DOMESTIC FOWLS BINGLEY'S ISTATUKAL HISTORY; EXHIBITING, IN A SERIES OF DELIGHTFUL ANECDOTES AND DESCRIPTIONS, THE CHARACTERISTIC HABITS AND MODES OF LIFE OF THE VARIOUS Beasts, Birds, Fishes, Insects, Reptiles, Mollusca, and Animalcule of the Globe. BY KEY. W. BINGLEY, A. M. WITH LABGE ADDITIONS FKOBI CUVIER, BUFFON, WOOD, DALLAS, WILSON, AUDUBON, BONAPABTE, NUTTALL, AQASSIZ, JABDINE, BEEWEB, AND MANY OTHEBS. THE WHOLE FORMING A CLEAR AND FULL ACCOUNT OF NEARLY EVERY KNOWN SPECIES IN THE WORLD. Embellished and Illustrated with 1000 Spirited and Accurate Engravings, CINCINNATI AND NEW YORK : C. F. VENT. CHICAGO: J. S. GOODMAN & CO. PHILADELPHIA: A. H. HUBBARD. SAN FRANCISCO: A. L. BANCROFT & CO. 1870. BIOLOGY Qlso 870 CONTENTS. BIOLOGY 11BRARY ON THE STUD? OF NATURE 11 THE STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF ANIMALS IN GENERAL 16 MAMMIFEROUS ANIMALS .,. 31 CLIRES 266-315 PECORA 316-400 BELLU^E 401-434 CETACEOUS ANIMALS 435-450 BIRDS 451 PIES 495-553 PASSERINE BIRDS 554-656 GALLINACEOUS BIRDS , 657-709 WADERS..' 710-758 SWIMMERS 759-810 AMPHIBIOUS ANIMALS 811 REPTILES 811-844 SERPENTS 845-859 FISHES 860 APODAL FISH 860-867 JUGULAR FISH 88-870 THORACIC " 871-882 ABDOMINAL " 883-903 CHONDROPTERYGEOUS FISH 904-918 INSECTS *.. 919 COLEOPTEROUS INSECTS 91 9-938 HEMIPTEROUS " 939-949 LEPIDOPTEROUS " 950-958 NEUROPTEKOUS " 959-961 HYMENOPTEROUS " 962-976 DIPTEROUS " 977-981 APTEROUS " 982-1001 WORMS 1002 INTESTINAL WORMS 1002-1007 MOLLUSCOUS WORMS 1008-1015 SHELL FISH 1016 TESTACEOUS WORMS 1016-1018 BIVALVES 1019-1026 UNIVALVES 1027-1032 ZOOPHITES 1033-1037 ANIMALCULES 1038 (5) 028 CONTENTS. Adder 854 Adjutant 721 Agouti 268 Albatross. 791 Alligator 833 Alpaca 328 Amazon Ant 961 Amphisbcena 859 Amphitrites Worms 1009 Anaconda 852 Anchovy 898 Anemones 1009 Angler 915 Ant-Eater 85, 961 Antelopes 356 Scythian 360 Ants 975,982 Apes 31 Barbary 43 Pigmy 44 Aphides 947 Aphysia Worms 1009 Apteryx 707 Argali 37!) Argonauts 1027 Armadillo 88 Six banded 89 Peciciago , 90 Arnee 387 Ascarides 1002 Ass 410 Auks 782 Avocet 748 Axis 347 Baboons 46 Babyroussa 431 Badger 245 Barbel 916 Bate 73 Bear 226 Beaver 271 Bed-Bug 946 Bees 969 Beetles 91!), 934, 935 Bernacles 1016 Bird of Paradise 530 Bison 389 Bittern 723 Black-bird 564 Black-cap 562 Blauwbuck 368 Blennies 917 Blesbock 369 Blue-bird 610 Boa 847 Boat-bill 720 Bobac 290 Bob-o-link 566 Booby 799 Borers 926 Buffalo ,. 395 Bugs 946 Bullfinch 578 Bunting 580 Bustards 695 Butterfly 951 Buzzard 475 Cachalot 444 Cadew-fly 960 Camel 317 Canary-finch 586 Capromys 291 Capybara, or Chiguira 2G9 Caracal 208 Cariama 709 Carp 899 Carrion Crow 515 Cassowary 705 Cat-bird 609 Cats 173-205 Cavy 270 Cedar, or Cherry-bird 622 Centipedes 1000 Cerambyx, or Capricorn 932 Cerastes Snake 858 Cereopsis. 765 Chaetodou 875 Chaffinch 607 Chaja 714 Chameleon 838 Chamois 35G Chatterer 624 Cheese-mite 986 Chick-a-dee 621 Chickens 668-681 Chigoe 985 Chimpanzee 33 Chinchilla 314 Chub 900 Chuck-well's- widow 493 Civet 213 Coati-moudi 247 Cochineal 948 Coccinella 930 Cock, domestic 668 Cockatoos 507 Cock-chafer 920 Cockle 1020 Cock-roach 939 Codfish 868* Condor 452 Coot 755 Coral 103 L Corallines 1036 Corvorant 800 Cowrie 1028 Crab. 993 Crane 710-72^ Crane-fly 977 Craw-fish 1000 Creeper '. 548 Cricket 941 CONTENTS. Crocodile 829 Cross-bill 572 Crow-Blackbird 568 Crows 512, 524, 525, 526 Cuckoo 534 Curculio 931 Curlew 725 Cuttle-fish 1011 Dabchick 756 Dace 901 Darter 802 Dasyurus 255 Day-fly 959 Deer 330-348 Dermestes 926 Devil-fish 918 Divers 804 Dodo 708 Dogs 133-153 Dog-fish 911 Dolphin 446 Dormouse 302 Doree....- 872 Dotterel 738 Dragon-fly 059 Dragon, flying 838 Ducks 759-769 Dunlin 734 Eagle . 463-475 Earth-worm 1 005 Earwig 937 Echidna 256 Eel 860 Eft, or Newt 843 Eider Duck '. . . . 766 Eland 363 Elephant 100 Elk - 331 Emu 706 Ermine 222 Esculent Swallow 632 Falcon 460-483 Ferret 218 Fieldfare 563 Finch 582 Flamingo 745 Flatfish 873 Flea 984 Flounder 875 Fluke-worms 1003 Fly 978 Flying-fish 890 Fly-catcher 590 Fowls 668 Fox 167 Frogs 818 Fury-worms 1004 Gad-fly. 977 Gadwall or Grey Gall-insect Gallinule Gannet 7 Garganey Gazelle , Dorcas Genet Gentil Falcon Giraffe Glow-worm Glutton Gnat Gnoo Goat , Syrian Goat-sucker Godwit Goldfinch Goldfish Goosander Goose Goshawk Grampus Grayling Grebe, or Gaunt Greenfinch Grouse Grosbeaks 572, Guana Guanaco Gudgeon Guinea Fowl Pig Guillemot Gulls Gurnard Gymnotus Gyr-Falcon 772 962 745 797 771 366 369 222 477 348 932 239 980 361 370 374 492 727 585 902 768 761 478 450 887 755 573 683 574 835 327 900 681 270 790 805 882 862 481 Haddock Hair-worm Hake-fish Hare , Alpine . . , Calling . , Ogotona. Hartebeest. . . . 869 1004 . 870 . 306 311 . 313 . 313 . 367 Hawk 480,481 H awkrnoth 953 Hedge Accentor, or Sparrow.. 608 Hedgehog 263 Hen Harrier 478 Heron 710,714 Herring.... 892 Hippopotamus 419 Hog 425 , Ethiopian. 429 Holibut..., , 873 Hoopoe. .*. . . 635 Hornbill 510 Hornet 965 CONTENTS. Horse 401 Humming Bird 550 Hyena 159 Hyran 424 Ibex 371 Ibis 747 Ichneumon 209 Fly 963 Jacana 750 Jackal ] 65 Jackdaw 520 Jager, Richardson's 807 Jaguar 198 Jay 521 Jerboa 303 Kangaroo 250 King-bird 589 Kingfisher 545 Kinglet, Fiery Crowned 609 Kinkajou 247 Kite 477 Klein-buck 369 Koodoo 362 Lady-bug 930 Lagotis 315 Lamprey 914 Lantern-fly 944 Lark 555, 594 Lasher 917 Leeches 1006 Lemming-rat 283 Lemurs 68 Leopard 192 Ling 870 Linnet 582 Lion 173 Lizard 828,836 Llama 325 Loach 916 Lobster 997 Locust 940, 945 Locust-eating Thrush 571 Long-worm 1005 Loon 804 Louse 983 Lucanus 924 Lumpsucker 918 Lynx... 206 Lyre-bird 639 Lytta 936 Macaw 498, 505 Mackerel 878 Madrepores 1033 Magpve 523, Maois 87> Mantis 939 Marmot 288,292 Martin 214, 628-633 May-fly 953 Megapode 663 Merganser, hooded 809 Missel, or Misseltoe Thrush. . . 561 Mocking-Bird 569 Moles 257 Monkeys 51-65 Monk-fish 910 Moose-deer 331 Moose, or Monati 117 Moths 954 Mouse 280 Mule 415 Mullet 888 Muscle 1023 Musk 328 Musk Ox 398 Muskrat 277 Musquito 9^1 Mya tribe 1019 Napu Chevrotaiu 330 Narwal i 435 Nautilus , . .1027 Nereis 1009 Nightingale 599 Nut-hatch 544 Nyl ghau 358 Ocelot Opossum Oran Otan , Oriole Ornithorhyncus.. . Oryx , Ostrich Otter , Ounce Ouzel, water Owls Ox Ox-bird, or Dunlin Oyster , ,484 208 248 33 527 91 363 700 222 192 556 -492 382 734 1025 Paca 269 Pallah 367 Panther 191 Papuan Podargus 494 Paradise Grakle 639 Parrots 498-506 Partridge 690 Peacock 661 Peccary 431 Pelicans 792,802 Penguins 787 Perch 877 Peregrine Falcon 482 Peristera 650 Petrel f 88 Phalanger 257 Phalarope 757 CONTENTS. 9 Phasianella 652 Pheasant 664 Pholas 1017 Pigeons Pike 645 887 Pill-chafer. 923 Pilchard 895 Pintado Tribe 681 Pipe-fish 915 Pipit, meadow 597 Plaise 875 Plant-lice 947 Plovers 738,740 Polecat 217 Polype 1036 Porcupine 266 918 Porpoise Prawn 448 998 844 Ptarmigan 689 926 Puma 196 Purre 727 Python, tiger 853 717 Quagga 418 Quail 693 Rabbrt 309 Eaccoon 243 Kail 742 Rapacious birds 451 Rat 276 Ratel 211 Rattlesnake 845 Raven 513 Ray : 912 Razor-shell 1019 Red-billed Pique-breuf 639 Red-breast 604 Redstart. '. .558, 562 American 591 Reed bird 567 Reindeer 335 Reit-Buck 368 Remora 871 Rhinoceros 92 Rice-bird 566 Ring-dove 643 Roach 901 Robin 605 Rock-dove 654 Roe 344 Rook 517 Rose-chafer 922 Ruff, or reeve 782 Sable 216 Salamander 841 . Salmon 883 Saw-fly 962 Sandpiper 732 , Wilson's '. . . 735 Sand-wasp 964 Sarraybe 367 Scallop 1021 Scaraboaus 919 Scorpion 992 Sea-horse 915 Seals 123 Sea-urchin 1015 Sealing 1026 Shad 898 Shark 905 Sheep 375 Shetland pony 410 Ship-worm 1017 Shootwing, mountain 563 Shrew-mouse 262 water^ 262 Shrike, great or cinereous 495 , tyraift 497 Shrimp, .' 998 Silkworm 955 Silurus, 917 Siskin 608 Skate 913 Skimmer 809 Skippers 934 Skunk 210 Sloth 82 Slugs 1008 Smelt 886 Snails 1029 Snakes 854 Snipe 725,729 Sooty Tapoa 256 Spanish-fly 936 Sparrow 583 Sparrow-hawk 4SO Spermaceti whale 444 Spheges 964 Spiders 987 Spider-fly 981 Sponge .1035 Spoonbill 750 Sprat 897 Springbok 365 Squirrels 293 Stag-beetle 924 Star-fish 1013 Starling 554 Stilt 739 Stoat 222 Stork 712 Sturgeon 904 Sucking-fish 671,917 Surmullets. 881 Swallows 624 Swan 759 Sword-fish 864 Sylphoe 928 10 CONTENTS. Tailor-bird 616 Talpicott 649 Tape-worm 1 003 Tapir 422 Taller 751 Teal 775 Tench 900 Teredo 1017 Termes 982 Tern 808 Thornback 913 Thread-worms 1004 Thrush 560 Thunny fish 880 Tick 986 Tiger 185 Titmice 617-621 Toad 826 Torpedo 912 Tortoises 811 Toucan 507 Trogon 635 Trout 885 Trumpeter 698 Turbot 873 Turkey 657, 662 Turnstone 733 Turtles 815 Umber 887 Urchins 263 Vibrio tribe, 1040 Vicuna 325 Vinago 656 Viper 854 Vireo, red-eyed 593 Volvox 1041 Vorticella 1038 Vultures, 451, 455 Wagtail 602 Walrus 117 Wapiti 345 Warbler, garden 559 Warblers, 599,601,611 Wasp 965,9(50 Waxwing, or chatterer 623 Weasel. 208,219 Weevil 931 Whale 437 Whame-fly 979 Wheat-ear 558, 603 Whidah 580 Whip-poor-will 493 Whiting 869 Widgeon 773 Wolf 155 Wolf-fish .862 Wolverine 241 Wombat 255 Woodcock 728 Wood-pecker 541 Wren, 606,612,616 Wryneck 543 Yak ' 398 Yapak 257 Yellow-hammer 580 Zebu 399 Zebra 416 ON THE STUDY OF NATURE. " ONCE upon a time, when the Seven Wise Men of Greece were met together at Athens, it was proposed that each of them should state to the others what he con- sidered to be tne greatest wonder in the Creation. One of them asserted that nothing was so wonderful as the heavenly bodies. He explained the opinions of some of the astronomers respecting the fixed stars, that they were so many suns, each having planets rolling round them, which were stocked with plants and animals like this earth. Fired with the idea, they instantly agreed to supplicate Jupiter that he would at least permit them to take a journey to the Moon, and remain there three days, in order that they might view the wonders of that place, and give an account of them to the world at their return. Jupiter consented : he directed them to assemble on a high mountain, where a cloud should be in readiness to convey them thither. They did so, and took with them some men of talents, to assist in describing and painting the objects they should discover. At length they arrived at the Moon, where they found a palace fitted up for their reception. On the day after their arrival, they were so much fatigued with their journey, that they remained in the house till noon ; and, continuing still faint, they partook of a delicious enter- tainment, which they relished so much that it quite overcame their curiosity. This day they only saw, through the windows, a delightful country, adorned with luxuriant verdure, and with flowers exquisitely beautiful, and heard the melodious singing of the birds. The second day they rose very early, to commence their observations ; hut some elegant females of the country, calling upon them, advised that they should first recruit their strength before they exposed themselves to the laborious task they were about to undertake. The sumptuous banquet, the rich wines, and the beauty of these females, prevailed over the resolution of the strangers. Music was intro- duced, the young ones began to dance, and all was turned to jollity ; so that the whole of this day seemed dedicated to gaiety and mirth, till some of the neighbors, envious of their happiness, rushed into the room with swords. With some difficulty these were secured ; and it was promised, as a recompense to the younger part of the company, that, on the following morning, they should be brought to justice. On the third day the trial was heard ; and, in consequence of the time occupied by the accusations, pleading, exceptions, and the judgment itself, the whole day was occu- pied, and the term which Jupiter had allowed to the Wise Men expired. When they returned to Greece, the whole country flocked around them to hear the wonders of the Moon described ; but all they could say, for it was all they knew, was this : that the ground was covered with verdure, intermixed with flowers ; and that tho birds sang delightfully among the trees : but what was the nature of the flowers they had seen, of the birds they had heard, or of the country they had visited, they were entirely ignorant. On which they were every where treated with contempt."* This fable was applied, by Linnaeus, to mankind in general. In youth we are too feeble to examine the great objects around us ; all that season, therefore, is lost amidst weakness, indolence, luxury, and amusement. We are little better in man- hood ; settling ourselves in life ; marrying ; bustling through the world ; over- whelmed, at length, with business, cares, and perplexities, we suffer those years also to glide away. Old age succeeds : still some employments intervene, till, at last, we * In the Lectures of Linnaeus on Natural History, he frequently made use of some apt simili- tude by way of exciting the attention of his audience. The preceding fable was one that h0 adopted in his Lecture on Insects. (11) 12 ON THE STUDY OF NATURE. have passed through the world, without scarcely a single recurrence to the admirable works of our Creator ; and, in too many instances, even without having duly con- sidered the end for which we were brought into it. This, with a few exceptions, is the progress of man through life. It is true that no one is able to avoid being led, by his own feelings, occasionally to notice the wonderful productions with which he is surrounded. All can remark the beautiful verdure of the fields and woods ; the elegance of the flowers; and the melodious singing of the birds ; yet few indeed give themselves the trouble of proceeding a single step, further, or exhibit any desire of examining into the nature of these astonishing combinations of Divine Power. It is one material use of the study of Nature, to illustrate this most important of all truths : " That there must be a God : that he must be Almighty, omniscient, and infinite in goodness ; and that, although he dwells in a light inaccessible to any mortal eye, yet our faculties see and distinguish him clearly in his works." In these we are compelled to observe a greatness far beyond our capacities to understand : we see an exact adaptation of parts composing one stupendous whole ; a uniform ^perfection and goodness, that are not only entitled to our admiration, but that command from us the tribute of reverence, gratitude, and love to the Parent of the Universe. Every step we take in our observations on Nature, affords us in- dubitable proofs of his superintendence. From these we learn the vanity of all our boasted wisdom, and are taught that useful lesson, humility. We are compelled to acknowledge our dependence on God, and that, deprived of his support, we must instantly dissolve into nothing. Every object in the Creation is. stamped with the characters of the infinite per- fection and overflowing benevolence of its Author. If we examine, with the most accurate discrimination, the construction of bodies, and remark even their most minute parts, we see clearly a necessary dependence that each has upon the other ; and, if we attend to the vast concurrence of causes that join in producing the several operations of Nature, we shall be induced to believe further, that the whole world is one connected train of causes and effects, in which all the parts, either nearly or remotely, have a necessary dependence on each other. We shall find nothing insu- lated, nothing dependent only on itself. Each part lends a certain support to the others, and takes in return its share of aid from them. Let us, for instance, refer to the eye, an organ which is common to nearly all animal bodies. Here we have ex- hibited to us nicety of formation, connections, and uses, that astonish us. We see it placed in a bony orbit, lined with fat, as an easy socket in which it rests, and in which all its motions readily take place. We know it to be furnished, among many others, with those wonderful contrivances, the iris, the pupil, and different humors ; and with that incomprehensible mechanism the optic nerve, which affords to the brain, in a manner greatly beyond our conceptions, the images of external objects. How admirable is the construction of the skeleton! every particular bone adapted peculiarly to the mode of life and habits of the animal possessing it. The muscular system is still more entitled to our wonder ; and if we enter into examination of the viscera, the skin, and other parts of the body, we can fix no bounds to our astonish- ment. But all the common operations of Nature, surprising as they are, become so familiar to us, that in a great measure they cease to attract our notice. Thus also all .the usual powers of animal life, which, were they but adverted to, could not fail to affect the mind with the most awful impressions, are suffered to operate unheeded, as if unseen. We all know, for example, that, whenever inclination prompts to it, we can, by a very slight exertion of our vital faculties, raise oar hand to our head. Nothing seems more simple or more easy, than this action ; yet, when we attempt to form an idea of the way in which that incorporeal existence which we call mind, can operate upon matter, and thus put it in motion, we are perfectly lost in the incomprehensible immensity that surrounds us. When we try to investigate the properties of matter, we perceive that, by patience and attention, we can make a progress in attainments to which, according to our limited ideas, bounds can scarcely be assigned. The motions of the planets can be ascertained, their distances mea- sured, and their periods assigned. The Mathematician is able to demonstrate, with the most decisive certainty, that no Fly can alight upon this globe which we inhabit without communicating motion to it ; and he can ascertain, if he choose to do it, what must be the exact amount of the motion thus produced. In this train of in- vestigation the mind of a Newton can display its superior powers, and soar to a ON THE STUDY OF NATURE. 13 height that exalts it far above the reach of others ; and yet, in trying to explain the cause of animal motion, the meanest reptile that crawls upon the ground, humili- ating as the thought may be, is on a footing of perfect equality with a Newton : they can alike exert the powers conferred on them by the Almighty Creator, without being able to form the smallest idea of the way in which they are enabled to produce these effects. Man, however, can contemplate these effects if he will ; and Man, perhaps alone of all the animal sthat exist on this globe, is permitted, by contem- plating the wonders which these unfold, to form, if he please, some idea of his own nothingness, with a view to moderate his pride, and thus to exalt himself above the unconscious agents that surround him. When the Anatomist considers how many muscles must be put in motion before any animal exertion can be effected ; when he views them one by one, and tries to ascertain the precise degree to which each individual muscle must be constricted or relaxed, before the particular motion which is indicated can be effected, he finds himself lost in the labyrinth of calculations in which this involves him. When he further reflects that it is not his own body only that is endowed with the faculty of calling forth these incomprehensible energies, but that the most insignificant insect is vested with similar powers, he is still more confounded. A skillful naturalist has been able to ascertain that, in the body of the minutest Caterpillar, there are up- wards of two thousand muscles, all of which can be brought into action with as much facility, at the will of that insect, and perform their several offices with as much accuracy, promptitude, and precision, as the most perfect animal ; and that all this is done by the caterpillar, with equal consciousness of the manner how, as the similar voluntary actions of Man himself are effected ! It would be no easy matter to make some men believe that the most minute insect, whose whole life may be calcu- lated for the duration of only a few hours, is, in all its parts, as complete as the Elephant that treads the forests of India for a century. Little do some persons imagine that even in its appearance, under the greatest magnifying powers, it is as elegant in every respect, and as beautifully finished, as any of the larger animals ! Unlike the productions of men, all the minute parts of the works of God appear in greater perfection, and excite in us greater admiration, the more minutely and more accurately they are examined. M. de Lisle saw, with a microscope, a very small insect, that in one second of time advanced three inches, taking jive hundred and forty steps ; and many of the discoveries of Leuwenhoek were even still more won- derful than this. If, from the contemplation of microscopic objects, we turn our attention to the system of the Universe, and view the Heavens, what an astonishing field of admiration is here afforded us ! The immense globe that we inhabit is but a speck in the Solar system ; and that system, stupendous as it is, is lost in the immensity of the space around. Our Sun becomes a star to Planets revolving round other Suns, as their Suns become Stars to us. Of these no fewer than seventy-Jive millions may be dis- covered in the expanse exposed to our investigation. But what are even all these, when compared with the multitudes distributed through the boundless space of air ! The Universe must contain such numbers as exceed the utmost stretch of human imagination. To obtain some faint conception of the wonderful extent of space, we may remark that stars of the first magnitude, or such as seem to us the largest, are nearly 19,000,000,000,000 miles from our Sun; and that some of the smallest stars are at many times that distance ! " Great is our God, and great is his power ! God, who is like unto thee !" But to return to the Animal Creation ; we find there innumerable additional proofs of our hypothesis. We see that all the smaller creatures, which serve us for food, are particularly fruitful, and that they increase in a much greater proportion than others. Of the birds it is extremely remarkable, that, lest they should fall short of a certain number of eggs, they are endowed with the power of laying others in the place of those- that are taken away ; but that, when their number is complete, they invariably stop. Here is an operation, like many others which we shall have to observe, much beyond the reach of our faculties to comprehend. How the mere privation of part should cause a fresh production, is not indeed easy to understand. The organization of an offspring should, in this case, almost seem a voluntary act of the female ; but, in what manner it is done, we are not only ignorant at present, but shall most probably ever remain so. Noxious animals in general multiply slowly; and whenever we find an unusual increase of such, we generally discover that soino- 14- ON THE STUDY OF NATURE. thing has been given by Providence for the purpose of destroying and counterbalancing them. Many species devour each other; and multitudes which might otherwise, by their numbers, become of serious injury to mankind, afford food to other creatures. The insect tribes increase with astonishing rapidity. The issue of some of them amount to more than two thousand in a year ; and, were these not destroyed by innumerable enemies, they would soon fill the air, and in the end would occasion the destruction of the whole animal and vegetable creation. The offspring of every animal, with regard to number, bears a certain proportion to the duration of its life. The Elephant lives to the age of a hundred years or upwards ; the female consequently produces but a single young one at a birth, and this does not arrive at maturity till it is sixteen or eighteen years old. Nearly the same may be remarked of the Rhinoceros, and of all the larger animals : but in most of the smaller ones, whose lives are shoft, or whose increase is not so injurious to man as the increase of these would be, we always find the number of offspring to be much greater. No species has ever been found to increase so much as to annihilate the others ; and this singular harmony and just proportion has now been supported for several thousand years. " One generation passeth away, and another succeedeth," but all so equally as to balance the stock in all ages and in all countries. In the Vegetable Creation we observe the same regularity as in Animals. There is scarcely a vegetable of any kind that is not rejected as food by some animals, and ardently desired by others. Numerous also are the plants which, at the same time that they afford only the natural nourishment to some, are, by others, cautiously shunned, as poisonous and destructive. All this has been contrived, by the Author of Nature, for the best and wisest purposes. Every species of animal is admirably calculated for the climate in which it resides, arid for its own peculiar mode of life. In the dreary northern regions, the dark animals become white, to evade, by their resemblance to the prevailing color of the country, the quick sight of their enemies. Their clothing, also, during winter, becomes nearly double what it is in the summer. In torrid climates the Sheep, as it is stated, loses his fleece, and is covered with hair. The Camel, that traverses the burning sands of the desert, is formed with soft, spongy feet, which the heat cannot crack : it has a reservoir of water, which enables it to resist for many days the at- tacks of thirst, in a country where water is not to be had ; and it is contented with browsing on such miserable food as is to be met with in its progress. Innumerable other instances might be mentioned ; but these are reserved for the body of the work. In vegetables, we observe similar marks of superintendence. Some are alpine, and can exist only on the summits of mountains; some- grow in marshes ; others on the plains, &c ; and each of these is exactly adapted to its peculiar situation. The plants of the desert are nearly all succulent, and able to bear the privation of mois- ture for an astonishing length of time. Those that are found on the sea-shore could not, in many instances, be retained in their situation, did not their roots become so matted among the sand, or strike so deeply down, as to render them immovable by all the shocks they sustain, either from the wind or water. It is also a remarkable circumstance, that Evergreens grow principally in the hottest climates, where they afford a natural shelter to the various animals, from the excessive heats to which they would otherwise be exposed. If we attend to the contrivances of Providence for the preservation of animals during the winter of cold climates, we shall have an additional source of admiration. Most of those which feed on insects, either emigrate to other countries, or become torpid. Insects themselves, unable to bear the extreme cold, generally lie hidden within their cases, from which, at the approach' of Spring, they burst and fly forth. Some animals, as the Beaver, Squirrels, &c., that feed on such vegetables as can be preserved through the winter, do not sleep, but live in their retreats on those pro- visions which their Creator has instructed them how to store up in the summer. The preservation of the ffspring of all animals is not less wonderful than this. Quadrupeds are furnished with certain receptacles, in which is secreted a fluid called milk. With this their young ones are nourished till their stomachs are able to bear, and their teeth to chew, more solid food. As Birds are destitute of this species of nu- triment, their offspring are able, as soon as hatched, to take into their stomachs such food as the parents collect for them ; and the insect tribes are generally brought to life in a nidus that itself affords them nourishment. ON THE STUDY OF NATURE. 15 It is also deserving of remark, that birds of the same species always form their nests of similar materials, laid in the same order, and exactly of the same figure ; so that, whenever a nest is seen, the bird that constructed it is immediately known. This is invariable in all birds and in all countries ; with those taken, when just hatched, from the nest, and brought up in a cage, as well as with those that have all their lives been in a wild state. From the animal we will once again turn to the vegetable kingdom, for the pur- pose of examining the contrivances of Nature there. If we look around us, we shall find it a difficult matter to discover an entirely barren spot. If, by any devas- tation such be made, it does not long remain unoccupied. Seeds are soon scattered over it : the downy seeds of the thistles, wafted by the winds, are the first to take root, and after these comes the germs of various other plants, till at length the whole space is filled. If a rock be left entirely bare by the receding of water, the minute crustaceous Lichens in a few years entirely cover it. These, dying, turn to earth, and the imbricated Lichens now have a bed to strike their roots into. These also die, and various species of Mosses succeed; and when, after some time, a suffi- ciency of mould has been formed, the larger plants, and even shrubs, take root and live. The quickness of vegetation both in hot and cold climates is so astonishing, as to be perfectly unaccountable, were we not able to refer it to a most exalted wisdom. The following is the Calendar of a Siberian or Lapland Year. June 23. Snow melts. July 17. Plants at full growth. Aug. 10. Plants shed their seed. July 1. Snow gone. 25. Plants in flower. 18. Snow. 9. Fields quite green. Aug. 2. Fruits ripe. From Aug. 18, to June 23, Snow and Ice. Thus it appears that only a month elapses from the time when the plants first emerge from the ground to the ripening of their seeds ; and that Spring, Summer, and Autumn are crowded into the short space of forty-six days. Again, in the torrid climates, where a scorching heat prevails through the greatest part of the year, we have a similar wonderful contrivance. In India, when the wet season commences, the rain falls in such abundance, that, in the course of a few hours, ponds of considerable depth are formed in every hollow place, in many of which there had not for several preceding months, been the least appearance of vegetation or even of moisture. No sooner, however, does the rain begin to fall, than vegetation commences ; and, in less than twenty-four hours, the appearance of ver- dure can be distinctly perceived, whichever way the eye is directed. But the most sur- prising circumstance is, that very shortly after this verdure begins to appear, these newly-formed ponds are found swarming with fish of such size as to admit of being taken with nets, and to afford food for man. This circumstance is related by Dr. Anderson, on the authority of a very respectable person of Bombay, and was not stated until the fullest inquiries had been made, and the most satisfactory evidence had appeared respecting it. Thus does the uniform voice of Nature exclaim aloud, that " the merciful and gracious Lord hath so done his marvellous works, that they ought to be had in remembrance." The whole material system, throughout heaven and earth, presents a varied scene rich in use and beauty, in which nothing is lost, and in which the meanest and minutest creatures have their full designation and importance. '' Thus saith the Lord, thy Redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the Lord, who maketh all things, who stretcheth forth the heavens alone, and spreadeth abroad the earth by myself." From the preceding observations, it appears that Natural History is capable of yielding to us innumerable subjects for both moral and religious study. Its chief tendency ought to be, to lead us, from the admiration of the works to the contem- plation of their Author ; to teach us to look, through Nature up to Nature's God. It is a study which terminates in the conviction, the knowledge, and the adoration of that gracious and merciful Being, to whose goodness alone we are indebted for every happiness that we enjoy. These are thy glorious works, Parent of Good, Almighty ! Thine this universal frame ; Thus wondrous fair, thyself how wondrous then ! Unspeakable, who sitt'st above these heav'ns, To us invisible, or dimly seen In these thy lowest works ; yet these declare Thy goodness beyond thought, and power divine ! ON THE STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS OF ANIMALS IN GENERAL MAMMIFEEOUS ANIMALS. (QUADRUPEDS AND WHALES.) THE class of animals denominated by Linnaeus, MAMMALIA, comprehends all those which nourish their offspring with milk supplied from their own bodies, and which have, flowing in their veins, a warm and red blood. It includes the whales, which from their external shape and habits of life, might be considered as fish. These in- habit exclusively the water, an element in which none of the quadrupeds can long subsist; and they are furnished, like the fish, with fins; but, in every essential characteristic, they exhibit an alliance to the quadrupeds. Like the quadrupeds they have warm blood, produce their offspring alive, and nourish them with milk furnished from teats. In their internal structure they are, likewise, in a great mea- sure, allied to the quadrupeds. The bodies of nearly all the mammiferous animals are covered with hair, a soft and warm clothing, liable to little injury, and bestowed in quantity proportioned to the necessities of the animals, and the climates which they inhabit. In most of the aquatic quadruped's this covering, from its too free absorption of moisture, is wanting. The head, in all the higher orders, is the seat of the principal organs of sense the mouth, the nose, the eyes, and the ears. It is through the mouth, that they receive their nourishment. This contains the teeth, which, in most of the Mammalia, are used not only for the mastication of food, but as weapons of offence. They are in- serted into two moveable bones called jaws. The front teeth, the office of which is to cut, are wedge-shaped, and so placed that, in action, their sharp edges are brought into contact, and thus divide the aliment. Next to the front teeth, on each side, are the canine teeth, or tusks. These are longer than the other teeth, conical and pointed ; and their use is to tear the foo. dThe teeth at the back of the jaw, between which the food is masticated, are called grinders. In animals which live on vegeta- bles, these are flattened at the top ; but in carnivorous animals, their upper surfaces are furnished with sharp and conically-pointed protuberances. From the numbers, form, and disposition of the teeth, the various genera of quadrupeds have been arranged. The nose is a cartilaginous body, pierced with two holes called nostrils. In some animals this is prominent, in others flat, compressed, turned upward, or bent down- ward. In beasts of prey it is often either longer than the lips, or of equal length with them. In a few animals it is elongated into a movable trunk or proboscis ; and in one tribe, the Rhinoceros, is armed with a horn. The eyes of quadrupeds are, for the most part, defended by movable eyelids, the outer margins of which are furnished with hairs, called eye-lashes. The opening of the pupil is in general circular ; but in some animals, as Cats and Hares, it is con- tracted into a perpendicular line ; and in Oxen, Horses, and a few others, it forms a tranverse bar. The opening contracts during the day, in order that the very sensi- ble retina may not be irritated by the rays of light ; and, on the contrary, is expanded in the dark, to allow as many rays to pass as possible. (16) FUNCTIONS OF ANIMALS 17 The ears are openings generally accompanied by a cartilage which defends and covers them, called the external ears. In aquatic animals the latter are wanting, as. in them, the sounds are transmitted merely through orifices in the head, which have the name of auditory holes. The most defenceless animals are very delicate in their sense of hearing, as are likewise most of the beasts of prey. In wild animals the ears are erect and somewhat funnel-shaped, capable of having their openings turned towards the quarter from which the sounds proceed; but in those that are tame and domestic, the ears are, for the most part, long and pendulous. The head is joined to the body by the neck ; and all those animals that often ex- tend their arms or anterior feet forward, either to seize upon objects, as the Monkeys, or to fly, as the Bats, have, annexed to the upper part of the thorax, clavicles or collar-bones. The clavicle of the Mole is particularly remarkable, on account of its thickness, which exceeds its length. The collar-bones are wanting in such animals as use their anterior extremities for progressive motion only. Most of the Mammiferous Animals walk on four feet. These are usually divided at the extremities into toes or fingers ; but the extremities of some, as those of the Horse, end in a single corneous substance, called a hoof. The toes of a few of the quadrupeds terminate in broad flat nails, and of most of the others in pointed claws. Sometimes the toes are connected together by a membrane : this is the case in animals that reside much in the water. Sometimes, as in the Bat, the digitations of the anterior feet are greatly elongated, and have their intervening space filled by a membrane which extends round the hinder legs, and the tail, and by means of which they are enabled to rise into the air. Man, and a certain number of animals, are capable of seizing objects, by surround- ing and grasping them with their fingers. For this purpose the fingers are separate, free, flexible, and of considerable length. Man has such fingers on his hands only ; but Apes and Lemurs have them both on their hands and feet. With regard to the internal structure of Quadrupeds : that warm and red fluid which is calledblood, flows through the body, from the heart, its common reservoir, by a series of vessels called arteries, and returns by another series, denominated veins. During the circulation, various fluids are separated from the blood, and are carried through little vessels to be lodged in proper reservoirs. These fluids, whick are termed secretions, are adapted to various purposes in the system. The lungs of Mammiferous Animals consist of two lobes, and are placed within the thorax or chest. Into these the atmospheric air is inspired from the mouth ; and in them the vital air and the matter of heat are separated ; the former, contain- ing the only principle proper for. the maintenance of life, and the latter being neces- sary towards keeping up the fluidity of the blood. The mephitic air, which remains after the separation, is expired. This act of drawing in the atmospheric air, separa- ting the vital air and matter of heat, and ejecting the mephitic air, is termed respiration. I In digestion it is that the juices calculated to nourish and support the body become separated from the other less useful parts of the food. Reduced to a pulp, by means of the teeth and saliva, these pass through a canal which terminates in a large bag or reservoir, called the stomach. Here the aliment, penetrated and further dis- solved by new juices, undergoes a trituration, or kind of grinding, from the action of the stomach ; and the nutritive juices, which, on their union, are denominated chyle, are separated. These juices are taken up by little vessels called lacteals, and be- come converted into new blood and flesh. The alimentary canal again contracts on leaving the stomach, and, arranged in a great variety of folds, acquires the name of intestines. The residue of what is not converted into chyle traverses these numerous sinuosities, and at last is expelled the body. The bodies of all Mammiferous Animals are supported by a frame of bones called a skeleton. To these bones are attached the muscles or flesh, assemblages of fibres held together by membranes, and terminating in a kind of cords, which are denomi- nated tendons. The muscles, when excited, produce motion in the different parts of the body ; and it is their action which gives to all animals the power of changing their place, and performing the various movements that are necessary to their wants. The sensation of animals arises from an irritation taking place on the ends of certain chords called nerves. These are either prolonged from the spinal marrow, or they are united in pairs in the brain. 18 ON THE STRUCTURE AND OF CETACEOUS ANIMALS, AS DISTINCT FROM QUADRUPEDS. The Cetaceous animals constitute the seventh Order of Mammalia. They inhabit chiefly the seas of the Polar regions ; yet, like the quadrupeds, they breathe air by means of true lungs. They are consequently compelled to rise to the surface of the water to -respire; and on this account it is that they always sleep on the surface. Their nostrils are open, and terminate on the summit of the head ; this peculiarity of structure enables them to draw in air without raising their mouth out of the water. The nostrils also serve them as canals for expelling the superfluous water which they take in at the mouth every time they attempt to swallow their prey. They have also warm, red blood ; and they produce and suckle their offspring in the same man- ner as the quadrupeds. They likewise resemble them in having movable eye-lids and true bones ; and in their power of uttering loud and bellowing sounds, a faculty altogether denied to the scaly tribes. The Cetaceous animals have a smooth skin, not covered with hair. Their feet are very short ; those on the fore-part of the body being formed like fins, and the hinder ones being united into an horizontal tail. The fat of these animals is what we term blubber. It does not coagulate in our atmosphere, and is probably the most fluid of all animal fats. It is found principally on the outside of the muscles, immediately under the skin, and is in considerable quantity. The blubber appears principally to be of use in poising their bodies : it also prevents the immediate contact of the water with the flesh, the continued cold of which might chill the blood ; and, in this respect, it serves a purpose similar to that of clothing to the human race. It is probable that the Cete swallow all their food whole, for they are not furnished with instruments capable either of dividing or masticating it. In place of teeth, the mouths of some of the whales are supplied with laminae of horn called whalebone. This substance is attached to the interior part of the upper jaw, is extremely elastic, and consists of thin plates of considerable length and breadth, placed in several rows, encompassing the outer skirts of the upper jaw, like teeth in other animals. The laminae are parallel to each other, having one edge towards the cir- cumference of the mouth, and the other towards the interior. The outer row is composed of the longest plates, some being fourteen or fifteen feet in length, and twelve or fifteen inches broad : but towards the anterior and posterior parts of the mouth they gradually become very short. The whalebone is supposed to be prin- cipally of use in the retention of food till swallowed : for, as the fish, and other marine animals, which the whales catch, are very minute when compared with the size of their mouth, a quantity sufficient for their nutriment, without some such guard as this, could scarcely be retained. From these animals being resident entirely in the water, and generally far removed from the haunts of man, we cannot be supposed to have acquired any very correct knowledge of their manners or habits of life : even their species are but imperfectly known. The Mammiferous Animals have been divided by Linnaeus into seven orders. 1. Primates, which have four front teeth in each jaw; and one canine tooth on each side in both jaws. The principal animals of this order are the Apes, Lemurs, and Bats. 2. Bruta. These are entirely destitute of front teeth. The tribe consists of the Sloths, Ant-eaters. Rhinoceros, Elephant, and Manati. 3. Ferce. The Ferae have generally six front teeth in each jaw ; and one canine- tooth on each side, in both jaws. They consist of Seals, Dogs, Cats, Weasels, Otters, Bears, Kangaroos, Moles, Shrews, and Urchins. 4. Glires. The animals denominated Glires have two long front-teeth in each jaw ; and no canine-teeth. They consist of the Porcupines, Cavies, Beavers, Rats, Marmots, Squirrels, Dormice, Jerboas, Hares, and Hyraxes. 5. Pecora. The Pecora are destitute of front-teeth in the upper-jaw, and on their feet have cloven hoofs. All the species ruminate or chew their cud. The tribes are the Camel, Musk, Deer, Giraffe, Antelope, Goat, Sheep, and Ox. 6. Belluce. These have obtuse front-teeth in each jaw, and undivided hoofs on their feet ; and consist of the Horses, Hippopotamus Tapir, and Hogs. 7. Cete or W/iales. Instead of feet, the Cete, which comprise the Narwal, Whale, Cachalot, and Dolphin tribes, have fins. On the front and upper part of the skull there are spiracles or breathing holes. The teeth differ in the different species ; ^ud the tail is .flattened horizontally. They are inhabitants only of the sea FUNCTIONS OF BIRDS. BIRDS. There is no division of the animal world in which we are more led to admire the wisdom of the Supreme Being, than in the different feathered tribes. Their struc- ture and habits of life are wonderfully fitted for the various functions they have to- perform. Their bodies are clad with feathers, which form an envelope much lighter than hair. These lie over each other close to the body, like the tiles of a house ; and are arranged from the fore-part backward, by which means the animals are enabled the more conveniently to cut their way through the air. For this purpose also the head is small and the bill somewhat wedge-shaped ; the neck is long, and easily movable in all directions ; and the body slender, sharp on the under side, and flat or round on the back. The bones likewise are hollow, and very light compara-, tively with those of terrestrial animals. For the purpose of giving warmth to the body, a short and soft down fills up all the vacant spaces between the shafts of the feathers. Birds are enabled to rise into and movo from place to place in the air, by means of the members that are denominated wings. The muscles by which the wings are move are exceedingly large ; and have been estimated, in some instances, to consti- tute not less than a sixth part of the weight of the whole body. "When a bird is on the ground, and intends to fly, he takes a leap, stretches his wings from the body, and strikes them downward with great force. By this stroke the body is thrown into an oblique position. That part o fthe force which tended upward is destroyed by the weight of the bird ; and the horizontal force serves to carry him forward. The stroke being completed, he moves up his wings. These being contracted, and having their edges turned upward, meet with little resistance from the air. When they are sufficiently elevated, the bird makes a second stroke downward, and the impulse of the air again moves him forward. These successive strokes act as so many leaps taken in air. When the bird wants to turn to the right or left, he strikes strongly with the opposite wing, and this impels him to the proper side. The tail acts like the rudder of a ship ; except that it moves him upward or downward, instead of sideways. If the bird wants to rise, he raises his tail ; and if to fall, he depresses it ; whilst he is in an horizontal position, it keeps him steady. A bird, by spreading his wings,, can continue to move horizontally in the air for some time, without striking them ; because he has acquired a sufficient velocity, and his wings, being parallel to the horizon, meet with but little resistance. When he begins to fall, he can easily steer himself upward by his tail, till the motion he had acquired is nearly spent ; he must then renew it by two or three more strokes of his wings. On alighting, he expands his wings and tail full against the air, that they may meet with all the resistance possible. The centre of gravity in birds is somewhat behind the wings ; and, to counterbal- ance this, most of them maybe observed to thrust out their head and neck in flying. This is very apparent in the flight of Ducks, Geese, and several other species of water-fowl, whose centre of gravity is further backward than in the land birds. In the Heron, on the contrary, -whose long head and neck, although folded up in flight, overbalance the rest of the body^the long legs are extended, in order to give the proper counterpoise, and to supply what is wanting from the shortness of the tail. The feathers of birds would perpetually imbibe the moisture of the atmosphere ; and, during rain, would absorb so much wet, as to impede their flight, had not the wisdom of Providence obviated this inconvenience by a most effectual expedient. They are each furnished on the rump with two glands, in which a quantity of unctu- ous matter is constantly secreting. This is occasionally pressed out by the bill, and used for the lubrication of the feathers. The birds that share, as it were, the habi- tations of man, and live principally under cover, do not require so great a supply, and therefore are not provided with so large a stock of this fluid, as those that rove abroad, and reside in the open element. It is on this account that poultry, when, wet, make the ruffled and uncomfortable appearance that we observe. 9 20 -ON THE STRUCTURE AND As birds are continually passing among the hedges and thickets, their eyes are de- fended from injury by a membrane, which can at pleasure be drawn over the whole eye like a curtain. This is neither opaque nor wholly pellucid, but is somewhat transparent. In birds we find that the sight is much more piercing, extensive, and exact, than in the other orders of animals. The eye is large in proportion to the bulk of the head. This is a superiority conferred upon them not without a corres- ponding utility ; it seems even indispensable to their safety and subsistence. Were this organ dull, or were it, in the least degree, opaque, the rapidity of their motion would expose them to the danger of striking against various objects in their flight. In this case their celerity, instead of being an advantage, would become an evil, and their flight would be restrained by the danger resulting from it. Indeed, we may consider the velocity with which an animal moves, as a sure indication of t}ie perfec- tion of its vision. Birds respire by means of air-vessels, that are extended through their whole body, and adhere to the under surface of the bones. These, by their motion, force the air through the true lungs, which are very small, seated in the uppermost part of the chest, and closely braced down to the back and ribs. The use of this general diffu- sion of air through the bodies of birds, is to prevent their respiration from being stopped or interrupted by the rapidity of their motion through a resisting medium. The resistance of the air increases in proportion to the celerity of the motion ; and were it possible for a man to move with swiftness equal to that of a Swallow, the resistance of the air. as he is not furnished with reservoirs similar to those of birds, would soon suffocate him. Some species of birds are confined to particular countries ; others are widely dis- persed ; and several change their abode at certain seasons of the year, and migrate to climates better suited to their temperament or mode of life than those which they leave. Many of our own birds, -directed by a peculiar and unerring instinct, retire, before the commencement of the cold season, to the southern districts, and again return in the spring. The causes usually assigned for migration are, either a defect of food, or the want of a secure and proper asylum for incubation, and the nutrition of their offspring. It appears from very accurate observations, founded on numerous experiments, that the peculiar notes, or song, of the different species of Birds, are acquired, and are no more innate than language is in man. The attempt of a nestling bird to sing, may be compared with the imperfect endeavor of a child to talk. The first essay seems not to possess the slightest rudiments of the future song ; but, as the bird grows older, and stronger, it is not difficult to perceive what he is -attempting. Whilst the scholar is thus endeavoring to form his song, when he is once sure of a passage, he commonly raises his tone ; but when unable to execute the passage, he drops it. What the nestling is thus not thoroughly master of, he hurries over; lowering his tone, as if he did not wish to be heard, and as if he could not yet satisfy himself. A common Sparrow, taken from the nest when very young, and placed near a Linnet and Goldfinch, adopted a song that was a mixture of the notes of these two. Three nestling Linnets were educated, one under a Sky-lark, another under a Wood-lark, and the third under a Tit-lark ; and, instead of the song peculiar to their own species, they adhered entirely to that of their respective instructors. A Linnet taken from the nest when about three days old, and brought up in the house of Mr. Matthews, an apothecar} 7 , at Kensington, having no other sounds to imitate, almost articulated the words " pretty boy ;" and a few other short sentences. The owner of this bird said, that it had neither the note nor the call of any bird whatever. It died in the year 1772. These, and other well-authenticated facts, tend to prove that Birds have no innate notes, but that, like mankind, the language they first learn after they come into the world, is generally that which they adopt in after life. It may, however, seem unac- countable, why, in a wild state, they adhere so steadily as they do to the song ot their own species only, when the notes of so many others are to be heard around them. This evidently arises from the attention that is paid by the nestling bird to the instructions of its own parent only, and it is generally disregarding the notes of all the rest. Persons, however, who have an accurate ear, and have studied the notes of birds, can very often distinguish some that have a song mixed with the jiotes of other species. The food of birds is of course very different in the different kinds. Some are FUNCTIONS OF BIRDS. 21 altogether carnivorous ; others, as many of the web-footed tribes, live on fish ; some on insects and worms, and many on fruits or grain. The extraordinary powers of the gizzard in the graminivorous tribes, in comminuting their hard food, so as to pre- pare it for digestion, are such as almost to exceed credibility. In order to ascertain the strength of these stomachs, the Abbe Spallanzani made many cruel, though at the same time curious and not uninteresting experiments. Tin tubes full of grain were forced into the stomachs of Turkeys ; and, after remaining twenty hours, were found to be broken, compressed, and distorted in a most irregular manner. The stomach of a Cock, in the space of twenty-four hours, broke off the angles of a piece of rough, jagged glass ; and, on examining the gizzard, no wound or laceration appeared. Twelve strong tin needles were firmly fixed into a ball of lead, with their points projecting about a quarter of an inch from the surface ; thus armed, it was covered with a case of paper, and forced down the throat of a Turkey. The bird retained it a day and a half without exhibiting the least symptom of uneasiness. When the Turkey was killed, the points of nearly all the needles were found to be broken off close to the surface of the ball. Twelve small lancets, very sharp both at the points and edges, were fixed in a similar ball of lead. These were given in the same manner, to a Turkey-cock, and left eight hours in the stomach ; at the expiration of which time that organ was opened, bat nothing appeared except the naked ball ; the twelve lancets having been all broken to pieces. From these facts it was concluded, that the stones so often found in the stomachs of many of the feathered tribes, are highly useful in assisting the gastric juices to grind down the grain and other hard substances which constitute their food. The stones themselves, also, being ground down and separated by the powerful action of the gizzard, are mixed with the food, and no doubt contribute to the health as well as to the nutri- ment of the animals. All birds are oviparous, or produce eggs, .from which, after the process of incuba- tion, the young are extruded. These eggs differ in the different species, in number, figure, and color. They contain the rudiments of the future offspring ; for the maturation and bringing to perfection of which, in the incubation, there is a bubble of air at the large end, betwixt the shell and the inside skin. It is supposed that, from the warmth communicated by the sitting bird to this confined air, its spring is in- creased beyond its natural tenor, acd, at the same time, its parts are put into motion by the gentle rarefaction. Hence pressure and motion are communicated to the parts of the egg ; and these, in some unknown manner, gradually promote the for- mation and growth of the young one, till the appointed time of its exclusion. The use of that part of the egg called the treddle, is not only to retain the different liquids in their proper places, but also to keep the same part of the yolk uppermost ; which it will effectually do, though the egg be turned nearly every way. The mechanism seems to be this : the treddle is specifically lighter than the white in which it swims ; and being connected with the membranes of the yolk, at a point somewhat out of the direction of its axis, this causes one side to become heavier than the other. Thus the yolk, being made buoyant in the midst of the white, is, by its own heavy side, kept with the same part always uppermost. The nests of birds are, in general, constructed with astonishing art ; and with a degree of architectural skill and propriety, that would foil all the boasted talents of man to imitate. Mark it well, within, without : No tool had he that wrought ; no knife to cut, No nail to fix, no bodkin to insert, No glue to join ; his little beak was all. And yet, how neatly finish'd ! What nice hand, With every implement and means of art, And twenty years' apprenticeship to boot, Could make me such another ? Fondly then We boast of excellence, whose noblest skill Instinctive genius foils. In most of the species both the male and famale assist in this interesting operation. They each bring materials to the place : first sticks, moss, or straws, for the founda- tion'and exterior : then hair, wool, or the down of animals or plants, to form a soft and commodious bed for the eggs, and for the bodies of their tender young, when hatched. The outsides of the nests bear in general so great a resemblance in color 22 ON THE STRUCTURE AND to the surrounding foliage or branches, as not easily to be discovered even by per- sons who are in search of them. This is one of those numerous and wonderful contrivances which compel us to believe that every part of the creation is under the protection of a superintending Being, whose goodness knows no bounds. Without this, what can we suppose it is that instigates a creature which may never before have had young, to form a nest, hollow, for the purpose of containing eggs ; (things that as yet it knows nothing of ;) and of concentrating a necessary proportion of heat for the incubation ? Without this, what can we suppose it is that dictates the necessity of forming the outside of this nest with coarse materials, as a foundation, and of lining its interior with more delicate substances ? How do these animals learn that they are to have eggs, and that these eggs will require a nest of a certain size and capacity ? Who is it that teaches them to calculate the time with such exactness, that they never lay their eggs before the receptacle for them is finished ? No one can surely be so blind as to observe all this, and not to perceive the superintendence of a beneficent wisdom influencing every operation. The classification of birds is principally founded on their habits of life ; and on the formation of their external parts, particularly of their bills. The grand division is into LAND BIRDS and WATER BIRDS. LAND BIRDS. 1. Rapacious Birds (accipitres], have their bill hooked ; and on each side of the upper mandible there is an angular projection. They consist of Vultures, Eagles . or Hawks, and Owls. These birds are -all carnivorous, and associate in pairs ; and the female is generally larger and stronger than the male. 2. Pies (piece). These have their bills sharp at the edge, compressed at the sides, and convex on the upper surface. The principal genera are Shrikes, Crows, Rollers, Orioles, Grackles, Humming-birds, Parrots, Toucans, Cuckoos, Woodpeckers, Horn- bills, and Kingfishers. Some of them associate in pairs, and others congregate. They live on various kinds of food ; and usually build their nests in trees, the male feeding the female during the process of incubation. 3. Passerine Birds (passeres), have a conical, sharp-pointed bill. To this order belong the Finches, Grosbeaks, Buntings, Thrushes, Fly-catchers, Swallows, Larks, Wagtails, Titmice, and Pigeons. While breeding they live chiefly in pairs ; and the nests of several of the species are of curious and singular construction. The greater number of them sing. Some of them subsist on seeds, and others on insects. 4. Gallinaceous Birds (gallincd). The bills of these birds have the upper mandi- ble considerably arched, Pheasants, Turkeys, Peacocks, Bustards, Pintadoes, and Grouse, all belong to this order. They live principally on the ground ; and scratch the earth with their feet for the purpose of finding grain and seeds. They usually associate in families, consisting of one male and several females. Their nests are artlessly formed on the ground ; and the females produce a numerous offspring WATER BIRDS. 5. Waders (grallcz}. These have a roundish bill, and a fleshy tongue ; and the legs of most of the species are long. The principal genera are the Herons, Plovers, Snipes, and Sandpipers, which live for the most part among marshes and fens, and feed on worms and other animal productions. They form nests on the ground. 6. Swimmers (anseres). The bills of these birds are broad at the top, and covered with a membranaceous skin. The tribes best known are the Ducks, Auks, PeB- guins, Petrels, Pelicans, Guillemots, Gulls, and Terns. They live chiefly in the water, and feed on fish, worms, and aquatic plants. Most of the species are poly- gamous, and construct their nests among reeds or in moist places. The females lay many eggs. FUNCTIONS OF AMPHIBOUS ANIMALS. 23 AMPHIBIOUS ANIMALS. Under this title, from the circumstances of their living occasionally both on land and in water, Linnasus has arranged the oviparous quadrupeds, usually denominated Reptiles, and the Serpents. It may be considered exceptionable, on account of some individuals being confined to only one of those elements ; but these are so few, as not to affect the general, denomination. The amphibious animals have ever excited in mankind a great degree of abhor- rence, originating in a dread of their supposed, and, in some instances, of their un- doubtedly poisonous qualities ; in the unpleasant sensation of touching perfectly cold animals, and in their often ugly and squalid forms. This abhorrence is so general, in all countries, and among all people, that, even where the species are in themselves innoxious and beautiful, it is not to be conquered without difficulty. To the philosopher, however, the various tribes afford an inexhaustible fund of instruc- tion and delight. The form, the destination, and the importance of these animals in the grand scheme of nature, are truly admirable, and have been found amply to repay the care, the danger, and the trouble, which have attended the investigation of them. By far the greater number of the species live in retired, watery, and shady places, where they seem stationed to prevent the excessive multiplication of water-animals and insects ; and themselves, in many instances, to serve as food for fishes and birds. When they are able to obtain it, they generally devour a great quantity of food at a time, but this is digested slowly, and they are endowed with the power of sustaining abstinence that would infallibly prove fatal to any of the higher orders of Animals. Several of the species have been known to exist, in apparent health and vivacity, for many months, without any food whatever. Nearly all the Amphibia are fur- nished with teeth, but these seem of little other use than for seizing and retaining their prey ; as all their food is swallowed whole. Their respiration is not, as in the higher animals, carried on at certain short and regular intervals. The Amphibia ,from the peculiar structure of their organs of respiration, are able to suspend it almost at pleasure. It is in consequence of this that they are enabled to support their change of element without injury. Their blood is red, but cold and in small quantity. The bodies of some of these animals are protected by a hard and horny shield or covering ; and others by a coriaceous integument. Some of them have scales ; and others soft pustular warts or protuberances. Their .bones are more cartilaginous than those either of quadrupeds or birds. Several of the species, as the Frogs and some of the Lizards, are altogether destitute of ribs. The eijes of the Amphibia are in general large and bright. The ears have neither external valve nor canal ; but the tympanum is level with the head, and, in many of the animals, covered with the skin or scales. All the Amphibia are extremely tenacious of life, and some of them will continue to move and exert animal functions even destitute of their head or heart. Many of the species possess a high degree of reproductive power ; and, when their feet or tail are by accident destroyed, others will grow in their place. Most of them exhale loathsome odors, owing probable to the foulness of their abode, or the substances on which they feed, or perhaps to the length of time that is occupied in digesting their food. The young of all the tribes are produced from eggs, which, after the parent animals have deposited them in a proper place, are hatched by the heat of the sun. Some of the species have their eggs covered with a hard, calcareous shell; whilst those of others have a soft, tough skin or covering, not much unlike wet parchment ; the eggs of several are perfectly gelatinous. In those few that produce their offspring alive, the eggs are regularly formed, but are hatched within the bodies of the females ; this is the case with the Vipers and some others of the Serpents. In cold and temperate climates, nearly all the Amphibia pass the winter in a torpid state. During this season they are often found perfectly stiff, in holes under '24: ON THE STRUCTURE AND ice, or in water. They continue thus till revived by the returning warmth of spring. They then become reanimated, change their skin, and appear abroad in a new coat. Many of them cast their skins frequently in the year ; but Tortoises and some other Reptiles have an osseous covering which they do not change. The Amphibia, though they are occasionally found in great numbers together, cannot be said to congregate, since they do nothing in common, and, in fact, do not live in a state of society. The flesh and eggs of some of the species constitute a palatable and nutritious food. Of tfte Serpents. There is much geometrical elegance in the sinuous motion of the Serpent tribe. Their back-bone consists of movable articulations, and runs through the whole length of their body. The breast and abdomen are surrounded with ribs. Some of the species can render their bodies perfectly stiff, and by this means they are enabled to spring with great force and velocity on their prey. Most of them are covered with scales ; and Linnaeus has endeavored to mark the different species by the number of scaly plates on the abdomen and beneath the tail. Experience, however, has proved, that these are too variable and uncertain to be depended on. The head is connected to the trunk without the intervention of a neck ; and their jaws are so formed that the animals are able to swal^y bodies as thick and fre- quently even thicker than themselves. The tongue is slender and cleft. The poisonous Serpents, which are not more than one sixth of the whole number of species, differ from the others in having long tubular fangs on each side of the head calculated to convey the venom from a bag or receptacle at the base of these fangs into the wound made by their bite. The venomous Serpents have only two rows of true or proper teeth, (that is, such as are not fangs,) in the upper jaw, whilst all others have four. A head entirely covered with small scales is also in some de- gree a character, but by no means a universal one, of poisonous species ; as are also scales on the head and body furnished with a ridge or prominent middle line. The Amphibia are divided by Linnaeus into two orders : viz. Reptiles and Serpents The Reptiles are furnished with legs. They have flat and naked ears, without auricles. The principal tribes are, Tortoises, Lizards, and Frogs. Serpents are destitute of feet. Their jaws are dilatable and not articulated ; and they have neither fins nor ears. FISHES. Were we acquainted with no other animals than those which inhabit the land, and breathe the air of our atmosphere, it would appear absurd to be told that' any race of beings could exist only in the water : we should naturally conclude, from the effect produced on our own bodies when plunged into that element, that the powers of life could not there be sustained. But we n'nd, from experience, that the very depths of the ocean are crowded with inhabitants, which, in their construction, modes of life, and general design, are as truly wonderful as those on the land. Their history, however, must always remain imperfect, since the element in which they live is beyond human access, and of such vast dimensions, as to throw by far the greater part of them altogether out of the reach of man. That they are in every respect, both of external and internal conformation, well adapted to their element and modes of life, we are not permitted to doubt. The body is, in general, slender, flattened at the sides, and always somewhat pointed at the head. This enables them, with ease, to cut through the resisting medium which they inhabit. Some of them are endowed with such extraordinary powers of pro- gressive motion, that they are able not only to overtake the fastest sailing vessels, but, during the swiftest course of these, to play round them without any apparently extraordinary efforts. Their bodies are in general covered with a kind of horny scales, to keep them from being injured by the pressure of the water. Several of them are enveloped with a fat and oily substance, to preserve them from putrefaction, and to guard them from extreme cold. They breathe by means of certain organs that are placed on each FUNCTIONS OF FISHES. 25 side of the neck, and called gills. In tins operation they fill their mouth with water, which they throw backward, with so much force as to lift open the great flap, and force it out behind. And in the passage of this water, among the feather-like pro- cesses of the gills, all, or at least the greatest part, of the air contained in it, is left behind, and carried into the body to perform its part in the animal economy. In proof of this fact, it has been ascertained that, if the air be extracted from water into which fish are put, they immediately come to the surface and gasp as if for breath. Hence, distilled water is to fish what the vacuum formed by an air-pump is to most other animals. This is the reason why, in winter, when a fish-pond is en- tirely frozen over, it is necessary to break holes in the ice, not that the fish may come to feed, but that they may come to breathe. Without such precaution, if the pond be small, and the fish be numerous, they will die from the corruption of the water. Fishes are nearly of the same specific gravity with water, and swim by means of their fins and tail. The muscular force of the latter is very great. Their direct motion is obtained by moving the tail from one side to the other, with a vibrating motion ; and, by strongly bending the tail sideways, this part of their body acts like the rudder of a ship, and enables them to move in an opposite direction. The fins of a fish keep it upright, especially the belly-fins, which act like feet ; without these it would float with its back downward, as the centre of gravity lies near the back. In addition to the fins and tail, the air-bladder is of material assistance to fish in swimming, as it is by means of this that they increase or diminish the specific gravity of their bodies. When, by their abdominal muscles, they compress the air contained in this bladder, the bulk of their body is diminished, their weight compared with that of the water, is increased, and they consequently sink. If they want to rise, they relax the pressure of the muscles, the air-bladder again acquires its natural size, the body is rendered more bulky, and they ascend towards the surface. This bladder lies in the abdomen, along the course of the back-bone. In some fish it is single, and ia others double. The air appears to be conveyed into it from the blood, by means of vessels appropriated to that purpose, and it can be discharged thence either into the stomach or the mouth. Those fish which are destitute of air-bladders have much less facility in elevating themselves in the water than any others. The greater number of them, consequently, remain at the bottom, unless the form of their body enables them to strike the water downwards with great force. This the Skate, the Thornback, and other species of Rays do with their large pectoral fins, which are of such size and strength as almost to resemble wings ; and the mode in which these fish elevate themselves in the water, is precisely the same as that which is employed by birds in flying. The teeth of fish are usually situated in their jaws : in some species, however, there are teeth on the tongue and palate, and even in the throat. These are generally sharp-pointed and immovable ; but in the Carp they are obtuse, and in the Pike so movable as to appear fixed only to the skin. The tongue is in general motionless and fleshy. Being furnished with nostrils and olfactory nerves, there can be little doubt that fishes possess the sense of smelling. The bones of these animals are formed of a kind of intermediate substance, between true bones and cartilages. The back-bone extends through the whole length of the body, and consists of vertebras, strong and thick toward the head, but weaker and more slender as they approach the tail. The ribs are attached to the processes of the vertebra?, and enclose the breast and abdomin. Several fish, as the Bays, have no ribs ; and others, as the Eel and Sturgeon, have very short ones. In many of the species there arc small bones between the muscles, to -assist their motion. The sight of fishes is perhaps the most perfect of all their senses. The eye, in general, is covered with the same transparent skin that covers the rest of the head ; the use of which is probably, to defend this organ in the water, for none of the species have eyelids. The globe of the eye is somewhat depressed in front, and it is furnished behind with a muscle, which serves to lengthen or flatten it, as the animal may require. The crystalline humor, which in quadrupeds is flattened, is in fishes nearly globular. The eyes of fish are usually thought to be immovable, but this does not appear to be the case : those of some species are known to turn in the sockets. In fishes the organ of hearing is placed at the sides of the skull ; but differing in this respect from that "in quadrupeds and birds, it is entirely distinct and detached 26 ON THE STRUCTURE AND from it. In some fishes, as those of the Ray kind, the organ of hearing is wholly surrounded by the parts containing the cavity of the skull : in others, as the Salmon and Cod, it is partly within the skull. In its structure this organ is by no means so complicated as in quadrupeds and other animals that live in the air. Some genera, as the Rays, have the external orifice very small, and placed upon the upper surface of the head ; but in others there is no external opening whatever. The food of these animals is extremely various. Insects, worms, or the spawn of other fish, sustain the smaller tribes ; which, in their turn, are pursued by larger foes. Some feed on mud and aquatic plants, but by far the greater number subsist on animal food only, and they are so ravenous as often not to spare even those of their own kind. Innumerable shoals of some species pursue those of others through vast tracts of the ocean ; from the vicinity of the pole sometimes even to the equator. In these conflicts, and in this scene of universal rapine, many species must have become extinct, had not the Creator accurately proportioned their means of escape, their production, and their numbers, to the extent and variety of the dangers to which they are exposed. The smaller species are consequently not only more nu- merous and prolific than the larger, but their instinct impels them to seek for food and protection near the shore, where, from the shallowness of the water, many of their foes are unable to pursue them. Fishes are in general oviparous : some few, however, produce their offspring alive. The males have the milt, and the females the roe, but some individuals of the Cod and Sturgeon tribes are said to contain both. The spawn of the greater number is deposited in the sand or gravel : many of the fish, however, which reside in the ocean, attach their ova to sea-weeds. The fecundity of these tribes far surpasses that of any other race of animals. In the spawn of a single Cod upwards of nine millions of eggs have been ascertained, and nearly a million and a half have been taken from the interior of a Flounder. The longevity of .fish is far superior to that of other creatures; and there is reason to suppose that they are, in a great measure, exempted from disease. Instead of suffering from the rigidity of age, which is the cause of natural decay in land animals, their bodies continue to increase with fresh supplies; and, as the body grows, the conduits of life seem to furnish their stores in greater abundance. How long these animals continue to live, has not yet been ascertained. The age of man seems not equal to the life of the most minute species. In the royal ponds of Marli, in France, there are some particular fish which, it is said, have been preserved tame since the time of Francis the First, and which have been individually known to the persons who have succeeded to the charge of them ever since that period. Fish, like land animals, are either solitary or gregarious. Some, as Trout, Salmon, &c., migrate to considerable distances in order to deposit their spawn. Of the sea-fish, the Cod, the Herring, and many others, assemble in immense shoals, and migrate in these shoals through vast tracts of the ocean. In the Gmelinian edition of the Systema Naturae, the Fishes are divided into six orders : 1. Apodal; with bony gills, and no ventral fins, as the Eels. 2. Jugular; with bony gills, and ventral fins before the pectoral ones, as the Cod and Haddock. 3. Thoracic; with bony gills and ventral fins placed directly under the thorax, as the Turbot, Sole, Perch, and Mackerel. 4. Abdominal; with bony gills, and ventral fins placed behind the thorax, as the Salmon, Pike, Herring, and Carp. 5. Branchiostegous : with gills destitute of bony rays, as the Pike-fish and Lump- fish. 6. Chondropterygious ; with cartilaginous gills, as the Sturgeon, Shark, Skate, and Lamprey. FUNCTIONS OF INSECTS. 27 INSECTS. The insect division of the animal world received its name from the individuals of which it is composed having a separation in the middle of their bodies, by which they are cut, as it were, into two parts. These parts are in general connected by a slender ligament or hollow thread. Insects breathe through pores arranged along their sides ;* and have a scaly or bony skin, and many feet. Most of them are furnished with wings. They are desti- tute of brain, nostrils, and eyelids. Not only the place of the liver, but of all the secretory glands, is, in them, supplied by long vessels that float in the abdomen. The mouth is in general situated under the head ; and is furnished with transverse jaws, with lips, a kind of teeth, a tongue, and palate : it has also, in most instances, four or six palpi, or feelers. Insects have also movable antennae, which generally proceed from the front part of the head, and are endowed with a very nice sense of feeling. In a minute examination of this class by Professor Cuvier, neither a heart nor ar- teries have been detected ; and this gentleman says that the whole organization of insects is such as we might have expected to find, if we had previously known that they were destitute of such organs. Their nutrition, therefore, seems to be carried on by absorption, as is the case with the polypes, and other zoophytes, f Nearly all Insects (except Spiders, and a few others of the apterous tribe, whicti proceed nearly in a perfect state from the egg) undergo a METAMOKPHOSIS, or change at three different periods of their existence. The lives of these minute creatures, in their perfect state, are in general so short that the parents have seldom an opportunity of seeing their living offspring. Con- sequently, they are neither provided with milk, like viviparous animals, nor are they, like birds, impelled to sit upon their eggs in order to bring their offspring to perfec- tion. In place of these, the all-directing .Power has endowed each species with the astonishing faculty of being able to discover what substance is fitted to afford the food proper for its young; though such food is, for the most part, totally different from that which the parent itself could eat. Some of them attach their eggs to the bark, or insert them into the leaves of trees and other vegetable substances ; others form nests, which they store with insects or caterpillars that will attain the exact state in which they may be proper food for their young ones, when they shall awaken into life ; others bury their eggs in the bodies of other insects ; and others adopt very surprising methods of conveying them into the body, and even into the internal viscera of larger animals. Some drop their eggs into the water, an element in which they would themselves soon be destroyed. In short, the variety of contrivances that are adopted by insects to ensure the subsistence of their offspring, are beyond enu- meration. From the eggs of all insects proceed what are called larvae, grubs, or caterpillars. These consist of a long body, covered with a soft, tender skin, divided into segments or rings. The motions of many of the larvae are performed on these rings only, either in the manner of serpents, or by resting alternately each segment of the body on the plane which supports it. Such is the motion of the larvae of Flies, emphati- cally so called, and of Wasps and Bees, Sometimes the surfaces of the rings are covered with spines, stiff bristles, or hooks, this is the case in Gad-flies. Crane-flies, and some others. The bodies of the larvae, in some orders of insects, have, toward the head, six feet, each formed of three small joints ; the last of which is scaly, and terminates in a hook : this is usual in those of Beetles and Dragon-flies. The larvae of Butterflies and Moths, besides six scaly articulated feet, have a variable number of other false feet, which are not jointed, but terminate in hooks disposed in circles * The Crab and Lobster tribes form an exception to this rule, for they respire by means of gills. f He excepts the Crabs and Lobsters, which he arranges in a class by themselves, and denomi- nates Crustaceous animals. 28 ON THE STRUCTURE AND and semi-circles. These hooks, which are attached to the skin by a kind of retrac- tile tubercles, serve as cramps to assist their motion 'on other bodies. The larva? of such insects as undergo only a semi-metamorphosis, as Locusts, Crickets, and Cock- roaches, and those of insects that undergo no transformation, as the Spiders, Ticks, and Mites, do not differ, with respect to their feet, from the perfect insects. In this larva state many Insects remain for months, others for a year, and some even for two or three years. They are, in general, extremely voracious, oftentimes devour- ing more than their own weight in the course of twenty-four hours. As soon as all their parts become perfected, and they are prepared to appear under a new form, called a pupa or chrysalis* most species of insects fix upon some convenient place, for the performance of this arduous operation. This is generally a place where they are not exposed to danger ; for in their transformation, they have neither strength to resist, nor swiftness to avoid, the attack of an enemy. That Power which instructed the parents to deposit their eggs in a proper receptacle, directs the offspring to the most secure and appropriate situation for their future defenceless state. Some of them spin webs or cones, in which they enclose them- selves ; others undergo their change in decayed wood ; and others conceal themselves beneath the surface of the earth. Preparatory to the transformation, they cease to take any food, and, for some days, continue in a state of inactivity. During this time the internal organs are gradually unfolding themselves. When the completion is at hand, many of them may be observed alternately to extend and contract their bodies, in order to disengage themselves from the caterpillar skin. The hinder parts are those first liberated : when this is done, the animals contract, and draw the skin up towards their head ; and, by strong efforts, they soon afterward push it entirely off. In their chrysalid state they remain for some time, to all appearance, inanimate ; but this is only in appearance, for, on being taken into the hand, they will always be found to exhibit signs of life. It is singular that, in the changes of insects, the intestinal canal is frequently very different in the same individuals, as they pass through the three states. As soon as the animal, within the shell of the chrysalis, has acquired strength sufficient to break the bonds that surround it, it exerts its powers, and appears to the world in a perfect state. For a little while it continues humid and weak ; but, as the humidity evaporates, its wings and shell become hardened, and it soon after- ward commits itself in safety to its new element. Some writers have conjectured that the antennce or horns of insects are their organs of hearing ; for it is evident, from various experiments, that insects are possessed of this sense in a degree as exquisite as most other animals, although, from their minuteness, we perhaps may never discover by what means. The antenuse, however, seem little likely to answer the purpose of ears. These instruments, of apparently exquisite sensibility, .appear adapted to very different purposes, but to purposes with which we may remain long unacquainted. The eyes of insects are formed of a transparent crustaceous set of lenses, so hard as to require no coverings to protect them. These, like multiplying glasses, have innumerable surfaces, on every one of which objects are distinctly formed; so that, if a candle be held opposite to them, it appears multiplied almost to infinity on their surfaces. Other creatures are obliged to turn their eyes ; but insects have always some or other of these lenses directed toward objects, from what quarter soever they may present themselves. All these minute hemispheres are real eyes, through which every thing appears topsy turvy. M. Leeuwenhoek, with the aid of a microscope, used as a telescope, looked through the eye of a Dragon-fly, and viewed the steeple of a church, which was two hundred and ninety-nine feet high, and seven hundred and fifty feet from the place where he stood. He could plainly see the steeple, though not apparently larger than the point of a fine needle. lie also viewed a house ; and could discern the front, distinguish the doors and windows, and perceive whether the windows were open or shut. Mr. Hook computed that there were fourteen thousand of these" lenses in the two eyes of a Drone ; and M. Leeuwenhoek reckons twelve thousand five hundred and forty-four lenses in each eye of the Dragon-fly. The pictures of objects that are delineated on these, must be millions of times less than those formed on the * The chrysalis is occasionally called Aurclia, Bean) or Cod. FUNCTIONS OF INSECTS. 29 human eye. Many insects still smaller have eyes, so contrived as to discern objects some thousands of times less than themselves ; for such the minute particles on which they feed must certainly be. With respect to the wings of insects, those of the two first orders of Linnaeus have their wings defended by a pair of hard crustaceous cases called elytra. The three subsequent orders have four membranaceous wings, without elytra. All the insects of the sixth order have but two wings, and under each of these, at its basj*, there is a poise or balancer like a little knob. These poises are commonly little balls, each placed on the top of a slender stalk, and movable every way at pleasure. In some they stand alone, but in others, as in the Flesh-fly tribe, they have little covers or hollow membrauaceous scales, each of which somewhat resembles a spoon without a handle : every time the insect strikes the air with its wings, a very quick motion may be perceived in the balancer; and in the Flesh-flies, when this moves, it strikes against the little scale, and thus assists in producing the well-known buzz- ing sound that is made by flies when on the wing. The use of the poises to an insect seems to be precisely the same as that of a long pole, loaded at each end with lead, to a rope-dancer: they render the body steady,' and obviate all its unsteadiness in flight. The structure of ihsfeet of these diminutive creatures is truly admirable. Those insects that live altogether in water have their feet long, flat, and somewhat hairy at the edges, well adapted to aid their motions in that element. Such as have occasion to burrow into the earth have their legs broad, sharp-edged, and serrated. These that use their feet only in walking, have them long and cylindrical. Some have their feet furnished with sharp, hooked claws, and skinny palms, by which, from the pressure of the atmosphere upon them, they are enabled to walk on glass and other smooth surfaces, even with their backs downward. Others have some- what like sponges that answer the same end ; and the spider has each foot armed with a kind of comb, probably for the purpose of separating the six threads that issue from so many orifices of its body, and preventing them from tangling. In insects which have occasionally to pass over spaces by leaping, the thighs of the hind legs are peculiarly large and thick. The tongue of insects is a taper and compact instrument, by which they suck their food. Some of them can contract or expand it ; and others, as the Butter- flies, roll it up under their head, somewhat like the spring of a watch. In many it is enclosed within a sheath ; and in several, as the Flies, it is fleshy and tubular. The mouth is generally placed somewhat underneath the front part of the head ; but in a few of the tribes it is situated below the breast. Some insects have it furnished with a kind of forceps, for the purpose of seizing and cutting their prey ; and in others it is pointed, to pierce animal or vegetable substances, and suck their juices. In several it is strongly ridged with jaws and teeth, to gnaw and scrape their food, carry burdens, perforate the earth, nay the hardest wood, and even stones, for the habitations and nests of their offspring. In a few the tongue is so short as to appear to us incapable of answering the purpose for which it is formed ; and the Gadflies appear to have no mouth. * Near the mouth are situated the palpi or feelers : these are generally four, but sometimes six in number. They are a kind of thread-shaped articulated antennae. Their situation, beneath a'nd at the sides of the mouth, renders them, however, suf- ficiently distinct from the proper antennae. Some writers consider them to be useful in holding food to the mouth, whilst the insects are eating. Linnaeus has divided the animals of this class into seven orders,* viz : 1. Coleopterous insects (derived from the Greek words eotooj a sheath, and rttepov a wing.) These are the' Beetles, or such as have crustaceous elytra or shells, which shut together, and form a longitudinal suture down the back. Of this order are the Chafer tribes, and several others. 2. Hemipterous insects (from j^ufcwj half, and rtttfiov a wing,) have their upper wings half crustaceous, and half membranaceous, not divided by a longitudinal suture, but incumbent on or crossed over each other; as the Cockroach, Locust, &c. 3. Lepidopterous insects (from Ttffoj a scale, and xtepw a wing,) are those having * Coleoptera, Heraiptera, Lepidoptera, Neuroptera, Hyruenoptera, Diptera, and Aptera. 30 ON THE STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS OF WORMS. four wings covered with fine scales apparently like powder or meal ; as the Butterflies and Moths. 4. Neuropterous bisects (from vsvpov a nerve, and rtt?pov a wing,) have four membranaceous, transparent, naked wings, in which the membranes cross each other so as to appear like net-work. The tail has no sting, but is sometimes furnished with appendices like pincers, by which the males are distinguished. The common Dragon-fly is the best example that can be brought to illustrate this order ; and the genus Phrygenea forms an exception with respect to the net-work appearance of the wings. 5. Hymenopterous insects (from vprjv a membrane, and rtrepov a wing.) The insects belonging .to this order have generally four membranaceous naked wings : the neuters, however, in some of the genera, and in others the males or females, are des- titute of wings. The wings do not so much resemble net-work as those of the last order. The tail, except in the male, is armed with a sting. The Bee, the Wasp, and the Ant are of this tribe. 6. Dipterous insects (from SirtJiooj double, and rttfpov a wing,) are those which have only two wings, each furnished at its base with a poise or balancer. The common House-flies and the Gnat are familiar examples of this order. 7. Apterous insects (from a without, and xtfpov a wing.) This order contains all such insects as are destitute of wings in both sexes ; as the Spider, the Flea, and the Louse. WORMS. Nearly all the species of this, the lowest class of animal being, have slow locomo- tive powers. Their bodies are soft, fleshy, and destitute of articulated members. Some of them have hard internal parts, and others have crustaceous coverings. Many of them have arterial and venous vessels, in which the blood undergoes a real circulation ; but these are by no means common to the whole class. In some of them eyes and ears are very perceptible, while others seem to enjoy only the senses of taste and touch, which are never wanting. Many have no distinct head, and most of them are destitute of feet. The whole of these creatures are very tenacious of life. In most of them, such parts as have been destroyed will after- ward be reproduced. They are divided into five orders * : 1. Intestinal Worms. These are simple naked animals, without limbs, that live Eome of them within other animals, some in water, and a few in earth. The Asca- rides, Tapeworms, Leeches, and Common Worms, are illustrations of this order. 2. Molluscous Worms. These are simple animals without shells, and furnished with tentacula or arms : most of them are inhabitants of the sea, and some of the species possess a phosphorescent quality. The Sea Anemones, Cuttle-fish, Medusae, Star-fish, and Sea-urchins, belong to the Moluscae. 3. Testaceous Worms ; are Mollusca? covered with calcareous shells, which they carry about with them ; as the Mussels, Cockles. Oysters, Snails, &c. 4. Zoophytes ; appear to hold a rank between animals and vegetables, most of them taking root and growing up into stems and branches. Some of them are soft and naked, and others are covered with a large shell. 5. Animalcules ; are extremely minute, destitute of tentacula or feelers, and generally invisible to the naked eye. They are chiefly found in infusions of animal and vegetable substances of various kinds. * Intestina, Mollusca, Testacea, Zoophyta, and Infusoria, of Linnaeus. MAMMIFEROUS ANIMALS. PRIMATES. Thia is the first of the Linneean orders of quadrupeds. The animals, except some species of Bats, have four parallel front teeth in each jaw. They have one canine tooth on each side in both jaws. The females have two pectoral mamma) or breasts. The fore feet resemble hands, and have fingers, for the most part, furnished with flattened oval nails. OF APES IN GENERAL. INDEPENDENTLY of the general form of these animals, and of their external and internal organization, which in many respects present a striking and humiliating resemblance to those of men, their playful- ness, their gesticulations and grimace, have, in all ages, attracted the notice of mankind. Some naturalists have asserted, that they are ca- pable of reasoning and reflection, and that they are guided by instincts much superior to those of the brute creation in general. This, how- ever, is certainly not the case ; for they are known to be inferior in sagacity to numerous other quadrupeds. Their limbs are peculiarly strong; and, in all their operations and manoeuvres, their agility is most astonishing. They have great de- light in breaking, tearing to pieces, or stealing whatever lies in their way. If any thing irritates or offends them, they indicate their rage by chattering with frheir teeth. Many of the species, when they are beaten, will sigh, groan, and weep, like children; but most of them, on such occasions, utter dreadful shrieks of distress. They, however, frequently make such ridiculous grimaces, place themselves in such strange and whimsical attitudes, and, in other respects, conduct them- selves so singularly, that even the most serious persons must, some- times, be amused with them. For greater facility of description, the animals of this extensive tribe are usually arranged in three divisions of Apes, Baboons, and Monkeys. Apes are destitute of tails; they walk upright; their legs are fur- nished with calves; and their hands and feet nearly resemble those of men. In their manners they are, for the most part, mild and gen- tle, and they imitate human actions more readily, and are susceptible of greater attainments, than any others of their tribe. Baboons have short tails; they generally walk on all fours, and seldom go upright, except when constrained so to do in a state of servitude. Some of the baboons are as tall as men, have long faces, sunken eyes, and are otherwise extremely disgusting. In their dispositions they are usually so sullen and ferocious as to be incapable of any education 32 OF APES IN GENERAL. whatever. Monkeys have tails in general longer than their bodies. They are by far the most lively and active of the whole race. They are greatly addicted to thieving, and scarcely ever imitate human ac- tions without a mischievous intention. One division of the Monkeys, which are denominated, by the French writers, Sapajous, have their tails extremely long, and so formed that they can coil them round any object, so as to answer nearly all the purposes of an additional hand. By means of these they are able even to swing themselves backward and forward amongst the branches of trees. The animals of this 'division are inhabitants almost exclusively of the New Continent. Monkeys usually live in much more extensive troops than either Apes or Baboons. Some naturalists have been credulous enough to believe that they form a sort of republic, in which a great degree ot subordination is kept up ; that they always travel in regular order, conducted by chiefs, the strongest and most experienced animals of their troop; and that, on these occasions, some of , the largest Mon- keys are likewise placed in the rear, the sound of whose voice imme- diately silences those of any of the others which happen to be too noisy. The negroes of Africa believe that these animals are a vaga- bond race of men, who are too indolent to construct habitations or to cultivate the ground. ' The dexterity of Monkeys is such, that, although burdened by their offspring clinging to their backs, they are able to leap from one tree to another, if the distance be not very great, and. to secure their hold among the branches with the greatest certainty. When they perceive any person taking aim at them, either with a gun or bow, they cry out and grind their teeth, and this sometimes in the most horrible manner imaginable. If a Monkey be shot, and fall to the ground, all the rest set up a dismal and tremendous howl; and if one of these animals be wounded, and do not fall, it frequently happens that his companions will seize and carry him off far beyond the reach of their enemy. In many parts of India, Apes and Monkeys are made objects of worship by the natives, and temples of the greatest magnificience are erected in honour of them. Their numbers are almost infinite. They frequently come in troops into the cities, and enter the houses at all times with perfect freedom. In Calicut, however, the inhabitants contrive to keep them out of their dwellings; but to effect this they are compelled to have all their windows lattice^!. In Amadabad, the capital of Guzerat, there are three hospitals for. animals, where lame and sick Monkeys, and even those which (without being diseased) choose to dwell there, are fed and cherished. Twice every week the monkeys of the neighborhood assemble spontaneously in the streets of the city. They then mount upon the houses, each of which has a small terrace or flat roof, where they lie during' the great heats. On these days the inhabitants always carefully deposit on the terraces, rice, millet, or fruit; and if they be accidentally prevented from doing this, the disappointed animals become so furious, that they break the tiles, and commit various other outrages. THE ORAN OTAN, AND CHIMPANZEE. 33 1. APES. THE ORAN OTAN, AND CHIMPANZEE. DESCRIPTION'. The Oran Otan, when full grown, is from five to six feet in height. Its color Is a ferruginous or reddish brown; and the hair of the fore-arm is reversed. The face is naked, and bears some resemblance to that of a man ; but the facial angle is considerably more acute, and consequently the forehead is much more oblique than in any human subject. The chin also has no elevation. SYNONYMS. Simia Satyrus. Linn onus. Great Ape. Penn. Man of the Woods. Edwards. Le Jocko. Bujfon. Audebcrt. Jocko, in Congo. Sinsin, in China. Oran Otan, in the Indian Islands. This name signifies Wild Man. DESCRIPTION. The difference betwixt the Chimpanzee and Oran Otan is chiefly in size and color. The Chimpanzee seldom measures more than from two feet and a half to three feet in height; and its hair is dark brown or blackish. SYNONYMS. Simia Troglodytes. Linn. Le Pongo. Buffon. Audcbert Baris, in Guinea. Chimpanzee or Quimpezee, by the English who frequent the coast of Angola. IN its native state, the Oran Otari is an in- habitant of Borneo, China, the East Indies, and Africa; and the Chimpanzee, of Angola, Sierra Leona, and some parts of Asia. Both the species are exceedingly wild, and are found only in the most retired places. They feed .on fruit, vege- tables, and roots of various kinds ; and such as inhabit the forests that are adjacent to the sea- shore, live occasionally on crabs and shell-fish. Their resting-places are in trees, where they are perfectly secure from the attack of all preda- cious creatures except Serpents, Andrew Battel, a Portuguese traveller, who, two centuries ago, resided in Angola nearly eighteen years, informs us that these animals were very common in the woods of that country. Their bodies, he says, were covered, but not very thickly, with a dun-colored hair; and their legs were without calves. They always walked upright, and gene- rally, when on the ground, carried their bands clasped on the hinder part ofi their neck. They slept in the trees, amongst which they formed a kind of arbor, to shelter themselves from the weather ; and their food consisted prin- cipally of fruit and nuts. Battel says, that the inhabitants, when they travelled in the woods, were accus- tomed to make fires around the places where they slept, for the pur- pose of keeping at a distance various species of voracious animals; and that, at these fires, the Oran Otans would assemble in the morn- ings, and would sit by them till the last of the embers were expired. HUNTING THE ORAN OTAN. 34 THE ORAN OTAN, AND CHIMPANZEE. He describes these animals to be so powerful, that ten men would not have strength enough to hold one of them ; and, consequently, the inhabitants could never catch the old ones alive. He states, what perhaps few persons will be inclined to believe, that when any of them die, the rest cover up the bodies with great branches of trees. Among the woods on the banks of the river Gambia, the Oran Otans collect in troops of three or four'thousand, and are excessively impu- dent and mischievous. Jobson, who gives the account, says, that whenever his party, in sailing along the river, passed the stations of these animals, they mounted the trees and gazed upon the men. Sometimes they would chatter and make a loud noise, at the same time shaking the trees with their hands, which they did with vast force and violence. At night, when the vessel was at anchor, the animals often took their stations on the rocks and heights above. When the men were on shore and met any of them, the old ones generally came forward and seemed to grin in their faces ; but they always fled when an attack was made. One of them was killed from the boat, with a gun, but before the boat could be got ashore, the others had carried away the dead body. M. Le Compte informs us that, in the island of Borneo, these-animals are hunted by persons of quality, somewhat in the same manner as stags are in Europe ; and that, in his time, this kind of hunting was a favorite diversion of the king. In a wild state the Oran Otans are said to be so savage and fero- cious, that if a Negro be unfortunate enough to wander in the woods, and be discovered by them, they generally attack and kill- him. With a piece of wood in their hands, or with their fists only, they are able to drive off even Elephants: They have been known to throw stones at persons who have offended them. Bosman informs us, that, behind the English fort at Wimba, on the cost of Guinea, several of these Apes attacked two of the company's slaves, overpowered them, and would have poked out their eyes with sticks, had not a party of Negroes happened to come up and rescue them. It is asserted that, during the breeding season, the males relinquish their habitations to the females and their offspring ; and that, as soon as the young ones have attained a sufficient degree of strength to venture abroad, they hang on the breast of the mother, with their arms clasped fast about her. And it is believed that, whenever the females are killed, their young ones will always suffer themselves to be caught. Gemelli Carreri relates a circumstance concerning these animals, which, if we could believe it correct, would almost induce us to sup- pose that they were not altogether destitute of reason. He tells us, that when the fruits on the mountains are exhausted, they frequently descend to the sea-coast, where they feed on various species of shell- fish, and in particular on a large species of oyster, which commonly lies open on the shore. " Fearful, however, of putting in their paws, lest the oyster should close and crush them, (he says,) they insert a stone within the shell: this prevents it from closing, and they then drag out their prey and devour it at leisure." THE OEAN OTAN, AND CHIMPANZEE. 35 The following are accounts of the Oran Otan and Chimpanzee, in a state of captivity and domestication. M. de la Brosse, a French navigator, who was in Angola in the year 1718, and who pur- chased from a Negro, two Oran Otans, remarks that these animals would sit at table like men, and eat there every kind of food, without distinc- tion ; that they would use a knife, a fork, or spoon, to cut or lay hold of what was put on their plate ; and that they drank wine and other liquors. At table, when they wanted any thing, they easily made them- selves understood to the cabin-boy ; and when the boy refused to answer their demands, they sometimes became en- raged, caught him by the arm, bit, and threw him down. The male was seized with sickness, and he made the people attend him as if he had been a human being. He was even bled twice in the right arm, and, whenever afterwards he found himself in the same condition, he held out his arm to be bled, as if he knew that he had formerly received benefit from that operation. Two Chimpanzees were sent from the forests of the Carnatic, by a coasting vessel, as a present to the governor of Bombay. They, like the rest of the species, had many human actions, and seemed by their melancholy to have a rational sense of their captivity. They were scarcely two feet high, but walked erect, and had nearly the human form. The female was taken ill during the voyage, and died ; and the male, exhibiting every demonstration of grief, refused to eat, and lived only two days afterwards. When M. Le Guat was in Java, he saw a tall female Ape, which, no doubt, belonged to the present species. Her face, he says, had a distant resemblance to some of the grotesque female faces which he had seen among the Hottentots at the Cape of Good Hope. She made her bed very neatly every day, lay upon her side, and covered her- self with the slothes. She would often bind up her head with a hand- 3 TUB ORAX OTAN. 36 THE OR AN OTAN, AND CHIMPANZEE. kerchief, and it was amusing to see her thus hooded in bed. It was intended to bring her into Europe for the purpose of exhibition, but she died on board the ship in the latitude of the Cape. In the year 1759, M. Pallavicini, who held an official situation at Batavia, had in his house two Oran Otans, a male and female, which were extremely mild and gentle. They were nearly of human stature, and imitated very closely the actions of men, particularly with their hands and arms. In some respects they appeared to have a degree of bashfulness and modesty which is not observable even in savage tribes of the human race ; but this, probably, was a trick that they had been taught. If, for instance, the female was attentively looked at by any person, she would throw herself into the arms of the male, and hide her face in his bosom. Their voice was a kind of cry, resembling that of most other Apes and Monkeys. An individual of the Oran Otan species, or a variety nearly allied to it, was caught, when young, in the interior of Guinea, and carried thence to Surinam. Professor Allemand had received many vague and unsatisfactory particulars respecting this animal. These, however, were, on the whole, so interesting, that he was induced to write to M. May, a captain in the Dutch naval service, stationed at Surinam, for the purpose of obtaining an authentic account of it. M. May informed him, that, when he was with his vessel, on the coast of Guinea, one of the sailors brought on board a small tailless Ape, about six months old, which had been caught in the kingdom of Benin. He soon after- wards sailed for Surinam; and this animal arrived in perfect health at Paramaribo, where the Oran Otan above-mentioned was then living. He was greatly surprised to find that the two animals were of 'the same kind, and that there was no other difference betwixt them than that of their size. This, however, was considerable, the Oran Otan being about five feet and a half in height, whilst his animal scarcely exceeded the height of twelve or fourteen inches. The old Oran Otan could walk equally well on four and on two feet : it was very strong and powerful. M. May says, that he has seen it take its master (a stout man) by the middle of the body, raise him with the greatest ease from the ground, and then throw him to the distance of two or three paces. M. May was assured, that this animal one day seized a soldier, who happened carelessly to pass near the tree to which he was chained, and that, if his master had not been present, he would have actually carried the man into the tree. At the time when M. May first saw the animal, it had been in Suri- nam twenty-one years, and yet it did not appear to have attained its full growth. In confirmation of this,. he was informed, that in the preceding year it had increased considerably in height. The captain of an English vessel offered the owner of this animal one hundred guineas for it : but this sum, great as it was, he refused ; and two days afterwards the animal died. Neither the Oran Otan nor Chimpanzee have been often brought alive into Europe. An Oran Otan was exhibited in London in the years 1818 and 1819 ; a Chimpanzee in the year 1698, another in 1738, :and a third in 1819 ; and, in the course of the last century, three or THE ORAN OTAN, AND CHIMPANZEE. 37 four have, at different times, been brought into France. In confinement, both the Oran Otan and Chim- panzee are mild, gentle, and, for the most part, harmless animals. They are perfectly devoid of that disgusting ferocity so conspicuous in some of the larger Baboons and Monkeys ; and, in gen- eral, are so docile, that they may be taught to CHIMPANZEE. perform, with dexterity, a great variety of enter- taining actions. The Chimpanzee that was in England in the year 1698, had been caught in Angola, and far up the country. It was a male, and, at the time it was taken, had a female in company. This animal was soon rendered tame, and became the most gentle creature imaginable. Those persons whom he knew on board the vessel which brought him over, he would embrace with the greatest tenderness. And, although there were several Monkeys in the ship, yet he would on no occasion associate with them. In many of his actions he displayed considerable sagacity. A suit of clothes was made for him, and in the wearing of them he took great delight. Such part of this dress as the animal could not put on by himself, he would bring in his paws to some one of the ship's company for assistance. At night he would lie down in bed, precisely in the same manner as a human being; would place his head on the pillow, and pull up the bed-clothes, in order to keep him- self warm. This animal died a short time after he came to London, and his body was purchased for dissection by Dr. Tyson. A female Oran Otan, from the island of Borneo, was brought alive into Holland, in the year 1776, and lodged in the Menagerie of the Prince of Orange. She was extremely gentle, and exhibited no symp- toms whatever of fierceness or malignity. She had a somewhat melancholy appearance, yet loved to be in company, and particularly with those persons to whose care she was entrusted. Oftentimes, when they retired, she would throw herself on the ground, as if in despair, uttering the most doleful cries, and tearing in pieces any article of linen that happened to be within her reach. Her keeper having sometimes sat near her on the ground, she would frequently take the hay of her bed, arrange it by her side, and, with the greatest anxiety and affection, invite him to sit down. This animal usually walked on all fours, like other Apes; but she could also walk erect. In an erect posture, however, her feet were not usually extended like those of man, but the toes were curved beneath, in such manner that she rested chiefly on the exterior sides of the feet. One morning she contrived to escape from her chain ; and, not long afterwards, was seen to ascend, with wonderful agility, the beams and oblique rafters of the building. With some trouble she was taken ; but the efforts of four men were found necessary to secure her. Two of these siezed her by the legs, and a third by th^J^ead, whilst the other fastened the collar round her body. During the time she was at liberty she had, amongst other pranks, taken the cork from a bottle 38 THE ORAN OTAN, AND CHIMPANZEE. of Malaga wine : she drank the wine to the last drop, and then set the bottle again in its place. She would eat of almost every kind of food that was given to her ; but she lived chiefly on bread, roots, and fruit. Carrots and straw- berries she was peculiarly fond of, as well as of several kinds of aromatic plants, and of the leaves and root of parsley. She also ate meat, both boiled and roasted, as well as fish ; and was fond of eggs, the shells of which she broke with her teeth, and then emptied, by sucking out the contents. When strawberries were given to her on a plate, it was amusing to see her take them up, one by one, with a fork, and put them into her mouth, holding, at the same time, the plate in the other hand. Her usual drink was water, but she would also eagerly drink all sorts of wine, particularly Malaga. After drink- ing, she wiped her lips ; and after eating, if presented with a tooth- pick, she would use it in a proper manner. Whilst she was on ship- board, she ran freely about the vessel, playing with the sailors, and would go, like them, into the kitchen for her mess. When, at the approach of night, she was about to lie down, she would prepare the bed on which she slept, by shaking well the hay, and putting it in proper order ; and, lastly, she would cover herself up warm with the quilt. One day, seeing the padlock of her chain opened with a key, and shut again, she seized a little bit of stick, and put it into the key- hole, turning it about in all directions, and examining to ascertain whether the padlock would not open. On the first arrival of this animal in Holland, she was so young as to be only two feet and a half high, and she had but little hair on any parts of the body except the back and arms ; but, at the approach of winter, she became thickly covered, and the hair on the back was at least six inches in length. After having been seven months in Hol- land, she died ; and her skin was deposited in the Museum of the Prince of Orange. This animal was seen and described by M. de Buffon. He informs us that she always walked upright, even when carrying things of great weight; that her air was- melancholy, her gait grave, her move- ments measured, and, that in every respect of disposition, she was very different from other apes. She would present her hand to con- duct the people who came to visit her, and would walk as gravely along with them as if she had formed a part of the company. She would frequently sit with persons at dinner : would unfold her towel, wipe her lips, use a spoon or fork to carry the provisions to her mouth, pour her liquor into a glass, and make it touch that of a per- son who drank at the same time. If invited to take tea, she would bring a cup and saucer, place them on the table, put in sugar, pour out the tea, and allow it to cool before she drank it. All these actions she performed without any other instigation than the signs or verbal orders of her master, and often even of her own accord. She exhibited no symptoms whatever of ill-nature, and would volun- tarily hold out her paw to any person who was inclined to shake hands with her. The food she was chiefly fond of was bread, fruit, carrots, and roots of various kinds: and these she would eat without that appear- THE ORAN OTAN, AND CHIMPANZEE. 39 ance of voracity which is common to most animals of her tribe. She would take in one hand a vessel containing water, and carrying it to her mouth, in the same manner as a child or a man, would tranquilly drink the contents. Her motions were slow and languid, and she never indicated any great degree of vivacity. She would frequently play with a blanket, which served her for a bed ; and sometimes she seemed pleased at tearing it. The usual attitude of this animal was a sitting posture, with her knees and thighs elevated : and even when she walked, it was somewhat in the same posture, with her haunches but little raised from the ground. M. Allemand informs us, that she was seldom seen to stand perfectly upright, except when she wanted to seize something that she could not otherwise reach. From these circumstances, he was induced to believe, that Oran Otans, in a wild state, do not, like men, walk in an upright posture ; but that, in the manner of other quadrupeds, they go on all fours. He considers that the hand-like conformation of their fore feet is given to them for the purpose of en- abling them to climb. This animal would often amuse herself, in the room where she was kept, by climbing upon the bars of the windows, as high as the length of her chain would allow. Of an Oran Otan which M. le Compte saw in the Straits of Malacca, he says, that all its actions were so imitative of those of mankind, and its passions were so expressive and lively, that a dumb person could scarcely have rendered himself better understood. This animal was extremely gentle, and exhibited great affection towards every person from whom it received any attentions. One thing was very remark- able, that, like a child, it would frequently make a stamping noise with its feet ; this arose either from joy or anger, when it had received or was refused any kind of food to which it was partial. Its agility was almost incredible. With the greatest ease and security it would run about amongst the rigging of the vessel, would vault about from rope to rope, and play a thousand pranks, as if it were delighted by exhibiting its feats of dexterity for the diversion- of the company. Sometimes, suspended by one arm, it would poise itself, and then suddenly turn round upon a rope, with nearly as much quickness as a wheel or a sling. Sometimes it would slide down one of the ropes, and would again ascend with astonishing agility. There was no posture which this animal could not imitate, nor any motion that it could not perform. It has even sometimes been known to fling itself downward from one rope to another, though at a distance of more than thirty feet. A young Oran Otan that had been caught in the interior of Borneo, was taken thence to Java; and, in 1817, was brought to England, in one of the ships attached to the expedition which had sailed with Lord Amherst to China. He then measured only about two feet seven inches in length, from his heel to the crown of his head. This animal was utterly incapable of walking in an upright posture. His progressive motion, on a flat surface, was accomplished by placing his bent fists upon the ground and drawing his body between his arms. In sitting, he turned his legs under him. After his ar- 40 THE OR AN OTAN, AND CHIMPANZEE. rival in Java lie was allowed to be at liberty, till within a day or two of his being put on board of the ship to be conveyed to England ; and he made no attempt whatever to escape : but he became violent when put into a large bamboo cage, for the purpose of being conveyed from the island. As soon as he felt himself in confinement, he seized the rails of the cage in his hands, and shaking them violently, endeav- ored to break them in pieces ; nor did he entirely cease till he had broken through it and made his escape. On board the ship, an attempt was made to secure him by a chain tied to a strong staple ; he, however, instantly unfastened it, and ran off with the chain dragging behind. It embarrassed him by its length, on which he coiled it up once or twice, and threw it over his shoulder ; but when he found it would *not remain on his shoulder, he took it into his mouth. After several useless attemps had been made to secure him more effectually, he was allowed to wander freely about the ship. He soon became familiar with the sailors, and surpassed them in agility. They often chased him about the rigging ; and he gave them frequent opportunities of witnessing his adroitness in effecting an escape. At first starting he would endeavour to outstrip his pursuers by mere speed : but when'he was much pressed, he would elude them by seizing any loose rope that was near him, and swinging out of their reach. At other times he would patiently wait on the shrouds, or at the mast-head; till his pursuers almost touched him, and then would suddenly lower himself to the deck by any rope that was near him ; or he would bound along the main-stay, from one mast to the other, swinging by his hands, and moving them one over the other. When in a playful humor he would often swing within arm's length of his pursuer, and, having struck him with his hand, would throw himself from him. He usually slept, wrapt in a sail, at the mast-head. In making his bed, he carefully removed everything out of his way that might render the surface he intended to lie on uneven. And, as soon as he had- satisfied himself with this part of the arrangement, he would spread out the sail, and lying down upon his back, would draw it over his body. If all the sails happened to be set, the animal would hunt about for some other covering, and would steal one of the sailor's jackets or shirts, or would empty a hammock of its blankets, and carry them away to sleep upon. When off the Cape of Good Hope, he suffered much inconvenience from the cool temperature of the atmosphere ; and would often descend from the mast shivering with cold. Then, run ing up to any one of the persons to whom he was chiefly attached, he would climb into their arms, and clasping them closely, would derive warmth from their persons, and would scream violently if any attempt was made to remove him. In Java his food was chiefly fruit ; but he also sucked eggs with voracity, and often employed himself in seeking them. He there slept in a large tamarind-tree, in which he formed a kind of bed by inter- twining the small branches of the tree, and covering them with leaves. During the day, he would lie -with his head projecting beyond the THE OR AN OTAN, AND CHIMPANZEE. 41 nest, watching those who passed beneath ; and, when he saw any one with fruit, would immediately descend, to obtain a share of it. On board the ship his food was of no definite kind. He ate readily all kinds of meat, especially raw meat ; was very fond of bread, but he always preferred fruit. His beverage in Java was water ; but, in the ship, it was as diversified as his food. He preferred coffee and tea, but would readily take wine, beer, or spirits. In the attempts of this animal to obtain food, he afforded many opportunities of judging respecting his sagacity and disposition. He was always impatient to seize it when held out to him ; became pas- sionate if it was not soon given up, and would chase a person all over the ship to obtain it. The animal had been given to Mr. Abel, the naturalist attached to the expedition ; and this gentleman seldom went on the deck without sweetmeats or fruit in his pockets ; and he could never escape the vigilant eye of the animal. Sometimes Mr. Abel endeavoured to evade him, by ascending to the mast-head, but he was always either overtaken or intercepted in his progress. When the Oran Otan came up to Mr. Abel, on the shrouds, he would secure himself by one foot to the rattling, and confine the legs of this gentleman with the other and with one of his hands, whilst, with the remaining hand, he rifled his pockets. If he found it impossible to overtake Mr. Abel, he would climb to a considerable height on the loose rigging, and then drop suddenly upon him. Or if, perceiving his intention, this gentleman attempted to descend, the animal would slide down a rope and meet him at the bottom of the shrouds. He neither practised the grimaces and antics of other Monkeys, nor possessed their perpetual proneness to mischief. Mildness and gravity, approaching to melancholy, seemed to be the characteristic of his dis- position. When he first came among strangers ; he would sit for hours with his hand upon his head, looking pensively at all around him ; and, when much incommoded by their examination, he would hide himself beneath any covering that was at hand. He soon became attached to those persons who kindly used him, would sit by their side, and run to them for protection. The boatswain of the Alcesto taught him to eat with a spoon; and the animal might often be seen at the door of the boatswain's cabin, enjoying his coffee, quite unembar- rassed by those who observed him. The favorite amusement of this Oran Otan, in Java, was to swing from the branches of trees, to pass from one tree to another, and to climb over the roofs of houses. On board the ship, he was chiefly de- lighted to hang with his arms from the ropes, and to play with the boys. He would entice them into play by striking them with his hand as they passed, and then ORAN OTAN WASHING HI3 HANDS. 42 . THE ORAN OTAN, AND CHIMPANZEE. bounding from them, but allowing them to overtake him and engage in a mock scuffle, in which he used his hands, feet, and mouth. But though, for the most part extremely gentle, he could be excited to violent rage : this he expressed by opening his mouth, showing his teeth, seizing and biting those who were near him. When brought to London, in the month of August, 1817, this animal was deposited, for exhibition, in the menagerie at Exeter 'Change. He was there found to be extremely tame and gentle, and was frequently allowed to take his food and sit by the fire, in the keeper's apartment ; and he was taught two feats which he had not practised on board the ship : these were to walk upright, or rathe'r to walk on his feet unsupported by his hands ; the other was to kiss the keeper. With regard however, to the former of these accomplishments, it may be remarked, that a well-trained dancing-dog would have far sur- passed him; and to the latter, that he merely pressed his projecting lips against the face of the keeper. This animal increased very much in all his dimensions ; and, after having lived through two winters, in London, he died on the 1st of April, 1819. The immediate cause of his death was the changing of his teeth, from which it was ascertained that he must have been extremely young when first caught. His skin and skeleton are now deposited in the museum of the College of Surgeons in London. In the month of July, 1819, a Chimpanzee, from the Gold Coast of Africa, was placed in the menagerie at Exeter 'Change. This animal was of small size and black color, and extremely mild and tractable ; but, having died not long after he was brought there, little is known respecting his habits and manners. Pere Carbassori brought up an Oran Otan, which became so fond of him, that wherever he went, it always seemed desirous of ac- companying him : whenever, therefore, he had to perform the service of his Church, he was under the necessity of shutting it up in a room. Once, however, the animal escaped, and followed the father to the church. There, silently mounting the sounding-board above the pulpit, he lay perfectly still till the sermon commenced. He then crept to the edge, and, overlooking the preacher, imitated all his gestures in so grotesque a manner, that the whole congregation were unavoidably urged to laugh. The father, surprised and confounded at this ill-timed levity, severely rebuked his audience for their inatten- tion. The reproof failed in its effect ; the congregation still laughed, and the preacher in the warmth of his zeal, redoubled his vociferations and his actions : these the Ape imitated so exactly, that the congre- gation could npVlonger restrain themselves, but burst into a loud and continued laughter. A friend of the preacher at length stepped up to him, and pointed out the cause of this improper conduct ; and such was the arch demeanor of the animal, that it was with the utmost difficulty the father could command the muscles of his countenance, and keep himself apparently serious, while he ordered the servants of the Church to take him away. THE BARBARY APE. 43 THE BARBARY APE. DESCRIPTION. The face of this Ape is shaped somewhat like that of a Dog; and its cheeks are furnished with pouches. When the animal stands upright, its height is usually betwixt three and four feet. The color of the back is a greenish brown, and of the belly, pale yellow. SYNONYMS. Simia inuus. Linn. Le Magot. Buffon. Audebert. Momenet. Johnston. fellow Ape. Du Hnlde. Barbary Ape. Pennant. Shaw. Shaw's Gen. Zool. PI. 7. The forests of India, Arabia, and Africa, abound in animals of this species ; and they are so common in Barbary, that the trees are sometimes nearly co- vered with them. A few are found about the rock of Gibraltar. They subsist on vege- tables and fruit; and in their manners are equally fierce and mischievous. We are informed that some- BARBAEY Apt times they assemble in the open plains of India, in vast troops, and that if they see any of the women going to market, they attack them and take away their provisions. Tavernier, apparently alluding to this species, says, that some of the inhabitants of India have an odd mode of amusing themselves at their expense. They place five or six baskets of rice, forty or fifty yards asunder, in an open ground near their retreat, and by every basket put a number of stout cudgels each about two feet long ; they then retire to some hiding-place, not far distant, to wait the event. When the Apes observe that there are no persons near the baskets, they descend in great numbers from the trees, and run towards them. They grin at each for some time -before they dare approach ; they advance, then retreat, and seem much dis- inclined to encounter each other. At length the females, which are more courageous than the males, venture to approach the baskets, and as they thrust in their heads to eat, the males on one side advance to prevent them. A sharp contest now commences. The different combatants seize the cudgels and beat each other, till the weakest party is driven into the woods. The victors, M. Tavernier tells us, then fall-to in peace, and devour the reward of their labor. He states that as he was travelling in the East Indies, in company with the English president, several large apes were observed upon the trees around him. The president was so much amused, that he ordered his carriage to stop, and desired M. Tavernier to shoot one of them. The attendants, who were principally natives and well acquainted with the manners of these animals, entreated of him to desist, least those that escaped might do them some injury in revenge for the death of a companion. Being, however, still requested, he killed one of them, In an instant all the remaining Apes, to the number of sixty or up 44 THE PIGMY APE. BARBAKY APE. wards, descended in fury, and as many as could, leaped upon the president's coach, where they would soon have strangled him, had not the blinds been immediately closed, and the number of attendants so at as to drive them off. They lowever continued to run after the servants for at least three miles from the place where their com- panion was slain. This species of Ape agrees well with our climate, and is very common in exhibitions in this country. It walks on four in preference to two legs ; and uses the same grimaces to express both anger and appetite. Its movements are brisk, its manners gross ; and when agitated by passion, it exhibits and grinds its teeth. Notwithstanding their ferocious and unaccommodating disposition, these animals are sometimes taught to dance, to make gesticulations in cadence, and allow themselves peaceably to be clothed. M. de Buffon had a Barbary Ape for several years. In summer, he says, it delighted to be in the open air; and, even in winter, it was frequently kept in a room without fire. Though long in con- finement, it did not become at all civilized. Whenever food was given to it, it filled its pouches ; and when about to sleep, loved to perch on an iron or wooden bar. THE PIGMY APE. DESCRIPTION. The Pigmy Ape, \vhen on its hind legs, is about two feet high. Its face is almost naked, and is somewhat long and wrinkled. The canine-teeth are short, and, as well &3 the ears, very much resemble those of men. The eyes are round, reddish, and have great vivacity. The posteriors are naked and callous ; and, in place of a tail, there is a small prominent piece of skin, five or six lines in length. The general colors of the body are olive-brown above, and yellowish on the belly ; and, iu many individuals, part of the breast and belly have a large, dark-colored mark. SYNONYMS. Simia sylvanus. Linn. Pitheque Buffon. Pigmy Ape. Pennant. Shaw's Gen. Zool. PL 8. According to the account given by M. Desfontaines, these Apes live in great troops ; and at Sara, in ancient Numidia, are numerous be- yond description. Their food con- sists chiefly of pine-apples, nuts, Indian figs, melons, and various kinds of fruit and vegetables. Like many others of their tribe, they often go in a body to attack gardens or plantations ; and, notwithstanding all the care that is taken to prevent their depredations, they are frequently successful. Previously to the THE PIGMY APE. 45 commencement of their plundering, they always sead one of their party to the top of some adjacent rock or tree, to give notice to the rest of any appearance of interruption. This animal remains on watch during the whole business ; and, if he perceive any person ap- proach, or hear any alarming noise, he gives a loud shriek, on which the whole troop immediately run offj and climb the trees, carrying away with them whatever they may happen to have seized. If the alarm continue, and the country be well wooded, they pursue their roate, leaping from tree to tree, all the way to the mountains. In this procedure the females are often burdened by their young ones clinging round their necks and backs ; and yet, in spite of such an incumbrance, they are able to leap to vast distances. The injury that these animals do to the fruits and corn is incalculable. They gather them into heaps, and tear and throw them on the ground in such quantities, that what they eat or carry off is generally trifling compared with the whole quantity which they destroy. The females seldom produce more than one young one at a birth. This, almost as soon as it comes into the world, clings to the back of its dam, and so closely embraces her neck with its arms, as not to be shaken off by any of her usual exertions. The Pigmy Apes have not hitherto been known to breed in a domestic state, even when kept in large enclosed court-yards, and in their native country. The natural disposition of these creatures is in general so mild, that, in most cases, they may be tamed without difficulty. In their general manners they are gay and frolicsome, and they always chatter when pleased ; but when irritated, they use threatening gestures and will generally bite, with great fury, such persons as injure or insult them. To those, on the contrary, from whom they are accustomed to receive attentions, they become greatly attached : they will exhibit toward them strong proofs of fidelity, and will even follow them about from place to place without attempting to escape. When these Apes are alarmed, their fear is always plainly depicted in the countenance; for this changes color somewhat like that of a man. They are in general a dirty, filthy species, and leave an unpleasant smell wherever they go. With the most mischievous propensity, they break and de- stroy nearly everything that lies in their way; and they are only to be restrained from this by severe chastisement. They use both their hands and feet with singular address in laying hold of objects. M. Desfontaines informs us that he has often seen these animals throw off with the greatest ease, chains by which they appeared to be strongly secured. In the supplementary volumes of M. de Buffon, we are informed that this writer kept a male Pigmy Ape for more than a year. He says that its usual mode of walking was on four feet ; and that it could seldom be induced to walk upright for more than a few minutes at a time. It was an active animal, and generally in motion. Its greatest delight seemed to be in leaping, climbing, and catching at every thing within its reach. Whenever it was left alone it exhibited symptoms of discontent., by exerting a kind of mournful cry. In its 46 BABOONS THE MOTTLED. disposition it was so mild, that it was rarely known to bite with se- verity any one who teased or offended it. The Pigmy Apes generally sleep in caverns in the woods ; and we are told that the natives of the country which they inhabit sometimes adopt a singular mode of taking them, for the purpose of fattening them as food. They place, near their haunts, vessels containing strong liquors; and the animals, assembling to enjoy so unexpected a repast, become intoxicated, fall asleep together, and in this predica- ment are easily secured. II. BABOONS. THE COMMON OB MOTTLED BABOON. DESCRIPTION. This animal, which is found in the hottest parts of Africa, is frequently three or four feet in height, and, in its upper parts, excessively strong and muscular. Toward the middle of the body it is, like all the Baboons, very slender. Its general color is a grayish brown ; and the face, which is long, is of a tawny flesh color. It has pouches in its cheeks. The tail is very short, and the posteriors are bare, and callous. Shaw. SYNONYMS. Siinia Sphinx. Linnceus. Mottled Baboon. Pennant. Le Papion. Bujfon. Audeltert. Common Baboon. Shaic. Baboon. Bctoick. Shaw's Gen. Zool. PI. 16. Bew. Quad. p. 254. THE disposition of these Baboons is exceed- ingly ferocious, and their appearance is at once both grotesque and formidable. When confined in a cage they will sometimes lay hold of the bars, and shake them so powerfully as to make all the spectators tremble ; and, in their native forests, they are oftentimes dangerous enemies. In Siam they frequently sally forth in aston- ishing multitudes, to attack the villages, during the time the laborers are occupied in the rice COMMON BABOON. harvest ; and they plunder the habitations of whatever provisions they can lay their paws on. Fruit, corn, and roots form their principal food ; and, in obtaining these, they often commit the most violent outrages. They are so strong that, in a wild state, one of these Baboons can easily overpower two or three men, if they be unprovided with weapons of defence. The females seldom have more than one young one each: this they carry between their arms ; and they have not been known to produce in any other than hot climates. In confinement, these animals are always savage and ill-natured ; they frequently grind their teeth, fret and chafe with the utmost fury. One that was exhibited at Edinburgh in 1779, uniformly presented to the spectators the most threatening aspect, and attempted to seize every person who came within the reach of his chain : on such occa- sions he usually made a deep grunting noise. So fond are these Baboons of eggs, that one of them has been known to put eight into his cheek-pouches at once ; and then, taking them out one by one, THE RHB-NOSED BABOON. 47 has been observed to break them at the end and deliberately swallow their contents. They may be induced to eat meat, but not unless it be cooked ; they are particularly partial to wine and spirits. One of these animals, which Mr. Pennant saw at Chester, was of tremendous strength, and excessively fierce. Its voice was a kind of roar, not unlike that of a Lion, except that it was low and somewhat inward. It walked on all fours, and never stood on its hind legs unless it was compelled to do so by the keeper ; but would frequently sit on its rump, in a crouching manner, and drop its arms across before its body. Mr. Pennant says that this animal was particularly fond of cheese ; and that, whenever ears of wheat were given it, it dexterously picked out the grains, one by one, with its teeth, and ate them. The capricious disposition of this Baboon often leads it to the most deliberate acts of mischief. Dr. Goldsmith says he has seen one of these animals break a whole service of china, evidently by design, yet without appearing to be in the least conscious of having done amiss. THE HANDBILL, OR RIB-NOSED BABOON. DESCRIPTION. In height this animal, when standing upright, measures from three feet and a half to four and a half or five feet. The face is naked j and the cheeks are of a violet-blue color, and have several oblique furrows. The nose is deep red. The skin round the eyes is vio- let j and the irides are hazel. The hair round the neck is very long. The hair of the sides of the head joins that at the top, and the whole terminates in a somewhat pointed form. The beard is yellowish. Each hair of the body is annulated with black and yellow, which gives to the whole fur a greenish brown appearance. This animal has pouches in its cheeks. SYNONYMS. Simia Mormon. Simia Maimon. Linncens. Le Mandril. Le Choras. Buffon. -Le Mandrill. Geoffrey. Audebert. Latreille. Mantegar. Phil. Tran. Great Baboon. Rib-nosed Baboon. Pennant. Variegated Baboon. Maimon. Shaw. Bew. Quad. p. 456. It is difficult to figure to the mind an animal more dis- gusting in its manners, or more hideous in its appear- ance, than the Mandrill. Un- der its projecting forehead are two small and vivid eyes, situated so near to each other that their position alone gives to the physiognomy an air of ferocity. An enormous muz- zle, indicative of the most brutal passions, terminates in a broad and rounded extrem- ity of a fiery red color, from which continually oozes a mucus humor. The cheeks, greatly swollen, and deeply furrowed, are naked, and of a MANJ>RIU,. violet-blue color. A narrow, blood-colored ridge extends down the 48 THE DOG-FACED BABOON. middle of the face, and terminates in the nose. The canine-teeth are sharp and extremely large. The tail is short ; and the posteriors are naked and red, with shades of blackish and blue. Never did the disposition of an animal answer more correctly to its physiognomy, than that of the Mandrill. None of the various means which have been adopted to subdue the ferocity of other beasts, have succeeded with this. Endowed, likewise, with muscular power and strength incomparably beyond those of man, the keepers of wild animals are always in dread of it. Its whole appearance, its gestures and its cries, are horrid ; in short, it affords to us a striking emblem of vice in its greatest deformity. But the Mandrill has not, in every part of its age, this excess of bru- tality. Until it has attained that period of its growth when the ca- nine-teeth are first developed, which usually takes place about the age of two years, its face is black, and it is as gentle as most other young animals. After this time, however, but more particularly after its sub- sequent change of them, the hair becomes long and wiry, the cheeks assume their livid color, the body gradually takes its muscular form, and the ferocious passions are also developed. It has been said that the voice of the Mandrill somewhat resemble/3 the roaring of a Lion. Its cry is oow, aou, pronounced from the throat. These animals will live on fruit, carrots, and bread; and they eat to the amount of two or three pounds weight per day. They will likewise eat meat that has been cooked, but they always refuse such as is raw. "When nuts are given to them, they crush them be- tween their teeth, and they swallow indiscriminately both the shells and kernels. They are fond of fermented liquors, and particulail/ of wine and spirits. Mandrills are found, in a wild state, on the Gold Coast, and in sev- eral other parts of Africa. Some of them are said also to be natives of the East Indies, and of the Islands of the Indian Archipelago. THE DOG-FACED BABOOX. DESCRIPTION. The Dog-faced Baboon is betwixt four and five feet high. Their head avid face greatly resemble those of a dog. The hair is of a dusky color, and peculiarly long and shaggy as far as the waist, but short on the hinder parts. The face is naked; and the ears wre pointed and concealed in the fur. The Dog-faced Baboons are natives of various parts of Africa and Asia. SYNPNYMS. Simia haraadryas. Linnaeus. Le Tartarin. Brisson. Le Babouin a mus-?au de Chien. Buffon. Dog-faced Baboon. Pennant. Shaw. Shaw's Gen. Zool. PL IS. Bewick's Quad. p. 460. These animals usually associate in vast companies. When travel- lers pass their haunts, they run into the nearest trees, and shake the boughs with great vehemence, at the same time chattering very THE J30G-FACED BABOON. 49 loudly. They are so powerful, as, without difficulty, to overcome a man ; and they fre- quently commit such depredations in culti- vated grounds, that the proprietors are com- pelled to have armed men continually on the watch to prevent them from plundering. Among the moun- tains near the Cape of Good lEope there are immense troops of these Baboons, or of a kind called Ursine Baboons, which are very nearly allied to haunts, these animals DOG-FACED BABOON. them. When any person approaches their set up a universal and horrible cry for a minute or two, and then conceal themselves in their fastnesses, and keep a profound silence. They seldon descend to the plains, except for the purpose of plundering the gardens that lie near the foot of the mountains. While they are engaged in this operation, they are care- ful to place sentinels for the purpose of preventing a surprise. They break the fruit in pieces, and cram it into their cheek-pouches, in order, afterwards, to eat it at leisure. The sentinel, if he sees a man, gives a loud yell ; and the whole troop retreats with the utmost ex- pedition, and in a most diverting manner, the young ones jumping on and clinging to the backs of their parents. W hen these animals discover any sin- gle person resting and regaling himself in the fields, they, if possible, approach behind, and snatch away whatever they can lay hold of; then, running to a little distance, they will turn round, seat them- selves on their posteriors, and, with the most arch grimaces imaginable, will devour it before the man's face. They frequently hold it out in their paws, as if to offer it back again, and use such ridiculous gestures, that, although the poor fellow loses his dinner, he seldom can refrain from laughing. These Ursine Baboons are indeed so numerous among the moun- tains, as, at times, to render it exceedingly dangerous for travellers to pass them. They sit undismayed on the tops of the rocks, and sometimes roll or throw from thence stones of immense size. A gun, in these cases, is generally of indispensable use, in driving them to such a distance that the stones they throw may do no material injury, GROUP OF BABOONS. 50 THE DOG-FACED BABOON. In their flight, even with their cubs upon their backs, they often make most astonishing leaps up perpendicular rocks. And their agility is so great as to render them very difficult to be killed, even with firearms. Lade has very accurately described their manners. " We traversed a great mountain near the Cape of Good Hope, and amused ourselves with hunting large Apes, which are very numerous in that place. I can neither describe all the arts practiced by these animals, nor the nimbleness and impudence with which they returned, after being pur- sued by us. Sometimes they allowed us to approach so near, that I was almost certain of seizing them. But when I made the attempt, they sprang, at a single leap, ten paces from me, and mounted the trees with surprising agility. They thence looked at us with great indifference, and seemed to derive pleasure from our astonishment. Some of them were so large, that, if our interpreter had not assured us they were neither ferocious nor dangerous, our number would not have appeared sufficient to protect us from their attacks. As it could serve no purpose to kill them, we did not use our guns. But the captain levelled his at a very large one that was seated on the top of a tree. This kind of menace, of which the animal, perhaps, recollected his having sometimes seen the consequences, terrified him to such a degree, that he fell down motionless at our feet, and we had no diffi- culty in seizing him. But, when he recovered from his stupor, it re- quired all our dexterity and efforts to keep him. We tied his paws together, but he bit so furiously, that we were under the necessity of binding our handkerchiefs over his head." In confinement these Baboons maybe rendered docile; yet they always retain the disposition to revenge an injury. At the Cape they are often caught when young, and brought up with milk ; and Kolben tells us, that they will become as watchful over their master's property as the most valuable house-dog is in Europe. Many of the Hottentots believe they can speak, but that they avoid doing so least they should be enslaved, and compelled to work. Though not naturally carnivo- rous, they will eat either meat or fish that is cooked. They are gen- erally kept chained to a pole ; and their agility in climbing, leaping, and dodging any one that offers to strike them, is almost incredible. Though one of these animals was thus tied up, it was impossible, at the distance of a few yards, to hit him with a stone. He would either catch it, like a ball, in his paw, or he would avoid its blow with the most astonishing agility. These Baboons are sometimes hunted with dogs ; but it is found necessary to have a considerable number in the chase. A single dog is by no means sufficient; for if the Baboon can but once lay hold of a dog by the hind legs, he will swing him round till he is giddy. With their immense teeth they also bite violently, and, by means of them, they are able to defend themselves with the utmost obstinacy. This seems to have been the kind of Ape that M. le Vaillant had long with him in his travels through the southern parts of Africa, and to which he gave the name of Kees. It was of infinite use to his people ; was more watchful than any of his dogs ; and frequently ' warned him of the approach of predacious animals, when the dogs seemed unconscious that such were near. MONKEYS THE EGRET. 51 CREY BABOO*. Both the Dog-faced and Ursine Baboons have been frequently brought into England. In the month of February, 1820, there were two young ones in the menagerie at Exeter Change. The Grey Baboon is found in the East of Africa, where they do much damage to the coffee plantations. They are large and rather formidable animals. III. MONKEYS. EGRET MONKEY. THE EGRET MONKEY. DESCRIPTION. This species of Monkey is about two feet in height. It has somewhat the color of a wolf; and the feet are black. The head is large and ugly. The nose is depressed, the cheeks are wrinkled, the eyebrows prominent and bristly, and the lip is cleft with a double fissure. On the top of the head there is a pointed tuft of hair. SYNONYMS. Simla Aygula. Linn, L' Aigrette. Bvffon. Audebert. Egret Monkey. Pen- nant. Shaw. IN the forests of Southern Africa, India, and Java, these Monkeys are frequently seen by travellers to gambol on the trees with great liveliness and activity; and among the branches of these they keep up an incessant noise during the night. They often assem- ble in troops, for the purpose of plun- dering the plantations. When they have entered a field of millet, they load themselves with this gram, by taking in their mouths and in each paw as much as they can carry, and putting a quantity of it under their arms. Thus laden they return to their retreats, leaping all the way on their hind feet. If pursued; they do not, in their alarm, let the whole fall, in order to run off: they drop the stalks which they hold in their hands, and under their arms, that they may run on their four feet, which they do with more speed than on two ; but they still retain what they carried in their mouth. In collecting the maize, they examine, with the most scrupu- lous accuracy, every stalk they pull ; and those which they find not perfectly suited to their purpose they throw away. By this delicacy of choice they often do infinitely more damage than even by what they carry off to their habitations/ 5 " Few animals are more dirty, ugly, or loathsome than the Egret Monkeys. When awake they frequently grind their teeth, and knit their brows ; and during these and their various other grimaces, they can scarcely be viewed without disgust and horror. Yet if taken young, and reared with attention, they will become exceedingly mild * This account has been applied by some naturalists only to the present species ; but Bosman. who is their principal authority, makes it common to most of the Monkeys that are found on the coast of Guinea. 5Z THE CHINESE MONKEY. and tractable. M. Audebert informs us that he has seen a female of this species, which exhibited symptoms of the sincerest affection towards a small Magot (perhaps Pigmy Ape) that was confined in the same cage. The Egret was attentive to its wants, caressed, and fre- quently held it to her bosom in her folded arms. THE CHINESE MOXKEY. DESCRIPTION. The Chinese Monkey has its name from the singular disposition of the hair on the top of its head this is parted in the middle ; lies smooth over each side, and spreads in a circular manner, so as somewhat to resemble a Chinese cap. It is about the size of a cat, has a long tail, and is of a pale yellowish brown color. STNOMYMS. Simia Sinica. Linncens. Le Bonnet Chinois. Buffon. Audebert. Chinese Monkey. Pennant. Shaw. Shaw's Gen. Zool. PL 20, from Bit/on If we may believe the accounts which various travellers have given of the parts of the East Indies, and the Indian Islands, which are inhabit- ed by these Monkeys, the proprietors of corn-fields and of sugar-plantations are frequently injured to a great extent by their pred- atory incursions. In their depredations in the sugar- grounds, etc., they always place a sentinel, on some adjacent tree, to watch whilst the rest load themselves with plunder. If any person approach he screams loudly to his companions, each of which, seizing as many canes as he can grasp, in his right arm, instantly runs oft' on three legs. If closely pursued, they throw away their prize, and endeavor to save themselves by scrambling up the trees. When corn, fruit, and succulent plants fail, they eat insects ; and they sometimes descend to the margins of rivers, and to the sea-coast, in order to catch fish and crabs. They are said to put their tail be- twixt the pincers of crabs, and, when these are closed, to carry them off, and eat them at leisure. They also gather cocoa-nuts, and are well-acquainted with the method of extracting the juice for drink, and the kernel for food. Indeed, the natives of India often catch these Monkeys by means of a cocoa-nut with a hole in it. This is laid near their haunts, and some one of them takes it up, and with difficulty thrusts his paw into the hole in order to get at the kernel; the people who are on watch then immediately run up, and seize the animal be- fore he can disengage himself. These Monkeys, like most others of their tribe, are wonderfully active. They leap, with great agility, from tree to tree; and even the females, although loaded with their young ones, are able to leap BADOOX AND CHINESE MONKET. STRIATED MONKJEY. THE STRIATED MONKEY, ,53 nearly as well as the rest. We are informed by Pryard, that, in Calicut, they were formerly so numerous, and so impudent, that the inhabitants were under the necessity of having trellises to their windows, in order to prevent them from entering into and plunder- ring their houses. THE STRIATED MONKEY. DESCRIPTION. This animal is no larger than a squirrel. Its tail is long, thickly covered with fur, and beautifully marked, through its whole length, with alternate rings of black and white. The body is of a reddish ash-color, slightly undulated with dusky shades. The face is flesh- colored, and has on each side a large and thick tuft of milk-white hair, standing out before the ears. The paws, which are covered with hair, have sharp nails. Shaio. SYNONYMS. Simia iacchus. Linn MONKEY. by their tails ; and that they will swing backward and forward in this manner till the lowest monkey catches hold of a bough of the next tree, from which he draws the rest up. We are also told, that, by a similar expedient, they occasionally cross rivers, where the banks are steep. In Guiana, these Monkeys are said to be extremely numerous. They live chiefly on fruit and roots, though they will occasionally eat insects and worms: they are likewise fond of shell-fish. When running about in forests, they are sometimes guilty of very mischievous pranks. They are not, like the Howling Monkeys, alarmed at the approach of hunters, unless they have guns ; but at the report of these they all immediately run away. Sometimes they will break pieces off the branches of trees, and throw them with great dexterity at the men as they pass below ; and they not unfrequently adopt even more unpleasant modes of repulsion. In these situations they assume a thousand attitudes, which often afford great diversion to the spectators. The agility with which they pass from one tree to another is really wonderful. M. Audebert . says, that he has seen a Four-fingered Monkey climb up one of the trees on the Boulevards of Paris ; where, coiling his tail round one of the branches, it swung itself a few times backward and forward, and then, with the force thus acquired, darted into the next adjacent tree. The countenance of these animals has at all times a. grave and melancholy expression. They are easily tamed, but, by confinement, they lose much of their natural playfulness: they seem to shun the THE FOUR-FINGERED MONKEY. 