gazes at Arcturus,
Orion and the Pleiades ; at clusters of nebuLx which are found to com-
prise countless orbs ; at gigantic Suns, so distant that they are called
fixed stars, arrayed, as the astronomer's telescope assures us, in all the
gorgeous colors of the rainbow; at Constellations which must have been
old when man was young, and at fleets of myriad orbs sailing in the upper
deep, led by the I^ords and High Admirals of Creation. He beholds
showers of falling meteors, and the amazing flight of comets, " those em-
blazoned flags ot L)eit\'."

Old astrology is likewise scanned, and ancient Superstitions and Gro-
tesque Beliefs are described, together with Eclipses, Coronas, Auroras
and all Celestial Phenomena.

Curious OI

. God wi

the Eat

Birds ai

Species

Reptile-

Si.xty F

Island c

Walk, L

Raiiidro

Being.s—

Wonde

PRF

Astonishing
of Repti
Skeleton
Between
Historic
The Fan
tile Ooli
Strange I
that couI(
Without

HENRY DAVENPORT NORTHROP

THE 1

Nature's Dest
Frequenc;

CONTENTS.

BOOK I

THE EARTH.

CHAPTER L
ALVRVICLS OK THE AXTEDH.UVLVN WdRED.

Curious Old Lcijends and Superstitions — A Chinese Quarryinan — A Scandinavian
God with liis Sledge- Hammtr — Strange Things Seen by a Sybil — Tiie Crust of
the Earth a Museum of Singular Relics— Footprints and Skeletons of Gigantic
Birds and I'^our-Footetl Animals — Hnormous Sizes and Uncouth I'ornis — Extinct
Species of Animal Li «. -An Inmicnse Fish-Lizard — F.xtraordinay Marine
Reptile — A Wing-Mngered Monster — A I'reak of Nature A Fossil Repti.e
Sixty Feet Long — The Scaly Hyhcosaurus — Discovery of the Mammoth — An
Island of Bones— The I luge Dinotherium - A Bulky Creature that could neither
Walk, Leap nor Climb — Natural History Printed on Leaves of Stone— Marks of
Raindrops. Trees and Birds on Rocks -Fossil Remains of Myriads of Minute
Beings — Layers of Various Kinds of Shells Forming Marble of Great lieauty —
Wonders of a Drop of Water Under the Microscope 'J")

CHAPTER H.
PRE-HISTORIC MONSTERS OF LAND AND SEA.

Astonishing Convulsions and Physical Revolutions — Fabulous Traditions — Histories
of Reptiles Written in Stone— Gigantic Inhabitants of the Ancient Globe —
Skeletons of Extinct Animals found in Rocks — A Winged Monster — Combat
Between Enormous Reptiles — 1 he 1 luge Megalosaurus — A Vampire of the Pre-
Historic Age — A Creature Curiously Constructed— The Wing-Fingered Bird —
The Famous Iguanodon — A Vivid Picture of the Early Ages — Animal Life in
the Oolic Period — A Dragon on Wings — The Remarkable Dinotherium — The
Strange Hand-Animal— The Glyptoden — The Primeval Armadillo— A Creature
that could Swallow an Ox— Megatherium— Animals in Mortal Combat — A Bird
Without Wings— Flowers in Stone— Fossil Fishes — Beautiful Shells fiJ-

CHATPER HI.
THE TERRIBLE PHENOMENA OF EARTHQUAKES.

Nature's Destructive Agencies — Tremendous Forces Pent up Within the Earth —
Frequency of Earthquake Shocks — A Country in South America Never QumjI —

(V)

VI CONTENTS.

Si-iiis of th.' A:)proachinK Disaster— A Part of our own C'Uintry Sunk by a
Convulsiuii— Tlie Great Karthquakc of Calabria— Hum. in 15ein;^'S Tosse<I in
the Air— Heavy Objects Wiiirling About— Farms Chanj;!!!},' PI ices -Jamaica
\'isitetl -i)estructi< n of the City of Lisbon— Tiie S' a Rusiiuig Madly on the
Shore— Terrii)le Loss of Life— I lorrors Multiplier! - Immense Fissures in the
F.arth— Great Calamity at Messina -Statistics Showinjj Ajipalling Destruction of
Life— Charltston in Terror— Java and Southern I'.urope Shaken 106

CIIAPTKR IV.
MOUNTAINS OF FIRI-:.

Terrible Imajjes of Grandeur— Open Mouths of Fire— The Earth a Seething Furnace
Inside— A Lii;hthouse in the Eolian Islands- Dull Thunders Shakiiiij Moun-
tains—A River of I'^ire Thirty Miles Lonj; — \'iolent Eruption of Maima Loa— A
Scene of Appalling Sublimity— Jets of Fire and Smoke a Thousand Feet Hi,L;h —
Connection Between Earthcpiakes and Volcanoes — Holl'man's Vivid Description
of I'"ier7 Stromboli -A X'olcano Bursting out of the Sea— Grah.im's Island in
Conflagration— A Party Caught by a Deluge of Ashes and Hot Stones— Cities
Buried IJr.der Floods of Lava from X'esnviiis — Remarkable Asiatic \'olcanoes —
A Strange New Zealand Tradition -The Sea Boiling and Driven Back 120

CHAPTER V.
ADVFA'TURKS AMONG STRANGE PEOPLE.

Beautiful Islands Long Veiled in Mystery— The First \'oyage Around the World —
Zoological Gardens— Tlie Natives of the Pacific Isles — Variolas Types of Sav-
ages—The Remarkable Island of New Zealand— Life Among the Maorics —
Weapons of War— A Figthiug Race of Men — An Exciting Episode— Wicked
Treachery— Hideous War Dances— Queer Performances of an Old Chief-
Children Imitating the Art of War— Savage Cannibalism — Tragic Death of a
Blind Queen— A Chief in War Costume— Witches and Witchcraft— A Native
Priest — Huge Wooden Idols — The Sandwich Islands— Beauty of the Women —
Expert Swimmers — Extraordinary Feats of Surf Swimining— The Dagger that
Killed Captain Cook— A Splendid Race of Savages— Kamehameha Catching
Spears — The Manjuesans— Elegant Tattooing— A Chief Decorated from Head
to Foot — The Puncturing Needle 143

CHAPTER VI.
WILD TRIBES AND THEIR CURIOUS CUSTOMS.

A Remarkable Uncivilized Nation in South America— Description of the Arancan-
ians — A Curious Method of Sliaving — A Hairy Upper Lip Thought to be Highly
Improper— Disputes Sjtlled by Pulling Hair— Women who Paint their Faces-
Savages who Insist on Eti(iuette--Horses Superbly Decorated — Singular Saddle
and Stirrups— Marriage Customs— An Exciting Elopement— A Furious Com-
t)at— Export Horse-back Riders— Using the Lasso— Dangerous Adventure with
a Wild Bull — The Animal in the Toils— Disgusting Cannibalism — Preferring
Human Flesh to Pork— Old "Turtle Pond "—Savage Atrocity— A Fijian
Legend —The Fijian Is'ander's Canoe —An Ingenious Contrivance— Expert

CONTENTS.

VII

Navigation — Natives of Romeo — Dyak Tirates — Small Men of Great Strens;th —
Extraordinary rhysical I-ndurance — American Indians— A Hotly l"itiuest>i,
Ball Game — An Old Arab Hunter — Capiurinjj a Hi|ipopf)tamus— The old
"River Kinj; " in his Glory — A Strnssj'e Against Udds— HariiiK of th" Nn
lives IT!

CHAPTER VII.

CURIOSITIES OF THE ANIMAL KINGDOM.

Wonderful Revelations in Natural Hi.story — Vast Multitudes of Living Creatures —
Earth, Air and Water the Home of Life — Colossal Monsters of Forest and Jun-
gle—The Towering GirafTe— Ludicrous Movements — .\ Heautiful Creature—
I'ower of .Sc'lf Defense — The (iiraft'e in the(Jld Roiuaii Circus— A .Swift Chase
and Capture - The Striped Zebra— The Most Beiutiful of (J ladrupetls— Tlu'
King of Portugal and !ns l-'our Zebras — A Creature H.ird to be Tamed — Animal
Sacrifices in Eastern Countries — The I'onderous Rhinoceros - .Made to l'i<;lit
in the Roman Colosseum— A Monster Almost Iron-Plated — H aunt < of the Clumsy
Beast — Hunting tlie Rhinoceros— Fatal Stroke with a Sword -.Story of a Terri-
ble Encounter — The Voracious Crocodile— Killed at Rom in Games — Arabs
Wounded by Crocodiles — A IViendly Bird— The Attack witli a l)a^;ger — The
Famous Gavial of India — A Reptile on Wings— The Flying Frog — A Reptile
with Exquisite Colors 1!)3

CHAPTER VIII.
WILD ANIMALS OF THE FORICST AND JUNCiLlv

Old Classic Tales Concerning the Lion — His Majesty Once a Native of Europe —
Leaping the Hedge Into the Trap— Captured by .Stratagem— liour.daries of the
Lion's King^'om — A Human Head in a Lion's Mouth— A Roar Like the Sound
of an Earthquake — Alarm of the Inhabitants of P ain and I'orest— Massive
Muscles and Immense Shoulders— A Singular Encounter — .Shocking Scene — A
Heart-Rending Cry for Help — Brute AtTection- The Sailor and Baboon— Living
stone's Adventure with a Lion— The Royal Tiger — Tamed for a Pet — Dreidful
Ferocity— .A. Guide Killed by a Blow— E.xciting Episodes in Tigtr Hunting-
Carrying Off a Buffalo—Savage Courts Entertained by Brutal Si^ort— ICIephaiits
Hunting the Tiger — The American Black Bear— The Labiated Bear — The Beat's
Song — Ludicrous Aniics — The Celebrated " Martin " — The Gigantic Hipnopota-
mus — Description of the Animal — Arrival of a River-Horse in Europe — Strange
Actions and Crowds of Curious Spectators 217

CHAPTER IX.

REMARKABLE TYPES OF ANIMAL LIFE.

The .American Puma— Killing Prey for the Sake of Killing — Two Hunters in the-
Citskills — A .Sportsman's Shocking Death — Singular Encounter with a Puma —
Power of Gentleness upon the Brute Creation — The Great Grizzly Bear — A
Clumsy Creature— Blind Bears Regaining Sight — The Fam uis Jungle Bear —
Claws of Uniijue Constructio;i — Hunter's Ingenious Methods of Capture — How

vm CONTENTS.

the "Jungler" Acts ia Captivi.y— The I5ear's Song— The Hedgehog— A Prickly
Covering— A Long Wniter's Sleep -Tae Hedgehog Proof Against Poison— The
Eternal Foe of Serpents— The Brazilian Porcu|nne— A Creature with an Extra-
ordinary Armor — Classic Legends Concerning the Porcuijine - An Animal that
Lacks Brains— Ci)mnion Porcupinr— Method of Sliowing Anger— A Quadruped
, Roiled up li!:e a B Ul -The Armadillo— A Thick Coat of Mail— A Rapid Digger
in the F:::artli— A Dom Coveretl lUlI— TumV'Hng Unhurt D nvn a Precipice -A
Sense of Wonderful Acuteness— Tiie Scaly Ant-Eater— A Toothless Animal-
Scales like those of a [•'ish— Tlie Agile Kangaroo— Curious Pouch for Carrying
Ycjung — A Long Leaper — Hard lighters — American Opossum — A Lover o1
Barn-yards — Odd Method of Transporting Little Opossums 244

CHAPTER X.
WILD SPORTS IN THP: TROPICS.

The Bulky Elephp.nt -Tale of the Assyrian Queen — Panic and Frightful Carnage —
Ivory Palaces — Thrones of Elepliants' Tusks — Elephant Gymnasts — The Mon-
ster Frightened by a Horse — Revenge for an In-ult -Droves of (}ame — Passion-
ate Cry and Wild Rush — A Situation Apparently Hopeless— At the Mercy of
the Infuriated Beist -Exploits of Jan Wildeman — A Frightened S:otsman —
Immense Quantities of Ivory — Baldwin Pursued by an Eiephani — Miraculous
Escape— lixciting Chase — Goat:^kin Clothing Torn to Shreds — The Rhinoc-
eros — Powerful Animal — Hunted widi Elephants— Terrible Weapon of Attack
and Defence— Story of a Desperate Fight — Hunting Rhinoceroses with Horses —
Strange '' Rliinoceros Birds" — Mad Beast Attacking Hunters — Lucky Shot —
" I'^ire-Eating Rhinoceros" — Routing a Camp at Night— Horse Saved by a
Bullet — Sudden Up et of a Wagon--Helping the Young to Escape--Vast Size
of the Hippopotamu-- — Anger Easily Aroused — Manner of Himtingthe River-
Horse — Hiding Ui.der Water — Cumming's Adventure with a Hippo — Man and
Beast Splashing in the Water Together— Unique Surgical Operation — Steering
the Huge Creature Ashore — Boat Smashed by a Sea-Cow — Snatched from
Devouring Jaws- Crocodiles Startled from Slumber — Dangers of Gorilla Hunt-
ing — I'ierce Aspect of the Gorilla — Amazing Power of the "Wild Man"- Ele-
phants Routed by Gorillas— Tiie Fleet Ostrich — Modes of Capturing the "Flying
Camel" — Hunters' Disguise — A Flying Run— Baldwin and Andersson's Adven-
tures — Concern of the Old Birds for their Young L'64

CHAPTER XL
SIGHTS IN THE WORLD'S MENAGERIE.

dan in tlie Jaws of the Lion— Meeting the Great Beast — Death from the Stroke < f
a Paw— Jacob Bok's Adventure — Lion's Gratitude — Magnanimity of the King
of Beasis— Shaking Mane and Lashing Tail — Tremendous Strength — Narrative
of Brehm — .Spectral Lemur— A Creature with Singular Eyes and Claws— Fine
TreeClitnbers -The I5abiroussa — Quadruple Tusks— A Restless and Ferocious
P>east— White-Lipped Peccary — Plucky Fighters— Wart-Hog— A Dangerous
Brute— Invader of Cultivated Fields— Expert Swimmer — Adventure of Captain
Harris — The Lithe Panther— Supple Muscles of Great Strength— Sudden Spring-
Thirst for Blood— Doctor Brehm's Remarkable Experience — An Old Dog-faced

f .\

?' in-' ■

, .

CONTENTS.

Baboon — Dreadful Encounter — Courage of a Malay Captain — The Tipir — An
Onmiverous Quadruped — Cousin of the Hippopotamus — A Fortunate Nose —
Whistling Tapirs — Tapir Domesticated — The Wallachian Sheep — Ilxtrac^nlinary
Horns — Splendid Growth of Wool— Mountain Sheep of Hokliara — Horns
of Surprising Size — A Dwelling on High Rocks — Flying l-'ox — Marvelous
Memljraiie — L'nitiue Product of the Animal Kingdom — Hanging from I'orest
Branches — Arctic Seals — EI .at l"ur — Hunting the Seal — Sea-Elephant— The
Walrus — Use of Tusks — Periis of Walrus Hunting 'M)6

CHAPTER XII.
FOUR HANDKD-ANIMALS.

The Gorilla — Giant cf the Forest — A Missionary's Explorations and Discoveries —
Curiosity of Civilized Nations Awakened — Gorilla Huts — Low Order of Intelli-
gence — Enormous Jaws and Physical Strength — The P"ir.;t White Man who Killed
a Gorilla — How (iorilias Bury their Dead — Thrilling Adventuresof Du Chaillu —
A Savage ComLat — The Orang-Outang — Man-like Ape — Awkward Motions —
Great Power of Mimicry — Dreaded Adversary — Laughable Tricks^Oran.i; of tiie
Prince of Orange — Esc ape from the Cage — Brute llentleness and Atlectiuu — An
O ang on Shipboard— Inveterate Tippler — Ravenous Thieves — Orang's Dc'ath —
Guereza Monk, y -l'"Jegant Decoration — Beauty of Color — Monkey (irimaces —
Droll Antics— Proboscis Monkey — Ample Dimensions of Nose — Dog-l'aced
Baboon — Immense Troops — Prowlers and Plunderers — A Chaplain's .Storj- —
Chased by Baboons — Lion Monkey — Irritable Creatures — Hairy Appenda.L;es...3;>2

ch.\]ti-:r XIII.

PKCU lAR SPECIES OF BIRDS.

The World's Favorites— Fairies of the Air— Orchestras on the Wing— Creatures
whose Clothing Grows on Tliem — Specimens of Cockatoos — Noisy Fli:.^hts —
Easily Tamed .iiid AlTectionate — Tiie Night Swallow — A Fine Streanur — I'eauty
of Color — Graceful Movements — Esculent Swallow — The Strangest I'"ood in the
World — Remarkable Nests — Sappho Humming Bird — Rainbow Colors Dart-
ing Through the Air — Sword Bill — Long Beak — Peregrine Falcon — Ancient
"Hawking" — A Bird Trained for the Chase — Combat in the Air — Secretary
Bird — A W.irrior with Wings — Death toSnakes— Power of Leg and Foot — Cour-
age; tiiat Never Fails — Remarkable 15irds' Nests — Titmousx." — Closing the Door of
the Nest— A Watchful Sentinel— Sociable Grossbfaks— Wonderful Nest— A Bird
that Sews w ith Thread and Needle — Tailor Bird's Nest— Three-Toeti Wood-
pecker — A Creature that Leaves its Mark — Penguins — Wings and Fins Com-
bined — "Sitting up Like a Major" — Description by Darwin — Traimng up ^'oung
Penguins— The World Renowned Pelican— Mnrvelous Sight — Great Assembly ol
Birds — Montgomery's Poetical Tribute to the Pelican 35-1

CHAPTER XIV.

THE IMPI'JIIAL EAGLE.

Monarch of Mountain and Forest— Majestic Flights — Gazing at the Sim — Rapa-
cious Tyrants — Elevated Nest — Symbol of Roman lunpire — Tribute of Mrs, He-
mans to Wounded Eagle— a<\ma/ing Gift of Sight — Seizure of Marie Delex — A

a:'

CONTENTS.

Monster of the Air — Children Carried Away on Wings — Frightful Encounters —
A Daring Rescue— Forest Knig on His Crag — Swift Descent —Shrewd Method
of Taking Prey — The ]5alc' Eagle — Dimensions of Sea-Eagle — Preying on Oiiad-
rupeds— Mated Once for Life — Osprey or l-'i^^h Fagie — Peculiar Foot and Toes —
Plunging Down from Vast IleigiUs — Claws of Astonishing Strength — Harpy
Eagle — Tenant of Mexico and South Americi — Hard I'ighter— Destroyer (
Animal Life — Sure Aim and I'at.*! Wow — Feathers I'sed for Del;orati^lll^■-
Striking Colors of Plumage o7.

CHAPTER XV.

CHARMING CRK.VTURKS OF TIIK AIR.

Beauty of the Bird of Paradise — Strange Guesses—'- A Heavenly Residence "—Fly-
ing Against tlie Wind — Metiiod of Catching the Paradise iJird—Kisiirjj Above
the Gale — Plumage of Wonderful Elegance — Bird Seen in a Mirror —lastidii. us
Creature — Pride of Feathers— Pretty Hedge-Sparrow — (ireat Pains in Building
a Nest — Fine Snigers— Nightingale Learning the Hedge-Sparrow's Song— Dis-
covery of the Lyre-Bird — Singular Form of Tail — Graceful Appearance — Swift
Runner — Sudden Break in the Music — Savi.ges Decorated wiih Superb Feath-
ers— Tlie Swift Swallow — Ingenious At.Tial Oars — Long Flights- 1 Extraordinary
Migrations — Guesses by Scientific Men — "When the Swallows H' 'Uieward Fly" —
Argus Pheasant— Size and Color — A Beauty o^ Simiatra— Plumage Decorated
with a Hundred Eyes— Short Life in Captivity—* )ld Birds with G.iy leathers —
Story of Crtesus and Solon— "Golden-Flower Fowl" ofCliina—r^ar- Flying Alba-
tross Expert Fisher — Nest 15uilt up on the Ground — The Plumul Crane —
Milton's Description — Story of William the Conijueror- Habits of Crane l-^am-
ily — Ludicrous Vanity of a Crane — Dweller in Tree-Tops 3lil

CHAPTER XVI.
CURIOUS SPECIMENS OF THE FEATHERED TRIP.!-:.

Tlie Odd-Looking Flamingo— " Bean-Pole " of the Bird World— I'^iery Plumage —
Elegant Appearance— Singular Nest— Remarkable Construction ot Jaws— The
" Kiwi-Kiwi "—Wingless Creatures— Descendants of the Ancient Dinornis —
New Zealand Chiefs Dressed in the Skin of the Apertyx — An Egg that Weighs
One fourth as much as the l)ird — Habits of the Apertyx — The Ostrich-Bird of
the Desert— Extraordinary Nest and Eggs — Birdlings Haiclied by the .Sun —
Aral)ian Stories of the Ostrich -Royal Carriage Drawn by a Team of Ostriches —
Riding the Two-legged Steed — Cuniring Methods of Capture American Os-
trich Described -Noisy Guinea-l'owl— Flesh of Fine Flavor— Consjiiiuous
Crest — Eggs Colored like tiie Plumage -The Sacred Ibis — Varied Colors ■ Bird
of Mexico — Egyptian \'eneration for the Ibis — Regular Migration— l-"mbalmcd
Remains in Egyptian Burial Places — The Giant Heron— Lonely Creature— In-
habitants of Marshes and Water Courses — Singular Habits — Set^king Prey -
Standing for Hours on one Leg — Little Herons— The Heron and f'alcon in
Combat — The Owl— Immense P'yes— A Night Prowler— White Owl — Tenant of
Barns— Voracity for Mice— The Owl Attacking a Man— Little Birds' Revenge —
The Darter— Long Neck— The Famous Stork-Remarkable Intelligence — A
Good Wife and Mother — Storks Sentenced to Death for Infidelity— The Adju-
tant—Blue-Headed Parakeets 413

Reptiles a
of Brt

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Ser|jent:

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intelligence
The (io:
C(iIoring
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Dragon-1
Gnats Mc

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XVII.

iiim|^

MARVELOUS CREEPING ANIMALS.

Reptiles of Antiquity — Animal Curiosities — Fanj^s of Deadly Poison — Strange Mode
of Breatiiing— Historic Chameleon — .Siiooting Tongue — Changing Colors — Two
Animals in One — A creature Asleep on one Side and Awake on the Otiier —
Five-Toed Geckos — Curious Suction Foot — Nimble Running on Smooth Sii -
faces — Tongue like a Dart — The Common Iguana — South American Reptile —
Pouch Under thv; Jaw — Huniing the Iguana — Lizards for Breakfast — Darwin's
Description of the Iguana — The Sja Guana — Attachment of Male for I'\'niale —
A G ill int Defender — Capital Swimmers — Bellowing Hull-Frogs — Frogs Giving
First Idea of IClectric Telegraph — Housed in Winter Quarters — Stories of the
Domesticated Frog — How a Frog Disappeared and what Became of Him — Won-
derful Horned-Frog — Tiie Mysterious Salamander — Old Notions about a Crea-
ture th.it could Resist Fire— Hum in Clothing that will not Burn — Land Tor-
toises—Finely Colored Siiells — Remarkable Longevity — Elephantine Tortoise —
How the Tortoise Feeds — Astounding Surgical Operation — Value of the Tor-
toise Shell— The Tun Siail —A Creeping Odtlity 441

CHAPTER XVIII.
MONSTROUS REPTILES OE THE TROPICAL WORLD.

The Crocodile — Power of Destruction— The Tyrant of tiie Tropical Seas— Double
Jaws — Teeth and Scales — Egg of the Crocodile — Old Stories of the luist — The
Crocodile's Little Friend — Danger Signal— A i arpoon Thrust — Swift Swim-
mer—Deadly Serpents — .-\ Cold Blooded Bosom Companion — Eastern Snake-
Charmers— Coolness Saves a Man's Life — Foolhardy Risk — Gnrling Killed —
Poison Working with Lightning Rapidity — Venomous \'iper— Dancing Snakes —
Fa-^cinaii »n of Music for Serpents — Death of a Notorious Serpent-Eater— A
Disgustin:< Glutton — Huge Boa-Constrictor— Blind Adoration of the Boa —
Lines by Southey— A Monster Swallowing its Bed- -Disgorging a Blanket-
Vast Size of the Boa — Enormous Muscular Power — Fed to Death— Tree Snakes
with M ignific nt Colors— The Slender Whip Snake— Frightful Acculent in
Gu1n-,a —Ghastly Fangs — The Egg-Eater — Immense Throat of a Tiny Creature —
Serpents of Surprising Beauty — Queer Popular Superstitions --Tlie Red-
Throated Lizard— Hideous Cristatus — The Curious Moloch— A Freak in the
World of Reptiles— The Pijia Toad — A Creature that Hatches Eggs on its Back —
Desrrii)tiori of tlie Ba'rachians— Death from a Toad — Winter's Sleep in a Bt tl
of Mud 4G7

CHAPTER XIX.
MARVELS OE INSECT LIFE.

intelligence Among Insects — All Sorts of Insect Mechanics — Pillaging Pirates—
Till- (io'iiaih Beetle— Monstrosities and Freaks — "Little Devils" — Gorgro -;
Coloring of Shells and Wings — Jewelry Made of Insects — Wingless Butterilie —
P'xtraordinary Changes Through Which Insects P<a.;s — Metamorphosis of the
Dragon-Fly — Perfection of Organization— Wonderful Handiwork of Nature —
Gnats More than a Match for Men — The African Fly — A Dreaded Pest — Magnified

Xll CONTEXTS.

Proboscis of a Cominnn Fly — Ainaziny Rapidity of Movement — Insect Gym
nasts and their Strength — Ingenious Mechanisms — Transformation of tlit
Common Onat — Insect Saws, Rakes, and Chisels Surpassing Man's Fine: i
Instruments — Curious Method of Talking — Fyes Like Telescopes — Military
Drill— The Remarkable Achievements of the Spider— i^n Insect Bett« r than it
Appears— Slave-Holding Ants— A Ct)lony Saved by an GUI Slave— In-ects that
Keep a Dairy- -Ants and their Milch Cow — Warrior Termites— lUiilders p;id
DL'stroyers of Towns 4'.)o

CHAPTER XX.
MUSF.UxM OF REMARKABLK INSECTS.

Anatomy of Insects Superior to that of Man — Curiously Formed Fggs— Lifting tlie
Lid and Stepping Out — Not Taking the Trouble to be Horn — Kggs Exquisitely
Decorated — S^"less Insects — Flying Lamps — Insects Illumi. aling Dwellings —
Hrilliant Ajipc ranees — Beetles — The Sacred Beetle of Fgypl — insect Under-
taker — Deatli Watch — Droll Superstition — Hercules Beetle — Six "Stars' Impris-
onment — The House Cricket — Poet's Address— Sliip Saved by a Cricket — How
the Cliirping is Done — Win-s Widiout Fii;4h'.— The Spider's Web — Ingenious
Mechanism — Water Spider — Huw Air is Ol^ained — A Complete Diving Bell —
Rapacious Bird Spider — lY-males Practicing Cantdbalism on their Husband> —
Childrjn Devouring Mothers — I'lr-ad of Myriads of I*"ibrfS — The (ireat INhnh
Family — Death's-Head M(nh — Fungus Growing on an Instct's Head — Rav.igers
of tiie I'\ire-;t — Visit to the Woods — Wliirhvind of Fire — \V iging Organized
War on Moths — Incalculable Di/struction l)y Mites— Stenognij'lit r^, Carpenters.
Joiners, Carvers among Insects — Wood-Boring Goat Moth — Making a Place for
Eggs — The Historic Locust — Ravages in the West — Flights of Devastation —
WHic-re Locusts Come From— Devouring One Another — Rapid Growth of
Young— Orchestra of Strange Instruments — Return after Scventet-n ^'ears — No
Forgetfulness — Ephemera — Creatures (;f a Day Described — liees and their Re-
markable Habits — Insect Intelligence 513

CHAPTER XXI.
CURIOSITIES OF TIIE VEGETAHLE KINGDOM.

Living Seed in the Earth— The Tap-Root — Plants that Perspire— Catt:hiiig Water
from Trees— Garden Sun-Flower— .An Old Physician Livnig in a I'air ol Settles-
Vegetable Marvel— The Weeping Tree— Plant with a Movable Lid-Water
Treasured in Plants in the Burning De-^e-^t— Leaves that Flash Lightning— The
Famous Cow-Tree- Vegetable Milk— But, er Tree — Poisonous Compounds —
"Herculean Remedy "—lndia-Rubl)er Tree— GoUIku Wealth for tin- World —
Vegetable Giants — A^-toni^hing .Magnitudes— Eigliteen Guests T.iking Supper
in a Holl i\v Tree— Enormous Liine-Tree— Normandy Oak Tm-ned into a
Cliuich— Riding on Horseback Through Tree-Ctvitie.s- Colossal iViobab—
Strange B trial Place— Gigantic Ced irs of Calif irnia— Tops I'iv- Himdred Feet
in the .\ir— Giving a Ball on a Stump— Vegetable Longevity- -Methuselahs of
the Forest— Historic Lime at Friiiourg— Old age of the Fir-Army of Cortez
imder one Tree- -Legends of TenerilTe— Dragon's- Blood Tree— Where we gtt
Camphor— '^ Serpents of the Vegetable Kingdom"— Deadly Nettles— The Fatal

CONTENTS.

xiu

Upas — Astounding Stories — Antidotes to Poison — Medicinal Treasures — Famous
Tartarian Lamb— Part Plant and Part Animal— Wonderful RalHesia— Plants
without Leaves Borrowing those of their Neighbors — Picturesque Sct-ne in the
Tropics — Giant Ferns — Mangrove Tree — Sea of Fire — Seeds Sprouting in Hu-
man Noses and Stomachs — Marvelous Enginery — Balloon Pufl-Ball 54o

CHAPTER XXII.
PERILS OF MOUNTAIN AND DESERT.

Creation a Museum of the Marvelous — Awful Mountain Peaks with Veiled Faces —
Mont Blanc — Sovereign of Mountains — Attempt to Ascend the Giant of the
Alps — Ambitious Young Naturalist — A Complete Failure — Snowy Chasms —
Afraid to Sleep — Determined to Conquer or Die — Trembling on the Mountain's
Edge — Adventures of Jaccjues Balmat — Blinded by Exposure — Dari:ig Expe-
dition — Scaling Snowy Precipices — On the Far Summit — Miserable End of lial-
mat — World .Startled by an .Alpine Tragedy — A Russian Traveller — Twelve
Guides — ''Cowards!" — Forward— An Awful Disaster — Hurled Headlong Hun-
dreds of Feet — Death in the Deep Abyss — Bodies Left in tlie Yawning Gulf-
Running Frightful Risks— .Miraculous Escapes— Recent Gha-lly Discoveries —
Rivers of Ice — Famous Mer De Glace — Flower Garden in a Desert of Snow —
Hospital of St. Bernard — Travellers Caught in the .Storm — The Great .St. Ber-
nard Dog — Rescuing the Perisiiing — Exploits of the Dog " Bass "—Dangers of
the Desert — Cyclones and Columns of Hot Sand— .Air that .Scorches Man and
Beast — Graphic Description of the Storm — .Adventures in .Africa — Zambesi Falls —
Perilous Ascent of a Nile Cataract 57d

BOOK n.

THE SEA.

CHAPTER I.

MONSTERS OF TIIi: GREAT DEER

The Ladders of the Titans — The Watery Desert — A Great Unknown — Mysteries of
the Deep — Marvelous Products — Terrible Marine Monsters — The World- Re-
nowned "Kraken" — Battle with a Strange Foe — The Great .Sea Serpent —
Singular Stotit-s — Old .Sailors' Narratives — The Huge Ocean Giant — Curious
Habits of the Whale — Perilous and Exciting .Adventures — A Miraculous Escape —
The I'lying Dragon — .A Fish with .Spikes — Seized by a Shark—"" ? .Stomias-
Boa--The ILammer-Headed Shark — The Siamese Twins of the Sea 51"7

CHAPTER II.
MYSTERIES OF THE OCEAN.

Chinese Belief Respecting the Deluge — The Great Mexican Inundation — .A Huge
Gulf Swallowing Rivers — The World would be Dead Without the Ocean — The

-r V

XIV

CONTENTS.

Race-Course of Commerce— Varied Color of the Sea— Causes of the Different
Tints — Countless Myriads of Animalcules — Phosphoresence of the Sea— W. vts
Silvered with Flashing Light— A Magical Efiect— Cyclones and Tempests-
Strange Story of a Lost Vessel— Terrible Kury of Ocean Storms — Tiie Dreaded
Waterspuut— Ships Lifted Bodily from the Sea and Hurled Pack— The Myster
ions Argonaut— A Creature that Sails in a Boat— The Monstrous Octopus— An
Ink Battery— A Shot that Hit— Dreadful Encounter with a Cuttle-Fish— A Pearl-
Diver Attacked- Nautilus of the Pre-Historic Seas (>Iil

CHAPTER III.

THE WORKMEN OF THE SEA.

The Ocean a Nursery of Life— World-Ma'^ers — Destruction of the Weaker Marine
Tribes — Half Plants and Half Animals— Graceful Forms and Brilliant Hues —
Flovversof Ocean— A-'tounding Multitude of Infusoria— Mountains Formed from
Tiny Shells— Islands L "It by Coral Insects— Magnificent Paris Built by .Inimal-
cules— ("oral Forests in the Sea — Coral Islands Hundreds of Miles in Extent —
Ships in Danger — The Birth of New Lands — The Marvelous Actinia — Plants of
Living Stone — Myriad Forms of Life in the Sea — Depths of Amazing Splendor —
The Humming Birds of the Ocean (J53

CHAPTER IV.
RARE SPECIMENS OF OCEAN LIFE.

The Famous Narwhal — Many Teeth in One — Strange Superstitions as to the Sea-
Unicorn — A I'ormidable Weapon — The Best Kind of Ivory — Narwhal Fishing—
An Arctic Black Hole of Calcutta — Immense Size of the Narwhal — The Huge
Grampus — The "Kill.r" Capturing Seals — Story of the Whale — Flashes like
Lightning f^om the Waves — The Hairy Medu«3e — A Wake of Silvery Liglit —
"All Hands Ahoy!" — Whale Fishing and its Dangers — Sea-Birds and Their
Curious Habits — The Elegant Black-Backed Gull — Laughing Gull — "Haw, lui,
ha, Haw!"- Birds that are Pirates — The Sea-Mew and its Island Home— The
Wonderful Island of St. Kildare — Humming-Birds of the Ocean — Colors that
Dazzle the I'^ye — Beautiful .Specimens of Scaly-Finned Fishes — I'lag-.Sliip —
Coral-Fisii— Rock-Fish — Whip-Fish — Duke-Fish — Emperor- Fish — The Sharp-
.Sliooter ot the Sea — Good Aim and Successful Shot — A Fish With Two Lungs —
Burrowing in the Mud — Savage Fighters — A Fish that Hisses — The Frog-
Catcher — Curious Climbing Fish — Experiments with the Mud Jumper — A Slug-
gard that Proves to be Swifter than an Arrow 6()6

CHAPTER V.
BUTTERFLIES OF THE OCEAN.

Beautiful Dwellers in the Sea— Fishes with Wings— Both Water and Air their F.ie- •
ments— .Alighting on Ships— Curious Formation of I-ns- The Flying Gurnard
of the Mediterranean— Sailing Through the Air — Mounting on Wings to Leave
Enemies l?eliind — Prey for Sea Gulis — Swallows of the Ocean — The Growling
(lurnard— .Strange Noises — The Gurnard's Greediness — The Marvelous Red
Fire-Fish— The Terror of Arabian Fishermen— The King-Fish— Great Size and

CONTENTS.

Beauty — Savon' Meat — The Drum-Fish — An Orchestra in the Sea— Narratives
by Humboldt and Tennent — Tinkling Sounds of Great Sweetness— Taridise
Fisli arid its Singular Habits — A Haughty Male end His Brutality — The Sea Btit-
terHy — The Bridegroom — Winged Insects of the Deep 687

CHAPTER VI.
SINGULAR VARIETIES OF FISHES.

Amazing Contrasts in Ocean Life — The Great Sword Fish — Vast Size and Power — A
Creature Armed for Destruction — Formidable Weapon of the Sword Fish — A
Sword Left in the Timber of a Ship — The Whale's Great Enemy — The Ocean
Bat — Peculiar Attitude in the Water — Arms and Fins Combined — A Creature of
Hideous Ugliness — The Slender Pipe PMsh — The Netdle of the Sea — Strange
Pouch for Carrying Eggs — Color of the Pipe F"ish — A Dried Curiosity — Sea-
Horse — Body Clad with Mail — Tail that Grasps — Short-Nosed Hippocampus —
Peculiarities of the Short-Nose — The Skate— An luiterprisin;^ l>igger — Elej;ant
White Fins — The European Sting Ray — A Bag for the Infant Fi«ih — The Sea-
Devil — A Fish that Angles — Singular Method of Capturing Prey — The Extraor-
dinary Tape Fish — A Beautiful Marine Animal — Great Length of the Tape- I'ish —
The Sea-Cat— Silvery Color— Wonderful Healing Oil— Flat Fish— Turbot—
Plaice — Flounder — Sole — Spiny Sea Porcupine — Globe Fish — Sun I'ish — The
Sturgeon — An Ocean Delicacy — A Fish Fond of Mud t}i»9

jrg^l.

mm,

CHAPTER VII.
WANDERERS IN THE WORLD OF WATERS.

Hairy Creatures Roaming in the Deep — Immense Variety of Jelly-Fishes — The
Shining Sea—" Myriads of Living Points" — Bathers Entangled in Hair — Portu-
guese Man-of-War — The "Jelly" Curiously Born — Hunger never Satisfied —
The Trunk Fish— Mailed Rovers of the Sea — A Fish with Spurs— Famous Nar-
whal — F^xtraordinary Weapon — Finest Ivory in the World — Old Superstitious
Notions — The Race of Sticklebacks — A Spiny Covering — Strong Defence against
Foes — Sticklebacks in a Tub — Trying to Swallow an Eel— Fishes Puiikling
Nests — Desperate Fighters — Nest-Builder Discovered b) Agassiz — Great Trav-
ellers — Unlimited Greediness — The Fan Fish — Native of Indian Waters — Lump
Suckers — Strange Looking Creature— The Sea-Snail — Sucker Fish — A Fish that
Sticks — Towed Free by other Fishes — Riding Hundreds of Miles without Mov-
ing a Fin— Harness Fish — Toothless Swimmer — Delicious Eating — Hard Ar-
mor—Marvelous Turbot — Turbot Fishing — The Sly Silurus — Urchin Fish —
Balloon of the Ocean — Air Out and Fish Under Water — Arrow Pike- -A Dart
in the Sea— Hearty Eater--Vast Size— Real " Old Salt"— Sharks and their
Eggs 716

W¥

CHAPTER VIII.
LIFE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA.

Cicalures that Manufacture Limestone— Definition by Profes^or Dana— Marvelous
Builders in the Ocean — New Polyp Growing out of the Side of the Old One-
Coral Insects in All Seas — Luxuriance of Coral Life in the Pacific—Varieties of

XVI CONTENTS.

Coral— How the Little Architects get their Mnterials— Rearing Islands from tne
Bottom of the Det-p— The Bermudas once a Coral Island— Tlie Sea Cucumber-
Strange Oriental Food — Harpooning Sea Cucumbers at the Depth of a Hundred
Feet — Hundred-Armed Sea-Star— Amazing I'ovver of Reproducing Lost Limbs-
Stomachs that go by the i^Iame of Fish—" I'^ive Fingered Jack "—Scavengers of
the Ocean— Death on Oysters— How the Star-Fish gets into an Oyster's Shell —
Droll Polyps— Animal-Plants— Actinia— Enormous Mouth— Sea Anemones-
Voracity Unparalleled — Life Multiplied by Tearing the Mody m Two -Astonish-
ing Tenacity of Animal Life 74-

CH AFTER IX.

EXTRAORDINARY TURTLES AND CRUSTACEANS.

The Great Marine Turtle —A Creature Born with Oars and Paddles — Swifr Swim-
mer — Dozing on the Water -Turtles' Nests in the Sand — Curious Youngsters-
Rushing by Instinct for the Sea — Turtle Hunting— Delicious l-"ood— Haunts of
the (}reen Turtle — Natives Lying in Wait— Human Cruelt\ — Coriareous Tur-
tle—The Bony Lobstf r— Monstrous Pincers — Powerful Weapons — A Propeller
Tail — .SheddingtheOld Crust— Escape from the Prison — New Growth of Shells —
The Numerous Crab Family— Singular Creatures— The Pea Crab — Hermit
Crab— Looking Around for a New House — Moving into the New Dwelling —
Tussle between a Shrimp and Cr;.b Where Crabs Abound — Crab Sentinel
Standing Guard — Casting oiT Hroken Limbs— Horrid Crab of Madagascar —
Sharp Points— -Strange Land Crabs 752

CHAPTER X.
MOLLUSKS WITH PECULIAR SHELLS.

A Choice Mineral .Substance— Material for Ocean Builders — ''See what a Lovely
Shell " — Rare Mollusks — The Young Guarded — Repul.' ive Creatures in Beauti-
ful Dwellings — The Sea-shore a Great School of Instruction— Curious Pearl
Oyster — Helmet Shells — Cone Siiells — Gorgeous Hues — Interesting Bivalves —
Scallop Shell— Ornament of Pilgrims — Silken " Byssus "—Strange Material for
Fabrics— Treasures of the Pearl Oyster— Fondness of the Ancients for a G-.m —
Shakespeare on the Orient Pearl — Immense Wealth of Ceylon— Pearl Fishing
by Cingalese— Picturesque Spectacle — Firing a Cannon at Day-break — Ropes,
Knives, and Stones — Three Sieves — Form and Color— Pearls of Every Hue —
Allusion of the Historian Tacitus — Origin of Pearls — Emerald Fringes — Marvels
of Old Ocean's Bed 7t>5

CHAPTER XL
SHIPWRECKS AND OCEAN ADVENTURES.

The Benefits of the Ocean very Costly— A Devouring Moloch— Human Victims
and Horrible Gifts— Ricli Cargoes Swallowed Up -Innun.^rable Human \'ic-
tims— Ships on Fire — Taking to the Boats — Sailors Familiar with Danger-
Horrors of the Great Abyss— Washington Irving's Grapliic Description of a
Shipwreck— Dismal Storier.— Startling Adventures of a Ship Captain— A Drown-
ing Cry Mingling with the Wind— Perils of Arctic V( /ages— Loss of the Ship
"Jeannette" — Ice Hammering at the Vessel— Meh-ille Taking a Photograph-
Hasty Preparations to Leave— Three Boats Lowered—" There She Goes 1" —
Encamping on the Ice— Boat Mounted on Sleds— Long and Toilsome Journey—

Silk
.Sea (
and I
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Strange Ap
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World-
Moon—
Feature:
Turned

CONTENTS.

xvil

Silk Flag Unfurled on Bennett island— Capturinjj Arctic Animals — The Great
Sea Cuw— •' Funny Wee Fishes" — Terrific IJattle with Walruses— Fast Loading
and Firing— Lo-s of the " Essex" — Captain Pollard's \'ivid Narrative — Repeated
^i.twicks of .III I iiinensf Whale —The Ship Stove — Three Little Boats on the Great
I)ee[> — A Barren Island — Fri.i^htful Sufferini^s — Again on the Trackless Sea -
Miraculous Esra'^e — Rescue of Men irom the Island — Horrid Cannibalism — Tor-
n idoes and Waterspouts — Elements at War — A Thousand Ships Go Down —
Wreck of the Royal Fleet— Immense Loss of Life— Huge Cannon Blown Away
by the Hurricane — An Appalling Scene , 774

BOOK III.

THE SKY.

CHAPIKR I.

THE MARVELS OF THE HE.WENS.

The .Sun Twelve Hundred Thousand Times as Large as Our Earth — .Sublime Scen-
ery of the Midniglit .Sky — .Starry .Splendors over Head — Innumerable W^orlds in
the P'irmament — The Boundlessness of .Space — Imperial Suns Burning on
High — Heavens Piled on Heavens — \ Wonderful Journey Through Space — Fly-
ing on a Beam of Light — Rich Clusters of .Starry .Systems — Millions of World.s —
Immeasurable Distances — .Swift Motion Everywhere — .\stounding Revelations
of the Telescope — Lord Rosse's Ten Thousand Eyes — Far-Distant .Suns Col-
ored Like the Rainbow — Thomas Moore's Poetical Tribute to the Bright
Heavens — Sublin/*> of iVstronomical Srience 791

CHAPTER n.
REMARKABLE PHENOMENA IN THE SKY.

Strange Appearances in the Heavens — Fiery Bodies Sweeping Through the .Sky —
.Startling Explosions — .\n Aerolite .Suspended in a Church — Fall of a Great
Stone — A Brilliant Meteorite .Seen in Connecticut — Balls of Fire Leaping and
Whizzingin the Air — A Red Globe Apparentlyas Large as the Moon — A.Shower
of Burning Stones — The Great Meteor at Hurworth S03

CHAPTER HL
A WORLD BURNED OUT AND DEAD.

The Earth Cushioned with Air -The Weight of Every Human Being .Seventeen
Tons — Our Nearest Planetary Neighbor — Time Required by a Railway Train t i
Reach the Moon— Lunar Mountains -Moon Tom by Furious Volcanoes — Tn..
Fires Extinct — The Surface Cold— Craters and Caverns — Lunar Seas— A Desert
World— Eternal Silence— No Air nor Water- No Sky — Voung Lady in the
Moon — Perpetual Changes— White Crested Mountains — The Moon's Attractive
Features— The Moon a One-Sided Creature— Strange Conjectures as to the Side
Turned Away — The First yuarler—Immense Cavities in the Moon's Surface —

XVIII

CON TENTS.

I ;

Measuring Craters -i^vciteiiiL-nt over I'irst l)is:ovtries— Droll Superstitions— A
Satellite Supposed to Rul« almost Hverytlung S12

CFIAPTKR IV.
MAGNinCKNT AUROR/'^L DISPLAYS.

Host Striking of Optical Splendors— Auror' ' Streams of Light Shooting Up-
ward — Trembling Gleams ana Flashes— Me. ry Dancers" — Lights of Rain-
how Colors— What Parry and Franklin .Saw -Tiie Heavens in Gay Attire — Lieu-
tenant Chappell's Auroral Uinbreila- Arcii of Silvery Light — The Canopy Glow-
ing with .Splendid .Scenery — Polar Night— .Six Months without a Sun — Animals
Dying of Gloom -Dazzling .Standards Unfurled— Magnetism -F'iery Tempests in
the .Siu'— .Magnetic Stones on liartli — Outbreak of Auroral Magnificence — Sir
John Herschel's Condncions — The Jeiki!\g Needle — Reference by Aristotle —
Northern Lights more Common than f.^rnierly in the N jrthern Zones 82(i

CHAPTKR V.

IMAGES IN THE HEAVENS.

Optical Plijnomsnon at Buffalo— Topmists Rising out of the Water— Deceitful Fog
Bank — I'l.xtraordliiary *' Fata Morgana' in Sicily —A Spectacle that Excites the
Populace— Ascribing the Mirage to the Devil -Prophecy Concerning Elec-
tricity — Pri-niatic Colors of Amazing Beauty — Troops of Clouds in the Sky-
Height of Clouds — Poetical Fancies from Ossian — Mist on the Water — Ac-
counting for Vapors — What Colors the Sun — The Great Orb .Shorn of His
Glories — Why the Sun is Red at Rising and Setting- Remarkaljle Halos —
Strange Mock .Suns— Parhelia — Historic Halos — What Gossendi Saw— Parhelia
0!)served by Hevelius — Beautiful Sky Picture in Tennessee— Perfection of
Creative Skill — Phenomena of Light -Wond-rful Waves and Circles— Light a
Magnificent Painter — Innumerable Vibrations S37

CHAPTER VI.
STRANGE WANDERERS THROUGH SPACE.

Sudden Appearances — Unusual Phenomena — Great History of the Heavens— Bodies
Governed by Solar .Attraction — Elongated Orbits — Marvelous Comet o( i6So —
Period I'-stimated at Tiiree Thousand Years — Thousands of Miles in a Minute —
Sir Isaac Newton's Prediction — Halley's Comet — A Frightened Emperor —
Shocking Calamities Supposed to be F'oreshadowed— Visitation Duringa Bloody
War — Hideous Peaces and Bristling Hair — Byron's Graphic Description — Sub-
stance of Comets — Thin Vapor — A Comet Enveloping Jupiter — The Poet Con-
der's Apostrophe 851

CHAPTER VII.

MONSTERS AND SUPERSTITIONS.

Former Belief in Astrology— Strange Fancies— Olaus Magnus and his Absurdities-
Droll Description of the Great Sea Serpent— The Monster Attacking a Ship —
Statement by a Bishop— Cooking a Meal on the Back of a Leviathan — Legendary
History of Trees and Plants— Trees Bearing Water- Birds— Story of a Marvelous
Tree in Scotland— Belief of .Scientific Men in Ridiculous Fables — Queer Light-
ning Rod— Charlatans and Greenhorns — Roots of the Mandragora Carved into
Fantastic Shapes— Life Preserver of Gods and Animals — Alarming Eclipses..8o7

•\:iimjls th;

I'.in-Koii-Ci

'•"Iior, the f

Comlut wit

The Priiuev

Reni.irkable

£nornious V

The Great I

Fossil Skel'.'t

The Ramphf

Imtnense Vn

A Hugn ]]on

Ciigantic Skt

Footprints o

Footprints ol

Footprints of

C.'ialk under

Fossi! Rennii

-A Drop of W

Fxtinct Anin

Fierce Comb:

A Massive Ai

Tile Curious ]

The Ponderoi

The Ichthyosc

Singular Kept

Tile Flying D

The Immense

An Extrjordii-

A Group of Ci

The Arinadiiic

Tile Famous A

The Gigantic ]

Skeleton of the

Tile Dinornis-

Fossil Fishes R

A Zoophyte wi

Exquisite Fcssi

Antediluvian A

Y"^

iJ ^^iis

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

Frontispieci

Aiiinials that Inhabit Tropical Countries

I'an-Kuu-Chte, the Creator .......

i'lior, the Giaiit-(iorl of the Scandinavians ....

Coml>at with Kircher's Winged Dragon ...

'I'he Primeval Forest from whicli our Coal-Beds were Formed .

Remarkable Skeleton of an Immense Fish-Lizard

Enormous Extinct Animals — the Ichthyosaurus and Plesiosaurus

Tlie Great Fisli-Lizard and Flying Reptile ....

Fo5siI Skeleton of the Pterodactyl

The Ramphoryncus or Creeping Bird .....

Immense Pre-Hi>torir Animals — the Ignanodon and Megalosaurus
A Huge Bone-Plated Animal — the HyUeosaurus
Gigantic Skeleton of the Mammoth in tiie Museum at St. Petersburg
Footi)rints of the Labyrinthodon in Stone ....

B'ootprints of a Bird ........

Footiirints of a Bird and Impression of Rain Drops.

Chalk under the Microscope ......

Fossil Remains in Chalk. .......

A Drop of Water as seen under the Microscope

Extinct Animals, the Skeletons of which are Found Solid Rocks

Fierce Combat between the Megalosaurus and Iguanc .ion

A Massive Antediluvian Animal — the Megalosaurus

The Curious Pterodactyl, or Wing-Fingered Bird

The Ponderous Ignanodon .....

The Ichthyosaurus and Plesiosaurus in Mortal Combat
Singular Reptiles of the Oolitic Period .
The Flying Dragon .....

The Imniense Dinotherium ....

An I'^xtraordinary Reptile — the Labyrinthodon

A Group of Curious Hand-Anim.ils

The Armadillo of the Ancient World

The Famous Antediluvian Crocodile

The Gigantic Megatherium ....

Skeleton of the Megatherium

The Dinornis — A Bird without Wings .

Fossil Fishes Beddeo in Rock

A Zoojihyte with Fi^'e-sided Siem .

Exquisite Fossil Shells .....

Antediluvian Animals of the Valley of Paris .

(xhc)

26
28

3.S

39
40

41
44

45
47
50
50
50
52
53

55
61

^\3
65
67/

74-
76

80
Si
82

S5
86

97
98

IOC

^ii

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

Ancient Animals in the Thames Valley

EfTect of an Earthtjuake on the Sea

DesfiK tion of Lisbon by an Earthquake

Dt.'stnic tion of Messina .

Fissures Produced by an pjarthquake

Terrible Eruption of the Hawaiian Volcano — Mauna Loa

Volcano of Taal Luzon — Piiilippines

Flames bursting from the Crater of Stromboli

Volcano imder the Ocean near the Azore Islands

Volcanic ICruption at Graham's Island .

Chimney C'omposed of Prisms of Basalt — St. Helena

Birth of a Volcanic Island

Eruption of Vesuvius, August 26, 1S72

Representative Types of Pacific Islanders

The Grotesque Maori War Dance .

Interior of a Pah, or Native Village

A Native Chief in Full War-dress .

Te Ohii, a Native Priest

A Tiki at the Village of Roera

Grotes(|ue Wooden Idols

Housc-lJwcllcrs on the Sea .

King Kamchameha and the Spears

MarquL'san Chie*" ....

An Araucanian Marriage

Fijian Canoe in a Stiff Breeze

An Illanoan Pirate and Saghai Dyak

An Exciting Indian Ball Game

The 01(1 Arab Attacking the Hippojiotamus

Expert Dancers Amusing Si^ectators

The Giraffe or Camelopard .

Giraffes -n their Native Resorts

Wild Zebras of Southern Africa

The Indian Rhinoceros

Terrible Encounter with a Rhinoceros

The Curious Gavial of India .

Flying Dragon and Flying Frog

The Ini];erial Lion of Africa .

Livingstone's Narrow Escape

The Royal Tiger of India

Hunting a Ferocious Tiger

The Sloth Bear ....

The Hippopotamus or Gigantic River-Horse

" Obaysch " — First Hippopotamus Transported to Europe

The Puma or American Tiger

Grizzly Pear and its Prey

PAC.g

I«^?

The Jtmglt

107

The Prickl

I I 2

Porcupine

117

The Cornn

118

( Bone-Plate

^23

-Armadillo

125 1

'I'he Scaly

T2S

A Family c

130

()pv)ssum C

^33

Elephants i

135

Natives of.''

139 1

Baldwin CI

141

1 Hunting th

146

1 Infuriated I

^50

Camp Attar

152

1 Charge of a

155

1 Capturing a

159

Gorilla Tur

160

Hunting tin

i6t y

An Exciting

165

A Ht.'rd of C

168

An Oddity (

169

Peccary or 5:

175

^:iian''s Wa

180 Great Afric;
183 Omniverous

187

Spiral-Horn

189

Bokhara Mo

191

Wonderful I

196

Seals in thei

199

Walrus or St

201

The World-]

204 u

208 fe

Asiatic Oran

Portrait of tl

212

Guereza, wit

214 »'

Dog-Faced I

222

Lion Monke

225

AVhite and K

229 1

The Flag Ni|

233 '

Specimens of

236

The Sappho

239'

The Sword-B

242

Famous Pere|

246

Secretary Bir

248 ,

Nest of the '^

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

The Jungle Bear of Southern Asia .

The Prickly Hedgehog .

Porcupine and its Young

The C'oMunon I'orc upine of Canada

Hone-Plated Armadillo .

Armadillo Rolled Up and Erect

The Scaly Ant-ICater

A Family of Kangar^jos

Opossum Carrying its Young

Elephants in their Native Jungle .

Natives of South Africa Capturing an Elephant

Baldwin Chased by an Elephant

Hunting tiie African Rhinoceros .

Infuriated Rhinoceros Charging on Hunters

Camp Attaci<ed by Fire-Eating Rhinocrrcs

Charge of a Rhinoceros Suddenly Stopped

Capturing a Monstrous Hippoi)otanuis

Gorilla Turning upon his Pursuers .

Hunting the Ostrich

An Exciting Chase

A Herd of Cattle Attacked by an Immense African Lion

An OdJity of the Animal Kingdom — the Spectral I^mur

Peccary or Stag Hog

Elian's Wart-Hog

Great African Panther and Cubs

Omnivcrous Malay Tapir

Spiral-Horned Wallachian Sheep .

Bokhara Mountain Sheep

Wonderful Flying Foxes

Seals in their Native Haunts .

Walrus or Sea-Horse

The World-Renowned Gorilla

Asiatic Orang-Outang .

Portrait of the Orang-Outang

Guereza, with Beautiful Flying Mantis

Dog-Faced Baboons

Lion Monkeys Stealing Cocoanuts

White and Raven Cockatoos .

The Flag Night-Swallow

Specimens of the Esculent Swallow and Edible Nest

The Sappho Huraming-Bird .

The Sword-Bill ....

Famous Peregrine Falcon

Secretary Bird Killing a Snake

Nest of the Water-Hen .

xxt

PAr.B
. -250

• 252

. 256

• 257

• 25y

. 2()2

. 268

. 272

. 277

. 281

. 2S4

. 286

. 289

• 293
. 298

• 30'
. 302
. 308

• 3H

. 312

• 314

■ 316

• 320

• 322

• 324

• 326

. 328

• 330

• 335

. 341

• 343

• 34^>

• 348

• 351

• 356

• 358

• 359

• 361

• 362

• 364

• 365

• 367

XXII

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

Iniincnsc Nests of African Social Grossbeaks
Xist of the Tailor liird .
'rhiee-Tocd ^Voocl pecker
'rufted Pcngpin
The Pelican ,

Marie Delex Seized and Carried Away by an Immense E
\ uliure on his Mountain Crag
Sea-Ivigle and its Caj)tive
Fish EaLjle with Brood of Young
Ravenous Harj)y Eagle .
Royal l!inl of Paradise .
Cracelul Hedge-S] (arrows
Queenly Lyre Jtird
Ariel Swallows and Nest
Beautiful Argus Pheasant
Goklen Pheasant .
Wandering Albatross
Crested Crane and Virgin Crane
Asiatic Flamingo .
Curious Apteryx or " Kiwi "
American Ostrich . id Young
Crestetl Guinea Fowl .
The Sacred Ibis .
Giant Heron
The Strange Shoe-Bill ,
Snow Owl and Screech Owl .
Sharp-Billed Darter or Snake Bird
The Gigantic Adjutant .
Blue-Headed Parakeets
Long-Tongued Chameleon
Five-Toed Gecko or Wall-Lizard
South American Iguana
The Sea Guana
Great Jumjiing Bull-Frog
Armor-Plated Frog
Giant Salamander
Elephantine Tortoise
The Tun -Snail

Famous Egyptian Crocodile .
Oriental Snake-Charmers
The Venomous Viper
Ravenous Boa-Constrictor Swallow!
Tree-Snake Devouring its Prey
The Ravenous Egg-Eater
The Moloch

nga

Fcwl

igk

PACE

370
371
372
374

3'^ I

3'^4
3«7
3''^9
393
397
399

.[02

407
409
410
412

417
422

424

426

428

43°
432
434
438
440

444
448

450
452

455
461

4^'3
464

466.
K'9

475
480

482
486
490
492

I 1

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

xxin

Pipa Toad Hatching Eggs on its Hack .
Li.'c and Mctanioi glioses of the Dragon-Fly
Magnified Proboscis ol'iiie Common Fly
Common Gnat and its Metamorplioses .
CalL'r])illars on the March ....

Voracious Chicken-Spider ....

Ant About to Milk Aphides ....

Village Built by Warrior Ants

Jvnopean Chir[)ing Cricket ....

'V\\c Mason Sjiider .....

(r-eedy liird-Spider Devouring its Victim
New Zealand M(jth with Fungus Plume
'i'he Monk Bombyx — Chrysalis and Butterfly .
Wood-Boring Coat-Moth ....

(!arpenter Bee and its Little Chambers .
Creat Swarm of Migratory Locusts
Fphemera or Creatures of a Day
Dense Swarm of Bees .....

Tlie Famous ^V'^eel)ing-^>ee ....

World-Renowned India-Rubber Tree
Extracting Milk from the Cow-Tree
Gigantic Chapel Oak in Normandy
Colossal Baobab of the Virgin Forests of Africa
Historic Lime-Tree of the Battle of Morat
Dragon's-Blood Tree of the Island of Teneriffe
Poisonous Tree or Upas of Java
Uni(iue Tartarian Lamb ....

Native Forest in Sumatra, with Elegant Specimens of Rafflesia

Hunting Excursion Through a Mangrove Forest

The Wine-Tree or Wine-Bearing Sago-Palm .

Gigantic Puff-Bali of One Night'.-, Growth

P.morama of Mont Blanc and Surrounding Mountains

Awful Catastroi)he in the Chasms of Mont Blanc

'J'he Mer de Ghu e — Famous Glacier of the Alps

Celelirated St. Bernard Dogs Rescuing a Traveler

Terrific Cyclone Hurling Columns of Desert Sand into the Air

The Huge Cuttle-Fish Attacking a Ship

Monstrous Polypus Met by the Steamship Alecto

A Monstrous Sea-Serpent as Described by Sailors

A Boat's Crew Attacking a Whale

Enormous Whale of the .Arctic Regions .

In the Jaws of the Great White Shark

The Hammer-Headed Shark ....

The Angel Fish ......

The Pegasus Dragon

VAC.K

4') 3
497
500

5o«
504
506

5"
5«7

522

524
526

529
532
533
535
539
541
547
549
551
553
556

559

560

563
5>'''5
567
570
573
575
5 79
5«5
589
592

595
601
605
607
61 2
614
618
621
622
623

XXIV

LIST OF ILLUSTRAliONS.

icn

Light

The Spike Fish ....
The Stomias-Boa ....
Professor Siliiinan's Double Cat-Fish
Professional Divers Gathering Sponge
'I'he Historie Dehige and its Terrible Devastat
A Phosphores< ent Sea .

\Vliale and Fishes in Brilliant Phosphorescent
A Water-Spoilt at Sea
A Ship in Danger from Water-Spouts
Front View of the Immense Octopus
Glutinous Jelly-Fishes .
Beautiful Specimens of Star-Fish .
Crested Seal . , . . .

A Savage Foe ....
The Ancient Anmionite
An Island in Mid-Ocean Formed by Coral Insects
A Coral Shrub ....
A Sjjonge with Coralline Attached
Scaly-Clawed Crustacean
Specimens of Bivalve and Univalve Shel
White Actinia of St. Helena .
Catching a Huge Turtle
.\ Sea-Flower in Living Stone
A Stone with Star Clusters
Icelanders ("ai)turing Narwhals
Hairy Medusa: ....
Terilous Encounter with a Whale .
A Flo(k of Sea-Gulls .
The Singular Island of St. Kilda .
Speciirens of Curious Fishes .
The Shooting-Fish Catching a Bee
The Doko or Sahunander Fisli
The Mud-Jiunper or Climbing-Fish
A School of Flying-Fishes
Gurnards, or Fishes that Growl
The Red Fire-Fish
riie Opah or King Fish
Family of Paradise Fishes
The Sea-Butterfly ....
The Bridegroom Fish
The Sword-Fish Capturing his Prey
The Sea- Bat .....
Pipe Fish and Sea- Horse
Short-Nosed Hippocampus
The Sharp-Nosed Skate

PAGE
• 625
. 626
. 627
. 628

• (^33
' 655

• ^>37
. 642
. 643

. 645

. 647

• 649
. 650
. 651

• (>52
. 655

• 6,S6

• 657

• 659
. 660
. 662

• (>(^3
. 664

• 665
. 670
. 671

. 676

• ^77

• ^'79
. 6S1

. 684
. 689
. 690
. 692

• f>93

• 695
. 696
. 697
. 700
. 70J
. 702

• 704

• 70.)

Loon in tl
The Tape
The Sea-C
Flat Fish
Spiny Sea-
Sturgeons
Globe Fisl
Shooting
Swimmin:
Remark;'.!)
The Narw
Spiny Sticl
Sword or I
Tlie Suckc
Harness Fi
Old and Y
Fahak or I
Angler and
Cases of SI
Coral Arbo
Sea-Cucuni
Beautiful S
Marvelous '
Curious Po
Natives Ca]
Coriaceous
Edible Tui
American I
Crabs Was!
The Ameri(
Great Crab
Beautiful C
Rare Specit
Madrepore
liei'iiet SIk
Bear's-Paw
Oyster witi
Ship Wrect
The " Jean
Savage Bat I
Shipwrecke
Waterspout
Terrible Hi
Relative Si;
Lord Rosse

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

Loon in tli'- Jaws of an Angler-Fish

The Tape Fi.^h ....

The Sea- Cat ....

Flat Fish ; Tiirbot, Plaice, Flounder, Sole

Spiny Sea- Porcupine

Sturgeons of the Caspian Sea

Globe Fish and Sun Fish

Sliooting Seals ....

Swimming Jelly-Fishes .

Remarkable Trunk-Fish

The Narwhal or Sea- Unicorn

Spiny Sticklebacks and Nest .

Sword or Fan-Fish

The Sucker Fish ....

Harness Fish ....

Old and Young Silurus .

Fahak or Urchin Fish .

Angler and Arrow Pike

Cases of Sharks' Eggs .

Coral Arbor and Mysterious Cuttle-Fish

Sea-Cucumber at the Bottom of the Ocean

Beautiful Specimens of Star-Fishes

Marvelous Plants on the Bottom of the Ocean

Curious Polyp .....

Natives Capturing Immense Green Turtles

Coriaceous Turtle ....

Edible Turtle .....

American Uobster and Spiny Lobster

Crabs Washed Asliorc by a High Tide .

The American Giant-Crab

Great Crab of Madagascar

Beautiful Coral Island Surrounding a Lagoon in the Pacific

Rare Specimens of Mollusks .

Madrepore Attached to a Mother-of-Pearl Oyster

I ici'iK't Shell of Madagascar, etc. .

Bear's-Paw Clam, etc

Oyster with Beautiful Pearls .
Shi[) Wrecked by a Furious Storm .
The " Jeannette" Crushed and Abandoned
Savage Battle with Walruses .
Shii)wrecked Sailors Attacked by Sharks
Waterspouts in the Southern Seas .
Terrible Hurricane in theTroi)ics .
Relative Sizes of the Sun and Planets
Lord Rosse's Great Reflecting Telescope

XXV

PAf.K

706

707
708
709
711

712

713

715

720
721

723

725
729

730
731

733
735
736
738
741

744
747

749
750
753
755
756

757
760
762

763
766
767
768
769
770

772
776

779
781

783
787
789

797
804

ili

NJlI

i»Ji

\k.: 4

XXVI

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

Shower of Brilliant Meteors on the Ocean
Volcanic Craters on the Moon's Surface at Sunset .
Part of the Moon's Crescent during the F"irst Quarter
The P^arth as Seen from the Moon
Singular Aspect of the Moon's Surface .
Brilliant Aurora Borealis in the Arctic Seas
Auroral Flames in the Northern Sky

Ships Painted on the Sky by Atmo

Remarkable Appearances of Cloud

Halos and Parhelia

ParJK'lia Observed by Gassendi

Parhelia Observ d by Hevelius

Parhelia Observed in Tennessee

Intersection of Two Wave Systems

Ancient Sea-Serpent

Monster /»ttacking a Ship

Marine Dragon

The Bird Tree

Tree Producing Ducks ,

Carved Mandragora Roots

pheric Refraction
Land

PAGE

807

KI7

,S2C

S21

S3'

832

«3?
843
844

845
846

849
858

859
S60

861

862

863

a perfect

marvels c

of the \vc

to be ver'

of miL,rlit^

work of

of the ear

it was bui

The Gr

of that fai

siirroundc

river of a

terrestrial

by two ni;

prevails ar

■4m

BOOK I.

THE EARTH.

CHAPTER I.
MARVELS OF THE ANTEDH.UVIAN WORLD.

Curious Old Legends and Superstitions— A Chinese Quarryman— A .Scandinavian
God willi his Sleds^e-Hammer — Stran;;e tilings Set n by a Syljil— The Crust of
the Earth a Museum of Singular Relics— Footprints and Sl<eletons of Gigantic
Birds and Four-Footed Animals— Enormous Sizes and Uncoutli Forms — F.xlinct
Species of Animal Life— An Immense Fish Lizzard— Extraordinary Marine
Rtptile— A Wing-Fingered Monster— A Freak of Nature — A Fossil Reptile
Sixty P^eet Long — The Scaly HyKTosaurus — Discovery of the Mammoth— An
Island of Bones — The Huge Dinothcrium — A Bulky Creature that could neither
VV.ilk, Leap nor Climb — Natural History Printed on Leaves of .Stone— Mar' -.
of Raindrops, Trees and Birds on Rocks— Fossil Remains of Myriads of Minute
Beings — Layers of Various Kinds of Shells Forming Marble of Great Beauty —
Wonders of a Drop of Water Under the Microscope.

"^^^S^nHE scenes of creation astonish us, whether tipHftini; our look
we gaze at the brilliant heavens, or cast our e\es upon the
tiniest creatures of this lower realm. Immensity is everywhere.

-^^^ ^ It stands re\ealed in the azure dome of heaven, where ;;lows

a perfect dust of stars, and in the living atom which hides from us the
marvels of its organization. Tlr: ideas of the ancients respecting the birth
of the world, and the origin of its wonderful forms of life, appear to us
to be \'ery singular. We find curious old traditions and legends, stories
of might)' gods and enormous giants, who had something to do with the
work of creation. There were strange fancies, too, concerning the shape
of the earth, the boundaries of its lands and seas, the foundation on which
it was built, and the movements of the heavenly bodies.

The Grecian picture of the creation, as we scj it engraved on the shield
of that famous warrior, Achilles, represents the earth as a flattened disk,
surrounded everywhere, and in a circular form, by the sea, or rather In- the
river of ocean which defines the limits of the known world. Above this
terrestrial disk the solid sky is outspread like a dome ; a dome suiiported
by two massive pillars, which rest on the god Atlas. A similar absurdity
prevails among several ancient peoples. The .Scandinavians balance the

(25)

l^l!

!%il

2r>

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

ear*-h on nine posts. The Brahmins fii^nirc it as propped up on four ele-
phants. But on what foundation do these nine posts and four elephants
repose ? What Anak of a god can support on his brawny shoulders the
burderi of the terrestrial mass ? Without pausing over these questions,
:Iet us complete our outline of the Grecian picture : The solid vault of the
:lijavens is traversed by the stars in chariots of silver, impelled by the

I'AX-ICOL--CHEE, THE CREATOR (FROM AN OLD CHINESE I'AIXTlNci).

rapid clouds. When the sun bursts upon human eyes, he emeroos from
the sea on tlie side of the east ; in the e\-ening, he re-plun^L;-es, on the west,
into the same great river. During the night, borne in a goldc/i car, he
re-ascends, beneath the earth, the pathway of the eternal ocean. There—
that is to say. below the earth — spreads another vault, corresponding

m its c
realm c
Pagan r
lasting r

When

and we s

I'^or instj

of chaos

Pan-Kou

■n one hz

vith chi;

crust of

^vildernes

tlie work:

mous ma

encumber

task.

On the

often dev£

up the sui

of Scandi

quired a c

it was the

with a bla

blows brol

mountains

feeble old

age. Tho

that falls v\

To us SI

giants labo

e\'er>^whert

cacy which

life , in anc

scattered tl

times that,

opens its al

of sand, th<

*■!%

MARVELS OF THE ANTEDILUVIAN WORLD.

in its curvature to that of the sky : the vault of Tartarus — the shailowy
roahii of the Titians, those rebellious and vanquished annals of the
Paj^^an mythology. Sombre and silent, Tartarus is shrouded in ever-
lasting night.

Chinese Legend of the Creation.

When we cast a glance upon creation, we are astonished at its vastncss,
and we see that none of our fictions attain the sublimity of its proportions.
For instance, the Chinese account of creation represents the first organizer
of chaos under the form of a feeble old man, enervated and tottering, called
ran-Kou-Che,surroundedby confused masses of rock, and holding a chisel
■ n one hand and a hammer in the other. He toils painfully at his work,
. ith chisel and hammer, and, covered with perspiration, carves out the
crust of the globe, at the same time that he clears a path through a
wilderness of rocky masses. One shudders at the relative feebleness of
the workman to the immensity of the task. Well nigh lost amidst enor-
mous masses of shattered stone, which surround him on e\ery side and
encumber the picture, he appears to be a real pigmy exccutin ;■ a herculean
task.

On the other hand, the people of the North, looking upon their land so
often devastated by floods, thought that some god in his anger had broken
up the surface of it, and gathered the ruins into heaps. But to the children
of Scandinavia this deity was not a trembling used-up old man ; they re-
quired a divinity endowed with their own savage energ)-. In their eyes
it was the god of tempests ; the redoubtable and gigantic Thor, who, armed
with a blacksmith's hammer, and suspended over the ab\-ss, with mighty
blows broke up the crust of the earth, and fashioned out the rocks and
mountains with the splinters. Here we see already an advance upon the
feeble old Pan-Kou-Che ; strength is substituted for the weakriess of old
age. Thor snows like a revolted giant, raging and shattering e\'er\-lhing
that falls v.'ithin his reach.

To us such images appear very puerile. Instead of these old men and
giants laboriously occupied in hammering out the globe, we only trace
everywhere the invisible hand of the Creator. In one j^lace, with a deli-
cacy which passes all conception, it animates the insect with the breath of
life , in another, expanding itself to vast dimensions, it reins the worlds
scattered through space, and convulses or annihilates them. It is at such
times that, in the midst of its throes, our globe cleaves its mountains and
opens its abysses; and upon each of its gigantic ruins, as upoti each grain
of sand, the philosopher finds written a grand page of natural wonders.

liF"

ill

1
I'

EARTH, bEA, AND SKY.

In the Scandinavian mytholocjy wc discover some pictures of the threat
events which then took place in the cartli and in the heaxcns. The
description ]iaints tlie ravaj^es of the volcanic eruptions and of the Avavi.-s
of a wild and untamed ocean. The inspired sybil relates that at this lime
the sun did not rise where it now docs, and that the East was invaded Ity
polar ices. I remember, .says the .sybil, nine worlds and nine heaveui'.

THOR, THK (.I.\Nr-GOD OF THE SCANDINAVIANS, RECONSTRUCTING THE Cil.OBE.

Before the sons of the gods raised the globes, the sun shone in the
South. In the East is seated the old woman in the forest of iron (the polar
ices). The sun is covered with clouds, the earth sinks in the sea, the shin-
ing stars dl.sappear from the heavens, clouds of smoke envelop the all-
nourishing tree, lofty flames mount even to heaven ; the .sea rears itself
violently towards the skies and passes over the lands. Neither earth

nor sun t
.s\'bil for
from the
Thus I
legends, 1
iiidtile ac
as -M. F\l
people, ai
belie\ed i
fal.iles of
monsters
as in the
on their i
at the prL
scenes an
fictions ol
who coul
perfi'ct cl(
tion turn(
minute pi
there, anc
with e.xtr;
tiie h'lml
representc
wliich sw
traveller,
to pi-(.:ven
Alps or S'

Anotlu
arms of
had just
also a w
the riche;
possessioi

When 1
the earth
parties : 1
to f\ le ; a
from the

MARVELS OF TMK ANTEDILUVIAN WORLD.

nor sun exist any hnn^cr; the air is overcome by j:jlitterin!_f streams. The
.s\'bil for the second time sees the earth, covered with verdure, rise
from the sea.

Tluis tlie people of antiquity had their superstitions and their faljiilous
Icf^ends, but these were never so widely diffused as they became in the
J iii.I(ile ages, a period of simple ignorance and ardent fiith. At that time,
as 'SI. Figuicr saj'S in his excellent work on this epoch, al'. classes of tiie
people, and even a great part of the nobility, the magistrac}-, and the cler;.fy,
believed in magic. Learned men vied with each other in collecting all the
fal.Ues of their fi:)refathers and recording them in their works. The\' found
monsters in every kingdom of nature, and equally in the de[)ths of the sea
as in the heavens. They appeared to think men were coni[)elled to draw
on their imaginations for the marvelous, the absurdity of which amuser. us
at the present day, for we have learned that in the great realms of nature
scenes are presented which are more extraordinary and thrilling than any
fictions of ancient times. Yet the most eminent men (-f the middle ages,
who could discuss all branches of human knowledge of that da\' w ilh
perfect clearness, seemed to be struck with blindness as .soon as t!. ; '<'s-
tion turned upon monsters. One well-known naturalist describes with
minute jirecision all the localities in the Alps, all the animals to be found
there, and ever)' flower that blooms in their valleys. Every object is tlrawn
with extraordinary skill; there is so much delicacy in his engravings that
tlie h'unblest moss may be recognized. But along wi'J^ ♦hese faithful
repre.'-.entations of nature, we find frightful aerial monsters , w in^;. didgi 'iis
which swarm in the obscure windings of roads, and stop the alarmed
traveller. The perusal of the work of this author migh. well haw; sufficed
to prevent our credulous ancestors from venturing into the gorges of the
Alps or searching into their dark caverns !

The Earth Born of Fire and "Water.

Another celebrated work represents sirens, monks, and men-at-
arms of the sea, all covered with scales, and as fresh ,is if they
had just withdrawn from the gulfs of Neptune. Kircher, who was
also a well-known writer, pictures frightful dragons which gUcud
the riches of the earth, and which must be vanciuisli ■ 1 l-jfore obtaining
possession of them.

\\'hen learned men began to occupy themselves w ili the formation of
the earth, they became divided into two very clea !/ dethied opposite
parties: the Plutonists, who attributed the crust of t'..: slohe exclusu'e!)'
to fire; and the Neptunists, who, on the contrary, '."ived e\'er\'thing
fron:i the action of water. The truth is that fire and v.aier have had

■I :)

11 II

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

their share by turns. One part of the terrestrial crust is the result of
ignition, the other that of the deposit from water. It is evident that the
i^lohe is only a sun crusted over and partially .-xtini^aiished, the hard
ened surface of which hides the great interior furnace from view.

The L^dobe on fire, and Iramched into space, necessarily gave off
heat, and when after a long succession of ages it had sufficiently cooled

COMBAT WITH KIRCHER S WINGED DRAGON.

its surface became solidified, and constituted the primitive crust. When
this cooling process had made sufficient progress, the vapors from the
earth, an immense atmosphere of which enveloped the globe, became con-
densed and for ages descended upon the earth in torrents of rain. Gleams
of lightning and incessant peals of thunder accompanied these imposing

scenes o
) ield us

At the
increase*
f )rced its
mountain
earth wa
it, but th
acquired
iMvater fo
it ^'.•as th'v
nounta'n
the depth
mcntionct
fifteen ha\
the chain
fi'om pole
and assui
remodellet
of the eari
chains ha\
and Ural, (

It is cvi
the specie
epoch. K
times, eml
he says, of
antiquity,
the appeal
plants hav
must liav(
earth is o
at the exp
form new

The fir;
a luxuriar
beds — ant'
depths of

"H4:. i-

MARVELS OF THE ANTEDILUVIAN' WORLD.

scenes of the birth of our ^lobe, of which our imagination will never
)ielcl us more than an imperfect image.

Oriffin of the First Sens.

At the same time that, in the cour of ages, the crust of the earth
iiicreased in thickness, the cooling down, by contracting the glol)-.:,
f)rced its envelope to yield and break. These convulsions produced the
mountains which now diversify its surface. Whilst the crust of tiie
earth was yet thin, a slight effort of the central heat sufficed to rupture
it, but this only produced insignificant elevations. When this crust had
acquired greater thickness, its rupture, inasmuch as it required much
greater force, was only effected by means of the most violent movements ;
it v.as then that the Cordilleras rose into the clouds. The upheaval of each
mountain chain was necessarily accompanied by violent commotions in
the deptlis of the sea, and thence came those grand scenes of deluges
mentioned in the traditions of all nations. These great upliftings, of which
fifteen have been proven by geological science, terminated by the rising of
the chain of the Andes, the result of an immense rent extending almost
from pole to pole. Then the two Americas were lifted above the ocean,
and assumed their present shape. Thus fire and water successively
remodelled the surface of the globfc. It is to be remarked that the cru^t
of the eardi in breaking follows a fixed direction. All the great mountain
chains ha\'e been developed from the north to the south, as the Andes
and Ural, or from west to east, as in the Atlas chain.

Aniaziug' Destruction of Animal Life.

it is evident that each period had its peculiar organic forms, antl that
the species of animals of one epoch neither lived before nor after this
epoch. Humboldt himself, the most illustrious philosopher of modern
times, embraces this opinion without any qualification. Each upheaval,
he says, of these mountain chains of which we can determine the relative
antiquity, has been signalized by the destruction of ancient species and
the appearance of new forms of life. Numerous groups of animals and
plants ha\-e had their beginning and their end, and creative intervention
must have manifested itself at the appearance of each of them. Tho
earth is only an immense cemetery where each generation acquires life
at the expense of that which has just expired ; the particles of our corpses
form new materials for the beings which follow us.

The first layers of the earth that cooled down became covered witli
a luxuriant vegetation, the remains of which now constitute our coal-
beds — antediluvian forests, which the renins of man extracts from the
depths of the earth, to serve the wants of industry and his own dwellings.

r r'^ll,

S!'vl».f,

'^M

l>? %

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

Durin^f iliis period the whole surface of tlu j^Iobe \va:i covered with stran;^e
and tletise forests, where proudly rei;:^nL'd a h \:t of plants and trees, the
representatives of which at the present day play but a very humble part.
Here were palms and bamboos, there ^iL,v'intic moss-like plants, which
b>'re straiijht stems towering to a height of eighty to a hundred feet.
Then came immense growths, the stems of which remind one of a
reptile's .scaly armor. Lastly came trees of the family of our pines and
firs, their boughs laden with fruit.

Gigantic Growths of Vegretatioii.
These \ast primeval forests, which the course of ages was t(j anni-
hilate, sprang up on a heated and marshy soil, which surrounded t!i.'
lofty trees with thick compact masses of aqu:itic plants, intended to a:t
a great part in the formation of coal. The luxuriant vegetatit-n of llu
coal period was certainly favored by the enormous h-at ^\•hich tlu
scarcely-chilled terrestrial crust still preserved, as also hy the damijne.;3
of the atnKjsphere, and very probably by the great abundance of car-
bonic acid which it then contained. Although a thick and magnificent
mantle of foliage covered the globe, everything wore a s'range, gloomy
asptxt. luerywhere rose gigantic rushes and ferns, drawing up :\i\
exuberance of life from the fertile and \-irgin soil. The latter in tluir
aspect resembled palms, and the lea-t breath of wind ^vavctl tluir
crowns of finely-cut leaves like flexible plumes of feathers. ,\ sl^y, ever
somb'.v,- c~'l veiled, oppressed with hca\y clouds the domes (.f th.-so
fon.sts : a wan and dubious light scarcely made visible the dark and
naked trunks, shedding on all sides a shadowy and indescribable h\\2
of horror. This rich covering of vegetation, which ''xtended from pole
to pole, was sad and utterly silent, as well as strangely monotonous.
Not a single flower enlivened the foliage, not one edible fruit loaded its
branches. The echoes remained absolutely mute, and the branches
without a sign of life, for no air-breathing animal had as }-jt appeared
amid these dismal scenes of the ancient world !

One might say, in fact, that there was then no animal life to be
seen, for amid so many remains of the coral flora, which geologists
ha\-e so admirably reconstructed, they have only met whh a few
rare vestiges of one small reptile. This great contrast between the
richness of the vegetable and penury of the animal kingdom is explained
by the great quantity of carbonic acid at that time mixed with the
atmosphere, which, though particularly favorable to the life of plants,
must have been fatal to all animals endowed v.ith active respiiation. ]^v.L
though the atmosphere v,-as poisonous, the seas, on the contra/) .uniting to-

i??S*.*'

»i

^. •>■

■J

(33)

E\RTH, SEA, AND SKV

gcthcr all coiuliiieii- nir.st favorable to lifc,\vcri' pco])lccl with .shelled mol-
luscs and fish. After havi-iL,r lent life to the {jrimitive ai^es of the i:j1o1k\
these slraiiL^^e forests conipletel)- disappeared in the lapse of ages, and
the\- ha\e now bcconu; almost imi)ossible to recognize, owing to the
transformations the\- ha\e undergone in nature's inmiense subterra-
nean store-houses. Tlirre can, hriwexer, he no doulit about the matter
It is clearly the remain^ of these antique forests of our planet that con-
stitute the ca'A of the present time. Science, carrying its torch e\er
into the dark regions whence these remains proceeded, has discovered
all the constituent parts. Amid the black and gleaming masses of the
coal strata abundant impressions have been found of the plants which
produced our \ast beds of coal.

I>iso«>vory of an Antedihiviau 3fonster.
In the }car KS14, Sir F.verard Home published an account of .some-
large and very remarkable bones found in a rock, thirty or forty feet
abo\e the sea level, on the T-'nglish coast. The remains examined were
incomplete, anil the nature and haljits of the animal to a\ hich the\- be-
longed baffled all inquir\', until the tlisco\er\' of more perfect skeletons
unfolded a race of ^\ater reptiles, which received the name of ichthyosau-
aurus, or fish-li/ard. This strange creature ranging from twent\^ to more
than thirty ^eet in length, of A\hich ten .species are enumerated, had the
snout of a porpoise, the head of a lizard, teeth of a crocodile, the vertebrre
of a fish, and the patldles cf a v.hale; thus presenting in itself a combi-
nation of mechanical contri\ances which are now found distributed among
three di.stinct clas.scs of the animal kingdt)m. Persons to whom this sub-
ject may now be presented for the first time, will receive with much sur-
prise, perhaps almost with incredulity, such statements as are here ad\-anced,
It must be admittetl that they at first seem much more like the dreams of
fiction aiul romance than the sober results of calm and deliberate investi-
gation ; but to those who will examine the evidence of facts upon which
our conclusions rest, there can remain no more reasonable doubt ot the
former existence of these strange and curious creatures, in the times and
places we assign to them, than is felt by the antiquarian, -who, finding the
catacombs of Ei^ypt .stored with the mummies of men, and apes, anc'
crocodiles, concludes them to be the remains of animals and reptiles, thai
have formed part f>f an ancient population on the banks of the Nile. The
teeth of the lizard-fish, in some nistances amounting to two hundred and
ten, and the length of the jaws to more than six feet, qualified it for prey-
ing upon weaker creations ; and the half-dige.stcd remains of fishes and
reptiles, found witliin the skeletons, indicate the precise nature of its food..

■c.^^ .

|iie
lie

MARVELS OF THE ANTEDILUVIAN WORLD.

.'i5

A sinfj^le paddle of the fi)ur with whicli the animal Wiis fuinished some-
rimes contains more than a hundred hones, ^ivini,^ it ■j;rvdt elasticity and
power, and enabling it to proceed at a rapid rate through the water. Tiie
eye was enormously large, its ca\ity, in one species, iK-ing fourteen inches
in its longest direction. The eye also had a peculiar construction, to make
it operate both like a telescope and a microscope, so that the animal could
descry its prey b\- night as well as day, and at great depths in the water.
This fish-like lizard in some degree answers to the words of Milton*

REMARK.\BLE SKELETON' OF .\X IMMENSE FISH-LIZZ.\Rn.

With head uplift above the waves, and eyes
That sparkling blazed, his other parts besides,
Prone on the flood, extended long and large,
Lay floating many a rood.

The lizard-fish was an air-breathing, cold-blooded, and carnivorous in-
habitant of the ocean, probablj' haunting principally its creeks and bays,
fitted by its formidable jaws and teeth, its rapid motion and power of
vision, to be the scourge and tyrant of the e.\isting seas of its era, keeping
the multiplication of the .species of other animals within proper limits

41:: i >

ill

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

Thouijh csscntiall}' marine, and admirabl}- adapted Ijv its orc^anization to
cut the waves, certain peculiarities of structure have induced tlie opinion
that tlic forward paddles niit,ditbe subservient to loconn^tion not only in the
\\ater,but on L-uul. J^roless' t Owen thinks that the iciithyosauri, like the ex-
i.-iiuLi" cnicodiles, nia}- ha\e C(.mie ashore to sleep, or resorted thitherto de-
posit their cl^l^s. The reniains of these animals occur in .^reat abundance on
the ] ",n:_;Iish c< >ast where the cliffs appear to be inexhaustible quarries of them.

A Strauge j^lariiia lleptile.
In the same strata in wlu'ch the remains of the ichthyosaurus are found,
another marine re[)tile api^ears, which received its name of plesiosaurus,
sit,mif\-inLj akin to the lizard, from its more closely resembliny^ animals of
this i^enus than fishes, especial!)- in the character ot the skeletoii. A
similar remarkable combination of forms app^;ars in this animal to that
which distiui^uishes its preceding" relati\e — the head dt a lizard, the teeth
of a cr(Kodile, a neck resemblini;" the body of a serpent, the ti'uiik and
tail (if an ordinar)- ([uadruped, the ribs of a eb.cUiielci in, anil tlu- paddles
of a whale. Such are the sti'an^e combinations of form cUid structure in
the plesiosaurus, a ;j^enus, the remains of w luch, alter internient for thou-
santls of years amidst tlie wreei; of million.^ of extinct inhabitants of the
ancient eartli, are at length recalled to ii.^ht by the researches of the yeolo-
y,"' L, and submitted to our examination in neark' as perfect a state as the
bones of .species that are now existing' upon the earth. Its most strikint^
feature is the L;!'eat length of the neck, which has from thirty to forty
vertebnu, or bone joints, a lar^x.r nunil.)er than in an\' l-.nown animal, those
of l'\iiv^- reptiles \-ar\-in;4' from three to six, and tlu)se of birds from nine
to t\\ent)'-three. It has been therefore correctly compared to a serpent,
threatled throui^di the body of a tui-tle. That it was aciuatic. is evident
from the form of its paddles ; that it was marine is almost e([ually so, fi'om
the remains with which it is iniiversally associated ; that it may ha\-e occa-
sicMially visited the sIum-c, the resemblance of its extremities to those of
the tui'tle may lead us to conjecture; its motion, howe\er, must ha\e been
ver\- awkward (/ii lantl ; its loni;" neck must have impeded its pros^ress
throu_L;h the watei', presentini^- a strikinij^ contrast to the opjjanization of
the lizard-fish, :\hich so admirably fitted it for that i)u,-pose. May it not
therefore be concluded (since in addition to these circumstances, its res[)ir
ation must have required frequent access to air) that it swam upon or near
the surface, archiny; back its lony; necl; like the swan, and occasionally dartin<j
it down at the fish which happened to float within its reach? It ma)' per-
haps luue lurked in shoal water aloni( the coast, concealed amonj^' the
sea-weetl, and raisini;- its nostrils to the surface from a considerable depth,

i;:' '^'^

lilli

(37)

EARTH, SF.A, AND SKV.

ma\- ha\-c r.unci a secure retreat from the assaults of dancjerous enemies;
while the length and flexibility «>f its neck niay ha\-e compensated for
the want of strength in its jaws, and its incapacity for swift motion through
tin; water, by tlie suddenness and agilit>^ of the attack which they enabled
it to make on e\-er\- animal fitted for its pre)'.

The appearance of U\c animal, which is far less formidable than that of
the ichth}-osaurus, shows that it was more adapted to occupy the tranquil
Aaters of sheltered creeks and ba},-s than to brave the rough breakers of
the deep. The first almost entire skeleton of ])lesiosaurus was obtained
in 1S24, and since then a large number of .species have been established.
From the connected ar,d almost perfect state of the sk-eletons of ichthy-
osauri and plesiosauri, as if prepared by an anatomist, these animals appear
to iuu'e been suddenl}- destroyed and immediately embedded. As we
know that ri\ er fish are sometimes stifled, even in their own element, by
muddy water, during floods, it cannot be doubted that the periodical dis-
charge of laige bodies of turbid fresh water into the sea may be still
more fetal to marine tribes. Large quantities of mud and drowned ani-
mals have been swept down \nto the sea, by rivers, during earthquakes,
as in J:.va some years since ; and indescribable multitudes of dead fishes
have been seen floating on the sea, after a discharge of noxious vapors,
during similar convulsions.

A 3Ionstrous Creature of the Pre-Historic Age.

Contemporaneously with these strange animals, marine, fresh-water, and
terrestrial tortoises flourished, with crocodiles of extinct .species, and the
pterodactyle, or wing-fingered reptile, perhaps the most singular and mons-
trous creature of the ancient world, the type of which appears in no living
genus. This flying reptile had such a remarkable construction that it puz-
zled scientific men. Naturalists pored o\er its remains, but were unable to
assign them to their true place in the animal kingdom, some pronouncing
it a bird, others a reptile, and others a bat, till Cuvier took its skeleton in
hand. Behold, he observes, an animal, which, in its bone formation, from
its teeth to the end of its claws, is like a reptile ; nor can we doubt that
those characteristics exi.sted in the muscles and soft parts, in its scales, its ,
circulation, and other organs. But it was, at the .same time, an animal
p;o\-ided with the means of flight, which, when stationaiy, could not have
made much use of its anterior extremities, even if it did not keep them
always folded as birds keep their wings; which, nevertheless, might use
its small anterior fingers to suspend itself from the branches of trees, but
when at rest must have been ordinarily on its hind feet, like the birds,
again ; md .'Jso, like them, must ha\-e carried its neck sub-erect, and

i 1

THE GREAT FISH-LIZARD AND FLYIN'i KEiniLE.

if '1^

't.::":

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY,

curved backwards. 5.0 that its enormous head should not interrupt its ._ui-
libriuni. Ttcrodactvlcs had the liead and neck of a bird, the mouth and
teeth of a reptile, the wini^s of a bat, the body and tail of one of the lower
orders of animals. Their eyes were enormously lar<;e so that they could
seek their prey in the niL,dit. They could not only fly, but like the exist-
ing \-ampire bat, they had the power of swimminfr. Thus, like Milton's
fiend, qualified for all services and all elements, the pterodactyle was a
fit companion for the kindred reptiles that swarmed in the seas, or crawled

on the shores of a turbulent planet

The fiend,
O'er bog, or steep, through strait, rough, dense, or rare,
W'itli liead, hands, wings, or feet pursues his way.
And swims, or sinks, or wades, or creeps, or Hies.

C u V i e r , i n h i s
great work , pro-
nounces these fly-
ing reptiles the most
extraordinary of all
the beings Avhose
ancient existence is
revealed to us ; and
those which, if alive,
would seem most at
variance with li\ ing
forms. Man}' spe-
cies have been de-
termined, most of
them \-ar)'ing from
the size of a snipe
to that of a cormor-
ant. It is estimated
that the expanded
wings of this creature measured six feet in width.

Another reptile allied to the pterodactyle lived in this epoch. It was
the ramphorynchus, and was distinguished from the former by a long
tail. Tlie imi)rints which this animal has left upon the sandstone of the
period indicate at once the impression of its feet and the linear furrow
left by its tail. Like the pterodact)'le, the ramphorynchus, which was
a very strange creature, coukl not precisely fly, but, aided b\' the natural
p^.fachute formed, by tiie membrane connecting the fingers and the body,
it could throw itself from a height upon its prey. The footprints in the

FOSSIL SKELETOX OF THE PTEROD.VCTVLE.

soil an
in the ;
tcrior f

Not
were tli
rus. T
and pro
ous deti
in the s.
ance of
ered. \
was equ

projjortior

abdonu'nal

tionate siz

covered w:

limb seven

presented 1

and were sii

with claws,

been less t

onstrate tli

reptile, and

hemlock tr

tion adapte

^:. J

MARVELS OF THE ANTEDILUVIAN WORLD.

soil are those which always accompany the remains of the ramphorynchus;
in the rocks, and they show the imprints at once of the anterior and pos-
terior feet and tail.

Extraordinary Land Reptiles.

Not less remarkable than these inhabitants of the ocean and tlic air
were the land reptiles of the same period, the it^uanodon and mcf^^alosaii-
rus. The i_<j^uanodon had a very singular structure. Although the size
and proportions of its body and limbs have been determined from numer-
ous detached bones, and the few specimens in which several are collected
in the same block of stone, yet but a vague idea of the form and appear-
ance of the original animal can be derived from the relics hitherto discov-
ered. We may, however, safely conclude that the body of the iguanodon
was equal in magnitude to that of the elephant, and as massive in its

THE R.VMPIinm'XCIIUS OR CREEPING BIRD.

proportions; for being a vegetable feeder, a large development of the
abdominal region may be inferred. Its limbs must have been of a propor-
tionate size to sustain so enormous a bulk ; one of the thigh bones, if
covered with muscles and tissues of suitable proportions, would form a
limb seven feet in circumference. The hinder extremities, in all probability
presented the unwieldy shape of those of the hippopotamus or rhinoceros,
and were supported by very strong, short feet, the toes of which were armed
vvith claws, like those of certain turtles. The fore legs appear to ha\e
been less bulky, and were furnished with hooked claws. The teeth deni-
onstrate the nature of the food required for the support of this herbivorous
reptile, and the power of mastication it enjoyed; and the ferns, pines and
hemlock trees, with which its remains are associated, indicate the vegeta-
tion adapted for its sustenance. But the physiognomy of this creature,,

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

I |i'

■

'»

from the peculiar shai)c of the skull ami jaws require 1 {y^\- the attachment
and supjjort of tlu; powerful muscles necessary f >r the [^rindini^ of toui^h
vet,^etablc substances. nui>t luue differed entirely from that of all kn<nvn
reptiles.

The len;4th of the i;,_nianodon lias been \ariously estimated; the differ-
ence in the computation de[)endini; thief!)' on the extent assii^ned to the
tail, which in many lizards is much lont;er than the bod\'. If the tail of the
fossil reptile was slender, and of the same relative proportions as in forms
now existing, the lart^est individual would be fifty or sixty feet lont^.

Remains- of the mcLjjalosaurus have been found in se\-eral localities.
So many perfect bones and teeth have been discovered that we are nearly
as well acquainted with the form and dimensions of the limbs as if they
had been found toirether in a sin<de block of stone. The restoration of
the animal had been accordinc^ly effected agreeably with the proportions
of the known parts of the skeleton, and in harmony with the general
characters of the order of reptiles to which the mcgalosaurus belonged.
Baron Cuvier estimated this animal to have been about fifty feet in length.
Calculations founded on more complete evidence reduce its size to about
thirty-five feet; but with the superior proportional height and capacity
•of trunk as contrasted with the largest existing crocodiles, even that
length gives a very formidable character to this extinct rapacious rej)tile.
The restoration, according to the proportions of fo.ssil bones of the
megalosaurus hitherto obtained, yields a total length of the animal,
fron) the muzzle tc the end of the tail, of thirty-.seven feet, the length
of the head being five feet, the length of the tail fifteen feet, and the
greatest girth of the body twenty-two feet six inches. As the thigh
bone and leg bone measure each nearly three feet, the entire hind leg
must have attained a length of two yards, and indicated a foot, with the
toes and claws entire, of at least three feet in length. The form of the
teeth shows the megalosaurus to have been .strictly a flesh-eating crea-
ture, and these were fearfullv fitted to the destructive office for which
they were designed. They appear straight when young, but become
sligtly bent backwards in the progress of growth, and the fore part of
the crown, below the summit becomes thick and convex. They present
a combination of contrivances similar to those which human ingenuity
has adopted in the conscruction of the knife, the sabre, and the saw.
Enormuii.s Lizards of the Prehistoric Ago.
The world-renowned naturalist, Figuier, thus describes this gigantic
reptile: The megalosaurus was an enormous lizard, borne upon feet
5lightly raised : its length reached about forty-five feet. Cuvier consider-

ed that

of the r

ous arr;

animal

crocodi

The low

in a stra

the croc(

accord

partake

junction

a backw.i

After in;

Bucklanc

their con(

effect of ,

incision li

backward

escape of

the same .j

of the ins(

Figuier

than the n:

the ancieni

The form i

on the upp

the marvel

of the elef

was formec

was herbivi

teristic orsr

the cocodii

say, in the

occupied b'

their mode

narrower w

suitable for

among the

We prese

MARVF.LS OF THE ANTEDILUVIAN WORLD.

ed that it partook of the structure of the reptiles wliich liaunt the banks
of the Nile and tropical India. The complicated structure and marvel-
ous arrangement of the teeth prove that it was essentially a llcsh-eating
animal. It fed probably on other serpents of moderate size, such as the
crocodiles and turtles which are found in the fossil state in the beds.
The lower jaw supports many teeth; it shows that the head terminated
in a straight muzzle, thin and fiat on the sides, like that of the gavial,
the crocodile of India. The teeth of the megalosaurus were in perfect
accord with the destructive nature of this formidable creature. They
partake at once of the knife, the sabre and the saw. Vertical at their
junction with the jaw, they assume with the increased age of the animal
a backward curve, giving them the form of a gardener's pruning-knife.
After insisting upon some other particulars respecting these teeth,
Buckland says, " With teeth constructed so as to cut with the whole of
their concave edge, each movement of the jaws produced the combined
effect of a knife and a saw, at the same time that th.' point made a first
incision like that made by the point of a double-cutting sword. The
backward curvature taken by the teeth at their full growth renders the
escape of the prey when once seized impossible. We find here, then,
the same arrangements which enable mankind to put in operation many
of the instruments which they employ."

The Colossal Tj»u:vno<lon.

Figuier also says concerning the iguanodon that it was more gigantic
than the megalosaurus: the most colossal, indeed, of all the reptiles of
the ancient world which research has yet exposed to the light of day.
The form and disposition of the feet, added to the existence of a horn
on the upper part of the muzzle or snout, render this creature one of
the marvels of the ancient world. The bone of its thigh surpasses that
of the elephant, the shape of this bone and feet demonstrates that it
was formed for travelling inland ; and its dental system shows that it
was herbivorous. The teeth which are the most important and charac-
teristic organs of the whole animal, are not fixed in distinct sockets like
the cocodiles, but fi.xed on the internal face of a dental bone ; that is to
say, in the interior of the palate, as in the lizards. The place thus
occupied by the edges of the teeth, their trenchant and saw-like form,
their mode of curvature, the points where they become broader or
narrower which turn them into a species of nippers or scissors — are all
suitable for cutting and tearing the resisting plants which are also found
among the remains with the reptile.

We present an engraving in which the iguanodon and megalosaurus

M't:

t/5

<
n

t/5

(44)

strM<,Tg'
also to
a vcgci
rcscinb
rescnib
compo>
some p;
tlic maj

Tlic
fouiul in
of the f>

e^^^

t^i^^

with thicl
spikes, re
rcstrialjii
j^ethcr it
When
and becoi
tiplication
mososauri
Mouse, ir

MARVF.LS OF TIIF. .WTFDII.rVI.W \V<1KI.I).

struggle for the mastery in tlic centre of a forest, wliich enables us
alsotoconvey .some idea of the vegetation of the period. Here we nt^tc
a vegetation at once exotic and leinperate — that of the tropics, and a ilora
resembling our own. On the left we ob.serve a group of trees, which
resemble some of the plants i)f our forests. An entire group of trees,
composed of ferns, are in the background ; in the extreme ilist:ince arc
some palms. We also recognize in the picture the alder, the w\-ch-elm,
the maple, and the walnut-tree, or at h-ast .species similar to these.

A 3Iarv<'l<nis IJeplile.
The In'l.X'osaurus was .another enormous n^ptilc, whose remains were
found in tlie Tiljjatc Forest. This animal ap[)ears to have combined some
of the features both of the crocodile and iA' tlie li/ard. It \\.is cxered

A IIUC.K nONE-I'L-VrED .\N1MAI. — TIIK IIVL.l'.OSArKL'S.

with thick scales, and along the back was a row of long conical bones or
spikes, resembling the crest*:. This animal is supposed to have bceii a ter-
restrial, herbivorous reptile, be ween twenty and thirty feet in length. Alto-
gether it must have been of the most extraordinary reptilian organization.
When the ichth\'osaurus and plesiosaurus ceased to rule the ocean
and become extinct, the mososaurus took their place, to keep the mul-
tiplication of the .species of other animals within proper limits. The
mososaurus derives its name from the localit\-, Macstricht, on the Ri\-er
Mcuse, in Germany, where its remains have been chiefly discovered,

.ii; f

•IG

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

and from tin- Greek word sdz/n's, a lizartl, to wliich triix- of animals it
bchMv^'s. Tlic occasional tiiscoverj' of bones and teeth of an unknown
animal in the limestone has loii'x since directed the attention of natural-
ists to the quarries of St. Peter'> Mountain.

I)ise«)\ t-rv ol' an Iminoiiso Fossil SUch'toii.
In 1770, j\I. 1 1' 'ffmann, win > was forming a collection of orj^anic remains,
discoviTed a s[>eeimLti, which lias conferred additional inlere. t oil this
localit\'. Some workmen, on blastinLT the rock in t)ne of the caverns ot
the interior "C tlie mountain. [)erceived, to their a.stonishment, the jaws of
an enormous animal attached to the roof of the chasm. The discovery
was inunediately made known to "M. Hoffmann, who repaired to the
s])ot, and f.)r weeks presided o\cr the arduous task of .separating from
tile rock the mass of stone containing the remains. His labors were at
length repaid b\- tlie successful extrication of the specimen, which lie
conveyed triumpiiantly to the hou.se. Unfortunately, the canon of the
cathedral, which stands on the mountain, claimed the fossil in right of
being lord of the manor, and succeeded, by a most unjust and expen-
sive lawsuit, in obtaining this precious relic. It remained in his pos.ses-
sion for years, and Hoffmann died without regaining his treasure, or
receiving any comj^ensation. The French revolution broke out, and
the armies of the republic ad\anced to the gates of Maestricht ; the
town was bombarded, but by tlie desire of the committee of scientific
men who accomi)anied the French troops, the artillery was not allowed
to play on that part of the city in which the celebrated fossil was known
to be contained. In the meanwhile, the canon, shrewdly su.specting why
such peculiar favor was shown to his residence, concealed the specimen in
a secret vault; but when the city was taken, the French authonties com-
pelled him to give up his ill-gotten prize, w hich was immediately trans-
mitted to the zoological garden at Paris, where it still forms one of the
most striking objects in that magnificent collection. The entire length of
the mososaurus has been estimated at from twenty-five to thirty feet ; the
number of its spinal joints is one hundred and thirty-three. Its skull
measures four and a half feet in length, and two and a half feet in width.
In the more recent dejwsits, the remains of immense animals are
found in great numbers; among the most remarkable of these is the
mammoth or ft)ssil elephant. Bones and tusks of elephants or mastadons
occur throughout Russia, and more particularly in Eastern Siberia and the
arctic marshes. The tusks are very numerous, and in so high a state of
preservation that they form an article of commerce, and arc employed in
the same works as what may be termed the living ivory of Asia and

t/.

H
W

ij.

v..

u.
r-
r.

•J.
r.

PI
B

•J.

i^i#

(47)

EARTH, SKA, AND SKY.

Africa, thou,cjh the fossil trunks fetch an inferior price. Siberian fossil
ivory forms the principal material on which the Russian i\'ory-turner
works. The tusks most abound on the shores of the Fro7x-n Sea, and
the best are found in the countries near the arctic circle, and in the most
eastern re;^nons, where the soil in the very short summer is thawed only
at tile surface ; in some years not at all.

T>i.stM)Vcry of an ]-]ii<>rmous 3Iaininot]i.
In 1799 a Tun^i^usian named Schumachoff, who c^cnerally went to fish
and hunt at the peninsula of Tamut after the f.shini^ season of the Lena
was over, had constructed tor his wife some cabins on tlie banks of Lake
Oncoul, and had embarked to seek aiong the coasts for tusks, called
horns by the people of that rei^ion. One day he saw among the blocks
of ice a shapeless mass, but did not then discover what it was. In 1800
he perceived that this object was more disengac^ed from the ice, and that
it had two projecting^ parts, and towards the end of the summer of 1801
the entire side of the nnimal and one of his tusks was quite free from
ice. The sumiin^r of 18' )2 was cold, but in 1803 part of the ice between
the earth and tl'.e roanimoth, for such was the object, having melted
more rapidly tlian 'lie rest, the plane of its support became inclined, and
the enormous mas:, fell by its own weight on a bank of sand. In March,
1804, Schumachoff came to his mammoth, and having cut off the tusks,
exchanged them with a merchant for goods of the value of forty dollars.
For some j-ears the flesh of thi^' animal was cutoff for dog-meat by the
people around, and bears, »< olves, gluttons, and foxes fed upon it till
the skeleton was nea:!}' cle-ired of its flesh, Ab(Hit three-fourths of the
skin, which was of a reddish-gi v- color, and covered with reddish wool
and black hairs about eight inciies long, was saved, and such was its
weight that it required ten men to remove it; the bones of the head,
Avith the tusks, weighed four hundred and sixteen pounds. The skele-
ton was taken to St. Petersburg, where it may still be seen in the j\Iuseum
of Natural History, This animal must have been twice the ordinary size
of the existing elephant, and it must have weighed at lea.st twenty thou-
sand pounds.

There is not in the whole of Asiatic Russia any brook or river, especially
of those which flow in the plains, on the banks of which some bones of
elephants and other animals foreign to the climate have not been found.
But in the more elevated regions, they are wanting, as are the marine
petrifactions. But in the lower slopes and in the great muddy and sandy
plains, above all, in places which are swept by rivers, they are sure
to be found, which proves that we should not the less find them

through*

of searcl

rivers wl

down Wl

\-iew the

ing watei-

Russia th

In .spite

we can sc

of the L

and of th

is about 1

mountain^

and their I

is formed

skulls of

rhinoceros

Xevv' Si!

sand, of ic.

new quanti

on a profii

summer in

isle of bon

all the ccn

mammoth,

withdrawn :

it is employ

as we know

isle of bone

China for f

upwards of

unuiminishc

and tusks d

The abun

has given fc

tlie north I

which lived,

not bear th

circumstanc(
4

MARVELS OF THE ANTEDILUVIAN WORLD.

throughout the whole extent of the country if we liad the same moans

of searchin<T for them. Every year in tlie season of thawini^, the vast

rivers which descend to the Frozen Ocean in the north of Siberia sweep

down ^vith their waters numerous portions of the banks, and expose to

\icw the bones buried in the soil and in the excax'ations left by the rush-

inc^ waters. It is curious that the more we achance towards the north of

Russia the more numerous and extensive do the bone repositories become.

In spite of the undoubted testimony, often repeated, of numerous travellers^

we can scarcely credit the statements made respectin<T some of the island-^,

of the t^lacial sea near the poles, situated opposite the mouth of the Lena

and of the Indic^irska. All the islands nearest to the main land, which

is about thirt)'-six leagues in length, except three or four small rocky

mountains, are a mixture of sand and ice, so that when the thaw sets in

and their banks begin to fall many mammoth bones are found. All the isle

is formed of the bones of this extraordinarv animal, of the horns and

skulls of buffaloes, or of an animal which resembles them, and of some

rhinoceros horns.

Quarries of Fossil Ivory.

New Siberia and the Isle of Lachon are for the most part only a mass of
sand, of ice, and of elephants' teeth. At every tempest the sea casts ashore
new quantities of mammoths' tusks, and the inhabitants of Siberia carry
on a profitable commerce in this f jssil i\'ory. Every year during the
summer innumerable fishermen's barks direct their course towards this
isle of bones, and during winter immense cara\ans take the same route,
all the convoys drawn by dogs, returning laden with the tusks of the
mammoth, weighing each from 150 to 200 pounds. The fossil i\-ory, thus
withdrawn from the frozen north is imported into China and Europe, where
it is employed for the same purpose as ordinary ivory, which is furnished,
as we know, Ijy the elephant and hippopotamus of Africa and Asia. The
isle of bones has served as a cjuarry of this valuable material for export to
China for five hundred years, and it has been exported to luirope for
upwards of a hundred. But the supply from these strange mines remains
undiminished. What a number of accumulated generations of these bones
and tusks does this profusion imply!

The abundance of the remains of fossil elephants in the Russian steppes

has given birth to a legend of a very ancient origin. The Russians of

the north believe that these bones proceed from an enormous animal

which lived, like the mole, in holes which it dug in the earth ; it could

not bear the light, .says the legend, but died when exposed to it. A

circumstance curious enough is that this same legend of an animal living
4

lit'

iShi:

EARTH, SEA, AND SKV.

undorcjrnuiKl I'.a^ spread to China. Wc read in the preat Chinese work
on Natural History, composed in the sixteenth centiir\-, of an animal that
was called by a name sij^nifyint; the mouse, which hides itself. The descrip-
tion says, it constantly confines itself to subterranean caverns; it resem-
bles a mouse, but is of the size of a buffalo or ox. It has no tail ; its
color is dark ; it is veiy stron;^ and excavates caverns in places full of
roots, and covered with forests. Another writer tluus expresses hinise'.t.
This monster haunts obscure and unfrequented places. It dies as soon a ; i,'
is exposed to the ra\-s of the siii or moon ; its feet arc short in proportion
to its size. It-; tail is as lon;^ a^ that of a Chinese. Its e\'es are small, its
neck short. It is very stupid and slu^Lnsh.

M/:

"imj\rt", I

I. FOOTPRINTS OF THE I.AnVRINTMODON IN' S.ANDSTONE.

FOOTPRINTS OF

.\ r.iun.

F(VVrPKlNT.S OF A lUKO AND IM I'KI'.SSloN OF KAIN IM'lOr.s.

In i>^34 an account was published of some remarkable' fissil footsteps
in the new red santlstone in Saxony. The largest track afipears to ha\-e
been made b}' an animal whose hind foot was eii^ht inches lon^;, thj
fire foot beini^ much stnaller. It received the name of chirothcrium,
owinrj to the rese:nblance of 'ts impressions to the shape of the human
liand. P'ossil skulls, jaws, teeth, and a few other bones of this animal,
have since been disco\-ered, and from some characteristics which they
possess — found at the present day only in fronts and salamanders, and
from the proportionate size of its fore and hind feet, also a characteristic

of the t(
hui^e fn

from thi
present
of the h
ter is fn
tracks, n
ered in t
largest f
of the st
rijiple in;
north of
President
distinct tr;
tlie impre--
now comn

Similar

where trac

strata, at tl

blistered oi

isj)heres of

are someti

but in oth

direction, a

wind acconi

of .sandston

States, wjiii

evincini^'-, b_\

\Niien tile ra

Walking;

defined cast

retreatintj;- ti^

animals and

it. In the ;

red sandstor

tidal river, b<

by the actio:

the returning

two layers i

MARVELS OF THE ANTEDILUVIAN WORLD.

of the toad and frog — tliis extinct animal is supposed to have been a
huLje frofj. It has more recently received the name of labyrinthodon,
from the peculiar structure of its teeth, which, under the microscope,
present a series of irre^^ular folds, resemblinc^ the labyrinthic \vindin[:js
of the human brain. The pictorial representation in the f )llo\ving chap-
ter is from a model at the London Cr\-stal Palace. Later a variety of
tracks, referred to the chirotherium, tortoises, and reptiles were (li-^co\--
ered in the new red sandstone in the neighborhood of Liverpool. The
largest footprint A\as nine inches long, and si.K inches broad, the length
of the step approaching to two feet. Abundant footj)rints along with
ripple marks, ha\e been found on layers of the forest marble, to the
north of Bath. A communication to the Journal of Science, in i-S;^, by
President Hitchcock, of Amherst College, called attention to some very
distinct tracks in the red sandstone of the Connecticut valle\-, resembling
llie impressions left on the muddy banks of the river by the aquatic birds
now common to the locality.

3rarks of Kaiii l>r<)i)S in Solid Rocks.

Similar impressions of rain drojw occur in the Storeton quarries,
where tracks of the chirotherium are found. The under surface of the
strata, at the depth of thirty-two or thirty-five feet, presents a remarkably
blistered or watery appearance, being densely covered by minute hem-
is})heres of the same substance as the sandstone. The ini[)re~. ions
are sometimes perfect hemispheres, indicating a vertical fall of rain;
but in other cases they are irregular and elongated in a particular
direction, as if the drops had struck the surface oblicjuely, indicating a
wind accompanying the rain. President Hitchcock mentions specimens
of .sandstone in his possession, obtained from various parts of the L'nited
.States, which show footprints, ripple marks and rain drops, the latter
evincing, by a uniform elongation of shai)e, the direction of the wind
when the rain fell.

Walking along our shores in the present da}-, we obser\-e a well-
defined cast of our ov.n footstep left in the santl still wet from the
retreating tide, and similar distinct impressions made by the passage of
animals and birds across it, and by the descent of a shower of rain upon
it. In the same manner it is probable that the tracks which the new
red sandstone presents were formed on the shores of an estuar)', or a
tidal river, between high and low water mark — then dried and hardened
by the action of the sun and air during the subsiding of the waters —
the returning waves washing up mud to cover up the impressions, the
two layers uniting, to exhibit, if ever separated, the one a mould, and

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

the othjr a cat from it. of the forms that have be?n there. The obser-
vation of ii'.-^' phenomena, now, to these unfolded by this geolop^ical
format; -n, a:-: of no mean importance and interest to mankind, in every
conditi )!! )f society. Many a depredator ha:: been detected by thj
correspondence of his foot to its imprint in the snow or loose earth
near the place of his crime. The North American Indian finds hi;
enjm\- by his trail, and can not only distin^^uish between the elk an I
\'\: buiTalo by the marks of their hoofs, but determine with i^rcat exact--
iijss the space of time that has elapsed since the animals ha\-e passed.
In the deserts of Africa, tlie track of the camels proclaims to the Arab
whether a heavily or lightly laden caravan has crossc' the sands. But

from : he imprints prc-
.sented by the sandstone
formation, we gather in-
fo r m a t i o n respecting
what trans])irLd many
thousand:5 of _ -.ars ag(^,
catch a glimpse of the gi-
gantic birds and strangely

u^T^^^. ^O^i^^i"!^'^^ fiuadru:>-ds that

H'4 W'^^^Mk^hhimmm^^c, existed. ...l even

ha\-e indicated to us, in
a manner so plain as not
to be mistalccn, the di-
rection from which tlic
wind blew \\iii!e a slu n\er
of rain was falling.

\\"e fiud embedded in
the earth tlic fossil re-
mains of \-ast quantities
of animals ntT less remarkable for their minuteness and construction than
those already described in the preceding pages are for their colo^^sal size.
The}' are cal'ed animalcules, or infusoria. Their skeletons constitute nearly
ihe whole mass of some soils and rocks, man}' feet in thickness, and extend-
ing 'iver areas of several miles. Such is the polishing slate, in Bohemia,
which occupies a surface of great extent, i^robabK' the site of an ancient
lake, and forms slaty ."-trata of fourteen feet hi thickness, almost wholly com-
posed of the shields of animalcules. The size of a single one, forming
the polishing slate, amounts upon an a\'erage, and in the greatest part, to
one-sixth of the thickness of a human hair. Such is the statement oi

CHAF.K UNDER Till-: MICKO.SCOI'E.

Ehrenber

losopher,

so in tho.«

known nii

the telescc

star; the (

me that tl

countries,

teaclics m

the familie

busy popu

The one tc

of the ins

c a n c *" o i

Morld I t

upon; the

redeems it

all insignifi

—for it tel

that in the 1

of every fo

and in the

ers of every

den, and in

\vaters of e

rivulet, then

worlds tcer

with life,

numberless

the stars abo

Tile comp

unique; for i

ica, strata con

is the case \\

ing a deposi

towns of Ric

over which ii

the nature of

almcst entire!

prepared for r

MARVELS OF THE ANTEDILUVIAN WORLD.

Ehrcnbcrg, wliich naturally suggests the reflection of the French phi-
losopher, that if the Almighty is great in great things, he is still more
so in those which arc minute; and furnishes additional data for the well
known moral argument of the tlieologian, derived from a comparison of
the telescope and the microscope: The one led me to see a system in every
star; the other leads me to see a world in every atom. The one taught
me that this mighty globe, with the whole burden of its people and of its
countries, is but a grain of sand on the high field of immensit}-; the other
teaches me that e\'ery grain of sand may harbor within it the tribes and
the families of a
busy population.
The one told me
of the insignifi-
cance of the
world I tread
upon; the other
redeems it from
all insignificance
— for it tells me
that in the leaves
of every forest
and in the flow-
ers of every gar-
den, and in the
waters of every
rivulet, there are
worlds teeming
with life, and
numberless as
the stars above. fossil remains in chalk.

The composition of the polishing slate of Bohemia is far from being
unique; for in several other European localities, and very largely in Amer-
ica, strata consisting mainlv of fossil animalcules have been observed. This
is the case with the infusorial earth of Virginia, a yellowish clay, furm-
ing a deposit from twelve to fifteen feet in thickness, upon which ihe
towns of Richmond and Petersburg are built. The surface of the country
over which it extends is characterized by a scanty vegetation, owing to
the nature of the soil dependent on the minute organisms of which it
almost entirely consists. When a few grains of this earth arc properly
prepared for microscopic examination, immen.se numbers of the shields or

H, >

EARTH, SEA, AND SIvV.

ca-^c-; of ani'Tialculcs arj vi-;ible und^r a maTnifyin; prvv:r of thrc- hun-
dred diaiiijtcr-;; in fact, the merest stain left by the cvaooratioii of water
in which some of the marl has been mixed, teems with thjse fjssil re-
mains. The farther we pursue o.ir iavesti^^ations in this direction, the
more wonderful do the discoveries become.

These or^^anisms are of exquisite structure and comprise many species
and jrenera. The most beautiful and abundant a -e the circular shields
.vhich are cle^^ant saucer-shapjd cases, elab ):-atjly ornamented with open-
in:;s disposed in curves, sonewhat resem!:)!;n ^ the machine-turned sculp-
turinir of a watch. These shells are from one-hundredth to one-thousandth
of an inch in diameter. Th j b )dy of the livin^^ animalcule was protected
and enclosed by a pair of these concave shells.

The Sinaliost Creatures ever Discovered,

Beds of infusorial earth occur in almost every quarter of the globe. A
large proportion of the sand of the Libyan desert consists of microscopic
fossil remains; and the marine sands of the Paris basin are in some locali-
ties so full of microscopic forms, that it is calculated that a cubic inch of
the mass contains sixty thousand. Many of the peat bogs of Ireland
contain layers of a white, earthy substance, which, when dry, is of the
appearance and consistence of brittle chalk, and this consists of the cases
of animalcules.

Infusoria abound also at the present time. They are generally to be
found in stagnant pools, an 1 not unfre [uently in springs, rivers, lakes and
sea-i; also in tlve internal moisture of li\-in.g plants and animal bodies, and
are i)robably at times carried about in the vapor and dust of the at;m(:)s-
phere. Unlike the larger animals, throughout the whole of which we
can trace one common type, the forms of these minute creatures are
varied and singular. Some are egg-shaped, others resemble spheres;
others again different kinds of fruit, funnels, tops, cylinders, pitchers,
wheels, flasks, cjls, serpents and many classes of animals with jointed
skeletons.

Some of th J animalcules are visible to the naked eye, as moving points
though the smallest are not more than the 24,000th of an inch in
diameter, a single drop of water having been estimated to contain many
thousands of them. They were formerly supposed to be little more thaii
mere [jarticles of matter endowed with vitality; but Ehrenberg has dis-
covered in them an apparatus of muscles, intestines, teeth, different kinds of
glands, ej'es, nerves, am! organs of reproduction. They not only propagate
by eggs, but b\' self-division ; and are the most rcproducti\'e of all organ-
ized bodie \ They possess a comparatively long life, and in general main-

•^'tv'.

^. JR

iiiy

Ian

lis-

itc

in-

|n-

MARVELS OF THE ANTEDILUVIAN WORLD.

tain themselves pretty uniformly against all external influence, as do larger
animals. As far as is yet known, they appear to be sleepless.

It cannot but be a matter of great interest to learn, if possible, the use
of these minute animals in the economy of nature. That they are not
merel)' accidents in creation we maybe quite certain, and that they simply
enjoy life and do not contribute to the well-being of the vhole, may be
considered equally improbable, and too unlike the ordinary course of

A DROP OF WATER AS SEEN UNDER THE MICROSCOPE.

nature to be admitted for a moment. All things work together, and wc
may in all cases, safely inquire concerning the adaptation of any group,
however minute or apparently unimportant it may at first appear.

It has been ingeniously suggested by Professor Owen that these little
creatures are the appointed devourers of organic matter immediately be-
fore its final decomposition into inorganic elements. For, consider, .says
he, their incredible numbers, their universal distribution, their insatiable

sr;

EARTH, SEA, AND SKV,

i«

voraci':y, and their invariable presence wlicrever animal or vcq'etable mat-
ter is under<;oin;^ decomposition in water. Surely we must be indebted
to them — the e\-er acti\e aivJ in\'isible scavcnt^ers of tlie world — for the
salubrity of our atmosphere; but they perform a still more important
office, perhai)s, in preventing;" the {gradual diminution of the present
amount of ori^ani/.ed matter upon the earth. Ant! it is not difficult to
understand in what way this result is produced, for, when the ori^anic
natter is in that state of comminution and deca\' which immediately
precedes its return from the ori^^anic to the inorganic world, these wakeful
members of nature's invisible police are everywhere ready to arrest the
fuL^n'tive particles, and turn them back into the ascending stream of animal
life. Becoming the food of the smaller infusorial animalcules, they a.<j;ain
sup[)l}' the voracity of the larger ones, and of numerous other small
animals, which in their turn are devoured by lar<^er ones, and .'•■o, by de-
i^rees, the substance fit for the nourishment of the most hii^dily orL,^inized
classes is brought back by a short route from the extremity of the
realms of organized matter.

Ski'Ictoiis Trnvelin;;" in tlio Air.

Tt is a remarkable and very interesting fact with regard to these
an inalcules, that their light skeletons, are capable of bemg transported
by the air in the form of fine dust to the distance of many hundred miles
out at sea; and the quantity so transported is often sufficient to cloud the
air, and form a .sensible deposit on the decks and rigging of ships. The
microscope alone is capable of proving whence this dust comes, but, with
its aid, they can be recogni.scd, identified, and traced to that continent or
island, which is not alwa\-s the one nearest at hand, where they are in-
digenous. It will not be surprising, also, since we thus find the bodies of
the animalcules themselves carried along by millions through the air, that
their eggs may be carried }'et farther, and prove a bond of union between
distant lands, whose other inhabitants have no relation. Who could have
imagined that the atmosphere is in this way the means of conveying to
distant .spots the invisible stony frame-work and the eggs of these little
bodies ? And )et it is impo.ssible to doubt the importance of such a mean.
Df communication in the animal economy.

The first animals produced, after the infusorias and microscopic plant-
animals, in the still warm, dense waters of the primeval seas, were such as
sea-stars and .sea-hedgehogs, whose very numerous organs present a sym-
metry ab.sent in the infusorias. These beautiful flower-like zoophytes,
covered the bottom of the sea where they were planted, rising, like a sub-
marine forest, to an elevation of several yards. The various solid parts of

their b
ton of
columi

Anil
makinii
brated
some c(
tions of
tion of
equally
and evei
abo\-e tl
many si
.species (
which le
represeni
impress
How
common
•speak an
character
that reasc
of man hi
many cas
which wi
which sci
forces, re-

MARVELS OF THE ANTEDILUVIAN WORLD.

} un^'n-^'ii

their bodies had already some analogy with those constituting the skele-
ton of the superior animals, and thus formed, around a stem or vertebral
column, a complex framework destined to protect the \ital organs.
Iiiniiincriible Tiisocts Building- Islands.

Animals of this low organization multiply rapidly, and are capable of
making very important geological deixxsits. While, indeed, the verte-
brated animals and the larger and more complicated molluscs live for
some considerable time, and modifv during that time the tjeneral condi-
tions of organic existence, these little creatures may, b\' their rapid secre-
tion of solid matter from the water, and (owing to their brief existence)
equally rapid deposition of it in a solid form, lay the foundation of islands,
and even of new continents. The land thus formed may, when brought
abo\-e the sea level, be destined to last, with little change, throughout
many successive geological epochs, during which group after group of
species of the higher animals may be introduced and destro}'ed, some of
which leave no indication of their ever having existed, while others are
represented by a few bones, a tooth, a scale, or perhaps only by the faint
impress of a footstep.

How important, then, it becomes that wc should understand these, the
common hieroglyphics, even if their meaning is less full, and when they
speak an earlier and a simpler language than the others, since the sacred
characters which tell of higher e\'ents are so infinitel)' more rare, and f )r
that reason also more difficult to render. The most enduring monuments
of man him.self — his cities, his pyramids, and his lofty columns — are, in
many cases, built of these far more ancient and far more lasting objects,
which withstand the shock of earthquakes and the hand of time, and
which scarcely yield, even at last, to the slow influence of crystalline
forces, re-arranging the particles by the aid of heut and electricity.

ii*l'

' \

chapti:r ti.
PRK-iiisTORic moxsti:r.s of land and sea.

AstonishiiiL; Convulsions and Physical Revoliitl>)ns — Fabulous Traciiti(jns — Histories
<<( Rcptiitts Written in Stone — Gigantic Iiiliabitants of the Ancient Globe —
Skeletons of Extinct Animals found in Rocks — A Winged Mcjnster— Combat
i*.<-tween Enormous Reptiles — The H'.'.jie Me,gaIosaurus — A Vampire of the Pre-
llistoricAge — A Cre.iture Curiously Constructeil — The Win.i;-I'"iugered IJird —
Tlie Famous I;j'.jaiiodon— A Vivid Picture of the Early Ages— Animal Life in
the Oohtic Period— A Dragon on Wings— The Remarkable Dinotherium— Tlie
Strange Hand-Animal— The Glyptoden — Tlie Primeval Armadillo— A Creature
that cculd Swallow an Ox —Megatherium — Animals in I\IortaI Combat — A P>ird
Without Wings— Flowers and Plants in Stone — Fossil Fishes — Beautiful Shells.

Hh^ observer who glances over a rich and fertile plain, watered
by rivers and watercourses which have, during a long course of
ages, pursued the same uniform and tranquil course ; the travel-
ler who contemi^lates the walls and monuments of a great city,
whose foundations are lost in the night of ages, witnessing, apparently, to
the imchangeableness of things and places; the naturalist who examines
a mountain or other locality, and finds the hills and \-alle\\s and other ac
cidents of the soil in the very .spot and condition in which they are des-
cribed by history and tradition ; — neither of these inquirers would at first
suspect that any serious subversion had ev^er occurred to disturb the sur-
face. Nevertheless, the spot has not always presented the calm aspect of
stability which it now exhibits ; in common with every .spot of earth, it
has had its con\'ulsions, its physical revolutions, whose story we are about
to trace. Buried in the depths of the soil, for example, in one of those
vast excavations which the intrepidity of the miner has dug, in search of
coal and other minerals and metals, there are numerous phenomena which
.strike the mind of the incjuirer, and carry their own conclusions with
them. A striking increase of temperature occurring in these subterra-
nean places is one of the most remarkable of these. It is found that the
temperature of the earth ri.ses one degree for every sixty or seventy feet
of descent from its surface.

If the interior of the beds be examined minutcl)', if, armed with the
miner's pick and shovel, the surrounding earth is dug up, it is not impos-
sible that the very first efforts at mining may be rewarded by the discovery
of some fossil form no longer found in the living state. The remains of

li
i

plants

ver\' c

ities, t

fragmc

\'egeta

remain

has toi

no loll!

li\-ing i

now so

tlie sur

gaiu'zat

then, m

these b(

Thes,

classed

the wor

in tile I

queatlie

to the a

the trad

the Tro

discover

we are a

found, w

fossilizec

The ii
sandston
rej)tiles
.sands, u
evidentlx
inij)ressi(
uliat spc

soil. St)

as the lal

a man.

impress (
The lii:

and R( mi

•J

PRK-HISTORIC MONSTERS OF LAND AND SEA.

plants, and animals bclon^in^ to the first ages of the world, are, in fact,
ver\' common ; entire mountains arc formed of them, and, in some local-
ities, the soil can scarcely be touched at a certain depth without \-ielding
fra;jjments of bones and shells, or the impression of fossili/.cd animals and
vcL^etables, the buried remains of extinct creations. These bones — these
remains of animals or vegetables which the pick of the young geologist
has torn from the soil — belong probably to some organic species which
no longer e.vists anywhere : it cannot be compared to any animal or plant
living in our times ; but it is evident that these beings, whose remains are
now so deeply buried, have not always been so covered; they li\eil on
the surface of the earth as plants and animals do in our days, for their or-
ganization is essentially the same. The beds in which they now repose,
then, must in other times ha\-e formed the surface ; and the presence of
these bones and fossils pro\-es that the earth has suffered great changes.

Thesj remains of the primitive creation had long been examined and
classed scientificall)- as freaks of nature, for so we find them described in
the works of the ancient philosophers who wrote on natural history, and
in the few treatises on natural historv which the middle ages ha\'e be-
qucathed tons. Fossil bones, especially those of elephants, were known
to the ancients, giving birth to all sorts of legends and fabulous histories :
the tradition which attributed to Achilles, to Ajax, and the other heroes of
the Trojan war, a height of twenty feet, was traceable no doubt to the
discover)' of the bones of elephants near their tombs. In the time of Pericles
we are assured that in the tomb of Ajax a knee-bone of that hero was
found, which was as large as a dinner-plate. This was probably only the
fossilized knee-bone of an elephant.

Tracks of Itt'ptiles in Stoin>.

The imj:)rints left upon the earth or sand, which time has hardened into
sandst(ine, furnish to the geologist a .series of \'aluable indications. The
rejitiles of the ancient world, the turtles in particular, have left upcMi the
.sands, which time has transformed into blocks of stone, imprints which
evidently represent the e.xact mould of the feet of these animals. These
impressions ha\-e sometimes been sufficient for naturalists to determine to
what species the animal belonged which thus left its impress on the wet
soil. Some of these present traces of the steps of the great reptile known
as the labyrinthodon or cheirotherium, whose foot resembles the hand of
a man. Another well-known impression is supposed to have been the
impress of the foot of some great turtle.

The historian and antiquarian ma>' tra\-erse the battle fields of the Greeks
and Romans, and search in vain for traces of the.se conquerors, whose

"^#1 fr

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

armies rava<;c(l the world. Time, wiiich has overthrown the monuments
of their victories, has also effaced the imprint of their footstejj^; and of
millions of men besides, \\ hose invasions ha\c spread desolation o\er
Europe, there is not even a trace of their footstejjs. These reptiles, on the
contrar)', which rani^ad for thousands of j-ears on the surface of our
planet when still in its infancy, have impressed on the soil indelible recol-
lections of their existence. Hannibal and his lei^ions, the barbarians ami
their sa\a;.,fe hordes, ha\e passed over the land without leavin^_j a material
mark of their passage, while the poor turtle which dra;^^s itself alon^; on
the .silent shore of the j^rimitive seas has bequeathed to learni'd posterity
the ima;4e ami imprint of a part of its bod\'. These imprints ma\- be
perceived as distinctl\- marked on the rocks as the traces left in mi>ist sand
or in newlv-fallen snow bv some animal under our own e\-es. What trraxe
reflections should be awakened within us at the s'vj^ht of these l)Iocks of
hartlened earth, which thus carrv back our thouijhts to the Hrst aires of
the world, and liow insi<:jnificant the disco\-eries of the arch.neolojjjist who
throws himself into ccstacies before some piece of Greek or ICtruscan
pottery, wlun compared with these \eritab!e antiquities of the earth!

A'ast AntiMliluvian Forests.
As already observed, the products of the first epoch of the c^lobe were
vei^etable, consisting of immense forest growths, from which \ast coal-
beds were formed to furnish fuel for the subsequent races of men. The
secondary epoch contrasted strongly with that which preceded it, for now
the wonders of animal life burst upon us with their unique and fantastic
shapes. The reptiles astonish us by their number, their gigantic size, and
their unwonted forms; antique and incomprehensible inhabitants of the
globe, reproduced in all their parts to our wondering e\-es by the genius
of a Cuvier and an Owen ! It is to this epoch that the name of the rep-
tilian age may be most appropriately given, so completely did these
creatures then predominate on the globe; it was the age of a throng of
frightful lizards, compared to which our own arc mere pigmies, and which
possessed a form and character of their own. At this time li\ed the
ichthyosauri, veritable fish-lizzards, as is indicated by their name. These
reptiles, which must have spread terror through the ancient seas, attained
an enormous length. Their whole organization is a series of surprises.
With the vertebra of the fish they have the fins of a dolphin; and
while armed with the teeth of a crocodile, they display an optic globe
which is without any parallel. This eye, the bulk of which was some-
times as large as a man's head, was protected in front by a framework of
bony plates, and was beyond all doubt the most powerful and perfect

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visual ai)paratus ever seen in creation. Hence the ichthyosauri ccnild
discover tlieir prey at the greatest as well as the shortest distances; in the
profound darkness of nic^ht, and in the depths of the ocean; tlie deh'cate
structure of the or^^an <f visit n hcht'^ protected from the shock ot the
waves b}' the bony buckler which surrounds tlie transparent globe.

Naturalists ha\'e investigated the remains of the.se animals with such
skill, that in spite of the destruction of the softer organs thou.sands of
5'ears ago, the)' have been enabled to make out tlu structure of the intes-
tinal tube! It has been shown that this was f)rmjd exactl\' like an
Archimedian screw, and was strictK' analogous to that of our sharks and
raj's. At the same time the nature of the food of these voracious reptiles
ha;, bem discovered. The petrified remains of footl wliich were found
proved that they devoured an enormous quantity offish, and even occasion-
alh' their own species, for small ichth\-osauri ha\-e been met with, in the
inclosed remains of the large ones.

Freaks of tlic A:mi!!ji1 Kin;;(!oni.

W'iih these terrible ruliTs of the ancient seas li\ed the plesiosauri, re;)-
liles eciual!)' strange, and whicli C"u\ier considered as the most singular
races of the earl\- woild. Tl' . wei-e remarkable for their turtle-h' e fins,
and especially for the thinness and extreme length (^f their serpent-like
necks. 1 he aiTangenieiit of the skeleton in the pi -sioraurus indicates
that it swam ortlinariK' < n the surface of the waxes, curving back its long
flexible neck like a swan, an 1 da:t.'ng f >rward with it from time to time in
order to seize the fish wIklIi ap-proach.ed it. Their paws, similar to those
of the sea turtles, show th.at the pi jsio-auri, lik-e these rei)tiles, sometimes
issued from the sea anil sought refiige amid the plants, in order to e\ade
their dangerous enemies, which were beyond all doubt the ichthyosauri.

If any of tlie anin^als which the ren.iote periods of the globe present to
our notice are to be looked ujxin as monsters, we submit that in this
respect the first jjlace is due to the pterodact}'li, which remind one of the
ancieiit dragons of legendar}- traditiftn. Their structure is so strange that
one docs not really know wliere to place them ; they were alternately
li>oketl upon as birds, mammals, and reptiles. De Blainville, embarrassed,
us indeed all tlu; learned world were, firmed a se[)afate class for them in
the animal kingdom. The aspect o( the pterodact\i was necessarily \ery
strange. \\'hen naturalists tried to restore their frames, the figures they
produced were more like the offspring of some diseased imagination than
realities. They were really reptiles furnished with large wings, and
resembled enormous bats, having a very pointed head sujjported on a
slender neck.

m^^

FJEKC)

FIliKCE COMBAT lili LWKEN THE MEGALOSAUKUS AND KJUANGr/ON.

Kill

m\J "

^^^HhP

\ j
\ i

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

At the period in the history of the world when the ocean swarmed with
sucli monsters as tlie ichthyosaurus, tlie land was tenanted by huge croco-
dile-like lizards. These were reptiles provided with feet; while those
inhabiting the sea were partly like fishes, and liad paddles to enable them
to swim. The largest of the land species was the iguanodon, so called
because it resembled in structure, and in the character of its teeth, the
iguana, a lizard common in the tropical parts of America. The iguana of
th>j present day only grows to the length of four or fi\-e feet, while the
iguanodon of f)rmer ages reached astonishing dimensions. The small
horn on its nose gave it a strange, dragon-like aspect ; but, notwithstand-
ing its enormous size and formidable look, it was probably a harmless
creature, like its modern relative, feeding only on \-cgetable substances.

A Terrible ?I ouster.

The megalosaurus, or " great lizard," was, on tlie other lic.nd, a dreadful
carnivorous monster, almost as huge as the iguanodon, butfarmore terrible;
for its immense jaws look as if they could ha\-e crushed through a bar of
iron, and its formidable rows of teeth were s])ecially adapted for cutting
ami tearing flesh : for some were arranged like those of a saw, while others
were curved backward like a sabre, and sharp all along the inner edge, so
that when an animal was seized by them it could not possibly escape.
The body of the megalosaurus was covered with strong plates like armor,
and its legs were longer in proportion to its size than those of other lizards.
As these monsters were not sluggish like the crocodile and alligator, but,
from their flexible, lizard-like structure, prol)abl\' swift and sudden in their
motions, the destruction of animal life by such must ha\e been immense;
and, indeed, their voracity may ha\-e been one cause of their extinction,
for when other food failed them they may ha\e attacked each other, the
large herbivorous animals, such as the mastodon and mammoth, not being
then in existence. From the plants preserved in the same rocks which
contain the remains of these creatures, we know that they must ha\"e lived
in a trojjical climate, fen- the vegetation chiefl}' consists of tree-ferns and
palms, such as only grow in hot countries.

The megalosaurus received its name from its gigantic size, although the
size is. in some respects, the character of least importance. The tribe of
lizards, one of the most important of the existing reptilian groups, forms
a link in the chain by which the animal we are now describing was con-
nected with known forms; but, iilthough analogies un([uestionably exist
between the lizard and the megalosaurus, and also between this animal
and the crocodiles, there }-et remain marked ami peculiar features sep-
arating it from both. It is now considered as one of an extinct family,

if.

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EARTH, SEA, AND SK^'.

ill!

i"t

pre-eminently remarkable for the L,n-cat hei^^dit at which all the
species stood above the <^round in proportion tf^all other reptiles; and the
hei^fht is indicated not less by the actual size of the bones of the extreini-
ties, than by the provision made in the skeleton to resist the jiressure of
an enormous weii^dit.

The inet^alosaurus was a i^igantic carnivorous land reptile, its body
oein'T of enormous si/e. It was clothed in scalv armor and stood with
'ts whole body considerably aboxe the L^rDund, in hulk and general ap
pearance rather resembling the hip]:)op()tamus than the gigantic alligators
of the present day. It was provided with a true rcptillian tail, the length
of which was considerable, although not nearly so great in i)roportion as that
of existingcrocodilesamlalligators. The head was terminated !;•}• a straight,
narrow, and long snout, not tapering, but compressed laterally. The teeth
were of mock-rate size. They formed, however, strong and powerful cut-
ting in.strumcin-^, for the f<»re part was sluirp and jaggetl, and the hind part
much thicker aiul blunt, while one set succeedetl another.

All Iii;>:(>nious ArraiiycnuMit.

The verteljnxi are somewhat peculiar in form, and [^resent nearly flat
surfaces to one another; but it is chicfl}- cue group, consisting of five,
firml)' cemented together into a solid mass, and distributing the weight of
the 1)ih1\' upon the hind'T extremities, that forms an exception to the ordi-
nary rei)tilian character, h'xcept the megalosaurus, and the two or three
'j.xtinct sptcies now groujx."d with it, and belonging to the same period, no
reptile has more than two bones cemented together for this purpose; and
this is found sufficient, because nnich of the weight is supported directly
upon the ground eitlu-r by the bod\- or tail of the animal. < )n the other
hand, all the hea\"\' land quadrupeds exhibit great strength and solitlity in
this part. It is interesting to find the long and powerful extremities of
this monstrous reptile thus combined with a structure altogether diTferent
from that of other reptiles, but nianifestl\- related to its habits. The vcr-
tebne of the megalosaurus thus united are not in a straight line, but
tlescribe a gentle curve with the concax'it)- downwards.

The bones of the extremities are long, large, and hollow, re.semhlirg In
this the corresponding bones of land quadrupeds. They exhibit, however,
a mixture of the characters ob.served in the crocodile and in some lizards
They are st) large, compared with the bones of animals most nearly allied,
tiuit, if the .same proportions had held throughout, the megalosaurus might
be compared with a cnx'odile sixty or .seventy feet long, did such a mon-
ster exist; Init the whole structure of the animal indicates considcM-ably
greater bulk and height in proportion to length than is .seen in other rep-

c
c
u

o
ft

ft
D

fe-l

\\\

Iht.

In-

(G7)

■

•\!

^- :

EARTH, SEA, AND SK^^

tiles. Tlie trunk was broad ;iiui drc]), the tail comparatively sliort, and
the limbs iinnsiially Ioiil;. WV havr no nu;ans o'' dccidinL: in what nian-
ncr the tail was carried.

A IN'«Mili;ir Ski'letoii.

This ^L^ii^antic ianil rci)tilc was accompanied by another, and still more
oddly constituted animal, connect! n;^^ the reptiles with birds in a manner
not less remarkable than that by wliich the m.',L,^alosaurus unites them with
(piadrupeds. Tiie plerodact\'l is :\ true ll\"ini.r rt.ptile. It exhibits, how
c\cr, in the \arions parts of its skeleton such strani^e reseml)!ances to
other and \-er_\' widely se])arated j^roups, that it was successi\ely described
as a bird and a bat, before it was acknowledijeil accordin;^^ to its true
analo^i^ies ; and this tiot withf)ut some ^rounil, since the mistake arose
from the presence of peculiarities of structure considered in each case as
ch.iracteristic of the two ;jreat classes of \ertebrata to which it was referred.
It is, perhaps, the most e\traordinar\' of all the beings of whose former
(.xistence the stud\' of fo.^ils lias made us aware, and is that which if
livinij would a))pe-ar most unlike any thin;^' that exists in the known world.
In the external form of tin- body the ])terodact)'li probably resemble the
bats or vampires; and some i^f the- sjjecies attain the size of a cormorant,
altlumt^h others were not larger than a snipe. Fhe resemblance, however,
to the bat tribe, was limited to the- form of the l)od\', for the head was
totally different, the snout bi in^ enormousl\- eloni^ated, and the ex'e.s
c.\ceedini;"ly lary;e ; while the origans of flii;ht or wins^rs wcri.' e\ en more
powerful in proportion, and the Ie_<;s were probabl}' ca|)al)le of beinL,^ used
in the water, assisting;" the animal to swim. Let us now consitler a little
more in detail some of the peculiarities of .structure i)f this strange monster.

In the first place, the skull, far from resemblini; that of a bat or bird,
resembles in its general proi)ortions. and e\en in some points of detail,
that of the crocodiles; and the re[)tilian analogies are co'.npletel)' pre-
.served in the ptisition and small size of the cranium, and in the enormoui;
length of the snout. The hnw.-r jaw is not less reptilian, and is pro\ ided,
as well as the upper jaw, with a long row of powerful teeth imi)lanted in
sockets, and successively replaced as the)' wire worn ami lost. The num-
ber of these tei>th was about sixty; the\- were conical like those of the
crocodile, but larger comi<ared with the si/.e of the jaw. The whole (jf the
other proportions of the head indicate a creature of great strength, Citjiablc
of darting down upon fislu.-s or pre}'ing upon the smaller land animals.

A Stiaii««'ly Foi'iikmI Creature.

The neck of the pterodact>-l. althougli it contains onl)' the usual luim-
ber of vertebr.e (seven,) mii-,t ha\e been of great length, and well fitted to

.supfiort ;

vision is (

head, a s

Tlie leng

cates a I

fiigiit. I

the skull

unnatural

means of

the |)owri

the most ;

difC-rent f

The boi

external d

tn-mities (

ted, that, i

and euabli

been adhei

great part

and as it d

reptiles wit

to by w hi(

preser\-i'(l i

this mod if

fingers, uj)

umbrella ;

but also fro

thumb is j

Tiiere is

is able to si

feet flying

animal in it

a series of i

pterodactyl,

a very singi
ha\'e ensure
'ds flying.

In order t
the .shoulde

PRE-HISTORIC MONSTERS OF EANO ANI^ SKA.

tin

LH fh*

support and iii<>\'c tlv; ]:)()\v(.'i'ful hcadju'^t described, bin an uiuisual jiro-
vision is ()l)scrvablc in the neck, a:-'^istinL^ t<> invc additional strenj^th to tlic
head, a set of bony tendons niniiin;_j ali'iv.; the vertebr;e for tliis purpose.
The- Ien;.;t]i of tliL' neek corresponds \\''h v. liat we see in birds, and indi-
cates a perfect adaptation of the' animal foi- rapid aud loni;-eontinu'..'d
fli;^dit. In one specimen the head is thrown back so (dv, that tlu base of
the skull almost touches the tail, without the bon:-s a[)pearin;.f to be in an
unnatural position, l^u.t il is chielly in the bones of the e\tivniit)', b\-
means of which the animal was enabled to ll\-. at the same time retainiu;^
the power of walk iuL,^ and in all probability of su immiuL;, that we fnul
the most sinL,^uIar of the mechanical conti"i\'ani.(N, and oI)sei"\-e a struiture
different fi-om that of an)- otiier species, either li\;n;4- or extinct.

A ISinl aiul It<'|>til(' Coiiibiiicd.
The bones which support the wini^s of a bird e.xhibit, in spit" of threat
external difference, a Ljood deal of similarity to the bones of the fort; (w-
tremities of ([uadrnpeds, and eveii rc-]>tilc-s; and it nii;^dit ha\e been expec-
ted, that, in ailaptin^L^ a species of either ot these latter classes for fIiL;ht,
and enablini^ it to live chiefl)' in the air, similar mcxHfications would liaw:
bten adhered to. But tlie fact '\< not so. Tlie win;;s(.f a bird i^u ^ a
j^reat part of their efficacy to tlu' father-; with which tluy ar,' covered ;
and as it did not enter into the plan of nature to pro\i(le ([uadrupeds or
reptiles with these appenda_Ljes, other mechanical cont!-i\ances :\vc re.->c)rted
to by which the power of flii^ht is obtained, anil the common inteL;ument
prcser\-ed in thebatandpterodactxl. In bats, which areflv'inL;' ([uaclrupeds,
this modification consists in the extraordinary development of all the
fini^ers, uj)on which skin is stretched like the silk on tin: rods c f an
umlirella; and this skiit extends not mere] v between the elongated finL-'ers,

but

;dso from the last tinker to tin

and feet, ami so to the tail. The

thumb is partially free, and ser\es as a hook- for sus[)endim; the animal.
There is no really flyini^ rejitile now existin;^^ but in one sfiecies, \\ liicli

i.s able to su

t itself for a short time in th,.- air; there is a \er\- iiniier-

fect flyin<^r apparatus, which chiefly acts as a paraciiute, supporlin;.^ the
animal in its long leaps. This consists of an expansion of the skin o\er
a series of fal.se ribs cxtendintj hori/.ontalK- from the back bone. In the
pterodactyl, however, which is e\idently and expressly contrived for lliL;ht
a very sint^ular contrivance is introduced, and it is one which seems to
have ensured to the animal the power of walking ;ind swimming, as \\ill
as flying.

In order to effect this, the bones of the fore extremity, so far as regards
till' shoulder and arm-bones, the wrist and the hand, scarcely differ from

HI'

a.''ii

t%p%;

w ^

KAR'IH. SKA, AND SKV

the orclinar\- piMpDitioii-^ of those bones in h'/ards, and correspond with
the diiniMisions of the In'nder extremity, so that i:p to tliis point there is
uo peciih'ar adaptation for t^\•in;^^ On exaniiiiinLj the hones of the fini^ers,
however, w-j find that the numhi'r of joints in that which corresponds to

the h'ttle fniLTer is increased to fi\

e, and eacli joint is enormously le:

rth-

etu'd. To tin.' whole of the little finijer. thus ])roduced till it has become
lonL^iT than the hi id)- aiii I n.'.;k together, a inembran( )us u iw^ was attached,
whi( h was also fastened to the ri'st of tin; arm, to the bod)', and to a por-

tion of the hinder e\lremit\'

leii

therefore, the arm was extended.

the wini; was not nec("ssaril\' expanded,

and

•nK' became- so on tin

ittk

fin -J

e-r OemLT

al-

o stretcl

and th(> membran
]W this contri\ance

out so as to be at ri^ht anj^les to the arm
mded on four sides 1)\- bone

en nearK' suri'oi

ssit\- ot t'mploNan!/ tlie w liole- ai'ui m

tlu

the

:h;

jneclianrsm o

f n

\'m'.

m til

M(l, or the whole hand as in tlu- bat, was
doiu- awa)- w ith, ,111(1 tlu- lly'iiL; ap])aratus beiiv^' confined to one tnv^er,
the .'irnis and hands coiild be readily and coininieiUly made us.,- of like
tlu- ( oircspondiii;^- extremities of other .aiiimab.

A Croatiire \vi(li I{<'marK;«bl<> Vyility.

The i^'reat jKculiarit-*, ihen, in the pteroilact)!, with re;4^ard to the
organs of loci>nu)tion, i- tlv- freeJ.om with which the arms ami lej^s could
act when the wiiit^s wen- not in use — and this i.xtends e\en to tlu; struc-
ture of the toes, which in the bat form onl\- a single hook, but in the
])terodact)-l wl ix- free, and would allow tlu- animal to stand firmK' on the
j^n'ound, to walk about like a bird, to ])ereh on a tix-i-, to climb rocks and
cliffs, and possibl)- also to swim in the ocean.

We lia\e, therefire, in this ^inL,nilar ;;eiuis an animal which, in all
points (if bonx' strurtui't-, f''om the teeth to the extremii)- of the nails,
presents tlu; characti-ristics of ;i re|)tile. beiiiL.;- e\(,'n perhaps covered with
seal)' armor, aiul which was also a tnu- reptile in the important pecu-
liarities of the structun- of the heart and circulatins;- or;^;ins. Hut it was at
the same time ])rovided with tlu; means of ll)-in^r ; its wiuL^s, when not in
ust;, mi;.;ht be folded b.ick like those of a bird; and it could suspeml itself.

In-

claws .•rita(

to tl

iiL^'ers, ti-oiii the l)ianclu-s of a tr

s usu;

position, when not in nu'tion or susjx-nded, wnuld ])idbabl\-

■itand

iiiij

on its hind tl-.-l, witli its neck iiir\i-d backwards, lest the weiidit of

e enormous lu-;id should disturb the i-iiuilibrium of tl

u- ammal

Revertinir now to tlu- m(-</alosaurus, it-

antic companion received

the name of i<aiano(Ion. This has alreadv been nicntioiud, but

we give

here a full description ot this marwious creature. It is known to lis by
the teeth and a consid(.;rable part of the skeleton. The teeth of the itru-

anod(jn

edge in

result (

crown (

the toot

out fron

rate tou

be adap

ime\ en,

so as to

therefore

Worn, th

x'idinL,'- f(

enabling

that fooc

The v^
with the
Hat surfa
crocodile
beloni^inj.
cemented
extremitii
specimen
in lenL;th,
comes as
tude, hot!
well with
bones of t
imal. Th
exceeded (
cxen be\'oi
measures t
claw was ;
ample base
The tail
tion than
standing, Ii
breadth in
ribs were v

prp:-hist()RIc mon.sti:rs oi- land and sfa.

Hnt iuiAtm

anoclon arc ])at'tl)' cotiiposcil of Ixmc, j^racluall}- hccoiniuL;" sutler from the
edge inwards, ami partly of itiaiiu-I. 1)\- wliich tlicy arc surroumlcd ; the
result of this contrixaiicc hciiii; the formation of a slant suiface of the
crown of tile tootli, and tlieri'forc of a sharp cuttinLT edj^c. W'liile X'ouni;,
the tootli i)rescnts a sharp edL;c, and is lancet-shaped as it <;ro\vs furthci
out fiom tile jaw, and is then a powerful instrunu-nt, well adapted to sepa-
rate tou_L;h \'e<^etable fibres; while in its most advanced state it ceases to
be adapteil to this purpose, but is stroni^r and Hal. and at the same time
unc\cn, the pulp of the tooth j)rojecting from the surfaci', which is worn
so as to be iiearl}' iiorizontal, and formin;; a transverse ridi^'e. Tlu' teetli
therefore be;^in 1)\- bein;^ incisor^, and in the course (^f time, as tluy become
worn, the\' pass into the condition of ;^n'inders — a curious change, pro-
viiling for the animal a [)erpetual suppl\- of teeth of all kinds, some
enabling it to nij) oiT tough vegetabk; food, and otluis lulping to grind
that food properl)' jjcfore it is committetl to the st na h.
A Hoiiy StriK'tiin' of (Irrat Strenj' *i.
The vertebral column of the iguanotlon is ou a scale commensurate
with tlie \ast bulk of the animal. The \ertebra- themsehi^s ha\x" nearly
Hat surfaces, and aie large and somewhat wetlge-.iiaped hke those of the
crocodile. The neck is not known, since no rtebr.v lia\e \-et been found
belonging to this jiait. llu' sarcuni. or that part of the back-bone,
cemented together to distribute the weight of the Ixxly on the hinder
extremities, includes fue vertebne, as in the nu-galosaiuus ; and in one
.specimen this continuous solid ridge of Ijone measures .seventeen inches
in length, anil its breadth, though only eight inches at the forepart, be-
comes as mucli as thirteen inches towards the hinder part. Tlie magni-
tude, both in diameter and length, of the thigh and leg bones, corresponds
well with the large portion of the spine thus gras])ed. as it were, b)- the
bones of the pelvis, and strongl\- points to the terrestrial habits of the an-
imal. The total length of the extremities seems, in some ca.ses, to ha\e
exceeded eight or e\en nine feet, and the bones of tile foot are gigantic
e\en beyond the proportions tlius intiicated, since one of the separate bones
measures thirty inches in length, and the last joint of the toe. to whicli a
claw was attached, is fue inches and a half long. There was thus an
ample base for the \ast column supi)orting the body.

The tail of the iguanodon was probably very much shorter in proi)or'
tion than that of crocodiles, and was \er\' dissimilar. It must, notwith-
standing, have been large, ami tlattened laterally, being of considerable
breadth in the vertical direction near its attachment to the hmW. The
ribs were very large, broad, and long.

tft

EARTH, SKA, AND SKV.

i \

While the boius oi llu: (.•xtrcniitics wc.-rc perhaps siv or ci-ht times
lar^^er ih.-m tho'-e of the ino.^-t [;ii,MiUic aHic^'ator, the wholi' leiv.;th of the
i|^aiaiioiI(in is not likely to Iiave exceeclcd thirty r<-'<-'t. Kvcn then, how-
ever, allow ini,f about three feet for the head, and assuniin,^^ that the neck
was .short, and tliat the tail was about thirteen fei't lf)ni;, w hich it is calcu-
lated would be the extreme size. \vc still haw a lenc^th of twehe fe(-t for
the bodv, and this is much more than i> seen in the trunk of any iivin^:^
animal. The Ijody iK.inc,^ of this length, and jierhaps of more than cor-
responding bulk, ;uid lifted man>- feet from the .ground, rciichint; i;erhap.s
to the height of twelve or fifteen feet, mu>t have indeed been .sufficiently
monstrous, ar.l departed uidely enough from any known animal to justify

THE PONDKROUS IGUANODON.

the accounts that iia\ • hcMi given of its strange and marvelous j^ropor-
tions.

It is difficult to confine the iniaeination within due bounds when wo
endeavor to n call .scenes enacted during the earlier j^eriods of the carth'.s
history, and to picture these j)ast events with.out running into extrava-
gance, and without o\erstepping the limits of .simplicity and probability,
which .should al\va\s chaiacteri/.e natural historw There is, however, no
need of exaggeration in depicting the wonders of those ancient periods.
Let r.s i;r.agine ciurseK'es placed on a j)roiecting headland or hill of

niounta
cs(|ue ol
tile gre:
ing j)osi
trait of
di^taiuc
uliirh is
ing tow,
Thefii
animals
ada[)teil
di^tingui
and not \
ruptl\- al(
the sjiall.
the niolh
pre\-. M
less adapt

While,
supposed
distance,
the cetiosa
raised part
the distaiK
like tail,
face, there
mous toc:s
teri/e this ,
But anol
marine rep
motion, an(
tics of the
great fish-li
porpoise-lik
its poweiful
tail-fin. Tl
the ichthyc
enemies.
ilavInL; 1

"^r*

1*KE-HIST()RIC MONSTl'.KS ("I" I.AM) AM) SKA.

iiKiuiitain liinolDiK-, anciiiitly. .i> uciw forming; a inoiniiicut aivl pii.tiii-
cs(iuc object, but coinmandiiiL; a \ icw of tin: open sia, which then covcrctl
the greater part of our iMaiui. riaml in imaj^iuation iu this conunaml-
iii;^ j)osition, let ns tiulea\(>r to recall the .-;ct.'nes once inaeted near .some
tract oflow Hat land — a >,ni(Iy .shore of the oolitic piTiod — on which, ata
ilistancc-, a few solitary i)alni trees stand out a;j,ainst the blue sky, br.L
uhi.h is backed by a more luxuriant t^rowth of jiines and ferns, c.Ktend-
ini;" tow ards the interior, a!ul crounini^ the tops of distant hit;]! ^roim<!.

The first object that .illiacts attention niiL;ht be one of the crocodilian
animals with its loiii; slender snout, and with extremities adnn'rably
aila[)ted for swimniinj^, combininL^ those pec iiliarities of stiucture which
distininiisji the teleosaurus. This am'mal mii^ht be seen nio\ in^j slouK',
and not without diffieultN-, towards the water, but when'there, dartiiiLj ab-
ruptly alonj^, pursuin;^ and d;\oiirin^f the small fishes that swarmed about
the shallows; these fishes, slu<^L;i>h in their nature, and chietly fee(lin;.^on
the molluscs which live near the shore, fallin<r a ready and abundant
prey. ?.Iaiiy other crocodilian monsters, of similar habits, but more or
less ailapted for a marine life, niiL,dit also have been .seen wanderins^ about.
ijcviatliaiis of t1l(^ Aiitrdiliiviiiii S<-:is.

While, howe\er, this was ;4oin;^^ on in the near \icinity i^f land, our
su[)posed ])osition would enable us to watch al->o the o|)en sea at a little
di.stance. 1 Ii-n ■ we could not fail beiiiL^ struck with that <;ij.;'antic reptile,
the cctiosaurus, easiK' recoLMii/ed b\' the dark outline of its huw head
rai.sed jiartly abo\e the surface to enable the animal ia breathe, while at
the distance of some twenty x'ards from this would be .seen its <;reat fish-
likc tail. Could our jiower of vision enable us to .see beneath the sur-
face, there mi-^ht also be ob.served those singular webbed feet, and enor-
mous toc;s arnud with lon^; powerful claws, which so strikin<^ly charac-
tcri/.e this creature.

Hut another Oi the monsters of the deej) demands our notice — a trul\-
marine re[)tile — t^is^antic in its proportions, admirably adai)ted for ia[)id
motion, and combiniiiLj some of the terrestrial and crocodilian peculiari
ties of the long-necked plesio.saurus, with the coinjjact proportions of tlu
great fish-lizard. Its huge crocodilian head contrasts .strongly with the
pc)rpoi.sc-like bod)-, which is attached without any inteixening neck; and
its powerful elongated extremities make up for the ab.scnce of a vertical
tail-fin. The sharks, w Inch were still alnindant and powerful, and even
the ichthyo-saurus itsett', could scarcely ha\e escaped from these terrible
enemies.

Having thus obtained glimpses of the sea and its inhabitants, let us

! I

THE ICHTHYOSAURUS AND PLESIOSAUKUS IX MORTAL COMBAT.
(70

PRK-IIISTORIC MONSTF.RS OI' LAND .WD Sl.A. ~'>

next turn our atU'iUiini to the ;ulj.uriit land. I iic loiiLf-'^noiiti'd and
otlur croCDtlilcs, which havi.- i^ori^^rd thcMiisi.-Kcs wilh M\ in thi- shallnw
water, ni)\v slccj) half huriL-d in the iniuldy and naked plains an shore.
Some of them. eii;litecn or twi-ntv feet Ion;/, adxanee on land with diiTi-
c:ilt\-, tlu-ir extremities Inini^^ far better adapted to swimmin^^ than walkin;_j.
Vreseiitly a noise is heard, and a luit^e animal advances, whose tiiie nature
and haljits we are at Hrst .-it a loss to understand. In its <^eni ral propor-
tions it is far longer and aNo taller than the lar^jest elephant ; its body
han;4s down near the ground, but its ]v/^ are iikt- the trunks of i^rtat
forest trees, and its fee-t f;>rm an ample base for the wist cohnmis which
press U])on them. Instead of loiv^ tusks, lar'.',e Ljrindim^ ti-eth, and a
truni< like that of the- i-lephant, this animal has an (.-xceedinidy t'jc )n;_;ated
and narrow .snout, armed throuj^ln ut w ith ran;j,es of .sharp and stron;^
knife-like teeth, 'idle monster approaches, and ti>'ilden dnwnwilh one
of its feet, armed with powtihil claws, or eau!.dit between its lnU'; and
narrow 'aws, our crocodile is de\'oured in an instant.
Ins<»<'t>< of ."Marvrlous nrilliauoy.

I'ut there is yet another scene for us to contemplate. Still remainin;^
at no ^Mvat distance from the shore, but advancin<.^ inland towards the
forest, let u.s ^vatch the inilden beetles, and the beautiful draL^on-flies and
other in.sccts as the\' flit ])ast in all the brilliancx' and chi.-erfulness of lux-
uriant and untamed nature. Tin; loft)' fonst trees, perhaps not nuich
unlike some i-xistinLj but southern jiincs, arewoxcn toL^^cther w ith thick-
underwood; and the o|)tn countr\-, when" it is not wooded, is brown with
numerou.s ferns, still the preponderatini;" xei^^etation, and distributed in
extensive groups. Here ami there a tree is .seen, o\erturne 1 and l\inL(
at its lenj^th upon the t;roup.d, j)reser\in^ its shape, although thorou;_,dily
rotten, and .serving as the retreat of the .scorpion, the centijK'de and many
beetles. A few c]uadrupeds, not larj^^er than rats, are distinL^uislu'fl at
inter\als, timid even in the absence of ik'uv^er, and scared)' appeaiin^^
rr<im thvir shelter without LH'eat precauticMi.

.\ strangely formed animal, howe\er, is perceix'cd runnini;" alonL,^ upon
the _:4"roimd: its <reneral api)earance in motion is that of a bird, but its
body ai, I 1 on l,^ neck, its liead and wings, are not covered with feathers,
but are either quite bare, or perhaps resjilendent with glittering scales; its
proportion arc quite unliketho.se of any known animal; its head
is enormously long, and like that of a crocodile; its neck long and out-
stretched, or thrown back on the body; its fore extremities ha\'e four'" e
toes, but the fifth toe f tldetl down on the bod)-; its hind legs arc s' -t,
ami its feet perhaps webbed. This animal, running along upon uc

^\^

'I'll ■

''^');i|'

ijlil':

|i!lk.:i]L;

!i=|il|i/J!iiy'li'n'!|Ffr''i'i^'

(7(>)

iiiu] till
its pccu
transfi>

lUit w
rc|)iilc,
r.(!iiu.'cti
air, and

t 111' Ci 111

\wj; clia-

tuR'd 1)3

liavc cvc

tyl, or w i

wins^s lia

est condc

j;i"Uiid, c

likcl\- it c

ten din L,'- i

Iiiiulcr lin

il must ha

iK'ck also

jaws like a

very Iar;^t

iiiJ4" fouiul

luivc lived

eaten fish,

the water.

which it li'

si'cins ti) h

nn\\. But

h'liL;' to qu

ModifiLH

matters of

[M'ctiirc tin

ho\\r\-cr ir

of tlic lon<'

time to tini

"ind-banks

>>and was al

PRK-IIISTOHIC MONSTERS OI' I.AM) AND SI A.

I (

<,rr()iiii(l, piir^iii-s ,111(1 (lL'\()iirs llic little (Hi;i(lini)',(l wr lia\i' hrcii watching,
and IIkii |k rliaps (l.iils off towards the sea to Iccil upon tlic fislus, which
its jK'Ciihar powers would enable it to take, either pounciii_L^ upon and so
tnuistlxini; the \ictini, or i vcn occasional!)' (Ii\"in;^^ in search of pre\'.

The I'lyiii}; Li/.:ii*il.
Hut we have not yit notici'd the strani^est phenomenon. Tlii-. mailed
reptile, four of its fm^i-rs still free, but the fifth opeiiiil out, .md by a
connectin;^ niembiiuu.- forming; a win;4 of \er\' lari,H- si/e, ri>es into the
air, .111(1 llit^ about or hovers over-head, leali/.ini; ami even sur|ia-->inL;, in
till' Conditions of its existence, the wildest ni\-tholo^ical acconnis of (ly-
iiii^ dra<4()ns wiiich ■.•.ere.ul of, or tho>e repri-sentatioiis which we see pic-
tured b\' the p -iicil of the Chinese. Of all tin,' stranei- cri-atures that
have ever a])peared in the world, perhaps the stranLjcst was this plerodac-
t\l, or winLj-liiv^eicd itptiK.-. 'Ihe remain-; of one iiave been found whost!
wini^s had a spre.id ot twenty-seven feet, thus txceedin;,;" in ^'\/.c the lari^-
est condor of the Andtis. But it could fly in the air or walk on the
"•round, climb trees and rocks b\' nu;ms of its stroivr claw-, and most
likcl}' it coukl .swim in the water. Its win;.;s consisted of a membrane e.\-
tendinj^ from what we must call its fmiHMs all aloivj^- the bod_\' to the
hinder limbs, and from the size and form of these latter it i-- e\idi nt that
it must have walked or perched in the manner of a bird, to whii h its loiij^
neck also i^avc some resemblance. Ikit it was a ll\inL; draL;on, and had
jaws like a crocodile's, armetl with sluirp-pointetl teeth ; and its evi s were
ver)' lar^c, probably adapted for sceini; at niLjht. heroin its remains be-
\n'^ f)und t()i;"ether with those of dragon-flies and be ties, it ai)])e,i:sto
have lived mostly on insects, whih" the lari;er kind are supj)osed to have
eaten fish, which the)- ma\- have seized like the .sea-j^ull whiNt ll> nu; over
the water. The pterodact_\i has utterl\' ])as.sed awa\' with thi' ai^c in
which it lived, and tliere is noliiinL;' like it now in nature-. In its time, it
seems to have filled the same place in the natural iconom\- that bats do
now. But the ])terodactyl was a reptile, a flv-inLf li. '.aid, while the bats be-

lon;4 to quite a different oriler of animals.

Modified, no doubt, b>' con-^iderable and evim impoitanl eha

lives in

matters nf detail, but still remainiiiir in a

es.se

ntial

pi >ints the ame, the

picture thus given may be looked on a-^ neither false nor exai-j^erated,
however imperfect, and as, to a ciMtain eNteiU, characterizini; the whole
of the loiiLj period durin_<j[ which the oolites were bein^; tleposited. From
time to time, in various places during- this period, coral reefs were formed,
ud-banks accumulated, and occasionally a considerable quantity of

baiul was also brou

ight

and thus there went on a scries of chan<rc.s.

ir —

(7>i)

TIIK FLYING HKACiON.

rcsultin
clay, al

Surrc
and wit
tiicre e>
mej^alos
.so as to
vcfjclabl
tlu.'ir rcn
enable u

The d\
larc-cst w
feet portic
it anionic
wit-h dcfcr
liithcrto i;
singular,
the ancicn
time tiiat ;
nearly ent
exposed V
defences, i
of the low-
in many re
the orbits.
a p!i)b()sci.'-
This c(.)l
said, .sf)me\
phant, but
superior e\
elephants,
merited thj
mal." Its
have been
lakes, or 111;
orous liko
herbai^'c .sus
that the eh

PRE-HISTORIC MONSTERS ol" EAND AM) S1:A.

7f>

rcsultirif^ in tlie formation of many important beds oflimcstoni' and mucli
cla\', alon^,^ a coast-lino ^raduall)' adv:incin<j castwarcN, and probablv un-
iler'foiner numerous alterations of level.

SurroundeJ with a constantl\- renewed vegetation, in an atmosphere
and with climatic conditions probably atlmirablx' adapteil to its habits,
there existed another monstrous animal, more unueildy even tli.m tlu-
megalosaurus and tieading down whole forests in its advance, or^suiized
so as to clear awa\- a portion, at least, of the results of a rapid growth of
vegetable matter. These animals must have been verv nunu'rous \\ here
their remains liave been found; tlu-)' lia\'e furnislu'd sufficient material to
enable us to complete, in imagination, their sin;^nilar forms.
A Colossus of tin's Aiitu'diliiviai!) Aj;-*'.

The dinotherium is the most remarkal)le of the ancient animals, and the
largest which has ever li\ed. For a lon;^^ time \\e possessed ver}' imper-
fect portions of its skeleton, and Cuxier was induced erroneousl\- to place
it among the ta[)irs. The discovery of a lower jaw nearly perfect, armed
with defensive tusks descending from its under side, demonstrated that this
hitherto mx'stericnis animal was the tyi)e of a genus altogether new and
singular. Nevertheless, as it was known that there were some animals cif
the ancient world in which both jaws were armed, it was thought for some
time that such was the case witli the dinotiierium. Hut in 1S36 a head,
nearl)' entire, was found, and this fine fragme'Ut was carried to Paris, and
exposed to public \iew. It was nearl\- a }ard and a lialf long. The
defences, it was found, were enormous, and were carrie'd at the extremity
of the lower jaw-bone, antl much cur\ed inwards. The molar teeth were
in many respects analogous to those of the tapir, and the great holes under
the f)rbits, j )ined to the form of the nasal lione, rentlered the existence of
a proboscis or trunk ver\- proliable.

This coloss- s of the ancient world, res[)ecting which so una h has bet n
said, somewhat approaches the mastodon: it seems to announce the ele-
phant, but its dimensions were \astly greater than the li\ing elephants,
superior even to that of the mastodon and the mammotli, both fossil
elephants. From its kind of life, and frugal habits this monster scarcely
merited the formidable name imi)osed on it by naturalists, of "terrible ani-
mal." Its size was, no doubt, frightful enough, but its habits seem to
have been harmless. It is .^-^upposed to have inha!)ited the fresh water
lakes, or marshes and the mouths of great rivers, b\' preference. I lerbiv-
orous like the ele[)hant, it employed its proboscis probabl)- in seizing the
herbage suspended o\ er the waters, or floating on their surface. \Ve know
that the elephants are \er)- partial to tlu; roots of \egetables growing in

[HV)

im: iMMKNsi: dinothi.kium.

flooded p
nnd prob
lock uhk
able to tc
the mode
move thei
for f^rindi

TllL- IlK

account (
the time \
extraordir

'•„ t

*'.-■■■■

of monster

which, resci

of labyrimh

thing even c

impressions

prints of tin

first birds oi

The arma

ancient ordo

claws at the

PRE-IIISTORIC MONSTERS OF LANO AND SEA.

flooded plains. The dinotherium appears lo have been .-.imi'ar\- orrranized,
and ])robably soii'^ht tu satisfy the same tastes. With the powerful mat-
tock which Nature had supplied him for peiietratin;^ the .soil, lie would be
able to tear from the bed of the river or lake nourishinir roots, for which
the mode of articulation in the jaws, and tlie powerful muscles intended to
move them, as well as the large surface of the teeth, so well calculated
for grinding, were evidently intended.

The more ancient of the secondary rocks ha\'e interested geologists on
account of the innumerable remains of shells which they contain. At
the time when these strata were being deposited lived one of the most
extraordinary reptiles of which we have any knowledge. It was a kind

-' -^M;

^\ ■ A'

AN EXTRAORDINARY REPTILE — THE LABVK NTHODON.

of monster toad, so enormous as to equal an ox in size, the teeth of
nhich, resembling the windings of a maze, have pr(x;ured for it the name
of labyrinthodon. The rocks of this ancient epoch have taught us some-
thing even of the anatomical details of this animal, having preserved the
impressions of its footsteps. On the .same beds have been obser\'ed the
prints of three-toed feet, considered by some geologists as traces of the
first birds on our globe.

Thf armadillo, ant-eater and pangolins, are the living examples of an
ancient order of creatures which were characterized by largely developed
claws at the extj-emities of the toes. The order seems thus to establish
6

(82)

A C ROUJ* OF CUKI0U8 HAND- ANIMALS.

ft.sclf as a ;

tliosc arm<

continent.

to the f;inii

presence of

the entire i

a mammifei

like the tur

teen teetli i

deep lines, ^

iiind feet W(

vast inciunL

short, thick a

hy, a soh'd en

to be hexai^oi

represented ir

^\•orld was suf

tlie chief diffe

which is mass

"f riny;s. In.

beings lierbivoi

Another fan

that they ]iad i

PREHISTORIC MONSTERS OF LAND AND SEA.

ftsclf as a zoolo;ncal link in the cliain between the hot.fjd animals an*!
those armed with claws. All these animals bclon^eil to the American
continent. The glyptodon, which appears diwing this period, bel<>n;^^c<l
to the family of armadillos, and their most remarkable feature was th;-
presence of a hard scaly shell composed of numerous .scales, which co\er
the entire upper surface of the animal fr(jm the head to tiie tail ; in .slioit,
a mammiferous animal, which appears to have been enclosed in a .sliJl
like the turtles: it resembles in many respects the ant-eater, and had six
teen teeth in each jaw. These teeth were channeled with two broad an '
deep lines, which divided the surface of the molars into three parts. TIi,.
hind feet were broad and massive, and evidently desii^ned to supj). )it a
vast incumbent ma.ss ; it presented phalanges armed with luiiis or cla^vs,

THE ARMADILLO OF THE .\NCIENT WORLD.

short, thick and depressed. The animal was enveloped in, and prrit-cted
!)}•, a solid case, composed of plates which, seen from beneath, a])[)eared
to bo hexagonal in shape. The glyptodon load a near - lati\e which is
represented in the accompanying cngra\-ing. This armadillo of the earl;
world was supposed to have been a different nv'raber of the .same specie ,
the chief difference in the two animals being in tlie structure of the tail,
which is massl\-e in th'^ first, and in the oth -r is composed of half a score
of rings. In other respects the structure and habits are the same, both
being herbivorous and feeding on roots and other vegetable products.

Another family of reptiles appears in this epoch, and their relics show
that they had a very singular construction. This is the teleosaurus. which

fe^%J

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

recent investigations permit us t(^ reconstruct. The teleosaurus allows us
to form a pretty exact idea of the crocodiles of tl'.e ancient seas — those
curiassed reptiles, which the German <^eolo^ist Cotta describes as the
j^M'eai barons of the kinj^doin of Xei)tune, armed to the teeth and clothed
in .'in impenetrable iKinoply; the true filibusters of the primiti\e seas. The
teleosaurus has an anatomical resemblance to some of the present reptiles
of India. They inhabited the banks of ri\-ers, perhaps the sea itself; the\'
were lon<;er, more slender, and more active than the li\in_Lj species; the\
Were about thirty feet in len<;th, of which the head was from three to
four feet, with their enormous jaws well defended beyoutl the ears, some-
times with an openin;^ of six feet, tIn-ou;^di which the)' coukl enj^ulph, in
the depths of their enormous throat, animals of the size of an ox. In the
ri\er (jan^es, in India, there is a huL^e reptile called the ^^asial, dis-
tin_L,aiislK:d fr'.)m the I'!L^r\-ptian crocodile in' the extraordinary shape of
head a'ul jaws: there is no other li\in_L,^ species of crocodile like it; but
Britain once possessed a crocodile resembliiiL; that of the Gaiv^es, and of
e\en hu\q;er dimensions. The teleosaurus was a reptile of that remnte
period that j:)recede(.! the ivj;c of the threat elephants and tillers. Its teeth
Were more numerous, and set closer toirethei', than those of the h'lJN'ptian
crocodile; and it was co\ered with plates on its under side as well as on
its back. ThouL,di it was lonj^er and more .-lender than the crocodile of
the Gan;jjes. and the wrtebra.' of its back-bone were united by flat plates
instead of a ball anti socket, it iesembled it more than any other animal.
An Oddity ofllio Aiiiiiiiil Creation.

In those ac;es, so \invj; passed aua\-, when such monstrous creatures
lurked amon<;st the reed-like plants of the ri\ers, and the forests of
stranj^a- trees were haunted by ixptiles of still more vast dimensions, jiow
different must the aspect of the couiitr}' ha\e been from what it is now I

The mci^atherium, or animal ( f Para;..;ua\', as it was called, is, at fn'st
view, the oddest and most extiaordinary bein^^ we ha\e yet had umler
consideration, where all ha\e been stran,^e, fantastic ami formidable. The
animal creation still j^oes on as if —

Nature made tliem and tlien broke the die.
Towartis the close of the last century, an almost perfect skeleton of this
^M'j^antic animal was du,:^ up. at the depth of one hundred feet, in a bed of
clay on the banks of the ri\er Luxon, near Buenos Ayres. This skele-
ton was sent to the nuise'um at Madrid, where it now remains. The
nieL,Mtherium was armed with claws of enormous length and power, its
whole frame i)ossessin ^ an extreme degree of solidity. With a head and
neck like those of the sloth, its legs and feet exhibit the character of the

L-'i'tr'-f'ta'

'•^.

k4m

Icr
he

us
of
le-
[he
its
nd
Ihe

THE FAMOUS ANIEDILLVIAN CROCODILE.

(8.5)

EARTH, s::a, and skv.

armadillo and tl;.: antcatcr. Stirne specimens of ilv: animal give the meas-
urement of five feit across the haunclies, and the thigh bone was nearly
three times as thick as that of tlic elephant. The sjjinal marrow must
have been a foot in iliameter, and the tail, at the part nearest the bod\'.
tvice as large, or six feet in circumference. The girth of tiie body was
fourteen feet and a lialf, and the length eighteen feet. The teeth were
admirably adapted for cutting \egetable substances, and the general struct-
lure and strength of the frame for tearing up the ground in search oi
roots, wrenching off the branches of trees, and uprooting their trunks, on
whieii it principally fed.

TriF: r.IGANTIC meg.^tfiekium.

Hea\ily constructed, and ponderously accoutred, it could neither run,
•nor 1 ao, nor climb. It was an unwieldy monster, and all its movement
iv.iist have been necessarily slow. But what need of rapid locomotion to
an animal whose occupation, of digging roots for food, was almost sta-
tionarj'? And what need of .speed, for flight from foes, to a creature
whicli, by a single pass of his paw, or lash of his tail, could in an instant
have demolished the cougar or crocodile? WTicre was the enemy that
would ('arc encounter this leviathan of the pampas? Or if what more

power ^"11]
of lii.s ra
adapted
portion .
and cnjd
extinct, 1
nients of

If we

being stn

in all its

the aniin<

ization — 1

only l)een

the aninii

so odd or

intlividual

of the slo

gives ther

trees, who

consider t

feed upon

would app(

to the -spec

the megatl

e.xclusivel)

the soil, fii

an clephan

were found

the south

sons had U

stood upri<

to the disc

where the f

the bones c

air. It is ]

the tail to

midablc de:

were about

implement f

^^RcB-..' J^. ■

PRE-mSTORIC MONSTERS OP' LAND AND SEA.

po\ver'"iil creature can uc find the cause that has effected the extirpation
of ills race? His entire frame was an apparatus of colossal mechanism,
adapted exactly to the work it had to do — strontj and ponderous in pro-
portion as this work was heavy, and calcuKitcd to be the vehicle of life
and enjoyment to a fji^^antic race of quadrupeds, which, thouj^h they are
extinct, have in their fossil bones left behind them imperishable monu-
ments of the consummate skill with which they were constructed.

A Gi^rantie Sloth.
If we ijlance at the skeleton of this animal, it is impossible to avoid
bein;4 struck with its unusually heavy form, at once awkward ami fantastic
in all its parts. It is allied to the sloths, which Huffon tells us are of all
the animal creation those which have received the most vicious or_i;an
i/ation — beini^s to which nature has forbid all enjoyment: which ha\e
only been created for hardships and misery. An attentive examination of
the animal of Paraj^uay shows that its ort^anization cannot he considered
so odd or awkward when viewed in connection with its kind of life antl
individual habits. The special ori^anization which renders the movements
of the sloths so heavy, and apparently so painful on the level ^rouml,
i;ives them, on the other hand, marvelous assistance when they live in
trees, whose leaves form their exclusive food. In the same manner, if we
consider that the met^jatherium was created to burrow in the earth and
feed upon the roots of trees and shrubs, every origan of its heavy frame
would appear to be perfectly appropriate to its kind of life and well adapted
to the special purpose which has been assit^ned to it. We ou^dit to place
the mejjjatherium between the sloths and ant-eaters. Like the first, it fed
exclusively on the leaves of t^ees ; like the sec(Mid, it burrowed deep in
the soil, finding there at once nourishment and shelter. It was larije as
an elephant or rhinoceros of the largest species. The remains collected
were found in the river Lu.xon, which runs throuijh the Ljreat plains to
the south of Buenos Ayres. A succession of three unusually dry sea-
sons had left the waters so low as to expose the skeleton to \iew as it
stood upriijht in the mud in the bed of the river. Further incjuiries led
to the discovery of two other complete skeletons, not far from the spot
where the first had been found ; and not far from them an immense shell,
the bones connected with which crumbled to pieces after exposure to the
air. It is probable that, like the armadillo, the mei;atherium employed
the tail to support the enormous weight of its body : it was also a for-
midable defensive arm when used as it is by crocodiles. The hind feet
were about three feet long and one f.)ot broad. They formed a powerful
implement for excavating the earth at great depths where the roots of

I : I ;ii

A«>.

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

1.0

I.I

1.25

«- illM

if IM

i'^ |36

I: m

1.8

U IIIIII.6

Photograpliic

Sciences
Corporation

23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, NY. HS80

(716) 872-4503

<l>^

/>
^

A-

^^.>

"q,^

I .

I I

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

vegetables penetrated. Solidly supported by the two hind feet antl the
tail, and in advance by one of the fore feet, the animal employed the fore
foot at liberty in hollowint; out the earth or tearin<; up the roots of trees ;
the toes of the fore feet were for this purpose furnished with lari^e and
powerful talons, which la\- at an oblique angle in relation to the soil, much
like the burrowing talons of the mole. The anatomical organization
denotes heavy, slow, and powerful locomotion, but solid and admirable
combinations for supporting the weight of an enormous creature; a sort
of excavating machine, nearly immovable, and of incalculable power for
its own jnu'poses.

Tlic skeleton of an animal similar to the megatherium has been found in

SKELETON OF THE MEGATHERIUM.

our own countrj-. In consequence of some hints given by Washington,
Thomas Jeffersor tj'scovered in a cax'ern of Western Virginia some bones
which he declared to be the remains of some carnivorous animal. These
bones Mr. Jefferson believed to be similar to those of the lion. Cuvier saw
at once the true analogies of the animal. The bones were the remains of
a .species of gigantic sloth, the complete skeleton of which was subse-
quently discoN'eted in the Mississippi, in a state of preser\ation so com-
plete that the cartilages still adhering to the bones were not decomposed.
Jefferson called this species the megalonyx. It partook of the character-
istics of the sloth ; its size was that of the largest ox ; the muzzle was

pointed
much
and \'er
claw le.-
pomts
lighter H

The J

complete

genuit}'

vegetabl

Their pr

locomoti

sloths, t<

back (lov

to sa)'p!-(

strong cr

with far i

they jnilli

the roots,

of their h

become, c

their a{)[);

heels firm

full force (

nished wil

giraffe, wh

It has a

early ages

another.

lia\'e previ

these an in

many poin

sufficiently

anomalous

from that c

arity in tli

which, in s

in its prop

"^"M ?

PRE-HISTORIC MONSTERS OF LAND AND SEA.

pointed; the jaws armed with cylindrical teeth; the anterior members
much longer than the posterior; two great toes, short, armed with long
and very powerful claws; the index finger more slender, furnished with a
claw less powerful also; the tail strong and solid: such were the salient
pomts of the organization of the megalonyx, whose form was a little
liflhter than the metratheriuni.

Sinjyuliir Habits of Prc-liistoric Animals.

The habits of these megatheroid animals, saj's Mr. Darwin, were r.
complete puzzle to naturalists, until Professor Owen, with remarkable in-
genuity, solved the problem. The teeth indicate that they liwd on
vegetable food, and probably on the leaves and small twigs of trees.
Their ponderous forms and great curved claws seem so little formed for
locomotion, that some naturalists have actuallv believed that, like the
sloths, to which they are intimately related, they subsisted by climbing,
back downwards, on trees, and feeding on the leaves. Jt was a bold, not
to .say preposterous idea, to conceive even antediluvian trees, with branches
strong enough to bear animals as large as elephants. Professor Owen,
with far more probability, believes that, instead of climbing on the trees,
they pulled the branches down to them and tore the smaller ones up by
the roots, and so fed on their leaves. The collossal breadth and weight
of their hind cjuarters, which can hartlly be imagined without being seen,
become, on this view, of obvious service instead of being an incumbrance;
their ap[)arent clumsiness disappears. With their great tails and huge
heels firmly fixed like a tripod in th.e ground, they could freely exert the
full force of their powerful arms and great claws. One species was fur-
nished witii a long tongue, capable of great extension like that of the
giraffe, which, by a beautiful provision of nature, thus reaches its leafy food.

All Extraordinary Xcok.

It has already been intimated that the destruction of animal life in the
early ages was partially due to the warfare waged by one species upon
another. This is illustrated strikingly by two monsters to which we
have previously referred. The plesiosaurus is the name gi\-en to one of
these animals. The name is applied in consequence of its offering in
many points strong analogies to the other reptiles ; but these are not
sufficiently close to prevent it from exhibiting a form most strange and
anomalous, and a structure equally remarkable, and differing considerably
from that of any other animal. The most striking and manifest peculi-
arity in the plesiosaurus consists in the enormous length of the neck,
which, in some species, not only exceeds in absolute dimensions, but also
in its proportion to the size of the animal, that of the longest-necked

IWI

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

quadruped or bird. ' But the perfect mobility of this neck, of which we
nia)- form an idea by the number of joints it possesses, was no less remark-
able. The '^' Jfe, the lonc^est-necked quadruped we arc acquainted with,
has only seven vertebra: of the neck, not differing in this respect from the
other mammals ; the swan, the longest-necked bird, has twenty-three :
but the plesiosaurus is known, from some admirably preserved specimens,
to have had upwards of thirty, and perhaps as many as forty. In its pro-
portions, the neck in one species measures four times the length of the
head, and actually exceeds the entire length of the body and tail. It
was apparently thick and muscular near the body, but gradually became
slender t(nvards the head, which was small, and sometimes singularly dis-
jDroportioned in size to the other parts of tb.e animal. The head thus
reduced in size exhibits, however, rather a high type of organization. It
offers some of the peculiarities which characterize the lizard, especially in
the wide interspaces left between the bones ; in the existence of a strong
crest along the middle of the skull, indicating that the jaws were worked
as in lizards and not as in crocodiles; in the structure of the lower jaw;
and in the absence of a cross ridge on the fore part of the skull. But in
its general form, in the strength and size of the bones of the face and
jaws, in the rugged outer surface of the bones, and in the sockets of the
teeth, there is a distinct and well-marked approximation to the crocodile.

All Admirable C<»iitrivaiicc.
In the size and position of the breathing-holes, or external nostrils, we
find, however, a marked and interesting difference from all existing rep-
tiles, and a strong analogy to the corresponding part in animals allied to
the whale, offering a beautiful example of adaptation of structure
presented in very different animals, but producing similar results and
supplj'ing similar exigencies. These apertures are placed near the
highest part of the head, where they ^\•ould enable the animal most
readily to breathe, without exposing anything more than the apertures
themselves above the water, corresponding admirably with the marine
habits of the animal, as indicated by the structure of its extremities. The
jaus of the plesiosaurus are strong and rather spoon-shaped; they were
prcnided with a large number of teeth — probably not less than a hun-
dred — which were conical, slender, long, and pointed, slightly bent
inwards, and deeply grooved. These teeth had long fangs, and were
planted in separate sockets, as in the crocodile. They could also be
repeated and indefinitely renewed. It is probable that the animal could,
like some serpents, swallow prey actually larger than the size of its head,
the bones being so little attached that the cavity of the mouth could

a ridge

'^^-JL-

ke
le
re

it
|e

PRE-H!STORIC MONSTERS OF LAND AND SEA.

become greatly dilated by a violent effort. There can be no doubt that
the habits of the animal were strictly carnivorous.

The plesiosaurus no doubt fed indiscriminately on whatever came
within reach, whether livinj^ or dead. Its powers of locomotion in the
water were great, antl its strength must ha\e been formidable; but it had
an enemy in the ichthyosaurus, from which there was probalily little
chance of escape. We have good reason to suppose that it could mo\'e
about on shore, and it probably did so with greater facility than the seal
or walrus; but it is not likely that it resorted frequently to the land, since
the sea appears to have been its more congenial abode. The animal just
mentioned as the fierce and powerful enemy of the plesiosaurus, which
was itself a voracious reptile, belongs unquestionably to the most remark-
able and anomalous species, but departed, perhaps, much less considerably
than the other from the present external form of marine animals. With
the exception of a larger head, and paddles somewhat more developed, it
was not very unlike the porpoise in its appearance, but it was a true rep-
tile, adapted for constant residence in the sea, and in that respect claims
comparison as being the ancient representative of the great existing tribe
of marine animals, of which the whale is perhaps the best known tyi^e.
J.aws Armed with Frljjrhtl'ul Tooth.

The head of the ichth\-osaurus was in all cases large compared with the
general proportions of the body, and in general fcM-m it resembled that of
the dolphin, the chief part of its magnitude consisting of a greatly elon-
gated snout, like that of some of tlie aquatic crocodiles of the present day.
The jaws are long, comparatively slender, and tapering to the extremity.
Along their whole length on both sides there is a continuous rowof coni-
ical teeth of large size, not inserted in separate sockets, but placed in a
kind of trough cut .>. the jaw, and merely separated from one another by
a ridge of bone. These teeth were constantly removed and replaced by
new ones during the whole life of the animal, an instance of those won-
derful provisions of nature which meet us on ever\' hand, and which
show the principle of all-wise design.

The structure of the lower jaw indicates a mechanical contrivance of
some interest, intimately connected with the wants and habits of the
animal. The jaw.-, themselves are, as we have seen, long and slender.
The teeth show that the animal was fierce and voracious, and analogy
teaches us that in such cases the jaws mustclo.se suddenly on their prey
with a snap, in order to ensure a proper hold being obtained. But a
slender lower jaw, however strong, would be very easily broken when
brought in contact with hard bodies, .such as the solid enamelled plates en-

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

closinf; some of tlic fish of the liassic period. By a compHcatetl appara-
tus of several pieces of bone, arranged so as to distribute in some measure
the necessary shock arisin<r from tlie convulsive ierk made while the ani-
mal was in the act of sei/.ini^ its pre)-, we have this purpose elfected in
.several of the existin;^^ rei)tiies; hut something; more than this seems to
have been needed by the icthyosaurus, since it exhibits an example of
cross bracini^f, adding greatly to the efrecti\-e strength without increasing
the weight. \\y simply introducing a change of direction in the grain, as
it is called, or fiber of the bone, this purpose is accomplished, so that the
animal wa.s enabled to snap uith safet\- at the hardest and most solid sub-
stance that came within its reach. Ihe jaws of some specimens must
ha\e been u}Avards of six feet in length.

A Tolosoopie I'^yo.

The most remarkable peculiarit\- in the head of the fish-reptile besides
the jaws is the si/e and structure of the eye. The eyes were placed far
back on the head and behind the snout, with the nostrils or breathing
holes just in front, so tliat each time the aninial came tn the surface
to breathe, the eyes and nostrils, but no other parts of the head or body,
would be brought into the air. There can be no cjuestion that a \-nracious
animal like the ichthyosaurus, obliged froni time to time to appear above
water, and perhaps occasionalK- to come on shore, required ane.xtraordin-
ar)' provision, enabling it not only to see but to see distinctly, ever)- thing
passing around it. It was thus provided with a peculiar apparatus, en-
abling it to adajit its vision not onh- to shallow but to deep water, and not
onl\- to water but to air. This ai)paratuK effected its purpose b\- jiermit-
ting a change of shape of the pupil of the eye, according as circumstances
required; the pupil dilating at great depths, where but little I'ght is
transmitted, the shajx' flattening to allow of distant \-ision on shore, and
the whole e\-e pushed forwards to enable its owner to see objects close at
hand, thus affording ever)' variety of action to this important organ. The
bony scales which enclosed and defended the soft ball of the eye most
resemble what is seen in the golden eagle and some other birds of prey,
and may be best understood b)- a comparison with the scales of the arti-
choke, The structure is characterLstic of reptiles rather than of fishrs^
and amongst reptiles is most remarkably shown in the lizard tribe.

A Gijfaiitie Uird.

The marveks of the pre-historic world are not confined to quadrupeds
nor swimming monsters. Other curiosities have been discovered, al-
though some of them must be a ^signed to periods less remote than those

THE DINORNIS — A BIRD WITHOUT WINGS.

(93)

' I

\ :U

EA?.TH, SEA, AND SKY.

tii !

in which the animals lived which have already been described. Very
few of the islands near Australia, except Van Dienien's Land, and very
few indeed of those other islands which form the numerous archipelagos
of the eastern and southern seas, are sufficiently well known, or have
such an extent of superficial deposit, that we could with any reason ex-
pect them to furnish many fossil relics. New Zealand is, in point of fact,
the only island from which such remains have been obtained ; and the
condition of the bones, and the circumstances under which tlie^ are
found, render it impossible to state very decidedly in what bed they there
occur. It is, however, something to knov/ that in these islands there ex-
isted formerly, and possibly not very long ago, a considerable and impor-
tant group of wingless birds, of which one representative, the apteryx,
still remains, although apparently that also will soon be lost. Many ex-
tinct species of these strange animals have been found in the gravel of
the northern island, and they vary greatly in size, some having been far
larger than the largest ostrich, while others were very small. In all these
the general character is nearly the same, the animals being much stouter
and more powerful in proportion than the ostrich, and ab--olutely without

any trace of wings.

Great Power and Speed.

An outline of one of these extraordinary animals, will afford some
notion of the vast proportions attained. The various species hitherto
determined h:ive all been referred to a single genus, under the name
dinornis. The legs of the diiiornis were powerful, and were no doubt
well adapted for rapid locomotion ; and in the apteryx similar power-
ful extremities enable the animals to run swiftly, and when attacked
to defend itself with great vigor. The apteryx is nocturnal in its
habits, and dwells in the deepest recesses of the forest, where gigantic
trees are interwoven almost inpenetrably with climbing plants, and
where, deeply secluded in the mountains, there occur open swampy spots
covered with bulrushes. It feeds on insects and seeds.

The islands of New Zealand, situated to the east of Australia, are still
further removed than that continent from the groups of islands in the
Indian Ocean; but, in spite of their distance, it is in these latter that we
find the nearest approach to the singular wingless birds just described
The dodo, which was brought to England and preserved in museums
more than two centuries ago, and figures of which have been given, ap-
pears to have inhabited the Mauritius and the island of Bourbon at no
distant period, although for some centuries it has not been seen in a living
state. Like the extinct wingless birds of New Zealand, it was nearly a\-

S'g

lied to th
massive,
There
in the oc(
to under
through t
fully at tl
found in i
rocks, tl
without ,
exception
ed to one
groups
these gr-
called g
f r o m a
word
splendo"
scales o f
fishes bein
rally coate
polished e
and often e
ing a\-eryb
lustre. It is
^he ganoid
whose rema
handed do'
us in the c
sandston<
>'ther roc
that period,
distinct spec
are remarkal
in some inst
with some a]
The most
head from w
cent-shaped
handle. It i

^,Si4.-

-'"t

PRE HISTORIC MONSTERS OF LAND AND SEA.

lied to the cassowary, also an inhabitant of the Mauritius, but it was more
massive, and of more clumsy proportions.

There were also creatures in those early ages which dwelt exclusively
in the ocean, some traces of which have come down to us, and enable us
to understand thw '^ature and characteristics of the tribes tliat wandered
throuc^di the great de p. Professor Agassiz discovered, on looking care-
iullv at the numerous species of fish, the fossil fragments of which are
found in the older

rocks, that all, >^i'->--ift:.V:^==»~^"~:-. 'ri >

without a single
exception, belong-
ed to one of two
groups. One of
t h e s e groups is
called ganoid,
from a Greek
word signifying
splendor, the
scales of these
fishes being gene-
rally coated with
polished enamel,
and often exhibit-
ing a very brilliant
lustre. It is chiefly
^he ganoid fishes
whose remains are
handed down to
us in the old red
sandstone and
.'ther rocks of
that period. Sixty

distinct species of these fish have been mentioned and most of them
are remarkable for exhibiting strange peculiarities of shape, approximating
in some instances the structure of the lower order of animals, combined
with some apparent likeness to the class of reptiles.

The most extraordinary of these fishes, "the buckler-headed," has a
head from which its nam-^ is taken. This has been compared to the cres-
cent-shaped blade of a saddler's cutting-knife, the body forming the
handle. It is extremely broad and flat, extending on each side consider-

FOSSIL FISHES BEDDED IN ROCK.

I '

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

ably beyond the body, and the bones appear to have been firmly soldered
together, so as to form one .siiield, the whole head thus being apparently
covered by a single plate of enamelled bone. The body compared \\ ith
this sint^ular hv-id ai}pears extremely diminutixi:; the back is arched and
gradually recedes in elevation towards the tail, which is of moderate
length ; the fins are few in number, and not very powerful, but appear to
have possessed a bony ray in front, the rest of the fin being more
^"Ibrous. The whole bod\' was covered with scales, \\hich varied in
shape in different parts, and seemed to have been disposed in series. It
has been sujiposed by Professor Agassiz that the singular shaj^e of the
head sei-ved as a sort of defence to this animal in case of attack ; and one
can readily imagine tliat the soft substance of the largest and most for-
midable of its enemies, would be injured by any attempt to swallow so
singular and knife-like an animal as the one before us.

Like many, and indeed nH)st of the species belonging to the ganoid
order cf fishes, and common in the older rocks, the bones of the head,
and the scales of this strange monster, were composed internally of a
comparatively soft bone, but each was coated w ith a thick and solid plate
of enamel, of extreme hardness, and almost incapable of injury by any
ordinary amount of violence. The detached scales, the bua^lcr-head,
and sometimes the complete outline of the animal, hax'ethus been able to
resist destruction, and are found in sandy rocks, composed of such coarse
fragments that their accumulation would seem to ha\"e been accomj)anied
with violence sufficient to have crushed to powder almcr^t any remains of
organized matter, and from which, indeed, we never obtain any fragments
of shells or other easily injured substances.

Beautiful Forms in Stone.

The muddy beds deposited after the sandstones, although they con-
tained a considerable proportion of carbonate of lime, were not in a con-
dition favorable for the development of coral existence, and the remains
of such animals are accordingly rare. This is not the case, however, with
one group of zoophytes, for they were singular]}- abundant, and were
manifestly an important group, perhaps assisting to clear the seas of an
undue proportion of the minuter particles of decaying animal matter.
The most singular of all these is the pcntacrinite, an animal so compli-
cated that the number of separate pieces of stone of which its singular
skeltlon is made up has been calculated to amount to many thousands.

It was provided with a long and powerful but movable column, made
up of a vast multitude of lozenge-shaped pieces, each marked with a
curious set of indentations, and each pierced with a central af)erture by

means ol
animal p
log of w
was parti
the colun
lar plates
membran
ating with
boscis. ".
rounded a
ble multit
arms, form
stony net-'
intercej)t a
stomach t
food fit 1
which wcv
\\atcr withi
specimens (
often foun(
tached, it i
what was or
of decayed
through th(.
Fossil sh
large part o
posited by t
and in num
these appeal
altered from
pattern. In c
an impressio
nal form is 1
an entire ca.'
exterior anc
other cases
imbedding m
its mould. '
stances, and a
in short. Pe
7

PRE-HISTORIC MONSTERS OF LAND AND SEA.

means of whicli a communication was kept up diirin;^ life, eiiahlinj^ the
animal probably t<> attach itself to some marine substance, or a flcatin;^
\o<r of wood. In the pentacrinite the stem was five-sided, and the body
\\as partly defended by a small cup formed of ret^ular plates risiiv^ from
the column, and partly enclosed by a multitude of very minute andaiij^^u-
lar plates fixed on a tough
membranous pouch termin-
ating with an extensive pro-
boscis. The body was sur-
rounded also by an incredi-
ble multitude of branching
arms, forming a complicated
stony net-work, intended to
intercept and convey to the
stomach the particles of
food fit for the animal,
which were floating in the
water within reach. Many
specimens of this fossil are
often found together, at-
tached, it would seem, to
what was once under surface
of decayed wood drifting
through the water.

Fossil shells make np a
large part of the relics de-
posited by the ancient seas,
and in numerous instances
these appear to be scarcely
altered from their original
pattern. In other cases only
an impression of the exter-
nal form is left ; sometimes
an entire cast o( the shell,
exterior and interior. In a zoophyte with five-sided stem.

other cases the shell has left a perfect impression of its form in the
imbedding mud, and has then been dissolved and washed away, leaving
its mould. This mould, again, has sometimes been filled up by soft sub-
stances, and an exact cast of the original shell obtained — a petrified shell,
in short. Petrified wood is equally common. The existence of marine
7

i|;i

EARTH, SEA. AND SKY.

shells upon the summits of mountains had already struck the mind of the
ancient autliors. Witness Ovid, who in his celebrated book called the
" Metamorphoses," tells us he had seen land formed at the expense of the
sea, and marine shells lyinj^ dead far from the ocean ; and more than that,
an ancient anchor had been found on the very summit of a mountain.
The Danish geolojrist Steno, who published his principal works in Italy
about the middle of the .seventeenth century, had deeply studied the fossil
shells di.scovered in that
country. The Italian
Painter Scilla produced
a Latin treatise on the
fossils of Calabria, in
1760, in which he e.stab-
lished the organic char-
acter of fossil shells.

In France the celebra-
ted Buffon gave, by his
elo(juent writings, great
popularity to the notions
of the Italian naturalists
concerning the origin of
fossil remains. In his
admirable 'Epoques de
la Nature' he sought to
estiiblish that the shells
found in great quantities
buried in the soil, and
even on the summit of
mountains, belonged, in
reality, to species not
living in our days. But
this idea was yet too exquisite fossil shell.s,

new not to find objectors : it counted among its adversaries the hardy
philosopher who might have been expected to adopt it with most ardor.
Voltaire attacked, with his jesting and biting criticism, the doctrines
of the illustrious innovator. Buff:)n insisted, reasonably enough, on
the existence of shells on the summit of the Alps, as a proof that
the sea had at one time occupied that position. But Voltaire as-
serted that the shells found on the Alps and Apennines had been thrown
there by pilgrims returning from Rome. Buffon might have replied

to his f

mulatior

shells of

liundred

controve

which pt

no wisli,'

The v£

lake or b

animals, \

whilst hi

vvater-lilie

the Paris

named tht

called bee

the rocks

as in thosi

vicinity of

and marin(

fresh-watei

At Mont

quarries of

sum is coi

^^'gg'ng th(

were discov

by the gyps

French natt

these Strang

At the CO

intense as i

teemed with

as it is now i

the forests o

climates, sue

Tile gigantic

no more in tl

thick-skinnec

was filled wit:

aspect.

PRE-HISTORIC MONSTERS OF LAND AND SEA.

to his opponent by pointii\Lj out whole mountains formed b)- ttie accu-
mulation of shells. He niij;ht have sent him to the P\Tenees, where
shells of marine origin form immense mountains rising six thousand six
hundred feet above the present sea level. But his genius was a\crse to
controversy ; and the philosopher himself put an end to a discussion in
which perhaps he would not have had the best of the argument. " I have
no wish," he wrote, "to embroil myself with Mr. Buffon for a few shells."

The vale in which the brilliant city o( Paris now stands was once a
lake or bay, whose shores were fringed with forests of palms. Strange
animals, whose species have long since passed away, sported in its waters,
whilst huge crocodiles lurked amongst the thick reeds and large
water-lilies watching for their prey. The xalley is known in geology as
the Paris basin, just as the corresponding formation in the Thames is
named the London basin. They both belong to the tertiary period, so
called because it was the third in three great systems of rock formation;
the rocks being composed of the sedimentary deposit of water, and not,
as in those of the first ages, produced by the action of fire : those in the
vicinity of Paris being in strata or layers, containing alternately fresh-water
and marine shells, showing that the valley of the Seine was at one time a
fresh-water lake, and, at another, an arm of the sea.

Skeletons of Animals Found Near Paris.

At Montmartre, a hill a little to the north of Paris, there are extensive
quarries of gypsum, the material known to us as plaster of Paris. Gyp-
sum is composed '"f sulphate of lime, deposited by fresh water; and in
digging these quarries a great number of skeletons of various animals
were discovered, some of them being nearly perfect, having been preserved
by the gypsum which had hardened about them. And Cuvier, the great
French naturalist, restored them, and we can have a distinct idea of what
these strange creatures were like, in every particular except their color.

At the commencement of the tertiary period, the heat, though not so
intense as it had been in the preceding ages, when the tepid swamps
teemed with monstrous reptiles, was still as great in England and France
as it is now in the tropics. But the temperature was slowly cooling, and
the forests of palms were mixed with trees which still flourish in these
climates, such as the oak, wych-elm, alder, cypress, walnut, and others.
The gigantic saurians of the red sandstone age were e.xtinct and appeared
no more in the earth, and there grew into life the great pachyderms, or
thick-skinned animals; instead of the dragon-like pterodactyle, the air
was filled with quails, woodcocks, and curlews, and all nature wore anew
aspect.

•"*5

ANTEU1LUVI\N ANIMALS OF THE VALLEY OF PARIS.

(100)

Thc
to two
or una:
for " ur
even lii
yond t
they \v
largest,
much h
stout le<
large, ar
tapir; a
eros, an(
The a
each oth
longing 1
now exis
its skull ;
divided, 1
into toes
was aboi
ably to a
otter.

Anothe

and was a

the water,

sembled a

vided like

only as lar

difficult to

possessing

and they \i

came into (

the water r

vorous, livi

Remains

in the Isle

such abunci

ferent kind<^

■ ^;:

,M' f ' V',-

PRE-HISTORIC MONSTERS OF LAND AND SEA

101

The animals which were so abundant in the Paris basin belonged chiefly
to two genera : the pal.totheria, or ancient animals, and the anoplotheria
or unarmed animals ; these latter, were so called from the Greek words
for " unarmed," and for " beast," because their teeth were arranged in an
even line all round, just as inn i; the canine teeth not projecting be-
yond the others, as they do in animals which can bite and tear, so that
they were defenceless. There were several species of palieotheria, the
largest, or great pakeotherium, being about the size of a horse, but it was
much heavier and clumsier, having a very thick body, supported on short,
stout legs, and its feet were divided into three rounded toes. Its head was
large, and was provided with a short trunk, or proboscis, like that of the
tapir; and altogether it formed a link between that animal and the rhinoc-
eros, and probably resembled them in its. habits.

The anoplotheria also comprise several species, differing greatly from
each other. The largest was about the size of a donkey but, though be-
longing to the pachydermata, the anoplotherium was like no one animal
now existing, for whilst in some respects it resembled the hippopotamus,
its skull partook of the character of that of the horse, and its upper lip was
divided, like the camel's ; and the bones of the feet, which were separated
into toes sheathed in hoofs, were like those of the hog. The body
was about four feet long, and it had a thick tail of equal length, prob-
ably to assist it in swimming; and its hair was smooth, like that of the

otter.

The Gazelle of the Early Ages.

Another kind, the xiphodon gracile, was about the size of a chamois,
and was as light and slender as a gazelle ; and instead of swimming in
the water, it bounded over the plains ; but though in this respect it re-
sembled a deer, and had a long neck and a short tail, its lip also was di-
vided like the camel's. Some of the species were very small, one being
only as large as a hare, whilst another was no bigger than a rat. It is
difficult to imagine creatures more defenceless than these animals were,
possessing neither horns nor claws, nor teeth that they could tear with ;
and they were probably soon exterminated when the large beasts of prey
came into existence. As it was, the chief enemies of those that frequented
the water must have been the crocodiles. The anoplotheria were all herbi-
vorous, living on seeds and green twigs, or the succulent roots of plants.

Remains of the palaeotherium and an aplotherium have been discovered
in the Isle of Wight, in strata similar to that of the Paris basin, but not in
such abundance. Altogether, Cuvier found the bones of about fifty dif-
ferent kinds of animals embedded in the gypsum, all of which are extinct.

102

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

i H

besides turtles, and crocodiles, and bats, and various birds of kinds which
still exist on the earth.

Though Britain is now an island it was not always so. The researches
of geologists show that it was once united to the continent of Europe.
The fossil remains of animals discovered in many parts of England are
the same as those found in France, and a species of fresh-water mussel,
now extinct in that country, still li\es in the river Seine. The ilint imple-
ments, too, which prove that even at that early age human beings existed
on the earth, though there was no historian to chronicle their deeds, are
found to be of a similar type in England and France, and seem to show
that, at a far distant time, the same race of people inhabited both countries.
But these men were not our ancestors; they died out, or were extermi-
nated by the influx of tribes superior to them in intelligence, and the
shape of their skulls, which ha\e been dug up out of the gravel beds in
France, shows that they belonged to a different race from any now inhabi-
ting either country.

London Onot* a Great Menajftrie.

At that time the valley of the Thames must have presented a very
different aspect from what it does now, and it is supposed that the river
Thames was then a tributary of the Rhine. The vegetation was of much
the same character as at present, for, after lasting countless ages the great
tertiar}' period had come to an end; England was no longer covered with
groves of palm-trees and tropical ferns, and the strange animals of the
Paris basin were already extinct. The temperature, that had been gradu-
ally cooling, at length became so cold that what is known as the glacial
period, or age of ice. ensued. After a long interval, the climate grew
warm again, and it was at this time that man came into existence; at
least we may conclude so, for there are no certain vestiges of human
beings before the age of ice. The forest trees such as we .still now have,
appeared, and dense forests of oak, and elm and thickets of alder grew to
the water's edge. The climate too was probably not very different to
wh;it it is now, except that the winter was colder and the summer hotter
than in our day.

Rut if the trees on the banks of the Thames were of the sriTie kind
as at: present, it \vas far otherwise with the animal kingdom, for the
gigantic mammoth browsed on the young shoots of the oak, whose
branches gave shelter to troops of apes, whilst the woolly rhinoceros wal-
lowed in the mud and the huge hippopotamus came swimming up the
river. The wild horse and the as^ scoured the plains, and herds of bisons
and wild bulls roamed through the woods, that at night echoed with the

ANCIENT ANIMALS IN THE THAMES VALLEY.

(lOIV,

mmim

' - .i

Si '

Hlffri 'A

P'...< j|.

mrk

rf'

Byi

ihI

. 7ii 1

iim

4« Mil'

i ^

104

EARTH, SEA AND SKY.

; I

cries of the hyena or the growhng of immense tigers. There were sev-
eral distinct species of rhinoceri natives of Britain and other parts of
Europe, but they were not all co-existent. They first appear about the
middle of the tertiary period, but the species that lived then appears to
have given place to other kinds. Of the.se the woolly rhinoceros, which
had two horns, was the most common, and its remains ha\e been found
in an entire .state in the ice of northern Asia. Besides its woolly coat it
had another peculiarity, which does not exist in every living .species —
its nostrils were .separated by a bony partition. There was also a smaller
and more .slender .species, which had two horns, and another kind, no
larger than a hog. The hippopotamus, of which there were two species,
did not differ much from that of Africa. Its bones have been found, to-
gether with those of the rhinoceros, in many parts of London ; and a jaw-
bone of a hippopotannis, armed with a formidable pair of tusks, was dug
up at Peckham, and is now in the geological collection of the British

Museum.

A niiiltitiule of Savage Creatures.

It was at the close of the tertiary period, and ju.st before the appearance
of man, that many of the animals appeared which still inhabit Britain,
such as the hog and the horse ; but the first horses were very small, being
no larger than the donkey: there are no fossil remains of such horses as
we see now-a-days. One species of the deer was of gigantic size, and
there was a large .serpent, and the caves were the abode of huge bears,
that exceeded the grizzly bear of North America in size; and a terrible
creature, called the machairodus, now totally extinct, preyed on the deni-
zens of the woods. Flocks of birds flew through the air, and vultures
brooded on the rocks. Beavers constructed their dwellings in the stream,
and were not extinct till historic times.

In the valley of the Thames the remains of both arctic and tropical ani-
mals are found, and the reindeer, glutton, musk-sheep, and even the lem-
ming, once frequented Britain. It might be imagined that the.se animals
lived at different periods, but the bones of hippopotami are found with
those of the reindeer, and it is probable that as England was then united
to the Continent, and the land continuous, the animals migrated accord-
ing to the change of the .seasons, and the hippopotamus swam up the
rivers from France and Spain. The reindeer extended its wanderings as
far as the south of France, where it was at one time very common.

Amid the multitude of sa\'age animals which then swarmed in these
countries, the primftive human buings must have led a precarious exist-
ence. Armed only with flint-headed arrows and axes, or bone-pointed

PRE-HISTORIC MONSTERS OF LAND AND SEA.

10-:

spears, they doubtless frequently fell a prey to the tiger or terrible cave-
bear. Their skeletons show that they were a small race of men, with
round heads and low foreheads, and very prominent ridges over the orbit
of the eye. They were probably something like the Eskimo or La[)land-
ers, and their lives were spent in hunting or in resisting the attacks of

wi'.d beasts.

Remarkable Products of Laiul and Sou.

The shores of the islands or of the tract of main land then existing were
apparendy low and swampy. Deep inlets of the sea, ba>s, and the
shifting mouths of a river, were also affected by numerous alterations of
level not sufficient to destroy, but powerful enough to modify the animal
and vegetable species then existing; and these movements were continued
for a long time. The seas were tenanted by sharks, gigantic rays, ami
many other fishes of warm latitudes, and abounded also with large car-
nivorous moUusca, capable of living either in fresh or brackish water.
The shelving land was clothed with rich tropical vegetation to the water's
edge, presenting to view the palm and the cocoa-nut, besides many of
those trees which now lend a charm to the Spice Islands of the Indian
seas. All these abounded also with indications of animal life.

The large rivers were peopled with crocodiles; turtles and tortoises
floated upon them; and these tenants of the waters, strange and varied as
they were, and unlike the present inhabitants of the district, were not
without resemblance to many species still met with on the earth. The
interior of the land, of which the surrounding waters were thus peopled,
was no less remarkable, and exhibited appearances equally instructive.
Troops of monkeys might be seen skipping lightly from branch to branch
in the various trees, or heard mowing and chattering and howling in the
deep recesses of the forest. Of the birds, some clothed in plumage of
almost tropical brilliancy, were busy in the forests, while others, such as
the vulture, hovered over the spots where death had been busy. Gigantic
serpents might have been seen insidiously watching their prey. Other
serpents in gaudy dress were darting upon the smaller quadrupeds and
birds, and insects glittered brightly in the sun.

I-.;

'■. \

CHAPTER III.
THE TERRIBLE PHEX()Mi:XA OE EARTHQUAKES.

Nature's Destructive Agencies — Tremendous Forces Pent up Within the Farth —
l're(|ULncy of ]']arth(|uakf Shocks— A Country in South America Never Quiet —
Siy;ns of the Approaching; Disaster— A Part of our own Country Sunk by a
Convulhion — The Great Kartluiuake of Calabria — Human Beings Tossed in the
Air — I leavy Objects Whirling About — Farms Changing Places — ^Jamaica Visited
— Destruction of tlie City of Lisb()n--Tlie Sea Rushing Madly on the Sliore —
Terrible Loss of Life — Horrors Multiplied - Immense Fissures in the Farth —
Great Calamity at ?'<-'ssina — S'atistics .Showing Appalling Destruction of Life
— Charleston in Terrv_ -Java antl Southern luirope Shaken.

ARTHQUAKi-!S arc the most fearful, and at the .same time the
[^ most destructive, phenomena of nature. They are motions
produred on the earth's s(Mid surface by a force originatinij in
the interior of the globe, aiid thence actin<^ upward. This force
appears to be subject to <^n'cat variations in its intensity. In most cases
the commotions occasioned by it on the earth's s.;'-face are exceedingly
slii;ht. The motion is scarcely felt, and passes away in the same moment.
The larger number of carthcpiakes consist of a slight trembling; of the
groimd, which can on\ be perceived by attentive obseiTation, and then
only under veiy favorable circumstances. When they have passed awa}',
it is impc^ssible to discover the slightest traces of their transitory activity.
But at other times they are attended with effects so terrible and destruc-
tive, that no ' ther calamit\' can be compared with them. When the
subterraneous force to which they owe their origin acts with a \it>lent
degree of energy, it produces such coiivulsions on the earth's surface,
that not only are the works destroyed that men lia\'e raised to render
their li\'es comfortable, and the buildings levelled to the ground that they
have erected to protect them against the inclemency of the seasons, but
in some cases the face of the country is changed that has been subjected
to their operation. It is happily the case that earthquakes attended with
such fearful effects are not of frequent occurrence; they would other-
wise render the countries visited by them uninhabitable for man and

beast.

Froinionoy of Karthqufikcs.

In coiMitries frequently subject to earthquakes, only those convulsions
which are attended by destriicti\c consequences are remembered by the
(lOG)

inhabj
or arej
persi »i|
inatioij
quake.j
other,
an e.\a|
within
were a1

'^^

THE TERRIBLE PHENOMENA OF EARTHQUAKES.