57 sight of mankind, and usually sit with their heads bent upon their stomach, as if to conceal themselves from observation. When touched they utter a plaintive kind of cry ; and they have another kind of sound, nearly similar, which they emit in testification of delight at receiving any kind of food to which they are particularly partial. These animals are peculiarly dexterous in the use of their tail. They can pick up with it objects so small as bits of wood or straw. M. Audebert says, that he has seen a four-fingered Monkey carry hay with its tail, for the purpose of making its bed, and move and spread it about with as much facility as an elephant could have done with his trunk. A four-fingered Monkey has also been known, in its frolic, to lay hold in this manner of a squirrel, which had been put into the same cage Avith it as a companion. So delicate are these Monkeys, that it is not without great difficulty that they can support a long voyage. The consequence is, that they are not often brought alive into 1 England; and that, even if they ar- rive in tolerable good health, the cold of our northern climate soon destroys them. It was a Monkey either of this species, or of one nearly allied to it, which Captain Stedman shot whilst in Surinam, for the purpose of making it into broth, and the destruction of which was, he says, at- tended with such circumstances as almost ever afterward deterred him from going a monkey-hunting. The narrative is so interesting, that I shall give it in his own words. "Seeing me near the bank of the river in the canoe, the creature made a halt from skipping after his companions, and, being perched on a branch that hung over the water, examined me with attention, and with the strongest marks of curiosity, no doubt taking me for a giant of his own species ; while he chattered prodigiously, and kept dancing and shaking the bough on which he rested, with incredible strength and agility. At this time I laid my piece to my shoulder, and brought him down from the tree into the stream. But may I never again be witness to such a scene ! the miserable animal was not dead, but mortally wounded. I seized him by the tail, and, taking him in both my hands, to end his torment swung him round, and hit his head against the side of the canoe: but the poor creature still continuing alive, and looking at me in the most affecting manner that can be conceived, I knew no other means of ending his murder, than to hold him under the water till he was drowned; while my heart sickened on his account: for his dying eyes still continued to follow me with seeming reproach, till their light gradually forsook them, and the wretched animal expired. I felt so much on this occasion, that I could neither taste of him nor of another which had been shot at the same time, though I saw that they afforded to my companions a delicious repast." Of the same species Captain Stedrnan relates a circumstance very remarkable. He says, that he one day saw from his barge, one of these Monkeys come down to the water's edge, rinse its niouth, and appear to clean its teeth with one of its fingers. THE FEARFUL MONKEY. 58 THE FEARFUL MONKEY. THE FEARFUL MONKEY. DESCRIPTION. This Monkey is about the size of a small cat, and its tail is somewhat longer than, the body. The tail is prehensile, but it is not naked at the under part of the extremity. The individuals vary much in color ; some being red, others brown, and others grey. The legs, thighs, feet, and tail, are black. The face and ears are naked, and of a dark flesh-color. These Monkeys are extremely common in the woody districts cf Cayenne and Surinam. SYNONYMS. Siinia trepida. Linn. Le Sajou. Buffon. Audebert. Fearful Monkey. Pen- nant. Bush-tailed Monkey. Edicards. Sajouassou, in South America. There is no species of Monkey more agile, dexterous, and amusing than this. Even the Indians of South America, who, in general, are very inattentive to this race of animals, are frequently induced to stop their canoes, in order to admire the playfulness and grimaces of these Monkeys, in the forests adjacent to the rivers. Their troops usually consist of from twenty to forty individuals. They frequently whistle. When enraged, they shake their heads violently ; and utter, in a ferocious tone, the syllables Pi, ca, rou. Their tail is prehensile, but they use it with much less address, in laying hold of objects, than the four-fingered Monkey. Of all the Monkeys of South America these are the best able to support the rigor of our climate. If attended to with care, they will live comfortably in a room without fire. Of this M. de Buffon men- tions two instances ; and he speaks of their affection toward their offspring as peculiarly interesting. A female that was kept at Bourdeaux, in the year 1764, produced there a young one. Nothing, he says, could be more beautiful than to see the two parents occupied with their little charge, which they teased incessantly, either by carrying it about, or by caressing it. The male loved it to distraction. They carried it alternately ; but now and then, when it did not hold properly, they gave it a severe bite. So gentle and domestic are these Monkeys, when treated kindly, that it is not necessary to keep them chained. But if they be per- mitted to range at liberty, their restless and curious or inquisitive disposition renders them occasionally very troublesome. They will break, tear, and upset almost every thing that lies in their way. Their food is fruit, bread, or roots ; and they will devour large insects of all kinds. They search eagerly after spiders, of which they are peculiarly fond. They are partial both to wine and spirits. It is said, that in Cayenne no other animals of the same tribe are such excellent guards of the houses as these. Some of them have been rendered so tame as to follow their master out of doors like a dog. They are, however, extremely whimsical in their attachments, enter- taining for some persons great partiality and for others the most decided aversion. THE SQUIRREL MONKEY. 59 THE SQUIRREL-MONKEY. DESCRIPTION. This animal is about the size of a Rabbit. The color of its body is reddish and the tail is black at the extremity. The fore-feet are orange-colored. The head is very round, and the face milk-white, with a round black patch in the middle, in which are the mouth and nostrils. The eyes are black and lively. SYNONYMS. Simia Sciurea. Linnceu*. Orange Monkey. Pennant. Caitaia. Marcgrave. Le Siamiri. Bujfon. Audebert. Keesee-Keesee. Stedman. Squirrel Monkey. Sk-nic. Shaw's Gen. ZooL PL 25. !i In his account of Surinam, Capt. Stedman informs us, respecting these Monkeys, that he saw them daily passing along the sides of the river, skipping from tree to tree, regularly following each other, like a little army, with their young ones at their backs, not unlike small knapsacks. Their manner of travelling is this: the fore- most walks to the extremity of a bough, from which it bounds to the extremity of one belonging to the next tree, often a surprising distance and with such wonderful activity and precision, that it never once misses its aim : the others one by one, and even the females with their little ones at their backs, which stick fast to their mother, follow their leader, and perform the same leap with the greatest apparent facility and safety. They are also remarkable for climbing up the nebees, or natural ropes, with which many parts of the forest are inter- woven. WHITE-NOSED MONKEY. The White-nosed Monkey is an African species. Its name is given from the color of its nose; its body is black, with a lighter tint in the under part. SQUHIREL-MONKEY. WHITE-NOSED MONKEY. THE PINCHE. The Pinche is one of the American Monkeys. It abounds in the forests of Columbia. Its body is only seven 60 DIANA, MARMOSET, AND AGILE MONKEYS. inches long. Its bead is covered with long white hair ; other parts of the body are white, mixed with red. DIANA MONKEY. The Diana Monkey has a white cres- cent on its brow, from which it has received its name. It is found on the west coast of Africa, It is docile in captivity, and is remarkable for the grace of its movements. Specimens of this species were formerly in possession of the London Zoological Society. DIANA MO.NKEY. THE MARMOSET MONKEY. The Marmoset, says Wood, is a most interesting little creature. It is exceedingly sensitive to cold, and when in England is usually oc- cupied in nestling among the materials for its bed, which it heaps up in one corner, and out of which it seldom emerges entirely. It will eat almost any article of food*,' but is especially fond of insects, which it dispatches in a very adroit manner. It will also eat fruits, especially those of its native country. Its fondness for insects is carried so far, that it has been known to pinch out the figures of beetles in an ento- mological work, and swallow them. A beautiful little Marmoset in the Zoological Gardens ate a great number of flies which were caught and presented to it. Its little eyes sparkled with eagerness each time that it saw the hand moving to- ward a fly settled out of its reach, and it even ventured from its warm wooly nest, and climbed up the wires of its cage as it saw the fly ap- proaching. It was also rather expert at catching for itself the flies that settled on the bars of the cage. A blue-bottle fly was evidently considered a great prize. THE AGILE GIBBON MONKEY. The Agile Gibbon, says Wood, is a native of Sumatra. It derives its name of Agile from the wonderful activity it displays in launching itself through the air from branch to branch. One of these creatures, that was exhibited in London some time since, sprang with the greatest ease through distances of twelve and eighteen feet ; and when apples or nuts were thrown to her while in the air, she would catch them without discontinuing her course. She kept up a succession of springs, hardly touching the branches in her progress, continually uttering a musical but almost deafening cry. She was very tame and WHITE-EYE-LID AND WANDEROO MONKEYS. 61 gentle, and would permit herself to be touched or caressed. The height of the Gibbon is about three feet, and the reach of the extended arms about six feet. The young Gibbon is usually of a paler color than its parent. There are several species of Gibbon, amongst which some naturalists include the Siamang, a Monkey chiefly celebrated for the pains it takes to wash the faces of its young, a duty which it con- scientiously performs in spite of the struggles and scrtams of its aggrieved offspring. AGILE GIBBON. THE WHITE-EYE-LID MONKEY. The White-Eye-lid Monkey is one of the African species It has a slender form and a very long tail; a long face and white eye-lids. A beau- tiful specimen of this species was recently exhibited at the Gardens of the Zoological Society in London. TTHITE-EYE-LID MONKEY. THE WANDEROO MONKEY. A specimen of this species, brought from the East Indies, was exhibited at the Gardens of the Zoological Society. It has an abundance of long hair about the head: which gives it rather a savage aspect. Its color is black, and its man- ners in captivity are docile. It is playful, and not much given to mischief. It has sometimes been called the lion-tailed monkey. It is found in Ceylon, and some of the other eastern Islands. ffAXDEROO MONXY. 62 MONA, KAHAU, AND GUEREZA MONKEYS. THE MONA MONKEY. This is a graceful and beautiful species, found in the northern parts of Africa. It is of a dark brown color on the upper part of the body, and white be- neath. Its forehead has a crescent of white hairs like the Diana Monkey, ^and its neck is adorned with a sort of frill of light hair. One of these Monkeys was in pos- session of the London Zoological Society. MOXA MONKEY. THE KAHAU OR PROBOSCIS MONKEY. The Kahau is a native of Borneo. It derives its name from the cry it utters, which is a repetition of the word ' Ka- hau." It is remarkable for the extra- ordinary size and shape of its nose, and the natives relate that while leaping it holds that organ with its paws, apparently to guard it against the branches. As may be seen from the engraving it is not an animal of very captivating appear- ance; but when it has been macerated in spirits of wine for a few months, its ugliness is quite supernatural. Katural- ists formerly supposed that there were two species of this animal, the nose of one being aquiline like that of the Mon- key in the accompanying cut; and that of the other being slightly retroussee. It was discovered, however, that the latter animal was only the young Kahau, whose nose had not reached its full beauty. The length of the' animal from the head to the tip of the tail is about four feet four inches ; and its general color is a sandy red, re- lieved by yellow cheeks and a yellow stripe over the shoulders. KAHAU OR PROBOSCIS MOHKEY. THE GUEREZA. This animal has the head, face and neck, back, limbs, and part of the tail, covered with short black hair; the temples, chin, throat, and a band over the eyes white; the sides, flanks from the shoulders down- ward, and loins clothed with long white hair, which hangs down on THE AYE-AYE MONKEY. CCEREZA MONKEY. each side, like a loose garment. specimen in the British It is found in Abyssina; there is a AYE-AYE. This animal is con- sidered by the natu- ralists as something between, a Squirrel and a Monkey. It is found in Madagascar. Its habits are noctur- nal; its eyes are like those of an owl, and it sees badly by day. It is sluggish, very sensitive to cold, and slow of motion. It lives in the woods on birds,fruits, and other vegetable matter and on insects. AYE-ATE MONKEY. 64 TEE-TEE AND FULL-BOTTOMED MONKEYS. COLLARED TEE-TEE JIONKET. THE COLLARED TEE-TEE. The Collared Tee-Tee, or White- throated Squirrel Monkey, says Wood, is found to the east of the Orinoca. It lives on small birds, insects, and fruits. Its habits are, apparently, mild and inoffensive, but its acts belie its looks, for when a small bird is presented to it, it springs upon its prey, like a cat, and speedily devours it. THE FULL-BOTTOM. This animal is found in Sierra Le- one, where it is much sought by the natives, for the purpose of applying its singularly beau- tiful hair to pur- poses of ornament. While the body is black, the head and shoulders are cover- ed with an enor- mous quantity of white hair, giving the animal the ap- pearance of wear- ing an old-fashioned full-bottomed wig, from which circum- stance it is some- times called the Full-Bottom. FULL-BOTTOM MONKEY. OF MONKEYS IN GENERAL. 65 GROUP OF MONKEYS. ANECDOTES OF SOME UNASCERTAINED SPECIES OF MONKEYS. M. D'OBSONVILLE, speaking of the sanc- tuaries for Monkeys in several parts of India, says, that when travelling he has oc- casionally entered these ancient temples to repose himself, and that the animals were not in the least alarmed at his ap- proach. He has seen several of them at first considering him, and then attentively look- ing at the food he was about to eat. Their eyes and agitation always painted their inquie- tude, their passion to gormandize, and the strong desire they had to appropriate at least a part of his repast to themselves. In order to amuse himself on these occasions, he always took care to provide a quantity of parched peas. At first he would scatter a few on the side where the chief was, (for he says they have always a principal Monkey to head them,) and the animal would approach by- degrees, and collect them with avidity. He then used to present his hand full; and, as they are in general accustomed to see none but pacific people, the chief would venture, but in a sideling manner, to approach, as if eagerly watching that there was no sinister contri- vance. Presently, becoming bold, he would seize the thumb of the hand in which the peas were held, with one paw, and take the corn out with the other, keeping at the same time his eye steadily fixed on those of M. D'Obsonville. "If," continues this writer, " I laughed or moved, he would break off his repast, and working his lips, would make a kind of muttering, the sense of which, his long canine teeth, occasionally shown, plainly interpreted. When I threw a few at a distance, he seemed satisfied that others should gather them ; but he grumbled at, and sometimes struck, those that came too near me. His cries and solicitude, though in part, perhaps, the effect of greedi- ness, apparently indicated his fear, lest I should take advantage of their weakness to ensnare them: and I constantly observed that those . which were suffered to approach me nearest, were the well-grown and strong males ; the young ones and the females were always obliged to keep at a considerable distance. Monkeys are generally peaceable enough among each other. ID extensive, solitary, and fertile places, herds of different species some 66 OF MONKEYS IN GENERAL. times chatter together, but without disturbance or any confusion of the race. When, however, adventurous stragglers seem desirous of seeking their fortunes in places of which another herd is in possession, these immediately unite to sustain their rights. M. de Maisonprc, and six other Europeans, were witnesses to a singular contention of this nature, in the enclosures of the Pagodas of Cherinam. A large and strong Monkey had stolen in, but was soon discovered. At the first cry of alarm, many of the males united, and ran to attack the stranger. Though much superior both in size and strength to his op- ponents, he saw his danger, and ran towards the top of a pyramid, eleven stories high. Thither he was instantly followed ; but when he had arrived at the summit of the building, which terminated in a small round dome, he placed himself firmly, and taking advantage of his situation, he seized three or four of the most hardy, and precipita- ted them to the bottom. These proofs of his prowess intimidated the rest, and, after much noise, they thought proper to retreat. The con- queror remained till evening, and then betook himself to a place of safety. Numerous species of Cercopitheci overrun Africa. Mrs. Lee pos- sessed one from the Gambia, which was grey and yellow, and which evinced great attachment and intelligence, but was abominably mischievous, and was never let loose without committing some misdemeanor, such as breaking everything he could dash to the ground, and deliberately tearing all yielding materials to pieces, c. He was brought to London, and afterwards taken to the Jardin du Koi in Paris, where, after an absence of two years, he recognized his mistress by the sound of her voice, and furiously shook the bars of his cage till she came to him, when he instantly held his head down for her to rub it. But the most amusing of all Monkeys was Jack from Senegal (also a Cercopithecus), who belonged to the cook of the vessel in which Mrs. Lee sailed to England. She was one day sitting alone on the deck, in a dead calm, when Jack, whom she had never before noticed, suddenly jumped upon her shoulders, and chattered in her face; she sat perfectly still, although very much inclined to shake him off; he then descended into her lap, and examined the rings on her fingers with the greatest attention, every now and then looking into her face; and from that moment she was his especial favorite. He was often banished to an empty hen-coop when he was particularly troublesome, from which she so constantly rescued him, that whenever he had done wrong, he would take refuge with and hide himself close to her. Their conduct towards such of their brethren as become captives is very remarkable. If one of them be chained in their neighborhood, especially if of the society to which he belonged, they will attempt various means, for some time, to procure his liberty ; but when their efforts prove ineffectual, and they see him daily submit to slavery, they will never again receive him among them, but even if he should escape, they will fall upon and beat him away without mercy. When Captain Percival was at Columbo, there w r as a mischievous OF MONKEYS IN GENERAL. 67 Monkey which was permitted to run wild about the fort, and was so very cunning that it was impossible to catch him. One day this animal suddenly made his entrance into the captain's apartment, car- ried off a loaf of bread from his table and made its escape. He immediately gave the alarm to an officer whom he observed standing at the next door; upon which the officer ran in to secure his own breakfast; but, to his great mortification, he found that the Monkey had been beforehand with him, and was already scrambling up to the roofs of the houses, with a loaf in each paw. Next day the same Monkey snatched off a very fine parrot before the gentleman's face to whom it belonged, tore it to pieces, and then held it out to the gentleman, with many expressions of satisfaction and triumph at the exploit. Condamine and Bouger saw, in Peru, some domesticated Monkeys of large size, which had been admitted into the apartments of the Academicians, during the time they were employed in making observations in the mountains. These animals greatly excited the astonishment of the Academicians, by afterwards, of their own accord, going through a series of imitations. They planted the signals, ran to the pendulum, and then immediately to the table, as if for the pur- pose of committing to paper the observations they had made. They occasionally pointed the telescopes towards the heavens, as if to view the planets or stars, and performed numerous other similar feats. An occurrence which took place before the troops of Alexander the Great, is too singular and too amusing to be passed over in silence. The soldiers under the command of this monarch always marched in order of battle. They happened, one night, to encamp an a mountain, that was inhabited by a numerous tribe of Monkeys. On the follow- ing morning they saw, at a distance, what appeared to be an immense body of troops approaching them, as if with the intention of coming to an engagement. The commanders, as well as the soldiers, were in the utmost astonishment. Having entirely subdued the princes of the country, they were not able to imagine from what quarter this new force could have come : they had not previously been informed of any thing of the kind. The alarm was immediately given, and in a short time the whole Macedonian army was drawn up in battle array, to combat with this unexpected foe. The prince of the coun- try, who was a prisoner in the camp, was interrogated respecting it. He was surprised to be informed of such a force in the neighborhood, and requested permission to behold it himself. He smiled at the error ; and the Macedonians were not a little chagrined that they should have been such fools as to mistake a troop of these imitative, animals for a band of armed men. THE BENGAL LORIS, OR SLOW LEMUR. OF LEMUKS IN GENERAL. THE principal Linnean characteristics of this tribe are four front- teeth in the upper jaw, the intermediate ones remote: six long, compressed, parallel teeth in the under jaw ; the canine teeth solitary ; and the grinders somewhat lobated. The animals have one sharp claw on each hind foot ; all their other nails are flat. In their habits and economy, as well as in their hand-like paws, the Lemurs have a very close alliance to the Monkeys. They prin- cipally differ from those animals in the shape of the head, which is somewhat like that of the Dog ; and in the great length of their hind legs. The latter, indeed, are so long, that, when the animals walk on all-fours, their haunches are considerably more* elevated than the shoulder. But this structure is of astonishing advantage to them in climbing into trees. Many of the species are so wonderfully active, that they leap from branch to branch, with a rapidity which the eye is scarcely able to follow. THE BENGAL LORIS, OR SLOW LEMUR. This animal is about the size of a small cat. It is of a pale brown or mouse color ; the face is flattish, and the nose is somewhat sharp. The eyes are ex- tremely prominent : they are surrounded with a circle of dark brown, and a stripe of the same color runs along the middle of the back. There are few quadrupeds so inactive, and so slow in their motions, as the Bengal Loris. Hence some naturalists have been induced to rank it amongst the Sloths, but it has no other resem- IHB BENGAL LOWS, OR SLOW LKMDB. >. r ,-1 oi ,T_ ,1 ,1 blance whatever to the Sloth than this. It is a nocturnal animal, and sleeps, or at least lies motionless, during the greatest part of the day. The late Sir William Jones, in the fourth volume of the Asiatic Researches, has given us an extremely pleasing account of one of these little creatures. " In his manners he was for the most part gentle, except in the cold season, when his temper seemed wholly changed ; and his Crea- tor, who made him so sensible of cold, to which he must often have been exposed even in his native forests, gave him, probably for that reason, his thick fur; which we rarely see on animals in these tropical climates. To me, who not only constantly fed him, but bathed him twice a week in water accommodated to the seasons, and whom he THE BENGAL LORIS, OR SLOW LEMUR. 69 clearly distinguished from others, lie was at all times grateful : but when I disturbed him in winter he was usually indignant, and seemed to reproach me with the uneasiness which he felt, though no possible precaution had been omitted to keep him in a proper degree of warmth. At all times he was pleased at being stroked on the head and throat, and he frequently suffered me to touch his extremely sharp teeth : but his temper was always quick ; and when he was unseasonably disturbed, he expressed a little resentment, by an obscure murmur, like that of a Squirrel ; or a greater degree of displeasure by a peevish ery, especially in winter, when he was often as fierce on being much importuned, as any beast of the woods. " From half an hour after sun-rise to half an hour before sun-set, he slept without intermission, rolled up like a Hedgehog ; and, as soon as he awoke, he began to prepare himself for the labors of his approaching day, licking and dressing himself like a cat ; an opera- tion which the flexibility of his neck and limbs enabled him to per- form very completely : he was then ready for a slight breakfast, after which he commonly took a short nap : but when the sun was quite set, he recovered all his vivacity. " His ordinary food was the sweet fruit of this country ; plantains always, and mangoes during the season ; but he refused peaches, and was not fond of mulberries, or even of guaiavas: milk he lapped eagerly, but was content with plain water. In general he was not voracious, but he never appeared satisfied with grasshoppers ; and passed the whole night, while the hot season lasted, in prowling for them. When a grasshopper, or any insect, alighted within his reach, his eyes, which he fixed on his prey, glowed with uncommon fire ; and having drawn himself back to spring on it with greater force, he seized the prey with both his fore-paws, but held it in one of them while he devoured it. For other purposes, and sometimes even for that of holding his food, he used all his paws indifferently as hands, and frequently grasped with one of them the higher part of his ample cage, while his three others were severally engaged at the bottom of it ; but the posture of which he seemed fondest was to cling with all four of them to the wires, his body being inverted. In the evening he usually stood erect for many minutes, playing on the wires with his fingers, and rapidly moving his body from side to side, as if he had found the utility of' exercise in his unnatural state of confinement. " A little before day-break, when my early hours gave me frequent opportunities of observing him, he seemed to solicit my attention ; and if I presented my finger to him, he licked or nibbled it with great gentleness, but eagerly took fruit when I offered it ; though he seldom ate much at his morning repast : when the day brought back his night, his eyes lost their lustre and strength, and he composed himself for a slumber of ten or eleven hours. " My little friend was, on the whole, very engaging; and when ho was found lifeless, in the same posture in which he would naturally have slept, I consoled myself with believing that he died without much pain, and lived with as much pleasure as he could have enjoyed in a state of captivity." 70 THE MACAUCO, OR RING-TAILED LEMUR. In the year 1755, M. D'Obsonville purchased one of these animals in India. His voice was a kind of whistling by no means unpleasant. When his prey was attempted to be taken from him, his countenance changed to an appearance expressive of chagrin, and he inwardly uttered a tremulous, acute, 'and painful note. He was melancholy, silent, and patient. He generally slept during the day, with his head resting upon his hands, and his elbows between his thighs. But in the midst of this sleep, although his eyes were closed, he was exceed- ingly sensible to all impressions from without, and never neglected to seize whatever prey came inconsiderately within his reach. Though the glare of sunshine was unpleasant to him, it was never observed that the pupils of his eyes suffered any contraction. During the first month he was kept with a cord tied round his waist, which without attempting to untie, he sometimes lifted up with an air of grief. M. D'Obsonville himself took charge of him, and at the beginning he was bitten four or five times for offering to disturb or take him up ; tut gentle chastisement soon corrected these little passions, and he afterwards gave the animal the liberty of his bed- chamber. Towards night the little creature would rub his eyes, then, looking attentively round, would climb upon the furniture, or more frequently upon ropes placed for the purpose. Sometimes M. D'Obsonville would tie a bird in the part of the chamber opposite to him, or hold it in his hand, in order to invite him to approach : the animal would presently come near with a long, careful step, like a person walking on tiptoe to surprise another. When within a foot of his prey he would stop, and, raising himself upright, would advance, gently stretching out his paw ; then, darting at it, would seize and strangle it with remarkable celerity. This animal perished by an accident. He appeared much attached to his master, who always used to caress him after feeding. His re- turn of affection consisted in taking the end of M. D'Obsonville's fingers, pressing them, and at the same time fixing his half-open eyes on those of his master. THE MACAUCO, OR RING-TAILED LEMUR. The Macauco is about the size of a small cat. In its general form it is long and slender. The muzzle is pointed, and there is a black space round each eye. The ears are oval. The forehead is white ; and the back of the head, sides of the neck, and shoulders, are blackish. The back, and the outsides of the legs, are of a brownish grey color ; and the throat, breast, and insides of the legs are whitish. The tail which is very long and thickly covered with hair, is THE MACAUCO, OR RING-TAILED LEMUR. 71 marked throughout its whole length with alternate black and white rings. Although these animals have been frequently brought into Europe from Madagascar and other islands of the East, yet we are almost wholly ignorant of their habits, except in a domesticated state. It has, however, been ascertained, that they are creatures of great activity ; and that, like the rest of their tribe, they subsist chiefly on fruit, and inhabit trees, where they live in troops, forty or fifty in number. A Macauco, which was kept in the Museum of Natural History in Paris, had been in Europe more than nineteen years ; and from the great age which this animal attained, it is natural to conclude that the temperature of an European climate was suited to its habits. Such, however, does not seem to be precisely the case. He appeared to suffer much from the cold, frequently rolling himself into a ball, and covering his back and head with his long and bushy tail. During the winter, he was always kept in a room that Jhad fire in it; and, fre- quently for along time together, he would sit before the fire, stretching- out his little arms towards the flame to warm himself. Whenever he sat in the sun, he adopted the same attitude. He was so partial to heat, that he often burnt his whiskers and face, before he would remove to a greater distance. "When the heat incommoded him, he would turn the sides of his head, alternately, to the fire in order to alleviate the pain thereby occasioned. The animal had been previously accustomed to a chain ; and con- sequently, when he was brought into the Museum he was suffered to range at freedom about the Conservatory. In this room were pre- pared the skins of such animals as were intended to enrich the collections; and the greatest attention was necessary to keep the creature out of mischief. Continually in motion, he handled and turned over almost every thing within his reach. A board placed over the door served him for a bed. To this he retired at night, but never until he had first prepared himself for sleep, by at least half an hour's violent exercise in leaping about the room. As soon as this was ended he would lie down on his bed, and, in a few minutes afterwards, was fast asleep. His usual food was bread, carrots, and fruit; and he was particularly fond of the latter. He would also eat eggs ; and when young, was partial to baked meats and spirituous liquors. No creature could be more gentle than he, and on all occasions, he showed himself sensible of the kindnesses and attention he received. He exhibited no indi- cations of particular attachment, but was familiar with every one ; and would climb on the shoulders, and go to rest on the knees of any per- son who would suffer him to do so. Several of these animals have, at different times, been imported into England. A Macauco that was in the menagerie, at the Tower of London, although he would suffer himself to be handled, never failed to resent any attempt to tease him. He exhibited much dislike to children, and, had he not been chained, would sometimes have attacked them. He usually sat on his haunches in an upright posture, with 72 INDRI, MONGOUS, AND RUFFLED LEMUR. his tail elevated over his shoulders. Like the animal in the mena- gerie at Paris, he was extremely susceptible of cold ; arid, though kept in a warm room, would come as near to the fire as possible He did not usually sleep in the day-time; and at night would lie coiled up with his head under his breast, and ' his long bushy tail wrapped closely round his body. The Indri is an active and intelligent animal of this tribe Although an inhabitant of deep forests, residing among the branches of the trees, and subsisting on vegetables and fruit, we are assured, by M. Sonnerat, that the Indri is so susceptible of education, that the natives of Madagascar are enabled to train it to the chase. This, if true, is a singular fact, as all other animals that are known to be em- ployed in the chase, are themselves carniverous, and have been endowed with a natural instinct to pursue and destroy. The Mongous, or Woolly Macauco. M. de Buffon possessed a Mongous during several years. For some time, at first, the animal was suffered to run at liberty about the house ; but he became at length so troublesome that it was necessary to keep him chained. Whenever he escaped from his chain, he would visit the shops of the neighborhood, and would devour fruit, sugar, and sweetmeats, open- ing with wonderful dexterity the boxes that contained them. At such times it was difficult to retake him, as he would bite severely even those whom he best knew. Whenever this animal was weary of being left alone, he made a loud kind of a noise, somewhat resembling the croaking of a frog. So fearful was he of cold and moisture, that he never willingly moved far from the fire. His chief food consisted of bread and fruits. His tongue was so rough that he could lick a person's hand until it be- came inflamed ; and-, if not guarded against, he would generally end this operation with a bite. This animal died of cold, in the winter of 1750, although, during the whole time, he had been kept in a perfectly warm place. The Lemurs, says Wood, derive their name from their nocturnal habits, and their noiseless movements. The Ruffled Lemur is a native of Madagascar. It lives in the depths of the forests, and only moves by night, the * entire day being spent in sleep. Its food consists of fruits, insects and small birds, which latter it takes while they are sleeping. This is the largest of the Lemurs, LEMUR. 5 e i n g ratae r larger than a cat. OF BATS IN GENERAL. 73 OF BATS IN GENERAL. Bats have erect, sharp-pointed teeth, situated near together. Their fore-toes are elongated, and connected by the membranes which perform the office of wings. Linn. Gmel. i. 45. THESE very singular animals would seem, at first sight, to bold a kind of middle station between the quadrupeds and birds. It is, however, only in their power of raising themselves into the air, by means of the membranes which extend round their body, that they are in the least allied to the latter. Their structure. cannot be contemplated without admiration. The bones of their fore-feet are continued .fnto long and thin processes, connected by a most delicately-formed membrane or skin, capable, from its thinness, of being contracted at pleasure into innumerable wrinkles, so as to lie in a small space when the animal is at rest, and to be stretched to a very wide extent for flight. Should a speculative philosopher, not aware of the anatomical impossibility of success, attempt, says Dr. Shaw, by means of light machinery, to exercise the power of night, he could not hit on a more plausible idea than that of copying the structure described. Accordingly, a celebrated author has represented a sage theorist busied in imitating, for this purpose, "the folding continuity of the wing of the Bat." Although this membrane enables the Bat, after it has once raised itself from the ground, to flit along .the air, yet all its motions, when compared w':th those of birds, are clumsy and awkward ; and, in walking, its feet appear so entangled with its wings, that it seems scarcely able to drag its body along. The British Bats generally pass the winter, during the absence of their insect prey, in a torpid state, without either food or motion, suspended in some dark place, in old ruins, caverns, or in the hollows of decayed trees. During the time they remain in this state, most of the animal functions are so far suspended as scarcely to be perceptible. The action of the heart and arteries becomes so exceedingly languid, that the pulse can hardly be felt : if respiration be at all carried on, it is also so very slow as scarcely to be discernible. The natural temperature, or animal heat, sinks greatly below the usual standard ; and digestion becomes altogether suspended. All the visible excretions are at a stand ; and none of the functions seem to go on, excepting a very slow degree of nutrition, and an interchange of old for new matter, in the depository cells of the body. Like the mouse, these animals are capable of being tamed to a certain degree ; and we are told by Mr. White, that he was once much amused by the sight of a Bat that would take flies out of a person's hand. "If." says he, "you gave it anything to eat, it brought its wings round before its mouth, hovering and hiding its head in the manner of birds of prey when they feed. The adroitness it showed in shearing off the wings of flies, (which were always rejected,) was 74 OF BATS IN GENERAL. worthy of observation. Insects seemed to be most acceptable, though he did not refuse raw flesh when offered ; so that the notion that Bats go down chimneys and gnaw people's bacon, seems, upon the whole, no improbable story." While Mr. White amused himself with this quadruped, he saw it several times confute the vulgar opinion that Bats, when on a flat surface, cannot get on wing again ; for it rose with great facility from the floor. From experiments made by Spallanzani, on the Long-eared, the Horse-shoe, and the Noctule Bats, it appears that these animals possess some additional sense, which enables them, when deprived of sight, to avoid obstacles as readily as when they retained the power of vision. After their eyes had been covered, or even when they were put en- tirely out, they would fly about in a darkened chamber, without ever striking against the- walls, and would alwaj^s suspend their flight, with caution, when they came to a place where they could perch. In the middle of a dark sewer/ that turned at right angles, they would, though at a considerable distance from the walls, regularly bend their flight with the greatest nicety. When branches of trees were suspended in a room, they always avoided them ; and flew betwixt threads hung per- pendicularly from the ceiling, though these were so near each other that they had to contract their wings in passing through them. M. Jurin supposes that the sense which enables the Bats to peform these unaccountable operations, is lodged in the expanded nerves on the nose; but, in several of the species, the membrane in which these nerves end is wanting. Some persons have supposed that this power of avoiding obstacles in the dark is dependent principally on the ears ; for, when the ears of the blinded. Bats were closed, they flew against the sides of the room, and did not seem at all aware of their situation. Several Bats were collected by Mr. Carlisle, for the purpose of the above experiments, and they were preserved in a box for more than a week. They refused every kind of food for several days. During the daytime they were extremely desirous of retirement and darkness, and, while confined to the box, they never moved or endeavored to get out while it was light. Even when they were put out on the carpet, they commonly rested for a few minutes, and then, beginning to look about, crawled slowly to some dark corner or crevice. At sunset the scene was quite changed ; every one then endeavored to scratch its way out of the box ; a continued chirping was kept up, and no sooner was the lid of the prison opened, than each was active to escape, either flying away immediately, or running nimbly to a convenient place for taking wing. When these Bats were first collected, several of the females had young ones clinging to their breasts in the act of sucking. One of them flew with perfect ease, though two little ones were thus attached to her, which weighed nearly as much as their parent. All the young ones were devoid of down, and of a black color. From Linnaeus we learn, that the female makes no nest for her off- spring. She is content with the first hole she finds, where, sticking herself by her hooks against the sides of her apartment, she permits her young ones to hang at the nipple, and in this manner continues THE COMMON BAT. 75 for the first or second day. When, after some time, she begins to grow hungry, and finds it necessary to go abroad in search of food, she takes her little ones off and sticks them to the wall, in the same manner that she had herself before hung : there they immovably cling, and patiently wait her return. Bats, it is said, may be caught -by throwing into the air heads of burdock, whitened with flower : either mistaking these for prey, or dashing casually against them, they are caught by the hooked prickles, and brought to the ground. THE COMMON BAT. TIIE COMMON BAT. The Common Bat is about the size of a small mouse, and measures nearly nine inches from tip to tip of its wings. The ears are short, and have each a small inner valve. The eyes are very minute. The 76 THE NOCTULE BAT, ETC. color of the fur is somewhat that of the common mouse, with a slightly reddish tinge. NOCTULE BAT. The length of the Noctule Bat is about five and a half inches to the tip of the tail, and the breadth of the expanded membranes is fourteen and a half inches. The ears are short, broad, and rounded ; and the inner valves small. The fur is nearly of a chesnut color. BARBASTELLE BAT. The Barbastelle Bat is somewhat larger than the two first species. On the muzzle there is a naked, hollow, or sunken mark. The ears are large, and so broad that their inner edges touch each other over the nose. The inner valves are conspicuous. The color of the fur is a blackish brown. HORSE-SHOE BAT. The length of the Horse-shoe Bat is three and a half inches to the tip of the tail, and the breadth of the expanded membranes aboi-t fourteen inches. On the face there is a pointed membraneous append- age, somewhat in the form of a horse's shoe, which surrounds the nose and upper lip. The ears are about the length of the head, sharp- pointed, and have no inner valves. The fur is of a deep cinereous color on the upper parts, and whitish below. THE VAMPIRE BAT. The usual . length of the Vampire Bat is from nine inches to a foot, and the extent of its wings is sometimes four feet and upwards. Its general color is a deep reddish brown. The head is shaped somewhat like that a fox. The nose is sharp and )lack ; and the tongue pointed, and terminated by sharp prickles. The ears are naked, blackish, and pointed ; and the membranes of the wings are similar in color to those of the Com- mon Bat. THE VAMPIRE BAT. 77 This animal is a native of Guinea, of Madagascar, and of other islands in the Indian Ocean. The specific denomination of Vampire has been given by natu- ralists to this tremendous species of Bat, from the circumstance of its reputed propensity to suck the blood of men and animals during their sleep. There is, however, reason to imagine that this thirst for blood is not confined to a single species, but that it is common to several of the large kind of Bats, which are inhabitants of hot climates. We are informed that the Bats of Java seldom fail to attack such persons as lie in the open air with their extremities uncovered ; and that persons thus attacked, have sometimes nearly passed from sleep to death. It is stated that the Bats are so dexterous in this operation, that they can insinuate their aculeated tongue into a vein, and con- tinue to draw the blood, without being perceived ; and that, during all the time they are thus engaged, they agitate the air with their wings in so pleasing a manner; as to throw the sufferer into a still sounder sleep than he was before. Notwithstanding this propensity for blood, it is asserted that they also subsist on the juices of different kinds of fruit; and that, in particular, they are so partial to the juice of the palm-tree, that they will sometimes intoxicate themselves with it, until they fall senseless to the ground. During the day-time these animals lie concealed in the hollows of decayed trees, or suspend themselves to the branches by their claws ; and toward the close of evening they issue forth in flights, even more numerous than those of crows in Europe. We are informed by Finch, in his quaint style of writing, that "they hang to the boughs of trees near Surat, in the East Indies, in such vast clusters, as would surprise a man to see ; and the noise and squealing they make is so intolerable, that 'twere a good deed to bring two or three pieces of ordnance, and scour the trees, that the country might be rid of such a plague as they are to it." In a small island, one of the Philippines, Dampier tells us that he saw an incredible number of Bats, so large that none of his company could reach from tip to tip of their wings. In the evening, as soon as the sun was set, he says these animals used to take their flight in swarms, like bees, to a neighboring island : and that they were seen to continue in immense numbers till darkness rendered them no longer visible. The whole of the time from day- break in the morning till sunrise, they occupied in returning to their former place; and this course they constantly pursued all the time the ship was stationed off that island. At Eose Hill, near Port Jackson, in New Holland, it is supposed that more than twenty thousand of these animals were seen within the space of a mile. Some that were caught alive would almost imme- diately afterwards eat boiled rice ana other food from the hand ; and in a few days became as domestic as if they had been bred in the house. Governor Philip had a female, which would hang by one leg a whole day without changing its position, and in that pendant situation, with its breast neatly Covered with one of its wings, would eat whatever was offered to it, lapping from the hand like a cat. Yauipire Bats have sometimes been brought alive into England ; but 78 THE SPECTRE BAT. they are so tender that they do not long survive the chilly tempera- ture of our climate. The smell of these creatures is more rank and powerful than that of a fox ; yet the Indians eat them, and declare their flesh to be ex- cellent food. They become excessively fat at certain times of the year, and it is then that they are said to be the .most delicious. The French who reside in the Isle of Bourbon, boil them in their soup, to give it a relish ! In New Caledonia the natives use the hair of these animals in the making of ropes, and for the tassels of their clubs ; interweaving it with the threads of Gyperus squarrosus. x . SPECTRH BAT. THE SPECTRE BAT. The length of the Spectre is about six inches ; and the ex- tent of its wings two feet. On the nose there is an upright, pointed, lanceolate and funnel-shaped membrane. The co- lor of the fur is cin- ereous. The ears and wing-membranes are naked and blackish. In no material respect do the habits and economy of these animals, natives chiefly of South America, and of some of the islands in the Pacific Ocean, appear to differ from those of the species last described. Their thirst for blood has been distinctly ascertained by numerous travellers. M. de Condamine says respecting them, that "the Bats which suck the blood of horses, mules, and even of men, when not guarded against by sleeping under the shelter of a pavilion, are a scourge to most of the hot countries of America." At Borja, and several other places, he states, that they had destroyed even the great cattle which had been introduced there by the missionaries. Captain Stedman, whilst sleeping in the open air in Surinam, was attacked by one of these bats. On awaking about four o'clock in the morning, he was extremely alarmed to find himself weltering in con- gealed blood, and without feeling any pain. Having started up, he ran to the surgeon, with a fire-brand in his hand, and all over be- smeared with gore. The cause of his alarm was however soon explained. After he had applied some tobacco-ashes to the wound, and had washed the gore from himself and his hammock, he examined the place where he had lain, and observed several small heaps of congealed blood upon the ground ; on examining which the surgeon judged that he had lost at least twelve or fourteen ounces. Captain Stedman says that these animals, knowing by instinct that the person they intend to attack is in a sound slumber, they generally alight THE LONG-EARED BAT. . 79 near the feet, where, while the creature continues fanning with his enormous wings, which keep the person cool, he bites a piece out of the tip of the great toe, so very small that the head of a pin could scarcely be received into the wound, and which is consequently not painful. Yet through this orifice he sucks the blood, until he is obliged to disgorge. He then begins again, and thus continues sucking and disgorging until he is scarcely able to fly ; and the sufferer has often been known to sleep from time into eternity. The Spectre Bats generally bite in the ear, but always in places where the blood flows spon- taneously. These animals, it is said, will frequently hang to one another in vast clusters like swarms of bees. Mr. Foster assures us that he has seen at least five hundred of them suspended, some by their fore, and others by their hind legs, in a large tree, in one of the Friendly Islands. THE LOXG-EARED BAT. The long-eared bat is found in most parts of Europe, and is common in England. It may be seen any warm evening flying about in search of insects, and uttering its peculiar shrill cry. It is very common on Hampstead Heath. The ears are about an inch and a half in length, and have a fold in them reaching al- most to the lips, from which pecu- liarity the genus is called Plecotus. This bat is very easily tamed, and will take flies and other in- sects from the hand. One that I had in my own possession used to hang by the wing-hooks during the whole of the day, and could hardly be persuaded to move, or even to eat ; but when the evening came on, it became very brisk indeed, and after carefully combing itself with its hind feet, it would eagerly seize a fly or beetle and devour it, always rejecting the head, legs,- and wings. It was then very impatient to be released from the cage, and would show its un- easiness by clinging about the cage and fluttering its wings. It un- fortunately died before further investigations could be made, but. during the short time that it survived, it seemed very gentle, and only bit me once, although I used frequently to handle it. The singular appearance of the hair of the Bat as seen through a microscope is caused by a number of scales adhering to the exterior of the hair. These scales can be rubbed off, and in consequence of this property, the bat's hair often assumes very singular forms. The hair that is figured was drawn by means of the Camera Lucida, from a specimen seen by transmitted light, but if it had been seen by 80 SPLENDID HORSE-SHOE AND GREATER JAVELIN BAT. reflected light it would have presented quite a different appearance, not very unlike the plant called Mare's tail before its leaves are grown. The details of the hair are different in the differing species of Bats, but there is always a character about them which is not to be mis- taken. When the Long-eared Bat is suspended by its hinder claws it assumes a most singular aspect. The beautiful long ears are tucked under its wings, which envelop great part of its body. The tragus, that pointed membrane visible inside the ear, is then exposed, and appears to be the actual ear itself, giving the creature a totally dif- ferent cast of character. SPLENDID HORSE-SHOE BAT. SP1ENDID HORSE-SHOE BAT. This is a rare and fine Javanese species, KebbleJc of the natives described by Doctor Horsen'eld. The nasal apparatus consists of a broad membrane stretching across the nose. Its color- is pure brown above, variegated with grey beneath. Fur long and silky. Body four inches in length. Expansion nineteen inches and a half. GREATER JAVELIN BAT. GREATER JAVELIN BAT. This species has four cutting teeth above and four below, and its canine teeth are very strong. On its nose are two crests, one formed like a leaf or javelin head and the other like a horse-shoe. The cars are large and the tongue bristled with papillae. AMBOYNA AND KALONG BATS. AMBOYNA BAT. 81 AMBOYNA BAT. This species has a small nail, or what naturalists call the index wing finger, a conical head, short ears, tail absent or rudimentary, and the membrane between the thighs very little developed. THE KALONG. KALONG BAT. This is the largest species known, the expansion of its wings being five feet. The upper part of its neck is musky red, the rest of the fur blackish, with scattering white hairs on the back. It is found in the low grounds of Java, always in flocks. They hang motionless upon the branches of trees during the day. In the night they commit great ravages on the gardens and plantations of fruit. Their flight is slow and steady. The Javanese amuse themselves with shooting tha Kalongs on moonlight nights. 82 SLOTHS THE THREE-TOED. BRUTA. The animals belonging to this order have no front-teeth in either jaw. Their feet are armed with strong, blunt ; and hoof-like nails. Their form is in appearance clumsy, and their pace somewhat slow. No animals belonging to this order are natives of Europe. .OF THE SLOTHS IN GENERAL. The Sloths have no cutting teeth in either jaw ; the canine4eeth are obtuse ; and there are five grinders on each side. Their fore-legs are much longer than the hind ones ; and the body is covered with hair, and not with scales, as in the Armadillo, arid Manis. All the species which constitute the present tribe are unparalleled in the rest of the animal creation, for slowness and inactivity. Their feet are furnished with strong hooked claws, to enable them to climb into trees, where their voracity leads them to devour both the leaves and fruit. Their eyes are languid and heavy, and their whole coun- tenance expresses so much misery, that no one can look upon them without pity. Their teats are seated on the breast; and, in two of the species, it is a remarkable circumstance, that instead of distinct excretory apertures, there is but one common canal, as in birds. Only three species of Sloth have hitherto been discovered, two of which are found chiefly in South America. THE THREE-TOED SLOTH. In its general appearance this animal is extremely un- couth. The body is thick, the fore-legs are short, and the hinder ones far longer. The feet are small, but armed with three excessively strong and large claws, of a curved form, and sharp-pointed. The head is round, and the face short and naked. The eyes are small, black and round. The hair on the top of the head projects over, and gives to the animal a very peculiar and grotesque physiognomy. Its general color is a greyish brown ; and the hair is long and coarse, covering the body, particularly about the back and thighs, very thickly THREE-TOED SLOTI1. THE THREE-TOED SLOTH. 83 Of the three-toed Sloth there is extant a very curious, though often- quoted account, written by Kircher, principally from the authority of a Provincial of the Jesuits, who had been resident in South America, and who, having at different times had several of these animals in his possession, had tried several experiments with them relative to their nature and properties. The figure of the three-toed Sloth, is (he says) extraordinary. This animal is about the size of a cat, has a very ugly countenance, and has its claws extended like fingers. It lives gener- ally on the tops of trees ; and if these be at all lofty, it sometimes occupies two whole days in crawling up, and as many in getting down again. Providence has doubly guarded it against its enemies; first, by giving it such strength in its feet, that whatever it seizes it holds with astonishing tenacity: secondly, in having given it such an affecting countenance, that, when it looks at any one who might be tempted to do it an injury, it is almost impossible not to be moved with compassion: it also sheds tears, and upon the whole persuades one that a creature so defenceless and so abject ought not to be tormented. The Provincial had one of these animals brought to the Jesuits' College at Carthagena. He put a long pole under its feet ; this it seized very firmly, and would not let go again. The animal, thus voluntarily suspended, was placed between two beams, and there re- mained without food for forty days, its eyes being always fixed on those who looked at it. At length it was taken down, and, with great cruelty, a dog was let loose on it. This dog, the Sloth seized in its claws, and held fast until both the animals died of hunger. In ascending the trees, the Sloth first stretches one of its paws, and fixes its long claw as high as it can reach. It then heavily raises its body, and gradually fixes the other paw ; and in this manner con- 6 84 THE TWO-TOED SLOTH. tinues to climb, every motion being incredibly slow and languid. When the Sloth once gets into a tree, we are told that it will not descend while a leaf or bud is remaining ; and, in order to save the slow and laborious descent which it would otherwise be obliged to make, it sometimes suffers itself to fall to the ground, its tough skin, and thick, coarse hair, sufficiently securing it from injury. Occasionally the Sloths will suspend themselves by their claws from the branches of trees, and, thus hanging, a branch may be cut off, and they will fall with it rather than quit their hold. A Sloth that was taken by some person who went out in the expedition under Woodes Kogers, was brought on board the ship, and put down at the lower part of the mizen shrouds. It climbed to the mast-head ; but occupied two hours in what* a monkey would have performed in less than half a minute. It proceeded with a very slow and deliberate pace, as if all its move- ments had been directed by machinery. These animals are always most active during the night, at which time they utter their plaintive cry, ascending and descending in per- fect tune, through the hexachord, or six successive musical intervals. When the Spaniards first arrived in America, and heard this unusual noise, they fancied they were near some nation, the people of which had been instructed in European music. When kept in a house, the Sloth never rests on the ground, but always climbs upon some post or door to repose. If a pole be held out to one of these ani'mals when on the ground, it will immediately lay hold of it; and, if these be afterwards fixed upright,, will climb to the top, and there firmly adhere. THE TWO-TOED SLOTH. TWOTOKD SLOTH. The two-toed Sloth is considerably larger than the preceding species, and differs from it principally in having only two claws, on each of its fore -feet. It is a native of Ceylon and the East Indies. This animal, although heavy and excessively awkward in its mo THE GREAT ANT-EATER. 85 tions, has sufficient activity to ascend into and descend from the loftiest trees, several times in the course of a day. Like the last species, he is chiefly alert in the evenings and during the night. The Marquis de Montmirail ; some years ago, purchased one of these animals at Amsterdam. It had been fed with sea-biscuit, but he was told, that, as soon as the winter was over, and the verdure began to appear, it would require nothing but leaves. The creature was con- sequently supplied with leaves. These he ate freely while they were green and tender ; but the moment they began to be dry, shrivelled, or worm-eaten, he refused them. During the three years that the marquis had him, his common food was -bread, apples, roots, and milk; but he was so heavy and inanimate, that he did not even re- cognize the hand that fed him. The most natural position of this animal, and which he preferred to all others, was that of suspending himself on the branch of a tree, with his body downward. He sometimes even slept in this position, his fore-claws fastened nearly on the same point, and his body des- cribing the figure of a bow. The strength of his muscles was almost incredible ; but this became useless to him when he walked. OF THE ANT-EATEKS IN GENEKAL. The Ant-eaters, as they subsist entirely on insects, have no teeth. Their tongue which is long worm-like and covered with a kind of glutinous moisture, is the only instrument by which they seize their food. Instead of teeth, they have, however, certain bones, not unlike teeth, that are situated deep in the mouth, near the entrance of the gullet. The mouths of the whole tribe are lengthened into a somewhat tubular form. THE GREAT ANT-EATER. GREAT ANT-EATERS. The body of the Great Ant-eater is covered with exceedingly coarse and shaggy hair. Its head is very long and slender, and the mouth but just large enough to admit its tongue, which is cylindrical, nearly two feet in length, and lies folded double within it. The tail is of enormous size, and covered with long, black hair, somewhat like the tail of a horse. The whole animal, from the end of the snout to the tip of the tail, is sometimes eight or nine feet in length. 86 THE GREA ANT-EATER. GREAT ANT-EATEBS IW QUEST OJ FOOD. The food of this very singular animal consists principally of Ants, and these he obtains in the following manner. When he comes to an Ant-hill, he scratches it up with his long claws, and then unfolds his slender tongue, which much resembles an enormously long worm. This being covered with a clammy matter or saliva, the Ants adhere to it in great numbers: then, by drawing it into his mouth, he swal- lows thousands of them alive ; and he repeats the operation till no more are to be found. He also tears up the nests of wood-lice, which he in like manner discovers ; and frequently climbs trees in quest of these insects, and of wild bees or their honey. But should he meet with little success, in his pursuit of food, he is able to fast for a con- siderable time, without inconvenience. The motions of the Ant-eater are in general very slow. He, how- ever, swims over great rivers with sufficient ease ; and, on these occasions, his tail is always thrown over his back. With this extraordinary member, when asleep, or during heavy showers of rain, the animal also covers its back ; but at .other times he trails it along, and sweeps the ground. It is said that these animals are tameable, and that, in a domestic state, they will pick up crumbs of bread, and small pieces of flesh. They are natives of Brazil and Guiana. The females have one young- one at a birth ; and this does not arrive at maturity till it is four years old. When on the ground, the Ant-eater moves with much apparent awkwardness, always resting on the heel of its long feet. But it is able to climb with great ease. Though destitute of teeth, and generally inclined to shun contention, yet, when it is attacked, and its passions are roused, it is a fierce and dangerous antagonist. If it can once seize its enemy within the grasp of its fore-feet, it fixes the claws into his sides, and both fall together ; and it frequently THE LONG-TAILED MANIS. 87 happens that both perish ; for the perseverance of the Ant-eater is so obstinate, that it will not extricate itself even from a dead adversary. Such is its strength, that even the panthers of America are often unequal to it in combat. OF THE MANIS TEIBE. These animals have no teeth. Their mouth is long and tubular, and the tongue cylindrical and extensile. The body is covered on the upper parts with scales ; and, beneath, it is either naked or clad with hair. In their general appearance, these animals greatly resemble the lizards. Their form, and the scales with which all the upper parts of their body are covered, would induce a casual observer to believe that they were really allied to the reptile tribes. This, however, is by no means the case ; they are truly mammiferous animals, bringing forth living offspring, and nourishing them in the same manner as other quadrupeds. THE LONG-TAILED MANIS. This animal is very long and Blender. It sometimes measures nearly five feet in length, from the tip of its nose to the ex- tremity of the tail. All the upper parts of its body and tail are co- vered with broad, but sharp- pointed scales, of a deep brown color, with a glossy or polished surface. The under parts are LONG TAILED MANIS - clad with hair. On each of the feet there are four toes. THE SHOKT-TAILED MANIS. The short-tailed Manis is much thicker in proportion to its length than the last species : the tail also is considerably shorter ; and on each of the feet there are five toes. This animal sometimes grows to the length of six feet and upwards. The scales with which the bodies of these extraordinary creatures are covered, are not attached to the skin by 'their whole under surface, but only by their lower extremity ; and thus, like the quills of the porcupine, they are moveable at pleasure. When exasperated, the animals erect them ; and when attacked, they roll themselves into a ball, and present to their enemy a surface armed on every side. The scales are sharp at the points, and of a substance so hard, that, on collision, they will strike fire like flint. 88 THE THREE-BANDED ARMADILLO. To escape from their foes by swiftness of foot would be utterly impracticable ; and their Creator has not endowed them with ppwers for offensive resistance ; but, when they thus act on the defensive, no animal whatever is able to overcome them. The tiger and panther may tread upon, may roll them about, and attempt to devour them ; but all their efforts are vain, and where they expected an easy prey they find only weapons which wound them in every attempt to obtain it. Of all the quadrupeds, without excepting even the porcupine, the armor of the Manis is the strongest, and at the same time the most defensive. The mode in which these animals feed, is similar to that of the Ant-eaters. Their tongue, which is long, cylindrical, and covered with a viscous fluid, is the instrument by which their subsistence is derived. They lie down in places frequented by insects ; and extend- ing their tongue upon the ground, the insects are attracted by the moisture, and eagerly run upon it in great numbers. When the animal finds that it is sufficiently covered, he suddenly withdraws it and swallows its prey. Both the species of Manis are natives of Africa and the East Indies. The Negroes eat their flesh, which is white, and considered by them as (f glicate food. The scales are used for various purposes. OF THE AEMADILLO TRIBE. These animals are destitute both of cutting and canine teeth; but they have several grinders. They are distinguished from each other by the number of flexible bands of which their shell is composed. Instead of hair, the body of the Armadillo is covered with a kinl of plate armor. And as in its structure, the Manis reminds us of tie lizards, so the shell with which the Armadillo is clad, presents i v s with at least a distant resemblance of the tortoise. These aie inoffensive animals. They are natives almost exclusively of the New Continent: they live in burrows or holes which they form in the ground ; and feed on roots, fruit, vegetables, and insects. THE THREE-BANDED ARMADILLO. The Three-banded Armadillo is abovt twelve inches long, and eight broad, exclu- sive of the tail, which is two inches in length. The body is nearly covered with a shell: this, on the shoulders and rump, consists of five cornered pieces, very regularly arranged ; and round the body are three belts of shell, composed of square or oblong pieces, having on each several scales of a yellowish white color. All the pieces of this armor are connected by a membrane, like the joints in the tail of a lobster; and they slide so easily over each other, as to allow of free motion to the limbs. THREE BANDED ARMADILLO. THE SIX-BANDED ARMADILLO. 89 * When the Armadillo is in danger of being attacked by its enemies, it rolls itself up in the manner of the hedge-hog, withdrawing its head, tail, and legs; and, except its nose, leaving nothing but the shell in view. In this position it sometimes resembles a large ball, flattened at the sides ; and, thus defended, it continues till the danger is past, and frequently for a long time afterwards. If the animal hap- pen to be near a precipice, it will sometimes roll itself over ; and in this case, says Molina, in his natural history of Chili, it generally falls t,o the bottom unhurt. These creatures, like swine, root up the earth in search of food. They live in barrows, which they dig in the ground, and which they seldom quit, except during the night. Although they are natives of the hot climates of America, they will live in temperate regions. M. de Buffon saw one in Languedoc, which was fed in the house, and went about every where without doing any mischief. The Armadillos walk quickly, but they can neither leap, run nor climb into trees; so that they cannot escape those who pursue them. In case of pursuit, they have seldom any resource except to hide themselves in their holes ; but, if these be at too great a distance, they dig a hole before they are overtaken. And such is the strength of their snout and the claws of their fore-feet, that in a few moments they are able to conceal themselves. Sometimes, however, before they can become quite concealed, they are caught by the tail ; and then they resist so powerfully, that the tail often breaks short off^ and is left in the hands of the pursuers. To avoid this the hunter has recourse to artifice ; and, by tickling the animal with a stick, it loses its hold, and suffers itself to be taken without further trouble. When caught, the Armadillo rolls itself into a ball, and will not again ex- tend itself unless placed near the fire. These animals are hunted with small dogs, which are trained by the Indians for this purpose. The hunters know when they are con- cealed 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 females of this species are very prolific. They breed three or four times in a year, and produce several young ones at a birth. The Indians are extremely partial to the flesh of Armadillos as food ; and they apply the shells to various uses. Chiefly, however, they paint them of different colors, and make them into baskets, boxes, and other small utensils. The six banded Armadillo is found in Paraguay. SIX BAXDED ARMADILLO. 90 PECICIAGO. PECICIAGO This is a South American variety, well delineated in the Engraving. It is called by naturalists the Chlamyphorus Truncatus, from the abrupt manner in which its hinder part terminates. It is found in Chili, burrowing in the rich soil of the valleys, living chiefly under ground. It appears to subsist on insects which it captures in the night. Few animals with which we are acquainted are better qualified for a subterranean mode of life, or better furnished with the means of " progressing" through the soil, or forming, galleries and chambers. The top of the head, and the whole of the upper surface of the body, are covered with a thin shell of a consistence between horn and leather, divided, by intersecting furrows, into a series of bands or strips, each strip being itself made up of fifteen or twenty plates of a square form, except on the head, which is covered with a single plate composed of a mosaic-work of rounded and irregular portions. This horny covering or shield is not fixed by the whole of its inferior surface to the integuments beneath, as is the case with the armadillo, but merely rests on the back, free throughout, " excepting along the spine of the back and top of the head; being attached to the back, immediately above the spine, by a loose cuticular production, and by two remark- able bony processes on the top of the os frontis (bone of forehead), by means of two large plates which are nearly incorporated with the bone beneath; but for this attachment, and the tail being firmly curved beneath the belly, the covering would be very easily detached." The extremity of the tail is formed like a paddle. " The whole surface of the body is covered with fine silk like hair, (of a delicate straw color,) longer and finer than that of the mole, but not so thick. The anterior of the chest is large, full, and strong ; the anterior extremi- ties short, clumsy, and powerful." The hand, which is amazingly thick and compact, is furnished with five powerful but compressed nails, which, arranged together in their natural situation, constitute one of the most efficient scrapers or shovels which can be possibly imagined ; and expressly adapted for progression under ground, but in an equal ratio ill-fitted for celerity on the surface. The hind legs are comparatively weak, the feet being long and somewhat resembling the human ; the toes are furnished with small flattened nails. Sight is but a second-rate sense, as it regards its importance in the economy of an animal living in darkness beneath the ground ; the organs of vision, therefore, are almost as little developed as in the mole, being very minute, and buried in the long silky fur; by which the circular orifices of the ears are also equally concealed. The head is almost conical in its figure, going off from a broad base to a pointed snout, furnished with an enlarged cartilage, as in the hog, and doubtless for the same purpose, of grubbing and burrowing for food. In accordance with the details of external configuration the skeleton is equally indicative of the creature's habits. The skull is firm, and prevented from being pressed upon by the shield, which ORNITHORHYNCUS. 91 rests on two solid pro- jections, as seen in the annexed sketch. The bones of the fore limbs are thick, short, and angular ; the scapulas broad and strong; the ribs thick, and capable of resisting great pres- sure. The hip-bones are of singular construction, and admirably formed for protecting the internal organs from injury. Such is an outline of the structure and habits of the chlamyphorus, an animal which, though bearing in some points a close analogy both to the mole and the armadillo, yet possesses characters so exclusively its own, as to render it one of the most interesting and remarkable of modern discoveries in zoology. Of this rare animal two speci- mens alone exist, one in the Museum of Philadelphia, the other, whose skeleton is perfect, in the Museum of the Zoological Society of London. 8KOLL OF CHLAMYPHORUS. ORNITHORHYNCUS. THE DUCK-BILLED PLATYPUS. Australia, where everything seems to be reversed ; where the north wind is warm and the south wind cold, the thick end of a pear is next the stem, and the stone of n cherry grows outside, is the residence of this most extraordi- nary animal. When it was first introduced into Europe, it was fully believed to be the manufac- ture of some imposture, who with much ingenuity had fixed the beak of a duck into the head of some unknown animal. It lives by the banks of rivers, in which it burrows like the water rat. Curiously enough, it finds no difficulty in this labor, although its house is always very deep, for the feet are so constructed that the animal can fold back the web at pleasure, and thus the foot is enabled to perform its task. It feeds upon water-insects and shell-fish, always rejecting the crushed shells after swallowing the inhabitant. Mr. Ben net attempted to rear some young Ornithorhynci at Sydney, but they died in a short time. They were fond of climbing between a press and the wall, placing their backs against the press and their feet against the wall. They used to dress their fur with their beak and feet, just as a duck prunes its feathers. The male has a sharp spur on its hind feet. PUCK-BILLED PLATYPUS. 92 THE RHINOCEROS TRIBE. The learned have given the animal several names. Some follow Shaw, and call it Platypus Anatinus ; some give it the name of Ornithorhyncus rufus or fuscus, or crispus or brevirostris, with other titles. The native name for the creature is " Mullingong," a title which, although not euphonius, is perhaps little less so than the scientific names, while it certainly has the advantage over them in point of brevity. THE RHINOCEROS TRIBE, RHINOCEROS. WE now come to a race of animals of huge size and bulk, inhabi- tants only of tropical climates. They are dull and sluggish in their manners; but in their disposition, they are in general inoffensive and peaceable. They have on the nose a solid, conical horn, not fixed in the bone : this is never shed, but remains during life. Their skin is tuberculated and exceedingly hard, but on the under parts of the bc:iy THE SINGLE-HORNED RHINOCEROS. 93 it is sufficiently tender to be cut through with a knife. The general internal structure of*these animals corresponds with what is observed m the horse. THE SINGLE-HORNED OR COMMON RHINOCEROS. The length of the Khinoceros is usually about twelve feet, and this is also nearly the girth of his body. The skin, which is of a blackish color, is disposed, about the neck, into large plaits or folds. A fold of the same kind passes from the shoulders to the fore legs ; another from the hind part of the back to the thighs. The skin is naked, rough, and covered with a kind of tubercles, or large callous granulations. Between the folds, and under the belly, it is soft, and of a light rose-color. The ears are moderately large, upright , and pointed. The eyes are small, and so situated that the animal can only see what is nearly in a direct line before him. The Ehinoceros is a native of India, Ceylon, Java, Sumatra, and several parts of Ethiopia. The Single-horned Rhinoceros is not exceeded in size by any laud animal except the elephant, and in strength and power he gives place to none. His nose is armed with a formidable weapon, a hard and solid horn, sometimes more than three feet in length, and, at the base, eighteen inches ifi circumference ; and with this he is able to defend himself against the attack of every ferocious animal. Tho body of the Ehinoceros is defended by a skin so hard as to be impenetrable, except in the under parts by either a knife or spear. It is said, that, even to shoot a full-grown Ehinoceros of advanced age, it is necessary to use iron bullets, as those of lead are sometimes flattened by striking against the skin. The upper lip of this animal answers, in some measure, the same purpose as the trunk of the elephant. It protrudes over the lower one in the form of a lengthened tip ; and, being extremely pliable, is used in catching hold of the branches of trees and shrubs, and deliver- ing them into the mouth. Although the Ehinoceros is generally of a quiet and inoffen- sive disposition, yet when this animal is attacked or provoked he becomes extremely dangerous ; and he is sometimes subject to paroxysms of fury, which nothing can assuage. In the year 1743, a Ehinoceros was brought from Bengal into Europe. He was at this time only two years old, and the expense of his food and journey amounted to nearly WOOL sterling. He had every day, at three meals, seven pounds -weight of rice, mixed with three pounds of sugar ; besides hay and green plants : he also drank large quantities of water. In his disposition he was sufficiently peace- able, readily permitting all parts of his body to be touched. When he was hungry, or was struck by any person, he became mischievous, and nothing would appease him but food. Another of these animals which was brought from Atcham, in the dominions of the king of Ava, was exhibited at Paris in the year 1748. 94 THE SINGLE-HORNED RHINOCEROS. BHINOCER03 PURSUING THE HDNTER. lie was tame, gentle, and even caressing ; was fed principally on hay and corn, and was much delighted with sharp or prickly plants, and the thorny branches of trees. The attendants frequently gave him. branches that had sharp and strong thorns on them ; but he bent and broke them in his mouth without seeming to be in the least incom- moded. It is true tlrey sometimes drew blood from the mouth and tongue ; " but that," says Father le Compte, who gives us the de- scription, " might even render them the more palatable, and these little wounds might serve only to cause a sensation on the palate similar to that excited by salt, pepper, or mustard on ours." As an equivalent for a very dull sight, the Ehinoceros has a most acute and attentive ear. He has also the power of running with great swiftness ; and, from his enormous strength and his impenetrable covering, he is capable of rushing with resistless violence through the woods ; the smaller trees bending like twigs as he passes them. In his general habits and manner of feeding the Khinoceros resembles the elephant : he resides in cool, sequestered spots, near waters, and in shady woods. Like the hog, he delights in occasionally wallowing in the mire. The flesh of this animal is- an article of food in some parts of Cey- lon, Java, and Sumatra. Th'e skin, flesh, hoofs, teeth, and even the dung, are each used medicinally. The horn when cut through the middle, is said to exhibit, on each side, the rude figure of a man ; the outlines being marked by small white strokes. Many of the Indian princes drink out of cups made of this horn; erroneously imagining that, when these hold any poisonous draught, the liquor will ferment till it runs quite over the top. Martial informs us, that the Roman THE SINGLE-HORNED EHINOCEROS. 95 SINGLE-HORNED RHINOCEROS. ladies of fashion used these horns in the baths, to hold their essence- bottles and oils. The Javanese make shields of the skin. The only three ani- mals of this species that have been brought into England during the last half century, were all purchased for the exhibition-rooms at Exeter 'Change. One of them, of which the skin is still pre- served, came from Laknaor, in the East Indies, and, in 1790, was brought in the Melville Castle East Indiaman, as a present to Mr. Dundas. This gentleman, however, not wishing, to have, the trouble of keeping him, gave the animal away; and not long afterwards he was purchased by Mr. Pidcock, of Exeter' Change, for the sum of 7001. This animal exhibited no symptoms of a ferocious propensity, and would even allow himself to be patted on the back and sides by strangers. His docility was about equal to that of a tolerably tractable pig : he would obey the orders of his keeper, to walk about the room and exhibit himself to the numerous spectators who came to visit him. He usually ate, every day, twenty-eight pounds weight of clover, besides about the same weight of ship-biscuit, and a great quantity of greens. This food was invariably seized in his long and projecting upper lip, and by it was conveyed into his mouth. He was allowed also five pails of water twice or thrice a day ; and he was fond of sweet wines, of which he would often drink three or four bottles in the course of a few hours. His voice was not much unlike the bleating of a calf. This was generally exerted when he observed f ny body with fruit, or other favorite food in his hand ; and in such cases, it seems to have been a mark of his anxiety to have food given him. In the month of October, 1792, as this Ehinoceros was one day rising up very suddenly, he dis- located the joint of his right fore-leg. This accident brought on an in- flammation, which about nine months afterward, occasioned his death. It is a singular fact, that in the first attempts that were made to recover the animal, the incisions which were formed through his thick and tough hide, were invariably found to be healed in the course of twenty-four hours. He die! in a caravan, at Corsham, near Portsmouth. 96 THE TWO-HORNED RHINOCEROS. The second Kliinoceros that was at Exeter 'Change was considerably smaller than this, and was likewise a male. It was brought over about the year 1799, and lived not more than twelve months afterward. An agent of the Emperor of Germany purchased it of Mr. Pidcock for 1000Z. ; but it died in a stable-yard in Drury-Lane, after the purchaser had been in possession of it about two months. The third of these animals I saw at Exeter 'Change in the month of October, 1810. It was kept somewhat more than four years afterward, and then sold to an innkeeper of Ghent for exhibition on the continent. The females of this species produce only a single young one at a birth. THE TWO-HORNED RHINOCEROS. This species differs from the last, principally in the appearance of its skin ; which, instead of vast and regularly- marked armor-like folds, has merely a slight wrinkle across the shoulders, and on the hinder parts, and a few fainter wrinkles on the sides : so that, in com- parison with the Common Rhinoceros, it appears almost smooth. What, however, constitutes the chief distinction, is the nose being furnished with two horns, one of which is smaller than the other, and situated above it. These horns are loose when the animal is in a qui- escent state, but become fixed and immovable when it is enraged. Shaio. i. 202. In their habits and manner of feeding, these animals differ but little from the Single-horned Ehinoceros. M. Le Vaillant informs us that whenever they are at rest they place themselves in the direction of the wind, with their noses toward it, in order to discover by the smell the approach of any enemies. From -time to time they move their heads round to look behind them, and to be assured that they are safe on all sides ; but they soon return to their former position. When they are irritated, they tear up the ground with their horns ; throwing the earth and stones furiously, and to a vast distance over their heads. The description which has been given by Mr. Bruce of the habits of the Two-horned Rhinoceros is deserving of particular notice. He informs us that " besides the trees that are capable of most resist- ance, there are, in the vast forests within the rains, trees of a softer consistence, and of succulent quality, which seem to be destined for the principal food of this animal. For the purpose of gaining the highest branches of these, his upper lip is capable of being lengthened out so as to increase his power of laying hold with it, in the same manner as the elephant does with his trunk. With this lip, and the assistance of his tongue, he pulls down the upper branches, which have most leaves, and these he devours first. Having stripped the tree of its branches, he does not immediately abandon it ; but placing his snout as low in the trunk as he finds his horns will enter, he rips up the body of the tree and reduces it to thin pieces like so many laths ; and, when he has thus prepared it, he embraces as much of it as pos sible in his monstrous jaws, and twists it round with as much ease aa an ox would a root of celery, or any small plant." THE TWO-HORNED RHINOCEROS. 97 When pursued and in fear, he moves with astonishing swiftness, considering his size, the apparent unwieldiness of his body, his great weight before, and the shortness of his legs. It is not, however, true that, in a plain, his pace is more rapid than that of a horse ; for Mr. Bruce has often passed these animals with ease, and seen other persons worse mounted than himself, do the same ; but by his cunning he is ofteu able to elude pursuit. He makes constantly from wood to wood, and forces himself into ttte thickest parts of the forest. The trees that are dead or dry, are broken down, as if with a cannon-shot, and fall behind and on each side of him, in all directions* Others that are more pliable, greener or fuller of sap, are bent back by his weight, and by the velocity of his motions. And, after he has passed, they restore themselves, like a green branch, to their natural position, and often sweep the incautious pursuer and his horse from the ground, and dash them in pieces against the surrounding trees. The eyes of the Ehinoceros are very small; he seldom turns his head, and therefore sees nothing but what is before him.* It is to this that he owes his death, and he never escapes if there be so much plain as to enable the horses of the hunters to get before him. His pride and fury then make him lay aside all thoughts of escaping, except by victory over his enemy. He stands for a moment at bay: then at a start, runs straight forward at the horse which is nearest to him. The rider easily avoids the attack by turning short to one side. This is the fatal instant : a naked man who is mounted behind the the principal horseman, drops off the horse, and, unseen by the Rhi- noceros, gives him, with a sword, a stroke across the tendon of the heel, which renders him incapable either of flight or resistance. These animals fre- quent wet and marshy situations ; but large, fierce, and strong as they are, they suffer great torment, from an apparently con tern ptiBle adversary. This is a fly, (probably of the Linnean genus oestrus,} which is bred in the black earth of the marshes in Abyssinia. It persecutes the Rhi- noceros so unremit- tingly, that it would in a short time subdue him, but for a Stratagem which he practices for his preservation. In the night, when the fly is at rest, the huge animal chooses a convenient place, where, rolling in the mud, he clothes himself in a kind of case, which defends him * The account of Mr. Bruce differs in this particular, from that of M. Le Yaillant, before qtuted. TWO-HOUNED RHINOCEROS. 98 THE TWO-HORNED RHINOCEROS. \VHITE RHINOCEROS. against his adversary the following day : the wrinkles and plaits of his skin serve to keep this muddy plaister firm upon every part of his body, except the hips, shoulders, and legs. Here it cracks and falls off, by his motion, and leaves him exposed, in those parts, to the attacks of the fly. The itching and pain which follows, occasion him to rub himself with great violence against the roughest trees he can find. The skin of this Ehinoceros is -not so hard or impenetrable as that of the last species. In his wild state he is often slain by javelins thrown from the hand, some of which enter his body to a great depth. A musket-shot will go through him unless interrupted by a bone; and the inhabitants of Shangalla kill these animals bv the clumsiest arrows that ever were used, and afterwards cut him to pieces with the very worst of knives. In order to afford some idea of the enormous strength of this Ehi- noceros, I shall quote Mr. Bruce's account of the hunting of this animal in Abyssinia. " We were on horseback (says this gentleman) by dawn of day, in search of the Ehinoceros, many of which we had heard making a very deep groan and cry as the morning approached. Several of the Agageers, or hunters, then joined us ; and after we had searched about an hour in the very thickest part of the wood, a Ehi- noceros rushed out with great violence, and crossed the plain towards a wood of canes that was about two miles distant. But though he ran, or rather trotted, with surprising speed, considering his bulk, he was, in a short time, transfixed with thirty or forty javelins. This attack so confounded him, that he left his purpose of going to the wood, and ran into a deep hole, or ravine, without outlet, breaking above a dozen of the javelins as he entered. Here we thought he was caught as in a trap, for he had scarcely room to turn ; and a servant, who had .a gun, standing directly over him, fired at his head, and the animal fell immediately, to all appearance, dead. All those on foot now jumped in with their knives to cut him up; but they had scarcely begun, THE TWO-HORNED RHINOCEROS. 99 TUB WOUNDED BHINOCZKOB when the animal recovered so far as to rise upon his knees : happy then was the man that escaped first ; and had not one of the Agageers, who was himself engaged in the ravine, cut the sinew of the hind leg as he was retreating, there would have been a very sorrowful account of the foot-hunters that day." It is a remarkable fact, that the cavity which contained the brain of one of these .huge animals, was so small as to be only six inches long and four deep ; and, being filled with peas, was found to contain barely a quart: while a human skull, measured at the same time, took above two quarts to fill it. The Hottentots, and even some of the colonists of the Cape of Good Hope, set a high value on the dried blood of the Ehinoceros. They ascribe to it great virtues in the cure of .many disorders of the body. The flesh is eatable, but it is full of sinews. BHINOCEROS ATTACKING ELEPHANTS. 100 THE ELEPHANT. THE ELEPHANT TEIBE. THESE animals have no front teeth in either jaw ; but from the upper jaw there proceed two long tusks, which, in a state of nature, are chiefly employed in tearing up trees for food, and as weapons of de- fence against their enemies. They have a long, cartilaginous, pre- hensile trunk, which is capable of laying hold even of the most minute substances. Their body is thinly scattered over with hairs. No more than one species has hitherto been ascertained. THE ELEPHANT. The Elephant is un- doubtedly the largest of all terrestrial animals. It sometimes attains the height of twelve feet; though its more general height seems to be from nine to ten feet. The skin is usually of a deep ash-color. The tusks in a full-grown male Elo- phant sometimes ex- tend ten feet from the sockets; but 'those of the females are short. The eyes are extremely small, and the ears large and pendulous. The head is large, the back much arched, the legs extremely thick, and the feet divided into, or rather edged with, live rounded hoofs. The tail is terminated by a few scattered and very thick black hairs. The teats of the females are two, seated at a small distance behind the fore-legs. There is scarcely any animal in the creation that has, at different times, occupied so much the attention of mankind as the elephant. Formed in a peculiar manner for the service of man in the hot climates, he is endowed with every requisite to usefulness. He is strong, active, and laborious ; and such are his mildness and sagacity, that he can be trained to almost any service which a brute is capable of performing. Elephants are found wild, and generally in large troops, in the shady woods of Asia and Africa. They feed on vegetables, on the young shoots of trees, on grain, and fruit ; and they are probably the longest lived of any quadrupeds ; for they sometimes attain the great AFRICAN ELEPHANT. THE ELEPHANT. 101 age of a hundred or a hundred and twenty years. This circumstance alone would induce us to suppose that they could not be very prolific, as in such case the countries which they inhabit would soon be over- stocked, and consequently devastated by them. The females seldom produce more than a single young-one at a birth. This, when first born, is about the size of a large dog ; and it does not attain its full growth until it is sixteen or eighteen years old. In the structure of the Elephant, the most singu- lar organ is the trunk or probos- cis. This, which is an extension of the canals of the nose, is very long, composed of a great num- er of cartilagin- ous rings, and divided in the in- side through its whole length. At the lower end *ODNG ELEPHANT. it is furnished with a kind of moveable finger; and it is so strong as to be capable of breaking off large branches from trees. Through this the animal smells and breathes ; and by means of it, he conveys food to his mouth. The sense of smelling the elephant enjoys 'in such perfection, that if several people be standing around him, 1'e will discover food in the pocket of any one present, and take it out by his proboscis with great dexterity. With this he can untie the knots of ropes, and open and shut gates by turning the keys or push- ing back the bolts, and pick up even the smallest bodies from the ground. It is, in short, one of the most useful and ex- traordinary instru- ments that the wis- dom of Providence has bestowed on any species of animal. The disposition of these animals isgen- ile, and their man- ners are social, for they are seldom seen wandering alone. They generally march in troops, the oldest keeping fore- CETLON ELEI-HAXT. 102 THE ELEPHANT. most, and the next in age bringing up the rear. The young and the feeble occupy the middle. The mothers carry their young ones firmly embraced in their trunks. They do not, however, observe this order, except in perilous marches, when they are desirous of pasturing on cultivated fields. In the deserts and forests, they travel with less caution, but without separating so far as to exceed the possibility of leceiving assistance from one another. The wild Elephants of Ceylon live in troops or families, distinct from all others, and seem to avoid the strange herds with particular care. When a family removes from place to place, the largest-tusked males place themselves at the head, and if they come to a river they are the first to pass it. On arriving at the opposite bank, they try whether the landing place is good ; if it be, they give a signal with their trunk, when another division of the old Elephants swim over: the young then follow, holding one another by locking their trunks together; and the rest of the old ones bring up the rear. The modes of taking this animal, and ren- dering it submissive to human authority, merit particular atten- tion. At Tepura, in the East Indies, when the inhabitants are de- sirous of securing the wild male Elephants, they do it by means of Koomkees, or female Elephants, trained for the purpose. As the hunters know the places where the Ele- phants come out to feed, they advance towards them in the evening with four Koomkees. When the nights are dark, the objects of pur- suit are discovered by the noise they make in cleaning their food, which they do by whisking and striking it against their fore-legs. As soon* as the hunters have determined on the animal they mean to secure, three of the Koomkees are conducted silently and slowly, at a little distance from each other, nearly to the place where he is feeding. The Koomkees advance cautiously, feeding as they go along. When the male perceives them approaching, if he takes the alarm, and is viciously inclined, he beats the ground with his trunk, and makes a noise, showing evident marks of displeasure. This, however, is not often the case: he generally allows them to approach, and sometimes even advances to meet them. The drivers now conduct two of the females, one on each side of him : these close themselves gently against his neck and shoulders ; the third female then comes up, and places herself across his tail. In this situation, far from suspecting any design against his liberty, he begins to toy with the females, and caresses them with his trunk, MODE OF CAPTURING ELEPHANTS. THE ELEPHANT. 103 While thus engaged, the fourth female is brought near, attended by proper assistants, who immediately get under the body of the animal, and put a slight rope round his hind-legs. If he take no notice of this slight confinement, the hunters proceed to tie his legs Avith a stronger rope; which is passed alternately, by means of a forked stick, and a kind of hook, from one leg to the other, in the form of a figure of 8. Six or eight of these ropes are generally employed one above another; and they are fastened at their intersections by another rope, that is made to pass perpendicularly up and down. A strong cable, with a running noose, is next put round each hind leg, above the other ropes ; and afterward six or eight ropes are crossed from leg to leg above the cable. The fixing of these ropes usually occupies about twenty minutes, during which time the utmost silence is observed. When thus secured, the animal is left to himself, the Koomkees retiring to a little distance. He attempts to follow them, but 'finding his legs tied, and becoming sensible of the danger of his situation, he immediately retreats toward the jungle. The drivers mounted on tame Elephants, and accompanied by several persons, who till this time have been kept out of sight, follow him at a little distance; and as soon as he passes near a tree sufficiently stout to hold .him, they make a few turns, round the trunks of the trees, with the long cables which trailed behind him. His progress being thus stopped, he be- comes furious, and exerts his utmost efforts to disengage himself. The Koomkees dare not now approach him ; and, in his fury, he falls down on the earth and tears it up with his tusks. When he has ex- hausted himself, the Koomkees are again brought near and take their former positions. After getting him nearer the tree, the people carry the ends of the long cables two or three times round it, so as to pre- N vent the possibility of his escape. His fore-legs are now tied in the same manner as his hind-legs were. The cables are made fast, one on each side, to trees or stakes driven deep into the earth ; and he is subsequently fastened, by means of other ropes, to two Koomkees, one on each side. Every thing being now ready, and a passage being cleared from the jungle, all the ropes, except one, are taken from his legs. The Koom- kees pull him forward ; sometimes, however, not without much strug- gling and violence on his part. When brought to his proper station, and made fast, he is treated with a mixture of severity and gentleness ; and, generally, in a few months he becomes tractable, and appears perfectly reconciled to his fate. It seems somewhat extraordinary, that though the animal uses his utmost force to disengage himself when taken, and would kill any person who came within his reach, yet he seldom attempts to injure the females that have ensnared him ; but, on the contrary, seems, as it were, consoled by them for the loss of his liberty. The mode of securing a herd of wild Elephants is very different from that adopted in taking a single male, and the process is much more tedious. When a herd of these animals, which generally consist of from forty to a hundred, is discovered, about five hundred people are employed USRD OF ELEPHANTS. to surround it. By means of fire and noises, they, in the course of some clays, are able to drive them to the place where they are to be secured. This is called the Kedda. It consists of three enclosures, communicating with each other by means of narrow openings or gate- ways. The outer one is the largest, the middle generally the next in size, and the third or furthermost the smallest. When the animals arrive near the first enclosure, (the palisadoes and two gates of which are as much as possible disguised by branches of trees and bamboos being stuck in the ground, in order to have the appearance of a natu- ral jungle,) great difficulty attends the business of getting them in. The leader always suspects some snare, and it is not without the ut- most hesitation that he passes ; but as soon as he enters, all the rest follow. Fires are now lighted round the greatest part of the enclosure, particularly at the entrance, and loud and discordant noises are made tor the purpose of urging them on to the next enclosure. The Ele- phants find themselves entrapped, and discovering no opening except the entrance to the next enclosure, they at length pass it. The gate is instantly shut upon them, fires are lighted, and discordant noises are made as before, till they have passed through another gateway into the last enclosure, where they are secured in a similar manner. Being now completely surrounded, and perceiving no outlet through which they can escape, they appear desperate, and, in their fury, ad- vance frequently to the surrounding ditch, in order to break clown the palisade, inflating their trunks, and screaming out aloud : but wherever they make an attack, they are opposed by lighted fires, and THE ELEPHANT. 105' by the noise and triumphant shouts of the hunters. The ditch is then filled with water ; and, after a while, they have recourse to it in order to quench their thirst and cool themselves, which they do by drawing the water into their trunks, and then squirting it over every part of their bodies. When the Elephants have continued in the enclosure a few days, where they are regularly, though scantily, fed from a scaffold on the outside, the door of the Roomee (an outlet about sixty feet long and very narrow) is opened, and one of the Elephants is enticed to enter by having food thrown before it.* When the animal has ad- vanced, the gate is shut and well secured on both sides. Finding his retreat now cut off, and the place so narrow that he cannot turn him- self, he proceeds, and exerts his utmost efforts to break down the bars in front of him, running against them, screaming and roaring most violently, and battering them, like a ram, by repeated blows with his head, retreating and advancing with the utmost fury. In his rage he even rises, and leaps upon the bars with his fore-feet, striving to break them down with his weight. When he becomes fatigued with these exertions, ropes are, by degrees, put round him ; and he is secured in a manner nearly similar to that adopted in taking the single males ; and thus, in succession, they are all secured. The Elephants are now separated, and each is given into the care of a keeper, who is appointed to attend and instruct him. Under this man there are three or four others, who assist in supplying food and water till the animal becomes sufficiently tractable to feed him- self. In a few days the keeper advances cautiously to the side of the Elephant, and strokes and pats him with his hand, at the same time speaking to him in a soothing voice ; and after a little while, the beast begins to know the keeper and obey his commands. By degrees the latter becomes familiar, and at length mounts upon the animal's back, from one of the tame Elephants, lie gradually increases the intimacy, as the animal becomes more tame, till at last he is permitted to seat himself on his neck, from which place he is afterwards to regulate and direct all his motions. In five or six weeks the Elephant becomes obedient to his keeper ; his fetters are by degrees taken off; and gen- erally in about six months he will suffer himself to be conducted from place to place, with as much complacency as if he had been long subdued. Care, however, is taken not to let him approach his former haunts, lest a recollection of them should induce him to attempt to recover his liberty; for it is generally believed that, if an Elephant escape, after having been in bondage, it is not possible, by any art, again to entrap him. The following instances, recorded in the Phil- osophical Transactions for 1799, will, however, prove that this is not the fact: A female Elephant was first taken in the year 1765, and two years afterwards was suffered to escape into the woods. She was retaken ; * In many places this mode is not adopted ; but as soon as the herd has been surrounded by a strong palisade, Koomkees are sent in with proper people, who tie them oa the spot, in the man- ner we have mentioned respecting the single male Elephants. 106 THE ELEPHANT. but broke loose in a stormy night, and again escaped. In 1782, more than ten years after her second escape, she was driven by the Ele- phant-hunters belonging to Mr. Leeke, of Longford -hall, in Shropshire, into an enclosure in which Elephants are secured ; and the day fol- lowing, when Mr. Leeke went to see the herd that had been taken, this Elephant was pointed out to him by the hunters, who well recol- lected her. They frequently called to her by name ; to which she seemed to pay some attention, by immediately looking towards them when it was repeated; nor did she appear like the wild Elephants, who were constantly running about the enclosure in a rage, but seemed perfectly reconciled to her situation. For eighteen days, she never approached near enough to the outlet to be secured. Mr. Leeke, at length, went himself, when there were only this Elephant, another female, and eight young ones remaining in the enclosure. After the other female had been secured, the hun- ters were ordered to call on this animal by name. She immediately came to the side of the ditch, within the enclosure; and some of the drivers were desired to carry in a plantain tree. She not only took the leaves of this from their hands with her trunk, but she opened her mouth for them to put a leaf into it ; which they did, at the same time stroking and caressing her, and calling to her by name. One of the trained Elephants was now ordered to be brought to her, and the driver was told to take her by the ear, and order her to lie down. At first she retired to a distance, seeming angry : but, when the drivers, who were on foot, called to her, she immediately came and allowed them to stroke and caress her as before ; and, a few minutes afterwards, she permitted the trained Elephants to be familiar with her. A driver from one of these then fastened a rope round her body, arid jumped on her back: this, at the moment, she did not like, but she was soon reconciled to it. A small cord was then placed round her neck, for the driver to put his feet in ; who, seating himself in the usual man- ner, drove her about the enclosure, in the same manner as any of the tame Elephants. In June, 1787, a male Elephant, taken the year before, was travel- ling, in company with some others, towards Chittigong, laden with baggage ; and having come upon a Tiger's track, he took fright and ran off into the woods, in spite of all the efforts of his driver. On entering the wood,, the driver saved himself by springing from the animal and clinging to the branch of a tree under which he was passing ; and the Elephant escaped. Eighteen months after this, when a herd of Elephants had been taken, and had remained several days in the enclosure, one of the drivers, attentively viewing a male Elephant, declared he resembled the animal that had run away. This excited the curiosity of every one to go and look at him ; but when any person came near, the animal struck at him with his trunk, and in every respect appeared as -wild and outrageous as any of the other Elephants. An old hunter at length coming up and examining him, declared that he was the very Elephant that had made his escape. Confident of this, he boldly rode up to him on a tame Elephant, and ordered him to lie THE ELEPHANT. THE ENRAGED ELEPHANT. down, pulling him, at the same time, by the ear. The animal seemed taken by surprise, and instantly 1 obeyed the word of command. A female Elephant, belonging to a gentleman at Calcutta, being ordered from the upper country to Chittygong, broke loose from her keeper, and was lost in the woods. The excuses which the keeper made were not admitted. It was supposed that he had sold the Ele- phant; his wife and family, therefore, were sold for slaves, and he was condemned to work upon the roads. About twelve years after- wards this man was ordered into the country, to assist in catching wild Elephants. He one day fancied that in a group which was before him, he saw his long-lost Elephant. He was determined to go up to it ; nor could the strongest representations of the danger with which his rashness might be attended, dissuade him from his purpose. When he approached the animal, she knew him; and, giving him three salutes, by waving her trunk in the air, knelt down and received him on her back. She afterwards assisted in securing the other Elephants, and likewise brought with her three young ones which she had produced during her absence. The keeper recovered his character ; and, as a recompense for his sufferings and intrepidity, had an annuity settled on him for life. This Elephant was afterwards in the possession of Governor Hastings. These and other instances that have occurred, clearly evince that Elephants have not the sagacity to avoid a snare into which they have, even more than once, fallen. . The Elephant, when tamed, becomes the most gentle and obedient of all domestic animals. He soon learns to comprehend signs, and 108 THE ELEPHANT. even to understand the expression of sounds. He distinguishes the tones of command, of anger, or of approbation ; and regulates his actions accordingly. He receives the orders of his keeper with attention, and executes them with prudence and eagerness, but without any degree of precipitation ; for his movements are always measured, and his character seems to partake of the gravity of his bulk. He is easily taught to bend his knees for the accommodation of those who mount him ; and to use his trunk for raising burdens, and to assist in loading himself. He allows himself to be clothed, and is employed in drawing chariots, ploughs, and wagons. He draws steadily, and never proves restive, unless insulted by improper chas- tisement. The man who conducts him generally rides on his neck, and uses an iron rod, hooked at the end, or having there a kind of bodkin, with which he pricks the head, or sides of the ears, in order to urge him forward or to turn him. But words are generally sufficient. The domestic Elephant performs more work than perhaps six horses. He is generally fed with rice, raw or boiled, and mixed with water ; and, to keep him in full vigor, he is said to require daily a hundred pounds weight of this food, besides fresh herbage to cool him ; and he ought to be led to the water twice or thrice a day for the purpose of bathing. He sucks up water in his trunk, carries it to his mouth, drinks part of it, and, by elevating his trunk, allows the remainder to run over every part of his body. His daily consumption of water, for drink, has been calculated at forty-five gallons. To give an idea of the labor which he performs, it is sufficient to remark, that all the tuns, sacks, and bales, transported from one place to another in India, are carried by Elephants ; that they carry burdens on their bodies, on their necks, and even in their mouths, by giving them the end of a rope, which they hold fast with their teeth ; that, uniting sagacity to strength, they never break or injure any thing committed to their charge ; that from the banks of the rivers, they put these bundles into boats without wetting them, laying them down gently, and arranging them where they ought to be placed; that, when disposed, in the places where their masters direct, they try with their trunks whether the goods are properly stowed ; and, if a tun or a cask roll, they go, of their own accord, in quest of stones to support and render it firm. M. Phillipe was witness to the following facts : He one day went to the river at Goa, near which place a great ship was building. Here was a large area, filled with beams for that purpose. Some men tied the ends of heavy beams with a rope. This was handed to an Elephant, who carried it to his mouth, and, after twisting it round his trunk, drew it, without any conductor, to the place where the ship was building. One of the Elephants sometimes drew beams so large, that it would have required more than twenty men to move them. But what surprised this gentleman still more, was that when other beams obstructed the road, he elevated the ends of his own beam, that it might run easily over those which lay in his way. Elephants not only obey the voice of their keeper when present , THE ELEPHANT. 109 but some, even in his absence, will perform extraordinary tasks which have been previously explained to them. " I have seen two," says M. D'Obsonville, " occupied in beating down a wall ; which their Cornacs or keepers had desired, and had encouraged them to do by a promise of fruits and brandy. They combined their efforts ; and doubling up their trunks, which were guarded from injury by leather, thrust them against the strongest part of the wall; and by reite- rated shocks continued their efforts, carefully observing and following with, their eyes the effects of the equilibrium : at last, when it was sufficiently loosened, making one violent push, they suddenly drew back together, that they might not be wounded ; and the whole came tumbling to the ground." At a certain season of the year, these animals are seized with a ferocity which renders them intractable, and formidable : but in their ordinary state, the most acute pains will not provoke them to injure those who have not offended them. A female Elephant, rendered furious by the wounds she had received, at the battle of Hambour, ran about the field making the most hideous cries. A soldier, not withstanding the alarm of his comrades, was unable, perhaps on account of his wounds, to fly. The Elephant approached, seemed afraid of trampling upon him, took him up with her trunk, placed him gently on his side, and continued her route. An incident, to which M. le Baron de Lauriston was witness, during one of the late wars in the East, forms another proof of the sensibility of the Elephant. This gentleman, from peculiar circum- stances, was induced to go to Laknaor, at a time when an epidemic distemper was making the greatest ravages amongst the inhabitants. The principal road to the palace-gate was covered with the sick and dying, extended on the ground, at the very moment when the nabob must necessarily pass. It appeared impossible for his Elephant to do otherwise than tread upon and crush many of these poor wretches, unless the prince would stop till the way could be cleared ; but he was in haste, and such tenderness would have been unbecoming in a person of his importance. The Elephant, however, without appearing to slacken his pace, and without having received any command for that purpose, assisted them with his trunk, removed some, set others on their feet, and stepped over the rest with so much address and assiduity, that not one person was wounded. An Asiatic prince and his slaves were deaf to the cries of nature, while the heart of the beast relented : he, more worthy than his rider to elevate his front towards the heavens, heard and obeyed the calls of humanity. The following instance of the sagacity of these animals was men- tioned to Dr. Darwin, by a gentleman of undoubted veracity, who has been much conversant with our Eastern settlements. The Ele- phants that are employed in carrying the baggage of our armies, are put each under the care of one of the natives of Indostan ; and while this person and his wife go into the woods to collect leaves and branches of trees for his food, they fix him to the ground by a long chain, and frequently leave a child, yet unable to walk, under his protection; and the intelligent animal not only defends it, but, as it 110 THE ELEPHANT. ELEPHANT-HUNTING IN INDIA. creeps about, when it arrives near the extremity of his chain, he wraps his trunk gently round its body, and brings it again into the centre of his circle. Elephant-hunting has always been a favorite sport in India. The native princes are fond of it, and the English residents not less so. It is rather a dangerous sport. During one of the wars in India, many Frenchmen had an oppor- tunity of observing one of the Elephants that had received a flesh- wound from a cannon-ball. After having been twice or thrice con- ducted to the hospital, where he extended himself to be dressed, he afterwards used to go alone. The surgeon did whatever he thought necessary, and sometimes applied even fire to the wound. The pain which the animal suffered, often caused him to utter the most plaintive groans, yet he never expressd any other token than that of gratitude, to the person who thus by momentary torments effected his cure. THE ELEPHANT. Ill DEAD ELEPHANT. In the last war, a young Elephant received a violent wound in its head, the pain of which rendered it so frantic and ungovernable, that it was found impossible to persuade the animal to have the part dressed. Whenever any one approached, it ran off with fury, and would suffer no person to come within several yards of it. The man who had the care of this animal, at length hit upon a contrivance for securing it. By a few words and signs, he gave to its mother suffi- cient intelligence of what was wanted ; the sensible creature im- mediately seized her young one with her trunk, and held it firmly down, though groaning with agony, while the surgeon completely dressed the wound : and she continued to perform this service every day till the animal was perfectly recovered. In India these animals were formerly employed in the launching of ships. An Elephant was directed to force a very large vessel into the water ; but the work proved superior to his strength. His master, in a sarcastic tone, bade the keeper take away this lazy beast, and bring another. The poor animal instantly repeated his efforts, fractured his skull, and died on the spot. In the Philosophical Transactions, a story is related of an Elephant having formed such an attachment for a very young child, that he was never happy but when the child was near him. The nurse fre- quently took it in its cradle, and placed it between his feet. This he at length became so much accustomed to, that he would never eat his food except it was present. When the child slept, he would drive off the flies with his proboscis ; and when it cried, would move the cradle backward and forward, and thus rock it again to sleep. A sentinel belonging to the present menagerie at Paris, was always very careful in requesting the spectators not to give the Elephants any thing to eat. This conduct particularly displeased the female ; who beheld him with a very unfavorable eye, and several times en- deavored to correct his interference, by sprinkling his head with water from her trunk. One day, when several persons were collected 112 THE ELEPHANT. to view these animals, a by-stander offered the female a bit of bread The sentinel perceived it ; but the moment he opened his mouth to give his usual admonition, she, placing herself immediately before him, discharged in his face a considerable stream of water. A general laugh ensued; but the sentinel, having calmly wiped his face, stood a little to one side, and continued as vigilant as before. Soon afterwards, he found himself under the necessity of repeating his admonition to the spectators; but no sooner was this uttered, than the female laid hold of his musket, twirled it round with her trunk, trod it under her feet, and did not restore it till she had twisted it nearly into the form of a screw. M. Navarette says, that at Macassar, an Elephant driver had a cocoa-nut giveri him, which, out of wantonness, he struck twice against his Elephant's forehead, to break. The day following the animal saw some cocoa-nuts exposed in the street for sale; and taking one of them up with his trunk, beat it about the driver's head and killed him on the spot. An Elephant that was exhibited in France some years ago, was re- marked to be peculiarly dexterous in the use of his trunk. With great ease he one day loosened the buckle of a large double leather strap, with which his leg was fastened; and though the attendants had wrapped the buckle round with a small cord, and tied many knots on it, the creature deliberately loosened the whole, without breaking either the cord or the strap. One night, after having disengaged himself in this manner from his strap, he broke up the door of his lodge with such dexterity as not to awaken the keeper. Thence he went into several courts of the menagerie; forcing open doors, and throwing down the walls where the doors were too narrow for him to pass. In this manner he got access to the apartments of other animals ; and so -terrified them, that they fled into the most retired corners of the enclosure. That Elephants are susceptible of the warmest attachment to each other, the following account, extracted from a late French journal, will sufficiently prove. Two Ceylonese Elephants, a male and female, each about two years and a half old, were, in 1786, brought into Hol- land, as a present to the Stadth older. After the subjugation of Hol- land by the French, they had been separated, in order to be conveyed from the Hague to Paris, where a spacious hall was prepared for their reception in the place now called the Jardin des Plantes. This was divided into two apartments, which had a communication by means of a large door resembling .a portcullis. The enclosure round these apartments'consisted of very strong wooden rails. The morning after their arrival, they were conveyed to this habitation. The male was first brought. He entered the apartment with suspicion, recon- noitred the place, and then examined each bar separately with his trunk, and tried its solidity by shaking it. When he arrived at the portcullis, which separated the apartments, he observed that it was fastened only by a perpendicular iron bar. This he raised with his trunk ; he then pushed up the door, and entered the second apartment where he received his breakfast. These two animals had been parted THE ELEPHANT. 113 HUNTING THE ELEPHANT BY NIGHT. (but with the utmost difficulty) for the convenience of carriage, and had not seen each other for some months; and the joy they ex- perienced, on meeting again after so long a separation, is scarcely to be expressed. They immediately rushed towards each other, and sent forth cries of joy so animated and loud as to shake the whole hall. They breathed also through their trunks with such violence, that the blast resembled an impetuous gust of wind. The joy of the female was the most lively. She expressed it by quickly flapping her ears, which she made to move with astonishing velocity, and drew her trunk over the body of the male with the utmost tenderness. She particularly applied it to his ear, where she kept it a long time; and, after having drawn it over his whole body, often moved it affection- ately towards her own mouth. The male did the same over the body of the female, but his joy was more steady. He seemed, however, to express it by tears, which fell from his eyes in abundance. After this time they occupied the same apartment; and their mutual ten- derness and natural affection, excited the admiration of all who have visited them. These two Elephants consumed every clay a hundred pounds weight of hay, and eighteen pounds of bread, besides several bunches of carrots, and a great quantity of potatoes. During summer they drank about thirty pails of water in the day. On their arrival in Holland, they were conveyed in a vessel, up the river Waal, to Nimeguen, whence they were driven on foot to Loo. The attendants had much difficulty in inducing them to cross the bridge at Arnheirn. The 114 THE ELEPHANT. animals had fasted for several hours, and a considerable quantity of food was placed for them on the opposite side of the bridge. Still, however, some time elapsed before they would venture upon it ; and at last they would not make any step without first carefully examin- ing the planks, to ascertain that they were firm. During the time they were kept at Loo they were perfectly tame, and were suffered to range at liberty. They would sometimes come into the room at the dinner-hour, and take food- from the company. After the conquest of Holland, from the cruelty with which they were treated by many of the spectators who crowded to visit them, they, however, lost much of their gentleness ; and their subsequent confinement in the cages in which they were conveyed to Paris, even rendered them, in some degree, ferocious towards spectators. Elephants are said to be extremely susceptible of the power of music. Suetonius informs us, that the emperor Domitian had a troop of Elephants disciplined to dance to the sound of music ; and that one of them, who had been beaten for not having his lesson perfect, was observed the night afterwards in a meadow, practising it by him- self! At Paris some curious experiments have been lately made respect- ing the power of music over the sensibility of the Elephant. A band of music went to play in a gallery extending round the upper part of the stalls in which were kept two Elephants, distinguished by the names of Margaret and Hans. A perfect silence was procured. Some provisions of which they were fond, were given them to engage their attention ; and the musicians began to play. The music no sooner struck their ears, than they ceased from eating, and turned in surprise to observe whence the sound proceeded. At the sight of the gallery, the orchestra, and the assembled spectators, they manifested consider- able alarm, as though they imagined there was some design against their safety. But the music soon overpowered their fears, and all other emotions became completely absorbed in their attention to it. Music of a bold and wild expression excited in them turbulent agita- tions, expressive either of violent joy, or of rising fury. A soft air, performed on the bassoon, evidently soothed them to gentle and tender emotions. A gay and lively air moved them, especially the female, to demonstrations of highly sportive sensibility. Other variations of the music produced coresponding changes in the emotions of the Elephants. A male Elephant was brought to England in the year 1793, and was purchased by Mr. Pidcock of Exeter 'Change, London. This animal was taught by his keeper to perform a great variety of tricks for the amusements of the visitors. If a pot of ale was brought to him, he would put the extremity of his trunk into it, and sucking up the liquor, would afterwards blow it into his mouth ; this done, he would make a motion with his head, which the keeper always took care to tell the donor, was the animal's mode of expressing gratitude for the gilt; and which, probably, the major part of the spectators believed to be really the case. He would take up a watch or even the smallest piece of money from the floor; and, at command, would put it again THE ELEPHANT. 115 THE ELEPHANT. into the owner's hand or pocket. He would take from any person a piece of money, and give it to a boy (who attended for the purpose) for bread, fruit, or vegetables, which he immediately ate. If his keeper ordered him, he would unbolt the door of his den, or untie, with the finger at the extremity of his proboscis, a piece of strong cord that was fastened to the door. When the keeper has been en- gaged in sweeping the den, the imitative animal has not unfrequently taken in his trunk another broom, and attempted to sweep the place after him. In the month of August, 1798, whilst a considerable part of Mr.. Pidcock's collection" of animals was at Lancaster, for the purpose of exhibition, several intoxicated sailors came to the carriages in the- night, and began to demolish them. The keeper, who was roused by the noise, went out, and reprimanded the sailors for their conduct. This had no effect in influencing them to desist ; but in return they began to ill-treat the man. His cries reached the ears of the Elephant : as soon as the animal recognized his voice, he burst open the door of his den, and immediately came out to the keeper's assistance. The moment, however that the sailors perceived him, they all ran off', and little mischief was done. This animal died in the year 1803. There was afterwards at Exeter 'Change, a female Elephant, which was brought to England in the Kockingham East-Indiaman, and landed on the 6th of January, 1796. At the time of her arrival she was not much bigger than a large hog, but she afterwards attained her greatest size. She was considerably more thick and fleshy, both in the body and limbs, than the male, and her head, in proportion, was larger. This animal, by some secret signal given from the- 8 116 THE ELEPHANT. keeper, would, at his order, beat as many times with her trunk against the rails of her den, as there were persons in the room ; and in a similar manner, would beat the hour, after the man had held up a watch to one of her eyes. She would take off his hat, and again put it on, as often as she was commanded. She would lie down, and rise up again ; and would unbolt and bolt the door of her den, whenever the keeper ordered her to do so. If the keeper put a shilling near the wall of the room, and out of the reach of the animaVs trunk, and ordered her to pick it up, she immediately extended her trunk towards it, and blew hard against the wall : the blast moved the shilling within her reach, on which she seized it, and delivered it to him, or to any person that he directed. As all the animals that are deposited in the menagerie at Exeter 'Change, are. kept up one or more flights of stairs, it excites no in- considerable degree of wonder, in most of the visitors, to conceive how such an unwieldy creature as an Elephant could have been conveyed into the place where it is exhibited. The mode is this : when one of these animals arrives, he is compelled to walk up a kind of platform that is laid over the staircase. In order to make him enter the den, one keeper pricks him behind, with a sharp-pointed spear, whilst another goes before, and entices him with fruit. This, of course, is always a troublesome operation, and requires much care and address in the persons employed. An Elephant which is now in Exeter 'Change is a male, and measures more than ten feet in height. He is so tractable as to have been several times introduced in the dramatic entertainments at Coverit-garden Theatre. The keeper of this animal usually sleeps in a place above his den, and at the height of twelve or fourteen feet from the ground. One night, about the end of the year 1819, the man did not return home in the evening so early as usual, and the Elephant by means of his proboscis, and by resting his knees against the railing of his den, contrived to raise himself on his hind legs and reach the trunk in which the man kept his clothes. The animal opened the trunk, took out the clothes, and swallowed pantaloons, waistcoats, neckcloths, and several other articles of dress ; and, hap- pily for the owner, did not experience any inconvenience from this unusual diet. Some of the Indians who believe in transmigration of souls, are persuaded that a body so majestic as that of the Elephant, must be animated with the soul of some great man or king. In many of the eastern countries, white Elephants are regarded as the living manes of the Indian emperors. Each of these animals has a palace, a number of domestics, and magnificent trappings; and eats out of golden vessels, filled with the choicest food. They are absolved from all labor. The emperor is the person before whom they bow the knee, and their salute is returned by the monarch. When the king of Pegu walks abroad, four white Elephants, adorned with precious stones and ornaments of gold, march before him ; and when he gives audience, these Elephants are presented to him; and they do him reverence by raising their trunks, opening their mouths, making three distinct cries, THE ARCTIC WALRUS. 117 and then kneeling. This ended, they are led back to the stable, and there each of them is fed from a large golden vessel. They are twice a-day washed with water, taken from 'a silver vessel; and, in going to the vessels which contain their food and water, they are preceded by trumpets, and march with great majesty. Such are the accounts, collected through a tolerably wide range of authorities, which I have been enabled to give, of the disposition and manners of this useful and most intelligent of all animals. These, in a few instances, may perhaps have been exaggerated by the writers, and must consequently be received with some degree of limitation; yet, we have had so many surprising instances of the sagacity of Ele- phants, related on unquestionable authority, that, however wonderful these may seem, it would not be right to entirely discredit any of them, without direct proof of their untruth. The authorities for the whole are such as have been received by different respectable and observing men, who, with both the' power and ability of inquiring into the facts, seem to have entertained no doubts whatever of their validity. THE MOESE, OR MANATI TEIBE. These animals are destitute of fore teeth in both jaws. From the upper jaw proceed two great tusks, which point downward. The grinders have wrinkled sur- faces. The lips are doubled. The hind feet are at the ex- tremity of the body, and unite into a kind of fin. The Manati are animals entirely marine. They feed on sea-weeds, corallines, and shell-fish, and are not carnivorous. Their elongated body, declining in bulk from the head gradually to the tail, and .thej.r short, fin-like feet, give them some alliance to the fishy tribes. They may indeed be considered as forming one of those steps in nature, by which we are conducted from one great division of the animal world to the other. Though the general residence of all the species is in the sea, yet some of them are perfectly amphibious, and live with equal ease on the land and in water. THE GREAT MORSE, OR ARCTIC WALRUS, This is an animal of enormous size. It sometimes measures nearly eighteen feet in length, and ten or twelve feet in circumference. In the upper jaw there are two long tusks, which bend downward. The head is small, the neck short, and body round. The lips are very thick, and the upper one is cleft into two large rounded lobes, on which there are several thick and semi-transparent bristles. The eyes are very small; and instead of external ears, there are only two small 118 THE ARCTIC WALRUS. circular orifices. The skin is thick, and scattered over with short, brownish hair. The legs are short ; and on each foot there are five toes, connected by webs. The hind feet are considerably broader than the other. The tail is very short. When we consider the enormous size and strength of these animals, and that they are furnished with weapons so powerful as the long tusks which project from their upper jaw, it was not without surprise we learn that their general disposition and habits are peaceful and inoffensive. The uses to which their tusks are applied, are the scraping of shell-fish, and other prey, out of the sand, and from the rocks ; they are likewise employed in aiding their ascent upon the islands of ice, and as weapons of defence against the attacks of their enemies. If, however, their passions be roused by provocation or attack, these animals are sometimes exceedingly furious and vin- dictive. When surprised on the ice, the females first provide for the safety of their young ones, by flinging them into the sea, and convey- ing them to a secure distance ; they then return with great rage to the place where they were attacked, for the purpose of revenging any injury they may have received. They will sometimes attempt to fasten their teeth on the boats, in order to sink them, or will rise under them in great numbers, with the intention of oversetting them ; at the same time exhibiting all the marks of rage, roaring in a dread- ful manner, and gnashing their teeth with great violence. They are strongly attached to each other, and will make every effort in their power, even to death, to liberate a harpooned companion. A wounded Walrus has been known to sink beneath the surface of the ocean, rise suddenly again, and bring up with it multitudes of others, who have united in an attack on the boat from whence the insult came. Great numbers of Arctic Wal- ruses, regularly visit the Magdalene Islands, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, every spring. Immediately on their arrival, they crawl up the sloping rocks of the coast in great numbers, and, when the weather is fair, they frequently remain for many days; but on the first appearance of rain, they retreat to the water with great precipitation. In the course of a few T ,T 1 1 ,1 " oi lite will frequently enable them to escape when the dog considers them dead. The Scotch Terrier is a rough, wiry little dog, with hair hanging over its eyes, so that those organs are hardly visible, and when it is in the water its wetted hair quite obscures its vision. There is a smaller breed of these dogs called the " Skye Terrier," whose principal beauty seems to consist in their ugliness. Terriers are extremely attached to their master, and are capable of learning many amusing tricks. I had a terrier, said to be of Irish breed, who had imbibed many of the eccentricities of the Irish char- acter. He was particularly fond of terrifying lapdogs, a species of animal which he held in supreme contempt. On one occasion, he met a very fat lapdog, the property of an equally fat old lady, wad- dling along the street. Eory looked at it for a short time, and then gave it a pat which rolled it over on its back. Its mistress imme- diately snatched it up, and put it on her muff, whereupon Kory erected himself on his hind-legs, an art which he possessed in great perfection, and walked along by her side, making occasional snatches at the lapdog. The terrified old lady struck at him with her boa, which Rory immediately caught in his mouth, arid carried off down the street in an ecstasy of delight, ever and anon tripping over it and .foiling head over heels. He had learned to shut the door, ring the THE SCOTCH TERRIER. THE SHEPHERDS DOG. 149 bell, bring the slippers, or put the cat down stairs, which he accom- plished by pushing her with his nose down each successive stair. During his residence at College he was accustomed to sit, dressed in a cap and gown, at the breakfast table, where his deportment was always most exemplary, and afforded a good example to many of the guests. Poor Rory is dead now, but there is a record of his life in the "Sketches and Anecdotes of Animals," by Mr. Wood. THE SHEPHERD'S DOG. The Shepherd's Dog is a rough, shaggy animal, with sharp pointed ears and nose. It is an invaluable assistant to the shepherd, as it knows all its master's sheep, never suffers them to stray, and when two flocks have mixed, it will separate its own charge with, the greatest certainty. It understands every look and gesture of its beloved master, and drives the flock to any place which he points out. This is the dog alluded to by Burns in the following beauti- ful passage : " Man," said he, " is the god of the dog; he knows no other; he can understand no other, how he worships him ! with what reverence he crouches at his feet ! with what love he fawns upon him! with what dependence he looks up to him! and with what cheerful alacrity he obeys him ! His whole soul is wrapt up in his god ! all the powers and faculties of his nature are de- voted to his service! and these powers and faculties are ennobled by the intercourse. Divines tell us that it ought just to be so with the Chris- tian, but the dog puts the Christian to shame. 7 ' THE SHEPHERD'S DOG. And ace SIHTUKTID 3 I>00 THE GREYHOUND. 150 THE GREYHOUND FOXHOUND BEAGLE. THE GREYHOUND. The Greyhound is the swiftest of all the Dogs, and is principally used in the pursuit of the Hare, which amusement is termed coursing. It has but little delicacy of scent, and hunts almost entirely by sight. The Hare endeavors to baffle it by making sharp turns, which the Dog cannot do on account of its superior size, and has therefore to take a cir- cuit, during which the Hare makes off' in another direction. The Hare also has the property of stopping almost instantaneously when at full speed. It puts this manoeuvre into force, when it is nearing its favorite hiding- place. It induces the Dog to spring upon it, and then suddenly checks itself. The Dog is carried twenty or thirty yards forward by its own momentum, and the Hare springes >1T to her place of refuge. At Ashborne, in Derbyshire, there is a public-house sign repre- senting a black and white Greyhound chasing a Hare. One Grey- hound was a little in advance' of the other, and struck the game so forcibly with its nose that the Hare was thrown over its back Into the jaws of the other Greyhound. This animal has been known to exert rather an unexpected talent, viz ; retracing a journey during which it had been a close prisoner. :< The celebrated Greyhound, Black-eyed Susan ; was brought to Edinburgh from Glasgow in the boot of a coach, on the night of Wednesday, the 13th May, 1835. On the following Sunday evening she made her escape, and in forty-eight hours reached her kennel, eight miles beyond Glasgow, being fifty -two miles in all. The road between Glasgow and Edinburgh she had never travelled on foot, and from the time taken she cannot have come direct ; but by what route or process this animal made her point good it is in vain to con- jecture." THE FOXHOUND AND BEAGLE. The Foxhound and Beagle are not very dissimilar in form or Habits. They both follow game by th scent, and are used in hunting. The Foxhound, as its name implies, is used for hunting the Fox, and enters into the sport with extraordinary eagerness. These Dogs are trained with great care; whole books have been written on their education, and men are engaged at high salaries to train them to the sport. England possesses the finest breed of Foxhounds in the world, and certainly no expense is spared to improve them, as one kennel is said to have cost nearly twenty thousand pounds. The height of the Foxhound is about twenty-two inches. THE POINTER. 151 THE FOXHOUND. The Beagle is used principally for Hare hunting. It is much smaller than the Foxhound, and not nearly so swift, but its scent is so perfect that it follows every track of the flying Hare, unravels all her windings, and sel- dom fails to secure her at last. Sportsmen usually prefer the smallest Beagles obtainable. The most val- uable pack of these Dogs known, usec^to be carried to and from the field in a pair of panniers slung across a Horse's back. Un- fortunately, this pack was so well known, that numerous were the attempts to gain possession of it. One ill-fated evening, as the Dogs were returning in their panniers after the day's sport, the keeper was decoyed away by some stra- tagem, and when he returned, his dismay was great to find that the Dogs, panniers, and Horse were all missing. No traces of them were discovered, and it was conjectured that they must have been sold on ihe Continent It is a common custom in the military schools and sometimes at the universities, to follow the Beagle on foot. There has been for several years a society at Oxford, who thus hunt on foot. As too much time would be lost in looking for a living Hare, a dead Rabbit is trailed along the ground, and as its fur has been rubbed with aniseed, the Dogs can follow it easily. TUE BEAQLE . THE POINTEK. The Pointer is used by sportsmen to point out the spot where the game lies. It ranges the fields until it scents the Hare or Partridge lying close on the ground. It then remains still as if carved in stone, every limb fixed, and the tail pointing straight behind it. In this attitude it remains until the gun is discharged, reloaded, and the sportsman has reached the place where the Bird sprung. It then eagerly searches for the game, and brings the Bird in its mouth."" There are many anecdotes of its intelligence, among which the fol- lowing is not the least interesting. Many Dog-trainers do not permit the Dog even to touch the Bird. 152 THE IRISH GREYHOUND. T In 1829, Mr. J. Webster was out on a shooting party near Dundee, when a female Pointer, having traversed the field which the sportsmen were then in, proceeded to a wall, and, just as she made the leap, got the scent of some Par- tridges on the opposite side of the wall. She hung by her fore-feet until the sportsmen came up ; in which situation, while they were at some dis- tance, it appeared to them that she had got her leg fastened among the stonesyof the wall, and was unable to extricate her- self. But, on corning up to her, they found that^this singular circumstance proceeded from her caution, lest she should flush the Birds, and that she had thus purposely suspended herself in place of completing her leap. When badly trained, this Dog is apt to make very absurd mistakes. A young Pointer belonging to a friend disappointed him by most perversely pointing at a Pig; arid on another occasion was discovered feasting on a dead Sheep instead of attending to its business. THE POINTER. THE IRISH GREYHOUND. The Irish Greyhound is one of the largest, if not the very largest Dog known. He was used in extirpating Wolves from Ireland. This species is nearly extinct, only a very few specimens being left. In 1790, Mr. Lambert saw eight of them in the possession of Lord Altamont. They were the sole remnant of their race, which had then degenerated : the hair was short and smooth, brown and white, or black and white. One of the largest dogs was sixty-one inches long from the muzzle to the point of the tail, which latter was, of itself, seventeen inches and a half in length. The ears were six inc.hes long and pendu- lous. The height from the toe to the top of the fore shoulders, twenty-eight inches and a half; the circum- ference of the breast thirty -live inches, and of the belly, twenty-six. All were good tempered ; and in former generations the race are said to have borne a great resemblance to the Greyhound. If this latter fact is well authenticated, it throws some light upon the progressive history of this first division ; for the dogs of this subdivision stand something intermediate between the Greyhounds, properly so called, and the wild dogs; and so, if there is a return from the Greyhound THE IRISH GREYHOUND. ANECDOTES RESPECTING DOGS. 153 to the type of this subdivision, there might be a return in this to the type of the wild dog. There are dogs evidently resembling these in other countries, such as the large and rough Greyhound of Kussia, and that of the low lands of Scotland ; but a particular account of them would not add much to the natural history of the genus. THE DALMATIAN DOG. The Dalmatian Dog is of an elegant form and beautifully spotted all over. It is called the Coach from its fondness for running under and near carriages. It is of little use and serves merely as an ornament to a 2,-entl email's J DALMATIAN DOG. equipage. THE ITALIAN WOLF DOG The Italian Wolf Dog is a very large and powerful animal of a beautiful form and perfectly white. As its name indicates it is used for protecting the flocks of the peasantry from the ravages of Wolves. ADDITIONAL ANECDOTES RESPECTING DOGS. A grocer in Edinburgh had a Dog, which for some time amused and astonished the people in the neighborhood. A man who went through the streets ringing a bell and selling penny pies, happened one day to treat this Dog with a pie. The next time he heard the pieman's bell, the Dog ran to him with impetuosity, seized him by the coat, and would not suffer him to pass. The pieman, who under- stood what the animal wanted, showed him a penny, and pointed to his master, who stood at the street-door and saw what was going on. The Dog immediately supplicated his master by many humble ges- tures and looks. The master put a penny into the Dog's mouth, which he instantly delivered to the pieman, and received his pie; and this traffic between the pieman and the grocer's Dog, continued to be daily practised for many months. At a convent in France, twenty paupers were served with a dinner at a certain hour every day. A Dog belonging to the convent did not fail to be present at this regale, to receive the scraps which were now and then thrown to him. The guests, however, were poor and hungry, and of course not very wasteful ; so that their pensioner did little more than scent the feast of which he would fain have partaken. The por- tions were served by a person, at the ringing of a bell, and delivered out by means of what in religious houses is called a tour; a machine like the section of a cask, that, by turning round upon a pivot, exhibits whatever is placed on the concave side, without discovering the person who moves it. One day this Dog, which had only received a few scraps, waited till the paupers were all gone, took the rope in his mouth and rang the bell. His stratagem succeeded. He repeated it 154 ANECDOTES OF DOGS. the next day with the same good fortune. At length the cook, find- ing that twenty-one portions were given out instead of twenty, was determined to discover the trick ; in doing which he had no great difficulty ; for, lying in wait, and noticing the paupers as they came for their different portions, and that there was no intruder except the Dog, he began to suspect the truth ; which he was confirmed in when he saw the animal continue with great deliberation till the visitors were all gone, and then pull the bell. The matter was related to the community; and to re ward, him for'' his ingenuity, the Dog was per- mitted to ring the bell every day for his dinner, on which a mess of broken victuals was always afterwards served out to him. Mr. C. Hughes, a country comedian, had a wig which generally hung on a peg in xme of his rooms. He one day lent the wig to a brother player, and some time afterwards called on him. Mr. Hughes had his Dog with him, and the man happened to have the borrowed wig on his head. Mr. Hughes stayed a little while with his friend ; but, when he left him, the Dog remained behind. For some time he stood, looking full in the man's face ; then, making a sudden spring, he leaped on his shoulders, seized the wig, arid ran off with it as fast as he could; and when he reached home, he endeavored, by jumping, to hang it up in its usual place. The same Dog was one afternoon passing through a field near Dartmouth, where a washer- woman had hung out her linen to dry. He stopped and surveyed one particular shirt with attention ; then seizing it, he dragged it away through the dirt to his master, whose shirt it- proved to be. In the year 1791, a person went to a house in Deptford, to take lodgings, under pretence that he had just arrived from the West Indies ; and, after having agreed on the terms, said he should send his trunk that night, and come himself the next day. About nine o'clock in the evening, the trunk was brought by two porters, and was carried into a bed-room. Just as the family were going to bed, their little house-dog, deserting his usual station in the shop, placed himself close to the chamber-door, where the chest was deposited, and kept up an incessant barking. The moment the door was opened, the Dog flew to the chest, against which it scratched and barked with redoubled fury. They attempted to get the Dog out of the room, but in vain. Calling in some neighbors, and making them eye-witnesses of the cir- cumstance, they began to move the trunk about; when they quickly discovered that it contained something that was alive. Suspicion becoming very strong, they were induced to force it open ; when, to their utter astonishment, they found in it their new lodger, who had thus been conveyed into the house with the intention of robbing it. A Dog that had been the favorite of an elderly lady, discovered, some time after her death, the strongest emotions at the sight of her picture, when it was taken down to be cleaned. Before this, he had never been observed to notice the painting. Here was evidently a case either of passive remembrance, or of the involuntary renewal of former impressions. Another Dog, the property of a gentleman that died, was given to a friend in Yorkshire. Several years afterwards, a brother from the West Indies paid a short visit at the house where THE WOLF. 15-5 the Dog then was. He was instantly recognized, though an entire stranger, in consequence, probably, of a strong personal likeness. The Dog fawned upon him, and followed him with great affection to every place where he went. THE WOLF. The Wolf is larger, stronger, and more muscular than the Dog. His color is generally pale grey. These animals are natives of almost all the temperate and cold regions of the globe; and they were formerly so numerous in Eng- land, that King Edgar commuted the punish- ment for certain of- fences into a requisi- tion of a certain num- ber of Wolves' tongues from each criminal ; and he converted a heavy and oppressive tax on one of the Welsh princes, into an annual tribute of three hun- dred Wolves' heads. . It appears from Hol- linshed, that Wolves were very noxious to the flocks in Scotland, in 1577 ; nor were they entirely destroyed till about a century after- wards, when the last Wolf fell in Lochabar, by the hand of Sir Ewen Cameron of Lochiel. In ancient times, every Scots baron was obliged, by the law, to hunt the Wolf four times a year, attended by all his servants ; and every sheriff, with all the barons and freeholders of his county, was annually obliged to have three great Wolf-huntings, for the purpose of thinning the race of these destructive animals. When pressed by hunger, the Wolf, though naturally a coward, becomes courageous from necessity : he then braves every danger, and will venture to attack even the horse or the buffalo. Sometimes whole droves of Wolves descend upon the Sheep-folds ; and, digging the earth under the doors, enter with dreadful ferocity, and put to death every living creature before they depart. " By wintry famine roused, from all the tract Of horrid mountains which the shining Alps, And wavy Apennine and Pyrennees Branch out stupendous into distant lands, Cruel as death ! and hungry as the grave Burning for blood ! bony, gaunt, and grim Assembling Wolves, in raging troops, descend ; And. pouring o'er the country bear along, Keen as the North wind sweeps the glossy snow : All is their prize." 156 THE WOLF. Although the Wolf is the most gluttonous of quadrupeds, devour ing, when excited by hunger, even his own species, yet his rapacity does not exceed his cunning : always suspicious and mistrustful, he imagines every thing he sees is a snare laid to betray him. If he find a reindeer tied to a post, to be milked, he dares not approach, lest the animal should be placed there only to entrap him ; but no sooner is the deer set at liberty, than he instantly pursues and devours it. Such, WOLVS ATTACKING A HORSE. however, is his extreme cowardice, that, should the deer stand at bay, and act on the defensive, he is at once intimidated. Wolves have not unfrequently been caught in pit-falls, along with other beasts, which their fears, even in this confined situation, have not permitted them to attack. Instances have occurred of peasants falling into these traps, and sitting quietly tete-a-tete, with a Wolf, until released by the hunter. So cautious are these animals in their attack, that, in several parts of the continent, if a man has to traverse alone the forests and wilds, where they are prowling in search of prey, he can sufficiently defend fiimsolf against their voracity by only a slight rope, and a bundle of WOLF. 157 straw or twigs trailed behind him. Dr. Anderson was assured by a respectable gentleman, a general officer, who was resident in Portugal WOLVES PURSUING A TRAVELLER. more than thirty years, that this was the method universally prac- tised by the peasants of that country, and, he believed, with invaria ble success. In the northern parts of the world, Wolves sometimes wander upon the ice of the sea, in quest of young Seals, which they catch asleep there. But this repast frequently proves fatal to them ; % for the ice, being detached from the shore, carries them to a great distance from the land before they are sensible of it. It is said,- that, in some years, large districts are thus delivered from these pernicious beasts. The Wolf has great strength, especially in the muscles of his neck and jaws ; he can carry a Sheep in his mouth, and without difficulty can run off with it. AVhen reduced to extremity by hunger, we are told by Pontoppidan that he will swallow mud, in order to allay the uneasy sensations of his stomach. His sense of smelling is peculiarly strong : he scents the track of animals, and follows it with great per- severance. The odor of carrion is perceptible by him at the distance of nearly a mile. Notwithstanding the savage disposition of the Wolf, he is capable, when taken young, of being tamed. A remarkable instance of this was exhibited in a Wolf belonging to the late Sir Ash ton Lever: this animal, by proper education, was entirely divested of the ferocious character of its species. In Eastern countries, and particularly in Persia, Wolves are exhibited as spectacles to the people. When young, they are taught to dance, or rather to perform a kind of wrest- ling, with a number of men ; and Chardin informs us, that a Wolf well educated in dancing is sometimes sold for five hundred French crowns. M. de Buffon brought up several Wolves. During the first year, he states that they were, very docile, and even caressing ; and, if well fed, would neither disturb the poultry, nor any other animals; 158 THE WOLF. WOLF HUNT. but, that at the age of eighteen months or two years, their natural ferocity began to appear, and it was requisite to chain them, in order to prevent them from running off and doing mischief. One Wolf, till it was eighteen or nineteen months old, he brought up in a court-yard along with fowls, none of which it ever attacked ; but, for its first es- say, it killed the whole in one night, yet did not eat any of them. The time of gestation of the Wolf is about three months and a half; and when the females are about to bring forth, they search for some concealed place in the inmost re- cesses of the forests. After having fixed on the spot, they make it smooth and plain for a considerable space, by tearing up with their teeth all the brambles and brushwood. They then prepare a bed of moss, in which they bring forth five or IE WOLF AXD YOUNCI. THE STRIPED HYENA. 159 six young-ones. The mother suckles them for some weeks ; but soon teaches them to eat flesh, which she prepares by tearing it into small pieces. She then brings them Field-mice, Hares, Partridges, and Fowls, which they at first play with, and then kill. About six weeks after their birth the young-ones leave their den, and follow the mother, WOLVES ATTACKING A SLEIGH-RIDING PARTY. who leads them abroad to some neighboring pool to drink ; she con- ducts them back again, or, when danger is apprehended, obliges them to conceal themselves elsewhere. When they are attacked, she de- fends them with intrepidity ; losing, in this case, every sense of danger, and becoming perfectly furious until they are again in safety. Of the Wolf there is nothing valuable but his skin, which makes a warm and durable fur. His flesh is so bad, that it is rejected with abhorrence by all other quadrupeds. The smell of his breath is ex- cessively offensive ; since, to appease hunger, he swallows, almost in- discriminately, every thing he can find : corrupted flesh, bones, hair, md skins half tanned, and even covered with lime. In short, the Wolf is in an extreme degree disgusting: his aspect is savage, his voice dreadful, his stench insupportable, his disposition perverse, and tiis manners brutal and ferocious. THE STRIPED HYENA. The Striped Hyena is about the size of a large Dog, of a pale greyish-brown color, and marked across with several distinct blackish bands. The hair of its neck is erect, and is continued in a bristly mane along the back. The tail is short and very bushy. The head 160 THE STRIPED HYENA. TUB 8TR1PJJD HYENA. is broad and flat, and the eyes have an expression of great wildness and ferocity. The ancients en- tertained many ab- surd and u n a c - countable notions respecting this ani- mal. They believ- ed that its neck consisted of but one bone, which was without a joint ; that it every year changed its sex that it could imitate the human voice ; and that it had -thus the power of charm- ing the shepherds, and riveting them to the place on which they stood. Hyenas, which are natives of Asiatic Turkey, Syria, Persia, and many parts of Africa, generally inhabit caverns and rocky places ; prowling about in the night to feed on the remains of dead animals, or on whatever living prey they can seize. They violate the repositories of the dead, and greedily devour the putrid bodies. They likewise prey on cattle, and frequently commit great devastation among the flocks ; yet, when other provisions fail, they are able to subsist on the roots of plants, and on the tender snoots of the palm-trees. They sometimes assemble in troops, and follow the march of an army, in order to feast on the dead bodies of the slain. The cry of the Hyena is very peculiar. It begins with somewhat like the moaning of the human voice, and ends in a noise like that ot a person making a violent effort to vomit. His courage is said to equal his rapacity. He will occasionally act on the defensive, and with great obstinacy, against much larger animals than himself. Kasmpfer relates, that he saw a Hyena which had put to flight two Lions; and that he had frequently known a Hyena to attack the Ounce and the Panther. There is something in the aspect of this animal that indi- cates a peculiar gloominess and malignity of disposition ; and its manners correspond with its appearance. Instances have, however, occurred of the Hyena being tamed. Mr Pennant says, that he saw a Hyena as tame as a Dog; and M. de Buffon, that there was one exhibited at Paris that had been tamed very early, and was apparently divested of all its natural ferocity. In Barbary, Mr. Bruce assures us that he has seen the Moors, in the day-time, take these animals by the ears and haul them along, without their offering any other resistance than that of drawing back. Mr. Bruce locked up a Goat, a Kid, and a Lamb, all day with a Bar- bary Hyena, when it was fasting, and in the evening he found each of the animals aliv 7 e and unhurt; but, on repeating an experiment of this THE STRIPED HYENA. 161 x kind at night, the Hyena ate up a young Ass, a Goat, and a Fox, all before morning. In Barbary, the Hyenas seem to lose their courage, and to fly from man by day ; but in Abyssinia, they often prowl about even in the open day, and attack with savage fury every animal they meet with. " These creatures," says Mr. Bruce, " were a general scourge to Abys- sinia, in every situation, both of the city and the field ; and they seemed to surpass even the sheep in number. From evening till the dawn of day, the town of Gondar was full of them. Here they sought the dif- ferent pieces of slaughtered carcasses which this cruel and unclean people were accustomed to expose in the streets without burial. Many a time in the night, when the king had kept me late in the palace, on going across the square from the king's house, I have been apprehensive lest they should bite me in the leg. They grunted in great numbers around me, although I was surrounded with, several armed men, who seldom passed a night without wounding or slaughter- ing some of them. One night in Maitsha, being very intent on an observation, I heard something pass behind me towards the bed ; but on looking round, could perceive nothing. Having finished what I was then about, I went out of my tent, resolving directly to return ; this I immediately did, and in so doing perceived two large blue eyes glaring at me in the dark. I called my servant to bring a light ; and we found a Hyena standing near the head of the bed, with two or three large bunches of candles in his mouth. To have fired at him, would have been at the risk of breaking my quadrant or other furni- ture ; and he seemed, by keeping the candles steadily in his mouth, to wish at that time for no other prey. As his mouth was full, and he had no claws to tear with, I was not afraid of him ; and with a pike, stuck him as near the heart as I could. It was not until I had done this that he showed any sign of fierceness; but upon feeling his wound, he dropped the candles, and endeavored to run up the shaft of the spear to arrive at me, so that I was obliged to draw a pistol from my girdle and shoot him ; and nearly at the same time my ser- vant cleft his skull with a battle-axe. In a word the Hyenas were the plague of our lives, the terror of our night- walks, and the destruc- tion of our Mules and Asses, which above every thing else, are their favorite food." At Dar-fur, a kingdom in the interior of Africa, the Hyenas come in herds of six, eight, and often more, into the villages at night, and carry off with them whatever they are able to seize. They will kill Dogs and Asses, even within the enclosures of the houses ; and they always assemble wherever a dead Camel or other animal is thrown, and, on these occasions, acting in concert, they will drag it to a pro- digious distance : nor are they greatly alarmed at the sight of men, or by the report of fire-arms. Mr. Brown was told, that whenever any one of these animals was wounded, its companions always tore it to pieces and devoured it. A remarkable peculiarity in the Hyena is, that when he is first dis- lodged from cover, or obliged to run, he always, for a considerable distance, appears lame; and sometimes to such a degree as to induce the spectators to suppose that one of his hind legs is broken ; but HYNA COUNTERFEITING LAMENESS. 162 THE STRIPED HYAENA. \ after running some time this affection goes off, and he escapes swiftly away. The neck, likewise, is so stiff, that in looking behind, or in snatching ob- liquely at any object, he is obliged to move his whole body, somewhat in the manner of a hog. The mode of hunting these animals in Barbary is somewhat extraordinary. A party of ten or twelve persons, accom- panied by as many Dogs of various kinds, goto a cavern which they have previously ascertained to be the haunt of a Hyena. One of the party then strips himself naked, and taking in one hand the end of a rope, with a noose to it, he advances gradually into the cave, at the same time speaking gently and in an insinuating tone, pretending to fascinate the Hyena by words. When he reaches the animal, he strokes him down the back, which appears to soothe him. He then dexterously slips the noose round his neck, and, by pulling the rope, indicates, to those on the outside of the cave, and who hold the other end, that it is fixed. Having thrown a cloth over the eyes of the Hyena., he immediately retires behind, and the men pull the rope from without, whilst he urges the animal forward. When they have dragged, him to the mouth of the cave, he is attacked and destroyed by the dogs. This is an operation which, if the rope break, is attended with danger to the man who enters the cave ; but he is always furnished with a dagger or large knife, for the purpose of defending himself, in case of attack. There are other modes of hunting these stupid animals, particularly in the night, either by dogs or with guns. In the day time they never come out of their den, but sit at the further end of it, staring with their eyes fixed. Mr. Jackson, by whom this account is related, says that, in Barbary, the Hyenas are not very ferocious ; that, not being afraid of man, they neither attack nor seek to avoid him. In the Southern Atlas, he states that he has seen them led about even by boys ; a rope being fastened round the animal's neck, and on each side a communicating rope being attached to it, three or four yards long, and held by a boy. Hyenas are to be seen in most of the exhibitions of wild beasts in Great Britain. In confinement they become excessively savage and ferocious. Their jaws are much stronger than those of the generality of their tribe. Some years ago there was one at Exeter 'Change about six months old, so very tame that he was occasionally suffered to come out of his den, and run about the exhibition-room. This animal would allow even strangers to approach and pat him, without exhibit- ing any symptoms whatever of displeasure; and he seemed fond of playing with any of the dogs that happened to come into the room. Still, however, there was a considerable degree of sullenness and ill- nature in his disp'osition, which, with his age, appeared every day to increase. After having been at Exeter 'Change about two months, he was sold to Mr. Tennant of Pentonville, a dealer in animals. This person, with only a string fixed to the animal's collar, suffered him THE SPOTTED HYAENA. 163 wice or thrice to go out with him into the fields. He was soon after- wards sold to the owner of a caravan, for the purpose of exhibition in the country. From the unusual confinement in this caravan, his dis- position almost immediately became fierce, and he would no longer admit of the approach and caresses of the visitors. Indeed, he did not long survive this change of life, but gradually pined away till he died. The late Mr. John Hunter, the surgeon, had at Earl's Court, a Hyena, about eighteen months old, that was so tame as to admit strangers to approach and touch him. After Mr. Hunter's death, the animal was sold to a travelling exhibitor of animals. For a few months previously to his being carried into the country, he was lodged in the Tower. The keeper of the Tower informed me that he there con- tinued tolerably gentle ; so much so, as to allow a person who knew him to enter the den and handle him. When, however, he was con- fined in the caravan, he soon exhibited symptoms of ferocity equal to those of the most savage Hyenas ; and he was at last killed by a tiger, the partition of whose den from his own he had torn down by the enormous strength of his jaws. The Hyena, in confinement, is allowed about four pounds weight of food in the day ; and he laps about three pints of water. The value of a full-grown Hyena for exhibition, is from ten to thirty pounds. THE SPOTTED HYENA, OK TIGER-WOLF The Spotted Hyena has a considerable resemblance to the former species ; but is larger and the body is marked with numerous roundish black spots. The face and upper part of the head are black ; and along the neck extends an upright black mane. The ground- color of the body is reddish brown. Natives of several parts of Africa, but particularly numer- ous at the Cape of Good Hope, these animals are described to be in the greatest degree cruel, mischievous, and formidable. They have frequently been known to enter the huts of Hottentots in search of prey; and from these they sometimes carry off even children. A Spotted Hyena entered a Negro's house on the coast of Guinea, and laid hold of a girl; and, notwithstanding her utmost resistance, he threw her on his back, holding her fast by one of the legs, and was making off with her, when the men, whom the screams of the girl had roused from sleep, came to her relief. The beast dropped her, and made his escape. 11 THE SPOTTED HYEJfA. 164 THE SPOTTED HYENA. Great numbers of these animals attend almost every dark night about the shambles at the Cape, to carry away the filth and offal left there by the inhabitants ; and they are allowed to do this without molestation. The dogs, too, with which at other times they are in continual enmity, do not now molest them ; and, on these occasions, it has been remarked that the Hyenas are seldom known to do any im- portant mischief. Thunberg informs us, that they are so excessively bold and ravenous, as sometimes to eat the saddle from under the traveller's head, and to gnaw the shoes on his feet, while he is sleeping in the open air. They utter the most horrid yells in the night, while prowling about for prey. During the day-time, they remain concealed in holes in the ground, or in clefts of rocks ; and in the night they frequently descend upon the sheep-folds, in which, if these be not well defended by dogs, they commit terrible ravages. Some of the inhabitants of the Cape pretend that the Hyena has the power of imitating the cries of other animals, and that, by this means, it often succeeds in decoying lambs, calves, and sheep from the folds. They even assert, that a party of Hyenas half flying and half defending themselves, will sometimes decoy the whole of the dogs from a farm to follow them to a distance ; while their companions have an opportunity of issuing from their retreats, and carrying off sufficient booty before the dogs can return to prevent them. Every kind of animal substance is prize to them; and the gluttony and filthy habits of these beasts, seem a kind interference of Provi- dence, urging them to consume those dead and corrupt bodies, which in hot climates might, otherwise, seriously affect the health and com- forts of the people. Dr. Sparrman relates a story of the Spotted Hyena, for the truth of which he does not altogether vouch ; but which is so diverting, that I shall make no apology for introducing it. One night, after a feast near the Cape of Good Hope, an intoxicated trumpeter was car- ried out of doors to cool and sober him. The scent of this man soon attracted a Tiger- wolf to the spot. The animal threw him on his back, and carried him off towards Talbot Mountain, thinking him a corpse, and consequently a fair prize. In the meantime, however, the drunken musician awaked ; and sufficiently sensible to know the danger of his situation, he sounded an alarm with the trumpet, which he carried fastened to his side. The beast, as may easily be imagined, was in his turn not less frightened, and immediately ran away. Another writer observes, that any person but a trumpeter, would, in such a situation, have doubtless furnished the animal with a supper. The strength of the jaws of the Spotted Hyena is so great, that it is enabled to break in pieces, without difficulty, even the hardest bones. In confiement this animal is usually fed with such bones as are the refuse of other animals; and these are all perfectly digested in his stomach. The following is a remarkable instance of the enormous powers of .these animals. The den of a Spotted Hyena in the Tower wanted jome repairs. These the carpenter completed by nailing on the floor THE JACKAL. 165 a thick oak plank, seven or eight feet in length, with at least a dozen nails, each longer than the middle finger of the hand. At one end of this plank there was, however, a small piece left that stood up higher than the rest ; and the man, not having a proper chisel with him to cut it off, returned to his shop for one. During his absence some per- sons came in to see the animals, and the Hyena was let down by the keeper from the other part of his den. He had scarcely been in the place an instant, before he espied the piece that was left at the end of the plank, and, seizing it in his teeth, he tore the plank completely up, drawing every nail. This very animal was, how- ever, much more gentle than most of the individuals of the former species. The keeper could venture to pat and caress him, and even to enter his cage at all times, except when he was feeding. This Hyena did not pay the same respect to animals that came in his VII.LOSE HYENA. way. A soldier who some time before had visited the Managerie, brought along with him a terrier dog. The man absurdly held him up to the den of the Hyena ; and on seeing the animal, the dog was irritated, barked at him, and in his rage thrust his head between the bars. The furious beast sprung upon him, dragged him into the den, and almost in an instant devoured him. A third kind of Hyena, the Villose, is so called from the roughness of its coat. THE JACKAL. The body of the Jackal has a great resemblance to that of the Fox the head, however, is shorter, the nose blunter, and the legs longer. The tail is thickest in the middle, tapers to a point, and tipped with black. The hair, which is long and coarse, is of a tawny color, and yel- lowish on the belly. The length of the body is about thirty inches, and of the tail eleven. In their general habits and econ- omy these animals are much allied to the dog. When caught young they soon become domestic, attach themselves to mankind, wag their tails when pleased, and distinguish 166 THE JACKAL. their masters from other persons. They love to be fondled and pat ted with the hand, and when called by name will leap on a table or chair. They readily eat from the hand, drink as dogs do, by lapping ; and are fond of playing with dogs. Although carnivorous in a wild state, they will eagerly eat bread. In the forests of their native countries, the hot and temperate parts of Asia and Africa, these animals associate in packs of from fifty to two hundred ; and, like hounds, hunt, during the night, in full cry. They devour poultry and lambs, ravage the streets of villages and the gardens near towns, and are said even to destroy children that are left unprotected. They are so bold and courageous that they will sometimes enter the tent of a traveller while he is asleep, and steal away any thing that is eatable. If animal prey be not to be found, they will feed on roots and fruit. In this case, the most infected car- rion comes not amiss to them. They greedily disinter the dead, and devour the most putrid bodies ; on which account the graves, in many countries, are made of great depth. They also attend caravans, and follow armies, to feast on the remains of the dead. In the night their howlings (for their voice is naturally a howl) are dreadful; and when not far distant, these are so horribly loud, that persons can with difficulty hear each other speak. Dillon says, that their voice resembles the cries of many children of different ages mixed together; when one commences, the whole pack immediately afterwards join in concert. During the day-time they are silent. All the animals of the forest are roused by the cries of the Jackal; and the Lion and other beasts of prey, by a kind of instinct attend to these, cries as a signal for the chase, and seize such timid animals as fly from the noise. From this circumstance it is that the Jackal has obtained the appellation of the Lion's Provider. Jackals burrow in the earth ; and leave their habitations during the night only, to range for prey. The females breed once a-year, and produce from six to eight young-ones at a birth. Such, nearly, is the account given to us by Mr. Pennant : that of M. de Buffon is very different. He says, that these are stupid and voracious animals, and extremely difficult to be tamed ; and that with one, which he kept for nearly a year, neither caresses nor food would soften its disposition. It would not allow any one to touch it, and attempted to bite all persons indiscriminately. When suffered to be at liberty, nothing could prevent it from leaping on the tables, and car- rying off every eatable it could lay hold of. This writer also informs us, that whenever the Jackal, in a wild state, meets with travellers, it stops to reconnoitre them, without any symptoms of fear; and that, in its excessive voracity, if nothing better lies in its way, it will even eat the leather of harness, or boots and shoes. Whenever any of these creatures begin to utter their cry, all the rest do the same : so that when one of them has entered into a house to steal, and hears his companions at a distance, he cannot refrain from adding his voice to the number, and is thus sometimes detected. THE BARBARY JACKAL THE FOX. 16' THE BARB ART JACKAL, OR THALEB. The Barbary Jackal is about the size of the common Fox, and is of a brownish fawn-color. From behind each ear runs a black line, which divides into two, extending downward along the neck. The tail is bushy, and surrounded by three dusky rings. These are, in every respect, the most adroit and active animals imaginable. They do not, like the common Jackal, associate in packs, but always live singly. They will venture to approach, even in the open day, the houses near which they have their subterraneous abode ; and, carefully concealed beneath the shelter of thick bushes, will fre- quently creep, without noise, to the out-houses, surprise the poultry, carry off their eggs, and leave no traces of their exploits, but the de- vastations themselves. The cunning of these animals is pleasingly depicted in the follow- ing narration of M. Sonnini : u One day, as I was meditating in a garden in Egypt, I stopped near a hedge. A Thaleb, hearing no noise, was coming through the hedge towards me ; and, when he had cleared himself, was just at my feet. On perceiving me, he was seized with such surprise, that he remained motionless for some seconds, without even attempting to escape, his eyes fixed steadily on me. Perplexity was painted in his countenance, with a degree of expression of which I could not have supposed him susceptible, and which denoted great delicacy of instinct. On my part, I was afraid to move, lest I should put an end to this situation, which afforded me much pleasure. At length, after he had taken a few steps, first towards one side and then the other, as if so confused as not to know which way to get off, and keeping his eyes still turned towards me, he retired ; not running, but stretching himself out, or rather creeping with a slow step, setting down his feet one after another with singular precaution. He seemed so fearful of making a noise in his flight, that he held up his large tail, almost in an horizontal line, that it might neither drag on the ground nor brush against the plants. On the other side of the hedge I found the fragments of his meal ; it had consisted of a bird of prey, great part of which he had devoured." The Barbary Jackal is one of the prettiest of quadrupeds ; and per- haps would be one of the most amiable, if his tricks, and his talents for depredation, did not bear, greatly too much, the marks of knavery. THE FOX. The Fox is a native of almost every quarter of the globe; and is of so wild and savage a nature, that it is impossible fully to tame him. He is esteemed the most sagacious and crafty of all beasts of prey. The former quality he shows in his mode of providing for himself an asylum, where he retires from pressing dangers, dwells, and brings up his young ; and his craftiness is discovered by his schemes to catch lambs, geese, hens, and all kinds of small birds. 168 THE FOX. When it is possible for him conveniently to do so, the Fox forms his burrow near the border of a wood, in the neighborhood of some ^ irm or v ^ a o e - He there listens to the crowing of the Cocks, and the cries of the w*!2m^V'' P ^7- He scents them at a distance ; he chooses his time with judgment ; he con- ceals his road, as well as his design ; he slips forward with caution, sometimes even trail- ing his body ; and seldom makes a fruitless expedition. If he can leap the wall, or creeps in underneath, he ravages the court-yard, puts all to death, and retires softly with his prey ; which he either hides under the adjacent herbage, or carries off to his kennel. He returns in a few minutes for more; which he carries off or conceals in the same manner, but in a different place. In this way he proceeds till the progress of the sun, or some movements perceived in the house, warn him that it is time to suspend his operations, and to retire to his den. He plays the same part with the catchers of Thrushes, Woodcocks, and other Birds. He visits their nets and birdlime early in the morning, and carries off successively the Birds which are entangled, concealing them in different places, especially by the sides of highways, in the furrows, and under the herbage of brush-wood, where they are some- times left two or three days, but where he has no difficulty in finding them when he is in need. He hunts the young Hares in the plains ; seizes old ones in their seats; digs out Eabbits in the warrens; dis- covers the nests of Patridges and Quails, and seizes the mothers on their eggs ; and destroys a vast quantity of game. The Fox is an exceedingly voracious animal ; and, when other food fails him, he makes war against Eats, Field-Mice, Serpents, Lizards, Toads, and Moles. Of these he destroys great numbers ; and this is the only service that he appears to do to mankind. When urged by hunger, he will also eat roots or insects ; and the Foxes near the sea coast will devour Crabs, Shrimps, or Shell-Fish. In France and Italy, these animals do incredible mischief by feeding on grapes, of which they are excessively fond. We are told by M. de Buffon, that the Fox is so fond of honey, that he sometimes attacks Bee-hives, and the nests of Wasps, for the sake of what he can there find to eat ; and that he frequently meets with so harsh a reception, as to oblige him to retire, in order that he may roll on the ground and crush those that are stinging him : but, having thus freed himself from his troublesome companions, he in- stantly returns to the charge, and at length obliges them to forsake their combs, and leaves these to him as the reward of his victory. When urged by excessive hunger, he will even devour carrion. M de Buffon xme evening suspended on a tree, at the height of nine feet some meat, bread, and bones. The Foxes had severe exercise during FOX AT A RABBIT BURROW. THE FOX. 169 the night ; for next morning the earth all around was beaten, by their jumping, as smooth as a barn-floor. The Fox exhibits much cunning in digging young Eabbits out 'of their burrows. He does not enter the holes ; for in this case, he would have to dig several feet through the ground, under the surface of the earth : but lie fol- lows the scent of them above, till he cornes to the end, where they lie ; and then scratching up the earth, he descends immediately upon and devours them. This animal prepares for himself a convenient den, in which he lies concealed during the greatest part of the day. This is so con- trived as to afford the best possible security to its inhabitant ; being situated under hard ground, the roots of trees, or in the crevices of rocks, and being also furnished with proper outlets, through which he may escape in case of necessity. The Fox, in this country, is an object of diversion in the chase. When he finds himself pursued, he generally makes towards his hole ; and, penetrating to the bottom, lies there till a Terrier is sent in to him. If his den be among rocks or under the roots of trees, he is safe ; for the Terrier is no match for him there, and he cannot be dug out by his enemies. When the retreat to his kennel is cut off) his stratagems and shifts to escape are as surprising as they are various. He retreats to the woody parts of the country, and prefers the paths that are most embarrassed with thorns and briers. He runs in a direct line before the Hounds, and at no great distance from them; and, if hard-pushed, seeks the low, wet grounds, as though conscious that the scent does not lie so well there as in other places. When overtaken he becomes obstinately desperate, and bravely defends himself against the teeth of his adversaries, even to the last gasp. Dr. Goldsmith relates a remarkable instance of parental affection i"; this animal. A female Fox that had, as it should seem, but one cul was unkennelled by a gentleman's hounds near Chelmsford, and hotly pursued. The poor animal, braving every danger rather than leave her cub behind to be worried by the dogs, took it up in her mouth, and ran with it in this manner for several miles. At last, taking her way through a farmer's yard, she was assaulted by a mastiff; and was at length obliged to drop her cub, which was taken up by the farmer. And we are happy to add, that the affectionate creature escaped the pursuit, and got off in safety. A female Fox was hunted near St. Ives, during three quarters of an hour, and with a cub, about a fort- night old, all the time in her mouth; but this she was at length obliged to leave to the ferocity of her pursuers. Of all animals, the Fox has the most bright and significant eye, He is remarkably playful; but, like all savage creatures half reclaimed, will bite, on the least offence, even those with whom he is most familiar. He languishes when deprived of liberty; and, if kept too long in a domestic state, generally at last dies of melancholy. 170 THE ARCTIC FOX. The females seldom produce young-ones more than once in the year ; and the usual number is from three to six. If the mother perceive that the place of her retreat is discovered, she carries off her cubs, one by one, to a more secure habitation. 'The young ones are brought forth blind, like puppies, and are of a darkish brown color. Foxes grow till they are eighteen months old, and live thirteen or fourteen years. During winter, these animals make an almost continual yelp- ing; but in summer, when they shed their hair, they are for the most part silent. THE ARCTIC FOX. The Arctic Fox is smaller than the Common Fox, and of a bluish- grey color, which sometimes changes to white. The hair is very thick, long, and soft. The nose is sharp, and the ears short and almost hid in the fur. The tail is shorter, but more bushy, than that of Ft Steller, the T A* FO*. Eussian tra- veller, has given us an ample and most entertaining account of the habits of life and manners of the Arctic Fox. This account appears, indeed, to be much exaggerated ; but we know not how to contradict a professed statement of fects, to which a respectable writer informs us that he was an eye-witness. "During my unfortunate abode (says he) on Behring's Island, I had but too many opportunities of studying the nature of these animals, which far exceed the Common Fox in impudence, cunning, and roguery. They forced themselves into our habitations by night as well as by day, stealing all that they could carry off; even things that were of no use to them, such as knives, sticks, and clothes. They were so ingenious as to roll down our casks of provisions, and then to steal the meat out with such skill, that, at first, we could not bring ourselves to ascribe the theft to them. While employed in stripping an animal of its skin, it has often happened that we could not avoid stabbing two or three Foxes, from their rapacity in tearing the flesh out of our hands. If we buried this flesh ever so carefully, and even added stones to the weight of earth that was upon it, they not only (bund it out, but with their shoulders pushed away the stones. If, in ( rder to secure it, we put any animal on the top of a high post in the THE ARCTIC FOX. 171 air, they either dug up the earth at the bottom of the post, and thus tumbled the whole down, or one of them climbed up, and with in- credible artifice and dexterity threw down what was upon it. "They watched all our motions, and accompanied us in whatever we were about to do. If the sea threw up an animal of any kind, they devoured it before we could arrive to rescue it from them : and if they could not consume the whole of it at once, they trailed it off in portions to the mountains, where they buried it under stones before our eyes, running to and fro as long as anything remained to be conveyed away. While this was doing, others stood on guard, and watched us. If they saw any one coming at a distance, the whole troop would combine at once, and begin digging all together in the sand, till even a Beaver or Sea-bear in their possession would be so completely buried under the surface, that not a trace of it could be seen. In the night-time, when we slept in the field, they came and pulled off our night-caps, and stole our gloves from under our heads, with the Beaver-coverings, and the skins that we lay upon. In consequence of this, we always slept with our clubs in our hands, that if they awoke us we might drive them away or knock them down. " Whenever we made a halt to rest, they gathered around us, and played a thousand tricks in our view, and when we sat still, they approached us so near that they gnawed the thongs of our shoes. If we lay down as if intending to sleep, they came and smelt at our noses, to find whether we were dead or alive. On our first arrival, they bit off the noses, fingers, and toes of our dead, while we were preparing the grave ; and they thronged in such a manner about the infirm and sick, that it was with difficulty we could keep them offl " Every morning we saw these audacious animals patrolling about among the Leonine Seals and Sea-bears, that were lying on the strand ; smelling at such as were asleep, to discover whether some one of them might not be dead : if that happened to be the case, they proceeded to dissect him immediately; and soon afterwards were all at work in dragging the parts away. Because the Seals sometimes in their sleep overlaid their young-ones, the Foxes every morning examined the whole herd, one by one, as if conscious of this circumstance, and immediately dragged away the dead cubs from their dams. "As they would not suffer us to be at rest either by night or day, we became so exasperated against them, that we killed them, young and old, and harassed them by every means we could devise. When we awoke in the morning, there always lay two or three that had been knocked on the head in the preceding night; and I can safely affirm, that, during my stay upon the island, I killed above two hundred of these animals with my own hands. On the third day after my arrival, I knocked down with a club, and within the space of three hours, upwards of seventy of them, and made a covering to my hut with their skins. They were so ravenous, that with one hand we could hold to them a piece of flesh, and with a stick or axe in the other sould knock them down. "Like the Common Foxes, these animals were the most sleek and full of hair in the months of October and November. In January 172 THE ARCTIC FOX. and February their hair was extremely thick. In April and May they began to shed their coat ; in the two following months they had only wool upon them, and appeared as if they went in waistcoats. In June they produced their cubs, nine or ten at a brood, in holes and clefts of the rocks. They were so fond of their offspring, that to scare us away from them, they barked and yelled like Dogs ; by which they betrayed their covert ; but no sooner did they perceive that their re- treat was discovered, than (unless they were prevented) they dragged the young ones away in their mouths, and endeavored to conceal them in some more secret place. " In heavy falls of snow, these animals buried themselves in that substance, and there lay as long as it continued a suffi- cient depth. They were able to swim across the rivers with great agility. Though at this time they were found in immense numbers on Beh ring's Island, they had probably | been conveyed thi- ther on the drift-ice from the continent ; and, having been afterwards nourish- ed by the area t q uan- tity of animal substances thrown ashore by the sea, they had become thus enormously multiplied." We are informed by Mr. Crantz, that the Arctic Foxes exert a very extraordinary degree of cunning in their mode of feeding on fish. They go into the water, and make a splash with their feet, in order to disturb the fish ; and when these come up, they immediately seize them. Charlevoix, apparently alluding to this species, says that they exert an almost incredible degree of cunning in entrapping the differ- ent kinds of water-fowl. They advance a little way into the water ; and afterwards retire, playing a thousand antics on the banks. The fowl approach; and on their coming near, the Fox ceases, that he may not alarm them, only moving about his tail very gently ; the birds are said to be so foolish as to come up and peck at this, when he immediately springs round upon them, and seldom misses his aim. These animals, which are natives only of the Arctic regions near the Polar Circle, and of the islands in the Frozen and Eastern Ocean, are eagerly pursued for the sake of their skins : the fur of which is light and warm, but not durable. They have at times appeared in such vast numbers in the neighborhood of Hudson's Bay, that four hundred of them have been killed or taken in different ways, between the months of December and March. The Greenlanders sometimes eat THE CAT TRIBE THE LION. 173 the flesh of the Arctic Fox, which they prefer to that of the hare They also make buttons of the skins ; and, splitting the tendons, use them instead of thread. Among the numerous varieties of the Fox, are the Black, Three- colored, Yellow, Cape, and Cross Fox, all having a general resem- blance in their form and habits. OF THE CAT TKIBE IN GENERAL. ALL the animals belonging to this tribe have six fore-teeth, the inter mediate ones of which are equal. They have also three grinders on each side in both jaws. The tongue is furnish- ed with rough, sharp prickles, that point backwards ; and the claws are retractile, or capable of being drawn back so as not to touch the ground : a necessary provision .to keep them from being dulled while walking; for, being GROUP OP ANIMALS OP THE CAT KIN'D. , 7 . . ' , their principal wea- pons, as well of offence as defence, they are both hooked and sharp. This tribe of animals is ferocious, and tolerably swift of foot. They hunt for their prey chiefly in the night, and seize it by surprise ; lying in wait till it comes within their reach, and then springing suddenly forward upon it at one leap. While their prey is in sight, they fre- quently move their tails from side to side, keeping at the same time their eyes steadily fixed on the object. They never adopt vegetable food, except from necessity. Most of them are very agile in climbing trees ; and have the remarkable property, of alighting on their feet whenever they are thrown or fall from a height, by which means the clanger usually attendant on such accidents is often prevented. The females produce a considerable number of young-ones at a birth. THE LION. The length of this animal is from six to eight feet ; and his tail, which is terminated by a tuft of hair, is alone about four feet long. The general color of his body is a pale tawny, inclined to white beneath. The claws are retractile ; not into sheaths, but into the inter- vals between the toes, by means of a particular articulation of the last joint. The last bone but one, by bending itself outward, gives place 174 THE LION. to the last, which is only articulated to it ; and to which the claw is fastened so as to bend itself up- ward and side- ways, more easily than downward. So that the bone which is at the end of every toe being al- most continu- ally bent up- ward, the point which rests up- on the ground is not the ex- tremity of the toe, but the node of the articulation of the last two bones ; and thus, in walking, the claws remain elevated and retracted between the toes. This admirable structure is not found in the great toe, whose last joint bends only downward, because this toe does not naturally rest upon the ground, being considerably smaller than the others. The Lion is a native of both Africa and Asia. The form of the Lion is strikingly bold and majestic. His large head, and shaggy pendent mane, his strength of limb, and formidable A CAPE UOX, countenance, exhibit a picture of terrific grandeur which no words can describe. THE LION. 175 His strength is so prodigious, that a single stroke of his paw is suffi- cient to break the back of a Horse ; and one sweep with his tail will throw a strong man to the ground. Kolben says, that, when he comes up to his prey, he always knocks it down dead, and seldom bites it till the mortal blow has been given : this blow he generally accompanies with a tremendous roar. A Lion at the Cape of Good Hope was once seen to take a Heifer LION DRAGGING! A LARGE A:HMAL. in his mouth; and though that animal's legs dragged on the ground, yet he seemed to carry her off with as much ease as a Cat does a Eat ; he likewise without difficulty leaped over a broad ditch with her. Two yeomen of the Cape of Good Hope being on a hunting-party with several Hottentots, near Bosheismans-river, they perceived a Lion dragging a Buffalo from the plain to a wood upon a neighboring hill. They, however, soon forced him to quit his prey, in order to make a prize of it themselves ; and found that he had had the sagacity to take out the buffalo's large and unwieldy entrails, in order to be able the more easily to escape with the fleshy part of the carcass. And as soon as he saw, from the skirts of the wood, that the Hottentots had begun to carry off the flesh to the wagons, he frequently peeped out upon them, and probably with no little mortification. The Lion, unless provoked or extremely hungry, does not attack any animal openly ; but, when roused by famine, he is said to fear no danger, and to be repelled by no resistance. The method in which he takes his prey, is, almost always, to spring or throw himself upon it, with one vast bound, from the place of his concealment: yet, if ho chance to miss his leap, he will not (as the Hottentots invariably 176 THE LION. assured Dr. Sparrman) follow his prey any further ; but, as though he were ashamed, turning round towards the place where he lay in ambush, he slowly, and step by step, measures the exact length between the two points, as if to find how much too short, or how much beyond the mark, he had taken his leap. From all the most credible accounts that Dr. Sparrman could collect concerning the Lion, as well as from what he himself saw, he concludes that this beast is a great coward ; or, at least, is deficient in courage proportionate to his strength : on the other hand, however, he sometimes shows an unusual degree of intrepidity, of which the following is an instance. A Lion had broken into a walled enclosure for cattle, and had done considerable damage. The people belonging to the farm were well assured that he would come again by the same way. In consequence of this, they stretched a rope directly across the entrance, to which several loaded guns were fastened in such a manner, that they must necessarily discharge themselves into the Lion's body as soon as he should push against the cord with his breast. . But the Lion, which came before it was dark, having probably some suspicions respecting the cord, struck it away with his foot ; and without betraying the least alarm in consequence of the reports made by the loaded pieces, went fearlessly on, and devoured the prey he had left untouched before. Though the Lion generally springs upon his prey from some lurk- ing-place, yet there have been instances where he has deviated from this mode of' attack. Dr. Sparrman has mentioned an instance; a Hottentot, perceiving that he was followed by a Lion, and concluding that the animal only waited the approach of night to make him his prey, began to consider what was the best mode of providing for his safety ; and at length he adopted the following. Observing a piece of broken ground with a precipitate descent on one side, he sat down by the edge of it; and found, to his great joy, that the Lion also made a halt, and kept at a distance behind him. As soon as it grew dark, the man, sliding gently forward, let himself down a little below the edge of the steep ; and held up his cloak and hat on his stick, at the same time gently moving them backward and forward. The Lion, after a while, came creeping towards the object; and, mistaking the cloak for the man himself, made a spring at it, and fell headlong down the precipice. One of the Namaaqua Hottentots ; endeavoring to drive his master's cattle into a pool of water, enclosed between two ridges of rock, espied a huge Lion crouching in the midst of the pool. Terrified at the unex- pected sight of such a beast, which seemed to have its eyes fixed upon him, he instantly took to his heels. In doing this, he had presence of mind enough to run through the herd ; concluding that, if the Lion should pursue, he would seize upon the first beast that presented itself. In this, however, he was mistaken. The Lion broke through the herd, in pursuit of the Hottentot; who, on turning round, and perceiving that the monster had singled him out, breathless and half dead with fear, scrambled up one of the tree-aloes, in the trunk of which had luckily been cut a few steps, the more readily to come THE LION. 177 at some birds'-nests that the branches contained. At the same mo- ment the Lion made a spring at him ; but, missing his aim, the animal fell upon the ground. In surly silence he walked round the tree, casting at times a dreadful look towards the poor Hottentot, who had crept behind the nests. It is here requisite to observe, that these nests belong to a small bird called the Sociable Grosbeak, that lives in a state of society with the rest of its species, constructing a whole re- public of nests in one clump, and under one cover. One of these col- lections of nests sometimes extends through a space ten feet in diame- ter, and contains a population of several hundred individuals. It was under the cover of one of these structures that the Hottentot screened himself from the view of the Lion. Having remained silent and mo- tionless for a great length of time, he ventured to peep over the side of the nest, hoping that the Lion had departed; when, to his astonish- ment and terror, his eyes met those of the animal, which, as the man afterwards expressed himself, "flashed fire at him." In short, the Lion laid himself down at the foot of the tree, and did not move from the place for four-and-twenty hours. At the end of this time, becom- ing parched with thirst, the beast went to a spring at some distance, in order to drink. The Hottentot now, with trepidation, ventured to descend; and ran off to his home, which was not more than a mile distant, as fast as his feet could carry him, and he arrived there in safety. The perseverance of the Lion was such, that, it appeared afterwards, he returned to the tree, and, finding the man had descended, hunted him by the scent to within three hundred paces of his dwelling. If we did not know somewhat of the natural disposition of this stately animal, we should feel a great degree of terror in seeing the keepers of wild beasts play with him, pull out his tongue, and even chastise him, as they sometimes do. He seems to bear all with, good- nature; and we very rarely have instances of his revenging these unprovoked and wanton insults. The Lion is frequently bred up with domestic animals, and is seen to play innocently and familiarly among them ; and if it ever happen that his natural ferocity returns, it is seldom exerted against his benefactors. The following anecdotes afford very sufficient proofs of the gratitude and affection of this animal. In the reign of king James the First, Mr. Henry Archer, a watch- maker in Morocco, had two whelps given him, which had been stolen not long before from a Lioness near Mount Atlas. They were a male and female ; and, till the death of the latter, were kept together in the emperor's garden. He afterwards had the male constantly in his bed- room, till it grew as tall as a large mastiff-dog; and the animal was perfectly tame and gentle in its manners. Being about to return to England, he reluctantly gave it to a Marseilles merchant, who pre- sented it to the French king, by whom it was sent as a present to the King of England, and was kept in the Tower. A person of the name of Bull, who had been a servant to Mr. Archer, went by chance with some friends to see the animals there. The beast recognized him in a moment; and, by his whining voice and motions, ex- pressive of anxiety for him to come near, fully exhibited the strongest 178 THE LION. symptoms of joy at meeting with a former friend. Bull equally re joiced, ordered the keeper to open the gate, and he went in. The Lion fawned upon him like a dog, licking his feet, hands, and face; and skipping and tumbling about, to the astonishment of all the spec- tators. When the man left the place, the animal bellowed aloud, and shook his cage in an ecstasy of sorrow and rage ; and for four LION AND KEEPER. days afterwards refused to take any nourishment. About the year 1650, when the plague raged at Naples, Sir George Davis, the English Consul there, retired to Florence. One day, from curiosity, he went to visit the Grand-duke's dens. At the further end of the place, in one of the dens, lay a Lion, which the keepers, during three whole years, had not been able to tame, though all the art and gentleness imaginable had been used. Sir George no sooner appeared at the gate of the den, than the Lion ran to him with all the indica- tions of transport that he was capable of expressing. He reared him- self up and licked his hand, which this gentleman put in through the iron grate. The keeper, affrighted, pulled him away by the arm, en- treating him not to hazard his life, by venturing so near the fiercest creature of his kind that had ever entered those dens. Nothing, however, would satisfy Sir George ; but in spite of all the keeper said to him, he would go into the den. The instant he entered, the Lion threw his paws upon his shoulders, licked his face, and ran about the place, fawning, and as full of joy as a dog would have been at the sight of his master. An account of this interview between the Lion and the stranger was soon afterwards communicated to the Grand-duke. He sent for Sir George, and received from him the following account of what had seemed so strange : " The captain of a ship from Barbary gave me this Lion, when quite a whelp. I brought him up tame; but -when I thought him too large to run about the house, I built a den for him in my court-yard: from that time he was never permitted to be loose, except when brought into the house to be exhibited to my friends. When he was five years old, he did some mischief, by pawing and playing with people in his frolicsome moods ; having one day griped a man a little too hard, I ordered him to be shot, for fear of myself incurring the guilt of what might happen : on this, a friend, who hap- pened to be then at dinner with me, begged him as a present. How he came here I know not." The Duke informed Sir George that the Lion had been given to him by the very person on whom Sir George had bestowed him. An instance of recollection and attachment occured not many years since, in a Lion belonging to the Duchess of Hamilton. It is thus re- lated by Mr. Hope : " One day I had the honor of dining with the Duchess of Hamilton. After dinner, the company attended her THE LION. 179 grace to see a Lion fed that she had in the court. While we were ad- miring the fierceness of the animal, and teasing him with sticks to make him abandon his prey and fly at us, the porter came and in- formed the duchess that a serjeant with some recruits at the gate, begged to see the Lion. Her grace, with great condescension and good-nature, asked permission of the company to admit the travellers. They were admitted at the moment the Lion was growling over his prey. The serjeant, advancing to the cage, called, 'Nero, Nero, poor Nero, don't you know me?' The animal instantly turned his head to look at him ; then rose up, left his prey, and came, wagging his tail, to the side of the cage. The man put his hand upon him, and patted him : telling us, at the same time, that it was three years since they had seen each other; and that the care of the Lion on his pas- sage from Gibraltar had been committed to him, and he was happy to see the poor beast show so much gratitude for his attentions. The Lion, indeed, seemed perfectly pleased : he went to and fro, rubbing himself against the place where his benefactor stood, and licking the Serjeant's hand as he held it out to him. The man wanted to go into the cage to him; but was prevented by the company, who were not altogether convinced that it would be safe for him to do so." M. Felix, the keeper of the animals in Paris, some years ago brought two Lions, a male and female, to the national menagerie. About the beginning of the following June, he was taken ill, and could no longer attend the Lions ; and another person was under the necessity of per- forming this duty. The male, sad and solitary, remained from that moment constantly seated at the end of his cage, and refused to take food from the stranger, whose presence was hateful to him, and whom he often menaced by bellowing. The company even of the female seemed now to displease him ; and he paid no attention to her. The uneasiness of the animal afforded a belief that he was really ill ; but no one dared to approach him. At length Felix recovered ; and, with intention to surprise the Lion, he crawled softly to the cage, and showed only his face between the bars : the Lion, in a moment, made a bound, leaped against the bars, patted him with his paws, licked his hands and face, and trembled with pleasure. The female also ran to him ; but the Lion drove her back, and seemed angry ; and, fearful that she should snatch any favors from Felix, a quarrel was about to take place ; but Felix entered the cage to pacify them. He caressed them by turns, and was afterwards frequently seen between them. He had so great a command over these animals, that whenever he wished them to separate and retire to their cages, he had only to give the order; when he had a desire that they should lie down, and show strangers their paws or throats, on the least sign they would throw themselves on their backs, hold up their paws one after another, open their throats, and, as a recompense, obtain the favor of licking his hand. A Lion and Lioness which had been brought over together from Africa, about twenty years ago, were kept in the same den at Exeter 'Change in London. They were each about eighteen months old, and were attended by a Negro who had reared them from whelps, and had come over along with them. They permitted this man to enter their 12 180 THE LION. den, and would fawn upon and play round him, like kittens. He frequently had a table in their den, with pipes and glasses ; and, sitting down there, would quietly smoke his pipe If, on these occasions, their frolics were too boisterous, he had only to stamp his foot, and by his countenance to express his displeasure, and they would imme- diately cease, and qui- etly lie down by his side. But it was not at all times that even this man would ven- ture himself with them. If they were irritated by the spectators, as, through mere wanton- ness, they sometimes were, he always refused to enter their den ; and it is not recollected that he ever did this whilst they were feed- ing. When the man left Exeter 'Change, the fe- male pined away, and soon afterwards died. We are assured, from numberless authorities, that the anger of this animal is noble, that his courage is magnanimous, and his disposition grateful. He has been often seen to despise contemptible enemies, and pardon their insults when it was in his power to have punished them. He has been known to spare the lives of such creatures as were thrown to be devoured by him, to live peaceably with him, to afford them part of his sustenance, and sometimes even to want food himself rather than deprive them of that life which his generosity had spared. Some years ago, a Dog was put into the cage of a Lion in the menagerie at the Tower, for his food. The stately animal, however, spared its life ; and they lived together for a considerable time in the same den, in the most perfect harmony, and appeared to have a great affection for each other. The Dog had sometimes the impudence to growl at the Lion, and even to dispute with him the food which was thrown to them. The noble animal, however, was never known to chas- tise the impertinent conduct of his little companion ; but usually suffered it to eat quietly till it was satisfied, before he began his own repast. A Lioness, some years ago, in the Museum of the Jardin des Plantes LIOX IN MEJTAGEIUE. THE LION. 181 at Paris, permitted a Dog to live in her den, and was excessively fond of it. She seemed both pleased and gratified by its caresses, was attentive to all its wants, and was unhappy whenever it was removed from her sight. A Lion, about three months old, was, in 1787, caught in one of the forests of Senegal ; and Pelle- tau, the director of the African company in that colony, under- took to superintend the ani- mal's education. The mildness of his physiognomy, and the unusual gentleness of his dis- position, rendered this Lion a great favorite with all persons who saw him. Sensible of the good treatment that he receiv- ed, he seemed, on all occasions, highly delighted wtih the car- esses and attentions of his friends, and was, in most res- pects, as tractable as any do- mestic animal could be. Such was his love of society, that he was always delighted to be in a room where many persons were assembled : and what was very extraordinary, he lived in perfect harmony, and was at all times on the best terms, with the other animals, of every species, that were kept in his master's house. He slept in the same place with Sheep, Dogs, Cats, Monkeys, Geese, Ducks, &c. When he was about eight months old, two whelps were littered by a Terrier on his bed. This new family excited a most lively interest in the Lion ; and if he had been the parent of the little animals, he could not have displayed to them an attachment more tender than that which was now remarked in him. One of the whelps died ; his affection was redoubled towards the other ; and this affection appeared to regulate all his movements. At the age of fourteen months, the Lion, with his little companion, was embarked for France. It was feared that the change of situation and habits would have had such influence as to render him in some degree ferocious. This, however, was not the case ; for he could at all times be allowed, without danger, to range at liberty in the vessel. He was landed at Havre, and, attended by his faithful Dog, was, with only a cord attached to his collar, conducted thence to Versailles. On the death of the Dog, which took place some little time after their arrival at Versailles, he seemed to be very disconsolate and miserable ; and it was thought necessary to supply the loss of his companion by putting into his den another animal of the same species. The second Dog, terrified at the sight of so tremendous a beast, immediately endeavored to conceal himself; .and the Lion, surprised by the noise, LION, LIONESS AND WHELPS. 182 THE LION. struck the Animal with one of his fore-paws, and killed it on the spot Fie did not, however, attempt to devour it. A third Dog was put into his den, and lived with him for some years afterwards. ME.. GUMMING HUNTING THE LION IN AFEICA. But although Lions have suffered Dogs to live in the same den with them, no instances have occurred, at least in England, of their allowing so great a privilege to any other animals. A Lion called Young Hector, not long ago in the Tower, had been some days ill, when (to try the experiment) a live Babbit was put into his den. It was suffered to remain there uninjured one whole night and the next day ; and some hopes began to be entertained that it would be per- mitted to share the apartment with the noble animal in quiet. But on the morning following the second night, it was found dead. The Lion had not attempted to devour it, for the skin was not lacerated; but when this was stripped off, there were on each side of the body the evident marks of his teeth. In another instance, a Cat had accidentally crept among the straw of his bed-place ; but the moment he discovered her, he sprang upon and destroyed her. In the Museum, at Paris, one of the Lionesses littered three times. At the first litter she produced nine, at the second three, and at the third two young- ones. The parents, which were about equal in age, and probably were of the same litter, had been caught together, when somewhat more than a year old, in a trap, made in a wood, in th North of Africa. They lived happily together, were extremely gentle, and exhibited great affection toward each other. None of the young-ones had at first either a mane, or tuft at the end of their tail : and we ar6 assured that these do not begin to appear till the THE LION. 183 animals are three years or three years and a half old. Their coat- was somewhat woolly, and of a confused color between grey and red. They had several little brown transverse strokes on the upper part of their back. As they increased in size, these by degrees disap- peared ; and with a more regular proportion of limbs, the hair as- sumed nearly the color of that of the old animals. A Lion and Lioness in the Menagerie at Exeter 'Change, had there three litters, one in May, 1818, another in May following, and the third in January, 1820. The most celebrated Lion hunters of modern time are M. Gerard and Mr. Cummings, one in the North and the other in MR. CUMMIXG ATTACKING! FOUR LIOKS, the South part of Africa. Mr. Gumming on one occasion encountered four Lions and attacked them without hesitation. The Lions in the French Museum begin to roar at day -break. They continue this noise for six or seven minutes; and recommence it after feeding, for about the same length of time. At other times they are seldom heard ; except to announce some change of weather, or when their keeper has been long absent. In a state of nature, the Lion seldom leaves his den except during the night; but in the Museum tLe animals, being shaded from the too glaring light of the sun, are, on the contrary, always most active in the clay. The Lions in the Tower of London generally begin to roar in the evening, just before the night closes. They usually do this at the approach of rainy weather; and much more on Sunday than any other days, from their .being then left almost entirely by themselves. In the den adjoining to that in which the before-mentioned Lioness of the French Museum was placed, there was another female, which had been caught in the interior of Africa, at a much greater distance 184 THE LION. from the habitations of men than places from which any others in the Museum had been brought. According to the account of Felix Cassel, the principal keeper, who travelled into Africa to collect animals, she came from the borders of the Great Desert. She was ferocious in the extreme, and all the care and attention of the keepers have not hither- to in the least degree softened her natural dis- position. This circumstance seems to con- firm the opinion of Buffon and some other na- turalists ; who assert that Lions possess greater strength and fe- rocity, accord- ing as they are removed from the haunts of man ; and that the most for- midable charac- ter is to be ex- pected in those that frequent only the burn- ing and sandy deserts of the interior pf Asia and Africa. Mr. Brow n tells us, that while he was resident at Dar Fur, in Africa, h e purchased two Lions, one of which was only four months old. By degrees, he rendered the latter animal so tame that it acquired most of the habits of a Dog. It satiated itself twice a-week with the offal of the butchers, and then commonly slept for several hours successively. When food was given to these animals, they were not only furious to each other, but to any one who approached them : excepting, however, when they were fed, Mr. Brown never saw them disagree, nor exhibit any signs of ferocity towards man- M. CERAKD .SHOOTING A LIOM. THE TIGER. 185 kind. The Sultan of Dah Fur had also two tame Lions, which theii attendant always brought into the market to be fed. The roaring of the Lion when in quest of prey, resembles the sound of distant thunder ; and being re-echoed by the rocks and mountains, appals the whole race of animals, and puts them to a sud- den flight ; but he frequently varies his voice into a hideous scream or yell. The tradition that these animals are terrified at the crowing of a Cock is not founded in fact. The Lion is commonly said to devour as much at once as will serve him for two or three days ; and, in confinement, he is usually allowed about four pounds weight of raw flesh for his daily subsist- ence. His teeth are so powerful, that he can break the bones of animals with perfect ease, and he often swallows them along with the flesh. His tongue is fur- tttfufr nished with reversed prick- mr^t 11 T CW' C**V les, so large and strong as to be capable of lacerating the skin. When he is en- raged, or in want of food, his tail with considerable violence against his back and sides. In this state, the inhabit- ants of the Cape assert, that it is certain death to any person who happens unfor- tunately to approach him; but when his inane and tail are at rest, and the animal is in a placid humor, travellers may in general pass near him with safety. The Lioness is smaller than the Lion, and destitute of a mane. She brings forth her young-ones in the most sequestered places, and produces four or five at a litter, which, at their first appearance, are about the size of a small Pug-Dog. Kolben, who was some time at the Cape of Good Hope, and who seems, unaccountably, to have been more partial to the flesh of rapa- cious animals than that of most others, says that the Lion is frequently eaten at the Cape, and that the flavor is excellent, being much like that of venison. he erects and shakes mane, and beats his LION ENRAGED. THE TIGER. The Tiger is about the same size as the Lion. His head and body are smooth, of a brownish or tawny yellow color, with long trans- verse stripes. He is a native of various parts both of Africa and Asia, but is principally found in India and the Indian islands. At the same time that he is the most beautiful, the Tiger is cer- 186 THE TIGER. tainly one of the most ferocious of quadrupeds. Indeed, so sangui nary is his disposition, that there is no animal, however strong and powerful, that he will not venture to attack. Such furious combats have taken place between the Lion and Tiger, that in some instances both animals have been known t o perish, rather than give up the con test. He commits the most lamentable ravages among THE TIGER. flocks and herds, in the countries where he resides ; and neither the sight nor the opposition of man has any power to make him desist. When undisturbed in seizing an animal, he plunges his head into its body, and drinks large draughts of blood, the sources of which are generally exhausted before his thirst is appeased. The, muscular strength of the Tiger is excessively great. We are assured, that a peasant in the East Indies had a Buffalo fallen into a quagmire ; and that while he went to call for assistance, an immense Tiger came and drew out the animal, on which the united efforts of several men had been of no avail. When the people returned, the first object they beheld was the Tiger, with the Buffalo thrown over his shoulder : he was carrying it away, with the feet upwards, towards his den. As soon, however, as he saw the men, he let fall his prey, and instantly fled to the woods ; but he had previously killed the Buffalo, and sucked its blood. The method of the Tiger's seizing his prey is, by concealing himself from view, and springing upon it with a horrible roar. His cry, in the act of springing on his victim, is said to be hideous beyond expression ; and we are told that, like the Lion, if he misses his object, he walks away without repeating the attempt. When he can securely attack mankind, he is said to prefer them to any other prey ; but he seldom makes an open attack upon any creature that is capable of resistance. In the beginning of the last century, a company, seated under the shade of some trees, near the banks of a river in Bengal, were alarmed by the unexpected sight of a Tiger, preparing for its fatal spring; when a lady, with almost unexampled presence of mind, unfurled a large umbrella in the animal's face. The extraordinary and sudden appearance of this so confounded him, that he instantly retired, and thus gave the party an opportunity of escape. THE TIGER. 187 The fatal accident which some years ago occurred in the East Indies must still be fresh in the memories of all who have read the dreadful TIGER ATTACKING A BUFFALO. description that was given by an eye-witness of the scene. We went (says the narrator) on shore on Sangar Island, to shoot deer; of which we saw innumerable tracks, as well as of Tigers. We continued our diversion till nearly three o'clock ; when, sitting down by the side of a jungle to refresh ourselves, a roar like thunder 'was heard, and an immense Tiger seized on one of the party, Mr. Monro, the son of Sir Hector Monro, Bart., and rushed again into the jungle, dragging him through the thickest bushes and trees, every thing giving way to its monstrous strength ; a Tigress accompanied his progress. The united agonies of horror, regret, and fear, rushed at once upon us. I fired at, the Tiger ; he seemed agitated. My companion fired also ; and in a few moments after this, our unfortunate friend came up to us, bathed in blood. Every medical assistance was vain; and he expired in the space of twenty -four hours, having received such deep wounds from the teeth and claws of the animal, as rendered his recovery hopeless. A large fire, consisting of ten or twelve whole trees, was blazing near us at the time this accident took place, and ten or more of the natives were with us. The human mind ,can scarcely form any idea of this scene of horror. We had but just pushed our boat from the shore, when the 188 THE TIGER. Tigress made her appearance, almost raging mad, and remained on the sand all the while we continued in sight. Near the borders of Tartary, Tigers are very frequent : and in so populous an empire as China, it would seem impossible for them to TIGER IN A JUNGLE. have remained till the present day unextirpated. In the northern roads, hundreds of travellers are sometimes seen with lanterns carried before them, to secure them from the attack of these ravenous animals. In some parts of India, Tigers are particularly fatal to wood-cutters and laborers about the forests ; and they have been known to swim to boats at anchor at a little distance from the shore, and snatch the men from on board. In Java they are so much dreaded, that when any person of consequence goes out into the country, he has with him men who blow incessantly a kind of small French "horns, the shrill sound of which frightens these creatures away. The hunting of Tigers is a favorite amusement with some of the Eastern Princes ; who go in search of them, attended by considerable bodies of men, well-mounted, and armed with lances. As soon as the animals are roused, they are instantly attacked on all sides, with pikes, arrows, and sabres, and are presently destroyed. This diversion is, however, always attended with danger ; for if the Tiger feels himself wounded, he seldom retreats without sacrificing one of the party to his vengeance. There are men who, covered with a coat of mail, or even armed only with a shield, a poniard, and a short ci miter, will dare to attack these blood-thirsty animals singly, and fight with them, life for life ; for, in combats of this nature, there is no other alternative than to vanquish or to fall. The roar of the Tiger, which is chiefly heard during the night, is said to be exceedingly dreadful. In begins by intonations and inflec- tions, deep, melancholy, and slow : presently it becomes more acute : then, the animal suddenly exerting himself, utters a violent cry, inter- rupted by long, tremulous sounds, which make a distrart'ng impression upon the mind. THE TIGER. 189 The Tiger, if taken young, may, for a short time at least, till his ferocity comes with his age, be in some measure domesticated, and rendered mild and playful. A beautiful young Tiger, brought in the Pitt East Indiaman from China, in the year 1790, was so far domesti- cated as to admit of every kind of familiarity from the people on board the ship. It seemed to be quite harmless, and was as playful as a kitten. It frequently slept with the sailors in their hammocks ; and would suffer two or three of them to repose their heads on its back, as upon a pillow, while it lay stretched out upon the deck. In return for this indulgence, it would, however, now and then steal their meat. Having one day stolen a piece of beef from the carpenter, he followed the animal, took the meat out of its mouth and beat it severely for the theft; which punishment it suffered with all the patience of a Dog. It would fre- quently run out on the bow- sprit; climb about the ship like a cat; and perform many other tricks, with an agility that was truly aston- ishing. There was a Dog on board, with which it would often play in the most di- verting manner imaginable. This animal was taken on board the ship when it was only a month or six weeks old, and arrived in England before it had quite completed its first year. On its arrival it was presented to the king, and was afterwards deposited in the Tower of London. It even there con- tinued to be perfectly good-natured, and was in no instance known to be guilty of any savage or mischievous tricks. In the year 1801, one day after this Tiger had been fed, his keeper put into the den to him a small, rough, black Terrier puppy, a female. The beast suffered it to remain uninjured, and soon afterwards became so much attached to it, as to be restless and unhappy whenever the animal was taken away to be fed. On its return, the Tiger invariably expressed the greatest symptoms of delight, always welcoming its arrival by gently licking over every part of its body. In one or two instances, the Terrier was left in the den, by mistake, during the time, the Tiger had his food. The Dog sometimes ventured to eat with him, but the Tiger generally appeared dissatisfied with this liberty. After a residence with the Tiger of several months, the Terrier was removed to make way for a little female Dutch Mastiff. It was, however, thought advisable, before the Terrier was taken away, to shut up the Mastiff for three or four days among the straw of the Tiger's bed, to take off, if possible, any smell that might be offensive to the animal. The exchange was made soon after the animals had been fed ; the Tiger seemed perfectly satisfied with his new companion, and imme- TOUNO TIGER. 190 THE TIGER. diately began to lick it, as he had before done the Terrier. The Dog seemed at first in considerable alarm with so formidable an inmate, but in the course of the day he became perfectly reconciled to his situa- tion. This diminutive creature the Tiger would suffer to play with him, with the greatest good nature. I have myself seen it bark at him, and bite him by the foot and mouth, without his expressing the least displeasure. .When the Dog, in its frolic, seized his foot, he merely lifted it up out of its mouth, and seemed otherwise heedless of its attacks. Strange Dogs were several times put into the Tiger's den after his feeding, and he in no instance attempted to injure them. Mr. Cross, the keeper of Exeter 'Change, and who formerly had the care of the animals in the Tower, informed me that he could himself have ven- tured in safety into the den. The ship-carpenter, who came over with the Tiger, came to the Tower to see him. The animal, though they had been separated more than two years, instantly recognized a former acquaintance, rubbed himself backwards and forwards against the grating of his den, and appeared highly delighted. Notwithstanding the urgent request that he would not expose himself to so much danger, the man begged to be let into the den, and with so much entreaty, that he was at last suffered to enter. The emotions of the animal seemed roused in the most grateful manner. He rubbed him- self against him, licked his hands, fawned upon him like a Cat, and in no respect attempted to injure him. The man remained there two or three hours ; and he at last began to fancy there would be some diffi- culty in getting out alone. Such was the affection of the animal towards his former friend, and so close did he keep to his person, as to render his escape by no means so easy as he had expected. With some care, however, he got the Tiger beyond the partition of the two dens, and the keeper, watching his opportunity, closed the slide, and separated them. At Exeter 'Change, Mr. Cross succeeded in having a young Tiger and a Lioness kept in the same cage. They were each so tame, that, although nearly eighteen months old, the keeper could without danger go into the cage, and play with them as he would have done with two Dogs. The Tigress, like the Lioness, produces four or five young-ones at a litter. In a wild state she is at all times furious; but her rage rises to the utmost extremity when robbed of her offspring. She then braves every danger, and pursues her plunderers with a degree of ferocity which is indescribable. In India the Tiger is hunted by the native princes mounted on Elephants and attended by a numerous train of hunters. The skin of the Tiger is in great esteem in all the eastern countries ; and particularly in China, where the mandarins cover their seats of justice with it. It is also applied to many ornamental and usful purposes. The Indian physicians attribute medical virtues to various parts of the Tiger's body. THE PANTHER. 191 THE PANTHER. THE PANTHER. The length of the Panther is usually more than six feet, exclusive of the tail, which is about three feet long. The color of the upper parts of the body is bright tawny-yellow, with numer- ous black, roundish, or some- what annular marks, several of which have in the centre of each a black spot. The under parts of the body are white. Tn nearly all its habits of life the Panther resembles the Tiger. Like that fero- cious beast, he lurks in am- bush amongst bushes or ver- dure, on the borders of the forests, and springs with a sudden and tremendous leap on such animals as pass by. So prompt, so rapid, and so well-timed are his movements, that few escape. In vain may the wretched victim seek for refuge even in the trees: the Panther, notwithstanding the size and the weight of his body, still pursues, with an agility which seems almost incredible, and there dispatches his victim. The Panther has none of the noble qualities of the Lion. His thirst for blood is insatiable; and his ferocity is such, that even when subju- gated and in the power of man, he seems rather to be subdued than tamed. One of these animals which was seen by M. de BufFon, had, he says, a ferocious countenance, and a restless eye: his motions were precipitate, and his cry similar to that of an enraged Dog, but more strong and harsh. This individual, like nearly all those that are brought into Europe, was a native of Barbary, and was taken in the forests adjacent to Mount Atlas. The mode adopted to destroy the Panther is usually this. A bait, consisting of a piece of flesh, is suspended on a tree, in the immediate neighborhood of which the hunter has previously erected a hut for his own concealment. The smell of the flesh attracts the animal to the spot, and, whilst he is in the act of seizing it, the hunter shoots him, with an aim so correct as almost always to wound him mortally. On the following day, and not before, he ventures to issue from his hiding- place, and, by means of a Dog trained for the purpose, tracks the animal to his retreat. If he be still alive, the Dog inevitably falls a sacrifice to his rage, and his cries give warning to the hunter to retreat from similar danger ; but if he be dead, which most commonly is the case, the man seizes upon his prize unmolested. An instance is recorded by Poiret. of a Moor who was pursued by a wounded Panther. He says, that the man escaped only by the strata- 192 THE OUNCE HUNTING LEOPARD. gem of throwing a part of his clothes upon a bush as he passed by it. These the animals snrang upon and tore into a thousand fragments. THE OUNCE. The Ounce is much smaller than the Panther: its body seldom exceeds the length of about three feet and a half. The hair is long and somewhat shaggy. Its color is a tawny white, with numerous irregular black marks. The length of the tail is about three feet. The inhabitants of several pro- vinces of Persia, tame the Ounce, for the purpose of employing it in the chase. In the hot climates of Asia Dogs are rarely to be found, unless they have been transported thither from Europe; and even in this case they soon lose not only their voice, but their faculty of hunting. The scent of the Ounce is inferior to that of the Dog, and he con- sequently hunts almost wholly by the eye ; but so perfect are all his other faculties, that he is infinitely more expeditious in the killing of game than any number of Dogs could possibly be. Some of these animals are so small, that the Persians are able to carry them on horseback, upon small leathern pads made for the pur- pose ; and they are so gentle towards those who are accustomed to attend and feed them, that they will without difficulty suffer them- selves to be handled and caressed. The horseman no sooner perceives a Gazelle or an Antelope within proper distance, than he makes the Ounce descend ; and, if the animal be at all expert in his business, he generally is enabled to seize his prey by the neck in five or six leaps. THE HUNTING LEOPARD. The "Hunting Leopard is about the height of a large Greyhound ; of a light tawny brown color, marked with numerous circular black spots. The legs and tail are long. Its form is more lengthened than that of the Tiger, and the chest is narrower. This is an Indian animal, is likewise frequently tamed, and is used in the chase of Antelopes. -It is carried in a kind of small wagon, chained and hooded, lest, on approaching the herd, it should be too precipitate, or should not make choice of a proper animal. When first unchained, it does not immediately spring towards its prey; but winds, THE LEOPARD. 195 with the utmost caution, along the ground, stopping at intervals, and carefully concealing itself until a favorable opportunity offers: it then darts on the herd with astonishing swiftness, and over- takes them by the rapidity of its bounds. If, however, in its first attempt, which consists of five or six amazing leaps, it does not succeed, it loses its breath; and, finding itself un- equal in speed, stands still for a j etly returns to its keeper. THE LEOPARD. This animal is about four feet in length ; of a yellowish color, and marked with numerous annular spots. The tail is about two feet and a half long. It is an inhabitant of Senegal, Guinea, and most parts of Africa. The general appearance of the Leopard is ferocious and cruel. His eye is restless, his countenance forbidding, and all his motions are short and preci- pitate. In his general habits h e resembles the Panther; he lies in ambush for prey, and thence springs upon and de- vours almost every species of animal which he has the strength to over- c o m e. Occa- sionally these beasts have been known to descend in great numbers from their lurking-places, and commit dreadful slaughter among the numerous herds of cattle which graze in the plains. In the year 1708, if we may believe the account recorded by Kolben, a male and female Leopard, with three young-ones, entered a sheep- fold at the Cape. They killed nearly a hundred Sheep, and regaled themselves with the blood. When the* old ones were satiated, thej 13 THE LEOPARD. 196 THE PUMA. tore a carcass into three pieces, and gave one of these to each of their offspring. They then took each a whole Sheep ; and, thus laden, began to move off. Having, however, been observ- ed, they were way-laid on their return, and the female and three young-ones killed ; but the male effected his escape. The same wri- ter also informs us, that the Leopard will not eat carrion, nor deign to touch what has been killed by any other beast. The Negroes take these animals by means of pitfalls covered slightly over with hurdles, on which a piece of flesh is placed as a bait. They are not, however, employed in the chase, like the Ounce or the Hunting Leopard. The late Sir Ashton Lever had a Leopard, which he kept in a cage at Leicester House. It had become so tame, as always to seem highly pleased by caresses and attention, purring and rubbing its sides against the cage like a Cat. Sir Ashton gave it to the royal menagerie in the Tower; where a person, before acquainted with it, saw it after an interval of more than a year, notwithstanding which it appeared in- stantly to recognize him, and began as usual to renew its caresses. The flesh of the Leopard, says Kolben, is white and well-tasted, and eats much better than the finest veal ! It is both nourishing and deli- cious; that of the young is as tender as a chicken! The skins are brought into Europe, where they are in great estimation : some of the most beautiful'of them sell for more than ten guineas each. LEOPARD LYING IX AMBUSH. THE PUMA, OR SOUTH AMERICAN LION. The length of the body of the Puma is about five feet, and its height two feet and a half; and its tail is about two feet long. The head is round, and the ears are short. Its color is a pale, brownish red, some- what darker in some parts than in others. The under parts are white. By the Spaniards of Peru and Chili this animal has been denomi- nated the Lion of South America ; and in its color, its voice, and general shape, except that it is desti- tute of mane it is not altogether unlike that animal. THE PUMA. 197 The Puma inhabits the thickest forests, and the most inaccessible ountains, from which it makes incursions into the plains to attack THB PUMA WITH ITS PREY. domestic animals, particularly Horses, whose flesh it prefers to that of any other. In the mode of seizing its prey it resembles the Cat : it approaches by crawling along upon its belly; it glides softly through the shrubs and bushes, conceals itself in ditches, or, if it show itself it assumes a mild and fawning appearance. But all this time it is only watching a favorable opportunity to seize the animal which it has marked for its victim : at one ]eap it fastens itself upon the back of its prey, and, in a few minutes, tears it to pieces. It then sucks, the blood, devours the flesh of the breast, and carries the remainder of the carcass into the nearest wood, where it conceals it with the leaves and boughs of trees, in order to eat it at leisure. It is a common practice for the husbandmen of Chili to fasten two of their horses together in the fields ; and whenever the Puma finds them in this situation, Molina informs us, that it kills one and drags it away, and compels the other to follow, by striking it from time to time with its paw. The favorite haunts of the Puma are the streams to which animals usually repair to drink : here it conceals itself upon a tree, and scarcely ever fails of seizing one of them. The horses, however, have an instinctive dread 'of these places, and even when pressed by thirst, they approach them with great caution, carefully examining on every side to discover if there be danger. Cows defend themselves against these animals. As soon as one of them appears, they range themselves in a circle round their calves, and with their horns turned toward the assailant, await his attack,' and not unfre- quently destroy him. All such animals that have not young-ones, attempt, at the approach of the Puma, to save themselves by flight. The ass alone, from want of speed, is compelled to defend himself with his heels, and frequently proves successful. But should the Puma leap upon his back, the ass 198 THE JAGUAR. immediately throws himself upon the ground, or runs with all his force against the trunks of trees ; and thus endeavors to free himself from his assailant. The Puma is naturally a coward, and the appearance of even a woman or a child is sufficient to make him fly and abandon his prey. He is hunted with dogs trained for the purpose, and when hard pressed, either leaps upon a tree, seeks an asylum on a rock, or placing himself against the trunk of some large tree, defends himself in a furious manner. In captivity the Puma loses much of his savage nature, and may be rendered almost as gentle as a domestic animal. A Puma mentioned in the supplementary volumes of M. de Buffon, would suffer himself to be patted with the hand ; and children were frequently known to mount astride upon his back, without his exhibiting the slightest symptoms of resentment. Mr. Keen the actor, when in London, had generally in his house a Puma, belonging to Mr. Cross, then proprietor of the menagerie of Exeter 'Change. The animal was sometimes intro- duced into the room when he had company ; and by many persons was considered to be a Lion. THE JAGUAR, OR SOUTH AMERICAN TIGER. The Jaguar is somewhat larger than the Wolf, of a brownish yellow color, variegated on the upper parts of the body with streaks, and open oblong spots or markings of black. The thighs and legs also have black spots, but /,-. t >*-^?itti^ J ^aF^z^xaB^-<^~^^-'^^-^^ ! ^&mixr\,'3iLvti*'?4n WlLIlC whitish. The tail is about two feet and a half in length. It is a native of Brazil, and several other parts of South America. The Jaguar has most of the habits, and nearly all the propensities of the Puma. He is so strong and voracious, that he is able to seize and carry off a Sheep or Deer with the utmost facility ; and yet he is so cowardly, that he may sometimes be put to flight by a shout. Cows and Horses are not always secure from his attack. These animals, as he is unable to drag them to his retreat in the forests, he tears to pieces on the spot, and satiates himself with their blood. Thp THE JAGUAR. 199 strongest of wild Boars he is able to overthrow by a single stroke of JAGUAR WAITING FOB DEER. his paw. Few of the American animals are a match for the Jaguar, except the enormous Serpents, which frequent the savannahs; and these, it is currently stated, by entwining themselves round his body, are able to strangle and destroy him. The Jaguar is not an indo- lent animal, as some writers have asserted. He constantly attacks Dogs ; often commits great devastation among flocks, and, in the deserts, is formid- able even to men. In a journey made by M. Sonnini, through the forests of Guiana, he and HUNTING THE JAGUAR. 200 THE CAPE CAT. his party were tormented by one of these beasts, for three successive nights ; and yet the animal avoided all the attempts that were made to destroy him. But finding that large fires were con- stantly kept up, he at last left them, venting a dismal howl at his departure. The power which these animals have of ascending trees is very remarkable. M. Sonniui states, that he has seen marks of the claws of a Jaguar, on the smooth bark of a tree, which was between forty and fifty feet in height, and which had not a single branch except, at the top. He says that it was easy to remark the efforts the animal had made : although he had pierced through the bark, deeply into the wood, he had evidently slipped more than once ; but he had surmounted every difficulty, and, attracted no doubt by some prey which was.peculiarly alluring, had attained the summit. HUNTER SURPRISED BT JAGUAR. THE CAPE CAT The Cape Cat is of a bright tawny color, and marked on the back with oblong black streaks, and in the other parts of the body with blotches of the same. A skin, mea- sured by Mr. Pennant, was found to measure three feet, from the nose to the tail. These elegant animals, which, in size, are considerably larger than the domestic Cat, are found wild among ji the mountains near the Cape of Good - Hope. In the places adjacent to their retreat, they are very destructive to Eabbits, young Antelopes, Lambs, and even to all the feathered race. In disposition, however, they are by no means so fierce as the generality of their tribe ; and, when caught young, may be easily rendered tame and domestic. In the year 1795, when Dr. Forster was at the Cape, he saw one of these animals, which was about nine months old. He says that its manners and economy seemed perfectly analogous to those of our domestic Cats. It ate fresh raw meat, and appeared very much to attach itself to its feeders and benefactors. After Dr. Forster had fed it a few times, it followed him like a tame Cat. It was fond of being stroked and caressed ; rubbed its head and back against the person's clothes who fed it, and seemed desirous of being noticed ; and it purred in the same manner as domestic Cats do when they are pleased. THE CAPE CAT. THE WILD CAT. 201 THE WILD CAT. This animal lias a larger head and stronger limbs than the domestic Cat. Its color is a pale yellowish-gray, with dusky stripes ; those on THE WILD CAT. the back running length-wise, and those on the sides transversely and in a curved direction. The tail is shorter than in the domestic kinds, and is barred with dusky rings. The manners of the Wild Cat are nearly allied to those of the Lynx, and to those of several others of the larger species of its tribe. It, may, with propriety, be denominated the British Tiger, since it is by far the fiercest and most destructive beast that is found in England. 202 THE DOMESTIC CAT. These animals are sometimes cauglit in traps, and sometimes killed with guns. It is, however, dangerous to merely wound them, for in this case they haVe sometimes been known to attack the assailant ; and their strength is so great as to render them no despicable enemy. At Barnboro', a village between Doncaster and Barnsley, in York- shire, there is a tradition extant of a serious conflict that once took place between a Man and a Wild Cat. The inhabitants say, that the fight commenced in an adjacent wood, and that it was continued thence into the porch of the church. I do not recollect in what manner it is reported to have begun; but they state that it ended fatally to both combatants. A rude painting in the church com- memorates the event; and the accidentally natural red tinge of some of the stones, is considered as stains of blood still remaining. Wild Cats breed in hollow trees, and usually produce four young- ones at a litter. They are yet found in several of the mountainous districts of Scotland and Ireland ; and occasionally amongst the woods that border the lakes of the North of England. In the neigh- borhood of the places which they inhabit, they often make destructive havoc among Lambs and poultry THE DOMESTIC CAT. The manners and disposition of the Cat seems to be entirely changed by education; and, although it does not exhibit towards mankind the affection of the Dog, yet it is by no means destitute either of gentleness or grati- tude. These animals are not, like the Bog, attached to our persons: their chief attachment seems to be to the houses in which they have been brought up. Instances are not uncommon of Cats having returned, of their own accord, to the place from which they have been carried ; though at the distance of many miles, and even across rivers, where they could not possibly have had any knowledge either of the road, or of the direction that would lead them to it. This local attachment may perhaps arise from their having been acquainted, in their former habitations, with all the retreats of the Mice, and the passages and outlets of the house ; and THE DOMESTIC CAT. THE DOMESTIC CAT. 203 THE DOMESTIC CAT. from the disadvantages which they must experience in these particu- lars by changing their residence. Few animals exhibit more maternal tenderness, or show a greater love for their off- spring, than the Cat. The assiduity with which she attends them, and the pleasure which she seems to take in all their playful tricks, af- j f o r d a grateful entertainment to every observer of nature. She has also been known not only to nurse with tenderness the offspring of different individu- als of her own species, but even those of other kinds of animals. A friend of the Rev. Mr. White of Selborne, had a little helpless Leveret brought to him, which the servants fed with milk from a spoon ; and about the same time his Cat kittened, and her young- ones were destroyed. The Hare was soon lost ; and was supposed to have been killed by some Dog or Cat. About a fortnight afterwards, as its owner was sitting in his garden, in the dusk of the evening, he observed his Cat, with tail erect, trotting towards him, and calling with little short inward notes of complacency, (such as these animals use towards their Kittens,) to something gambolling after her, which proved to be the Leveret, that the Cat had nourished with her milk, and continued to sup- port with great affection. Thus was a gramanive- rous animal nur- tured by a carni- vorous and preda- cious one ! This strange affection in the Cat was probably o c c a - sioned by those tender maternal feelings, which the loss of her Kittens CAT A!(D KITTEN. 204 THE DOMESTIC CAT. had awakened ; and by the complacency and ease she had derived from having her teats drawn, when too much distended with milk. From habit, she became as much delighted with this foundling, as if it had been her real offspring. A boy (Mr. White says) brought to him three young Squirrels jvhich had been taken from their nest. These little creatures he put under a Cat that had recently lost her Kittens ; and he found that she nursed and suckled them with the same assiduity and affection as if they had been her own progeny. So many persons, however, went to see the little Squirrels suckled by a Cat, that the foster-mother became jealous of her charge, and in pain for tbeir safety ; and there- fore hid them over the ceiling, where one of them died. Some years ago a sympathy of this nature took place, in the house of Mr. James Greenfield, of Maryland, between a Cat and a Rat. The Cat had Kittens, to which she frequently carried Mice, and other small animals for food ; and among the rest she is supposed to have carried them a young Eat. The Kittens, probably not being hungry, played with it; and when the Cat gave suck to them, the Eat likewise sucked her. This having been observed by some of the servants, Mr. Greenfield was informed of it. He had the Kittens and Eat brought down stairs and put on the floor ; and in carrying them off, the Cat was remarked to convey away the young Eat as tenderly as she did any of the Kittens. This experiment was repeated as often as any company came to the house, till a great number of persons had become eye-witnesses of the extraordinary affection. Cats, by means of their whiskers, seem to possess something like an additional sense ; these have, perhaps, some analogy to the antennae of moths and butterflies. They consist not only of long hairs on the upper lip, but also of four or five long hairs standing up from each eye-brow, and two or three on each cheek ; all which, when the ani- mal erects them, make, with their extremities, so many points in the periphery of a circle, equal, at least, in extent, to the circumference of their own bodies. With this instrument, it is supposed that, by a little experience, they can at once discover whether any aperture among hedges or shrubs (in which animals of this genus live in their wild state) is large enough to admit their bodies ; to them a matter of the greatest consequence, whether pursuing or pursued. They have like- wise the power of erecting and bringing forward the whiskers on their lips ; which probably is for the purpose of feeling whether a dark hole be permeable or not. It is generally supposed that Cats are able to see in the dark ; but, although this is not absolutely the case, it is certain than they can see with much less light than most other animals ; owing to the peculiar structure of their eyes, the pupils of which are capable of being con- tracted or dilated in proportion to the degree of light by which they are affected. In the day-time, the pupil of the Cat's eye is perpetually contracted, and sometimes into a mere line; for it is with difficulty that this animal can see by a strong light : but in the twilight the pupil resumes its natural roundness, and the animal enjoys perfect vision. In order to preserve their fur clean, Cats wash their faces, and THE ANGORA CAT. 205 CAT AND KITTENS. generally quite behind their ears, every time they eat. As they can not lick those places with their tongues, they first wet the inside of their leg with the saliva, and then repeatedly rub them over with it. This Dr. Darwin, whimsically enough, esteems an act of reasoning; "be- cause," he says, "a means is used to produce an effect ; which means seem to be acquired by imitation, like the greater part of human arts." The fur of the Cat, being generally clean and dry, readily yields electric ij sparks when rubbed ; and, if a clean and perfectly dry Domestic Cat be placed, in frosty weather, on a stool with glass feet, or be insulated by any other means, and rubbed for a little time in contact with the wire of a coated vial, the vial will become charged. No experiment can be more beautiful than that of sitting a Kitten, for the first time, before a looking-glass. The animal appears sur- prised and pleased with the resemblance, and makes several attempts to touch its new acquaintance; and, at length, finding its efforts fruit- less, it looks behind the glass, and appears astonished at the absence of the figure. It again views itself, and tries to touch the image with its foot, suddenly looking at intervals behind the glass. It then becomes more accurate in its observations ; and begins, as it were, to make experiments, by stretching out its paw in different directions ; and when it finds that these motions are answered in every respect by the figure in the glass, it seems, at length, to be convinced of the real nature of the image. The following curious fact in the natural history of the Cat, is related by Dr. Anderson, in his Eecreations in Agriculture : a Cat belonging to Dr. Coventry, the ingenious Professor of Agriculture in Edinburg, had no blemish at its birth, but lost its tail by accident when its was young. This Cat had many litters of Kittens ; and in every litter there was one or more that wanted the tail, either wholly or in part. "A Cat," says Browne, in his Natural History of Jamaica, "is a very dainty dish among the Negroes." THE ANGORA CAT. When M. Sonnini was in Egypt, he had an Angora Cat in his pos- session for a long time. It was entirely covered with long silky hairs ; its tail formed a magnificent plume; which the animal elevated, at pleasure, over its body. Not one spot, nor a single dark shade, tar- nished the dazzling whiteness of it coat. Its nose and lips were of a delicate rose-color. Two large eyes sparkled in its round head ; one of which was a light yellow, and the other a fine blue color. 206 THE LYNX. This beautiful animal had even more loveliness of manners, than grace in its attitude and movements. With the physiognomy of good- ness, she possessed a gentleness truly interesting. How ill soever any one used her, she never attempted to advance her claws from their sheaths. Sensible to kindness, she licked the hand which caressed, and even that which tormented her. On a journey, she reposed tran- quilly on the knees of any of the company, for there was no occasion to confine her ; and if M. Sonnini, or any other person whom she knew, was present, no noise whatever gave her the least disturbance. In M. Sonnini's solitary movements, she chiefly kept by his side ; she interrupted him frequently in the midst of his labors or medita- tions, by little caresses extremely affecting; and generally followed him in his walks. During his absence, she sought and called for him incessantly, with the utmost inquietude ; and, if it was long before he reappeared, she would quit his apartment, and attach herself to the person of the house where he lived ; for whom, next to himself, she entertained the greatest affection. She recognized his voice at a dis- tance ; and seemed on each fresh meeting with him to feel increased satisfaction. Her gait was frank, and her look as gentle as her character. " This animal," says M. Sonnirii, " was my principal amusement for several years. How was the expression of her attachment depicted upon her countenance ! How many times have her tender caresses made me forget my troubles, and consoled me in my misfortunes ! My beautiful and interesting companion, however, at length perished. After several days of suffering, during which I never forsook her, her eyes, constantly fixed on me, were at length extinguished ; and her loss rent my heart with sorrow." THE LYNX. The Lynx is four feet in length, exclusive of the tail, which mea- sures about six inches. The ears rue erect, and have a long pencil of black hair at the tip. The fur is long and thick. The upper parts of the body are of a pale gray color, with a reddish-tinge, and obscurely marked with small dusky spots. The uader parts are white. This animal is proverbial for his piercing sight. The ancients even went so far as to believe that he could see through stone walls. For us, however, it is sufficient to know that, probably, there is no beast existing which is able to discover its prey at so great a distance as the Lynx. *Most of the northern parts of Europe, of Asia and America, are subject to the depredations of these voracious and destructive animals. They prefer cold to temperate climates ; are seldom found in the open plains; but, like the Tiger, Leopard, and Panther, conceal themselves in the thick shelter of woods and forests. Their voice is not easily distinguished from that of the AVolf. The Lynx is able to pursue his prey even into the branches of the highest trees. Neither the wild Cat, the Martin, the Ermine, nor THE LYNX. 207 even the Squirrel, can escape him. He also unrelentingly seizes upon and destroys v the Stag, the Eoe-Buck, and the Hare. When Sheep happen to be folded in the neighborhood of his retreat, he will scratch his way through the earth, under the doors of the fold ; and, if not checked by the presence of the shepherd, will commit the most hor- rible devastations. Such is the native fe- rocity of the Lynx, that it is considered impossi- ble to tame and subdue him. In a state of cap- tivity, on the slightest irritation or insult, he ex- presses his maglignity by a kind of snarling scream. The fur of the Lynx is thick and soft; and, when of a pale or whitish color, with the spots tol- erably distinct, is ex- tremely valuable. The Russians sell the skins of Lynxes to the Chinese, at a rate from about fifteen shillings to five or six pounds each, exclusive of the fore-feet, which are also valuable and sold separately. LYNX ATTACKING MOOSE DEER. 208 THE CARACAL OCELOT WEASEL TRIBE. THE CARACAL. The Caracal is found in most parts of Asia and Africa. It derives its name from the black tips of its ears, which render it a very conspi- cuous animal. It is one of the group of the Lynxes, and is generally sup- Y/ posed to be the animal referred to by /^several ancient authors under the name of Lynx. It lives on the smaller quadrupeds and Birds, which it pur- sues even to the tops of the trees. There are no records of its being tamed, as in every instance when confined it snarls at those who ap- proach its cage. The length of its body is about two feet and its height about fourteen inches. THE CARACAL. THE OCELOT WITE ITS PREY THE OCELOT. The Ocelot, one of the Tiger-Gats, is a native of Mexico . and Peru. Its height $ is about eighteen inches, and its length about three feet. It is a most beautiful animal, and is easily tamed. When in a wild state it lives principally on Mon- keys, which it takes by stratagem. OF THE 'WEASEL TRIBE. THESE animals have, in each jaw, six sharp cutting-teeth, and the canine-teeth somewhat longer ; a long and slender body, with, short legs ; a sharpened visage ; and in most species, a longish tail. In some animals of this tribe the tongue is smooth ; and in others, it is furnished with prickles that point backwards. These are all carnivorous animals. From their slender and length- ened bodies, short legs, and the very free motion in every direction, permitted by the loose articulations of the spine, they are well formed for pursuing their prey into the deepest recesses. Constituted by THE ICHNEUMON. 209 nature to subsist on animals, many of which have great strength and courage, the Weasels possess an undaunted and ferocious disposition. The species are extremely numerous. THE ICHNEUMON. The length of the Ichneumon, from the tip of the nose to the end of the tail, is from twenty-four to forty-two inches, of which the tail occupies nearly half. Its color is pale reddish-gray, each hair being mottled with brown or mouse-color. The eyes are of a bright red ; the ears almost naked, small, and rounded ; and the nose is long and slender. The tail is very thick at the base ; and gradually tapers towards the point, where it is slightly tufted. 'The hair is hard and coarse, and the legs are short. The estimation in which this animal is held, by the inhabitants of Egypt, and other hot climates, is so great, that it was formerly ranked among their deities. The natural enemy of serpents and other nox- ious reptiles that infest these countries, it unsparingly attacks them whenever it has an opportunity. It combats, without dread, that most fatal of all serpents, the Cobra di Capello. The eggs of Croco- diles it digs out of the sand, and devours ; and it even kills great numbers of young Crocodiles. The Ichneumon is frequently domesticated, and kept in houses, where, in destroying Eats and Mice, it is found more useful than a Cat. It is easily tamed, is very active, and springs with great agility on its prey. It will slide along the ground almost like a Serpent. It sits upright to eat, uses its fore-feet, and catches at any thing that is flung to it. The Ichneumon is a great enemy to poultry, and will feign itself dead to attract them within its reach ; and the address with which it seizes a Serpent by the throat, is very remarkable. Fouche d' Obsonville had an Ichneumon very young, which he brought up. He fed it at first with milk; and afterwards with baked meat mixed with rice. It soon became even tamer than a Cat ; for it would come to him when called, and would even follow him into the fields without attempting to escape. One day M. d' Obsonville brought to this animal a small "Water- Serpent alive, being desirous of ascertaining how his instinct would lead him to act against a creature with which he was hitherto totally unacquainted. His first emotion seemed to be astonishment mixed with anger, for his hair became erect ; but in an instant afterward, he slipped behind the reptile, and with astonishing agility leaped upon its head, seized it, and crushed it between his teeth. This essay, and new aliment, seemed to have awakened in the Ichneumon his innate and destructive voracity, which, till then, had given way to' the gentleness he had acquired from his education. M. D'Obsonville had in his yard several curious kinds of fowls, among which the animal had been brought up, and which, till then, he had suffered to live unmolested and indeed unregarded * but, a few days after this he strangled every one of them. 210 THE STRIATED WEASEL, OR SKUNK. Jn a wild state, the Ichneumon is said to frequent principally the banks of rivers; and in times of flood to approach the higher grounds and inhabited places, in quest of prey. He is reported to swim and dive occasionally, in the manner of an Otter ; and to continue beneath the water for a great length of time. When he sleeps, he folds him- self up like a ball, and is not easily awaked. Ichneumons are short- lived, and grow very rapidly. In northern climates, they cannot, without difficulty, be either reared or preserved. Whatever care be taken, the frosts incommode them, and they generally soon fall victims to the change. THE STRIATED WEASEL, OR SKUNK. The length of this animal, from the nose to the tail, is about eigh- teen inches ; and of the tail fourteen inches. The upper parts of the body are variegated or striped with black and white. The neck and legs are very short. The tail is clad, to- wards its extremity, with long, whitish hair. This is one of three or four species of Weasel, natives of America, whose only mode of defence against their ene- mies (and it is a perfectly secure one) is to emit from their bodies a vapor so THE SKUNK. fetid, that few animals can bear to come within its influence. Cattle that are near are so alarmed, as to utter the most dreadful bellowings. Dogs are indeed sometimes trained to hunt them ; but, in order to relieve themselves, they are under the necessity of frequently thrusting their noses into the earth. The odor may be perceived to an amazing distance ; and so abominable is it, that provisions tainted by it can never afterwards be rendered eatable. When a Striated Weasel is irritated or killed near a dwelling, the whole place becomes infected ; the clothes, provisions, and all the rooms are, in a few minutes, so saturated with the vapor, that no one can live in or use them for a longtime afterwards. Clothes, although several times washed, soakecl, and dried in the sun, retain their smell sometimes for weeks. Professor Kalm says, that a Striated Weasel being one day per- ceived in its cave, a woman, unthinkingly, attacked and killed it. The whole place was in a moment rilled with such a dreadful stench, that the woman was taken ill, and continued so for several days; and the provisions were so infected, that they were all thrown away. It appears that these animals are, in some degree, attached to the society of mankind. They approach without apprehension, and boldly enter the country houses to search for eggs, passing fearlessly, even through the midst of Dogs, which, instead of attacking them, generally run away at their approach. The husbandmen themselves dislike to shoot them on such occasions, lest they should fail of killing them, THE HONEY WEASEL, OR KATEL. 211 and be assailed by their nauseous stench. In order to free themselves from such unwelcome visitors, they have recourse to stratagem. Some DOQ DRIVEN OFF BY THE ODOR OF A SKUNK. of the company begin by caressing the animal, until an opportunity offers for one of them to seize it by the tail and hold it suspended ; and in this position it may be killed without either difficulty or danger. Strange as it may appear, these animals are sometimes domestica- ted ; and as they never emit their fetor except when alarmed or irri- tated, they are not dreaded in this state. In February, 1820, there was one exhibited in the Menagerie at Exeter 'Change London. THE HONEY WEASEL, OB KATEL. From the nose to the tail, the Eatel measures about two feet. Ita back is cinereous ; and along the sides runs a light-grey stripe that divides this from the belly, which is black. The legs are short; and the claws long, and formed for burrowing. 14 212 THE RATEL. Formed by nature to be the adversary of Bees, and the unwelcome visitor of their habitations, the Ratel is endued with a particular faculty of discovering and attacking them within their entrenchments. As a man placed at the mast-head, can most easily descry a sail or land at a great distance in the evening ; so, probably, this time of the day is most convenient for the Ratel to __ look out for his food. Towards sun- THE"BATEL. "" set he issues from his hole. Near this he sits upright, and holds one of his paws before his e} r es, in order to modify the rays of the sun, and at the same time to procure a distinct view of the object of his pursuit: and when, in consequence of peering thus on each side of his paw, opposite to the sun, he sees any Bees fly, he knows that they are proceeding straight to their habitation, and consequently takes care to keep in the same direction in order to find them. He has, besides, the sagacity to follow the Guculus Indicator, a little bird, which flies on, with a peculiar and alluring note, and guides him to the Bees' - nests. The Ratel is a native of the Caps of Good Hope, and his hide is so thick and tough that there is scarcely any way of destroying him but by beating him about the head, or plunging a knife into his body. The shortness of his legs will not permit him to make his escape by flight when pursued by hounds. He is, however, sometimes able to extricate himself from them by biting and scratching them in a most terrible manner; while on the other hand, he is well defended from the assaults of their teeth by the toughness of his hide. For, when a Hound endeavors to bite him, it can lay hold only on this part, which instantly sepa- rates from the Ratel's body or flesh, like a sack. Even when laid hold of by the hind part of the neck, and near his head, this animal can, as it were, turn round in his skin, and bite his enemy. It is a remarkable cir- cumstance, that such a number of Hounds as would be able collec- tively to tear in pieces a Lion of moderate size, are sometimes obliged ;to leave the Ratel dead only in appearance. Is it not probable that the Creator, who seems to have destined the Ratel for the destruction of Bees, may have bestowed on it a hide so much tougher than those RATEL ATTACKING A \VILD BEE'S NEBT. THE CIVET. 213 he has given to other animals of the Viverra kind, for the purpose of defending it from the stings of these insects ? Those Bees'-nests that are built in trees, are in no danger whatever from the attacks of this animal. In the first transports of his rage at having sought after such in vain, he gnaws the trunks of the trees; and these marks are sure indications to the inhabitants of the country, that a Bees'-nest is to be found there. THE CIVET. The Civet is somewhat more than two feet about half the length of its body. The ground color is yellowish ash-grey, beautifully marked with large black- ish or dusky spots. The hair is coarse ; and, along the back, it stands up, so as to form a sort of mane. The body is thickish ; and the nose sharp, and black at the tip. Three black stripes proceed from each ear, and end at the THE CIVET throat and shoulders. It is an inhabitant of several parts both of Africa and India. There are few animals more active and nimble than the Civet ; it jumps about like a Cat, in the most animated manner, and runs with wonderful speed. The Civet feeds on small animals, but particularly on birds, which it takes by surprise; and it sometimes commits depre- dations among poultry, when it can steal unperceived into a farm-yard. It is a very voracious animal. One that M. Barbot had at Guadaloupe was accidentally kept without food for a whole day ; the animal on the ensuing morning, gnawed his way through the cage in which he was kept, came into the room where M. Barbot was writing, and, star- ing about with sparkling eyes for a few seconds, made a leap of five or six feet at a Parrot, that was perched on a piece of wood put into the wall for the purpose: before his master could run to the relief of the bird, the Civet had torn off its head. This animal is remarkable for the production of the drug called civet, sometimes erroneously confounded with musk. This is a sub- stance which is found in a large double glandular receptacle, situated at a little distance beneath the tail. The Dutch keep at Amsterdam great numbers of Civets, for the purpose of collecting the drug from them. When a sufficient time for the secretion has been allowed, one of these animals is put into a long wooden cage, so narrow that it can- not turn itself round. The cage being opened by a door behind, a small spoon, or spatula, is introduced through the orifice of the pouch, which is carefully scraped. This operation is performed twice or thrice a- week ; and the animal is said always to produce the most civet, after being irritated. The quantity also depends in a great measure on the quality of the nourishment which it takes, and the appetite with 214 THE MARTIN. which it eats. In confinement, its favorite food is boiled meat, eggs, birds, and small animals, and particularly fish. There is a Civet in the Jardin des Plantes at Paris, which has been there several years. Its odor is at all times very powerful, but unusually so whenever it is irritated. It sleeps with its body rolled round, and its head between its legs. This posture it seldom changes either in the night or day ; and it sleeps so soundly, that it cannot be roused without severe blows. With respect to the civet procured from Amsterdam, it is less adul- terated, and therefore held in higher estimation, than that imported from India or the Levant. Its average value in Holland is about fifty shillings an ounce ; but this is subject to considerable fluctuation. The substance is accounted best when new ; of a whitish color, a good consistence, and of a strong, disagree- able smell. This perfume is exces- sively powerful ; but in small quanti- ties it is more pleasant than musk, to which it bears some resemblance. In a native state these animals are found in Guinea and the central parts of Africa. They inhabit only arid and sandy countries, and never frequent such as are humid and shady. A spe- cies of the Civet is found in Java with a long pointed tail. JAVANESE CIVET. THE COMMON MARTIN AND PINE MAKTIN. These animals are each about eighteen inches long. They are of a dark chesnut color on the upper parts. The Common Martin is white on the throat and breast ; and the Pine Martin yellow. They are natives of Great Britain ; and of various parts both of the old and new continent. The general retreats of the Martin and Pine Martin are the hollows of decayed trees, so high up, and in other respects so situated, as to afford them perfect security. The place adopted for the nest of a Squirrel is generally preferred to any other. Of this the Martin dispossesses the ingenious architect by killing him. The new tenant now enlarges the dimensions of its habitation, lines it with softer materials, and, in this secure retreat, produces its TITE MARTIN. young. The courage of the Martin is so great, that it will attack animals much larger and stronger than itself. In a wild state it is sometimes THE MARTIN. 215 very ferocious ; but it may be rendered tame and docile. Gesner says, he kept a Pine Martin which was extremely playful and enter- taining. It used to go to the houses of the neighbors, and it always 1 returned home when it wanted food. It was particularly fond of a Dog with which it had been bred up; and would play with him as Oats do, lying on its back, and pretending to bite him. M. de Buffon jiad one, which, though it had lost its ferocity, did not, however, dis- cover any marks of attachment, and continued so wild as to require being chained. It frequently escaped from its confinement. At first it returned, after some hours' absence, but without appearing pleased ; tie time of absence of each succeeding elopement gradually increased, and at last it took a final departure. During its confinement, it some- times slept for two days without intermission. These animals have a musky smell, which to many persons is very agreeable. Their cry is sharp and piercing; but is never uttered except when in pain or distress. Their principal food consists of rats, mice, and other small quadupeds ;. of poultry, and game : they are also remarkably fond of honey. The female produces three or four } 7 oung-ones at a litter, which soon arrive at a state of maturity. She is able to afford them but a small quantity of milk; but she compensates for this defect, by bring- ing to them eggs and live birds in abundance ; and she thus early accustoms them to a life of carnage and plunder. As soon as the young-ones are able to leave the nest, she leads them through the woods ; where they begin to seize on their prey, and to provide food for themselves. Pine Martins are hunted in the North for the sake of their furs, which are held in great estimation: the most valuable part is that which extends along the back. In England these are used to line the robes of magistrates, and for several other pur- poses. They form a considerable arti- cle of commerce ; above twelve thou- sand being annu- ally imported into England from Hud- son's Bay, and more than thirty thou- sand from Canada. Among the American varieties of the Martin is the Fisher, found in Canada and New England, much detested by trappers for robbing their traps. PINE MARTIN. 216 THE SABLE. FISHER ATTACKING A HARE. THE SABLE. This animal is about eighteen inches in length ; and, in its general shape, has a great resemblance to the Martin. The head is longish, and the muzzle somewhat sharpened. Its color is a deep glossy brown. It is a native of North America, Siberia, Kamtschatka, and v Asiatic Russia. Sables frequent the banks of rivers, and the thickest parts of the woods. They live in holes under the ground, and especially under the roots of trees ; but they sometimes make their nests (consisting of moss, small twigs, and grass) in the hollows of trees. In winter they live on berries of different kinds ; but in summer-time, before these are ripe, they devour Hares, Weasels, Ermines, and other small animals. They are sprightly and active creatures ; and are able, with wonderful agility, to leap from tree to tree, in the pursuit of Squirrels and Birds. Two of these animals which had been in some measure domesticated, are described by M. Gmelin. He says, that whenever they saw a Cat, they would rise on their hind feet to prepare for combat. In the night, they were extremely restless and active; but during the day, and particularly after eating, they generally slept so sound for half an hour, or an hour, that they might be pushed, shaken, and even pricked without being awakened. THE SABLE. THE POLECAT. 217 The skin of the Sable is more valuable than that of any other animal of equal size. One of these skins, not more than four inches broad, has sometimes been valued at as high a rate as fifteen pounds; but the general price is from one pound to ten pounds, according to the quality. The Sable's fur is different from all others, in the hair turning with equal ease either way. The bellies of Sables, which are sold in pairs, are about two fingers in breadth ; and are tied together in bundles of forty pieces, which are sold at from one to two pounds a bundle. The tails are sold by the hundred, at from four to eight pounds. The manner in which the natives of Kamtschatka catch these animals is very simple. They follow the track of the Sable, in snow- shoes, till they have detected his covert, which is generally a burrow in the earth. As soon as the little creature is aware of his pursuers, he escapes into some hollow tree. This the hunters surround with a net, and then they either cut it down, or force the animal by fire and smoke to abandon his retreat, when he falls into the net and is killed. The tree in which a Sable is lodged, they sometimes surround with Dogs trained for the purpose; and then, making a running noose on a strong cord, they find means to get the creature's head* into the snare, and thus haul him down an easy prey. The chase of the Sable, during the more barbarous periods of the Russian empire, was the principal task of the unhappy exiles who were banished into Siberia; and who, as well as the soldiers sent there, were obliged to furnish, within a given time, a certain quantity of furs: but as Siberia is now become more populous, the Sables have, in a great measure, quitted this part of the country, and retired further to the north and east, into the desert forests and mountains. THE POLECAT, OR FITCHET. The length of the Polecat, exclusive of the tail, is about seventeen inches ; and of the tai] three inches. In shape this animal resembles the Martin. The ears are short, and tipped with white. The tail is covered with longish hair. The general color is a deep chocolate, __ nearly approaching to black. THE POLECAT. The Polecat is not afraid of the pre- sence of mankind, but approaches with confidence our dwellings, mounts to their roofs, and often resides in barns, hay-lofts, or other places that are not much frequented. Thence he issues, under the shadow of night, to commit his depreda- tions on eggs and poultry. He is exceedingly agile, and runs very fast. In the act of running, his belly seems to touch the ground; but, in preparing to jump, the animal arches his back very much, and by this means the projectile force of his body is greatly increased. In farm-yards, the Polecat makes less noise but commits more mis- 218 THE FERRET. chief than the Martin. If, deterred by the narrowness of the entrance, he cannot convey the fowls away, he is said to eat the brain on the spot, and to carry off the heads to his place of concealment, leaving the bodies behind. In Lorraine, and some of the adjacent cantons, Polecats are very numerous ; and consequently there, as elsewhere, they commit great havoc in the poultry -yards. Yet, says M. Sonnini. such are the superstitious prejudices in their favor, that the inhabitants will on no account attempt to destroy them. They pretend that Polecats never commit any damage in the dwellings where they reside ; thus, at the same time that they know and acknowledge their voracious disposi- tion, they believe that the animals entertain a singular respect for hospitality. The Polecat, during summer, generally lives in woods, thick brakes, or about Kabbit- warrens. Here, if he cannot find ready-made a hole that suits him, he forms for himself, in the ground, a retreat not usually more than two yards in length, which if possible, he contrives to end among the roots of some large tree. Issuing thence, he often commits surprising depredations on game and Eabbits. A single family of Polecats, left undisturbed, are sometimes sufficient to destroy a whole warren. It is asserted that these animals are so fond of honey, that, in winter, when the Bees are weakened by the rigors of the season, they have been known to attack the hives, and voraciously to devour their contents. That the Polecat will sometimes prey upon Fish, is a circumstance that was known to several of the old writers on Natural History, and is noticed both by Aldrovandus and Johnston. A curious fact, illus-, trative of this propensity, is recorded in Bewick's History of Quad- rupeds. During a severe storm, a Polecat was tracked in the snow, from the side of a rivulet to its hole, at some distance. On examining this hole, it was found to contain eleven eels, the fruits of some of the animal's nocturnal excursions. The smell of the Polecat is proverbially fetid, the animal being furnished, like several others of its tribe, with certain receptacles for secreting a thickish fluid, which has a peculiarly strong and offensive odor. When the Polecat is heated or enraged, the stench is some- times perceptible to a considerable distance. Notwithstanding this, its fur is both beautiful and valuable. The skins taken from animals killed in winter, are the most valuable. The female Polecats produce their young-ones, from three to six in number, in the beginning of summer. This is usually done either in or near the out-house of some farm. Like the Martins, these animals do not suckle them long, but soon accustom them to animal food. THE FERRET. The Ferret is somewhat smaller than the Polecat. Its eyes are red ; and the general color of its body a dingy but pale yellow. Great as is the general resemblance, in their manners and habits, THE COMMON WEASEL. 219 between the Ferret and the Polecat, it is evident that they are of distinct species. The Ferret is a native of Africa, and has been imported into Europe for the purpose of being em- ployed in driving Rabbits from their burrows. Although easily tamed and rendered docile, these animals are ex- ceedingly irascible ; and, if at all pro- voked, will inflict very severe wounds with their teeth. Their smell is strong and offensive. Ferrets are generally kept in casks or chests, well supplied with hay or straw ; on which they sleep almost through the whole day. The females usually produce six or seven young-ones at a litter. These are -blind for a month ; and, after two months, are sufficiently old to be employed in the Rabbit warrens. They ought not to be fed immediately before they are used in the burrows ; because, in this case, they become indolent and may not hunt. It is also necessary that, in this operation, they should be muzzled, in order that they may not satiate their appetite in the holes ; for, after having sucked the blood of the Rabbits, they will often fall asleep, and continue under ground for many hours. A mixed breed, between the Ferret and the Polecat, is sometimes used by the warreners, and is considered in some respects preferable to the whole-bred Ferret. THE COMMON WEASEL. THE COMMON WEASEL. The length of the Weasel, exclusive of the tail, is about seven inches; and its height is not more than two and a half. The color of its upper parts is a pale reddish brown ; and its breast and belly are white ; but on each side, below the corners of the mouth, there is a brown spot. The ears are small and rounded, and the eyes black. The Weasel is a beautiful and active little animal, well known to husbandmen and farmers in almost every part of Great Britain. It lives chiefly in cavities under the roots of trees, and in the banks of rivulets ; from which it issues, at the approach of evening, to*commit its depredations ; and there is no creature of its size, more destructive to young Birds, Poultry, or Rabbits, than this. It also sucks eggs with great avidity. In this operation, it begins by making a small hole at one end, from which it licks out the yolk, leaving the shell behind; whereas Rats, and some other animals, drag the egg out of the nest, and either make a large hole in it or break it to pieces. By this circumstance the attacks of the Weasel may always be distin- guished from those of a Rat. M. de BufFon supposed the Weasel to be untameable ; but Made- 220 THE COMMON WEASEL. moiselle de Laistre, in a letter written to him on this subject, gives a very pleasing account of the education and manners of a Weasel which she took under her protection. This she fed with fresh meat and milk, the latter of which it was very fond of. It frequently ate from her hand, and seemed to be more delighted with this mode of feeding than any other. "If I pour some milk into my hand, (says this lady,) it will drink a good deal ; but if I do not pay it this com- pliment, it will scarcely take a drop. When satisfied it generally goes to sleep. My chamber is the place of its residence; and I have found a method of dispelling its strong smell by perfumes. By day, it sleeps in a quilt, into which it gets by an unsewn place which it has discovered on the edge : during the night, it is kept in a wired box or cage; which it always enters with reluctance, and leaves with pleasure. If it be set at liberty before my time of rising, after a thousand little playful tricks, it "gets into my bed, and goes to sleep in my hand or on .my bosom. If I am up first, it spends a full half- hour in caressing me;. playing with my fingers like a little Dog, jumping on my bead and on my neck, and running round on my arms and body, with a lightness and elegance which I have never found in any other animal. If I present my hands at the distance of three feet, it jumps into them without ever missing. . It exhibits great address and cunning to compass its ends, and seems to disobey cer- tain prohibitions merely through caprice. During all its actions, it seems solicitous to divert, and to be noticed ; looking, at every jump, and at every turn, to see whether it be observed or not. If no notice be taken of its gambols, it ceases them immediately, and betakes itself to sleep : and even when awakened from the soundest sleep, it instantly resumes its gaiety, and frolics about in as sprightly a man- ner as before. It never shows any ill-humor, unless when confined, or teased too much ; in which case it expresses its displeasure by a sort of murmur, very different from that which it utters when pleased. " In the midst of twenty people, this little animal distinguishes my voice, seeks me out, and springs over every body to come at me. His play with me is the most lively and caressing imaginable. With his two little paws he pats me on the chin, with an air and manner expressive of delight. This and a thousand other preferences, show that his attachment to me is real. When he sees me dressed for going out, he will not leave me, and it is not without some trouble that I can disengage myself from him ; he then hides himself behind a cabinet near the door, and jumps upon me as I pass, with so much celerity that I often can scarcely perceive him. " He seems to resemble a squirrel in vivacity, agility, voice, and his manner of murmuring. During the summer, he squeaks and runs about all night long ; but since the commencement of the cold weather I have not observed this. Sometimes, when the sun shines while he is playing on the bed, he turns and tumbles about and murmurs for a while. " From his delight in drinking milk out of my hand, into which I pour a very little at a time, and his custom of sipping the little drops and edges of the fluid, it seems probable that he drinks dew in the THE COMMON WEASEL. 221 same manner. He seldom drinks water, and then only for want of milk, and with great caution ; seeming only to refresh his tongue once or twice, and even to be afraid of that fluid. During the hot weather, it rained a good deal. I presented to him some rain-water in a dish, and endeavored to make him go into it, but could not succeed. I then wetted a piece of linen cloth in it, and put it near him ; and he rolled upon it with extreme delight. " One singularity in this charming animal is his curiosity. It is impossible to open a drawer or a box, or even to look at a paper, but lie will examine it also. If he get into any place where I am afraid of permitting him to stay, I take a paper or a book, and look atten- tively at it ; on which he immediately runs upon my hand, and sur- veys with an inquisitive air whatever I happen to hold. I must further observe, that he plays with a young Cat and Dog, both of con- siderable size ; getting about their necks, backs, and paws, without their doing him the least injury." According to the account given by M. de Buffon, the method of taming these creatures is to stroke them gently over the back ; and to threaten, and even beat them when they attempt to bite. The motion of the Weasel consists of unequal leaps ; and it can spring several feet from the ground. It is a remarkably active animal, and it will run up a wall with such facility, that no place is secure from it. It is useful to the farmer in ridding him of Eats and Mice, which it will pursue into their holes and there kill ; but its depreda- tions are not altogether confined to these pernicious animals, as it also frequently destroys young poultry and Pigeons. It seizes its prey near the head, but seldom eats it on the spot ; and often destroys Moles in their habitations. We are told that when the Weasel pursues the Hare, that timid creature is terrified into a state of absolute imbecility; and gives itself up without the least resistance, making, at the same time, the most piteous outcries. A story is related, that an Eagle having seized a Weasel, mounted into the air with it, and was soon afterwards observed to be in great distress. The Weasel so far extricated himself, as to be able to bite the Eagle very severely in the neck ; which presently brought the bird to the ground, and gave the Weasel an opportunity of escaping. The female produces her young-ones in the spring of the year; and prepares for them a bed of straw. Aldrovandus tells us, that when she suspects they will be stolen, she carries them in her mouth from place to place, changing her retreat even several times a-day. M. de Buffon informs us, that, in his neighborhood, a Weasel with three young-ones was taken out of the body of a Wolf, that had been hung up on a tree by the hind-feet. The Wolf was in a state of putrefac- tion ; and the Weasel had made a nest of leaves and herbage in the thorax. Among other curious particulars respecting this animal, it has been observed, that, when asleep, its muscles are in a state of such extreme flaccidity, that it may be taken up by the head, and several times swung backward and forward, like a pendulum, before it will awake. 222 THE STOAT GENET OTTER. THE STOAT, OB ERMINE. In northern climates this animal is brown in summer, and white in the winter. In the former of these states it is denominated Stoat, and in the latter Ermine. The tip of its tail, however, continues always black. Its habits of life are similar to those of the Weasel. THE GENET. The Genet slightly resembles the Cat, particularly in its spots, and the power of climbing trees. It inhabits Africa, and is not unfrequently found in the south of France. At Constan- tinople it is domesticated, and keeps the houses free from Eats and Mice, which are said to be unable to endure its scent, but it is much more pro- bable that it frees the houses from mice by devouring them. OF THE OTTERS IN GENERAL. OTTERS have in each jaw, six sharpish cutting teeth ; the lower ones of which do not stand in an even line with the rest, but two are placed somewhat within the others. The canine teeth are rather longer than the other teeth. All the animals of this tribe have webbed feet. There are about eight ascertained species of Otters. These animals THE COMMON OTTER. 223 differ much from the Weasels in their habits. They live almost con- stantly in the water, from which they principally derive their food. Their bodies are very long, and their legs short. They burrow and form dwellings in the banks of rivers and lakes, in the neighborhood of the situations where they find their prey. THE COMMON OTTEE. This animal is about two feet in length, from the nose to the inser- tion of the tail ; and the length of the tail is nearly sixteen inches. Its legs are short, but strong and muscular. The head is broad, oval, and flat on the upper part ; and the body is long and round. The legs are so placed as to be capable of being brought into a line with the body, and of performing the office of fins. The toes are connected by webs. The general color of the body is a deep brown. The habitation of the Otter is almost always made in the bank of a river or brook, in the immediate neighborhood of which he can be fur- nished with a plentiful supply of food. In forming his habitation, this animal exhibits great sagacity. He burrows under ground in the bank, and always makes the entrance of his hole under water, working upward towards the surface of the earth ; and, before he reaches the top, he provides several holts or lodges, that in case of high floods he may have a retreat, and then make a minute orifice for the admission of air. It is further observed, that, the more effectually to conceal his retreat, he contrives to make this little air-hole in the midst of some thick bush. In some parts of North America, Otters are seen in winter at a dis- tance from any apparent open water, both in woods and on plains ; but it is not known what leads them to such situations. If pursued, when among the woods where the snow is light and deep, they imme- diately dive, and make considerable way under it; but they are easily traced by the motion of the snow above them, and soon overtaken. The Indians track them in the snow, and with clubs kill great num- bers of them. These creatures are sometimes frolicsome and playful: and one of their favorite pastimes is, to get on a high ridge of snow, bend their fore-feet backward, and slide down the side of it, sometimes to the distance of twenty yards or upwards. Otters, though naturally of a ferocious disposition, may, if taken young and properly educated, be completely tamed. The training of them, however, requires both assiduity and perseverance: but their activity and use, when taught, sufficiently repay this trouble ; and few animals are more beneficial to their masters. The usual method is first to teach them to fetch, in the same way as dogs are taught ; but, as they are not so docile as the dog, so it requires more art and expe- rience to instruct them. They are first taught to take in their mouths a truss made of leather, and stuffed with wool, of the shape of a fish ; to drop it at a word of command ; to run after it when thrown forward, and to bring it (o their master. Real fish are next employed ; which 224 THE COMMON OTTER are thrown dead into the water, and which they are taught to fetch. From dead fish they are led to living ones, till at last they are perfectly instructed in the whole art of fishing. An Otter thus educated is a very valuable animal ; he will catch fish enough to sustain not only himself but a whole family. "I have seen (says Dr. Goldsmith) an Otter go to a gentleman's pond at the word of command, drive the fish into a corner, and, seizing upon the largest of the whole, bring it offj and give it to his master." We are informed, in Mr. Bewick's History of Quadrupeds, that a person of the name of Collins, who lived at Kilmerston, near Wooler, in Northumberland, had a tame Otter, which followed him wherever he went. He frequently took it to fish in the river ; and, when satia- ted, it never failed to return to him. One day, in the absence of Col- lins, the Otter, being taken out to fish by hie son, instead of returning as usual, refused to come at the accustomed call, and was lost. The father tried every means in his power to recover the animal, and, after several day's search, being near the place where his son had lost it, and calling it by name, to his inexpressible joy it came creeping to his feet, and showed manjr marks of affection and attachment. Some years ago, James Campbell, near Inverness, had a young Otter, which he brought up and tamed. It would follow him wherever he chose; and, if called by its name, would immediately obey. When apprehensive of danger from dogs, it sought the protection of its mas- ter, and would endeavor to spring into his arms for security. It was frequently employed in catching fish, and would sometimes catch eight or .ten salmon in a day. If not prevented, it always made an attempt to break the fish behind the fin next the tail. When tired, it would refuse to fish any longer, and was then rewarded with as much as it could devour. Having satisfied its appetite it always coiled itself round, and fell asleep ; in which state it was generally carried home. The same Otter fished both in the sea and in fresh water. Another person who kept a tame Otter, suffered it to follow him with his dogs. It was very useful to him, by going into the water, and driving trout and other fish towards his net. It was remarkable, that Dogs accustomed to Otter-hunting were so far from giving it the least molestation, that they would not even hunt any Otter while this one remained with them. In a wild state, when an Otter has caught a fish, he immediately drags it ashore, and devours the head and upper parts, leaving the remainder of the body ; and when domesticated, he will eat no fish except such as are perfectly fresh ; but will prefer bread, milk, &c. This animal generally hunts against the stream ; and, when several Otters are fishing at the same time, they are frequently heard to utter a sort of loud whistle to each other, as if by way of signal. When two of them (as sometimes happens) are hunting a salmon, one stations itself above, and the other below the place where the fish is; and they continue to chase it, till becoming perfectly wearied out, it surrenders itself a quiet prey. The Otter, when it hunts singly, has two modes of taking its prey. The first is by pursuing it from the bottom up- ward ; this is principally done with the larger fish ; whose eyes being THE SEA OTTER. 225 placed so as not to see under them, the animal attacks them by sur- prise from below, and seizing them by the belly, drags them away. The other mode is by hunting them into some corner of a pond or lake, and there seizing them. The latter, however, can only be prac- tised in water where there is no current, and on the smaller fish ; for it would be impossible to force the large ones out of deep water. Female Otters produce four or five young-ones at a birth, and these in the spring of the year. Where there have been ponds near, a gentleman's house, instances have occurred of their littering in cellars or drains. The male utters no noise when taken, but the female sometimes emits a shrill squeak. Otters are generally caught in traps placed near their landing-places, and carefully concealed in the sand. When hunted by Dogs, the old ones defend themselves with great obstinacy. They bite severely, and do not readily quit their hold. In the Northern parts of America, these animals change their color in winter to white, like most of the other Arctic animals ; and it is not till late in the spring that they resume their brown summer dress. The flesh of the Otter is exceedingly rank and fishy; so much so, that the Eomish church permit the use of it as food on maigre-days. In the kitchen of the Carthusian convent near Dijon, M. Pennant saw one of these animals cooked for the dinner of the religious of the rigid order; who by their rules are prohibited, during their whole lives, the eating of flesh. THE SEA OTTER. The whole length of the Sea Otter is- generally about four feet, of which the tail occupies thirteen inches. The fur is soft, and of a deep glossy black color. The ears are small and erect, and the whiskers long and white. The legs are short and thick, the hinder ones some- what resembling those of a Seal. The weight of the largest Sea Ot- ters is from seventy to eighty pounds. In their general habits of life, these animals are harmless and inof- fensive ; and, toward their offspring they exhibit a degree ot attach- ment which is extremely interesting. They will never desert them ; they will even starve themselves to death on being robbed of them, and strive to breathe their last on the spot where their young-ones have been destroyed. The Sea Otters live in pairs, and are very con- stant to each other. They often carry their young-ones between their THE SEA OTTER. 226 THE BEAR TRIBE. teeth, and fondle them, frequently flinging them up and catching them again in their paws. Before these can swim, the parents will take them in their fore-feet, and swim about with them upon their backs. Sea Otters swim sometimes on their sides ; and at other times on their backs, or in an upright position. They are very sportive, em- brace each other, and seem to kiss. When attacked, they make no resistance, but endeavor to save themselves by flight: if, however, they be closely pursued, and can see no means of escape, they scold and grin like an angry Cat. On receiving a blow they lie on their side, draw up their hind-legs together, cover their eyes with their fore-paws, and thus seem to prepare themselves for death. But if. hey are fortunate enough to escape their pursuer, and reach the sea, they deride him with various diverting tricks; at one time swimming upright in the water, and jumping over the waves, holding their fore- paws over their eyes, as if to shade them from the sun while looking out for their enemy ; then lying flat on. their backs ; and afterwards throwing their young-ones down into the water and fetching them up again. The skins of Sea Otters are of great value, and have long formed a considerable article of export from Kussia. They are sold to the Chinese at the rate of eighty or a hundred rubles each. The trade for this fur at Nootka had, not many years ago, nearly produced a war between Great Britain and Spain. These animals are found on the coast of Kamtschatka, and in the adjacent islands, as well as on the opposite coasts of America ; but they are confined within a very few degrees of latitude. OF THE BEAK TEIBE. THE Bears have six front teeth in each jaw. The two lateral ones of the lower jaw are longer than the rest, and lobed with smaller or secondary teeth at their internal bases. There are five or six grinders on each side; and the canine teeth are solitary. The tongue is smooth, and the snout prominent. The eyes are furnished with a nictitating or winking membrane. The Bears are animals, for the most part, of large size, and great muscukr powers. They are seldom found in any other than moun- tainous or thinly-inhabited countries. During the winter, several of the species lie concealed in holes in the ground, and in a torpid state. Some of the species are able to use their fore-feet as hands, in con- veying food to their mouth, or in seizing hold of objects. From the length and sharpness of their claws, huge and unwieldy as they may seem, these animals are able to climb trees in search of prey, or to escape the pursuit of their enemies. THE COMMON BEAR. 227 THE COMMON BEAR. The Bear is a savage and solitary animal, that lives in the most retired and unfrequented parts of the forests. He passes the greatest part of the win- ter in his den, jf ^ in a state of re- ^ pose and absti- ~| nence. During this period it is that the females bring forth their young-ones, which are gene- 1 rally two in nurn- ;) ber. When these r animals retire! into their places^ of concealment,^ they are always fat and in high condition ; a n d when they make their first appear- ance in the spring they are, on the contrary, excessively lean and emaciated. In conse- quence of this, a general, though absurd notion prevails, that they are enabled to live through the winter by sucking their paws. They are fond of honey, and often attack bee-hives to obtain it. The Common Bears, which are not only inhabitants of Europe, but of various parts of the East Indies, vary much in color. Some are brown, others black, and others gray. The Brown kinds live chiefly on vegetables ; and the Black ones, in a great measure, on animal food, such as Lambs, Kids, and even Cattle. "We are informed that the Black Bears are so remarkably attached to each other, that the hunters never dare to fire at a young-one, while the parent is on the spot; for, if the cub happen to be killed, she becomes so enraged, that she will either avenge herself, or die in the attempt. If, on the con- trary, the mother should be shot, the cubs will continue by her side long after she is dead, exhibiting the most poignant affliction. A few years ago, in Hungary, a man had nearly lost his life, by firing at a young Bear in the presence of its mother; for she ran at him, and by one blow with her paw, brought off' a great part of his scalp. Bears are so numerous at Kamtschatka, that they are often seen roaming about the plains in great companies ; and they would infal- libly have long since exterminated all the inhabitants, were they not here much more tame and gentle than the generality of their species are in other parts of the world. In spring, they descend in multi- tudes from the mountains to the mouths of the rivers, for the purpose 15 228 THE COMMON BEAR. of catching fish. If there be plenty of this food, they eat nothing bu!; the heads of the fish ; and when, at any time, they find the fishermen's nets, they dexterously drag them out of the water, and empty them of their contents. When a Kamtschadale espies a Bear, he endeavors to conciliate its friendship at a distance, accompanying his gestures by courteous vvords. The Bears are indeed so familiar here, that the women and BEAR BUSTING IN WINTEE. girls, when gathering roots and herbs, or turf for fuel, in the midst of a whole drove of these animals, are never disturbed by them in their employment ; and if any of the Bears come up to them, it is only to eat something out of their hands. They have never been known to attack a man, except when suddenly roused from sleep. This humane character of the Kamtschadale Bear, procures him, however, no exemption from the persecutions of mankind. His great utility is a sufficient instigation to the avarice of man, to declare eternal war against him. Armed with a spear or club, the Kamt- schadale goes in quest of the peaceful animal, in his retreat ; who, :meditating no attack, and intent only on defence, gravely takes the faggots which his persecutor presents to him, and, with them, himself chokes up the entrance to his den. The mouth of the cavern being thus closed, the hunter breaks a hole through the top, from which he transfixes his defenceless foe. The modes that are adopted by the inhabitants of different coun- tries, for the taking or destroying of Bears, are very various. Of these, the following appears to be the most remarkable. In conse- quence of the well-known partiality of these animals for honey, the THE COMMON BEAR 229 Russians sometimes fix to those trees where bees are hived, a heavy log of wood, at the end of a long string. When the unwieldy crea-* ture climbs up to get at the hive, he finds himself interrupted by the log; he pushes it aside, and attempts to pass it; but, in returning, it hits him such a blow, that in a rage he flings it from him with greater force, which makes it return with increased violence ; and he some- times continues this, till he is either killed, or falls from the tree. It would be difficult to name a species of animals, except the Sheep, so variously serviceable to man after its death, as the Bear is to the inhabitants of Kamtschatka Of the skin they make beds, covertures, caps and gloves, and collars for their sledge-dogs. Those who go upon the ice for the capture of marine animals, make their shoe-soles of the same substance, which thus never slip upon the ice. The fat of the Bear is held in great estimation, as a savory and wholesome food, and, when rendered fluid by heat, it supplies the place of oil. The flesh is esteemed a great delicacy. The intestines, when cleansed and pro- perly scraped, are worn by the fair sex, as masks to preserve their faces from the effects of the sunbeams ; which here, being reflected from the snow, are otherwise found to blacken the skin. The Russians of Kamtschatka make of these intestines window-panes, which are as clear and transparent as those made of Muscovy-glass. Of the shoulder-blades are made sickles for cutting grass; and the heads and haunches are hung up by these people, as ornaments or trophies, on the trees around their dwellings. The Kamtschadales also owe infinite obligations to the Bears, for the little progress they have hitherto made, as well in the sciences, as even in the polite arts. They confess themselves indebted to these animals for all their knowledge of physic and surgery: by observing what herbs the Bears apply to the wounds they have received, and what methods they pursue when languid and disordered, this people have acquired a knowledge of most of those simples to which they have recourse, either as external or internal applications. But the most singular circumstance of all is, that they admit the Bears to 'be their dancing-masters; and, in what they call the Bear-dance, every gesture and attitude of these animals is so faithfully portrayed, as to afford sufficient indications to whom they are indebted for this acquirement. All their other dances, in many particulars, are similar to the Bear-dance; and those attitudes are considered to approach nearest to perfection, which most resemble the motions of the Bear. If the uses of the Bear be so various to the Kamtschadales, not less general is that of his fine and warm fur to persons of the higher classes in Russia. A light black Bear-skin is one of the most com- fortable and costly articles in the winter wardrobe of a man of fashion, at Petersburg or Moscow. It is well known that the Bear, though not without difficulty, may be rendered tame and docile; arid he has then, at least, the appear- ance of being mild and obedient to his master. He may be taught to perform various tricks, to entertain the multitude ; but great cruel- ties are practised on the wretched beast, in training him for the pur- pose of this absurd exhibition. 