101

inhabitants for any lon^ time after. The sli<]jht one.s arc hardly noticed,
or are only recorded by some curious observer. It appears, therefore, to
persons livin<^ at a i;reat distance from such places, and receixin^j infor-
mation of them only w hen producing some great calamity, that earth-
quakes are not frequent, and occur only at periods remote frc >m each
other. This, however, is an error. Earthquakes are very frequent. l)y
an exact observer not less than fifty-seven earthquakes have been noticed
within the spice of forty }-ears in the town of Palermo, in Sicily, which
were attended by such smart shocks as to be sensibly felt.

EFFECT OF AN EARTHQUAKE ON THE SEA.

In the town of Copiapo, in the extreme northern province of Chile, one
or more shocks are felt almost every day ; and though they commonly
pass off without causing aiy damage, the town has suffered by tlicm so
frequently, and so many li\'es have been lost by the downfall of build-
ings, that the inhabitants rush out of their houses as soon as the least
commotion of the earth is perceived. If it were possible, says Humboldt,
to obtain daily information respecting the state of the whole surface of
our globe, we probably should convince ourselves that this surface is

108

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

Pi ; '

I i

nearly always shaken at some point or other, and that it is subject to an
vMiintcrrup.cd reaction between th<: interior and the exterior.

SijfiiH of Coining Destruction.

Many persons are apt to suppose that those countries which are situ-
ated in the vicinity of active volcanoes are more frequently subject to
violent concussions than those which lie at greater distances from them.
This opinion is not correct; but it is true that earthquakes are common
in tlie nei<[hborhood of volcanoes. Every eruption of the mountain, and
even every new flow of lava, or every ejection of ashes, is accompanied
by a shock, which, liowever, is so slight, that it can only be perceived
by persons who are near the crater, or on the declivities of the volcano.
These slight .shocks can hardly be considered as earthquakes, as they
are not felt in the plarn at its base. But man}' eruptions are preceded
by real earthquakes. When the inhabitants t f a country surrounding
an active voicaio observe that the mountain has ceastd to emit smoke
from its crater, they consider it as a sign of an approaching earthquake,
and in many cases their fear has not proved unfounded. It may be
true that earthquakes are most frequent in countries lying in the vicinity
of a volcano ; bu': few of the more disastrous convulsions of this descrip-
tion have occurred in such localities. The greater number have hap-
pened at considerable distances from any active volcano, and even from
places which by the nature of the rocks shov/ that they have orce been
the seat of volcanic activity. It is also observed that earthquakes occur-
ring at no great distance from volcanoes are of comparatively short du-
ration, whilst the convulsions visiting countries lying far from them are
repeated almost daily for months together, and frequently several times
in one day. Of such a description were the earthquakes which were ex-
perienced during more than a whole year(i8i2)in the plains of the
Mississippi, and those which shook, in iScS, the Alpine valleys lying at
the base of Mount Cenis.

A Country Sunk by a Convulsion.

That part of the plain of the Mississippi River, which, in 1812, exper-
ienced a great number of strong concussions, and those repeated for sev-
eral months together, extends between New Madrid, on the Mississippi,
to the Little Prairie, north of Cincinnati. The principal seat of the
earthquake was consequentlynearlyequi-distant from the Gulf of Moxico
and from the Atlantic Ocean. The following particulars respecting this
earthquake are from Sir Charles Lyell : Flint, the geographer, who vis-
ited the country seven yca'-s after the event, informs us that a tract ol

many ni
three or|
was left
in the ci
\ev Mc
statetl thl
fifteen ni
horint; fc|
confusior
ing their I
The inl
wlicn the
umcs of
the trees
alluvial s(
experienc
earth \\-e
felled the
stationed
more thar
being swa
not far be
its course
some of t
perpendic
desolating

The u[
earth, as 1
a hollow
ai. every
ing of a
which it 1
by them,
produced
quick sue
the imme
everj-thin
the great
granite n:

\Wn':

THE TERRIBLE PHENOMENA OF EARTHQUAKES.

109

many miles in extent, near the Little Prairie, became covered witli water
three or four feet deep; and when the water disappeared a stratum of sand
was left in its place. Large lakes, of twenty miles in extent, were formed
in the coi..se of an hour, and others were drained. The ^rav^eyard at
\e\'- Madrid was precipitated into the bed of tiie Mississippi ; and it is
stated that the ground whereon the town is built, and the ri\er bank for
fifteen miles above, sank eii;ht feet below their former level. The neigh-
boring forest presented for some years afterwards a singular scene of
confusion ; the trees standing inclined in every direction, and many hav-
ing their trunks and branches broken.

The inhabitants relate that the earth rose in great undulations; and
when these reached a cei • lin fearful height, the soil burst, and vast vol-
umes of water, san.l, and pit coal were discharged as high as the tops of
the trees. Flint saw hundreds of these deep chasms remaining in an
alluvial soil, seven years after. The people in the country, although in-
experienced in such convulsions, had remarked that the chasms in the
earth were in a direction f-om S. \V. to N. E. ; and they accordingly
felled the tallest trees, and laying them at right angles to the chasms,
stationed themselves upon them. By this invention, when chasms opened
more than once under these trees, sex-eral persons were prevented from
being swallowed up. At one period during this earthquake, the ground
not far below New Madrid swelled up so as to arrest the Mississippi in
its course, and to cause a temporary reflux of its waves. The motion of
some of the shocks is described as having been horizontal, and of others
perpendicular ; and the "'="*'j'cal movement is said to have been much less
desolating than the horizontal.

Human Beings Hurled Through Space.

The upheaving shocks are accompanied by violent upliftings of the
earth, as if repeated explosions were exerting their force upon the roof of
a hollow cavern, threatening to burst open the ground and blow into the
ai. every thing placed on it. They may also be compared to the burst-
ing of a mine, which explodes with great force and removes the earth
which it meets within its passage. When the surface of the earth is split
b)' them, it is hardly to be conceived what terrible destruction must be
produced in a few minutes by such convulsions following each other in
quick succession. There are numerous instances on record which prove
the immense force with which these shocks act on the surface and on
everything on it ; some of them, indeed, appear almost incredible. In
the great earthquake of Calabria, 1873, the most elevated portion of the
granite mountain mass of the Aspromonte was seen to move up and down

|i^:. 4

•f n

!«<_

*l J

FARTM, SEA, AND SKY.

I •:

wM'i

I '

rapidl} •; persons were raised from the ground and thrown to a distance
from the place where they were; houses were removed from their site
and carried to places higher than those on v hich they had been built.
The foundation of many buildings was removed from beneath the ground
with such violence, that the stones were broken to pieces and scattered
about, and the hard cement which 1 ..ted them was crushed into

dust. After the great earthquake of kiobama, in 1797, on the table land
of Quito, the corpses of several of ♦^^he inhabitants of the town were found
on the top of a hill, separated from the place by a river, and several hun-
dred f .'et higher than tiie site of the town. These persons had been
hurled to the top of the hill by the violent upheavings of the ground.
The rotatory shocks are certainly the most destructive, but are those
also which occur most rarely. They have only been observed in the
most calamitous earthquakes, and not in all of them. The whirling
motion puts the surface of the earth into a movement resembling that of
the sea when agitated by irregular waves crossing and repulsing each
other in different directions. In the earthquake of Catania, in Sicily, in
1S18, many statues were turned round, and a large piece of rock had its
former position from south to north changed to that of east to west.
Several instances of this kind were observed after the great earthquake
of Valparaiso, in Chili, when that town was levelled to the ground. The
large church La Merced presented the most remarkable ruin. The tower
was built of bricks and mortar, and its walls up to the belfry were six feet
thick. They were shivered into blocks, and thrown to the ground. On
each side of the church were a number of square buttresses of good solid
brick work, six feet square. Those on the western side were all thrown
down, as were all but two on the eastern side; these two were twisted
from the wall in a north-easterly direction, each presenting an angle to
the wall. The twisting to the north-east was noticed in several other
places. In a village thirty miles north of Valparaiso, the largest and
heaviest pieces of furniture were turned in the same dir.er.tion.

Singular Confusion Caused by the Moving of the Ground.
In some instances it has been found that large pieces of ground had
exchanged their respective situations. This was the case at several places
in Calabria, after the first great shock had passed by. A plciication of
mulberry trees had been carried into the middle of a cornfield, and left
standing there; and a piece of ground sown with lupines had been forced
into a vineyard. For several years after the earthquake, lawsuits were
brought in the courts of Naples to decide the claims which had origina-
ted in the confusion of territorial possessions by the effects of that terrible

THE TERRIBLE PHENOMENA OF EARTHQUAKES.

Ill

catastrophe. Facts of a similar description are rccortk-d as ha\ing
resulted from other earthquakes, such as that of Riobamba, where also
several lawsuits were brought in the courts respecting the possession of
pieces of ground, which had exchanged their positions. Ikit HumboUlt
has recordjd a still more extraordinary fact. When he was surveying
the ruins of the destroyed town of Riobamba for the purpose of making
a map, he was shown the place where the whole furniture of one liou.se
was found buried beneath the ruins of another. The upper layer of the
soil, formed of matter nnt possessing a great degree of coherenc)', had "
moved like water in runnin;^ streams; and we are compelled to suppose
that these streams flowed first downwards, then proceeded horizontally,
and at last rose upwards. The motion in the shocks which were experi-
enced in Jamaica, 1 692, must have been not less complicated. Accord-
ing to the account of an eye witness, the whole surface of the ground had
assumed the appearance of running water. The sea and the land ajjpeared
to rush on one another, and to mingle in the wildest confusion. Some
persons, who, nt the beginning of the calamity, had escaped into the
streets, and to the squares of the town, to avoid the danger of being
crushed under the ruins of the falling houses, were so violently tossed
from one side to the other, that many of them received severe contusions,
and some were maimed. Others were lifted up, hurled through the air.
and thrown down at a distance from the place where the)- had been
standing. A few who were in the town were carried away to the hamor,
which was rather distant, and there thrown into i j sea, by which acci-
dent, however, their lives were .saved.

The Terrible Earthquake of Lisbon.
The earthquake of Lisbon happened on the 1st of November, 1755.
The day broke with a serene sky and a fine breeze from the cast. About
nine o'clock in the morning the sun began to grow dim, and about half
an hour later a rumbling noise was heard, which proceeded from under
ground, and resembled that made by heavy carts passing over a distant
ground covered with pebbles. This subterraneous noise increased gradu-
ally, but quickly, so that after a few seconds it resembled the firing of
cannons of heavy calibre. In th's moment the first shock was felt. Be-
fore its violent concussions the foundations of many large buildings,
especially the palace of the Inquisition and several churches gave way,
and the whole of .hese edifices were levelled to the ground. After
a short pause, perhaps of not more than a minute's duration, three
other shocks followed in quick succession, by which nearly all the other
larger buildings, palaces, churches, convents, public offices, and houses

112

EARTH. SEA, AND SKY.

were thrown down. All these shocks occurred in a space of less than five
minutes.

At the time the first shock was felt in the city, some persons were in
a boat on the Tagiis River, about three miles distant from the capital.
They were astonished at heariiij^ the boat making a noise, as if it were
runr.ini,' aground, as they knew it was in deep water. In the same
lUKinent they observed on both banks of the river that the buildings

were tumblin": down.

iVbout four minutes later a similar noise was

DESTRUCTION OF LISBON BY AN EARTHQUAKE.

heard under the boats, and other buildings were seen falling to the
ground. During this time a strange commotion was observed in the
water of the river. It appears that at some places the bottom of the river
was raised to the level of the water. Many vessels were lying in the har-
bor opposite the town. Some of them were torn from their anchors and
dashed against each other with great violence; in others the sailors did
not know whether their vessels were afloat or aground.

Tin
t'MTor (.:
tluy wi
ilescripti
Icr the n
ble vcld
hours, ai
Tag us ri
uoull (
})l"ted tl
fv;ms (i;
of water
this fa\'oi
effects of
stone-buil
by the ca
refuge, w,"
quickl)- a.--
sea. The
water attai
a IcbS \X)lu

It is .sta
lion, no^ k
it appears,
was a h()H(
churches :
stone, su ffc
reduced to
shock was
which had
tli:; walls o
a i the shoe
■vva<? imposs

In additi
and the inr
ravages of
and publisl
dark anoth<
described —
8

,'e

in
il.
ro
le

le
e

THE TKRRini.E PHI-NOMnXA OF i:.\UTIlnUAKES.

\\:\

The minds < f tlic inliabitants hail n.)t \-ct had time t > recover from iho
t'Tior caused b/ tliis terrible .intl (luite unexpected catar.trophe, when
they were a;.^a:n phu^^^ed int^ dismay by a i)henomenon ( f a different
de.scriiition, but hardl)-le.s.s terribloand destructiw. A').)ut lialf an hour af-
ter the most s jverc shocks had ceased, the sea rushed suddenly v.iili incredi-
ble velocity into the river. A!thou[jh the water had been ebbin ^ f )r two
hours, and the wind blew fresh from the cast, the sea at the mouth < f the
Ta;4us rose instantaneously about (nvty feet above hi;;h water marl:. It
UfM.ill certainly ha\e laid more than half the town under water, and com-
pl' ted the Work of destruction, liad iv t the ian^e bay, which tlie river
f)';ms opposite the caijital of Portugal, permitted this enormous \olunie
of water to spread itself o\'er a surface of many s'p.are miles. Ihit even
this fa\'orable circumstance did not entirely exempt the city from the
effects of an inundation. The sea entered the lov.eT streets, and a lar^-e
stone-built quay, which had been probably detached from its foundations
by the earthquake, and on which about three thousand people had tal.en
refuj^e, was sudden!}' hurled b(~)ttoni upward, and every soul was lost. As
quickly as the water had filled the river, so quickly did it retreat to the
sea. The hi'.di wave, however, returned threj or four times before the
water attained its usual level, but e\-ery time w ith a diminished force am!
a less \-o!ume of water. i

Frightful Loss of LifV'.

It is stated that, by the effects of the earthquake and (-f the inunda-
tion, noi less than sixty thousand persons perished. The larger number,
it appears, were crushed by the ruins cf the fallincj churche.-;. I-'or as it
was a holiday, a great number of persons were at their devotions in thj
churches and convents, which, being ver\- substantial edifices buiit (,r
stone, suffered much more than the houses of pri\ate persons, and ;'.-ere
reduced to heaps of ruins by the first sliock. Tov/ai'ds even iiv; a smart
shock was felt; it Mas strong enough t ) split the walls of several houses
which had still kept their position. The rents caused by this shock- in
th::: walls of these houses were more than hcCS a foot wide; but as .''.ocn
n;lhe shock had passed away, they closed again, an 1 s) firmly that it
wa'j impossible to find a trace of them.

In addition to the horrors occasioned by the shocks c f t^i j earthquake
and the inroads of the sea, the devoted inhabitants were exposed to the
ravages of fire. An English merchant residing in Lisbon, who escaped,
and published an account of the calamity, says: As soon as it grew
dark another scene presented itself, little less shocking than those already
described — the whole city appeared in a blaze, which v.a; s) l.)right that I

114

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY,

could easily sec to read b) it. It may be said without exaggeration, it
was on fire in a hundred diiT.'rent jjlaces at once, and thus continued burn-
ing for sixdiiys together, without intermission, or the least attempt being
made to stop its progress. It went on consuming everything the earth-
quake had spared, and tlie people were .so dejected and terrified, that few
or none had courage enough to venture down to save any part of their
substance ; every one had his eyes turned towards the flames, and stood
looking on with silent grief, which was only interrupted by the cries and
shrieks of women and children calling on the saints and angels for suc-
cor, whenever the earth began to tre.able, which was so often this night.
and indeed I may say ever since, that the tremors, more or less, did not
cease for a quarter of an hour together, I could never learn that this
terrible fire was owing to any subterraneous eruption, as some reported.

Horror Addc<l to Horror.

The 1st of November being All Saints Day, a high festival among the
Portuguese, every altar in every church and chapel (some of which have
more than twen;y) was illuminated with a number of wax tapers and
lamps, as customary; these setting fire to the curtains and timber work
that fell with the shock, the conflagration soon spread lo the neighbor-
ing houses, and being there joined v.ith the fires in the kitchen chimneys,
increased to such a degree that it might easily have destroyed the whole
city, though no other cause had occurred, especially as it met with no
interruption. The nobility, gentry, and clergy, who v.-ere assisting at
divine service when the earthquake began, fled away with the utmost
precipitati(jn, every one where his fears carried him, leaving the splendid
apparatus of the numerous altars to the mercy of the first comer ; but
this did not so much affect me as the distress of the poor animals, which
seemed sensible of their hard fate ; some few were killed, others wounded,
but the greater part, which had received no hurt, were left there to starve.

From the square the way led to my friend's lodgings, through a long,
steep, and narrow street; the new scenes of horror I met with here
exceed all description ; nothing could be heard but sighs and groans. I
did not meet with a soul in the passage %vho was not bewailing the death
of his nearest relations and dearest friends, or the loss of all his substance;
I could hardly take a single step without treading on the dead or the
dying; in some places lay coaches, with their masters, horses, and riders,
almost crushed in pieces; here mothers with their infants in their arms;
there ladies richly dressed, priests, friars, gentlemen, merchants, cither in
the same condition or just expiring; some had their backs or thighs
broken, others vast stones on their breasts; some lay almost buried in

the rub

left to pi

In A-

quakes

and in s(

the battl

Antioch

which, 5.

thousant

by anoLJi

volcanic i

in tile ye

quakes li;

twelve till

few of tlic

No eart

historical

vulsion in

and whicl

lar in char;

show that

this kind (

ties whicli

insignificai

lives, a ver

accounts o

early part (

destroyed 1

a wide ter:

reason to bi

the most 1

hurry multi

One of t

which, in tl

engulfed a 1

the line alor

to the oppo;

awakened b'

as we bury t

li no
at

a est

indid
but
lich

|dcd,
rve.

leath
fice ;
the
Icrs,
[■nis ;
:r in
lighs
Id in

THE TERRIBLE PHENOMENA OF EARTHQUAKES.

115

the rubbish, and cryinj^ out in vain to the passengers for succor, were
left to perish with the rest.

In Asia, Africa, Europe and South America, as we h:i\-e seen, earth-
quakes have levelled whole cities and numbered their victims by tens,
and in some instances hundreds, of thousands^ In Judea, at the time of
the battle of Actium, 31 B.C., an earthcjuake killed ten thousand })eoj)le.
Antioch has been visited by several of still greater magnitude, one (if
which, 526 A.D., is said by Gibbon to have slain two hundred and fiftj-
thousand persons, and the .same city was visited about sixty years later
by another that made thirty thou.sand corpses. The earthquake, whh
volcanic eruption of Vesuvius, that wiped out ^lerculaneum and Pompeii
in the year 63, need only to be mentioned. In more modern times earth-
quakes have slain one hundred thousantl at Calabria, Sicily, in 1783; and
twelve thousand in the Argentine Republic in 186 1. These are onl)- a
few of the great calamities of this kind that history records.

3I()re Koecut Convulsions.

No earthquake has visited the territory of the United Stales within the
historical period which can be compared in extent or energ}' to the con-
vulsion in August, 18S6, that was felt from the Mississippi to the Atlantic,
and which wrought such terrible disaster in Charleston, yet shocks simi-
lar in character but less in degree are of constant occurrence. Observations
show that on the Atlantic slope there is on an average one disturbance of
this kind eveiy month. These, however, as compared with the calami-
ties which have desolated other parts of the world are ver}- small and
insignificant. In the Charleston disaster ninet)-si.x persons lost their
lives, a very insignificant number compared with the destruction, graphic
accounts of which come to us from other quarters of the globe. In the
early part of 1S87 a frightful earthquake in the southern i)art of luirope
destroyed more than 2000 lives, and .spread desolation and suffering over
a wide territory. Neither cholera nor any other pestilence has mure
reason to be dreaded than one of those terrible convulsions which demolish
the most massive buildings, wreck the fairest cities, and in an instant
hurry multitudes of human beings out of the world.

One of the most destructive earthquakes of modern times was that
which, in the Island of Java in 18S4, destroyed thirty thorsand lives, and
engulfed a range of mountains forty miles in length, leaving no trace of
the line along which it extended. Immense clouds of dust extended even
to the opposite hemisphere. The Vv hole civilized world had its attention
awakened by this extraordinary con\'ulsion. It literally buried niountains
as we bury the dead.

:i!li

n() EARTFI, SEA, AND SKY.

Til til •• (.artliquakc ;it Cliafl.v-ti'n many buildings v/cre d riKiK: bed, and
pi'-at d ■structioii of proi)i,rty iv^ultcd f;-o;n the terrible visitation, )-et
Of n ..M',.':-':i':j the friL;litfiil hiixoc made by some European earthquakes, our
A::ij;-;L-.:n cit\' wa-; extremely fortunate. The truth of this statement will
a;\)('i- i! \, c look a', tlie account cM'ven of that tremendous convulsion in
th; i 'an i of vSicil}- wliich o-._'rtli;-."A- nearly the whole of the beauti"!;!
city of Messina, with a cjreat los'^ of life. The shore f)r a consideraljle
di-tanrc alon:;- the coast was rent, and the ground aloiiLj the port, Mhich
WMs bjfore (juite le\'c!, became afterwards inclined towards the sea, the
de[)lh of the water li.-uin;^. at the same time, increased in several parts
through the d'splaceinent of portions of the bottom. The quay also
subsided about f miLLen inches !)elow the level of the sea, and the houses
near it \\-ere much rent.

\ <{i"aplii<' I)os<'r!i»J!i>u of the Awful Ciilaiiiity.

l^ut it ^\as in tlie cit\' its /If tliat the most terrible desolation was
wrought — a coinplication of disasters having f >llowed the shock, more
especiall)' a fierce contlagration, whose intensity was augmented by the
large stores of oil kept in the p'ace. An authentic account of this cal-
amit}' has been preserved in a report sent by the Senate of the cit}' of
Messina to tin; King of Naples. It runs as fallows: Your IMajesty's
feeling heart will, we doubt not, be touched by the deepest sorrow at the
harrowing spectacle of a splendid city instantaneously changed, by a ter-
rible and unexampled e\-ent, into a heap of ruins. The concussions of
the earth, coming in successi(>n e\-cry quarter of an hour, with incon-
ceivable violence, ha\e oxerthrowii, from top to bottom, c\'eiy building
whatever. The royal palace, that of the archbishop, the whole of the
maritime theatre, the pawn repositories, the great hospital, the cathedral,
the nioiiasterii's and n.unncries — nothing has escaped destruction. The
religious recluse-; are seen running through the streets in dismav, to see':,
if possible, some place of refuge and safet}-, with the small number of
persons cscajied like themselves, almost b}' a miracle, from this overthrow
Tlij si^.dit i; fearful ; but there is one yx more terrible — that of tli<: larg-
<cst proportion of the citizens, dead and d.\ in;;, buried beneath the ruins
of their dwellings, without its beuig possible, from the want of laborers,
to render assistance under such circumstances, to withdraw f-om beneath
the rubbish those still breathing. Shrieks and cries, groans and sighs —
all the accents of gri. f are e\'erywhcre heard; while the impossibility o\
redeeming from death tlK)se wretched \'ictims, renders still more har-
rowing the voice of despair that appeals in wain f -ir help and compas-
sion.

A new
their lior
seen all at
begun ab<
died \'ari(
crun'iblin;
with his t
rendered
gnish the

ucd to de\'o

and the mo,^

To so nia

beyond dcs

thrown, bre

been obligee

vessels ladji

shops and u

the bak-ers h

turned a sick

longer grind

*^W(^ ■•• Jft"

was
more

,' the
s cal-
ity of

st\''s

it the

a ter-

)ns o(

icon-

Idinij;

f tlic

dral,

The

r of
|irt)\v
lafLi;-
ruins
)ror:-,
icath
hs—
t>' oi

'lar-
ipas-

Tlli. TERRIBLE PHENOMENA OF EARTHQUAKES.

11"

A new scourge has been added to all these calamities, and auL^ncnts
their horror. From amid the ruins of the overthrown buildings tliere is
seen all at once to arise a ra;^in;^f fire. Unhaj)pily — the first sIk^cIcs ha\;n ;
be:.,^un about dinner-time — the fires, then lighted in tlie kitchens, had kiii-
dled various combustible substances found amoiiL^ thj rcma'ns of the
crumblin;^ houses. The kin^^'s lieiitjnant instantly ha.-ten.d t > the sp'it
with hi.s troops ; but the iib.-iolute want of laborers and ncj lf.;l appliances
rendered all efforts unavailing, and it was i:npossible, n -t ( :;'._,- to extin-
gui.-^h the fire, but even to sto[) the progres.-, of th,: llair.cs, v.iiich contiu-

■ r^^

DESTRUCTION OF MESSINA.

ued to devour the sad remains of a cit}-, once the glory of her sovereigns,
and the most nourishing in the kingtlom.

any simultaneous disasters ha\'e to be added a thou-^and others

o so m

)eyond description liorriDlc

le corn macrazines lia\in

•11 (U'er-

thrown, bread, that most needfiil of aliments, fi!
been obliged immediatel)' to remedy this evil, by (
vessels laden with this commodit\-. IV.it hov.- in

The S mate ha-^
1 tain'n : in harbor th,:

;i';e breatl v»hen the

shops and utensils adapted to this trade are Iviried under the ruin.;, \^ hile
the balccrs have either perished or fled? T!i ,• w itor-courses 1

KU-lllLf

been

turiK

nsK

le, tl

le public fountains a,"e drain \1, an

1 th

ill

Ion;

Ter grind corn.

i.s a I :rava-ion <

f di

le nulls can no

has reduced almost to

mm0

«i

118

EARTH, SEA AND SKY.

; !

despair the rcmainin;^^ inliabitants, who demand with loud cries bread for
their sustenance. Some bemoan their goods and chattels, others their
parents.

In spite of the zeal and activity shown by the magistrates in restraining
robbers, there are )-et to be found wretches, without either humanity or
religion, who, regardless of this Divine wrath displa\-ed before their eyes,
liave pilla;.;ed not only jjrivate hciuses but also the public edifices and the
j.au r.-repositories. Naught then, save the powerful protection of }-our
Majesty, can redress such manifold misfortunes, so rapid in their succes-
sion, and gi\e new existence to this city, which requires to be wholly
restored. The Senate beseeches your Majesty instantly to transmit the
needful succors of men and money, to clear the roads covered by ruins

Kissi.'Ki':s PKoni-cr:D bv an earthquake.
and corpses. The Senate eciually entreats )-our Majesty to send to this
c!t\' provisions (>( all sorts, for tlu^ subsistence of the inhabitants dispersed
in the plains, and who, destitute of food, will be obliged to take flight, to
the grca.t dei.iment i.fyour rowil treasury.

According to official reports matle soon after the events, the destruc-
tion caused by the earthqi;ak-es throughout the two Calabrias was im-
mense. The loss (if lif; V.MS appalling — 40,000 having perished by the
earthquakes, and 20,000 more ha\ing subsequently died from priwationard
ex[')i)-;ure. The greater nninl)er were buried amid the ruins of the houst^s,
while others perished in the fires that were kind.ed in invest of the towns,
particularly in (>[)pido, where the (lames were fed by great magazines
of oil. Not a few, especially among the peasantry dwelling in the country,
were suddtinl;,' in/;;rif hI in fv-;sures, which, seen in all directions, gave the

were o
there b
hunger
Havin;.
b\- the
cries fo

Of St
Havin cf
lier hu;
liarbor.
boy hac
husbaiu
ningbac
from hi
she fou:
directioi
and at 1
infant, si
securing
mansicm
still gras
A few-
woman, 1
jority of
o\-er e\e
dangei's r
sa\-age pt
to their p
ing ruins
tajigled a
Several
after the
i'un-, orfn
who wcrt
thirst.

this

:rscd

t.to

truc-
iin-
thc
art!

wns,

Allies

liitty,

the

THE TERRIBLE PHENOMENA OF EARTHQUAKES.

11 'J

frrounc

tlu

api

)carance of haviiiLT bucn shivered like sjlass. Manv wh

were only half buried in the ruins, and who mi^^lit have been sa\'etl had
there been help at hand, were left to die a liny;erini:^ death from cold and
hunijer. Fcuir Auc,mstine monks at Terranut)va perished thus miserably.
}Iavin</ taken refutre in a vaulted sacrist\', thev were entombed in it alive
by the masses of rubbish, and lingered for four days, durin;^ which their
cries for help could be heard, till death put an end to their sufferings.

A 3l()th<'r jviHl Child Prrisli.

Of still more thrilling interest was the case of the Marchioness Spadara.
Having fainted at the moment of the first great shock, slv: was lifted by
her husband, who, bearing her in his arms, hurried with her to the
harbor. Here, on recovering her senses, she observetl that hex infuit
hoy had been left behind. Taking advantage of a moment when her
husband was too much Oi.;cupied to notice her, she darted off, and. run-
ning back to lier house, which was still standing, she snatched her babe
from his cradle. Rushing with him in her arms towards the staircase,
she found the .stair had fallen — so barring all further progress in that
direction. She fled from room to room, chased by the falling materials,
and at length reached a balcony as her last refuge. Holding up lier
infant, she imploreil the few passers-by for help; but they all, intent on
securing their own safet}-, turned a deaf ear to her cries. Meanwhile her
mansion had caught fire, and ere long the balcony, with the devoted lady
still grasping her darling, was hurled into the devouring flames.

A few cases are recorded of de\-otion similar to that of this heroic
woman, but happily attended by more f>rtunate results. In the great ma-
jority of instances, however, the in tinct of self-preser\ation trium[)hed
over e\ery other feeling, rendering the wretched people callous to the
dangers and sufferings of others. Still worse was the conduct of the half-
sa\age peasantry of Calabria. They ha.stened into the towns like \ultures
to their prey. Instead of lielping the sufferers, they ransacked the s.nok-
ing ruins for plunder, robbed the persi^is of the dead, and of those en-
tangled alive among the rubbish, perpetrating still more atrocious crimes.

Several cases occurred of persons being rescueo all\e from the win:,
nfter the lapse of man)-^ days. Some were deii\-ered at the end of three,
h )ur, or five days, and one even on the seventh day after interment. Those
who were thus rescued all declared that their direst sufferings were from
thirst.

'mM^

CHAPTER IV.
MOUNTAINS OF FIRE.

Terrible Iiiiaj^fS of Grandeur— Open Months of Fire —The Earth a Scetiiing Fur-
nace Inside— A Lighthouse in the Eolian Islands- Dull Thunders Sliakii^g
Mountains — A River of Fire Thirty Miles Lonj,' — \'iolent Eruption of Manna
Eoa— A Scene of Ai5i>allin.L; .Sublimity — Jets of Fire and Smoke a Thousand
Feet High— Connection Iktween Earthcjuakes and Volcanoes — Hoffman's \'ivid
Description of Fiv.ry Stromboli— A Volcano Bursting out of the Sea— Graham's
island in Confla:;ratiun— A Parly Caught by a Deluge of Ashes and Hot Stones
— Cities Buried Under Floods of Lava from Vesuvius— Remarkable Asiatic Vol-
canoes— A Strange New Zealand Tradition — The Sea Boiling and Driven liack.

ICICN from afar, xoicanocs only t^ive a very inij)erf>jct idea of what
they are. To appreciate tlicir phenomena antl their ra\age.s,
cur e\-es mu>t siir\-ey their depths. All is then changed, and
the grandeur of the spectacle strikes the ir agination, graving
terrible images upon it. \Vc are astonished at the immensiiy of their
fire-spouting mouths, and at the vastness of the la\-a streams which flow
from thorn at certain times. Some men of science have expressed their
wontkr that the intericM' of the earth can furnish matter sufficient for
these; eruptions, but a uttle rellectiun will show that no great contraction
of the crust of the globe is required to feed them. Violent eruptions do
not usually emit more than 1 300 cubic }-ards of lava, and seldom so
nnich. This quantity, supposing it spread equally over the surface of the
globe, would not form a la)-er so much as the ten-thousandth of an irch
in thickness. A contraction of the earth sufficient to shorten its radius
half an inch would furnish matter for five hundred violent eruptions; and
on consulting the history of recent volcanic phenomena we arrive at the
conclusion that a contraction of one inch and a half is sufficient to have
supplied the lava thrown up in all the eruptions that have occurred on
our planet during the last 3000 years.

The loftier volcanoes are, the less frequent are their eruptions. The lava
which they vomit forth, issuing from furnaces the depth of which is prob-
ably the same in every case, it is clear, that for the waves to mount in the
chimneys of those which are very high, a much greater force is required
than in others. Thus one of the smallest of all, Stromboli, is always
throwing out flames; since the days of Homer it has served as a beacon
to navigators approaching the Eolian Islands.
(120)

■*1

^, - J,

LIGHTING A WELL OF NATURAL GAS.

(121)

• 1

>i 1

n :■

i ^

^: ii

,,,|

122

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

Volcanic eruptions show that the earth is stored with combustible ma-
terials, such as coal, oil and j^as. That there should be such a thinrr as
natural jjas, which needs on'y to be ignited to prove its capacity for burn-
ing, is one of the striking phenomena of nature. Natural gas has been
di.icovered in several localities in our own country. Among these are
Pittsburg, Pa., and F'indlay, Ohio, where the su])ply appears to be inex-
haustible, being derived from wells sunk from i.oco to 1,500 teet.

Our illustration shows the process of lighting the gas escaping from a
new well, before pii)e connections are formed. The tall standpipc repre-
sents a huge gas-jet turned on, from which a volume of g.is is escaping
with a kind of dull roar. This could be lighted by hoisting a burning
torch. The more common method is to fire at it a Roman candle. Sud-
denly the iinniense jet becomes ignited, a great flame rises, and swaws
and roars ii. the wind, and at night illumines the surrounding darkness,
producing a strange, weird appearance.

Groat Streams of Liquid Fire.

The form of the Hawaiian volcano named Mauna I.oa, is a flattened
dome, and this is its most remarkable feature. The idea of a volcano is
so generally connected with the figure of a cone, that the mind at once
conceives of a lofty sugar loaf ejecting fire, red-hot stones, and flowing
lavas. But in place of slender walls around a deep crater, nhich the
shaking of an eruption may tumble in, the summit of the Hawaiian vol-
cano is nearly a plane, in which the crater, though six miles in circuit, is
like a small quany hole, the ancient orifiee being not less than twent}'-
four miles in circumfen.-nce. A violent eruption of Mauna Loa took
place in the )-ear 1 843, which is thus described by the Rev. Titus Coan :
On the loth of January, just at the dawn of day, we discovered a rapid
disgorgement of liquid fire from near the summit of Mauna Loa, at an
elevation of about fourteen thousand feet above the sea. This eruption
increased from day to day for several weeks, pouring out vast floods of
fiery la\a, which spread down the side of the mountain, and flowed in
broad rivers, throwing a terrific glare upon the heavens, and filling those
lofty mountainous regions with a sheen of light. This .spectacle contin-
ued till the molten flood had progressed twenty or thirty miles down the
side of the mountain, with an average breadth of one and a half miles,
and across a high plain which stretches between the bases of Mauna
Loa and Mauna Kea. After many weeks another missionary and m)--
self penetrated through a deep forest, stretching between Hilo and the
mountain, and reached the molten stream, which we followed to the top
of the mountain, and found its source in a vast crater, amidst eternal

'Il;n. Jfm

I of

in
se
n-
hc
es,
iia

ly-

iie
op
lal

(123)

f»l

ipi.

«!'

1'^»

'.Qiru

it J

" 'ik

(fift]

M !l

124

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

, )

snow. Down the sides of the mountain tiie lava had now ceased to
flow iii)()n the surface ; but it had fin-med for itself a subterranean duct,
at the depth of fifty or one hundred feet. This duct was x-itrified, and
down this fearful channel a river of fire was rushini^ at the rate of fifteen
or twentv miles an hour, from the summit to the foot of the mountain.
This subterranean stream we saw distinct!}' through se\eral lar_L;e aper-
Uu'es in the side of the mountain, wliile t!ie burnintj flood rushed fear-
fully beneath our feet. Our visit was attended with peril and inconceiv
able fatigue, but we ne\er regretted having made it, and we returned
deeply affected with the majesty, the sublimit)-, the power, and the love
of thai God who '' looketh on the earth anil it trembleth. who toucheth
the hills and they smoke ; whose presence melteth the hills, and whose
look causeth the nK)untains to flow down."

A I^i«»ry ]\[(>iintaiii of llemarkablo Formation.

IMaiina Lua presents the curious feature of having two distinct and
sceniinglv unconnected craters — one on the summit of the mountairi, and
another on its flanks, at a much lower level. This last is named Kirauea,
and is perhaps the most remarkable volcanic crater in the world. It was
\isited by Mr. Ellis, a missionary to those parts, who has given an ac-
count of it in his missionary tour. The approach to it lies over a vast
tract completely cox'ered with old lava; and Mr. Ellis describes his \'isit
to it in the following terms : The tract of la\"a resembles in appearance an
inland .sea, bounded by distant mf)untains. Once it had certain!)- been in
a fluid state, but appeared as if it had become suddenly petrified, or
turned into a glassy stone, while its agitated billows were rolling to and
fro. Not onl)' were the large swells and hollows distinctly marked, but
in many places the surface of those billows was covered b)- a smaller rip-
ple, like that observed on the surface of the sea at the springing up of a
breeze, or the passing currents of air, which produce what the sailors call
£1 cat's paw. After walking some distance over the ground, which in
several places sounded hollow under our feet, we at length came to the
edge of the great crater, where a spectacle sublime, and even appalling,
presented itself before us.

A Scene of Appalling' Sublimity.

Immediately before us yawned an immense gulf, in the form of a cres-
cent, about two miles in length, from north-east to south-west ; nearly a
mile in width, and apparently 800 feet deep. The bottom was covered
with lava, and the south-western and northern parts of it were one vast
flood of burning matter, in a state of terrific ebullition, rolling to and fro

■'^.:.^*.

MOUNTAINS OF TIRE.

12.")

its fiery surges and flamin^:,^ h'llows. I'ifty-one conical islands, of varied
form and size, containin^^ as many craters, rise cither round the cdi;o or
from the surface of the burnin;^ lake; twcntv-two constaiitK- emitted

rr"

.'■■"'sfi.-;

VOLCANO OF TAAL LUZON— PHI LI PPINKS.

columns of grey smoke, or pyramids of brilliant flame; and several of
these at the same time vomited from their ignited nnouths streams ci
lava, which rolled in blazing torrents down their black indented sides into
the boiling mass below.

'i^
:^ll

iSfeil

,.-'»>

12G

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

'•> si.

r f>

This great crater was also visited by Messrs. Dana and Wilkes of the
United States' exploring' expedition. The)- describe the light from the
glowing lava to bo so intense as to form rainbows on the passing rain-
clouds. The lava appears almost as liciuid as water, and its surface is
agitated by waves resembling those of the sea, and breaking, like them,
ii[)on the shore formed by the bordering terraces of solid lava. Some-
times they rise to a hcij^ht of between sixty and seventy feet. The lava,
thus tossed into the air, cools in its descent, and falls solidified on the sur-
face of the molten lake, like pieces of broken ice. One peculiarity of
this volcano is its tendency to throw out its lava in jets to an enormous
height. The lava seems to be first forced up in the interior of the moun-
tain nearly to the top of the great crater ; but instead of overflowing its
brim, it opens a passage through the sides (^f the cone at a considerably
lower elevation, so that the pressure of the liquid in the interior forces it
from the orifice in a jet, whose height is in proportion to that of the

inner column.

I31oo<l-l{cd llivers of Destnietiou.

The lava-jets thrown up from INIauna Loa during a great eruption in
1852, are estimated to have reached a height of 500 feet — those of some
later eruptions double that height. The lava, as it ascends, is described
as being white-hot ; but in its descent it acquires a blood-red tint, and it
comes down with a fearful noise. The quantities of lava ejected during
some of the recent eruptions have been enormous. One stream is de-
.scribed as having travelled fifty miles, with an average breadth of three
miles. A great stream, which burst forth from the side of the mountain
in 1855, reached a distance of si.xty miles from its source — burning its
way through the forests, and advancing at the rate of about a mile in
a fortnight. In 1859 this volcano was again in vigorous action, throwing
up intermitting jets of lava to the estimated height of 800 or 1000 feet.
From this great fiery fountain the lava flowed down in numerous streams
spreading over a width of five or six miles. One stream, probably
formt^d by the junction of several smaller, attained a height of from
twenty to twenty-five feet, and a breadth of about an eighth of a mile
Great stones were also thrown up along with the jet of lava, and the vol-
ume of smoke, composed probably of fine volcanic dust, is said to have
risen to the height of 10,000 feet.

An eruption described •'s having been of still greater violence took
place in 1865, characterized by similar phenomena, particularly the throw-
ing up of jets of la\a. This fiery fountain is said to have continued to play
without intermission for twenty days and nights, varying only as respects

MOUNTAINS OF FIRE.

127

the height to which the jet arose, which is said to have ranged between
100 and looo feet, the mean diameter of the jet being about lOO feet.
Tliis eriii)tion was accompanied by explosions so loud as to have been
heard at a distance of forty miles. A cone of about 300 feet in heiy;ht,
and abtjut a mile in circumference, was accumulated round the orifice
whence thejet ascendetl. It was composed of solid matters ejected with
the lava, and it continued to glow like a furnace, notwithstanding its ex-
posure to the air. The current of lava on this occasion flowed to a dis-
tance of thirty-five miles, burning its way through the forests, and filling
the air with smoke and flames from the ignited timber. The glare from
the glowing lava and the burning trees together was discernible by night
at a distance of 200 miles from the island.

In the early part of 1KS7, Mauna Loa was again in action, presenting
startling spectacles similar to those just described. It is literally a mount-
ain of fire, roaring and thundering, and belching out lurid flames and
immense rivers of lava. This is one of the amazing phenomena v.-nich
have so long rendered the group of the Sandwich Islands an object of
su»'Dassing interest to the whole civilized world. Here we find one of the
great breathing places of the inside world, that tremendous furnace upon
which we live. What gigantic forces, what red hot, bu'ning materials,
ivhat awful abysses of flame and fury this world of ours holds in its deep,
mysterious and unknown recesses!

Counection Between Earthquakes and Volcanoes.

The connection between earthquakes and volcanoes is so evident that
it hardly admits of any doubt. But a number of facts have been col-
lected which evidently show that there must exist a subterraneous con-
nection between these phenomena, even when they occur at great distances
from each other. Some of these facts are ver)* interesting and curious.
Stromboli, a small volcano situated on one of the Lipari Islands, which is
in continual activity, and never ceases to eject volcanic matter and smoke,
fell suddenly into a state of inactivity when the plain of Calabria was
visited by the great earthquake. The distance between the volcano and
the centre of the earthquake does not much exceed fifty miles. Hum-
boldt mentions that for many months the volcano of Pasto had uninter-
ruptedly continued to emit a column of thick smolce, which suddenly dis-
appeared just at the moment when the valley of Hambato was convulsed
by the earthquake which levelled the town of Riobamba to the ground.
In this ca.se the distance w'as two hundred and twentv miles. On the 1st
of November, 1755, a whirling column of smoke ascended from the crater
of Mount Vesuvius, which is commonly a sign that the volcano is in a

128

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

state of disturbance; but all at once the {\o\v of smoke was stopped,
and that w hich had issued reentered the crater. The distance between
Lisbon and Mount Vesuvius exceeJs one thousand two hundred miles.
As it is a well-established fact that the strong oscillation of the eaith dur-
ing the gn.-at earthquake of Lisbon extended to the centre of luigland,
Lombardy, and the Alps, and even to Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, it
can hardly be considered a bold assumption, when it is supposed that this
change in the crater of Mount Vesuvius was effected by that earthquake,

FLAMES BURSTING FROM THE CRATER OF STROMBOLI.

thus showing a connection between the earth's convulsions and its vol-
canoes. Similar coincidences have been repeatedly observed.

When Hoffman the great Prussian geologist, ascended the peak of
Stromboli, and reached the crater, he lay down and hung o\-er its precipi-
tous side, while held firmly by his companions. He was thus enabled tn
look right down into its fiery depths, and of the scene whicli they pre-
sented he lias left on record a vivid description : At the bottom of the
crater were three mouths in a state of activity. The central and princi-
pal one was 200 feet in diameter; it was in no way remarkable : it smoked

^;/-,j^.

MOUNTAINS OF FIRE.

129

slightly, and its sides were encru.itcd with several coats of yellow sul-
phur. By the side of this main vent, but nearer the precipice, was
another, only twenty feet wide, i\\ which I observed the i;low of the
liquid column of lava that at 'ntjrvals played upon the surface. The
lava was not, as an ardent imagination depicts it, a burning mass, vf>mit-
mg forth flames; but shone like molten metal, like iron flcnving fro:n t'.ie
lurnace, or like silver at the bottom of a heated crucible. This molten
mass oscillated to ar.'d fro, and rose and sank.

A Scene of Awful Oraiuleiir.

The surface regularly rose and fell at rhythmic intervals. A i)eculiar
noise was audible, like the rush o[' air entering by gusts through the door of
a mining furnace. A cloud of white vapors rose, upheaving the la\a, which
fell back after each commotion. These vapor-clouds carried off the sur-
face of the la\a numerous fragments of red-hot scoria, which danced in
the air as if tossed to and fro by in\'isible hands, in a rhythmic measure,
above the edge of the opening. This regular and attractive movement
was interrupted at intervals of fifteen minutes by more violent \-i!)rations.
The mass of w hirling vapors then remained immcnable for a uKMiient, or
e\en sank back a little, as if it was inhaled by the crater, from whose
depths the lava surged up nn^re furiousK', a^ if to encounter it. Then the
ground trembled, and the sides of the crater .'^hi\ered as they inclinjd in-
wards. It was a veritable earthquake. From the mouth of the crater
proceeded a hoarse reverberating bellow, and at the end an immense balloon
of vapor grew on the surface of the lava rising up with a sonorous and
thundering clash. The whole sm'face of the lava splintered into fragments
was then ejected into the air. The heat now became insupportable; and
a sheaf of flames shooting suddenly upwards, fell back in a fiery rain on
the surrounding district. A few balls rose to a height of 1200 feet, and
described, as they swept over the heads of Hoffman and his companions,
parabolic curves of fire. Immediately after each of these explosions, the
la\-a retired into the bottv:>m of the crater, which \'awned like a black and
awful gulf; but speedily its glittering surface rose again, and reconi-
men':ed its ordmary rhythmic play.

Voloaiiic ^^louiitains llurstiiiy from tlio Sea.

The most remarkable phenomenon produced by the concurrence ol
earthquakes and \olcanic agency is the emerging of new islands from the
sea. Tl'e)' rise sudtleiil}-, and their appearance is attended with nearly all
the phenomena accompanying eruptions ; they exist for some time, and
then they commonly disappear graduail}-. It is a circumstance W()rthy to
be noticed, that such islands make their appearance repeatetlly on the

130

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

' U

same spot, and that such spots may be pointed out in each of the vol'
canic systems of Europe, and have been repeatedly discovered.

VOLCANO UNDr.R Till'. OCKAN NKAR THE AZORK ISLANDS.

In tlu v(>!.-an:c .system of the Azores tho ;pot where the volcanic
islands ap[)c .r i^ al:)oi:t a mile west of the w-'stern extremity of the Island

St. Micl

— in \C):

fact, thai

reappear

the first

1720 wa

the eject

as at a si

twenty f i

fifty feet

In iSi

nicrous s

shoclvs ci

f'o-.n time

ob.';cr\-cd 1

like tliiint

muskets.

'if the coll

i^jniicd ro

rinn'ii;^'- c>l

creased, b\

attained it:

and a laiu

lui:I nearly

[yreatest elc

red feet.

across the

;t hioh sta:

i-lecli\ities c

round it cK

than fifteen

:n..tiv;n fror

name of th

of its suddei

In the 1\

there occiii-

file inhabitc

Miiake. Jof

oui ( . the St

MOUNTAINS OF FIRE.

131

St. Michael. An islanl has risen there above tlie sea at different periods
— in 1628, in 1720, and 181 i. It has been considered as a remarkable
fact, that about ninet}'-one or ninety-two years have passed between the
reappearances cf the island. Respecting the phenomena which attended
the first appearance of the island nothing is known; but the second in
1720 was preceded and attended by a very high column of smoke, and
the ejection of ashes and pumice stone. Its declivities were \-ery steep,
as at a short d stance from iis shores no ground was found at a depth ol
twent)- fathoms. Its cle\alion was estimate^^l at about three hundred and
fifty feet al>o\e the sja \:vA. After two years it disappeared.

In iSll the forinaticn rT the island was preceded b)' severe and nu-
merous shocks on the north-western side of St. Michael. IkTore these
shocks ceased, a column of s;iu>!;e rose out of the sea, within which,
fro;ii time to time, large masses of b'.ack cinders, sand, and ashes were
obser\ed rising, accompanied In- frcqu :nt Hashes of lightning and a noise
like Lr.mider, which was compared t) a continual firing of guns and
muskets. In a short time a black botly was percei\'ed to form the base
of the column, and was soon recognized as the upper border of a crater-
brined rock, rising fiom the sea, which, on the fourth day after the be-
rinn'nL: tif the ijhenomenoii, formed a coherent mass. This mass in-
creased, by the addition of iiew matter, and in less than a month luui
attained its largest dimensions. The eru[)tions of matter then ceased,
and a landing could be effected on the shores of the island. The island
l;aJ nearly the form <^f a circle, and was about a mile in circuit. Its
greatest elewition abo\'e the sei level was estimated at about three hund-
vc-A feet. In the middle was a circula;- crater, which, b}- an opening
across the solid mass, communicated with the sea, frcjm which water, in
a hi'jh state of ebullition, was continualU' and rapidix' flo\\in,j. The
decli\ities of the island towards th j ser were \-er\- sti.e["), and the sea
roiMitl it deep; for at a distance o( tweKe or fiftecin xards it was more
th.an fifteen fathoms tleep. Captain Tillard, who had witnessed its for-
:n,.tiv;n from the adjacent shores, called this island Sabrina, after the
name of the wssel undv'r his command; ami furnished a full de^cripti(J^
of its suddt'ii and extraordinarx' a|)pearance.

In the Mediterranean, near Sciacca, on the south-west C(\ast of Sicily,
there occurretl, in 1S31, a submarine eru[)tion of a \-ery interesting kind.
The inhabitants of Sciacca had experienced seveial slight shocks of carth-
(juake. John Corrao, the captain of a Sicilian vessel, perceived rising
ouL < . the sea, at a spot distant about thirty miles south-west of Sciacca,

ll ^p

jn2

EARTH, SF.A, AND SKY.

:ui immense jet of waler, w liich was thrown u[) with a thuiitlerin^j noise
to a s^ivat hel;;]it, at iiiter\als of about a ([iiai-ter of an hour. Tiiis jet pro-
duced a t!iicl< mi^t, tliat soon spread itself owr tlie sea, which was \-ery
rou.'^h :it th'' lime. The sm-fice of the w .iter ere lono- became cowred
with a reddish, scum, and many dead fishes were sei-n (loatini;- about, (^'ii
passin;^- near the spot two days .ifterwards, Corrao f^iund the jet still play
.n;4, and he estimatiMJ its heii^ht to be about si.\t\-, and its diameter n[)wanl-:
if ei;.;ht hundred feet. Tlie cloud of vapor from the jet nxse, accordint; tc
his estimate, to between tweflt\- and thirt\- times the heisjht to wliich the
water ascended.

An IslaiKl Iphoavod from fli<* 3I('<lil<MTa!»('aii.

All this while a thick mist \eili;d the liori/.on from the inhabitants of
Sciacca ; but lati r they percei\eil the air to i)e per\aded b\' a strong sul-
phurous snirll, an ! tlv.y saw d'-ifting toward the sliore L;"reat quantities of
black dross, wiiich aecumulated on the beach. Multitudes of deatl fishes
were also seen lloatin;^ on the water. On the following day they beheld,
rising out of the sea, at the spot before indicated, a great column of what
seemed b\- da}- like black smoke, but which b\' night became illuminated
!>}• tlie glare of fire gK'wing fi-om beneath, liright scintillations were also
perceieed to be thrc)wn up amid the smoke, and hjud reports, as if from
h.'a\w- ordnance, were occasionally heard.

Xot long afterward, while sailing near the spot \vhere these phenomena
had bee-n seen, ("orrao discoveret! tliat there had been upheaved an island,
I;-. 'in nine to twehe feet high, ]ia\ing in its centre a crati:r whence jets of
\,il)or antl clout!-, of \-oicaiiic ashes were being thrown out. Towards
e\ening, the same da\-, a small luiglisli boat desiiatched b\- Admiral
llotham approached 1 le ])lace, aiul found the height of the island in-
ereasetl to upwards fif se\'ent\- feet, and its circumference to nearl)' three-
quarters of ;i mile. The sta all round was co\-ered witli dross of a choco-
late-brown color, and in the intiirior of the crater there was a small lagune,
ceinmiunicating with the sea by a narrow channel. The water in the
lagune was reddish. Only a few vears before tiiis e\-ent, soundings liad
liL'eii taken close to this spot, and the tlepth was found to be one hundred
fuhonis.

[ he scene of these extraordinarx' phenomena was \isited by Captain
.Swinburn, of tlu.' Ro\-al Xaxw, ami Hoffman, the Prussian I'-eoIogist.
riiey could not approach nearer tin- i>land than two mik's, so great was
the agitation of the sea, and sutdi the ([uantil}- <:f dros.s being" thrown out
b\- the x'olcano. ]-]vcn at that distance some of the glowing stones fell
into their boat. According to their obser\ation>, the diameter of the

^,..4.-^'

It.

MOUNTAINS OF FIRE.

l:;:]

crater appeared to be about 600 feet, aiul the island v,as au^mientini,' from
nioni' nt to moment by tlic accumulation of ejected n'-alters, which f r
the most part fjU near tlie p.lace whence tliey were throw n u[i. Tliue
rose from the creiter a coUiinn of acjueous vapcir mixed with volcan.c
substances to the height of iSoo feet. ()ccasi( na'.ly qu,-.nt;ties (^f bi.ick
dross were thrown up in the midst of tliis c<.!uirn; l)ut, vJ-.at wa^ n.iie
striking, there rose during their obserxations a\ast c< huv.n i f tliick Hack
nmoke, which was .shot up with great virknce to the h.eight of about Tec
feet, and then .spread itself into a form resembhng a luig'e pine-tree. \n
the midst of tliis dark column, glowing stones were heciuenu)- tossed up

VOLCANIC ERUPTION AT f.RAHAM S I.ST.ANn.

to great heights, accompanied b\- a noise like the rattling of hail. Vsup-
tions of this sort continued ffir periods varying from ten minutes to :\p
hour, and were separated by intervals of rest, during which the aqueous
/apors ascended in perfect silence.

Tiic annexed engraving, copied from a .sketch by Kellin, an Italian
artist, sho.vs the appeirance presented by the i.sland during the eruption.
It attained, at its highest point, an elevation of about 200 feet, while it.s
circumference increased to about three miles. This remarkable volcano,
which is known a^ Graham's Island, did not long maintain its positi<-n
above water. It was finally reduced nearly to the level of the .sea. and

134

EARTFI, SEA, AND SKY.

not loncj afterwards it disappeared altogether. When soundings u' .le

taken, there was found a dan;4erous reef where the island had been. It

is composed of a central mass of black rock, surrounded by l)anks of

sand and \-olcanic stonjs — the hii^hest point '>f rock bein;^ only nine feet

under v.-ater. 'Sl^vc recent soundings show that this shoal remains in the

same state.

Far- F:uu<'<l V<'suvius.

Of t!ie two hundred active volcan )es, or thereabout, whicli are scat-
tered over the face of the globe, the most interesting are those constituting
the Mediterranean group. Vesu\ius, b\- reason of its remarkable associa-
tions, and its being the only acli\-e \-olcano on the ICuropcan continent,
in\-ites our attention, h'or man\- long ages prior to .\. d. y.), 3donnt Vesu-
vius had existed a-; ;;n e.xtin :t \-olcano, retaining, howe\er, some traces of
its having been once in a slate of activity. It was a mountain of '.arge
dimensions, but of modc^vate heiglit. Its sidjs were c!otlii:d witli gardens
and \'ineyards, presenting a most luxuri;int \egetatiin. .Strabo describes
it as surrounded by beautiful farms o[ gre.it fru it fuliiess, a;iJ richl)-
wooded except at the top, where it A\as (lat and barren, and v\l:ere the
slaggy appearance of the stones led him to suspect there had once been
a burning ciater. The dangerous cliaracter of the mountain, however,
was generally so little suspected, that besides many \illas, the cities of
Stabi.'t;, Herculaneum, and Pompeii, had been erected at its base, and
their inhabitants had dwelt for many generations in undisturbed security.

It was not until the j-ear A. n. 63 that an\' alarm was excited in the
minds of those dwelling in the neighborhood of Vesuvius. In that year,
however, both the mountain itself and all the country around it were
shaken by a violent earth(]uake, which (werthrew a considerable number
of houses in the cities. This C(m\'ulsion v^as succeeded b\' about si.x-
teen years of profound repose, during which the houses that had been
thrown down were in the course of being rebuilt.

First Great Eruption.

On the 24th of August, a. d. 79, occurred the first great recorded
eruption of Mount Vesuvius. A \ivid description of it has been fortun-
ately handed down to us, in a letter addressed to Tacitus by the }-ounger
Pliny. His uncle, the eldjr Pliny, was at the time in command of the
Roman fleet at Misenum, where he had with him se\-eral members of his
family, including his nephew. It was from this point that the eruption
was first descried. They saw rising from the top of the mountain wh:it
se :ied to them hke a column of dense black smoke, but which was in
reality a great volume of dust, ashes, and stones, thrown up by the force

MOUNTAINS OF FIRE.

lO.-i

cf va;)ois rushiiv^ f.-oni tlu \cnt wliich had been oponcd in the volcano
l'lin\- likens it to a tall pine-tree throwin;^ out threat Ijianchcsat its top.
Struck with wonder at this ph.enunienon, the elder Puny, a r,;an <.!' i)h!l

CHIMNEY CUMTOSKD oF I'RIS.MS OF 15ASAL1 — S 1'. IH'.LENA.
'v-;ophical spirit and inquirin ; mind, hastened with a pirty towa; Is tlic
shore, that lie nii^^dit land and examine more narrowly thi.s rema -kabr'"
convulsion ( f nature. He first steered for Retina, tlv^- modern Resina.bul

:4'^

-1 •:

■

:| '!

: -i

'i; '

IJ !

III

136

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

was prevented from landini^ there by tremendous showers of ashes and
hot stones, and by the sudden retreat of the sea. He then made for Sta-
biai, where he disembarked, and hastened to the house of his friend Pom-
ponianus. Here he remained till the evening, occasionally gazing at the
mountain, and exerting himself to allay the fears of those around him.
As night drew on, streaks of fire were seen here and there on the moun-
tain side, which he attributed to the burning of the woods and villages;
but to show how little he was personally apprehensive of danger, he re-
tired to his chamber, and erelong dropped asleep.

Trying- to Kscape a Shower of Falling' Stones.

Meanwhile the fall of stones and ashes in Stabi;\: itself wa.xed fa<t and
furious. The inner court of the villa was becoming rapidly filled, and
Pliny's servants, now fully alive to the imminence of the danger, roused
their master, who immediately joined his friend Pomponianus, whom he
found with his family and household already assembled around him, Tiie
party now consulted together as to the best course to be pursued ; and
percei\-ing the probability of the villa being buried erelong in the stones
and ashes, they resoKed on endeavoring to effect their escape. T)-ing
pillows on their heads with napkins, to shield them from the falling
stones, they sallied forth. Although it \\as morning, the darkness was
deeper than that of midnight, and they had to grope their way through
the laden atmosphere by the light of torches. They succeeded in gain-
ing the beach, with the intention of escaping by water; but the sea was
so tempestuous, as to render embarkation impossible. His servants
spread a sail-cloth for Pliny, who lay down to rest. But presently flames
and sulphurous vapors rose from the ground and dispersed the party.
By the help of two of his servants who remained with him, Pliny suc-
ceeded in rising : but he had scarcely attained his feet, when he fell down
dead, being overpowered by the suffocating vapors.

Cities Buried and Destroyed.

The cities of Stabiae, Herculaneum, and Pompeii, were entirely buried
under the immense mass of ashes and stones, thrown out by the moun-
tain during this dreadful eruption. So suddenly did the fatal shower
come upon them, that many of the inhabitants perished in their dwel-
lings or in their streets. No lava was ejected from the mountain on this
occasion ; but it is suspected that, along with the ashes and other loose
materials, there was a considerable eruption of fluid mud. For, while
Pompeii was buried only in ashes and loose stones, Herculaneum is en-
tomcd in a much more consistent substance, which has evidently been
once in a plastic condition, and which appears to be composd of volcanic

MOUNTAINS OF FIRE.

127

ashes cemented by mud. This former plasticity is proved by the casts of
statues and masks which have been found here. The showers of volcanic
ashes, dust, pumice, and stones, continued to fall on those devoted cities
for eight successive days, accompanied by torrents of rain, which would
doubtless tend to unite together the loose materials.

It is a remarkable fact that the volcanic ashes from Pompeii, on being
examined under the microscope by Ehrenberg, were found to contain a
large proportion of little shells. This curious circumstance raises a proba-
bility that the mountain, previous to the eruption, had been \cry exten-
sively cavernous, and had contained large collections of water, in which
the diatoms had been profusely propagated, forming enormous beds, wliich
were thrown out from the summit as fine dust by the force of the elastic
vapors acting from beneath. Possibl\', ho\ve\-er, the deposits of these shells
may have been formed at the bottom of the sea, in the neighborhood of
the mountain, and been forced into the volcanic focus along with the sea-
water, whose sudden conversion into explosive steam, through contact
with highly heated materials, ma\- have causetl the eruption.

Dij^fging^ for Lost Cities,

It was not until the year 17 13 that any traces were obtained of the
buried cities; and notwithstanding the greater thickness of the overl\-ing
masses, it was Herculaneum that was first disco\'ered. In the course of
that year a well was being sunk, and the workmen, to their surprise, came
right down upon the theatre, where they soon after found the statues of
Hercules and Cleopatra. Owing to the difficulty of cutting through the
superincumbent materials, and the stiffness of the substance in which the
buildings are embedded, but little progress has been made in th.' disinter-
ment of this city, in comparison with what has been done at Pompeii,
whose site was not discovered till forty )'ears afterwards. Of the latter
city a large proportion has been laid open, and the entire circuit of the
walls ascertained to be three miles, so that its population must have been
considerable. Many of the public buildings and private houses have been
exposed, and their valuable contents removed to a museum in Naples
devoted to the purpose. Some whole streets have been cleared ; and
among other places of interest the cemetery of Pompeii has been located.

There are a few volcanoes on the continent of Asia, and many more in
its adjacent islands. In Kamtchatka there are several, which have been
in eruption at no distant period. One of them which is 15,000 feet in
height, consequently covered with snow and glaciers, had a great erup-
tion in 1829. Within 700 feet of the summit, there was formed a crater
which poured forth an immense torrent of lava. Its progress was for a

ki^^M

"..inlfli

t-;4i

«iii li r

133

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

time arrested by the snow and i^laciers ; but the [;lowin;T ma'-s at lcn;,^th
became so great that it burst through tiiis barrier with a horrible roar, and
ramc thundering down the >teep decHvity of tlie nioiuitain. The noise
wai iieard at a distance of fiftv miles. IVut it is in the Asiatic Islands that
\'')lcanoes arc both nurst numerous and mcrst active. Among the near-
I -it to the mainland is llarren Island, in the Bav of Ben'/al, lo the soiitli-
ward of the coast of Pegu. The whole <>C this island .seems to be notli-
iiv^ else than a large \'olcanic crater. The walls, on their outer sides,
rise from the sea with a moderate ascent; but <>n the inner side they are
nearly pjrpendiculir, and enclose a circular ha^in. into \\hich the sea
finds access b}' a iireach. In the centre of this basin rises a volcanic
cone, about 500 feet in hci;';hl, which is fref]uently in action.

A I^Iornlaiii S\vull<)\vc(l Up.

Java is most reiiiarkablc for tiv.' number n( its active volcanoes, distin-
gui-lied by the grcit quantit)' of sulphur and sulphurous va[)ors which
they discharge. Tlure ar ; in Ir.M no less than thirty-eight \-olcanoes
whici'. have been l.:n iwn to b'.- in acti\ity,and one of them attains a height
of 1 0000 feet. In 1772 there was a great eruption of the volcano named
Pa[>and;iyang, (bu'ing whiich a large portir)n of that mountain, formerly
one of the highest in Ja\a, was swallowed up. The f )!l';)\ving i ; the nar-
rati\-',' of this e\'cnt, given by Horsefield: The account which has
remained on record asserts tliat, near midnight there was observed
about the mountain an uncommonly luminous cloud, by which it appeared
to be completely enveloped. The inhabitants, as well about the foot as
on the decli\ities of the mountain, alarmed by this ap[)earance, betook
themselves to flight; but before they could all save themselves, the
mountain began to gi\c way, and the greatest part of it actually fell in
and disappeared in the earth. At the same time a tremendous noise was
heard, resembling the discharge of the heaviest cannon. Immense quan-
tities of volcanic substances, which were thrown (^ut at the same time and
spread in every direction, propagated the effects of the explosion through
the space of many miles.

It is estimated that an extent of ground, of the mountain itself and its
i'nmediate environs, fifteen miles h^ig and fully six broad, was by this
commotion swallowed up in the bowels of the earth. Several persons,
sent to examine the condition of the neighborhood, made report that
they found it impossible to approach the mountain on account of the
heat of the substances which covered its circumference, and which were
piled on each other to the height of three feet; although this was fully si.x
weeks after the catastrophe. It is also mentioned that forty villages,

: -.E--. .:■;■ j^ -.-av-Ji^T-.-.

MOCNTAIX.S OF FiRK.

139

pa?lly swallowed up by the L:^rmin'I, and partly cnvorc 1 \y th • ■ -ili-Jtanccs
thrown out. were dcstro\-ed on thi-i occasion, and tliat 2 )IJ of ili • inhab-
itants perished. .\ proportionate number of cattle wa^ a! ; > d -tn lyed ■
and most of tiie plantations of cotton, indigo, and coffj.-, a\ the a-ljacent
districts, were buried under the volcanic matt.n.

New Zealand, we- may re nind the reaeler, CDU-ists (.f twi la' ;.• i->landi
and one small, named respective!;/ X >rth. Mid 11 •. an 1 S mth Is'and,
'\ ht.-y arc of volcanic origin, .and a guar |) M't'');i "i" th -jrarca is occupied
t)\' a few actix'c and several extinct \-.)lcanojs. in N-iilh. Klaiid tlu:vi>l-

BIKTH OF A VOU \NIC ISLAND.

cano of Tongariro is 6ooo feet high, and constantly emitting clouds ci
smoke. Tongariro is not an isolated conical mountain ; on the C(nitrar\-,
it is rather a very complicated volcanic system of powerful and still active
cones. No accounts have ever been given of any of the natives ascend-
ing Tongariro; the dread of the infernal powers seems to ha\-e di\-erted
them from such a design. To the south of Tongariro rises Rua]:)ahou,
the bases of the two mountains blending into one another by an imper-
ceptible incline, and forming a kind of table-land about ten miles broad.
On this table-land lie four lakes, two of which are about three miles
across ; the others considerably smaller. One of them is named Taran-

140

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

! -
! ^

aki ; the river to wliich it ,c;i\-es birth empties its waters into the Whan-
ganni, and a sin^iihir tradition attaches to tliis lake.

The natives tell you that tlie mountain Taranaki formerly stood, like a
third ^iant, by the side of Tongariro and Ruapahon. They remained on
frienilly terms, as |j;iants should, vmtil Taranaki attempted to carry off
Pihinija, the wife of Tongariro. Tliercui)on the latter f[uarreled witli
ium, and dealt him a blow on the head which made him fl\-. lie
descended the course of the \Vhan.,^anni, nnd following the deep chasm
of that r.ver, approached the sea, where to-day he rears his colossal but
solilan- bulk near the coast. During liis journey, a couple of fragments
detached themsehes from his forehead; and to-day, 1)\' way of provin^;
th -■ truth (^f their stor\-, the n:itives point out two masses of rock, differ-
ing from the volcanic formations around the Whanganni, which are [^^nnd
at about eigiiteen miles from its source.

Occasionally a \-er_\- loud report, similar to the firing of a cannon,
attended ^\■ith a Hash of lightning, is heard to proceed from a stream of
la\a. This happens when the la\a nuis over a ; warnpy ground or a ver}'
moist soil. The conversion of the water into .steam, and its decomposi-
tion, produce a commotion which fir scmie moments i; able to .stop the
progress of the stream. The steam breaks with great noivj through the
mas;, tears asunder the crust of scoria which envelops it, aad throws
botli the la\a and the scoria into great confusion. As a portion of the
steam is decomposed, the hydrogen explodes, and produces the loud
report above mentioned, with the accompan}-ing flash.

TlM' Ocean 3Ia(le to Boil.

The influx of the running lava into the sea has given occasion to manv
ele\ated poetical descriptions. It is represented as an awful spectacle, as
a struggle between two inimi'^al elements. But in all these pictures the
event is much exaggerated, though the facts which give rise to them arc
true to a certain extent. When the hot lava reaches the si;a, the water
with which it comes into immediate contact is suddenl\- raised to the
boiling temperature. It is consequently converted into steam, which
process is attended with a loud, hissing sound. But as by the conversion
of the water into steam a great quantity of caloric is absorbed, the cold'
which is thus generated speedily converts the surface of the glowing mass
into a thick and solid crust, by which all communication between the
liquid lava and the sea is directly intercepted. Then the sea water sinks,
of course, below the boiling point. The hardcn^^d lava is, however,
pushed farther into the sea by the succeeding masses, and thus the sea is
compelled to recede. In this progress the lava frequently splits ; but in

the same
violence tl

^M^^

^^^

ire

Iter

Ihc

[cb

Ion

)kl'

MOUNTAINS OF FIRE.

141

the same moment the aqueous vapors issue from the rent with such a
violence that the water is prevented from penetratitv^ into its recesses.

ERUPTION' Ol'" VKSLVILS, Alc-UST 'ii;, 1.--7J.

Whilst this process is in action the water becomes turbid to some distance
from the lava, and fish which chance to be in the \-icinity arc killed.

i*-}^

''is?

142

EARTH, SEA AND SKY.

The masses of lava which arc thus protruded into the sea are some-
times of very considerable dimensions. At tlic eruption of Mount Vesu-
vius in 1794, a stream of lava, after destroying the town of Tone del
Greco, entered the sea, and drove it back to a distance of three hundred
and eic;hty feet from its former sliores. The width of this mass is.accord-
int; to an exact measurement, twelve hundred and four feet. It is
elevated fifteen feet above the sea, and is believed to have an equal
depth under water. The la\a, therefore, which entered the sea durini^
this eruption, forms a mass nf more than thirteen millions of cubic feet.
The streams of lava llovvin''- from INIount Vesuvius which have reached
the sea are numerous, as may be inferred from the fact that tlie eastern
shores of the Bay of Naples for about ten miles are formed by a succes-
sion of promontories composed ofhua. The same observation applies to
the eastern shores of the Island o( Sicilv, where the coast for a distance
(if more than thirtv mil ■ ; consists of hifih cliffs of lava, with onI\- a few
spots between lliem of '.)w tracts of moderate e.\cent covered with a soil
deposited by the sea At some places these la\"a cliffs are more than fifty
feet hii^h.

In the published accounts of eruptions we find that particular care has
jjeen taken to notice the \'elocil\' wi'di which the stream of kua ad\-anced.
Hy comparin;; these statements it is found that the difference in this re-
spi'ct is veiy threat. .Vs an inst-:icij in which la\a ran with extraordinary
rapidit)', that of AKnint Vesu'-ius in 1794 may be adduced. This stream
of lava took only six l:onis to run irom tlie spot of the eruption to the
sea, a distance of moie tliaa .'."ur miles. Much t^reater still was the
velocity of that stream which, in 1 So..', broke out from the southern de-
clixity of Mount Vesuvius. It .'.■: .^aid that it moved with the rapidity of
wind. In a Qw minutes it had reached the vineyards; and an author
asseib; that in four minutes it passed over a space of thrce-qLiarters of a
nn'le in leni^th, thou_L;h the slope over which it ran was \-ery gentle.

Since the commencement of the present century the eruj)tions of Vesu-
vius ha\-e been frequent, and sometimes of long continuance. Durin"-
one eruption lliere was observed a peculiar phenomenon — the wapors
issuing from ilie crater presenting three di.stinct colors, green, white and
black. Another eruption was ushered in by the tumbling down of tho
principal cone, which had attained a height of upwards of 600 feet. It
fell with a dreatlful crash, and on the following evening there commenced
an eruption which la.sted continuou.sly for twelve days. The internal
detonations (if the mountain were terrific; while the quantitv of ashes
and other matters thrown out darkened the noon into midnight.

Beautiful

a.t^es — '

Weapt

Treat

Childre

Blind (^

Piiest-

Iv\|)ert

Killed

Spears-

to Foot

W^'

that its cxi
This brave
on foot, acr
Ocean, and
be seen frc
reached the
its calm wa
who could
solitude, an
co\'cn'.

Wlien he
he pluiT^ed
took posess
that was th
ders of the
tants.

Seven ye
ered the sti
first launclu

iff
■^■. J, •■* •

IC-
of
lior

vvj;

CHAPTER V.
ADVENTURES AMONG STRANGE PEOPLE.

Beautiful IsI.hilIs I.ong: Veiled in Mystery— The First Voyage Around the World-
Zoological Gardens — Tiie Natives of the Pacilic Isles — Various Types of S.iv
ages — The Remarkable Isiaiul of New Z.-aland— Life Ainon_sj the Maories —
Weapons of War— A Fit^luing Race of Men — An Exciting I-]pisode— Wicked
Treachery— Hideous War Dances -Ouecr IVrformances of ai Old Chief —
Children hiiilating th • Art of War — Savage Cannibalism — Tragic I3eath of a
Blind Oueen— A Chief in War Costume — Witches and Witchcraft — A Native
Priest— Huge Wooden Idols- The Sandwich Islands - Beauty c:f the Women —
Expert Swimmers -Extraordinary i'Y-ats of Surf-Su immiiig — The Dagger that
Killed Captain Cook — A Splendid Race of Savages — Kamehameha Catching
•Spears — The Marcpiesans — Elegant Tattooing — A Chief Decorated from Head
to Foot — The Puncturing Needle.

T is stiani;e to think of the time when the \ast tract of water
which we call the Pacific Ocean, and whiclt covers nearl)- half
the globe, with all its wonderful and beatitiful islands, was un-
known to the ci\'ilized world. \'et it was on!)' in the year 1513
that its existence was discovered by a Si).iniard of the name of Balboa.
This brave and [)atient man made liis wa\-, w ith the utmost toil and peril,
on foot, across the isthnuis which separates the Atlantic from the Pacific
Ocean, and havin;^ been assured by his Indian guides that the sea was to
be seen from a certain mountain, he climbed it all alone, and, when he
reached the top, there sure enough lay the broad ocean on the other side,
its calm waters glittering in the sim, ami stretching away and awa_\' —
who could say where ? No wonder that l>albf)a fell on his knees in the
solitude, and thanked God for having guided him to make so great a dis-
covery.

When he at last gained the shore on the cither side i)f thj mountain,
he plun .,a'd at once into the water, with his drawn sword in his hand, and
took posession of it in the name of his king, Ferdinand of Spain. And
that was the beginning of the discoveries of all tli : treasures and w<mi-
ders of the Pacific Ocean, with its countless islamls and strange inhabi-
tants.

Seven years after Balboa's journey, Magellan, a Portuguese, discov-
ered the .straits which now bear liis name, and, passing llirongh them,
first launched a European ship in the Southern Sea. On he 'ailed,

a43)

«tl=

lit

1 1: 1

144

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY,

1. h

across the immense tract of calm, untraverscd water, he know not whither.
IIiiw amazed the sea-gulls and the flying-fish must have been at tlie
sight of the great strange object, making its way across the blue expanse !
Perhaps they took it for some gigantic bird, with huge white wings and
an enormous appetite, and fled in terror. One would think even the little
ri])i)ling waves themseh'es nnist have been astonished at such a new sen-
.iatiun us that of a ship clea\iiig its ^\•a\■ auKjng them.

The First Vo.vaj;*' Aromul tlio World.

Magellan discovered the Ladrone, and afterwards tile Philippine Is-
lands. His shi[), the I'icloiy, performed the hrst \-o\-age ever made
rouml tlie W(jrld ; but the great diseo\erer himself ne\er received the
thanks and praise of his king and country, w Inch he hatl so justly earned.
He was killed by the nati\es in one of the Philippine Islands. Afterwards
various Spanish, Dutch, and British na\igators followed Magellan's ad\en-
turous course across the waters of the Pacific, and disco\ered other
islands of the I'olynesian Group, so named from a Greek word signif)-ing
" man\- islands." But the m )st important and extensi\e disco\eries in
this region were not made till' the latter part of the last centur\-.

It is curious to remember that only some hundred and \\\W ^•ears aero
man)' lantls whose names are now so familiar to us were as unexplored,
and, indeed, unknown to the civilized world, as the coimtriesin the moon,
if theie are such, are now. Many birds and beasts which we may now
see an\- dav in the Zoological Gardens liad never entered the imagination
of an Amerit:an. Flowers and creepers now common in (»ur gardens and
green-houses were utterK' un]<noun. William Penn would ha\e been as
much astonished if he had been sliown a kangaroo as we should be now
if we met Alice in Wonderland's " Mock Turtle." Our great navigators
and explorers ha\'e brought many new objects of interest and beauty
within our reach, and have added to the comforts and luxuries of our
lives in all sorts (>r ways; but what far more wonderful changes the arri-
val of the white men and their ships have brought to the new lands them-
selves, and their more or less savage inhabitants! We have taught them
and brought them a thousaml ;n)od and useful things. It is sad to think
that we ha\'e also taught them things that are neither good nor useful,
and gi\en them things which can c.dy do them harni,

A l^i'aufifiil T-land.

Of the manv beautiful islands in the Pacific Ocean, New Zealand has
perhaps the greatest interest f^r us. If we look at the globe, we shall
see that it is on the other side of the world, still if we could Innd there
to-morrow we should i)robably foel more as if we were in our own couii-

try than w
pletcly ]ia\
and built t
climate, toi
the atmos]
slight dam
i)ut w Inch
Of all tl
largest ext
unbroken s
and north
land to it
thousand r
nr.iiv of w
.)f the oeeo
disco\ered
man ; but t
was n.ally
hundi'ed }e

Though ;
])la;Us and ii
aboriginals
Miode of life
inally from
haps, in the
thuir \\i\y of
together \\\ '
ing wo\Tn f
weapons, an
also cultiwat
\isions agaii
selves, the\-i
they had no
handed dow

rile one \
world, where
weapons, wa
conceal him.-
blows witlioi
1(}

ADVENTURES AMONO STRAXCr: PEOPLi:.

I I.")

try than \vc sliould do if wc visited an\- other ])art of the world, so com-
pletely lia\e Europeans filled it widi their own people, plants, and animals,
and built towns and villaL,^e.s almost like those in their own land. Tiie
climate, too, is in some respects like our own, hut warmer and finer, and
the atmosphere is clear and brit^ht, and the sky very bhu'. 'i'here is a
.sliL;ht dampness in the air, owin;^ to the water by which it is surrounded,
but which keeps the folia_L,^e and the ^^rass green and luxuriant.

Of all the islamls in the world. New Zealantl is surroimded !>>• the
lart^est extent of water. The .^reat Pacific ( )cean stretches awav m an
unbroken sweep, on the east to South Aiuc'rica, on the west to Australia,
and north and south to the arctic and antarctic rei.;ions. The neai'est
land to it is, on one side the y;reat ishuul of Australia, about a
thousand miles ofif, and on the other the bi:autifid South S,a I-l.mds,
m nv of whose foundations are so marvelousl\- reaivd from the d ■)ths
,)f the ocean b\- m\Tiads of tiny coral insects. New Zealaiul was tu'st
disco\ered in the yi;ar 1642, 1)\- the famous Dutch na\i;4ator Ab .1 Tas-
man ; but the nati\es would not allow him to l^o on shore, and noihini^r
wasnalK' know 11 ai)out it till Captain Cook landed there, more ti:an a
hundred x'ears later.

Captain Cook Amoiiy llu' XfW Z«'alaiul<'rs.

Thoupjh so near Australia, it is stranj^^^ly unlike it in its climate, in its
plants and animals, and above all in its nati\es ; for while the Australian
aboriginals are one of the lowest of all <a\a,ne tribes in appearance and
mode of life, the Maories of W'w Zealand, sui)[)osetl to hax'C come oriLj-
inalK' from the Mala)' race, aie a line, intelligent tribe of men. and per-
haps, in the condition in which wc first found tl:em, the most ci\'i!ized in
their wa)' of li\ing of an\' sa\ aj^e jx-ople. Cajitain Cook found t!i 'm li\ in.^
tosjether in \illaires, in huts niade of wood am.! reeds. The\' wore cloth-
inir woven from the nati\e fla.x, and ch-ed w ith bark, and thev made stone
weapons, and instruments of \arious kinds, and cooked their food. I'hc)'
also cultivated the land, and made laws about property, and stored [)ro-
\isions at^ainst bad times. Being much L,M'\'en to fij^htini; amonj:j them-
seUes, the)- m.ule foils and defences of the most iiiLjenious kind. Thou;4h
the\' had no written language, they had all sorts of songs and proverbs,
handed down from generation to generation.

The one great object of a Maori's life is war. In those parts of the
world, where missiles, such as bows and arrows or spears are the principal
wea[)ons, war becomes a series of skirmishes, each individual tiying to
conceal himself as much as jiossible from the enenu', and to deal his own
blows without exposing himself to retaliation. But when the weapons
10

?5,

\\ 'i'HI

i : I

f
f

KKPKEbENTAIlVI': 'n PES Ol-' PACIFIC ISLANDEKS.

(UO)

arc cif ii 1

assumes
rc'scniblo
which rq

In forn
weapon
ihcy arc
friend, the
tlirowinc'
hospital)] e
short chil
b\' tlie anc
tlie cross-
con\cx in:
cxactl}' id
merel}- stri
the cncni)-
him do\vii

Before tl
known, the
suspent! th
mat, so thai
ha\ ing oste
each man w
plan pursu(
until each :
chief, the c
moment it 1

E\en afte
j^et hold of
dance, whic
reality, the ^
riL;ht and le
in^r so dear
tion when i
Vo>-arrc " th
but for the
a tragic issu

ADVENTURES AMONG STRANGE PEOI'Li:.

147

are of a nature that necessitates liantl-to-liand combat, warfare naturally
assumes a ditferent aspect, and. if the forces be at all disciplineil, more
resembles the war of civilized nations than the independent siny;le combats
which represent war in most sa\a;^e countries.

A Siiif;ular \V«'hM)iiu» to a I'l-ioiul.

In former da\s the Maori warriors used to emplo\- the sjiear, but that
weapon 's now more rarly used. A few specimens are still retained, but
ihey are inteiided, not to be used against an enemy, but in welcominL; a
friend, the chief who receives his guests pointing the spear at them, and
throwing it toward them, as an e\idence of liis peaceful disposition and
hospitable feeling. The first and most important weap(Mi is the merai, or
short club. This weapon is exactl\- analogous to the >hort sword used
l)\- the ancient Romans, and in some cases resembles it so closel)- lliat if
the cross-5_ i.ard were remox'ed fi'om the swoul and the blade rendered
convex instead of flat, the shape.-< of the two weapons would be almost
exactl\" identical. When a Alaori fights with the merai, he tloes not
mereh' strike, his usual nunement being to thrust sharply at the chin of
the enemy; and if he- succeeds in striking him with the point, he cuts
him down with the edge before he can recover himself.

Savsijfo Trcaclwry.

Before the fierce and warlike character of tlie New Zealanders ^\■as
known, they took several \essels by the use of the merai. It was easy to
suspend the short club over the shoulder, where it was hidden b\' the
mat, so that when a party of natives came on board, ajjparently unarmeil,
ha\ ing ostentatiously left thei^r spears and other \\eai)ons in tlu-ir canoes,
each man was in fact armed with the weapon that he most trusted. The
plan pursued was, that the ]\Iaories should mingle freely with the crew,
until each man was close to one of the sailors. At a signal from the
chii'f, the concealed merai was snatched frt^ii beneath the mat, and in a
moment it had crashed through the head of the selected \ictim.

Even after this ruse was discovered, the higenious Alaories contrived to
get hold of more than one \essel under pretence of exhibiting their van
dance, which in a moment was changetl from the mimicr\- of battle into
r-ealit}', the warriors leaning among the spectators antl dealing their blows
right and left among them. Shi[)-taking seems, indeed, to be a proceed-
ing so dear to the New Zealander, that he can scarcely resist the tem[)ta-
tion when it is offered him. In Tyerman and Bi'nnet's " Missionary
Voyage " there is an anecdote of an atlventure that befell them, which,
but for the timely aid of a friendly chief, would undoubtedly ha\e had
a tragic issue.

ii'l

•■■ i, V!'

iMm

1' *ifiil

ilH

,1 ?

148

EARTH, SKA, AND SKY.

The ship had arri\ctl off New Zcalaiul, and while at anchor the follow
iui^ events occurred : This niornin^r our little vessel was surroundetl with
canoes, containin;^ se\eral hundreds of the natives, of both sexes, who pres-
ently climbed up, and crowded it so much that we were obliged to put a
bar across the quarter-deck, and guartl it from intrusion. The commerce
in various articles, on both sides, went on pretty well for some time, till one
provoking circumstance after another occurred, which had nearly led to
the .seizure of the ship and the Ujss of our lives. In the confusion occa-
sioned by the great throng in so narrow a space, the natives began to
exercise their pilfering tricks, opportunities for which are seldom permitted
to slip awa\- imimpr<)\-ed. .Suddenl)' the cook cried out, '' They ha\'e
stolen this thing:" but scarcely had he nametl the thing (some kitchen
article), when he called out again, " They ha\e stoK-n the beef out of the
< pot!" and then a third tiuK,', "They ha\e stolen m\' cooking pan!" 1^-es-
ently another \"oice bawled out from the forecastle, "laptain ! the\' luu'e
broken open your trunk, anil carrietl away j'our clothes!"

Up to this time we had been in friendly intercourse w ith the chiefs,
rubbing noses, and purchasing their personal ornaments and other curi-
osities, suspecting no mischief. But now , in the cmu-se of a few moments,
without our i)ercei\"ing the immediate reason, the whole scene was
changed. We found aftei"ward that the captain on hearing of the auda-
cious thefts abo\e mentioned, had become .'ingry, and while endeax'oring
rather boisterously, to clear the deck of some of its intruders, one of
them, a chief, on being jostled by him, fell over the ship's side into the
sea, between his own canoe and the xessel. This was seized instantan-
cousl\- as the pretext for commencing hostilities. The women and
children in the course of a few minutes had aU disappeared, leaping over-
board into their canoes, and taking with them the kakaous, or mantles of
th'^ warrior^. The latter, thus stripped for action, remained on deck, of
A\hich, before we were aware, the)' had taken complete possession, and
forthwith made us their prisoners.

Tlireatt'iiod with Instant Death.
Tremendous were the bawlings and screechings of the barbarians,
while the)' stamped and brandished their weapons, consisting principall)^
of clubs and spears. One clu'ef with his cookies (his slaves) had sur-
rounded the captain, holding their .spears at his breast and his sides, on
tin,' larboard quarter of the vessel. The chief w ho, with his gang, had
been trafficking with Mr. liennet, now brought his huge tattooed vi.sage
near the white trader, screaming, in tones the mo.st odious and horrifying:
"Tongata, New Zealandi, tongata kakino?" This he repeated as rapidly

ADVENTURES AMONG STRANGE PEOPLE.

149

■''-#,..

as lips, tongue and throat could utter the words, which mean, " Man of
New Zealand, is he bad man?" Happily Mr. Bennet understood the
(juestion (the New Zealand dialect much resembliiiL^f the Tahitian);
whereupon, though convinced that inevitable death was at hand, he an-
swered, with as much composure as could be assumed, " Not batl; the
New Zealander is a good man;"' and so often as the other, \n ith indescrib-
able ferocity of aspect and sharpness of accent, asked the same question,
which might have been a hundred times, the same answer was returned.

"But," inquired Mr. Bennet, "why is all this uproar? Why cannot we
still rub noses, and buy and sell, arid barter, as before?" At this moment
a stout sla\e, belonging to the chief, stepped up behind Mr. Bennet, and
pinioned both his arms close to his sides. No effort was made to resi.st
or elude the gigantic grasp, the white man knowing that such would ac-
celerate the threatened destruction. Still, therefore, he maintained his
cahnness, and asked the chief the price of a neck ornament which the
latter wore. Immediately another slave raised a large tree-felling a.\c
(which, with others, had been brought to be sharpened b\- the ship's com-
pany) o\er the head of the prisontM'. This ruffian looked with demon-like
eagerness and impatience toward his master for the signal to .strike.

FriglitCul Savage FtTocity.

And here it may be observed that our good countrymen can have no idea
of the almost preternatural fur\- which saxages can throw into their ilis-
torted countenances, and infuse into their deafening and ap[)alling voices,
when they are pos.sessed by the legion-fiend of rage, cupidity and revenge.
Mr. Bennet persevered in keeping up conversation with the chief, sa\-ing,
"We want to buy hogs, potatoes, fish, of xou." Just then he percei\ed
a \-outh step[)ing on deck with a large fish in his hand. "What shall I
give you fir tliat fish?" — " Wh_\', so man\' fish-hooks." — "Well, then, put
your hand into my pocket aiid take them." The fellow did so. "Now
put the fisli down there, on the binnacle, and bring some more, if you
ha\e an)'," said Mr. Iknnet. At once the fish that he had just bought
was brought round from behind and presented to him again for .sale. He
took no notice of the knaver}', but demanded, "What shall T gi\e nou for
that fish?" — "So many hooks." — "Take them. 1 Ia\'e \-ou no other n>h
to .sell?" A thiid time the same fish was offered, and tin: same price in
hooks required and given, or rather taken, b)' tlir xxntlor, out of his
jacket pockets, which happened to be well stored uilh this currency for
traffic. A fourth time Mr. Bennet asked. "Have )'ou not another fish?"
At this the rogues could contain their scorn no longer, but burst into
laughter, and cried, "We are cheating the foreigner!" supposing that

■ ' (1

i :|«

150

EARTH, .Si:.\. AND SKY

their customer was not aware how often tlie\' had caught him \\ ith the
.same bait. The nati\e.s were ])leasecl with their own shrewdness.

By this ingenious plan of pretending to be the chipc of the Maories,

■ thl: grotesque maoki war dance.
Mr. Bennet contrived to gain time, of "hich he knew that e\ery minute
was of the greatest importance, and at last he was rewarded for his

courage<
chief, wli

Before
a war dai
of [he X(
gi\es Inn
dances, a
i\Iaori w;
di.sciplint
is loose a

mg and

.seKes as
arrange tl
passit)nali
thrusting
tures \\'\{\
begin.s w it
the stamp
ilar propo
Sudden
air, as if ,
down on i
song is rai
to side, e.-
The efTeet
to make t
gi\en u])
frightfully
si on. Evi
aflects the
of the ene
Maories g
excited th,

On one
requested
But in a si
stamps so ]
that thev s

ADVENTURES AMONC. STRANGE PILt^PLE.

151

uitc
his

couraL^CDLis tliploniac)- by llu: arrival <>( a bnat, in which was a frinuUy
chief, who at once cleared the shii).

Ilith'oiis War Duiuts.

l^elMve a i)arlv enc:a''e in \\ai-, tlu\- think thenisilxrs Ijcuind to join in
a war dance. There are war dances in almost all sa\ a<;e tribes, but that
of the New Zealander surpasses theui all. In dher cases, each warrior
rjixes hiniself ui) to the excitement ef the nionu'nt, and sh'iut^, \clls,
dance.^-, and brandl. dies his weapons as he seems to think fit; l)ut the
Maori wanior's dance is of a far different character, boin;^ t^uided b)- a
di.scijjline and precision of drill to which that of the Russians thenisehes
is loose and irregular. The)' be<^in by smearinj^ the whole of their cloth-
ing; and b\- painting- their faces A\ith scarlet ochre, so as to make thcm-
.sehes as hitleous as possible. When they assemble fertile dance, they
arrange themseh'cs in lines, mostly three deep, and e.xcite their naturally
passionate disposition to the highest pitch by contoiting their faces and
thrusting out their tongues as an act of dehance, interspersing these ges-
tures w ith shouts, yells, and challenges to the enem\-. Ihe dance itself
begins with stamping the feet in ])erfect time with each other, the \igor of
the stamp increasing continually, and the excitement increasing in sim-
ilar prt)i)ortion.

Suddenl}-, with a )cll, the whole b(Kl)- of men leap sideways into tlie
air, as if actuated b)' one spirit, and. as the)' tom h the groiuul, lome
down on it with a might)- stamp that nialavs the earth tremble. The war
song is raised, and in accordance with its rh)thm the men leap from side
to side, each time coming ilownwilha thud as nf some huge engine.
The effect of the dance upon the performers is e.xtraordinai) . It seems
to mahe them for the time absolute maniacs, their whole nature being
gi\en up to the furious excitement of the moment. Their faces are
frightfully contorted, and thus assume an absolutely demoniacal expres-
sion. F.ven when war is not impending, the magic inlluence of the dance
aftects tin; performers as strongly as if the\' were close to n pah or fort
of the enemy,' ready for battle; and when, as is sometimes the case, the
Maories give a dance in honor of a visitor, they become so furiousK'
excited that the)' are (luite dangerous until the)- ha\-e had time to cool.

Straii}'«» Antics of a I'liiol'.

On one such occasion a ])arty of Maories who had visited a ship were
requested to exhibit their war dance, and ver)' good naturedl)' did so.
But in a short time their measured leaps became so vehement, and their
.stamps so powerful, as the)' shouted the martial rh)'mes of the war song,
that they shook the whole ship as if by blows of a battering-ram ; and

«iii

^^tr.

152

F.ARTII, SF.A, AND SK^■.

the commandinL,^ officer, fearful that they would absolutel)- smash the
deck, be_Lji;etl them to desist. His entreaties were in\aiii. exin if they
were heard, thouLrh it is verv likelv that in their furious excitement, the
dancers were deaf to ever)- s(jund exce[ji the war soni,^ which the\' were
yellinjr al the top of their voices; and the dance proceeded to its end,
and did not cease until the performers were (juite exhausted by the
furious exertions thev had made, desistinir onlvwhen compelled to d- .''>.

'mmm.

jifi* ■ ■

__%r/£i' __ _ „

INTERIOR ol'' A I'AII OR NATIVI-: VlLLA(iE.

The most kulicrous part of the dance was the conduct of the chief.
He had been treated Vvitli much attention, and presented with a full suit
of na\al uniform, of which he was miLditil\- i)roud. and in which he
stalked the deck to the threat admiration of his subjects. When he was
asked wlu-ther the war danc(> could br LMx-en, he at once ordered his fol-
lowers t) accede to tin: request, .-md at fust stood <|uietl_\- b)- while they
went throuL'.h lluj performance. The influence of the dance was, how-
ever, l0(. Lontagious to be resisted, and raiiidl)- extended itself t" him.

First he n
then he
them, an(
N'elled, an
^^arments
nient died
The am
the\- appe,
of them a
of warrior
hundred,
in his han
the back;,
dance is ta
and under
in^r the dai

We ha\e
Maori. U
and seldon'
when aslee
childhood 1
t^ames of t
Just as boy
them with 5
f'rts, and e
sticks instee
mounds of
i)t the more

These in
warfare. T
jM-ound, as
an irregular
w ith many :
ior in numbi
case, resort i
'ir \ ilkuj^es.
iieering, ami
tended t< i fu
times on th

ADVENTURES AMONG STRANGE PEOPLE.

153

First he merely swayed his body in rhxthni with the steps of the dancers,
then he joined sottovocc in thr s(jng, then he be^^an to stamp in time with
them, and at hist threw off all restraint, spranij^ into line, and leaped,
\-elled, and stamped as enthusiasticall\- as any of them, splittin-^^ Jijs new
•^rarmeiits to pieces, and i)resentin;4 a very sorry siLjht when his excite-
ment died away.

The aimexed illustration represents a portion of a party of warriors as
thc\- appear when jjerforming their war dance. ( )nl)the first three ranks
of them are seen ; but the reader must ])ictiiie for himself the Ioul,^ line
of warriors stret'-hinijinto the distance, numberin_L( often from one to two
hundred. The leading chief is seen in fiont, with his green jade merai
in his hand; and another but inferior chief is stationed behind him. In
the background is shown a portion of the i)ah or \-illage in which the
tlance is taking place; a chief's storehouse for food is seen on the right,
and under the shelter of the houses are seated the womc n who are watch-
ing the dance.

3Iiini<- Warlarr Anions C'liildrcn.

We ha\e alread\- said that war is alwas's in the thoughts of a genuine
Maori. Unlike the \aporing Fiji warrior, who is always ready to boast,
and seldom ready to fight, preferring to knock his enemy on the head
when asleep, the Maori is a bra\e soldier, accustomed from his earliest
childhood to deeds t)f war. .\ mimic war forms one of the favorite
games of the Maori children, though it is necessaril)- restricted to boys.
Just as boys of our country build snow castles, and attack anil defend
them with snow-balls, so do the )Oung New Zealanders build miniature
f )rts, and enact on a small scale the deeds of actual war, using light
•sticks instead o{ the merai and patu. The\- make their forts jjy erecting
mounds of earth, and building the fortresses of stakes, in exact imitation
of the more substantial architecture of tlv- xi-ritable pah.

These ingenious villages well exeniplif\- tlie whole system of Maori
warfare. The two opposing parties seldom meet each other in the open
;n-ound, as is the case with civilizetl warfare; neither do the}' employ
an irregular skirmishing fight among trees or under co\er, as is the case
with man>- savage tribes. The attacl^ing party is sure to be very super-
ior in numbers to their foes, and the latter, knowing that this will be the
case, resort to the system of fortification, anil entrench themsekes in forts
or\illages. These \-illages ai'i- marvelous exam[)les of uncivilizetl engi-
neering, and are admirably adapted to the purpose which the>- are in-
tendeil to fultil. They are alwa_\-s placed in some strong situation, some-
times on the seashore, simietinies on heights, and one or two of the

^flsl^^lf

^■•(l

164

KARTil, si: A. AND SKV.

stroni,fcst aic biiill on the \i r\' vilj;c i>f ;i pripciuliculur precipice, .s(i that
they cannot be attacked on three sides, while the tburtn can only be ap-
[jroaclunl b\' a narrow and awkward path, aloii;^ which on!)- a few men
can [)as.s, and which can be diTeiuKd b\- a loii-iparatively limited innni)er
of the be>it.\Ljed.

Thi;\- are feiieed loiuid with \er\- strniv^ p<'->ts, la-^hed t(>;^etlur so
firmly that tlu\- are al)let'> ri'si>t any ordinary attack. Since- fnearm^
were intr<)duc<il. the Marries ha\e motlified tlu; stnuliire ol the pahs tr
suit their new wea[j()n >, ihrDwinL; out angles to secure a nankin;^" fiii', and
filling the intu-ric^r w ith trenches in which the defentlers can lie secure
from the fire of th.- enemy. Since experiencing the terrible power of
shells, the natives haw: learned to construct cn>ss-walls in tlu- trenches,
which not only guard the inmates from the fragments of the shells, but
prevent an enfilading fire from doing much d.uiiage. Ri He-pits are also
constructed with singular ingenuity. One j)ah was remarkable for bt-ing
built over a iunnt)er of boiling springs, which were used as traps for the
enemy when the fut was besieged.

Cauyht ill Ji Trap.

The reader may remember the unf >rtunate business at the Gate Pah,
at Tauranga. When tal^en by storm, the pah a[)peared to be empt\- and
deserted, the natives ha\ ing apparently escaped, according to their cus-
tom, when they found the place no longer tenable. They had, however,
laid a trap, into wT.ich the assailants fell. When the latter had scattered
themselves o\er the interior, and were (juite off their guard, picking up
arms, utensils, and other objects lying carelessly about, a terrific nuis-
ketr\' fire was opened from under their very feet, the natives having con-
structed pits in which they hiil themselves until the enemy were attracted
within their range by the weapons and implements which they had laid
on purpose to act as a bait. The men, who were entirely off their guard,
and many of whom besides were Init raw recruits, were struck \\ith a
sudden panic, and. with a few honorable exceptions, rushed out of the
pah, followed and cut up by the fire of the wily foe.

Of course the repul.se was but temporary; but such a stratagem a.'-
this is sufficient to show the military genius of the Maori, who, if he
becomes an enemy, is one that cannot be despised with impunity. This
system of taking the enemy by surpri.sc is the usual mode of fighting
among the Maories, w ho displa\' wonderful ingenuity in contriving am-
bushes, and enticing the enem\- into them. If the assailants succeed in
taking the pah, a terrible massacre alwa>-s ensues. Every man is killed
who is capable of wielding a weapon, while the women and children are

carrietl o
there is
future of I
their own
right of
'The b'

rt)

eaten. So
which char
bad as the
great chiel
murder sor

.M)vr.NrrRi:.s a.monci siRANGi-; ii.ui'i.}:.

■>')

carried off to become the slaves of the eoiiquenirs — a doniii fmni wliich
there is no escape; the unfortunate wonuii, thi*ir cliildren. and any-
future offspring, beinjjj slaves without tiie possibilit)' of release, not even
their own tribe bein:^ able, accordini,^ to Maori law, to interfere with the
rit^ht of the captors, and take from them their lawful captives.

The bodie> ■ 'f tiie warriors arc of cour>e reserved to be l)aked and

A NATIVK CIIIF.F IN VVIA. WAR DRESS.

eaten. Sometimes even the prisoners fall victims to the thirst for blood
which characterizes these islanders ; and in this respect the women are as
bad as the men, if not worse. For example, the principal wife of a veiy
great chief, named E*Hongi, was accustomed, even though blind, to
murder some of the captives, when they were brought home b>- her for-

1''

^^iM

! (';l'ir{ii'

156

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

midablc husband. Her own end, was, however, more tra<;ic than that of
any of her victims. E'Hont^i was in the habit of making long excursions
to different parts of the countr\-, in which lie took his wife with him. On
one of these excursions she fell sick, and had to be left behind. In con-
sequence of her blindness, added to her debilit}', she was unable to act in
her own defence, and a number of dogs, discovering her weakness, tore
her to pieces and devoured her.

She seems, h()\v-e\-er, to ha\c been a woman of unexceptionally stronp
feelings of vengeance. She had a little sla\e-girl to attend upon
her, toward who'ii she evinceil a strong attachment. The little creature
was interesting and good-tempered, and her mistress was apjjarently so
fond of her that she was spared the experience of the misery of slavery;
she was onl)' a favorite.

Tray if Eiul of tho Hliiid Qiiooii.

E'llongi retiirned from one of his successful expeditions of war, but had
left a son upon the field of battle, and the lamentation was great. The
petted sla\e-cliiltl laid her head upon the lap of her mistress, and poured
out her share of the geniral sorrow. But the spirit of vengeance or of
insane ri'tribuiion came over ''. e heart of the bereawd mother ; ,i .'d she
carried the child to the water, and cruell\- suffocated her in satisfaction of
her selfish sorrow. It was not long after this incidei that she met with
lier death. AV'hen she was left l)ehind,a small shed w.is erectetl on poles,
according to nati\e custom, and a supply of food was placed near her.
When the p.trty returned the shed was lying prostrate, and among its
ruins were the whitened bones of the inmate. It is sui;)i)osed that the
wind blew d :)wn the shed, and so enabled the dogs to reach her.

This same l^'llongi was a rcall)- remarkable man, and earned a great
name for wiscU)m and courage. Ihuingmadea \-o\'age to h'ngland, he
threw all his energies into strengthening his militar)- power, and took l)ack
with him a quantity of muskets and ammunition. He came back to his
own countrx' exactly at the projK-r time. A long and somewhat desul-
tor\- war had been going on between the W'aikalos and other tribes, in
whicii the ti 'liner had. after many vicissitudes, been victorious, and,
aft'''- finall\- coniiuering their enemies, luul returne'd to their country in
irum:ph.

Just then I'VIIoiigi came back to his own tribe, distributed his firearms
among the best warriors, and w hen he had instructetl them in the use of
the new and terrible wea])ons, entered the W'aikato country, and attacked
their grreat \illage. The W'aikatos, ha\ing onl}- tlu'ir clubs, and not
having sunk the trenche. which in these da}'s are dug in every pah that

*<,

ADVENTURES AMONG STRANGE PEOPLE.

157

is intended to resist an assault, could not contend against firearms, and in
a few minutes the fort was taken.

The slauL;hter on this occasion was terrible, two thousand warriors
heini:^ killed, and their bodies eaten l)y the victorious tribe, who built vast
numbers of ovens for the special jiurpose of cooking the bodies of the slain.
1^'or many years afterward the remains of the ovens, and the whitened
bones of the two thousanil warriors, might be seen as tokens of the terrible
scene, where feasts were kept up until all the bodies had bee>n consumed,
and e\er\' e\'il passion of unrestrained human nature was alUjwed to ha\c
its full s\\a\'.

Prisoners without number were captured on this occasion; and indeed
the su])ply of sla\es thus obtainetl so far exceedetl the demand for them,
that the tribe killed many of them on their journc)- home, merel)- to rid
themseKes of them. l^'Hongi, though known to be a man of the most
determined courage, not to say ferocit\\ when engagetl in war, and rather
disposed to behave in an overbearing manner toward those whom he con-
sidered as his inferiors, was at the same time peculiar]}- mild and cour-
teous in his demeanor to his ecjuals, and toward strangers was remark-
able for his gentle treatment.

The religion of the .Maories is a curious mixture o( sim[)licit\- anilelab(M'-
ation, having the usual superstitions commo ^ > all sa\age tribes, and be-
ing complicated with the remarkable system ot " tapu," or " taboo" as the
word is sometimes spelt. Of real religion they ha\e no idea, and, so far
as is kn(nvn, e\en their sujjerstitions lack that infusion of sublimity which
distinguishes the religious systems ofman\' sa\'age nations, The\' ha\ea
sort ot indetinite belief in a good and e\il inlluence ; the former going by
the name of Atu.i, and the latter of W'aii'ua. Now, .\tua is a word that
has a peculiar significance of its own, It ma\- signify the I)i\ine Ivsseiice,
or it ma\' be ap[)lie(l to an\' object which is considered as a visible re[)re-
sentalive (-f that essence.

A Siii^'iilar liiritb'iit.

Thus, if a Maori wishes to speak of (iod, he would use the word .\tua.
iuit he would eiiuall)- ap[)l}' it to a !i/ar<l, a bird, a sun-rav or a cloud.
There is one species of li/ard, of a lovelv green color, which is held in the
greatest veneration as a living representative of divinit)-, and is in conse-
quence always dreaded as an .Atua. The following incident, narrated by a
tra\'eller, will show how deepl\- the belii-f in witchcraft and the supposed
infiuence of the Atuas ob'.ains among tho.se who are still heathen. A
missionary was shown some small green li/ards pre.servetl in a vial of spir-
its, Muriwenua and another man being in the room: We forgot at the

'Hi

IkI

■ a ■ M

■■ hX . '^fW

(1 'i'll'l''

' 1

\ '

■■

158

KARTII, SEA, AND SKY.

nioiiicnt that the little creatures in the \ial were atuas, or L^ods, according'
to the siij)erstiti()us belief of Maori polytheism, aiul inadvertently showed

them to the man at the table. X

ins

Iciciileaii ti-ame sinani

Dae I

displayed sii^ns ( )f extreme h
cried out, " f shall dii- ! 1 si

o sooner did he perceiw: the atuas thai\
: as from a mortal wountl, and his face
The old chief, on discovering;" the cause,
lall die I" and crawled aw.i\- on his hands .■<]{]

« I1T( M',

knees; \\hile the other man stood as a (kfence between the chief and the
atuas, chanL;in!4" his position so a-, to form a kind of shield, till Muriwenua
was out of the iiilluencc of their supposed powxr. It was a danL;erous
mistaki' to exhibit these atuas, foi- the chiet is \ery old, and in the course
of nature, cannot Ii\e lon^!", and, if he dies shortK', liis death will certainly

ascii

bi'd to the baneful si-'ht of the lizard u'od-

ani

1 I shall be accuseti

of xsiteluratt. In coiuiectioii willi this superstition about the lizard, the
same tra\eller mentions a straUL^'e notion whieii pi'e\ails re<^ardin_L;' a spider.

Ciii-ioiis liclict' in Witeli«Tiif(.
ach of tlu' west coast is found a small, l)lack, antl \ervvenom-

On tl

le oe

ous si)Uler.

It^

bite b

exceeduiL;!)- pamhil, and even danc^erous,

itives think that if he bites a man and

esca[)es, the man w ill die.

dt:

Hut if

he conti"i\-es to catch tile sj)ider, and m

Kes

a circle of flie around it so that

it perislu's in the Hames, then the man i'eco\ers as the spider die^

Till,' extent to which the imaLrination of the natiws is excited 1)\' their

ear o

f witi

hcraft is scarceK' cre(

!ibk-. There was one woman who was a

vcrv celebnited witch, and exercrsctl extraordmar\" muuence o\er the
niintls of the people, who looked upon her as a superior beini;'. On one
occasion, when anL;r\' with a man, s|u.- told him she had taken out his heart.

The man eiUirelv l)elie\ed

li-r,

and died from sheer terror,

It is a rather curious fact that, contrary to the u.sual custom, these heath-
en piiesls did not oppose the Christian missionaries, but were amon;^ the
tir^t to leceiw tin- new religion. .Some of them sct-m to ha\erecei\ed it

t(i() ha-til\' and without sufllcienl knowled

>f it-

niini ii)les, as we see

from th ' miserabk; tra\i.vsty of Christianit)- whicdi has spruULC ^^M' "
wars amou-.'' the Maories, and which i-- in W'W 7a

f late

aland w hat the system
of raepin;^' is in China. The [)ricsts aie, as a I'ule, the most ex[)ert artists
and wooilcarvers in the country; so that the word priest is often applieil
b)- the nati\es to a man who is skillful in any art, no matter whether he
be a (priest or not. The annexed illustration is a portrait of a \'er)- cele-
brateil piitst. 1 lis n.imewas Te ( )hu. The portrait was obtained duriiii;
a i;reat meeting; of chiefs at the capital. '\c ()hu (listinL,aiished himself

itl

crreati\- on

this occasion, rumu'iv-" about after the fashion of Maori orators,

shak

his loni

and uriz/led locks from sitle ti

■;tam[)ing

fur-

rt.

\U-
m
Is
•d
u:

ADVENTURES AMONCi STRANGE i'llOPI.E

l-V.t

slv on the trround.and uttcriiiL;- his speech in u sinijularlydeei) and ^()n-

onuis \(>ice.

In l!ie back'Toinul of the skrtcli ina\- bi.' seiii Iwm renKiilx.ihK' articles.
The one, whicli is the half of a canoe, stuck upright in tlu' L,n-onnd,
marks the ^Ljrave of a deceased chief; and the other is a pole, on whiel:
are hun;^ a calabash ot
water and a l)asket of
food, with which the
spirit of the deatlcan re-
fresh himself when he
returns to visit the scene
ol" his lifetime. Some-
times a dish of cookeil
pi_L;eons is added; and
in one case a model of
. I canoe, with its sail and
p.uUUes, was placed on
the tomb, as a convey - ||]T^^Ji
ance for the s(nil of the
departed w^'en he
wished to cross tlu.'wa
ters which lead to the
eternal abodes ot the

.'■pirit.

I'A'il spirits are sup-

[)oscd to haunt certain

spots, which are in con-

se<|uence, a\-oidcd by

the New Zealander. =^_„„^^

Ab)untains are especial 55^f ^- = _=_^_

obi(,'Cts of his \enera- "-^^^^^^JSS^^IJ^

tion, and those which

are loft)- enoii!.4h to

have their tops covered "■• ""i"' -^ nativk I'KIF.st

with ])i'ri)etnal snow are speciall)- feared. He tancies that [\\<-y a

inhabited by straiifre and monstrous

sit continually on their whittiied to|)s, and that every brecv.e which blows

from them is the voice of ihe spirit which haunts it. In consequence of

these superstitions, the- natives can no more be inilucc:d to ascend one of

these mountains than to approa<di a burial j^round. There i.s a strange lo-

re
/.e

:Sk*

! mil

100

EARTH, SEA, AND SKV.

l^cnd of a spot near Mount I'.^niont. Owing to the nature of the (ground,
a stroiiLf clieniical actieui is constantly takini^ phice, which _L;i\cs out great
cjuantitits of sulj)hr.n,tte(l h\-(h-oj^ren Ljas. 'Hie nativi's sa\' that in former
da\'s an alua was chMunecl near tlie' spot, and that c\-er since tliat time his
body lias been ilecomposin;.;, thus aecountiiiL; fi)rthe straiiL^e phenomenon.

Theie arc many represen-
tations of the luiman form,
whic'i are popularl)- be-
lieved to he idols. It was
foruKrly supposed that the
^reen jai le < u'liaments which
are worn sus])ended from
the neel<, \\ere idols; hut it
is now known that the\- are
merelv ornaments, derivinir
their sole walue from being
handed down from one !^en-
eration to another. Three
e\amj)les of the so-called
idols ai-e here given. One
(-i them is remarkable fir
its L;iL';antic proportions and
curious shai)e. It is about
siNteen feet in height, and
instead of consisting tf a
single human figure, as is
usuallx' the case, the enor-
mous block of wood is
car\edi into the semblance
if\' two figures, one abo\o
th.e olhtr. This arrange-
ment Is not uncommon in
Xew Zealand, and is found
also in Western Africa.
A i-iKi \r I'iii-. vii.LAdi: OF Koi.KA. Tills gigantic tiki stands;

together with se\eral olhets. near the tomb of the daughter of an old
chief, ami, like the monument whicn it seems as it were to guard, is
one of the finest examples of native carving to be found in New Zeal-
and. The' precise object of the tiki is uncertain; l)ut the protruding
tongue of the upper figure seems to show that it is one of the numerous

defiant st

lower figi

tion, fishec

in the ilh

elaborate

parts of

which dc

liips. A

the village

the backg

around the

many plai

phormium,

Zealand f

this wonc

mysterious

carving ste

others, all

traordinary

such tikis

in the i

drawn fror

taken at

koko. Alt

quite so la

double tiki

they ate of

size, as nio

b)' contras

with the fig

woman wh(

ing by on(

The firmt

witchcraft ]

New Zealai

not to such

which no oi

high rank, \

that he ha;

are likely

ADVENTURES AMONG STRANGE PEOPT,L.

IGl

defiant statues which abound in the islands. The natives say that the
lower figure represents Maui, the Atua who, according to Maori tradi-
tion, fished up the islands from the bottom of the sea. As may be seen
in the illustration, nearly the whole of both figures is carved with most
elaborate curved patterns, which descend over the arms, and adorn those
parts of the statue
which do duty for
hips. A portion of
the village is seen in
the background, and
around the tiki grow
many plants of the
phormium, or New
Zealand flax. Near ^
this wonderful and
mysterious piece of
carving stand several
others, all of an ex-
traordinary type. Two ^fj
such tikis are shown
in the illustration,
drawn from sketches
taken at Whakapo-
koko. Although not
quite so large as the
double tiki of Roera,
they are of very great
size, as mav be seen
by contrasting them
with the figure of the
woman who is stand-
ing by one of them.
The firmest belie fin
witchcraft prevails in
New Zealand, though grotesque wooden idols.

not to such an extent as in many parts of Africa. In cases of illness fo •
which no ordinary cause can be discovered, especially if the person be of
high rank, witchcraft is alwaj^s suspected. If a chief, for example, fancies
tliat he has been bewitched, he thinks over the names of those who
are likely to have a spite against him, and pitches upon some un-
11

[.Jilt, (

162

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

: I
Pf'

iii

.1!!'

fortunate individual, who is thereby doomed to death. One curious
example of .such a murder is related by a missionary. He met a
party of natives, who told him that a woman, a relation of the chief
Navvaka, had been shot by another chief, who suspected that she had
bewitched his son. The youny man had been taken ill, and, though
the woman in question did her best to cure him, he died. His father
took it into his head that she had killed him by her incantations, and, after
loading his musket with stick, shot her through the body. As, however,
she was the relation of Nawaka, it was expected that the chief would
demand compensation for her death, and that the murderer would have
to pay a very hea\-y sum.

There are several modes of witchcraft ; but that which is most prac-
tised is performed by digging a hole in the ground and invoking the
spirit of the person wiio is to be bewitched. After the incantations are
saitl, the invoked spirit appears above the hole like a flickering light, and
is then solemnly cursed by the witch. Sometimes, instead of digging a
hole, the witch goes by night to a river bank, and there invokes the
spirit, who appears as a flame of fire on the opposite bank. A curious
account is given of a district which is supposed t(j be the .special abode
of witches. It is situated in the northern island, and consists of steep
and barren hills. The inhabitants of this district are few and scattered,
and have the reputation of being the greatest witches in tlie country.

They are much feared, and have little connection with the neighboring
tribes, who avoid them, if possible. If they come to the coast, the natives
there scarcely venture to refuse them anything, for fear of incurring their
displeasure. Like our witches and sorcerers of old, they appear to be a
\erv harmless people, and but little mixed up with the quarrels of their
neighbors. It is a curious fact thatmany of the old. settlers in the country
have become complete converts to the belief in these supernatural powers.
Witchcraft has been the cause of many murders, in consequence of {x^o-
ple declaring on their death-beds that they had been bewitched.
Strange Scenes in tbe Sandwich Islands.

Few people among the wild races of men are more interesting to the
traveller than the natives of the Sandwich Islands. The men are tall,
active and powerful, and in color are of an olive brown, the precise depth
of tint varying much according to the exposure to the sun, so that the
skins of the chiefs are much lighter than tho.se of the common people.
The hair is jet black, and not in the least woolly, being sometimes quite
straight, and sometimes wavy. The face is mostly wide, and is a very
handsome one, the only fault in it being a tendency to width across tho

ADVENTURES AMONG STRANGE PEOPLE.

163

iiostrils. The men all wear the maro or malo, which is a slight girdle of
cloth, and ha\ ing this, they consider themselves dressed for all purposes
of decency. They also have a tappa, or bark-cloth garment, \\hich is
twisted round the waist, and falls below the knees, while the better clas'^
wear also a sort of majile, to shelter their skin from the darkening sun-
beams.

The great chiefs have also mantles made of a sort of network, into
each mesh of which are interwoven the feathers of various birds, the
most precious of them being that which supplies the yellow feathers.
This is one of the honey-birds, and under each wing there is a single
yellow feather, one inch in length. King Kamehameha, had a cloak
viiade of these feathers alone. It was four feet long, and eleven feet at
the bottom. No less than nine successive kings died before this priceless
mantle was finished. The head-dress of the chiefs is of so graceful and
classical a form as absolutely to startle the spectator. It is a helmet
made of wicker-work and covered with feathers, the shape being e.xactly
that of the ancient Grecian helmet e\en to the elevated crest which runs
o\ er the top. It is not intended as a protection for the head, the material
being too fragile for such a purpose, but is simply a badge t)f rank and
wealth. Mostly they are covered with scarlet and yellow feathers,
disposed in broad bands or belts, and the wealth of the wearer may be
known by the proportion which the yellow and scarlet feathers bear to

each other.

A Keiiiaikable F<'inalo Beauty.

The women, when young, are singularly beautiful, and retain their
good looks longer than is usual among Polynesians. Like the other sex,
however, they generally attain to great size in their latter }-ears, those of
the better sort being remarkable for their enormous corpulence. This
development is pr(jbably owing, like that of the Kaffir chiefs, to the great
quantity of porridge which they are continually eating. When young,
however, they are exceedingly beautiful, their features having a peculiar
charm of their own, and their forms being like those of the ancient
Grecian statues. An American traveller gives a most animated descrip-
tion of a native girl, in his interesting work on the Sandwich Islands,
showing that the partial civilization to which the natives have been sub-
jected has not destroyed their beauty of features nor .symmetry of form.
In truth to nature, it may be safely asserted that beauty is not confined
merely to the saloon of the monarch, nor to the tapestried chambers of
the patricians. It is more frcniuently found amid the lowlier walks of
life, on the desert, or the distant isle of the ocean.

I mn

i(;4

EARTir, SEA, AND SKY.

! \

'f-

In this instan;e I wish t> be understood as spcakincf of physical
beaut)- onl\-. On leavin<; the shore-road to ascend the mountains for
1 1.ihiwa, I met just such a specimen as has often driven men mad, an<l
w h(5se possession has many a time paved tiie way to the subversion of
em[)irc on the part of monarch?. She was rather above the medium
size of American women. Mer finely chiselled chin, nose, and forehead
were singularly Grecian. Her beautifully moulded neck and shoulder-;
looked as though they might have been borrowed from Juno. The de-
\elopment of her entire form was as perfect as nature could make it.
She was arrayed in a single loose robe, beneath which a jirctty little nude
foot was just peepinf'" ou:. Her hair and eyebrows were as glossy as a
raven's wing. Aroc h^v head was carelessly twined a wreath of the
beautiful native flow. i h r lips seemed fragrant with the odor of

countless and untiring kisses.

But lier eyes! I ne\er shall forget those eyes! They retained sjme-
thing that .spoke of an affection so deep, a spiritual existence so intense.
a dreamy enchantment so inexpressively beautiful, that they remind.-d
one of the beautiful Greek girl M\Trha, in Byron's tragedy of "Sa/dan-
apalus," whose love clung to the old monarch when the flanieof tiie finvr-
al pile formud their winding sheet. In no former period of my life had I
ever raised my hat in the presence of beauty, but at this moment, an-l in
such a presence, I took it off. I was entirely fascinated, charmed, spell-
bound now. I stopped my horse ; and there I sat, to take a farther glance
at the fair rcalit}'. And the girl stopped, and returned tlu glance, while a
smile parted her lips and partly revealed a set of teeth as white as snow,
and of matchless perfection. I felt that smile to bean unsafj atmosphere
for the ner\'cs of a bachelor ; so I bowed, replaced my hat and paj-'scd on
my way, feeling fully assured that nothing but the chisel of Praxiteles could
have copied her exquisite charms. And as I gently moved past her she
exclaimed in the \-ocahulary of her country, " Love to you."
Extraordinary Agility in tlie Waters.
The semi-amphibious nature of the Sandwich Islanders is well known,
lioth sc.xes turn their aquatic powers into a means of amusement. There
is a salt-water lake called Loki Nomilu, which was .said by the natives to
be the handiwork (^f the terrible fire-goddess, Pele, who dug deep into the
ground in search o( fresh water, but was baffled by the .sea finding a sub-
terranean entrance, although the lake is many yards from the shore. Be-
ing angry with the sea for its misconduct she took her departure, and took
up her abode in the crater of the great volcano of Hawaii, which is called
by her name. There is little doubt that the lake in question is the crater

r
r
•—1

•y.

c.
(/-■

lift

(IGo)

til' !

' ■.■-iir 1.1

^^<

! ft

mr.

niSBfib '

I lilLlJ

•I'

;ff« >.~v

.Ji.

■-'u-

i J'i'"

' m-

S'll

iG«J

KARTH, Si:.\. AND SKY

of an extinct volcano. A traveller went to visit this extraordinary lake
and gives th<; following account ( fthe mode by which its actual d pth was
ascertained; Having been informed that this lake was fathomless, I felt
only more solicitous to test the mystery. There were no means, howev-
er, on the premises ; and, two women excepted, the little village was tem-
porarily deserted. There were several canoes on the shore, but the lake
was much disturbed by a heavy north wind, so that they wouKl have been
rendered nearly useless. But I felt as though I could not abandon the
expediti(Mi. The gentleman who accompanied me thither informed the
women of my object in coming, and assured them that I was cxtrefiiely
anxious to know the depth of the water in that lake, and that we would
wait until some of the men returned from their fishing excursion. But one
of them soon i)rovided a remedy. She proposed swimming into the kike
with a sounding line to make the required measurement. Our remon-
strance against such a measure was in vain, for she resolutelv assured us
it would be not only an easy performance, but afford her much satisfaction
to ha\e an opportunity of serving me. She procured a piece of wili-wili
wood, exceedingly light, about six feet long, and as man\' inches in diam-
eter. This she insisted on carrying to the north end of the lake.
Xovcl Feat of a Foiiiale Swiminor,

After wading in until she could swim, she placed the log firmly under
her chest, keeping it there with one hand and retaining the sounding line
with the other. In this position she struck down the lake, .stopping at in-
tervals to let down the line, which she kni:)tted at the surface of the water
every time she found the bottom. This done, she would gather up her
line, replace her log and resume her course. And she pursued this plan
until her task was done. It would be superfluous to .say that this feat ex-
cited our admiration, or that we compensated her for her pains. It was the
most no\'el exhibition I had ever .seen ; nor could I fully realize it until I
remembered that in these islands as in other parts of Polynesia, and the
Caribbean Sea, the women and girls are the best swimmers. The Haw-
aiians are almost amphibious. Volumes might be written detailing their
e.xtraordinar) feats in the water. It is owing to their frequent bathing that
man\' of the women of Polynesia display such an exquisite physique.

A favorite amusement of the I lawaiians is swimming out to sea on boards
maile from the bread-fruit tree. It is quite a national sport and \ery ex-
citiuLT in rough weather. Ilax'incr swum out to some distance with these
boards under their arms, they ride over the breakers on them towards
the shore, generally lying face downwards, but the most expert bathers
kneel, or even stand up on their boards, mounting each roller at the

ADVENTURES AMONG STRANGE PEOPLE.

107

right moment, so .as to keep cxactK- on its curl. They arc also wonder-
ful divers.

Some of the weapons used by the Sandwich Islanders are tathcr cur-
ious. In the first place they have the spear, which is made of a chestnut
colored wood, which takes a high polish, and is usually barbed at the
point and brought to a flattened point at the butt. They are exceedingly
skilful in the use of this weapon, not only in throwing it, but in warding
off the weapons that arc flung at them. Kamoliameha, the well known
king or chief, was celebrated f(jr his skill with the sj)ear. He used to
stand with a spear in his right hand in front of six men, also armed with
spears. At a given signal they flung their .spears simultaneously at him,
when he would strike three aside with the spear in his riglit hand,
and catch the other three in his left hand. Our illustration shows
the king performing this dangerous and remarkable feat. These spears,
which are intended to be thrown, are from si.x to eight feet in length, and
are made to fly straight by being tapered gradually from the liead to the
butt. There is another kind of .spear, which is used as a pike. This is
from twelve to fifteen feet in length, and is not barbed.

The sling is another of the Sandwich weapons. It is of considerable
length, and the receptacle for the stone is made of plaited matting. The
.stones are oval in shape, and are ground down for the express purpose,
so that the slingers evidently possess much accuracy of aim. There is a
modification of the -sling, the use of which .seems to be forgotten at the
present day, and even in Captain Cook's time was far from universal.
The stone is cut of an oval shape, with a groove round it, much like a
lady's tatting-needle, and the cord is passed round the groove with a half-
hiteh, so that when the end of the sling is liberated, the .stone flies off
Some of the.sc .stones obtained by Captain Cook were made of haematite,
or blood-.stone, and were very hea\y, weighing at least a pound. It was
rather curious that, although there was little difficulty in purchasing the
stones, which must have cost much trouble in making, it was not possible
to persuade the natives to part with the cqrd by which they were flung.

A Barbarous l)a5?Er<*>*«

Another of their weapons is the dagger. The material of which it is
made is a very hard wood, something like ebon\-, and it is shaped niuch
like the ordinary steel dagger, except that it has no guard. It is about
two feet in length, and is secured to the wrist by a cord passing through
a hole at the end of the handle. Some of these daggers are still larger,
and double-pointed, being held in the middle like the antelope-horn dag-
gsers of India. The weapon has a mournful interest from the fact that

«f •*•»*■

I] ■

itJS

rARTII, .sr.A, AND SKY

, 1
I

when Captain Cook was murdorcd his bod)' was pierced with inmimcrahlc
woiiiiiK lUo.'tK- iiKidc bv woodtii da!j,ijer.s, tlu)ii;j:h one of the natives had
a da;^':^; r made ( f iron, which the)' snatchet.! from each other's hamU in
their ea'^fjrnos to inflict fresh wounds.

Liki- most of tile l'ol\nesian Islands, the Marquesas arc surrounded
The inhabitants are splendid specimens of humanity,

'iti

witn Cora

1 reef.

eei>..

the men beini,^ remarkable for their ^ii;antic size, great stren^^th, and fine

KINO KAMEHAMEHA AND THK SPEARS.

shape, whicli emulates those of the an::ent Greek statues. One of the
chiefs was measured carefully, and was found to be si.\ feet ci^^dit inches
in hei^dit. and .said that he knew another chief who was at least a foot
taller than himself In general they wear but little raiment, a .sli-rht piece
of bark cloth round the wai.st being the only garment which they think
needful, tlij place of clothing being supplied b\- the tattoo. There are
man\- nations where this decoration is worn ; but there are no peoi)le on

ADVnNTi;RF..S AMONG STRANGE PEOPLE.

ICO

the face of the earth who carry it out so fully as do the Marquesans,
c\ery part of their bodies, e\en to the crown of the luad and the tin;4i..rs
and toes, bcin;^ c<neri(l with the pattern. This extreme elaboration i>
onl\- to be founil in the men. the wctnu-n contentin;^ thenisehes w iih a
bracelet or two tattooed on their arms, and a few similar ornanuiUs here
and there, thus affording a marked contrast to the other sex.

Sometimes a rich
islander v. ill, either
from ^\ iierosity,
ostcnat i iiu, or
love to his wife,
make a feast in
honor (j1 her u hen
she h.is a bracelet
tattooeil round her
ann.oi- pvMlia;.s her
ear ornamented. .\
hoL! i> then killed,
and the fri.mls of
botli sexes are in-
\ited to partake of
it, the occasion of
the feast bein;.; made
known to tliem. It
is expected that the
>ame courtesy will
be rL'tu'iiod in case
<»f the w if; f'f any
of tliC ^;ue .1-; bein;;
punctured. This is
on J if the few oc-
casions on which
women are . lowed
to eat ho'.^'s flesh.

The fi_L;urcs v ith which the body is tattooed arc chosen with f,n-eatcare.
and appropriate ornaments are selected for the different parts. They con-
sist pn-irtlx- of animals, partly of other objects which have .some refer-
ence to the manners and customs of the islands; and every fi^t,ni re has
here, as in the Friendly Islands, its particular name. Upon an accurate
examination, curved lines, diamonds, and other designs are often distiiig-

M.AKQUES.AN CHIEF.

! mm

111

170

1-^

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

, t

: III!

uishable between rows of punctures, which resemble very much Grecian
crnanients. The most perfect symmetry is observed over the whole
body. The head of a man is tattooed in every part; the breast is com-
monly ornamented with a figure resembling a shield; on the arms and
thighs are strips sometimes broader, sometimes narrower, in such direct-
ions that these people might be very well presumed to have studied anat-
omy, and to be acquainted with the course and dimensions of the muscles.
Upon the back is a large cross, which begins at the neck and ends with
the last vertebra. In the front of the thigh are often figures whicl. seem
intended to represent the human face. On each side of the calf of the
leg is an oval figure, which produces a very good effect. The whole, in
fact, displays much taste and discrimination. Some of the tenderest parts
of the body — the eyelids, for example — are the only parts not tattooed.
Each finger has its own pattern, so that the hand looks as if enclosed in
a very tight-fitting glove.

A Singular BiiKiness.

The mode of tattooing is almost exactly like that of the Samoan
islanders, except that the puncturing needle is made of the wing-bone
of the tropic bird. The Pijcration is always conducted in certain
houses belonging to the profess'onal tattooers, who lay on these buildings
a tapu, which renders them unapproachable by women. As is the case
in .Samoa, the best tattooers are men cf great importance, and i)aid highly
for their services, a Marquesan thinking that he is bound to be liberal to-
ward a man to whom he is indebted for the charms which he values so
highly. These men gain their skill by practising or the lower orders,
who are too poor to pay for being tattooed, and who would rather wear
a bad tattoo than none at all. A considerable amount is generally ex-
acted al each operation, which lasts from three to six months; and so
elaborate is the process, that a really complete tattoo can hardly be finished
until the man is thirty years old.

By the time that the la<t piece of tattoo is executed, the first generally
l)cgins to fade, and if the n^an is rich enough he has the pattern renewed.
Some men have been tattooed three times, and, as the patterns cannot be
made to coincide precisely with each other, the result is that the whole
skin b-'comes nearly as dark as that of a negro. In this state it is great!}-
admired, not because the «;ffect is agreeable to the eye, but because it is
an intlubitable mark of wealth. The pigment used in tattooing is the
well-known candle nut, burned to a fine charcoal and mixed with water.

i I

rHAx"TF.R VI.
WILD TRIBES AND THI<:iR CURIOUS CUSTOMS.

A Rt.-inarkal)le I'licivilized Nation in Soiiili America— Description of the Araucanians
— A Curious Metliod of Siiavinj; — A ILiiry Upper I.ip Tiious;iit to be lli;;lily Iin-
proj)er — Disputes Settled by Tulliu^ Hair— Wonun who Paint their Faces— Sav-
aj^es who Insist on Etlcjuette- Horses Superbly Decorated— Singular S.Mldle and
Stirrups— MarriageCustonis--An Exciiinj; I-^lopenient — A Furious Combat — Ex-
pert Horse-back Riders — Using the Lasso— Dangerous Adventure with a Wild
I5uil— The Animal in the Toils — Disgusting Caimibalism — Prefeniiig Huitian
Flesh to Pork— Old " Turtle Pond"- Savage Atrocity— A Fijian Ue-end— T!ie
Fijian Islander's Canoe — An Ingenious Contrivance — Expert Navigation — Na-
tives of Borneo— Dyak Pirates— Small Meti of Great Strengtii- I"'\traonlinary
Physical ICndurance— American Indians — A Hotly Contested Hal! Cianie—An
Old Arab Hunter— Capturing a Hippopotamus — The Ohl " River King" in his
Glory — A struggle Against Odds — Daring of the Natives.

N tile southern j)rirt of South America is a territory occupied by
tlic Araucanian nation. This title was given to them by the
Spaniards, just as was the name of Pata^onians to their southern
j..'^-_Jll neighbors, and, althout;h it is an incorrect one, it has been ac-
cepted for so many \'ears that it cannot be conveniently changed for the
more correct designation. Tlie people are rather below the middle height,
strong, thick-set, broad-chested, and much inferior in point of form to the
North American tribes. The head is narrow, anfl low in front, broad and
high behind, and the back of the head falls in almost a direct line with
the nape of the m ck, a peculiarit\- by which an Araucanian may almost
invariably be distinguished. The foot is as remarkable as the heati. It
is very short and broad, and rises straight from the toes to the ankle with
scarcely any cur\e, so as to produce a /ery high but very clums)' looking
instej).

Most of the Araucanian tribes ha\e but little beard, and what they
have they eradicate after the usual fashion of .savages, plucking out the
individual hairs instead of shaving. A traveller who had the opportimity
of seeing the operation performed thus describes it: At one house where
we stojjped I .saw an Indian, w ho at first sight seemed to be a white man,
from the fact that his l)eard was grown as though unshaven for a week.
He looked red and blotched, and was continually raising his hand to some
part of his face, wearing all the while an expression of patient endurance.

(171)

'If*

»fll ■'■*'■

172

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

A close scrutiny showed that he was engaged in shaving. These Indians

pull out or nip off the beard with small steel tweezers. This instrument

was originally a clam shell, but, by intercourse with the whites, they ha\ c

been able to procure a more elegant article. Every dandy carries his

tweezer" hanging at his neck, and at leisure moments amuses himself b)'

smoothing his face to the taste of his painted mistress. The arguments

they use in defence of their treatment of the beard are precisely those

used by shavelings the world over.

They do not content themselves with merely removing tiie hair from

the chin, cheeks, and upper lip, but pull out the ej'elashes and eyebrows,

substituting instead of the latter a slender curved line of black paint.

They say that the presence of the eyelashes hinders them in the j)ur>uit

of bee hunting, a sport of which they are very ft)nd, and on which lluy

pride themseh'es greatly. Some of the younger warriors ha\e allowed a

very slight fringe of hair to remain on the upi)er lip, Init the okler cliiefs

think that it is an innovation on the ancient customs, and (.liscounteiiance

it as far as they can. Tiie hair of the head is cut short at the top, but is

allowed to grow long at the sides, in order th it it may be easily gras[)ed,

just as the North American tribes leave one long lock on the crown of

the head so as to assist the eneni)' who slays them in getting off the

scalp.

I*iilliiif;: Hair to Setth' Disputes.

When two lads quarrel, they .settle the dispute with a fight, which is

conducted, not by blows of the fist or with a weai)on, but b}- pulling the

hair. " Let us ])ull hair, if you are not afraid," cries one of the disfjutants

to the other. The challenge is never refused. Off goes the poncho, or

upj)er garment, if they happen to h-: wearing it, the lower garment is

tucked tightly into the belt, the combatants aliow each other to take a fair

grasp of the long locks, and the struggle begins. Each tries to twist

the head of his opponent so as to bring him to the ground, and when

he has once fallen, the)- loosen their gra-sj), rub the backs of their heads,

take a fresh grasp, and repeat the struggle until one of them )ields.

The combat over, all animosity vanishes, and they are good friends

agam.

Like that of the men, the hair of the women is divided into two long
tails, one of which hangs over each shoulder. The tails are wound
round with spiral strings of blue beads, and their ends are connected by
a string of twelve or fourteen brass thimbles, which hang side by side,
like a peal of bells. Besides thise ornaments, the \\onHn wtar a sort of
cap, made entirely of beads, and falling over the back of the head as far

as th'^ SI
thimbles,
elal)orate
queues ar
iiorns, a fi
hair in its

Paint is
but ornanii
mixed wil
The usual
eyelids, an
scalloped \
and a thin
are all rem
the women
exceeding]'

Etiquett!.
occasion ai
ceremonial.
domain, exj
sliall pa\- h
qucnce, so
Beiu'Miew t
the territor;
demand wl
traveller aiK
brought ou
signal was ,
in a numbe
daunted, in
attack, whei
.'■'omelhing,

The travc
that it was j
chief with ;
friendship,
gift, swt)rc e'
to accompar

''■«*v^;.'rf»4ii,i

ifl

WILD TRIBES AND TMEIR CURIOUS CUSTOMS.

173

a"? tlv^ .shoulders. Its lower edge is decorated with a row of brass

thimbles, like that which connects the two queues of the hair. This

elal)orate head-dress is only worn on great occasions, while ordinarily the

queues arc wound round the head, the two ends projecting in front like

iiorns, a fillet, usually studded with beads, being employed to keep the

hair in its place.

Faces Painted Ked and Black.

Paint is worn by both sexes, but chiefly by the women, and is anything
but (irnamental. It is invariably of two colors, red and black, which arc
mixed with grease, so that they can be applied and removed at pleasure.
The usual j)lan is to have a broad red belt from the ear, taking in the cheeks,
eyelids, and nose, the lower edge of the belt being sometimes edged and
scalloped with black. The eyelids and lashes are also edged with black,
and a thin line of the same hue takes the place of the eyebrows, which
are all removed except a very fine row of hairs in the centre. Some of
the women fiirthcr decorate their faces by spots of black paint, and are
exceedingly proud of these ornaments.

Death Threatened for Breach of Etiquette.

Etiquette is so highly valued among the Araucanians that on one
occasion an I'^nglish gentleman nearly lost his life by neglecting a
ceremonial. It seems that every chief, no matter how petty may be his
domain, expects that every stranger who passes through his territory
siiall pa\- him a tribute. The amount of the tribute is of little conse-
quence, so that something is given as an acknowledgement of rank.
Bein;;new to the country, the gentleman in question was passing through
the territory of a chief, when he was stopped and asked for tribute, a
demand which he refu.sed to pay, on the ground that he was only a
traveller and not a trader. Thereupon a young man leaped into a cabin,
brought out a trumpet made of horn, and blew a blast upon it. The
signal was answered in all directions, and from every side there poured
in a number of mounted and armed warriors. The traveller was not
daunted, in spite of the martial array, ccKked his pistols, and awaited the
attack, when his guide ran up to him, and begged him to give them
.something, if it were only a pocket-handkerchief

The traveller saw at once, from the smallness of the suggested present,
tint it was a mere question of etiquette, and munificently presented the
chief with a jack-knife. Enmity immediately gave way to enthusiastic
friendship. The old chief was quite overcome by the splendor of the
gift, swore eternal friendship with the traveller, and sent a guard of honor
to accompany him for several miles on hi.s way.

171

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

Like the yVmcrican tribes in [general, tiicy have become VvmhJ iful
adepts in tile U.-.C of the horse, the chmate, the natives, and tlv.- ]i(,rsi.-
scenani;,'" to a^'rec with each otiier in a way which is really jeniar liable,
fori.klcrinj^ that the animal is of comparatively late iuLroductiou inti
Araucania. Unlike the Pata^jonians, they pride themselves on the massive
solidity of the accoutrements with which tiie\' betli/.cn their horses ; and,
althou,;h thc\- care little about the individual animals, and are rather hard
masters to them, they bedeck the horses in the most l.i.\ish maimer

rheir saildles are made very much after tlu: fashion emplovi-d by the
I'ata;4onians, bcin^ little more than rutle wooden framed. A few skins
are laid on the back of the horse, the saddle is placed on them, a saddle
cloth of thick le.itiur is tiirown o\'er it. and the whole apparatus is com-
plete. The bridle is m;ide, like that of the Pataijonians, of twisted hide,
or so-nelimcs of a number of strips of horse-skin plaited tos^cther, a few
threads ot silver bein;^ mingletl with them. The bit is generally the
ordinar)' .Spanish bit, with its cruelly powerful arrangement of curb ancl
ring.

The stirrups are generally nothing more than a piece of cane twisted
into a triangular form, and hung to tlu- saddle by leathern cords; IjmI the
wealthy Araucanians ])ride themselves in having these articles of -olid

silver.

Sti'siliiifJT a l$rid«*.

Marriage anicing the Araucanians is an fxld mi.xture of ccemonies.
Tlieoreticall}', the bridegroom issupposed to steal his wife against lurc-twn
will and in o[)position to the wishes of her parents; [jracticall}-, hebia'sher
from her p-arents. who ha\'e long looked upon their daughter as a \aluai)le
article, to be soKl to the first purch.a.ser wli>' will give a suftkient price,
Sometimes the match is one of affection, :'• ", »oyoungpeopleunderstand-
ing eai.h other perfectly well. Music is tl u iial mode by which an A;-
aucanian e.\presses his feelings, and the usual instrument is the jews liarj)
The lo\cr is never seen without his jews-harj) hanging from his neck, tied
ui)on a little block of wood to [prevent itfrom being injured, ami decorated
with -firings of many colored beads. l*'urnished with this indispensable in-
strument, the lover seats himself at a little distance from the object of his
choiei'. and produces a .series of most dolorous sounds, his glances and
gestures denoting the individual for whom the\' are meant.

After a I'ttle while, the lover thinks that he had better proceed to tin?
4!Mrriage. .Should he be a weallhy man he has no trouble in the matter;
but if not, he :'oes among Ins friends and asks contributions from them.
One gives an o.\, another a horse, another apairof silver spurs, and so on.

WILD TKIBICS AND THEIR CURIOUS CUSTOMS.

( o

Tt IS a point of honor to make these contrib'ition.s, anM rqaal'-'so to return
tlicin at some time or other, jven if tlio intended bri(Ie<;ro(ini )i,-;s . > wait
until in his turn he can sell his eldest gul. Next, the friends oftlu: y(nin<^
man assemble, all mouiUcd on their best liMfscs, andproceed in a bod)- to
the house of the girl's father. Five or six of the best speakers dismount
and ask permission for the marriage, extolling to the utmost the merits of
the bridegroom, and expatiating (mi the liappin-'ss of his daughter on bc-

AN AKAUCANIAM MARRIAGE.

ing married to such a man. The father, treating the matter as gravely as
if he had not done the same thing himself, makes a speech in his turn.

All this ceremony is intended to give time to the \ lungmanto huntfor
his intended bride, and, until he has found her, they will go on with their
speeches. As soon as the young man discovers the girl, hescizes her and
drag.s her to the door, while on her part she screams and shrieks for pro-
tection. At the sound of her voice all the women turn ovit, armed with
sticks, .stones, and any other weapons which come to hand, and rush to

'' 1

1 !?

Ill

•

i7n

EARTIT. SEA, AND SKY.

her help. The friends of the brideirroom in their turn run to help their
friend, and for some time there is a furious combat, none of the men cscap-
inj^j without some sharp bruises, and the girl screaming at tiie top of her
voice.

At last the bridegroom dashes at the girl, seizes her as he can, by the
lianil, the hair, or the hei.-ls, as the case may be, drags her to his horse,
leaps on its back, pulls her up after him, and dashes off at full speed,
fc)llo\ved by his friends. The relatives oftho girl go off in pursuit, but arc
constantly checked \)y the frientls of the bridegroom, who keLptluiii back
until he has dashed into the forest with his bride. They halt at the skirts
of the forest, wait until the sounds of the girl's screams and the g.illoping
of the horse have died aua)-, and then disperse.

The young couple are now left alone until they emerge from the wood
on the .second day after the abduction, when they are sujjposed to be man
and wife. That all the fighting and screaming are a mere farce, is evident
from the fact that, if a man should offer himself who is nut acceptable to
the parents of the girl, and should proceed to carr}- her off, one of her rel-
atives blows the horn of alarm, as has already been mentif>n'd, and all of
the male relatiotis turn out and drive off the intruder. Sometimes, howev-
er, he succeeds in gaining the bush before he is caught, an 1 in that case
the marriage b>»lds good. Some few days after the marria^/.', tli • friends
call on the newh'-married couple, and bring tlie contribuli< n> which they
hatl i.Momised The whole party then pro jed to the hor e of the girl's
father, antl offer h.M these goods, which are taken as if they \\; re mere of-
ferings, and not the price fo<- which the girl was sold. Bein ;• >ati<fu'd with
the presents, he expresses himself j)lea.sed with the matter, and congratu-
lates the \-oung C(»upK ai'd their friends,

K\jM*rt f l<»i's(;niaiiship.

The Araucanians arc admirable ridi.'rs, though their seat would not
please an American riding master. They depend entirel)' cii balance for
retaining their seat, ?nd seem rather to hang on the horse's back than to
hold 1))' any grip if the knee Indeed, a stranger to the countr\- always
thinks that an Araucanian rider is on the jioint of being thrown, m> loose
is liis seat, wlureas tfte '. ery idea that hecan by any possibilii) be thrown
never enters his mind, i Ic and his horse seem one being, actuated by
one mind. A traveller once .saw a horse take fright, and lap sideways
from the object of terror. Me thought that the rider must be flung by
the suddenness of the movement; but, to all appearance, the man took
fright and -hied at the same moment: with his horse.

The Aiaucanians make a free use of the lasso. This terrible weapon

fe»«^'

WILD TRinF.S AND THEIR CURIOUS CUSTOMS.

177

is simple fnouL;h in principle, bcinrj nothing; more than a leather rope,
f(trt\* feet in len^^th, with a noose at the end. It is matle of a number of
tlionL;s of raw hide, plaited into a round rope, alxnit three-ei_L,duhs of an
inch in diameter; so that, althou^di it api^ears wvy slender, it real!}- pos-
sesses enormous stren^L^th, and an elephant could scarcely brealc it. When
the hasso is to be used, the thrower takes the rin;^ in his left liand, and
the lasso in the riL,dU, ami separates his arms j-o as to make a runnini;
noose ne.'irly six feet in len;^th. riras])in;^f the vu\<^ and the cortl with his
left h;md. he slips his ri^^ht hand ali'n;; the rope so as to double it, and
there lipids it. Wlun he throws it, hi: whirls it roniiil his hi'ad until the
noose becomes (juite circular, and thin hurls it at ill;' obi.ii, thr( i\\ in;.^
after it the remaintler of the rope, wliic h lias hiui ;;in coils on his left. aim.
As it passes through the air, the noo-c bicduies _L;raihially smaller, so
that the thrower can always ^M'aduate the diameter of the noose to the
object which it is intended to secure.

Tlirilliiiy: .\<lvrii(ur»'s \\ith \\ ild Aiiinials.

The skill with which the)- Hiu;.; this noo^r is woiidi'iful, as ma_\ be srcn
fi-oin the- folldu in;_;- account of a struj^ijle with an inl"uiialed bull ; the cap-
lure of a p.ulicular animal from a herd, withui a ran;.;e of pasture ultciK-
unbounded e.\c<pt by miiuntaius and ri\er->, is oft.n difficult, and L;i\es
rise to many \er)- e\citin.; and luilicrou> scenes. I'.\cn wlim takm. the
captiws are nut ea .\- of niana;j,enurit, their attachment for old associates
manifesting itself in fre(|uent attempts to return.

( )ne particular l)ull L;a\ e j;reat ti'Uible. lie was a noble fellow, of
spotless white — such an one as l)ore the beautiful h.uropa throu;^h the
riKenician (k't-p. or siu h an one as mi^^ht be worshipped <in the shores
of the Gaiv^es. After a lorn;- time he was lassoed, ami the hoi-sLinan, who
luul literall)- taken the bull b)- the horns, started off coinplacentl}' to lead
liim to the place of ^^athering. liut his bullship did not take the iJjoing
as a mattei- of course; for, with a mad bellow, he charj^^ed ujxin his cap-
tor, who, seein;^ a \er\' formidable pair of horns dashini; toward him.
started at full ^jallop, still holding fast the lasso, which he in \ain tried to
keep taut. The hor.se was jaded, and "old whitey" was fist ^^aininL;.
Another Indian bounded forward, and, dexterously throwing his lasso,
caught the unoccupied horn, bringing up the pri-^oncr with a round turn.

The bull was not yet conquered. After plunL;mg, pawing, bellowing,
and tossing for a while, lie changed his tactics. Making a rush and a
feint at one of his annoyers, he wheeled about suddenly, and nearly suc-
ceeded in catching the other on his horns Things were becoming more
complicated than ever, when, as the infuriated animal stood head down,
12

3';5j f^#s" i"'*^

178

EARTH, Si:\, ANT) SKY.

with his tail >tiick out at an an^lc of fift\'-fi\c de^rfcs, a third horseman
canic to th(j attack, and uliirUnir Iiis lasso w ith a jerk, cau-dit the caudal

•-•\triMiiit\' in a ninnin-jf

knot.

A 1)r<»ll Dilciiiiiia.

Tluisthc two men at the sides were .sale, provitlod that th.- man behind

<ei)t his i.is.so strained

But

I fjuestion in the rule ot three now arose

f thi

If three men e.itcli a hull, one by each horn, and one by the tail, and all

j)idl in diflerent ihrcctions, which way can th

hich

. o line .see

nied

able to work out the answer: b",t a man named Katrilas was ready for
all emergencies, and, dismountin|^^ he started to the assistance of his
companions, armed with a lon;4- lanei- and ai'; old poncho. Runnintj
I)erore the bull, he threw the poncho on the j^Mound, a few i)aces in front,
the men behind slacketietl a little, and the bellowing; cai)ti\i' made a des
perate plunL;e' at the red cloth. A jerk- on the Liil stopped further i)ro-
<^res.s, till Kati'ilas, pickiiiL; up the [)oncho on the tip of the lance, tossed

il several vardi in advance.

lere was another slackenin

another

jerk, and so on, until the "critter" was brou_;lit to tlu; ilesircil spot.

The n.xl trouble was to loo.se the capti\e. Sundry scientific pulls
brouj^dit hnn to the !.;round, and Katrilas, springin;^- f irward, stripi)ed tlu-
lassos from his horns. Ikit another remained on the tail. That no one
would venture to untie, f)r the bull had risen, and stood rrl.arimr franti-
calk' aroimd. An hulian, unsheathinLT iiis loni: knife, ran full tilt at the
extended tail, and with one- blow severed the greater part of that useful
member from ih^ bodw The la.st was litiially the " unkindest cut of all."
The poor biute was fiirly conquered, lb.' stootl with head hanging, e\e-
glariuL;. the . mguc lolling from his frothy mouth, his <mcc spotless coat
defiled with l.)am and dirt, while the (.Irip, driji. drip, of the warm blood
upon his heeU rendered the abjectncss of his miser\- complete.

Ilorril)]o (*aiiiiil>alisni.

We naturally associate cannibalism with the South Sea Islanders,
especially the I-'ijians. The nati\e Fijians are ele\-er enough at conceal-
in.: the existence of cannibalism when the\' find tliat it shocks the white

men.

A !•

uroi)ean eotton-^rower, who had tried unsuecessfui]\' t « intn

1, after a tolerabl)' ItMig ixv^ide

li.iee the culture of cotton into I'iji, foi.iiu

tlial fiur or fivi" human beings were killed and I'aten wi-ekly. Tl

plent\' of food in the place, pigs were num

■nee

lere wa-

ei-ous, and fish, fruit antl \ege-
t.ibles abundant. Ihit the pjeopleate human loodies as often as the)- could
get them, not from any superstitious moti\e, but simply becau.se the\-
j)referred human flesh to pork. Many (^f the people actually takj a pride
in the number oi' human bodies which they have eaten. One chief was

WILD TRIBRS AND THKIR Cl'RIOUS CUSTOMS.

179

looked upon with ^ncat respect on account of his fats of cannibahsm,
and the people ^^avc iiini a title of honor. They called him the Turtle-
pond, coniparin^t^ his insatial)le stomach to the pond in which turtles are
lapt ; and so proud were they of his deeds, that they even _L;a\e a name
.if honor to the bodies brouj^ht for his consumption, calling them the
■ Contents of the Turtle-pond."

-V <'as<> 4>r Sliockiii^' A<n>fi(j.

One man gained a L;n at name among his peo[)lc by an act of peculiar
atrocity. I le told his wife to build an oven, to fetch hre-wood for heating
it, aiul to prepare a bamboo knife. .\s soon as she had concluded her
labors hei' hu^balld killed her, and baked her in the oven which h.'r own
hamls had prepared, and afteiuard ate lur. .Somttinits a man h.is been
known to take a\ictini, bind him hand and foot, cut .slices from his arms
AA'\ k.-gs. and cat them before his eyes. Indceil, the h'ijians are so inord-
;iiate!\- \ain, that the\' will do an)-thing, no matter h< iw horribli', in urder
I I j^ain a nameamon,,^ their p.'ople. Cannibali.'.m is ingraaud in t!ie\ery
nature of a I'ijian, and i \tends through all clas>es (>f societw It i-> true
that there are Mnue persons who ha\e ne\,er eaten (loli, but there is
always ;i reason fir it. I'.\ery I'ijian ha-^ his sjji.-cial ;;od, who i-; supp(.).sed
to ha\e his residence in Mime animal. ( Uu- gml, fir cxampK', li\ts in a
rat, as ^\■e ha\c alirad)' seen ; anotlu'r in a sh.irk ; and >o on. Ilu.' wor-
shipper of that god nr\er cats the am'mal in w liich hi> di\ inity resides;
and as some gotls arc sujjposed to reside in human bodies, tlieir wor-
shipjjers ne\er eat the flesh of man.

.Nccording to the accounts of some {>f the ohK.-r chiefs, there, was a
time when cannibalism did not exist. Many )'ears ago. -ome strangers
hmn a distant land were blown upon the shores of l-'iji,and received hos-
[litabK' b\- the' i'-landers, w ho incorporated them into their own tribes, and
made much (f them. lUit, in process of time, these people became to(j
pciwerl'ul, killed the h'ijian chiefs, took tlu'ir wi\es and propert)-, and
iHuiped their oIVkw In this emergene\- thepeoi)Ie consulted the priests,
who ."-aid that the h'ijians had Ijrought their misfortunes u[)on themselves.
They had alU)wed strangers to live, wheri'as, " h'iji for the I'ijians" was
tile -j-olden :ule, and from that time e\-er\- male .stranger \\a.> to be killed
and eaten, ami e\ery woman takin as a w ife.

Terrihle SacrHicc of lliiinan fAi'v.

A- the Fijians set such a\ahie on human ilesh, it is to b..' expected
that tluy will iiuent a \arii't\' of excuses for obtaining it. For example,
when a chief builds a house, he kills at lea-^t one hum.m \-ictim to cele-
brate the event. If he builds a large war canoe, a series of sacrifices

(

i, ,

i 'i^

ISO

EARTH, Sr:A, AND SKY

takes j)Iace. A man is kilLd, for cxnniplc. wiuii the keel is laid, and, if
tlie chief be a very powrrfL;! one, he will kill a \ictini as each plank is
fixed in its place. I'Aeii when it i^ finished the slau'^diti.r is not over, as,
in the first place, the planks of the new vessel have to he washed with hu-

ncxt. the launch must he connneinoratrd in tlu
One chief s/ained sonic notoriet\' li\' hindinv
I luuninr of nicii, and la\in'.r them side !)\- de alontr the shore to act a

iiian blood, and in tlu
same ua)- a-; the buiKIiii;

I I HAN CA.NOH IX A STIFF I'.KKHZF

rollers o\er whudi llv.' canoe \\

as takt. 11 fnjni the land into the sea. Tl

\\ei:du ot the taiioe Icilled the men, who were attei"'vartl baked and ralei

.Spcakinr ofth • I^ijian canoi', which i.ia\* be called one of the institiit

lull-

of thtj countrx', the best exampK: is the double canoe, where two boats an'
placed side In* side. The two canoes arc covered over, so as to keep out
the water, aiul are connected by a iilatform which projects over the outer
cdi;es of both boats. Hatchways are cut through the platform, so as tu

cnahk? the

tion a man

platform is

and on the

tain (»f the

ti"n, like th

position als

<ng^aL;rd in

The nioc

mast works

the \es-,>jl.

drawn up i«

the yard an

and act as .•■

slacked off t

and the slici

It will be

and, therefoi

iari;e oar, s(

and is sixtet

and, in a stif

lie\-e them ii

sistancc the

are nearl\' si

die of the .stc

will hriiiLj ro

man in the s

a fa\-orite oc(

on board, sii

giving notici

drum that tlv

and the cano

tir, or by sci

ilo their worl

are restUT'- si

With the c
liorneo is the
equator passii

WIFT) TRIRES AND TIIi:iR CTRIdUS Cl'STOMS.

l.Sl

ciKiMc the sailors to pass into the interior of the cano -s. In the illustru-
li'>n a man is slxu enierL;in;4 from the hat', h ofUu; outer i an or. Upon this
platform is erected a sort of ileck-house fn' the principal person (,n hoaril,
and on the top of the deck-house is a platform i>n whiJi stantls the ca[)-
taiii of the ve.->>el, so that he may j.d\e liis orders from this elevated po>,i-
ti'iM, like the captain of a steamboat from the paddK-hnx orhriil-e. Thi^
j)o»iti<'n also enables him to trace the course of the turtle if they should b..
< njija-ed in the profitable chase of that reptile.

The mode Mfniana^inti the vessel is (.•.xtrenulv in-'eiiious. The shirt
mast works on a pi\ot at the foot, and can be slacked over to eidier end of
the n'cs^jI. When the canoo is about to iret under wav, the lunf \ard is
drawn up to the he.idofthe nia^t, and tin* latter inclined, so tli.it the mast,
the yard and the deck form a lrian;^le. The hal\'ardsare tlun made fast,
and act as stays. When the vessel is wanted to [40 about, the mast is
slacked off to the other end so that the stern becomes the bow, the tack
and the sheet change jilacesand a\\a\* j^ocs the\essel on the other course,

31<'rr.v HoatiiMMi Siiiy:iii;; Soiijjs.

It will be seen that such a canoe sails e([ually well in either direction,
and, therefore, that it can be steered from either vml. The rudder is a\ery
iarL^e oar, .some twenty L'et in len;^lh, of which the blade occupies ei;;ht,
and is si.xteen inches wide. The leveraL;e of such an oar is trt'memlous,
and, in a stiff gale, se\eial men an; recpiired to work it. In order to rc-
liev'c them in some de;4ree, ruckli;r-bands are used , but e\en with this as-
sistance the men have tlifricidt}' in keepiui; the canoe to her course, and
are nearly sure to recei\'e s(Miie \er}- sliarp blows in the sitle from the han-
dieof the steerinij oar. Sometimes a sutlden j^ust ofwind, ( >r a lai;,;e wave,
will Iirinij rouiul the rudtler with such \iolence that the handle strikes a
man in the side and kills him. With all these" drawbacks, car.oe sailin;.^is
a favorite occupati<)n with the l'"ijians, who are as merry as possible while
on board, sinj^ing sone^s to encourai^^e the steersman, watchin;^ waves and
L^ivini.^ notice of them, and addin;^ to the joyous tumult by beatint^ any
drum that they nia\' happen to ha\e on board. E\en when the wiml fails,
and the canoe has to be propelled b\' t>olin;^ ifshe should be in shoal wa-
teT, or by .scullint^ if she should be too lar out at sea for the ]>. iles, the crew
ilo their work in i^ani^s, which are relie\-ed at re;^^ular interwiN, those who
are re.stinij sinj^dn;.^^ sou'^s ami encouraL^in;^^ those who are at work.

I''<Tn«'ify <>r l>yak I'irute.s.

With the exception <f Australia, which ma>' take rank as a CfMitinent,
liorneo is the lart;est island in the world. It is situated in the troj)ics, the
equator passin;^ nearlv'throui^di the centre of it, and forms the centre cjfthe

liij

.SST! '

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

1.0

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141 ilM

•i£ IlM

IL.

IlM

2.2
M

1.8

1.25

1.4

1.6

-* 6" -

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'c^l

% >

^'J^:/

/!S«

Photographic

Sciences
Corporation

23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580

(716) 873-4503

."* ^ £>

c^.

(/J

'iil

i '

S *

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'-■■ 11

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183

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

Indian Archipelago. Until late years, scarcely anything was known of
Borneo, but since the late Sir James Brooke accomplished his wonderful
scries of exploits against the piratical tribes that infested the coast for more
than a thousand miles, and destroyed all commerce, the country has been
tolerably explored, and the manners and customs of its inhabitants 'nves-
tigated. It is thought that the number of Dyaks (as the natives of Bor-'
nco are called) does not exceed forty thousand, many tribes of which have
never been near the sea. The sea Dyaks are about three times as numer-
ous as the land D}-aks, and are at the present day much what the old sea-
kings were in days gone hy. They are essentially a nation of rovers, li\--
ing by pirac\-. They are taller than the Land Dyaks, who seldom exceeti
five feet six inches in height, and much fairer in complexion. The skin of
the Land Dyak is brown, whereas that of the Sea Dyak is many shades
lighter, and has been comparedtothe color of a n^^w saddle — ahue which
admirabh' suits the well-developed forms of these people. They are very
proud oftheir complexion, and the women are fond ofanexcuse for throw-
ing off the jackets whicli they wear, in order to e.vhibit their smooth satiny
skins, polished and shining as if of new bronze.

Pirates aiul tlioir Boats.

In order to show at a glance the appearance of various t''ibes of Bornc-
ans, two D}'aks are represented in the engraving, llu' left hand figure
represents an Illinoan pirate. These men are found on the n^ >rth-western
coast of Borneo, not very much above the island of Labuan. The Illino-
ans possess many large and formidable war boats, which are armed in the
bows with a \er\- large gun, and ha\-e, after the fashion of Bornean boats,
an upper deck, whicli serves asaj^latform for the combatants and a shelter
for the rowers, who sit beneath. There is a small cabin astern tor the cap-
tain, abr)ut the size of a dog kennel, but the boats ha\e no other sleeping
accommodation. The paddles with which the rowers j)ropcl the vessel are
shaped rather curiously, looking at a distance like mere sticks with flat
disks of wood fastened to their ends. The boats arc steered by an oar
rudder at the starboard side of the stern, and each is furnished with a mast
and huge sail, which can be raised in a few minutes and struck in almost
as many seconds. Although the Illinoans arc wealth}- tribes, and possess
quantities of fire-arms, they are rather afraid to use these weapons, and
trust in preference to the spear and parang.

The Illinoans were instrumental in the murder of twonatiw chiefs who
were friendly to the F.ngHsh, and who had been su.spected of aitling the
cession of Labuan. Oneofthem, named Bud-ruddeen, a man of celebrity
as a warrior, did not fall unavenged. When the enemy approached he re-

tired to his
whom Vvou
to the very
dangerousl
inner chani

and then, fir
there in rcac
The othe
south-easter
of the men.

WILD TRIBES AN'3 THEIR CURIOUS CUSTOMS.

183

tired to his house, totjether with his faxorite wife ant! his sister, neither of
whom would lea\e him. By theaidofhis followers, he fought desperately
to the very last, until nearly all his men were killed, and he himself was
dani^erously wounded. He then retired with his wife and sister into an
inner chamber, while the enemy crowded into the house in search of hi n

AN ILLIXOAN TIRATl': AND SAGIIAI HVAK.

and then, firing his pistol into a barrel of gunpowder which he had placed
there in readiness, blew to pieces himself, his two relatix'es, and his enemies.
The other figure represents a Saghai Dyak. This tribe lives on the
south-eastern coast of Borneo, and is remarkable f )r the superb costumes
t)f the men, who ha\e about them an air of barbaric splendor, which they

"iiiia

lit! '■

III 1 lifllilM

iifll

, !

I !

I!| ; i

ii )

pi'

(

l:,' i

fl!>l

i i

t '

r'l

184

EARTH, SEA. AND SKY.

are exceedingly fond of displaying. Wearing in common with all Dyaks,
the chawat or waist cloth, they take a pride in adorning themselves with
short <■ ii:s made of tiger or leopard skin, or rich and embroidered cloth;
while on their heads they wear magnificentcapsmadeof monkey-skin, and
decorated with the beautiful feathers of the Argus pheasanc, two of the
largest feathers being placed so that one droops over each ear. All these
r3yaks have a very singular profile, in consequence of their habit of filing
their teeth and so reducing their bulk, those who have concave teeth pre-
senting the most curious outline.

Comparatively slight and ft;eble as the Dyaks look by the side of the
stalwart an^l muscular European, their strength is really wonderful, and
enables them to perform tasks which the powerful white man could not
by any possibility achieve. On a journey, when a European has fallen
from sheer fatigue, a Dyak has taken the burden with which the fallen
man was laden, and added it to his own, without seeming to display any
particular sense of having increased his own labor ; and when the stran-
ger, in spite of the relief, has lain down in absolute inability to move, a
little wiry Dyak, has picked him up, put him on his back, and proceeded
on his journey with perfect ease.

Aiiiaziii;ijr Strength of liittle Dyaks.

The Dyaks are able, in some astonishing manner, to penetrate with
compaiative ease through jungles which are absolutely impervious to
luu'opeans. One of these men, while on the man h with .some English
soldiers, exhibited his strength in a very unexpected manner. The path
was a terrible one, all up and down steep and slippery hills, so that the
Chinese coolies who accompanied the party first threw away their rice,
and lastly sat down and H'ept like v "dren. The English sergeant, a vet-
eran, accustomed to ha-d marching, both in China and India, broke down
at the first hill, and declared his inability to move another step under the
load which he carried. The commander of the party asked one of the
Dyaks to carry the sergeant's burden, and promised him an additional
piece of tobacco. The man was delighted with the proposal, and accepted
it. He was already carrying food for three weeks, his whole store of
clothes, one twelve-pound shot, two twelve-pound cartridges, a double-
barrelled gun, a hundred rounds of ball cartridge, and his own heavj'
sword and spear. Such a load as this, which would be almost too great
even for a man walking on good roads, .seemed a mere trifle to the agile
Dyak, who went lightly and easily up and down paths which the for-
eigners could hardly traverse even without having to carry anything ex-
cept their own weight.

WILD TRIBES AND THEIR CURIOUS CUSTOMS.

185

So little indeed, was he incommoded, that he strapped the whole of the
sergeant's kit on his back, and walked off as easily as if the whole load
were but a feather weight. No one who has not actually trax'erscd those
paths can form an idea of the miseries attending the journey. The j)aths
themselves are bad enough, but in addition to the terribly severe labor of
walking, the traveller has to endure mosquitoes, sand-flies, intense heat
at mid-day, \nd intense cold at night, thirst, wet, and every imaginable
discomfort.

Yet the native seems quite easy in the journey, and gets over the
ground in a manner that is absolutel}' exasperating to foreigners who
accompany him. He is able to push his way through prickly thickets
and morasses in a way which seems almost inpenetrable. Indeed, he says
himself that it is impenetrable, and that he achieves these feats by means
of certain charms v/hich he carries about with him.

Physical Feats of Savage Tribes.

The extraordinary agility of the natives of Borneo finds a rival in the
physical endurance and rem.arkable nimbleness of our own Indian tribes.
The game which is most characteristic of the American Indians is the
celebrated ball game, a modification of which goes under the name of La
Crosse. The principle on which it is played is exactly that of foot-ball
and hockey, namely, the driving of a ball through a goal defended by the
opposite party. We will describe the game as it is played by the Choc-
taws.

A ball is carefully made of white willow wood and ornamented with
curious designs drawn upon it with a hot iron. The ball-sticks, or rac-
quets, are much like our own racquets, but with larger and more slender
handles, and with a very much smaller hoop. Each player carries two
of these sticks, one in each hand. The dress of the players is very simple,
being reduced to the waist-cloth, a tail made of white horse-hair or quills,
and a mane of dyed horse-ha-'r round the neck. The belt by which the
tail is su.stained may be as highly ornamented as possible, and the player
may paint himself as brilliantly as he likes, but no other article of cloth-
ing is allowed, not even moccasins on the feet.

On the evening of the appointed day, the two parties repair to the
ground where the goals have already been set up, some two hundred
yards apart, and there perform the ball-play dance by torchlight. Ex-
actly in the middle between the goals, where the ball is to be started, sit
four old medicinemen, singing and beating their drums, while the players
are clustered round their respective goals, singing at the top of their
voices, and rattling their ball-sticks together. This dance goes on dur-

l^v#

lit *

186

EARTH, SEA AND SKY.

in^ the whole of the ni<^ht, so tliat the players are totally deprived of
rest — a very bad preparation, as one would think, for the severe exertion
of the eiisuini^ day. All the bets are made on this nii^ht, the article
staked, such as knives, blankets, t;uns, cookin;^ utensils, tobacco, and
even lu)rses and doc^s, beii\L( placed in the custt)dy of the stakeholders,
who sit by them and watch them all ni^^iit.

The Kxeitiii^ Coiitost IJoj^^ius.

About nine o'clock on the next mornin;^ the play be<jins. The four
medicine men, with the ball in their custody, seat themselves as before,
midway between the !_^oals, while the players arran;^e themselves for the
attack and defence. At a i^iven sii^nal the ball is ilun;^ hiyh in the air,
ami as it falls, the two opposin;^ sets of pla)'ers conversj^e upon it. .Vs
there are often sc\eral hundred pla)-. rs on each sitle, it may be imagined
that the scene is a most animated one.

In these desperate .strut;q;les for the ball, where hundreds are rumiinLj
to,;ether, and leapin;^ actually o\er each other's heads, and darting be-
tween their atkersaiies' legs, irii)ping, and throwing, and foiling each
other in e\er\- possible maimer, and ev'ery voice raised to its highest key,
in shrill yelps and barks, there are rniMd successions of feats and incidents
that astonish and amuse far beyond he conceptit)n of an}' one wlu) has
not hatl the singular good luck to witness them.

Tn these struggK;s, e\ cry mode is used that can be dex'ised to oppose
the progress of the foremost, who is likely to get the ball; and these ob-
structions often ine.'t tlesperate indi\'idual resistance, which terminates in
a violent scuflh'.an 1 sonietimes in fisticuffs. Then their sticks are drop-pcd,
and the i)cUlies are umnolested, whilst they are settling it between them-
sel\-es, except by a general stampede to which those are sul)ject who are
ilown, if the ball ha^jpen to pass in their direction, lu'cry ^vea[)on, by a
rule of ail ball jilax-ers, is laitl b\' in tlie respective encam[)ments, and no
man is allowed to go for one; so that the sudden broils that take place
on the gror.nd are presumed to be as sucklenly settled without any proba-
bilit\' of personal injur}', and no one is allowed to interfere in any way
with the contentious indi\'iduals.

A Very Lively Seriiuinag-e.

There are times when the ball gets to the ground, antl sucl: a confused
mass is rushing together around it, and knocking their sticks together
without a possibilit}' of anyone getting or .seeing it for the dust that the}'
raise, that the spectator loses his strength, and ever}'thing but his senses;
when the condensed mass of ball sticks and shins and bloody noses is car-
ried around the different parts of the ground, for a quarter of an hour at a

^^ i

WILD TRIBES AND THEIR CURIOUS CUSTOMS.

18V

time, without any one of the masses being able to see the ball, uhich
they are often scuffling for several minutes after it has been thrown (^((
and played over another part of the ground.

For each time that the ball was passed between the L;oals of either
part)', one was counted for their game, and they halted for about one
minute when the ball was again started by the judges ul" the l)la\-, and a
similar struggle ensued ; and so on until the successful part)- ani\(.d at

A\ i:XCiriN(i INDIAN UAI.L (iA.Mi:.

lOO, which was the limit of the play, when they took the stakes. In this
game the players are not allowed to strike the ball with their sticks, or
catch it in their hands; though to do so between the netted ends of the
sticks, and then to run away with it, is a feat \\ hich each player tries his
best to accom[)lish.

Sometimes the men are kind enough to indulge the women with a ball-
play, and to present a quantity of goods as prizes, hanging them across a
a horizontal pole, in order to stimulate the players by the sight. Such

t }

['■)

Iff

188

EARTH, SEA, AND SKV

inferior beings as women arc not, however, allowed to use the ball and rac-
quet of their superiors, the men, but play with a couple of small ba_i;s filled
with sand, and attached to each other by means of a string about eighteen
inches in length. ICach of the pla\'ers is furnished with two slight sticks,
about two feet in length, and with these sticks the)- dexterously catch the
sandbags, and ih'ng them toward '.':e goals. The women play withciuite a-;
much enthusiasm as the men, and ti. ■ game often assumes the appearance
of a i'"eneral battle rather than of a i)astime.

A Ileniarliablo Old Iliiiitor.

The strength and agility vvdiich characterize the savage tribes extentl
in many instances into advanced age, so that at a period of life when
civilized races would expect only feebleness and bodily decay, we find
those races which live nearest to a state of natu'-e exhibiting suri)rising
bodily vigor. Baker, in his animated narrative of his travels through
Africa, gives a picturesque description of an old native engaged in the
dangerous pursuit of hunting the hippopotamus.

He says: One of the old llamran hunters, named Abou Do — an ab-
breviated version of a very long string of names — was celebrated as a
howarti, or hippopotamus hunter. This fine old man, some seventy years
of age, was one of the finest corceivible specimens of humanit}-. In
spite of his great age, his tall form, six feet two in height, was as straight
as in early youth, h's gray locks hung in thick curls over his shoulders,
and his bronze features were those of an ancient statue. Despising all
encumbrances of dress, lie stepped from rock to rock as lightly as a goat,
and, dripping with water, and bearing his spear in his hand, he looked a
very Neptune. The hunters came upon a lierd of hippopotami in a pool,
but found that they were too much awake to be .safcK' attacked.
The Veteran Plunges into the Torrents.

About half a mile below this .spot, as we clambered over the intcrxcn-
ing rocks through a gorge which formed a powerful rai)id, I observed, in
a small pool iust below the rapid, an immense head of a hippopotamus
close to a per^. ;ndicular rock that formed a wall to the ri\er, about six
feet abo\e the surface. I j)ointed out the hippo to old Abou Do, who
had not seen it. At once the gravity of the old Arab disappearctl, and
the energy of the hunter was exhibited as he motioned us to remain,
while he ran nimbly behind tho thick screen of bushes for about a lum-
dred and fift;\' \-ards below the spot where the hippo was unconsciously
basking, with his head above the surface. Plunging into the rapid tor-
rent, the veteran hunter was carried so;ne distance down the stream, but,
breasting the powerful current, he landed upon the rocks on the opposite

side, ai
toward
fine xk
Iiij:)po,

Abo I
he had

fll

WILD TRinES AND THEIR CURIOUS CUSTOMS.

ISO

side, and, rctirin;.; to some distance from the river, he quic]-;!)- advanced
toward the spot beneath wliich tiie hippopotamus was l\■inL,^ I had a
fine \iew (if the scene, as I was lyintj concealed exactl)' opposite the
hippo, who had disappeared beneath the water.

Abou D(j now stcakhily approached the ledge of rock IxMieath which
he had expected to see tJ\e head of the animal ; his li)nL,-,sine\v)- arm was

THE OLD ARAB ATTACKING TIIE HirPOPOTAMUS.

raised, with the harpoon read\' to strike as he carefully advanced. At
length he reached the edge of the perpendicular rock, the hippo had van-
ished, but, far from exhibiting surprise, the old Arab remained standing
on the sharp ledge, unchanged in attitude.

No figure of bronze could have been more rigid than that of the old
river-king, as he stood erect upon the rock with the left foot advanced,

V14.1

Uii

ino

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

and the liarpion poised in his '-^ady ri;^ht hand above his head, while m
the I'Tc lie heltl ihe loose coils f.f rope attachetl to the anihatch buoy.
Vor about three minute.; lie stood like a statue, t,^azin_L^ intently into the
clear and deep water beneath his feet.

I watclu.'d ea;^ferl\' forth.' reappearance of the hippo; the surface of
the water was still barreMi, when suddenly the right arm of the statue
descended like Iit;htninc,f, and the liarpoon shot perpendicularl)- into the
pool with the speed of an arrow. What river-fiend answered to the suiu-
nions ? In an instant an enormous pair of open jaws appcarcil, f illowed
b\' the uuL^ainly head and form of the furious hi}:)popotamus, who, s[)rinL;-
in;4 half out c^f the water, lashed the river into a foam, and, disdaining;-
the concealment of the deep pool, he charged straight up the \iolent
rapids. With extraordinary power he breasted tlie descendiuij stream ;
gaining a footing in the rapids, about (\\c feet deep, he ploughed his way
against the broken wa\-es, si:ndingthem in showers of .sj)ray upon all sitles,
and upon gaining broader shallows he tore ah^nij through the water, with
the buo\-ant float hopping b.-hintl him along the surface, until lie landed
from till- ri\-er, started at full gallop ahjng the dry shingly bed, and at
length disappeared ''n the thorny jungle.

The 3lii<l<l<MUMl Ii«>;isl ("liarj'iiij'' at Mis Foes.

During one of these llights, the hippopotamus tO(.)k it into his head,
that the ambatch f \'it was the enemy that was damaging him, and
attacked it furiously. Taking athantage of his pre-occupation, two hun-
ters swam across the ri\-cr, carr\-ing with them a \cvv long cuid toui'h
rope, and holding one end on each bank and " sweeping," as the sailors
.sa}', they soon caught the float in the centre of the rope and brought it
ashore. The hippopotamus then made a charge, and the slackenciJ
line was immediately coiled round a rock, while two hunters fi.xed
additional harpoons in the animal ; and though he made si.K charges at
his f)es, bit one of the ropes asunder, and crushed the lance-shafts
between his teeth like straws, the hard}' hunters got the better of him,
and his death was onl}- a matter of time.

In the water, the crocodile is e\('i^ a more dangerous antagonist th;in
the hippopotamus, and yet the Ilamrans attack it with their harpoons,
boldly entering the water, and caring no more for crocodiles than fir so
man\' frogs.

The great agility of some sa\-age tribes is wonderfully displa}-ed in
their \-arious dances, many of which, while being' wild and grotescpie, aiv
yet such as to astonish the beholder. A traveller gi\'es us a \-i\'id picture
of a scene witnessed once among the D\-aks. Two warriors had been

r-.

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ii m^^^

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I iili

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B 4

192

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

(l.incii\i; in a riiv^^ wIk-ii, acconliiiL; to custom, luiinau heads just captured
in battle were suddenly presented.

The appearance of the heads \\as a si<;n for the music to play louder,
for the war crv of the natives to be more energetic, and f >r the scream^
of the danceis to be more piercing. Their motions now became more
ra[)id, and the excitement in proportion. Their e}'es glistened with
unwonted brightness, the i)erspiration dropped down their faces; and
thus did N'elling, dancing, gongs, and tom-toms become more rapid ami
more \iolcnt ever\' minute, till the dancing warriors were ready to droj).
A farewell \ell, with emphasis, was gi\-en In- the surrounding warriors;
immediately the music ceased, the danceis disa[)[)eared, and the tumultu-
ous excitcnuiit and noi-^e were succeeded by a d 'ad silence.

-V ([uai'ter of an hour elapsed, and the |)reparations were made for
another martial tiance. This was performed b\' two of the Rajah's son^.
They came forward, each luu ing on his arm one of tlie large D)-ak
shields, and in the centre of the cleared space were two long swords l\'in;.;-
on llij floor. The ceremc^ny of shaking hands was g(nic through ; the
music then struci: up, and they entered the arena.

Nimble .■>Iov«'iu<'iits and Loml AVar ('ri<'s.

At first the}- confined themseh'cs to e\-olutions of defence, springing
Uou\ cine side to tlie other with wonderful cpiickness, keeping tlu.i;-
shields in front of them, falling on one knee, and perf)rming \arious
feats of agility. After a short time, the\' each seized a sword and th.n
the display was \-ery remarkable, and proved what ugl\' customers the)-
nnist be in single conflict. Biows in even- direction, feints (.f ever\-
description, were made by both, but inwiriably received upon the shield.
Cumbrous as these shields were, no oi)ening was left; retreating, pursu-
ing, dodging, and striking, the body was never exposed.

Occasional!}-, during this performance, the war cr}' was given b}' tiic
surrounding warriors, but the combatants held their peace; in fact, the}-
could not ai'ford to open their mouths, lest a point should be exposed.
It was a most masterly performance.

After a while these performers became too tired to proceed without
refreshment, and their place was taken by four or five others, carrying
blocks of wood having a feather at each end. The foreign guests took
tiiese objects to represent canoes, but were told that they were rhinoceros
hornbills, and were thought by all competent judges to be fine works of
art. Suddenly a number of gongs were beaten, and over the mass of
human beings arose swords, heads, rhinoceros hornbills, and cat-o-nine-
tails in profusion, the Dyaks being for the time half mad with excitement

II ill

'iWt

1 n

1 u

iJR

chapter vii.
curiositip:s of the animal kingdom.

iVonderful Revelations in Natural History — Vast Multitudes of Living Creatures-
Earth, Air and Water tlie Home of Life— Colossal Monstersof Forest and Junj^lc
— The Towering Giraffe— Ludicrous Movements— A Ikautiful Creature— Pouf.r
of Seif-Defense— The Giraffe in the Old Roman Circus— A Swift Chase and
Capture — The Striped Zebra— The Most Beautiful of Quadrupeds — The King of
Portugal and his Four Zebras— A Creature Hard to be Tamed— Animal Sacri-
fices in Eastern Countries — The Ponderous Rhinoceros — Made to Fig'.it in tlie
Roman Coloseum — A Monster Almost Iron Plated — Haunts of the Clumsy
Beast — Hunting the Rhinoceros — I-^atal Stroke with a Sword — Story of a Terri-
ble Encounter — The Voracious Crocodiles— Killed at Roman Games — Arabj
Wounded by Crocodiles — A Friendly Bird— Tlie Attack with a Dagger -The
Famous Gavial of India— A Reptile on Wind's — The Flying Frog— A Reptile
with Exquisite Colors.

AVTNG given a full description of the antediluvian world and
the sinf:jular animals — monsters they may truly be called —
which inhabited it ; havin^; depicted *he extraordinary changes
which have been going on for many ages, resulting in the for-
mation of our globe as we see it at the present time ; having witnessed
the great convulsions which have desolated cities and destroyed multi-
tudes of human beings, and beheld the fiery outburst of volcanoes with
their startling phenomena; having traversed distant realms and observed
the curious features in the life of savage tribes, we are now to turn our
attention to the animal creation in its [)rcsent aspect'", and notice the
latest and most extraordinary developments in the great realm of natural
history.

In whatever direction we turn our eyes, we everywhere meet the varied
forms of animal life. Earth, air, water, are all alike occupied b)- multi-
tudes of living creatures, each fitted especially for the habitation assigned
to it by nature. Every wood or meadow, every tree or shrub, or tuft of
grass has its inhabitants; even beneath the surface of the ground, nimi-
bers of animals may be found fulfilling the purposes for which their
species were called into r <istence. Myriads of birds dash through the
air, supported on their i'c .. -lered pinions, or solicit our attention b\' the
charming song which they pour forth from their resting-places; while
swarms of insects, with still lighter wings, dispute with them the empire
13 (19;])

'' '■■ sIMWt

■■'■:'
It"

194

EARTH, SEA, AND SKV.

1! ^ . i

of the air. Tlie wai'^rs, whether salt or fresh, are als(j filled with h'ving
organisms; fishes of many forms and varied colors, and creatures of yet
more strange appearance, swim silently through their depths, and then-
shores are covered with a jorofusion of polypes, sponges, star-fishes, and
other animals. To whatever elevation we attain on the mountain-sides,
to wliat ,'ver tlepth in the ocean we may sink the lead, everywhere shall we
find traces of animal existence, everywhere fifd ourselves surrounded by
living creatures, in a profusion and variety ' aich may well excite our
wonder and admiration.

Nor are these phenomena confined to any region of the earth ; on the
contrary, the diversity of clima*^e only adds to the variety of objects
which the zoologist is called upon to contemplate. Thus the bold
voyager of the inclement regions of the North, in losing sight of those
productions of nature which met his eyes at home, finds, as it were, a
new creation in his new abode, — seals, by the hundred, basking in the
scanty rays of the Arctic sun; or diving into the deep waters in search
of their finny prey, and the whale, rolling his vast bulk in the waves, and
ever and an^n driving high into the air his curious fountain of spray.
The air is peopled by innumerable flights of marine birds ; the sea b}-
still more countless swarms of fishes ; and the land affords a habitation to
the elk and the reindeer, the Arctic fox, and other creatures peculiar to

those regions.

Amazing- Abundance of Animal Lite.

If we tuin our steps southward, to the tropical regions of the earth,
the abundance and variety of animated beings increase more and more.
Here the colossal elephant and the unwieldy rhinoceros, crash through
primeval forests; the lion and the tiger, and other predatory beasts, prowl
through the thickets, seeking for their prey ; on \-ast plains, countless
herds of antelopes browse in fancied security, or dash swifdy past at the
approach of danger ; gigantic snakes lie coiled in horrid folds among the
bushes, or hang from the trees awaiting their victims. The air and trees
swarm with birds of gorgeous plumage, and insects of strange forms and
brilliant colors. Nor are the waters less bountifully provided with inhabi-
tants : every form with which we are acquainted in our own seas is here
represented, but with still greater profusion and variety.

Full nature swarms with life.
Through subterranean cells,

Where searching sunbeams scarce can find a way,
Earth animated heaves. The flowery leaf
Wants not its soft inhabitants. Secure
Within its winding citadel, the stone

member rou;

CURIOSITIES OF THE ANIMAL KINGDOM.

l'J5

Holds multitudes. lUit chief, the fortst boughs,
That dance unnumbered to the playful breeze.
The downy orchard and the melting pulp
Of mellow fruit, the nameless nations feed
Of evanescent insects. Where the pool
Stands mantled o'er with greeti, invisible,
Amid the floating verdure, millions stray.

Thu.s wc are cnconipas.scd with the niarvelou.s. On every haiul there
are creations, some of extraordinary magnitude, others of surprisint^ niin
utcness, which awaken our curiosity ; and in studying these \arieil forms
of life we find a new wonder at every step.

An Aiiiinal of Il<'iuark:iblo lloivfiit and IScsiiity.

It malces little difference where we begin in our delineation. We will
take a trip to tlie tropics, and get a view of one of its most curious and in-
teresting animals — the giraffe. The giraffe — which has been humorously
described as " an antelope run to seed" — is fon>. of a wooded country.
The leaves of trees are its principal food, antl especially a species of mi-
nio.sa. Green herbs are also very agreeable to it ; but its structure does
not admit of its feeding on them in the same manner as our domestic
animals, the ox or the horse. It is obliged to straddle widely; its two
fore feet are graduall}' stretched widel\' apart from each other, and its
neck, being then bent into a semicircular form, the giraffe is thus enabled
to collect the grass. The tongue, also, has the power of motion to an e.x-
traordinary degree, and, at the same time, one of extension, so as to per-
form, in miniature, the office of an elephant's proboscis. Coiling this
member round the branches of trees, it draws them down between its
\ciy movable and flexible lips, and tlius nips off the tender portions. The
tongue can taper to a point, and is capable of being formed into a ring.

This remarkable animal is distinguished from all the other ruminants
or cud-chewing animals, by several important characteristics. The body
is short and supported upon very long legs; the dorsal line slopes down-
ward toward ti.-, i amp, the withers being greatly elevated, and from this
it was long confidently asserted that the fore-legs were much longer than
the hinder pair, althougli this is not the case. The neck is excessively
long, and the countenance exceedingly gentle and pleasing in its expres-
sion, the eyes being remarkably full and lustrous. The giraffe is the
tallest of all ruminants, the males not uncommonly measuring fourteen
and sometimes eighteen feet from the top of the head to the groimd. The
females are usually a foot or two shorter.

The giraffe is not a ver>' swift animal, and when pursued its gallop is
described as exceedingly ludicrous, the hind-legs being brought f irward

I "\

hi >

THE GIKA.FFE OR CAMLLUrAKD.

(lOG)

CURIOSITIES OF THE ANIMAL KINCiUOM.

197

at each step completely in adwance of the anterior (Mics, apparently a foot
or two on the outside of them; in this fashior the giraffes contri\c to get
over the ground pretty rapidly, with a curious springing motion. A\cry
swift horse may possibly overtake them, and the rider may then select
his victim from the herd, cut it off from its companions, and sh(v t it at
his leisure. When g"ing at full speed the heels of the giraffe constantly
throw up dirt, sticks, and stones in tlie faces of its nearest pursuers, but it
never appears to attempt to defend itself imless brought to !?ay ; in this
case it; weapons arc its hoofs, with which it kicks out so rajjidly and
vitrorousl\- that do'^s will not \'enture to attacic it, and it is e\en said that
it can beat off the lion in the same manner. Tlu: flesh of tlvj^e animals,
when young, is considered very good ; that of the old ones is coarse. The
skin is very thick" and hi-j-hh- \alued by the natives of South .\frica, who
consider the leather formed from it to be the best material for sanchil soles.
They also u.se the skin in ihc fc iination of vessels to hold water, aiul
sometimes as a covering for their huts.

Colossal Size autl Grace of 3Iov<'nieiit.

Cunnning gives us the following li\-ely description of the giralTe, at
libcrt}' in his native regions:

Tliese gigantic and e\([iiisitel\' beautiful animals, which are admirably
formed by nature to adorn the forests that clothe the boundless plains of
the interior, are widcl)- distributed throughout the interior of Southern
.Africa, but are nowhere to be met with in great numbers. In coimtries
unmolested by the intrusive foot of man, the giraffe i.: found generallv- in
herds \-arying from twelve to sixteen ; but I lia\e not unfrequentl\' met
with herds containing thirty indi\-itlua]s, and on one occasion I counted
fortv together; this, however, was owing to chance, antl about si.xteen
may be reckoned as the a\"erage number of a herd. These herds ai'c
composed of giraffes of \arious sizes, from the young giraffe of nine or ten
feet in height, to the dark chestnut-colored old bull of the herd, who.se ex-
alted head towers above his c ompanions. Some writers ha\'e discovered
ugliness and a want of grace in the giraffe, but I consider that he is one
of the most .strikingly beautiful animals in the creation ; and when a herd
of them is seen scattered through a grove of the picturesque parasol-
topped acacias which adorn their native plains, and on whose uppermost
shoots they are enabled to browse by the colossal height with which na-
ture has so admirably endowed them, he must, indeed, be slow of concep-
tion who fails to discover both grace and dignity in all their movements.

It is very difficult, almost impossible, to take a mature giraffe ali\'e ;
for they run with such speed and with a succession of such wonderful

■IN

% fliri^^

'*.

\\\ mm

li).S

EARTH, .SI:A, and SkV.

H«^

bounds, that the swiftest horses can scarce!)- oxertake them. Tn order to
cai-ture them, the jjeriod when the j-ouhl,^ are suckhni^s i.- .'.elected, when,
if the captor is fortunate enough to keep the younj^ster ah\e for a few
da\-s, it becomes ([uiet, ani! even tame; but very often the poor cajjtive
refuses all nourishment, and dies of consumption.

Tlu-s Foos of tlK' fiiiaflV-.

Tile chief enemies of the giraffe are the lion and ])anthcr. In the open
plain i; distances them with ease ; but if it is surpri.sed from ambush, it
exhibits both coi'.rage and strength in resisting its assailant, striking with
its forefeet with such f )rce as to prove occasionall}' fatal to the f >e; but
too frequently its efforts are unaxailing. The giraffe must number man
also among its enemies. Tiic Hottentots hold its fiesli in higli esteem.
llv ^y.vr^ in wait f(^r it at a favorite feeding or watering-place tlu)- shoot
it with poisoned arrows. The more frequent use of Hre-arms in hunting
this beautiful animal will certainly before long lead to a comi)lete annihila-
tion of these wonderful and docile creatures.

Ihe ancients were acquainted with the giraffe, bi the Kg}-ptian paint-
ings or bas-reliefs wdiich ha\'e been handed down to us, there are figures
Avhich represent it; Plin\-, Oppian, and Heliodorus also make mention of
it. The Romans possessed living specimens of this animal, which the)-
exhibited in their circuses, and it apjjcared in the processioti >4' the
"Triumph." Several giraffes were introduced into Europe during the
miiidle ages. Buff^JU was unable personally to examine this animal ; but
the illustrious tra\'eller, Lexaillant, who died almost in povert)', after
li;i\ing sacrificed his fortune to long and {)erilous journeys in .Vfrica, sent
the Zoological Garden, at Paris, the first stuffed giraffe which that institu-
tion possessed.

A Siicce.s.sliil Capture.

Levaillant thus gi\es a description of the chase by which he became
possessed of this rare animal: I began one day to hunt at sunrise, in the
hope of fuiding game to aild to m)- provisions. 7\fter hours of riding, I
percei\ed on a brow of a hill seven girafles, which ni)- dogs imniediately
attacked. .Six of these immediatel)' took- flight in the same direction, but
the seventh, surrounded b\- ni)- hounds, went off another wa)-. At this
moment my companion was walking and leading his horse b)' the bridle;
in less than a second, he was in his saddle and pursuing the herd. I fol-
lowed the single one with all speed ; but, notwithstanding the efforts of
my horse, it gained so much on me that, on turning a corner of a hillock,
it was quite out of sight, so I relinquished the pursuit. My dogs, how-
ever, were not long in reaching it; f(>r the\' soon came so near as to force

•4,1 ''ij

GIRAFFES IN TIIKIR NATIVE KESOKTS,

(199)

' w

* s.

i' fe-

200

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

it to com<' to a lialt to defend itself. From where I \va. I heard them
baying ; and as the sounds seemed all to come from the same place, I
conjectured that the hounds had driven it into a corner, so inmiediately
hurried towards tne spot.

I had scarcely reached the top of the acclivity, when I perceived the
C'iraffe surrounded, and <;ndeavoring to keep off its as.sailants, by kicking.
I laving dismounted, with one shot from my rifle I knocked it over.
Delighted with my \-ictory, I was returning on foot to call my people
round mc to skin and cut up the animal. While I was looking for them
I saw a native, who was eagerly making signs to me, which at first I
could not Ml liie least understand. But on looking in the direction in
which he was pointing, I percei\ed, with surprise, a giraffe standing up
under a large ebon}' tree, and attacked b}' my dogs. I thought it was
another one, and ran towards it, but found it was the animal I liad first
attacked, which had managed to get up again, but fell down dead just
as I was about to fire a second shot.

Who would believe that a success like this could e.xcite in my mind
transports of joy almost akin to madness ! Pain, fatigue, cruel want, un-
certainty as to the future, and disgust at the past, all vanished, at the sight
of my rare prize ; I could not look at it enough. I measured its enormous
height, and gazed with astonishment from the mstrument of destruction
to the animal destroyed b\' it. I called and recalled my people, one by
one ; and though each of them might ha\e been able to do as much, and
we had all slaughtered heavier and more dangerous animals, yet I was
the first to kill one of this particular kind ; with it I was about to enrich
natural history, and, putting an end to fiction, establish the truth.
An Aniiual Klejjaiitly Formed and 3Iarked.

The zebra, sometimes called the horse-tiger, is generally esteemed not
only the most beautiful of the equine family, but one of the most beau-
tiful of quadrupeds, on account of the markings of its .skin. The
ground color is white, or yellowish-white, but the head, body, and
legs to th'» hoofs are regularly striped, mosth- crosswi.se, with deep
brown-black bands, lighter in the middle. From this form of marking
,ve have the word :^cbracd, significant of a regular banding of the skin of
an animal. The ears of the zebra are long, the neck short and deep,
with a sort of dewlap under the throat, produced by a loose fold of the
skin ; the mane is short, and the tail "parsely clad with long hair. The
form resembles that of the ass, but the size nearly equals that of the
horse. Wild and swift, this .species lives in troops in the bold ranges of
craggy mountains remote from the abode of man. Its disposition is

'»fl^

w*^

.' 1

■i ».;

WII.D ZKIJKAS 01' SOUTHERN Al'RICA.

(201)

11 r

Im-.

§ fl

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2(12

EAF^TH, SEA. AND SKY.

S'lva^c and inuactahlc, and it is by no means casil)' obtained, not only
from its llcctncss, but iVoin the nature (>f the locaHties it freiiuents, where,
'ike tlie wild ass (jf Thibet, in tlie " wilderness and the barren lan<l is his
dwelling; he scornetii the multitude of the city." Ncvertiieless, ze'M-as
have been taken to Europe and jilaced in the menageries. All attcn^.Dts
to domesticate them, or *o train them to the service of man, ha\e failed-
about p. century ago, however, the King of Portugal had four of them,
which he sometimes drove harnessed to his carriage.

The zebra is larger than the wild ass, sometimes attaining the size of a
mature Arab horse. Thi.s elegant animal is a nativi: of the Cape of Good
Hope, and probably the whole of southern, and a part of eastern, Vfrica.
Irax-ellers state that the}' ha\-e met with it in Congo, Guinea, and v\bys-
sinia. It delights in mountainous countries, anil, although it is less rapid
than the wild ass, its paces are so gootl that the best horses are alone able
to overtake it. The zebra lives in di()\cs, but is very shy in its nature;
it is endowed with powers of sight that enable it to perceive from great
distances the approach of hunters. It is, consequentl}', very difficult to
capture a mature living specimen.

That it is impossible to reduce this quadruped to a domestic .state is
currently beiieved. In contradiction, we would state that a female zebra,
which had been caught young, and .sent b)- the Governor of the Cape
of Good Hope to the Zoological Gardens in Paris, was so tractable that
it allowed itself to be approached and led almost as rcadih- as a horse.
The zebra was not unknown to the ancients, who called it hippo-tigris.
A historian relates that the Emperor Caracalla killed on a certain da}-, in
one of the circus combats, an elephant, a rhinoceros, a tiger, and a hipijo-
tigris. Diodorus of Sicily speaks of the hippo-tigris, although in rather
obscure terms. The kings of Persia, during certain religious festivals,
were accustomed to sacrifice zebras to the sun, a stock of which were
kept by these potentates in some of the islands of the Red Sea.

The Zebra's Native Country.

The zebra is only to be met M'ith in the most eastern and the most
soutliern parts •^f Africa, from Ethiopia to the Cape of Good Hope, and
thence to Congo; it exists neither in I^in'opc, Asia nor America, nor
e\en in all the northern jiarts of Africa; those which some travellers tell
us they have seen at the Brazils have been transported thither from Africa ;
those which others arc reported to liave seen in Persia, and in Turkey,
have been brought from Ethiopia ; ami, in short, those that we have seen
in our own country are almost all from the Cape of Good Hope. This
point of Africa is their true climate, their native country, and where the

CLRIOSITIKS OF THE ANIMAL KINGDOM.

203

Dutch lia\c ciiiplox-cd all their care to sui)jcct thcin and to iviulcr tiuiii
tainc, without haviiii^ i)ccii hitherto able to succeed. One that was cap-
tured was \-ery\\ild when lie arrixed at the royal iiiena^^erie in I'rancc ;
and he was nes'er i-ntirely tamed : nevertheless, he wa-^ broken for the sad-
ille; but two men held the bridle, while a third mounted him. The
mouth of the zebra is very hard ; his ears so .sensitive, that lie w iiues
ulienevcr an}' person goes to tf)uch them. He is restive, like a \icious
Imrse, and obstinate as a mule; but there is reason to believe, that if the
zibra were accustomed to obedience and tamcness from his earliest \ears
he would become as mild as the horse, and might be substituted in his

[ilacc.

Tlu' H(>riic<l ItliiiKX'cros.

\ow that we are describing the marvels of animal life in the tropics,
there is another singular c[uadruped, a monstrous creature, that deserves
especial mention. Rhinoceroses were much more numerous in remote
eras than the\' are at present. There have existed numerous different
species, .several of them living in temperate and e\en in cold climates — ■
a> France, German)-, and Russia. The.se animals are no longer found,
except in the hottest portions of the old World. Aristotle sa>'s nothing
of the Rhinoceros; but Athcnaeus, Pliny, and Strabo mention it in their
works. The first Rhinoceros mentioned in histor)- figured in n frtc
gi\en in Eg}'pt by one of the Kings. Later, Pompey, Augustus, the
emperors Antoninus and Heliogabalus, brought some into luirope, and
made them fight in the Coliseum, at Rome, sometimes with the hippo-
potamus, and sometimes with the elephant. We must then pass on to the
si.\teenth century to find in European history any new mention of thesj
animals. In i 5 13, P^manuel, the King of Portugal, recei\ed from India
a one-horned rhinoceros. Albert Durer made an engraving of it on
wood, which was for a long time copied and reproduced in works on
natural histoiy. Only this representation of it is ver\- ine.xact; for Albert
Durer had executed it after an incorrect drawing sent him from Lisbon
into Germany. During the eighteenth century, a rhinoceros was brought
t<y Holland; two were taken to London at the end of the same ccntur\'.
The' menagerie at Versailles bought one of these last-named animals,
which \er)' soon died. Since the beginning of our century civilized na-
tions l:a\'e rcceixed man\' of the.se gigantic and curious quadrupeds.

The great Indian rhinoceros inhabits the regions situated beyond the
Ganges, and especially the valley of Opam, along the ba.sc of the eastern
Himalaya Mountains. Its head is short and triangular; its mouth, of a
motlerate size, has an upiJer lip, which is longer than the lower, pointed

'lli**=tiMit?i

■Wl^i

\ i

204

'I ^\m.

!i|W|

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

and movable. It lias in each jaw two strnnfj incisive teeth. Its eyes arc
sniall ; its cars arc rather lon^ and mo\able. The h<irn upon its nose i>
pointed, conical, not compressed, sometimes two feet in length, and

^^^

KMt^.

THE INDIAN RHINOCEROS.

slit,ditl>- cur\-ed backwards, "^his singular weapon is composed of a clus-
ter of hairs closely adherent ; for when the point is blunted, it is often
seen divided into fibres resembling the hairs of a brush. This horn is,

however
yellow i

The n

It> sliou

with a si

furrowed

Thus, as

Indian r

cloak ha

])icces.

creases c

scared)' i

w ith a fc

curl)' wo(

Tlic gi

elephant,

three toe.'

The tail i

and near

like the w

such a pc

other larq

only servt

for itself i

ence. So

roots on v

animal, frc

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rhiiioceroj

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kept in a >
and carrot
the groun

♦III, V

cL'RiosrriEs of the animal kingdom.

205

however, vcr\- sdlid, hard, of ,i brownish red on the outside, of a golden
}-ello\v inside, and black in the centre.

A l*oii<lerou.s Armor.

Tile neck of this animal is short and covered with folds and creases.
Its shoulders are thick-set and heavy; its ponderous bod\' is covered
\vith a skin remarkable for the deep wrinkles or creases wilii which, it is
furrowed, backwards and across the forecjuarters, and across the thiijhs.
Thus, as it were, to all ap[)earancc cut up into plaits of mail, the .threat
Indian rhinocenrs seems to be covered with a cloak made for it. This
cloak has, indeetl, been compared to a suit of armor of well adjusted
pieces. The hide is, howe\er, so thick and hard that, without these
creases or folds, the animal, imprisonetl, as it were, in its armor could
scared)' mo\e. It is of a dark color, nearl\' bare, <^enerall\' provided only
w ilh a few coarse and stiff hairs on tlu- tail and ears, occasionally with
curly woolly hairs on certain parts of the body.

The great Intlian rhinoceros is heav\- and more massive than even the
elephant, on account of the shortness of its limbs. The feet have each
three toes, of which one sees nothing but the hoof which covers them.
The tail is short and thin. This huge creature lives alone in the forests
and near rivers and marshes, because it is fond of wallowing in the mud,
like the wild boar, which it sometimes resembles in its habits. Though
such a powerful animal, it rarely attacks before it is interfered with ; the
other large animals fear it, and con.sequently leave it unmolested. Its horn
onlv serves it for moving branches out of its wa\- and for clearing a road
for itself in the thickets, in the midst of which it passes its taciturn exist-
ence. Some naturalists ha\-e said that it uses its tusks for tearing up the
roots on which it is fond of feeding; but in order to turn up the soil, the
animal, from the position of its horn and from the horn being curved
backwards, would be obliged to assume an attitude which the shortness
of its neck and its general conformation render impossible. A wcumded
rhinoceros of this species has been seen to cut the reeds on either side of
it as perfectly as if done with the sharpest incisive instrument.

All UutaiueaT)le Bejist.

Its principal food consists of roots, of succulent plants, and of small
branches of trees, which it tears off, seiz.es, and breaks with its upper lip,
which is elongated and movable, and which it uses with great adroitness,
almost in the same way in which the elephant uses its trunk. When it is
kept in a state of captivity it eats bread, rice, bran soaked in water, hay,
and carrots. Its clumsy shape, its short legs, its belly almost touching
the ground, render this animal very ugly and ill-favored. Its diminutive

"I*

:« mm

1 • I

20G

EARTH. SKA AND SKV.

eyes seem to indicate a Idw order of iiUcllii^ciiii'. And so the ihinoct'ros
is a dull beast, l)iiisc[ue, and almost untanicabU'. Wlicii it is not irritated,
its voice has a ^MX-at analogy to the grunting of a [lii;; if it is angerctl it
utters sharp, piercin;^' cries, that can he iKard at great distances.

In India, in former times, the rhinoceros was hunted on li,L;ht, ([uii 1;
horses. The huntsmen followed it from afar off, and without ans' noisi>
till the animal became tired and was oblij^ed to lie down and sK'ep. Tlu ii
the sportsmen aj)proached it, takin;^ caie to keep to leeward, lor it ha> a
\er\' acute sense of smell. When tlu'\- were within shot, the\- dismounted,
auned at the head, firetl, and L;alloped away ; for if the rhinoceros is onl\-
wounded, it rushes furiousl)- upon its a^Ljj^ressors. When struck by a
bullet, it abandons itself whollv to ra^e. It rushes straisfht forwaid,
smashing!;, (n'erturnin;^, tramplin;^' under foot, ami crushiiiL;- to atoms
e\'erything which is unfortunate enous^h to be in its road. Its pursuers
can a\oid these formidable attacks b}- making digressions to the right or
left, for the course taken by tile rhinoceros is always straight aheatl, never
turning out i)f its direction or retracing its steps.

A Daiijii'i'oiis PastiiiK'.

If the Indians dare to run the risks involved in such dangerous sport,
it is because the skin and horn of the animal are of great \alue. Sports-
men also find the skin of the rhinoceros of utility : it is made into leather,
which is so hard that it <-ui onI\- l)e cut with great tlifficultv bv the best
steel. Tile Indians like the tiesh of the rhinoceros; but tile Chinese are
excessively fontl of it. Al'ter swallows' nests, lizarels' eggs, antl little
dogs, there is notiiing to be compared, according to the Cliinese, to the
tail of a rliinoceros, or to a jell\- made from tiie skin. Let us adtl, tliat
tlie Cliine.se attribute to tlie horn of this pacliyderm mar\-elous pn)per-
ties, among otliers that of destro\'ing tlie effects of tile most deatll\- poi-
.sons. The Asiatic kings, wlio had too often to l^e afraid of poi.soned
beverages, liatl their drinking-cups made of the horn of the rhinoceros;
these cups w ere considered by them of inestimable \alue.

In menageries, the Asiatic rliinoceros is generall\' a gloomy, but a
mild and obedient animal. But sometimes the constraint in wliich it is
retained gives it fits of impatience and fury, Avhen it becomes tiangerous.
In its despair it lias been known to dash its head \iolently against the
walls of its stable. Generally, however, it recognizes its keeper's au-
thority, and shows itself conscious of his presence and grateful to liim for
his care. Tiie African rhinoceros was known to the ancients, for its effiij-v
is found on medals struck in the time of the Emperor Domitian. It has
o*\ its nose t,vo conical horns, inclined backwards. The foremost horn is

crRiosiTiEs or thf. animal KINC.DoM.

"2(1"

two .ind a half feet Ioiil;, the seioiul much slu)rtcr. Hidden (hirin^L; the
cla\', it saUies out at iiijj;ht, to cat the ><>iing bouj^hs covered with lca\cs.
Aiur feeding; it wallows, eoveiin^^ itself with repeated la\ers of mud, to
preserve it from the stin;4' of the ^ratl-flics — its small but troublesome ene-
mies. When the mud is dr\-, it falls off, exposing the animal to fresh at-
tacks. To alla\- the irritation caused by these anno\-ini;" insects, it rubs
it'clfai^ainst the trunks of trees, and ilurinj^ this operation it <;rumbles
md ;^'runts so hnidly that it betrays its place of retreat to the hunters
who attack it and kill it b\- shootin;^ arrows into its flank, the most vital
portion of its bud)', and in which a wound is certain to pio luce death.

Iliiiitiii^ tli<> Kliiiioeei'os.

( )ther hunters pursue on horseback and kill the rhinoceros with extra-
ordinary couraj^e and adtlress. Two nun ride on the same iiorse. The
one is dressed and armed with javelins; the other is naked, and has noth-
ing but a lons^ sword in his hand. The first sits on the saddle, the .second
riiles behinil him on the horse's rump. As .soon as they (;et on the track,
t!ie\' start off in pursuit, takin^jcare to keep at a great distance from the
rhinoceros when it plunges into the thickets, in the midst of which it
opens for itself a broad passage, which closes as the animal passes on, but
the moment it arrives in an open spot the\- pass it, and place ihemseKes
opposite to it. The animal, in a rage, hesitates for a moment, then rushes
furiousK' upon the horse and its riders. Tliese a\oid the assault by a
(juick movement to the right or the left, and the man who carries the
long sword lets himself slide off on to grountl without being perceiwd
b\' the rhinoceros, which takes notice onlv of the horse. Then the cour-
ageous hunter, with one blow of his formidable weapon, cuts through the
tendon of the ham or hock of one of the monster's hind legs, which
causes it to fall to the ground, when it is despatched with arrows and the
sword. The grandees of Abyssinia also engage in the pursuit of the
rhinoceros. But thev attack these animals with guns. It is in this wav
also that the Hottentots and the colonists of the Cape of Good Hope hunt
this paclu'derm.

A Horse and ^tidor Tossed in the Air.

Little inferior to the -jlephant in strength, though by no means ap-
proaching it in sagacit)', the different species of rhinoceros manifest an
irascibilit}' against man which waits not for provocation; or rather the
sight of a man is itself a sufficient provocation to excite a paroxysm of rest-
less fury. One traveller mentions a Hottentot who had acquired a repu-
tation as a bold elephant-hunter, who on one occasion had his horse
killed under him b)' a rhinoceros. Before he could raise his gun, the

i\v

MitH, If!'

i| 'i

♦

■

#1?

H f^l

1 1

208

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

enormous beast ruslied upon him, thrust its sliarp-pointcd horn into the
horse's chest, and threw him bodily, rider and all, over its back. The

TEKKIULE liNCOUNTEK WITH A KHIN'OCF.ROS.

savage animal then, as if satisfied, went off, without lollowini^'' up its
victory, and before the Hottentot could recover himself sufficiently for an
avengini; shut.

CURIOSITIES OF THE ANIMAL KINGDOM.

209

One of Livingstone's men met with a similar adventure. He was once
stalking two of these beasts, and as they came slowly to him, he know-
ing that there is but little chance of hitting the small brain of this animal
In- a shot in the head, lay, expecting one of them to turn his shoulder,
till he was within a few yards. The 1 unter then thought that by making
a rush to his side he might succeed in escaping; but the rhinoceros,
too quick for that, turned upon him, and though he discharged his gun
close to the animal's head he was tossed in the air. My friend, adds
Doctor Livingstone, who gives the account, was insensible for s(Miie time,
and on recovering found large \\(.)unds on the thisjh and l)od\-. I
saw the one on the former part, still open, and fi\e inches long. The white
species, though less savage than the black, is not always quite safe, f(.)r
one, even after it was mortally wcnuided. I'nacked a horse, and thrust
the horn through to the saddle, tossing a> same time both horse and
rider.

The rJono-Platod Crocodile.

One species of the crocotlile must be classed among the veritable curi-
osities of the animal creation. It has not the size of its great antcdilu-
\ian ancestor, a full description of which has already been presented to
the reader, but in its native clime it has l<)ng been regarded as a civature
very remarkaljle in construction and hal)its.

The crocodile was considered a sacred animal b}' the ancient EgX'ptians.
In ruins of temples mummies of croc >diles are still found in a perfect
state of preservation. The Romans introducetl li\ ing crocodi'es at the
national games in the Colosseum. .At fii'st onl\' fi\e were imported, but
under the Kmperor Augustus thirt}--six were killed in the circus of
Flaminius. Sexeral ancient metlals represent this reptile, the I^od)- of
which perfectly resembles those now fountl in the Nile. There is a ti'ul)-
\\onderful fact in the natural history of the crocodile. Listen to what
Herodotus, the father of histor\-, tells us with regard to it : Wluii the
crocodile takx's its food in the Nile, the interior of its mouth is always
co\ered with flies. All birtl-^, with one single exception, tlee from the
crocodile ; I)ut this one, the Nile bird, far from a\-oiding it, flies tow anls
the reptile with the greatest eagerness, and renders it a \ery essential scr-
\ ice. K\-ery time the crocodile goes on shore to sleep, dud at the mo-
ment when it lies extended with open jaws, the Nile bird enters the mouth
of the terrible animal and delivers it from the insects which it finds tliere ;
lIic crocodile shows its recognition of the service b)- ne\er harming the
bird. This fact, reported by Herodotus, was h^ng considered to be j
fable, but a naturalist, who formed part of the conmiission that Bona-
14

§it

■iikt'M

210

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

parte took with him into I^i^ypt, had on several occasions opportunities
of pro\inL,f the truth of the historian's narrative.

In a memoir read to the Academy of Sciences he says it is perfectK-
true that there exists a little bird M'hich flies about, perpetually seekini^^,
even in the mouth of the crocodile, the insects which form the principal
part of its nourishment. This bird is like a plover. The fl\', which thu>
torments the crocodiles and e\en excites them to madness, is no other
than our common gnat. M\riads of these insects haunt the banks of thc
Xile, and w hen these giants of its waters repose on its margin to warm
themselves in the sun, they become the ))rey of these insignificant
pigmies. It is like the ^\•ar between the lion and the mouse, described by
La Fontaine. Crocodiles are more \'oracious than alligators. Has'sel-
quist asserts that in Upper Egypt they often dex'our women who come to
draw water, or chiklren plaj'ing upon the banks of the Nile. Geoffrox-
Saint Ililaire says, that in Thebaid Napoleon's army often met with
Arabs nmtilated by the crocodiles. Sir Samuel Baker also mentions, in
his late work on the " Nile and its Tributaries," the cra\'ing of these
amphibia for human flesh, and the dread they are held in by the na-
tives. ■

A 3Ionster Devouring Cliildron.

Livingstone gi\-es the following account of these fero'"ious animals:
The crocodile, says the famous traveller, makes many victims every year
among the chddren who are so imprudent as to pla\- on the banks of the
Liamljia when their mothers go to fetch water. The crocodile .stupifics
its \ictim with a blow from its tail, then drags it into the river, where it
is soon drowned. In general, when the crocodile perceives a man it
dives, and furtively glides a\va\' from the side which he occupies. Some-
times, on the other hand, it precipitates itself with surprising agility to-
wards the person it has discovered, which may be noticed from tlu
disturbance caused on the surface of the water. An antelope which i-
being hunted and takes to the water, in the lagunes of the Barotse \alle}-,
a man or a dog who goes there to seek for game, will scarcely fail to be
seized by a crocodile, of whose presence he has not the slightest sus-
picion. It often happens that, after having danced in the moonlight, the
)-oung natives will plunge into the water, in order to refresh themselves^
when, being seized by an alligator, they perish.

This mode of attack (striking with the tail) is also one of the methods
adopted by the alligator of America for disabling its prey. A .sportsman
whose veracity is undoubted, while shooting wild fowl on one of the
tributaries of the Lower Mississippi, had the fortune to witness a fight

between a

struggle b}

\'ielded to t

times both

the alligatoi

tunit}', and

l)ack, where

one of its fc

hurled both

telling of th

the lapse of

and swam j

the gallant c

Crocodile,'

dangerous tl

"Chinese" C

taut of Khart

that is to say

Mehemet Be;

diles appeare(

executions b

nati\-e whom

carcasses of

habituated to

afterwards the

were exposed

Natives of j

uhich is throv

tians are repor

pierce him in 1

to be equally t

^\'here there is

monster with

v.-eapon at theii

i.. leather, intc

sLiflbcated or c

cessfully for tin

the ordinary r

trail they leavt

>fll

CURIOSITIES OF THE ANIMAL KINGDOM.

Ill

between a bear and an alli^Mtor. He was called to the scene of the
strugLjlc by the noise made by tlie combatants in the dry cane, that
\'iclded to their pressure as theyfou^dit in each other's embrace. Several
times both ceased, only to reco\-er breath and fiesh enLr-;-)- ; at leni^tli
the alligator missed striking the foe with its tail, ]')n:in seized the opjjor-
lunity, and with all his efforts succeeded in turnin;^ the ainphil)ian on its
hack, where he held him for some minutes, at tlie same time j^mawini;
one of its fore-shoulders. A final struf;i;le of the now-worsted alli<^ator
hurled both into the water, where they disappeared, the disturbed surface
lellin^f of the dreadful contest that was being prolonged beneath ; afte'r
the lapse of over a minute the bear came up, evidently much fiti;_^ued,
and swam ashore, the .•■portsman forbearin;^ to wound, or possibh- kill,
the gallant conc^ueror.

Crocodiles, it is said which ha\'e never (viteii human flesh, ai'e much less
dan:;erous than those that have acquired a taste f )r it. Mr. Conibes, of
"Chinese " Gordon's expedition, .states that he was a;sured b\- an inhabi-
tant of Khartoum, who had reached the town wiLii tlie ICgyptian trooj)s —
that is to say, before the horrors committed by the Desterdar, acting with
l\Ichemet Bey, wlio had been Governor of the .Soudan — that the croco-
diles appeared to be cjuite indifferent to iiuman llesh ; but after the n.iany
executions b\' drcnvning ordered bv IMehemit Bj\-, as lu was told b\- a
iiati\e whom he interrogated — " since tlu; Xile has been loaded with the
carcasses of m\- brethren, the monsters which inlial.it it ha\e Ijecome
habituated to substantial food, which they scarcely knew before, so t' nt
afterwards those swimming in the river, or e\"cn bathing on its banks,
were exposed to inmiinent danger."

StablxMl Uiidor AVator AVitli a Dny{,'or.

Natives of Africa shoot the crocodile, or attack it with a barbed ja\e!m.
which is thrown by hand, and aimed at the fore-shoulder. .Some Iv.i\"p-
tians are reported to be daring enough to swim under the crocodile, and
iiierce him in the bellv with a dagger. The negroes of Senegal are said
to be equally expert. If the}- surprise the animals in parts of the ri\er
where there is not sufficient water for them to swim, tlie\- attack the
monster with a lance, commencing the assault by aiming with their
v,-capon at their enemy's eyes and throat ; then tlirust'ng their arm, encased
u. leather, into its mouth, they hold it open till their eneni}- is cither
suffocated or expires under its wounds. Traps are also employed suc-
cessfully for their destruction. In Kgypt the natives dig a deep hole in
the ordinary route of the crocodile, which is easil)- discovered by tli"
trail they leave in the sand — this is covered with branches and earth,

212

EARTFI, SEA, AND SKY.

which falls in when trodden iii)on ; the captive is th'jn killed, often with
the most brutal crueltw At otlier times a thick cord is at ached to a
tree, at the other end ot which a lamb is held b\' a hook. The cries of
the lamb attract the crocodile, which, in its attempt to carry off the bait,
is taken.

•^

THE CURIOUS G.WIAI. OF INDIA.

Still another method f)r the destruction of these repulsive-lookinrr crea-
tures has been adopted by lMiy;lishmen in India. A dead animal is pro-
cured, in its abdomen is placed a loaded shell, to which is attached a

-a\iai

■^-;

is pro-
ached a

CURIOSITIES OF THE ANIMAL K!NGI-C)M.

21;]

wire made fast to an electric battery; n'hon the bait lias been sei/.ed and
carried to the bottom, the shell isexplodL-d, and invariably maims or kills
the crocodile.

The ^axials have lon^ narrow cylintlrical muzzles, sli;,ditl)' inflated at
the extreoMty ; the teeth are almost the same, hdlh in niiinbei- and sha[)e,
(in each jaw; the two first and the fourth of the lower jaw pass into
notches or inilentations in the upper jaw. The j^avials art: (iiii'dv remark-
able for their lon^ Lead, its t\-pe bein;.; the t;"a\ials of the (jan;j(s. It is
of a deep watery ^reen color, luuin;^ on the upp 'r pail numerous irre<,ni-
jar brown spots- in the youn;.;, the back and limbs are trans\crsc!\-
Lantled with blac'i. the lower part i.s of a pale whitish yellow; the jaus
are marked with brov.n, the claws an; of a clear horn color. This sjji.cii s
is not so carni\-orous iS the others, and is consequiiitl)'less drt .KK-d. 'I lie
^a\ ial of the Cjan^es is supposed to brthi' lar;^est of the existin;.^ -amian-. ;
its lent;th, as given by one trave'ller, is 'wnteen feit f>ui ii^ lies, a!-
lh(.ui;h in re.ility this Icni^th is often exceeded.

The <:;avial of the Ganges has the jaws produced to an enormous
length, forming a long, slentler snout, at the extremity of which there is
.. large cartilaginous protuberance, in which the nostrils arc situated. The
teeth are \ery numerous, and nearly equal in size throughout the whole
of the jaws. It is wcb-footed to the extremities of die toes of the hind
feet. This species is found abundantly in the fresh waters of India,
wheie it sometimes attains a length of thirty feet. It is not dangirous
to man nor the larger cjuadrupeds. It was known to the ancients, .T^lian
mentioning the existence of a crocodile in the Tiangc;: which had a hoin
at the extremity of its nose. Though there are several ma.'ked \.ii iet es,
there apjx^ars to be but one species.

The Flyinji;- Ora^oii.

At the present da\' we have no examples of reptiles which can realK'
fly, though we have some which, like the flx'ing squirrels, are able to
swee]) for some distance through the air. '1 l.ese animals are known by
the ]iopular name of the fl\'ing dragon, in consequence of their res( m-
blance to the conventional dragon of fables. There are several species
of them, all agreeing in form and general habits. The tail is \ery long,
very .slender, and tapers to a sharp point.

The structure by whiih ihese reptiles are enabled to pass through the
air is very remarkable. As the reader may see by the engraving, the
sides of the body are expanded like those of the flying s([uirrels, but the
expansion is obtained in a different manner. In the flj'ing stjuirrel, the
skin of tr.e sides is expanded with the membrane, which is opened by

'li

r-'^i

•i; ■ '- *"

*f I

J i

1 f

i ifl;|

214

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY

stretching out the legs ; but in the flying dragon the ribs are employed
for the purpose.

The reader will distinguish the difference between the two kinds of
ribs. There are the "true" ribs, which occupy the upper part of the
chest, and which have their ends resting on the breast-bone; and the
"false" ribs, which occupy the lower part of the chest, and which ha\c
their ends free. It is by means of the latter set of ribs tuat the expansion
of the sides is managed.

The fal.se ribs, instead of being, as they usually are, much shorter than

FLYING DRAGON AND FLYING FROG.

the others, are generally lengthened, or, to be more accurate, they are
furnished with \'ery long and slender appendages. These additional
bones arc so joined to the ribs that they can be .spread out laterally, or
laid against the sides at the pleasure of the animal. When they are
spread, they very much resemble the sticks of an opened fan, and as they
are connected with each other by a membrane which is formed from the
skin of the sides, they offer a very wide surface to the air.

The movements of the flying dragon are curiously like those of the
flying .squirrels of c>ur own countrx', and the fl>'ing marsi.pials of Aus-
tralasia; and indeed, if the fl>ing dragon and the opossum mouse were

CLRIOSITIES OF THE ANIMAL KINGDOM.

215

simultaneously to spring from one tree to another, their sweepin^^ flif^ht
would have been almost identical, and it would not be easy to distinguish
between the two animals.

There is another point in the structure of the fl\'ing dragon which has
been thought to have some effect in increasing its buoyancy when in the
air. In common with many arboreal lizards, it possesses a large pouch
under the throat, which it is capable of inflating to a very great extent.
When the lizard is preparing to launch itself into the air, it inflates this
sac simultaneously with spreading its wings, if we may use this term to
express its peculiarly constructed side. Many naturalists ha\e thought
that the principal object of this sac is to increase the buo}'anc\- of the
luiimal while in the air. It does probably have that effect, but buo\'ancy
is not its chief object, for the reason that the inflatable {)ouch is found in
many lizards which do not possess the expansible sides, nor the power of
skimming through the air. The fl\-ing dragons are tolerably plentiful in
Borneo, Java, and the Philippine Islands.

Tlu' Flyiiif- Fioff.

Man)' readers must be familiar with the pretty tree frogs, which are
niiw so plentiful in ferneries. Their habits are curiously contrar}- to
those of the ordinary frogs, for they abandon both earth and water for
the trees, and lead an arboreal, and not a terrestrial or aquatic life as do
tlielr fellows. In order to enable them to ascend trees, the}- are furnished
with sucker-like ai)[)endages at the tips of their toes, and with these they
can cling firml}- to any smooth object, such as the trunk of a tree, the
surface of a leaf or even a flat piece of glass.

In the last-mentioned case, it is interesting to examine with a magnify-
ing lens the structure of the suckers as thc\- are pressed against the
glass, and to note how instantaneous is their action of exhausting or
admitting the air at will. This structure, indeed, is absolutel}- necessary
for the creature's existence. It lives upon insects, and if it were to depend
for its subsistence upon those which come within its reach, it would
stand a good chance of starving. But, aided by these marvelous de\-el-
opments of the feet, it is able to spring at a passing insect, to catch it,
and to affix itseK instantaneously to another branch. There are many
species of tree frogs, spread over a large portion of the earth, but the
most remarkable at present known is the flying frog of Borneo.

If the reader will refer to the accompanying illustration, he will see the
ll\-ing frog shown in the act of passing through the air, its toes being
widely spread, so as to stretch the membrane which connects them. In
proportion to the size of the reptile, the extent of surface which can be

•> --'sr

■Jii

Si*:

1' iii.l;i

1 If^ •

! *

? '

i ' ■

21 G

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

thus opposed to tlie air is very great. The body of the frofr is about
four inches in len;^th, while the web of eacli hind foot covers a space of
four scjiiare inches, and if the webs of all four feet be put toL,^ether, they
will l)e seen to equal a space of twcKe scjuare inches. It is evitlent
enou''h, therefore, that a creature which is onlv four inches in len'j;tli.
and which is able to spread a flat membrane of twelve square inches,
would be upborne for some distance throuLjh the air, if it onl\- projected
itself with some force.

Willis and Ft'ct Coiiibiiusl.

Except that the hmbs do not seem to be mo\ed when the froc; passes
throui^h the air, there is but little difference between the structure of the
bat's win^,^ and the membrane of the flyin^^ fi'f^g. each beint;- nothinijj hut
an e.xistinL; membrane developed and expanded by beini;' attached to the
lengthened toes. In order, also, to assist in the buo\-anc\-of the creature,
the body is capable of considerable infiation. In hfe it is a \ery hand-
some species. The back is a rich deep green, and the under surface \-el-
low. The webs are Ijl.ick, adorned with streaks of yellow.

Probably these cnormousl\- dc\'eloi)ed feet are used f)r swimming as
well as for fiiLfht, and in that case thev will form a remarkable analo-n-
with the wings of the extin:;t pterodact\•ls,^\hich are pro\edwitli tolerable
certainty to be organs adapted to the water as well as to the air.

The body of the edible frog, sometimes attains a length, from the ex-
tremity of the mu/.zle to the end of the hind feet, of si.x to eight inches.
The muzzle terminates in a point; the e\'es are large, brilliant, and sur-
rouniled with a circle of gold color. The mouth is large; the bod\-.
which is contracted behind, presents a tubercular and rugged back. It
is of a more or less decided green color on the upper, and \\hitish on the
under parts. These two colors, which harmonize well, are relieved b\*
three yellow lines, which extend the whole length of the back', and by
scattered black marblings. It is, therefore, much to be regretted that
prejudice should cause some at least of us to dislike this prett}' little
creature.

I , ,:(^

III

CHAPTER VIII.
WILD ANIMALS OF THE FOREST AND JUNGLE.

Old Classic Tales Concerning the Lion— Mis Majesty Once a Native ol lairopL —
Leaping tiie Hedge Into the Trap —Captured by Stratagem — iiouiularies of tiie
Lion's Kingdom— A Human I lead in a Lion's Mouth — A Roar Like tlie Sound of
an Earlluiuaki^ — Alarm of the Inhabitants of Plain and I'^jrcst — Massive Muscles
and Immense Shoulders— A Singular Encounter— Shocking Sciiu— A Ikart-
Rending Cry for Help — Brute AITcclion— The Sailor and I'aboon — Livingstone's
Adventure With a Li(jn — The RoyalTiger — Tamed fora IVt -Dreadful l-'erocity
— A Guide Killed by a Blow — Exciting Episodes in Tiger Hunting— Carrying OlT
a liuffalo— Savage Courts Entertained by Pirutal Sport— Elephants Hunting the
Tiger— The American IMack Bear — Die Labiated Bear — The IV-ar's Song — Ludi-
crous Antics — The Celebrated " Martin "—The Gigantic Hippopotamus— De-
scription of the Animal — Arrival of a River Horse in Europe — Strange Actions
and Crowdi of Curious Spectators.

1 1 K trtic lions bcloiii^ excltisiv^cly to the Old World, and they were

btit confined at present

comin;_j more scarce in

those parts of the earth. There can be no dotibt that lions were

4R I^JP formerly plentifully and widely difftised,
t^' to Africa and Asia, they are daily bee

once found in Europe. Herodotus records that the baggage camels of
the army of Xerxes were attacked b\- lions, the other beasts and the men
remaining untouched. Pausanias tells the same tale, and also states that
lions often descended into the plains at the foot of 01\'mpus, which sepa-
rates Macedonia from Thessah' ; and that a celebrated athlete slew one
of them, though he was unarmed. Plin\- affirms that the lions of Europe
were stronger than those of Africa and Syria. Lions have disappi:ared
from other parts of the world, as E.g\'pt, Palestine, and Syria where they
once were evidently far from unccMiimon.

ICzekiel speaks of a lion — an animal with which his people must have
been acquainted: "Then the nations set against him on e\ery side from
the i)ro\'inces, and spread their net over him ; he was taken in their pit."
Thus, there is an allusion to the practice of the Arabians and of othei peo-
ple. They dug a large circular pit. and at night introduced into it a goat,
which they bound to a stake or pillar of earth at the bottom, and then so
inclosed the pit with a hedge of branches, that it could not be .seen, leav-
ing no entrance. The lion, hearing in the night the voice of the goat,
prowled around the hedge, and, finding no opening, leaped ever, and was

taken.

(217)

\ti

tiii'"

i,'

] lum

218

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

When the hunter proposed to catch him in his toils, he stretched a ser-
ies of nets in a semicircuhir form, by means of lonj,' poles fixed in the
jfround; three men were placed in ambush, amon|^ the nets, one in the
middle, and one at each extremity. The toils beint^ disposed in this man-
ner, some waved flamin^f torches, others made a noise by beatin_LC lli-ii
shields, thinking that lions were not less terrified by loud sounds than b\-
fire. The men on foot and horseback, skilfully combining their move-
ments, and raising a great bustle antl clamor, rushed in upon them, and
drove them towards the nets, till, intimidated by the shouts of the hun-
ters and the glare of torches, they approached the snaie.:. of their own ac-
cord, and became entangled in the folds.

In the sandy deserts of Arabia, in some of the wild districts of Persia,
and in the \ast jungles of India, the lion still maintains a precarious foot-
ing ; but from the classic soil of Greece, as well as from the whole of
Asia Minor, both of which were once exposed to his ravages, he has been
utterly dislodged and extir[)ated. In the \ast and untrodden solitudes of
Africa, from the immense deserts of the north to the trackless forests of
the south, he reigns supreme and uncontrolled. From the Cape of Good
Hope, howev^cr, he is annually retiring farther and farther before the per-
secution of man.

All Knornioiis Moutli.

The opening of the lion's mouth is of great extent in proportion to
the size of the animal. In travelling menageries it has long been the
custom, "more honored ia the breach than the obser\-ance," howe\ci-, for
a keei^er to thrust his head ir*'n a lion's mouth — a practical i^roof of its
capacity — to the no small amusement of some, and the equal terror of
others, among the gaping spectators. The muscles which move the
lower jaw are also of great bulk, and the point on which the\' immediate-
1)' act is brought so far forwards, in consequence of the breadth and
shortness of the muzzle, as to give them the highest degree of attainable
force.

There is yet one peculiar distinction of the lion, as well ^s of all ani-
mals of the .same famil)', which dcsei-vcs particular attention. The most
obtuse of their senses is that of taste. Accortling to Desmoulins, the
lingual nerve of the lion is not larger than that of a middle-sized dog
The tongue of all animals of the cat kind is an organ of mastication, a
well as of taste. \Vhate\'er flesh a lion's teeth may leave on a bono i :
scraped away by the shaq) and horny points, inclining backwards, of his
tongue.

The roar of a lion sonietimes resembles the sound which is heard at

WILD ANIMALS OF THE FOREST AND JUNGLE.

219

the moment of an earthquake; antl is produced by layinj^ his head on
the jjround. and utterin;^ a half-stiCed ^rowl, by wliich means the sound
is conveyed alon>^ the earth. Thj instant it is heard by the animals rc-
[)Osing in the plains, they start u\: in alarm, fly in all directions, and even
rush into the datv^cr they wish to avoid. This fearful sound is produced
l)\' the jjjreat comparative size of the larynx — the part of the throat that
fMrms the upper part of the windpipe.

Terrible IJojir <>1" the Forest Kiii^'.

The roarin^f of the lion lias aiwaj's been a proverb. When heard
within a distance of a mile or two during the silence of tiie ni^Mit, it awes
all livin;4 creatures. When this great voice echoes over the plain the
cattle tremble in the farms, and follow with anxietv its \;uious modula-
linns, in order to inform themselves of the direction in which the enemy
is approaching. If the lion comes to prowl around the inclosure in
which they are sheltered they exliibit sx'mptoms of the most intense fear.
Their sense of smell alone suffices to indicate, even at a considerable tlis-
tance, the dreaded presence.

It is in spring that the lion seeks a mate, and when an alliance is
firmed they show themselves most devoted to one another. Until the
female has \'oung, the lioness follows her lortl everx'where, and most fre-
([uentl}- the male is charged with providing the common subsistence. It
is said that he pushes his gallantry so far as to refuse to eat first, and that
he does not a[)proach the prey captured by himself until the lioness is
satisfied ; and, on the oth:r hand, the latter defends him u ith energitic
fury if he be attacked.

The immense masses of muscle around the lion's jaws, shoulders, and
fore arms, saj's Livingstone, proclaim tremendous force. They would
seem, however, to be inferior in [)owerto those of the Indian tiger. Most
of these prodigious feats of strength, that I ha\e seen performed by lions
— such as the taking away of an ox — were not carrying, but dragging,
or trailing the carcass along the ground. They have sjjrung, on some
occasions, on 'o the hind quarters of a horse. They do not mount on
the withers of a.i eland, l)ut try to tear him down with their claws.

A Ferocious Struji's'le.

Livingstone gives a singular encounter, as described to him in a letter
frim Mr. Frank Vardon ; Oswell and I were riding along the banks of
the Lein[iopo, when a water-buck started in front of us. I dismounted,
and was following it through the jungle, when three buffaloes got up, and,
after going a little distance, stood still, and the nearest bull turned round
aad looked at me. A ball from the two-ouncer crashed into his shoulder

:l';f

li't

'* .WliF' lilt:

,«'.'

))il;;iil

I IB

ll 1

ii\

220

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

and thc\' nil three niatlc off. Oswcll and I followed as soon as I had re-
loaded, and when we were in si^ht of the buffalo, antl ^^aininL; on him at
every stride, three lions leaped on the unfortunate brute; lie bellowed
most lustily as he kept up a kind of running fight ; but he was, ef course,
soon overpowered and pulled down.

We had a fine view of the struggle, and saw the lions on their hin 1
legs tearing awav with teeth and claws in most ferocious stvle. W'eereot
ii() within tliirt)' yards, antl, kneeling down, blazed awa\- at the lion-..
My rifle was a single barrel, and I had no spare gun. ( )nj l.oii fjll dead
almost on the buffalo; he had merely time to turn towai'ds us, seize a
bu^li w ith his teeth, and drop dead with the stick in his jaws. The se-^-
oncl made off immediately; and the third raised his head, coolly looked
round for a moment, then went on tearing anil biting at the carcass as
hard as ever. We retired a short tlistance to load, then again ad\;uijed
and fired. The lion made off, but a ball that he recei\ed ought to lui\e
stopped him, as it went clear through his shoulder-blade. lie was fal-
lowed up and killed, after having charged several times. Both lions were
males. It is not often that one bags a brace of lions and a bull bui'lalo ip.
about ten minutes. It was an exciting adventure, and I shall ne\er for-
get it. Such, my dear Livingstone, is the plain, uir.arnishei-l accoi.nt.
The buffalo had, of course, gone close to where the lions were I\ing
down, and they, thought the opportunit\' too good a one to be lost.

Ssifety only in Dlstanoo.

When encountered in the daytime, says Li\ingstono, the lion stands a
second or two gazing, then turns slowly round, and walks as slowly away
for a dozen paces, looking over his shoulder; then begins to trot, and,
when he thinks himself out of sight, bounds off like a greyhound. IJy
day there is not, as a rule, the smallest danger of lions, which are not
molested, attacking mun, nor even on a clear, moonlight night, except
when they ha\e young; this makes them bra\-e almost an}' danger; antl
if a man happens to cross to the windward of them, both lion and lioness
will rush at him. Ihis docs not often happen, as I became aware of two
or three instances of it. In one case a man, passing when the wind blew
from him to the animals, was bitten before he couUl climb a tree; and,
occasionally, a man on horseback has been caught by the leg under the
same circum.stanccs. So general, however, is the sense of security on
moonlight nights, that we seldom tied up our o.xen, but let them lie loose
by the wagons; while (M1 a dark, rainy night, if a lit)n is ii. the neighbor-
hood, he is almost sure to venture to kill an ox. Mis apjjroach is alwaj's
stealthy, except when wounded ; and any appearance of a trap is enough

WILD ANIMALS OF THE FOREST AND JUNGLE.

221

to cause him to refrain from makin;^ the last spring. This seems cliar-
acteristic of the fehne species.

When a Hon is hungry, he will do what he would not under other cir-
cumstances. Thus, one had been neat a Bushman's hut the whole nit;ht,
doubtless on the look-out for prey. Two Hechuana iierdsmen, attending
the cattle near the place next mornini;, saw him, and ran towards a
neighboring kraal, or village, to inform the people. On their way thither
they met six natives coming to attack the formidaijie creature, having
alread)' heard he was there. Advancing, they fired and wounded, but
did not disable, iiim. I'Jiragcd by the smart, he took some steps, when
the natives instandy leaped from their horses, formed them into a cl^se
line, with their tails towards the lion, and took their stand at the hor>cs'
heads.

The lion now flew on a Bechuana, who was not protected by the inter-
vention of the horses, and who tried to defend himself with his sheep-
skin cloak. The lion, lu)wever, caught him by the arm, threw him on
the ground, and, while the poor man still tried to defend himself, by
keeping his cloak wrapped round him, the lion got under it and gnawed
j)art of his thigh. His Ik'chuana companion at that time threw his spear,
which penetrated the man's cloak, and entered the lion's back. The
same man threw another spear, but, instead of taking the direction he in-
tended, it pierced the bod)' of a dog that was barking near. The natives
would have fired, but they were afraid of shooting the man. To dri\c
him away, ]u)wc\cr, if possible, they made a great noise, ami threw some
stones. The lion then left the man and rushed toward them, when they
again checked his attack by turning the horses round. Me next crept
under the belly of a mare, and seized her by the fore legs, but, with a
powerful kick, she made him let go his hold. In revenge, and b}- one
.stroke of his paw, he tore open the bod\' of the mare, and retired. After
this, he tried to get round the horses to the men; but when within two
yards of one of them, and on the point cf making a .'-pring, he was h.ap-
pily killed by a musket shot, the ball penetrating behind the ear.

A Terrible Scene.

Mr. Gordon Gumming, who has earned for himself a rather uncn\ia
ble reputation by his ruthless slaughter of animals, graphicalK- describes
a terrific scene: All had retired to rest, when suddenl}-the appalling anti
murderous voice of an angry, bloodthirsty lion burst upon my ears with-
in a few yards of us, followed by the shrieking of the Hottentots. Again
and again the murderous roar of attack was repeated. We heard John
and Ruyter shriek, "The lion! the lion!" Still, for a few moments, we

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222

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

\ \

thougln he was but chasiiv^r onj of the d^<r^ roiina the kraal, hut the
next instant John Strofulus rushed into the midst of us, ahnost speoch-

less with fear and terror, his eyes burstinrr from their sockets, and shrieked
out, " The Hon ! the Hon ! he has got Hcndrick ! he dragged him awny
from the fire beside me. I struck him witli the burning brands on his head.

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WILD ANIMALS OF THE FOREST AND TL'XGLE.

223

but he wouldn't lot go his liold. Ilcndrick is dcatl ! O God I 1 Icndrick
is dead ! let us take fire and seek him ! "

The rest of my people rushed about shriekin^,^ and \-elling as if they
were mad. I was at once an;^ny with them for their foll\-, and told th.em
that if they did not stand still and kc^'p quiet, the li^n would have another
I if us, and that very likely there w. is a troop of them. 1 orflered the
(logs, w'hich were nearly all fist, to be made loose, and the fire increased
as far as cmdd be. I then shouted Ilendrick's name, hut all was still. I
told my men that Ilendrick was dead, and that a regiment of soldiers
could not now help him ; and hunting my dogs forward, I had every-
thing brought within my cattle kraal, when we lighted our fire, and closed
the entrance as well as we could.

In tlu' Jaws <)<■ Deatli.

Tr ajjpeared that when the unforunate Ilendrick rose to dri\e in the ox,
tlie lion had watched him to his fireside, and he had scarce!)- lain down
when the lirute sprang ujion him and Kuyter (fo!" Ijoth ia_\- under one
blanket), with his appalling, murdei-ous nMr; and, roavin.g as he lay,
grappled him with his fearful claws, and kept biting him on the- breast
and shoulders, all the while feeling for his neck; hax'ing ;',ot hold of
which, he at once dragged him away backwards, rovuvl the bush into the
dense .^liade. As the lion lay on the unfortunate n-ian, lu; fainlh,- cried,
" Help me! help me! O God, men, help me!" After which th ; fearfiil
beast got hold of his neck, and then all was still, except tliat his com-
rades heard the bones cracking between the teeth of the lion.

The Irishmen ha\'e remarked that the lion generally kills and ('e\-ours
his pre\- in the morning at sunri.se, cm- a*: sunset ; when, therefore, they in-
tend to kill the.sc animals, they notice where the spring-bucks are graz-
ing at the rising of the sun, and by observing, at the same time, if they
ap{)ear frightened and run off, they conclude that they ha\e been attacked
by the lion. Marking accurately the spot where the alarm took place,
about eleven o'clock in the da\-, when the sun is p(nverful,and theenenn-
they .seek is supposed to be fast asleep, the}' carefull\- examine the
ground, and, finding him in a state of unguarded security, the\- lodge a
poisoned arrow in his breast. The moment the lion is thus struck, he
.springs from his lair and bounds off as helpless as the stricken deer. The
work is done ; the arrow of death has pierced his heart without even
breaking the slumbers of the lioness which may have been lying be-
side him; and the Bushman knows where, in the course of a few
hours, or even less time, he will find him in his last agonies, or actually
dead.

224

EARTH, SEA, AND SKV

Sir George Davis, who was Kiij^^lish consul at Naples, when a ^rcat
plat^ue ratted there, retired in consequence to Florence. Visitin;^, one
day, tlie nienaj^^erie of the Grand Duke, he noticed a lion at the further
end of on J of the dens, which the keepers stated they had been unahli;to
tame, thi)ui;h c\ery effort had been made for upwards of three years. 'S'ft
no sooner liatl Sir George reached the i^ate of the den, than the lion ran
CO it, reared himself up, purred like a cat when pleased, and licked llij
hand that was put throuLjh tlie bars. The keeper was astonished, and,
frightened for the safety of his visitor, entreated him not to trust an a))-
i),n-ent fit of frenzy, as the lion was the most fierce and sullen of his tribe
lie had e\er seen. This, however, had no effect on Sir George, wlv iii-
si^ed (in entering the lion's den. The moment he got in the lion maiu-
fested the gri'atest delight, threw his j)aus on his shoulders, licked his
fice, ran about him, and purred like an affectionate cat.

This occurrence became the talk of h'lorence, aiid reached the ear <■(
the Grand [")ul-:e, who sent for Sir George, and requested an interview at
the menagerie, that he might personall}' witness the conduct of the lion.

" .\ captain of a ship from Barbar)-,"" said Sir George, "gave me thi.
lion w hen c]uite a whelp. I brought him up tame ; but, when I though:
him too lai'ge to run about the house, I built a den for him in my courl-
} aid. h'rom that time he was ne\-er {KM-milteil to be loose, excejit when
brought to the house to be exhibited tt) m\- friends. When he wa-- r!\c
years old he did some mischief b)' pawing and playing with peo[)le in his
frolicsome moods. Having gripped a man one da\' a little too hard, I
ordered him to be shot, for fear of incurring an)' guilt. On this, a fiieiul
begged him as a i)resent. Mow he came here I know not."

"Vour friend, Sir George," said the Grand Dake, " was the very same
person who [)resented this lion to me."

Dovicc of a Liouoss to Save Her Youiiy.

The f )llowing well authenticated fact heli)s to re\-eal the nature of thi-^
wondtifiil anin.Kil. Part of a ship's crew being.sent on shore, on thecoast
of bulia, for the pur[)ose of cutting wood, one man, induced b\' curio^iiy
to sti-a)- to a consitlei'able distance from his com[)anions, became givail}-
akuined as he saw a larcre lioness walking towards him. On her comin':
up, however, his fear was allayed; she laid down at his feet, looking \er\"
earnestU- first in his face, and then at a ci-ee a little wa\' off, and all,'-
wards proceedcLl t^) the tree, \'et looking back, as if she wished the s.iilur
to follow her. At length he ventured, and approaching the tree he -aw
a huge baboon, with two cubs in his arms, which he immetliatel\- .sup-
posed to l)e those of the lioness, as she couched down like a cat, and

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EARTH, SEA, AND SKY

eyed them intcntl}'. Afraid to ascend the tree, the man decided on cut-
tine,^ it down ; provided with his axe, he set earnest!)' to work, the honess
watcliini,r apparently ever)' movement ; as soon as the tree fell she tore the
baboon in pieces, and then turned round and licked her cubs. She now
returned to the sailor, rubbed her head fondly against him, and then car-
ried away her cubs one b\' one.

A Savage Attack Uixm ljivinjfstoiie.

The villagers of JMabotoa, among whom was Livingstone, were much
troubled by lions, which leaped into their cattle-pens and destroyed thrii-
cows. To such an extent did the lions carry their depredations that the
natives announced their belief that the)' were bewitched — " given into the
power of the lions by a neighboring tribe " — and sought Livingstone's
advice on the subject. Well knowing that if one troop of lions is killed
the others frequently take the hint and lea\e that part of the countr\-,
he gave the villagers advice to that end, and, in order to encouragt'
them, offered to lead the hunt. The lions were found (>n a hill cox-ered
with trees, and about a (]ua '^*"a mile in length. The men circled the
hill, and gradual!)- edged ii .loser and closer, sothattlie game might be
completely surrounded. Presently the native who accompanied Living-
stone spied a lion sitting on a piece of rock and fired at him, the ball
missing the beast and striking the rock on whicli the animal was sitting.
The animal turned, bit lil^e a dog at the spot where the bullet liad struck,
and then bounded off to the shelter of the brushwood.

Presently Livingstone .spied another lion in much the same situation as
tlie former, and being not more than thirty yards distant from it, let ll\-
botli barrels. The villagers frantic with jo)-, were for rushing in on theii-
enemy at once, but Livingstone a\1io through the bushes could see his
game still on its legs, with its eyes glaring and its tail bolt upright,
checked their impetuosity, and requested them to wait until he again
loaded his gun ; but while in the act of ramming home his bullets the
natives set up a sudden and frightful cry, and raising his head, there was
the wounded lion fairl)- springing at him.

Livingstone was standing on a .slight eminence, and in his great leap
the maddened beast caught the missionary by the shoulder, and lion and
man rolled to the ground together. y\nd now comes a curious fact — the
better worth noting, because from its dangerous nature the experiment is
rather unlikely to be tried even b)' the mo.st enthusiastic zoologist.
Growling horribly in my ear, says Livingstone, he shook me as a terrier
does a rat. The shock jiroduced stupor, similar to that which seems to
be felt b\- a mouse after the first shake of the cat. It caused a sort of

f i|*ll

WILD ANIMALS OF TIIIv IX)I>:i:sr AND jrXGI.K.

2-J7

tlrcaniincss, in which there was no sense of pain or fcehn^ of terror^
thoui;h quite conscious of all that was hai)[jcninL;. It was like what pa-
tients partially under the inlliience of chloroform describe, wiio see all
the operations but feel not the knife. This sinL;ular condition v. a ; not
til'.' result of any mental process. Tlie shake annihilated fear, and al'ow-
1(1 no .sense of horror in looking;' around at the beast.

The gi eat fore-paw of the lion was pressing heavily on the back' of
Li/ingstone's head, and lu almost insensibls' turned ti> relime himself ot
tlie pressure, and at that \'ery instant th • animal leaped from his prostiate
\ :ctim to attack one of the natives who had otTered to shoot at hiin, hut
his piece missed fire. This man he bit in the thigh, and left him to
spring at the neck of a second native, who, armed with a spear had come
to the rescue. The exertion, h>\ve\er, was too much for the mortally-
wounded beast, and so, with his claws bedded in the spearman's shoulder

he rolled oyer and died.

Tlu' Asiatic Tij;<'r.

Xearh' eciual to the lion in strength, and, perhaps, surpassing him ii>
activit)', the tiger has generall}' been placed second in this tribe of ani-
mals. Its general foiin antl appearance are so well known, that a few-
words of description will suffice. The tiger has no trace of the shaggy
mane which adds so greatly to the bold-looking front of the lion; and
his countenance, scowling under the different passions, coin-e\'s tlie idea
of wanton treachery and cruelty. In shape he is moie slender and
lengthened than the lion , the head is rounder, the whole form is r.iore
c.tt-like, and all his motions are performed with apparent ease and great-
est grace.

The tiger is exclusively an Asiatic animal, and his range extends
lint only over the more southern part of the continent, but to the
larger islands of the Archipelago, where he is particularl\' destructix'c.
llf is as tall as the lion, but not quite so powerful ; he is, houe\er, more
a;.^ile, more graceful, and more insidious. Me crouches, and mostly
springs in the same maimer as the lion and other feline animals; he is
more ferocious, and will even fight witli the lion. He seems to cLlight
in blood itself, for he will kill several victims, suck their blood, and lea\e
their carcasses to be devoured at another opportunity.

The color of the tiger is a bright orange tawny, white underneath, and
broad black stripes on the back, sides, and tail. In seeking his prey he
takes the most enormous leaps ; he can be tamed to a certain extent,
but is never to be trusted. He prowls both night and da\'; and in some
places, the deva.station he has caused is terrific. Nothing can e.xceed

I 'J]

22.S

KAKTll, SEA, AND SKY

111 )

the tragic tal'-s that arc told of him, in the countries wlierc he exists in
numbers; and in one part of India, it is said that at least three hundred
h'ves are taken every year, within a district containnii^ seven villai^es,
independent of an enormous number of sheep, treats, and cattle.
How the J:i<'plmiit Deals With the Tijfcr.

i [iMses will not stand in his presence with any steadiness; and the ele
pliant is re--t!ess ^vlieii in his vicinit}-. This sai^acious animal (jfcen man-
atees to shake him off; and if he takes hold of his trunk, he tranij)les on
him with his fore-feet and so destroys him. If he cannot di.slodge h/n
from his body, he lies do\vnup(^n him, and attempts to kill him by rollin^'
In's ponderous \veii;ht upon him. Seldom, however, is the tiger the ac;-
gressor, unless lu- be- driven to it by hunger, or maddened by pain ami
dispair, and then he struggles till he dies. He hides himself witli sut h
caution antl skill that travellers are laid hold of without being aware of
his nearness.

The histor\' of an unfortunate guide is an instance of the immediate-
mischief which ensues from the first blow of one of these powerful cvv:\-
tures. The man reiiionstrated with the officer, whose party he was con-
d!::ting, on th : imprudence of marching before daylight; but the officer,
suj> losing it to be laziness, threatened to punish liim if he did not go.
TliL- man took his shield and sw ird, and w\alked along the narrow path,
bor'lered on each side 1)\- high grass and bamboo. After going five
miles, the officer Jieard a tremendous roar, antl a large tiger passed hini,
so close, that he nearl\' brushed his horse, and sprang upon the guide.
The latter lifted up his .shield, but he was down in an instant, and under
the tiger's paws, w hich seized him with his teeth, growled, and looked at
the officer. The tiger was attacked, and so severel)- wounded that he
tlropped his x'ictim ; but it was all o\er with the poor guide, the first blow
having literally smashed his head in pieces.

A Deadly I$low.

In a plain near the Narbudda river, a party were hunting a tiger; but
the b-'ast did n )t seem inclined to come to a batde with his antagonists.
Me trotted across the plain, and as he passed an unfortunate cow, he
raised his paw, gave her a blow on the shoulder, and she fell. He went
on, and when the hunters examined the cow, she wms dead, he havin!^
left the print of ever}- toe,anl,in fact, ever}' part of his paw upon the
shoulder i)latle, without making the smallest wound.

A tiger had sprung upon the shoulder of an English officer. Lieutenant
Colnett'.s elephant, who in this .situation fired at him, and lie fell. Cnn-
ceiving him to be di.sabled, the Lieutenant descended from the elephant

WILD AXIMALS OK THI-; lOKKST AND JUNGLE,

229

for the purpose of clc.spatchint,r him with his pistols; hut in ah_L^htin,<^ he
came in contact with the tiger, whicli had only crouched for a second

sprinfT, and which, catchini^ hold of him by the thii^h, drai^ged him some
distance along the ground. Having succeeded in drawing one of a brace

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•230

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

of pistols from his iK'lt, Lieutenant Colnctt fired, and lod_t,feti a ball inthe
body of the tii^^er, when the beast became em aged, shook him violenth-,
without letting go his hold, and made off towards the thickest part of the
jungle with his prey. In the struggle to disengage himself from tin-
clutches of the animal, the Lieutenant caught hold of the tiger by both
his ears, and succeeded, rfter some time, in throwing the beast or m-
sitle, when hea\'ailed himself of his momentary release to draw forth tlitj
it.-maining pistol, and placing the muz/le at the breast of the tiger, sh(.t
liim through the heart, lie then returned to his elephant, which he
mounted without assistance, feeling at the moment little jxiin from his
wounds, although he received no fewer than thirty-five, from the effects
of which he long afterwards continued to suffer.

Wil«l Fury of u Ti^ios.s.
The people of Chittagong were alarmed by the appearance of a tigress,
which was first discovered among some cattle that were grazing at the
mouth of tlie river. On the first alarm, the natives of the vicinit\ as-
sembled with all speed and advanced against her. Irritated by this >lic
sprang furiously upon the i)erson nearest to her, and wounded him si--
verel}'. The immediate attack of the crowd, however, was successful in
rescuing the man fi-om her grasp. On this the tigress, finding herself
hemmed in on all sides, and seeing no wa\' of a\-oiding the multitude,
except b\- the ri\-cr, took to the water, and swam about fixe miles
closely pursued by the natives in their bcxits, until she landed under a
tree in a dockyard. Here she laid herself down, apparently much
fatigued; but before the people in the }ard could get their fire arms reaih-,
she had, in a great degree, recovered her strength. Several shots weie
fired at her, and two of them ])enetrated her bod}', one of which lamed
her.

Rendered desperate by this, she advanced against her new opponents,
and singling out a European gentleman in the yard, who was provided
with a cutlass, she sprang upon him before he could make use ot his
weapon; knocked Iiim down \\ith her fore paw, .seized his head in her
mouth, bit off a considerable partof the skin of his forehead, and wounded
him in several places. After this, she sprang upcMi a natix-e, fracturetl his
skull, and otherwise lacerated him s(^ dreadfully that he died next day.
She then entered a thicket close by, where she was allowed to remain im-
mole.stetl. On the morning of the following day she had got about a
mile further from the water side, and near to a Sepoy village. Here she
was surrbunded by about a thousand natives, when, although she was
very lame, she sprang fiiriously on several of them, and wounded one poor

WILD ANIMALS OF THE FOREST AND JUNGLE.

231

woman so dreadfully, as to occasion her ticalli. A fortunate shot, lunv-
cvcv, laid the animal prostrate.

There is an account of a tanie tv^cv which was brouL,dit from I'hina in
an I'.ast Indiaman, which was so far domesticated as to admit of every
kind of familiarit}- fiom the people on board, lie seemetl to be ([uite
harmless and as playful as a kitten. lie frecjuently slept with the sailors
ill their hammocks, and would suffer two or three of them to re])ose their
heads upon his hack, as upon a pilUnv, while he la}' stretched upon the
ilcck. In return for thi--, he would nowan<l then steal their meat. IIa\-
in;4" one day carried off a piece of beef from the car|)enter, the man fol-
lowed the animal, took it out of his mouth, and l.ieat him severel)- for the
theft, which punishment he suffered with all the patience of a do^. lie
would frequentl)- run upon the bow-spril, climb about like a cat, ami per-
fiirm a number of tricks with astonishin;^ agility. There was a doi;' on
hoartl with whom he often played in the most amusing manner ; he was
onl}' a moiith or six weeks old when taken on boai"d.

Tilt' (iiant <»t' tli<> Jiinj-U'.

A buffilo, belonging to a peasant in India, ha\ ing fallen into a cpiag-
mire, the man was himself unable to e.xtricate it, and went to call the as-
sistance of Ins neighbors. Meanwhile, a large tiger coming to the spot,
seized upon the buffalo, and dragged him out. When the men came to
the place, they saw the tiger with the buffa]i> thr(~)wn over his sh(.)ulder,
in the act of retiring with him towards the jungle. No sooner, howe\-er,
<liil he obser\e the men, than he let fall the dead animal, and precipitately
escaped. On coim'ng up, they found the buffah^ (juite dead, and his
whole blood sucked out. .Some notion ma}- be gaine^d of the immense
power of the tiger wheti it is remembered that the ordinar}' weight of a
buffalo is abo\e a thousand pounds, and, consecpienlly, considerabl}' more
than double its own weight.

Combats between these animals were once frequent in the island of
Ja\a, and, when they were to fight for the amusement of the court, they
were brought into the field in large cages. The place was surrounded
h}- a body of people four feet tljep, with levelled pikes, that, if the
creatures endeavored to break through the}- might be inmiediateh- killed.
When all was in readiness, the cage of the buffalo was first opened at the
top, and his back rubbed with the leaves of a plant, \vhich occasioned
him intolerable pain; then the animal leaped out. roaring most dreadful-
1}'. The cage of the tiger was then opened, and fire thrown into it to
make the bea^t ciuit it, which he generalK' did, running backwards out of
it. No sooner did the tiger perceive the buffalo, than he sprang upon

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him; his hii,i;c opponent .stanclin:,' cxpcctin;^r him, with his horns on the
ground, in order to catch him u])on them, antl throw him in the air. If
tlie buffalo succeeded, and the tii^^er reco\'ered from his fall, lie was gen-
erally indisposed to niirw the contest; and if the tii^er avoided this first
attempt <if the IjiiHalo, he sprang upon him, and, seizinL( him in the neck
or other parts, tore his flc^h from liis boms. \n most cases, however, the
strength of the buffalo o\ercame the address and ferocity of the tiger.

naiiJsirM* S|M>r(.

On another occasion, a lofty bamboo [)alisade wa ; erected at Siam.
which occujjied an area of about one hundred fut scpiare. Into this en-
closure two elephants were introduced, with their heads and trunks
shielded by a kind of mask. A large tiger \\as now brought from its den,
and held with cords till <ine of the elephants approached, and inflicted
two or three blows on its back with his trunk, so liea\il\' that it fell
stunned as if dead. Thv n the)- loosed llie tiger. No sooner did he re-
cover than he sprang wi'ili a tlrca;!nil ro.ir at the elephant's trunk, stretch-
ed out in the act to strike him, km the' war)- elephant diew uj) his trunk,
and, receiving the tiger on hi^ tusks, hurled him into the air. This
checked the fur)- of the tiger — as ii \.ell might — and it ga\e up the con-
test with the elejihant ; but h^; ran scx-eia? tinier round th palisade, fre-
quently sprinjdng at th;: spectators. Afterwards ilnix: elephants were
set upon him, and the'v, in Invn, dealt him such hea\y blows that he
again la_\" senseless, and wouhi ha\ e been killed, had not the struggle
been stop[)ed. .Such a trial ol stren;;!!!, howe\er, was wanton antl cruel,
but it placed be}'ond all doubt the " ])luck " ( f the tiger.

The onl)' animal, sa\'s a traveller in tii'- I'ast. toLuid suitable to assist iti
the capture of the tiger is the eleiihajit, which ofle'U (.lispla\ s great cour-
age and coolness in the chase, and at times a .sagacity which has sa\ed
the rider's life. ( )n notice being gi\en that there was a tiger in the
neighborhood, the whole station was aroused anil in a state of piepaivi-
tion liegan to i)roceed to the co\'er; the elephants wen: brouglvt out, and
the tumult that arose before all was ready, between dri\-e!"s, dog- and
horses, elej)hants and their masters, was indescribable, k'rom ten te
thirty of these animals, each carr\-ing a sportsman armed with rilles of
various descriptions, have generally started for the jungle (though some-
times a field of nearly one hundred ele[)hants ha\e been out), ami C(;ni-
menced regularly to beat fcjrthe game.

Socking- the Gaino.

We found immense quantities of game, wild dogs, hogs and the ncil-
ghie, literally the blue cow. We, however, strictly abstained from firing.

'=Sr*'?y*'*'

HUNTING A FEROCIOUS TIGER.

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rc.scr\iii;4 ov.v whoL- baUcrv for tlu: iiol^lrr ;;ainc — tlu- liijcr. ll was
pcihaps rortmialc that \vc did not find one in tlic thick part of the foi\st,
as tlic ti' rs well- so close set, and so intcrwown with thorns and parasitic
plants, thai tlu: fKph.mis wrvc often ohlitjcd to clc.ir for themselves a
passaj^e by tlu.ir own j)ressing exertions. It is curious, on thesi; occa-
.sioiis. to see the enormous trees these animals will overthrow on a \\oi<l
from the liriver; the\' place their foreheads a_L,Minst the obnoxious plant,
twistini; their trunks round it, and ^M-adually bendin<,' it towards tii-
i.;roun(l, until the\' can place a foot upon it. This done, down comes ilu;
tree w ilh crashin;^ stem and upturned roots. The elephant must be will
(•(lucali'd to actomplish this dut}' in a L;entleinan-like manner; that i-;,
uitlicut roarinLj sulkiK', or shakin;^ his master b)- too violent exertions.

( )n cUariuL;" the wooil, we entered an open spact; of marshy tjjrass, iiut
thiic fet hiL;h ; -i ku\L;e herd of cattle wi-re feedint;" there, and the herds-
man was sitting" sinL^ini;" under a bu^h ; when, just as the former began \n
mo\ e before us, up sprant^^ the ver)' titter to which our visit was intended,
and cantered off before a baie ])lain, dotted with small patches ofbii^h-
juULjle. lie took to the op.n country in a st)'le that would ha\e nioir
become a fox than a ti^er, which is expected b\' liis pursuers t > fiL;htan(l
not to run ; and as he was flushed ^fn the flank of the line, onl\- (uk;
bullet was hred at him ere he cleared the thick Ljrass. He was unhurt,
and we pui'sued him at full speed.

All Kxcitiii}*- ('ai»tiir«».

Twice he threw us out •)y stoppin*^ short in small strips of juns.:jle, and
tearin;;' back after we had passed ; and he had gi\-en us a ver\' fast trot of
about two miles, when an officer, who led the fielil, at last reached him
b\- a capital shot, his elephant beini;- in full career. As soon as he felt
himself wounded, th :• ti<^er crcj)! into a close thicket of trees and bushes,
and crouched. Tlu two leading; .sportsmen oxerran the spot where in;
lay ; and as I came up I saw him, throuL;h an aperture, risin<^ to attempt
a charge. i\I\' ilrixer had just before, in the heat of the chase, dropped
his goad, which I had refused to allow him to reco\er ; anil the elephant
lieing notoriously .savage, and further irritated by the goading he liaii
undergone, became, consequent!)-, unmanageable; he appeared to see the
tiger as soon as myself, and I hat! onl\' time to fire one shot, when he
suddenl)' rushed with the greatest fur_\' into the thicket, and falling on
liis knees, nailed tlu> tiger with his tusks to the ground.

Such was the \ioience of the shock, that my servant, who sat behind,
was thrown out, and one of m\- guns went overboard. The struggles ef
my elephant to crush his still resisting foe, which had fixed one paw on

WILD ANIMALS OF THE FOREST AND irXOI.F.

2'^r,

ti'll

his eye, were .so i-iierjj^ctic that T was rthhs^cc' to huld on with all my
strctlirth to keep tiu'self in thi: seat. I h-- seeond l)ari\ 1. t<>o, of the uuii
which I still retaiiud in ni\- hand, w nt off in the scuille. tli- hall passin r
ilosc to the (l;i\er's ear, whose situation, poor fellow, \\a^ an)-tliiivM)iit
enviable. As soon as ni\- clepiiant was prevailed upon to lra\c the
killin^^r jKirt of the business to the sportsmen, the)' ;^a\e the roU!;hly-
iis'd tii^er the tjo b\-. Tt was a \ery fine female, with the most l)eautifiil
s!<in I ever .saw.

Tho Famous lilack Itcar.

This animal inhabits every woodeil district of the American continent,
fioin the Atlantic to tie I'acific, and from Caroli;i.i to the shores < f tin.'
Arctic Sea. i.ian has, liowtner, i^raduall)' tirive'i it from its haini. ; to
make way for his works, and has compelled it to take rcfus^ein themouii-
tains and the immense inland forests. In Canada it is still found, an I it is
tolerably numerous on the Western coast, as far as California.

The black bear is smaller than other American bears — the total len;^th
of an adult .seldom cxcccdini^ fi\-e feet. Its fa\orite food is berries of var-
ious kinds, but, when these are not to be procured, it preys on roots, in-
sects, fish, ci^gs, and such birds or (piadrupeds as it can surprise. It does
iii>t eat animal food from choice ; for, when it has abundance of its favorite
\e;^rctable diet, it will pass the carcass of a deer without tcnichi'iL,^ it.

It is rather a timid animal, and will seldom face a man except it is
wounded, or has its retreat cut off, or is urc^ed by affection to defend its
vount;. In such instances it^, siuni^th renders it a dan_L^erous assailant.
The female lias been known to confront her eneni_\- boldly, until she had
seen her cubs attain the hitjhest branches of a tree, when she made off, ev-
idently considering; them to be in safety, but lea\in_L; them, in fact, an ea.sy
prey to the hunter. The speed of the black bear when in pursuit, is not
\ery threat, 'in^l a man ma}' escape from it, particularl\- if he runs into a
willow grove, or amonj^ loose grass ; for the caution of the bear obliges it
to -Stop frequcntl}-, and ri.sc on its hind legs, for the purpose of reconnoiter-
iiig. A black bear, however, has been known to make off with a si)eecl
that would have baffled the fleetest runner, and ascend a nearl\- periien-
dicular cliff, with a facility tiiat a cat might en\y.

One of the most curious of this race of animals is the labiated, or sloth
bear. This animal, on its first arri\al in hairope, was taken f>r a sloth, but
Blain\'ille proved that it is a .species of bear. It is a favorite with the jug-
glers of India, who consider its ugliness an attraction. The cartilage of
the nose is capable of extention, and the lips of considerable protrusion, as
may be seen if the .spectator hold a morsel of fruit or biscuit at a proper

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distance for exciting the animal to exert this faculty. The muzzle is elon-
jjated, and, as well as the ends of the feet, is whitish or )-ello\vish. The

li'^i:

THE SLOTH BEAR.

forehead ri.scs almost abruptl)' frcmi the muzzle. Upon the under side of
the neck and breast is a white mark, resembling the letter Vor Y. With
these exceptions, the fur is tleep black, with here and there some brown

WILD ANIMALS OF THE KORKST AND JUNGLE.

237

spots, and is rather long, particular!}- round the breast, in old specimens.
In bulk it is about the size of the brown bear.

The food ofthis species, in its natural state, consists offruits, honey, and
the white ants, which arc so numerous and destructive. It inhabits the
mountainous parts of India, where some cavern is its retreat. In captivit}'
it is mild but melanchol)-. .\ pair lived fur some time in the (jardens of
ilie London Zoological Society, \cr\' sociabl}-, and often la\' huddled to-
gether, uttering a kind of rattling, but low, whine, or purring, which was
continuous and monotonous, but not entire!}' immusical ; indeed, it was
termed by more than one who heard it their song. The paw ^vas gener-
al!}' at the mouth when they made this singular noise.

In India, bears will often continue on the road, in front of a palanciuin
for a mile or two, tumbling and p!a}-ing all sorts of antii:s, as if the}' were
taught to do so. I believe, sa}'s Johnson, in his "S!;- ,. .les" of that ct)un-
tr\-, it is their natural disposition ; for thc}' are certainly the most amusing
creatures imaginal^le, in a wild state. It is no wond.r that they are led
a!:)out with monkc}s to amuse mankind. It is astonishing, as well as lu-
dicrous to see them climlD rocks, and tumljle, or rather roll down precipi-
ces. If the}' are attacked b}' a person on horsebac!;, thev stand erect on
their hind legs, showing a fme set of white teetli, and make a crackling
kind of noise. If thc horse comes near them, they tr}'tocatch himliy the
legs ; and, if they miss him, they tumble o\er and over several times. The}'
are easil}' speared by a person mounted on horseback'.

Capers <»1" t'u* W<)l•l^l-llen<>^VIKMl "3Iartin."

The drollest and nio ;t accomplished of all bears was the celebrated
Martin, of Paris, who ;j dancing, climbing, curtseving, tumbling, beggin >■,
and man}' other antics, were the delight of e\er}' cliild in tlu meLro[)oli ;,
and of man}' grown-up children also. It is tru;-, that the nursemaitls en-
dangered the lives of their charges, bv liolding them over the sitle of the
pit in which he was kept; but as nor.e did fall, they continued to amuse
them.sehes and their nurslings at thc same risk. One morniuLr earh', he
very clever!}' withdrew the bolts of his pit door, and sallied forth
on his hind-legs to take a walk. The keepers of thc garden had not
risen; but the dogs were on the alert, and surrounded Martin, jumping
and barking, half in play and half in earnest. This roused the men, who,
rushing out to see what was the matter, beheld the beast in tlie midst of
the canine troop, his tongue lolling out of his mouth, and an e.\prcssion
of fun and cnjo}'ment in his countenance, which was indescribable.

Never was the malignant scowl, so often noticeil in bears, from pulling
the third e}'elid half over the eye, seen in poor Martin's face; yet he be-

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238

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

11 i

came iin])()pular from the cupidity of one of the .sentinels. Tliis man
fancied lie saw a five-franc piece Iv'inL^ in the bear's pit, and determined tu
j;o cku'inL;' the ni;.dit, w lien he would he on duty, and secure it. I le accord-
inj^l)' pro\ ided himself \\itli a laddei', and \\ hen the j^uard was chan<^etl,
was found l\in;.^ lifeless at the bottom, the coveted piece in his hand,
which pr<)\ed to Ijc n()thin<j but a larL^i; button. No marks of \iolence
were to be seen upon liis body, but the contusions on his head seenu:d to
tell that he had lalleii from the ladder when near the toj), and so met hi->
death. Whether he liad been friL;hlened or seized with giddiness, or
whether Martin had shaken the laddei", no one could .say; the animal was
-sittin;.;- ([uietly by his side when his fate \\as first made known.

The stoi-\- lied like wildtire from one end of Paris to th,: other, and in
a short tinii: the populace were full)' coin inced that Martin had killed
him; and this, combiiu'd with other e.\aL;e'erations, induced them to (kn:k
in mullituik s to see the nuirck'rous bear. Afterwards, two balls of arsenic.
wrap[)e(l up in some sweet substance, were fouml in the pit, fortunatel\-
before Martin had touched them; and the authorities of the <.,rardcn
thout^ht it pruileiit to remove him to a den in the manaj^erie. The front
of these dens was closed al ni|.dit with a sliding" shutter, pulled down by
insertine^ a hook at the end of a Ioiil;' pole into a riiv^-, which rini;- when
down, ser\'ed to admit a bolt. This did not please Martin, and the keep-
er never could accomplish the fastening, till some one else went to the
other side to take off the bear's attention; firtlu; moment the shutter
was down. Martin inserted his claws and pushed it up a^ain, and this
practice continued as Iohl;' as he existed.

Tlic Umvioldy 1Ii|>i>(>i)<»taiiiiis.
1 lip[)opotamus, the Roman name,t)f Greek origin, for the river-horse,
i.s still retained by modern zooloijists a.s the generic ai)pellation of these
animals. They are natives exclusively of iXfrica, where — thouj^h much
more liniilc-d than fvirnieiK' in the raiiLTC of their halMtat — thev inhabit the
banks and beds of the larger rivers, and of the inland lakes from the
Gariep to the upper Nile and its tributar\' branches. The hi[)popotamus
is, howe\'er, not restricted to these, for it is also a marine animal. It is
difficult to decide whether it ])refers the ri\er or the sea for its abode
during; the day. When there is an opportunit\' of choice, some select
tlie .sea, and others the ri\-er.

Scarcely, if at all, inferior to the elephant in bulk, this massive animal
is much lower in stature, from the shortness of its limbs. Its body, like
an enormous barrel supported on four thick pillars, almost touches tlie
tjjrovnid ; the head is ponderous ; the muzzle is swollen ; and the great.

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EARTH, SEA, AND SKY

thick li|)s, .stii(l(K'il with wiiv-likc bristles, cntircl}' conceal the projeclm
incisors of the lower jaw, and the huL;e cur\etl tusks, or canines ; th
mouth is wide; the nostrils open on the top of the swcjllen muzzle; anil
the cNes, which are very small, a;e situated hiuh on the head; henc ,
when in the water, the animal, by raising" mercK' a small uuper section ( f
the head abo\e the surface, c;;n both breathe and look around — tiic bo(l\
I ".nainin^ submerged. The ears are small and pointed ; the tail is sliort,
and furnished with a few wiry bristles. The toes — four on each foot — an
tipjjeil with small hoofs. The hitle is coar:>e, naked, and of threat thick-
ness.

This pari is made into \arious articles, as shields, wliips, and walkin<^r
.sticks. W hips in Iv^ypt iivc made of its skin, and form an impoitaiil
article of trade with the S'lmaar and Dalfour caia\'ans. To render tlu
narrow strip pliabl',-, the)- must be rubbeil with butter or t^rease. In
Iv^A'pt, where the\' are in general use, anil the dread of every ser\-ant and
peasant, they cost from half-a-dollar to a dollar each. In colder climate-.,
even in S\'ria, the)' l^ecome brittle, crack and lose their elasticit) .
Apin'ai'jiiu'c and li:il>ils of the IfiviT-Ilorsc.
Ik'tween the skin and the Hi-sh is a la)-er of fat, which is .-altv! and
eaten as a delicac)' b)' the Dutt h colonists of South Africa, bideed, tl;c
epicures of Cape Town do not disilain to use their inlluence wi'h the
countr)' farmers to obtain a preference in the matter ( f " ;-ea-cow's sped:,"
as this fat is termed, when salted and dried. The llesh, also, is e.vcellent.
The larL;e canines are much \alued b\' dentists, as the)- make from the;M
better artificial teeth than can be obtained from the ivor\- of the
elei)hant.

The [general color of the hippopotamus is dusk)-, brow nish-ri'd, jjassin"
on the sitles and limbs into a lii:jht purple, retl, or brown ; the imdei
parts, the lips, and the e)elids, are lij^lit wood-brown, witli a tini^e d
flesh-color; the hinder quarters and the under surface are freckled with
s[K)ts of dusky brown; the hairs of the tail and ears are black, those ( n
tile muzzle yellowish-brown. The male fUr exceeds the female in siz •.
The liippopotamus is j^n-egarious, wary, and cautious.

riiese animals feed chiefly t)n ^rass, resortini^ to situations near tin.
banks of ri\-ers whicli sup[)lv that food. In districts full)- inhabited Iv
man they generally pass the tla)- in the water, and seek their nourishmer.t
during- the niL;iit ; but in localities differently circumstanced, the)' often
pass a portion of the day a.s well as the niidit i.m drv land. In countries
in which the ni^ht-time constitutes the i)nl)- safe period for leavini; the
water, the)- are e.\ceetlini;l)' war)'.

WILD ANIMALS OF THE FORKST AND JUNGLE.

241

In Dargola, a narrow strip of countr\-I\-inL,^ on l)oth sides the Nile, the
hr!r[)oon with which the natives attack the hippopotamus terminates in a
flat, oval-shaped piece of iron, three-fourths of tlit; outer rim of which aie
sharpened to a very fine cd<^c. To the u[)per part of this iron one end of
a lontj, stout cord is fastened, and the other is tied to a thick piece of
liL,dit wood. The hunters attack the animal either by day or h_\- ni^ht,
liut they prefer the former, as it enables them better to escape the assaults
(if their furious enemy. One part of the rope, with the shaft of the har-
poon, the hunter takes in his riL;ht hand ; in the left he holds the rest <>f
the rope and the piece of wood. He now cautiously a[)proaches the ani-
mal when he is asleep durin_<^ the day on some islantl in the ri\ er, or he
looks for him at niL,dit, when the hippopotamus is likel\' to conic out of
the water to graze in the corn fields.

When the huntsman is about seven paces from the Ix-ast he throws the
spear with all his might, and, if he is a good marksman, the iron pierces
tiirough the thick hide, burying itself in the ilesh deeper than the barbed
point. The animal generally plunges into thewat(;r; and, though the
shaft of the harpoon may be broken, the piece of wood which is attached
to the iron floats on the surface, and shows whixt direction he takes.
There is great danger shouUl the hipjiopotamus spy the huntsman before
he can throw his spear. He then springs forward with the utmost fur}-,
and c'ushes him at once in his wide, open mouth.

As soon as the animal is fairly struck, the huntsmen, in theii" small c.i-
noes, cautiously approach the floating wood, and, after fastening a strong
rope to it, they hasten with tlie other end toward the large boat which
contains their companions. The huntsmen now pull the rope, when the
animal, irritated by the pain, seizes the boat with his teeth, and some-
times succeeds in crushing and overturning it. Meanwhile his assail-
ants are not idle ; four or fwc more harpoons arc plunged into liim, and
every effort is made to drag the beast close up to the boat, so as to
give him less room to plunge about in. Then they tr\- to di\ide the
strong ligament that holds the head in its place, with a sharp weapon,
or to pierce his skull. Since the bod\' of a full-grown hippopotamus
is too bulky to be pulled out of the water without a great number of
hands, they generally cut him up in the river, and bring the pieces to

land.

Story of nn Iniportod Hippopotainus.

In ?klay, 1 850, the good ship" Ripon " steamed uip to her berth in the
Southampton Water, and \-arious strange sights did she jirescnt to inquir-
ing eyes. The most striking was an aged Arab of noble bearing, but by
ir.

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HULliLui"

242

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

no means clean, looking" calmly out of one nf the ports ; aiul, next in in-
terest, a youni^ one, who outdid all the bo}"s on the (iua\- could do, b\-
draw.inL,^ out of his ra;4i,n.'d dress a splenditl cobra, whose hiss, and the
spreadinL,^ of whose hood, luid m^ chance of a parallel. A dark-skiiined
Nubian, who went by the name of Hamct, had arrived with the first iiip-
popotamus that had reached lun'ope since the lunpcror Cominodus

"oiiAVSCIl — FIRST IHPPOI'OTAMUS TKAX-roKTED TO EUROPE.

slau<^htered five of thc>e hu^e animals in the ria\ian Amphitheatre at
Rome.

His HiL;hness Abl:)as I'asha. with _L,nvat liberalit)-, had the animal
brought to Cairo at hi^ own expense, from the White Nile; a lieutenant

WILD ANIMALS OF Till-: FOREST AND IL'NGLK.

•J43

aiul ;i [)art\- of ten Nubian soldiers formed liis escort: a boat liad been
built on ])urp()se for him.

I laniet, whose services had been enL,^aL;ed at Cairo, from his experience
ami skill in the care and manac^ement of animals, had some amusin;^
incidents to relate as to his extraordinary charj^^e. It was clear, for in-
-.tance, that he had attracted to himself, and that most deservedly, the warm
affections of Obaysch, the name ^i\en to the animal from the i)lace where
he was captured. Thus, I lamet slept side b}- side with him at Cairo,
and in the same way he slumbered durini^ the first week of the \-oyai^e.
But as the weather grew warmer, and Obaysch lar_c;er and larger, thouc^h
"povcrt)' makes us acquainted with stranc^e bedfellows," the cliari^c of a
hippopotamus did not necessarily, it was thouc;ht, rentier such an incon-
venience imperative. I lamet had, therefore, a hammock slung fiom the
beams immediately o\er the place where he used to sleep — ^^just o\'er, in
fact, liis side of the bed, his position being rai.sed some two or three
feet. Assuring Obaysch, not onl\' b}' words, but by extending one arm
mer the side so as to touch him, liamet got into his hammock and fell
asleep, when he was suddeiiK- awake-d b\- a jerk and a hoist, onl}- to find
himself close b)- the side of his companion. Another experiment at sep-
arate sleeping was attended 1)\' the same successful mcnements on the
part of Oba\"sch, and, till tluy arri\eil at .Southam[)ton, Ilamet desisted
from any further trial, as he a\oided, in all wa)-s, any irritation of tlie
animal.

Recentl)', a female hippopotamus, was safel\- deposited in the gardens
of the Zoological Society. It was ascertainetl. during the voyage, th.at
•she was not insensible to music, for, when an\- one of the musicians on
board played his instrument near her, she in\ariably raised her head in
the attitude of listening. The keeper, also, an Arab snake-charmer, was
in the habit of exciting the attention of his charge b\- a kind of musical
call, which she answered b\- \i!)rating her great bulk" to and fro, w ith
c\ident pleasure, keeping time to the measure of the keeper's song. At
the date just mentioned .she was about four months old, and w cighed
aho\e a ton. She was f.-tl In- her keeper opening her moutli with his
hand, which he thrust down her throat, covereil with milk and corn-meal

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CiiAPTl«:R IX.

ri<:markabl1': types of animal life.

The American Puma — Killiiij; Priv for tlie Sake of Killing — Two Hunters ni ilie
Catskills — A Sportsman's Shocking Death — Singular l-'ncounter with a Punm—
Power of Gentleness upon the Brute Creation — The dreat Ori/zly !5ear — A
Clumsy Creature — lllind Bears Regaining Sight — The I'anious Jungle Jk-ar—
Claws of Unique Construction — Hunters' Ingenious Methods of Capture — How
the "Jungler" Acts in Captivity — Tlie Bear's Song — The Hedgehog — A Prickh
Covering- -A Long Winter's Sleep — Tlie Hedgehog Proof Against Poison — T!il-
Internal Foe of Serpents — The Brazilian Porcupine — A Creature with an Extra
ordinary Armor — Classic Legends Concerning the Porcupine — An Animal tli.it
Lacks Pjrains — Connnon Porcupine — Method of Showing Anger — A Quadruped
Rolled up like a Ball--The Armadillo— A Thick Coat of Mail— A Rapid Digger
in the Earth— A Bone-Covered Ball — Tumbling Unhurt Down a Precipice— A
Sense of Wonderful Acuteness — The Scaly Ant-Eater — A Toothless Animal-
Scales like those of a Fish— Tlie Agile Kangaroo — Curious Pouch for Carryint,^
Young — A Long Leaper — Hard Fighters — American Opossum — A Lovt r of
Barn-yards — Odd Method of Transporting Little Opossums.

III'. jiLima, sometimes called the couLjuar, has a very extensive
ran^^e over both North and South America. The total len;^t]i
of the adult is from four feet to four feet and a half, that of
the tail fr(Mii two feet to two feet and a half The females
arc somewhat less. The fur is thick and close, of a reddish-brown,
approaching nearly to the color of a fox on the back. It lii^htens on the
outsides of the limbs and on the flanks, and on the belly becomes of a
pale reddish white. The muzzle, chin, throat, and insides of the legs, are
grayish-white, and on the breast the color becomes more marked, and is
almost pure white. The part from which the whiskers spring, and the lips
and the backs of the ears, are black ; the whiskers themselves white. On
the face and flanks of the young animal there are some indications of
stripes or brindling ; but when the puma reaches maturity these are lost,
and the color becomes entirely uniform, except where it shades into a
jialertint.

Though very active in climbing, this animal seems more to frec[uent
the grassy plains of the southern i)art of America anil the marshy meadow-
lands bordering the rivers, than the forest, and is found in a country so
open as to be frequently taken by the lasso, when attacking the herds. In
the northern districts it inhabits the swamps and prairies, li\'ing chiefh- on
(•-Ml)

RKMARKABLE TYPES OF ANIMAL LIFE.

•24 ■■

(lilTcr.nt species of deer, on whicli it is said to drop down from a tree,
which it had ascended to watch their path; or it makes inroads on the
h()_;s of tlie squatter, who has trone to the unopened countr\-. Other
kinds jf food, are sought after and taken without much discrimination.

L'lilike most of the other animals of the tribe, it is not satisfied with the
soizure of a single pre\' , but, when meeting with a lierd of animals, will
ki'l as many as it can, sucking only a small portion of the blood from
each. It is thus extremely destructive among sheep, and has been know n
to kill fift\' in one night. Active means are therefore constanth* re(|uin(l
for its destruction, and it is either hunted, speared, or shot.
Fatal EiU'ouiitor in tlio C.atskills.

Two hunters went out in ([uest of game on the Catskill Mountains, in New
York, each armed with a gun and accompanied by his dog. It was agreed
between them that they should go in contrary directions round the base
of the hill, and that if either discharged his piece, the other should cross
the hill as expediously as possible, to join his companion in pursuit of the
.;aine shot at. Shortly after separating, one heard the other fire, and, agree-
ably to their compact, hastened to his comrade. After searching for him
for some time without effect, he found his dog dead and dreadfully torn.
Apprised by this discovery that the animal shot at was large and ferocious,
he became anxious for iiis friend, and assiduously continued the .search
tor him; when his eyes were suddenly directed, by the deep growl of a
luinia, to the large branch of a tree, where he saw the animal crouching
on the body of a man, and directing his eyes towards him, a[)parently
hesitating whether to descend and make a fresh attack on the sur\ ixor,
Mr to relinquish his prey, and take to flight.

Conscious that much depended on celerit)-, the hunter discharged his
piece, and wounded the puma mortally, when it and the bod)- of the man
nil together from the tree. The surviving dog then Hew at the prostrate
beast; but a single blow from his paw laid him dead In" his side, blind-
ing that his comrade was dead, and that there was still danger in
approaching the wounded animal, he retiretl, and. with all haste, Ijrought
sc\'cral persons to the spot, where the unfortunate hunter and both t\\c
dogs were Ix'ing dead together. The skin of this animal was pre.served
in the Museum of New York, as a memorial of the story.
Curious Atlveuturo Witli a Funia.

The following curious encounter with a puma is related by Sir E. Head,
in his "Journey Across the Pampas: " The fear whicli all wild animals in
America have of man is very singularly seen in the Pampas. I often
roile towards the ostriches, crouching under the opposite side of my

'■v<i

'hiii

lift

ii^

MiS

■'^ s

lil|.^

III

f ;

nil-: PUMA OR AMERICAN TKIKK.

mail}- sccc

niaiiUainet
supremac)'

raniients.

REMARKABLF-: TYPf-S ol' ANIMAL LIFE.

i>4:

hors(,*'.s neck; but I always found that, altliou^h ihcy wouM allow any
loose horse to approach theiii, they, even when \'oun;j^, ran from nie,
thoUL^h little of my fiL^ure was visible; antl when 1 >aw them all enjoyiiv^r
tliLinseJN'es in such full liberl\-, it ua^ at Hrst not [jleasiiv^ to observe that
one's appearance was e\er)'\\ here a siL,MKil to them thai the)- shoukl lly
tVom their enemy. Vet it i> by this fear '" that man hath (lominioii owr
the beasts of the held "ami there is no animal in South .\merica that does
not acknowled;4e this instincti\-e feelini^. As a sin;_;ular proof ol this,
and of the diffeience between the wild beasts of America and the Old
World, I w ill \enture to relate a circumstance which a man suicerely
.i--ured me had happoned to him in South America:

He was trying;' to shoot :>o!ne wild ducks, and, in order to approach
them unpercei\'ed, he put the corner of his ponclio (which is a sort of
loll;,;', narrow t)lanket) over his head, and crawlin;^ alon^j the ;^round ujjon
his hands and knees, the piMicho not only covered his bod\-, but
trailed alon;^;" the L^M'ound behind him. .\s lie wa.-. thus cree])in_;- by a
\m-'^c bush of reeds, he heard a loud, sudden noise, between a bark and
a roar: he felt somethiuL; hea\y strike his feet, and, instantl)- jumpini; up,
he saw, to his astonishment, a ku\L;e puma actually standin;.^ on his
poncho; and, perha[)s, the animal was e(piall\- a^tonisheil to find himself
in the immediate presence of so athletic a man. The inan told me he
was unwilling to fire, as his ;4un was loatled with \er}' small shot; and he
ilierefore remained motionless, the puma standin;^ on his poncho fur
iuan\' seconds: at last, the creature turned his head, and wall<iiV4 \ei"y
-.lowh' away about ten wards, he stooped and turjied aiiain : the man still
maintained his i^round, up(Mi which the [)uma tacitlv' acknowledi^ed his
supremac}'. and walked off.

3Iakiiis P<'ts of Wild Boasts.

The puma is \cx\- easily tamed, and becomes harmless, and e\-en
affectionate. Kean, the acu.r, possessed one, called " Tom," which
followed him about, and was often introduced to com[)an\' in his drawiiv^-
room. Another was extremel)- ij^entle and playful, and showed no
s\-mptoms of ferocit)' to stran;j^ers who went to see it. Tt rejoiced <^reatly
in the society of those to whose compan\- it was accustomed; laid d(v,\-n
on its back between their feet, and played with the skirts of their
garments, exactl\- like a kitten. It was \-ery fond of water, frecpiently
jumping into and out of a large tub, greall\-[)leased with the refreshment.

It was brought fr<->m the cit\' of St. Paul's, the capital of the district of
that name, in the Brazils. During its voyage it was on intimate terms
with several dogs and monkeys, none of which it ever attempted to

"i^

■s

■P-^

'^taM

ij:l;liH

laj^

^H^i^

^ffiU

PI"!

'iy.luilM

Uli

M ',. J*

K :i[||

'Mm

248

KARTlf, SKA, ANT) SKY

injure ; nor did it c\ uii attempt to return the petty insults which the latt.r
sometimes offered. Hut if an imfortunate f..\vl or ^^oat came within il.
reacii, it was immediately snapped at and killed. While in T,„ui(,n. ii
escaped into tlie street durin^r the ni-ht. but allowetl itself f. be taken by
a watchman, without offerin^r even a show of resistance. After its arri\ al
in ICdinburj,di, it was not indul^ad with li\in<,' prey, and the only animaU

GKIZZLV liEAR AND ITS I'Ri:V.

which fell victims to its rapacity were a duck and cock-pheasant, both u(
which approached inadvertently witiiin the circle of its spring, and were
each killed by a blow of its fore jiaw.

The griz/ly bear is to the animal tribes of America what the Renewal ti-
ger is to those of Hindostan and the lion to those of Central Africa. It
IS the most savage of its race and the most tenacious of life of all quad-
rupeds. The European brmvn b;;ar and the American black bear are

rcL,^aining of

Ki:M.\RK.\rU.K TVPrS OF ANIMAL Lli'l'.

24'J

closely allied, and arc similar in habits, al'ih(>i;L,h the ftnincr is fiorcir and
inorc sanc,aiinar\'. They arc excellent clinilxrs, passionateK' fDiul of
lioncy, ^Tcat dcvourcrs of roots and <^recn corn, and especial enemies to
li(i;4s and small calves.

The ^riz/.l\- btar is larger, heavier, clumsier and stronircr, than the
otliiMs. It easily crosses broad streams by s\vimmin<^ and w lien enrai^ed
t.\cn attacks its enemy in the water. U is not afraid of man .imi mair/ a
hunter has fiiU'-n a \ictim to its powerful claws and jaws. Indians and
tra;)pers relate wonderful stories about its ferocit}' aiul strength. The
tctiacit}' of life of the i^rizzl}' is \'ery <;reat and a woui'"', that lIocs not kill
it rit;ht out. is often more daui^erous to the hunter than tr. the bear itself
For this reason the Iiulians consider the killing of a <^riz;'.ly as a proof of
jjrowess of the youni;- warrioi-, ewn more so than tin- slayini,^ of an
ciieiny. A necklace of the claws and teeth of a t^^izzly is considered on ■
of tlu.'ir L;reatest and most honorin^^ ornaments, because the Indian is not
allowed to wear it, e.\cept he killed the bear himself

Restoring' Sijflit to Bliiul lii'ars.

It is said that the mere scent of man causes the grizzly to run away.
The other animals are as much afiaitl i>f the scent of the ^n-izzl)-, as this
animal is of that of man. In capti\it\- the orjzziy does not act different!)-
fidin its I''uro[)ean cousins. Two grizzly bears in the Zoological Garden
of London became utterl\- lilind and it was resolved to perforin an opera-
tion on them. By administering chloroform they were stupefied, and
then the operation was performed. When they came to, they staggered
about as if recovering from drunkenness, but later on seemed to enjoy the
re[,^aining of their eyesight.

A Creature ^\^^\l Monstrous Claws.

The home of the jungle bear is the continent of y'Vsia, especiall\- the
southern part, and the Inland of Ce\-lon. It frec[uenth- is found in moun-
tains and solitar\- forests, ami also near the habitations of man. ( )n the isle
of Ceylon, during the great drouth, it l<.;ft its hiding places, and was met so
often b\- the inhal)itants that the women hatl to relinquish their accus-
tonieil baths and al)luti(.iis in the rivers. These bears frecjuentl}' fright-
ened them a\\a\', \-et w ilhout an\- intention, because they have fallen into
the ri\er while drinking, and on account o{ their clumsiness are not able
to n;ain dr}' land.

During the hot hours of the da\- the jungle bear rests in self-dug holes.
It is \ery sensitive to heat, and suffers greath' when fiMxed to cross the
hot and dry mountain plateaus. Its soles are nearly scorched by the
heat, so much so that it is sometimes unable te) walk.

'• '^':

■'w^w»^i<fl '

!i:.

D'liEJi

III!

<l2.-,0)

THE ILN(jLE liEAK OF ftOUTilEKN ASIA.

llcdj^cliocj;' e

ri:m.\rkai;i.k Tvri:s df animal i.ifk.

251

The liuntcrs therefore wait until the hi.'ar is nearly exhausted b\' the
heat bclMi-c the\' attack it. It i^iMierall)- api)ears to hi: harnile>s wliik;
travelin;^' throujjjh the mountains, l)ut becomes very dan_L;erous when
Avoundcci. It is one of the sin^^ular facts of the animal lcin;^tloni that
some quathupccls which a[)[)ear to be naturally stupid iiad slui^^gish are
vet capable of bein'^^ t.uiL^ht to do things which they ne\er would do of
themselves. Creatiucs posses.scd apparently of a \-ery !o\v order of intel-
iigiuce are susceptible of instruction, and under man's patient tutelage
caii he made to perform all kinds of tricl^s. .At the command of his mas-
ter, the horse will walk a narrow [)lank, pick out a handkerchie-f of a par-
ticular color from a number ha\-ing other colors, sho.it off ,i 'j^un, anil, in
conipaiu' with otlier liorses, go through a niilitar)- driii. oi- w.ilt/., and
keep step to music. The sagacitx' of the dog is pro\-erbial. This animal
can be so taught as to surprise us by its rem.nrkable feats. The same is
true of bears, especially the jungle bear, which can be made to go tlwough
n great variety of movements quite foreign to its natural actions and
habits.

Tli<» Tr«Mly»>lioy.

The common lietl-jfeho.--, an insccti\-orous animal, has a hea\\' lorm,
.short hmbs, and .->lo\v motion. The upper part of the bod_\- is co\eretl
with sharp prickles about an iiwdi loiv;. ai-ranged in clusiei-s, divergent
and crossing each other, of a browni-h-blaok- with a white point; the
head is clothed with hard, brownish haij-s aiul the underpaid of the body
wiih a dirt\- white lur. The J n e toes ar,: armed with long nail-, the mid-
dle the longest, suitable f )r digging. The soles are co\-ered with naked
tubjrcles, [possessing an e' < jais't,; sen-^e ot touch.

The animal is able- to roll it-.elf into a ball and pivser\e this attitude as
long as it pleases without nvjeh i;ribit, j)i-e>enLing to its ( iii_-mies a thorny
mass, which the most \o!-ai:ious and powerful dare not attack. The
hedgehog cmceals itself during the da\- in burmws or natui'al holes,
coming out at night in .seaich (4" woi-ms, insects, snails and fruits. There
is t\o liedgehog in Ameiiea; the pi^-cupine, armed with qujlls, is ^oino-
tinies cailed by this name.

Th" usual resideive of the- ■ .animals, whiih are found in the tempi'rate
parts ( f Asia and l".uroi)e. is in thickets. It ma;/ be in some degree ren-
dered domestic, and has been fi-e(|uent!y introduced into houses for the'
purpose of destroying cockroaehe-. and beetles, which it pursues and de-
vours with great avitlit)-. .\ttlu; commencement of winter the hedgehojr
wia[)S itself up in a warm nest (.f drieil moss, grass, or lea\"es, and sleeps
out the rigors cT the season. When t.d<en out and [ilaced bet^'re a hre it

:|:

1>i;

fill

252

EARTH, SEA, AND SK^■

soon recovers from torpidit\'. The female j^roduces from three to six bl'nd
ones at a birth, whicli are soon cox'ered with prickles, like tho.se of the
parent animal.

The hed^^ehot^ is said to be \er\' delicate catini,''. The skin was vised bv
tile ancients for the purpt)se of a clothes brush. 1 Ikj most \iolent animal

poison.-

have no effect on the hed<reho'

This

renders

it of

pecuhar

value in forests, where it destroys a e^reat many noxious reptiles. Fi^ht-
.'tween the hedLreho^s and vipers have been witnessed, in which, after -c

bet\

ver\' se\ere and ])rolonL,^ed encounter, the hedgehog seized the viper by

rill': TKicKi \' iii;i)i.i-.ii()i;

the head, which it grouiul between its teeth, compressing the fangs ani!
glantls of poison, ami then de\ourin;.; e\-ery part of the body. Tl

hedLi"eho!_r receiwd .se\e:al uoi.nds on the ears, mouth, and e\en tli

tongue, without ajipearing to experience an\'

if tl

le ordiiKUA' s)'m[)t(

)m-

produced b\' the \\n.;n of the \ii)er. According to piu'siological n

oles

It IS not easih' unikT

11 111

Jii iw a w.ii

Ill-blooded animal could stantl tli

bites of the viper, which would cause the decompositi<>n of the blood

ther

animals and occasion d(

atli.

The i^iM/.ili.iii treL'-porcu[)in.- is abuii(l;r)t in ("luiana, Brazil and Bolivia,

REMARKABLE TYPES (JF AXIMAL LIFE..

l>5a

and (cQih on the fruit nf palms. Like its cousins it sleeps duriuLj tiie day
sitliiiL;' on a tree. It t,n-eatly dislikes to be touched and by a sudden
int)\einent tries to intimidate an\' one who approaches it. When cauL;ht
b\' the tail it becomes tame and ])Iiable and then can be taken on the arm
without tryinij to bite. When irritated, it erects its (^uills and then ap-
pears to be twice as large as it rcall\' is

The ancients were acquainted with the porcupine, and .\ristolle alludes
X<) llie story of its power in .shooting its quills to a distance at Us enem\-,
-^how'.ig that this illusion had thus earl\' taken possession «>f the popular
m d. .i"ie tale is dwelt upon by Pliny \\ith his usual lo\e of the mar-
\Liouy, u:J.. Elian, ( )i)pian, and Claudian ha\e repeated the story with e.\-
a^j^erations. In suddenl)' raising his .spin\- armor, a loose tpiill may be
detached by the porcupine, but the power of throwing them to a distance
docs not exist except when shedding its coat.

A Croatiirc with a Fonuidablc Armor.

The use of the quills is simpls- that of a defensixc armor, but as this
seems a cumbrous de\'ice for sucli a purpose, we are led to insist on find-
ing other acKantages to be derived from them. Hence, Thunberg tells
us that he was informed that the Ceylonese porcupine had a \ery curious
method of fetching water fir its \-oung, naniel)', the (]uills in the tail are
said to be hollow, and to ha\e a h<^le at the extremit}-, antl the animal
can bend them in such a manner as that thev can be filled w ith water,
which afterward is discharged in the nest among the )'oung. Such in-
ventions, to hel[) nature out, so as to satisfy a narrow conception of her
works, are doubtless the source of many of the common-place errors in
respect to animals of peculiar organization; but the truth certainl\- is,
that the porcupine finds his quill armor an exceedingly convenient, use-
ful, and effectixe defence, and he would be as imperfect without it as a
wasp without its sting, or a cock without its spurs.

The porcupine is an exceedingl\- stupid creature, and hence, no doubt,
nature supplied him w ith his formidable covering as a compensation for
his lack of brains ; as an indispensable provision in order to put him on a
level with other brutes of his order. The modes l^y which nature equalizes
her fa\'ors are infinitel\' diversified: some animals she endows with in-
stincts, some with gifts analogous to reason, some with strength, some
with dexterity, some with defensi\e or offensive wea|)ons. The hare has
speed, the squirrel activity, the marmot caution, the bea\er ingenuit)-, the
rat most or all of these qualities; the porcupine, destitute of all, has his
cjuiver of arrows, which he shakes in the face of his foe, to frighten him if
he is a coward, and to pierce him if he has the courage to make an at-

i. 1!l

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l^U''"

Ji.i;ittii, '

Ifti

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)

^liii

:y ■' r^

' J

i 1

iuc oil the
•Aiih hair.
spiiA- co\-on'i
porcupine, ai:
thirt)- poipiii-
hair and spirt
Tiic fur is ;
coarse aiul 1)
ihc C(.)arso h;i
hiKiry tint.
,th • upper sur
while Willi ih

♦v f i

'■•,\1i|K')

mm.

■■iW

f^:,'^-

REMARKA11LI-: TYPES OF ANIMAL LIFH.

'lor,

tack. In case of nood. he will run hackuard :il his vw-my, and thus
strike his sharp-pointed arrows into him. Without his (pulls, the porcu-
pine would seem to be a sin-ularly uniueanuv^r, uncouth, and helpless sot;
with them, he has a position in history, and fi;4ures in literature as the
emblem of human fretfulness and conceit.

Rodents arc called the animals which are furnished with two remarkably
lar^^e and loni; front teeth in each jaw. but which have no canme teelh.
Their feet have claws and are formed for leapin-; as well as f .r running.
The porcupines, which belon-' to this familx'. have two fr.Mit t-cth, set
nhli-piely in each ja v, and L,n-inders ; they have four toes on the f .re and

iHi; COMMON i'oKCLl'l.Si: I'l' eWN.VDA.

fi.e on the hind fjet, and the b >d>- is cowred with >piP'S imerinix.'d
ui'h hair, d'o the he<l-eho-- they liave a further similitude than in ihe
s')irv co\erin-- of their bodies. The best known H,)ecies is the Can.ula
porcupine, ai)out two and one half f(x:t Ion-, wei-hin- from t\vvnt\- to
thirty pounds. It api)ears lar-er than it really is, from the len-t!i of the

hair and spires.

Vwc fur isL;eneraH><lark brown, soft, Wv)oIl\- anil ;^n-ayish ne.\t the skin ;
coarse and bristb- in some parts, si.K or seven inches Ion;;- on the liack;
the coarse hair usually havin-- dirty white points, i^ivin-- to the whole a
hoary tint. Tlie .spires more or less hidd.'n b\' the fur and abumlant on
the upper surface of the head, bodv and tail, are several inches lon:.^^ and
while with dark i)oint->. It is found l/etween northern Penn.sj-Uania and

M \': • Mil

«'<!

IS^

I'f

pM,

'2r)C,

IiARTH, SEA, AND SKV.

to the cast of the upper Missouri Ri\cr. It is an excellent, thoui;Ji a slow
climber, is not able to escai)e its enemies by flij^iit, but cannot be attacked
even by the larjjest (lesii-eaters with impunity.

Do<js, wolves, the lynx and the couL,Hiar have died, from the imflanun.i-
tion i)roduced by its ijuills. These are loosely attached to the skii^. ami
barbed at the point, so that tliey easily penetrate, retain their hold, and
tend continually to become more deepl)- inserted. When irritated, it erects
its quills, and by a cjuick lateral movement of the tail, strikes its cnenn-,
leaving the mouth, nose and tonc^ue beset with its darts. Whenever these
animals are irritated or offended, they stamp forcibly on the ground with

15()\l>l'I.ArKD .XKM.VDILLO.

their hind feet, somewhat in the manner of rabbits, making at the- same tinic

a kind of grunting noise.

The usual method of defence adopted by these animals is to recline on
one side, and at the approach of their enemy to rise up tpiickly, and gore
him with the erected quills of the opposite side. It is stated that w 1k:i
the porcupine meets with serpents, against which it carries on a perpt tii;ii
war, it closes itself up, like a ball, concealing its liead and feet, and then
rolls upon and kills them with its bristles, without running any risk of
being woundetl itself

This armadillo belongs to a familv of mammals, intermediate between the

REMARKABLE TYPES OF ANIMAL LIFE.

2.->7

sloths and ant-catcrs. They arc distinji;uishcd by th^ possession of molar
ttcth only, and have a sinj^ular coat-armor coverin'j their whole body and
head. It consists of three bony bucklers embracin.; the head, shoulders
and rump, the two latter solid and capable of little movement, but con-
nected by transverse bands of smaller plates, which are very pliable and
elastic. The tail is armed with an annular band. The le<;s are short and
stout, covered with scaly plates, and furnished with powerful claws for
!)iirrowin^ in tlie ground. The teeth are cylindrical, varying from seven

ARMADILLO ROLLED UP AND ERECT.

to eighteen in number on each side of each jaw, and when the mouth is
closed they shut one into another.

The armadillos are mostly nocturnal, and perfectl\- inoffensive ; they run
with great speed, easily outstripping a man, but when pursued imme-
diately commence burrowing with rapidity. Their ordinaiy food consists
of fallen fruits, roots, worms, ants and carrion. When tho armadillo is in
danger of being attackxd by its enemies, it rolls itself up in the manner
of the hedgehog, and, except its nose, leaving nothing but the shell in
view.

In this position it sometimes resembles a large ball flattened at the
17

ill

258

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

sides, and it continues in this position till the danger is past, and frequently
for a long time afterwards.

If the animal happens to be near a precipice, it will sometimes roll itselt
over, and generally falls to the bottom unhurt. These animals root up the
earth in search of food ; they live in burrows, which they dig in the
ground, and which they seldom quit, except during the night. Although
they are natives of the hot climates they will live in temperate regions.
They are hunted with small dogs, which are tr'\ined up for this pur[)ose
The hunters know when they are concealed in their holes by the number
of flies which then hover round, and their usual mode of forcing them out
is by smoking the burrows or pouring in water. If they begin to dig,
the animal digs also, and, by throwing the earth behind it, so effectually
closes up the hole that the smoke cannot penetrate. The Indians are
very fond of the flesh of the armadillo.

The armadillos see but indifferently, particularly in brigl: si'^shiny
weather; but their sense of hearing is extremely acute, and ariipl^ com-
pensates for any imperfection of sight. When alarmed by an^ unusual or
strange sound they prick up their ears, stop for a moment to satisfy
themselves of its distance and direction, then commence a precipitate re-
treat to their burrow, or, if that be too remote, begin to nstruct a new-
one. Smell is, however, by far the most acute of iheir senses. Azara
tells a singular story, which strikingly illustrates the intensity of this
sense in the armadillos, as well as the unerring certainty with which, by
a kind of intuitive knowledge of the principles of engineering, they are
enabled to direct their subterraneous course to any particular point. Hav-
ing arranged a trap for the purpose of taking armadillos, and having
placed in it, by w-ay of bait, a cock with a small quantity of maize to sup-
port him, it so happened that a few grains of the maize fell through be-
tween the boards which formed the bottom of the trap. An armadillo ar-
rived during the night, and wishing to get at the maize thus accidentally
spilt, opened a trench or burrow at some distance from the trap, and with-
out deviating a hair's breadth from the straight line of his direction,
pushed it on to the very spot where the grain had fallen, and possessed
himself of the booty.

The Pangolin or Scaly Ant-Eater.
A burrowing toothless mammal is found in the warm parts of Africa
and Asia, living in holes, which it digs in the ground or in hollow trees
and feeding upon insects, especially ants. The largest species is the
short-tailed pangolin, three or four feet long; it is found in India or Cey-
lon ; the scales are deep brown in the adult animal, and hard enough to

exasperated tl

REMARKABLE TYPES OF ANIMAL LIFE.

259

turn a musket ball. The flcsli of the pan^folins, which arc pmbably the
best protected of niamnials aj^ainst carnivora, i.s delicate and niiicli prized
by the natives of Africa.

The pangolins have no teeth ; their mouth is long and tubular, and the
tv ,'iie cylindrical, and extensile. In their general appearance these ani-
niMS greatly resemble the lizards. They are, however, truly mammifcr-
oiis animals, bringing forth li\ing offspring and nourishing them in the
same manner as other quadrupeds. The scales with wliich the bodies of
th.'sc extraordinary animals are covered, are not attached to the skin
by their whole under surface, but only by their lower extremities, and
thus, like the quills of the porcupine, are movable at pleasure. When

THE SCALY ANT-EATER.

exasperated the animals erect them, and when attacked, they roll them-
selves into a ball and present to their enemy a surface armed on ever)-
side.

The scales arc sharp at the points and of a substance so hard, that f)n
collision, they will strike fire like flint. The mode in which these animals
feed is similar to that of the ant-eaters. They lay df)wn in places fre-
quented by insects and extend their long, cylindrical tongue upon the
j^^round ; the insects are attracted by the viscous fluid with which it is
covered, and run upon it in great numbers. When the animal finds that
its tongue is sufficiently covered, it suddenly withdraws it and swallows
its prey.

'Mm

' '.tril-:

Ill

lIlM'

I 9

«|l

! till

l!;^*^

1 1 i

ifll*

L'»;o

KARTH, SFA, AND SKY.

The kan^^-lrl)() is a marsupial animal, that is, an animal with a pouch tiir
carryinj^ its younj;. It is peculiar to Australia and the nei^^hhDriii;^'
islands. The fore limbs are usuall)' very small in proportion to the hind
Ic^s, which are lari^^e and powerful. Kanj^aroos are ve<^etable feeders,
browsini,^ like runu'nants, and, like these, occasionalK- chew the cid.
The}- \ary in iieis^ht from that of a hare to that of a man. When brow^
\n'^, they applv' the fore feet to the ground, but at otlier times rest \\]u,\)
\\\j tripod, formed by the hind legs and powerful tail with the forepart <■}
t!ij l)od\- inclininj^r sliL;lul\- forward. The\- arc the only marsupials which
are not of nocturnal habits.

The larL,'est and best known species is the Ljreat kani:^aroo discovered in

1770 on the coast of \ew .South Wales durini,^ Cook's Hrst voya^fe. .\n

adult male in the British Museum measures more than fi\'e feet from tlu'

tip of the nose to the root of the tail, the latter beini; three and one-half fci.'t

additional ; the female is about one-third smaller. Tile hair is moderateh-

lon.,^ and soft, of a general gray-brown above and paler below, and end <>i

the tail black. It prefers low grassy hills and plains, and open distrirt^,

where it browses upon the herbage and low bushes. The fore feet ,ui

j)reliensiU', or adapteil to seizing and grasping, and are used in the \ariui,:,

offices connected with the care of the voun'r. Kantraroos are not Lien-

erally gregarious, but live in families ; their skin is \-aluable for leather,

which is esteemed for shoes and gloves; the flesh is also considered a

delicacy.

Ti'rrible Figiiters.

Kangaroos lia\e xast strength in their tail ; this they occasionally use
as a weapon of defence, for they are able to strike with it so violent a bliw
as even to break a man's leg. But this is not their onlj- weapon, for w Iimi
hunted with dogs thev use both their claws and teeth. On the do'js
.seizing them they turn, and catching hoUl with the nails of the fore paws,
strike the (.log with the claws of their hind feet, and sometimes lacerate
his body in a shocking manner.

The kangaroi") generally feeds standing on its four feet, like otiier (inad-
rupeds, and it drinks by lapping. In a state of captivity it sometimes
'.springs forward and kicks in a forcible manner with its hind feet, during
V hich action it props itself on the ba.se of its tail. It has a singular f"ac-
Uit)' of separating to a considerable distance the two long fore teeth of the
upper jaw.

Singular Arrsiiig'eineiits for Carrying' the Yoiiiijf.

The female seldom produces more than one j-oung one at a birth, ami
so exceedingly small is this that it scarcely exceeds an inch in length, and

lit ':

A lAMlLV tjF K.\.N(.Al<CHi

(12(51)

2G2

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

li 'I ■'

7i I I

wcif^'hs but twcnty-onc grains. It is received into the abdominal poucli
of the mother. At this period of its j^rowth its fore paws are compara-
tively lar^e and stron^^ and the claws extremely distinct, to facilitate \[->
motion diiriii<.j its residence in its mother's pouch. The hind le^'s, wlii. h
are afterwards to become very bony and stout, are then shorter and
smaller than the others.

The >-ounij onj continues to reside in the pouch till it has nearlv
attained maturit)-. It occasionally creeps out for exercise or amuse-
ment, and even after it has quitted this retreat it often returns to

OrOSSU.M CAKKVINO ITS YOUNG.

it for shelter on the least indication of danger. Kangaroos live in
burrows under the ground and subsist on vegetable substances, chiell)-
grass ; when they feed in herds of thirty and forty together, as thc>
sometimes do, one of the herd is generally stationed as a guard at
a distance fro the rest. Their eyes are furnished with winking
membranes, capable of being extended at pleasure entirely over the
ball.

From the general form and structure of the kangaroo it is evident that
its chief progressive motion must be by leaps ; in these exertions it has been
seen to exceed twenty feet at a time, and this so often repeated as almost

REMARKABLE TYPES OF ANIMAL LIFE.

263

to elude the fleetest <:jrey-hound, and it is able with case to bound over
obstacles nine feet or more in height.

Tlio Aniorioaii Opossum.

The opossum, found in the soutl^-.Tn part of our country', has a pointed
head, wide ^ape, numennis sharp Teeth, a rou<;h ton<;ue, ears lar;^e and
naked, small eyes, the tail lon^^ , tapering, flexible, and prehensile ; the toes
arc armed with sharp, stron^^, curved claws. In its habits it is mostly
nocturnal and arboreal, feeding; alike upon insects, eggs, birds and fruits.
It sometimes invades the barn-yards, and destroys the poultry, it is said,
for their blood. It is a good deal hunted, and mi<nifests much dexterity
in escaping, by creeping away amid the grass, and sometimes pretending
to be dead. In defending itself it bites severely. It is sluggish in its
nio\cments, and will sometimes lie on its back in the sun for hours; it
often suspends itself from the brush of a tree by its tail. It is very prolific,
producing from six to fifteen at a birth. The young at this period are
well formed, and weigh from three to four grains each. As soon as pro-
duced, they are shoved into the pouch by the mother with her snout, and
there find their food by instinct. Their growth is very rapid ; at a week old
the)' weigh thirt)' grains. They remain in the pouch till they are able
to move about. At the age of four weeks they may be .seen peeping out
of their sack ; a week afterward they venture forth, but keep close to the
mother, and hold on to her by their tails, often riding on her back.

Sometimes with a dozen young ones of the size of rats, thus clinging
around her legs, neck and bod\-, and some of them dragging along on the
ground, she may be seen going about in .search of food. At this age these
animals are pretty. They remain with their mother till about two months
old ; they then learn to take care of themselves, but continue in the
vicinity, seeming still to be under maternal gaurdianship in a certain de-
gree. Meantime another litter is produced, and during the .season a
third, and some of all these ma\'be seen at once with their prolific parent.
In winter, if the climate is cold, the opossums become sluggish, but not
torpid like the woodchuck. They are common in all the Southern and
Southwestern States, and in California and Mexico. They are also found
in the Middle States as far north as Penn.sylvania, and sometimes m New
Jersey.

CHAI'Il-.K X.
WILD SI'oKTS IX Tin-: TROPICS.

The I'.iilky I-lcpliant— Tale of tlic Assyrian (Jiieen-r'anic and ITiglitliil Carna'^'t-
Ivciy i'alaces— Throiic-s of I-:ie|>liant.s' Tusks— Elepliaiit liyiiinasts— Tlic; Mr.u
siir r ri^htiiuil by a Horse— Rtvenge fur an insult— Droves of Game— I'assioii-
ate Cry and Wild Kusli -A Situation Apparently Hopeless — At the Merry m
thr iiiMiri.ited I'.east- i;x|)loits of J. in Wildunan— A Frightened Seotsnian--
lunmnse (Juantilies cT Ivory— Baldwin Pursued by an Elephant— IVIirariiJon-;
l':Mape— 1-:.\( iliui;- Chast — (".((atsl^in Clotiiing Torn to Siireds— The Kiiinuc-
eros -I'oweiful Anini.il — I huited witli Klephants—'l'errible Weapon of Attack
and Defense— Story of a Desperate l"i,L;ht— Hunting Rhinoceroses with Horses—
Stranj^e " Rl'.inoccros iiirds '"— Mad lieast Attacking Hunters— Lucky Shut—
" l'ire-i:ating Riiinocert)s "—Routing a Camp at Night— Horse Saved by a
lUillei — Sudden Upset of a Wagon— Helping the ^'oung to F ^cajje— \'ast Si/i-
of the liii'popotamus— \n.L;er Easily Aroused— Manner of H'mtiiigthe River-
Horse — I lidiiig I'ikKt Wati r— Cummiiig's Adventiue with a H';;po — Man and
Heast Splaslnng in tile Water Together -Lni(iue Surgical Operation Steering
tiie iluge Cre.iture Asiiorc — Boat Smashed by a Sea-Cow— Snatched from
Devouring Jaws- Crocodiles Startled from Slumber— Dangers of Corilla Hunt-
ing- I'ierce Aspect of the Gorilla -Ama/ing Row er of tlie " Wild Man "- I'.le-
pliants Routed by Gorillas -The Fleet Ostridi— Motles of Capturing the " Mying
Caiiu 1 "-Hunters' Disguise -A I'lying Run — i'>aldwin and Andersson's Adven-
tuies— Concern of the Old Birds for their \'oung.

1' \\c _o() ])[v:U, desirous to trace the earliest kiiowledo'e of t]i<
elepluiiit, we are lost in traditions rel'errino- to heroes or kin-~
whose names siu-\i\e, but of whose acts, h()Ue\er famous, ii.
record remains. Thus, Bacchus, one of the conc]uerors of I
dia, i> .s.iid to haw Ixen the fust that yiil>ed tiie ele[)hant to a car ; aiu
accordino- to Lucian, he l)roUL;ht not only o'enis, hi t the hones of ele-
phants fiom I'.lhiopia, which were deposited in the temple of l)ea Svri.i.
d hi<iUL;hout the Iliad of Homer, i\-oiy is ijutonce mentioned, and that
notice occiws in the tiescription of the bit of a itor.se's bridle, belonoiuL; t'
a Trojan. Hut in tlie Od\-sse\-, the palace of Menelaus, after his return
from his \ oyai^es in Iv^) pt and I'luenicia, is em-ichetl with t)rnanients ot
ivory, as well as amber and [i;oU\. Of the imion of gt)ld and hiny of the
Greeks antl Romans in works of art, \\e ha\e main' accounts.

Ancient historians, such as Diodorus, the Sicilian, relate the followini;
tale: — Semiramis, the Assj-rian Queen, Ionised for the conquest of India,
(2(54)

ii-
1

i.Mi

WILD Sl'ORTS OF THE TROPICS.

2<)r,

but (Itcadcd the elephants which Stabrobates, the kin;^ she purposed at-
tai kiii'4, could brin^' into the fiekl. She therefore directetl 300,000 black
,,X(.ii I" be slain, and oflhe skins, sewn toLjether anil stutTed with straw,
artituial elephants to be formed, so that each one iniLjht be carried b\' a
cainci, and directed b)- a man. All this beinL,^ secretly di>ne, and the
liMr^cMif the army familiarized with the machines, Semnamis took tin-
nddalthe head (^f an immense force of ca\alry and infantr\-. Slabro-
li.iti -, nii-an while, hatl increased the number of his elephants, and fnr-
ni-^h (1 llieni completel)- with offensive and defensi\-e armor, lie sent
einha-^-adors to the (Jueen with protests ai^ain^t her iinasioii and threats
iif hi)- tlestruction, but her repl\' was a smile, and proceeding; to ihe In-
ilu-> --he ^ank a thousand of his vessels, and took a i;reat mnnbir of cap-
tives. Stabrobates feii^iled a [lanic, and Hetl ; the feint took; Senu'ramis
en is^iil the river, and pursued the Inilianswith the i^Meater jiart of her
fiirces.

In lier front she placed the artificial elephants. Stabrobati. s repented
it\W." retreat when he heard of their number, but he w.in conilnrted bv
[\w tidiuL;s of deserters as to their true character. Semir.unis, snpposiiiL;
tile cheat umliscoxered, led on the attack ; the machini-s frii^hteind the
Imi'-l^ so that the\' threw their riders, or rushed with them amoii;.; the
ciieinv. i>ut \ain was the contention when the true elephants of .Stabro-
bates came up ; dreadful was the carnaLje. The Ass\-rian-' tied, and the
life of their Queen, pierced in the arm by one of his arrows, and in the
shoulder by one of his tlarts, was onlv saved by the lleetness of her horse.

Palaci's and Tliroiu's oC l\<>ry.
Til; ."^criptiu'cs contain no allusion to the elephant till the time of
Uavid, when we funl mention is made of "ivory |)alaces." In the rei;4n
(if Sol .niou ivorv was imporl(.d bv the vessels of Tharshish fimn India,
with other proiluctions of that country. We read of "a invat throne of
ivor}"," .uul afterwards of " benches and horns" of the same substance, as
it firmed part of the merch;uidise of "the prouil citv " (tf Tvre.

Half a ci.ntur}- after the death of Ale.xantler, in the battle oi" lleraclea
(u. c. 2^0), were —

Cuirassiers all in steel forstaudinjj fijijht,

Cliariots, and elephants inilurstc! vv'ilh towers

Of archers.

It Is siate'd in the historv of the Maccabees, that in the army of Anti-
ochiis " to every elephant the)' appointed a thou.saritl men, armed with
coats of mail, ami five lumdred horsemen of the best; the.se were ready
f never)- occasion; wherever the beast was, and whithersoever he went,

'^ ■'""llllh;-!

•I .!';.

11;

m t

^M\

•illHI^' .

2G()

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY

thc\' went also ; ind upon tlic elephants were stron^; towers of wood.
filled with armed men, besides the Indian that ruled them."

Hannibal crossed the Alps with elephants, consitlerin^r them indispen-
sable to the conduct of the war; and when they perished he was supplied
with lari^^e reinforcements from Carthai^a'. At the battle of Canna (u. c.
2 1 6), the incitlents occurred which are thus ^n\'en b\' Siliu.s Italicus

The yet prevailinj; Roman, to withstand
The fury of these monsters, gives command
That burning torches, wheresoc'er duy go.
Should be opposed, and sulph'rous flanusto throw
Into their towers. This, with all speed, oboy'd,
The eUpiiaiits they suddenly invade ;
Whose smoking backs with llanie-; coile< ted sliined,
That, driven on by the tempestuous wind,
Thrnu;.;!! liieir hi.gh bulwarks fire devouring spread,
As ulicii on Rliodope or I'indus' head
A sht-pheril scatters lire, and through the groves
And woods, like a hot plague, it raging moves,
Tlie leafy rocks arc fired, and all the hills.
Leaping now here, now there, bright X'ulcan fills.
But when the burning sulphur once begim
To parch their skins, th' unruly monsters run
Like mad, and drive the cohorts fiom their stand ;
Neither durst any undertake at hand
To fight them ; but their darts and javelins throw
At distance: buruin.g, they impatient gr<jw,
And, through the heat of their vast bodies, here
Ami there, the llames increasing bear ;
Till, l)y th.e smootn adjoining stream, at last
DeceivM themselves, into 'l they heatiUtng cast ;
And with them all their llames, that siill appear
'liove the tall banks, till, b(jth together, there,
In the deep channel of the llood, expire.

In stately show these animals bore a conspicuous part:

Trami)ling the snows
The war-horse reared, and the towered tlephant
Upturned his trunk into the nmrky sky

In the year 8oj an elephant was sent to Charlemagne bj' Ilarouii .\i

Kaschid, caliph of the Saracens. Milton has .said:

The unwieldy elephant
To make them mirth used all his might, and wreath'd
His lithe proboscis ;

.uul, accordinj^ to /Klian, the elepiiants of Germanicus were trained ii

lake part in the performances of the Roman theatre. On one occasion

twelve of the most .sagacious and well-trained were selected, which marched

f:i:iM0'»r»

![■!

WILD SPORTS OF THE TROPICS.

20:

into the theatre with a rej^ular step at the voice of their keeper, some-
times in a circle, and sometimes divided into parties, scattering flowers
o\cr the juvement. The Romans, after this disphu', feasted the elephants
\\itli prodic^al luxury. Splendid couches were placed in the arena, orna-
intnted with paintinj^s, and co\cred with tapestry. Ik-fore the couches,
upon tai)les of ivory and cedar, was spreatl the banquet of the elc[)hants,
in \ cs>rls of ^old and siKer.

( )n the preparations beini; completed, the twelve elephants marcluci in,
>i\ males clad in the robes of men. and six females attiretl as women.
I lir\- laid down in order on their couches, and at a sij^nal extended their
minks antl ate with prai.seworthy moderation. Not one of them ai)peared
I lie least voracious, or manifested any disposition for an unequal share of
the food or an undue proportion of the delicacies. They were as moiler-
ate also in their drinl<, and receiveil the cu})s that were pre.sentetl to them
with the i;reatest decorum.

i<]|('pliaiit.s oil the Ti;>'lit Kopc

Accordinc^ to Plin\-, at the si)ectacles L^iven by Germanicus, it was not
an uncommon thini; to see elephants hurl javelins in the air, and catch
lln in in their trunlo, fi;4ht with one another as <^dadiators, and then exe-
cute a Pyrrhic dance. Lastly, the\- danced upon a ro[)e, and their steps
were so practised and certain, that four of them trav'ersed the rope, or
rather parallel ropes, bearin^i; a litter, which contained one of their eom-
pani<in-<, who feigned to be sick. .Such feats seem scarcely credibk', but
nKin\- ancient writers of aulhorit\' airree with Plinv, that the (■U'phaiits
trained at Rome would not onl\- walk forwanl alon^ a rope, l)iit lelire
l)ackwaril wilhixpial precision. Antl Husbeciuius, who visited Constanti-
nople about the middle of the sixteenth ci'iitur)-. tliere witnessed an elephant
not onl\- dance with accuiac\- and elei;ance, but ])la>- at ball with ;^aeat
skill, tossing- it with his trunk and catchin;^ it ai^^ain, as easil\- as a man
could with his hands. An old writer tells us that Cesiir, havin«^f attt-mpted.
unsuccessfully, to cross the Thames, covered a larf^e elephant which he
had with him with a coat of mail, built a lart^e turret on his back, and
fillini^^ it with bowmen and si inijers, ordered them to pass first into tlv
stream. The Hritons were terrified at the si^rht of this unknown and mon-
strous animal, and tied in the wildest C(Mifusion.

.Matthew Paris relates that, about the year 1 255, an elephant wa-> sent
o\erto I"n<^laiul as a ^rand present from the Kini,^ of France to 1 lenry III ;
and states that it was believed tc be the first and only elephant ever seen
in [".iv^dand, or even on th;'.t side the Alps; and that, consequentl\', the
people tloeked in lar<re numbers to beln)ld so ijreat a novelty on its arrival

Mil . ■ . •

'U»<iyiiiLi1

wmm.

(2<;r)

KLlil'llAM- l.\ llli:iK NMIVK |U.\<.I.K

^ #-^

^'^M

WILD SmRTS OF THF. TROPICS.

2G9

.viiT"!;"' Mo C!(»--o Rolls, one of about tiiis date is extant, in which the
'-:i),ri!'l ! f ]\.e:it is t)rderLtl to proceed to Dover in person to arran^^e in
V, ii.iL Mail 'er the uin;^'s elephant mi^dit be most conveniently l)roiiL;ht
(j\v.'-. and t(/ provide a ship, and other things necessary to coincy it: aiiil
ih-riun;^ that, if the kin;.^'s mariners jud^a-d it practicable, it should be
,' : !;^ht h> London by water. Another order was shortl)' afti-r issued to
'.; ■ >lii..'-' fs of London, conimandin;^ them to cause to be l)uilt, without
li iav, ^ii tne Tower < f Lonilon, a house, fort}' feet in leuL^th and twi nty
111 i)r'-'adth. for the kinL;'s elephant; and directing that it should be so
suoii_,l>' constructed that. whene\er there should be neetl, it nii-ht be
adapted to and used for other jjurposes. Xe.\t \'ear. the kin-, in like
manner, commanded the siieriff"to find the said ele|)hant aiul liis kee[)er
such necessaries as should be reasonable and needful."

Tli<* Hnjit' AiiiiiialN Sjiy:u*it.v.
The tame ele[)hant soon becomes reconciled to other tlomcstic quad-
rupeds. Me has been said to ix" afraid of tile horse, but the e\]K rjiuee
(if .Sm' ICmersoii Teiinent fax ors the belief that it is the horse whuh i~»
alarmed at the a.spect of the elephant. Of this fact he records an in-lance,
which ue ([uote, because it illustrates at the same time the peculiar -a.;acity
(it the threat animal, and illustrates als(j the disposition to make .l;o. kI usc
of liis tusks, when he happens to Iia\-c tiiem : One eveniiv^. whiUi ridin-
in the \i("init)' of Kand)-, n-y hor.-^e evinced some excitement at a iioisc
wliich approached us in the thick juni;lc. and whieh consisted -il .i repe-
[•'■ n of the ejaculation iinnph-! urinf/t .' in a h(n'irse and dissatisfied tone.
A turn i'': the forest exi)laineil the nn s.''n-, by bruv^in;^ me fic ■ t > fa^e
\»;:!i .1 tame elephant, unaccompanied In- an)- attendant, lleva- Lilxir-
ir f painfull)' to carr\' a ht.-avy beam i.^i umber, which he balaiii- •(! a:ross
a's lusks; but th., palhur')- l)ein<4' narrow, lie was forced to ocnd his hi. i
(11 oiu; sitle to permit it to pass cndwa)'s , and the exertion and iuion-
\ciiieni\. combined, led him to utter the dissatisfied sounds w huh dis-
iirbed the compo'iife of my horse. On seein;^^ us halt, the c'lephiint
raised his h ad, reconnoitered us for a ni.omcnt then threw down the
liniiicr, and forced himself backwards anionic the brushwootl. s,, ;i>; i,,
leave a passaije, of which ho expected U'. to avail ounselves. .M\- hoi-se
still hesitated, the- tiepliant observed it, and impatiently thrust himself still
deeper into the juiv.de, repeatinif iiiscry of uvinpJi ! \w a \oice e\iiientl\-
ni( ant to cncoura_!:;e us to come on. .Still the horse trembled ; and,
aiixjous to observe the instinct of the two sairaciou.s creatures. I forboii;
Hiiy interference — aL;ain the elephant wcdj;cd himself further in amoiv^st
the trees, and waited imi)atiently for us to pass him; and aftei ilu liorse

r*pt,.f-#f#|:|?f-^;

270

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

ih ♦

had done so trciiil)linL,^ly and timidly, I saw the w isc creature stoop and
take up his hea\)' burtlcn, trim and balance it on his tusks, and rcsmn,
his route, hoarsely snortiuj^, as before, iiis discontented remonstrance.

An Kh'pliuiit's K<»vt*iij»«'.

An elephant is said ntver to forget an insult. Wolf, in his " \'oyaj^'e
to Ceylon," relates the follow niij anecdote : A person in that island, who
lived near a place where elephants were daily led to water, and often s.it
at the door of his house, used occasionally to give one of these animals
some fi;4-leaves — a food to which elephants are very partial, (^nce he
took it into his head to play the elephant a trick. lie wrapped a sionc
round with fig-leaves, and said to the driver, " This time I will gi\e him
a stone to cat, and see how it will agree with him." The driver an-
swered, that the elephant would not be fool enough to swallow a
stone. The man, however, handed the stone to the elephant, w hicli, tak-
ing it with his trunk, immediately let it fall to the ground. " You sec,'
said the keeper, "that I was right;" and, without further words, drove
away his ele[)hants. After they were watered, he was conducting them
again to their stable. The man who had played the elephant the trick
was still sitting at his door, when, bi fore he was aware, the animal r.ui
at him, threw his trunk around his body, and, dashing him to the ground.
trampled him immediately to death.

The tenderest affection, it may be remarket!, appears to subsist be-
tween the elephant and the calf. When merchants bring elephants to
anyplace fi>r sale, it is a pleasant sight to see them go along. There are
old and young together, and when the old are gone by, the children run
after the little ones, and leap upon their backs, giving them something to
eat; but they, perceiving their dams are gone forwaid, thiow the chil-
dren off without hurting them, and double their pace Hruce mention^
that a young elephant came boldly out to defend its wounded motiier.
and ran upon the men and horses, heedless of its own life or safetx , till
one of the hunters ran it through with a lance.

I*«'t'uliar liistiiK'tH of tin* IJrrat Bt'ast.

The head of the African is smaller, rounder, more elongated, and
less irregular than is that of the Asiatic kind ; the ears are nt.-arly twice
as large, and the tail not above half the length. On the banks of the
Fish river this animal abounds. As many as three thousand in a troop
have been seen in that local it)' ; indeed, the surrounding country ap-
pears to have been the abode of elephants for ages, the paths or beaten
roads made by them intersecting it in all directions.

Of one territory, comprising an irregular area of about two million

WILD SPORTS OF THE TROPICS.

•271

acres, from which the Kaffirs were expelled, and which was rcsortetl to
b\ wild animals in considerable numbers, Pringle gives the iollowing
highly graphic account :

fhe upper part of this extensive tract is an exceedingly wild and be-
wiklering region, broken into innumerable ravines, encumbered with
rocks and precipices, and impenetrable woods and jungles, and sur-
rounded on almost every side by lofty and sterile mountains. During
our first day's journey, although we saw many herds of large game,
such as quaggas, gnus, liartebeests, koodoos, with a variety of smaller
antelopes, there was no appearance of elephants; but in the course of
the second day, as we pursued our route down the valley of the Koo-
nap river, we became aware that a numerous troop of these gigantic
animals had recently preceded, as footprints of all dimension'-, from
ei;4ht to fifteen inches in diameter, where everywhere visible; and in the
swampy spots on the banks of the river it was evident that some of
them had been lu.xuriously enjoying themselves, by rolling their un-
wiekly bulks in the ooze and mud.

Hut it was in the groves hn'.l jimgles that they had left the most strik-
ing proofs of their recent presence and i>eculiar habits. In many places
paths had been trodden through the midst of dense, strong forests, other-
wise impenetrable. They appeared to have opened these paths with
great judgment, always taking the best and straighlest cut to the next
open savanna, or ford of the river ; and in this way they were of the
greatest use to us, by pioneering our route through a most difficult and
intricate countr)', ne\er yet traversed by a wheel-carriage, and great
part of it, indeed, inaccessible even on horseback, except fur the aid of
those powerful and sagacious animals.

In such places (as the Hottentots assured me) the great bull elephants
.always march in the van, bursting through the jungle as a bullock would
through a field of hops, treading down the thorny brushwood, and break-
in"; with his proboscis the larger branches that obstruct his passage; the
females and younger part of the herd follow in his wake in single file ;
and in this rejanner a path is cleared through the densest woods <ind for-
ests, Nuch as it would take the pioneers of an army no small labor to ac-
complish.

Almost Fatal Advonturc.

.1 little squadron, engaged in surve\-s of Africa, Arabia, and Madagas-
car, on taking lea\e of the latter island, proceeded to the Bay of Delagoa.
A ;iart\- .set out to ascend 'iic of the rivers, for the purpose of hunting
the hippopotamus. Whilst they were in quest of the haunts of these feuge

:5- *M

1 1

272

EARTH, SFA AND SKY

animals, a slirill, ann[r>- scream reached their cars, and, presently a midship-
man, ruslied from the reeils. his face covered with blood, callin^f louii;y

for assistance to Lieutenant Arlett, who had just been attacked b>- an
elephant. The party proceeded to the spot, and found their unfortunate

1 Ik: aniin

trunk in tlui

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As soon as

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appeared hop

scrcanu'nrj wil

WILD SPORTS OF THK TROPICS.

273

comrade stretched niDtionless on his back, covered with blootl antl (hrt,
ami liis eyes slartiiiL; from their sockets, in all tlie expressive liorror nf a
\i(ilcnt death. It was some time before he showed aii)' symptoms of life;
thL\' succeeded. ho\\e\er, in carr\ in;4 him on board, where he [gradually
rcci'vcreil ; and, when he became sufficiently collected, he ^a\ e an atxrouiu
(,f what had befallen him, which shows the extraortlinaiy sai^acity of th:
elephant, even in its wild state. At the fust approach of the animal, he
thi)U!4ht lie had stumbled on an enormous hippopotamus.
Struck Sciisrli'ss to th<^ (iroiiiul.

'riic animal, which appeared hi^dil\- irritated at the intrusion, wa\ed its
Iniiik in tlu; air, ami, the moment he sjjoke, reared up on its hind Kj^s,
turiK'd short round, and, with a shrill, passionate cry, rushed aftir him.
hcarinijdown the opposin;^ reeds in lii^ way, while Lieutenant Arktt \ainly
attcni])ted to effect his escape. I'or a short time ht: had hopes of eludinL,^
hi-; pursuer, as the animal percei\ed one of the scaiiun mounted on the
t.i-i of a tree, about twent)' feet hi^h.and three in circumference, menacint;
hiin !))• liis voice and gestures while preparinjj^ to fire. The ekphant
turned short round, and, shrieking,' with rai;e, m.ule a kind of spriiiL;
against the tree, as if to rc^ach tiie object of his attack, when his j)onder-
(lus wei^dit [)rou<.^ht the whole to the i^round, but. fortunatel)', without
luntinLj the man, who slippid aniouij the reeils. The ferocious animal
still followed him, foamiiii^ w illi ra^e, to the risint^ bank of the river, the
man cryini;" loudly, " .\n elephant! an elephant!" until, closel\' pressed by
his pursuer, both the man and the elephant came ui)on the to[) of the
slope, where the part), who hail heard his cries, were prepaicd. ami
instantly fired a \'olle\' as the elephant appearetl. This made him return
with increased fur\' to Arlett. who, in his eaj.(erness to e.^cape, stumbK-d
and fell — the hu<^e beast runninjj; over liini, and severel\- bruisin^^ his ankle.

As soon as he had passed, Arlett arose, and limpint.,^ w ith pain, attempted
(ince more to retreat, but the animal returned to the attack ; his trunk was
tkiiirished in the air, ami the next moment the unfortunate officer was
struck senseless to the ^^round. On rccoverinf.^ himself, his situadon
appeared hopeless, his hu<^e antagonist standing; oxer him, chafini:; anil
sireaniinfjj with ra^^c, poundiny; the earth w ith his feet, and plouLjjhinL; ii
with his tusks. When the party first saw them, Arlett was 1\ \n<^ between
the cle|)hant's le^s, and had it been the intention of the animal to destroy
him, placing a foot on his senseless body would, in a moment, have
crushed him to atoms ; but it is probable that his object was only to
punish and alarm, not to kill — such conjecture being perfectly in acct>rd-
ancc with the character of this noble but revengeful beast.
IS

-ii-

274

EARTH. SEA, AND SKY.

Lieutenant Moodic, in his anuisini^ " Tlmi Years in South Africa," ^ivc;
the Collowin^ account of his elephant huntinf^:

Sonic montlis after forming; my new settlement, I cnj^a^cd a HottcntDi
to shoot elephants and buffaloes for me, on condition of receiviiii,' hall . f
the profits. This man, who was called Jan W'ildeman, was a most expi.' t
hunter, rarely failinj^ to kill on the spot whatever lie fired at. lie wa> a
complete wild man of the woods, and had as main' wiles as a fo.\ in i
capin*; the dani^ers to which he was t!ail\' exposed. His activity u.i
mo.st extraordinary ; and I was often surprised at iiis nimbleness in cliinli-
iui;' the lii^diest [wcs to <^ct at u ild \ines L;rou in;^^ o\er their to|)s. Whil.
1 was consiilerinj.,' how I could j^et up, he would take hold of onv • >f ili •
" baboon's ropes," as they are called, which han;^^ in festoons from tli
branches, and, in a few seconds, he would be j/erched like a crow on tJU'
top. enioyin_!4 my sur])rise, and llinL,nn_i( ilown whole bunclu's of the fruit.
Tlu)Ui4h naturally timid, he had ac(iuired, b\- h>n,L,^ practice, such entire
confidence in the correctness of his aim, that he would ;^o rii^ht up to an
elephant in the woods, and brin;j^ him down with the first shot. .Some-
times, howc\er, his <.;un would miss fire, when he would betake hiiuitlt
to hi> heels, and, by his aujility, ne\er failed to effect his escape.

♦♦Wlu'ie'll We Iliin?"

W'ildeman came t<i inform nu', one e\eninL,s that he had shot ijiree
elephants and a bulValo ; and tli.it there w;is a nouul,^ elephant still n
mainini; with the body of its dead mother, w Inch he thoui;ht mielu Ik-
cauijjlit and brought home ali\e. There happened to be two fiit'inU ui'.li
me from the district of .\lban\-, w ho had ne\er seen an elephant, an .
whom, therefore, I persuaded to accomj)an\' me.

As soon as we had finisheil our breakfast, we .set off, accompanied hy
Jan W'ildeman, my llotteiUot, .Speulman, and their wi\es, to as>i-t in
cuttini,^ up the buffalo, and carrx-in;^ tlu' llesh home, ICnterin;.' the lon-t
Jan first brou_i;ht us t<t the carcass of the buffalo. He next kd iis to nn^
of the elephants lie had killed, and showetl us the place whence he lia<l
fired. The ball had entered the shoulder in the slantin;.^ direction, and
pas.scd throu<4h the heart. This was an exceediuL^l}' difficult shot, a> h.
required to be very near to hit the ri|j;ht j:)lace, for the ball to [jeiietratc
throu<^h such a mass of skin and flesh.

After following several of the patiis made by these animals and .stiu;.,'-
i;lin<^ throucjh the tangled mazes of the forest, we ascended a steep, sandy
ridge, covered with low bushes, near the shore, and. on reaching the tep,
we came' in sight of the carcass of another of the elephants, ami llu'
young one standing by it. A few paces from it, we saw a large elei^liaiit

WILD SPORTS OF TIIR TROPICS.

275

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brnwsirifj amonj^ the low bushes. He sinci;. ws as soon as wo npiu'arfcl
on tiic top of tiic hill; and thiowinj,' up his trunk, and spii-adin^ his
luiL,H' (.ars, uttiTfil a most discoitlant cry. " Gownatsi !" cjaculatcil Jan
Wildcnian, " that's the rascal that <^'d\c nic so nuich trouble je-^tcrda)- ;
he's as cunninj.; as the devil." The do^s instantls- assailed the animal,
and, .liter several ineffectual attempts to seize them with his trunk, he
niadi' off Tlu do;_;s now attacked the \-oun!^' elephant, and chased him
u]) the steep, santl_\- hill where we were standincj. M\- \isitor>, who were
iinaccu.stomed to l.u'Lje j^anu', wi-re e.\ceedin_L;l>' ai^itated. I'liey li.id
l)rf>UL;ht a ^am with thetn, for form's sake, but had nej^lected to Imid it.
One of them, who was a .Scotsman, seized me b)- the c-oat,anil eied out,
ill i;ieat aL;oiiy — " I'.li, man! whaui'll we rin ? — whanr'll we tin f It was
III) Use telling; him that there was not ;ui}- dan;^ei-, for he still k( pt fast
hoM of me, sa\'in;4, "What! nae dan;.^'er, man, and tlu' beist comin' ri;_;ht
ap ainaiiL^f us? 1 say, man, w hat'll we At'? W'haur'M uc lin?" The
somen instincti\el)- ran ami ^iiuatted behind the bushes.

Tlir <;iJin«' ICs<'M|M>s.

As .soon as I Could break lo()^e from tlu- ijrasp of my couiitrvman, I
ran to endea\or to s' i/; the youn|4 elephant li_\' tlu' tiunk, and Speulman
Iddk his stand i <u the < 'p; io-,ite side for the same' jjurpose'. 1 w ,i - a I' ini^hed
at the nimbleiiess with which the animal a^ce-nded the sti ep kill. .\s he
,ip[)roached the spot where we stood, wi- found he was niueh older than
\\c expected, and, alter makin;^ an in'tlectual attempt t ■ ;,et hold of hi^
tninlv, we were obli;,;ed to L;i\c him a free pas>a'.';e betwe'eii i; :. I now
pitkt'd up my •j^un. and i,a\ e chase to him ; but he ran s.. fa>t that f ci uld
net ('\crtake him.

1 \\,i-> well pleased we had not succeedetl in seizin;.^ him, as. in all pro-
lialiilit}-, he would ha\ e' done us some serious injur}' with his ti',>ks, wliic h
wen- just appeariiv^ at the root of the trunk. When the} are onl}' .i f'W
dav'- okl, there is no difficultN' in catching them, and the\' become docile
almost iinmedialel}-.

Idephants are still numerous in the interior, and are killed botji b}- tJic
Kaffirs and the Hoers. The elephant hunt seems to Iia\'c [jcculiar fiscina-
tion for the latter — men .md bo}-s, from the' ac;'e of fouitee'n to .se\ent}-,/
f'lllouint,^ the exciting' sport. An l',n;_;lishman, howewr, is said to bear
awa}- the palm as the most fearless hunter; for, durin;.;" one }'ear, he
remained in the N'eldt without co\er for nearl}- thrt.'c months, accompanied
by two half-caste scr\ants. These three are .said to haw; killed, tluriiiL;"
that period, sevent}' elephants, the tusks of which weighed three thousand
pounds! Ivory is exported by these Boons in lar^e quantities; those of

■Wl^,!

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

1.0

I.I

III

11.25

l^iJM 12.5

116

2.0

1.8

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Photographic

Sciences
Corporation

23 WEST MAIN STRSET

WEBSTER, NY. 14S80

(716) 872-4503

^A^

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EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

Zaiitpansbcrc; alone, in the short space of three months, having brou'^lit
sixty thousand pounds, Dutch weight, or nearly thirty tons.

A 3IiracuIoiis Escape. <

W^ilhani Charles Baldwin, in his book on " African Hunting from Xatjij
to the Zambesi," relates two very thrilling adventures with elephants, lie
says : Meeting upon one occasion five Lull elephants, I ga\e chase, sin-
gled and drove out the largest, and gax'e him a couple of j^ills to make him
quiet ; he shortly turned and stood at bay, about forty } ards off, and thcr
came on with a terrific charge. My newly purchased horse, Kebon, w iiich
I was riding for the first time, stood stock still, and I intended to gi\c the
elephant my favorite shot in the chest, but at every attem[)t to raise the
gun for the purpose of so doing my hiM'se conmienced tossing liis h( a 1 np
and down, and entirely prevented me from taking aim. During ni\- at-
tempts to pacify and steady him, tlie bull charged, and I fired at raiiilnin,
and whether the ball whistled uncomfortably near the horse's ear or not I
can't say, but he gave his head so sudden a jerk as t^ throw the nea;- iviii
over on the off-side ; the curb-chain came undone, and the bit turned rJi;!n
round in his mouth.

The huge monster was less than twenty \-ards off, ears erected lil^-.; two
enormous fan.s, and trumpeting furiousl}'. Having no command AvhatcvLr
of my horse. I du'j:^ the long rowels in most sa\"agely, when Keljon sprang;
straight forward for the brute, and I thought it was all up ; I leaned <nxr
or the off-side as far as possible, and his trunk was within a few feet ofmi.
as I shot close by him. I plied the rowels, and was brought again to a
sr.dden stand by three maj)ani-trees, in a sort of triangle ; a \igorous dii;,
and he got through, my right shoulder coming so v'olently in contact with
one of the trees as almost to unhorse me, slewing my right arm behind
my back, over my 1; ft hip. I know not how I managed to stick to niv
gun, 14 tbs. weight, with my middle finger cmly hooked through the trit;-
ger-guard, my left hand right across my chest, holding by the end uf the
reins, which, most fortunately I had in my hand when I fired, and in thi:-
fashion we went at a tearing gallop through a thick tangled bush aiul
untlerwood, mostly hack-thorns, o\-er which my nag jumped like a
tjuck.

He was very nearly on his head three or four times, as the soil was vcr\
heavy, sandy, and full of holes. The monster was all this time close in my
wake; at length I got clear from him, and he turned and made off in the
opposite direction at iiis best pace. As .soon as I could pull up, which I
managed after performing three or four circles, I jumped off, right(^l my
bridle, and went after him like the wind, as he liad a long start, and I wa-

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277

WILD SPORTS OF THE TROPICS.

.frtid of losin- him in thick bush. After givin- him ton shots, and sus-
taining three more savage charges, the last a 1, nv^ and silent one, far trom

pi asant, as mv horse had all the puff taken out of him. and he could only
manage to hold his own before the brute, to my great .satisfaction he at
lcn.^'th fell, to rise no more.

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EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

The other incident is as follows : Wc found a troop of eleven or t\velve
bull elephants in a thick hack-thorn bush on the ban! < f the river. A^
they crashed away I rode h.ard in the rear, shouting lustily, and siny;lctl
out the largest bull. I rode close under his stern, and he cleared a jjalh
for me. 1 Ic turned to see who had the audacity to ride so near, for the
horse's nose touched him, when I gave him a bullet behind the shoulder,'
and cleared out of his path. In reloading I lost him, and, cantering on his
spoor, he veiy nearly caught me, as he had stopped and turned round just
where the path turned suddenly and sharply tf»thc right, and I was almost
under his very trunk ere I saw him.

Kiiiiiiiii$jr tor Dear Life.

He was lying in wait, and made a terrific charge, trumpeting furiously;
the horse whirled like a top, and away I went, with both rowels deep
in his flanks as I threw myself on his neck. It was a very near shave ;
his trunk was over the horse's hind-quarters. I went through bush that,
in cold blooc", I should have pronounced impenetrable, but did not conic
off scatheless ; my poor hands were shockingly torn, and my trowsers,
from the knee, literally in shreds, though made of goatskin. After giv-
ing tiic elephant two more bullets I lost him. The dogs were frightened
to death, and would not leave the horse's heels.

I shortly came across another troop of bulls, which sta'ted off against
the wind, leaving such a dust behind them that I was half smothered.
I went, at last, a little wide of them, on the weather-side, and was able to
get a view of their tusks, and I rode out one with beautiful long tusks.
He very soon lessened his speed, turned, and before I was aware, charged
me. I could not turn in time, and, therefore, fired right between his eyes.
The shot struck him about an inch above the left eye, and brought bin
on one knee, and I was able to get out of his way. He then took up a
position in the bush, and I loaded and gave him tvvo more bullets in the
head, one in the centre of his forehead.

He kept backing farther and farther into the bush, with his two enor-
mous ears erected like fans, and, as I was thinking the last shot must tell
on him, he made the longest and most furious charge I ever saw; he
fairly hunted me, wh.ile I was half loaded, clear away. I rode in a circle
to endeavor to dodge him, and at length succeeded. He stopped at last,
and I began to reload. I had none but conical balls, and the gun was
foul. I could not t^-et one down. I sought in vain for a stone, and at
length, in despair, took up a thick branch, and, what with hammering the
ramrod, and dri\ing it against the trunk ofa tree, I at length got the bul-
let home : but my ele[)hant had made good use of his time and got away.

WILD SPORTS OF THE TROPICS.

279

Rhinoceroses are found in the same regions of the Old World as those
jnluibited by the elephants ; they live like them in the forests, aud feed
exclusively upon coarse herbage and the leafy twigs of trees and shrubs.
They appear, as a general rule, to be peaceable animals, unless irritated;
ill this case they charge with great fury upon their enemy, holding the
luad down, so as to present the point of the horn toward h'm. They
arc generally hunted merely fur the sake of sport, but the natives of the
countries inhabited by them kill them for the flesh ; walking sticks of
great beauty are cut out of their thick hides, and their horns are worked
into boxes and drinking-cups, to the latter of which the eastern nations
attribute the power of detecting poison in any fluid put into them.
Glg'antic Creature Clad in Armor.

Tlic most celebrated is the Indian rhinoceros. Of this the head and
neck are rather short ; the eye is small and lateral, and the animal can-
iK>t see in front, more particularly when the horn is full-grown, as it
stands in the way of vision. The body is about nine feet Ivng and five
feet high ; in its structure it is peculiarly massive, heavy, and hog-like,
and often weighs six thousand pounds. It has a single horn from two to
three feet long. The skin is of an earth color, hard and thick, and often
turns a musket bullet; its surface is rough, especially on the croup and
di)\vn the fore-shoulders ; its folds are very distinct, and resemble plate
armor. It is almost wholly destitute of hair, except at the tip of the tail
and on the margins of the ears. This species inhabits Ilindostan, Siam,
and Cochin China ; shudy and marshy places in the neighborhood of
rivers being its * liosen haunts. It is fond of wallowing in the mire some-
wnat in the manner of hogs. Its food consists of grass and branches of
trees. The flesh is not unpalatable.

This powerful animal, living amid the tall, rank vegetation of the jun-
<;les of India, and especiall)' along the marshy borders of the Ganges, the
l^urrampooter, and other great rivers, is commonly hunted with the aid of
clei)hants. They are usually found in small herds of four to six, led on
by the most powerful among the troop. Their first instinct is to fly from
siieh an attack, but if hard pressed they rush upon the ele[)hants and
. ejk to thrust the nose beneath the belly and rip them up by a fierce toss
of the horn. The elephants, however, avoid this movement, and turning
the back, receive the shock in that quarter, usually with little damage.
Often, however, the impetus of the rhinoceros precipitates the elephant
in a headlong plunge to the ground, and finding this to succeed, he
will repeat the operation several times in succession. Formerly it was
found that the hide of the rhinoceros was impenetrable to ordinary

*■■;.„

ifilil'

280

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

musket balls; they arc now easily brought down by larger and harder
bullets.

The Indian rhinoceros is that usually brought to Europe and America,
and which we are familiar with in the manageries ; it is also that whii h
is best known in histor}-. The Romans became accjuainted with it
toward the close of the republic, and Pompey introduced it into the cir-
cus. It also figiu'etl iii the ti'ium[)hal })rocession of Augustus with Cleo-
patra — the biautiful Queen of lv-;"\"pt and the hoggish rhinoceros coir,
hining to swell the pomp of the \-ictor! Representations of this aniiii.il
also a[)|Kar on \ari(jus ciins of this period, ami in the inr)saics of R(jme.

<)1<1 Story of Ji l^inums Tig-lit.

In the fanciful tales of the Arabian Nights a curious jiassage tells us
that the rhinoceros f>ughtwith tlu.' elephant, pierced his belly with his
horn, ami carried him off on his head; but the fat and the blood filled
his eyes and rendeivd him entirely blind, so that he fell prostrate on the
earth. In this state o{' things a huge bird came and carried them both
off to his young ones in his prodigious talons. It is curious to trace the
threads of truth even in the wildest popular fiction : the manner of fight-
ing here imputed t'i the rhinoceros is according to nature, and as to the
roc — a bird as big as a \illage uindmill — late discoveries have shown
the bones of extinct species twel\-e or fourteen feet high, the tradi-
tions of which may well have been wrought into this gigantic feathered
monster, which, the story sa\'s, flew awa\- with both animals.

IJoth varieties of the African black rhinoceros are extremely fierce and
dangerous, and rush headlong and un[)ro\oked at an)' object which at-
tracts their attention. They ne\er attain nuich fat, and their flesh is
tough, and not much esteemed 1)_\' the Uechuanas. Their food consists
aluK^st entirely of the thorny branches of the wait-a-bit thorns. Their
horns are much shorter than those of the other varieties, seldom exceed-
ing eighteen inclies in lengdi. TIie\' are fmel)' polished by constant
rubbing against the trees. The skull is remarkably formed, its most
striking feature being the tremendous, thick ossification in which it ends
above the nostrils. It is on this mass that the horn is supported. The
horns are not connected with the skull, bein-^- attached mereU' bv the
skin, and the}' ma)' thus be separated from the head b)- means of a shar[)
knife. The)- are hard, and perfectly solid throughout, and are a fine
material for various articles, such as drinking-cups, mallet^3 for ritles,
and handles for turners' tools. The ho.n is capable of a very hiidi
polish.

The eyes of the rhinoceros are small and sparkling, but do not readily

WiL

^1 'Hi' iil m

WILD SPORTS OF THE TROPICS.

281

observe the liuntcr, provided he keep to leeward of them. Thj sldii is
extremely thick, and only to be penetrated with bullets hardened with

solder. During the day, the rhinoceros will be found lying asleep, or
standing indolently in .some retired part of the forest, or under the base

l^t

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282

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

of the mountains, sheltered from the power of the sun by some friendly
throve of umbrella-topped mimosas. In the evening they comnienee thei;
ni ^litly ramble, and wander over a great extent of country. They usual-
ly visit the fountains between the hours of nine and twelve o'clock at
ni:,dit. and it is on these occasions that they may be most successfully
hunted, and with the least danger.

Spasms of Uncontrollable Fury.

The black rhinoceros is subject to paroxysms of unprovoked fury, of.
ten plowing up the ground for several yards with its horn, and assaulting
large bushes in the most violent manner. On vhese bushes they work fur
hou's with their horns, at tho same time snorting and blowing loudly ;
nor do the}' leave them in general until they have broken them into
pieces. All the four varieties delight to roll and v,allow in the mud, with
v.hich their rugged hides are generally encrusted. Both varieties of the
Llack rhinoceros are much smaller and more active than the white, and
avc so swift that a horse with a rider on its br.ck can rarely overtake
them, yet they are often hunted with horses. Both attain an enormous
size, being the animals next in magnitude to the elephant. They fc"cl
.solely on grass, carry rPdch fat, and their flesh is excellent, being prefer-
able to beef They are of a much milder and more inoffensive disposi-
tion than the black rhinoceros, rarely charging their pursuer. Their
.speed is very inferior to that of the other varieties, and a person well
mounted can overtake and shoot them.

The description of the famous rhmoceros birds is \-ery interesting, ilc-
fore I could fire, says a well-knowh explorer, several " rhirioceros birds"
b\' w liich he was attcndeel warned him of his impending danger by stick-
ing tlicir bills into his car, and uttering their harsh, grating cry. Thus
aroused, he suddenly sprang to his feet, and crashed away through the
jungle at: d rapid trot, and I saw no more of him.

The^c rhinoceros birds are constant attendants upon the hippopotamus
and the four varieties of rhinoceros, thei.' object being to k 'd upon the
ticks and other parasitic insects that swarm upon these animals. They
are of a grayish color, and are nearly as large as a common thrush ; their
voice is very similar to that of a mistletoe thrush. Many a time have these
ever-watchful birds disappointed me in my stalk, and tempted me to invoke
an anathema upon their devoted heads. They are the best friends tlie
rhinoceros has, and rarely fail to awaken him, even in his soundest nap.
"Chukuroo" perfectly understands their warning, and, springing to liis
feet, he generally first looks about him in every direction, after which he
invariably makes off.

fl'd

WILD SPORTS OF THE TROPICS.

283

If we examine the skull of a rliinoceros, we shall find that just under the
place where the root of the horn lies, there is a peculiar development of
t'lc bone on which the weight of the horn rests. Now, it is well known
that of all forms intended to support great weight, tlie ar^h is the strong-
est. Such, then, is the form of the bone which supports the horn ; and
ill order to prevent the jar on the brain which would probably injure the
animal when making violent strokes with the horn, one side of the arch is
left unsupported by its pillar; so that the \^hole apparatus presents Tie
appearance of a strong l)ony spring, which, allhough very powerful, would
'icid sufficiently on receiving a blow to guard the animal from the shock
which would occur, were the horn to be placed directly on the skull.
Such a structure as this is not needed in the case of the elephant, as that
animal never strikes violently with its tusko, as the rhinoceros does with
its horn.

Th'it such is the intention of the structure is well shown by a curious
circumstance that took place .luring a rhinoceros-hunt, and which shows
that the animal can suffer severely from a blow on the horn, if that blow
is gi\cn ill a different method from that which the creature is in the habit
of enduring.

.Some hunters were engaged in the pursuit of the rhinoceros, and

had roused one of the animals from the thicket in which it was en-

gac;cd in rubbing itself against the trees, after the usual fashion of the

creature.

Method of Attack.

The skin, although thick, is very sensitive between the folds, and suffers
nuicli from the attacks of the mosquitoes and Hies. The rhinoceros, to
allavthe irritation, rubs against trees, and has a curious custom of trruntinLT
loudly while performing this operation, and thus guides the hunter to its
place of refuge. The}' are thus enabled to steal through the underwood
unijcrceived, as the animal is too much engaged rubbing his sides to pay
any attention to sounds which would at any other time send him off in
alarm. By crawling along the ground, after the manner of serpents, the\'
generally contrive to inflict a mortal wound before he is aware of their
presence.

In the present case, the hunters were endeavoring to act in the same
manner, but the intended victim became alarmed, brokethroucrh the wood
and ma 'e the best of his way towards a large cane-brake about two miles
• listant. The whole ])arty pursued him, and the poor animal was speedily
t-onverted into a living pincushion, the place of the pins being supplied by
speart:.

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EARTH. SEA. AND SKY.

The number i\iu\ j.cvcrity of the wouiKl:i appear to have confused his
rain, fur instead of keeping his straic^ht course toward the canes, h-

turned off short, and dashed into a narrow cjully without any exit. The
ravine was so narrow that he broke to pieces man}' of the protrudinij

WILD SPORTS OF THE TROPICS.

285

spears as ho nislu'd in, and when he IkuI fairly entered, there was barely
room to turn. The assailants now had it all their own way, and one of
them standing on the brink of the ravine took aim at his head, and stretehed
him on the ground apparently lifeless. All the hunters now jumped into
tiie ravine, and set to work at cutting him uj). But scarcely had they com-
menced when the animal recovered from his wound, and struggled uj^on
his knees. Out went the hunters as fast as they could, and had it not been
fi)r the presence of mind of one of them, who hamstrung the rhinoceros
before he ran away, in all probability se\eral of the men would have
forfeited tlieir lives.

Curio.sicy induced the hunters to search for the wound that had thus
stunned the animal, and they naturally expected to find the track of a ball
through the brain, or, at all c\ents, a wound on the skull; but after some
search they iound that the ball had only struck the point of the foremost
horn, and had carried off about an inch of it.

This is a very curious circumstance, bccausethc blow was a compara-
tively slight one, and the shocks which the animal inflicts upon itself in
the daily occurrences of life must be very severe indeed. But the whole
structure of the head and horn is intended to resist heavy blows, while it
is not capable of sustaining a sharp, smart shock without conveying the

impression to the brain.

A Costly Boarder.

About a hundred and fifty years ago, one of these big beasts was
brought to London from Bengal. lie was a very costly animal ; though
only two years old five thousand dollars were expended in providing him
with food and drink. Every day he ate seven pounds of rice mixed with
three pounds of sugar, divided into three portions. He also ate plenti-
fully of hay, but he much preferred fresh vegetables, grass, and herbs.
Me drank a great deal of water. He was so quiet and well-behaved, that
he let people handle him, unless he was annoyed, or wanted his break-
fast. The well-known specimen in the Zoological Gardens in London
couldn't bear the noise of the roller used in keeping the gravel pathway
in order which adjoined his den; his hearing was very quick, so that
even while enjoying his dinner he stopped, and started aside, to listen.

Bingley gives the following account of a rhinoceros brought to Eng-
land in 1790. It was then about five yeirs old. It was somewhat tamed ;
it would walk about when desired to do so by its keeper ; it would let
visitors pat its back. Its daily allowance was twenty-eight pounds of
clover, the same quantity of ship biscuit, and an enormous amount of
greens. It was fond of sweet wines, and would drink four or five bottles in

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EARTH. SEA, AND SKY.

a few hours. He made notliiii^ of drinking fifteen lails cf wakr in ll;c
course of a day. If he saw a person with fruit or any food that he v. i; •,
fond of, he would ask for a share, in a very pretty n anner for so hut^c a
beast, making a noise somewhat hke the bleating of a talf ilc elite! ( f
iiinanimation, caused by sli[)ping the joint t)f cne of his fore legs. Some
doctors made openings in his skin, in order to rcliexe his pain. These
were ahva\'s found cjuite heaK;d up in the course of t\vent)'-fi)ur hours.

CAMP .\TT.\(KF.n i;V " FIKE-F.ATINi; KlllNOCEKOS.

Mis death happened near Portsrnouth, and the mayor ordered him to bo
buried on the common at Southsea. A fortnight afterwards some natur-
alists dug up the remains to preserve the skin and the most valuable of
the bones, but the diggers were nearly overpowered by the stench of the
body.

There is no doubt that the elephant ami rhinoceros sometimes fight to-
gether madly, when they are in a wild state. Some years ago there was
a specimen in the Regent's Park Gardens, that contrived to get into the

WILD SPORTS OF THE TROPICS.

287

(Icn of an oUl clcpliant there. They were afterwanl the best friends in
th • wnrUI, and it was amusin;.^ to see how ciuict th..- rliinoccros would
stand wliilst his j^reat friend scrubbed his back with his trunk, and occa-
•, unally gratified himself by a sly pull at his tail, to make the rhinoceros
turn his head, if his attention was inken off by visitors.

We ha\e said that the horn is ntjt fasteneil to the skull, but simply
c. innccted with his skin. It is not generally known that it can be removed
by [)assing a sharp knife round its base. The skin is so strong and
thick, that it can only be pierced by bullets of a peculiar make. The n^-
^jroes of ./\frica know this perfectly well, and make it into shields and
bucklers. His pla\ful antics are somewhat useful ; thus he will poke his
hiirn inl«) the ground, and tin n dri\ing it along at a great rate, pushing
with all his mighty force and strength, he will make a furrow broader and
deeper than that of a plough. Those who have watched his habits tell us
that he does this, not because he is in a passion, l^ut in the pure enjoj--
ment of health and spirits ; just as when a little bo\' or girl, or dog or
kitten, scampiMs about a lawn.

Some species tif this aniii;,d are wild, and can be easily tamed ; the
powerful Indian ih.noceros is the shyc-t, and the double-horned the
wildest. Mason, in his work', entitled " Burmah," remarked that the
common single-horned rhinoceros is very abundant. The double-horned
is not uncommon in the southern pro\inces; and then he alludes to the
fire-eater of the Burmans, as distini^uished from the common single-
horned kind. The fire-eating rhinoceros, lie tells us, is so called from
its attacking the night fires of travellers, scattering the burning embers,
and doing other mischief, being attracted by unusual noises, instead of
flcL'ing from them as most wild an mals do. Professor Oldham's camp-
fire was attacked by a rhinoceros, which he fired at with a two-ounce
bdl; and three days aft(>rwards the body was found, and proved to be
of the two-horned species. The skull of that individual is now in the
muscimi of Trinity College, Dublin. The commonest of the African
rhinoceroses has been known to manifest the same propensity, and so
has even the ordinary American tapir. In general.however, the Asiatic
two-horned rhinoceros is an exceedingly shy and timid animal, and one
of the largest size has been seen to run away from a single wild dog.
SluMldiiig Horns aiul Getting X<'\v Ones.

The horns of a rhinoceros, consisting merely of agglutinated hairs, may,
under rare circumstances, be shed in a mass, and subsequently renewed.
A great one-horned rhinoceros living in the Zoological Garden at Mos-
cow, did actually shed a horn, which is now in the museum of that city,

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EARTH, SEA, ANO SKY.

and another lias since grown in its place. So the rudimentary frontal
horn of the old female of the same species now in the London Zoo-
logical Gardens was roui^hly broken off on one occasion, and the bloud
flowed very profusely; but another liornlet has since been developed in
its place, and there can now be no doubt that the same occasionally hap-
pens with wild animals.

IJrautirul Appcaraucc iiiul<'r the Microscope.

On a casual glance at a rhinoceros, the horn is the first object which
strikes the eye. This projection is not a horn, but only a growth fr( m
the skin, and looks, when cut crossways, like a congeries of hairs; and
if the hair be chafed towards its root, it will split up into innumerable
filaments much resembling coarse horse-hair, and bearing a close simi-
larity to the whalebone fringe of a whale's mouth.

Under the microscope a section of rhinoceros-horn presents a most
beautiful appearance, and even this can be closely imitated by tying a
tuft of hairs tightly together, soakinj»; them in fine glue, suffering them
to cool until they form a kind of rod, and then cutting a section like thit
of the rhinoceros-horn. ]f cither of these preparations be examined with
po'arized light, the colors arc gorgeous in the extreme.

E\'en in South Africa the horn of the rhinoceros is very x'aluable, as it
can be cut into knobbed sticks which will stand almost anv treatment with-
out breaking. This property renders it especially useful for ramrods, as it i.^
fir stronger than wi)od,aiul possesses all the good properties of iron or ;;tcL!
without its w^eight or propensity to bend or break.

Savage Attack on Horses.

The ])owcr of the horn is terrific, and its efficac)^ has been found iii
several disastrous incidents. Both the African and Asiatic species arc
liable to sudden and unaccountable fits of anger, during which the ani-
mal will rush at any object that is near him, whether animate or inanimate,
and dash it to pieces. One renic .<able instance of this propensity took
place at Dinapore. Some officers had gone down to the river for shoot-
ing, and had formed a small encampment by the river. Reports were
rife of a neighboring rhinoceros; but they took no particular heed, for
natives are sekk)m very truthful, and retired to rest with no fear of dan-
ger. One morning, just as they were about to rise, a great commotio!
was heard ; and on running out to see what was the matter, they found
that a rhinoceros was attacking their horses, and goring them violently
The poor hor.ses being fastened, according to custom, were not able to
resist or escape ; while the natives, according to their custom, had all
run away, and hidden themselves in a neighboring jungle.

WILD SPORTS OF THE TROPICS.

289

There was, however, little blame to be attached to them ; for when the
rhinoceros, after venting its rage on the animals, turned upon their nias-

ters, they, too, took to then* heels, and thouL;ht themselves fortunate in
finding a tree, up which they scrambled, and were for the present secure.
19

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1; . ill't'^t^

The rliinoccro;;, b.owovcr. watclicd them for a loiv^ time, in hopes tliat
they would descend ; but on the rising of the sun, he sh)\\l\' retreated
into liis haunts, every now and then casting an angry look over his shdiil-
der. The brute was afterwards killed by a nali\e hunter, who concealed
himself near its hiding-place, and sliot it with an iron ball from a jin;^%dl
or matchlock, which carries a very large bullet, and is generally used b\-
the natives for destrox'ing the rhinoceros and other wild beasts. TIk
hunter conceals himself near some place where he knows the animal wil!
pass, and, resting his gun on the fork of a branch, he gets a steady aim,
and is very seldom required to Hre a second shot.

When the terrified gentlemen came down from their tree, they went to
see what harm the rhinoceros had done, and found several of their horses
fearfully gored. One poor animal was saddled at the time; and the horn
of the rhinoceros had penetrated through saddle-Hap and padding, frac-
tured tw(^ ribs, and made an aperture through which a small hand mi;^ht
be passed into the horse's lungs.

Sometimes the rhinocere^ attacks inanimate objects, such as bushes or
trees, and assaults them in the most violent manner, not leaving them
until he has broken tliem to pieces. Ploughing up the ground with the
horn is al' o a favorite mode of expressing rage.

A Horso Sa\o<l by a I><'a<lly Shot

One traveller relates that on one occasion he tied his horse to the limb
of a tree, and in compan\- with his native attendants went a short distance
away, when he was horrified on returning to discover a huge rhinoceros
in the very act of making a deadly charge upon the animal, and so near
that the horse had already reared on his hind legs in the effort to csca[)e.
There was no time to be lost. The hunter raised his gun, took sure aim,
and in an instant checked the onward rush of the enormous brute.

All rhinoceroses are fond of wallowing in mud, with which the body is
not unfrequently encrusted, and their senses of hearing and smell are most
acute, but not that of vision, so that they ma\' be closely api^roached by
keeping to leeward of them. On one occasion the wagon of a friend of
Andersson was attacked by one of the.se animals : \Vc heard shouting aiul
firing, and on looking in the direction whence the noise proceeded, discov-
ered to our horror, a rhinoceros rushing furiou.sly at us at the top of his
speed. Our only chance of escape was the wagon, into which we hurriedly
flung ourselves. And it was higiitime that we should seek refuge, for the
next instant the enraged beast struck his powerful horn into the bottom
plank of the wagon with such force as to push the wagon several paces
forward, although it was standing in very heavy sand. Most fortunately he

WILD SPORTS OF THE TROPICS.

21»1

attacked the vcli'clc from behind ; for if he liad struck it at the side lie c<nihl
h.M !'!)' have failed to upset it, ponderous as it was. From the wai;on he
made a rusli at the fire, overturninjr the pot we had j^laced alonL,^ side (.f it.
anil scattcriufj tJie burninij brands in every direction. Then. witli( ut doiny
an\- Uirthcr damage, he proceeded on his wild career.

Tlie flat-lipped or white rhinoceros (so called from its general pale
C()l(ir) is a \ery different animal from those of which we have been titat-
iii^. It grows to more than six feet and a half high at the withers, w here
tlvjre is a sort of square liump, and its head has an exceedingly h^ng ante-
ri(ir horn, attaining to more than four feet in length, whilst the hind hoin
is \Liy short, not exceeding sev'en or eight inches. Its color is of such a
IJL^lit neutral gray, as to look nearly as white as the canwis covering of a
wagon. Baines, describing a freshly-killed one, tells i:sthat the skin was
)f a light i^inky gray, deepening into a bluish neutral tint on juirts of the
JKad, neck, and legs. The limbs, shoulders, cheeks, and neci; were mai ked
with deep wrinkles. The mouth was very small, and the limbs \sere
dual fish compared with the bulk of the carcass. The eyes were small :\nd
<L't lilt on the side of the head, with no prominence of brow, and in s'lch
a position as to discredit the assertion that the rhinoceros can see only
what is .straight before it. Chapman estimated the weight of one of these
wliitc rhinoceroses as being probabl}- not less than 5000 pounds.
Timely Ilolp for the Youn^- lihimu'eros.

The male, he sa\'s, measures six fjjt eight inches at the withers, carries
his head so low that his chin nearlv swco'. the ground, is constanilv
swa\-ing his head to the right and left wluii suspicious, and its calf, in-
stead of going behind or at the side, always precedes the dam, and
when fleeing is helped on b\' her horn or sn )ut. The back' of this
animal is tolerably straight, the croup being as high, or even higher,
than the withers. It mox'es each ear alternately backw^ards and forwards
when excited, and the ears, when thrown forward, turn as if on a pivot
so as to bring the orifice innermost. In the other African rhinoceroses
the two ears are moved together, and not alternately. The ears are
poinletl or tufted.

This animal is of a comparatively mild and gentle disposition; and
unless in defence of its yovmg, or when hotly pursued, or wounded will
\er)' rarel\- attack a man. It is gregarious in families, the individuals
comprising which are greatly attached to each other; and it utters a
long sound, and not such a startling, whistling snort as do other species.
It is an indolent creature, and becomes exceedingly fat by eating grass
onl\'.

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2ftl2 EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

The hippopotamus is cxclusi\-cly an inhabitant of .Vfrica, in r.ian\- .f
the rivers of which it i ; t)lcraijl\' abundant. It is a lar!j;c animal, tli-
males, accordin<^ to some travellers, attaininL,^ a lent^th of fourteen or i"!-
teen feet. It feeds entirely upon \'ep^etable substances, cropping the Ir.r.r-
A^j and bushes on the banks of tiie rivers, and occasionally visitinij tlie
cuiti\-ated [grounds durin<^f the nit^ht, when it does lij'reat daniaL,^e. It
jiasscs most of its time in the water, where it swims and di\'es witli ;rrcat
rase, and is said e\en to walk at the bottom. When the head of ihj ar,-
i;na! is Ijelow the water it rises frequent!)' to blow it out from its no>triU,
iiiakin<; it ascend in two jets.

Tlio FonK'ious fIii>i>oi><)t!iiiius.

( h^ shore, it trots lieaviK', but with considerable rapidity, and when two
of tliem meet on solid ground they frequently flight ferociously, rearin;;-
up on their hind feet, and biting one another with yreat fury, so thai, .ic-
cortlini; to African tra\-ellers, it is rare t<i find a liippoi)otamus which ha-;
not -ome of his teeth ]:)roken, or tiie scars of wounds upmi Iris IxkK-.
WIku not irritated the\- appear to be quiet and inoffensive ; but ,i \cr\-
trhlin<;' irritation is sufficient to rouse their ani^'er, when the}' attairk ih.j
oft;'nder most furiousl)- witli their teetli ; a hippopotamus which had
beer, touched accidentally by a boat has turned upon it and to-n
out se\eral of tlie planks, so that it was witli difficulty the crew
L^ot to shore. .\ hippopotamus has also been known to kill some cattK-
which were tied up njar his haunts, without the slit^htest p:-o\ocation.

In Harris's " Sports of South Africa" we ha\e the foUowin:; accurate
account of the habits of the hip{)opotamus : This animal abounds in the
Limoopo, dix'idin;,;" the empire with its amphii)ious neic;hb»,ir tlie crocotjilc
Throui^'hout the nii^ht the unwieldy monsters miy^ht l)e lieard snorting;
and blowins^ durinL;- their acjuatic Ljambols, and we not unfrec[uently lie-
tected them in the act of sallying' from their reed-i^n'own co\'erts, to cjraze
by the serene lii^ht of tlie moon; never, however, venturini^ to any dis-
tance from tile' liver, the stronghokl to which they betake themsehes ( ii
the >niallest alarm.

' Occasionally, during;' the day, they were to be seen baskin^X on tli(
shore, amid ooze and mud ; but shots were most constantK' to be had ,a
their uncouth iieads.when protruded from the water to draw breath; anii
if killed, the body rose to the surfece. Vulnerable oni\' beiiind the car
however, or the eye, which is placed in a prominence, so as to reseiiihic
the garret window of a Dutch house, they require the perfection of riile
practice, and after a few shots become e.xceedini^ly shy, exhibiting the
snout only, and as instantly withdi-a.ving it. The flesh is delicious, re-

s 15?

v:;ld sport:; or the tropic::.

2:t;i

; mbiin;^ pnrk in Havnr, and aboundini^ in fat, whicli in the colony is r'.j-
scr\ i-(ll_\- esteemed tlie greatest of delicacies. The hide is lipward (S r.n

■^ I I

inch and a half in thickness, and beint; scarcely flexible, may be dragj^cd
from the ribs in strips like the planks from the ship's sitle.

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294

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

Cummin^ says that the track of the hippoi)otainus may be div--
guishcd from any other animal by a line of unbroken herbage whicli is
left between the marks of the feet of each side, as the width of llic space
between tlie rii^ht and leO, leL,rs causes the animal to place its feet Sf) coii-
sitlerably apart as to make a distinct double track. It may be remarked
that the hippopotamus, as well indeed as the elejihant and rhinoceros, is
fast disajjpoariii;^ in all the countries where it exists, before the incessant
and destructi\'e war made upon it by fire-arms. It could resist, and fol-
ates did resist, the rude and ineffective vvcapons of sa\ ai^cs and barbar-
ians, living and multiplying in spite of them ; but the species must soun
yield to the destructive propensity and power of civilizv^d men.
At Close Qiiarter.s with u Hippoiiotaiiius.

After seeing the animal [)lunging about in his bath, diving with ease,
ami traversing the bottom of the tank as if it were dry land, one can the
better appreciate the difficulties attending a struggle such as is related bv
Cumnu'nLT in the followinsj; lines :

There were four of them, three cows antl an old bull. They stood in
the middle of the river, and, altliough alarmed, did not appear aware u\
the extent of the impending danger.

I took the sea-cnv next me, and with my first ball I gave her a mortc'
wound, knocking loose a great plate on the top of her skull. She at once
commenced plunging round and round, and occasionally remained still,
sitting for a few moments on the same spot. On hearing the re^jort of
my rifle, two of the others took up stream, and the fourth dashed down
the river. The)' rolled along like oxen, at a smart pace, as long as the
water was shallow. I was now in a state of very great anxiety about ni\-
wounded sea-cow, for I feared she would get down into deep Nvater, and
be lost, like the last one. Her struggles were still bearing her down
stream, and th.; water was becoming deeper. To settle the matteT, I
accordingly fired another shot from the bank, which, entering the roof of
her skull, passed out through her eye. She then kept continually splash-
ing rountl and round in a circle in the middle of the river. I had great
f ars of thj crocodiles, and I did not know that the sea-cow might not
attack me; my anxiety to .secure her, however, overcame all hedtation.
Sv) divesting myself of my leathers, and armed with a sharp knife, I dashed
int) the river, which at first to.»k me up to my arm-pits, but in the middle

was shallower.

A Strugg-le to Get Ashore.

As I ap]-)roached Ik'hemoth, her eye looked very wicked at me, but

she was stunned, aiul did not know what she was doing; so, running in

WILD Sl'ORTS OF THE TROPICS.

295

upon her, and sci/.inj^ her sh(irt tail, I attempted to incline her course to
land. It was extraordinaiA' what enormous strength she still liad in the
uali.'r; I could not guide her m the least, and she continued to splash,
antl plunge, and blow, and make her circular course, carrying me along
uitli her as if I was a fly on her tail.

h'inding her tail gave me but a poor hold, as the only means of secu-
ring my i)rey, I took out my knife, and cutting two deep parallel incisions
through the skin on her rump, and lifting this skin from the flesh, so that
I could get in my two hands, I made use of this as a handle, and after
some desperate hard work, sometimes pushing, sometimes pulling, the
sea-cow continuing her circular course all the time, and I hokling on her
rump like grim death, e\-entually I succeeded in bringing this gigantic
and most powerful animal to the bank. Mere the Bushman (piickly
brought me a .stout buffalo-rheim from my horse's neck, which I passed
through the opening in the thick skin, and moored Behemoth to a tree.
I then took my rifle, and sent a shot through her head, and she was
numbered with the dead.

SlipiM'ry Caudal Appoiulajfo.

In explanation of one part of this description, the difficulty experienced
by I\Ir. Cumming in holding b)' her tail will be easily understood b\' those
who have examined the member in question. The tail of the hip[)opot-
anius is a flattened, naked affair, about two feet long, as thick as a man's
wris':, and slightly fringed at the extremity with a few long bristles. If
\\c imagine this tail flung about in the death-agony of a full-grown hip-
popotamus, it will not be difficult to conceix'e the almost impossibility oi
holding on by the liands, especially in the water, which is the natural
element of the brute.

Lander relates a thrilling experience that befell some of his companion.s
on one of their explorations. A hi{)popotamus happened to rise inuler
their boat, and .struck her back against its keel. Irritated by the unex-
pected resistance, she dashed at the boat w ith open jaws, .seized the side
between her teeth, and tore out seven planks. She then .sank for a few
seconds, but immediately resumed the attack, and if one of the crew had
not fired a musket in her face, would probably ha\e worked still more
harm. As it was, too much mischief had ueen already done, for the loss
of so much planking had caused the boat to fill rapidly, and it was only
by severe exertion that the crew succeeiled in getting the boat to shore
before it .sank. The boat was providentially not more than an oar's length
from the bank when the attack took place ; but had it been in the centre
of the river, few, if any of the crew, would have escaped to tell the tale.

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EARTH, SEA, AXD SKY.

The sliock from beneath was so violent, th. t the steersman was thrown
completely out of the boat into the water, but was seized and draw n iii
aL,'aiii before the hippopotamus could fret at him.

Taxliir, the author of "A Journe\' to Central Africa," gives the follow-
in^' iutcrestin^ narrati\-e :

On the same tlay I saw the first hippopotamus. The men discerned him
about a ([iiarter of a mile off, as he came up to breathe, and called my
attention to him. Our vessel was ^-un towards him, and tlie sailors shouted,
to draw his attention : " Mow is your wife, old bo\- ? Is your son married
yet?" and other like exclamations. The)' 'iisisted upon it, that his
curiosit)' would be excitetl by this means, and he would allow us to
approach. I saw him at last within a liundred yards, but onl\- the enor-
mous head, whicli was more than three fee*" i.i breadth across the (.-ars.
He raisetl it w ith a tremendous snort, ojienint;" his luis^e mouth at the
.same time, and I thou^Ljht I had ne\-er seen a more fris^htful-hjokins^ mon-
ster. I le came up in our wake, after we hail pa.s.sed, and followed us (ov
some time.

I )irect!\- afterwards we spied fi\-e crocodiles o.i a sand-bank; one of
them was of a grayish-yellow color, and upwards of twenty feet in length.
We a|)proached quietU' to within a few )ards of them, when my men
raised their poles and shouted. The beasts started from their sleep, and
dashed quickl\' into the water, the big yellow one strikii-g so violenli\-
against our hull, that I am sure he went off with a headache.

Advt'iitin'i' with u Gorilhi.

Siv)rts in the tropics are not confined exciusixely to four-footed beast."'.
There are creatures strongly resembling man which are sought by the na-
ti\es, and sometimes are s\'stematicall\' hnnted, as would be a tiirer or
an elephant The equatorial coast of Africa has furnislied a gig.uilic
kintl of man-like ape, which affords a curious confirmation ol' an old
classic story.

Somewhere about the sixth centur\' before the Christian era, one
Hanno is reported to ha\'e sailed from Carthage, through the Pillars e'
Hercules, on a voyage of exploration along the coast of Africa. In tlic
recortl of this voyage there occurs the following pas.sage : — " Passing the
Streams of p'ire, we came to a bav called the Horn of the South. In the
recess there was an island like the first, having a lake, and in this there
was another island full of wild men. Hut nnich the greater part of thciu
were women, with hairy bodies, whom tlu interpreters called ' Gorillas.'
But pursuing them, we were not able to take the men ; the\- all escape'd.
being able to clin.b the precipices; and defended themselves with pieces

WILD SPORTS OF TFIE TROPICS.

207

ofi'ick. But three women, vvh() bit .iiid scratched those who lee! them,
wciv not whlin*^ to follow. However, having killed them, we flaN-cd
till 111, and conveyed the skins to Carthage; for we did not sail an\' fur-
ther, as provisions began to fail."

The " wild men " of the ancient navigator were doubtless idcnlical
with the great anthropoid aj^e lately re-disco\ered, to which, in allusion
to tlk' old story, the name of gorilla has been given. The region in
([111' tion is a richly wooded country, extending about a tliouhand
niilis along the coast from the Gulf of Guinea southward ; and as the
ffoiilla is not found beyond these limits, so we may conclusively infer
that the extreme point of Hanno was somewh'-re in this region.

Sava^t^ Itival of 3faii.

This great ape makes the nearest api)roach of any brute-animal to the
human form; it is fully ecpial toman in stature, but immensely more
bn ad and muscular; while its strength is colossal. Though exclusix-ely
a fruit cater, it is described as always manifesting an enraged enmity
towards m;ni ; and no negro, even if furnished with fire arms, will enter
alone into conflict with an adult male gorilla. lie is said to be more
than a match for the lion.

The rivalry between the mighty ape and the elephant is curious, and
leads to somewhat comic results. The old male is alwa\'s armed with a
stout stick whe.i on the scout, and knows how to use it. The elephant
has no intentional evil thoughts toward the gorilla, but unfortunatel)- they
]o\c the same sorts of fruit. When the ape sees the elephant busy with
hi^ trunk among the twigs, he instantly regards it as an infraction of the
law- of property; and, dropping quietly down to the bough, he suddenly
brin;,;-> his club smartly down on the sensitix'e finger of the elephant's
proboscis, and drives off the alarmed animal trumpeting shrilly with rage
and pain.

The )'oung athletic negroes, in their ivory hunts, well know the i)row-
CSS of the gorilla. He does not, like the lion, sullenly retreat on seeing
them, but swings him.self rapidly down to the lower branches, courtin;,;
the conflict, and clutches at the foremost of his enemies. The hideous
aspect of his visage, his green eyes with their glaring fire, his open
mouth and fierce-looking teeth, the savage hand-like claws which form
the entl of his lower extremities, all render him an object of terror.
When he is pursued, as he is sometimes by daring natives who are his
natural enemies, he will defend himself with the utmost courage, and has
been known to attack his foes with indescribable furv. Our emrraving
represents a combat between a gorilla and his pursuers. The description

s|*>i^.

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298

EARTH, SEA. AND SKY.

is given by a traveller who heard the story of the adventure from the lips
of the nati\e.s, after they had barely escaped with their lives. Gorilla liunt.

GORILLA TURNING UPON HIS PURSUERS.

ing is dangerous business, yet there are those who, for the sake of the
excitement, engage in it, taking at times fearful risks.

his great (

WILD SPORTS OF THE TROPICS.

299

Tn the barren wastes of Africa, and also of Asia, the traveller, as he
i()urne\s wearily onward, ineetin<^ with but stunted herbage and no water,
sees from afar somethin<j that alarms him. It looks like a body of horse-
men scourin;^ the desert, and, as he fears bent on [)lunder. Tlure is no
\\,\v of escape, and as he looks hither and thither the dreaded cjbject ap-
pioaciies. Then his heart beats more freel)-, and his spirits revive. The
h;uul of horsemen, as he supposed it to be, turns out to be birds. And
he is not the first traveller by any means who has made the mistake, and
im.i;4ine(l the ostrich to be a man on horsback.

Ill the fu'st place, the ostrich is quite as tall, and as he runs swiftly
dltnvj, there is nothin<; at a distance that he more resembles. He al\^•ays
feeds in a llock, and the barren wastes have been his home from time im-
ineinorial. I le eats ^rass, and <^rain when he can ^et it, and does nc^t
^ccm to care for water. There are people who have said that the; os-
trich never drinks.

Brcaktust of Stoiios uiid Lcatlicr.

However that may be, his appetite is the most curious part of him. He
will swallow almost anything; he can pick u[), and you miy;ht wonder
where lie did pick up the thin<;s that ha\e been found in his stomach,
were it not for the cara\ans that now and tht;n come acro.ss the de.sert.
Pieces of leather, nails, lunijis of brass or iron, to say nothin<^ of stones,
all L^o down his throat with ease.

He has a hu<je crop, and then a <;reat strong t^izzard. And besides
these, he has a cavity <'"it mi<^ht be calletl a third stomach. So he is
well provided. Of couns :, stron<j^ as his dii;estion may be, he cannot di-
<:^est either nails or stones ; and some people explain this by sayint^ that
his ^reat crop wants so much to fill it, that he is obliged to put in all he
can ^et. And others say that the stones and brass and leather help him
to dij^^est his other food, in the same ^vay that grit or <^ravel helps our
poultr}' at home.

The ne.\t curious thint^ about the o.strich is the pair of winces that na-
ture has given him. The wing is nature's machine by which the bird
can siij port itself in the air, and dart or .sail through it as we may see
j\er\- c'a\-. But in some birds the wing fails of this purpose, ami is of no
use at all to fly with. There are two reasons why the wings of the os-
'lich cannot bear him into the air. They are very small to begin with,
and his great body is too heavy to be rai.sed by any such means. And be-
sides, the feathers of the wings are different from those of other birds.

Look how firm and conijiact is the wing of the swallow or the rook.
The feathers fit close together, and the little plumes on each feather hook

t '1

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KARTII, .sn.\, AND SKY.

into ci\<:\\ other by those exquisite h'ttie catches that arc aniotv.^ the mar
rels of" nature. If \'ou ])ass \-our fini^fr ovi.t tiic wiii^j it feels like inw
smooth surface. Hut in the win;.; of the ostrich the httle phmies aiv
loo.sc, and (loat h<.^htly about. The ostrich docs not use his wiiii^s t<> :ly
with. thou;^h he spreads them out as he runs.

The Flylnt,' Camel.

Me is in many respects so hke an animal, that he forms ahnost a liu!;
between the animals ami the birds, bideed lie is so like the camel tli.i
he is called the camel-binl. His foot resembles the lK)of of the canul.
It has only two toes, and both point forward ; and the first is lon<rer than
the second, and ends in a thick hoof-like claw. And the ha!)its of ilu
ostrich re.^emble tho.se of the camel ; they both li\e in the sandy desert,
and are able to ^m) a very lon^ time without drinkinL,^ The ostrich d. ts
not make anv nest, but merely scoops out a hole in the .sand. When t!u'
proper season comes, the mother ostrich be<;ins to la\' her c^ljs ; she la\s
about a dozen, and they are very lar^e, ami of a dirty w hite color. In the
day-time she lea\'es them under the burnini,^ rays of the sun ; but when
ni^ht comes, and the air is cooler, she broods over them.

The natives of the countrj' g;o out looking for the e^s^s of the ostrich.
One monster eg^ has in it as much as thirty of our hen'.s egs^s, and is
considered a great dainty. lUit the}' are \ery careful how they set about
the task of robbing the nest. They choose the time when the mothiT
cstrich is away, and then they take a long stick and push the eggs out of
the hole. If they touched any of thc'm with their fingers, the ostrich
wouki find it out in a minute, and go into a great rage. She would break
all the eggs that were left with her hoof-like feet, and never lay in that
place again. Sometimes a number of mother ostriches will la}' their eggs
in the same nest.

In some parts of Africa there are tribes of men who eat ostriches, nut
from glutton}', but because they can get very litde else. They keep them
as we do cattle, and make them quite tame. The ostrich is by nature
gentle, though it is .so large, and soon makes himself contented near the
dwelling of his master. Sometimes his master rides upon him, and takes
a journey.

Tlie beautiful feathers of the ostrich are so admired, that great pains
and trouble are taken to procure them. The Arab comes with his swift
h )rsc in search of the ostriches. A flock of them are quietl}- feedinj;
together on the plain. If it is mid-day, they strut about, na[)ping their
wings as if for coolness. When they perceive the eneni}- the\' begin to
run, at tirst gently, for he keeps at a d: -lance, and dr-es not wish t(^ alarm

"1 ];

WILD SPOUTS OF THE TROPICS.

thmi nil lie ilian he can liclp. The win^s of the bird keep workitv^r lil<o
lu.i sails, and lie ^ets over the ground so fast that lie would soon i)e out
(if >i;4lit if h- I'an in a stiaiifht line. Hut he is so foolish as to keep run-
hiiil; from one side to the other. The hunter, meanwhile, rides straight
uii, and when his horse is exhausted, another hunter takes up the game,

HUNTING THE OSTRICH.

and so on, allowing the poor bird no rest. Sometimes, in a fit of despair,
he hides his head in the sand.

Another method adopted by the ostrich hunter is to disguise himself
in the skin of one of these birds, and, armed with his bow and poisoned
arrows, stalk about the plain imitating the gait and motions of the ostrich.
Moffat thus describes a hunt of this kind :

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302

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

A kind of flat double cushion is stuffed with straw and formed sonic
thin<r like a saddle. All except the under part of this is covered (.\cr

' '.)' -.Sivy ^-

"••^MiiHmiil.^iJiLi !'i.iili)iniiit:l':H,iii'^ l;'!

with feathers, attached to small pegs, and made so as to resemble tlv
bird. The head and neck of an ostrich are stuffed and a rod introduced,
and the Bushman intending to attack game whitens his legs with an>' sub-

is ap;ani sto

'.N

WILD SPORTS OF THE TROPICS.

303

staiic<' he can get. He places the feathered saddle on his shoulders, takes
the l)i)ttoni part of the neck in his right hand, and his bow and poisoned
aiTdWs in his left. Such as the writer has seen were most perfect mimics
(if the ostrich, and at a f-'w hundred yards' distance it is not possible for
the eye to detect the fraud. This human bird appears to be picking away
at tlie verdure,. turning the head as if keeping a sharp lookout; shakes
his feathers, now walks and then trots, till he gets within bow-shot, and
when the flock runs from one receiving an arrow he runs too. The male
ostriches will, on some occasions, give chase to the strange bird, Avhen he
tries t>) elude them in a way to prevent them catching his scent ; for when
once the)' do the spell is broken. Should one happen to get too near in
niusuil, he lias only to run to windward, or throw off his saddle, to avoid
a stroke from a wing that would lay him prostrate.

The Arabs of North Africa pursue the ostrich on horseback ; not at a
dash, however — one exciting run and victory decided — but in a deliberate
and business-like way. A flock having been sighted, the Arabs put their
steeds in motion, and hold them at sufficient speed to keep in sight the
fluttering army in advance. When the evening comes, the Arab pickets
his horse and rests for the night, and his tired game, finding it is no longer
pursued, sinks to the earth and rests too. Next morning the chase is
coninienced, the clicking of hoofs rouses the still weary bird, and once
more he braces his limbs and pursues his hopeless flight. So the game
continues, till, tired to death, and with drooping and bcdraggleel wings,
the poor ostrich comes to a dead halt, and the gallant Arab hunter safely
approaches and cuts its throat.

The Dlow that Ends the Chuso.

Toward the approach of the rainy season, when the days are intolerably
hot and sultry, the ostrich may easily be ridden down by a single horse-
man. At the above-mentioned period the protracted drought tells e\en
on this invulnerable bird, and he may be seen standing in a stupefied
manner with his wings outspread and his beak wide open. Under such
circumstances he offers but little resistance, and though for a few moments
he may make hard running, his speed is not enduring ; and presently he
is again stock-still and stupidly agape, waiting for the hunter to knock
him on the head with his " shambok," or knobby stick.

Our illustration depicts a chase of an ostr'ch described by Ikldwin.
Andersson relates that in certain parts of Southern Africa the ostrich is
run down on foot. " I have myself seen the Bushmen accomplish this
exploit on the shores of Lake Ngami. They usually surround a whole
troop, and with shouts and yells chase the terrified birds into the water,

III

304

EARTH, SEA, AXD SKY.

where they are, of course, speedily killed." Harris, on one occasinn, fell
in with a party of caravans chasin^^ an ostrich on f )ot, and, when they .^ot
close enough, " shyin<j " aft.:r th:; fljein;^ birel, th^-ir clubs strikin'^^ tli-
bird's legs and eventually laming hini. " When the ostrich is slain," sa\s
the last-mentioned authority, " the throat is op..'n jd and a ligature pa.-M!
below the incision. Several hunters then raise the bird by the head ;ui i
feet, and shake and drag him about until they obtain from the a[)crtLn\>
ni'arly twenty pounds of a substance of mingled blood and fat, of th ; con-
sistence of coagulated oil, wliich under the name of ' manteque ' j^
employed in the preparation of dishes and the cure of various mala:lios."

Some African tribes take the ostrich in .snares, similar to those usil in
the capture of the smaller species of antelope. A long cord ha\-in4 ;^-
the end a noose is tied to a sapling, wliicli is bent down, an J the iiMnse
pinp.ed to the ground in such a manner that when a bird t eads within it
the sapling .springs back by its own natural elasticit}', suspending the bird
in the air, only to be released from its sulTerings by death. Others a;.;ain
are .said to employ ostrich feather parasols, or rather massy plume.s — such
as adorn our hearses — while hunting wild animals of every descri])tion.
Thus in ca.se of a wounded beast charging a man, the latter, just at the
moment he is about to be .seized, whips the big plume off his head, and
thrusting the spike to which i!ie feathers are bound into the ground, slips
off. While the furious animal vents his rage on the nodding feathers, the
wild hunter steals to its rear and transfixes it with his weapon.

Fair Piay aiul no Favor.

In hunting the ostrich the mode most favored by sportsmen is to lie in
wait at the margins of pools and springs where the birds come to
drink. They swallow the wat'r deliberately, and by a successio'.i of
gulps. While staying at Elephant Fountain, Andersson shot eight uitli-
in a very short period. " Lying in wait," however, and taking athantagj
of your game from behind a wall or hedge, is by no means a . .. rule a
fa\<irite sx'stem with the hunter. If an animal has " fight" in it, notliins'
gives the true sportsman greater pleasure than for it to demonstrate the
same tc.) the fullest extent — sharp steel against talons ju.st as sharp and
terrible, swift bullets against swift and sudden springs and bounds and
death-d-'aling fangs. Should the animal chased be dependent on its
fleetness for safety, again the true sportsman would meet it with its own
weapons, and stake bit and spur on the issue of the chase.

Andersson relates th : particulars of a chase after young ostriches by
himself and a friend, and which is none the less interesting that it bears
witness to the tender solicitude of the ostrich for its progeny. " While on

ever, we si

WILD SPORTS OF THE TROPICS.

805

the road between the Ray and Scheppniansdorf we tliscoxereda male and
female ostrich, with a brood of youn;^ ones about the size of ordinary
barn-door fowls. This was a sight ^we had loni,^ been looking for, as
Galton had been recjuested by Professor Owen to |irocure a few craniunis
()f the young of this bird. Accordingly we dismounted from our oxen
and gave chase, which i)roved of no ordinary interest.

Cuiiniiij; Dodg-tj to Save the JLittlo Oiios.

The moment the parent-birds became aware of our intention they set,
off at full .speed, the female leading the wa)', the young following in her
wake, and the male, though at some little distance, bringing up the rear
of the family party. It uas \ ery touching to ob.servc the anxiety the old
birds e\'inced for the .safety of their young. Finding that we were
quickly gaining upon them, the male at once slackened his pace and di-
verged somewhat from his course; but seeing that we were not to be di-
verted from our purpose, he again increased his speed, and with wing.s
dr()oj)ing .so as almost to touch the ground he hovered round us, now in
wide circles and then decreasing the circumference till he came almost
within pistol shot, when he threw himself abruptly on the ground and
struggled desperately to regain his legs, as it appeared, like a bird that
is badly wounded.

Ha\ing previously fired at him several times, I really thought he
was disabled, and made quickly toward him ; but this was only a dodge on
his part ; for on my nearer approach he slowly arose, and began to run in
an opposite direction to that of the female, which by this time was consid-
erably ahead with her charge. After about an hour's severe chase, how-
ever, we secured nine of the brood, and though it consisted of about
double that number, we found it necessary to be contented with what we
had bagged.

ItfV j

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CHAPTER XI.
SIGHTS IX THI<: WORLD'S MICNAGKRIK.

Man in the Jaws of the Lion — Meeting tlie Great I5east-- -Death from the Stroke of
a Paw — ^Jacob Dok's Adventure — Lion's Gratitude — Magnanimity of the Kini,^
of Beasts — Shaking Mane and Lashing Tail— Tremendous Strength — Narrative
of r.rohm — Spectral Lemur — A Creature witli Singular Eyes and Claws — I'ine
Tree-Climbers — The Babiroussa — Quadruple Tusks — A Restless and Ferocious
Beast — White-Lipped Peccary — Plucky Fighters- Wart-Hog — A Dangerous
Brute — Invader of Cultivated I'ields — Expert Swimmer — Adventure of Ca])tain
Harris — The Lithe Panther — Supple Muscles of (ireat .Strength — .Sudden .Spring-
Thirst for ]51()od— Doctor Ihxhm's Remarkable Ivxperience— An Old Dog-fared
Baboon — Dreadful Encounter— Courage of a Malay Captain— The Tapir An
Omniverous Quadruped— Cousin of the Hippopotamus — A Fortunate Nost —
Whistling Tapirs— Tapir Domesticated— The XVallachian .Sheep — P'xtraordinary
Horns — Splendid Growth of Wool — Mountain .Sheep of Bokhara — Horns
of Surprising Size — A Dwelling on Hi<ih Rocks— I'Mying Fox — Marveiou.s
Membrane— Unique Product of the Animal Kingdom — Hanging from Forest
Branches — Arctic Seals —Elegant Fur — Hunting the .Seal — Sea-Elephant — Tiie
XValrus- Use of Tusks — Perils of Walrus Hunting.

T the present day lions are onl}- foinid in Africa and Asia. Xor
are the\- an\' longer to be seen in the lloly Land, though they
are often alltided to in the l^ihle. It is a taw ny animal, and is
very .strong. Tlie African lion is different from the Asiatic,
and the African Vums themseK'es seem to consist of four or fi\-e kinds.
It was formerly believed that the}- had i)rickles in their tails, which ren-
dered them w ilder and more ftn-ious when the\' lashed their sides. TlicV
are not often found in forests; the)- seem to like best the shelter of the
low common that creeps along the sides of streams. The powerful l^rutc
sometimes carries u(C men.

A Cape lion has been known to seize a heifer in his mtuith.and thouL^li
the legs dragged upon the ground, he carried her off easih'. Anotlur
conx'eyed a horse about a mile from the spot where he had killetl it. .\ii-
other, that had carried off a two-year old heifer, was followed on the
spoor, or track, for fi\-e hoiu's b\- horsemen, when it was foinid thai
throughout the long distance the heifer had touched the groiuul onl\
once or twice. To avoid these blood-thirsty beasts, whole villages arc
sometimes built in the upper branches of trees. The African lion gener-
ally lives upon ccnvs, calves, antelopes, and animals of this description.
(HOG)

SIGHTS IN Till': WORLD'S MKXAGERII':.

;i«)7

lUirchcll, tlic tf.'ucUcr, ;;i\cs an interesting account of his meeting one
,)f lliL'se i^reat licasts : The ilay was exxcedingly pleasant, and there was
n<A ;i cloud to be seen. I'^or a mile (■>r two we travelled ahniLj by the
banks of the river, which in this part abounded in tall matrushcs. The
tloLjs secmetl much to enjoy prowling; about, and examiniuLj every bushy
')lacc, and at last met with some object anionij the bushes which caused
iheni to set up a most vehement and determined barkins^. We explored
tliL' spot Avith caution, as we well knew, from the peculiar tone of their
barlx, that it was what we expected It to be — lions.

lla\in!_^ desired the doL,^s to (li-i\e theni out, a task which they | "-
fdMiu il with great willingness, we had a full view of an enormous black-
ni.uiLd lion and lioness. The latter was seen onl\- for a minute, as she
made her escape up the ri\er under the concealment of the rushes ; but
the lion came steadily forward, and stood still to look at us. At this
iiimutc we felt ouv situation not free from danger, as the animal seemed
|)iv|)aring to spring upon us, and we were standing on the bank, at the
distance of only a few \'ards, most of us being on f tot and unarmed, witli-
oiit any "isible opportunity of escaping. I had gi' '■ uj) tny horse to the
hunters, and was on foot myself; but there was no time for fear, and it
was useless to attempt avoiding him. I stood well upon mv' guard, hold-
in;4 my pistols in my hands with my finger upon the trigger; and those
who hail muskets ke[)t themselves prepared in the same manner. But at
this in-tant the dogs flew boldly in between us and the lion, and sur-
rounding him, kept him at bay 1j\' their violent and resolute barking.
Fju'iiiy- tlM- Monarch of tlio Forest.

The courage of those faithful clogs was most admirable ; the)- ad
vanecd up <> the side of the huge beast, and stood making the greatest
clamor in his face, without the least appearance of fear. The lion, con-
.-icious of his strength., remained unmoved at their noi.sy attempts, and kept
his head turned towards us. ,\t one moment the dogs, percei\'ing his
c\e thus engaged, had adx'anced close to his feet, and seemed as if they
would actually sei/.e hold of him; but they paid dcark for their impru-
dence, for, without discomposing the majestic and steady attitude in
which he stood fi.xed, he merely moved his paw, and at the next instant
I brheld two l\'in.g dead. In doing this, he made so little exertion, that
it was scarcely perceptible by what means they had been killed. Of the
time which we gained by the interference of the dogs not a minute was
lost. We fired upon him ; one of the balls went through his side, just
between the short ribs, and the blood began to flow, but the animal still
remained standing in the same [)osition. We had now no doubt that he

Hll'l

j', 1

i m

■J
1 ■

ift*

ililji

waitmu" a ofo

i,fnt to a <j;vc'<

'doa

spnnj^ing or t
"1 his conceal
fj'it as thoii<:l:

SIGHTS IN THK WORLD'S Mi:X.\< •xJ-:RIF..

300

would spriiiLj upon us ; every j^mi was instantly rc-loatlctl ; but, happily,
\vt' were mistaken, and were not sorry to see him mo\e (|uietly away,
tlii)i!"h I had hoped in a few minutes to have been enabled to take hold
of his paw without danj^er.

I'",ven where the hunter has been seized with a jjanie and pursues, a
timely recovery of self-possession lias saved him. Spa man le'.ates that
Jacob Bok, of Yee-koe-rivi-r, one da\' walkiuL-^ ovlt his land with his
loaded !^nni, imexpecteill)- nu-t a lion. IJein^; an excellent shot, he thou;^ht
hiiii-.elf pretty certain, from the position he was in, of killinj;- it, anti there-
fore tired his [Mece. Unfortunately he- ditl not recollect that the charf^e
had been in it for some time, and therefore was damp, so that his piece
huwj; fire, and the ball failini^ siiort, entered the L;round close to the lion.

In consec[uence of this he was seized with a pam'c. and took directly to
i'.is Iicels; but bein;^ soon out of breath, and close!)- i)ursued by llii" lion,
hv jumped up on a little heap of stones and there made a stand, present-
in ' the butt-end of his L;un to his adversar)-. full}- resolved to tlefend his
litl' as well as he could to the utmost. This tle{)ortment luul such an
effect upon his pursuer, that he also made a stand, and lay down at the
(listance of a few paces from the heap of stones, seemini^ly c[uiLe uncon-
cerned. Jacob, in the meantime, ditl not stir from the s'?tl; besides, he
hati in his fiijjjht unfortunately dropped his ])ow-der-horn. At ieni;th, after
waitiuL;- a good half-hour, the lion rose up, and at tirst went \-ery slowly,
and step by step only, as if he had a nn'nd to steal off; but as soon as he
<'ot to a i^n-eater distance, he l)e_!4an to bound away at a rapid rate.

Story of :i Ilosfueil Slavo.

In old books of Natural History, there is a stor)- aboui a slave, calied
by some Androcles, and others, as for instance Gellius, /Vndrodus, who
cured the foot of a lion, which had be(?n dan;.^erously wounded by ;i
.splinter. Some years afterw-ards, the lion was cau^-ht, and tak(;n to the
i^reat circus at Rome, to form part of a show of wild beasts. One da\'
the slave, perhaps for some L,n\-at crime, was dri\en irito the circus, to be
ie\-i)ured b)- the lions. His old fi-ie-nd innnediately reco^nisetl him, and
defended him with rare zeal and tend -rness. The slaw was liberated.
and owed his life to the ijood memory of the wiM beast.

Unless pro\'oked, or very huiiL^r)', the lion does not attack any animal
opcnI\'; but when roused b}' fimine, he is said to fear no danr^^er, and to
he repelled b\' no resistance. Generally the lion takes his prey by
.sprini;ing or throwin;.-; himself upon it with one vast bound from the place
oriiis concealment. Should he miss his leaj), he will not follow his prey;
but as thoui^h he were ashamed, turning around towards the place where

310

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

he la>' in ambush, he slowly, and step by step, measures the exact Icivrtfj
between the two points, as if to find how much too short he had taken
his leap.

The lion is said to be a ;jjreat coward or at least deficient in courarrc
proportionate to his threat strenL,rth.

There have been instances where the lion deviated from his mode of
attack of sprint^ir^^ upon his prey. He has often been .seen to despise
contemptible enemies and j)aidon their insults, w hen it was in hi.s power

frMwi''f^mM^

AN ODDITY OF TIIF, ANIMAL KLNCiDO.M Sl'i:CTKAL LEML'K.

to have punished them, lie has been known to spare the lives of sucli
creatures as were thrown into his cat^e to be devoured by him, to live
peaceably with him, to aftord them part of his sustenance, and sometimes
even to want food himself rather than deprive them of the life which Jiis
generosity had spared.

The lion is commonly said to devour as much at once as will .serve him
for two or three days, and in captivity he is usually allowed four pound^^
of raw flesh for his dail\- subsistence. His jaws are so powerful that lie

SKiHTS IN THK WORLDS MENAGllKIK.

in 1

can break the bones of animals with case, antl ho often swallows thcin
all mi; with the flesh. His tongue is furnishrtl with reversed prickles so
larL^e and strong as to be capable of lacerating the skin.

When he is enraged or in want of food, lie erects and shakes his mane,
aiul beats his tail against his back and sides. While he is in this stat'.', it
is certain death to any [jerson who happens to approach him. The
lioness is smaller than her mate and destitute of a mane. The lion is a
nocturnal animal; only when forced he leaves his lair during the day.
Only after midnight he ai)proaches the habitations of man. Espying a
licrd of cattle he will commence roaring for the purpo.se of putting the
cattle to flight and then to capture a victim. Dr. I^rehm asserts that once
he was present when a lion, having killed a heifer two x'cars old, jum ;)ed
with the victim in his mouth over a thorn hedge nearly nine feet Iiigh
and then dragged it to his lair.

The roaring of the lion in quest of prey resembles the sound of distant
thunder, and being re-ech(X'd by the rocks and mountains ap[jals the
whole race of animals, and puts them to a sudden flight.

The Asiatic varietv of the lion is inferior to the African in size, streu'th

and fierceness, with less ample mane, and with less width of head and

nobleness of bearing.

The Sin'ctnil Leiiinr.

l.cmur is the name applied to about thirty species of monkeys.
Tlie\' are divided into five principal genera, inhabiting chiefly IM.ula-
•fascar, a few livinu in Africa and the warm regions of Asia and its archi-
pclago.

The animals ha\'e two sharp claws on each hind foot, all their other
nails are Hat. In their habits and economx-, as well as in their haiul-like
paws, the lemurs are like the other monkeys. They princii)ally differ
from those animals in the shajie of the head, which is somewhat like that
of a dog, and in the great length of their hind legs. The latter are so
long, that when the lemiu's \\alk on all-foiu-s, tlu'ir haunches are consider-
aiil)' more elevated than the shoulders.

Hut this structure is of great acKantage to them in climbing trees.
Many of the species are so active that they leap from branch to branch
with a rapidity which the eye is scarcely able to follow. The lenun's
derive their name from their nocturnal habits and their noiseless mo\e-
nients. They live in the depths of the forests, antl only mo\e by night,
the entire day being spent in slee[). Tleir food consists of fruits and in-
sects which latter they take while they are sleeping.

The spectral lemur is of a grayish-brown color, and li\es in the forests

♦m

312

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

, I

m;fi% ,

mwi'.

of the Indian archipclacfo, its loncj tarsi, or hind-lc^s, cnabliiiL,^ it to U-ap
like a fvo'^, and its curious c\-cs j,nvin_Lf it a sin<;ular appearance.

Tile Dutch nanie of babiroussa means sta,Lj-hoL,r. There is reason to
think- that the ancients were not alto_L,fether unaccjuainted with this animal.
Ph'ny notices a wild boar with horns on the foreheatl, found in India-
and Cosmos, a writer in the si.\th eentur\', u.ses tlie term hot;-deer, as the
cLvsii;nation of an Indian animak I b)\\ever tliis may be, it is (miK- re-
cently tliat naturahsts have become well acquainted with it and its habits,
though skulls of these animals have been brout^dit in abundance bv ves-
si.'ls tradincr amonir the Moluccas.

Sli5lil

!'KCC.\KV OR .SlAG-llOC.

The babiroussa differs somewhat iri tlentition from the hoi;-, the incisors
being four above instead of si.\, and the molars fi\-e on each side, in either
jaw. The upper canines, or tusks, of the male emerge directly upwards
from their apparently distorted sockets, and sweep with a bold arch back-
wards, attaining to a \erv great length. The skin is thick, coar.se, of a
blackish tint, and sparingly beset with \ery short, bristly hairs. The
tuslcs of the lower jaw are long, .strong, and sharp, emerging like those of
the boar. The tusks of the upper jaw do not pass out between the lips,
but cut their way through the skin, nearly halfway between the end of
the snout and the eyes. The tusks of the lower jaws are formidable

-Uj)

■^1

.-if

i,</lt

ncisoi's
1 cither
:)\varcls
1 back-
50, of a
The
lose of
10 lips,
end of
lidable

SIGHTS IN Tilli: WORLD'S MF.NAGI'.RIR.

31 :i

wi'api'iis. The male, when adult, cciuals the larifost ho^; ; the fonialo is of
niiK h iniorior size, and dostitiito of the curled up^)o|• tusks, or has them
^^uiy ruilimeiitary.

This annual is found in tlio marshy fDivsis in the interior of Hourou, and
,)tlur of the Moluc I islands, as Aniboyna, and also Java, whore it assi;ci-
atts in troops. Its habits resemble those of the wild ho|^% and it is restless
and ferocious. Accordin;^ to Lesson, it foods chiotly on niai/.e, preferring
lliat -Tain to other articles of diet. It i> partial to the water, and swim.s
with the ^freatost ease, often erossini; the straits between adjacent islands
without any ilifficulty. In a .state of captivity, as in the London Zocjlo^ical
Garelens, and the Paris Monaj^erie, this animal seems to be contented.

The "XVhito-LipinMl Peccary.

The animals of this .species congregate in numerous bands, .sometimes,
it is -aid, to more than a thousand individuals of all ages. Thus united,
tlu-y frequently traverse extensive districts, the whole troop occupying an
ex'cnt of a league in length, and directed in their march, if the accounts
of the natives are to be credited, by a leader, who takes his station at the
head of the ft)rcmo.st rank. Should they be impodetl in their progress
bv a river, the chief stops for a moment, and then boldly i)lungos into the
stream, and is followed by all the rest of the troop. The breadth of the
river and the rapidity of the current appear to bo but trilling obstacles in
their way, and to be overcome with the greatest facilit}'. (^n reaching
the opposite bank, they j)roceed directly on their course, and continue
their march through the plantations which, unfortunately for the owners,.
may happen to lie in their wa\', and which they sometimes completely
dc\astate by rooting in the ground for mai/.o. or potatoes, or devouring
such fruit as they find there. If the)- meet with anything u.nusual in
their way, they make a terrific clattering with their teeth, and stop and
examine the object of their alarm. When they have ascertained that
there is no danger, they continue? their route without further delay; but
if :i Iiuntsman .diould venture to attack- them when the\' are thus assoTii-
i)iccl in large numbers, ho is sure tol)c surrounded by multitudes and torn
to jiieces by their tusks, if he is so unwise as to neglect his only ciiance
of escape, which consists in climbing a tree, and thus getting fairly out
of their reach. The smaller bands are by no means equally courageous,
and always take to flight at tht> first attack.

An Animal Hard to Conquer.

In (iuiana, Sonnini was surrounded by a herd of peccaries, exasperated
at tile havoc made among them by the fusils of himself and his compan-
ions. Betaking himself to a tree, he hoheld at his ease how theycncour-

-,|;»

i;*i'

' 51^

'flit ft

iiifli

314

F.ARTH. SKA. AND SKY,

a^'c'd, by their {^ruir.s ami In- riiljliiii;^ tli-ir siKnits toj^cthcr, those that
were uountlecl fioin tlie allots above, still nuiintainin^r their ground uith
bristles erect and e}es fiery with raije. The)- sometimes stood an inces-
sant fiisilade of two or three hours before they ([iiitted the battle-field aiul
left their dead to the coiuiuerors. After such encounters comes the fe-iival
oi the travellers. A ^reat i,Midiron — so to speak — of sticks, fasteneil in the
ground, and some three feet in height, w ith numerous small branches laid
on it in a tran\erse direction, is got read)-. ( )n this sylvan cookin^-appa-

'^^^2>::

/KLIAN's wakt-hog.

-^lr.:iP«'""'-

rTKXw?, the pieces of peccar\' pork are broiled ()\'cr a slow fire kept uj) durinL;
the ni'.dit. Sonninf dwells enthusiastically on these forest feasts.

The wart-hoG;' is found in Africa from v\byssinia to the Guinea and
Mozambique coasts. It is remarkable for pos.se.ssint^ f )ur tusks, two of
which proceed from the upper jaw and do not pass out between the li')>.
but throiifrh an aix-rture in the skin, half way between the end of the
.snout and e\'es. The sockets of the two upper tusks arc curved upwards
and c^ive a sinq-ular appearance to the skull of the animal. It is very-
ferocious and cannot be liuritv-d without danLfcr.

SK.lllS IN I'm: U'<»RI.I)S Mi-,N.\tiKRlK

;{l.j

When taken youni; it can be l;inuxl without much difficulty, and con-
ducts itself much aftrr the maimer of the pi;^. ( )nly the male has the dou-
ble pair of tusks, the female only i)ossessin<; those i)elonL;in;4 to the under
jaw in a rudimentary dej^ree. It lives in troops and thus does much dam-
age to the cultivated grounds, especiall)' of mai/.e, of which it is very
fond. It is a j^ood swimmer and often takes to tlu- water in order to
cross a stream. It feeds on roots and bulbs, which it di|^s out of tile
"round, but also on worms, lar\;e, and e\'en carrion.

Lcsuli'i* of tlic llrrd Finally Itroii^ht Douii.

This species, sometimes calletl /Elian's wart-ho;^, was found fust in
Korilofaii, but afterwards, in greater abundance, on the eastern slope <if
Abyssinia. It haunts low bushes and forests, and has a habit of creep-
iii'^f on its bent fore limbs in cpiest of foot!. In this attitude it usrs its
tusks in >^Iiggini;' up or tearing out of the grountl the roots or plants,
which constitute part of its diet. When thus engaged, it pushes its body
Imuard by means of its hind legs, in order to move ahjng.

The capture of another species is tlni > describetl bv Captain Harris:
Rrturning one dri//.l\- morning f-omthe banks of the Limpo[)o, with tlv,-
sjjoils of three noble water-bucks packed u[)on my horse. I chanced u])on
a very large tlrove of the unclean beasts, feeding unconcernedly on the
slope of a hill ; and the sleet obsciu'ing my rille sights, I shot no fewer
than three bullets at the diabo ical-looking boar without touching a bris-
tle; the whole part)', with a general grimt, scampering off after each dis-
charge to a little distance, then wheeling abouc to 'show a menacing
fiont, lifting their whip-la.sh tails at the same time, antl screw ing horrilile
laces at me. Hut the fourth missive trippt.'d up the hoar}- general ; and,
although .shooting a i)ig may sound somewhat oddly in the sporting ears
of my brother Ninn'ods, I can assure them that whilst we had no horses
til s|)aie, *' the head of that ilk swine " proved a pvhc well worth the lead
.md gunpowiler that hatl i)een exix-nded on it. Gigantic, ant! protruding
like those of an elephant, the upper tusks were sufficiently hooked to ad-
mit of the wearer hanging himself up by them to rocst, as did his ances-
tors of )-ore, if the ancients are to be believed. By all who saw these
trophies in the colony, they were imariably taken for the ivories of a lii{)-|
popotamus, the best that I afterwards saw measuring less than one-half

their length.

The >Ius(Milar Panther

Is a large African spotted cat, considered by some naturalists as a variety

of tin,' leopard. If not distinct s[K^cies the panther and leopard are \'ery

marked \arieties. The former is more powerful, darker colored, with the

T ^

! • .1
: ^ i

i\m

ilM-

m'^

fill

(;!u;

!;i T,

SIGHTS I\ THE WORLD'S MENAGKRIK

;u7

niaikinLis arranged witli considerable reL,ailarit)- and the tail lonc^^cr in
ni('[)i)rtion. This is probably the animal so abundantly sufoplied to the
public spectacles of ancient Konie, hundreds luuinc^ been exhibited to-
ifcther.

It is an expert climber, \er\' active and readily traineil. The panther
of Siuith America is the jaL;uar. The len^^th cjf the i)anther is usually
iiv)re than six feet, exclusive of tlu' tail, which is about three feet loni^
'["he color of the upper parts of the l)i>d\- is bright yellow with numerous
black, roundish, or somewhat annular marks, several of which have in the
centre of each a black spot. The luidcr parts of the body arc white.

The panther lurks in ambush amongst the bushes and springs with a
sudden leap on passing animals. So prompt and rapid are its movements,
that few escape. In \ain may the \ictim seek for refuge e\en in the
trees; the panther notwithstanding the size and weight of its body still
])ursues with almost incredible agility its \ictim and dispatches the same.
It has none of the noble qualities of the lion.

A Blooillliirsfy Creature.

i'he thirst for blood is insatiable, and its ferocity is such, that even when
subjugated and in the jiowcr of man, it seems rather to be subdued than
tunetl. Tn the panther all the peculiarities of the cat family are combined •;
i» is a beautifi'.l animal, nimble, powerful, active, cunning, courageous, but
also deceitful, shrewd, insidious, wild, re\'engeful and bloodthirsty.

l)r. Brehm relates a reiiiarkable exi)erience with a [panther, lie and
his followers tra\'elled one da\' throuLih the Bogos mountains in y\frica,
when suddenly they Inward the challenging barking of the dog-faced
baboons; they resolved to try their rifles on them. Some of the shots
missed, others hit their marks, and tiie victims either were killed outright
(ir tried to esca[)e. One old dog-faced baboon which had received a wound
in the neck, came tottering down the rocks and turned toward.s the \-al-
Icy. They did not pay any further attention to this animal, expecting to
find it "dead in a short time, and fired several more shots at .some of the
other baboons.

Suddenly the)- noticed great excitement among the monkeys, and at
the ?:ame time the\- heard a wild noise in the valley, while all the old nia'.e^'
baboons came to the edge of the precipice, ami looking down showed
great anger and excitement. All at once a loud and furious barking of
the dogs, which had remained in the valley with the pack- mules was
heard, and some of the men cried for help. Looking down, Dr. Brehm raw
a panther running towards his men, but apparently employed with some-
thing else, which he could not discci-ii on account of the bixly of the

!isii.''';«HiM^i

mum:

i:m

'01

;ns

KARTH, SEA AND SKY

ill

nnimal liidin;^- it. Tlicn two shots were hoard, and tlic jjantlier dis-
iippcaicd.

Brchin hurried to the spot, and soon found in a dense bush tlie panliur
dead, and about ten feet from it the body of the old dog-faced baboon. It
was apparent that the wounded baboon was, in spite (»f tlie shootini;, w hile
passin<r the place of concealment of the panther, attacked by thi.s animal.
It had jumped on the back of the baboon, antl had been carried l)\- it
down to the spot where their lifeless bodie- were found.

Kcinai'kable Kncoiinter Avitli a I*aiitli('r.

The following interesting particulars of an encounter with one ofthe.se
animals are from the pen of a gentleman M'ho witnessed it ;

I was at Jaffna, at the northern extremity t»f the Island of Ceylon, when,
one morning, my ser\ant called me an hour or two before my usual time,
with " Master, master! people sent for nia.ster's dogs — tiger in the town!"
Now, my dogs chancetl to be some very degenerate specimens of a fine
.species, called the Poligar dog, which I should designate as a sort of wiry-
haired gre}-hound, without scent. I kept them to hunt jackals ; but tigers
are very different things. By the way, there are no real tigers in Ceylon;
but leopards and panthers are alwa\"s called so, by ourselves as well as by
the natives. Tliis turned out to be a panther. M\' gun chanced not to he
put together; and, while my servant was doing it, the collector and two
medical men, who had recently arrived, in consequence of the chok la-
morbus having just then rea':hed Cej'lon from the Continent, came to my
door, the former armed with .! fowling-piece, antl the two latter with
remarkably blunt hog-spears. They insi.sted ui)on setting off, without
waiting for m\- gun — a proceeding not much to my taste.

The tiger (I must continue to call him so) had taken refuge in a hut,
the roof of which, like those of Ce)-lon huts in general, sj^read to the
grountl like an umbrella ; the onl\- apt'rtureinto it was a small door, about
four feet high. The collector wanted -to get the tiger out at once. 1
begged to wait for my gun; but no — the fowling-piece (loaded with ball,
of ccnirse,) and the two hog-spears were cjuite enough. I got a hedge-
stake, and awaited m\- fate, from ver\- shame. At this moment, to m\-
great delight, there arri\-ed from the f.rt an k'nglish officer, two artillery-
men, and a Malay captain; and a prett)- figure we should have cut
without them, as the e\ent will show. I was now quite ready to attack,
and my gun came a few minutes afterwards. The whole scene which
follows took place within an enclosure, about twenty feet square, formed,
on three sides, by a strong fence of palnu'ra leaves, and on the fourth by
the hut.

SIGHTS IN THI-: WORLD'S MENAGllKIK.

319

Ai the door of" this the two artillciynicn planted thcinscl\-es, and the
Mala\' ca[)tain got at the top, to fri<^ditcn the tis^er out, by worryin;^ it — ■
an c';i-^v' operation, as the luits there are cov^ered with cocoa-nut lea\es.
()n(; of the artillerymen wanted to go in to the tiger, but we would not
miHlr it. At last, the beast sprang. This man received him on his
h;i\(inct, which he thrust apparently down his throat, firing his piece at
till' ■^aine moment. The bayonet broke off short, kaxing less than three
inches on the musket ; the rest remained in the animal, but was invisible
to us. The shot went, {)robabl\', through his cheek, for it certainly did
iidt seriously injure him, as he instantly rose upon his legs, with a loud
roar, and ])laced his paws upon the soldier's breast. At this moment the
animal appeared to me about to reach the centre of the man's face.
Thrown over the Wild Ueast's l[<'iul.

I li.ul just time to observe this when the tiger, stooping his head,
sei/cd the soldier's arm in his mouth, turnetl him half round, staggering,
till! \v him over on his backhand fell upon him. Our dread now was that,
if we fired upon the tiger, we might kill the inan. For a moment there
was a pause, when his comrade attacked the beast exactly in the .same
manner as the gallant fellow himself had done. He .struck his bayonet
into his head; the tiger rose at hmi — he fired; at this time the ball
took effect, and in the head. The animal staggered backwards, and we
all jxiured in our fire. I le .still kicked and writhed, when the gentleman
with the hog-.spears advanced, and fi.xed him, while he was finished by
Mime natives beating him on the head with hedge-stakes.

The brave artilleryman was, after all, but slightly hurt. Me claimed
the skin which was very cheerfully given to him. There was, however,
a cr\' among the natives, that the head should be cut off. It was ; and in
so doing the knife came directly across the bayonet. The animal meas-
mi'd little less than four feet, from the root of the tail to the muzzle.
There was no tradition of a tiger ha'/ing been in Jaffiia before. In-
deed this one must have either come a distance of almost twenty miles,
nr ha\e swum across an arm of the sea nearl}' two in breadth; for
Jaffna stands on a peninsula, with no jungle of any magnitude.

The Malay Tapir.

The tapir belongs to the genus of ungulate mammals having the nose
prolonged into a short, movable probo.scis. The tapirs look like hogs
but the legs are longer. They inhabit the moist tropical forests of
South America and of the Malayan peninsula antl archipelago, usually
.sleeping by day in retired places and feeding at night on fruits, grapes
and other vegetable substances, though they are as omniverous as the

l;:|ii

III*

3*20

ItARTH, Sr:A, AND SKY.

hog. They arc fond of roIliriL;- In the niiKl and water and arc excellent
swimmers.

In its liabits the tapir has a considerable resemblance to the b.ippopota-
mus; yet in many ijarticuiars it reminds us also of the elephant and of
the rhinoceros. Its skin is so thick and hard as to be almost impenLtra-
ble by a bullet. Althoui;h its natural tlisposition is indicative of mildness
and timidity, yet if its retreat is cut off it has courai^e and strcn<;tli to
make a most powerful resistance, both against man and dog. In feeding

OMNIVKROUS MALAY TAl'IR.

it uses its long projecting nose in tlu' same manner as the rhinoceros
applies its upper lip to grasp the food and convey it to the mouth.

This proboscis is an instrument of great flexibilit\'- and strength and in'
it, as in the trunk of the elephant, are situated the organs of smell.
Notwithstanding its clumsy appearance the tajiir is an e.\ceedingly active
animal in the water, where it swims and dives with great facility. Like the
hijjpopotamus it is able to continue immersed for a considerable while, hut
h is forced to occasionally ri.se to the su.face in order to breathe.

organ of th

excellent

ppopota-
it and (if
n[)e'n(.tra-
niildiK'ss
•cnt:jth to
a fccdiiiL;,

'/■: ■:,^

^^»-^

■.\;-

hinoccros

th and in'

pr siiK'U.

[ly active

Like the

,'hilc, hut

SIGHTS IN ■[•\IK WORLD'S MI:N'AGERIE.

:v2l

Its \oicc is a kind of a wliistlc, which the hunters ea.-^il\' imitate and
b\- this means lure it to its destruction. When at rest the tapir usually
sits on its haunches like a doij. Only (lurin.^thc pairin;j^ season the male
lives in company of tlic female. To the latter beloni^s t!ic whole duty of
rearing;" their offsprini;-. This she leads to the water and she seems to
deliijht in teaching it to swim. If they arc cau-ht \-oung the tapirs may
without difficulty be tamed and rendered even in so-tic dei;"reo d.imestic.
The Malay tapir is somewhat lar^^er and iskiiDV.n by the ;_;ra\-ish-white
color of the loins and hind ([uarters, which t;i\es the animal an a[)pear-
ancc as if covered w ith a white cloth ; the other parts are deep black.
T^iioriiious Strongtli and I'^icrce Disposition.

Vcw animals of equal si/:e ha\'c so extensive a ran;^e as the iVmerican
ta[)ir. It is found in every part of South America to the cast of the An-
des, from the Straits of ]\Iay;ellan to the Isthmus of Darien ; but it appears
to be most common w ithin the tropics. The inmost reces.ses of dee[) for-
ests are the chosen haunts of this species, which is not L;rei;"arious, and
flies from the proxinu'ty of man. Inoffensive and identic, the ta[)ir, from
his prodigious strength and the toughness of his hide, is no easy pre\' to
the native liunter, notwithstanding his poisoned arrows, nor e\en to the
better armed .sportsman of Europe. When attacked, the fust thing it
does is to rush to the river, clearing a path througli the intertwined un-
derwood by dint of muscular exertion. Mere it often happens that
neither men nor dogs can follow. If tracked to the water, it plunges iii,
and defends itself against its assailants, seizing the dogs with its teeth as
they swim towards it, and inflicting on them the most tlesperate wounds.

The tapir is a most indiscriminate swallower t)f ever_\ hing, filthy or
clean, nutritious or otherwise, as the accumulation found 'u a stomach
(.lissectcd by Yarrell showed. Tieces of wood, cla\-, pebbles, and bones,
are nc^t unfrequently taken out of the stomachs of those which are killed
in the woods; and one kept by D'A/.ara not only gnawed a silver snuff-
box to pieces, but swallowed its contents. The short proboscis if this
creature, thou[di incapable of being employed like the more complicat.;d
ort^nui of the elephant, is yet manifestly of great use in enabling it, by
scr\in;; as a hook, to pull dov»n boughs or fruits, and to collect together
and L;uide to its mouth roots, succdent plants, or other substances on
which it feeds.

In some parts of South America the tapir is domesticated. Sonnini
saw numerous individuals walking at liberty about the streets of Cayenne,
whence they Avere accustomed to .stroll into the neighboring woods, re-
turning at night to their iionie; nor were they by any means destitute of
ill

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SIGHTS IX THE WORLD'S MENAGERIE.

intflli'-;x'ncc, but seemed fond of their masters, whom they acknowledged
1)\- \arious tokens of attachment.

The AVsillsu'Iiiaii Shoop.

1-\'W animals rentier greater and more essential ser\-ices to mankind
than tlie sheep. They su[)pl\' us both with food and clothing, and the
\\ok\ alone of the common sheep affords in some countries an astonishing
source of industry and wealth. They came into northern and western
Kiirope long after the goat. The domestic sheep presents a great \ariet\'
ofbreec'.s; several of them have received distinct specific names. The
most important breed of sheep as regatds the texture of the wool is the
merino, in modern times brought to the greatest perfection in Spain.

The wool ascending o\-er the forehead and cheeks is fine, long, soft,
twisted in silky spiral ringlets, and naturally so oily that the Heece looks
ding}' antl unclean from the dust and dirt adhering to the outside, but is
perfectly white underneath. Another species is the black-headed sheep with
straight twisted horns, called the Wallachian sheep. It is ver}' stupid,
lilvc its relatives in different parts of Europe, but at the same time vicious
and unruly and of amazing strength.

PictiircsiHie Head Ornaments.

Its horns are very large, .spirally contorted, adding greatly to its
striking and picturesque appearance. Its wool, if wool it can be called,
differs materially in texture and quality from that of the common or the
merino sheep. Instead of being curly and in silky ringlets, it is of great
length, perfectly straight, and beautifully fine, falling from the middle of
the back on either side of the animal almost to the ground. On the face
the hair is short and rusty black, on the body it is white. The horns of
die male mostly rise almost perpendicularly from the skull, making a
scries of spiral turns in their ascent, the first turn being the largest, while
in the female they diverge, taking a lateral direction.

Tlio Kat.shkar or Mountain Sheep of IJokhara.

Lieutenant Wood, in his work, " Travels to the Source of the Oxus,"
says: After reaching an elevation of thirteen thousand five hundred feet,
and in the neighborhood of the source of the Oxus, we saw many horns
of .sheep careles.sly thrown about, ai)parently the result of the chase of th •
kirs^diiz. Some of these horns were surprisingly large, and belonged to an
animal which seems to stand between the goat and the sheep, and wdiich
inhabits the steppes of Parnis in herds of man\' iiundreds. The ends of
these large horns stood out above the snow, and showed to us which road
to follow. Wherever we found a greater number of them piled up we
were sure to stand upon an old kirghiz summer-camping-ground.

■

1 . , ,

324

EARTH, SEA, AND SKV.

Ill dcscribiiv^ one of tlicsc animals, Lieutenant Wood sa^vs : It was a
jji-oiid animal, as liigli as a two-years fiHy, with a venerable beard and twd
splendid horns, Avhich, together with the head, were of such a great weight
that it was difficult to lift it from the ground. The e\iscerated bodx- was
a full load for a pou}-. The flesh was tough and bad, but is saiil to
become more tender and better tasting in the fall. The full-grown katsl,-

nOKHAKA ISK^UNTAIN SHEEP.

bar is about six feet long, three to four feet high, and weighs about (our
hundred and sixty pounds.

In all probability this animal is n >t only found in Northern Thibet, bi;t
also on the table lands of Central Asia, abva\'S in rockv districts, ^vhc.c
it seeks shelter from its pursuers, and never descends beyond the snow-
line. Zewolski found during the winter herds of five to fifteen, ewii
t\ventv-fi\e to thirt\-. I-'ach herd had two or three bucks, one of whom

SIGHTS I\ THH WORLD'S MCNAGERIE.

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had lliL' Icai! aiul L;cncral direction. Tlic\- place an vmcoiulitional

confuli-'ncc in liic leader, and as soon as he starts to run the others

\o\\o\\ him without hesitation. It is tlifficult to tell which is the more

])Lautiful animal c^f the ^reat plains of Thibet, the wild yak w the

kat-likar.

The Flyiiif; Fox.

This animal belont^s to the family of baL.s, and is a mammiferous cjuad-
nipcd. The skeleton of the bats combines a ^n'eat degree of li;^ditness
will) peculiarities in the anterior extremities suitable for purposes of fli^lit.
The faculty of (light depends on an entirel\- different organization in the
bird and in the bat. The princi[)al part of the bat's flying membrane is
strctcheil between the enormously ek)ngated fingers, and from them
rcflLcted to the posterior extremities; while in the birds the parts which
correspond with fingers are so rudimentary, that the hand can liardly be
said to exist.