230 THE COMMON BEAR. In the supplementary writings of M. de Buffon, and notes of M. Sonnini, there is an interesting account of some Bears that were HUNTEE IJf A BEAU'S DEX. brought up in a semi-domestic state at Berne, in Switzerland. The animals were kept in large square places, dug out of the earth, and lined at the sides and the bottom with stones. Dens of masonry were formed in them, under the ground of the sides, having their pave- ment on a level with that of the open space. These dens were each divided by a wall, and an iron grate, the latter of which was let down from above. In the middle of each square there was left in the pave- ment, a hole sufficiently large to admit a tree of considerable size being placed upright in it. There was likewise, in each square, a large trough filled with fresh water. It was in 1740, that two Bears, very young, were first taken there from Savoy. When these animals had been there about six years, the female began to produce young-ones. At the first litter, she had only one ; and afterwards she produced from one to three, but never more than this number. When first produced, although they were by no means ugly animals, they were very unlike their parents both in shape and color. Their body was nearly round, and their snout somewhat sharp-pointed : they were of a yellow color with a white neck. They continued blind for four weeks. At first they were about eight inches long from the muzzle to the base of the tail : by the end of three months, they measured fourteen or fifteen inches ; and their hair was THE AMERICAN BEAR. 231 then about an inch long. Before they were full grown, they cast all their white and yellow hair, and assumed a perfectly brown coat. The squares in which these animals were first kept, having been in the middle of the town, it was found necessary to fill them up, and to place the Bears in others that were made between the ramparts. The above-mentioned two animals were consequently separated, whilst they were conveyed into their new apartment. When they again met, they appeared in raptures; they raised themselves upright, and embraced each other with the greatest delight. These animals were very fond of climbing into their tree, which was a green larch, placed there every year in the month of 'M.a.y. They would frequently amuse themselves by breaking pieces off the branches, particularly after the tree was newly planted. Their food was gener- ally rye-bread, cut into large pieces, and soaked in warm water. They were also fond of fruit; and whenever the country people, which was sometimes the case, brought unripe fruit to the market, the officers of the police had orders to seize such, and throw it to the Bears. The animals, however, seemed on the whole to prefer greens and other esculent vegetables to most kinds of food. Two of the Bears that had been brought up in one of the open squares at Berne, were carried into France, and placed in one of the narrow lodges in the Menagerie of the Museum at Paris, where they had scarcely space enough to turn themselves round. The animals, thus cooped up, were fed on bread, fruit, and vegetables ; but they appeared to suffer much from the confined space, which till then they had been entirely unused to. When they were first brought to this menagerie, it was found very difficult to make them leave the cage in which they had been carried. They obstinately persisted in remaining there. To no purpose were various forcible means attempted; and in vain were numerous living animals placed before them, in the hope of enticing them out. They continued immovable; and it was not till after many hours of useless trial, that a living duck, placed at a little distance, tempted them to come forth. The natural disposition of these Bears was gross; but they were by no means either mischievous or savage animals. They knew the voice of their keeper; and, at all times, showed sufficient docility and obe- dience to his commands. THE AMERICAN BEAR. The American Bear differs from the European species, principally in being smaller ; and in having a more lengthened head, more pointed nose, and longer ears. The hair is also more smooth, black, soft, and glossy. The cheeks and throat are of a yellowish-brown color. In several of the northern districts of America these Bears are found in considerable numbers ; occasionally migrating southward in quest of food. 232 THE AMERICAN BEAR AMERICAN BE\r At this time they are always very lean; as they do not leave the north until the ground is covered with snow. In the coun- try near the Mississippi, the Bears seldom venture to any great distance from the banks of that river; but on each side, they have in winter such beaten path s, that persons un- acquainted with them w o u 1 d mistake these for the tracks of men. M. du Pratz, when at a distance of nearly two hundred miles from any human dwelling, was for a while de- ceived by a bear's track: he thought that thousands o f men must have walked along it bare-footed. Upon inspec- tion, however, he found that the prints of the feet were short- er than those of a man, and that at the end of each toe there ? was the i rap res - of a claw. u lt is proper (he says) to ob- serve, that in those paths the Bear does not pique himself TRAVELLER FALLING OUT *ITn A BEAR. and will yield the way to nobody; therefore, it is prudent for a traveller not to fall out witb him for such a trifling affair." THE AMERICAN BEAR. 233 About the end of December, from the abundance of fruits they find in the Ssouthwestern States, the Bears become so fat and lazy that they can scarcely run. At this time they are hunted by the American Indians. The nature of the chase is generally this: the Bear chiefly adopts for his retreat the hollow trunk of an old cypress- tree; which he climbs, and then descends into the cavity from above TH.K HEAR. The hunter, whose business it is to watch him into this recreat, climbs a neighboring tree, and seats himself opposite to the hole. In one hand he holds his gun, and in the other a torch, which he darts into the cavity. Frantic with rage and terror, the Bear makes a spring from his station ; but the hunter seizes the instant of his appearance, and shoots him. The pursuit of these animals is a matter of the first importance to some of the Indian tribes, and is never undertaken without much cere- mony. A principal warrior gives a general invitation to all the hunters. This is followed by a strict fast of eight days, in which they totally abstain from food ; but during which, the day is passed in continual song. This is done to invoke the spirits of the woods to direct the hunters to the places where there are abundance of Bears, They even cut the flesh in divers part of their bodies, to render the spirits more propitious. They also address themselves to the manes of the beasts slain in the preceding chases, and implore these to direct them in their dreams to an abundance of game. The chief of the hunt now gives a great feast, at which no one dares to appear without first bathing. At this entertainment, contrary to their usual custom, they 234 THE TTHITE, OR POLAR BEAR. eat with great moderation. The master of the feast touches nothing; but is eraplo3*ed in relating to the guests ancient tales of feats in former chases; and fresh invocations to the manes of the deceased Bears conclude the whole. They then sally forth, equipped as if for war, and painted black; and they proceed on their way in a direct line, not allowing rivers, marshes, nor any other impediments to stop their course, and driving before them all the beasts they find. When they arrive at the hunting- ground, they surround as large a space as they can ; and then contract their circle, searching at the same time every hollow tree, and every place capable of being the retreat of a Bear: and they continue the same practice till the chase is expired. As soon as a Bear is killed, a hunter puts into his mouth a lighted pipe of tobacco, -and blowing into it, fills the throat with the smoke, conjuring the spirit of the animal not to resent what they are about to do to its body, nor to render their future chase.s unsuccessful. As the beast makes no reply, they cut out the string of the tongue, and throw it into the fire. If it crackle and shrivel up, (which it is almost sure to do,) they accept this as a good omen; if not, they consider that the spirit of the beast is not appeased, and that the chase of the next year will be unfortunate. The flesh of the American Bear is said to taste like pork. Dr. Brickell ate some at a planter's house in North Carolina, and mistook it for excellent pork ; but such are the prejudices to which mankind are subject, that the next day, being undeceived, and invited to partake of a similar dish, he felt so much disgust that he was not able to taste it. THE WHITE, OR POLAR BEAR. THE WHITE BEAR. polar regions, are truly astonishing. The length of this ani- mal is sometimes nearly twelve feet. It differs from the Common Bear in having its head and neck of a more length- ened form, and the body longer in proportion to its bulk. The ears and eyes are small ; and the teeth extremely large. The hair is long, coarse, and white ; and its limbs of great strength. The tips of the nose and claws are perfectly black. The immense numbers of these animals, in the They are not only seen on the THE WHITE, OR POLAR BEAR. 235 land, but often on ice-floats several leagues at sea. They are some- times transported in this manner to the very shores of Iceland ; where they no sooner land, than all the natives are in arms to receive them. It occasionally happens, that when a' Greenlander and his wife are paddling out at sea, by coming too near an ice-float, a White Bear unexpectedly jumps into their boat ; and if he does not overset it, sits calmly where he first alighted, and like a passenger suffers himself to be rowed along. It is probable that the Greenlander is never very fond of his unwieldly guest: however, he makes a virtue of necessity, and hospitably rows him to shore. The Polar Bears are animals of tremendous ferocity. Barentz, in his voyage in search of a North East Passage to China, had the most horrid proofs of their ferocity in the island of Nova Zembla : they attacked his seamen, seizing them in their mouths, carrying them oft with the utmost ease, and devouring them even in the sight of theii comrades. Not many years ago, the crew of a boat belonging to a ship in the Whale-fishery shot at a Bear at a little dis- tance, and wounded it. The animal imme- diately set up a dread- ful howl, and ran along the ice towards the boat. Before he reached it, a second shot was fired, which hit him. This served but to increase his fury. He presently swam to the boat, and, in attempting to get on board, placed one of his fore feet upon the gunnel ; but a sailor, having a hatchet in his hand, cut it off. The animal, however, still continued to swim after them till they arrived at the ship ; and several shots were fired at him, which took effect: but on reaching the ship, he immediately ascended the deck ; and the crew, having fled into the shrouds, he was pursuing them thither, when a shot laid him dead upon the deck. The usual food of these animals consist of Seals, Fish, and the carcasses of Whales ; but when on land they prey on Deer and other animals. They likewise eat various kinds of berries, which they happen to find. The following story of the sagacity of these animals in searching for prey, is inserted from the works of the Hon. Eobert Boyle : " An old sea captain told me that the White Bears in or about Greenland, notwithstanding the coldness of the climate, have an excellent nose; and that sometimes, when the fisherman had dis- missed the carcass of a Whale, and left it floating on the waves, three or four leagues from the shore, whence it could not be seen, these animals would stand as near the water as they could, and raising SAILORS AND WHITE BEAR. 236 THE WHITE, OR POLAR BEAR. themselves on their hind legs, would loudly snuff in the air, and, with the paws of their fore-legs, drive it as it were against their snouts ; and when they were satis- fied whence the odor came, would cast them- selves into the sea, and swim directly towards the Whale." During the summer, these animals reside chiefly on the ice-islands ; and frequently swim from one to another. They lodge in dens formed in the vast masses of ice ; and on these they breed, producing about two young-ones at a birth. About the end of March they bring these out, and immediately bend their course towards the sea. When the masses of ice are detached by strong winds or currents, the Bears often allow them- selves to be carried along with them ; and as they can neither regain the land, nor abandon the ice on which they are embarked, they often perish in the open sea. The affection between the parent and the young is so great, that they will sooner die than desert each other in distress. " While the Carcase Frigate, which went out some years ago to make discoveries towards the North Pole, was locked in the ice, early one morning the man at the mast-head gave notice that three Bears were making their way very fast over the frozen ocean, and were directing their course towards the ship. They had, no doubt, been invited by the scent of some blubber of a Walrus that the crew had killed a few days before ; which had been set on fire, and was burning on the ice at the time of their approach. They proved to be a she Bear and her two cubs ; but the cubs were nearly as large as the dam. They ran eagerly to the fire, and drew out of the flames part of the flesh of the Walrus, that remained unconsumed, and ate it voraciously. The crew from the ship threw upon the ice great lumps of the flesh of the Sea-Horse, which they had still remaining. These the old Bear fetched away singly, laid every lump before her cubs as she brought it, and divid- ing it, gave to each a share, reserving but a small portion to herself. As she was fetching away the last piece, the sailors levelled their muskets at the cubs, and shot them both dead ; and in her retreat POLAR BEAR OX AX IC2BERO. THE WHITE, OR POLAR BEAR. 237 they wounded the dam, but not mortally. It would have drawn tears of pity from any but unfeeling minds, to have marked the affectionate concern expressed by this poor beast in the last moments of her expiring young-ones. Though she was herself dreadfully wounded, and could but just crawl to the place where they lay, she carried the lump of flesh she had fetched away, as she had done others before, tore it in pieces, and laid it before them ; and, when she saw that they refused to eat, she laid her paws first upon one, and then upon the other, and endeavored to raise them up : all this while it was pitiful to hear her moan. When she found she could not stir them, she went off) and when she had got to some distance, she looked back and moaned. Finding this to no purpose, she returned, and, smelling round them, began to lick their wounds. She went off a second time as before; and, having crawled a few paces, looked again behind her, and for some time stood moaning. But still her cubs not rising to follow her, she returned to them again ; and, with signs of inexpres- sible fondness, went round, pawing them and moaning. Finding at last that they were cold and lifeless, she raised her head towards the ship, and uttered a growl of despair, which the murderers returned with a volley of musket-balls. She fell between her cubs, and died licking their wounds." Mr. Hearne says that the males of this species are, at a certain time of the year, so much attached to their mates, that he has often seen one of them, when a female was killed, come and put his paws over her, and in this position suffer himself to be shot rather than quit her. During the winter these animals retire and bed themsslves deep in the snow, or under the fixed ice of some eminence ; and here they pass, in a state of torpidity, the long and dismal Arctic night, and reappear only with the return of the sun. The Polar Bear has a great dread of heat. An animal of this species described by Professor Pallas, would not stay in its house in the winter, although at Krasnojarsk in Siberia, where the climate is very cold ; and it seemed to experience great pleasure in rolling itself on the snow. A Polar Bear that was kept in the Museum of Natural History in Paris, suffered excessively during the hot weather. The keepers, throughout the year, were obliged to throw upon it sixty or seventy pails of water a-day, to refresh it. This animal was fed only with bread, of which it daily consumed no more than about six pounds, notwithstanding which it became very fat. It is not known to what age these animals live. White Bears are sometimes found in Iceland ; but not being natives of that island, they are supposed to float thither from the opposite coast of Greenland, on some of the huge masses of ice that are detached from those shores. After so long an abstinence as they must necessarily undergo in the voyage, they are reduced by hunger to attack even men, if they should come in their way. But Mr. Horrebow informs us, that the natives are always able to escape their fury, if they can only throw in their way something to amuse them. A glove (he say o) is sufficient for this purpose ; for the Bear will not stir till he has 238 THE GRIZZLY BEAR. turned every finger of it inside out ; and, as these animals are not very dexterous with their paws, this takes up some time, and in the mean while the person makes his escape. HUNTER COMBATTING GRIZZLY BEAR. Some writers have said, that the Grizzly Bear will run away if he comes across the scent of men. This, my informant, who is a practical man, strenuously denies, and states that the man is more likely to run away from the bear, than the bear from the man. The American Indians fear it so much, that a necklace of its claws, which may only be worn by the individual who destroyed the bear, is a decoration entitling the wearer to the highest honors. These formidable claws are five inches long, and cut like so many chisels, so that the Indian of former days, armed only with bow, spear, and knife, fully deserved honor, for overcoming so savage and powerful a brute. Since the introduction, of fire-arms, the Grizzly Bear affords a rather easier victory, but even to one armed with all advantage of rifle and pistols, the fight is sure to be a severe one, for when the Bear is once wounded, there is no attempt to escape, but life is pitted against life. Before the hunter commences the struggle he must have considerable confidence in his presence 'of mind, for everyone knows how the least tremor of hand or eye, causes a rifle ball to wander far from its intended path, and a ball that does not penetrate a vital part only serves to irritate the bear. Sometimes, it is said, after a party of hunters have been combating one of these Bears, it is impossible to find four square inches of sound skin in the animal's body, a ball through the brain, or heart, appear ing to be the only safety on the part of the hunter. THE GLUTTON. 239 When a traveller is passing through a part of the country where he is likely to fall in with these animals, he provides himself with a HUNTER PURSUED BT GRIZZLY BEAR. quantity of meat strongly impregnated with some perfume. If a Bear sees the traveller, and charges him, he throws down a small piece of his prepared meat. The bear stops and snuffs at it, and is dubious about it for some time, but at last finishes by eating it. During the time in which he is undecided, the traveller has gained considerable ground, and by a repetition of the same ruse, either tires the Bear out, or meets with a sufficient body of friends to render him inde- pendent of the animal. It is rather singular that this Bear has the power of moving each claw separately, as we move our fingers. It is able to overcome and carry off the enormous Bison, and to dig a pit in which to bury it. THE GLUTTON The length of the Glutton is three feet; exclusive of the tail, which measures about one foot. The top of the head, and the whole of the back, as well as the muzzle and feet, are of a blackish brown color. The sides are dusky, and the tail is the color of the body. The most remarkable circumstance relative to the economy of these animals, is the stratagem which they adopt for the purpose of alluring and seizing upon their prey. We are informed that they climb into trees in the neighborhood of herds of deer, and carry along with them a considerable quantity of a kind of moss to which the deer are partial. As soon as any of the herd happens to approach the tree, 240 THE GLUTTON. GLUTTON WAITING FOB DEER. the Glutton throws down the moss. If the deer stop to eat, the Glut- ton instantly darts upon its back ; and, after fixing himself firmly between the horns, tears out its eyes : which torments the animal to such a degree, that either to end its torments, or to get rid of its cruel enemy, it strikes its head against the trees till it falls down dead. The Glutton divides the flesh of the deer into convenient portions, and conceals them in the earth for future provisions. When the voracious animal has once firmly fixed himself by the claws and teeth, it is impossible to remove him. In vain does the unfortunate stag seek for safety in flight: and if it do not kill itself, its enemy soon brings it to the ground by sucking its blood, and gradually de- vouring its body. Gluttons feed also on hares, mice, birds, and even on putrid flesh ; and it is absurdly asserted by the Norwegians, that they carry their voracity to such an extent, as to be obliged to relieve themselves by squeezing their over-swollen bodies between two trees. If this creature seize a carcass, even bigger than himself, he will not desist from eat- ing so long as there is a mouthful left. When the Glutton is attacked, he makes a stout resistance; for, with his teeth, he will tear even the stock from a gun, or break in pieces the trap in which he is caught. Notwithstanding this, he is THE WOLVERINE. 241 capable of being rendered tame, and of learning many entertaining tricks. In a state of nature, he suffers men to approach him without ex- hibiting the least signs of fear, and even without any apparent wish to avoid them. This may be the effect of living in desert countries ; gene- rally out of the sight, and re- moved from the attacks of men. The Glutton is hunted for the sake of his skin, which is very valuable. The Kamtschadales so much esteem it, that they say the heavenly beings wear garments made of no other fur than this ; and they would describe a man as most richly attired, if he had on the skin of a Glutton. The women ornament their hair with the white paws of this animal, which they esteem an elegant addition to their dress. Gluttons are found in all the countries bordering upon the northern ocean. They are also natives of various parts of Canada, and of the country around Hudson's Bay. THE GLDTTON AND DEBR. THE WOLVERINE. The Wolverine resembles the Wolf in size, and the Glutton in the figure of its head. Both the upper and under parts of the body are of a reddish brown color : the sides are yellowish brown ; and a band of this color crosses the back near the tail, which is long and of a chesnut color. The face is black. The legs are strong, thick, short, and black : and the soles of the feet are covered with hair. These animals are not uncommon in the northern regions of America. The pace of this animal is very slow ; but their sagacity, strength, and acute scent, make to them ample amends for this defect. They burrow in the ground ; and are said to be extremely fierce and savage. They are also possessed of great courage and resolution. A Wolverine has been known to seize on a deer that an Indian had killed ; and though the Indian advanced within twenty yards, he still refused to abandon his capture, and even suffered himself to be shot upon the body of the fallen animal. Wolverines have also been known to take a deer from a wolf, before the latter had time to begin 242 THE WOLYERINE. WOLVERINE ATTACKING DEER. his repast after killing it. Indeed their amazing strength, and the length and sharpness of their claws, render them capable of making a formidable resistance against every animal of their own country. As a proof of their surprising strength, it is related that, some years ago, there was a Wolverine at Churchill, on Hudson's Bay, that over- set the greater part of a pile of wood which measured upwards of seventy yards round, and contained a whole winter's firing: this he did, to get at some provisions that had been hidden there by the Com- pany's servants, when going to the factory to spend the Christmas holi- days. This animal had for several weeks, been observed lurking about the neighborhood of their tent ; and had committed many depre- dations on the game caught in their traps and snares, and eaten many of the Foxes that had been killed by guns set for the purpose, but he was too cunning to be caught. The people thought they had THE RACCOON. 243 adopted an effectual mode of securing their provisions, by tying them up in bundles, and placing these on the tops of the wood pile. They did not imagine that the Wolverine would even have found out where they were ; much less that he could have got at them if he had dis- covered them. To their astonishment, however, when they returned, they found the greater part of the pile overthrown. The wood was very much scattered about; and it was imagined, that in the animal's attempting to carry off his booty, some of the provisions had fallen down into the heart of the pile, and that rather than lose half his prize, he had been at the trouble of doing this. The bags of flour, oatmeal, and peas, though of no use to him, he had torn to pieces, and their contents were found scattered about on the snow; but every bit of animal food, consisting of beef, pork, bacon, venison, salted geese, and partridges, he had either eaten or carried away. THE KACCOOST. The color of this animal is grey ; and its head is shaped somewhat like that of a Fox. The face is white ; and the eyes, which are large, are sur- rounded by a black band, from which a dusky stripe runs along the nose. The tail is very bushy, and is annulated with black. The back is some- what arched ; and the fore-legs are shorter than the others. THE RACCOON. The length of the Raccoon is about two feet, from the nose to the tail ; and the tail is about a foot long. The Raccoon is a native of North America, and of several of the West India islands, where it inhabits the hollows of trees. Its food consists principally of maize, sugar-canes, and various kinds of fruit. It is also supposed to devour birds, and their eggs. When near the shores, these animals live much on shell-fish, and particularly on oysters. We are told that they will watch the opening of the shell, dexterously put in their paw, and tear out the contents ; sometimes, however, the oyster suddenly closes, catches the thief, and detains him till he is drowned by the return of the tide. They feed likewise on crabs, in the taking of which they exhibit much cunning. Brickell, who relates these circumstances, says, that the Raccoon will stand by the side of a swamp, and hang its tail into the water; that the Crabs, mistaking this for food, lay hold of it, and as soon as the beast feels them pinch, he pulls them out with a sudden jerk, and devours them. A species of Land-Crab, found in holes of the sand in North Carolina, are frequently the food 'of the Raccoon. He catches them by putting one of his fore-paws into the ground, and hauling them out, 16 244 THE RACCOON. RACCOON IN A TREE. The Raccoon is an active and sprightly animal, but has a singularly oblique gait in walking. His sharp claws enable him to climb trees with great facility, and he ventures to run even to the extremities of the branches. He is easily tamed, and is then good-na- tured and sportive ; but is almost con- stantly in motion, and is as mischiev- ous as a monkey. He sits upright to eat, and carries food to his mouth in his paws. He feeds chiefly by night, and sleeps during the greatest part of the day. M. Blanquart des Salines had a Eaccoon, of which he gave to M. do Buffon the following particulars : Before it came into his possession it had always been chained. In this state of captivity it was very gentle, but exhibited little attachment to any one. The chain of this Raccoon was sometimes broken, and on such occasions liberty rendered him insolent. He took possession of an apartment, which he would allow none to enter ; and it was with some difficulty that he could again be reconciled to bondage. "When permitted to be loosed from confinement, however, he would express his gratitude by a thousand caressing gambols. But this was by no means the case when he effected his own escape. He would then roam about, sometimes for three or four days together, upon the roofs of the neighboring houses; descend during the night, into the court-yards ; enter the hen-roosts, strangle all the poultry, and eat only their heads. His chain rendered him more circumspect, but by no means less cruel. When he was in confinement, he employed every artifice to make the fowls grow familiar with him : he permitted them to partake of his victuals ; and it was only after having inspired them with the greatest notions of security, that he would occasionally venture to seize one of them, and tear it in pieces. Some young Cats met with a similar fate. He used to open oysters with wonderful dexterity. His sense of touch was exquisite ; for, in all his operations, he seldom used either his nose or his eye. He would pass an oyster under his hind paws ; then, without looking at it, search with his fore paws for the weakest part ; there, sinking his claws, he would separate the shells, and leave not a vestige of the fish. Whatever dry food he ate, he used (as indeed the whole species do) to soften, or rather dilute, in water, by immersing it in the vessel that contained the water given for him to drink. He was extremely sensible of ill-treatment. A servant, one day, gave him several lashes with a whip ; and the man could never after- wards accomplish a reconciliation. Neither eggs, nor fish, of which he was exceedingly fond, could appease his resentment. At the approach of this servant, he always flew into a rage ; his eyes kindled, he endeavored to spring at the man, uttered the most dolorous cries, aod rejected every thing that was presented to him, till the' man went THE BADGER. 245 away. This animal disliked children ; their crying irritated him, and he made every effort to spring -upon them. A small Dog of which he was fond, he chastised severely when it barked too loud. According to Linnaeus, the Raccoon has a great antipathy to hog's bristles, and is much disturbed at the sight of a brush. The female produces two young-ones at a birth, which commonly takes place about the month of May. This animal is hunted for the sake of his fur ; which is used by the hatters, and is considered as next in value to that of the Beaver: it is used also in linings for garments. The skins, when properly dressed, are made into gloves, and upper-leathers for shoes. The Negroes fre- quently eat the flesh of the Kaccoon, and are very fond of it. THE BADGER. The general length of the Badger is about two feet and a half; and of the tail, six inches. Its body and legs are thick. The eyes and ears are small ; and the claws of the fore-legs long and straight. This animal is of a uniform grey color above, and on the under parts entirely black. The face is white ; and along each side of the head runs a black pyramidal stripe, which includes the eyes and ears. The hair is coarse, and the teeth and claws are peculiarly strong. The Badger is not only well known in England, but is occasionally found in all the temperate parts of Europe. Although in itself a harmless and inoffensive animal, living prin- cipally on roots, fruit, and other vegetable food, the Badger has been furnished with such weapons, that few creatures can attack it with impunity. The address and courage with which this animal defends himself against beasts of prey, have caused him to be frequently baited with Dogs, as a popular amusement. Though naturally of an indolent disposition, he now exerts the most vigorous efforts, and fre- quently inflicts desperate wounds on his adversaries. The skin is so thick and loose, as not only to resist the impressions of the teeth, but also to suffer him, even when within their gripe, to turn round and bite them in their most tender parts. In this manner does he resist repeated attacks, both of men and Dogs, from all quarters ; till, over- powered with numbers, and enfeebled by wounds, he is at last com- pelled to submit. The Badger inhabits woody places, the clefts of rocks, or burrows which he forms under the ground. He is a very cleanly animal, and keeps his subterraneous mansion exceedingly neat. He continues in his habitation during the day, and does not make his appearance abroad till the evening. At times, from indulging in indolence and sleep, he becomes excessively fat. During the severe weather of winter he remains in a torpid state in his den, sleeping on a com- modious bed formed of dried grass. Under the tail there is a recep- tacle, in which is secreted a white fetid substance, that constantly exudes through the orifice, and thus gives him a most unpleasant smell. 24G THE BADGER THE BADGER. These animals are not known to do any other mischief to mankind, than by scratching and rooting up the ground, in search of food. This is always performed during the night ; and from this arises one of the modes usually practised of taking them. Their den is dis- covered ; and when they are abroad in the night, a sack is fastened at the mouth. One person remains near the hole to watch ; while another beats round the fields with a Dog, in order to drive them home. As soon as the man at the hole hears that a Badger has run in for refuge, he immediately seizes the mouth of the sack, ties it, and carries it off. Sometimes these animals are caught by means of steel traps, placed in their haunts. They live in pairs ; and produce, in the spring of the year, four or five young-ones. If caught before they are grown up, they may be tamed. The skin of the Badger, dressed with the hair on, is used for various purposes ; and the hairs are made into brushes for painters. The flesh when the animals are well fed, makes excellent hams and bacon COATI-MONDI THE KINKAJOU. 247 THE COATI-MONDI. The peculiarly long snout of the COATIS distinguishes them at once from the Raccoons, which they resemble in some other respects. Their snout is very movable, and it is of great use to them in routing out the worms and insects which they dig up. The nostrils are placed on a sort of disk at the end of the snout, and give the whole head a most extraordinary aspect. The Coatis live upon birds, eggs, insects, and worms, and sometimes they will eat roots. They are nocturnal in their habits, spending most sleep, rolled up in a ball. In descend- ing a tree they walk with their heads downward, like the Cat, which, how- ever, they surpass in activity. These animals inhabit the warmer parts of America, but do not appear to be much sought after by hunters. The Brown Coati-mondi is the species represented in the engraving; there is another spe- cies, the Bed Coati. THE COATI-MOKDI. of the day in COAT:-MOXDI CATCIil.NU A BIRD. THE KIXKAJOU. The Kinkajou is also an inhabitant of South America. It is not unlike the Coati in its habits, but is more active, as it possesses a pre- hensile tail, which it uses in the same way that the Spider Monkeys use theirs. The tongue of the Kin- kajou is capable of being inserted into crevices, and drawing out any insects that may be lying concealed beyond the reach of its paws. The Spanish missionaries give it the name of Honey Bear, because it is a great devastator of the nests of the Wild Bee, using its long tongue to lick the honey out of the cells. When in captivity it is very tame and gentle, and will play with an acquaintance as a Cat will. It displays great address in capturing Flies and other insects with its tongue, and it is amusing to watch how its eyes gleam directly that a fly settles within its reach. During the earlier part of the day it will not move, but towards dusk it becomes very brisk and animated, climbing about its cage, and swinging from the top bars by its tail and hind paws. THE KINKAJOU. 248 THE VIRGINIAN OPOSSUM OF THE OPOSSUMS IN GENERAL THESE animals are furnished with an external abdominal pouch They have ten front teeth in the upper, and eight in the lower jaw . of the former of these the two middle ones are the longest, but of the latter the middle ones are broader and very short. The canine- teeth are long, and the grinders indented. Tha tongue is somewhat rough. We now come to a race of quadrupeds, so ^ singular in their con- formation, and so ex- traordinary in their . habits, as, at their first i/ discovery, to have ex- cited the general sur- prise and admiration of mankind. The females of most of the species are furnished with ab- dominal pouches, for the protection and preservation of their offspring. Hence they are called Marsupial animals. In some of these there are two, in others three, distinct cavities, which can be shut or opened at pleasure. In these pouches the young-ones remain, hanging to the nipples, till they are large enough to run about and provide food for themselves. The Opossums are animals principally confined to the New Continent, and only one species has yet been discovered as a native of Europe. THE OPOSSUM. THE VIRGIXIAX OPOSSUM. The Virginian Opossum is about the size of a small Cat : from the upright growth of its fur, however, it appears to be much thicker. Its general color is dingy white. The head is long and sharpened, and the mouth wide. The tail is about a foot long ; prehensile ; hairy at its origin, but afterwards covered with a scaly skin, which gives it somewhat the appearance of a Snake. The legs are short, and blackish ; and all the TIRG1XIA OPOSSUM \VITII A DIRD. THE VIRGINIAN OPOSSUM 249 toes (except tne interior ones, which fire flat and rounded, with nails like those of the Monkey tribe) are armed with sharp claws. From the formation of the feet of these animals, which, in some respects, are like those of the Monkeys, it is evident that their motions, on the ground, must be constrained and awkward. In recompense, however, for this apparent defect, they are able to ascend trees with wonderful agility. Here, by the help of their tail, which is so mus- cular and flexile as to admit of being coiled round the branches, they are more active than most other quadrupeds. Sometimes they will continue for a considerable while together with their bodies suspended, and on watch for prey. At other times, like Monkeys and Squirrels, they will leap from tree to tree, in pursuit of food, or to escape from their enemies. If an Opossum be pursued and overtaken, it will feign itself dead till the danger is over ; and, says M. du Pratz, it will not, when seized in this condition, exhibit signs of life, though even placed on a red- hot iron ; and when there are any young-ones in the pouch of a female, she will suffer both herself and them to be roasted alive rather than she will give them up. These creatures never move till their assailant is either gone to a distance, or has concealed himself; on which they endeavor to scramble, with as much expedition as possible, into some hole or bush. They are so very tenacious of life, that, in North Caro- lina, there is a well-known adage, " If a Cat has nine lives, the Opossum has nineteen." Although, says M. de BufYon, these animals are carnivorous, and even greedy of blood, which they suck with avidity, they also feed upon reptiles, insects, su- gar-canes, potatoes, roots, and the leaves and the bark o f trees. Being neither wild n o r ferocious, they are easily tamed; and, in a domestic state, are by no means nice in regard to their food. Their smell is offensive, somewhat resemb- ling that of a Fox. When two or more Opossums are kept in the same place, they almost continually employ themselves in licking each other; and whenever they are fondled by any person, they make a purring noise, not unlike that of a Cat. In a wild state, when the female is about to litter, she chooses a place in the thick bushes, at the foot of some tree. Assisted by the male, she there collects together a quantity of fine, dry grass ; this VIRGINIAN OPOSSUM CATCHIXO A LIZARD. 250 KANGAROOS IN GENERAL. is loaded upon her belly, and the male drags her and her burden to the nest, by her tail. She produces from four to six young-ones at a time. As soon as these come into the world, they retreat into her pouch or false belly, blind, naked, and exactly resembling little foetuses ; and fasten themselves to the teats. Some travellers assert, that, at this period of their existence, they are not bigger than a large fly ; a fact, says M. de Buffbn, not so much exaggerated as might be imagined, since he had himself seen in an animal of a species resem- bling the Opossum, young-ones sticking to the teats that were not larger than beans. They fasten themselves as closely to the teats as if they grew there ; and they continue to adhere, apparently inani- mate, till they arrive at some degree of perfection in shape, and obtain their sight, strength, and hair; after which they undergo a sort of second birth. From that time they use the pouch merely as an asylum from danger. The mother carries them about with the utmost affection, and they may frequently be seen sporting in and out of this secure retreat. Whenever they are surprised, and have not time to retire into the pouch, it is said, that they will adhere to the tail of their parent, and thus still endeavor to escape with her. The American Indians spin the hair of the Opossum, and dye it red; and then weave it into girdles, and other parts of their dress The flesh of these animals is white, and well-tasted, and is preferred by the Indians to pork : that of the young-ones eats very much like sucking-pig. OF THE KANGAROOS IN GENERAL. THE Kangaroos have six front teeth in the upper jaw, emarginated ; THE GREAT KANGAROO. 251 and two in the lower, very large, long, and sharp, pointing forward. There are five grinders on each side in both jaws, distant from the other teeth. The fore-legs are short, and the hinder ones very long ; and in the female there is an abdominal pouch, containing the teats. In their being furnished with an abdominal pouch for the pro- tection of their offspring, these animals are allied to the Opossums. But in other respects, both of structure and appearance, they are- widely different. The tail of the Kangaroos is so strong and muscu- lar, as occasionally to serve almost the purpose of an additional leg. Only three species have as yet been ascertained all of which are natives of New Holland. THE GREAT KANGAROO. These animals have frequently been known to measure as much as nine feet in length, from the tip of the nose to the end of the tail ; and to weigh a hundred and pounds. They fifty are slender about the up- per parts, and gradu- ally increase in thick- ness as far as the loins. The fore-legs are sel- dom more than about nineteen inches in length; whilst the hin- der ones are sometimes three feet and a half long. The hind legs, which are perfectly bare and callous be- neath, are very strong ; and, when sitting erect, the animal rests on the whole of their length. The claws are only three in number; the middle one greatly ex- ceeds the others in length and strength ; but the inner one is of a peculiar structure ; at first sight it appears to be single, but on further inspection it is seen to be divided down the middle, and even through the ball of the toe belonging to it. It was in the year 1770 that this very singular species of quadruped was originally discovered in New Holland, by some of the persons THE GREAT KANGAROO. THE GREAT KANGAROO. HUNTING THE KANGAKOO ON HORSEBACK. who accompanied Captain Cook in his first circumnavigation of the world. From the general form and structure of the Kangaroo, there can be little doubt 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 to elude the swiftness of the fleetest greyhound ; and it is able with ease to bound over obstacles nine feet or more in height. Kangaroos have vast strength in their tail. This they occasionally use as a weapon of defence ; for they are able to strike with it so violent a blow, as even to break a man's leg. But this is not their only weapon, for when hunted, as they sometimes are, with grey- hounds, they use both their claws and teeth. On the hounds' seizing them, they turn, and catching hold with the nails of the fore-paws, strike the Dog with the claws of their hind feet, and sometimes lacerate his body in a very shocking manner. The Kangaroo generally feeds standing on its four feet, in the manner of other quadrupeds ; and it drinks by lapping. In a state of captivity, KANGAROO LEAPING. THE GREAT KANGAROO. 253 HUNTING TEE KANGAROO WITH DOCS. it has a trick of sometimes springing forward, and kicking, in a forcible manner, with its hind-feet ; during which action it rests or props itself on the base of its tail. These animals have the singular faculty of separating, to a consider able distance, the two long fore-teeth of their upper-jaw. The female seldom produces more than one young-one at a birth : and so exceed- ingly diminutive is this at its first exclusion, that it scarcely exceeds an inch in length, and weighs but twenty-one grains. It is received into the abdominal pouch of the mother, though its mouth is merely a round hole, just large enough to receive the point of the nipple. The mouth, however, gradually extends with age, till it is capable of receiving the whole nipple, which then lies in a groove formed in the middle. of the tongue. At this period of its growth, feeble as it is in othsr respects, its fore-paws are comparatively large and strong, andtho claws extremely distinct, to facilitate the motion of the little 254 THE GREAT KANGAROO. animal during its residence in the pouch : the hind-legs, which are afterwards to become very long and stout, are now both shorter and KANGAROO AT BAT. smaller than the others. The young-one continues to reside in the pouch till it has nearly attained its maturity. It occasionally creeps out for exercise or amusement ; and even after it has quitted this maternal retreat, it often runs into it for shelter, on the least indica- tion of danger. Kangaroos live in burrows under the ground, and subsist on veget- able substances, and chiefly on grass. In their native state they are said to feed in herds, thirty or forty together ; and some individual of the herd is generally observed to be stationed, apparently on the watch, at a distance from the rest. They seem to be nocturnal animals. Their eyes are furnished with nictitating or winking membranes, situated at the interior angle, and caoable of being extended at pleasure entirely over the ball. THE WOMBAT DASYURUS. 255 HUNTING THE SMALL KANGAROO. Several Kangaroos have been kept in England, and particularly in the royal domains at Eichmond. These have produced young-ones : and we have reason to suppose that there would be little difficulty in naturalizing the species in this country. Nearly all the quadrupeds of Australia are marsupial. We have space for only a few of them ; and first, THE WOMBAT. The Wombat is a sluggish animal, burrowing under ground and sleep- ing in the day time. At night it seeks its food, which consists entirely of vegetable matter. Its flesh is said to be palatable ; and it is easily do- mesticated. THE WOMBAT. THE DASYURUS. The Dasyurus, says a French writer, is the Fox of Australia, He is carni- vorous and extremely voracious. It lives on birds, insects, and even reptiles. It lives in cavities of the rocks near the settlements of Australia in the day- time, and sallies forth to make dread- DASTUEUS CAUGHT IN A TF.AP. 256 THE ECHIDNA SOOTY TAPOA. THE DASYTJRUS. ful ravages on the poultry yards. There are several species of Dasy- urus, one of which is not larger than a Eat. IHB ECHIDNA. THE ECHIDNA. Externally the Echidna resem- bles a Hedge-hog. The Austra- lians call him the Spring Hog. _| His long tongue, used in catching = ^j^ Flies and other insects, reminds us of the Ant-eater. His strong nails are used in burrowing in the ground. THE SOOTY TAPOA. The Sooty Tapoa is another specimen of the marsupial animals of Australia. He has a prehensile tail, like the Opossum, and lives chiefly in trees, seeking his prey by night. Its food is chiefly veget- able ; and its flesh, like that of the Kangaroo, is considered excellent eating. It remains at rest in the day-time, and its period of activity is in the night. THE YAPAK PHALMANGER MOLE. 257 THE YAPAK. The Yapak is marsupial. It is a sort of South American Otter. Its body is a foot in length. It lives near the water, and feeds on fish. It has a long tail, scaly, like that of a Rat. Its fur, of a yellowish- grey color, is of some of value. It is found in Columbia and Central America. THE YAPAK. THE PHALANGER. TH8 PHALANGER. The Phalanger is a slender, awk- ward-looking animal of the marsu- pial tribe, with strong hind and small, weak fore legs, short ears, and ash -colored fur. OF MOLES IN GENERAL. IN the upper jaw the Moles have six unequal front teeth, and in the lower jaw eight. There is one canine-tooth on each side, in both jaws, the upper ones of which are the largest ; there are also seven grinders above, and six below. The animals of the present tribe are easily distinguished from all other quadrupeds. Their body is thick, and somewhat cylindrical ; and their snout formed like that of a hog, for rooting in the ground in search of worms and the larvae or grubs of insects, their principal food. The fore-feet are strong, and well-calculated for digging those subterraneous retreats in which they entirely reside. They have no external ears; and the eyes are very small and completely hidden in the fur. There are seven species. THE COMMON MOLE. The Mole is an animal so well known, that any particular descrip- tion of its shape and dimensions is unnecessary. Destined by its Creator to seek a subsistence under the surface of the ground, the fore-legs of the Mole, which are very short, and exces- sively strong and broad, are situated outward, and furnished with large 258 THE COMMON MOLE. claws, by means of which it is enabled to work away the earth from before it with the utmost ease. Its hind-feet, which are much smaller than the others, are calculated for throwing back the mould during its subterraneous progress. The snout also is .slender, strong, and tencli- TUE COMMON MOLE. nous ; and there is no appearance of a neck. The general length of this animal is between five and six inches. The eyes of the Mole are exceedingly small ; so much so, that many persons have doubted whether they were intended for distinct vision, or only to afford the animal so much sensibility of the approach of light, as sufficiently to warn it of the danger of exposure. They have, however, been proved to contain every property that is requisite to distinct sight. The faculty of hearing is said to be possessed by the Mole in a very eminent degree ; and if at any time the animal emerges from its retreat, it is "by this means enabled instantly to disappear on the approach of danger. The females, about the month of April, produce four or five young- ones ; and the habitations in which these are deposited, are constructed with peculiar care and intelligence. The parent animals begin their operations by raising the earth and forming a tolerably high arch. They leave partitions, or a kind of pillars, at certain distances ; beat and press the earth ; interweave it with the roots of plants ; and render it so hacd and solid, that the water cannot penetrate the vault. They then elevate a little hillock under the principal arch ; and lay upon it herbs and leaves, as a bed for their young. In this situation they are above the level of the ground, and consequently above the reach of ordinary inundations. They are at the same time defended from rain by the large vault that covers the internal hillock. This hillock is pierced on all sides with sloping holes, which descend still lower, and serve as subterraneous passages for the mother to issue from her habi- tation in quest of food for herself and her offspring. These by-paths are beaten and firm ; they extend about twelve or fifteen paces, and issue from the principal mansion like rays from a centre. In summer, the Mole descends to low and flat land ; and generally makes choice of meadows for the place of its residence, because there it finds the earth fresh and soft to dig through. If the weather con- tinues long dry, it repairs to the borders of ditches, the banks of rivers and streams, and places contiguous to hedges. This animal seldom forms its gallery more than five or six inches under the surface. In the act of doing this, it scrapes the earth before it on one side, till the quantity becomes too great for it to labor onward with ease. It then works towards the surface, and by pushing with its head, and scratching with its nervous paws, gradually raises the mould, and thus produces those small hillocks so common in our fields. After getting rid of the earth in this manner, it proceeds forward, and continues its labor as before ; and a person may easily discover how many Moles are contained in a certain space of ground, by counting THE COMMON MOLE. 259 the newly-raised Mole-hills, which have no communication with each other. Moles, like Beavers and some other quadrupeds, live in pairs; and so lively and reciprocal an attachment subsists between them, that they seem to disrelish all other society. In their dark abodes, they enjoy the placid habits of repose and of solitude ; they also have the art of securing themselves from injury, of almost instantaneously making an asylum or habitation, and of obtaining a plentiful subsist- ence. The operations of the Mole are chiefly to be observed in grounds where the soil is loose and soft. During the summer-time, these animals run in search of food in the night among the grass ; and thus frequently become the prey of Owls. They exhibit much art in the skinning of Worms; this they always do before they eat them; strip- ping off the skin from end to end, and squeezing but all the contents of the body. When Moles are first caught, either by digging or otherwise, they utter a shrill scream, and prepare for defence by exerting the strength of their claws and teeth. They are said to be very ferocious animals; and sometimes to tear and eat one another. In a glass case, in which a Mole, a Toad, and a Yiper were enclosed, the Mole has been known to dispatch the other two, and to devour a great part of each. The following is a remarkable instance of the exertions which a Mole is able to make in crossing even broad waters: " On visiting the Loch of Clunie, (says Arther Bruce, Esq., in the Linnean Transactions,) I observed in it a small island at the distance of one hundred and eighty yards from the nearest land, measured to be so upon the ice. Upon this island, Lord Airly, the proprietor, has a castle and a small shrub- bery. I remarked frequently the appearance of fresh mole-casts or hills. I for some time took them for those of the Water-Mouse ; and one day asked the gardener if it was so. No, he said, it was the Mole ; and that he had caught one or two lately. Five or six years ago he caught two in traps ; and for two years after this he had observed none. But about four years ago, coming ashore one summer's evening in the dusk he and another person (Lord Airly 's butler) saw at a short distance, upon the smooth water, some animal paddling to the island. They soon closed with this feeble passenger; and found it to be a Mole that had been led by a most astonishing instinct, from the nearest point of land, to take possession of this desert island." People in general are not aware of the great mischief that is occa- sioned in fields and gardens by these animals. We are informed by M. de Buffon, that, in the year 1740, he planted about sixteen acres of land with acorns, the greater part of which were in a short time carried away by the Moles to their subterraneous retreats. In many of these were found half a bushel of acorns, and in some even a bushel. M. de Buffon, after this, caused a great number of iron traps to be constructed; and by these, in less than three weeks, he caught 1300 Moles. To this instance of devastation we may add that, in the year 1742, Moles were so numerous in some parts of Holland, that one farmer caught between five and six thousand. 17 260 THE COMMON MOLE. The following is Dr. Darwin's description of the habitations of these animals, and of the usual modes in which they are caught. " The Moles (observes this writer) have cities underground ; which consist of houses, or nests, where they breed and nurse their young. Communi- cating with these are wider and more frequented streets, made by the perpetual journeys of the male and female parents ; as well as many other less frequented alleys or by-roads, with many diverging branches, which they daily extend, to collect food for themselves or their progeny " These animals are most active in the vernal months, during the time of their courtship ; and many burrows are at this time made in the earth, for their more easily meeting with each other. And though Moles are commonly esteemed to be blind, yet they appear to have some perception of light, even in their subterraneous habitations; because they begin their work as soon as it is light, and consequently be- fore the warmth of the sun can be supposed to affect them. Hence one method of destroying them consists in attending to them early before sun- rise. At that time the earth or the grass may frequently be seen to move over them ; arid, with a small, light spade, their retreat may be cut off by striking this into the ground behind them, and immediately dig- ging them up. "The Mole suckles four or five, and sometimes six young-ones; which are placed considerably deeper in the ground than the common runs; and the mole-hills near them are consequently larger, and generally of a different color from the others. These nests are to be dug up ; having first intercepted the road between them and the mole- fcills in the vicinity, to cut off the retreat of the inhabitants. "The next im- portant circum- stance is, to dis- cover which are the frequented streets, and which the by-roads; for the purpose of set- ting subterraneous traps. This is ef- fected by making a mark on every new mole-hill, by a light pressure of the foot; and the next morning ob- serving whether a Mole has again passed that wa;y and obliterated the foot-mark. This These foot-marks THE MOLB EAT is to be done for two or three successive mornings. should not be deeply impressed ; lest the animal be alarmed on his THE STAR-NOSED MOLE CAPE MOLE. 261 return, and thus induced to form a new branch of road rather than open the obstructed one. " The traps are then to be set in the frequented streets, so as to fit nicely the divided canal. They consist of a hollow semi-cylinder of wood ; with grooved rings at each end, in which are placed nooses of horsehair, fastened loosely by a peg in the centre, and stretched above- ground by a bent stick. When the Mole has passed half-way through one of these nooses, and removes the central peg in his progress, the bent stick rises by its elasticity, and strangles him." The Mole Rat is a singular-looking animal, between a Mole and a Water Eat, frequent- ing marshy places, and burrowing in the ground, and having no external appear- ance of eyes. THE STAR-NOSED MOLE. The Star-Nosed Mole is so called from a star-shaped cartila- ginous process at the extremity of the nose. It has a long bushy tail ; but in other re- spects resembles the Common Mole. 1 1 is usually found in North America. THE STAR-XOSED MOLE. THE CAPE MOLE. The Cape Mole is found in the neigh- borhood of the Cape of Good Hope. It resembles the Com- mon Mole in its form and habits ; but it has attracted the particu- lar attention of natu- ralists by the iridis- cent colors of its fur. It is like shot silk, changing from green to copper color like the neck of a Dove. THE CAPS MOLE. 262 THE SHREW MOUSE WATER SHREW. THE SHREW MOUSE. This pretty little animal is very like the Common Mouse, but is easily distinguished from it by the length of the nose, which is used for grubbing up the earth in search of earth-worms and insects. The reader must not imagine that the Shrew has any connection with the true Mice. It belongs to an entirely different class of animals, its teeth being sharp and pointed, not unlike those of the Mole and the Hedgehog, whereas those of the Mouse are broad and chisel-shape like the teeth of the Rabbit. A peculiar scent is diffused from these animals, which is possibly the reason why the Cat will not eat them, although she will readily destroy them. Many species of Shrews are known, inhabiting various countries. There are, besides the common species, the Oared and the Water Shrew, all three inhabiting England. The formation of their hair as seen under a powerful microscope, is very beautiful, but quite distinct from the hair of the Mouse or Eat. In the autumn, numbers of these little animals may be seen lying dead, but what causes this destruction is not known. This is one of the numerous animals that have suffered by false reports, and have been treated with great cruelty on account of those fables. Eustics formerly believed that the poor little harmless crea- ture paralyzed their cattle by running over them, and that the only way to cure the diseased animal was to place a bough of shrew-ash on the injured part. The shrew-ash was made by boring a hole into an ash-tree, and then plugging up in the hole a living Shrew Mouse. By the same process of reasoning a Shrew cut in half, and placed on a wound supposed to be caused by its bite, was considered a certain remedy. THE WATER SHREW. The Water Shrew frequents brooks and clear running ditches, in the banks of which it lives. It swims and dives with great ease, and when under water appears as if it had been speckled over its entire surface with silver, from the bubbles of air which adhere to its fur. It eats the grubs of various aquatic insects, digging them out of the muddy banks with its snout. It is not very com- mon, but I have seen numbers of them inhabiting a brook near Little Hinton in OKO.P OP . SHB^VS. Wiltshire, and ^often patched their elegant movements and gambols through the water. Its localities may be discovered by searching for its "runs," which are like those of the Common Water Eat, but much smaller. THE COMMON HEDGEHOG. 263 OF URCHINS IN GENERAL. THESE animals have two front teeth above and below; of which those in the upper jaw are distant, and those of the lower are placed near together. On each side there are canine teeth ; in the upper jaw five, and in the lower three. There are also four grinders on each side, both above and below; and the body is covered on the upper parts with spines. The tail and feet are very short ; and the snout is somewhat cartilaginous. Urchins are animals usually of small size. There are seven known species. Of these, one is a native of South America, four are found in the East Indies, one in Siberia, and the other, the Common Hedge- hog, is a native of Europe. They feed, for the most part, on roots, worms, and insects, which they dig out of the ground by their muzzle or snout. None of the species are carnivorous. THE COMMON HEDGEHOG. The usual residence of these animals, which are natives of most of the temperate parts both of Europe and Asia, is in the hedge-rows or thickets. Dur- ing the day-time they lie con- cealed in their holes, and at night wander about in search of food, which consists chiefly of fallen fruit, roots, and insects. Naturalists have alleged that they enter gardens ; where they mount trees, and descend with pears, apples, or plums, stuck upon their spines. This, how- ever, is a mistake; for, when kept in a garden, they never attempt to climb trees; nor even to stick fallen fruit upon their spines. They also are undeservedly reproached with sucking cattle and injuring their udders; for the smallness of their mouths renders this altogether impossible. The habits of these animals are, in many respects, interesting. In the month of June, 1782, says a correspondent in the Gentleman's Magazine, a full-grown Hedgehog was put into a small yard, in which was a border of shrubs and annuals. In the course of a few days he formed, beneath a small holly -tree, a hole in the earth, sufficiently large to receive his body. After a while a smajl shed was built for him, in the corner of the yard, and filled with straw ; but the animal would not quit his former habitation until it was covered with a stone. He then took possession of the shed, and, everv morning, carried THE COMMON HEDGEHOG. 264 THE COMMON HEDGEHOG. leaves from a distant part of the border to stop its mouth. His principal food was raw meat and mice. Of the latter he would eat six at a time, but never more ; and, although these were thrown to him dead, he bit them all on the neck, before he began to eat any. He would also eat snails with their shells ; but would leave any thing for milk, which he lapped exceedingly slow. To this, even if set six . or eight yards distant from his shed, he would almost always come out half an hour before his usual time. If the person who usually fed him, neglected to do so he would follow him along the yard ; and, if the door was open, he would even go into the house. If meat was put near the mouth of his shed, in the day-time, he would sometimes pull it in and eat it. As the weather became colder, he carried more leaves into his shed ; and sometimes he would not come out for two or three days successively. About the end of November he died ; from want of food, as was supposed, but, most probably, from the severity of the weather. Mr. White observed, that the manner in which the Hedgehogs ate the roots of the plantain in his grass walks was very curious. With their upper jaw, which is much longer than the lower, they bored under the plant ; and gnawed the root off upwards, leaving the tuft of leaves untouched. In this respect they were serviceable, as they thus destroyed a troublesome weed ; but they in some measure defaced the walks, by digging in them small round holes. The Hedgehog has a very uncommon mode of defending itself from the attacks of other animals. Being possessed of little strength or agility, he neither attempts to fly from, nor to assail his enemies; but erects his spines, and rolls himself up like a ball, exposing no part of his body that is not covered with these sharp weapons. He will not unfold himself unless thrown into water : and the more he is frightened or harassed, the closer he shuts himself up. While in this state, most dogs, instead of biting him, stand off and bark, not daring to seize him ; and, if they attempt it once, their mouths are so pricked with his spines, that it is with difficulty they can be prevailed upon to do it a second time. He is easily taken ; for he neither attempts to escape, nor to defend himself by any other means than this. This animal, which may, in some degree, be rendered domestic, has been frequently introduced into houses, for the purpose of de- stroying those troublesome insects, the cock-roaches and beetles, which it pursues and devours with great avidity. A gentleman, whose kitchen in London was infested with black- beetles, was recommended to put a Hedgehog in it. He, consequently, had one brought there which had been caught in his garden in the country. At fir^t it was, he says, very sulky, and continued folded up ; but, after a while, hunger compelled it to open itself, in search of food ; and it ate very heartily of apples and bread soaked in rnilk : it also sucked with great eagerness, the milk out of its platter. In a little time it became so far domesticated as not to fear either cats or dogs : and even to take its food out of the hand of any one who offered it. This animal was usually kept in an upright basket, and, THE COMMON HEDGEHOG. 265 when the family were going to bed, it was customary to bring out the basket and put it into the kitchen. The Hedgehog then crawled up the side ; and having by that means, tipped it down, he crawled out, and began sharply to look around for his soaked bread and pan of milk. Having tasted this with great apparent delight, he used, immediately, to run under a closet-door in the kitchen, which he chose as a place of retreat. Finding all safe, he returned and retreated many times, until he had finished his supper. He was, in like manner, supplied in the day-time, and, in similar manner, would throw down his basket and wander about for food. If, at night, there was much talking ; if the candles were put too near, or if he perceived himself to be closely observed, he ran to his lurking-place, until the lights were removed and the room became quiet. This Hedgehog continued, for a long time in perfect health ; and he grew so fat that, after a little while, it was with difficulty he could squeeze himself under the closet- door. By his good services he well merited his board and lodging, for scarcely one beetle was left in the house ; and it is supposed that he also destroyed the mice. In the year 1799, there was a Hedgehog in the possession of a Mr. Sample of the Angel Inn at Felton, in Northumberland, which per- formed the duty of a turn-spit, as well, in every respect, as the dog of that denomination. It ran about the house as familiarly as any other domestic quadruped, and displayed an obedience till then unknown in this species of animals. At the commencement of winter the Hedgehog wraps itself up in a warm nest of moss, dried grass, and leaves ; and sleeps out the rigors of that season. It is frequently found so completely encircled with herbage, that it resembles a ball of dried leaves ; but when taken out, and placed before a fire, it soon recovers, from its torpidity. The female produces four or five young-ones at a birth ; which are soon covered with prickles, like those of the parent animal. The nest formed for the young ones is large, and is composed principally of moss. The Hedgehog is occasionally an article of food, and is said to be very delicate eating. The skin was used by the ancients for the pur- pose of a clothes-brush. CURES. IN this order the animals are furnished with two remarkably large and long front teeth in each jaw : but have no canine teeth. Their feet have claws, and are formed both for bounding and running. OF THE PORCUPINES IN GENERAL. The Porcupines have two front teeth, cut obliquely, in each jaw; and eight grinders. They have four toes on the fore, and five on the hind- er feet ; and the body is covered with spines intermixed with hair. To superficial observers, the animals belonging to this tribe would seem entitled to a place with the Hedgehogs; but they have no further similitude to these, than in the spiny covering of their bodies. None of the species are supposed to be carniverous. THE COMMON PORCUPINE. The general length of the Porcupine is about two feet from the head to the extremity of the tail. The upper parts of the body are covered with strong spines, each of which is variegated with black and white rings. The head, belly, and legs are covered with strong dusky bristles, intermixed with softer hairs: on the top of the head, these are very long, and curved backward, somewhat like a crest. The strong and sharp spines with which the upper parts of the body of the Porcupine are covered, and which measure from nine to fifteen inches in length, are complete quills, and want only the vane to constitute real feathers. The animal has the power of elevating or depressing them at will ; and when he walks they make a rattling noise by striking against each other. Whenever these animals are irritated or offended, they stamp forcibly (266) THE COMMOX PORCUPINE. THE COMMON PORCUPINE. 267 on the ground with their hind feet, somewhat in the manner of Rab- bits. In this act they shake all their quills, but more particularly those about the tail ; and at the same time they exert their voice, which is a kind of grunting noise. It has been asserted by credulous travellers, that Porcupines, when provoked, dart their quills at the object of their rage. This opinion, however, has been fully refuted by many accurate naturalists, who have taken pains to inquire into the matter. 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 quickly and gore him with the erected prickles of the opposite side. It is also stated, that, when the Porcupine meets with Serpents, against which he carries on a perpet- ual war, he closes himself up like a ball, concealing his head and feet, and then rolls upon and kills them with his bristles, without running any risk of being wounded himself. M. Le Yaillaiit says, that, owing to some pernicious quality in the quills, one of his Hottentots, who had received a wound in the leg from a Porcupine, was ill for upwards of six months. He also informs us that a gentleman at the Cape of Good Hope, in teasing one of these animals, received a wound in the leg, which nearly occasioned the loss of his limb; and notwithstanding every possible care, he suffered severly from it for more than four months, during one of which he was confined to his bed. When the Porcupine casts its quills, it sometimes shakes them off with so much force, that they fly to the distance of a few yards, and even bend their points against any hard -substance they happen to strike. It may have been this circumstance which gave rise to the report of the Porcu- pine darting its quills against an enemy. This animal is a native of Africa, India, and the Indian Islands ; and is said sometimes to be found even in Italy and Sicily and Brazil. It inhabits subterraneous retreats, which it forms into several compartments ; leaving two holes, one for an entrance, and the other, in case of necessity to retreat by. It sleeps during the day, and makes its excursions for food (which consists principally of fruits, roots, and vegetables) in the night. Although able to support hunger for a great length of time, and apparently without inconvenience, it always eats with a voracious appetite. In the gardens near the Cape of Good Hope, these creatures do much damage. When they have once made a path through a fence, they alwa}^s enter by the same path, so long as it continues open ; and this gives the inhabitants an oppor- tunity of destroying them. When a breach is discovered, they place a loaded gun in such a manner that the muzzle will be near the animal's breast, when he is devouring a carrot or turnip that is connected by a string with the trigger. In its manners the Porcupine is harmless and inoffensive. It is never the aggressor, and, when pursued, it climbs the first tree it can reach, where it remains till the patience of its adversary is exhausted, If, however, it be roused to self-defence, even the Lion dares not venture to attack it. In confinement, none of these animals appear to have any particular attachment to their keeper. They will eat bread or roots out of 268 THE AGOUTI. his hand, or suffer him to lead them about by a string fastened to their collar. One that was exhibited in the Tower of London some years ago, would even allow its keeper to take it up under his arm : bat to do this without wounding himself with its spines, re- quired considerable dexterity, since it was -^ rst necessary to close these to the animal's body, by sweeping his arm PORCUPINE. alon g tae direction in which they grew. Porcupines usually sleep in the day-time, and become awake and active towards evening. Their teeth are peculiarly sharp and strong ; and they gnaw the wood-work of their dens so much, that if there was not much iron about the sides and corners, they would soon escape. M. Bosman, when on the coast of Guinea, put a Porcupine into a strong tub, in order to secure him; but, in the course of one night, he ate his way through the staves, even in a place where they were considerably bent outward, and escaped. The late Sir Ashton Lever had a live Porcupine, which he frequently turned out on the grass behind his house, to play with a tame hunting Leopard and a large Newfoundland Dog. As soon as they were let loose, the Leopard and Dog began to pursue the Porcupine, which always at first endeavored to escape by flight ; but, on finding that ineffectual, he would thrust his head into some corner, making a snorting noise, and erecting his spines. With these his pursuers pricked their noses, till they quarrelled between themselves, and thus gave him an opportunity to escape. The period of gestation in the female is about seven months, at the end of which time she produces one or two young-ones at a birth, which she suckles about a month. These she defends with the utmost resolution against all assailants, and she will rather be killed than suffer herself to be deprived of them. In the stomach of the Porcupine, bezoar stones are frequently found. These are composed of hair, which has concreted with the juices of the stomach : they have one layer over another, so that they consist of several rings of different colors. Professor Thunberg says, he has seen them as large as a hen's egg. The quills of the Porcupine are used by the Indians to adorn many curious articles of dress and furniture; the neatness and elegance of which would not disgrace more enlightened artists. These people dye them of various beautiful colors, cut them into slips, and embroider with them their baskets, belts, &c., in a great variety of ornamental figures. The flesh is frequently eaten by the inhabitants of the Cape of Good Hope. THE AGOUTI. The AGOUTI lives in Brazil, Guiana and Paraguay. It is about the size of a Rabbit, and like that animal is generally found in company THE BLACK AGOUTI PACA CAPYBARA. 269 with others. In Brazil and Guiana, the. Agouti is much sought after for the sake of its flesh, but it appears that in Paraguay the flesh is not eaten. -When pursued, it runs for a short time with much rapidity but soon endeavors to conceal itself in a hole or under the^^, roots of a tree, when it will suffer * itself to be captured without any re- =J^-- sistance, merely uttering a plaintive cry. It feeds on vegetables, especially yams and tubers, but in the West India Islands it devours the sugar- canes, and is a great pest to the planters. , THE BLACK AGOUTI. THE BLACK AGOUTI. The Black Agouti is smaller than the Common Agouti, being about the size of a Kabbit. It is found in Surinam, Guiana and Brazil. Its general appearance and habits are similar to those of the Common Agouti. THE PACA. The Paca is a short thickset animal, with thick legs, short neck, heavy head, rounded body, clumsy joints, but prompt and sud- den in its motions. The upper lip is di- vided and the mouth is furnished with cheek pouches. It is found in Brazil, Cayenne, Guiana and Surinam. THE PACA. THE CAPYBARA, OR CHIGUIRA. The CAPYBARA or CHIGUIRA is the largest of all the Eodentia. At first sight it looks very like a Pig, and its skin is covered thinly with hairs like bristles, which add to the resemblance. It inhabit&the borders of lakes and rivers in many parts of Southern America. During the day, it hides among the thick herbage of the 270 THE GUINEA PIG. banks, only wandering forth to feed at night, but when alarmed, it instantly makes for the water, and escapes by diving. It is hunted for the sake of its flesh, which is said to be remarkably good. The Jaguar appears to be of the sam.e opinion, for he is the most terrible enemy of this creature, destroying immense numbers. The food of the Capybara consists of grass, vegetables and fruits. Its length is about three feet six inches. THE CAPYBARA. OF THE CAVY TEIBE. THE Cavies have, in each jaw, two wedge-shaped front teeth, and eight grinders. They have likewise four or five toes on the fore feet, and from three to five on the hinder feet. The tail is either very short, or altogether wanting ; and they have no collar-bones. These animals seem to hold a middle place between the mnrino quadrupeds and the Hares. Nearly all. the species, which are seven in number, have a slow, and some of them a leaping pace. Their habitations are burrows, which they form beneath the roots of trees, or in the ground. They live entirely on vegetable food, and tire all natives of America : two or three of the species, however, are found also on the Old Continent. or THE GCINEA-PIG. THE GUINEA-PIG, OR RESTLESS CAVY. There are few foreign quadrupeds more generally known than this. It is a native of Brazil and of some other parts of South America, but is supposed to have originally been im- ported from Guinea into England. In a state of domestication it feeds on bread *rain, fruit and vegetables; but it has lecided preference for parsley. This little creature is easily rendered tame, and is very cleanly and harmless. In its disposition it is timid ; and it appears totally void of attachment, not only to its benefactors, but even towards its own offspring : these it will suffer to be taken away, and even devoured, without discovering the least concern, or attempt- ing any resistance. When kept in a room, it seldom crosses the ftaor, but generally creeps round by the wall. Its motions are, in a great measure, simi- lar to those of the Rabbit : it strokes its head with its jore feet, and sits on its hind legs, like that animal. The male usuallyrompels the female to go before him, and follows exactly in her footsteps. These OF THE BE AVER TRIBE. 271 animals are fond of dark and intricate retreats, and seldom venture out if danger be near. When about to quit their hiding-places, they spring forward to the entrance, stop to listen, and look round ; and if the road be clear, they sally forth in search of food ; but on the least alarm they run instantly back again. In their habits they are so exceedingly clean, that if their young- ones happen to be dirtied, the female takes such a dislike to them, as never again to suffer them to approach her. Guinea-pigs may fre- quently be observed in the act of smoothing and dressing their fur, somewhat in the manner of a Cat. The principal employment of the male and female seems to consist in smoothing each other's hair ; after this office has been mutally performed, they turn their attention to their young-ones, whose hair they take particular care to keep unruffled and even ; and they bite them whenever they are in the least refractory. They repose flat on their belly ; and, like the Dog, turn several times round before they lie down. They sleep with their eyes half open, and are very watchful. It is observed that the male and female seldom sleep at the same time, but seem alternately to watch each other. They are exceedingly delicate, and impatient of cold or moisture. Their usual voice is a kind of grunting, like that of a young Pig; but their notes of pain are shrill and piercing. Their manner of fighting is singular. One of them seizes the neck of its antagonist with its teeth, and attempts to tear the hair from it. In the mean time, the other turns his posteriors to his enemy, kicks up behind like a Horse, and, by way of retaliation, scratches the sides of his opponent with his hinder claws, in such a manner that both are frequently covered with blood. The female goes with young about five weeks, and breeds nearly every two months. Though furnished with only two teats f she usually produces three or four, and sometimes as many as twelve young-ones, at a birth. And as these have been known to breed when only two months old, the produce of a single pair may amount to upwards of a thousand in the year. OF THE BEAVER TKIBE. THE Beavers have the front teeth in their upper jaw truncated, and excavated with a transverse angle ; and those of the lower jaw are transverse at the tips. There are four grinders on each side. The tail is long, depressed, and scaly ; and there are collar-bones in the skeleton. Belonging to the present tribe, there are but two species that have hitherto been discovered, the Common and the Chili Beavers ; and even of these, it seems doubtful whether the latter ought not to be arranged with the Otters. 272 THE COMMON BEAVER. THE BEAVEK. THE COMMON BEAVER. The general length of the Beaver is about three feet. The tail is oval, nearly a foot long, and compress- ed horizontally, but rising into a con- vexity on its upper surface : it is desti- tute of hair except at the base, and is marked into scaly divisions, like the skin of a fish. The hair of the Beaver is fine, smooth, glossy and of a chesnut color, vary- ing sometimes t o black ; and instances have occured in which these animals have been found white, cream-colored, or spotted. The ears are short, and almost hidden in the fur. There is reason to suppose that this animal was once an inhabitant of Great Britain; for GiraldusCambrensis says, that Beavers frequented the river Tievi in Cardiganshire, and that they had, from the Welsh, a name signifying u the Broad-tailed animals." Their skins were valued by the Welsh laws, in the tenth century, at the enormous sum of a hundred and twenty pence each ; and they seem to have consti- tuted the chief finery and luxury of those days. Beavers are at present natives of most of the northern parts of Europe and Asia, but are principally found in North America. No other quadrupeds seem to possess so great a degree of natural sagacity as these. Yet when we consider that their history as hitherto detailed, has been principally taken from the reports of the Beaver-hunters, whose object it is, not to study the nature or manners of the animals, but merely to seize upon them as articles of commerce, and whose accounts are often in themselves contradictory it is necessary that we should "not give implicit faith to every thing that has been written, even by the most respectable authors, concern- ing them, where these authors have not themselves witnessed the facts they relate. Captain George Cartwright, who resided fourteen years on the coast of Labrador, in order to collect the different furs of that dreary climate, saw more of the manners of the Beaver, than most other writers. To this work, therefore, and to that of M. du Pratz, who, in Lousiana, was an eye-witness to their labors, I have prin- cipally had recourse, in endeavoring to give to the reader as faithful an account as possible of the habits of life and economy of these wonderful animals. Beavers generally live in associated communities, consisting of as THE COMMON BEAVER. 273 many as two or three hundred individuals ; and they inhabit extensive dwellings, which they raise to the height of six or eight feet above the surface of the water. They select, if possible a large pond ; in in which they raise their houses on piles, forming them either of a circular or oval shape, with arched tops, and thus giving them, on the outside, the appearance of a dome, while within they somewhat resemble an oven. The number of houses is, in general, from ten to thirty. If the animals cannot find a pond to their liking, they fix on some flat piece of ground, with a stream running through it ; and in making this a suitable place for their habitations, a degree of sagacity and intelligence, of intention and memory, is exhibited, which ap- proaches, in an extraordinary degree, to the faculties of the human race. Their first object is, to form a dam. To do this, it is necessary that they should stop the stream, and of course that they should know in which direction the water runs. This seems a very wonderful exertion of instinct ; for they always do it in the most favorable place for their purpose, and never begin at a wrong part. They drive stakes, five or six feet long, into the ground, in different rows, and interweave them with branches of trees ; filling them up with clay, stones, and sand, which they ram so firmly down, that, though the dams are frequently a hundred feet long, Captain Cartwright says, he has walked over them with the greatest safety. These are ten or twelve feet thick at the base, and gradually diminish towards the top, which is seldom more than two or three feet across. They are exactly level from end to end ; perpendicular towards the stream ; and sloped on the outside, where grass soon grows, and renders the earth more united. The houses are constructed with the utmost ingenuity, of earth, stones, and sticks, cemented together, and plastered in the inside with surprising neatness. The walls are about two feet thick ; and the floors so much higher than the the surface of the water, as always to prevent them from being flooded. Some of the houses have only one floor ; others have three. The number of Beavers in each house is from two to thirty. These sleep on the floor, which is strewed with leaves and moss ; and each individual is said to have its own place. When they form a new settlement, the animals begin to build their houses in the summer; and it costs them a whole season to finish the work, and lay in their winter provisions: these consist principally of bark and the tender branches of trees, cut into certain lengths, and piled in heaps under the water. The houses have each no more than one opening, which is under the surface of the water, and always below the thickness of the ice. Bj- this means they are secured from the effects of frost. The Beavers seldom quit their residence unless they are disturbed, or their provisions fail. When they have continued in the same place three or four years, they frequently erect a new house annually ; but sometimes merely repair their old one. It often happens that they build a new house so close to their former dwelling, that they cut a communication from one to the other ; and this may have given rise to the idea of their having several apartments. 274 THE COMMON BEATER. During the summer-time, they quit their houses, and ramble aoout from place to place, sleeping under the covert of bushes, near the water-side. On the least noise, they betake themselves into the water for security ; and they have sentinels, who, by a certain cry, give notice of the approach of danger. In the winter they never stir out except to their magazines under the water ; and during that season they become excessively fat. In one of his excursions into the northern parts of Louisiana, M. du Pratz (who resided sixteen years in that country) gives us an account of a colony of Beavers, to many of whose operations he was himself a witness. But this, in some respects, appears contradictory to the account of Captain Cartwright. At the head of one of the rivers of Louisiana, in a very retired place, M. du Pratz found a beaver-dam. Not far from it, but hidden from the sight of the animals, he and his companions erected a hut, in order to watch the operations of these animals at leisure. They waited till the moon shone bright ; and then, carrying in their hands branches of trees, in order to conceal themselves, they went with great care and silence to the dam. M. du Pratz ordered one of the men to cut as silently as possible, a gutter, about a foot wide, through it ; and to retire immediately to the hiding-place. " As soon as the water through the gutter began to make a noise (says this writer) we heard a Beaver come from one of the huts and plunge in. We saw him get upon the bank, and clearly perceived that he examined it. He then, with all his force, gave four distinct blows with his tail ; when immediately the whole colony threw them- selves into the water, and went to the dam. As soon as they were assembled, one of them appeared, by muttering, to issue some kind of orders ; for they all instantly left the place, and went out on the banks of the pond in different directions. Those nearest to us were between our station and the dam, and therefore we could observe their operations very plainly. Some of them formed a substance resembling a kind of rnortar ; others carried this on their tails, which served as sledges for the purpose. I observed that they ranged themselves two and two, and that each animal of every couple loaded his fellow. They trailed the mortar, which was pretty stiff, quite to the dam, where others were stationed to take it ; these put it into the gutter, and rammed it down with blows of their tails. " The noise of the water soon ceased, and the breach was completely repaired. One of the Beavers then struck two blows with his tail ; and instantly they all took to the water without any noise, and disappeared." M. du Pratz and his companions afterwards retired to their hut to rest, and did not again disturb the animals till the next day. In the morning, however, they went to the dam, to see its construction ; for which purpose it was necessary that they should cut part of it down. The depression of the water in consequence of this, together with the noise they made, roused the Beavers again. The animals seemed much agitated ; and one of them, in particular, was observed several times to approach the laborers as if to examine what passed. As THE COMMON BE AVER. 275 M. du Pratz apprehended that they might run into the woods, if further disturbed, he advised his companions again to conceal them- selves. " One of the Beavers (continues our narrator) then ventured to go upon the breach, after having several times approached and returned like a spy. He surveyed the place, and struck four blows as he had done the preceding evening, with his tail. One of those that were going to work, passed close by me ; and as I wanted a specimen to examine, I shot him. The noise of the gun made all the rest scamper off with greater speed than a hundred blows of the tail of the overseer could have done." By firing at them several times afterwards, the animals were compelled to run with precipitation into the woods. M. du Pratz then examined their habitations. Under one of the houses he found fifteen pieces of wood, with the bark gnawed off, apparently intended for food. And, round the middle of this house, which formed a passage for the Beavers to go in and out at, he observed no fewer than fifteen different cells. Beavers produce their young-ones towards the end of June ; and generally have two at a time. These continue with their parents till they are three years old, when they pair off, and form houses for themselves. If, however, they are undisturbed, and have plenty of provisions, they remain with the old ones, and thus form a double society. Instances . have occurred of Beavers having been domesticated. Major Koderfort, of New York, re- lated to Professor Kalm, that, for a year and a half, he had in his house a tame Beaver, which was suffered to run about like a Dog. The Major gave him bread, and sometimes fish, of which he was very greedy. As much water was put into a bowl as he wanted. All the rags and soft things he could lay hold of, he dragged into the corner where he was accustomed to sleep, and made a bed of them. The Cat in the house, having Kittens, took possession of his bed ; and he did not attempt to interrupt her. When the Cat went out, the Beaver often took one of the Kittens between his paws, and held it to his breast to warm it, and seemed to dote upon it ; as soon as the Cat returned, he always restored to her the Kitten. Sometimes he grumbled ; but never attempted to bite. In the year 1820, there were in the upper room at Exeter 'Change, London, two Beavers, which had been there some time. They were very tame, and would suffer themselves to be handled by the visitors ; but most persons were alarmed, on approaching them, by the animals uttering their weak and plaintive cry. This noise they also frequently emitted during their play with each other. At times they were exceed- ingly gay and frolicsome, wrestling and playing with each other, as- far as the limits of their small apartment would admit. They often 18 THE BEAVER. 276 OF THE EAT TRIBE sat upright to look about them, or to eat: and, if any thing movable was given them to play with, they would drag it about, and seem highly pleased with it. They were in no instance observed to drag any thing about on their tails, or to make any attempts to do so. In all their manners these animals were extremely cleanly. They were fed with the bark of trees, and on bread; and such was their propensity to gnaw wood, that it was not considered safe, notwithstanding the natural gentleness of their disposition, to allow them the full range of a room, for they would soon have eaten their way out, and escaped. The skin of the Beaver has hair of two kinds: that immediately next to the skin, is short, implicated together, and as fine as down : the upper hair grows more sparingly, and is both thicker and longer. The former is of little value ; but the flix or down is wrought into hats, stock- ings, caps, and other articles of dress. The skins of Beavers form a considerable article of traffic, both with the northern countries of Europe and with America. About fifty-four thousand have been sold by the Hudson's Bay Company at one sale: and in the year 1798, one hundred and six thousand skins were collec- ted in Canada, and sent into Europe and China. Those of a black color are preferred, particularly such as are taken during winter. The medicinal substance called castor is produced in what are called the inguinal glands of these animals; and each individual, both male and female, has usually about two ounces. That produced by the Russian Beavers is more valuable, and sells at a much higher price than what is imported from America. The flesh is good eating. It frequently happens that single Beavers live separately from the general community, in holes, which they make in the banks of rivers, considerably under the surface of the water, working their way upward to the height of many feet. These are called by the Hunters Hermits or Terrier Beavers. Like the rest, they lay up a store of provisions for the winter. It is supposed by Captain Cartwright, that their sepa- ration from society originates in attachment and fidelity ; that, having by some accident lost their mate, they will not readily pair again. Whatever may be the causes, it has been remarked, that they have invariably a black mark on the skin of their backs ; this is called a saddle, and by it they are easily distinguished from the others. OF THE EAT TKIBE. THE front teeth are wedged-shaped. There are generally three grinders on each side, but sometimes only two. All the species have clavicles, or collar-bones, in the skeleton. This tribe contains all those animals which have the appellation of Murine Quadrupeds; and although the term Rat has been adopted, it includes not only the species that we know by the name of Bats, but also the Mice, and others called Beaver-Rats. These animals, in general, live in holes in the ground ; and are swift, and able to climb trees. Their food is chiefly vegetable ; which most of them seek in the night, keeping in their retreats during the day. THE MUSK-RAT. 277 They feed in a somewhat upright position, carrying the food to their mouth in their fore paws. They are very prolific. Its head is thick TIIE MUSK-RAT. THE MUSK-EAT. This animal is about the size of a small Rabbit, and short, and some- what resembles that of the Water-rat. The eyes are large ; the ears short, rounded, and cover- ed both inside and outside with hair. Its fur is soft, glossy, and of a reddish- brown color ; and beneath this there is a thick down. The tail is flattened laterally, and cover- ed with scales. The Musk-rat is a native of nearly all parts of Ame- rica, from Hudson's Bay as far south as Carolina. In the general form of their body, as well as in many of their habits of life, the Musk-rats have a considerable resemblance to the Beaver. They construct their habitation of dry plants, but particularly of reeds, cement it with clay, and cover it with a dome. At the bottom and sides of this there are several pipes, through which they pass in search of food; for they lay up no provisions for winter. They have also subterraneous passages, into which they retreat whenever their houses are attacked. Their habitations, which are intended only for use in the winter, are rebuilt annually. At the approach of this season they begin to construct them, as places of retirement from the inclemencies of the weather. Several families occupy the same dwelling, which is fre- quently covered many feet deep with snow and ice: the animals not- withstanding, contrive to creep out, and feed on the roots that are also buried beneath. They feed also on fresh-water muscles; and, when the season permits it, on fruit. Kalm, in his American Travels, says that apples are used in traps as baits for them. In winter, the male and female are seldom seen apart from each other. During the sum- mer these animals wander about, generally in pairs, and feed voraci- ously on herbs and roots. The Musk-rats, as well as the Beavers, seem to have their drones or terriers, which are at no trouble in the common operation of build- 278 BROWN RAT BLACK RAT ing houses. They are remarkable for a strong musky smell ; whence they have their specific name. Their nests are formed of sticks, and lined on the inside with some soft materials ; and the females produce from three to six young-ones at a birth. When taken young, they are easily tamed; they are then very playful and inoffensive, and never bite. The flesh of Musk-rats is sometimes eaten; and the fur is used in the manufacture of hats. THE BROWN RAT, AND BLACK RAT. The Brown and the Black Eat are both of them species much too well known in most countries where -they are found. The former, THE BROWN RAT. which was first introduced among us from Norway, has greatly diminished the number of the others ; but has itself multiplied so ex- cessively, and is so strong and voracious, as to form no very acceptable, substitute. In Ireland the Brown Eats have nearly destroyed even the whole race of frogs ; which the inhabitants were somewhat anxious to pre- serve, in order to clear their fields of insects, and render their waters more healthful. While the Frogs continued in great numbers, the Eats also multiplied ; but since the latter are deprived of this con- siderable part of their subsistence, they also are become much less numerous. During summer, the Brown Eats reside chiefly in holes within the banks of rivers, ditches, and ponds ; but, at the approach of winter, they come to the farm-houses, and enter the corn-ricks and barns, where they devour much of the corn, but damage infinitely more than they eat. They chiefly reside in the walls and about the floors of old houses : here they frequently destroy the furniture ; and they THE BROWN RAT BLACK RAT. 279 have even been known to gnaw the extremities of infants while asleep. They are also excessively destructive to eggs, Poultry, Pigeons, Rabbits, and game of every description. They swim with ease, and even dive in pursuit of Fish. Their produce is enormous ; as they bring from ten to twenty young-ones at a litter, and this thrice a-year. Thus, their increase is such, that it is possible for the de- scendants of a single pair (suppos- ing food to be sufficiently plentiful, and they had no enemies to lessen their numbers) to amount, at the end of about two years, to up- wards of a million. But this bane- ful increase is counteracted, not , THE BLACK RAT. only by numerous enemies among other animals, but by their destroying and eating each other. A large and strong Eat is as much dreaded by its own species, as the whole species is dreaded by other creatures that are their prey. Thus has Providence kindly interfered in keeping them within due bounds. Dogs and Cats destroy, but do not eat them. The Weasel is in per- petual enmity with them; and will pursue them into their holes, and fight with them there. This little creature endeavors to fix itself on their bodies, and suck their blood ; which it very often effects. In the Isle of France, Eats are found in such prodigious swarms, that it is said the place was abandoned by the Dutch on account of their number. In some of the houses they are so numerous, that thirty thousand have been known to be killed in a vear. They make immense hoards underground, both of corn and fruit ; and climb up trees to devour young birds. They pierce the very thickest rafters. At sun-set they may be seen running about in all directions; and in a single night they will frequently de- stroy a whole crop of corn. M. de St. Pierre says, he has seen a field of maize, in which they had not left a single ear. They are supposed to have been originally brought to that island in some of the European vessels. On the return of the Valiant man-of-war from the Havana, in the year 1766, its Eats had increased to such a degree, that they de- stroyed a hundred-weight of biscuit daily. The ship was at length smoked between decks, in order to suffocate them. This had the de- sired effect ; and six hampers were, for some time, filled every day with the Eats that had thus been killed. In Egypt, as soon as the Nile, after having fertilized the land, leaves it free for cultivation, multitudes of Eats and Mice are seen to issue in succession from the moistened soil. The Egyptians hence believe RAT IN A PANTRY. 280 THE COMMON MOUSE. that these animals are generated from the earth itself. Some of the people assert that they have seen the Rats in their formation, one half of the bodies flesh, and the other half mud. Rats swarm in Otaheite, where they feed on the fruits of the country ; and they are there so bold, as sometimes even to attack the natives when asleep. The inhabitants hold them in abhorrence as unclean : and even avoid killing them, lest they should be polluted by the touch. A gentleman, about thirty years ago, travelling through Mecklen- burg, was witness to a very singular circumstance respecting one of these animals, in the post-house at New Hargard. After dinner, the landlord placed on the floor a large dish of soup, and gave a loud whistle. Immediately there came into the room a Mastiff, an Angora Cat, an old Raven, and a large Rat, with a bell about its neck. They all four went to the dish, and, without disturbing each other, fed to- gether: after which, the Dog, Cat, and Rat, lay before the fire, while the Raven hopped a*bout the room. The landlord, after accounting for the familiarity which existed among these animals, informed his guest that the Ilat was the most useful of the four ; for that the noise he made had completely freed the house from the Rats and Mice with which it had been before infested. THE COMMON OK DOMESTIC MOUSE. Although of naturally timid and fearful disposition, this little animal sometimes becomes confident and sociable. Its sight and hearing are extremely acute; and, when it observes the least motion, or hears the slightest noise, it listens attentively, sitting erect on its hinder feet; and, if the alarm continue, it runs in haste to its retreat. But if it be gradually encouraged, and nourishment and security be afforded, it by degrees loses these fears. Schreber relates an instance of a Mouse that made its appearance every day at the table of its benefactor, and there waited until it had received its usual portion of food, which it devoured, and then ran away. The Mouse is much more adapted to serve as the companion of mankind, than to be an object of aversion. Its tenderness and -timidity ought to incite and receive our compassion. Schreber saw a Mouse fall into convulsions through fear, whilst held in the hand. This little creature is now known in nearly all parts of the habitable world. It forms its place of concealment in walls, under floors, or behind the wainscoting of houses; and in such places it sometimes stores a considerable magazine of provisions for future subsistence. Its food is various ; and, as it is able to pass through a very small hole, there are few places that are secure from its approach. THE LONG AND SHORT TAILED FIELD-MOUSE 281 The increase of these animals is very rapid. The females p r o d u c ~ their young-ones, gene- rally from five to eight in number, at all times of the year ; and they grow so quickly, that, by the expiration of two or three months, they are themselves capable o f breeding. Many modes have been invented of de- stroying Mice. Among other things, sponge, fried in fat, has been found a deadly poison to them. MICE IN A PANTRY. THE LONG-TAILED FIELD-MOUSE The general length of this Mouse is about four inches and a half; and of the tail nearly four in ches. Its color is yellowish-brown above, and whitish on the un- der parts. SHORT-TAILED FIELD- MOUSE. This species is larger than the last, measur- ing about six inches from the nose to the origin of the tail. The tail is seldom more than an inch and a half in length. Its fur, which is very close and compact, is of a dark ferruginous color. These animals are found only in fields and gardens. They live in burrows, a foot or more under ground, where they lay up great quan- tities of acorns, nuts, and beech-mast: according to M. de Buffon, as much as a bushel of such subsistence has been sometimes found in LONG-TAILED FLELI>-MOUSE. 282 THE HARVEST MOUSE. a single hole. Their habitations are frequently divided into two compartments; the one for living in with their young, and the other for their provisions. These are usually discoverable by small heaps of mould thrown up at the entrance. A remarkable instance of sagacity in a Long-tailed Field-mouse, occurred to the Kev. Mr. White, as his people were pulling off the lining of a hot-bed, in order to add some fresh dung. From the side of this bed something leaped with great agility, that made a most grotesque appearance, and was not caught without much diffi culty. It proved to be a large Field-mouse, with three or four young- ones clinging to her teats by their mouths and feet. It was amazing that the desultory and rapid motions of the dam did not oblige her litter to quit their hold, especially when it appeared that they were so young as to be both naked and blind. It is a very pretty little animal, gentle in its disposition, and though very timid in a state of nature, it readily bears confinement. Field-mice are very prolific. They breed more than once in the year, and often produce litters of eight or ten at a time. They gene- rally make the nest for their young-ones very near the surface of the ground, and often in a thick tuft of grass THE HARVEST MOUSE. THE HARVEST MOUSE AND NEST. The length of the Harvest Mouse is seldom more than two inches and a half; and of the tail about two inches. The weight is sometimes not more than the sixth part of an ounce. Its general color is nearly that of the Squirrel or D o r - mouse. The belly is white. The Rev. Gilbert White seems to have been the first person who ascertained and examined this dimi- nutive species of Mouse. It hitherto appears to have been found only in Hampshire, and a few of the adja- cent counties. A nest of one of these little animals was brought to him. It was most artificially platted, and composed of the blades of wheat. Its form was perfectly round ; and its size about that of a cricket-ball. THE LEMMING RAT. 283 The aperture was so ingeniously closed, that there was no discovering to what part it belonged. This nest was so compact and well filled, that it would roll across the table without being discomposed, though it contained eight young Mice. As this nest was perfectly fall, how could the dam come at her litter respectively, so as to administer a teat to each ? Perhaps she opens the different places for that purpose, adjusting them again when the business is over; but she could not possibly be herself contained in the ball with her young-ones, which moreover would be daily increasing in bulk. This wonderful pro- creant cradle, an elegant specimen of the efforts of instinct, was found in a wheat-field, suspended in the head of a thistle. Mr. White remarked, that though the Harvest-mice hang their neet above the ground, yet in winter they burrow deep in the earth, and make warm beds of grass; but their grand rendezvous seems to be in corn-ricks, into which they are carried during the harvest. This gentleman measured some of these animals, and found, that from the tiose to the tail, they were two inches and a quarter long. Two of them in a scale weighed down just one copper halfpenny, about the third of an ounce avoirdupois ! whence he supposes them to be the smallest of the British quadrupeds. A full-grown domestic Mouse would weigh at least six times as much as one of these. THE LEMMING EAT. The Lemming Eats vary much both in Norway being almost equal to Water Eats, while those of Lap- land are scarcely as large as Mice. The former are elegantly variegated with black and tawny in the upper parts, hav- ing the sides of the head and the under parts white. The legs and tail are gray- ish; and the under parts of the body of a dull white. The head of the Lemming is large, short, and thick. The body is also thick ; the neck short, and the limbs are stout and strong. The tail is very short. These animals feed entirely on vegetables. In summer they form shallow burrows under the surface of the ground, and in winter they make long passages beneath the snow in search of food ; for, as they lay up no winter store, they are reduced to the necessity of hunting for it during all the rigors of the cold season. They seem to be endowed with a power of distinguishing the approach of severe weather ; for before the setting in of a cold wintei 284 THE ECONOMIC KAT. they leave their haunts in the above countries, and emigrate in immense multitudes southward towards Sweden, always endeavoring to keep a direct line. These emigrations take place at uncertain intervals, though generally about once every ten years ; and, exposed as they are to attack, great numbers of them become the food of predacious animals. Multitudes also are destroyed in endeavoring to swim over the rivers or lakes. From these different causes, very few live to return to their native mountains ; and thus a check is put to their ravages, as an interval of several years is necessary to repair their numbers sufficiently for another invasion. They are bold and fierce, and will even attack men and animals if they meet them in their course ; and they bite so hard, as to allow themselves to be carried to a considerable distance hanging by their teeth, before they will quit their hold. If they are disturbed or pursued while swimming over a lake, and their phalanx is separated by oars or poles, they will not recede ; but keep swimming directly on, and soon get into regular order again. They have sometimes been known even to endeavor to board or pass over a vessel. This army of Rats moves chiefly by night, or early in the morning ; and makes such destruction among the herbage, that the surface of the ground over which they have passed, appears as if it had been burned. Their numbers have at times induced the common people of Norway to believe that they descended from the clouds ; and the multitudes that are sometimes found dead on the banks of rivers or other places, corrupt by their stench the whole atmosphere around and thus produce many diseases. These animals never enter dwellings of any description, to do mis- chief; but always keep in the open air. When enraged, they raise themselves up on their hind feet, and bark like little Dogs. Some- times they divide into two parties, attack each other, and fight like hostile armies. From these battles, the inhabitants of Lapland pretend to foretell not only wars, but also their success, according to the quarters the animals come from, and the side that is defeated. The Lemming Rats are natives chiefly of the mountainous parts of Lapland, Sweden and Norway. The females breed several times in the year, and produce five or six young-ones at each litter. It has been observed, that they have sometimes littered during their migrations, and they have been seen carrying some of their young-ones in their mouths, and others on their backs. THE ECONOMIC EAT. The length of the Economic Rat is about four inches ; and that of its tail, one inch. The limbs are strong ; the ears short, naked, and almost hidden beneath the fur of the head. The general color of the fur is tawny, somewhat whiter beneath than on the back. These animals are natives of Siberia and Kamtschatka. The migrations of the Economic Rats, are not less extraordinary THE HAMSTER RAT. 285 THE ECONOMIC RAT. than those oi the Lemmings. In the spring of the year they collect together in amazing numbers, and proceed in a course directly westward ; swimming with the utmost intrepidity over rivers, lakes, and even arms of the sea. Many of them are drowned, and many destroyed by water-fowl or rapacious fish. Those that escape, emerg- ing from the water, rest awhile to bask, dry their fur, and refresh themselves. The Kamtschaclales, who have a kind of superstitious veneration for these little creatures, whenever they find any of them thrown upon the banks of the rivers, weak and exhausted, render them every possible assistance. As soon, says Dr. Grieve, as they have crossed the river Penschinska, at the head of the gulf of the same name, they turn in a south-westerly direction ; and, about the middle of July, generally reach the rivers Ochotska and Judoma, a distance of about a thousand miles ! The flocks are also so numerous that travellers have sometimes waited more than two hours for them to pass. The retirement of these animals is very alarming to the Kamtschadales ; but on their return, which is generally in October, occasions the utmost joy and festivity, a successful chase and fishery being always considered as its certain consequence. The Kamtschadales never destroy the hoards of these Eats. They sometimes take away part of their store ; but, in return for this, they invariably leave some kind of food to support them in its stead. The Economic Eats construct burrows, with the utmost skill, im- mediately below the surface of a soft, turfy soil. They form a low chamber of a flattish arched form, about a foot in diameter, to which they sometimes make as many as thirty small passages 6r entrances. Near the chamber they often construct other caverns, in which they lodge their winter stores. These consist of plants ; which they gather in summer, dry, and bring home ; and even, at times, they bring them out of their cells to give them a more thorough drying in the sun. The Economic Eats associate in pairs ; and except during the summer-time, (when the male leads a solitary life in the woods,) the male and female are generally to be found in the same nest. THE HAMSTER RAT. The Hamster is about the size of the Brown or Norway Eat ; but much thicker, and its tail is only about three inches long. The color of this Eat is reddish brown above, and black beneath ; but on each side of the body there are three large, oval, white spots. The ears are rather large. On each side of the mouth there are two pouches or receptacles for food ; which, when empty, are so far con- tracted, as not to appear externally ; but, when filled, they resemble a THE HAMSTER RAT. 286 THE HAMSTER RAT. pair of tumid bladders, with a smooth veiny surface, which is con- cealed by the fur of the cheeks. These, the only species of Eats with pouches in their cheeks, that are found in Europe, are natives of Austria, Silesia, and many parts of Germany. They live under the surface of the ground, burrowing obliquely downwards. At the end of their passage, the male sinks one perpendicular hole ; and the female several, sometimes seven or eight. At the extremity of these are formed several vaults ; either as lodges for themselves and their offspring, or as store-houses for their food. Each young-one has its separate apartment, and each sort of grain its appropriate vault. The vaults are of different depths, according to the age of the animals. A young Hamster makes them scarcely a foot deep ; an old one sinks them to the depth of four or five feet. The whole diameter of the habitation, with all its com- munications, is sometimes eight or ten feet. The Hamsters feed on grain, herbs, and roots ; and, at times, even eat flesh. Their pace is slow; but in burrowing into the ground they exhibit great agility. In order to facilitate the transportation of food to their magazines, they are furnished with pouches in their cheeks. These are each of sufficient capacity to hold about two ounces of grain ; which the animal empties into its store-house, by pressing its two fore feet against its cheeks. When its cheeks are full, a Hamster may easily be caught with the hand, without the risk of being bitten ; as it has not, in this condition, the free motion of its jaws. If, how- ever, a short time be allowed, it soon empties its pouch, and stands on the defensive. On dissecting one of these animals, Dr. Eussel found the pouch, on each side of its mouth, stuffed with young French beans, arranged lengthways, feo exactly and' so close to each other, that it appeared strange by what mechanism this had been effected ; for the membrane which forms the pouch, though muscular, is extremely thin, and the most expert fingers could not have packed the beans in more regular order. When they were laid loosely on the table, they formed a heap three times the bulk of the animal's body. What these creatures lay up, is not for their winter's support, (as during that season they always sleep,) but for their nourishment, previously to the commencement, and after the conclusion, of their torpid state. The quantity in the burrows depends upon the size and sex of the inhabitants: the old ones frequently amass upwards of a hundred- weight of grain, but the young-ones and the females provide a quantity much smaller. At the commencement of the cold season, the Hamsters retire into their hiding-places, the entrance to which they close up. Here they repose for some months ; and they are often dug up by the peasantry, who at this season of the year employ much of their time in hunting for their retreats. These are easily known by the small mounds of earth raised at the end of the galleries. When the Hamster is found in a torpid state, his head is bent under his body, between the two fore legs ; and the hind legs rest upon his muzzle. The eyes are closed ; and when the eye-lids are forced THE CANADA FIELD RAT. 287 open, they instantly shut again. The members are all stiff, and the body feels as cold almost as ice. It has been satisfactorily ascertained that this animal, in order to become torpid, must be excluded from all communication with the external air. If a Hamster be put into a cage filled with earth and straw, and exposed to a degree of cold sufficient to freeze water, he will continue awake and active ; but if the cage be sunk four or five feet beneath the surface of the ground, he will soon be as torpid as if in his own burrow. The life of a Hamster is divided between eating and fighting. He seems to have no other passion than that of rage ; which induces him to attack every animal that comes in his way, without in the least attending to the strength of the enemy. Ignorant of the art of saving himself by flight, rather than yield he will allow himself to be beaten to pieces with a stick. If he seize a man's hand, he must be killed before he will quit his hold. The magnitude of the Horse terrifies him as little as the address of the Dog, which last is fond of hunting him. When the Hamster perceives a Dog at a distance, he begins by emptying his cheek pouches, if they happen to be filled with grain : he then blows them up so prodigiously, that the size of his head and neck greatly exceeds that of the rest of the body. He raises himself on his hind legs, and thus darts upon the enemy. If, he catches hold, he never quits his foe but with the loss of life. This ferocious dispo- sition prevents the Hamster from being at peace with any animal whatever. He even makes war against his own species. When two Hamsters meet they never fail to attack each other, and the stronger always devours the weaker. A combat between a male and female commonly lasts longer than that between two males. They begin by pursuing and biting each other ; then each of them retires aside, as if to take breath. After a short interval they renew the com- bat, and continue to fight till one of them falls. The vanquished animal uniformerly serves for a repast to the conqueror. The females bring forth their offspring twice or thrice in the year; each litter consisting of six or eight young-ones; and their increase in some years is excessively rapid. In about three weeks after their birth, the young-ones are able to seek their own provisions, which the mother compels them to do; and in fifteen or sixteen days they begin to dig the earth. In some seasons, the Hamsters are so numerous that they occasion a dearth of corn. In one year, about eleven thousand skins, in another fifty-four thousand, and in a third year eighty thousand, were brought to the Town-house of Gotha, as vouchers of claims to the rewards allowed for the destruction of these animals. THE CANADA FIELD EAT. Akin to the Hamster is the Canada Field Eat with its enormous cheek pouches for storing its food. THE WATER RAT. 288 THE WATER RAT ALPINE MARMOT. THE WATER RAT. The Water Eat is a native of England, and very common on the banks of rivers, brooks, &c. It digs holes in the bank, and is reported to eat fish, frogs, &c., but this is very doubtful. These animals exist in great numbers round Oxford, and I have re- peatedly watched them feeding, I never saw them eating fish, nor found fish-bones inside their holes, except when a Kingfisher had taken posses- sion ; but I have frequently seen them gnawing the green bark from reeds, which they completely strip, leaving the mark of each tooth as they pro- ceed. I shot one while feeding, and at first thought that the marks of its teeth were caused by the shot, for until that time I had supposed that the Water Eat fed on fish. OF THE MAEMOT TEIBE. THE Marmots have two wedge-shaped front teeth in each jaw; and five grinders on each side in the upper, and four in the lower jaw. They have collar-bones in the skeleton. This tribe does not differ, in many particulars, from that of the Eats. The animals have thick cylindrical bodies, and large roundish heads. The fore feet have each four claws, and a very small thumb; and the hind feet five claws. They reside in subterraneous holes, and pass the winter in sleep. Only eight species have as yet been discovered. THE ALPINE MARMOT. This animal is about sixteen inches in length, has a short- tail, and bears some resemblance both to the Eat and the Bear. The color is brownish above, and bright tawny on the under parts. The head is rather large, and flattish; the ears short, and hid in fur; and the tail is thick and bushy. Being natives chiefly of the highest summits of the Alps and the Pyrenean Mountains, these singular quadrupeds delight in the re- gions of frost and snow, and are seldom found on the plains, or in the open country. Their holes are constructed with much art; each of them forming a kind of gallery in the form of the letter Y, with an aperture at each upper extremity, and terminating below in a capa- cious apartment, where several of the animals lodge together. This apartment is well lined with moss and hay, of which they lay up a great store during the summer. THE ALPINE MARMOT. 289 It is affirmed that the labor of collecting the materials for their nest, is carried on by the animals in concert; that some of them cut the finest herbage, which is collected by others; and that they transport it to their dens "in the following manner: One, it is said, lies down on his back, allows himself to be loaded with hay, and extends his limbs; and others trail him, thus loaded, by the tail, taking care not to overset him. The task of thus serving as a vehicle, is divided alternately among the number. " I have often seen them practise this mode of conveyance, (says M. Beauplau, in his account of Ukraine,) and have had the curiosity to watch them at it for several days successively." The friction occasioned by their sustaining a passive part in the operation, is assigned as a reason why the hair is generally rubbed off from the backs of these animals. But it is more probable that this is produced by their frequent digging of the earth, which alone is sufficent to rub off the hair. However this may be, it is certain that they dwell together, and work in common in their habitations, where they pass three-fourths of their lives. Thither they retire daring rain, or at the approach of danger; and they never go out but in fine weather, and even then to no great distance. One of these animals stands sentinel upon a rock, while the others gambol about upon the grass, or are employed in cutting it in order to make hay. If the sentinel preceive a man, an Eagle, a Dog, or any other dangerous animal, he instantly alarms his companions by a loud whistle, and is himself the last that enters the hole. The Old Marmots, at break of day, come out of their holes to feed ; after- wards they bring out their young-ones. The latter scamper on all sides ; chase each other ; sit on their hind feet ; and remain in that posture, facing towards the sun, with an air expressive of satis- faction. They are fond of warmth ; and, when they think themselves se- cure, will bask in the sun for several HUNTING MARMOTS. hours successively. The Marmot has a quick eye, and discovers an enemy at a con- siderable distance. He never does the least injury to any other animal, and when himself attacked, attempts to escape. But, if flight be impossible, he will defend himself with spirit against even man and Dogs. In countries where rhubarb grows, it is said that the Marmots gen- erally fix their residence near those plants : and that, if ten or twenty of these plants are adjacent to each other, there are always several of their burrows immediately under the shade and protection of the leaves. About the end of September, or the beginning of October, the Marmots retire to their holes, in which they become torpid, and from which they do not again come abroad until the beginning* of April. When they feel the first approach of the sleeping season, they shut up both of the passages to their residence; and they perform this 290 THE BOBAC. operation with so much labor and solidity, that it is more difficult to dig the earth in the jparts they have "thus fortified, than in any adjacent spot. At this time they are very fat, weighing sometimes as much as twenty pounds each ; and they continue so for three months; but they af- terwards gradually de- cline, and, by the end of winter, become ex- tremely emaciated. When found in their winter retreats, they appear rolled up like a ball, and are covered with hay. If caught when young, the Marmot may easily be domesticated. It will walk on its hind feet, sit upright, and carry food to its mouth with its fore feet. It will dance with a stick between its paws, and perform various tricks to please its master. In the winter season, these animals are sought after ^ith great eagerness by the inhabitants of the countries where they are found ; and are killed in immense .numbers, both on account of their flesh, and for their skins. S'WISS EOT WITH TAME MARMOT. THE BOBAC. The Bobac is about the size of the Alpine Mar- mot. Its color is gray above, and fulvous or ferru- ginous beneath. The tail is short, somewhat slender, and very hairy. It is a native of the mountainous parts of Poland, > . , TU EOBAC. Kussia, and some other countries of Europe. The burrows which the Bobacs form in the ground, are constructed obliquely, and are of the depth of two, three, or four yards. They consist of several galleries, which have one common entrance from the surface, each gallery terminating in a nest for some of its inhabi- tants. Sometimes, however, the burrows consist of but one passage. THE CAPROMYS. 291 Though these burrows are found in greatest numbers where the earth is lightest, yet they are very common even in the strata of the mountains. In hard and rocky places, from twenty to forty of the animals join together to facilitate the work ; and they live in society, each with its nest at the end of its respective gallery. Towards the approach of winter, they collect into their nests the finest hay they can procure ; and in such plenty, that sufficient is often found in one nest for a night's food for a horse. During the middle or sunny part of the day, they sport about the entrance of their holes; but they seldom go far from them. At the sight of man, they retire with a slow pace ; and sit upright near the entrance, giving a frequent whistle, and listening to the approach. In places where they live in large families, they always station a sentinel to give notice of any danger, during the time when the rest are em- ployed in feeding. They are mild, good-natured, and timid. They feed only on vege- tables ; which they go in search of in the morning, and about the middle of the day. They sit on their hams when they eat, and carry the food to their mouth with their fore paws ; and in this posture it is that they defend themselves when attacked. When they are irritated, or when any one attempts to lay hold of them, they bite desperately, and utter a shrill cry. In the summer-time they eat voraciously ; but they remain torpid all winter, except when kept in very warm places; and even then they eat but little, and will, if possible, escape into some comfortable place, in which to pass this dreary season. These animals soon become tame, even when taken of full age; and the young-ones are familiar from the moment they are caught. Their flesh is eatable; and, except that it is somewhat rank, re- sembles that of the Hare. The fat is used in the dressing of leather and furs ; and the skins are employed by the Russians for clothing. The female brings forth her young-ones in the spring, and usually produces six or eight at a litter. THE CAPROMYS. The Capromys is found in Cuba, where the natives call it the Utia. It is a Marmot, not larger than the Woodchuck, which it somewhat resembles. It is a harmless animal, living on vegetable food. The name Capromys signifies a "Hog-rat," the animals in their mode of walking and other characteristics resembling the Hog, while in the form of their teeth and in their tails they have some resemblance to the Rat. In a state of nature these animal's inhabit the woods, and climb trees with great facility. In reaching the leaves of those short plants which they do not require to climb, they make use of their tails as a third foot. In a state of domestication they drink tea, and do not refuse a bit of bread although it be soaked in cherry-brandy. 19 292 THE MARYLAND MARMOT PARRY'S MARMOT. THE MARYLAND MARMOT. The Maryland Marmot, called also the Woodchuck or Ground-hog, is found in the United States, is of a dark brown color, with long hair, and very short legs. It feeds on vegetable food, burrows in the ground ; and is a favorite object of pursuit among boys. PARRY S MARMOT. Parry's Marmot is found in the arctic regions of America. It has the fore paws with five toes on each, very small ears, and long tail. The upper part of the body is mottled with black arid white, the un- der part rusty red. It is fur- nished with cheek pouches. PARRY'S MARMOT THE COMMON SQUIRREL. 293 OF THE SQUIKRELS IN GENERAL. THEY have two front teeth in each jaw, the upper ones wedge- shaped, and the lower sharp; five grinders on each side of the upper jaw, and four on each side of the under one. They have also collar- bones ir/ the skeleton ; and, in most of the species, the tail spreads towards each side. The Squirrels are for the most part light, nimble, and elegant animals: they climb trees with the utmost agility, and spring, with astonishing security, from one branch to another. Some of them are provided with hairy membranes, that extend from the fore to the hind legs: these, when spread out, render them more buoyant than they otherwise would be, and enable them to leap through consider- able distances from one tree to another. A few of the species form their nests, and live almost entirely in the trees; and others burrow under the ground. None of them are carnivorous. Many of the Squirrels may, with care, be ren- dered docile ; but when they are in the least irritated, they attempt to bite. In confinement they are generally very frolicsome. When they are on the ground, they advance by leaps ; and in eating they sit erect, and hold the food in their fore paws. TUB SQUIKKEL. THE COMMON SQUIRREL. This elegant little animal is equally ad- mired for the neatness of its figure, and the activity and liveliness of its disposition. Though naturally wild and timid, it is soon reconciled to confinement, and is easily taught to receive with freedom the most familiar caresses from the hand that feeds it. In the spring these animals are peculiarly active. During this season they pursue each other among the trees, and exert various efforts of agility. In the warm summer nights they may also be observed in a similar exercise. They seem to dread the heat of the sun; for during the day-time, they commonly remain in their nests, and they make their principal excursions by night. The nest of the Squirrel is. in its construction, exceedingly curious. It is generally formed among the large branches of a tree, where THE COMMON SQCIRREL. 294 THE GRAY SQUIRREL. they begin to fork off into small ones. After choosing the place where the timber begins to decay, and where a hollow may the more easily be formed, the Squirrel begins by making a kind of level be- tween these forks; and then, bringing moss, twigs, and dry leaves, it binds them together with such art, as to resist the most violent storm. This is covered up on all sides; and has but a single opening at the top, just large enough to admit the little animal; and this opening is itself defended from the weather by a kind of canopy, formed like a cone, so as to throw off the rain, however heavy it may fall. The nest thus formed, is very commodious and roomy below; soft, well knit together, and every way convenient and warm. The provision of nuts and acorns is seldom found in its nest; but in the hollows of the tree, these are carefully laid up together, and they are never touched by the animals except in cases of necessity, when no food is to be had abroad. Thus a tree serves both for a retreat and a storehouse; and, without leaving it during the winter, the Squirrel possesses all those enjoyments which his nature is capable of receiving. This little animal is extremely watchful: and it is said, that if the tree in which it resides is but touched at the bottom, it takes the alarm, quits its nest, at once flies off' to another tree, and thus, in case of necessity, travels with ease along a whole forest, until it finds itself perfectly out of danger. In this manner it continues for some hours at a distance from home, until the alarm is past; and then it returns by paths that, to nearly all quadrupeds but itself, are utterly impass- able. Its usual way of moving is by bounds; these it takes from one tree to another at a very great distance; and if it be at any time obliged to descend, it runs up the side of the next tree with astonish ing facility. The Squirrel seldom makes any noise, except when it experiences either pain or pleasure: in the former case it emits a sharp piercing note; and in the latter it makes a noise not unlike the purring of a Cat. The tail of the Squirrel is its greatest ornament, and serves as a defence against the cold ; it is likewise of use to the animal in leap- ing from one tree to another. In northern climates the Squirrels, at the approach of winter, change their red summer coat to gray; and it is singular that this alteration will take place in those climates, even within the warmth of a stove. Dr. Pallas had a Squirrel entirely red, brought to him on the 12th of September. It was placed in a stove. About the 4th of October many parts of its body began to grow hoary: and when it died, which was a month afterwards, the whole body had attained a gray color; the legs, and a small part of the face, alone retaining a reddish tinge. THE GRAY SQUIRREL. This animal is about the size of a young Rabbit; and, except on the inside of the limbs and the under parts of the body, which are white, its color is an elegant pale gray. SHE THE GRAY SQUIRREL. 297 Both in their form and habits of life, these animals very much resemble the Common Squirrels. They are found not only in the northern parts of the continent of Europe, but also in several districts of America. They occasionally migrate to immense distances, so that sometimes there is not one of them to be seen, during a whole winter, in places where there were millions in the preceding year. In theii journeys from one part of the country to another, when it becomes necessary to pass a lake or river, it is asserted that they lay hold of a piece of pine or birch bark; and that, drawing this to the edge of the water, they mount upon it, and abandon themselves to the waves. They erect their tails, to catch the wind ; but if it blows to strong, or the waves rise high, the pilot and the vessel are both overturned. This kind of wreck, which often consists of THE GJUy SQ01EBEL . three or four thousand sail, generally en- riches the Laplanders, who reside in the vicinity, and who find the dead bodies on the shore: and, if these have not lain too long on the sand, they prepare the furs for sale. But when the winds are favor- able, the little adventurers make a happy voyage, and arrive in safety at their destined port. In North America these animals sometimes commit great havoc in the plantations, but particularly among the maize ; for they climb up the stalks, tear the ears in pieces, and eat only the loose and sweet kernel which lies quite in the inside. They sometimes come by hundreds upon a maize-field, and thus destroy the whole crop of a farmer in one night. In Maryland, therefore, some years ago, every person was compelled to procure and exhibit an- nually four Squirrels ; the heads of which, to prevent deceit, were given to the surveyor. In other provinces, every one who killed a Squirrel re- ceived from the public treasury two- pence on delivering up its head. Pennsylvania alone paid, from Jan- THE BLACK SQUIRREL. uary, 1749, to January, 1750, no less a sum than eight thousand pounds, currency, in rewards for the destruc- tion of these animals ; consequently, in that year, as many as six hundred and forty thousand of them must have been killed. The Gray Squirrels reside principally among the trees, in the hollows of which they form their nests, of moss and straw, and line them with softer materials. They feed on acorns, and on the various kinds of nuts with which the woods abound ; and of these they collect great stores for their winter subsistence, carefully laying them up in holes which they dig for that purpose, beneath the roots of trees, or in other secure places. 298 STRIPED, OR GROUND SQUIRREL. When these animals are sitting on a bough, and perceive a man approach, they instantly move their tail backward and forward, and make a chattering noise with their teeth. This renders them pe- culiarly odious to sportsmen, who often lose their game by the alarm they thus create. It is a difficult matter to kill them with guns, since they change their places on the trees with such extreme agility, as generally to elude the shot of even the most expert marksman. If caught when young they are easily tamed ; and in this state they will readily associate with other domestic animals. The skins of the Gray Squirrels are used in America for ladies' shoes ; and they are often imported into England as furs. The Black Squirrel differs from the Gray only in color. THE MALABAR SQUIRREL. The Malabar Squirrel is the largest known, reaching the size of a Cat. The top of the head, a band along the cheek, and the middle of the back and flanks are very bright reddish brown, the other parts yellow; but the color varies. It is very beautiful. It occurs in var- ious parts of India; but chiefly on the Malabar coast. THE STRIPED OR GROUND SQUIRREL. THE length of the Striped Squirrel is about six inches ; its tail, which is rather more, is not curved and bushy, but long and very narrow. The skin is of a reddish brown color ; and is marked with five black streaks, one of which runs along the back, and two on each side. STRIPED, OR GROUND SQUIRREL. 299 The Striped Squirrels subsist upon corn and nuts of every de- scription ; and, like the common species, collect great quantities of provisions in autumn, for their subsistence during winter, and store them in their holes. They are natives of America, and dig burrows in the ground, which serve for their habitations, and to which they fly for shelter when- ever danger is near. These burrows are deep ; and commonly divided into many branches, from one of which they have an opening to the surface of the ground. The advantage they derive from this is, that when they ramble abroad for food, and are prevented from entering the hole at which they went out, they may not expose them- selves to their pursuers, but immediately retreat into the other. But in autumn, when the leaves are falling from the trees, it is very di- verting to observe their consternation when pursued ; for their holes being covered with leaves, they have then some difficulty in finding them. They run backward and forward, as if they had lost their way ; and seem to know where their subterraneous haunts lie, but cannot discover the entrances. If they are pursued, and any sudden or loud noise is made, they are constraind to take refuge in the trees ; but this they never do except in cases of necessity. The subterraneous dwellings of these animals are formed with much art. They are wrought into long galleries with branches on each side, and each of them terminates in an enlarged apartment, in which they hoard their stock of winter provision. Their acorns are lodged in one ; in a second, the maize ; in a third, the hickory-nuts ; and in a fourth, perhaps their most favorite food, the chestnut. In Siberia, the Striped Squirrels hoard the kernel of the stone-pine in such quantities, that sometimes ten or fifteen pounds weight of these have been taken out of a single magazine. As a Swede was, some time ago, making a mill-dike, late in autumn, he took for that purpose the soil of a neighboring hill, and dis- covered a subterraneous walk belonging to a family of these Squirrels. After having traced this to some distance, he found a gallery on one side, like a branch parting from the main stem. It was nearly two feet long ; and, at its extremity, there was a quantity of acorns of the white oak, which the careful little animal had stored up against the winter. He soon afterwards found another gallery, on one side, like the former, but containing a store of maize; a third had hickory- nuts ; and the last and most secret one contained as many excellent chesnuts as would have filled two hats. In winter, these Squirrels are seldom seen ; as, during that season, they keep within their holes. On a fine, clear day, however, they sometimes come out. They frequently dig through into cellars, where the country people lay up their apples ; and these they eat, or spoil in such a manner that few or none of any value are left. In the choice of their food, they are remarkably nice. They have been observed, after having filled their pouches with rye, to fling out this on meeting with wheat, and to substitute for it the superior grain. They cannot be tamed without great difficulty ; and even then it is always dangerous to handle them, as they will bite very keenly when 300 THE AMERICAN FLYING SQUIRREL. a person is not aware of them. These animals are killed merely on account of their skins ; which, though forming but a slight and ordi- nary fur, have a pleasing appearance. The skins are chiefly sold to the Chinese. THE AMERICAN FLYING SQUIRREL, AND EUROPEAN FLYING SQUIRREL- This animal, which is a native of most parts of North America, has large black eyes, circular naked ears, and a hairy membrane extending nearly round the body. The tail, which tapers to a point, has its hair disposed flat ways on * ts ^des. The upper F P arts f ta i s Squirrel are of a. cinereous brown : the belly is white, tinged with yellow. The mem- brane passes the fore and hind legs to the tail : on the fore legs MB AMERICAN FLTiwo sQTiiRREL. it adheres as far as the toes, and includes a peculiar bone which is attached to the wrist, and helps to stretch out this skin in flying; and on the hind leg it extends to the ancles. By means of the lateral membranes with which the bodies of these Squirrels are furnished, they are able to make astonishing leaps of ten or twelve yards, and upwards, from tree to tree. In these efforts, tbey extend their hind legs, and stretch out the intervening skin, by which they present a greater surface to the air, and become much more buoyant than they would otherwise be. They are, however, under the necessity of taking advantage of the lower branches of the trees to which they leap ; for their weight prevents them from keeping in a straight line. Sensible of this, they always take care to mount so high as to ensure them from falling to the ground. This extended skin acts upon the air somewhat in the manner of a paper kite, and not by repeated strokes, like the wings of a bird. The animal, being heavier than the air, must of course descend; the dis- tance, therefore, to which it can jump, depends on the height of the tree on which it stands. When it is at rest, the skin is wrinkled up against its sides. These animals are generally seen in flocks of ten or twelve to- gether; and to persons unaccustomed to them, they appear at a dis- tance, in their leaps like leaves blown from the trees by the wind. " When I first saw them, (says Catesby, in his account of Carolina,) I took them for dead leaves blown one way by the wind ; but was not long so deceived, when I perceived many of them follow one another in the same direction." THE EUROPEAN FLYING SQUIRREL. 301 They inhabit hollow trees, where they sleep during the day-time, and from whence they only make their appearance in the night, at which latter time they are very lively and active. They associate in flocks ; several of them living in the same tree, which they never willingly quit to run upon the ground, but almost constantly reside among the branches. The females produce three or four young-ones at a litter. This species use the same food, and form their hoards in the same manner, as others of the Squirrel tribe. They are easily tamed, and soon become familiar: they love warmth, and are fond of creeping into the sleeve or pocket of their owner; and if thrown upon the ground, they instantly show their dislike to it, by running up and sheltering themselves in his clothes. J. Stackhouse, Esq., of Pendarvis, in Cornwall, informed me, that a mercer with whom he was acquain- ted had one of these animals, which was quite tame. He accidentally lost it at the approach of winter. Some months afterwards, on show- ing some blanketing to a customer, he was surprised to observe in it a small hole : this he pursued, and found it extended to the centre of the roll, through all the folds; and at the bottom of it lay the little animal, in a perfectly torpid state. THE EUROPEAN FLYING SQUIRREL. This Squirrel differs from the American species principally in hav- ing its tail full of hair, and rounded at the end, and in the color of its body ; the upper part of which is a fine gray, and the lower white. Its whole length is about nine inches, of which the tail occupies five. It is found in the woods of Lapland and Norway, where it feeds TnE E0BOPEAJf FLTLVO SQUIEREI - principally on the tender branches of the beech and pine trees. In its habits of life this animal differs very little from the preceding species. It always sleeps during the day-time, and seldom appears abroad in bad weather. It is active through the whole winter; being frequently caught during that season, in the traps that are laid for the Gray Squirrels. The females, when they have young-ones, never leave their nest in pursuit of food, without previously wrapping these carefully up in the moss. They pay to them the utmost attention; brooding anxiously over them, and tenderly sheltering their bodies, by their flying mem- brane, from the cold. 302 THE COMMON DORMOUSE. OF DORMICE IN GENERAL. THESE animals have two front teeth in each jaw; the upper ones are wedge-shaped, the lower compressed ; and in each jaw are four grinders. The whis- kers are long. The tail is cylindrical, hairy, and thickest towards the end. The fore and hind legs are of nearly equal length; and the fore feet have each four toes. All the species of Dormice live in holes in the ground, where they continue in a state of torpor during the winter. Their pace is a kind of leap, in which, like the Jerboas, they are as- sisted, by their tail. They feed entirely on vegetables, and eat only in the night. In this act they sit upright and carry their food to their mouth with the paws. When they are thirsty, they do not lap, (like most other quadrupeds,) but they dip their fore feet, with the toes bent, into the water, and drink from them. TU DORMOUSE. THE COMMON DORMOUSE. This animal is about the size of a mouse; but in proportion, more bulky. It is of a tawny red color, with a white throat. Its eyes are full, and black. The nest of the Dormouse is usually formed of interwoven moss, dead leaves, and grass, in the hollow of some low tree, or near the bottom of close shrubs. It is about six inches in diameter, and has a small orifice near the top, for the ingress and egress of the animal. In this, about the month of May or June, the female produces her offspring, which are usually four or five in number. Dormice have not the sprightliness of the Squirrel ; but, like that animal, they collect together little magazines of nuts, acorns, and other food, for their winter provision. The consumption of their hoard, during the rigor of winter, is but small; for retiring into their holes THE COMMON DORMOUSE. THE SIBERIAN JERBOA. 303 on the approach of the cold, and rolling themselves up, they lie torpid nearly all that gloomy season. Sometimes they experience a short revival in a warm sunny day; when they take a little food, and then relapse into their former state. OF THE JERBOAS IN GENERAL THEY have two front teeth above, and two below; the fore legs are short, and the hind ones very long; and they have clavicles, or collar bones. The Jerboas seern, in many respects both of con- formation and habit, much allied to the Kangaroos; but an adherence to arti- ficial system will not allow them to be arranged together. They use their long hind legs in leaping, seldom -go on all-fours; and, with their fore legs, they both carry the food to their mouth, and make their holes in the ground. They are inhabitants principally of warm cli- mates. THE SIBERIAN JERBOA. This animal is of a pale yellowish fawn color on the upper parts, and white beneath. The length of its body is about eight inches: and of the tail ten. It very much resembles the Egyptian Jerboa ; except in the hind feet, each of which has five instead of three toes. Dry, hard, and clayey ground is that which the Jerboas prefer for the place of their habi- tation. In this they dig their burrows very speedily, not only with their fore feet, but with their teeth; and fling the earth back with their hind feet, so as to form a hillock at the entrance. The burrows are many yards long; and run obliquely and winding, but are not above half a yard in depth below the surface. They end in a large space or THE SIBERIAN JERBOA. 304 THE EGYPTIAN JERBOA. ?