Bats ha\e a \ery exalted sense of touch, which, as Cuvier disco\-ered,
resides in the flying membrane. This membrane arises from the skin of
the flanks and consists of an abdominal and a dorsal leaflet twisted into an
exceedingly thin and delicate network. It includes notonU' the arms and
hands, but the hinder extremities, being prolonged between the legs and
spread the length of the tail, forming a sensitive surface, entirely dispro-
portionate to the size of the bod)-.

Great Deliejwy of Ory:anizatioii.

To increase its sensitiveness it is nearl\-, or wholl\-, destitute of hair.
The bat is made acquainted with the distance of bodies by the different
modifications impressed upon its membrane b}- the impulse of the air.
The fur of bats is exceedingly fine and soft. The\- fl}' to a considerable
height and with great rapidity. The\'are nocturnal; in the warm summer
e\x'nings they sally forth in search of pre\- ; the\- pass the winter and
indeed the most of the j'ear in torpidity, without cither food or motion,
sus[)eiKlcd in some dark place. During the time the\- remain in this state,
most of the animal functions arc suspended and scarceK' perceptible.
The action of the heart and arteries becomes so exceedingly languid, that
the pulse can hardly be felt, and if respiration beat all carried on, it is also
sDvery .slow, as scarcely to be discernible. The animal heat sinks greatl)-
below the usual standard and digestion becomes altogether su.spendixl.
None of the fimctions seem to go on, excepting a \-ery slow degree of
nutrition and an interchange of old fir new matter in the depositor)'' cells
of the body.

The female makes no nest for her offspring ; she is content \\ ith the

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'<8-2G)

WONDERFUL FLYING FOXES.

STCHTS IN" Tlir: WORLD'S MliXAGKRIR.

327

fir't h<^lo pile finds, where .stickiiij^^ herself by her hool-:-- a;4aitist tlie siMcs

nt'lier apartment she permits her noiuil;- ones to cIIul,^ to her. W lu n she

1)1.' ins to grow luingiy and finds it necessary t<i go ahnxul in seareli of

f,ioil, she takes her little ones off and sticks them to the wall in the same

manner that she had hung before. There the\- immo\aljly cli^L,^ and pa-

licnll}- await her return.

Marvel iMis ^Iniihraiic.

The flying fox is fountl from Mast India to Madagascar and iidiabits
forests and gardens in great numbers. It is gregarious and if possilile
rests during the day suspended heads-downward on the branches of
shady trees. It is said that sometimes they attach themselves to the
branches of trees in such a profuse number, that these branches are broken
off by their weiglit.

The fl}'ing membrane, which the\- w rap around themselves, piotects
their eyes from the rays of the sun, but lea\es space enough f)r breathing
and hearing. Their sleep is continued as long as the sun shines, but is
now and then temporariK- interrupted by the animal, to clean and oil the
membrane, which is done by touching and stretching e\ery part of it by
aid of the snout and tongue. This being done, the fox wraps itself up
again in the membrane. They cannot be kept in captixity for a long
period, because the fl}-ing exercise is essential to them. Boils break out
on their flying membranes and death soon follows.

R«'iiiJirkjil)l«» Cliaraetcristics of Polar Ni'als.

The seal is an aquatic carnivorous mammal. Seals li\e chief!)- in the
Arctic and Antarctic 5eas near the coast and often at the mouths of
rivers, preying on fish, crustaceans and cephalopod mollusks. The\- are
gregarious and migrator}-, fond of particular spots, leaving the colder
arctic recrions in w inter for milder seas. The herds are usualK- of the
same species and when different, each species keeps b\- itself rarel)- fight-
ing with t! e others. They are fond of crawling out of the weiter uj^on
rocks, beaches and ice floes, always keeping a good lookout and j^lunging
into the water at the approach of an enem\-. In the breeding season they
fiLiht fiercely. Their bite is severe and the wounds made bv their teeth
will not heal readily either on their own, or the human bod}-; some of
die larger .species are veiy powerful.

Their voice is a kind of a bark, not unlike that of a d(jg. They
can remain under water twenty minutes and even lontjer and their
animal heat is among the highest found in mammals. Their senses of
smell and sight are \-er\- acute. The\- are easik- tamed, affectionate and
docile.

1mk

1
I

SIGHTS I\ TUV. WORLD'S MF.NAGERli:.

;;•J!^

Few aniinals arc more tenacious of life than seals; the larL;i.'r species
are killed with a lance tiirust into the iieart, anil th-j smaller ones arc
.stiiiined 1)\' a Mow on the nose from a loui^-lumdled hanimer or bludj^coii.
The l".s(iuiinaux liunt them in li|^ht boats with lances, or sjuar them at
links in the ice where they conic n[) to breathe ; tt) them the seal supplies
f.K.J, oil for li^ht and warmth, skins for clothes, boots, utensils, tents and
1)1 ■al'^. sinews for thread, and lines and membranes for underijarnu.'nts ami
window covcrini;s. The oil is of superior ([uality, and if prepared froii:
the fresh animals is transparent, free from odor, and not unpleasant of
taste; the skin by a peculiar proccssof Esquimaux tiinninj^ makes a water-
proof leather.

A> articles of commerce seal skins are of two kinds, hair skins and fur
>kiiis; the former are used ft)r makinij garments; the latter, now chiefly
fnun Alaska, for finer purposes ; all seal skins, however, have a mixture
(if coarse hairs and finer fur. The females produce two or more y(»unL^
,incs at a birth. These, in northern climates, they deposit in cavities of
the ice, and the male makes a hole throu<,di the ice near them for a speedy
cduiniunication with the water. The manner in which the male .seal make
their holes is astonishiuLj; neither their teeth nor their paws have any
share in the operation; it is performed solely by their breath. When the
fcinales come out of the sea the}' bleat like sheep for their )'ouni;-, and
lhou<,di they often pass among hundreds of other young ones before they
come to their own they will never make a mistake.

Uniqiu' Swiiuininjjf S<'liool.

About a fortnight after their birth the j-oung ones are taken out to .sea
ami instructed in swimming and .seeking their food, and when they are
fatigued the parent is said to caii}' them in\ her back. It is said that
their growth is so rapid that in fifty-four hours after their birth they
become as active as their parents.

The common seal attains a length of four to six feet; the color varies
much, but is ijeneralK" Ijrownish above antl \-ellowish white below,
\ariously mottled, and sometimes pied and marbled. The Greenland or
lia;[) seal is about si.x feet long; the males are grayish white, the females
are brownish with blackish spots, and the )-oung snow-white. They are
found in herds on the coast of Greenland on flcnating ice, rarely venturing
on shore or shore-ice. These are the nnxst important of all to the Esqui-
maux, who harpoon them from their kaiaks. The oil is the best and most
aliundant in this species, and the skins form an important article in the
fur trade.

The bottle-nosed seal or sea-elephant is the largest of the .seal family,.

i ^ li

i! : *l!*i''-- --4!»<

! I

t, - I

330

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

attainiii;^^ a length of t\vont\--li\c led ami niurc, w itli a circunifcicncc nf
sixteen lect, the si/.c as well ;ls the proboscis justifyinj^' this name. Tlir
males are i^enerally ilark grayisli blue or brown, and can clont;ate the
proboscis to a loot in length; the females are dark olive brown abo\c' and
yellowish below, and do no not have the nasal appcndaij^e. ']"he haii- is
coarse, but the thick skin is in much request for harness leather. .\
.single animal will yield fourteen to fifteen barrels of blubber from wIulIi
the oil is obtained, as in the whale. The}- are found in lari;e hertis on

r^uAr i • ...

WALRUS OK SEA-HOR.SE.

the shores of the islands of the Antarctic Sea, L^^oint^ north in winter to
the coa.st of Palajjfonia. This species is half as large as the Greenlaiu!
whale, ami \ery much larger than the largest elephant.

The walrus moose or sea-horse, is a marine arctic mammal, resemblin;;
the large .seals. It attains a length of twelve to fifteen, sometimes twent\
feet, a circumference of ten feet, and a weight of nearly a ton. The
color is blackish in the young, brownish in Uic adult, ami more ami
more w hite with age. The food consists almost entirely of the bi\al\e
.sluUs attached to the sea weeds, which it tears from the rocks, and

ha\e uniti

mw.

inter to
I'L-nlaiu!

SIGHTS IN THE WORLD'S MENAGERIE.

331

occa'^i"iially of fish. It is distributed in the arctic regions nf buth hr-iii-
i)lu'rt'^, often confined to limited districts far removed from each other.

Thi.' capture of the walrus is more dangerous and less remunerative than
that of the seal and is pursued both by land and sea. The tusks, which
protrude downward from the upjier jaw, afford a \ery white and hard
ivory. The skin makes a porous leather more than an inch thick ; the
fl sh is eaten by the Ivsc^uimaux and by arctic voyagers.

The uses to which the tusks are applied b)- the walrus are the scraping
(if prey out of the sand and to aid them in their ascent upon islands ot
ice, and as weapons of defence against the attacks of their enemies.
When irritated these animals are sometimes ver\- furious and vindicti\e.
When suipriscd on the ice, the females Hrst provide for the safety of
their young ones by flinging them into the sea and con\'eying them to a
secure place; they then return to the place where they were attacked to
re\enge any injury they may have received. The\' are strongly attached
to each other and will make every effort in their power to liberate a har-
pooned com[)anion.

Swift Kovoiijfe upon the Attaokiiig- I?oat.

A wounded walrus has been known to sink beneath the surface of the
ocean, rise suddenly again, and luring with it multitudes of others, which
IvAvc united in an attack on the boat, from which the harpoon was
thrown. Great numbers of walrus rcgularl)' \-isit the IMagdalene Islands
in the Gulf of St. Lawrence every spring. They crawl up the sloping
rocks of the coast in multitudes and when the weather is fair, they
remain for man)' days; Init on the first a|)pearance of rain, they retreat
to the water. Formerly their herds ha\e been known to amount to se\-en
or eight thousand.

In the night the hunters endea\or, taking ad\antage of a sea wind, to
pre\ent the animals from smelling them, to se[)arate those which are farth-
est advanced from those nearest to the sea, drixing them in different di-
rections. When separated the\- are killed with leisure, those nearest to
the shore becoming the first \ictims. It is .said that as many as fifteen
hundred walruses ha\e been killed at onetime. They are then skinned
and the fat, that surrounded them, is taken off and rendered into oil.
rile skin is cut into slices two or three inches witle aiul exported for
traces and glue. The animals frequentl\' weigh from 1500 to 3000
pounds and )-ield from one to two barrels of oil each. The whale-tailed
moo.sc or manati, and the round-tailed nianati, belong to the family of
walrus. The avarice of man has greatly reduced the number of walruses
and to-da\' a herd (^f several hundred is rarelv seen.

(Sk

;li

i m

CHAPTER XII.
FOUR-HAXDED AXIMALS.

riie Gorilla — Giant of the Forest — A Missionary's Explorations and Discoveries—
Curiosity of Civilized Nations Awakened— Gorilla Huts— Low Order of Intelli-
gence— Enormous Jaws and Physical Stren;^th — The First White Man Who Killed
a Gorilla— How Gorillas Bury their Dead— Thrilling Adventures ofDu Chaillu—
A Savage Combat — The Orang-Outang — Man-like Ape — Awkward Motions-
Great Power of Mimicry — Dreaded Adversary— Laughable Tricks — Orang of the
Prince of Orange— Escape from the Cage— r5rute Gentleness and Affection- An
Orang on Shipboard — Inveterate Tippler — Ravenous Thieves — Orang's Death—
Guereza Monkey — Elegant Decoration — Beauty of Color — Monkey Grimaces-
Droll Antics — Proboscis Monkey — Ample Dimensions of Nose — Dog-Faced
Baboon— Immense Troops — Prowlers and Plunderers — A Chaplain's Story-
Chased by Baboons — Lion Monkey — Irritable Creatures — Hairy Appendages.

I^^ the size and form of the gorilla, Professor Owen remarks, " no
other idea of its nattire than that of a kind of htunan beincr
would be stiggested ; but the climbing faculty, the hairy body,
and the skinning of the dead specimens, strongly suggest that
the\- were great apes. The fact that apes, the closest observed resem-
blance to the negro, with human stature, and with hairy bodies, still exist
on the west coast of Africa, renders it highh" probable that such were the
creatures which Ilanno.the explorer, saw captured, and called ' gorillas,'"
Battell, an P>nglish sailor, while a prisoner of the Portuguese, in Angola,
speaks, it is belie\ed, of the same creature, which, he says, is called
" poiigO)" '1'^"^' "^ which he seems to have entertained precisely similar
notions: — " 1 le is in all proportions like a man. but that he is more like a
giant in stature than a man; for he is very tall, and hath a man's face,
hollow-eyed, with long hair upon his brows; his bod\' is full of hair, but
not very thick, and is of a dunnish color. He differeth not from man but
in his legs, for he hath no calf He goeth always upon his legs, and
carrieth his hands clasped on the nape of his neck when he goeth upni
the ground. They .sleep on the trees, and build .shelter from the rain.
They feed on the fruit that the\' find in the woods, and upon nuts, fir
they eat no kind of flesh. Thc>- cannot speak, and have no more uucKm--
standing than a bea.st. The people of the countr\-, wlicn they travel in
tlie woods, make fires where they .sleep at night, ami in the morning,
when they are i:onc, the pongoes will come and sit about the fire till it
(;i:5l>)

FO R-HANDED ANIMALS.

333

o-oes out; for they have no undcr.standin;^^ to lay the wood together.
Tiicv i;o many together, and kill man)- negroes tliat travel in tlie woods.
]\Ian\' times they fall upon ele])hants, wliich come to feea where they are,
and .'■■i' beat them away with their clubbed fists and pieces of wood that
tluA" will run roaring away from them. These pongoes are never taken
alive, because they are so strong that ten men cannot hold one of them ;
but they take many of their >'oung ones \\ith poisoned arrows. The
\i>ung pongo hangs on its mother's body, with its hands fast claspctl
about her, .so that, when any of the countiy people kill any of the females,
tlicy take the young, which hangs fast on its mother. When they die
among themselves, they cover the dead with great heaps of boughs and
wood, which is commonly found in the forests."

Iiitorostiiiy Discoveries by a 31issioiiavy.

or these creatures no further account was given, until attention was
devoted to them by Dr. Thomas Savage, a member of the Boston Society
of Natural History, and at the time a medical missionary. On his vo\-age
lo America from Cape Palmas, he was unexpectedly detained on the
Gaboon ri\er, and the month of April, 1S47, was .spent at the house of
the Rev. J. L. Wilson, .senior missionary of the American Board of For-
eign Missions to West Africa. Soon after his arrival, Mr. Wilson showed
him a skull, represented by the natives to be that of a monkey-like animal,
remarkable for its size, ferocity, and habits ; and the doctor was led to
believe that it had belonged to a new species of orang. Intent on further
iincstigation, and, if possible, on deciding the point by the inspection of a
specimen ali\e or dead, Mr. Wilson entered cordially into the matter, and
promised his full co-operation ; and having been a resident in the covmtr\-
for several years, well acquainted with the chiefs and people, highly
regarded by them, and speaking freely their language, he was able to
render the doctor advantages of signal importance. He did not succeed,
however, in obtaining either a living or a dead specimen, but only several
skulls of the two .se.xes, and of different ages, with other important parts
of the skeleton of the gorilla. These portions were afterwards ably
described, with several engravings, in a quarto pamphlet, on the return of
l^r. Savage to America, by Dr. Wyman, professor of anatomy in Harvard
Uni\'ersity.

Professor Owen has reccntlv given a full and most elaborate descrip-
tion of this creature, from which only a few particulars can now be taken.
The lofty ridges of the skull, he aflfirms, give to the face of the gorilla a
most forbidding appearance ; the thick covering forming a scowling ]ient-
house over the eyes. The nose is more prominent th,an in the chimpan-

3'ildi

lu^np'

Wm!4

.-m:m

^'iiii

334

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

f%m

JlirHi

zee or orang-outang. The mouth is very wide, the hps large, and the chia
very short and receding. The huge canine teeth in the male are vltv
frightful. The eyelids have eyelashes, but there are no eyebi-ows ; the
ears are smaller in proportion than in man, and much smaller than in the
chimpanzee. The length of the upper limbs is not greater than in man
when compared with the trunk ; they seem longer through the dispropor-
tionate shortness of the lower limbs.

The arm is longer than the forearm, which is remarkable, and the
thumb reaches to beyond the first joint of the fore-finger, while it docs
not extend to that joint in the chimpanzee or other ape. The hand ox-
cites attention from the breadth, thickness, and great length of the palm ;
the fingers appear short, iper quickly at the ends to the nails, which are
not larger or longer than .n man. The back of the hand is hairy as far
as the divisions of the fingers ; the palm naked and callous, and the thumb
scarcely half as thick as the fore-finger. The leg has no " cal'"' and
grows thicker from the knee to the ankle. The sole of the foot is more
walked upon than by the chimpanzee, or any other ape. The hind thumb
or great toe is stronger than in those creatures ; it stands out like a lari^e
tliumb from the rest of the foot ; its base sweJls below into a kind of ball;
the nail is small and" short. The sole is wider than in man, the foot more
like a hand, but one of huge dimensions and immense power of grasp.
And yet, the gorilla, judging from the structure of his grinding teeth,

lives on fruits.

A Creature with Awkward Movements.

The gait of the Gorilla is shuffling ; the motion of the body, which is
never upright as in man, but bent forward, is somewhat rolling, or from
side to side. The arms being longer than those of the chimpanzee, it does
not stoop as much in walking; like that animal, it advances by thrusting
its arms forward, resting the hands on the ground, and then orivinsj the
body a half-jumping, half-swinging motion between them. In this act it is
said not to bend its fingers, but to make a fiilcrum of its hand. When it
assumes the walking position, it balances its huge body by bending the
arms upwards.

The gorillas live in bands, which are not so numerous as those of the
ciiimpanzee. Only one adult male is said to be seen in a band ; and when
the young males grow up, a contest takes place for mastery, and the
strongest, by killing and driving out the others, establishes himself as head
of the band. Dr. Savage says, " the silly stories about their carrying off
women from the native towns, and vanquishing elephants, are unhesi-
tatingly denied." Their dwellings, if they may be so called, consist simply

THE WORLD-RENOWNED GOKIl.IA.

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EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

of a few sticks and leafy branches, supported bytho limbs of trees. The

natives call the <^orilla a f>ol, to make a house without a roof, in a country

where tliey have so much rain. They say he has not so mucli .sense as a

certain bird, which Mr. Wilson pointed out to l^r. Savaf^e, which niakts

a larj^rc nest with a titjht roof, then daubs it w ith mud in the inside, aiui,

unfolding its wings, whirls round and round till the crevices are all fillcl,

and the inside is smoothly plastered like a house. The huts of the ".jorilla

are only occupied at night. These animals are exceedinj^ly femcidus.

The few that have been captured were killed by elephant hunters and

native traders, as they came suddenly upon them while passing thrMir^rh

the forests.

Frightful Soreanis and Terrible Ferocity.

When the male is first seen he gives a terrific yell that resounds far
and wide through the forest. His enormous jaws are widely opened
at each expiration, his under lip hangs over the chin, and the hair\-
ridge and scalp is contracted on the brow. The females and yomvi-
disappear at the first cry. He then approaches the foe, pouring out
in quick succession his horrid yells. The hunter waits his ad\ance
with his gun extended ; if his aim is not sure he permits the animal to
grasp the barrel, and as he carries it to his mouth, according to his
habit, the hunter fires ; should the gun fail to go off, the hunter is at
the mercy of the huge beast, and in such an unequal combat he is speedily
dispatched by his furious foe.

The killing of a gorilla is considered an act of great skill and courage,
and brings to the victor signal honor. A slave to a native, from an
interior tribe, killed a male and female, and from these specimens wc
hav^e collected the materials of our description of the species in general.
On one occasion this .slave had killed an elephant, and, returning home,
met a male gorilla, and, being a good marksman, brought him speedily to
the ground. He had not proceeded far before the female was obserwd,
which he also killed. Such acts, unheard of before, were deemed almost
superhuman; his freedom was immediately granted, and his name made
known as the prince of hunters.

The gorilla was first introduced to the scientific world by Andreas
liatell, who gave an extensive description of this monster. There are
specimens of the animal, more or less complete, in the collections at
Philadelphia, Boston, London and Paris. When Du Chaillu returned to
the United States in August, 1S59, from the country about the Gaboon
Ri\'er, he brought with him complete specimens, male and female, both
skins and skeletons, in excellent preservation. Du Chaillu is the first

'!.«,

FOUR-HANDED ANIMALS.

;];i7

■white man who killed a ;4orilla witii his own hand, or who had an
opportunity to study its habits in its native forests.

The adult male is from fuc to six feet high, thoU!4h after death it may
be stretched bey<ind tiiis. It far surpasses man in the dimensions of the
head, neck, body and arms and in the width of the shoulders; some arc
saitl to measure from seven to nine feet from the end of one outstretched
hand to that of the other. It is princijjall\- an inhabitant of the woods.
Its favorite mode of prot;ression is on all fours. When it assumes the
erect posture it flexes the arms upwaril or crosses them on the nape in
order to counterbalance the tendenc)- of the trunk to fall forward.
Hands Tlisit Can lionU a Gun Bairol.

Its strenj^th is enormous not only in the jaws, which can crush the
barrel of a m\isket, but in the hands and feet, which it uses in attack and
defence. The males are \ery ferocious, i,renerall\' attaekin^; man and
animal intruding' upon their haunts. It wcumded the g-orilla is more
terrible than the lion. They advance on the enemy in an erect position,
a few steps at a time, beatin;^ their i:)reasts with both hands and roarinc:^
terribly. When near enough the\' spring; upon him and destroy him with
their powerful hands. Few monsters that roam the forest are furnished
with .such powerful means of diifence, or use them so sa\;ii;el}". It is
next to impossible to captiu-e the full-groun i^orilla alive. If, however,
the old ones can be despatcheil, the \'ounr^ gorilla can be taken.
Du Cliaillu's Orapliif l><'sorii>tion.

The great gorilla, as slain 1)\- Du Chaillu — and he shot several large
.'nales — did not, in an\' case, appear t(^ die hard ; but it must be remem-
beied that he allowed the beast to get close upon him before he gave him
the fatal shot. It is, he sa)'s, a maxim with the well-trained gorilla-hun-
ters to reser\e their fu'e till the \er\' last moment. E.xpericnce has shown
them that — whether the enraged beast takes the report of the gun for an
answering defiance, or for what other reason unknown — if the hunter fires
and misses, the gorilla at once rushes upon him ; and this onset no man
can withstand. One blow of that huge paw with its nails, and the poor
lumter's entrails are torn out, his breast-bone broken, or his skull crushed.
It is too late to re-load, and flight is xain. I imagine no animal is so fatal
in its attack on man as this, for the reas(-)n that it meets him face to face,
am' uses its arms as its weapons of offence, just as a man or prize-fighter
wouUl — onl\- that it has longer arms, and \astly greater .strength than the
.strongest boxer the world ever saw. In all my hunts and encounters
with this animal, I ne\er knew a grown male to run off

The hunter, looking with fearful care to his priming, stands still, gun
22

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•KARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

in hand, often for five weary minutes, waitin<,f with ^rowinfr nervousness
for the nu)nient when he may relieve his sus|>ense b)' firin^^ I ha\e
never fired at a male at greater distance than eii;ht yards, and from four-
teen to eiijhteen feet is the usual shot. At last the oppcjrtunitv
comes ; and now the gun is quickh' raised, a moment's an.xious aim at the
vast breadth of breast, and then pull tri<^<,fer. Fortunately, the i;orilla
dies as easily as man ; a shot in the breast, if fairly delivered, is sure tn
brin;^ him down. He falls forward on his face, liis lon<^, muscular arm-
outstretched, and uttering- with his last breath a hideous death-cry, hall
roar, half shriek, which, while it announces to the hunter his safet\-, \ct
tingles his ears with a dreadful note of human agony.

In his attack, at least upon man as his adversary, the male gorilla has
a mode of doing it that is \'ery peculiar; and if correct, as describctl b\-
Du Chaillu, it has the stamj) of being remarkably uniform among the spe-
cies. The similarit}- of manner taken by several <>f these male beasts, in
going to the encounter, is ([uite surprising, since it looks like the result ol
some drill, which these animals hatl previousl\- put into practice b\- con-
cert. But the gorilla's brain warrants no such supposition; antl his con-
duct, general and particular, gives proof of the presence of onl\- a slender
amount of intelligence. " The corresponding small amount of brain,"
says Du Chaillu, " in the male gorilla, and the e.\cessi\-e preponderance ol
the cerebellum or back brain, with its enormous strength, would seem to
corroborate our opinion of the excessive brutality of this beast." How,
then, is the uniftrmit}- of the operation to be accounted for? Is it in an\-
wa)' instinctive? Here, however, the oddK' offensive attitude put on b\
the gorilla while entering the scene of conflict shall speak for itself
lilxcitiii^' Combat with an Iiumoiiso Gofilla.

One day, after travelling some hoiu's in search of the great ape, Du
Chaillu tells us he fcnmd his first gorilla in a dense and impenetrable part
of the forest. Suddenly Miengai, a native, uttered a little cluck with his
tongue. Inniiediately I noticed a noise, as of some one breaking down
branches or twigs of trees. This was the gorilla. I knew at once, b\' the
eager and satisfied looks of the men. We walked with the greatest care,
making no noise at all. The countenances of the men showed that the\
thought themselves engaged in a \-ery .serious undertaking. Suddeiil}-,
as we were creeping along, in a silence w'hich made a heavy breath seein
loud and distinct, the woods were at once filled with the tremendous
barking roar of the gorilla.

Then the underbrush swaye rapidly just ahead, and presently before
us stood an immense male gorilla. He had gone through the jungle on.

FOUR-HANDED ANIMALS.

IV.]\)

li!~ all-rours ; but wlicn he saw our party he erected himself, and looked
us boldly in the face. He stood about a dozen yards from us, and was a
si'fht I think I shall never fori^et. Nearly six feet high, with immense
both', huLje chest, and great muscular arms, with fiercely glaring large
deep gra\' eyes, and a hellish expression of face, which seemed to me like
some nightmare vision ; thus stood before us the king of the African

forest.

lie was not afraid of us. He stood there, and beat his breast with his
hu'c fists till it resounded like an immen.se bass drum, which is their
nidde (if offering defiance; meantime giving vent to roar after roar. The
roar of the gorilla is the most singular and awful noise heard in these Af-
rican woods, and closely resembles the roll of distant thunder ah^ig the

sk\-.

Deinoiiish Monster.

Mis e)'es began to flash fiercer fire as we stood motionless on the de-
fepsi\e. and the crest of short hair which stands on his forehead began to
tuitcli ra[)idly up and down, while his powerful fangs were shown as he
a'Min sent forth a thunderous roar. And now, trul\-, lie reminded mv of
nothing but some hellish dream-creature — a being of that hideous order,
half man, half beast, which we find pictured b\- oUl artists in some repre-
sentations of the infernal regions. He ad\anced a (c\v steps — then
.stopped to utter that hideous roar again — adxanced again, and finally
stopped when at a distance of about six yards from us. And here, ju.st
as he began another of his roars, beating his breast in rage, we fired, and
killed him.

With a groan, which had something terribly human in it, and )-ct was
full of bruitishncss, he fell forward on his face. The body shook convul-
si\ely for a few minutes, the limbs moved about in a struggling way, and
then all was quiet — death had done its work, and I had leisure to ex-
amine the huge bodv.

This gorilla onset, then, is remarkable as being attended by advances,
halts, roars, and beatings of the breast, and it is all the more striking
since it is not the conduct of an individual alone, for this celebrated trav-
eller and strongly nerved hunter says, that the others of this species, shot
b\- him, behaved in the \'ery same way.

Tlio Oran}j;"-Outanjf.

This is the common name of the large tailless anthropoid, or man-l'ke
apes, of Southeastern Asia and the islands of Borneo and Sumatra. The
adult orang or pongo is more powerful and less anthropoid than the
chimpanzee. It represents in Asia the gorilla of Africa and varies in

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EARTH, SKA. AND SKY.

hcii^ht from five to sovlmi feet. The Honiean poiv^o has loiv^ loo-,;' hair
of u deep fuscous color, apiJroachin;^ in some parts to black, the adult muk
ha\"in_L,^ lar^e fatty protuberances over the cheek bones, not tound in ;ho
Sumatran species. The)- are fond of low, marshy, well-wooded re_L;iiiiis,
their whole or;^ani/,ation beini;- titled for i)ro^ression on trees.

The\' seldom m()\e far t>n the j^round and then on all-fours m hv
s\vint;int; the bod)- awkwardl)' forward between the arms supportid by
the bent knuckles. Tlie\- build a kind of a nest or lair on trees, \vhci\
they spend the niL;ht, leaving;- it late in the mornini;, w hen the suii |„is
dispersed the dew and thoroULjhl)' warmetl the air. They do not ii\c \\\
.societ)' except when a pair ha\e a family in char^re.

The fooil consists of fruits, nuts, lea\-es, tender i)lants, and is entin'ly
vei^ctable. In capti\ it\- the disposition of the orant4--outan^- is j^^entK' and
affectionate. Their intelliL;ence and i)t)wers of imitation are remarkable
and they ^-et to be fontl of the food of man, especially his drinks. >uc\\
as ardent spirits and coffee. They are i)erfectly devoid of the disj^ustin^
ferocity so conspicucKis in some hu\t4"er baboons and monkeys, and in '^cn-
cral are so docile that the\- mav be tau_L;ht to perform with de.xterit}- a
j4reat \ariety of tricks.

An A<lv<'i'sar.v to bo SIiiiiiikmI.

This nionke)' ne\er walks erect, except, when it assists its clumsy nin-
tions by takin;;" hokl of brandies, or, when threatened b\' an enemy. The
pictures that re[)resent it walkinij erect by the aid of a hu^e stick, arc
entirely ima,;inar\-. In a wild state, the orang-outani^^s are said to be sav-
age and ferocious and if a negro should wander in the woods and be dU-
co\ered by them, it is alleL;ed that they attack and kill him. With a
piece of wood in their hantls or with their lists only, they are able to
drive off even the elei)hants. It is said, that durin^^ the breedinsj^ season
the males leave their habitations ov lairs to the females and their xouni,'-
sters and that, as soon as the youni;- ones have attained a sufficient de-
cree of strength, they hang on the breast of their mother with their arms
clasped fast around her.

Man\- interesting stories are told about the tricks and the intelliij;ence
if orang-outangs, while in captivity. A female orang-outang from Bor-
neo was brought alive to Holland and lodged in the menagerie of the
Prince of Orange. She was very gentle and exhibited no symptoms o[
fierceness or malignity. She had a melancholy appearance, yet loved to
be in company. Many times when her keepiM' sat near her on the groiind
she would take the hay of her bed. arrange it by her side, and with the
greatest affection in\ite him to sit down.

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EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

One morning she contrived to escape from her caj^e and soon aftor-
wards was seen to ascend tlie beams ami oblique rafters of the buiUliivr
The efforts of (ouv men were necessary to secure her. She wouKl (at ol
almost every kimi of food that was ^iven to her, but she livetl chiefly on
bread, roots and fruit. She also ate meat both boiled and roasted, as
well as fish, and was fond of eL;|;s, the shells of which she broke with
her teeth and then sucked out the contents. This animal was seen aiu!
described by the great naturalist Buffi m.

(^f an orang-outang which Le Compte .saw in the Straits of Malacca,
he says that all its actions wcie so imitati\e of those of mankind ami ii>
])assions were so e.\i)ressi\c and live!}', that a dumb person could scarcclv
ha\e rendered himself better understood. This animal was cxtrenicly
gentle and showed great affection towards every person from wlium it
recei\eil an)- attentions. Its agility was almost incredible.

The chimpanzee is a much livelier and more light-hearted animal than
the orang-otitang.

An under-aged specimen was once brought to England from Ja\ a, and
in order to be made secure, was fastened to a strong staple ; but his
keeper had no sooner done it, than he liad unfastened it, and run away
with the chain; but finding its drag embarass him, he formed it into a
coil, and threw it o\er his shoulder. Other attempts to secure him failed
also, anil he clung to the ropes of the \essel with sucli pertinacil\- and
power of muscle, that though the sailors sometimes shook them w ilh the
utmost violence, he still retained his hold. At times he would appear to
be pla}dng the pranks of a child in anger.

The Oranjjj-Oiitanj'- in Hysterics.

When tantalized with an orange, he would gi\e utterance to the most
violent shrieks, swing himself furiously about the ropes, and then with
])iercing screams rush at the side of the \essel, as if with the intention i'>
commit suicide by throwing himself o\-erboard. When off the Cape, th/
temperature became low, especialh- in the morning; and the tropical
orang, like a true thermometer, indicated the full extent of the chan;.,fe,
by descending from the mast, shuddering with cold, and endeavoring to
make himself snug in the arms of any one of his friends to derixe heat,
.screaming \iolently if any attempt was made to remove him. Me died in
less than twf) years after his arrival.

One being con\-cycd to Holland was observed, when about to lie down
on shipboard at the approach of night, to prej^are her bed by shakiiv^
well the ha)- on which she slcjit, and after putting it in ])roper order,
would wrap herself snugly up in the c^uilt. In addition to the makiiiL; of

h 1

FOUR-HANDi:U ANIMALS.

n4.T

her bod very neatly every day, she was accustomed to bind up Ikt head
with a haiidkercliief before she retired to rest.

Tlie former, on the voyage to Holland, noticed that the padlock of her
chain was opened with a key. The ape soon be;4an to practise the
iii.iiitruvre, by taking up a little bit of stick, and after putting it in the
kt\-hnlc of the lock, endeavored to open it by turning the stick in all
directions. One morning when on shore she escaped from her chain, and

^x^S::.

rnirrRAiT of thk orang-outang.

during the time of her libcrt\-. she took the cork from a bottle of Malaga
wine, and appearetl higliK' gratified with the contents, which she drank to
\\\<: very last drop, and then put the bottle in its place again.

It is said of Milo, of Crotona, that he saved the life of Pythagoras, his
tutiir, by his amazing strength, but lost his own by an equal amount of
folly. lie was so strong that he could carr}' a bullock four years old
upon his back, and he therefore fancied he could tear up a tree by its roots
like an elephant, and then break it to pieces. Having accomplished the

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EARTH, SFA, AND SKY.

former, his strength beciinic cxliausted in tlie attempt at the latter, ami
when the tree was half cleft, Milci allowetl liis fingers to become piiuiicd
in the crevice at the moment when the reuniting force of the tree was
gaining its power o\-er tliat of his own • antl being tlien held fast, tJK-
wild beasts came and devinired him.

A Cunning- l>evU't'.
Now it apjK-ars that the instinct of the orang, in a similar case, imparts
to the animal a wisdom superior to that of Milo; fr, accortliii'- ti
Gemelli Carreri, these creatures sometimes descend from the mountains
to the sea-coast, where they find some food in a species of shell-fish, nar-
ticularl}' in a large sort of oyster, which they find l\'ing open on the shoro,
Before putting in their paws, they take the jjrecaution to insert a stoiu:
between the shells, to prevent their closing together, and thereby crush-
ing their clutches. They then drag out their i)rey in safet\-, and cK-xour
it at their leisure.

A naturalist who had two orangs, male and female, in his house in
Bata\ ia, sa\s that when any person set his e\e intentl\- ui)on the female,
she would throw lierself into the arms of her male, and there conceal her
face in his bosom. Of the male and female taken on board, the f imur
fell sick during the V())-age, v.nl submittetl to be treated in the manner (if
a human patient. His disease being a kind of inflammation, led tlu-
surgeon to bleetl 'lim twice in the right arm, and ever afterwards the ape,
when disccnering any return of In's indisposition, did not fail to hold mit
his arm for the purpose of again letting blood.

Orangs often go forth in large numbers to plunder gardens and \illagcs.
If there is no appearance of any person near, he makes signs to his com-
panions to enter the vineyard (u- (Mxharci, and begin their i)lunder; hut
as soon as the sentinel perceives anj'body coming, he instantly sets up a
loud cry, and the w hole company scamper off with the utmost preiipi-
tation, and jumping from tree to tree, retreat to the mountains. It is a
great cuiiosit)' to see these animals retreat, f )r the females carr\' f )ur or
fi\-e \-oung ones ui)on their backs, and with this heav}' load leap with great
agilit)' from branch to branch, though great numbers of them are tai en,
notwithstanding their cunning. When they are angry, they bite; but while
they are coa.xed they are \-ery tame. Those that are tamed perform \\<m)-
dcrs, and imitate mankind in almost everything they .see them do.

AHV'ftiiif;- Doatli.
As we ha\e the means of knowing how the orang-outang dies, it \v\\\
pcrhai)s not be considered irrelevant to our purpose if wc allow its de-
scription a place liere b\- wa\' of concluding our references to the

FOUR-HANDED ANIMALS.

;Uo

habit-^ I'f t.lii'^ siiiL^ular animal. The manner df its death is trul)- affect-
iiiM^aiuI probably such that no humane person would wish to see it a
seci'iul time. A male oran_L^ Mas killed at Raml)ooin by the crew of a
ship. I'rom an article in the Fjicyclopiedia Britannica, we (juote thi.s
description :

lie was upwards of seven feet in heii^htwhen placed in a standin;^' jios-
tiire, antl measuretl ei^^ht feet when suspentled !)}• the neck for the pur-
po>e of beins^ skinned. On the s[)ot where he was killetl, there weie
several tall trees, wliich Ljreatly prolont^ed the attack; for such was liis
strcni^th and a^t,n"lit\' that his pursuers were unable to take a determinate
aim, until they had f.lled all the trees but one. He received nunurous
halls before lie was brought down, and then he lay upon the t^round as
ckaii, exhausteti by many wounds, w ilh his head restinL,' on his folded
arm. It was at this time that an offict.'r attempted to {^i\e him tlie finish-
iiv_; stroke, b\' thrusting;" a s[)ear throUL;h his boi'.x^ ; but he instantly
sprung upon his feet, wrested the wea[)on from his antaLjonist, and shi\ered
it in i)ieces. This was his last eff()rt, \vt he li\-ed some time afterwards,
aiul drank, it is said, threat ([uantities of water. He appeared to ha\e
travelled from some distance to the place of the " untowartl event," for his
1cl;s were caked w ith mud up to the knees. On the reception of each
dcadl}' wound he placed his hand o\-er the injured [)ortion, and distressed
cAcii his relentless pursuers b\- the human-like at;on\' of his countenance.
Indeed, his piteous actions, and j^reat tenacity of life, are said to lia\'e
rciiilered the scene altofjether hisj-liK- affecting. At the same time, it
seemed odtl that so much sentimental iK'rc(.:[)tion should have been vouch-
safed to tho.sc who committed the onslaui;ht. and wh(^ were under no
absolute necessit)' of brinLjin;.^ the business to so tra;j;ical a close.

The GiuToza.

The general color of this nu)nke)- is black. The sides of the liody and
top of the loins are ornamented with Ioiil;', [)endent, white liairs, formiuL;
a nin;_;e-like mantle. The face is encircled by white, and the tail ends in
a white tuft. It is found in .South and \\\'st Abyssinia. The i^ucre/.a
wliirh is the Abj'ssinian name of this species, li\es, according- to Riippell,
in inall families, tenanting;- the lofty trees in the nei^diborhood of runnin;_;
waters. It is active and livel\', ami at the sair.e time Ljentle and inoffen-
sive, li is the prettiest of all the monkeys, and our illustration ;^nves an
i(Ka of its strikin;^ ap|)earance. It is an excellent climber. I'ormerly
the skin of the L^ueroza was used by the .Abyssinians for tlecoratinrr their
sliields, but with the introtluction of fire-arms the demand for shields and
tur this co\-eted decoration ceased, and this is untloubtedlv a fact to be

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EARTH, SEA. AND SKY.

NIH

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glad of. becadse there exists no more instigation to hunt this beautiful
and entirely harmless animal.

It has the head, face and neck, back, limbs and part of tail coxxrci
with short black velvety hair, the temples, chin, throat and a band over
the eyes white, and the sides, flanks, from the shoulders downwarci, and
loins clothed with white hair.

Like all the others, these monkeys are pre-eminently a sylvan race;
they never abandon the forests, where the\' li\e in society untler the
guidance of the old males. They seem to be much attached to i)artic-

GUEREZ.V WITH BEAUTIFUL FLVINCi M.VNTLK.

ular localities. Each tribe or family has its own particular district, into
which individuals of other tribes or species are never allowed to intrude,
the whole conimunit)- uniting promptly to repel an)' aggression, either im
their territor}- or their individual right. So strongly is this propensity
implanted within them that they carry it into our menageries. Noth-
ing is more common than to see monkeys of the same species unit-
ing to defend one of their kintl against the tyranny of a powerful
ojjpressor, or to resent an>- insult offered to a member of their little
community.

These animals generall\- take up their quarters in the vicinity of a run-

FOUR-HANDED ANIMALS.

347

nino- stream, and seldom approach the habitations of men, or invade tlie

culti\ated grounds of the gardener and husbandman. No doubt it is tlieir

spirit of union and mutual defence which prompts them to collect mund

trawllcrs, and. by their chatterintj^. i^rimace, and other means in their

power, endeavor to prevent an intrusion into the spot which they regard

as their own.

CJrotesque Antics of Monkey Tribes.

The Italian boy, with his oli\'e comple.\it)n, and long, dark locks, whom
you pass in the .street, with grinning teeth and with hand to his hat, is
oriiidint:^ an organ, on which sits a monkey fantastically dressed, wh(^se
dut\' consists in performing a certain number of gambols on the pave-
ment, and carrying to his master the pennies they earned for him. The
si'du recals the times long since passed, when the merry-making couple,
the minstrel and the monkey, were constantly welcomed by barons bold
and ladies fair in hall and bower; nor can we forget that when a great
change took place in English manners, the monkey continued a faxorite,
thouL;h admittance was refu.sed to the minstrel.

The extraordinary proboscis monke\- is remarkable for a peculiar <le\el-
o|)ment of the nose, rudimentary at an earl\-age, but afterwards fiirniing a
pnhoscis cai)able of being dilated, luning ajiertures underneath the bent
(Iduii point, and divided from each other b\' a tliin cartilage. The ears
are small, and the face, together with the palms, are (T a Ic-aden color,
with a slight tinge of yelUnv. On the sides of the neck, w hieh is short,
and on the shoulders, ihe hair is long com[)ared with that ot" the rest of
tile l)o(.l\-. The top of the head and the ui)])er portion of the l^ack are of
a rich chestnut brown, the sides of the face and a stripe o\cr the shoul-
deis are \-ellow ; the general coloi' of the bod}- is of a sand}'-red. The
tail, like some other parts, is dark above and yellow beneath, and is some-
' what tufted at the tip. A full beard, in the males, curls up under the
chin, and reaches almost to the nose.

The male is remarkable for his size and strength, and must he formid-
able, from the largeness of his canine teeth. The female li-: considerably
smaller. According to W'urmb, " these monkeys associate in large troops ;
tin ir cry, which is deep-toned, resembles the wortl kahait!' This name
ha^, therefore, been g!\-en to the long-nosed nionkex'. Wunnh also says,
'They assemble tnorning anil e\-ening, at the rising and setting of the
Sim, along the borders of rivers, and are to i)c seen on the borders of loft)'
trees, when- the)- offer an agreeable spectacle, darting with great rapidity
from one tree to another, at the distance of from fifteen to twent\- fyet. I
ha\e not obser\-ed that the)- hold their nose while leaping as the natives

{ 1

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, I

fif

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348

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

say tlicy do, hut I have seen that they then stretch .nit their paws in a re-
markable manner."

The baboons belonrr to a fomily of monkeys, which is called cvno-
cephalus by Cuvier. They are among the lari,rcst of the four-han.lcd
animals. Their strength is enormous; they arc fierce and mali'crnant
and their habits are disgusting. In a wild state they are very cumiimT

nOG-F.\CKI) liAnotJNS.

and when attacked are dangerous enemies. They run well on the
ground and are also excellent climbers. They feed on fruits, roots, tie
tender twigs of plants, and occasionally on eggs and young birds, In
captivity they will cat almost anything. When confined in a cage they
will sometimes shake its bars so powerfully as to make tiie .spectators
tremble.

FOUR-HANDED ANIMALS.

^41)

la Siiim they are said to frequently sally forth in great numbers and
to attack the villa<jes, while the inhabitants are occupied in the rice har-
vest, and to plunder the habitations of \vhate\'er provisions they can lay
their hands on. In captivity they are alwaj-s savage and ill-natured;
thev frequently grind their teeth and fret with great fur\'. The dog-
faced baboon is from four to five feet high. The head and fice greatly
re-iemhle those of a dog. The hair is peculiarly long and shaggy as
f.ir as the waist, but short on the hinder parts. The face is naked and the
cars are pointed and concealed in the fur. These animals usually con-
o-rci^ate in vast companies. Among the mountains near the Cape of
Good Hope, there are immense troops of these baboons or of a kind
called ursine baboons. When any person approaches their liaunts, they
set up a universal and horrible cry and then conceal themselves in their
fastnes.ses and keep silence.

A Pjuk of Thitvos.

They seldom descend to the plains, except for the purpose of plun-
dering the gardens, that lie near the foot of the mountains. While
plundering they place sentinels, to prevent a surprise. The)' break the
fruit in pieces and cram it into their cheek pouches, in order afterwards
to eat in leisure. The sentinel, if it sees a white man, gives a loud }"ell
and the v/hole troop retreats with tlie utmost expedition.

This baboon is also found in Abyssinia and Nubia, where they live in
caverns and fastnesses which are protected against the weather by o\er-
Iianging rocks. When attacked they defend themselves by throwing
larj^e stones at their enemies. In capti\ity the)- are generally kept
cliaineil to a pole and their agility in climbing, leaping, and dodging an)-
one that offers to strike them is almost incredible. It is impossible
at the tlistance of a few yards to hit them with a stone. They will either
catch it li]<e a ball, or will a\-oid its blow w ith the most astonishinsj' a<jilit\'.

Awkward Situation.

A strange encounter with a troop of baboons in Kaffraria, occurred to
the Rev. l\ Meming, Chaplain to her Majest\''s forces, who relates it as
fillows : Whilst on an excursion to Perrie Hush, the authoi started from
the \illage alone for the jjurpose of visiting the saw-pits, which were about
a mile or more towards the middle of the forest. Having reached the.se,
and traiisaclt'd the business in hand, he was informed of a small ri\-ulet,
at .1 little distance further among the woods, forming some \er\- pictur-
es(]ue cascades, and the banks of v hich were covered with a beautiful
.111(1 rare kiiul of llower.

Seiluceil b\' the wild loveliness of the scene, he ad\-anced furthe'- on, at

'^k

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350

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

the other side of the stream, aloUL,^ what is called a Kaffir path ; bvit, s. ., ,n

i^ettini; off this he became entangled in the bush and underwood. fhr

foliage o\'erlieatl beintr so thick as to exclude tile sun, a small ixickci-

compass was the only safe guide; and, whilst trying;- to adjust and steady

this, he was saluted b\- a volle\- of broken >ticks ami berries from o^i^r-

he.ul. Never dreamiuL,^ of such an attack, and not being able to .see

the slighest vestige of animals near, he still continued his occupatiun,

when a second similar salute made him gladl\- pt)cket the comjjass, uiid

make towards the low ground in hopes of fnuling the stream, ihis \w

soon reached, and, when on its bank, more easily recovered the lost path.

During his periile.\it\-, however, the chattering overhead soon betra\i d

the assailants to be a large herd of baboons, whom he now thought, w luii

clear of the thicket, he might tease in his turn. AccordingK' he cmn-

nienced throwing stones at such as were within reach ; when, instead nf

taking to flight, as he expectetl they would, to his great consternation \,c

beheld, from e\-ery tree near him, fne or six of these great creaturr^.

swinging from branch to branch, and making towards himself and the

groimd.

A IJiUM' For Lifo.

Having no gun and no whi]) with him, he now thought it full time to
decami), which he immetliately did. running faste'r, probal)l\-, th.in e\er lie
did before or has done since, and pursued at full cry — if cry the dreadful
noise could be termed — by fifty or sixty ugly, awkward wretche-, that
seemed to mock at the courage of their ad\-er.sar\-, and certainly despised
his ill-judged plan of attack and defence. At the saw-pits, howe\er, they
sounded a halt, fearing that he would fnid a reinforcement there among
the saw\-ers. Hut this, to his gieat dismay, was not forthcoming, as they
hail goni' home to the \illage foi' dinner, lie therefore tried to increa-^c
his speed, and finall)- succeeded in getting away from them and i)ack to
I'errie, \ery glad indeed to escape soeasily ; anil his face and i)oots telling
rather plainl)- there whether he had been following alter the beautiful, ur
the baboons after him.

A baboon alone would doubtless be found an awkward customer; for
his great strength and activit}', and the powerful canine teeth with whi. h
he is furnished, would render him a formidable enem_\-, were he, from dis-
peration, forced to .stand and defend his life. It is most fortuna*-e that the
courage of these animals is merel\- .sufficiiMit to induce them to act on the
defensive. This, indeed, the\- only do against a man when driven to it h\-
fear; othei-wisi' the\- generallx' prefer prudence to \-alor. I lad tluir
combati\eni'ss been proportice'd to their ph\sical power, coming, as they

FOUR-HANDED ANIMALS.

iirA

(jo fit ([ui-nll)-, in bodies of Iwo oi- three hundred, it would be impossible
lor natixes ti> l;o out of their villa;j[es, exeept in parties, and armed , and,,
in-tC'id of little boys, regiments of armed men would be retiuired to^uard
the corn-fields.

I have frequently seen baboons, sa\s a traveller, turn on doi;s. and have
heard of their attackini; women, whom the\- may ha\e accidentally met

-y-y

I.ION MoNKEVs sri:.Ai,iNG C( )t:o.\N L'TS.
aldiie in the roads or woods. ( )n one occasion I was told ol a woman
who wa> so grie\-ousl\- maltreated by them, that, althoUL;h she was suc-
CDUred by the opportune help of some passers-by, she died a few da\-s after,
frniu the fri.;ht and ill-treatment she had enckux'tl.

A baboon was described b\- Huffon as not alto<^ether hideous, and >-et
as exciting horror. It appeared to be continuali\- in a .state of sa\aL;e fe-
rocit)-, grindini;- its teeth, perpetually restless, andagitated b)' uni)rovoked

\ ■ KS

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■*■' ''•iiifi&.-'''i#

1il

i^lfil

352

EARTH. SEA, AND SKV.

fur)'. It \vas obliLjed to be shut u]) in an inm cat^e, the bars of whicii it

struck freqiicntl)' with its hand, ami thus excited the apprehensions Mt'thc

spectators.

TIk; Lioit .>loiiiv(;y <»r ^lai'ikiiiii.

()nr illiislralioii represents tliis prett)' hltle rechlish nionke)', which is
foinul in the forests of tropical l^razil, between the twenty-seconil and
t\\cnt\--thir(l (ki^m; of southern latitude. It lives on hiL;h trees, and iVfils
on fruits and small insects. With its cousins, this [^rctt)- little animal
shares the propensities antl bad habits. It is timid, distrustful, ra>il\-
e.\cited and passionate, and ne\er shows much affi-ction for its master,
like other higher develoj^ed monke\'s.

They live in pairs, and seem to get along with each other ver}- well.
In capti\ity the\' are fed with boiled rice, fruit and wheat bread, but iiuw
and then they must be given some meat or insects, because animal fuod
is essential to their well-being.

'["he monke\- called the entellus is held sacred in some parts of India,
particularly in Lowii" Bengal. The origin of the extreme xeneralion
which multitudes cherish for this animal is inxolved in the obscurity of
thL;ir early histor\', and may be traced back to the most remote perimls.
The su|)erstitions and traditions of the Brahmins, in reference to monkeys,
hold a i)rominent place in the " Ramaj'an," which has been st\lc'l a
" great epic poem." It describes a struggle between tlie Mindoo gods, on
the one hand, under Rana, and a nation of demons on the other, wlm arc
called Rackschasas, and who under their King Ra\'ana, are supposed to
reside in the Island of Ceylon. The former, assisted by an invuhurable
trijje of monkeys, untler their chief, Hoonuman.at length triumphed mcr
the latter.

Some years ago, a rajah spent 100,000 rupees in marrying two
monkeys, with all the paratle of a Hindoo wedding. The festivities (in
such an occasion always take i)lace at night. As the bride-groom goes
forth to the house of the bride, or as he returns to his own habitation,
or to that of his father, he is accompanied by numerous friends and de-
pendents, bearing lamps and torches. When he a{)proaches cither
house the inmates rush out to meet him, and greet him with their con-
gratulations and best wishes. Tlie path is covered with garments, and
lamps, like fire-flies, sparkle in great numbers, all around.

On the so-called marriage of the monkeys, there were seen in tlu pro-
cession, elephants, camels, horses richly comparisoned, palanquins, flam-
beaux, and lamps. The male monkey was fastened in a gaily-decked
palamiuin, having a crown on his head, with men standing by his sid"^'***

FOUR HANDED ANIMALS.

.'553

fan liirti, ^i^ they would a human being. Then followed singing and

claiicuig girls in carriages, and for twelve days the festivities were car-

riotl on at the monkey's palace.

A \ery different feeling to that manifested at the monkey wedding is

soinrtinies displayed. Mr. Ward, the missionary, states that he heard of

aiiiLirrel between two Brahmins, one of whom w.is paid by a rich Hindoo

to repeat daily the ceremonies of the worship of Hoc . iman in his house;

tl.e other said, "Thou refuse of Brahmins; thougainest a subsistence by

worshipping a monkey!" Such cases, however, are only exceptional.

In Ahinenadab, hospitals were built for the benefit of monkeys, where

thousands were kept in fancied ease and indulgence. Gorgeous temples

were erected,

With pious care a monkey to enslirine !

Motleus, in his " History of India," describes a temple of great magnifi-
cence ; it was supported by no fewer than seven hundred columns, and in
fi cat of it was a spleiulidpo- '"co for the reception of the victims intended
fcr the sacrifices. Linschc 'en elates, that when the Portuguese plun-
tlcrod a palace, in the islar 1 of '.-jylon, they found in a little gold casket
the tooth of a monkey — a relic held by the natives in such veneration,
that they t)rfered se\'en hurdred thousand ducats to redeem it; but it
was burnt by the Vicerr)y to stop the progress of such idolatry.

Among the superstit js tales told by the Hindoos in reference to the
monke}-, there are some of a ludicrous character. Thus, the monke)- is
sail] to have carried off the mango from the garden of a celebrated giant
whom he had overcome ; but as this act of theft was committed after the
surrender of the giant, it drew down upon the monkey the vengeance of
the gods. To evince their displeasure, therefore, they blackened the face
and hands of himself and his race!

In the war already described, Hoonuman, it is said resolved to set fire
to the Island of Ceylon, and to destroy his enemies at once, by means of
a tar-barrel tied to his tail. No sooner was the plan devised than it was
executed ; but in the act of burning out his foes, a mischance on which
he had not calculated occurred — his own tail caught fire. Stung by the
pain, and fearful of losing so ornamental and valuable an appendage, he
was about to extinguish the flame by plunging into the sea, but the tribes
of the ocean vehemently remonstrated against such a course, which
threatened them with being broiled, and compelled him to desist.

i!3

CHAPTICR XIII.

PI':CULIAR SPICCIKS OF BIRDS.

The World's Favorites— Fairies of tiie Air— Orcliestras on tlie Winj; — Cn'atnrcs
whose Clotiiiiij^j Crows on Them — Specimens of Cockatoos — Noisv i H;.;liis-
Easily Tamed and Affectionate— The Night Swallow--A l"nie Streamer— llt-anty
of Color — Craceful Movements— Esculent Swallow — The Strangest Fund inihe
World -Remarkable Nests — Sapjiho Ihimniing llird - Rainbow Colors Dart-
ing Throngh the Air — Sword liill- Long 15eak— Peregrine I'alcon — Amient
"Hawking" — A Bird Trained For the Chase— Combat in the Air- Secrttarv
Bird— A Warrior with Wings— Death to Snakes— Powtr of Leg and Foot— Cour-
age that NLJver I'ails —Remarkable Birds' Nests— Titmouse- Closing the Dixir of
the Nest — A Watchfnl Sentinel— Sociable Grossbeaks — Wonderful Nest — A Bird
that Sews with Tiiread and Needle— Tailor I'ird's Nest — Three Toed Wood-
pecker — A Creature that Leaves its Mark — Pengnins— Wings and Fins Com-
bined — "Sitting up Like a Major" — Description by Darwin— Training up"\diin^
Penguins — The World-Renowned Pilican- Marvelous Sight — Great Assenihlyof
P>irds— Montgomery's Poetical Tribute to the Pelican.

IRDS, saj's P"i<;uier, are the .spoilt ciiilch'cn <>f nature — tlic fuMir-
itcs of creation. Their i)lumage often a.ssunie.s the most re>i)Icn-
dent colors. They have the iiappy privilege cf nioxinu j],
space — now fliitteriuL;' through the air, hunting the insect which
flits from flower to flower; or soaring high aloft, to .swooj) u[)on the vic-
tim marked for their prey ; again cleaving the atmosphere, and perforniiiig
joiu-neys of \ast extent with great rapidity. Mankind cannot fail to ad-
mire these wingeil beings, which charm at once by the cleganci- of thuir
form, the melod)- of their song, and the graceful impetuosit\- of their
movements.

Of all the animals by which we are surrounded in the ample luld oi
nature, there are none more remarkable in their appearance and habits
than the feathered inhabitants of tlie air. The)' pki)- aroiuid us like fa ry
spirits, elude approach in an element which defies pursuit, soar out of si^rjit
in the yielding sky, journey o\'er our heads in marshaled ranks, dart like
meteors in the sunshine of summer, or, seeking the solitary recesses ofthe
forest or the waters, tiiey glide before irs like beings offanc\'. They diver-
sify the still landscape with the most lovely motion and beautiful associa-
tion ; they come and go with the change of the seasons, and as their
actions are directed by an uncontrollable instinct of provident nature,

PFXULIAR SPECIES OF BIRDS.

35fv

nit nature,

the}' may be consitlcrcd as concomitant with the beauty of the surround-

ini( scene.

With what L;rateful sensations do we hail these faithful messeni;ers of
sniiii.,' and .summer after the hipsc of the dreary winter, whicli compelled
tlu'in to forsake us fir more fa\-ored climes! Their songs, now heard
from the leafy gro\'.s and shadowy forests, inspire delight or recollections
of the pleasing past in ever}- breast. How volitate, how playfully capri-
cious, how musical and happ\-, aie these roving .syl[)hs of nature, to whom
ihi: ( arlh. the air. and the waters, are almost alike habitable. Their lives
arc .spent in boundle-is action, antl nature, w ithan onmiscient bene\-olence,
has assisted and formetl them for this wonderful display of i)erpetual life
and vigor in an element almost their own.

Itciuarkablc (iotliin^- of liirds.

The clothing of the skin (>f birds consists of fjathers, which in their
natun- and develoi)ment resemble hair, but are of a far move ccmplicated
striKUue. A perfect feather consists of the shaft or central stem, which is
tuhular at the base, where it is inserted into the skin, and the barbs or
fihres, which form the webs on each sitle of the shaft. The two jirincipal
miHlifications of feathers are quills antl plumes, the former confined to the
wings and tail, the latter constituting the general clothing of the body.
Besides the common feathers, the skin of many birds, and especially of
the aquatic species, is co\-ered with a thick ccxiting of ilown, which con-
.sists of a multitude of small feathers of peculiar construction; each of
these dt)wn feathers is composeil of a \er)' small, soft tube iniijcilded in the
skin, from the interior of which there rises a small tuft <>! soft filaments,
without an\- central shaft.

This downy coat fultlls the same office as the soft, wooll\- fur of many
quadrupeds, the ordinary feathers being analogous to the long, smo<jth
hair by which the fur of those animals is concealed. The skin also bears
a L^ond man\' hair-like appendages, w hich are usuall}- scattered sparingly
over its surface; they rise from a bulb which is imbedded in the skin, and
usually indicate their relation to the ordinarj- feathers by the presence ofa
few minute barbs toward the apex.

Once or twice in the course of the year the whole plumage of the bird
is renewed, the casting of the old feathers being called moulting, bi many
cases the new clothing is very different from that which it replaces, and in
birds inhabiting temperate and cold climates we can frequently distinguish
a summer and winter dress. This circumstance has given rise to the for-
mation ofa considerable number of false species, as the appearance of the
birds in these different states is often very dissimilar, and it is only by an

III'

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WHITE AND RAVEN COCKATOOS.

ri:cLLiAR spi-.cii;s of birds.

;J57

accurate stiuly of ilio livin;^' aiiiiuals, uliicli is of courst; aiiii'):.L impossible
Willi luaiiy exotic biitls, that such mistakes as these can be i)re\eiitetl or
rcctifiecl. Another fertile source of similar errors is to be found in the
(lilTerence \\hicli very commonly exists between the two sexes, a difference
uliiih is often so ^reat that, w ithout particular information deri\ed from
the (observation of birds in tluirnatixe haunts, it would be impossible to
afLr the males and females to their proper partners; and the diOiculty is
still further increased by the fa- 1 that the younjj ot'all birds in their first
I)linnaL;e differ more or less from their parents, and frequently only acquire
their iiiaturo dress after the lapse of three or four x-ears, the plumaije un-
der'-'oinij" a certain chani'e at each moult.

Tho N<>so-C'o«*ksito(» and l{av«Mi-C"<»<'katoo.

Cockatoo is the name gi\en t) a certain family of parrots from their
peculiar call-note or cr\'. About a do/en species are found in the forests
of the Moluccas, l?ra/.il, and Australia, some preferrini; hij^di trees near
rivers and swamps; others the open plains. The)- are shy and hard to
approach, thouj^di their presence is ea--ily known from a distance by the
loud screams from their vast flocks. They feed on wi^etable substances,
seeds, nuts and bulbous roots, which they di^ up with their stron;j^ claws.

This j^fenus embraces some of the most beautiful species. They are
gciicrall}- of larL;e size, of a ^hite plumaLje, tini^eil with rose color or
sulphtir \-ellow. ami with lari;e crests. Amon;^ the finest is the tri-color
cresteil cockatoo w itli a crest of scarlet, yellow and white, with the tips
directed forward, which the bird can open and shut like a fan. The
whole of the bod\- is white, tinj^cd with crimson on the neck, breast,
sides ant-l under the tail and winL;s, which are remarkable for their
powdery surface.

Another species peculiar to Australia is the nosed cockatoo, character-
ized by a ver\' lar_i;e and stront,^ bill, the wings moderate and the tail
rounded. The\- li\e in small flocks in woods near rivers, feeding on the
bark and fruit of the eucal)'ptus. Their flight is heavy and nois\'. They
are \ery shy and more fierce and w ild than other parrots. The eggs, two
or three in number, are laid in the hollows of decax'ed trees. One of the
finest species is the raven-cockatoo or great black-cockatoo. It is a
beautiful, large bird li\ing in the forests of Australia and the eastern
islands and generalh- feeding on the fruits of the eucalyptus, but, different
from other parrots, occasionally eating fat worms. They generall)- li\e
in flocks of four to eight birds. Their flight is heavy ; it seldom ascends
to a great altitude in the air.

The cockatoos are easily tamed and an f a \er}- affectionate di.sposi-

*i J9l''

^\: f

^l'|Kil?y'

"ml

358

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

tion. Travellers in New South Wales arc unanimous in saying
that the impression made by the profusion of tiiese maj^niifkein
birds surpasses tlescription. As far as known, the black or raven-
cockatoos, kiy their c\rrr^ in the hollows of trees. In captivity they K.-ed
on grains of hemp or oats, boiletl corn, and are very fond of snails and
worms.

The t}-pical -enus called swallows, havint^ more than (ift\' species, em-
braces several well known swallows both in vVmerica and in the Old V\'.)rld

3'%^.

s^ y^'^-im^i'^

^^^^}

1I#«II

TH1-. I-I.A(; MGIl 1--\\.\(.I.C)W.

Then- lood con^ist-^ of insects which liic>- take on the wing, usualK- in
the nei-hborhond ofwatLr; they drink on the wing and often \\;i-li
themselves b\- a sudden nlun"-o

They fly at the rate of a mile a minute in their ordinary 'evolution^, h'lt
are rather awkward on th.e ground ; their sight is very acute. The\-(lv
low in damp weather, where the insects arc most abundant and thence arc
supposed to f)retell rain. They are most numerous in the tropics, mi-
grating to and from temperate regions.

Swallows are easily distinguished from all other birds not only by

I. if^ I

.^nificunt
ir ravcn-
:hc>- toed
lails and

;cies, cni-
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EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

their sjjcncr.il .stnictiirc, but b>' their twitterin;^ voice and their inaniit i- of

hfe. Several .s])ecies of ni;j[ht-s\\ allows are found, anioni; which tliu Ha i-

niijht-swallow, as shown by our illustration, is one of the most intcrest-

in^^ and beautiful. This bird is foinid in the tropical res^ions of Central

Africa.

Salaii^aiio or Ksciilnit Swallow.

The salangane is somewhat smaller than the wren. Its bill is thick;
the upper parts of the bod\- are brown, and the under j)arts wliitish. '[])(■
tail is forked, and eacii feather is tipped with white. The nest of this Ijjril
is e.\ceedin_L;l\' curious, and is c()mj)osed of sucli materials that it is n,,\
only edible, but is considered a tlelicacv b\' the ej)icures of Asia. U
i^enerall}' weij^hs about half an ounce, and is in form like a s.uicci',
or one-fourth of an e;^Lj, with one side flatteneri, which ailheres to ihc
rock. The texture resembles isini^lass or <^um-drii|^on, and the si wral
kiyers of the component matter are ajjjjarent, it bein;;" built of j)anc!s
or soft slimy substanc;', in the same manner as the martins form llu-ir
nests of mud.

There is a diffeience of ojjinion as to the materials of whicli this n st is
com])osed ; some suj)j)ose it to consist of sea \\():"ms or mollusks, oi- tlio
.spawn of lishes ; others, of the .sea(]ualm, a kind of cuttle fish, or a L;luti-
nous sea-plant calKd aijal-ai^al. and others assiMt that the swallow s r.il)
(jther birds of tlu-ir et^gs, and after breaking their shells ap;)I\- the white
of them in the compositit)n of their nests.

Eatiii},' llinls' Nisls.

Tile best kind of nests which are free from dirt are dissolveu in biotli,
and are said to gi\e it an excellent flaNor, or the)- are used as .stuffiiiL^ of a
fowl. The)' are fouml in vast numbers in dark ca\erns of islands in tiie
.Soc'o Ai"chipelaL;o, and arc sold in China at from one thousaiul to liluen
hundred dollars for about seventy-five pounds.

The nests adhere to each other and to the sides of the ca\i'in, ni'istly
in rows, without any l)reak or interruption. Tlu'\- aie a consicK ra!)le
object of traffic among the Javanese, nian\' of whom are cm[)lo\'ed in it
from tluir infanc\-. The birds after liaving spent nearly two moiuln in
preparing their nests lay two i:'^'^^ u hich are hatched in about fiftc n
da\-s. When the young birds become fledged it is the proper time to
take the nests, and this is regulail;.'done three times a^'ear, ami is t'ffectnl
by means of ladders, by which the people descend into the cax-erns. This
operation is attended with much dangtT. It is estimated that the an!ii;.i!
export of these iiests from J.i\a into China represents a \alue of (;)ie mil-
lion fi\< hundred 'housand dollars.

PECULIAR SPIXIMS OI' BIRDS.

561

riii'

MM) IirMMlN'

•A'AW

Til -ir n;unc is (K-riwd fioni the huiniiiiiv.,^ nuisc they iiuikc with tlieir
v\iii,_;->. Ill whalcwr lalitud!*, tlicir nianm-rs arc the same; \cry quick
ami active, ahnost consiantl\- on thi- wiiv/, as th.-v dart in thebricrht sun
thi'v displax' tht'ir bills ail colors. T]ie\' rarely aliij[ht en tlie ground,
hut perch readiK' <>n hraneh •-;. Their nests are delicate, hut compact and

JiiU'd

with the softest \e 'etahle downs, about an inch in diameter and

:UV2

EARTH, SEA, ANU SKV.

depth, and pciclicd on tivcs. shrubs and rccds. T;'- -^^ i'ttlc- bnds .-
very pu^^nacioiis and will aim. k .ui> intruder l "KiUii; near tlKir m'stT
rhey are incitlentally hone\-Late;.s, bul essentially insectivorous.

Tlie sapplKj huninuny-bird. wluci! is found in 15oli\ ia. is of .scarlcirni
color on the upper part, tiie iieaci anu undc-r parts Iumul; ,,f a <;re<ii hiu'
which is li-hter and bri^i,rhter at the throat. The win-^ are oFa p

purple-

llll". SWdKl) till I..

brownish color and the tail feathers of -arnet color tipped, witli i'wl-
brown. Th(> color of the female on the upper parts is L,^reen. wliil. tl.
under parts an- <j[ray and the tail feathers lis^^dit-red.

Of all the luminiin!,r.bi,-(ls the sword bill has the longest bill, and car
therefore easily be discerneil from the others. The hill Is of the smu

lliiyiand (Voi

Alter this 1
held hooded
A contest th
triviiv {<> as

birds arc
:hL'ir iiots.

scarlrl rni
a jJiirpL-

>',

(fyf

ith I'a-k-
liili llu

am! car
llic -aiiu

PECULIAR SPECIES OF RiRDS.

3G3

lenf^th a-^ the body of the bird, :;liL;htly bent upward;-, a Hitl. tlrttencd at

the point. The male is of gieei', the head of co|nier .,o!fv,^an-J Hw under

parts of bronze color, the wings brown. The home of tii'i bird is yuito

and Venezuela.

The IN'rt'firiiio Falcon.

The falcons arc found througliout the world rec^ardl'. -■ 'ifLliir.ate; tlic}'
arc powerful and rapid liters, ho\erin;^ over their prey -nd da-ihinj;' per-
pciulicularly upon it. They pursue birds chiefly, but alLaek also small
iiiiatlrupeds. The common or peres^n-ine falcon, also called the duck-
hawk, is solitary, except duriiii; the pairinc^ (>f tln" breeding season, wiiicli
i> in vi'ry early s[)rin_i;' ; it is founil in all parts of the United .States and in
Cuba, coming to the south in the \\ inter months. It is distributeil over
ti'iiiperate b'urope where the country is mountainous and the sea coast
piwipitous.

Before the invention of gunpowder, falcons were \ery fiec[uently trained

to pursue herons and \arious kind of game, and falconry was a favorite

sport of kings and nobles. Even now falcons arc used for this purpose

in the Orient, esi)ecially Persia. Falconr_\-is the art of training falcons or

other birds of ]ircy for the chase, the " haw king," as it is called in I'ng-

laml.

A 15ir<l usod in iio Chas*'.

The practice of hunting \\ ith falcons is \ery ancient in lCuroi)c and Asia,
and was in existence in the fourth and fifth centuries, and was common in
IJiglaml from the eighth century to the time of thf" St; .irts. Thj Per-
.sians are skillful in training falcons ti> hunt all kinds of l)irds, and e\'eii
ijazclles. The peregrine falcon was in tln' pain .• days o'' hawking one of
tlu' favorite falccMis chosen for that snort. L-; tfcnrlh ;>nd swiftness
arc very great, enabling it to strike down its p- a it!; ;^,reat ease. From
it-; successful pursuit of duck.s the Americans c::'i it di;ck-liaw!<.

There is a peculiarit>- in the method of attack ■. iiich this bi.u employs
when |)ursuing small game. Instead of merely da'n'rig at its prey and
ijrasping it with its claws, the j eregrine falcon st:'ke«; icwi-th its brca>t antl
■vtuns it with tile \-iolence (jf the blow before sei;dng it with its claws.
Thi; courage of the [)eregrine falcon is so great that it was g'jnerally e:n
jjloved to take the heron.

Battle ill the Air.

Aft-'r this bird had been roused the falcon, which had previously been
iiild hooded (»n the falconer's hand, was loosed from its bonds and ca-toff
.A contest then generally took place betwe. ii the hi'ron and falcon, each
striving t'> ascend above the other, lu this eont'-stth.e Hilcon was alway;-.

<^ l'#^:

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FAMOIN rKRKr.KIM. F\1(()N.

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vict(>rii>i

PRCriJAR SPHCIKS OK lURDS.

.'.(ia

victorious, and after it had aUaincd a certain aliitiide it swept or" sl.x.p.'d '
i,p,,n the heron. When the falcon was cK>sed with its prey, they both
caiiv dou-n together and the sportsman's business was to n-aeh the phice
of conHict as soon as possible and assist the falcon in the battle. 1 he
n--cMine falcn chan-es the color of its plumage several times before it
in-ivcsat full maturity. It builds (m ledges of rocks, laying four cgg-s
of a redtlish-brown color.

SECRET.VKV lUKD K11.I.1N<; A SNAKK.

There is a very warlike-! oking bird which might, at first -ight, be
thought to belong to the tritx- of long-legged storks or cranes. But if
you examine his cun-ed beak, you will see that in realit\- he is a bird of
prcv. Indeed, .some people call him the " secretary eagle."

The- rca.son why the name "secretary" has been given him is becastsc
of the crest of feathers on the bade of his head, that have a fancied
resemblance to a pen .stuck behind the ear of a person employed in

Illl

»«!

^lii

n()«)

KARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

%vritinj;. I5iit In- iiii^b.t be saiil tn have a link with another I'aniiK- .,f
birds, namely, the riiniiiiv^ birtls. He cannot <;rasi) hke the ea^k-, and
lie (Ii>cs not \\w, hke his noble relati\e, on hi^fh mountains, or soar
towards thi: clouds. ( )n the ei>ntrar\-, lie keeps on the s^round, ami runs
lieie and theie on his h'H^r k-^s. So that it is rather a dilTicult matter to
find out where to pkue' him amoni^ our feathered friends.

lie is one of tiie most useful birds, and in certain parts of the world i^
eherisheil with the utmost can'. He tloes not object to li/ards, and i\rii
beetles, by wa\' of \-.ariet\- ; a. id as he runs about on th'? hot, ilusty phuiK
of Africa, he finds plent\-. Hut this is chiKl's pki)- ; he likes best of
all to do battle witii a serpent. Many xiiionious snakes are found in
these hot Countries, and the natives dread them i)eyond measun. |t
is true the snake will rarely attack a man, and, as a rule, ;^lides a\\;u-
from him; but sometimes he nia\' chance to come too near it, .i^ it
lies coiled up, and if its terrible fanj^^.s do but touch him, he is sure to dj,,'.

No Qusir<<*r Tor tlu^ EiUMiiy.

The secretary bird is always on the lookout for this natural eneni\-(if
man. In the picture he is eni^aL^eil in a fierce battle with a .s('r|)ent. '["h,'
serjient is, as you see, in a raj;e. j'Xt first all its attempts weredirectrd to
t;ettinfj back to its hole, but its (.•neiii)- was more than a match Im- it.
Whichever way it turned the bird hopped in its path, and stood with
flashinfj eyes and outspreatl wint;s. Then the .serpent was f.iirly musrd
It raised itself up, swelled out its dn'adful iv.ck, and darted out its faiii^'s.
For a moment the bird <.:,a\e wa\' a little, ami seemed as if coiisidiiin.;
uhat to do.

But his courac^e soon re\i\ed. I le was resoKed not to be cheated nt"
his prey, so he covered himself with one winL,^ as with a shielil, and
struck violently at the serpent with the other. The serpent was knocked
down b)' the blow, and every time it attempted to rise, the bird struck at
it attain. At last the snake coukl rise no more, and the bird killed il by
striking its )u;ul with his bi.ak.

Such lattles are often taking place, and the bird is much admired f^r
liis courage. lie is considered a most valuable member of societ)-, and
his family have been invited over to the plantations in the West Indies.
Here they are highlv' tsteemed, and no one ever thinks of harming them.
The jViantations abound in snakes, and their number is thinned bv the
introduction of these their inveterate enemies.

When the snake is small enough, the bird snaps it up, and carries it olT
to the top of a tree. Then he lets it drop, and follows it, as it descends.
with much adroitness, so as to be ready to strike it when it lies stunned

:Xii:^"

•I - li

FFXL'LIAR SPKCIl-S OF BIRDS.

:\C>7

on tlie .^rouiKl. lie dors not always strike with his wiiv^r, but with tho
solo <'f his foot. 1 Ic- aKva>s kills his prey before he devours it.
'' Serpents are not his only food, for he preys upon lizards and tortoises
ami inserts. The hot unwholesome marsli i^ full of insects, and the sec-
retarv bird thins their number; so that every way he is useful. He and

NKST oi' I'lii". w.\ri:i;-iii:N.
his partner make a lar-v nest, in which two ei:j-s arc laid. He does
not choose his partner witiiout fii^hlino- a i^vcat many battles. Yet he has
not at all a fierce temper, but rather otherwise ; and after the choice has
been made tiiere are no more quarrels.
The whole tribe of wrens and titmice make us forget their tiny size in

ItH

i.X

Willi h

3(!H

EARTH. S1:A, and SKY.

tile skillful finish (if their uoik, .iiul tlu- (klightful love whidi ivii;ns in
every family; it is '^<)Ineti^les a perfect inai\el to witness.

Among these eharmin;_j j^iiests of our thickets can he distinj^aiisluii the
common wren, which Iniikls a nest similar to a little uiuler^M-ouiul \u)u^^;
Then comes the lon^-lailed titmouse, the i^lohular abode of which dues
not exceed the size of the fist, and which is made of moss and liclitn
riu' mother onl\- inters hy an excessive! \- narrow o])enin^, and often
nourishes ti'U or tweKr little ones. It is ([uitt inexplicable how so inmic,-.
ous a family can be crowded into such a n.u'row little chamber. ( )ik
would thinl' the)- must be ^tilled; but f'"' >'ouni^ birds. h( .ipid one n,,,,,^
another, are only so much more thorou;4h!,. .vanned, and the wholt bruod
li\e liapp)' and <^ay in their tin\- little bed.

'ridiioii.so and \(>.>«t.

In respect to the elcL^ance of its construction the penduline titniMih^
astonishes the ol)ser\er still more. Its nest, suspended to the branch ufa
tree, has exactly the shape of a chemist's retort, onl)- that instead of b' in-
manufactured of such hard material, nothnii,^ enters intt) the composition
of it but fine moss and down. The opening is carefully wo\en ; not unc
vegetable fibre protrudes beyond the other! Who can describe in wlt.it
a mar\-elous manner the bird, while still on the wing, approaches it-, nest.
enters and issues b\- an openiii;.; w hich seems to ha\e scarce!)- the tliaiii-
cter of its bod\', anel without ever deranging a fibre?

The huts of SOUK- sa\ages remain constantly open; their limited
capacity has not \'et taught tliein to inxent tile protecting door. Spiders
are more ingenious. There are some which understand how to scciive
tiiemselves in their subterranean abodes by a skillfull)- constructed ddor.
Some birds take analogous jirecautions.

Jerdon details the curious domestic arrangements of some specie-; the
males of which, at the time of laying, imprison the female in her nest.
The)' close the entrance to it by means of a thick wall of mud, leavin;,'
on!)- a small hole by w hich the hen breathes and protrudes her beak to
receive her food. To this, indeeel, her too stern spouse brings ever\- mo-
ment some morsel for her to peck at, for to his ])rai.se be it said, that
though he is barbarous enough to immure her, he feeds her with the
most tender solicitude. This enforced retirement only cca.ses with the ter-
mination of the hatching, when the pair break the prison-door.

In his vo)-age to India Sonnerat sj)eaks of a Cape titmou.se, the nest of
which, shaped like a bottle and niade of cotton, merits notice. While
the female is hatching inside, the male a most watchfiil sentinel, remains
outside, resting in a pouch made for the purpose, fixed to one side of the

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IMAGE EVALUATION
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Photographic

Sciences
Corporation

23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, NY. 14583

(716) 872-4503

n^ #1

;'.70

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY

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mm^

neck of the nest. But when his mate moves off and he wishes to follow
her, he beats the opening of the nest violently with his whv^, ami suc-
ceeds in ciosin<^ it, in order to pro-.<'ct his young from enemies.

In respect to in<renuify of construction developed by the love i>f familv
and work, there is nothinij that can be compared to the doings of the so-
ciable grossbeak. This little Cape bird, of the size and appearance of
our sparrows, lives in numerous societies, all the members of which unite
to form an immense city, having the appearance of a circular timber-
work, embracing the trunk of some great tree. There are sonictinies

more than three hundred little cells, which means
that it is inhabited by more than six hundred birds.
This nest is so heavy, that Lexaillant, who brou-rlit
one away during his travels in Africa, was ()b]i'.!;c(i
to employ a wagon and .several men to remove it.
When they are seen at a distance in the landscape,
we might think we were looking at huge roots
suspended to the trunks or branches of the trees
scattered about, and round which a multitude of
birds are playing.

We ha\-e .said that amongst the winged trilje
specimens of all industrial arts are found. ( )iie
would scarcely expect to find regular seamstresses
among them, for the beak of the bird seems ill
adapted enough for needle-work, and yet some of
these animals produce work exactly analogous.

We do not here in an)' way allude to the weaver-
birds, the nests of which, made of fine grass and
known to all the world, represent an inextricable
NE.ST OF THE TAILOR net-work ; butto thetailo.-bird, a charming e.xotic
^i^^ species, which takes two very long lanceolated lea\ c->

and .sews the edges of them, neatly whipped by means of flexible [^rass
in the form of thread. After this the female fills the little sack which
they form with cotton, and deposits her pretty young ones upon thi^
downy bed, which is gently rocked by the lea.st breath of wind. This
nest, which is extremely rare, is a real masterpiece of ingenuity.

Woodpecker is the common name of the numerous climbint; birds.
They are very active, living in woods and forests, continually tai)piiiLj
with the bill the surface of trees to discover soft places, in which are lurk-
ing the insects and larva;, on which they principally feed. They are i^en-
erally solitary and usually silent; the principal noise they make being

c:-:;

the water,
breeding s
(.living wit
'IS fins, \\\
.howe\er,
their assist
motion an
qiiadrupeii
tells us tlic

PECULIAR SPECIES OF BIRDS.

;i7i

produced by striking the bill ai;aitist the trees. The three-t<ied wood-
pecker is the German representative of this family. It has a dull green-
ish black color with scarlet patches on crown, crest and cheek, under
wiivs and chin white lined with sulphur yellow.

In the penguins the feathers of the wings arc rudinientar)', and covered
with skin, so that they are like fins. These arc very useful in swimming,
but do not enable the birds to fly. There are .several .species, abounding
ill the Antarctic Seas, where they pass the greater portion of their time in

^>, t);., K.^

f^->--^'^-

■Q^^
•^^

THRKE-TOED WOODPECKEK.

the water, and appear rarely to stay any time on land, except during the
breeding .season. In the water they are exceedingly active, swimming and
diving with the greate.st facility, and making use of their little naked wings
as fins, when engaged in the latter operation. When in motion on land,
iiowever, they employ the.se in place of an anterior pair of legs; and by
their assistance contrive to scuttle along so rapidly that when they are in
motion among the tussocks of grass they might readily be mi.staken for
quailrupeds. They do not appear to have ver\' acute .sensations ; Sparman
tells us that he stumbled over a sleeping one and kicked it several times

-da
'liP

.•'>72

EARTH, SKA, AND SKY.

i'»

without di.sturbiii;_j its rest. Forstcr sa\-s that he left sexeral uf ilun,
apparently lifeless while he went in pursuit of others, l)ut they afl.T-
ward yot up and marched off with their usual ;^M-a\it>'. They haicli
their ei;L;s by holdinc; them between their thighs, and when threati.iKc!
with (lani^^e.-, move awa>-, still retaining;" them in thi.s position. Dunn-

TUFTED FEXoUIX.

the period of incubation die male fishes for the ft'male, and after the
yount; are hatched both parents are engaged for a time in pr'icurin;.,
their food.

Mr. Darwin gives the following pleasant account, the scene of the adven-
ture being the Falkland Islands, where these birds abound : One da}-,

PECULIAR SPECIES OF BIRDS.

'Mil

havin'4 placed myself between (Mie of these i)enL,miiis and the watei', I was
much amused by watching its habits. It was a brave bird, and. till reachin:.;
the >ea, it regularly fought and drove me backward. Nothing less than
lRa\v blows would have stopped him ; every inch gained he firmly ke])t,
standing close before me, erect and determined. When thus opposctl, he
cfjiitinually rolled his head from side to .side, in a very odd manner, as if
the power of vision only lay in the anterior and basal i)art of each eye.
This bird is commonly called the jackass penguin, from its iiabit, wiiile
onshore, of throwing its head backward, and making a loud, strange noise,
very like the braying of that animal ; nut while at sea and undisturbed, its
note is \-ery deep and solemn, and is often heard in the niglit-time. In
diving, its little plumeless wings are used as fms ; but on the land as front
lo"s. When crawling — it may be saitl on four legs — through the tussocks,
or on the side of a grassy cliff, it mo\ed so very quickly that it might
readily have been mistaken for a quadruped. When at sea, and fishing,
it comes to the surface, for the purpose of breathing, with such a spring,
and dives again so instantaneously, that I defy any one at first sight to be
sure that it is not a fish leaping for sport.

How the Old J5ir<l Rears tli<' Voiiii};-.
The following interesting account, probably referring to this species, is
furnished by Captain Fitzroy. He is speaking of Noir Island: Multitudes
of penguins were swarming together in some parts of the island, among
the bushes and tussocks near the shore, having gone there for the purpose
of moulting and rearing their young. They were very valiant in self-de-
fense, and ran open-mouthed by dozens, at any one who invaded their
territory, little knowing how soon a stick would scatter them on the
ground. The young were good eating, but the others proved to be black
and tough when cooked. The manner in which they feed their young is
curious and rather amusing. Tiie old bird gets on a little eminence and
makes a great roise, between quacking and braying, holding its head up
in the air, as if it were haranguing the penguinner}-, while the young one
stands close to it, but a little lower. The old bird, having continued its
clatter for about a minu.e, puts its head down and opens its mouth w idel\',
into wJiich the young one thru.sts its head, and then appears to suck from
the throat of its mother for a minute or two, after which the clatter is
repeated and the young one is again fed ; this continues for about ten
minutes. I observed some which were moulting make the same noise,
and then apparently swallow what they thus supplied themselves with ; so
in this way, I suppose they are furnished with subsistence during the time
they cannot seek it in the water.

::ii!ilir:jni'<fii

374

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

Tlie wcb-footcil pelicans arc large and hea\}', with immenrc extent of
wini;, and arc excellent swininiers. The expansive pcnich, whose ela>ticitv
is well known to all who have witnessed the sha[)es into which it i'^
stretched and formed by the itinerant showman, will hokl a considnahh
number of fish, and thus enables the bird to dispose of the suDcrthiou-,
quantity which may be taken during fishing expeditions, either for it,
own consumption or for the nourishment of its j-oung. In feeding tiir
nestlings — and the male is said to supply the wants of die female w In ii sit-
ting, in the same manner — the under mandible is pressed against the luik

and brea-t, to

assist the bird m
disgorgini; t lu-
contents cf th-
capacious pouch;
and duiin- this
acti^Mi the red
nail of the upper
mandible would
appear to coiiie
in contact with
the breast ; thus
laying the foun-
dation, in all
probabilit\', for
the fable that the
pelican nour-
ished her younL,^
with her blood,
and for the atti-
tude in wliich
the imagination

of painters has placed this bird in books of emblems, with the blood
spirting from the wounds made by the terminating nail of the upper
mandible into the gaping mouths of her offspring.

The neighborhood of rivers, lakes, and the sea-coasts, are the haunts of
the pelicans, and they are rarely seen farther than twenty leagues from
the land. They appear to be to a certain extent gregarious. Levaillant,
upon visiting Dassen-Eyland, where was the tomb of a Danish captain,
beheld, as he says, after v,ading through the surf and clambering up the
rocks, such a spectacle as perhaps nexer before appeared to the e\"e of

THK I'ELICAN.

cai^l

PECULIAR SPECIES OF BIRDS.

.'575

mortal. "AH "^ 'i sucklcn there arose frt)ni tlie whole surface of the
isjaiul an impenetrable cloud, which formed, at the distance of forty feet
abn\c our heads, an immense canopy, or rather a sky, composed of birds
of c\ery species, and of all colors — cormorants, sea-L^ulls, sea-swallows,
pelicans, and I believe the whoU; winded tribe of this part of Africa were
here assembled. All their voices, mixed to<;ether and modified according;
to their tlifferent kinds, formed such a horrid music that I was oblij^ed to
co\cr ni\' head to give a little relief to my ears. The alarm which we
sj)rcacl \\as so much the more i^enerai among these innumeraljle legions
(if birds, as we principally disturbed the females which were then sitting.
T1k\' li.ui nests, eggs, and young to defend. The\' v.ere like furious
harpies let loose against us, and their cries rendered us almost deaf.
The\- often flew so near us that they flapped their wings in our faces, and
though we fired our pieces repeatedl}' we A\ere not able to frighten them ;
it seemed almost impossible to disperse this cloud. We could not mo\-e
line .step without crushing either their eggs or their }-oung ones ; the earth
was entirely strewed with them." Tile same traveller found on the Klein-
Rrak River, while waiting for the ebb-title, thousands of pelicans and
flamingoes, some of dee; ro.se-color and others white.

A Pollt'aii Ccinetory.

The subject of Montgomery's beautiful poem, " The Pelican Island,"
was suggested by a short pa.ssage in Captain Flinder's voyage to Terra
Australis, in which he describes one of those numerous gulfs which in-
dent the coasts of New Holland, and ai'c thickly spotted with small is-
lands. " Upon two of these," he says, " we found man\' \'oung pelicans
iniable to flv. Flocks of the old birds were sitting upon the benches of
the lagoon, and it appeared that the islands were their breeding-places;
lint only so, but from the number of skeletons and bones there scattered,
it would .seem that, for ages, these had been selected as the closing scene
of their existence. Certainly none more likel)' to be free from disturb-
ance of everv kind could have been chosen, than these islets of a hidden
lagoon of an uninhabited island, situate upon an unknown coast, near the
antipodes of Europe; nor can anything be more consonant to their feel-
ings, if pelicans have any, than quietl)' to resign their breath, surrounded
b\- their progeii)-, and in the same spot where they first drew it."

Ihc following is one of the poet's pictures of the training of the young :

On beetliiijj rocks the little ones were marshall'd ;
There by endearments, stripes, example, urged
To try the void convexity of heaven,
And plough the ocean'b horizontal field.

H^ijiif'- 111

37()

EARTH, SEA, /.ND SKV,

'I'iiuoroiis, at first they fluttered round tlie vcrg^-,

l;alaiiCL-d and fiirkil lliuir liusitatiii.;' winys,

Thun put them fortli again with steadier aim ;

Now, graining courage ;;'? they felt llie wini!

Dilate their featliers, fill their r.iry frames

With buoyancy that bure tiiem from their feet,

Tiiey yielded all their burthen to the bree/e,

And sailed and soared where'er their guardians led.

Ascending, hovering, wheeling, or alighting,

Tiiey searched tiie deep in (juest of nobler game

Than yet their inexperience had encountered ;

With these tiiey battled in that element,

Tl.eir wings or fins were equally at home,

Till conquerors in many a desperate strife.

They dragged tlieir spoils to land, and gorged at leisure.

Another picture, from the same ^raj^hic pen, ma\- well hi.' added:

Day by day,
New lessons, exercises, and amusements
lunployed the old to teach, the young to learn.
Now floating on tlie blue lagoon behold tliem,
The sire and dam in swan-like beauty s'.eering,
Tlieir cygnets following through tlie foamiijg wake.
Picking the leaves of plants, pursuing insects.
Or catcliing at the bubbles as they brake ;
Till on some minor fry, in reedy shallows,
With (lapping pinions and tmsparing beaks.
The well taught scholars plied their double art,
To fish in troubled waters, and secure
The petty captives in their maiden pouches ,
Then hurry with their banquet to the shore,
W^ith feet, wings, breast, half swimming .ind half-flying;
And when their pens grew strong to fight the storm.
And buffet with the breakers on the reef
The parents put them to severer proofs,

;t'

CIIAPri'.R x\v.

Ti !•: iMri:RiAi. i:a(",i.i:.

Mun;ir< h of MoiiiU.iiii ami T'oifst — Majestic I"lij;;lits — CiaziiiLj at the Sun — Rapa-
( iiius Tyraiils — l^levated Nest— Syinljol cjf koiiKiii I-.iiijiire — Tribute of Mrs. 1 ie-
mans to Wounclcd ICaj^le — Amazing CjIU of Sight — Sei/ure of Marie Delex — A
Monster nf tiie Air— Children Carried Away on Wings— I'rightful I'ncoiinters —
A Daring Rescue— Forest Kinp^ on Mis Crag— Swift Descent — Shrewd Methotl
of Taking Prey— The Ijald Eagle— IMinensions of Sea-ICagle — Preying on (jiiad-
niiK-ds— Mated Once for Life— Osprey or J-"ish Eagle— Peculiar Foot and Toes —
i'hniging Down from \'ast Ileiglits— Claws of Astonishing Strength— llarpy
Ragle — Tenant of Mexico and South America — Hard Fighter — Destroyer of
Animal Life— Sure Aim and I'"'ital Blow —Feathers Used fur Decorations —
Striking Ct)lors of Plumage.

III'". caL^lc.thc niMiKircli of the mountain forest v o\erwhicli iic has
rcinicd since tlic creation, is still foinul exercising;' his dominion in
the ancient rntl remote woods of ]"",urope, Asia, and Americ.i, but
more particularly in the northern parts. Nuttall thus describes it :
Near tl jir rocky nests they are seen usiiall)' in pairs, at times majestically
soarins^rto a\-ast heii^ht, and ga/.in;^ on the sim, towartl Avhich they ascend
until they disappear from \ie\v. L'rom this sublime ele\-ation they often se-
lect their devoted prey — sometimes a kid or a lamb frcnn the sportin;^' flock,
or the timid rabbit or hare crouched in the furrow, or sheltered in some
b''sh. The lar<^cst b'rds are also frequenth' their victims, and in extreme
WcUit the\' will not refuse to join with the alarmed \ulture in his cadaver-
ous repast. After this ^or<^in<^ meal the eai^le can, if necessar\', Hist for
se\cral days.

The [)recarious nature of his subsistence, and the violence by which it
i . constantly obtained, seem to produce a moral effect on the disposition
of this rapacious bird; though in pairs, they are never .seen associated
with their young; their offspring are driven forth to lead the same unso-
cial, wandering life as their unfeeling progenitors. This harsh, and ty-
rannical disposition is strongly displayed even when they lead a life of re-
straint and confinement. The weaker bird is never willingly suffered to
eat a morsel, and though he may cower and quail under the blow with
the most abject submiss'on, the same sa\-age deportment continues to-
ward him as long as he exists. Those obser\ed in steady confinement
frequently uttered hoarse cries, sometimes almost barkings, accompanied

m: ^^iiwijf

iilfii*'.

37«

EARTH, SI:A, and SKV.

b\' wipe rolls hn-athinj^s. stron^l}- cxjircssivc of tlicir ardent. uiK'hk in,,-.,
aljlc, ami sa\aL,'(j appetites. Their fire-dartiii^r eyes, lowcriii;^ hmws, t],,.
foreheatis, restless ilisj)ositi<)ii, ami terrific jjlaiiits, together with tluir pow-
erful natural weapons, seem to assimilate them to the tiper ratlur than
the timorous bird. "S'et it would appear that tluy nia\- he niKkn ,1 dd-
cile, as the Tartars, accorilini;' to Marct) I'olo, weie said to tame tlii^ ^uv-
cies to the chase of hares, foxes, woKes, antel(i|)es, and other kiinU ,,1'
larj^e j^ame, in whicli tluy displa\-ed all the docilit)' of the falcon.

The lon<4e\it)' of the eaj^lc is as remarkable as its strength; it i^ 1^-
lie\ed to subsist for a centurx', and is aljoutthree j'earsin Kainin;^ il.( ,Mn-
pletc growth and fixed plumaj^fe. This bird was held in high estiinaihui
by the ancients on account of its extraordinaiA- maL;nitude, couraj^r, aiir]
.san<;uii'iar\' habits. The Romans chose it as an emblem for their im-
perial .standard, and from its aspirinL;^ flight and majestic soaring it w. is
fabled to hold communion with hea\en, and to be the favorite messiiv.'fr
of Jo\e. The Tartars ha\e a particular esteem for the featlu'rs of tlv
tail, with which thi'y supi'rstitiousI\- think' to plume iivcincible arrow-. |i
is no les.s the \enerated war-eagle of our northern aiul western alx.riL^iiks,
and the caudal feathers are cxtremeK* \alued for head-dresses, and a- ^.i-
cred decorations {ov the pipe of peace.

A Xest ill tlic Tn'c-Tops.

The eagle builds its nest upon the tops c)f trees, and [) refers those wliick,
have the greater number of climbing shrubs about them. Where such
arc not to be found, it selects a buslix- thicket, in which it forms a s|)a-
cious e\-rie of sticks and twining branches, laid nearly flat, and lined wiih
a thick la\'cr of hair inartificially disposed. The female lays two fL;;_;.s.
nuich pointed at one extreniit)', and dotted and .spotted with crimson nn
a ground of brownish-red.

The eagle Qe\ours the dead and the living. Sometimes four or fuc
unite to pursue a pre\' that a single one could not master. D'Azara
states that he has seen them hunt dow'n red buzzards, herons, and otIuT
large birds; and it seems the\' pre}', not only on a variety of smaller crea-
tures, but also on young fawns and lambs. Often do they feast, too, mi
what others hax'c taken. Thus, if an eagle sees a vulture with a piece
of flesh, it will pursue him, and compel him to disgorge it ; and the sports-
man is not unfrequently foiled by this bird coming and bearing off the
game before his eyes.

It is not improbable that similar habits of solitude in the lion and the
eagle, together with their magnitude and strength, have given rise to
their titles, so generally current, of king of beasts — king of birds. Jons-

t k

cstmi;iliun

THE IMPERIAL EAGLE.

:179

ton ••'a\"^ i'l «*'i "'^' work, " I'Ji^daiul b\- ;i Person of Ouality : '" — " The
ci'^lf cliallcnijLth .nc first place, not that it is the best dish at table, for
nolle will eat it, but because it is the kin^f of birds." The ancient Greeks
wxw (if the same opinion, for Pindar sjocaks of " the ^'reat eai^de, the chief
maL;i>tiate i>f the birds."

DiL^Miitx- and majesty a'-c the common attributes of the eai^le. I I(.ncc
Mis. neinans.addressinL^one of these birtls which has been wounded, thus

•>|)Ccik- :

Eagle ! this is not thy sphere !

Warrior bird, what seek'st thou here ?

Wherefore by the fount lin's brink

Doth tliy royal pinion sink ?

Wherefore on the violet's bed

Lay'st tiiou thus tliy drooping head ?

Thou, that hold'st tlie blast in scorn,

Thou, tliat wear's! tlie wings of morn !

Eagle ! I'lagle I thou hast bowed
From thine empire o'er the cloud !
Thou that hadst ethereal birth.
Thou hast stoop'd too near the earth,
And the hunter's shaft hath found thee,
.And the toils of >. 3ath hath bound thee —
Wherefore did'st thou leave thy place,
Creature of a kingly race ?

Stern :md unsocial in their character, yet confident in their strength anti'

efficient means of defense, the ea<.;les delight to dwell in the solitude of

inaccessible rocks, on whose summits they build their rude nest and sit in

lone majesty, while with their keen and piercing eye they sweep the plains

Ixlow, e\en to the horizon. The combined extent aiul minuteness of their

vision, often including not merely towns, \illages, and districts, but

count'.ii's and even kingdoms in it.s \ast circuit, at the same time carefully

piercing the depths of forests, the mazes of swamps, and the intricacies

of lawns and meadow.s, so as to discover every moving object — even the

sly ;uk1 stealthy animal.? that constitute their pre\- — form a power of sight

to which human experience makes no approach. If wc connect with this

amazing gift of\"ision the power of flight which enables these birds to

shoot through the heavens so as to pass from one zone to another in a single

(lay and at a single flight, we shall readily comprehend how it is that they

have in all ages so impres.sed the popular imagination as to render them

the standing types and emblems of power. In ancient times the Jon

was the representative of kings, but the eagle, soaring in the sky, was

made the companion of the gods, and the constant associate of Jupiter

himself

.a
1

•1 •

i-jif

tflHIAff^

.'.'' ;' '

3H0

HARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

Alth()ii<;h in our (la\s tlu: carrj'in^f itff of ("lanx'inedc is noi re-cna<te(l
yet tl?c iiilial.iitants of mountainous countries ha\c .some t^round for accus-
inj^f the ca^^lcs of bearing olTtheir chililreii. A well known fact of tliis
kind took place in llie \'a!ais in IS-'i'^. A little ^irl, fne years old, < .iJIf.l
Marie Drlrx, was playin;^ with one of her companions on a um^sv- ■^\i<\>v
of the mountain, when all at once an eai;le swoopi-d down uj)oii h r mil
carrii-d her awa}' in sjjite of the cries and presence of her )'oun'4 fiinul
Some peasants, hearing- the screams, jiiistened to the spot, hut ^oll■'ht
in \'ain for the child, for the)' found nothing but one of her sh^t^
on the eils^e of the [jni ipice. Ihe child, howewr, \\as not carried to
the cattle's nest, where onl\- two eaglets were seen, surrounded 1)\- heaijs
of goat and sheep bones. It was not till two months aftei' this that
a .she])herd disco\ered the C(^rpse of Marie Delex, frightfulK- nuitilaled,
upon a rock iialf a league from where she had been borne off.

i:a.i;l<> aiKl Child in the .\ir.

.An instance of tliis kind, which occurred in the autumn ofi86S, is thiw
narrated b\' a teacher in county Tipjjah, Mississippi : A .sad casualtv
occurred at my school a fjw daj's ago. The eagles ha\e been \-ery tr< luble-
some in the neighborhood for some time past, carn'ing off pigs and lambs.
No one thought they would attempt to pre\- upon children ; but on Tliurs-
da\', at recess, the little boys were out some distance from the Iimise,
pla)-ing marbles, when their .sport was interrupted by a large ea^lc
sweeping tlown and picking up little Jemmie Kenney, a ben' of eiL;lit
years, and flying awa}' with him. The children cried out, and when I
got out of the house, the eagle was so high that I could just hear the
child screaming. The alarm was given, and from screaming and
shouting in the air, the eagle was induced to drop his victim ; but his
talons had been buried in him so deeply, and the fall was so great, that
he was killed.

The Abbe Spallanzani had a common, or black eagle, which was so
powerful, that it could easily kill dogs much larger than itself When a
dog was cruelly forced into the room where the eagle was kept, it imme-
diately ruffled the feathers on its head and neck, taking a short fliijht,
alighted on the back of its victim, held the neck firmly with one foot, ,so
that there could be no turning of the head to bite, while one of the flanks
was grasped with the other, and in this attitude the eagle continued, till
the dog, with fruitless cries and struggles, expired. The beak, hitherto
unemployed, was how u.sed to make a small hole in the skin ; this was
gradually enlarged, and from it the eagle tore away and devoured the
flesh.

MAKi. DKLEX SE.ZKI) AND CAKK.EU AWAV BV AN IMMENSE EA<a.F.

:::ai|

'-•r

^*l

fii

-«

; 1

;: • -. i' « -|S

'■'mi^.

!■

'^^B ■ i

|l|l|ipi:

^MHB-

'-M^Hp^':

382

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY

Ebcl relates that a youn^ hunter in Switzerland, havin^i^ clisco\enil an
eai^le's nest, killed the male, and was descendin^^ the rocks ti) captun; the
younf^ ones, when, at the moment he was puttin;^ his hand into the cleft
lo take the nest awa}', the mother, indignantly pouncing upon liini, tixcti
her talons in his arm, and her beak in his side. With great presence of
mind, the hunter stood still; had he moved, he would have fallen to the
bottom of the precipice ; but now, holding his gun in one hand, aiul
supporting it against the rock, he took his aim, pulled the trigger with
his foot, and shot the eagle dead. The wounds he had received confined
him to his bed, however, for six weeks. A somewliat similar storv is
related of the cliildren of a Scottish peasant, who were surprised, in their
endeavor to take away some young eaglets from the nest, by the return
of the mother, from whose indignation they had great difficulty in escapin"-.

A peasant, with his wife and three children, took up his summer (luar-
ters in a cottage, and pastured his flock on one of the rich Al})s that ■■<\\:v-
look the Dranse. The eldest boy was an idiot, about eight )-ears of a;'e-
the second, fi\-e years old, but dumb; and the third, an infant. One
morning the idiot \\as left in charge of his brothers, and the three had
wandered to some distance from the cottage before they a\ ere niisscti ;
and, when the mother found the two elder, siie could discover no trace of
the babe. A strange contrast was presented by the t\\ o children ; the
idiot seemed transported with joy, while his dumb brother was filled w ith
consternation. In vain did the terrified parent attempt to gather finin
either what had become of the infant. But, as the idiot danced about in
great glee, laughed immoderately, and imitated the action of one who had
caught up something of which he was fond, and hugged it to his breast,
tile poor woman was slightly comforted, supposing that some acquaint-
ance had fallen in with the children, and taken away the babe.

A Happy Rescue.

But the day and the succeeding night passed without any T -lings of the
lost one. (^n the morrow the parents were earnestly pursuing cheir search,
when, as an eagle flew over their heads, the idiot renewed his gesticu-
lations, and the dumb boy clung to his father with frantic shrieks. Now
the dreadful thought broke upon their minds that the infant had been
carried off by a bird of prey, and that his half-witted brother was delighted
at his riddance of an object which had excited his jealousy.

Meanwhile, an Alpine hunter had been watching near an eyrie, hoping
to shoot the mother-bird, on returning to her ne.st. At length, waiting
with the anxious perseverance of such determined sportsmen, he saw her
slowK' winging her way towards the rock, behind which he had taken

cd abdut in

s deli*jhtLd

THE IMPERIAL EAGLi:.

;i.s;}

.ji^iov, wlion, (in her nearer approach, ho heard, to liis horror, the cries
ot" an uilant, and then beheld it in her fri<^htful ^rasp. Instantly his
rcNohc was made, to fire at the eagle the moment she should ali_i;ht on
the in>t, and rather to kill the child than leave it to be devoured. W'itli
I silent pra\'er, arising from his heart of hearts, he poised, directetl, and
<lisclKU"^ed his rifle; the ball went .rough the head or breast of the

VULTURE ON HIS MOUNTAIN CRAG.

eaj^le; with indescribable delight he bore the babe away; and, within
iour-and-twenty hours after it was mis.sed, he had the .satisfaction of
restoring it — with wounds which were not serious, on one of its arms and
sides — to its transported mother's bosom.

The night of the bald eagle, when taken into consideration with the
ardor ami energy of his character, is noble and interesting. Sometimes

i : ii

^'-=2

iom''

'MM,

SEA EAGLE AND ITS CAPTIVE.

(384)

thp: imperial eagle.

;5So

the human eye can just dlsccm him, like a minute speck, moving in slow
curvatures along the face of the heavens, as if reconnoitering the earth
at that immense distance. Sometimes he glides along in a direct horizon-
tal line, at a vast height, with expanded and unmoving wings, till he
-rrailually disappears in the distant blue ether. Seen gliding in easy cir-
cles over the high shores and mountainous cliffs that tower above the
Hudson and Susquehanna, he attracts the eye of the intelligent voyager,
and adds great interest to the scenery. At the great Cataract of Niagara,
the world's wonder, there rises from the gulf into which the Fall of the
Horse-Shoe descends, a stupendous column of smoke, or spray, reaching
to the heavens, and moving off in large black clouds, according to the
direction of the wind, forming a very striking and majestic appearance.
The eagles are here seen sailing about, sometimes losing themselves in
this thick column, and again reappearing in another place, with such ease
and elegance of motion, as renders the whole truly sublime.

High o'er tlie watery uproar, silent seen,

Sailint^ sedate in majesty serene,

Now midst the pillared spray sublimely lost,

And now, emerging, down the rapids tossed,

Glides the bald eagle, gazing, calm and slow,

O'er all tlie horrors of the scene below;

Intent alone to sate himself with blood,

From the torn victims of the raging flood.

Audubon describes a bald eagle pursuing a swan, as follows: The ne.Kt
moment, however, the wild trumpet-like sound of a yet distant but ap-
proaching swan is heard : a shriek from the female eagle comes across
the .stream ; for she is fully as alert as her mate. Tlie snow-white bird is
now in sight ; her long neck is stretched forward ; her eye is on the
watch, vigilant as that of her enemy; her large wings seem with difficul-
ty to support the weight of her body, although they flap incessantly. So
irksome do her exertions .seem, that her very legs are spread beneath her
tail, to aid her in her flight. She approaches ; the eagle has marked her
for his prey. As the .swan is passing the dreaded pair, the male bird
starts from his perch, in full preparation for the chase, with an awful

scream.

Flijyht Like a Flash of Lightning.

Now is the time to witness a display of the eagle's powers. He glides

through the air like a falling star, and, like a flash of lightning, comes

upon the timorous quarry, which now, in agony and despair, seeks, by

various maneuvers, to elude the grasp of his cruel talons.* It mounts,

doubles, and willingly would plunge into the stream, were it not prevented

III

n '

hi \

!,1

38()

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

by the oajjjlc, which, loni^ possessed of the knouleclj^e that, by such a
strataL^ein, the swan might cscai;)e him, forces it to remain in the air jjy
atteinpting to strike it with his talons from beneath. The hour of
escape is .s(M)n given u|) by the swan. It has ah'eady become much weak-
ened, and its strerigth fails at the sight of the courage and swiftn(>-, of
its antagonist. Its last gasp is about to escape, when the ferocious cu'^lo
strikes with his talons the under side of its wing, and, with unresisted
power, forces the bird to fall in a slanting direction upon tlic tharcst
shore.

\V'\. again, when two of these eagles are hunting, in concert, sonnj
bird which lias alighted on the water, this writer sa\-s : At olliur linics
when these eagle.s, .sailing in search of prey, discover a goose, a duclc, or
a swan, that lias alighted on the water, the)' accomplish its destruction in
a manner that is woilliy of our attention. Well aware that the walcr-
fo\',l ha\e it in their power to di\e at their approach, and therebv elude
their attempts upon them, they ascend in the air, in opposite dir^'ctions,
o\er the lal<e or ri\er i^n which the object which they arc desirous of pos-
.sessing has jjeen observed. I^olh reach a certain height, immedial i\ af-
ter which, one of them glide. wiLli great swiftness toward the piv; the
latter, meantime, aware of the eagle's intention, dives the moment before
hz reaches the s[)ot. The pursuer then rises in th.e au', and is niet h\- its
mate, which glides toward the water bird that has just emerged to breathe,
and forces it to plunge again beneath the surface, to escape the talons of
this second assailant. The fu'st eagle is now poising itself in the place
where its mate formerl\- was, and rushes anew, to force the quarr\- to
make another plunge. By thus alternately gliding, in rapid ami (ifton-
repeated rushes, over the ill-fated bird, the}- soon fatigue it, when it
stretches out its neck', swims dccpl\-, and makes for the .shore in the hope
of concealing itself among tlie rank weeds. But this is of no a\ail ; for
the eagles follow it in all its motions; and the moment it approaches the
margin, one of them darts upon it.

The Soa Easle.

In the penus iialia;tus belong the fishing or sea eagles, the best known
:uid lari'cst of which is the white-headed eagle. The length is about
ilr.ee feet, and the extent of wings seven feet ; the female is somewhat
larger. Its usual food is fish, but it cats the flesh of other animals, when
it can get it and often seizes quadrupeds and birds of inferior fiiglit, and
when {ires.sed by hunger will feed on carrion. The flight of this bird is
very majestic ; it .sails along^ w'ith extended wings and can ascend until it
disappears from view, without any apparent motion of the wings or tail;

; -! ■'

^5^:^:^

-'• -T^ ' ' ^ ■ <

by such a
the air, Ijy
- hopr (if
uich ucak-
swiftnc.ss of
cious caL^lo
unrcsihteu
ll'ic nearest

iccrl, Miiinj
iilhc'r tunes,
, a duclc, or
;struct!(iii in
: the watcr-
icrcby elude
e directions,
rcius ()t pos-
nediateiy af-
ic prey ; the
ment bifore
s met by its
1 to breathe,
lie talons of
in the place
quarry to
and (;ften-
it, when it
in the hope
c) a\ail ; for
roaches the

Ibest Known

th is about

I somewhat

[mals, when

flight, and

Ithis bird is

tend until it

i<rs or tail;

■: .■■ifii

Fisu EAULE wrni nuoui) Ob" voi;n<;.

(:'.S7)

'■fesj

PL.

'I'

I; ,

3SS

EARTH, SI:A, and SKY,

and from the L;"rcatcst luiL^ht il tlcsccnds with ;i liipiclit}-, w hicli can srarcclv
be followed b\' the eye. I'hc power of win^ is nor more remarkahli' than
the ccmsumate skill with w hich the stroiv,; pim'ons are made to c't tlv -ij,-

These birds live to a s^reat i\'j;c. The)- are gener illy seen in Mairs an'
the imion seems to last for life. The attachment oi the old birds t' i their
\'ounL^ is \-er\' great. The breeding season commences about March aiiil
thongh each male has but one mate tluring its entire life, many and ticrc^'
are the battles, which arise about the possession of these spous(..s.

The Os|»r<'.v or l^'isli Ivanio. •

The u liite-tailed .sea eagle of Murope, called also ospre\', is distribute i
over the nortliern ])ortions of tlu ( )ld Wmld. It feed.s principiUy en fssh
and when unable to obtain Hsh, on sea birds, young .seals, and anv small
animals which it -an surprise. The length from the point of the beak to
the end of the tai. is about two feet, and the expanded wings nu;asurc
somewhat more than fi\e feet.

The wings, when cU^.sed, reach beyond the end of the tail. The head
is small, and is brown or l)lack, with white at the top. The upper parts
of the body and the whole of the tail are brown, and the breast is white.
It is a singular circumstance in the formation of this bird that the outer
toe turns easily l)ackward, so as on occasion 'o have two of the toes for-
ward and two backward, and it has a much larger claw than the inner
one. This, and the roughness of the whole foot underneath, are well
adapted for the st :uring of its prey.

A Sud<l<Mi I*lniij>*'.

During the .'-pring and summer months the osprey is frecjuentl}' seen
hovering over the ri\ers for minutes without visible c'nange of [ilace. It
then suddenly darts down and plunges into the water, whence it seldom
rises again without a fish in its talons. When it rises in the air it shaken
off the water and pursues its way towards the woods. The' bald eai;le
which, on the.se occasions, is generally on the watch, instantly jnu-.sues
the osprey, whereupon the latter drops the fish. The former immediately
pounces at this prey and never fails to catch it before it reaches the water,
leaving the osprey to begin its work afresh. Sometimes the osprey will
fight with the otlier for its rightful property, and though generally con-
quered in the end, a fight of this sort has been kept up for upwards of

half an hour.

The Harpy EagL^

The harpy eagle is of the size, power, and fierceness of the true cackles,

It has a crest of numerous broad, black feathers on the back part of the

head, which is raised by excitement and depressed in tranquillity. The

is (listril)ul'j 1
ip'illy on fish,
nd any small
if the beak tr,
in<r.s measure

THE IMPERIAL EAGLE.

hack an>' winss arc bn.u ni<h-!)lack. each featlier teniiinatint; in a narrow
s^ti'ak '-•■' ligli'ter shade; .'.-e under surface i^ pure wliile; its \vin<^s arc
slKutJts uis and talons robust, its ^^-neral aspect severe and savac^^c,

methins ^f '^1'*' gloomy expression of the owl. It inhabits

RAVENOUS HARPY F.Ar.T.r.

Mexico and the n.^thern portions of South America. It preys on sloths,
monkeys, fawns, and other quadrupeds, and especially the younij ones
Ono. of the species, which was being carried to England, killed and

« b

^1'

it m ^ I

■<)* "

890

KARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

devoured a kii!^- /ultiirc which was in the same ca<^e. After its arrival a
cat was put into the cage, and this it struck with its focit, uistamlv
breaking its back. It has been known to break a man's skull by a stroke
of its powerful b'U.

D'Orbigny tells of one which, ha\ing been pierced entirely throtigji
the body by two arrows of the Indians, still Tiercel)' attacked the persons
around him. and was finally dispatched with (iifficulty. This formidable
species inhabits the edges of forests, and i.s particularly f(*nd of seekiri"
its prey along the banks of rivers; it seems not to fear man, but allows
his approach with an air of defiance.

The Short- WiiiKod Tyrant of tin* Forest.

The shortness of the wing.s of the harpy eagle, when compared with
tiiose ol the golden eagle of Europe, and tiieir rounded form and breast,
though well adapting them for a continued steady flight, render them less
efficient as organs of rapid aerial evolutions than those of the latter, but
as it inliabits the woods and does not prey upon birds, but upon animals
incapable of saving themselves by flight, its powers of wing arc in
accordance with the circumstances as to food and locality under which it
is placed.

The harpjy is the crested, crowned tyrant, and destructive South
American eagle. Its length is from two and a half to three feet and the
spread of the wings five to six feet. Its general color is dark brown
above and white below. The feathers of the breast are -/ery lon^ and
loose. It lives in the dark forests of inter-tropical America, es|)ecially
near the borders of great river/, and preys on .sloths, monkeys, large birds
and on young deer and other quadrupeds of that size.

If the harpy eagle soars not aloft, hovering over plains and nniunUiins,
it threads the woods, and with unerring aim, strikes its defenceless vic-
tims. Death seems the work of an instant ; the strongest of these animals,
powerless in his grasp, is clutched and expires. Strong as are th.^- talons
of the golden eagle, great as is the muscular development of its limbs,
•and- formidable as are its claws, they .seem almo.st trilling compareil with
those o' the harpy eagle. It is interesting to compare the skeletons of
these birds. The bones of the harpy are in thickness more than douhl;
that of the golden eagle, and the enormous size of the talons is sufficient
to convince the observer of the ease with which tiiis fierce bird couKI
bury its claws in the vitals of its prey. In its native region.-, the liarn;.'
eagle is by no means common. It is eagerly hunted by the natives, ho
consider the feathers of this bird as their proudest decorations.

■ its arrival a
'ct, instantly
1 by a stroke

■c-ly throiigli

the persons

s foniudahlc

d of scekin-:

1, but allows

mparcd with
1 and breast,
Icr them less
!ic latter, but
ipon animals
.viiig are in
idcr which it

ictivc South
feet and the
dark brown
V loULi and
es])e!:iall)-
'dV'^c birdi

irnuntains,
.'iiceles.s \ic-
:.se animals,

th.o talons
its limbs,

)arecl with
ikcletons of

lan doubl:
IS sufficient

jjird could

the harpy
atives, ho

CHAPTER XV.
CHARMING CREATURES OF THE AIR.

H.auty of the Bird of Paradise — Strange Guesses— "A Heavenly Residence" — Fly-
ing Against the Wind — Method of Capturing the Paradise Bird — Rising Above
the Gale — Plumage of Wonderful Elegance — Bird Seen in a Mirror — Fastidious
Creature — Pride of Feathers— Pretty Hedge-Sparrow — Great Pains in Building
^ X^-st — Fine Singers — Nightingale Learning the Hedge-Sparrow's Song^Dis-
rovery of the Lyre-Bird— Singular P'orm of Tail — Graceful Appearance — Swiit
Runner— Sudden Break in f 'ie Music —Savages Decorated with Superb Feath-
ers— The Swift Swallow -Ii.genious Aerial Oars— Long Flights— Extraordinary
Migrations— Guesses by Scientific Men — ''When the Swallows Homeward Fly" —
Argus Pheasant — Size and Color- -A Beauty of Sumatra — Plumage Decorated
with a Hundred Eyes— Short Life in Captivity — Old Birds with Gay Feathers —
Story of Crccsus and Solon — "Golden-Flower F"owl" of China — Far-Flying Alba-
tross — Expert Fisher— Nest Built up on the Ground— The Plumed Crane —
Milton's Description — Story of William the Conciueror — Habits of Crane Fam-
,ly_I,udicrous Vanity of a Crane — Dweller in Tree-Tops.

ME birds of i)aradise have great diversity of beauty. Some of
them have thinly-barbed feathers to cover the closed wing, so
prolonged as to form immense tufts, and extending far back-
ward beyond the body. The most fanciful conjectures have
been entertained in reference to the habits of these birds. By some they
have been regarded as inhabitants of the air, living only on the dew of
heaven, and never touch!. .^ the surface of this terrestrial sphere ; and
others, while believing they never rested on the ground, have considered
that they subsisted on insects. Some have ranked them among the birds
of prey, and others — including Buffon — asserted that they had no feet,
and could neither walk nor swim, and were incapable of any other means
of progression except by flight.

i,ome little mystery beclouded the views of many, in consequence of
the fact that the people of the islands where the bird of paradise was first
obtained have paid little regard to the .study of natural history. The fact
is, that its legs being large and strong, and neither ornamental nor required
in the skins made up for general commerce, were cut off; while the
natives, thus concealing what they regarded as a deformity, considered
themselves entided to augment their demands when they offered the bird
for sale. The purchaser of it in civilized countries naturally inquired for
the legs of which it wao destitute, and the seller began to think that it could

(391)

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lit

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a{)2

EARTH, SKA, AND SKV

I: t

WMi

ha\c none. MaviiiLj ani\ctl at this sati- factory conclusion, it was a lu-ces-
sary inference that a bird -.vithoiit Icl^s niiist hve in ihr air, uliicli \\',\.U\
render theni unnecessary ; the extraoriliuary beauty dI ihc i)hinia,i,u .I'wl.'d
to tile deception, and as it was considered lO have " iieavenly l)rauiv," n
was tliou;4ht aiso to lia\e a " heavenl)' resilience." In accor(IaiiC( wiili
this \icw its name was _L;i\-en, and the liiisL rt'ports which haw been pnip.
ai^ated on the subject have thus a Hence Linuicu^ .uid tlie ultlcr

writers styled the binl af^oiia, oi loouess, although the nian ulio jiuio-
duced the bird to scientific obsor\-ation in luirope distinctl)' stated thai it
was in no [)roiiiinent res[)ect different from other birds.

I*ai'iidis<> liinis in the .Vii*.

Tile true resitlence. or breeding-place, ot these birds seems to be I'apna,
or New Guinea, whence lhe>- make occasional excursions to sonic smaller
nei_i;liborin;^ islands. The\- ll\- in llocks of about thirty or fort)-, led, it i.s
alleL;ed, b\- a siiude bird, which the natives call their kin;^', but which is
said to be i^{ a different s])ecies. It is t'urther pi\teniled, that u In ii this
bird s(.'ttles the whole ni!_;ht settle also, in conseiiuence of which tluv
sometimes ])erish, beiiii;' unable to rise aL;ain. owiiii; to the peculiar -tnic-
turc of their wint^s. They also alwa>'> ll}- aj^ainst the wind, lest their
plumaj;-e should be discomposed. While llvini; ilie\ make a noise like
starlings, but their common cr\- rather resembles that of a ra\en. and is
veiy audible in windy weathe-r, when they dread the chance of heiiiL^
thrown upon the s^round. In the Aru islaiuls the\' an seen to perch un
Ioft\' trees, and an; \ariously captured by the inhabitants, with bird-lime
snares and blunted arrows. 'riiouLjh many are taken alive, they arc
alwa_\-s killed imnuxliately, embowelled. the feet cut off the plunietl skins
fumii^ated with sulphur and then dried for sale. The Dutch >hips
fre(pientin!4- the sea between New Guinea and Aru, a distance of about
twenty miles, not unfrcquentl\' observe flocks (^f |)aradise birds cro-^ini;
from one to the other of these i)laces, but constantlx' ai^ainst tiie wind.
Should a s::jale arise, tlie\' ascend to i i^reat heicjht, into the region^ of
perpetual calm, and there i)ursue their journey. With respect to their
food, we ha\e little cert.iin information from the older authors, some of
whom assert they prey on small birds, a supposition which is favored by
their strenij^th of bills and lej^s, and the vigor with which the\' act in self-
defence. They are said also to feed on fruits, berries, and butterflies.
Plmnod Bird of Gracetiil Plight.

A recent account of these birds in a state of nature is given by Lesson.

The birds of paradise, he says, or at least the emerald species live in
troops in the vast forests of the Papuans, a group of islands situated under

'P1

■11

i;;i i

KOVAL lilKO OF rAKAlM-l':

(\m)

i''M:

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,.|TT

r^(i!

I !'

■plll

N* !^ ;

;'.!»

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

the ccitiator. and which is cojiiposcd of the islands Arou, \Vaj;ioii, and the
great island callcti New (iuinea. They arc birtls of passa^'e, chaiviivr
their cjuarters accf)rdinc; to the monsoons. The females conirrc-c^al- jn
troops, assemble ujion the tops of the hiL^hcst trees in the forest, and all
cry toc;ether tf) call the males. These last are always alone in the midst
of some fifteen females, which compost; their seraglio, after the manner ()f
the gallinaceous l)irds,

('ol<»r4Ml Pliiiiiii^c of Siirpi'isiii};' I-Mc^Miifc.
Soon after our arrival at this land of prt)mise (New Guinea) fir ilu
naturalist, I was on a shootinL,^ excursion. Scarcely had I walked s. uno
hundred paces in those ancient forests, the daufjhters of time, whose
sombre depth was perhaps the most magnificent and statel\- sij^dit tliat I
had ever seen, when a bird of paradise struck my view: it flew gracefullv
and in undulations ; the feathers of its sides formed an elegant and at rial
phimc, which, without exaggeration, bore no remote resemblance to a
brilliant meteor. Sur|)rise(l, astounded, enjo\-ing an inexpressi!)lc rrr.itifi-
cation, I devoured this si)lenciid bird with my eyes; but my emotion \\a>
so great that I forgot to shoot at it, and did not recollect that I luul a ^im
in my hand till it was far awa)-.

One scarcely has a just idea of the paradise birds from the skins which
the Papuans sell to the Mala\'s and which come to us in America. The
people formerly hunted the birds to decorate the turbans of their chiefs.
They kill them during the night by climbing the trees where they perch,
and shooting them with arrows made for the purpose, very short, which
they make with the stem of the leaves of a palm. The campongs, or vil-
lages of Mappia and of Emberbakenc are celebrated for the quantitv nf
birds which they prepare, and all the art of the inhabitants is directed to
taking off their feet, skinning, thrusting a little stick through the body,
and drying it in the smoke. Some more adroit, at the solicitation of the
Chinese merchants, dry them with the fi;et on.

It is at the rising and setting of the sun that the bird of paradise goes
to seek its food. In the middle of the day it remains hidden under the
ample foliage of the teak-tree, and comes not forth. He seems to dread
the scorching rays of the sun, and to be unwilling to expose himselfto
the attacks of a rival.

Bennett, in his " Wanderings," gives the following account of a bird of
paradise which he found in an aviary at Macao, where it had been con-
fined nine years, exhibiting no appearance of age;

This elegant, beautifully colored creature has a light, playful, and
graceful manner, with an arch and impudent look ; dances about when a

CIIAKMIN(i CRKATUKES OK THE A IK.

3Ua

visitor ;ii)i)roaches the cage, and seems delitjhted.it beiiij; made an ob-
ject of admiration; its notes are very peculiar, resembhn^ the cawing of
the raven, but its Kines are by far more varied. During four montlis of
the vear, from May to August, it moults. It washes itself regularly
twice daily, and, after ha\ ing performed its ablutions, throws its delicate
feathers up nearly over the head, the (juills of which have a peculiar
structure, so as to enable the bird to effect this object. His food during
confinement is boiled rice mixed with soft egg, together with plantains
and living insects of the grasshopper tribe ; these insects, when thrown
to him, the bird contrives to catch in his beak with great celerity.

Passioiiato I'ridc of Dress.

I have observed the bird, previously to eating a grasshopper given
him in an entire and unmutilateil state, place the insect upi)n the perch,
keep it firmly fixed with the claws, and, divesting it of the legs and wings,
devour it, with the head always placed first. He rarely alights upon
the ground, and so proud is the creature of his elegant dress, that he
never permits a soil to remain upon it, and may t'requently be seen
spreading out his wings and feathers, and regarding his splendid self in
every direction, to observe whether the whole of the plumage is in an
unsullied condition. He does not suffer from the cold weather during
the winter scson at Macao, though exposing the elegant bird to the
blcik northerly winds is always very particularly avoided.

The sounds uttered by this bird are very peculiar; that which ap-
pears to be a note of congratulation resembles somewhat the cawing of
the raven, but changes to a varied scale of musical gradations. A
drawing of the bird, of the nafural size, was made by a Chinese artist.
The bird advanced steadily towards the picture, uttering at the same
time its cawing, congratulatory notes ; it did not appear excited by rage,
but pecked gently at the representation, jumping about the perch, knock-
ing its mandablcs together with a clattering noise, and cleaning them
against the perch, as if welcoming the arrival of a companion. After the
tii'il of the picture, a looking-glass was brought, to see what effect it
would produce upon the bird, and the effect was nearly the same ; he
re^iirded the reflection of himself most steadfastly in the mirror, nevei-
quitting it during the time it remained before him. When the glass was
removed from the lower to the ujiper perch, he instantly followed, but
would not descend upon the floor of the cage when placed so low.

Paradise Bird in His Glory.

One of the best opportunities of seeing this splendid bird in all the
beauty of action, as well as display of plumage, is early in the morning,

Wki

f i .1

;}!)()

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

when he makes his toilet; the beautiful plumage is then thrcnvn out
and cleaned from any spot that may sully its purity by being passed
gently through the bill ; the short chocolate-colored wings are ex-
tended to the utmost, and he keeps them in a steady flapping motion, as
if in imitation of their use in flight, at the same time raising up the deli-
cate long feathers over the back, which are spread in a chaste and ele-
gant manner, floating like films in the ambient air.

I never yet, says I^ennett, beheld a soil on its ftMthers. After ex-
panding its wings, it would bring them together so as to conceal the
head, then bending it gracefully, it would inspect the state of itsplumaqe
underneath. This action it repeats in quick succession, uttering at tlic
time its croaking notes ; it then pecks and cleans its plumage in every
part within reach, and throwing out the elegant and delicate tuft nf
feathers underneath the wings, seemingly with much care, and with not
a little pride, they are cleaned in succession, if required, by throwiniT
them abroad, elevating them, and passing them in succession tlnoui'h
the bill. Then turning its back to the spectator, the actions above-
mentioned arc repeated, but not in so careful a manner; elevating its
tail and long shaft-f^'athers, it raises the delicate plumage, forniin'^ a
beautiful dorsal crest, and throwing its feathers up with much grace, ap-
pears as proud as a lady in her full ball-dress.

Having completed the toilet, it utters the usual cawing notes, at the
same time looking archly at the spectators, as if ready to receive all the
admiration that it considers its elegant form and display of plumage de-
mand; it then takes exercise by hopping, in a rapid and graceful man-
ner, from one end of the upper perch to the other, and descends sud-
denly upon the second perch close to the bars of the cage, looking out
for the grasshoppers which it is accustomed to receive at this time.

This bird is not at all ravenous in its habits of feeding, but it eats rice
leisurely, almost grain by grain. Should any of the insects thro\^n in-
to the cage fall upon the floor, it will not descend to them, appearing to
be fearful that in so doing it may soil its delicate plumage: it therefore
seldom or ever descends, except to perform ablutions in the pan of
water placed at the bottom of the cage expressly for its use.

Tlu' Iledgi'-Sparrow or Siskin.

The siskin or hedge-sparrow is a common bird in all the high part> of
Europe. They build generally near the extremities of the branches of
tall fir trees or near the summit of the tree. They build a nest of small
twigs of birch or heath outside, and neatly lined with hair. Their eggs
are a bluish white spotted with purple or red. The bird closely resein-

n tliro^vn out,
■ being passed
.villus are ex-
ing motion, as
ig up the (Icli-
chaste and cle-
ars. After rx-
to conceal the
of its plumafjc
uttering at the
image in every
lelicate tuft nt
2, and with not
.1, by throwing
:.ssion through
actions abovc-
r ; elevating its
lagc, forming a
luch grace, ap-

ig notes, at the
receive all the

)f plumage de-
grace ful man-
descends sud-

je, looking mit
this time.

but it cats rice
cts throve n in-

n, appearing to
e : it therefore
in the pan of

ise.

high part^ of
he branches of
a nest of small
r. Their eggs
closely resein-

GRACEFUL }I KDGE-SPAKROWS.

(307)

■I ^m

ifflilrs' ilii i .'

Jim *

'P'*:

ft*'. > J

^98

EARTH, Sr:A, AND SKY.

bles the common .sp:iriow in appearance. They arc excellent sino-e
and can easily be domesticated. There are about forty species of tliis
pretty little bird which by its f^entle ways and its beautiful song has en-
deared itself to the inhabitants of continental Europe and the British
Isles.

A nestling nightingale learnt the notes of a hedge-sparrow that sann-
near to it, for want of other sounds to imitate ; and it was extraordinary
to hear the gentle, although agreeable warble of the latter attuned to
the full compass and power of the nightingale. The effect was most
pleasing, although, of course, not equal to the natural notes of this bird,
not one of wliicli he retained. Indeed, many birds are almost entirely
imitative, and m default of hearing the parent bird, they borrow notes
of others: soft-billed birds always jn-eferring the song of soft-billed

birds, and z'/rc versa.

Tlu> I.yio-Bird.

In the beginning of the present century, a party of rather turbulent
Irishmen were sent on a voyage of discovery to New South Wales. The
go\ernor hardly knew what to do with them, and he thought the hard-
ships of travelling in an unknown countr\' would cure their restlessness.
When they returned, they brought with them a bird which they cailcd a
pheasant. Its si.ze was that of a connnon hen, of a reddish blaclc color,
and with strong black legs. It had a crest on it-j head, but its tail was
the most extraordinary part of it. It spread out in the shape of a lyre,
and was composed of se\-eral feathers f f a ligl'.t brown color, inclininjj; to
orange, and shading into silver. The end of each frather was jjlack.
The feathers were of a different texture, alternatel}' thin and thick.

The tail has not the dazzling .splendor of the peacock, but it surpassc;
it in beauty of shape. There are, as ynu see, twolarge cruA-ed f ailKis, of
black and brown striped., that curve into the form of a lyre, and between
them are a number of finer ami gauze-like f.;athers that fill up the space
and give them a most elegant appearance. Nothing so striking or grace-
ful hatl been e\er imagined, ami yet it had been hidden in the wild Inishes
of Australia from time immemorial.

Of all the birds the lyre-bird is the most difficult to catch sight of, much
less to procure. Its large strong feet are made for running, antl it is con-
.stantlv going up and tl(~)wn among the brushwood, from the top of the
mountains to the steep and stony gullies below. It carries its tail erect, so
that it can come to no danger. It has a loud cry, which may he heard a
long way off, and another note, which may be called a song, but wliich
cannot be heard unless you are close by.

t singers
JS of this
g has cn-
le British

that sang
^ordinary
ttuned to
ivas most
this bird,
>t entirely
row notes
soft4)il!cd

turbulent
lies. 'Hie
the hard-
jstlcssiicss.
cy called a
lack color,
ts tail was
of a lyre,
dining to
a-i black.
ick.
surpassc:;
athers, of
between
the space
or i;race-
1(1 bushes

It of, nuich
1 it is con-
to[) of the
lil erect, so
H' heard a
but which

QUEE

'r*

(399)

lift

400

EARTH, SEA AN'P SKY

The naturalist <^oes througli unheard-of toils to catcli a sii;lit ifthe
birds. I le lies hidden among the brushwood, and hears their loud siir;;'-
notes, for days together, without bcin^;- able to obtain a glimpse ( fthcin
Quite dcterminetl to doso, he does not give up his point, but climbs aiMiKr
the gullies and ravines, where he has to cling to trees and creeping ulanu
to keep himself from fdling.

These are the spots where the birds often resort ; but if so much as a
branch cracks, or a stone rolls over, they take the alarm and are l; .iie
i'^'cn when the hunter has come up with one of them, he has to crawl
among the branches of the trees and remain perfectly motionless. If the
bird is not singing, or engaged in scratching for food, it is almost sure to
perceive him if he stirs either hand or foot, and it vanishes as ifbviiia'ic

It runs with the utmost rapidity, aided by its wings, over roclcs or lorr,;
of wood, or whatever comes in its way. It does not often fly into atn.c.
except to roost. It scratches about the ground and thie roots of tr':cs to
pick up seeds and insects. Its nest is xery large, and like that of the nia.-
pie. There are twelve or sixteen eggs in the nest, of a white color, witlia
few light blue spots. Tlie young birds scamper about with the utnidst
rapidity, and hide themselves amongst the rocks and bushes. In sonvj
places, where roads have been cut through the bush, the bird is more fre-
quently seen, and a man on horseback can approach it more easiK' than
when on foot. It seems less afraid of the horse than of the man. Soiik-
timesit is pursued by dogs, that are taught to rush suddenly upon it wlion
it leaps down from its roosting-place in the tree. And sometinx's the
hunter wears one of the beautiful lyredike tails in his hat, and keeps it
moving about while he hides in the bushes. The bird is taken b\- sur-
prise at what he supposes to be one of his own species, and comes within

reach of the gun.

No Time to be Lost.

Another w^iy is to whistle, or make some unusual sound, upon whieh
the bird will come forth out of curiosity, and allow himself to be seen ;b;;t
unless tl2 gun is fired in a moment, he is halfway down the valley. In
(deed, shooting the lyre-bird is totally different to any other kind of sport,
and the most clever sportsman could do nothing unless he ui' Icrstuoil
the nature of the country and the habits of the bird. The native is by far
the most expert hunter of any. He likes to deck his hair with the plum-
age of the lyre-bird, and to glide noiselessly among the bushes with a L,niii
in his hand. So cautious is he, and so silent, that he can always approach
nearer to it than any one else, and rarely suffers it to escape.

Besides its running powers, the bird can take very wonderful leaps.

CHARMING CREATURES OF THE AIR.

401

At one ]''ap it can rise ten feet from the ground. Its habits are sohtary ;
but tw o lyre-birds have been seen at play, chasing each other round and
round, and carrying their elegant tails in an upright position. It has
also tlie habit of making a round hillock, on which it comes every day
and erects its tail, and tramples the ground, and utters all its notes —
sometimes mocking those of other birds, and even making a howling
noise like that of the dingo, or native dog.

Resides its loud full call, which may be heard echoing to a great dis-
tance, it can sing the little song we have mentioned. The strain is often
broken off suddenly, and then resumed again. The nests are sometimes
placed on the ledge of some projecting rock, or on the stump of a tree,
but always near the ground. One of the nests which was seen by a
naturalist was deep, and shaped like a bason, and lined with the bark of
trees and fibrous roots.

Mail the Foe of the Auiuuvl Creation.

" It is much to be regretted," Mr. Bennet justly remarks, "that hu-
man beings are so eager to destroy, even to extermination, the races of
animals, useful or dangerous, which may be found in a new country. In
the settled parts of a colon}', the harmless kangaroos and emus are
rarely .seen, when they might be easily domesticated about the habita-
tions. The same remark applies to the lyre-pheasant. Why are they
not domesticated before, by extermination they are lost to us forever ?"

The tail feathers are detached entire from the bird, and are sold in the
shops in Sydney in pairs. The price was formerly low, but as the bird
has, from being destroyed, as it was not aforetime, become rare, the tails
fetch five to ten dollars per pair. About the ranges of the Tumal coun-
try, where gun has seldom been carried the}' are more frequently seen.
Mr. Bennett is our authority for the following particulars :

This bird has its young, like all the wild animals, in the country, and
can there be most easily procured. It is heavy it' flight, but swift of
Tiot. On catching a glimpse of tlu sportsman, it runs rapidly, aided by
the wings, in getting over logs of wood, rocks, or any obstruction to its
protrress ; it seldom flies into trees, except to roost, and then rises only
from branch to branch. These birds build in old hollow trunks of
trees which are lying on the ground or in the holes of rocks. The nest
is formed merely of dried grass or dried leaves, scraped together. The
female lays from twelve to sixteen eggs, of a white color, with a few
scattered blue spots.

The young are difficult to catch, as the}'- run with rapidity, concealing
themselves among the rocks and bushes. The lyre-bird, on descending,
20

■A

iaSSm

ARIEL SWALLOWS AND XESTS.

(402)

The

CHAR 'ING CREATURES OF THE AIR.

403

from high trees, on which it perches, has been seen to fly some distance.
It is more frequently observed during^ the early hours of the morning,
and in the evening?, than during the heat of the day. It scratches about
the ground and the roots of trees, to pick up seeds and insects. The
aborigines deck their greasy locks with the splendid tail-feathers of this
bird, when they can procure them.

The Swift Swallow.

The mechanism of birds is admirably suited to aid their rapid flight.
'1 heir aerial oars, moved by mu.scles of e.xtraordinary power, easily adapt
themselves to all the hazards of their peregrinations through the elevated
regions of air. There are animals, as the swallow, for instance, to which
flight is so easy that thc\' seem to make i\ sport of it. A passive force
further assists their sii-^pension in the plains of the atmosphere; air,
rarefied by the warmth of the body, penetrates into all its cavities and
even to the interior of the bones. Rendered thus specifically lighter,
like Montgolfier balloons filled with warm gas, they float without eflbrt
amid the clouds. Such is the daring flight of those condors which
Liunched themselves from the frozen summits of the Andes towards the
.sky, and soon disappeared from the sight of D'Orbigny, without one's
being able to explain how they ccuild breathe so rarefied an atmosphere.

The bird, though endowed with such a slight frame, nevertheless sur-

jia.ssos in strength the ponderous engines which glide along our railroads.

It.s vessels and fibres, notwithstanding their wonderful delicacy, work and

resist more energetically than our heavy wheel-work and ca.st-iron tubes;

in the one is seen the finger of God, in the other only the genius of man !

Launched like an arrow into space, the bird, playing the while, silently

clears twenty leagues an hour. A locomotive going at high pressure,

on\cloped in fire and smoke, attains the same speed only by consuming

heaps of coal a..d water amid the infernal uproar of its wheels and

pistons.

Excu^^^ions of Hiiiidrods of Miles.

Accordino- to Sir Hans Sloanc.the sea-mews which nestle on the rocks
of l^arbadoes take every day a journey over the sea of four hundred
miles to amuse themselves and seek for food on a distant island, the
indu.stry of the animal thus excelling that of man.

On their adventurous excursions birds follow their track unerringly,
guided by sensations of an unknown nature and of extreme delicacy.
among which sight and smell play a great part. All historians re-
late that after the battle of Pharsalia, the putrid emanations from the
dead heaped upon tlv: ground attracted the vultures from Asia and Africa,

I :

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404

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

which came thither to make their repast. It is certain, accorciinfT to
Humboldt, that if a horse or cow be killed in Mie most solitary passes of
the Cordilleras where orio might think not even condors could exist
several of these sordid carnivorous birds, attracted by the stench, are
soon seen arriving in order to gorge themselves with the putrefied tlcsli.

The migrations of certain birds arc understood ; we know whence tlie\-
start, where they halt, and where ihey end thiMr journey. Thus, for in-
stance, in autumn, bands of quails which are emigrating, constantlv ar-
rive exhausted at the island of Malta, where they meet with fatal linspi-
tality. They are taken in swarms in the streets of the town and on the
roads, and as the inhabitants cannot consume the whole of this livinrr
harvest, it is sent to distant markets.

Singular Disappearances.

The mysterious emigration of the swallows has particularly occupied
the attention of observers. Men could not make out what became of
these charming visitors when they suddenly disappeared, and not long
ago the strangest suppositions were indulged in on this head.

As these birds in autumn seek their prey in the swamps, and seem to
plunge into them, it was for a long time believed that they buried them-
selves in the mud, only to issue again with the return of the spring
warmth, which re-animated them after a six months' asphyxia, or slum-
ber. Glaus Magnus, a northern naturalist, more erudite than observing.
was the first who propagated this fable, going so far as to maintain that
the Norwegian fishermen often take in their nets a number of swallows
along with the fish. It was even asserted that if the poor birds, all soiled
with mud, soaked with water, and stupefied with cold, were exposed to the
heat of a stove, they were seen to become speedily dry and return to life.

Linnaeus, Buffon, and even Cuvier believed such stories ! Ought we to
consider this as a reproach on their parts, when we see that some physi-
ologists of our own time obstinately maintain that certain animals can
be reanimated ?

The idea that swallows winter in the mud of our marshes was so pop-
ular, that a German academy thought it advisable to examine whether
there was any foundation for the opinion or not. This learned body ac-
cordingly proposed to give their weight in silver for all the swallows
brought out of the water, but ihe prize was never claimed. The n\ost
astonishing part of the matter is to find Cuvier believing in such a fable.
He says, " It appears certain that swallows become torpid during winter,
and even that they pass this season at the bottom of the water in the
marshes."

CHARMING CREATURES OF THE AIR.

405

As the swallows have for a loncj time concealed their winter residence,
it became the subject of all sorts of conjectures. Some naturalists main-
tained that, instead of cmi<;ratinij to distant rei^ions, they hide themselves
anil become torpid in the depths of some cave, just as the bats do. One
of the most reliable of these men, Larrcy the sur;^eon, mentions havinj^
discovered in the nei[^hborhood of Maurienne a grotto, the roof of which
was lined with a mass of swallows which kept themselves attached to it
like a s\\ arm of bees.

I)Ut the experiments of Spallanzani have destroyed all these false creeds.
The learned abbe found that the swallows which he wanted to throw into
a .state of hybernation in an ice-house, did not become torpid, but died.

Atianson has tau^^ht us that the swallows of southern Europe betake
themselves to the Senegal during the cold season. Those which are
scattered through adjacent lands unite together at autumn on the shores
of the Mediterranean, and when an irresistible desire impels them to
depart, cross this sea in numerous troops. Thus then in summer the
swallow builds its nest under the sumptuous cornices of palaces, and in
winter inhabits the huts of Senegambia.

AH do not attain the goal of their pilgrimage. The waves engulf those
which have reckoned too much upon their strength, unless some pro-
pitious rock or ship happen to be at hand to lend them refuge. During
one of mv wanderings across the Mediterranean, savs Adanson, some
strayed swallows happened, when we were mid-way between tlie two
coasts, to fall totallv exhausted on the deck of the frigate which was
carrying me towards Africa. Every one on board, soldiers and sailors,
overwhelmed them with attentions, which they received without exhibit-
ing signs of fear. When they had at last recovered from their fatigues,
tliey recommenced their journey towards the high regions of Senegal,
and perchance rested beneath the cabins of .savages long ere w^e had
greeted the ports of Algeria.

The Wanderers' "Welcome Return.

But after long and perilous journeys the.se charming visitors of our
dwellings return each year with touching fidelity to find their old domicile
di'^im. If the rains and winds have injured it, the architects cjuickly
repair it before making it witness of their loves. Spallanzani has even
noticed that the feathered couples become strongly attached to their
particular nests. Having fixed party-colored ribbons to the feet of s jme
of them, he recognized them the year after, when they came to take pos-
session again. He saw them return thus for eighteen successive sum-
mers. How many among us never enjoy such a long tenancy!

mm^^^

' »

40(;

EARTH, SEA, AND SKV.

Another species of the same ^roup, tlic arid swallow, fondh- ivtiirns to
its r'..'pii!jlic, formed of as^Ljloiiieratetl nests, and more inj^r^'mcn;,]^. ,.,,j,_
structed than those of our swallows. These nests resemble so nuin\- wiilu-
necked bottles hiin;^ by the bottom in inaccessible places.

The ArgTMS Plicsisaiit.

The pheasants ha\-e a short, convex-, and stron^jj bill, the head more or
less covered with carunculatetl bare llcsh on the sides, which, in sonie
species, is continued upwards to the crown, and beneath, so as cm Inn -
under each jaw, and the Ics^s, in most of the species, are furniNlni] wuh
spurs. The females produce many youn;.^ ones at a broo^l. These thi,v
take care of for some time. The nests of the whole tribe are fninu.]
on the i^round. The common jdieasant is about three feet \>m-^, i,\
•Ahich the tail forms onedialf; the male is bright rufous abtur, tht
head and neck blue with L;i'een and f^oldcn rellections, and \aric'.;,itr.l
with black and white. Its habits are much like those of the comiiiDii
fowl.

One of the prettiest species is the an^us pheasant. It is about the size
of a common fowl ; the uniler part and lower neck are reddish bniwn,
spotted with \'ellow and black; the back ochrey yellow with black an.!
brown spots; tail deep chestnut with white sjjots, surrounded b\- a black
rin^;' ; secondaries about three feet lonL,f and brownish, but when spread
adorned v.ith beautiful oscillated spots, like those in the jjeacock's tail.

The female is dull chestnut red, \aried with \'ellowish l)rown and black-
without the de\-elopmcnt of the tail feathers and secondaries. It is Inund
in the A)rests of Sumatia and the other large East Indian islands, where
it li\-es in pairs. The name argus i>heasant is derived from the number
of ej'e-like spots with \\hich its A\inL;' feathers are covered.

Sliort-Livod IJeauties.

These birds are extremel)- sh)-, and very difficult to be kept ali\c for
any length of time after they have been taken from the woods. In a
.strong light the\' appear to be dazzled, and when exposed to such, they
seem to be melancholy and inanimate, but in the dark the\- rec<>\cr all
their animation. They have a cry not unlike that of a peacock, and their
wings and tail feathers are in considerable request for female head tlressc>.

Other pheasants are the horned pheasant and Impe}-an pheasant (so
called in honor of Lady Impey). an inhabitant of Nepaul and the Him-
alaya mountains, both very beautiful birds.

It is a curious fact that the hen bird, when she is getting old, will often
assume the beautiful colors and gay plumage of her mate, and become a
sort of natural curiosity. Next to the peacock, the pheasant carries away

^' r<.'t'.ii-ns to
ituisly n,!',.
in;in\- wiJc-

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i-'li. in SdHK-

us Id hail/

ni^lu-il Willi
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J b\' a black
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:n and !)lack
It is found
lands, where
the number

ept ali\e for
oods. In a
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y' rcc(i\er all
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pheasant (so
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408

EARTH, SEA, AND SKV.

.-ippy

the palm in beauty, lioth for the hwcly color of his plutnes. aiidtlir h.ii
nianiicr in wliich they arc blended.

'I'licTc is an old story told about the famous king of L)'dia, Cni,-sii>, wh,,
was said to be the riehest nionareh in the world. lie was one day .scatr.i
on hi-i throne, ii\ liis roj-al robes, and in all his ma;^Mii licence, and as'u ('
Suh.ii, the (1 reek j)hiloso[)her, if he had ever seen anythiiv^j so fine. [^
wa> rather a foolish question. And Solon replied, that having seen t!i-
,1)1 aiitiTul plunia;;e of the pheasant, he could not be sur[)rised by anv otlu r
j^iandjur that mii^ht bj displayed before him.

The pheasant, thus grandly attiretl, is no less admired when served in)
at th ■ ta!)le. His flesh is so delicate that its delicacy once became a
pro\erl), and when a doctor in those cla>'s wished to recommend an ariii.K^
of diet, he used to .say it was as nice and as wholesome as the flesh of the
plieasant.

There are many \arieties of the pheasant, such as the spotted pheasant-;
of China, and l!ie gold and silwr pheasants, also brought from th.it
couulr}-. The <la;ly life of the pheasant is very much like that of tluj
grouse, llehncsthe thick i)lantation or the tangled wood, and duriiiL;-
the summer and atiUnnn has the habit of sleeping o\\ the ground, tho!i;.;h
in the winter a tree is chosen on which to roost.

l-'arly in the morning he \-isits the open fields, and searches f )r the ten-
der shoots of the glass an 1 of many of the meadow j)!ants, and wHl pick
uj) worms aiul insects. Latm- in the season, acorns, and beech mils, and
uikl berries form articles of diet. But during a severe winter the bird-
reciuire to be icd, or thev would suffer from hunger. Then thev beconu
very tame, and onu- when the\' are called.

Tho Goldt'u Plioasaiit.

The golden pheasant is derived from China. Its name there i.s said by
Latham to be " kinki," or " kinker," which signifies " golden-flower f(nvl."
It is a fax'orile in that country, as may be seen by its frequent occurrence
in Chinese paint'ngs.

Ill our country this bird has hitherto been preserved only in a\'iaries,
w l;ere it is shielded from the cold of winter and supplied with food. In
cai)ti\!ty it breeds freely. It is one of a race remarkable for beauty.

The golden pheasant is much smaller than the common one. Th.'
len;',th of the male is about three feet, of which the tail measures twenty-
three inches. The head is ornamented with a beautiful silky crest of a
fine amber-yellow. 1 he feathers of the back of the head and neck are of
a rich orangc-rcd edged with a line of black, and capable of being raist il
at will. Lower down, so a.s to lie on the top of the back, the feathers arc

>^,w•

IX,.-

is said by
ovvLT fowl."
occurrence

ill uviarii's,

CHARMING cri:atl'ki:s of tiik aiu.

-109

l,„^y ^rrccnish-black. Tlu; back is rich yellow ; the win^s deep blue at
their base, the under surface intense scarlet.

TIk ic are four species of albatross, of which throe are found jirinci-
iull\' in the seas of hot climales and the fourth within the Antarctic Cir-
cle. Ill ■'^•'^'-N these niarinj birds are sometimes as larj^e as a swan. Their
.viicral color is white, the upper j),u-ls are markeil with black lines. Tiie

GOLDEN PHEASANT.

([iiill feathers are black and the tail is rounded and of lead color. The
bill is of pale yellow and the legs of flesh color.

The powers of ni;jjht of the albatross are exceedinfrly great ; it is al-
most always on the wing and is equally at ease during the stillest calm,
or n\-ing with great swiftness before the most furious gale. Thc\' are
very \orarious, and feed on fish and niollusks. The shoals of flying-fish

\..U

■li'n»

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'1ll^^:Hfiim|.J'

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i'i

410

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

suffer L,n-catly from the voracity of these birds. The}- also often purs''
the sliuals of .sahnon into the mouths oC hu'<,re rivers aiul su gor^e ilkir-
selves, as, notwithstanding their otiierwise extraordinary' powers (jf flight
to be prevented by their \vei<^ht and consequent stupidity e\en from ri-Jn .
The)' always fish in fine weather and retire into the harbors when tlu; w in<'
is boisterous. Their voice \ery much resembles the bra\-ing of an a,>i

WANDEKliNc; AL BATROSS.

In South America they build their nests about the end of .Septenihci ;
these are formed of earth on the {ground and are from one lo threr feet
high. The eggs are as large as those of a goose and have the silicic
property of their white not becoming hard by boiling. When atteniptcil
to be seized, the albatross makes a vigorous defense with its bill.

Cranes are found in numerous flocks, in the northern parts of luirnpo.
Linn.eus describes their api)earance in Lapland, and Pennant says they

CHARMING CREATURES OF THE AIR.

411

also visit Russia and Siberia. The nest of the crane is made among long

liL'ibage, reeds, and the lu.xuriant vegetation of swampy tracts, and scMiie-

luno on insulated ruins. Two eggs are laid, of a pale dull-greenish

color, blotched with brown. The food of this bird consists not onl\- of

nain and \egetables, but worms, frogs, and snails. Cranes are said to

make great havoc in the corn when it is green. Of their migration Mil-

t .'11 sa>-s •

Part loosely wing tiie region ; part, more wise,

In common, ranged in figure, wedge their way,

Intelligent of seasons ; and set forth

Their airy caravan ; high over seas

Flying, and over lands with mutual wing

Easing their flight: so steers the prudent crane

Her annual voyage, borne on winds ; the air

Floats as they pass, fanned with unnumbered plumes.

Flocks of these birds are seen, at stated times, in France and German}-,
oassing north and south, as the season ma)' be, in marshalled order, high
intiic air, dieir sonorous voices distincth' heard e\en from their ele\ated
course. Occasionally they descend, attracted by newly-sown fields, cm- the
prospect of finding food in marshes, on the borders of rivers, or even the
shores of the sea; but generally they continue their flight unchecked
towards their destined resting-places.

W'illoughby says, " The flesh is very savor\- and w ell tasted, not to .say
delicate;" and indeed it seems to have been highl}- prized in former
days. Pegge says, " William the Conqueror was remarkable for an im-
mense stomach, and withal was so exact, .so nice and curious in his re-
pasts, that when his prime favorite, William Fitz O.sborne, who, as steward
of his household, had the charge of the curey, served him with the flesh
of a crane scarcely half roa.sted, the king was so highly exasperated that
he lifted up his fist, and would have .struck him, had not Kudo, who was
appointed steward immediately after, warded off the blow." At the en-
thronizatinn of George Newell, an English archbishop, 204 cranes were
.scr\ed ; and in the "Northumberland Household Book," the price of the
crane is marked sixteen pence. At an ancient marriage-fea.st, one of the
items is, " 9 cranes, every- crane three shillings and fourpence."
Habits ol' tlio (!rauo Faiiiily.

Cranes are large birds frequenting marshes and open plains, migrating
to warm climates in winter and returning to the north to breed. The)-
fl)' usually at night in large flocks, following a leader in two diverging
lines not unlike ploughshares, at a great elevation and sometimes uttering
loud cries. Their food consi.sts of reptiles, fish, mice and other small ani-

1^^ H i

412

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

mals, insects, seeds, roots and grain. They are very shy and diffic'ilt to
api)roacli from the acuteness of their sight and hearing. In caijtivitv
they become gentle, feeding on vegetable substances.

The crowned or crested crane is slender and graceful, and is cft'^n
kept in captivity for its beauty and docility ; its voice is remarkal)l\- shni]
When the cranes are on the ground they are said to set guards duriii" the
night.

The demoiselle crane is remarkable for the idea that it appears to i- ve
respecting its own beauty. Its deportment is very singular and at times
even ludicrous. It moves about with a consequential air, lian-'inrr its
head first on one side and then on the otlier. It then will run sonic

CRESTED CRANE AND VIRGIN CRANE.

t:^venty or thirty yards treading only on the tips of its toes, as if it were
trying to pick its way over a very dirty road. Then it will ha\c a little
dan«e all to itself and suddenly stand .still again quite composed, as if it
had been doing nothing at all.

From these habits naturalists have named this bird demoiselle, or pea-
cock crane. Its daily habits are very regular. At sunrise it lca\cs its
resting place in search of prey along the banks of a stream. About two
hours later it takes a bath and then amuses itself in the above descriDcd
manner. Sometimes a short e: cursion is made in the afternoon, but (.gen-
erally one meal suffices for the whole day. They select their resting
place in dense forests on high trees, never on the ground.

CHAPTER XVI.
CURIOUS SPECIMENS OE Till': EEATHERED TRIBICS.

n,e Odd Looking Flamin.u;o— " Bean Pole " of the Bird World— Fiery Pluniaj^e-
Ele.i;aiit Ajipearance — Singular Nest — Remarkable Construction of Jaws — Tlie
"Kiwi-Kiwi" — Wingless Creatures- Descendants of the Ancient Dinornis —
New Zealand Chiefs Dressed in the Skin of the Apteryx— An Egg that Weighs
One-f;)urth as much as the Bird— Habits of tlvi Apteryx — The Ostrich — Bird of
the Desert— Extra(3rdinary Nest and Eggs -Birdlings Hatched by the Sun —
Arabian Stories of the Ostrich— Royal Carriage Drawn by a Team of (Ostriches-
Riding the Two legged Steed — Cunning Methods of Capture — American Os-
trich Described— Noisy Guinea-Fowl — Flesh of Fine Flavor — Conspi nous
(]rest— Eggs Colored like tlie Plumage— Tlie Sacred Ibis — Varied Colors — Bird
of Mexico— Egyptian Veneration for the Ibis— Regular Migration— Embalmed
Remains in Egyptian Burial Places- Tiie Giant Heron — Lonely Creature — In-
habitant of Marshes and Water Courses— Singular Habits— Seeking Prey-
Standing for Hours on one Leg— Little Herons — The Heron and Falcon in
Combat— The Shoe-Bill— Strangest of all Birds— The Spoon-Bill— A Voiceless
pird— The Owl— Immense Eyes— A Night Prowler — White Owl— Tenant of
Barns— Voracity for Mice — The Owl Attacking a Man— Little Birds' Revenge —
The Darter— Long Neck— The Famous Stork— Remarkable Intelligence — A
Good Wife and Mother— Storks Sentenced to Death for Infidelity— The Adju-
tant—Blue-Headed Parakeets.

HERE are few birds so odd in their appearance as the flamingo.
Its body is not so large as that of the stork, but its legs arc like
long stilts. Indeed, they may be said to be quite out of pro-
portion to its size; when it standi up it is six feet high. The
head is small, but is furnished with a very long bill, whicii, as you see,
curves down from the middle. The end of the bill, as far as the bend, is
black, and then a reddish yellow. The tongue is large and fleshy, and
fills up the whole of the bill, and the tip is gristly. Its long legs rather
link it with the waders, but the three front toes are united bv a web. as in
the case of the water-birds.

The plumage of the head, when in its full perfection, is deep scarlet,
with black quills. As it strides about upon its stilt-like legs, with its
enormous length of neck, we should regard it as a most uncouth creattire
but for its splendid scarlet robe, that excites our admiration. It lives with
its companions in a flock, and the flock stand in a line, like sentinels, clad
in their red uniform. One of the band acts as a watchman, and if any
danger approaches, utters a scream like the sound of a trumpet. Then

(413)

■p

: ■'iflli

1;;.

M^*l

41t

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

the whole flock rise in the air with loud clamor, and look very much like
a fiery cloud.

The creeks and ravines of tropical countries in Asia and Africa abound
with flamingoes. They arc seen standing, as in the engraving, and pre-

-^'mmmi'wm^

ASIATIC FLAMINGO.

sent a most grotesque appearance. Their way of feeding is ver}^ peculiar
They twist their neck in such a way that the upper part of the bill touclic'
the ground, while they disturb the mud with their webbed feet, and raise
up the insects and spawn of which they are in search,

In the summer the flock of fiamingocs will take a journey northward a?

CURIOUS SPECIMENS OF THE FEATHERED TRIBE.

41. J

far as tli- Rhiii;:. When they are on the winij they have a ver)- splendid
appearance. The)' look like a great fiery triangle. All at once the\-
s'ackcp their speed, hover for a moment, and then alight on the banks of
\]]: river. They range themselves in the usual line, place their guards,
ami l)cgin at once to fish.

Ci)!\sidering the enormous length of its legs, you would wonder hov
'he bird contrives to hatch its eggs, or what kind of a nest it builds. It
;> a p.! ison bird, and forms its nest of mud, in the shape of a hillock, with
a hole at the top. Here the mother bird lays two eggs about the size ot
those v>r the goose. The nest is high enough to allow her to throw her
Ici^s across it and sit upon the eggs, in an attitude as if she were riding.
Tb.c flamingo sitting on its nest in this manner has been compared to a
man i'H a high stool, with his legs hanging down. The ne.st itself is very
curiov!^, and is solid nearly to the top, and then hollow like a basin.

Flaiainjfoe.s in the Snare.

The bottom of the nest is in the water, and the bird usualh' lias its feet
in tlie water. In some oarts of the tropics, the birds are tamed for the
sake of their .ikin,w '"' ; used in swans' down. They are caught in
snares, or else decoyed by tame flamingoes that are used on ]:)urpose. I he
tame iliiningoes are driven into places frequented by the wild ones, and
meat is laid upon the ground. As soon as the wild flamingoes see the
others eating the meat, they come forward to obtain a share. A battle
ensues between the birds, and the bird-catcher, who is hidden close b\-,
watcliLS his opportunity to dart forward and .seize the prey.

There are two kinds of flamingoes — that of America is of a deep red,
while ihe one in Asia and Africa is rose-colored, with black wings. In old
times til.: flesh of the flamingo was considered a dainty, and even now
the j'oinig bird is thought by some people to taste like partridge. But
the people in these days, who have tasted it, say it is very disagreeable.

There was a tame flamingo that lived a little time in our latitude. It
used to dip its bread in water, and to eat more in the night than in the day.
ft was \cry impatient of cold, and would go so near to the fire as to burn
'ts toes. One (f its legs was hurt by an accident, and it could not use it
lUit it contrived to walk all the .same, for it put its head to the ground
an'l used its long neck as a crutch.

.\s tile flamingo frequents the sea-coast and the adjacent marshes, it
has the power of swimming, and its toes are partially webbed ; and thus
it may fearlessly venture even beyond its depth, nor apprehend being
carried away by tlu retiring tide. Its food consists of small fish, shells,
and water insects, for th,^ capture of which its beak is most singularly

i :

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Pii!(!;j;

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416

f:8

ilir

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

constructed ; in lcnc;th it is ncarl\- five inches; the upper niand'' Ic is hen
downwards in the middle, at an acute angle, as if broken, the jacc {]nm
the angle to the point being a broad flat plate, of a somewhat inal fi 'iiru-
the lnwer mandible, which is the larger, is so adjusted as to fit the aivlc
witli its edges, its under surface being gently arched downwards. Tlic
edges of both mandibles are furnished with a row of tooth-like ciniiiencis
those of the upp'.'r being the larger.

The use of the mandibles is like a strainer, all >wing the water to pass
ttn-ough, but retaining any small body, as an in.sect or a fish. In, se.uch-
ing for food in the mud, at the bottom of waters, the upper and not the
under mandible is applied to the grounti ; the Hat ])ortion of its .surface
being well adapted for pressing close down on the soft bed of the marsh
or creek. Hence, in that situation, the inferior nian>!ible is placed unprr-
most, and by its motion works the disturbetl and turpid water thidUL'h
the two, as is seen in ducks and other aquatic birds.

The first year the flamingo's livery is of a grayish clouded white ; the
second, the white is purer, but the wings are tinted with a beautiful rose-
color; in the third )'ear it attains full plumage. Its color is then ex-
tremely rich and brilliant, being of a fine deep scarlet on the back, and
roseate on the wings, the uuill-feathers of the wings being jet black. The
hues of the bird become more intense during succeeding years. A flock
of these tall and splendid birds, moving about on the sea-beach, with
their plumage reilecting the glowing rays of a tropical sun, is a .spectacle
never to be forgotten.

Tlu' Apti'ryx or Kiwi-Kiwi.

The apteryx is a native of New Zealand and belongs to the ostrich
family. These birds are found in extensive and thick beds of ferns, in
which thev hide. Thev are nocturnal and feed on worms, snails, insects
and larva,\ run swiftl}' and defend themselves with their powerful feet.
Their name is derived from the apparent absence of wing.s, those imm-
bers being merely rudimentary. When hunted by dogs, it seeks refuge
among rocks and in the chambers which it excavates in the earth. In
these chambers its nest is made and the eggs laid.

The natives hunt it with great eagerness, a~; tiie skin is used for the
dresses of chiefs, who can hardlvbe persuadeil t > part with a single skin.
The bird has a singular haljit of resting with the tip of his bill placed vn
the ground. The nostrils of the apteryx are placed almost at the \ciy
extremity of the bill. The aborigines of New Zealand give it the name
of Kiwi-Kiwi. Their eggs are extraordinarily large and weigh about
one-fourth as mucii as the female bird.

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(417)

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418

EARTH, SliA, AND SKY.

Thoui^li the ;iptcr\-.\ has no \vin_L,^s, yet tlicrc arc small mcmhers 'm-ow-
iiiL^r out of the part of" the body from which the \vin;_;s of birds arise
The feathers are soft and (Icxible, and furni>hcd witli exli-enuK fnvj
hair, so that the co\ering of the apteryx lias, at a distance, exactly tiiL'
ai)pearani.X' of coarse fur. The len;,;th from the point of th.e ])\]\ to ilii^.
end of the tailless body is about thirty-two inch-.s ; but the bill \aiies
L^reatl}' in lcnL;th, and it is supposed that the female lias the lon!.;t.r I)il1.
It a[)pears that worms, insects, and probabU' snails, are the fjod of [\]\^
.species.

Gould, the naturalist, has become accpiainted with sewral speciuun of
this bird. Me states that its favorite localities are those co\ered unh ..y.
tensi\-e and dense beds of fern, amoni^st which it conceals itself, and
when hard pursued by dos^s, the usual mode of chasinLj it, it takes refn-re
in the cre\-ices of rocks, hollow trees, and the deep holes which it exca-
vates in the [ground in the form of a chamber. In these latter situations
it is said to construct its nest of dried ferns and L;i'asses, and there de-
posits its cgLjs.

The natives of New Zealand hunt it for the sake ()f its tlesh, of whith
they arc extremely fond. Until the approach of ni<;ht it buries its If in
tlie recesses of the forest, and then \entures firth, in couples, in seaivh of
food, whicli they discover in darkness with the greatest ease. Tiie cr\- of
this bird resembles the sf)und of a whistle, and it is by imitatint^^ this that
the hunters are able to take it. Sometimes it is chased by doj^s, aivl at
others .secured by suddenly coming upon it with a lij^hted torch, \^ hen it
makes no attempt at fli^^ht.

The llichly Apimroletl Ostri«h.

The ostrich, the camel-bird of the Arabs, has been celebrated f oin the
earliest antiquity. It is found throughout Arabia and Africa, e\er_\-\\hjrc
shunning the presence of man and preferring the solitude of the desert.
The food of the ostrich consists of the tops of the various shrubby plains
which the most arid parts of South Africa produce in abundnnce. It is
easily satisfied with regard to water, that it is constantly to be found inlh
most parched and desolate tracts which e\en tlie antelopes and f li" b |^|s
of prey have deserted. Its cry at a distance so much resem!jles tluit .i
the lion, that the Hottentots are said to be sometimes deceived b\- it.

The male ostrich of South Africa usually associates to himself foM two
to six females. Tiic liens lay all their eggs together in one nest, the nest
being merely a shallow cavity scraped in the ground, of such dimension-^
as to be conveniently covered by one of these gigantic birds in inenliatinii.
An ingenious device is employed to .save space, and give at the same time

!S»""tTT»-

ci'Rious sri:ci.Mi:N.s of rin-: !"i-:atiii:ri:d TRir.ns.

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to a!

ihe c^^'~!,-^ tlicir clue share ofwarnilh. I'.acli oiu' ofihc (.■L;y;s is made
to -laiul \»'ith the narrow eiul on the hoiiom of the iie.it, aiul the broad eiul
ui)\vards ; and the earth which has been scraped out to form the ca\ it\- is
(.•niplojcd to confine the outer circle, and kee[) the whole in the proper
nrisition. The hens relieve each other in the task of incubation durini; the
,la\', and the male takes his turn at ni,i;ht. w hen his superior strenL,dh is
iv(iiiired to protect the c<^<^>< or the newl^'-lletl^aHl younL,^ from the jackals,
t.iL;cr-cat>, and other enenues. Some of these aiiimals.it is said, are not
iiiifrcqucntly found Ix'iiiL;- ilead near the nest. destro}-ed b}- a stroke from
the foot of this powerful bird.

Rciiiiirkablo Xost.

Xo fewer than sixty cl^ljs are sometimes found in and around an
ostrich's nest; but a smaller number is more common ; and incubation is
occasionally performed by a single pair of ostriches. I'^ach female la\-s
from twelve to sixteen eg^'s. They continue to la\-durin;4 incubation, and
even after the young brood are hatched. The supernumerar\- cgijs are not
placed in the nest, but around it, beini; desiL^nied to aitl the nourishment
of die >'oung birds, which, though as large as a pullet when first hatched,
arc i)robably unable at once to digest the hard and acid food on which the
okl ones subsist. The period of incubation is from thirty-six to forty days.
Occasionally the nest is left by all the birds in the middle of the day, the
heat of the sun being then sufficient to keep the eggs at the proper tem-
perature.

As to the passage in the Book of Job (xxxix. 14), it may be remarked
that within the torrid zone the heat of the' sun's lays renders the incuba-
tion of the female unnecessar\-, excepting, perhaps, at night ; but in the
cooler latitudes she is assiduous in performing the maternal office. In
CaflVaria, the Rev. J. Broadbent, on approaching an ostrich's nest,
remarks: — " We saw the female sitting upon it; and though she had been
disturbed before by the Hottentot, she remained till we were \-ery near,
and then ran off at the report of two guns which were fired. The ground
was sandy for several miles round, and covered with thinly scattered
hushes. There lay a great number of loose ostrich feathers about the ne.st,
uliich appeared to have come off the female while sitting, and she had the
naked appearance which domestic fowls have at such times.

" The eggs were forty -two in number, and were arranged with great
apparent exactness. Those which were in the circle we found to be quite
fresh, at which I expressed my surprise. The Hottentot informed me
that these had been provided for the ostrich against the hatching of those
in the middle, when she would break them, one after another, and give

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EARTH, SEA, AND SKV.

thcni to her youii^- ones for food ; and that by tlie time the\' weiT all dis-
posed of in this manner, tiie )-oun;4 ostriches would be able to L;oal)ii,a(i
witli tlieir motlier, and i)rovide for themselves such things as the desert
afforded. This fact affords a fine instance of animal instinct."

An entire xolnmi' mij^ht be filled with fables rei:orded of the ostrieji
Accordins^" to the Arabs, it is the proj^eiiy of a bird and a camel. ( )iil
./Vrabian author states that it is atin.itic ; another maintains that it ni\cr
drinks; some that its principal foi>d consists of stones and bits of ir,,))
Buffon himself asserts that it mi_L;ht swallow red-hot iron, proxided iji,
quantity was small. Pliny and (followini^ him) Pierre Belon, state thai
when the- ostrich is pursued it fancies itself safe if it can place its head he-
hind a tree, belies'ini,^ that, as it cannot see its innsuers, they cannot see it.

Strjiiif;<5 Ar(icl<'s of I>i<'t.

That the ostrich is extremely xoracioiis is certain. yVlthou;^!) the
senses of si^ht and hearing" are so hiL;"hly dewdoped that it is said tti (!i^-
tinL;iiish objects six miles off, and the slij^htest sounds excite its ear, the
senses of taste and smell are \ery im[)erfect. This is the c.xplaiuiticin
given for its readiness to swallow unedible substances. In a wild slate it
takes into its stomach lar^^e pebbles, to increase its digestix'e powers; in
captivity it i^ori^es bits of wood and m(.;tal, pieces of tjlass, plaster and
chalk, i)iobably with the same object The pieces of iron found in the
botly of one dissected b\' Cuvier "were not only worn awa\'," sa\^ the
5^ reat naturalist, "as the\- would likely be by trituration against other hard
bodies, but they had been considerably reduced by some digestive juice,
and presented all the evidence of actual corrosion."

Herbage, insects, mollusks, small reptiles, and even small mammalia,
are the principal food of the wild ostrich ; when it is in a state of domes-
ticity even young chickens are devoured by it. It is capable of eiuluriiv^f
hunger and thirst f )r many days — about the most useful faculty it could
pos.sess in the arid and burning deserts which it inhabits — but it is (juitea
mistake to suppose it never drinks, for it will travel immense distances in
search of water when it has suffered a long deprivation, and will then
drink \\ith evident pleasure.

The muscular power of the ostrich is truly surprising. If matured it
can carry a man on its back ; and is readily trained to be mounted like a
horse, and to bear a burden. The tyrant Firmius, who reigned in P-Ljypt
in the third century, was drawn about by a team of ostriches; even now
the negroes frequently use it for riding.

When it first feels the weight of its rider, the o.strich starts at a slow
trot ; it however soon gets more animated, and stretching out its wings

CURIOl^S SPECI.MHNS OF THF. FKATFIFRFn TRIBFS.

421

talo-"'^ t" niiuiiii;-; witli sulIi rapidit)' thai it sicins scaiccK' to touch the
(rniuiul. To the wikl animals which ran ire the desert it offers a success-
fill resistance by kicking, the force of ^\■hich is so threat that a ])lo\v in tiie
chest is sufficient to cause death. Verreaux states that he has seen a ne-
<rro kilK'il by such a blow.

Man succeeds in capturin_<^ the ostrich only by strataLjem. The Arab
1)11 his swiftest courser would fail to ^et near it if he ditl not b\- his iiUel-
li''-ence sui)ply the deficiency in his ph\-sical i)owers. "The \c>j;^ of an
)stricli rnnnin;4 at full sjjeed, " saj-s Dr. Livin^jstone, " can no more be
>ccn than the s[K)kes in the wheel of a vehicle drawn at a i;allo|)." Ac-
cordin:4" to the same author, ih .■ ostrich can run about thirty miles in an
]j,,j,i — ;i s[)eeHl and endurance much surpassing;" that of the swiftest horse.
Takiii','- tlw Ostrich by Arti(uM>.

The .Vrabs, well ac(iuauited with these facts, follow th'in for a day or
tweal a ilistance, without {)ressing too closely, yet sutficientl)' neai" to
prc\ent them from takin;^ food. When the\' ha\-e thus starved and
wearied the birds, they [)ur'.ue them at full speed, takin;^- ad\-anta;.rc of the
fact, which observation has tau^^ht them, that the ostrich never runs in a
straight line, but tlescribes a curve of cjreater or less extent. Awiiliii;.;
thcinseh'es of this habit, the horseniiMi foll(-)w tlu,^ chord of this arc, a;id.
rcpcaiin;^ the stratai;em se\-eral times, tne\' ^radualiv [i;rt within reach,
when, inakin;j^ a fuial da-sli, the\' rush impetuously on the harrassed birds,
and 1) -at them down with their clubs, avoidini:^ as much as possible shed-
din;4' blood, as this tlepreciates the \'ahie of the feathers, which are the
chief inducement of their pursuit.

.Some tribes attain their object by a rather siny;ulni artifice. The hun-
ter covers liimself with an ostrich's skin, jjassinj^- his arm up the neclc of
the bird so as to render tlu mo\-ements more natural. 1>\' the aid of this
disi^iiisc, if skilfully manai^ed, ostriches can be ajiproached sufficiently
near ti> kill them.

The Arabs also lumt the ostrich witb doi^s, which pursue it until it is
cenii)letely worn out. In the breedinc^ season, ha\in_L,r sous^ht and found
out where the ostrichs lay their ci^^^s, another artifice is to d\<^ a hole
within i^unshot of the spot, in which a man, armed with a L^un, can hitK'
himself The concealed enemy easily kills the mal(> and female birds in
turn, as they sit on their nest. Lastly, to lie in wait for them clcse by
water, and shoot them when they come to quench their thirst, is often
successful.

The American ostrich is scarct.'ly more than naif the size of the African
species, from which it also differs in havin;^ the iiead covered with feathers.

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1 2.- J

ui.l iIk' Kct ruini-.lu(l u ith three liu'^. It i'>iir;i n .i;ly iiiiit"..i in ;^iay
I nt.a'iil llic feathers of the wiiv^s anil tail, altlMii-h eloni^ated, possess
II,, M^- ( il the beaiit)' i>\' those (if the true ostiieh ; tlu)- are onl)' t-in ployed
111 the inamifactni-e ot" li;^ht chistinL;-l)rooni>. It is \ery aSuiil.nit in the
.'It it n'.iiii-i of tropical .\nierie,i, where it is pursiu-il > lU hoi-^eI;.ieK-. an 1
ciwinivil either by the l;i>>o, or I)_\- throw ill ;_,^ at its Ic;^rs an in .li'uii'.ent
fdini (1 of two hea\\' halls or stones, attaelu'il to;^ether l)y a leathern tlion:.^
Mr, i)ar\viii,\vho had frii|uent opportunities of ()I)ser\ in;_j these ])ir(|s
^iivs that the)- take the w.iter n-ailily, and swim across broatl and ia[)id
livers, and even frmn island to islantl in hax's.

'\'\\iV are said to he pol\-;^anions ; the male l)iril prepares the in'^t. col-
lects the CL^L^s, which are fieipiently laid I)\' the females at random on the
<M'tiiind, and performs all the duties of incubation. Mr, l^arwin coiiln'ms
these (>!)ser\alions, and sa\'s that four or fue fem.ile-; li.uc been seen to
hie in llu; same nest, and that the male when siltinL,^ lies so close tiiat he
himself nearly rode o\er one. At this time the males are s.iid sonii-limcs
to he \er\' fierce, and they h,i\'e been known to attack a m.m on horse-
back, tr\-in;^ to kick and leap on him.

Le \'aillant fonnd a female ostiich on a nest containin;jf thirt)--two e_L,^L;s,
and twehe ei^'i^s were arranged at a little ilistance, each in a separate
ca\it\' f >rined for it. He e-mained near the place for some time, and saw
tlin' other females come and alternately seat themselves on the nest, each
silting for about a (juarter of an hour, and then i;i\'inL,f place to another, who,
while uaitint;, .sat close by the side of her, whom she was to succeed.

TIu' <;uliu'a-F<ml.

The t;uinea-ftnvl is a !_;"allinaceous bird of the turke\' family. Guinea-
hens aie i)eculiar to ^Africa, where they frequent woods on the banks of
rivers, in large flocks. They feed on grains, grasshopjjers and other in-
sects. When alarmed they attemj)! to escape by rimning, rather than b)-
fli;.;ht. The common guinea-hen is slate colored, co\'ered all over with
ri)iind white spots and is about the size of the common fowl. The)' are
VL'iy nois)' and troublesome, ahvavs quarreling with the other inmates of
the poultr)' )'ard, and the)' are hard to raise from the delicacy of the
young and their liability to disease.

Their ilesh is of fine flavor and their eggs are excellent. They are great
feeders, requiring to be fed beyond what they can pick up by themselves
and are apt to injure tender buds and flowers. The crested guinea-fowl
or pintado has a crest of black feathers and the bodv black with blue spots ;
the mitred pintado has the head surmounted by a conical helmet and
is black, white .spotted.

'I'

424

EARTH, SEA, AND SKV.

The four snrcics of pintado hitherto known are all nati\-es of Africa and
of islands adjacent to the African coast. Ihcir mode of feedint^ is siir.il.ir
to that of the domestic poultiA'. They scrape the ground with theii- feet
in search of insects, worms or seeds. The females lay and hatch their (. r.Ts
nearly in the same manner as the common hens. The ct^Ljs, howew', arc

CKi:sTr.D fil'INEA-FOWr,.

smaller and have a harder shell. Huffon states that there is a remarkaoK
difference between the cgf^s of the domestic ij^uinea-fowls and those which
are wild ; the latter being marked with small round s[)ots, like those (M1
the plumage of the birds, and the former being, when first laid, of a ijiiitc
bright red and afterwards of the faint color of the dried rose.

The \-oung birds, for some time after they come into the world, arc dcs-

Id. arc dcs-

(TKIOUS SPECIMENS OF THE FEATHERED TRII'.ES.

\2r>

titutc of ihc helmet or calU)u.s protuberance, \\hich is .so cons[)icuous on

the liL'ails (4" the old ones. The [guinea-foul is a restless and clamorous

l^jitl, Durinj^ the nij^ht it perclies on high places and if disturbed,

alarms c\ery animal within hearint^ by its cry. These birds delif^ht ii\

lollin '" themselves in the dust for the purpose of riddin;^ themsehes of

insects.

The SatTod Ibi.s.

There are about half a do/en species of this wadins^- birtl, includini;
three in the United States. The red or scarlet ibis is about twcnty-eii^ht
inches long, its bill si.Kand one-half inches, and the extent of its wings a
little over three feet. This bird, whose color is a uniform bright scarlet,
is found ill South Americaand the West Indies. The white ibis, or w hite
curlew, whose [)lumage is pure white, is very common in the Scnithern
Atlantic and Gulf States, occasionally straggling as far north as New Jer-
scx'. Its llesh has a v^ery fishy taste anil is rarely eaten e.\cei)t b\' the In-
dians.

The glo'i^)' ibis, a smaller species, is about twent\'-one inches long.
Its general color is chestnut-brown, with the back and top of head me-
tallic green, glossed with purple. It exists in great numbers in Mexico
and li.is been found as far north as Massachusetts. Of this genus there
are about twenty species fountl in the warmer parts of Africa, Asia and
.South .Vinerica, one of which is the Sacred Ibis of the Ivgyptiaiis. It is
abmit as large as a domestic fowl, and is found throughout Northern Africa.

This bird, which was reared in the temples of ancient Egy|)t and wiis
L-nibahned, frecjuents overflowed lands and dry ])lains and feeds on frogs
and small at|uatic lizards. It is a migratory bird appearing simultaneous-
ly w ith the rise of the Nile and departing as the inundation subsiiles. It
is a remarkable fact, that the ibis does not x'isit lvg\'pt regularly an)- more
as of old, breeiling in the .Sudan. As soon as it arrives there it takes
possession of its well seK'cled l)ree<ling jilaces, from which it untlertakes
c.\cursions in search ot pri.'\-. It is not afi'aid of the nati\es and can of-
ten be seen among the cattle herds picking up a grasshopper here and a
flog or li/artl there. Dr. Brehm met, on his tra\'els up the Blue Nile, so
many of this beautiful birtl, that he was able to kill twenty of them with-
in two d.u's. The female lays three to Unw white eggs of the size of duck
eggs. This bird is easily domesticated and is found in man\' zoological
gardens of Europe ami America.

hi Egypt the ibis was regarded with great veneration l)y the ancients,
who kept them in their temi^les, and embalmed them after their deatli ;
thoiHands of their remains are still found in the burial places amid the

; '} ■ 1 . ■

!|pil'

420

EARTH, SEA, AND SK'i .

ruins df ancient ]•". ;yi)t. \'iU"i()U.s rea'-oiii jia\'c been L;ivcn i". n- lii,,,^!^,
ti)ni,.so;nj saxMiiLT tliat tlu ibis destroN-cd ihj noxious scrpcnls \\lr.:li wax-
so numerous in that counli')-; others that llK're was su[)|)ose(l t > be .mhiic
analo;.';y b..'t\veen the ])hnna;_je of tlie b: .1 and one of the pba-.es of tl^
moon; wln'le a third f)j)inion is that the i^ii'ds were re;.,^arded v.illi f;(\,,v
because, their annual miL;-ration into lv4}j)t tak in l;' place at tla- jx i!,m' , i
the risinij of the Nile, they were consideretl as the liarbinL;xis i i ih.it
e\ent.

Herons are found in most parts of the world, migrating to thew.uujci

THE SACKKD IBIS.

regions as winter comes on. They are generally seen alone, st.uulmg in
swamps, pools and sliallow rivers waiting for their prey, with tlic long
neck drawn down between their shoulders ; but no sooner docs a rtptile
or fish appear, than the bill is darted forth and the animal imtnetii.itcly
swallowed. The common lieron of luirope, is of bluish-ash color \,ith
a black crest on the hind head and the fore-part of the neck white with
black dots. Its food consists of fish, frogs, aquatic insects, mollusks,
mice, moles and similar small animals. They generally build their

. I'M' ill, > cus-

.s \vh;.;li ueiv

-'ll 1 ) ItC Miini;

)].;t-.c.s (if t!ic

■ll V.illl f;iV(ir,

n;4<.Ts ( 1 thai
to IIk' Wiirmt-i

I '\

c, stamlinsT in
ith till' lung
docs a nptile
initiicdi.ttolv
sh color with
ck vvliilo with
:t.s, niolliisks,
ly build their

CLKIOUS SPECIMKNS OK THE Fi:.\Tl IKRl'.D '1 IBI.S.

42^

'■;t ill t^'it; \'icinity of a river. There exists about a luiiuired difforent
sot^cics of herons. The giant-heron, which is rc{)rescnted in our illu-^tra-
tjoii is an extremely foimidablo enemy to the seal)' tribes. Theie is in
f,(.li water scarcely a fisli, however large, that the heron will not srri!<e
at .uid wi'untl, though unable to carry it off; but the smaller fishes are
liisciiiof subsistence. His method is, to wade as fir as he can go, int<-.
tiio uMter, and then patiently to await the approach of his prey, inti;
hxh, wIku it comes within his reach, he darts liis bill with inevitable
;i,iii. VVilloughb}' sa}-s, he has seen a heron that had in his stomach no
t'fwcr than seventeen carp.

Tlu; hen in. as he stands fishing for his food, is the \-ery picture of
patience. I'or some time he has been sU)wly stalking about on his long
Ic'N, watching for his pre\-. Now he approaches stealthil)' into the water,
la\iiv; down one f )ot after another with the utmost caution. He does
ii.it want to alarm the llsh that ma\' be swimming merrilx' about, or the
little l"i\'that is .sporting playfully in among the stones. He does not want
eitluT of them to know that he is there. He will stand thus for hours,
until \ou hardly know w hether he is alive.

.Suddenh', howex'er, the hai)py moment comes. The fish that had per-
hap-^ caught sight of him and swam away, has forgotten his fright; and
the \\y that lay hidden under the stones feel sure he must have gone by
this time. But the\' do not understand the nature of their enemy.
Nothing can weary out his patience or make him forget. The moment
the \ictim comes within the right distance, down goes the bill with its
sharp edge, and the pre\' is seizetl antl de\-oured. lie has an excellent
appetite, and can devour more in a meal than one would belie\ e. When
he has finished eating he goes away into some quiet place, and stands on
one leg for hours. He may be called the prince of the wading birds.

Herons place their nests among the tall reeds, at some distance one
from the other, and only a few feet above the high-water mark. The
iicst is large, and made of sticks, without any lining, antl is quite flat.
The eggs ha\'e lather a thick shell, ami are of a light blue green color.
Moth birds sit on the eggs, which take a month to hatch.

A Solitary liird.

Before we lea\e this bird we must sa\' a few words about the night
herons that li\-e in the cetlar swamps. The cedar swamp is j)crhaps tlu
most dismal spot you can imagine. The ground underfoot is like a bog,
co\c'-ed with great bushy limbs and logs of fallen trees. And the trunk.^
of the cedars grow side by side to the height of two hundred feet, and so
clo.se together that a man cannot 'nish him.jlf between. And there are

* iii'll

fill!

swrnm

■: {\i

428

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

no branches, except at the top, where the trees are all matted together
so as to shut out tlaylig'ht.

Nothing breaks the dreary silence except the chirp of a few birds, or
the harsh scream of the heron. And if the wind gets up, the tall stems
clash together, and rub one aijainst the other, and make such creaking
and such hideous noises that the effect is something awful.

■■~ '.■-'•.. 'v> t '• ••
^ . 'I i-\ ^ • ■

iVrr;

:^^c<^%I:C±£SSP^

GI.\NT HEKOX.

Every spring the herons come to the cedar swamp, and take posses-
sion of their old nests on the cedar trees. All the branches near the
place where they live are completely battered and broken down by thcni,
and the ground is strewed with feathers, and fishc;-;, and pieces of old
nests, and all kinds of rubbish. And we can hardly describe the noise,

CURIOUS SPF.CIMKXS Oi' THK FEATHERI'.n TRUCES.

429

for it is cnou'jh to deafen }'uu. They kcej) repeating the note " qua-
nua," until the Indian gives them the name of " ciua-birds."

The little herons are some time before they know how to lly, but they
somi !)C""in to crawl about the branches, and get to the top of the tree
to look out for their parents. They are terribly afraid of being caught,
and if by chance any one comes that way — and the Indian thinks young
heron as nice as pigeon — thc\- scramble out of the way a-; fast ab they can,
and hide themselves in the mud.

Tlu' llenui's I^ii<>iiii4>s.

The herons are birds of passage, and their going and coming depend
on the sui)i)ly of food they can obtain. Tin y build their nests in com-
panies, like the rooks, in lofty trees, in the neighborhcoil of streams and
rivers, and such places are called heronries. 1 hey are very fond of the
society of the ravens, although the ravens often return their friendship
by carrying off their eggs. Tlie falcons and the weasels are also great
enemies to the young birds. The heron le.ives the care of hatching the
brood to his partner, but when this task is over he assists in providing
the family with food. When the young biids are strong enough to get
their own living, the parents drive them away, and they take each a
separate course, and begin the world on their own account.

There are still many heronries in different parts of luirope in the
grounds of noblemen, where some stream meanders through the domain.

In one of these places, a heron was standing as usual, patiently waiting
for his prey, when a fine large eel came insight. Down went the prong -
like bill of the heron, but, in his eagerness, he plunged it too near the
head of the eel. The long, snaky botly was left at liberty, and it twisted
itself round and round the neck of the binl until it strangled him. The
heron was found the next day, dead on the bank, with the eel, also dead,
twisted round his neck. The owner of the mansion had the two
creatures, just as they were, preserved as curiosities, and as such they
are .still to be seen.

In the winter fish are not so plentiful, and the heron has to be satisfied
with frogs and snails and worms, and even the duck-weed that floats
upon the pond. At these times he becomes very thin and poor, and is
nothing but feathers and bones.

01(l-Tiino Sport Avith the Heron and Falcon.

In the old days of falconry, hawking the heron was considered the
highest feat that could be accomplished. The powerful wings of the
bird enabled it to rise so high that it put the powers of the falcon to the
test. That was the time when the herons were preserved with the utmost

!i ' "'

'4fHlt>

isi,i#i

'II

I iff

(4.".())

THE STKANCiE SIIOE-lilLL.

CURIOUS SPECIMENS OF THE FKATin:Ri: I) TRIBES.

4;J1

carr, anil the heronries watched over and provided with every necessary.
ilicrc .lie old heronries .still to be found in ancient parks.

'1 1)0 young heron soon becomes tame, and gets reconciled to
cnpiivtw but the old ones pine away and die. In the old da\-s, however,
;,ii(! \vh( n the heron had to be procured in order to train the hawk to fly
ill ii 111, lie was crammed w th food like a turkey. Often, after this had
!)(cii il"ne, the bird would become tame, and follow his owner about for
iilIls, ami Cdine when he was called, and take food from his hand.

In mnst cases the bill of the fishing bird is Jined towards the point
with b. istles. The bristles point backward, so that the food can slip
e,iMl\ over them, but it cannot come back without being caught on the
bristly iiocks. There is no crop at all. and the food goes at once into
the stomach. 'I he throat of the heron has the power of stretching out
ulun It ^ulps down a fish too big for it. It stretches into .i fan-like
.shipc, and then comes back again when the fish has gone down-

Tho Shoo-Bill.

Til'' most singular bird of Africa and e\en of the whole globe is piob-
al)l\- the shoe-bill. It has a bulky bod}-, a thick neck, a large head and
a ciiriiuisK- formed bill, not unlike a clumsy wooden shoe. Its color is
an a^li}' gray, with jet black wing feathers.

The shoe-bill is the giant of the wading birds and is found in pairs or
smaller societies as remote as possible from human habitations, mostly in
the impenetrable swamps of the White Nile and some of its tributai-ies.
At llie approach of man it tlies away, and when frightened by shots it
rises to a great altitude and ne\'er ri'tunis to its swamp as long as there
is any suspicion of danger. This bird selects for its breeding place a
.small ele\ation in the reeds, either immediateh' on the border of the
water or in the swamp, mostly where surrounding water renders an ap-
proach difficult. One of this famil)' is similar to the foregoing.

A<niati<' Spooii-Iiill.

The spoon-bill has its name from the spoon-like manner in which both
the upper and the lower jxirts of its bill terminate. It is in other resi)ects
lilt' the stork and the heron, and lives upon tlie same fo(ui. They are birds
efpas^a "V. Theyspendth.'ii-simimerin Holland, and then pass into Italy or
cw 11 .Afrieaf )r the wintei'. Their nests are made of reeds bound together by
weeds, and are in the mitldle (^f the ri\er, only a few inches above the
.surface of the water. The nest is not lined, and is just large enough to
allovv th ' mother bird to sit on the eggs, while her partner .stands beside
her. .Sometimes they build on high trees, and. indeed, prefer it.

They feed on fishes anil insects and shrimps, and other such diet; but

1^-

iiPI

v^i

4:52

EARTH, SEA, AND SKV.

if [)ivss'jd with hun,Ljer, will cit almost anythini^. The whole wi ihc
])liima5re of the spoon-i)ill is piiii; white. cxcc])t :i baiul of fcallurs in thi'
front of the neck that is a buff color. It has a beautiful plume of fcal.hor'-'
on its head. Its leL;s and toes and claws are black; and tlu' tn'. ;ii^^,
connected by a membrane The beak is black, excejit at the rounded
])art, where it is yellow.

SNOW OWr. AND SCKKECII OWL.

There i.s a curious fact about tlie spoon-bill that must not be passed
over. It is one of the very few birds that possess no organ of \dicc, ami
it cannot utter a single note. There is an entire ab.sence of those niii.s-
cles tiiat can contract and dilate the air-tubes by which the voice is
formed and uttered; in .some birds the.se are like a musical instrumcii*
and enable them to pour out their songs.

\ ■ T-— ").

CL'RIOL'S SPECIMF:NS of the FEATMIiRF-D TRII'.ES.

43;j

Much iti the same manner as motlis differ from butterflies, do owls
differ fioni the falcons. The owls are nocturnal and pursue their
prey in the nij^ht ; the falcons flyings altot^ether in the day time. They
fjed principally on small birds and quadrupeds and on nocturnal insects.
Their eyes are so constructed that they arc able to sec much more il s-
tinct'y in the dusk of * le evening than in the broad glare of sunshine.
All ammaU by the contraction and dilation of their eyes have in some
defrree the power of shutting out or admitting light as ihcir necessities
require; but in the owl this property is observed in a singular perfection
and ill addition to this there i:: an irradiation on the back of the c}c,
which greatly aids their vision in the obscure places they frequent.

In winter owls retire into iioles in towers and oltl walls and pass that
sca'^on in sleep. There arc about fifty species, of which twenty are fur-
nisheti with long feathers surrounding the openings of ihe cars anti
calle'cl hoins. In their g( ncral mode of life the owls may be consideret!
as the cats of the feathered tribe. 1 he snow owl has a very small round
head; about the eyes the feathers are ranged as if proceeding from a
common centre in the middle of the e\"e. The plumage of these owls is
very elegant. The L'gs arc of a beautiful yellow hue, the bill jet black
and the tongue is cleft.

Pursuod by Aii.ijry Owls.

The owl is one of the birtis that is very rarely seen. The reason is
because of" his secluded habits and his dislike to facing the light. It
must be something unusual that c:ui biing him out in the day-lime.

A gardener was once working in a garden when he heard a \ery
.strange noi'-c from the top of a tree. As he was very expert, he climbed
lip to see where the noise came f,om,and what it was that made it.
When hv got half way up the tree, two fierce white creatures daslicd out
and attacked him willi beak and claws, making at the same time a ter-
rib c screaming. They were, as the intruder soon found to liis co.'-t, a
pair of owls taking care of their young in a nest at the top of tlie tice;
and an owl in a passion is no pleasant object to meet with. 'I he
man Inuried down as fist as he coidd, but he had some ckfficulty in
keeping off the owls. Tn spite of the daylight, they darted at him again
and a'.^ain. wheeled round his head, and even pursued him, much
scr.itchjd and frightened, to the very door of his retieat.

Ihit, as a rule, the owl lies very safe and snug in his roost, and docs
not stir till twilii^ht. lie is a very curious bird, ami we must sfiend a
few tnintites in m iking rather a close acquaintance with him. lie is a
bird of prey, for he hunts mice and rats, and even small birds if they

«iii.

% '

r [r

■4

4ltli

4;m

EARTH, SF-A, AND SKV

chance to be about in the twilic^ht. His feet are formed on purpose' to
grasp the prey. The toes are feathered ; the first toe is the shortest
and the fourth toe is longer and can be turned backwards. The cl.iw;
are long and curved, and very sharp.

The plumage is very fine and soft. Tiie eyes t)f the owl are very larfre

.<>^/

■■■'••;'/ \ I, i

'^^f^/'/'».9^

siiAur'-r.ii.i F.n dartf-r ok snakk hikd.

and the circle of feathers round them rellccts the li,!;lit upon them as a
reflector does upon a lam[). But the worst of it is that these lar^e oves
take in more light than the owl can bear. In the day-time he is blinded
by the excess of light. This makes him appear as if he were stupid, and
he blunders about as though he had lost his senses.

re very Ku-f^c,

crRioi:s spFxiMiiNs ()i- Till': i-kathered triuks.

435

'Ilu' little birds hate the owl, for he pounces upon them whenever he
can. It is fine sport to thcni if, by any mistake, tlie owl chances to be
abio.uliii day-time. 1 licy soon find it out, for one tells the other, and
tliore is an uproar at once. It is never generous to take advantage of a
clcf-ncelcss enem\- ; but the littie birds do not think of this. They have
iiianv wrongs to revenge, and tlu \- {\\ at his face, and even peck him,
taking care, however, to keep away from his claws, and they scold, and
ciri\e him about to their hearts' content. As a rule, he does not try to
ckfciul himself, but flutters dizzily about, and stares with his great eyes.
But if he stops and turns round upoi; them, the rabble rout at his heels
take to llight in a momeni.

IJut the eyes of the owl, though they do not help him much in the
da\-iinie, are of the utmost service in the twilight. lie can see the
smallest speck on the ground, or the tiny mouse in the corner of the
bam. And the farmer rathc-r likes him on this account. One barn
owl IS as good, and will do as much work, as a dozen cats. Hut as
there is no rule without an exception, .so there are owls that can see bv
d.iylitiht. The sncvvy owl is one of these.

His flight is noiseless, like that of the other owls, but he can continue
on the wing for a long time. Sometimes he hunts in the air. lie spies
a piL;eon or a wild duck, and he sets himself to follow it. With his
swift and steady iiight he soon gains upon it. Then he strikes it with
his talons, a little in the same manner as the h.iwks do.

He loves the margin of rivers or streams, and if there is a rapid, or a
waterfall, he is all the better pleased. There he stations himself, for
plenty offish are sure to be drawn over, and then he pounces upon
them, lie also goes to a trap in which some small animal, such as the
rat, is caught, and de\-ours it. His diet consists also of larger prey,
!^uch as hares and squirrels, and his meals are excessive. You would
wonder how his stomach could hold the amount of food put into it.
But, happily, it has the power of stretching out like india-rubber, which
exactly suits him. Tie is considered a bird of ill omen, and few people
like to meddle with him.

The L(»iij;-N<«<'k('<l l>ait<'r.

The daiters have a small head and a very long slender neck. Their
bill is long, straight and sharp-pointed and at its base are the nostrils,
situated in a long conspicuous fissure. The face and skin are bare of
feathers. The f.ar toes are short and webbed together. Two species
arc found in America and the third in Ceylon and Java. They live al-
most entirely on fish which they take by darting forward their bill.

liflPIT

>v n

%\i

4'M

EARTH. SEA, AND SKY.

TI12 most apparent atul reiiurk.iblc part of its body is tlic Ion-/ and
slcndjrneck, which is constantly in motion except tluriii}^ fli'b'i'. wli' 1. it
becomes immovable and extended and forms with the tail a straight .ind
liorizon'.al line. The principal footl of the darter is fish, which, if .sniall
enough, it ^ wallows entire, but if they are too hirgc, it (lies off with
them to some rock or stump of tree, where fixing them under one of its
feet, it tears them to pieces with its bill. It fjenerally buihU its
nest on rocks or trees, but always so near to the river, that it tin m
case of ilancjcr precipitate itself into it. They are very cuiiniii^^ ami si-
gacious when surprised in water. Their head, which is the on'v pirt
exposed, disappears the instant the hunter approaches, and if missed
once it is in vain to think of appro.ichinLj them again, as they nevi i- shnw
themselves again, except (or the niouient lu.cessaiy for bn-.atliin;^'.

The IJenowned Stork.

There arc .several species of storks, the most important being ilvc white
stork. It measures about forty inches in height ; length to end of tail,
forty-two inches; wings, extended, seventy-six inches; its pluma;^^e is
white; the wings are fringed with black. This is the species best kiioun
in luu'ope. I lollaud and Germany are its favorite residences ; and Alsace
is the part of France in which they are most frccjuently met with. Iti-
so rarely seen in I"'ngland that there it has become almost a matter of
legend. It is very conmion in the warm ami temperate parts of Asia.
In the month of August it leaves ICurope to visit Africa, whence it returns
in thj following spring. This migration is not caused by temperature, as
the stork can bear severe cold. It is a mere (luestion of sustenance; for,
feeding as it does princii)ally upon reptiles wliich remain in a complete
state of torpor during winter, it is naturally compelled to .seek its food
tl sew he re.

The stork is of a mild nature, and is easily tamed. As it destro\s a
host of noxious creatures, it has become a useful helper to man, who, iiu'.
ungrateful, gives it succor and protection. In ancient I'vg>'pt it was ven-
erated on the same score as the ibis ; in Thcssaly there was a law wliieii
condemned to death any one killing these birds. I^vlp at the present day
the Germans and Dutch esteem it a fortunate omen when a stork selects
their house for its home, and they even furnish it with inducements to do
so by placing on their roofs a box or wheel, which forms a foundatifn for
the bird to build a nest, which it constructs of reeds, grass, and feathers.

IMayliil I»<;t of tlio Household.

When the stork ha ; attached itself to a place, and is kindly treated, r,
sometimes gives up the habit of migrating. It cannot however, quite '^d

CI Kiors Sl'FCCIMKNS ()!•• Till. I'l'.A'niKRi;!) TRIMi:S.

4:57

the loir.; and
fli^lU.wlKi-. It
I straight .inJ
hich, if s:ii.ill
flit-s f)ff With
dcr one of Its
Ily builiU its
that it cm in
lining ami s,i-
thc only p irt
:uid if missrd
vy ncvrr shmv
athing.

•oini; the white
to end of tail,
its ijhiina^^^c is
ics bL,'.st known
.'s ; ami Alsacr
let w ilh. It 1-
st a matter of

parts of Asia.
cncc it returns
cmpcraturc,a>
istcnance; for,

in a complete
I seek its f )od

; it destru\'S a

man, who, nut

ypt it was veil-

IS a law whiLli

he present day

a stork selects

icenieiits to do

foundatit n for

, and feathers.

lully treated, i:
ever, quite '^d

rid of agitation wlun the scasiui fur departure tome-. Occasion.s have
been i>.n' >\ n where it yielded to the appi-als of it.s wild companions, and
wa-i allured away to join the band of travellers. But this separation is
otilv temporal-)' ; iie.xt year the truant returns to tlu; old house, and a;:;ain
takes pos.session of its domicile. It exhibits preat pleasure in renewing
acquaintance with former friends, and is not long in placing itself on a
footing of familiarity with them. It frolics with the children, caresses
the parents, plagiei the doL;s and cats — in a word, manifests a gaiety and
.susceptibility of affection which one would hardly expect to find in a bird
f^cnerally dull and taciturn. It presents itself at the family meals, and
take-; its share of th ni. If its master tills the (M-ounil. it follows him step
by step, and devours the worms which are turned up by tlK> spade- or the
plough.

The .'■tork may ccrtainlj- be taken as a model for all mothers. Us love
fur it-; progeny sometimes even approaches heroism. We w ill gi\c two
tuiuliing instances: In 1536 a fire liroke out in the city of Delft, in
Ildlhmd. A stork, whose nest was j^laced on one of tlie Iniining
buildings, made at first every effort to save its )-oung. b'inalK-, seeing
its inal)ility to assist them, it suffccd itself to be burnt with the
lo\i(l ones rather than abandon them. In 18 jo, at another fire at
Kelbra, in Russia, some storks, when threatened by the llames, suc-
ceeded in .saving- their nest and oflspring by siM-inkling them with
water, which they brought in their beaks. This la>t fact proves to
what extent intelligence may be produced under the influence of parental

love.

The Stoiiv u Good AVilc.

The- stork is not only a good mother, but she is also an excellent wife.
The attachment which these birds show for each other when they are
once [)aired has lonj^ procured for them a high reputation for conjugal
fidelity. Thus, in the Tyrol, a male stork was known to ha\e refused to
migrate, j)assiny: several winters by the .side of his mate, which, in con-
■^equcnce of a wound in her wing, was unable to fl}-.

We mu.st, however, add that some lady storks are by no means slow in
condoling themselves for the loss of their hu.sbands. y\ few days of
mourning, as a matter of form, and their grief ends. Sprungli notes the
case iif one widowed stork which contracted new bonds after two da\-s.
Anotiier gave evidence of the most guilty perversity. The lady began
by betraying the confidence of him with whom she had united her des-
tinies ; his presence had evidently become insupportable te) her, and slie
finally killed him with the help of her accomplice.

'^-«^ii

_li^**«J

1 §f''^'

' 1^

■■ ■«■•" -•

f''

(4;{.s)

nii; (iK.ANiu; adjutant.

CURIOUS SriiCIMliNS OF THE FKATHERKl) TR115ES.

4;}9

These errors of the female render the hii;li morality of the male bird
more conspicuous. Witness the followinL,^ stor)', related h)- Xeaiulcr : — •

A lumiber ')f storks had taken u]) their abode in iIk- market-town of
laiimii. in Bavaria. Perfect harnmn)- reiL;ned in e\er)- faniil)-, and tluir
\'wc< were passed in hap[)iness and Ireedoin. L'nfortunatelx', a female, w ho
liad heen up to that time the most correct of matrons, allowed licrself tO'
be led .iw.i)-by the idle i^allantries of a youni; male ; thi- took place in the
absence of her mate, w ho was enj^ai^ed in seeking fi)otl lor liis familv. This
juiiltv intimac)' continued until one da\" the male, returning' unexijcctedly
Ix.aine convinced of her infidelity, lie did not, however, venture to take
the law into his own hands. I le arrait^ned her before a tribunal comi)osed
of all the birds at the time assembled for their autumnal nii;^n-ation. Mav-
iii<4 statetl the facts, he demandeil the severest jud;.^nnent oi" tiie court
against the accused. The unfaithful s[)ou.se was condinmed to death by
un;uiinious consent, and was inuiiediately torn in pieces. As to the male
bird.althiiu^h now aveni^ed, he departed to bury his sorrows in the recesses
of s((tne desert, and the place which once knew him afterwards knew him
III) more. The I'^rench naturalist, h'ij^uier, (piotes the fore^^'oin;^- remark-
able slaU'inent mad*..' by Neander.

.Jralousy Dciiiaiuliii;^- I{«'V<mij;o.

Ihe storks of the Levant manifest a still i;reater suscejjtibilit)-. Thein-
h,il)itants of Smyrna, who know how far the males carry their feelin;^s of
C'»niu;4.il h(ini:)r, make these birds the subject of rather a cruel anmsenieiit
by pl;uin<;- hens' ei;;^s in the nest of the stork. At slight of this unusual
production the male allows a terrible suspicion to j^naw his heart. B>- the
help of iina;.;ination, he persuades himself that his mate has bctrax'ed him;
and in spite of the protestations of the poor thin;..^', he delivi'rs her over to
the other storks, which arc: attracted b\- his cries, and the innoci'nt and un-
fortunate victim is pecked to pitxes. This feature in its charaeter h;i^ no.
a little Contributed to the universal ostimation the stork is held ni.

The stork speei(.-s called the adjutant, inhabits India; they feed on rep-
tiles andall kinds of filth, and this fact h.l■^ \)ccn the means of ^ecuriii;^ for
them the ijjoodwill of th>- p.Mple. in tli • lar^e cities of I lindustan they
are as tame as do^^^s, and elcar the streets of I'very kdnd of f^arbai^c which
litters them. At meal-times they never fail drawiiv^ themselves up in lini..'
in front of the barrack-s, to cat ihe refuse thrown to them by tlie soldiers:
their sjjhittony is so t;ri;at that th v vv ill swallow enoinious bones. At Cal-
cutta and Chanderna;.n)re they arr protocted 1)V' law, whic h inflicts a fme
oft n

guineas on anv one killing; one of these birds.

rile Ion;.;- white feathers, celelirated foe tlu'ir delicacy and airmess, which

'^1

!NI

441)

EARTH, SKA, AND SKY.

arc used in iho adornirn'iit <>f ladies' bonnets, and known in commerce Iw
the name (jf marabou feathers, conic from this l)ird an 1 th.; African mara-
bou. Consequently, in spite (jf their uijlincss, a f^ood many are reared in
a domestic state in order that oui- fair ones may obtain their favorite dr-
oration.

The bluc-hcaded parakeet, not lar;_jcr than a common sparrow, is on'v
found in Borneo, Sumatra, Banka, and in tlu- southern part of Malakka

'■' •■■^■•>, •- ;x>' .

^A^^"

^M^^-'-v"^^

ULUK-HIiADED PARAKEETS.

Its pluma^^c is a brii^ht tureen, with a darl: ultramarine blue spot on top
of thj head, a triangular yellow spot on the back, a .scarlet-red, elliptical
spot on the throat and some yellow and black winij and tail-feathers.
They arc very erf-iciTnl and li\el\' little birds and are racily domesticatiMl;
their plcasini; manners and identic ilisposition rendering- tiieni ^real f.i-
voritcs.

chaiti:r XVII.

MARVICLOUS CRl'J'JMXG ANIMAl.S.

Kcptiles of Antiquity — Animal Curiosities — Fangs of Deadly Poison —Strange Mode
of Breatliing — Historic Chameleon— Shooting Tongue -Changing Colors— Two
Animals in One — A Creatnre Asleep on one Siilc and Awake on tlie Other —
I'ive-Tocd Geckos — Curious Suction I-'oot — Nimble Running uii Smooth Sur-
fues— Tongue like a Dart — The Common Iguana — Soiitii Ameriran Reptile —
Poiuli I'nder the Jaw — Hunting the Iguana — Lizanls fur llreakfast — Darwin's
Dcsi liption of the Iguana — The Sea Guana— Attachnunt of Male for Female —
A Ciallant Defender— Capital Swimmers — I'jellowing lUillFrogs — I'rogs Giving
I'irst Idea of FJectric Telegrapli -Housed in Winter 'Jiiarters— Stories of the
Doineslicaled Frog — How a Frog Disappeared and what I]ecame of Him -Won-
deihil Horned-Frog — The Mysterious Salamander- Old Notions about a Crea-
ture that could Resi>t I-"ire — Human Clotliing that will not I'airn -Land Tor
toisfs— I'inely Colored Shells — Remarkable Longevity — ! .lepiiantine Tortoisi —
ilow the Tortoise I'eeds — Astounding Surgical ((jm ration — Value of the
Tortoise Siull — The Tun Snail — A Creeping Oddity.

N acquaintance witli reptiles nia\- he traced backwards to a very
remote period. The saci"cd Scriptures, esjjecially th<ise of the
OUl Testament, have numerous passa_L,n;s alhidincj to them ; and
the ancient monuments of the I"><::^\-i)tians jjrow that the great
qioiil-s of the tortoises, the lizards, the serpents, and the froos were well
known to that peojile. Tho.se forms of animal life must, therefore, have
attracted attention from the earliest times; while a natural ilesire to ascer-
tain which of them were danoerous must ha\e led to particular inijuirx-.in
ortlcr to soKc the doubt. It is exidcnt, moreover, from the ancient writ-
ing's of Atluna-us, as well as of 1 Iri-odotus, the father of histor}-, and the
contcinporar)- (-f the prophet Malachi, that notion.s not merel\' \at;iie but
j)iV(ise were entertained re.s])octin;4 many species of reptiles.

Kcj)tiles form, iinqtiestionabl)', a most ri'markable class of ammated
hciiii;s. Some arc of strange and imcoulh aspect, and others, resplend-
ent with burnished hues, i^litter like steel and ;j^olil amidst the rays of the
sun; Hot a f'w are stroiv^^ and ferocious, and of all it maybe said they
supply abundant materials f)r interestin;^ ami in.striictive c-\amination.

TIk-sc creatures teem within the tropical latitudes. They tenant alike
the land and the ocean ; some prefer the ri\-erand the morass ; while many
aif arboreal in their habits, flittin;^ from spray to spra\', and from leaf to
leaf, in chase of insects. Reptiles suarm in sandv deserts, amono- dense

(1 11 J

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I b 1:11,11 - |lr»r^

il^ljfjl.

m^i

■ '' ' ■ I'r ' ' I.

:!: m

442

EARTH, SP:A, and SKY.

aiul tansj^lcd brushwood, in luiinid forests, and in pestilential su amps'
they colonize the ruins of ancient towns and cities, palaces and temples
and often lurk unsuspected in the dwellings of men.

In the more temiK;rate kititudes of the globe the number of th';sc
animals is greatly iliminished ; none are terrible from their size, and \cr\-
few are to be dreailed for their poist)n. Passing still farther northwards,
a few species remain which are harmless, while one or two besides, thou"h
furnished with poison-fangs, are capable only of destroying crcaturt's of
small si/e or a weak frame. The vijjer of Northern luu'ope is the w\n\--
.scntative in our latitude of the numerous deadly snakes which infest iho
countries of the tropics; and the harmless common ringed snakt' lakes
the place of the mighty p\'thon of Java and Bengal.

IiOCiiliti<'s \vli(*r<' Itoptiles urt' frozen Out.

AcKaneing to the countries of the polar circles, we cannot find the
snake, the lizard, the toad, or the frog. The low state of the tempe ratine,
the condition of tlu: land and the water, and the deficiency of snails,
in.sects, and other small animals, their usual food, combine to e.\clii<l.'
reptiles from tln-se (ksolate regions.

W'e may remark at the outset that reptiles, like birds, spring fiom a;i
egg. The great marine tortoises, for example, come every )'ear, at dicir
appointed times, to deposit their eggs in the sand on the shores i^^ the
sea and banks of rivers, near strands of gentle declivity. There the
fenuiles hollow out a sort i>f rude, but strong vaulted nest or oven, a> it
may be termed, wherein the eggs may have the benefit of the concen-
trated ra)-s of the sun, so as to enjoy an ccpiable heat, as in the instance
of eggs under a sitting hen, but under circumstances whicli do not jjer-
mit the body of the mother to impart the neces.sary warmth. The >hell
of these" eggs is generally solitl, and their form globular, or of a . Iii)!t
cylimlrical shape, ecpialK' rounded at the extremities, A female tmtk will
lay as man}' as a Jumdred at one time.

The re[)tiles diffi-r from other animals in the mode of their respiration.
Mammals bri\'ithe b\- expanding the cavity of the chest occupied b\ ihv
lungs, into \\hi> h, accordingly, the air enters, through the trachea, oi
windpipe, to fill up the vacuum occasioned by the dilation of the cavity.
Now, this action supposes a certain degree of mobility in the walls of ihc
chest, or, in other words, of the ribs and sternum, or breast bone, uiiieli
encircle it, independently of the action of the diaphragm — the great umi^cIi'
of res[)iration, which parts the ciiest from the abdominal cavity ; but in
tortoises the walls of the chest are immovable; they cannot be e.xpaiuleii;
the bones an- all locketl into oiu- solid mass, and tlu-re is no diaphragm

MARVIiLOUS CREEPING ANIMALS.

partiiiL; the cavity occupied by tlic heart antl lun^L^s from that containin<;
llir rest of the viscera. There must, therefore, be a pecuhar mechanism bv
which the hmgs become filled, and this is clearly discoverable.

If we watch a froi^, for instance, we catuiot readil}' discover that it
ijrealhcs at all, for it never opens its mouth to receive fresh air, and there
is no motion of the sides to indicate that it respires; and yet, on any sud-
den alarm, the animal miiy be observed blowint,^ itself up. as if by some
internal power, thoui^h its mouth continues all the while to Ix- closed.
The throat, however, may be observed in frequent motion, as if it were
cccmomizin;^ its mouthful of air, and transferring; it backwards ami forwards
between its mouth and the lun<^s ; while, if we look to the nostrils, a twirl-
iiv motion may be noticed at each movement of the jaws; fm- it is, in fact,
throuj^di the nostrils tliat the frog receives all the air it breathes.
A Cr«'iitiire Strimylcil by Opriiiuf'- its Mtxitli.

Tlu' jaws are never opened but for eatin^j ; and the sides of the mouth
lorin a .sort of bellows, of which the nostrils are the inlets, and by their
alternate contraction and relaxation the air is swallowed, and forcetl into
the uachca, so as to inflate the huv^s. If the mouth (,f a fro;^ be forcibly
kept open, it can no longer breathe, because it is tlepriw.'d of the power of
swallowing the air retiuired for that function ; and if the nostrils be closed,
ill like manner it is suffocated.

The respiration of most of the re])tile tribes is performetl mi a similar
manner. The fact is, t.iat the air is forced 1)\' the action <;f the tongue
ami mouth tlu-ough the trachea into the lungs, by an act resembling that
of swallowing; or rather, in the manner in wliich the ball or hollow butt
t)fan air-gun is charged by re[x.'ated strokes of the piston.

The tortoises lia\-e lungs of great extent, passing backwards untk.'r the
ba-'k-plate, and reaching to the posterior part of the bod\'. Turtles, w iiich
are aquatic, derive great ad\-aniages from this stiucture, which enables
them to give buoyancy to the body — iMicumbered as it is by a heavy
.shell — by intr.xlucing into it a large \'olume of air; so that the lungs, in
fact, .serve the purpose of a large swimming-bladdei'. That such was the
|)iirpose of this structure is evident from the \'olume of air recei\eil into
the lungs being much greater than is recpiired for the sole pur|)ose of
I'e^piration.

All reptiles are cold-blooded, sluggish, and inert ; subsisting on a scanty
allnwance of food. The heart of the frog may be regarded as consisting
'•r I ingle ventricle and a single auricle. From the former there proceeds
(ine gr(\-\t arterial trunk, which is properlv the aorta. This soon divides
inui twd trunks, which, after sending branches to the head and neck,.

HM^

ri h

»•*

?■

'»l'l'

J.()NCi-T()N(.l 1.1) CIIAMELKON.

(4U)

MAK\I:L()LIS Cr-IKRPING ANIMALS.