> THE EGYPTIAN JERBOAS. nest, the receptacle of the purest herbs. These holes have usually but one entrance; yet, by a wonderful sagacity, the animals work from their nest another passage, to within a very small space from the surface, which, in case of necessity, they can burst through and so escape. The sands and rubbish which surround modern Alexandria are much frequented by Jerboas. They live there in troops; and, in digging the ground, are said to penetrate even through a stratum of soitish stone, which is beneath the layer of sand. Though not actually wild, these animals are exceedingly shy and restless: the slightest noise, or the appearance of any strange object, makes them retire to their holes with precipitation. It is almost impossible to kill them, except when taken by sur- prise. The Arabs have the art of catching these Jerboas alive, by stopping up the outlets to the different galleries belonging to the colony ; one excepted, through which they force them to issue from the ground. Though animals of a chilly nature, they keep within their holes in the day-time, and wander about only during the night. They come THE EGYPTIAN JERBOA 305 out about sunset, and remain abroad till the sun has drawn up the dews from the earth. They walk only on their hind legs, the fore legs being very short ; and at the approach of danger, they immediately take to flight, in leaps six or seven feet high, which they repeat so swiftly, that a man mounted on a good horse can scarcely overtake them. They do not proceed in a straight line; but jump first to one side, and then to the other, till they find either their own burrow, or some neighboring one. In leaping, they carry their tails stretched out; but in standing or walking, they carry them in the form of an S, the lower part touching the ground. If surprised, they will sometimes go on all- fours; but they soon recover their attitude of standing on their hind legs, like a bird. When undisturbed, they use the former posture ; they then rise erect, listen, and hop about like a crow. In digging or eating, they drop on their fore legs ; but in the latter action, they often sit upright like a Squirrel. The Arabs of the kingdom of Tripoli, teach their Greyhounds to hunt the Antelope, by first instructing them to catch the Jerboas; and so agile are these little creatures, that Mr. Bruce has often seen, in a large court-yard or enclosure, the Greyhound employed a quarter of an hour before he could kill his diminutive adversary : and had not the Dog been well trained, so as to make use of his feet as well as his teeth, he might have killed two Antelopes during the time that he was occupied in killing one Jerboa. In their wild state these animals are fond of tulip roots, and of nearly all the edible plants; but in confinement, they do not refuse raw meat. It requires no difficulty to tame them, but it is necessary that they should be kept warm. They are so susceptible of cold, as to foretel bad weather by wrapping themselves close up in their cage before its commencement; and those that are abroad, always, on these occasions, stop up the mouths of their burrows. They sleep during the winter ; but a warm day sometimes revives them. On the return of the cold, they always retreat again to their holes. M. Sonnini, while he was in Egypt, fed, for some time, six of these animals, in a large cage of iron wire. The very first night they en- tirely gnawed asunder the upright and cross sticks of their prison ; and he was under the necessity of having the inside of the cage lined with tin. They were fond of basking in the sun ; and the moment they were put into the shade, they clung close to each other, and seemed to suffer much from the privation of warmth. They did not usually sleep during the day. Though they had great agility in their movements, gentleness and tranquillity seemed to form their charac- ter. They suffered themselves to be stroked with great composure ; and never made a noise nor quarrelled, even when food was scattered among them. No distinguishing symptoms of joy, fear, or gratitude, were discoverable in their disposition ; and their gentleness was by no means either amiable or interesting ; it appeared the effect of a cold and complete indifference, approaching to stupidity. Three of these animals died, one after another before M. Sonnini left Alexandria. 306 THE HARE TRIBE. Two died on a rough passage to the island of Khodes ; and the last, he supposes, was devoured by Cats when he was in that island. He says the Siberian Jerboas are so tender, that it is very difficult to transport them into other climates : but, as an indispensable pre- caution to those who attempt it, he advises that they be closely shut up in strong cages, or in other conveniences, without any possibility of escape ; for their natural disposition inciting them to gnaw what- ever comes in their way, they may occasion considerable damage to a ship in the course of her voyage; and, being able to eat through the hardest wood, may even endanger her sinking. These animals, which are natives of various parts of the eastern deserts of Siberia, and also of Barbary, Syria, and some parts of Tartary, breed several times in the summer, and usually produce -seven or eight young-ones at a litter. The Arabs eat them, and as articles of food, esteem them among the greatest delicacies of their tables. OF THE HARE TRIBE IN GENERAL. TH'ti generic character of the Hares consist in their having two front teeth, both above and below, the upper pair duplicate ; two small in terior ones standing behind the others: the fore feet with five, and the hinder with four toes. These animals subsist entirely on vegetable food. They are all re- markably timid. The habitations of most of the species are burrows, formed under the surface of the ground. Some of them collect into flocks, consisting of five or six hundred, or even more, and migrate in these numbers from place to place, frequently to a great distance, in search of food. In northern latitudes, where the frosts of the winter are very intense, and where snow lies for several months on the ground, all the Hares, at the approach of that season, change their color, and become white They are thus enabled, in a great measure, to elude the pursuit 01 their enemies. THE COMMON HARE. 307 THE COMMON HARI?. THE COMMON HAKE. This animal is found throughout Europe, and indeed in most of the northern parts of the world. Being destitute of weapons of defence, it is endowed, by Providence, with an unusual degree of fear. Its timidity is known to every one: it is attentive to every alarm, and is, therefore, furnished with ears very long and tubular, which catch the remotest sounds. The eyes are so pro- minent, as to enable the ani- mal to see both before and behind. The Hare feeds in the evenings, and sleeps in his form during the day; and, as he generally lies on the ground, his feet are protected, both above and below, with a thick covering of hair. In a moon- light evening many Hares may frequently be seen sporting together, leaping about and pursuing each other; but the least noise alarms them, and they then scamper ofi^ each in a different direction. Their pace is a kind of gallop, or quick succession of leaps; and they are extremely swift particularly in ascending the higher grounds, to which, when pursued, they generally have recourse; here their large and strong hind legs are of singular use to them. During winter they generally choose a form exposed to the south, that they may obtain all the possible warmth of that season ; and in summer, when they are desirous of shunning the hot rays of the sun, they change this for one with a northerly aspect; but, in both cases, they have the instinct of generally fixing upon a place where the surrounding objects are nearly of the color of their own bodies. It was observed of one Hare, that, as soon as the Dogs were heard, though at a distance of nearly a mile, she rose from her form, swam across a rivulet, then lay down among the bushes on the other side, and by this means evaded the scent of the hounds. When a Hare has been chased for a considerable length of time, she will sometimes- push another Hare from its seat, and lie down there herself. When hard pressed, she will mingle with a flock of Sheep, run up an old wall, and conceal herself among the grass on the top of it, or cross a river several times at small distances. She never runs in a line directly forward; but constantly doubles about, which frequently throws 20- HARE IN ITS FOEM. 308 THE COMMON HARE. the Dogs out of the scent: and she generally goes against the wind. It is remarkable that Hares, however frequently pursued by the Dogs, seldom leave the place where they were brought forth, or that in which they usually sit; and it is a common thing to find them, after a long and severe chase, in the same place on the following day. The females have less strength and agility than the males : they are, consequently, more timid; and never suffer the Dogs to approach them so near, before they rise, as the males. They are likewise said to practise more arts, and to double more frequently. This animal is gentle, and susceptible even of education. But, though it exhibits some degree of attachment to its master, the Hare does not often become altogether domestic : for, even when taken very young, brought up in a house, and accustomed to kindness and at- tention, no sooner is it arrived at a certain age, than it generally seizes the first opportunity of recovering its liberty, and escaping to the fields. Whilst Dr. Townsend was at Gottingen, a young Hare was brought to him, which he took so much pains with, as to render it more familiar than these animals commonly are. In the evenings it was so frolic- some, that it would run and jump about his sofa and bed. Sometimes, i n its play, it would leap upon and pat him with its fore-feet; or whilst he was reading, would even knock the book out of his hand. But whenever a stranger entered the room, the little animal alwaj^s exhibited con siderable alarm. Mr. Borlase saw a Hare that was so familiar as to feed from the hand, lie under a chair in a common sitting-room, and appear, in every other respect, as easy and comfortable in its situation as a Lap- dog. It now and then went out into the Garden, but after regaling itself, always returned to the house, as its proper habitation. Its usual companions were a Greyhound and a Spaniel, both so fond of Hare-hunting, that they often went out together for that purpose, without any person accompanying them. With these two dogs this tame Hare spent its evenings: they always slept on the same hearth, and it would frequently rest itself upon them. Dogs and Foxes pursue the Hare by instinct: AVild Cats, Weasels* BOYS TRAPPING HARES, THE RABBIT. 309 DOGS HUNTING THE EARE. and birds of prey, devour it; and man, far more powerful than all its other enemies, makes use of every artifice to seize upon an animal which constitutes one of the numerous delicacies of his table. This defenceless animal is even rendered by him an object of amusement in the chase. The period of gestation in the Hare is about a month; and the fe- males generally produce three or four young-ones at a litter, and this about four times in the year. The eyes of these are open at their birth: the mother suckles them about twenty days, after which they leave her and procure their own food. They make forms at a little distance from each other, and never go far from the place where they were brought forth. The Hare lives about eight years. THE RABBIT. Rabbits are partial to sandy hillocks, on light soils, which present no obstruction to their burrowing; and they prefer situations which are not far distant from those kind of vegetables to which they are most partial as food. They live in burrows formed under the surface of the ground ; and in which the females bring forth their offspring. The fecundity of these animals is truly astonishing. They breed THE RABBIT 310 THE RABBIT. THE RABBIT. several times in the year, and generally produce seven or eight young- ones at a time. Supposing this to happen regularly for about four years, the pro- geny from a sin- gle pair will in this period amount to more than a million. Their numerous enemies prevent any increase likely to prove injurious to man- kind ; for besides their affording food to us, they are devoured by animals of prey of almost every description, which make dreadful havoc among them. Notwithstanding all these means of destruction, the Babbits in the Balearic islands once proved such a nuisance, that the inhabitants were obliged to implore the assistance of a military force from Augustus, the Koman emperor, to exterminate them. The female goes with young about thirty days. A short time pre- viously to her littering, if she does not find a hole suited to her purpose, she digs one; not in a straight line, but of a zig-zag form. The bottom of this she enlarges every way; and then, with a quantity of hair which she pulls from her own body, she makes a warm and comfortable bed for her offspring During the whole of the first two days she never leaves them, except when compelled by hunger to do so; and then she eats with surpris- ing quickness, and immediately returns. She always conceals them from the male, lest he should devour them; and therefore, when she goes out, she covers up the hole so carefully, that its place is scarcely per- ceptible to the eye. In this manner she by which time they FANCY RABBIT?. continues her attention for about a month THE ALPINE HARE. 311 are able to provide for themselves. Notwithstanding the unaccount- able propensity which the male has to devour its young-ones, yet, when these are somewhat grown, and are brought by the mother to the mouth of the hole, to eat such vegetables as she gets for them, he seems to know them, takes them between his paws, smooths their hair, and caresses them with great tenderness. Rabbits, as they cannot easily articulate sounds, and are formed into societies that live under ground, have a singular mode of giving alarm. When danger is threatened, they thump on the earth with one of their hind feet ; and thus produce a sound that can be heard a great way by animals near the surface. This, Dr. Darwin, from its singularity, and its aptness to the situation of the animals, concludes to be an artificial sign, and merely acquired from their having expe- rienced its utility. He will not allow of any thing like an instinctive propensity. A friend of Dr. Eobert Anderson of Edin- burgh, had a singular breed of Rabbits, with js only one ear. These propagated as fast, and as constantly produced their like, as the ffi two-eared Rabbits from which they were originally descended. The fur of the Rabbit is .useful in the manufacture of hats THE RABBIT. bright. THE ALPINE HARE. THE ALPINE HAEE. The Alpine Hare is about nine inches head and whiskers; and above each eye there are two very long hairs. The ears are short and rounded. The -far is dusky at the roots, and of a bright bay color at the end slightly tipped with white, and inter- mixed with long dusky hairs: at first sight, however, the animals seem of a unmixed bay color. The most southern residence of these animals is on the Alpaic chain of mountains, near the lake of Baikal, in Siberia; and they extend from that part of the country as far northward as to Kamschatka. They are always found in the middle regions of the snowy mountains, where these are clad with wood, and where herbs and moisture abound. They sometimes burrow between the rocks, but more frequently lodge in the crevices. They are generally found in pairs ; but in bad weather, they collect together, lie on the rocks, and whistle so much like the chirp of sparrows, as easily to deceive the hearer. At the report of a gun they run off into their holes; whence, however, if nothing more is heard, they soon return. By the usual wonderful instinct of similar animals, they make a provision in their inclement seats against the rigorous season. A company of them, towards autumn, collect together vast heaps of fav- orite herbs and grasses; which they place either beneath the over- ,12 THE ALPINE HARE. HUNTING THE HAKE. hanging rocks, or between the chasms, or around the trunk of some tree. The way to these heaps is marked by a worn path; and, in many places, the plants appear scattered, as if to be dried in the sun and properly harvested. The heaps are formed like round or conoid ricks; and are of various sizes, according to the number of the soci- ety employed in forming them. They are sometimes about a man's height, and usually three or four feet in diameter. Thus the animals wisely provide their winter's stock: without which, in the cold season, they must infallibly perish ; for they are prevented by the depth of snow, from quitting their retreats in quest of food. They select the best of vegetables, and crop them when in the fullest vigor. These, by the very judicious manner in which they dry them, they make into excellent hay. The ricks they thus form, are the ori- gin of fertility among the rocks; for the relics, mixed with the dung THE OGOTONA HARE CALLING HARE. 313 of the animals, rot in the barren chasms, and create a soil productive of vegetation. These ricks are also of great service to such persons as devote them- selves to the laborious occupation of Sable-hunting; for, being obliged to go far from home, their Horses would often perish from want, had they not the provisions of the Alpine Hares for their support. The people of Jakutz are said to feed both their Horses and cattle on the remnant of the winter stock of these Hares. As food, the Alpine Hares are themselves neglected by mankind; but they are the prey of numerous animals. THE OGOTONA HARE. The Ogotona Hare is somewhat more than six inches in length, of a pale brown color above, and somewhat white beneath ; and is entirely destitute of tail. These little creatures live under heaps of stones, or in burrows which they form in the sandy soil, and which have two or three entrances. Their nest is formed of soft grass ; and the old females, for greater security, make several burrows near each other, in order that, if disturbed, they may have a secure retreat. They feed in the night; and their voice, as in the last species, is like the note of the Sparrow, but much TIttOQOI o BA HAEB . more shrill. Their principal food is the tender bark of trees, and different kind of herbs. Before the approach of severe weather, even in the spring of the year, they collect a store of vegetables, with which they fill their holes. These operations are considered by the inhabitants, to be certain signs of the approaching change of weather. In autumn, di- rected by the same instinct as the former species, they form ricks of hay, of an hemispherical shape, about a foot high and wide. Tn the spring, these heaps are gone, and nothing but the relics are seen. The Ogotona Hares inhabit all Mongolia, and beyond the lake Baikal, where they are found in great abundance. The females pro- duce their young-ones in spring, and, by the end of June, these are fully grown. THE CALLING HARE. This is a smaller species than the last, but has a great resemblance to it in form. The head is thickly covered with fur; the ears are large and rounded; the legs are very short, and the feet furred beneath. The fur on the whole animal is soft, long, smooth, and of a brownish lead-color, and the hairs are tipped with black. On the sides of the body, a yellowish tinge prevails. These are solitary animals, and rarely to be seen, even in the places 314 THE CHINCHILLA. where they are most common. They choose for their habitations some dry spot amidst bushes, and covered with a firm sod; and prefer the western sides of the hills. In these they burrow, leaving a very small hole for the entrance, and thence forming long and intricate galleries, in which they make their nests. Their voice alone betrays their abode : it is like the piping of a Quail, but somewhat deeper, and so loud, as to be heard at a great distance. It is repeated, at equal intervals, three, four, and often six times successively. The female is silent for some time after parturition, which is about the beginning of May. She pro- duces six young-ones at a litter; towards which she exhibits great affection. These most harmless and inoffensive animals never go far from their holes; they feed and make their little excursions by night. They are easily tamed, and seldom attempt to bite, even when handled. The males, in confinement, are observed to attack one another, and they express their anger by a kind of grunting noise. They are natives of Eussia. THE CALLING HARE. THE CHINCHILLA. From the various specimens of fur sent to this country it would THE CHINCHILLA. appear that there are two species of the Chinchilla, but it is not certain. The length of the Chin- chilla is about nine inches, exclusive of its tail, which mea- sures about five. This pretty little animal is an inhabitant of the valleys in the mountain districts of South America. In such situations the cold is often very intense; but the long soft fur of the Chinchilla forms an effectual protection against the frosts. The fur is extensively used for clothing, and cele- brated for its soft and warm texture. Numbers of these animals are GROUP OP cnmcniLLAS. THE LAGOTIS. 315 annually destroyed for the sake of their skins, and Coquimbo appears to be the place where they are taken in the greatest numbers. The Chinchilla lives in society like the Babbit, and resides in bur- rows dug in the ground. Its food is entirely vegetable, and principally consists of bulbous roots. In captivity it is quiet and inoffensive, but seems to betray no particular attachment to its keeper; neither does it seem playful. Its tail, covered with long bushy hairs, is usually held turned up over its back, like that of the Squirrel, and probably for the same reason. THE LAGOTIS. This animal, classed as one of the Chinchillidoe, resembles a Eabbit in size and general shape, but the tail, which is equal in length to the whole body, gives it a very different appearance. It is a jumping THE LAGOTIS. animal and has its hind legs nearly twice the length of the fore ones. The bristly hairs of its whiskers are thick and black. It has long ears, soft downy hair, long and beautiful. It is found in Chili. PECORA THE animals belonging to this order have several wedge-like front teeth in the lower jaw, and none in the upper. Their feet have cloven hoofs. They live on vegetable food ; and all the species ruminate, or chew their cud. OF THE CAMEL TEIBE IN GENERAL. IN the lower jaw of the Camel there are six front teeth, which are somewhat thin and broad. The canine teeth are at a little distance both from these and the grinders: in the upper jaw there are three, and in the lower two. The upper lip is cleft, or divided. The disposition of the animals which constitute the present tribe, is in general so mild and inoffensive, that, when they are either bred in a state of domestication, or caught young and trained to labor, they become extensively serviceable to mankind. In hot and sandy regions they are employed as beasts of draught and burden. Their pace is usu- ally slow; bat, being able to sustain themselves, even on the longest journeys, with a very small portion of food, and to undergo fatigues which few, perhaps no other animals could endure, some of the spe- cies are an invaluable acquisition to the inhabitants of the district where they are found. The number of species hitherto described is seven, of which only two are found on the old continent, the rest being confined to the alpine countries of Chili and Peru. In a wild state they are supposed to be gregarious, and to associate together in vast herds. The females 316 THE ARABIAN AND BACTRIAN CAMELS. 317 have each two teats, and seldom produce more than one young-one at a birth. The hair of these animals is of a soft and silky texture: and their flesh constitutes a palatable food. Like all the other genera of their order, they are furnished with four stomachs, in consequence of which they not only live solely on vegetable food, but ruminate or chew the cud. They swallow their food unmasticated. This is received into the first stomach r where it remains some time to macerate; and afterwards, when the animal is at rest, by a peculiar action of the muscles, it is returned to the mouth in small quantities, chewed more fully, and then swallowed a second time for digestion. THE ARABIAN, OR SINGLE-HUNCHED CAMEL. The height of this animal, at the shoulder, is from five to seven feet. The hunch is situated on the middle of the back. The hair is soft, wooly, and very unequal; it is longer on the nape, under the throat, and on the hunch, than on any other parts of the body. Its color is usually somewhat of a reddish gray. THE BACTRIAN, OR TWO-HUNCHED CAMEL. The Bactrian Camel is distinguishable at first sight, from the last named species, by the two lumps on the upper part of its body ; one of these is situated on the shoulders, and the other at a little distance behind. It is a somewhat larger animal than the Arabian Camel, and its legs are, in proportion, shorter. The Arabian Camel is that, with a single hunch on its back, which we so frequently see exhibited in the streets of this country. In many parts of the east it is domesticated; and in carrying heavy burdens over the sandy deserts, it supplies a place which the Horse would not 318 THE ARABIAN AND BACTRIAN CAMELS. be able to fill. The tough and spongy feet of these animals are pecu- liarly adapted to hot climates, for in the most fatiguing journeys they are never found to crack. The sand seems indeed their element; for no sooner do they quit it, and touch the mud, than they can scarcely keep upon their feet, and their constant stumbling in such situations is exceed- ingly dangerous to the rider. Their great powers of ab- staining from water enable them to pass un watered tracks of country for seven, eight, or, as Leo African us says, for even fifteen days, without requiring any li- = quid. They can scent water at half a league's distance, and, after a long abstinence, will hasten towards it long before their drivers perceive where it lies. Their pa- tience under hunger is such, that they will travel many clays fed only with a few dates, some small balls of barley-meal, or on the miserable thorny plants they meet with in the deserts. M. Denon informs us, that during his travels in Egypt, the Camels of his caravan had nothing in the day but a single feed of beans, which they chewed for the remainder of the time, either on the journev, or lying down upon the scorching sand, and this without their exhi- biting the slightest indication of discontent. A large Camel will bear a load of a thousand or twelve hundred pounds, and, with this, it will traverse the deserts.' When about to be loaded, these animals, at the command of their conductor, bend their knees. If any disobey, they are immediately struck with a stick, or their necks are pulled down; and then, as if constrained, and utter- ing their groan of complaint, they bend themselves, put their bellies on the earth, and remain in this posture till they are loaded and de- sired to rise. This is the origin of those large callosities on the parts of their bellies, limbs, and knees, which rest on the ground. If over- burdened, the Camels give repeated blows with their heads, to the person who oppresses them, and sometimes utter the most lamentable cries. They have a great share of intelligence, and the Arabs assert that they are so sensible of ill-treatment, that, when this is carried too far, the inflictor will not find it easy to escape their vengeance; and that they will retain the remembrance of an injury till an opportunity offers for gratifying their revenge. Eager, however, to express their ARAB AND CAMEL. THE ARABIAN AND BACTRIAN CAMEL. 319 resentment, they no longer retain any rancour when once they are satisfied; and it is even sufficient for them to believe they have satisfied their vengeance. Ac- cordingly, when an Arab has excited the rage of a Camel, he throws down his garments in some place near which the animal is to pass, and disposes them in such a manner, that they appear to cover a man sleeping under them. Theanimal re- cognises the clothes, seizes them in his teeth, shakes them with violence, and tramples on them in a rage. When his anger is appeased, he leaves them, and then the owner of the garments may make his appearance, and, without fear, may load and guide him as he pleases. " I have sometimes seen these animal?, (says M. Sonnini ,) weary of the impa- tience of their riders, stop short, turn , round their long necks to bite them, and utter cries of rage. In these circumstances the man must refrain from striking his beast, as that would but increase his fury. Nothing can be done but to have patience, and endeavor to appease the animal by patting him with the hand, and, after a little while, he will resume his way and his place of himself." Like the Elephant, Camels have their periodical fits of rage, and during these they sometimes have been known to take up a man in their teeth throw him on the ground, and trample him under their feet. In eastern countries there is no mode of conveyance so cheap and expeditious as that by Camels. The merchants and other passengers unite in a caravan, to prevent the insults and robberies of the Arabs. These caravans are often very numerous, and are always composed of more Camels than men. In these commercial travels the march is not hastened: as the route is frequently seven or eight hundred leagues. LOADED C MKLS. 320 THE ARABIAN AND BACTRIAN CAMELS. CAMELS OVERTAKEN DY TEE SIMOOM. the motions and journeys are regulated accordingly. The Camels only walk, and they travel thus from ten to twelve leagues a day. Every ni;ht they are unloaded, and allowed to pasture at freedom. When in a rich country, or fertile meadow, they eat, in less than an hour, as much as serves them to ruminate the whole night, and to nourish them during the next day. But they seldom find such pas- tures, neither is this delicate food necessary for them. They seem to prefer wormwood, thistles, nettles, broom, cassia, and other prickly vegetables, to. the softest herbage. As long as they find plants to ^browse, they easily dispense with water. This faculty of abstaining from the use of water, is an effect of their structure. Till very lately the Camels have been supposed to possess, independently of the four stomachs common to ruminating animals, a fifth bag, which served them as a reservoir for holding water. From a preparation, however, in the collection of Mr. John Hunter, it appears that this fifth bag never existed but in idea. The second stomach is of very peculiar construction, being formed of numerous cells several inches deep, having their mouths uppermost, and the orifices apparently capable of muscular contraction. When the animal drinks, it probably has a power of directing the water into these cells, instead of letting it pass into the first stomach, and when these are filled, the rest of the water will go into that stomach. In this manner a quantity of water may be kept separate from the food, and may serve occasionally to moisten it in its passage to the true stomach, for several days. When travellers find themselves much in want of water, it is no uncommon thing to kill a Camel for what he contains, which is always sweet and wholesome. "Of all animals (says M. de BulYon) that man has subjugated, the Camels are the most abject slaves. With incredible patience and submission, they traverse the burning sands of Africa and Arabia, THE ARABIAN AXD BACTRIAN CAMELS. 321 carrying burdens of amazing weight. The Arabians consider the Camel as a gift sent from Heaven; a sacred animal, without whose assistance they could neither subsist, traffic, nor travel. The milk of the Camel is their common food. They also eat its flesh; and of its hair they make garments. In possession of their Camels, they want nothing, and have nothing to fear. In one day they can perform a journey of fifty leagues into the desert, Which cuts off every approach from their enemies. All the armies in the world would perish in pursuit of a troop of Arabs. By the assistance of his Camel, an Arab surmounts all the difficulties of a country which is neither covered with verdure, nor supplied with water. Notwithstanding the vigi- lance of his neighbors, and the superiority of their strength, he eludes their pursuit, and carries off with impunity all that he ravages from them. When about to undertake a predatory expedition, an Arab makes his Camels carry both his and their own provisions. When h e reaches the confines of the desert, he robs the fi r s t passengers who come in his way, pillages the solitary houses, loads his Camels with the booty, and, if pursued, he ac- celerates his retreat. On these occasions he dis- plays his own talents as well as those of the ani- mals. He mounts One of MILITARY CAMEL. the fleetest of them, con- ducts the troop, and obliges them to travel day and night, almost without either stopping, eating, or drinking; and, in this manner, he often performs a journey of three hundred leagues in eight days." With a view to his predatory expeditions, the Arab instructs, rears, and exercises his Camels. A few days after their birth he folds their limbs under their belly, forces them to remain on the ground, and in this situation loads them with a weight, which is never removed but for the purpose of being replaced by a greater. Instead of allowing them to feed at pleasure, and drink when they are thirsty, he begins with regulating their meals, and makes them gradually travel long journeys, diminishing at the same time the quantity of their aliment. When they acquire some strength they are trained to the course, and their emulation is excited by the example of Horses, which, in time, renders them not only fleet, but more robust than they would other- wise be. The saddle used by the Arabs is hollowed in the middle, and has, at each bow, a piece of wood placed upright, or sometimes horizon- tally, by which the rider keeps himself on his seat. This, with a long pocket, to hold provisions for himself and his beast, a skin of water for the rider, (the animal being otherwise well supplied,) and a 322 THE ARABIAN AND BACTRIAN CAMEL. leather thong, are the whole of the equipage that the Arab traveller stands in need of, and with nothing more than these he is able to cross the deserts. The pace of the Camel being a high trot, M. Denon says, that when he first mounted one of these animals, he was greatly alarmed lest this swinging motion would have thrown him over 'its head. He, however, was soon undeceived; for on being once fixed in the saddle, he found that he had only to give way to the motion of the beast, and then it was impossible to be more pleas- antly seated for a long journey, especially as no at- tention was requisite to guide the animal, except in making him deviate from his proper direction. u lt was (he re- marks) entertaining enough, to see us mount our beasts: the Camel, as soon as the rider leans on his saddle, pre- paratory to mounting, rises very briskly, first on his hind and then on his fore legs, thus throwing the rider first forward and then backward; and it is not till the ARABIAN CAMEL. THE ARABIAN AND BACTRIAN CAMEL. 323 ARABIAN ENCAMPMENT. fourth motion that the animal is entirely erect, and the rider finds himself firm in his seat. None of us were able for a long time to resist the first shake, and we had each to laugh at his companions. When the traveller is riot in haste, or when he accompanies a caravan, the pro- gress of which is al- ways slow, on account of the Camels of bur- den, a kind of covered litter is fixed on one of these animals, in which he is tolerably at his ease, and where he may even sleep if he chooses. The dri- vers of the loaded Camels have each a stick, which they use sparingly, if occasion J ' T , FEMALE ARABIAN CAMSL. requires; and those who ride, whip their animals with a long strap of leather, at the same time urging them forward by a clicking noise of the tongue. It has been attempted, but without success, to introduce Camels. 324 THE ARABIAN AND BACTRIAN CAMELS. both of the Arabian and Bactrian species, into the West India islands The people were unaccustomed to their habits and manner of feeding, and this, together with the insects called chigoes, insinuating them- selves into their soft feet, and producing inflammations, and at length painful ulcers, seems to have rendered them totally unfit for service. Similar efforts have been made to introduce them into the southern United States, and there is every prospect of success in acclimating them in this country. The Arabian Camels are natives chiefly of the deserts of Asia and Africa. The Bactrian species are found, at the present day, in the same places where they were obsarved by the ancients; namely, in Usbec Tartary, the ancient Bactria. They are likewise natives of Thibet, and of countries near the frontiers of China. The Bactrian Camels are employed as beasts of burden throughout all the regions where they are found. They are capable of support- ing even the rigorous climate of the environs of the lake Baikal in Siberia, where they subsist, during the win- ter, on the bark and tender branches of the trees. They are, in every respect better adapted for living in temperate climates than the Arabian Camels, for they experience much less injury, from humid and marshy countries, than these. Th'e flesh of the Camel is dry and hard, but not unpalatable. It is so much esteemed by the inhabitants of Egypt, that in Cairo and Alexandria, it was, not long ago forbidden to be sold to the Christians. In Barbary, the tongues are salted and smoked, for exportation to Italy and other countries, and they form a palatable food. The hair is an important article of commerce, serv- ing for the fabrication of the tents and carpets of the Arabs; and lea- ther is made of the skin. In the materia medica of China, the different parts of the Camel occupy a conspi- IHE CAMEL. cuous place: the fat is called the oil of bunches; and the flesh, the milk; the hair, and even their dung, are admitted into the prescriptions of the Chinese physicians. THE BACTRIAX CAMEL. THE LLAMA, AND THE VICUNA. 325 THE LLAMA, AND THE VICUNA. The Llama is about four feet and a half in height, and, in length, from the neck to the tail, nearly six feet. Its usual weight is about three hundred pounds. The back is nearly even, and, instead of a hunch there, the animal has a pro- tuberance on the breast. The head is small, with fine black eyes, and the neck is very long and arched. The general shape is that of a Camel, without the dorsal protuberance. In a wild state the hair of the Llama is long and coarse; but when domesticated, it becomes short and white gray, and russet, disposed in spots. THE LLAMA. smooth. The color is The Yicuna is somewhat smaller than the Llama; and its limbs ar more neatly formed. There is no protuber- ance on the breast. The color of the upper parts of the body is reddish brown, and of the under parts whit- h. The lofty and mountainous regions of Peru, Chili, and other districts of South America, are inhabited both by the Llama and Vicuna. They are mild, gentle, and tract- able animals, and are employed in many parts of these coun- tries for the carrying of burdens. In the Spanish settlements, before the introduc- tion of Mules, they were employed in the , I n -I -i IIUS LLAMA. ploughing of land. Both the Llama and the Yicuna go on their journeys with great 326 THE LLAMA, AND THE VICUNA. WILD LLAMAS. gravity, and nothing can induce them to change their pace. Like the Camel, they lie down to be loaded; and, when they are wearied, no blows will induce them to proceed. Their disposition is indeed so capricious, that, sometimes, when they are struck they lie down, and caresses only will induce them again to rise. When pro- voked, they have no other mode of aveng- ing themselves but by spitting, and they have the faculty of ejecting their saliva to a considerable dis- tance. It is asserted, though without foundation, that this is of so corrosive a quality, that it will produce blisters upon the skin. The saliva of a Llama, which was exhibited in Piccadilly in the year 1805, I received on my hand, and the keeper informed me that he had several times had it thrown even upon his face, without injury. Llamas are employed in transporting the rich ores out of the mines of Potosi. In their journeys, they will sometimes travel four or five days successively before they seem desirous of re- pose; and they then rest spontaneously twenty or thirty hours before they re- sume their toil. Sometimes, when they are inclined to rest a few minutes only, they bend their knees, and lower their bodies with great care, to prevent their load from falling off, or being rWnno-ftrl-. when, however, they hear their conductor's whistle, they rise with equal caution, and proceed on their journey. In going along during the day-time, they browse wherever they find herbage, and generally spend the bight in chewing their cud. If, after they are determined not to rise, THZ VICUNA THE GUANACO. 327 WHITE LLAMAS. their masters continue to abuse them, they sometimes kill themselves in their rage, by striking their heads alternately from right to left on. the ground. When these animals are among their native mountains, they associate in immense herds i n the highest and steepest parts. Here they frequently climb rocks, along which no man would dare to follow them; and while the rest of a herd feed, one of them is always sta- tioned as a sentinel on the point of some adjacent rock. When this animal observes any one approach, he gives a kind of neigh, and the herd, taking the alarm, run off with incredible speed. They gallop to a considerable distance, then stop, turn round, and gaze at their pursuers till they come, near, and imme'diately set off again. They out-run all the Dogs, so that the inhabitants have no other mode of killing them than with guns. The Llama which I saw in London in 1805, was supposed to have been at that time about eight months old. It had been taken in one of the Spanish, ships which had fallen a prize to seamen. No animal could, apparently, be more tame or docile; but it was easily irritated, and on such occasions always ejected its saliva on the offender. It seemed to bear our climate remarkably well. GUANACO. The Guanaco is a va- riety of the Llama. They are found in the southern parts of the Andes. When full grown it is nearly as large as a Horse. The hair is yellowish above and white below, the head rounded, ears straight, muzzle pointed, tail short It is found wild in very large herds in the interior of Aroucano. CKOUP OF LLAMAS. 828 OF THE MUSK TRIBE IN GENERAL. THE ALPACA. ALPACA. The Alpaca lias given its name to a kind of cloth fabric made of its wool. The Alpaca is of a maroon brown color varied above with black, and below with white. The hair along the back is long and silky, and almost as fine in the staple as that of the Cashmere Goat. It is easily tamed and is mild and docile in temper. Several spe- cimens have thriven well in Europe; and it should be introduced into the United States on account of its value in the manu- facture of the Alpaca cloth. OF THE MUSK TKIBE IN GENEEAL. IN the lower jaw they have eight front teeth ; and in the upper jaw two long tusks, one on each side, which project out of the mouth. The Musk animals are inhabitants, almost exclusively, of India and the Indian islands. Two or three of the species are so exceedingly small, as scarcely to exceed a Babbit in size. They are very gentle, but excessively timid: on the appearance of a man they fly with precipitation into the recesses of their native wilds. Like the Camels, they have no horns. THE THIBETIAN MUSK This species is destitute of horns; The ears are somewhat large, the neck is thick, and the hair on the whole body long, upright, and thick set. Each hair is undulated, the tip ferruginous,, the middle black, and the bottom cinereous. The limbs are slender, and of a black color; and the tail is so short as to be scarcely visible. The THE THIBETIAN MUSK. 329 THE MUSK DHER. length of the male is about three feet, and that of the female aoout two feet and a quarter; and their average weight is from twenty-five to thirty pounds. These animals live retired among the highest and rudest mountains of Thibet, and some other parts of Asia. In the autumn, large flocks of them collect together for the purpose of migration southward, in consequence of the approaching cold. During this migration the, peasants lie in wait for them, and either catch them by means of snares, or kill them with arrows and bludgeons. At these times they are often so meagre and languid, from hunger and fatigue, as to be taken without much difficulty; for they have no weapons of defence except their tusks. Their activity is very great, and they are able to take astonishing leaps over the tremendous chasms of the rocks. They tread so lightly on the snow, as scarcely to leave a mark; while the Dogs that are employed in the pursuit of them sink in, and are frequently obliged to desist from the chase. In a state of captivity they live but a short time. In an oval receptacle, about the size of a small egg, is contained the well-known drug called musk. This hangs from the middle of the abdomen, and is peculiar to the male animal. A full-grown male will yield a drachm and a half, and an old one two drachms. The bag is furnished with two small orifices, the one naked and the other covered with oblong hairs. Gmelin states, that, on squeezing this bag, he forced the musk through the apertures, in the form of a brown fatty matter. The hunters cut off' the 'bag and tie it up for sale, but often adulterate its contents by mixing them with other matter to increase the weight. The musk is even sometimes taken entirely out, and a composition of the animal's blood and liver (for' this drug has much the appearance of clotted blood) is inserted in its stead; but when the bags are opened, the imposition may be imme- 330 OF THE DEER IN GENERAL. d lately detected. The deceit, however, most commonly practised, is that of putting into the iDags little bits of lead, in order to augment the weight. It is generally asserted, that when the musk-bag is first opened, so powerful an odour comes from it, that every person present is obliged to cover his mouth and nose with several folds of linen ; and that notwithstanding this precaution, the blood will frequently gush from the nose. When the musk is fresh, a very small quantity of it in a confined place is insupportable; it causes. giddiness in the head, and hemorrhages which have sometimes proved fatal. Besides being of use on account of the musk they produce, the skins of these animals, in many of the countries where they are found, are used as winter-clothing. The Russians scrape off the hair, and have a method of preparing the leather so as to render it as soft and shining as silk; arid this leather they adopt as part of their summer-dress. These animals are found, in Eastern countries, in such numbers, that M. Tavernier informs us, he collected, in one journey, no fewer than seven thousand six hundred and seventy three musk-bags NAPU CHEVROTAIN. The Chevrotains, a beautiful group of small animals are classed with the Musk Deer. There are three species, viz: 1. The Meminna is eighteen inches in length, found in Ceylon, olive gray, dappled with white. 2. The Napu Chevrotain and the Karchil, both smaller than the Meminna, not larger, indeed than a common Hare, are found in Java. The Napu Chevrotain is a most delicate and beautiful little animal, brown above and white below, naked muzzle, short tail, very slender legs, mild and gentle in captivity but indolent and only inte- resting from, its surpassing beauty. OF THE DEER IN GENERAL. THESE animals have eight front teeth in the lower jaw. In general they are destitute of canine teeth; but in some of the species a single canine tooth is found on each side of the upper jaw. This is an' active tribe, inhabiting, principally wild and woody re- gions. In their contentions, both among each other and with the rest of the brute creation, these animals not only use their horns, but also strike furiously with their fore feet. Some of the species are employed by mankind as beasts of draught. The flesh of the whole tribe is wholesome; and that of some of the kinds, under the name of venison, is accounted particularly delicious. The horns, which are only found on the heads of the males, are solid and branched. They are renewed every year ; and, while young, are covered with a skin which is extremely vascular, and clothed with a fine velvety fur, that dries, shrivels, and falls off when the horns have attained their full size. THE ELK, OR MOOSE DEER. 331 THE ELK, OR MOOSE-DEER. This animal is generally larger than the Horse, both in height and bulk. The legs are long, the body is round, the neck short, arid the head and ears are long. The hair of the male is black at the points, cinerous in the middle, and at the roots perfectly white. That of the female is of a sandy brown, but whitish under the throat, belly, and flank. The upper lip is square, very broad, deeply furrowed, and hangs much over the mouth ; the nose is broad, and the nostrils are large and wide. The horns, which are foxind only on the males, have THE ELK, OR MOOSE DEER. no brow-antlers, and the palms are extremely broad. They are shed annually ; and some have been seen that weighed upwards of sixty pounds. The legs of Elks are so long, and their necks so short, that they can- not, like other animals, graze on level ground, but are obliged to browse the tops of large plants, and the leaves or branches of trees. In all their actions and attitudes they appear very uncouth ; and, when disturbed, never gallop, but escape by a rapid kind of trot. In their common walk they lift their feet very high, and they are able, without difficulty, to step over a gate five feet in height. Their faculty of hearing is supposed to be more acute than that either of their sight or scent. It is consequently extremely difficult to kill them in the summer-time ; and the Indians have then no other method of doing this, than by creeping after them among the trees and bushes, till they get within gun-shot. In winter, however, when the snow is so hard frozen as to allow the natives to go upon it in their snow-shoes, they are able frequently to run the animals down ; for the slender legs of the Elks break through the snow at every step, and plunge them up to the belly. They are so tender-footed, and so short- winded, that a good runner will generally tire them out in less than a day. In summer-time the Elks frequent the margins of rivers and lakes getting into the water in order to avoid the innumerable multitudes of musquitoes, and other flies that pester them during that season. They are often killed by the Indians while they are crossing rivers, or swimming from the main land to islands. When pursued in these situations, they make no resistance whatever. The } 7 oung-ones are so simple, that, in North America, Mr. Hearne has seen an Indian paddle his canoe up to one of them, and take it by the poll without the least opposition ; the poor harmless animal seeming, at the same time, as contented along-side the canoe, as if it were swimming by the side of its dam, and looking up in the faces of those who were about to be- 332 THE ELK, OR MOOSE DEER. HUNTING THE MOOSE DEER. come its murderers with the most fearless innocence ; using its fore- feet, almost every instant, to clear its eyes of the numerous musquitoes which alighted upon it. The Elks are the easiest to tame and domesticate of any animals of the Deer kind. They will follow their keeper to any distance from home ; and, at his call, will return with him, without the least trouble, and without ever attempting to deviate from the path. An Indian, at the Factory at Hudson's Bay, had, in the year 1777, two Elks, so tame, that, when he was on his passage to Prince of Wales' Fort, in a canoe, they always followed him along the bank of the river ; and at night, or on any other occasion, when he landed, they generally came and fondled on him, in the same manner as the most domestic animal would have done, and never attempted to stray from the tents. He did not, however, possess these animals long; for he one day crossed a deep bay in one of the lakes, in order to save a very circuit- ous route along its bank, and expected the creatures would, as usual, follow him round : but, unfortunately, at night they did not arrive ; and as the howling of wolves was heard in the quarter where they were, it is supposed they had been devoured by those voracious beasts, for they were never afterwards seen. M. D'Obsonville had a Moose-deer in his possession, while in the East Indies. He procured it when only ten or twelve years old, and kept it about two years without ever tying it up. He even let it run abroad, and sometimes amused himself with making it draw in the yard, or carry little burdens. It always came when called, and he found few signs of impatience, except when it was not allowed to re- main near him. When he departed from the island of Sumatra, ho THE ELK, OR MOOSE DEER. 333 DEEil PUB6DED EY BEARS. gave it Mr. Law of Lauriston, the governor-general, an intimate friend. This gentleman sent it to his country-house, where, being kept alone and chained, it became so furious as not to be approached without danger : even the person who every day brought its food was obliged to leave this at some distance. " After some months' absence (says M. D'Obsonville) I returned: it. knew me afar off, as I observed by the efforts it made to get to me. I ran to meet it ; and never shall I for- get the impression which the caresses and transports of this faithful animal made upon me." A successful attempt has been made at New York to render the Elk useful in agricultural labor. Mr. Livingston, the president of the New York Society, had two of these animals broken to the har- ness. Though they had only been twice bitted, and were two years old, they appeared to be equally docile with colts of the same age. They applied their whole strength to the draught, and went on a steady pace. Their mouths appeared very tender, and some care was neces- sary to prevent them from being injured by the bit. If, upon trial, it be found that the Elk can be rendered useful in harness, it will be a considerable acquisition to the Americans. As the trot of these ani- mals is very rapid, it is probable that, in light carriages, they would out-travel the horse. They are also less delicate in their food than that animal, and will become fat on hay only. They are long-lived, and more productive than any beast of burden. The Indians have a superstitious notion that there is an Elk of such an enormous size, that eight feet in depth or snow is no impediment to 334 THE ELK, OR MOOSE DEEK. 1 \ INDIANS HUNTING THE MOOSE DEER WITH SNOW SHOES. its walking ; that its hide is proof against weapons of every description, and that it has an arm growing out of its shoulder, subservient to the same purposes as ours. They say also that this imaginary animal is attended by a vast number of other Elks, which form his court, and render him every service that a sovereign can require of them. The Indians esteem the Elk an animal of good omen, and believe that to dream of it often is an indication of long life. When suddenly roused and endeavoring to make its escape, the Elk is observed at times to fall down, as if deprived for some moments of motion. Whether this be owing, as frequently has been imagined, to an epileptic fit, or whether it only arises from fear, it is not, perhaps, easy to determine. The circumstance, however, has given rise to the popular superstition of attributing to the hoofs of the Elk the virtues of an anti-epileptic medicine: and the Indians even imagine that the animal has the power of curing itself of its own disorder, or at least of preventing an approaching fit, by scratching its ear till it draws blood. The flesh of the Elk is good ; but the grain is coarse, and it is much tougher than any other kind of venison. Ac- cording to Mr. Pennant, the tongues are excellent, and the nose is so like TBF. MOOSE DEER. THE REINDEER. 335 marrow, as to be esteemed the greatest delicacy produced in Canada, The skins make excellent tent-covers and shoe-leather. These animals inhabit the forests of Europe, America, and Asia, as far as Japan. The females generally produce their young-ones, from one to three in number, towards the end- of April or the beginning of May. THE REINDEER. feet and is TUB REINDEER. The Eeindeer is found in most of tne northern regions of Europe, Asia, and America. Its general height is about four a half. The color brown above and white beneath ; but, as the animal advances in age, it often be- comes of a grayish white. The space about the eyes is always black. The hair on the under part of the neck is much longer than the rest. The hoofs are long, large, and black. Both sexes are fur- nished with horns, but those of the male are much the largest. These are long slender, and branched ; fur- nished with brow antlers, having widely -expanded and palmated tips, directed forwards. To the Laplanders this animal is the substitute for the Horse, the Cow, the Goat, and the Sheep ; and is their only wealth. The milk affords them cheese ; the flesh, food ; the skin, clothing ; of the tendons they make bow-strings, and, when split, thread ; of the horns, glue ; and of the bones, spoons. During the winter the Eein- deer supplies the want of a horse, and draws sledges with amazing swiftness over the frozen lakes and rivers, or over the snow, which at that time covers the whole coun- try. With a couple of Eeindeer yoked to a sledge, it is said that a Laplander is able to travel one hundred and twelve English miles in a day. The Laplanders say, that they can thrice change the horizon in twenty- four hours ; that is, they can three times pass that object, which, at their setting out, they saw the greatest distance their eyes could reach. REINDEER AND SLEDG2. 336 THE REINDEER. The sledge is formed somewhat like a boat, having a back-board in it for the rider to lean against. Its bottom is convex, and none but a person well practised in such a mode of travelling can preserve him- self a moment from being overset. It is square behind, but projects to a point before. The traveller is tied in it like a child in a cradle. He manages his carriage with great dexterity, by means of a stick with a flat end, to remove stones or any obstructions he may meet with. To the peak in fron: a thong is fixed, which yokes the Rein- deer. The bit is a piece of narrow leather, tacked to the reins of the bridle over the animal's head and neck ; and from the breast a leathern strap, passing under the belly, is fastened to the front part of the sledge. Before the Laplander enters the sledge he puts on his gloves, afterwards he places himself in it, taking the rein or halter fastened to the Reindeer's head, and tying it about his right thumb. In the mean time the Deer stands still, and the rein hangs on the left side. When the man is ready to set off, he shakes the rein with violence from side to side, and the animal springs forward with great speed. The driver directs the course of the Deer, which is irregular and serpentine, by pulling the rein on the side he would have him go ; and encourages him with his voice. It is for this purpose that the love- songs of the Laplanders are in general composed ; and among these are found some beautiful specimens of the poetry of a rude and uncivilized nation. It must appear wonderful that the Laplanders should be able to travel in winter, by night as well as by day, when the earth presents one entire surface of snow, and not a single vestige is discoverable of human industry to direct their way, the snow at the same time flying about in all directions, and almost blinding them : yet. it is certain that they have no difficulty to find the spot to which they are bound, and very rarely meet with any accident. They fix bells to the harness of the Reindeer, in order that they may be kept together by hearing, when they cannot see one another, after the light of their short day fails them. To guide them in their route, the Laplanders observe the quarter from which the wind blows, and at night are directed by the stars. The missionary Leems, who resided ten years among this people, remarks, that during the whole of that time he did not remember more than one fatal accident having happened from this mode of tKavelling. A rich Laplander is often possessed of a herd of more than a thou- sand Reindeer. In autumn these seek the highest hills, in order to avoid the Lapland Gad-fly. The skins of the Reindeer, after they are killed, are sometimes found to be as full of holes as a sieve, from the operations of these insects, which, at that time, deposits its eggs in their skins. This insect is the pest of the Reindeer, and numbers die that are thus visited. The moment a single fly appears, the whole herd instantly perceive it; they fling up their heads, toss about their horns, and at once attempt to fly for shelter amidst the snows of the loftiest mountains. In summer they feed on several kinds of plants ; but during winter on the Reindeer liverwort, to get at which, as it lies far beneath the snow, they dig with their feet and antlers. It is, THE REINDEER. 337 therefore, a most kind dispensation of Providence, that, in the Deer, the only tribe living among snows, most of the females should be furnished with horns, the more readily to provide themselves with food. But besides this there is another lichen, that hangs on the Lapland pine-trees, and which affords sustenance to the Eeindeer when the snows are too deep for them to reach their usual food. In severe winters, when the snow is impenetrably frozen, the boors fre- quently cut down some thousands of these moss-clad trees, for the sup- port of their herds. During the summer these animals lose their vigor and swiftness, and are soon overcome by the heat. Mr. Consett saw many of them reclining in the woods, and apparently so enfeebled as scarcely to be able to move out of the way. When thus oppressed, they frequently make a noise like the grunting of a hog. Besides the Gad-fly, the Eeindeer have several other enemies, the chief of which are Bears and Wolves; but unless they are taken by surprise, or are attacked when their horns are newly shed, they are able to defend themselves against the attacks of these animals, and even entirely to drive them away. The Reindeer are able to swim with such incredible force and swiftness across the widest rivers, that a boat with oars can scarcely keep pace with them. They swim with their bodies half above water, and will pass a river or a lake even in the coldest weather. All persons who have described the Reindeer have noticed a crack- ing noise which they make when they move their feet. This has been attributed to the animals separating and afterwards bringing to- gether the divisions of the hoofs. As the Reindeer inhabit a country generally covered with snow, such a construction of their hoofs is ad- mirably adapted to the surface they have most commonly to tread, as it prevents them from sinking too deeply into it. Pontoppidan tells us, that " the Reindeer has over his eye-lids a kind of skin, through which it peeps, when otherwise, in hard showers of snow, it would be obliged to shut its eyes entirely." He, however, seems to have mistaken this for, probably, a breathing-hole, somewhat similar to that near the eye of the Fallow Deer, and some of the species of Antelope. The Reindeer cast their horns annually. The rudiments of the new horns are at first covered with a kind of wooly membrane, which the creature, after some time, rubs off. They also change their hair every spring, during which time they are lean, and of little use. The female begins to breed at the age of two years, goes with young eight months, and generally brings forth two at a time. The fondness of the dam for her offspring is very remarkable. They follow her two or three years, but do not acquire their full strength until four. It is at this age that they are trained to labor ; and they continue serviceable for four or five years. They seldom outlive the age of fifteen or sixteen. In Siberia, where they are extremely numerous, these animals meet with a more rough and savage usage than their fellows experience from the harmless Laplanders. In the woody districts, where springes, fire-arms, and spring- guns can be applied, the natives resort to such, 338 THE RED DEER. for either the taking or killing of this harmless animal : but in open plains, where these contrivances would fail, many other means have been invented. Those adopted by the Sainoydes seem the most com- mon. These people go out in parties for the purpose of killing Eeindeer ; and when they perceive a herd, they station several tame Eeindeer, which they bring with them, on an elevated plain to the windward. Then, from this place to as near the savage herd as they can venture to come without alarming them, they put into the snow long sticks, at small distances, and to each of them tie a goose's wing, which flutters about freely with the wind. This being done, they plant similar sticks and pinions on the other side, under the wind; and the Eeindeer being busy with their pasture beneath the snow, and being chiefly guided by their scent, generally observe nothing of these preparations. When everything is ready, the hunters separate; some hide them- selves behind their snowy entrenchments, while others lie with bows and other weapons in the open air to the leeward; and others again go to a distance, and , drive, by a circuitous route, the game between the terrific pinions. Scared by these, the wild Eeindeer run directly to the tame ones, which are standing by the sledges; but here they are alarmed by the concealed hunters, who drive them to their companions that are furnished with arms, and these immediately commit terrible slaughter among them. If it happen that a savage herd are feeding near a mountain, the hunters hang up their clothes on stakes about the foot of the mountain, making also, with the same frightful pinions, a broad passage towards it, into which they drive the game. As soon as they are come into this path, the women go with their sledges directly across the further end of it, shutting the Eeindeer in ; these immediately run round the mountains, and at every turn are fired at by the hunters. Sir Henry George Lyddell, Bart., brought with him from Lapland, in the year 1786, five Eeindeer, which he kept at his seat of Eslingtou Castle, in Northumberland. They bred, and there was every prospect that they would succeed and even become prolific; but, unfortunately, some of them were killed, and others died in consequence of a disor- der similar to that called the rot in sheep, supposed to have been occa- sioned by the richness of the grass on which they fed. THE RED DEER. The height of these animals at the shoulder, is about three feet and a half. The males only are horned ; and the horns, which are much branched, are rounded through their whole length. The general color of the hair is reddish brown on the upper, and white on the under parts of the body. The elegance and beauty of this animal have always been much ad- mired. Eed Deer are natives of many parts of Europe, and are sup- posed to have originally been introduced into England from France. About a century back, however, they were found in a state of nature THE RED DEER. 339 THE RED DEER. in many of the wild and mountainous parts of Wales ; and Stags are sometimes seen in a wild state, even now, in the forests of Exmoor, in Devonshire, and the woods on the Tamar. There is here an annual Stag-hunt, under the pat- ronage of the Ackland family. Mr. Stackhouse, of Pendarvis in Cornwall, informs me, that he once saw a wild Hind that had been killed near Launceston. Red Deer are also still occasion- ally found in the Highlands of Scotland. These animals live in herds of many females and their young, headed by one male. They fre- quent the forests, browsing on grass, or the leaves and buds of various trees. The males only have horns, and these are always shed in the spring. During the first year, the young animals have no horns, but only a rough excrescence, covered with a thin, hairy skin, in place of them. In their second year the horns are straight, and without branches; during the fol- lowing year they acquire two antlers or branches ; and they generally have an additional one every year till their sixth, from which time tho animals may be considered at maturity. When the Stag sheds his horns, he seeks the most retired places, and feeds only during the night ; for otherwise the flies settle on the soft skiu of the young horns, which is ex- quisitely tender, and keep the animal in continual torture. The place of the horn is, for a little time, occupied by a soft tumor full of blood, and is covered with a downy substance like velvet. This increases daily, and, at length, the antlers shoot out. The horns of the Stag are round through their whole length : this constitutes a dis- tinguishing characteristic between them and the horns of the fallow Deer; the latter, where they branch off, being flatted for the breadth of more than a hand. The sense of smelling and hearing are, in this animal, remarkably acute. On the slightest alarm he lifts his head, erects his ears, and stands for a few minutes as if in a listening posture. Whenever he ventures upon unknown ground, or quits his native coverts, he first stops at the skirts of the plain to examine all round ; he next turns 22 340 THE RED DEER. against the wind, to examine by the smell if there be any enemy approaching. If a person happen to whistle or call out at a distance, the Stag is seen to stop short, in his slow, measured pace, and to gaze upon the stranger with a kind of awkward ad- miration : if the cunning ani- mal perceive neither dogs nor fire-arms preparing against him, he goes slowly forward, unconcerned, and does not attempt to run away. Man is not the enemy he is most afraid of; on the contrary, he seems to be delighted with the sound of the shepherd's pipe; and the hunters some- times make use of that instru- ment to allure the animal to TUJB .DUE. . _ its destruction. When a herd of Deer have to pass a wide river, which they are able to 'do without much difficulty, they are said to rest their heads on each other's rumps. If the leader becomes fatigued, he retreats to the rear, and suffers the next in succession to take his place. They swim with so much ease, that a male has been known to venture \ out to sea in search of females, and to cross from one island to an- other, although at a distance of some leagues. The Stag is very delicate in the choice of his pasture. When he has eaten a sufficiency he re- tires to the covert of some thicket to chew the cud in security. His voice becomes stronger, louder, and more tremulous, as he advances in age ; and, during the rutting time, it is even terrible. At this season he seems so transported with passion, that nothing can obstruct his fury ; and, when at bay, he keeps off the dogs with great intrepidity. Some years ago the duke of Cumberland caused a Tiger and a Stag to be enclosed in the same area ; and the Stag made so bold and furious a defence, that the tiger was at length obliged to give up the contest. DOE AND YOUNG. THE RED DEER. 341 The natives of Lousiana hunt these animals both for food and as an amusement. This is sometimes done in companies, and sometimes alone. The hunter who goes out alone, furnishes himself with the dried head of a Stag, having part of the skin of the neck attached to it. This, a gun, and a branch of a tree or piece of a bush, are all that he has need of. When he approaches any of the wild Deer, he hides himself behind the bush, which he carries in his hand, and ad- vances gently till he is within shot. If the animal appears alarmed, the hunter immediately counterfeits the Deers' calls to each -other, and holds the head just above the bush : then lower- ing it towards the ground, and lifting it by turns, he so deceives the Stag by the appearance of a companion, that the animal seldom fails to come towards it ; in which case the hunter fires into the hollow of his shoulder, and lays him dead on the spot. When hunters go in large parties, they form a wide crescent round one of these animals, the points of which may be half a mile asunder. Some of them approach the Stag, which runs affrighted to the other side ; where rinding them on that part advancing, he immediately rushes back again. Thus he is driven from side to side, the crescent closing into a circle, and gradually approaching, till at length he is so much exhausted, that he quietly submits to be taken alive. It sometimes happens, how- ever, that he has sufficient strength left to stand at bay; in which case he is seized from behind, but seldom in this case before some one is wounded. This mode of hunting is merely adopted as a recreation, and is called " the dance of the Deer." The poet Thomson has left us a most animated description of the hunting of this animal in England. The Stag, too, singled from the herd, where long He ranged, the branching monarch of the shades Before the tempest drives. At first, in speed, He, sprightly, puts his faith ; and roused by fear, Gives all his swift aerial soul to flight. Against the breeze he darts, that way the more To leave the lessening murderous cry behind. Deception short 1 though fleeter than the winds Blown o'er the keen-air'd mountains by the north. He bursts the thickets, glances through the glades, DOE SUCKLING FAWN. 342 THE RED DEER. And plunges deep into the wildest wood. If slow, yet sure adhesive to the track Hot streaming, up behind him come again Th' inhuman rout, and from the shady depth Expel him, circling through his every shift. He sweeps the forest oft ; and sobbing sees The glades, mild opening to the golden day; Where, in kind contest with his butting friends, He wont to struggle, or his love enjoy. Oft in the full-descending flood he tries To lose the scent, and lave his burning sides ; Oft seeks the herd : the watchful herd, alarm'd With selfish care avoid a brother's woe. What shall he do? His once so vivid nerves, So full of buoyant spirit, now no more Inspire the coursa ; but fainting breathless toil, Sick, seizes on his heart ; he stands at bay : And puts his last, weak refuge in despair. The big round tears run down his dappled face He groans in anguish ; while the growling pack Blood happy, hang at his fair-jutting chest, _ And mark his beauteous chequer'd sides with gore. HUNTING IN THE BIOHLANDS. THE FALLOW DEER. 343 The Highland chiefs of former days were accustomed to hunt Red Deer with all the magnificence of Eastern monarchs. They sometimes assembled four or five thousand of their clan, who drove the Deer into toils, or to the station where the lairds had placed themselves : but as this was frequently made only a pretence to collect their vassals for rebellious purposes, an act of parliament was passed, which pro- hibited any assemblages of this nature. Much has been said of the extreme long life of the Stag, and many wonderful stories have been related by naturalists respecting it ; but there is reason to suppose that this animal does not often reach the age of fifty years. The females generally bring forth only one young-one 'at a time; and this about the end of May or beginning of June. They take care to hide their offspring in the most obscure thickets, for almost every creature is then a formidable enemy: the Eagle, the Falcon, the Osprey, the Wolf, the Dog, and all the rapacious family of the cat- kind, are in continual employment to find out the retreat. But, what seems most unnatural, the Stag himself is an enemy, and the female is obliged to use all her arts to conceal her young-one from him, as from the most dangerous of her pursuers. At this season, therefore, the courage of the male seems transferred to the female : she defends it against her less formidable opponents, by force; and when pursued by the hunter, she even offers herself, to mislead him from the prin- cipal object of her concern : she will fly before the hounds for many hours, and will then return to her young-one, whose life she has thus preserved at the hazard of her own. THE FALLOW DEER. The Fallow Deer is smaller than the Stag, of a brownish bay color, whitish beneath, on the insides of the limbs, and beneath the tail. The horns, which are peculiar to the male, are very different from those of the Stag: they are not branched, but are broader towards the upper part, and are divided into processes down the outside. A simple antler rises from the base of each, and a simi- lar one at some distance from the first. These animals associate in herds, which sometimes divide into two parties, and maintain obsti- nate battles for the possession of some favorite part of a park: each party has its leader, which is always the oldest and strongest of the THE FALLOW DEER. 344 THE ROE. flock. They attack in regular order of battle; they fight with cou- rage, and mutually support each other; they retire, they rally, and seldom give up after one defeat. The combat is frequently renewed for many days together ; till, after several defeats, the weakest party is obliged to give way, and leave the conquerors in possession of the object of their contention. The Fallow Deer is easily tamed, and it feeds upon numerous vegetables which the Stag refuses. When these animals drink, they plunge their noses, like some horses, very deep under water, and continue them in that situation for a consider- able time; but, to obviate any incon- venience which that may occasion, says the Kev. Mr. White, in his Natural History of Selborne, they can open two vents, one at the inner corner of each eye, which have a communication with the nose. Here seems to be an extra- ordinary provision of nature worthy of our attention ; for it appears as if these creatures would not be suffocated, though both their mouth and nostrils were stopped. This curious formation of the head may be of singular service to beasts of chase, by affording them free respiration : and no doubt these additional nostrils are thrown open when they are hard run. To this account, which was addressed in a letter to Mr. Pennant, that gentleman has thus replied: "I was much surprised to find in the Antelope something analagous to what you mention as so remarkable in Deer. This animal also has a long slit beneath each eye, which can be opened and shut at pleasure. On holding an orange to one, the creature made the same use of those orifices as of his nos- trils ; applying them to the fruit, and seeming to smell it through them." ' The females produce one, sometimes two, and rarely three young- ones at a time. These arrive at perfection in three years, and live to the age of about twenty. THE EOE. The height of the Eoe at the shoulders is about two feet and a half. The horns are six or eight inches in length, strong, upright, rugged, and divided towards their extremity into three points or branches. The face is dark, and the spaces bordering on the mouth and eyes are black. In summer the hair is short and smooth, and of a bright red- dish color on the upper parts of the body; but in winter it is long and thick. The chest, belly, and insides of the thighs are white. The figure of the Roe is more elegant than that of either of the preceding kinds of Deer ; and its vivacity of disposition and graceful- ness of motion are scarcely to be exceeded. When pursued by the hunter, the Eoebuck exhibits infinite fleetness and address. THE WAPITI. 345 It is scarcely possible to hunt him down; since he can continue the course for many hours without exhaustion. He is, there- fore, seldom to be caught, except by surprise in the onset. When, however, he finds his first eftbrts to escape are likely to prove unsuccessful, he returns, and keeps the same track backward and forward, until, by various turnings and windings, he totally confounds the scent. Then, by one enormous bound, he is said to leap aside, lie flat on his belly among bushes or long grass, and suffer the dogs to pass close by his nose without offer- ing to move. In their wild state, the Eoes generally love to range among the hills and in alpine valleys, near the borders of *-.. iii n r 9 "j-ii* jvvx*. woods, into which they can fly lor shelter and security whenever they are pursued by their foes. They do not, like the Red and Fallow Deer, herd together in vast num- bers; and they are seldom to be found but in small flocks or families, consisting of the two parents and their offspring, or, in the whole, of only from three to five individuals. They seldom or never allow strangers to intermix or associate with them. During the sum- mer months they feed chiefly on grass, but they are likewise fond of the stone bramble; and in winter, when the ground is covered with snow, they browse on the tender branches of the fir and birch-trees. The period of gestation in these animals is about five months and a half; and they produce their offspring generally towards the end of April, or the beginning of May. Previously to this they drive oft' their former young-ones, to provide habitations, and to form societies for themselves. They then retire to some secure place in the woods, concealed from the observation of Foxes, and other predacious animals, and there deposit their progeny. These are two in number, usually a male and a female. Roebucks are natives of woody and mountainous countries, in various parts, both of Europe and Asia. In former ages they were very common in many districts of Britain ; but the few that are now left are chiefly confined to the Scottish Highlands. THE WAPITI. The Wapiti is one of the largest of the Deer tribe, often growing to the height of our largest Oxen. It inhabits Canada and other parts of North America, and has been confounded with the Moose. Its horns are very large, measuring nearly six feet from tip to tip. The hunters are acquainted with its peculiarities, and chase it from their knowledge of its character. It is very fond of salt, and comes in great numbers to the saline marshes, for the purpose of licking the 346 THE WAPITI. HUNTING THE WAPITI. salt off the soil upon which it has settled. Such places are called "licks," and to them the hunters resort, lying in wait for the Deer, who are sure to visit these places. It frequents the woods and copses, in which it lies so well con- cealed, that an inexperienced eye cannot perceive the animal even when it is pointed out to him, so well does its color agree with the tints of the brush among which it hides. From the branching horns which it bears, one might suppose that it would find great difficulty in forcing its way through the woods ; but, in fact, its horns are a defence instead of an incumbrance, and as it lays them flat on its back before plun- ging among the trees, they de- fend its back from the branches through which it forces its way. The skin of the Wapiti is very useful to the hunters, as they have a. method of dressing it so that it does riot become stiff and harsh after being wetted, but retains its original flexibility. This pro- perty makes it very valuable for hunting dresses, which are generally made of leather. It is very fierce, and boldly attacks an antagonist, especially if wounded. An example of its ferocity, when wounded, is given by THE AXIS. 347 Palliser in the following passage : " We were now about one hun- dred and fifty yards from the nearest of the band. I chose a fine old Stag, while Bouoharville, with an eye to superior meat, singled out a Doe! We drew up our rifles slowly, and both shots went off together. The smoke hung heavily for a second or two; when it cleared away, we espied one of the Wapiti lying down: the next instant down rolled the Stag also. We agreed to advance at the same moment, lest one or other of the animals should be able to get up and escape. On corning near my Stag, he struggled to rise, but unable to regain his feet, rolled back again. I looked towards the other, when what was my surprise at witnessing a regular combat between Bouoharville and his wounded Elk,* now trans- formed into a very formidable antagonist! Springing on her haunches, she was striking furiously at him with her fore-feet; one hoof missed him, but the other fell on his rifle, which he held up for his protection, and smashing both his ramrod and his loading stick, beat him clown on his knees. Kising a second time, she was about to repeat the attack, when my ball caught her in the side of the head, behind the eye, and with a splendid bound she fell lifeless on the broad of her back. I had made a quick and necessarily a rather dangerous shot; but I was in luck that day. 'Ah 1' exclaimed Boucharville, as he half rose from the ground, but looking at nothing till he had satisfied himself that his rifle was uninjured, 'Mais qui 1'aurait cru? Ma foil 7 continued he, 'j'ai bien chappe; une biche a une cot6 et une balle a 1'autre !' " THE AXIS. This beautiful Deer is an inhabitant of India, especi- ally of parts by the Ganges. It has frequently been do- mesticated in England, and thrives well even in open parks. The horns are slen- der, and are divided into three branches. Its usual color is a fawn yellow, spot- ted regularly with white, and a black stripe runs down the back. * This animal is often called an Elk by the hunters THE WAPITI. 348 THE GIRAFFE TRIBE. TUB LONG-TAILED DEER. THE LONG-TAILED DEER. The Long-tailed Deer is larger than the Ked Deer of Europe, darker in color, on the upper part, white underneath and with a tail eighteen inches long and black on the upper part, with broad white margins, erect when the animal runs, The horns are short and flattened, but not palmated. This species is sometimes called the Black-tailed Peer, it is found in Kansas, Nebraska, and the neighboring regions. OF THE GIEAFFE TRIBE. IN the lower jaw of the Giraffes there are eight broad and thin front teeth, the outermost of which on each side, are each deeply divided into two lobes. . In the present tribe, of which only a single species has hitherto been discovered, the horns are simple, covered with skin, blunt at the ends, and each terminated by a tuft of black hair. THE GIRAFFE. 349 TUB GIRAFFE. This animal, although nearly allied both to the Deer and Antelope tribes, is so remarkable in its structure, as, in an artificial system at least, to require a distinct classification. THE GIRAFFE. The head of the Giraffe bears a considerable resemblance to tjiat of the horse, but is furnished with erect horns, about six inches long, and covered with a hairy skin : these are blunt, as though cut off at the ends, and each tufted with a brush of coarse black hairs. The 350 THE GIRAFFE. neck is very long, thin, and erect, and has on the ridge a short, erect mane, which extends along the back, nearly to the origin of the tail. The shoulders are very deep, which has given rise to a vulgar error that the fore-legs are longer than the hind ones. This extremely singular quad- ruped is found only in the interior recesses of the forests, or upon the wildest plains, of Africa ; whence it is never taken alive,, except when young, and where it is seldom ever seen by European travellers. When they stand with their head and neck perfectly erect, many of these animals measure sixteen or eighteen feet in height. In their native wilds this singular form gives them, at a distance, the appearance of decayed trees; and the deception is not a little aided by their color, reddish white, marked with nume- rous large rusty spots. They are of a mild and timid dis- position. When pursued, they trot so fast that even a good horse is scarcely able to keep pace with them, and they continue their course for a long time without requi- ring rest. When, they leap, they lift first their fore-legs, and then the hinder ones, in the manner of a horse whose fore-legs are tied together. Their general position, except when grazing, is with the head and neck erect. They feed principally on the leaves of trees, and particularly on those of a peculiar species of mimosa, that is common in the country where they are found, and to which the ex- treme length of their legs and neck admirably adapts them. When they feed from the ground, they are under the necessity of dividing their fore-legs to a considerable distance. In preparing to lie down, they kneel like the Camel. It has generally been supposed that the Giraffe possessed neither the power nor the strength to defend itself against the attacks of other animals : this, however, seems to be unfounded ; for M. le Vaillant has asserted, that u by its kicks it frequently wearies, discourages, and distances even the Lion." The utility of the horns of the Giraffe ap- pears to be hitherto unknown: this writer says, that they are not used as weapons of defence. From divers accounts that have been left to us, this animal seems to have been known to the ancients. Heliodorus, the Greek bishop of Sicca, mentions it particularly in his time, and his description seems more original and authentic than those of most of the old writers. "The ambassadors from the Axiomitse (he says) brought presents THE GIRAFFE. THE GIRAFFE. 351 to Hjdaspes, and, among other things, there was an animal of a strange and wonderful species, about the size of a Camel, which had its skin marked with florid spots. The hinder parts, from the loins, were low, like those of a Lion; but the shoulders, fore-feet, and breast, were elevated above proportion to the other parts. The neck was small, and lengthened out from its large body like that of a Swan. The head, in form, resembled a Camel, but was, in size, about twice that of the Lybian Ostrich, and it rolled the eyes, which had a film over them, very frightfully. It differed in its gait from every other land or water-animal, and waddled in a remarkable manner. Each leg did not move alternately; but those on the right side moved together, independently of the other, and those of the left in the same manner, so that each side was alternately elevated. This animal was so tractable as to be led by a small string fastened to its head, and the keeper could con duct it wherever he pleased, as if with the strong- est chain. When the animal appeared, it struck the whole multitude with terror; and it took its name from the principal parts of its body, being called by the people, extempore, Camelopardalis." A Giraffe appears to have been brought to Cairo in the year 1507 , for Baumgarten says, that "on the 26th of October, in that year, on looking out at a window he saw the Ziraphus, the tallest creature that he ever bsheld. Its skin was all over white arid brown, and its neck was almost two fathoms long. Its head W as a cubit bug, and its eyes looked brisk and lively; its breast was upright, and its back low; it would eat bread or fruits, or any thing else they reached to it." In the year 1769, the Dutch governor of the Cape of Good Hope sent out some parties of men on inland discoveries. One of these parties, after having crossed many mountains and plains, found two Giraffes, an old and a young-one. They seized the latter, and were desirous of conveying it alive to Cape Town, but it died before their arrival. They, however, skinned it, and the skin was afterwards sent to Europe, and lodged in the Cabinet of Natural History at Leyden. The flesh of the young Giraffe is said to be good eating. The Hottentots hunt the animal principally on account of its marrow, which, as a delicacy, they set a high value upon. The appearance of this animal in its native haunts is very magnifi- cent. Mr. Gumming says, " These gigantic and exquisitely beautiful animals, which are admirably formed by nature to adorn the forests HOTTENTOTS HUNTING THE GIIIAFPE. 352 THE GIRAFFE ME. CCMMIXG8 HUNTING GIRAFFES. that clothe the boundless plains of the interior, are widely distribute!* throughout the interior of Southern Africa, but are nowhere to be met with in great numbers. In countries unmolested by the intru- sive foot of man, the Giraffe is found generally in herds varying from twelve to sixteen; but I have not unfrequently met with herds containing thirty individuals, and on one occasion I counted forty together; this, however, was owing to chance, and about sixteen may be reckoned as the average number of a herd. These herds are com- posed of Giraffes of various sizes, from the young Giraffe of nine or ten feet in height, to the dark chestnut colored old bull of the herd, whose exalted head towers above his companions, generally attaining to a height of upwards of eighteen feet. The females are of lower stature, and more delicately formed than the males, their height aver- aging from sixteen to seventeen feet. Some writers have 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 pictu- resque parasol-topped acacias which adorn their native plains, and on whose uppermost shoots they are enabled to browse by the colossal height with which nature has so admirably endowed them, he must, indeed, be slow of conception who fails to discover both grace and dignity in all their movements. There can be no doubt that every animal is seen to the greatest advantage in the haunts which nature destined him to adorn, and among the various living creatures which beautify creation. I have often traced a remarkable resemblance b> THE GIRAFFE 353 MB. HARRIS HUNTING GIRAFFES. tween the animal and the general appearance of the locality in which it is found. "In the case of the Giraffe, which is invariably met with among venerable forests, where innumerable blasted and weather-beaten trunks and stems occur, I have repeatedly been in doubt as to the presence of them, until I had recourse to my spy-glass; and on refer- ring the case to my savage attendants I have known even their optics to fail, at one time mistaking these dilapidated trunks for Camelopards, and again confounding real Camelopards with these aged veterans of the forest."^ The first living Giraffes, in the possession of the Zoologi'cal Society, says Wood, were brought by M. Thibaut in 1835. He succeeded in taking four, all of which he brought with him. One of them is still living. From this stock, several Giraffes have been born, some of which are now in England, and others have been sent to other countries. They are exhibited in most American Menageries. One of the four originals killed himself soon after his arrival, by striking his head against a wall as he was rising from the ground. A.n accident of the same nature happened recently to another animal, one of its horns being broken off, and bent backwards; but owing to the presence of mind of the keeper, who immediately pulled the horn into its place again, no bad results followed, the fractured parts uniting naturally. The tongue of the Giraffe is one of the most remarkable parts of its * Cummings Adventures, vol. i pp. 260, 270. 354 THE GIRAFFE. GIRAFFE FEEDING. structure. It is very flexible and capable of great changes of form, the Giraffe being able to contract it so that its tip could enter an ordinary quill. The animal is very fond of exercising its tongue, and sometimes pulls the hairs from its companions' manes and tails, and swallows them; nt> very easy feat, as the hair of the tail is often more than four feet long. The movements of the Giraffe are very peculiar, the limbs of each side appearing to act together. It is very swift, and can outrun a Horse, especially if it can get among broken ground and rocks, over which it leaps with a succession of frog-like hops. In this country it endures the climate well. The Giraffes in the Zoological Gardens which were born and bred in England seem very healthy and are exceedingly tame, examining the hands of their visitors, and following them round the enclosure. They eat herbs, such as grass, hay, carrots, and onions. When cut grass is given to THE GIRAFFE. 350 STOPBISINO A OIRAFFJS. them, they eat off the upper parts and leave the coarse stems, just as we eat asparagus. Giraffes have been brought to the United States at different times in the last twenty years ; but they soon die, even in the hands of the most careful and experienced keepers of menageries. The celebrated impresario and manager General Welsh, who died recently in Phila- delphia, actually fitted out and headed a hunting expedition into the interior of Africa, from the Cape of Good Hope, in pursuit of Giraffes. Two were brought to this country by him. They were the most delicately formed and beautifully colored animals ever seen ; having very light brown spots on a cream colored ground. They were the first living specimens of the Giraffe ever imported into this country; but they lived only a few months after their arrival. A very large one, with darker spots, was afterwards exhibited, which 'was imported by the way of Egypt. Figures of the Giraffe, accurately outlined, occur frequently on the ancient monuments of Egypt 23 356 THE CHAMOIS. OF THE ANTELOPES IN GENERAL. THE males are furnished with hollow horns, (seated on a bony core,) growing upwards, permanent, and annulated or wreathed. In both sexes there are eight front teeth in the lower jaw ; and there are no canine teeth either above or below Linna3us included the Antelopes in the Goat tribe, which they resemble in their horns; but they are now properly separated into an intermediate tribe between the Goats and the Deer. The Antelopes are an elegant and active tribe of animals, which inhabit mountainous countries. There they bound among the rocks with so much lightness and elasticity, as to strike the spectator with astonishment. They browse like Goats, and frequently feed on the tender shoots of trees. In disposition they are timid and restless, and the Creator has bestowed on them long and tendinous legs, pecu- liarly appropriated to their habits and manners of life. These, in some of the species, are so slender and brittle as to snap with a very trifling blow. The eyes of the Antelope are the standard of perfection in the East: to say of a fine woman that "she has the eyes of an Antelope," is considered the highest compliment that can be paid to her. THE CHAMOIS. The Chamois is about the size of the common Goat, and is of a dusky yellowish brown color, with the cheeks, chin, throat, and belly, of a yellowish white. The horns are slender, upright, about eight inches high, and hooked backwards at the tips: their color is black. At the back part of the base of each horn there is a tolerably large orifice in the skin, the nature and use of which do not yet seem to be clearly understood. The hair is rather long; and the tail short and of a blackish color. The eyes are round, sparkling, and full of anima- tion. These animals, inhabitants chiefly of the Alps and the Pyrenees, are found in flocks of from four to eighty, and even a hundred in number, dispersed upon the crags of the mountains. They do not feed indiscriminately, but only on the most delicate herbage they can find. Their sight is very penetrating, and their senses of smelling and hearing are remarkably acute. When the wind blows in a proper direction, they are said to be able to scent a man at the distance cf a mile or upwards. Their voice somewhat resembles that of a hoarse CHAMOIS. THE CHAMOIS. 357 domestic Goat: by means of this they are called together. When alarmed they adopt a different noise, and advertise each other by a kind of whistle. This the animal on watch continues as long as he can blow without taking breath: it is at first sharp, but flattens towards the conclusion. He then stops for a moment, looks round on all sides, and begins whistling afresh, which he continues from time to time. This is done with such force, that the rocks and forests re-echo the sound. His agitation is extreme. He strikes the earth with his feet. He leaps upon the highest stones he can find, again look around, leaps from one place to another, and when he discovers any thing seriously alarming, flies off. This whistling is performed through the nostrils, and consists of a strong blowing, similar to the sound which a man may make by fixing his tongue to the palate, with his teeth nearly shut, his lips open and somewhat ex- tended, and blowing long, and with great force. The Chamois scramble with astonishing agility among the inacces- CIIAMOIS HUNTER. CHAMOIS HUNTING IN WINTER. sible rocks of the country which they inhabit. They neither ascend nor 358 THE NYL-GHAU. descend perpendicularly, but always in an oblique direction. When descending, in particular, they will throw themselves down across a rock, which is nearly perpendicular, and twenty or thirty feet in height without having a single prop to support their feet. In descending they strike their feet three or four times against the rock, till they arrive at a proper resting place below. The spring of their tendons is so great that, when leaping about among the precipices, one would almost im- agine that they possessed wings instead of limbs. They are hunted during the winter for their skins, which are very useful in manufactures ; and for their flesh which is good eating. The chase of these animals is a laborious employment, as much care is necessary in order to get near them. They are shot with rifle-barrelled guns. They generally produce two young-ones at a birth ; and are said to be long-lived. THE NYL-GHAU. The height of the Nyl-ghau is somewhat more than four feet at the shoulder. The male is of a dark gray color and furnished with short, blunt horns, that bend a little for- ward. There are white spots on the neck, between the fore-legs, on each side behind the shoulder j oints, and on each fore foot. The female, which is destitute of horns, is of a pale brown color, with two white and three black 1 bars on the fore part of each foot, immediately above the hoofs. On the neck and part of the back 5 of each is a short mane ; and the fore part of the throat has a long tuft of black hairs. The tail is long and tufted at the end. Although the Nyl-ghau is reported to be an exceedingly vicious creature, yet one of these animals which was in the possession of Dr. William Hunter, was quite tame and docile. It was pleased with every kind of familiarity, alwavs licked the hand which either stroked it or THE NYL-OHAU. THE NYLGHAU. THE NYL-GHAU 359 fave it bread, and never once attempted to use its horns offensively, t seemed to have much dependence on the organs of smell, and snuffed keenly, and with considerable noise, whenever any person came within sight. It did the same when food or drink was brought to it ; and was so easily offended with an uncommon smell, or was so cautious, that it would not taste bread that was offered with a hand that had touched oil of turpentine or spirits. In February, 1820, there was a Nyl- ghau in the exhibition-rooms at Exeter 'Change. It had been there six years, and was tolerably docile, but capricious and not to be depended upon. The manner in which these animals fight is very peculiar. This was ob- served at Lord Olive's, where two males were put into a little enclosure. While they were at a considerable dis- tance from each other they prepared for the attack by falling down upon their fore knees, and when they came within a few yards they made a spring, and darted against each other At the time that two Nyl-ghaus were in his stable, Dr. Hunter ob- served, that whenever any one approached them with a hostile appearance, they immediately fell upon their fore knees ; and some- times they would do so when he came before them ; but as they never darted forward, he so little supposed this to be a hostile posture, that he rather supposed it to be expressive of a timid or obsequious humility. The force with which the Nyl-ghau can dart against any object, may be conceived from the following anecdote that has been related of one of the finest of these animals that has ever been seen in England. A laboring man, without knowing that the animal was near him, and therefore neither meaning to offend, nor suspecting that he was exposed to any danger, came to the outside of the pales of the enclo- sure where it was kept: the Nyl-ghau, with the swiftness of lightning, darted against the wood-work, and with such violence, that he shattered it to pieces, and broke off* one of his horns close to the root. This violence, it is supposed, occasioned his death, for he died not long afterwards. From this it appears, that at certain seasons the animal is vicious and fierce, however gentle it may be at other times. The first of this species that were brought into England were a male and female, sent from Bombay as a present to Lord Olive, in 1767. They bred every year. Afterwards two others were sent over, and were presented to the queen by Mr. Sullivan. These were the two above described. The Nyl-ghau is seldom found wild in any of the parts of India where we have settlements : such animals as are seen there have been brought from the distant interior parts of the country. Bernier mentions them in his travels from Delhi to the province of Cachemire. He describes the emperor's amusement of hunting them, and says that sometimes 360 THE SCYTHIAN ANTELOPE. great numbers of them are killed. In several parts of the East they are considered as royal game, and are only hunted by the princes. THE SCYTHIAN ANTELOPE. The Scythian Antelope is about the size of the Fallow Deer, and of a greyish yellow color. The horns are annulated, about a foot long, and bent in the form of a lyre. The head is somewhat large, and the neck slender. The tail is about four inches long ; naked below, clothed above with upright hairs, and ending in a tuft. The females are with- out horns. Several dreary and open deserts about Mount Caucasus and the Caspian Sea, and in Siberia, are fre- quented by these ani- mals. They chiefly confine themselves to countries where there are salt springs ; for on the plants that grow near these, and on salt, they principally feed. While feeding they frequently walk backward and pluck the grass on each side. They are migratory, collecting towards the end of autumn in flocks, which consist of some thousands, and retiring into the southern deserts. In spring they divide again into little flocks, and return to the north. It seldom happens that a whole flock lies down to rest all at the same time; some of the animals are generally stationed on watch. When these are tired, they give a kind of notice to such as have taken their rest, who instantly rise, and relieve the sentinels of the preceding hours. By this means they often preserve themselves from the attacks of wolves, and from the insidious stratagems of hunters. They are so swift, that they are able for a while to outrun the fleetest horse or greyhound ; yet such is their extreme timidity and shortness of breath, that they are soon caught. If they be only bitten by a dog, they instantly fall down, and will not again attempt to rise. In run- ning they seem to incline on one side ; and their fleetness is for a short time so astonishing, that their feet appear scarcely to touch the ground. In consequence of the heat of the sun, and the reflection of its rays from the sandy plains which they frequent, they become in summer almost blind. In a wild state they seem to have no voice, but when they are brought up tame the young-ones emit a sort of bleating, like sheep. THE SCYTHIAN ANTELOPE. THE GNOO. 361 THE ONOO, OR WILDEBEEST. THE GNOO, OK WILDEBEEST. The Gnoo, or Wildebeest, inhabits southern Africa. At first sight it is difficult to say whether the Horse, Buffalo, or Deer predominates its form. It m however belongs to neither of these animals, but is one of the bovine An- telopes. The horns cover the top of the forehead, and t' h e n , sweeping downwards over the face, turn bold- ly upwards with a sharp curve. The neck is furnished with a mane like that of the Horse, and the legs are formed like those of the Stag. It is a very swift ani- mal, and when provoked, very dangerous. When it attacks an oppo- nent it drops on its knees, and then springs forward with such force that, unless he is extremely wary and active, he cannot avoid its shock. When first alarmed, its movements are very grotesque and are thus described by Gumming : " When the hunter approaches the old bulls, they commence whisk- ing their long white tails in a most eccentric manner; then springing suddenly into the air, they begin prancing and capering, and pursue each other in circles at their utmost speed. Suddenly they all pull up together, to overhaul the intruder, when two of the bulls will often commence fighting in the most violent manner, dropping on their knees at every shock; then quickly wheeling about, they kick up their heels, whirl their tails with a fantastic flourish, and scour across the plain enveloped in a cloud of dust." When it is taken young, the Gnoo can be domesticated, and brought up with other cattle, but it will not bear confinement, and is liable to become savage under restraint. There are several species of this animal, three being satisfactorily ascertained, namely, the common Gnoo, represented in the accom- panying engraving, the Cocoon, (Catoblepas Taurina,) and the Brin- dled Gnoo (Catoblepas Gorgon), all three animals being in the British Museum. The size of the Gnoo is about that of a well-grown Ass, that is, about four feet in height. Its flesh is in great repute, both among the natives and colonists. 362 THE KOODOO: THE KOODOO. THE KOODOO. Is a native of South Africa, living along the wooded borders of rivers. It is chiefly remarkable for its beautifully shaped horns, which are about four feet in length and twisted into a large spiral of about two turns and a half. A bold ridge runs along the horns and fol- lows their curva- ture. When hard pressed it always takes to the water, and endeavors to escape by its powers of swimming. Al- though a large ani- mal, nearly four feet in height, it can leap with won- activity. The weight of the horns is very considerable, and to relieve itself of that weight, and partly to guard them from entanglement in the bushes among which it lives and on which it feeds, it carries its head backwards, so that the horns rest on its shoul- ders. The best and fullest ac- counts of the Bland and the Oryx are to be found in Harris and Cumm ing's Ad- ventures in South Africa. An extract from Gumming will be both interesting and accurate. Of the Eland, he writes : " This magnificent animal is by far the largest of all the antelope tribe, exceed- ing a large ox in size. It also attains an extraordinary condition, being often bur- with a very large amount of fat. Its flesh is most excellent; derful partly THE KOODOO. lened THE ORYX. 363 and is justly esteemed above all others. It has a peculiar sweetness, and is tender and fit for use the moment the animal is killed. Like the Gemsbok, the Eland is independent of water. It is generally THE ELAND. diffused throughout all the wooded districts of the interior where I have hunted. Like other varieties of Deer and Antelope, the old males MR. HAERIS HUNTING THE ELAND. 364 THE ORYX. may often be found consorting together apart from the females, and a troop of these, when in full condition, may be likened to a herd of stall-fed-oxen. "I have repeatedly seen an Eland drop down dead at the end of a severe chase, owing to his plethoric habit. The skin of the Eland I had just shot emitted, like most other antelopes, the most delicious perfume of trees and grass." The height of the Eland is fully five feet at the shoulders, and its weight from seven to nine hundred-weight. The horns of the male are about a foot and a half in length, while those of the female are smaller, and sometimes without the spiral wreathing. THE OKYX. The Oryx, also a South African animal, is well known among hunters as the only Antelope that revenges itself on the Lion. When it sees the Lion in the act of springing on it, it lowers its head, re- ceiving the Lion on the points of its sharp horns. It invariably perishes by the shock, but the Lion also perishes with it. Their skeletons have more than once been seen lying together bleached on the plain. The description given of this animal by Gumming is highly graphic. " The Oryx, or Gemsbok, to which I was now about to direct my attention, more particularly, is about the most beautiful and remarkable of all the Antelope tribe. It is the animal which is sup- posed to have given rise to the fable of the Unicorn, from its long straight horns, when seen in profile, so exactly covering one another as to give it the appearance of having but one. It possesses the erect THE ORYX. mane, long sweeping black tail, and general appearance of the Horse with the head and hoofs of an Antelope. It is robust in its form THE SPRINGBOK. ODD squarely and compactly built, and very noble in its bearing. Its height is about that of an Ass, and in color it slightly resembles that animal. The beautiful black bands which eccentrically adorn its head, giving it the appearance of wearing a stall collar, together with the manner in which the rump and thighs are painted, impart to it a character peculiar to itself. The adult male measures three feet ten inches in height at the shoulder." The sharp horns of the Oryx stand it in good stead, when pursued by Dogs, as it generally kills several of them before it is vanquished, and if the hunter's rifle is not at hand, drives off the Dogs and escapes. THE SPEINGBOK. The Springbok is one of the smaller South African Antelopes. Its color is a light cinnamon red on the back, fading into white on the under part of the body, a narrow band of reddish brown separating the two colors. For a description of the habits of the animal, I must again refer the reader to Gum- ming. During his early travels in South Africa, the first object that met his eyes on waking one morning, was a herd of Springboks, which he thus describes: "On the 28th I had the satisfaction of beholding, for the first time, what I had often heard the Boers allude to, viz. a " trek-bokken," or grand migration of Springboks. This was, I think, the most extra- ordinary and striking scene, as connected with beasts of the chase, that I have ever beheld. For about two hours before the day dawned 1 had been lying awake in my wagon, listening to the grunting of the bucks within two hundred yards of me, imagining that some large herd of Springboks was feeding beside my camp; but on rny rising when it was clear, and looking about me, I beheld the ground to the northward of my camp actually covered with a dense living mass of Springboks, marching slowly and steadily along, extending from an opening in a long range of hills on the west, through which they con- tinued pouring, like the flood of some great river, to a ridge about a mile to the north-east, over which they disappeared. The breadth of the ground they covered might have been somewhere about half a mile. I stood upon the fore-chest of my wagon for nearly two hours, lost in wonder at the novel and wonderful scene which was passing before me, and had some difficulty in convincing myself that it was a a reality which I beheld, and not the wild and exaggerated picture of a 366 THE GAZELLE. MB. CUMVING'S PURSUING A GREAT HERD OF SPRINGBOKS. hunter's dream. , During this time their vast legions continued stream- ing through the neck in the hills in one unbroken compact phalanx. " "Vast and surprising as was the herd of Springboks which I had that morning witnessed, it was infinitely surpassed by what I beheld on the march from my vley to old Sweir's camp ; for on our clearing the low range of hills through which the Springboks had been pouring, I beheld the boundless plains, and even the hill sides which stretched away on every side of me, thickly covered, not with herds, but with one vast herd of Springboks ; as far as the eye could strain the land- scape was alive with them, until they softened down into a dim red mass of living creatures." The Springbok is very fearful of man, and if it has to cross a path over which a man has passed before, it does not walk over, but takes a tremendous leap, ten or twelve feet high, and about fifteen feet long, at the same time curving its back in a most extraordinary manner. It is from this habit of leaping that the Dutch Boers who inhabit the Cape have given it the name of Springbok. THE GAZELLE. The Gazelle, so famous in oriental poetry, inhabits Arabia and Syria. Its eyes are very large, dark and lustrous, so that the oriental poets love to compare the eyes of a woman to those of a Gazelle, just as Homer constantly applied the epithet ox-eyed (Rowrttj) to the more majestic goddesses, such as Juno and Minerva. It is easily tamed when young, and is frequently seen domesticated in the court-yards of houses in Sjria. Its swiftness is so great that even a greyhound THE HARTEBEEST SARRAYBE PALLAH. 367 cannot overtake it, and the hunters are forced to make use of hawks, which are trained to strike at the head of the Ga- zelle, and thus confuse it, and retard its speed, so as to permit the dogs to come up. In several parts of Syria, the Gazelle is taken by driving a herd into a large enclosure surrounded by a deep ditch. A few gaps are made, through which the ter- rified animals leap, and fall into the ditch, when they are easily taken. The height of the Ga- zelle is about one foot nine inches; its color a dark yel- lowish brown, fading into white on the under parts. THE GAZELLE. THE HARTEBEEST. Of the Hartebeest, according to Harris, the adult male is five feet high and nine long, with crooked horns, variegated color, light body, long tail and fiery red eyes. It in- habits the interior of South Africa, beyond the Orange river, iu im- mense herds. THE HARTEBEEST. THE SARRAYBE. The Sarraybe, found in the same locality, is four and a half feet high, five long, with strong, pointed horns forming two crescents at top, short neck, bulky body, slender legs, long narrow head, blackish color, variegated with purple and yellow and fiery red eyes. THE PALLAH. The Pallah is gregarious in small families or herds and inhabits the thinly wooded banks of rivers chiefly in the Bechuana country in South Africa. It is three and a quarter feet high, (the adult male,) and six feet long. Stands high on the legs; with horns twenty inches long ascending obliquely upwards, outwards and backwards. His 368 THE BLAUWBUCK REIT BUCK. ears are round, tail thirteen inches long, color above fulvous, sides yellow dun, belly white. The female has no horns. THE BLAUWBUCK. THE BLAUWBUCK. The Blauwbuck is found only on or near the banks of rivers near the Tro- pic, the Limpopo and Mariqua rivers espe- cially. It is three and a half feet high and proportionally long, has long horns upright, curved backwards and out- wards, general color sepia brown, varie- gated with deep brown and white. His hair is very coarse. The female has no horns. THE REIT BUCK. The Reit Buck is sometimes gregari- ous in small families and sometimes soli- tary. It is found in various localities of South Africa, generally among reeds. The male is two and three quar- ter feet high and nearly five feet long. Its horns are ten or twelve inches long diverging, with the points curved for- ward. The tail is ten inches long. Its color is ashy gray, tinged with ochre, white beneath, with the hair of the throat white and floating. REIT BUCK. THE DORCAS GAZELLE BLESBOK KLEEN BUCK. 369 THE DORCAS GAZELLE. The Dorcas Gazelle is two feet five inches high, with a very slen- der body, long neck, small head and pointed ears. The horns are nine inches long, slender and pointed. The hair is soft and woolly, the general color whitish gray. The tail is about five inches long. It is found within the colony of the Cape of Good Hope, in small troops, amongst hills and rocks. THE DORCAS GAZELLE. THE BLESBOK This Antelope is about twenty-two inches high at the shoulder, with curved horns. Its fur is thick, general color oliv r e. It is com- mon north of the Cape of Good Hope, inhabiting the plains in vast herds. THE KLEEN BUCK. This is a timid, delicate Antelope, living in pairs among the rocks, near the Cape of Good Hope. It is difficult to take or shoot, on account of its extreme shyness. 370 THE COMMON GOAT. OF THE GOAT TEIBE IN GENERAL. THE horns of these animals are hollow, rough, and compressed : they rise somewhat erect from the top of the head, and bend backwards. In the lower jaw there are eight front teeth, and in the upper jaw none ; and no canine-teeth in either. The chin is bearded. The animals of the Goat kind live principally in retired mountain- ous situations, and have a rank and unpleasant smell, especially the males. Although very shy and timid in a wild state, they are easily rendered domestic, and even familiar. They differ from sheep not only in the erect position of their horns, but also when they fight, in rising on their hind legs, and turning their head on one side to strike ; for rams run full tilt at each other with their heads down. THE COMMON GOAT. The Goat is a lively, playful animal, and easily familiarized; being sen- sible of caresses, and ca- pable of a considerable degree of attachment. His disposition, however, is extremely inconstant, which is marked by the irregularity of all its ac- tions : he walks, stops short, runs, leaps, ap- proaches or retires, shows or conceals himself, or flies off, as if actuated by mere caprice, and without any other cause than what arises from the eccentric vivacity of his temper. In some instances these animals, from their extreme familiarity, have become troublesome. "In the year 1698, (says M. de Buffon,) an English vessel having put into the harbor of the island of Bonavista, two negroes went on board, and offered the captain as many Goats as he chose to carry away. He expressed his surprise at this offer ; but the negroes informed him that there were only twelve persons on the island, and that the Goats multiplied so fast as to become exceedingly troublesome; for, instead of being difficult to catch, they followed the people about like domestic animals, with an unpleasant degree of obstinacy." Goats love to feed on the tops of hills, and prefer the very elevated and rugged parts of mountains : they find sufficient nourishment even in the most heathy and barren grounds. These animals are so active that they are able to leap with ease and the utmost security, among THK COMMON GOAT. THE IBEX. 371 the most dreadful precipices : and even when two of them are yoked together, they will, as it were by mutual consent, take the most dan- gerous leaps, and exert their efforts in such perfect unison as generally to accomplish them unhurt. In mountainous countries they render considerable service to man- kind : the flesh of the old ones is salted as winter provision, and their milk is used in many places for the making of cheese. The flesh of the Kid is equal in flavor to the most delicate lamb. M. Sonnini, in his edition of Buffon's Natural History, has given us a curious instance of the readiness with which the Goat will permit itself to be sucked by animals of a different kind, and far larger size, than itself. He assures us that he saw, in the year 1780, a foal, that had lost its mother, thus nourished by a Goat, which was placed on a barrel, in order that the foal might suck with greater convenience. The foal followed its nurse to pasture, as it would have done its parent, and was attended with the greatest care by the Goat, which always called it back by her bleatings, when it wandered to any distance from her. Goats are exceedingly numerous in South Guinea ; and some of the negroes there have a singular notion that their strong and offensive smell was given to them, as a punishment, for having requested of a certain female deity, that they might be allowed to anoint themselves with a kind of aromatic ointment which she used herself. Offended at the request, they say, she took a box containing a most nauseous com- pound, and rubbed their bodies with it ; and that this had so powerful an effect, as to cause the unpleasant smell thence produced to continue ever afterwards. THE IBEX. The male Ibex is larger than the tame Goat, but resembles it much in ap- pearance. The head, in proportion to the body, is small. The eyes are large, round, and bril- liant. The horns are large, weighing some- times sixteen or eighteen pounds, and measuring from two to four feet in length : they are flattened before, round behind, and divided by several trans- verse ridges; are bent backward, and of a dusky brown color. The beard is long, the legs are sleu- 24 372 THE IBEX. HUNTING THE IBEX. der, and the body is short, thick, and strong. The tail is short, and naked beneath. The hair is long, and of a brownish or ash-color, with a streak of black running along the back. The belly and thighs are of a delicate fawn-color. The female is about a third less than the male, and not so corpulent. Her color is less tawny, and her horns not above eight inches long. These animals assemble in flocks, consisting of sometimes ten or fifteen, but generally of smaller numbers. They feed during the night in the highest woods ; but at sun -rise they quit the woods, and ascend the mountains, feeding in their progress, till they have reached the most considerable heights. They are generally seen on the sides of the mountains which face the east or south, and they lie down in the highest places and hottest exposures ; but when the sun is declining, they again begin to feed and to descend towards the woods ; whither they also retire when it is likely to snow, and where they always pass the winter. The males that are six years old and upwards, hunt more elevated places than the females and younger animals ; and, as they advance in age, they become more inclined to solitude. They also become gradu- ally hardened against the effects of extreme cold, and frequently live entirely alone. The season for hunting the Ibex is during the months of August and September, when they are usually in good condition. None but the inhabitants of the mountains engage in this chase ; for it not only requires a head that can bear to look down from the most tremendous heights without terror, but address, and surefootedness in the most difficult and dangerous passes, and also much strength, vigor, and ac- tivity. Two or three hunters usually associate in the perilous occupa- tion : they are armed with rifled-barrelled guns, and furnished with small bags of provisions ; they erect a miserable hut of turf among the THE IBEX. 373 heights, where, without fire or covering, they pass the night ; and, on waking in the morning, they not mifrequently find the entrance blocked up with snow three or four feet deep. Sometimes, in pursuit of this animal, being overtaken by darkness, amid crags and preci- pices, they are obliged to pass the whole night standing, and embraced together, in order to support each other, and to prevent themselves from sleeping. As the animals as- cend into the highest regions very early in the morning, it is ne- cessary to gain the heights before them, otherwise they scant the hunters, and be- take themselves to flight. It would then be in vain to follow them ; for, when once they begin to escape, they never stop till they are entirely out of danger, and they will even sometimes run for ten or twelve leagues before they rest. Being very strong, when they are close pressed they not unfre- qnently turn upon the incautious huntsman, and tumble him down the precipice, unless he has time to. throw himself upon the ground, and let the animal pass over him. It is said also, that when they cannot otherwise avoid the hunter, these animals will cast themselves down the steepest precipices, and fall on their horns in such a manner as to escape unhurt. It is even pretended, that, to get out of the reach of huntsmen, they will hang by their horns over the precipices, on some projecting tree, and remain suspended till the danger is over. The Ibex can mount a perpendicular rock fifteen feet high, at three leaps, or rather at three successive bounds of five feet each. It does not seem as if he found any footing on the rock : he appears to touch it merely to be repelled, like an elastic substance striking against a hard body. He is not supposed to take more than three successive leaps in this manner. If he be between two rocks which are near each other, and he want to reach the top, he leaps alternately from the side of one rock to that of the other till he has attained the sum- IBEX HUNTERS IN TROUBLE. 374 THE SYRIAN GOAT. mit. The fore-legs being considerably shorter than the hinder ones, enable these animals to ascend with much more ease than to descend ; and on this account it is that nothing but the severest weather will induce them to go down into the valleys. Their voice is a short, sharp whistle, not much unlike that of the Chamois : sometimes they make a kind of snort, by breathing hard through their nostrils, and when young they bleat. The female exhibits the greatest tenderness and attachment for her offspring, and will defend it even against the attacks of Wolves and Eagles. THE SYRIAN GOAT. The Syrian Goat is distinguished by long, silky hair, and very long pendent ears It is found in Syria and Asia Minor. THE COMMON SHEEP. OF SHEEP IN GENERAL. 375 THE horns of Sheep are hollow, wrinkled, and perennial ; bent backward and outward into a circular or spiral form, generally at the sides of the head. The lower jaw has eight front-teeth : there are no teeth in the upper jaw, nor any canine teeth in either. Few animals render greater or more essential services to mankind than the Sheep. They supply us with both food and clothing; and the wool alone of the common Sheep affords, in some coun- tries, an astonishing source of industry and wealth. These are all harmless animals, and, in general, exceedingly shy and timid. Both in running and leaping they exhibit much less activity than the goats. They collect, in a wild state, into small flocks; and, though they do not altogether avoid the mountains, they generally prefer dry and open plains. They fight by butting against each other with their horns, and threaten by stamping on the ground with their feet. Their period of gestation is about five months, and the females usually produce one, sometimes two, and rarely three young-ones at a birth. There are, strictly speaking, only two different species of Sheep : but of the common Sheep there are no fewer than ten or twelve very distinct varieties. THE COMMON SHEEP. Sheep are highly useful animals. When enslaved by man, they tremble at the voice of the shepherd or his Dog ; but, on the extensive mountains where they range almost without control, and where they seldom depend on the aid of the shepherd, they assume a very differ- ent mode of conduct. In these situations a Earn or a Wedder will boldly attack a single Dog, and often come off victorious ; but, when the danger is more alarming, they have recourse to the collected strength of the whole flock. On such occasions they draw up into a body, and place the females and young-ones in the centre, whilst the males take the foremost ranks, keeping close by each other. Thus an armed front is presented on all quarters, that cannot easily be attacked without danger of destruction to the assailant. In this man- ner they wait with firmness the approach of the enemy ; nor does their courage fail them in the moment of attack; for, when the 376 THE COMMON SHEEP. aggressor advances within a few yards of the line, the Earns dart upon him with such im- petuosity as to lay him dead at their feet. THE COMMON SHEEP. feet, un- less he save himself by timely flight. Against the attacks of single Dogs, o r Foxes, when in this jj situation, they are per- f fectly secure. A sin- gle Earn, regardless of danger, will some- times engage a Bull; and, his forehead be- ing much harder than that of any other ani- mal, he seldorn fails to conquer ; for the Bull, by lowering his head, receives the stroke of the Earn between his eyes, which usually brings him to the ground. The Sheep, in the mountainous parts of Wales, where the liberty they enjoy is so great as to render them very wild, do not always collect into large flocks, but sometimes graze in parties of from eight to a dozen, of which one is stationed at a distance from the rest, to give notice of the approach of danger. When the sentinel observes any one advancing, at the distance of two or three hundred yards, he turns his face to the enemy, keeping a watchful eye upon his motion s, and allowing him to approach as near as eighty or a hundred yards ; but, when the suspected foe manifests a design of coming nearer, the watchful guard alarms his comrades by a loud hiss or whistle, twice or thrice repeated, when the whole party instantly scour away with great agility, always seeking the steepest and most inaccessible parts of the mountains. It is very singular that in the Holms round Kirkwall, in the island of Mainland, one of the Orkneys, if a person about the lambing-time enters with a Dog, the Ewes suddenly take fright, and through the influence of fear, as it ig imagined, they instantly drop down dead, as though their brain had been pierced with a musket-ball. 'No country produces finer Sheep than Great Britain ; and their fleeces are large, and well adapted to the various purposes pf clothing. Of these, the Sheep that are bred in Lincolnshire and the northern counties are most remarkable for their size, and for the quantity of wool which they bear. In other parts of England they are generally smaller; and in the mountainos districts of Wales and Scotland they are very small. Besides the fleece, there is scarcely any part of this animal but what is useful to mankind. The flesh is a delicate and wholesome food. The skin, dressed, forms different parts of our apparel ; and is used for the covers of books. The entrails, properly prepared and twisted, serve for strings to various kinds of musical instruments. THE COMMON SHEEP. 377 The bones, calcined, form materials for tests for the refiner. The milk is thicker than that of Cows, and consequently yields a greater quantity of but- ter and and in SHEEP AND LAMB. cheese , some places is so rich, as not to produce the cheese with- out a mixture of water to make it part from the whey. There are in the voices of all animals innu- merable tones, perfectly under- stood by each other, and en- tirely beyond our powers of dis- crimination. It should seem somewhat remarkable that the Ewe can always distinguish her own Lamb, and the Lamb its mother, even in the largest flocks. And at the time of shearing, when the Ewes are shut up in a pen from the Lambs, and turned loose one by one as they are shorn, it is pleasing to see the meeting between each mother and her young-one. The Ewe immediately bleats to call her Lamb, which instantly obeys the well-known voice, and, returning the bleat, comes skipping to her. At first it is startled by her new appearance, and approaches her with some degree of fear, till it has corrected the sense of sight by those of smelling and hearing. Various sorts of insects infest the Sheep, but that which is the most teasing to them is a species of gadfly, (the oestrus ovis of Linnaeus.) that deposits its eggs on the inner margins of their nostrils, occasion- ing them to shake their heads violently, and thrust their noses into the dust or gravel. The larvae, or grubs of these insects, when hatched, crawl up into the frontal sin- uses, and, after they are full fed and ready to undergo their change, they are again dis- charged through the nostrils. The French Shepherds have a practice of relieving the Sheep by trepanning them, and taking out the maggot : this is sometimes practised in England, but not always with success. Sheep have, besides ,. ,. T n ,-,/ THE SHEEP. this, a kind ot tick (acarus redvvius] amongst their wool, and are subject to a species of fluke- 37S THE ICELANDIC SHEEP BR(?AD-TAILED SHEEP. worms (fasciola Tiepaticd) in the liver. An excellent variety of the common sheep, the Merino, was introduced into the United States from Spain about 40 years ago, and is now generally diffused over the northern and middle states. THE ICELANDIC SHEEP. The Icelandic or many -horned Sheep differ from ours in several particulars. They have straight, upright ears, a small tail, and some- times four or five horns. In a few instances these animals are kept in stables during winter ; but by far the greatest number of them are left to seek their own food _,__^_ in the open plains. In stormy Wea- ther they hide themselves in caves from the fury of the elements ; but when retreats of this kind are not to be found, they collect together during the heavy falls of snow, and place their heads near each other, with their muzzles downward towards the ground. This not only prevents their _ _ _ _ being so easily buried under the snow ICELANDIC SHEEP ATTACKED EVOLVES, as they otherwise would be, but, in many cases enables their owner to dis- cover them. In such situations they will sometimes remain for several days ; and there have been many instances of hunger forcing them to gnaw each other's wool. After the storm has ceased, they are sought for and disengaged. A good Icelandic Sheep will yield from two to six quarts of milk a day ; and of this the inhabitants make butter and cheese. But the chief profit is derived from their wool, which is not shorn, but re- mains on till the end of May, when it loosens of itself, and is stripped off at once, like a skin. The whole body is by this time covered again with new wool, which is short and extremely fine. It continues to grow during the summer, and becomes towards autumn of a coarser texture, is very shaggy, and somewhat resembles camel's hair. This covering enables the Sheep to support the rigors of winter ; but if, after they have lost their fleece, the spring prove wet, the inhabitants sew a piece of coarse cloth round the stomachs of the weakest, to guard them against its ill effects. THE BROAD-TAILED SHEEP. In their general appearance, with the exception of the tail, these animals do not much differ from the European Sheep. The tail, how- ever, is so large, as sometimes to weigh nearly one-third of the whole carcass. It is entirely composed of a substance between marrow and fat, which serves for culinary purposes instead of butter ; and, being THE ARGALI. 379 cut into small pieces, makes an ingredient in various dishes. When the animal is young, this is a little inferior to the best marrow. Sheep of this description are usually kept in yards, so as to be in little danger of injuring their tails as they walk about ; but when they run in the fields, the shepherds, in several parts of Syria, fix a thin piece of board on the under part, and to this board are sometimes added small wheels : whence, with a little exaggeration, we have the story of the Oriental Sheep having carts to carry their tails. Their fleeces are exceedingly fine, long, and beautiful ; and, in Thibet are worked into shawls, which form a considerable source of wealth to the inhabitants. These Sheep are found in the neighborhood of Aleppo ; in Barbary, Ethiopia, and some others of the eastern countries. THE BROAD-TAILED SHEEP. THE ARGALI. The Argali, or wild Sheep, have large horns, arched semicircularly backward, and diver- gent at their tips ; wrin- kled on their upper sur- face, and flatted be- neath. On the neck are two pendent hairy dew-laps. This Sheep is about the size of a small deer, and in sum- mer is of a brownish- ash color, mixed with grey on the upper parts, and whitish beneath. In winter the former changes to a rusty, and the latter to a whitish Jjjf\ gray; and the hair be- 1|| comes considerably B" longer. The horns of some of the old Earns are said to be of such an enormous size, as to weigh fifteen or sixteen THE ARGALI. pounds each. The Argali abound in Kamtschatka, where they supply the inhabi- tants both with food and clothing. Their flesh, and particularly their fat, are esteemed by the Kamtschadales as diet fit for the gods; and 380 THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SHEEP. HUNTING THE AHGALI. there is no labor which this people will not undergo in the chase of these animals. Whole families abandon their habitations in the spring of the year, and occupy the entire summer in this employment, amidst the steepest and most rocky mountains, fearless of the dreadful preci- pices which often overwhelm the eager sportsmen. These animals are shot with. guns or with arrows; sometimes with cross-bows placed in their paths. They are sometimes chased by dogs, but their fleetness leaves these far in the rear. The purpose, however, is answered : they are driven to the heights, where they often stand and view, as it were with contempt, the dogs below : while their atten- tion is thus occupied, the hunter creeps cautiously within reach, and brings them down with his gun. In some of the other northern countries a great multitude of horses and dogs are collected together, and a sudden attempt is made to sur- round them. But great caution is requisite ; for, if the animals, either by sight or smell, perceive the approach of their enemies, they instantly escape, and secure themselves among the lofty and inaccessible sum- mits of the mountains. Besides Kamtschatka, the Argali are found in all the alpine regions of the centre of Asia; and on the highest mountains of Barbary, Corsica and Greece. THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SHEEP. This animal, called also, the American Argali and the Big Horn, is found among the Rocky Mountains in North America. They are not larger than a common Sheep. Their color is a light fawn, wool thick, and their horns enormous, so that when hard pressed by the hunter, or even when sporting alone, they do not hesitate to drop from a preci- WALLACHIAN SHEEP. 381 ROCKY MOUNTAIN BHEEP DEVOURED BT EAGLES AXD WOLVES. pice, and falling head foremost, they alight on their horns, and instantly recover their footing without injury. They are exceedingly shy, and almost unapproachable by any but the most skilful hunter. WALLACHIAN SHEEP. This animal is thus referred to in the Penny Magazine : "A few years since, a splendid Ram which came from Mount Parnas- sus was presented by Dr. Bowring to the Zoological Society. Like its* relatives peculiar to our parts of Europe, it was very stupid, but at the same time vicious and unruly, and of amazing strength. Its horns were very large, spirally contorted, adding greatly to its striking and picturesque appearance. Its wool, if wool it could be called, differed materially in quality and tex- ture from that of our breeds. Instead of being curly and matted, or felted into a mass, it was of great length, perfectly straight, close set, and beautifully fine, falling from the middle of the back on either side of the ani- mal almost to the ground. On the face the hair was short and of THE WALLACIIIAN SHEEP. 382 OXEN IN GENERAL. rusty black, on the body it was white. To this description it may be added, that the horns of the male mostly rise almost perpendicularly from the skull, making a series of spiral turns in their ascent, the first turn being the largest, while in the female they diverge, taking a lateral direction. In the specimen, however, to which we have alluded, and which was a male, they extended laterally from the skull, and after the first turn took a downward sweep. It is probable, therefore, that as far as this point is concerned, there is a certain degree of individual variation among the breed, as indeed might be expected, seeing as we do how unfixed are all the external characters of our well-known domestic races, and how soon they are capable of being modified." OF OXEN IN GENERAL. IN the Oxen the horns are concave, smooth, and turned outward, and forward, in a semilunar form. In the lower jaw there are eight front teeth ; there are none in the upper, and no tusks in either jaw. The animals of this tribe are seldom found except in low and rich pastures and plains, or in swamps and morassy grounds. In size and bulk they exceed all the British quadrupeds except the horse. Their services to mankind are more considerable than those even of the Sheep ; for, in addition to the qualifications of the latter, they are em- ployed as beasts of draught and burden. Their voice is called lowing and bellowing. They fight by pushing with their horns, and kicking with their feet. There are about nine species ; but many of these are so nearly con- nected, as to render it difficult for the naturalist to assign a proper distinction between them. THE COMMON OX. 383 THE COMMON OX. The color of this animal is invariably white ; the muzzle is black ; and the whole inside of the ear, and about one- third part of the out- side, from the tip downwards, The horns red. are white, with black tips, very fine, j and bent down-j wards. The| weight of the |jj Bulls is fromg thirty -five to for- " ty-five stone, and of the cows, from t w e n t y-five to thirty-five, 14/6. to the stone. From this ani- mal are derived the numerous va- rieties of cattle in various parts both of the old and the new con- tinent. In its wild state it is distinguished by its great size, and the shagginess of its hair, which, about the head, neck, and shoulders, is sometimes so long as to reach almost to the ground. The horns of the wild Ox are short, sharp-pointed, strong, and stand distant from their bases. The general color of its body is either a dark or a yellowish brown. The limbs are strong, and the whole aspect savage and gloomy. Wild Oxen are found in the marshy forests of Poland, among the Carpathian Mountains, in Lithu- ania, and also in several parts of Asia. In Lord Tankerville's park, at Chillingham, near Berwick-upon- Tweed, there is a breed of wild cattle, probably the only remains of the true and genuine breed of that species at present found in this kingdom. At the first appearance of any person near them, these animals set off in full gallop, and, at the distance of two or three hundred yards, wheel round and come boldly up again, tossing their heads in a me- nacing manner. On a sudden they make a full stop at the distance of forty or fifty yards, and look wildly at the object of their surprise ; but, on the least motion they all turn round, and gallop off again with equal speed, but not to the same distance, forming a smaller circle ; and again returning with a bolder and more threatening aspect than before, THE COMMON OX. 384 THE COMMON OX, DUNTIXG WILD CATTLE. they approach much nearer, probably within thirty yards, when they make another stand, and again gallop off. This they do several times, shortening their distance, and advancing nearer till they come within a few yards, when most persons consider it prudent to leave them, not choosing to provoke them further, as it is probable that, in a few turns more, they would make an attack. The mode of killing these animals, as it was practised a few years ago, was the only remains of the grandeur of ancient hunting that ex- isted in England. On notice being given that a wild Bull would be killed on a certain day, the inhabitants of the neighborhood assem- bled, sometimes to the number of a hundred horsemen, and four or five hundred foot, all armed with guns or other weapons. Those on foot stood upon the walls, or got into trees, while the horsemen rode off a Bull from the rest of the herd, until he stood at bay, when they dismounted and fired. At some of these huntings twenty or thirty shots have been fired before the animal was subdued. On such occa- sions the bleeding victim grew desperately furious, from the smarting of his wounds, and the shouts of savage joy echoing from every side. But from the number of accidents which happened, this dangerous THE COMMON OX. 385 mode has not of late been practised ; the park-keeper now generally kills them with a rifle-gun. When the Cows calve, they hide their young-ones for a week or ten days in some sequestered retreat, and go to suckle them two or three times in a day. If any person comes near one of the Calves, it crouches close upon the ground, and endeavors to hide itself. This seems a proof of the native wilclness of these animals, and it is corrobo- rated by the following circumstance that happened to Dr. Fuller, the author of the History of Berwick, who found a hidden Calf two days old, very lean and weak. On his stroking its head it got up, pawed two or three times like an old Bull, bellowed very loud, went back a few steps, and bolted at his legs with all its force : it then began to paw again, bellowed, stepped back, and bolted as before. But being aware of its intentions, he moved aside, and it missed its aim, fell, and was so weak, that though it made several efforts it was not able to rise. It, however, had done enough ; the whole herd was alarmed, and, coming to its rescue, obliged him to retire. When any one of these animals happens to be wounded, or is grown weak and feeble through age or sickness, the rest of the herd set upon and gore it to death. There is scarcely any part of the Ox that is not of some use to mankind. Boxes, combs, knife-handles, and drinking vessels, are made of the horns. The horns, when softened with boiling water, be- come so pliable as to be rendered capable of being formed into trans- parent plates for lanterns ; an invention ascribed to King Alfred, who is said to have first used lanterns of this description, to preserve his candle time-measurers from the wind. Glue is made of the cartilages, gristles, and the finer pieces of cut- tings and pairings of the hides, boiled in water till they become gelatinous and then dried. The bones of Oxen constitute a cheap ^ substitute for ivory. The thin- nest part of the calves-skins are manafactured into vellum. The blood is used as the basis o f Prussian-blue. The hair is valu- able in various n -I OXEN 0* 1UK manufactures, and the suet, fat, and tallow, are made into Candles. The utility of the milk and cream is well known. From the circumstance of these animals furnishing the Gentoos 386 THE COMMON OX. SPANISH BULL FIGHT. with milk, butter, and cheese, their favorite food, that people enter- tain for them a superstitious veneration. There is scarcely a Gentoo to be found who would not, were he under a forced option, prefer sacrificing his parents or children to the slaying of a Bull or a Cow. Believing in the doctrine of transmigration, they are also alarmed at the idea of injuring the souls of those of their fellow-creatures that have taken their abode in these animal cases. This also tends to re- SPANISH BULL FIGHT. strain them from destroying, designedly, any of the brute creation, and to prevent them from dispossessing any being of that life which God alone can give; and they respect it in the flea equally with the ele- phant. THE ARNEE. 387 I cannot conclude the present article without a remark on the bar- barous mode of slaughtering Oxen adopted in England. Drawn with his horns to a ring, this wretched animal has his head sometimes shattered to pieces by the butcher's axe before he falls. Three or four blows are often insufficient to deprive him of sensation, and it not un frequently happens, that after the first or second blow he breaks loose from his murderers, and has to be seized and tied up afresh. Those who have heard his groans and bellowings on these occasions, will easily be convinced of the agony he undergoes. The Portuguese slay their Oxen by passing a sharp knife through the vertebrae of the neck into the spine, which causes instant death. Lord Somerville took with him to Lisbon a person to be instructed in this method of " laying down cattle," as it is termed there : this he did in the hope that the slaughtermen might be induced to adopt the same mode ; but, with unheard-of stupidity and prejudice, they have hitherto re- fused to adopt it ; nor will they probably ever do it, unless compelled by an act of the legislature. The Spaniards at home, and in their colonies, still keep up their barbarous custom of bull-fights. THE AKNEE. The horns of the Arnee are long, erect, and semilunar, flattened and annularly wrinkled, with smooth, round approaching points. A British officer, who found one of these animals in the woods in the country above Bengal, says, that its form seemed to par- take of those of a Horse, Bull, and Deer ; and that it was a very bold and daring animal. This is by far the largest animal of the cattle tribe that has hitherto been dis- covered, its usual THE ARNEE. height being from twelve to fifteen feet. It is an inhabitant of various parts of India north of Bengal, and is -very seldom seen within the European settle- ments. A herd of Arnees was, not many years ago, observed by a body of British troops, in one of the inland provinces of Hindostan, and they excited no small alarm in the whole corps. The herd no sooner per- ceived the men, advancing than they lifted up their heads, ran off to a small distance, then wheeled about, seemingly to reconnoitre ; and advancing in a body as if to attack, had such a formidable and warlike' 25 388 THE ARNEE. EUSTING THE ARNEE. appearance and withal of a kind so entirely new, that no person present could form an idea what it might mean. Their horns, each at least two feet long, rose to a great height in the air, and did not permit the troops to see distinctly whether men were mounted on the animals or not ; but in a short time they galloped off and disappeared. In the year 1790 or 1791, the crew of the Plawkesbury East Indiaman, whilst she was going up the river Ganges, and at the distance of about fifty miles below Calcutta, observed one of these animals floating in the river, still alive. A boat was immediately hoisted out, in order to chase it. A noose was soon thrown across its horns; and the Arnee was dragged to the ship's side, hoisted on deck, killed, cut up, and afterwards cooked for the use of the ship's company, who found its flesh to be a most delicate food. The animal was as big as an im- mensely large ox, though it was believed, from its appearance, to have been not more than two years old. When cut up, it was found to weigh three hun- dred and sixty pounds per quar- ter, making one thousand four hundred and forty pounds of beef in the whole carcass. On an inquiry made by Dr. Anderson, of gentlemen who had been in India, respecting cattle of large size in that part of the world, some of them mentioned animals of this kind, which they said were kept by the native princes chiefly for parade, under the name of fighting bullocks. A convincing proof that these animals are kept by the princes, and probably Wparade is obtained from an Indian painting, in which in:. AUNEE. THE AMERICAN BISON. 389 three of them are very distinctly delineated. This painting represents one of those entertainments that are given by the Indian princes for the amusement of their subjects, similar to the fights that were ex- hibited for the samo purpose on the Arena at Eome. An Elephant is figured in the act of contending with two tigers ; and, among the number of objects assembled, there are three Arnees ; these appear to be waiting apart, each under the guidance of a leader, who is seated upon his back, and has hold of a bridle in the animal's mouth. This painting is the property of Gilbert Innes, Esq., of Stow, near Edinburgh. THE AMERICAN BISON. The Ameriqan Bison has short rounded horns, pointing outwards. It is covered, in many parts, with long shaggy hair, and has a high protuberance on the shoulders. The fore-parts of the body are ex- cessively thick and strong ; and the hinder parts are compartively very slender. In the interior regions of North America immense, herds of Bisons are frequently seen. They herd in the open savannahs morning and evening ; and, retire during the sultry parts of the day, to rest near shady rivulets and streams of water. In the moist land they frequently leave so deep an im- pression of their feet, as to be traced and shot by the artful In- dians. In this undertaking, how- ever, it is necessary that the men should be particularly careful, TUE AMEBICAX BISOX - for, when they are only woundod the animals become excessively furious. The hunters go against the- wind, as the faculty of smell in the Bisons is so exquisite, that the m.oment they get scent of their enemy they retire with the utmost precipitation. In taking aim the hunter directs his piece to the hollow of the shoulder, by which means he generally brings down the animal a,t one shot; but if not killed, the Bison frequently runs upon him, and with its horns and hoofs, tears him in pieces, or tramples him to death. These animals are so amazingly strong,- that when they flee through the woods from a pursuer,, they frequently brush down trees as thick as a man's arm ; and, be the snow ever so deep, such are their strength and agility, that they are able to plunge through it much faster than the swiftest Indian can run in snow-shoes. " To this (says Mr, Hearne) I have many times been an eye-witness. I once had the vanity to think that I could have kept pace with them; *but though I was at that time celebrated for running fleetly in snow-shoes, I soon found that I was no match for the Bisons, notwithstanding they were then plunging through such deep snow, that their bellies made a trench as large a3 if many heavy sacks had been hauled through it." 390 THE AMERICAN BISON. fc In the western part of the United States the hunting of the Bison is a common em- ployment of the na- tives. They draw up in a large square, and commence their operations by setting lire to the grass, which, at certain sea- sons, is very long and dry. As the fire burns onward they advance, clos- ing their ranks as they proceed. The animals, alarmed by the light, gallop con- g fusedly about till they are hemmed in s o close, that fre- quently not a sin- gle beast is able t& escape. One of the most exciting sports in the world, is to hunt them ENRAGED BI60N HUXTINQ ON HORSEBACK. on. horseback, armea with a rifle. The hunters approach with the wind, THE AMERICAN BISON. 391 ACCIDENT IN BISON HUNTING. and, as soon as the animals smell them, they instantly seek to escape ; and the sight of the horses increases their fear, but the majority of the Bisons are, at a certain time of the year, so fat and unwieldy, as easily to be enticed to slacken their pace. As soon as the men over- take them, they endeavor to strike the crescent just above the ham, in such a manner as to cut through the tendons, and render them afterwards an easy prey. The hunting of these animals is also common in several parts of South America. It commences with a sort of festivity, and ends in an entertainment, at which one of their carcasses supplies the only in- gredient. As soon as a herd of Bisons is seen on the plain, the most fleet and active of the horsemen prepare to attack them, and, descend- ing in the form of a widely -extended crescent, they hunt them in all directions. After a while the animals become so weary, that they seem ready to sink under their fatigue ; but the hunters, still urging them to flight by their loud cries, drive them at last from the field. Such as are unable to exert the necessary speed for escape are slaughtered. The sagacity which the Bisons exhibit in defending themselves against the attacks of Wolves is admirable. When they scent the approach of a drove of those ravenous creatures, the herd throws itself into the form of a circle, having the weakest in the middle, and the strongest ranged on the outside, thus presenting an impenetrable front of horns. " There is (says Mr. Turner, who resided long in America) a singu- lar, arid affecting trait in the character of this animal when a Calf. 392 THE AMERICAN BISON. AMERICA* BISON FEMALE IS THE DISTANCE. Whenever a Cow Bison falls by the murdering hand of the hunters, and happens to have a Calf, the helpless young-one, far from attempting to escape, stays by -its fallen Dam, with signs ex- pressive of strong na- tural affection. The D a m thus secured, the hunter makes na attempt on the Calf, (knowing that to be unnecessary,) but pro- ceeds to cut up the carcass: then, laying it on his horse, he re- turns home followed by the Calf, which thus instinctively at- tends the remains of its Dam. I have seen a single hunter ride into town followed in this manner by three Calves, all of which had just lost their Dams by this cruel hunter." This gentleman is of opinion that the Bison is superior even to our domestic cattle for the purposes of husbandry, and has expressed a wish to see this animal domesticated on the English farms. He informs us that a farmer, on the great Kenawha, broke a young Bis- on to theplough ; and, having yoked it with a steer taken from his tame cattle, it performed its work to admiration. But there is another property in which the Bison far surpasses the ox, and this is his strength. "Judg- ing from the extraordinary size of his bones, and the depth and formation of his chest, (conti- nues this gentleman,) I should not think it unreasonable to assign nearly a double portion of strength to this powerful in- habitant of the forest. Reclaim him, and you gain a capital quadruped, both for the draught and for the plough : his activity peculiarly fits him for the latter, in preference to the ox." The uses of the Bison when dead are various. Powder flasks are made of the horns. The skins form an excellent buff-leather, and, when dressed with the hair on, serve the Indians for clothes, shoes, SKULL OP OLD MALE AMtRICAN* BISOX. THE EUROPEAN BISON. 393 and blankets, and find them light, warm, and soft. The flesh is used as food, and the bunch on the shoulders and the tongue are esteemed great delicacies. The bulls, when fat, frequently yield* each a hun- dred and fifty pounds of tallow, which forms a considerable article of commerce. The hair is spun into gloves, stockings and garters, that are very strong, and look as well as those made of the finest sheep's wool. Governor Pownal assures us that there may be manufactured from it a most luxurious kind of clothing. THE EUROPEAN BISOX. There can be little doubt that the Bison jubatus of Pliny (book viii. c. 15, and xxviii. c. 10), which he seems to distinguish from the Urus, was the European Bison or Aurochs; and though in the fifteenth chapter of the eighth book he mentions the tradition of a wild beast in Pa3onia called a Bonasus, after he has dismissed his Bisontes jubatij and with every appearance of a con- clusion on his part that the Bonasus, and Bison were not identical, his own description, when compared with that of Aristotle, will leave little doubt that the Bison jubatus and Bonasus of Pliny and others, the BcWuso? or of Aristotle (for THE EUROPEAN BISO.