445

;) .1

bend ilouiiwards, and unite to form a sinL;lc trunk, which is the liescend-
in"^ aurla. From this vessel proceed all the arteries, which arc distriljuted
to the trunk and to the liml)s, and ihcsi- arterial ramification^ are continued
into [he threat venous trunks.

The heart of the tortoise has two distinct auricles — the one rcceivii

ihi

hldod from the i)ulni<:iiar) \-eins, the other, from those i)( the body
■ Generally; so tluit tlie mixture of aerated and \it:atetl blood take; place-,

!t in the aiM'ich-, but the \enti-icle. When all tlie cax'ities are distended

!th blootl, the two auric!

)einu" nearlv of the ;ame size a:; the \ent

IK le.

tJK uhede lias the a[)pearance of the union of ihiee hearts. On a similar
{(kill the circulatiri;.; system of the serpents iu ccnstnicted.

Tlu; Fainous Cliainclooii.
One character of the chamelec n consists in tlu tonL;i:e beiivj; cylindri-
cal, worm-like, capable of bein;^ inwitly e!on|.^'ited, and terminatinrj in a
fleshy tubercle, lubricated with a \i-^cid .sili\a. .\nolher ar)pears in the

surface (

,f Ih.

e skin heini; coveied with ho;ny ^'■.aiuile:

in >t(.'ad cf scale

A third is seen in the deep and compressed form ( f the bod\-, which is

surnio

untetl b\' an acute dor- al ridi'-

fourth, in the tail 1

n'AU'j- rou

nd.

tai)i

eriii'.

anc

1 capable of j^raspinc', ; and a fifth, in ih.e parrot-like structure

of the feet, which have each fwc toes, divided into two opposin.; sets —
three beinc; placed outwardly and two inwardly, connected to ;t'ther a; far
as the second joint, and armed with five sharji claws.

The head of these am'mals is very lar<;e; end fi-om the shortness ( f the
neck, it seems as if set upon the shoulders. The upper part [generally

esell

ts an elevated central crust ; an! a ridijed arch i.-. over each orbit t

the nuizzle.

le internal oi\^an of hearing; is entirely concealed. The

meutli is ver\- wide; the teeth are sliarp, small, an. 1 three-iobed. The
wheie of the ball of each e)-e, excei^*^ tlu pui^il, is covered with skin, and
firms a sinc^Ie circular e\elid, with a central orifice. The furrow between
the I all of the eye and the cd'j^c of the orbit is very deep; and the eye-
lid, closely attached to the ball, nio\es as it mo\es. As each eye l:as an
iiukptndent j)ower of motif n, the axis ( f rnc cje nay I>e seen directl)'
upwards or backwards, wliile ih.at of the other is in a ec'iitrary directicn,
■•i\in'e- to the creature a stran_L,a' and most ludicrous appearance.

The

chameleon was once

said to live on air; but iiuects, slurs

such like creatures form its food. For their seizure its tongue is especially-
adapted. With the exception of the fleshy tubercle forming its lip, it
consists of a hollow tube, which, when withdrawn into the throat, is
fokleil in u[K)n itsidf, somewhat in the way in which a pocket telescope is
shut up. When fully protruded, it reaches tj a distance al least ccjual to

iti.i

'<k

,p|i(a

1 'I'

;'h>^, ■ 'H^

'ii

446 KXKTII, SF.A, ANT) SKY.

the chameleon's bf)d\- ; ami is hiunchcd forth and retracted witli rrmal

rapidity. An insect on a leaf at an apparently hopeless distance, or a

drop of wal<r on a twi^', is t^one so instantaneously, that the spectator i^

astonished. " T ne\"er knew," said an acute f)bserver, " a chaniele. n I

lonjj^ kept miss his aim Init once, and thi.-n the (\y was on the otliL'r sid-^

of the L^lass.''

Curious Sliiftiiii;' Colors.

The remote cause, says Weissenborn, of the difference of color in tlii;
two lateral halves of the chameleon ma}-, in most cases, be distinctK'-
referred to the manner in which the li:-^dit acts upon the animal
The statement of IVIurra)-. *hat the side turned towards the IiL;ht is al\va\-,s
of a d.'irker color, i> p .•rfectk' true. This rule hokls p^ood as well w ith
rc-fercnce to I 'i \ ' and diffused li;-,dit of the sun, or moon, a^ to
artificial li_L;ht. 'en u -.en the animal was moving; in the walks of mv-
tjjarden, and happened to ■• .ne near cnoui^h to the bf)rder to besli,.!,(l
l)\' the box edjj^iiiL;-, that side (so shaded) would instantly become lc<s
ilarkly colored than the othci-. Now, as the li_L;ht in these casc;s scldun!
illumines exactly one lateral half of the animal in a more powerful nianiicr
than the otlu r, and as the middle line is constantly the line of deiiiaica-
lion between the two different shades cjf color, we must e\identl\' refer
the different effects to two different centres, from which the ner\c)us cur-
rents can only radiate, under such circumstances towards the or;^\uis
situated respecti\'el)' on one side of the mesial line.

Over these centnvs, without doubt, the or^^an of vision immediateh- pre-
sides ; and, indeeil, we ouj^iit n^t to wonder that the action of li!.;ht has
such powerful effects on the highly irritable organization of the chanieK'on,
considering.^ that the e\-e is most hi;^dily develoj)ed. The lun^s are hut
secondarilx' affected ; but the\' are likewise more stroni^ly excited on the
darker side, which is constantly morecon\-cx than the other.

NotwithstamliiiL,^ the strictly symmetrical structure of the chanieleeii,
as to its two JiaKes, the e\-es move independently of each other, and oii-
vcy tlilTereiit impressions to their respective centres of perception. Tin
coiiseciuence is that, when the animal is ajj^itated, its movements appear
like those of two animals ^lued toi^cther. l-!ach half wishes to nio\c iis
own wa\', and there is no concordance of action. The chameleon, there-
fore, is not able to swim, like other animals : it is so fri^^rjitened, if put mtn
water, that the facultx' of concentration is lost, and it tumbles about as if in a
state of intoxication. On the other hand, when the creature is undis-
turbed, the eye which receives the stroiv^cst impression propac,^'ltes it to
the conunon centre, and prevails ujjon the other eye to follow that impres-

MAKVKLUIJS CRKKl'lNti ANIMALS.

447

-ion and directs itself to the same ol)jcct. Ihe ciuinieleon, moreover, riiay
be aslcei) on one side and awake on tiie otlier. When cautiously approach-
iivr niv specimen at ni^ht, with a candle, so as not to awaken the whole
animal, \>v tiie shakini^ of the room, the eye turned towards the flame
umild oiKMijand bet^in to mo\'i', and the corresponding;' side to change
color; whereas the other siile would remain for several seconds lonL;er in
its torpid and unchan<^eable state, with its eye shut.

Tlu' <i<'<4ios or Wall Lizards.

The family standing;' next to the chameleons is that of the ijjeckos,
havin"^ characteristics which prevent their heini,^ confounded with any
other "roup. One part of their structure may be illustrated by a playthiuLj
of llu' writer's bo\'hood, w hich, simjile as it was, often conveyed much
iiistniction. It consisted of a piece of leather, about four inches in diam-
eter, havinij; a strini^ with a knot at the ind, passed thron<^h the centie,
which, ilipped in water, and pressed down with the foot -i a stone, raisi'd
it at pka-^ure from the ground. The reason of it-; cioinLj - o i easily under-
.stood. The ed<^es of the wet leather, bi-iuLi elosel)' ])re, ed, ..tuck so firmly
to the surface of the stone, as to resist the force of the striuLj wlun it was
pulled upwards; the consequence was, that a hollow \ is formed in the
iiiidtlle of the leather which was destitute of air, or w' at is talleil a \acnum.

This effect arises from a tendenc\' that i-.xists in ail boiiics to adhere
to;j;ether, provided the contact of their surfaces is sufficic-ntly perfect — a
propert)' which is termed the attraction of cohesion. Were the leather
(lr\-, it would not adliL're to a rouL,di surfact', because the contact could
ii.it t)c reixlered sufficientl)' perfect ; but wlun saturated with water, the
interstices of the leather are filled with that lluid, and tlu- ine(iualities of
the surface, which would prevent close contact, are remo\-ed. As then
the central part is drawn up by the .string;, the hollow thus produced must
nccessaril)' be a Naeuum, since the air cannot pass through the leather to
supply it; in this state, therefore, the atmos])here presses on the exterior
n( the leather, and, like an)' other wei;_;lu, pre\-ents it'- risini^f from the
stone — the pressure b('ini;' equal to fifteen pounds on (.wer)- s(|uare inch of
suifice. As, howe\er, the atmospiiere, by its pressure, ultimatel)- forces
its \va\- throuj^h the ed;^a's of the leather, the interior becomes filled with
air; it consecjuently balances tlut external wei!_;ht, which had before C( n-
fined it, and the stone falls to the i-arth.

This toy of childhoofl — the box's " sucke'r" — will ser\e to explain the
peculiar mechanism with which the li^ecko tribe is provided for effectinsj^ the
adhesion of the feet to the objects to which they are applied. The\- art-,
be it obsL-rved, nocturnal animals; their ft)od coiisi.sts of insi-cts, which

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448

EARTH, .SI:A, and SKY.

they obtain by waitini^ in ambush for thcni, or by t;ivin^ them chase i-it,,
the liolcs aiul crevices to whicli they retreat for refu^t^e. In pursuin"- tlkm
they traverse tlie surface of the smoothest substances, pass over the ceil-
ings of rooms, suspend themselves on the under side of a leaf, climb the

FIVK-TOEI) (iECKC) OK WALL-LIZAKD.

bark of trees, penetrate the caviiies and clefts of rocks, and ascend w^.lls;
accomplishing all of these extraordinary movements with the greatest
facility.

Accordingly, each foot is provided with five toes ; all, except the tlnimb,
being terminated by a sharp curved claw. On the under surface of cacii

MARVELOL'S CREEPING ANIMALS.

I4J)

toe arc* sixteen transvcrsi; slits, Icadiiv^ to the same minihcr of cavities;
tJK'si' npcn forwards, ami tlieir LXtcriial cd^e is serrated, apiu-ariiii^f like the
teeth of a small-toothed comb. All tliese parts, toLjether with the cavities,
.irc covered or Uned with cuticle. Helow them are larLie muscles, w hicli
draw down the clan ; antl from tiie tendons of these muscles ari-^e two sets
,.| siii.illei Muiscles, situated so as to be put on the stretch, when the ft)rmcr
:irc ill action.

1>\ ilu- contraction-- of these' muscles, the ririfices of the cavities, to w hieh
ihcv helonL;. are opened, And the serrated edj^es applied accuratelv to the-
.sinfaee> with which the feet are in contact. Thus, as in the hoj-'s j^lay-
tliiiii;. iidhesion takes place, and awicunm is ])roduced, which is terminateil
;ii die will of the -^ecko, b\- the admission of the air.

[•Or the purjiose of seizin;^ the insects, on which it feeds, the li/ard
iLrts o;it with astonishing;- xelocity its foria-d toni^ue. This is beset with
a-.pen lies which are scarcely discernible, but wliich ate of L;reat use in
..atchin;^ its pre)-. This li/ard is capable of existing;" for a h'lv^- time with-
out [\><n\. Previously to the breedint; seasons both female and male chan;j,e
their skins, and this the)- a^ain do about the be;^innin'4 of winter. Tluy
pass that .season in a state of torpor, more or less complete arcoidin;.; to
the riL;or of the climate.

TlU' .Siii;;iiliii- Krptih' Naiiu'd l};'iiaii:i.

Till- common ii^uana inhal)its a threat part of .South .America. These
reptiles are easil)' recot^ni/.ed from the huL;e pouch niiderneatli the neck,
nii(! the dentated crest \vhich e-xteiids from the head to the e\t;\:mit)- of
the tail. The tail, feet, ami boil)- are co\'ered with small scales. On the
upper part their color is a more or less decided orecn. sometimes be-
coiiiin;4 blue, at others slate-colored; the lower part is of a xellowish
;.;reer.. The sides present /it^^zai^", roundish, brown scales, edii'ed with )'el-
l(i\v , frecpientl)- a yellow line is traced oblitpiel)- in front of the shoulder,
and some specimens are sprinkled with lirown; others ha\e the limbs
.spotted with brown on a black (.ground. When full i^rcnvn it attains the
kiv^nh of four feet. They are \ery identic creatures, ami perfectl)' harm-.
less, feedin;4 almost exclusively on \e<^etables. The)' are hunted for their
tiesh, which is excellent; and the)- are most numerous in .Surinam ami
Brazil.

The tan,<,nie is curiously used by the animal to draw footl into the
mouth, and to forward it down the ^nillet, or to repel it at will, and the
only use of the palatal teeth appears to be to .secure the food while the
tonf,nie moves forward to afford fresh assistance in its journc)- down the
tliroat. Between the lower jaw and the chest is a poucii, which the ani-
29

*,«!

■ fm

^1^

(430)

ijOLTH AMIiKlCAN IGUANA.

MARVEI.OUS CRKEFMNG ANIMALS.

'151

nial (Ir.iu^ in i>r ovtctvls siimiltaiicDiisly with tin.' c<)ni|»rc^si()ii or swcllinfj
oiitdf the body wlun iiirai^^ccl or excited. The portion of tlic pouch at-
taclicd to the jaw is iiitlatahlc, and food is .sometimes retained in it for a
cniisiderablc period.

Tiiis iLjuana is not averse to water, when not too cold, takin^^ to it only
when the .sun is .shinin;^; in fact, not movin;j- about much at any other
'inic. Its mode of swimmini^ differs from that of other li/ards, inasmuch
a-; it places its four lej^s close by the siile of its body, and swims en-
arcl\" with its tail. It di\'es with great facility, and remains sometimes for
.1 considerable time underwater. The tail is a very \aluable limb ; for,
besides being the sole mean.s of .swimming po.sse.ssed I)\- the animal, it is
of great use in climbing trees, and it i.s a more important weapon of de-
ftiice, a blow from it being frequently sufficient to inflict a severe wound
Viyforous U.sc of Teotli and daws.

In fact, this reptile is rather formitlable when brought to bay in the
\vo<nls. It is hunted by the natives with dogs trainetl for the purpose.
The dog, immediately upon scenting it, gives tongue, and, if on the
ground, the dog seizes it by the neck, and either kills it or maims it,
which makes its capture easy; if in a tree, the iguana is either shaken
down — a matter ordinarily of no small difficulty — or the branch is cut off.
It is almost u.seless to attempt to find these reptiles without dogs, as the
resemblance of their color to that of the trees which they iidiabit prevents
them from being easily .seen. Few dogs but those accustomed to the
.•^port will touch them, as, in addition to the blows which they ii.dict with
the tail, they bite and .scratch furiously; and when once they lay hold of
anything with their teeth, they can only be made to let go by an induce-
ment to bite some more attractive object offered to them. They run into
holes when chased, if an opportunity offers, and when their eyes are hid-
den from \ iew they fancy that their whole bod\' is .safely covered. The
flesh, particularh' of the female, is a great delicacy; it is cooked in \ar-
ious ways, sometimes in a fricas.see with the eggs whole, sometimes
roasted or stewed. The eggs have a ver}' glutinous consistence.

Within the limited area of the small archipelago of the Gallapagos,
situated unu ■' the equator about ten degrees west of South Americ; ,
'there are two remarkable species of iguanida^, of which the habits ha\ e
been described and commented upon by Mr. Darwin in his volume enti-
tled the " Voyage of the Beagle!' One of these is particularly so, because,
as that naturalist observes, it is the only existing saurian which can prop-
erly be .said to be a marine animal. In the whole of that group of
i.slands, as he tells us, there is only one rill of fresh water; yet this rep-

<^"''"lf!l;i||

' .'fiffllif

',-

Ifc

4.52

KARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

I:f

tile frequents the sea-beaches, antl no cither parts of the islands. 1 \v ;i,]f|,j
that it is the only known e.xistin^ hzard that feeds exclusively on a(ju,itic
productions.

The sea-i;"uana ai-cordiiiL; to Darwin, is \'ery common on all the
islands throughout the archij)elat;() of the (iallapa^os. It li\es exdn-
si\e]y on the rocky si-a-bcaches, and is never fountl — at least, I ueveT siu
one — L'\('ii ten )'ar(l> inshore. It is a hideous-lookin'T creature, of a dirtv
hhick color, stupid antl slu^ijish in its mo\'enients. The usual lenvtii nf

^^^iii'

hffiis

^^^^^ 1 : •

/' ■. ri.-iTA'/'/i f„;„
TMK .SI-:.\ OUANA.

rt full-i^rown one is about a yard, but there are some e\en four feet i'liv^. I
have seen a large one which weif^hed twenty pounds. On the l>lan(! nf
Albemarle they .seem to grow to a greater size than on any other. Fhcsc
lizards were occasionally seen some hundred yard.i from shore s\\imi,iiiu[
about; and Cajitain Colnett. in his " Voyage," says, " they go out to .sea in
shoals to fish." With respect to the object, I believe that he is mistaken;
but the fact stated on so good an authority cannot be doubted.

When in the water the animal swims w ith the greatest ease and quick-

Is. Hr;„l,ls

y (111 aipi itic

MARVELOUS CREEPING ANIMALS.

4o3

diiiiiii

)\- a serpentine nidwment of its body and llattcneci tail — \\h- Ic^s,

tliis time, beinu;" motionless and closcl)- eollapsed on its sid

•aman on

board sank om\ with a liea\\' weight attached to it, thinkin<r

tluH til kill It (iii'eetly; hut wiun.an hour alterwards, he drew ii|

th(

line.

ih>

was (

II lie acti\e.

uir limbs and stron^^ claws arc admirabK-

iulaptcd for crauliiiL;' o\er the ru!^_L,H'd and fissured niassfs of la\a which
\\\here there form the coast. In such situations, a L^roiip of .si\ or

,c\cr

>L\X !

if the.se u<jl\' re|)tiles may oftentimes bo seen on the black rod

f(\\ Krt <ib.i\c the surf basl-HiiL; in the sun with outstretched k

iiiKiieil the stomachs ot se\eral, continued Mr. Darwin, and in each
ca.sc f iiind it larj^ely distended w ith minced sea-weed of that kind which
n rows in thin {oliaceoiis <,'\pansions of a bright ^reeii or ilull rc'il color.
1 ilii lint rei:ollect haxinL;- obscrxed this sea-weed in an\- cpiantitx' (Ui the

tidal I-

(iCK>

aiul

I 1

Kue reason to believe tliat it •'■rows at I lie !)<ittom of

a, a

t some little distance from the coast. If >ueh is i

ic case

tlK

hjecl of these animals occasionallx' L;'>inL,^ <»ut to sea is explained.
TIk' food of this li/ard,e(piall\- with its coinpresscil form of tail, and the

itam

act of its liax'inLT I)e(n si en \-oltintaril\' swimmin

"J" < I

ut at sea, abs

luteK' iiio\e its acpiatic habits; ne\ertl

Here

IS ill

1 this respect one straiu

leless, aswe ;ue told b\- Darwin,
anoinalw nainel\-, that when fri'dlt-

cnc(

! it will not enter the water. I'"roin this cause, it is ea-^\' to dii\e

lesc

li/anis ui

)wn to an\'

littU

point o\erlian;_;in;4- the sea. where they wi

ill

.sodiier allow a pers<in to catch hold of their tail than jump into tlu' water.
The\' do not seem to ha\e any notion of biiiu;.; ; but when much fri;_dit-
cncd the)- squirt a drop of fluid from each nostril.

Darwin's KxpcrioiMM' \vi(li a Lizanl.

(^n

e (la\-

carried o

ne to a deep pool left b\' the retiring tide, and threw

it in se\eial times a-; iar as I was abl

line to the spot w lu-rc

I StO(

.swai

It in\ariablv returned in a direct
n near the bottoir., w ith a wrv

graceful and rai)id mo\emenl, and occasionall)' aided itself o\er the iiiiewn
Touiul w ith its f(X't. As soon as it arri\etl near the marsjin, but -till

bciiv.

Weed

pas.M'd
it C(iiil

under the water, it either tried t i conceal itself in tiie tufts of sea-

or It entered some crex'ice.

leii It tiiou''lit llu' daiiLTer was

it crawled out on the dry rocks, ami sluiflled .iwa_\' as ([uickly a--

d. I

sewral times cau

ght th

lis same lizard b\- drixiiiLr it down to a

[idiiit, and, thoui;h pos.sessc

dof

sucli per

feet

Kiwi'i's of tlixiinf and swim

iniiiL;, nothini; would induce it to enter the water ; and as often as I threw
it ill it R'turned in the manner above describi-d. IV-rhaps this sin^i^ular
piece of apparent stupidit)' nia\' be accounted for b\- the circuni.stance that
this ic[)tile has no enemy whate\er on shore, whereas at .sea it must often

^mm

li'i iiii

'V ■ ■■

ill

III

iNi

454

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

fall a prey to the mimeroiis sharks. Hence, probably urt^cd by a fixed
ami lu'reditary instinct that the shore is its place of safet\-. u haUvrr liu-
enieri^ency nia\' be, it there takes refuLje. I askeil se\eral of the inhab-
itants if they knew where it laid its eg^s ; they said, that althou^jh well
accjuainted with the es^L,^s of the other kind, the}' had not the least knuw-
led<;e of the manner in which this species is propagated.

These lizards are very cpiick in all motions, and climb with astoni-.lijn'r
a;4ility. I'he females are smaller than the males ; their appearance is
more gentle and pleasini;. They arc sei-n c;-.ithcrin;^ alonc,^ the beach
about two months after the end of winter for the purpose of depo.silinf
their eL;;.;s in the sand of the sea-shore.

A Gallant DoIVmiso.

During the sj)rini; of the \'ear the male exhibits great attachment
towards the female. He defends her even with fury, attacking evcT\-
animal that seems inclined to injure her, ami sometimes fasten^ lijs
teeth to the enem\- so firmly, that it is necessary either to kill him or to
beat him on the nose to make iiim ciuit his hold. It cannot uiiliout
difficulty be killed witii blows or even In- gunshot wounds, but it dies
almost instantly if even a .straw is put up its nostrils.

These animals are found in a great number on the Galapagos Island.s,
where tiiey lix'e on the rocks only a few feet tlistant from the sea. They are
excellent swimmers by a snake-like movement c)f tile body and tail, hut
never using their feet, which are laid closely to the body and never
moved. It is a singular fact tnat when alarmed they seek refuge on the
rocks and not in the water, althougii they are more or less aquatic ani-
mals.

Elft'tric Toh'ffiaph Snjf}'«\st4Ml by (ho Fro}»-.

The foot of a frog is often selected for ob.serxation in the microscope,
as beautifulK' illustrating the circulation of the blood. It is also worthv
of remembrance that Galvani, Professor of Anatomy at Bologna, remarked
on one occasi(^n that when the limbs or nerves of a frog were j)ut into
conununication with the muscles of the thigh, by means of an electric
conductor, the limbs were violentK' convulsed. Thus he disco\ereil a
force hitherto unknown, which he called animal electricity. Hut X'olta,
another Italian, observing that the effects were far greater when the con-
necting medium consisted of two different kinds of metals, inferred that
the principle of excitation existed in the metals, ami not in the nerves of
the animal. He therefore argued that by their contact there was devel-
oped a small quantity of the electric fluid, which, being transmitted
through the organs of the frog, produced the convulsive movements. And

W:^^

C.RF.AT lUiVPING HULL-FKOG.

nr.'))

111.

\ 3!lf

! '

4.0(J

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

to lln-^ conclusion must bo traced, anion;^ luiportant (liscovcrif:s the in-
vention of the electric tele,L;rai)li.

The toni;i.c of tliese animals performs a leading;" ])art in tl.t ca))tL:;r (^f
thv prey. Ft-- structure, in the ij^reater j^ortion of tliis L;rou;\ i- allotrc^'u-.
aiioinalous, .md its inscilion is eciuallv at variance wiili ilie mode a l.,|)tc(J
in liu- other vertel)rated animals. It is ver\- soft, tleshy almost tlir m.rlj.
out. and is not supported.il its !)ase !))• any bouy structure.

This or;.4an is providt.d with a ti'uacious sticky secretion ; ami, u lun ii
touches the pre\-. the latter adheres so firmly to it that it is carnal
back with the tonj^ue into the mouth. There it is, hi luo-t ca.ses ..m-
pressed, iinoK'ed ajjjain in a glutinous sort of sali\a, and almost instantly
swallowed. The motion of tlu'owing out auvl retuinin;^ the toiv^Mie is
often pi.-rformed with a rapidity which the e)-e can hardly follow. Ihi^.
muscles, whose office it is to move the bones, cartilages, and other parts
of the mouth, a^ i more especially upon the lowir jaw, upon the hasi: nt
the mandil)le, and upon the toni;ue. which, after bt.'iu;^ shot forth. i> re-
turned <uid swall.iwed, as it were, witii the cajitured prey, and tlk lu [ of
defilutition is eontinurd till th<> food i> lod'jcd ui the stomach.

(iloiii;^ iii(o WinN'i' (,>i«in(<T.s.

The h'oL; hybeinatrs, like ail om- np . _ .issiu;.; tlu' colder lU'Utl'.s df
the year in a state of toipor, buried deep in the mud at th(.: 1. .itnin of
poinls or sluLji^ish streams. Thei'c they conj^nv^^ate in nuiltitutlc s, ,i!l
huddled closi'ly toj»ether, so as to form almost a contin.uous mass. l".ai!\
in spring;' the}- re-appear, and durinL,^ llie month of March the f'liiaic
deposits her e;4i;s in the water. Duriri'^- sunuuer the froo- is \e'.y a.nivi
and \oracious, dexouriu;..; the lai;_;er insects, and i-specially slii;^-;, which
are a favorite food. To the <.;ardener or cultivato'- of culinary veL;ctal)ks
it, iheix'fore, renders sjKcial scrxico; a'^6. as Mr. Bell obscr\es, "this cmh-
sidtM-.ation ou;^dit surely to wei^h. even w th those who are iusensihK' to
the appeals n( liumanity, m lavor of lUis harmless and much j)eiseciilcil
race."

The sudden appear.nu e of fro^s and toads in ])hu'es where the)- were
U't i)re\ioirsly seen is uot an uncommon occurrence. Violent rains have
acconipanietl tlieir appearance, and such showers iiavc been and still arc
belie\-eti hy some to be anionc^r the phenonicMia of nature.

" Natiu'ali^ts," .sa\-s Dumeril, " kmnv tliat the sudden aj)pearance of
youn<.j frogs on the surface of the earth, aiul in places where they did net
.seem to exist prc\iously, lias in all times roused public attention :\nd
curiosit)', tlu; supposition l)ein;^ that they jiad fallen from the sky. W'
find, in f.ivi, traces of this belief in .Aristotle, in some passages of Athc-

I! '3^^

MARVFLOTJS CREEPING ANIMALS.

457

r.T'.!- .ukI -Elian, and ^f tlie moderns, in Gcsncr; in many volumes of the
(^iirious Tilings of Nature,' in the works of Kay .ti.d i'losc of R>.Lii.
I'jabiTatc discussions have been entered into on the subj •el. Ciirdan
wa-^ viL,f<>ri'iisl\- attacKi. d h\' Sealiger, lor having gi\cn cr^-dit to tliis sort
of spnntaricous production. Pison thought that these toads did not fall
fniini d from the skies, but that the\- si)rang from the animali/.ing aetit)n
ofdu' lain on the clods of fertile earth, lie was abi\' answered by Len-

liliii-."

Tryiny to Solve a l»nz/,l<>.

Rnli. admitting the facts to a certain degree, propcsed the following
explanation: — "These toads and frogs do not ai)[)ear until it has rainetl
f,ir ^iinie time ; but these animals hatl l.)een h'<.^ehi'd tnany da\'s previously ;
or, rather, having undergone their complete transtormation, had quitted
the water in which they hail l)een dewloped as tadpoles. 1 hose little
frogs, then, la}' covered and concealed in the chinks of the earth, under
stones and clods, where, in consequence of their lying motionless, and
often also on aciount of their du^ky color. tlie\- escaped the eye." This
is, (Ktubtless, the true stati: of the case : conceaietl in fissures and crevices,
ami I xhaustetl by drought, they la>- till the welcome rain restored them
t(i .miniation, and in\"itt'd their >udden ajipearance.

•• Dr. W. Roots, of Kingston," sa}s IMr. Hell, " informs me tha' 'C was
ill p(i»es>iun ft)r several years of a frog in a perfect slate of domestication.
It a])pears that the lower offices of his house were what is conmionly
called undergrt)und, on the banks of the Thames, that this little reptile
accident. ill\- ap[)eared to his ser\. mis. occasionally issuing from a hole in
the skirting of the kitchen; and thai during the tlrst year of his .sojourn,
he fii'-tantl)- withdrew upon their a])pioa(h ; but on their show ing him
kindness, ,uid offering him such food a-^ ihev thought he could partakt
of, lu' gradiiall)' accpiired iiabits of familiarit\- and friendship, cmd during
the follouing three )-ears lie regularly came out every day, and particu-
ladyat the hour of meal-time, and partook of the food which the .servants
_L;avc him. I5ut one of the most remarkable features in tins artificial state
of existence was his strong partiality for warmth, as during the winter
.seasons he regularly (and contrar\' to the cold-blooded tendency of ills
nature) came out of his hole in the e\(.ming, and fiirectly made for the
hcarlh, in O'lUt of a good kitchen i'wc, wheie lie wouUi continue to bask
ami enjoy himself till the famil}- retirerl to re.st.

" riiere happened to be, at the .same time a fa\'orite old domestic cat, and
a sort of intimacv and attachment existed betw^een these incongruf.us
inmates; the fi-og fi-e(Uientl\- nestling under the warm fur of the cat,

:' ''I!!!,.

.jjj.^^r.

wm^

mm
tiir

458

KAKTH, S(;A, AM) SKY.

while tin: cat apptarccl cNlrt'inily jealous of intcniiptiii;; the roinfort, ■\l■^^\
convcuiriuc I if llic ti'o|^. riiis curious scene was oiwn \v itiirsserl l^y
many hi.'sides llic Uniily."

I'^vtraoi-dinay Traits ol" tlw lJuH-Fro}»'.

America has se\eial frogs t)f huge size and sonorous voice, of w lii,],
one is the huii-fro;.;. Its croakin;^ sounds are like the hellowini;- of il.,;ll,
and are louder uhm uttered below the surf:\ce. Tliis statement is,
prohabK" oxercharijcd. Audubon simpK' says, its voice is louder than
that (if an\- <'l]ier species, and ma)' be distintU' heard at the disi.unc ,,t'
fort)' or fifty yartls. i Ic adds : It is paiticularl)- fond of su( h suiall [nwr
streams of water as aic thickly sliaded b\' overhauL^ini;- bushes. It sits
for hours, durin;.;the middle of the da}-, baskini; in the sun, near the niar-
ij[in of the water, to which it betakes itself by a i^reat leap, at the least au-
])earance of danL;er, divini;- at once to the bottom, orswimminc; to the on-
l)osite side. In the .Sr)uthern .States it is heard at all seasons, but princi-
pally durin<^ the sprin_Lj and sunnncr months. Its flesh is tender, white,
and affords excellent eatin<^. Tiie hind le;_;s, howt'wr, are the on!)- i).iits
useil as food. The)' make (.wcellent bait for the lari'.i'r cat-fish. .Some
bull-frog.s wi.-igh as much as half a pound. I haxc L;enerall)' used the
<.jun for procuring them, shooting with \ery small shot.

A resident at Fort I'.rie relates that near the town is a deep, nuiclily
creek, with low and marsh)- shores, and here the bull frogs are found in
great numbers duiing the sunnncr montiis. .Standing at his own door,
he could distinctl)- h<ar their sonoron. music booming across the water,
although the distance was o\er three miles.

Although naturally shy and timitl, he succeeded in taming one, after
an intercourse of a couple of months. ]\c was then residing on tlic
banks of a small lake, which was well .st<icked with various kinds of ex-
cellent fish, [jart/C liarly one sort — those known by the name of" salmon-
trout."

During the summer, he sax's, I used fretiuently to angle in different
parts of tile lake for them, and also would place floating lines across some
of the convenient bays ami inlets. My usual bait was a small li\c fidi,
to prcKure whic'' I lunl to angle with a small hook, baited with a small
Worm, in tlie sha'.iower water near the shore. One da)-, while I was tlui.s
employed, I observed a large bull-frog pcrciied upon a prostrate tree, x.'hich
lay partly immersed in the water. Having caught a sun-fish, just at the
moment I first oljservcd the bull-frog — and that sort of fish being the
least desirable kind of bait for trout-fishing — without unhooking it I
.■swung it as neUi the frog as practicable. 1 saw that he an.KJously watched

i-iiintort> a;ui
ivitncs.sci.l by

ico, f>f which

MIILJ of. I 1). ill,

.statrniriit i^,
i louder lh;in
k: (lislani'i; >if

eh small pure
slics. Il MtS
near the inar-
t tin; K:a^la;)-
iir^- ti ) tlv I'p-
is, hut priiiin-
tcniK'!-, whiU:,
.lie only ]y,nU
it-fish. SdiiK'
:rall\' used the

I deep, nuulil)-

s arc riuiitl 111

lis ( lu 11 dour,

OSS the water,

iiii;4 one, alter
■.iilini,^ on tin-
ands ol e\-
of " sahnon-

e in different

;s across sonic

mall live fidi,

with a small

ile I was thus

ate tree, x.'hich

1, jusi at the
fish bciii;4 tin
iliookiniy it 1
jusly watched

^fARVF.L()US CREITING AN'IM M.S.

469

the iii''vcinents of the fish, and, after some further attempts, 1 succeeded
inphiL'ii^ it within a few inclies of him, when lie darteil (juickly upon it,
and Ii.ul it in hi.s ea[)aeii)us month in an instant. I tlun drew him <^einly
towards the small skiff in whii h ! was sitting; but as hi appro, uhed it he
stru'^ded so \iolentl\', that he either let ;.^o his hold or aeeideiitall)- lost
it for he disappeared in the water lor a tew siconds, when I oh^tixed his
•TCcn head ilose aloni^r side of liis la\oritc restinL,'-placc,and shortl)'aftiT-
\vard-> he- \entured quite out of the water, and took up his original

abode.

After this our first inter\'iew, I found him <lail\' oeenp)ing tin- same
place; and ni order to improve our aei(uaintanee, I treated him regularly
to a sun-fish breakfast. When our dail\- intercourse had eontiiiiieil fo**
sdHU' weeks, I determiiKil upon taking him prisoner, i'orthis pniposi' I
baited .i large hook- with a sun-fish, uhieli I threw towards him ; ami the
1)1 ]i)i frog, uncoii.scious of any haini, seized it with his usual a\ itlily, w hen
I struck the line somewhat sn.artly, and found that i had hooked him. 1
then drew him gentl)' towards me, and, after some fruitless resistanci- on
his part, hauletl him into my skiff lie seemed dreadfull)' alarmed on
niv la\ing liold of him, in order to relie\e him of the hook and fish, which
he had iiearl}' swallowed; and ha\ing performed the operation without
paininij him more than necessar\ , and ha\ing detained him loi- half an
hour, I tiien permitted liini to plunge into his nati\e element.
The Pros' TuiihmI aiul on Familiar 'r«>riiis.

I supposed that our accju.iintance woukl probal)l\- i.:n(\ lu-iv, but no
such thing; f>r on the following morning, when I re[)aired torn}- fishing-
LMOund, 1 found liim at his wonted station. I fed him dail\- as before, ant!
could perceive tliat he allowed ine to approacii iiim much closer, witliout
exhibiting the degree of alarm he had done at first. 1 one day tietl a fish
to tlic line without an\ iiook, and after he had laid hold of it, pulled him
quietl}- into tlu- l)oat, when he stnigglecl \-iolently, ejected the fish Uom
his .stomach, leaped overboard, and swam to his place of ri'fuge. Our in-
tercourse after this became daily more familiar ; so that, in tlie lapse of a
few weeks, he would mount upon the llat part of an oar. w luii I hehl it
clo>e to him, and alight from it in the opposite end of the >l-iff from where
I sat. Thither I would throw him a small sun-fish or two, whicli lie
cjuickly disposed of; after which he would ..mp o\crhoard, or again
mount the fiat part of the oar, in order to be handed back to hi.s resting-
place.

.Soon after tliis, he would take his accustomed allowance from my
hand; at last permitted me to lumdle him gently, still, however, e.xhibit-

c ■(

■i

1 1

mm i

HiSii "

^^^^y^, %

I*!

S,'!.

mi-^i

4G0

EARTH. SRA, AND SKY.

intj sonic dcj^rcc of timidity. After tills, I took him across the lake, and
confined him in a ho;^shead, open at both ends, which I ])lacetl Dear thr
shore, where the water was oni\' about a foot tleep. In tlie centre uf thr
hogshead I jjUicetl a stone for him ti) perch upcjn, wliich arose jii^l al)u',c
the surface of the water. He remained a few da\s in tliis confinement,
eatim;" from ni)- hand, until one day 1 found him missiut^, and concluded
he had been (K\(>ured by minx or an otter. But on examinin;^ the slinre
for a siiort. distance, I disc<)\ered liini perclied on a deca\'intj log, cIo^m i(,
the water's etlgc. ( )n calling;- him b\' the name (Ral[)h) to which I had
lately accustomed him, I thouL;ht that he recot^ni/.ed my voice imnucli-
atel\-. I took him in my iiand without his attemptiu;.^^ to escajje.

NiiM'ly ('iiii;;iit.

The next nidrniuL;- he a;^ain was missiuL;-. when 1 went in search, and
found him neai- tlu- same place as before. I now determined [<> u.itch
his uK'de of escapiuj;, f)r which puri)ose I hid myself in the I)u>lu< closf
b)-. I had remaiiu (1 there but a few minutes when I saw him sprin;'
o\ei' the upper eduie of the ho;j;shead into tile water. The fact \\a^ thi^,
thai, from his <j;vvi{[ muscular stren<;th and ai^ilit)', he was able, at a ^iu'^lt
effort, to lea]) f.iirly owr the top of the cask, which was three teet ikt-
peiidicular alx'w the top of his supporting; stone. ( )n disco\-orinL; tlii-, I
removed the stone, and in its place t^aw him a lloatiuL; piece of wood tn
perch upon, uhicii I found to answer ni)- purpose completidy; for iijion
hi> makin'4' a sjjrini;, tlie perch L^ave \\a\' under the eff )rt ; he tin nhv
lost his balanct', and all his attempts were unavailing. Ilaxiu!^ salisfied
nn-self of the practicabilit}- of making a domestic pet of a wild indi iVoi;,
I made a present of Ralph to the daughter of a friend of mine, who
promiM d to be kind to hin\ and to ha\e all his wants eared for. Hut 1
afterwards understood that the lake had been visited by a treiiuiidiui-
storm, which had overturned Ralph's prison-house, when, of coeisr, lij
escaped; but whither, or what became of him, no one could e\cr dll.

A friend of mine, wdio lived close to the outlet of a small lake, within
a few miles of the scene of Ralph's adventures, usi'd to bestow a v;r<::i[
deal of care and attention upon the rearing of )onng ducklings ; hut,
after all, had the mortificat on to find his efforts fruitless. The old oik-
would hatch fine health)- broods ; but as sorm as the\- were strong enouL;li
to waddle to a sedg\- stream that issued from the adjoining lake, one or
twodail)' di.sappeared, to the great annoyance of my friend. Having miF-
fered those continual dei)redations for two or three seasons, he oiii; da\
witnessed a nice young duckling gradually disappear under the walcr;
but judge of his surprise when he beheld a huge bull-frog crawl out iipnri

MARVELOUS CRKEIMNG ANIMALS.

401

ARMOK-I'I.AIKI) KRO(i.

from his capacicnij; mouth I The mystery was thus solved ; the bull-frog
hail swallowed all inv fiieiul's young ducks.

'f/'-L-
Iff ' .1'

ii;

m^\

462

EARTH, SEA. AND SKY.

Thu family of fnij^s pass most of their time in the water, h-Swv^ excel-
lent swimmers ; the Icnt^lh <if their iiiiul.limbs enables them to makctim-
siderable leaps ami thus trawl loiv^ distances in search of waiter. Sonic
species prefer moist localities and damp woods, when^ ihcy hide under
leaves ; others dwell in subterranean hollows, which they d'v^ on the bor-
ders of marshes, comin;^ forth at e\enin^ or on rainy (.lays. ^\11 the sijc-
cies, when adult are carnivorous and all are very voracious. Froths arc
found all over the globe.

The horned fr(\^ is a true batrachian, in which the head is niorc o:
rouglu-ncd or spiny. It is three times as large as the common U^yj^ .->'ul
has an enormous mouth. An iguanian lizard, which in its general aspect
somi-what resembles a frog, and in its sluggishness a toad, is sometimes
called a horn-frog; but it is a true lizard an 1 in no respect a batrachian.

The Mysterious Salaiiiaiulcr.

This creature, inhabiting Central Europcandthemountainous parts of the
south of I'AMope, is black, with )-ellow spots, and has numerous prominent
warty excrescences on the sides, and the tongue very large. The body of
the .salamander is largely covered with warty glands, which secrete a milky
fluid, of a glutinous and acrid nature, like that of the toad, which, if not
cai)able of affecting the larger and more highly organized animals, appears
to be a destructive agent to those of le.sser power. Thus, Laurenti pro-
voked two gray lizards to bite a salamander, which at first attempted to
escape from them, but, being still persecuted, conveyed some of this fluid
into their mouths. (One of the lizards dietl instantly, and the other fell into
convulsions for two minutes and then expired. Some of this juice was
introduced into the mouth of another lizard ; it became convulsed, was
paral>'tic on the whole of one side, and .soon died.

Such is the onlj'fnmdation for the notion so long cherished that the .sala-
mander was one of the riiost venomous of animals. Xicander gives an
api^alling instance of the symptoms produced by its bite. The Romans
looked on it with horror as most destructive, and considered it as deadly
as hemlock or aconite. Hence a proverb arose that he who was bitten by
a .salamander had need of as man\- physicians as the creature had spots;
while another was, " If a salamander bites you, put on your shroud."

But the chief absurdity was the belief that this creature was incombu.si-
ible — that it not only resisted the action of fire, but extinguished it, ;Mid,
when it .saw the flame, charged it as an enemy which it knew well how to
vanquish. Even so late as 17S9, Pothonier, the French consul at Rhodes,
relates that, while sitting in his chamber there, he heard a loud cry in his
kitchen, whither he ran, and found his cook in a horrible fright, wIm in-

ilfP

JLjl|i

si.:

more oi ."<•
ion hiyj^ ,->'ul
cncral a>pict
is soniclimc-;
I batracliiaii.

s juiCL' ua->
nvulscd, was

that the sala-

rr gives an

MAKVKLOUS CRKKIMNG ANIMALS. '♦^

forii'nl him that he harl seen the devil in the fire. Tothoniei- then states

•J i I--, " . (^<- '

(■lANT SAI.AMANDKK.

that he looked into a hri-ht fire, and there saw a little animal, with ..pen
mouth and palpitatini'. throat. He took the tongs, and endeavored to

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464

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

secure it. At his first attempt the creature, which, he .sa\-s, had been nin-
tionlcss up to that time two or three minutes, ran iiit(j a corjKr (ifthc
chimney, havin<,r lost the tip ot' its tail in escai)in.t;, and buried itself in a
lieap of hotasiies. In his second attempt tlic consul was .successful, drew
the animal out, whicli he describes as a small lizard, plun;(ed it into s])irits
of wine and gave it to l)uff^)n. I'othonicr was, doubtless, stroni^dy uiidrr
the influence of preconcei\-ed notion.s.

A cloth said to be made of the skins of salamanders was declared to bo
incombustible ; but even Marco Polo was shrewd enough to obser\e tliat

:^^?^>:^^:::.. .^- -^T:^

i 'lii . / '■■'''

ELEPHANTINE TORTOISE.

such fabrics were really made of a mineral substance since well know n as
asbestos. The old writers termed this " salamantler's wool ;" and such
was probably the salamander cloth sent by the Tartar king to the Rdnian
pontiff, in which the so-called "holy napkin" is ])reserved.

The race of giant tortoises are spread through the hotter and tem-
perate parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, and America. The.se creatures, in
their natural state, lead a quiet, unobtrusive life; wandering, generally,
but little from the .spot where their existence commenced. The snake
•darts onwards swift a;* an arrow, the quick-eyed lizard can scarcely be

to the Roman

MARVELOUS CREEPING ANIMALS.

4Cu)

seen a'^ it passes ; but tlic tortoise creeps slowly aloiit;, and, unable to
escape danger by speed, withdraws liis head and linibs on the approach of
an enemy, antl trusts in his natural armor for defence. The density of the
shell (if the land tortoise is, indeed, very considerable; and the former,
from it-- elevation and convexity, is capable of sustainin;^, uninjured. ;i
hi'li degree of pressure, thus preserving the internal organs. The plates
(if liiirn covering it arc often most elegantly marked with alternate raised
lines ami furrows, and, at the same time, beautifully colored.

Land tortoises, though they never enter the water, are frecpiently met
with in the neighborhood of lakes and rivers. Here vegetation is luxu-
riant, and the soil moist or soft — the latter circumstance being by no
means unimportant; as they dig in the earth holes or burrows, in which,
during winter, in extra-tropical latitudes, they bury themseh'es, and remain
in a state of torpidity till the return of spring. It is, also, in holes which
Uic}' dig that the females deposit their eggs, which are then covered up
and left, the warmth of the sun being sufficient to bring them to maturity.
Neither the eggs, nor the young ones hatched, are objects of solicitude to
the parents. It is remarkable that, like young chickens, tortoises h.ave a
hard tubercle at the end of the beak before being hatched, for the pur-
pose, it is fairly presumed, of breaking their prison-shell.

All Old Settlor.

Tortoises, in common with cold-blooded animals, whose circulation is
languid, are remarkable for tenacity of life. They will not only bear
.serious injuries without death, but without much apparent suffering. In
ordinary circumstances the duration of the life of these creatures is \ery
protracted. We arc not sure, indeed, of the period at which, according
to the laws of their physical system, they cease to live in their native
regions; but we know that e\en in our uncongenial climate, instances are
on record of tortoises attaining to what, compared with the life tif man and
quadrupeds generally, may be termed a very great age.

Murray, in his "Experimental Researches," in allusion to the Peter-
lK)rouL;h tortoise, gives us the following interesting [particulars : — " From
a document belonging to the archives of the cathedral called the ' TJishop's
l)arn,' it is well ascertained that the tortoise at Peterborough must ha\e
been about 220 years old. IJishop Marsh's predecessor in the see
of Peterborough had remembered it above sixty years, and could
recoL^nizc no visible change. He was the seventh bishop who had
worn the mitre during its sojourn there. Its shell was perforated, in
order to attach it to a tree, and to limit its ravages among the strawberry
i)orders."

i t

4(50

RARTH, si: A. AN' I? SKV

Like otbcr oviparous quadrupeds the tortoise can subsist t(^r an amaz.
in_L^ lcni;tii of time without food. They are very tenaeious of lif, , _^
mail named Red;, to prove the extreme \ital tonaeity of a t.>!-, ,ls^.
made a lari^o openini^ in the skull, and took out all the brain, \ a^h.
ing out the ca\ity so as not to leave the smallest partiele, and Uun wiih
the hole open, set the animal at liberty. It marched off without su\.inin .
to have received the slightest injury, except closino[ its eyes, which it
never afterwards opened. In a short time the hole closed and in about
three days a complete skin covered the wound. In thi.'- manne- the ani-

THE TUN-.SXAIL.

mal lived without any brain for ^i.\ months, walkinc^ about and nio\iiicj
its limbs in the .same manner as it had done pre\-i(nisly to the operation.

Tortoi.se shell is the production of the imbricated turtle. a species whirl;
is found in the Asiatic ami American seas .jid sometimes in the AKditci-
ranoan. The shields of this species are far more -;tronL,f. thick and clcai
than those of any other. Tliey are first steeped in boiliii;^ water, alter
whicii they may be moulded intc) almost an\- form.

The family of tun-snails is interesting^ for various reasons ; tiu'ii- shell
is round and thin. The molhisk has a larp^e. cjTo-shaped, thick foot,
which can be greatly e.\[)nnded b\" ailmitting a large quantity of water.
The head is flat and broad ; and the\- have a lar^e thick trunk,

CHAPTER XVIII.
MONSTROUS REPTILES OF Till-: TROPICAL WORLD.

The Crocodile— Power of Destruction — Tliu Tyrant of the Tropical Seas — Double
J,uv.s— Teeth and Scales — lOgij of tlie Crocodile — Okl Stories of tiie i.!ast— The
Crocodile's Little Friend— Danger Si,;;n:d— A Harpoon Thrust— Swift Swim-
„^gr — Deadly Serpents— A Cold-lMooded IJosoni Companion — P2astcrn Snake-
Charmers— Coolness Saves a M.ui's Life — Fi)o!hardy Risk — Gurlin;j; Killed —
i^uisua Working with Lightniiv^j Rai-idity — Venomous Viper — Dancinj:^ Snakes —
Fasci:i.uion of Music for Serpents— Death of a Notorious Serpent-ICater — A
Disgaslinj^ Glutton— Huge Boa-Constrictor — liliiul Adoration of the ]'.oa —
Lines hy Southey— A Monster Swallowing its Bed— Disgorging a Blanket —
Vast Size of the Boa — Knormous Muscular Power— l''ed to Death— Tree-Snakes
with Magnilicent Colors — The Slender Wiiip Snake — h^ightful Accident in
Guinea — Ghastly Fangs — The Fgg-Kater — Immense Throat of a Tiny Creature —
Serpents of Surprising Beauty -Queer Popular Superstiticjus — The Red-
Throated Lizard— Hideous CriiUatus— The Curious Moloch— A Freak in the
World of Reptiles— Tile PipaToad— A Creature that Hatches Fggs on its liack —
Description of the Batrachians — Death from a Toad — Winter's Sleep in a Bed
of Mud.

•^ -V

V the eagle is the kin-^ of the .lir, the hon the despot of the for-
est, and the >,vhale the nioiuuch of the deep, the crocodile lias
for the exercise of his undisputed control the shores of tropical
seas and rivers. Livin;^' on the confines of land and water, this
formidable reptile is the .-.courge of those human beings who arc com-
pelled to re.siile near its haunts, for it surpasses the tiger, lion, or eagle in
its power of destruction.

The teeth are inii)lanteu in a single row, and continually maintained
perfect by an organic system which ensures their immediate reparation;
for each tooth is hollowed at the base in such a manner as to form the
cell or sheath for its s-iccessor. The new tooth presses on underneath
the old one, so that the first is developing while the second is decaying.
In some species the front teeth of the lower jaw arc so long and sjiarp
tiiat they perforate the edge of the upper jaw and appear abo\e the mtiz-
zlc when the mouth is closed. Baron Cuvier says, " The lower jaw being
continued behind the cranium, the upper one appears to be movable."
The mouth is without lips, consequently, whether walking or swimming,
their teeth are visible.
This conformation gives the crocodile a terrible and alarming aspect,

(4i;7)

wm^^

I f <M.t( f I

408

EARTH, SEA AND SKY.

I' i

increased by its eves, wiiich are placed obliquely and close lot^retliLr. \[<
tail is lonc^, taperin;^, and flat on the sides like an oar; enahliii" it
to direct its course throuL;h the water, and swim with rapiditw Tin.
skin is coriaceous, thick, and resistant; beinc^ ct)vered with plates of
different size, accordin;^^ to the parts of the body they jjrotect. (in
the skull and face the skin adheres to the bone, and there is no tia(\
of scales.

The scales which defend the back and the U])i)er ])art of the tiiil ivx
sfjuare, and form hard bands pos.scsscd of threat flexibility, which prevvnt
them from breaking. Down the centre of the back there is a ridi^a, which
adds to the stren^^th of their armor. Thus, nature has i)rovided for the
safi'ty of these animals by covering them with a cuirass capable of resist-
ing anything but Hre-arms. Tlie plates which cowr the belly, neck, tail
and legs, are also ananged in bands, but are less hard, and n(.)t crested.

Crocodiles are oviparous. The females of the Nile deposil: their v^'ys
where the solar heat soon brings them to maturity. But in certain coun-
tries, sucli as in the neighborhood of CaytMine and Surinam, the egLjs are
buried under a nuHuid of leaves which the alligators form. This imdcr-
goes a kind (jf fermentation, the result of which is an increase of temp-
erature, which produces the desired result.

Lacepc'de describes an egg in the Museum of Natural History in Paris,
which was laid by a crocodile fourteen feet in length, killed in L'p|)L'r
Egyi)t. This egg is only two inches and a half in length, and two inches
in breadth. It is oval and whitish. Its shell is cretaceous in substance,
like the eggs of birds, but not so hard. At the time of birth crocutlilcs
are only about six inches in lengtli, but their growth is very rapid. Seiz-
ing water-fowl as they swim on the surface, pursuing fishes in the depths
of the lagoon or ri\er, or grasping in its jaws a large aninial, as a p\'^ or
a dog, on ihe bank, the crocodile plunges beneath ^he water in order to
drown its victim, and, were its throat open, wcnild suffer great inconven-
ience ; but there is a valve which prevents its occurrence.
.Vnoioiit KcvoroiU'C for the Croci.dilo.

Strabo telks a strange story of a crocodile he saw when he visited
Egypt, about four hundred years after Herodotus was there. " In this
district they honor the crocodile very much, and they have a sacred one
wiiich hves by itself in the lake, and is quite rame to the priests, lie is
called Suchos, and is fed with bread, and meat, and wine, whicl, he gets
from strangers who cor.ie to see him. Our host, who was a person of
importance in the place, accompanied us to the lake, taking with him
from table a small cake, some roasted meat, and a little cup full cf some

''fj I \ — -

■ -W

.^i/--

'istory in Paris,
illed in Upper
and two inches
.IS in substance,
oirth crocodiles
ry rapid. Seiz-
in the dcptlb
nal, as a pii;' or
.tcr in order to
{rrcat inconvcn-

FAMOUS EGYPTIAN CROCODILE.

(469)

f i i

III

iJji,

,;»j

1 '-

l":.:,4*j

I Hill

470

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

'.-.

3^f%m

'mf.

!!l:

sweet liquor. We found the crocodile lying on the marj^in of tin.- lake
Tile priests went up to him, and wliilc some opened his mouth, aiiotiur
crammed into it first the cake, then tlie meat, and last ot all, jjourcd the
drink down his throat. The crocodile, after this treat, jumped into the
lake, and swam over to the other side'

According to Herodotus, crocodiles are sacred with some of the
I'^gyptians; but are not so with others, who treat them as enemies.
Those wlio dwell about Thebes, and the lake Mcvris, loe'c on tlicni as
very sacred , and they each train up a crocodile, which is rendered (juite
tame. Into tlu ears of these crocodiles they put crystal and tjjold ear-
rings, and adorn their fore paws with bracelets. They give tluni ap-
pointed and sacred food, treating them as well as possible while alive,
and wiien dead they embalm and bury them in the sacred vaults. But
the people who dwell about the city I^Ucphantine cat them, not con.Milci-
ingthem sacred.

" The crocodile," continues the historian, " is blind in the water, but

very quick-sighted on land; and because it lives for the most part in

the water, its mouth is filled with leeches. AU other birds and beasts

avoid him, but he is at peace with the trochilus, because he receives

benefit from that bird ; for when the crocodile gets out of the water on

land, and then opens its jaws, which it does most commonly toward the

west, the trochilus enters its mouth and swallows the leeches. The

crocodile is so well pleased with this service, tb.at it never hurt- the

trochilus."

The Croc<»iilo's liittlc Friend.

This singular stor)', related also by Pliny, is confirmed by a recent
and accomplished writer, Mr. Curzon. " I will relate," he says, "a fact
in natural history which I was fortunate enough to witness, and which,
although it was mentioned so long ago as the times of Herodotus, has
not, I believe, been often observed since; indeed, I have never met
with any traveller who has himself seen such an occurrence.

'' I had always a strong predilection for crocodile-shooting, and had
destroyed sexeral of tliese dragons of the waters. On one occasion ! '
saw, a long way off, a large one, twelve or fifteen feet long, lying asleep
under a perpendicular bank, about ten feet high, on the margin of the
river. I stopped the boat at some distance, and, noting the place as
well as I could, I took a circuit inland, and came down cautiously to
the top of the bank, whence, with a heavy rifle, I made sure of my ugly
game. I had already cut oT his head in my imagination, and was con-
sidering whether it should be stuffed with its mouth open or shut, I

MONSTROUS REPTILI'S OF THIi TROI'ICAL WORLD.

!71

n of thf lake.
outh. anoilKT
ill, poured the
ni|)C{i into the

sonic of ilic
1 us enemies.
[•'c on tlicni as
•cndcred quite
and j^old ear-
^ive them ap-
ic while alive,
d vault.s. But
, not con.Milci--

the water, but
: most part in
rd.s and beasts
se he receives
f the water on
ly toward the
leeches. The
iv'er luut^ the

d by a recent
i says, " a fact
ss, and which,
lerodotus, has
vc never met
ce.

oting, and had
one occasion I '
T, lying asleep
margin of the
^ the place as

cautiously to
lire of my ugly

and was con-
)en or shut. I

peeped over the bank : there he was, within ten feet of the sight of the
rifle. 1 was on the point <<f llriiig at his eye, when I obiervcd tli.it he
was attended by a bird called a zic-zac. Il is of the plover species, of a
rrajish color, and as large as a pigeon.

" The bird was Wci '"'ng up and down close to ihc croeoLlile's nose. I
NUMoose 1 moved, for suddenlj- it saw mc, and instead of tlying away, as
any respectable bird would have done, he jumped up about a foot from
the ground, screamed ' /ic-zac ! zic-zac!' with all the powers of his
vi)ice,and dashed himself against the crocodile's face two or three times.
The great beast started up, and. immediately spjing his danger, made a
jump into the air, and, da.-^hing into the water with a splash which cov-
ered me with mud, he disappeared.

Tiie zic-zac, to my increased admir.ition — proud,apparently, of having
saved his friend — remained walking up and down, utteiing his cry, as I
thought, with an exulting voice, and standing every now and then on
the tips of his toes in a conceited manner, which made me justly angry
with his impertinence. After having waited in vain for some time, to
see whether the crocodile would come out again, I got up from the bank
where I was King, th/ew a clod of cait'.i ;il the zic-zac, and came back to
the boat, feeling some consolation for the loss of my game in lia\ing wit-
nes.-^ed a circumstance, the truth of which has been dis[)uted by several
writers on natural history."

Curious Dans'oi' Siynal.

It is also worthy of remark thai ILamet, the intelligent attendant on
the hippopotamus, when brought to JMigland, said he knew the bird,
which he described pretty accurately. A naturalist took him down to
the museum in the Zoological (iardens. when he at once pointed out a
sj)ur-winged dotterell, or pkner, as the bird he meant. This species, it
appears, is con.stantly found in the places where the crocodiles land, and
iins about hunting for insects when the crocodiles are lying asleep. The
appearance of th( hunter immediately excites a noisy note from the plo\-er;
the crocodile wakes, ami the natives believe that the bird is the croco-
dile's friend and watchman. The natives of Dongola call it by a name
which means the cousin or niece of the crocodile.

The structure of the crocodiles renders it difficult for them to bend
their bodies sidewa\-s ; whence the notion of throwing them out, when in
pursuit, by doubling back. There is a story of an l£nglishman running
before a large alligator, wnich came out of the lake Nicaragua, and was
gaining on him fast. He would have been soon overtaken, had not some
Spaniards called him to run in a circle, and baffle it by compelling it to

^,___jjy

7:11 JIT

H rifllfj

472

!■ ARTM, SEA, A\D SKY.

resort to the laliorious operation of turniiiLj should it be Innit on . Mn^n-
uinij tlic pursuit.

The crocodile is caut^lit at tli • [)resent da)- in Doiv^ola for tlie sake of
the llesh, which is regarded as a deHcacy. Tiie most favoral)le mi, ,n
is the winter, when the animal usually sleeps on sandbanks, t-njoyiiv; th,.
warmth of the sun ; or the sprin_:^, after the pairin;^ time, when the f ;ii;ilt
reL;ularly watches the sand island where she has buried her eL;\L;s ; and
on the south side of it — that is, to the leeward — the huntsman, tliiro
fore, d\'j;s a hole in the sand, throwin<^ up the earth to the side he ex-
pects the crocodile to take.

The CrocodiU^ St:ibbc<l to Death.

In this hole lie conceals himself, and, should the crocodile fail [<> ob-
serve him, it comes to the accustomed spot, and soon falls asleep. Tht,.
huntsman then darts his liarpoon with ail his force at the animal ; for, in
order that the stroke may be successful, the iron ought to penetrate' to the
depths of four inches at the least, for the barb to be fixed fast. The
crocodile, on being wounded, rushes into the water, and the luiiUsinan
retreats to a canoe, with which a companion hastens to his assistatui- ; a
piece of wood attached to the harpoon by a long ccmxI swims on the
water, and shows the direction in which the crocodile is moving. The
huntsmen, pulling by this rope, drag the crocodile to the surface of thi^
water, where it is pierced by a second harpoon.

The iron part of the harpoon is a span long, and formed towards the
point like a penknife, being sharp at the end and on the edge. ]^c\-i.ii(i
this edge there is a strong barb, while on the back of the blade a piece
projects, to which the, rope is fastened. This iron head is affi.xctl to a
shaft of wood, eight feet in length. The sk-ill of the harpooner consists in
giving the weapon sufficient impulse to iiicrce through the coat of mail
which protects the crocodile. W'Iku tlie crocodile is struck, it hi.->he,s
violently with its tail, and cndea\'ors to bite the rope asunder. Vn pre-
vent this, the rope is made of about thirty separate thin lines, not twi'sted,
but simply placed together, and bc^und at intervals of every two feet. The
thin lines get between the teetli, or become entangled round thein.
It frequently happens that the harpoons, by the pulling of the mciijtreak
out of the animal's body, and it escapes.

" If 1 had not seen the fact with my own eyes," sa>s Kiippell, " I could
hardly ha\e belie\-ed that two men could draw out of the water a croco-
dile fourteen feet long, fasten his muzzle, tie his legs over his back, and
finally di.'spatch him, by plunging a sharp in.strument into his neck, sn a.s
to divide the sj^jinai chord."

Ill on idiiiin-

MONSTROL'S REPTILKS OF T!IK TROPICAL WORM)

!?;}

Ill ^ iiiii- of tlic 'vers of Africa the ncj^rocs arc hold en )u;4h, and. in-
deed. skilfLil cnoii<Th, to combat the crocodile in his own elciinnl, and,
ariiK d only with a sharp da<T;^cr, dive beneath hini, and i)liin;.:;e the
wtapi'ii in his bod)'. It often liappens, however, tliat tiie coiiil)at is fat.il
to the nian, and frecjuently his only cliance to esca[)e is to force his
(lauLjer, or, if this be lost, his thumbs, into the animal's eyes with all his
mi 'ht, so as to produce <jreat pain and blindness.

An Arrow in tho Wator.

Ill the water the crocodile seems to enjoy its wiiole stren;^th with j^reater
advaiitas^'e, than on land. Notwithstanding its size anti apparent clumsi-
ness, il moves about in the water with considerable agility. Although the
(Tcat length of its body pre\eiits it from turning suddenly round, it
swims forward witli great \'elocity v. lien about to seize its prey. On land
its tiiotion.s are more embarrassed and it is con-setpiently thenr a less
dangerous enemy than in the water.

()n hot days great numbers of these animals lie basking on the banks of
ri\crs, and as soon as they observe any one approaching the\'])lunge into
the w ater.

The \'oung of the crocodile are produced from eggs — deposited in the

sand and hatched by the heat of the sun. The female is said to be

e.NtreiMclv cautious in depositing them unobserved. Tdie general number

of etiirs is from eighty to a hundred. Thev are not larger than tlu^se of a

goose and are covered with a tough white skin. She carefully fills up the

hole before she leaves them. They are hatched in about thirty days.

The young ones, on emerging into the air, immediately run into the water,

where nuiltitudes of them are devoured by fish and even by larger animals

of their own .species. The ichneumon and the vultures seem peculiarily

appointed to destroy the eggs and so abridge the enormous fecundity of

the crocodile.

Tho l>eiully IJacc of Serpents.

It is in this class of animals that we find the most terrible of all creatures ;
more potent than the rou.sed lion, the enraged elephant, the deadl)' shark-,
or the mailed alligator. In the whole range of animal exiiitence, there is
none that can compare with the venomous snakes for the deadly fatality
of their enmity ; the lightning stroke of their poisonous fangs is the uner-
ring signal of a swift dissolution, preceded by Lorture the most horrible.
The bite of the rattlesnake has been known to produce death in two min-
utes. Iwen where the consummation is not so fearfully rapid, its tlela\- is
but a brief prolongation of the intense suffering.

The terrible symptoms are thus described: — a shar[) pain in the part,

.^ -jH W ' -I

ft liif

''iil-r

\^-

\ '. '

i
1

471

KAKIir, SKA, ANP^ SKY.

which becomes swollen, shiiiin;^, hot, red; then livid, cold, and insenMlile.
The pain and inflammation spread, and become more intense ; fierce shdut-
inLj pains arc felt in other parts, and a hurnint; fire pervade-, the uIimIc
body. The eyes bi.'Ljin to water abundantly, then cmne swoonin^js, ct^Kl
sweats, aiul sharp pains in the loins. The skin becomes deadly jjal'j or
deep yellow, while a hhuk wati.My blood rims from the wound, uliicji
chancres to a yellowish matter. Violent headache succeeds, and ;v;i(.ldiiiij-,^,
faintness, and overwhclminij terrors, burnint^ thirst, ^ushin;^ dischaii^ns of
blood from the orifices of the body, convulsive hiccouf^hs, and death.

A (!obrsi's Poisoiuiiis V<mioiii.

Huckland has describetl the awful effects of a dose of poison received
from the cobra-di-capello in his own person. I'ortunately it was a most
minute dose, or we should not lia\e received the account. A rat wJiich
had been struck by the serijcnt, Auckland skinned after its death. lie
scniped the interior of the .skin with liisfiuLjer-nail, for^ettinj^ that he had
an hour before lieen cleaniiiL^ his nails with his penknife. In so doini;, he
had .slightly .separated the nail from the cjuick, and into this little crack the
poison had penetrated. Though the orifice was so small as to have hi.'en
unnoticed, and though the venom was not received direct from the serpent.
but luul liLxn diffused through the .system of the rat, the life of the opera-
tor was almost sacrificed.

In India, where the species is common, its propensity to haunt liMiises
frecpiently brings it luuler notice, atid many accidents c^ccur. It seems,
however, on some occasions to be placably tiis[)osed, if not assaulted ; and
some singular escapes are on record, of [lersons who have had pres-
ence of mind enough to let it alone. One is told ofan officer who, havini,^
some repairs done to his bungalow, was lying on a mattress in the veranda,
reading, nearly undressed. Perhaps his book was (jf a soporific tendcnc\',
f)r he dropped asleeii,and awaked with a chilly sensation about his breast.
Opening his eyes, he beheld, to his horror, a large cobra coiled up on his
bosom, within his open shirt.

He saw, in a nn)ment, that to disturb the creature would be higliK
perilous, almost certainly fatal, and that it was at present doing no harm,
and ai^parently intending none. With great coolness therefore he lay
perfectly still, gazing on the bronzed and glittering scales of the intruder.
After a period which seemed to him. an age, one of the workmen ap-
proached the veranda, and the snake at his footsteps left his warm berth,
and was gliding off, when the ser\'ants at the cry of the artisan rushed f»i:i
and destroyed it.

In October. 1852, Gurling, one of the keepers of the reptiles in the Lun-

son rccriwjd
L was a most
A rat which
i death. 1 Ic
; that he had
so doin^f, lu:
ttle craclc the
to have 1)1 vn
11 the serpent,
of the openi-

launt houses
r. It seems,
■isaulted ; and
vc had pres-
rwho, havin;j;
1 the veranda,

ific tendency,
out his breast,
[led up I'M his

dd be highlv
)hv^ no lianii,
refore he Ia\-
f the intruder.
workmen ap-
:s warm berth,
ian rushed or.t

es in the Lon-

■»'"#!

:^t:

^s,^\

S!l

1|h **•'

kirn

176

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

don Zooloi^ical Gardens, was bitten by a cobra-di-capcllo, and dice]. The
circumstances of the case are worthy of recortl. GurHn;^ left liis hunie
in company witli another keeper, on the evenin;^^ before, and they spent
the night at a leave-taking party of a friend going to Australia. On
returning to their duties, the\' had a quartern of gin at a public-house,
another afterwards, and again another at eight o'ch)ck. The gin laden
blood circulated through the brain; and reason, ]:)rudence, and tiie plain-
est sense of imminent iiazard, \rere alike overpowered.

During the previous year, there had been an exhibition of Ivgyptian
snake-charmers, but they had performed with cobras deprived of tiicir
poison-fangs. But the impression made on Gurling's mind coming upper-
most when he entered the reptile-house, he determined to emulate the
Egyptians with the serpents as they were. A newl\--arrived ^Morocco
poison-snake was Hrst taken out of its cage, grasped by its middle,
flourished aloft, and thrown like a lasso ab(nit his neck ; wh(.:n, hap])il\- fir
Gurling, it was not aroused so as to bite. An assistant-keeper, who
appeared to enter the room at this crisis, entieated him, "for God's sake,
to put back the snake ! " but the infatuated man replied, " I am inspired,"
and laughed at the warning.

Dradly Poison Doiiij;- Swift Work.

Having replaced the Morocco veiiom-snakc in its cage, Gurling ciied,
■' Now for the cobra! " and, lifting up the glass fi-ont of the cage, renu)\ed
the one as he had done the other. The cobra was somewhat torpid, from
the cold of the preceding night, and the man placed it in his bosom. It
then revived iuid glided downward round his wrist, its head t;inerLnn'^
from beneath the back part of his waistcoat. The man grasped the cobra
by the body, about a foot from the head, with one hand, drew it out,
seized it lower down w ith the other hand, and was in the act of lloini'-h-
ing it aloft, as he had done the other snake, when, as he held it up in fiont
of his face, the cobra, suddenly expanding its hood, struck ' im lik-e liL;ht-
n:ng between the e}-es, plunging its poison f.mgs into the skin of one side
of the bridge of the ni-)se, and scratching the opposite side with the teeth
of the lower jaw.

The man was staggered by the blow; the blood streamed down his
face. He called for help, and his companion fled; but liow long he was
awa\' he could not tell the coroner's inquest, " being," as he said, in a
maze."

When assistance ari-i\-ed, Gurling was found seated in a chair, havin;;
restored the cobra to its cage, and closed down the front glas-^. He was
-Still sensible and collected when placed in the cab that conve)-ed him to

MONSTROUS ri-:ptiles of the tropical world.

477

the hospital, but expressed, in already palsied s])ecch, his full CDnviction
of speedy death.

On rcachinjj the h-jspital he appeared almost, if not quite, unconscious,
anil iinabli-' to support his head. His face \/as livid, and his res[)iration
very ini[)erfcct. He moved himself uneasily, pointed to his throat, and
moaned. The p(nver of utterance "'as the first lost; then that of vision;
aiul, lastly, that of hearinc;, Thi i)ulse i:jradually sank, the e.\tremitie.s
became cold and torpid, and he died without a convul ion or a strufjjLjle,
about an hour after recei\ inij the \\ ound. The heart's action was renewed
|)\- mechanical inllation of the luniks, and artificial respiration, which at
one time raised the pulse to seventy-five beats in a minute, was kept up
half an hour after the natural breathinL,^ had ceased, and when the nervous
system was dead. GaKanism was tried, but it hatl no effect.
Slraiij;*' Incantations of Snakc-CliarnuTs.

The trade of serjjent-charmini;- is \ery ancient, and at an early date
Africa was the chief theatre of thc;se who practised it, and were called
psylli. Pliny says .serpents were fri_L^htened away by the mere .smell
of these ps\-lli ; and informs us that they came out into Italy to show
their feats, and e\en brout^ht scor[)ions with them. They arc still to be
found e.xercisin;,;" their craft all o\-er Asia.

I'^fTypt is, probably, still their principal abode. A traveller states that
he has met with many persons amoncj the more intelligent of the K^iyp-
tians who condemn these modern psylli as impo.sters, but no one who
has been able to account for the most common and interesting of their
performances.

The most famous snake-charmers, he says, are durweeshees, or Moham-
medan monks. The charmer professes to discover, without ocular i)er-
ception (but perhajjs he does so by a peculiar smell), whether there be
any .^eri)ents in a house, and if there be to attract them to him, as the
fowler, by the fascinations of his voice, allure> the bird into the net.
They have been known to do this in broad daylight, and when stri[)[)ed
naked.

The performer assumes an air of mystery, strikes the walls with a short
palm-stick, whistles, makes a clucking noi.se with his tongue, and .spits
upon the ground; and generally says, " I adjure you, by God, if ye be
above, or if ye be below, that ye come forth ; I adjure you by the great
name, if ye be obedient, come forth ; if ye be disobedient, die 1 die ! die I "
The .serpent is generally dislodged by his stick from a fissure in the wall,
or drops from the ceiling of the room.

It is sometimes suspected that a servant carries the reptile. The most

478

KARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

expert charmers do not take witii them venomous serpents until thev
have extracted their worst teeth. Many of them, Hke Phny's psylli, carry
scorpions in their ca])s, next to thi'ir shaven crowns; the stinjr, perhaps
havin<r been blunted.

On the prophet's birthda}' the durweeshes perform some of their '.great-
est wonders. Many live serpents were eaten durinc^ the traveller's visit.
Whenever a devotee did this, he was, or affected to be, e.Kcited to do so
by a kind of frenzy. He pressed very hard, with the end of his thumb,
upon the rejitilc's back, as he ;^rasped it, at a point about two inche^^rom
the head; and all that he ate of it was the head and the i)art bctwctn it
and the point where his thumb pressed, of which he made thar ny
four niouthfuls, anil thr^'w awa>- tlu; rest.

Doatli of tlH' Fumoiis "El-focI."

.Serpents are not, however, always handled with impunit)', even by
these people. A few _\-ears ac^o a durweesh, who was called " bLl-fcjl," di-
the elephant, from his bulky and muscular form, and Ljreat strength, and
who was the most famous serjjent-eater of his time, iiavinii^ a desire to
rear an enormous serjient which his boy had brou .;ht him, with others
collected in the desert, put this one into a basket, and to weaken it kept
it for several days without food. He then put his hand into the baskrt
to take it out, for the pur])ose of extractin;^ its teeth, but it immediattiy
bit his thumlj. He called out for help; but there were only woiinii m
the house, and they fjared to come to him, so that many minutes chipscil
before he could obtain assistance. He died in a few hours.

The serpents on which the charmers i)( Iv^yptand India exercise their
art are chiefly cobras, which are best adaptt-d for the display of their
j:)()wers. The air of mystery thrown over their operations had led many
to withhold from them all credit. Hut that snakes maybe brought imder
the intluence of music appears to be be\'ond dis[)ute.

On this point a gentleman, then of hii^h station in tlie Ivast India Com-
pany's service, made the followinir statement : " One morninc;", as I sat at
breakfast, I heartl a loud noise and shoutini^ amonc^st my pauuKiuin-
bearers. On intiuiry, I found that they had seen a lar^^c hooded snake
(cobra-di-capello), and were trx-injr to kill it. 1 immediately went out, and
.saw the snake climbin<g up a very in'i^h t:jreen mountl, whence it escaped
into an old wall of an ancient fortification. The nn'ii were ai'uu; 1 with
their sticks, which they always carried in their hands, and had attempted
in vain to kill the reptile, which had eluded their pursuit ; in its hole it
had coiled itself up secure, whilst we could see its bright eyes shinin;.^.
I had often desired to ascertain the- truth of tin- rtM)ort, as to the elfect of

MONSTROUS REPTILKS OK THl' TROPICAL WORLD.

479

Tiuisic on snakes; I therefore inquired for a snakc-catclicr. I was told
thcic \v::s no person of the kind in the village; Init after a little inciuiry, I
lu'ard there was one in the \'illai;e tlistant three miles. I aeeordini;ly sent
f,)i him, keeping striet wateh over the snake, whieh never attempted to
escape wiiilst we, its enemies, were in sight. About an hour clap.sed,
vhcn iny mes.senger returned, bringing a snake'-cateher.

Suako Dancing- to Mii.si<'.

"This man wore no covering on his head, n r: anv on his j^crson, ex-
cci)ling a small piece of cloth round his loins, lie had in his hands two
liaskets, one containing tame snakes, one emiity. These, and his musical
pipe, were the only things ho had with him. I made the snake-catcher
leave his two baskets on the ground at some distance, while he ascended
tju' mound with his pipe alone. He began to play; at the sound of
nuisic. the snake- came gradually and slowly out of its hole. When it
was entirely within reach, the snake-catcher seized it dexterously by the
taih and held it thus at arm's length; whilst the snake, enraged, darted
its head in all directions, but in vain ; thus suspended, it has not the
power to round itself, so as to seize hold of its tormentor.

" It exhausted itself in vain exertions, when the snake-catcher ilescended
the l)aiik, dropped it into the empty basket, and closed the lid. 1 le tln-n
bei;ai) to play, and after a short time, raised thi- lid of the basket; the
snake darted about wildly, and attempted to escape; the lid was shut
down again quickly, the music always playing. This was repeated two
or three times; and in a very short interval, the lid being raised, the
snake sat on its tail, opened its hood, and danced as quietly as the tame
snakes in the other basket, nor did it again attempt an escape. This,
having witnessed with my own eyes, I can assert as a fact."

The Coiiinum Vii>or.

The venom of the viper, in our country at least, is not by any means
.so virulent as that of the serpent scourges in hotter regions. In the case
of a bite, ammonia or hartshorn given internally, and fomentations ap-
plied to the part, to be gently rubbed afterwards with oil, are the reme-
dies usualK' employed. Tlie instances are very rare in which the bite
proves fatal ; and such in.stances generally occur in hot weather.

The viper varies constantly as to color ; the ground color is mostly
olive, sometimes deep brown, sometimes yellowish brown, and sometimes
brick retl. It is commonly asserted that the viper brings forth its young
alive. This .statement is both true and false. The young are produced,
like those of all other serpents and lizards, by '.neans of an egg ; l)ut
the membrane which surrounds the young is broken at the moment of

tjr^tv'*'

H<H]<

'lit! *

■■n.

iS! r,2iiiie

uiliiil

480

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

birth, so that they can uncoil themselves at once. These, thouf^h but a
few inches in Iciii^rth, crawl about, and are as fierce as the parent, throw-
ing themselves, when molested, into an attitude of defense and hissin'^

,v;:=^

THE VENOMOUS VIPER.

with anger. It is from this circumstance that the name viper is derived;
being forrn.;d from two Latin words, viviis, "alive," and pario, "to brincj

MONSTROl'S RErTiLES OF THE TROPICAL WORLD.

481

forth. " In many places it is called " adder," fro:r. the Anglo-Saxon ncdn\
moaning loivcr, from its creeping position. This term is, of course,
equally applicable to all serpents, and has, in fact, been so applied.

" S.\'cral intelligent folks," says White of Selbornc, " a'^sure me, that
thcv have seen the \'iper open lier mouth to admit her helpless young
cldWii her throat, on sudden surprises, just as the female o[)ossum does
Jkt bniiid into the pouch, upon the like emergencies; yet the London
, i|)L'r-':atchcrs insist on it that no such thing ever happens." We are dis-
•)Oscd to think that they are right ; at all events, there seems to be no
I'act adduced by any naturalist to sustain the contrary statement.

SwallowiiifT Too Much.

Mice, lizards, anil nestling birds are the food of this species. " I have
in ni\' possession," ;-a)-s Bell, "a specimen of a small x-ijier in a dying
'-tato, in the act of actempting to swallow a mouse, which was too large
for it, the skin of the neck being so distended as to have burst in several
])laccs," In another instance, a viper was found in the neighborhood of
Lausanne wiiich had sei/.ed a common lizard of full size, and swallowed
it. The \iper was a young one, and the lizard nearl\- as long as itself
It also a[)i)eared to have been \ery strong, and to have retained itsvitalit}-
11 mg after it descended into the stomach of its devourer. The con.sequence
\vas, that it scraped with its little nails, until it made a hole through the
side of the viper, and the fore leg was completely protruded. The
specimen is preserved in the museum at Lau.sanne.

Tb.c .Tsping, called in England the aspic, is produced in Sweden. It is
a small reptile, seldom exceeding six inches long, but more virwlenr, it is
said, than the common \-iper, of which some naturalists regard it, and
pcrhap-^ correctly, as a mere variety. Acrcll states that Linnaeus saw a
woman perish in consequence of the bite of one, notwithstanding every
assistance. The effects of the bite are followed by intense anguish and
vomiting, the tongue swells and stiffens, the limb becomes inflamed, cold-
ness supervenes, and occasionally death ensues.

The viper, or ajhch, is referred tevi.'! Scripture, as an emblem of malig-
nity and mischief. This is not, however, our conmion species, but one
much more dangerous. It mav be the one considered bv Latreille tlie
aspic of the ancients, or a larger species, which is extremely venomous,
and found in the country bordering the Euphrates.

The Terrible I?oa-Constrictor.

There arc four species of "boa," all of which ha\'ebeen described as the
boa-constrictor ; and it is always difficult to identify any particular spe-
cies of serpent referred to by travellers, on account of the loose manner in
31

'M'

?*.*.i.

^»V^

I.: , J

482

EARTH, SEA, AND SKV.

which the name is generally employed. The boa-constrictor is remark-
able for the beauty of its markings. A broad chain, consistini^f aUemairlv
of large blackish and somewhat hexagonal marks, and of pale ov^; daslies
extends along the back. These gigantic snakes frequent the m..rsiit.'s
and luxuriant margins of the rivers, and fresh-water lakes of intertn ojc;,]

RAVENOUS ROA-CONSTRICTOR SWALr.O^^•I^'G A FOWL.

America, and reign the terror of man and beast. They can climb, swim, and
dcirt along the ground ; and hence there is no safety for the deer in its swift-
ness or the monkey among the branches, or the large fish in the waters.
To these varied pon-ers combined with a nature daring, ferocious, and
bloodthirsty, the ancient Mexicans rendered religious veneration. Their

MONSTROUS REPTILES OF THE TROPICAL WORLD.

483

supreme divinity was represented with a snake in his liand, or coiled

n utu! him anil his altar.

On a bl.ie throne, with four huge silver snakes,

Ar. if the keepers of the sanctuary,

Circltd with stretching neck and fangs displayed,

Mexitli vatic ; another grown snake

15elted with scales of gold his niunstcr bulk.

To adopt tlie words cf Lacepode, in reference to the boa, " This threat

power, this indomitable force, its gijj^antic lenijth, the lustre of its scales.

the beauty of it- colors, have inspired a sort of admiration, niinL,ded with

affrii;iit, in the minds of most people in a sa\a!j^e condition ; and, as all

that produces terror and admiration, every creature that appears to be

endowed with a tj^reat superiority over other beinc^s, hardly fails to create

in minds little enlightened the idea of a supernatural accent, it was not

without relit^ious fear that the ancient inhabitants of Mexico regarded this

serpent. Whetlier they supj)osed that an enormous ma.ss, c.xecutinrf

iiinvcinents so rapitl, could not be .stirred but by a divine inspiration, or

that the)' only regarded the animal as a minister of the omnipotence of

the God of heaven, it became the object of their worship.

Making- a Divinity of the I5oa-Coii.strictov.

"They gave \^. the title of 'emperor', in order to designate the preemi-
nence of its endowments ; and, liaving adopted it as the object of their
adoration, they devoted to it their particular attention. None of its move-
ments, speaking in a general sense, escaped them ; none of its actions
were to llicm niattci"s of indifference. As its protracted hiss caught their
ear, they listened with religious trembling, for they deemed that these
sounds, these signs of the various passions, or feelings of a being, \\hich
they logarded as supernatural, must be connected with their destiny.

" It has happened, that these hissings have been much stronger, and
more frequent on the approach of violent tempests, pestilential diseases,
cruel wars, or other public calamities. Indeed, it is frequently the case
thnt epidemic maladies are often preceded by a violent heat, an extreme
dryness, a peculiar ,-,tate of the atmosphere, a highly electrical condition
of the air, bv which the snakes would be greatK excited, and led to utter
hissings louder than usual ; however, this maybe, the hissings of the boa,
the 'divine boa', were rega.ded as forewarnings of impending evils, and
listened to with the utmost consternation "

A fearful picture of the blind and impious adoration paid to the fero-
cious boa, often tamed by the priests, for the purpose of overawing the
multitude, is finely drawn by Southey, in his poem of " Madoc : "—

'*■ i}

'I'V.i^ll

A .

IT'

I'l

484

tARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

mmiM.^

rorth from the dark recesses of the cave

The serpent came ; the Hoamen at the si.i;ht

Shouted ; and they who held the priest, appdl'd,

Relaxed their hold. On came the mighty snake.

And twin'd in mxny a wreath round Neulin,

Darling aright, aleft, his sinuous neck,

With searching eye, anil lifted jaw, and tongue

Quivering, and hiss as of a heavy sliovver

L'pon the summer woods. The Britons stood

Astounded at the powerful reptile's bulk,

And that strange sight. His girth was as of man,

But easily could he have ovtrtopp'd

Goliath's helmed head, or that huge king

Of Basan, hugest of the Anakim :

What then, was human strength, if once involved

Within those dreaoful coils ! The multitude

Fell prone and worshipp'd.

Stcclman, in his expedition to Surinani, had an adventure with one o!
these boas, which shows their vast power and activity. On leavin^r ],;<
boat, he had scarcely proceeded abov^c twenty yards tliroucjh mud and
water, when he discovered a hu<^e .snake rolled up under the fallen lca\cs
and rubbish of the trees; and so well was the animal covered, that it wa:;
.several minutes before he distinctly perceived the head of the monster,
which was distant from him only about sixteen feet. It was rapidly vi-
brating its forked tongue, and its eyes, from their uncommon brightness,
glittered like sparks of fire. He raised his gun, and fired ; but luissiii;.,^
the head, the ball went through the body.

In a moment the aninia' struck round, lashing the ground witli such
force as to cut away all the underwood as if with a scythe, while the imid
and dirt flew in all directions. Following up the attack, Stednian, who at
first retreated, now ventured on, and found the snake at a short distance
from the former station, quietly lying among fallen leaves, rotten bouf^rhs,
and moss, which concealed all but the head. He fired again ; the animal
was again woimded, and violently flounced about, throwing a shower ot
mud and dirt around. At the third fire, the animal was shot through the
head, and soon expired. The length of this snake, which the negroes
declared to be young, was upwards of twenty-two feet ; and its thickness
that of a boy about twelve years old.

Sw.illo wins' a Be^.

One of the boas of the London Zoological Gardens once .swallowed his
bed, to-wit, a large railway blanket wrapper, instead of two rabbits, which
had been left him for his supper ; when the problem propounded was the
life or death of the reptile. Thirty six days after, however, he evaded

ire with one o!
3n Icavin;^ hi<
ough mud and
he fallen leaves
red, that it \va:i
)f the monster,
was rapidly vi-
rion brij^htness,
d ; but missiiii;

ound with such
, while the mud
5tedman, who at
a short distance
, rotten bounjhs,
;ain ; the animal
ing a shower ot
hot through the
ich the negroes
md its thickness

:e swallowed his
■o rabbits, whicii
)ounded was the
ever, he evaded

MONSTROUS REPTi'.ES OF THE TROPICAL WORLD.

485

the catastrophe by beginning to disgorge the blanket. A watehman,
iroing his nightly rounds, caught him in the act ; he prescntl\' called
another watchman to his side, and Mitering the cage the\' assisted the
boa, both of them giving a slow, careful pull at one end ; and thus he
completed his task.

The wrapper was about five feet wide and six feet long ; it proved to be
t-,.. '■H the exception of a few small holes and rents, and an appear-

ance of rottenness in two or three places. The colors were nearly all
discharged, so that the fabric was of a dingy, slaty gray.

After disgorging the blanket, the boa ate nothing during a whole week,
but resumed his usual habits, by drinking a large quantity of water. This
is said not to have been the first time such a feat has been performed in
the Gardens ; and a serpent is even stated to have reman -d the \'ictor of
his blaid^et.

The boas are tlu largest of serpents, and though without venom, their
enormous muscular power enables them to crush between their folds large
animals, which they first lubricate with saliva and then swallow whole
by their enormously dilatable jaws and gullet. They never attack but
from necessity, always engage with open courage and conquer only by
superior strength. Three species are found in Asia; the rest are confined
to the warmer parts of America. The great boa, the largest of all the
serpent tribe, is frequently from thirty to fort>' feet in length and of pro-
portionable thickness. Their rapacity is often their own punishment; for
whenever they have gorged themselves by trying to swallow their prey
entire, they become torpid and may be approached and destroyed with
safetv. They at that time seek for some retreat, where thev mav lurk for
several days and digest their meal in safety. The least effort then will
destroy them ; they scarcely can make any resi.stance ; and equally un-
qualified for flight or opposition, they are easily assailed.

Boautifiil Tree-Suakos.

There are many serpents of very slender form, which, while living
more or less on the land, frequently ascend trees, especially in pursuit of
their prey. They are generally nimble, harmless, and beautiful species.

The whole of the serpents composing these genera live in woods, en-
twining themselves among the branches of trees, and gliding with great
rapidity and elegance from one to another. The.se habits, combined with
the graceful slenderness of their form, the beautiful metallic reflection
from the surface in some species, and the bright and changeable hues in
others, place them among the most interesting of the serpent tribe.
Their food consists of large insects, youn<.'; birds, and so forth, which the

IIIBBHIIifqSB- M

I'Jt'im

I'»

Tl!

■ '

illf

486
cxtraordi

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

cxtraordmary size of tl)o head, and widtl) of the ^Mpc. a.ul the .rr,,t ,.;,
atalDihty of the neck and ho<!y. cnaL-le them to suallou-, notuith'sta'.uli'n "

^V>V^'N>

TREE-SNAKE DEVOURING ITS I'REV.

the small size of these parts in a state of rest, undisturbed by hun-er
When the skin is distended either by food or during inspiration, the

MONSTROUS :^I:PTILES OP' THE TROPICAL WORLD.

487

scales are separated from each other, aiul the skin, which is of a tlifferent
CI >lor, becomes visible in the interstices, produciiv^ a curious ictimhited
ai)|)earancc. Notwithstanding^ the poisonous mark was affixcil by Lin-
n.uus to the only species known to him, it is well ascertaincil that they
are all of them perfectly harmless; anil it is asserted of some species that
till' t IiiUlren arc in the habit of tamin;^ and playin;^ with them, t\\ inin^
tluni round their necks and arms, and that the snakes appear pleased at
bcini; thus caressed.

TIk" \ariety of whip-snakes are distin;4uished for their thin, slender
b(Ml\-, which enables them to wind themselves around the branches of
trees and lay in wait for their prey. They are only at Jiome on trees.
On the ground they are slow and clumsy in their motion. They are noc-
turnal animals and therefore very danj^erous to all small \'ertebrates which
happen to visit a tree, which they have chosen as their habitation. They
feed ow birds, lizards and froLjs, ami are said to be very Noracious. The
whip-snake of Ceylon has a very pointed mouth, for what purpose is not
explained yet to the satisfaction of scientists.

Poisonous Tenants of Forest and Plain.

Many of the snakes of South America are highly venomous. One of
these is called, from its prowess and power, the bush-master. I'Vightful
accidents occur in the forests of Guiana by this terrible species. Sullivan
gives us the followinj^: his host, a few days before, had sent a ncj^ro to
open some sluices on his estate; but, as he did not return, the master,
thinking he had run away, sent another negro to look after him ; tliis
nei,M-o went to the place directed, and found the aian quite dead, antl
swollen up to a hideous size. 1 Ic was bitten in two places, and death
must have been instantaneous, as he was not more than three feet from
the sluice. They supposed that it must have been a bush-master that
hail killed him.

The couni-couchi, or bush-master, is the most dreaded of all the South
American snakes, and, as his name implies, he roams absolute master of
the forest. They will not fly from man, like all other snakes, but will
even pursue and attack him. They are fat, clumsy-looking snakes, about
four feet long, and nearly as thick ris a man's arii^; their mouth is unnatu-
rally large, and their fangs are from one to three inches in length. They
strike with immense force ; and a gentleman who had examined a man
after having been .struck in the thigh and died, told the narrator that the
'A'ound was as if two Tour-inch nails had been driven into the flesh.

As the poison oozes out from the extremity of the fang, any hope of
being cured after a bite is small, as it is evident that no external applica-

"'IflWffi; "j ';!

4«8

EARTFI, SEA, AND SKV.

tioii could liavc any immediate effect on a poison deposited an inch antl a
half or two inches below the surface; the instantaneousness of the djath
dei)ends upon whetiier any hir^e artery is wounded or not.
ScriH'iits of Astoiiisliiii^ Itciiiity.

Many serpents aie remarkable ft)r their i^reat beauty of colorirpj, r.r for
the pattern of their markin^^s; but on account of the poisonous pnipirt',-
so many i)()ssess, the whole order is popularly re<^arded with liormr an!
apprehension, and the most foolish tales are current respecting \.iri'<ii>
species of them. Thus many people suppose that there are snakes w Jiiih
rob cows of their milk; and the skeleton of a chilil beini^r found in tiu'
same hollow with a number of harmless snakes it was concluded, as a
matter of course, that the ser[)ents must have both killed the child and
.stripped off its flesh, a thinj^ which no snake coulil possibly do. IVoplc
are prone to exa^^erate, and commonly evince a fondness for the iu,u\ cl-
ous, which induce those of hot countries more especially to declare c\cr\-
.snake met with to be the most venomous one in their country; and thus
travellers often come away with cxceedint^ly erroneous impressions im the
subject.

The Indian rei^ion surpasses every other part of the ^lobe in the num-
ber and variety of its serpents ; and almost every in\'estiyation of a linutcil
but previously unexplored district, is tolerably sure to add lar^^ely to our
previous Inowledj^e of them. What, however, the late Sir Emerson Tm-
ncnt as.serts oftho.se inhabiting Ceylon is equally ap[)licable to other part-
of the Indian rey[ion. Durini^ my residence in Ceylon, he remarks, I
never heard of the death of a European which was cau.sed by the bite of
a snake; and in the returns of coroner's inquests made officially to my
department, such accidents to the natives ap[X'ar chiefly to have hap[)Lncd
at night, when the reptiles, havin<^ been surpri.sed or trodden on, indicted
the wound in .self-defence. For these reasons the Cingalese, when obliged
to leave their houses in the dark, carry a stick with a loose ring, the noise
of w hich, as they strike it on the ground, is sufficient to warn the snakes

to leave their path.

Fooli.sli Popular Siiporstitioiis.

In some parts of the vast Indian region the natives regard the harniles-
chameleon as venomous; in other parts various geckos or other lizard>.
In Bengal there is a cin'rent notion regarding a terrifically po'sonous
lizard, which is termed tlie bis-cobra, but which has no existence e.\cept
in the imagination of the natives, who bring the young of the monitors
and occasionally other well-known lizards as specimens of the object of
their dread. Again, the little burrowing snakes which, superficially, have

MONSTROUS REPTILES OF THE TROPICAL WORLD.

489

imicli the appearance of carth-WDriiis, arc there ptipuhirly re^ardetl as
hi.rhly pi)i.sonous, tliou[,Mi not only are they harmless, but physically
incapable of wounding the human skin. Stran^^ers who arc little versed
ill zoology are commonly led astray by such errors on the part of natives
of those countries, and, unfortunately, there is a number of stock vernac-
ular names which are applied to very different .species in different local-
ities.

Thus Europeans in Intlia are familiar with the appellatir)n " carpet
snake," as denoting a very tleadly re[)tile,but nobody can there point out
what the carpet snake really is; and the one most {generally sup[)oscd to
bcai' that name is a small innocuous snake, which is ccMiimon about
huiuan d\vellinj;s. In the Australian colony of Victoria, however, the
appellation of car[)et snake is bestowed upon a terribly venomous species,
while in the neighboring colony of New South Wales, a harmless and
L'VLii useful creature is habitually known as the carpet snake.

With regard tr) the poison of venomous snakes, attention has lately
been directed to the virtue of ammonia, as already stated. This should be
administered internall)', mixetl with alcoholic spirit and wa*"er, in re[)eated
iloses; and it should also be injected into a vein — about one drachm of
the liquor ainiiionue o( ihc shops being mixed with two or three times
that (|uantity of water. The patient should be kept moving as much as
possible, and the effects of a galvanic battery should also be tried in cases
where animation is nearly or quite suspended. B\' these means it is
asserted that quite recently some very remarkable cures have been effected
in Australia.

The serpents have many enemies among mammalia, such as the well
known mungoose, also swine, and various ruminating c[uadrupeds as
deer and goats. In the bird class, the famous .serpent-eater, or secretary-
bird of South Africa, is one of their chief destroyers ; and there are \ar-
ious other snake-devouring birds of prey, besides the great African
f][round hornbill — even the peafowl, sundiy .storks, and other waders, sel-
dom fail to attack them when opportunity offers. Comparative!)' large
birds of the kingfisher family prey chiefly upon snakes and lizards in
Australia; and of reptiles, besides those snakes which prey upon others,
the monitor lizards frequently seize and de\-our them.

3Ioiistrous Egg Eater.

The enormous swallowing power of snakes is vividly illustrated in a
vciy small snake, the opposite extreme from the huge creatures we have
been considering, the so-called egg-eater of South Africa, a little fellow
not more than a foot long, of which we give nearly a life-size illustra-

* .

(41)0)

mil

'mim

m\\ 1 'Jii-

MONSTROUS REPTILES OF THE TROPICAL WORLD.

491

tion. With jaws not more than an inch apart when wide open, it will
swallow an ordinary hen's ccjg without breaking; it. If such be the capac-
ity of a snake not more than twelve inches loni^, what must be the great
(nilp of one thirty feet long and of proportionate thickness ?

It may seem an incredible statement to many persons that any reptile
possesses beauty, yet among these crawling creatures, disgusting in many
in-<tances, there are forms and colors unrivalled, or at least unexcelled, in
aii\' other part of creation. There is, for instance, what is called the red-
thrcitcd lizard.

This bjautiful reptile is a native of the West India Islands. Its color is
(rrccii, more or less tinged with blue. There is no dorsal crest; the tail
is large, strong, and slightly depressed at its base — its remainder being
sltiulcr, and slightly compressed ; a minute dentated ridge runs along its
upper surface. The scales on the back and sides are very small, some-
what (i\al and granular, and of equal size. Tho.se on the under parts are
sniiHith.and overlay each other. When irritated, the throat swells, and
becomes as red as a cherry.

".Some years since," says Mr. Bell, " I had two living specimens of the
beautiful little green creature of the West Indies. I was in the habit of
feeding them with flies, and other insects ; and having one day [)laced in
the cage with them a very large garden .spider one of the lizards darted at
it, but only seized it by the leg. The spider instantly ran round the crea-
ture's mouth, weaving a \ery thick web round both the jaws, and then gave
it a se\ere bite on the lip, just as this spider usually does with any large
insect which it has taken. The lizard \\as greatly distressed, and I re-
moved the spider, and rubbed off the web, the confinement of which ap-
peaiLtl to give it great annoyance ; but in a few days it died, thcnigh pre-
viously in as perfect health as its companion, which li\-ed for a long time
afterwards."

In contrast with this is an ugly creature which deser\-es notice.

The Cristatus.

In that group of islands called the Galapagos, near the Equator, in the
Pacific Ocean, this lizard abounds, and the species is found there in great
numbers. It selects a rocky shore for its place of resort, and appears
never to be found far inland. Specimens four feet in length have been
discovered ; the usual length, however, is about three feet. In rare in-
.>^tances its weight reaches twenty pounds. The appearance of the cristatus
is very repulsive. It would be impossible to convince some persons that
there is any beauty in the tribe of lizards. They are slimy creatures, un-
pleasant to the touch; they lack the soft plumage of the dove or fur of

I :•

'IN

^Mm

fiiPi

492

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

tlic seal ; they do not fly gracefull}' through the air, as birds do ; f^^ the
most part, tliey do not c\en swim, as man)' fishes do, with a moveiiunt \ erv
attractive; tlie}' crawl over rocks, tree branches, through tanq;led 'M.l^^^.•.s
alon^ the edi^^es of slimy pools, and repel one by their stealthy, cr •i.pincr
moticMis. They have never been regarded as among the beauties ,.f cn"
ation.

Yet there are tribes of lizards whose cold skins wear tints as ricli as
those of the beetle or the butterfl)'. This, however, is not true of the
cristatus, which is a rare specimen of ugliness. Probably in the e\-r.s (^f

THE MOLOCH.

its own species it has many points of beauty, and it ought, thercfnre, to
be considered that the work of nature is a success. This lizard is touini
frequently among the lava beds of volcanic islands; its strong claws [)c-
culiarly adapt it for such a place of resilience.

The moloch is an Australian iguanian reptile, and is the most fcrociniis-
looking of the lizard tribe, though harmless ; it is as ugly as any of the
representations of the fabled basilisks and dragons. They live in sandy
districts and sometimes dig themselves into the sand, slee[)ing at iiij^ht
and leaving their resting-place during the day in search of pre}-. They

lit, therefore, to
izard is found
strong claws [)c-

MOXSTROUS ktPTILES OF THE TROPICAL WORLD.

493

princiDally feed on ants, but are said to be also herbivorous. Like other
li/an!-, they deposit their eggs in the sand.

A Hideous Toad.

It IS proper to caution the reader against believing all that has been
wriitc n about the longevity of toads. Neither must implicit faith be gi\en
1 1 tlu- discovery of the living animal in the centre of stones. "That
tj.icl^. frogs, and newts, occasionally issue from stones broken in acjuairy

"^-^^diV^c^^rZ

^ ""'- Mil

— ""-V

^-W^'

m^^

^.^^^

'jtClJilij^iza

PIPA TOAD H.VrCHING EGGS ON ITS HACK.

or arc discovered in sinking wells, and even taken from coal-strata at the
bottom of a mine," is true enough ; but, as Buckland observes, " the evi-
dence is newr perfect to show that these amphibians were entirely en-
closed in a solid rock; no examination is inade until the creatu. .
is discovered by the breaking of the mass in which it was contained, and
then it is too late to ascertain whether there was any hole or crevice by
which it might have entered."

,|jlifl.>fji^ji

i. m-$ M ^1 C -f it ^|v

ilg^

1 1

494

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

These considerations led Buckland to undertake certain experinit nts to
test the fact. He caused blocks of coarse oolitic limestone and sandstone
to be prepared with cells of various sizes, in which lie enclosed toad^ rif
different asj^es. The small toads enclosed in the sandstone were found
to die at the end of thirteen months; the same fate befell the lar<.fcr ones
during the second j'car; they were watched through the glass covers f»f
their cells, and were nex'er seen in a state of torpor, but at each successi\o
examination they had become more meagre, until at last they were found
dead. This was probably too severe a test for the poor creature^, the
glass cover implying a degree of hardness and dryness not natmal to half
amphibious toads.

This animal, the common toad, is badly provided with means of pro-
gression, is timid and solitary in habits, and shuns the sight of man, as
if it comprehended the repugnance with which it is regarded. It is,
nc\ertheless, susceptible of education, and has been tamed. Pennant, tin.
zoologist, relates some curious details respecting a poor toad which took
refuge under the staircase of a house. It was accustomed to come c\civ
evening into a dining-room near the place of its retreat. When it saw
the light it allowed itself to be placed on a table, where the host furnished
it with worms, wood-lice, and various insects. As no attempt was made
to injure it, there were no signs of irritation when it was touched, and it
soon became, from its gentleness, the object of general curiosit)- ; e\ en
ladies came to see this strange animal. The poor batiachian Ywal thus
f)r thirty -six )-ears ; and it would probably have lived much lonirer had
not a tame crow, living in the house, attacked it, and put out one of its
e\'es. From that time it languished and died.

Nearly allied to the common toads the Surinam toad holds i:s place.
Its physiognomy is at once disagreeable and peculiarly odd ; the head is
fiat and triangular, a very short neck .separates it from the trunk, which is
itself depressed and flattened; its eyes are extremely small, of an olive,
more or less bright color, dashed with small reddish spots ; it has no
tongue. There is only one species of pipa, viz. : the American pipa,
which inhabits Guiana and .several provinces of Brazil. The most re-
markable feature in this batrachian is its manner of reprodur'iion. It
is oviparous; and when the female has laid her eggs, the male takes'
them, and piles them on her back. The female, bearing the fertilized ova,
reaches the marshes, and there irimerses herrelf; but the skin which sup-
ports her future progeny soon becomes inflamed, causing an irritation of
the integument, which continues till all are absorbed into the skin. The
young are ra\iidly developed in these dorsal cells, and soon born.

CHAPTER XIX.
MARVELS OE INSECT LIEE.

[iitellitjonce Among Insects— All Sorts of Insect Mechanics — PillaRin;^ Pirates—
The Goliath Beetle— Monstrosities anil Freaks — "Little Devils "—CK)r,L;e()uf
Colorinjj of Shells and Wings — ^Jewelry made of Insects — Windless Butterilies —
Extraordinary Changes Tlirough Which Injects Pass — Metamorphosis of the
Dragon-Fly — Perfection of Organization— Wonderful Handiwork of Nature —
r,,i;its More than a Matt !i for Men— The African Fly— A Dreaded Pest— Magnified
Proltoscis of a Ct)mmon Fly — Amazing Rapidity of Movement — Insect Gym-
nasts and their Strength— Ingenious Mechanisms— Transformation of the
Common Gnat- Insect Saws, Rakes, and Chisels .Sirpissing Man's Finest
Instruments — Curious Method of Talking — Eyes Like Telescopes — Military
Drill— The Remarkable Achievements of the Spider — An Insect Better than it
Appears — Slave-Holding Ant--— A Colony .Saved by an Old Slave— Insects that
Keep a Dairy — Ants and their Milch Cows — Warrior Termites — Builders and
Destroyers of Towns.

O a marvelotis delicacy of nr<^ranization insects join a still ir.ore
marvelous intelligence. The perfection of their tools would
lead us to suppose thena ca[)able of executing works of bound-
less variety ; it i.s these that Rennie has designated as the archi-
tecture of insects. In fact, these minute creatures often rear construc-
tions of an elegance and size which we should be far from expecting from
them. Among insects there arc evidentlyarchitects, masons, upholsterers,
paper-makers, joiners, pasteboard-mal-:ers, and hydraulic-engineers. Others
dislike work, and are veritable pirates, always engaged in war and pillage.
We rind also in this class extreme; of size and strength. One gigantic
beetle, such as for instance the Goliath, may exceed the size of the
.straii'ht-beaked humming-birds, which he would pitilessly strangle in his
claws if he caught them in his pith; while another insect maybe so
small, .so calculated to escatie notice, that we only discover it by the aid
of a magnifying-glass.

The insect class shows in every part a harmonious organization, which
at the first glance distinguishes it from all others. Nevertheless, it is per-
haps the .section of the animal kingdom in which we observe the gieatest
diversity of form ; some insects indeed display at times such anomalies
that we can only make them out by their fundamental characteristics.
There are even frequently extreme differences between the male and the
female. Others possess such a singular exterior that they exacdy resem-

(495)

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1 ■■

'I l^' ■ f

40G

EARTH, SEA. AND SKY.

mi'

ble leaves of trees, having the same veins and coloring; when they are af-
rest we might take them for leaves, and even the greedy bird is deceiwd
by them. It is the wings that are transformed into green membranes
whieh give the animal the appearance of an animated leaf

Some insects again are remarkable from the strangeness of their aspect,
the breasts ofwhicli are studded with points, plates, or most fantastic knobs,
wliich transform them into so many monstrosities. On looking at sonic
of them one might take them for an insect masquerade, a veritable sjxirt of
nature, a collection of freaks. So much was the old entomologist Geoffn)\-
struck with their form, that he gave them the name of " little devils." One
cannot really conceive what purpose so many fantastic appendages, so em-
barrassing to their figure and movements, can serve among these fra;^ilo
tribes, for they are all of the smallest dimensions !

Hues that Rival Gold aiul Sapphire.

If anything in insects surpasses the diversity of forms, it is the prodigious
variety of coloring. Their mantles gleam with the richest hues in nature.
Their sheen can only be compared to that of jewels and metals. The pur-
est gold and silver, the sapphire and the emerald, gleam on their wings and
corsages ; their tints mingle and encounter or imperceptibly shade into
each other. Some groups are remarkable for the richness of their gar-
ments. One variety owes its French name of "millionaires" to its metallic
lustre; others gleam like precious stones, and are used instead of them in
India and China, where they are made into trinkets for women, such as
pins and ear-drops.

As the great Lanna^us said. Nature takes no leaps, and among insects
she proceeds as elsewhere, by insensible transitions. We are accustomed
to recognize a butterfly only by its ample wings ; nevertheless naturalists
ha\-e discovered many .species of this order which are wingless. lUit al-
though we see some individuals of this group deprived of these organs,
others exhibit the vestiges of them to show the gradation.

Singular Transformations.

Born in one shape the insect dies in another, and the metamorphoses
which it undergoes are the most important act of its life, and the most ex-
traordinary phenomenon in physiology. Organism, functions, all things
change : the ugly caterpillar is transformed into a butterfly gleaming with
azure and gold, and if this butterfly were restricted to the fresh leaves of
which it devoured such quantities in its youth, it w'ould die of inanition;
it requires a more delicate nourishment now that it has become adorned
with its brilliant wings, and only lives on the nectar of flowers.

The libellula, or dragon-fly, when it appears in its last dress, assumes

f their aspect,
iitastic kn()l)s,
•cing at stinic

among insects

letamorphoses
Id the most cx-
)ns, all things
gleaming with
fresh leaves of
of inanition;
[come adorned

|ers.

Idress, assumes

LIFE AM) MEJAMORFIIOSIS OF TUK DKAGON-l'LV. (l. THE PERFECT

INSECT. i). — THE INSECT CASTING ;)FF ITS WORN-OUT

NVMPH's skin. <• d. — LARV.T. AND NYMPHS.
;i2 (497)

^^?«:i«ip'.

^^if

( :

J' '' . '.in' I t

*lff*

iff*

(illl

- !•;'

41»>'

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

different habits. It has passed all its life beneath the water in tlu: rendi-
tion of an ii^noble lana. soiled Mith mini and filth; but now that thetiiiK'
has come, it aspires to soar into the air. I lax'inj^^ mounted on some i.lant
or otiier, it attaches its aquatic t^arment to it, and ecjuips itself with hril-
liant uin_L;s of ^au;:e which bear it a\va\'. The nietamorphoris is so radica!
and its new wants so imperious, tliat if we attempt to retain the in-nt a
sinj^lc minute lonj.^er in its ancient element it will perish on the sp^t h
has lived till now in shail(i and tainted vater ; henceforth it can .iiU
breathe the pure air and in a [^dowini^ liu'^'--

Tile grown insect iliffers so wideK' from the youn;.^, that one eaniint In
the least recocjni/.c thj one in the other. Tile scarab.'eus, or sacred li tie,
with its emerald sheath, which was worshipped in ancient I->y;\pi,(l(iu> iint
in the h;ast resemble the hideous subtenanean worm which produce^ it;
a sinj^ular nietamori)hosis, in which, according; to ("loury, the nation-, on
the banks of the Nile onl\ beheld the s\-nibol cf the transmi'Mation ,,f

souls.

Marvels of Insect Organi/ation.

The torch of anatomy has shed a flood of hght upon the or;^^ani/,tli' i
of the inferior animals, and the microscope, by allowing us to piy inio t!i
most inacces.sible nooks of it, has unfolded before our eyes a imrizdii a.
vast a.s it was unexpected. Rut it must be admitted, that if the investii;.!-
tion of infinitely small beings has acquired such an advanced d(,L;rcc n\
certainty, it owes it to men who have often dexoted all their li\es to {\k
object. Lyonet, of Germany, passed nearly all his life in studxiiii; a
caterpillar which gnaws the wood of the willow, and produced on tliiv
insect only one of the most .splendid monuments of human patience.

Goedart, a Dutch painter, spent twenty of his best years in w atchiii:;
the mctamorpho.scs of in.sects — a most interesting spectacle for him wjio
looks at it with the eye of religion. Hence, in the midst of our iii(i>t
brilliant parties (into which affliction will yet make its way despite hntli
pomp and gokl), he felt tempted to exclaim, "Ah! let me rather sec a
buttertl)- born. In his puniest creatures God reveals his power and
majesty; you, in your splendid fetes, often di.splay only your weaknc.\^
and mi.sen.- ! " Anatomically and physiologically .speaking, the human
mechanism is very rude and coarse, compared to the exquisite delicaq
revealed in the organism of certain animals.

In her .slightest sketches nature knows how to unite power to an exquis-
ite fineness of mechanism ; the first glance at in.sects proves this, and thus
so soon as their Interesting history is displayed before us, we feci n(5 loiij^cr
temjited to treat them with the disdain that poets have shown. A simple

• in th< t-(.n(li-
,• that thr t;nv

(111 SOIilL' jlhllU

tsclf with bril-
■ is is sm nulical
n the insert ;i
n the s])!'!. 1 1
ih it can ''nly

: one canuut In
r sacRil h ■ 'il,;,
Ivj^ypl.doe-- nnt
ch produci-- it;
the nation-^ an
ansniii^ratiun cf

the op^anizati"!
s to pry into t!v:
vc^ a horizon a^

if the invcsti;4a-
anced dei;rcc <4

icir h\'cs to tliu
in stiulyiiT^f a
roduced "ii thi^

n patience.

ars in watchiivj;
le f<ir him who

st of our Ill(l^l

a)' despite b^tli

nie rather sec a

his power and

\'our weakness

mti, the human

quisite delicac}

ver to an exquis-
•cs this, and thus
we feel no lon'^'cr
A sinipk'

lown.

MARVELS OF INSECT LIFE.

I!i!»

biitterll)'. a sinL;ie \\y hunil)les the pride of man. and tlL'^pitt- of hiiu le\els

Ills forests, devours his crops, and retUices him to ile^pair. An insect of

thi-^ kind petrifies the countryman w ith terror, while its stins^ is death to

hinil

^fiiii Coii(|ucr<>(l by Gnats.

Simple little two-\vint,fed flies, ^Mials and mos(.[uitoes, the puny loolc of
whii !i would ne\er lead one to dread a^^j^ression from such a ([uarter, are
nc\'.rtheless enemies of the most incon\'ein'ent kind to our species. In
some countries, where they swarm by m\-riads on all sides, man is sub-
jected to their empire, and onl\- a\dids their attacks by adaptiiv.;' his abode
and manner of livin;^ to the emergency. At the time \\ lun tlu' mos(]iii-
tdis are most prevalent in SencLjal, the nei^n-oes, notwithstanding' the con-
straint of such a kind of life, remain constantly en\eloped in the mitWt <jf
thills smoke. For this pur[)ose they set up reL;ular roosts formed of
branches, ami suspended above masses of wood which burn peq)etuall\'
beneath them. Squatted on these they recei\-e their friends durin<^ the
cla\ ,and at ni[,dit, heated from below antl smoked on all sides, they stretch
themseK'es on them in order to sleep.

A sim[)le fly in Africa does still more ; it disputes the laiul foot by foot ;
there is a strugj^le between it and man as to which shall ha\e pos.session.
Where it lives it pre\ents him from carrx'ing on aj^riculture, and liniits
his explorations ; he can onl)- become master of the soil when he has
exterminated it. This fl\-, i-eneralK- called " tsetse " bN' the natives, is
shaped like our common .species, and seems to all appearance equally
inoffensi\e, but its mouth secretes a \-enom the activity of which by far
surpasses that of the most redoubtable serpents. It only requires a few
of its stin;4s to overwhelm the strongest o.x ; and yet if we attempted to
ascertain the weight of this deadl}' agent by means of the most tlelicate
balance, it is so small that we should find the calculation impossible.

The domestic fly, inoffensi\e in our dwellings, torments without ceasing
those who travel in hot countries. There it is dreaded more than the
hy;ena and jackal, and men can only guard against it b\' having a crowd
of slaves about them. In some of the villages of Upper Kgypt traveller.-;
ha\e sometimes seen in their mother's arms children who.se faces were
infested by such compact legions of flies that they looked like crawling
black masks. All were hard at work with their probosces, the delicate
anatom\-of which surpasses everything one can imagine.

In the domain of the infinitcl)' little the plu'siological phenomena as-
tonish us no less than the extreme slightness of the motive organs ! A
single comparison will demonstrate this. When wc communicate an

■'I

m^$

iMmm ,«

:iii

■ ■].

noo

KARTII, SEA. AN'D SKV

i^'iy

■,1!

■■m

olcvattiij^ in(>\i'iiuiu to I >ur . inns, and siulck.iil)- biin;^' tlicni hack t" ?!),«
body, a second oC tinu- will scarcely siilficc for the act; hut, according to
the experiments of I h-rschel, some iiist-cts vil)rate their witi'^s sc^^ ;,il
hunch'eil times in this sliort period! T.atoiir affirms that a laiat \ ihrates
its \vini;s 500 times in a secontl.

Nicholson Ljoes still fnrther ; he asserts that the xihrations of the wini-

of the common flN'are as man\- as 600 in a second, since it passes tin-MiiL;li

>^ , \ , _/ / space at the rate of six fi.i.i

^ \i^£4^vv'0^l'' in this time. iJiit tlii-; .,h-

ser\er adds, thai fir lapn]
fli^i;lit\vc nnist multiply this
number l)y six, uhicn im aii>
that in a seconil, or the time
■y-- i^-^jL^v' ^\*-' I'equire to execute a siii-
"■ -"iCr/;^'' J~ ^le movement of (<iie 1 if Mnr
members, the fi}' with its
win;^ can i)erfonn ^^xjo.
The mind is stupefied at
such calculations, and y; t
tlu\- are of imimpeacli.ihJL-
accurac}' !

After this we are no
^3^V' -^ longer astonislied at tiic
actix'ity shown by some hut-
terllies, such as the sphinx,
when they rifle the tlower^
of our t^ardens. They ilit
from one to the othei" wiili
the sjx^ed of an arrow, aiiii,
lilce tile sti-aiL;ht-beakc(l
hummint4"-bird, the_\- han-
motionless before the co-
rolla, plunginc; their Ion;;
tongues to the botteni in

MAGNIFIED I'ROBOSCIS OF THE COMMON FLY. ^-^^.^y^^ j-O sip the HcCtar,

whilst their wings are agitated b\- moxements which the e\-c cannot
follow !

The delicacy of these aerial oars is not less remarkable than their ninve-
nients. However gently we take hold of the wing of a butterfl\-, <^ur
fingers never leax'c it without having some particles adhering, which -ccin

lUiuwJi'^^-"

hack t" rhi'
acconliii,' to

x'nVJ,^ SL-\i ;,il
;4li;it xilinUrs

Is of tlir win '4
;isscs thrwii-h
■ate Df six fi.t.l

Bui Ihi^ I'l)-
that for r.qiiil
t nuiUii)l>- tlii^
c, whicii inr.iii>
ihl, or the linic

LXtA'iitL ;i sitl-
t of one of iMir
c tl)- with its
prrfofiii _V'"0-
s sUi[)cfif(l at
itions, ami yd
uniiiii)cacliable

MARVKLS OF INSECT LIFE.

oOl

oni>' a nnc (hist, the source of the nia;^Miificent coloriiii^' of the insect. But
when this ihist is submitted to microscopic examination, the observer is
■uirpriseci to see that each of these grains represents ahttlc flattened plate,
icn'^thened out and of a fine complicated structure, which reflects the most

ina;j;ical colors.

Notwithstanding
th' i r minuteness
and the delicacy of
their anatomy, oth-
er insects e x h ib-
it a comparative
stienf^^th which
astonishes us. Al-
though it is almost
])ueri!e to speak of
the flea, still we may
take it for an in-
•-tance, as it is un-
foitunatcl)- known
eMTywhcre. I'on-
vielk;. in his inter-
estiuLj work on the
"Invisible World," ^^
maintains that it can r
raise itself from .he ^
i^round to a height
equal to two hun- =
(Ired times its stat-
ure. At this rate, a
man wouUl make
little effort in jump-
ping o\er the Capi-
ti'l at Washington,
er the highest
church spires; ami
a [jiison would be an impossibility unless the walls were built more than
a quarter of a mile in height.

In the case of insects inhabiting the water, the most admirable precau-
tions prevent the fluid from forcing its way into the air passages. Some-
times at the entrance of the respirator}- organ there is a door, with five or

COMMOX (iNAT AXI> llS MiyrAMOKl'IIOSKS :
XVMIMIS AND I'L:KI'i:cr INSECTS.

il«:

6<)2

i:.\F'lTH. .Si:.\. AND SKV.

a«3i

six Itaws iifthf ui'ist iiv^cniniis inccli.ini'^m, wliiili the animal npin, ..r
sluits at w ill. It 1 iiil)- (ipiii ^ tlu'inuli'ii it citiius t<» tlu! surfaix- of a nm)!
to brcatln- ; u luii it plmv^cs into tlicdcptlis the lca\c.s oftliis little air-(|.i.,f
arc closily shut, and tlio jin.niniatic channels aro cfTi.aciously (lcfcn'|((l
aj^ainst the in\'."isi(in oftlu' li(|uicl, which would dislurh the or;^anizatinii
This is seen in the laiVii uftho comnion y;nat, which swarms in our ■ra.
nant waters.

Ill the lai'L,U'r animals the rcs|)irator\- function is jHTfornied h_\- the ,ii.|
of a di-tinct, restricted apjiaratus, confinrd to one ri';_;ion of the hocK , In
the insi'cts it has a iinuli l,ir;j/'r tield of anion. Tlii air diffuses it-If
e\i.'r)-where, and after luuini:; o\ erllowcd the inti'rnal or;_;ans by means of
])articular \esscls, w hich ari; easily distinguishetl In- their ])carly tiiti, ii
reaches the extreme tirniinations of the feet an<l antenna'. h"or this
purpose these are pro\i(k.'d with a most remarkable structure. The\- aic
composed of fine layers, rolled in, like the metallic thread in an rlastic
brace. This arran;.4ement ser\es to keep their \^alls separati-d. auil i..
facilitate the free circuiatiou of air lhrou;.;h their imperceptible canals.

M:i<-liiii('i',v i'or Itrcntliiiit;'.

I'A'i'r}' person must have seen, and with some disi^ust too, a white lar\a
uith a lonij tail, which liws in tin,' tilth)' stai;nant waters of our court^aivl
roacLs, and which is \ ul^arh' calletl the mai^got. The extraordinary tail
to which the animal owes its name is an or_L,ran of respiration. }tcr)ntaiii-;
twovessels which disseminate the air through all the body of this tly-lara,
for .such it is. These two ai'i'ial canals arc enveloped b\' tubes of a diffr-
ent calibre, which tit one into another and move exactl}- like the tubes <>{
a telescope.

This Worm, not ha\ ing any swimming organ, pos.sesses in this ingeninu^
arrangement a means of constantly opening the orifice of its breathing ap-
paratus at the surface of the water, whate\er may be its lex'cl. If tlic liq-
uid sink in the puddle which it inhabiis, all the tubes enter one another
like those of a telescope and the ai-rial tubes Mind inside them. If, on the
contrary, a violent shower should make the water rise above its bounds,
chey are all projected outwards, being drawn out as far as possible so that
their orifices still reach the surface.

The final intention of nature is so manifest in this circum.stance, that if
we, in imitation of Reaumur, plunge one of these larv.-e into a glass citi-
taining only a little water, and the quantity of this be gradually augment-
ed, the insect's tail lengthens in proportion antl even acquires an extraordi-
nary size, in order, without quitting the spot, to serve the wants of respir-
ation and open out on the surface of the fluid.

in our st;i"'-

;iiis mu'cniMU-

ancxtraorili-

MARVKLS OF INSECT I. IFF..

:)0;{

\ln\\ riig.m'd and coarse the works of man apjjeai' b)- the side of those
of iiarurel t'oin[)are the instruments which the insect uses fm its work
with diose which we einplo)', Mehold its saws, its rakes, its bruslics, its
clii^il-^; Compare them with ours, and you will at once achnit that all )'ou
kn"'.\ li"^^' tn fabricate is only very inferior to what it possesses. The
^call'cl of the anatomist seems to ha\e an ed^e of delicate W()rkmansl)i[);
its polish attracts us; examine it with the microscope, and \'ou are sur-
mised to see it transformed into a coarse saw-blade. It is the same with
the point of a neetlle ; it becomes an imperfect awl. Scrutinize the scythes,
till' dart'^. or the rake of an inject, anil ever\thin<; tiiere reveals the power
wf the Architect of so many marvels. The claw of the lion is immensely
loss cijuiplicated than tiiat of the spider!

Talkiii« by Toinli.

In the creatures which we are now stU(lvin_L,f the tactile facultv' acquires
a marvL'lous development; it supplies the want of a lani^ua^^^e ; the ants
talk to each other by touch. ( hie could not believe this if a careful ob-
.scr\er had not ilemonstrated it, and yet the fact is so certain that an)' one
can at an\* time verify it. When two of these intelligent insects jpeet in
ihcir career, we see that they touch I'ach other differently with their an-
tciiiKi'. and that after doiiv,;- this the)' seem to form some fresh resolution,
inconsequence of this tactile coniinumcation.

The follow in<:j experiment, umlertaken b)' II u be r, "rives incontestable
cviticncc in favor of tiie fact. I (aviivj; thrown a colony of ants into a
ilosfd anil ilarkened chamber, he remarked that first they all scattered
in disorder; but he soon noticed that if an iniliviilual in the course of his
porcLjrinations discovered an outlet, he returned to the midst of the
Dthcrs; of these he touched a certain number, and after this mimic com-
nuinication the whole population as.sembled in regular lines, which
marched out under one common thouj^ht — that of freedom regained.

Telesoopie Ixves.

Ill all the large animals there are but two eyes; in this respect the
smallest insect is infinitely better provided tiian they arc. The ant, the
visual apparatus of which is one of the least perfect, pcjssesses fift)-. The
common tly has 4000, and in certain butterflies many thousands h.ave been
counted. I^ach of these organs, too, presents, in microsco])ic proportions,
the greatest part of the structures which help to form the globe of our
eye. Closely packed together, these eyes make up for their immobility
b)- their bulk, and this is so great that in some flies it almcst covers the
head, and even constitutes a fourth part of the weight of the bod)'.

This powerful entic apparatus exhibits some curious modifications

^■1 H
I I

fci

MARVELS OF INSIXT Lll-K.

505

which reveal the habits of insects. Those which seek their prey by night
have their eyes more dee[)ly set, in order better to absorb the least lumin-
ous rays. In the flesh-eating insects they are larger. In some acjuatic
>pccics the head is furnished with several pairs, some directed upwards,
others downward, in such a way, that while swimming on the surface of
the water the animal can see at the same time the fish which menaces it
tiom the depths, and the bird wliich is about to swoop down upon it.
From the former it escapes by flight, and from the latter by di\ ing.
Military Movnin'iits of Caterinllars.

Some insects, when they remove from their dwellings, observe a degree
of Older which is ver)- remarkable. (Jne species has become celebrated
on account of the law which its lar\;e constantly follow during their per-
egrinations. When the troop issues from the lair or .sack in which the
whole family have been sheltered in a mass, one caterpillar marches at the
head; then come two; after that three ; next four abreast, the squadron^
.ilway^ augmenting and marching regularly one after the other. Their
files, which sometimes stretch out for a length of thirty to forty feet, in
this \va\- make numerous w'ndings o\er the downs and roads, imitating
tht order of a procession in movement. This has ])rocured for the but-
tertly which gives birth to this dangerous cohort the name of " proces-
sionar}' bomby.x." When the\' are encountered, it is necessary to let
them alone, for nt;ither man nor animal can disturb their inarch, or even
a[)i)roach them without being severely punished for it. The hairs which
cover tiie.se caterpillars bect)me detached during their evolutions, ami
iloat all about the army ; it is extremely dangerous to inhale them, for so
-non as any enter the lungs, an obstinate and distressing cough ensues.

Inset't \V<'av«'rs.

Although Minerva, in her jeaK)usy, broke the loom of Arachne, even
th(m;4h transformed into a spider, the obscure ri\-al of the goddess never-
ihekss executes wonderful tasks. Some spiders are remarkable for the
|)erfeetion of their wea\ing ; in others the arrangement re\'eals the most
astute intelligence. In the former category ma\- he placed the regularly
circular nets which the spiders of our gardens stretch from branch to
brancli; in the other the webs of the species which invade our dwellings.

These latter, usually built in the corners of the walls, exhibit a horizon-
tal net soiled with dust, which is in a sense on'y the basement floor of the
carniverous insect's structure, for it is in tiie threads irregularly crossed
abo\e this that the prey gets entangled and lost. But the most ingenious
part of tl'.is destructive engine is the lair in which the hunter lies ensconceil.
It is a veritable circular tunnel, with a double outlet ami serving a double

': )

■'\

:^*'tf

i;h .,

if iff I i

.500

KARTil, S1:A, and SKV

purpose: one outlet is horizontal and opens upon the web ; the other k
\ertical and i^iNes passage behnv. It is from the former that the sr.jticr
humehes itself upon its pre\' ; the other fills the office of a trap-do(jr.

The spider takes the i^reatest care never to leave on its ueb the car-
casses from which it has sucked the blood ; such a charnel-house would
alarm its li\-in_L( pre\ . So soon as a lly has been immolated, the in-rct
seizes it, drags it to its tunnel, and ejects it by the lower opening, llui-.

TIIK VORACIOUS CHICKEN-SPIDER.

when we look at the part of the floor below, we are as<:onished at the
numbers tliat ha\'e fallen victims to the sanguinary spider. Sometinns
also this hidden exit serves for it to escape b}- when menaced by some
serious danger. But this is a very rare case ; its special use, its exclusive
purpose, is to receive the debris of the spider's repasts; a fact not noticed
by any observer until a comparatively recent date.

The disgust insjjired by th , spider is not well founded. No insect pos-
.sesses more intelligence or a more wonderful structure ; the ugliness of

; the other is
lat the spider
trap-dour.
5 web thL' car-
l-house Would
ted, the insi.ct
veiling, riui-.

it^^onishcd at the
pr. Somctiint"^
Inaced by sonic
|se, its exclusive
^act net r.oticcd

No insect po<-
Ithe uirlincss of

MARVF.LS OF INSECT LIFI-..

o07

the in_,'cnious Arachiiis is forgotten so soon as we look at it without pre-
judiL' The dant;er which alarms some persons is not well toiinded. It
is true there are spiders the bite of which is as formidable as tiiat of our
vipers, but they only inhabit tropical countries. The spider finnid in cel-
lars i-^ the only one the bite of which can be considered as attended with
danger, and the results of its bite, althouijh some cases are relatetl in
which it has been fatal, are limited to a sharp pain and some su<dlin!.>; and
iiitlaiiinialion. The ncjtorious tarantula itself, when more closely stud-
ied, loses its stranj^e prestige; its bite has ceased to produce the furious
danein;4 mania so much spoken about, even in medical woi-ks.

Some well-known spiders, which are almost as large as the fist, somc-
tim:s fasten on chickens and pigeons, seizing them by the throat and
killiiiL; them instantaneousK-, drinking their blood at the same time.
Hence in Columbia, where these disagreeable guests are common
enough, they are called chicken-spiders.

Slavt'-Holdiny Inseots.

Strange as it may seem, there are insect tribes which bring others
into subjection and lord it over their fellows, as if they were human be-
ing.s. This is true of one species of ants. The ingenious Iluber wanted
to see how far the dependence of the two social classes went, and soon
perceived that the chiefs, left to themselves, were absolute!},- unable to
provide for their wants even in the midst of abundance. 1 his naturalist
liaving inclosed thirty Amazons with a plentiful provision of food, but
without any slaves, saw that they fell into a state of profound apathy,
although he placed the larva? and nymphs alongside of them in order to
stimulate them to work. All occupation ceased immediatel)-, and the
recluses would every one have died of hunger rather than eat alone.
Many had already succumbed, when it entered the head of the Genevese
savant to furnish them with a slave. She was scarcely introduced among
the dead and dying when she was at work, giving food to the survivors,
lavishing her care upon the joung larv.v, and constructing shelter for
theni. She saved the colony. Nothing can be more incredible than
these facts, and yet they have been verified with the most scrupulous
care.

But the extraordinary customs of these ants differ somewhat accord-
ing to the localities which they inhabit, and the number of slaves which
the nest contains. In Switzerland I luber observed that the slaves gen-
erally work at the construction of the dwelling inhabited by the tribe,
and that, like vigilant gatekeepers, they open the outlets at daybreak,
and carcfuUv close them when evening or a storm of rain comes on.

«' 1 ::

^^ u

i'T'

50S

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY,

■

ll»

ill

i'
1

All kinds of ants do not so easily adapt themselves to slaxerv. Thcif
are some very small ones, such as the yellow ant, which set the Amazons
at defiance, and although much weaker, frighten them by their niien •
courage supplies the want of strength. Hence the blood-red ant, w hjch
is one of the most thorough-gomg slave-makers wc are acquainted witli

..,1 never attempts to

* plunder the dwell-

ing of the yellow
ant, which fii.^hts
with fury to defend
its home, its family
and its liberty.
This is so con-
stantly the case
that one naturalist.
to his great .sur-
prise, found a little
tribe of this valiant
species under a
stone close to a
nest of slave-mak-
ers. They knew
how to make them-
selves respected
there, and e\cn
frightened the oth-
ers by their war-
like attitude.

The slave-mak-
ing tribes are not
occupied solely
with the capture of
slaves; they fre-
quently spread out
over plants in order
ANT ABOUT TO MILK API 11 PES. to carrv off ilie

aphides. These are their cattle, their milch-cows, their goats; people
would never have thought that ants were a pastoral race. They arc ex-
tremely fond of a sweet liquor which distils from two little teats which
the aphis carries at the extremity of its back. We often find them

MARVELS OF INSECT LlFi;.

009

scattered over the surface of vegetables sucking this fluid from indi-
viduals by turns as they encounter them. At other times, accompanied
by their slaves, they carry off the aphides, and imprison them in their
dwelling, in order to milk them at leisure, and there they are nourished
exactly like stalled animals.

Huber discovered that the ants are so greedy after this sweet liquor,
that to procure it more conveniently they make covered ways which
lead from their nests to the plants inhabited by these miniature cows.
Sometimes they carry their foresight even to a more incredible extent.
In order to reap a richer harvest from the aphides, they leave them on
the plants which they habitually feed upon, and with finely-tem-
pered earth build them a species of little stables in which they imprison
them.

Arcliitrcts ami Dostroyrrs ol" I'owiis.

If we trans])(>rt ourselves to tropical rei,: .ns, where nature, more vig-
orous, nuiltiplies on every side the sources of life, we see insects disputing
with man for e\ery foot of pos.session. They make a regular war of it,
invading his pi, t-'ons or his dwelling — a .savage pitiless war — which
imist at times hi .^Lided by the cannon. This is the case with the war-
ri()i-,mt in the neighborhood of the Ceipe of (iood Hojje. which has attrac-
t.d the attention of every traveller by its extraordinar}' buildings, and the
lia\()c it makes.

These termites, or white ants, as they are frecjuently though wrongly
called, li\e in republics composed of differmt sorts of indi\itluals : the
males, which have wings; and the workmen, soldiers, and cpieens, which
liave none. The workmen are onl\- occupied in constructing buildings.
The mission of the soldiers is to defend the colon\- and maintain order.
Lastly come the females, true queens, worshipped by the whole popula-
tion which look to them for the continuance of their race. The}- are only
monstrous egg-sacks; regular egg-laying machines of the most astonish-
ing fecundity.

The dimensions and solidit}- of the nests of the warrior termites, com-
pared to the weakness of the insect, have always excited the a.stonishment
of travellers. They are sometimes twenty feet in height. Their pyramidal
form ^ivesthem the look of a colossal sugar-loaf enlarged at the ba.se, the
tlanks of which are roughened by little accessory hillocks. When one
tra\-erses a part where the colonies of termites abound, one might take
them at a distance for an Indian village. The walls of these dwellings
are so solid, that the wild cattle climb upon them without crushing them
when the)- place themselves there as .sentinels ; and the interior contains

..Pi*

|i*

r r.i'^'i

510

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

chambers so hu-f^^c, that a dozen men can find shelter in sonic of tlujin •
the hunters place themseh/es in them to lie in wait for wild •mals.

.>Iaii'.s Ar<'hit(M'tiiro OutdoiK'.

Resides these extraordinar}- chambers, we find also in this kind of sncial-
repiiblic cit\' lon^^ f^^alleries, of the calibre of our lar_L;"e cannon, and which
extend as much as tlirce or four feet into the ^'round. The monuiiiiin<
of whicii we are proud are trilTinf;" matters compared to those buik In-
these frasjjile msccts. The nests of the termites arc often 500 tinii-- a--
lon;j[ as their bodies, and it has therefore been calculated, tliat if wl ;;a\c
our houses a proportional height, they would bi' four or hve limes as In .ji
as the p\'r;!.mids of l*>gypt.

Other termites, instead of constructing these astonishing abodes, ()ccu]>\-
themselves mischiex'ously in attacking those of men, and iinade iln, m
sometimes from the roof to the foundation ; everything then goes to rui'.i,
house and furniture alike. These insidious depredators make their \\a\-
silenth- undergrtuind, and tunnel long galleries, by means of which ihey
all at once in\ade the dwellings. Then the\' penetrate into all the timber-
work, and totally destroy the interior of it, only leaving a surface as thin
as a wafer. Nothing reveals their hidden havoc to the e\-e ; we see our
hou.se, we belie\e in its real existence, while we pos.se.ss only a pliantMin
of it — a house of cards which falls at the first shake. Smeathman, whu
has left us such an interesting historj' of these creatures, relates that tlicv
sometimes destroy large towns, which have been deserted by their inhab-
itants.

A lad)' resident says that in the districts of Africa where she lived, the
termites onl\- take a \ery short time to devour an entire dwelling. A
staircase of \er\- fair size is eaten in a fortnight; tables, arm-chairs, and
chairs in much less. Often at Sierra Leone, on returning to one's hoiwc
after a short absence, only the ghost of the furniture is to be found. The
exterior .still posses.ses all its freshness, but the substance is gone, and
every piece that is hollowed out falls to powder beneath the hand of any-
one who touches it, or under the weight of any one who sits down u[)on it.
Nests Laid Out with Streets and Canals,

Instead of the conical domes ornamented with little bell-towers, grouped
together in villages in the middle of the plains, some species of this group.
such as the tree-termite, prefer to suspend their nests amid the larijc
branches of the strongest trees. These aerial masses, mingling with the
foliage of the trees, are very striking, for some of them are larger than
our hogsheads. The ne.sts, which are extremely porous, present inside an
inextricable labyrinth of tortuous canals ; they are formed of a matrix or

some of them;
1 •••nals.

s kind of Micial-
non, and which
"he monuniunts
those huiU hy
n 300 tiiiir^ a'-
that if \V(' ^a\c
■c times as hi^^ji

abodes, occupv

id invade ihcm

jn c^^ocs to niiii,

make their \\a\'

of which ilk\-

T all the tiniJKT-

: surface as thin

ye; we see o:ir

:)nly a phantom

iieathnian, who

lates that they

Dy their inhab-

e she lived, the
dwellin;^. A
irrn-chair>, and
to one's hou-;e
3C found. The
c is jTone. and
le hand of an\-
down u[)un it.

owers, grouped
s of this i^roup,
imid the lari^e
glincj with thii
re larger than
csent inside an
of a matrix or

(')11)

512

EA^vTH, SEA, AND SKV,

* \

compact paste composed of fine particles of wood, gum, and juice-, of
plants.

For some years past two species of this kind have been established in
France, and ha\"e caused very serious havoc. The devouring cohorts ot"
the light-shunning termite have invaded several towns, where then
fangs have completely undermined a number of houses which have
fallen in. Atone time these hateful depredators set to work to gii,.\v
the prefecture of La Rochelle and the archives, without any person sus-
pecting it; wainscotting, pasteboard, papers, were all annihilated with-
out any external sign of this havoc appearing. At present the papers
of the bureaux are onl\' preserved by keeping them in zinc boxes. At
another place the termites, having gnawed away the props of a diniiv^-
room without its being perceived, the flooring collapsed during a party.
and the entertainer and his guests sank through.

In tropical regions there are ants of other species which are not le-s to
be dreaded than the devouring termites. They do not annihilate
houses, but they invade the fields and build there enormous nests which
look like so many little mountains fifteen to twenty feet high They
multiply to such an extent in certain plantations, that the colonist is
obliged to abandon them. Sometimes, however, he resists the invaders,
declares a war of extermination against them, and fires their dwellinirs
by the aid of some combustible materials. Sometimes artillery charged
with grape-shot is employed to overthrow the lofty ramparts of these
ants, and scatter both the ruins and the architects.

Thus is man obliged to attack an insect with the cannon. Sometimes
he resorts to the mine, a step he is compelled to take again.st certain
winged ants in the tropical countries, which sink their nests twcntj'-five
feet in the ground, and these are so compact that they can only be torn
up by the aid of powder, and by overturning all the earth round about
them. Midler relates that in Brazil, entire provinces on the banks of
the Parana have been in this way transformed almost into deserts.

ami juices of

, established in
ring cohorts of
;, where their
is which have
work to gn>.\v
ny person sus-
lihilated with-
sent the papers
inc boxes. At
ps of a diniiv^-
during a party.

1 are not lc--s to

not annihilate

Dus nests which

et high They

the colonist is

^ts the invaders,

[their dwcllin,;s

tillcry charged

parts ol" these

in. Sometimes
against certain
ests twcnty-tive
n only be torn
th round .ibout
n the banks of
deserts.

CllAITKR XX.

MUSF.UAr OF ri:markable INSI-.CTS.

AiDiMiiiy of Insects Superior to that of Man— Curiously Formed l-lg-s — Lituiig tlie
Lid and Stepping Out — Not Taking the Trouble; to be Born — Kggs Kxiiuisiiely
Decorated— Su.xless hisects— Flying Lamp;;— Insects Illuminating Dutliings—
iiriiliant Appearances -Beetles— The Sacred r.eelle of Egypt— Insect I'nder'
taker— Death Watch —I 'roll .Superstition — Ikreuies Beetle — Si.\ Years' Impris-
onment—The House Cricket— I'oet's Address— .Ship Saved hy a Cricket — How'
the Chirping is Done — Wings Without Flight— The Spider's Web— Ingenious
M.j(hanism— Water Spider— Mow Air is Obtained — A Complete Diving Bell-
Rapacious Bird Spider — Females Practicing Cannibalism on their Hnsl)ands--
Children Devouring Mothers — Thread of Myriads of Fibres- The Great Moth
Family— Death's-I lead Moth — I'ungus Growing on an Insect's Head — Ravagers
of the Forest — Visit to the Woods— Whirlwind of Fire — Waging Organized
War on MoUis — Incalculable Destruction by Mites— .Stenographers, Carpenters,
[oiners, Carvers among Insects — Wood Boring Cxj.it Moth — Making a Place for
i:ggs— The Historic Locust— Ravages in the West— I'lights of Devastation —
Where Locusts Come From — Devouring One Another — Rapid Growth of
\iiung- Orchestra of Strange Instruments — Return after Seventeen Years— Xo
lorgetfulness — Ephemera -Creatures of a Day Described— Bees and their Re-
markable Habits— Insect Intelligence.

UR heart, the structure of which, is so admired and so admira-
ble, is nevertheless only a \er}' coarse forcing-pump compared
with that of an insect. All the apparatus of the central oroan
of cireulation is limited to two largo openings, each furnished
with two valves or valvelcts, intended to prevent the reflux of the blood ;
but if, bv the aid of the solar microscope, we prtjject all the transparent
bodvof an insect upon a huge screen, one is astonished at the magnificent
spectacle offered by the movement of the blood.

The heart is represented b\' a long vessel which occupies all the back
of the animal, and into which the circulating fluid precipitates itself b\-
eight or ten lateral openings, like small streams converging towards a
more impetuous current. Enough valves rise and fall to allow entrance
to the fluid and hinder its return. In the interior of this lengthened heart
larger valvules, to the ntmiber of si.\ or eight, are folded back against the
wall to let the blood pass forward, and re-open directly afterwards, during
each contraction, in order to prevent it.s flowing backwards. Vessels
arranged in loops are distributed to all the members.

33 (-^l-^)

:: i,

514

EARTH, SEA, AN'D SKY.

■Sv"-^.?,»

i ••

Tlu: course of tlir Ijlood in the colossal insect seen u[)on the screen
resembles so man)- little streams bearing <^dobules more or less lirai)(.(l
up; this is pro\e(l by the strictest evidence, and \et w ho would h.ljcvi'
that Cuv'ier and his school uouKl never credit this plienonienon ? bi tend
of looking, which was so easy, they preferred to deny the circulaticii in
the insect, and to regard its wonderful heart as a simple secreting \L-sri
shaken by ccMitractile shocks. It is thus that physiological si ii iicc
adw'inces ; a hundred battles are re([uisite to make men adnn't the must
easily verified truth.

Tiiis extraordinary construction extends e\en to the eggs of inlets.
There are some, the extremit}' of which is surniouiUetl b\- a cii iv.ii i,f
points ; others (.xactly rejjresent a delicate miniature saucepan, the \i 'Hii!'-
inhabitant of whii h, in order to be boin, has only to lift up the lid.

The egg of the louse, which disgusts us so much, presents this cunnus
structure, but in addition its opening is embellished b\- a little projec tiiv
rim, and a groo\e into^\hieh the edge of the cowr eiUcis in such a man-
ner as to close it air-tight. A still more ingenious mechanism is seen in
some of the wood-bugs. The }'oung insect does not e\en retjuire t.i lift
the lid ; there is within a regular spring on which this office devoKvs :
at the moment of birth he has only to emerge, and oiu,' may say with
justice of him, that he does not e\en take the trouble to be born.
Ejfjjs I*!iiu<rd and l>eli<'atel.v Eii.uraved.

The surface of these eggs is often remarkable on account of theexciui-
site fineness of its entwined ornamenting. Some are co\ered wiihhune
ribs which extend from one eiul to the other; others displa)' onl\- fnc
lines artistically engraved; others again have the surfaqe co\ered with a
mesh of lace. For them nature has exhausted the riches of her palcti'j;
they are dyed with the sweetest or tiie mo.st glittering tints of blue, grctii
and red; some absolutely resemble mother-of-pearl, and there are st)nio
that one mi^ht lake for so man\- charmiiv little pearls.

The sexua'iit)- itself of insects offers some curious particulars. There
are not only males and females among them, but some of their republics
have, in addition, individuals absolutely deprived of sex; these are the
neuters, which alone work and constitute the element of their pr^^perit\•
and power. .Some are true workmen, others \aliant soldiers. But these
individuals, which we recognize by their former their particular '.veapnns,
are in truth only aborted females ; the bees themselves know this perfectly,

To all these marvels of insect life we must yet add the inexplicable
phenomenon of the dazzling light which they project into the midst of
darkness, which soinctimes in their flight furrows the air with Ion?

)c)n the screen

or less hi',i[)L(l

woulil l)rlicvi;

■non? In t'li'!
J circul;ilii>n in
si-crctini;" \^ --il
ilof^ical sv ii ncij
:i(lniit the nio^t

•<riJS of i!l-^^'CtS.

[ by a crov.ii ^t
:cpai"i, tlujy>'iin;^
ij) the lid.
(.•nts this curious
little projririn.^
s in svich a r.iaii-
anisiii is smi in
en ivnuire t" lift

olTice dcvolw's;
e may say witli
be born.
<1.

lilt of the eX([ui-
\-ercd with lar-'c

lisplay only fiic
co\-ere(l wilh .i
of her palellc ;

ts of blue, L;rcLn
there are some

hiculars. There
their republics
; these are the
their j^ro^pcrity
liers. But the-^e
irticular weapons,
|.)\v this i)erfectly,
the inexplicable
ito the midst of
air with Ion?

MUSF.L'M OF KK.MARKAIil.i; INSECTS ol">

stream- of Hrc, and sonietimes peacefully illuminates the folia;^eon which

thc\' rcpo.sc.

Kver\' person knows tlie j^low -worm which in the autinnn L;i\es oui'

rrecu turf the appearance of a stany hea\en. 15ut in South .America

lliere are phosjihorescent insects of far superior s])lendor. Tile <^reat

!a:iterii-ll\" can .su])ply the place of a lamp with ihe brio Jit li;^lit w ith which

H-; nil iii-trous head j^Ieams. .A female traxtller relates that at Surinam

-lie sometimes reati the newspapers by the .'.id of a sin_L;le <mr of these

tlyin-- l-un])S.

Li\iii;;r Lamps in Dwolliii^s.

In tile Antilles the phosphorescence of these insects is e\-en niatlc
JaiK' u--e of; they employ there a liMiiinou- beetle the corslet of which
becomes daz/liiu;' in the gloom. In Cuba tlie women often inclose- se\-
Lral of them in little cai^'es of Ldass or wood, whicli tlvy liaiv.;' ii[) in their
i-noiiis, and this !i\inn; lustre throws out sufficient li'-iit to ser\-c to work
!i<-. Tra\ellers tliere also, in a difficult road, lii^lit tiiiir jjatli in the mid-
dle of the ni^i^ht by atlachiiii;- one of ihese beetles to each of their feet.
The Creoles sometimes .set them ;n the curls of the liair. where, like
loplendeiit jewels, they o'ive a niosi faiiv-like asjx:ct to their heads. The
neL,n'csses at their nocturnal dances scatt'.,'r these brilliant insects o\'er the
lobes of lace which nature ])ro\ides for them, all woven from the bark of
die laia'tto. In their ra})id and lascivious movements they seem envel-
ii[)ed in a robe >.)( fire. It is the conOaL^ratioii of Dejanira witliout the
ii >rror.

The perfect female of a beetle, destitute of win;^s and eh'tra, with which
the male lly is furnished, kindles her lis^ht, which issues from the last three
^e;.:;ments of her body, and is of a beautiful sulphur color, and always puts
it out between elex'en and twelve o'clock, shinin;^- no more for the rest of
the nicjiit.

A very extensi\e <;-roup of beetles \\ known by about 2,ooo species in
the Collections of naturalists. They are distinuislud fiom others by pe-
culiarities of the antenna;, which terminate in a lar;4e club or knob, a.n .'
this also varies considerably in form.. To this genus belons^s the sacred
beetle of the Egyptians. It is about one inch long, or rather more, and
>f a black color. It is met with not only in Egypt, but in the south of
France, Spain, and Italy, and seems to be diffused all over Africa, as fxr
.south as the Cape of Good Hope. The ancient Egyptians held that it was
sacred to the sun; and, regarding it as typical of that luminary, which is
the source of light, heat, and all abundance, looked upon it as the em-
blem of fertility in general. Representations of it are frequent among

BPWBI

' .']

-. • -;!-. --:•?•

i.'

mill I

IIP

r.n;

KARTH, SEA, ANH SK^•.

tlu'ir hiLTiij.;ly|)liii's,;iti(l sciilptuii'd imii^f^dfilaicriniiulon lluir riii-s,]), ^^;,
larrs, and <itlur oriianK'iUs. It wascvin rinl)aliiU'(l \\ ilh lln^m uUli- d, ath

A lal)()ii<'us task is iicrfornicd I))- an iiisic t !))• noiiU'aiis iiiicdiiinion in
sdim- liualilirs (.ailed the i)iiryin;4 hci'tlc. ( ilcditseh, a forciL;ii iiatui;:livt
had oftiii ivinarkid that dead iiinK^, when laid iipi'ii tiu- t;i(iiiiiii and
L'sprcially it" upon l(l(l^^• carlh, w rre almost sure lo di^ai.pi .u- in the cMiirsc
of two ( ;|- thieo d.i_\s, and often ol t\\el\ e lioui s. To a ceitain tile caiisi>
he ])la(.:i.'d a mole on one of th'.; beds ot his ;.'a:'(len. Ii had di-appuarn'
1)\- the third moiiiin;'. ; and on (hj^idn^- wheic \[ had been laiti. he fouivi
it huried to the depth ot" three inches, and under it T in- hcetli -<, \\!ii<[|
si'emed to I)..- the a;^ents in this sin^"u!ar inteiinent. Not iKTCcivin • aii',-
thiu'^" p.utienlar in the mole, lu huried it a;.;ain ; and on exaniiniii- il at
till' i.Mul ot" six (!a\s, If l'()ui-,d it swarmed with tiu- oTsprin^' of t!i' her-
ties, whieh he natniall}' concluded had buried the carc.iss l"or t'ood to -^uii-
plv their future \i lun-'.

A liiM'th* tlia< is i)n liulorlakor.

To place tins beyond doubl, he ci>ntinucd lii> expe'rinient, and in tlft\
(la\'s lour bei^tles had I)niied, in a small spatx' of e;'.;lii, loin" fio'.;-,, ili;,,
small birds, two fishes, one niok, and two L;rasshoppeis, bi.-sides the en-
trails of a hsh, and two nioisels of the hniy;s of an ux, all evidLiith
intemled for the same pur])ose.

The su[)erstitious finiry ol tlu death-ualch has arisen from the Sdimij.
omitted b)- one spi;cies of beetles. A reiient w ritei' lemarks : "All tha;
has been related ol the heroic constanc}' ot the AuK'iican sa\aL;es \\lii;i
taken and tortinvd b}' their enemies, scared}- comes up to that whici:
these little creatm-es cxiiibit. Vou may maim them, pull them linibfr'ii
hnib, rtxist them alive oxer a slow Hre, but \'ou will not L;ain \i urciu!;
not a j(Mnt will they move, uoy show b\' the least sxniptom that ihcy suf-
fer pain. Do not think, howe\er, that I luue tried these experiiiicnt>
upon them nu'self, or that I recommend you to tlo the same." Otic -jk-
cics was ob.scrwd by Latreille to produce the souml calK'd the " (.Icatli-
tick," b\' striking- its jaws upon wood. On this occasion it was iniiikiii-
ately answered from within b\' a precisely similai' sound.

The sta;jj beetles are ch.iefiy found in rotten and decaj-ed wood ami
under the bark of trees, where they remain concealed durint; tl.e day, flyiiK
about and feedint;' on the lca\-es only in the evenini^. The month of Juiy
is the time, during;' which they- are principal h' seen. The males lia\cijaa:
strcUL^th in their mandibles, or jaws,Avith which they arc able to pinch qiiiu'
severely. Stat:^ beetles may be kept alive for a considerable time, if supplioii
witli the fresh leaves of oak or willow or with sweeteMied water. iMcqucntiy

tlu'ii" rin-^.uii k-
tluiu allcr tit atli,
11-^ uui'iiniiunn ill
urriL;!! natur;:li-l
\\\v ^rouml, aiul
K .ir in ill'' *:i»iirsc
iiilaiii llic causi:
. ha. I ili-ai)i)(-'anj(!
jcii laid, 111.: fouiv:
• ur hrt-tli-, whicli
a pcivrivin^ aiiy-
,11 'xaniiiiin'.; il at
^jiriu'j,' of \\h- ln'''-

,SS \l IV tin 111 tl > <\\\)-

riiiU'iU, ami in litt;.
li. Ii.ur lVn',',>, llii-i-
i(;r^, besides {])■■ ir-
i)S, all I'viiKntl;.

■n from the souml-
Icinarks: "AH tlw.
ican sa\a;j;cs \\lu:i
up to lliat \\hk\'
l„i!l their, linibfr-'u
i.it -ain >■' urom::
)lon\ that ihoysiii-
thcsc cxixM-inicnts
same." One spi-
called the " dcatli-
Isinn it was imnicdi-

decayed wood m
n-inc:tl.eday,flyin.
The month of July
■he males have '^Mt
|c able to pinch quite
lible time, if supplier'
1 water. 1" rcqucntly

EUROPEAN CHIKI'INO CRICKET.

(517)

S^J

i!*#i:^

•CI

IWil'i

III

:>\x

EARTH, SR A, AND SKY.

scMJial cf their hculs arc found nrar tdj^cthcr and alive, while the ti;'nk-^
and abdomens are nowhere to be seen. I'his luiist be the resiik ot s,\ci\
battles, which at times take place amon;4 these, the fiercest of tlu 'iiMct
tribe, d'he}' do not tl}' until most ^A' the birds ha\e retired to rest.

The females ileposit their eL;_i;s in worm-eaten or decayed trce>. Thi..
lar\-.e. whii,h are rountl :\n<.\ whitish with rust-colored head and lec;-, .ne
nourished under the bark. In this state they pass six years. When aijoni
to underlie their chanL,fe into a chr>'salis, each insect forms a hard .m.i
solid ball of the form of an c'^ij;. Whi'ii the perfect insect issues forth, ii
is at first (piite soft. The larL;"est of this family is the hercules beetle. It
is a native (jf trcj,.ical America.

Till' CoiiiiKui II<>u,s«»-Cri<*k<'t.

This insect is found throughout the temperate /one ; it fre(iuents h(.)iisLS,
and prefers the vicinity of fires. The adtlress of the poet to this civatnrc

is very pleasin;^ :

Liltlc imiiat'-, full orniir!l).
Cliirpiny mi my kitchen lu.ulli,
Wheresou'er Ijo tliine abode,
Ahvays harliiii.L^er of good,
I'ay lue foi lliy warm retreat.
With a song more soft and swiet ;
hi return tliou shaU rective
Sucli a strain as 1 can give.
Tims thy praise shall l)e (.xprcss'd
Inonensive, uelcomt- giii^t !
Wliik- the rat is on llie scout,
And the mouse willi curious snout,
Witli vvliat vermin else hifest
F.very dish, and spoil the best :
Frisking thus before the fire.
Thou hast all thy heart's desire.

Tiuiugii A voice and shape they be
Form'das if akin to thee,
Thou surpassest, happier far.
Happiest grasshoppers that are ;
Theirs is hut a summer's song,
Tliine endures the winter king,
I'ninipaired, ami shrill, ami clear,
Mek)dy throughout the year.

The celebrated natm-alists. Linnajus and Honnet, were disposed in con-
sider insects as deal ; but tlie knowledsjje of Shakespeare was more accu-
rate ^\ lien he made Mamilins say :

I will tell it softly.

Yon c-ii kets shall not hear it.

MUSEUM OK rf:markai;i.k insects.

r,i!>

A-^ soon as it becomes dark, the chirpin;^ of crickets increasi-s, ami they
conic runniiiLj forth, often in ^L,acat nuinbers, from the si/.e of a Ilea to that
(if their full stature. The instrument on which the male plays C()n^ists of
sir. 'ii^', roiij^h strin_L;s in the \vin^r-cast?s, by the friction of which against
cavil other a sound is pioduced aiul communicated to th<,' membranes
>tii U'licd between them, in the same way tluit the fin;_;er pioduces \ ijjra-
timi-- on a tambourine, which are diffused o\-.r its suriace.

In nio>t people', the chir]) ot the cricket con\eys to the mind llie idea
,,|"a peifectl)- happy beini;-. Thus, to the I'rince's tpiestion, ".Shall \\t' be
iiiltia' ? " I'oins answers, " As merry as crickets." Tlie learned Scali^^er
t.Kik -^uch a fanc\- to their soul;, that he was accustomed to keep them in
I l)iix in his stud\'. ( )sbeck states that the Sjianiards confine some insects
,;| an allied <j^enus, in cai^es, for the sake of tlieir soni;, and in some parts
(,f AiViia, it is said, the common house-crickets are kept and i'v(\ in a kind
if iron o\in, and sold to the native^, who like their chirp, and consider it
a ;4ivat sonorific.

A Crickrt Siivos a \'<*ss<'l froiii Shipwrt'i-U.
( )n one occasion, according;" to Southe\-, the son;^ of an insect of this
L^cnus was the means of sa\in_L,f a vessel from shipw rc-ck. The incident
(iccurred in the \'0)'aL;e of Cabe/.a de \'ara towards ]-?ra/.il. When they
IkkI crossed the line, the state of tiie water was inquiretl into, aiul it was
hinul that of a hundred casks there remained but tiiree, to su[)[)ly four
liimdred men and thirt}' iiorses. U[)on this, the captain 'j,a\e oiders to
make the ne'arest land. Three days they .stood tow arils it. .\ soldier,
wild set out in ilbhealth, had broUL;ht a i^rillo, or around cricket, with
him fiiim Cadiz, thinking; to be anuiseil b)- the insect's \oice; l)ut it had
been -silent the whole way, to his no little di.sappointment. Now, on the
fdurth inorninLi-, the irrillo bcLran to siiv^^ its shrill rattle, scentin'', as wa^
Iniinediately supposed, the land. Such was the miserable watch that had
been kept, that u[)on lookins^ out at the warning;, the\' perceived hiL,di
rocks within bow-shot, ac;ainst which, if it hatl not been for the insect,
thc\- must inexitabl;.- ha\e been lost. They had ju.st time to drop anchor.
Fnim hence the)' coasted alon;^", the grillo sinewing e\'ery night, as if it
had been on shore, till they reached the island of St. Catalina.

Like many noisy persons, crickets like to hear nobodx' louder than
thciu.solves. Ledelius relates that a woman, who had tried in \ain ever\-
method she could think of to banish them from her house, at last got rid
of them by the noise made by drums and trumpets, which she had pro-
cured to entertain her guests at a wedding. They instantly forsook the
hou.se, and she heard of them no more.

!i-ji^ »

■i*.

ill iMi -M

520

EARTH, SEA. AND SKY.

-i ■!'

Ikunelli, an Italian naturalist, kept several field-crickets in a cliamhi.-r
They continued their crinkini,^ soii;^ through the whole da\', hut ^!l^J
moment they heard a knock at the door tliey were silent. He suh.
sequently invented a method of imitatin;^ their S(unuls, and when lie dj,!
so outside the door, at first a few would venture on a soft whisjHi-, and
by-and-by, the whole j^arty burst out in chorus to answer him; but (>n
repeatin;^ the rap at the door, they instantly stopped aL;ain, as if alarnicd.
He likewise confined a male in one side of his garden, while he ])iit a
female in the other at libertx', which began to leap as soon as she luard
the crink of the male, and immediately came to him — an experiment which
Brunelli frecjuently repeated with the same result.

The common house-cricket of Europe is about an inch long, of a \ol-
lowish or clay color mixed witli brouii; it dwells in the cracks of walls
and floors and in the \icinity of warm places, where it remains during tlie
da\-, coming forth at night in seai'ch of tootl. It is a most indefatigable
musician commencing its tune at tw ilight and keejiing it up till da}--light.
This tune is produced by rubbing the hard intern.il border of due win^f
ccner against a honu' ridge on the imder surface ( f the other.

There are se\eral species of crickets in America. Though ihc^e in-
sects ai-e furnished with long legs behind and brawny thighs adapted fur
leaping, yet, wIkmi dri\en from their holes, thc\- show no acti\ily, but
crawl along in so lifeless a manner, as easily to be caught; and thiniL;li
they are providetl with a curious apjiaratus of wings, they never exuit
them e\'en when there seems to be the greatest occasiim f(^r it.
Aiiiaziiif'" 3Ioclianisiii of the Spider's AVel).

Slight and even simple as the threads of the spider may ap])ear, they
are not so in reality; and this forms (Mie of the man\' examples in which the
eye of the naturalist discovers some concealed elegance or complex uilcIi-
anism, which, though daily visible, is concealed from those
Who walk through nature with their half-.shut eyes.
It has been incontestably shown that a spider's thread, e\-en spun by tlu
smallest species, and when so fine that it is almost imperceptible to our
senses, is not, as- we sui)po.se, a single line. A spider has a spinneret,
showing several little projections, each of win'ch contains a great man;.
tubes, so that a space oiten no larger than the pointed end of a pin liib
one thousand of them.

From each of these tubes, consisting of two pieces, the last of which
has an exci:edingly fine point, an amazingly slender thread proceeib,
which Immediately after unites with all the other threads, so that one e.il}
may be formed. Thus, from each spinner there issues a compound

MUSFX.M OF REMARKABLE INS X'TS.

521

;s in a cliainhcr.
c day, but tlu;
ilcnt. lie Mii)-
k1 when lie <Ii.l
lift wliisiKT, and
cr liini ; but f.n
1. as if alannvci.
, while lie ]iii{ a
on as she h< an!
cperiment which

h loni;", I if a _\-el-
e cracks of waiU
nains dviriii;^; tiio
i(-)st indefati;4ahlc
up till da_\--liL;lit.

ikT of one AilV^'

)ther.

rh()u<4"h lhe>e in-

lij^dis adapteil f >'•
no acti\it\', but

;ht ; antl thouL^h
"ie\- never exert
)r it.
1).

ay appear, they
)les in which titc
r comjilex niech-
se
es.

\-en spun by i!k'
rcoptible to our
has a spinneret,
lis a i^reat many
end of a pin lia-

the last of which
thread procec(l^
so that one only
ucs a conipoiincl

thread, and these fine threads, at about a tenth uf un inch tinni the point
of the spinners, again iniite and f;)rni the cordage of the spider's web.eacU
of which is composed of hundreds of fibres.

Looking into a large glass globe, filled with water, in which are ini-
merged several portions of aipiatic vegetables, some floating on the sur-
foce and some lying at the bottom, there may sometimes be seen amongst
the blades of grass and bits of reed, a sort of purse, closely resembling
in >liape and size a pigeon's c^g, but pierced transversely tin-ough the
middle. It is filled with air, and perfectly closed, e.xccpt in its lower part,
where there is an aperture just sufficient for the ingress and egress of a
very small spider. A strong and semi-transparent substance, resembling
white gauze, forms the te.xture of the bell, firml\' mooied antl anchored to
the submerged plants by threads and cables, w hich hinder it from mount-
inn' to the surface.

Watch the latly of the mansion coming out of her retreat. I ler length
is about one-eighth of an inch, her body is brown, and upon the upper
part of the back is drawn a dark patch, having four little dots on its
centre. This spider li\es under water, and yet requires air to breathe.
Her Maker has taught her how to solve a problem which woultl have
baflled the genius of Newton.

All Ins<M't nivinj;- IJoll Suppli*'*! -with Air.

She swims on her back, and her abdomen is en\eloped in a bubble of
air, which., reflecting the j^risnuitic colors, looks like transparent mother-
of-pearl. She then rises to the surface of the water, and elevates above
it the lower portion of her body. Once on the surface, she breathes
strongly, inhales as much air as she possibly can ; then she gets beneath
the water, and gi\-es out gently the liquid particles with which her lungs
are gorged to excess. The long, silk\', clammy threads which co\er her
retain in its place around her the bubble with which she is surrounded.
This (lone, she dives with precaution, and carries into hernest a provision
of air, to replace what she had consumed.

When (Mice ensconced in her nest, she lies in ambush, with her cunning
little he.id lowered, watching for any pre\' that may chance to pass. \Vt)e
to the tiny worm that wriggles on the stalk near her den! She darts for-
ward, .seizes him, and bears him off to her be(.l of impermeable gauze.
Curious, indeed, is that little dwelling. While it was in process of making,
it was naturally filled with water ; but when once the work w as ended, it
became necessary to expel the water, and rei)lace it by atmospheric air.
'lo attain this end the spider had to make more than a hundred trips to
the surface. Each bubble that she introduced mounted towards the top

0-2-2

KARTII, Si:.\, AND SKN'

l)y its s]" rific li^Iuiuss, displaciiiL;' a;; eijuai ([uaiitity of watrr, wliicli v., is
torcccl DUt llii-(Uigh llu,' orifice be low , until the IkII coiUaiiU'd notliiiiT !,,n
air.

XmiK-rous and \.irioiis arc the mason spiders ; hut tl;e one reniarl.al)],.
species is found in the south of France. She usually .selects for h' i- iv ^t
a place bare of f];rass, slopini;- in such a manner as to carry off the wau r
and of a firm soil, without rocks or small stones. She di^s a nest a f mi

or two in dcjiiji,
and ofadiaiiKter
c(in.il throii.Ji-
out, sufficieiu tu
admit of Ju,-
easily j)assiiiM-.
She lines this
; with a tapesir\-
of silk, o-liied t(.
■ the walls. 'I he
door, wliich is
circular, is c.ii-
structed of many
layers of ^aith
kncatlcd and
j bound toL;ellicr
with silk. I'A-
ternally, it is llat
and rou^h, ci li-
re sjjond iiif^- t(i
the earth anninil
the entrance, I'nr
the purj)ose, no
doubt, of ( .in-
cealment ; on the

^Ii:!s^fl^'i;!i:iil;:ahiili;iki;in;!li^

THE MASON .SPIDER.

inside it is convex, and tapestried thickly with a web of fine silk.

The threads of this door-tapestry are prolon,t]^ed, and stronj^K- attaclkil
to the upi)er side of tlie entrance, forming- an e.xcellcnt hinge, which,
when pushed open b}- the spider, shuts again by its own weight, without
the aid of spring hinges. When the spider is at home, and her tlniu
forcibly opened, she pulls it strongly inwards, and even when half opeiictl
often snatclies it out oftlie hand; but, when she is foiled in this, she re-
treats to the bottom of her nest, as the last resource.

MCSIirM Ol' KilMAKK.Mll.I': INSi'.CTS,

52.i

•r, w liicli \■.,l^
! notliiiiL; lull

c I'L'iiiarlv.ilj'u'
■; fur li'-r ii: ^t
iff llic ^\;^u•^,

;i iK"-t ;i \' lOt.
two in ilr|iiii,
1 of ;i iluuiiclcr
lal lhr(iu;.ji-
., siifficiriu In
in it of lur
sily pasMtiL;-.
c lines this
.li a taprsiry

silk, ^llK d tu

J walls. '1 lu
or, which is
rcular, is C(in-
ructcd of many
j-crs of laith
eadcd and
nd toL^L'thcr
silk. V.K-
uilly, it is Hal
roui;h, cm-
si)ondino,- to
rartli arouiul
entrance, Icr
■ purposi', tio
ubt, of c.m-
ilment; on the
silk.

ni«'-lv atlachcd
hint;e, which,
eight, without
and her d^or
n half opened
1 this, .she rc-

)Klei's arc found in e\er\' hahi

III wa

rin chinales.

'II

le males ai

tahlc
ul fe

portion o

fll

' K >' )C

bill

lie

males li\e sei)aratel

and tin

alter

are iiios

t fw^\

iieiitK' se'cii and art

ai'LU'r

All

;ireearinvoroiis, devour

111

nieiit-

Innu

pre)', suckins^ the juices and somi-tiim

swallow 111''- tlu

The females a

:iu:rall\- reail\- to attack and feed on tho nial

es.

i\( n in the reproducinj^^ season, and both sexes are fonil of fiL;lilin;,;, the
\;mi]iiished bein;^ de\ourcd. The)' are \er_\' cleanly and spend much time

111 Cu

anin

V' their limbs iVoiii dirt bv the toothed combs and brushes on llu

iiLHi'lihle

n makni'.

leir wchs,

thi'\- a

ccoi

nmodate themselves to cir-

iiiiHtances, dispkiyiiiij L;reat perse\eiance, inL;enuit\' ami almos

t int^

Lrciux'.

Iiey c:u\
b;

fully

'uaixi

thei

• '■s. so

metimes canyini; about with them

[\h- -silken bai;', which contains them, and are affectionate to their \'o

UU'.

liicli in some cases (k'\(iiri" their mother

They descend by their silken
threads — head downward, but climb up on them liead upward, rollint^them
lurinL;' the ascent. The thread cannot be used the second
time fir the same purpose. The L;i;nus nu'gale contains the largest of the
spiders. The crab — or bird-spiilcr of .South .\nierica — is about three inches

into a ' undle (

leiv.

Its bocK' is \

ininll lUKl

kill!

cry hail)' and blaclcish

It is
b.

vcvy powe

rful.

jumi

)in<'-

ng small oirus.and spins no we

The irvtut .Molh Tiibos.

Like the owl, which so much resembles many of them in style of plum-

age

tile moths <>enera!i'c remain conccaK'd in their retreats durincj the cl

ly.

quietly reposing till the growing darkness calls them forth to visit the
deu)' dowers, and re\el in the enio)'ment of existence, till the dawning
da\' dri\es them to their wonted lurking-places.

is law of nocturnal

life 1

las.

howe\'i.M', its exceptions, for we

find

one

fainil)' to consist of species which are active onl\' on the aijjiroach of even-

iiil;' oi' earlv ni

u.' mornnu

few I

)enu

as diurnal as tlu

l)U

tterfl)'

anil

Hitting in broad da)- from flower to llower in
is the fimil)' of the .sphinxes, or hawl;-nioths.

(lues

t of hone\'eil f )()d. Thi.^

lese

insects are reinar

Die

for their si/.i.

aiu

1 the extent of their

WIIV'S, w

hich are extremcl)- \igorous, and well adapted for rapid tlight.
Their name of hawk-moth was derix-ed from the resemblance of their nro-

'I'ess

ion throuuh the air to that

a hawk ; but it is greater to
that (if some of the humming-birds. Tlu: remarkable attitude often as-
suiiird b\' the caterpillars, resembling that of the fal)ulous s])hinx of the
ancients, suggested to Linn;eus the scientific term b)' which they are
still denominated.

The death's head hawk-moth a])pears to be distril)uted over ICnglaiid,

''^"■;w.i

''iflii

tl'ilbflEW St

MP""

(JKiiEDY UlKU-bl'IUEK DEVOURlMi ITS VICTIM.

(524)

'■'■[Vm 'ff hi:

MUSEUM OF REMARKAHLK INSECTS.

r>-2r>

and luiropc L;t-nc rally. Its thorax, so siiif^ularly bcariiiL; the rii;iirc of a
liuinan skull, has il'IhIci';(1 it an object (4' terror td the superstitious. It
\aiies from f uir to Uvc inches in tlie expanse of its wint^s. The upper
pair are brown, \aiietl w ith black ; the disk is marketl w ilh unihilatin;^
lines of black jiatches, and [)i)uderetl \>. ith white; the hind uin^s are dull
()ran;4:e.

( )iie of the most pu/.zliiiL; souhlIs to the incjuirer is that of the death's-
luad moth, when it is caught and kept a prisoner. .Sometimes it is like
that of a mouse, but much more piteou>. Reaumur, atlei- nuntioninL;
inan\- experiments, concludes with the coin iction that " in the more nii-
nule part of nature's wo'-ks there is aluaws soiuethinL;" which we cannot
cxjilain." lie thought it most probable tliat the cry cair.e from the head,
perhaps from the mouth, or rather from the tonj^ue, and it mi!j,ht be by
the friction of the feelers aL;ainst the toiiL^ue; for when he unfolded the
>piial tonL;ue with a pin, the cry cea-ed, but it was renewed the instant it
was coiled up attain between the feelers. lie then prevented tlu' pal|)i
from touchinL^ the ton^^ue, which also stopped the S(nind, and when only
one was [)ermitted to touch it, the sound was much more feeble.
TIk' .Vniiiiai wiMi a Vi'f^cfsibh' Ilciul.

That there are more thinL.';s in Iieaxcn and eailh than are dreamed of in
our philosophy, is abundant!}' pro\en by a stutly of natural history. We
ccmie upon sur[)rises the further we pursue oui' imestit^ations. Who
would have believed, withcnit the actual (.lenu)nstration of the f;ict, that
there could be a union between a lix'inL^ moth, an insect, and a \eL;etal)le
tjrowth ?

A fun;j,"us is known which ne\ei" throws except on the bodies of dead
spielers; another only appears on the surface of horses' hoofs in a state of
putrefacticMi. CJne little parasite of the same family, the isaria of the
spli\nx, has hitherto only been observed on certain nocturnal moths.
Stiil more curious facts are known; for instance, that of a funy;us never
f )und onl)' on the neck of a caterpillar of tropical countries. It is always
solitary on this, and of enormous size in proportion, bein^^ often four or
fi\e inches hi;j,h. Another species of funi^us is an outgrowth from the
head of the New Zealand moth in its larvae state, as represented in our
euL^raving, which con\e\'s an accurate idea of one of the most astounding
discoveries in the insect world.

Kavaj»crs ot Forests.

In considering those creatuies which work fearful destruction on veg-
etable life, we naturall)- expect to see animals on the stage, the bulk of
which nuist be in propoition to their formidal)le powers of dexastation,

mmm

.■* '

^IPI- jl

i{iig|ir^

■■^''^■.il

T//r

.■:^Xi:-

ilfef

^'^

'■'nc^..

:\ :rr-_

■^ .^'

MUSIAM OF RKMARKABLF. IXSKCTS,

527

hut it is quite the contraiA-. It is n»it tlie auiocli with its sliaiji;\- niaiie,
nnr the powerful stai,f, nor tlie wild boar that ra\aL;es or cleslro\s (Uir
f, ,1. -t->, but till)' insects which slaui^hter its a.i;eil tries.

if, when the warm bixath ot spriiv^ driw's awa}' tlu- ri;^dr of wiiiltT
ail'! i\ilews life in tlu: Ileitis, we enter one of the i^reat conifeious wooils
(,f the continent of Europe, we are a-^tonislud at the tumult and aili\ ity
which prtxail in lieu of the silence we went there to seek. h".\erylhin^
1^ in nio\ ement.

(Groups of ,woodm(Mi, foresters, and overseers mo\e about by Inuulreds,
and stretcli awa\' like colunuis of skirmishers; it is a complete arm)- in
ihc field, which opens out where\er there is a lar_L;e space, and of which
the winL;'s are sometimes lost in the windings of the roads, or hidden l)y
liie projection of some hillock. This mass of men always moves in order,
distributed in troops connnanded b\- experienced leaders. They are all
pic Aided with lon_L,r weapons, uhicii ;it a distance mii^hl be tak:en for
lances.

Id sew hen;. ai;ain, we find a leni^th)' train of pit)neer.s rec;'ularl} posted,
and xanishinj^r in tlu' distance, all animated with fe\-erish acti\it\', are hol-
Iiiwiiv out the soil, antl makin"-, for manv leaL-ues, lonij- trenches which
follow the roads antl ser\e to isf^late the different districts of the forest
fiDin one another.

Forests WrapiKMl in <alai-in<4' riaiues.

Or if the 'excursion be made by m'oht, another spectacle awaits us.
The whole foi'cst seems to be on fire. In ever\- ixu't are burnin(:r </reat
trees, erect and isolatetl, like hu_L;e ihreateninL; torches, the flame of which
rises to the clouds and casts a baleful L;lare on all around. .A few for-
esters, standini;" in silence, contemplate the pro<jress of the conila_i;ration,
and watch its ra\aijes. Lastly, at other times, as a final resource, the en-
tire forest is i^iven up a pre)- to the flames, and whirlwinds (T fire, men-
aciiv,;' and dreadful, spread on every side ; a woocK" rei;ion, formerly so
fertile, is entirely de\'oured by fire and only an immense mountain of char-
coal remains of all this mass of wealth.

We ask ai^ain.st what formidable enemy such an army of men has been
iiinehed! Who are the}- o()ino- to attack with their rods which they
l)raiidish on all sides? What redoubtable aggressors are the others
attempting to stay the march of, with the long trenches they are scooping
out? Why these frightful fires in the middle of the night? Why this
L;eneral conflagration ?

This formidable enemy is at times only a single insect, but it menaces
everything with its destructive tooth, and men prefer decimating the for-

€

i) ;m^'

i-.>s

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

^ i

i iiUlii

B i

est to losiiifT it entirely. One is really stupefied at seeint:^ so rnan\- .inri
such energetic efforts directed solely against the proven)- of a sinipK; hut-
tern)-, but its caterpillars sometimes multiply to such an extent that it is
necessary to exterminate them utterly in order to preserve the forest tiMin
ruin, in one part the woodmen and their families, who are called wut
i'// liuisse, arc only occupied in crushinj^ this deadl\' race upon the trees
In anotiier the others are cuttini^^ off the infected districts by ditches, m
order to check the invasion of the caterpillars, which, when they liaw.
devoured ever\'thini; in one place, proceed in inmiense bands to uuade
the hi-alth)- localities.

Hut in spite of so much labor, tnan is sometimes \-anquished 1)\- the in-
sect, and there onh' remains one extreme resource — that of .settiuL;' lire to
the forest and biu-nini;' the invaders. All this war of extinction, of which
we have just i^iven a succinct account, is only directed a;^ainst a sr,ia!I
number of our enemies, as for the most part they are able to e\ade ihc
emi)ire of the art^iculturist, and their formidable ami)- defies our weak-
ness.

War Doflai'(Ml .Vj;aiiist si 3Ioth.

These great works are particularly undertaken a;_jainst certain ni;4ht-
moths, for the\' are simple phahi^n.v, which are to be classed among the
most destructive ra\agers of the forests. They are attacked in their
three different ')hases ; their caterpillars are crushed as they climb the
trees.

When after devouring a complete section of the wood, the\' pour
forth in serried colunms to attack a sound part, they fall into trenches
hollowetl out by the pioneers, and when they fill these, they are stilled in
a heaj) b\- co\ering them over with earth. The great fires lighted at
nisjht are directed acrainst nocturnal moths. The glare attracts them,
and they are soon scorched by the flame in consequence of going too
near it.

Tile pine bombyx enjo\'s the sad prerogative of being placed in the
front rank of the enemies of our forests. It is the most hurtful insect to
the tree of which it bears the name. It especially attacks wood from
sixty to eight)' )-ears old, and many examples are known of forests at
this age being totall)- destroyed by the.se caterpillars, which the German
wood-growers call pine .spinners, on account of the numerous cocoons
with which they cover the leaves of this tree.

The foresters equall)' dread another moth, commonly called the monk
or nun, on account of its robe being laced with black and white like that
of certain devotees. It is all the more fatal because its caterpillar attacks

so many rind
■ a simple but-
xtcnt tliat it is
:hc forest tioin
arc called out
ipon the trees,

by ditches, m
lien they luiw
aiids to mvadc

shed by the in-
f settiivj," lire to
ction, of which
aijainst a sr,)all
>lc to evade I lie
jfies our weak-

t certain ni;j;ht-

sscd among the

lacked in tlieir

they climb die

ood, the\' pour
1 into trenches
ey are stitkd in
fires lighted at
attracts them,
:c of going too

ig placed in the
|h artful insect to
:ks \v(M-id from
l^vn of forests at
lich the German
merous cocoons

Icalled the monk

white like that

literpillar attacks

r,■^^\

F.ARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

U'd ('111}- the coniferous forests, hut in addition all forest trees, such as tin.
birch, oak and beech. Its biitterllies are met with in autumn, and sume-
tiinc'. in such abuntlance that at a distance one miL;ht taketluin for >iio\\-
flakes driftniy- about. The re_L;ular e.xterniinations of which w- lia\f [jic-
viously spoken, are also directetl a^^'iinst this nionk boniby.x.

Havoc l>.v Tiii.v Crcaliiivs.

AmoH'^^ the butterllies, the i);'o'.u'n)- <»f which deva.states our woods, it
is necessa!)- to mention also the pine-ealin;^ species. Its cateri)illar>,
which .sometimes multii)l\' in an iwtraordinarv way, make j^M'eat havoc in
the pine forests. The)' are particularly to be dreadeil, because the)- ^Imw
themselves \ery early, and devour the\i)un;^f shoots. The)- are met with
the same incurs as the others; their invasion is checked bv- Ircncho. .md
in some places bv' herds of pii^s which eal ihem in heaps. l>"or this pui-
jxisc the pi;4s are sent to the forests towards the montli of .Xui^ust, ri Uuk
at which the)- seize the caterpillars as the)- ilesceutl from the trees in or-
tler to h)-bernate under the moss or earth

Other insects, in lieu of attackin;^' stems or leavi-s. attach themselv-; to
the buds. One of them produces great havoc bv- L^navviuL;' tho^e ot tl)(
j^ine. Its caterpillar, which is veiy small, bcint^ introduced beneath the
scales of the bud, i^niaw s a i)art of it in such a wa)- tiiat the stalk, v\ari)eil
at the verv- core. loses its straightness, twists, and becomes defonnetl.
We can see from a ilistance when these- artisans have assailed a pari .it a
Wood, b\- the straiiL^e aspect which the tops of the trees present. All lli.
terminal buds are more or less contorted, instead oi possessing their ii'ir-
mal direction. It is to this result that the species owes its name of piiK-
twister, by which the foresters generall\- (lc;signate it.

.Some clestro\-ers, instead of this openl)- declared war. operate siieiitlv
and in the shade ; these are conci'aled enemies, which nothing can track.
.ukI we do not suspect their presence till the)' ha\-e slain their victim,
.Some li\e on wood and hollow out ample tortuous galleries in ii. v\h!ch
\er\- s[)eedil)' modifv- the organism of the tree so profoundl}-, that the
strongest succumb to it. Others work between the bai'k and the sap-
wood, using up materials that offer less resistance to their teeth.
Iiisoot T.vpojfrapluM's ami Stc'iioj-raplnTs.

In the former category must be })laced the cossi, these enthu.siastic car-
penters. Anotiier, again, is the oak bomb)'.\-, the caterpillar of which i~
accustomed to follow a .straightforward track in the centre of the v-muiil;
boughs in our forest trees.

In the second category ma)' be ranked the numerous legion oftviw-
gra[)hers and stenographers, so called from the character of the cnLscl-

1, such as iIk
in, and smnc-

wv hiiu' \Ax-

our woods, it
s calcr\)illiU>,
<^ix'at luuoc in
iiisc they -liow
y arc nici wiih
y ircnchf--. .iiul
l-'or lhi-< \UM-
.\u;4ust,;i liniL
the trees in oi-

h tlieniseU ■> U*
iui; iho-c ct il''
:ed benealli i!i>
le stalk, waqu-l

)nies (iefornKil.
ailed a pari "I a

i-csent. All ilv
ssin^- their iV'i

s name ot pi'ir-

ojierate silently
ahint; can track,
ain their victim,
ries in it, which
loundU-. that the
li-k and the sap-
ir teeth.

rs.

[enthusiastic car-

jUar of which i-

re of the y-un-

Is le'^ion of tyiw-
■i- (if the cnlscl"

MUSEUM OF RF.MARKAHI.K INSKCTS.

o:',!

lin-^s with which thi'>- so dcplc)rabl\- oriianiem the >urfacc (»f wood. I'ach
species invariably draws the same dcsif;n, so that we can always dis-
cover the workman by his work without seeing what enemy we have to

lull

(Ir.i

with.

Almost all these laborers are of vcr\- small size. Their teeth, with
(kadly quickness, cut numerous galleries between the wood and the
bark, invading both parts at the same time. These tiny ravagers are
ottm not more than about the sixth of an inch long, and hence as their
bodies are slender in proportion, tliey only require a very narrow trench
to i)romcnade in at their case. Nevertheless, as each insect procreates
to a great extent, the number of g.iUeries hollowetl out by a single
family sometimes covers a large part of the surface of a tree, and if the
species multiplies round about it, the result of its work is to detach the
entire bark, which falls to dust.

Tlie attentive observations of foresters have shown that nearle always
a pair of tyjiographers enter the tree toi^ethcr by perforating the bark,
ami this first task accomplished, they hollow out at this spot a central
gallery, which is nothing more or less than a nuptial chamber for the
two spouses. Here, resolved to make their lives as agreeable as possi-
ble, they pierce for this purpose two to four holes in the hark, which
are simpl)' ventilators, intended to air the little chamber, and possibly
also to light the windings.

Of all these wood-cutters, the ty()ogra[)her hostrichus is regarded as
the most dangerous. It ra\'ages the forests of fir-trees in such a manner,
that often not a single tree escapes its attacks. It is doubtless in order
ti' L^ive an idea of the extent of its depredations, tluit naturalist^ luue
bestowed on such a little insect the alarming name of the " great pine-

gnawer.

h'.ach product has its enemy. Sujiposing our apples and plums are

gnawed and injured b\' worms, still their soft tissue cpn'te admits of such

mischief being done; but fiuits so hard and well protected as those of the

pines seem as if they ought to be safe from such attacks, though this is

certainly not the case.

IiistM't Carp<Mit<'rs.

The name of joiners is given to those legions of in.sccts which, with
their powerful mantlibles, cut and divide wood, either to nourish theni-
seKes with, or to construct little rooms furnished witli partitions, and
destined to receive their offspring.

hi the first category is found the lar\-a of the goat-moth, a night-moth
which sometimes reaches a length of four or fi\-c inches, and is thicker

i^f]

\ m-

■■'H

till

W()()n-!'.()KiN<i (;()Ai-.\iorii.

(^:{:i)

Ml'SF.l'M OI" KHMAkKAr.LK INSKCTS.

ri.v.)

tli.u; Uk-' fiiiL^d". ltL;iia\\s the inside of L;rcat trees, and scoops oiil in
till If trunks lari;e and lonj^ tortuous L^'illerics, wliich sometimes suffice to
Isill them. We see that it works all the more zealousl\- because its lah^ir
i.-, to satisfy a want; it lives on wood.

When .several of these powerful caterpillars att.icl; an elm al the same
tir.u' it ."^inks very rai)idl\'. This insect has sometimes been seen to utterly
cicstn",' lari;e avenues of loft\" trees; hence the name of wood-destroy in;^'
cossus has been <;iven to it.

We find artisans endowed with a \er\- different kind of in_L;enuit_\', in a
certain tribe ot bees
called carpenterdjees,
on ,icc<uint of their
irrcit skill in working;
\vo(h1. The\- lixeprin-
cipall}- in tropical
cnuiitries. One kind,
lidW'Acr, inhabits our
latitudes; il has the
InuK of a L;reat hnm-
1)K-I)ee of the most
beautiful blue color,
and is known b}' the
nanie of the carpenter-
bee Im])elled merely
by uuiternal instinct,
it- work, which con-
si-ts of as man_\- little
cliambers as it la\s
t'^fi^s, is a masterpiece
"f skill and foresitrht. It is ijeneralK- beams that this bee attacks. It
cuts in them, lenijjthwise, canals wliich are a dozen inches deep ami more
than a third of an inch wide.

When one of these i^reat excavations has attained its entire len<;th, the
iirtisan occupies itself in shelterin^^ its oflspring in it. For this purpose
it divides the !_^roove into as many little chambers as it is about to deposit
c<^s;,i^. Each of these chambers receives one ec:^^ onh-, and before cU>sin^
it hermetically the bee .stores up a mass <»f honey and pollen which will
suffice for all the wants of the larva that is to be born there. After this
the skillful carpenter, b\' means of finel>--rasped wood atj;glutinatcd with
its saliva, constructs a slender partition which separates each one trom

c.\Ki'i.NTi£R i;i:l: and its littlk chambkks.

m'^^>

filfi

"Hi:

■'t

^rt'ta

i)i

EARTH, SKA, AND SKY

that next to it. In the lon<^ excavation which it has hollowed out the
insect thus forms a dozen little cellules, which are stutTcl with alimen-
tary pap.

When the little creature is born, it finds itself sufficiently restrictL-J as
to space, but in proportion as its food diminishes, its movements beco;ne
more free. The aliment has been wisely proportioned to its wants; the
life of the larva terminates at the momc-nt when famine is about to
set in. The chrysalis rests imprisoned in its little chamKer, but when
the tly has thrown off its coverini^s, air and light are absolutolv
re(]uisite for it. It then gnaws the i)artitions which intercept its way,
and launches its(.'lf into the atmosphere, soon in its turn to com-
mence labors similar to those its mother executed. Such is its

destiny.

The 3Iijiratiii^ {.lOciist.

The < )rient and all the south of Asia as well as the west of the United
States are subject to being ra\aged b}- the migratory locust. Their dev-
astations are most extraordinary. Their liosts obscure the sun and every
trace of x'cgetation disappears in their track. Locusts ha\e committed
consitlerable ra\ages in America; most of the ile\astation popularl\-
attributed to grasshoppers really belongs to locu.sts ami most often to the
red-legged species. They ha\ e pro\ed especially destrueti\e to the gra>.i
of salt nu'adows, clo\er, corn and \egetables, until arrestetl by the eatiy
fn )sts.

The Rocky Mountain locust is popularh' known as the grasshopper,
During if^73-74-75 the insect attracted unusual attention and in the en-
piecedented amount of injur\-, which it entailed on the farmer of the
West, it proved a national calamit)-. It has been estimated, that $50,000,
000 would not co\-er the loss occasioned to the country by its rav.i^^.^
during these three yeais. It is doubtful, whether in their native home
the insects show a tendenc)' to nn'grate, except when forced b\- nece>sit\-.
The\- are sluggish in the cooler parts of the da)' and tly principalK be-
tween the hours of 10 A. M. and 4 ?. M., and then onl\-, w hen the w iiul is
in the direction they wish to go. Their life is limited by the spring and
autunm frosts and all that hatch in the spring perish at the ap[)roaLh nf
winter, .soon after the eggs are laid.

The grasshoppers travel ijo immense swarms, iu)t in any particular direc-
tion, but in search of food. The}' walk and hop alternately, moving at
the rate of about three )ards a minute. As they grow older, their num-
bers are continually reducetl, not only by attacks of enemies ai'd b\- cli-
matic intluences, but by devouring one another. ■

i 1

• restrictt. I as
lents bccoMic
ts wants; liie
; is about tn
•cr, but when
re absolutely
rcept its way,
turn to corn-
Such is its

of the United
;t. Their dev-
sun and every
i\e comniittvd
tion popularl)-
ost often t't the
\e to the L;'ra->
;d bv the cadv

[articular diroc-
L'ly, movini; at
her. their mmi-
lies and \)v cli-

ilREAT .-^WARM UK MU.KAloKV LUClSrs.

(.-.,S.-.;

J.,.

mi .

o:;o

EARTH, SEA, AND SKV.

Tlic first (.lay of their appearance their numbers are coniparativelx- few,
the second they come by m\-riacls ; and \-et a da)' or two miL;ht pa>-< he-
fore they reached their full number. At early morninLj the insect, in ih,-
pupa state, ma\' be observed issuin^^ from the earth in every directimi, h\
the help of a set of stroils^lx'-barbed claws on the fore-lei;s. Its color is
tlieii of a uniform dull brown, and it stron_L,dy resembles the jx-rfect itinct
in form, exceptin;;- the absence of u iiigs, ornameiU.and antenn.e. Tliu tirst
impulse of the imi)erfect insect, on detachinL,^ itself from its ,t;ra\e, is ti,
ascend a few inches, or even feet, up the trunk of trees, at the foot of wiii.Ji
their holes a[)pcar in the ^n-eatest number, or upon the rail fences, which
are soon thickly spreatl with them. In these positions they straiijhtwav
fix themseK'es firniK' b\- their barbed claws.

I lali an hour's obsei-wilion will then show you the next chaiv^e which
is to be under<^oiie. A split takes place upon the shell, down from tJio
back of the luad to the commeiiceUKiit of the riiv^s of the al)(,lonKn, and
the labor oi >eli-exlric.itioii follow s. With maiu'a throe and main' a >tiMin.
\'ou sc\; the tail and hiiul leLjs apjjcar throuj^h the rent; then the uiiiL^s
extricate themsel\-es painfull)' fi'om a little case in the outer shell, in which
the)' la\' ex([ui^itel}' foldetl ui),I)ut ilo not x'et unfurl themseK'es ; and la-^Uv,
tlu' head, w ilh its antenn;e, disenL;ai;es ii-elf, and )'ou behold before ndii
the new-born insect freed from its prison. The sloui,di is not disentailed,
but I't-'inaiiis firml\- lixed in the fibres of the wood ; and the insect, laii;^uidl\-
cnpN ling a few inches, remains, as it were, in a daze of woiuier and n^lon-
ishment.

All this i)asscs before the sun has gained his full strength. As the
day advances, the colors of the insect become more lively ; the wings at-
tain their full strength, and the bcnl)' dries, and is l)raced up for its future
little life of activit)' and enjoyment.

The ]>Insie Beg'ins.

Between ten and eleven the nevvl)' risen tribes begin to tune their in
struments ; )'ou become conscious of a sound, filling the air far and
wide, different from the ordinary ones which may meet your ear. A
low distinct hum salutes you, turn where you will. It may be compared
tt) the simmering of an enormous caldron ; it swells, imperceptible-
changes its character, and becomes fuller and sharper ; thousands sccin
to join, and by an hour after mid-day, the whole country far and wide
rings with the unwonted sound. Tiie insects are now seen lodged in or
flying about the foliage above ; a few hours having been thus sufficient
to give them full strength and activity, and bring them into full voice.

The pretty insect, for it is truly such, with its dark body, red eyes, and

MUSEUM OF REMARKABLE INSECTS.

o.JTT

its glassy wings interlaced by bright yellow fibres, enjoys but a little
week; and that merry harping which pervades creation from sunrise to
sundown, for the time of its continuance, is but of some six days' dura-
tion. Like all those of its tribe, the sound produced is not a voice, but
a strong vibration of musical chords produced by the action of internal
muscles upon a species <A' lyre or elastic membrane, covered with net-
work, and situated under the wings.

During the whole period of their existence, the closest attention does not
detect their eating anxthing; antl, with the exception of the trilling injur)-
rccei\ed by the trees, con.setiueut upon the])rocess obserxetl by the female
in l,i\ ing her eggs.thes' are perfectly innoxioiis. The eiul for which they
siX'Ui tt> be sent to the uj)per d;i)' is pure)}' confined to the propagation of
their s[)ecies. A lew days after tluir first appearance, the female begin> to
la\' her eggs. When her time conu,'s, she selects one of the outermost
twigs of the fore>t trees or shrubs, and sets to wofk and makes a series of
longitudinal jagged incisions ii^ 'he tender bark and wood. \u each of these
slie la\'s a row of tin\" eggs, and then goes to work again.

Sii<l<h'U l{<'.smT<'rfi«n! .Vl't<'r S('\«'iitot'ii Vt'sirs.

Ma\ing deposited to her heart's content, she crawls up the twig a few
inches yet farther from the termination, and placing herself in a fitting po-
sition, makes two or three perpentliculai- cuts into the very pith. I ler
duty is now terminated. J^oth male and female become weak, the H^rmer
ceases to be tune''ul ; the charm of tiieir existence is at an end ; they pine
a\v;i\-, become blind, fall to tlie ground b\- mvriads, ami in ten or hfteeii
days after their first appearance they all perish. Not S(\ how\,\er, their
seed. The perforated twigs die, the first wind breaks them from the tree,
and scatters them upon the ground. The eggs give birth to a number of
"Smaller grubs, which are thus enabled to attain the mould without injury;
and in it they disai)pear, digging their wa\- tlown into the bor^om of the
earth. Year goes after year, summer after summer, the sun shine> in \ain
to thein ; they " bide their time !" The recollection of their existence be-
gins to fade, a generation passes awa\' : the surface of the country is
altered, lands are reclaimed from the forest, .streets are laid out and tram-
pled on for years, houses are built, and pavements hide the soil.

Still, though man may almost forget their existence, God does not.
What their life is in the long interval none can divine. Traces of them
have been found in digging wells and foundations eight and ten feet un-
der the surface. When seventeen years have gone by, the memory of
thcin returns, and they are expected. A cold wet sprin., may retard
their appearance, but never since the attention of man has been di-

pii^ii

mnm

i^ '

ill

0;i8

EARTH, SEA. AND SKN

rected to them, have they failed ; but at the appointed time, jjy one com-
mon iinpidse, tiiey ri-e troni the eartli. i)iercin5T their way throu;^]! th^
matted sod. throui^h the hard trani])led clay of the pathways, throuli
the gravel, between tlie joints of the stc)nes and pavements, and into tlie
very cellars of the houses ; like their predt-cessors, to be a marvel in the
land, to sing their blithe song of love and enjoyment under the hri'^ht
sun. and amidst the verdant landscape ; like them, to fidfil the brief ilu-
ties of their species, and close their mysterious existence t)y death.

Tlu' I'plw'nu'ra.

Linnneus has given this name to a genus of insects of the onlci of
neutropher.i, from their appearing in tlie winged state only for a da\-.
The body is long, slender and soft, the wings are very unecjual, and the
abdomen has long articulated appendages. Tliey are usually called Mav
flics. The mouth of this insect has no jaws, but is furnished with four
very short thread-shaped feelers. The wings are erect, the lower ones
much the shorter, and the tail is terminated by long hairs or bristles.
They differ in many respects from all other insects.

Their larv;e live in water for three years, the time they consume m
preparing for their change, which is performed in a few moments. The
larva, when ready to quit that state, rises to the surface of the water aivi
instantaneously freeing itself from its skin becomes a chrysalis. This
chrysalis is furnished with wings. It flies to the nearest tree or wall,
and there quits a second skin and becomes a perfect ephemera. In this
.state all the species live but a very short time, some of them scarcely
half an hour, having no other business to perform than that of continuing
the race.

A Creature Born and n.viiij? without S«M'inj:;^ tlio Sun.

liut few of them ever see the light of sun, being produced after sun-
set during the short nights of summer and dying long before the dawn.
The females aided by the threads of their tails and the Happing of their
wings, suiii)ort themselves on the surface of ihe water antl in an ahnrvst
upright position drop their eggs (sometimes 700 <>r Soo) in little clusters
into the water. These insects are remarkable for their elegant flii^ht;
the\- are continually rising and falling. When the\' move their wings
the\' rise ; but if their win-js, though spread out, remain motionless, as
also the silk)- hairs which form their tail, they fall again. They ina\- be
seen in myriatis in places where there is much water.

We have said that the ephemera live only for a few hours. This is the
general rule; but their existence can be i)rolonged for ten or fifteen days
by preventing their copulation. If, however, the duration of the life ot

, by one com-
througli the
vavs, throw 'h
;, and into the
, maiA'fl in the
dcr the hri'j^ht
il the brief 'III-
)y death.

f tiic order of
)nly for a day.
equal, and the
illy called May
ished with fnur
Lhe lower ones
lirs or bristlis.

ley consume in
moments. The
)f the water an-i
duysalis. This
st tree or wall,
mera. In thi>
them .scarcely
lat of continuing

Lr.s. This is the

in or fifteen days
on of the lite ot

EHHliMERA OK CKEArUKEb OF A DAY.

(539)

ttP= »'

.1*.. 1 *a

''Nf

mi^

f»:

pi:

540

e.\k:i(, sea, ani> sky.

ih'jsc in-^ccts is so sliort when they h.uc ivaclicl the perfect st.iti , .iiul
when the conformation of the month i)revents ihein from taking; .iiu-
nourishment, their larv.c state is of vei)- Uini^ continuance. Suaninkr-
<lam in his curious Memoir, entitled "' \''ita Ephemeri," is authority for tlu;
statement that it is not less than three jears.

The bee is probably of Asiatic orij.^in, whence it has spread over Ku-
rope, ha.s been introduce<l in America and is found in nearly all the
warmer portions of the world. It has two stomachs, the first is a lircc
membranous bag, pointed in front for the reception and retention f)f (ho
honey; no digestion takes place in this, the analogue of the crop oi
birds. Digestion is performed in the second stomach, which is of a
lengthened cylindrical shape, communicating with the first stomach and
with the '..r ' b_\' a projecting valvular apparatus. Tiie muscular

strength oj le jc . is very great and their flight is rapid ^N. hive of
bees consi.sts of thre^ ' inds, females, males and workers. The female-
are called queens, not more th.in one of which can live in the same hive.
Her pre-ence is necessary for its establishment and maintenance.

The males are called drones, and may exist by hundreds and even
t'lousands in a hive. The workers are b}- far the most iiunierous. The
queen lays the c^g^, from which the race is perpetuated ; the males il,
no work and are of no use except to reproduce their species, after
which they soon die or are killed ; the workers collect the honey, se-
crete the wax. build the cells and protect the young. The females and
workers have a sting at the end of the abdomen, but not the males. Tln\
weapon consists of an e.xtensile sheath enclosing two needle-shaped
dirts of great fineness, placed side by side. Toward the end the sting
is armed with minute teeth, like those of a saw, whence it happens that
the anim d is frequently unable to withdraw the sting from an enemv
that it ha.s pierced, causing its own death. When the sting enters the
fle.sh the acrid poison is squeezed into the wound from a bag near its

base,

Prt»|M'r llcspct't for the Queen.

The poison is a transparent fluid with a sweetish and afterward acri'
t.iste and acrid reaction. The queons are more peaceable and less dis
nosed to sting, than the workers. This is the largest and is easily rec-
ognized by the slowness of her march, by her size and by the respect
and attention paid to her. She lives in the interior of the hive and on!y
leaves it to lead out a new swarm. If she be removed from the hive, the
whole swarm will follow her

.-rfcct staU , .1 1.1
om takiiv^ anv
cc. SwainiiUT-
utliorit\- r .r till'

afterwartl acr i'
lie and less cli'^-
iid is casiK' rci -
i by the respect
le hive and only
om the hive, the

DKNSI". ,>\VAKM OF BEES.

(•'^41)

.!:

if;

Will

i% liiif <

■iSii

hi: ( .

.'J

»^

1':"

Hfif

512

i:.\RTH, SF.A, AND SKY.

The workers in July and August coniiiKncc an indisciiininatc attack
upon tin- drones, chasing them into the bottom and corners of the hive,
killing them with their stings, and. casting out the dead bodies, 'jliis
destruction extends even to the eggs and larva of males. The workers
are females, in which the generative organs are not developed. Tlu-v
are divided into nurses and wax workers ; the former are the small(.;.-.t
and the weakest, ill adapted for carr\ing burdens, antl their business i.s
to collect the honey, feed ami take cue of the grubs, com[>lete the cells
commenced by the others, and to keep the hive clean ; the others pro-
vision the hi\e. collect hone}-, secrete and prepare wax, construct the
cells, defend the hive from attack, attend to the wants of the queen, and
carry on all the hostilities c)f the community.

On the loss of the ([ueen the hive is thrown into the greatest reii-
fusion. The food of bees consists principally of the honey etl fluids <itid
the pollen of flowers. The formation of wax is the office of the wa.v
workers. The quantity of wax secreted dej)ends on the consuiiii)tion ot
honey.

When a hive becomes too crowded preparations are made for the
emigration of a swarm with a queen ; scouts are sent out in advance to
select a proper place for the new hive, and the workers collect an extra
quantity of provisions to be carried with them. During the preparations
a great buzzing is heard, which ceases on the day of dej^arture. When
all is ready, the signal is given by the workers, and the queen, with all
the departing swarm, rushes to the door and rises into the air. They
follow the queen, alighting with her in a dense cluster, and returning to
the hi\'e if she does. After a rest at their first landing place the sw.um
collects into a close phalanx and flies in a direct line to the sielected
spot. Two or three swarms will be sent ed'f in a summer from m oki
hive.

;iiniiuit.c attack
crs of the liivc.
I bodies. This
The VV'irkeis
/eloped. They
re the smallest
heir hu.siness i>
[ii[)letc the Cells
the others pro-
ve, construct the
the queen, ami

e i^reatest coii-

leyed fluids and

ffice of the \va.\

consumption ot

e made for the

jt in advance to

collect an extra

the preparation-^

parture. When

([ueen, ^vith ail

the air. Thry

nd returnini; tu

lace the swarin.

to the iiclectal

er from in old

CHAPTER XXT.

cuRinsiTii-:s OF TiiK vi:Gi:TAni J-: Kixr.noM.

Living; Sfcd in tlie Eartli— The Tap-Root IMants tliat IV-rspire C.itcliinj; Watrr
Iroin Trees — Garden Sun-l'lower— An Old Piiysician Living in a Pair of Se.il<js
\'cj;etable Marvel — The Weeping Tree— Plant wiUi a Movalile I.id— W.iier
Treasured in Plants in tiie Burning- Desert— Leaves tjiat Flash Lightning— i he
I'amoiis C\)\v-Tree — Vegetable Milk — lUitter Trer Poisonous Conipoiintls —
"Herculean I'ieinedy" -hulia Rubber Tree— Golden Wealth for the World
Vegetable Giants— Astonishing Magnitudes -Kightetn Guests Taking Suj^i'lt
in a Hollow Tree -laioruKnis Linie-Tree— Xorniandy ( )ak Turned ir. > a
Church — Riding on Horseback ThrouL;!! Tree-Cavities Colossal lia )l)ab -
Strange Burial Place— Gigantic Cedars of California— Tops Five Hundred I\el
in the Air— Giving a Ball on a Stunii)- Vegetable Longevity— Methuselahs of
the I'orest— Historic Lime at Fribourg— Old A'j.e of the I-"ir— Army of Cortez
under one Tree- Legends of Teneriffe— Dragon's- Blood Tree -Where ue get
Camphor— "Serpents of the Vegetable Kingdom "—Deadly Nettles— The P'atal
I 'pas — Astounding .Stories — .\ntidotes to Poison— Medicinal Treasures — Fanions
T.irtarian Lamb Part Plant and Part Animal-Wonderful Ratllesia— Plants
without Leaves Borrowing those of their Neighbors — Picturesque Scene in the
Trollies — Giant I'"erns^Mangrove Tree -Sea of Fire — Seeds Sprouting in Hu-
man Noses and Stomachs -Marvelous F.ngincry — Balloon Puff-li-ill.

OMMIT a seed to the earth; plant, for example, a haricot bean
at the ilepth of two inches in moist vegetable soil, and if the
temperature is riiiht the seed will not be slow to germinate,
first swelling, and then bursting its outer skin. ]W this ad-
nurable arrangement, of which nature permits us to contemplate the
wonderful results, hut without as )'et enabling us to comprehend the
strange myster}-, a plant in miniature, eventually the counterjiart of its
parent, will, after a time, reveal itself to the observer. In the meantime,
tun parts, very distinct, make their appearance : one, yellowish in color,
usually branched, sinks into the soil — this is the root; the other, of a
pale, greenish color, takes the opposite direction, ascends to the surface,
and rises above the ground — this is the stem.

The design of the Creator of the world seems to have been to embel-
lish and make beautiful all which was to be exposed to our eyes, while
that which was to be hidden was left destitute of grace or beauty.
Leaves suspended from their branches balance themselves gracefidly
with every movement of the air ; the stems, branches, and flowers are

the ornament of the landscape, and satisfy the eye with their beauty;

{rAii)

. i '„ 'i

B^ '

■i-^i

^■r!

^liiH: }

■ *

l«ill(l

f^M^

\ 11

iJI

^^^^ll.

h^u

Ji.- «.;*+.''■

Iv I I

F.AKTu, sf:a, and SKV.

but the root is witliout colors or brilliancy, and is iisuall)- of a (lull nm
form brown, yet performs in obscurity functions as important as those ot
stem, branches, leaves, or flowers. Yet how \ast tin- difference betwcni
the verdant top of a tree, which rises graceful and elej^'ant into mid air —
not to spf.ik of the flowrri it bears — and the coarse ma>s of its roots
divided into tortuous branches without harmony, without symmeti ,-,
and formin^j a tani;led, disortiered mass ! These organs, so little fu-
ored in their appearance, have, however, very important functions in the
order of vegetable action.

All plants which germinate with two seed leaves have, at first, a single
■descending root, the tap-root. I'rom this central tajj-root, lateral root-
branch out more or less regularly, and these lateral njots subdiviilr
again and again. In many cases, especially at first, the lateral rnots
issue from the tap-root with great order and regularity, as much as in
the arrangement of the branches of a young fir-tree; in oUlcr i)lants this
ord T is lost. The tap-rout is conspicuous in the dock and in sccdiinji
fruit-trees; its upper portion in many cultivated plants, such as the lr>jt.t
and carrot, expands under cultivation, ami becomes abnormally ilcsliy.

l?ut all roots are not planted in the soil. 'I'here are some plants which

develo[) roots in water, as the duckweed which never touches the earth.

Others nourish themselves on the tissues of other plants, as the nii.sth;-

toe, a singular parasitic plant, which forms tufts or branches of a delic.itc

pale green, attaching itself to apple-trees, poplars, and a number of otl»cr

trees. Some roots appear, moreoxer, to have no other function than to

fi.K tluj plants to the soil ; they seem to contribute nothing to their

nourishment.

Living' on Air.

In the Museum of Natural History of Paris there has been for some

years a magnificent Peruvian cactus, of an extraordinary lieight. w liich

has been growing vigoi'ously, throwing out enormous branches with

great rapidity. Its roots are shut up in a box three feet s([uarc, filled

with earth, which has never been renewed and never watered. It i^

therefore evident that in this case the roots have little to do with the

nourishment- of the plant. Other instances confirm these inferences.

" In a country where many months pass without a drop of rain falling,"

says Hilaire, " I have seen, during the dry season, cactuses covered with

flowers, maintaining themselves on the burning rocks by the aid of a few

weak slender roots, which sink into the dried-up humus which ha.s found

its way into the narrow clefts of the rock." Nevertheless, most plants

are nourished, to a large extent, through their roots.

of a dull niii
ant as tho>c' .it
rcncc bctucLii
into mid air —
ss of its roots
)ut symiu'jtiy,
i, so little f.u-
unctions in xhr

it first, a sinLjU-
)t, lateral root-
'oots siihdiviil'
\r latcr.d routs
, as much as in
)lder plants this
and in scedlmj^
;uch as the liLct
)rmally ilesliy.
mc plants which
uches the earth.
s, as the mistlc-
hes (if a delicate
lumber of otlicr
notion than to
othinsJ to their

been for some
y heiyht. which

branches with

t sfjuarc, filled
watered. It i-^

to do with the
lese inferences,
of rain falling."
es covered w ith

the aid of a few
,vhich has found
;ss, most plants

CURIOSITIES OF Tin: VEGF.TABL1-: KINODOM.

Mr)

Vi*;^ctablc pln'siolo;^y approaches very nearly that of animals. Like
them plants exhale moisture al)undantly by their whole surface. It is this
wliiJi, condensed upon the leaves by the cold of nit^ht, forms on them
limpid little drops of water, which the vulvar incorrectly ascribe to a
deposit of atinospiicric moisture.

TJie idea that plants trans[>ire like animals is due to Muschenbrocck,
one of the professors who have contributed most to rcnderinij the univer-
sity of Ixyden illustrious. I'or this purpo.se he covered with a plate of
lead the whole circumference of the rotjt of a wliite popp\', so aUo prevent
the vapor of tlic earth from interferini; with his experiment. The plant
u;ls then covereil with a bell-t;lass cemented to the lead. After that eacii
niornin.ij when the naturalist came to visit the imprisoned plant he observed,
that even durintj the driest nights its leaves were covered with an iiinu-
merahle (piantity of those drops of water to which the name of dew is tjiven,
and that the sides of the f^lass them.selves were quite obscured with it. It
is not then from the air that the dew of the meadow and the leaf comes,
but, as the Dutch naturalist learned, from the sweating of the plant ; dew
is only their pcrs[)iration condensed.

Phmt.s that llaiii.

This fact being thoroughly establisheil, it only rcmaineil to decide the
animmt which vegetable transpiration produces. Mariotte tried a very
elementary experiment on this head. Having cut off a branch and ccjv-
ered the section with nnpermeable cement, he observed that the leaves,
while withering, hail lost two tea-spoonfuls of water in two hours, at a
time when the air was tolerably warm. The naturalist therefore concluded
that in twelve hours the branch would lose a dozen tea-spoonfuls.

Hut such an estimate was far from being exact. Guettard managed
better; he conceived the idea of not separating the branch from the plant,
but of enclosing it in a globe of gla.ss, ti-rminating outwardly in a neck
which was inserted into a flask. When all was hermetically sealed, the
moisture transpired, condensing- itself little by little on the sides of the
t^lobe, fell drop by drop into the bottle situated beneath it, and could be
collect. '1 without the slightest loss, so that nature was left to herself

Wh. 1 on a burning summer day, exhausted and streaming with perspi-
ration, we .see in the by-nook of a parterre the garden sun-flower, we admire
its heavy Poral crown turned towards the luminary which it ceaselessly
accompanies in its course, and its ample and motionless leaves ; but this
apparent calm vails a most unexpected vital energy.

Who indeed would think that the perspiration exhaled by the lcav< '•f
the plant is more copious than that which moistens our foreheads ? . *t

iW' Hi

'T^l

[')

846

I'.AR'I'H, SKA, AND SKV

sciiMK i; I), IS ])ro\((l this ; afl-'r djinDnstratin,; tlu' cxi-^U'iuc of vrq-rtable
traii-i[)ir.ilii III, it has daiud to csliinate roniparativcly \\\:' piochut «>f it.

An oM physici.in of I'a'.hia, Sanctoriiis, who^c originality has luc-inie
CL'Iib;ati (1, li.id the patience to pass a !.',i\'at part of hi-shfc in a pan- if
scales, \vci;',h in '; and ii'-\\ci_^hiii;j^ himself c\'cry niinntf in t!ic <!a\-. in mdcr
to ascertain liow much l.>ss his hotly underwent by trans]uration.

I lales, \\ ithout havin;,,^ thj same p. rseveran.'-, attempted to ascertain
wliat weiidlt of water a sun-flower lo^t daily hy its leaves. l<'or lius pu;-
jMJse h>" |)ut one of these plants into a pot, tlu' up;)er surf.ice of wliiiii,
herm lieally closed willi a j»lat(.- of Ka 1. <'nly presented one .small pcel<
thioii'di wh.ieh it could !)■ \vate!'.d. liy weii;hin;f this sun-flower daiiv
his s;;ales showed him that it lost, by the transi)iration of its lea\-cs only,
twenty ounces i>f wa!"r in the 1 w ; nl\'-four hours, heini; seventeen timr?

as threat a> our own.

But the \e;4etable m.iiwl in r(.'s])(;et to trans])iralion is the weepin;^^-
tree, wlucli was seen soiiie )'eais a;.;o in one of tlu; Canary Islands. The
witer fell like copious rain from its tufted roIia'.;e. Cvjliected at the iwt
of the tiee, it fortm.'d a kind of pond, from whiih the inhabitants of the
vicinity furni-^hed themselves with water.

AVtM'piii.y- Trt'c.

At Inst, sa\s a naturalist, I .susi)eeteil some cxa,:jgcration in the accounts
given by tra\'ellers as to tiie transpuation of this tree, but after scciiiLj an
arbo:e-;cent fuchsia in one of [Iw. iri'een-iunisis of the botanical rardin of
Rouen rain down so much water upi>n the plants round aljout it lh;it it
was necess.uy to remo\e them, I luwe bclie\ed their statements.

The in sensible transpiration is demonsti-ated by the most simple cxpuri-
mciU. Il i ■; onl\' lu-cessary to [)l ice a plant underadi\' b 'll-c^lass, the
base of which is piunL;eil in niercur)-. In a few seconds all the iiiikT
surface of the tdass is covered with tin_\ drops of water, \ Inch beceinc
condensed and i un (low nwards.

In the " llisior)' of the Canaiy Islands," by Galindo, it is slated tl;.r
there w;i> at h'crro a laurel-tree which, according to Roulin, furnisiied lii;'
natives of the island with drinking water. This fluid distilleil drop by
dro;) from the folia:re, and was preserved in cisieins. This marvchni-
vegetable fountain was, (.luring part of the da_\\ enveloped in a cloi;,!,
from the bosom of which it (.Ircw its supply of water. I'iut the tnulitifn
of the tree (juoted b_\- the old historian of the seventeenth centur}- is ni
longer found among the con(pierors of the island.

The leaves of other plants, more tenacious of the perspiration they dis-
til, collect it in little cujis, which are found at their ends, sometimes

rocliict of ii.
ity lia> brc.ivar
life ill ;i p.iir "f
Ik: (la\'. in milor
)iration.

ted li> ascertain
I'or llus pur-
irl.icc- of which,
one .small iiL\i<
sun- flower daily
" its leaves omy,
seventeen Uma

is the weepin;^^-
ry Islands. Th'-"
lected at the f )ot
nhahitanl^ of tht'

m in the accounts
lit after seein- an
)tanical t^ardm ul
d about it tlutit
Jcincnt-.
)>t simple expcri-
; y bell-c;lass, tk
;vls all the inner
; . \ hirh Imo'IIK'

, it is statrtl tlial

lilin, furnished the

distilled drop by

This marvcloih

I oped in a clout.,

Ikit the tradition

inth ctutuiy is iv

spiration thcyili-
iMids, sonietinwii

(547)

"inr'

548

IvARTlI, Si:.\, AM) SKY.

i)^ ilf It

constaiitlx open, soiiictimcs closintr and opcnini; by means of ;i niovahlo
lid.

In the first rank we ou^ht to plaee the famous |:)itcher plant. Its leaves
display a stroni; mid-rib, which extends beyond the blade and ends m. ;,ti
ck\q;ant cylindrical cup, provided with a hint^ed lid, which spontaiKua^K'
opens and closes accordint^ to tiie state of the atmosphere. Durin,; Uir
ni_i;ht this lid sinks down and hermetically closes the little \asc, which
then fills with limpid water exhaled by its \\alls. Durinfj the day ihc
lid is raised and the fluid ex'aporates more or less completely. The iirn-
eficent nepenthe has oftt-n cjuenched the thirst of the Indian lost in hi>
burning deserts.

In the marshy f^jrests of Southern America Providence lias intrusted
this tadc to another distillinL;" plant, the purple .sarracenia, the structure of
which is no less eccentric. Its leaves, uniting at their edges, are trail ;-
formed into elegant cups, the narrow opening of which is surmounted hv
an ample green auricle decoratetl with scarlet reil \-eins, to which the
species owes its p.ame. These cujys, presents from the empire of noi.i. ami
which rise fiom spot to s|iot at the feet of the traveller, are filled with pure
and delicious water, for the benefit of which he is all the more grateful.
as he is encircled by nothing but marshes, the water of which is luke-
warm and nauseous.

Some i)lants, instead of tlistilling their resinous products drop bv dnip,
form a gaseous vapor, ai.d this clings so clo.se around the plant, that if,
during the twilight of a still, burning hot summer day, we approacl it
witli a lighted candle, the vapor takes fire, iuul j)roduces a bright li;^ht
which envelops all the foliage, sparkling like the substances burned in the
theatres on the torches of the furies, Tiiis can i^e seen in the fra\inelia
cultivated in our gardens. .Should the atmosphere be less tramiuil, the
experiment is easily made by surrounding the plant with a glass case.
So soon as an ignited body is plunged into it, a general combustion i-nsuev

Plants that I'lasli Li^litnin^'.

Other plants, during darkness, project inexplicable gleams of iiLjlit.
This extraordinary phenomenon, which is attributed to electricity, u;b
first pointed out by Madenioi.sellc Linna^nis, and afterwards recogni/.eil Iv
some naturalists.

When speaking of vegetable secretions, we cannot, in the present day,
omit a beautiful tree of the family of sapotaccaj, formerly considered use-
less, but which furnishes us with one of the mo.st precious substances-
gutta-percha. Spn-ad over the coasts of .Sumatra and Java, its pioducc
has only been advantageously worked during the last twenty years. Like

.ns of ;i niwv.ihlc

)hiiit. Us k-avcs
c ;iiul ciuls 11' ,i'i
h spi)ntanLuii-.ly
:\c. l)iirin;.;l'nr
ittlc vase, which
\\iv^ the (lay ihv
ctcly. Tin.' li'ii-
iidian lost in his

ICC lias iiUnistcd
a, the stnieluiv of
celiacs, are tian ;-
is surmounted hy
:ins, to which the
inpire of flora, and
ire filled with pure
the more 'grateful.
lof which is luko-

aleams of light
to electricity, \\;b
rds recogni/.cd hy

1 the present day,

y considered usc-

ous substances—

Java, its pP)ducc

\voklu-kenuwm:i) i.ndia-kuuuek ikice.

(549)

'Mm

"HI

sr.()

i-.AR'ni, si:a, and sky

till- .t;t)l(l of ( aliforiiia, lliis tree lias rauscd {^ cit social i h.uii^c.-. ,,i the

count lies ulu'rc it throws.

A Trrr that liivrs Milk.

In (.'.ir.ieas, in St)iilh Aiiu-rica, i^rows llie cou-trcc \\ !;ic!i, u h. n its
trunk Is uouiui. 'I. furnishes an abundant supjiK- oi in;ii:. of whi.i: tlii-
liavL'lK-r can ronfuk'nlly drink freely, for it unites all the (lualitie-s i.f tlic
milk of ()Ui- (li)inestic animal, which it entirely replaces in some countries
ol America. We take the followinij extract from the journal of a lia\rlKi
in Sovith Ameiica : Supplied u itii vessels, \vc went on a few j-arti^ furilur.
when we stopped uniler an iMiormous tree, one- of the i;iants of du- i^\v>\.
Its trunk was covered with deeply scored reeldish and ruj^^i^fi' 1 haiK. A
native patted it, ^ayin;4. "This my cow." Another tree of the s.uiu
species, but much smaller, L,n-ew near. I le ran to it, and saying,', " Small
cow s^ive betti:r inill, ," bej^an to attack it with his axe. \{Wx luakiii'.^ i
few strokes, out llowed a perfectl\- white licpiid, which was caught m tli,-
monkey-cup. The milk continueil to How in <;reat abundance, s(. \\y,\
wo soon had four cups filled full of the temptini; licpiid. ( )n tastiui; ituc
found it sweet, and of a not un|)lea.sant flavor, aiul wonderfully like milk

( )ne of the trees which yield our internal economy services as iin|)(inant
as the precetiinLj is the butter-tree It furnishes the -nc lmocs of the \i-ei
with a secretion which thoy substitute for the InLn'edient used in our
kitchens, and with which the\" prepare all tluMr food. It is sold ahuii
dantly la iheii- markets, where it is known as shea-butter.

Natuie offjrs us in profusion the greatest contrasts. On one side,
with generous and beneficent hand she lavishes food and salutary reme-
dies; on the other, she only distils poisons, as though in the laboratory
of Medea. Here we see opium perspiring like a nnlky dew from the
heads of our poppies, and berojning so indispensable to the art of medi-
cine, that Sydenham, tin; lljpp-)crates of modern times, saitl lie would
renounce his profession were lie deprived of this powerful aiutdync
There we behold the [loisons of belladonna, datura, and henbane, by
turns useful and deadly.

lUit no tree bears in its invisible laboratories such precious crystnl-
as the cinchona; nature f)ffers us no other medicine v\hicli is .so potent
The cinchona alone arrests the ravages of deadly fevers in then lut.il
progress ; without it many coimtries would be uninliabitable. nian\- jou'-
neys impossible. Hence, in their entliusiasm about its marvelous
power, many physicians, in imitation of Torti, have given it the name of
" herculean remedy."

As respects the milk or cow -tree, Humboldt, wiio analyzetl it.'^ pr"

ili:inL;c.> .u th(r

\s!;icli, -a1'. n its
.Ik, t)f whi'li the
c (iualilii> ">' till'
in some ci>uuliics
irnal of a uavrlloi
few yai\i^ furilur,
iants of Uu- f in^t.

niLj'^e i liark A
tree of llie Ninu
ikI sa\■in'^^ " Small
Afler inakiiiLi i

was caui;ht m ili--
abundancr, ^'> ili, t
On lastini; il vm
lulerfuUy lik^ "'ili
Tvicesas iiuii'M-Mir.
■L'-roe>. of th<- Ni^oi
erlient useii m niir
It is sold d\)M\

ter.

sts. On one M(!c,
and salutary rcnu-
h in the laboratory
ilky dew from the
to the art of nicdi-
nies. said lie wou'.d
powerful anodyne
a, and henbane, by

\h precious crystak
which is SO! '"tent
fevers in then' fatal
Lbitable, many jour-
Lvit its marvelous
[riven it the name of

EXTRACTING MII.K I-KOM TIIK 'OW-TKir.

«i.

jiillS|

•.M)

analvzcd its pro-

55:i

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

ilEiiili^^

^WBUbl

!i.

■\

Mil

ducts, states that its physical properties are exactly similar to those of
cow's milk, except ihar il i.> a little more viscous. It is remarkable for
containing an enormous quantity of wax. This substance constitutes
the half of its weight, and hence the learned chemist proposed to culti-
vate the tree in order to extract the wax.

Mystoriivs of Vo^rtablo lAVv.

Like animals, j)lants ma\- be infinitely little or infinitely hu^i^e ; the latter
astonish us by tlieir coUos.sal proportions, w hile the former esca[)e (uir ken
and are only revealed by the microscope. The study of the developni. nt
of plants in respect to their mere si/.e pre.senls us with curious contracts.

Some rudimentaiy ])lants, such as the a.scophori, mouUl funi^M uhieh -o
frecjuently in\ade our bread, and the asptr;_;illi uhieh we often see forniuiL;
<;lairy repulsi\e-lookinc^ films in the Ihn'ils wr drink, pt)ss(;ss only analiiin-t
invisible stalk. Woody plants, on the ct»ntrary, often astonish us Ijy the
enormous dimensions of these parts. 'I he old auth(>^,^ who describe (ici-
many tell us that there were trees there, from the trunl< of one (-if which
beats were made which carried as many as thirty men

I^'rom the times of antiquity the luxuriant growth of the plane-trci-s on
the banks of the l)osphotus and the Black Sea has been the subject of n-
mark, and the botanists of our day ha\e provetl that what our forefathers
said was in no way exa(.:j;,;erated.

Men wt re almost inr'in.ed to disbelieve the account of I'lmy, who .-.t.ites
that \v. his time there was in Lycia a stout thiivinc; plane-tree in tlu- timrK
of w hieh was .Neen a vast j^rotto cirdity-one feet in circumference, the wh<lc
extent of wl'iich had been tapestried by naliii\ with a i^rcen and \tl\ely
hanL^in;.,' < f moss. Licinius Mutianus, j^overnor cf the pro\ince, chanutd
with the deli( ious coolness of this rural hall, .^ave a supper in it toeii^httt ii
uuest.- fioni his suite. Aft<:r the ori^v the\- transformed the scene ot thi ir
festivity into a dormilor), and comlortably jiassifl the nii;ht there.

This fact liu^ been fiill_\' coi'.firmed Iiy modem tra\elleis. l)e Candolle
rel.iles that accordin;_j to I lu- of theiii, there still exists in the neicjjhborlmcMl
of Constantinojile an eiioinious linK--tree, the trunk of which is quite ,is
ample as that of whieh we lia\i' l)ei'n speakin;^. It is 150 feet in circiim-
fer nee, and ;ilso present-- a ra\ ity vSo let t in circuit.

A Tver 'riaiisrornicd into a Chmcli.
The Re\. j, Ray, an l-aii^lish clerL:j_\-man who wrote a \aluable work tui
botany, speaks e,f an oak- e.sistini^ in his time in (lermany which wa-^i^t
such dimetr^iotv- ;hat it had been transformed irito a citadel. To ronlnic
ourselves niore .strictly to the truth, let us just say that its interior served
as a ijuaiil house We mav here mention another tree of the same kuid,

ir to those of
;markable for
cc constitutes
loscd t(i culti-

igc ; tllL- latter
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still ^rowinc,' in N'ormaiidy, and whith, in contrast to tin- other, has been
consecrated to piety. This is ilic cha|)cl oak of Alloiu illc, in which there
is an altar dedicated to the Virijin, where on certain days nias>, is saiil.
The ample hollow ot this tree not only iurnishcs an oratory, but aljove this
a slccpinj^-roonj has been scooped out; tlnre is a bed in this room touliirh
access is ^jained by steps outside : it is the abode of an anchorite. This
tree, which iKrrhaps sheltered in its shade tlu' companions of theSei^nv n.
tie Ik-thencf)urt when on their way to embark for the confiui.-st of tlic Ca-
naries, is hehl in j^reat veneration in the country.

One of the most illustrious and philosopiiic botanists, Mar(iuis, re-
nowned alike for his eminent position and knowledge, mea.su red the
trunk of this tree, and i'ound that it was thirty feet in circumference near
the ground. There may be seen on the banks of the Bosphorus pi. me-
troes the trunks of which were pierced with enormous cavities. In the
neighborhood of Smyrna there is one of these trees celebrated for it.s
size and antitjuity. I'he stem which is hollowed right through, is spread
widely out at the base, and represents three columns, '\hich converj^c
towards each other, forming a sort of porch beneath which a m.in on
horseback can pass easily.

A Vo^ctnhle (iioliatli.

Yet the baobab on the banks of the Niger, in its splendid luxuriance
of growth, surpasses even all the gi.mts of the Hosphorus. It is espe-
cially remarkable for its thickness, contrasted with its waiU ot hei;^ht
It is a colossus of ungraceful look. ( )i e.iMonally without lea\es, hear-
ing them only in the rain\' season, its ulntish conical trunk, scarcely
fifteen to twenty feet in height, is mon- than a hundred feet in circum-
ference at the level of the grountl. ihis short and robu.'-t support is
IV cessary to sustain its increiiiljly large dome of leaves, the bulk of
which is sometimes so great that, seen Irom a distance, the baob.ib look^
rather like a small forest than .i single trei-. Its large branches are liliy
to sixty feet long. When time has iiollowetl out the stem <.!' unc ii
these noble trees, the negroes make use of the cavit\'. Sometimes tliey
turn it into a place of amusement, a rustic retreat where they can smoke
their chibouques and take refreshment ; at other times they convert ;t
into a prison One of these is known of which the Scnegambi.ins liavi-
converted the mtcrior into a council-h.ill ; the entrance is covered with
sculptures which point out the high destination resetvcd for it.

The leaves are of a deep green, and divided into five unequal parts.
each of which forms a narrow lanceolate fignre, radiating iVom a com-
mon centre, the outermost being smallest. Die tlowors. which t;row

CURK)SIIII-:S OF THK VIi lETAMLK KINGDOM

nr^sy

singly in a pendulous position, before iie appearance of the leaves, arc
I.irfje and white, crumpled at the ed^jc, he petals being much reflexed ;
the stamens numerous, and collected into a tube, which spreads at the
top into an umbrella-like head, from which rises a slender curved style,
terminating in a rayed stigma.

The bark and leaves of this tree possess considerable emollient proper-
ties, of which the natives take ad\antaL;e. The nali\es n\ikc a dail\ iim-
of tile pouiuletl leaves of llu- boabab, which they call /<//<', to mi. \ with
their food, for the pur[)ose of mducing perspiration. Its flowers an' pro-
portioned to the gigantic trunk, their breadth being from five to six inclus.
The fruit, called by the French settlers on the Senegal monke\- bread, is
ovoiil, pointed atone of its extremities, ami from eight to eighteen inches
long by six or seven broad. It encloses in its interior from ten to forty
cells, containing kidney-shaped seed, surroumled 1)\- mucilaginous pulp,
which is sweet, and of an agreeable flavor ; the juice, when extracted and
mixed with sugar, forms a beverage \ery useful in the putrid anil pestil-
ential fevers of the counliA". The friul is transportetl into the eastern and
southern parts of Africa; and the Arabs carry it to the conntrie> round
Morocco, whence it finds its way into ICgypt. The negroes take part of
the damaged fruit and the ligneous bark, and burn them for the sake of
the ashes, from wliich they manufacture soap by means of palm oil.

Stran^'e Burial Phico.

They make a still more singular use of the trunk of the baobab ; they
deposit in it the bodies of those among them whom they consider im-
worthy of the honors of sepulture. They select the trunk of some
baobab already attacked and hollowed out b\- insects or decay; they in-
crea.se the cavit)-, and make a kind of chamber, in which they suspend
the body. Ihis done, they close up the entrance of this natural tomb
with a j)lank. The body be'conies perfectly dry in the int^'rior of this
cavity, and becomes a perfect munun\- without further preparation. This
kind of sepulture is esjiecially reserved f)r the Gueriots ; they are the
musicians and poets, who preside at all fetes and dances at the courts of
the negro kings.

During their life this kind of talent give^ tlu:m influence, and makes
them respectcii by other negroes, who 'ook upon and Ikmiot tluni as sor-
cerers ; but after death this n^spect is succeded I)\' a kind of horror.
These superstitious peojjle imagine that if they consigned the body of
one of these sorcerers to tlu' earth, as the\' would the bodies of other
men, they would draw up(Mi themselves the celestial malediction. I lence
tile monstrous baobab st'r\'es as their resting place. It is a strange senti-

t*^h *•

iiiifi

(o.-»(J)

COLU.-..-AL IJAalJAli 1)1.- Tin: VIKiWN 1.0Kii.STo OF AFKICi,.

l^l,

CURIOSITIKS OF TMK VKOETAIU.R KIXCDOM.

.).»/

mcnt which leads barbarous people to bury their poets between heaven
ami earth in the heart of this vei;etable kint^.

Vet whatever astonishment we may feel at the extraordinary »Iimrn-
sions attained by the trunks ot certain trees, the heiiiht to which others
irach strilvcs us still more th.m their <^rowth in diameter. Ihc kinjj of
our forests, the oak, which poetic fiction looks upon as tin- emblem of
passive force, rears its crown of leaves one hundred feet above the soil.

In the Ivisl the impijsin<j remains of the ancient forest employed in
l)Uilding the temple of Jerusalem, the cedars of Lebanon, the object of
so much veneration, and wliich the pilrjrim only api>roaches with tiic
sounds of a hymn on his lips, spread forth their dark sheets of verdure
at a height of 150 feet above the mountain. Supported only by its lle.xi-
ble column, which yields and bends beneath the force of the tempest,
the wax-palm on the Andes balances its wavin^^ crown in the bosom A
the clouds 2CKD feet above the heit^hts whereon it j^rows.
(jSiaiits with I1<-:i(1h in tlKt I'loiids.

Hill no trci: rears its head towards the sky so boldly as the gitjantic
cedar of California. One colossus of this species, now hurled down and
stretched upon the rock, presented when it stood erect and threatening^
a liL-if^ht of more than 490 feet, that is to say, about ei<;ht times the ele-
vation of a house of five stories. It was above i ^o feet in ci. cumfcrence

The bark of the trunk of one of these giants of our American forests
was transported in part to the Crystal Palace at London, where it formed
one of the most splendid curiosities, until accidentally destroyed by fire
in 1866. It was a monstrous column, above 130 feet in hcij^ht, and
which at the level of the ground had a diameter of nearly thirty-four
feet. At San hVancisco a piano was placed and a ball given t(^ more
than twenty persons on the stump of a cellar which had been brou<:;ht
thither. The age of this colossus corresponds to its dimensions. By
counting the number of annual rings in a transverse section, it was as-
certained that the.se monstrous trees must be several thousand years old,
.so that they seem to have stood erect and unshaken amidst many of the
commotions of the crlobe

Alongside of these giants stretched prostrate on theground, man only
looks like a pigmy and feels his littlcne.«is. He calls them the mammoths
of the forest, to show that, like those frightful animals which surpassed
all others in their size, they tower above all the vegetable kingdom.

VogotJiblo Fjonffovity.

Rut if anything ought to astonish us in the life of trees it is their lon-
gevity ; we might even go farther, and speak of the principle of eternity

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(716) 872-4503

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EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

wliicli is clearly latent in some species, the death of which seems rather
to depend upon fortuitous ( ircunistances tiian on the fact of a^e. llic
life of animals is quite ephemeral compared to that of our trees. Minute
investii^ations have thrown considerable li^^ht upon the chronoloi^y of
many of them. Some of them live commonly 200 or 300 years.

The pine and ^reat chestnut can assuredly extend their existence U> a
term of 400 or 500 years. In the island of Teneriffe are found many ven-
erable pines and enormous ch'.'snut-trces, which, in all probability, were
planted there by the Conqui.stadores at the commencement of the fifteenth
centur\-, the epoch of the invasion of this island. The former are dis-
tinguishable from the others, owinc^ to the conquerors havins^ in their
piety decorated them nearly all with little madonnas, which are still .seen
suspended to their boughs.

The lime-tree of Morat, planted at Fribourg on the day of the cele-
brated battle, is one of the oldest trees in Europe. This glorious event
in the history of Switzerland, having occurred in the year 1476, the ven-
erated tree, which is encircled by a colonnade;, and of which the aijed
branches are upheld by a framework of wood, must be now more than
400 years old.

The fir attains a still greater age. In some of the most ancient forests
of Germany, situated on mountain summits, as many as 700 annual layers
have been counted on sonic of the trees cut down there.

The olive-tree, so rev. 'red in ancient Greece, and which inspired such
beautiful ver.ses in the tragedy of yEdipus by Sophocles, reached a much
greater age, according to the ancient myth. Pliny even asserts that in
his time the celebrated olive-tree which Minerva cau.scd to spring from
the ground at the epoch of the foundation of the city of Cecrops was still
to be seen in the citadel of Athens.

Sheltering an Army.

An immense tree on the road from Vera Cruz to Mexico is celebrated
for having sheltered the whole army of PVrnando Cortez beneath its mighty
shade. Its birth, according to some botanists, seems to date from an epocli
so remote as to be almost beyond our ken. As its trunk, which is 1 17 feet
in circumference, surpas.ses that of the baobabs, and as its growth is slower
that theirs, De Candolle supposes this tree may be several thousand years
old. The army of Cortez was composed of six hundred Spanish fo^t-
soldicrs, forty horsemen, and nine small pieces of artillery.

Meanwhile we ought not to be astonished at seeing some botani.sts look
upon trees as so many beings, the life of which is unlimited, and many of
which, born amid the debris of former cataclysms, still vegetate full ofsap

h seems ratlin
t of at;e. I'lic
tr(X's. Minute
chronolos^y nf
years.

existence Ui a
lund many \xu-
robability, were
; of the fiftctiuh
"ormer are dis-
laving in tluir
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lay of the cclc-

jrlorious event

1476, the veii-

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ancient forests
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asserts that in

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CO is celebrated
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c from an ei)och
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rowth is slower
thousand years
d Spanish fodt-

e botanists look
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I IK;]: Hi!:

(559)

660

EARTH, SEA AND SKY.

and vigor. Dc Candollc, who pvits forward tliis opinion, considers th
giants of our forests as so many aLji;regatcs of individuals, or buds, annu-
ally succeeding on the stem, which thus represents a living' soul. 'I liis
.stem grows on, century after century, and only succumbs by accident, as
when struck by lightning, or when its suckers cannot find nutritive juices.
Thus then, we repeat, actual science demonstrates what antiquity liail
only dimly seen.

dragon's-hlood trek of the isl.\nd of tenekiffe.

The slow development of the trunks of certain trees at once ca'ls i ];
images of immobility and eternity. The dragon's blood tree of the Cana-
ries awakens such thoughts. Thrice famous for its strange look, its vast
size, and its antiquity, this dragon's-blood tree is equally so for the station-
ary condition of its growth. In the legends of Teneriffe we are told that
tliis singular tree was worshipped by the Guanches, its original inhabit-

CURIOSITIES OF THE VEGETABLE KINGDOM.

5(11

ants; and it is related that in tlic fif'tcLntli ccntur)- mass was celebrated in
the interior of its trunk, a fact e\en lately attested by the vestig-es w hieh
WLi-e seen of a little altar. This tree ^n-ows so slowly that after a tolerably
lon.Lj,- interval of time it was not p(>ssible to verify an\- chaiii^e in its cir-
cuniterence.

n was accuratel)' measured in 1402 b_\- the companions of Bethc-ncmirt
at the time when the\' discovered the island, that is to sa)-. mi-ie than 4X5
yeais ayo, and since then it has in vo \\a\- increased in diameter. Time
ha> passed o\er without touchin;.^ it. Humboldt, when he ascended the
peak of Teneriffe in l/(jn, nvasured this tree a little abo\e the le\-el of the
ground, and fiiund it forty-fn-e ieet in circumfeivnce.
Wlu're ('aniplior Comes From.

Whilst the cinchonas and tlie cinnamon conceal their acti\-e juices in
the thickness ol the bark, other trees, such a^ the camphoi- laurel, spread
thcni tlirouL;"h all their ori;"ans — stems, roots, and leax'cs. These trees,
covered with brilliant ;^la/ed leaves of bri;,;"ht L^reen. ornament the re-
[TJons of India and ja\a. The camphor which the\- furnish is extracted
in the easie.st manner: all the nati\-es ha\e to do is to break up the tree
into small pieces, and heat thesi; in water, when the precious essence con-
denses on the li(-l of the retort.

The seeds of some plants are used by the Chinese as soap. Sowerby
has suf^-gested that the leaves < I the soapwort miL;ht be used for the pur-
pose, as they imdoui)tedl\- were in by-_L;one times, especially it is said by
the mendicant friars. The lather formed by boiling or bruising the seeds
in water has all the effect t)f soap, .md readil_\- removes grease, .so that we
here find nati, spontaneous!)- developing a great manufacturing pro-
di' t, which under man's liands has taken two thousand years to bring to
its ])resent perfection.

IV^neath the bu^-ning sun of India, where the naja distils its dreadful
venom, the nettles secrete a mortal poison I'his analog)' to the reptile
is doublv- exact, so that we are not at all astonished to see a German bo-
tanist call the urtic.e " the serpents of the vegetable kingdom." It is in
fact b)- the sa.ne kind of organ that the plants introduce the venom into
a wound ; and if we look at the minute tpiantit)' withi which one of thei •
hairs inoculates us, not perhaps tiie hundred and fifty thousandth part ot
a ^.rrain ! — at the rapidity and intensity of the .symptoms — it i.s clear that
the poison of the nettle is the deadliest known.

Our indigenous sjiecies only produce a burning sensation, wh'ch is
soon dissi])ated, I)ut those of tropical countries give rise to very seriou"^
results. Leschenault says that he has seen the stin^ of the indented
86

ll^ji'lffti

502

KARTII, Si: A, AXn SKY.

nettle briii;4' c»n the nmst lutniblc sufrciiiiL;- for ;i wliolc week. Another
species, which ljiow.-. ;iL Timor, and which the natives call the tle\il's leaf
produces such serious wounds, that, accordiiic^ to Schleiden, aniputation
is tlie sole means ofsa\in;^^ life.

Tho ratal I'lias.

In the niitlsi of this fearful cohort of deadly i)lants, the upas-tree ..f
Java stands prominentl)' out as one of those which distil the most tirrihlc
juices. Its action is such that a weapon dipj)ed in it at once kills ,iiiy
an'mal it strikes. TraveHers relate havin.L^ seeti sexx-ral criminals die in
si.K minutes after beini;' pricked below the bosom witli a lancet dii)pcd ii;
the juice of this tree.

\o tree has been the subject of so many ricHculous fables as the upas,
and till cpiite lately they were popularly believed. ( )n the faith of a Dutch
surgeon it was related tliat the upas Howed from a unic[ue and sin-.ular
tree, which \eL;etated in the mitlst of a fri^ditful s'/'litude in Ja\a, " the
valley of death." Accordin;.;- to this traveller, no lixinL; creaturt: could
resist the poisonous \a;)ors which it e.xhaliMl, and for three or tour leai^nics
around only dead bodies and skeletons of men aiul animals were to Ijc
met with. The biixls themsel\es which ventured into the surroundiii;'-

air fe

the irround as if sti uc]< b\' lisihtnin'j". Criminals condemned t(

capital punishment alone essa\-ed the ta.sk of wresting its infernal protluce
from the tree. Nfany tried the jjcrilous journey, but very few returiitd
from it.

It is disgraceful to be obliged to admit, that we owe the refutation oi
this fabulous narrative to so recent a writer as Leschenault. This travel-
ler noticed that the famous poison is furnished by two species of trees
whicii grow amid the forests of Ja\a. So far frt)m exercising a deleterious
influence upon all that surrounds them, they are encompassed by a luxu-
rious vegetation, while birds, lizards, and insects lend animation to their
boughs and foliage. Tlie learned Frenclinian. while examining one of
these trees which he had had cut down, had his face and hands co\ercd
witli exudation flowing from the l^roken branches, yet he experienced no
bad effects from this circumstance.

But it is very different when the juice of the upas is introduced uMo the
organi.^m b\' means of tlie smallest puncture. A wound of this kiml de-
stroys a dog in five or six minutes, as Magendie noticed in his ex];erinients.
Eight droj)s of the juice injected into the veins of a horse kill it directly,
3Iodiciiio Stored up in tho Vegetable Kinjfrtoin.

Other plants, more happily gifted, in.stead of tliese deadly poisons
elaborate at the same time medicinal aeents and nutritive matters. One

jck. An(-)thcr
:hc devil's \r:\f
cii, aniputalioii

ic upas-trcr "f
ic most tiTiihlr
once kills any
riniinals da: in
ancet dipped in

.Ics as the upas,
faith of a Diitih
Lie ami siivjailar
k- in Ja\a, " iho
>• creature CDuld
J or four Icai^ucs
mals were to 1)0
the surrountlin;^^
lis condemned U>
infernal produce
cry few reluriKd

the refutation of
lit. This travel-
species of trees
in^ a deleterious
Dassed by a hixu-
imation to their
aniining one of
d hands covered
le experienced no

troduced into the
of this kind dc-
his exp-erimeiits.

Le kill it directly,

deadly poisons,
,-e matters. One

POISONOUS TKl'.K OR UI'AS OI" |A\A.

(5f53)

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EARTH, SEA AND SKY.

of these products furnishes a reined) in sickness, another increases the
luxury of our tables. This is the case with the rhubarbs. Their Iar>c
roots are c|uite full of purgative and stren^^thenin^^f principles, whilst ihij,
leaves display .strong .stalk.s wiiic'.i serve for food. In our countr\- an
enormous quantity is consumed in the .sprin<,^ for pastry and side-di>lus,
and at this time of the year trains of vehicles heavily laden with rhnharl)
lea\es are seen arri\inL^ at our markets.

For lon^f a kind of s\nipathy between certain plants has been obs(.T\((i
to exist, as if one lo\ed to be under the shade of the other. Thu.; on the
banks of cur rivulets the amaranth-colored flowers of the purple loose-
strife constantly adorn the vicinity of the willow. Other j)iants, on the
contrary, seem to experience an aversion one for the otiier, antl if man
inconsideratel)- compels them to approach each other, they lant^uisii or
die. The flax plant, for instance, .seems to ha\e a manifest antipathy for
the scabious. At the present time these peculiarities are ex|)iaine(l In-
assuming that the rojts emit protlucts favorable to certain species and
hurtful to others,

3Iarvol<>iis ICastorn Story.

Among the strange stories to be found in the narratix'es of the earl\-
travellers, few are more strange than that of the vegetable lamb of Tar-
tar}-. This story, as believed b\' the reading i)ublic,and even b)- the nat-
uralists of two centuries ago, is so marvelous, and so obviously absurd,
that the greatest wonder is that it e\ er could have been thought to be
true, even bv the most credulous in a dark age.

It was believed that in an elevated and uncultivpted salt-plain of groat
extent, west of tin- rixer Volga, there was to be found a wonderful crea-
ture, half animal and half plant, to which the natives gave the name of
barometz, meaning little lami). .Struvs informs us that the Tartars ami
Muscovites esteem it ver\- much, and the greater part preserve it with
great care in their tlwelling.s, where he had seen many of them.

To obtain it the Tartars .sow in the ground a seed like that of a melon.
from which in due time rises the strange i)lant, having the figure of a
Iamb, with the tcet, hoofs, ears, and the whole head, except the horns, o!
that animal, distinctly formed. It grows on a stalk about three feet in
height, being, according to one version, rooted to the ground bj' its four
feet, while another account raises the whole lamb, feet and all, from the
ground on a single stem, on which it is able to turn, and also to bow
itself downwards to the herbs on wliich it feeds. It lives as long as there
is grass and herbage around it, but when it has consumed all within it.s
reach it flies and withers away. Its skin is covered with a very white

increases tin.
Tlieir lai'Ljc
.'s, whilst tlu ii
.ir couiiti'v an
id sitlc-(li>liL's,
I with rhiiharl)

been ohs(.r\ rd
Thii.; Mil til'-
' purple loiise-
p'.ants, on the
er, and if man
cy huiL^uisp (ir
t antijjathy fur
J explained 1)\-
in species and

js of the early
; lamb of lar-
,'en b\- the nat-
viousK' absiu'd,
thou<rht to be

})lain of threat
vonderful crea-
e the name nl
le Tartars and
reserve it \\idi
t'nem.

at of a melon.
the fi'^ure ol a
)t the hoi-ns, ot
It three feet in

nd b)- its foil I-
id all, from the
d also to bow-
ls lono- as there
d all within its
h a very white

cuRKJSiTiEs Ol' riiH \-i:gktaiii.i-; KIXi.Ix i.M.

Oti")

down, as fine as silk, and is i^rj-^atly jirized by the Tartars, who pull it imT,
and wear it as a rover for the head. Inside it is c(;nipo.;ctl of ilcsh and
bones, and when wounded it i;ives out a lic[uid resembling blood. W'ob.cs
are said to be the only animals that will eat it, aiul the\- are \er\- foiul of it.

L'MQUE T.\KTAKIAN LAMB.

Specimens of this remarkable production were looked upon as tiie
rarest treasures in the collections of the curious in days gone b}-. Two
different specimens have been described in the " Philosophical Trans-
action.s " and a third has its portrait Lji\en in an enijraving in Mr.

ir:ilJ

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EAh'TH, Si:.\, AND Si^^•.

Diruin's - I'loui r (iardi-ii." aiul its history told in the tlorid verse of that
work. These various fii^ures ha\e In-en introduced !)>' the artist into !iu'
acconii)an>-inL,' illustration, uhieh not only i^ives tlu; old (able, hut it^
modern interpr^'tation as well.

The" lanil)"is a n.ilural production, ^reall\- hel])ed in the de\el..p-
nienl of the j)articulars in which it most resembles that ere aturc l)\ ij,..
in^^i'uuits- of the natives. The body is a portion of the creei)in-- st-'m ,,t
a tribe of ferns, which ^^enerall\' ^row as erect as trees. This stem i-
densely co\ered with beautiful jointed silky hairs of a rich i^olden cojur
On the surface next the j4ronnd a few roots are p;i\en off, while the leavo
—or fronds, as they are called in ferns — sprin-' from the upper surfa. ••.
'I he fronds are as much as tueUe or fourteen feet hii,di, and ha\i' a |..ii.^
bare stalk bef<Me the leaf is spread out. The Tartar takes a suitable pwi
tion of this creepinL;- stem for a body, deprives it of the roots, and ( f all
tile leaf stalks except four, which are intended to be the leL;s, two sli'Mt
ones for the ears, and a stumj) for the tail, and then turnin;_M't up-ade-
down, trims the stem, and so produces this mar\el of the early explMmx.
The fern is a native of Eastern Asia; it lias been introduced into nur
conser\atories, where it flourishes, producing;-, after a few years' -^mutli.
^aiod specimens of the " lamb.

Ihe silky hairs of this fern form a fa\-orite remed_\- anioni;- the Cdinicsr
foi- checking; the flow of blood b\- apply in l^^ them to a wound, in the same-
way as felt or cobwebs are used b\- some people in this country. The
more fibrous and elastic haiis of several .species of the .same group, na-
tives of the Sandwich Islands, are lari^ely exported from these islaiKb tn
California and Australia for stufhn<j cushions, and similar puqioses.

The Kamtvsia.
" Conu' with nie, sir ; come ! A flower, \ery large, beautiful, wonder
ful I'' exclaimetl a Malay, who drew tlie attention of Dr. Arnold [n a
flower, remarkable alike for its enormous size and its anomalous structure
and habit. Ami the surprise of the Mala}- was nothing compared uiih
that of Dr. Arnold and his companions. Sir Stamford and Lad}- Kallks,
when, following their nati\e attendant, they saw among the bushes cf a
jungle a flower apparent!}' springing out of the ground, without stem e
leaf, and measuring at least a \'ard in diameter. The first news of tlii-
remarkable disco\-er\' created a great amount of curiosity in Europe, and
no papers ever read at the Linnrean Society can be compared, for the in-
interest they excited, with those in which the illustrious Robert Brown
described this wonder of the vegetable world.

Sir Stamfortl Raffles having been appointed governor of a settlement in

CrRl(»SITIi:S Ol' Tin-; VIXIKTAULF. KIXtlDoAl,

507

)ri<l vcrsc" of that
the artist i'iUm tiic

lid fahlr, l);it ii>,

1 111 tlk' (k\clM])-
t Cl\:atllli- 1)\ li|..
cr(jc[)iiiL;- st'in i,|
s. This strm i.
ich golden cni(ir
"", while till' lca\(.;.s

and ha\L' a !> iiiv
cs a suitahlc pur-
' roots, and I f all
ic 1c"l;'s, t\\ I > sli'.rt
iirniny; it iip-.iik'-
c cai'ly cxplnrcis;.
roduccd into nur
'\v years' s^rowdi.

lon;^' til;' riiiiirsc

»und, in tin- sanif

s country. Tlu:

same 5^'roii];, 11,1-

leautiful, wondi r

")r. Afiiold t'' a

nialous stnictuiv

;■ compared w ilh

)f a settlement in

Sumatra, and impelled l)\- his L^reat Io\-e for nature, resoKed to explore
that litile-k.ioun island. On iiis lust journe\-, in iSiS, he took with him
1 )r. Arnold, an anient and proniisini;' naturalist, who diei.1 as a new world
^\ as opcninjT before him. He, however, discovered this ^d^anlie llowcrj

his drawings and descriptions were left unfinished, but his patron carefully
preserved andpeifected them, and Robert Ilrown perpetuatei' the memory
of both in connection with the plant, b)' naming it Rafflcsia Ar)ioldi.

The most striking feature in the RaffLsia is its enormous size ; indeed,
it is the largest and most magnificent flower in the world. It is compo.sed

■■< '

' i

, ^

' -2

i . I !

Hf V

'\X'

I'-: ■

-5 ih .

4 -.r,.^

4l1

"vNm

5f!8

EARTH. SKA, AND SKY.

r^ V.

ofliVL: roiindisli Icaws or petals, each a foot ultoss. nfa brick red color
but covered with numerciis irre;;ular }TlI()\vi>li w liile sweUiiii^s. 'Mu.
petals siirrdiiiul a lari^o cup nearly a foot wide, tlie margin of which beats
the stamens; and this cup is filled \sith a tle-.hy di-k-,the upper surfaci; . it'
which is e\er\\\heie covered with curved j)roject:<)ns, like minialuiv
cow's horns. The cup, when freed frt>m its contents, would hold ahmt
twelve pints «/f water. The llmver weiL;hs fiftet'n pounds. It i^ \irv
thick; the petals bein;.; fioni one to three-(|u. liters of an iiich.
<iiorj;«'<>iis I''h»Avrr willi Hrpiilsivo 0<lor.

A flower of such dimensions and wei;j;ht miL;ht bo expected to be a
treasure to the perfumer ; but, alas, its odor is exactly that of tainted
beef! Dr. Arnold supposed that even the flies whiclt swarmed over the
flower when he discovered it were deceived* by its smell, and were de-
positinL,^ their eg;^s iti the thick disic, taking,- it for a piece of carrion !

Another cause of wonder to the little band of explorers who discov-
ered it, was that they ccndd find no leaves connected with it. It sprau'r
from a small, leafless creeping stem, about as thick as two fingers. Now
a plant w ilhont le:ives is like an animal wathout a .'stomach ; for the
leaves are to the plant what the stomach is to tlic animal ; they scpaiMto
from the air the food needed for the growth of the plant. Without
them tliere could be no wood, no bowers, no fruit, no seed. Plant-;,
therefore, have leaves — soine consist of only a leafy expansion, and c\' n
the single cells of minute and microscopical plants are really leaves re-
duced to their simplest structure.

There are, however, strange plants which are actually leafiess, making
up for this want by using the leaves of others. Such plants are called
parasites, because they feed on the nutritive juices of others. Thrusting
their roots into the living tissues of other plants instead of into tli •
earth, they appropriate the pre{)ared food of these plants, and at once aji-
ply it to their own purposes for the production of stem, or fiowcr, or
fruit. The most familiar example of such a parasite is, perhaps, the
dodder, one kind of which infests cultivated flax, while others are found
on clover, heath, and whin. The gigantic RaJJIcsia belongs to this class.
Without a vestige of foliage, it rises at once from the long slender stems
of one of the wild vines of Sumatra — immense climbers, which are at-
tached like cables to the largest trees in the forest.

The buds push through the bark like Httle buttons, continuing to
grow until they have the aspect of large closed cabbages, and in about
three months after their first appearance, the flower expands. It re-
mains but a short time in perfection, soon beginning to rot, leaving only

CURI().SlTIi:S OK TIIF. VKGETABLl-: KlNi.Do.M.

rick red culor.
L'lliiiL;s. 'i iv
of which hi .11 1
|)]-)cr surfiici.- ..(■
like iniiiiatmv
lid hold ah' lilt
Is. It is \Liy

cpectcd to \m: a
hat of taiiitcil
irincd over tlu
, and were de-
of carrion !
■s who discov-
i it. It sprang
) fin;:jers. X'AV
imach ; for tho
; they .sci)aiMtc
lant. Without

seed. Plants
ision, and c\'' n

illy leaves re-

afless, niakiii;^

nts are callul

rs. Thrustiii;

d of into til ■

uid at once ap-

or llower, or

perhaps, the

lers are found

s to this class.

slender stems

which are at-

continuing to
i, and in about
pands. It rc-
t. leaving only

the central disk, which becomes a larfje, rough fruit, filled with multi-
tude of small, simple seeds.

Itrilliaiit 'l'ro|tu-iil .Srciir.

One of the arms of the Delta, through which the /.ainhtsi pours its
waters into the .sea is the Congone. v\ richly colored pulure unfukls
ilsilf before the cyvs of the explorer who attempts to tra\el 1)\' it into the
iiitiiior of the country. The first twenl)- miles is shut in hftui'cn marshy
lands and m;uigro\e trees, the latter often dr.iped in \ahial)le liclKiis, w Inch,
ii.iui\er, (io not seem to he gallu'U'd. (iiaiil ferns, shi'uh-liki- i).ilm trees
blinded here anil there with the w iUl date ))alm, are .s^xn throughout the
forest, but the greatest number of trees found in them aie the ni;uigro\e
tree, or rhi/ophora.

These true amphibious ])lanls do not lo\e to he fettered to the
ciiitli, hut throw out w ick.'-spn ading roots into the bed i f the ri\er, and
iinl content with this, send down fr.mi their wide-spit'ad hranehes
aerial roots like strong ro[)es, which strike root as soon as th^y^ ton ii the
_L;round, pro\ iding the parent stem with fresh support and nouris.uueiit,
but making the tangle of roots by the shore almost impenetrable. The
clusters of their pale yellow fruit contrast pleasaritly with the bright green
leaves, but are not good to eat. In many places patches i4 milola, with
large pale yellow blos.-.oms, co\er the shore. Rope is made from the bark
of this plant, and it is principally u.sed for the lines to which the harpoons
arc fastened; harpooning being the fa\()iite method of the uati\es f )r ca[)-
luring the hippo] )otamus.

As we ad\"nce, screupines become \isible, and on passing from the

Congone into the Zambesi we find some of them as high as church steeples,

and Livingstone tells us of the remark made b}- an old sailor who said

that to finish otT the picture " there only wanted a grog shop h_\' the

church." h'urther on, the lemon trees begin to be visible. The sombre

woods re-echo to the jox'ous, merr\' song of the kingfisher. As the steamer

ploughs through the winding river l)ed, a pretty little heron or brilliant

kingfisher rises with a ci\' of terror fi'om the ri\er bank', flies beftire irs for

a short ilistance and settles quietly down, to be scared away again in a

little time. The beautiful fish hawk sits on the crest of a n^'angrove tree,

to iligest ids breakfast of raw fish: he has made up his mind not to .stir,

and it is onl\' when we are close upon him that bespreads his wide wings

and takes to flight.

Billowy Soa of Fire.

The brilliant ibis, with its keen sen.se of hearing, catches the unaccus-
tomed sound from afar, and springing up from the mud, where it is enjoy-

■'fyiiflf'' I

™

• : If ■

;,!«

(

lil

m \^^

'\v}^

H , a

Cl'RIOSITIES OF THE VEGETABLi: KINGDOM.

571

hv a quiet family dinner, is far away l)c'f()n' tlic (lani;cr approaclus, uttcr-
in' a loud hoarsely contcm[)tiU)Us ha I ha I ha I as it Hies. The rhi/.ophcra

are now

behi

ind us, antl in their i)!ace stretch wide le\e

S ()

f rich l)lack

car

th, co\ered with piant o'rasses, which rise ab()\c the hnnter's head, and

make the chase inipo

ssible. W'hc-n the sjrass withei-s, it is set on hre

and the conflai^ration pri' ' nts an\' threat abumlance of trees from beini;-
• q-own ; for onl)' a few va leties, such as a fan [)alm, are able to escape the

sea of tn"e w

hich

raises every year across the i^rass)' plains

Ret

ween the

bananas and ccjcoa palms on the ri<^ht bank of the ri\er appear se\eral of
the natixe hats; the\- stand only a few feet abo\ e the moist j^round, and

ai'i-'

built on piles and entered b\- means (

.flad

aers.

le soil IS wy\

fertiK

an(

the i^ardens are reallv' excellent. Rice is _<;roun in ^reat abundance;

I)ea-, and a little cotton and suiiar-

atalas

'ourtls, tomato.

;oln, onii ins,

lie are obtained

It IS

said that in the course of a ft'W \

ears

pi)ta-

tocs lose their taste, and assume the tlax or this i)roduct has w lu.n frost-bit-

tcii.

Ctil

t was Leuwt-n
tl

hceck wiio first of all noticed that tlu

\ (.'

•tal.)l

e seed

ntams the ^ouni;' plant in miniature, tracetl out in the midst ot its en-

\eloues, ;

1 onl

\- w

aitinsj" for fa\orin<'" ciri:iimstances to expand its lea\ t.-s

aiul

lowers.

uis, lookin;4" plulosophicallx'

at the snbjt.'ct, w

e ma\' sa\'

that certain j)!ants are \i\iparoii-
imi)atience of the embryo is so _t

dherc are e\en some in which the

reat, thai in order to reach the air

and

li;4ht more (.|uickl)', it precipitatel\- escapes from its eL;;^' whik' this still
adheres to the nn^ithcr.

Kxtraordiiiary 31aiiyi"ov<' 'rr<M>-I"'isli.

This peculiarit)' is seen in the many;roves, siianL;e iilanls, half-tree, half-
tish, liviuL;' half-pluuL^ed in the .sea or the lai^^oons of tropical America,
and India. .Suspended al)o\e the water by their bent branches, often
([uite co\'ered with o\sters, these trees let drop throu;.^h their foliaL;e Ioiil;

n)o

ts of embr\"os which luu'e LTcrminated in the

uit.

lese, pel

rfectb

adapted to the work the\' ha\e betore them, are like little [)ointed clubs,
and lia\e attained a length of from ten to fourteen inches at the time
when the\" are to fall into the water; so that the\' sink deep into the nuid
which encircles the mother plant and fc^.rm a fanu'l}- i;roup arounc' her.

Some parasites germinate on the plants or animals on the surface of
which we find them. This occurs in the microscopic fungi which attack

(uir liair and beard

and

bri

on most harassinsj' diseases, tetters and

tinc;e, as the labors of the microscopists of our day ha\e placed be\'(^nd
a doubt. Similar to these are certain parasitic plants, which are never
fouiul except ujion certain insects.

'mm f

- 'T S.

^HWt I

'> : Hfi'

572

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

\im

At other times <^orniinati()n takes placo under \er\' straii_L;e eondiii.ins.
Vaiuleniionde saw ehiklren in whose ikxscs peas had germinated tiMin
havinp^ been imprudentl)- introdueed. Another pli\'sician, lin'ra, nun-
tions ha\'ing opened the hotly of a sohlier whose stomach was fillrd with
barle\- wliicli was devchipincf itscH' there.

Plants, like animals, lia\'e a cireulation. It is to that universal L;cniiH
Claude I'errault, at one and the same time physician, architect, and natu-
ralist, that we owe the disco\ery of this phenoment >!i. The sap, which i-
in tact the blood ot the plant, circulates throuL;h its \csscls by nican^ of a
power possibl}- t^reatl}- exceeding- that which dri\es the blood throiivdi
the arteries of an elephant. The celebrated I hiles made a wr)- curidii^
experiment on this subject. IlaN-ini; fitted a Ion <.^ tube to tlu stem of a
x'ouni;- \ ine which he had severed, he saw this fluid rise forty-four f rt
hi<4li. Tiiese results appearinij^ very extraordinar\- to the I'^rench ])h\Niolri.
Joists, the}' soon repeateil the exj)eriments of the f )reiLMi philosopher, hut
the)- were t.^reatl\- astonished to see that they were within the marl<. In
fact, Dc Candolle, who was one of the last to mo\e in the matter, noticed
that the force with which the sap rises in the \essels of the plant is ei|ii;i!
to the pressure of two atmospheres antl a half, or to the weii^ht of a coluiiin
of water eight)- feet in height.

TreiiieiHlous I'^iif-iiicry of Troc's and Plants.

Fhus in an occult function, wiiich is performetl so mysteriousl)- in tlie
\egetable kingtlom, experiment rexeals a powerful energ\- — an energy
which surpasses the visible and timuiltuous circulation in the largest
animals. Man)- auth(M-ities ha\e stated, not without some foundation,
that the sap rises in the \-essels of the \ine with at least five times as much
f(Mce as the blood circulates in the crural artery of the horse — the most
important blood-vessel of the thigh — and with se\en times as much force
as in the same vessel in the dog.

It is certain that the blood which the heart projects so violentl)- into the
vessels of large animals is not dri\en with so much power as impels the
sap in its ascending mo\ement. Indeed, ex[)eriments made on the ox
and horse ha\'e shc^wn that the impulse given to the arterial blood U(iuUI
onh' raise a column of blood about (5 feet 6-^4 inches; the advantage is
therefore not at all on the side where it was supposed to be, since accord-
ing to what has been already stated, the vegetable circulation raises a
weight fourteen times greater than does that of the largest mammals.

Thus there are vessels of plants, which though not so thick as a hair,
are yet more powerful than those of animals that are thicker than the
finger. After having made his experiments on the force of ascent in the

ant;'L' conditions.
germinated finm
an, Hn'ra, nini-
1 was filled with

universal L;oniii>
hitect, and natii-
"he sap, w Inch i-
Is b)- means nf a
■ blood ihrdii'.di
e a \'ei-\' curimH
to the stem of a
se forty-four f ct
I'rench i)h_\siiili>.
philosopher, hilt
n the mark. In
c matter, noticed
he plant is e(|iia!
:i^ht of a column

iits.

teriousl)' in the

t-ri;'}' — an ener;4y

1 in the lar'^cst

;ome foundation,

"C times as much

lorse — the most

s as much fnrcc

iolentl)- into the
er as impels the
nade on the ox
■ial blood would
the advantai^e is
je, since accord-
:ulatiori raises a
t mammals.
) thick as a hair,
;hicker than the
• of ascent in the

THE WINE-TKEli OR Wi.NE-liliAKlNG SAGO-1'ALM.

(573)

I. !

• i:f

574

EARTH, Sr.A, AND SKY.

sap, Hales attempted to ascertain the rapidity witli which it moved. In
order to arrive at this point, he hollowed out a deep hole in the soil, laid
hare a small root of a tree, introduced it into a tube filled with water
and plunged the tube into mercury. To his great astonishment he very
soon perceived that the metal rose in the tube half an inch per minute.

The sap is formed and moves with such force in certain plants, that it
,is not uncommon to be able to extract a large quantity of it in a shmt
space of time. The sugar-maple, scattered over our northern states, pro
duces a bucketful in a day. It is from this tree that they get the niapK-
sugar consumed throughout the country.

In the tropical countries a tree yields a product not less precious to
man — a wine ready made. This is notliing else than the sap of a species
of palm — the wine-bearing sago-palm, whicli grows in Western Africa,
and the name of which characteristically indicates the benefits it yields.
This vinous sap is mild and sweet when first drawn, but a few hours af-
terwards it ferments, and then becomes a most intoxicating drink. Jt is
very witlely used, and the tree yields it in profusion. The negroes
quickly fill their calabashes with it by hanging them to the petioles of
the leaves, which fur this purpo.se are cut off soon after their birth.

The vegetable circulation has such energy, and the liquid whicii it

bears away is produced at such a rate, that Scott assures us that out of

certain birch-trees there Hows, in spring, a quantity of fluid equal to

their weight.

Struiigi; Tilings ^(U'kiMl iij* in Trees.

.Some few years ago, when a large tree in the environs of Orleans was
cleft, a cavity quite closed up was found towards its centre, containing a
death's-head and crossbones. The astonishment of the public was ex-
treme, <uk1 the prodig)^ was talked about everywhere. But realK- thr
whole turned upon a \ital phenomenon of which pln-siology gi\es a coiu-
])lete explanation. At a distant epoch some anchorite of the forest, ]ia\-
ing probabl)' hollowed the tree, prostrated himself and pra\'ed before these
human relics, which he placed in the excavation. Then the recluse ha\ iiiL,'
di.sapjjeared in the course of years, nature took up the work again and
ingeniously preserved the oratory b\' covering it with thick woody la\ers.

During the siege of Toulon a ball from the English fieet entered deep
into the stem of a pine standing near the town. The wound is now in-
\-isible. .Should this tradition be lost, how a.stonished would any one be,
on cutting down the tree, to find this enormous mass of iron ! Generally
the denser {)lants are, the slower is their growth ; on the contrary, the
■softer their tissues the more rapidW are they developed.

' T

CURIOSITIES OF THE VEGETAULH KINGlx ) M.

;;.;>

11 it moved. In
in the soil, laid
[led with water,
shment he very
ich per minute.
n plants, that it
of it in a sliiut
:iern states, pro-
y £^et the mapk-

less precious to
sap of a species
U'cstern Afrii a.
jnefits it yields.
a few hours af-
niT drink. It is
The nei^rocs
the petioles of
heir birth,
liquid whicii it
s us that out of
f fluid equal to

of Orleans was

re, containing;' a

public was i \-

But realh- thu

UA' <ji\'es a cnin-

the forest, lia\-

ed bef(M"e these

L' recluse ha\ iiiL;

work aL;ain and

wood)' layers.

:et entered deep

)imd is now in-

uld any one be,

on ! Generally

le contrar\-, the

'^" i.

I !

i.^.

CIIAITKR XXI I.
PERILS OF MOUNTAIX AND DESERT.

Creation a Musciun of tlie .Marvelous— Awful Mountain Peaks with Veiled Faces-
IMont l>lanc— Soverei.q;!! of Mountains— Altenij)! to Ascend the Giant of iIk
Alps — .\nibitious Young Naturalist — A Complete Failure— .Sno.vy Chasms—
Afraiti to .Sleep — Deterniiiu d to Conquer or Die — Trenil)ling on llie Mountain'^
Fdge— Adventures of Jaccpies Balniat — Blinded by K.^posure— ! )iring F,.\p.
dition— Scaling .Snowy Precipices— On the Far Summit— MiserahU f^nd of lial-
mat — World Startled by an Alpine Tragedy— A Russian Traveller — 'iwclvc
Guides — " Cowards ! "—Forward — An Awful Disaster — Hurled lleadh^ng lliin.
drod.. ->f Feet — Death in the Deep Abyss—Bodies Left in the Yawning Ciulf-
Ruiinin^ Frightful Risks-Miraculous Fscapes — Recent Ghastly Disci iveries—
Rivers of Ice— Fa.mous Mer De Glace— Flower Garden in a Desert of .Snow -
Hospital of St. Bernard — Travellers Caught in the Stornr -The Great .St. per-
nartl Dog— Rescuing the Perishing— F.xploits of the Dog " Bass" — Dangers of
the Desert -Cyclones and Cohnnns of Hot Sand — Air that .Scofclies Man and
Beast— Graphic Description of the Storm — Adventures in Africa— Zambesi Falls—
Periloiis Ascent of a Nile Cataract.

VRIAI).S of JntcrcstinL^ anil curious discoveries, facts and mar-
vels, ha\'e alread\- e.xciled our astonishment and admiration in
tliese pa^'es. If there is aii\thing in the wliole world to cause
au'prise, impart useful information, captivate the imaginatidii,
hold the reader spell-bound, and so fascinate him as to render Ju'm eaL;er
for each new disclosure, we are confident that it is to be found in tliis
\-olume, which ma}' justly be called an ej)itonie of the marvelf)us in e\ci\-
realm of creation.

But before passing to the second bt)ok, and di\in<4 into the manifold
mysteries of the \-ast\' deep, that great .storeliouse of wonders, A\e are to
complete our sur\e\' t)f the land b}' a tour of the mountains and deserts.
Behold, then, the auftil peaks whose bald heads \ail their faces at times
with clouds, and the wide, .sandy plains, those oceans on shore, as tlic\-
may proper!}- l)e called, which abide from age to age in their forbiddiiT^^
desolation and solitude ! These must not be overlooked.

Mont Blanc, as far as Europe is concerned, may justly be sung as —

The Monarch of mountains,
which the genius of nature crowned

On a throne of rocks, in a robe of clouds,
With a diadem of snow.
Let us examine some of the narratives of the different attempts which,
(576)

I'KRILS OF MOUNTAIN ANb DESERT.

0< /

have been made at various epochs to climb this immense colossal mass,
iv;^^ardecl as ii'-'.ccessible by man until the close of ilie last ccnturx'.

riic summit of Mont iManc is 15,739 feet ab()\e the sea-le\el. Prior to
tiie celebrated Morace Jk-iiedict de Saussurc, no person had conceixxil the
uLa of climbini; its scarped Hank. It was not ewn Imowii wlnlher die
rarefaction of the air at elevations so loft}- would not pro\e fatal to human
life.

Sanssure was not twenty j'cars old when he first dreamed of attackin.4
the _L;i«;it of the Alps. In his first visit to Chamouni, in 1760, the youn;^
naturalist published it abroad in all i)art.s of the xailey that he would gi\e
a sufficient reward to the guides wiio disco\ered a jiracticable route to
Mont Blanc. He e\en promised to pa)' the da)''s wages of tliose w lu^se
attempts provetl fruitless. Rut his liberal offers led to no result.

It was not until fifteen years afterwards, in 1775, that four guides of
Chamouni succeeded in making the perilous ascent. After triumphing
(i\er the obstacles which opposed their progress on the glaciers, incess-
aiitl\- intersi'cted by immense cre\asses, the four guides i)enetrated into a
great valle\' of snow, which seemed as if it would directly approach Mont
Blanc. The weather was exceedingly favorable ; they enc(-)untereil neither
too precipitous slopes nor too wide crevasses, and apparently all things
pronnscd success. But the rarefaction of the air, and the rewrberation
of the sun's rays on the da/.zling surface, fatigued them bexond endurance.
Succunibing to weakness and weariness, the}- found themsehes constrained
to re-descend, without iuuing met with any insupei'able oljstacle.
^ An Attempt Kiuliii^' in Failure.

Seven years later, three other guides of Chamouni, made the same
attempt, following in the track of their predecessors ; only they took the
precaution of passing the night on the Montague de la Cute, and did not
venture until the following morning upon the glacier which ascends frtmi it.

After traversing it in safet\-, they followed iij) the \-ale of snows which
rises towards Mont Blanc. Tlu'v had alread\- .r<.'ached a L'^reat elevation,
and were pressing forward in blithe confidence, when tlie boldest and
most courageous among them was suddenly seized with an unconquerable
longing for sleej). lie Ijegged of his comrades to continue the ascent
without him; but they refused to abandon hini in such a condition, or to
suffer him, as he w ished, to sleep on the snow. Renouncing their enter-
prise, they all returned to Chamouni.

It is certain that e\en without the accident of this inopportune lethargy,
these three men could never have reached the goal of their acK-enturous
expedition. They would have still had a long distance to travel before
37

" ^:M

M : , ■ f^

t !■' -.'':■ •\^.

.itt

678

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

arriving ixi Mont Blanc, and the heat fatigued them excessiveiv. More-
over, they were without appetite ; the wine and the provisions which they
carri :d possessed no attractions for them. So that one said seriouslv
that if hv. had to recommence the enterprise, he would not load hinisclf
r/ith any provisions, but take only an umbrella and a smelling-bottle.
When we picture to ourselves a robust mountaineer scaling the slopes ^)'i
the Alps with an umbrella in one hand and a flask of eau de Cologne in
the other, we gain, by this singular image, a vivid idea of the anomalous
difficulties and unfamiliar conditions which are associated with the ad-
venture.

Looking at the annexed engraving, the reader will be able by the
figures to locate the various mountains as named below :

I. Mont Blanc, 15,739 feet. — 2. Dome du Gouter, 14,40c feet. — 5.
Aiguille du Gouter, 15,550 feet. — 4. Glacier des Bossons. — 5. Glacier tie
Tacconay. — 6. Aiguille du Midi, 12,850 feet. — 7. Chaine du Brevent ct
des Aiguilles Rouges.

Again Conipollod to Retreat.

On the I2th of September, 1785, at eight o'clock in the morning, Saus-
sure and Bourrit, Canon of Cologne, accompanied by five mountaineers
loaded with provisions, furs and coverings, philosophical instruments, straw
and fuel, began their march to the conquest of Mont Blanc.

After five hours of this fatiguing labor, the incline gradually grew
steeper, and the quantity of fresh snow augmented at each step. Balniat,
therefore, went forward to survey the remainder of the ascent, but .speedily
returned with the information that the newly fallen snow was so dense in
the upper parts that the summit could not be attained except at the ri.^^k
of life, and that the mountain-peak was covered two feet deep in snow,
which rendered progress impossible. His gaiters were, in fact, covered
with snow even above the knee.

Great as was the regret which they experienced in abandoning an en-
terprise so au.spiciou.sly commenced, Saussure and Bourrit wisely resolved
to prosecute it no further. At the point where they halted the barome-
ter shoAved an elevation of 1 1,250 feet. The guides now urged an ininio-
diate departure. The sun's rays had melted the snows and rendered the
descent dangerous. But walking cau<-'ou.sl)% and supported by their
guides, the travellers returned without accident to the plateau at the ba-^c
of the Aiguille du Gouter, and thence rc-descended to the cabin.

The rock on which this enterprise had been wrecked wts the lateness
of the season. Saussure resolved to repeat the attempt in the following
year, but at an epoch which shoald render less probable and less forniid-

sivew. More-
ons which they
said seriously
3t load himself
imcUint^-bottlL'.
g the shipcs ,)f
de Cologne in
the anomalous
d with the ad-
be able b\' the

[4,40c feet. — 3.
. — 5. Glacier de
) du Brcvent et

2 morning, Saus-
ve mountaineers
struments, straw
ic.
^n-adually grew
1 step. Balm at,
ent, but speedily
was so dense in
xcept at the ri>k
et deep in snow,
in fact, covered

mdoning an en-
t wisely resolved
ted the bGrome-
ur<red an imme-
ind renderctl the
,ported by their
iteau at the ba^c

le ca

w^s

bin.
s the lateness

in the following
and less forniid-

111

If r*

I'il

580

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

able tlic obstacle of frcsh-fallcp snow. As a preliminary, and to liijlUcn
as far as nii^ht be the fatii^ue o.'the last cla\''.s ascent, he ordered his Wv.
oritc ;,niide, I'ierre ])alinat, to coistriict a new hut at a point consideian;.
a')')\e the Pierre-Romle — that is, at the foot of one of the ridges of tlu-
.\';;uilU; dii Gouter. I le rec<^nuiiended him at the same time to ni.iku
liuious explorations on f'"" * of the mountain, so as to tlclermine < ii

'he nio.t feasible route.

Pierre Ijalniat tc-ok to himself two other 'guides, and on the r)th of fu' ■
17S6, they went to [)as.s the night in the hut at the Pierre-Ronde. 'I'h •
started at ila\'-l)reak, and follow ing the same track w hich Saussure ha !
taken, ascended to the Aiguille, and fmally to the Dume du Gouter; hut
not without severe suffering from the rarefaction of the air.

While Pierre liahuat ajid his friends were ascending the Aiguiiii.' dii
(jouter b\' the incline of the Pierre Ronde, three other Chamouni guido
attempted it b\' another route. As it was then believed thatth • Dome du
Gouter was the onl)' way by which Mont Blanc could be ai)proaclied, soin ■
of the Chamouni guides had dixided into two troo[)s to test the coiupai--
ali\e facilities of the two routes leading to the Dome. I'ranfjois Paccard,
!\Iichel Cachat (surnamed T/w Giiriit), and Joseph Carrier, composed i!i •
jiecond detachment. The}' were joined b\- another guide, Jacques Palniat,
who for some years had been indepenclentl)' seeking the \\k\<\ to Mkiii
Blanc, and for whom was reserved the glor\- of first discovering it.
K slciiij;- LilV' on the 3l(Miiilaiii's Kdgc.

The two groups of guides iiaving reunited, tra\-ersed a \"ast snow-
field, and gained the long ridge which connects the Dome du Gouter with
Mont Blanc. But this ridge, which strikes between two precipices, each
6000 feet in height, is so narrow, and of so abru[)t an ascent, that it
pro\-cd utterly impracticable to reach Mont IManc by it. The guides on!)-
acknowledged this e\itient fact with much reluctance. Jaccjues Balinat,
however, persisted in o ntinuing the adventure. He risked his lifj on the
narrow ridge, and to mo\e forward was obliged to place himself on all-
foiu's upon the species of dos d' (". ic (ass's back) formed by this terrible es-
carpment. I lis companions, frighten jd at his temerit}', abandoned him,
and redescentled to Chamouni.

After bra\e but fruitless efforts, Jacques Balmat was forced to desist from
his impossible cn'cri)rise. lie retraced his steps, still straddling along the
ridge, like a child on his grandfather's stick. But he found himself de-
serted by his compani(/ns, who, we ma)' add, felt no great sympath}- for
him, because he had followed them without their consent. The gallai^t
mountaineer, picjucd by their cowardly abandonment, resolved to remain

■ \ ' '\

and to li^fhtrn
ifdcrcd his fa\
it considcraii, .

c fidL^cs of th.:

time to ni.ik:

() dctcriniiiL- < :)

thcriih "f J'.r •
-Rondc. 'I'll ■
\ Saussurc ha I
(hi Gouti. r; hr.l

tlic Ai'-^uillL' (l;i
hanvt'ini i^uido
latthj Dome du
iproachetl, smn.-
test the conipir-
raufjois I'accari!,
,'r, composed ih;
Jacciues Ikihiiat,
ic road to ^[l>Il'L
)\-erin_Lj; it.

a \ast siiow-

du G(iuter widi

j')reci[)ices, each

ascent., Uiat it

he u'uidcs oiiU"

acques Bahnat.

■dhis hfe on thf

himself on a!l-

ihis terril)^'^^-

al)andoned him,

:cd to desist from
ddhn^ alonL^thc
umd himself lie-
;at s_\-mpath\- f'^'
nt. The 'j,a\hvX
polved to remain

PERILS OF MOl^NT.MN AND DICSF.RT.

581

a'on J in t'.i J. -^e frozen wastes and desolatj wildernesses until he liad dis-
covered a practicable mode of ascending Mont H'.an.-. Instead of returnin,^
to Chaniouni, he descended to the (irand Plateau, where he resohcd to
pass the nic^ht.

The Giand Plateau of IMont lilanc is a sli^hlK'-inclincil plane, of about
2000 scpiare acres, .situated upwanls of 9750 feet above the sea ; suept by
continual a\alanches and cxposetl to the most bitinj^ winds; f )r it is siu"-
rounded on all sides by peaks of snow , where the traveller can tliul neither
rock nor stone to serve as a shelter or a restin^^-place. luen duriiiL; the
smnnier, and in the sun, the thermometer here marks al\va\-s zero. In
thi^ awful desert Jacques Halmat, without covering, haviuLj oul\' his man-
tle and his alpenstock, spent the ni^dit, crouchin;^ und.-r a cia;^, and but
poorly ilefended ayainst a small, tlriz/.lin;^, frt)zen snow, which fell inces-
santly.

I'^iiuliii^' a l*iitli\vay to the Sov<'r<'i};ii B*oak.

At daybreak he resumed his explorations of the mountain. It was
fliiis that he discovered the proper direction in which to climb the " sov-
ran peak" — namely, by following up the valley of snow which stretches
from the point known as the Grands Mulcts, and ascending from thence
to Mont Blanc by a moderately steep acclivity. The bad weather, snow,
excessive coUl, and want of provisions prevented Jaccjues Halmat from
pushing forward to the goal ; but, in redescending the v alley, he ascer-
t lined with exactitude the actual course to be pursued in order to gain
the summit.

On returning home, Jacques Balmat ^ ept for eight-and-forty hours
without once awakening.

The incessant refraction of the sun's rays upon the snow had so
fatigued his sight, that he suffered severely from diseased eyes. A phy-
sician, nnmed Paccard, who resided in Chamouni village, relieved him
frcn the ophthalmia. In gratitude for his cure and acknowledgment of
his skill, Balmat revealed to him his great discovery, and proposed to
him to share the glory of accomplishing the first ascent of Mont Blanc.
Dr. Paccard accepted the proposal joyfully.

On the 8th of August, 1786, the two adventurers commenced thei.
daring expedition. They had only confided to two persons the secret
of their project before carrying it into execution. So they accomplished
alone this lengthened and dangerous route, which our Alpine climbers
no\v-a-days Jo not attempt except with a numerous and well-provided
escort. All their stores consisted of a couple of woolen coverlets, in
which to wrap themselves at night under the shadow of some projecting

If'

*"">!

lilHifl

582

nARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

rock. It is difficult to untlerstantl how these two men, reduced to their

own resources, in the niitlst of these desolate wastes, these ice-bound

deserts, which had never before been troddrn by human foot, could

reacli the <j^oal they liad proposed to thetnsclves, in spife of the snows

and th ; precipices, the cold, and the rareficticn of the atmosphere. lUit

it is certain that, after passing the night under a rock on the plateau i<i

the Grands Mulcts, they ascended, i ii the following day, to the " monarcl'

of mountains."

Tlu^ 3IiraeU' I'crlornird.

Tlu; inhabitants of Chaniouni, meanwhiK.-, had assembled in crowds,
antl, by means of their telescopes, could perceive the two iierocs on the
topmost peak of Mt. Blanc — that is, of the loftiest mountain in luiidpt-,
which had hitherto been considered utterly inaccessible to man. Jaciiue^
Halniat and Paccard remained for half an hour on the h(Mse-shoe rid-^e
which forms the actual summit. But, owin;^^ to the continual reflection
and da7.zlini,f <^leam of the sunlit snows, Paccard, when he rec^jained the
valle}', was almost blind; while lialmat's face was swollen, his li[)s were
coni^^estetl with blot)d, and his eyes were sorely fatigued.

" It is strange," said Paccard to his companion next morning; " I hear
the birds sing, and it is not day ! "

" That is becau.se you cannot .see," replied Balmat ; " the sun has ri.sen,
but the swelling of your eyelids renders )ou temi)orarily blind."

Hap[)ily this accident had no fatal con.sequences. Dr. Paccard dieil i\\

1830, at the ripe age of seventy-nine. As for Jacques Balmat, he per

ished mi.serabl)', in 1834, at the bottom of a precipice. Some vague

rumors had induced him to believe that a vein of gold existed on the

flank of one of the lofty peaks which shut in the \alley of the Sixt nn

the northeast, and he started in search of it. But the place indicated

proved inaccessible ; it was necessary to advance along a narrow cornice,

beneath which descended, sheer and sombre, into the abyss a precipice

nearly four hundred feet in depth. The sight froze his blood with tenor.

But sometime afterwards, accompanied by a chamois hunter, as rash aiul

intrepid as hlm.sclf, he renewed the attempt. lie ventured on the narrow

cornice — a few step.s — and he disappeared in the abyss! His body was

never found.

A Tragedy tliat StartU-d the World.

It was with a purely scientific object that Dr. Ilamel, councilor of the
Russian court, betook himself, in 1 821, to the foot of Mont Blanc, to .soak'
its snowy peak. This eminent man of science travelled at the cost of the
Russian Government, to undertake certain inquiries into the physical con-

:duced to thoii
icse ice-bound
an foot, coulil
J of the sni)w>
iosi)hero. Hut
the plateau of
I the " monarcl'

led in crowds.
) heroes on the
tain in luirctpc,
man. Jacquo
lorsc-shoe ridi^c
itinual relloctii'ti
he retrained the
Ml, his hi)s wxw

ornm'T;

I lirar

\c sun has risen.
:)lind."

Taccard died in
Ikdmat, he per
e. Some va;j;uc
existed on tlie
y of the Sixt on
place indicated
narrow cornice,
ibyss a precipice
ood with terror.
Iter, as rash and
d on the narrow-
Id is body was

councilor of thi;
nt Blanc, to .scale
It the cost of the
Lhe physical con-

PERILS OF MOUNTAIN AND DESERT.

683

dition of the globe, and wa.s everywhere attended by a train of all kind.s
of instruments of observation. We shall describe the ascent of Mont
Hlaiie attempted by the Russian physicist, not for any scientific resultii
(ibtaiiied from it, but on account of the catastrophe which abruptl)' tt-rmi-
nated it, sad recollections of which are still fresh in the \alle\' of I'ha-
niDuni.

On the 3rd of Au}.(ust 1S20, a first attempt was made by Dr. Ilamcl,7'/4
the glaciers of Mionnassay and the Aiguille du Gouter; but the ()uU)reak
of a storm, and the cloud-masses which hung uponthemounlain.com-
pclleil him to descend.

It was on the I Sth of August that he recommenced his ascent. He
was accompanied by two ICnglish gentlemen, Mr. Dornford and Colonel
Gilbert Henderson. Twelve guides escortt-d them, under the leadership
o\' Marie Coutet.

i Ia\ing started from Ciiamouni at six .\. m., it was four r M. when
they arrived at the Grands Mulcts. It is here that travellers alwa)s halt
to [)ass the night. A part of this rock is shaped like tin; letter L ; a
ladder and some poles co\-ered with canvas were arranged against it so
as to form a sort of triangle, in whose interior Dr. lianiel and his com-
[lanions spent the night, h'ing upon straw. Hut in the evening the
weallier grew .stormy, and the rain began to fall. The atmosphere wa:s
heavil)' charged with electricity, and the balls of the electrometer danced
so ra[)idl\' to and fro as to excite alarm. Throughout the night the
thunder never ceased to peal.

Storm ill tho 3IoniitiUiis.
All the following day the rain continued, and the snow, which at first
only fell upon Mont IManc, began to approach the region where our
travellers had encamped. The bad weather lasted through the second
night, which was spent, like the proceeding, under the miserable shelter
of the tent.

The commonest prudence should have dictated to the travellers an
immediate return to Chamouni. The guides, lia\'ing coirsulted together
at day-break, were unanimously of this opinion ; but when they intimated
their decision to Dr. Hamel, he formally rejected it. It was then deter-
mined that three guides, Jacques Coutet, Joseph Folliguet and Pierre
Favrct, should go to Chamouni for a supply of provisions, which were
niiw running short.

It had been .settled that they should rest quietly in their encampment
until fair weather returned; but at 8 A. M., on the sky brightening. Dr.
Hamel decided he would immediately set out. The guides, who realized

ih^

'lit

m. i

fflj

111

|»i.„4li;

584

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

iL '■•!!

all the peril of traversing in the midst of frij^htful precipices the fresh faHcii

snows, refused to obey so imprudent an order ; one of them, Au"u-tc

Teiraz, burst into tears ; he threw himself into the arms of a comrade,

exclaiming : " I am a lost man ! I shall perish on the mountain !"'

This sinister presentiment was verified, for Auguste Teiraz was one of

the victims of the catastrophe. Colonel Henderson himself was df ih,.-

same opinion as the guides, but Dr. Hamel, stamping his foot, and looking

the Englishmen full in the face, muttered the word " Cowards !" An

Englishman, after that, could no longer hesitate. Each person made his

preparations in silence, and they began tiie ascent. The first part if the

journey was accomplished without accident, and the weather became \cr\-

bright and beautiful. Without much difficulty they ascended the Dome

du Gofiter, and reached the great plateau which extends at the base of

Mont Blanc.

Halting for a Hoarty Broaklast.

" Merc," says Dr. Ilamel, in his narrativeof the event, " our guides con-
gratulated us, .saj'ing that we had now surmounted every danger ; no
mc'TC crevasses, no more hazards. Never had an ascent been accom-
plished more quickl}' or with less difficult)' ; in fact, the snows had just
the degree of consistency suitable for easy marching; they were not too
hard, and yet the feet did not sink too deepK- in them. No one felt ill,
though all of us had for sometime experienced the effect of the rarefaction
of the air ; ni)- pulse beat one hundred and twenty-eiglit times in a minute,
and I felt an incessant thirst. Here our guides invited us to breakfast,
for, said they, up higher you will have no appetite.

" A tablecloth was .spread on the snow at the threshold of the great
plateau, and it ser\-ed both for chairs and table. Everyone ate with gusto
his half of a fowl ; I made various arrangements for my experiments, and
the observations which I propo.sed to take on the summit. I wrote two
notes to announce our successful achievement, leaving onlv a blanl^- to be
filled up with tiio exact hour. It was nn' intention to attach them to a
•pigeon which I had brought with me, and which I ])roposed to release
on the summit, to see how he flew in so rarefied an air, and also to ascer-
tain if he could retrace his way to Sallanches, where his mate awaited
him. We preserved a bottle of our best wine to drink on the peak to the
memory of De Saussure.

"At nine o'clock precisely we resumed our journey, and toiled towards
the summit which rose before our wistful eyes. ' Would you take a
thousand pounds,' said one of my companions to his countryman, ' to <^o
back instead of ascending?' The reply was, ' I would not return for any

icsthc fresh fallen
f them, Aui;u<tu
ns of a coniiadc,
ountain!"
eiraz was one of
msclf was cf the
ifoot, and looking;
' Cowards I" An
person made his
c first part i 'f the
\ther beeame \'ery
:ended tlie Dome
h at the base of

" our fTuides con-
every dani^^er ; no
cent be(.:n acconi-
le snows had just
they were not too
No one felt ill,
of the rarefactinn
times in a minute,
us to breakfast,

lold of the L^rcat

one ate with ;4usto

experiments, and

nit. I wrote two

only a blank to be

attach them to a

iroposed to release

and also to ascor-

his mate awaited

on the peak to the

and toiled towards
,Vould you take a
;ountryman, ' to go

not return for any

PERILS OF MOUNTAIN AND DESERT.

585

sum that could be named.' We
were so full of hope and joy at
seeing immediately within our
reacli the goal of our enter-
prise."

At this moment the travel-
lers were ascending what the
i^uiidcs call "the hood of Mont
Blanc ;" that is, the last snowy
incline which leads to the top-
most peak. At the foot of this
glacis yawns an immense
crevasse of ice, twenty yards in
width and fift)' in depth. They
n<nv marched in single file, one
after another ; the first guide
was Pierre Carrier, the second,
Pierre Balmat, and the third,
Auguste Teiraz. Next came
Julien De\-oissous and Marie
Coutet. Behind the.se, .still in
single file, marched five other
guides. Dr. Hamel, and the
two Englishmen.

It was probably this order
of march which led to the ca-
tastrophe. By advancing in a
single line, the)' furrcnved, as
with a ploughshare, the newly
fallen snow, which had not j^et
had time to consolidate with
the old. Thus divided by a
I'lng .section, the portion of
snow which the cara\-an had
tiampled separated suddenly ;
it glitled over the other snow.
.All the party was carried with
the avalanche down the steep
declivity at whose base opened.

ill' 1,1

AWFUL CATASTROPHE IN THE CHASMS
OF MONT BLANC.

as if to engulf them, the immense crevasse to which we have referred.

f 9 #

%. 'i

586

EARTH. SEA, AND SKY.

The mass of frozen snow which in this wise broke loose was looo yarck
in length, by seventy in breadth, but not three feet in depth.

liverybody was thrown down and rolled in the snow. The three guides
who led the way, Pierre Carrier, Pierre Balmat, and Auguste Teiraz, were
dashed headlong into the crevasse. Julien and Marie Coutet, propelled bv
a more violent impulse, were fortunate enough to sweep across the abyss and
fall into another crevasse, happily not so deep, and hal f full of snow, from which
they were easily extricated. By a merciful Providence, the other guides.
Dr. Hamel,and the two Englishmen, arrested their descent on the border
of the gulf The}- had rolled over and over from a height of 300 feet.
Crushed and Buried under Snow and Rooks.

Julien Devoissous and Marie Coutet remained a moment without con-
sciousness. Julien, with his head beneath him, was wounded all o\li
with blows received against tiie narrow sides of the crevasse. Marie C'lU-
tet was half buried in the snow, which filled this chasm for a depth of si.\t_\-
feet. Embedded up to his neck, he was unable to make any movement,
and his face wore the purple color of asphyxia. He called with a stru<4-
gling voice to his companion ; Julien, having succeeded in liberating him-
self, made use of his alpenstock to clear away the snow which coxered hi-
friend's body. The two mountaineers remained for some minutes seated
opposite one another without uttering a word ; they thought that the\-
alone had survived this fall.

Happily it was not so. Several of their comrades, having almo^t
miraculously escaped the avalanche, clung to the edge of the crevasse
which had so nearly proved their tomb. One of them, Mathieu Balm.it,
contrived to slide along it, and to carry assistance to the others. He
threw to them a hatchet, with which they hewed out steps in the ice.
When they had gained a sufficient height he extended to them an iron-
tipped pole, and drew them out of danger.

In the depths of the Frightful Abyss.

The travellers newfound themselves assembled in one spot; the\-
counted their numbers. Three guides were missing; the three who had
formed the vanguard. They had fallen into the great crevasse. Matli-
ieu Balmat had seen them precipitated into its abyss ; and Julien Coutet,
at the very moment of his own fall, and while rolling over and o\er, had
noticed something like a black-colored leg flash rapidly before his eyes,
and descend in the crevasse ; undoubtedly it was Auguste Teiraz, who
wore black gaiters — the same who had shown so lively an apprehension
when Dr. Hamel, in defiance of warnings ,-ind counsel, had given the
imperious order of departure.

PERILS OF MOUNTAIN AND DESERT.

587

Doctor Hamel was prostrated with regret and pain. As for the two
Englishmen, words cannot describe their keen remorse. They flung
themselves down upon the snow ; they seemed temporarily bereft of
reason. They declared they would not quit tiie accursed spot until they
had recovered, dead or alive, the three unfortunate men of whose loss they
accused themselves.

In spite of the remonstrances of the guides, Mr. Dornford and Dr.
Hamel descended into the great crevasse, their bodies half burieil in the
soft snow. They sounded everywhere with their iron-tipped staves, but
encountered no resistance. With all their strength they shouted the
names of the missing guides ; but at so immense an elevation the rarified
;iir produced but feeble sounds.

Presuming that they were buried under a thick stratum of snow,
Hamel thrust in his staff to its entire length, and stretching himself on
the surface, he held the staff firmly with his teeth ; then he listened with
profound attention. But there came no answer ; nothing troubled the
s.lence of that lugubrious sepulchre.

A Grave in Internal 8 now.

They were compelled to discontinue the fruitless search. Dr. Hamel
and his companion returned to the pl-iteau. The unfortunate guides
were lying at least 150 feet deep in the snow. There was no recourse
but to abandon them, and, since that epoch, no tourist who makes the
ascent of Mont Blanc can pass without a throbbing heart the abyss of ice
where perished so miserably the three inhabitants of the valley.

As the day advanced the cold became icy ; for at that elevation our
travellers had nearly attained the height- of Mont Blanc itself. They
h i(! spent two hours in fruitless search on the borders of the great cre-
visse; it was absolutely necessary they should begin the descent, if they
did not wish to be overtaken by night and darkness in the midst of the
preci|iices, and incur the hazard of being frozen to death.

Tne guide Mathieu Balmat then drew near to Dr. Hamel, and looking
iiim full in the face, even as the doctor had confronted him on the morn-
ing of that fatal day, —

"Well, sir," he exclaimed, "are we cowards; and will you still
asc- nd ?"

Tne doctor replied by giving the signal of return. He wouid fain
liive persuaded some of the guides to pass the night on the edge of the
crevasse, and there await the succor which was hastening up from
Clnmouni. It was, perhaps to doom them to death, The suggestion,
tliercfore, was received by the guides with indignant remonstrances, and

'•■ «}.,

1<«l»'

1^ !» *

:^i f:'

.088

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

they reproached the foreigner with having caused by his obstinacy the
death of their comrades.

Stranj'o ami Paiiirul Sensations.

On their liomeward route each related the sensations he had nndcrc^oii ,
at the moment of the descent of the avalanche. Juhen Coutet had rdlld
over thrice before, bounding across the great crevasse, he fell into th
small one. He attributed his safety to the circumstance that he caniei',
slung across his back, the barometer-case of the doctor, which had hLid
him momentarily suspended on the brink of the abyss, whence he had
rebounded like a ricochet shot. Marie Coutet had seen four of the fnc
guides who preceded him fall with their feet uppermost; only one secnicd
to preserve his upright attitude. As for himself, he had felt hurled alonL,^
like a cannon ball, and in the twinkling of an eye, lo, he was lyin<,r
lialf buried on a bed of snow! A second afterwards, another of his
comrades seemed to drop from heaven by his side ; it was Julicn
Devoissous.

The only one of the guides not swept away by the avalanche was
Mathieu Balmat. Divining what had happened ; comprehending, w ith
the instinct of a mountaineer, that the new snow had separated, from tb.c
old, and was gliding in one mass down the incline; gifted, moreover, with
prodigious physical strength, he thrust his long iron-tipped pole through
the recent snow, which was not above three feet deep, and planted it in
the older and indurated soil. l?y exerting all his energy he was able to
cling to the pole, while the avalanche carried away beneath him his com-
panions and his brother, Pierre Balmat, to Hnd a sudden and terrible
death at the bottom of the abrss.

Fortunate Eseape lor Some of the Party.

Thrown down and rolled o\er like the others, Dr. Hamel had found
himself fortunately checked on the edge of the crevasse. Colonel Hen-
derson was driven much nearer the fatal brink, and had only been ar-
rested in his headlong course by the mass of snow which surmundcd
him. He was completely interred in it, even his head being covered, and
was only extricated from it with great difficulty. On arriving at the
Grands Mulcts they met the three guides despatched in the mornini;- to
obtain a supply of provisions, and who now returned with the rest of the
expedition. All these brave mountaineers, struck with a kind of stupor,
deplored with one \-oice the death of their comrades, and the distress into
which the event had plunged their families.

The two Englishmen contributed very generously to their relief, but
Dr. Hamel, whose conduct throughout was characterized by want of feel'

his obstinacy the

he had iindcri^niv:
Coutct had rolled
e, he fell into tli :
:e tluit he carric(',
r, wiiicli had held
s, whence he had
n four of the five
only one secnicd
1 felt hurled alon^r
lo, he Nvas lyin^i,^
Is, another of his
2] it was Julicn

lie ax'alanche was
lprehendinL,^ with
jparated, from th.c
jd, moreover, with
)ped pole through
and planted it in
gy he was able to
,'ath him his coni-
Jden and terrible

rty.

Hamel had found
;e. Colonel 1 Icn-
ad only been ar-
vhich surrounded
>eing covered, anil
n arriving; at the
in the mornini;- to
itli the rest of the
a kind of stupor,
d the distress into

:o their relief, but
:d by want of feel'

(589)

i-il^l'!

Bil; .«

590

EARTH SEA, AND SKY.

ing and a headstrong arrogance, took nj part in providing for them.

Nothing, however, could console thj mother of one of the three \ ictiin-^,

Pierre liahnat. Sh.e wept incjssantly; three months afterwards shj

died.

<;tia.stly DiscMivorics of a Keoeut I)au'.

On ^he 15th of August, 1S61, was fulfUled the last episode of this sor-
rowful tragedy. A Chamouni guide discovered on the glacier des Bos-
sons two human skulls with their integuments, and an arm with the haiul
still adhering, the whole clothed in ruddy flesh. A few fragments of ba;4s,
and clothes, and other signs, left no doubt that these ghastly wreeks had
belonged to the two guides, Pierre Balniat and Pierre Carrier. I'iiially,
on the 1st July, 1863, forty-three years after the catastrophe, the gln.cicr
des Bossons surrendered some additional human remains ; a foot, C(nercd
with its flesh and nails, still attached by the muscles to a fleshless tibia
By the side of the foot lay a compass, probably Dr. Mamel's, which the
guide Auguste Teiraz had carried. It was a grandson of the \ictini
Joseph Tciraz, photographer of Chamouni, who chanced upon this >ad
discovery.

Many ascents of Mont Blanc have becu undertaken since those described
in the preceding pages. Mountaineering has, in truth, become a mania;
in h'ngland an "Alpine Club" has been formed for its scientific develop-
ment ; and the Mont Blanc route is now so well defined that it has been
successfull}' accomplished by ladies. Few adventurers, however, escape
without some more or less dangerous mishap; and there seems nnicli
good sense in the words with which Captain Sherwill, one of the
number, ends a recent narrative : — " I advise no one to undertake
an ascent, for the result can never have an importance proportionate
to the dangers which you must incur, and in which }'ou must involve
o'thers."

Kivors of Ice.

Among the most wonderful phenomena of the mountains must be men-
tioned those great frozen rivers which move so slowly toward the \ alle\s,
yet never melt.

I'>\-en Lord Macaulay's school-boy knows by name the famous Merde
Glace, or pjs-see, of the Chamouni valley. We know that words, when
wielded by a master-.spirit, are powerful to move the hearts and agitate
the minds of men ; to realize the highest dreams of the poet's fancy and
embody the airiest creations of the romancist's; but, assuredly, no word.s
can convey even the feeblest idea of the wonders of this vast frozen sea
— girdled, as it is, by a giant range of frozen mountains — lit up by a

i:i

PERILS OF MOUNTAIN AND DESERT.

591

, 1'

idin^ for them.

ic three \ictiins,

afterwards slv.'

;odc of this sor-
jlacier dcs Bos-
n with the hand
laments of baj^s,
stly Av recks had
arrier. Finally,
)plie, the ^In.cicr
; a foot, coxincd
a fleshless tihia
nel's, which the
n of the \ictini,
:1 upon this vu!

J those described

peconie a niaiiia ;

:ientific dcveldp-

that it has been

lowever, escape

re seems much

ill, one I if the

:; to undertake

:e proportionate

ou must invoke

ns must be nicn-
\ard the \al!c}s,

i famous j\Ier de
lat words, when
arts and agitate
)oet's fancy ami
redly, no words
s vast frozen sea
IS — lit up by a

myriad fantasti and ever-shifting rainbow hues, and rendered awful by

its intense solitude and silence !

/dl that expands the spirit, yet appalls,
Gathers around ;

and nowhere does man feel more terribly dwarfed and humbled by a sub-
limit)' which he is wholly unable to comprehend !

The most striking portion of the Mer de Glace is the Glacier de Tal-
ofre, where a solitary rock, about seven acres in extent, and nowhere le.'.s
than 9000 feet above the sea, is clothed with beautiful herbage, and, in
August, dressed out in flowers — an oasis of poetry in the midst of the
most awful desolation — a Calypso's island set in a sphere of azure ice —
\.\\2 Janiiii, or Garden, as it is appropriately called, of a palace of Titans.
The 3Ioiiutain Traveller's Friend.

Situated between Switzerland and Savoy, is one of the most dangerous
passes of tiie Alps. In these regions the traveller is often overtaken b\-
the most severe weather, even after days of cloudless beaut)-, when the
glaciers glitter in the sunshine, and the pink flowers of the rhododendron
appear as if they were never to be sullied by the temj)est. But a storm
suddenl)' comes on; the roads are rendered impassable by drifts of snow;
the a\alanches — huge loosened masses of snow or ice — are swept into
the valleys, carrying trees and rocks before them.

Of the Monastery, nearly on the top of the Great St. Bernard, Rogers

says :

It is a pile of simplest masonry,
With narrow windows and vast buttresses,
Riiilt to endure the shocks of time and chance ;
^'et showing many a rent, as well it niigiit,
Warred on fur ever by the elements.

No': a bush is to be found near the edifice ; even the wood fiir its fires
is fitched from the Forest of Fewet — a distance of four leagues. FL\en in
the height of summer it always freezes there early in the morning. The
Hospice is rarely four months clear of snow; its a\'erage depth around is
seven or eight feet, and sometimes there are drifts rising to the height of
forty feet against it.

Its inmates have been pictured by^ Rogers as

Answering, and at once, to all
Tlie gentler impulses — to pleasure, mirth ;
Mingling, at intervals, with rational talk,
Music ; and gathering ne vs from tliem that came
As of some other world. But when the storm
Rose, and the snow rolled on in ocean waves,
When on liis face the experienced traveller fell.

1,1: sii

■ 1%-.

692

EARTil, SEA, AND SKV.

iifib

^l^^^r

SheltcriiV-j his lips .'iiid iU)Strils witli liis hands.
Then all was changed ; ami, sallying with tlicir pat k
Into that blank of nature, they became
Unearthly bein<;s !

So, not merely in poeti)', hut in fiict, it often occurs. It is a rule (.f

the Ah)naster)-, that every day, whatexx-r the weather may be, two able

men, called iiiarouicrs, accustonied to the mountains, should jiroceed, the

***?»\

I ji- — ^>i^

^u^^,-^^^
%'A^'

CEi.r.p.K \rr.n st. ]'.i:kN.\i<n noes rescuing a

;a\'i:i.i.i'.k.

one Lowartls the Italian .side, the (ther towai'ds the \'al!ais. The}- t!a\-
erse the pass durin;^ the whole ( f the day, each one attended hy a clo- —
with a Hash of spirits fastened to l:;s ncel; — keepini;a path opened in the
snow, and watchin;^- for passen;',ers. If the ;/,'c?/w//Vr meets \\ith an}- per-
son bewildered or exhausted, or his dog intimates that any one is uiuli:-
the snow, he instantlx' renders aid, or runs to the Hospice to gain assist-
ance. Conducted thither, all that is i)racticable for the sufferer is done
promptly and zealously.

PERILS OF MOUNTAIN AND DF.SKRT.

505

The (logs originally were brought from Spain. The monks, ha\-ing
ncL;lfCtc(.l to keep up a larger stock of the old race, it was nearly de-
stro}-ed by a malad\-, about forty \-ears ago, when, from necessity, the
present race was introduced. One of them, named Barry, saved a great
number of lives; and another dog, called Jupiter, was also very success-
ful. One day lie saw some person pass the Hospice, and immediately set
out after the traveller. After some time, his absence was remarked, ami
on: of the inaronicrs, pursuing his track, founil him posted over a drift of
snuw where a poor woman, w ith her child, were about to perish. But
these he was the instrument t)f saving from death.

Sir T. 1). Lauder had a puppy of about four or five months' old. pre-
sented to him by a friend, who brought it from the Great St. Bernard.

Doff Actiiijf as ]*ostinan.

When a dog attacked l^ass, as he was called, in the street or road, he
would run away, rather than quarrel ; but, when compelled to fight, he
turned upon the foe, threw him down, and then, without biting him,
would lay his whole immense bulk down upon him till he was nearly
smothered — a mode of treatment which was attributed to his youth.

Of his strength, the following is an instance : — It was the duty of the
postman — to whom Bass took a special fancy — besides delivering letters,
to take a bag from one receiving house to another, an<l this he gave the
dog to carr\', which followed him through ail the villas in the neighbor-
hood, where he had deliveries to make, and always parted with him op-
posite to the gate of the Convent of St. Margaret's, and returned home.
When his owner's gate was shut, to prevent his following the postman,
the dog always leaped a high wall to get after him.

One day, this postman, from some cause or other, sent another man in
his place. Bass went up to him, curiously scanning his face, whilst the
man rather retired from the dog as if anxious to decline his acquaint-
ance. But Bass, following, showed strong symptoms that he meant to
have the post-bag, while the man seemed equally intent on retaining it.
At length, as all liass' civil entreaties failed, he raised himself on his hind
legs, put a great fore paw on each of the man's shoulders, laid him flat on
his back in the \ jad, and coolly walked away with the bag. The man
got up, much dismayed, following the dog, and trying, in vain, what
coaxing would do ; but he \vas relieved at the f rst house he called at b}-
being told that the dog always carried the ba^. Bass walked with the
man to all the houses at which he had to deliver letters, and along the
road till he came to the gate of St. Margaret's, where he dropped the bag,

and, making his bow to the postman, returned home.
38

-.1:1

h ilfrif!

no 4

EARTH, SEA, AM) SKY.

^^#}iv

til

Not alone on the mountains is human life cnciatifTcrecl. Wliirlwitui-
and tempests sweeping hill and sandy plain are the breeders of destruction.

Violent whirl wintls are often seen in the midst of ^reat conflaL^rati-.i^.
A cane forest surrounded by a few isolated trees on the border of ilnj
Blaek Warrior River in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, broke out into ^aulc^
which spread o\-er a surface of twenty-five acres. Whirlwinds of various
forms ^vere seen in the hottest part of the fire. At first they were cuni-
paratively sli<^dit, not exceedinc^ thirty-fi\-e or fort)' feet in iiei;^dit. but :\>
the fire spread they rose to a heit^ht of more than two iumdied {\,v[.
The flame antl the smoke arisin<^ from the whirlwinds were wholK-disiinrt
from the general mass sent up by the fire. Even when tlie fire had burnt
out in a great part of the forest, the whirlwinds still rose above the ashes.
The wind was blowing from the northeast when the fire bro]<e out, hut
shortly afterwards the wind blew near the ground from all sides t

oward

the centre of the fire. The columns of smoke rose more than si.\; hun-
dred feet vertical in the air, and then suddenly bent toward the southwest,
clearU' showing where the north wind struck them.

Fires I*ro<liU'iiig' "Whirlwinds.

Immense whirlwinds are often seen accompan)'ing the large clearinL,^
fires of the backwoods. Se\-en acres of timber and brushwood were
fired at Amherst, ^lass., on a war;n windless da}', when the smoke and
flame united in a large, whirling, cylindrical column, accompanied by
violent roaring. At a similar fire in Stockbridge, the whirlwinil was so
violent that it t()re ui> \-<,)ung trees six to eight inches thick, and hurled
them fift\- feet high in the air. Similar wiiirling columns ha\e been
observed abo\e the craters of acti\'e volcanoes. On the 8th of .\\m\,
1866, a pillar of ashes rose above the volcano of Santorin during;- an
eruption, with the usual thunder and rumblings, and suddenly shut up in
the form of an immense steam screw to a height of 19,000 feet. Some-
times the \apors contained in the whirlwinds condense above the column
of smoke, and form clouds, sending down lightning and rain.

The simplest form of the whirlwind is that observed on calm da}-s, on
large squares or cross roads, when sand and leaves are lifted and whirled
round for a few seconds. Dust Avhirhvinds of considerable size are some
times obseived in tiie Russian steppes; but the best known phenomena et
this kind are the high sand pillars of Sahara, which ha\-e been falsely
reported to be able to bury whole cara\'ans. Even in Australia these
rotary dust pillars are met Avith, generally being seen upon shadowless
plains. It is thought that these Australian wlilrlwinds are the channels
which carry the heated air from the ground ij the higher strata.

.^: Miirs.S'-.i^ss.

ed. Whirlwind-
:r.s of (lestruciioii.
:at coiillaL^'nilinn-..
ihc border of iliu

out into flaiiic',
rUvinds of varimis
;t ihcy ui-fc ciini-

'\\\ lKi:j;ht. but ;i>
,\vo bundled tvxt.
crcwbolly tlisiiiict
tiic fire b?id burnt
^c above tlie ashes,
fire broke out, but
m all siiles towan!
lore tlian six lum-
/ard tbe southwest,

tbe larc^c clcariiv^f
d brushwood were
len tbe smoke and
1, accompanietl by
J whirlwind was so
s thick, and hudcd
oUnnns have been
1 the 8th of April,
Santorin durin- an
,uddenly shot up in
9,000 feet. Sonie-
- abo\-i; the eulunin
111 rain.

1 on caini days, on
■c lifted and whirled
rable size are scmii
nown phenomena I't
[\ ha\'e been falsely
in Australia these
;n upon shadowless
ds are the channels
kher strata.

■mm

Im fill

(595)

500

'mi' '

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

m^i

Instcail ^^( th ■ n'!!in;^f waves and cool breezes of the sea, this fiincnal
re;j;! >n only ^nws out l)iirnin<; {^usts.scorchinj,' blasts which seem tn is>iic
fioin the ^'ates ot hell; these are the simoon or poison-wind, as the wnnl
sil^nifiis in Arab. The came! driver knows this formidable enemy, and >,,
soon as he sees it loomin;^^ in the hori/.tm, he raises liis liands to JKawn
r.nd implores Allah ; the camels themselves seem terrified at its approaeii.
A x'eil (if reddish-black in\ades the plcamini^ sky, and verj'soon a tenihlj
.'.nd bin-nine^ wind rises, bearing; clouds of fine impalpable sand, which
.^everel\• irritates t!ic e\'cs and throat.

Di'cadl'ul Destruction by Siuid-Storiiis.

The camels squat down and refuse to move, and the travellers ha\-e no
chance of saflv except by makini; a rampart of the bodies of their
beasts, and co\erinc,r their heads so as to protect themselves a^Miiist
this scourge. I-'ntire caravans liavc sometimes perished in these sand-
storms; it was one of them that buried the army of Cambyses when it
was tra\ersm;^ tiie desert.

Camp, in his charminL;- work on the Nile, describes in the follouin'i-
terms one of these desert tempests. It comes towards one, he savs,
«;rowinc;. spreadincj.and atl\-ancinij as if on wheels. Its oxerhan^in;^^ siin-
mit is of a brick color, its base deep red and almost black. In propor-
tion as it approaches it dii\-es before it burning effluvi;i. like the breath of
a lime-kiln. Ik-fore it reaches us we are covered with its shadow. The
sound it makes is like that of a wind passing through a pine-ft)rest. So
soon as we are in the midst of this hurricane the camels halt, turn their
backs, throw themseh-es down, and lay their heads upon the sand, .\ftcr
the cloud of dust comes a rain of imperceptible stones, violently hurled
about by the wind, and which, if it lasted long, would quickly flay the
skin from those parts of the body unprotected by the clothes. This lasted
{^^■c or six minutes, and was frightful. Then the sky became clear a^^ain,
and ga\e the same feeling of sudden change to the eye as a light sud-
denly brought into a dark place.

Whirlwinds are generally preceded by a sultry, oppressive air; some-
times by absolute calm ; but the state of the wind never appears clearly
c<innected with the phenomena. The storm pillars vary greatly in form;
the sand columns being generally funnel-shaped, and the water-spouts
like a pipe surrounded at the base by whirling vapors and foaming water.
The height and diameter are also variable; some of the highest have
been estimated at 6,000 feet. In many cases the damage caused by the
water is of such a kind as to show that there has been an influx uf air
from every side toward the base of the column.

;ca, this funorcal
ch sccni to is^in'
.ind.as the wmi-.I
Ic LMicniy. and .so
hands to hfavcn,
.1 at its apiirnaLli.
ry soon a tcrrihlj
abio sand, which

ravcllcrs have no
: bodies of their
cniselves a;4ain>t
ed in these saml-
Jambyses when it

; in the following
ds one, he says,
Dverhanj^ini^siim-
ack. In proper-
like the !)reath of
its shadow. The
I pine-forest. So
Is halt, turn their
the sand, .\fter
violently hurled
quickly Hay the
thes. This lasted
came clear a-ain,
\c as a lii^ht siid-

cssive air; somc-
V appears clearly
y greatly in form ;
the water-spouts
nd foaming water,
the highest have
ige caused by the
1 an influx of air

BOOK II.

THE SEA.

CHAPTER I.
MONSTERS OF THR GREAT D;:EP.

The Ladders of the Titans— The Watery Desert— .X Cire.at I'liknown- Mvsti ries of
tlie Deep — Marvelous I'roducts — Terriljle Marine Monslrr-^ — I lie Wdrld-Rf
nowned "Kraken "—Rattle with a Stranpe F(«*— Tlie (treat Sea-.Ser|)eii>—
Sin:j;tilar Stories— Old .Sailors' Narratives -The Hui;e Ocean Giant— Curious
Habitsoftiie Whale — Perilous and Excititig Adventures — A Miracidous Escape—
Tlie riyins: Dragoon— .\ Kisli with SiMkes — Seized by a .Shark— The Stomias
Boa — The Hammer Headed Shark — Tlie Siamese Twins of the beo.

O behold the sea! It is tlie dream of every landsman, citizen or
peasant, who dwells in the interior of an o(;ean-\\ashetlcountr\',
however little he may care for the grand .s:enes of nature. The
mountains attract in the .same manner ♦.he inhabitants of the
plains, but not so .strongly. Me may, with some degree of effort, embody
them for himself with the aid of the pictures lie has seen, or the descrip-
tions he has read. Certainly, when at a later time foilune permits him
with admiring eye to view these gigantic monuments of our])!anet's
ancient convulsions ; when he sees, on the platforms which are but their
first steps, the enormous masses rising, on wlu)se flanks the vast forests
appear like patches of moss, and which are in their turn surmounted by
l)!les of rocks with summits apparently piercing the celestial \ault, he
discovers but a faint resemblance betw^een their reality and the concep-
tions he has formed of them.

And if he undertakes to climb these ladders of the Titans ; if, at an
elevation of some thousands of feet, he ca.sts his glance over the plains ;
if he peers down into the aby.s.scs lying open before his steps ; if he mark.i
the cascades leaping from crag to crag with a thunderous roar antl bury-
in;^ themselves in gulfs where whiten their f )amy waves ; if he climbs to the
wintry regions where the rocks are of ice, where the soft moss and crisp
^recn turf are replaced by peqietual snows, where he is lost — as it were —
in space, where legions of moving clouds hide the earth from his vision,

(597) .

t ■

''"{

<■■ ^ !

:?')

598

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

LI f

I V

f .

1'^

where the difficult air impedes his respiration : then he will think of the
pahr\- hmdscapes below with a scorn attempered by pity.

Ikit the mountain^- are still the earth. There man may live on the
proceeds of the chase or of his industr\\ There he may build hiniM.lf
a house. There flourish plants and animals with which he is familiar. 1 [c
marches there with a firm foot. The very dan;^ers that threaten him — the
pr<:ci])ice, and the torrent, and the storm, and the a\-alanch — are onl\- ;ui
enlar<;cment, so to speak, of those which eveiywhere surround liim. In
a word, he is as much at home on the mountain-peak as in his own fields;
the form and aspect alone are different.

Grandeur of the "World of Waters.

But it is otherwise with the ocean. He who has never seen it can form
no just conception of it. Vainly does he seek a resemblance in the master-
pieces of the painter's art, in the great rivers, the great lakes, the \ast
extent of the plains, farms, or prairies. Nothing can ever paint to him
the liquid immensity. Brought face to face with ocean, he will remain
speechless and stupified. And what will it be if he goes down to the deep
in shi[)s, loses sight of earth, and finds himself suspended between the
water and the sky, sustained above the aby.ss by a few planks? Overliis
head, the infinite space; under his feet, a capricious and shifting element
— capricious, at least, in appearance — to day, calm, benign, and motinn-
le.ss ; to-morrow, furious and implacable, hurling one against another its
foam-crested waves, longing to engulf his frail bark in their formidable
embrace.

It is then that he will feel the sentiment of his own weakness crouinL;^
upon him, with the idea of infinity. His temerity will at first astonish
and terrify liim. He will think with admiration of the forgotten hero
who first dared to launch himself upon the sea in a boat, and confront the
unknown; of those who, bolder still, imdertook the desperate enterprise
of disccn-ering the end, the boundary of the watery desert — sailing, sailinij
from the other side of the world, until they should meet with the land
.seen by the mind's e}'e beyond the horizon. Then the tranquil courage
of the .seamen, their skilful manceuvres, their familiarity with this great
liquid world, which they both know and love; all this tends by degrees
to reassure him. A certain enthusiastic pride will succeed the humble
dread of his first moments; he will enjoy man's fierce struggle against the
elements. If a storm break forth, he will rejoice to witness it, as a young
soldier, after the first few musket shots, feels a fierce delight in the battle,
And as the soldier, when once more seated by his fireside, proudly ex-
claims : " I was in that war ; I fought on such and such a famous field;"

will think of the

MONSTERS OF THE GREAT DEEP.

599

he too, in his turn, will cr>', " I have beheld the sea ; and not only from
the harbor, the pier, and the summit of the cliff, but I have seen it beneath
my feet ; I ha\'e seen it alternately serene and stormy, agitated and asleep ;
I have bounded o'er the waves to the roaring of the tempest; 1 have
struggled against it — and here I am ! "

3rysterics of the Sea.

This indeed is a fortunate man, for he has seen the ocean. But has he
scon it truly? No. For the ocean is not, like the mountains, an accident on
the surface of the earth ; it is a world, two and a half times as large as'
our own, if ^ve consider only its surface, and it envelops ours on every
side. It is a world which nourishes legions of strange beings in its
depths, in its vast coral forests. It is a world which man, after so many
centuries, at the cost of so many sacrifices, scarcely begins to know, far
from having conquered it.

Like to the great gods of the ancient barbarians of the North and the
East, the ocean — a greedy and terrible power — makes us pay every year
by hundreds of human lives for the favors it bestows upon us. How
many has the enormous Sphinx devoured of those who have attempted
to divine its enigmas, to pierce its mysteries! What matters it ? The
uork goes on, and goes forward. The human eye has penetrated that
formidable night. Science already comprehends the laws which govern
the marine world and connect it with the terrestrial, and has learned the
part which the seas perform.

It has done more. By a series of inductions based on an examination
of the constitution of our globe, it has succeeded in ascending to the
origin of things; in unlocking, so to .speak, the archives of nature, and
composing a history of the ocean, a history so logical, so satisfactory to
the mind, so harmonious with existing facts, that we cannot refuse to ac-
cord it a very high degree of certainty.

Marvelous Pro«liu't.s of the Ocean.

We are to study the ocean in its actual condition ; its regular or tumult-
uous movements, the causes which produce and the laws which go\ern
ihcm. Exploring the shores of the seas, their surface, and ab)-sses, we
sec developed the prodigious .series of beings which inhabit them: fan-
tastic plants; rudimentary animals scarcely distinguishable from plants;
microscopical creatures which svirm in incalculable myriads, agitate,
labor, and multiply — molluscs, crustaceans, fish, reptiles, gigantic amphib-
ians, even birds; for among the winged race there are hundreds of species
which belong to the marine not less than to the aerial world.

mi i

:fMfj||(

GOO

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

w*!

fi,

!|^ ilil^

;il.

We show the ocean plouj^hed in every direction, exca\'atod in its

depths and explored by man, and exercising; a powerful inllucnce on tiio

proL^ress of science and civiUzation ; less, indeed, by tiic immense rK:hc.s

whicli it ofifers to our forced, than by tlie obstacles which it opposes to

our encroachments, and b)- the problems which it proposes for us to

solve.

Kxtraordiiisiry ^Isvriiic 31<nist('r.

No forms of life on our ^^lobe are more calculated to awaken suipri-c
than those which are found in the mysterious depths of the ocean, straii.;'
stories and descriptions of which have come to our notice. Man}' wninl-
rous tales are on record of gigantic polypi, living in the polar and tropical
seas ; fierce and redoubtable monsters, of size and strength sufficient to
o\-ercome and de\-our the largest whales, and, conseciuently, far more
easiU- able to destroy an\' unfortunate niaiiner who may have fallen oxer-
board, or incautious swimmer who ventures to sport in the waters fre-
quented by them. Accounts are given of monstrous creatures, capable of
entangling ships, and of seizing with their arms not only men, but even
whales of huge dimensions. Mention is made of a motister whose atni-;
were thirt\' feet in length, and so thick that a man could scarce! \- cla^n
them. Mention is also made of other animals of the same kind, uiiMse
arms measured from seventy-five to one luuidred and twent)^ ^cct\ V'm-
all\', the cclef)rated "kraken," which has been the theme of so main- \r,-
mances, was of no less a girth in its up[)cr portion than half a league, aiid
woultl ha\e capsized the largest vessels, had not their crews severed the
arms with which it held them. The truth is, that in the Pacific Ocean a
.species does exist of enormous dowlopment.

The Hii^o Octopus.

One of the most eminent of modern naturalists, Ehrcnberg, has com-
municated to the Berlin Academy of Sciences some observations well
deserving' notice. His paper, relates to soundings made on the Green-
land coast by the English ship Ihill-doi^. He savs the accounts given
strikingly accord with the old legends that tell of marine monsters living
at the bottom of the sea, and enveloping with their arms all things that
approached them. What Pliny says of enormous polypi thirtv feet lon:^,
and weighing seven hundred pounds, has been regarded as an exaggera-
tion. ]5ut an immense creature was captured which might be callcil
" whale-sla\'er," for it was taken while engaged in a struggle with one ot

these giants of the .sea. Some portions o{ the body of this gigantic
polypus are preserved in the Copenhagen Museum.

We cannot, therefore, doubt that the depths of the .sea, where vcgcta-

f f. li

f I # »

cxca\'atcd in its
influence on tho
: immense rh:lics
cli it Disposes to
(Eposes fijir us t.;

) awaken sur].iri<c
he ocean, Strang,-
:e. Many wmul-
polarand tropica!
v^ih sufficient to
[uently, fdv more
' have fallen ovcr-
in tiic \\aler< frc-
:atures, capabic of
ily men, but ewn
»nster \\ho--e aiin>
.ild scai'cely clasp
same kind, whose
went\' ^eet! l'"in-
e of so many nv
lialf a lea;_;ue. and
crews sewred the
,c Pacific Ocean a

•nber^. lias coin-
observations well
ide on the Green-
accounts ^nvcii
e m< insters living
ms all thiiiL^s that
-)\ thirty feet Ion;,
d as an exa<^;^fera-

might be called
•uggle with oivj of

of this gigantic

;ea, where vcijcta-

(OUl)

:'rs

'' :''Pi lij

G02

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

bles flourish eight handred feet in length, are also peopled with monstrous
animals, whose organism is adapted to these unknown regions, whence
they but rarely emerge. Their very real appearances have formed the
basis of the mysterious traditions which, for two thousand years, have
been transmitted from generation to generation of mariners, and which
have given birth to the fantastic creations of the kraken and the sea-
serpent.

Almost simultaneously with the appearance of Ehrcnberg's paper,
Berthelot, the French consul at Teneriffe, minutely related an encounter
with a gigantic polypus, in the open sea. On the 2nd of December i86i,
said Berthelot, the steam despatch-boat AUxto, commanded by Lieutenant
Bou}-cr, dropped anchor in our roads on her voyage to Cayenne. This
ship had encountered at sea, between Madeira and Teneriffe, a monstrous
polypus swimming at the surface of the water. This animal measured
from sixteen to eighteen feet in length, without counting the eight for-
midable arms covered with air holes, that encircled its head. Its color
was a brick red; its eyes, placed level with the top of its head, were pro-
digiously developed, and glared with a frightful fixedness. Its mouth
was like a j)arrot's beak. Its body, much swollen towards the centre,
presented an enormous mass, whose weight might be computed at about
4400 pounds. Its fins, situated at its posterior extremity, were rounded
into fleshy lobes of a very great size.

It was on the 30th of November, about half an hour after noon, that
the crew of the Alccio, descried this terrible cephalopod swimming along-
side. The commander immediately stopped his vessel, and despite the
animal's dimensions, manceuvred to catch him. A slipknot was made
read}-; muskets were loaaed, and harpoons prepared, in all haste. But
at the first balls fired the monster dived underneath the vessel, quickly
reappearing on the other side. Attacked anew with the harpoons, and
after receiving several discharges of musketry, he disappeared twice or
thrice, each time showing himself a few moments afterwards at the sur-
face, agitating his long arms. But the ship continued to follow him, or
rather checked her course according to the animal's movements. This
chase lasted for two or three hours.

A Struffgle Avitli a Strange Foe.

Tile captain of the Alccto grew anxious at all risks to capture this
novel kind of foe. Nevertheless he durst not hazard the lives of his .sai-
lors by lowering a boat, which this monster would have readily capsized
by seizing it with one of its formidable arms. The harpoons aimed at it
penetrated its soft flesh, and flew back without inflicting any mortal in-

I»^^^

vlth monstrous
:gion.s, whence
ive formed the
nd years, have
icrs, and which
1 and the sea-

niberg's paper,
i an encounter
)ecember l86i,
1 by Lieutenant
Cayenne. This
ffe.a monstrous
imal measured
[ the eight (or-
lead. Its color
head, were pro-
:ss. Its mouth
irds the centre,
iputed at about
were rounded

iftcr noon, that
kumming aUong-
and despite the

not was made
all haste. But

vessel, quickly
: harpoons, and
peared twice or
irds at the sur-
) follow him, or
vements. This

to capture this
lives of his sai-
•eadily capsized
)ons aimed at it
any mortal in-

rMBll

(003)

i p

C04

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY,

V >

!lill

jury. Several balls had hit it in vain. At length it received a shot
which seemed to wound it seriously, for it immediatel) >mited a great
quantity of froth and blood mixed with glutinous matter, which dif-
fused a strong odor of musk. It was at thi:i crisis that the saiJDrs
contrived to catch it with the running knot, but the rope glided alon^j
the mollusc's clastic body, and only stopped when near the extrcmitv
at the junction of the two fins. They attempted to haul it aboard,
and already the greater portion of its body was clear of the watur,
when its enormous weight drew the rope right through its fle.sh, and
separated the hinder portion from the remainder of the animal. Tlvn
the monster, released from its bonds, fell back into the .sea, and dis-
appeared.

Whatever may be the reality of the facts with which we have just been
busy, and the scientific value of the commentaries suggested b\' them.
we must ackno-n-lcdge that the story of the gigantic polypus, the subject of
such maivelous tales, is deficient neither in grandeur nor poetry. It is
undoubtedly of Danish or Norwegian origin, as is shown by the com-
pletely northern sound of the name of " kraken " bestowed upon the
mon:;ter. According to the ancient legend, the kraken is a foul, collos-
sal boast, of shapeless body, with arms as long as the longest serpent,
and covered with innumerable suckers. He does not content himself
with attacking the other denizens of the ocean ; he lusts after the flesh
and blood of man. It is especially at night and in the fury of the tem-
pests, that he rises from the bottom of the abyss to assail the unhappy
voyagers overtaken by the whirlwind. It then embraces the masts and
rigging with its gigantic arms, and endeavors to drag down under the
seething waters the ship and all on board. The sole means of escape is
by severing its tentacles with blows of an axe ; yet it is by no mean-!
certain that they will not grow again immediately, like the heads of the
hydra. It is easy to understand the terror with which the recital of the
frightful exploits of such an enemy mu.st formerly have inspired ignor-
ant minds prone to superstitious fancies.

The Famous Sea Serpent.

The fabulous history of the great sea-serpent ascends, like that of the
giant polypi, to a sufficiently remote antiquity. Pliny and Valerius
Maximus both describe an amphibious serpent swimming in the shallow
shore-waters, and only sailing out to sea when he had grown to such
dimensions that movement became impossible for him, or, at all eycnts,
very difficult, anywhere else than in mid-ocean. A French author,
Belleforest, in his " Cosmographie," comments on the passage in Pliny

If".

.:iii?

ceivcd a shot
mitcd a great
cr, which dif-
at the sailors

glided along
the extremity
lul it aboard,
of the water,

its flesh, and
mimal. TiVlh

sea, and dis-

have just been
:sted by them,
, the subject of

poetry. It is
n by the com-
ived upon the

a foul, coUos-
ngest serpent,
ontent himself

after the flesh

y of the tem-

the unhappy

the ma<ts and

')\\n under the

s of escape is

by no means

heads of the

2 recital of the

aspired ignor-

ikc that of the
and Valerius
in the shallow-
grown to such
r, at all eyents,
"rench author,
ssagc in Pliny

MONSTERS OF THE GREAT DEEP.

605

referring to this marine serpent, and does not hesitate to furnish the
most circumstantial details n;specting it. According to him, though of
cnllossal dimensions, it was gifted with extraordinary agility. It flung
itself on barks and small ships, capsi/.ed and dashed them in fragments
by striking them with its huge tail, and afterwards swallowed all their
crews. Belleforest adds, with admirable simplicity, that if the ship was
too large for the creature to crush it, it drew, or rather propelled it to-
wards the shore, in whatever direction the wind blew; then waited pa-
licntl)' until the seamen, compelled by hunger or in the hope of escape,
ventured upon deck or attempted to gain the shore. That was the mo-
ment for it to pounce upon them and crush them with its teeth — for
teeth it had, according to Belleforest. It had also the head of the wolf-
dog, with ears pricked back behind. Add to this a body covered with
yellow i-h scales, and a croup curving in tortuous folds, and you will have
an exact portrait of the monster; the same, in all probabilit\', which
Neptune stimulated to devour the son of Theseus.

Belief in the Kvistencc of a Terrible 3Iouster.

In the north of Europe, a belief in marine creatures of strange form
and prodigious dimensions is widely spread and deeply rooted in the
minds of the masses. Fishermen and sailors confuse the kraken properly
so called, or gigantic polypus, and the great sea-serpent, designating both
bv the name of kraken, and libcrallv attributing to them the most astonish-
ing and incompatible characteristics and forms. Norway has an uncon-
querable faith in the reality of the great .sea-serpent, and a.scribes it to the
northern seas for a dwelling-place. Pontoppidan, Bishop of Bergen, sa.y§
that the Norwegians cherish so strong a belief in the actual existence of
this monstrous reptile, that whenever he spoke of it in a dubious manner,
his listeners broke into a quiet laugh, as if he had doubted the existence
of the eel or any other common fish. The name of the ocean-serpent in
the.se regions is the kraken; they also refer to it by a name which signi-
fies the scourge of the sea.

The Norwegian fishermen, says Pontoppidan, all affirm, without the
least contradiction in their accounts, that the monster covers a mile
and a half of ocean with the upper portion of its back. The fish, sur-
l)rised by its ascent, flutter a moment in the humid hollows formed b\' the
protuberances of its external envelope; then from the floating mass issue
numerous spikes or shining horns, which rear themselves erect like masts
crossed by their j-ards. These are the arms of the kraken. Here, then,
is a resuscitation of the kraken ; the .serpent transforms itself into a poly-
pus: it has arms, and what arms! Such is their vigor, tkat if they seize

1 r

J''

GOG

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

upon the ricjGjintX of a sliip of the h"ne, they will infallibly capsize her!
After reniaininj^ some time on the waves, the monster redescends withihc
same slowness, and the dani^er is not less for tiie vessel whieh may 1)-
within its range; for, while sinkin;^, it displaees such a volume of water
as to occasion whirlwinds and currents not less terrible than those of the
famous Maelstrom.

Sucli is in Norway the jiopular belief respectint:^ the sea-serpent. The
old Scandina\ian writers attribute to it a leni^lh of 600 feet, with a lua. 1
resembling,'- that of the horse, black eyes, aiul a kind of white mane.
According; to them, it is only met with in the ocean, where it suddenly
rears itself uj) like a mast of a ship of tlie line, and i^ives vent to hissiiv^^
noises, which apjxill the hearer, like the tempest roar. The NorwcL^ian
poets compare its proujress to the flijght of a swift arrow. The fishermen
sa\' it re\'ol\es sometimes in a circle around the doomed vessel, whose
crew thus find themselves assailed on every side.

The Terror of tlio Polar Seas.

In this description of the sea-serpent we think it possible to reco<:jni/.c
another fantastic animal, the" i;reat white whale " of the Greenland coa--ts,
hunted for two centuries by the Scotch whalers, which they called " niahy
dick," and rej^arded as the terror of the Arctic Seas. Accordini^ to these
mariners it makes its appearance now at intervals ; but is of so venerahK-
an age that its botly is completely covered by vegetation and marine
mosses, in whose midst live attached to it, as to a rock, multitudes of
shell-fish and pol\-pi.

The traditions of the North speak also of a marine monster which was
stranded one da\' on the beach of one of the Orkney Islands. It is saiil
to have measured eightv feet in length and fourteen feet in circumference,
to have worn a long bristling mane, which, luminous in night and shadiuv,
grew dull and dark during the daj'. Despite the fantastic character > 4"
some of those details, we may add that their general veracity is attested
by the depositions taken in presence of the local authorities ; and that
even a Scotch naturalist. Sir Everard Home, proposed to class this mon-
ster among the fish of the Squalidai family.

In England and the United States a belief in the great sea-serpent ha-
always been exceedingly popular. The Linnean Society of Boston pub-
lished some \-ears ago an authentic report establishing the fact that, at
certain inter\-als, a prodigious monster had been seen in Boston Ba}'; that
on one occasion it showed itself about thirty miles from Boston, and was
examined by some competent persons informed of its return. Accordini,^
to the narrative we are speaking of, the monster exhibited the general

ly capsize her!
sccnds with the
which may ho
oluiiic of water
an those of the

i-serpcnt. The
jet, with a liead
of white mane.
lere it suddenl)-

vent to hissiuL;
The Norwe^Maii

The fislieniien
l1 vessel, who^e

ble to recoj^nizc
ireenland eoa-l<.
jy called " niahy
;ordini^ to these
of so \-eneral)le
ion and marine
:, multitudes of

nster which \\a>
uids. It is saiil
1 circumference,
;htand shadow,
tic character "t
acity i.s attested
rities ; and that
class this niun-

sea-serpent ha-
of Boston pub-
the fact that, at
oston Bay; tliat
Boston, and was
rrn. According
I ted the general

(()(>7)

'm0.i

,Wf,

,f*M

i^ ell'

ill*

008

EARTH, SF.A, AND SKV.

shape an.l outlines of a serpent. Its aL^ility was extreme. When the
weather \\a.s calm and the sun hot, it remained on the surface, alternatcK'
jiluni^nni^ in the water and exposin;^ in the air tlu different portions of its
annular bt)dy.

In the archives of the town of Plymouth is preserved a Ioul,' abstract of
verbal depositions made by a multitude of seamen, which affirm the ex-
istence in ocean of this mysterious animal. And it is a remarkable cir-
cumstance that all these depositions, with the exception of some sUl^Iu
differences of detail, fully at^ree upon the general conformation and enor-
mous dimensions of the mc^nster.

A fisherman attests upon oath to have seen a stran<;e animal, of a ser-
pent's shape, extraordinary size, and brown hue, sometimes baskini; tran-
quilly on the surface of the water, sometimes swimming with incredible
swiftness. Another witness affirms that he saw in the same locality an
immense beast, whose head resembled that of a rattlesnake. A third h.ul
seen the monster open its enormous mouth, which he also compares to
that of a terrestrial serpent. Other individuals announce similar facts, and
accompany them with details which a]:)pear very natural. Thus, a sea-
man relates that he fired a musket-shot at the monster, just at the mo-
ment that, having drawn tolerably near the ship, he dived as if to a\-oi(l it:
but that, at a short distance off, the monster raised its head anew; that
they very simultaneously felt the grating of a scaly body against the \es-
sel's keel, and that soon afterwards they saw the .serpent's tail lashing the
surface of the sea, and making the .spray and foam besprinkle the veiy

mariners.

Testimony of an Kye Witness.

Some \-ears aero the United Service Joiifual inserted a letter in ^\•hich
an eye witness described the appearance of the sea-serpent on the shore
of Nah.ant. I had with me, says this witness, an excellent telescope.
When I reached the strand I found many persons assembled, and soon
afterwards we saw appear, at a short distance from the .shore, an animal
whose body formed a scries of blackish curves, of which I counted thir-
teen. Other persons estimated the number at fifteen. The monster
passed thrice at a moderate speed, traversing the bay, whose waters
writhed in foam under its huge bulk. We could easily calculate that its
length could not be much less than fifty to si.xty feet. This, at least, I can
affirm, without presuming to say to what .species belongs the animal which
I have ju.st seen.

A short time afterward the officials of Essex county, in the State of
Massachusetts, received the deposition, formally drawn up, which follows:

. i » '

no. When the
face, altcrtiatiK*
t portions df its

hiULj abstract <>f

1 affirm tlic c\-

remarkahlc cir-

of sonic slii^rht

lation and cnnr-

.nimal, of a ser-
es baskint; tran-
<; with incredible
same locality an
:e. A third had
.Iso compares to
similar facts, and
\\. Thus, a sea-
■, just at the nio-

as if to avoid it;
lead anew; that

against the \es-
s tail lashiuL,^ the

crinkle the \"erv

letter in which
nt on the shore
client telescope,
iblcd, and soon
shore, an animal

I counted thir-
The monster
y, whose waters
calculate that its
his, at least, lean
:he animal which

in the State o(
.which follows:

MONSTERS OF THE GREAT DEEP.

009

I, the undcrsif^ned, Grcsham Bennett, .second master, declare tliat on the
6th of June, at seven a.m., while navi<,fatin;^ on board the sloop C/>iir(>nf,
on her way from New York to Salem, the vessel bein;^ about fifteen miles
fmni Race Point, in sight of Cape St. Anne, I heard the helmsman cry out,
ami call me, .saying that there was something close to tiie ship well worth
looking at. I mn immediately to the side which he pointed out, and .saw
a serpent of enormous magnitude floating on the water. Its liead rose
about sc\en feet above the surface ; t.he weather was clear and the s a calm.
The color of the animal in all its visible parts was black, and the skin
appeared smooth and free from scales. Its head was about as long as
that of a horse, but was the perfect head of a serpent, terminating on the
upper part in a flattened surface. We could not distinguish its eyes.
I saw it clearly from .seven to eight minutes ; it swam in the same direc-
tion as the sloop, and went nearly as quickly. Its back consisted of humps
or rings of the size of a large barrel, separated by intervals of about three
feet. These rings appeared fixed, and resembled a chain of hogsheads
fasteneil together; the tail was beneath the water. The part of the ani-
mal which I .saw measured about fifteen feet in length; the mo\'ementof
its rings seemed undulatory.

A X<>v«'l Discussion.

There ensued in the scientific journals and societies a very anin'.ated
discussion, but one of novel character, in which everybody took a side
for or against the great sea-serpent; only its opponents, instead of
denying purely and simply its existence, maintained that what had
been taken for an animal was nothing else than some enormous vegetable
waif stretched out upon the surface of the Ocean.

Something is due to the influence of ancient traditions and venerable
fables, which have been handed down from generation to generation, and
which, while powerfully affecting the more credulous and impressible
minds, are not without theii effect even upon cooler judgments. The
superstitions of the past have a strange vitality in them. We pretend to
despise, to ignore them; we very learnedly di.scuss their origin, and ex-
pose their absurdity; yet \vho can say that he is wholly free from their
far-reaching power? U iknown to ourselves, perhaps, they color our
fancies and direct the course of thoughts, and surprise us into a sudden
acquiescence in moments when the cool intellect is oft its guard,
and the excited brain has surrendered itself to the dominion of fancy.
It is to this truth Schiller has so finely alluded in his " Wallcnstein,"
in a passage where Coleridge's translation may be owned to surpass the
original :
89

;-.^m'

;';

GIO

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

Still

Doth the old instiiirt bring hack the olil names;
Aiul to yon starry workl tliey now are gone,
Spirits or gocl-^, that ustnl to siiare this earth
Willi man as with their friend ;
Vondur they move, from yonder visible sky
Slioot inlliienre down ; and even at tiiis day
'Tis Jupiter who brinc^s whate'er is Jjreat,
And \'eniis who brings everything tliat's fair.

An Tmmon.sc Ocoau (iihint.

The Greenland whale frequently attains the lens^th of seventy feet, but
its ordinary dimensions are about sixty. lucn the latter is a colossi!
stature; it presupposes a weii^ht of about .seventy tons; and a whale of
this length and mass will not be less than from thirt}'-six to forty feet in
circumference, measured a little in front of tiie pectoral fms. The latter
are from seven to ten feet lonj^; the tail, which is triangular in shape, is
from eighteen to twentv-two feet broad. Naturalists ascribe to soiiu
species still more j^igantic dimensions. Thus the Northern ronuial
sometimes exceeds ninety-fi\'e feet in Iciv.^h; and the two species wli; h
inhabit the waters of the Aleutian Islands attain, accordini^ t(j simij
authorities, the astoundin<^ length of 170 feet. The cachalot, or spcrni
'.vhale, is about the same size as the Greenland or common whale; yet
individuals have been discovered, we are told, which, like the roniual,
measured eighty to ninety feet in length.

Nearly all stay-at-home naturalists — the naturalists of the closet — ha\-c
repeated in their treatises that the blowers, when they rise to the surface
of the water for breathing, eject through their vents great spouts of v.-atcr,
which indicate their whereabouts from afar. This fact is uni\-ersally ad-
mitteil, and c\-ery picture of whales or cachalots represents them with the
indispensable j'^t leaping from the summit of their head. Yet, accordinj;
to those obser\ers who have seen the whale elsewhere than in books and
museums, it is not water which the animal propels through its vents, but
the vapor of water, just as all terrestrial animals expire their breath; only
this vapor, on coming into contact with the cold air, immediately con-
denses, at first in a white cloud, and afterwards in a small fine rain. Such,
at least, is the .statement of Scoresby, no mean authorit}-; and it has been
confirmed by an old seaman, a well informed and highly talented man,
who spent .several years in the exciting pursuits of the whale-fishcn-,
and who has had opportunities of observing some hundreds of those
animals.

A profound instinct of sociability seems one of the characteristic

'^1

tsir*

MONSTERS OF THE GREAT DI-.IT.

»;ii

seventy feet, but
tor is a colos-.il
aiul a whale of
< to forty feet in
fins. The latter
;ular in ^hape, is
ascribe to snmj
Northern ronuuil
vo speeies whi ;h
cordint; to sduvj
^ehalot, or sperm
•union whale; ytt
like the rorqual,

the closet— have
rise to the surface
Lt spouts of v.-aler,
is universally ad-
Ints them with the
Yet, accordiiv^
|han in books and
|UL;h its vents, but
:heir breath; only

immediately con-
ll fine rain. Such.
1-; and it has been

hly talented nun,
Ithe whale-fishcrx',

.undreds of these

the characteristic

traits of their naterc. and this instinct manifests itself, in several species,
by the powerful an 1 reciprocal affection of the mother and her youn;^.
Tlie same attachment exists between the ii'.ale and his mate, and, like tlie
maternal sentiment of affection, reveals a touchin;^ character, since it al-
most always prevails over that instinct which in m 'st animals keeps
down every other — too frequently even in man himself — the nuan, cow-
ardly instinct of self-preservation. The ^i'^antic whale, in spite of its for-
midable appearance, is a very inoffensive, an. 1 usually a very timiil ani-
mal, ready to fly at the sli_Ljhtest appearance of dancjer. A'tt an inl;ej)id
courage is kindled i-.i the breast of this oeean-giant when he sees one of
his young attacked or wounded ; but his sole object is to withdraw it
from its peril, to expose himself in its plaec to the assaults of the en.iny,
and if it dies, to perish with it, for the poor bjast wdl never abandon it.
Unprovided with weapons, he can in no other wise defend it; nor decs
he ever make the attempt, for he is wholly deficient in tiu instinet of
combat. Me can suffer, but he caimot fiijht.

CJroat l><'striietioii of ^Lirino lAlV.

The whales live in families rather than in herds. Their food is exclu-
sively animal. They prey upon fishes, worms, molluscs, small articu-
lated animals, w hich they eni^ailf in immense quantities in their enor-
mous thro it, ejecting^ the water they have swallowed, after depositiiv^-
their prey in the capacious recesses of their stoinach. Whales have no
teeth in either jaw; but the upper, which is extremely nariow, is fur-
nished with numerous horny lamina: — the whalebone of commerce —
desc :nelinLj perpendicularly from the palate, and varying in propoitional
breadth and length in the different species. The whalebone consists (,f
numerous parallel laminae, each of which ii formed of a central coarse,
fibrous lay T, lying between two strata, which are compact and externally
polished. The filaments are very numerous, and fill up the cavity of the
mouth sufficiently to form a most complete and efficient strainer; ar 1 as
the throat is extremely small, not being large enough to admit even the
smaller fish, die food of whales being consequently restricted to very
small animals, such a structure is necessary in order to retain the whole
of whatever is t,d<en into the mouth.

Enormous Quantities of Oil.

The common, or Greenland whale, is chiefiy found in the Arctic Cir-
cle, thou, di it is also met with in other parts of the world. Its usual
length is sixty feet, and its circumference from thirty to forty feet. The
lips are five or six feet high; the tail is of immense breadth; the gen-
eral color a blackish gray. Its thick cutaneous layer of fat or blubber

mm iii

liUli

(G12)

MONSTERS OF THE GREAT DEEP.

613

yields a large quantity of oil ; upwards of twenty tuns for each whale of
ordinary size.

The female of this species, like most others of the cetacea, is extreme-
ly attached to her young, and often rushes into the most imminent dan-
ger, and even upon certain death, to rescue or defend it. The whalcn
take advantage of this affectionate attachment, and strike with the har-
poon the young whale, quite sure that the mother will before long ap-
proach for the purpose of saving her offspring, but frequently, in fact, to
perish with it !

Exciting- Capture of tlie Ocotiu Monarch.

The whaling ships which belong to F" ranee, Engl.ind and the United
States, are each of them always accompanied by five or six boats. The
boats are generally four-oared, and carry besides the four rowers, a har-
pooner and an officer. When they have arrived in those latitudes where
they hope to find whales, a man is posted on the look-out on some high
part of the ship, from which hj can see to a long distance. The moment
he perceives a whale, he gives the signal agreed upon IxTorehand, and
the boats are launched. In the bows of each of them stands the har-
pooner; at the stern is the officer. Roth, with fixed eye and outstretched
neck, watch for the approach of the gigantic creature. This is indicated
by an eddy, a submarine vibration, and a roaring like the suppressed
noise of distant thunder. The animal has shown the extremity of his
black muzzle above the water. We know already by what alternations
of blowings and soundings the creature makes its evolutions in the liquid
medium. The whaler notices in what manner the whale inclined its tail
to guess the direction which it has taken, whether its soundings will be
long or short, and then changes his direction according to the require-
ments of the moment. It is the exact knowledge of these details which
makes the expert whaler. So the manceuvres of the boat vary consider-
ably, according to circumstances.

It is easy enough to approach to within fifteen or twenty fathoms of
the whale. But the difficulty is to arrive sufficiently near it to allow of
a successfiil attack being made upon it; that is to say, to within two or
three fathoms' distance. Blows from the tail and the flippers are now tc
be feared. When the boat is sufficiently near, the harpooner prepares fc
cast the harpoon, lie stands with his thigh fitting into a hollow of the
boat, holding his weapon with both hands. When the officer considers that
the favorable moment has arrived, he cries out, "Strike!" When from a
false calculation as to distance, awkwardness, or fear, the harpooner has
thrown his weapon badly, the whale promptly frees itself from the instru-

-II

n 4W

-t ■»

1') ■

ppipipiii?'- ■''■'•■

i^'f-'-'tfin ( J

liffffl

i ' ■ ■

MONSTERS OF THE GRE T DEEP.

G15

mcnt which has wounded it, by a sharp contraction of its muscles. As

soon as it is free, the animal starts off, and it is then useless to attempt

to follow it; it is lost sight of after fifteen or twenty minutes; in most

cases its companions accompany it, and arc for the future more difficult

to approach than they were formerly. If, on the contrary, it is made

Id L to the boat, it quivers and seems to shrink under the blow; excited

1)\' the pain, it prepares to make its escape; hindered in doing this by

the dart it carries in its f^.esh, it at first hesitates, so that an ordinarily

skilful harpooner is able to send a second harpoon into it; at any rate in

a few minutes it dives.

A Critical Moinont.

The officer then changes his place, and proceeds to take his post of
action. Up to this time he has directed the mancjcuvres; now he is going
to act himself. More than two hundred fathoms of the line are already
in the sea, and the animal is still diving. The force of the plunging is
so great, that if there were anything in the way of the rope it would make
the boat capsize. The line has been known, as it was unrolling itself, to
catch a man by an arm, a leg, or even by the bod\', and drag him down
into the sea, from which he did not rise again till the part caught hold
of had been cut through by the friction. It is difficult to form an idea of
the coolness required in these preliminary maneeuvrcs: it is necessar\' to
ha\c at the same time great resolution, extreme promptitude, and the
utmost prudence. If the first opportunity is missed, all chance may dis-
appear, and the fruit of long labor is lost. To judge from the uneasy air
of certain officers, one would say that they were afi'aid, so anxiously
do they look all round, and watch every little thing; but by the direction
of the line, they know whether the whale is diving perpendicularly down,
swimming along under the water, or mounting to the surface, and they
manoeuvre accordingly. The crew must blindly obey its officer; it must
be nothing but a rowing and back-watering machine, for all of tlieir lives
depend on this. In these solemn moments fear takes possession of some
sailors. As soon as the whale is made fast, they become of a livid pale-
ness ; they lose their heads ; they see nothing, hear nothing, and can
no longer obey a single command. It is very remarkable, that old
sailors are more exposed than young ones to this excessive panic. When
uiLii are not soon cured of this unfortunate fear, they cease to make
part of the crew of the whale-boat, where their presence could only be
demoralizing to the others. Harpooners, too, until then intrei)id, ha\e
been known to become all of a sudden, and without any apparent cause,
incapable of throwing a harpoon with force and accuracy. The simple

^ ^llf

lif

|-.

GIG

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

!' >

fact of tlic whale being close at hand strikes them with terror ; their
arms, paralyzed by fear, suffer the weapon to fall flat and harmless on the
cetacean, which, warned by this simple touch, escapes as fast as jKxssi-
ble. The true whaler knows no fear : he braves death, but is prudent.

A Desperate Flig-ht.

Fortunately the animal does not know how formidable it really is ; ii
it is only when it tries to escape that it causes disasters. At each blow
the animal makes hoarse and metallic roarings, which can be heard for
a distance of miles; what it spouts forth, is white, thick, and rises to a
great height, until, after a lucky hit has been made, two columns of
blood escape from the blow-holes, rise int the air, and in their fall red-
den the sea for a great way round; from ti.is moment the whale is con-
sidered as good as dead. However, the animal may still be lost ; the
distance, the night, or the state of the sea does not allow of the vessel
following it. On the approach of its death the whale collects all its re-
maining strength, and in a disorderly flight, without an aim, without any
consciousness of danger, without ho[)e of saving its life, it .swims along,
overturning everything which it meets with on its way. It sees nothing,
t'nrows itself at random on the boats, on a rock or on the shore.

Very soon a general shiver runs over the whole body ; its convulsions
make the sea froth and boil. At last it raises its head for the last time;
for the last time it looks for the light, and dies. Having now become an
inert body, it turns over and floats with its back downward, the belly on
the surface of the water, the head hanging a little down under water, on
account of the different weight of the different parts. Its death some-
times takes place during a dive; the carcass then comes to the surface,
and floats without our being able to observe the phenomena which accom-
pany its death-struggle.

A Perilous Adventure.

The pursuit of the whale, whether that .species which our hardy mari-
ners seek amidst the ice-floes of the Polar Seas, or the still huger kind
which wallows in the boundless Pacific, is one full of peril, aiul its annals
arc crowded with strange and terrible adventures. Swift and sudden
deaths ; the shattering of a boat into fragments, and the immersion of
the crew in the freezing sea; the dragging of a man into the depths hy
a turn of the tangled line round his leg or arm are but too common
incidents in this warfare with the leviathan. One instance of this last-
named accident is on record, in which the sufferer escaped with life, to
tell the harrowing tale of his own sensations.

An American whaling captain in the Pacific was fast to a sperm whale,

to a sperm whale,

MONSTERS OF THE GREAT DEEP.

617

which " sounded," or descended nearly perpendicularly. The line in
.swiftly running out became suddenly entangled ; the cai)tain was seen to
stoop in order to clear it, and in a moment disappeared o\cr the bow.
The boat-steerer .seized an axe, and instantly cut the line, in hope that, by
the slackening, the unfortunate man might become freed. .S(_'\-eral min-
utes had elapsed, and hope had wellnigh become extinguished, when an
object was seen to rise to the surface a little way off. It was the body nf
the captain, which in a few seconds was lifted into the boat. Though
senseless and motionless, life seemed to be not extinct, and the usual rem-
edies being applied, he revived, and became, to use his own phrase, "as
good as new," when he gave an account of his singular e.scape.

Suddonly Dragged Overboard.

It appears that in attempting to throw the line, a turn caught his left
wrist, anrl he was dragged overboard by the descending whale. He was
perfectly conscious as he was rushing down with great ra[)idit\', and it
seemed to him as if his arm would be torn from its socket, from the re-
sistance of his body to the water. Well aware of his peril, he knew that
his only chance was to cut the line, but with his utmost efforts he could
not raise his right hand from his side, to which it was pressed by the force
with which he was dragged through the water.

On first opening his eyes it appeared as if a stream of fire was passing
before them; but, as he descended, it grew dark, and he f.lt a terrible
pressure on his brain, and there was a roaring as of thunder in his ears.
Yet he still remained conscious, and still made \ain efforts to reach the
knife that was in his belt. At length, as he felt his strength failing, and
his brain reeling, the line for an instant slackened by the whale's pausing
in its descent; he reached and drew his knife; the line again became
tight, but the edge of the keen blade was across it, and in an instant he
was freed. From this moment he remembered nothing, until he awoke
to light and hie and agonizing pain, in his bed.

Devoured by a Sbai'k.

The whale may cause the deatii of the sailor who pursues him, yet
does not devour him. This, however, cannot be said of the great w hite
shark, the voracity of which is well known, many instances of which arc
on record. About thirty natives of the Society Islands were once ; o-
ceeding from isle to isle in one of their large double canoes. .\ st. :i
coming on, the lashings of the two canoes were torn apart bv the vi^U liCe
of the sea, and they were separated. Their depth and narrowness ren-
dered them incapable of floating upright when single ; and, though the

i«

^ niBai » \

a I

f' ■ '"I

) Iv.

■f M

•Pi

|P8|

'IV'

618

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

crew strove hard to keep them on an even keel by balancing the weight,
they wore cveiy moment capsized. In these circumstances, they endeav-
ored to form a raft of the loose spars and beams, the boards and paddles,
which they could get at, hoping to drift ashore thereon. From their
numbers, however, compared with the small size of the raft, the latter was
pressed so deep, that the waves washed above their knees. At length the\
saw the horrid sharks begin to C(41ect around them, which soon grew so
bold as to seize one of the shipwrecked wretches, and drag him into the
abyss.

Another and another followed; for the poor islanders, destitute of any
weapons, and almost exhausted with hunger and fatigue, and crowded

IN THE JAWS- OF THK fJKKAT WHITE SHARK.

together on ihcir submerged narrow p'.a'Jorm, could neither defend tliom-
selves nor e\'ade their ferocious assailants. Every moment made the
conflict more unequal, for the sharks, attracted by the scent of l)In()d,
gathered in greater numbers to the spot, and grew more and more aiu'a-
cious, until two or three of the mariners only remaining, the raft floated
.'• ■> as to elevate them beyond reach of the savage monsters, which cdii-
tlnned to threaten them, antl lingered around, until the waves at length
bore the suivi\'ors to the beach.

The white shark sometimes attains the length of between twent}- and
thirty feet. His head is of a broad depressed shape, terminating in an

MONSTERS OF THE GREAT DEEP.

Gil)

obtusely pointed snout; the huge mouth, capable of admitting the thigli,
or even the body, of a man, affords ample room for a thick tongue; the
e\-cs have a bluish or greenish cast, and a peculiar stony glare. The
stomach is of vast size, and dilates to an extraordinary degree; the brain
is small. Broad, strong and pointed are the pectoral fins. The French
name rcqii'ui is derived, it is said, from the Latin requiem, and signifies
that if a man falls into the sea in the presence of this voracious animal,
his comrades may repeat for him the usual prax'ers for the dead. His
swiftness of motion is such that he can outstrip the swiftest ves.sel, and
his strength so great that no unarmed man can cope with him success-
full)'. Observe, too, that his teeth are n.)t incased in bone, like those of
quadrupeds, but in cartilaginous sockets, which enables him to raise or
lower them at his pleasure. When, therefore, he seizes a victin of more
than ordinary vigt^r, he '^loves them all, either in succession or simulta-
neiuisl)-, and multiplie.=' the number of wounds which he inflicts. With
one siiai) of his powerful jaws, a shark of average size will cut a man in
two. We need not wonder, therefore, that he is more dreaded by sailors
than any other monster of the monster-haunted deep.

A Creature "with Fiery Scales.
Frequently, in the West Indian seas, the negro crew of a boat will
cease rowing, and with a significant air indicate to the voyager the hid-
eous form of a shark following in the rear, and apparently waiting f^r
some false movement or sudden accident, which, by capsizing the frail
skiff, may provide his rawnous maw with fo<jd. Frequently, too, on tem-
pestuous nights, when the wind and the sea seem to howl a funeral
dirge, the sliark' appears in the midst of the heaving billows ; the seamen
recognize his presence b\- the phosphorescence — the "elfish light'' —

The flash of golden fire —
that glints from his shining scales, and know that he lusts after a victim.
In tr(i[)ical waters he f )llows the ships with indefatigable patience, ready
to swallow the unfortunate who ma}* fill overboard, or the dead mariner
whose body is committed to the deep as to a last resting-place. ]"or thi.s
\-oracious creature the dead and the living are equally satisfactory prey.
The " fierce joy" of a difficult and even dangerous struggle, the in
tense gratification of contjuering a great destroyer, would be sufficient
motives to animate the sailor in hunting the shark; but, besides, se\'eral
useful products arc (obtained from the monster. His thick, hard sl;in,
suscei)tible of a fine polish, is employixl for sheaths and ca.ses. His liver
yields an oil identical in its properties with hat of the cod's liver, and ca-

'«>;-

ii*

•I

I')

G20

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

^f^M:

''"''BCk'-

pablc of being applied to the dressing of skins. His flesh is leathery, it
is true, but eatable in extremities.

Wc borrow from an eye-witness the story of the capture of one of
these destructive yjt not wholly useless animals: A shark of great si/.c,
certainly not less than thirty-five feet in length, had ventured to dvivx
near our vessel. As we were then becalmed, and had nothing to do, wc
hailed the pleasant burst of excitement, the agreeable relief to our mon-
otonous occupations, which he was likely to afford us. Ey way of pic-
caution, and to keep him occupied, we flung to him a pair of old boots,
which he conscientiously swallowed. However, he as yet needed no lu-
ticement ; for while the calm lasted, and so long as our ship did not make
more than three or four kn(-)ts per hour, the shark ne\-er stirred from tlie
wake of our floating palace. While he amuses himself in plunging and
diving in the wake of the ship, everybody is in a state of tumult uptm
deck. We arrange our warlike engines, and make ready for the battle.
An enormous fish-hook is attached, by means of a bit of iron chain, to
the extremity of a long and stout cable. The bait is a large piece nf
pork, just such another piece as the monster has already swallowed, while
it lay soaking in the sea-water in readiness for the crew's dinner.

Capture of a Ferocious Shark.

At length all is ready. The captain holds in his grasp a well greased
harpoon ; the slip-knots of the cable glide with complete ease, and are
disposed within reach of the hand. Everybody has collected on the
quarter-deck. A sailor flings the hook into the sea, and the fishing be-
gins. TliJ shark now ceases to plunge and wheel about the ship; ho
smells the bait, and lazily swims towards the floating piece of pork, lie
has learnt long ago that so small a prey cannot escape him. Immediate-
ly that he touches it with his snout, he turns on his side, opens his huLjc
mouth, and swallows it. But at this moment the cable is violently jerked,
forcing the fish-hook into one of his jaws; two hands catch firm hold cf
the rope, and begin to tighten it, while the shark plunges about in wrath
and pain, churning the waters into foam. Sometimes the hook breaks ;
in such cases the game must be recommenced. The shark, with torn
iiiid bleeding throat, nevertheless swallows a second bait with ec[ual a\id-
ity, ha\'ing been made no wi.ser by wounds already received.

As soon as we are satisfied that the hook is securely fixed, we draw tho
animal alongside. The man placed at the post of honor, generally, as in
the present case, the captain, vigorously darts the harpoon into his bod}-,
It is necessary that the iron should so far penetrate into the flesh that the
movable portion form a cross with the a.xis of the lance. We have then

;.sh is leather}', it

MONSTERS OF THE GREAT DEEP.

621

two points of attachment, ami raise the shark out of the water by means
of the cable of the fish-hook and the rope of the harpoon, drawin;^- up-
on both simultaneousl}-. The animal once lifted from the sea, loses a
part of his strens^th ; his fins and tail have no longer any point of sup-
port. Notiiing is easier, while he hangs by the ship's side, than to pass
a slip-knot round his tail. The three ropes which now hold him fast run
quickly over pulleys fixed to the yard-arms, and the shark is speedily
landed on the quarter-deck.

The prisoner is captured, and his punishment not long delayed. In
vain arc all his struggles; in \'ain the repeated and heavy blows of his
tail, which threaten to crush through the planks, A sailor plunges a

THE HAMMER-HEADED SHARK.

hand-spike into his throat, to hold him down, while another severs his
tail with an axe. In this mutilated condition he is completely harmless
and powerless; though a blow from his tail would kill a man, or, at all
events, break his thigh. The monster rendered defenceless, we cut it
open and extract the heart, which is immediately flung overboard. Some-
times a portion of the stomach is put aside to be eaten; sometimes the
animal is stripped of his skin, which is dried, while the dorsal spine is
fashioned into a handsome walking-stick. The liver, also, will probably
be utilized, being rich in iodized oil.

One species of shark is called the hammer-headed. It has a head dila-
ted on each side to so great an extent as to resemble some colossal ham-

AM: ■M

. Mi

^ff -•;,•;,

I) mki

G22

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

i< |l:

I I

mcr ; such an one, for instance, as may have been wielded by the hand of
Tiior. The eyes, which are very lari^c, are j)laced at each extremity; the
mouth beneath, as in others of its tribe It is a native of the Mediter-
ranean and Indian Seas; no less formidable from its voracity, than fri;^^ht-
ful from its hideousness. It also frequents the blue waters of the Vol-
njsian Islands. Its usual leni^th is nine or ten feet.

The an^jel fish, or monk-fish, however, surpasses the former in ugliness,
and one could almost believe its creation to have been a freak of nature
in some distempered dream. It owes its na )ie to the popular wit which

sees an adniira-

__ ^^gF^^:;•^gijv

ble jest in the
name of the crea-
ture, contradict-
ini^ its appear-
ance. Or u e
ma)' ascribe it to
the shape and
p^j^ position of its
extended fins,
which may be
taken to repre-
sent wings ; just
as the name of
monk- fish refers
to its rounded
head, whicli

seems enveloped
in a hood. Very
large is this head,
with wide mouth,
and small e}-es;
behind each an

THE ANUEL FISH.

orifice in the shape of a crescent; — the whole resembling one of those gro-
tesque masks which a country boy sometimes forms out of a hollow pun^.ji-
kin. The back is of a pale ash color, and extremel)- rough, with a pr; \ly
line marking the centre. The belly is white and .smooth; thepectora i,
are 111 ge ; the ventral fins are also horizontally extended. It is satisfacto. to
add that the animal's ugliness by no means belies its disposition; it is ex-
ceedingly fierce, voracious, and dangerous to approach. It sometimes at-
tains the length of seven or eight feet, and the weight of a hundred pounds.

5y the hand of
.extremity; thu
f the Mc'ditcr-
t}-, than fir^ht-
rs of the re!;-

u:r in ui;lincss.
freak of nature
Hilar wit whicli
es an adniira-
e jest in the
ime of the civa-
ire, contradict-
g its appcir-
II c c . Or w e
lay ascribe it to
,ie shape and
osition of its
xtended fins,
hich may be
ken to repre-
nt wings ; just
the name of
lonk-fish refers
its rounded
ead, whicli
ems en\'eloped
a hood. Very
rgeisthis luad,
ith wide mouth,
nd small e\'es;
hind each an
le of those gro-
a hollow pun^.p-
i.withapr; dy
he pectora ii
s satisfacto. . to
sition; it is e\-
t sometimes at-
undred pounds.

MONSTERS OF THE GREAT DEEP.

G2n

If the seaman's imagination could convert the heavy unwieldy tins of
the angcl-fish into supposed wings, it would certainly effect a similar trans-
formation, and with much greater case, for the fins of the so-called fl>'ing-
fish. Fishes of this genus are enibled to spring from the water at inter-
vals, and to maintain a brief temporary flight in the air, through the
extraordinary size of their membraneous fins. They undertake those
cTrial escapades for the purpose of escaping from the jaws of the dolphin
and other fishes which pursue them, but in avoiding one danger they
freciuently fall into another, and become the prey of the large aquatic
birds. The greatest length of time they can keep on the wing appears to
be about half a minute, and their longest flight 220 to 250 yards, while,
when hard pressed, they will rise as high as twenty feet. It must not
be supposed that
they have the
power of cle\-at-
ing themselves in
the air after ha\-
inif left their na-
tive element; for,
onwatchingthem,
they ha\e often
been seen to fah
much below the
elevation at which
they originally
rose from the wa-
ter, but never in

an\' one instance, ._^-_--"^'" --r.---=^-;

ha\e they been thi-: pegasus dr.agox.

observed to rise from the height at which they first sprang; the elewation
they first take depends on the power of the first spring or leap they make
on leaving their native element. The flying-fish, in the tropical seas, may
be seen rising from the water in countless shoals, when pursued by a foe
or disturbed by a passing ship. They leap from the glancing crest of a
waw, and, sweeping forward, dive into another, to wet the membrane of
the;! fins, and in this manner continue their flights for a considerable dis-
tance. Several species arc found in the Mediterranean, and the Indian
and American seas.

The most extraordinary genus is that of the pegasus, or flying h>)rse.
They have a snout, with a mouth beneath it, and movable, like that of a stur-

I A

G24

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

PL. i

fjcon ; the fins arc larj;c,and are four in number. The drafjon pcjrasus is
curiously constructed ; its body, broad and flattened, is aniuxl with si-v-
eral radiated shields or bony bunches; the diameter of the h)\ver part nf
the body suddenly decreases ; the tail is small and slij^htly rountled ; and
the whole posterior portion of this unj^ainly fish may be compared to
that of a crocodile. It indubitably bel on^'s to the same family as tlie
sea-horse, pipe-fish. It has a tubular jaw, and a short, deep, compressed
bod\', in\ested ii\ scales as in a kind of armor. The males have pouches
on their tails, in which the eggs are carried until hatched. They swim
in a vertical position, with the tail prepared to grasp any ol)ject it may
encounter; the horses with which Posidon, if you like, drives his char-
iot through the coral halls of the deep I

A Hideous Inhabitant of the Sea.
If it is true that most marine shells, in the exquisite gracefulness of
their design and the intense glow of tiieir coloring defy description or
imitation, and compel the admiration of the most imliffcrent, it is eciually
certain, on the other hand, that the world of fishes offjrs a variety of un-
shapely types and of repulsive and hideously grotesque physiognomies,
which must equally be the despair of the author and the artist, while ex-
citing a sense of loathing in every mind. Similar shapes could only ex-
ist in the disordered imagination of some fanciful [fainter, or some lunatic
poet ! And Boileau has proved his ignorance of icthyology by his asser-
tion that —

No serpent is there, and no monster vile,

Which, imitated by the artist's toil,

Shall not the well pleased eye of Taste beguile.

Assuredly he could never have seen the hippocampus, the angel-fish,
the pegasus, or, transcendant in its ugliness, the stomias-boa, which finds
a vigorous competitor, however, in the spike fish. The least ungainly
and repellent, those which delight the well pleased eye by their slender,
shapely body — their scales shining with gleams of silver, pearl, or azure
— do not compensate by these advantages for the disgustful character of
the most essential part in the entire body — the head, But they win the
admiration of the philosopher, nevertheless, by their admirable adaptation
to the peculiar medium they inhabit; by that perfect branchial apparatus
wiiich enables them to extract for breathing purposes, the air held in solution
in the water: it is the fins, so admirably arranged for the co-ordination of
all its movements; it is its powerful muscles, its strong and supple body;
and it is that peculiar organ which, filling with air or empt}'ing at the an-
imal's will, augments or increases its specific lightness, and causes it to

if
I

MONSTERS or THE GRF.AT DEEP.

G-.V)

•apjon pocjasus is
aniuxl \vith scv-
he lower part ( 'f
y rounded ; and
be compared to
ic family as tlio
leep, compressed
es have pouches
ed. They swim
y object it may
drives his char-

2 gracefuhiess of
fy description or
rent, it is ecpially
; a variety of un-
» physiognomies,
2 artist, while ex-
js could (Mily cx-
', or some lunatic
ogy by his asser-

ile.

^s, the angcl-fish,
-boa, which finds
[e least ungainly
by their slender,
|r, pearl, or azure
fctful character of
kit they win the
[irable adaptation
Inchial apparatus
lirheld in solution
co-ordination of
Ind supple body ;
Iptying at the an-
land causes it to

rise or sink with extreme facility: in a woril, tlie fish is, /^trr cxccUcnce^
the a(|uatic animal. And it lias, like all (lod's creatures, its own perfec-
lion, and a beauty of its own, resulting from tii.it p'jrfection.

To sum up, tliis true son of the water, as mobile as .Ls mother, glides
ill rough it by nitans of its mucus, cleaves the waves with its iiead,
C.A lies them with ils muscles; in fine, with its strc ng fins it cuts, it
fiius, it .steers. The smallest of these powers would suffice. Tlie fi h,
miting them all, is tlie aSsolutc tvpe of movement. l*or this reason on -
i! li'iits to watch it swimminu, as one delights to watch a bird HN-in^- ;
(lie sees so clearly that it is in its own element ! And tliL-reforc jx-ople
sav, naively but justly, " v\s happy as a fish in the watc:." As for its
till ans of attack- or defence, they are worth but little. The monster
sharks — such as
till- white shark
and the sw<^)rd-
fbli — are almost __^ '
the only ones ac- "^^3
tiially equipped for ""^^^^
combat; the fust -e
with its terrible
iiK ivable arsenal
of teeth., the sec-
ond with its keen, -:
heavy, and jagged '}.
sword. Other
species are also
provided with a

kind of beak, TIIK SI-IKK FISH.

(ormed by the horizontal extension of the bones of the head, which has
led to their being designated in all languages, ancient and modern, by the
' xpressivc name of sword-fish. T5iit it does not appear that eitlier their
bon;' lance, or the great dimension; of the.9e fishes, which frequently
at'an the length of ten to thirteen fjet, renders them \-ery formidable.
Their manners arc inoffensi\e, nay, even sociable; and it is most often by
r.ccident, or when exasperated that they drive their weapon into the ship's
keel, or into other inert bodies, and by so doing snap it off.

I'rofessor Silliman's name is well luiown as that of an American sa-
V uit who delighted in making the public pcquaintcd with the novelties
tha*^ came under his observation, .' nd with the discoveries of science,
riie accompanying engraving represents a double cat-fish tiiat was pre-

1 1

"It^

<J26

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

sented to the professor a few years ago. It was taken alive in a shrimp-
net at tile nioutli of Cape Fear River, near Fort Jolmsun, North Caro-
lina. The two fishes were joined much in the same manner as the Siam-
ese twins, by a piece of skin on tlie breast, the point of union bcini;
marked by a dark streak, otherwise the appearance of the skin was not
found to differ from that of the fish's belly. There was no connection
l)ctween the viscera of the fishes, but the intet^ument was holluw or
ihnible, so that when an incision was made in one of the fishes and
ihe entrails taken out, a fiexible probe could be passed throuj;h
into the body of the other. The intj^ument was thin and \ery fle.xi-
ble, so that the two fishes could almost swim together in the natural

position at the same
time. The difference
in the size of the two
fishes is worth ro-
markinjjj. It is quite
CN'ident that the larger
one mu.st have got tlij
start of the other in
the race of life, and
that it continued to
appropriate the lion's
share of the good
things which fell to
their joint lot. The
little fish, indeed. must
have shown some
THE STOMi.\s-BOA. de.xterity to live at

all, and surely deserved infinite credit as a "snapper up of unconsidered
trifles."

The lowest of all, in the tribe of fishes, has rather an ugly name. It
is more like a worm than a fish; and Linn;tus, the famous naturalist did
class it with the worms. It has been examined with great care, and is
found t) be a relation of the lamprey. It has really no skeleton at all.
A bare tube, or thread, of gristle runs through the body, and when
boiled the whole tube goes to jelly. It has no eyes, and you would siip-
po.se it to be the mo.st defenceless of its tribe ; but it is a very unpleas-
ant neighbor, and is quite able to take care of it-self Blind though it is,
It contrives to get inside some other fish. Mow it can do so is not clear-
ly known, but a fi.-,h has been found completely devoured, the skin only

If*

MONSTERS OF THE GREAT DEEP.

G27

live in a shrimp-
un, North Caro-
ner as the Siain-
of union bcin'^'
Lhe skin was nut
as no conncctiiiii
[ was lioUow tir
f the fishes ami
passed through
1 and very flexi-
er in llic natural
;tion at the same
J. The difference
he size of the two
es is worth rc-
-kin^^ It is quite
lent that the lander
must have^ottlij
"t of the other in
race of life, and
t it continued l>
opriate the lion\
e of the i:^<>ntl
<^rs which fell t >
r joint lot. The
e fish, indeed, must
shown some
terity to live at
of unconsidered

m ugly name, it
ous naturalist did
great care, and is
no skeleton at all.
body, and when
d you would siij)-
s a very unpleas-
^lind though it is,
lo so is not clear-
red, the skin only

remaining, and the glutinous hag within it. The hag has eight feelers
around its mouth ; they have a very acute sense of touch. As the fin-
gers of a blind man can almcst do tiie work of eyes, so these feelers
guide the blind fish, and help it to fin I its food. On the palate there is
a single to )th like a hook. The fish hooks on to its prey, and is thought
by some naturalists to make a hole for itself to get in. It keeps hold
until the two rows of teeth that are upon the tongue can come into play.
It eats with its head buried in the fish it is devouring, so that Nature lias
made the same provision that she has in the case of the laniprex'. 1 h:
breathing holes of this disagreeable creature are placed so far back that
it can eat ami b eatiie at the .sanie time.

It is called the gluti-
nous hag because there
arc pores down each side
of its body that give
out a glutinous matter.
When the creature is at-
tacked it can tiirow out
a quantity of this slimy
secretion, and hide itself
in it. It IS sometimes
called the borer, becau.sc
it bores or pierces into
its weaker neighbors.

We have been speak-
ing of some of the mon-
sters of the great deep, profesfok silliman's double cat-fish.
but the .sea itself is really the great, unparalleled monster of the globe.

Wedges of gold, great anchors, heaps of gold,
Inestimable stones, unvalued jewels,
All scattered in tlie bottom of the sea.

Ocean conceals under its mass of waters, at variable depths, divers
(Substances which have appeared to man peculiarly worthy of his covetous-
ness. None assuredly are comparable in utility to the flesh of fish, the
fat of the cjtace ms or amphibians ; but we are so made that, under a
pretence of civilization and progress, we estimate things in an inverse ra-
tio to the services they render us ; we value as most precious those (^f
uhich we have the least need, and no .sacrifice to obtain them appears too
great for us. W^e .scorn or waste the true treasures which a bonntifiil
Providence has placed liberally and lavishly within our reach, and we suf-

1 !]

I!!- ■'If'!

'■<»^^:

!')

(028)

I'KHFIISSIDNAL DIVERS GATHERING SPONGE.

I ■

MONSTERS OF THI-: GREAT DEEP.

G21)

for poor wretches to dare death, and endure all kinds of fatit^ueand priva-
tion in procurinLj for us some ^aily-colored ^ewi^aws or j^litterin;^ toys,
which, far from adding to our happiness, do but divert u^ from the search
after that which is really desirable.

Not content, then, with penetrating into the bowels of the earth to se-
cure those shining, gleaming stones which we dignify as " precious," \vc
must also pierce beneath the liquid element to snatch from the ocean-
bed those intrinsically valueless products, with which it is stj easy to dis-
pense, and with which, in effect, millions of persons do dispense, and yet
fintl themselves neither the poorer nor the less happy. The reader will
surmise that we are referring to mother-of-pearl, pearls, and coral. There is
a fnirth submarine product which merits a greater degree of indulgence,
and even whose utility we cannot wholly ignore, while questioning
whether this utility is really proportionate to the efforts of obtaining it.

A KusiiH'ss that Sliort-'iis l^ifc

There is no worlc, however painf il or homicidal it may be, for which
we shall not find the men. Thousands consent to bur\' themselves alive
in the dark, hot, stifling galleries of mines sunk hundreds cjf fithoms
ileep. to explore the x'eins of coal or tlie metalliferous strata. O'Iv.ms
make no difficulty of descending beneath the waves, f(M- the ijurpo ;e of
collecting on rock or sand the .sponf^e, the fantastic coralline s['ar, the
iiiother-of-pearl shells. These miners of ocean are known by the name
of divers. The incessant repetition of a violent and unwholesome exer-
cise, terrible dangers, maladies which they contract almo 1 infallibly, and
which to a greater or less extent abridge their days, — such ar; the sacri-
fices, the martyrdom, by which these pf)or wretches earn their scanty
pay. This they call "gaining a livelihood," and the majority of them
Noluntarily atlopt this amphiliious exi?;tence, so antagonistic to the physi-
cal organization of m;m ! It should be remarked, ne\-ertheless, that the
diver's profession is not one of those which the first-comer consents to
embrace. It has long remained the occupation of certain populations,
among whom it is generally hereditary, and who arc gradually inured to
it by the force of habit, by the difficulty of finding an\- other emi)lo\'-
ment of their strencrth and faculties, and hv the modifnations which an
abnormal kind of life slowly effects in the tcmi:)erament and ])h)'siologi-
cal functions. It is thus that the sponge-fishery is exclusively practist-d
by the Greeks and Syrians; that of coral b\' the Genoese and Neajjoli-
tans ; that of pearls and mother-of-p.arl, in Asia by the Cingalese and
Malays, in South America by the Indians and negroes.

Sponges were formerly caught in the Red Sea and along a great part

)^:h^

' '■ ': ^■

\ I

■*;i

iHt

ihi

■ ^"^

¥, '

I
1

630

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY,

of the north coast of Africa. At present, the fishery is principally pur-
sued in the Greek Archipela;.;o, an J on the Syrian shores. It is open tr.
all nations ; but the Greeks and Syrians alone follow it up as a reij^u-
lar trade, and make its products the staple of a regular commerce with
the West. Operations ordinarily begin early in June and terminate
in October ; but the least favorable months are those of July aiul
August, h'ach boat usually carries four or si.v men. The sponges aix
found at a tlistance of lOOO to 2000 yards out at .sea, on banks of rocks
formed by molluscous debris. The finest specimens lie at a dei)th of
twelve to twenty fathoms; thosd collected in shallower waters are o;' in-
ferior cjuality.

M'vrvc oils Kvploits of Spoiige-Divcrs.

At the opening of the fishery, the Greeks and Syrians arrive at Smyr-
na, Bj}'ru()t, Latakia, aiul RIkxIcs in large shallops, which they dismantle
in ordjr to equip th,; small craft suitable for their operations, and then dis-
pjrse along the coasts. The fishery is conducted in two ways. Vox the
common kinds they emplo\' three-toothed harpoons, h)- means of which
ihey catch hold of the sponges. But this implement would injure the fi-
ner species ; ami in quest of these skilful divers descend to the bottom of
the sea, and carefully detach them with a strong knife. Hence the differ-
ence of price between the divers' sponges and the harpooned sponges.

The Greek divers are, as a rule, bolder and mure skilful than the Syr-
ians. Those of Kalminos and Psora are the most renowned. While
they can remain in the water longer than the Syrians, their fishing is gen-
erally more abundant. They dive to a depth of twenty fathoms, w hile
their rivals, for the most part, cannot descend beyond fifteen or twenty
fathoms at the utmost. The Greeks devote themselves more particularly
to the fishing of the large sponges called "Venetian," although the\- sell
them b\' wt.'ight four or fi\e times cheaper than the fin.e sponges; but the
iiiferioiit)- in price is balanced by the much greater facility of the fishing.
Importers have introduced into European connnerce, within the la-^t
f .w years, a species of sponge collected on the coasts of the Lucayos
Islands, in the Caribbean Sea, which is known as the Bahama spoiv.^c.
It is of a peculiarly attracti\'e appearance, thanks to its fine close tis-
sue, and to tin.' preparations which it undergoes in order to give it a
beautiful pale blonde tinge ; but it is hard, strong, and without solidity,

)rincipally pur-
It is open to

up as a ru^u-
lonimcrcc with
and terminate
: of July and
\c sponges are
banks of rocks

at a depth nf
aters are o" in-

arrive at ?nn-r-
1 they dismantle
IS, and then dis-
ways. I'or the
means of which
lid injure the fi-
to the bottom < if
-fence the differ-
oned sponges.

than the Syr-
owned. While
,- fishing is g-'n-
fathoms, while
teen or twenty
ore particulady
lough they sell
)onges ; but the
y of the flsh^v^^
within the la-t
of the Lucayns
Bahama .spoU'^e.
ts fine close tis-
er to give it d
thout solidity.

CHAPTER II.
MYSTERIES OF THE OCEAN.

Chinese Relief Respectiiii; tlie I)c;lii,q;e—Tlie Great Mexican Inundation — A Ilujre
Gulf Swallowim? Rivers — The World would be Dead Williout the Ocean— 'llie
Race-Course of Commerce — Varied Color of tlie Sea —Causes of tlie Diflerent
Tints —Countless Myriads of Animalcules — Piiospiiorescence of tlie .Sea — Waves
Silvered with I'lashin.L;^ I-ij;ht — A Ma,t,Mcal ElVect — Cyclones and Tempests —
Strange Story of a Lost Vessel — Terrible Fury of Ocean Storms — The Dreaded
Water Spcnit— Ships Lifted Bodily from the Sea and Hurled Bark — The Myster-
icuis ArgDiiaut— A Creature that Sails in a Boat — The Monstrous Octopus— ,\n
Ink-Battery— A Shot that Hit -Dreadful Encounter with a CuttleFisli— A IVarl-
Diver Attacked— Nautilus of the rrellis'oric Seas.

ONPX'CIUS,the Chinese philosopher and law-givcr, born more
than five centuries before Christ, begins hishistory of Chinaby
speaking of the I'.mperor named Jas, whom he represents as
making the waters How Ijack, which then raised themselves to
the heavens, while the\' batlud the foot of the highest nioimtains, cover-
ing the smaller hills and inundating the plains. This statement is not
only from an authority of high repute, but is especially interesting as
showing a belief in an early deluge among the people of the " Flowery
Kingdom." Traditions of this are everywhere found in the East, and
such, evidences from marine shells and the formation of the earth's sur-
fice as must be considered more conclusi\e than tradition.

;\ deluge of (piite moderate date conveys a tolerablj- exact idea of
the phenomena wdiich must have been exhibited in the earl\- time, and
we recall the circumstances as assisting us to comprehend the true na-
ture of the ravages the deluge inllicted upon Asia in that ancient period.
At six days' journey from the city of Mexico, there existed, in 1759. a
fertile and well-cultivated district, where abundance of rice, maize and
bananas grew. In the month of June frightful earthquakes dis-
turbed the soil, and were continued unceasingK- during two whole
months. On the night of the 28th of September the earth was violently
convulsed, and a region of man\' leagues in extent was slowly raised un-
til it attained a height of about 500 feet, forming a plateau man)- leagues
S(iuare. The earth undulated like the waves of tl? sea inateriifjest;
thou-^ands of small hills rose and disappeared in turn, and, finally, an
immense gulf opened, from which smoke, fire, red-hot stones anel ashes

((VM)

.■'^|?f

i^^.
■^

U :1

'. t

'l,

[

ll 1^

/•oo

EARTH, SKA, AND SKY.

we e viuK'ntl)' discharged, and darted to prodt't^ioiis licif^hts. Six-
mountains surged up from the gapinij gi^'lf; aiiiong whicli the volcaiih
mountain of JoruUo, which rises 2 1 50 feet above the ancient plain, is
the most prominent.

.\t the moment when the oarthciuak'e commenced thi- two rivrrs ( f
Cu timbo and San Pedro flowcil backwards, ini:ndatin<; all thi; plnn
now occupied by Jorullo ; but in the upheaving region, while it c ui-
tiniied to rise, a gulf opened and swallowed the rivers. They re;:[)-
p.-arcd to the west, but at a p'>int ver_\- distant from their ancient be !.
This inundation reminds us on a small scale of the phenomena which
attended the deluge described in the Hebrew annals. That period of
overwhelmiiv.;' ilisaster, an overflow which buried hills and valle\-s alike
is past, and the sea now knows itsfi.\etl boutuls. and the land has rearu!
its bulwarks, iieyond which the great tloods do not pass.

Th«5 S»»si a frri'at Foiiiitaiii of J.iCc aii<i Ilcaltli.

The ocean plays a wvy im])ortanl pari in the inand economy of nature.
.Swept b\- the incessant winds, its \ast surfjice e( nlinealK- inspin.s ilk-
various Leases which load the atmos])here ; in its enormous mass it en^Uilf-;
tile debris carried down to it by ih- ri\ers and Ireams which ha\-e wa-^ii-
td the contin.'iits and islands, and restores to the atmosphi're, in the (mm
of vapor, thost' purified waters which descend upon the L-arth in tlu; ^lla])l■
of rain or snow, or dew. These waters again ilow back into the: oci.ui
through the streams, the brooiss an<I the ri\ers ; and thusan eternal ciicl •
is established, an unending \-o\-age, which maizes the same waters seive for
the support and renewal of the world's organic life.

'i'he ocean b\' its exhalations which refredi ;uid moisten the air, iioiu-
ishes \-egetable liR:. and furnishes the neeX'ssary alimi'Ul foi- those adiniia-
ble channels of running water thai are ewr nowiiv;-, and yet ne\-ei- eniptw
But for the bt'iiellcieiit iulluence' of the xapors which e\ery moment esc.ipc
from the surface of the sea, the whole i-ailh would sick'cn and withei- into
an inanimate deseit ; ami if the ocean slowly or sudcktily tlried up, all nr-
gani/ed nature would probabK' be annihilated.

'I'lic World's Ciivat lii!i;hway of CoinnuM-fo.

Xe\-ertheless, the immense and profounil seas offer no obstacles to th ■
commercial intercourse of nations, whom th.-y ouly separate in appear. iiu ;
ih : maiitime highway's now tra\ei-'.ed b\- such long processions of -hin
are fww antl broader than those of earth ; their maintenance laj's n.> kr-
ilcn upon human comnumities, f )r they are kept uj) by nature. ( >:i ■ it
the most remarkable features of the sea is its continuity. With the excen
tion of some inland reservoirs which the ocean long ages ago abandeiud

s heights. Six
lich the volcanu-
: ancient plain, is

tin,' two rivrrs f f
ing all thi; pliiii
on, while it c mi-
ers. They rc,:p-
heir ancient Ix'l.
phenomena which
:. That periol of
and valleys alike
le land has re.utcl
ss.

[Oilltll.

:c(»nonn' of nature.
irally insjiiMs tlio
lous mass it cn;nilf-i
1 which have wa-;i-
.;i)lH'rc, in the fmin
■ rarth in the -hapr
ick into the <H> ,111
us an eternal eircl ■
me waters serve ior

,Un the air, nmir-
t for those ailniira-
(1 yet never eniiJly.

r\' moment esc.ijK'
a-n and withei' into
\\y diied up. .ill "r-

leriM'.

no obstacles t > tii
uate in appearane ■ ;
iroci'ssious oi .'hip'
enanee lays n.' l^>i'-

)y nature. < ^n ' "'
With the e\cep-

rcs ago abandwujd

MYSTERIES OF TIIF. OCE.\X.

G33

in the hea.t of the continents — sucii as the Dead Sea and the Caspian — it i.s
one and indivisible. It embraces th : whole earth with uninterrupted w a\e.

iii

■l

'iBj

The color of the sea varies greatly, at least in appearance. According
to the evidence of a host of observers, the ocean, when seen by reflection,

634

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

presents a tint of ultramarine blue, or livel}' a/.ure. When the air is pure,

the tranquil surface of the waters seems of a brii^hter and more radiant blue

than the skies. In cloudy weather this passes into a sombre j^rcen ; wlih h

becomes darkh' or luridly brown when the sea is agitated. At sunset llic

\va\es are kindled with glowin<; hues of purple and emerald. Or, as I'.y-

ron sings —

O'ci tlie huslied deep the yellow beam lie tlirows,
Gilds the green wave that trembles as it grows.

A variety of local circumstances also influence the color of the ocean-wa-
ters and sometimes clothe them with a marked and permanent hue. If
the bottom be of white sand, and the water not very deep, its tint will he
gra\'i^h o.' a|-ple-;;reen ; if the sand be yellow, the green is deepene<i and
dark ' "^he neighbf)rhood of reefs is frequently indicated by the
"proUv need olor." of the surrounding sea. In the Hay of Loango the
waters seem of.; arning red, because such is the natural color of its bed.

At other times a peculiar tint is given to the waters by colored animal-
cules. The Red Sea owes its coloring to a microscopic alga. The sea-
waters — conden.sed by the spontaneous action of the solar rays — in the
salt-marshes of Southern France assume, when they have arrived at a
certain stage of condensation, a beautiful red color, which is owinj lo
some animalcules with a reddish shell that live in sca-watcr under this
condition, and die (a strange and curious fact!) as soon as the water ])e-
ccMiies more highly condensed, or is diluted by the effect of rain. Navi-
gators frequently traverse long green, red, white, or )-ellow belts of water,
whose tints arc derix'ed from certain microscopic Crustacea, medusas, y.Ko-
ph)-tes, and marine i)lants. Such is the case with the "Sargasso Sea "of
the Atlantic, which lies midwa)' between the Azores, the Canaries, and
the Cai)e de Verde islands, occupj'ing a space equal in extent to the
whole valley of the Mississippi. Another Sargasso vSea is found in tlic
Indian Ocean ; and a third just outside- the Antarctic Circle.

The Liylit of tlic Oooaii.

It is to a similar cause we must refer the magnificent phenomenon ef
the phosphoresence of the sea, which delights and astonishes the \nv-
ager in the Indian Ocean, the Baltic, the yVrabian Gulf, and elseu here,
In the Indian Ocean, Captain Kingman traversed a zone fully twentv-ftuir
mile.s in width which was so full of j)hosphorescent animalcules as to pre-
sent, at nightfall, the appearance of an immense field of snow. These
animals, nearly two inches long, were formed of a transparent gelatinous
matter. The reflection of the solar light upon this substance gave to the
surface of the water a milky appearance.

_'n the air is pure,
more radiant blue
bre jrrccn ; vvhiili
d. At sunset the
;rald. Or, as I'.y-

)WS,

• of the ocean-wa-
rmanent hue. If
ep, its tint will he
n is deepened ami
indieated by the
5ay of Loani^o the
al color of its bed.
)y colored aniiiial-
ic alt^a. The sea-
solar rays — in the

have arrivetl at a
viiich is owin;,; to
a-\vater under this
1 as the water be-
et of rain. Xa\i-

()W belts of water,
.cea, medu.sas. zcn-

' Sargasso Sea" of
, the Canaries, and
in extent to the
^ea is found in the
"ircle.

A PHOSPHORESCENT SEA.

(635)

« ;5 ,

.^m

1 > !j

; 1 ' '

0:10

EARTH, SKA, AND SKY.

^*n..

The phosphorcsence of the sea is an imposing and magnificent specta-
cle. Tlie ship, when cleaving " the liquid plain," seems to advance in ih^
midst of golden and vermilion flames, which flash off from the keel lik^'
electric lightnings. Myriads of stars seem to float and play on the ri:)-
pling tide; they multipl)- — they unite — they swell into one vast fuM nf
fire. The scene is one which in its fantastic and almost weird char.u t:;
iiia\- well remind the spectator of the sight that dazzled the Ancient Mar
iuL-r, de.scribed by Coleridge :

Tlu-y movfd in tracks of shining wliite,
And when they reared, the ellish liy;ht
Fell olT in iioary flakes.

Witiiin llie sha<l()\v of the ship

I u'.itclud their ricii attire ;

Blue, glossy green, and velvet black.

They coiled and swani ; and every track

Was a flash of golden fire.

That infusoria} should tint the sea is, imdoubtedly, a marvelous ])he-
nomenon ; but the)- do more — they brighten, they enkindle it! Ihc
phosphorescence of ocean was long a m\-stery, before which man's rea^nii
stood confounded, and \\hich inspired him with mingled feelings (,t'
admiration and terror. Luminous water! The sea on fire, and yd
harmless, and still preser\ing its cold or warm temperature! I low extra-
ordinary a mirage! How strange an anomal)'! It is only in modem
times that science has sought an explanation of the miracle; and tii;^
explanation, wlun at length obtained, reposes upon another prodigy
not less astonishing than the forn^r.

Waves Tipped Witli Lightninjjr.

In our temperate climates, and in that region of the Atlantic wliich
extends between the English and h'rcnch coasts, we .see the ocean plio-
phorescent only in summer, ami in seasons of great warmth and tran-
quility. Then the foam of the wa\"es which die upon the ribbed saiul,
the .spray which is chiu'ned up by the boatman's oar, or the steamer's
paddle-wheel, the wake of the vessel, the drops which .spring upwards
w hen a stone is flung into the water — all .seem composed of a lumiinnis
-now with keen steel-blue reflections. But this spectacle ma)- not be
compared with the scenes presented by the great tropical sea, hot an 1
electric, and teeming with life. There the phenomenon occurs both ;;
bad and fair weather. In the latter case, the waves seem to dart light-
nings like a storm-cloud. Cook and several other navigators lia..'
observed the pho.sphorescence in these regions in misty weather and una
billowy sea.

magnificent spccta-
is to advance in the
f from the keel like
md play on the ri-)-
iito one vast fiLltl o(
lost weird charactc;
id the Ancient Mar

,', a marvelous pho-
' enkindle it ! '1 he
; which man's naMiii
mingled feelings i4
:a on fire, and \et
rature! I low extra-
t is only in modem
le miracle ; and tii,>
on another pi'odi,^y

' the Atlantic which
see the ocean plio-
;at warmth and tran-
)on the ribbed saiu!,
oar, or the steanicr's
hich spring upwards
posed of a luminous
pcctaclc may not h-
tropical sea, hot an'.
icnon occurs both ;n
; seem to dart liglit-
:hcr navigators have
istv weather and on a

;l^

Jifl-illj

i\i

JlJSi-

i\\

! "li:

638

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

He who has not been a witness of this phenomenon, says Ilumholdt
can form but an imperfect idea of the splendors of so grand a spectacle.
When a ship of war, driven by a strong breeze, ploughs tiie foamy waves,
if one clings to the hal\ards, he is a witness of a scene of peculiar nia".
nificence. I'^ach time that in its rolling motions the vessel's broadside
emerges from the waters, vermilion flames, like lightnings, seem to i-,^ut.
from the keel, and dart toward the licjuid surface.

Vivid JotH «>!' rianic.

Two French naturalists, who have accompanied several expediiions
round the world, ami traversed the ocean in every direction, have inaiiv
times had occasion to admire this illumination of the waters. ScaixxK-
has day disappeared, they say, before the scene begins, and millions nf
luminous bodies seem to roll in the midst of the waves. The intensit\-
of the light increases on the sides of the ship or the rocks against wliich
the billow breaks; each stroke of a boat-oar produces vivid flamiii -
jets; and the swiftly-moving vessel lea\es behind her a long furroudf
fire, which gradually fades away as it recedes in the distance.

Ordinarily, it is through a natural or artificial perturbation of the

waters that the phosphorescence becomes perceptible ; but sometiiiKs

also the sea is spontaneously phosphorescent, and one discovers immrnsc

luminous tracts kindling over the liquid plain, extending, contracting, dr

elongating, antl following all the graceful curves of its undulati()n>.

Who cannot conceive that in the days of ignorance and superstition such

appearances would give rise to numerous fables? No phenomenon is

better calculated to inspire man with a species of religious stupefaction.

Since science has undertaken the task of penetrating the secrets if

nature, of discovering tlie key to each of her enigmas, the phosj)h(>res-

cence of the ocean lias lost none of its claims to our admiration, if \\c

refuse to regard it with superstitious awe or credulous terror; and, thouijh

we have succeeded in ascertaining its cause, we are still unable to explain

that cause itself ,

Every Wave a Liy:ht-Hoii.se.

, In stormy weather the rolling billows arc all lighted up, and swell and
break in silver-flashing foam. Glittering bodies, which might be mistaken
for fiery snakes, .seem to pursue each other, to overtake each other, to dis-
appear, and again to flash forth in living lustre !

Known from time inmiemorial, the phenomenon of the phosphorescence
of the sea has been obsened by all navigators. It is of frequent occur-
rence in certain regions of the ocean, especially in the Indian Sea and
under the tropics. The radiance lights up the crest of the waves which,

llu'

MYSTRRn-S OF Till- OCFAN.

g;]9

as they fall back, scatter it abroad in every direction ; it clinjjjs also to the
holm, and seems to escape from the waves tossed off tiie vessel's bow ; it
pUus also about the weedy rock and billow-beaten reef In tlu- still,
shadowless ni^dits of the tropic world the effect produced by this phe-
nomenon is trul)' magical.

This phosphorescent lustre originates in the presence of a multitude i>f
molluscs and zoophytes which glitter with a radiance originated b\- them-
selves. They emit a fluid so susceptible of expansion that. wIkii swim-
ming zigzag, they describe upon the water a series of brilliant tracks which
extend with singular rapidit)-.

Cjt'loiies at Sea.

We have been describing one of the milder phenomena of the ocean.
There are scenes, however, of a wild and terrible description which neither
pen nor imagination can ade(iuatel\' tlei)ict. The hurricane, pmpcrly so
called, is a cyclone animated by a g\ latory movement. I^raiule, in (ier-
maiix', and Redfield, at New York, demonstrateil that the tempest is
generally a progressive whirlwind, which moves forward while rotating on
itself I'elix Julien has ascertained the direction of the g\-ratory move-
ment of cyclones from his experience of a terrible hurricane in whose
centre the frigate was involvetl on w hich he was .sailing.

The breeze, he says, blew from the south-east; the sea rolled hcavilv.
Towards evening, the bart)meter sank abruptly beneath the lowest limits
marked on its scale. The wind as it freshened veered to the .south ; it
gradually increased in force, and ended by breaking loose with irresistible
violence. At midnight, in sjjite of the most energetic exertions, the dis-
masted frigate, without helm, without sails, la)' on her broadside, with her
rigging in tatters, and her deck swept by a furious .sea. It was not unlil
two hours later that we reached the centre of the c)xlone. A sudden
calm succeeded the first crisis of this atmospheric convulsion, but it was
of brief duration. The winds which hail abandoned us in the south re-
appeared in the west and north with the rapidity of lightning. We entered
the second segment of the circle of the storm. Caught this time on the
Kit, our ship heeled over anew, unable to resist the enormous pressure

directed against her side.

A Straiiffc Vision.

Tlij tempest just spoken of was distinguished by a .strange and gloomy
episode, by one (^f those scenes equally fantastic and heart-rending, which
the implacable ocean rescrv'es, with supreme irony, for the poor unfor-
tunates whom she has overwhelmed with sorrow. The corvette w hieh
accompanied the frigate as a tender had di-appeared in the mc/ec. I laving

'■\'m

<"•''> 'ii

04U

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

escaped the peril, and, l\v means of a jury-mast, rrainetl the appointed

rendezvous at St. Mary, in the island of .Ahidat^ascar, the seamen of tin,

frit^ate explored in \ain all the creeks and indentations of the coast ; m

\ain the}' daily siu-veyed the horizon in e\-ery ([uarter, iiDpeful that tlu

corvette, only driven from her route by the tempest, would return iiiiM

port.

A month passed by, a montli of deep anxiety, and expectation had .i!

IjnLjth i^Wcn place to the most poignant rej^ret, when one mornini; tlv

look-out man si'^^nalled in the west a dismastetl \-essel ilrivint^ towartls ihi

shore. It was not a dream, says Julien; the sun was ,t;lou in;^, the -1,\-

limpid and unstained. The warm air trembletl on the horizon. I\\i !\

t^'lescope, ])ointed in that direction, ccMifirmetl the exactnes.i of ihc fn.t

intimation. Hut our t-niotion soon became niore profound, ll w.is im

Ioniser a ship adrift which appeared to us, but a raft loaded with lui ii,,nii|

towed by boats from which signals of distress were \\a\ing. 'Ihe iuia^is,

moreo\er, were clear and sliarpl)' defined; the lines perfectU- disiinct.

( )n board the frigate, captain, officers, sailors, all, for severa' hou -<.

were a jirey to a feverish hallucination, and followed with ea.;i ;!\-

wistful e}-es the details of this indescribal)le occan-.scene. .Admiral 1 )i.—

fo^^srs, then in command on tlie Indian station, despatchetl in all haste

the first steamer which arri\-ed in the roads to the assistance of tli'.sc

li\ iiig wrecks that the ocean seemed to rest(>re to us from the dejilli of

its al)\'sses.

Tho Doliisioii I>issii>at(Ml.

The day began to sink; night, as is the case in tropical climes, \va<-

nlready gathering o\er the .sea witliout an\- inter\al of twilight, when the

.-//v7/////<v/('.v arrived at the end of her mission. She checketl her course

in the midst of floating spars, and low<-re(i her l)oat<. .All around, her

crew continued to descry masses of men in a tumult of a Mlation, str-.teh-

ing their hands to he.-u-en in hopeless entreat}-; the}- could hear th< dull

confirsed murmur of a great number of \'oices blended with the strokes

of oars in the water. A few seconds more, and the}- would clasp in iheir

arms their broth.ers snatched from the vei-}- jaws of ileath !

Dreams of the night, dehisions vain,
Why sport ye witli the anxious hiain?

1 In boats plunged into the mid>t of tiiick brandies of trees torn awiy

fidm th',' neighboring shores and tlrifting witl; all their foliage in ili'

coimter-curreiits which remount to the north. Thus the strange \i>i"n

xanished. Thus was dissipated the last hope which a deceitful niiiie;v

had, as it were, evoked from the depth of ocean. Thus foinidercd anew

MVSTERIKS OF THE OCEAN.

641

d the appointed
ic seamen nf tli(
of i\\c coa-^t ; in
hopeful that thr
ould return iut"

qiectatinn had at
one nioniinL; thr
ivint; towartls \\v:
LrlowiiV'', the sk\-

horizon. h.\ery
ctnes.i of thr fiv^t
ound. It w.e- Um
led witli men, ami
in<4. The in;a;j;'s,

perfectlx- distinct,
(ir several hou^,
^ved with lie^eiiy
le. Admiral !)(.■■;-
tched in all lia^tc
vssi.stance ot tlv'^c

from the di'plh of

ipieai chmes, wa--
.\viliL;ht, when tlu:
iceked her course
All around, licr
agitation, stretch-
ould hear the dull
d with the strokes
■ouid cla^p in their
ith !

,,f trees torn aw.iy

heir folia|-;e in ihr

the stran<^fc \ i>i""

a deceitful niirai^c

us foundered anew

under our eye.s the unfortunate cor\-ette with the three iuindred \ictini.s
which -sho had on boanl !

Deceived by the resemblance of certain effects, several authors con-
found the cyclones with the wind-spouts, and indifferently make use of
one or the otlier word to desii^nate the rotatinj^ tempests, the w hirlwinds,
I.) which the Hrst alone c.m correctly be ap[)lied.

Appall iii<>' Fury of tlu^ Tompcst.

Their ordinary forr.i, .says the elotjuent Miclielet, is that of a funnel.^
A seaman overtaken by one said to me: "I saw mvself, as it were, at
the bottcjin of a crater of an enormous \'oleano; around me, nothin;^ but
darkness; above, an ai)erture and a gleam of h'l^ht." Tiiis is technically
called the e\-e of the storm. Once involved in it, there is no hope of
(lra\vin;4 l)ack ; it lu)lds )'ou in its i_;iasp. Savaj^e ro.ulnj^s, plainti\e howl-
iiv^s, rattlini; and shrieks of tlie tlrowned, the tjroans of the unfortunate
vessel which, ha\'in;^ spruni; to life a;_jain as in her own fore;t, bewails lier
approaching end, all this appallini,^ tumult doi's not prevent )-ou from
hearin;^ tiie shrill hissin;4s of serpents in the shrouds and riL^^ini^f. Siid-
ilenly, silence! The nucleus of the wintl-s|)out then passes afar in a
hurst of horrible thunder, which deafens and almost blinds voi;. \'ou
recover yourself. It has rent and .split the masts, and not a sounel was
heard!

The crew arc frecpiently afflicted f )r a h'lv.r time afterwartls wilii weak-
ened eN'csisrht and blackened fin-j-er-nails. They remember with liorror
that at the moment of the passa^^e n( the wind-s[)out, as it drew upwards
the water, it also seemed to suck in the shi[), and hold her susjjentled in
the air and above the sea; then lettin:; her l^o, it ])lunL;ed lu-r down a;4ain
into the abyss.

In this impressive [)icture — a masterpiece (jf description — we recoLjinze

the cyclone or \vind-s[)out. The water-spout, pro[)erly so called, some-

tinu's aceom[)anies the cyclone; but it is also produced inde[)endeiul\' ot

tli.il plK.-nomenon, cUid a[)i)ears due to a \iolent disturbance of enuilib-

riuni in the electric condition of the atmosphere. Of all storm-[)heiiom-

ena, it is assuredly the most curious to obser\-e, and the most terrible in

its effects.

The .Host Curious Scouts in Nature.

It consists of a ver)' dense cloud, surcharLjetl with the electric fluid,

and am'mated i)\- irrej^ular inox-ement of c.xtraordin.uy rapidity. This

e'enid nearly always assumes the shape of a cone reversetl. Its color is

a deep gray, its aspect frightful, and no less so are the s\-m[)toins which

hec[uently [jrecede it. The sky lowers; the day grows dark; the sun'.s

012

EARTH . SI'.A, AND SKY.

li,L;lil becomes sickly and Nellowi.Nli , the air a prey to violent aL,n"tation •
the hurricane sweeps over the field-, or the waves wilii ominous whisi-
linL;s, accompanied !))• a tluU lio.use murmur; it seems as if a volcano
boiled and seethed in the entrails of the earth ; then breaks the watrr-
out. h'lashes of liL^hlniuL; and bursts of tlunulei swiftly succeed c.i 'i
ther; the hail fills, cjr rather hoxei's, with a perpetual crasli. Bui Ih

flu- mo>t appalliiii; circumstance is t!;

are (inl\- accessar\- plienoint na.

A WA 1 1 .

-I'Ml'T AT SEA.

jet black cloud which strttidus from a!)(^\-e or below, making' a \n\i.\ \n-
low and aroimd it, and attractiiv.^", by thr force of the fluid with which it

t witiicrs. wrenches, and uproots; houses, wliuli,

rees, w luc

is loaded, t

in till' twinkliiKj of an eye, it shatters into ruins ; men ami animals, wli'iii
it carrii's offatid daslics, stunned and blecdiii;^, a^^ainst the L',ix)und, at
I iU)rmoiis distances.

mysti:riks oi' rni-: ochan.

<Jl:i

iolcnt ai^itation ;
ominous whi-l-
as if a volcau"
ri'aks llu' watrr-
lly suc-cc't'd c h
:rasli. Hul th
cimistam-.c is tin

inakini;- a \<'ui I". •

fluid witb wlii^'li it

cts; houses, uli''li^

and animals, wli-i'i

iust the LMX)UUcl, a:

Rctuecn the terrestrial <uid the niaiiiie watei-spout then- is onl)- a dif-
ference (if effects, whicli natuiall)' \ar\-, accordin;,;^ as llir meteor encoun-
ters on its passage the luin eaith and solid ijodie^, or an extensiw ma--s
(if deej) waters. 1 lie action of the waLer-spoiit ou the si a cannot he bet-
ter compared than to a kind of suction. Inunediat( ly heuealh the (. \lre;n-
it\- of the clouc^l)' cone is fornud, on the suit, ice ol tli ■ waxes, a s\;nmelri-
cal coUi:, which rises so nuich hi;.; her, and w hc)>e h.isr i-. so much l.u'mr
in pi'oijortion as the \olume of the uater-spoul is i;reaUr, and ils electric
force more considerahlc At the- same lime, the sea rises in the tlistance ;
biittnmless preci[)ices, white \\ilh " wrathful foam," e\ca\ ale themscKes
around the li([uid mount. lin; the wa\(>s linstle and idll one upon ;mofuer,

if#..

-r^^-,rjs^^

I^S^N^^^

A snir IN DANol.K FROM W \ tK K-SI'( )L'I >

ith thi- rollin.', lluindei\

nip

uilli a roar \\hi(h iniuLdes wi

which finds Ik'rself, n>it ah)ne in the tiacl< _.., ^.>-,..

I — hutewn at a short distance fi-om till' lin-' w hiih
' •■:•'■;- ■■' ■-'^ ....:... .. ,,itlj.

she is lost, without hope I

Woe to th,
f the scour_L;e — in such a (.a^e

she is lost, without liope I — l)ute\ \ n at a sh, nt distance hom the hn-' w hieh
it traverses. She also is drawn within its influence, dra|.^_L^ed thiiher with-
out possible n>sistance. Her masts ar,.- swept by the board, ihe xioleiice
of the wind rends her sails to fra;;inents; she ni> loui^rer oiiey.^ iier helm :
she must follow the meteor. Sometime uhe ves.sel is literall)' raised aboxc
the \\;u'es, then flun;;" back iniot'ie abs'ss, and then '•n^.^ulfed. fn- from all

lie \\;u'es, nieii nun;,; nat K mioiiie ai>\ss, aim men '•n^.^uiien. lai" Udin ail
niniaiiaid. Yri it is a curiou ^ fiet th, it the seaman is not ;ilways defeiico
ess ai^ainst his formidaijle i-neni}'. Authorities not unwoithy of credit .T-

' f*:

■J

">il',{i

til

'r. : 0:A — ■

014

EARTH, SKA, AND SKY

firiM that the discliarL;c of a cannon, aimed d.K-ct';. >t d'o flank of tliis
tiioui-tain i)f water, cuts it into two parts. Tiio lo-vev sinks back uL^aiti
into thu- bosoni of the sea ; the ui)]X'r trunk is carried . wuy by the cloud,

and at some sliort distance reiiescends in rair. J>t(tit is difficult for sh
to take up siirli ;i position that they can brinc:^ their broailsitles to bear

il).s
oil

le si)out, V. ithout .ip|)roac iiini^ so ne,

u' as to fall within its inlluenci.

u- water-spout di->sip,iti's like ordiiiar)' storms, when the electric e'l]

111-

librium is re-e -tabli-hi-d in the atmosphere. h'ortunateK-, it i. of rare o( -
currence, e\en in the tropits, where it ma\' freciiientl)' tra\e'-^e a widr .ura
without encounti'rin^f a siiv^le \-essel. l"'aiconer's dcscriptii n of ih
nomenon may here ap])ropriately be j^ix'en.

Now oil tlic' larlxianl quarter thev desirv

uie-

.\ li(itii(l coluinii towLTin.L;' shoot on liij^li ;
The foainiiii!^ base tlie ani:;ry wliirlwiiuls sweep,
W'liere riirliii:< billows roust- tin- fearful deep :
.Still round and round tlie tluid vortex Hies,
Dillusing briny vapors o'er the skies.

le y;uns \vf re prinieil

>rth

le vesst'l iiorthuanl veers,

Till her i)Ia( k battery on the column bears :
The nitre fir" d; .ind, while the dreadful soniu
Convulsive shook Ih'- -,I umbering air aroiii'fl,
The walerv volume, trtinbliii •• to the skv,

Hurst down, a dreadful dili

otn nil niiiii

e expandiii

.11 Iremliled as ii t.

And felt with swift re< nil her sur>;e> -well ;

Hut soon, this transient imdiil.ition o'er.

The sea subsides, the wiiirlwiiifls rage no mure.

Not alone in tempests, water-spouts, and l^amin .;■ phosphorescent li;lit

if the i^reat deep; tiiere are creatures wliiiii

■hi'ir habitation, whose siiv'iilar coiistru. ti.'i!

i> we di^co\ I'l" tho \\i >nd'.'r'

malxe the unexi

)|cre>i (I

a;i<l

al)its will nwer cci

excite our interest and suriirisi

A ^I.V'iirrMHis Inliiihitant <>1" the Sen.

iirali--

papt'r nautilus, or ar:

•■onaut, has been lor a;'es a niar\il tot

le n;il

4, and e\c-n the ancients L;a\'e graphic descriptions of it in both piost
and jiortr)-. it is a kind of poulpe or i uttledlsh, without an\- inl'rii.iJ
skelet'iii ; it has ei;,;ht arni-., pio\ ided with suckers; two of them are i \-
p.anded into bioad nuinbraneous webs, with which the animal ;-;rasp- it-
shell wh'ii it is svsimminL',, an<l b)- means cf whii h it firms and secittc^
its sliell. This is (K'cply grooved, and is\ei_\- thin, transi)arent, and si
flexible when wet that the sides ma.y be pressed t<iL;ether. Tin- for
c\cc-edin''l\' beautiful, beinij- somewhat boat-shant-d, .ind th

111 i-

(loat

s in it in smh a manner

■ tliat

all

some author^ iuuc supposed the .iit ol

e crciluiv
1 th

,1'J flank of this

^iiiks b.ick ;u',;iin

vay by the cloiu!,

< iliff^nilt for ships

);ulsiclcsto bcir "ii

I its iniluincr,

II the electric v;.iui-
•1\-, it i ' of rare i>< -
rave'-<e a wi'le an a
riptii ;! of this phv-

'i.'iO'«''M:''^*i^<.

--••)i-

/•'■

i.h

ep.
1 :

il veers,

MfC

ihosphorcsceiUli jit

e a

re creatures

W llM ll

S'.IVJU

lar con^tru. li'ii

surprise.

ISra.

iuar\e

to liie I'i!'.

MIS

,f il in botli proNC

withou

t anv intrm

Itwo of then\ an: i x-
he animal -rasp- it^
,it forms and secrete^
transparent, and s(>
The fi^rni i'-
1 the ireatuic
tl the all "i

•tl

UM-.

ant

,iip])Ose

(il.U 1 IMH'.-) Jl'.l I.S-l'i-IU..^.

0;^^.)

h mM ' '

64(!

KARTir, SEA, AND SKY.

navigation was dL-rivi-d Wow il. Wlun the creature sinks to tiie boUoin
it ciawis upun its 1cl;s, cair\-iii;4 its liouse on its back, like a snail.

It lias been discovered that if the shell be broI<en, the animal will set
to work with itstw" hands or trowels to mend it; that it will not onK-
close np cracks, but supply parts that are broken awa\', w ith the same
material as that which composed the orii^inal fabric. In repairin;^^ ii,
shell it will even take aiKantas^e of pieces of shell that come in its u;iy,
and solder them in to fill uj) a cre\ici'. It appears that the animal is
c.\trcmel\' sensitive, and sometimes in fright it becomes separated fidm
the shell, and conse(]uent!\' dies ; it howexer occasionall)- cpiits its triic-
mt nt \dh.intaril)', and again resumes it. When in its shell there is a
considerable \acuum at the bottom.

We are indebted foi' some careful and curious observations on this
interesting species to Madame Power, who resided at Messina, and for
.several }'ears tlevoted he!■.-^e!f to the study of these animals. In order to
determine whether the shells nally were produced li)- th>.se creatures, she
I)laced t\vent\--si.\ iA' them in a vessel and bi'oke the shells in different
wa\v-.. She had the satisfaction of seeing them immediatel\' proceed to
co%er tile broken parts with the ^ail-s and b\- wrinkling them upon tiic
parts, close the fiactures. I'he ilr>t d.;}' the new substance was thin iinil
delicate as a cobweb, but it thickened and hanleiied gradualh-, until in
about thirteen days it had become perfectly firm, and sh(.ll\' as the uii-
WMindcfl part, though sori,.-uhat mon- o]ia(|ue.

The Ink-IJottlo (>r (hr Oeruii.

aru. oiiaul i^ a native of various seas, but it is most common in tlu

Mid •..M'ranean. and e-<[)eeiall)' in the vicinitv of Me^-ina; here it is fouii'l,
even in the ])orl, all ih • year, but is most abundant in autiiini,, and in ihc
liuiddv parts of the '>ay, where tile boats lie thickest. When on ;1k;
.surface, if they observe any |)eison, they fold the -^ail-arms over the sin 11,
di-posf the rowing arms v\ithin it, and sink. If tliev lia[)piii to 1)0
belli alh. wiieii alarmed, tliev eject their ink, to gain time to hide tlieiii-
: -ues in the mud. 'riiosi- in thi" cages of Madame Power, afti-r the iiik-
l)ag >,;•-> emptied, would, if still pursued, spirt water frotn the funnel, tluii
' ]\!ink within the shell, covereil with the .sails. When e;dm and (jiiict,
.uul uiv-nnscious of being observed, they would exhibit their many beau-
♦k's, rowing along with tiu-ir arms, lluir full sails tinged with eh'gaiit
colors, resting their extremities on the two sides of the shell, or cmbraciii;^
it ilh them. When pressed bv hunger thev would come almost to the
siuiaee, and \>, 'i -u Madame Power offered them food, tlu-v would snatch
it out of her li.iiid- aiiil 'n'eedily ilevour it.

ks to the botlum
c a snail.
c animal will set
X it will not liiily
V, with tlu- sunc
In rcpairin;^ i^
. conic in its way.
hat the animal is
js scparatctl finm
xUv (luits its tcnr-
s shell there is a

servations on this
]\Iessina, and \'<y
inals. In oixler to
.hcse creatvn-es, shf
. shells in cliffevriit
.•(liately proceed h>
U'j^ them upon tin-
tancc was thin and
grailually, until In
d shellv as the iin-

idst common in tlu:
ia; here it is found,
autmm., and in tl'.c
est. When on tla;
irnis o\er the shell,
they happen to 'be
ime to hide tluiu-
ower. after the ink-
o'.ii the funnel, then
r'.i I'.ilm and quiet,
', their many beau-
untied with elei;ant
c shell, or cmbracin;^
,>nie almost to tlu'
, they wouUl -natch

^Ki

%^m

m li

■

018

EARTH. SKA, AND SKY.

The c;^fL;s arc lik'c niillclsccils, pcrfectl)' transparent, attached by fila

iiunts of l)rinianl gluten to a coinnion stem of the same. Three cla\-

after the e;4L;s had bieii disco\ered, ihc h'tlle poiilpes were oljser\ed in

the shell of the parent, witlioiit any shell, like small worms. Soon after

they began to show buds with two rows of points on them, the riidinKMU--

of the arms and suckers; the sail arms appeared first by several d;i\--,.

On the sixth da\- the first \estii;c' of a shell was seen, very thin ami

fle.xible. The eL;|;s are found in the interior of the spire of the parent.

the young between the roof of the spire and tiie mantle; the infant shell

seems to be first deposited in the end of its parent's spire, whose form it

tlius assumes; but after a while it carries on the process wilhoiii aid

Two or three eggs are developed at a time; when the young ai-e al)oiit

three-cpiarters of an ineli in length, the\- inelose theinscK'es in the spiiv

of the parent, where the)' remain four daws to aci|uii-e the shell; ihiTi

da>'s iiKire they remain under the body of the old one. and are then

ejected. It is a \ery curious fact that all th.: argon. luts hitherto f jund

are females, whence it is supposed th.it the males are of a different torni,

antl without shells.

Tin* lii<l<>oiiN Octopus.

I'our species ot ,irg"naut are know n, all, howi'\er. closeK' resembling
this which we ha\ e dcseribed : the) inhabit the open se.i throughout the
warm -parts k>\ the globe. 1 his meludes the eight-ai'ined cuttle-fish,
ancieiuly called /^('/r/^/zs, winch has been abl)re\iatetl into the popul.n
title of piiulpe. It has no ^Ik'H, and no skeleton, but has two conicil
pieces of horny substances imbedded in the back, one on e;ich si(K<. TIu
bod\-, whi^.h h.is a globular torm, is a sott. ji'llydikc se.bstance, covered
will) a thick, ilark-colori.'d, leather)' skin. IIk arms in- legs are eight ii?
number, aiul are man\' feet in length. The ainuial mi>\is with it-^ lieiid
either up or d' iwn ; w hen it walks on the ground or on the boUom i,\ die
sea, it is in ilie latter jjosition. The .arms are e.ach fiu'nished with on..-
liundred anil twent)- p.aiis df sucking-cups, making nearly two thou iml
in all; b\- nie.ins of these the\- are able to maint;iin ,i powerfiil grasp upon
their j)re\" ; in<Ieed the .arms ma\' sooner be wrenched off t!ian forced U'
loose their huid. It, howewr, the\- .ire thus torn asundei', the_\' .ire ^<»>\)
replace'd b)' spMut.'ineous growth. The .'ii'ms of this spc-cies ;ire esteeiurd
good food b\- sonu' of the people around the Me'iliterran^an, where it is
common.

The e\'e ><{' the cuttle-fisli is lar;ge and exceedingl)- keen-siglil'.i! ;
the whole bod_\' ' if the creature is phosphorescent in the dark, and tlu
eyes shine like ihosi. of .i cat. The mouth is placed m the s[)acL' incli'scl

liKii.

fittachcd by fila
ic. Three thiys
^erc ()l)scrvc'(l in
ins. Si toll Httir
n, tlic riuliniriu-
l)y several day--.
II, very tliiii aiiii
ire of the parent
; the infant slull
re, whose lunn il
cess williDiit ail I
rouni; are abmit
:K-cs in the spire
the shell ; three
ne, and are then
ts hitherto ioiimi
r a different form,

loscly rcscnil)lin;4
a throut;hout tlu;
arniL'd cuttle-li>-i!,
into the pi'pii'ar
t has two cnniea!
n eaeh --ide. 'I !)•■
u:l)stance, covernl
r le<^s are eit;ht in
)ves uilh it- h'.'iul
the l)olloni ot the
nrnished with "n>
irly two tiiou--a;ii!
werful i^'as]:) ii])!'!!
oi'f t'.ian forced i
der, the\- are s.h.u
ecies are esteenu il
an. an, where it i-

Mi\' keen-siL^hted ;
the dark, and tin
the space inclose 1

MVSTKRIES OF THE OCEAN.

G49-

by tlic arms; it consists of a thick circular lip around an orifice; beneath
this lip, and ])artiall\- appeariiit; through the orifice is a beak like that of a
parrot, excepting; that the short mandible is the n[)[)ermost; these mandi-
bles tlo not co\-er boiu-, but their interior is filled with a fibrous substance
of threat strength and solidity. The muscles in whieli tin- jaws are
inibedtlcd, and by which the)- are worked, are extremely powerful; tlu:
jaws are, in fact, capable of s'rippin;.;' off the armor from crabs and
lubstcrs, and of cuttin;^ up the llesh ot" fishes. It has a stronL;, muscular

^^)i,V

ii^',''"'^^^/.

i!i;.\LTii'Ui. ^riA iMKNs v\' sr.\K-i"i.sii.
i;iz;'.ard, limxl with a Kather\- ^kin. In thi> -i/,/.ard the food is around to
piiip. It UM)- be termed the milMiopprr where the jurist is ground.

In aiiilition to its othc- extraordinar\- endowments, the cuttle-fish i.s
supplied with an ink-bag enfolded in the mass of the liver, containing
the sub.stance called s^pia, and fornierl\- used, it is .said, by the Chinese,
in makinc; Indian-ink. The creature lias the i)ower of ejecting this
through its siphons pl.iced on the h-ft side of the abdomen, so as to rcn-

i .

!!■

j«i

fi'jO

HARTII. SF.A. AND SKY.

■•<<

dcr it an effectual means of defense. PdWerful as it is, howiAcr, for the
destruction of various kinds of sea an.mals. it has enemies superior m
strength to itself, sucli as the grampus and the cachalot. When its
quick eyes perceive one of these luige monsters approaching, it ejects a
quantity of its inky lluid into the water, wliirh immc-diately spreads
arouml into a dirk cloud; while the enemy is floundering about, be-
wildered and astonished, in this murky fog, the nimble cuttle darts away
and conceals himself in the mud at the bottom, or the safe fissure of
some neighboring rock.

The use of this ink-b,ittery as a means alike of defensive an u .)*Tcnsivc
warfare, is evinced by an anecdote of a liritish officer, who on a certain

4,i

■'^y'^""^^

• mi. J- ..=

— .-= -•T>"»=i

llIK CKl^lKI) sK.AI,.

occasion, had gone ashore to collect shells, luippcning to be attired in a
pail cf .^now-white pantaloons As he was walking about, he suddenly
came upon a cuttle-fish, snugly harl>ored in the recess of a rock. V n
a moment the two stared at eacli other with mutual surprise: after ;i
time the officer advanced a little, wlun, quick as thought, the poulpc
discharged a spray of ink, and taking good aim at the snowy pants,
spattered them with indelible stains, which rendered them, ever after,
unpresentable.

This species seems to be widely distributed in almost all ^eas. In the
North Atlantic it is usually of small size, but in the Mediterranean it i?
sometimes so large as to weigh a hundred pounds; the bod>' of one has
been seen of the size of a barrel, and with arms as thick as those of a

to bo attired in n

ibov.t, he siuldi.nly

s of a rock. 1' >'

1 surprise: after ;i

K)ui;ht, the poulwe

the snowy pants,
d them, over after,

|)st all seas. In the
Mediterranean it \^
he body of one Im-
:hick as those of a

MYSTFRIES OF THE OCEAN

651

man. In the tropical seas thty are said to bf much larijer.and so fierce
ns sometimes to attack boats and dra^ tluin under water. VVc arc told
tli.it in the Indian waters, such thincjs have actually happened, and in
cirtain localities the boatmen always keep themselves supplied with axes
to cut off the arms of these monsters, in case of an attack.

Their remarkable spirit, as well as their strenjjth, is evinced by an
■ulventurc which Mr. Hcale, an Knj^lishman, hail with one of them .unon;^
the rocks of the Honin Islands, where he had f,n)ne ashore to seek for
shells. As he was mo\in<f about, he was suddt nly arrested by seeinij
at his feet a most extraordinary lo(>king animal, crawlinij toward the

surf, wliich it had only
just K ft. It was creep-
incj I in its cii:jhi le«]fs,
which, from tlr^ir soft
and flexible nature, bent
consideralily uiu'k r the
weitjht of its bod)', so
that it was lifted by the
effort-; of its limbs only
a small dist.uut' fi. 'in
the rocks. It appe.yed
much ak'-med at sceinj.^
him. and made every
effort to tiscipc. A mo-
ment after, the appar-
ently enraij;ed animal
11 fU'd its head with its
^SsSi.:i,-t^''itii/^l-r. . .; . JarL^e projectinf:^ eyes,
A sAVAi.r. I oi:. and looinj^ its hold of

thr rocks, suddenly sp-an;^^ upon Mr. Bcale, and cluiv,; to him by
means o.f its suckers with j^reat power, endeavoriivj; to I'.et its beak, which
.iiild UiAv be .seen between the roots of its arms, in a ])ositii)n to bite.
.\ Musation of horror prrxadid his whole frame, when he found that this
hideous animal had fixrd it-^df t" him s<i firm!\-. Its cold, slimy -rasp
was extremely sickening ; and he loudly called to the captain, who was
at some distance, to come and release him from his danti^erous a.ssailant.
The captain quickly came, and soon released him, by destroying his
tormentor with the boat-knife, which he accomplished by cutting; away
portions at a time.

The ])resence of this monster in the tropical seas often adds a fiesh

liii

.%•-

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

1.0

«" Itt IIIII2.2

I.I

I;.

i^ ill 2.0

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Sciences
Corporation

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WEBSTER, NY. 14580

(716) 872-4503

<m^

rt?

^''l€.^<>

^ ./^,

G52

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

danger to the ordinary perils of pearl-diving. It has been known to at-
tack men under water, and numerous instances are recorded of its fatal
assault. ( )nce within its powerful grasp, the situation is extremely criti-
cal. It has no mercy on its victim, and when it throws about him its
immense arms he is in the jaws of an embrace that means death. The
natix'es are compelled to arm themselves with the most effective weapon
against a foe s(j ferocious and hard to overcome.

The ammonites, a curious genera of mollusks, become quite special in
the secondary epoch, and disappear altogether before our age. Thc\- ai^j
characteristic of a very early period, and each zone is characterized b\- its
peculiar species. The name is taken from the resemblance of the shell tn
the ram's-horn ornaments which decorated the front of the temple of Jup-
iter Ammon and the bas-re-
liefs of the statues of this
pagan deity. They were ce-
phaloj)ode mollusks with cir-
cular shells, winding in spirals
on the same plane, and di\-ided
into a series of chambers.

The animal only occupied
the outer cavities of the shell ;
all the others were \'oid. A
tube issuing from the first tra-
versed all the ca\itics. This
enabled the animal to rise to
the surface, or sink to the bt)t- -1 ^^^'^^
torn, fir the ammonite could
at pleasure fill the chambers 'nir. axcif.nt am.monite.

or e.xpel the water, thus rendering it lighter or heavier as occasidn
required. T'^e nautilus of our seas is provided with the same curious
organization, and reminds us forcibly of the ammonites of geologiial
times. Shells arc the only traces which remain of the ammonites. Like
a little sculler, the anuuonite floateil on the surface of the water; like
the nautilus, the shell was an animated skiff. What a curious asucei
these primitive seas must lia\e presented, covered by myriads of these
mollusks of all sizes, rowing about in eager pursuit of their prey !

1*.

icon known to at-
:ordcd of its fatal
is extremely criti-
iW's about him its
leans death. Tin-
effective weapon-

ne ciuite special m
Lir atie. They arc
haracterized by its
Lnce of the shell to
the temple of Jup-

m^mf^^-

MMONITE.

leavier as occasi'!!i

\\ the same curious

iiites of j,;eolo;j,ical

ammonites, l-i^-*'

of the water; li'^e

lit a curious aspecl

myriads of these

Ithcir prey !

CHAPTER III.
THE WORKMEN OF THE SEA.

The Ocean a Nursery of Life— World- Makers— Destruction of the Weaker Marine
Tribes — Half Plants and I Ir.'.f Animals — Graceful Forms and I'lrilliant Hues-
Flowers of Ocean— Astouiuliiiij Multitude of Infusoria — .Mountains i'orint'd from
Tiny Shells— Islands Built by Coral Insects— Ma.-,nnticent Paris Built by Animal-
cules—Coral l'"orests in the Sea -Corallslands Hundreds ofMiK-s in E.xtent —
Ships in Danger— The Birth of New Lands— The Marvelous Actinia— Plants of
Living Stone — Myriad T'ornis of Life in the Sea — Depths of Amazing Splendor —
The Humming Birds of the Ocean.

L^^jIIh^ circulation of the ocean, its pho.sph<)resceiice, and the tints of
color belonginc^ to certain seas, make known but imperfectly
what can he accomplished b\- the incalculable numl)ers, the
prodii;ious fecundity, and the devourin<; activity of the minute
animals, .scarcely perceptible individually, w itb. whicli it teems, ^\■t ideol-
ogy demon.strates that it was they which laid the foundation of animal
life in that immense cradle, that inexhaustible " nursery " as Maury calls
it; it is they which maintain a never-varyint^ identit)' in the C()m[)osition
of its waters, absorbing and changing the mineral and organic properties
with which these arc ince.ssantl\- loaded.