\ ATTACKED BY WOLVES. the word is written both ways), and the BI'JCOV of Oppian, were no other than the European Bison, the Aurochs (Auerochs) of the Prussians, the Zubr of the Poles, the Taurus Pwo- nius, &c. of Johnston and others, V Aurochs and le Bonasus of Buffon, Bos Urus of Boddaert, and Bos Bonasus of Linnaeus. Cuvier considers it as certain that this animal, the largest, or at least the most massive of all existing quadrupeds after the Khino- ceros, an animal still to be found in some of the Lithuanian forests, and perhaps in those of Moldavia, Wallachia, and the neighborhood of the Caucasus, is a distinct species which man has never subdued; nor do we think that any one who takes the trouble to consider the evidence on which Cuvier's- conclusion was founded will be of a 394 THE EUROPEAN BISON. SKULL OF OLD EUROPEAN BISON. different opinion. Following out this subject with his usual industry and ability, that great naturalist goes on to state (Ossemens Fossiles) that if Europe possessed a Urus, a Thur of the Poles, different from the Bison or the Aurochs of the Germans, it is only in its remains that the species can be traced; such remains are found, in the skulls of a species of Ox different from the Aurochs, in the superficial beds of certain districts. This Cuvier thinks must be the true Urus of the ancients, the original of our domestic Ox, the stock perhaps whence our wild cattle descended; while the Aurochs of the present day is nothing more than the Bison or Bonasus of the ancients, a species which has never been brought under the }^oke. [See Ox and Urus.] This ancient species is fast following its extinct congener the Urus. Pallas observes, that it is remarkable that the Aurochs does not exist in any of the vast forests of Russia and Northern Asia, whence (if it had penetrated therein) hardly any thing could have eradicated it. As late as the reign of Charlemagne it was not rare in Germany, but the range of the species is now nearly confined to the mountainous country between the Caspian and Black Seas. Cuvier in the first edition of his " Osse- mens Fossiles," considered the fossil skulls of Oxen found in Europe as be- longing to the Aurochs, and those of Siberia as the crania of an extinct spe- cies; but, in his last, he declares that he has recognized both as the skulls of the same species, and opens the question. These skulls, though they differ scarcely in any thing from those of the Aurochs, he inclines to think the remains of a different species. He gives the portrait of a cranium in the Museum at Paris, (Prome of the same.) here copied, so like, as he observes, to Skull of Europeau Bison, front view THE BUFFALO. 395 the living Aurochs, that the most practised eye can scarcely dis- tinguish it; but so fresh that he seems to think it recent, and that it owes its fossil appearance to its having been much weathered. Lyell states that the bones of the Bison have been found at North Cliff, in the county of York, in a lacustrine formation, in which all the land and fresh-water shells, thirteen in number, can be identified with species and varieties now existing in that county. THE BUFFALO. The Buffalo, in its general form, has a great resemblance to the common Ox ; but it differs from this animal in its horns, and in some particulars of its internal structure. It is larger than the Ox; the head is also bigger in proportion, the forehead higher, and the muzzle longer. The horns are large, and of a compressed form, with the ex- terior edge sharp : they are straight for a considerable length from their base, and then bent slightly upward. The general color of the animal is blackish, except the forehead and the tip of the tail, which are of a dusky white. The hunch is not, as many have supposed it a large fleshy lump, but it is occasioned by the bones that form the withers being continued to a greater length than in most other ani- mals. Buffaloes are natives of the warmer parts of India and Africa ; but they have been introduced into some of the countries of Europe, where they are now naturalized. In Italy they constitute an essential part both of the riches and food of the poor. They are employed in agriculture ; and butter and cheese are made from their milk. These animals are very common in Western Hindostan. They are fond of wallowing in mud, and will swim over the broadest rivers. During inundations, they are frequently observed to dive to the depth of ten or twelve feet, in order to force up with their horns the aquatic plants ; and these they eat while swimming. In many parts of the East, as well as in Italy, Buffaloes are domes- ticated. It is said to be a singular sight to observe, morning and evening, large herds of them cross the Tigris and Euphrates. They proceed, all wedged against each other, the herdsman riding on one one of them, sometimes standing upright, and sometimes couching down ; and, if any of the exterior ones are out of order, he steps lightly from back to back, to drive them along. A singular circumstance relative to these animals, is recorded by the navigators who completed the voyage to the Pacific Ocean, begun by Captain Cook. When at Pulo Condore they procured eight Buf- faloes, which were to be conducted to the ships by ropes put through their nostrils and round their horns ; but when these were brought within sight of the ship's people, they became so furious, that some of them tore out the cartilage of their nostrils, and set themselves at liberty ; and others broke down the shrubs to which it was found ne- cessary to fasten them. All attempts to get them on board would have proved fruitless, had it not been for some children, whom the 396 THE CAPE BUFFALO. animals would suffer to approach them, and by whose puerile manage- ment their rage was quickly appeased ; and, when the animals were brought to the beach, it was by their assistance, in twisting ropes around their legs, that the men were enabled to throw them down, and by that means get them into the boats. And what appears to have been no less singular than this circumstance was, that they had not been a day on board before they became perfectly gentle. The skin and horns of the Buffalo are its most valuable parts : the former is very strong and durable, and consequently is well adapted for various purposes in which a strong leather is required. The latter have a fine grain, are strong, and bear a good polish ; and are, there- fore, much valued by cutlers and other artificers. The flesh is said to be excellent eating ; and it is so free from any disagreeable smell or taste, that it nearly resembles beef. The flesh of the Cows, when some time gone with young, is esteemed the finest ; and the young Calves are reckoned by the Americans the greatest possible delicacy. THE CAPE BUFFALO. The fore-parts of this animal are covered with long, coarse, and black hair. The horns are thick, and rugged at the base, sometimes measuring three feet in length, and lying so flat as to cover almost all the top of the head. The ears are large and slouching. The body and limbs are very thick and muscular ; and the animal is above eight feet long THB CAPE BUFFALO. aild SIX IU height. Tll6 head hangs down, and bears a most fierce and malevolent aspect. The savage disposition, large size, and enormous strength of these animals, render them too well known in all the countries which they inhabit. In the plains of Caffraria they are so common, that it is by no means unusual to see a hundred and fifty or two hundred of them in a herd. They generally retire to the thickets and woods in the day-time, and at night go out into the plains to graze. Treacherous in the extreme, they frequently conceal themselves among the trees, and there stand lurking till some unfortunate passenger comes by, when they at once rush out into the road, and attack the traveller, who has no chance to escape but by climbing up a tree, if he is fortu- nate enough to be near one. Flight is of no avail : he is speedily overtaken by the furious beast, who, not contented with throwing him down and killing him, stands over him even for a long time after THE CAPE BUFFALO. 397 wards, trampling him with his hoofs, and crushing him with his knees ; and not only mangles and tears the body to pieces with his horns and teeth, but likewise strips off the skin, by licking it with his tongue. Nor does he perform all this at once, but often retires to some distance from the body, and returns with savage ferocity to gratify afresh his cruel disposition. As Professor Thunburg was travelling in Caffraria, he and his com- panions had just entered a wood, when they discovered a large old male Buffalo, lying quite alone, in a spot, that for the space of a few square yards, was free from bushes. The animal no sooner observed the guide, who went first, than, with a horrible roar, he rushed upon him. The fellow turned his horse short round behind a large tree, and the Buffalo rushed forward to the next man, and gored his horse so dread- fully in the belly, that it died soon afterwards. These two men climbed into trees, and the furious animal made his way towards the rest, who were approaching, but at some distance. A horse without a rider was in the front ; as soon as the Buffalo saw this animal he be- came more outrageous than before, and attacked him with such fury that he not only drove his horns into the horse's breast, but even out again through the very saddle. At this moment the Professor hap- pened to come up, but from the narrowness of the path, having no room to turn round, he was glad to abandon his horse, and take refuge in a tree. The Buffalo, however had finished; for, after the destruc- tion of the second horse, he turned suddenly round, and galloped away. Some time after this, the Professor and his party espied an ex- tremely large herd of Buffaloes grazing on a plain. Being now sufficiently apprised of the disposition of these animals, and knowing that they would not attack any person in the open plains, they ap- proached within forty paces, and fired amongst them. The whole troop, notwithstanding the individual intrepidity of the animals, sur- prised by the sudden flash and report, turned about, and made off' towards the woods. The wounded Buffaloes separated from the rest of the herd ; and among these was an old bull Buffalo, which ran with fury towards the party. They evaded this attack, and the ani- mal galloping close past them, soon afterwards fell. Such, however, had been his strength, that, notwithstanding the ball had entered his chest, and had penetrated nearly through his body, he had run at full speed several hundred paces after he had been wounded. The Cape Buffalo is frequently hunted, both by Europeans and by the natives of South Africa. In Caffraria he is generally killed by means of javelins, which the inhabitants use with considerable dexterity. When a Caffre has disco verd the place where several Buffaloes are collected together, he blows a pipe, made of the thigh-bone of a sheep, the sound of which is heard at a great distance. The moment his comrades hear this notice they run to the spot, and, surrounding the animals, which they take care to approach by degrees, lest they should alarm them, throw their javelins at them. This is generally done with so sure an aim, that out of eight or twelve, it rarely happens that a single one escapes. When the chase is ended, each man cuts off and takes away his share of the game. 398 THE MUSK OX. Some Europeans at the Cape once chased a Buffalo, and having driven him into a narrow place, he turned round, and instantly pushed at one of his pursuers, who had on a red waistcoat. The man, to save his life, ran to the water, plunged in, and swam off: the animal followed him so closely, that the poor fellow had no alternative but that of diving. He dipped over head, and the Buffalo, losing sight of him, swam on towards the opposite shore, three miles distant, and, as was supposed, would have reached it, had he not been shot'by a gun from a ship lying at a little distance. The skin was presented to the governor of the Cape, who had it stuffed, and placed it among his collection of curiosities. Like the Hog, this animal is fond of wallowing in the mire. His flesh is lean, but juicy, and of a high flavor. The hide is so thick and tough, that targets, musket-proof, are formed of it; and, even while the animal is alive, it is said to be in many parts impenetrable to a leaden musket-ball: balls hardened with a mixture of tin are, therefore, always used, and even these are often flattened by the resistance. Of the skin the strongest and best thongs for harness are made. The Hottentots, who never put themselves to any great trouble in dressing their victuals, cut the Buffalo's flesh into slices, and then smoke, and at the same time half broil it, over a few coals. They also frquently eat it in a state of putrefaction. They dress the hides by stretching them on the ground with stakes, afterwards strewing them over with warm ashes, and then with a knife scraping off the hair. THE YAK. The Yak inhabits Tartary. Of this animal in a native state little or nothing is known. The name of "grunniens," or grunting, is de- rived from the peculiar sound that it utters. The tail of the Yak is very long and fine, and is used in India as a fan or whisk to keep off the mosquitos. The tail is fixed into an ivory or metal handle, and is then called a chowrie. Elephants are sometimes taught to carry a chowrie, and wave it about in the air, above the heads of those who 'ride on its back. In Turkey the tail is called a "Horse- tail," and is used as an emblem of dignity. From the shoulders of the Yak a mass of long hair falls almost to the ground, something like the mane of a Lion. This hair is applied to various purposes by the Tartars. They weave it into cloth, of which they not only make articles of dress, but also tents, and even the ropes which sustain the tents. THE MUSK OX. The Musk Ox is a native of North America, and is not very unlike the Yak in appearance. It is covered with very long hair, which reaches almost to the ground. Its flesh is tolerably good when fat, THE ZEBU, OR BEAHMIN BULL, 399 but at other times it smells strongly of musk. The horns of this animal are united together at their base, forming a kind of shield or helmet covering the forehead. When the hunters wish to shoot the Musk Ox they conceal themselves, and fire without permitting the Oxen to see them. The poor animals seem to fancy that the report of the guns is thunder, and crowd together in a mass, so that they afford a good mark. If, however, they catch sight of one of their assailants, they instantly charge at him, and then are very dangerous enemies. Both this animal and the Yak are small, scarcely equalling in size the small Highland cattle, but the thick hair which covers them makes .them look larger then they really are. THE ZEBU OR BRAHMIN BULL. This animal is a native of India. It is a very conspicuous animal on account of the hump on its shoulders. There are different breeds of it, some larger than the English cattle, and some hardly larger than an ordinary Hog. The Hindoos treat it with great reverence, and will not suffer it to be molested. It is in conse- quence so tame and familiar that it will often walk down the streets, GROUP OF ZEBUS. 400 THE ZEBU, OR BRAHMIN BULL. singular inconsist- the Hindoo, although examine the shops, and perhaps help itself to some sweetmeats; or it will lie down in the narrow street; but no one must disturb it, they must either proceed by an- other road, or wait until the sacred animal is pleased to rise. With ency he honors the Bull with such absurd reverence, yet he has no pity on the Ox. While the consecrated Bull wan- ders with impunity through the streets, walks into shops, (china shops or otherwise.) and resents with a peevish iax, inuu. . 1 1 push ot its horns the slightest affront, the Ox is fastened to the plough, urged on by the goad, and put to every kind of labor. The Zebu-cow, although not quite so well treated as the Bull, yet enjoys more forbearance than the Ox. The general shape of the BrahminyBull, which is the sacred Bull in most parts of India, and especially in the valley of the Ganges, may be understood from the figure. In Benares, and those other cities which are crowded with the most wealthy and devout Hindoos of high caste, these animals are exceedingly numerous, thronging the streets, and the courts, and areas of the temples. They are fed to the utmost profusion, and they are very fat, indolent, and inoffensive. When left without these attentions they are smaller arid much more active, but they have been so long domesticated, or rather under the protec- tion of the people, that there are many varieties in appearance. When they are fat, the hump on the shoulders and the dewlap are very much produced, and in all conditions they have the skin of the neck furrowed with transverse wrinkles. Their general color is dun, pass- ing into blackish on the upper part, and whitish on the under. There are many varieties of these hunch-backed ones in India, but it is not .easy to say which is the original race, or whether those which are found wild be in a state of nature, or have been left in the changes of society which the country has undergone. These humped Oxen have the voice less deep than the others, and the form of the hind quarters and the insertion of the tail are different from the European varieties. BELLUAE. THE animals of the Linnean order Belluoe, have obtuse front- teeth; and their feet are armed with hoofs, in some species whole or rounded, and in others obscurely lobed or subdivided. OF THE HORSE TRIBE. THE generic characters of the Horse are six parallel front-teeth in the upper, and six in the lower jaw, the latter somewhat projecting. There is also one canine-tooth on each side, in both jaws, remote from the rest. Various and essential are the services performed to mankind, by the animals of this tribe. In many countries, they are almost the only beasts of draught and burden that are employed. They are gregarious, and in a wild state inhabit the most retired deserts. The mode in which they fight is by biting, and by kicking with their hind feet; and they have the singular property of breathing only through the nostrils. Of the six ascertained species of Horses, only one has yet been discovered on the New Continent, in a perfectly wild state, and this animal has cloven hoofs: it is an inhabitant of the mountains of South America. (401) 402 THE COMMON HORSE. THE COMMON HORSE. The Horse is a native of several districts of Asia and Africa; and in the southern parts of Siberia large herds of these animals are WILD HORSKS. occasionally seen. They are extremely swift, active, and vigilant; and havejilways a sentinel, who, by a loud neigh, gives notice to the herd of the approach of danger, on which they gallon off with aston- ishing rapidity. THE COMMON HORSE. 403 In Ukraine, where wild Horses are often found, they are rendered no otherwise serviceable to man than as food. The wild Horses on each side of the Don, are the offspring of the Kussian Horses that were employed at the siege of Asoph in the year 1697, when, for want of forage, they were turned loose. They "have relapsed into a state of nature and have become as shy and timid as the original SOUTH AMERICAN RIDDEN BY INDIANS OF THE PAMPAS. savage breed. The Cossacks chase them, but always in the wintz-i, by driving them into the valleys filled with snow, into which they plunge and are caught. Their excessive swiftness is such as entirely to exclude every other mode of capture. The Horses of South America are of Spanish origin, and entirely of the Andalusian breed. They are now become so numerous as to live in herds, some of which are said to consist of ten thousand. As soon as they perceive domestic Horses in the fields, they gallop up to them, caress, and, by a kind of grave and prolonged neighing, invite them to run off. These are soon seduced, unite themselves to the independent herd, and depart along with them; and it not unfre- quently happens that travellers are stopped on the road by the effect of this desertion. The Horss, in an improved state, is found in almost every part of the globe, except perhaps, within the Arctic Circle; and its reduction and conquest may be considered as the greatest acquisition from the ani- mal world, that the art and industry of man have ever made. As domestics, their docility and gentleness are unparalleled, and they contribute more to the convenience and the pride of man than all other animals put together. In Arabia they are found in their highest perfection, as little de- generated in their race or powers as the Lion or Tiger. To the Arabs they are as dear as their own children; and the constant intercourse,. 26 404 THE COMMON HORSE. THE ARABIAN HORSE. arising from living in the same tent with their owner and his family, creates a familiarity that could not otherwise be effected, and a traeta- bility that arises only from the kindest usage. They are the fleetest animals of the desert, and are so well trained as to stop in their most rapid course by the slightest check of the rider. Unaccustomed to the spur, the least touch with the foot sets them again in motion; and so obedient are thev to the rider's will, as to be directed in their course merely by the mo- tion of a switch. They form the principal riches of many of the Arab tribes, who use them both in the chase and in their plun- dering expeditions. In the day-time they are ge- nerally kept saddled at the door of the tent, pre- pared for any excursion their master may take. They never carry heavy burdens, nor are employed on long journeys. Their constant food, except in spring, when they get a little grass, is barley; and this they are suffered to eatTonly during the night. The Arab, his wife, and children, always lie in the same apartment with the Mare and Foal, who, instead of injuring, suffer the children to rest on their bodies and necks, without in the least incommoding them : the gentle animals even seern afraid to move, lest they should hurt them. The Arabs never beat nor correct their horses, but always treat them Avith the utmost kindness. The whole stock of a poor Arabian of the desert consisted of a Mare ; this the French consul at Said offered to purchase, with an in- tention to send her to Louis the Fourteenth: The Arab, pressed by want, hesitated a long time, but at length consented, on condition of receiving a considerable sum of money, which he named. The consul wrote to France for permission to close the bargain, and having obtained it, sent immediately to the Arab the information. The man, so poor as to possess only a miserable rag, as a covering for his body, arrived with his magnificent courser. He dismounted, and, looking first at the gold and then steadfastly at his Mare, heaved a deep sigh: " To whom is it (he exclaimed) that I am going to yield thee up '/ To Europeans! who will tie thee close, who will beat thee, who will render thee miserable ! Return with me, my beauty ! my jewel ! and rejoice the hearts of my children !" As he pronounced the last words, he sprang upon her back, and was out of sight almost in a moment. What an amiable and affecting sensibility in a man, who, in the midst of distress, could prefer all the disasters attendant on poverty, rather than surrender the animal that he had long fostered in his tent, and 'had been the child of his bosom, to what he supposed inevitable THE COMMON HORSE. 405 EASTERN HORSES. (CIRCASSIAN.) misery ! The temptatiou even of riches, and a relief from poverty, had not sufficient allurements to induce him to so cruel an act. " The Horses of the Bedouin Arabs, whose lives (says Sonnini) are spent in traversing the scorching sands, are able, notwithstanding the fervency of the sun, and the suffocating heat of the soil over which they pass, to travel for three days without drinking, and are contented with a few handfuls of dried beans, given once in twenty-four hours. From the hardness of their labor and diet, they are, of course, very lean ; yet they preserve incomparable vigor and courage." The description of the Eastern Horses in the Book of Job, is ex- ceedingly poetical and expressive: "Hast thou given the Horses strength? Hast thou clothed his neck with thunder? .Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper? The glory of his nostrils is terri- ble. He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength : he goeth on to meet the armed men : He mocketh at fear, and is not affright- ed; neither turneth he back from the sword. The quiver rattleth- against him, the glittering spear, and the shield. He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage ; neither belie veth he that it is the sound of the trumpet. He saith among the trumpets, ha, ha; and he srnelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting." In Norway, where most of the roads are impassable for carriages, the Horses are remarkably sure-footed; they skip along over the stones and are always full of spirit. Pontopiddan says, when they go up and down a steep cliff, on stones like steps, they first gently tread with one foot, to try if the stone be firm ; and in this they must be left entirely to their own management, or the best rider in the world would run 406 THE COMMON HORSE. ENGLISH HUNTER. the risk of breaking his neck. When they have to descend steep and slippery places, and such frequently occur, they, in a surprising manner, like the asses of the Alps, draw their hind legs together under their bodies, and thus slide down. They exhibit much courage when they con- tend, as they are often under the necessity of doing, with wolves and bears, but particularly with the latter. When the Horse perceives any of these animals near him, and has a Mare or Foal with him, he first puts these behind out of the way, and then furiously attacks his enemy with his fore legs, which he uses so expertly as generally to prove victorious. Sometimes, however, the bear, which has twice the strength of his adversary, gets the advantage, particu- larly if the Horse make any attempt, by turning round to strike him with his hind legs ; for the bear then instantly closes upon him, and keeps .such firm hold as scarcely to be shaken off: the Horse in this case gallops away with his enemy, till he falls down and expires from loss of blood. There are few countries that can boast a breed of Horses so excel- lent as our own. The English hunters are allowed to be among the no- blest, most elegant, and useful animals in the world. Whilst the French, and many other European nations, seem attentive only to spirit and parade, we train ours principally for strength and dispatch. Theirs, however, have the advantage of never com- ing down before, as ours do, because, in breaking, they put them more on their haunches, while, we, perhaps, throw them too much forward. With un- wearied attention, how- ever, to the breed, and repeated trials of all the best Horses in different parts of the world, ours are now become capa- ble of performing what no others can. Among racers the English had one (Childers) which has been known to pass over eight v- two feet and THE COMMON HORSE. 407 HORSE LEAPING OVER TIGER, TVHICH HIS RIDER SPEARS. a half in a second of time, a degree of fleetness perhaps unequalled by any other Horse. In the year 1745, the post-master of Stretton rode, on different Horses, along the road to and from London no less than two hundred and fifteen miles in eleven hours and a -half, a rate of above eighteen miles an hour; and in July, 1788, a Horse belonging to a gentleman of Bilter-square, London, was trotted for a wager, thirty miles in an hour and twenty five minutes, which is at the rate of more than twenty-one miles in an hour. In London there have been instances of a single Horse drawing, for a short space the weight of three tons: and some of the pack-horses of the north usually carry burdens that weigh upwards of four hundred pounds. But the most remarkable proof of the strength of the British Horses is in their mill Horses , some of which have been known to carry, at one load, thirteen measures of corn, that in the whole would amount to more than nine hun- dred pounds in weight. Though endowed with vast strength, and with great pow- ers of body, such is the disposition of the Horse, that it rarely exerts THE DRAY HORSE. THE COMMON HORSE. either to its master's prejudice: on the contrary, it will endure fatigue, even to death, for our benefit. Providence seems to have implanted IE him a benevolent disposition, and a fear of the human race, with, at the same^time, a certain consciousness of the services we can render him. One instance, however, has been mentioned, of recollection of injury, and of an attempt to revenge it. A baronet, one of whose hunters had never tired in the longest chase, once encouraged the cruel thought of attempting completely to fatigue him. After a long chase, there- fore, he dined, and again mounting, rode him furiously among the hills. When brought to the stable, the animal appeared exhausted, and he was scarcely able to walk. The groom, possessed of more feeling than his brutal master, could not refrain from tears at the sight RACE HORSE ECLIPSE, WITH TAIL DOCKED. of so noble an animal thus sunk down. The baronet sometime after wards entered the stable, and the Horse made a furious spring upon him, and had not the groom interfered, would soon have put it out of his power of ever again misusing animals. The barbarous practice of docking the tails, and clipping the hair 01 Horses, is in this country very prevalent. The former, principally with wagon Horses, under the pretence that a bushy tail collects the dirt of the roads; and the latter, from the notion that they are render- ed more elegant in their appearance. Thus, from ideal necessity, we deprive them of two parts of the body that are principally instrumen- tal, not only to their own ease and comfort, but to their utility to us. By the loss of their tail, during summer they are perpetually teased with swarms of insects, that either attempt to suck their blood, or to deposit their eggs in the rectum : these they have now no means of lashing off; and in winter they are deprived of a necessary protection against the cold. THE COMMON HORSE. 409 RACE HORSE GODOLPHIN. But, of all others, the custom that them, is the most useless and absurd. we have adopted, of nicking It is a heart-rending sight to go into the stable of a horse-dealer, and there behold a range of line and beautiful steeds, with their tails cut and slashed, tied up by pulleys to give them force, suffering such torture that they sometimes never re- cover from the savage gashes they received. And for what is all this done ? that they may hold their tails somewhat higher than they otherwise would, and be for ever after- wards deprived of the power of moving the joints of them as a defence against flies ! I have another abuse to notice, ob- servable in those who shoe Horses. The blacksmith, in order to save himself a little trouble, will frequently apply the shoe red-hot to the Horse's foot, in order that it may burn for itself a bed in the hoof. "The utmost severity (says Lord Pembroke) ought to be inflicted on all those who clap shoes on hot. This unpardonable laziness of farriers in making feet thus to fit HORSE WITH TAIL NICHED. 410 THE SHETLAND PONY THE ASS. shoes, instead of shoes to fit the feet, dries up the hoofs, and utterly destroys them;" It is of the mostruinous consequence: it hardens and cracks the hoofs, and induceseven the most fatal disorders. The natural diseases of Horses are few, but our ill-usage, or neglect, or, which is very frequent, our over-care of them, brings on a nume- rous train, which are often fatal. They sleep but little, and this, in general, on their legs. If properly treated, these animals will live from forty to fifty years. THE SHETLAND PONY. This is a small kind of Horse, found in a wild state in the Shetland Isles. When domesticated, they are still vicious and intractable. THE ASS. Wild Asses live in herds, each consisting of a chief, and several Mares and Colts, sometimes to the number of twenty. They are ex- cessively timid, and provident against danger. A male takes on him the care of the herd, and is always on the watch. If they observe a hunter, who by creeping along the ground has got near them, the sentinel takes a great circuit, and goes round and round him, as if discovering somewhat to be apprehended. As soon as the animal is satisfied, he rejoins the herd, which sets off with great precipitation. THE ASS. 411 Sometimes his curiosity costs, him his life ; for he approaches so near as to give the hunter an opportunity of shooting him. The senses of hearing and smelling in these animals are most exquisite; so that they are not in general to be approached without the utmost difficulty. "The wild Asses did stand in ^flM^^ . the high places," says the prophet Jeremiah ; " they snuffed up the wind like dragons." The Persians catch these animals, and break them for the draught. They make pits, which they fill about half up with plants: into these the Asses fall without bruising themselves, and are taken thence alive. When completely domesticated they are very valuable, and sell at a high price, being at all times celebrated for their amazing swiftness. The saltest plants of the desert, such as the atriplex, kali, and chenopodium, and also the bitter milky tribes of herbs, constitute the food of the wild Asses. These animals also prefer saltwater to fresh. This is exactly comformable to the history given of this animal in the Book of Job ; for the words " barren land," expressive of his dwelling, ought to be rendered. salt places. The hun- ters generally lie in wait for the Asses near the ponds of brackish water, to which they resort to drink. These animals are found wild in the mountainous deserts of Tartary, the south- ern districts of India and Persia, and in some parts of Africa. In their native state they exhibit an ap- pearance far superior, both in point of viva- city and beauty to the animals of t h e same species in a state of domestication. The Ass, like the Horse, was imported into America by the Spaniards : and this country seems to be peculiarly favorable to this race of animals; for, where they have run wild, they have multiplied in such numbers, that in some places they have become quite a 412 THE ASS. nuisance. In the kingdom of Quito, the owners of the grounds where they are bred suffer all persons to take away as many as they choose, on paying a small acknowledgment, in proportion to the number of days the sport of hunting them lasts. They catch them in the follow- ing manner: A number of persons go on horseback, and are attended by Indians on foot. When arrived at the proper places, they form a circle in order to drive the Asses into some valley, where, at full speed, they throw the noose, and en- deavor to halter them. The creatures, finding themselves- enclosed, make furious efforts to escape; and, if only one forces his way through, they all follow with irresistible im- petuosity. However, w h e n noosed, the hunters throw them down, and secure them with fetters, and thus leave them till the chase is over. Then, in order to bring them away with greater facility, they pair them with tame Asses ; but this is not easily performed, for they are so fierce that they often wound the persons who undertake to manage them. They have all the swiftness of Horses, and neither declivities nor precipices can retard their career. When attacked, they defend them- selves by their heels and mouth with such address, that, without slackening their pace, they often maim their pursuers. But the most remarkable property in these creatures is, that, after carrying their first load, their celerity leaves them, their dangerous ferocity is lost, and they soon contract the stupid look and the dullness peculiar to their species. It is also observable that these creatures will not per- mit a Horse to live among them. They always feed together; and, if a Horse happen to stray into the place where they graze, they fall upon him, and, without even giving him the choice of flying, bite and kick him till they leave him dead on the spot. The manner in which the Asses descend the precipices of the Alps or the Andes is truly extraordinary. In the passes of these mountains there are often on one side lofty eminences, and on the other frightful abysses ; and, as these generally follow the direction of the mountain, the road, instead of lying on a level, forms, at every little distance, steep declivities of several hundred yards downward. Places of this description can only be descended by Asses; and the animals them- selves, by the caution that they use, seem to be sensible of the danger to which they are exposed. When they come to the edge of one of the descents, they stop of themselves, without being checked by the rider ; and, if he inadvertently attempt to spur them on, they continue immovable. They seem all this time ruminating on the danger that li^s before them, and preparing themselves for the encounter. They not only attentively view the road, but tremble at the danger. Having THE ASS. 413 prepared for their descent, they place their fore-feet in a posture as if they were stooping themselves; they then also put their hinder feet together, but a little forward, as if they were about to lie down. In this attitude, having taken a survey of the road, they slide down with the swiftness of a meteor. All that the rider has to do is to keep h.xn- self fast on the saddle, without checking the rein ; for the least motion is sufficient to disorder the equilibrium of the Ass, in which case both must unavoidably perish. But their address in this rapid descent is truly wonderful ; for, in their swiftest motion, when they seem to have lost all government of themselves, they follow exactly the different windings of the road, as if they had previously settled in their minds the route they were to follow, and had taken every possible precaution for their safety. In this journey the natives, who are placed along the sides of the mountains, and hold themselves by the roots of the trees, animate the beasts with shouts, and encourage them to per- severance. Some Asses, after being long used to these journeys, ac- quire a kind of reputation for their safety and skill ; and their value rises in proportion to their fame. In Spain the breed of Asses has, by care and attention, become the finest in the world ; they are large, strong, elegant, and stately animals, they are often found to rise to fifteen hands high. The best of them are sometimes sold for a hundred guineas or upwards each. This shows that the Ass, notwithstanding all our prejudices, and our gene- rally contemptuous opinion of it, may be rendered even an elegant, as well as a useful animal. The Romans had a breed which they held in such high estimation, that Pliny mentions one of the stallions selling for a price greater than three thousand pounds sterling; and he says that in Caltiberia, a province of Spain, a she Ass had Colts that were bought for nearly the same sum. Being more hardy than Horses, these animals are preferred to them for journeys, across the deserts. Most of the Musselman pilgrims use them in the long and laborious journeys to Mecca; and the chiefs of the Nubian caravans, which are sixty days .in passing immense solitudes, ride upon Asses ; and these, on their arrival in Egypt, do not appear fatigued. When the rider alights, he has no occasion to fasten his Ass; he merely pulls therein of the bridle tight, and passes it over a ring on the fore-part of the saddle ; this confines the ani- mal's head, and is sufficient to make him remain patiently in his place. In the principal streets of Cairo, Asses stand ready bridled and saddled for hire, and answer the same purposes as hackney-coaches in London. The person who lets them accompanies his Ass, running behind to goad him on, and to cry out to those on foot to make way. The animals are regularly rubbed down and washed, which renders their coat smooth, soft, and glossy. Their food is similar to that of the Horses, and usually consists of chopped straw, barley, and beans. They here seem, says M. Denon, to enjoy the plentitude of their exis- tence: they are healthy, active, cheerful, and the mildest and safest animals that a person can possibly have. Their natural pace is a can- ter or gallop ; and, without fatiguing his rider, the Ass will carry him. 414 THE ASS. rapidly over the large plains which lie between different parts of this straggling city. The gentleness, patience, and perseverance of this animal, so much abused and neglected in England, are without example. He is subjected to excessive labor, and contented with the coarsest her- bage. The common lanes and high roads are his nightly residence, and his food is the thistle or plantain, which he sometimes prefers to grass. In his drinking he is, however, singularly nice, refusing all but the water of the clearest crooks. He is much afraid of wetting his feet, and will, even when loaded, turn aside to avoid the dirty parts of the road. His countenance is mild and modest, fully expressive of his simple and un- a ffected deport- ment. His services are too often repaid by hard fare and cruel usage ; and, being generally the property of the poor, he partakes of their wants and their distresses. He is more healthy than the horse; and though generally degraded into the most useless and neglected of do- mestic quadrupeds, he might, by care and education, be rendered useful for a variety of domestic purposes in which the horse is now employed. Were they but to pay a little atten- tion to him, we could not fail to be gainers by it. They ought also to cross the breed with the Arabian, Egyptian, or even the Spanish males ; which would produce in offspring improved both in strength and appearance. The fame of Asses being stubborn animals is, in a great measure, unfounded ; as it arises solely from ill-usage, and not from any natural defect in their constitution or temper. An old man, who some years ago sold vegetables in London, used in his employment an Ass, which conveyed his baskets from door to door. Frequently he gave the poor industrious creature a handful of hay, or some pieces of bread, or greens, by way of refreshment and reward. The old man had no need of any goad for the animal, and seldom indeed had he to lift up his hand to drive it on. This kind treatment was one day remarked to him, and he was asked whether his beast was apt to be stubborn. " Ah master, (he replied) it is of no use to be cruel ; and as for stubbornness, I cannot complain, for he is ready to do any thing, or to go any where. I bred him myself. He is sometimes skittish and playful, and once ran away from me : you will hardly believe it, but there were more than fifty people after him ; ASS AND FOAL. THE ASS. 415 MULE3 EMPLOYED TO DlUd BAILROAD CARS. attempting in vain to stop him ; yet he turned back of himself, and never stopped till he ran his head kindly into my bosom." There are said to have been no Asses in England in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. How soon afterwards they were introduced is un- certain ; they are, however, at present naturalized in the country, and their utility becomes every day more apparent. The skin of the Ass is elastic, and of use for various articles, such as drums, shoes, and the leaves of pocket-books. Shagreen is made of that part of the skin which grows about the rump ; arid at Astracan and throughout Persia there are great manufactories of it. It is not naturally granulated, that roughness being altogether effected by art. The flesh of the wild Ass is eaten by the Tartars, and is said to be a very delicate and palatable food. The milk is universally known, and is an approved specific in many disorders. It is light, easy of digestion and highly nutritious. The Mule is a mongrel breed between the Horse and the Ass. It is extremely hardy and useful, though often vicious and obstinate. 416 THE ZEBRA. TUE ZEBRA. THE ZEBRA. The Zebra, somewhat like the Mule, has a large head and ears. Its body is round and plump, and its legs are delicately small. The skin is as smooth as satin, and adorned with elegant stripes like rib- bons, which in the male are brown on a yellowish white ground, and in the female black on a white ground. Zebras inhabit the scorching plains of Africa, vast herds of them ^' affording s o m e - times an agreeable relief to the eye of the wearied tra- veller. They as- semble in the day- time on the extensive plains of the interior of the country, and by their beauty and liveliness, adorn and animate the dreary scene. All attempts to tame this animal, so as to render it serviceable to mankind, have hitherto been fruitless. Wild and independent by nature, it seems ill adapted to servitude and restraint. If, however, it were taken young, and much care was bestowed upon its education, it might, probably, be in a great measure domesticated. Several Zebras have at different times been brought into England. In the year 1814 there was one in the Tower, which was deposited there in the month of June, 1803. It had been brought from the Cape of Good Hope by lieutenant-general Dundas ; and was afterwards purchased by Mr. Bullock the master-keeper of the animals in the Tower. This animal, which was a female, was more docile than the generality of Zebras that have been brought into Europe ; and when in good humor, she was tolerably obedient to the commands of her keeper, the servant of the general, who attended her during the voyage. This man would spring on her back, and she would carry him a hundred and fifty, or two hundred yards; but by the time she had done this, she always became restive, and he was obliged to dismount. Sometimes, when irritated, she plunged at the keeper, and attempted to kick him. She one day seized him by the coat with her mouth, and threw him upon the ground ; and, had not the man been extremely active in rising and getting out of her reach, would certainly have de- stroyed him. He at times had the utmost difficulty to manage her, from the irritability of her disposition ; the great extent, in almost every THE ZEBRA. 417 direction, to which she could kick with her feet ; and the propensity she had of seizins: whatever offended her, in her mouth. Strangers ZEBRA OF THE PLAINS. she would by no means allow to approach her, unless the keeper had hold of her head ; and even then there was great risk of a blow from her hind feet. The beautiful male Zebra that was burnt some years ago at the Lyceum, near Exeter 'Change, was so gentle, that the keeper has often put young children upon its back, and without any attempt from the animal to injure them. In one instance a person rode it from the Lyceum to Pimlico. But this unusual docility in an animal naturally vicious, is to be accounted for from its having been bred and reared in Portugal, from parents that were themselves half reclaimed. A Zebra that was kept at Kew, was of a ferocious and savage nature. No one dared to approach it, except the person who was accustomed to feed it, and who alone could mount upon its back. Mr. Edwards saw this animal eat a large paper of tobacco, paper and all ; and was told it would eat flesh, and any kind of food that was given to it. This, however, might proceed from habit or necessity in its long voy- age ; for in a native state these animals all feed, like Horses and Asses on vegetables. The voice of the Zebra can scarcely be described. It is thought by some persons to have a distant resemblance to the sound of a post-horn. It is more frequently exerted when the animals are alone, than at other times. In some parts about the Cape of Good Hope there are many Zebras ; and a penalty of fifty rix-dollars is inflicted on any person who shoots one of them. Whenever any of these animals happen to be caught alive, there is a general order that they must be sent to the governor. 418 THE QUAGGA. THE QUAGGA. The Quagga is also a native of South Africa. It bears some resem- blance to the Zebra, but is at once distin- guished from that animal by the pau- city and dulness of the stripes, which do not reach to the hind quarters or legs at all, and only faintly mark the back, its head and neck bear- ing the deepest stripes. It is not formed quite so gracefully as the Zebra, its hind quarters being slightly higher than its shoulders. The natives occasionally tame it for the purposes of draught, but it is not to be depended on, being vicious and very wild. THE QUAGGA. >^_^-^rj THE AMPHIBIOUS HIPPOPOTAMUS. 419 OF THE HIPPOPOTAMUS TEIBE. ONLY one species of Hippopotamus has hitherto been discovered. This has four front teeth in each jaw ; the upper ones stand distant by pairs, the lower ones are prominent, and the two middle ones the longest. The canine teeth are solitary ; those of the lower jaw ex- tremely large, curved, and cut obliquely at the ends. The feet are each armed at the margin with four hoofs. THE AMPHIBIOUS HIPPOPOTAMUS In size the full-grown Hippopotamus is equal, or even sometimes su- perior, to the Khinoce- ros. One that M. Le Yaillant killed in the south of Africa mea- sured ten feet seven inches in length, and about nine in circum- ference. Its form is uncouth, the body being extremely large, fat, and round ; the legs are very short and thick ; the head is large, the mouth extremely wide ; and the teeth of vast strength and size. The eyes and ears are small. The tail is 27 THE HIPPOPOTAMUS. 420 THE AMPHIBIOUS HIPPOPOTAMUS. short, and sparingly scattered with hair. The whole animal is covered with short hair, thinly set, and is of a brownish color. The hide is in some parts two inches thick, and not much unlike that of the hog. From the unwieldiness of his body, and the shortness of his legs, the Hippopotamus, according to the account given by M. de Buffon, is not able to move fast upon land, and is then an extremely timid animal. If pursued he takes to the water, 'plunges in, sinks to the bottom, and there walks at ease. He cannot, however, continue long without rising to the air for the purpose of breathing ; though, if threatened with danger, he does this so cautiously, that the place where his nose is raised above the surface of the water is scarcely perceptible. If wounded, the Hippopotamus will rise and attack boats or canoes with great fury, and he will often sink them by biting large pieces out of their sides. In shallow rivers, he makes deep holes in the bottom, in order to conceal his great bulk. When he quits the water, he usually puts out half his body at once, and smells and looks round ; but he sometimes rushes out with great im- petuosity, and tram- ples down every thing in his way. During the night he leaves the rivers, in order to feed on sugar-canes, rushes, millet, or rice, of which he consumes great quantities. The Egyptians are said to adopt a singular mode of destroying this voracious animal. They mark the places that he chiefly frequents, and there deposit a quantity of peas. When the beast comes ashore, hungry and voracious, he eagerly devours the peas, which occasion an insupportable thirst. He then rushes into the water, and drinks so copiously, that the peas in his stomach being fully saturated, swell so much as soon afterwards to kill him. Among the Caffres in the South 'of Africa, the Hippopotamus is sometimes caught by means of pits, made in the paths that lead to his haunts. But the gait of this animal, when undisturbed, is generally so slow and cautious, that he often smells out the snare, and avoids it. The most certain method is to watch him at night, behind a bush close to his path : and, as he passes, to wound him in the tendons of the knee-joint, by which he is immediately rendered lame, and unable to escape from the nume- .rous hunters that afterwards assail him. .These creatures are capable of being tamed. Belon says, he haa HIPPOPOTAMUS UPSETTING A BOAT. THE HIPPOPOTAMUS. 421 seen one so gentle, as to be let loose out of a stable, and led by its keeper, without attempting to injure any person. " The Hippopotamus is not (says Dr. Sparrman) so slow and heavy in his pace on land, as M. de Buffon describes him to be ; for both the Hottentots and colonists consider it dangerous to meet a Hippopota- mus out of the water ; indeed, an instance had recently occurred, of one of these animals having for several hours pursued a Hottentot, who found it difficult to make his escape." Prefessor Thunburg was informed, by a respectable person at the Cape, that as he and a party were on a hunting expedition, they ob- served a female Hippopotamus come out from one of the rivers, and retire to a little distance from its bank, in order to calve. They lay concealed in the bushes till the calf and its mother made their appear- ance, when one of them fired, and shot the latter dead. The Hotten- tots, who imagined that after this they could seize the calf alive, im- mediately ran from their hiding-place ; but though it had only just been brought into the world, the young animal got out of their hands, and made the best of its way to the river, where, plunging in, it got safely off. This is a singular instance of pure instinct, for, the Pro- fessor observes, the creature unhesitatingly ran to the river, as its proper place of security, without having previously received any in- structions from the actions of its parent to do so. The flesh of the Hippopotamus is in great request among the Hot- tentots, who are very fond of it, either roasted or boiled. Their parti- ality might not, however, induce a European to suppose it excellent, for they considerably exceed our epicures in their relish for high- flavored game. Thunburg passed a Hottentot tent, which had been pitched for the purpose of consuming the body of an Hippopotamus, that had been killed some time before : the inhabitants were in the midst of such stench, that the travellers could hardly pass them with- out being suffocated. The skin of the Hippopotamus is cut into thongs for whips, which, for softness and pliability, are pre- ferred by the Africans to those of the hide of the rhinoceros ; and the tusks, from their always pre- serving their original whiteness and purity, are reckoned superior to ivory. The French dentists manufacture them into artificial teeth.. These animals inhabit the rivers of Africa, from the Niger to Berg river, many miles north of the Cape of Good Hope. They formerly abounded in the rivers nearer the Cape, but they are now almost ex- tirpated there. Mr. Gumming relates a curious adventure, in which he assailed the Hippopotamus in the water, armed only with a knife. HIPPOPOTAMUS. 422 THE LONG-NOSED TAPIR. OF THE TAPIK TEIBE OF this, as of the preceding tribe, there is only one known species ; and as the former is a native only of the Old, this is an inhabitant, ex- clusively, of the New Continent. There are front-teeth in each jaw ; and single incurvated canine teeth. ' There are also five broad grinders on each side, both above and' below. On the hind feet there are three hoofs, and on the fore feet four. THE LONG-NOSED TAPIE. The Tapir is about the size of a small Cow. The nose of the male is elongated into a kind of proboscis, capable of being contracted and ex- tended at pleasure. The ears are roundish and erect; and the tail is short and naked. The neck is thick, short, and has a kind of bristly mane, about an inch and a half long near the head. The body is thick and clumsy, and the back . somewhat arched. The legs are short and thick ; and the feet have small black hoofs. The hair is of a dusky or brownish color. In its general habits this animal has a considerable resemblance to the Hippopotamus ; yet, in many particulars, it reminds us also of the Elephant and of the Ehinoceros. It is the largest of all the South American quadrupeds, except the Horse ; and its skin is so thick and hard, as to be almost impenetrable by a bullet. Although its natural disposition is marked only by actions indicative of mildness and timidity, endeavoring when attacked, to save itself by flight, or by plunging into the water, yet, if its retreat be cut off, it has courage and strength to make a most powerful resistance, both against men and dogs. The Tapir feeds chiefly by night, and subsists upon sugar-canes, grasses, the leaves of shrubs, and various kinds of fruit. In feeding it uses its long projecting nose or proboscis, in the same manner as the Ehinoceros applies his upper lip, to grasp its food and convey it to its mouth. This is an instrument of great flexibility and strength ; and in it, as in the proboscis of the Elephant, are situated the organs of smell. Notwithstanding its general clumsy appearance, the Tapir is an ex- tremely active animal in the water, where it swims and dives with singular facility. Like the Hippopotamus, it is able to continue im- mersed for a considerable while ; but it is also under the necessity of occasionally rising to the surface in order to breathe. During the day-time this animal generally sleeps in some retired part of the THE TAPIR. 423 woods. It chiefly resides in dry places, near the sides of hills ; and occasionally frequents the savannahs in quest of food. On land its motions appear to be slow, and its disposition inactive. Its voice is a kind of whistle, which the hunters easily imitate, and by this means frequently lure it to its destruction. The usual attitude which the Tapir adopts, when at rest, is sitting on its rump in the manner of a Dog. Except at one season of the year, the male lives entirely apart from HUNTING THE TAPIR. the female. To the latter belongs the whole management of rearing their offspring. This she leads to the water, arid she seems to delight in teaching it to swim, frequently plunging about and playing with it, in that element, for a considerable while together. On land it runs after her wherever she goes. If they are caught young, these animals may, without difficulty, be tamed, and rendered even in some measure domestic. They are very common in the town of Cayenne, where they are suffered to run about the streets, and are fed with cassava-bread and fruit. M. Bajou, a surgeon attached to the government, had, at this place, a Tapir which became perfectly familiar, and acquired a strong attachment to him, distinguishing him in the midst of many other persons, licking his hands, and following him like a Dog. This animal would often go alone into the woods to a great distance, but always returned to his home early in the evening. M. Bajou assures us, that a Tapir, which had been suffered to run tame about the streets of Cayenne, became so unmanageable in a vessel, on board of which it was put in order to be conveyed to France, that it was found impossible to confine it. It broke the very strong cords with which it was tied, and, throwing itself overboard, escaped to shore. Every one supposed it to have been lost, but, in the evening, it returned to the town. On reimbark- ing it, great precautions were taken to prevent its escape ; but these 424 THE HYRAN OR DAMAN. did not succeed, for during the voyage, a storm happening to rise, it became again outrageous, broke its fetters, and, rushing out of its place of confinement, committed itself to the waves, and was never afterwards seen. In the year 1704, a Tapir was exhibited alive at Amsterdam, under the name of Sea Horse. Another, which, about the same time, was in the menagerie of the Prince of Orange, was so young as scarcely to be larger than a Hog. Its proboscis, when at rest, did not much extend below the under lip; and, in this state, had numerous circular wrinkles, but was capable of considerable extension. It had no finger at the extremity, like the proboscis of an Elephant, notwithstanding which, the animal, by means of it, could pick up from the ground the smallest objects. This creature was very gentle, and approached with familiarity any one who entered its lodge. A female Tapir was exhibited at several of the fairs in Holland and Germany. The keepers usually fed it on rye-bread, a kind of gruel, and on vegetables of different kinds. It was excessively fond of apples, and was able to smell them to a considerable distance. If any person happened to have apples in his pockets, it would eagerly approach, and thrusting in its proboscis, would take them out with surprising facility. It ate of almost every thing that could be presented to it, whether vegetables, iish, or meat/ Its favorite attitude was sitting on its rump, like a Dog ; and it never exerted its voice unless it was either fatigued or irritated. In the year 1812, there was, at Exeter 'Change, a young Tapir, w r hich was not bigger than a large Hog. It had been brought into England about seven months before, with another of the same species, which died not long after its arrival. In every respect it appeared to be a mild and docile beast. These animals inhabit the eastern parts of South America; and occur in great numbers, from the Isthmus of Darien, to the river Amazon. Their flesh is considered by the South Americans as a wholesome food ; and the skin serves all the purposes for which a strong leather would be required. The Indians make shields of it, which are stated to be so hard, as to be impenetrable by an arrow. The Malay Tapir is somewhat larger, and is known by the greyish white color of the loins and hind quarters, which give the animal an appearance as if a white horse-cloth had been spread over it. THE IIYRAX, OR DAMAN. The Hyran, or Daman, although so small an animal, is ranked among the Tapirs. It abounds on the sides of Table Mountain, where it may be seen skipping near its burrow's mouth, or cropping the herbage ; on the least alarm, however, it instantly retreats to its strong- hold, whence it cannot be dislodged without the greatest difficulty. In the general contour of its body, the Hyran is stout and thickly set. The limbs are short, the toes on each foot are four before and THE COMMON HOG. 425 three behind, all being tipped with little slender hoofs, except the inner toe on each hind foot, which is armed with a long, crooked nail. The head is large and thick, the eyes of a moderate size, the ears short and rounded ; the teeth consist of molars, and incisors, the former bearing a close resemblance to those of the Rhinoceros. It has no tail. The general color of the fur, which is soft and thick, is a dark greyish brown, becoming paler beneath. OF THE HOG- TRIBE IN GENERAL. IN the upper jaw there are four front teeth, the points of which converge ; and, usually, six | in the lower jaw, which project. The canine teeth, or tusks, are two in each jaw ; those above short, while those below are long, and extend out of the mouth. The snout is pro- minent, moveable, and has the appearance of having been cut oft', or truncated. The feet are cloven. The manners of these animals are, in general, filthy and disgusting. They are fond of wallowing in the mire, and feed almost indifferently on animal and vegetable food, devouring even the most corrupted carcasses. With their strong and tendinous snout they dig the earth, in search of roots and other aliments hidden beneath the surface. They are exceedingly prolific. THE COMMON HOG. In Europe Wild Boars inhabit the depths of forests, where, in vegetables and fallen fruits, they are supplied with an abundance of food. From these forests they never issue but for the purpose of changing their resi-- dence, or of plundering and devasta- ting the adjacent fields. In Egypt, on the contrary, the Wild Boar has no shelter. Continually exposed to the fervor of a burning sun, he tra- verses the sandy plains where the THE COMMON HCK3. 426 THE COMMON HOG. few scattered shrubs which are there found, yield him but little sub- sistence, and still less shade. While they are young, these animals live- in herds, for the purpose of mutual defence ; but the moment they come to maturity, they walk the forest alone and fearless. They seldom attack unprovoked ; but they dread no enemy, and shun n'one. When hunted, WILD BOAR. t^y &Q ^Q^ g Q m ucll $QQ f rO m their assailants, as keep them at bay, and are at last rather wearied out, or overcome by numbers, than fairly killed in the chase. The .Domestic Hog is, generally speaking, a harmless and inoffen- sive beast. He lives chiefly on vegetables, though, when pressed by hunger, he will devour even the most putrid carcasses. We, how- ever, generally conceive him much more indelicate than he really is. He selects, at least, the plants of his choice, with great sagacity and niceness; and is never, like some other animals, poisoned by mis- taking noxious for wholesome food. Selfish, indocile, and rapacious, as many think him, no animal has greater sympathy for those of his own kind than the Hog. The moment one of these animals gives the signal of distress, all within hearing rush to its assistance. They have been known to gather round a Dog that teased them, and kill him on the spot. Enclose a male and female in a sty, when young, and the female will decline from the instant her companion is removed, and will probably die of a broken heart. This animal is well adapted to the mode of life to which it is destined. Having to obtain a sub- sistence principally by turning up the earth with its nose, we find that the neck is strong and brawny ; the eyes are small, and placed high in the head ; the snout is long ; the nose callous and tough, and the power of smelling peculiarly acute. The external form is indeed very unwieldy, but, by the strength of its tendons, the Wild Boar is enabled to fly from the hunters with surprising agility. The back toe on the feet of this animal prevents its slipping while it descends steep declivities. In Minorca the Hog is converted into a beast of draught; a Cow, a Sow, and two young Horses, have been seen in that island yoked together, and of the four the Sow drew the best. The Ass and the Hog are their common helpmates, and are frequently yoked together to plough the land. In some parts of Italy, Swine are employed in hunting for truffles, which grow some inches deep in the ground. A cord being tied round the hind leg of one of the animals, the beast is driven into the pastures, and we are told that wherever he stops and begins to root with his nose, truffles are always to be found. In proof that these animals are not destitute of sagacity, it would perhaps be unnecessary to recite any other accounts than those of the various " learned Pigs" which have at different times been exhibited in this country. But an 'nstance more surprising than these was THE COMMON HOG. 427 afforded by Toomer, the gamekeeper of the late Sir H. P. St. John Mild may, actually breaking in a black New Forest Sow to find game, back and stand, nearly as well as a pointer. This Sow, when very young, took a great partiality to some pointer puppies that Toomer, then under-keeper of Broomy Lodge, in the New Forest, was breaking. It played and often came to feed with them. From this circumstance it occured to Toomer, to use his own expression, " that, having broken many a Dog as obstinate as a Pig, he would try if he could also suc- ceed in breaking a Pig." The little animal would often go out with the puppies to some distance from home; and Toomer would entice it further by a sort of pudding made of barley-meal, which he carried in one of his pockets. The other he filled with stones, which he threw at the Pig whenever she misbehaved, as he was not able to catch and correct her, in the same manner as he did his Dogs. He informed Sir Henry Mildmay, who communicated to me this account, that he found the animal very tractable, and that he soon taught her what he wished, by this mode of reward and punishment. Sir Henry Mildmay, informed me that he had frequently seen her out with Toomer, when she ,-M quartered her ground, stood when she came on game, having an excellent nose, and backed other Dogs as well as DOMESTIC HOG. he ever saw a pointer. When she came on the cold scent of game, she slackened her trot, and gradually dropped her ears and tail, till she was certain, and she then fell down on her knees. So staunch was this animal that she would frequently remain five minutes and upwards on her point. As soon as the game rose, she always returned to Toomer, grunting very loudly for her reward of pudding, if it was not immediately given to her. When Toomer died, his widow sent the Pig to Sir Henry Mildmay, who kept it for three years, but never used it except for the purpose of amusing his friends. In doing this, a fowl was put into a cabbage net, and hidden among the fern in some part of the park, and the extraordi- nary animal never failed to point it, in the manner above described. Sir Henry was at length, obliged to part with this Sow, from a circumstance as singular as the other occurrences of her life. A great number of Lambs had been lost, nearly as soon as they were dropped, and a person having been sent to watch the flock, the animal was detected in the very act of devouring a Lamb. This carnivorous propensity was ascribed to her having been accustomed to feed with the Dogs, and to partake of the flesh on which they were fed. Sir Henry sent her back to Mrs. Toomer, who sold her to Mr. Sykes, of Brookwood in the New Forest, where she died the usual death of a Pig, and was converted into bacon. The senses of taste and smelling are enjoyed by these animals in great perfection. Wind appears to have great influence on them; for when it blows violently they seem much agitated, and run towards their sty, sometimes screaming in the most violent manner. Natur- 428 THE COMMON HOG. alists have also remarked that, on the approacli of bad weather, they will bring straw to the sty, as if to guard against the effects of wind. The country people have a singular adage, that "Pigs can see wind." That Swine are extremely tenacious of life is known to almost every person who is acquainted with their manners. The most curious instance that I have met with of this, in any writer, is in Josselyn's account of two voyages to New England. I shall insert the passage, though I by no means intend to vouch for its truth. " Being at a friend's house in Cam- bridgeshire, the cook-maid making ready to slaughter a Pig, she put the hinder parts between her legs, as the usual manner is, and taking the snout in her left hand, with a long knife stuck the Pig, and cut the small end of the heart almost in two, letting it bleed as long as any blood came forth; then throwing it into a kettle of boiling water, the Pig swam twice round about the kettle; when taking it out to the dresser, she rubbed it with powdered rosin, and stripped off the hair, and as she was cutting off the hinder petty-toe, the Pig lifted up his head with open mouth, as if it would have bitten. Well, the belly was cut up, the entrails drawn out, and the heart laid upon the board, which, notwithstanding the wound it received, had motion in it above four hours after. There were several of the family by, with myself, and we could not otherwise conclude but that the Pig was bewitched." The females go four months with young, and have very numerous litters, sometimes as many as twenty at a time. These animals live to a considerable age, even to twenty-five or thirty years. In the island of Sumatra there is a variety of this species, that frequents the impenetrable bushes and marshes of the sea-coast. These animals live on Crabs and roots: they associate in herds, are of a gray color, and smaller than, the English Swine. At certain periods of the year they swim in herds, consisting of sometimes a thousand, from one side of the river Siak to the other, at its mouth, which is three or four miles broad, and again return at stated times. This kind of passage also takes place in the small islands, by their swimming from one to the other. On these occasions they are hun- ted by a tribe of the Malays, who live on the coasts of the kingdom of Siack, and are called Salettians. These men are said to smell the Swine long before they see them, and when they do this they immediately prepare their boats. They then send out their Dogs, which are trained for this kind of hunting, along the strand, where, by their barking, they prevent the Swine from coming ashore and concealing themselves among the bushes. During the passage the Boars precede, and are followed by the fe- males and the young, all in regular rows, each resting its snout on the rump of the preceding one. Swimming thus in close rows, they form a singular appearance. The Salettians, men and women meet them in their small, flat THE ETHIOPIAN HOG. 429 boats. The former row, and throw large mats, made of the long leaves of the Pandamus odoratissima, interwoven through each other, before the leader of each row of swine, which still continue to swim with great strength, but, soon pushing their feet into the mats, they get so entangled as to be able either no longer to move, or only to move very slowly. The rest are, however, neither alarmed nor discon- certed, but keep close to each other; none of them leaving the position in which they were placed. The men then row towards them in a lat- eral direction ; and the women, armed with long javelins, stab as many of the Swine as they can reach. For those beyond their reach, they are furnished with smaller spears, about six feet in length, which they dart to the distance of thirty or forty feet with a sure aim. As it is impossible for them to throw mats before all the rows, the rest of these animals swim off in regular order, to the places for which they set out, and for this time escape the danger. As the dead Swine are found floating round in great numbers, they are picked up and put into larger boats, which follow for the purpose. Some of these swine the Salettians sell to the Chinese traders who visit the island ; and of the rest they preserve in general only the skins and fat. The latter after being melted, they sell to the Maki Chinese ; and it is used by the common people instead of butter, as long as it is not rancid, and also for burning in lamps, instead of cocoa-nut oil. THE ETHIOPIAN HOG. This animal, in its general appearance, is much allied to the Com- mon Hog ; but is distinguished from it by a pair of large semicircular lobes or wattles, situated beneath the eyes. The snout also is much broader, and very strong and callous. These creatures inhabit the wildest, most uncultivated, and hottest parts of Africa, from Senegal to Conga ; and they are also found on the island of Madagascar. The natives carefully avoid their retreats, since, from their fierce and savage nature, they often rush upon them unawares, and gore them with their tusks. They reside principally in subterraneous recesses, which they dig by means of their nose and hoofs. If attacked and pursued, they rush on their adversary with astonishing force, striking like the common boar, with their tusks, which are capable of inflicting the most tre- mendous wounds. A Boar of this species was sent, 1765, by the governor of the Cape of Good Hope to the Prince of Orange. From confinement and attention he became mild and gentle, except when offended ; in which case even those persons to whose care he was entrusted, were afraid of him. In general, however, when the door of his cage was opened, he came out in perfect good-humor, gaily frisked about in search of food, and greedily devoured whatever was given him. He was one day left alone in the court-yard for a few minutes, arid on the return of the keeper, was found busily digging into the earth, where, notwith- 430 THE ETHIOPIAN HOG. standing the cemented bricks of the pavement, lie had made fin amazingly large hole, with a view, as was afterwards discovered, of reaching a common sewer that passed at a considerable depth be- low. It was not without much trouble, and the assistance of several men, that his labor could be interrupted. They at length, however, forced him into his cage ; but he expressed great resentment, and uttered a sharp and mournful noise. His motions were altogether much more agile and neat than those of the common Hog. He would allow himself to be stroked, and even seemed delighted with rough friction. When provoked, or rudely pushed, he always retired backward, keeping his face, towards the assailant, and shaking his head or forcibly striking with it. When, after long confinement, he was set at liberty for a little while, he was very gay, and leaped about in an entertaining manner. On these occasions, he would, with his tail erect, sometimes pursue the fallow-deer arid other animals. His food was principally grain and roots ; and of the former he preferred barley and wheat. He was so fond of rye-bread, that he would run after any person who had a piece of it in his hand. In the acts of eating and drinking he always supported himself on the knees of his fore feet; and would often rest in this position. His eyes were so situated as to prevent his seeing around him, being interrupted by the wattles and prominences of his face; but, in compensation for this defect, his senses of smelling and hearing were wonderfully acute. Dr. Sparrman, when he was in Africa, pursued several Pigs with the old Sows, with the intention of shooting one of them ; but though he failed in this object, their chase afforded him singular pleasure. The heads of the females, which had before appeared of a tolerable size, seemed on a sudden to have grown larger and more shapeless than they were. This momentary and wonderful change astonished him so much the more, as, riding hard over a country full of bushes and pits, he had been prevented from giving sufficient attention to the manner in which it was brought about. The whole of the mystery however, consisted in this : each of the old ones, during its flight, had taken a Pig in its mouth ; a circumstance that also explained to him another subject of his surprise, which was, that all the Pigs which he had just before been chasing along with the old ones, had vanished on a sudden. But in this action we find a kind of unanimity among these animals, in which they resemble the tame species, and which they have in a greater degree than many others. It is likewise very astonishing that the Pigs should be carried about in this manner between such large tusks as those of their mother, without being hurt, or crying out in the least. Dr. Sparrrnan was twice afterwards witness to a similar occurrence The flesh of the Ethiopian Hog is well flavored and not unlike that of the German Wild Boar. THE BABYROUSSA PECCARY. 431 THE BABYROUSSA. The Babyroussa inhabits the Molucca Islands and Java. It is remarkable for possessing four tusks, two of which proceed from the upper jaw, and do not pass out between the lips, but through an aperture in the skin, half way between the end of the snout and eyes. The sockets of the two upper tusks are curved upwards, and give a singular appearance to the skull of the animal. It looks THE BABYROUSSA. THE BABYROUSSA. a ferocious animal, nor do its looks contradict its habits, as it is very 'savage, and cannot be hunted with- out danger. Yet when taken young it can be tamed without much difficulty, and conducts itself much after the manner of a well-behaved Pig- Only the male possesses the remarkable double pair of tusks, the female being destitute of the upper pair, and only possessing those belonging to the under jaw in a rudiment- ary degree. It lives in troops, as do most of the Hog kind, and thus does much damage to the cultivated grounds, especi- ally to the maize, a plant to which it is, unfortunately, very partial. It is a good swimmer, and often voluntarily takes to the water in order to cross to another island. The size of the animal when full grown, is about that of a very large Hog. THE COMMON, OR COLLAKED PECCARY. The Common, or Collared Peccary, is an inhabitant of South America. This animal is both dreaded and hated by the resi- dents, for it is so exceedingly fero- cious, and so utterly devoid of all sense of fear, that it will always charge at any object that comes in its way; an Elephant would not scare it, if an Elephant were to be transported to South America. So it puts to flight those whom it attacks, and they fly before it in 432 THE COMMON, OR COLLARED PECCARY. mixed fear and wrath against the pugnacious little animals which are pursuing them. It is a small animal, rarely exceeding eighteen inches in height, and yet is not less dreaded than the most savage wild Boar would be. Its jaws are armed with tusks, like those of the Boar, but they are straight instead of curved, are sharp at the edges, and although only about an inch and a half in length, inflict horrible wounds, on account of the muscular strength of the creature's neck. When a body of them charge against an enemy, fancied or real, they will never be driven away, but will fight till the last is slain. On this account, no one will willingly oppose them ; and if a herd of Peccaries comes in the way, men, Horses, and Dogs, all fly in haste, as even the Horses would be soon brought down, for their legs would be cut to pieces. The best method of attacking them is that described by Webber in the following passage: " But with all its other peculiarities to answer for, the drollest is yet to come. I refer to their mode of sleeping. They usually frequent those heavy cane- brakes, through which are scatter- ed, at wide inter- vals, trees of en- ormous size and age. These, from their isolated condition, are most exposed to the f u y of storms, and there- fore most liable to be thrown down. We find their giant stems stretched here and there through the canebrakes of Texas, overgrown with the densest thickets of the cane, matted together by strong and thorny vines. In these old trees the Peccaries find their favorite lodgings. Into one of these logs a drove of twenty or thirty of them will enter at night ; each one back- ing in, so that the last one entering stands with his nose at the entrance. The planters, who dread them and hate them, as well on account of the ravages on their grain crops which they commit, the frequent de- struction or mutilation by them of their stock their favorite Dogs, and sometimes even their Horses, as on account of their ridiculous predicaments, such as taking to a tree, or running for their life, to which they have been subjected themselves, seek their destruction with the greatest eagerness. " When a hollow log has been found which bears the marks of being used by them, the hunters wait with great impatience till the first dark, cloudy day of rain ; a dark drizzle is the best, as it is well known that on such days they do not leave their lodgings at all. The planter, concealing himself just before day carefully out of view, but THE TECCART. THE COMMON, OR. COLLARED PECCARY. 433 directly in front of the opening of the log, awaits in. patient silence the coming of sufficient light. Soon as the day opens, peering cau- tiously through the cane, he can preceive the protruded snout, and sharp, watchful eyes, of the sentinel-Peccary on duty, while his fellows behind him sleep, lessly erring rifle ^ Pv oise- the un- is PECCARIKS SLEEPING. raised, the ring of its explosion is heard, and, with a convul- sive spring, the sentinel leaps forward out of the hole, and rolls in its death-struggle, on the ground. Scarcely an i n s ta n t is passed, a low grunt is heard, and another pair of eyes is seen shining steadily in the place the others had just held. Not a sound is heard, the planter loads again with such dexterity that not even a branch of the embowering cane is stirred. Again with steady nerve the piece is fired, out springs the second victim as the first had done ; then another takes its place, and so on to the third, fourth, fifth, and twentieth, even to the last of the herd, unless the planter should happen by some carelessness to make a stir in the cane around him, when out it springs with a short grunt, without waiting to be shot this time, and followed by the whole herd, when they make a dash at the unlucky sportsman, who is now glad enough to take to his heels, and blesses his stars if he should be able to climb a tree or a fence in time to save his legs. If during the firing, the. sentinel should happen to sink in the hole without making the usual spring, the one behind him roots out the body to take its place. They do not understand what the danger is, or whence it comes. Neither do they fear it, but face its mysterious power to the last. They never charge towards unseen enemies, until guided either by the sight of some disturbance caused by a motion in the thicket, or by those sounds with which they are familiar, indicating their position. Incredible as this account may appear, it is actually the method in which the settlements along Caney Creek and in the Brazos Bottoms have been of late years in a great measure relieved of this dangerous annoyance." The Peccary alone of all animals appears to have resisted the terrors of the gun, and a herd of them will attack men with fire-arms, and only seem to be more enraged by the report and flash of the guns. The Indians eat the animal, but its flesh is not considered to be 434 THE COMMON, OR COLLARED PECCARY. particularly excellent, especially as the gland which the animal bears in its haunches has an evil effect on the meat, and causes it to become unfit for use in a very short time. Its color is a greyish black, caused by the color of the bristles, which are ringed at intervals with grey, straw-color, and black. The glandular pouch on the back gives out a strong smell of gar- lic; but the use of the pouch or the secretion in the economy of the animal, is wholly unknown. This odor is given out in the greatest abundance when the animal is irritated, as then it erects the bristles on the neck and along the line of the back, by which means the gland is more compressed than when the animal is in a tranquil state. When alarmed, it utters a sharp and piercing kind of squeak, but not quite so piteous as that which is uttered by a Hog in distress; like Hogs, too, they express their satisfaction by a softened species of grunting. They are inhabitants of the woods in the lower grounds on the east side of South America ; but we are not aware that they have been met with to the westward of the Andes, and they never occur in lofty situations. Buffon committed a curious blunder re- specting this species of Peccary, The Spanish colonists in Paraguay, from whom he drew the materials of his account of the locality and habits of the animal, use the word monte as descriptive of a forest ; and Buffon, confounding this with the French mont, described this Peccary as a mountain animal, which is the very reverse of its proper habitat. The same eloquent, but fanciful and not very accurate describer, represented the pale-colored collar, which obliquely sur- rounds the neck of this species, as a dorsal stripe extending along the ridge of the back. These animals are found in pairs in the breeding season, and at these times they rarely, if ever, come out of the forest. The female produces, as is understood, only once in the year; and the young are generally two, and never more. They are easily tamed, and fond of being caressed, but they are also impatient of restraint, and if de- tained against their will, they not only erect their dorsal bristles, and utter their war-cry, but attempt to bite, which they do pretty severely. Some that have been kept in menageries in Europe, have shown much docility, as compared with the Hog when in the wild state. They preferred fruits and farinaceous vegetable substances to any other kind of food; but still when that was not given them, they could be very miscellaneous in their feeding. Well-known as these animals ought to be, there have been some mistakes about them; and the manners and numbers of this, which is really the most rare of the two, have sometimes been given to the other, which is a larger and bolder animal, and met with in herds, whereas the collared one seems to be more retiring arid seldom met with except in pairs. CETACEOUS ANIMALS. THE animals of the Linnean order Cete have spiracles or breathing holes on the fore part of the skull.. They have no feet : their pectoral fins are without nails : and the tail is horizontal. OF THE NARWAL TRIBE. THE Narwals have one or two very long weapons projecting from the front of their upper jaw. There are no teeth in the lower jaw. The orifices of the spiracles are united, and situated n the highest part of the head. The Narwals are distinguishable, at first sight, from all other Cetaceous Animals. They are known by the long, hard, spiral, and sharp-pointed weapons which project from the anterior part of their upper jaw. They obtained the name of Narh-wal, or Whale which feeds on dead bodies, from their having been believed to subsist on s*uch dead and putrid animals as they found floating on the water. THE UNICORN NARWAL, OR SEA UNICORN. This animal measures from twenty to thirty feet in length, exclusive of the weapon in front of its head, which is from five to eight feet long. In some individuals there are two weapons. The head is small in proportion to the size ef the body ; and the fins on the breast are also small. There is no dorsal fin. The skin is white, variegated with numerous black spots on the upper parts of the body. Such are the size and bulk, and so powerful are the muscles of these- animals, that they are able, in their own element, to move, in alii directions, with astonishing velocity. The weapon which projects*, sometimes to the length of six or eight feet, from their upper jaw, is one of the most formidable that can well be imagined. When urged with all their force, it will penetrate even into the solid timbers- of a ship ; and the body of no animal whatever is sufficiently hard to resist its effects. This weapon is not a horn, but is a species of tusk r in its substance not greatly dissimilar to the tusks of the Elephant. As ivory, it is, however, much more valuable than these, from the 28 436 THE UNICORN NARWAL, OR SEA UNICORN. circumstance of its being harder, and capable of receiving a much higher polish. The detached weapons of Narwals are deposited, in many cabinets, as the horns of that generally esteemed fabulous quadruped, the Uni- corn. They have occasionally been found broken short off, and deeply buried in the keels and bottoms of vessels; and even in the bodies of some of the largest species of Whales, which either accident or design may have led the Narwal to plunge against. These animals do not appear to have any organs of voice. It is stated that, in their general disposition and manners they are sum- cently mild and peaceable; and that they are formidable only when compelled to defend themselves from the attack of their enemies. Their principal food consists of small fish, and marine animals of various kinds, such as the Actinas and Cuttle-fish: the horny mandi- bles or jaws of the latter have sometimes been found in their stomachs, in immense quantity. They usually swim in troops; and are found in most parts of the Northern Ocean. The Greenlanders pursue and kill them on account of their oil. This thev emuloy in domestic uses: NAHWAL HUNTING tney also use the flesh for food, and the teeth as articles of traffic. The blubber of the Narwal is from two to three inches and a half in thickness, encompasses the whole body, and is sometimes more than half a ton in weight. This affords a large proportion of fine oil. The females produce each a single young-one at a birth ; and this they nourish for several months with milk, supplied from teats that are situated near the origin of their tail. In the Northern seas, when the Narwal is harpooned, it dives in THE GREAT WHALE. 437 the same manner, and with almost the same velocity as the Great Whale, but not to the same depth. It generally descends about two hundred fathoms, then returns to the surface, and is dispatched with a lance in a few minutes. OF THE WHALE TEIBE. THE Whales have nd teeth in either jaw; but, in place of these, the upper jaw is furnished with the horny laminae called whalebone. On the top of the head there is a tubular opening or spiracle, with a double external orifice. The skin is in general black, or brown; very thick, and without aiw , . hair. Whales are objects of eager pursuit by the inhabitants of various nations, on account, principally, of the oil or blubber which their bodies yield in enormous quantity; and of the whalebone, the laminae or blades of which supply, in these animals, the place of teeth, in catching and securing their food. There are about six ascertained species of Whales, inhabitants chiefly of the icy regions surrounding the North Pole. They prey upon various kinds of fish, particularly upon Herrings, among the shoals of which they commit great devastation. They also feed on Shell-fish, and the Medusae or Sea-blubber. The females generally produce but one young-one at a birth. THE GREAT WHALE. This is believed to be the largest of all living creatures. It usually measures from fifty to eighty feet in length. The head, which con- stitutes nearly a third of the whole bulk, is flattish above. The mouth is exceedingly large, stretching almost as far back as the eyes. The tongue is very soft, being composed almost entirely of fat; and it adheres, by its under surface, to the lower jaw. The gullet scarcely exceeds four inches in width. The eyes, which are not larger than those of an Ox, are placed at a great distance from each other, on the sides of the head, in the most convenient situation possible for the animals' seeing around them. The skin is about an inch thick, and the outer or scarf-skin about the thickness of parchment, and very 438 THE GREAT WHALE. smooth. Under the skin lies the blubber, which is from eight to twelve inches thick : this, when the animal is in health, is of a beau- tiful yellow color. The tail is broad and semilunar. The size and bulk of these animals are generally enormous ; and their muscular powers are so great, that a blow of their horizontal tail, is at any time suffi- c i e n t to upset a boat ; and, when struck upon the surface of the ocean, it makes the water fly, with tremen- dous noise. in all direc- tions. They are able to eject watei f r o m the spiracles on their heads, to a great height. This ani- mal employs the tail alone to advance itself in the water ; and the force and celerity with w h i c h so enormous a body cuts its way through the ocean, are truly astonishing. A track is frequently made in the water like what would be left by a large ship ; this is called his wake, and by this the animal is often followed. The fins are only applied in turning, and giving a direction to the velocity impressed by the tail. The usual rate at which Whales swim, seldom, howevei, exceeds four miles an hour. When alarmed, their extreme velocity THE GREAT WHALE. 439 is eight or nine miles an hour, but this seldom continues more than a few minutes at a time. These animals sometimes ascend to the surface with so much velocity as to leap entirely out of the water. Sometimes they throw themselves into a perpendicular posture, with their heads downward ; and, rearing their tails on high in the air, they beat the water with awful violence. In both these cases, the sea is thrown into a foam, and the air filled with vapors. Sometimes- the AVhale shakes its tremendous tail in the air, and makes with it a cracking noise, which is heard at the distance of two or three miles. When a Whale retires from the surface of the water into the deep, it first lifts its head, then, plunging beneath the waves, elevates its back, like the segment of a sphere, deliberate- ly rounds it away towards the ex- tremity, throws its tail out of the water, and then disappears. These Whales are shy and timid animals, furnished with no weapons either of offence or defence, except their tail. As soon as the}'' per- ceive the approach of a boat, they generally plunge under water, and sink into the deep ; but when they find themselves in danger they exhibit their great and surprising strength. In this case they break to pieces whatever comes in their way ; and if they run foul of a boat, they dash it to atoms. Whales have no voice; but, in breathing, or blowing through their spiracles, they make a very loud noise. The water which they dis- charge, is ejected to the height of several yards, and at a distance ap- pears like a puff of smoke. When these animals are undisturbed, they usually remain on the surface of the water about two minutes at a time, during which they breathe eight or nine times, and then descend for an interval of five or ten minutes ; or, when feeding, fifteen or twenty. The depth to which they usually descend is not WHALE PI.UXCIXO. 440 THE GREAT WHALE. very great ; but when struck with a harpoon, they sometimes draw out from the boats, in a perpendicular descent, as much line as would measure an English mile. When the Wnale feeds, it swims with considerable velocity below the surface of the sea, with its jaws widely extended. A stream of water consequently enters its capacious mouth, and, along with it, immense quantities of cuttle-fish, sea-blubber, shrimps, and other small marine animals. The water escapes at the sides ; but the food is entangled, and, as it were sifted by the whalebone within the -mouth. From their naturally inoffensive disposition these animals have many foes; but the enemy they have most reason to dread is the Sword-fish. This animal is sufficiently active to evade the blows which its tremen- dous adversary makes with his tail, one of which, if it took place, must effectually destroy it. The sea, for a considerable space around, may be seen dyed with the blood, that issues in copious streams, from the wounds made in the Whale's body by the dreadful beak of his adversary. The noise made at each blow of the tail, is said to be louder than that of a cannon. The fishermen, in calm weather, fre- quently lie on their oars as spectators of the combat, till they perceive the Whale at his last gasp; they then row towards him, and, the enemy retiring at their approach, they enjoy the fruits of his victory. The fidelity of the male and female to each other, exceeds that of most animals. Some fishermen, as Anderson, in his History of Green- land, informs us, having struck one of two Whales, a male and female, that were in company together, the w r oundecl animal made a long and terrible resistance ; with a single blow of its tail it upset a boat con- taining three men, by which all went to the bottom. The other still attended its companion, and lent it every assistance, till, at last, the animal that was struck sank under the number of its wounds, while its faithful associate, disdaining to survive the loss, stretched itself upon the dead Whale, and shared its fate. To the Greenlanders, as well as to the natives of southern climates, the Whale is an animal of essential importance ; and these people spend much time in fishing for it. When they set out on their A\ r hale-catching expeditions, they dress themselves in their best apparel, fancying, that if they are not cleanly and neatly clad, the Whale, which detests a slovenly and dirty garb, would immediately avoid them. In this manner about fifty persons, men and women, set out together in one of their large boats. The women carry along with them their needles and other implements, to mend their husbands' clothes, in case they should be torn, and to repair the boat, if it happen to receive any damage. When the men discover a Whale, they strike it with their harpoons, to which are fastened lines or straps two or three fathoms long, made of Seal-skin, having at the end a bag of a whole seal-skin, blown up. The huge animal, by means of the inflated bag, is in some degree compelled to keep near the surface of the water. When he is fatigued and rises, the men attack him with their spears till he is killed. They now put on their spring jackets, (made, all in one piece, of a dressed Seal's skin,) with their boots, THE WHALE-FISHERY. 441 gloves, and caps, which are laced so tightly to each other, that no water can penetrate them. In this garb they plunge into the sea, and begin to slice off' the fat all round the animal's body, even from those parts that are under water ; for, their jackets being full of air, the men do not sink, and they have means of keeping themselves upright in the sea. They have sometimes been known so daring as, while the Whale was still alive, to mount on his back and kill him from thence. The period of gestation in the female is supposed to be nine or ten months, and she generally produces but one at a birth. When she suckles it she throws herself on one side, on the surface of the water, and in this position the young-one attaches itself to the teat. She is extremely careful of her offspring, carrying it with her wherever she goes; and, when hardest pursued supporting it between her fins. Even when wounded she is said still to clasp it; and, if she plunge to avoid danger, she takes it with her to the bottom ; but in this case she always rises sooner than she otherwise would, for the purpose of giving it breath. The young-ones continue with the dam for nearly twelve months; during this time they are called by the sailors Short- ^eads. They are then extremely fat, and will yield each above fifty barrels of blubber. At two years old they have the name of Stunts, from not thriving much immediately after quitting the breast; at this age they will scarcely yield more than twenty barrels of blubber. From the age of two years they are denominated Skull-fish. The flesh of the Whale is very dry and insipid, except about the tail, which is more juicy, but still very tasteless. The horny laminae in the upper jaw, called whakbone, are very valuable as an article of commerce : but these animals are principally pursued for their oil or blubber. The seas that are principally inhabited by the Great Whales, are those in about the seventieth degree of north latitude, near Spitzber- gen and Greenland. These animals are likewise found in the seas of the high southern latitudes, and are said sometimes to visit the shores even of the countries near the torrid zone. They have been observed in the Mediterranean, and occasionally in the neighborhood of the British coasts. AVilloughby speaks of one that was stranded near Tin mouth in Northumberland. In the year 1652, a great Whale, eighty feet in length, was cast ashore in the Frith of Forth ; and, about thirty years afterwards, another, somewhat more than seventy feet in length, near Peterhead, in Scotland. THE WHALE-FISHERY. In a commercial view the animals of the Whale tribe are of great importance to mankind; supplying us with those two valuable arti- cles, oil and whalebone, and likewise, with spermaceti. They are chiefly taken in the northern seas. The English send out with every ship six or seven boats: each of these has one harpooner, one man at the rudder one to manage the 442 THE WHALE-FISHERY. line, and four seamen as rowers. In each boat there are also two or three harpoons; several lances; and six lines, each a hundred and twenty fathoms long, fastened together As soon as a Whale is struck with the harpoon, he darts down into the deep, carrying off the instrument in his body; and so extremely rapid is his motion, that, if the line were to entangle, it would either snap like a thread, or overset the boat. One man, therefore, is sta- tioned to attend only to the line, that it may go regularly out; and another is employed in continually wetting the place it runs against, that the wood may not take fire from the friction. When the Whale returns to breathe, the harpooner inflicts a fresh wound ; till at length the immense animal faints from loss of blood: the men now venture to row the boat quite up to him ; and a long steeled lance is thrust into his breast, and through the intestines, which soon puts an end to his existence. The carcass no sooner begins to float, than holes are cut in the fins and tail; and ropes being fastened to these, it is towed to the ship, where it is fastened in such a manner that the back floats in the water. The operation next to be performed, is that of taking out the blub- ber and whalebone. Several men get upon the animal with a sort of iron spurs, (to prevent them from slipping,) and separate the tail, which is hoisted on deck: they then cut out square pieces of blubber, weighing two or three thousand pounds each, which are also hoisted up. These are here cut into smaller pieces, which are thrown into the hold, and left for three or four days to drain. When all the blubber is cut from the belly of the Whale, it is turned on one side, THE WHALE-FISHERY. 443 by means of a piece of blubber left in the middle, called the cant, or turning-piece. The men then cut out this side in large pieces, as before ; and also the whalebone, with the gums, which are preserved entire, and hoisted on deck, where the blades are cut and separated, and left till the men have time to scrape and clean ihem. The Whale is next turned with its back upward, and the blubber is cut from the back and crown, bone. The men conclude the whole process by cutting the blubber from the other side. But previously to letting the remainder of the body float away, they cut out the two large upper jaw-bones ; which being hoisted on deck, are cleansed and fastened to the shrouds, and tubs are phiced under them to receive the oil which they discharge. This oil is a perquisite belonging to the captain. In three or four days the seamen hoist the pieces of blubber out of the hold, chop them, and put them, by small pieces, into casks, through the bung-holes. A Whale, the longest blade of whose mouth measures nine or ten feet, will yield about thirty butts of blubber ; but some of the largest yield upwards of seventy. One of the latter is generally worth about five thousand dollars: and a full ship, of three hundred tons burden, will produce more than twenty-five thou- sand dollars from one voyage. Premiums on every Whale that is taken are given to all persons engaged, from the captain, even to the men who row the boats. These rewards tend to excite their activity in the service of their employers. The fishing season begins in May, and continues through the months of June and July; but whether the ships have had good or bad success, they must come away and get clear of the ice by. the end of August. 444 THE BLUNT-HEADED CACHALOT. OF THE CACHALOT TRIBE THE upper jaw is broad, and entirely destitute of teeth, or has teeth, so short, as to be nearly concealed in the gum. The under jaw is nar- row, and furnished with large, conical teeth, which fit into sockets in the upper jaw. The spiracles, or breathing holes, have only a single external orifice. The bodies of these animals are entirely naked, and their skin is very smooth and soft. The interior organization of the Cachalots, is somewhat different from that of the Whales, and requires a nourishment more substantial than that of small fish, and marine molusca. The Cachalots conse- quently attack and devour several of the larger kinds of fish, and occasionally even Porpoises, Dolphins, and young Whales, which they are enabled to seize and tear in pieces by means of their teeth. They are not contented, like the Whales, with merely exerting their strength in self-defence ; but will themselves provoke a combat with the larger inhabitants of the element in which they reside, and will attack and destroy them with the utmost vigor and address. Their ferocity and their muscular powers are such, that all the species are considered by the fishermen to be extremely dangerous. It is said that some of them, when they are attacked, will throw themselves on their back, and in that position will defend themselves with their mouth. These animals inhabit chiefly the Northern Ocean, and nearly the same latitudes as the Whales. They frequently swim in troops. Their muscular powers are very great; and notwithstanding their immense and blunt heads, they are able to cut their way through the water with astonishing rapidity. THE BLUNT-HEADED CACHALOT, OR SPERMACETI WHALE. Ths length of the Blunt-headed Cachalot, when full grown, ia about seventy feet, and its girth about fifty. When viewed from above, it appears like an immense ani- mated mass, trunca- ted in front; so that the muzzle terminates in a somewhat squared, and almost perpendicular extremity. The head constitutes nearly one third of the whole body : the mouth is situated at the under part, and the under jaw is so small, in comparison with the upper, as to have somewhat the appearance of the lid or cover of an enormous box turned upside down. The eyes are situated above the corners of the mouth, and are so minute, as to be scarcely per- ceptible. The pectoral fins are each about three feet in length. On the posterior part of the back there is a longitudinal and callous THE BLUNT-HEADLD CACHALOT. 445 protuberance, or spurious fin. The tail is very short ana slender, each of the lobes being hollowed somewhat like the blade of a scythe. The skin is smooth, oily, and almost as soft to the touch as silk. Its color is usually black. The velocity with which these Cachalots dart through the water is greater, and their progressive motion is performed by much more elevated bounds or curves, than those of many of the Whales. They generally swim in troops, consisting of a great number of both males and females. In the month of March, 1784, there were thirty-two Spermaceti Whales cast on shore, during a violent gale of wind, in the neighborhood of Audierne, in France. Their bellowing was heard to the distance of more than a league. Two men, who happened to be walking along the coast not far from the place where the ani- mals were stranded, not conceiving what they could possibly be, were thrown into the utmost agitation and alarm at their noise, and at seeing them floundering in the shallow water, and beating about the sand and rnud in all directions, at the same time occasionally throw- ing water from their spiracles to an immense height, and with tremendous noise. They were all young animals, but the smallest of the whole measured upwards of thirty feet, and the largest nearly fifty feet in length. They were not able to regain the sea ; but they continued alive on the sand for upwards of twenty-four hours. Few animals are more voracious than these, nor can we be surprised at their voracity, when we consider their enormous bulk, and the immense quantity of nourishment which they must of necessity re- quire. They feed on various kinds of fish which swim in shoals, nor do they seem to refuse any marine animals that come in their way. They swallow myriads of the different kinds of mollusca, particularly Cuttle-fish, the beaks or jaws of which are often found in their stom- achs and intestines; and they pursue and attack Dolphins, Porpoises, and even several species of Sharks. We are informed by Fabricius, that the tremendous White Shark, so much dreaded by the other inhabitants of the ocean, flees with precipitation from the Blunt- headed Cachalot : that, in the excess of its alarm, it will often dart to the bottom of the ocean, and endeavor to conceal itself, in the sand or mud, from the piercing sight of its adversary: that it will sometimes incautiously throw itself against the rocks, with such force as to occa- sion its almost immediate death: and that, notwithstanding its usual vo- racity, this Shark will not dare to approach even the dead body of the Cachalot. There is, in the upper part of the skull of the Cachalots, an immense cavity perfectly distinct from the cavity which contains the brain. This occupies nearly one-fourth part of the whole head, extending from the front almost to the eyes, and being sometimes as much as sixteen or eighteen feet in length. It is divided horizontally into two parts by a strong membrane; and each of these parts is again subdivided, by vertical membranes, into numerous cells, which communicate with each other, and which contain a peculiar kind of fat, denominated (though very improperly) spermaceti. This, which has frequently been mistaken for the brain, is sometimes found in such quantity, that 446 THE COMMON DOLPHIN. eighteen or twenty butts of it have been taken from the head of the largest Cachalot. The spermaceti, when the animals are alive, is fluid ; but when cold it is of a whitish color, and is found in somewhat solid lumps. The oil produced from this Cachalot is not by any means in such quantity as that produced from some of the Whales ; but, in quality, it is far preferable, since it yields a bright flame, without at the same time exhaling any nauseous smell. The flesh is of a pale red color, appearing not much unlike coarse pork, and it is said to be very palatable as food. The substance known by the name of ambergris, is produced from the body of this animal. It is generally found in the stomach, but sometimes in the intestines ; and, in a commercial view, is a highly valuable production. As we see it in the shops, it is an opaque sub- stance, which varies in solidity according to its exposure to a warm or cold atmosphere. Although this animal is most frequently met with in the Northern Ocean, in the latitudes of Greenland, Spitzbergen, and Iceland, yet it is occasionally seen off the British coasts, and sometimes even in the Mediterranean Sea. OF THE DOLPHINS IN GENERAL. THE Dolphins have a row of large teeth in each jaw ; and the spiracles have only a single external orifice, which is situated near the top of the head. These animals inhabit various seas, being occasionally found both in hot and cold climates. They are much smaller than the Whales ; the largest species seldom exceeding twenty or five-and-twenty feet in length. They are often seen in shoals, of from five or six to twenty and upwards in number, gambolling about the ocean. Their food consists almost wholly of fish, and principally of Mackerel and Herrings. ' THE COMMON DOLPHIN. The body of the Dolphin is oblong and roundish, and the snout narrow and sharp-pointed, with a broad transverse band, or projection of skin, on its upper part. This is a longer and more slender animal than the porpoise ; it measures nine or ten feet in length, and about two feet DOLpniN> in diameter. The body is black above and white below. The mouth is very wide, reaching almost to the thorax, and contains forty teeth ; twenty-one in the upper, and nineteen in the under jaw : when the mouth is shut, the teeth lock into each other. Dolphins are occasionally observed in almost every part of the ocean, THE COMMON DOLPHIN. 447 among the ice-bays round the polar circles, in the climates of the temperate zones, and under the vertical sun of the equatorial seas. They are predatory animals, and pursue, with avidity, various species offish, but particularly Cod, Herrings, and Flat-fish. In some countries they are known to follow the shoals of Mullets, sometimes even into the nets of the fisherman. Their motions in the water are performed with such wonderful rapidity, that the French sailors frequently call the Dolphin lafleche de la mer, or "the sea-arrow," and Rondelet says, that persons who tormented themselves to do what was considered impossible, were often proverbially compared to those who would hold a Dolphin by the tail. M. de Saint Pierre, in his voyage to the Isle of France, assures us that he saw a Dolphin swim, with apparent ease, round the vessel in which he was sailing, though it was going at the rate of six miles an hour. A shoal of these animals followed the ships of Sir Eichard Hawkins upwards of a thousand leagues. They were known to be the same by the wounds they occasionally received from the sailors. Dolphins are greedy of almost any kind of scraps that are thrown overboard ; and consequently are often to be caught by means of large iron hooks, baited with pieces of fish or garbage. They are fond of swimming round casks or logs of wood, which they find driving in the sea. They generally swim in troops, and their progres- sive motion in the water somewhat resembles the undulating motion of a ship under sail. Their evolutions and gambols on the surface of the ocean, sometimes afford a most interesting and entertaining spectacle. By curving their body, and suddenly extending it, like Salmon and some other kinds of fish, they are enabled to leap to a very considerable height above the surface of the water. When they are in eager pursuit of prey, and sometimes even in their gambols, these leaps have been repeated with such astonishing celerity, that it is scarcely possible to conceive how, in such short intervals, the necessary force could be impressed. They have been known, on these occasions, to spring forward to a distance of more than twenty feet at a single bound. The Dolphin was in great repute among the ancients, and both philosophers and historians seem to have contended who should relate the greatest absurdities respecting this animal. It was consecrated to the gods, was celebrated for its love of the human race, and was honored with the title of the Sacred Fish. In all cases of shipwreck the Dolphin was believed to be in waiting, to rescue and carry on shore the unfortunate mariners. Arion, the musician, when thrown over- board by the pirates, is said to have been indebted for his life to one of these animals. How these absurd tales originated, it is impossible even to conjecture ; for Dolphins certainly exhibit no marks of peculiar attachment to mankind. If they attend on vessels navigating the ocean, it is in ex- pectation of plunder, and not of rendering assistance in cases of distress. By the seamen of the present day they are held rather in abhorrence than esteem ; for their frolics on the surface of the water are almost the sure signs of an approaching gale. The flesh of these animals was formerly held in great esteem; it is, however, very dry and insipid : the best parts are those near the head. 448 THE PORPOISE. THE PORPOISE. The Porpoise is well known in all the European seas. In its general form it very much, resembles the Dol- phin ; it is, however, somewhat less in size and has a snout both much broader and shorter. It is generally from six to seven feet in length ; thick in the fore parts, and gradually tapering towards the tail. The color is either a bluish black, or a very dark brown above, and nearly white beneath. This animal has a great resemblance to the Dolphin, both in its general external appearance, and in its habits of life. It has the same qualities, and even the same affections, and yet how different has been its general estimation with mankind ! The Dolphin was consecrated to the gods, and the Porpoise has, in nearly all languages, been de- graded by the appellation of Sea-hog. But the Dolphin is indebted for its high repute to the vivid imaginations of the Grecian poets, whilst the Porpoise, almost unknown to the ancients, has received its name from sailors and fishermen. In the naturalist, however, they excite equal interest, and from him they are deserving of equal attention. It is seldom that Porpoises are seen except in troops of from six 01 seven, to thirty and upwards, in number. The great size of their caudal fin, and the strong muscles of their tail, contribute to render them very active in the water ; along the surface of which, like the Dolphins, they sometimes move with surprising rapidity. They fre- quently gambol about on the water with great vivacity. Their appearance is believed by seamen to be prognosticative of approaching storms ; and, on that account, they are held in great detestation. During the most tempestuous weather they are able to surmount the waves, and to pass along the agitated surface of the ocean, fearless of danger, and secure from injury. They feed on nearly all kinds of fish, but particularly on such as swim in large shoals ; as Mackerel, Herrings, and Cod of different kinds, which they pursue with astonishing voracity. But not only do they seek for prey near the surface of the water : they also occasionally descend to the bottom, and root about among the sand and mud, for flat-fish and marine worms. We are informed, likewise, that whenever a Porpoise happens to be wounded, all the rest of the troop will im- mediately attack and devour it. The females seldom produce more than one young-one at a birth. The period of gestation, according to Anderson, is only six months ; but according to Aristotle, it is ten months, which seems much the THE PORPOISE. 449 most probable. The offspring are said to continue with the mother for nearly a year after they come into the world. In the river St. Lawrence, in Canada, these animals, are very numerous, and, as they there generally frequent the shoal- water in search of prey, the natives adopt the following method of catching them. When the fishing-season arrives, the people collect together a great number of sallow twigs, or slender branches of other trees, and stick them firmly into the sand- banks of the river, which at low water are left dry : this is done on the side towards the river, forming a long line of twigs at moderate distances, which at the upper end is connected with the shore, an opening being left at the lower end, that the Porpoises may enter. As the tide rises, it covers the twigs so as to keep them out of sight : the Porpoise, in quest of his prey, gets within the line, where he continues his chase till he finds, by the ebbing of the tide, that it is time to retire into deep water. He now makes towards the river ; but the twigs being then in part above water, and being all agitated by the current, he no sooner sees them shaking about, than he takes fright, and retreats backward as far as he can, from this tremendous rampart. The tide still continuing to ebb, he returns time after time; but, not being able to overcome his dread of these terrific twigs, he rolls about until he is deserted by the water; when those who placed the snare rush out in numbers, properly armed, and in this defenceless state overpower him with ease. In this manner more than a hundred of these huge creatures (one of which will yield about a hogshead of oil) have been killed at a single tide. The Porpoise was once considered a sumptu- ous article of food, and is said to have been occasionally introduced at the tables of the old English nobility. It was eaten with a sauce composed of sugar, vinegar, and crumbs of bread. It is, however, now generally neglected, even by the sailors. In America, the skin of this animal is tanned and dressed with con- siderable care. At first it is nearly an inch thick ; but it is shaved down till it is quite thin, and becomes somewhat transparent. It is made, by the inhabitants, into waistcoats and breeches ; and is said also to make an excellent covering for carriages. 450 THE GRAMPUS. THE GRAMPUS. The length of this animal is usually from twenty to twenty-five feet. In its general form and color it much resembles the rest of its tribe ; but the lower jaw is con- siderably wider than the upper, and the body, in proportion, is somewhat broader and more deep. The back fin sometimes GRAMPUS. measures six feet in length. It is found in the Mediterranean Sea, as well as in both the Northern and Southern Oceans. The Grampus is a decided and inveterate enemy to the different species of Whales; great flocks of them attack the largest of these, fastening around them like so many bull-dogs, making them roar out with pain, and frequently killing and devouring them. They are also said to attack and devour the Seals, which they occasionally find sleeping on the rocks ; dislodging them by means of their back fin, and thus precipitating them into the water. Their agility is such, that these animals are not often caught. They seldom remain more than a moment above the surface of the ocean ; but their eager pursuit sometimes throws them off their guard, and allures them into shallow waters. In this case they continue to flounder about, till they are either knocked on the head by persons who happen to observe them, or till the tide flows in to their relief. In one of the poems of Waller, a story (founded on fact) is recorded, of the parental affection of these animals. A Grampus and her cub had got into an arm of the sea, where, by the desertion of the tide, they were enclosed on every side. The men on shore saw their situation, and ran down upon them with such weapons as they could at the moment collect. The poor animals were soon wounded in several places, so that all the immediately surrounding water was stained with their blood. They made many efforts to escape; and the old one by superior strength, forced itself over the shallow water into the ocean. But, though in safety herself, she would not leave her young-one in the hands of assassins. She therefore again rushed in ; and seemed resolved, since she could not prevent, at least to share the fate of her offspring. The story concludes with poetical justice; for the tide coming in, conveyed them both off' in safety. BIRDS. RAPACIOUS BIRDS. IN the Birds which constitute the present order, the bill is some what hooked, having the upper mandible or division either dilated a little towards the point, or furnished with a tooth-like process. The nostrils are open. The feet are stout, and armed with strong hooked claws three placed forward, and one backward. OF THE VULTUKES IN GENEKAL. THE Vultures have their bill straight, and hooked only at the end ; its edges are sharp, like a knife, and the base is covered with a thin skin. The head, cheeks, and, in many species, the neck, are either naked, or clad only with down or short hairs. The tongue is large, fleshy, and cleft at the end. The craw often hangs over the breast. The legs and feet are covered with great scales ; and the first joint of the middle toe is connected to that of the outermost by a strong membrane. The claws are large, somewhat hooked, and very blunt ; tmd the inside of the wings ia covered with down. The characters which principally distinguish the Birds of this tribe from the Eagles and Falcons, are the want of feathers on part of the head,, and sometimes even on the whole head and neck ; and their voracious manners, as they never kill prey from choice, but in general devour only such animals as are either dying, or are found dead and putrid. Their sense of smelling is so exquisite, that they are able to scent a dead body at the distance of many miles. " They are (says Mr. Pennant) greedy and voracious to a proverb; and not timid, for they prey in the midst of cities, undaunted by mankind." After some of the battles in the East, where vast slaughter takes place, of Elephants, Horses, and men, voracious animals crowd to the field from all quarters, and of these, Jackals, Hyaenas, and Vultures, are the chief. Even in the places where the last are otherwise seldom observed, the plain will on such occasions be found covered with them. Vast multitudes will be seen in the air, descending from every side. 29 (451) 452 THE CONDOR. to partake of the carnage. These the Indians believe to be brought by having an. instinctive presentiment of slaughter, some days before the event. It is observed that Vultures, in general, become less numerous as the climate becomes colder ; and that, in the more northern countries, they are never found. Their presence is a kind disposition of Providence in the hotter regions, to prevent the putrid effluvia of the dead from too much injurino- the health of the living. THE CONDOR. This bird considerably exceeds in size the largest eagle. Its ex- panded wings some- times extend to the dimensions of eighteen feet. Its body, bill, and talons, are pro- portionably large and strong; and its g courage -is equal to its ~ strength. The throat W is naked, and of a red color. The upper parts, in some indi- viduals, (for they differ |L greatly in color,) are '^ variegated with black, | grey, and white; and the belly is scarlet. The head of a Condor that was shot at Port Desire, off Penguin Island, resembled that of an eagle; except had that it had a large comb upon it. Eound the neck it had a white CONDOR, . ruff, much resembling a lady's tippet. The feathers on the back were as black as jet, and perfectly bright. The legs were remarkably strong and large ; the talons like those of an eagle, except that they were not so sharp : and the wings, when extended, measured, from point to point, twelve feet j n the Leverian Museum there were two specimens of- the Condor, supposed to be male and female ; on the breast they had a kind of pendulous, pear-shaped substance. The male measured ten feet from tip to tip of the wings. The Condor is an inhabitant of South Amer- ica. Of the strength of this enormous bird we may form some idea, -from the account that has been given of one of them which was shot THE CONDOR. 453 by Father Feuille'e, in the valley of Ylo in Peru, he discovered a Condor perched upon a great rock ; and that he approached it within musket- shot and fired ; but that, as the gun was only loaded with swan-shot, the lead could not do much more than pierce its feathers. He perceived, however, from its He informs us, that COXEOB AND FISH. motions, that it was wounded : for it rose heavily, and could with difficulty reach another great rock, five hundred paces distant. He therefore charged his piece with a bullet, and hit the bird under the throat. He then saw that he had succeeded, ran to secure his victim : but it struggled obstinately with death ; and, resting upon its back, repelled his at- tempts with its extended talons. He continues, "I was at a loss on what side to lay hold of it ; and I believe that if it had not been mortally wounded, I should have found great difficulty in securing it. At last I dragged it down from the top of the rock ; and, with the assistance of a sailor, carried it away to my tent." Some writers have affirmed that the Condor is twice as large as an Eagle, and so strong that it can pounce upon and devour a whole Sheep ; that it spares not even Stags, and can easily overthrow a man. Others say, that its beak is so firm that it can pierce a Cow's hide, and that two Condors are able to kill an Ox and devour the carcass. Ulloa states, that he once saw, in South America, a Condor seize and fly away with a Lamb. " Observing (says he) on a hill adjoining to that where I stood, a flock of Sheep in great confusion, I saw one of these birds flying upwards from among them, with a Lamb between its claws ; and when at some height, it dropped it. The bird imme- diately followed, took it up, and let it fall a second time ; when it flew out of sight, on account of the Indians, who, alarmed by the cries of the boys and the barking of the Dogs, were running towards the place. Frezier, in a voyage to the South Seas, also thus describes the Con- dor: "We one day killed a bird of prey called the Condor; which measured nine feet from the end of one wing to the end of the other, and had a brown comb or crest, but not jagged like that of a Cock. The fore part of the throat was red, without feathers, like that of a Turkey. These birds are generally large and strong enough to take up a Lamb. In order to separate one of those animals from the flock, 'they form themselves into a circle, and advance towards them with their wings extended, that, by being driven too close together, the full-horned 454 THE CONDOR. Earns may not be able to defend their young-ones. They then pick out the Lambs, and carry them off. Garcillasso says, there are some Condors in Peru which measure sixteen feet from the point of one wing to that of the other, and that a certain nation of Indians adore them." These enormous animals make their nests among the highest and most inaccessible rocks. The female lays two white eggs, somewhat larger than those of a Turkey, In the country which they inhabit, they seem to supply the place of "Wolves; and they are as much feared by the in- habitants, as Wolves are in other climates. In con- sequence of this, many modes of destroying them are adopted. Sometimes a person, covering himself with the hide of a newly- skinned animal, goes out, and so manages it, that the bird is induced to attack him in this dis- guise ; other persons that have hidden themselves, then come forward to his assistance ; and then all of them, at once falling on the bird, overpower and . ' _ -- _ kill it. A dead carcass is also sometimes put within a very high enclosure; and when the Condor has satiated himself, and is unable to rise freely, persons are in readiness to subdue him. On these latter occasions the bird is inactive; but in general he possesses a very quick flight, and fre- quently soars to a height beyond the reach of human vision. Some- times these birds are caught by means of traps and springes. It has generally been imagined, that the accounts of this dreadful animal gave rise to the exaggerated description of the bird that makes so conspicuous a figure in the Arabian Tales, under the name of Roc: but this seems very improbable, as we have no satisfactory evidence of the Condor having ever been found on the Old Continent. The traditions respecting the Roc originated in a very different kind of bird ; a variety of the bearded Eagle, or the well-known Lammer- geyer of the Alps, which is occasionally seen among the mountains ofthe East. THE CARKION VULTURE. 455 CARRION VULTURE. THE CARRION VULTURE. The length of this bird is about four feet and a half, and its general weight between four and five pounds. The head is small ; and covered with a red skin, beset only with a few black bristles; which gives it a distant resem- blance to a Turkey. The whole plumage is dusky, mixed with purple and green. The legs are of a dirty flesh- color, and the claws black. In some of the countries bor- dering upon the torrid zone, these birds haunt the villages and towns in immense multi- tudes. In Carthagena, they may be seen sitting on the roofs of houses, or even stalking along the streets. They are here of infinite survice to the inhabitants, by devouring that filth which otherwise, by its intolerable stench, would render the climate still more unwholesome than it is. When they find no food in the cities, they seek for it among the cattle of the adjoining pas- tures. If any animal be unfortunate enough to have a sore on his back, they instantly alight on it, and attack the part affected. The unfortunate beast may in vain attempt to free itself from the gripe of their talons: even rolling on the ground is of no effect, for the Vul- tures never quit their hold till they have completed its destruction, In few creatures are the designs of Providence more clearly de- veloped than in these. Filthy as they are in their manners, their appearance, and their smell, yet is even this filthiness a blessing to mankind. In hot climates, putridity takes place in a few hours after death, what might be the effects of the aggregated stench, if it were not for the exertions of animals of this description! But in some countries they are rendered even of still further importance to man- kind, by destroying the eggs of the Alligator, an animal which otherwise must become intolerable by its prodigious increase. They watch the female Crocodile in the act of depositing her eggs in the sand ; and no sooner does she retire into the water, than they dart to the spot and feast upon the contents of the eggs. The resemblance of these birds at a distance, to the Turkey, was the cause of considerable vexation to one of the officers engaged in the expedition round the world under Woodes Eogers. In the island of Lobos, immense numbers of them were seen; and, highly delighted 'with the prospect of such delicious fare after a long and tedious voy- age, the officer would not wait even till the boat could put him ashore, 456 THE EGYPTIAN VULTURE. but, with his gun in his hand, leapt overboard and swam to land. Approaching a large collection of the birds, he fired among them and killed several: but when he came to seize his game, he was sadly disappointed in finding that they were not Turkeys, and that their stench was almost insupportable. The bodies of the Carrion Vultures are extremely offensive to the smell; and they perch at night on rocks or trees, with their wings partly extended, apparently to purify themselves. They soar to a vast height, and have in the air the sailing motions of the Kite. Car- rion and filth of almost every description are their favorite food; and, from the acuteness of their scent, they can distinguish prey at an immense distance; They will eat even Snakes, and sometimes seize on live Lambs. When a dead body of considerable size is thrown out, they may be observed coming from all quarters, each wheeling about in gradual descent till he reaches the ground. They are not easily driven from their prey; but, when in the act of devouring it, will suffer persons to approach very near them. THE AQUILIXE, OR EGYPTIAN VULTURE. The male is entirely white, except the quill-feathers, which are black, edged with hoary. The female is brown, with the same ex- ception of the quill-feathers. The two outermost primaries of each wing in the male, and the four outermost in the female, are entirely black. The head and neck are naked and wrinkled. The eyes are large and black ; the beak is black and hooked, having its base cov- ered with a yellow cere; and the talons are large and extended. These disgusting animals frequent the sterile and sandy country around the Pyramids. Extensive flocks of them are also found in Cairo, where they feed on offal and dead animals in the streets pro- miscuously with the Dogs. Every morning and evening they assemble with the Kites, in the square below the castle, in order to receive the alms of fresh meat that have been left to them by the legacies of various wealthy men. By the ancient Egyptians these birds were esteemed sacred ; and Herodotus informs us, that it was considered a capital crime to put one of them to death. Their appearance is as horrid as can be imagined in any animal; and their whole body, from their habits of life, is covered with filth. Notwithstanding this, the inhabitants of the countries where they abound cannot be too thankful to Providence for supplying them with these active scavengers, to cleanse their towns and villages of the filth and putridity which otherwise, under a burning sun, and on lands often inundated by the river which fertilizes them, would fill the atmosphere with the most noxious exhalations. In Palestine they are of infinite service, in destroying the vast multitudes of Rats and Mice which breed in the fields ; and which without their assistance, would devour the whole fruits of the ground. They also frequent the deserts, and there devour the bodies of men and animals which perish in those desolated regions. They every THE CAPE VULTURE. 457 year follow the caravan from Egypt to Mecca, in order to feast upon the flesh of slaughtered beasts, and the carcasses of the camels which die on the journey. So little are these birds alarmed by the presence of mankind, that they will not even quit the places which they haunt, even when fired at with guns ; but after a short flight they immediately return. If one of them be killed, the rest surround and devour it. The Vulturine Caracaro Eagle is probably a Yulture. It is found in Brazil, and feeds on carrion. THE CAPE VULTURE. This Vulture, in many particulars, resembles the last species. Its head, however, is of a bright blue color, cover- ed with a yellowish down. The plumage is somewhat of a coffee color. The small cover- tures of the wings are dark, and the quill- feathers blackish. The legs are brown, and the beak and claws nearly black. The sloth, the filth, and the voracity of these birds, almost exceed credibility. Whenever they alight on a carcass that they can have liberty to tear at their ease, they gorge themselves in such a manner that they become unable to fly, and even if pursued can only hop along. At all times they are birds of slow flight, and are unable readily to raise themselves from the ground ; and when overfed, they are utterly helpless. On the pressure of danger, however, they have the power of ridding themselves of their burden, by vomiting up what they have eaten ; and then they fly off with great facility. They frequent all the country at the Cape of Good Hope ; and are ' so familiar, that they often descend, in great numbers, near the entrance to the shambles of the Cape Town, and there devour the heads, entrails, and other offals, of the animals slaughtered for the market. On the sea-shores they are also very abundant, voraciously devouring all such animal substances as have been thrown upon the coast by the tides. They subsist likewise on crabs, tortoises, shell-fish, and even locusts. In anatomizing a dead animal, Kolben informs us that these birds exhibit infinite dexterity. They separate the flesh from the bones in such a manner as to leave the skin almost entire. On approaching a body thus destroyed, no person, till he had examined it, could possibly imagine that it was merely bone and skin, deprived entirely of the in- ternal substance. They begin by tearing an opening in the belly, through which they pluck out and greedily devour the entrails: then entering the hollow, they also tear away all the flesh ; and this without 458 THE KING VULTURE GRIFFON VULTURE. affecting the external appearance. " It often happens (says this writer) that an ox returning home alone to his stall from the plough, lies down by the way ; it is then, if the Vultures perceive it, that they fall upon it with, fury, and inevitably devour the unfortunate animal. They sometimes attempt the oxen while grazing in the fields ; and, to the number of a hundred or more, make their sudden attack all together." Eavenous as these animals are, they are capable of existing for a great length of time without food. In the deserts their subsistence is sometimes very precarious. M. Le Yaillant states that in the crop of some that he had killed, he had found nothing but pieces of bark, or a small quantity of clay ; in the crop of others he had found only bones ; and again, of others, the dung of animals. When urged by hunger, they are frequently known to devour their own species. THE KING VULTURE. The King Yulture is also a native of South America, seldom if ever being seen north of Florida. Travel- lers relate that this species keeps the other Vultures under subjection, and does not suffer them to approach a dead animal until he has completely satisfied his own appetite, which is certainly none of the smallest. KINO VULTURE. THE GRIFFON VULTURE. The Griffon Vulture is found in almost all parts of the old world. It is one of the largest of its group, measuring upwards of four feet in length. Like most of the Vultures, it does not appear to move its wings while flying, but soars on expanded pinions in large circles, apparently gaining the necessary impetus by the movements of its head and body, just as an accomplished skater uses but little force in his various evolutions an imperceptible inclination of the head, or sway of the body, sufficing to keep up the impetus gained at starting, and to bring him round in any direction he chooses. GRIFFON TCLTURE. THE TURKEY VULTURE. 459 Vultures are generally protected by the natives of the countries where they reside on, account of their great utility in clearing away the putrid animal matter, which would otherwise be exceedingly in- jurious as well as disagreeable. The Turkey Buzzard or John Crow ( Cathartes Aura\ ot Jamaican Vulture, is protected by a fine of five pounds, inflicted on any one who destroys the bird within a certain distance of the principal towns. Waterton's account of this bird is very interesting, and well worthy of notice. There are many different species of Vultures inhabiting different countries, but their habits as well as their forms are so similar that a detailed description of each is needless. THE TURKEY VULTURE. The Turkey Vulture is about two and a half feet in length, and six in breadth. Eyes dark or reddish- hazel. The head and neck for about an inch and a half below the ears, furnished with a reddish wrinkled skin, and tints of blue with f TURKEY VULTURE OR BUZZARD. sprinkled short black hairs. From the hind-head to the neck-feathers the space is covered with a black down. The forepart of the neck is bare to the breast-bone. The plumage of the neck is large and tumid, and, with that of the back and shoulders, near- ly black ; almost all the rest of the body is of the same color, in parts inclining to brown. Third primary feather longest. The wings extend to the end of the tail. The upper plumage is generally glossed with green and bronze, having purplish reflections. Legs feathered to the knees; the feet somewhat webbed. The bill nearly white often tipped with bright olive green. Weight from four and a half to five pounds. TURKEY BUZZARD. 460 OF THE FALCON OR EAGLE TRIBE. OF THE FALCON OR EAGLE TRIBE. THE bill is hooked ; and is furnished at the base with a naked membranaceous skin, called cere. The head and neck are thickly beset with feathers. The nostrils are small, and placed in the cere ; and the tongue is broad, fleshy, and generally cleft at the end. The legs and feet are strong, muscular and scaly ; and the large, hooked, and very sharp claws, are well calculated for the predacious habits of the animals. The middle toe is connected to the outermost by a strong membrane, and the claw of the outer toe is smaller than that of any of the others. This tribe differs from the last princi- pally in the animals having their bill and claws much more hooked and sharp ; in having the head and neck in general thickly covered with feathers, instead of being naked, or covered only with down ; and also in their usually killing their prey and eating it while fresh. The exuviae and bones of their food they always emit at the mouth, in the form of round pellets. This, as well as the last, is an excessively rapacious tribe of birds. They prey altogether on animal food ; yet they seldom feed on carrion, except when driven to it by necessity. They are able to sustain hunger for a very great length of time ; often taking in as much food at once, as will last them for several days without a fresh supply. Many of these species eat fish, and others are content to subsist on snakes and reptiles. They never associate ; and, except during the breeding season, even two of them are seldom seen together. They are extremely quick sighted, and soar to amazing heights in the air. When they dis- cern their prey, they dart upon it with the swiftness of an arrow : and their strength is so great, that some of them have been known to carry to their offspring a load nearly as heavy as themselves, and from a distance of forty miles and upwards. Most of them build their nests in lofty and inaccessible places ; but a few of the species form them on the ground. In general the females are much larger than the males ; for the purpose, as some persons have conjectured, of more easily providing food for their offspring. About a hundred and forty different species have been discovered, of which upwards of twenty are natives of Great Britain ; but, from the extreme difference in appearance, between many of the males and females of the same soecies it is sometimes a difficult task to ascertain them. THE SECRETARY FALCON. 461 THE SECRETARY FALCON. This bird, when standing erect, measures about three feet from the top of the head to the ground. The bill is black, sharp, and crooked, like that of an Eagle. The cere is white ; and round the eyes there is a place bare of feathers, and of a deep orange color. The upper eye- lids are beset with strong bristles, like eye-lashes. The general color of the plumage is a bluish ash-color ; and the ends of the wings, the thighs, and vent, are blackish. The tail is somewhat ash-colored, except at the end, which, for above an inch, is black, and then tipped with white : the two middle feathers are twice as long as any of the rest. The legs are long, brown, and stouter than those of a Heron ; the claws are shortish, but crooked, and of a black color. The Secretary Falcon is a native of the interior parts of Africa, Asia, and the Philippine Islands. In its general form this bird resembles, in some degree, both the Eagle and the Crane ; having its head shaped like that of the former, and its body somewhat like that of the latter. From the back of the head spring several long dark-colored feathers, that hang loose behind like a pendant crest, which the bird can erect or depress at pleasure. " The Dutch (says M. Le Vaillant) gave to it the name of Secretary, on account of the bunch of quills behind its head : for in Holland, clerks, when interrupted in their writing, stick their pen in their hair behind their right ear ; and to this the tuft of the bird was thought to bear some resemblance." The Hottentots at the Cape of Good Hope distinguished this bird by a name that signifies the Serpent-eater; and it would almost seem that nature had principally destined it for the purpose of confining within due bounds the race of Serpents, which is very extensive in all the countries that this bird inhabits. The mode in which it seizes these dan- gerous creatures is very peculiar. When it approaches them, it is always careful to carry the point of one of its wings forward, in order to parry- off their venomous bites ; sometimes it finds an opportunity of spurn- ing and treading upon its antagonist, or else of taking him on its pinions and throwing him into the air. When, by this proceeding, it has at length wearied him out, and rendered him almost senseless, it kills and swallows him at leisure without danger. M. Le Yaillant tells us, that he was witness to an engagement between a Secretary Falcon and a Serpent. The battle was obstinate, and was conducted with equal address on both sides. But the Serpent at length feeling the inferiority of his strength, employed, in his at- tempt to regain his hole, all that cunning which is attributed to the tribe ; while the Bird, apparently guessing his design, stopped him on a sudden and cut off his retreat, by placing herself before him at a SECRETARY KILLING A SNAKE. 462 THE SECRETARY FALCON. siogle leap. On whatever side the reptile endeavored to make his escape, his enemy still appeared before him. Then, uniting at once both bravery and cunning, the serpent boldly erected himself to inti- midate the Bird, and, hissing dreadfully, displayed his menacing throat, inflamed eyes, and a head swollen with rage and venom. " Sometimes this threatening appearance produced a momentary sus- pension of hostilities; but the Bird soon returned to the charge, and covering her body with one of her wings as a buckler, struck her enemy with the bony protuberance of the other. I saw him at last stagger and fall : the conqueror then fell upon him to dispatch him, and, with one stroke of her beak, laid open his skull." At this instant M. Le Yaillant fired at and killed the bird. In her craw he found, on dissection, eleven tolerably large Lizzards ; three Serpents, each as long as his arm ; eleven small Tortoises, most of which were about two inches in diameter ; and a number of Locusts and other insects, several of them sufficiently whole to be worth preser- ing and adding to his collection. He observed, too, that, in addition to this mass of food, the craw contained a sort of ball, as large as the head of a Goose, formed of the vertebrae of Serpents and Lizards ; shells of Tortoises ; and wings, claws, and shields, of different kinds of Beetles. Dr. Solander says, that he has seen one of these birds take up a Snake, a small Tortoise, or other reptile, in its claw, and dash it with so much violence against the ground, that the creature immediately died ; if, however, this did not happen to be the case, he tells us that the operation was repeated till the victim was killed ; after which it was eaten. The Secretary is easily tamed ; and when domesticated, will eat any kind of fooi, either dressed or raw. If well fed, it not only lives with poultry on amicable terms, but, when it sees any of them quarrelling, it will even run to part the combatants and restore order. This bird, it is true, if pinched with hunger, will devour, without scruple, the ducklings and chickens ; but this abuse of confidence, if it may be so called, is the effect of severe hunger, and the pure and simple exer- cise of that necessity which rigorously devotes one .half of the living creation to satisfy the appetite of the rest. Tame Secretaries were seen by M. Le Yaillant in several of the plantations of the Cape. He says that they commonly lay two or three white eggs, nearly as large as those of a goose. The young- ones remain a great while in the nest; because, from their legs being long and slender, they cannot easily support themselves. However shrewd and cunning this bird may be in its general con- duct, yet M. de Buffon seems to have attributed to it a much greater degree of intelligence than it really possesses: "When a painter (says he, quoting a letter of the viscount de Querhoent) was employed in drawing one of the Secretary Falcons, it approached him, looked attentively upon his paper, stretched out its neck, and erected the feathers of its head, as if admiring its own figure. It often came with its wings raised, and its head projected, to observe what he was doing. It also thus approached me two or three times, when I was sitting at a table, in its hut, in order to describe it." This stretching out of its THE WASHINGTON EAGLE. 463 head, and erection of its crest, seem, however, to have arisen from no- thing more than that love which almost all domesticated birds evince of having their heads scratched. And these birds, when rendered familiar, are well known to approach every person who comes near them, and to stretch out their necks by way of making known this desire. This singular bird has not long been known, even at the Cape: but, when we consider its sociable and familiar disposition, we are disposed to think that it would be advisable to multiply the species, particu- larly in our colonies; for it is hardy enough to endure even European climates, where it might be serviceable in destroying not only perni- cious reptiles, but Eats and Mice. The Secretary Falcons make, with twigs, a flat nest, full three feet in diameter, and line it with wool and feathers. This is usually formed in some high tuft of trees ; and is often so well concealed, as not easily to be discovered even by the most scrutinizing eye. It is a very singular circumstance, that in their contests these birds always strike forward with their legs; and not, like all others, backward. THE WASHINGTON EAGLE. The Washington Eagle, says Nuttall, bold and vigorous, disdains the piratical habits of the Bald Eagle, and invariably obtains his own sustenance without molesting the Osprey. The circles he describes in his flight are wider than those of the White-headed Eagle; he also flies nearer to the land or the surface of the water ; and when about to dive for his prey, he descends in circuitous, spiral rounds, as if to check the retreat of the fish, on which he darts only when within the distance of a few yards. When his prey is obtained, he flies out at a low elevation to a considerable distance to enjoy his repast at leasure. The quantity of food consumed by this enormous bird is very great, according to the account of those who have had them in confinement. Mr. Audubon's male bird weighed fourteen and a half pounds avoirdupois. LAMMEK-OEYER 464 THE BEARDED EAGLE. THE BEARDED EAGLE, OR LAMMER-GEYER. The beak is of a purplish flesh-color, and hooked only at the point; the head and neck are covered with feathers. Beneath the throat hangs a kind of beard, com- posed of very narrow feathers, like hairs. The legs are covered with feathers quite to the toes, which are yellow : the claws are black. The body is blackish-brown above ; and the under parts are white, with a tinge of brown. The Bearded Eagles, of which so many fabulous tales have been related, are inhabitants of the highest parts of the great chain of the Alps that separates Switzerland from Italy, They are fre- quently seen of immense size. One that was caught in the canton of Glarus, measured from the tip of its beak to the extremity of its tail, nearly seven feet, and eight feet and a half from tip to tip of its wings ; but some have been shot that were much larger. These birds form their nests in the clefts of rocks, inaccessible to man; and usually produce three or four young-ones at a time. They subsist on alpine animals, such as Chamois, white Hares, Marmots, Kids, and particularly Lambs. It is from their devouring the latter, that they are called, by the Swiss peasants, Lammer-geyer, or Lamb- Vultures.* The Bearded Eagles seldom appear except in small par- ties, usually consisting of the two old birds and their young-ones. If common report may be credited, this rapacious bird does not confine its assaults to the brute creation, but sometimes attacks and succeeds in carrying off' young children. Gesner, on the authority of Fabricius, says, respecting it, that some peasants between Meissen and Brisa, in Germany, losing every day some of their cattle, which they sought for in the forests in vain, observed by chance a very large nest resting on three oaks, constructed with sticks and branches of trees, and as wide as the body of a cart. They found in this nest three young birds, already so large that their wings extended seven ells. Their legs were as thick as those of a Lion; and their claws the size of a man's fingers. In the nest were found several skins of Calves and Sheep. It appears to have been from one of the two varieties of this bird that are sometimes seen in Persia and other eastern countries, rather than the Condor, as is generally supposed, that the fabulous stories of the Roc of the Arabian Tales originated ; since the latter is con- fined to the wild districts of South America, and has never been ascertained to have visited the old continent. One of these varieties also it is that Mr. Bruce describes as having * It is, however, to be remarked that the Swiss do not confine the appellation of Lammer-geyer to this species, but sometimes extend it to other large birds of prey THE BEARDED EAGLE. 465 v* seen on the highest part of the mountain of Lamalmon, not far from Gondar, the capital of Abyssinia. He says, that on account of the tuft of hair growing beneath its beak, the inhabitants call it Abou Ducttn, or Father Long-beard. Mr. Bruce supposed it to be not only one of the largest of the Eagle kind, but one of the largest birds in the creation. From wing to wing it measured eight feet four inches ; and from the tip of its tail to the point of its beak, when dead, four feet seven inches. It weighed twenty-two pounds, and was very full of flesh. Its legs were short, but the thighs extremely muscular. Its eyes were remarkably small, the aperture being scarcely half an inch across. The crown of the head was bald, as was also the front, where the bill and skull joined. 