There are some which serve as the food of .stronger and superior spe-
cies ; these, in their turn, nourish the fish and crustaceans, which are
themselves devoured by far larger fishes. There are others which are in-
defatigable architects.

A myriad laborers ply their task.

And what it tends to never ask.

The work how grand ! the means how small !

What wondrous order reigns o'er all !

They construct the fantastic edifices that from the depths of ocean
mount to its very surface, and spread afar, ramify, and terminate in coral
reefs and islands. Michelet calls them "world-makers." Others, finally,
by dying, have accumulated at certain points their skeleton wrecks, and
Iia\e formed numerous banks, and shallows, and entire beds of deposit,
where the geologist to-day may study these first-born of creation. These
infiisoria, these polypes, were preceded, in the primeval sea, in the
universal ocean, by vegetables properly so called, similar to tho.se which,
at the present time, are met with in the torrid zone.

(053)

y^<i

ffli

^-:>

654

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

These vegetable speeies, then, have remaiiutl ahiK).st stationary ; then-
number is new eonfined within comparatively narrow limits, and we slc
nothing in this Nej)tunian flora which at all a[)proache.s the astonishin"-
variety of the terrestrial, although there are flowers of the ocean whose
beauty ri\als that of the lily and rose. The genera or tribes \\liich really
compose the flora of the sea are those zooplntes (half plants, half animals),
tiiose lithe >ph\tes (half plants, half stones), which cover its mountains and
\alleys with forests of coral and niadrc[)ore with gigantic and inextricabK-
inter-wo\en branches : such are the anemones, the actinias, the marvelous
shells which, thanks to their graceful forms and brilliant hues, are orna-
ments no less rich and curious for the submarine meadow and plain, than
for our terrestrial fields the flowers are that expand in the sunshine and
are fed l)y the morning dew.

Plants and Animals Ccunbintjd.

These mixed Ijeings, with a vey jtativo life, yet provided with organs
pro[)er U) the animal kingdom, ami endowed ^^ ith instincts and Hieulties,
rudimentary, it is true, ijut clearly manifest, are one of the most charac-
teristic featurevs (.f the Neptunian creation. It i.s not even certain whether
this creation has reall)' produced any plants, properly so called, and
wlKther the weeds, so long and so unhesitatingly classed in the \'egetable
kingdom, are not also pi'oduced like the corals and lithophytes, by tlic
polypes, or living creatures, inhabiting them, which there develop and re-
produce themselves indefinitely.

Let us now^ consider the infusoria, the world makers, whose debris are
discovered in prodigious quantities among the remains of the primitive
creation. The name "infiisorioi " has been given to them because thev
were first obserxed in liquids holding in dissolution or in infusion particles
of matter. The accumulated spoils of these infim'tely small (organisms
constitute a notable part of the solid crust of our globe; and we our-
selves are eye-witnesses of the phenomena of continual reproduction and
destruction by which they made read)', at the epoch of tlic ancient geo-
logical formations, the habitation of man.

Astonlsliinjf 3Iultitude of Animalcules.

According to Khrenberg, a cuImc fnch of the Tripoli sand which is
still in the course of formation in the environs of Bilin, in Bohemia, con-
tains thousands of shells of the infusoria which produce this friable su]>
stance. The same naturalist states that, so great is their power of re[)ro-
duction, one million of these animalcules are born in a few days. Bear-
ing these facts in mind, it is not difficult to understand what immen-'e
masses of matter must have been deposited by the innumerable genei.i-

•i'4'i

It stationary ; their
• limits, and \vc sec
ics the astonishin;^
f the ocean whose
tril^cs \\hich reall\-
ilants, half animals'),
r its mountains and
tic and incxtricaMy
nias.the marvelous
iant hues, are orna-
dow and plain, than
n the sunshine and

ovidcd with orc,^in>
stincts and facuUics,
of the most charac-
even certain whether
jerly so called, and
ssed in the \ec,^etable
lithophytes, by the
here develop and re-

jrs, whose debris arc
lins of the primitive
) them because they

in infusion particles
cly small organisms

lobe; and we our-
ual reproduction and

of tliC ancient c,^co-

iules.

1 ipoli sand which is
lin, in Bohemia, cun-
duce this friable sub-
their power of repro-
n a few days. Bear-
stand what immen -e
innumerable gene i a-

TiiK workmp:n of thk sea.

6/J5

tinns which have succeeded i me another duriuL;- the low^ periods of tiic
primitive epochs, ant! which ha\e co\ered with accumulated sediment the
recks of fier}' ori;^in that formt'd the first cru-tof tlu- earth. The fcvssil
(jrbris of larger shells are also found in \ast masses, w hich sufficientK-
iiulicate the infinite multiplication of life in the ilense warm waters of the
primeval seas.

The illustrious |;e(jlot;ist. Huekland, afth-ms thai the shells of infusoria
form a considerable jjortion of the entire mass of se\eral mountains ; as,
tor instance-, the formations of the Alps, the Carpathians, and the T) re-
nees. The lamous colossal Sphinx, and the hu_L;est of llu' l''.!_;\[)tian pyr-

T«%.-

■V.

^'ti«^J

.:ir

^^"bli ^ ' "^ ^'^ ' '--p3&— ^"jJi^.'/^'^S

AN 1.^LANI) IN MID-OCEAN FORMED IIV COKAI. INSIXTS.

amids — that which is <^renerally distiuL^uished by the name of C"lKM)ps —
are constructed of a limestone wholly composed of tiiesc minute crea-
tures which are everywhere wideh' distributed, and which, by their count-
less le^jjions, seem to have sout:jht a compensation for their extreme dim-
inutiveness. The sand of the sea-shore is so filled with them that one
may justly say it is half composed of them. In an ounce of sand, in
the West Indies, it was estimated that there were nearly four thousand of
individuals.

Tile banks formed by the remains of these beings impede navitj^ation
and render it dangerous, obstruct the gulfs, fill up the liarbors, and, in

"■ i|^

^^lllttiil

\Hi

Wi i

1 1

656

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

conjunction with the madrepores, construct those islands which from
time to time emer<;e in the warm rcgioris of the [^n-eat ocean; and this
nMe, actually played out to-day by livint; species, was formerly filled by
those which are now found onl)- in a fossil condition.

At the epoch of the coal formation a sin^.de species built up in Russia
enormous beds of lime-stone. The deposits reveal an immense quantity in
the white chalk in luigland. Finally, in numerous localities, and especial-
ly in the environs of Paris, the limestone-,L;"rit encloses an infinite number.

A COKAL SHKUI!.

Paris, as well as many neii^hboring towns and \illa^^cs, is almost wholl\
built with these infusoria. Thus, then, animals, hardl\- perceptible to the
unassisted eye, change to-day the depths of the waters, antl have, at var-
ious t^eolot^ical epochs, filled up basins of a considerable area. This fact
shows us that each animal has its allotted task, and that with time — time
of which nature takes no count — the animals which appear to us so con-
temptible on account of their smallness, might change the aspect of the
globe.

THE WORKMEN OF THE SE.\,

G57

ands which from

,t ocean; and this

formerly filled by

buih up in Riissia
nmcnse quantity m
ilities.andcspccial-
an infinite number.

trcs, is almost wholly
1^11 y perceptible to the
M-s, and have, at var-
iable area. This fact
[that with time— time,
appear to us so con-
Ivre the aspect ofth*-'

This is not the only, nor is it the most curious example, that we mi^^ht
put forward of the immense share gwcn to the zoopliitcs in the construc-
tion of the earth's crust and the ocean's bed. One species lias only played
a passive part in this phenomenon, consistin<:j simply in the accumulation
(if sheds over places lonj^ covered by the waters. This is not the case
with another species, the polypes, whose astoundint^ labors are almost in-
credible. Not only are these remarkable for their rapid increase but they
arc admirable workmen, skillful engineers, building up in the liquid depths,
witii the materials there held in su.spension, massive monuments which

A SPONGE WITH CORALLINE ATTACHED.

dwarf into the work of pigmies the most gigantic constructions of ancient
and modern peoples.

In the torrid zone, says Cuvier, where the lithophytes are numerous in
species and propagate abundantly, their stony trunks intertwine themselves
into rocks and reefs, which, rising to the surface of the water, close up the
mouth of harbors, and lay the most terrible snares for navigators. The
sea throwing up sand and mud on the summit of these reefs, .sometimes
raises their surface above its own level, and forms them into level islands,
which in due time rich vegetation vivifies. These polypids belong exclu-
42

'l a* ■) 511

^MPjl

^l')

mmm

658

EARTH, SEA, Al'D SKV.

.sivcly to tropical rcy,"ions, and rarely overpass the 27th parallels of noith
and soutli latitude, unless in localities marked by special conditions, as
where the iVtlantic is warmed by the Gulf Stream.

They arc also found amoncj the IJernuida Islands — Shakcsjieare'-;
"still-vex't r>ermoothcs." The troi)ical rct^ions of the P:icific Ocean
abound in prodigious quantities of coral, which have been converted int"
Sunimer-isks of Eden, lying in dark purple spheres of sea.

We know that these lithophytcs have given the name o'" the " Cora!
Sea "to the "glowing tracts" comprised between the north-east coast
of New Holiand, the south-east coast of New Guinea, the Solomon
Islands, the New Plebrides, and New Caledonia. Ihey abound, more-
over, in the Persian and Arabian Gulfs, as well as in the part of the In-
dian Ocean comprised between the ?.lalabar coast and the Island of Mida-
gascar. Flinders romputcs a reef of polypids situated on the east coast
of Australia, and known as the Great Barrier Reef, i>t a length of 1086
miles, and he describes it as without gap or break over an crctent of 380
miles. Groups of coral islands exist in the Pacific, M'hich spread o\cr
an area of 1080 to 1 300 miles in length, and 3.^0 to 435 miles in breadth :
such are the dangerous Archipelago, and those which the Russian na\i-
gator, Kotzebue, named Radack.

Vast Beds of Living' Ktono.

These lithophjtic, or coral banks, are generally developed with
extreme .slowness. Ehrenberg ascribes to certain isolated pol}'pii-Is in
the Arabian Gulf, which measure only two to four yards in diameter, an
antiquity of several thousands of years. The coral reefs affect various
forms; nevertheless, the most general consist, at least in the Pacific, of a
ring or belt of dry ground, circular or oval, enclosing a lagoon of shallow
and tranquil water, abounding with zoophytes and mollusks. These
islands scarcely rise above the level of the water, and the ser surround-
ing them is often of unfathomable depth. Out of thirty-two exaniintd
by Beechey, twenty-nine had lakes or lagoons in the centre, the b.iscs
formed of coral; and as these are gradually filling up by the labors of
the insects, and the deposition of sand and lithophytic matters, they will
in due time vanish, and a uniform mass of land present itself. At Durics
Island, the central lagoon was partly enclosed by trees, and the water
being exquisitely transparent, the reflected picture was one of extreme
beauty. The corallines were of various colors — rose, pink, azure, yellow,
lilac, snow-white; and numerous small fish of brilliant hues, darting
rapidly to and fro among the coral labyrinth, produced an effect ol
extremely fantastic character.

THE WORKMEN OF THE SEA.

651)

larallels of nuith
al coui-litions. a>

^ — Shakcspeave'*^
ic r-.icific Ocean
lu converted int.-
; of sea.

lie o'" llic " Coral
north-east coast
lea, the Solomon
ey abound, niore-
:he part of tlic In-
le Island of Mada-
d on the east coast
It a length of 1086
er an erctent of 380
which spread o\er
,5 miles in breadth:
h the Russian navi-

ly developed witii
Isolated polypi ^Is in
rds in diameter, an
reefs affect various
tin the racific.ofa
alagoonof shaliov.
^ mollusks. These
.d the ser surround-
[hirty-two examined
he centre, the bases
lup by the labors oi
lie matters, they ^vill
nt itself. AtDurics
Itrees, and the water
was one of extreme
I pink, azure, yellow,
liUiant hues, darting
•oduced an effect of

The examination of a coral reef, says Captain Basil Hall, during the
different stages of one tide, is particularly interesting. When the sea
has left it (ov S(»me time, it becomes dry, and appears to be a compact
rock, exceedingly hard and ragged; but no sooner does the tide rise
a<;ain, and the waves ^egin to wash over it, than millions of coral worms
protrude themselves from holes on the surface which were L)cfore quite
invisible.

These animals are of a great variety of shapes and sizes, and in such
prodigious numbers, that in a short time the whole surface of the rock
appears to be alive and in motion. The most common of the worms at

\' ^Y;

v, ;./ •-'

^ i^^jsij3.

SCALV-CLAWKD CKUSTACEAN.

Loo Choo was in the form of a star, with arms from four to six inches long,
which it moved about with a rapid motion in all directions, probably in
search of food. Others were so sluggish that they were often mistaken for
pieces of the rock; these were generally of a dark color, and from four
to five inches long, and two or three round. When the rock was broken
from a spot near the leve! of high water, it was found to be a hard solid
stone; but if any part of it were detached at a level to which the tide
reached every day, it was discovered to be full of worms of all different
lengths and colors, some being as fine as a thread, and several feet long,

4»«

i^y

GGO

EARTH, SHA, AND SKY.

generally of a very bri^rht yellow, and sometimes of a blue color; while
others resembled snails, and some were not unlike lobsters and prawn,
in slripe, but soft, and not above two inches long.

The [growth of coral ceases when the worm which creates it is n^^
lonfTcr exposed to the washing of the tide. 'J'hus a reef rises in the fonii
of a gigantic cauliflower, till its top has gained the level of the highc-t
tides, above which the worm has no power to carry its operations, and
tliL- reef, consequently, no longer extends itself upwards, 1 he surroun !-
ing parts, however, advance in succession till they reach the surfac,
wh;-re they also must stop. Thus, as the level of the highest tide is the
eventual limit to every part of the reef, a horizontal field comes to be
formed coincident with that plane, and perpendicular on all sides.

SPECIMENS OF I5IV.\L\K

AND UN:VALVE -SHELLS.

The reef, however, continually increases, and being prevented from rro-
ing higher, must extend itself lateralK' in all directions; and this growtii
being probably as rapid at the upper edge as it is lower down, the steep-
ness of the face of the reef is preser\'ed ; and it is this circumstance which
renders this species of rock so dangerous in navigation. In the first placi;,
they are seldom seen above the water ; and in the next, their sides arc so
abrupt that a ship's bows may strike against the rock before any chan^^e
of soundings indicates the approach of danger.

When the reef is of such a height as to be almost wholly uncovered at

■; Jt?

1 id . ^ "

blue color; whil-
asters and prawn,

h creates it is n^^
if rises in the forivi
;vel of the highest
its operations, aivl
Is. Thesurroun 1-
reach the surface,
hiLjhest tide is the
field comes to be
on all sides.

SHELLS.

r prevented from sc-
ions ; and this growtli
ower down, the stccp-
is circumstance which
ion. In the f^rst place
lext, their sides are so
3ck before an>- change

t wholly uncovered at

THE WORKMEN OF THE SEA.

(i(>I

|(i\v water, the /.i)oph)-tes discontinue their toils. Ik'low the line which

they iiave traced, you then discover a continuous stony mass, composed

of shells and mollusks, with their bristlinjj spikes, and fra^anents of coral

connected by a calcareous sand, proceeding from the puKeri/ation tif the

sliclls. It often happe'rs that the heat of the sun penetrates this mass

when it is dry, and causes it to split open in many places; the waves

tlien possess sufficient force to divide it into blocks of coral about six feet

lorit; by three or four and a half feet broad, and to hurl themupdi the

reef; this operation terminates in the ele\ation of such a crest tiiat the

hiLjh tides only wash o\er it at certain j^eriods of the j'ear.

The sand does not exiierience an\' further chanj^e, and offers to the

seeds brouj^dit thitlier by the waves a soil wherein ve<;etation fiourishes

with sufficient rapidity to speedily overshadow its da/zlinc^ white surface.

W'liole trunks of trees, transported by the rivers from other countries and

other islands, find there at lenj^th, after a protracted voyaLje, a restin<r-

place. Some small animals, such as insects or lizards, are conveyed

ainonj^ them, and usually become the first inhabitants of these reefs.

l"\en before the trees are thii^k and leaf)^ enough to form a wood, the

sea-birds build their nests among them ; stray terrestrial birds seek refuge

in the copses ; and finally, long after the polypes have accomplished their

uor'- man appears, and erects his hut on the fertile soil.

Millions of millions thus, from a^e to nge,

Widi simplest skill and toil unweariable,

No moment and no movement unimproved.

Laid line on line, on terrace terrace spread,

To swell the heightening:, brigiiteninj;, gradual mound,

By marvellous structure climbing towards the day.

Each wrouglit alone, yet all together wrought.

Unconscious, not unworthy, instruments,

By which a Hand invisible was rearing

A new creation in the secret deep.

Omnipotence wrought in them, with them, by them ;

Hence, what omnipotence alone could do.

Worms did. I saw the living pile ascend,

The mausoleum of its architects,

Still dying upwards as their labors closed ;

Slime the material, but the slime was turned

To adamant by their petrific touch ;

Frail were their frames, ephemeral their lives,

Their masonry imperishable. All

Life's needful functions, food, exertion, rest.

By nice economy of Providence,

Were overruled to carry on the process

Which out of water brought forth solid rock.

I ':•

6G2

EARTH. SFA, AND SKY.

Atom by atom thus the burthen jjrew,
Iacii like an infant in its ^nnvth, till Time
Delivered ocean t)f tli.it monstrous birth —
A coral island stretching east and west.

But there are coral formations even e\ceeclin<^r in wonder anything uv
have yet observed. There are plants and hvini^ stones ri\alliiiir tb.,-
beauty of any flower oarden bh)oniinLj 141011 the hind. The httle insects
appear to ha\e an e\'e fov symmetry and excpiisite coU)rs.

The flowerinj^ actinia has hnv^ flexible branches ramified towards the
extremity, which resemble the branches of a tree.

Theie is also an actinia called the [)lumosa which is t^enerally wliitr,
but is sometimes yellow or oran^^e, tile mouth of which is surrounded by
lobes, furnished with numerous tentacles, or branches. One of those

WHITE ACTINIA OF ST. HELENA.

forms is presented in the engraving which is annexed. These arc siiimh-
animated stones.

Thus under a surface much less varied than that of the mainland,
remarks Humboldt, the sea contains in its bosom an exuberance of life ot
which no other region of the globe affords any idea. Charles Darwin
ju.stly observes that our terrestrial forests do not afford an asylum to
nearly so many animals as do those of ocean. For the sea has likewise
its forests, consisting of the long marine herbs which flourish in shoal
and shallow, or the floating banks of fucus which the waves and cur-
rents have detached, and whose loose and slender branches are raiseil to
the surface by their air-swollen cells, consisting, moreover, of those stony
plants, embracing immense areas both in height and breadth, whose
encroachments would become formidable were it not for the extreme
slowness with which the polypes accomplish their indestructible work.

omicr anythintj \k<:
()iu;s ri\;illin;^ thi.
Thc litilo insects
3r.s.
:uniricd towards the

is <4cnrrally wiutc,
;h is surrounded t>y
ics. One of thcM.

THE WORKMI-N OF THE SEA.

Ot).'{

There arc glorious forests, as well as the superb tjardens where ocean
(li>])Ia\*s all the t,'orL;eous treasuies of its living flora, and tlu-re are
animated plants which have \on<^ perplexed and einharrassed oiir scien-
tific men; embarrassed them not unrt;asi)nabl\', nor are they \et free
from trouble, only the trouble has ciuuv^ed it', directicn — for tn-day our
naturalists, having recognized as animals the stran-c half-foinu d beings
which they formerly took for plants, have be^nui to a->k- if tho-'C utiicr

'V» mat • flV iL>->^ -A,

if'

1^ -l:'

I (1

These arc simpl}

lit of the mainlam!,

exuberance of lite ot

la. Charles Darwin

ifford an asylum to

the sea has likewise

;ch flourish in shoal

the waves and cur-
lanches are raised to

:ovcr, of those stony
land breadth, whose

lot for the extreme

indestructible work.

CATCHING A HUGE TURTLE.

so-called plants may not also be animals, or at least polypes; whether, in

a w.utl, the whole vegetable kingdom is not a fiction I

What hidest thou in tliy treasure-caves and cells.
Thou hollow-sounding and mysterious main?

The sea conceals arcana in its depths which no glance can penetrate,

which no genius can depict except with the help of imagination. In the

a(.M-ial and terrestrial worlds, and e\en in the celestial space, nature

liberally unrolls before our eyes her marvelous pictures. From one

^mmm'

664

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

pole to the other we may explore all the parts of our domain ; '.ve riu'ty
ransack the very bowels of earth ; or, raising our gaze towards the
firmament, contemplate the immense panorama of the worlds, measure
the dimensions and the distances of the stars, follow them in their
courses, calculate their orbits and even their densities ; but of this ocean,
this thin stratum of water a few thousand yards in thickness, stretched
over our planet, we know by sight only the surface and the border-.
There only can man grapple with Neptunian nature; and so mucli as he
is permitted to embrace — the strange, grand, and diversified character i.f
the scenes which ocean presents in certain regions and under favorable

A SEA- FLOWER IN LIVING STONE,

conditions — increases our regret that we are reduced tr ,uch limited and
fugitive glimpses, by leading us to presume, from the little we can sec,
the splendor of that which remains unseen.

A seaman placed in the midst of the ocean, saj's Maury, experiences, on
contemplating its surface, sentiments similar to those of the astronomer
when he obseiA'es the stars, and interrogates the night upon the profun-
dities of the skies. We may judge what his feelings are, in fact, from tiic
following description, which a learned German traveller, Schleiden, iia^
given of the spectacle presented to the navigator in the boundless plains
of the tropical sea: If we plunge our glances into the liquid cr\-stal of the
Indian Ocean, we shall see realized therein the marvelous appearances of

■ i

tlomain ; we may
gaze towards the
le worlds, measure
low them in their
; but of this ocean,
:hickness, stretchy i
e and the bonier-.
anil so much as lio
jrsified character '.f
and under favorable

yfii^:*

tc ,uch limited and
he little we can see,

aur>\ experiences, on
se of the astronomer
ght upon the profun-
are, in fact, from the
eller, Schleiden, ha>
the boundless plains
; liquid crystal of the
velous appearances of

THE WORKMEN OE THE SEA.

605

the fairy tales oi our infancy. Fantastic shrubs are decked with livin^j
flowers. Everywhere glow the most brilliant colors ; glaucous greens
alternate with brown and yellow ; rich purple tints subside into the liveliest
retl or intensest blue.

Rosy, yellow, or peach-colorefl '^rusts cover the deca\ed plants, and are
tliemselves cnxeloped in black ; ^sue which resembles the most delicate,
carved ivory. By their side waver to and fro tiie yel'ow and blue fans of

'^r^^

A STONE WITH STAR CLUSl'ERS.

the gorgons, richly wrought like jewels of filigree. The sand is besprinkled

with sea-hedgehogs and sea-stars, of fantastic forms and varied colors.

Resembling gigantic cactus flowers, glittering with glowmg hues, the sea-

aneinones adorn the rocks with their crowns, or spread over the ocean-bed

like a growth of brilliant vines. The humming-birds of ocean — small

gleaming fishes, some bright with a metallic splendor of azAire or vermilion,

some with a gilded green or dazzling silver lustre — play around the coral

bushes.

Each moss,
Eacli shell, each crawling insect, holds a rank
Important in the plan of Him who framed
This scale of beings ; holds a rank wliich, lost,
Would break the chain, and leave behind a gap
Which nature's self would rue.

ri'

''^Hi

ill

■4 '-^

t:( J;:

I')

CHAPTER IV.
RARE SPECIMENS OF OCEAN LIFE.

^ i

The Famous Narwhal— Many Teeth in One — Strange Superstitions as to the Sea-
Unicorn — A Formidable Weapon— The Best Kind of Ivory— Narwhal Fishin^^—
An Arctic Black Hole of Calcutta — Immense Size of the Narwiial — The Huge
Grampus — '' The Killer " Capturing Seals — Story of the Whale— Flashes like
Lightning from the W^aves — The Hairy Mediisie— A Wake of Silvery I.i^^lu—
"All Hands Ahoy ! "—Whale Fishing and its Dangers— Sea-Birds and I'lieir
Curious Habits — The Elegant Black-Backed Gull — Laughing Gull—" H.iw, ha,
lia, Haw ! "—Birds that are Pirates — The SeaMew and its Island Home— The
Wonderful Island of Saint Kilda — Humming-Birds of the Ocean— Colors that
Dazzle the Eye— Beautiful Specimens of Scaly-Finned Fiihes — Flag-1'ish—
Coral-Fish — Rock-Fish — Whip- Fish — Duke-Fish — Emperor-Fish— The Siiarp-
Shooter of t'leSea — Good Aim and Successful Siiot— A Fish Willi Two Luhljs-
Burrowing in the Mud— Savage Fighters— A Fish that Hisses — The Frog-
Catcher — Curious Climbing Fish — Experiments with ti.e Mud-Jumper— A Slu"--
gard that Proves to be Swifter than an Arrow.

ARWHALS differ very little from porpoises in their general form
and the color of their bodies ; but at the first glance thc\- are
easily to be distinguished from all other cetaceans by the sinL,ui-
lar tusk with which nature has provided them. Of th.e two
incisive teeth implanted in the upper jaw of the narwhal, one is almost
entirely wanting, whilst the other is prodigiously lengthened in a strai^^ht
line, and is simply an enormous stiletto, which is rounded with a spiral
fluting, a sharp point at the extremity, and which is of one-third or half
the length of the animal. This strange creature has then but one tooth—
and what a tooth ! It is, in fact, a sword of ivory. In the Museum of
Natural History at Amsterdam and other collections, there is a narwhal
skull with two fully developed tusks.

There ha\'e been, both among the ancients and the moderns, many stories
about the narwhal's tooth. It was formerly considered to belike the horn
of the unicorn, which was situated on the middle of the forehead. This
fabulous being resembled, they said, the horse and the stag. Aristotle
and Pliny have described it, and it is represented on many ancient monu-
ments. It was adopted by the chivalry of the middle ages, and has often
decorated the trophies in military futes.

Informer times people attributed to the tooth of the narwhal, which
they called the tooth of the unicorn, marvelous medicinal virtues. They
{QQ6)

RARE SPECIMENS OF OCEAN LIFE.

GG7

FE.

tions as to tlie Sea-
—Narwhal Fisliin^—
Marwhal — The Huge
IVhaie— Flashes like
;e of Silvery l-i;^ln—
Sea-Birds and Their
ing Gull— "Haw, ha,
s Island Home— Tlie
; O.-ean— Colors that
Fishes -Fias,^-lMsh—
•or-I'ish— The Siiarp-
sh With Two Luniks -
t Hisses— The Fro;j-
,Iud-Jumper— A Slug-

ii their general form
st glance they are
eans by the s'wv^n-
;em. Of tlie two
lal, one is almost
lened in a strait^ht
nded ^vith a spiral
if one-third or half
en but one tooth-
In the ]\Iuseuni of
there is a narwhal

)derns, many stories

to belike the horn

he forehead. This

be stag. Aristotle

liany ancient nionu-

lages, and has often

hie narwhal, which
iinal virtues. They

considered it an infallible antidote to all poisonous compounds ; they were
persuaded that it counteracted all the liurtful properties of venomous sub-
stances. Ciiarles IX., dreading lest he should be poisoned, was very
careful to put into his cup of wine a piece of the sea-unicorn's tooth.
Anibroise Pare was the first who dared to lift up his voice against such
errors. Very soon after the unicorn ceased to be an object of e.xorbitant
price on account of its supposed virtues. It then passed from the apoth-
ecary's laboratory to the naturalist's collection, where it was long preserved
tinder the name of horn or tusk of the unicorn.

The true nature of this horn was shown for the first time by a naturalist
who had found it affi.xed in its socket in a skull similar to that c^f a whale,
ikit it was not till I671 that Frederick Martens gave a tolerably correct
description of the narwhal. These narwhal live in the neighborhood of
Iceland and in the seas which wash the shores of Greenland. They gather
together in the creeks of the ice islands, and travel in bands. It would be
very difficult to take them if they did not live in troops ; for, when isolated,
thev swim with such rapidity as to escape from all pursuit. Hut when
the\' are near together they mutually embrace each other, and are easily
catight. When the fishing-boats glide cautiously in between their long files
they close their ranks, and press against each other so much that they par-
aly;:e each other's movements ; they become entangled in the tusks of
those near them, or else, lifting their heads in the air, they rest their tusks
on the backs oftho.se which are in front of them. They can from that
minute neither retreat, nor advance, nor fight, and they fall under the
blows of the sailors, who are in the boats.

How tlio Narwhal Obtained its Name.
The Icelanders manufacture with the narwhal's tusks their arrows for
the chase, and the poles which they use in the construction of their huts ; but
they do not eat its flesh, because they believe it to be venomous. The
name this animal bears was given to it by the Icelanders. The meaning
of the word is, " Whale that feeds on dead bodies ;" for the word /w/'m
their language means dead body or carcass, and the word iv/nr/, w hale.
This is not the case, however, with the Greenlanders, and other inhabitants
of the North, who esteem it excellent. They dry it by exposing it to
smoke. The oil furnished by the narwhal is, it is said, preferable to that
of the whale.

Naturalists are not agreed as to the use of the narwhal's formidable
weapon. They say that they use it in their attacks on the whale, and that
they kill this monster by running their sword into its belly. Lacepode
says that their tusks have been found deeply implanted in the bodies of

^^^^^^^^Hr'

A ^ m^

, \

(,.

PlNi

•j'-T

i''^t£

6G8

EARTH, SFA, AND SKY.

whales ; but other authors formally deny that battles ever take place be-
tween these two terrible combatants. Narwhals sometimes rush with
prodij^ious speed and force against vessels, which they no doubt take for
some gii^antic prey. If the animal attack the ship on the side as it is
sailing, the tooth, imbedded in the wood, breaks off; but if it attack it from
behind, the narwhal remains fixed to the ship; it is then dragged uiong

^nd towed till it dies.

A Savage Weapon.

Certain naturalists, relying on the fact that the nanvhal's tusk is smooth
towards the end, which is sometimes rounded, and, as it were, worn awa\-,
have concluded that the animal uses its horn for piercing ice, when it
wants to come up and breathe and to .save itself a long journey to the
open water. Others have thought that these traces of wear and tear ol
its weapon arise from the friction of it in sand or against rocks, when the
animal is looking there for its food, which consists of cuttle-fish, flat-fish,
cod, ray, oysters, and other mollusks. And, lastly, it has been stated
that the narwhal uses its natural lance for attacking its prey, for killing it,
and perhaps also for te u'ing it up before 't devours it. Thus the nar-
whal's tooth would seem to be at the same time an instrument whicli
serves to satisfy the wants of the ordinary life of the animal, useful to it
for its respiration, its nutrition, and, at the same time, an offensive and
defensive weapon.

Narwhals are not always brutal and warlike. Scoresby saw some \cr\'
merry bands of these marine animals; they raised tlieir horns and crossed
them, as it they were going to fence, and they followed the ship with a
sort of wild curiosity. The i\ory of the narwhal's tusk is an object of
value ; it is more compact, harder, and susceptible of a finer polish than
that of the elephant. It is on this account that visitors to the library nf
Versailles are shown a walking-stick made of narwhal ivory inlaid with
mother-of-pearl. Of this ivory is made an ancient throne of the kings of
Denmark, which is to be seen in the Castle of Rosenberg.

A most excellent observer remarks that the narwhal is gregarious, gen-
erally travelling in great herds. I have seen, he relates, a herd of many
thousands travelling north in their summer migrations, tusk to tusk
and tail to tail, like a regiment of cavalry, so regularly did they rise and
sink into the water in their undulatory movements in swimming. It is
very active, and will often dive with the rapidity of the right whale, tak-
ing out thirty or forty fathoms of line. These schools are not all of one
sex, but consist of males and females mixed. The use of the tusk has
long been a matter of dispute : it has been supposed to use it to stir up

RARE SPECIMENS OF CCEAN LIFE.

GGO

its food from the bottom ; but if such were the case, the females would be
sadly at a loss. They seem to fight with them ; for it is rarely that an
unbroken one is obtained, and occasionally one may be found with the
point of another jammed into the broken place, where the tusk is young
enough to be hollow, or entirely lost close to the skull.

A Popular Breathing Place.

Fabricus thought that these horns were to keep the holes open in the
ice during the winter; and the following occurrence seems to support his
view: In April, i860, a Greenlander was travelling along the ice in the
vicinity of Christianshaab, and discovered one of those open places in the
ice which, even in the most severe winters, remain unfrozen. In this hole
hundreds of narwhals were protruding their heads to breathe, no other
open spot presenting itself for miles around. It was described as akin to
an Arctic Black Hole in Calcutta, from the crowding of the narwhals in
their eagerness to keep to the place. Hundreds of Hskimo and Danes
resorted thither with their dogs and sledges and while one shot the ani-
mal another harpooned it, to prevent its being pushed aside by the anx-
ious crowd of fishermen. Dozens of narwhals were killed, but many
were lost before they were brought home, the ice breaking up soon after.
In the ensuing summer the natives found many dead washed up in the
bays and inlets around. Neither the narwhal nor the whale are timid
animals, but will approach close to, and gambol for hours in the imme-
diate vicinit}- of a ship.

In the female of the narwhal the tusks are rudimentary, but are about
ten inches long, rough, and with no inclination to spire ; in fact, not un-
like a miniature piece of pig-iron. On the other hand, the undeveloped
tusk in the male is smooth and tapering, and wrinkled longitudir.ally.
Double-tusked narwhals are not uncommon. The\* have been seen swim-
ming about among the herd, and several such skulls ha\'e been pre-
served. The color of the animal is grayish, or velvet-black, with white
spots, sometimes roundish, but more frequently irregular blotches of no
certain outline, running into one another. There are no .spots on the tail
or flippers, but waxy-like streaks shade off on each side at the junction of
the tail, which is white at the line of indentation. The female is more
spotted than the male. The young is, again, much darker; and ' idivid-
uals have been seen which were almost white, like the one Anderson
describes as having come ashore at the mouth of the Elbe. In a female,
killed at Pond's Bay, the stomach was corrugated in complicated folds,
as were also the small intestines. It contained crustaceans, bones of
fishes, and an immense quantity of the horny jaws of some species of

: i

WmiLuu.ujUMii

(670)

RARF. SPECIMENS OF OCEAN LIFE.

r.7i

cuttle firnilv packed one within the other. Tlic narwhal is chicfl)- an in-
hat-'tant of the Polar regions, and very rarely strays to temperate l;iti-
tiuies; still fossil remains of it have been found both in England antl
I'lance. A male taken entangled among the rocks at the entrance cf the
sound of Weesdale, in Zetland, measured twelve feet, exclusive cf the
tu-^k. Such is the velocity of this animal and the impetus of its course,
tliat it has been kncvn to plunge its tusk through the side of a \esscl,
wliich has been snapped off in the timbers by the \-iolence of the
blow.

We must allude, in passing, to one or two other animals belonging to
thi^ group.
Among the
nin^t remark-
able is the
;^rampus, a
lui;4e creature
from twenty
to thirty feet
in length,
with his jaws
armed with
nnv of tiir-
midable teetli.
His voracit)'
is '^ucii, that
he is call,'!
•■the kille;, '
and \vontlerfiil
stories are told "-^i'^^' medus.e,

of him b\- the Greenland whalers. One of them .says, "Where these
appear all the seals disappear, else they make desperate slaughter among
them, for thev have such .sagacitv and .skill in catching them with the
mouth and fins, that thev are sometimes seen loaded with five at a time —
one in the mouth, a couple under each fin, and one under the back fin I"

Another enormous creature belonging to this group is the whale, of
which a further descript' .n is not needed here, but which furnishes an in-
teresting incident, related by a traveller, and one worth reproducing. The
.chip's crew had been compelled to abandon their vessel, and what followed
is told in the graphic language of the narrator : The night following our
abandonment of the ship was made memorable by a remarkable specta-

!!'■

,|H

672

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

clc. Slumbering in the bottom of the boat, Jail and I were sudden!/
awakened by Samoa. (Jarl and Samoa were two of the ship's crew.)
Starting, we beheld the ocean of a pallid white ccjlor, coruscating all over
with tiny golden sparkles. But the pervading iuie of the water cast a
cadaverous gloom upon the boat, so that we looked to each other like
ghosts. For many rods astern, our wake was revealed in a line of rushin;^^
illuminated foam; while, here and there beneath the surface, the tracks of
sharks were denoted by vivid, greenish trails, crossing and recrossing each
other in every direction. Further away, and distributed in clusters, floated
on the sea, like constellations in the heavens, innumerable medusa., a
species of small, round, refulgent fish, only to be mel with in the South
Seas untl the Indian Ocean.

Suddenly, as we gazed, there shot high into the air a bushy jci of
flashes, accompanied by the unmistakeable deep-breat'iing sound of a
sperm whale. Soon the sea all round us spouted in ft)untains of fire;
and \ast forms, emitting a glare from their flanks, and ever and anon
raising their heads above water, and shaking off the sparkles, showed
where an immense shoal of cachalots had risen from below, to sport in
these phosphorescent billows.

A Sudden Plmijje and Silvery Wake.

The vapor jetted forth was far more radiant than any portion of the
sea ; ascribable, perhaps, to the originally luminous fluid, contracting^
still more brilliancy from its passage through the spouting canal of the
v.hales. We were in great fear lest, without any \icious intention, the
leviathans might destroy us by coming into close contact with our boat.
\Vc would have shunned them, but they were all round and round us.
Nevertheless we were safe; for, as we parted the pallid brine, the peculiar
irradiation which shot from about our keel seenied to deter them.
Apparendy discovering us of a sudden, many of them plunged headlong
down into the water, tossing their fiery tails high into the air, and leaving
the sea still more sparkling from the violent surging of their descent.
Their general course seemed the .same as our own ; to the westward.
To remove from them, we put out oars, and pulled towards the north.
So doing, we were steadih' pursued by a solitaty whale that must have
taken our boat for a kindred fish. Spite c" all our efforts, he drew
near and nearer ; at length rubbing his fiery flank against the gunwhale,
here and there leaving long strips of the glos.sy transparent subscance.
which, thin as a gossamer, invests the body of the cachalot.

In terror at a sight so new, Samoa shrank. But Jarl and I, more
used to the intimate companionship of the whales, pushed the boat away

\.r^

h 1

I were suddenly
the ship's crew.)
ruscating all. o\Lr

the water cast a
) each other like
n aline of rushiiv..;
rface.thc tracks of
id recrossing each

in clusters, floated
erable medusa., a
^vith in the Soutli

lir a bushy jei of
thinsjf sound of a

fountains of fire;
id c\'er and anon

sparkles, showed
below, to sport in

any portion of the
fluid, contracting'

)uLing canal of the
ous intention, the

tact with our boat,
nd and round us.
brine, the peculiar
1 to deter them,
plunged headlong
he air, and Icavin:^

t of their descent,
to the westward,
owards the north,
e that must have
r efforts, he drew
inst the gunwhale,
sparent subscance.
halot.

Jarl and I, more
had the boat away

RARE SPECIMENS OF OCEAN LIFE.

07; J

from it with our oars, a thing often done in th-.- fisiicry. T^ut, to my
great joy, the monster at last departed, rejoining tht; shoal, whose lofty
■^poutings of flame \vere still x'isible u\)on the distant line of ihr hori/on,
showing '.here like the fitful starts of the aurora borealis.

The sea retained its luminosit_\- for about three hours, at the (.xpir.'itiou
.'f half that [)crioil beginning to fade; and, excepting oceasiona! f.iint
ijh.iininations, eonseciuenl. upon the rapid darting of fish nndi-i- water, the
[liknouicnon at last wIkjIIv disappeared. Heretofore,! had bt liL-ld scwtal
(.xhibitions of marine phosphorescence, both in the Atlantic and raeific ;
i)iit nothing in comparison with what was seen that ni-ht. In the

PERILOUS ENCOUNTER WITH .V WHALE.

Atlantic there is very seldom an\' portion of the ocean luminous, except
t!i'' crests of the waves, and these mostly appear so during wet murky
weather. Whereas, in the IVcific, all instances of the sort previously
coining under my notice had been mai'ked b\' patciies of greenish light,
unattended with any pallidness of the sea. Sa\e twice on the coast
of Peru, when I was summoned from ni)- hanmiock ])y the alarming
cry of "All hands ahoy! tack ship!" and rushing on deck, beheld
the sea white as a shroud ; for which reastju it was feared we were on
soundings.

It appears, on the whole, that the Norwegians were the first to capturj
43

ii^. u

1*1

074

KARTH, SKA, AND SKY.

the whalf, .ami that as tail)' a> the nil th century. \Vc next find the; Ris-
cayans so actively cn^a^a-ti in the business as to furnish harpooners to ihc
lui^dish, Dutch, and I-'leinin^s, w ho, in vhe sixteenth century, comniencij
the whale fishery near Newfoundland. The Dutch were at first far nioiu
.successful than the iMiL^lish ; but ton ards the close of the last century, tlic
latter j^^irtk'tl themselves to tlu .uul soon outstripped all tlu'ir com-

petitors. W'hale-fishint^ is undertaken in boats, which approach as ,i. n-
as possible to the animal. The haipooner strikes his weap(Mi into th.
back, either by hand, or In* firiiv^^ it from a ^un. The former mc-thod, if
adroitly practised, is effective at the distance of eight or ten yards, the
latter at the di.stance of thirty )-ards.

I^raiitic I'^irorts to I'^seapc.

The wounded whale makes a con\-ulsive effort to escape, and this is the
moment of danger to the purs-iers, for it inflicts the mo.st violent blows on
the boat from its head, tail, or fin, as it dives — its favorite method (;f
attempting to e.scape. Its average stay under water is about thirty
minutes. On its re-appearance, the boat that harpooned it, together uidi
the others that have come to assist their comrades, start in pursuit, and
each harpooner, as he comes up to the whale, plunges his weapon into its
back. The time occufjied in the capture of course varies with the powers
of endurance of the whale. Scoresby .says he has known a whale killed
in twenty-eight minutes, while in the chase of others sixteen hours h.ive
been fruitlessly employed. After the capture the carcass is towed aloni^r.
side the wiialer's ship, and " flensed " — that is, its blubber and whale-
bone stripped off; the bones and refuse are thrown into the sea.

J^ut what mz.y properly be called the inhabitants of the .sea are not all
monsters of the dct'p, nor fishes less in size, and less formidable in appear-
ance. There are sea-fowls, birds of air and water, which excite our won-
der by their beauty, daring exploits, great strength of wing, and curious
instincts. Whoever has seen the.sc attractive sea-birds near the shore, or
far out upon the deej), must hav;ibcen struck with their appearance, and
their manner of life upon the great world of waters.

There are se\'cral species of gull, a very numerous race, dis[)cr.sed
along the shores of the ocean in nearly all parts of the world. These
are exceedingK- \oracious birds, continually skimming over the surface
of the waves in .search of their finny prey, and often following the shdals
of fish to great di.stances. They generally congregate in vast numbers
at their brccding-pl"ces, which are mo.st frequently rocky i.slands or
headlands in the ocean. Most of them are somewhat migratory,
v-.sually visiting northern regions during the summer for the purpo.sc of

RARK SPECIMENS OI" OCEAN LFFE.

(n.-)

next find llu: Bis-
larpooncrs t" ihc
itury, comnKiiCLvl
c at first far ninrc
c last century, the
)cd all their cdiu-

apprtiach as in ;ir
> weapon inl(; llu-
former nielhod. if

or ten yards, UK-

ape, and this is the
ist violent bhjws on
ravf)rite method (,f
jr is ab'Mit thii-y
-d it, toi;ether v.iUi
start in pursuit, and
his weapon into iu
ies with the powers
")wn a whale killed
sixteen hours have-
ass is towed alon-^r.
ilubbcr and whale-
o the sea.
the sea are not all
rmidable in appeav-
ich excite our won-
winir, and curious
Is near the shore, or
cir appearance, and

|)us race, disi)erscu
the world. Then
icT over the surface
[ollowin<^ the shoals
ite in vast numbers
rocky i.slands or
iiewhat mii;ratory,
Ir for the purpose of

incubation. The following lines gi\i' an accurate j)icture of the.se rc-
tnarkable birds :

On nimble \vinj;the ^-ull

Sweeps lioominj; by, intent to cull.

Voracious, from the billow's breast,

Mark'd far away, his destined feast.

i^ehold liini now, deep plunging, dip

His sunny pinion's sable tip

In the green wave ; now lightly skim

With wheeling flight the water's brim ;

Wave in blue sky his silver sail

Aloft, and frolic with the gale,

Or sink again his breast fo la\ e.

And float upon the foaming wave.

The p[reat black-backed oiiU is about thirty inches lon^^ ; hack Icad-
j^ray, head, neck, and lower parts white; breeds in marshes; male and
female assist in makin<; the nest, which is of grass ; the eggs are three.
This bird flies with great ea.se, and swims buoyantly on the water. It
feeds chiefly on fish, and also sometimes on small birds. It has been
known to destroy weak lambs ; it is common in the European and Ameri-
can .seas. The laughing or black-headed gull is .seventeen inches long,
and, according to Wilson, is one of "the most beautiful and sociable of
its i^enus." They make their appearance on the coast of New Jersey late
in .April, and do not fail to give notice of the arrival by their familiarity
and loquacity. The inhabitants treat them with «-he .same indifference
that they manifest toward all those harmless birds ,hich do not minister
eiUier to their appetite or their avarice, and hence the black-heads may
be seen in companies around the farm-house, coursing along the river
shores, gleaning up the refuse of the fishermen, and the animal sub-
stances left by the tide ; or scattered over the marshes and newly-plowed
fields, regaling on the worms, in.sects, and their larv;e, which, the bounty
of nature provides for the sustenance of myriads of the feathered race.

A Babel of Birds.

On the Jersey side of Delaware Bay, in the neighborhood of Fishing
Creek, about the middle of Ma} , the black-headed gulls assemble in
great multitudes, to feed upon the remains of the king-crabs which the
hogs have left, or upon the spawn which tho.se curious animals deposit in
the sand, and which is scattered along the shore by the waves. At such
times, if any one approach to disturb them, the gulls will rise up in clouds,
every individual squalling so loud that the roar may be heard at the dis-
tance of two or three miles. It is an interesting spectacle to behold this
species when about recommencing their migrations. If the weather be

1 : •

,• ' ""mmmmmimmSm:^

G7<;

EARTH, SKA, AND SKY.

calm, tiicy will rise up in the air, spirally, chattering; all tho while to ravM
other in the most .sprii^htl)' manner, their notes at such times resemhlm.^r
tile cacklin;^- of a hen, but far louder, chan^inij often into a luni'jtajhijui^
/t(i:o .' the la-^t s\llal)le leii-^rthened out like the excessive lau^li of a tu-
<^no. When mountin^L; anil min^lin;4 toi^ether, like motes in the suii-
beams, their black heads and winL,f-tips, uul snow-white plumaj^e, ;^ivc

A FLOCK OF SEA-CULLS.

them a very beautiful appearance. After gaining an immense heii^ht
they all move off, with one consent, in a direct line toward the point of
their destination. This bird breeds in the marshes. The eggs are three
in number, of a dun, clay color, thinl)- marked with small, irrci^ular
touches of a pale purple, and pale brown ; some are of a deeper dun, with

RARi'i s!'i:cimi:ns of ocean ijfi:.

<;77

larger marks, and less tapering' than others ; the c^^ measures two inches
ami a ijuarter by one inch ami a half.

The lari^er ijiills are rarely seen excej)t on the hii^h seas. They lead

lilt.' life of pirates. They cannot di\'e or plun<;e on acci '11111 of the >i/e of
their feathers. So the\' plunder their ntii;hl)t.rs. and -nauli the tl^h out
(if their mouths. 'I'he smaller ljuIIs arc often mar the >liore. The)- u heel
about, or skim on the waters, tlu'ir siKer)- win^s shinin-; in the sun.
.Sometimes they .seem to tread or walk on the wa\es, upheld by their
.strong; pinions. The\- will t\en asei'ud the ri\ers in search of pre)-. 'I'hey
are nois)-, ^ireed}-. and rapaciou.s. The)- (ra] on .ill kincb of creatures,

THK .SINGULAR ISLAND OF SAINT KILDA.

dead or ali\e, even ])ursuin^- the shoals of herrini;s on their wa\' to and
from the sea, and thinninL,^ their ranks. They plunye headloni;- on the
fish, and snatch it from the waters.

It happens, now and then, that the l^uII does not succeed in carr\-in;j" of!
the i)re\'. The frit^ate-bird, if he chance to be near, will take a fanc\- to
the fish himself Tie will tlart upon the j^ull, and force him to drop it.
Tlieii, by a dexterous swoop, he will catch it in his beak and devour it.
The gulls have all the fierce nature of the sea-birds, and it is not .safe to
be at their mercy.

Once it happened that a fishing-boat was upset near to the seaport town

Ufil

•i

riii-

.-it

msmm.

678

EARTH, SP:A, and SKY.

Ill

t, . ..
Ik s

of Yarmouth. All the men on board were drowned except one. He was
a ^ood swimmer, and tried hard to reach the shore, but the tide was
as^ainst him, and he drifletl out a long way from land. As he floated,
exhausted, and almost ho-peless on the water, he heard a flappin;^^ of win^s.
It was a party of sea-gulls coming to seize him for their prey. He could
fjel their wings tf)uch his face, and he tried to strike at them with his
arms, and drive them away. 1 lappily, at this \ery moment a .ship canic
in sight. He cried out with all his might, the mar at the helm heard him,
and soon after, a boat came to rescue him.

The family of the gulls is a very large one, including all kinds of
varieties. There is the black gull, the herring gull, the Iceland gull, and
many otheis ; antl there is the green-billed gull, ov the sea-mew; the sea-
mew has a hoarse, harsh \-i)ice, between a laugh and a scream; on wild
rocky coasts the strange note of the bird is often heard.

A lihak BinUStatioii.

Ocean birds have places of resort where they are sometimes found in
imnu-nse numbers. Saint Kilda is an island which is only six miles round.
Cjrcat roci ^ shoot up idl along the coast, and there is only one place
where people can land. Indeed, they cannot land at all unless the weather
happens to be fine. It is one of the group of Lslands on the coast of .Scot-
land, called the Hebrides. There is one rock, or precipice, which is the
highest in all I'litain ; the view from the top is grand. Far below, tlif
while foam of the t)cean dashes about; you are thirteen hundred feet
above the level of the .sea.

In this wild lonely spot the sea-birds love to dwell, and the bare naked
rock is coxercd with them ; the air is darkened by them; the waves below
are ali\e with them. lu'erN- narrow ledge is crowded with birds, Ifx-uii
were to roll down a stone, a strange confusion would happen. Down it
would go among the thousands of birds sitting on their nests, and clouds
would (\y out and darken the air. But when the stone reached the bot-
tom of the rock, and la\' there cpiitc still, the panic would be over. The
frightened birds would come back to their nests, and begin to sit again.

There is the great auk, which is a little like the penguin. The mother
auk does not sit on her eggs, but holds them close to her body till tinw-
are hatched. If she is disturbed, she waddles away, taking her eggs witli
her. Her mate all the tinu; is \ery busy. He goes fishing every day,
and brings her home plent\- of food. When the young bird is hatched,
both parents fish for it, anil it gets so Hit that it can hardly stir. But the
parent birds ge-t thin with the hard work they are doing. There are a
great many gulls at .Saint Kilda. One of them is called the kittiwake. If

I except one. He was
ore, but the tide was
land. As he floated,
rtl a llappinj:,' of uin'^s,
then- prey. He could
rike at them with his
' moment a ship canic
it the helm heard him,

ncludintj all kinds of
, the Iceland .i;ull, and
die sea-mew ; the sca-
ld a scream ; on wild
card.

e sometimes found in
s only six miles round,
ere is only one place
t all unless the weather
s on the coast of Scot-
orecipice, which is the
rand. Far below, the
thirteen hundred feet

11, and the bare naked
hem ; the waves below
ctl with birds. If \i)u
.ild happen. Down it
their nests, and clouds
tone reached the bot-
would be over. The
id bcc^in to sit again.
)enguin. The mother
: to her body till tlie\-
■, taking her eggs with
ics fishing every (ia\',
'oung bird is hatched,
I hardly stir. But the
: doing. There are a
ailed the kittiwake. If

!«

\kl

1 ■
j ■

680

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

5'ou go near the nests of the kittiwakes. th y will all fly out, and begin to
cry " Kitti-wake ! Kitti-wake ! " till you are nearly deafened.

vSaint Kilda is not a pleasant spot to live in. The wind blows .so fierceh'
that people cannot build houses more than four feet high. If they clitl,
the house would be blown down. They make as much room as they can,
by digging into the ground, but it is like living in a cellar. They have
no windows, but only holes in the roofs of their houses. And there an;
little places round the walls, something like ovens to look at ; these arc
the bedrooms. There are not more than a hundred people living on tlu-
island. They are not unhappy, though the place is so dreaiy. They
keep a few sheep, to eat the patches of grass which grow here and ihcrc
among the rocks. And in one place, which is a little sheltered from the
wind, they can till the ground. Hut their great riches are on the ledges
and among the crevices of the rocks. I lere live the birds of Saint Kilda,
including the fulmer, which give them food, and light, and medicine, and
warm beds to lie upon in the cokl winter nights.

][iiiiiiniii,t>' IJirds of the Scsi.

There is one class of fishes which must be mentioned on account df
the peculiarity of their fms and their beautiful colors. The technical
name of them is the cluetodon ; a name at once descriptive and nmre
readily comprehended would be scaly-finned. The head and moutii of
the chactodon, or scaly-finned fishes, are small, and they ha\e the pn\\\r
of pushing out and retracting the lips so as to make a tubular orifice.
The teeth are mostly bristle-shaped, flexible, moveable and \ery numer-
ous. The gill membrane has from three to si.x rays. The body is scal\',
broad and compresscxl, and the Un<. are generally terminatctl with pr'ckles.

The reader will obscrxe in the annexed engra\'ing six specimens of
clunctodons. Their names, as numbered in the illustration, are as follnus:
I, the flag fish; 2, the coral fish; 3, the rock fish; 4, the \\hip fisli ;
5, the duke fish ; 6, the cmjieror fish.

In beauty and \-ariety of colors the scaly-finned fishes are not inferiorto
the most beautiful birds or butterflies. On account of their brilliant colors
they can be called tlie humming birds of the sea. Rings, stripes, spots
of the most intensi\-e blue, purple and velvet black, gold and silver, pink,
in short all the colors of the rainbow are represented. This fish feeds
principally on insects that ho\er about the water it inhabits.

The flag fish frequents the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean and theAVesteni
part of the Pacific Ocean. Its colors are black, white and orange yellow.
The coral fish is fountl in the ocean between the Red Sea and the Chinese
waters. White, black, j-ellow and pinlv are its hues. In the rock fish

! ■ . m

high. If they did,
1 room as they can,
cellar. They ha\c
es. And there are

look at ; these ai(.:
:?ople living on llic

so dreaiy. Tiicy
row here and there
sheltered from the
s are on the ledges
irds of Saint Kilda,

and medicine, and

ined on account df
rs. The technica!
scriptive and more
lead and mouth of
ley have the pnwcr
ce a tubular orifice.
le and \-ery nunier-
The botly is seal)',
nated with jM-'cklcs.
; six specimens of
tion, arc as follows:
; 4, the whip fish;

2S are not inferiorto
their brilliant colors
lings, stripes, spots
Did and silver, pink,
d. This fish feeds
labits.

an and the Western

and orange yellow,

^ea and the Ciiincsc

. In the rock fish

% •

' Sii.,

THE SIIOOTIXG-FISH CATCHING A BEE.

((J8i)

■f .;f

■i

682

EARTH, SKA, AND SKY.

white, black, lemon yellow aiid orange are represented. It frequents the
ocean between I^astern Africa and Otahaiti. The whip fish is found in the
Indian Ocean. Its colors are yellowish gray, black, and silver white with
lemon-yellow fins.

The duke fish and the emperor fish (cluctodon dus. and impcrator)
also frequent the Indian Ocean. Their colors arc black, white, gray,
yellow, deep blue \iolet and greenish brown. The shooting fish is found in
Java, where it i.s kept in tubs and aquaria for pleasure. The flesh of this
species is white and sa\ory. The bat cha^todon found near Ceylon is a
large sp'xies with \ cry broad fins.

The Sharp-Shootcr of the Sea.

One of this s[)ecies is the shooting fish. When it sees a fly at a distance
on any of the plants in the shallow water, it approaches veiy cautiously,
coming as much as possible perpendicularly under the object, then putting;
its botly in an obli(iue direction with mouth and eyes near the surface, it
remains for a moment immovable. It then shoots a drop of water from its
snout with sucli dexterity that, though at the distance of several feet, it
seldom fails to bring the fly or bee into the water.

In countries where this fish abounds, it is frequently kept in vessels of
water, and affords much entertainment by the dexterity displayed in
shooting at the flies, which are placed on the vessel for the purpose ; it
generally approaches to within five or six inches before the drop of water
is ejected. A Ja\'anese species exhibits the same curious instinct. It has
a wide mouth, with a lower jaw considerably projecting ; it throws a large
jet of water with such force and precision as almost invariably to bring
down a fly at the distance of two or three feet.

The Frog Catcher or r>oko.

The African lung-fish has two lungs and is probably a connecting link
between the vcrtebrata and the leptocardii. It is found in tlie White-
Nile and its tributaries, generally in the mud. During the dry season it
burie. itself in holes three or more feet deep, which it digs itself, and leaves
its hiding place at night to catch frogs and crabs, which are its main f)nd.
During the rainy season it builds long walks or grooves in tlie mud. Its
movements arc rather slow and like those of a snake or a worm.

Dokos are seldom found in pairs ; and are very quarrelsome. If they
meet by accident, they forthwith commence fighting; the consequence of
which is, that wc rarely find a specimen whose tail is intact. If a man
treads on its tail the doko shows fight, hisses like a snake and tries to
bite. On account of its savory meat the negroes kill it either with spears
or catch it with hook and tackle.

^ *^^iS^JU

,'! ' 1

RARE SPFXLMF.NS OF OCEAN MKR.

6S:5

It frequents the

ish is found in tht;

silver white with

s: and imperator)
ack, white, gra>-,
ingfishis found in
The flesh of this
[ near Ceylon is a

i a fly at a distance
2S very cautiously,
bject, then puttiiiL^
near the surface, it
)p of water from its
2 of several feet, it

kept in vessels of
erity displayed in
)r the purpose ; it
I the drop of water
LIS instinct. It has
it throws a lari^c
invariably to bring

a connecting link
)und in the White

the dry season it
rs itself, and leaves
1 are its mainf >ih1.
cs in tlic mud. Its
r a worm,
rrelsomc. If they
the consequence of

intact. If a tn^m
nake and tries to

either with spears

Tf the water, wliich the doko has chosen for its habitation becomes
dried up, it wraps itself in a kind of a capsule of mud and remains there
(lurini^ the dry season. Livin^; dokos have been broui;ht to l''uropc in
Mich a state. How hjng they sleep is not known, but it is a fact that they
can remain in this condition for several months withoiit injur\'. As
^onn as one of these capsules is put in water of the temperature of
middle African rivers the doko shows signs of life ; it commences to
move, first as if it were drowsy, but after an hour it becomes li\-ely, al-

Tin; POKO OK SAI.AMAMH.R FISH.

tliough it seeks dark places and generall)' remain.^ al tlie l)ottom ot the
basin. After a few da\'s hunger makes itself felt, and then it pa\'s atten-
tion to e\'ery mo\-enient near the surface of the water in the hope of cap-
turing some prey. Meandering, it comes to the surface, tal<es the piece
of meat or the frog offered and returns to its former ])lace. Ddl^os have
been kept for several years at the aquaria of London and Berlin.

Ifthere is a fish, which deserves the name of climber, it is the mud-
juni[)er, or mud-pu[)py. Its pectoral fins seem to be constructed to en-
able it to climb. These fins are more like feet than fins, and are gener-

l^fjl

"¥ %

i*^mM

5 l|

li 1H MI J »

■ ■ . , !It

684

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

^Jl

ally used like feet. The inutl-fnipijies li\e more in and on tlie inu(.l tliaiv
i.i the water. They hunt for their prey on land, mostly la\-, like sal.-inian-
ders on the mud, run around like the lizards and fall upon their pn\' so
suddenly that they very seldom miss it. If they are threatened by an

'^X ?C^V^:-

,y ^' Uc^^^jx/ n : ^'L ;/:

THF, MUn-JUMi'KK OR CLIMIlINci FISH.

enemy they shoot across the mud like an arrow, bury themselves in it
and hide themselves in that way. They often climb up the roots of man-
grove trees and are able to remain out of water for several hours.

The superintendent of the Natural History Department of the Cr\-stal
Palace, London, received from Western Africa four blocks of hard, thy,

K ;K Sl'PXl.MENS OF 0CI:AN LIFK.

686

muddy clay, sewn up carefully in a canvas wrapper. TIil directions were
that they should be placed in a tank of fresh water, at the temperature
(if eight\'-three ''ei^rees. This \\as done, and in a short time the clay be-
came softened, and crumbled away, and the inner case or cocoon, in
which a climbini; fish was inclosed, floatetl motionless to the surface. This
case, or cocoon, is probably nothinL,^ more than the la\-er of mud mixed
with the mucous exudint; from the body of the creature. The ca\it}' is
moulded by the coiled-up bod)', and often, perhaps usually, bears the im-
pression of the scales.

It was not louLi" before this cocoon became ai^itated : it was evident
that the fish was endeavoring^ to extricate itself ; a few strut^gles, and it
hatl burst away; inmiediatel\- it began to swim about, and then diving
into the mud at the bottom of the tank, sheltered it.sclf from further ob-
sor\ation. The next morning two more emerged from tluir cocoons, and
in the course of the following tla\- tin; fourth of the party lloated to the
surface, but it was dead.

The three living ones were supplied with earth worms, small fi'ogs, fisli,
and occasionally with raw tlesh, and began very eager!",- to f.'i.cl. They
did not, however, live together in peace, for thev were seen at times to
assault each other. One of them, probably in an effort to esca[)e from
its antagonist, leaped out of the tank, antl got into the large fountain-
basin, where it remained among the gold-fish and the water-lilies. The
two others lived on for some time, ap[)arently agreed, \\ hen it was
suddenly discovered that only one sur\i\-cd, having actuall\- killetl its
companion, and, with the voracity of a cannibal, hail left onl}' the
head and some part of the bod\-, probably that which it liked least,
undevoured. In three months it grew rai)idly, actualK' doubling its

length.

Doatli of the Fish-Cannibal.

It was now transferred to the basin from which the other — the com-
panion of the lilies and gold-fish — was withdrawn, and placed again in the
tank, where it suddenly died; and thus the destroyer of his fellow alone
survived. Ilvre it continued to thri\'e at libert)', but was rarely seen, and
when observed near the surface, it was apparently sick, and finall> was
taken out dead. The exterior of the animal has been carefidl\- preser\ed,
and may be seen by any visitor to the Reptile Department of the British
Museum. This creature masticates the <'ood much, frequently putting it
forward, almost quite out of its mouth, and then gradually diewing it
back again. It rises frequently to the surface of the water to breathe,
and at other times sup[)orts itself on its fin-like appendages, and with the

.^k

686

EARTH, SKA, AND SKY.

aid of its tail, raises its body from the ground, the fins bcin^j bent or
curved backwards.

The movement oi this animal is generally very slow, and would givr
one an idea that it was very sluggish ; this, however, says a well knouti
naturalist, I have go(xl reason to know is not the case, as, in attemptin.,^
to capture tlu one at hberty in the large basin, it darted away with tli
rapidity of an arrow. I have reason also to believe that the animal fuvls
its food as much by scent as sight. With reference to the cocoon, the
end covering the nose of the animal is rather pointed, and has an aperture
about the size of a pin's head, which I have no doubt enables it to breathe
during its state of torpor. The animal, when in its case, is coiled near])-
twice round ; and I observed in each of the blocks of clay a small hole,
about the size of a mouse-hole, which was quite smooth on the inside, as
though the fish had crept through it.

The Savory Shad.

Tile .\mericanshad is one of the mostabundantof our American fishes,
and is held by many authorities, among them Frank Forester, as " the most
delicate of existing fishes," though its numerous sharp bones are an
admitted drawback. It is from one to two feet long, appears along our
coasts in the spring, and entering the rivers, ascends them for the purpose
of tlepositing its spawn along the banks. At this .sea.-^on they are caui^ht
in large numbers by nets. They will also take the hook bated with a
gaudy fly, and afford good sport to the fisher. Those of the New England
rivers are deemed the best, tho.se of tlu Connecticut taking the first rank.
They are eaten fresh, and are also extensively put down in barrels. When
this country was first settled they were more abundant than at present,
and afforded the natives a large part of their subsi.stence. At that period
the salmon was very abundant in the northern rivers, and less esteemed
than the shad ; it was therefore cu.stomary for the fishermen, who caught
both kinds in their .seines, to require the people who came down from tlie
countiy to buy shad, to take a certain portion of salmon.

The American alewive, is eight to ten inches long, appears like a small
shad, and was formerly held in New I^ngland to be the young of that fish.
It is taken in considerable numbers with the shad, and has similar habits,
it is put down in barrels, and commands a good price.

fins bcin" bent or

w, and would jjivi

CHAPTER V.
BUTTERFLIES OF THE OCEAN.

utili;! 1 'wellers in the Sea — Fislies with Wings — Roth Water and Air their Kit-
ii.cnts — Alighting on Ships — Curious P'ormation of Fins — The Flying Ciuinard
(if the Mediterranean— Sailing Through the Air — Mounting on Wings to Leave
I'.neniies Behind — Prey for Sea-Gulls — Swallows of the Ocean — The Growling
Ciurnard — Strange Noises— The Gurnard's Greediness— The Marvelous Red
Fire-Fish — The Terror of Arabian Fishermen— Tiie King-I-'ish- Great Size and
Beauty — Savory Meat — The Drimi-Fish — An Orchestra in the Sea -Narratives
by IIuml)oldt and Tennent— Tinkling Sounds of Great Sweetness— Paradise
Fish and its Singular Habits — A Haughty Male and His Brutality — The Sea But-
terfly — The Bridegroom — Winged Insects of the Deep.

rn^LRl"^ are beautiful creatures in tiie s^reat deep with colors as
gori^cous a.s those of butterflies ; moreover, like butterflies^
some of them have win^^.s and rise like birds from the surface
of the sea. The flyin;^ fishes, when in their own element, are
constantly harassed by various fishes of prey, and it is supjxjsed that
their flights are performed for the purpose of escapin<^ from these ene-
mies ; when in the air, however, they are subject to the attacks of various
species of gulls.

Whether the.se fishes possess the power of Hying, in the true sense of
the term — that is, by beating the air with their members — or whether
their large fins merely serve as parachutes to sustain them in the air for a
time, after a leaj) from the water, is not yet fully ascertained, observers
having given different accounts. The latter is, perhaps, the prevailing
opinion of naturali.sts, and is that of the more recent investigators.

I have never, .says Bennett, the naturalist, been able to see any percus-
sion of the wings during flight, and the greatest length of time that I have
seen this volatile fi.sh on the fin has been thirty seconds by the watch, and
their longest flight mentioned has been a few hundred yards. The most
usual height of flight, as .seen above the surface of the water, is from two
to three feet ; but I have known them come on board ship at a height of
fourteen feet and upwards; and the)' have been well ascertained to come
into the the channels of a line-of-battle ship, which is considered as high
as twenty feet and upwards. But it must not be supposed they have the
power of elevating themselves in the air after having left their native

element; for, on watching them, I have often seen them fall much below

(687 )

1 a

iiii

™ii j

In ill; 11

i lliikili

■ t

"-r-

sjuiiiyf

'688

KARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

the elevation at which liiey first rose from the water, hut ni:ver, in any
one instance, could 1 observe them rise from the heij^ht at which Uu.v
first .spran<^; for I rci^ard the elevation they take to depend on the pnurr
of tile first spriiiL,^ or leap they make on leaviiv^ the water.

Judt;in_i; from the foregoiiiL^ and similar accounts, it would appear tint
siMiicthint; beyond the mere leap of the fish would be ivijuired to accmint
for such threat heii;hts as fourteen or twenty feet, at which these fi-h;,
iiave been seen. If they cannot ily, as might be su[)posL-d on examining
the structure and position (jf their fins, it seems proI)al)le that they t.ikc
advantaL^e of the wind at times, and so adjust their fins as to be carri.jil
upwards by it. Two species are \ery abundant — the former in lii-
IVIediterranean Si-a, and the latter in the Atlantic Ocean.

The comnidii tlv-ini;- fish is twelve to f)urteen inches lon^.,^ and ii.h
the \entral fins placed anterior to the middle part of the bod)-; it ina\-
thus l)e disliii;_M;i^lK-d from the fis-inij t^urnartl i>f the Mediterranean,
which has the fins j)laced behind the middle of the bod\-. These fins aii
also much smaller in the true fl\-in<.^-fishes. The species now under e ):i-
sidcration belon!.;s to the .Atlantic, and is most common in the tropical
portions, thouc;"h occasionally found on the luiropeanand North American
coasts. They aiv often seen to leap b\' liundreds and e\'eii thousan !-;
fi-oin the water, chased by other fishes. They ]ia\-e the power oflli-lit
b)' beating;' the air and rising upon it with their fins, and sail along, sus-
taining and ])rolonging their course by sj)reading their f]n^. Yhcy ii>j
into the air by \'igorous leaps, and occasionally ha\e fallen on the tL'cks

Oi ships.

The riyiuj;- Gurnard.

The Hying fishes generally inhabit the seas of hot climates; but tliev
are occasionally found within the teinpeiate regions. The flying gurnaiil in-
habits the Mediterranean Sea. The fiN'ing fish has numerous enemies in
its own element and to aid its escape, it is furnished with its long pectoral
fins, by means of which it is able to raise itself into the air, where it
is often seized by the alj^atross and the sea-gull. Its flight is short, about
a hundred yards, but by touching the surface of the sea at inter\-als to
moisten its fins and to take fresh force and vigor, it is able to greatly in-
crease, this distance.

Flying fishes are seldom seen to rise singly from the water; they gen-
erally appear in large shoals. Navigators in all tropical seas are familiar
with these sprightly fitnhes, which relieve the monotony of ocean life as
birds do the silence of the forest. The character of the long pectorals,
the strength of the muscles which move them, and the size of the leng

f, but n'.>VL.T, in any
S\[j,\\t at whicli tliiy

cpciul on tllC pnurr

atcr.

t uouUl appear that

rcipiirt-'d to uccnaiit
,t wliich those fi-h •>
posLid on cxaniiniii;^
hablc that tlicy take
fins as to be carricil
— the foimer in '.Si':
.•an.

nchos loni^ and li;b
of the body; it may
f the Mediterranean,
)ody. These fins aiv
ccies now under c )a-
nmon in the tropical
land Nortli American

and even thousan !s
•e the power of tlii^^ht
IS, and sail alon^^s su-
their fins. They ri-^c
/c fallen on the djcks

)t climates; but they
The flying ijurnard in-
numerous enemies in
with itslon'g pectnral
nto the air, \vhero it
ts flii^htis short, about
he sea at intervals to
t is able to greatly in-

1 the water ; they i;cii-
opical seas are familiar
3tony of ocean life as
of the long pectorals,
d the size of the long

*^ ,j m^ ^a. I .^U I W MM TT ^

A SCHot.*!. OF M,VI.\(; FISHES.

vi«jr'

itt.

■ ■:u

(CSII)

t ■'

,t^'

O'K)

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

arch, to which they are atluclictl, arc the essential conditions (jf ihrjr
tiij^Mit. The common llyin^^ tish of the Mediterranean is rarely morciLin
sixteen inches long, and is found in all parts of that sea. There are f-c
species on the coast of North America.

GURNARDS OR FISHES THAT GROWL.

The eyes of these fish arc so prominent, as to admit of their seeing dan-
ger from whatever quarter it may come, but in case of emergency, they
are able to push them somewhat beyond the sockets, so as to consider-
ably enlarge their usual sphere of vision. They are frequently either
unable to direct their flight out of a straight line, or they suddenly bc^

BrTTKRI'LIF.S ol' 'rili; OCFAN.

COl

Cfimc c-'xhaiistc'd. for .'.oUK'tinu's wlioU' slioaU t>f then, fall .>ti l)()ar(l of
sliil).s. They have sotneuhat the inatiticr (»f the swallow in thi air. except
that they fl>- in straij^fjit lines, and their hlaik hacic-, their white l)illi( s,
ikI their forked and expanded sails, gi\-..' tlu'in rii'.i'h the sam-' ai)pear-
i.iice as that of these hirds.

The Cln»\vli;:pr CJ.n-r.anl.

The gurnards, or sca-eocks, have always attiactet! attention ( n account
■ t l!ie j^M-unil)lin_t,Mioise which the\' make w luii taken ont of tlv wate; .
Tlic\- are carni\-orons and predatory fishes. Tlvy inhabit the North S-a
.iiul tile Ijaltic, but a'e also f mnd in \arious other part' (f t'le ocean
Their weapons of defence are their shai-p dorsel f.ns. with which tluy at •
tempt to inflict a wound. The j^ManiiljJin'; iiois^- tin-}' produce by com-
[iressinfj their bodies and c.\i)ellin;.^ the air thrnu;.di their j^dlU.

Till}' chiefly reside in the depths ofthe .sea, where tlvy ha\t' a plentiful

suppl}' of food in crabs, lobsteis and crustaceous .-minials. While it is in

the water, the col(.)r.s ofthe Ljurnard are brilliant and beautiful, esprcially

in the broad sunshine, as the}' then \ary with e\er\- motion ofUie fish.

It is vei"}- voracious, and de\'ours ahiio^t e\-er_\-l]iin;4 i'at;',blL' that conies

in its way.

A Fish Avilli J'uT.v ( olors.

The most beautiful fishes, as far as colors arcconcerncd, are tlie ptt ;\ i(U;s,

although their form, especially the huad w it!i it-; ])ricklcs. j^ills or spires,

has no claim to beauty whatever. About twent\--tw() bands, ofa ])ink hue,

run in pairs and nearly parallel to each other across the bod\-. while, where

the breast fins arc connected with the bod)' there is a lap^^e white spot.

Similar white .spots are distributed on the fins. This fish is found all over

the Indian Ocean, from the coast f)f Africa to .Australia. The rcrl fire-fish

is not a flx-iuL^ fish, n -ither is it a fast swimmer; the points of its fiiibones

casil}' break off, and fir that reason the fish is i;reatl\' feared liy the

Arabian fishermen.

The ()i>ali or Kiiiy-Fish.

The opah is cme ofthe most beautiful specimens ofthe varieties we are
considering. Under favorable circumstances it attains a length of six feet
and a weight of nearly two hundred pounds. It is one ofthe most beau-
tiful fi.shcs in existence, steel-blue, violet and pink hues being prevalent.
Its flesh is very savor\-, being considered as good as that of salmon. The
Icelanders value it on account of its alleged great medicinal qualities.

The Drum-Fish.

As we have already described the gurnard, or growling fish, it will be
interesting to the reader to take a glance at another tenant of the sea,

it*

■I''-- ,.,.;MJS_

(J'.t2

EARTH, Sn.\, ANT) SKY.

which is also rfinarka!)lj f )r ih,.- sound it i)roduc':-.. Ihcf^urnards ,-uc
wondcrfuUv colored, but the drum-fish surprises us b\' the sin'mlar siumvI
it makes. This fish, t'.vj niaiL,n-e, is most abundant alwn;^- the south-.Tn
side of the Mediterranean, but is taken off the shores of Spain, France,
and Ilai\-. The maig're is _<;rcr(arious in its I.a!;i'LS swimming;" in shoals,
whicli litter a purrinij noise so loud a-; to be h.ard f.oni a depth of twen.t}-
fathoms; and from this circumstance, the fi.hjMneri are often enabled co

Till' Kl-.l) l-IKi:-FISH.

take several in thi.'ir net with certa!nt\-, their noise betrax-ingf their exart
locality. Their capture, however, is not a very safe or easy task, f )r lliv
maii^M-e is from three to si.v feet and upwards in lenL;-th, very strony and
resolute, and ii struj^-f^les with the utmost desperation, knockinL:^ the ir n
about, till one of them can manai^e to strike it a heavy blow on the head,
and so deprive it of Hfe. It appears alwa>'s to have been in orcat request
with epicures ; and as, on account of its large size, it was always sold in
pieces, the fishermen of Rome were in the habit of [iresentin^^ the Iv. id.

BUTTERFLIES OF THE OCEAN. <!'»•">

which was considered the finest part, as a sort of tribute ti> the thre'e
local maj^istrates, who acted f )r the time as C()n-;er\-atnrs of the eit_\'. It
is the uniiDrina of tlie ancient Romans, and is of a i;eneral siKery gra\',
iiichnin!:^ to brov.n on the baclc, and pure sih'er on the under parts.

Allied t "1 the niai;4re ai'e some fi-^h remarkable f >r their !.;i-eat size, and
the noise th.'y sjnd f )rth, and wliich has led to their bein;^ called " drums."
According to Mitchill, it is when they are taken out (^f the w.itir that they
^er.J fn'th this noise; but Schiepf says that it is under the water; that

^«ft<»:;;

THE OPAIf OR KI\G riSH.

this noise is dull and hollow; that se\-eral indi\'iduals assemble round thn
keel of ships at anclior, and that then their noise is most sensil.ile antl cm)
tinuous. This account may seem extraordinar\-, \-et it is perfectly co!i-
ferniable with the following statement: Ideutenant White relates, that
being at the nioutli of the ri\'er of Cambodia, his crt-w and himself were
astonished by .some c.\traordinaiy sounds which were heard around the
bottom of their vessel. It was like a mixture of the bass of the organ,
the sound of bells, the guttural cries of a large frog, and the tones w hich

. y\

Ik !!l(

r^ pi i wii I I I I ,j. 1 ^

694

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

imagination might attribute to the largest harp ; one might liave said ilir
vessel trembled with it. These noises increased, and final! \' firnicd a
imix'crsal chorus over the entire length of the vessel and the two sides.
In pro[)orti(;n as they went up the river, the sounds diminished, and llnall\-
ceased altogether. The interpreter told Lieutenant White that they were
producctl by a troop of fishes of an o\al and flattened form, which ha\-c
the faculty of strong!}' adhering to \arious bodies by the mouth.
Stninyo Noises Hoard on Shiiiboard.

Humboldt met with a similar fact, but w ithout suspecting the cause,
()ne e\ening, towards seven o'clocls', the \\liolc crew were astonished lj\-
an extrai)rdinar)' noise, w liieh resemljled that of drums beating in the air.
At Urst it was attributed to the breakers. It was Ii!<e the noi.sc of the air
which escapes from fluid in a state of ebullition. Those on board began
then to fear there was a leak in the vessel. The noise was heard unc;jas-
ingiy in all parts of the ship, till about nine o'clock it ceased altog .tlicr.
The drums, according to Mitchill, swim in numerous troops, in the shal-
low bays on the .south coast of Long Island, where the fishermen fniJ
them dining the summer. Schoepf .say.s that the)' are f )und in still greater
al)iuidance, and during the whole year, along the coasts of the Carolina ^
and Florida.

Some other creatures, ha\ing a similar power, are alluded to !)\- .Sir
I'/nerson Tennent. He states that when \'isiting Batticaloa, on the noril\
of Ceylon, he made inc[uiries relative to the musical sounds alleged to issue
from the bottom of the lake. The fishermen vouched fir the truth of tlic
storv, statin.'' that the sounds arc heard onlv during the dry season, an 1
cease when the lake is swollen by rains. In the evening, says Sir luner-
son, when the moon had risen, I took a boat and accompanied the fisher-
men to til." spot. We rowed al)out two hundretl yards north-cast of tlk'
jett}', b)' tlie fort gate. There was not a breath of wind, and not a I'ippic,
but that caused by the dip of our oars ; and on coming to the point already
mentioned, I distinctly heard the sounds in question.

They caaie ut) from the water like the gentle trills of a musical clionl
or the flint vibrations of a wine-glass when the rim is rubbed with a wet
finger. It was not one sustained note, but a multitude of tiny sound'^,
each clear anil distinct in itself; the sweetest treble mingling with tlic
lowest bass. On a[)pl)'ing the ear to tlie wood-work of the boat, tlio
sound was greatly increased, in volume by its conductor. They varied
considerably at different pomts as we moved across the lake, as if the
nimiber of animals from which they proceeded was greater in particular
•■.pots ; and occasionally we rowed out of hearing of them altogether,

night have said the
id fma!!}' f;_)rniud a
and the two sitks.
iiinished, and finall\-
diitc that thc\- '.vctl
(.1 form, which haw
he mouth.
1(1.

spectiuL,'' the caiiso.
rtere astonished ])y
s beating in the air.
the noise of the air
;)sc on board be^jan
' was Iieard unceas-
t ceased alto;4Jthcr.
troops, in the slial-
the fishermen ImkI
found in still L;reatcr
sts of the Carol iiKi-

■ alluded to b\- Sir
icaloa, on the north
mds alleged to issue

for the truth of the
the dry season, an 1
ing, say.s Sir ICmer-
)mpam'ed the fisher-
lIs north-cast of the
id, and n(^t a ripple.

to the point already

of a musical chord
> rubbed with a wet
-ide of tiny sound-^,
mingling with the
ik of the boat, th:
ictor. They varieil
the lake, as if tli:
Tcater in particular
)f them altogether,

/ '

'IV

■ t]i !

(095)

■»Wi

696

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

until, on rcturnincf to the oricrinal localit\-, the sounds were at once re-
newed.

The beautiful paradise fish, which in China is kept, like the goltl fi^Jj,
in aquaria, is one of the most interesting^ of the finny tribe. 'Y\v.-v
spawn in capti\'ity much more readily than gold fishes.

For experiment two females and one male were put in a tank". 'V ■
former soon selected for themselves certain corners, where they receive. 1
the visits of the male. Soon the females commenced to play with each.
other. When the male approaches the female it spreads its tail and fins, a>
can be seen in our illustration, and takes a darker hue, while the female
adopts a nearly perpendicular position, holds up its fins as far as possible,

THE .SE.\-IiUTTi:KFLV.

and turns around on its own axis, after the male takes a similar position,
but in the opposite direction as the left part of our illustration shows. In
this case they pkiyfully turn around each other, and the male trembKs ;
often the female imitates these tremblin;^ motions.

Sometimes a disagreement occurs between the male and female, .uid
then the male treats the latter in a most cruel and brutal manner, hiliii;^
her fins, tearing out her ej'cs and even killing her. The paradise fi ;li i-
of a reddish and greenish hue.

In the Mediterranean, wherever the coast is rocky, tiie sea-butterlly is
never missed ; it is occasionally found in the Atlantic Ocean. Its fiesh is
without a taste and is therefore only eaten by the poorer classes. The

were at oiicc re-

BUTTERFLIES OF THE OCEAN.

697

head and fore-part are lan^e, and somewhat blunt in appearance. It has
a large dorsal fm, with a large colored mark like that .-fa butterfly ; and
(ithcr parts of the body are embellished with variegated colors, combining
to make this one of the most remarkable of the finn\- tribes. It may
properly be classed among the butterflies of the ocean.

I'ishermen have given several names to another beautiful fish, one ( f
which, the bridegroom, proves that they recognize its beauty. It is found
in deep water; it very seldom leaves its regular place, and if it does so, it
ioon returns to it. Like the cal, it hu's in wait fur its pre\-,then suildeiilv
attacks it, and ne\-cr undertakes ;i second attack, if it misses the lli-st time.
The fish has a very .-.a\-ory meat and is generallv caught with tlra '• nets.

>^^^^^-

f'"<.''^<Z=te

^v!C;t=;^

Till-: liRini'.cKOOM FISH.

There are countless swarms of moths which come out, on a sutnnier's
evening, when it is getting tlusk. The)- ha\e lain hidden all da_\'; hut no
sooner is the sun down, than m)-riads issue forth to look for prey. They
arc called night-flying insects.

There are some little creatui'cs in the sea, that are \-ery much like in-
sects, and have the same habits as the moths; the\' ha\e been called the
winged insects of the deep. And another name has been gi\en tn them ;
thi'v are called wing-footers, because the\' whiil about, as if tluy l;ad
wings. Thes(> wings are two fm like flaps, which [)roceed from the f)re-
niost part of the body. In realit\' the flaps are onl\- one organ. A bun-
dle of muscular fibre passes through the neck, and spreads out at each
iide like a paddle.

11 »

fir

\'.\

;

698 EARTH, SI' A, AM) SKY.

These little creatures have no foot to creep on, or arms to ,-cize thfi:
pre)'. lUit they have a distinct head, as the cutlle-tish has. SoniLliiiics
the head is hidden in a thin transparent shell. When the animal is
alarmed, it draws its uinj^^s, and, indeed, its whole body, into the s!i.:il.
l)iit thouL';h the wing-footer .seems to sport about, and be .-^o innocent -xw 1
harmless, it i ; furnished with an array of weapons that can scarcely Ik
surpassed. Let us take one of the tribe — the little elio, on which th:
whale (cc(\a — and look at it throus^di a microsco;)e. What are those six
feelers that project from its liead ? And why are they of that red and
speckled hue? Look more closely, and you will see that a number of
tiny points are dotted all o\-er them. There may be thousands of the<c
points. Each point or speck is a sucker, like that of the star-fish. Aiul
it can be pushed out, and can seize hold of its pre\- in the same manner.
When the little clio does not want its weapons, it draws them in, and
they lie hidden and protected by a kind of sheath that co\"ers them.

Look a little further, and you will see a mouth furnished with sharp
horny teeth, that have a metallic lustre, and shine in the sun. The toHL^ue
has hooked spines on it, that curve backwards, lil^e those of the cuttle-
fish, and help to dracj the food down into the stomach. The merr\' little
clio is terribl}- armed, and when twilii^dit comes, hosts of these little crea-
tures whirl about in search of prey. They dance merrily on the wa\-es,
sinkinc^ and rising, and seeming to be full of gambols. The sea is ali\e
with them, but their gambols do not last long. Before the mornini;
dawns, they have disapi)eared, and no trace of them is to be seen.

Tlie nicrr\' little

1-, -T' ■■'-'

CIIAPTKR VI.
SINGULAR VARIHriI<:s OF FISHKS.

Aina/iii;; Contrasts i.i Oc^mu Life — Tlie Cireat Sword l"i;.li — Vast Si e ami Towlt— A
CJcaliire Artn..d for DL-siruclion -Fonniiiabltj Weapon of iIk- Sword I'i ;li— A
Sword I>eft in tlie Tiinbc-r of a Shii) — The Whale's Grtat I'mriiy— Tlie < nean
Bat- -IVculiar Altitude in the Water— Amis and l'"ins Coniljir.ed A Cre.iture of
Hideous Ugliness — The Slender Pipe I'"isli— The Needle of tlie S>.m- -Si range
Pouch for Carrying i^g.gs— Color of the Pipe I'ish — A Dried Curi' isily— Sea-
Ilorse — Body Clad widi .Mail— Tail that Grasps— Short-Nosed 1 lippoeanipus —
Peculiarities of the Short Nose —The Skate— An Knterprisiiii; ni,L;j;;ir-- Mlcgant
White I'iiis — The European Stin- Ray— A Bag for the Infant I'ish— The Sea-
Devil— A Fish that Au'^les —Singular Method of Capturing Prey - The Kxtraor-
dinary Tape l'"isli— A Beautiful .Marine Animal — Great Len;^l'i wf the Taiie l'"i;,h
—The Sea Cat -Silvery Color-Wonderful Healing Oil— i'lat I'ish Tur!)ot—
Plaice— Flounder— Sole— Spiny Sea- Porcupine — Globe I'isii — Sun li>,h— The
Sturgeon — .\n Ocean Delicacy — A li^h l^'ond of .Mud.

O (ine can examine the forms <>f life in the mighty oci^an with-
out beini^ impressed with the marked \arieties and contra -its
constantly presented, h^ishes of ever}- shape, size, ;ir:d manner
()f e.Kistence, have en^^^aged the attention of the natiiialist, ami
here, as everywhere in the threat realm of nature, the fiirther he pui-sues
his investis.'"ations the more wonderful do the discoveries l)econu\ < )ne
of the sinj^iilar creatine's of the sea, concernins.^ which a \'olume miL;ht be
written, is the sword-fish.

Sword-fishes are very lars^e and powerful animals; the)' often j^row to
tlie len;^th of twenty feet and more. They are \-ery voracious and attack
and destroy almost e\-er\' li\-in^ thin_L^ that comes in thi-ir wa\'. They
belong to a family of marine spiny-rayed fishes, allietl to the mackerels
and are so calletl from the prolongation of the snout into a long horizon-
tally flattened sword-like weapon. The sword consists of a h>ng, strong
lione, projecting from the nasal part of th.e head, and is capable of doing
immense dainage to an\' animal which is so unfortunate as to cross the
path of this .savage monster of the sea.

The common sword fish is found in the Mediterranean and on both
sides of the .\tlantic ; it uses its sword to destroy its enemies and
sometimes strikes at vessels, burying its weapon deep in tluir timber.
When the British ship "Leopard," after her return from the coasts of
Guinea and the West Indies, was being refitted and cleaned, the ship-

'-■■ ;!'

' i

THE SWORD-FISH CAPTURING HIS PREY.

SINGULAR VARIETIES OF FISHES.

701

\vrif4l1ts fouiitl in her botluin, pointinL;' in tlic di recti ^n horn the stern

towards the head, part of the sword or snout of one (4' these fishes. On

the outside it was rou^h and the end, wliere it was broken ^^iT, appeared

like a coarse kind of is'ory. The fish is supposed to have f )llo\\cil the

-hii) when under sail. The sword had [)cnetrated the sheathinj.^, which

wa-; one inch thick, had then passed throuj^h three inches </f plank, and

bcxond that four inches and a half into the timber. The force reipiisite

to effect this must have been ver)' .i;reat, especiall\' as tlu; .-hock was not

felt by the persons on board.

A few years ay;o the ca[jtain of an ICast Indiaman rei)orte<l another

instance of the wontlerful stren;4th which the sword fish occasioii.illy

cxliibits. The bottom of his ship hacJ been peirced throu<^h in such a

THE SEA-BAT.

manner that the sword was com')letely imbedded and the fish killed by
til- violence of the effort.

The sword fi.-.hes and the whales are -,M-eat enemies. Tliey n.-ver
meet without coniin;^- to battle. Sometimes two sword fi.hes make
common cau.se a^:,^ainst a whale, and the l)attle often lasts until the sword
fish loses sicjht of thj whale, wliich is at lenj^th compelled to swim off.
his superior agility cnabliuL,^ him to c\o this. In the .sword-fish piercino-
the whale's body with its swoixl, it seldom does great harm t<.) the anima
from not being able to penetrate tnuch beyontl the blubber.

The above illu.stration does not represent the peculiar attitude, which

1 {■(

f ...

If:

,M-i

ti'

Hfl

' I

702

EARTH, si; A, AND SKY.

the bat-fish a.s.su:iK-.s wh^-n up.tn th.: sca-bottoni, fn' which its feet fir
flippcr-hkc pectoral I'lns well aclapt it. This attitiitic is sf)nie\vluit like
that of a fi'o^^ but the entire boi^l^,- is .supporte-i by tlu pectorals and bal-
anced in an oblique position b\- the caudal fm. When the bat . \\i>]i i ,
nKi\e, they hop aloi\^; h'oni p. unt ti) point b\- usin;^" the pectorals as fctt,
aided to a certain extent by the buoyant action of the surrountliiv; water.
When not upon the bottom they move about in a manner similar tn dt!:.::-
fi.-'hes, b)- the action oi the caudal fm, halancin;.; themsekes I.>y mu\(_-
nient.s of the pectorals.

PIPE FISH AXD SE.\-IIORSE.

This animal is one of the iu;lie.st of the fmny tribe. It belonq-.s to the
family of anglers or sea-devils. Its pectoral fins are attached to an up-
per arm. It is \-ery voracious and its flesh is eaten bj' the poor aloni;
the coast of the Mediterranean.

About tv, enty species, to which these specimens belong, are described, cf
which in Europe the best known is the great pipe fish, sometimes callcl
needle fish. In the male the po.stcrior part is broader than the rest, with
two soft flaps folding together and forming a kind of pouch for the reccp-

SINGULAR VARIETIES OF FISHES.

70;J

tion of the egfTs, which, it is believed, are placed there b\- tlu- female. Its
Li)U)r is pale brown, transversely barred with darker hroun. The serrated
pipe fish attains a lent^th of twenty-eit;ht to tliirt\- iiuhcs of which the
caudal filament is ten or twelve inches. The color i; liL,dit dral) with a
n.irrow brownish-blue band alon;^^ the sides, tlie throat \»hite and the
>ides silvery. It is fouiui from Massachusetts to the coast ^^C l^razil.

Fish Resembling si IIcusi'.

This fish is one of the most common, and is often ke[)t In- the fish-rmen
in a dried .state to sell as a curiosity to seaside \'isitors. This species, says
Couch, may be seen slowly movinfr about, in a sin_i;ular maniv;r, horizont-
al!}' orperpendiciilarl)-, with the head downwards or upwards, ;md in c\e: y
attitude of contortion, in siarch of food, which seems chiill\- to be wat-T
ia-^ects. Yarrell obserx'cs, that these fishes are supposed to Ijc a!)le, by
(illatini^ their throat at [pleasure, to draw their food uii their cylindiacal
bcak-Iike mouth, as water is drawn up the pipe of a s\-rin;.;e. The sea-
horse is an osseous fish with tufted gills, of the family of [)ipe-fis]ies.
The snout is proloiv^-ed and the head elevated po-teiaorly, somewhat
resemblin;^ a horse's head The botl)- is mailetl and spiry. The tail is
without a fin and prehensile, and by means of it they sus[)end themselves
t I sea-weeds and other submarine objects. The e\'es are prominent; tlie
MDUc'a, in which the mates carr\' the eLTirs till the\' are halehed, opens at
tile commencement of the tail. The)' exist in all parts of the temperate
and abundanti}' in the tro])ical oceans.

Specimens of this fish ha\'C, it is said, been occasionally found curled
up in oyster-shells; but of their general habits little is known: the fol-
lowing extract from VarrcU's work is therefore the more interesting: I
had two female specimens of hippocampus, or sea-horse, healthy an 1
active, which had Ijcen living twelve days in a glass vessel; their actions
b.ing equally novel and amusing. .\n appearance of search for ;i rent-
ing place intluced rnc to consult t .eir wishes b}- placing sea-weed and
straws in the vessel ; the desired effect was attained, and has afforded me
much to reflect upon in their habits. They now exhibit many of their
peculiarities, and few subjects of the deep have displayed in prison more
sport or more intelligence.

When swimming about they maintain a vertical position, but the tail
is ready to grasp whatever it meets in the vater, quickly entwines in any
direction round the weeds, and when fixea Llie animal intently watches
the surrounding objects, and darts at its prey with great dexterity.
When both ai^proach each other, they often twist their tails together,
and struggle to separate or attach themselves to the weeds ; this is dont

iii

^k^v^:

i()\

EARTH, SI' A, AND SKV.

by the hincicr pnrt of ihuir checks, or chin, whicli is also used for raisinrr
the body when a new spot is wanted for tin; tail to entwine afresh. The
eyes move independently, as in the chameleon ; this, with the brilliant
iridescence about the head, and its blue b.inds, forcibly remind the
observer of that animal.

The ray, a citilayinous fish, is popularly called skate. The smooth
ray, or coinmon skate, of the northern coast t-f America is of a unifmni
liglit brownish color above, and tiin'^y white below. It attains a len^nh
of from three to five feet, and a weight of two hundred jjounds, and is
found from New York to the British provinces.

Its flesh is being extensively consumed, and the fleshy parts of the
pectorals are .''aid to be beautiftilly wliite and delicious. It feeds on fish,
crustaceans and moUusks, and is very voracious. It digs up clams with
its powerful soade-like snout, crushing them easily with its flattened

tieth. There are
eight or nine species
in European ^\•aters,
sonu.' attaining a
weight of several
hundred oounds.
Several species are
common in the Lon-
don market, where
the females are
known as maids.
SHORT- xosr.i) HIPPOCAMPUS. 'llie American whip

occurs on the coast of the Middle States, and attains a
length of from five to eiglit feet, including the tail. It is not
uncommon on the shores of New Jersey, and is caught both by liook
and seine.

I'he jjrincipal use made of this species and of all the rays in this coun-
try is to extract the oil from the li\-er, which is emploj-ed f )r \arious do-
niostic and medicinal purposes. The European sting-ray is common in
the .Mediterranean and on the southern Atlantic coast. It twists its loni;
tail around its prey and its enemies, causing veiy severe lacerated wounds.
Its flosh is not eatable. From the month of May until the beginning iif
September the females are occupied in producing their offspring. This
they usually do on crafts and in places where they arc liable to little in-
terruption. Each of the young ones is enclosed in an oblong angular
bag, about half an inch thick in the middle. These aiu .called pui-ses hy

stmg-ra)

IIIP

III

SINGULAR VARIF.TIES Ol' FISHES.

<).,

o used for r,ii>.incr
A'inc afrcsli. Tlu.'
with the brilliant
■cibly remind the

ate. The smooth
ca is of a unil' uni
It attains a lenj^th
L-d pomids, and is

fleshy parts of the

It feeds on fish,

:ligs up clams with

with its flattened
eth. There arc
•^ht or nine species
, European waters,
jnic attaining a
ci;j,ht of several
.uidred pouncU.

veral species arc
>niniiin in the I.cn-
-yn market, where
"le females arc

lown as maids.

le American whip

es, and attains a
tail. It is not
rht both by hook

; ra\-s in this cmm-
;ed f M- \arioiis do-
ray is common in
;. It twists its loni;'
lacerated wounds.
il the bec^inning of
ir offspring". Tins
c liable to little in-
an oblong angular
c 'tailed pur-'-'cs hv

♦lie fishermen and after the fish have escaped, arcr freuucnlly ca-t aslmn
bv the tide.

The common angler, or fishing' frog, also called the .sea-devil, is tal

111 ,1 calm from boat.s or ves.sels at sea, on the honks ( f long 1

with a

IHK SHARP-N'OSEn SKATE.

piece of dog-fish or a herring for a bait. This very curious fish is usually

about three feet in length, but has been known to measure five feet. The

head is wide, and the mouth nearly as wide as the head; the eyes arc

large, the pupils black ; the lower jaw which is the longer, is bearded or
4.5

roG

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

fringed all round the edge; and both jaws arc armed with numcnuis
teeth; tlic bod}- is narrow, compared with the breadth of the head, aiid
tapers gradually to the tail. The whole fish is covered with a loose skin.
The color of the upper surface of the body is uniform brown ; the under
surface of the body, the ventral and pectoral fins white, and the tail almost
black.

On the top of the head are three long filaments ; of these, tw(j arc
seated just above the muzzle, the other rises from the back of the head.
These filaments a.e supported by bone, and movable in all directions, es-
pecially the first, which, tapering like the finest fishing-rod, ends in a
broad, flattened, silvery tip. The pectoral fins are broad and thick-, and
serve the place of hind feet, for the \entral fins are placed far anteridi- to

them on the 1)(k1\-.
The angler is in-
satiably voraei(His,
but it is a slow
swimmer ; it is
formed, in fact, for
taking its piiy in
ambush. It rejioses
on the soft nuul or
sand, in sonu favor-
able lurking-place,
C.^i^- and, stirring u[)tlic
■^■'~^~ mud with its pec-
toral fins, tlul^ dv
scures itself in a
murky cloud bc-
}-ond which appear

its long filaments, and, especially the first, with its glittermg tip,
offering an attractive bait to other fish. Thus stationed, this crca
ture quietly expects its victim. On rove the .shoals of fish, eai;or
in quest of food. They pass one after another in succession, till nt
length one espies the bait. For^vard the fi.sh darts, either to exam-
ine or .seize the expected prize; but at that instant, aided by the bicaJ,
feet-like pectoral fins, the watchful angler springs up, and captures Ins
prey. Such is the success of this voracious tyrant, that the fishermen ex
amine its stomach, and sometimes obtain from it a considerable number
of scr\'iccablc fish j-et alive, which it had ju.st swallowed. Tt is not, li"W-
ever, always that the angler thus obtains his food ; he is sometimes .seen

LOON IN TTIF, T.\WS OF AN .NNOFF.R-FISH.

mcd with numciuus
dth of the head, and
red with a loose skin.
m brown ; the iindrr
ite, and the tail ahnost

its ; of these, two arc
. the back of the head.
le in all directions, l<-
fishing-rod, ends in a
broad and thick, ami
.1 placed far anterior to
them on the Ixuly,
The angler isin-
f satiably voraci(nis,
^ but it is a slow
swimmer ; it is
formed, in fad, for
J7 taking its prey in
ambush. It reposes
.- on the soft nnul or
i^ sand, in some favor-
able lurking-place,
si- and, stirring uptlic
mud \\ith its pec-
toral fins, thus cib-
scures itself in a
murky cloud bc-
yonil which ap])car
.jtl^ its glitterin- tip,
s stationed, this caa
.shoals of fish, ea^or
,• in succession, till at
(larts, either to exani-
nt, aided by the broad,
up, and captures Ins
t. that the fishermen ox
a considerable number
llowed. It is not, liow-
• he is sometimes seen

SINGULAR VARIETIES OF FISHES.

ro;

floating on the surface, ready to snap at whatever prev comes within his
>udden dart. Even the broad-winged loon is made his victim.

The immen.se voracity of the "angler" is one reason why he is sought
by fishermen, who desire him not for the .sake of himself but of the small
ti.'.h which cram his stomach till it is puffed out of all due si.ze. The
angler-fish's fishing-line is a unique contrivance. It is one of several

nable spines rising from the back of the head, arranged somewhat on
he plan of a hook, and it can be swayed in any direction at the will of the

nil

THE TAPE FISH.

fish. So, if it is tired and lazy, the fish does not need to go prowling
and hunting for a meal, but takes it easy in the ambuscade of mud in
which it hides, and waves the bait temptingly back and forth. The
beautiful adaptation of nature in this bony apparatus to help the ugly
fellow to a dinner without putting him to any trouble is a most curious
feet. The angler-fish is only found north of the capes of the Dekuvare.
On the 23rd day of February, 1788, a fish more than thirty-three feet
in length, a foot high, three inches broad, and four hundred pounds in
weiij;ht which never had been seen before by the fishermen, was thrown

■■ t

'.-h

■HI

:-^:

*;»

\ ■
6.1

i\.

7()S

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

upon the coast of England. It was called the tape fish. Eight years
later another fish of this kind was found by several women and since then
several tape fishes have been thrown upon the shore, one of which was
seventy-eight feet in length. This fish is said to be very beautiful, ami
its flesh is \'ery savory.

Sea-cat is the common name of certain cartilaginous fishes which
fcim a group intermediate between the sturgeons and the sharks. Thev
arc oviparous, the large eggs being enclosed in a leathery capsule. In

~ fflilli'^'-W .''(..i'"ji>&» \v.^,'"-. ' •'r,'' ^'v A'- ■ ■%' '\~r--".

^CMENUr sa

IHK SF..\-C.\T.

the northern sea-cat the eyes have a greenish pupil, surrounded by a
white iris, and shine, especially at night, like cats' eyes, whence tlit
common name. The Cvjlor is silvery, with brown spots; the tail is near-
ly as long as the body. It attains a length of three to four feet and is
found in the North Sea and northern Atlantic, where it pursues the
shoals of herring and other migratory fishes. The flesh is tough bur
the Norwegians use the eggs as food, and extract the oil from the livei
for its wonderful healing properties.

The tribe of flat-fish comprehends the turbot, plaice, flounder and sole.

fish. Eight years
ncn and since tin n
, one of wliich was
very beauliful, ana

dH, surrounded by a
s' eye3, whence tlu
DOts; the tail is near-
;e to four feet and is
vhere it pursues the
e flesh is tougli buf
the oil from the bvei

ce, flounder and sole.

(7(111)

t " I

1*1-

:*!

710

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

These are generally confined to the muddy banks of the sea, where
tile)' can bury themselves as far as the head, for the purpose of cscapiivr
their enemies. They seldom rise far from the bottom. h"or tlu-
want of an air-bladder to buoy them up, which most of the other fishes
possess, they are compelled to use their pectoral fins in a similar ni.ui-
ncr as birds use their wings to rise in the air, and this is nt)t done without
considerable exertion. They generally swim with their bodies in an ob-
lique position and feed on such aquatic animals as come in their wa\'.
The halibut, the turbot and others grow to large size.

The eyes of the whole tribe are situated on one side of the head. While
the under parts of their body are of a brilliant white, the upper parts
are so colored and speckled as to render them aln ost imperceptible wlu n
they are half immersed in the sand or mud. Whenever they see any
danger they sink into the mud and there stay motionless. Not bein;^
furnished with any weapons of defense, these fishes owe their securitv lo

this stratagem.

liovers of tlie Sea.

The turbot is found on the northern parts of the English coasi in
greater abundance and of greater excellence, than in aii\' other part ot the
world. It sometimes measures six feet in width and weighs over two
hundred pounds. The left side is brown and covered with small tuber-
cles, and the right side or lower surface smooth and white. The eyes
are on the left side. It keeps on sandy grounds and is a great wan-
derer, usually in companies, living near the bottom, and feeding on
small fish, crustaceans and mollusks. Though voracious, it is particu-
lar in its choice of food, and will bite at none but fresh bait. Its flesh is
white, fat, flaky and delicate, and has been highly esteemed from remote
antiquity. The American or spotted turbot, called also New York
plaice, and watery flounder, is from twelve to eighteen inches long, and
six to eight inches wide, sometimes attaining a weight of twenty pounds.
It occurs along the coast of New England and the Middle States, and
is a delicious article of food.

The common species of halibut grows to a length of from three to six-
feet, varying in weight from one hundred to five hundred pounds. It i^
found from the coast of New York to Greenland, and also on the northern
shores of Europe. In summer it is caught by hook and line in shallow
water, retiring to deeper in the winter. It is exceedingly voracious; its
flesh is coarse and dry, but much esteemed by some persons when boiled
and fried. The fins are considered a delicacy. In many parts of England
the turbot and halibut are sold indiscriminately for each other. The\arc

SINGULAR varii:tii:.s of fish I- s.

i of the sea, wIkto
urjjosc of cscapiivr
bottom. For tlu-
of the otlier fislie-
s in a similar ni.ui-
is not done without
eir bodies in an nh-
come in their \va\'.

of the licad. While
e, the upiXT pai ts
imperceptible wlu n
never they see any
onless. Not bein;T
)we their securitv to

»e English coast in
an\' other part of the
id weighs o\-er two
•d with small tuber-
d white. The e\'cs
and is a great wan-
Dm, and feedini; on
icious, it is particu-
sh bait. Its flesh is
:eemed from remote
;d also New York
en inches long, and
it of twenty pounds.
Middle States, and

of from three to six
idred pounds. It is
also on the northern
and line in shallow
ngly voracious ; its
:)ersons when boiled
ny parts of England
ch other. Thevarc

however perfectly distinct. The eyes of the turbot are on the left, whilst
those of the halibut are on the right of the head.

Tlie common flounder of Massachusetts varies in length from ten to
twenty-two inches, and in color from dull slate to rust>- and biackish-bnnvn ;
the scales are small and the surface is smooth. Mounders are \er\- tena-
cious of life and may be transported considerable tii->iances, and ma}' i)e
naturalized in brackish and e\en in fiesh water. Tlv,' distortion of the
flounder family admirably adapts them for suinuningon tlu- bottom, where
the situation of t)oth ex'cs on the upper surface of the head allows an e'.K-

SI'IN(i SF.A-I>ORCUPINE.

tensive range of vision. The common sole has the body more elongated
than in most flat-fishes, with a blunt and rounded muzzle. The length is
from ten to twenty inches and the color runs from dark brown above and
white below. It inhabits the sandy shores of Great Britain, and is one of
the best and most delicious fishes for the table. The New York sole is
si.K to eight inches long, ilark brown, marked transversely with irregular
black bands, and has small scales. It is found from Nantucket to Nortii
Carolina.

Sea-porcupine is a common name of fishes with comb-like gills and
spines, with which the body is studded. In one genus the spines are

¥9

SINGULAR VARIETIES OK FISHES.

•i:i

lont^, thin, sharp with two root-like processes and capable of erection.
There are nine species, of which three occur on the coasts of the United
States under the name of balloon fish. They are not uncommon on the
coasts of Massachusetts and New York, where they ^^o by the names of
puffer and swell fish, ^lobe fish, urchin fish and spine bell\-.

Sturgeon is the name of cartilaginous hshes of the class of gan<iids.
The)' are generally large and inhabit the northern temperate sea.s of both
ciiasts of America, eastern Eurojie and western Asia, from which they
ascend the rivers in s{)ring to si)awn. returning- tt> the salt water in
autumn. Some species are also found in the great American fresh water
lakes. Their food consists of any soft substances which they stir up
from the bottom with '-=^=^=^-
their snout, and of
fish. lhe\' tre-
quentl}' jump out of '^^_,
the water.

The common stur-

freon of Europe attains S*^^| |

a length of si.x to ten 1^^^^^
feet and sometimes ^^- ' "^'^ *-»^
more. It is found in r;/ '"^
the Caspian and Black
Sea^, antl the ri\-ers
opening into them,
anil sometimes on tiie
coasts of Great Rritain
and the l^altic. The

flesh is largelv con- globe Fisii .\nd sun-f^

sinned in Russia, fi-esh, salted, and nickled. A larg ^ species also found in
the seas and rivers of southeastern Europe is the beluga, attaining a
length of twelve to fifteen fet,'t and a weight of twelve hundred pounds,
and occasionally much larger. It ascends the ri\ers opening into the
l'as|)ian and Black Seas with other and smaller .species. Its fiesli is
tough, its air bladder furnishes a supply of isinglass, for which great
numbers are caught in Russia, h'rom the roe of the female, which some-
times constitutes one-third of the weight of the fish, caviare, a dish once
considered a delicac)- b)- some, is made. The skin is used for harness
leather, and the dorsal cord, cut in pieces and dried, is used as food.

The sterlet, fovnitl in the C.ispian ^ea, furnishes a mo.st delicious food
anil the best ea\iare. In North .America sturgeons are not found norih of

iili

714

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

5? . ' ■

■i V

where the mean annual temperature is about thirty-tlirec degrees. They
seldom enter clear cold streams, hut ascend muddy ri\-ers in lar<4e num-
bers.

The sharp-nosed sturgeon attains a length of three to seven feet; it
is found on the coasts of New England, New Brunswick and No\-a .Scotia,
and is common in Long Island Sound from the middle of June to Octo-
ber. Tt is taken by harpoon and in nets. The short-nosed sturgeon
attains a length of two to five feet, and is so common in the Hudson that
its flesh in the market has been known as iMbany beef

In some ri\-ers of Virginia sturgeons are found in such numbers that
si.K hundred have been taken in two days with no more trouble than put-
ting down a pole with a hook at the end to the bottom, and draw in;.; it
up again on feeling it rub against a fish. '1 hey are, however, chiclly
caught in the night with harpoons, being attracted by the light of torches.
The fecundity of this fish is e.vceedingly great.

The globe fishes are most remarkably constituted. They are coxcixd
merely with a multitude of sharp spines, differing in length and nunihcr
in \arious .species; their number, when they are small in size, compensat-
ing for their inferiority. Defended b}' a host of s[)eai"s, to Ijc levelled at
pleasure, they are safe, for the}- severely wound tlu; mouth of every lish
that \entures to snap at them as prey, or the hand that attempts to cap-
ture them. But independently of these defensive arms, they are endowed
with a power which renders them still less exposed to the attacks of their
enemies. This power consists in distending themselves with air, so as to
resemble balls of spines, and of floating on the surface of the water.
Thus di.stcnded and floating, they are always upside down, and so carried
along. When these fishes wish to rise to the surface, in order to avoid
danger, they distend themselves to the full, which brings out all the spines
in battle array, and so mount rapidly upwards. When they wish to de-
scend again into the deep, they contract the sides of the body, compress
the air, assume an elongated form, which is that of the body in reality,
and thus gradually sink.

Two .species of sun-fish are occasionally seen off our coasts, of which
the short sun-fish is the most common. This fish is of circular form, and
though there is a caudal fin, united to the dorsal fin and the under fin,
there is no tail. The jaws are armed with an undivided cutting ed^e.
This fish is very shining ; it often grows to a great size, and has been
taken weighing three hundred pounds, but such large specimens are veiy
rare.

.- I*

-ee degrees. They
i\crs in lar^c nuin-

:e to se\-en feet ; it
;k and Nova Sent in,
111.' of June to ( )(_to-
ort-no-^ed sturLfcon
in the 1 ludson that
■f

sueh numbers that
re trouble than ])iit-
;om, and draw :n;j, it
,re, however, chiell)-
the light of torehc.s.

They are coxcivd

length and nunihcr

1 in si/e, eonipensat-

irs, to he levelled at

mouth of ever)- iish

lat attempts to cap-

s, they are endowx d

) the attaeks of their

res with air, so as to

u-face of tile water.

lown, and so carried

:, in order to avoid

igs out all the spines

en they wish to de-

the body, compress

the body in reality,

n\T coasts, of which
of circular form, and
and the under fin,
ivided cutting ed[j;e.
: size, and has been
e specimens are very

SHOOTING SEALS.

(715)

It'

ill

5).».

* :.'■:

f • ;

i >

mmm

ciiArri'-.R \ii.

WANDERKRS IN Till-: WORLD OK WATI-.RS.

Hairy Creatures Roamin.-j^ in the Deep— Immense \'ariety of |elly-I'"ishes — The
Shiiiiiii^ Sea — " Myriatls of LiviiiL,' Points" — Batiiers llntanyled in Hair— Portu
guese Man-of-War— The "Jelly" Curiously Horn — Hunt,'er never SatisfiLcl—
The Tnuik Fisli— Mailed Rovers of the Sea— A I'Msii with Spurs -Famous Nar-
whal — Extraordinary Weapon — Finest ivory in the World— Old Superstitious
Notions— The Race of Sticklebacks— ^A Spiny Covering -Strong Defence a,t;ainst
I'oes — Sticklebacks in a Tub — Tr\ing to Swallow an Eel — Fishes lUiiiclin;'
Nests — Desperate Fighters — Nest lUiilder Discovered by Agassiz — Great Trav-
ellers — Unlimited Greediness — The Fan Fish- Native of Indian Waters— l.nmi)
Sucker— Strange-Looking Creature — The SeaSnail — Sucker Fish — A ]'"ish that
Sticks— Towed Free by other Fishes — Riding Hundreds of Miles without Mov-
ing a Fin — Harness P'ish— Tootiiless Swinuiier — Delicious Eating— Hard Ar
mor — Marvelous Turbot — Turbot Fisiiing — The Sly Silurus — IVchin L'isii—
l^alloon of the Ocean — Air Out and Fish I'nder Water— Arrow Pike— A Dart
in the Sea — Hearty Eater — Vast Size— Real "Old Salt" — Sharks and their
p,.„s

F the growth of the jcll\--fish an intcfcstini^^ stor\- may be told.
A little ()\al both', C()\ered with \er)' fine hairs, swam ab(uit in
the sea for some da\-s, and then fixed itself by its smaller lower
end. The opposite end now became depressed, the fmir corners
beceinie lengthened, and these were soon changed into tentacles, which Sd
miilti[)lied as to cover the upi)er end. Then ti'ans\erse wrinkles might he
obser\'ed on the body at regular distances, appearing first abo\e anil \ci\-
slight, afterwards extending downwards, btit all growing deeper aiu!
deeper, the edge of each one becoming serrated, or saw-like, so that the
creature [)rcseiits the ap[)earance of a pine cone, surmoimted by a tiifi d
tentacles. A separation is meanwhile going on, until the divisions rescnihlc
a pile of cups placed within each otlier. The upper ring is first detacluil,
the others successively follow, and each one continues its development 1)\
itself, luitil it becomes a complete medu.sa, or jelly-fish. Thus what w a-
at first a single individual becomes, bv minute division, a number of cii
tirely distinct animals. Moreover, the upper segment is not de\-elopc(i
like the rest: it is intended merelv to favor their growth bv securing and
preparing the substances they need ; and its office appears to be per-
formed as soon as the other .segments begin to be dependent.
(716)

\v.\xi)i:rf.rs in tiii: world of watiirs.

VATRRS.

( )f\\\c jelly-fishes there is an iiniuense \ariety :

Some in Inigc masses, some tliat you may l)rins:
In llie small ((jinpass ola lady's rini; ;
Figured by liand divine, there's not a gem,
Wrouglit by man's art, to be compared with them.

They consist ,i;encrally, when full L;n)\vn, of a lari^e, circular, , gelatinous
disk, convex abo\e, and sonieuhat concave on the luuler surface, fioin
\\hich the feedin.i,^ or-ans lian;^ pendent. Straiv^^e to say, little tlshcs,
ilarmed by the .siL;ht of an eneni)-, rush under this mushroom or um-
bre'la-likv, form, to remain tmtil the danq;er ispa>l, and the-n emerge a^ain
to sport and play about their shelteriuL,'' friend. I'resh lit^ht is bein;^r con-
tinually thrown on the structure, \'arieties, and habits of the ji'Ilv-fish ; and
tJK' more we know <>f them, the greater is our astonishment and admira-
tion.

Astounding, indeed, is the stoi-j'ofa medusa's growth; }-el, if possible,
>lill more so is the fact that this creature has eyes, each of which is agela-
liiious spherule of a drt-p red tint, protected on each side liy two jjaiis of
JMiig, pendant lobes. When crushetl beneath the compn'ssorum. it dis-
(.iiarged a multitude of prisms of In'giily refractile substance, set close

together.

Uni'ivuIhMl lirilliaiiry oJ' <Im' Oreaii.

Night often presents to the voyager a phosphorescent scene (.f unri\ ailed

splendor and beauty. It is as if the .sea were an immense ])lane of glass

studded with diamonds of the first magnitude ; orasiftlu: liuninou.s points

with which its whole surtace is literally bestrewed were s[)arks of fire-

If they are regarded, as the\' ha\-e been, as efflorescences of flanu;, lh(.y

pass the side.s of tiie \-essel e\ery nioment, and form in her wake a traiu of

brilliancy such as no ccMiiet " e'er drew o'er half the heavens." .Sir Walter

Scott thus pictures it in \i\id words : —

Awaked before the rushing prow,
The mimic fires of ocean glow.
Those lightnings of the wave ;
Wild sparkles crest the broken tides.
And flashing roiuul, liie vessel's sides

With elfish lustre lave ;
While far behind, their livid light
To the dark billows of the night
A gloomy splendor gave.

Poppig in his " Voyage to Chili," .says : From the top-mast tiie sea
appeared, as far as the eye could reach, of a dark red color, and thi.s in a
streak the breadth of which was estimated at six miles. As we sailed
slowly along, we found that the color changed into a brilliant purple, so

.<! V.

!f<

1-^

n«h.

Willi

*■

718

EARTFI, SEA, AND SKY.

bir

that even the foam which is seen at the stern of a shij) under sail, \va- if
a rose color. The si^'ht was very striking', because this purple streak \\,i-,
marked by a very distinct line from the blue waters of tiie sea, a circiuu-
stance which we the more easily observed, because our course lay directlv
throu,i,di the midst of this streak, which extended from south-east to nnrth-
west. The water taken 'ip in a basket appeared, indeed, quite transpan nt
but a faint purple tin<;e was perceptible when a few drops were placed U[ (-n
a piece of white china, and moved rapidly backwards and forwards in tin.
sunshine.

Iii(iiii(«> Xiiiiitiors of Aiiiiiialciilos.

A moderate mai;nifyinL; <^lass showed these little red dots, which only
with ^reat attention could be discovered with the naked eye, to consist n(
animalcules, which were of a s[)herical form, entirely destitute of all exier-
nal or^Ljans of motion. We sailed for four hours, at a mean rate of six
miles an hour, through this streak, which was seven miles broad, befoic
we reached the end of it; and its superficies mu.st, therefore, have hvax
about a hundred and sixty-ei<jiit scjuare miles. If we add that these ani
mals ma)' have been ecpially distributed in the upi)(.'r stratum of water to
the depth of six feet, we must confess that their numbers infinitely sur-
passed the conception of the human understanding.

Hence Crabbe says to the sea-side visitor —

Willie thus, with pleasinu: wonder, you inspect
Treasures the vul.L;ar in their scorn reject.
See as they float alouf; the entangled weeds,
Slo\vI\' approacli, upborne by l)Iadcl<,'ry reeds;
Wait till they land, ami yuu shall then behold
The fiery sparks those tangled fronds enfold ;
Myriads of living points : the unaided eye
Can but the fire, and not the form, descry.

Spallanzani affirms that this phosphorescence is owin^, in the medusrc,
to a glutini)us substance issuing from certain parts of the bod)'. Ex-
pressed into different liquids, as into salt water, but especially into froh
water, warm, or milk, it gives to them a phosphoric light. A single jell\-
fish, he says, thus expressed into twenty-seven ounces of cow's milk, ren-
dered it so resplendent that wc might have read the character of a letter
by it at the distance of three feet. The dead medusa possessed for a con-
siderable time its phosphorescence, and it was renewed by pouring water
upon it, even some time after it had ceased to shine.

Two jelly-fishes, out of an immense variety, are, according to Forbes,
the only true nettles of our seas. One of these — the hairy cyanea — has a
dingy, dark-brown disk, about a foot across, and it drags after a great

WANDKRI'.RS I\ THF. WORLD OF WATERS.

711^

) undcT sail, wa^ if

s purple streak \v,i,

tiu,' Sea, a circimi-

coursc lay dircctlv

;oiith-cast to north-

, tpiitc transpari. Ill

)s were placed u] . n

and forwards in ih,.

•d tlots, which iinlv
•tl eye, to consist ol"
estitute of all exter-
a mean rate of six-
miles broad, befi-iL'
icrefore, have l)rLii
atld that these aiii
stratum of water to
ibers infinitelv sur-

pect

Is.
ds;
)ld
d;

intj, in the medus.T,
of the body. \ix-
L^spccially into fresli
jht. A siny;le jelly
; of cow's milk, rcn-
character of a letter
oossessed for a coii-
:d by pouring water

xording to Forbrs,
lairy cyanea — has a
drags after a great

number of fiLiments, like coarse hair. Woe to the bather who comes into
contact with one, for to get out of its entangling meshc-s seems impossible,
until the creature, finding its course impeded, uncoils its liair, and leaves
liiin to himself W'e ha\e known more than one instance of <rrcat suffer-
ing from such an accident. There a[)pears a considerable redness in the
parts which ha\e been t(nichcd, and swellings of the same color. Dicciue-
niare .sa\-s : After the end of some da}'s, when the pain is gone by, ilie
heat of the Led will cause the blisters of the skin to re-api)ear.

SiKltlcii Collapso.

Another singular fact should not be onn'tted. If a common i'-llv-fish be
taken from the sea or the shore in some vessel and cairietl home, and if it
be looked for a few hours after, it will be gone. All that remains will be
water, not distinguishable by tlie chemest fnMU sea-water, except a small
piece of membrane: }'et these, with life, f.)rmed a medusa — a creature
with many powers.

Jell)'-fishes would hardly be seen in the water, were it not for their
bi'autiful colors. The common \arieties mo\c by the alternate coiUrac-
ioiis and dilations of the gelatinous disk; others, like the Portugese
man-of-war, have a large vesicle, which sup[)orts the whole coinmunit\- at
the surface of the ocean, motion being effected l)y the C(jntractile tenta-
cles and the contraction of the air bladder

This class presents the curious phenomena of alternate generations.
The " tubularia," common in pool-, left by the tide, hangs like a Hower
fioiu a slender tube, with the mouth surrounded by tentacles, each ani-
mal connected with the rest of the C(jmmunit\- and each mouth receiving
nutriment for the whole. The \-oung of this h\'drt)id do not resemble
the parent, but are little, delicate, translucent jell\--fishes, like little ( ups,
from which hang down long threads and a proboscis at the end, which is
the mouth. B\' the side of the buds branching out from the jjarent hang
bunches of little s[)heres, from wiiich the jelly-fishes are produced.
Along the proboscis of the floating cups are other spheres of eggs from
which are produced little pear-shaped bodies, which grow into the first
mentioned branching hydroid. The grandparent therefore resembles the
^n-andchild and the hydroid is reproduced through a generation of jelly-,

fishes.

A Huiifrry Race of Creatures.

Some very handsome jelly-fishes do not originate from any hydroid,

but reproduce themselves by eggs. They are very voracious, feeding

upon minute crustaceans, almost any small marine creatures, decaying

animal or vegetable matter, and even their own species.

''!n-

r « f

« . ■*;

(720)

WANDERERS IN THl- WoRI.D Ol' WATERS.

7-)

721

The Portugese man-of-war is ver)- poisonous to the touch. In picking
up .specimens stranded on tlie .shore of Key West, Ma., the hands offish*^
ormeii have been severely stung by them, the burning, smarting pain
lasting for hours. It may be compared to a coh)ny of hwhactinia, in
which there are nutritive and reproductive zooids antl inechi-a buds.

'Ill

) I

^OL,^f^»fe

KICMAKKAHI.I': TKl NK-IISII.

Some of the.sc jelly-fishes arc \er>- small, not larger than the head of a
])in.

The trunk or C(jffer-fish belongs t<i the class of mailed fi.shes ; most
of its body being covered with a iiard shell, made up of hexagonal plates
fimily united together along the edges. These plates are generally
Muitc rough and so arranged a.s to present a very ornamental appearance.

'M' ■

"'{[

•J-

iii

Ill , 'f?"';:^'-^

722

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

The mouth of the fish is small with prominent teeth, iim\ the dorsal and
ventral fins are situated far back near the tail, v/here the coverinj:^ of the
body is soft, so that the fins, including the caudal extremity can be u-jd
in propellinL,^ the body through the water.

In some species there are a number of sharp spurs on different parts
of the body. This fish is found mostly in tropical waters, where it ofte;!
grows to a length of a foot or more. Specimens are also t ken now and
then along the shores farther north. It is of no practical value as a fnod-
fish and very little is known about its habits, or the animals upon which
it feeds. It is very clumsy and can easily be caught by the hand.

Formei'ly the strong and imperishable shell, or armors of tlic trunk-
fish were collected and brought to Europe as a curiosity. The trunk-
fish is believed to be poisonous ; the stomach is membranous and very
large; the liver is also large, often yielding a considerable quantity df
oil. Yale's trunk-fish, found on the coast of Massachusetts and Xew
York, has two abdominal spines.

The Narwlial.

A well-known denizen of the northern seas, the sca-unicorn, better
known as tiie narwhal, from the Gothic, signifying " beaked whale," is no
less interesting. The head of the narwhal is round and convex in fnnit,
the lower jaw being without teeth, while from the upper jaw springs the
curious weapon which gives this animal its world-wide reputation. It i-
only in the male that this strange beak is developed, it being merely the
development of the left tusk, which increases rapidly till it becomes a
long, spiral, ta[)ering rod of ivor}-, sometimes attaining the length of W-n
feet. Speculation as to the purpose of the narwhal's horn has been baf-
fled, though that it is employed in some definite task is evident from the
fact that the tip is always smooth and polished, however rough and ui-
crusted it ma\' be toward the base. It is probable that it is a weapon u[
attack, for narwhals have been often seen to joust and playfully chaiL^fe
each other, fencing with their long ivory lances as they churn up the sea
, in swift charges. So it is probable that the narwhal horn is analogous to
the tusk of the boar or horn of the deer.

The i\or}' of the narwhal's horn is remarkably hard, solid, close ir
fiber; perhaps a better article than the tusk of the walrus or the elephant.
It has, therefore, a very considerable commercial value. In former tiiiiev
the entire tusk was believed to be of incalculable value. Supposed to be
obtained from that fabled animal, the unicorn, it had. it was imagined, nia;.,'-
ical qualities, among which was that of transforming the deadliest poisons
into harmless potions.

, and the dorsal :in(I

the coveriivj^ of the

:tremity can be u-jd

rs on different part^
vuters, where it often
J also t ken now and
tical value as a foml-
aninials upon which
t by the hand,
armors of the trunk-
iriosity. The trunk-
lembranous and very
isiderable quantity of
ssachusetts and New

le sca-unicorn, better
" beaked whale," is no
d and convex in frimt,
upi)er jaw springs the
vide reputation. It i-
:d, it beini^ merely the
Mdly till it becomes a
ning the lenj^th of ten
il's horn has been haf-
sk is evident from the
3wever rough and en-

that it is a weapon ^l
: and playfully char;^':

they churn up the sea
al horn is analogous to

y hard, solid, close ir
walrus or the elephant,
alue. In former times
. alue. Supposed to be
1, it was imagined, ma;,!-
the deadliest poisons

WANDERERS IX THE WORLD OF WATERS.

I --I

This antidotal ([uality was necessary to the unicorn, w hich was sup-
-v.sctl to li\c in deserts among loathsome beasts and poisonous reptiles.
When the unicorn went to the springs and ])o()ls whieh had been poisonetl
b\' the contact of other wnomous mouths, the- simjjlc dipping of his horn
in the water made it pure again. Thus, in those days when kings sus-
pected poison in e\er\- wine ehalice, the pos.scssion of this supijoseel uni-
corn's horn eased their ro\-al minds not a little.

The narwhal is held in great esteem in (ireenland, for, independent of
its value, it is a harbinger of the connngof the whale. The ivory of tlie

tusk is put to a great variet\' of uses, anil many a narw hal perisiies b\'
means of the tooth which has been extracted from some neai' kinsman.
It is easily slain, as it possesses no great j

)ouer o

f d

l\ln'^

seldom de-

scends over two lumdretl fatlujins l)elow the surface, and when it rises
the animal is so tired as to be easily killed by a speai- thrust. Whaling
slii[)s are alwaj's on the outlook for narwhals, on account of both the oil
and the ivory, and lances are used to ca[)ture the pla_\-ful animals, w hich
seem to have but little fear, and gather around the fatal boats with great
curiosity. As they congregate in large herds, a very large catch is often
a matter of only a few hours.

,1 J

ill

724

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

Their tusk is a long, hard, spiral and sharp pointed weapon which pro-
jects from the anterior part of the upper jaw. When urged with all tl.' ir
force it will penetrate even into the solid timbers of a ship and the body of
no animal is sufficiently hard to resist its effects. The tletached weapon , nf
the narwhal are deposited in many cabinets as the horns of the fal)ulcMis
quadruped the unicorn. The females produce each a single young one at
birth and this they nourish for several months with milk.

The Sti<'kIH)ji<lvs,

Several species of stickleback are found in fresh water ponds aiui
streams, and one species exists in tlie salt water. They are very active
and voracious, and live on aquatic insects and worms. They are inch:
ded, under a great diversity of names, in the Natural Historj' of e\cr\-
luiropean country. They should even exist as far as Greenland, if it bo
true indeed that Fabricius saw there the same .species, and not some one
of those of America.

Their extreme multiplication is surprising, for the eggs of the stickle-
backs are large, and they cannot lay many of them. It is true, on the
one hand, that they have but little to dread from other fishes, as tlicv
are defended against them by short and sharp spines ; but they haw in-
ternal and external enemies by which they are unceasingly tormented.
Thus, one species attaches itself to the skin, and sucks their blood, while
another sometimes almost fills the entire abdomen, compressing their
intestines, and reducing them to a very small space.

Bloch assures us that these fishes live but three years. They are ex-
tremely agile, lively in their movements, and of an active disposition.
Backer states that they leap vertically out of the water, to more than the
height of a foot, and that in an oblique direction they can make sprinj;s
st.n more considerable, when they are obliged to pass over stones or
other obstacles. They can subsist a tolerably long time out of the water,
especially when they fall into the humid grass. Their voracity is ex-
cessive. Backer has seen a stickleback devour, in the course of five
hours, seventy-four new-born fish, of one species.

Tlu> Three-Spiiu^d Stickloba<k.

The stickleback with three spines is the most common species, and i.s
distinguished by the body being protected at the sides with shield-like
plates, and the possession of three spines on the back. It is of an olive-
color above, and silvery white beneath, and varies from two to throe
inches in length. In the breeding .season, the male assumes a pink hue
on the under parts of the body, and the general color of the upper parts
is brighter, and often green.

WANDKRERS IN THE WORLD OF WATERS.

72.-)

, weapon which pro-
ur^^cd with all their
ship ami the b(xl\- df
detached weapon-, of
oriis of the fabulnus
L sint^lc young one at
lilk."

h water ponds and
L'hey are very active
IS. They are inch:
ral Histor}' of e\ery
IS Greenland, if it be
^s, and not some one

• eggs of the stickle-
II. It is true, on the
other fishes, as they
s ; but they ha\ e in-
:easini;ly tormented,
ks their blood, while
1, compressing; their

rears. They are ex-
1 active disposition,
ter, to more than the
ey can make springs
pass over stones (^r
ime out of the water,
Their voracity is cx-
n the course of five

mmon species, and i.s
sides with shield-like
:k. It is of an olive-
s from two to three
I assumes a pink hue
or of the upper parts

A naturalist thus describes the habits of these fishes, during their con-
finement in a tub: — When a few arc first turned in, they swim about
in a shoal, apparently exploring their new habitali(.)n. Suddenly one w ill
take possession of a particular corner of the tub, or, as it will sometimes
happen, of the bottom, and will instanth' commence an attack on his
companions; and if any one of them ventures to oppose his swa\-, a reg-
ular and most ferocious battle ensues.

SI'INV sriCKI KliACKS AND NEST.

I once .saw a very lively stickleback engaged in taking its prey troiii a
clump of sea-weed, in doing which it assumed every posture between
the horizontal and perpendicular, vv'ith the head downward or upward,
thrusting its projecting snout into the crevices of the stones, and seizing
its prey with a spring.

Having taken this fish with a net, and transferred it to a vessel .if
water, in comoany with an eel of three inches in length, it was nut !on?

72»)

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

before the latter was attacked and devoured headforemost — not, indeed
altogether, for the eel was tcjo large a morsel, so that the tail remained
hanging out of the moutii ; and it was obliged at last to disgorge the
eel partly digested. It also seized from the surface a moth that fell on
the water, but threw up the wings. The effect of the passions on Uic
color of the skin in the species of this genus is remarkable; and ihc
specimen now spoken nf, under the influence of terror, from a dark olive
with golden sides, changed to pale for eighteen hours, when it as siul-
dedly regained its former tints. It spawns in spring, and the young,
not half an inch in length, are seen along the sea-margin in summer.
A Fish lliat 3Iak«>s ji Nost undj'r "Wator.

Nearly thirty years agi>, the following remarks were made by an intel-
ligent observer, unaequ.iinted with Natural History as a science, and
who was not aware of what was then closely .studied by others on a kin-
dred species : In a large dock for shipping on the river Thames, thous-
ands of pricklefish were bred some years ago, and I have often amused
myself for hours by observing them. While multitudes have been en-
joying themselves near the shore in the warm sunshine, others have
been busily engaged in making their nests — if a nest it may be called.
It consisted of the very minutest pieces of straw or sticks, the exact
color of the ground at the bottom of the water, on which it was laid, so
that it was next to an impossibility for persons to discover the nest, un-
less they saw the fish at work, or observed the eggs.

The nest hT* a top or cover, with a hole in the centre, in which arc
deposited the eggs or spawn. This opening is frequently concealed hy
drawing small fragments over it ; but this is not always the case. Many
times have I taken up the nest, and thrown the eggs to the multitude
around, which they instantly devoured with the greatest voracity. These
eggs are about the size of popi)y-seeds. and of a bright \'ellow color:
but I have seen them almost black, which I suppose is an indication
that they are approaching to life. In making the nest I observed that
they used an unusual degree of force when conveying the material to its
<lestination. When the fish was about an inch from the nest.itsudtlenly
darted at the spot, and left the tiny fragment in its place, after which it
would be engaged for half a minute in adjusting it. The nest, when
taken up, tlid not separate, but hung together like a piece of wool.

After this statement was made, Costa ga\e great attention to the habits
of the stickleback. lie watched the whole process of the constructinii
of the nest, the laying of the eggs by the female, and the care taken n\
them by the male. lie says: The stickleback has the foresight to cover

■If

c forcsi<rht to c^ncr

WANDERERS IN Tin: WORLD OF WATHRS. 727

the nest heavily with saml. to prevent its beiiit^ swept away by the
waters; and they ^iue toL^ether ihe materials of wliicl: the nest itself is
composed, by means of the nuieous exeretion w liieh exudes from their
bodies. To make sure that all parts of the nest are united with suffieieiit
solidity, the fish suspends himself in the water innnediatel\- aho\e it, with
his head downwards, and makes rapid vibrations with hi-, peetoral fins and
his tail. By this means, any parts of his duellini; which are not properly
constructed at once become loose and detached, and he in>tantl>' darts
clown and repairs the defect.

DuriuLj an entire month, he is the sole L^uardian t)f the ei^'L^s which the
females la\' within, and he has to defend them, not oul)- aL,'ainst the
attacks of other fishes, but ai^ainst the ferocious antl unnalinal appetites
of the parents themseKes. J le remo\es the stones which accumulate at
the mouth of the nest, he enlar^^es the oiK-nino;, and !>)• the sini^ular
\il)rations of his tail and fins, he changes and purifies the water in the
neit;hborhood, and in short he never relaxes his care of the j'oun^;' until
they are full}' able to provide for themsel\-es.

Nt'st-liiiildiu}^ Hussars.

There are two fishes in Demarara, the flat-headed hassai , and the round-
headed hassar, which make nests like the sticklebacks. Sir Richard
Schomburgh, when recounting his "Travels in British Guiana," .states
that not only does the hassar form a perfect nest for its spawn of all
kinds of fibres from among the aquatic plants, but it watches, with the
most acti\'c maternal care, till the young brood escape. The nest, like
that of the magpie, is a real work of art. In April the hassar begins
forming the nest, until it resembles a hollow globe flattened at the Doles,
the upper one of which reaches the surface of the water. An orifice,
adapted to the size of the mother, opens into the interior. The negroes
frequently capture the hassars, by putting their hands in the water, close
to the nest ; when the guardian parent, rushing to a repulse of the in-
vader, is dextrouslv seized and thrown en the land.

These two fishes, so much alike in their habits, exhibit a remarkable
difference in the material of their nests ; the flat-headed hassar using
leaves, and the round-headed forming its fabric of grass. At certain
seasons they burrow in the l)ank, and it is only in the rainy season that
they make their nests and la>' their eg^^- Often have I been surprised,
.says Hancock, to observe the sudden appearance of numerous nests in
a morning after rain occurs, the spot being indicated by a bunch of froth
which appears on the surface of the water over the nest. Below this the
eggs arc placed on a bunch of fallen leaves or of grass (the round head

ii*=

11 «...

Ip^^-"l^>-

'28

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

Sltliii'

of grass, the flat head of leaves) which they cut and collect together.
By what means this is effected seems ratlier mysterious, as thev arc
destitute of teeth. It may possibly be by the use of their serrated arm.s,
which form the first ray of the pectoral fiiis.

Agassiz alludes to a nest-building fish, which he observed in Lake
Sebago, in the State of Maine ; and others have been observed in Aus-
tralia. Thus, Mitchell says, in his work on "Tropical Australia:" In a
dry part of the river (Maronoa). I met with many in.stances of the sin«^-
ular habit of the eel-fish or jcw-fish. I had previously observeii else-
where, in the aquatic reeds growing in extensive reaches, clear circular
openings, show ing '.vhite parts of the bottom, over which one or two
fishes continually s>vam round in circles. I now found on the dry bed
that such c • •• s r nsisted of a raised edge of sand, and were fitted with
stones, somt >Ia.g. ps a man's closed fist. Suranigh, a native, told
inc that this was a nc. ' if a pair of these fish, and that they carried the
stones there and made it. The general bed of the river, where we saw
these nests, consisted wholly of deep, firm sand, and that the fish had
some way of carrying the stones to such spots seemed evident.
Fishes that siro Groat Travellor.s.

Nearly all the species of sticklebacks or mackerel are gregarious, and
unite in immense shoals. Some of them are migratory, making Ioul;
vo)'ages at certain seasons of the \-ear. It is believed that they arc all
eatable. From the elegance of its shape, ami the brillianc\' of its colors,
the mackerel, u hiii alixc, is (Uie of the most beautiful fish that fre(|UciUs
our waters. The mackerel season is a \ery busy and profitable one en tin:
Ih'itish coast. They are taken in great quantities b)- drift-nets reachiiiL;
about twent\' feet below the surface, and e.xtending for more than a mile.

The mackerel will Ijite at almost any bait, especiall)' anything resemb-
ling a living prey. Their xoracit)' has scarcely any bounds, and when
the\' <'et amoncr a shoal of herrings thev make such havoc as fretiuentlv
to drive it a\\a\-. After the)- are taken out of the water the\' exhibit a
phosphoric light. The sticklebacks recei\e their name from the prom-
inent isolated spines, which aie found along the back in front of the doi-
.sal fin. The\' are generall\- \ery acti\e, ami are confined to the temper-
ate and arctic /.t)nes of the northern hemisphere. Theie are a number of
species, which, besides the spines along the back have spines in connec-
tion with some of the other fins, and the sides are ifeneralh' ornamented
with tjuite large and thick scales, so that the sticklebacks are well pro-
tected against most other carni\'orous fishes. The fresh water species gener-
ally have nests u ith openings in the sides, and the nests are guarded b\- the

ind collect together,
jterious, us they arc
f their serrated arms.

le observed in Lake
en observed in Aus-
cal Australia:" In a
nstances of the sint;-
ously observed clse-
eaches, clear circular
r which one or two
)und on the dry bed
and were fitted with
inigh, a native, told
;hat they carried the
; river, w here we saw
and that the fish had
ned evident.
■rs.

:1 arc gregarious, and

natory, making lon^f

vcd that they are all

ifilliancy of its colors,

ul fish that freiiULiits

profitable one on tin:

jy drift-nets rcachin;^

for more than a iiiilc.

lly an\'thing rescnih-

^y bounds, and when

1 havoc as freciucntly

water the)- exhibit a

name from the pnmi-

k in front of the tlor-

nfiiud to the temper

here are a nunil)cr n!

\\c. si)ines in coniicc-

uenerallv ornamented

lebacks are well pro-

h water species gener-

;ts arc guarded b\' the

vvandp:rers in the world of waters.

•2[f

males. Tiie fifteen-spined stickleback forms its nests among the sea-weeds,
and binds its eggs firmly together until they are hatched, the males guard-
ing them meanwhile, the same as do the males of the fresh water species.

While the common sword-fish is found in the Mediterranean and on
both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, the fan-fish is an inhabiUuit of the seas-
of the torrid zone, especially the Indian Ocean. It is said to keep itself
near the surface of the water so that its large dorsiil fin protrudes. Its
mode of living is similar to that of the common sword-fish.

Tlie lump-sucker is a common and remarkable species of fish inhabiting

S\V(»K1> UK IAN-FISH.

the Hritish seas, and belmigs to a faniil\- popularly known as sucking-
fishes. This one is a large-bodied, small-finned fish, bearing on iis back
an elevated crest or ridge, ainl ha\*ing a powerful sucker under its throat,
formed of the combined pectorals and ventrals. Before the spawning
.season it is of a brilliant crimson C(^lor, mingled with orange, pur[)le, ;uid
blue, but afterwards changes to a dull blue or lead color.

When full-grown it is rough with tubercles, but when \er\- young is
smooth and beautifiil, and marked with brilliant stripes of \arious hues.
In ihe .seas of the Orkneys, in June, numbers of the >'')ung fish, half an

iili

K''

i If'' i

ili^

iilr

.TTTTr ■

7;;o

EARTH, SI'A, AND SKV

inch in IcnLjth, arc seen saininiing around tlD.itin;^^ sca-wccds. In the oM
fish tlic sucker is so powerful that a pail of water, ct)ntainin;4 some iral.
Ions, has been lifted up h\- a p^-rson holding; the tail of a lump fish adh. ;•-
ini^ to the bottom. It ranges from the shores of Greenland to those nf
the south of England, and westward as fir as the coast of North America.
The eyes are large, and, it has been said, " made it look like a . ,!t
ir (jwl," whence one of its common appellations is the "sea-owl." It i.
Laken with lines and hooks j the baits are sand-worms, shell-fisli, herriii •
or sprat cut u[).

•IIII'I .SL'CKKR l'l.-ill.

This strange-looking fish may often be seen exposed to view in the shups
of the London fishmongers. Its flesh, and particularly that of the male, is
regarded as excellent. It is chiefly in i\pril and May that the lump-sucker
is taken, as it then afiproaches the shore for the purpose of breeding.

Anotlier genus of this famlK' con-.ists of a number of small fislics
which ha\e two disks on the under surface of their bodies, one formed iw
the pectoral and the other by the ventral fins. The\- thus adhere t^
stones, rocks, and shells. The\- ha\e wedge-shaped, defenceless bodies,
smooth and without scales, often painted with the mo>t defined and

,ccds. In llu' <.M
ilainiiv^ .sonic yai-
1 hniii) iish aclhi.T-
cnland to those of
of North America.
it l(M)k hkc a L.it
; '* .sea-owl." It i
, shell-fish, lierrin.;

1 to view in the slinps
ly that of the malt', is
[hat the Innip-siiL-kcr
dse of hreedinL;.
iber of .small fishes
nlies, one formed hy
hey thus adhere I'
1, defenceless bodies,
e mo>t defined and

\vani3F-:ri:rs i\ tiik wwri.d oi' \vati;r.s.

'31

HARNESS FISH.

and their upper mari^in is beset with fine teeth. By means of this appar-
atus these fishes attach them.selves to rocks, ships, or bodies of other fishes,
especially sharks, which transport them to places where food is abundant
and often from the tropics to the temperate regions. None of the species
feed upon the fish to which they are attached, their food beint^ small fishes
and floatini^ animals. The ancients believed, that this small fish had tlie
power of arrestin<4 the progress of a ship by adherini; to the bottom.

The harness fish exhibits a great number of bony scales or shi Ids, two
strong bones protrude fnMii the upi)er jaw and the mouth is toolliless. It

i.n

Siii

j**.,*,.-^

I" iiPi

732

EARTH, SEA AND SKY.

• '■■;'
*

J I .

■

is found in the Mediterranean and in parts of the Soiitli Atlantic Sea
and only approaches the coast for the purpose of spauiiini;. It is saitl, to
hve alone and to be al)le to swim uitli ^neat velocit)-. It feeds on niL-dii-
s;u and niollusks and is said to be hij,dil\' esteemed for its fine and dcii-
cious flesh. For the purpose of taking' off the armor of this fish bcfr.r--
[jrejiarintj it for the table, it is nccessar)' to scald it, because this arni(;r is
impenetrable to the knife.

Tlir SIu<r(;isli Turbot.

The turbot is of a shcjrt and broad form, and rather deeper than inaiu-
of the flat fishes. Its prevailing; c()k)r is brown, and the whole of the cnj-
oretl side is studded with hard and roundish tubercles It is called in
Scotland the rawn fleuk, and the rannack fleuk. 7\s the turbot docs
not possess the power of ra[)id motion, it would be liable to speed\- cx-
termination by its numerous enemies, were it not so formed and endduiil
as to render it quick in perceivint; dani^er; while it is also guarded hv
its habits, which occasion it constantly to be near the bottom, and also
by its color, for while one half of the fish is nearly white, the oilier
half ;ip[)roaches to the muddy color of that part of the element
in which this fisli resides. The [josition of the eyes is also sin<rulaiiy
adapted for .sccurini; its safety. They are not placed on each side
of the head, but onl\' on that side which is uppermost when it is in
motion.

The turbot is most active in the night-time, when, perhaps, its enemies
arc less viLjilant ; ami in the day-time it lies at the bottom, with its dark-
side ujipermost, and is consequently difficult to be distint^uished. It i^
said that, when ap[)rehensi\-c of danger, it will remain perfectly still.
Man is, probably, its most active enemy. Great care is necessary in luu-
m'^ a suitable bait; foi-, thou;^di xoracious, the turbot is delicate in its
choice of food. A piece of herring; or haddock is commonh- useil for a
bait, but if it has been twelve hours out of the water, thoucjh not tainted,
ihe turbot will not take it. Man\' \'ears ago, and it may still be the case,
th'.' Dutch i)in-chased of the Thames fishermen the lesser lampre\-, for
bait, to the \ahie of several thousand dollars a }-ear. The Scarboroip^li
fishermen were accustomed to obtain a supply by land carriage from the
river Wharf, a distance of about sixty miles.

The fishery is carried forward to the north-eastern coast, h'ach person
is provided with three lines, which are coiled upon a flat, oblong 'piece of
wicker-work; the hooks being baited, and placed very regularly in the
centre of the coil. Each line is furnished with fourteen score of hooks,
at the distance of six feet two inches from each other. The hooks

c South Atlantic Sea
l\v^inL,^ It is said, tu
y. It feeds on nieilu-
cl for its fine and deli-
nor of this fish Ijcfore
because this arnur is

licr deeper than many
1 the whole of the coj-
ercles. It is called in
As the turbot does
e liable to speed}' ex-
) formed and endowed

it is also guarded by
■ the bottom, and also
L-arly white, the other
part of the element
yes is also sinf^ulaily

placed on each side
permost when it is in

n, perhaps, its enemies

bottom, with its dark

)e distinguished. It is

remain perfectly still
ire is necessary in liav-
urbot is delicate in its
s commonh' used f^r a
ter, thouf^h not tainted,
it may still be the case,
the lesser lamprey, for
•ar. The .Scarborou;^di

land carriai^e from the

rn coast, h'ach person
1 a Hat, oblonfT piece of
1 very re<;ularly in the
:)urteen score of hooks,
ch other. The hunks

VVANDKRER.S IN THT: WORLD OV UATER.S.

•.JO

arc fastened to the lines upon " steads" of twisted horse-hair, twenty-seven
iiiehes in lengtli.

When fishiuLj, there arc alwa>s three nun in each boat, and conse-
quently, nine of these lines are fastened toi^ether and used as one line,
extending nearly three miles, and furnislu'd with two thousand fwv hun-
dred and twent)' liooks. An anchor and a buo\- are hxed at the first end

OLD AND YOUNG SILURUS.

of tile line, and one more of each at the end of each man's line; in all,
four anciiors, which are commonly perforated stones, and four buoys,
made of 1-ather or cork. The line is always laid across the current, and
remains on the ground about six hours, as it can only be shot or hauled
at the turn of the title. The rapidity of the tide on this coa.st prevents
the use of hand-lines, and therefore two of the men, commonly .rap

1;. :

' V . i

I'r

1')

734

EARTH, SEA, AND SKV

thciTiscKcs in a sail and sleep, while tlic other keeps a shar[) lookout, (o
observe tiie weather, and from fear of bein<^ run iloun by ships.

The boat is abcnit one ton in burden, rather more than twenty feet l<.iv\
extreme breadth fi\e feet, ami it is rowed with three- [)airs of oars. A
larger description ot boat is also used in the ScarborouL^h turbot rislicr\.
It is forty feet K nii;, tlfteen broad, anel of t\\ ent\--fi\e t( ms burden, and is call-
ed the " ti\ <.■ men boat," lhoUL;h usuall)' na\ igaled by six men and a boy ; Inii
one of the men is hired to cook, and does not share in the protils with the
other five. When they reach the fishinj^-ground thev anchor, and piocccd
to fish, and beinij provided with a double set of lines, the\- haul one ami
shoot another every turn of the tiile. The\' y;enerally run into harl)ur
twice a week to deli\er their fish. Similar means arc emplo\-ed aloni; \W-
.southern coasts, but the London market is chiell)- supplietl b}- the iJuiuh
fishermen.

The fishinc]^ season commences in March, ami terminates in AuL;ll^l.
The Dutch are supjjosed to ha\L' drawn not less than hall" a million dol-
lars a \-ear, for the sup[)l}' of this fish to the London market alone. Tin-
I'jii^h'sh fishermen purchase at sea larL;el\' of thel^utch ; ne\ertheless, the
Dutch send lioats latlen with turbot up the Thames, each boat brin;4iiv.;
about one hundred and fifty fish. The Danes also are saiil to derive alaiL^*'
income for .sauce to this lu.\ury of the table, extracted from a million of
lobsters taken on the rock)- shores of Norway. The finest turbot are taken
on the Flemish banks, ami the banks called Broad Forties. l''.xcellent h-li
are also taken bv the h'rench fishermen, on the two lar<^e sand-banks calleil
the Varne and the Riili^ru, stretchini; towards the French coast in the Cliai!-
nel, not many nnles from Do\-er. I'hese they sell to the ICnglish out at
sea, or send into Dover.

The average size of turbot is from three t«> ten pounds weight; but
some of huge size have been occasionally taken, which have weighed
from fifty to seventy pounds; and one was caught near Whitby, which
weighed one hundred and ninety pounds.

The Sly Silurus.

The sheat fish, as it is sometimes called, a member of another family,
is found not only in almost all the fresh waters of Europe, but even iii
those of Africa and Asia. Pliny described it as existing in the Nile. Bhich
mentions that specimens weighing from seventy to eighty pounds have
been taken in canals near Berlin.

The two very elongated barbules of the upper lip are sup[)ortcd by
extensions of the intermaxillary bones, which increase the sphere of
action and consequent utility of these organs of touch, by extenduig

WANDI-.kKKS IN THE WORIJ) UF WATKkS.

7;i5

their influence beyond the ranj^e of the shorter psrts of the lower lip.
Thus it is shown to be a ground-feeder ; and Hloch scatesth.it it seldom
leaves its hole except during storms.

Another family have the head furnished with a rough, flat buckler,
and broader than in any other silurus, because the frontals and parietals
give out lateral plates, which cover the orbit and the temple. They
come from the Nile, the Senegal, and from some rivers of Asia. Their
Ocsh is not good.

The singular urchin fi-^h inhabits the Mediterranean and sometimes
ascends the Nile. In deep water they swim like other fishes, but when
irritated thry come to the surface and take in some air, which blows them

FAlt.AK OR URCHIN FISH.

lip, so that their wrinkly, lax abdomen, which is capable of considerable
extension, becomes smooth and then looks like a ball from which
numerous small spines protrude. Whilst in this state, the\' are unable
to swim, and would fall a prey to other fishes, if they were not protected
by their s[)ines. As soon as the danger is over, the fish allows the air
to escape and is then enabled to again use its fins. The I'ahak is ten-
acious of life and is able to be out of water for a long period of
time. Its flesh is eaten by tlu; poorest Tellahs, but its roe is considered
poisonous.

The pike has various names in our language, as pickerel, luce or lucie,
and, in Scotland, gedd. Pike of small size arc often called jack. The

-iM**^l:

MP' ■

(

.;!

73G

EARTH. SKA. AND SKY.

habit of the pike is to remain under the shelter of water-plants, until his
attention is attracted by some passing victim, when, like the tiger sprin<T-
ing from the jungle, he rushes forth, seldom, indeed, missing his aim.
The jaws au'i palate of the pike are most formidably armed with sharp
teeth, of various sizes.

Of the daring and ferocity of this fish many authenticated instances
are on record. Walton says: " Gesner relates, that a man going to a

.ANGLE) AND AKKOW I'IKI-:.

pond (where it seems a pike had devoured all the fish) to water his muk,
had a pike bite his mule by the lips, to which the piko hung .so fast that
the mule drew him out of the water, and by that accident the mule
angled out the pike." .And the same Gesner observes, "that a maid in
Poland had a pike bite her by the foot, as she was washing clothes in a
pond. But I have been assured by a fiiend who keeps tame otters,
that he halh known a pike, in extreme hunger, fight with one of iiis

WANDERERS IX THE WORLD OF WATERS.

i->t

iter-plants, until his
ike the tiger .sprin<r-
J, missing his aim.
r armed with .sharp

lenticatcd instances
a man going to a

h) to water his niuk;

e hung so fast that
; accident the mule
ves, "that a maid in
kvashing clothes in a

keeps tame otters,
light with one of his

otters for a carp that the otter had caught, and was th<-n bringing <iut of
the water." At Trentham, Staffordshire, a pike .seized the licad of a
.swan, as she was feeding under water, and gorged so much of it that both
fish and swan perished; the keepers perceiving the swan fi.\ed with its
head under water for an unusual time, took a boat to go to tlie bird's
assistance, but it was too late. Varrell says, " The luad keeper of Rich-
mond Park was once washing his hand over the side of a boat, in the
great pond in that park, uhen a pike made a dart at it, and he had but
just time to withdraw it."

A gentleman in Weybridge, walking one day by the side of the river
Wcy, near that town, saw a huge pike in a shallow creek, lie imme-
diately pulled off his coat, tuckeil up his shirt sieexes, and went into the
water to interrupt the return of the fish into the river, and to endeavor
to throw it out on tlie bank by getting his hands under it. During the
attempt, the pike, finding he could not make his escape, seized one of
the arms of the gentleman, and lacerated it so much that the marks of
the wound were vi.sible for a long time. The following anecdote is taken
tVom one of the public papers, August 25, i S46 : — "On Thursday, Mr.
Collet, in company with a friend from London, was fishing at Shepper-
ton, for barbel, when the bait was taken by a roach, which, in its turn,
was instantly seized by a pike. The line was drawn in, the pike con-
tinuing its hold upon the small fish till near the water's edge, when it
siidtienly leaped from its victim, and threw itself on the bank, when both
i)ike and roach were captured. The pik'c weighed nine pounds ; and, on
o[)ciiing it, in its stomach were found three small fish, a water-rat, and a
young moor-hen."

Groat Size and A.stoiiishiiifj Afjr.
The voracity of the pike is connected with its rapidity of gr(>wth, which
necessitates an abundant supply of nulrinu.Mit, and in\-ol\-es at the same
time extreme celerity of digestion. .V young j)ike is recordeii to reach
ilie length of about eight inches tluring the first year, tf) that of tvvrlvc or
fourteen during the second year, and of eighteen or twent\' inches during
the tliird; after this, its increase for sevi'ral successive years, where stores
flood are alnmdant, is at the rate of three or fnir pounds a \"ear. lught
[iilce. of abcHit five pounds each, liax'c been ascertained to devour eight
hundred gudgeons in three weeks. Some idea from this may be f «rmetl
I if the havoc this fisli must make in llie lak'cs or riv(>rs in whirh it is
[tleiuifiil, and of the necessity of encouraging the breeils of inferi(M' fishes,
a; the bream and others, for its due maintenance.
The pike not only lives to an extreme age. but attains to c.xtraordinarj'
47

(!'■

:- li

4 m.tf^

lii!

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

(linicnsidiis. Pennant speaks of one ninety }-ears oi a^c ; an.! viesner rii.-
tices a pike taken at I lailbrun, in Suabia, in I4':i7, wiLli ?■ b;a/e i rin^- ,it-
tarlie<l to it, on \vhich was inscribed in Greek eharaoters, 1 aui llir f.,|;
^vhich was first of all put into the kike by the Lands of llic g >,'ernn;- ni
the universe, Frederick tlie Sccontl, the 5th of October. 1230." Tii.<
fish must, therefore, liave been at least two hundred and sixty se\en \cais
oUk It is said to ha\e weiijhed three hundred and fifty pounds.

In the lakes of North America a species of pike, called the niuskalli .n- ,
_L;ro\v.-, to an enormous size. It must not be supposed that the L'.;-|.;er inl:
are, the better is tliclr flesh f >r the table. Walton rightly sa\-s, " ( )ld oi

\cr\- great pikes have in
them more of state tliar,
g()(^dness, the smaller ur
middling-si7.ed i)ikes beiiv.;.
!)}• the most and choicest
palates, observed to be tli.
best meat." In warm aii'.
sunny weather, the piki
mostly swims near the .Mir-
face, and ma', be often s •

luxur'atinc: in

the

s ;;n-

CASKS Ol" SHARKS KCUA.

!)eams, lulled into a soyi oi

slumber. It is not diffni:',!

at such times to draw d

wire noose, fastene-d to ti.i
«

end of a rod or long stall'.

o\er its head and body.

and lantl it by a sudd-.n

jerk.

The angler or goose-fish grows to a length of four to five feet and
weighs from i 5 to 70 j)ounds. Its ai^petite is most voracious and it feed-
upon all kinds of fisii. ( )n its iieatl are two elongated bony apj)en(la;^^c<.
curiousl)- articulated to the skull by a joint and capable of movement iv
any direction. The fish crouches close to the bottom of the sea and h\
the movement of its pectoral fins stirs up the sand and mud, and agitate
the bony appendages amid the turbid cloud produced. The small fishc
observin-f the mudd}- water and taking tiie filaments for worms approach
to seize Jiemand are instantly engulfed in the capacious jaw f)f the ant,'lcr.
The vr racity of the angler is so great, that when caught in a net with other
fish, it generally <'j\()urs some of its fellow prisoners.

WANnr:i:i-.ks in thk world ok wati.rs.

lud

rifrlulv sa\-s, •' ( )1(1

One of tlic mightiest wanderers in tlic \a-ly deep is 'Jk shark, referred
ti) in a preceding; chattel'. He has six rov-s of tc„lh. u li • li lie dov, ii when
they ire not usetl ; Init the nmincnt a fisli approaches, up ilii.\- .ill st.nl.
rcaily'or action, 'i hey are very Ljreat teeth, nearly two inches bniail. ami
of a tiiree-cornered shape. Tiie edges are like a saw, anil as sharp as tlu;
siiaqjest knife.

No creatnre, not e\-en man, has nnich chance aL;ain->l thoc terriMc
teeth. If a man f.ills overboard from a .ship, w h.ere tlic-^c monsters abound,
he is almost sure to be swallowed by ;i shark. l'\ir a. shark can swall')wa
man with case ; and he is alwa\"s follow iui; in the wake of the ship, to see
what lie can get.

The female shark l.-u^s two eggs, insteatl of a great shoal of i:ggs, as 'v.ost
ri>hes do. The egg lias a kind of horny covering, and there are tendrils,
or. as they are culleil. procos.ses, shooting out fro'U the co\ering. riuse
tendrils get entangled among tiie sea-weeds, aiul so hold the egg in oin-
place, instead of letting it drift into danger. The little fish is doubled nj)
in liie egg ; but b\-and-by it makes its wa\- out, and begins a life of cruelty
anil i)lunder, as its parents did before it.

\\"e need not wonder that the sliark is so drea'ed b}- the s.ailors. In
the midst of the tempest, when the winds are he.vling, and tin- night is
without moon or .stars, a shining light will here and there be seen he.aving
on the billows. The sailors know full well what it is, ard point it out to
each other.

The light comes from the scaly botl\- of the shark, which is close at
hand. If a .seaman is washed overboard, or if ihe vessel should be wrecked,
the shark has a ban(iuet.

""k

^=111

CHAPTER VIII.
LIl'i: AT Tin: BOTTOM OF TIIK SKA.

Cri-atiiri'S tliat MaimfHctnre Limestone— Definition l»y Profe.ssor Dana— Man'elous
'Uiikkrs in tiic ( )c'Lan -New Folyp Growinj; out of the .Side ot" tiie Ukl One-
Coral Insects in Ail .Se;'.s — Luxuriance of Coral Life in tiie Pacific — \'arieties of
Coral— How the Little Architects get their Materials— Rearing Islands from the
Bottom of the Deep— The Hernuidas once a Coral Island — The Sea Ciicnm!)er—
Strange Oritiital I'ood — Harpooning .Sea-Cucumbers at the Depth of a Ihiiuln d
I'Vet— I Iunthe<l-.\rnu-d .S<a-Star — .'\nia/ing P(jucr of Reproducing Lost Limhs -
.Stomachs tliat go I'v the Name of I'ish — " Five Fingered lack " — .Scavenger-; of
the (Jcean — Death on ( )ysters— How tiie Star-Pish gets into an Oyster's Sin 11 —
Droll F'olyps—.Xnimal-Plants — Actinia— Enormous .Mouth— Sea- Aneiudues—
X'oracity Unparalleled — Life Multiplied by Tearing the Body in Two— .\stonisii-
ing T'.iia( iiy of .\nimal Life.

HE coral polypi are remarkable for secreting a limestone sup-
port or cornl stock. Coral is the stony frame which belonijs
to pol>pi iind may be called their skeleton. Professor Dana
c.iUs it tlic corallum and the coral of a single polyp in the mass
is called the corallct. It is formed within the coral animals by secretion,
carh individual adding to the common structure by the involuntary
secretion of calcareous matter.

The coral> :vi' the result^ of a growth analogcu-s to that of the bones
jii otiicr animals. Coral is a carbonate of liine, like common limc-^tonc,
and it is ta .(.n by the polyp from the .sea water or from its own food.
Coral pol>\is jjroducc cj.'gs and young, like other animals, and also
multiply through a process of budding, which is like the growth by
buds in the vcgct-ible kingdoin. A new polyp commences as a mere
prominc-ice on the side of an ok' one; soon the mouth and tentacles
appear, then both continue growing, each adding to tlie calcareous
Mccumui.'tion within and each sending forth new buds to be developed
into new ',>o1yps. In many species of the coral family each branch
tc!,ninates u' what is called the parent pol\ps, these terminal pol\-ps con-
tinuing i.' g''^^^' '^'"' -"^"^^ '"^t ^''^ same time making new polyps for the
sides of the branch by budding.

In tho brain crral, instead of each pol)-p having a separate cell with its
mouth over the centre if it, there are a large number of poK'ps coalesced
along a sinL;le furrow and a row of tentacles along cither side. Among
(740)

fessor Dana — Man'plous
: Side of tlie Old Oik- -
tlio I'acific — Varitties of
Rearing Islands from the
d — The Sea Curum!)er—
. the Depth of a Jliindred
eprodiicing Lost Limbs—
ed Jack "—Scavengers of
> into an Oyster's SIk 11—
^lonth— Sea- Anemones-
Body in Two— Astonish-

iting a limestone sup-
frame which belonrjs
ton. Professor Dana
iigle polyp in the mass
I animals by secretion,
e by the involuntary

js to that of the bones
<e common limestone,
ir from its own food.
ler animals, and also
s like the <;rowth by
ommences as a nicre
mouth and tentacles
ng to the calcareous
buds to be developed
1 family each branch
se terminal poh-ps con-

g cither side.

lift

iffi

,'i ^

■

COKAL AKlit>K AND MVbJEKlOL:^ CLilLE II2II.

(741)

■|: dk.^^

!'i>

'^r;

712

EARTH, SKA, AND SKV.

tlir tribes of corals some species or other arefountl in all oceans fnim the
C'.juator to the j)o!ar rej^ioiis and to the lowest cle[)ths explored by niim.
Tiiose tribes, which produce the ^neat coral reefs, the astr.eas, niaclif-
j)ores and iiieaiKlrinas are de\'eloped with peculiar luxuriance in the
wannest parts of the J'acific, where the temperature \aries from si'\Lnt\--
fi\e to ei_;;lu\'-rue dei^rees. The hiL,dier the temperature the ^n-eatrr is
tlie profusion and \ariet\- of the coral reefs. The different varieties n\
coral consist almo-^t sold)- ()f carbonate of lime. There is a small portion
ot animal matter and also of phosphate of lime.

Skill of tlir liiiildi'i's in SolccMii}; Mat4>rials.

The soluble salts of sodium, which form the i^reater ])art of -xdid
matters contained in sea water, ai'e rejected by pcjlyps and onl)- thost'
materials are made use of which aie best fitted for producing- the iiio^t
substantial structures. IJy their removal the waters of the ocean aiv
kept of uniform composition. The soluble impurities p,oureil into tlinn
by the rivers, but for some >uch provision, would accumulate, as the fic>h
water alone is carried olf b\' evaporation.

The coral animaU and marine shells are the a^Ljents destined to keep
pure the waters of the _L;reat deep, to take up and store away the e.\ces>
of the lime salts and preserve the balance in this department of nature. a>
the vei^etable growth perfoiins a similar office in keepini^r (iown the exces-;
of carbonic acitl in the atmosphere.

The ocean currents s|)read llvir waters amon;j[ the coral proves as the
v. inds convi'V' die air thioui;!! the f>i"ests. The coral which is used in
it\\elry is called precious coial. It is mostly obtained in the Mediter-
ranean, till' Harbar}' coast furnishin;_; the dark-red, .Sardinia the- )\'llo\\ or
salmon colored, and the coast of Italy the rose-pink; in I'.urc^pe aiiil
America the 1. liter is most valued. whiU' in the OriiMit the darl-c-red is pn-
ferreil. The coral fishermen with larije ruck' nets break off the coral \vn\v.

the submeri^'ed rocks.

>Ia;'uifi('<Mit C'onil Kim'Is.

Coral reefs are abundant in the West Iiulies, but still more so in tlu

Central Taciuc, where there are a much i;reater number of sjjecies of corals.

.\lon'4 the l^ra/.ilian coast as far south as Cape Trio coral reefs are found

I 'ana divides coral reefs into outei' or bairier reefs and inner reels. Ihi

barrier reefs are foi-med fi-om the growth of corals exposed to the open

sea^ while the inner or frint;inL,r reefs are formed in (pn'et water between a

barrier reef and the island. As coral reefs arc usually built upon islaiu^

which are slowiv sinkin-^. barrier reefs are .simply ancient frini;iivv'''cfs

formed when tlu- island stood hi,i;li r above the sea; the\' arj built uj)as

LIFE AT THF. nOTTOM Ol' Tlli: SKA.

•4;j

n all oceans from the
lis explored by man,
, the astra-as, madio-
ir luxuriance in iIk-

\arics from se\inty-
crature the j^reater is

different \arit;ties of
ere is a small portion

atorials.

i;reater part of solid
olyps aiul only those;
)r producini;' the mo>t
.ers of the ocean aic
itics p,onreil into tlirni
:eumulate,as the fioh

;ent.s destined to keep
store au'a\' the excesv
jpartnieiit of nature, as
jepitiLj down the excess

the coral j^roves as llic
joral which is used in
tained in the Mediter-
Sartlinia the \-el!o\\ or
•pink ; in k'urope and
ent the dark-reil is piv-
)reak off the coral fnm!

)ut still more so in llv;
ibcr of s[)ecies ot corals.
o coral reefs are foinn'.
> anil inner reefs. 1 lie
l.>i exposed to the open
;i (pn'et water between a
lally built upon islands
ly ancient frini,dn;j: 'vcls
.•a; 'diey arj built ujias

rai)idl\- as the land .sinks ami thus the top of the reef kteps at the le\el of

the .sea.

Darwin has estimated that some reefs are at least 2000 feet in thick-
iios. '1 he Bermudas are the remnants of a eoral island (^.Atoll) and aie
situated farther north than any other reefs.

SiM-Ciu-miihcr <»r Tr«'paiiy:.

Sea-cucumbers have a sli^^htly cylindrical boti)-, sometimes vermiform,
providc'il with numerous tentacular suckers. .At each extremity occurs
an orifice. Ihc mouth occupies the anterior cxtremit)- ; it is surrounded
widi very complex branchin<T tentacles, which the animal can com[)letcIy
draw in, and which are set upon a circle of bony {)ieces.

The circulatory apparatus of the holothuri is, or sea-cucumbers, is
exceedingly complicated, their digestive tube' is vers' long, their secre-
tory organs are numerous, and their muscles powerful. When disturbed,
tlK\' sometimes contract themselves so vi(dentl\'as to burst asuailer, and
vomit forth their intestines. There are holothurias in every sea, and
several species which live on wei dy and surf-beaten rocks. One of the
lar-fest species lodges .and iiouri>hes a curious parasitical fish. In some
Ci'untries the coriaceous substance of tlu.-se animals is used for food.
Tiie poor iidiabitants of the Neapolitan coast consume it larg(dy ; and
the .\siatic people S('ck with avidity a species of h dolhuria to which
they ascribe peculiar virtues.

Long famous under the name of " trepang," bestowed upon it by the
Malays, this holothuria is the staple of an e\tensi\-e eommeici^ betwta-n
all the Indian islands of Malaysia and China, Cambodi i and t'ochm-
China. Thousands of M.day junks are eijuipped yearly for the fishing
of the zoophyte, and English ami American ships an- engai^cd in its s.de.

The trepangs of the inhabitants of .Sumatra form one of the most con-
siderable branch(>s of the CO isting trade b.-tween IJorneo, Sumatra, the
.Moluccas, the Pa[Hian lands of M.ilawsia and China.

A Harpoon a lliiii(lr<'<l Vvt'i Loii^jt.
I'or the rest, their sub.stancc, according to travellers, has no siiecial
divor, at least if the taste be not masked by the enormous liosi- of apices
or aromatic substances with whieh the i\Iala)-ans overload their food.
1 he fidiing for ho'othurias requires great patience and dexterit\-. The
Malax s, bending over the prow of their boats, hold in their hands several
long bamboos arranged like the joints of a fi-hing-rod, the la>t joint ter-
ninating with a shnrp hook. At the favorable s(.'ason, that is, in tlu-
calms, the eyes of these sl>:illful fishers pi-ree the depth of the waters,
And easily discover, at a distance frequently not le.ss, as we are as^ured,

1 ■ 1

4 -mM^^

cr. U

I »

\ m

»i

LIFE AT THE HOTTOM OF THE SEA. 74.'.

than I20 feet, the holotluiriii cliii^'in^r to the coral or rorks. Then the
liari)Oon, cle.sccndin<j ^..fily, .strikes its victim; and the M.iLiy rarely
misses his aim.

Sca-fiicumbcrs arc ijcncrally sirall on the coast nf X, w I'.n-iaiui, hut
att.iiii a lai'L^cr si/c in t!ic liay of l'"i.iul\- and on the l'.anks ,a Nculoimd-
laiid. On the nuul Hats ..f the Morida wcU the)- a v Nomctinu-s seen
uunv. than a foot lon^; and three or four inches in circninference. WMuiv
collected for food, t'le takin;^^ and preparati' mi i .f tiie trepan;^ enipl. .y a i;real
many CiiiiK'se, Maui\-s and l'ol\-nesians.

The best are found on reefs of nii.xed coral and sand in the hVejee
groups in one or two fathoms of water, and are obtained b\- divin;^^
Ihey a.e boiled in their own iKpiid, then ilried on sl.i;_;es in heatetl
houses, ami meet with a ready sale at hiidi prices in the Chinese market-
a> an in;_;ietlieut for rich soups.

Ast«'ri!is or Sra-Stars.

The species of star-fishes conniion on (<ur coasts has the firm ron\-en-
tionally <,nven to the celestial stars upon banners anil in h' laldic desij.Mis.
The ra\s, whicii are common!)' i)ut erroneously takni |oi elaus, and
which reall)- ft)rm a part of the animal's body, are ^aMierall)- fue in num-
ber, united very symmetrical!)- round a central disk. In some species the
ra\s are L;reatly mulliplieil, and amount to as man)- as thir')-antl upwards.
They then l)ecome loo.ser, more e!('n;^ali. d, and more Hexible, L;i\ in^ the
animal the api)earance of a liaii)- root.

The upper part (;f the bod)- is co\-ered with a hard, thick skin, wrinkled,
and of a retUlish color. The lower part is whitish, ancl when the animal
is alive, \-on may see there, moving; to and frolike worms, its innunieiable
lenacles. Its mouth is in the centre. I'.hrenberL;" is inclined to believe it
also pos.ses.ses an or^an of vision.

The sea-stars, often very small, and r.iore rare!)- of medium size, are
all, as their name indicates, inhabitants of the ocean waters, and aie
foimd at various depths ; but many amon^f them belonL;' to the shore,
and the tide at its ebb frequently leaves them hiL;hand dry up'on the land.
A threat number of species are known as distributed in e\er)- sea, and
more Ljenerally in the tropical waters. The asterias proper, when
arrived at an ailult a,!j;e, move with tolerable rapidit}-, either swimmin;.;'
or irawlinjT.

These radiata feed on dead or livin;jj animal substances ; tliey are
very voracious ; their prey has sometimes been found whole and undi-
gested i-,1 the stomach. They frequently banquet upon mollusks. In
the .spring, and at the beginning of summer, their ovaries swell consid-

• Ml

I !
1 ^

4 -M^

<\'y.

V^>

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

Q!,

1.0

I.I

lis,

IIIM

112

J: lag

Z2
2.0

1.8

1.25

1.4

1.6

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►

Photographic

Sciences
Corporation

23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y. MSEO

(7)6) 872-4503

■^

*>
^

N- ^\^^

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i4G

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

-JS

i :■

erahly ; they deposit their spa v/ii in suitable localities, and ci^.c.^'^Hv
upon sandy shores exposed to the solar rays ; it is this spawn, we are
told, which renders mussels dangerous as food at a certain season of the
year. On shores where they are very abundant, the country people
collect them to manure the ground : it is the only advantage which
man can derive from them.

Lost Limbs Growing Out Asaiii.

The most remarkable feature in the organization of the asterias is
their power of reproduction. One, two, three of their rays may be
crushed without endangering not only their e.xistence, but even the in-
tegrity of the individual. Provided that but one remains attached to the
central disk, these losses are easily repaired. It seems that in certain
cases the shedding and renewal of the rays are spontaneous. This
marvelous faculty would seem to indicate, among the asterire, a very
intense vitality. One cause of death, however, they cannot withstand
for many hours; namely, banishment from the sea. Left by the ebb
upon the shore, they cannot live. Even in the captivity of the aquaria
they sicken and die, either for want of prey, or because they miss the
movement of the incessantly renewed waters.

A conmion species, found on the coasts of New hjigiand, and gen-
erally called " fi\e fingered |ack," are but walking stomachs ; their office
in the economy of nature Deing to devour all kinds of garbage, which
would otherw ise accumulate on the shores. They eat also li\ing crusta-
ceans, moUusks, and e\en small fish, and are believed to be very destruct-
i\-e to oysters. They are not used as food.

The common star-fish of the North American coast is considered to be*
the same as the Kuropean species. The colo -s vary from reddish to )cl-
lowish, an i the diameter from an inch to more than a foot. The snake,
or sand star is another .species. In most .seas a very singular species, the
arborescent star-fish is found.

A Woiidor of B<Mlily Constnictioii.

It is a pleasant sight when one of these animals is placed in a glass
vessel containing .sea-water, and its various movements are attentively
watched. Then it will be seen that it has, in fact, several hundreds of the
sucker-like legs, each one a perfect tube, which, when the animal wishes,
becomes filled and extended, while the fluid is as readil}- withdrawn into
the vesicles of the body. We have heard of Argus with his hundred e\'cs,
and of Briareus with his hundred hands, but we are not told that each eye
could find a separate object to contemplate, or that each hand could lie
cmploj'cd in some distinct manipulation. It seems, however, as if each

itifS, and ^^.^.(.^'^lly
this spawn, \vc are

certain season of the
the country pcopL-

ly advantage which

on of the astcrias is
)f their rays may be
ncc, but even the in-
miains attached to the
eenis that in certain
spontaneous. This
y the asteria.', a very
,ey cannot withstaiul
ea. Left by the ebb
Dtivity of Ihe aquaria
ecause they miss the

w luigland, and gen-
stomachs ; their office

ids of garba;.^e, which
eat also Hving crusta-

:d to be very tlestruct-

)ast is considered to be
y from redchsli to )-el-
an a foot. The snake,
ry singular species, the

'tion.

lis is placed in a glass
ements are attentively
several hundreds of the
hen the animal wishes,
readily withdrawn into
with his hundred eyes,
J not told that each eye
I at each hand could b^'
Ills, however, as if each

f^ (If

i I

1]1-:AUTIFUL specimens OV SlARllSll.

(747)

'»

' -. i ■ .

f ■ '

—TT* .--■ ■ ■

• / -. !

748

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

\c<^ of this animal had an independent action, being capable of darting; out
in various directions, as if, like a living lever, it were seeking- the bc^t
fulcrum, to render its highest service to the movement now taking place.

In the possession of a sea-star it is very easy to witness its voracity; for
only let a morsel of fish or of sl moUusk be placed within reach, and thithrr
it will go clasping the prey as soon as it is gained with its rays, and absorb-
ing it into the stomach, to which there is an opening on the other sj.lc.
In the eagerness it thus manifests it fulfills its appointed destiny. It is
one of the scavengers of nature, ordinarily working silently in the deep
waters, devouring, from tide to tide, the ever-accumulating matter, which.
left undisturbed, would destroy every species of life. So strong is the {)re-
dilection of these creatures for garbage, that the angler has frequently
wished they would suspend their vocation, since scarcely has the baited
hook sank to the bottom of the water than he has felt " a bite," only to
find that he has caught a sea-star — a luckless beginning, perhaps, of a
series of disappointments the same in kind.

Oysters SudtU'iily Paralyzed.

Might we suggest a banquet for a party of sea-stars, it should be the
contents of an oyster barrel, without any specification of the spot whore it
was filled. "But how," it may be asked, " can their shells be opened ? In
what way can the resistance of tiie abductor muscles be overcome ?
Where is the oy.ster-knife of the sea-star for the banc^uet you propose?"

And assuredly it is not, as Appian imagined, in one of its rays. The
supposition of the ancients that the sea-star, like a besieging force, took up
a position that would secure the best point of attack, and, seizing the
moment in which the oj'ster unwarily opened, however slightly, the valves
of his shell, thrust in a ray, gradually insinuated its whole body, and so
devoured the assailed — a notion which was also entertained by Bishop
Spratt — ha.-> proved to be utterly fabulous. For, having reached an oyster
by its locomotive power, antl placed itself on its prey, it pours out a para-
lyzing fluid, and instils it between the sheh.-.; as soon as they are open, the
stomach is thrust in, and the captive is devoured, however long his house
may have been his castle.

A sea-star was found clinging round a shell-fish which was pierced
with a hole, through which the creature had inserted a sucker, and this
aperture was attributed to the in\ader. But we have no proof tliat this
animal pos.sesses any boring power. The probability is, therefore, as
Professor Forbes suggests, that the hole was pierced by.a marine worm
and that the sea-star, in this instance, was merely " sounding with its
sucker the prospect of a meal."

apablc of darting out
LTG seeking the best
it now taking place.
:nc.ss its voracil\' ; for
bin reach, and thither
1 its rays, and absorb-
ig on the other si^lc.
jinted destiny. It is

silently in the tlccp
ilating matter, which,

St) strong is the pre-
mgler has frequently
arcely has the baited
felt " a bite," only to
inning, perhaps, of a

:ars, it should be the

n of the spot where it

phells be opened ? In

Liscles be overcome?

[uet you propose?"

one of its rays. The

sieging force, took up

ick, and, seizing the

er slightly, the valves

whole body, and so

itertained by Bisliop

r.g reached an oyster

, it pours out a para-

as they are open, the

wever long his house

1 which was pierced
:d a sucker, and this
ve no proof that this
ility is, therefore, as
d by.a marine worm
" sounding with its

N '1:

■ f

MARVELOUS PLANTS AT THE BOTTOM UE THE OCEAN.

(749)

Hill I

i'^

V I

EARTH, Sr:A AND SKY.

I\)l\-p was a name formerly applied to the three classes ot" radiata, th?
coral animals, jelly-fishes and echinodcrms ; i^ is no^v generally rcstrici-.,!
to the first class, called zoophytes. Polj-ps are radiated animals usii:illv
attached at the base witii a coronet of tentacles above and a ti:)othlcss
mouth at the centre and an inner alimentary cavity, to which the nioiiih

is the only openin^^ They reproduce
by buds or egf^s and posse-;s no special
organs of sense. The Monoxiina
Darwinii, which our illustration repre-
sents, was discovered ami described
by Prof. Ilffickel, of the Uni\-ersity of
Jena. The actinia or .sea anemone is
the type of this class, the different kinds
of actinia and coral i)oU'ps haxin;^^ the
same general shape and structure.
They are of a somewhat oblong fmin
and when clo.sed resemble a truncated
cone. They are fixed by the base and
from the upper part of their bod\- oc-
casionally extend several teniacles,
which are arranged in retjiilar cir-
cles. The mouth is situated at the
top in the centre of the tentacles. They
are capable of \arying their figure, but
when th.eii tentacles are fully expanded,
they have the appearance of full-blnun
flowers. Many of them are of \eiy
beautiful and brilliant color. They
feed on shellfish and other marine ani-
mals, which they draw into their nKiutli
by means of their arms and they eject
tlie shells and other indigestible parts
through the .same opening.

The mouth of these animals is
CURIOUS POLYP. capable of great extension so as to

allow them without injuiy to swallow very large shells. The whole interior
of their body is one civity or stomach. They have the power of proi;res-
sive motion, but this is extremely slow and is said to be performed by
loosing their base from the rock, reversing their body and using their ten-
tacles as legs.

LIKE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SI-..\.

■51

The common sea anemone (actinia) is to be found between tide marks
1,11 rocks under sea weeds or in tidal pools, but throws most luxuriant on
the piles of bridj^^cs. The actinia is the type of tlie sin^de pol^-ps as dis-
tinguished from tlie compound coral polyps.

It is a curious fact that the sea-anemones, of which tlurc is a
great diversity, are like Achilles, invulnerable except in one spot. They
will bear an extraordinary amount of cutting and tearing, if only the
base is kept unlacerated. Exquisite little creatures, torn in two by the
splitting of the stones on which they rested, have displayed each hai"
acting as vigorously as if nothhig had interfered with its integrity. In
tile course of some weeks not a trace was left that they had ever been
wounded. The Abb«' Dicquemare relates that he cut an anemone in
two transversely, when the uppcrportion instantly expanded its tentacles
and began feeding ; in about two months tentacles began to grow from
the cut extremity of the other portion, and thus he obtained two perfect
anemones in the place ot one. How marvelous is the tenacity of
animal life 1

ill

* ^

^?:

Hi.

■WW

!■

CIIAPTICR IX.
EXTRA(3RDINARY TURTLES AND CRUSTACEANS.

riie Grerit Marine Turtle -A Creature Born with Oars and Paddles— Swift .Swim-
mer — Dozing on the Water— Turtles' Nests in the Sand— Curious Younj;stLTs—
Rushing by Instinct for the Sea — Turtle Hunting-Delicious Food— Haunts of
the Green Turtle — Natives Lying in Wait— Human Cruelty — Coriaceous Tur-
tle — The Rony Lobster— Monstrous Pincers — Powerful Weapons — A Propeller
Tail— Shedding tiieOld Crust— Escape from the Prison — New Growth of Sliclis—
The Numerous Crab Family — SingUiar Creatures — The Pea Crab— Hermit
Crab— Looking Around for a New House— Moving into the Nev Dwelling-
Tussle between a .Shrimp and Crab— Where Crabs Abound — Crab .Sentinel
Standing Guard— Casting off Broken Limbs — Horrid Crab of Madagascar-
Sharp Points— .Strange Land Crabs.

HE group of marine turtles has the rstrncture .so mcHlified as to
be well adapted to all the animal's habits. Its limbs are re-
solved into .stronc^ oars and paddles, which it uses with great
dexterity, propelling itself with surprising power and swiftness
— the green and hawk's-bill turtles in particular, — "and," says Audubon,
" remind you by their celerity, and the ease of their motions, of the
progress of a bird in the air."

The food of the green turde consists of marine plants, especially the
sea-wTack; and, like cattle in a meadow, it grazes at the bottom of the
sea, where it can remain for a considerable time, its nostril being furnished
with a valve which closes when in the act of diving; and it is furthermore
sustained by the large extent of its lungs, as also by tlic moderate
demands of a slow circulation. It has sometime^ been seen in tlie act of
floating on the surface of the water, as if indulging in a sleep, sweetly
induced by the gentle undulations of the waves ; and its captors have been
known to take advantage of this habit, by then making their approaches,
to surprise and take their prey before it has time to effect its escape.

The marine turtle inhabits a wide range of the torrid zone, and the
shores of the Floridas, many of the West India Islands, and the Indian
Ocean, the Isle of France, and the Gallapagos, are the places of its most
noted resorts.

We come now to advert more particularly to the most entertaining, the
most curious point, in the history of the marine turtle. The young turtle
comes from an egg which is hatched, not at home in ihe sea, with which
(752)

rustacI':ans.

iiid Paddles — Swift Swim-
id — Curious Youn^sturs—
delicious Food — Haunts of
Cruelty — Coriaceous Tur-
ul Weapons— A Propeller
— New Growth of Shells-
-The Pea Crab— Hermit
into tlie Nev Dwcllin.^;—
; Abound — Crab Sentinel
;d Crab of Madagascar—

:ture so modified as to
)it.s. Its linihs are re-
lich it uses ^vith great
g; power and swiftness
-"and," says Audubon,
their motions, of the

e plants, especially the

:s at the bottom of the

nostril bcimi furnished

; and it is furthermore
dso by the moderate
been seen in tlie act of
ng in a sleep, sweetly
d its captors have been
iking their approaches,
3 effect its escape,
e torrid zone, and the
slands, and the Indian
the places of its most

most entertaining, the

'tic. The young turtle

in ihe sea, with which

NATIVES CAPTirKINt; IMMliNMi GKEKN TURTLES.

•18

(7r)3)

1^ '

754

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

the mother is alHcd both by habit and structure, but on land, which is
quite foreic^n to her nature. She comes out of the ocean, from a very
lonij distance — huncheds of miles even — to search on the shore f(jr a plac-
suitable, not to any individual want of her own, but to the process of
incubatin<^ her eg^s; and, somehow or other, she always happens to liml
those localities which offer all the required conditions. A low, sandy, .mil
solitary beach is the kind of spot she seeks for makin<.j her nest.

To perform this duty, she starts on her vo\-ai;e in the early piivi of thi
summer, traversing; the sea, not individuall)', but collectively, in a nuilti-
tudc; the females being accompanied by the males as far as the precincts
of the land. After sunset, the former leave the water, drag themselves
inland over the beach, make their nests in the sand beyond high-w.itir
mark, lay their eggs in large numbers, and there leave them in chargt; of
the sun, whose fostering influence is said to bring forth the brood ii; ihc
course of from twenty to thirty days. The young turtles appear ^vith
shell unformed, and white as if they had been blanched. At once all
seem to underscand that they are away from home, and their only effort
is to get as quick as possible into the sea, apparentl)' as well acquainted
with the way to it as if they had traversed it a hundred times before.
They enter the ocean of less size than a dollar, and no more are they seen
out of it until a weight of four or five hundred pounds has been attained:
but how long such a size requires, and where all that time is spent, aiv
questions that will not be easily answered.

Cute l)«'vice for Hiding' I'^ffjJTS.

According to Sir J. K. Tennent, and no doubt he is correct, the turtle
forms a curve in going to and from the sea, as if seemingly aware that
such a direction was the one most likely to deceive the depredator. Aii
opportunity is afforded on the .sea-shore of Ceylon for observin;; a
remrukable illustration of instinct in the turtle, when about to dc[)()sit its
eggs. As if conscious that if she went and returned by one and the same
line; across the sandy beach, her hiding-place would be discovered at it^
farthest e.Ktrem'ty, she resorts to the expedient of curving her course, so
as to regain the sea by the different track ; and after depositing her egi:;s.
burying them about eighteen inches deep, she carefully smoothes ovei
the surface to render tiie precise spot indiscernible. The Singhalese,
aware of this device, sound the line of her march with a rod till they
come upon the concealed nest.

Though previously timid and suspicious, yet during the time of lay-
ing her egg-i the turtle may be approached and even mounted ; still, for
all that, she remains unaffrightcd and immovable.

It on land, whicli is
c ocean, from a \Liy
t the sh< >fc for a i)laco
at to the process of
^vays happens to find
s. Alo\v,santly,anil
iiiLj her nest.
\ the early part ( if ihi
;)llectively, in a nuilti-
as far as the precincts
•ater, drat; themselves
id beyond hit,di-\vater
;ave them in chari^c of
forth the brood ir. ihc
ng turtles appear with
latiched. At once all
ic, and their only eHovt
nitly as well acquainted

hundred times before.
1 no more arc they seen
tmds has been attained;

that time is spent, arc

he is correct, the turtle
if seemingly aware thai

c the depredator. An
:,eylon for observin- a
jicn about to deposit its

ed l)y one aiKl the same
luld be discovered at it>
curving her course, so
Ifter depositing her eg-^^.
Carefully smoothes ovci

lible. The Singhalese,

Ich with a rod till they

[during the time of lay-
Ivcn mounted; still, for

EXl.vAORDINARV TURTLES AND CKUSTKACK ANS.

< o-t

Persons who search for turtles' eggs are provided with a light stiff
cane, or a gunrod, with which they go along the shores probing the sand
near the tracks of these animals, which, however, cannot always be seen,
on account of the winds and heavy rains that otten obliterate them, 1 he
ne.sts are discovered not only by men, but also by beasts of prey, and the
eggs are collected or destroyed on the spot in great numbers, as on
certain parts of the shores iumdreds of turtles are known to deposit their
eggs within the space of a mile. They form a new liole each time they

lay, and the sec-
ond is generally
dug near the first,
as if tlic animal
were quite uncon-
scious of what
had befallen it.

It will readily
be u n d c r s t o o d
that the nunKrous
eggs seen in a
turtle on cutting
it up could not be
all laid the same
season. The
whole number de-
posited by an in-
dividual in one
s u m m e r m a y
amount to four
hundred, whereas,
CORIACEOUS TURTi.F.. if the animal is

cauL;lit on or near her nest, the remaining eggs, all small, without
shells, and as it were threaded like so many large beads, exceed three
thousand. In an instance where that number was found, the turtle
weighed nearly four hundred pounds. The young soon after being
hatched, scratch their way through their sandy covering, and inmiediately
betake themselves to the water.

The green turtle sometimes attains a length of five to six feet
and a weight of 500 to 600 pounds. It received its name from
the color of the delicious fat, which enriches the soups and other
dishes of turtle. It is abundant in the tropical waters of the torrid

HI-

l!..j

750

i;.\UTll, .Si:.\, AM' SKY.

7i:

zone, whence i^reat miinbers are exported alivt- to llie Northern States
anil ICuroinr.

As the turtles find constant abunilancc of food, the\- have no oe^.■a^i()Il
to (niarrel with animals of tiieir own kind. The)' (lock peaceabl)- {<>■
L;cther, hut the\' do not seem to have any kind of associations, like many
other hcTilini; anin.uls. Tlu- les^s of <^reen turtles l)i:ar so j^reat a rL'stinh-
lame to Tins, as to al'fcn-ci them little service, i-xcc-])! in swiInmin;^^

The old females, notwithstaiulinLj the\' only eonu- on shore in tile iii^lit,
in order to de[)osit their et;<^s, are often caught !>>■ the natives, who arc in
waiting;- about their haunts and who either kill them b\- t>lows w ith a ( hib
orturn them over . v.,., ,^,v; ,;.<_>.

on their backs.
It sometimes re-
([uires the efforts
of several men, to
turn one of them
o\iT ,ini\ then

:-\

K7. <*'

they must em- - ■ Ui^^"^' -^■:%..-
plo\- luuKJspikes
or poles lor that
p u rposo. The '
back- shell in this
species is so llat
as to render it
impossible lor the .;^
animal to recover
its pro])er posi-
tion when once
it is thrown upon
its back. i-.Diin.E tukii-k.

The coriaceous tmtle, is (lislin;jjiiished from the rest, as its name iiii|)]ic>
b}' the peculiar nature of its shell, which consists of a coriaceous or leather}'
.substance, checked o\e!- itsentire surfaci^ b)-numerous hcxai;onalan(l[)enta-
j>-onal niarkini;s, which, however. are so lio'htls'traced as in nowise to impair
the ;j;eneral smoothness. I-'ix-e stront:ijly prominent ritlt^es tra\ersc tlu'
whole lenc^th of this leather)- cuirass, and there is no imder or thoraic shell.
The color is a dusk\' brown, jialer on the inferior parts. The tail is short,
and sharply pointed; a stron;^- leathery skin covers the lar^cje, loni; Ici^s;
the head is larg^e, and the u]-)per mandible so sin_L;^ularly notched at the tip
that it resembles two larL""e teeth.

"^ ' ^:^ii:;^S^

B p

.he iNorthorn Slates

j\- liavc no occaMnn
llock pcaccabls t"-
.ociations, liki- in.my
ir st> <j^rcat a ivsnnli-
1 s\vilnn\in'^^
,n sht'iv in tlK- ni-ht.
ic natives, who aiv in
by l>lo\vs with a club

'iy^ -

.-*. r-^'r—

■m'

-t, as its name iin|)lio

coriaceous

or leathery

hexagonal and pcnta-

ll as in nowise to impair

In rid-a's traverse

the

der or tlvrai

c -^lici

Its. The tail is short,

the larjge

loncf Ic

•Iv notched at the tip

} i i

fi'l'?

1 J '

^^r *

i ipi t*

' ' ii

1^ !• t

1 :v
"1,1 ■

fo8

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

This species of turtle inhabits the Meclitci-ranean,and has been found at
times on the French and I uighsli coasts. It occasionally wanders as far as
the shores of South America and Africa. Some individuals measure seven
and eight feet in lenj^th, and weigh a thousand pounds.

The edible or green turtle's one of the largest of the genus, measurin"-
above six feet in length, and weighing from five to six hundred pounds.
Its shell consists of thirteen dorsal segments or divisions, surrounded by
twenty-five marginal pieces, and its form is somewhat heart-shaped, or
like the shield worn by mediaeval soldiers. Its color is a dark brown.

The Bony Lobster.

This is an example of a genus of crustaceans, remarkable for tlicir
long tails and tremendous claws. It is found in the greatest abundance
on our coasts, in clear water of no very great depth, at the time of de-
positing its eggs, about the middle of summer. The head and thorax of
this creature are blended, as in the scorpion, into one portion, which is
covered by a dorsal shield or carapace above, and below by a narrow
plastron, to the sidej of which the legs are attached. The first pair of
limbs are remarkably developed, possessing great power ; and the last
joint consists of large pincers, acted upon by voluminous muscles, and
capable of inflicting severe injury. The two pairs of pincers differ in
form and use. The left hand pair have their opposing edges firmly
dentatod, and are employed in seizing and cutting the prey. The right
hand pair seem destined for holding, anchor-like, on any fixed objects,
and thus mooring the animal amidst the dashing of the tempest-tossed
waters. Of the four succeeding limbs on each side, the first two end in
small pincers ; the rest are simply pointed.

Along the under surface of the tail are what are called false feet. Of
these there are five pairs. These false feet assist, perhaps, in swimming;
and in the case of the female, are of use in enabling her to affix the eggs
or spawn, by means of a glutinous fluid, to the undc surface of the
abdomen. In the lobster, and other species of the group, the tail is the
great organ of locomotion, and hence the extraordinary development of
the muscles composing its internal structure.

Gettiii,n a New Dress.

Clad in hard, unyielding ai'mor, to which, when once formed, no aikii-
tion, by way of growth, can possibly be made, a lobster changes its cal-
careous investment at certain intervals, until it is fully mature. Nay more,
the covering of the eyes, the cornea, the lining membrane of the stomach,
with the teeth, and also the semi-tendinous expansions to which the mus-
cles of the claws are attached, are all periodically thrown off. It is only

EXTRAORDINARY TURTLES AND CRUSTACEANS.

r)9

when released from their armor tliat tlicse animals increase. The soft
body, liberated from its close imprisonment, suddenly pushes forth its
<rro\vth ; the vital eneri^ies are, as it were, summoned to the task of en-
lar'nng the frame, and a new investment is acquired, to be aL;ain cast off
at the appointed period.

(^nc of these changes is described by Couch. Tlv^ manner in which
the lob.ster escaped was not to be mistaken. Throut^h the middle of the
carapace, or coat of mail, ran a line as straii^ht as if it had been cut by a
knife; and evidently formed by a natural process of separation, for it even
proceeded throut^h the centre of the snout to the terminal pointed process,
at the root of which it turned off on the ris^ht side ; so that the least ef-
fort of the animal was sufficient to afford it a passage.

Sometimes lobsters throw off their claws in consequence of fright, and
often they will hold on to an object till the claws are tc^rn off. To some
extent these lost parts are reproduced. They are very acti\e in the water,
and can spring to a considerable distance ; they feed chiefly at night.
They are voracious, and eat any animal matter that comes in their way.
Immense numbers of the European lobster are taken, but the means of
increase are abimdant, twelve thousand four hundred and forty-four eggs
havin"" been founil under the tail of a single female. The common
American lobster, abundant on our coasts from New Jersey northward, is
used in very brge quantities; it is nearly twice the size of the common
l-jiropcan species, weighing from two to thirty-five pounds ; the av:;rage
\veii(ht, however, being four pounds.

The fl resit Shore Crab.
This crustace-ui may frequently be met with. The French, who arc as
familiar with it as we are. call it very properly le cnibc ciiragC' ; for only
attempt to touch it, and it will run along the sand, greatly excited. Seize
it before it can succeed in burying itself, its claws become defiant, it will
tr\-->>';th all its might to seize and pinch the fingers in whicli it is held ;
and if it has no other resource, will leave )-ou grasping a claw or claws,
and make off as if it suffered no pain. Any or all of these legs may be
thrown off on the suffering of injury, but not with ecjual facility in all the
species; for in some, as in the conmion crab, if they be crushed or broken
without great violence, they arc sometimes retained, and the crab will in
no longtime bleed to death. To save the crab the fishermen proceed to
twist off the limb at the proper joint, or give it a smart blow, when it is
rejected ; and in either case the bleeding is stopped.

According to Couch, casting the shell of the common crab takes
{)lace by a seperation of the dorsal from the lower part of the carapace.

'! i:

if"*!

iiii

i t
I

}

I^H^'

(700)

EXTRAORDINARY TURTLIIS AND CRrSTACIlAXS.

■01

the animal lyini^ on its back during;- the i)niccss. Prior to this in tlie crab,
.md probably in the lobster and others, the llcsliy contents of the linib-
cascs shrink very considerably ; otherwise, tli ilesh could not be extri-
cated, for it does not appear that their shells are fissured. The newly ex-
tricated crab — not unlike a lump of dough inclosed in membrane — has, at
first, strenLjth to crawl to some hole as a place of safety; there it absorbs
as much fluid as will distend its ori;ans and their connnon covcrin<'-, now
flexible as \'el\'e-t, to the full extent of tlieir capacity. Thus the deposi-
tion is made of the calcareous crust, accordini; to the iiewly-acnuired bulk
of the animal, which is proportionately the most increaseil in the vouuL'est
individuals.

The Vvii C'lab.

The pea crab is another curious creature, ver)- commonlv found in the
common mussel, and especialK' in those taken from rather tleep water.
"On one occasion," says liell, " T dred;_^ed i^reat numbers of these mol-
lusca on the coast of Dorset, and found by fai- the greater number of
tlu-in witli one or two of these little soft-bodied crabs within their shells;
for the females are much more comnKjn than the males. The latter .sex I
have occasifMially taken a[)art from the mussel-shells; the former ne\er.
The\- also occasionally inhabit the common cockU-, in which 1 have now
and then found them, as \\ell as very rareh' in the oyster." The velvet
crabs, so called from the \elvety substance with which the shells are cov-
ered, and which extends e\en to the limbs of the animal, are ainoni^ the
most beautiful in appearance. The\- are of a redtlish color, tinL;e{I with
blue. One ofthem,\ery conunonly found, has colors remark>-i!)l\ bright;
it is about two inches and a-half Ioul;', and much esteemed for footl.

The IF«Miuit Crab.

The hermit crabs ha\e the whole hinder part of the bod\- covered with
a coriaceous membrane, instead of a hard, calcareous armor. .Apart, tlum,
from special defence, how could they escape beinir bruised and broken
among the rough .stones of a rocky beach, when a rolling tide- lashes the
shore, or becoming an easy pre\- to their iMiemies? lUit instin.t sup[)lies
all that is retiuired. The hermit crab selects an empty turbinate shell
fitted to its size, when, introducing its l;ul, it retreats backwards, and in
the recesses of its apiM-opriated dwelling llnd-; security. It is onl_\- the
right of one of its [lincer claws that is largel}- de\-eloped, and with this it
both shuts and guards the entrance to its home, the caudal paddle of
other creatures being unnecessary in this instance. It is changed, in fact,
into a sort of anchor, by which the hermit crab retains a firm attachm :nt
to the bottom of his dwelling. I lere secure, he peers out in quest of prey ;

!■'■

,.^

;

■i'l

1
i

P4 'I '1- 1>

fill, 1

i-'

i..:ii.

^SBi

7(i2

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

and, carrying his castle with him, may be seen, often with otliers, enjoyin<T
his repast.

UnHke the univalve or bivalve, which enlarges its dwelling on increas-
ing its size, the hermit crab, when grown too large for its dwelling, s-cks
and finds a more spacious tenement. In no race of beings is such a
practice known as this. Peculiar, however, as is their sagacity, one
species is specially remarkable for forming so intimate an attachment to
the cloak anemone, that the latter being fastened to the hermit crab's

shelljtheir mouths
are so combined
that they always
feed together, ac-
cording most
where many other
creatures would
least agree. On a
change of dwell-
ing, the hermit
crab has been seen
anxiouslytransfcr-
ring his friend to
his new abode,
and even pressing
him down with a
claw to complete
his adherence;
and another has
been beheld fail-
ing to do so, after
many efforts, and
sooner than give

THE AMERICAN GIANT-CRAB.

up his friend, returning to endure the inconveniences of his old dwelling.
Of the crustaceans, however, there is an endless variety; and we give
an amusing instance of the green crab's fox-like craft, as related by Qua-
trcfages; One day I threw a large arenicola (lug-worm) into a pool of
water several feet in extent. A troop of little shrimps, which were
sedately enjoying themselves in the clear element, dispersed in alarm,
startled by the noise made by the fall of this strange body, but, rccoxci-
ing themselves in a moment, they rallied, and, while the annelid was
endeavoring to bury itself in the sand, one of the youngest, and con-

ith others, enjoying

iwclling on increas-
r its dwelling, s<cks
)f beings is such a
their sagacity, one
te an attachment to
the hermit crab's
shelljtheir mouths
are so combined
that they alw.iys
feed together, ac-
cording most
where many other
•- creatures would
-- least agree. On a
^ change of dwell-
ing, the hermit
-:. crabhas been seen
anxiouslytransfer-
ring his friend to
his new abode,
and even pressing
, him down with a
claw to complete
his adherence;
and another h.is
been beheld fail-
ing to do so, after
many efforts, and
sooner than give
of his old dwelling.
ariety ; and we give
ft, as related by Qua-
[vorm) into a pool of
hrimps, which were
I, dispersed in alarm,
e body, but, recover-
ile the annelid was
youngest, and con-

EXTRAORDINARY TURTLES AND CRUSTACEANS.

763

l^-

sequently the most venturesome of the party, seized the creature by the
middle of its body.

Emboldened by this example, the others lost no time in imitating it,
and the poor arenicola was pulled about in all directions, until a full-
crrown shrimp, darting from behind a tuft of corallines, dispersed his
fecoler comrades, and appropriated the booty to himself I soon saw,
however, that he would be compelled to divide the spoil, for at that very
instant there poured forth from the moving sand some scores of small
creatures, which, conscious that a victim was at hand, wished to partici-
pate in the feast. Without any sign of uncertainty or hesitation, they
moved straight
forward towards
the arenicola,
^rhose body was
covered in the
twinkling of an
eye with those vo-
racious mollusks.
I thought his fate
definitely settled,
w h e n a small
shore-crab issued
from beneath a
stone, put to flight
the shrimp, and, by
dragging off the
arenicola, very
ncarl}- up.set all

the others, which forthwith hurried back to their sandy haunts. Then,
however, a large edible crab appeared on the scene, and the poor
little crab was obliged, in his turn, to beat a retreat, in order to
escape out of reach of the formidable pincers of his stronger kinsman.
P)Ut he still kept a watchful eye over the dainty morsel which he had
tasted, and, taking advantage of a moment when the larger crab was • .tii-
drawing from the field, from some temporary emotion of alarm, he rapidly
.seized the long-disputed arenicola, and carried it for safety to some dis-
tance from the water's edge, where he might devour it at his ease on dry
land.

I'lu: crab of most importance as an article of food on the Atlantic and
vGulf Coast of the United States is the blue crab. This is one of the

GKK.XT CR.A.H OF MADAGASCAR.

1 '

'■-lit

70 J

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

swimming species, and is found especially in estuaries and brackish
waters from Cape Cod to the Gulf of Mexico. Other specie^-- of tJK- same
cla^s, found in the West Indies, antl on both coasts of Central and Si.Mtli
America, are extensively used for food. The rock-crabs are sonictinies
sold in New England, and similar .species are conmion in California, whlK'
another species is much used on the coasts of luirope.

When the claw of a crab is brui.sed it bleeds, and the animal .sccnis Id
suffer much pain. For a while it moves it from side to side, and tiKii
holding it stead)' in one direct position, the claw all of a sudtlen gi\\.> a
sudden crack, and the wounded part drops off; not at th.e joint, but in the
.smoothest '^'irt of the limb. Crabs frequently have serious fighis bv nu an-
of their ^r-'ai 'lav.s,with which thev break or cut off their adver-ar\ \s k'-s

The American crab, with its enormous claws, is about a foot and a lialf
in length. But its appearance is not so terrifying as that of the partlunopc
liorrido \ a crab frequently met with on the shores of the islands of Ri'uii-
ion, Madagascar, aiid the Mauritius. Its whole body, its claws and nippci>,
bri.stle with hard, long, sharp, and menacing joints. The figure given in
our text is a reduced copy from an illustration in Milne-Edward's valuable
moncgraph on the crustaceans of Reunion.

I '-I

CHAPTER X.
MOLLUSKS WITH IM'CULIAR SHICLLS.

A Choice Mintial Substance— Material for Ocean Bnikiers— -'See wliat a l.ovtly
Sliell "— Rare Mollusks— Tlie Young Guarded— K(i)ulsive Creatines in lieauii-
ful Dwellings— The Sea-shore a Great School of Instrnctiuu— Curious IVarl
Oyster— Helmet Shells— Cone Siiells— Gorgeous Hues— Interesting Hivalves —
Scallop Shell— Ornament of rilgriins— Silken " Ryssus "— Stran.i;e Material for
I'abrics— Treasures of tlie I'earl Oyster— F"ond!Uss of the Ancients for a Gem-
Shakespeare on the Orient Pearl— Immense Wealth of Ceylon— Pearl Fishing
by Cingalese— Picturesque Spectacle— Firing a Cannon at Day-break— Ropes,
Knives, and Stones— Three Sieves— I'^orm and Color— Pearls of Fvery Hue-
AUusion of the Historian Tacitus— Origin of Pearls— Emerald l->inges— Marvels
of Old Oceans Bed.

HERE is a certain material spread throu.t,diout nature in pro-

^ ISk ^'ifjious abundance; the result of tlie combination of cari)onic

ac'd with Hme, and which, according to the rules of chemical

nomenclature, is scientifically known as carbonate of lime. This

substance plays a most important part in the mineral kinc>;doin, and under

the different forms which it assumes constitutes for man one of those

sources of wealth he appreciates so much the less because they are indis-

pcnsai^le to him, and therefore bestowed b}' nature willi a lavish hand.

What is carbonate of lime? Why, it is marl — it is chalk — it is l)uildim;-

stcne — it is also alabaster and marble. It is that of which Tennwson sings

in these lines :

See wiiat a lovely sliell,

.Small and pure as pearl,

Lying close to my foot,

Frail, but a work divine, • h

Made so fairily well,

With delicate spire anil whorl,

How e.xfiuisitely minute,

A miracle of design !

In the animal kingc'^m, the same substance absorbed, elaborated, and

secreted by those myriads of seen and unseen workmen of which we

have already spoken, becomes for them, too, as for us, the matter

with which they btiild and fashion their asylun?, their habitation. Car-

b(Miate of lime is the outer coat of those innumerable creatures which

ha\e aided in building up our capital cities; it is the pol\-pid of the zoo-

[)liyte, the armor of the crustacean, the house of the moUusk ; it is those

beautiful shells of all dimensions, of such varied forms, such \-ivid colors,

i')

7G(J

EARTH. SKA, AND SKY.

with sucl. da.zlinnr reflections, uliich we justly pri.c as the admiral.l
masterp,eces of the innnitable artist ; it is motha-Upeari ; l^l^^^^':,

#Vii;"i;'Jif;::;.:'ii:,r;'i;i

*;'

II.T,l''':i!':,;|j,<v,i J',; :,:'^,-^

'11

i i:i

jiiji.i > m'

f' .

'ill ■ , 1 lifln

'■|liili.r:!i

5ii''i

III-, n

'i'i'iii'''|lr"'

:.:.,:■. ,1,1 ; I

Itself; sung by poets, and ranked Pmong the most precious gems

I he mollusks would be at once delivered up defenceless to the snares

ri/-c as the adniirabk-
f-pcarl ; it is tlu.- pcail

■ 1' ,'IK .i
k 1 ailjlLL.'

1)1' '

IC.

is ^

V //. ■

3G£i'

■yi'

IK''

i^.

rSl'

t^lv/

Hbv

^Bv^i

llt)

/-,

R»?'

HL>',:'

->-

J*p||''lii

brccious gems.
icnceless to the snares

MOLLIJSKS WITH PECULIAR SHKI-LS.

roT

of their enemies, if nature had not endowed theiu with the marvchius
faculty of constructing;' a soHd enveh)pnient, which serves tliem instead of
,1 skelet j.i, since their muscles adhere to it, and in which they can shut
tl:cmselves up as in a fortress. Only a very small number possess, as a
substitute, either a kind of internal shell, or an exceptional vi<4-or and de-
velopment of their aj)paratus of locomotion, attack, and ilefence. Nearly
all live entirely in tiieir shells, and perish immediately thev an.' tleprived of
thiin. In some cases they are not born with the shell, but no sooner luue
ihcy cmeri^ed " --

tioni the egg than
the calcareous se-
cretion begins,
and in a few mo-
ments accjuires
sufficient consis-
tenc\' to protect
the young animal.
The reader will
perceive that in
the study of so
vast a science it is
impossible tor us
to engage our- -r^^^^j^-^?^
selves, and that we ;.^- '
must be contented -^
with rapid glances
at? feu- of its more -'"
remarkable points.
But, undoubtedly,
the most interest-
in;vfeatureofthese ^^ke specimens of m.u.hsks.

mollusks. for him who does not pretend to arm himself uith microscope
and scalpel to examine minutely their anatomy and the functions of their
organs, is their shells ; graceful and attracti\-e works, whose rich and
diverse tints, and elegant forms, contrast so singularly with what we must
acknowledge to be the disagreeable aspect of the beings which pnnluce
them. An aspect which in very few cases justifies the delicate fancies of

the poet :

The tuiy cell is fodorn,

Void of the little livini; will

That made it stir on the shore.

t I I

• t ; ■

»^

7i>H

KARTII, SI'A AND SKV

rfl

Hid lie stand at tli"; diamond door
< )!" Ills houst^ in a rainbow ("rill ?
I )id lie pusii, when lie was unrurled,
A jjoldcn toot -n a fairy horn
Thronj^b h'^ " water-world?

liut of wliat value would be cription, necessarily dry, inconiplote,

and inexact, \\here only the ni(jst ski! Till and artistic brush or pencil tan

h()])e to Ljive the faintest realization of the truth? To fully appreciitc

such objects, and their rare and subtle art, we must sec them, must att( n-

tively in\esti;^atr

their infinite de-
tails, not one (if
which should es-
cape our notice.
Thisi)leasant ta--k
we recomnienil to
the reader ; it is
one which he can
. -j^r-^'X^rc^ casiK- take upon
^^if'r^^wVil-'''^^ himself, as e\ er\-
£'il>^.4":^S'i-.r!l inch of sea-shore
£-t • is rich in subjects
for study, and he
may also obtain
^'Jf:0'^_ ' access to our j^reat
Ji-0^^ public collecti'in-^.
'Jfl#^ The wealth of
-— our seas, however,
may not be com-
pared to that
of the tropical
'ocean. It is from

the latter only we obtain tlie gigantic fridacnas, some of which
weigh five hundred jjounds, and are used in Catholic churches as
receptacles of the holy water; while the Polynesian islanders convert
tliem into mattocks and other tools. There is also the great triton,
from one to two feet long, which serves the savage for a martial
horn ; the apex of the spire beintr perforated, a rude music is produced
by blowing through the aperture. Other shells are converted into snuff
boxes. The nautili, with their pearly secretions are polished and
inounted in beautiful opaline vases. We have also the mother-of-pearl

MADKEPOKF', ATTACHEn TO A MOTMF.K-OK-PEARI. OV.STEK*

.f4H

MOLLUSKS WITH I'FCl'IJAk SHKI.I.S.

7<;!)

led.

larily dry, incompleU;,

ic brush or pencil cati

To fully api)ruci:itc

sec them, must attt n-

tively investigate

their infinite (k-

tails, not one i>{

which should is-

cape our notice.

ThispleasanttaA-

, we recommend [i>

S^ the reader; it is

£K one which he can

fc^-r\ easilv take upon

^^^\

l-iVi'v himself, as e\erv

iji^V; inch of sea-shme
pi- ' is rich in subjects
P for study, and he
may also obtain
<;--' access to ourL^reat
^ ])ublic collectii.iis.
^% The wealth of
f~.- our seas, however,
may not be com-
pared to that
of the tropical
ocean. It is from
mas, some of which
Catholic churches as
si an islanders convert
also the great triton,
savage for a marti;il
ide music is produced
e converted into snuff
s are polished and
o the mother-of-pearl

iTER-

oyster, and the ear-shells distingui.><hed by the pearly jridcscence of the
interior surface. Then there is a pearl oyster containing the beautiful
andcostly substance called mother-of pearl ; besides other shells of all
forms and sizes, whose enumeration alone would oecupy many pages.
Mention must be made of the great helmet-shells, characterized by the
tri ini,'ular disk of the inner lip, and by the angulated outer lip — these
shells are finely sculptured by Italian artists in imitation of antique
ranieos; therichly-

,:olored olivas of _--i^SI:P?®L

tropical coasts; the
coni with thick-
shells rolled up, as
ji were, in the form
oi a cone, all very
elei^ant in shape,
and of glowing
hues, and innumer-
able small ocean
gems, so finely
wrought that no
lapidary can imitate
them, and that the
e\esei/cs but slow-
ly all their perfec-
tions.

."Shells may be
di\ided into three
j^reat classes, — the

nni\al\es, bivaKes, ■.--:■..■ ..^■■■■v^

and multi\-alves. '• — iii:lmet .siikli. oi- m.m).\(;,\>c.\r. 2. — si'inv kock

The former con- 3.— s.\ni>i.i: shki.l.

sists of a single vaK'e or piece, which almost al\va\'s affects a nion
or less niodified spiral form. Nearlx* all the most beautiful shells
belong to this class. We must except, however, the tridacnas, which
are bi\alves, that is, formed of two symmetrical halves conforming
accurately to one another. The most edible shell-fish, such as the com-
mon oyster, the pecten, or scallop-shell, worn by ])ilgrims who had visited
the shrine of St. James in the IIol}' Land, the hi[)popus (or horse's foot,
whose undulating edge, radiated fluted columns, and variegated coloring,
command general admiration), the mussel, and others, are likewi.se bivalves.
49

ifi

m s

770

KAKTH. SKA, AND SKY.

F«^1

1.;

■A

^^L__

-^' mM''

The or^aii which secretes the calcareous matter comiM)sin;^r the simple
double, or multiple shell, is called the mantle, because the animal (.;,ii
conceal within it, by contraction, most of its other organs. A.l tlK in,,!-
hisks have a mantle ; but in some — like the cuttle — it only secretes a

kind ol internal shell, anil in others — the polypus, for example it i>

wholly inactive. AmonLj all the conchiferou.s mollusks, the al^c of th,
mantle remains invariabK' free and mobile. (^iMtain univalve mdlUisks

form the opeiriii^
of IJieir lial)ita-
tion with a Kind
of horny li.l ,„•
cover, calcarciius
and compact.

The mantic df
ace[)halous hi-
\alves produces
anumberofsilkv
filaments drsi'r.

natedtliel)\ssus,
by which the
shell is attached
to rocks or other
marine bodies.
The byssus of
certain mollusks
consists of ele-
ments of _t,n-eatt'r
or less leni^tli:
but that of the
winL:^-sh(dl, i^ es-
pecially leiiiark-
able for itsabmi-

I. — iu>:aks i'aw clam. 2. — shei.i. with ins.sus.

3. FUSUS LONGISSIMUS.

dance, its fineness, its brilliancy and softness, almo.st approaching^ in the-!'
qualities to woven silks. The filaments arc extremely strong, and the
color, a reddish brown, never fades. The ancients fabricated a sort 0!
stuff from these filaments ; and in Sicily they are still sometimes niami-
factured into gloves and other articles of dress.

In Italy, it is made into various articles; and there are few museums
without a glove or a stocking woven out of this substance. Some stock
ings of this silk were presented in 1754 to Pope Ben'^dict XIV. In the

!''

MOI.l.LJSKS WITH I'lX I LIAR Sill. I. IS.

r)mposin;4 the simple,
iiisc the aiiiniiil can
rt:;ans. A. I iIk im.l-
Ic — it only .secretes a
s, for example — it is
jsks, the cd'j^c of thi
in univalve- nidlUi.sks
form tlicopeniuL;
of llieir li;il)ita-
tion with a kind
of horny lid nr
cover, calcareous
' and compait.

The mantle of
^if' acephalous hi-
«^i valves priidiu-cs
a number of silky
filaments desi<^-
I natedthel)\-ssus,
')^ by which the
^^ shell is attached
■ , to rocks or other
■il? marine bodies.
^'■^ The byssus of
-r- certain niollusks
r consists of ele-
ments of i;re;ite:-
CM- less lcn;.^nh;
but that of the
win'j::-shell,is es-
pecially remark-
able for its abun-
st approaching in the?c
remely strong, and the
Its fabricated a sort ol
still sometimes mami-

there are few museums
ubstancc. Some stock
Be-'^dict XIV. In the

;us.

great exhibitions <.f late years, a lar^o nnmlKr of article-^ have been cx-
I'.ibited, manufactured from this substance, as -.veil as specimens of the silk
for making u[).

IN'Uil Oystrrs and 'I'ludr Tr«':iMin>s.

The passion for pearls was at its height alxuii the period when Roman
freedom was extinguished, and in the imperial city jxarls were \alued as
highly as precious stones. A pearl, irlebi.ited in I'liny'^ time, was bought
by Tavenier for $50,000. In .\sia this taste was of more ancient date, nor
has it ever declined. A string of jjearls of the largest si/e is an indispen-
sable part of an I'.asttrn monarcii's decorations. It was thiK that 'I'ippoo
was ad(jrned when he fell before the gates of his capital ; ami the rulers
of Persia iiave for ages been similarly decorated. Shakespeare gives us
the following collocpi}':

CUopatra. — How goes it with my In.ive Antony?

/f /f r<75.— Last thlti^ lie did, dear c|iiceti,
He kiss'd— tlif last of many doubled kisses —
This <irient pearl ; — his s|)eeeh sticks in my iieari.

Clfopatra.—^WwG ear must pluck it ll)ti"-e.

Alexas.— '■ Godd friend," >|Uoth he,

" Say, the firm Roman to .i;reat Iv-cypt sends
Tliis treasure of an oyster."

The pearl oysters, like those with which we are familiar, lie in banks, at
[greater or less depths in the .sea. Such banks, for exami)le, occur on ilie
we-.tern side of the island of Ceylon, about fifteen miles from the .siiore,
where their average de[)th is about twelve fathoms. Here the greatest <it
all pearl fisheries has been carried on for many centuries. The\' seem
alwaj's to ha\'e been considered the property < if the king or kings of Ce\lon ;
but since the occupation of the island by the British, the [)rivilege of frill-
ing on them has been sold sometimes by auction, the sales being made only
for one season.

The pearl fishery alwa}'s begins in the month of A[)r;l, because the sea
has then a beautiful tranquilit)' ; and is generally continued to the middle
or end of May. It attracts to the coast not only a multitude of the Cinga-
lese, but the crowds of speculators from all parts of the vast Indian penin-
sula, who.se variety of language, costume and manners is described as very
striking and pleasing. On the eve of the fishery there is a curiou.s and
picturesque spectacle.

The signal for beginning the fishing is given at day-break by the dis-
charge of a cannon ; on which a countless fleet of boats, that have started
for the shore at midnight, and, favored by a land breeze, have reached the
oyster banks before dawn, cast anchor in the respective parts for which

\ \i 1 !

..I

''' i

(If*

'"If

4'»

•»

i
i

i ''I I, r«li ■

r fffpf

772

EARTH, SKA, AND SKY.

their owners have contracted, or at wliich they arc appointed to work
Inspectors are in attendance to prevent any irre;4ularity in these respects.
Tiiat they may descend throui;h the water with greater rapidity to th.c
bank round w hich the oysters are chistered, the divers jilace tiieir feet oii
a stone attached to the end of a rope, the other end of which is made fast
to the boat; they carry witli them another rope, the extremity of wiiicli is
lield by two men in tne boat, wliilst to the U)wer part that descends w uh
the diver, there is fastened a net or basket, livery diver is also proviiled
witli a stroni; knife to detach tlie oysters, or to serve liim as a defensive

@i^^?t*^ >-\'-V^ }4-^i-4: -

SHELL WITH BEAUTIFUL PEARLS,

weapon if he should he attacked by a sliark". On touchin^^- the prround,
they feather the oysters with all possible speed, and. havino- filled their net
or basket, they quit their hold of the rope with the stone, pull that which
is held by the sailors in the boat, and ra])idl>- ascend to the surface of
the sea.

Pearls of an inferior description are formed in a fresh- water bivalve, It
is probable that pearls from this sc^urcc, collected b>' th.e ancient Rriton.s,
may have given ri.se to the statement by Tacitus in liis " Life of Agricola."
of pearls, '' not very orient, but jxde and wan," being among the indii^^c-
nous products of Great Ih'itaiiL

.MOLI.IJSKS WITH I'ECLM.IAR SIII'.I.I.S.

773

The orii^n'n of pearls lia^ led to nuicli discussion, but it should he remem-
bered that the instinct of eve'ty shell-duelKT is prepared to meet all the
cxiL;'encie.s of its bein;^. Ho\ve\er rouL^h and ruL^i^ed be the exterior of
its abode — Ljradually adapter I to its <^ro\\ th — the interioi- is in\ ariabl\- made
exquisitel}' smooth, and often hi;4hly irideseeiU. Ar.d should some i;rain
of sand or other substance I'liler its dwellin;^, and be likely to irritate its
tt'nder body, it wraps it up in the iridescent substance which it secretes at
pleasure, and chan,L,^es it into a ])earl !

In our sea-side walks, wi- may often see —

Riieks, roiit;h with linii)ets aiul l)ro\vn 1,ui,l;1" wred,
Jut lure ami tlure — wliilst on tlie sturdy clilf
Its (•;il)le sure the crafty mussel spins,
basiling- itself fur safety to the rock.

Here ami tiiere,
Si)eckletl with slaty spots of };reen, that l(.!l
Wliere 'n(;ath their enieraUl frint^es cockles hiile,
Slrani^e shells, tiie marvels of okl ocean's bed,
Are strewed around. I lave they been always iiere''
Or came tluy hither from far distant sliores,
Unwilling, captives of careerin;^ waves?

1 1

>i touching the cjroinvl,
id. havini;- filled their nd
le stone, puU that which
ascend to the surface (if

a fresh-\\atcr bivalve. It
I by the ancient Britons,
inhis"Lifcof Agricola."
vr anion cj the indii;c'

<i--v^

CHAPTKR XI.

SHIPWRECKS AND OCEAN ADVENTURES.

'i) :h

'1 lie Ilenefits of tlie Ocean very Costly — A Devotiriiij^ Moloch — Hmnan Victims
and Horrible Gifts — Rich Cargoes Swallowed Up — Innumerable Human Vic-
tims—Ships on Fire — Taking to the lioats — Sailors Familiar with Danger-
Horrors of the Great Abyss— Washington Irving's Grapliic Description of a
Shipwreck— Dismal Stories — Startling Adventures of a Ship Captain — A Drown-
ing Cry Mingling with the Wind — Perils of Arctic V(}yages — Loss of the Siiip
"Jeannette" — Ice Hammering at the Vessel— Melville Taking a Photograpli—
Hasty Preparations to Leave— Three Boats Lowered — -'There She Goes !" —
Encamping on the Ice- Boat Mounted on Sleds — Long and Toilsome Journey -
Silk Flag Unfurled on Bt nnett Island— Capturing Arctic Animals -The Great
Sea-Cow — " Funny Wee l'"is!ies" — Terrific Battle with \v"alruses- Fast Loading
and Firing— Loss of the " Esse.x" — Captain Pollard's Vivid Narrative — Repeated
Attacks of an Immense Whale- The Ship Stove — Tliree Little Boats in tiie Great
Deep — A Barren Island — Frightful Sufferings— Again on the 'I'rackless Sea —
Miraculous Escape — Rescue of Men from the Island — Horritl Cannibalism — Tor-
nadoes and Water-Spouts — l^knuiits at War — A Thousand Ships Go Down-
Wreck of the Royal Fleet — lmmen.>t' Loss of Life — Huge Cannon IMown Away
by the 1 lurricane — An Appalling Scene.

HE benefit.s of ocean arc imiticnse ; but we must own that they
are very dearly purchased. Certain ancient races made for
themselves deities ofthe most greedy and sanguinary character;
the Moloch ofthe Canaanites, the Teutates ofthe Gauls, granted
nothing to the prayers of their votaries unless tlieir prayers were accom-
panied with the most horrible gifts. Perfumes, gold, precious stones, the
blood of animals, could not suffice them; they demanded human victims;
the more tears these offerings cost, the more they were valued; they were
required to be renewed at definite e[)ochs, which however did not pre-
vent the god fr(M-n insisting upon an increase under certain circiun-
siances. War and peace, harvests, great enterprises, public calamities,
were so many occasions for which the poor wretches submitted to the
caprices of these niDUsters to pour otit piously the blood of their prison-
ers, their slaves, their fellow-citizens, even of their own children.

Alas! human sacrifices have not ceased with the worship of these
false gods ; and it is not only some few barbarous races, but even the
most polished Christian nations, the most civili/.ed and the most en-
lightened, who i):iy a giiastly tribute to Ocean, the new Moloch. We
(774)

lNTURES.

SHIPWRECKS AND OCKAN ADVI'.NTrRF.S.

do not speak of the ships lost, of the rich cargoes swallowed up — these
would be little ; but one trembles to think of the innumerable victims
who have perished in the bosom of the waveS; and of whom every year
increases the funeral record.

If mariners had only the rock, the reef, the hidden shoal, and the
tempest to fear ! But so many other dangers threaten, ami may at any
moment overcome them, even when they imagine their security com-
plete. For those who go down to the sea in shii)s, no element is more
formidable than fire. It can only be extinguished by sinking the vessel,
so that the unhappy mariner has but to choose between two kinds of
death. There is no refuge, no means of safety, except the boats, into
which the panic stricken crew often precipitate themselves headlong,
and freciuently capsize them by overloading.

.Another too frequent cause of disaster is collision. Two ships at ni"ht,
or in a dense fog, encounter each other, to the serious injury of both, and
usually to the utter ruin of one. Tliis danger would seem the most easily
avoided; and such, indeed, might be the case, if the nautical regulations
were more strictly preserved, and if ships in bad weather inwiriably showed
their lights. But men grow familiar with danger, and ne</lect these pre-
cautions, which, moreover, under certain circumstances would still be
insufficient.

Wasliiugton Irvinji's Do.soription nV a Wr<M'k.

Washington Irving, poet and historian, one of tlie literal-}- glories of
America, has described with his wonted elegance and vi\acity the imj)res-
sions produced upon his mind by his first vcn-age. We w ill tjuote the
ninst characteristic episc^de of his charming narratixe : —

" W^e one day descried scMiie shapeless object drifting at a distance. At
sea everything that breaks the monotony of the surrounding expanse
attracts attention. It pro\'ed to be the mast of a ship that must ha\'e been
completely wrecked, for there were the remains of handkerchiefs by which
some of the crew had fastened themselves to the spar, to pre\e!it their
being washed off by the waves. There was no trace by which the name
"if the ship could be ascertained. The wreck hail e\-idcntly drifted about
for many months; clu.sters of shell-fish hatl fastenetl about it, and ^' ''■^[i;
sea-weeds flaunted at its sides.

" Hut where, thought I, are the crew? Their struggle has long been
over — they have gone down amidst the rcnir of the tempest — their bones
lie whitening among the caverns of the deep. Silence, oblivion, like the
wa\ fs, have closed over them, and no one can tell the story of their end.
What sigl have been wafted after that ship! what prayers offered up at

,ji|i

' ft

i''''

I i.

iiii^'^jn

(770)

.:»'"i

fyH

a-!'

i iBPBFWIt'IS

ri.

i. •*

'■ s^'' 'i^n

lip**.? if,' ''■■>'■ 'jj^

i''

llfi

mmmmmm

SHIPWRECKS AND OCEAN ADVENTURES.

i i

the deserted fireside of honvj! How often has the mistress, ,he wife, the
niother pored over the daily news to catch some casual intelligence of this
rover of the deep? Ifow has expectation darkened into anxiet}', anxiety
into dread, and dreatl into despair! Alas I not one memento may ever
return for \o\c to cherish. All that ma\- ever he known is that she sailed
from her port, 'and was never heard of more!'

"The sioht of this wreck, as usual, gave rise to many dismal anecdotes.
Tnis was particularly the case in the e\ening, whon the weather, which
had hitherto been fair, began to look wild and threatening, and gave
intlications of one of tiiose sudden storms which will sometimes break in
upon the serenity of a summer voyage. As we sat round the dull light
of a lamp in the cabin, that made the gloom more ghastly, every one iiad
his tale of shipwreck aiid tlisaster. I was particularly struck with a short
one related b}- the captain.

The Captain's Tluilliiiu Story.
'" As I was once sailing,' said he, ' in a tine stout ship across the hank.'
of Newfoundland, one of those heavy fogs which prexail in those parts
rendered it impossible for us to see far ahead e\en in the da\--time, but at
night the weather was so thick that we couKl not distinguish aii)' object
at twice the length of the ship. I kept lights at the mast-head, and a
C(Mistant ^\■atch forward to look out for fishing-smacks, which are accus-
tomed to lie at anchor on the banks. The wind was blowing a smacking
biceze, and we were going at a great rate through the water. Suddenly
the watch gave the alarm of "a sail ahead!" — it was scarceh- uttered
before we were upon her.

" 'She was a small sciiooner, at anchor with her broadside towards us.
The crew were all asleep, and had neglected to lioist a light. We struck
her just amidships. The force, the size, and weight of our vessel bore her
down below the waves; we passed over her, and we luu'ried on our
course. As the crashing wreck was sinking beneath us, I had a glimpse
of two or three half-naked wretches rushing from her cabin ; they just
started from their beds to be swallowed shrieking by the waves. I heard
their drowning cry mingling with the wind. The blast that bore it to our
ears swept us out of all further heaiing. I shall never forget that cry! It
was sometime before we could put the ship about, she was under such
headway. We returned, as nearly as we could guess, to the place where
the smack had anchored. We cruised about for several hours in the
dense fog. We fired signal-guns, and listened if we might hear the halloo
of any of the survivors ; but all was silent — we ne\-er saw or heard any-
thing t)f them more.' "

^iiit

i)l

778

EARTir, SEA, AND SKY.

The expeditions, so many of which have in late years been luulcrtaken
in tlie pohir ret^ions, afford ample and thrillinti^ evidence of the dangers
attendincj ocean na\ii^ation. The world has read the storj' of Arctic lu-
roes with ..mazement. It is sufficient for us here to depict the scciil.'
■when the celebrated ship " Jcannette '' was abandoned amon,L,r the ictj-
bcr_i^s of the frozen North. This startlin<^ ailventure will illustrate the
awful hardships and perils which havealwax's attended ])olar voya<^es.

The narrative proceeds, as follows: In the early part of June, i8cSi,tlio
ice around the ship was broken down in immense masses, the whole park
being alive, and had the ship been within oneof tiie fast-closini;" leads slic
\v<nild have been i^round to powder. I'lmbecUk'd in a small iskuul <»f iic,
she was as yet protected frc^n the direct crush ir;<r on her sides, but felt .i
continual liaTiimerin;^ and thumping of the ice under her bottom.

Tlu' Ship CriisluMl by lc<*.

On the 1 2th of Junj, at midni;^ht, in a few moments' time, she was set
free by the split of the llt.^e on a line with her keel, and suddcnl)' rij^htin;^^,
started all hands from their beds to the ueck. By 9 A. m. the ice had
Commenced comini^ in on her siile ; a hea\y floe was hauled aheail inio
a hole where it was suppo.sed the ice coming;" toijether would impinge <in
itself instead of on the ship. The jiressure was \er\' heav\-, and gave
forth a iiissing, crunching sound, and at 3.40 p. M. the ice was reported
coming through the starboard coal bunkers. At four o'clock she was
lying perfectly i]uiet, but her bows were thrown up so high in the air,
that the injur}' to lier forefoot made Januar\' 19th, iSSo, could be seen.

Melville went on tlie floe to take her [photograph, but on returnint^^ to
th -• ship heard the order to prepare to lea\-e the vessel by getting out llic
chronometers, rifles, ammunition, and other articles to the Hoe. Lieu-
tenant Chipp was quite sick in bed, but was notified; Captain DcLoiil:^
"was cver\-where, seeing that all things went on smoothl}- and ([uictly,
without the least haste or consternation among the crew ; he came about
the deck in the same manner as though we w"ere in no danger whatc\er.
aiiil tried to have the officers and men feel as collected as he was." TIkic
was ample time for all persons to get out their j)ersonal effects, but to ;M;t
a barrel of lime-juice, so necessary to prevent scurvey on their maiili,
.Seaman Starr waded into the forward store-room at the risk oi his lift-.

When the order was given fir all hantls to leave the ship at abnut
eleven at night, her water-ways had been broken in, the iron work around
the smoke-pipe buckled up, the rivets sheared off, and the smoke-stack
left supported only by the guys. Three boats were lowered, the first and
the second cutter, and the first whale-boat ; and the ship's party of thirty-

■'11

.-irs been uiulcrtakcn
dcnco (if the dan<TcrH
: st(ir>' of Arctic he-

to depict the scene
ned amoHLC the ice-
irc will illustrate the
icd i)olar voya^^es.
>art of June, i8Si,lhe
lasscs, the whole pack

fast-closini; leads slu:
1 a siiiall island of icr,
111 her sides, hut loll .i
:r her bottom.

:nts' time, she was set
md suddenly rii^^htiiv^S
;y 9 A. M. the ice had
^vas hauled ahead iiiio
:her would impini;e nn
very heav>', and '^a\e
A. the ice was reported
\.t four o'clock she v.;is
up so hii^h in the air,
1, iSSo, could be se n.
)h. but on returnin- lo
:sscl by gettin<4 (nit ihe
cs to the floe. Li^'i-
ified; Captain Vcljnvr
smoothly and ([uietly,
.■ crew ; he came about
n no danger whatexer,
ctcd as he was." There
•sonal effects, but to -et
urvey on their march,
it the ri.sk of his life.
a\-e the ship at about
n.the iron work around
T, and the smoke-stack
re lowered.the first and
c ship's party of thirty-

SMIPWRECKS AND OCEAN ADVENTURES.

( I

thnx; made their camp on the f\oe in si.x tents, l)ut within an hour were
ronipelled to mo/e .still farther from the edge b\- the breaking up of the
lino in their camp.

At 4 A. M., June 13th, the cry of the watch was heard, " There she goes;
luiiiy up and look, the last sight you will have of the old Jeannette!"
While the ice had

held together, it had
held her broken tim-
bers. When it open-
(^.^l_she .sank in thir-
ty-eight Hithoms of
water, .stripping her
\ards upwards as she
passed through the- £^_:.-j^
floe, M ,] A. M. her
'^nioke-pipe top was
nearly awash ; the
main topmast first
fell h\' the board to
starboard, then the
fore topmast, and la.st
of all the mainmast.
The ship before sink-
ing had heeled to
starboard, and the
entire starboard side
(if the s])ar deck was
subn.erged, tue rail
being under water,
antl the water-line
reached to the hatch -
coamings before the
ship had been aban-
doned. The next 'i''"'- " JKanxette" crushed and abandom:d.
morning, a visit to the [ilacc where she was last seen showed nothing
more than a .sional chest and a cabin-chair with some smaller articles
afloat.

Daylight found the party encamped on the ice, about four hundred
yards from where the ship went down. Tlie day was .spent in arranging
the effects and in gaining rest, which was very much needed. Many of

11!

lit

If'

, J

A 1 1

780

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

= '

the crew were inciipiicit.'itcd for active work l)\' reason of severe crainns.
caused by tin-poisouiii;^ from tomato cans. The doctor recommended
clela\' until the sick party shoiiUl ha\e recowrml ; hut the time \\a-> iint
wasted, and the n-st of the crew becran the work (if dividing," the ch)ti,in,r
stowinti the sleds and boats.

rortiiiiatc Ks<'U|H^ of DoLoii^' and His .>!<'n.

Then," were three boats mounted upon shii)-mado sleds, each of whirh
consisted of two oak runners, .shod with whalebone. The L^rand inta,
weit^ht of boats, sleds and provisions was about 15,500 pounds. To drav.
tiiese, the part}' liad a wtirkinj^ force, when the retreat ct)mmenced, cif
twenty-two men ; and the tloL;s were employed, with t\\'o liLJht sKds, ;.,,
draij a lar54e amount of stoies, that the partv had in excess to those jKr-
mancntl)' stowed upon the larj^er sleds. \vdc\i man had a kua|)>,ick-
stowed awa)' in the boats ; each knapsack contained one chan;_;e of uiulr-
clothins^, one packaL;e of matciies, one plut:^ of tobacco, one span' pair nf
snow-t;o^L;les, and one spare pair of moccasins.

()n the ijlh day of }i\nc, the order was L,n\en to break cam[). The
order was obe\-ed with enthusiasm, ami the dra_L;-rope of the tlrst ciilici
was immediatel}' manned. At the end of the first week the captain found
by obser\-ation that the drift of the ice had more than neutralized the way
covered by liis advance, and that in fact he had lost twenty-seven iiiiks
by the drift to the northwest in excess to his march to the south. Flii
progress of tiie party toward the land was \ery slow, but finally <;laciLMs
and water-courses Iiecame visible. On the 24th of July the party reached
a point not more than two miles distant from the land, but the men wlmv
so e.xhausttxl that they had to camp. Ne.Kt mornini; it was found that
they hat! drifted at least three miles to the southward, and alonij^ the cast
side of the island. On the 27tii day of Jul\- an island was reached com-
posed of trap-rock and a lava-like soil, and on the jSth a landinij \u<
made on the new disco\ery. Captain DeLonij mustered e\'cMA'botl\- on
the island, unfurled a silk flat^, took pos.session of the island in the name
of the President of the United States, and called it Bennett Island,

This was one of the be.st planned and executed expeditions of which wx
ha\e any record in Arctic exploration, anci the escape of the heroes at this
time was the condition of their subsequent reco\-ery.

Iliintiii^' Ai'('ti«- Animals.

While dwelling upon the [jerils of polar expeditions, wc must nt)tfailtii

notice the peril always connected with the capture of such sea-mniistcrs

as the whale and walrus. The walrus especially is sax-age in disposition

and has been known to attack its foes with a fury that was aiipallirii;. A

SHIP\VRi:CKS AND OCKAN ADVENTrRI'S.

■SI

cason of severe cramp-;,

10 doctor recoinnicndcil

; but the time wa-. n..t

of dividing; the cUitliiiv;.

I I lis .>!«'n.

ule sleds, each <>f which
obone. The <^n-an(l inM,

I ;.500 \)ounds, 'lo (ha..
c retreat conunenccd, df

with two hLiht sUds, ui
id in excess to those \)cy-
:\\ man had a knap-.u-k
ineilonechan<^e of uiuli-
tobacco, one spare pair nf

\cn to break camp. The
•;iL;-rope of the hrst culler
i-st week the captain found
c than neutrah/.ed the way
Id lost twenty-seven nuks
narch to the south. The
sU)\v, but finally i;lacici<
li of July the party reachal
ic land, but the men were
KM-niuL; it was found that
luard, and alont; the ca<t
island was reached coni-
the 2Sth a landint,^ \va<
r mustered everybody on
\)f the island in the name
1 it Bennett Island,
cd expeditions of which wi

:scape of the heroes at llu^
i\ery.

lis.

■ditions.vve must not fail In

ture of such sea-monstei>
y is sava<;c in disposition
'ry that was appalling. A

Tiavii^ator in that frij^id region, t^ivcs a graphic account of his adventures
with the great sea-cow, from which we make an interesting extract :

Wc dredged our way up north to Greenland. It was a stormy spring,
\\V often had to lie-to for a whoU; week together but we were a jolly

SAVAGE liATTI.K WITH WAI.KL'.SE.S.

crew, and well-officered, and we had (M1 board two civilians— Professo'-
kind of chaps I think they were— and they were the life and soul of the
whole ship. Whenever we could we took soundings, and hauled up mud
and shingle and .stuff from the bottom (^f the dark ocean, even when it
was a mile deep and more. But when that mud was washed away, and

■i

vp^paniiVMM

7H2

EARTH, SKA. AND SKY.

tit

the livintj specimens spre.'ul out and arranged on bits of jet-black paper,
what wonders \vc did see, to be sure! Our Scotch doctor called llinii
" fi ilies " : he calleil everythini,r wonderful a " ferlie."

I^ut these particular ferlies took the shape of tiny wee shells of all tin-
colors in the rainbow, ami funn\' wee fishes, sonic not bij^i^er than a j)iii-
point. But, oh! the beauty, the more than loveliness of them ! Thi
roui^hest okl son of a tjun on board of us held up his hands in admiralidi)
when he saw them. We cruiseil all round Spitzberirc-n, and all down tin
cdt^e of the eastern pack ice. We shot bears and foxes innumerabK;;
walruses, narwhals, seals, and even whales fell to our t;uns.
Ijoadiii};' iiiul i^iriiiiL;' to Save Mu' Itout.

Some of those walruses _^ave us fun, thout;h. I remember oiut wc
fell amidst ice positi\'el)' crowded with tlu-m. They .seemed but little in-
clined to budLje, either. Ai^ain and attain we fouL;ht our way lluiiii'Ji
them ; but the number seemed to increase rather than diminish, tih at
last our fellow.s — we were two l)oats' crews — were thorouL,dil\' exhau^U'd,
and fain to take to the boats. Was the battle ended then ? I thouijlu it
was only just bei^innini;-, when I saw around us the water alive with ficrcj
tusked heads evidently bent on a\'(.'nL;"inL;' the slau<;hter of their comrades.

Our j^ood surL;eon was as fond of sport as anyone ever T met, but he
confes.sed that day he had ciuitc enough of it. At one time the peril wi
were in was very great indeed. Several times the brutes had all but fist-
t icd their terrible tusks on the gnnwhale of our boat. Had they smc-
ceeded, we should ha\e been capsized, and entirely at their mercy.

The surgeon, with his great bone-crushing gun, loaded a"d fired as f.ist
as fmgers could; but still they kept coming. "J^Vrlies'll never cease,"
cried the worthy medico, blowing the brains clean out of one which had
almost swamped the boat from the .stern. Meanwhile it fared but badly
with the other boat. The men were fighting with clubs and axes, their
ammunition being entirely spent. One [)oor fellow was pierced throui^h
the arm by the tusk of a walrus and fairly dragged into the water, w here
he sank before he could be rescued.

The shi[) herself bore down to our assistance, at last, and such a rain of
bullets was poured upon the devoted heads of those walruses that they
were fain to dive below. The noise of this battle was something terrible;
the shrieks of the cow walru.ses, and the grunting, groaning and bellowing
of the bulls, defy all attempts at description.

Loss ol' tlie Ship ♦' Essex."

The days of whaling voyages are remarkable for the dangers throiif,^h
which the brave sailors passed, and the thrilling narratives they have given

1» t ■- .

»l

on bits of jet-black paper,
:otcli doctor calliid them
•xWv."

tiny wvc shells of all the
lie not bij^ocr than a pin-
ovcliness of thciii ! '^ll^.
p his hands in admiration
cbcrLjcn, and all down tlu
and foxes innimierahK;;
)ur <;uns.
lio Uojit.

1. I remember once wc
Fhey seemed Inil little in-
bught oui' way llirouj^h
her than dimiiMsh, tili at
•e tlioroiiL,dily exhausted,
ided then ? I thoui^dn it
lie water alive with fierce
-ighter of their comrades,
lyone ever I met, I)ut he
At one time the peril we
le brutes had all but fist-
nir boat. Had they smc-
ely at tiieir mercy,
n, loaded a^d fired as fci.st
"Ferlies'U never cease,"
■an out of one which had
mwhile it fared but badly
nth clubs and axes, their
How was pierced through
[Ted into the water, wliere

at last, and such a rain of
those walruses that they
•i was somethino" terrible;
T, groanin<^ and bellowing

for the dangers through
narratives they have given

I ;

5 1

^ll

(78:

III

ifi ' ' ''

784

KARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

:^.

f:i ii

of tlioir haii-brcadth escapes. One of cnir American seamen, Captain ]'<>]-
lard, has furnislied us with a full account of the loss of the ^ood ship 1^.-
sc.\, which we ^ivc in his own graphic lanj^ua^c :

My first shipwreck was in the open sea, near the equator. The ves-^d,
a South Sea whaler, was called the Ivs.scx. One day, a.s we were on ilir
look-out for sperm whales, and had actually struck two, which the boats'
crews wore followin«^ to secure, I perceived a lar^e one — it mi<^ht he
eighty or ninety feet lon^ — rushin;^^ with ^reat swiftness throus^h tin;
water, right towards the ship. \Ve hope.i that she woukl turn aside, and
dive under, when she perceived such a bulk in her way. But no! the
animal came in full force against our stern-post. Had any t[uarter less
firm been struck, the ves.sel must have burst: as it was, every plank and
timber trembled tliroughout her whole bulk.

TIu' Vossel Itapitlly rilliii},' With Watrr.

The whale shook its head, and sheered off to so considerable a distance,
that for some time we hatl lo.st sight of her from the starboard ([uarter;
of which we were very glad, hoping that the worst was over. Nearly an
h(Hir afterward we saw the same fish — we had no doubt of tins, fnMii hi r
si/e, and the direction in which she came — making again tf>w.u'ds us. \\V'
were at once aware of our danger, but escape was imjjossible. .Shu
dashed her head this time against the ship's side, and so broke it in that
the vessel filled rapidly, and soon became water-logged.

At the second shock, expecting her to go tlown, we lowered our three
boats with the utmo.'-t expedition ; and all hands, twenty in the whole,
got into them ; seven, and seven, and six. In a little while, as she did
nf)t sink, we ventured on board again ; and, by scuttling the deck, were
enabled to get some biscuit, beef, water, rum, two .se.xtants, a quadrant,
and three compasses. These, together with some rigging, a few muskets,
powder, etc., we brought away; and dividing the stores among our
three small crews, rigged the boats as well as we could ; there being a
compass for each, and a sextant for two, and a quadrant for one, but
neither se.xtant nor quadrant for the third.

Then, instead of pushing away for some port, so amazed and bewildered
were we, that .ve continued sitting in our places, gazing upon the ship,
as though she had been an object of the tenderest affection. Our e\cs
could not leave her till, at the end of many hours, she gave a slight reel,
then down she sank. No words can tell our teel'ngs. We looked at
each other ; we looked at the place where she hau so lately been afloat;
we did not cease to look, till the terrible conviction of our abandoned and
perilous situation roused us to exertion, if deliverance were yet possible.

SHIPWRECKS AND OCEAN ADVENTURES.

786

I seamen, Captain I'ol-
^ of the j^ooil shi]) V.-

equator. The vessel,
lay, as we were ot\ ihr
c two, which the boalV
r^re one— it mi^'ht I..'

Swiftness throuL;h t'.ir

: would turn aside, and

her way. But no 1 the

1 1 ail any quarter less

it was, every plank and

I >Vatrr.

considerable a distance,
1 the starboard (luarter;
•St was ovcY. Nearly :m
, doubt of tl'.is, from h<r
i<ra<:ain tr>wards us. We
e was iniijossible. Slic
and so broke it in that

n, we lowered (nir three
s, twenty in the whole,
litde while, as she dnl
scuttlint,^ the deck, were
,vo sextants, a quatlrant.
e rigi^int^, a few muskets,
the stores amon^^ ovir
we could ; there beint,^ ;i
ii quadrant for one, but

so amazed and bewildered
2s, gazing upon the ship,

jst affection. Our eyes
■s, she gave a slight reel,

teellngs. We looked :it
haa so lately been afl<'at;
ion of our abandoned and
jrancc were yet possible.

We now consulted about the course which it might be best to take ;
westward, to India; eastward, to South America; or south westward, to
the Society Isles. We knew that we were at no great distance from
Tahiti; but were so ignorant of the .state and temper of the inhabitants,
that we feared we should be devoured by cannibals if we cast ourselves
on their mercy. It was determined, therefore, to make for South America,
which we computed to be more than two thousand miles distant. Ac-
cordingly we steered eastward, and though for several days harassed
with squalls, we contrived to keep together.

Siuhlon and Alariiiiii^ Danger.

It was not long before we found that one of the boats had started a
plank ; which was no wonder ; f(jr whale-boats are all clinker-built, antl very
slight ; being made of half-inch plank only, before planing. To remedy
this alarming defect, we all turned to, and having emptied the contents of
the damaged boat into the two others, we raised her sides as well as we
could, and succeeded in restoring the plank at the bottom. Through this
accident some of our biscuit had become injured by the .salt water. This
was equally divided among the several boats' crews. Food and water,
meanwhile, with our utmo.st economy, rapidly failed. Oi r strength was
exhausted, not by abstinence only, but by the labors which we were
obliged to employ to keep our little vessels afloat, amid the storms which
repeatedly assailed us. One night we were parted in rough weather ; but
though the next day we fell in with one of our companion-boats, we never
saw or heard any more of the other, which probably perished at sea, being;
without either sextant or quadrant.

When we were reduced to the last pinch, and out of every thing, having'
been more than three weeks abroad, we were cheered with the sight of a.
low, uninhabited island which we reached in hope, but were bitterly disap-r
pointed. There being no prospect but that of starvation here, we deter-
mined to put to sea again. Three of our comrades, however, cho.se to
remain ; and we pledged ourselves to send a vessel to bring them oflf^ if'we
ourselves should ever escape to a Christian port. With a very small morsel
of biscuit for each, and a little water we again ventured out on the.wide
ocean. In the course of a few days our provisions were consumed.. Two
men died. We had no other alternative than to live upon their remains.
These we roasted to dryness by means of fires kindled on the ballast-sand
at the bottom of the boats.

Casting Lots as to who should be Eaten.

When this supply was spent, what could we do? We looked at each

other with horrid thoughts in our minds, but we held our tongues. Lam
60

^1' \M

786

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

sure that \vc loved each other as brothers all the tine; and yet our looks
told plainly what must be done. We cast lots, and the fatal one fell on niy
poor cabin-boy. I started forward instantly, and cried out, " My lad, my
lad, if you don't like your lot, I'll shoot the first man that touches you."
The poor emaciated boy hesitated a moment or two ; then quietly la\in<T
his head down upon the gunwale of the boat, he said " I like it as wdl as
any other." He was soon despatched, and nothing of him left. I think
then another man died of himself; and him too, we ate.

But I can tell you no more : my head is on fire at the recollecti(in. ]
hardly know what I say. I forgot to say that we parted coinpan\- wiih
the second boat before now. After some days of horror and despair, when
some were lying down at the bottom of the boat, not able to rise, and
scarcely one of us could move a limb, a vessel hove in sight. W'e were
taken on board and treated with extreme kindness. The second lost boat
was also picked up at sea, and the survivors saved. A ship aftcruurd
sailed in search of our companions on the desolate island, and brought
them away.

Captain Pollard closes his dreary narrative with saying, in atone of de-
spondency never be forgotten by him that heard it: After a time I found
my way to the United States, to which I belonged, and got another ship.
That, too, I have lost by a second wreck off the Sandwich Islands ; and
now I am utterly ruined.

Wild Tornadoes and W.aterspouts.

We must now speak of those phenomena which are sometimes classed
by American meteorologists with whirlwinds, and sometimes among
hurricanes, namely, tornadoes. Similar in form to waterspouts, theye.x-
ceed them greatly in extent, their path often being a mile in width, and
their length varying from two to several hundred miles, while they
move at the average rate of forty miles an hour. With ver\- few ex-
ceptions, all tornadoes move eastward, with a slight deviation toward the
north, and sometimes several are seen rushing in parallel courses of
from twelve to sixty miles apart. The tornado advances in leaps aud
springs, passing over the tops of trees, and descending to the ground at
intervals.

The current of air in tornadoes is generally directed towards the
centre, while in cyclones it has a spiral movement, and in our hemis-
phere moves in a direction contrary to that of the hands of a clock. Ini
the southern hemisphere, however, it moves with the clock. The cyclone j
does not blow with regular force, but in violent intermittent gusts nn:
squalls, with an accompaniment of torrents of rain, and mostly thunder!

■'■*^-

tir.ic, and j'ct our looks

lid the fatal one fell on niy

cried out, " My lad, my

man that touches you."

two ; then quietly laNJiVT

said " I like it as well as

ing of him left. I think

we ate.

re at the recollection. 1
we parted compaii)- wiih
If horror and despair, when
)()at, not able to rise, and
hove in si<^ht. We wore
■ss. The second lost boat
saved. A ship afterward
olate island, and brouj^ht

ith .sayin<^, in atone ofde-

d it : After a time I found

Ted, and got another ship,

:he Sandwich Islands ; and

rspouts.

Iiichare sometimes classed
Is, and sometimes among
m to waterspouts, they ex-
being a mile in width, and
lundred miles, while they
hour. With ven^ few ex-
slight deviation toward the
ing in parallel courses of
lado advances in leaps and
;scending to the ground at

ally directed towards the
ement, and in our hemis
the hands of a clock. I::
th the clock. The cyclone |
jnt intermittent gusts anc
f rain, and mostly thunde:!

iff

; i
I

'in:

.:;li

f'^s?)

'Im

■<■ > ■

788

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

■wti

'tr

f ■

■ iltf ■'^■KE

wi^a?

5».

and lightning. The day is almost as dark as night. The owcr stotrn
centre draws in moisture-laden masses of air, while overhead the gloomy
storm clouds are dispersed outward with terrific rapidity. The sky is
black with heavy clouds for hundreds of miles round the storm centre.

Loss of a Thousand Vessels.

These clouds gather in the upper air, and growing darker as the day
advances, slowly sink almost to the earth itself. Then the rain boq;ins
in unbroken floods that continue incessantly day and night, as if the
dams of a great river were broken through, and its waves poured out in
masses on the earth below. The barometer falls lower in proportion to
its nearness to the storm centre and to the violence of the storm. The
fall of the barometer is the most unfailing sign of the approaching hurri-
cane. A little time generally elapses before the outbreak, but some-
times the storm bursts over the country so suddenly that the barometric
warnings are too late. In the terrible tj-phoon of the 6th of October,
1 83 1, the storm broke at the very moment the barometer fell, so that the
ships in the harbor of Mako could take no precautions, and thousands of
ships were lost.

In the China seas these sudden outbreaks of typhoons are by n^)
means of rare occurrence. There are, however, certain general signs by
which the approach of the destroyer may be heralded. Very fair weatlier,
attended by an unusual transparency of the air, great heat, and calm,
with high barometric markings during the south-west monsoon, are ver\-
suspicious to the sailor ; and if at the same time the sky is seen to
assume a strange red coloring, with rugged clouds moving swiftly against
the wind, a heavy sea, and a dark bank of cloud in the northeast or south-
east quarter, there is no longer room for doubt. In the Bay of Bcnj^al,
cyclones are generally formed when there is no strong atmospheric cur-
rent movin over its waters ; the air is usually calm, or only stirred by
light, variable winds, the atmospheric pressure being nearly equal along
all the coas and only a little rain falling on the eastern and northern
coast of the bay, and in Bengal. On the other hand, ships in the centre
of the bay, crossing the focus of the cyclone, meet with incessant rains
and a temperature lower ;han that of the surrounding coasts. Finally,
a gusty west wind blows from the equator, and when a barometric de-
pression is formed in the centre of the bay, rushes into it, and furnishes
the principal aliment of the storm.

Swift Destruction of a British Fleet.

One of the most disastrous of this kind of storms was the tornado re-
membered chiefly for the destruction of the British fleet under Rodney,

Ight.

The owcr storn
le ov^erhcad the gloomy
: rapidity. The sky is
round the storm centre,

wing darker as the day
Then the rain begins
Jay and night, as if the
its waves poured out in

lower in proportion to
nee of the storm. The
f the approaching hurri-
he outbreak, but some-
enly that the barometric

of the 6th of October,
arometer fell, so that the
lutions, and thousands of

of typhoons are by no
certain general signs by
Ided. Very fair weather,
ir, great heat, and cahii,
i-wcst monsoon, are ver}-
time the sky is seen to
ds moving swiftly against
in the northeast or south-
, In the Bay of Bcnj^al,
» .strong atmo.spheric cur-
calm, or only stirred by
3eing nearly equal along
he eastern and northern
hand, ships in the centre
Tieet with incessant rains
:)unding coasts. Finally,
d when a barometric dc-
hes into it, and furnishes

\\i Fleet.

rms was the tornado re-
tish fleet under Rodney

(789)

M i

III

M i t

ill

•A

!■

■:J»

■■

^ii,i

790

EARTH, SEA AND SKY.

About a week before the outbreak of the whirlwind itself, a hurricane in
Jamaica destroyed the ships ScarborongJi, Barbadocs, Victor and P/uvnix ,•
while the Princess Royal, Henry and Sir Austin. Hall, in the harbor u{
Sa\'anna-la-Mar, were loosed from their anchors, and driven high and dry
upon the land, where th jy were afterwards used as dwelling houses. The
centre of the storm advanced across Rarbadoes toward Santa Lucia, and
its outer limits reached Trinidad and Antigua. In Santa Lucia the hur-
ricane struck the squadron of Admiral Hotham, after which it destroyed
a French convoy of two frigates and fifty transport ships at Martinique.
The storm centre then made its way to Porto Rico, where the Deal
Castle foundered, and advanced, via Mona, to Silver Keys, where the
Stirling Castle went down. The same fate befell the Thunderer, above
which W'alsingham's flag was flying. When the storm had travelled to
the twenty-sixth degree of north latitude, it turned sharp round to the
north-east, meeting the dismasted shi[)s Trident, Ruby, Bristol, Hector dLvd
Grafton, with Admiral Rowley in command. Tiie hurricane then made
its way to the Bermudas, whence the disabled Benviek was being des-
patched to England for repairs.

Houses and People Buried Tog-ether.
No less havoc was wrought among the islands of the West Indies.
Nine thousand men perished in Martinique : one thousand in St. Pierre
alone, where not a house was left standing. The sea rose twenty-h\'e feet
high, and 150 houses disappeared from tlie shore in a moment. In Port
Royal, the cathedral, seven ciiurches, and 1,400 houses were thrown
down, :ind 1,600 sicl-c people wjre buried under the ruins of the hos[)ital,
a few only escaping. Almc:)st all the houses built on the shore of Dom-
inique, the royal baking establishment, the magazine, and a part of the
barracks, were destroyed. In .St. Eustace the storm shattered seven ships
again.st the rocks of Nort Point, and oyt of nineteen others, which had
broken from their moorings and drifted out to sea, only one returned. In
Santa Lucia, where 6,000 persons had perished, the most massive build-
ings were levelled to the ground, cannons were dashed to a distance of a
hundred \-ards, men and animals were lifted into the air and hurled to the
ground.

The sea rose to such a terrific height, that it destroyed the fort, and
sent a ship crashing against the sailors' hospital. Even the coral reefs
covering the bottom of the sea were rent and tossed so that they were
Liter seen above the surface of the water. Out of the six hundred houses
at Kin'-'^town, in St. Vincent, (Mil-,- fourteen were left.

BOOK III.

THE SKY.

CHAPTER I.

■1 'ii

THE MARVELS OF THr HEAVENS.

The Sun Twelve Hundred Thousand Times as Large as Our E.irth— Sublime Scen-
ery of tiie Midnis;ht Sky— Starry Splendors over Head— Innumerable Worlds
in the Firmav The Roundlessness of Space— Imperial Suns Uurning on

High — Heavfc . wed on Heavens— A Wonderful Journey Through Space — Fly-
ing on a Beam of Light— Rich Clusters of Starry Systems— Millions of Worlds —
Immeasurable Distances— Swift Motion Everywhere— Astounding Revelations
of the Telescope— Lord Rosse's Ten Thousand Eyes— Far-Distant Suns Col-
ored Like the Rainbow— Thomas Moore's Poetical Tribute to the Bright
Heavens — Sublimity of Astronomical Science.

ROM the discoveries of astronomy it appears that our earth is
but as a point in the immensity of the universe — that tliere are
worlds a thousand times larger, enlit^htcned by tlie same sun
which " rules our day " — that the sun himself is an immense
luminous world, whose circumference would enclose more than twelve
hundred thousand globes as large as ours — that the earth and its inhabi-
tants are carried forward through the regions of space at the rate of a
thousand miles every minute — that motions exist in the great bodies of
the universe, the force and rapidity of which astonish and overpower the
imagination — and that beyond the sphere of the sun and planets, creation
is replenished with millions of luminous globes, scattered over immense
regions to which the human mind can assign no boundaries.

Where are the souls to whom the spectacle of starry night is not an
eloquent discourse? Where are those who have not been sometimes
arrested in the presence of tne bright worlds which hover over our heads,
and who have not sought for the key of the great enigma of creation ?
The solitary hours of night are in truth the mcst beautiful of all our
hours, those in which we have the faculty of placing ourselves in inti-
mate communication with great and holy Nature. The orb of day con-
ceals from us the splendors of the firmament; it is during the night that

(791)

•«',!(

•mitmmm

792

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

■ -«

;■

the panoramas of the sky are open to us. At the hour of midnight, the
heavenly vault is strewn with stars, like isles of light in the midst of an
ocean extending over our heads.

Orbs of Amazing' Brilliancy.

In the midst of darkness our eyes gaze freely on the sky, piercing the
deep azure of the apparent vault, above which the stars shine. They'
traverse the white constellated regions, visiting distant realms of space
where the most brilliant stars lose their brightness by distance; they go
beyond this unexplored expanse, and mount still higher, as far as those
faint nebuLt whose diffused brightness seems to mark the limits of the
visible. In this immense passage of sight thought is carried away by its
flight and wonders at these distant splendors. It is then that thousands
of questions spring up in our minds, and that a thousand points of inter-
rogation rise to our sight. The problem of creation is a great problem !
The science of the stars is a sublime science; its mission is to embrace
all created things ! At the remembrance of these impressions, does it
not appear that the man who does not feel any sentiment of admiration
before the picture of the starry splendor, is not yet worthy of receiving
on his brow the crown of intelligence ?

Of all the sciences astronomy is the one which can enlighten us best on
our relative value, and make us understand the relation which connects
the earth with the rest of creation. Without it, as the history of past
centuries testifies, it is impossible for us to know where we are or who we
are, or to establish an instructive comparison b^-twecn the place which we
occupy in space and tiie whole of the imiverse; without it we should be
both ignorant of the actual extent of our country, its nature, and the order
to which it belongs. Enclosed in the dark meshes of ignorance, we can-
not form the slightest idea of the general arrangement of the world; a
thick fog covers the narrow horizon which contains us, and our ni'nd
remains incapable of soaring above the daily theatre of life, and of going
beyond the narrow sphere traced by the limits of the action of our senses.
On the other hand, when the torch of the Science of the Worlds enlight-
ens us, the scene changes, the vapors which darkened the horizon fade
away, our mistaken eyes contemplate in the serenity of a pure sky tho;
immense work of the Creator. The earth appears like a globe poised
under our steps; thousands of similar globes are rocked in ether; the
world enlarges in proportion as the power of our examination increases,
and from that time universal creation develops itself before us in reality,
establishing both our rank and our relation with the numerous similar
worlds which constitute the universe.

THE MARVELS OF THE HEAVENS.

793

hour of midnight, the
Tht in the midst oi. an

the sky, piercini^ the
le stars shine. They'
stant realms of space,
i by distance ; they go
lifjher, as far as those
mark the limits of the

is carried away by its
is then that thousands
ousand points of inter-
on is a great problem !
; mission is to embrace
e impressions, docs it
^ntiment of admiration
et worthy of receivin-,^

n enlighten us best on
ilation -which connects
IS the history of past
here we are or who we
en the place which we
thout it we should be
ts nature, and the order
3 of ignorance, we can-
ement of the world ; a
ains us, and our nvnd
re of life, and of going
he action of our senses.
of the Worlds enlight-
ened the hot izon fade
lity of a pure sky the
rs like a globe poised

rocked in ether; the
examination increases,
elf before us in reality,

the numerous similar

If we imagine the terrestial globe suspended in space, we shall under-
stand that the side turned towards the sun is alone illuminated, whilst the
opposite hemisphere remains in shadow, and that this sliadovv presents
the aspect of a cone. Moreover, as the earth turns on itself, all its por-
tions are presented successively to the sun and pass successively into '-is
shadow, and it is this which constitutes the succession of da)- and ni_-ht
in every country of the world. This simple .statement suffices to sliow
that the phenomenon to which we give the name of night belongs realb,'
to the earth, and that the heavens and the rest of the universe are inde-
pendent of it.

This is the reason why, if at any hour of the night we let our minds
soar above the terrestial surface, it will follow that, far from remaining
always in the night, we shall again find the sun pouring forth his floods
of light through space. If we carry ourselves away as far as one of the
planets which like the earth, revolves in the region of sp.ace where we are,
we shall understand that the night of the earth does not extend to those
other worlds, and that the period which with us is consecrated to repose
does not exert its influence there. When all beings are buried in the
stillness of silent night here — above, the forces of nature continue the
exercise of their brillant functions — the sun shines, life radiates, move-
ment is not suspended, and the reign of light pursues its dominant action
in the heavens (as on the opposite hemisphere to ours), at the .same hour
when sleep overcomes all beings on the hemisphere we inhabit.
Space Has Neither Beginning Xor End.

It is important that we should know, first of all, how to habituate our-
selves to this idea of the isolation of the earth in space, and to believe
that all the phenomena which we observe upon this globe are peculiar to
it and foreign to the rest of the universe. Thousands and thousands of
similar globes revolve like it in space. One of the most fital delusions
which it is important we should get rid of at once, is that which presents
the earth as the lower half of the universe, and the heavens as its upper
half. There is nothing in the world more false than this. The heavens
and the earth are not two separate cn,'ations, as we have had repeated to
us thousands and thousands of times. They^ are only one. The eartl<
is in the heavens. The heavens are infinite space, indefinite expanse, a
void without limits ; no frontier circumscribes them, they have neither
beginning nor end, neither top nor bottom, right or left; there is an in-
finity of .spaces which succeed e-ich other in every direction. The earth
is a little material globe, placed in this space without support of any kind,
.ike a bullet which sustains itself alone in the air, like the little captive

!■; !

',iu

■i

■

1
1,

794

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

balloons which rise and float in the atmosphere when the thin cord which

retains them is cut.

Our World a Star.

The earth is a star in the heavens ; it forms part of them ; it, in corn-
pan)' with a great many other globes similar to it, peoples them ; it is
isolated in them; and all these other globes also float in space. This
conception of the universe is not only very important, but is also a truth
which it is absolutely necessary should be well fixed in the mind, othor-
wise three-quarters of the astronomical discoveries would remain incom-
prehensible. Here, then, is this first point well understood and thor-
oughly establislied in our thoughts. The heavens surround us on every
side. In this space the earth is a globe suspended; but the earth is not
alone in space. All thjse stars which sparkle in the heavens are isolated
globes, suns shining by their own light; they are very distant from us;
but there are stars nearer which resemble much more the one we inhabit,
in the sense that they are not suns, but dark earths receiving, like ours,
light from our sun. These worlds called planets are grouped in a family ;
ours is one member of this family. At the centre of this group shines our
sun, a source of light which illuminates it, and of heat which warms it.
Floating in the bosom of the space which surrounds it on every side, this
group is like a fljet of many boats rocked in the ocean of the heavens.

A multitude of suns, surrounded like ours with a family of which they
are the foci and the light-givers, float likewise in all parts of the expanse.
These suns are the stars with which the fields of heaven are scattered. In
spite of the appearance caused by perspective, immense spaces separate
all these systems from ours, .spaces so great that the highest figures of
our great numeration can scarcely number the smallest amongst them.
A distance that our figures can scarcely express also separates these stars
from each other, extending from depths unto depths.

Heavens Piled on Heavens.

Notwithstanding these prodigious intervals, these suns are in number
so considerable that their numeration as yet exceeds all our means ; mil-
lions joined to millions are inadequate to enumerate the multitude ! Let the
mind try if it is possible to represent to itself at one time this consider-
able number of .systems and the distances which separate them one from
the other! Confused and soon humbled at the a.spect of this infinite
richness, it will only learn to admire in silence this indescribable wonder.
Continually rising on the other side of the heavens, going beyond the
di.stant shores of this ocean without limits, it will endlessly discover fresh
new space, and new worlds will reveal themselves to our eager gaze,

:n the thin cord which

of them ; it, in com-
t, peoples them ; it is
float in space. This
mt, but is also a truth
cd in the mind, other-
would remain incom-
undcrstood and thor-
surround us on every
; but the earth is not
,e heavens are isolated
very distant from us ;
)re the one we inhabit,
IS receiving, like ours,
e grouped in a famil\ ;
f this group shines our
■ heat which warms it.
Is it on every side, this
cean of the heavens,
a family of which they
1 parts of the expanse,
iven are scattered. In
mense spaces separate
the highest figures of
mallest amongst them.
;o separates these stars
ths.

SO suns are in number
ds all our means ; niil-
the multitude ! Let the
ne time this consider-
;eparate them one from
aspect of this infinite
s indescribable wonder,
sns, going beyond the
mdlessly discover fresh
es to our eager gaze,

III!
If

:>i U

RELATIVE SIZL-..S OF THE SLX AND PLANETS.

(795)

■f -» ir '■"

796

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

heavens will succeed to heavens, spheres to spheres ; after deserts of ex-
panse will open other deserts, after immensities other immensities ; and
even when carried away without rest, durinj^ centuries, with the rapiditv
of thought, thj soul would continue its flight bjyond the most inaccessi-
ble limits that imagination could conceive, — there even the infinite of an
unexplored expanse would remain still open before it; the infinite df
space would oppose itself to the infinite of time; endlessly rivalling, with-
out our ever being able to take away from the other: and the spirit wil.
be arrested, overcome with fatigue, at th:; entrance of infinite creation, as
if it liad not advanced a single step in space.

Ye stars ! bright legions that, before all time,

Camped on yon plain of sappliirc, what shall tell

Your burning myriads but the eye of Him

Who bade througli heaven your golden chariots wheel ?

Yet who, earth-born, can see your hosts, nor feel

Immorlal impulses — eternity ?

What wonder if the o'crwrought soul should reel

With its own weight of thought, and the wild eye

See fate within your tracks of deepest glory lie ?

The immensity of the heavens has been sung on many lyres ; but how
can the song of man express such a reality? Poets have tried to render
it in verse, when one feels the insufficiency of speech to note the im-
mense thoughts which this wonderful contemplation develops in us.

The Illuininctl Firiaanieiits.

Is there not reason for stating that reality is superior to fiction, even from
the point of view of poetical sentiments, and that the contemplation of
actual nature encloses a richer and more fruitful source of inspirat!(Mi
than the illusions of the spectacle offered by our senses ? Instead of an
immense night stretching itself to the azure vaults, instead of a robe
worked with gold embroideries, or a veil covered with brilliant ornaments,
we are in the bosom of life and universal brightness. Night is but an
accident, a happy accident, which enables our looks to extend themselves
beyond the limits which the day marks for us ; we are like a traveller
reclining in the shadow of a hill, who contemplates the illuminated land-
scape which is unfolded as far as the distant horizon. Instead of the im-
mobility of dead silence, we arc present at the spectacle of life on worlds.
With the light of truth the arbitrary vaults disappear and heaven opens its
depths to us; the infinite of creation is revealed with the infinite of space,.
and our earth, losing the preponderance which our pretensions had ac-
corded to it, gives way under our feet and disappears in the shade, losing
itself in the midst of a multitude of similar little worlds.

THE MARVELS OF THE HEAVENS.

797

There arc truths before which human thought feels itself humiliated
and perplexed, which it contemplates with fear, and without the power to
face them, although it understands their existence and necessity: such
are those of the infinity of space and eterni'.y of duration. Impossible
to define, for all definition could only darken the first idea which is in us,
these truths command and rule us. To try and explain them would be
a barren hope ; it suffices to keep them before our attention in order that
they may reveal to us, at every instant, the immensity of their value. A
tliousand definitions have been given ; we will however neither quote
nor recall one of them. But we wish to open space before us and em-
ploy ourselves there, in trying to penetrate its depth. The velocity of a
cannon-ball from the mouth of the cannon makes swift way, 437 yards per
second. Rut this would be too .slow for our journey through space, as
our velocity would scarcely be 900 miles an hour. In nature there are
movements incomparably more rapid, for instance, the velocity of light.
This velocity is 186,000 miles per second. We will place ourselves on a
ray of light and be carried away on its rapid course.

A Marvclotis Fllj^lit Through Space.

Taking the earth as our starting-point, we will go in a straight line to
any point of the heavens. We start, and at the end of the first second,
we have already traversed 186,000 miles; at the end of the second,
372,000. We continue : ten seconds, a minute, ten minutes have elapsed —
111,600,000 miles have been passed. Flying away during an hour, a
day, a week, without ever slackening our pace — during whole months,
and even a year, the time which we have traversed is already so long
that expressed in miles, the numbers exceed our faculty of comprehen-
sion, and indicate nothing to ou mind; they would be trillions, and mil-
lions of millions. But we will not interrupt our flight. Carried on
without stopping by this same rapidity of 186,000 mik-s each second, let
us penetrate the expanse in a straight line for whole years, fifty years, even
a century. — Where are we? For a long time we have gone beyond the
last starry regions which are seen from the earth, the last that the tele-
scope has visited; for a long time we travel in other regions, unknown
and unexplored. No mind is capable of following the road passed over;
thousandsof millions joined to thousands of millions express nothing: at
the sight of this prodigious expanse the imagination is arrested, humbled.
We'll! this is the wonderful point of the problem: we have not advanced
a single step in space. We are no nearer a limit than if we had remained
in the same place ; we should be able again to begin the same course,
starting from the point where we are, and add to our voyage a voyage of

798

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

the same extent; wc should be able to join centuries on centuries in the
same itiiierary, witii the same velocity, — to continue the voya^je \vith';iit
end and without rest; we shoukl be able to ^uide ourselves in an\' ja:t
of space, left, rij^ht, forwards, backwards, abo\'e, below, in every dirccli(iii:
and when after centuries employed in this ^iddy course, we should si)i
ourselves, fascinated or in despair before the immensity eternall)- i)[)on.
eternally renewed, we should aijain understand that our llii^hts had not
measured for us the smallest part of space, ami that we were not more
adxanced than at our starting-point. In truth, it is the infinite which sur
rounds us, as we before expressed it, or the infinite number of worKls.
We should be able to float for eternity without ever finilln^^f an\thiii^f
before us but an eternall\' open infinite.

Ituriiiiig Suns in a noinulless Kxpanso.

Hence it follows, that all our ideas on s])ace have but a purely relative
value. When we say, for instance, to ascend to the sky, to descen.l
under the earth, these expressions are false in themselves, for being situ-
ated in the bosom of the infinite, we can neither ascend or descend: there
is no above nor below; these words have only an acceptation relative to
the terrestrial surface on which we li\'e. The universe must, therefore, be
represented as an expanse without limits, without shores, illimited, in-
finite, in the bosom of which float suns like that which lights us, ai\cl
earths like that which poises under our steps. Neither dome, nor \aults
nor limits, of any kmd; void in every direction, and m this infinite \ old
an immense cjuantit)' of worlds.

In the bosom of infinite space, the unfathomable extent of which we
have tried to comprehend, lloat rich clusters of stars, each separated by
immense intervals. Now the stars are not .scattered in all parts of space
at hazard; they arc grouped as the members of many fcimilies. If we
compared the ocean of the heavens with the oceans of the earth, we
should say that the isles which sprinkle this ocean do not rise separately
in all parts of the sea, but that they are united here and there in archi-
pelagoes more or less rich. A Power as ancient as the existence of
matter presided at the creation of these isles, each archipelago of which
contains a great number; not one amongst them has risen spontaneously
in an isolated region ; they are all collected in tribes, most of wliich
count their members by millions.

Luminous Clusters of Stars.

These rich groupings of stars have received the name of nebulae. This
name was given at the time of the invention of astronomical lenses, when

THE MARVEUS OF THE HEAVENS.

?M)

•ics on centuries in iho
ic the voyatjc \vitlv;ut
: ourselves in any pa'.
iovv, in every direcli<.n;
course, wc sliould si^
iiensity eternally op.n.
lat our nii^lits had not
lat we were not more
s the infinite which sur
ute number of worlds.
ever fmdin^^ anything

IxpanHo.

ive but a purely relative
to the sky, to descon.l
L-mselvcs, for bcinL; Mtu-
scend or descend: then.'
w acceptation relative to
verse must, therefore, be
iut shores, illimited, i;i-
at which liL;hts us, and
s'cither dome, nor \aults
ukI in this infinite void

^Ic extent of which we
stars, each separated by
!vd in all parts of space

many families. If we
iceans of the earth, we
,n do not rise separately

re and there in archi-
lent as the existence of
11 archipelago of which

has risen spontaneously
tribes, most of which

Irs.

name of nebulae. This
Itronomical lenses, when

these starry tribes were distin<;uished only under a iliffuscd, cloudy
aspect, which did not enable the eye to distin;,aiish the composing; stars.
This appearance not reveal in<; in anyway the idea of solar chisters, it
was thought that they were only phosphorescent vapors, whirlwinds of
luminous substance, or possibly primitive fluids, whose pro^rfcssive con-
densation would in the future effect the formation of new stars. Tluv
were tliought to assist at the creation of distant worlds, and sometimes in
remarking their diflferent degrees of himinosity, people thought they
could infer their relative ages, as in a forest the age of trees of the .same
species maybe known on approach according to their size or the concen-
tric circles which are formed each year under the bark. Thus the first
nebula observed by the aid f.-f the telescope and pointed out as an object
(>f I)articular nature, the nebula of Andromeila, was considered f.)r ihree
centuries and a half as entireh' deprived of stars. Simon Marius of Fran-
conia, who from a musician became an astronomer — verx- compatible
tastes, moreover — describing this o\al and whitish appearance, wliich,
more brilliant at the centre, became fainter at the <;dges, said that it re-
sembled the light of a candle seen at a distance through a sheet of horn.
Starry Archipolaffoos in tlu' VpiM>r l>e«'p.

Only a few yi us ago a Cambridge astronomer counted within the
limits of this nebula 1500 little stars, notwithstanding which, the centre
still keeps the aspect of a diffused light, in spite of the best instruments.
I-ater, the astronomer Halley thought no more of the star-clusters.

In reality, he states, these spots are nothing more than light coming
from an immense space situated in the regions of ether, filled w ith a dif-
fused and luminous medium by itself Others, again, imagined that at
that spot the brightness of empyrean heaven was seen through an open-
ing in the firmament. Derham said this, the author of astrcvtheology.
But when optical instruments were perfected, this appearance of diffused
light was transformed into abrilliant dotting ; in proportion as the power
of the telescope became more searching, the number of apparent nebuh-c
diminished, and at present many of those which in Galileo's time were
regarded as cosmical clouds arc resolved into stars. To be just, it must
be added that in revealing the stellar composition of the first nebuhe, the
telescope showed others whose nature has only quite recently been found
out; these nebula; remain in an indistinct state, not only on account of
their prodigious distance, but because they are composed of vast cloud-
masses of glowing gas.

Thus, infinite space must be represented as an immense void in the
bosom of which are suspended archipelagoes of stars. These archipela-

• )

IT
I''

800

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

goes arc themselves of infinite number; the stars which compose them
can be counted by millions, and from one to the other the distance is in-
calculable. They are distributed in space in every direction, followin ■•
every iniaijjinable course, and invested with every possible form.

At the sight of these globular masses one may ask with Arago,
"What is the number of stars contained in some of these clusters?"
The astronomer himself replied to his question. It would be impossible
t-> count in detail and accurately the total number of stars of which cer-
tain globular 'jbuht are composed; but one maybe able to arrive ai:
limits. In calculating the angular space of the stars situated near the
edges, that is to say, in the region where they do not project on each
other, and comparing them with the total diameter of the group, it is cer-
tain that a nebula, whose apparent superficial extent is scarcely equal to the
tenth of that of the lunar disk, does not contain less than 20,000 stars;
this is the minimum. The dynamic conditions proper to insure the in-
definite presi .vation of a similar nmltitude of stars, do not seem easy to
imagine, adcis the celebrated astronomer. Supposing the system at rest,
the stars iii time will fall on each other. Giving it a rotary movement
round a single axis, shocks will inevitably take place. After all, is it cer-
tain that the globular systems of stars must be preserved indefinitely in
the state in which we now see them ? The examination of changes
which have taken place in other systems led to the belief, on the contrary,
that there is nothing infinitely stable there, and that movement governs
these clus* 's of >^uns, as well as it governs each of the stars, and each
of the little worlds v/hich revolve round them.

8ttir Clusters of Curious Shapes.

The most regular nebu'e are not the most curious; notwithstanding,
the aspect of some of them leaves a certain wonder in the mind. There
are star-clusters which, instead of being condensed in an immense globe,
are distributed in a crown, presenting the appearance of a circular or
oval nebula, but hollow at its centre. One of these is the perforated neb-
ula of Lyra ; another is that of Andromeda. In the one, the magnifi-
cent telescope of Lord Rosse shows dazzling borders of stars close
together, and luminous fringes notching the outer edge ; in the other, two
suns, symmetrically placed on one side and the other of the ellipse, ap-
pear destined to the government of this system in its passage throuL;h
space. Perforated nebula; are one of the rarest curiosities. That of Lyra
is the most celebrated; it was discovered in- 1799, at Toulouse, by Ar-
quier, at the time when the comet pointed out by Bode approached the
region that it occupied. It is about the apparent size of the disk of Ju-

TUP. MARVKLS OF TIIi: HK.WKNS.

801

which compose them
her the distance is in-
y direction, followin;,^
ossible form,
lay ask with Arago,
e of these clusters?"
t would be impossible
of stars of which cer-
ly be able to arrive ac
stars situated near the
Jo not project on each

of the group, it is cer-
; is scarcely equal to the
less than 20,000 stars ;
•roper to insure the in-
rs, do not seem easy to
sin^f the system at rest,

it a rotary movement
ace. After all, is it cer-
areserved indefinitely in
xamination of chan;^es

belief, on the contrary,

hat movement governs
of the stars, and each

ipes.

|rious ; notwithstanding,
ler in the mind. There
id in an immense globe,
iarance of a circular or
se is the perforated neb-
in the one, the magnifi-
borders of stars close
edge ; in the other, two
)ther of the ellipse, ap-
in its passage through
iriosities. That of Lyia
)9, at Toulouse, by Ar-
■ Bode approached the
size of the disk of Ju-

piter, and forms an ellipse, its luo diameter - being in the ratio of four to
five. 'I'he interior of the ring is not dark, but sli-htly luminous. Tiie
hollow space is, however, of a very deep black intlic beautiful i)erforated
nebukv of the southern hemisphere. All are i)ro!)ably star-clusters in
form of rings.

T«'ii TlioiisiiiKl i:y<>s ill OiH'.

As incidental reference has been niade- to the telescope, it is ajipropriate
that just here we should glance at this wonderful instrument. The fu'st
telescope made, Gallileo's feeble instrument, onl\- magnified objects seven
times, and yet witii it he discovered the satellites of Jupiter. The first
t' lescope which was constructed of large dimensions was that of Sir
William ilerschel. He discovered the si.xth satellite of Saturn with it.
The tube of this instrument being extremely heavy, movement could onlv
he communicated by a ver}- complicated mechanism; a mass of ladders
and masts, forming a gigantic pyramid. Its length was nearly fort\- feet,
lis diametci- nearly five. luder maintained that in order to see the lar"-est
,111 nials in the moon, it wouUl be recjuisilc to haw a telescope se\ei-al
l.iindretl feet in length. Hooke thought a glass 10,000 feet long (iieaiK-
tw.) miles) would be necessary, and projected the construction of one.
The telescope of Lord Rosse has shown that we can obtain this ad\an-
U[-\: much more easily. It is, sa)-s Sir l)a\id Brewster, one of our most
;;.;n'\elous combinations of art and science. This magnificent instru-
!iu;nt is fixed in the midst of walls which r^.-semble segments of fortifica-
tiniis. The telescope tube is 55 feet in length, and weighs I4,;73 pounds
a\()irdupois. With it one can gauge th'.- iuuui'asuiable depths of th''
luavens. It is thought that by means of this instrument we couKl easily
pcreeixe a monument the si/.e of the [))-ramids of I^g\'pt, if an\- existed
' n the moon. The surface of this jilanet is there as arcuratel\- de])icted
;is a teiTc-tial landscape

'I'he l^T.'scope- of Lord Rosse, would certain!}- not show us a lunar
elephant, but a troop of animals like a herd of .\merican buffaloes would
he quite \isibL-. Troops marching '"n order of Ijattle wouhl be cleaiU'
nerceptible. The obscr\ator\- at Paris and the capitol at Washington
Would !)..' ycvy easily seen. We must therefore conclude that if we see
ne.thin.; of this kind on our satellite, it is because its surface, r)rmerly all
flame and \-oleano, and now all ice, did not or does not contain anything
;>f tlie kind.

Sir John Ilerschel explored the stars with instruments which multiplied
'I'OO times. Lord Rosse fathomed the de[)ths of the heavens with a
ti'lcscope ha\ing a six feet opening, and fift\'-five fext in length. Thus by
51

llii

1^ '|[|i,ik '•

802

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

the potency of this immense optic tube, in which a man could walk witli
case, wc see several ncbul.x, which up to the present time had defied all
our instruments, resolved into dense swarms of stars. Our means of in-
vestityation have ^iven gigantic proportions to the field of science. When
the sidereal world was only explored with the naked eye, the catalogue
of stars compiled from antiquity only made mention of about a thousand
stars. In our days the vault of heaven, seen through a telescope twciit •
feet long, is found, according to Struve, to contain more than 20,000,000
stars.

But Sir William Ilerschel pried yet more deeply into the mysteries if
the heavens. By means of his telescope, forty feet long, the milky way.
this long white train which the Arabs called the Heavenly River, has

*-.-i^*2«:**K; .^ '^^y.'

^^5T^tw<'sSa^eKSS«^8S»?gftBPSB^«^»^s^

LORD ROSSE's great REELECTING TELESCOPE.

been resolved into a stellar cloud, in which the English astronomer esti-
mated there were iS,ooo,000 telescopic stars. And yet can we say tiut
with these overwhelming numbers — these numbers which confound the
invagination — v.c h.a\-e reached the extreme bounds of science, and tliat it
lias traced out the far^^licst limits of the sidereal universe? Probably \v\
Other re\'elations, n it less marvelous, may yet astonish our descendant;!
Not onl}' d) these tlistant systems, sonic of them peopled with, nixriads
cf suns, ^i-ke the most varied firms, not only do they present a diversity
of aspect greatei than it is poi-.siljle to imagine; but some of them also
unfold to the astonished ej-e which contemplates them varied shades ami
real colors. One is of a beautiful indigo blue; another is rose-colored at
its centre with a white border.

man could walk with
cnt time had defied all
ii-s. Our means of in-
ncld of science. When
iked eye, the catalo'^nio
on <^f about a thousaivl
u<^h a telescope twenty
1 more than 20,ooo,o<d<^;

)ly into the mysteries ci
ct long, the milky way,
he Heavenly River, has

1 ! I

1 TELESCOPE.

Kni^lish astronomer csti-

And yet can we sa\- that

Ibers which confound the

luls of science, and that it

universe ? Probably n<l

^stonish our descendant -l
[em peopled with. m> riaa>
lo they present a diversity
; but some of them al>"

fs' them varied shades aiKi

another is rose-colored at

CHAPTER II.
REMARKABLE PHENOMENA IX THE SKY.

5trange Appearances in the Heavens— Fiery Bodies Swcpinj; Through tlie Sky —
Startling Explosions— An Aerolite Suspended in a Cliurch— F.ill of a Gieat
Stone— A Brilliant Meteorite Seen in Connecticut -Balls of Fire Leaping and
Whizzing in the Air— A Red Globe Apparently as Large as the Moon— A Siiouxr
of Burning Stones— The Great Meteor at Hurworth.

ETEORITES arc those solid fiery bodies which from time to
time visit the earth, sweepin^ij^ tln-ougli the sk\' witlt immense
velocity in every direction, and rcmainin'j^f \i.Nible but a few
moments; they are cjenerally attended by a luminous train, and
during their progress explosions usually occur, followed b)- the fall of
stones, to which the name of ai'rolites is gi\en.

In November, 1462, at Ensisheim, in Germany, a hnid explosion was
heard in the air, and a stone seen to fall which buried itself ih:cp in the
earth. It weighed 260 pounds, and by the order of the l".mix-i or Maxi-
milian, was suspended in the church at Ensisheim, where it remained
until the French revolution. A portion of it is now in the Parisian
museum, and another in the Imperial Cabinet at Vienna. In June, 1635,
a fiery mass was seen passing over the Veronese territory with such
velocity, that the eye could scarcely follow its motions. Loud explosions
were heard, and a large stone fell near the Benedictine Convent, about six
miles from Verona.

At half past si.x o'clock, on the morning of the 14th of December, 1807;
a meteorite was seen rushing from north to south, over Weston, in the
State of Connecticut; its apparent diameter being equal to one-half, or
two-thirds, that of the full moon. As it passed behind tiie clouds, it ap-
peared like the sun through a mist, and shone with a mild and subdued
light; but when it shot across the intervals of clear sky, the glowing body
flashed and .sparkled like a firebrand carried against the wind. Behind it
streamed a pale, hmiinous train, tapermg in form, and ten or twelve times
as long as its diameter. The meteorite was visible for the space of half a
minute, and just as it vanished gave three, di.stinct bounds. ..^bout thirty
seconds after its disappearance, three heavy explosions were heard like
the reports of a cannon, succeeded by a loud whizzing noise. Directly
after the explosions, a person heard a sound resembling that occasioned
(803)

li!|^

804

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

11 U^

by the fall of a heavy body, and upon going from the house perceived a
fresh hole in the turf, at the distance of twenty-five feet from the d(j(ir
.U the bottom of the hole, two feet below the surface, an aerolite was tlis-
covered which weighed nearly thirty-five pounds. Another mass, wliid;
was dashed to pieces upon a rocU, was judged, from the fa'-;ncnt;
collected, to have weighed two hundred pound;. Oihcr ac'rolitu.; i'>. ;
in various parts of the town. Tlic stones, at llie tinu: cf their dL'-.cnt.
were hot and crumbling, but gradually hardened up n expcj.'iMx: to
the air,

/Vt Futtypore, in India, in November, 1S14, a mtleoritc was scon,
shortly alter sunset, shooting swiftly towards e north-west. It appuircl
as a blaze of light surrounding a red globe (;f the apparent size ot thr
moon. As it proceeded on its course, loud explosions were heard, rc-
.sembling the sound of distant artillery, and a stone fell, which, in it- de-
scent, emitted sj^arks like those proceeding from a blacksmith's ti.ij^c.
When first disco\'ered. the a("rolite was hot antl e.xha'ed a strong suljluir-
ous smell. In December, 1836, just before niidniglu, a meteorite ( ; ex-
traordinary si/e and brilliancy was seen o\"ei' tlie \-illage of l\lac;i.i, ui
Brazil, tra\'ersing a cloudless sky. It biu'st with a sharp, loud noi.^e, aiu;
a slun\er of stones fell within a circle of lliirtx- miles. The aeioiiies
varietl in weight from one pound to eighty, :\nA descended wit!: -licii
f )ice as to break throutrh the roofs of houses, an;! \)uvy tliemselve- 'Im'i
iri tlie sand. Tliese extraordinary bodies luive Ijeen noticed frfii'i ihr
eailiest ages, and in all parts of the world; and, since attention k.;, 1 llh
diawn to the subject, scarcely a year now j'asses \\ ithout one or Tiiurc
well attested cases of the fall of aerolites.

JinnuMisc SIzt' of 3Ietoorit<'s.

We must not confound tlie magnitude of tlie meteorite witli tliai ufilie
aerolite, for the latter is nothing more than a ria_L;ment thrown oil" fiiiii
the former and filling to the earth, wliile tlie iviaiii l)ody swei-])s onv;;;(i
initscour.se. Tlie diameter of the WestcMi meteorite w;is computed ti
be 300 feet, and that of a meteorite obser\'ed at Win^l^or, in Au'ju f
17S3, was calculated to be no less than 3210 feet, or more tlian t!i;''
fiftlis of a mile.

Included in intural electrical plienomena at sea is a round \)a'.\ l! ■
size of a full moon, but much brigliter ami red.L-r. passing slowiy l\
one cloud to another, sometimes succeeded by a teirifie e.xp!osi"ii •'
thunder. It seems strange that ships are not oftener struck by liglitn:!i
but, although the bolts sometimes fall in ((uick succes-ion around :i ^l•
they are generally diverted by the superior attraction of the wai;"

REMARKABLE PHENOMENA IN Till: sy^Y.

805

since attention r.;. 1 <-t-n
,scs withiHit one or rrion

It sea is a round ImiI t'''
jdder, passin^^ slowly 1 > ;
by a teirific explosi-n i'
)fcener struck by lii;litiv:!-,
c succes-ion around a >!' ;
• attraction of the water.

These flaming electric bolts which add so much to the t' nor and Ijeauty
(if the ocean are different in cause from the brilliant meteors so often seen
(,n land. Meteors nr shooting stars may be occasionally seen on any
clear night, but it is about the middle of August and November that the
display is most brilliant. Sometimes meteoric showers of several hours'
duration are witnessed. Meteors are supposed to be small bodies revolv-
ing around the sun, like the planets, in orbits which cross that of the
c.utli. When the earth in its annual revolution arri\es sufficiently n.ar,
under the iniluencc of its attraction they approach it with great velocity,
and on entering the atmosphere of tlie earth they take fue. In n..)st

THE GREAT METEOR SEEN AT HURWORTH.

cases they are consumed before reaching the earth, and thus disappear in
the sky. Sometimes, however, when the mass is large, a loud explosion
takes place, and fragments from a few pounds to a ton in weight fall to
the ground. In one case a meteoric stone nearly ten tons In weight was
found in France. Such wanderers from far distant space or from other
worlds are made up of materials similar to those we find in the earth —
iron, nickel, quartz, talc, etc. These meteors, when large, are often inex-
pressibly brilliant. One seen at ITurworth, luigland, in 1S54, lit up the
heavens for half an hour with as bright a light as that of the sun, and
finally burst with a thunderous explosion heard for many miles.

: ■ IV

806

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

il'flMjw ■

■MlSlli

A multitude of theories have been devised to account for the orii^in of
these remarkable bodies. The idea is completely inadmissible that thcv
are concretions formed within the limits of the atmosphere. The int^rc-
dients that enter into their composition have never been discovered in it,
and the air has been analyzed at the sea level and on the tops of hi;^h
mountains. Even supposinij that to have been the case, the enormous
volume of atmospheric air so chari^ed required to furnish the particles (if
3 mass of .several tons, not to say many masses, is, alone, sufficient to
refute the notion. They cannot, either, be projectiles from terrestrial vol-
canoes, because coincident volcanic activity has not been observed, and
aerolites descend thousands of miles apart from the nearest volcano, ami
their substances are discordant with any known volcanic product. La-
place sugj^ested their projection from lunar volcanoes.

It has been calculated that a projectile leaving the lunar surface, where
there is no atmospheric resistance, with a velocity of seven thousand seven
hundred and .seventy-one feet in the first .second, would be carried bey(^nd
the point where the ft)rces of the earth and moon are ec[ual, would be
detached, therefore, from the satellite, and come so far within the sphere
of the earth's attraction as necessarily to fall to it. But the enormoiH
number of ignited bodies that have been visible, the shooting stars of all
ages, and the periodical meteoric showers that have astonished the mod-
erns, render this hypothesis untenable ; for the moon, ere this, woultl ha\ r
undergone such a waste as must have scnsibh' diminished her orb, and
almost blotted her from the heavens. Olbers was one of the first to prow
the possibility of a projectile reaching us from the moon ; but at the same
time he deemed the e\ent In'ghly improbable, regarding the satellite as a
\ery peaceable neighbor, not capable now of strong explosions from the
w ant of water and an atmosphere.

Where <lo ^leteors Come From ?

The theor\- of Chladni will account generally for all the phenomena.
be attended with the fewest difficulties, and, with some modifications to
meet circumstances not known in his day, it is now widely embraced. lU
conceived the svstem to include an immense number of small bodies
either the scattered fragments of a larger mass, or original accumulations
of matter, which, circulating round the sun, encounter the earth in its
orbit, and are drawn towards it by attraction, become ignited upon enter-
ing the atmosphere, in consequence of their velocity, and constitute the
shooting stars, aerolites, and meteoric appearances that arc ob.served.

Sir Humphry Davy, in a paper which contains his researches on flame,
strongly expresses an opinion that the meteorites arc solid bodies moving

«viii.^)v«r9viv|

count for the orii^in of
inadmissible that thi\-
losphcre. Tlic iiv^rpL.
■ been discovered in it,
d on the tops of lii^h
le case, the enormous
furnish tlie particles of
is, alone, sufficient to
cs from terrestrial vol-
5t been observed, and
e nearest volcano, and
olcanic product. La-
)es.

ic lunar surface, where
"seven thousand seven
tuld be carried beyc^id
1 are ecjual, would be
far within the sphere
:. But the enormous
e shootini; stars of all
i astonished the niod-
n, ere this, would lia\r
ninished her orb, and
ne of the first to prow
loon ; but at the sanu
dini; the satellite as a
g explo.'iions from tlu-

or all the phenomena,
sc^me modifications U>
wideK' embraced. I h.
liber of small bodies
irii^inal accumulatii-ns
niter the earth in its
ne ignited upon eiitcr-
ty, and constitute tlic
tliat are observed.
is researches on flame,
c solid bodies movinir

:i li

"■ i

A SHOWER OF BRILLIANT METEORS ON THE OCEAN.

(807)

"i4

mm"' ■ '

i t iff

'P'lif!!:

if '

- i(':

j ' ■

I tl

808

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

in space, and that the heat produced by the compression of the most rare-
fied air iVotn tlie velocity of their motion must be sufficient to ignite their
mass, so that they are fused on enterinij the atmosphere. It is estin^ated
that a body movint^ throus^h our atmos[)here with tlie velocity of one
' ;;!_• ill a second would extricate heat e([ual to thirtv thousand dec^rees of
■ahrenheit — a Ivjat more intense than that of the fiercest artificial furnace
that e\er L;I<)\\ed. The chief modification i;i\en to the Chladnian theorv
has arisen from the o!)scr\ed ivjriodical occurrence of meteoric showers—
a !)rilliant cuul astonishin;^ exhibition, — to some iKJtices of which we pro-
ceed.

Tile writers of the midtlle a.^es report the occurrence of the stars fallin;^^
{yi"n h a\cn in resplentient showers amon^^ the ph\'sical a[)pearances of
liiiir time. The experience of modern da\'s establishes the substantial
truth < f such relations, however once rejected as the inventions of men dc-
lil^htin;^ in tlie marxelous. Conde, in his histor)' of the dominion of the
Arabs, states, referring;' to the month of October, in the \ear 902 of oiir
era, tliat im t!ie ni;;ht of the death of King Ibrahim ben Ahmed, an inll-
nit^-- number of fallin-.^ stars were seen to spread themselves like rain o\cr
tlu- hea\ens, fi-om rijdit to Lft ; and this )'ear was afterwards called the
" \-ear of .stars."

In some I-!astern annals of Cairo, it is relatetl that, " In this \'ear (1029
of our era,) in the month Redjeb, (.Vugust.) many stars passed, with a
;4reat noise and brilliant lij^dit: " and in anotluM* place the same document
states, " In the }-ear 5',/j, on .Saturdax' nij^ht, in the last Moharrem, (1202
of our era, aiul on the 19th of October,) the stars appeared like wa\es
upon the sk\', towards the east and west ; the}' Hew about like grassho;)-
pers, and were dispersed from left to ri;^ht ; this lasted till daybreak; the
people were alarmed." The researches of the Orientalist, Von Hammer,
ha\-e brouLij-ht these singular accounts to light. Theophanes, one of the
B\vantine historians, records that in November of the year 472 the sky
appeared to be on fire over the city of Constantinople with the corusca-
tions of flying meteors.

**Divcr.s Groat Woii<lor.s."

The chronicles of the West agree with those of the East in rcportin<(
such phenomena. A remarkable display was observed on the 4th. of
\})ril, 1095, both in France and England. " The stars .seemed," says one,
' falling like a shower of rain from heaven upon the earth ; " and in an-
other case, a bystander, having noted the spot where an aerolite fell," cast
water upon it, which was raised in stea'ii with a great noise of boiling."
The chronicle of Rheims f'escribes the appearance, as if all the stars in

'si

« Vi

^nc^wwmpv

REMARKABLE PHENOMFA'A OF THE SKY.

8()[)

^ssionof the most raic-
iLifficicnt to ignite tluir
;phcrc. It is cstinnitcd
hh the velocity of or.c
tv thousand de;4rees i,[
iercest artificial furnace
o the Chladnian theory
: of meteoric showers —
)tices of which we pro-

ence of the stars fallin,;
ph)-sical appearances of
il)lishes the substantia!
\c in\-entions of men dc-
of the dominion of the
, in the year 902 of our
im ben Ahmed, an infi-
hcmselveslike rain over
as afterwards called the

lat, " In this year (1029
my stars passed, with a
ace the same document
le last Moharrem, (1202
rs api^eared like waxes

\v al)out like ^n'asshop-
asted till daybreak; the

icntalist, Von Hammer,
Theophanes, one of the

)f the year 472 the sky
inople with the corusca-

of the l-'.ast in rcportinL,^
observed on the 4tl; of
stars seemed," says one,
the earth ; " and in aii-
jre an aerolite fell, " cast
-reat noise of boilin,^."
nee, OS if all the stars in

heaven were r'riven, like dust, befi)re the wind. " ]\\ ihe repnrte oi the
common people, in this kyn-e's time, (William Ru^'us,"') .sa\ s Rastel,
"liivers j^n-eat wonders were .seen; and llierefore the kini; was tdd bv
(Ii\ers of his familiars, that God was n>>t content with his ]\-\\-iv, but he
was so wilful and proude of minde, .hat he re;^Mrded litde their sax-in-."
There can be no hesitation now iu L;ivin4 credence t^ Mich narrations a;
ihese, since similar facts luu'e pas.sed under the notice of the present "en-
cration.

The first i^rand phenomenon of a meteoric shower whieh attracted atten-
tion in modern times was witnessed by th • Moravian missionaries at their
settlements in Greenland. Vnv sex'eral houi-s the h;';iii->p!iere presented a
ina;4nificentandastonishin;4- spectacK- — that of fkry jiarticles thick a. hail,
crowdincj the concax'e of the sky, as thoui;h some ma;.;a/ine of combustion
in celestial .space were dischari;in;^^ its contents towards the earth. This
was ob.scrx'ed over a wide extent of territory. llumbohU, then tiaxelliiv
in .South America, accompanied b\' M. ]^)n[)lan(I, thus speaks of it:
"Towards the mornint; of the 1 ;,t]i of Xovember, i^oij, we witnessed a
most extraordinary scene of shootin;.;- meteors. Thousands of bodies uul
fallin.,^ stars succeeded each other tlurin;^- four hours. Their diiection was
\er\- regular from north to south. From the be_L;innin_L;" of tlu; phenoui-
cnon there was not a space in the firmament etpial in extent to three diam-
eters of the moon which was not filled e\er}' instant with botlies or fallin;4
stars. All the meteors left luminous traces or phospiiorescent bands
behind them, which lasted seven or ei!.;ht seconds."

A Spoetsn'Ic of Avil'iil GraiKlcur.

An a;.;ent of the United States, Mr. I'^dlicott, at that time at sea between
Cape Florida and the West Intlia Islands, was another spectator, and thus
describes the scene : " I was called up about three o'clock in the niorniiv^-,
to seethe shootinij stars, as the\-are called. The phenomenon was _L;rand
and awful. The whole heavens ai)peared as if illuminated with skyrockets,
which disappeared onl\' by the licjht of the sun after daybreak. The me-
teors, which at any one instant of time appeared as numerous as the stars,
flew in all possible directions, except from the earth, towards which they
all inclined more or les.s; and some of them descended perpendicu-lariy
o\er the vessel we were in, s;) that I was in constant expectation of their
fillint; on us."

The next exhibition upon a great scale of the falling stars occurred on
the 13th of November, 1S31, and was seen off the coast of Spain and in
the United States. This was followed b\' another in the ensuing year at
exactly the same time. Captain Hammond, then in the Red Sea, off

1'^

810

n ■ J-
^ i:

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY,

Mocha, in tlu; ship Restitution, tnws the followint^ account of it : " I'li.m
one o'clock in the inoinint;, till after cla\'lit;ht, there was a \ery unusual
phenonienon in the heavens. It a[ipeared like meteors bursting in ev( r\
direction. The sky at the tinie was clear, the .stars and moon brJLjlu, w iih
streaks of lii^iit and thin white cKnids interspersed in the sk\-. On landing
in the mornin;^ 1 iiupiired of the Arabs if they had noticed the abow
They saitl they had been t)bser\in.t; it most of the nit^ht. I asked tliein
if ever the like had appeared before. The oldest of them replied that it
had not." Tiie shower was witnessed from the Red Sea westward tollu
Atlantic, and from Switzerland to the Mauritius.

Pi'oplt; StriclicMi with T<>rr<>r.
We now come to by far the nn)st splendid display on record ; w liicli,
as it was the third in successive years, and on the same ila\' of the ni.iiuli
as the two precedini^, seemed to invest the meteoric showers with a
periotlical character; and hence oriijinated the title of the NoveinliLi
meteors. The chief scene of the exhibition was included within tin.
limits of the loiiL^itude of si.\ty-onc det^rees in the Atlantic Ocean, ;uiil
that of one hundred degrees in Central Me.xico, and from the X<>rlli
American lakes to the West Indies. Over this wide area an a[)pear.uior
jiresiiited itself far suriJassint,'' in grandeur the mt)st imposing arlitk\al
fireworks. An incessant i)lay of da/.zlingly brilliant luminosities was kept
up in the heavens for se\'eral hours. .Some of these were of considerable
magnitude and peculiar form.

One of large size remained for some time almost stationar\' in ihc
zenith, o\er the I'^alls of Niagara, emitl.ing streams of light. The wild
dash of the waters, as contrasted with the fier}' uproar above them, fdrnuii
a scene of unec[ualled sublimit}'. In man)- tlistricts the mass of the popu-
lation were terror-.stricken, and the more enlightened were awed at ecii-
templating so vivid a picture of the .\pocal\'j)tic image — that of the stars
of hea\en falling to the earth, e\en as a fig-tree casting her untimely figs,
when she is shaken of a might)' wintl.

A planter of South Carolina tluis describes the effect of the scene u[)oii
the ignorant l)lacks: " I was suddenlx- awakened b}' the most distressing;
cries that e\er fell on m\' ears. Shrieks of horror and cries for mercy I
could hear from most of the negroes of three plantations, amounting in
all to about si.K or eight hundred. W'hile earnestly listening for the cause,
I lu'ard a faint voice near the door calling my name. I arose, and takin^'
my swortl, stood at the door. At this moment, I heard the .same voice
still besjechingme to rise, and saying, 'O my God, the world is on fire!'
I then opjnod tlu door, and it is difficult to say which excited me more

f'l

REMARKABLE rilENOMENA OF THE SKY

account of it : " I'l'mi
■vc was a very unii-.u;il
teors burstint; in cvt i\
;atul moon brit^lu, Willi
in tlio sky. On landiii.'
lad noticed the abow
L- nii^bt. 1 asked tlicni
of them rephed tliat it
.cd Sea westward tutlu,

i>r.

)lay on record ; wliich,
same day of the uMiuh
cteoric showers with a
title of the Noveniher
•as included within iIk
he Atlantic Ocean, aiul
:o. and from the N-illi
wide area an appeaianor
most imposini,^ artificial
uit luminosities was kept
cse were t)f considerable

uost stationary in the
ms of h;,dit. The wiUl
•oar above them, fornie^i
ts the mass of the i^opu-
ned were awed at ccn-
ma-e— that of the stars
astinii her untimely li,j,>,

— the awfulncss of the scene or the distressed cries of the ncToes. Up-
uards of one hundred lay prostrate on tlie ground, some s|)eechlcss, and
st)nie with the bitterest cries, but with lluii hands raised, implorin<f God
to save the worUl and them. The .scene was irul\- awfiil; for never did
rain fall much thicker than the meteors fell towards the I'arlh ; east, west,
nortii and south it wiis the .same."

Almost Hit by a .>l«>tt>or.

A remarkable story is related by Cajjtain Swart, of the Dutch bark, J.
!'. A. The Captain thinks that his theor\-, derived from a recent ex-
perience, will account for the sudden disappearance of man)- vessels at
sea. He sa>-s that March 19, iS87, his ship, while in lalitiuK; 37. ,V) and
loni^itude 57 west, met a heavy storm. At about fi\e o'clock in the after-
noon a meteor was observed fiyinc; throu^di the air.

It looked like two balls, one very black and the other bii'>htl\- ilhimin-
aled. The latter fell, and as it seemed that it would strike the ves.sel she
was hove to untler storm .sails. The meteor dropped into the sea close
aloii^^ side, makini; in its llif^ht a tremendous roaring noise. Hefort'
reaching the water, the upi)er atmosphere was darkened, while below and
on board evef)'thinL;' appeared like a sea of fire. The force of the meteor
in striking; the water causetl hea\-)' breakers, which washed o\er the \es->ei,
inakin<^ her roll in a dangerous manner. At the .same time the atmosphere
became uncomftMtabl}' warm and the air was full of sulphur, bnmedialel}-
afterwards solid lunn)s of ice fell on the decks, antl the ilecks and rigging
became coated with an icy crust, caused by the immense e\aporation.

The barometer during the phenomenon oscillatetl so \iolentl\- that no
reading could be taken. After close examination of the \essel and rigging
no damage was found on deck, but on the side where the meteor fi'U into
tlie water the ship a[)pearcd all black and some of the copi)er sheathing
was blistered.

t I

ijii

11^

effect of the .scene upon

by the most distressing;
1- and cries for mercy 1
mtations, amounting in
ly listening for the cause,
me. I arose, and takin,^'

1 heard the .same voice
od, the world is on fire !'

which excited me more

sr*

; 'h

CIIAriHR III.
A WORLD nUKNI'D OUT AND DI-.AD.

Tlie I-"artli ("iisliiuiifd wiili Air -The Weight «>i" ICvt-ry Ilutiian Ik-in^j Stvciilti .1
Tons— ( )iir N\irL'->t IManutary NciRhbor — Time Rf(iuir< d l)y a Railway Train to
Reach the Mdhii -Lunar Mountains- Moon Turn hy l"uiious Volcanoes- The
['"ires Kxtinrt — The Surface Cold- Cr.itcrs and Caverns — Lunar Seas — A Dest-rt
World -Internal Silence— No Air nor Water- No Sky — \'ounj; Lady in the
Moon — Perpetual Chanvjes— WliileCrested Mountains — Tiu- Moon's Attractive
i-'iMtures -Tlie Moon a One-Sitled Creaturj— StraMi:;c ConjerturLS as to the Side
Turned Away— The First (Juarter-Inunense Cavilie.-. in the Moon's Surrux—
Measuring; Craters— Kxcitenient over First Discoveries —Droll Superstitions — A
Satellite Supposed to Rule almost Kverythinjj.

UR planet is entirely enveloped by a thick layer of air, wliirli
forms roiintl it the softest cushion iniat^inablc. Notwithstand-
in;_,^ its apparent liL;htnes.s, this atmosphere wei^Ljhs heaxily upon
all bodies on the earth, and exerts [greater prcssiu'e in propor-
tion as they offer a lar<^er surface. Pliysioloj^ists consider that each of us
has a weight cf about 35,300 pounds to support, but this i^rtat weioht is
not usually felt, because it is counterbalanced by a counter action e(|ual
in all directions, so that the one destroj-s the other.

The earth is not rich in respect to satellites, possessincr as it does only
one, which, however, is of dimensions ample enout;"h as compared to it.
this is the moon, the faithful companion of its course. Other planets, it
is true, like Jupiter and Saturn, are more richly endowed, and have from
f(3ur to e.j^ht satellites; but a;_jain there are others which do not possess
an}', as is the case with Venus and Mercury.

The sole and faithful satellite of the earth, formed by a fraj^ment detached
from it, now cold and wan, rolled round us when it bei;an, a retl and
blazin-^ sphere, xomitin^i:^ torrents of fire from its whole surface. Wiiilst
gravitation was regulatini^ its form and path, the moon, in the course of
thousands of years, exhausted its fires to show us at last its pale and
silvery face, the sad lunn'naiy of our nights, the splendid nocturnal mirror
\vhich reflects to us, pale and cold, the divergent rays of the sun.

Compared to the immeasurable distances of the nebulae; and stars, the
space which separates us from our satellite is (juite insignificant; she is
our next-door neighbor and the eye can so clearly discern her form and
(812)

A WORLD m-RNl;!) OUT AND DFAD.

IT I •)

peculiarities, tluu she sccnis a'.niot to toi di us. Ihit iliis insitrnitKant
distance, abstractly consickTcil. is yet vast nioii-;!!. The distaircc tV(»m
tiic earth to the moon is about 237.000 milts. If it were possible to -et
there by tiuaiis of .steam, it would rrcpiiiv one vear and about diree hun-
<hvd and twenty two days for a lo,:. -motive startiu- froni our ^l..!),- and
l;-avellin;4 at a hi-h rate of speed to reach the nioon and l.ind its pa^seti-
n-ers ; )'ct this is but a step compared to the distances ,,t the >tars.

VOLCANIC CKATEKS ON 'i

The moon is m ever\' p.u"

•I KlAt-.L

't- I .

different

HE MOU.N .-1

oul;1iciil'.i »\illi cmiiicnC','
shapes, but the\' onl\- very rarel\ ■jjrou]- theiiiselve- into ir,ountaMi chains
comparable to those of our ^lobe. The Mcs, Caucasus ii-,(' the .Apen-
nines rcnresent the principal onts. (.'eit.iin ^.solated summits haw re-
ceived the names of celebrated men, but those of past tin^s ha\e been
chosen in order not to excite any jeah us}- ; we travel from the Mountain
of Aristotle to that of Mipparchus, from that of Plolenu- to that of Cr>-
pernicus. The astronomers have verx- properly not forgotten their clain.s.

!'!^ (

814

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

The highest lunar mountains attain an altitude which surpasses most
terrestrial elevations, a fact which may well astonish us. Generally
they do not rise beyond 22,750 feet. But in proportion to the size of
the planet, we may say that the mountains in the moon are much loftier
than those of the earth. The summits of Mount Dcerfel are 24,700 feet
above the valleys which environ it, whilst the crest of Mont Blanc only
rises 15,632 feet above the level of the sea.

Most of the mountains of our pale companion are of volcanic origin,
and its surface has been so shattered by subterranean fires that in manv
places the craters are heaped up close beside each otht. Probably no
stnr was ever so horribly torn by the fury of volcanoes. These even
attain proportions far beyond what is seen in our globe. Some of those
lunar craters are four or five leagues in diameter, and the gaping mouth
of the volcano of Aristillus. still more prodigious, is ten leagues from
one ridge to the other ! Our glasses enable us to see these extinct cra-
ters .'n such proportions, that none of their details escape us ; whilst,
were we on the moon, our telescopes, according to Humboldt, woulil
scared)' enable us to make out terrestrial volcanoes.

Iinnu'Mso Lunar Caverns.

Seen from the earth many lunar volcanoes appear vcy much depressed,
uid the edges of their craters resemble so many flattcnetl rings, projecting
\cr\- little abo\-e the plains. Some region- ue so riddled with them that
their mouths touch. Others surmount lofi\' summits, and their crenel-
ated ramparts surround enormous excavations, which pierce deep intu
the mountains below the level of the plains.

Formerh' the dark patches which cover part of the moon's siu-facc
were considered as representing lunai seas, but at present men are dis-
posed to look upon them as only immense plains. The first astronomers
gave them names full of poetiy. There was the Sea of Tranquility, the
Sea of Clouds, the Sea of Nectar, the Ocean of Tempests, and the Sea of
Serenity.

The rocky and shattered soil of our satellite is perfectly bare ; not a
blade of grass grows there, not a flower opens. Totally deprived of water
and air, life is an impossibility. A threefold death would overtake the
least animal that happened to alight there ; a squirrel would perish of
hunger, thirst, and asphyxia! In these cold and horrid realms of the
moon, everything is plunged in torpor and silence ; the echoes arc mute
and the breath of a zephyr never plays round the summits of the rugged
movmtains.

By means of our instruments, which have now been brought to so

,Mm

A WORLD BURNED OUT AND DEAD.

81.)

which surpasses most
itonish us. Generally
(portion to the size of
moon are much loftier
Doerfel are 24,700 feet
3t of Mont Blanc only

are of volcanic origin,
lean fires that in many
h othtk. Probably no
)lcanoes. These oven
globe. Some of those
and the gaping mouth
IS, is ten leagues from
■) see these extinct era-
ails escape us ; whilst,
^ to Humboldt, would
•es.

iv \c'-y much deprcssctl,

ttcned rings, projectin;^

riddled with ihcin that

mits, and their crenel-

hich pierce deep into

of the moon's surface
it present men are di.s-
The fust astronomers
iea of Tranquilit}', the
mpests, and the Sea of

s perfectly bare ; not a
itally deprived of water
th would overtake the
Liirrel would perish of
1 horrid realms of the
; the echoes are mute
ummits of the rugged

V been brought to so

great perfection, we can pry into the minutest details of our satellite, and
examine them with as much accuracy as if it were .some distant \iew en
earth ; hence we can to a certain extent make out its geological disposi-
tion. The precision of our glasses has been carried to such a pilch, that
we could with them easily perceive large buildings, if .my existed on the
lunar surface ; we could even make out troops of animals moving about.
It would, it is true, be impo.ssible to percei\e one of its inhabitants trav-
ersing the valleys of its silver crescent, but if the nmcl; spoken of Sele-
nites exi.sted, we should certainly perceive their movements when thev"
were collected into dense masses. According to 1 luiiihokli, however,
liiere is only a noiseless, silent desert there.

Sir Walter Scott gives us in one of his fine poetical outbursts this apos-
tri'i^he to the lunar world:

Hail ti) t!iy cold and cloudeci beam.

Pale jjif^riin of tlie truiihlcd sky !

Hail, tliou^li the mi-^m that o'l-rtliec .slieaia

Lend lo thy lirow thi ir sullen dvc !

How should thy puix- and peactTuI eye

Lhitrouljled view our srfiiL'.s bel((W ?

Or how a tearless beam supjjly !

To light a world of war and woe ?

There is a great contrast, not <Mily api)arent but \-c.:\\. between the serdio

tranquility of the lunar disk ami the great mo\enient^ which are eea cIcssU-

carried on on the surface of oin- world. ( )n approaching the moon iiothin-

is seen of the physical causes which make the earth a \a-t laborator\'

wlierein a thousand elements conteuil or unite with each other. There

are none of those tumultuous tempests which sometitue's sweep ovvv our

undulated plains; none of those hurricanes which descend in waterspouts

to be swallowed up in the deijth of the .sea ; no w ind blows, no cloutl rises

to the heavens. There white trains of cloudy vapors are not seen, nor

those laden masses with heavy cohorts; the rain ne\-er falls; and neither

snow, nor hail, nor any of the meteorological phenomena are manifested there.

But, on the other hand, the magnificent tiii*^s w Inch color our sky at

sunrise and twilight, the radiati(m of the heated, atniosphere, are ne\-er

seen there ; if winds and tempests n^^ver blow, neither is there the balm\-

breeze which descends upon our coasts. Tn this kingdom of sovereign

immobilit}', the lightest zephvr never comes to caress the hill-tops ; the

sky remain.s eterna'h' asleep in a calm incomparably more complete than

that of our hottest davs when not a leaf moves in the air. This is becau.se

on the surface of this strange world there is nn atmosphere. From this

privation results a state of things difficult to realize.

!■; i.

i l

H:
iK

•f t . «

;f'H^ ■■

1 1' .

"Pr'

■*..

81G

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

In the first place, the absence of air inipHes also the absence of water and
every Hquid, for water and hquids can only exist under atmospheric
pressure : if this pressure is taken away they e\-aporcitc and their beds arc
dried up. Thus, for instance, if \'ou place a vessel filled with water under
the receiver of an air-pump, and then, b\- pumping out the air which is in
the receiver, you make a \acuum, you will soon see the water boil, even
when the place where the experiment is made is frozen 'rith the ni()>t
intense cold. The boiling disengages vapors, and, finally, the water i>
evaporated. Now let us suppose, that, at a certain period of its past exist-
ence the moon had, like the earth, seas and rivers, and that by the aid <.|
any apparatus, its seas and rivers were made to hod and to fall into vapor
a.;ain ; by continuing this operation long enough the moon would be
made completely (lr\' ; this is precisely what has hapfK'iied.

Since the distant period of its formation in a lluid state, it has lost all

its licpiids antl vapors, and now a linnet wi)uld die of thirst in the midst n|'

the seas of the moon. These seas do not contain a drop of water. Thes.;,

it will be said, are singular seas. And, indeetl, no one will hokl that tiicir

tide is logical. lUit, we have seen that tiiey were named at a time wli.ii

people did not know the lunar surlace sufficientl}' well to guess that ■:

existed without air and water, h^-om the absence of air follows anoiJiLM'

\ ery curious fact — the .ibsence of sky. An immensity without depth i>

tra\'ersed b)' the sight, and in the da\' as in the night are seen the star^

planets, comets, and aU the liodies of our uniwrse. The sun passes anion--

them \\illu)ut extinguisjiing them, as it does to us. Xot only does llu'

moon Hot possess this perjjetual di\ersit_\- which the mownients of the .lir

[)roduce on our world, but it has not the azure \ault which co\ers ih.'

earth with such a iiiagnifieent dome; space is a black and a [XMpeti'.al!'.-

black a!)\ss.

A\vlul Sik'iu'e and I><*s()la(ion.

Wliil-t on high there reigns darkness, below there is silence. Not the

least sound is ever heard ; the sigh of the wind iii the woods, the rustliiiL;'

of foliage', the song of the morning lark", ov the sweet warbling of the

nightingale never awakens the eternal!}' dumb echoes of this world, \i.

\dice, no speech has ever disturbed the intense solitutle with which it i-

o\erspreatl. Unchangeable silence reigns there in sovereignt)-. Tall ])er-

p lulicular mountains divide its surface. Here and there are seen woin-

oiit crateis rising towards the sky, white rocks heaped up like the ruin-

ot some long-i)asscd revolution, cre\asses crossing the surface as in lands

dried by the burning rays of long summer da\'s. That which renders the

spectacle' nu)re strange is that the aljsencc of \'apors cau.ses the absence

A WORLD BURNED OUT AND DEAD.

81 1 »

he absence of water and
cist uiuler atmospheric
)rate and their beds a;-.:
i filled with water under
out the air which is in
iee the water boil, e\\ n
s frozen '»-ith the nu.st
id, finally, the water i>
I i)eriod of its past e.\i>t-
, and that by the aid <■{
)il and to fall into va;v m-
di the moon would \k
lappeiied.

luid state, it has lost all
: of thirst in the midst n\
I drop of water. 1 hes,;,
i one will hold that tiicir
J named at a time wlu-n
.ly well to guess that it
;e of air follows an iiiirr
i.nsit)' withinit depth i<
dit are seen the star^
The sun passes ani( >]v^
\ot onl\' does [he
le movements of the .lir
ault which co\ers the
)lack and a perpetually

ivc is silence. Not the
the woods, the rustlin^^-
sweet warbliiiL;' of the
oes of this world. \"
)litude with w liiih it i-
sovereignty. Tall per-
id there arc seen woiii
leaped up like the ruin
r the surface as in land>
That which reiulei's the
)or.s causes the absence

of perspective a.s well as the absence of all tints, and ^ve sec only white or
black according as the object is in the sun's !i'/lit or in shadow, the ob-

jects .succeeding each other as far as the horizon without losing brightness
or contour. The moon is such a singular world that its mountains ma\-
be measured as well by depth as height. This paiado.x, rather ilifficult

I I

III

'^ I

818

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

J^SSi^

to understand, arises from the fact that the mountains of tlie moon arc
not like those of the earth, but are hollow. When we arri\'e at the to;)
there is a rin^, the white, ru^-j^ed and sterile mountains, and lofty and de-
serted craters. These solitary and dried-up landscapes remind us of
what Fontonelle said rcL^ardin;^ the chan^^csat work on the surface of our
satellite, caused, not b)' the mo\-ements of life, like those which ret^ulatL
terrestrial nature, but by the simi)le fallinjj down of lands. " IwcrythiuL^
is in perpetual motion," lie sa\-s. " Even includin^^ a certain young lady,
^\h;) was seen in the moon with a telescope about forty years ago, eveiy-
thing has considerably aged. She had a pretty good face, but her cheek>^
are now sunken, her nose is lengthened, her forehead and chin are n ■,,■
prominent to such an extent, that all her charms have vanished, and [
fear for her da\'s."

"What are you relating to me now?" interrupted the Marchioness.

" Thiy is no jest," returned the author. " Astronomers perceived in the
moon a particular figure which had the aspect of a woman's head, which
came forth from between the rocks, and then occurred some changes 'v\
this region. Some pieces of mountain fell, and disclosed three points-
which could only serve to compose a forehead, a nose, and an nKl
woman's ehin." We do not know whether the face, of which the in j,i>
nious writer speaks, existed anywhere but in his imagination; hr.i
cl^'Miges, e\cn caused by simple fallings, are extremely rare, if even tluy
are still produced. For a hundred years, for instance, during which
period a day has not elapsed in which the moon lias been \isible, with-
out it being observed by the telescope, the slightest movement has ne\cr

been noticed.

A Loiiclj' and Deserted Planet.

At tlie commencement of the century, it is true, people fancied they

obser\-ed a:ti\e volcanoes, but they have since di.sco\ered that very [irob-

ably what were then taken for volcanoes were nothing more than the

white crests of certain mountains, their form or their structm-e being m(M-c

favorably adapted to reflect light. Thus the orl) of night remains dumb

and silent, revolving in the liea\-ens like a desertetl planet. Why thi-.

sad and solitary fate? Why deprived of movement and life? This i.-;

the question asked by the poet Shelley :

Art thou pale for weariness.
Of climhini,'- licavcn and gazing' on the eartli,

U'aiKK.Tiii'j; cxjiiipaiiionless
Among tlie stars that liave a ditTerent birth,
-And ever cliangin;j:, like a joyless ej-e
That finds no object worth its constancy ?

•i f

;itains of the moon art
wc arrive at the t >:)
Lains, and lofty aiul tk-
dscapes remind us of
•k on the surface of our
ce those \vhich rec,uilal.,
>f lands. " h:verythin-
r a certain )-oung huly,
: forty )'ears ago, every-
ood face, but her checks
chead and chin are n .v
s have vanished, and I

ted the Marchioness.
)nonicrs perceived in the
; a >vonian's head, which
icurrcd some changes i-i
I disclosed three point-
td, a nose, and an old
ace, of which the in;40-
i his imagination; hut
rcmely rare, if even they
instance, during which
1 has been visible, with-
:cst movement has nv\cr

iiiot.

•ue, i)cople fancied they
isco\ercd that very prol>

nothing more than the
icir structure being m(M-c
of night remains duiuh
crted planet. Why thi^
ement and life? This i.-)

le earth,

t birth,
e
incy ?

A WORLD nURNED OUT AND DEAD.

819

Now that we have pointed out how the moon is an inhospitable world,
poor and destitute of nature's gifts, it is necessary to retrace our steps,
and show it to you as a magnificent world, worthy of admiration and
esteem. We do not wi.sh to contradict the foregoing words; but in
order not to leave a bad impression witli regard to our fihthful friend, we
wish to remind you that nature, even when it appears to disgrace some
,.f its works from some points of view, favors them with very desirable
riches when regarded under other aspects.

To an astronomer, the moon would be a tnagnificent observatorv. In
the da}'time he could observe the stars at noon, and thus dise-o\cr, with-
out trouble, that they reside eternally in the heavens. With us, on the
contrary, among the ancients, were a great number who imaginctl that
they were lighted up in the evening and extinguishctl in the mornin'^
If, then, people make astronomical observations on the moon, the sim is
not a tyrant who governs the heavens absolutely; it allows the .stars to be
enthroned peaceably with it in ..^jace; and studies commenced during the
night can bj carried on without difficulty during the day until the follow-
ing night. On our satellite the nights are fifteen times twent\--foiir hours
long, and the da\'s are of the .same lengtli; but there is an essential diff-
erence to remark between the nights of the lunar heniisijhere. which faces
us, and those of the hemisphere which we do not see.

►•itraiij^c Old Fsiiifios Alxmt the ^lonn.
You must hrA'c .loticed that the moon alwax's presents the same sitleto
us. From the beginning of the world it has never shown but this side.
We read in Plutarch, who wrote nearly two thousand }ears ago, a
thousand conjectures rclati\e to the side of tlv.; mo(Mi always tuined
touartl us. Some saitl it was a large mirror, well ptlished and excellent,
which sent back from afar the image of the earth; the dark portions
^'presented the oceans and seas, while the Ijright portion^ represented
the continents. Others believed that the spots were forests, where some
placed the hunts of Diana, and that the most lirilliant parts were the
plains. Others, again, s.iw in it a \'er\' light, celestial earth; they stated
that its inhabitants must pity the earth which is below them, and which is
only a mass of mud. Others, again, and their singular opini( >n was widely
s|)rcad, added that the beings who peopled it were fifteen times larger
than those of our eardi, an 1 by the side of the lunar trees our oaks would
only be small bushes. All this to explain the nature of th.* lunar face
eternally turned towards us.

Now, if wc never see but one side of the moon, it follows that there is
only one side of this body which sees us ; si that half of thj moon has a

r*;r^ Mil J

820

EARTH, SEA, AXD SKY.

moon — namc-l)', our earth, and the other half is deprived of one. Iftlicro
are any inliabitants on the hemi.s[)here turned from us, the\- do not 5,nic<s
that the moon is only a body placed for illumination of our niijhts, aii 1
they must be greatly astonished when the narrati\'es of travellers relate to
them the existence of our earth in tiie heavens. If the travellers tlKn-
resemble those here, what tales must the}' spread with regard ton-?
But, also, how useful must the earth be to the lunar nights, anil h^v.
beautiful we are — from afar !

Fancv to \-ourself fourteen niDons like that; which cives us li^Iit, u.

Till-: KAKTii AS si':i;n from Till-: moon.
more properly speaking, a moon with fourteen times tlie extent of surfr.ce.
and you will have an idea of the earth as seen from the moon. So.nc-
times it only presents a fringed crescent, a few days after the new earth;
sometimes it presents the first quarter; sometimes it shines out with its
full disk, spreading its silvered light in floods. The most fortunate tiling;
is, that it begins to shine precisely in the evening, that its brightest light,
its full disk, is precisely at midnight, and that it fades away in tiie mornin;.,^
at the time when it is no longer re([uired. And it is known that from the
evening to the morning is fifteen times twenty-four hours with our neii;h-
bors the Selenites. How much more reasonable are these inhabitants
than we are in believing that the moon was created and placetl in \.\\:

•f^mm^mm^^m^i^

A WORLD BURNED OUT AND DEAD.

821

rived of one. If there
lis. they do not ^ucss
)!! of our nitjhts, .-iii!
■; of travellers relate to
[f the travellers thrv ■
d with reL;ard to n :•'
mar ni'jhts. and h>.v.

lich K'^'*-'^ ^'"^

li'.h;,

le.'

MOON.

s the extent of siirfi.ce.
iin the moon. Sd.ik-
~; after the new eartii ;

it shines out wiUi it>
le most fortunate tliiiv-,^

that its brii^htest li-ht,
lesawayinthenioniin-

is known that from the
r hours with our nei'^h-
■ are thjse inhabitants
:atcd and placetl in tlvj

world expressly for them, and that we are only their vcm"}- humble serwints !
1 lie lunar caverns form a \ery i)eculiar and prominent featured! the

SINGULAR ASPECT OK I'lll'; MOONS SLKIAfK.

iiKHin's surface, and are to be seen in almost every rcj^Mon, but are most
numerous in the south-west part of the moon. Nearly a hundred of

jii^ii

'•'M m^''

I
1

i, !

||H|

IN--

!9V^H^^BKH

822

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

them, f^rcat and small, may be distlnjTuished in that quarter. Thoy are
ncarl\- of a circular :^hapc, and appear like a very shallow c'^<^ cup. ^h^.
smaller cavities api)ear within almost like a hollow cone, with the sides
tapcrint^ towards the centre ; but the larc^er ones have, for the most part,
flat bottoms, from the centre of which there frequently rises a small, steep
conical hill, which gives them a resemblance to the ridges and mountains
already described.

In some Instances theii- margins are level with the general surface of
the moon ; but in most cases they are encircled with a high ridge of
mountains marked with loft\' peaks. Some of the larger of these cavities
contain smaller caviti \s of the same kind and form, particularly in their
sides. T^'^ mouniainous ridges which surround these cavities reflect the
greatest Cj . Wy flight; and hence that region of the moon in which
they abounL .^ppea.s brighter than any other. From their lying in e\erv
possible direction, tin ^ appear, at and near the time of full moon, like a
number of brilliant streaks or radiations. These radiations appear to
converge towards a large brilliant spot surrounded by a faint shade,
near the lower part of the moon, which is known by the name ofTycho,
and which every one who views the full moon even with a coniiiK ii
telescope, may easily distinguish.

Caverns Milos in Depth.

In regard to their dimensions, they are of all sizes, from three miles to
fifty miles in diameter at the top ; and their depth below the general level
of the lunar surface varies from one third of a mile to three miles and a
half Twelve of these cavities, as measured by Schroeter, were found to
be above two miles in perpendicular depth. These cavities constitute a
peculiar feature in the sceneiy of the moon, and in her physical constitu-
tion, which bears scared)' any analogy to what we observe in the ph\ si-
cal arrangements of our globe.

It is a curious fact that the surface of the lunar hemisphere was known
before that of our own earth, and the heights of all its mountains were
measured before the same thing was done for our own. The volcano of
Aristillus in particular was one of the first and best known. Lecoiitu-
rier.the author of a very good map of the moon, gave a long description
of it, and this description may be applied to most of the lunar moun-
tains. It is composed of a crater about twenty-four miles across, from
the centre of which rise two cones, the highest of which attains nearly
984 yards; the whole is surrounded by a circular rampart.

When the bottom of the crater is examined with a powerful telescope,
and under favorable circumstances, numerous rough portions are noticed

; !

A WORLD BURNED OUT AND DEAD.

S'J;}

hat quarter. They are
shallow c^f;T cup. The
)\v cone, with the .sides
have, for the most part,
ntly rises a small, steep
e rid'^es and mountains

1 the general surface of
i with a high ridge of

2 larger of these cavities
rm, particularly in tlieir
these cavities reflect the
n of the moon in which
^rom tlieir lying in e\ ery
time of full moon, like a
»se radiations appear to
nded by a faint shade,
n by the name of Tycho,
1 even with a common

7.es, from three miles tn

below the general level

mile to three miles anil a

Schroeter, were found to

-lese cavities constitute a

in her physical constitu-

we ob.serve in the pin si-

r hemisphere was known
f all its mountains were
ur own. The volcano of
best known. Lccoutu-
, gave a long description
most of the lunar moun-
y-four miles across, from
t of which attains nearly
lar rampart.
,vith a powerful telescope,
ough portions are noticed

which seem to indicate hardened lava and blocks of rock heaped together.
Krotii this mountain, taken as a centre, start five or si.\ lines and rockv
ramifications directed towards the east and south. These ramifications
give rise to th>.' radiati( n of Aristillus. They are surmounte<l b\- an
enormous quantity of peaks or basaltic columns w hich rise from tluir
summits, and make them resemble from afar the multitude of h. II towers
that are seen on some Gothic cathedrals. Aristillus presents the gen-
eral aspect of most of the mountains of our satellite.

Thus the moon would appear very inhospitable to us. The sense of
speech, like the sense of hearing, would be lost, and, consequently, would
not exist. To the privation of these two senses, perhaps, must he added
;m inferiority in the pleas\ires which sight gives to us, seeing that
wherever the eye would be directed, it would only meet with a scene of
comi)arative desolation.

Of all heav( n'y bodies, this is the one men understood the first and
best. Since the inxention of the fir.st telescop , r-TrccK' 250 >ears
ago — those primitive instruments whose power was r from attaining
ihe stellar regions, and could only be effectually ajiplud to this nearest
body — astr<jnomers, astrologers, alchemiNts. and all those who were
occupied with science, felt themselves urged by a desire to penetrate-
into the mysteries of this celestial land. Tlu 'rst observations of Gudi-
leo did not make less noise than the discovery of America; many saw
in them another discovery of a new world much more interesting than.
America, as it was beyond tiie eaith. It is one of the most <curious
episodes in historj', that of the prodigious excitenitnt which wj.s caused
by the unveiling of the moon.

Superstitions About tho ^loon.

Imagination at once took flight to the new celestial world. Vory
curious voyages to the moon then appeared, astonishing e.xcursions,
unpardonable fancies, and serious studies were soon tclip.sed b\' the-
visions of impatient minds. Notwith.standing all this, astronomicd dis-
covery rapidly advanced. Encouraged by the first revelations of the
telescope, astronomers undertook the complete study of the I'.inar sur-
face. The aspect of the moon to the naked eye, that rude fac, that was-
seen with little good will on its pale disk, was transformed in the field of
the telescope, and at first very bright portions and very dark portions
were alone distinguished.

Examining it more attentively, and increasing the magnifying power
of the instrument, it was discovered that the aspect of the dclads changed
according as the sun was on one side or the other of the moop : that on

!!!'■

'«;r<^^:H

7 •

(
1

Si21

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY

the days wlin the sun was at the left of the bright portion, dark lines
were seen lo the riijht, whilst in tlie opposite case, the iLirk shainw
appeared to the left. It was then cas\' to ))rovc that tlu' bright porti.,ii>
were mountains, that the dark portions whicli were clc^e to theni w ri'
valleys, or hnv countries; and lastly, that the lar^e plains wcic lands
which reflected the solar lif;ht less pc-rfectly.

It is doubtless this proximit)- whir h has caused the p reat reputation
of the liin.ir orb amoni^st us. \o celestial body, exci pt the sun, his
e\er liad a similar intluence. The whole world, it was supposetl, was
accessible to tin: lunar influences, men, animals, plants, minerals. Tlu
astroloj^'ical opinions with ret^ard to this boily were most sin<,Milar. W'c
must {[uote some; tin \- are really too curious to be passed ov( r in
silence. Let us choose one or two ^'ood astrologers, learned on the
moon, antl let us (juestion them.

Oltl l«l<':is or Wlisit the 31<>()ii I>5a.
Cornelius Agrippa, a famous geomaucer. thus exjircsses him>elf: The
iiioon IS c.illed I'iin be, Oiana, l.uciiuis, Proserpine, Hecate, who go\eins
the luonths, half-formed; who illuminates the nights, wandering, m
silence, with two limns; cpieen of d:vinitus, ([ueen cl heiiven. who rules
o\er ail the elements, to who'n respond the stars, to w lu m return il;e
seasons, and whom the elements obey ; at \s hose direction the thundis
.sound, the seeds germinate, the germs increase; the primordial mn-.lcr
of fruits, heart of IMnebus, shining and brilliant, carrying li!,ht from i»no
planet to another, dluminating by her light all the di\inities, slojip.n^^
various intercourses with the stars, distributing the light rendered uncer-
tain on account of meetings with the sun; queen of beauty, mistress of
shores and u inds, giver of riches, nurse oi' men, governor of all states
good and unhapjiy ; protecting men l)y sea and land, moderating t'lc
reverses ot fortune; dispensing with desiiiiv , nourishing all which cnmcs
out of the earth, arresting the insults of ph.mtoiiis, holding the cloisters
of the earth closed, the heights of heaven luminous, the currents of the
sea salutary, and ruling at will the deplorable silence of the lower regions,
governing the world, treading Tartarus under foot ; of whom the majesty
causes the birds which fly in the sky, savage beasts in the mountains,
the serpents hidden under the earth, and the fish in the sea, to tremble,
According to Eleilla, the moon governs comed'ans, butchers, tallow
and wax chandlers, ropemakers, lemonade-vendors, publicans, p'ay-
wrights of all kinds, masters of great works, menageries of anini.ii ;
and. on the other hand, professional gamblers, spies, sharpers, civ at-;,
bankrupts, false money-coiners, and mad-houses; that is to say, the

^i^htn

A WORLD RURNI'I) OUT AND DF.AD.

825

ht poslioP., dark lines
asc, the il>irk shivinw
»at tlu: bright portmn^
re cl("-f to them w re
irgc plains weic laruls

d the prcat rtputatinii
y, except the sun, 1i;h
. it was supposed, v. as
plants, minerals. '11k:
re most sin<^nilar. W c
\o be passed ovt r in
ilogers, learned on ihc

DWl.

expresses himself: 'Ihe
K. Hecate, who governs
,' nii^his. wanderini;, in
en c'l heaven, who rules
firs, to \vh» m return llic
direction the thunders
the primordiid nmther
carrying Uuht Irom nne
the divinities, stopp.n-
ic light rendered uncer-
1 oi beauty, mistress of
, genernor of all states
c^land. moderating the
n-hing all which cav.cs
r,s, holding the cloisters
nous, the currents of the
nee of the lower regions,
3t ; of whom the mau ^ty
,casts in the inount.un.s
1 in the sea. to tremble,
n-d'ans. butchers, tallow

.ndors, publicans, ii'ay-
menageries of animal-,
s, spies, sharpers, civ , its,
,cs ; that is to say. the

m loii rul js over all those whose business it is to work during the night
uiud sun-rising, or to sell provisions for the night ; and it al.so rules over
.i!l which people would be ashamed to conuuit in full il.iv, in sight of
those who have manners. Thus each reader, on reading, ina\ easily find
nut ofwh.it denomination he is.

Itaiiihdw at Nifjht.

The iris lunaris, or lunar rainbow, is a mueh rarer o!<j(> t than tiie
sol.u- <'ne. It frcciucntly consists of a uniformly white areli. but it lias
often been .s^en tinted, the colors differing only in intensity from those
caused by the direct solar illuminations. Aristotle states that he was
the first observer (■( this interesting spectacle, and that he only saw two
ill the course of fifty years; but it must have b.'en re )eated'iv witnev->eil,
without a record having been made of the fict. Thorest)y relate-^ an
account, recei\ed from a friend, of an obser\aii(m of the bow fixed b\
the moi>n in the clouds. She hatl pa.ssed the full about twenty four
hours. The evening had been r.iiny, but the clouds liad dis-i)er.sed. and
the moon was shining very clearly. This lunar iris was more remarka-
lile th.m that observetl by Dr. Plot, of which there is an account in iiis
History of Oxford, that being only of a wliile color; but this had all
the hues (if the solar rainbow, beautiful and di^tinet. but fainter.

Ihicke remarks iii)on liaxinghad the good f >rtiine to u ilness se\ iial,
two of which wei\' perhaps as fine as were e\ t witnessed in any country.
The fust formed an arch over the \.ile of L'>i<. The moon hung ovlt the
IMorenge ; a dark cloud was suspended o\er Myarth; the ri\. r nuirmiire(.l
o\er beds of stones, and a bow. illunu'netl by tiie moon, stretched fronii'ne
^ide of the \a!e to another. The second was seen from the castle owrlook-
ing the J>ay of Carmarthen, forming a regular semicircle o\-ei- the kt\er
Tow\-. It was in a moment of \icissitude ; and ilie fancy of tli oli.-river
uillin-dv re\erled to the \'arious soothing as-i >ciations under which ae.reiJ
.rathority unfolds the emblem and sign of a merciful cox'enaai.

ciiapt!:r i\'.
magnikickxt auroral displays.

Most Striking of (Optical Splendors— Auroral Arc— Streams of Li)j;ht Shooting I'p.
ward--Trembliii<j (ileamsaiid Flashes — " The Merry Dancers" — Lijilitsof Rain-
bow Colors— What Tarry ami I'raiikiin Saw The I leavens in C'.aji. Attire — l.ifii
tenant Chappcll's Auroral L'inl)rella- Arcii of Siivtry Lij;ht- TheCaiiopy Clluw-
ins with Sjilendid Scenery— Polar Night — Six Months without a Sun — Aniniai>
Dyin^ of Gloom— Da//,!inj; Standards Unfurled— Ma;^netism— l'"iery Tempests in
the Sun — Maj;netic Stones on 1-^.irth— Outbreak of Auroral Ma!;nificenri'— Sir
John Hersdiel's Conrlusions — The Jerking Needle — Reference by Aristotle-
Northern Lights more Common than formerly in tlie Northern Zones.

t)gr i^MONG the reniafkablo pliciionicna of tlic sky nuist he placed
^'/■sVl ^^^^ brioht aurora. ( )f all optical phenomena, the aurora hore-
"VM alls, or the northern daybreak, is one of the most striking;,
esjiecially in the rei^ions where its full j;loi)' is revealed.

Wliat fills with (la//ling beams the illumined air?

Wliat wakes ti)e tlames tiiat light the firmament ?
The lightnings flash; there is bright splendor there,

And earth and heaven with fiery sheets are blent ;
The winter's night now gleams with brighter, lovelier ray.
Than ever yet adorned the golden summer's day.

The appearances exhibited by the aurora are so various and wonderful.
A cloud, or haze, is commonly seen in the northern ret;ion of the hea\ens,
but often bearing towards the east or west, assumini:^ the form of an arc,
seldom attainini^ a greater altitude than forty degrees, but \ar)-iiig in
extent from fi\e to one .hundred tlegrees. The upper edge of the cloud
is luminous, sometimes brilliant and irregular. The lower part is fre-
quently dark and thick, with the clear sky appearing between it and the
horizon. Streams of light shoot up in colunmar forms from t!ie upper
jiart of the cloud, now extending but a few degrees, then as far as the
zenith, antl even beyond it.

Instances occur in which the whole hemisphere is covered with thesc
coruscations ; but the brilliancy is the greatest, and the light the strong-
est, in the north, near the main body of the meteor. The streamers have
in general a tremulous motion, and when close together present the
appearance of waves, or sheets of light, following each other in rapid
succession. l>ut ^o rule obtains with reference to these streaks, which
have acquired thi name of " the merry dancers," from their volatility,
(820)

MAGNIFUTNT ArRORAI. DISPLAYS.

S-J7

e is c(n'crccl with these
\^^.\ the h'^ht the stroni;-
)!•. The streamers liavc
c together present tiic
n;:; each other in rapid
to tiiese streaks, which
^" from their volatiUty,

becoming; more (piick in their m )tions in storniyweathcr. a; if ynipa-
tliizin^r with the wiUlness of the blast. Such is tiie extraordinary aspect
they present, that it is not surprisin;^ the rude Indians should <;aze upon
tlKtn as the spirits of their fathers roaniin;^ through the land of souls.
Tin y are variously white, pale red, or of a deep blood lolor. and some-
tJMHs the appearance of the whole rainbow as to hue is presmted.

Lights of Vai-iiMis Colors.

When several streamers cnier«;in;.,r from dilTernir points imltr at the
Z'juith, a small anil dense meteor is formed, w hirh Menis to bum with
<,n-eater violence than the sej)arate parts, and L,do\vs with a j^reen, b'ue. ■ r
puri)le light. The display is over s(.metimes in a f. w nuiuiles, or con-
tinues for hours, or through the whole night, and appears for several
nights in succession. Captain Peechey remarked a sudden illumination
to occur at one extremity of the auroral arch, the light pa.ssing along the
belt with a tremulous, hesitating movement towards the opposite end. ex-
hibiting the colors of the rainbow; and as an illustration of this appear-
ance, lie refers to that presented by the rays of some molluscous animals
in motion.

Captain Parry notices the same effect as a common one with the aurora,
and compares it, as far as its motion is concerned, to a 'person holding a
long ribbon by one end, and giving it an undulatory movement iluouirh
its whole length, though its general position remains the .same. Captain
Sabine likewise speaks of the arch being bent into convolutions, resem-
bling those of a snake in motion, l^oth Parry, Franklin, and IJeechey
agree in the observation that no streamers were ever noticed shooting
downwards from the arch.

The preceding statement refers to aurora in high northern latitudes,
where the full ma'gnificence of the phenomenon is displayed. It forms a
fine compensation for the long and dreary night to which these regions
are subject, the ga\' anu varying aspect of tlu; heavens contrasting refresh-
ingly with the repelling and monotonous appearance of the earth. W'e
ha\e already stated that the direction in which the aurora generally
makes its first appearance, or the quarter in which the arch formed by
thi' 'ueteor is usually seen, is to the northward. But this docs not hold
good of very high latitudes, for b\- the expeditions w hich ha\e w intered
in the ice, it was almost always seen to the southward ; while, by Captain
Beeche\-.in the " Blossom." in Kotzerne Sound, two hundred and fifty miles
to the southward of the ice, it was always obserxed in a northern direc-
tion. It would appear, therefore, from this fact, that the margin the
region of packed ice is most favorable to the production of tlu ?. 'cor.

''i^

82S

EARTH. SKA, AND SKY.

•i:

The reports of the Greenland ships confirm this idea: for, accordiiv
to tlieir concurrent testimony, the meteor displa\' has a morr hriUiant
aspect to vessels passin;^ near the situation of the compact ice, than i,,
others entered far within it. Instances, however, are not wantini^^ nf th^.
aurora appearing; to the south of the zenith in comparative!)' low latitudes.
Lieutenant Chap]H'll, in his \-o\-age to Hudson's ])a\-, speaks of its form
ini; in the zenith, in a shape resembling;- that of an umbrtlla,pourinij down
streams of liLjht from all parts of its peripher\-, which fell \'erticall\' <i\(,r
the hemisphere in e\er\' direction. j\s we retire from the pole, tlic
])hen()menon becomes a rarer occurrence, and is less pertectl)' and dis-
tinctly developed. In September, 1S.2S, it was obser\ed in h'lv^land .i> a
vast arch of silvery h'j^ht, extendiuL; o\er nearh* tlie whole of the hea\t'ii->,
transient j^leams of li^ht separating; from the main bod)' oftheluminositv.

Dalton has furnished the follo\vin<^ account of an aurora, as obserw'd
by him : Attention was first excited b)' a remarkably red appearance of
th.e clouds to the south, which afforded sufficient lij^ht to read by at eii^lit
o'clock in the eveniiiL;, thouj^h there was no moon nor lii^ht in the north.
I-'roUi half past nine tf> ten there was a large, luminous, horizontal arch to
the southuaid, and several flint coni:entric arches northward. It was
])aiticularl\' noticed that all the arches seemed e.xactl)' bisected !))• the
j)lain of the nia_i;nflic meridian. At half past ten o'clock streami-rs a])-
l)earetl, \er)- low in the soutli-east, rimning to and fro from west to e.i^t.
Tlie\- increased in number, and l)e;_;"antoai)proMch the zenith, apparcntlvuitli
an accelerated velocit)-, when all on a sudden the whole hemisphere was <.< i\-
credwilh them, and e.\hil)itetl such an appeai-ance as surpasses all description.
A Spo<'t;wI<> SiibliiiK'ly I'rilliaiit.

The intensit)- of the liL;ht, ami [)rodiL,Mous numl;er and \-olatiIil\' of tin.
l)eam--, the t^iand intermixture of all the prismatic colors in their utmost
sj)lendor, varicL^atinL;' the !.;!o\\inL;- canop\- with the most UixuriaiU ar.d
(.ncliantiuL;' scener\-, afforded an awful, l)ut at the .same time the mo>l
pleasini; ami sublime spectacle in nature, luerx- one gazed with a-lnii-
isiiment, I)ut the uncommon irrandeur of the scene onlv lasted one minute.
The \ariet\' of colors disa.ppeared, and the beams lost their lateial motion,
and were converted into the llashing ratiiations.

The great distinction between the polar coimtriesand thetUher region-,
of the glol.ie, is their long day and long night. Describing an immense
sj);ral around the horizon, the sun graduall)' mounts \.o the highest point
of his course; tiien, in the same manner, it returns towards the horizon,
and bids farewell to earth, slowly d)Mng awa\- in a gIo(tm\- anil ghastly
twilight. And, for six months, the Arctic wildcrnes.scs know it not.

^--yi^iwuijii 1! ■.■! ■

; i(.lca: f(ir, accordiiv^^
has a nion; brilliant
compact ice, than lo
J not wantin;^ of ihc
irativcly h)\v latitiuK';.
/, speaks of its forii;
nbri-lla.pourinijj cIowd
;h fell vertically o\cr
c from the pole, llic
;ss perfectly aiul di^-
:rvcd in I'jv^land a-> a

whole of the hcavcn>,
)ody ofthelumiii<>-^il\.
n aurora, as obserwd
ilv retl appearance of
rrht to readby aUi;^lu
nor lii^ht in the north.
;jus, horizontal arch to
;.s northwartl. It \\a^
;actly l)isected b\- the
o'clock stream. -rs ap-

Vo from \ve>l to ea--t.

zenith, apixmntlywith

e hemisphere was c.i\-
rpassesall description.

it.

and volatilils" of tlu
colors in their utmost
c most luxuriant ar.d
same time the most
ie <^a/.ed with a^ton-
,nly lasted one minute,
st their laleial motion,

and the other rcoions
;cscribino' an immen-c
ts to the hiohe^t point
towarils the horizon,
a olooniy and ghastly
;ssc.s know it not.

MAGNIFICENT ArRC.R.M, DI.SI'I.AV.S

.^•20

rst

When the navij^'ator, .says Captain Parr\-, \nKU himscA' buried for the f\
time in the silent shadows of tlie polar niLjht. he cannot coiupier .m inv.l-

ttary emotion of dread ; he feels transported out of the sphere of ordina-
ry existence. These deadly and sombre diserts snu like those uncreated

\()ids which Milton has placed ix>t\\ecn the

rrahns ofliK; and ilcatli

\<'i

\- animals are affected b\- the inel

'11

el a

nch

ol\- u liieli \ ii!

I'nder tlie influence of the almost jjcrpetual L,doominess
fouiidland do_i;:s went mad, and died.

Six >I(»iitlis' Ni^-lit.

tlu- f;
Dr. !■

ice ( i\ n.iture

.N.ane's Xew-

but it the sun (nv six months of tl

countries of the splentlor (

if it

\ear (lepriws ilu- cnvumpojar

s tu-es, an impo.Mu- plirnoimiion iic<iueinl\-

ure sou^lit to

ilhiininates the lon;4 ni-hts with ilazzlin;^^ radiance, as if nat

compensate lor the absmci; of the orb of dayb\' the most imi)i-e->si\L' of all

\h r optical wonders. The pol.tr m";j;litsare uearK- ;ilu.i\ -; li'dncd iipi)\- the

iji II'

'X'ous lustre ol the aurora; called I

)ort'ahs or austi,ths,;iccordiu"- to tlu

poles at which it is produced. .Sli.iUs and rajs of li-ht shoot upwards to
the zenith. These luminous sheaves pass lhrouL;h all the co|..rs ol

tn<.

rainbow

iro

m violet anci sapphire to t;reen and purple- red. Sometiim

the columns of liL;ht i^sue from the resjiK-ndent arch mix

eil Willi l)kul<l-

ni\- ; sometimes the\- rise sinmltaneousK- at dif

erent points of tlie h. iri/i in,

and unite to form a sea of llame per\aded b_\- r.ipid undulalion>. On olhei
occasions, fiery dazzlin;^- standards art' nnfurletl to Ik. at '.i-htU- in the air.
A kind of canopy of soft and traiupiil li-ht, w hieh iskiiounastl
unces the close of the i)her.onienon. Tlieri.'upon thelMinii

le corou.i,

anno

loU'

h.ift^

.(ion
ize.

beL;ni to wane in s[)iendor,the rielily ciUored arcs dissoh e, die out, am
of all the hia;4nificent spectacle nothing- remains but a whitish chuul)- h;

The arch of the aurora is onl_\- part of a riiv_;- of li;_;lit, which is ele\ated
ctHisiderably above the suiface of our L;lobe, ;uid whose centre is situated

the vicinity of the pole. It is easy, then, to account for the dirfereiit

aspects it presents to observers placeil at iliffereiil an;4les to it. A ]
inedcLrrccs south of theriiv'; would necessariU-

)elson

see onl\' a \er\' sinal

arc

of it towarils the north, from the 'nteri)osition of the eaitii between him and
the obser\'er; if he stood nearer the north, the arc would appear laiL;er
ami higher; if immediately below it, he woultl see it apparentl\' traversiiiLj
the zenith ; or if within the rini.; and still further north, he would suppose
it to culminate in the south. It is supposeil that the centre of the riiiL,^
corresponds with the mai^netic north point, in the islaiul of r>oothia I'elix.
FlajfS aiul StronmcM-.s of Li^lit riiittcriuff in the Sky.
The phenomenon f^cneraliy lasts several hours, and isfre(iuentl>' di\ers-
ified by peculiar features ; so that sometimes it .seems to present the heiu-

■a

1^ '

830

EARTH, SKA, AND SKY.

isphcrlcal secernent of a i^it^antic wheel ; sometimes it waves and droop>^
like a rich tapestry of colored lii^ht, in a thousand prismatic folds ; and, at
other times, it may be compared to a succession of resplendent banners, or
streamers, wavin;^ in the dark and intense sky.

The arch varies in elevation, but is seldom found more than ninety miK^
above the terrestrial surface. Its diameter must be enormous, for it li,i~
been known to extend from Ital\' to the polar reL;ions,and has been simul-
taneously \isible in .Sardinia, Connecticut, and New Orleans.

y\ccortlini( to some authorities, the iihentJinenon is accompanied |i\-
noises resemblini^ the discharge of fireworks, or tiie cracklinj; of silk wlu u
one piece is rolled over another; but this statement is not confirmed In-
the experience of our ablest Arctic voj-ai^ers.

Of the mai^neto-electric origin of the aurora no doubt can be enter-
tained. When it occurs, the nuv^netic needle is invariably affected, tlic
perturbation bein<j^ t^realcst at the climax of the auroral brilliancy. The
\oricx of the arch is almost always in or near the maL^netic meridian.
The lights woukl seem to result fioin ;i ilischarL,^e at or around the ma;^-
netic ])oles of electricit)' v.hieh has i^radually accumulated at these o]ip(i-

site points.

Startling- Chaiij-cs on the Sun's Siirracc.

The needle haslxen found lo oscillate through a Ioul:^ cycle of chani;\s,
one occupyin*^ in its completion a little more than ele\'en x'ears : that i--
to sa\-, between the time v hen the oscillation is least and that when it i-
L;reatest there elapses a ])eriod of fi\'e .md a half )ears, and an ecpial ])(i-
iod before it returns ai^ain to its first \alue. Xow, a cycle of chauLix^
takes place on the face of the sun a;4reein_ijj most i)erfectly witli this, uni
merely in length, but in maximum for maximum, auti minimum for mini-
mum.

To make this clear, the nature of the facts invoKcil must be stated, .iinl
this can be done in no better words than those of .Sir John llerselul:
'' One of the first achievements of the telescope was the discox'er)- ot
black spots on the surface t)f the sun. These spots are not i)ermani'nt,
but come and l;i); and their nunil)fr \aries i^reatU'. Sometimes his face
is t[uite spt)tless ; at others, the spots swarm upon it. And as to their ac-
tual size, some are com[)aratively small, others of stupendous extent. One
.spot which I measured, in 1S37, occu}>ied no less than 3,7X0,000,000
s([uare miles ; another, which was nearly round, would have allowed thr
earth to drop thiouL^h it, leavin;^ a thousand miles clear of contact nii
e\ery side; and many other instances t)f i.iuch larj^er spots than these arc
on record. What are we to think, then, of the awful scale of iiurricanc

s it waves and droops;
prismatic folds ; and, at
resplendent banner-^, n

more than ninety miks
3e enormous, for it \va-
ns.and has been sinuil-
w (Orleans,

,.n is iiccompanied \>y
c crackhn^' of silk wlu ii
cnt is not confirmed by

no doubt can be entcr-
; invariably affected, the
auroral brilliancy. The
the mai;netic meridian.
J at or around the ma;^-
umulated at these opp"-

alont; cycle of chanijcs

\an eleven years : that i-;

least and that when it i^

years, and an ecpial ]ki-

)\v. a cycle of chau'^o

perfectly with this, n^t

aiul minimum for mini-

veil must be slaleil. ami
i)f Sir John Ilerschel:

)e was the discover)- ct
)ots arc not permanent,

ll_\-. Sometimes his lace
It. And as to their ac-
.stui)endous extent. ( )nc
less than 3,780,000,000
would have allowed tlu'
■niles clear of contact ^n

u'L^er spots than these arc

: awful scale of hurricane

ir.

i \

(831)

8.T2

EARTH. SEA, AXD SKY.

ami turmoil ;;ncl fien' tjinpcst which can in a few day.'- I J^a^|^• ch. /.if^c tlic
fui'n of sue!, a rcLjion, break it up into distinct parts — iii-ntn up ^r at
.iby.-ises in out part, such as I have just described, and fill up otiicrs S>
side them !

" Now it lias lately been ascertained b\' a careful comparison of all tli
recorded obsorxations of the spots, that tlu periods of their scarcity an i
al)UiKlance succeed one another at rei/ular interxals of a trifle more than

AURORAL FLAMES IX TUF, NORTHERN sRV.

five years and a-half : so tiiat in eleven years and one-tenth, or nine times
in a century, the .sun passes throufjjh all its states of purity and spottiness.
Xow there are two classes of i)henomena or facts which occur here on
eartli which stiind in very simnilar accordance with the appearance antl
disappearance of the sun's spots. The first is that splendid and beautiful
appearance in the sky which we call aurora or northern litjhts ; and
whic'i. by comparison of the recorded displays, have been ascertained t>
be much more frequent in the years when the spots arc abundant, aiu:
extremely rare in thcie years when tiie sun is free from spots.

MA'"iNiriCENT AURORAL DISPLAYS.

«•)•>
.>.»

/■s t'jt-al'" ch;T.-i<-;c the
iarts--opcn np <:?r :u
uvl fiU up others S:-

;()mparis(ni of all ih ■
of their scarcitv- an 1
,,f a tritlc more than

" The other is a class of facts not so obvious to roniiiv. a observaian,
but of very great importance to us ; because it is connected wii'i tiie his-
toiy and theory of the mariner'^ compass, and with the ma'^netism of the
oarth. which we aU know to be the cause of the compass needle p tintinij
to the north. But besides this (the oscillations already described), the
needle is subject to irregular, sudden, and capricious variations — icrking
as it were, aside, and oscillating backwards and forwards without any
visible cause of disturbance. And, what is still more strange; these dis-
turbances and jerks sometimes go on for many hours and even ilays, and
often at the same instant of time, over very large regions of the globe;
arid in some remarkable instances, over the whole earth — the same jerks
and jumps occurring at the same moments of time (allowance made for
the difference of longitude). These occurrences are called magnetic
^torms, and they invariably accompany great displa>'s f if the auror?. ; and
are \ery much more frequent when the sun is most spotteil, and rarely or
never witnessed in the years of few spots."

The history of auroral phenomena goes back to the time o( Aristotle,
who undoubtedly refers to the exhibition in his work on meteors, describ-
ing it as occurrin '• on calm nights, having a resembh"' .e to ilame mingled
with smoke, or to a distant view of burning stubble, purj^le. bright red,
and blood-color being the preilominant hues. Notices of it are likewise
fduiul in many of the classical writers; and the accounts which occur in
the chronicles of the middle ages, of surprising lights in the air, converted
by the imagination of the vulgar into swords gleaming and armies fight-
ing, are allusions to the play of tiie northern lights. There is strong
reason to believe, though the fact is [)erfectly inscrutable, that the aurora
has been much more common in the European region of the norther"
/.one, during the last century and a half, than in former periods.
5S

(

Irn skv.

lone-tenth, or nine times
of purity and spottiness.

Its which occur here on

ith the appearance and

t splendid and beautiful

L northern lights; and

Lvc been ascertained t^

spots pre abundant, aiU

from spots.

i. I,

Ikl

*!il

I * *

m^^

CHAPTER V.
IMAGKS IN THE HEAVENS.

Optical Phenomenon at niilT.ilo— Topmasts Rising out of the Water— Deceitful F.if.
Bank — Hxtraortlinary '' I'ata Mor^'ana" in Si( ily— A Spectacle that ICxcitts ih,
Populace— Ascribinj; the Mirage to the Devil —Prophecy Concerning l".lt( -
tricity— Prismatic Colors of Ama/ing Heauty — Troops of Clouds in the Sky—
Heighth of Clouds — Poetical Fancies from Ossian— Mist on the Water -Ar
counting for V^ipors — What Colors tiie Sun— The Great Orb Shorn of His
Glories — Why tiie Sun is Red at Rising and Setting— Remarkable Halos—
Strange Mock Siuis— Parhelia— Historic Halos — What Gnssendi Saw— Parhelj.i
Oijserved by Hevelius — Heautiful Sky Picture in Tennessee— Perfection of
Creative Skill— Phen>>mena of I. ight —Wonderful Waves and Circles--Lij;lu a
Magnificent Painter— Innumerable Vibrations.

few years aj^o, at Riiffalo, an aimisinfr optical illusion \va>
obscrwcl, which was produced by fog. The following,' descrip-
lion is from one of the newspapers of that city: "A poculi.ir
ai>i>carance was presented in the atmosphere over the lake < n
Saturday nu)rnin*j, the like of which had never been noticed l)efore by
thoso accu.stomed to daily intercourse with all the beauties and terrors
(peculiar to our waters. At an early hour .some fjentlemen, lookino nut
upon the bay, discovered tli- top hamper and loftier saiKs of a \csscl
apparently risin'^ from the .surface of the water, the hidl and lower masts
bein<^ entire'/ invisible. Soon anf)ther craft, similarly situatetl, was p< liiucd
out. and ' still the wotuief grcu- ' ft could not be that both these vesstls
had founderea and settled down so as to rest u[)on the bottom, on an even
keel : yet there they were, as distinct as possible, sunk to their to[)mast.s.
the glassy surface of the water just reaching their lower mast heads.

" A ♦ug was firing up, and when ready slowly .steamed out into the
lake. For a time there wa.s nothing remarkable in her conduct ; but sud-
dtn'v she lou sunk, and there was her smoke stack, just emerging from
th(.' dec[), ajv:i ploughing through it without a ripple. It was a beautiful
sight, rend'-red more so by the perfect placidity of the elements, the brii;ht
morning sun. rmd the soft, balmy temperature. The illusion grew out of
a heavy (o^ bank, wliich lay upon the surface of the water, but did not
(bscure objects upon land; thus deceiving the eye as to the true level of
the lake."

Of all instances of optical illusion, the fa/a mor^.ma, familiar to the
(834)

IMAGES IN THK HEAVENS.

835

• the Water— Deceitful Fo(.-
Spectacle that Excites Uic

rophecy Concerning I'.lec-
jps of Clouds in the Sky—
1— Mist on the Water -Ar
; Great Orb Shorn of His
:ting— Keniarkable Halos—
liat Gnssendi Saw— Parhelia
1 Tennessee— Perfection of
Vaves and Circles-Liriht a

\ncr optical illusion was

The follo\vin<,' dcscri])-

f that city: "A ix-culi.ir

jsphcrc over the lake . n

• been noticed before by
the beauties and terrors

gentlemen, looking' out
loftier sails of a vessel,
the hull and lower masts
larly situated, was pointed
nc that both these vessels
|„n the bottom, on an even
jc, sunk to their to[)masts,
ir lower mast heads,
.vly steamed out into the
. in her conduct ; Imt sud-
stackjust emcrj;in<r from
ripple. It was a beautiful
|of the elements, the brii^lit
The illusion grew ovit of
of the water, but did not
eye as to the true level of

niorgina, familiar to the

inha))itants f)f Sicily, is the most curious and .strikinjT. It occurs off the
i'haro of Messina, in the .strait which separates Sicily from Calabria, and
li.is been variously described by dilTcrent observers, owin^, doubtless, to
tlic different conditions of the atmosphere at the respective times of
observation. The spectacle consi.sts in the images of men, cattle, hou.ses,
rocks, and trees, pictured upon the surface of the water, and in the air
immediately over the water, as if called into existence by an enchanter's
wand, the same object havin^r f,v,|uently two imai^es, one in the natural
and the other in an inverted position. A combination of circumstances
nuist concur to produce this novel panorama. The spectator, .standing'
with his back to the east on an elevateil ])lace, commands a view of tiie
.strait. No wind mu.st be abroad to ruffle the surOicc of the .sea; and the
waters must be pres.sed up by currents, which is occa-^ionally the case, to
a considerable liei-ht in the middle of the strait, so that they may present
a sli-ihtly conve.K surface.

Struiiffc ApiM'amncos on tlio AVator and Abovo It.

When these cfuiditions arefuIfilKd.and the sun has risen over the Cala-
bri.m heights, .so as to make an an^^le of forty-five decrees with the hori-
zon, the various objects on the shore at Rcl^i^io, 0])p()site to Messina, arc
transferred to the middle of the strait, forminj,^ an im!iio\ able lamlscape
of rocks, trees, and houses, and a movable one of men, horses, and cattle,
upon the surface of the water. If the atnios])]iere at the time is hi-hly
cliarj^ed with vapor, the ])henomena apparent on the water will also be
visible in the air, occupying; a .space which extends from the surface to
the heiLjht of about twenty-five feet. Two kinds of morj^fana may there-
fore be di.scrimiitated ; the first at the surface of the sea, or the marine
morgana; the secontl in the air, or the aerial. The term applieil to this
.strange exhibition is of uncertain derivation, but su[)posed by some to re-
fer to the vulvar presumption of the .spectacle beinj.; proiluced by a fairy
or magician. The populace are .said to hail the vision with f^reat exulta-
tion, callin;^ every one abroad to i)artake of the sight, with the cry of
"Morgana, morgana!"

l^rydone, writing from Messina, states : It has often been remarked,
both bv the ancients and moderns, that in the heat of .ummer, after the
sea and air have been much agitated by w.nd^, and a perfect calm suc-
ceeds, there appears about the time of dawri. in that part of the heavens
over the straits, a great variety of singular forms, some at rest, and some
moving about with great velocity. These forms, in proportion as the
light increases, seem to become more atrial, till at last some time before
sunrise they entirely disappear. The Sicilians represent this as the most

I I

K-

8.*i(]

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

beautiful sit^^ht in nature. Lcanti, one of tiicir latest and best writers
came here on jxirpose to see it. He says the heavens appeared crowilv
with a variety of objects : lie mentions palaces, woods, j^ardens, etc., beside
the figures of men and other animals thata[)pear in motion anion<;st thcin
No (l.ubt ihe imagination must be greatly aiding in forming this aerial

SHIRS FAINTKI) ON THE -SKY ItY ArMOSFHEKlC KKFRACTION.

creation ; but as so many of their authors, both ancient and motlcni,
agree in the fact, and give an account of it from their own observatimi.
there certainly must be some foundation for the story.

The common jjcople, according to custom, give the whole merit to tlu
devil ; and indeed it is by much the shortest and easiest way of accoi.iu-

IMAGES IN THK IIKAVKNS.

837

latest and best writ<r-;.
^'cns appeared crowik 1
ds, ^'ardens, etc., beside ;
1 niotitmaniDiitist theip..
iig in forming thisaihiai

■•^>'*i

l-«r-

?^%^^

(llERlC HKKR ACTION.

Lth ancient and niotlcrn,
lin their own observaiu'ii.

story,
live tlie whole merit to iIk'
Id easiest way of accouiU-

in<,' for it. Those who pretend to be philosophers, and refuse him this
honor, arc greatly puz/.led what to make of it. They think it may be ow-
in.; to some uncommon refraction or reflection of the rays from the water
of the straits, which, as it is at that time carried abimt in a variety of
eddies and vortices, must conseciuently, say they, make a varii ty of ap-
pearances on any medium where it is reflected. This, I think, is non-
sense, or at least very near it. 1 susj)ect it is something' of the nature .-.f
our aurora borealis, and, like maii\- of the j^^re.it plKnoniena of nature,
depends upon electrical causes; which in future ai^e^. I have little doubt,
will be found to be as i)owerful an ai,'ent in re^nilalin^' the universe.

The electrical fluid in this country of \-olcanoes is ])robably proiluced
in a much ^^reater quantity than in any other. The air, str(.ni;ly impreg-
nated with this matter, and confined betwixt two ritlL^is of mountains —
at the same time exceedingly agitated from below by the violence <.f the
current and the impetuous whirlini', of tlu' waters — ma\- it not be suj)-
posed to produce a variety of api)earanees? Ami nia\' not the li\ely
Sicilian imaginations, animated by a belief in ilemons, and all the wild
offspring of superstition, give these appearances as great a variety of
forms? Remember, I do not say it is so, and hope yet to ha\e it in my
power to give you a better account of this matter.

Tlus Straiijfc I'lit'iuniMiioii KxpIaiiKMl.

Ingenious as Hryilone was, he here indulges a most unfortunate specu-
lation, which, had he enjoyed the good fortune of i)erMinall\- o1)-m r\ ing
the phenomenon, mo.st likely he would not have proposed. It is to he
accounted for upon optical i)rinciples, which liiot thus applies : Winn the
rising sun shines from that point whence its incident r.iy forms an angle
of forty-five degrees on the Sea of Reggio, and the bright surface of the
water in tlie bay is not disturbetl either by wind or current — when the
tide is at its height, and the waters are pressed up b\- the current to a
j^reat elevation in the middle of the channel ; the spectator being placed
on an eminence, with his back to the sun and his face to the .sea, the
mountains vf Messina rising like a wall behind it, and forming the back-
i^round of the picture — on a sudden thcie api>ear in the water, as in a
catoi)tric theatre, \arious multi[>lied objects — iunnl)erless series of pilasters,
arclies, castles, well-delineated, regular columns, U)fty towers, supjrb
palaces, with balconies and windows, extended alleys of trees, delightful
plains, with herds and Hocks, armies of men on foot, on horseback, and
many other things in their natural colors and proper actions, passing
rcTpitlly in succession along the surface of the sea, during the whole of the
short period of time while the above-nientioneil causes remain.

83S

EARTH, SKA, AND SKY.

The objects arc proved, by accurate observations of the coast of Ri^rriV,
to be derived from objects on shore. If, in addition to the circumstiiiiccs
already described, the atmosphere be highly impre^Miated with vapor aiv',
dense exhaUitions, not i)reviously disjx'rsed by thi- action of the wind .md
t/aves, or rarefied by the sun, it then liappens that m this xapor, as i-i a
curtain extended alonj^ tiie channel to the height of above thirty T ut,
and nearly down to the sea, the observer will behold the scene of tin,-
same objects not only reflected on the surface of the sea, but lil: wi>i' in
the air, thou^li not so distinctly or well defined.

Lastl)-, if the air be slightly ha/.y and opa(|ue, and at the .same time
dew\', and adapted to form the iris, then the above-mentioned objects will
appear only at the surface of the .sea, as in the first ca.se, but all vividly-
colored or friny;ed with red, ^reen, blue, or other prismatic colors.

The ancient classical fable of Niobe on Mount Sipylus belonj^s to the
.same catejj^ory of atmospheric deceptions ; and the tales common in moun-
tainous countries, of troo[)s of horse and armies marchinj^ and count r-
marchm^ in the air, have been only the k llection of horses pasturinj^ upun
an opposite heiy;ht, or of the forms of travellers pursuing their journey.

A View of ('l(Mi(l-Ti;iiuI.

The" formation of visible vapors, and their at^^j^re^ation in ma.sses, take
place generally in hi^h reL,n'ons of the atmosphere under the action of
currents, in con.se([Uence of a decrease of temperature and a due supply (if
acpieous elastic va[ior bein;^ present in tho.se parts where clouds arise. It
is easy to perceive that these two conilitions, nece.s.sary to the productiotiof
cloud-land, ma>' be fulfilled in one stratum of the atmosphere and not in
another; and hence the frctpient dix-er^ity in the appearance of the skwthc
clear blue fields and patches of ether alternating with visible vaporous
structures.

The clouds are supposed to consist of minute globules of water filled
with air ; but there is {^reat difficulty, even with the aid of this view of their
structure, in ex[)lainini^ their suspension aloft, for the globules must he
.specifically heavier than the air by which they are upborne. The thcoiy
of ascending currents of heated air has been proposed by Lussac to account
for their position; and the retention of solar heat in the clouds theniscKes,
buoying them up and causing them to float, by Fresnel.

The clouds float at different elevations, but the higher we a-scend the
drier the atmosphere is found, and the le.ss loaded with vapors. V\'c shall
not err much, says Leslie, if we estimate the position of extreme humidity
at the height of two miles at the pole, and four miles and a half under tlw
equator, or a mile and a half beyond the limit of congelation. Dalton

ons of the coast of Ri'^'fio,
lition to the circum.sUiiiCLs
il)rc<.;natccl with vapor and
the action of the wind .ui(l
hat in this vapor, as i-i a
i^lit of above thirty i'vi,
1 behold the Scene of llic
of the sea, but lih M/isf in
I.

lie, and at the same tinic
ove-nientioned objects will
first case, ImiI all vividly
-T prismatic colors,
int Sipylus beloni^s to the
:iic tales common in nn nin-
es marching and count r-
n of horses pasturinj^ u\)<ir\
pursuini^ their journe) .
(1.

'r^re^ation in masses, t.ikx
)hcrc under the action nf
rature and a due supply (if
rts where clouds arise. It
:e.s.sary to the production nf
:he atmosphere and not m
appearance of the sk\-,thc
in<4- with \-isiblc vaporuus

ite j^lobules of water filled
the aid of this view of thiir
for the globules must l)c
are upborne. The tlicor)-
)oscd by Lussac to account
t in the clouds themselves,

Fresnel.

the higher we ascend the
ed with vapors. We shall

ition of extreme humidity
miles and a half under the
t of congelation. Datton

jf /

r m.

-» - <-t ■ -■-

■;V

;:"-.'-' :. ■> V

-J

* — --_ _'i

REM.\RKA13LE APPEAKAXCf^S OF CLOUD-LAND.

(839)

' i

U'^''.

IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)

1.0 S

I.I

1.25

Ai |2 8

12,5

12.
12.0

1.4 llll 1.6

Photographic

Sciences
Corporation

>^'

Li>^

23 WEST MAIN STREET

WEBSTER, N.Y 14580

(716) 873-4503

rv^

1 /

!:1

i'it:i

84C»

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

asserts that small, fleecy patches of cloud are frequently from three to five
miles in lieii^ht, and such have been observed sailinj^ above the nio^t
elevated peaks of the Andes, which rise twenty-five thousand feet above the
level of the sea; but other authorities claim for some visible clouds a still
fjreater elevation. The height varies at different seasons of the year, am!
there is little doubt that it is much more frequently below than above a
mile.

The effect is strikin;^ wh.en, from an eminence which commands a \ir\\
of an extensive plain or valley, we .see the gossamer curtain of the nii^li:
restin*^ upon the surface, [gradually rent ami torn by the action of tiic
sun's rays, reflecting their ffc.lden hue as it disapix-ars. Many of tiic
mo.st felicitous imas^es of poetry are deri\ed from this source, as m
Ossian : " The soul of Nathos was sad, like the sun in a day of mist,
when his face looks watery and dim;" antl ai^ain, when two contendiiiu;
factions are silenced by Cathmor: "They sunk from the kini^ on eitJKr
side, like two columns of mornini,^ mist, when the sun rises between tliLiU
on the glitterint^ rocks."

Why Mists Sotth' Over Kivors.

The stratus is occasionally .seen under peculiar and strikin^j circum-
stances, extending over the surface of a sheet of water, without passing
the boundary of its banks. Thus a lake or ri\er will exhibit a white
cloud of \isible vajior resin<:j upon it, from which the adjacent land i-
perfectly free. Sir Humphry Davy thus explains this curious phenom-
enon: "All persons who have been accustomed to the obser\ation df
nature must ha\-e frecpiently witnessed Mic formation of mists over the
beds of rivers and lakes in calm ami clear weather after sunset; and
whoevw'' iias considered these phenomena in relation to the railiation ami
communication of heat and the nature of \apor, can hardly have failed t"
di.scover the true cause of them. As soon as the sun has disappeared
from any part of the globe, the surface begins to lose heat by radiation,
and in greater proportions as the sky is clear; but the land and water are
cooled b}' this oi)eration in a very different manner: the impression (<\
cooling on the land is limited to the surface, anil very slowly transmitted
to the interior; whereas in .vater above forty degrees Fahrenheit, .as soon
as the upper .stratum is cooled, whether by radiation or evaporation, it
sinks in the mass of fluid, and its })lace is supplied by water from below;
and till the temperature of the whole mass is reduced to nearly forty
degrees Fahrenheit, the surface cannot be the coolest part.

" It follows, therefore, that wherever water exists in considerable mass,
and has a temperature nearly equal to that of the land, or only a few

;: H

^^^^•*;i^

IMAGES IN THE HEAVENS.

841

[ueiitly from three to five
sailiiv^^ above the most
c thousand feet abo\-e tlic
4ome visible clouds a still
: seasons of the year, am!
:ntly below than above .i

which commands a vicv
amer curtain of the nii^h;
urn by the action of llu
lisapiJears. :Many of llu

from this source, as m
he sun in a day of mist,
ain. when two contending
k from the kini,' on eithei
.he sun rises between thciu

{ivorn.

uliar and striking? circuni-
[ of water, without passing
,-iver will exhibit a whit.
A-hich the adjacent land i~
ains this curious phenoni
incd to the observation d
)rmation of mists over th-
weather after sunset; an>i
. ition to the radiation and
,can hardly have failed t-
s the sun has disapp^arc.i
to lose heat by radiation,
but the land and water arr
nanner: the impression ct
iu\ very slowly transmitted
Ic^aees Fahrenheit, as somh
radiation or evaporation, it
riWcd by water from bel.nv;
is reduced to nearly forty
coolest part.

xists in considerable mas?,
of the land, or only a few

deforces below it, and above forty deforces Fahrenheit at sunset, its surface
during; the ni^dit, in calm and clear weather, will be warmer than that of
the contiguous land; and the air above the land will necessarily be
colder than tiiat above the water; and when ihey both contain their due
])roportion of aqueous vapor, and the situation of the L,fround is such as
to permit the cold air from the land to mix with tiic warmer air above
the water, mist or fo^ will be the result."

AVhat Col«us tho Sun.

The atmosphere of our ^lobe is composed mainly of two [^ases, oxyc^en
antl hydrojjjen, whose combination forms a ])erfectly transparent medium,
111 this medium, howex'er, there floats at all times a vast quantit\- of acjue-
(nis vapor, rai.sed daily by the heat of the sun, in the form of steam, from
the surface of the .sea and of the dry lantl. The amount of water thus
lifted into the air by tlie j)rocess of evaporation is very threat, and far
exceeds that dischari^ed into the ocean, durin;^ the same Ieni;th of time,
b\- all the rivers of the earth.

Tlie a(|ueous vapor produced in this manni.-r is diffused through the
whole body of the atmosphere, and is in a .,tate of perpetual motion and
chan;4e, being rarefied into an invisible condition, or condensed into mists
and clouds, according to the var\ing degrees of heat or cold to which it
is exposed ; and in this way it affects, sometimes more and sometimes
less, the general transparency of the air, and modifies both the colors
and the forms of objects seen through it. And in the j)resent chapter
wc are to speak of the various aspects which it gives to the solar orb.

The sun, viewed through a vaporous atmosphere, appears in "false
colors." When the vapor is dry and rarefied, or in an invisible con-
dition, the air is clear, and the sun is seen in his natural brightness. But
if the vapor be slightly condensed, and takes the form of mist, he appears
through it as if shorn of his glories, a white orb, upon which the eye can
rest without pain or inconvenience ; as he descends he grows still more
dull; and finally, as he approaches the horizon, he gradual!}- assumes a
rosy tint, and at la.st a deep red coU)r. These changes are thus explained.
Every ray of the sunlight which comes to us has to pass through the
whole thickness of the atmosphere, and the greater the distance it has to
travel the greater the portion of it that is absorbed by the \a[)ors in the
air. And this distance, as is obvious, increases with the increased decli-
nation of the sun.

If we admit the atmosphere to extend vertically to the height of sixty-
two miles, a ray of light coming from the sun at the zenith has only these
sixty-two miles to pass through in order to reach us. But a ray from the

!«(■

'I'

■ !

!-i

842

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

sun on the horizon has to travel through 706 miles, or more than eleven
times the former distance, and that, too, throui^li the densest portion nf
the atmosphere. In traversinij this great distance, the various colors com-
bined in the iierfectly white ray, excej)t the red, are, for the most part.
absorbed by the slowly condensing vapors along the cooling .surface of
the earth. I fence the red color in v/hich the sui\ appears at its settin^f

and rising.

What Cliiiii^os tlu' Siiu'm Apparent Form.

The sun, viewed through a vaporous atmo.sphere, often appears, also,
in a " false form." Seen (mi the meridian, through a clear sky, he ap-
pears as a perfect circle, which is his true outline. But as seen near the
horiz(jn, in certain conditions of the atuios[)hL"re, instead of being circular,
he appears of an oval form, tlu upper antl lower sides being flattened, and
the latter more so than the former. On high mountains, and on platcau.x
near the seacoast, this flattening of the disk appears very considerable,
amounting sometimes to one-fifth the apparent diameter of the sun. This
peculiar deformation is cau.sed by the refraction or bending of tlie rajs of
light in passing through the vapors of the atmosphere. Sometimes tl .-
want of homogeneity in the successive layers of the atmosi)here, caused
by the unequal adnii.\ture of vapors, gives to the sun an apparent fjrm of
so irregular a character that he is scarcely recognizable.

Again, the sun. viewed through the atmosi)heric vapors, in a cert liii
.state, appears surrounded by appendag(;s which do not belong tt) him.
When the sky is hazy, and presents a dull, milky appearance, there is
fretiuently to be seen around the sun a colored circle, or halcj, and the sun
occupying the centre of the circle, as // /i. The inner edge of the cirele
is colored red, and is well defined. The sky within the halo is much
darker than it is for some distance without. Sometimes there ma)' bo
.seen around the sun a .second halo or colored circle, as II M. The inner
edge of this also is red, and tolerably well defined, while the outer edge is
of a pale blue color, and but faintly marked. At rare intervals, a thinl
halo, radius, as H' II', has been ob.served. surrounding the sun. Unlike
the other two haKis, this one shows .scarceh' a trace of color.

All these phenomena are produced by the refraction of the sunlight in
pa.s.sing through the minute crystals of frozen vapors floating in the at-
mosphere ; the.se crystals being of various kinds and having their facets
.set at different inclinations to one another, refract the various colors nf
the sunrays at different angles, and thus produce halos of different diamt*-
ters.

When a halo is formed around the sun, there is often to be seen a

IMAGKS IN THE HEAVEN'S

843

iles. or more than clcvi.'n
rh the densest portion > if
■c, the various colors coin-
d, are, for tlie most part.
n<r the cooHn^' surface of
sun appears at its setting'

irent Form.

sphere, often appears, aho.
)u^di a clear sky, he ap-
iic. Hut as seen near the
-, instead of bein^^ circuhu,
r' sides bein'^ flattened, aiul
mountains, and on plateaux
appears very considerable,
I diameter of the sun. This
,n or bendini; of the rays ..f
mosphere. Sometimes tl :
; of tlie atmosphere, caused
the sun an apparent form <.f
lo^nizable.
pheric vapors, in a certain
h do not belon^^ to him.
milky appearance, tliere is
circle, or halo, and the sun
ic inner ed-e of the circle
y within the halo is much
Sometimes there may be
circle, as H H. The inner
ned. while the outer ed-e is
At rare intervals, a thud
rroundini,' the sun. Unlike

trace of color.
...fraction of the sunlit^l^t m
n vapors floatinj^ in the at-
nds and havin-^^ their facets
.Tract the various colors of
ucehalos of different diam*.

there is often to be seen a

white circle passinj:^ throu-^di the sun. and parallel to the horizon, as rep-
resented by A 1' P. This is called parhclic circle, and is produced like
the fore.Ljoin^ by the rellection of the sun's lii^ht rroni ice prisms or snow
crystals, whose surfaces have a vertical j)osition. At or near th(vse points
where halos cut the parhelic circle, there is a tiouble cause of li^ht ; and
here the illumination is sometimes .so <^reat as to present the api)earance
of r. mock-sun, and is called parhelion. The luunber of these mock-
iuns, or parhelia, visible at the same time, is variable ; sometimes one or

HALOS AND I'AKHELIA.

two only are to be seen, at other times four or five ; on some occasions _
as man\- as seven have been observed at once. The mock-suns ^^enerally
seem about the size of the true sun, but not quite so brit,dit, thoui,di i»cca-
sionally tliey are .said to rival their parent luminary in splendor. These
beautiful phenomena appear most commonly in hi^h latitudes, but often
occur in the more temperate regions.

Parhelia have been observed frequently both in ancient ^r^d modern
times. Ari.stotle records two appt^arances of these meteors, and Pliny

r i

«s

'.~im'-

844

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

mentions their occurrence at Rome. A double parhelion, which was
noticed before the Christian era, is referred to by St. Auj^ustine. Many
otiiers have been observed from different points on the continent. On
the 2d of January, 15.^6. Christopher Rotham saw. at Cassel, before sun-
rise, an uprij^dit column of lij^dit of the breailth of the sun's disk. As he
rose to view, he was preceded and followed by a parhelion, which ap-
jieared in contact with his orb, and continued visible for thirty minutes,
and then were hitlden by a cloud. On the 28th of February, 1 55 I, mock-
suns were seen at Antwerp; and on the 17th of March of the same year,
a similar phenomenon, with two halos, was witnessed at the same place.

3?.(-|.

Sitfl.

PARHELIA OBSERVED BY GA.SSENDI.

Four days after the last named, two parhelia, with three halos, were seen
at Ma^debert;.

Scheiner witnessed a sini^ular one at Rome, on the 20th of March
1629. From the zenith as a centre there was seen a <jreat wXvic circle,
having the true sun '•/. its circumference; this was intersected by two
concentric circles around his disk. Where the outer of these smaller
rinLjs cut the zenithal circle, two parhelia appeared, and in the <:^reat c'rcle.
nearly opposite to these, but separated by a wider arc, two others were
visible.

Gassendi describes a very remarkable instance of this phenomenon,

parhelion, which was
Bt. Augustine. Many
on the continent. ( )n
, at Cassel, before sun-
the sun's disk. As he
a parhehon, which ap-
ible for thirty minutes.
[February, 155 1, mock -
»larch of tlie same year,
^sed at the same pkace.

IM.AGES IN THE HKAVENS.

840

which was seen in 1630. Around the sun were two concentric hahrs ;
the lar^L^er cut the horizon, and consequently wa-, incomplete ; these were
colored like the rainbow, e.xceptin^ij that the red was mternal. In the
direction of the zenith, there was a tan;^'ental arc external to these haltis ;
and with the zenith as a centre, a Ljreat white circle ran parallel with the
horizon, having the true sun in its circumference. At the five intersections
(f these circles and arcs parhelia appeared, and a >i.\th was .^-cen in the
intein.r halo between the true sun and the zenith.

''</

/M^"?

ENDI.

;h three halos, were seen

the 20th of iNIarch

m a 't,freat white circle,

was intersected by two

outer of the.se smaller

LI, and in the '^reat circle.

[er arc, two others were

pe of this phenomenon,

j^*\»'^-

PAKHKLIA OliSERVED BY HEVELIUS.

One of the finest meteors o{ this kind on record was seen by Hevelius,
at Sedan, on the 20th of Februar>', 1661. "A little before 1 1 o'clock," he
says " the sun beine^ towards the south and the sky very clear, there
appeared seven suns together, in several circles, some white and others
colored, and these with very long tails waving and pointing from the true
sun, together with certain white arches crossing one another The true
sun was about 25° high, and surrounded almo.st entirely by a circle whose
diameter was 45°, and colored like a rainbow with purple, red and yellow,
its under limb being scarcely 23^^° above the horizon. On each side of

J 'f'

840

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

the sun. towards the west and cast, there appeared two mock-suns, colored,
especially towards the sun, with very lonj^ and splendid tails of a whitish
color, terminatin<^ in a point. A far greater circle encompassed the sun
and the forn>er lesser circle, and extended itself down to the horizon. It
was very stronj^ly colored in its upper part, but was somewhat duller and
fainter on each side. At the tops of these two circles were two inverted
arcs, whose common centre lay in the zenith, and these were very bright
and beautifully colored.

In the middle of the lower arc, where it coincided with the circle, there
appeared another mock-sun, but ito light and colors were dull and faintisli.
There appeared a circle much bigger than the former, of a uniform ami
whitish color, parallel to the horizon, which arose as it were from the col-

PARHELIA OBSERVED IN TENNESSEE.

lateral mock-sunc, and passed through three other parhelia, of a uniform
whitish color like silver. There passed also two other white arches of the
greatest circle of the sphere through the eastern and western n^-" 'Ii.and
also through the pole of the ecliptic. They went dow :un,

crossing the great white circle and obliquely, so as to jross

at each parhelion ; so that seven suns appeared very [ same

time. This phenomenon, with certain changes in tht. .,.s f its"

several parts, continued visible for an hour and twenty

Such parhelia have been observed at various times an j in North

America. Barker describes a curious halo with ar:oni| drying mock-
suns, which he saw at Fort Gloucester, near Lake Superior. A circle
with tangental arc surrounded the sun ; about midway between the hori-

two mock-suns, colored.
,lendid tails of a whitish
:le encompassed the sun
lown to the horizon. U
vas somewhat duller and
:ircles were two inverted
d these were very bright

dcd with the circle, there

ors were dull and liiintish.

former, of a uniform and

ie as it were from the col-

JNESSEE.

Ither parhelia, of a uniform
]o other white arches of the
In and western p^r^'''-^.and

^entdow- ' '^"'

lo as to -'•OSS

very . 'f^^

,s in th. ^ f 'ts

twenty
times an ^ >« ^°'^^

/ith ac'.on.iapying mock-
Lake Superior. A circle
midway between the hori-

IM.VGES IN THE HEAVENS.

847

zon and zen' '--, a circle ran ])arallel to the honzon, havin^j the sun in its
circumference ; i this horizontal circle there appeared alto<^ether five
mock-suns, with this peculiarity, that, directly opposite the true sun in
this great circle, a St. Amlreus cross was seen, tin: upper limbs <.f which
extended higher above, than the lower one descended below, this circle;
in the intersection o«" this cross and the circle, one of the parhelia was
placed. A very curious system of circles, with .several mock-suns. api)eared
on the 19th of August, 1825, at Jackson, Tennessee.

An exceedingly curious optical appearance belonging to this class of
phenomena, was observed by Mr. Fallows, at the Cape of Good Hope,
when the sun's disk was j -st dipping in the ocean. On either side of tlie

BRir.HT HALO IN NORWAY.

true luminar)-, and within the breadth of a degree antl a half of his disk,
four mock-suns appeared on the left, and three on the right. They had
the same shape as the true sun, touched the water at the same instant,
and all of them disappeared together, shining as bright spots upon the
water's edge. This i^agnificcnt scene occurred on a delightful evening,
when not a cloud was to be seen.

Such are .. few of the marvelous appendages which the vapors of the'
atmosphere sometimes create around the great luminary cf the day.

Now, evanescent as is the nature of all these meteoric phenomena at
which we have glanced, and irregular as their occurrence may be, yet
they are in no sense to be regarded as the result of chance. On the

1.1

«;:

-1 >i

i' :^^^i^:i h

I i !

'11

m;:i'

«48

EARTH. SEA. AND SKY.

contrary, we sec in them the play of exact and beautiful laws. All are
produced accordinj^ to the principles of order established, in the
be^Mnning, by the One Supreme Lawgiver. In all, brightness and
shade prevail in their ordained degrees ; and heat and cold produce
their designed effects in sea and land and sky. The sunrays in then-
passage through visible mists, or viewless vapors, are reflected, refracted,
and absorbed, according to uniform rules.

The diameters, distances and intersections of the encircling halos arc
all measured off after the undcviating principles of geometry. I^ver\
tint and shade in their coloring, and every facet and angle in the frozeu
particles that produce them, display the operations of the unerring laws
of optics. Invisible vapors, icy crystals, luminous arches, colored halos,
sjilendid parhelia — all proclaim the observance of law and order. And
though the whole magnificent diorama may fade and vanish within the
brief space of five minutes, yet, in its production, nothing has Ixiii
slighted, nothing imperfectly formed, nothing left to be determinetl by

chance.

Marvelous Waves of Light.

If a pebble be dropped into the bosom of a still and smooth sheet of
water, a circular depression is formed, at the point where it sank, w hich
spreads wider and wider, with uniform velocity. In the meanwhile an
ele\-ation has been formed at the point where the pebble, in entering the
water, had originally caused a depression ; then as this sinks back to its
original level it produces a wall-like circular ele\ation around it, which
follows up the preceding circular depression with equal velocity. Whilst
the water continues its up-and-down movement at the point struck, fresh
wave-rings appear to proceed from this central point, which, owing to
their constantly spreading more and more widely, give the illusory appear-
ance of the fluid streaming out on all sides from the middle point.

Now, let us suppose that, instead of one pebble, two are dropped into
the water at the same instant, but at a short distance one from the other.
We shall have then two systems of circular waves moving and spreading
out as before. As these two systems intersect each other, they divide the
surface of the water into a regular net-work of small elevations and depres-
sions, as represented in the annexed figure. Yet the one does not destroy
or efface the other ; at the points where two wave-crests meet, the surface
of the water, if the two waves are equal, rises to twice the height, and
where two depressions meet, it sinks to double the depth. Thus each
wave maintains and extends unbroken its circular and moving form, as if
it had the entire surface to itself. And if, instead of two, we had three,

IMAGES IN Tun URAVENS.

819

beautiful laws. All are
Icr established, in the
In all, brightness and
heat and cold produce
The sunrays in their
i, are reflected, refracteil.

the encirclini^ halos aic
les of geometry. Iwer,
;t and angle in the frozer.
ions of the unerring laws
n.s arches, colored halos.

of law and order. And
ide and vanish within the
action, nothing has brcn

left to be determined by

Ight.

I still and smooth sheet of
point where it sank, which
ty. In the meanwhile ;ui
he pebble, in entering tlie
1 as this sinks back to its
elevation around it, which
ith equal velocity. Whilst
M at the point struck, fresh
ral point, which, owing to
y, give the illusory appear-
m the middle point,
■bble. two are dropped into
istance one from the other,
ves moving and spreading
each other, they divide the

,mall elevations and depres-
let the one does not destroy

,ve-crests meet, the surface
, to twice the height, and
,le the depth. Thus each
ular and moving form, a. il
Itead of two, we had three,

nr in fact, any number of pebbles dropped, the same result would be pro-
duced by each of them. In other words, it mav be said, that everv w a\e
system sujjerimposes itself upf)n. or adds itself to, a surface already moved
by waves, as it would do were it acting ali>ne on th.it surface at rest.
Every wave system forms itself unhindered by those already present,
and spreads after it has crossed these, upon the still ([uiescent surface of
the water as if it had suffered no interruption in its outward progres.s.

Once more: suppose that when we have flung a handful of pebbles
upon the water, each creating its little system of spreading waves, a
succession of large billows or swells be produced by the wind or a pass-
ing steamboat, we shall see that even these do not destroy the little
u.ives of the pebbles, but take them on their backs, and having passed,
leave them behind
with their original
forms and motions
unaltered. Of all
tiiis we may witness
, beautiful illustra-
tion when large
drops of rain begin
to fall upon the
agitated surface of a
lake or river.

Now, similar re-
sults, though invisi-
ble, are produced in
the atmosphere by a
blow on a drum or inteksection ok two wa\ e svstem.s.

a bell, or by any number of such blows given in succession. These
aerial vibrations, like the waves upon the water, do not destroy or
extinguish one another. If a whole orchestra, composed of numerous
and diverse instruments, play a piece of music together, cch pipe
and each string will create its own system of vibrations, which will
pass outward through the atmosphere without disorder, each being en-
dowed with an individuality as indestructible as if it alone had disturbed
the quietude of the still air.

If now we advance to the far more attenuated and elastic medium of
light, the ether, we shall find the same law still hold good. Here, as in
the water and in the air, one system of vibrations, whether set in motion
immediately by the sun, or by reflection of the sun's rays from some

ill '^f'i

! • r

«(

lillifllHHI

8oO

EARTFI, SKA. AND SKV

tciTcstial object, docs not interrupt or confuse another sj-stein. Kaoli.
tliouj^h it nui)' liave crossed a hundn-d or a tliousantl others, maintains it>
existence and its identity unchanged, and bears on its bosom a correct
and clear representation of the centre or object from uhicli it has prd-
ceetlrd. These radiant vehicles of li^dit are infallible in their pro;^r;.»-
and office ; from ten thousaml points, and in ten thousand directions. tli„\
unceasini^ly carry and imprint the messa^rcs of the world and of the inii-
versc. If we enter the {garden, and bend over a bed of diverse flower-,
we shall find that each green leaf and each variegated petal sends fmt'n
its little .s>'stem of ethereal \ibrations. announcing infallibly its particular
form and color. If we stand confronted by a regiment of soldiers, the
countenance of each individual, in like manner, sends forth its system of
vibrations, and all meet in the e\-e, and imjjrint their pictures of thoc
countenances on the retina within a circle that does notcxceetl in circum-
ference that of a dime — not r»ne is omittctl ; not one is blurred.
A Stiipeiuloiis 3ljii*vt*l of Croati<ui.

Ifwe look out on the broad lamlscape, each of its great features and
countless objects docs the .same. And if we lift our eyes to the hea\rp.>
on a clear night, vibratory waves still issue from those uncounted stars a>
their centres, and like the circles created b)' the drops of a shower on the
surface of a lake, cross, coincide, 0[)pose, and pass through each other
without confusion or extinction. The waves of the zenith do not jn-tic
out of existence those from the horizon, nor those from the horizon si;.h
as descend from the zenith, but e-ch star, wherever situated, is cleail\
seen across all the entanglement of wave-motions produced byallotlur
stars. The eye receives as perfect and distinct an impression of each, a-
if no other shone in the whole celestial concave.

What a mar\'el of creation^ then, have we in this ethereal element— it-
illimitable extent, its inconceivable tenuity, its undecaying elasticit}-, it-
countless and instantaneous vibrations — without which the earth, ami ihc
stars, and even the sun itself would have been wrapped in eternal dari;-
ness ! And what an organ have we in the e\-e, with its congeries of i ,•
lated parts, to adapt it to receive and interpret these ether vibrations with-
out effort or delay, and thus derive from it a thousand advantages an..
pleasures every hour! And to what shall we ascribe all this? T
chance? Sooner let us say that the pictures of Raphael have been pro-
duced by the dashing of the waves; or that the unerring chronometer,
which guides the mariner over the trackless main, has resulted from the
fortuitous dancing of a cloud of dust.

another systotn. Each,
sand others, maintains ii^
rs on itsbosomaorr.-t
t from which it has pv -
,ifaUiblc in their pro-n-^
1 ihoUNand directions, th)

the workl and of the vnr,-
.,• a bed of diverse ilowc; -.
■ic-atcd petal sends f.-.th
in^J inn^Uibly its particular

rc<;inKnt <>f soldiers, tlv.
•, sends forth its system ot
i'nt their pictures of th..«c

does not exceed in circum-

ot one is bUirred.
Creation.

^ch of its sreat features aiul

lift our cyestotheheav.--

3m those uncounted stars a-

the drops of a shower on tK

id pass throui^h each oti '.
; of the zenith donotj-^uc
■ those from the horizon such

Lvherever situated, is clearly

otions produced by all otlur

Let an impression of each. :i>

jin'this ethereal element-i^
its undecayin- elasticity, it-
'out Nvhich the earth, and iIk
•n wrapped in eternal dan;-
eye, with its congeries of ly-
t these ether vibrations wiin-
a thousand advantages an.
|l we ascribe all this? T.
of Raphael have been I'l'^-
the unerring chrononKici,
main, has resulted from the

CIIAPTF.R VI.
STRAXGK WANDKRICR.S THROUGH SPACE.

.(iilL-n Appearances— Uniisii.-il Phenomena -Great History of the I If.ivcns— Hod-
ifs Governed Ny Sol. if Attraction -I-Iftngatcf! Orbits — Marvtluiis Cntnct of
1 6So— Period F.stimated at T'lree Tlions.ind Years— Thousands of MiU-s in a
Minute— Sir Isaac Newton's Predit tion— llalli y's Comet -A l-rij^htetud I.ni-
peror— Sliockiii}; Calaniilits Siip;)osed to be I'oreshadowed— Visitation Uurinj;
a iJIoody War— Hitleous Faces and nristhiig Hair— Byron's Graphic Descrip-
tion -Siibst.-ince of Comets— Tliin Vajior- .\ Comet Kiivelopini,' Inpiler Tlie
i'oet Conder's A])ostro|iiie.

i?^-aK. HOSE tailed bodies, which suddenl\- come to li^dit up the

,^:

4^1 N^? heavens, were lon;^ rei^areled w iih terror, like so many warn
" tJ ^- ing si^ns of divine wrath. "Sin li;i\-c aluaws tliMiii^ht the

seKes much more imj:>ortant than they reall\- are in the iiiii\ er^

sal order; tliey ha\e liad tlie vanity to pretend that the wIimK: cnalion
was made for thein, whilst in reaiit}" the whole creation does not suspi'ct
their o\istence. The earth we inhabit is only one of the smallest worlds ;
and therefore it can scarcely be for it alone that all the wonders of the
hea\ens, of which the immense niajorit\- remains hidden from it, were
created.

In this disposition of man to see in himself the centre and the end of
c\erything, it was ca.sy indeed to consider the .steps of nature as imfolded
in his favor ; and if some unusual phenomenon presented itself, it was
considered to be without doubt a warning from hca\-en. If these illusions
had had no other result than the amelioration of the more timorous of
the community one would regret those ages of ignorance; but not only
were these fancied warnings of no use, seeing that once the danger
passed, man returned to his former state ; but they also kept up among
people imaginary terrors, and revived the fatal resolutions caused by the
fear of the end of the world.

The history ot a comet would be an instructive episode of the great
history of the heavens. In it could be brought together the description
of the progressive movement of humanthouglit, as well as the astronomi-
cal theory of these extraordinary bodies. Let us take, for example, one
of the most memorable and best-known comets, and give an outline of its
successive passages near the earth. Like the planetary worlds, comets

(851)

852

a. ip

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

belong to the solar system, and are subject to the rule of the Star Kinyj.
It is the universal law of gravitation which guides their path ; solar attrac-
tion gc^vcrns them, as it governs the movement of the planets and tiic
small satellites.

The chief point of difference between them and the planets is, that their
orbits are very elongated ; and, instead of being nearly circular, they take
the elliptical form. In consequence of the nature of these orbits, tlu
same comet may approach very near the sun, and afterwards travel from
it to immense distances. Thus, the period of the comet of 1680 has been,
estimated at 3000 years. It approaches the sun, so as to be nearer to it
than our moon is to us, whilst it recedes to a distance 853 times greater
than the distance of the earth from the sun. On the 17th of December,
1680, it was at its perihelion — that is, at its greatest proximity to the sun;
it is now continuing ifs path bcj'ond the Neptunian orbit. Its Ncloeity
varies according to its distance from the solar body. At its perihelio'i it
travels thousands of leagues per minute ; at its aphelion it does not pass
over more than a few j-ards. Its proximitx' to the sun in its passage near
that body caused Newton to think that it received a heat 28,000 times
greater than that we experience at the suniiuer solstice ; and that this heat
being 2000 times greater than that of red-hot iron, an iron globe of the
same dimensions would be 50,000 years entirely losing its heat.
Singular Prediction of Xewton.

Newton added that in the end comets will approach so near the sun
that they will not be able to escape the preponderance of its attraction,
and that they will fall one after the other into this brilliant body, thus
keeping up the heat which it perpetually pours out "nto space. Such is
the deplorable end assigned to comets by the author of the " Principia,"
an end which makes De la Bretonne say to Retif : " An immense comet,
already larger than Jupiter, was again increased in its path by beiiii;
blended with six other dying comets. Thus displaced from its ordinary
route by these slight shocks, it did not pursue its true elliptical orbit ; so
that the unfortunate thing was precipitated into the devouring centre of
the sun." " It is said," added he, " that the poor comet, thus burned
alive, sent forth dreadful cries ! "

It will be interesting then, in a double point of view, to follow a comet
in its different passages in sight of the earth. Let us take the most im-
portant in astronomical history — the one whose orbit has been calculated
by Edmund Halley, and which was named after him. It was in 168:
that this comet appeared in its greatest brilliancy, accompanied with a
tail which did not measure less than thirty-two millions of miles. By the

STRANGE WANDERERS THROUGH SPACE.

853

,c rule ofthe Star Kin-,
aheirpath; solar attra^
t of the planets and the

d the planets is, that their
nearly circular, they tak.
iture of these orbits, the
,,d aftenvards travel fr-ni
e comet of 1680 has been.
,„ so as to be nearer to ii
listance 853 times greater-
)nthe 17th of December,
itest proximity to the sun;

ntunian orbit. Us velocity
bodv. At its perihelion it
, api^elion it does not pass
. the sun in its passage near
ccived a heat 28,000 tunes
r solstice ; and that this hr.t

,t iron, an iron globe of the
:ly losing its heat.
ewtou.

approach so near the sun
.onderance of its attraction.
.to this brilliant body, thu^
rs out hito space. Such i>
' author of the " Princ.pui.
6tif • " An immense comet,
■ased in its path by being
displaced from its ordinary
pits true elliptical orbit; so
Uo the devouring centre ot
e poor comet, thus burned

It of view, to follow a comet
1 Let us take the most m-
Lse orbit has been calculated
I after him. It was in 1682
llliancy, accompanied with a
lo millions of miles. 13y tne

observation of the path whic' t described in the heavens, and the time it
occupied in describing it, this astronomer calculatrd its orbit, and recog-
nized that the comet was the same as that which was admired in 1531
and i6o7,and which ought to have reappeared in 1759. Never did scien-
tific prediction e::cite a more lively interest. The comet returned at the
appointed time; and on the 1 2th of March, 1759, reached its perihelion.
Since the year 12 before the Cliristian era, it had presented itself twenty-
four times to the earth. It was principally from the astronomical amials
of China that it was possible to follow it up to this period.
All Einporor Torribly Frijfliti'iuMl.

Its first memorable appearance in the history of Fiance is that of 837,
in the reign of Louis le Debonnaire. An anonymous writer of ciironicles
of that time, named " the Astronomer," gives the following details of
this appearance, relative to the influence of the comet on the imperial
imagination :

During the holy days of the solemnization of l<!aster, a phenomenon ever
fatal and of gloomy foreboding, appeared in the heavens. As soon as the
Emperor, who paid attention to these phenomena, received the first an-
nouncement of it, he gave himself no rest until he had c.illed a certain
learned man and myself before him. As soon as I arrived, he anxiously
asked me what I thought of such a sign ; I asked time of him, in order to
consider the aspect of the stars, and to discover the truth by their means,
promising to acquaint him on the morrow ; but the Emperor, persuaded
that I wished to gain time, which was true, in ordiT not to be obliged to an-
nounce anything fatal to him, said to me : " Go on the terrace of the palace
and return at once to tell me what you have seen, for I did not see this
star last evening, and you did not point it out to me ; but I know that it is
a comet; tell me what you think it announces to me." Then scarcely allow-
ing me time to say a word, he added : " There is still another thing you
keep back : it is that a change of reign and the death of a prince are an-
nounced by this sign." And as I advanced the testimony of the projjhet,
who said: "Fear not the signs of the heavens as the nations fear them,"
the prince with his grand nature and the wisdom which never forsook
him, said," We must only fear Him who has created both us and this star.
But as this phenomenon may refer to us, let us acknowledge it as a warn-
ing from Heaven,"

The Comet Supposed to Briiiff Awful Calamities.

Louis le Debonnaire gave himself and court to fasting and prayer, and
built churches and monasteries. He died three years later, in 840, and
historians have profited by this slight coincidence to prove that the appear-

854

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

ance of the comet was a harbini^or of death. The historian, Raoul Glaher.
added later : " These phenomena of the universe are never presented to
man without surely announciuLj some wonderful and terrible ex'ent."

nalle\-'s comet again apjKared in April 1066, at the moment wlun
William theconcjlieror in\-aded l"]ni:[land. It was pretended that it had tli •
greatest influence on the fate of the battle of Hastings, which delivered tiM.r
England to the Normans.

A contemporary poet, alluding probably to the English diadem wiih
whicli William was crowned, had proclaimed in one i)lace, " that the conut
had been more favorable to William than nature had been to Caesar; the
latter had no hair, but William had received some from the comet." A
monk of Malmesbury apcrstrophi/.ed the comet in these terms: " Here thmi
art again, thou cause of the tears of many i .others! It is long since I
ha\e seen thee, but I .see thee now, more terrible than ever ; thou thrcat-
enest my country with complete ruin !"

In 1455, the same comet made a more memorable appearance still.
The Turks anil Chri.stians were at war, the West and the Ea.st .seemed
armeil from head to foot — on the point of annihilating each other. Tiic
crusaile untiertakeii by Pope Cali.xtus III. against the invading Saracens,
was waged with retloublctl ardor on the sudden ai)[)earance of the star
with the flaming tail. Mahomet II. took Constantinople by storm aiiii
rai.sed the siege of Belgrade. But the I'ope ha\ing put aside both ilu
curse of the comet and the abominable designs of the Mussulmans, the
Chri.stians gained the battle, and vanquished their enemies in a hhxKly
fight. The . ///^.t/z/.v to the sound of bells dates from these ordinances ot
Cali.vtus III. referring to the comet.

Blood and Hideouts Faces.

Comets like those of 1577 appear, moreover, to justify by their strangi-
form the titles with which they are generally greeted. The most senoih
writers were not free from this terror. Thus, in a chapter on celeitiai
monsters, the celebrated surgeon, Ambrois Pare, described the comet of
1528 under the most vivid and frightful colors : "This comet was so
liorrible and dreadful that it engendered such great terror to the people,
th.it they died, some with fear, others with illness. It appeared to bcol
immense length, and of blood color; at its head was seen the figure of a
curved arm, holding a large sword in the hand as if it wished to strike.
At the point of the sword there were three stars, and on either side were
seen a gre:;'' number of hatchets, knives, and swords covered with blood,
amongst which were numerous hideous human faces, with bri.stling
beards and hair." The imagination has good eyes when it exerts itself.

STRANGE WANDERERS THROUGH SPACE.

8or>

le historian, Raoul Glab-r.
'sc arc never prcscntccl t. >
il aiitl terrible event."
)66 at the moment win n
a. pretended that it had ilv
stings, Nvhich delivered nv.r

, the l-:n<;lish diadem ^vilh
Mme place, "that the conut
ure had been to Caesar ;Uk

some from the cc^iict." A
. in these terms: "Here th,m

■others! It is loni.- snuv 1
:ible than ever ; thou thiv;it-

nicmorable ai)pearance ^u\\
West and the Kast seunal
.inihilatin- each other. I Ik
.rainst the invadin- Saracens,
Klden appearance of the .la,-
,:onstantinople by storm ami
>c having put aside b.nhtv,

a.rnsof the Mussulmans tlK
.d" their enemies in a blo.Hly
ates from these ordinances ot

Faces.

,er to justify by their Strang.

.greeted. The most senous
■^us. in a chapter on ceW.a
Par.', described the comet of

ioiors': "This comet xvas so
ch great terror to the poopk,
illness. It appeared to boot
head was seen the figure a

Und as if it wished to str.ke
istars.and on either side we.e

d swords covered with blood,

Ihuman faces, with br.stlnv^

,od eyes when it exerts itseli.

In the last century, people still believed in the terrible power of these
unhappy stars. In the present day, and especially since the famous
comet of i8i 1, country people have imagined rather that they predicted
excellent vintages. These ideas are as void of proof as the former.
Although these bodies have greatly lost their prestige, they have not
been entirely despoiled of it. Moreover, who could efface the impression
prcxluced by some of their aspects ? Often they have been considered
a-^ signs of curses hovering over men and empires. Such is the lamen-
tation of Byron in " Manfred," to whom the .seventh spirit addresses the

following words :

Tlie star which rules tliy destiny
Was ruled, ere earth began, 1)\ me :
It was a world as fresh and fair
As e'er revolved round snn in air :
Its course was (rvc and re.u;ular,
Space bosoiiiM not a lovelier star.
The hour arrived— and it became
A w.mderinjj mass of shajx-less flame,
A |)athless comet, and a curse,
The menace of tlie universe ;
.Still rollin;.; on with innate force,
Without a sphere, without a course,
A bri.i;ht deformity on higii,
The monster of the upper sky !

Nevertheless, nothing proves that comets are gifted with any influence
whatever, we do not sa\- on the morals of men, but on the physics of the
world. Their lightness, the extreme diffusion of their substance, induces
us to believe rather that they possess no kind of action on the planets.
At their approach to the sun, their substance distends itself, assumes a
wonderful size, and develops itself over an expanse of many million
leagues. They are of such lightness and suppleness that a ray of heat
may, at its will, cause them to take any shape; you have an instance of
this lightness in the comet that was observed in 1862; the form and
position of the luminous appendages changed from day to daj- ; and
observers might have believed that even a portion of the substance of the
nucleus flowed into space

Coinet.s Duly Thin Vaixu".

I'wo thou.sand years ago, Seneca wrote: A da\- will co\uc when the
course of these botlies w^ill be known, and submitted to rules, like that of
the i)!anets. The prophecy of the philosojjher is realized. It is now
known that like the planets, comets gravitate i-oinul the sim, and depend
equally on its central attraction. Only, instead of moving in orbits,
cncular, or nearly so, they describe oval curves — \ery long ellipses. This

■■;J

856

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

is the great distinction established between them and planets. Instead of

being opaque, heavy, and important bodies hke our planets, thc\- are of

great lightness, and extreme tenuity. One day, a comet carried away 1)\

its rapid march, traversed the system of Jupiter, the satellites and tlu

planets for some hours surrounded by the comet ; and when the body had

passed over them, they had not undergone the slightest deviation in their

path. When Maupertuis, wishing to explain the origin of Saturn's rin^^

thought he had conceived an ingenious idea in attributing this appenda<;c

to the tail of a comet which was wound round the planet, he did not

dream of the extreme rarity of these impotent vapors.

The distinctive character of comets lies especially in the length of their

course, and in the immense duration of their journeys round the sun,

through the celestial regions. The following lines are by the poet

Conder : —

Mysterious visitant, whose beauteous light
Among the wondering stars so strangely gleams !
Like a proud banner in the train of night,
The emblazon'd flag of Deity it streams-
Infinity is written on thy beams ;
And tiiought in vsin would through the pathless sky
Explore thy secret course. Thy circle seems
Too vast for Time to grasp. Oh. can that eye
Which numbers hosts like thee, this atom earth descry ?

and planets. Instead of
our planets, thc>- arc ol
a comet carried away l)>
r, the satellites and the
;'and when the body had
lightest deviation in their
e origin of Saturn's rin-,
attributing this appenda-^c
d the planet, he did not

apors. .

iallv in the length of their

journeys round the sun.
.r Unes are by the p-et

ght

ly gleams !
ht,

s—

e pathless sky
? seems

that eye

om earth descry ?

CHAPTER VII.
MONSTERS AND SUPERSTITIONS.

Former Belief in Astrology— Strange Fancies— Olaus Magnus and his Absurdities-
Droll Description of the Great Sea Serpent— The Monster Attacking a Ship-
Statement by a Bishop— Cooking a Meal on the Back of a Leviathan— Legendary
History of Trees and Plants— Trees Bearing Water- Birds— Story of a Marvehnis
Tree in Scotland— Belief of Scientific Men in Ridiculous Fables — Queer Light-
ning Rod— Cliariatans and Greenhorns — Roots of tlie Mandragora Carved into
Fantastic Shapes— Life Preserver of Gods and Animals — Alarming EcIips..'S.

E have seen in the preceding chapter that the human mind can
turn its imaginations into supposed facts, and accept alisurtlities
as logical conclusions. We might have enlarged upon the
superstitious notions regarding comets. There v.as a time
when celestial omens were consulted on all possible occasions, and a firm
belief in a.strology was common even among those who were best edu-
cated and most intelligent.

As evidence of this disposition to believe in the marvelous and even
the absurd, we give here an account of some of the strange fancies con-
cerning monstrous creatures which were thought to exist in the .sea.
Thus in a renowned work published in 1555, Olaus Magnus makes .some
amazing statements about the great sea-serpent, then believed to roam
the great deep.

The author does not rest satisfied with giving a description of this
creature ; he delineates it, and in his engravings we .see the reptile
issuing from the waves, and landing itself upon the ships in order to
devour the crews. Elsewhere the Bishop of Upsala represents cetacea
which crush ships in their formidable jaws !

And yet though it seems incredible, our epoch, in respect to the history
of marine monsters, leaves the old legends of the middle ages far behind.
In fact it is impossible to dream of anything more fabulous than what
Denis de Montfort in comparatively recent times gave out as a feast for
the credulous. His mind mu.st really have been di.seased.

The lucubrations of this naturalist have found a place in the great
edition of B-'ffon's works. He there states, without the least hesitation,
that in the northern seas there are cutde-fish of such a size that a whale
is a pigmy in comj>'nson with them. According to him these moUusks

(8:>7)

1;
I

J'f05 >

!'•

i. .

8o8

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY.

arc even of such prodij^ious dimensions, that when they rest motionless
an<l half out of tlie water their bodies, which a<;es have covered wilh tufts
of marine plants, have sometimes been taken for islands floatin;^ on ilic
surface of the waves. It is even related in some old Scandinavian
chronicles that sailors, deceived by this treacherous si^n, luue been
kn;)wn to anchor their ships on the Hanks of these sea monsters, and land
on their backs.

In those times of credulity, when the life of the sailor was so full n{
anxiety ;- d terror, such facts were iield to be quite authentic. Thus wo
see Olaus iMaL;"nus represent in one of his works a company of fishermen
warmini^ themselves and cookin<j^ their food at a glowinjr fire lii^ditcd on
the bud)- t)f one of these fantastic creatures; but the author has sketched

AN'CIKNT SE.\-SER1'KNT : FACSIMILE FROM OLAUS MAGNL'.S.

i Cetacean, not a polypus. Gesner, a zoolo_f;ist of the middle ages, seems
It) ijelieve such fables, for he reproduces the figure given by the lean.cd
Swede.

In the wide field of absurdities, Denis de Montfort display's credulit}-
almosi. surpassing belief. He asserts, with a strong sense of convictiuii
that amid these great seas there are gigantic cuttle-fish, which, by means
of their immense arms thickly covered with suckers, encircle ships and
wreck them by plunging them into the abyss.

The naturalist even attributes the inexplicable disappearance of some
of our shi[)s to these formidable tenants of the ocean. He is so convinced
of the truth i)f this fact, that he devotes one of the plates of Buffon's work
to the exhibition of it. We there see a monstrous cuttle-fish with tlani-
ing eyes, the horrible arms of which are twined round the masts of a ship

MONSTF-RS AND SUPHRSTITIONS.

8.j9

icn they rest motionless

is have covered with tutts

r islands floatin-,' nn the

some old Samdinavian

herons sii,^, ha\e V)ccn

■a monsters, and land

cse sea

of the sailor was so full -f
quite authentic. Thus uc
•ks a company of fishermen
It a glowing fire li-htcd ..a
)ut the author has sketched

Ir'.)M OLAL-S MAGNUS.

list of the middle a-es, socms
figure given by the learr.ed

Montfort displa>-s credulity

I. strong sense of convict.on,

cuttle-fish, which, by moan.

suckers, encircle ships and

cable disappearance of some
, ocean. He is so convinced
[f the plates of r,urron's\vork

Utrous cuttle-fish with nam-
ed round the masts of a ^hip

of war. which they are tightly straining;, svhile the animal looks as if it
would tlexou.' it.

Trees themselves and plants, notwithstanding their calm and peaceful
life p '<sed in the broad light of day, have still their legendar\- hi,stor>- and
their superstitious traditions. Some have become celebrated on acc(nnit
of the strange animatetl progeny which lias been attributed to their leafy
t"ps ; others for their nietlical or cabalistic power. Rou^-^eau c<Mn-
plained that plants had been defiled by traiisforniinL,^ th.em into tlis-usting
remedies. We should be more correct in accusiiv^- those w ho attribute
ridiculous virtues to them.

Se\eial water-birds were long considered to be the protlucc of certain
trees wliich grow in the marshes or borders of the sea. Our credulous

MONSTER .'\TTACKING A SHIP: FROM OLAUS MAONL'S.

forefathers were persuaded that there was one of these growing in Scot-
land or the Orkneys, the fruits of which, as large as eggs and ha\ ing the
same shape, opened at maturity and allowed each little duck to escai)e.

The vulgar would not have dared to doubt such a fact, for it was
quoted b\- the most renowned scholars. Sebastian ]\Iunster attests the
truth <.f it in his great work on " Cosmogra[)hy."

" We find," he says, " trees in Scotland which produce a fruit einel-
oped in leaves, and when it droi)s into tlie water at a suitable time, it
takes life and is turned into a live bird, which they call a tree-bird." In
order to produce a still fuller proof, the writer himself gives a drawing
ot it! We see the young ducks opening the fruits in order to escape,
whilst the newly-hatched ones swim in the water near at hand !

But the case becomes still more serious when we see the must learned

860

EARTH, SEA, AND SKY,

.^^i^

W:^.

f¥

ornithologist of his time, Aldrovandus, propagate such ridiculous fables
in his great work. He there maintains that sea-ducks are the product of
certain trees, and he even represents these with the fruits wliich they bear.
But by an unpardonable error for a naturalist, these pretended fruits from
which the birds are issuing are only barnacles, crustaceans which live at
the bottom of the sea, and with which he nevertheless overloads the
miraculous boughs! After this one may well ask, which is the most
censurable — the sax-ant who transcribes such absurdities, or the public
who believe in them ?

Some olants have also become celebrated in the annals of charlatanism.
There were plants that warded off evil, plants that caused injury, and
magical plants. Antiquity possessed a long list of these, and we have
not fallen behind it.

On one side we find a venerated plant, the St, John's-wort. which,

MARINE dragon: FROM MAGNUS.

gathered at the moment pointed out by the legend and hung over the
outer door, preserved the house from lightning. On the other was a
long list of cabalistic plants, among which the thorn-apple, ought to be
mentioned in the first rank. This was the frightful poison which sorcerers
made use of to intoxicate their senses.

But no magical herb ever enjoyed more c jlebrity than the mandrake,
an indispensable ingredient in all the philtres employed by the old sor-
cerers. Antiquitv l.dJ already conducted us to this dark road, by main-
taining that the roots of this plant were of human form. To speak the
truth, they ia no way resemble a man, but the credulity of the learned
and the astuteness of charlatanism have supplied what was requisite to
give a certain amount of credulity to the opinions of the ancients. It
was after they had rudely shaped themselves into human likeness that the
magicians employed them in their incantations, and it was also under
this form that the vulgar thought they were found at the foot of gibbets

L^ttUBUa

MONSTERS AND SUF^KRSTITIONS.

861

such ridiculous fables
icks are the product of

fruits which they bear.
,e pretended fruits from
ustaceans which live at
crtheless overloads the
isk, which is the most
surdities, or the public

; annals of charlatanism,
that caused injury, and
t of these, and we have

St. John's-wort. which,

-fc)

(T.

INUS.

isend and hung over the

On the other was a

horn-apple, ought to be

ul poison which sorcerers

prity than the mandrake,
Lployed by the old sor-

this dark road, by mam-
nan form. To speak the

credulity of the learned
i:d what was requisite to
[ions of the ancients. It
V, human likeness that the

[s, and it was also under
md at the foot of gibbets

where, after having fed on the remains of those who had suffered punish-
ment, they had taken on tlieir shape. The tenants of a place so sinister
and so dreaded could not be removed without great danger. The learned
themselves did not attempt to destroy so many absurdities, for in their
works they sometimes represent mandrakes which resembled men and
women, for there were some of both sexes. They possessed die s.ime
power as the enchanted philtres of Circe, to which Pliny and Diosco-
ndes had given tl. ■ ; name.

A charming little plant, all covered with hairs, which abounds on the
slopes of Mount Ida, the dictamnus of Crete, was formerly considered
the most marvelous vul-
nerary that nature ever
presented to man. The
gods themselves had re-
vealed its omnipotence to
him, and animals instinct-
ively made use of it. It
was with this dictamnus
that Venus dressed the
wounds of /Eneas. Aris-
totle tells us that t!^'' gi iMts
scattered over the cele-
brated mountain, so soon
as the hunter has pierced
them with an arrow, seek
out the plant and eat it in
order to make the arrow the bird-tree : f.ac-simile from munster's
drop out, and so to heal " cosmography."

the wound. Half a century ago, who would have dared to deny such a
wonderful property, when at that time a noble work on Greece contained
a long chapter on the virtues of the divine vulnerary, and when, in ad-
dition to this, the reader might see an engraving representing a goat
pierced with arrows and browsing upon the salutary herb? In this
way, unfortunately, did the authority of the learned retard and fetter the
progress of truth.

However simple the cause of eclipses may be, now that it is known —
and known causes are always so simple, that one asks why they were
never known before — however easy this explanation appears, for a long
time the human race was astonished at the passing absence of the sun's
light during the day ; for a long time it felt full of fear and disquietude

ill

J.'*w

802

KARTM. SKA, AND SKY.

hffore this unexplained wonder. The Hi^dit of day was rapidl\- ilimin-
ishetl, anil suddenly disapjx ihout the sky bein;^' ilarkened by aii\

cloud. iJaikness instead ol .if^.u, stars shinin^f in the sk)-, nature seeni-
in^f surprised and astonished ; the combination of these unusual events i>
more than sufficient to c.\i)lain the momentar\' terror with which indixi.j-
uals, and indeed, whole nations, allowed themselves to be carried awa\- in
these solenni moments.

Hy reason of the moon's rapid motion, a total eclipse never lasts lon<,aT
than five minutes; but this short period is sufficient to allow a thousand
sentiments to succeed each other in the terrified mind. The tlisappear-
ance of the li^^ht of the moon, sometimes causetl ^reat trouble to i^LjniM-

ant minds ; with how much mure
reason would the disappearance of
the orb of da>- cause disciuietutlc
and fear !

History is full of the e.\ami)!c.s
of fear caused by eclipses, and dan-
gers caused throuj^di it^norance aiii!
superstition. Xicias had resoKed
to lea\-e .Sicily with his ami)'; but,
frightened by an eclipse of the
moon, and wishing to delay se\ era]
days, to assure himself if our satel-
Hte had lost nothing after this
event, he missed the opportunity
of retreat: his army was deslro\-c(.l.
he himself perished, and this mis-
fortune commenced the ruin of
Athens.

Often it has been seen that clever men have taken advantage of peo-
ple's terror during eclipses, either of the sun or the moon, to gain their
wishes. Christopher Columbus, reduced to sustaining his soldiers on the
voluntary gifts of a savage and poor nation, and nearly losing this re-
source and perishing with hunger, gave out that he was about to de-
prive the world of the moon's light. The eclipse began, terror seized the
Indians, and they returned, bringing to the feet of Columbus the accus-
tomed tribute.

Drusus appeased a sedition in his army by predicting an eclipse of the
moon ; and, according to Livy, Tulpitius Callus, in the war of Paulus
Emilius against Perseus, u-ed the same stratagem. Pericles, Agathocles,

TREE PRODUCING SEA-DUCKS.

MONSTF.RS ASD SITERSTFTIONS.

mil

lay was rapicU)- dimin-
bcin- darkened by aiu
hi the sky. nature seeni-
" these unusual events i>
rror with which indivi.l-
cs to lie carried away in

L'chpse never lasts lon-^er
icnt to allow a thousand
I tuind. The disapi^'i'-
A .^reat trouble to i-nor-
s; ''with how much nimv
ould the disappearance ■ t
of day cause disquietude

ry is full of the exaniplw^
ausedbyeclipscs,anddan-

sedthrou<,diit;norancean.>

tion. Nicias had resohcd
■ Sicily with his army; bui.
led by an eclipse of the
nd wishinii to delay several
assure himself if our satel-
^ lost nothing after this
, niissed the opportunity
at- his army was destroyed,
;clf perished, and this mis-
commenced the rum of

taken advantage of peo-
31- the moon, to gain their
.staining his soldiers on the
md nearly losing this rc-
that he was about to dc-
hse began, terror seized the
It of Columbus the accus-

Iredicting an eclipse of tk
luus, in the war of Pau us
lem Pericles, Agathocles,

king of Syracu'-e, and Dionysius, king of Sicily, nearly fell victims to the
ignorance of their soKliers. Alexamler, near Arbclla. w.is oljli^i.,! to u>e
all his skill to calm the tenor that an eclipse hail ca:-t o\er histioops.
1 luis it is that sujjerior men, rather than sink untler the circumstances
which oppress them, exert their art to turn them to their profit.

How man\- fables were built on the idea that eclipses were the effect of
lJi\ine wratli, which avenged the iniquiiies of man l)y depriving him <f
light I Sometimes Diana sought I'".nd)-mion in the mountains of L'aiia;
sometimes the magicians of Thessaly caused the moon to fall on the
herbs destined for enchantment.

Now it is a dragon which devi)urs the sun, and whole iiati<ins seek to
frighten it awa)' by cries; or it is supposed that (iod hold> the sun en-
closed in a tube, and hides or shows u> the light b)' mean^ of a sluiUer.
The priv^ress of

science has proved
the absurdit)' of ||
these opinions and imwSHM'.fci; .'■;
fears, since it is
known to lie possi-
ble to calculate by
astronomical ta-
bles, and to [iredict
a long time before-
hand, the instant carved mandkacora roots.
when the wrath of heaven will burst forth. Science is the sure death of
superstition.

Biot gi\'es us very curious details on the rites which piesidetl ami
which still preside over th'. observation of the eclipses in tiie Cele^tial
Empire. The Emperor is considered to be the son of hca\en ; and with
this title his government ought to present the picture of the immutal)le
order which governs the celestial mo\ements. When the two great lum-
inaries — the sun and the moon — instead of following their own routes
scparatel\-, cross each other's paths, tl'.e regularity of the order of the
heavens appears to be upset; and the disturbance which is there mani-
fested must have its likeness, as well as the cause, in the disorders of the
goxernment of the Emperor. An eclipse of the sun was then considered
as a warning gi\-en by Heaven to the Emperor to examine his faults and
correct them. When this phenomenon was announced beforehand by the
npointed astronomer, the emperors and grandees of this court prepared
themselves by fasting, and dressing in the plainest garments.

8(J1

T-ARTII, SKA, AND SKY

Vw ',11

On this appointed tlay the luand.irins attended at the pahiee with bows
and arrows. When the eclipse coniiii need, tlie I^mperor himself beat
on the drum of thunder to give the alarm; and at the same time the
mandarins let fly their arrows towards the sky to aid the eclipsed bocI\ .
Gaubil quotes these particulars from the ancient Hook of Rites, and the
principals are announced in the Tcheou-li, After this, the discontent
that would be caused by an eclipse not taking place at the time predicted
may be imagined ; and likewise if one suddenly appeared without beinLj
predicted. In the first case, the whole ceremonial was found to have
been uselessly prepared ; and the desperate efforts which, in consequence
of the want of preparation, were made in the second case, inevitably pro-
duced a disorderly scene compromising to the imperial majesty. Such
errors, although so easily made, placed the poor astronomers in dan<^cr
of losing their goods, their office, their honor, and sometimes their life.
Such a disgrace happened in the year 721 of our era: the Emperor
Hiouen-Tsong sent for a bonze Chinese, called Y-Hanjr, renowned for
his knowledge of astronomy. After having shown himself •ery learned,
he had the misfortune to predict two eclipses of the sun, which were
ordered to be observed throughout the whole Empire. But no one saw
anywhere on the appointed days any trace of an eclipse, although the
sky was almost everywhere serene. To clear himsilf he published a
work, in which he pretended that his calculation was exact, but that
heaven had changed its rules of movement — doubtless in consideration
of the high virtues of the Emperor. Thanks to his reputation, otherwise
deserved — perhaps, also, to his flattery — he was pardoned.

■ The same ideas on the importance and signification of the moon and
sun which existed with the Chinese more than four thousand years ago,
remain at the present day, and are still powerful, causing the same
demands ; but they have become less perilous for astronomers, as these
phenomena are now predicted several years in advance, with a mathema-
tical certainty, in the great ephemerides of Europe and America, which
can easily be procured.

; ^r-

)KY.

clecl at the palace with bow^
, the I'^mpcror himself boat

and at the same time the
:y to aid the eclipsed bod) .
lent I?c)ok of Rites, and the

After this, the discontent
y place at the time predicted
nly appeared without bcin;^'
imonial was found to have
fforts which, in consequence
second case, inevitably pro-
he imperial majesty. Such
poor astronomers in danger
r, and sometimes their life.
I of our era: the Emperor
,l!ed Y-Han<r, renowned for
shown himself »^ery learned,
Dses of the sun, which were
e Empire. But no one saw
of an eclii)se. although the
ear himself he published a
:uiation was exact, but that
—doubtless in consideration
1 to his reputation, otherwise
was pardoned,
crnifieation of the moon and
an four thousand years ago,
powerful, causing the same
us for astronomers, as the?e
in advance, with a mathema-
Europe and America, which