11 This noble bird (says this celebrated traveller) was not an object of any chase or pursuit, nor stood in need of any stratagem to bring him within our reach. Upon the highest top of the mountain Lamal- mon, while my servants were refreshing themselves from that toilsome, rugged ascent, and enjoying the pleasures of a most delightful climate eating their dinner in the outer air, with several large dishes of boiled goat's flesh before them, this enemy, as he turned out to be to them suddenly appeared; he did not stoop rapidly from a height, but carne flying slowly along the ground, and sat down close to the meat, with- in the ring the men had made round it. A great shout, or rather cry of distress, called me to the place. I saw the Eagle stand for a min- ute, as if to recollect himself; while the servants ran for their lances and shields. I walked up as nearly to him as I had time to do. His attention was fixed upon the flesh. I saw him put his foot into the pan, where there was a large piece, in water, prepared for boiling ; but finding the smart, which he had not expected, he withdrew it, and forsook the piece that he held. " There were two large pieces, a leg and a shoulder, lying upon a wooden platter : into these he thrust both his claws, and carried them off; but I thought he still looked wistfully at the large piece which remained in the warm water. Away he went slowly along the ground, as he had come. The face of the cliff over which criminals are thrown, took him from our sight. The Mahometans that drove the Asses, were much alarmed, and assured me of his return. My servants, on the other hand, very unwillingly expected him, and thought he had already taken more than his share. " As I had myself a desire of more intimate acquaintance with this Bird, I loaded a rifle-gun with ball, and sat down close to the platter by the meat. It was not many minutes before he came, and a prodigious shout was raised by my attendants, 'He is coming, he is coming,' enough to have dismayed a less courageous animal. Whether he was not quite so hungry as at his first visit, or suspected something from my appearance, I know not ; but he made a short turn, and sat down about ten yards from me, the pan with the meat being between me and him. As the field was clear before me, and I did not know but his next move might bring him opposite to some of my people, so that he might actually get the rest of the meat and make off, I shot him with the ball through the middle of his body, 466 THE IMPERIAL EAGLE HARPY EAGLE. about two inches below the wing, so that he lay down upon the grass without a single flutter. "Upon laying hold of his monstrous carcass, I was not a little sur- prised at seeing my hands covered and tinged with yellow powder or dust. On turning him upon his belly, and examining the feathers of his back, they also produced a dust, the color of the feathers there. This dust was not in small quantites ; for, upon striking the breast, the yellow powder flew in full greater quantity than from a hair- dresser's powder puff. The feathers of the belly and breast which were of a gold color, did not appear to have any thing extraordi- nary in their formation ; but the large feathers in the shoulder and wings seemed apparently to be fine tubes, which, upon pressure, scattered this dust upon the finer part of the leather ; but this was brown, the color of the feathers of the back. Upon the side of the wing, the ribs, or hard part of the feathers, seemed to be bare, as if worn ; or, I rather think, were renewing themselves, having before failed in their functions. "What is the reason of this extraordinary provision of nature, it is not in my power tb determine. As it is an unusual one, it is pro- bably meant for a defence against the climate, in favor of birds which live in those almost inaccessible heights of a country doomed, even in its lowest parts, to several month's excessive rain." THE IMPERIAL EAGLE. This is the largest species of Eagle known, measuring three feet and a half from the tip of the bill to the end of the tail; and to it may be referred all the accounts of the ancients respecting the strength, courage, and magnanimity of these birds. Its color above is rufous gray, barred with black, the black prevailing most on the wings ; the head is strongly crested with long gray feathers, the two middle ones being five inches long ; the tail is gray, barred and spotted with black, and tipped with rufous : the under parts of the bird are pale cinereous, very soft and downy ; the beak and cere black ; the feet and legs yel- low. It is a native of South America, inhabiting the deep recesses of the forest ; and has the reputation of being extremely bold and fero- cious. THE HARPY EAGLE. It has been correctly observed by Mr. Selby, that the members of the aquiline division of the Eaptorial order do not possess the same facility of pursuing their prey upon the wing which we see in the Falcons and Hawks; for though their flight is very powerful, they are not capable of the rapid evolutions that attend the aerial attacks of the above-named groups, in consequence of which their prey is mostly pounced upon the ground. The shortness of the wings of the Harpy Eagle, when compared with those of the Golden Eagle of Europe, and their rounded form and breadth, though well adapting them for a continued steady flight, render them less efficient as organs THE HARPY EAGLE. 467 of rapid and sudden aerial evolutions than those of the latter; but as it inhabits the woods, and does not prey upon birds, but animals incapable of saving themselves by flight, its powers of wing (or rather the modification of powers) are in accordance with the cir- cumstances as to food and locality under which it is placed. If the Harpy Eagle soars not aloft, hovering over plains and mountains, it threads the woods, it skims amidst the trees, and marks the Sloth suspended on the branch, or the Monkey in unsuspicious security, and with unerring aim strikes its defenceless victims. Mr. Selby, commenting on the fierceness of a pair of Golden Eagles in his pos- session and their readiness to attack every one indiscriminately, ob- serves that when living prey (as Hares, Eabbits, or Cats) are thrown to them, the animal is " instantly pounced on by a stroke behind the head and another about the region of the heart, the bill appearing never to be used but for the purpose of tearing up the prey when dead." It is precisely in this manner that the Harpy Eagle deals with his victims ; death se^ms the work of an instant ; the strongest Cat, powerless in his grasp, is clutched, and expires. Nor will this surprise any one who has contemplated the power seated in the talons of this bird; strong as are the talons of the Golden Eagle, great as is the muscular development of its limbs, and formidable as are its claws, they seem almost trifling compared with those of the Harpy Eagle. In the museum of the Zoological Society are skeletons of both these birds, which it is interesting to compare together. The thickness of the bones of the limbs in the latter, and especially of the tarsus, which is more than double that of the Golden- Eagle, and the enormous size of the talons, are sufficient to convince the observer of the ease with which, when living, the fierce bird would bury its sharp-hooked claws in the vitals of its prey, and how vain resistance when the fatal grasp was taken. In its native regions the Harpy Eagle is said to be by no means common; were it so, the destruction occasioned by its presence would, it might be naturally expected, preponderate over the renovation of the species which constitute its habitual food, and the balance which nature has established between the destroyed and the destroying, the sanguinary and their victims, be thus disarranged. No doubt that, as is the case with all carnivo- rous animals, its numerical ratio in a given space is proportionate to that of the animals on which it is destined habitually to feed. Where the Sloth is most abundant, there will most abound the Harpy Eagle. The general color of this noble bird is slate black; the head is light slate-gray, passing into dusky-black on the crest; the under parts are white, with a broad band of dark slate color across the chest. The tail is barred with black and slate color. The beak and claws aro black ; the tarsi yellow. 30 468 THE GOLDEN EAGLE. THE GOLDEN EAGLE. The Golden Eagle is a large bird, weighing twelve or fourteen pounds; measuring in length three feet, and from tip to tip of his wings seven feet and a half. The bill is deep blue, and the cere yellow. The head and neck are of a dark brown, bor- dered with tawny: the hind part o f the head is of a Bi bright rust-color, 1 and the rest of the body brown. The tail is blotched with ash-color. The legs are yellow, and feathered to the toes, which are scaly : the claws are remarka- bly large, the middle one being two inches in length. This bird is a native o f Europe, and even of some of the more mountain- ous parts of Great Britain. This Eagle has generally been considered by mankind, to hold the same fabulous or imaginary dominion over the birds, which has been attributed to the Lion over quadrupeds. M. de Buft'on, adopting the idea, is also of opinion, that the Eagle and the Lion have many points of resemblance, both physical and moral. " Magnanimity (he says) is equally conspicuous in both; they despise the small animals, and dis- regard their insults. It is only after a series of provocations, after being teased with the noisy or harsh notes of the Eaven or Magpie, that the Eagle determines to punish the temerity or the insolence of these birds with death. Besides, both disdain the possession of that property which is not the fruit of their own industry; rejecting with contempt the -prey which is not procured by their own exertions. Both are remarkable for their temperance. This species seldom de- vours the whole of his game, but, like the Lion, leaves the fragments GOLDEN EAGLE. THE GOLDEN EAGLE. 469 and offals to other animals. Though famished for want of prey, he disdains to feed upon carrion. "Like the Lion, also, he is solitary; the inhabitant of a desert, over which he reigns supreme, excluding all the other birds from his silent domain. It is perhaps even more uncommon to see two pairs of Eagles in the same tract of mountain, than two families of Lions in the same part of the forest. They separate from each other at such wide intervals, as to afford ample range for subsistence; and esteem the value and extent of their dominion to consist in the abundance of prey with which it is replenished. " The eyes of the Eagle have the glare of those of the Lion, and are nearly of the same color ; the claws are of the same shape ; the organs of sound are equally powerful, and the cry equally terrible.* Destined, both of them, for war and plunder, they are equally tierce, bold, and intractable. It is impossible to tame them, unless they be caught when in their infancy. It requires much patience and art to train a young Eagle to the chase ; and after he has attained his proper age arid strength, his caprices and momentary impulses of passion, are sufficient to create suspicions and fears in his master. Authors inform us, that the Eagle was anciently used in the East for Falconry ; but this practice is now laid aside. He is too heavy to be carried on the hand : nor is he ever rendered so tame or so gentle, as to remove all suspicions of danger. His bill and claws are crooked and formidable : his figure corresponds with his instinct : his body is robust ; his legs and wings are strong ; his flesh is hard ; his bones are firm; his feathers stiff; his attitude bold and erect; his move- ments quick ; his flight rapid. He rises higher in the air than any other of the winged race; and hence he was termed by the ancients the Celestial Bird, and was regarded in their mythology as the mes- senger of Jupiter. He can distinguish objects at an immense distance; but his power of smell is inferior to that of the Vulture. By means of his exquisite sight, he pursues his prey; and, when he has seized it he checks his flight, and places it upon the ground to examine its weight, before he carries it off. Though his wings are vigorous; yet, his legs being stiff, it is with difficulty he can rise, especially if he be loaded. He is able to bear away Geese and Cranes : he also carries off Hares, young Lambs, and Kids. When he attacks Fawns or Calves, he instantly gluts himself with their blood and flesh, and afterwards transports their mangled carcasses to his nest, or aery.' 1 Formed for war, these Birds are solitary and unsociable. They are also fierce, but not implacable; and, though not easily tamed, are capable of great docility. They will not, however, bear the least harsh usage without endevoring to resent it. A gentleman who lived in the south of Scotland, had, not many years ago, a tame Eagle. This Bird the keeper one day injudiciously lashed with a horsewhip. About a week afterwards the man chanced to stoop within reach * The voice of the Lion and Eagle, notwithstanding this assertion of M. ae Buffon, will not bear comparison. The one is a deep and dreadful bass ; and the other a piercing treble, altogether destitute of majesty. 470 THE GOLDEN EAGLE. of its chain; when, recollecting the insult, the enraged animal flew in his face with so much fury and violence, that he was terribly wounded, but was driven so far back by the blow, as to be out of further danger. The screams of the Eagle alarmed the family ; who found the man lying at some distance, covered with blood, and equally stunned with the fright and the fall. The Bird was still pacing and screaming in a manner not less threatening than majestic ; and, shortly, afterwards, he broke his chain and escaped. The Golden Eagles build their nests on elevated rocks, ruinous and solitary castles and towers, and other sequestered places. The nest is quite flat ; and not hollow, like the nests of other birds. The male and female commonly place it between two rocks, in a dry and inaccessible situation. The same nest, it is said, serves the Eagle during life. Its form resembles that of a floor. Its basis consists of sticks about five or six feet in length, which are supported at each end ; and these are covered with several layers of rushes and heath. An Eagle's nest which was, some years ago, found in the Peak of Derbyshire, was made of great sticks, and one end of it rested on the edge of a rock, the other on. a birch-tree. Upon these was a layer of rushes, over them a layer of heath, and on the heath rushes again; upon which lay one young Eagle, and an addle egg ; and by them a Lamb, a Hare, and three hearth pouts. The nest was about .two yards square, and had no hollow in it. The females never lay more than two or three eggs. These they hatch in thirty days. They feed their young ones with the slain carcasses of such small animals as come in their way ; and, though they are at all times formidable, they are particularly so while bringing up their offspring. It is said that once during a summer of famine, a countryman got a comfortable subsistence for his family out of an Eagle's nest. He pro- tracted the assiduity of the old birds beyond their usual time, by clipping the wings, and thus retarding the flight, of their young ones ; and tying them so as to increase their cries, which are always found to increase the dispatch of the parents in supplying their wants. It was fortunate for him that the old ones did not detect the plunderer, otherwise their resentment might have proved fatal. A peasant, not many years ago, resolved to rob an Eagle's nest, which he knew to be built on a small island in the beautiful lake of Killarney. He stripped himself for this purpose, and swam over when the old birds were gone: but, in his return, while yet up to the chin in water, the parents, coming home, and missing their offspring, quickly fell on the plunderer, and killed him on the spot. Several instances have been recorded of- children being seized and carried off to their nests by Eagles. In the year 1737, in the parish of Norderhougs, in Norway, a boy somewhat more than two years old, was running from the house to his parents, who were at work in the fields at no great distance, when an Eagle pounced upon and flew off with him, in their sight. It was with bitterest anguish they beheld their child dragged away, but all their screams and efforts to prevent it were in vain. Anderson, in his History of Iceland, says, that in that THE OSPREY, OR FISHING EAGLE. 471 island children of four or five years of age have been sometimes taken away by Eagles $ and Ray relates, that in one of the Orkneys, a child of a year old was seized in the talons of an Eagle, and carried above four miles to its nest. The mother, knowing the place, pursued the bird, found her child in the nest, and took it away unhurt. The form of the Golden Eagle is extremely muscular ; but their chief strength lies in their beak, their talons, and their wings. There is scarcely any quadruped a match for them ; as they are capable of giving the most terrible annoyance, without much danger to themselves One flap of their wing has been known to strike a man dead. These birds are remarkable for longevity, and for their power of sustaining abstinence from food for a great length of time. One that died at Vienna, had been in confinement above a hundred years ; and one that was in the possession of a gentleman of Conway, in Caernarvon- shire was, from the neglect of his servants, kept for three weeks without any sustenance. THE OSPKEY, OE FISHING EAGLE. The length, from the point of the beak to the end of the tail, is about two feet, and the expanded wings measure somewhat more than five feet. The wings when closed, reach beyond the end of the tail. The head is small; and is black or brown, variegated with white at the top. The upper parts of the body, and the whole of the tail, are brown, and the belly is white. It is a singular circum- stance in this bird, that the outer toe turns easily backward, so as on occasion to have the toes two forward ^ and two backward, and it has a much larger claw than the inner one. This and the peculiar roughness of the whole foot under- neath, are well adapted for the securing of its prey. The Osprey frequents large rivers, lakes, and the sea-shore both of Europe and America. In the latter country, particularly, it often affords amusement to strangers. During the spring and summer, 472 THE OSPREY, OR FISHING EAGLE. months, this bird is frequently seen hovering over the rivers, or resting on the wing for seve- ral minutes at a time, without the least visi- ble change of place. It then suddenly darts down, and plunges into the water, whence it sel- do m rises again without a fish in its talons. When it rises into the air, it im- mediately shakes off the water, which it throws around like a mist, and pursues its way towards the woods. The Bald Eagle, which, on these occasions, is generally upon the watch, instantly pursues, and, if it can overtake, endeavors to soar above it. The Osprey, solicitous for its own safety, drops the fish in alarm ; the Eagle immediately pounces at this prey, and never fails to catch it before it reaches the water, leaving the hawk to begin his work afresh. It is somewhat remarkable, that whenever the Osprey catches a fish, it always makes a loud screaming noise ; which the Eagle, if within hearing, never fails to take as a signal. Sometimes it happens, that, if the Osprey be tolerably large and strong, it will contend with the Eagle for its rightful property ; and, though generally conquered in the end, a contest of this sort has. been sustained for upwards of half an hour. The Osprey usually builds its nest on the ground, among reeds; and lays three or four white eggs, rather smaller than those of a Hen. Colonel Montague states, that he once saw the nest of this Bird on the top of a chimney, of a ruin, in an island of Loch Lomond in Scotland. It was ^ ar & e an( ^ ^ at ' f rme d of sticks laid across, and lined with flags ; and it rested on jfche sides of the chimney OSPREY ROBBED OF ITS PRET BY THE EAGLE. THE BLACK, OR COMMON EAGLE. 473 THE BLACK, OR COMMON EAGLE. Its length is two feet tea inches ; the bill is horn-colored, and the cere reddish. The general color of the plumage is blackish ; and the COMMON EAGLE. head and upper parts of the neck, are mixed with yellow. The lower half of the tail is white, with blackish spots ; the other half blackish ; The legs are covered with dirty white feathers ; the toes are yellow, and the claws black. The most perpendicular and inaccessible rocks are generally selected as the habitation of the Black Eagles ; and from these they occasion- ally descend into the plains to feed. As these Birds are sometimes very destructive amongst Lambs and other small animals, it is not unusual to lay snares and traps in order to kill them; but their sagacity is such, that they are seldom caught. They attack and devour indiscriminately every kind of Bird ; and, when hard pressed by hunger, will feed on carrion. Their aeries are usually formed amongst the branches of the highest trees; and one of them, which was seen in the mountains of Auvergne, is described to have measured more than live superiicial feet. An Eagle of this species, which was in the possession of the Abbe Spallanzani, was so powerful, as to be able to kill Dogs that were much larger than itself. When the Abbe forced one of these animals 474 THE WHITE-HEADED, OR BALD EAGLE. into the apartment where the Eagle was kept, the Bird immediately ruffled the feathers on its head and neck, cast a dreadful look at its victim, and, taking a short flight, immediately alighted on his back. It held the neck firmly with one foot, by which the Dog was prevented from turning his head to bite, and with the other grasped one of his flanks, at the same time driving its talons into the body ; and in this attitude it continued, till the Dog expired with fruitless outcries and efforts. The beak, which had been hitherto unemployed, was now used for making a small hole in the skin : this was gradually enlarged ; and from this, the Bird began to tear away and devour the flesh, and went on till he was satisfied. Notwithstanding its ferocity in attacking animals, this Eagle never gave any molestation to man. Its owner, who constantly fed it, could safely enter the apartment where the bird was kept, and could behold these assaults without dread or apprehension; nor was the Eagle prevented from attacking the living prey he offered to it, or rendered shy by his presence. In general, when it had flesh sufficient, it made only one meal a day. The Abbe found, by weighing wha^it ate, that thirty ounces of flesh, one day with another, were fully sufficient for it. These birds are found in all quarters of jthe world ; and in hot as well as cold climates. Poiret speaks of having encountered them in the plains of Barbary. They are also very common in several parts of Europe, in Persia, and Arabia ; and also in most of the mountainous districts of America. THE WHITE-HEADED EAGLE, OK BALD EAGLE. WEUTB-HEADED EAGLE. The White- headed Eagle, or Bald Eagle, as it is called by Wilson, inhabits most parts of America, and especially fre- quents the cataract of Niagara. It is very accommodat- ing in its appetite, and preys indis- criminately on $ Lambs, Pigs, Swans and the Fish which, as related above, it takes away from the unfortunate O s p r e y. Some times it can take Fish honorably for itself in shallow water, by wading THE COMMON BUZZARD. 475 as far as it can and snatching up the fish with its beak. Audubon gives a splendid description of the chase of a swan by an Eagle, but want of space prevents insertion. Like the Golden Eagle, this bird lives con- stantly with its mate, and hunts in company. It lays from two to four eggs, of a dull white color, in a huge nest placed in a tall tree. The claws of this bird are grooved beneath, and the hind claw is the longest. The feet are half-feathered, and the fourth primary feather of the wing is the longest. When full grown, the general color of the bird is a deep, brownish black, but its head, neck, tail, and upper tail-coverts are white. THE COMMON BUZZAKD. The Buzzard is about twenty inches in length, and four feet and a half in breadth. Its bill is lead-colored. The upper parts of the body are dusky : and the lower pale, varied with brown. The wings and tail are marked with bars of a darker hue. The tail is grayish beneath nd tipped with dusky white. The legs are yellowish, and the claws black. This well-known bird is of a sedentary and indolent disposition ; it will frequently continue perched for many hours successively upon a tree or eminence, from which it darts upon such prey as come within its reach. It feeds on birds, small quadrupeds, reptiles and insects. Though possessed of strength, agility, and weapons to defend itself, it is cowardly, inactive, and slothful. It will fly from a Sparrow-hawk ; and, when overtaken, will suffer itself to be beaten, and even brought to the ground, without resistance. There are few birds of the hawk species more common in this country, than the buzzard. It breeds in large woods ; and usually builds in an old crow's nest, which it enlarges, and lines with wool and other soft materials. It feeds and tends its offspring, which are generally two or three in number, with great assiduity. Mr. Kaj- affirms, that if the female be killed during the time of incubation, the male Buzzard will take the charge of the young ones, and will patiently rear them till they are able to provide for themselves. The following anecdote, which was related by M. Fontaine, cure* de St. Pierre de Belesme, to M. de Buffon, will show that the Buzzard may be so far tamed, as to be rendered a faithful domestic. " In 1763 (says this gentleman,) a Buzzard was brought to me that had been taken in a snare. It was at first wild and ferocious. I undertook to tame it; and I succeeded, by leaving it to fast, and constraining it to come and eat out of my hand. By pursuing this plan, I brought it to be very familiar ; and, after having shut it up about six weeks, I began to allow it a little liberty, taking the precaution, however, to tie both pinions of its wings. In this condition it walked out into my garden, and returned when I called it to feed. After some time, when I judged 476 THE COMMON BUZZARD. that I could trust to its fidelity, I removed the ligatures ; and fastened a small bell, an inch and a half in diameter, above its talon, and also attached to its breast a bit of copper, having my name engraved on it. I then gave it entire liberty, which it soon abused ; for it took wing, and flew as far as the forest of Belesme. I gave it up for lost ; but four hours afterwards, I saw it rush into my hall, pursued by five other buzzards, which had constrained it to seek again its asylum. " After this adventure, it preserved its fidelity to me, coming every night to sleep on my window. It soon became familiar; attended con- stantly at dinner ; sat on a corner of the table, and often caressed me with its head and bill, emitting a weak, sharp cry, which, however, it sometimes softened. It is true that I alone had this privilege. It one day followed me when I was On horseback, more than two leagues, flying above my head. "It had an aversion both to Dogs and Cats; nor was it in the least afraid of them : it had often tough battles with them, but always came off victorious. I had four strong Cats, which I collected into my garden with my Buzzard. I threw to them a bit of raw flesh : the nimblest Cat seized it ; the rest pursued, but the Bird darted upon her, bit her ears with his bill, and squeezed her sides with his talons so forcibly, that the Cat was obliged to relinquish her prize. Often another Cat snatched it the instant it dropped ; but she suffered the same treatment, till the Buzzard got entire possession of the plunder. He was so dex- terous in his defence, that, when he perceived himself assailed at once by the four Cats, he took wing, and uttered a cry of exultation. At last, the Cats, chagrined by their repeated disappointment, would no longer contend with him. . " This Buzzard had a singular antipathy : he would not suffer a red cap to remain on the head of any of the peasants; and so alert was he in whipping it off, that they found their heads bare without knowing what was become of their caps. He also snatched away wigs, without doing any injury ; and he carried these caps and wigs to the tallest tree in a neighboring park, which was the ordinary deposit of his booty. " He would suffer no other Birds of prey to enter his domain : he attacked them boldly, and put them to flight. He did no mischief in my court-yard ; and the poultry, which at first dreaded him, grew in- sensibly reconciled to him. The Chickens and Ducklings received not the least harsh usage ; and yet he bathed among the latter. But, what is singular, he was not gentle to my neighbors' poultry ; and I was often obliged to publish that I would pay for the damages that he might occasion. However, he was frequently fired at ; and, at different times, received fifteen musket-shots without suffering any fracture. But once, early in the morning, hovering over the skirts of a forest, he dared to attack a Fox; and the keeper, seeing him on the shoulders of the Fox, fired two shots at him: the Fox was killed, and the Buzzard had his wing broken; notwithstanding this fracture, he escaped from the keeper, and was lost for seven days. This man having discovered, from the noise of the bell, that it was my Bird he had shot, came the next morning to inform me. I sent to search near THE KITE GENTIL FALCON. 477 the spot ; but the Bird could not be found, nor did it return till seven days afterwards. I had been used to call him every evening with a whistle : this he did not answer for six days ; but on the seventh I heard a feeble cry at a distance, which I judged to be that of my Buzzard: I repeated the whistle a second time, and heard the same cry. I went to the place from which the sound came ; and, at last, found my poor Buzzard with his wing broken. He had travelled more than half a league on foot to regain his asylum, from which he was then distant about a hundred and twenty paces. Though he was extremely re- duced, he gave me many caresses. It was six weeks before he was re- cruited, and his wounds were healed ; after which he began to fly as before, and to follow his old habits : these he continued for about a year, and then disappeared for ever." THE KITE, GLEDE, OR GLED. The Kite, Glede, or Gled, is not uncommon in England, and is spread over Europe, Asia, and Northern Africa. It is especially hated by the farmer for its depredations on his poultry, and its appearance is the signal for a general outcry among the terrified poultry, who perceive it long before the keenest-eyed man can dis- tinguish it from a casual spot in the distant sky. The sportsman also detests it for the havoc which it makes among the game, possibly the Kite hates the sportsman for the same reason. It builds in tall trees, and lays three eggs, white, spotted with red- dish brown at the larger end. Its length is rather more than two feet; the fourth primary feather is the longest, the first and seventh nearly equal. THE GENTIL FALCON. The Gentil Falcon measures about two feet in length. Its beak is of a red color, with a yellow cere. The head and back part of the neck are rusty, with oblong black spots. The back and wings are brown, and each feather of the wings is tipped with rust-color. The quills are dusky ; the outer webs barred with black, and the lower parts of the inner webs are marked with white. The wings reach to the middle of the tail, which is banded with black and ash -color, and tipped with white. The legs are short and yellow, and the claws black. When, in ancient times, the sport of falconry was in high repute, this was one of the species of Falcons which was employed. It is a spirited and dauntless bird ; and in a wild state is a native of the rocks of Caernarvonshire, and the Highlands of Scotland. In Syria there is a small variety of the Gentil Falcon, which the in- 478 THE GOSHAWK HEN HARRIER. habitants denominate Shaheen; and which is of so fierce and coura- geous a disposition, that it will attack any Bird, however large or powerful, which presents itself. " Were there not (says Dr. Eussel, in his account of Aleppo) several gentlemen now in England, to bear witness to the fact, I should hardly venture to assert that, with this bird, which is about the size of a Pigeon, the inhabitants sometimes take large Eagles. This Hawk, in former times, was taught to seize the Eagle under the pinion, and thus depriving him of the use of one wing, both birds fell to the ground together ; but I am informed that the present mode is to teach the Hawk to fix on the back, between the wings, which has the same effect, only that, the bird tumbling down more slowly, the falconer has more time to come to his Hawk's assistance ; but in either case, if he be not very expeditious, the Falcon is inevitably destroyed. " I never saw the Shaheen fly at Eagles, that sport having been dis- used before my time ; but I have often seen him take Herons and Storks. The Hawk, when thrown off, flies for some time in a horizontal line, not six feet from the ground, then mounting perpen- dicularly, with astonishing swiftness, he seizes his prey under the wing, and both together come tumbling to the ground. If the falconer, however, be not expeditious, the game soon disengages itself and escapes." THE GOSHAWK. The Goshawk is found plentifully in most of the wooded districts of Europe, but is comparatively rare in the British Isles. It seldom breeds south of Scotland, but its nest is not unfrequently found in that country, built upon lofty trees, principally firs, and containing three eggs of a bluish white color with reddish brown marks. When in pursuit of prey, it strikes its victim to the ground by the force with which it dashes through the air. Should the terrified quarry hide itself, the Goshawk takes up its station on some elevated spot, and there patiently waits until the game takes wing. Its principal food consists of Hares, Squirrels, Pheasants, and other large Birds, which its great strength enables it to destroy. Its length is about two feet ; the fourth primary feather is the longest. THE HEN HARRIER. - The Hen Harrier is about seventeen inches long, and three feet wide. Its bill is black, and cere yellow. The upper parts of its body are of a bluish gray : and the back of the head, the breast, belly, and thighs are white; the two former marked with dusky streaks. The two middle feathers of the tail are gray, and the outer webs of the others are of the same color ; but the inner ones are marked with alternate bars of white and rust-color. The legs are long, slender, and yellow ; and the claws black. HEN HARRIER. THE HEN HARRIER. 479 It is about forests, heaths, and other retired places, especially in the neighborhood of marshy grounds, where they destroy vast numbers of Snipes, that these birds are -usually seen. They sail with great regularity all over a piece of marsh, till they discover their prey, when they immediately pounce upon and seize it. A gentleman who was shooting in Hampshire, by chance sprung a Pheasant in a wheat-stubble, and shot at it : notwith- standing the report of the gun, it was pursued by a Hen Harrier, but escaped into a covert. He then sprung a second, and a third, in the same field, and these likewise got away ; the Hawk hovering round him all the while he was beating the field, con- scious, no doubt, of the game that lurked in the stubble. Hence we may conclude, that this bird of prey was rendered daring and bold by hunger, and that Hawks are not always in a condition to strike their game. We may further observe, that they cannot pounce on their quarry when it is on the ground, where it might be able to make a stout resistance ; since so large a fowl as a Pheasant could not but be visible to the piercing eye of a Hawk, when hovering over it. Hence that propensity in game to cowering and squatting till they are almost trodden on; which, doubtless, was intended by Provi- dence, as a mode of security, though it has long been rendered destruc- tive by the invention of nets and guns. A Hen Harrier that was shot some years ago near London, was first observed dodging round the lower parts of some old trees, and then seeming to strike against the trunks of them with its beak or talons, but still continuing on wing. The cause of this singular conduct could not even be conjectured, till after it was killed ; when on opening its stomach, nearly twenty small brown Lizards were found there, which it had artfully seized, by coming suddenly upon them. They were each bitten or torn into two or three pieces. These destructive birds may be caught by means of a trap, baited with a stuffed Babbit's skin, and covered nicely over with moss. They breed annually on the Cheviot-hills; and from a Hen Harrier and King Tail (Falco pygargus) having been shot on the same nest, it ap- pears that these are not two distinct species, however different they may be in appearance, but that they are in reality the male and female of the same. The nest of the Hen Harrier is usually formed near the ground, amongst furze or in thickets. It is constructed of sticks rudely put together, and is nearly flat. The eggs are about four in number, without spots, and of a dirty white color. 480 THE SPARROW-HAWK. SPARROW HAWK. THE SPARROW-HAWK. The male Sparrow- nawk is about twelve, and the female, fifteen, inches in length. The exterior feathers of the upper parts of the latter are brown, with dusky edges; and on the back of the head there are some whitish spots. The under parts are yellowish white, waved with light brown. The chin is streaked with perpendicular lines of brown. The tail is barred with dark brown, and is white at the end. The legs are yellow, and the claws black. The male is somewhat different. The upper part of its breast is of a dark lead-color; the bars on this part are more numerous, and the under parts are altogether darker. In both sexes the bill is blue, and the cere yellow. The Sparrow-hawk is a bold bird. It is the dread of the farmyard, for, at times, it makes great havoc among young poultry; and it commits its depradations in the most daring manner, even in the presence of mankind. In win- ter it often makes havoc among the flocks of Buntings and Finches. Few of the rapacious birds are so docile and obedient as this. When properly trained it is capable of great attachment; and it is so far susceptible of education, that it may be taught to pursue Par- tridges and other game. It will also pounce upon Pigeons when separated from their companions. The editor of a respectable publication, entitled the Beauties of Natural History, states, that when he was a boy he had a Sparrow- hawk that used to accompany him through the fields, catch its game, devour it at leisure, and, after all, find him out wherever he went; nor, after the first or second adventure of this kind, was he ever afraid of losing the bird. A peasant, however, to his great mortifica- tion, one day shot it for having made too free with some of his poultry. It was about as large as a Wood-pigeon; and this gentleman says he has seen it fly at a Turkey-cock; and, when beaten, return to the charge with undaunted intrepidity : he had also known it to kill a fowl five or six times as big as itself. The female builds her nest in hollow trees, on high rocks or lofty ruins; sometimes, however, she is contented with the old nest of a Crow. She generally lays four or five eggs. THE SWALLOW-TAILED HAWK GTE-FALCON 481 THE SWALLOW-TAILED HAWK. This beautiful Kite breeds and passes the summer in the warmer parts of the United States, and is also probably resident in all tropical and temperate Amer- ica, migrating into the southern as well as the north- e r n hemisphere. In the forme r, according to Viellot, it is found in Peru, and as far as Buenos Ayres; and though it is extremely rare to meet with this species as far as the latitude of forty degrees in the Atlantic states; yet tempted by the abundance of the fruitful valley of the Mississippi, individuals have been seen along that river as far as the Falls of St Anthony, in the forty-forth degree of north latitude. Indeed, according to Fleming, two stragglers have even found their devious way to the strange climate of Great Britain. SWALLOW-TAILED HAWK. THE GYR-FALCON. The Gyr-falcon may be considered the type of the British Falcon- idaa. It is, however, extremely rare in England, those intended for hawking being principally brought from Iceland. On the rocky coasts of Norway and Iceland its eggs are laid. These birds are very courageous in defending their young. A pair of them attacked Dr. Richardson while he was climbing near their nest, flying in circles round him, and occasionally dashing at his face with loud screams. The entire length of the Gyr-falcon is twenty-three inches. 482 THE PEREGRINE FALCON. THE PEREGRINE FALCON. The Peregrine Falcon, an inhabitant of most parts of Europe, Asia, and South America, was, in the palmy days of hawk- ing, one of the favorite Falcons chosen for that sport. Its strength and swiftness are very great, enabling it to strike down its prey with great ease; indeed, it has been known to disable five partridges in succession. From its successful pursuit of Ducks the Americans call it the Duck Hawk. There is a peculiarity in the method of attack which this bird employs when pursuing small game. Instead of merely dashing at its prey, and grasping- it with its claws, the Peregrine Falcon strikes its victim with its breast, and actually stuns it with the violence of the blow before seizing it with its claws. The boldness of the Peregrine Falcon is so great that it was gene- rally employed to take the formidable Heron. After the Heron had been roused from his contemplations by some marsh or river, the Falcon, who had previously been held hooded on its master's hand, was loosed from its bonds and cast off. A contest then generally took place between the Hero ri and the Falcon, each striv- ing to ascend above the other. In this contest the Falcon was always victori- ous, and after it had attained a cer- tain altitude, it swept, or "stoop- ed," as the phrase was, upon the Heron. When the Falcon had closed with its prey, they both came to the ground together, and the sportsman's business was to reach GOING A HAWKING. THE CHAUNTING FALCON. 483 the place of conflict as soon as possible, and assist the Falcon in van- quishing its prey. Sometimes, how- ever, the wary Heron contrived to receive its enemy on the point of its sharp beak, and transfixed it by its own impetus. It changes the color of its plumage several times before it arrives at full maturity, and in the days of falconry was known by dif- ferent names, such as "Hagard" when wild, "Eyass," "Red Falcon" when young, "Tiercel" or "Tassel-gentle" when a full-grown male ; a term forci- bly recalling the words o f Juliet, "Oh for a Falcon- er's voice to lure this Tassel- gentle back again!" It builds on ledges of rocks, laying four eggs of a reddish brown color. Its length is from fifteen to eighteen inches. DEATH OF THE HEROX. THE CHAUNTING FALCON. This lately-discovered species is about the size of the Common Fal- con. Its plumage is, in general, of a pale lead-color, with the top of the head and the scapulars inclining to brown. The under parts of the breast are of a pearly gray, crossed with numerous gray stripes. The quills are black. The tail is wedge-shaped, the outer feathers one-third shorter than the middle ones, and the tip white. The bill and claws are black, and the cere and legs orange. During the breeding season the male of this species is remarkable 31 484 OF THE OWLS IN GENERAL. for its song, which it utters every morning and evening, and like the Nightingale, not uncommonly all the night through. It sings in a loud tone for more than a minute, and after an interval begins anew., During its song it is so regardless of its own safety, that any one may approach very near to it: but at other times it is suspicious, and takes flight on the slightest alarm. Should the male be killed, tha female also may be shot without difficulty: for her attachment to him is such, that she continues flying round with the most plaintive voice; and, often passing within a few yards of the gunner, it is an easy matter to kill her. But, if the female happen to be shot first, the affection of her mate does not prove so romantic; for, retiring to the top of some distant tree, he is not easily approached: he does not, however, cease to sing, but becomes so wary as, on the least alarm, to fly entirely away from that neighborhood. The female forms her nest between the forks of trees, or in bushy groves. She lays four white, round eggs. This Falcon, for its size, is a very destructive species. It preys on Partridges, Hares, Quails, Moles, Eats, and other small animals. It is a native of Caffraria, in the South of Africa, and of some of the adjacent countries. OF THE OWLS IN GENERAL. IN this tribe as in the last, the bill is hooked, but it is not furnished with a cere. The nostrils are oblong, and covered with bristly feathers. The head, ears and eyes, are very large; the tongue is cleft. Much in the same man- ner as Moths differ from Butterflies, do these birds differ from the Falcons; the Owls being noctur- nal, and pursuing their prey only in the night; and the Falcons flying al- together in the day-time. They feed principally on small birds and quadru- peds, and on nocturnal insects: the exuviae and bones of which (as in the Falcons) are always discharged at the mouth, in the form of small pellets. Their eyes are so constructed, that they are able to see much more distinctly in the dusk of the evening than in the broad glare of sunshine. All animals, by the contraction and dilatation of the eye, have, in some degree, the power of shutting out or admitting light, as their necessi- ties require : but in the Owls this property is observed in singular THE GREAT HORNED, OR EAGLE OWL. 485 perfection; and, in addition to this, there is an irradiation on the back of the eye, which greatly aids their vision in ' the obscure places that they frequent. The head is round, and formed somewhat like that of a Cat. About the eyes, the feathers are ranged as if proceeding from a common centre in the middle of the eye ; and they extend in a circle to some distance. The legs are clad with down or feathers, even to the origin of the claws, which are very sharp and hooked. Three of the toes can occasion- ally be turned back ; to suit either for perching or climbing, as occasion may require. In winter Owls retire into holes in towers and old walls, and pass that season in sleep. The number of species is about fifty ; of which twenty are furnished with long feathers, surrounding the open- ings of the ears, and called, from the appearance they give to the animals, horns. In their general modes of life, the Owls may be considered as the Cats of the feathered species. THE GREAT HORNED, OR EAGLE OWL. The body of this Owl is of a tawny red color, marked with lines and spots, elegantly varied, of black, brown, ash, and rust color. The wings are long, and the tail is short, and marked with transverse dusky streaks. The legs are thick, of a brick-dust red color, and (except in one variety) feathered to the claws, which are large, hooked, and dusky. Although Owls are superstitiously considered by the inhabitants of most countries as birds of ill-omen ; yet the Athenians alone, among the ancients, seem to have been free from this popular prejudice, and to have regarded them rather with veneration than abhorrence. The present species, which is common in many parts of Greece, was even considered a favorite bird of Minerva ; and at Athens the inhabitants had a proverb, " to send Owls to Athens," which was precisely equivalent to one used by the English, " to send coals to Newcastle." This Owl is equal in size to some of the Eagles : it inhabits inaccesible rocks and desert places, in most parts of Europe, Asia, and America ; and is sometimes, though rarely found in this country. Its eyes are so constructed, that it is able to see much better during the day-time than almost any other of the tribe. It has been frequently observed preying, on its game of birds and small quadrupeds, in full day-light. M. Cronstedt has recorded a pleasing instance of the attachment of these birds to their offspring. This gentleman resided several years at a farm in Sudermania, near a steep mountain, on the summit of which two Eagle Owls had their nest. One day in the month of July, a young Owl having quitted the nest was seized by some of his servants, 486 THE GREAT HORNED, OR EAGLE OWL. search in time for young- had been This bird, after it was caught was shut up in a large hen-coop ; and the next morning M. Cronstedt found a young Partridge lying dead before the door of the coop. He immediately concluded that this provision had been brought thither by the parent birds ; which he supposed had been making the night- their lost one and led to the place of its confine- ment by its cry. This proved to have been the case, by the same mark of attention being re- peated for fourteen successive nights. The game which the old ones carried to it consisted principally of young Partridges, for the most part newly killed, but sometimes a little spoiled. One day a moo r-fo wl was brought, s o fresh, that it was still warm under the wings. A putrid Lamb was EAGLE OWL. found, at another time. M. Cronstedt and his servant watched at a window several nights, that they might observe, if possible, when this supply was deposited. Their plan did not succeed: but it appeared that the Owls, which are very sharp-sighted, had discovered the moment when the window was not watched ; as food was found to have been deposited before the coop, one night when this had been the case. In the month of August the parents discontinued this attention ; but at that period all birds of prey abandon their offspring to their own exertions. From this instance, some idea may be formed of the great quantity of game that must be destroyed by a pair of these Owls, during the time they are employed in rearing their young. It is said that sometimes, when falconers wish to lure the Kite for the purpose of training the Falcon, they disfigure an Owl of this species, by fastening to it the tail of a Fox. The animal, rendered thus grotesque is let loose; and he sails slowly along, flying, as he usually does, very THE WHITE, OR SCREECH OWL. 487 low. The poor Kite, either curious to observe so strange an animal, or, perhaps inquisitive to know whether it may not be eligible prey, flies after it. He approaches near, and hovers immediately over it ; when the falconer, loosing a strong-winged Falcon against him, seizes him at once, and drags him into captivity. THE WHITE, OR SCREECH OWL. The plumage of these Owls is very elegant. A circle of soft white feathers surrounds each of the eyes. All the upper parts of the body are of a fine pale yellow color, variegated with white spots ; and the under parts are entirely white. The legs are feathered down to the claws. Incapable of seeing their prey, or even of avoiding danger ciently, in the full blaze of day, these Birds keep concealed, during this time, in some secure retreat suited to their gloomy habits, and there continue in solitude and silence. If they venture abroad, every thing daz- zles and distracts them. Legions of Birds flock around them, and single them out as objects of derision and contempt. The Black-bird, the Thrush, the Jay, the Bunting, and the Ked- breast, all come in a crowd, and employ their little arts of insult and abuse. The smallest, the feeblest, and the most contemptible enemies of this bewildered creature are then the foremost to injure and torment him. They increase their cries and turbulence around him, flap him with their wings, and, like cowards, are ready to exhibit their courage when they are sensible that the danger is but small. The unfortunate wanderer, not knowing where he is, whom to attack, or whither to fly, patiently sits and suffers all their indignities with the utmost stupidity. An aversion which the smaller birds bear to the Owl, with a temporary assurance of their own security, urge them to pursue him. whilst they encourage each other, by their mutual cries, to lend assistance in the general cause. Bird-catchers, aware of this singular propensity, having first limed several of the outer branches of a hedge, hide them- EAR OF AN OWL. 488 THE WHITE, OR SCREECH OWL. selves near it, and imitate the cry of an Owl ; when instantly all the small birds who hear it flock to the place, in hopes of their accustomed game ; but, instead of meeting a stupid and dazzled antagonist, they find themselves ensnared by an artful and unrelenting foe. This want of sight is compensated by their peculiar quickness of hearing ; for the latter sense is much more acute in the Owls than in most other birds. The White Owl generally quits its hiding place about the time of twilight, and takes a regular circuit round the fields, skimming along the ground in search of its food, which consists chiefly of Field-mice and small birds. Like the rest of its tribe, it afterwards emits the bones, feathers, hair, and other indigestible parts, at the mouth, in the form of small pellets. A gentleman, on digging up a decayed pollard- ash that had been frequented by Owls for many generations, found at the bottom many bushels of this kind of refuse. Sometimes these Owls, when they have satisfied their appetite, will, like Dogs, hide the remainder of their meat. Mr. Stackhouse, of Pendarvis in Cornwall, informed me, that in his pleasure-grounds he often found Shrew-mice lying in the gravel-walk, dead, but with no external wound. He con- jectured that they had been struck by the Owls, in mistake for Field- mice ; and that these birds, afterwards finding their error, in having destroyed animals to which they have a natural antipathy, had left them untouched. This gentleman discovered, by accident, another of the antipathies of White Owls. A Pig having been newly killed, he offered a tame Owl a bit of the liver ; but nothing, he says, could exceed the contemptuous air with which the bird spurned it from him. The Mogul and Kalmuck Tartars pay almost divine honors to the White Owl ; for they attribute to it the preservation of Jenghis Khan, the founder of their empire. That prince, with a small army, happened to be surprised and put to flight by his enemies. Compelled to seek concealment in a coppice, an Owl settled on the bush under which he was hidden. This circumstance induced his pursuers not to search there, since they supposed it impossible that that bird would perch where any man was concealed. The Prince escaped ; and thenceforth his countrymen held the White Owl sacred, and every one wore a plume of feathers of this bird on his head. To this day, the Kalmucks continue the custom on all their great festivals; and some of the tribes have an idol, in the form of an Owl, to which they fasten the real legs of the Bird. The Screech Owl is well known in all parts of England, from the circumstance of its frequenting churches, old houses, and uninhabited buildings; where it continues during the day, and whence, in the evening, it ranges abroad in quest of food. It received its name from the singular cry which it emits during its flight. In its repose it makes a blowing kind of noise, like the snoring of a man. The female forms no nest ; but deposits her eggs, generally five or six in number, in the holes of decayed walls, or under the eaves of old buildings. While the young-ones are in the nest, the male and female alternately sally out in quest of food. They are seldom absent more than five minutes, THE BROWN OWL. 489 when they return with the prey in their claws ; but, as it is necessary to shift it from these into their bill, for the purpose of feeding their young-ones, they always alight so do that before they enter the nest. As the young Owls continue for a great length of time in the nest, and are fed even long after they are able to fly, the old birds have to supply them with many hundreds of Mice ; on this account they are generally considered useful animals in the destruction of vermin of this description. THE BROWN OWL. The Brown Owl measures somewhat more than a foot in length ; and is spotted with black on the head, wings, and back. Its breast is of a pale ash-color, with dusky, jagged, longitudinal streaks ; and the circle round the eyes is ash-colored, spotted with brown. Few of the Owls are more rapacious than these. They re- side in woods during the day ; but at the approach of evening, when many animals, sn h as Hares, Kabbits, and Partridges, come out to feed they begin to be clamorous and active; they destroy such multitudes of small animals, as, on calculation, would appear astonishing. In the dusk of the evening, the Brown Owls approach the farmers' dwellings; and fre- quently enter the Pigeon-houses, where they sometimes commit dreadful ravages. They also kill great numbers of Mice, and skin them with as much dexterity as a cook-maid does a Eabbit. They seize their prey with great ferocity, and, always beginning at the head, tear it in pieces with much violence. Were they to appear abroad at any time but in the night, when all the poultry are gone to roost, the havoc they would commit in the farm-yard would be prodigious. They do not devour every part of the animals they destroy ; the hinder parts they generally leave untouched. On examining a nest of these Owls that had in it two young ones, several pieces of Rabbits, Leverets, and other small animals, were found. The hen and one of the young ones were taken away; the other was left to entice the cock, which was absent when the nest was discovered. On the following morning there were found in the nest three young Babbits, that had been brought to this young-one by the cock during 490 THE GREAT VIRGINIAN HORNED OWL. the night. These birds are occasionally very bold and furious in defence of their young. A carpenter some years ago, passing through a field near Gloucester, was suddenly attacked by an Owl that had a nest in a tree near the path. It flew at his head ; and the man struck at it with a tool that he had in his hand, but missed his blow. The enraged bird repeated the attack ; and fastening her talons in his face, lacerated him in a most shocking manner. When these animals hoot, they inflate their throats to the size of a hen's egg. They breed in hollow trees, or ruined buildings, laying commonly four whitish oval eggs. It is not difficult to catch them in traps ; or they may easily be shot in the evenings, by any person who can allure them by imitating the squeaking of a Mouse. THE GREAT VIRGINIAN HORNED OWL. This species, so neafty related to the Great -Eared Owl of Europe, is met with occasion- ally from Hudson's Bay to Florida, and in Oregon; it ex- ists even beyond the tropics, being very probably the same bird describ- ed by Marcgrave as inhabiting the forests of Brazil. All climates are alike to this Eagle of the night, the king of the noc- turnal tribe of American birds. The aboriginal inhabitants of the country dread his boding howl, dedi- cating his effigies to their solemnities, and, as if he were their sacred bird of Minerva, forbid the mockery of his ominous, dismal, and almost super- natural cries. His favorite resort, in the dark and im- chosen solitude GREAT HORNED OWL. penetrable swompy forests, where he dwells in THE HAWK OWL. 491 secure from the approach of every enemy, agrees with the melancholy and sinister traits of his character. To the surrounding feathered race he is the Pluto of the gloomy wilderness, and would scarcely be known out of the dismal shades where he hides, but to his victims, were he as silent as he is solitary. Among the choking, loud, gutteral sounds which he sometimes utters, in the dead of night, and with a suddenness which always alarms, because of his noiseless approach, is the ^waugh hdl 'waugh h6 ! which, Wilson remarks, was often uttered at the instant of sweeping down, around his camp-fire. Many kinds of Owls are similarly dazzled and attracted by fire-lights, and occasionally finding no doubt, some offal or flesh, thrown out by those who encamp in the wilderness, they come round the nocturnal blaze with other motives than barely those of curiosity. The solitary travellers in these wilds, apparently scanning the sinister motive of his visits, pretend to interpret, his address into "' Who cooks for you all!" and with a strong gutteral pronunciation of the final syllable, to all those who have heard this his common cry, the resemblance of sound is well hit, and instantly recalls the ghastly serenade of his nocturnal majesty in a manner which is not easily forgotten. The shorter cry, whicjp. we have mentioned, makes no inconsiderable approach to that uttered by the European brother of our species, as given by Buffon, namely, 'he-hoo, 'hoo-hoo, boo-hoo, &c. The Greeks called this transatlantic species Byas, either from its note, or from the resemblance this bore to the bellowing of an Ox. The Latin name Bubo has also reference to the same note of this nocturnal bird. According to Frisch, who kept one of these birds alive, its cries varied according to circumstances ; when hungry it had a muling cry like Puhu. I have remarked the young, probably, of our species utter the same low, quailing cry, while yet daylight, as it sat on the low branch of a tree ; the sound of both is, at times, also not unlike that made by the Hawks or diurnal birds of prey. Indeed in gloomy weather, I have seen our species on the alert," flying about many hours before dark, and uttering his call of 'ko ko, ko ko ho. Their usual prey is young Kabbits, Squirrels, Rats, Mice, Quails, and small birds of various kinds, and when these resources fail or diminish they occasionally prowl pretty boldly around the farm-yard in quest of chickens, which they seize on the roost. Indeed the European Horned Owl frequently contends with the Buzzard for its prey, and generally comes off conqueror ; blind and infuriate with hunger, one of these has been known to dart even upon a man, as if for conflict, and was killed in the encounter. THE HAWK OWL. This remarkable species, forming a connecting link with the preceding genus of the Hawks, is nearly confined to the Arctic wilds of both continents, being frequent in Siberia and the fur countries from Hudson's Bay to the Pacific. A few stragglers, now and then, at distant intervals and in the depths of winter, penetrate on the one side into the northern parts of the United States ; and, on the other, they occasionally appear 492 THE GOAT SUCKER. in Germany, and more rarely in France. At Hudson's Bay they are observed by day flying high, and preying on the White Grouse and other birds, sometimes even attending the hunter like a Falcon, and boldly taking up the wounded game as it flutters on the ground. They are also said to feed on Mice and in- sects, and (according to Meyer) they nest upon trees, laying two white eggs. They are said to be constant attendants on the Ptarmigans in their spring migrations towards the north ; and are observed to hover round the camp fires of the natives, in quest probably of any offal or rejected game. HAWK OWL. THE GOAT SUCKER. The Accipitres, it will be remembered, possess strong hooked beaks and sharp curved claws. The foot and head of the Passeres are entirely different ; the beak being without the formidable curved tip, and the claws being of a quiet and peaceful character. The first tribe of this order, the Fissirostres, are so called from the peculiar formation of their mouths, which appear as if they had been slit up from their ordinary termination to beyond the eyes, much resembling the mouth of a Frog. In the insect-eating Fissirostres this formation is admirably adapted for capturing their active prey, and in the Kingfishers it is equally adapted for securing the slippery inhabitants of the waters. The CaprimulgidaB are nocturnal in their habits, chasing their insect prey by night or at the dusk, when the Chaffers and the large Moths are on the wing. In order to prevent the escape of the insect when taken, the mouth is fringed with long stiff bristles, called " vibrissas." GOAT SUCKER. THE GOAT SUCKER. 493 CHUCK-WELL'S-WIDOW. The name of Goat Sucker is derived from a silly notion that they suck Goats, a piece of credulity only equalled by the Hedgehog's supposed crime of sucking Cows, and the accusation against the Cat of sucking the breath of children. The genus Caprimulgus is furnished with a kind of comb on the middle claw of its foot, but for what purpose is not clearly ascertained. The power of wing in these birds is very great, and hardly surpassed by that of the Swallow, both birds obtaining their food in a similar manner. The Night-Jar, or Goat Sucker, sometimes called the Fern Owl, is spread over Europe, and is tolera- bly common in England. It may be seen at the approach of even- ing, silently wheeling round the trees, capturing the nocturnal Moths and Beetles ; then occa- sionally settling and uttering its jarring cry. When flying the bird sometimes makes its wings meet over its back, and brings them together with a smart snap. It arrives in England about the beginning of May, and leaves in December. It makes no nest, but lays two mottled eggs on the bare ground. Its length is ten inches. The Whip-poor-will and the Chuck-will's-widow both belong to this family. These two birds derive their singular names from their cry which is said closely to imitate the words that have been assigned to them as their names. Of course the English language must feel itself highly honored that an American bird should prefer the language of the "Britisher" to that of the Delaware or the Sioux. Both the birds fly by night or rather in the dusk of the evening, and like the Owl are much dis- tressed by being forced to face a brilliant light. The Chuck-will's- widow is wmp-poorv-wiLL. 494 THE PAPUAN PODARGUS. partially migratory, and dwells in the more southern parts of America during the winter. Audubon relates that this bird applies its enormous mouth to rather an unexpected use, viz., that of removing its eggs if it finds that they have been disturbed. Of this curious circumstance he was an eye-witness. He saw the bird that first discovered that an intruder had touched the eggs wait for its mate and then saw each of them take an egg in its mouth and carry it offl THE PAPUAN PODARGUS. This species of the Night-Jar family is exclusively confined to Australia and the islands of the Indian Archipelago. It appears to be closely allied to a very rare species from Java, described by Dr. Horsfield, under the name of Podargus Javanensis. Even more con- fused by the light than is the common Goat Sucker, the members of the genus Podargus are completely nocturnal ; they haunt the solitudes of the woods, and the sombre, but intermingled tints of their plumage screen them from observation. They issue forth only at night, but on the approach of day retire to their seclusion. In connexion with our observations on the genus Podargus, we cannot omit a short notice of a most extraordinary bird, in many respects closely related to this genus, but which truly forms the type of a distinct generic group, under the title of Steatornis. We allude to the Guacharo (Steatornis caripensis, Humb.,) of which a memoir is published in the 'Nouvelles Annales du Museum,' vol. III., part 4, by M. 1' Herminier. The Guacharo is a native of the range of deep and gloomy caverns of Caripe, in the province of Cumana, where it was first discovered by MM. Humboldt and Bonpland in the year 1799 These caverns are formed in the sides of tremendous calcareous rocks, divided by a stupendous chasm, over which are thrown the famous bridges of Icononzo. "Numberless flights of nocturnal birds," says Humboldt " haunt the crevice, and which we were led at first to mistake for Bats of a gigantic size. Thousands of them are seen flying over the surface of the water. The Indians assured us that they are of the size of a fowl with a curved beak and an Owl's eye. They are called Cacas, and the uniform color of their plumage, which is bluish grey, leads me to think that they belong to the genus of Caprimulgus, the species of which are so various in the Cordilleras. It is impossible to catch them on account of the depth of the valley, and they can only be examined by throwing down rockets to illuminate the sides of the. rock." M. Depens, in his ' History of South America,' alludes to the same bird, of which he says, millions inhabit the cavern Called Guacharo, which is immense, and that their fat yields the " oil of Guacharo." Two Guacharo (for the bird takes the name of the cavern) were at last shot by M. Bonpland, by torchlight, and drawn by M. Humboldt : they were, however, lost by shipwreck, on their way to France, in 1801. PIES. IN all birds of this order the bill is sharp-edged and convex on its upper surface. The legs are short, tolerably strong, and, in some species, formed for perching ; (that is, with three toes forward and one backward ;) in other? formed for climbing, with two toes forward and two backward ; and in others for walking, that is, without any back toe. UK THE SHRIKES IN GENERAL. IN these birds the bill is strong, straight at the base and hooked or bent towards the end ; and the upper mandible is notched near the tip. The base is not furnished with a cere. The tongue is jagged at the end. The outer toe is connected to the middle one as far as the first joint. Although the Shrikes have been arranged by Linnasus amongst the rapacious birds, yet, with Mr. Pennant and Dr. Latham, I am inclined to place them amongst the Pies. If we retain the Shrike in the former order, on account of its chiefly feeding upon animal food, it would be difficult to dispose properly of the Kingfisher, the Woodpecker, and some other genera which do the same. If we dwell on the curvature of the bill, how will this agree with the Parrots, whose natural food is fruit ? And as to the Shrikes living on other birds, whenever oppor- tunity offers, several of the Crows and other tribes do the like. Their habits resemble, in a great measure, those of the Pies ; as Linnasus has himself acknowledged : and although he has arranged them among the rapacious birds, he seems to consider them as holding a kind of middle place between the Pies and (on account of their smallness) the Passerine order. They seem, however, to stand, with greater propriety at the head of the Pies ; forming there a connecting link between them and the rapacious birds. They are inhabitants of every quarter of the world : and are found in all climates, except within the Arctic Circle. THE GKEAT OR CINEREOUS SHRIKE. The Great Shrike or Butcher-bird, is a native both of Europe and America ; and is, in general, about ten inches in length. Its bill is black, about an inch long, and hooked at the end. The upper parts of the plumage are of a pale ash-color ; and the wings and tail are black, varied with white. The throat, breast, and belly, are of a dirty white ; and the legs are black. The female differs very little in appearance from the male (495) 496 THE GREAT OR CINEREOUS SHRIKE. The muscles which move the bill of this Shrike are very thick and strong; an apparatus that is peculiarly necessary to a species whose mode of killing and devouring its prey is very singular. The Shrike seizes the smaller birds by the throat, and thus strangles them ; and it is probably for this reason that the Germans call him by a name signifying " The suffocating Angel" When his prey is dead, he fixes it on some thorn ; and, thus spitted, tears it to pieces with his bill. Even when confined in a cage, he will often treat his food in much the same manner, by sticking it against the wires before he devours it. In spring and summer, he imitates the voices of other birds, by way of decoying them within his reach, that he may devour them; excepting this, his natural note is the same throughout all seasons. When kept in a cage, even where he seems perfectly contented, he is always mute. Mr. Bell who travelled from Moscow, through Siberia to Pekin, says, that in Eussia these birds are often kept tame in houses. He had one of them given to him, and taught it to perch on a sharpened stick, fixed in the wall of his apartment. Whenever a small bird was let loose in the room, the Shrike would immediately fly from his perch, and seize it by the throat in such a manner as almost in a moment to suffocate it. He would then carry it to his perch, and spit it on the sharpened end, drawing it on, carefully and forcibly, with his bill and claws. If several birds were given him, he would use them all, one after another, in a similar manner. These were so fixed, that they hung by the neck till he had leisure to devour them. This uncommon practice seems necessary to these birds, as an equiv- alent for the want of strength in their claws to tear their food to pieces. From this they derive their appellation of Butcher-birds. In America, the Great Shrike has been observed to adopt avi odd stratagem, for the apparent purpose of decoying its prey. A gentle- man there, accidentally observing that several Grasshoppers were stuck upon the sharp thorny branches of the trees, inquired the cause of the phenomenon; and was informed that they were thus spitted by this bird. On further inquiry he was led to suppose, that this was an instinctive stratagem adopted by the Great Shrike, in order to decoy the smaller birds, which feed on insects, into a situa- tion from which he could dart on and seize them. He is called in America Nine-killer, from the supposition that he sticks up nine Grasshoppers in succession. That the insects are placed there as food to tempt other birds, is said to appear from their being frequently left untouched for a considerable length of time. The female forms her nest of heath and moss, and lines it with wool and gossamer. She lays six eggs; which are about as big as those of a Thrush, and of a dull olive-green color, spotted at the end with black. These birds are supposed to live to the age of five or six years; and they are much valued by husbandmen, on the suppo- sition that they destroy Rats, Mice, and other vermin. They inhabit only mountainous wilds, among furze and unfrequented thickets, and are rarely found in the cultivated parts of our island. , THE TYRANT SHRIKE. 497 THE TYRANT SHRIKE. THE TYRANT SI1KIKE. This bird is about the size of a Thrush. The bill is of a blackish- brown color, and furnished with bristles at the base. The upper parts of the plumage are of a lead-color. The under parts are white, and the breast inclines to ash -color. The tail is brown, and the legs are dark brown. It is an inhabitant of Car- olina. The dauntless courage of this bird is very re- markable. It is stated that he will pursue, and is able to put to flight, all kinds of birds that ap- proach his station, from the smallest to the largest, none escaping his fury: "nor did I ever see (says Catesby in his account of South Carolina) any that dared to oppose him while flying; for he does not offer to attack them when sitting. I have seen one of them fix on the back of an Eagle, and persecute him so, that he has turned on his back, and into various postures in the air, in order to get rid of him; and at last was forced to alight on the top of the next tree, from which he dared not move till the little Tyrant was tired, or thought fit to leave him. This is the constant practice of the cock while the hen is brooding. He sits on the top of a bush, or small tree, not far from her nest, near which, if any small birds approach, he drives them away; but the great ones, as Crows, Hawks, and Eagles, he will not suffer to come within a quarter of a mile of him without attack- ing them. These birds have only a chattering note, which they utter with great vehemence all the time they are fighting. When their young-ones are flown, they are as peaceable as other birds. From authority so deservedly great as that of Catesby, we cannot but feel it unpleasant to dissent; but by a letter received by Dr. Latham, from Mr. Abbot of Georgia, observations seems to have been made somewhat different from the above: U A Tyrant Shrike (he says) having built its nest on the outside of a large lofty pine, I was one day considering how I could procure the eggs; when, view- ing the nest, I perceived a Crow alight on the branch, break and suck 498 THE BRAZILIAN GREEN" MACAW. the eggs, and displace the nest, appearing all the while unconcerned, notwithstanding both the cock and hen continued flying at and strik- ing him with their bills all the while; and as soon as the Crow had completed the robbery, he departed." The eggs of this bird are flesh-colored, and prettily marked at the larger end with dark pink and a few black spots. OF THE PAEEOT TEIBE IN GENEKAL. THIS most extensive tribe is remarkably distinct from all others. The beak is hooked all the way from the base to the tip, and the upper mandible, or division, is moveable. The nostrils are round; and placed in the base of the bill, which in some species is furnished with a cere. The tongue is broad and blunt; the head is large, and the crown flat. The legs are short, with two toes placed before and two behind, for the purpose of climbing. The Parrots are natives chiefly of tropical regions, where they live, for the most part, on fruit and seeds ; though when kept in a cage, they will occasionally eat both flesh and fish. They are gregarious, and excessively noisy and clamorous; yet, though they associate in vast multitudes, they live chiefly in pairs of one male and a female. The place they hold among the birds seems to be exactly that which the Apes and Monkeys occupy among the quadrupeds; for, like these, they are very numerous, imitative, and mischievous. They breed in the hollows of trees, like the Owls; and it is said that the male and female sit alternately upon the eggs. In Europe, they have some- times been known to lay eggs ; but they seldom sit upon them in these cool climates. The toes of Parrots are sufficiently flexible to answer every purpose of hands, for holding their food, or carrying it to their mouths. In climbing they always use their bill to assist the feet. They are, in general, long-livtfd. In a domestic state they are exceedingly docile, and very imitative of sounds; most of the species being able to counterfeit even the human voice, and to articulate words with great distinctness; but their natural voice is a loud, harsh and unpleasant scream. Alexan- der the Great is supposed to have been the first who introduced Parrots into Europe. THE BRAZILIAN GREEN MACAW. The length of this bird is about seventeen inches. Its bill is black ; and, on the cheeks, there is a bare white patch, marked with black lines, in which the eyes are placed. The general color of the plu- mage is green. The forehead is of a chesnut purple ; and the crown is blue, which color blends itself with the green as it passes backward. On the lower part of the thighs the feathers are red ; and the wings are, in different parts, crimson, blue and black. The tail is green GREEN MACAVT. THE GUINEA PARROT. 499 above, near the ends blue, and beneath of a dull red. The legs are brown, and the claws black. This 'Macaw, a native of Jamaica, Guiana, and the Brazils, is as beautiful as it is rare ; and it is still more interesting, from its social and gentle disposition. It soon becomes familiar with persons whom it sees frequently^ and it seems delighted in receiving and returning their caresses. But it has an aversion to strangers, and particularly to children ; for it flies at, and sometimes attacks them with great fury. The Green Macaw is exceedingly jealous ; it becomes enraged at seeing a young child sharing its mistress's caresses and favors ; it tries to dart at the infant ; but, as its flight is short and laborious, it can only exhibit its displeasure by gestures and restless move- ments, and continues to be tormented by these fits till she leaves the child, and takes the bird on her finger. It is then overjoyed, murmurs satisfaction, and some- times makes a noise resembling the laugh of an old person. Nor can it bear the company of other Parrots ; and if one be lodged in the same room it seems to enjoy no comfort. It eats almost every article of human food. It is particularly fond of bread, beef, fried fish, pastry, and sugar. It cracks nuts with its bill, and picks the kernel out dexterously with its claws. It does not chew the soft fruits; but it sucks them by pressing its tongue against the upper part of the beak: and the harder sorts of food, such as bread and pastry, it bruises or chews, by pressing the tip of the lower mandible upon the most hollow part of the upper. Like all the other Parrots, the Green Macaw uses its claws with great dexterity ; it bends forward the hinder toe to lay hold of the fruits and other things which are given it, to carry them to its bill, The Parrots employ their toes, nearly in the manner as Squirrels and Monkeys do their fore paws; they also cling and hang by them. There is another habit common to the Parrots : they never climb or creep without fastening by the bill; with this they begin, and they use their feet only as secondary instruments of motion. THE GUINEA, OR LITTLE RED-HEADED PARROT. The general color of the Guinea Parrot is green; its bill, chin, and forehead are red ; and the rurnp is blue. In size but little larger than the Lark, and in brilliancy of plumage exceeded by few of its tribe, this pleasing bird claims our greatest admiration. In a native state it is found amidst the forests of Guinea, and also in Ethiopia, Java, and the East Indies, where immense flocks of them are seen. In these countries they often commit as much de- vastation amongst he corn and fruit, as Sparrows do in Europe. The trading vessels from these countries seldom fail to bring with 32 500 THE GUINEA PARROT. them considerable numbers of Guinea Parrots; but they are so tender, that most of them die in their passage to our colder climate.. It has also been observed, that the firing of a vessel's great guns is fatal to many of them, which drop down dead from fear. Although very imitative of the manners of other birds, it is a difficult thing to teach the'm to articulate words. Some have attained this art, but the instances are rare. They are exceedingly kind and affectionate towards each other ; and it is observed that the male generally perches on the right side of the female. She seldom attempts to eat before him. A male and female of this species were ]o ^ d ^g^\ a l&TgQ squo.TQ cage. The vessel which held their food was placed at the bottom. The male usually sat on the same perch with the female, and close beside her^ Whenever one descended for food, the other always followed ; and when their hunger was satisfied, they returned together to the highest perch of the cage. They passed four years together in this state of confinement ; and, from their mutual attentions and satisfaction, it was evident that a strong affection for each other had been excited. At the end of this period the female fell into a state of languor, which had every symptom of old age; her legs swelled, and knots appeared upon them, as if the disease had been of the nature of gout. It was no longer possible for her to descend and take her food as formerly ; but the male assiduously brought it to her, carrying it in his bill, and delivering it into hers. He continued to feed her in this manner, with the utmost vigilance, for four months. The infirmities of his mate, however, increased every day; and at length she became no longer able to sit upon the perch : she , remained now crouched at the bottom, and from time to time made a few useless efforts to regain the lower perch ; while the male, who remained close by her, seconded these feeble attempts with all his power. Sometimes he seized with his bill the upper part of her wing, to try to draw her up to him ; sometimes he took hold of her bill, and attempted to raise her up, repeating his efforts for that purpose several times, His countenance, his gestures, his continual solicitude : every thing, in short, indicated, in this affectionate bird, an ardent desire to aid the weakness of his companion, and to alleviate her sufferings. But the scene became still more interesting when the female was at the point of expiring. Her unfortunate partner went round and round her without ceasing; he redoubled his assiduities and his tender cares ; he attempted to open her bill, in order to give her nourishment; his emotion every instant increased; he went to her, and returned with the most agitated air, and with the utmost in- quietude: at intervals he uttered the most plaintive cries ; at other times, with his eyes fixed upon her, he preserved a sorrowful silence. His faithful companion at length expired ; he languished from that time, and survived her only a few months. THE COMMON ASH-COLORED PARROT. 501 THE COMMON ASH-COLORED PARROT. THE COMMON ASH-COLORED PARROT. This Parrot is somewhat larger than a Pigeon ; and, including the tail measures about twenty inches in length. The bill is black ; the cere, and the skin round the eyes, are mealy and white. The plumage is chiefly ash- colored : the rump and lower part of the belly are hoary, with ash- colored edges: the feathers on the head, neck, and under parts, are hoary on their edges. The tail is of a bright red color, having the shafts of the feathers blackish. The legs are ash -colored, and the claws blackish. It is a native of Guinea, and of several of the inland parts of Africa. This well-known species is that which is now most commonly brought into Europe. It is superior to most others, both in the facility, and the eagerness with which it imitates the human voice; it listens with attention, and strives to repeat; it dwells constantly on some syllables which it has heard, and seeks to surpass every voice by the loudness of its own. We are often surprised by its repeating words or sounds which were never taught it, and which it could scarcely be supposed to have noticed. It seems to prescribe to itself tasks, and tries every day to retain its lesson. This engages its attention even in sleep ; and, according to Marcgrave, it prattles in its dreams. Its memory, if early cultivated, becomes sometimes astonishing. Rhodiginus mentions a Parrot which could recite correctly the whole of the Apostles' Creed. A Parrot which Colonel O'Kelly bought for a hundred guineas at Bristol, not only repeated a great number of sentences, but answered many questions : it was also able to whistle many tunes. It beat time with all the appearance of science ; and so accurate was its judgment that, if by chance it mistook a note, it would revert to the bar where the mistake was made, correct itself, and still beating regular time, go through the whole with wonderful exactness. Its death was thus anounced in the General Evening Post for the ninth of October, 1802 : " A few days ago died, in Half- moon-street, Piccadilly, the celebrated Parrot of Colonel O'Kelly. This singular bird sang a . number of songs in perfect time and tune. She could express her wants articulately, and give her orders in a manner approaching nearly to rationality. Her age was not known ; it was, however, more than thirty years, for previously to that period, Mr. O'Kelly bought her at Bristol for a hundred guineas. The Colonel was re- peatedly offered five hundred guineas a year for the bird, by persons 502 THE COMMON ASH-COLORED PARROT. who wished to make a public exhibition of her ; but this, out of tenderness to the favorite, he constantly refused. The bird was dis- sected by Dr. Kennedy and Mr. Brookes ; and the muscles of the larynx, which regulate the voice, were found, from the effect of practice, to be uncommonly strong." The sister of M. deBuffon had a Parrot of this species which would frequently talk to himself, and seemed to fancy that some one addressed him. He often asked for his paw, and answered by holding it up. Though he liked to hear the voice of children, he appeared to have an antipathy to them ; he pursued them, and bit them till he drew blood. He had also his objects of attachment ; and though his choice was riot very nice it was constant. He was excessively fond of the cook-maid ; followed her every where, sought for, and seldom missed finding her. If she had been some time out of his sight, the bird climbed with his bill and claws to her shoulders and lavished on her his caresses. His fondness had all the marks of close and warm friendship. The girl happened to have a sore finger, which was tedious in healing, and so painful as to make her scream. Whilst she uttered her moans, the Parrot never left her chamber. The first thing he did every day was to pay her a visit ; and this tender condolence lasted the whole time of the cure, when he again returned to his former calm and settled attachment. Yet this strong predilection for the girl seems to have been more directed to her office in the kitchen, than to her person ; for, when another cook- maid succeeded her, the Parrot showed the same degree of fondness to the new-comer, the very first day. Parrots not only imitate discourse, but also mimic gestures and actions. Scaliger saw one that performed the dance of the Savoyards at the same time that it repeated their song. The one last mentioned, was fond of hearing a person sing ; and when he saw him dance, he also tried to caper, but with the worst grace imaginable, holding in his toes, and tumbling back in a most clumsy manner. The society which the Parrot forms with man is, from its use of language, much more intimate and pleasing, than what the monkey can claim from its antic imitation of our gestures and actions. It highly diverts and amuses us ; and in solitude it is company : the bird takes part in conversation, it laughs, it breathes tender expres- sions, or mimics grave discourse ; and its words, uttered indiscrimi- nately, please by their incongruity, and sometimes excite surprise by their aptness. Willughby tells us of a Parrot, which, when a person said to it, " Laugh, Poll, laugh," laughed accordingly, and the instant after screamed out, " "What a fool to make me laugh 1" Another, which had grown old with its master, shared with him the infirmities of age. Being accustomed to hear scarcely any thing but the words, " I am sick;" when a person asked it, "How d'ye do. Poll? how d'ye do?" " I am sick," it replied in a doleful tone, stretching itself along, " I am sick." Dr. Goldsmith says, that a Parrot belonging to King Henry the Seventh, having been kept in a room next the Thames, in his palace at Westminster, had learned to repeat many sentences from the boat THE YELLOW-WINGED PARROT. 503 men and passengers. One day, sporting on its perch, it unluckily fell into the water. The bird had no sooner discovered its situation, than it called aloud, " A boat ! twenty pounds for a boat !" A waterman, happening to be near the place where the Parrot was floating, immediately took it up, and restored it to the king; demand- ing, as the bird was a favorite, that he should be paid the reward that it had called out. This was refused; but it was agreed that, as the Parrot had offered a reward, the man should again refer to its deter- mination for the sum he was to receive " Give the knave a groat," the bird screamed aloud, the instant the reference was made. Mr. Locke, in his Essay on the Human Understanding, has related an anecdote concerning a Parrot, of which, however incredible it may appear, he seems to have had so much evidence, as at least to have believed it himself. The story is this : During the government of Prince Maurice in Brazil, he had heard of an old Parrot that was much celebrated for answering, like a rational creature, many of the com- mon questions that were put to it So much had been said respecting this bird, that the curiosity of the Prince was roused, and he directed it to be sent for. When he was introduced into the room where the Prince was sitting, in company with several Dutchmen, it immediately exclaimed in the Brazilian language, " What a company of white men are here 1" They asked it, " Who is that man ?" pointing to the Prince: the Parrot answered, "Some general or other." When the attendants carried it up to him, he asked it, through the medium of an interpreter, (for he was ignorant of its language,) " From whs^- place do you come?" The Parrot answed, " From Marignan." The Prince asked, " To whom do you belong?" It answered, " To a Portuguese." He asked again, " What do you do there ? n It answered, " I look after chickens !" The Prince, laughing, exclaimed, " You look after chickens !" The Parrot in answer said, " Yes, I; and I know well enough how to do it;" clucking at the same time, in imitation of the noise made by the hen to call together her young ones. The females of this species lay their eggs in the hollows of trees ; and there is no way of getting at them, except by cutting down and cleaving the trees. THE YELLOW-WINGED PARROT. The length of the Yellow-winged Parrot is about tnirteen inches. The bill is whitish, and the cere hoary. The general color of the body is green ; and the feathers on the hind part of the neck and on the back, have black margins. The forehead is of a whitish- ash color ; and the top of the head, cheeks, throat, and forepart of the neck are yellow : the hind head is yellow-green. The thighs and the ridges of the wings are yellow, the remainder of the wings are, in different parts, red, yellow, and green, with the greater quills black. The four middle tail-feathers are green, and yellowish near the end; the others are partly red and partly green. The legs are hoary, and the claws ash-colored. It is a native of South America. 504 THE YELLOW-WINGED PARROT. We know nothing respecting the habits of this bird in a state of nature, but Father Bougot, who had one of them for some time in his possession, communicated to M. de Buffbn, the following account of its manners and disposition in a tame state: " It is (he says) extremely susceptible of attachment to its master ; it is fond of him, but requires frequent caresses, and seems disconso- late if neglected, and vindictive if provoked. It has fits of obstinacy ; it bites during its ill-humor, and immediately laughs, exulting in its mischief. Correction and rigorous treatment only harden it ; gentle usage alone succeeds in mollifying its temper. u The inclination to gnaw whatever it can reach, is very destructive ; it cuts the cloth of the furniture, splits the wood of the chairs, and tears in pieces paper, pens, &c. And if it be removed from the spot where it stands, its proneness to contradiction will instantly hurry it back. But this mischievous disposition is counterbalanced by agreeable qualities, for it remembers readily whatever it is taught to say. Before articulating it claps its wings and plays on its roost ; in a cage it be- comes dejected, and continues silent ; and it never prattles well except when it enjoys its liberty. '" In its cheerful days it is affectionate, receives and returns caresses, and listens and obeys; though a peevish fit often interrupts the harmony. It seems affected by the change of weather, and becomes silent ; the way to reanimate itis to sing beside it, and it then strives, by its noisy screams, to surpass the voice which excites it. It is fond of children ; in which respect it differs from most other Parrots. It contracts a predilection for some of them, and suffers them to handle and carry it ; it caresses them, and will bite ferociously any person who then attempts to touch them. If its favorite children leave it, it is unhappy, follows, and calls loudly after them. During the time of moulting it is much reduced, and seems to endure great pain ; and this state lasts for nearly three months." The power of imitating exactly articulate discourse, implies in the Parrot a very peculiar and perfect structure of organ ; and the accuracy of its memory (though independent of understanding) manifests a closeness of attention, and a strength of mechanical recollection, that no other bird possesses in so high a degree. Accordingly, all natural- ists have remarked the singular form of its bill, of its tongue, and its head. Its bill, round on the outside and hollow within, has, in some degree, the capacity of a mouth, and allows the tongue to play freely ; and the sound, striking against the circular border of the lower mandible, is there modified as on a row of teeth, while the concavity of the upper mandible reflects it like a palate ; hence the animal does not utter a whistling sound, but a full articulation. The tongue which modulates all sounds, is proportionably larger than in man ; and would be more voluble, were it not harder than flesh ; and invested with a strong horny membrane. From the peculiar structure of the upper mandible of its bill, the Parrot has a power, which no other birds have, of chewing its food. The Parrot seizes its food sideways, and gnaws it deliberately. The lower mandible has little motion, but that from right to left is most THE MACAWS. 505 perceptible ; and this is often performed when the bird is not eating, whence some persons have supposed it to ruminate. In such cases, however, the bird may be only whetting the edge of this mandible, with which it cuts and bites its aliment. THE MACAWS. Many naturalists imagine, and with some reason, that the Psittacidae ought to be formed into an o r d e r by them- selves. In this family the construction of the bill is very remarkable. As the curved tip of the bill would prevent the bird from opening it wide enough to ad- mit its food, the upper mandible is united to the skull by a kind of hinge joint, of equal strength and flexibility. When climbing among the branches of trees, or about their cages, the Parrots invariably make great use of their hooked bills in assist- ing themselves both in ascending and descend- ing. The crossbills have been observed to climb much in the same way. The Parrots are said to be very long lived, some have certainly been known to live upwards of eighty years in captivity, and may be imagined to exceed that period in a wild state. The Macaws are natives of South America. The blue and yellow Macaw inhabits Brazil, Guiana and Surinam, living principally on the banks of rivers. Of one of the Macaws, the Carolina Parrot, or Parra- keet as Wilson calls it, the following anecdote is told by that enterprising naturalist : " Having shot down a number, some of which were only wounded, the whole flock swept repeatedly round their prostrate companions, and again settled on a low tree, within twenty yards of the spot where I stood. At each successive discharge, though showers of them fell, yet the affection of the survivors seemed rather to increase ; for, after a few circuits round the place, they again alighted near me, looking down on their slaughtered companions with such manifest symptoms of sympathy and concern, as entirely disarmed me." Wilson also makes mention of a singular idea, that the brains and intestines of the Carolina Parrot (which lives on cockle-burs) are poisonous to Cats. Why the brains should be so is rather incomprehen- BLUE AND YELLOW MACAW. 506 THE RINGED PARRAKEET. sibie, although we can easily understand that the Parrot might take some substance into its stomach injurious to Cats. Wilson tried the experiment after being repeatedly disappointed of a patient, but came to no conclusion on the subject. " Having shut up a Cat and her two Kit- tens, the latter only a few days old, in a room with the head, neck, and the whole intestines of the Parrakeet, I found on the next morning the whole eaten except a small part of the bill. The Cat exhibited no symptom of sickness, and at this moment, three days after the experiment had been made, she and her Kittens are in their usual health. Still however the effect CAROLINA PARROT. might have been dif- ferent, had the daily food of the bird been cockle-burs instead of Indian corn." THE RINGED PARRAKEET. Is frequently seen domesticated in this country, where its pleasing manners and gentle disposition render it a great favorite. It seems to be exceedingly 'fond of ripe walnuts, divided in halves ; and, while it is picking out the kernel, continually utters a short clucking sound indicative of pleasure. It soon learns to repeat words and short sentences, and to speak with tolerable distinctness. Sometimes when excited, it utters most ear- piercing screams, and always appears to practice any new accomplish- ment when it thinks that no one is within hearing. A Kinged Parrakeet belonging to one of my scholars was accustomed to live in the school-room. At first it used to become angry that it was not noticed during school-hours, and to utter a succession of screams ; but after being shut up in a dark closet several times, it learned to behave very demurely, giving an example worthy of imitation to several of its human play -fellows. I am sorry to say, that the bird escaped from its cage, and was shot by an ignorant farmer in the neighborhood. THE COCKATOOS. TOUCANS. 507 THE COCKATOOS Are remarkable for the powdery surface of their wings, and the crest on the head, which can be raised or depressed at pleasure. The Sulphur-crested Cockatoo is an inhab- itant of New Guinea. Its color is white, and the crest is of a sulphur yellow. Its white plumage glancing among the dense dark foliage of its native forests, imparts a wonderful beauty to the scene ; and as Sir Thomas Mitchell remarks, " amidst the umbrageous foliage, forming dense masses of shade, the white Cockatoo sported like spirits of light." This Cockatoo is easily tamed, and is of a very affectionate disposition. When in captivity it has been known to live to the age of one hundred and twenty years. Its nest is built in hollow trees, and the crevices of rocks. The eggs are white. The length of the bird is about eighteen inches. THE COCEATOO. OF THE TOUCANS IN GENERAL. THE beaks of all the Toucans are enormously large, and convex ; they are bent at the end, hollow, very light, and jagged at the edges. The nostrils are small, round, and situated close to the head. The tongue is long, narrow, and feathered at the edges. The feet are adapted for climbing, and have the toes placed two forward and two backward. These birds are all natives of the hotter parts of South America, where they feed on fruit. They are very noisy, and are generally seen in small flocks of eight or ten in number : they are continually moving from place to place in quest of food, going northward or southward as the fruits ripen. If brought up young they are easily tamed, and, in this state, are very familiar. They breed in the hollows of trees, frequently in places deserted by Woodpeckers : and the female lays two eggs. It is probable that they have more than one brood in the year. 508 THE RED-BELLIED TOUCAN. THE RED-BELLIED TOUCAN. This Toucan, winch is a native of Guiana and Brazil, is about twenty inches in length. The bill is six inches long, and nearly two inches thick at the base; it is of a* yellowish green color, reddish at the tip. The nostrils are at the base of the bill ; but are not, as in some of the species, covered with feathers. The principal upper parts of the body, and the throat and neck, are of a glossy black, with a tinge of green: the lower part of the back, the rump, upper part of the tail, and small feathers of the wings, are the same, with a cast of ash-color. The breast is orange-color. The belly, sides, thighs, and the short feathers of the tail, are bright red : the remainder of the tail is of a greenish black, tipped with red. The legs and claws are black. In several parts of South America these birds have the name of Preacher Toucan ; from the circumstance of one of the flock being always perched at the top of a tree, above its companions, while they are asleep. This makes a continual noise, resembling ill-articulated sounds, moving its head during the whole time to the right and left, in order, it is said, to deter birds of prey from seizing on them. They feed chiefly on fruits. The females build their nests in the holes of trees ; and no bird better secures its offspring from external injury than this. It has not only birds, men, and serpents to guard against ; but a numerous train of Monkeys, which are more prying, mischievous, and hungry, than all the rest. The Toucan, however, sits in its hole, defending the entrance with its great beak ; and if the Monkey ventures to offer a visit of curiosity, the Toucan gives him such a welcome, that he is soon glad to escape.* The Bed-bellied Toucans are easily tamed, and, in that state, they will eat of almost any thing that is offered to them. Pozzo, who bred up one of these birds, and had it perfectly domesticated, informs us that it leaped up and down, wagged its tail, and cried with a voice resembling that of a Magpie. It fed upon the same things as Parrots; but was most greedy of grapes. These being plucked off one by one, and thrown to it, it would with great dexterity catch in the air before they fell to the ground. Its bill, he adds, was hollow, and on that * There appears to be some doubt as to the real strength of the beak of the Tou- can. This assertion of M. de Buffon seems to contradict what he has before said of the weakness of this enormous and apparently disproportionate member. Willughby, p. 129, says, that, notwithstanding its extreme lightness, " it is of a bony substance ; and therefore is not to be wondered that, dexterously used, it should by many strokes pierce a tree ; the bird having, perchance, the instinct to choose a rotten one." It is from this writer that Buffon has derived the latter part of the above account. THE TOCO TOUCAN. 509 account very light, so that the bird had but little strength in this apparently formidable weapon ; nor could it peck or strike smartly with it. But its tongue seemed to assist the efforts of this unwieldy machine; it was long, thin, and flat, not much -unlike one of the feathers on the neck of a Dunghill-cock ; this the bird moved up and down, and often extended five or six inches from the bill. It was of a flesh-color, and remarkably fringed on each side with small fila- ments. It is probable that this long tongue has greater strength than the thin hollow beak that contains it ; and that the beak is only a kind of sheath for this peculiar instrument, used by the Toucan in making its nest, and in obtaining its provision. These birds are stated to be in great request in South America ; both on account of the delicacy of their flesh, and the beauty of their plumage, particularly the feathers of the breast. The skin of this part the Indians pluck off, and, when dry, glue to their cheeks: they consider these feathers an irresistible addition to their beauty. THE TOCO TOUCAN". The Toco Toucan is distinguished by the enormous size of its serrated bill. It is found in Brazil. The Curl-crested Aracari, found also in Brazil, is distin- guished by a crest of curled feathers. The Toucan family is very numerous, including a great many species, diffused over all the tropical regions of the earth. They all agree, how- ever, in the character- istic of a bill, very large, as compared with the other parts of the bird. This characteristic is so strongly marked, that of all the different species of Toucans, not one would ever be mis- taken for a bird of any other class. TOCO TOUCAX. 510 THE MALABAR HORNBILL. OF THE HOENBILLS IN GENEEAL. THE nostrils of these birds are small, round, and situated behind the base of the bill. The tongue is small and short. The legs are scaly: the toes placed three forward, and one backward; the middle toe is connected to the outermost^ as far as the third joint, and to the innermost, as far as the first. The animals of this, as well as the last tribe, have all singularly disproportioned bills. Those of the Hornbills are bent, jagged at the edges, and have frequently on the upper mandible, a protuberance, somewhat resembling another bill. These birds seem to hold the same place on the old continent, as the Toucans do on the new ; and probably they subsist on similar food. THE MALABAR HORNBILL. This bird is about two feet six inches long, and in bulk somewhat bigger than a Crow. The bill is more than five inches in length, having on its upper part a protuberance rounded at the top, reaching two-thirds of its length, and tending to a sharp edge in front : this extends beyond the eyes, and in the fore part is black. The base and edges of both mandibles, as well as a small portion of the upper part are also black : the general color of both of these is a dingy yel- low. The plumage is in general black, some of the feathers inclining, on their margins, to green; but the lower part of the breast, the belty, the thighs, and the tip of the wings and tail, (except one outer feather in each of the former, and the two middle feathers in the latter, which are colored like the rest of the body,) are black. The legs are black, and very short. In a wild state these extraordinary birds inhabit the great woods of Malabar and the East Indies, where they usually roost on the highest and most inaccessible trees, and in preference, upon the dead and withered branches. The females form their nests in the worm-eaten holes of the trunk, and generally lay four or five dingy white eggs. The young-ones, when first produced, are completely naked, and, for some time, the protuberance on their bill is not more than two or three lines in depth. This, by degrees, increases, but does not attain its full growth until the birds are two years old : their plumage then assumes its proper colors. The protuberance upon the bill is frequently observed to be injured by the use to which the birds apply it, in beating the branches of trees for the purpose of "detaching the bark, in order to discover in- sects, and even small Lizards, which take refuge there, and on which they feed. In the island of Ceylon these birds are in great request by the inhabitants who carefully rear them in a domestic state from their THE AFRICAN HORNBILL, AND RHINOCEROS HORNBILL. 511 propensity to chase and devour Mice and other vermin, of which they clear the houses with as much address as Cats. One of these birds, which was brought into England some years ago, exhibited several interesting peculiarities in its manners. It would leap forward, or sideways, with both legs at once, like a Mag- pie or Jay, and never walked. Its general air was rather stupid and dull; though when agitated, it would sometimes put on a fierce look. It would eat lettuce, and some other esculent vegetables, after bruising them with its bill; it would also devour Eats, Mice, small birds or raw flesh. It had different tones of voice on different occasions ; sometimes a hoarse sound in the throat, like ouck, ouck ; at other times a hoarse and weak noise, not unlike the clucking of a Turkey-hen. It used to display its wings, and enjoy itself in the sunshine; but it shivered in the cold. 'At the approach of winter it died, unable to bear the se- verity of our climate, so different to its nature from that which it had left. " THE AFRICAN HORNBILL , AND RHINOCEROS HORNBILL. The length of the African Hornbill is nearly four feet. Its bill is about ten inches long, and the horny protuberance upon it appears as if cut, with an aperture somewhat resembling the form of a club on cards, or an iron lance. This excrescence is of the same substance as the bill, but thinner, and yields to pressure. The aperture is about an inch long, and half an inch wide, having on the inside a black membrane, of use in preventing the intro- duction of any foreign body into the horn, which communicates interiorly with the head. The general color of the plumage is a sooty black ; some of the large feathers of the wings are, however perfectly white. The former of these species are found in various parts of Africa, but are not common near the sea-coasts. The females build in large, thick trees, and form a covered nest, like that of a Magpie, but three or four times as large. This is placed firmly RHINOCEROS HORNBILL. 512 THE CROW TRIBE IN GENERAL. on the trunk, and the entrance to it is always on the east side. They sometimes have as many as eighteen young ones. These birds, in general, only run along the ground ; but, being of a distrustful disposition, they are soon raised by alarm, when they usually fly to a great distance, before they again alight. Their food consists principally of insects and Lizzards. The male and female are always to be seen in company ; or sometimes there are two females to one male, but never more. The Negroes esteem this Hornbill sacred, never killing it themselves, and always, if possible, preventing the Europeans from firing at it. They have a superstition that the death of one of these birds gives cold to the whole district. M. Geoftroy, who examined several of them, was observed to kill one : they re- proached him with the utmost severity, and every one present put his nose to the excrescence on the bill, in order to secure himself from the injurious consequences which he imagined would attend its death. THE KHINOCEROS HORNBILL. The protuberance of the beak of the .Rhinoceros Hornbill is so large, and so much recurved, as to appear rather an enormous deformity, than a natural production. This bird is somewhat smaller than a Turkey, and of a black color, except the tail, which is white, and marked with a bar of black. The beak is nearly a foot long, and of a pale yellow color. These birds which are found in Sumatra and several other" parts of the east, feed on flesh and carrion. They are said to follow the hunters, for the purpose of feeding on the entrails of the beasts that are killed. We are told also that they chase rats and mice, and after pressing them flat with their bill, in a peculiar manner, toss them up into the air, and swallow them whole immediately on their descent. OF THE CEOW TKIBE IN GENEKAL. THESE birds have a strong bill ; with the upper mandible a little bent, the edges sharp, and, in general, a small notch near the tip. The nostrils are covered with bristles reflected over them ; and the tongue is divided at the end. The toes are placed three forward, and one backward ; and the middle toe is united to the outer one as far as the first joint. lew animals are more generally dispersed over the world than the different species of Crow ; some of them being found in almost every climate. They are prolific, clamorous, and usually associate in flocks. Most of them make their nests in trees, and the number of young-ones which they produce is five or six. They feed promiscuously on animal and vegetable substances. Some of the species, when in great numbers, are supposed to be injurious to man, by devouring grain ; but they make amends for this injury, by the immense quantities of noxious insects and other vermin which they destroy. THE RIVEN. 513 THE RAVEN. Among the ancients the Raven was esteemed a bird of much import- ance in augury; and the various changes and modu- lations of its voice were studied with the greatest atten- tion, and were too often used by de- signing men to mislead the un- wary. It frequents the neighborhood of great towns ; where it is useful in de- vouring carrion and filth, which it scents at a vast distance. It is a cunning bird, and generally careful in keeping beyond the r e a C h of a THE RAVEN. gun. When brought up young, the Raven becomes very familiar; and, in a domestic state, he possesses many qualities that render him highly amusing. Busy, inquisitive, and impudent, he goes every- where, affronts and drives off the dogs, plays his tricks on the poultry, and is particularly assiduous in cultivating the good will of the cook-maid, who is generally his favorite in the family. But, with these amusing qualities, he often also has the vices and defects of a favorite. He is a glutton by nature, and a thief by habit. He does not confine himself to petty depredations on the pantry or the larder; he aims at more magnificent plunder at spoils which he can neither exhibit nor enjoy, but which, like a miser, he rests satisfied with having the satisfaction of sometimes visiting and contemplating in secret. A piece of money, a teaspoon, or a ring, is always a tempting bait to his avarice : these he will slily seize upon, and, if not watched, will carry to some hiding-place. Mr. Montagu was informed by a gentleman, that his butler, having missed many silver spoons, and other articles, without being able to account for the mode in which they disappeared, at last observed a tame Raven that was kept about the house, with one in his mouth, and, on watching him to his hiding-place, discovered there upwards of a dozen more. 514 THE RAYEN. Notwithstanding the injury these birds do to the farmer, a popular respect is paid to them/ from their having been the birds that fed the prophet Elijah in the wilderness. This prepossession in favor of the Kaven is of a very ancient date : the Romans, who thought the bird ominous, paid to it, from motives of fear, the most profound vene- ration. A Raven, as Pliny informs us, that had been kept in the Temple of Castor, flew down into the shop of a tailor, who was highly delighted with its visits. He taught the bird several tricks; but particularly to pronounce the names of the emperor Tiberius, and of the whole royal family. The tailor was beginning to grow. rich by those who came to see this wonderful Raven; till an envious neighbor, displeased at his success, killed the bird, and deprived the tailor of all his hopes of future fortune. The Romans, however, thought it necessary to take the poor tailor's part ; they accordingly punished the man who offered the injury, and gave to the Raven all the honors of a splendid interment. The female builds her nest early in the spring, in trees, and the holes of rocks; in which she lays five or six bluish-green eggs, spotted with brown. She sits about twenty days : during which time she is constantly attended by the male, who not only furnishes her with abundance of food, but also, whenever she leaves the nest, takes her place. Of the perseverance of the Raven in the act of incubation, Mr. White has related the following singular anecdote : In the centre of a grove near Selborne, there stood an oak, which, though on the whole shapely and tall, bulged out into a large excrescence near the middle of the stem. .On this tree a pair of Ravens had fixed their residence for such a series of years, that the oak was distinguished by the title of "The Raventree." Many were the attempts of the neighboring youths to get at this nest: the difficulty whetted their inclinations, and each was ambitious of surmounting the arduous task; but, when they arrived at the swelling, it jutted out so in their way, and was so far beyond their grasp, that the boldest lads were deterred, and acknowledged the undertaking to be too hazardous. Thus the Ravens continued to build, nest upon nest, in perfect security, till the fatal day on which the wood was to be levelled. This was in the month of February, when those birds usually sit. The saw was applied to the trunk, the wedges were inserted into the opening, the woods echoed to the heavy blows of the beetle or mallet, the tree nodded to its fall ; but still the darn persisted in sitting. At last, when it gave way, the bird was flung from her nest; and, though her parental affection deserved a better fate, was whipped down by the twigs, which brought her dead to the ground. The Raven feeds chiefly on small animals; and is said to destroy Rabbits, young Ducks, and Chickens ; and sometimes even Lambs, when they happen to be dropped in a weak state. In the northern regions, it preys in concert with the White Bear, the Arctic Fox, and the Eagle : it devours the eggs of other birds and eats shore-fish, and shell-fish ; with the latter it soars into the air, and drops them THE CARRION, OR COMMON CROW 515 from on high to break the shells, and thus to get at the contents. "Willughby says, that Eavens may be trained to fowling like hawks, The faculty of scent in these birds must be very acute; for in the coldest of the winter-days, at Hudson's Bay, when every kind of effluvia is almost instantaneously destroyed by the frost, Buffaloes and other beasts have been killed where not one of these birds was seen ; but, in a few hours, scores of them have been found collected about the spot, to pick up the blood and offal. CARRION CROW. THE CARRION, OR COMMON CROW. These birds live chiefly in pairs, in the woods where they build their nests on the trees. The female lays five or J , ,., n ^r^nfiffifilTTf?^ six eggs, much like those of the Kaven ; and, while sitting, is always fed by the male. They feed on putrid flesh of all sorts ; as well as on worms, insects, and various kinds of grain. Like the Eavens, they sometimes pick out the eyes of Lambs when just dropped. They also do much mischief in Eabbit-w a r r e n s, by killing and devouring the young Eabbits ; and Chickens and young Ducks do not always escape their attacks. Mr. Montagu states, that he once saw a Crow in pursuit of a Pigeon, at which it made several pounces like a Hawk; but the Pigeon escaped by flying in at the door of a house. He saw another strike a Pigeon dead from the top of a barn. It is so bold a bird, that neither the Kite, the Buzzard, nor the Eaven, approaches its nest without being driven away. When it has young-ones it will even insult the Peregrine Falcon, and at a single pounce will bring that bird to the ground. When poultry-hens lay their eggs in hedge-bottoms or stack-yards, Crows are often caught in the act of devouring them. On the northern coast of Ireland, a friend of Dr. Darwin saw above a hundred Crows at once preying upon Muscles : each Crow took a Muscle up into the air twenty or thirty yards high, and let it fall on the stones, and thus, by breaking the shell, got possession of the animal. It is related that a certain ancient philosopher, walking along the sea-shore to gather shells, one of these unlucky birds mistaking his bald head for a stone dropped a shell-fish upon it, and killed at once a philosopher and an Oyster. 33 516 THE CARRION, OR COMMON CROW. The familiarity and audacity of the Crows in some parts of the East is astonishing. They frequent the courts of houses belonging to the Europeans ; and, as the servants are carrying in dinner, will alight on the dishes, and fly away with the meat, if not driven off by persons who attend with sticks for that purpose. In some parts of North America they are extremely numerous, and destroy the new-sown maize by pulling it out of the ground and devouring it. The ripening plants they also injure, by picking holes in the leaves which surround the ears, and thus exposing them to cor- ruption by letting in the rain. The inhabitants of Pennsylvania and New Jersey allowed a reward of three-pence or four-pence a-head for destroying these birds ; but the law was soon repealed, on account of the expense which it brought upon the public treasury. There are at present more of these birds bred in England than in any other country of Europe. In the reign of Henry the Eighth, Crows had become so numerous, and were thought so prejudicial to the farmer, that they were considered an, evil worthy of parliamentary redress ; and an act was passed for their destruction, in which also Rooks and Choughs were included. Every hamlet was ordered to destroy a certain number of Crows' nest for ten successive years ; and the inhabitants were compelled to assemble at stated times during that period, in order to consult on the most proper and effectual means of extirpating them. The following are modes adopted in some countries for catching these birds: A Crow is fastened alive on its back firmly to the ground, by means of a brace on each side, at the base of the wings. In this painful position the animal struggles and screams ; the rest of its species flock to its cries from all quarters, with the intention, prob- ably, of affording relief. But the prisoner, to extricate himself, grasp- ing at every thing within reach, seizes with his bill and claws, which are left at liberty, all that come near him, and thus delivers them a prey to the bird-catcher. Crows are also caught by cones of paper baited with raw flesh; as the Crow introduces his head to devour the bait, which is near the bottom, the paper, being besmeared with bird- lime, sticks to the feathers of the neck, and he remains hooded. Unable to get rid of this bandage, which entirely covers his eyes, the Crow rises almost perpendicularly into the air, the better to avoid striking against any object ; till, quite exhausted, he sinks down near the spot from which he mounted. If a Crow be put into a cage, and exposed in the fields, his calls generally attract the attention of others that are in the neighborhood, which flock round their imprisoned companion. This plan is some- times adopted in order to get these birds within gun-shot ; for, however shy they may otherwise be, their care is said in this case to be so much occupied on their friend, aS to render them almost heedless of the gun- ner's approach. Willughby states, that this bird is capable of being taught to articu- late words with considerable distinctness. By the ancients it was esteemed a bird of bad omen. The Crow is so rare in Sweden, that Lin- naeus speaks of it as a bird that he never knew killed in that country but once. THE BOOK. 517 THE BOOK. The Eook is about the size of the Carrion Crow, but its plumage is more glossy. It also differs in having its nostrils and the root of the bill naked : in the Crow, these are covered with bristly hair. This difference arises from the Book's thrust- ing its bill continually into the earth, in search of worms and other food. Besides insects, the Books feed on different kinds of grain, thus causing some inconvenience to the farmer; but this seems greatly repaid by the good they do to him, THJS BOOK. in extirpating the maggots of some of the most destructive insects of the Beetle tribe. In some parts of Great Britain, the farmers find it their interest to encourage the breed of Books, as the only means of freeing their grounds from the grub which produces the Cock-chafer, and which in this state destroys the roots of corn and grass to such a degree, " that (says Mr. Stillingfleet, one of the most accurate observers of nature which that country ever produced) I have myself seen a piece of pasture-land where you might turn up the turf with your foot." An intelligent farmer in Berkshire informed this gentleman that one year, while his men were hoeing a field of turnips, a great number of Books alighted in a part of it where they were not at work. The consequence was a remarkable fine crop in this part, while in the remainder of the field there were scarcely any turnips that year. These birds are gregarious, being sometimes seen in flocks so great as to darken the air in their flight. They build their nests on high trees, close to each other; generally selecting a large clump of the tallest trees for this purpose. When once settled, they every year fre- quent the same place. Books are, however, bad neighbors to each other; for they are continually fighting and pulling to pieces each other's nests. These proceedings seem unfavorable to their living in such close community : and yet, if a pair offer to build on a separate tree, the nest is plundered and demolished at once. Some unhappy couples are not permitted to finish any nest till the rest have all com- pleted their buildings ; for as soon as they arrange a few sticks to- gether, a party comes and demolishes the fabric. It generally happens that one of the pair is stationed to keep guard, while the other goes abroad for materials. From their conduct in these circumstances our cant- word rooking, for cheating, originated. As soon as the Books have finished their nests, and before they lay, 518 THE ROOK. the cock birds begin to feed the hens. These receive the bounty of their mates with a fondling, tremulous voice, and fluttering wings, and with all the little blandishments that are expressed by the young while in a helpless state. This gallant deportment of the males is continued through the whole season of incubation. New-comers are often severely beaten by the old inhabitants, (who are not fond of intrusions from other societies,) and are even frequently driven quite away. Of this an instance occurred near Newcastle, in the year 1783. A pair of Books, after an unsuccessful attempt to es- tablish themselves in a rookery at no great distance from the Exchange, were compelled to abandon the attempt, and take refuge on the spire of that building ;' and, though constantly interrupted by other. Books, they built their nest on the top of the vane, and reared their young-ones undisturbed by the noise of the populace below them : the nest and its inhabitants were of course turned about by every change of the wind. They returned and built their nest every year on the same place, till the year 1793, soon after which the spire was taken down. A small copper-plate was engraved, of the size of a watch-paper, with a representation of the top of the spire and the nest ; and so much pleased were the inhabitants and other persons with it, that as many copies were sold as produced to the engraver the sum of ten pounds. A remarkable circumstance respecting these birds occurred a few years ago at Dallam Tower, in Westmoreland, the seat of Daniel Wil- son Esq. There were two groves adjoining to the park, one of which had, for many years, been the resort of a number of Herons, that regu- larly every year built and bred there. In the other was a large rook- ery. For a long time the two tribes lived peaceably together. At length, the trees of the heronry were cut down, and the young brood perished by the fall of the timber. The parent birds, not willing to be driven from the place, endeavored to effect a settlement in the rookery. The Books made an obstinate resistance ; but, after a desperate contest, in the course of which many of the Books and some of the Herons lost their lives, the latter at length succeeded in obtaining possession of some of the trees, and that very spring built their nests afresh. The next season a similar conflict took place ; which, like the former, was terminated by the victory of the Herons. Since this time, peace seems to have been agreed upon between them ; the Books have relinquished part of the grove to the Herons, to which part alone they confine them- selves ; and the two communities appear to live together in as much harmony as they did before the dispute. The following anecdote of this sagacious community is related by Dr. Percival, in his Dissertations: "A large colony of Books had subsisted many years in a grove on the banks of the river Irwell, near Manchester. One serene evening I placed myself within the view of it, and marked with attention the various labors, pastimes, and evolu- tions of this crowded society. The idle members amused themselves with chasing each other through endless mazes ; and, in their flight, they made the air sound with an infinitude of discordant noises. In the midst of these playful exertions, it unfortunately happened that one Book, by a sudden turn, struck his beak against the wing of THE ROOK. 519 I another. The sufferer instantly fell into the river. A general cry of distress ensued. The Birds hovered, with every expression of anxiety, over their distressed companion. Animated by their sympathy, and, perhaps, by the language of counsel known to themselves, he sprang into the air, and by one strong effort, reached the point of a rock which projected into the water. The joy became loud and universal ; but, alas ! it was soon changed into notes of lamentation ; for the poor wounded Bird, in attempting to fly towards his nest, again dropped into the river, and was drowned, amidst the moans of his whole fraternity." There seems to exist a wonderful antipathy between these birds and the Eaven. Mr. Markwick says, that as soon as a Eaven had built her nest in a tree adjoining a very numerous rookery, all the Eooks immediately left the spot, and did not return to build there afterwards. At the Bishop of Chester's rookery at Broomham, near Hastings, upon a Eaven's building her nest in one of the trees, all the Eooks forsook the spot; they however returned to their haunts in the autumn, and formed their nests there the succeeding year. It is no very difficult task to account for this antipathy. The Eaven will scarcely suffer any bird to come within a quarter of a mile of its nest, being very fierce in defending it. It besides seizes the young Eooks from their nests, to feed its own offspring. This Mr. Lambert was an eye-witness to, at Mr. Seymer's at Harford, in Dorsetshire ; for there was no peace in the rookery night or day, till one of the old Eavens was killed, and the nest was destroyed. Eooks begin to build in March ; and, after the breeding-season is over, they forsake their nesting- trees, and for sometime roost elsewhere ; but they have always been observed to return in August. In October they repair their nests. When the first brood of Eooks are sufficiently fledged, they leave their nest-trees in the day-time, and resort to some distant place in search of food ; but they return regularly every evening in vast flights. to their nests; where, after flying round several times with much noise and clamor, till they are all assembled together, they take up their abode for the night. Mr. White, in his Natural History of Selborne, speaking of the evening exercises of Eooks in the autumn, remarks, that, just before dusk, they return in long strings from the foraging of the day, and rendezvous by thousands over Selborne Down, where they wheel round, and dive in a playful manner in the air, exerting their voices, which being softened by the distance, become a pleasing murmur, not unlike the cry of a pack of Hounds in deep echoing woods. When this ceremony is over, with the last gleam of light they retire to the deep beech-woods of Tisted and Kepley. We remember (says Mr. White) a little girl, who, as she was going to bed, used to remark, on such an occurrence, in the true spirit of physico-theology, that the Eooks were saying their prayers; and yet this child was much too young to be aware that the Scriptures have asserted of the Deity that * He feedeth the Ravens, who call upon him." In the parts of Hampshire adjacent to the New Forest, when the 520 ' THE JACKDAW. Kook lias reared his progeny, and has carried off such of them as have escaped the arts of men and boys, he retires every evening at a late hour, during the autumn and winter months, to the closest coverts of the forest, after having spent the day in the open fields and enclosures, in quest of food. Among all the sounds of animal nature, few are more grateful than the cawing of Eooks. The Eook has but two or three notes, and \vhen he attempts a solo we cannot praise his song; but when he per- forms in concert, which is his chief delight, these notes, although rough in themselves, being intermixed with those of the multitude, have, as it were, all their rough edges worn off, and become harmonious, especially when softened in the air, where the bird chiefly performs. We have this music in perfection, when the whole colony is raised by the discharge of a gun. Dr. Darwin has remarked, that a consciousness of danger from man- kind is much more apparent in Rooks than in most other birds. Any one who has in the least attended to them, will see that they evidently distinguish that the danger is greater when a man is armed with a gun, than when he has no weapon with him. In the spring of the year, if a person happen to walk under a rookery with a gun in his hand, the inhabitants of the trees rise on their wings, and scream to the un- fledged young to shrink into their nests from the sight of the enemy. The country-people, observing this circumstance so uniformly to occur, assert that Rooks can smell gunpowder. In England these birds remain during the whole year ; and both in France and Silecia they migrate. THE JACKDAW. Jackdaws are common birds in England, where they remain during the whole year ; but in some parts of the Continent they are migratory. They frequent old towers and ruins in great flocks, where they construct their nests; and they have been sometimes known to build in hollow trees, near a rook ery, and to join the Rooks in their foraging parties. In some parts of Hampshire, from the great scarcity of towers or steeples, they are obliged to form their nests under-ground, in the Rabbit- holes; they also build in the interstices between the upright and cross stones of Stonehenge, far out of the reach of the shepherd- boys, who are always idling about that place. In the Isle of Ely, THE JAY. 521 from the want of ruined edifices, they often build their nests in chimneys. In the grate below one of these nests, which had not been used for some time, a fire was lighted; the materials of the nest caught fire, and g they were in such quantity, that it was with great difficulty the house could be preserved from the flames. These birds feed principally on worms, and the grubs of insects ; but I was once witness to a very singular deviation from their usual mode in this respect. I was walking with a friend in the Inner Temple garden, about the middle of May, 1802, when we observed a Jackdaw hovering, in a very unusual manner, over the Thames. A small barrel was floating near the place, a buoy to a net that some fishermen were hauling ; and we at first thought the bird was about to alight upon it. This, however, proved a mistake ; for he descended to the surface of the water, and fluttered for a few seconds with his bill and feet immersed ; he then rose, flew to a little distance, and again did the same ; after which he made a short circuit, and alighted on a barge, about fifty yards from the garden, where he devoured a small fish. When this was done, he made a third attempt, caught another, and flew off with it in his mouth. Jackdaws are easily tamed ; and may, with a little difficulty, be taught to pronounce several words. They conceal such parts of their food as they cannot eat ; and often along with it, small pieces of money or toys, frequently occasioning, for the moment, suspicions of theft in persons who are innocent. They may be fed on insects, fruit, grain, and small pieces of meat. In Switzerland there is found a variety of Jackdaws which has a white ring round its neck. In Norway, and other cold countries, Jackdaws have been seen entirely white. THE JAY. This beautiful bird is well known in our woods ; it builds, in trees, an artless nest, of sticks, fibres, and twigs, in which it lays five or six eggs. Its delicate cinnamon-colored back and breast, with blue wing coverts, barred with black and white, render it one of the most elegant birds produced in this country. Its bill is black, and chin white ; and, on its forehead, there is a beautiful tuft of white feathers, streaked with black, which it has the power of erecting at pleasure. Its voice is harsh, grating, arid unpleasant. When kept in a domestic state, the Jay THE JAY. may be rendered familiar, and it will catch and repeat a variety of sounds. One of these birds has been heard to imitate so exactly the noise made by the action of a saw, a& to induce passengers to suppose that a carpenter was at work in the house. A Jay kept by a person in the north of England, had learned a* 522 THE JAY. the approach of cattle, to set a Cur-Dog upon them, by whistling and calling him by his name. One winter, during a severe frost, the Dog was by this means excited to attack a Cow, that was big with Calf; when the poor animal fell on the ice, and was much hurt. Tke Jay was com- plained of as a nuisance, and its owner was obliged to destroy it. The young Jays continue with the old ones till the next pairing time; they then choose each its mate, and separate, in order to pro- duce a new progeny. The old birds, when enticing their fledged young-ones to follow them, make a noise not unlike the mewing of a Cat. These birds feed in general on acorns, nuts, seeds, and fruit ; and in summer they are often found injurious to gardens, from their devouring peas and cherries. Mr. Wallis, in his Natural History of Northumberland, says, " They come two or three together out of the wood into my little garden at Simonburn, in tfce raspberry and gooseberry season, and can hardly be frightened away ; in loud clamors, from tree to tree, proclaiming it (as it were) to be their own property." So habitual is the sentinel cry of alarm, and so expressive, that all the birds within call, as well as other wild animals, are instantly on the alert, so that the fowler and hunter become generally disappointed of their game by his garrulence and noisy propensity; he is there- fore for his petulance, frequently killed without pity or profit, as his flesh, though eaten, has but little to recommend it. His more complaisant, notes, when undisturbed, though guttural and echoing, are by no means unpleasant, and fall in harmoniously with the cadence of the feathered choristers around him, so as to form a finish- ing part to the general music of the grove. His accents of blandish- ment, when influenced by the softer passions, are low and musical, so as to be scarcely heard beyond the thick branches where he sits concealed ; but, as soon as discovered, he bursts out into notes of rage and reproach, accompanying his voice by jerks and actions of temerity and defiance. Indeed the Jay of Europe, with whom our beau agrees entirely in habits, is so irrascible and violent in his movements, as sometimes to strangle himself in the narrow fork of a branch from which he has been found suspended. In times of scarcity he falls upon carrion, and has been known to venture into the barn, through accidental openings ; when as if sensi- ble of the danger of purloining, he is active and silent, and if sur- prised, postponing his garrulity, he retreats with noiseless precipita- tion, and with all the cowardice of a thief. The worst trait of his appetite, however, is his relish for the eggs of other birds, in quest of which he may frequently be seen prowling, and with a savage cruelty he sometimes also devours the callow young, spreading the plaint of sorrow and alarm wherever he flits. The whole neighboring com- munity of little birds, assembled at the cry of distress, sometimes, however, succeed in driving off the ruthless plunderer, who not always content with the young, has been seen to attack the old, though with dubious success ; but to the gallant and quarrelsome ^King-bird, he submits like a coward, and driven to seek shelter, even THE MAGPIE. 523 on the ground, from the repeated blows of his antagonist, sneaks off, well contented to save his life. THE MAGPIE. Like the Crow, this bird feeds on almost all substances animal as well as vegetable, that come in its way. It forms its nest with great art ; leaving a hole in the side for admittance, and covering the whole upper part with a texture of thorny branches closely entangled, by which a retreat is secured from the rude attacks of other birds ; the inside is furnished with a sort of mat- MAGPIE. tress, composed of wool and other soft materials, on which the young-ones, which are generally seven or eight in number, repose. It is a crafty, and, in a tame state, a familiar bird ; and may be taught to pronounce not only words, but short sentences, and even to imitate any particular noise that it hears. Plutarch relates a singular story of a Magpie belonging to a barber at Kome. This bird could imitate, to a wonderful extent, almost every noise that it heard. Some trumpets happened one day to be sounded before the shop ; and for a day or two afterwards the Magpie was quite mute, and seemed pensive and melancholy. _This surprised all who knew it; and they supposed that the sound of the trumpets had so stunned the bird, as to deprive it at the same time both of voice and hearing. This, however, was not the case ; for, says this writer, the bird had been all the time occupied in profound meditation, and was studying how to imitate the sound of the trumpets : accordingly, in the first attempt, it perfectly imitated all their repetitions, stops and changes. This new lesson, however, made it entirely forget every thing that it had learned before. In certain districts of Norway, the Magpie is so uncommon a bird, that its appearance is considered a sign of the approaching death of some principal person in the neighborhood. In England also it is es- teemed a bird of omen. In the north of England, if one of these birds be observed flying by itself, it is accounted by the common people to 524 THE RED-LEGGED CROW. be a sign of ill luck : if there be two together, they forebode something fortunate: three indicate a fune- ral : and four a wedding. Like the other birds of its tribe, the Mag- pie is addicted to stealing; and, when it is satiated, will hoard up its provisions. It frequently com- mits ravages in Rabbit - warrens and poultry- yards, by killing the young ani- mals, and des- troying the eggs. It may be caught by means of a steel trap baited with a Eat or a dead bird. TAME MAGPIE. THE RED-LEGGED CROW. The color of this Crow is a fine blue or purple black ; and its bill and legs are of a bright and deep orange. These birds, which are partial to rocky and mountainous habitations, are not very common in any part of the world. In England they frequent some places in Cornwall and North Wales, inhab- iting cliffs and ruinous castles along the shores. A few are found on Dover Cliff, where they came entirely by acci BED-LEGGED CKOW, OB CHOUGH. THE CINEREOUS CROW. 525 dent: a gentleman in the neighborhood received from Cornwall, a pair, which escaped, and stocked those rocks. They are not constant to their abode ; but frequently, in the course of the year, desert the place for a week or ten days at a time. The Eed-legged Crow is a very tender bird, of elegant form and unable to bear severe weather. Active, restless, and meddling, it is not to be trusted where things of consequence lie. It is much taken with glittering objects ; and is apt to snatch up bits of lighted sticks, so that instances have occurred of houses having been set on fire by it. The injury that it does to thatched houses is sometimes very great , for, tearing holes into them with its long bill, in search of worms and insects, the rain is admitted, and quickens their decay. It also often picks out lime from walls, in search of spiders and flies. These birds commonly fly very high, and they make a more shrill noise than the Jackdaw. The Cornish peasantry attend so much to them, that it is very common to see them tame in their gardens. They shriek out aloud at the appearance of any thing strange or frightful ; but, when applying for food, or desirous of pleasing those who usually fondle them, their chattering ft very soft and engaging. When tame, they are very docile and amusing; and they are -ex- tremely regular to their time of feeding. But, however familiar they may be to their immediate friends, they will not permit a stranger to touch them. Their nests are built about the middle of the cliffs, or in the most inaccessible parts of ruins. The eggs, which are four or five in number, are somewhat longer than those of the Jackdaw, and of a cinereous white color, marked with irregular dusky blotches. From their being very tender, these birds are seldom seen abroad except in fine weather. THE CINEREOUS CROW. This bird is so small as seldom to weigh more than two or three ounces. Its plumage is brown-gray. The feathers are long, soft, and silky, and in general so much un webbed, as, in many parts of the body, to resemble hair. The Cinereous Crow, which is a native of North America, and ia extremely common in the neighborhood of Hudson's Bay, is a very familiar bird, and is fond of frequenting habitations, either houses or tents. But so much is it given to pilfering, that no kind of provisions it can come at, either fresh or salted, is safe from its depredations. It is so bold as to come into tents, sit on the edge of the kettle when hang- ing over the fire, and steal victuals out of the dishes. Few creatures are more troublesome to the hunters than these. They will sometimes follow them a day together : will perch on a tree while the hunter is baiting his martin-traps, and as soon as his back is turned, will go and eat the baits. The Cinereous Crows are easily tamed, but they never live long in confinement. The care that this bird takes in laying up in summer a stock of 526 THE HOODED CROW. fruit for winter provision, when no fruit is to be had abroad, is a re- markable instance of foresight in the bird tribe. Its nest is built in trees, and is not unlike the nest of the Blackbird- and Thrush. The female lays four blue eggs, but seldom hatches more than three young- These birds breed early in the spring. They sometimes steal ones. flesh, but never eat it, feeding principally on fruit, moss, and worms. scattered over every portion of THE HOODED CEOW The Hooded Crow, otherwise called the Royston Crow or the Grey Crow, is rather a scarce bird in the British Islands, although nearly Great Britain, even includ ing Scotland. It is one of the winter visitors to England, gene- rally leaving there about April, although it some- times remains during the summer, and brings up a brood of young. Like most of its congeners, it builds its nest on the tops of very tall trees, such as the pine, but is also known to build on precipitous rocks. It is said to use these rocks in the stead of an oyster-knife, for as it is very fond of Oysters, and does not possess a knife to open them with, it must discover some other method of getting at the enclosed animal. To attain this purpose, it is said to seize the Oyster in its beak, soar up to a great height in the air, and to let the Oyster drop from that elevation upon the hard rock, when the shell is dashed to pieces, and the Crow is enabled to pick out the animal with ease. There is but little of the usual Corvine black hue about this bird, only the head, throat, wings and tail being so decorated, the remainder of the bird being of an ashy grey. The length of the bird is about twenty-two inches. THE RED-WINGED ORIOLE. 527 OF THE ORIOLES IN GENERAL. . THE characteristics of this tribe are, a straight, conic, sharp-pointed bill ; with the mandibles equal in length, and the edges sharp and in- clining inward. The nostrils are small : they are situated at the base of the bill, and are partly covered: The tongue is cleft at the end. The toes stand three forward and one backward, and the middle one is joined near the base to the outer toe. This is a noisy, gregarious, and voracious race ; and is confined almost exclusively to America. Most of the species form pendulous nests. upon the exterior branches of trees, which secure them from rapacious animals. Several nests are constructed on one tree. The Orioles in general feed on fruit, but some of them subsist on insects and grain. THE RED-WINGED ORIOLE. This bird is about the size of a Starling, being nearly nine inches long. The bill is black, and almost an inch in length. The whole body is of a deep black color: except the upper part of the wings, which is of a full red. The legs are black. In some parts of America these birds occasionally appear in such immense flocks, that frequently at one draw of a net more than three hundred are caught. They feed on insects, wheat, and maize ; and are exceed- ingly destructive to the grain. Their common name in America is Maize-thief: they seldom attack the maize except just after it is sown, or when the ear becomes green: then, pecking a hole in the side, the rain is RED WISOED, OB BALTIMORE ORIOLE. 528 THE ICTERIC ORIOLE. admitted, and the grain spoiled. They are supposed to do this in search of insects. The farmers sometimes attempt their destruction, by steeping the maize before it is sown, in a decoction of white hellebore: the birds that eat this prepared corn, are seized with a vertigo, and fall down stupified. They are so bold and voracious, that a flock of them may frequently be shot at two or three times before they can be driven off; indeed it often happens, that during the second loading of the gun their number increases. Catsby informs us, that in Carolina and Virginia, these birds breed in swampy places, among the rushes ; the points of which the}' weave so as to form a sort of roof or shed, under which they build their nest, at so judicious a height, that it can never be reached even by the highest floods. Dr. Latham states, that they build between the forks of trees, three or four feet from the ground, in swarnps which are seldom penetrable by man.- They are easily caught in traps; and can, without difficulty, be rendered tame, and even taught to speak. They are fond of singing ; and are exceedingly playful, either when confined or when suffered to run about the house. With the liveliness and familiarity which they possess, it is said to be highly diverting to place these birds before a looking-glass, and observe their strange and whimsical ges- ticulations: sometimes they erect the feathers of the head, and hiss at the image; then, lowering their crest, they set up their tail, quiver their wings, and strike at it with their bills. Whether taken young or old, they become immediately tame. It is not unusual to keep them in cylindrical cages with bells; and these cages they turn round in the same manner as Squirrels do. But when they have been con- lined in a cage for some years, they are said to become white, and so stupid and inanimate, as at last not to be able to feed themselves. THE ICTERIC ORIOLE, AND WEAVER ORIOLE. The cteric Oriole is, in size, somewhat smaller than a Blackbird : of a tawny color, with the head, throat, back, quill, and tail-feathers black. The wings have each a white spot. It is a native of Carolina and Jamaica. The chief food of the Icteric Oriole consists of insects ; and, for the purpose of killing these, the Americans domesticate and keep this bird in their houses. It hops about in a similar manner to the Mag- pie ; and has many other gestures of that ICTERIC OKIOLE. bird. Albin states, that, in all its actions, it resembles the Starlings; and adds, that sometimes four or five of them will unite to attack a larger bird, which, after they have killed, they eat in a very orderly manner, each choosing his part according to his valor. In a wild state the THE WEAVER ORIOLE. 529 Icteric Orioles are so fierce and bold, that, when disturbed, they will attack even mankind ; but, when introduced into our society, they are said to be easily tamed. Their nests are constructed in a cylindrical form ; several on the same tree, and suspended from the extremity of the branches ; where they wave freely in the air. In these situations they are far out of the reach of such animals as would otherwise destroy the young-ones. Several other species construct their nests in a similar manner. THE WEAVER ORIOLE This bird is of a yellow color ; the head is brown, with a golden shade, and the quill and tail-feathers are blackish, edged with orange. It is chiefly found in Senegal, and some other parts of Africa. Of two females of the Weaver Oriole, which were brought some years ago from Senegal to England, it was observed, that, being kept together in a cage, they entwined among the wires some of the stalks of the pimpernal, with which they were fed. As this seemed to show a disposition for forming a nest, some rushstalks were put into the cage. Of these they presently made a large nest ; but it was as often deranged as made, the work of one day being spoiled the next. This seemed to prove that the fabrication of the nest in a state of nature, is the work of both male and female, and that the female is not able to finish this important structure by herself. A bird of this species having, by accident, obtained a thread of sewing-silk, wove it among the wires of its cage ; and, on being sup- plied with more, it interlaced the whole very confusedly, so as to prevent most part of that side of the cage from being seen through. It was found to prefer green and yellow silks to those of any other color. 530 THE GREATER BIRD OF PARADISE. OF THE BIRDS OF PAKADISE IN GENERAL. THE Birds of Paradise have their bills slightly bent, and the base clad with velvet-like feathers. The nostrils are small, and covered The tail consists of ten feathers ; the two middle ones of which, in several of the species, are very long, and webbed only at the base and tips. The legs and feet are large and strong ; having three toes forward and one backward, and the middle toe connected to the outer one as far as the first joint. No class of birds has given rise to more fables than this. By different writers we are taught to understand that they never touch the ground, from the time of their exclusion from the egg, to their death; that they live wholly on dew, and that they are produced without legs ; that, when they sleep, they hang themselves by the two long feathers of the tail, to the branch of a tree ; that the female produces her eggs in the air, which the male receives in an orifice in his body, where it is hatched ; and a thousand other stories that are too absured even to be mentioned. The whole race, as far as we are at present acquainted with them, are natives of New Guinea, whence they migrate into the neighboring islands. Their plumage is in general of extremely brilliant colors. THE GREATER BIRD OF PARADISE. The general color of these birds is chestnut, with the neck of a gold- green beneath. The feathers of the back and sides are consid- erably longer than those of the body. They have two long tail-feathers, which are straight and taper to the tip. There are two vari- eties of this species, both of which inhabit the islands of Arrou. They are supposed to breed in New Guinea, and to reside there during the wet mon- . soon ; but they retire to the Arrou islands, about a hundred and forty miles eastward, during the dry or 3REATKR BIRD OF PARADISE. FEMALE. THE GREATER BIRD OF PARADISE. 531 They always migrate in flocks of thirty or forty, and have a leader, which the inhabitants of Arrou call the king. He is said to be black, to have red spots, and to fly far above the flock, which never desert him, but always settle in the same place that he does. They never fly with the wind, as in that case their loose plumage would be ruffled and blown over their heads ; and a change of wind often compels them to alight on the ground, from which they cannot rise with- out difficulty. When surprised by a heavy gale, they soar to a higher' region, beyond the reach of the tem- pest. There, in a serene sky, they float at ease on their light flowing feathers, or pursue their journey in security. During their flight they cry like Starlings ; but, when a storm blows in their rear, they express their distressed situation by a note somewhat resembling the croaking of a Raven. In calm weather, great numbers of these birds may be seen flying, both in companies and singly, in pursuit of the larger butterflies and other insects on which they feed. They never willingly alight, except on the highest trees. Tneir arrival at Arrou is watched by the natives, who either shoot them with blunt-arrows, or catch them by means of bird-lime or in nooses. When caught, they make a vigorous resistance, and defend themselves stoutly with their beaks. After being killed, the entrails and breast-bone are taken out, and they are dried with smoke and sul- phur, for exportation to Banda, where they are sold for half a rix-dollar each. Thus prepared, they are sent to all parts of India and Persia, to adorn the turbans of persons of rank, and even the trappings of the horses. Not long ago, they formed an additional ornament to the head-dresses of the British fair. 34 GREATER BIRD OF PARADISE. MALE. 532 THE GOLDEN BIRD OF PARADISE. THE SUPERB BIRD OF PARADISE. In this species the scapulary feathers form a long spreading plume which can be elevated at pleasure, and there are two pointed lappets on the chest; with the exception of these latter, which are of the most brilliant burnished steel-green, the color of the plum- age is velvet- black, iridescent with green and violet, length nine inches. THE SUPERB BIRD OP PARADISE. THE GOLDEN BIRD OF PARADISE. The general color of this species is velvety -black ; the tops of the head is clothed with a greyish crest, and each side of the occi- put is ornamented with three long slen- der shafts, ending in a small oval vane ; back of the neck changeable golden- green ; flanks cover- ed with black loose, long feathers, cover- ing the wings and hiding the tail, and capable of being raised up obliquely. Feathers of the throat large and scale-shaped, border- ed with reflecting green and gold ; tail- feathers velvety, <>U>:-.N B1KD OF PARADISE. with some long floating filaments. Length, about eleven inches. THE MAGNIFICENT BIRD OF PARADISE. 533 THE MAGNIFICENT BIKD OF PARADISE. This beautiful bird is of an orange- chestnut above, deeper on the top of the head and back, and sometimes inclining to purple the tips of the wings and tail are brown ; the* throat is black- ish, with a purple gloss ; the breast and under parts are covered with scaled- shape feathers of a deep changeable golden-green, with a blue reflection down the breast. From back of the neck springs a double ruff, composed of slender plumes, with slightly dilated extremities. The wing-coverts are orange-colored, with transverse THE MAGNIFICENT BIRD OF PARADISE. blackish crescents ; from the tail-coverts spring two long slender shafts of golden-green. THE KING BIRD OF PARADISE. This rare species, one of the very smallest of the group, is a native of the Moluccas. It is about the size of a sparrow. Its upper plum- age is intense purplish chestnut ; a zone of golden-green extends across the chest ; from each side under the shoulder springs a fan-like plume of six or seven dusky feathers, tipped with the richest golden-green. From the tail spring two long slender shafts, each elegantly termina- ting in a broad emerald web, rising from one side only of the shaft, and disposed into a flat curl ; under parts of the body, white. In its habits this species is said to be solitary, feeding on fruits and berries. 534 THE COMMON CUCKOO. OF THE CUCKOO TEIBE IN GENERAL. THESE birds have their bill weak, and more or less bending. The nostrils are bounded by a small rim; and the tongue is short and pointed. The toes are situated two forward and two backward. The tail is wedge-shaped, and consists of ten soft feathers. The different species of Cuckoos are scattered through the four quarters of the globe, but they are much more common in the hot than in temperate or cold climates. One species only is found in Great Britain. THE COMMON CUCKOO. The Cuckoo is about fourteen inches in length, and twenty-five in breadth. The bill is black, strong, and somewhat curved. The upper parts of the plum- age are chiefly of a dove-color; the throat is pale grey ; and the breast and belly are white, crossed with undu- lated lines of black. The vent feathers are of a buff-color, marked with a few dusky spots. The two middle tail feathers are black, tipped with white. The plumage of the young birds is chiefly brown, mixed with fer- ru g ino us and black. The Cuckoo visits us early in the spring. Its well-known cry is generally heard about the middle of April, and ceases about the end of June : its stay is short, the old Cuckoos being said to quit this country early in July. These birds are generally supposed to build no nest; but, what is also extraordinary, the female Cuckoo deposits Her solitary egg in the nest of another bird, by which it is hatched. The nests she ohooses for this purpose are generally those of the Hedge- Sparrow, Water- Wagtail, Titlark, Yellow-Hammer, Green Linnet, or COMMON CUCKOO. THE COMMON CUCKOO. 535 Winchat : but of these it lias been observed, that she shows the greatest partiality to tne nest of the Hedge-Sparrow. We are indebted to the observations of Dr. Jenner, for the following account of the habits and economy of this singular bird, in the dis- posal of its egg. He states that, during the time the Hedge-Sparrow is laying her eggs, which generally occupies four or five days, the Cuckoo contrives to deposit her egg among the rest, leaving the future care of it entirely to the Hedge-Sparrow. This intrusion often occa- sions some disorder ; for the old Hedge- Sparrow, at intervals, while she is sitting, not only throws out some of her own eggs, but sometimes injures them in such a way, that' they become addle, so that it fre- quently happens, that not more that two or three of the parent-bird's eggs are hatched : but, what is very remarkable, it has never been observed that she has either thrown out or injured the egg of the Cuckoo. When the Hedge-Sparrow has set her usual time, and has disengaged the young Cuckoo and some of her own offspring from the shell, her own young-ones, and any of her eggs that remain unhatched, are soon turned out: the young Cuckoo then remains in full posses- sion of the nest, and is the sole object of the future care of the foster- parent. The young birds are not previously killed, nor are the eggs demolished ; but they are left to perish together, either entangled in the bush that contains the nest, or lying on the ground beneath it. On the 18th of June, 1787, Dr. Jenner examined a nest of a Hed^e- Sparrow, which then contained a Cuckoo's and three Hedge-Sparrow's eggs. On inspecting it the day following, the bird had hatched : but the nest then contained only a young Cuckoo and one young Hedge- Sparrow. The nest was placed so near the extremity of a hedge, that he could distinctly see what was going forward in it ; and, to his great astonishment, he saw the young Cuckoo, though so lately hatched, in the act of turning out the young Hedge-Sparrow. The mode of accom- plishing this was curious ; the little animal, with the assistance of its rump and wings, contrived to get the bird upon its back, and, making a lodgment for its burden by elevating its elbows, climbed backward with it up the side of the nest, till it reached the top ; where, resting for a moment, it threw off its load with a jerk, and quite disengaged it from the nest. After remaining a short time in this situation, and feeling about with the extremities of its wings, as if to be convinced that the business was properly executed, it dropped into the nest again. Dr. Jenner made several experiments in different nests, by repeatedly putting in an egg to the young Cuckoo ; but this he always found to be disposed of in the same manner. It is very remarkable, that nature seems to have provided for the singular disposition of the Cuckoo, in its formation at this period ; for, different from other newly- hatched birds, its back, from the scapube downward, is very broad, with a considerable depression in the middle, which seems intended for the express purpose of giving a more secure lodgment to the egg of the Hedge-Sparrow or its young-one, while the young Cuckoo is em- ployed in removing either of them from the nest. When it is about twelve days old, this cavity is quite rilled up, the back assumes the shape of that of nestling birds in general, and at that time the dispo 536 THE COMMON CUCKOO. sition of turning out its companion entirely ceases. The smallness of the Cuckoo's egg, which in general is less than that of the House- Sparrow, is another circumstance to be attended to in this surprising transaction, and seems to account for the parent Cuckoo's depositing it in the nests of such small birds only as have been mentioned. If she were to do this in the nest of a bird that produced a larger egg, and consequently a larger nestling, the design would probably be frus- trated ; the young Cuckoo would be unequal to the task of becoming sole possessor of the nest, and might fall a sacrifice to the superior strength of its partners. Dr. Jenner observes, that the eggs of two Cuckoos are sometimes deposited in the same nest : he gives the following instance, which fell under his observation. Two Cuckoos and a Hedge-sparrow were hatched in the same nest ; one Hedge-Sparrow's egg remained un- hatched. In a few hours a contest began between the Cuckoos for possession of the nest ; and this continued undetermined till the after- noon of the following day, when one of them, which was somewhat superior in size, turned out the other, together with the young Hedge-Sparrow, and the unhatched egg. The contest, he adds, was very remarkable : the combatants alternately appeared to have the advantage, as each carried the other several times, nearly to the top of the nest, and again sank down, oppressed by the weight of its burden; till at length, after various efforts,. the strongest of the two prevailed, and was afterwards brought up by the Hedge-Sparrow. No reason can be assigned, from the formation of this bird, why, in common with others, it should not build a nest, incubate its eggs, and rear its own offspring ; for it is in every respect perfectly formed for all these offices. To what cause then may we attribute the above singularities ? May they not be owing to the following circumstances ? the short residence this bird makes in the country where it is des- tined to propagate its species, and the necessity that exists of its producing, during that short residence, a numerous progeny. The Cuckoo's first appearance in England, is about the middle of April : its egg is not ready for incubation till some weeks after its arrival, seldom before the middle of May. A fortnight is taken up by the sitting bird in hatching the egg. The young bird generally continues three weeks in the nest before it can fly, and the foster-parents feed it more than five weeks after this period ; so that, if a Cuckoo should fee ready with an egg much sooner than the time pointed out, not a single nestling would be fit to provide for itself before its parent would be instinctively directed to seek a new residence, and be thus compelled to abandon its offspring ; for the old birds take their final leave of this country the first week in July. " There seems (says Dr. Jenner) no precise time fixed for the depar- ture of young Cuckoos. I believe they go off in succession, probably as soon as they are capable of taking care of themselves ; for although they stay here till they become nearly equal in size, and in growth of plumage, to the parent, yet in this very state the fostering care of the Hedge-Sparrow is not withdrawn from them. I have frequently seen the young Cuckoo of such a size, that the Hedge-Sparrow has perched THE COMMON CUCKOO. 537 on its back, or on its half-expanded wing, in order to gain sufficient elevation to put the food into its mouth. At this advanced age it is probable that the young Cuckoos procure some food for themselves ; like the young Book, for instance, which in part feeds itself, and is partly fed by the old ones, till the approach of the pairing season." The same instinctive impulse which directs the Cuckoo to deposit her eggs in the nests of other birds, directs her young-one to throw out the eggs and young of the owner of the nest. The scheme of nature would be incomplete without it ; for it would be difficult, if not im- possible, for the birds destined to find nourishment for the Cuckoo, to find it also for their own young-ones, after a certain period ; nor would there be room for them all to inhabit the nest. The above are certainly well-attested instances of the Cuckoo's laying its eggs in the nests, and trusting its young to the protection of other birds ; but there are instances, equally well attested, of their hatching and feeding their own nestlings. The Eev. Mr. Stafford, one day walking in Blossopdale, in Derbyshire, saw a Cuckoo rise from its nest ; which was on the stump of a tree that had been some time felled. In this nest there were two young Cuckoos ; one of which he fastened to the ground by a peg and line ; and, for many days beheld the old Cuckoo feed them. Mr. Daines Barrington, who recorded this account, had been informed of two other instances of Cuckoo's nests, in which the proper parents fed their young ; the one within four miles of London, and the other on the south-west coast of Merionethshire. It has been conjectured by some persons, that, during winter, the Cuckoo remains in England, hidden in hollow trees, and in a torpid state. In support of this opinion, Mr. Willoughby, in his Ornithology, relates the following story : " The servants of a gentleman in the coun- try, having stocked up, in one of the meadows, some old, dry, rotten willows, thought proper, on a certain occasion, to carry them home. In heating a stove, two logs of this timber were put into the lower Eart, and fire was applied as usual. But soon, to the surprise of the imily, was heard the voice of a Cuckoo, chirping three times from under the stove. Wondering at so extraordinary a cry in winter-time, the servants drew the willow logs from the furnace, and in the midst of one of them they saw something move ; when, taking an axe, they opened the hole, and, thrusting in their hands, first they plucked out nothing but feathers ; afterwards they got hold of a living animal, and this was the- Cuckoo that the fire had awaked. It was, indeed, (continues our historian,) brisk and lively, but wholly naked and bare of feathers, and without any winter provision in its hole. This Cuckoo the boys kept two years afterwards alive in the stove ; but whether it repaid them with a second song, the author of the tale has not thought fit to inform us." A few years ago a young Cuckoo was found, in a torpid state, in the thickest part of a furze bush. When taken up, it soon exhibited signs of life, but was quite destitute of feathers. Being kept warm, and carefully fed, it grew and recovered its coat. In the ensuing spring it made its escape; and, in flying across the river Tyne, was heard to give its usual call. 538 THE BEE CUCKOO, OR MOROC. It would be wrong to assert as a general fact, that Cuckoos remain torpid in England during winter, because half a dozen (or perhaps not so many) instances are recorded of their having been found in this state. \Ve are much rather led to suppose, that these accidental occurrences have arisen from their being young birds, which had not been strong enough to leave us at the usual time of migration, and which had therefore sought for shelter and warmth in the places where they have been discovered. It is supposed that there are more male Cuckoos than females: Mr. Pennant observes, that five male birds were caught in a trap in one season; and Dr. Latham says, that out of about half a dozen that he had examined, chance never directed him to a female. The males alone being vocal, may, however, be one cause why our specimens are chiefly of this sex; their note directing the gunner to take aim, whilst the female is secured by he*- silence. The young birds, though helpless and foolish for a great length of time, may be, and often are, brought up tame, so as to become familiar. In this state they will eat bread and milk, fruits, insects, eggs, and flesh either cooked or raw; but in a state of nature, they are supposed to live principally on Caterpillars. When fat, they are said to be as good eating as the Land-rail. THE BEE CUCKOO, OR MOROC. The Bee Cuckoo, in its external appearance, does not much differ from the common Sparrow: except that it is somewhat larger, and of a lighter color: it has also a yellow spot on each shoulder, and the feathers of its tail are dashed with white. To this bird is ascribed the faculty of discovering and pointing out to man, and to the quadruped called the Eatel, the nests of wild Bees. It is itself exceedingly fond both of honey, and of the Bee maggots; and it knows that when a nest is plundered, some of the honey must fall to the ground, which consequently comes to its share; but, in gen- eral, a part is purposely left by the plunderers, as a reward for its services. The way in which this bird communicates to others the disco- very it has made, is as surprising as it is well adapted to the purpose. The morning and evening are its principal meal-times ; at least, it is then that it shows the greatest inclination to come forth, and with a grating cry of cheer, cheer, cheer, to excite the attention of the Eatel, as well as of the Hottentots and colonists, of whose country it is a native. Somebody then generally repairs to the place whence the sound proceeds; when the bird, continually repeating its cry of cheer, cheer, cheer, flies on slowly, and by degrees, towards the quarter where the swarm of Bees has taken up its abode. The persons thus invited accordingly follow; taking care at the same time not to frighten their guide by any unusual noise, but rather to answer it now and then with a soft and gentle whistle, by way of letting the bird know that its call is attended to. When the Bees' nest is at some distance, the bird often makes long stages or flights, waiting for its sporting com- THE BEE CUCKOO, OR MOROC. 539 pairions between each flight, and calling to them again to come on ; but it flies to shorter distances, and repeats its cry more fre- quently and with greater earnestness, in proportion as they approach nearer to the nest. When the bird has sometimes, in consequence of its great impatience, got too far ahead of its followers, but parti- cularly when, on account of the un- e venne ss of the ground, they have not been able to keep pace with it, it has flown back to meet them, and with redoubled cries has denoted still greater impatience, upbraid- ing them, as it were, for being so tardy. When it comes to the Bees' nest, whether built in the cleft of a rock, in a hollow tree, or in some cavity of the earth, it hovers over the spot for a few seconds; after which it sits in silence, and for the most part concealed, in some neighboring tree, or bush, in expectation of what may happen, and with a view of receiving its share of the booty. It is probable that this bird always hovers, more or less, in the manner just mentioned, over the Bees 7 nest, before it hides itself; though the people do not always pay attention to this circumstance: at all events, however, one may be assured that the Bees' nest is very near, when, after the bird has guided its followers to some distance, it is on a sudden silent. Having, in consequence of the bird's directions, found and plun- dered the nest, the hunters, by way of acknowledgment, usually leave to the bird a considerable share of that part of the comb in which the young Bees are hatching; and which is probably to it the most acceptable morsel. The above account of Dr. Sparrman has undergone some severe though ill-natured animadversions, from the pen of Mr. Bruce. I shall insert them in his own words. "I cannot (he says) conceive that, in a country where there are so .many thousand hives there was any use for giving to a bird a peculiar instinct or faculty of discover- ing honey, when, at the same time, nature hath deprived him of the BEE CUCKOO. 540 THE BEE CUCKOO, OR MOROC. power of availing himself of any advantage from the discovery ; for man seems in this case to be made for the service of the Moroc, which is very different from the common or ordinary course of things: man certainly needs not this bird ; for on every tree and on every hillock he may see plenty of honey at his own deliberate disposal. I cannot then but think, with all submission to these natural philosophers, ( Dr. Sparrman, and Jerome Lobo, who has also given an account of this bird,) that the whole of this is an improbable fiction : nor did I ever hear a single person in Abyssinia suggest, that either this, or any other bird, had such a property. Sparrman says it was not known to any inhabitant of the Cape, any more than that of the Moroc was in Abyssinia ; it was a secret of nature, hid from all but these two great men, and I most willingly leave it among the catalogue of their particular discoveries." Dr. Sparrman says, that a nest which was shown to him as belong- mg to this bird, was composed of slender filaments of bark, woven together in the form of a bottle : the neck and opening hung down- wards ; and a string, in an arched shape, was suspended across the opening, fastened by the two ends, perhaps for the bird to perch on. Mr. Barrow, who in the years 1797 and 1798 travelled into the interior of the southern extremity of Africa, fully confirms the truth of Dr. Sparrman's account. He says, that every one there is too well acquainted with the Moroc to have any doubt as to the certainty, either respecting the bird, or its mode of giving information concern- ing the repositories of the Bees. He tells us further, that it indicates to the inhabitants with equal certainty, the dens of Lions, Tigers, Hya3nas, and other beasts of prey and noxious animals. M. Le Vaillant says that the Hottentots are very partial to the Moroc, on account of the service it renders them ; and that, once, when he was about to shoot one, they on that account begged him to spare its life. THE BLACK WOODPECKER. 541 OF THE WOODPECKERS IN GENERAL. THE bill is straight, strong, and angular ; and at the end, in most of the species, is formed like a wedge, for the purpose of piercing the trees. The nostrils are covered with bristles. The tongue is very long, slender, cylindrical, bony, hard, and jagged at the end. The toes are placed two forward, and two backward ; and the tail consists of ten hard, stiff, and sharp-pointed feathers. The Woodpeckers are a very singular race of birds, that live almost entirely on insects, which they pick out of decayed trees, and from the bark of such as are sound. These they transfix and draw from the crevices by means of their tongue, which is bony at the end, barbed, and furnished with a curious apparatus of muscles, for the purpose of throwing it forward with great force. Their bill is also so strong and powerful, that by means of it they are able to per- forate even such trees as are perfectly sound. In the holes which they thus make, they construct their nests. Their voice is acute, and very unpleasant. THE BLACK WOODPECKEE. This bird weighs about eleven ounces. Its plumage is black ex cept the crown of the heac^ which is of a rich crimson. The head of the female is only marked with red behind. It inhabits Switzerland, Germany, and several of the northern regions ; and is migratory. It is also quite common in this country. The Black Woodpecker subsists on insects, which it catches on the bark of trees, or between the bark and the wood. It darts out its long tongue, sometimes three or four inches beyond its bill, transfixes the insects with the end, and then BLACK WOODPECKER with a very quick motion retracts it and swallows them. The feathers of the tail are very stiff; and so firmly set into the rump, that, when the bird has fastened its claws into the inequal- ities of the bark, he places his strong tail-feathers against it, and thus standing as it were erect, forms a hole by means of his bill. He is able to pierce not only sound, but even hard trees, as the oak and hornbeam. The hole thus made is enlarged within, for the greater convenience of depositing its nest. The damage that the Black Woodpecker does to timber by this means is very great. The female lays two or three white eggs. This bird has a very loud note; and feeds on caterpillars and insects. 542 THE RED-HEADED WOODPECKER. THE WHITE-BILLED WOODPECKER. This species is about the size of a crow. The bill is white, three inches long, and channelled. On the head is a red pointed crest: the head itself and the body in general are black ; but the lower part of the back, the rump, and upper tail coverts, are white. From the eye a white stripe arises, and passes, on each side of the neck, down to the back. The White-billed Woodpecker is -found in Carolina, Virginia, and other parts of North America. The Spanish settlers of South America have given to the White- billed Woodpecker the name of Carpenter, from the noise that it makes with its bill against the trees in the woods. This is heard at a great distance; and when several of these birds are at work toge- ther, the sound is not much unlike that proceeding from woodmen or carpenters. This Woodpecker rattles its bill against the sides of the orifice, till even the woods resound. A bushel of chips, a proof of its labors, is often to be found at the foot of the tree. On examination its holes have been generally found of a winding form, the better to protect the nest from' the effects of the weather. The Canadian Indians make a kind of coronet with the bills of these birds, by setting them in a wreath with the points outward ; and for this purpose they will purchase them at the rate of two or three buckskins per bill. * THE RED-HEADED WOODPECKER. This species is about nine inches long. The bill is about an inch and a quarter in length, of a lead color with a black tip. The head and neck are of a most beautiful crimson ; the back and wings are black, the rump, breast, and belly, white; the first ten quills are black, the eleventh black and white, and the rest white with black shafts. It inhabits Carolina, Canada, and most other parts of North America; migrating southwards, according to the severity of the weather. In various parts of America these Woodpeckers are extremely common: and few animals can be more destructive than they are, in maize-fields and orchards. They attack the trees in flocks, and eat so much of the fruit that nothing but the skin is left. In some years they are much more numerous than in others. A premium of four cents per head was formerly paid from the public funds of some of the States, in order, if possible, to extirpate the breed : but this has of late been much neglected. They remain during the whole year in Virginia and Carolina, but are not seen in such numbers in winter as during summer. In the winter they are very tame ; and they are frequently known to come into the houses, in the same manner as the Redbreast does in Eng- land. THE TVRYXKCK. THE WRYNECK. 543 These Woodpeckers, like the other species, build their nests in holes, which they form in the trees ; and it is said that the noise they make with their bills in this operation, may be heard more than a mile. Their flesh is by many people accounted good eating. THE WRYNECK. The bill of the Wryneck is roundish, slightly curved, and weak. The nostrils are bare of feathers, and somewhat concave. The tongue is long, slender, and armed at the point. There are are ten flexi- ble feathers in the tail ; and the feet are formed for climbing, the toes being placed two backward and two forward. This bird is about the size of a lark, and its plumage consists of different shades of brown, ele- gantly blended together. The tail-feathers are of a pale ash-color, marked with black and red, and having four equi-distant bars of black. This bird (for there is only one ascertained species of its tribe) is well known in most parts of England. In the form of its tongue and toes it resembles the Woodpeckers, but the slenderness of the bill prevents its being arranged amongst them. The female builds an artless nest in the hole of a tree, and deposits in it eight or ten perfectly white eggs. Dr. Derham informs us, that although these birds are far from being any way terrible, yet when in danger,, they have such singular contortions of 'their neck, and such odd motions with their head, that, when he was a boy, he used to be so much alarmed at them, that he was deterred from either taking their nests or touching the birds, daring no more to venture his hands into their holes, than if a Serpent had lodged in them. The young ones, while in the nest, will also hiss like Snakes ; which may afford an additional preventive against the nest being plundered. Their food consists principally of Ants and other insects, of which they find great abundance lodged in the bark and crevices of trees. They also frequent grass-plots and Ant-hills ; into which they dart, their tongues, and from which they draw out their prey. Mr. White, in his Naturalist's Calendar, tells us that these are so long as to coil round their heads. The manners of this species were minutely examined by taking a female from her nest, and confining her in a cage for some days. A quantity of mould, with Ants and their grubs, was given to her ; and it was curious to observe the tongue darted forward and retracted, with such velocity, and such unerring aim, that it never returned without either an Ant or a grub adhering to its viscous extremity, and not transfixed by it as is generally supposed. While feeding, the body was altogether motionless ; the head only being turned ; and the motion of the tongue so rapid, that the grubs, which were of a light color, and were more conspicuous than the tongue, had somewhat the appearance 544 THE EUROPEAN NUT-HATCH. of moving to the mouth by attraction, as a small particle of iron flies to a magnet. The bill was rarely used, except to remove the mould in order to get more readily at the insects. Where the earth was hollow, the tongue was thrust into, the cavities, in order to rouse the Ants : for this purpose the horny extremity is very serviceable, as a guide to it into the interior. The Wryneck is a solitary bird, never being seen in any other society than that of its own mate : and even this is only transitory ; for as soon as the domestic union is dissolved, which is in the month of September, each retires and migrates by itself, and does not return till the ensuing spring. The voice of these birds is very much like that of the smaller species of Hawks. They also sometimes make a noise like a Grasshopper. OF THE NUT-HATCH TRIBE IN GENERAL. THE characters of this tribe are, a bill for the most part straight, having, on the lower mandible, a small angle : small nostrils, covered with bristles : a short tongue, horny at the end and jagged : toes placed three forward and one backward ; the middle toe joined closely at the base to both the outer ; and the back toe as large as the middle one. In the habits and manners of the different species of Nut-hatch, we observe a very close alliance to the Wood-peckers. Most of them feed on insects ; and some on nuts, whence their appellation has been acquired. THE EUROPEAN NUT-HATCH. The length of this bird is five inches and three-quarters. The bill is strong and straight, about three-quarters of an inch long; the upper mandible is black, and the lower white. All the upper parts of the body are of a bluish gray : the cheeks and chin are white ; the breast and belly pale orange- color ; and the quills dusky. The tail is short ; and consists of twelve feathers, the HUt . HATCH two middle ones of which are gray, the two outer spotted with white, and the rest dusky. The legs are pale yellow ; the claws are large, and the back one very strong. The Nut-hatch, the Squirrel, and the Field-mouse, which all live much on hazel-nuts, have each a curious way of getting at the kernel. Of the two latter, the Squirrel after rasping off the small end, splits the shell in two with his long fore-teeth, as a man does with his knife ; the Field-mouse nibbles a hole with his teeth, as regular as if it were drilled with a whimble, and yet so small that one would wonder how the kernel could be extracted through it ; while the Nut-hatch picks an irregular ragged hole with his bill ; but, as he has no paws to hold the nut firm while he pierces it, he, like an adroit workman, fixes it, as it were in a vice, in some cleft of a tree, or in some crevice ; when, OF THE KINGFISHER TRIBE IN GENERAL. 545 standing over it, "he perforates the stubborn shell. On placing nuts in the chink of a gate-post where Nut-hatches have been known to haunt, it has always been found that these birds have readily penetrated them. While at work they make a rapping noise, which may be heard at a considerable distance. Dr. Plott informs us that this bird, by putting its bill into a crack in the bough of a tree, sometimes makes a loud sound, as if the branch were rending asunder. Besides nuts, it feeds also on Caterpillars, Beetles and various other insects. The female deposits her eggs, six or seven in number, in some hole of a tree, frequently in one that has been deserted by the Woodpecker, or rotten wood mixed with moss. If the entrance be too large, she nicely stops up part of it with clay, leaving only a small hole for herself to pass in and out. While the hen is sitting, if a stick be put into the hole she hisses like a snake ; and she is so much attached to her eggs, that she will sooner suffer any one to pluck off the feathers than fly away. During the time of incubation, she is assiduously attended by the male who supplies her with food. If the barrier of plaster at the entrance of the hole be destroyed whilst these birds have eggs, it is speedily replaced ; this is a peculiar instinct, to prevent the nest from being destroyed by Woodpeckers and other birds of superior size and strength, which build in similar situations. The Nut-hatch is supposed not to sleep perched (like most other birds) on a twig ; for it has been observed, that when kept in a cage, notwithstanding it would perch now and then, yet at night it generally crept into some hole or corner to sleep : and it is remarkable that when perched, or otherwise at rest, it had mostly the head downward, or at least even with the body, and not elevated like other birds. These are shy and solitary birds. Like the Woodpeckers they frequent woods, and run up and down the trees with surprising facility. They often move their tail in the manner of the Wagtail. They do not migrate ; but, during the winter, they approach nearer to inhabited places, and are sometimes seen in orchards and gardens. OF THE KINGFISHER TKIBE IN GENERAL. THE bill is sharp, triangular, long, straight and thick. The tongue is fleshy, short, flat and sharp. The feet, except in a few species, are formed for climbing, with the toes two backward and two forward. These birds frequent the banks of rivers ; living principally on fish, which they catch with great dexterity. They swallow their prey whole but afterwards throw up the indigestible parts. Their wings are short; yet they fly very swiftly. 546 THE COMMON KINGFISHER. THE COMMON KINGFISHER. The length of the Kingfisher is seven inches, and its breadth eleven. The bill is nearly two inches long, and black ; but the base of the lower mandible is yellow. The top of the head, and the sides of the body, are of a dark green, marked with transverse spots of blue. The tail is of a deep blue ; and the other parts of the body are of a dusky orange, white, and black. The legs are red. In the beauty and brilliancy of its plumage, the Common Kingfisher far excels all the other species of British birds. Its shape is, however, somewhat inelegant, from the great disproportion there is, in size, between the head and bill, and the other parts of the body. Its usual prey consists of the smaller kinds of fish, It frequently sits on a branch projecting over the current: there ii remains motion- less, and often watches whole hours, to catch the moment when a little fish rises to the surface of the water under its station; it dives perpen- dicularly into the water, where it continues several seconds, and then brings up the fish, which it carries to land, beats to death, and after- wards swallows. When the Kingfisher cannot find a projecting bough, it sits on some stone near the brink, or even on the gravel; but the moment it perceives the fish, it takes a spring upward, of twelve or fifteen feet, and drops perpendicularly from that height. Often it is observed to stop short in its rapid course, and remain stationary, hovering (in a manner not unlike some of the Hawk tribe) over the same spot for several seconds. Such is its mode in winter, when the muddy swell of the stream, or the thickness of the ice, constrains it to leave the rivers, and ply along the sides of the unfrozen brooks. At each pause it continues, as it were, suspended at the height of fifteen or twenty feet; and, when it would change its place, it sinks, and skims along within a foot of the surface of the water, then rises and halts again. This repeated and almost continual exercise, shows that the bird dives for many small objects, fishes or insects, and often in vain ; for in this way it passes over many a league. u Kingfishers (says Mr. Gmelin) are seen all over Siberia ; and their feathers are employed by the Tartars and the Ostiacs for many super- stitious uses. The former pluck them, cast them into water, and carefully preserve such as float ; and they pretend, that if with one of these feathers they touch a woman, or even her clothes, she must fall in love with them. The Ostiacs take the skin, the bill, and the claws, of this bird, and shut them in a purse ; and, as long as they preserve this sort of amulet, they believe that they have no ill to fear. The person who taught me this means of living happy, could not for- bear shedding tears; he told me that the loss of a Kingfisher's skin that he had, caused him to lose also his wife and his goods. I ob- served, that such a bird could not be very rare, since a countryman of his had brought me one, with its skin and feathers; he was much surprised, and said that if he had the luck to find one, he would give it to no person." THE BELTED KINGFISHER. 547 M. D'Aubenton was enabled to keep several of these birds for a considerable length of time, by supplying them with small fish, which he put into basins of water, and on which they fed. They refused all other kinds of nourishment. The Kingfisher lays its eggs, to the number of seven or more, in a hole in the bank of the river or stream that it frequents. Dr. Hey- sham had a female brought alive to him at Carlisle, by a boy, who said he had taken it the preceding night when sitting on its eggs. His information on the subject was, that " having often observed these birds frequent a bank upon the river Peteril, he had watched them carefully, and at last he saw them go into a small hole in the bank. The hole was too narrow to admit his hand ; but, as it was made in soft mould, he easily enlarged it. . It was upwards of half a yard long : at the end of it, the eggs, which were six in number, were placed upon the bare mould, without the smallest appearance of a nest." The eggs were considerably larger than those. of the Yellow-hammer, and ofa transparent white color. It appears from a still later account than this, that the direction of the holes is always upward ; that they are enlarged at the end ; and have there a kind of bedding formed of the bones of small fish, and some other substances, evidently the castings of the parent animals. This bedding is generally about half an inch thick, and mixed with earth. There is reason to believe, that both male and female come to this spot for no other purpose than to eject the refuse of their food, for some time before the latter begins to lay : and that they dry it with the heat of their bodies ; as they are fre- quently known to continue in the hole for hours, long before the period for laying. On this disgorged matter the female deposits and hatches her eggs. When the young- ones are nearly full-feathered, they are extremely voracious; and the old birds not supplying them with all the food they could devour, they are continually chirping, and maybe discovered by their noise. It was once believed that, when the body of a Kingfisher was suspended by a thread, some magnetic influ^ ence always turned its breast to the north. This, however, is as fabulous as the tradi- tion, that it will pre- serve woolen cloth from the depredations of Moths. The Belted King- fisher is an American variety of this bird. 35 THE BELTED KHK3FISHER. 548 THE COMMON CREEPER. OF THE CBEEPER TKIBE IN GENERAL. THE bills of these birds are curved, slender, and pointed. The tongue is generally sharp, fringed, or tubular. The legs are strong, and formed with three toes forward. The Creepers are dispersed through most countries of the globe. They feed chiefly on insects, in search of which they run up and down the stems and branches of trees. Most of the species breed in hollows of trees, where they lay many eggs. THE COMMON CREEPER, AND RED CREEPER. The bill of the Common Creeper is hooked ; and its legs are slender, with the claws very long, to enable it to creep up and down the bodies of trees in search of insects. Its color is a mixed gray, with the under parts white. The quill- feathers of the wings are brown, and several of them are tipped with white. The tail is long, and consists of twelve stiff feathers. It is found both in Europe and Asia; and is also very common in some parts of North America, particularly in the neighborhood of Philadelphia. Except the Humming-bird, this is the smallest of all the feathered tribes ; its weight being no more than five drachms. The CHEEPERS. length of its feathers, and the manner that it has of ruffling them, give it, however, an appearance much beyond its real size. It is a bird which seems peculiarly fond of the society of man; and in some parts of the world it is often protected by his interested care. From observing its utility in destroying insects, it has long been a custom, with the inhabitants of many parts of the United States, to fix a small box at the end of a long pole, in gardens and about houses, as a place for it to build in. . In these boxes the animals form their nests, and hatch their young-ones ; which the parent birds feed with a variety of dif- ferent insects, particularly those species that are injurious in gardens. A gentleman, who was at the trouble of watching these birds, observed that the parents generally went from the nest and returned with insects from forty to sixty times in an hour, and that, in one particular hour, they carried food no fewer than seventy-one times. In this business they were engaged during the greatest part of the day. Allowing twelve hours to be thus occupied, a single pair of these birds would destroy at least six hundred insects in the course of one day , on the supposition that the two birds took only a single insect each time. But it is highly probable that they often took more. THE RED CREEPER. 549 I suspect that this is the bird which Mr. St. John, in his Letters of an American farmer, has called a Wren, and of which he records the following story. Three birds had built their nests almost contiguous to each other. A Swallow had affixed hers in the corner of a piazza next his house ; a bird which he calls a Phebe in the other corner ; and a Wren possessed a little box, which he had made on purpose, and hung between. These were all quite tame. The Wren had for some time, shown signs of dislike to the box which had been given to it, though it was not known on what account. At length, how- ever, small as it was, it resolved to drive the Swallow from its habita- tion ; and, astonishing to say, it succeeded. " Impudence." says Mr. St. John, "gets the better of modesty ; and this exploit was no sooner performed, than the Wren removed every material to its own box, with the most admirable dexterity. The signs of triumph appeared very visible ; it fluttered its wings with uncommon velocity ; and an universal joy was preceptible in all its movements. The peaceable Swallow, like the passive Quaker, meekly sat at a small distance, and never offered the least opposition. But no sooner was the plunder carried away, than the injured bird went to work with unabated ardor, and in a few days the depredations were repaired." Mr. St. John, to prevent any repetition of the same violence, removed the Wren's box to another part of the house. The Creeper hatches twice during the summer, and has generally from eighteen to twenty eggs at a time. THE BED CREEPER. This diminutive inhabitant of New Spain, smaller than even the last-mentioned species, I mention merely for the purpose of descri- bing its nest ; which, differing, in this respect, from those of most of the other species of Creepers, is pensile. The nest is formed not unlike a chemist's retort placed with the mouth downward, through which the bird ascends to its offspring in the bulb at the top. Its length is fourteen or sixteen inches; and it is suspended to the most extreme and tender branches of the trees, by means of a kind of woven work, of similar materials to the exte- rior of the nest. In the broadest part of the bulb, it measures about six inches in diameter. Within it is lined with soft and downy materials, to guard the bodies of the tender young-ones from injury; and it is altogether so very light, as to be driven about by the mosit gentle breeze. 550 THE RED-THROATED HUMMING-BIRD. OF THE HUMMING-BIRDS IN GENERAL. THE characters of this tribe are, a slender, weak bill, in some species curved, in others straight; the nostrils are minute: the ^H ^^^ tongue is very long, and formed of two conjoined cylindrical tubes: the legs are weak : the toes placed three forward and one backward : and the tail H.MMIXO-BIBI, c o ns i s t i ii g of ten feathers. The Humming-birds are the most diminutive of all the feathered tribes. They are natives of the warmer parts of America, and of some of the West-India islands ; and bear a great resemblance to each other in manners. Their principal food, is the nectar at the bottom of tubular-shaped flowers: this they extract, while on wing, by means of their long and slender bill. Their name is derived from the humming noise they make with their wings. They are grega- rious; and construct an elegant hemispherical nest, in which they lay two small white eggs, that are hatched by the sitting of the male and female alternately, The young- ones are often attacked and devoured by Spiders. These birds may be caught by blowing water upon them from a tube; or, like many of our small birds, they may be shot with sand. Small as they are, they are extremely bold and pugnacious. Their colors are too brilliant to be expressed by any pencil. THE RED-THROATED HUMMIMG-BIRD The length of this diminutive creature is somewhat more than three inches; of which its bill occupies three quarters of an inch. The male is of a green -gold color on the upper part, with a change- able copper gloss ; and the under parts are gray. The throat and forepart of the neck are of a ruby color, in some lights as bright as fire. When viewed sideways, the feathers appear mixed with gold, and beneath they are of a dull garnet color. The two middle feathers of the tail are similar in color to the upper plumage, and the rest are brown. The female, instead of the bright ruby throat, has only a few obscure brown spots ; and all the outer tail-feathers, which in the male are plain, are in the female tipped with white. This beautiful little creature is as admirable for its vast swiftness in the air, and its manner of feeding, as for the elegance and brilliancy of its colors. It flies so swiftly, that the eye is incapable of following its course ; and the motion of its wings is so rapid, as to be imper- THE RED-THROATED HUMMING-BIRD. 551 THE RED-THROATED HUMMING-BIRD. ceptible to the nicest observer. Lightning is scarcely more transient than its flight, nor the glare more bright than its colors. It never feeds but upon the wing, suspended, over the flower from which it extracts nourish- ment ; f o r its only food is the honeyed juice lodged in flowers, and this it sucks through the tubes of its curious tongue. Like the bee, having ex- hausted the honey of one flower, it wanders to the next in search of new sweets. It admires most those flowers that have the deepest tubes ; and in the countries which these birds inhabit, whoever sets plants of this description before his windows, is sure to be visited by great numbers of them. It is very entertaining to see them swarming around the flowers, and trying every tube by putting in their bills. If they find that their brethren have anticipated them, and robbed the flower of its honey, they will pluck it off in a rage, and throw it on the ground ; and sometimes they tear it in pieces. The most violent passions animate at times these diminutive crea- tures. They have often dreadful contests, when numbers of them happen to dispute the possession of the same flower. They tilt against one another with such fury, as if they meant to transfix their anta- gonists with their long bills. During the fight they frequently pursue the conquered birds into the apartments of houses where the windows are left open; they take a turn round the room, as flies do in England; and then suddenly regain the open air. 'They are fearless of man- kind; and, in feeding, will suffer persons to come within two yards of them ; but, on a nearer approach, they dart away with wonderful swiftness. The Ked-throated Humming-Bird generally builds on the middle branch of a tree, but sometimes in a low bush, or even on a tobacco- stalk : and the nest is very small. It is quite round: the outside is for the most -part composed of the green moss common on old pales and trees; and the inside, of the softest vegetable down the birds can collect. The female lays two eggs, of the size of a pea; which are white, and equal in thickness at both ends. 552 THE RED-THROATED HUMMING-BIRD. HUMMING-BIRDS AND NEST. Fernandez Oviedo, an author of great repute, speaks, from his own knowledge, of the spirited conduct even of these diminutive birds, in defence of their young-ones: "When they observe any one climbing a tree in which they have a nest, they attack him in the face, attempting to strike him in the eyes ; and coming, going, and returning, with almost incredible swiftness." . The Humming-Bird is seldom caught alive ; a friend of M. du Pratz had, how- ever, this pleasure. He had observed one of these birds enter the bell of a convolvulas ; and, as it had quite buried itself to get at the bottom, he ran immediately to the place, closed the flower, cut it from the stalk, and carried off the bird a prisoner. He could not, however, prevail with it to eat ; and it died in the course of three or four days. Carlevoix informs us, that, in Canada, he had possession of one of these birds, for about twenty- four hours. It suffered itself to be handled ; and even counter- feited death that it might escape. A slight frost in the night des- troyed it. "My friend Captain Davis informs me," says Dr. Latham, in his Synopsis of Birds, "that he kept these birds alive for four months by the following method : He made an exact representation of some of the tubular flowers, with paper fast- ened round a tobacco-pipe, and painted them of a proper color : these were placed in the order of nature, in the cage in which the little creatures were confined : the bottoms of the tubes GROUP OF HUMMING-BIRDS. HUMMING BIRDS. 553 sugar per- they and, HUMMIXG-BIRD OP CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES. were filled with a mixture of brown emptied; and lie had the pleasure of seeing them form every action ; for soon grew familiar, though close under the eye, took their nourishment in the same manner as when ranging at large in the open air." The tongue of the Humming- bird is formed much like that of the Woodpecker, being curled round the head, under the skin, and thus capable of being darted to a considerable distance. There is a fable of a wren and an Eagle. The two birds entered into a contest respect- ing the height to which they could severally attain. A day was fixed, and the birds started. Away went the Eagle, soaring in lessening spires, until his form was lost in the clouds. But where was the wren ? The Eagle had lost sight of his pigmy opponent long ago, but in his pride to show what he could do, he still soared on and on, until the lighter air would scarcely bear his weight. As he hovered with wearied and rapidly beating wings, unable to gain another yard, up sprang the wren from among the Eagle's feathers, where it had sat very comfortably all the while, and fluttered above his head with a song of triumph. But truth, as has been often said, is stranger than fiction, as appears from the fact that the Eagle can be vanished by a more insignificant foe than even the Wren, by the Humming-Bird, which is not content with a mere racing victory, but drives the Eagle before it. The Euby- throated Humming-Bird has been seen to dart between the wings of a flying Eagle, to perch upon its head, deliberately to strip off the feathers, and send them floating in a stream after the flight of the persecuted Eagle, which seemed almost driven to madness by its tiny foe. Like many other little creatures, the assurance and impudence of the Humming-bird is remarkable. It is easily tamed for that very reason, and has been known to domesticate itself in an hour from the time of its capture, and even when released, it has returned again to partake of the dainties which it had tasted during its captivity. PASSERINE BIRDS. THE birds of this order have their bills of a conical form, and pointed at the end ; and the feet are formed for perching and hopping, the toes being slender and divided, with slender, bent, and sharp claws. OF THE STAKE TEIBE IN GENERAL. IN the present tribe the bill is straight, and depressed. The nostrils are guarded above by a prominent rim. The tongue is hard and cloven ; and the middle toe is connected to the outermost as far as the first joint. There are, belonging to this tribe, about twenty known species, some of which are found exclusively upon the Old, and others on the New Continent. They chiefly feed on insects and worms. THE STARLING. Few Birds are more generally known than the Starling. It is an inhabitant of almost all climates, and is common in every part of England. In the winter season Starlings collect in vast flocks, and may be known at a great distance by their whirling mode of flight ; which M. de Buffon compares to a sort of vortex, in which the collective body performs a uniformly circular revolution, and at the same time continues to make a progressive advance. The evening is the time when Starlings assemble in the greatest num- bers, and betake themselves to the fens and marches. In the fens of Lincolnshire they STABLING. collect in myriads, and do great damage to the inhabitants by roosting on the reeds, (the thatch of that country, ) and breaking them down by their weight. They chatter much in the evening and morning, both when they assemble and disperse. So attached are they to society, that they not only join those of their own species, but also birds of different kinds, and are frequently seen in company with Redwings, Fieldfares, and even with Owls, Jackdaws, and Pigeons. Their principal food consists of Snails, Worms, and insects : they likewise eat various kinds of grain, seeds, and fruit, and are said to be particularly fond of cherries. It is (554) THE STARLING. 555 reported of them that they get into pigeon-houses for the purpose of sucking the eggs. The female builds an artless nest of straw and small fibres, in the hollows of trees, rocks, or old walls, and sometimes in cliffs that over- hang the sea. She lays four or five eggs, of a pale greenish-ash color. The Starling is a familiar bird, and in a state of captivity is easily trained. Its natural voice is strong and hoarse ; but it may be taught, without difficulty, to repeat short sentences, or to whistle tunes with great exactness. In a state of confinement it will eat small pieces of raw flesh, or bread soaked in water. This well known harmless inhabitant of meadows and old fields is not only found in every part of the United States, but ap- pears to b e a resident in all the intermediate region, from the frigid latitude of 53, and the terri- tory of Oregon, to the mild table land of Mexico, and the tropical savannahs of Guiana. In the winter they abound in Alabama and West Florida, so that in some degree, like the Jays, and the legit- imate Starlings, they partially migrate in quest of food during the severity of the weather in the colder states. It is not however improb- able, but that most of the migrating families of this bird, which we find at this season, have merely travelled eastward from the cold western plains that are annually covered with snow. They are now seen in considerable numbers in and round the salt marshes, roving about in flocks of ten to thirty or more, seeking the shelter of the sea-coast, though not in such dense flocks as the true Starlings ; these in the manner of our common Blackbirds assemble in winter, like dark clouds, moving as one body, and when about to descend, perform progressive circular evolutions in the air, like a phalanx in the order of battle ; and when settled, blacken the earth with their numbers, as well as stun the ears with their chatter. Like crows also, they seek the shelter of reed marshes to pass the night, and in the day take the benefit of every sunny and sheltered covert. AMERICAN STABLING OR MEADOW LARK. VTATER OUZEL. 556 THE WATER OUZEL. THE WATER OUZEL. The Water Ouzel is, in size, somewhat less than the Blackbird. Its bill is black, and almost straight. The eyelids are white. The upper parts of the head and neck are of a deep brown ; and the rest of the upper parts, the belly, the vent, and the tail, are black. The chin, the forepart of the neck, and breast, are white or yellow- ish. The legs are black. This bird frequents the banks of springs and brooks ; and prefers those of limpid streams whose fall is rapid, and whose bed is broken with stones and fragments of rocks. Its habits are singular. Aquatic birds, with palmated feet, swim or dive ; those which inhabit the shores, wade by means of their tall legs, without wetting their body ; but the Water Ouzel walks quite into the flood, following the declivity of the ground. It is observed to enter by degrees, till the water reaches its neck ; and it still advances holding its head not higher than usual, though completely immersed. It continues to walk under the water : arid even descends to the bottom, where it saunters as on a dry bank. The following is an account of this extraordinary habit, which was communicated by M. Herbert to M. de Buffon : "I lay concealed on the verge of the lake Nantua, in a hut formed of pine-branches and snow ; where I was waiting till ^ boat, which was rowing on the lake, should drive some wild ducks to the water's edge. Before me was a small inlet, the bottom of which gently shelved, till the water was two or three feet deep in the middle. A Water Ouzel stopped here more than an hour, and I had full leis- ure to view its manoeuvres. It entered the water, disappeared, and again emerged on the other side of the inlet, which it thus repeatedly forded. It traversed the whole of the bottom, and in so doing seemed not to have changed its element, and discovered no hesitation or re- luctance in the immersion. However, I perceived several times, that as often as it waded deeper than the knee, it displayed its wings, and allowed them to hang to the ground. I remarked too, that, when I could discern it at the bottom of the water, it appeared enveloped with air, which gave it a brilliant surface; like that on some sorts of beetles, which in water are always enclosed in a bubble of air. Its view in dropping its wings on entering the water, might be to confine this air ; it was certainly never without some, and it seemed to quiver. These singular habits were unknown to all the sportsmen with whom I talked on the subject ; and perhaps, had it not been for the accident of the snow-hut in which I was concealed, I should also have for ever remained ignorant of them ; but the above facts I can aver, as the bird came quite to my feet, and that I might observe it, I refrained from killing it." THE RING OUZEL. 557 The Water Ouzel is found in many parts of Europe. The female makes her nest on the ground, in some mossy bank near the water, ot hay and dried fibres, lining it with dry oak-leaves, and forming to it a portico or entrance of moss. The eggs are five in number ; white, tinged with a fine blush of red. A pair of these birds, which had for many years built under a small wooden bridge in Caermarthen- shire, were found to have a nest early in May : this was taken, but it contained no eggs, although the bird flew out of it at the time. About a fortnight afterwards they had completed another nest in the same place, enclosing five eggs; this was taken; and, in a month, a third nest, under the same bridge, was taken, that had in it four eggs ; undoubtedly the work of the same birds, as no others were seen about that part. At the time that the last nest was taken, the female was sitting ; and the instant she quitted the nest, she plunged into the water, and disappeared for a considerable while, till at last she emerged at a great distance down the stream. At another time, a nest of the Water Ouzel was found in a steep projecting bank (over a rivulet) clothed with moss. The nest was so well adapted in color to the surrounding materials, that nothing but one of the old birds flying in with a fish in its bill could have led to the discovery. The young-ones were nearly feathered, but incapable of flight ; and the moment the nest was disturbed they fluttered out and dropped into the water, and, to the astonishment of the persons present, instantly vanished ; but in a little time they re-appeared at some distance down the stream, and it was with difficulty that two out of the five were taken. The Water Ouzel will sometimes pick up insects at the edge of the water. When disturbed, it usually flirts up its tail, and makes a chirping noise. Its song in spring is said to be very pretty. In some places this bird is supposed to be migratory. THE KING OUZEL. This bird is found in various parts of Europe, and is somewhat larger than the common Blackbird. They haunt the wildest and most rocky parts of glens and ravines, and make their nest on some steep bank, under the covert of grass or heath, or on some shelf amidst mosses, which, the outside being made of the same materials, entirely conceal it from view. The upper parts of the body of the male bird is black, the feathers being margined with blackish -grey. On the upper part of the breast is a large crescent-shaped gorget of pure white. The plumage of the female bird is more clouded with grey, and the pectoral gorget is much smaller, and clouded with red- dish-brown and grey. 558 WHEATEAR THE REDSTART. THE WHEATEAR. The Wheatear is one of our early visitors, appearing at the begin- ning of March. It is a very conspicuous bird, and can be readily distinguished by the black mark that surrounds the eye, and stretches from the base of the bill, to beyond the ear-coverts. It is a very pretty songster, its notes being soft and sweet, although wanting in power. It is killed in great numbers for the table, as its flesh is so delicate as to entitle it to the name of the English Ortolan. In the proper season, the bird is covered with fat to such an extent, tnat the plumage is often spoiled by the fat running from the holes made by the shot. The nest of the Wheatear is made of the usual materials, and is placed in some sheltered spot where it is well concealed from prying eyes. The eggs are five or six in number, of a delicate feint bluish tinge, and very smooth on the exterior. THE REDSTART. The Redstart derives its name from the bright reddish chestnut color of the upper tail coverts and tail feathers, which appear very conspicuous as the bird flits from one tree to another, or dashes off when startled. It inhabits the skirts of forests, copses, gardens, and especially frequents old ivied walls, where numbers of the nests may be found. In 1847, 1 found a Redstart's nest built in a hole of a wall, forming one side of a narrow passage in Merton College, Oxford. The eggs were nearly hatched, and the birds did not seem to be disturbed by the constant passing of servants with their parapher- nalia of brooms, pails, and other implements. The nest was so placed that every passer by could not fail to perceive it, but the birds sat on their eggs quite unconcernedly. The song of this bird is not very powerful, but the notes are pecu- liarly sweet. While singing, it often changes its situation, occasionally singing as it flies. The nest is placed usually in a hole in a wall, or in a hollow tree. The eggs are five in number, of a greenish-blue color, closely resem- bling those of the Hedge Accentor. The length of the bird is rather more than five inches. The fourth primary feather is the longest. THE GARDEN WARBLER. 559 THE GARDEN WARBLER This bird is one of our sweetest songsters, and is supposed by some to be little inferior to the Nightingale itself. So we may well pardon its occasional depredations on our garden fruit for the sake of its melody. It is a migratory bird, arriving in England in April, and leaving towards the end of August or the beginning of September. Almost every part of England is visited by this bird, and especially those counties where are thick woods and plenty of water. The color of this Pettichaps is an olive green, shot, as the ladies say, with a greyish shading; while some parts of the body, such as GARDEN \VARBLER. the sides of the neck, the throat, and under parts, are either ash grey or greyish white. The length of the bird is about six inches. Its nest is built in hedges, and situated near the ground. In it are laid four or five eggs, of a whitish grey color, spotted with brown, the spots being collected towards the larger end. This is the Beccafico of the Italians, so celebrated as a dainty for tlie table. 560 THE SONG-THRUSH OR THROSTLE. OF THE THRUSH TRIBE IN GENERAL. THE Thrushes have the following generic character: a straightish bill, bending towards the point, and slightly notched near the end of the upper mandible: the nostrils oval and for the most part naked: the tongue slightly jagged at the end; the corners of the mouth fur- nished with a fe^v slender hairs: and the middle toe connected to the outer one as far as the first joint. Most of the species of Thrush, which are very numerous, feed upon berries and other kind of fruit. They are stated to be particularly fond of the berries of the juniper. Many of them have a melodious song. THE SONG -THRUSH, OR THROSTLE. The song of this bird is heard during nearly nine months of the year. The com- pass of its voice is very consider- able, and when brought up from the nest with Woodlarks, o r even with Night- ingales, it is cap- able of adopting their notes. Few of the choristers of the woods are heard with great- er delight than this. It will some- times sit for hours together on the top of an elevated tree, and make the woods re-echo with its song. The Thrush continues to reside in England through the whole year, but on the Continent it is migratory; usually disappearing during the frost, and re-appearing for a short visit in the months of March and April, before its migration in May. These birds occasionally breed twice, and sometimes even thrice in thfc year, if their former hatches happen to have been destroyed Their nests are built in woods or orchards, and not unfrequently in thick hedges near the ground. The outside of the nest consists of fine and soft moss, interwoven with dried grass or hay; and the inside is curiously plastered with Cow-dung. The eggs are usually five or six in number, of a deep blue color marked with black spots. Each SONG-THRCSH THE MISSELTOE THRUSH. 561 brood, for a little while, follows separately its parents; but this does not long continue, for, as soon as the individuals are capable of obtain- ing their own subsistence, they disperse. We are informed by M. de Buffon, that in a few of the districts of Poland such immense numbers of Thrushes are sometimes caught, that the inhabitants load small vessels with them for exportation. The Eedwing is a variety of the Thrush. THE MISSEL, OR MISSELTOE THRUSH, OR STORMCOCK. The Missel, or Misseltoe Thrush, or Stormcock, according to Waterton, u surpasses all other Thrushes in size, and is decidedly the largest songster of the European birds. He remains with us the whole of the year, and he is one of three birds which charm us with their melody during the dreary winter, when the Throstle and Lark are silent and all the migra- tory birds have left us, to sojourn in warmer clim- ates. He appears to be gregarious in the months of August and September." " This bird, though usually known by the name of the Misseltoe Thrush in many parts of England, is invariably called the Stormcock by all the lower orders in our neighborhood: not that it delights in storms more than in fine weather; but that nature has taught it to pour forth its melody at a time of the year when the bleak winds of winter roar through the leafless trees. It is very fond of the berries of the misseltoe, but when they fail it turns its attention to those of the mountain ash, which are almost certain to attract this beautiful and powerful songster. In the sum- mer it devours all kinds of garden-fruits, especially cherries and raspberries. During the breeding season it is very pugnacious, attacking and driving away not only small birds, but the Crow, the Magpie, or even the prowling Cat. The nest is very large, almost as large as a " wide- awake" hat, is always built in a tree, and contains about five reddish spotted eggs. The length of the bird is eleven inches. MISSELTOE-THROSH. 562 THE BLACK-CAP BLUE-THROATED REDSTART. THE BLACK CAP. This is an En- glish bird hardly inferior to the Nightingale in its musical pow- ers. It is a shy bird, very fond of ivy berries; and sings at twilight and into the later hours of the evening. Its favorite resorts are woods and orchards. It extends its visits in summer to the north of Europe, as far as Lapland. THE BLUE-THROATED REDSTART. This bird is found in France, Holland, Italy, and Germany, but rarely in England. It builds in bushes and holes of trees. Its gen- eral color is ashy brown; but its breast is of a rich azure blue. BLUE THROATED REDSTART. THE MOUNTAIN SHOOTWING FIELDFARE. 563 THE MOUNTAIN SHOOTWING. This is a Ja- van bird, found only on moun- tain peaks, living on the lowest branches of the trees, nearest the ground. It feeds on worms and insects. The shortness of its wings incapacitates it for elevated or distant flights. MOUNTAIN SHOOTWING. THE FIELDFARE. Fieldfares, which are well-known winter inhabitants of England ; arrive here in great flocks from Russia, Siberia, and other more northern parts of the Continent, about the beginning of October, and feed during that season on the hawthorn, holly, and other berries. They leave in March, for, their breed- ing places in Sweden and Norway. 36 564 THE BLACKBIRD. There is reason to suppose that the flocks of these birds keep a kind of watch, to remark and announce the appearance of danger. On any person approaching a tree that is covered with them, they continue fearless, till one at the extremity of the'bush, rising on its wings, gives a loud and peculiar note of alarm. They then all fly away, except one other, which continues till the person approaches still nearer, to certify as it were, the reality of the danger, and after- wards he also flies off, repeating the note of alarm. Though Fieldfares build their nests in high trees, and sit on trees in the day-time, yet they always roost on the ground. These birds were held in high esteem by the Koman epicures ; who had them in their avia- ries, and fattened them with crumbs of bread mixed with minced figs. . THE BLACKBIRD. The food of the Blackbird consists principally of Worms and shelled Snails ; the latter of which, in order to get at the animal, it dashes with great dexterity against the stones. All kinds of insects, as well as fruit, it also eagerly seeks after. In confinement it will eat crumbs of bread ; and even flesh, either raw or cooked. This is a solitary bird; never congregating, and in general prefer- ing woods and retired situations. Its song is a shrill kind of whistle of various notes ; which, although extremely fine, is too loud for any place except woods or open grounds. It commences this early in the spring, and continues it through some part of summer; it desists during the moulting season, but BLACKBIRD. resumes it, for some time, in Sep- tember and the first winter months. Blackbirds breed early in the spring. They prepare a nest composed externally of green moss, fibrous roots, and other similar materials: the inside is plastered with earth, and afterwards lined with fine dry grass. The nest is usually placed in a thick bush, against the side of a tree, or on a stump in the side of a bank. The female lays four or five light-blue eggs, thickly covered with pale rust-colored spots, particularly at the large end. When the young ones are taken from the nest, they should for THE COW BLACKBIRD. 565 some time be fed on raw meat, bread, and bruised hempseed : the meat should be chopped small, the bread a little wetted, and then the whole mixed together. It is necessary to keeu them clean. THE BED-WIN 7 GED BLACK BIRD, OB TBOOPIAL. The Eed-winged Blackbird in summer inhabits the whole of North America from Nova Scotia to Mexico. It is mi- gratory north df Maryland, but passes the winter and summer in all the southern States, frequenting chiefly the settle- ments and rice and cornfields, towards the sea-coast, where they move about like blacken- ing clouds, rising suddenly at times with a noise like thunder, and exhibiting amidst the broad shadows of their funereal plumage, the bright flashing of the vermilion with which their wings are so singularly decorated. After whirling and waving a little distance, like the Starling, they descend as a torrent, and darkening the branches of the trees by their numbers, they commence a general concert that may be heard for more than two miles. When their food begins to fail in the fields, they assemble with the Purple Grakles, very familiarly around the corn-cribs and in the barn-yards, greedily and dexterously gleaning up every thing within their reach. In the month of March, Mr. Bullock found them very numerous and bold near the city of Mexico. RED-\VINGED J3LACKBIP.D. THE COW TBOOPIAL, OB COW BLACK-BIBD. The Cow-pen Bird, perpetually gregarious and flitting, is observed to enter the Middle and Northern States in the latter end of March or the beginning of April. They make their migration now chiefly under cover of the night, or early dawn; and as the season becomes milder they pass on to Canada, and perhaps follow the Warblers and other small birds into the farthest regions of the north, for they are seen no more after the middle of June, until the return of autumn, when, with the colds of October, they again reappear in numerous and augmented flocks, usually associated with their kindred Ked- 566 THE RICE BIRD, OR BOB-0-LINK. wings, to whom they bear a sensible likeness, as well as a similarity in notes and manners. They pass the winter in the warmer parts of America as well as in the Southern States, where I have observed them in the ploughed fields, gleaning along with the Ked-wings and the co m m o n B 1 a c k-b i r d s. They are also very familiar around the cat- tle, picking up insects which they happen to disturb, or that exist in their ordure. When on the ground, they scratch up the soil and appear very intent after their food. Sometimes even, infringing on the rights of the Plover, individuals in the winter, frequent the margins of ponds in quest of aquatic insects and small Shell-fish; and they may be seen industriously occupied in turning over the leaves of the water-plants to which they adhere. They also frequent occa- sionally the rice and corn-fields, as well as their more notorious associates, but are more inclined to native food and insects at all times, so that they are more independent and less injurious to the farmer. As they exist in Mexico, and California, it is probable, that they are also bred in the higher table lands, as well as in the regions of the north. In Louisiana, however, according to Audubon, they are rare visitors at any season, seeming more inclined to follow their route through the maritime districts. Over these countries, high in the air, in the month of October, they are seen by day winging their way to the remoter regions of the south. THE BICE BIRD, OR BOB-0-LINK. The whole continent of America, from Labrador to Mexico, and the great Antilles, are the occasional residence of this truly migratory species. About the middle of March, or beginning of April, the cheerful Bob-o-link makes his appearance in the southern extremity of the United States, becoming gradually arrayed in his nuptial livery, and accompanied by troops of his companions, who often precede the arrival of their more tardy mates. According to Eichardson it is the beginning of June when they arrive at their farthest boreal station in the fifty-forth degree. We observed them in the great western plains to the base of the Eocky Mountains, but not in Oregon. Their THE RICE BIRD, OR BOB-0-LINK 567 wintering resort appears to be rather the West Indies than the tropi- cal continent, as their migrations are observed to take place generally to the east of Louisiana, where their visits are rare and irregular. At this season also they make their approaches chiefly by night, obeying, as it were, more distinctly, -the mandates of an overruling instinct, which prompts them to seek out their natal regions; while in autumn, their progress, by- day only, is alone insti- gated by the natural quest of food. About the 1st of May the meadows of Mas- sachusetts begin to re-echo their lively .ditty. At this season, in wet places, and by newly ploughed fields, they destroy many insects and their Iarva3. According to their success in obtaining food, parties often delay their final northern movement as late as the middle of May, so that they appear to be in no haste to arrive at their destination at any exact period. The principal business of their lives, however, the rearing of their young, does not take place until they have left the parallel of the fortieth degree. In the savannahs of Ohio and Michigan, and the cool grassy meadows of New York, Canada, and New England, they fix their abode, and obtain a sufficiency of food throughout the sum- mer, without molesting the harvest of the farmer, until the ripen- ing of the latest crops of oats and barley, when BOB-O-LINK PLUCKING VTHEAT. 568 THE COMMON CROW-BLACKBIRD. in their autumnal and changed dress, hardly now known as the same species, they sometimes show their taste for plunder, and flock together like the greedy and predatory Blackbirds. THE COMMON CROW-BLACKBIRD. This very common bird is an occasional or constant resident in every part of America, from Hudson's Bay and the northern interior to the great Antilles, within the tropic. In most parts of this wide region they also breed, at least from Nova Scotia to Louisiana, and probably farther south. Into the States north of Virginia they begin to migrate from the beginning of March to May, leaving those coun- tries again in numerous troops about the middle of November. Thus assembled from the north and west in increasing numbers, they wholly overrun, at times, the warmer maritime regions, where they assemble to pass the winter in the company of their well known cousins the Ked- winged Troopials or Blackbirds; for both, impelled by the same predatory appetite, and love of comfortable winter quar- ters, are often thus accident- ally associated in the plun- dering and gleaning o f the planta- tions. The amazing num- bers in which the present species associ- ate are almost in credible. Wilson relates that on the 20th of Janu- ary, a few miles from the banks of the Koanoke in Virginia, he met with one of those prodigious armies of Blackbirds, which, as he approached, rose from the surrounding fields with a noise like thunder, and descending on the stretch of road before him, covered it and the fences completely with black; rising again, after a few evolutions, they descended on the skirt of a leafless wood, so thick as to give the whole forest, for a considerable extent the appearance of being shrouded in mourning, the numbers amounting probably to many hundreds of thousands. Their notes and screams resembled the distant sound of a mighty cataract, but strangely attuned into a CROW BLACK BIRD. THE MOCKING BIRD. 569 musical cadence, which rose and fell with the fluctuation of the breeze, like the magic harp of JEolus. Their depredations on the maize crop or Indian corn commence almost with the planting. The infant blades no sooner appear than they are hailed by the greedy Blackbird as the signal for a feast; and, without hesitation, they descend on the fields, and regale them- selves with the sweet and sprouted seed, rejecting and scattering the blades around as an evidence of their mischief and audacity. Again, about the beginning of August, while the grain is in the milky state, their attacks are renewed with the most destructive effect, as they now assemble as it were in clouds, and pillage the fields to such a degree that in some low and sheltered situations, in the vicinity of rivers, where they delight to roam, one fourth of the crop is devoured by these vexatious visitors. The gun, also, notwithstanding the havoc it produces, has little more effect than to chase them from one part of the field to the other. In the Southern States, in winter, they hover round the corn-cribs in swarms, and boldly peck the hard grain from the cob through the air openings of the magazine. In consequence of these reiterated depredations they are detested by the farmer as a pest to his industry; though, on their arrival their food for a long time consists wholly of those insects which are calcu- lated to do the most essential injury to the crops. THE MOCKING BIRD, OR MIMIC THRUSH. This bird is about the size of a Blackbird, but, in its general form, is somewhat more slender. Its plumage is gray, paler on the under parts of the body than above. This capricious little mimic is common throughout nearly the whole of North Amer- ica, as well as in several of the West Indian Islands. It cannot, indeed, vie with the feathered inhabitants of those countries in brilliancy of plumage ; but it is contented with much more rare and estimable qualifica- MOCKIXG BIRD. tions. It possesses not only natural notes of its own, which are truly musical and solemn ; but it can at pleasure assume the tone of every other animal in the forest, from the Humming- bird to the Eagle, and descending even to the Wolf or the Raven. One of them, confined in a cage, has been heard to mimic the mewing of a Cat, the chattering of a Magpie, and the creaking of the hinges of a sign -post in high winds. The Mocking Bird seems to have a pleasure in leading other birds astray. He is said at one time to allure the smaller birds with the call of their mates ; and when they come near, to terrify them with the scream of an Eagle. There is scarcely a bird of the forest that is not at times deceived by his call. But he is not like the mimics among mankind, who seldom possess 570 THE MOCKING BIRD. MOCKING BIRD. any independent merit. A Garrick and a Foote have not pleased more in their own characters, than the Mocking Bird does in his. He is the only one of the American singing- birds that can be com- pared with those of Europe ; and, were it not for the attention that he pays to every sort of disagreeable noise, which tends to debase his best notes, there can be little doubt that he would be fully equal to the song of the Night- ingale in its whole compass. He fre- quents the dwellings of the American farmers; where, sitting on the roof or chimney, he sometimes pours forth the most sweet and varied notes imaginable. The Mexicans, on account of his various notes and his imitative powers, call him, " The Bird of Four Hundred Tongues." In the warmer parts of America he sings incessantly from March to August, both day and night : beginning with his own compositions, and frequently finishing by borrowing from those of the whole feathered choir. He repeats his tunes with such artful sweetness as to excite both pleasure and surprise. It is not, however, in the powers of voice alone that these birds are pleasing ; they may even be said to dance. When excited into a kind of ecstacy by their own music, they gradually raise themselves from the place where they stand, and, with their wings extended, drop with their head down to the same spot, and whirl round, accompanying their melody with a variety of interesting gesticulations. They frequently build their nests in bushes or fruit-trees, in the vicinity of houses ; but they are so shy, that if a person only look at the nest, they immediately forsake it. The young-ones may be brought up in a cage, and rendered domestic ; but this cannot be done without great difficulty, not one attempt in ten being successful for that purpose. If the young-ones are caught in the nest, the mother will feed them for a few days, but is sure to desert them afterwards. If a cat happen to approach the nest, the parent bird will fly at the head of the animal, and, with a hissing noise, scare it away. The Mocking Bird feeds its young-ones with Grasshoppers ; and, when it wants any of these insects, it flies into the pastures, flaps its wings near the ground, and makes a booty of three or four at a time, with which it returns to the nest. It also feeds on different kinds of berries ; and is itself eaten, and is very delicate food. THE LOCUST-EATING THRUSH 571 THE LOCUST-EATING THKUSH. The head, breast, and back of the Locust-eating Thrush are of a pale ash-color, and the abdomen and rump are white. The wings and tail are black : the latter short, and a little forked. From the angle of the mouth a naked space of sul- phureous yellow extends under the eye, and a little beyond it ; and there are two naked black streaks under the throat. To this new species, which is found in the LOCU8T . EATING THEU8H . interior of the southern districts of Africa, and is only met with in places where the migrating Locusts frequent, Mr. Barrow has affixed the specific name of Gryllivorus. This he has done with great propriety, as, when such is to be obtained, its whole food seems to consist of the larvas of these insects, and, except when the Locust infests any particular district, this bird is seldom to be found there. Providence, which has not often given a bane without accompany- ing it with an antidote, seems to have peculiarly ordained this bird as a relief to the inhabitants of Africa, from the dreadful attacks of these most voracious and most numerous of all insects. But. however astonishing the multitudes of Locusts may be, the numbers of the Locust-eating Thrushes are not less so. Their nests, which at a dis- tance seem of enormous size, appear on examination to consist of a number of cells, each of which forms a separate nest, with a tube that leads into it through the side ; so that what seemed but one great nest, is found to consist of a little republic, of perhaps ten or twenty. One roof of interwoven twigs covers the whole, like that made over the nest of the Magpie of England. Mr. Barrow saw a vast number of these birds in the district of Sneuberg, about one hundred and fifty leagues north-east of the Cape. They had not visited that colony for thirteen years before ; that is to say, since the last time the Locusts had infested it. They had, how- ever, now taken up a temporary abode, in a place which they were not likely, in a short space of time, to be under the necessity of quit- ting for want of food. Of the innumerable multitudes of the incomplete insects or larvae of the Locusts, that at this time infected the southern districts of Africa, no adequate idea could possibly be formed; for, in an area of nearly two thousand square miles, the whole surface of the earth might literally be said to be covered with them. 572 THE CROSS-BILL. OF THE GROSBEAKS IN GENERAL. IN the Grosbeaks we observe a strong, thick, and convex beak ; rounded from the base to the point of each mandible, and admirably adapted for breaking in pieces the shells of the seeds on which they feed. The nostrils are small and round ; and the tongue is formed as if the end were cut off. The toes, except in one species, are placed three forwards. CROSS-BILL. THE CROSS-BILL. The male Cross-bills are red, varied with brown or green ; and at certain seasons of the year they change to deep red, to orange, or pale yellow. The females are of an olive green color, which they also change occasionally. Doctor Townson, whilst he resided at Gottingen, possessed several Cross-bills. These, by kind treatment, soon becoming tame, he suffered to be at liberty in his study. He had thus constant opportunities of observing them, and as often of admiring their docility and sagacity ; but the singular structure of their bills chiefly engaged his attention. This structure M. de Buffon, perhaps unthinkingly, and certainly unjustly, has considered as one of Nature's freaks, calculated to render the bird much less essential service than a beak in some other form would have done. But, notwithstanding the apparently awkward and useless shape of this member, it has been found to have the best possible adaptation to the destination and habits of the bird. The two mandibles do not lie straight ; but pass, for a considerable part of their length, on the side of each other, like the blades of a pair of scissors. By means of this peculiar construction, the Cross-bills are able to procure their food with the utmost address. They live principally on the seeds that .are contained in the cones of the fir or pine; and it is to extract these that this structure is principally adapted. In this operation, they fix themselves across the cone, then bring the points of the beak from their crossed or lateral position to be immediately opposite to each other. In this reduced compass, they insin- uate it between the scales, and, dis- tending the two mandibles to their usual position sideways, force the scales open; and then, again bringing the points into contact, pick out the seed, in the same manner as if their bills were formed like those of other birds. While in this BILL OP CROSS-BILLS. THE GREENFINCH. 573 act, they are so intent on the business, as frequently to suffer them- selves to be caught by means of a horse-hair noose fixed to a long fishing-rod. They are discovered by the twittering noise they make while feeding. The degree of lateral force which they are able to exert, is very surprising. This, which they are at times fond of exercising for mere amusement, renders them, in a tame state, not a little mischievous. The Cross-bills which Dr. Townson had at Gottingen would often come to his table while he was writing, and carry off his pencils, little chip boxes in which he occasionally kept insects, and other similar objects, and tear them to pieces almost instantaneously. Their mode of operation was first to peck a little hole ; to insert into this their bill, and then to split or tear the object by the lateral force. When he gave them, as he often did, almonds in their shell, they got at the kernel in the samo manner; first pecking a hole, and then enlarging this by wrenching off the pieces by the lateral force. Notwithstanding the apparent awkwardness of this beak, the Cross- bills are able, by bringing the mandibles point to point, even to pick up and eat the smallest seeds. The German bird-catchers usually feed them with poppy and other small seeds; and they shell hempseeds in eating them, as well as any other birds whatever. These birds breed in Austria ; building their hemispherical nests in the branches of high trees. In these they lay a few whitish eggs, spotted towards the thicker end with red. They are somewhat rare in England. THE GREENFINCH. The upper parts of the body are of a yellowish green, and some of the lower parts are white. The outer quill-feathers are edged with yellow. The tail is forked, and the four lateral feathers are yellow at the base. The bill is brownish, and the legs flesh-colored. Greenfinches are very common birds in Eng- land. They build their nests in hedges, and lay five or six eggs, of a pale green color, marked with blood-colored spots. During the breeding-time, the bird that is not immediately engaged in incubation or nutrition, may often GREENFINCH. be seen sporting on the wing, in a pleasing manner, over the bush. They are so easily tamed, as sometimes to eat out of the hand in five or ten minutes after they are taken, if there be an opportunity of immediately carrying them into. the dark. The bird should then be put upon the finger, from which, not knowing how to fly in the dark, it will not attempt to move : the fing.er of the other hand should after- wards be put under its breast, on which it will climb. This must be repeated eight or ten times ; and by stroking and caressing the bird at the intervals, it will find that no injury is intended. The light being then let in by degrees, it will very frequently eat bruised seed out of the hand, and afterwards continue tame. 574 THE CARDINAL GROSBEAK. THE CARDINAL GROSBEAK. The Cardinal Grosbeak is about eight inches in length. The bill is stout, and of a pale red color. On the head there is a pointed crest : the plumage is in general of a fine red, but round the bill and throat it is black. The legs are of the same color as the bill. This is an inhabi- tant of several parts of North America. The melody of its song is said some- what to resemble that of the Nightingale. In spring, and during great part of the summer, it sits on the tops of the high- est trees, and with its loud and piercing notes makes the for- ests echo. The Cardinal Gros- beaks are chiefly remarkable for laying up, during summer, their winter provi- sion of maize and buckwheat. Nearly a bushel of maize has been found in the retreat of one of these birds, artfully covered with leaves and small branches of trees, and only a small hole left for the bird to enter at. The Americans frequently keep these birds in cages ; where they sing, with a very short interval of silence, through the whole year. CARDINAL GROSBEAK. THE GRENADIER GROSBEAK. The Grenadier Grosbeak is of about the size of a sparrow. The body is in general of a beautiful red color. The forehead, sides of the head, chin, breast, and belly, are black. The wings are brown, and the legs pale brown. THE ABYSSINIAN GROSBEAKS PHILLIPPINE GROSBEAKS. 575 The Cape of Good Hope, and some other parts of Africa, are fre- quented by this bird ; which is supposed to be the Finch described by Kolben in his account of that colony. He says that it is chiefly found in marshy and reedy grounds, where it makes its nest and produces its offspring. The nest is formed among the reeds, with small twigs interwoven so closely with cotton as not to be penetrated by any weather. It is also divided into two compartments ; of which the upper is for the male, and the lower for the female and the young ones. In winter, the color of these birds is changed from scarlet to ash-color. The appearance of the Grenadier Grosbeaks, among the green reeds of their native climates, is said to be very beautiful ; for, from the extreme brightness of their colors, they appear like so many scarlet lilies. THE ABYSSINIAN GROSBEAKS. This is somewhat larger than the last species ; having the bill strong and black; the head, throat, and breast, black ; the upper parts of the body, the belly, and thighs, of a pale yellowish brown ; the quills and tail brown, edged with yellow ; and the legs reddish gray. The Abyssinian Grosbeak forms a curious nest, of pyramidal shape ; which is suspended from the ends of branches, like the nests of some other birds of this tribe. The opening is on one side facing the east ; the cavity is separated in the middle by a partition to half its height; up this the bird ascends perpendicularly, and then, de- scending on the other side, forms its nest in the further chamber. By this means the brood is defended from Snakes, Squirrels, Monkeys, and other mischievous animals ; besides being secured from the rains, which in that country last sometimes for five or six months successively. THE PHILIPPINE GROSBEAKS. The length of this species is about five inches and a half. The bill and some adjacent parts are brown. The top of the head, and the hind part of the neck and back, are yellow. The lower part of the back is brown. The fore parts of the neck and breast are yellow, and from thence under the belly the color is yellowish white. The legs are also yellowish. It is found in the Philippine Islands, and in some parts of Abyssinia. The Philippine Grosbeaks construct their nests in the form of a long cylinder, which swells out into a globular or somewhat oval shape. This is composed of various kinds of fine vegetable fibres, and fastened, by its upper extremity, to the outer branch of a tree. The entrance is from beneath, whence a passage is made to the globular cavity, in which an inner nest and the eggs are placed in perfect security. ABYSSINIA* GROSBEAK. 576 THE BENGAL GROSBEAK. THE BENGAL GKOSBEAK. This bird is somewhat larger than a Sparrow. Its general plumage is yellow brown. The head and legs are yellowish. The beak is conical, and very thick in proportion to the body. This bird, says Sir William Jones in his Asiatic Researches, is ex- ceedingly common in Hindostan. He is astonish- ingly sensible, faithful, and docile ; never volun- tarily deserting the place where his young-ones are hatched, but not averse, like most other birds, to the society of mankind, and easily taught to perch on the hand of his master. In a state of nature he generally builds his nest on the highest trees that he can find, especially on the palmyra, or the Indian fig-tree, and he prefers that which happens to overhang a well or a rivulet; he makes his nest of grass, which he weaves like cloth, and shapes BENGAL GROSBEAK. like B, large bottle, suspending it firmly on the branches, but so as to rock with the wind, and placing it with its entrance downward, to secure it from birds of prey. The nest usually consists of two or three chambers ; and it is popu- larly believed that he lights them with Fire-flies, which he is said to catch alive at night, and confine with moist clay or with cow-dung. That such flies are often found in his nest, where pieces of cow-dung are also stuck, is indubitable; but as their light could be of little use to him, it seems probable that he only feeds on them. He may be taught with ease to fetch a piece of paper, or any small thing that his master points out to him. It is an attested fact, that if a ring be dropped into a deep well, and a signal given to one of these birds, he will fly down with amazing celerity, catch the ring before it touches the water, and bring it up to his master with apparent exulta- tion ; and it is confidently asserted, that if a house or any other place be once or twice shown to him, he will carry a note thither imme diately, on a proper signal being made. One instance of his docility Sir William Jones was himself an eye-witness of. The young Hindoo women at Benares, and in other places, wear thin plates of gold, called ticas, slightly fixed, by way of ornament, between their eye-brows: and, when they pass through the streets, it is not uncommon for the youthful libertines, who amuse themselves with training these birds, to give them a signal, which they understand, and send them to pluck the pieces of gold from the foreheads of their mistresses, which they bring in triumph to their lovers. THE SOCIABLE GROSBEAK. 577 THE SOCIABLE GROSBEAK. The length of the Sociable Grosbeak is about five inches and a half. Its color is rufus-brown above, and yellowish beneath. The bill and fo re he ad are black, the region of the ears is yellowish, and the legs are brown. The tail is short. This species is an inhabitant of the interior country of the Cape of Good Hope. Few birds live together in such large societies, or have a mode of nidifi- cation so uncommon, as these. They con- struct their nests in a species of mimosa ; which grows to an uncommon size, and seems well suited to them, on account of its ample head, and strong wide-spread- ing branches. The tallness and smooth- ness of its trunk is also a perfect defence against the serpent and monkey tribes. The mode in which the nests are fabricated is highly curious. In one tree, described by Mr. Patterson, there could not be fewer than from eight hundred to a thousand under one general roof. Mr. P. calls it a roof, because he says it resembles that of a thatched house ; and projects over the entrance of the nest below, in a very singular manner. The industry of these birds "seems almost equal (observes this traveller) to that of the bee. Throughout the day they appear to be busily employed in carrying a fine species of grass ; which is the principal material they employ for the purpose of erecting this extraordinary work, as well as for additions and repairs. Though my short stay in the country was not sufficient to satisfy me, by ocular proof, that they added to SOCIABLE GR03SEAK. 578 THE BULFINCn. their nest as they annually increased in numbers ; still, from the many trees which I have seen borne down by the weight, and others which I have observed with the boughs completely covered over, it would appear that this is really the case. When the tree, which is the support of this aerial city, is obliged to give way to the increase of weight, it is obvious that the birds are no longer protected, and are under the necessity of rebuilding in other trees. One of these deserted nests I had the curiosity to break down, for the purpose of informing myself of the internal structure of it ; and found it equally ingenious with that of the external. There were many entrances; each of which formed a regular street, with nests on both sides about two inches distant from each other. The grass with which the birds build is called the Bushman's grass ; and I believe the seed of it to be their principal food ; though on examining their nests, I found the wings and legs of different insects. From every appearance, the nest which I dissected had been inhabited for many years ; and some parts of it were much more complete than others. This, therefore, I conceive to amount nearly to a proof, that the animals added to it at different times, as they found necessary, from the increase of their family, or rather of the nation or community." THE BULFINCH. In a state of nature the Bulfinch has but three cries, all of which are unpleasant : but if instructed methodi- cally, and accustomed to finer, mellower, and more lengthened strains, it will listen with attention ; and the docile bird, whether male or female, without relin- quishing its native airs, will imitate exactly, and some- times even surpass, its master. " I know a curious person, (says the author of the jdEdonolgiej) who having whistled some airs quite plain to a Bulfinch, was agreeably surprised to hear the bird add such graceful turns, that the master could THE ARABIAN BULFINCH BLUE BULFINCH. 579 scarcely recognise his own music, and acknowledged that the scholar excelled him." It must, however, be confessed that, if the Bulfinch be ill-directed, it acquires harsh strains. A friend of M. de Buffon saw one that had never heard any persons whistle but carters ; and it whistled like them, with the same strength and coarseness. The Bul- finch also easily learns to articulate words and sentences; and utters them with so tender an accent, that we might almost suppose it felt their force. These birds are susceptible of personal attachment, which is often strong and durable. Some have been known, after escaping from confinement and living a whole year in the woods, to recognise the voice of their mistress, and return to her. Others have died of melancholy, on being removed from the first object of their attach- ment. They will also remember injuries received : a Bulfinch that had been thrown to the ground in its cage by some of the rabble, though it did not appear much affected at the time, fell into convul- sions ever afterwards at the sight of any mean-looking person, and expired in one of these fits, eight months after the accident. Bulfinches are not uncommon in England: they construct their nests in bushes, about the middle of May. These are usually built in orchards, woods, or parks, where the trees are numerous. The nest of the Bulfinch is a fabric apparently constructed with little art ; but it so nearly resembles the color of the surrounding foliage, as not easily to be discovered. The female lays four or five eggs, of a bluish color, marked at the larger end with dark brown and faintly reddish spots. In the summer-time these birds chiefly frequent woods and retired places ; but in winter they approach gardens and orchards. Here as soon as the vegetation commences, they make great havoc among the buds of the trees. THE ARABIAN BULFINCH. This species was found by Mr. Hemprich near Mount Sinai in Arabia ; and appears also to extend into Egypt. It was one of the discoveries of the travellers sent some time since into that county by the king of Prussia to obtain specimens of natural history. The male has red and white feathers about the head, and the body is ash colored varied with rose red ; the wings are brown. THE BLUE BULFINCH. This is one of the American varieties. It is found in Brazil. It is ash-colored, varied with blue and white, with a red bill. 37 ' 580 THE COMMON BUNTING, ETC. THE BUNTING TKIBE. THESE birds have a conical bill, and the sides of each mandible bending inward. On the roof of the upper mandible is a hard knob, used for the breaking of hard seeds. THE COMMON BUNTING. A hard round knob in the roof of the upper mandible, points ou the genus Emberiza. This knob is probably used for the purpose of breaking the shells of the small but hard seeds on which the bird feeds. Large flocks of these birds collect together in the autumn and win- ter in their attacks upon the farm-yard or the field. Partly in revenge for their depredations, and partly on account of the price that they will fetch in the market, great numbers are annually caught in nets or shot. The nest is always placed either on or near the ground, and contains four or five darkish eggs, covered very irregularly with deep brown marks. THE YELLOW HAMMER, OR YELLOW Is a very delicately marked little bird, very common in our hedges, where it flits before the traveller, always keeping about twenty yards in front. It makes its nest on the ground, and lays five eggs curiously scribbled over with dark chocolate lines, just as if a child had been trying to write Arabic on the eggs. THE BLACKHEADED Is a very beautiful bird, frequenting marshes, and singing only at night. This bird has an enviable reputation as a songster, which, it derives from the fact, that the Sedge-warbler, whose merits are supe- rior, frequents the same haunts, and conceals himself from view while warbling his liquid notes, while the former renders himself prominent. THE WHIDAH BIRD. In its summer plumage the neck of the Whidah Bird has, at the back, a broad semi-collar, of orange yellow color. The breast is red- dish, the under parts of the body and the thighs re white ; and the neck, the back, the wings, and tail, are black. In the tail there are four feathers much longer than the others : of these, two are about thirteen inches in length, and are bent somewhat like those of a cock ; THE LINNET. 581 the other two are shorter, considerably broader, and each terminate in a slender thread. The winter plumage is entirely different from the above. The four long tail-feathers fall off: the head is varied with black and white : the breast is black ; and the upper wing-coverts are dirty yellow. The feathers of the tail and wings are dark brown ; and those of the under part of the body are white. In the kingdom of Angola, on the western coast of Africa, and in the country around Mosambique, on the eastern coast of that quarter of the world, these birds are found in great numbers. They are some- what larger than a Sparrow, and subsist on seeds of various kinds. It is a remarkable fact, that the Whidah Birds have in winter a plumage entirely different from that by which they are distinguished during the summer ; and that even their most characteristic feathers are every year shed, without being renewed for several months. When the birds are brought into northern climates, this change generally takes place about the beginning of November. Their winter plumage continues till the spring ; and the tail-feathers are not again completed till the end of June or the beginning of July. The color of the beak and legs, the former blackish and the latter flesh-colored, is perma- nent. In the month of May, 1820, Mr. Carlisle favored me with the fol- lowing account of a bird of this species, which I have often seen in his possession : " The habits and manners of my Whidah Bird have proved both entertaining and instructive. It has been my constant companion for more than five years, and our mutual good understand- ing has increased every day. As an intelligent creature, it readily distinguishes me from other persons, and never fails to show its preferable attachment, by a little note and by fluttering towards the nearest side of the cage, on my entering and leaving the room. When clad in its black and orange plumage, and ornamented with its long and crested tail-feathers, it sings much like the warble of the House-Swallow, and, during its song, it shakes its head rapidly side- ways, looking steadily at me as if to attract my regard. It then, as if in a state of ecstacy, jumps quickly from perch to perch, rattling its tail with a noise somewhat resembling that which is made by the Eattlesnake. When it wants fresh water, sand, or food, it taps quickly with its beak against the cage, until it attracts my notice. Its only food is canary-seed. I have observed that, on first uncovering its cage it begins to stretch out its legs and wings, then it hops down to sip water, afterwards it eats for about half an hour, picks some sand, and then carefully prunes its feathers. In its ordinary plumage this bird nearly resembles the Eeed-Sparrow ; and so complete is its change, that not one of the former feathers, remain after either of the two moultings. ^ These moultings take place half yearly, and the shedding- of its principal tail-feathers, has been, for five autumns., within three days of the same date in each year. "As the claws of confined birds grow inconveniently long, I have generally found it expedient to clip those of my bird twice a year, and this process was at first attended with anger; but lately the 582 THE LINNET. occasion is remembered, the bird quitely suffers itself to be caught, and lies patiently in my hand until the operation is over. During this operation it sometimes eats sugar out of my mouth; and when so indulged, it forgets its position so far as to sing a few notes." A pair of Whidah Birds kept in France for many years, were very lively and active. They were fed chiefly on millet and canary-seed, and occasionally on chickweed and chicory. The male had a shrill kind of song, which he generally commenced about the time that his long tail-feathers began to grow. These birds did not breed, i indeed did they make any preparations for the formation of a nest. nor OF THE FINCH TRIBE IN GENERAL. THE Finches are easily distinguished from other birds, by their having a bill very conical and sharp-pointed, and somewhat slender towards the end. They are a numerous and active race, dispersed widely over the world, and feeding principally on insects and grain. THE LINNET. The length of the Linnet is about five and a half inches. The bill is bluish grey. The eyes are hazel : the upper parts of the head, neck, and back, are of a dark reddish brown, the edges of the feathers pale: the under parts are of a dirty reddish white; the breast is of a deeper color than the rest, and in spring changes to a beau- tiful crimson; the sides are UNITET spotted with brown; the quills are dusky, edged with white ; the tail is brown, and with white edges, except the two middle feathers, which have reddish margins; the legs are brown; the female wants the red color on the breast, instead of which she is there marked with streaks of brown; she has less white on her, and her colors, in general, are less bright than those of the male. For the sweetness of its song the Linnet is much admired : its notes are considered little inferior to those of the most musical of our birds. The Linnet may also easily be taught to imitate the song of any other bi^d, if brought up with it from the nest. Linnets have young-ones about the month of May. They usually form their nest in a thick bush or hedge. This is small : the outside is composed of bents, dried weeds, and straw; and the inside of horse- hairs, and wool or cotton, mixed with downy materials collected from THE COMMON SPARROW 583 dried plants. The female lays four or five white eggs, speckled par- ticularly towards the large end, with red. The season in which the bird-catchers "usually take these birds, is during the months of June, July or August, or about Michaelmas. They employ for this purpose limed twigs or clap-nets. If, when caught, they be put into store-cages, and fed on any favorite seed for two or three days, they will soon become tame. After this they may be put into separate cages, and fed with rape or canary-seed. If it be intended that the Linnet should imitate the notes of any other bird, it ought to be taken from the nest when about ten days old. THE COMMON SPARROW. No bird is better known in every part of Great Britain than the Sparrow. It is a very familiar bird, but so crafty as not to be easily taken in snares. In a wild state its note is only a chirp : this arises, however, not from want of powers, but from its attending solely to the note of the parent birds. A Sparrow, when fledged, was taken from the nest, and educated under- a Linnet ; it also heard, by accident, a Goldfinch; and its song was, in consequence, a mix- ture of the two. Few birds are more execrated by the farmers, and perhaps more unjustly so, than Sparrows. It is true, they do some injury in devouring corn; TIIE COMMON SPARROW. but they are probably more useful than noxious. Mr. Bradley, in his General Treatise on Husbandry and Gardening, shows, that a pair of Sparrows, during the time they have their young-ones to feed, destroy on an average, every week, about three thousand three hundred and sixty Caterpillars. This calcula- tion he founded upon actual observation. He discovered that the two parents carried to the nest forty Caterpillars in an hour. He supposed the Sparrows to enter the nest only during twelve hours each day, which would cause a daily consumption of four hundred and eighty Caterpillars; and this average gives three thousand three hundred and sixty Caterpillars extirpated weekly from a garden. But the utility of these birds is not limited to this circumstance alone; for they likewise feed their young-ones with Butterflies and other winged insects, each of which, if not destroyed, would be the parent of hundreds of Caterpillars. Sparrows build early in the spring ; and generally form their nests under the eaves of houses, or in holes in the walls. But when such convenient situations are not to be had, they build in trees a nest bigger than a man's head, with an opening at the side. It is formed 584 THE COMMON SPARROW. of straw and hay, and lined with feathers, and so nicely managed as to be a defence against both wind and rain. Sparrows sometimes form their nest in the bottoms of Books' nests ; and this seems a favorite situation with them. Mr. Smellie relates a pleasing anecdote of the affection of these birds towards their offspring: "When I was a boy, (says this gentle- man,) I carried off a nest of young Sparrows, about a mile from my place of residence. After the nest was completely moved, and while I was marching home with them in triumph, I perceived, with some degree of astonishment, both the parents following me at some distance, and observing my motions in perfect silence. A thought then struck me, that they might follow me home, and feed the young according to their usual manner. When just entering the door I held up the nest, and made the young-ones utter the cry which is expressive of the desire of food. I immediately put the nost and the young in the corner of a wire cage, and placed it on the outside of a windo*w. I chose a situation, in the room where I could perceive all that should happen, without being myself seen. The young birds soon cried for food.- In a short time both parents, having their bills filled with small Caterpillars, came to the cage ; and after chatting a little, as we would do with a friend through the lattice of a prison, gave a small worm to each. This parental intercourse continued regu- larly for some time; till the young-ones were completely fledged, and had acquired a considerable degree of strength. I then took one of the strongest of them, and placed him on the outside of the cage, in order to observe the conduct of the parents after one of their offspring was emancipated. In a few minutes both parents arrived, loaded, as usual, with food. They no sooner perceived that one of their children had escaped from prison, than they fluttered about, and made a thou- sand noisy demonstrations of joy, both, with their wings and their voices. These tumultuous expressions of unexpected happiness at last gave place to a more calm and soothing conversation. By their voices and their movements it was evident that they earnestly en- treated him to follow them, and to fly from his present dangerous state. He seemed to be impatient to obey their mandates; but by his gestures, and the feeble sounds he uttered, he plainly expressed* that he was afraid to try an exertion he had never before attempted. They, however, incessantly repeated their solicitations: by flying alternately from the cage to a neighboring chimney-top, they endeav- ored to show him how easily the journey was to be accomplished. He at last committed himself to the air, and alighted in safety. On his arrival, another scene of clamorous and active joy was exhibited. Next day I repeated the same experiment, by exposing another of the young-ones on the top of the cage. I observed the same conduct with the remainder of the brood, which consisted of four. I need hardly add, that not one either of the parents or children ever after- wards re-visited the execrated cage." THE SONG-SPARROW GOLDFINCH. 585 THE SONG-SPARROW. THIS familiar and almost domestic bird is one of the most common and numerous Sparrows in the United States ; it is, also, with the Blue-bird, which it seems to accompany, one of the two earliest, sweet- est, and most enduring war- blers. Though many pass on to the Southern, States at the commencement of winter, yet a few seem to brave the colds of New England, as long as the snowy waste does not conceal their last resource of nutriment. When the inundating storm at length arrives, they no longer, in the sheltering swamps, a*nd borders of bushy streams, spend their time in gleaning an insufficient subsistence, but in the month of November, begin to 4 retire to the warmer States ; and here, on fine days, even in January, whisper forth their usual strains. As early as the 4th of March, the weather being mild, the Song-Sparrow and the Blue-Bird here jointly arrive, and cheer the yet dreary face of nature with their familiar songs. The latter flits restlessly through the orchard or neighboring fields ; the Sparrow, more social, frequents the garden, barn-yard, or road-side in quest of support, and from the top of some humble bush, stake, or taller bough, tunes forth his cheering lay, in frequent repeti- tions, for half an hour or more at a time. These notes have some resemblance to parts of the Canary's song, and are almost uninter- ruptedly and daily delivered, from his coming to the commencement of winter. THE SONG-SPARROW. THE GOLDFINCH. Goldfinches are very beautiful and well-known birds, much esteemed for their docility, and the sweetness of their song. They are fond of orchards, and frequently build their elegant mossy nest in an apple or pear-tree. They commence this operation about the month of April, when the fruit-trees are in blossom. As they excel nearly, all our small birds in beauty of plumage, so also they do in the art which they employ in the formation of this structure. The nest is small ; its 586 THE CANARY-FINCH. outside consists of fine moss, curiously interwoven with other mate- rials ; and the inside is lined with grass, horse-hair, wool, feathers, and down. The eggs are five in number, of a white color, speckled and marked with reddish brown. These birds may be caught in great numbers, at almost any season of the year, either with limed twigs, or the clap-net ; but the best time is< said to be about Michaelmas. They are easily tamed ; and are remarkable for their extreme docility, and the attention they pay to instructions. It requires very little trouble to teach them to perform several movements with accuracy ; to fire a cracker, and to draw up small cups containing their food and drink. Some years ago, the Sieur Eoman exhibited in this country the wonderful performances of his birds. These were Goldfinches, Linnets, and Canary-birds. One appeared dead, and was held up by the tail or claw without exhibiting any signs of life. A second stood on its head, with its claws in the air. A third imitated a Dutch milkmaid going to market, with pails on its shoulders. A fourth mimicked a Venetian girl looking out at a window. A fifth appeared as a soldier, and mounted guard as a sentinel. The sixth was a cannoneer, with a cap on its head, a firelock on its shoulder, and a match in its claw ; and discharged a small cannon. The same bird also acted as if it had been wounded : it was wheeled in a little barrow, to convey it (as it were) to the hospital ; after which it flew away before the company. The seventh turned a kind of windmill. And the last bird stood in the midst of some fire- works which were discharged all round it ; and this without exhibiting the least sight of fear. In solitude the Goldfinch delights to view its image in a mirror ; 'fancying, probably, that it sees another of its own species : and this attachment to society seems to equal the cravings of nature ; for it is often observed to pick up the hemp-seed, grain by grain, and advance to eat it at the mirror imagining, no doubt, that it is thus feeding in company. . If a young Goldfinch be educated under a Canary-bird, a Wood- lark, or any other singing bird, it will readily catch its song. Mr. Albin mentions a lady who had a Goldfinch which was even able distinctly to speak several words. Towards winter these birds usually assemble in flocks. They feed on various kinds of seeds, but are more partial to those of the thistle than any others. They sometimes have been known to attain a great age. Willoughby speaks of one that was twenty-three years old ; and Albin says, that they not unfrequently arrive at the age of twenty years. THE CANARY-FINCH. If, observes M. de Buffon, the Nightingale is the songster of the woods, the Canary-bird must be considered as the musician of the chamber. It is a social and familiar bird, capable of recollecting kindnesses, and even of some degree of attachment towards those by THE CANARY-FINCH. 587 whom it is fed and attended. In a state of nature we know but little of its manners and economy. Like the rest of its tribe, it feeds chiefly on seed and different kinds of grain. It inhabits the woods of Italy, Greece, and the Canary Islands; from the latter of which it appears to have been first brought into Europe, about the middle of the fourteenth cen- tury. These birds, however, are now so com- monly bred in our own country, that we are not often under the necessity of cross- ing the ocean for them. It is not generally known, that the song of the Canary-bird is usually composed either of the Titlark's or the Nightingale's notes. Mr. Barrington saw two of these birds which came from the Canary Islands, neither of which had any song at all; and he was informed that a ship afterwards brought over a great number of them, all of which had the same defect. Most of the birds that are imported from the Tyrol, have been educated under parents, the progenitors of which were instructed by a Nightingale. The English Canary-birds have, however, more of the Titlark's than of the Nightingale's notes Dr Darwin relates a very singular anecdote respecting one of these birds: "On observing (says he) a Canary-bird at the house of Mr. Hervey, near Tetbury, in Derbyshire, I was told that it always fainted away when its cage was cleaned; and I desired to see the experiment. The cage being taken from the ceiling, and the bottom drawn out, the bird began to tremble, and turned quite white about the root of its bill : it then opened its mouth as if for breath, and respired quick, stood up straighter on its perch hung, its wings, spread its tail, closed its eyes, and appeared quite stiff and cataleptic for nearly half an hour; and at length, with much trembling and deep respirations, canv* gradually to itself." A Frenchman, whose name was Dujon, exhibited in London CANART-FINCH. 588 THE CANARY-FINCH. twenty-four Canary-birds, many of which he said were from eighteen to twenty-five years of age. Some of these balanced themselves, head downward on their shoul- ders, having their legs and tail in the air. One of them taking a slen- der stick in its claws, passed its head between its legs, and suffered itself to be turned round, as if in the act of being roasted. Another bal- anced itself, and was swung back- w a r d and forward on a kind of slack- rope. A third was dressed in military uni- form, having a cap on its head, wearing a sword and pouch, and carrying a firelock in one claw: after some time sitting upright, this bird, at the word of command, freed itself from its dress, and flew away to the cage. A fourth suffered itself to be shot at, and, falling down as if dead, was put into a little wheel- barrow, and wheeled away by one of its comrades ; and several of the birds were at the same time placed upon a little fire-work, and continued there quietly, and without alarm, till it was discharged. TAME CANARY. THE KING-BIRD, OR TYRANT FLY-CATCHER. 589 THE KING-BIRD, OR TYRANT FLY-CATCHER. This well known, remarkable and pugnacious bird takes up its summer residence in all the intermediate region, from the temperate parts of Mexico to the unin- habited and remote interior of Canada. In all this vast geographical range the King-bird seeks his food and rears his young. Accord- ing to Au du bo n, they appear in Louisiana by the middle of March, and about the 20th of April, Wilson re- marked their arrival in Pennsylvania in small parties of five or six ; but they are very seldom seen in Massachusetts b e- fore the middle of May. They are now silent and peaceable, until they begin to pair, and form their nests, which takes place from the first to the last week in May, or early in June, according to the advancement of the season in the latitudes of forty and forty-three degrees. The nest is usually built in the orchard, on the horizontal branch of an apple or pear tree, sometimes in an oak, in the adjoining forest, at various heights from the ground, seldom carefully concealed, and firmly fixed at the bottom to the supporting twigs of the branch. The outside consists of course stalks of dead grass and wiry weeds, the whole well connected and bedded with cut-weed, down, tow, or an occasional rope-yarn, and wool; it is then lined with*dry, slender grass, root fibres, and horsehair. The eggs are generally three to five, yellowish-white, and marked w*ith a few large, well defined spots of deep and bright brown. They often build and hatch twice in the season. TYRANT FLY-CATCHER, OR EI^Q-BIRD. 590 THE SPOTTED FLY-CATCHER. OF THE FLY-CATCHERS IN GENERAL. THE characters of this genus are, a bill flatted at the base, almost triangular, notched at the end of the upper mandible, and beset with bristles. The toes in most of the species are divided as far as the origin. THE SPOTTED FLY-CATCHER. The length of this species is about four inches and three quarters: the bill is dusky and beset with short bristles : the head and back are light brown, obscurely spotted with black : the wings and tail are dusky, and the former edged with white: the breast and belly are white: the throat, sides, and feathers under the wings, are tinged with red ; and the legs are black. This is one of the most mute, and most familiar of all the English summer birds. It visits them in spring, rears its young-ones, and leaves the country in September. Mr. White says, that a pair of these birds built every year in the vines that grew on the walls of his house at Selborne. They one year inadvertently placed their nest on a naked bough, perhaps in a shady time, not being aware of the inconvenience that followed ; but a hot, sunny season coming on before the brood was half fledged, the reflec- tion of the wall became insupportable, and must inevitably have de- stroyed the tender young-ones, had not affection suggested an expe- dient, and prompted the parent birds to hover over the nest during all the hotter hours; while with wings expanded, and mouths gaping for breath, they screened off the heat from their suffering offspring. The female lays four or five eggs : the nest is carelessly made, and consists chiefly of moss, mixed with wool and fibres, so strong, and so large, (says M. de Buftbn,) that it appears surprising how so small an artificer could make use of such stubborn materials. When its offspring are able to fly, it retires with them among the higher branches of the trees, sinking and rising perpendicularly among the flies which hum below. This bird feeds on insects, which it catches whilst on wing. It some- times watches for its prey sitting on a branch or post, and, with a sudden spring, takes it as it flies, and then immediately returns to its station to wait for more. It is said, likewise, to be fond of some kinds of fruit. It is generally believed to have no song. The Rev. Revett Sheppard, however, informs me, that in the garden belonging to the master of Caius College, Cambridge, a Spotted Fly-catcher used fre- quently to sit on a rail, and entertain him with its notes, which, he says, were very pleasing, and between those of a Wagtail and GcMen- crested Wren. The Pied Fly- catcher is a rarer variety, with a white ! reast THE PEWIT FLY-CATCHER. 591 THE PEWIT FLY-CATCHER This familiar species inhabits the continent of North America, from Canada and Lab- rador to Texas, retiring from the Northern and Mid- dle States at the approach of winter. How far they pro- ceed to the south at this season is not satisfactorily ascertained ; a few, no doubt, winter in the milder parts of the Union, as Wil- son saw them in February in the swamps of North and South Carolina, where they were feeding on smilax berries, and occa- s ion ally even giving their well- known notes ; but in the winter, and early spring of 1830 ; while em- ployed in an extensive pedestrian journey from South Carolina to Florida and Alabama, I never heard or met with an individual of the species. Audubon found them abundant in the Floridas in winter. This faithful messenger of spring returns to Pennsylvania as early as the first week in March, remains till October, and sometimes nearly to the middle of November. In Massachusetts, they arrive about the beginning of April, and at first chiefly frequent the woods. Their favorite resort is near streams, ponds, or stagnant waters, about bridges, caves, and barns, where they choose to breed ; and, in short, wherever there is a good prospect for obtaining their insect food. THE PEWIT FLY-CATCHER. THE AMERICAN REDSTART. This beautiful and curious bird takes up its summer residence in almost every part of the North American continent, being found in Canada, in the remote interior near Red river in the latitude of forty- nine degrees, throughout Louisiana, Arkansas, and the maritime parts of Mexico ; in all of which vast countries it familiarly breeds and re- sides during the mild season, withdrawing early in September to trop- 592 THE AMERICAN REDSTART. AMERICAN REDSTART. ical America, where, in the perpetual spring and summer of the larger "West India islands, the spe- cies again find means of support. At length, insti- gated by more powerful feelings than those of ordinary w a n t, the male, now clad in his beautiful nuptial livery, and ac- companied by his mate, seeks anew the friendly but far distant natal regions of his race. In no haste, the playful Eedstart does not appear in Pennsylvania until late in April. The month of May, about the close of the first week, ushers his arrival into the states of New England ; but in Louis- iana he is seen as early as the beginning of March. He is no pensioner upon the bounty of man. Though sometimes seen, on his first arrival, in the darkest part of the orchard or garden, or by the meandering brook, he seeks to elude observation, and now, the great object of his migrations having arrived, he retires with his mate to the thickest of the sylvan shade. Like his relative Sylvias, he is full of life and. in perpetual motion. He does not, like the loitering Pewee, wait the accidental approach of his insect prey, but carrying the war amongst them, he is seen flitting from bough to bough, or at times pursuing the flying troop of winged insects from the top of the tallest tree in a zig-zag, hawk- like, descending flight, to the ground, while the clincking of the bill declares dis- tinctly both his object and success. Then alighting on some adjoining branch, intently watching, with his head extended, he runs along upon it for an instant or two, flirting like a fan his expanded brilliant tail from side to side, and again suddenly shoots NK8T OF THE AMERICAN REDSTART. THE RED EYED VIREO, OR GREENLET. 593 off like an arrow in a new direction, after the fresh game he has discovered in the distance, and for which he appeared to be recon- noitring. At first the males are seen engaged in active strife, pursuing each other in wide circles through the forest. The female seeks out her prey with less action and flirting, and in her manners resembles the ordinary Sylvias. The nest of the Redstart is very neat and substantial ; fixed occasion- ally near' the forks of a slender hickory or beach sappling, but more generally fastened or agglutinated to the depending branches or twigs of the former ; sometimes securely seated amidst the stout footstalks of the waving foliage in the more usual manner of the delicate cradle of the Indian Tailor-bird, but in the deep and cool shade of the forest, instead of the blooming bower. THE BED-EYED VIREO, OR GREENLET. This common and indefatigable songster appears to inhabit every part of the American continent from Labrador to the large tropical islands of Jamaica and St. Domingo ; they are likewise resident in the mild table land of Mexico. Those who pass the summer with us, however, migrate to the warmer regions at the commencement of winter, as none are found at that season within the limits of the United States. The Red-eyed Vireo arrives in Pennsylvania late in April, and in New England about the beginning of May. It inhabits the shady forests or tall trees near gardens and the suburbs of villages, where its loud, lively, and energetic song is often continued, with little intermission, for several hours at a time, as it darts and pries among the thick foliage in quest of insects and small Caterpillars. From its first arrival, until August, it is the most distinguished warbler of the forest, and when almost all the other birds have become mute, its notes are yet heard with unabated vigor. Even to the 5th of October, still enlivened, by the feeble rays of the sun, he faintly recalls his song, and plaintively tunes a farewell to his native woods. RED-EYED VIREO. 594 THE SKT-LA.RK. OF THE LARKS IN GENERAL'. IN this tribe the bill is straight, slender, bending a little towards the end, and sharp-pointed. The nostrils are covered with feathers and bristles; and the tongue is cloven at the end. The toes are divided to the origin; and the claw of the back toe is very long, and either straight or very little bent. THE SKY-LARK. The Sky -lark forms its nest on the ground, generally between two clods of earth, and lines it with dried grass and roots. The fe- male lays four or five eggs, which are hatched in about a fortnight ; and rally D gene- she & produces two broods in the year. When hatched, the mother watches over them with a truly maternal affection ; she may then be seen fluttering over * hei . r heads, directing their motions, anticipating their wants, and guarding them from danger. The instinctive warmth of attachment which the female Sky-lark bears towards her own species, often discovers itself at a very early period, and even before she is capable of becoming a mother; which might be supposed to precede, in the order of nature, the maternal solicitude. "In the month of May (says M. de Buffbn) a young hen- bird was brought to me, which was not able to feed without assistance. I caused her to be educated ; and she was hardly fledged, when I received from another place a nest of three or four unfledged Sky- larks. She took a strong liking to these new'comers, which were scarcely younger than herself; she tended them night and day, cherished them beneath her wings, and fed them with Tier bill. No- thing could interrupt her tender offices. If the young-ones were torn from her she flew to them as soon as she was liberated, and would THE SKY-LARK. 595 not think of effecting her own escape, which she might have done a hundred times. Her affection grew upon her: she neglected food and drink ; she now required the same support as her adopted offspring, and expired at last, consumed with maternal anxiety. None of the young-ones survived her. They died one after another; so essential were her cares, which were equally tender and judicious." The common food of young Sky-larks is worms and insects; but after they are grown up they live chiefly on seeds, herbage, and most other vegetable substances. These birds are easily tamed, and they become so familiar as to eat off the table, and even to alight on the hand; but they cannot cling by their toes, on account of the form of the hinder toe, which is straight and very long. This is the reason why they never perch on trees. The Lark commences his song early in spring, and continues it during the whole of the summer. It is heard chiefly in the morning and evening, and the Lark is one of those few birds that chaunt their mellow notes on the wing. Thomson elegantly describes it as the leader of the warbling choir: Up springs the Lark, Shrill-voiced and loud, the messenger of morn: Ere yet the shadows fly, he, mounted, sings Amid the dawning clouds, and from their haunts Calls up the tuneful nations. The Lark mounts almost perpendicularly, and by successive springs, into the air; where it hovers at a vast height. Its descent is in an oblique direction ; unless threatened by some ravenous bird of prey, or attracted by its mate, when it drops to the ground like a stone. On its first leaving the earth, its notes are feeble and inter- rupted; but as it rises, these gradually swell to their full tone. There is something in the concomitant scenery, that renders the music of the Lark peculiarly delightful. The placid landscape and various rural charms, all contribute to heighten our relish for its pleasing song. These birds become musical in the spring, and continue so for several months; but in winter their song forsakes them. They then assemble in flocks, grow fat, and are caught in vast numbers by the bird-catchers. As many as four thousand dozen have been taken in the neighborhood of Dunstable, between September and February ; but this holds no proportion to what are sometimes caught in differ- ent parts of Germany, where there is a tax upon them. Keysler says, that at one time this tax produced six thousand dollars every year to the city of Leipsic. Larks that are caught in the day-time are taken in clap-nets, of fifteen yards in length, and two and a half in breadth; and they are enticed by bits of looking-glass fixed in a piece of wood, and placed in the middle of the nets. These are put into quick whirling motion, by a string which the larker commands; he also makes use of a decoy- bird. This kind of net is used only till the fourteenth of November; for the Larks will not frolic in the air, and consequently cannot be- 38 596 THE WOOD-LARK. inveigled in this manner, except in fine sunny weather. When the weather becomes gloomy, the larker changes his engine ; and makes use of a trammel-net, twenty-seven or twenty-eight feet long, and five broad. This is put on two poles, eighteen feet long, and carried by men, who pass over the fields, and quarter the ground as a setting- dog would. When the men hear or feel that a Lark has hit the net, they drop it down, and thus the birds are taken. THE WOOD-LARK. The Wood-lark is somewhat smaller than the Sky -lark, and its form is shorter and more thick. The top of the head and back are marked with large black spots, edged with pale reddish brown. The head is surrounded with a whitish coronet of feathers, reaching from eye to eye. The throat is of a yellowish white, spotted with black. The breast is tinged with red ; the belly is white ; and the coverts of the wings are brown edged with white and dull yelltow. The quill-feathers are dusky ; the exterior edges of the first white, and of the others yellow ; and their tips are blunt and white. The first feather of the wing is shorter than the second : in the Sky-lark they are nearly equal. The tail is black, the outermost feather tipped with white : the exterior web, and the inner side of the interior web, are also white ; in the second feather the exterior web only is white. The legs are of a dull yellow. In many respects, both of habit and appearance, these birds differ from the Sky-lark. They perch as well in trees as on the ground ; but this they do only on the largest branches, where they are able to secure their hold without positive!} 7 embracing the stems with their toes. The Sky -lark forms its nest amongst grass near the bottom of a hedge, or in lays where the grass is rank and dry. The fabric is of loose texture, and constructed of withered herbs, and fibrous roots, with a few horse-hairs in the inside. It has scarcely any hollow, the bottom being nearly on a level with the sides. The whole nest is seldom much more than half an ounce in weight. The number of eggs is about four ; these are of a pale bloom-color, beautifully mottled, and clouded with red and yellow. The young birds are tender, and not easily to be reared in a cage. When first taken from the nest, they should be fed with raw sheep's heart, or other lean fresh meat, mixed with hard-boiled egg, a little bread, and bruised hemp-seed. These must be chopped together as fine as possible, and moistened with water. From what circumstance these birds have obtained the appellation of Wood-larks, unless it be from their building in thickets, is difficult to say ; since, like the common species, they are for the most part found only on large and cultivated plains. Their song is stated more to resemble that of the Sky-lark. They sing not only in the day-time, but during the night ; not only whilst they are in flight, but also when perched upon the trees. Like the Sky-larks, they assemble in considerable flocks during frosty weather. THE GRASSHOPPER-LARK. 597 Their usual food consists of small Beetles, Caterpillers, and other insects, as well as of the seeds of numerous kinds of wild plants. THE MEADOW PIPIT. The Meadow Pipit, more commonly called the Titlark, resembles the true Larks in the long hind claw and peculiar plumage, but is pointed out as distinct, by the different color of the bill. Like the Sky -3 ark, it sings while in the air, but sometimes also pours forth its musical strains while settled upon the ground. It feeds principally on slugs, worms, and insects, which it chases with much activity, after the manner of the Wagtails, even vibrating its tail like them. Hilly grounds, com- mons, and meadows are its chief resort in summer, but during September and October flocks of these birds may be seen congregated in turnip fields, and in the winter they seek the protection of the warm hedge-rows. The nest of the Titlark is made on the ground, and concealed by a tuft of grass. There are usually five or six eggs, light brown in color, spotted with a darker tint. The length of the bird is six inches THE MEADOW PIPIT. THE GRASSHOPPER-LARK. This is a very small species. Its bill is slender and dusky. The upper parts of the body are of a variegated greenish brown. The under parts are of a yellowish white, speckled irregularly on the neck and breast. The feathers of the wings and tail are of a palish dusky brown. The tail is long, and somewhat wedge- shaped. Nothing, says the Eev. Mr. White, can be more amusing than the sibilous whisper of this little bird, which seems to be close by, though it may be an hundred yards distant ; and, when close at your ear, is scarcely any louder than when a great way off. The _ Grasshopper-lark usually begins his note about the middle of April, and did we not know that the Grasshopper insects are not yet THE GRASSHOPPER LARK. 598 THE SHORE-LARK. hatched, it would not be easy to persuade one's self that the note ut- tered by this lark was in reality the note of a bird. During the season of love, the male has great delight in uttering its song from some bush adjacent to its nest. Its warbling is extremely simple, but at the same time is sweet, and by no means inharmonious. These birds also sing during their flight. They are artful little creatures, generally skulking in the thickest part of the bushes, and sometimes when concealed, singing at the distance of a little more than a yard from any person. Mr. White, speaking of one of them, says, that, in order to find it, he was under the necessity of desiring a person to go on the other side of a hedge that it haunted. The bird even then ran before them, creeping like a Mouse, for more than a hundred yards, through the bottom of the thorns, yet it could not be compelled to come into their sight. Yet this bird, early in the morning, and when undisturbed, would sing on the top of a twig, gaping and shivering its wings with great apparent delight. The nest of the Grasshopper Lark is formed in some solitary place, and generally concealed under some green turf. The eggs are seldom more than five in number, and these are marked towards the large end with brown. The young-ones are not unfrequently devoured by snakes. Although these birds are able to perch on small twigs, yet their hinder claw, as in most of the other species, is of considerable length. THE SHORE-LARK. This beautiful species, says Nuttall, is common to the north of the old and new _ -**~ **-> continent, but, as in some other instances already remarked, the Shore-lark extends its mi- f rations much urther over <& THE 8HOKE LARK. over Europe and Asia. Our bird was met with in the Arctic re- gions by the late adventurous voy- agers; and Mr. Bullock saw them in the winter around the city of Mexico ; so that in their migrations over this continent they spread themselves across the whole habitable Northern hemisphere to the very equator; while in Europe, according to the careful observations of Temminck, they are unknown to the south of Germany. Pallas THE NIGHTINGALE. 599 met with these birds round Lake Baikal and on the Wolga, in the 53d degree of latitude. Westward they have also been seen in the interior of the United States, along the shores of the Missouri. They arrive in the Northern arid Middle States late in the fall or commencement of winter; in New England they are seen early in October, and disappear generally on the approach of the deep storms of snow, though straggling parties are still found nearly throughout the winter. In the other States to the South they are more common at this season, and are particularly numerous in South Carolina and Georgia, frequenting open plains, old fields, common grounds, and the dry shores and banks of bays and rivers, keeping constantly on the ground, and roving about in families under the guidance of the older birds, who watching for any approaching danger, give the alarm to the young in a plaintive call, very similar to that which is uttered by the Sky-lark in the same circumstances. Inseparable in all their movements, like the hen and her fostered chickens, they roost together in a close ring or company, by the mere edge of some sheltering weed or tuft of grass on the dry and gravelly ground; and, thickly and warmly clad, they abide the frost and the storm with hardy indifference. They fly rather high and loose, in scattered companies, and follow no regular time of migration, but move on- ward only as their present resources begin to fail. They are usually fat, esteemed as food, and are frequently seen exposed for sale in our markets. Their diet, as usual, consists of seeds which still remain on the grass and weeds they frequent, and they swallow a considerable portion of gravel to assist their digestion. They also collect the eggs and dormant Iarva3 of insects when they fall in their way. OF THE WARBLERS IN GENERAL. THE Warblers have a weak and slender bill; small and somewhat depressed nostrils; and the tongue cloven at the end. The exterior toe is joined beneath to the base of the middle one. Most of these birds prey on insects. Some of them are gregarious^ and migrate at the approach of the cold weather, to warmer climates. This is a very extensive tribe, containing in the whole above a hun- dred and seventy species, of which England boasts nearly twenty. THE NIGHTINGALE. The length of the Nightingale is about six inches. The upper parts of the body are of a rusty brown color, tinged with olive; the under parts are of a pale ash-color, almost white at the throat and belly. The Nightingale, though greatly and deservedly esteemed for the excellence of its song, is not remarkable for variety or richness of colors. It usually leaves us about the middle of September, in order, as it is supposed to retire to the distant regions of Asia. This bird 600 THE NIGHTINGALE. returns regularly in the first days of April, and about a month afterwards begins to construct its nest. The females hatch twice, and sometimes even three times, in the year. NIGUTIX3ALE. It is very remarkable, that all the gay and brilliant birds of America should be entirely destitute of that pleasing power of song which gives so pecu- liar a charm to the groves and fields of Europe. The Nightingale seems to have been fixed upon almost universally as the most exquisite of singing-birds ; and this superiority it certainly may boldly challenge. One reason, how- ever, of this bird's being more attend- ed to than others is, the circumstance of its singing in the night. Mr. Barrington kept a fine Nightingale for three years, during which time he paid particular attention to its song. Its tone was infinitely more mellow than that of any other bird; though at the same time, by a proper NIGHTINGALE AND NEST. THE PENSILE WARBLER. 601 exertion, it could be excessively brilliant. When this bird sang its song round, in its whole compass, he observed sixteen different beginnings and closes ; at the same time that the intermediate notes were commonly varied in their succession with so much judgment, as to produce a most pleasing variety. Another point of superiority in the Nightingale, is its continuance of song without a pause ; which Mr. Barrington observed to be sometimes not less than twenty seconds. Whenever respiration, however, became necessary, it was taken with as much judgment as by an opera-singer. In this place it may be remarked, that the Nightingales in general, in a wild state, do not sing above ten weeks in the year ; while those confined in a cage continue their song for nine or ten months; and a caged Nightingale sings much more sweetly than those which we hear abroad in the spring. The latter, as the bird-fanciers term it, are so rank that they seldom sing anything but short and loud jerks; which, consequently, cannot be compared to the notes of a caged bird, since the instrument is thus overstrained. From the dissections of several birds made by Mr. John Hunter, at the request of the Hon. Daines Barrington, it appeared that, in the best singers, the muscles of the larynx were the strongest. Those in the Nightingale were stronger than in any other bird of the same size. When we consider the size of many singing birds, it is really amazing to what a distance their notes can be heard. It is supposed that the song of a Nightingale may be heard above half a mile if the evening be calm. Nightingales will adopt the notes of other birds; and they will even chaunt the stiff airs of a Nightingale-pipe. They may be instructed to sing by turns with a chorus, and to repeat their couplet at the proper time. Mr. Stackhouse, of Pendarvis in Cornwall, informs me that he has remarked of the Nightingale that it will modulate its voice to any given key: he says, if any person whistle a note, the bird will immediately try, in its strain, an unison with it. Nightingales may also be taught to articulate words. Nightingales are solitary birds; never associating in flocks, like many of the smaller birds, but hiding themselves in the thickest parts of hedges and bushes, and seldom singing but during the night. The London bird-catchers catch Nightingales in net-traps, (some- what larger than cabbage-nets,) the bottoms of which are surrounded with an iron ring. These are baited with meal-worms from bakers' shops ; and ten or a dozen birds have sometimes been caught in a day by this means THE PENSILE WARBLER. The Pensile Warbler is nearly five inches long. The bill is dusky ; the head grayish black; and the back deep gray. Eound the eye there is a white streak, and between that and the bill a range of yellow dots. The throat, neck, and breast, are yellow. The belly is white : and the sides of the neck and body are dotted with black spots. The 602 THE COMMON WAGTAIL. THE PENSILE WARBLER. wing-coverts are white and black, in bands. The tail is dark gray, having the four outer feathers marked with large spots of white. The sagacity displayed by this bird in building and placing its nest, is truly remarkable. She does not fix it at the forking of the branches, as is usual with most other birds; but she suspends it to a kind of binders, which hang from tree to tree, but particularly from branches that bend over the rivers and deep ravines. The nest consists of dry blades of grass, the ribs of leaves, and exceedingly small roots, interwoven with great art; it is fastened on, or rather it is worked into the pendent strings. It is in fact a small bed, rolled into a ball, so thick and compact as to exclude the rain ; and it rocks in the wind without receiving any injury. But the elements are not the only enemies against which this bird has to struggle ; with wonderful sagacity it provides for the protection of its nest from other accidents. The opening is neither made on the top nor the sides of the nest, but at the bottom. Nor is the entrance direct. After the bird has made its way into the vestibule, it must. pass over a kind of partition, and through another aperture, before it descends into the abode of its family. This lodgment is round and soft ; being lined with a species of lichen, which grows on the trees, or with the silky down of plants. The birds of this species have a very delicate song, which is con- tinued throughout the year. They are natives of St. Domingo, arid some other of the West India islands, where they feed chiefly on insects and fruit. THE COMMON WAGTAIL. These active and lively little birds run about the sides of ponds and small streams, in search of insects and worms ; and in the spring and autumn are constant attendants on the plough, for the sake of the worms thrown up by that instrument. The generality of the Wag- tails disappear in the autumn ; but how they dispose -of them- selves during the winter, is somewhat difficult to account for. They are often to be seen even in the middle of winter. If there happen to be a fine day, and the sun shine bright, they are sure to make their appearance; chirping briskly, and seeming delighted with the fine weather, though they had not perhaps been seen for three weeks or a month before. Whence then do they come ? COMMON VTACTAIL. THE YELLOW WAGTAIL. WHEAT EAR. . 603 Certainly not from a far distant country, there not being time for a very long journey in the space of a single day ; and, besides, they never seem to be tired or lifeless, but are very brisk and lively, on such occasions. THE YELLOW WAGTAIL. The Yellow Wagtail is very similar in habits to the more common Pied Wagtail, but the yellow tints of some of its feath- ers, somewhat resembling those of the Yellow. Hammer, at once dis- tinguish it. YELLOW WAGTAIL THE WHEAT-EAR. The head and back of the male are of a light gray, tinged with red. Over each eye there is a white line : beneath that is a broad black stroke, which passes across each eye to the hinder part of the head. The rump and lower half of the tail are white : the upper half black. The underside of the body is white, tinged with yellow : on the neck this color inclines to red. The quill -feathers are black, edged with reddish brown. The colors of the female are more dull : this sex wants the black marks across the eyes ; and the bar of white on the tail is narrower than that in the male. This bird visits England annually in the middle of March, and leaves in September. The females come first, about a fortnight before the males ; and they continue to come until the middle of May. In some parts of England they are seen in great numbers, and are much esteemed for the table. About Eastbourn, in Sussex, they are caught by means of snares made of horse-hair, placed beneath a long turf. Being very timid birds, the motion even of a cloud, or the appearance of a Hawk, will immediately drive them into the traps. These traps are first set every year on St. James's day, the twenty -fifth of July ; soon after which they are caught in astonishing numbers, considering that they are not gragarious, and that more than two or three are scarcely ever seen flying together. The number annually ensnared in the district of Eastbourn alone, is said to amount to nearly two thousand dozen. The birds caught are chiefly young-ones, and they are invariably found in the greatest numbers when an easterly wind prevails ; they always come against the wind. A gentleman informed Mr. Markwick of Cattsfield, that his father's shepherd once caught eighty-four dozen of them in a 604 THE RED-BREAST. day. Great quantities of "Wheat- ears are eaten on the spot by the inhabitants ; others, are picked and sent to London poulterers ; and many are potted, being much esteemed in England, as the Ortolons are on the continent. The vast abundance of these birds on the downs about Eastbourn, is supposed by Mr. -Pennant to be occasioned by a species of fly, their favorite food, that feeds on the wild thyme, and abounds on the adjacent hills. A few of the birds breed in the old Kabbit-burrows there. Their nest is large, and made of dried grass, Rabbits' down, a few feathers, and horse-hair. The eggs are from six to eight in number, and of a light color. THE RED-BREAST. The Red-breast has usually been reckoned among the birds of passage ; but, as M. de Buffbn has elegantly expressed himself, the departure in the autumn "not being proclaimed among the Red-breasts, as among other birds at that season collected into flocks, many stay behind ; and these are either the young and inexperienced, or some which can derive support from the slender resources of winter. In that season they visit our dwell- ings, and seek the warmest and most sheltered situations ; and, if any one happens still to continue in the woods, it becomes the companion of the faggot-maker, cherishes itself at his fire, pecks at his bread, and flutters the whole day round him, chirping its slender pip. But, when the cold grows more severe, and thick snows cover the ground, it approaches our houses, and taps at the window with its bill, as if to entreat an asylum, which is cheer- fully granted ; and it repays the favor by the most amiable familiarity, gathering the crumbs from the table, distinguishing affectionately the people of the house, and assuming a warble, not indeed so rich as that in the spring, but more delicate. This it retains through all the rigors of the season ; to hail each day the kindness of its host, and the sweet- ness of its retreat. There it remains tranquil, till the returning spring awakens new desires, and invites to other pleasures : it now becomes uneasy, and impatient to recover its liberty." The Red-breast generally builds its nest among the roots of trees, in some concealed spot near the ground. This is composed of dried leaves, mixed with hair and moss, and lined with feathers. The female lays from five to seven eggs. In order the more successfully to con- ceal its nest, we are told that it covers it with leaves, suffering only a narrow winding entrance under the heap to be left. IlKD-BREASt THE AMERICAN ROBIN. 605 This bird feeds principally on insects and worms ; and its skill in preparing the latter is somewhat remarkable. It takes a worm by one extremity, in its beak, and beats it on the ground till the inner part comes away. Then seizing it in a similar manner by the other end, it entirely cleanses the outer part, which alone it eats. The general familiarity of this bird has obtained for it a peculiar denomination in several countries. The inhabitants of Bornholm call it Tommi Liden the Norwegians, Peter Ronsmad the Germans, Thomas Gierdet ; and we give to it the familiar appellation of Robin Red-breast. THE AMERICAN ROBIN, OR MIGRATING THRUSH. The familiar and welcome Kobin is found in summer throughout the North American continent from the desolate regions of Hudson's Bay, the the in 53d degree, to table land of Mexico; it is like- wise a denizen of the territory of the Oregon, on the western base of the Eocky Mountains. In all this vast space, the American Fieldfare rears its y o u n g, only the maritime to which, they flock avoiding AMERICAN ROWJ7. warmer districts, however, for sup- port daring the inclemency of winter. In like manner the common Fieldfare migrates at a late season from the northern districts of Siberia and Lapland to pass the winter in the milder parts of Europe. The Robin has no fixed time for migration, nor any particular rendezvous; they retire from the higher latitudes only as their food begins to fail, and so leisurely and desultory are their movements, that they make their appearance in straggling parties even in Massa- chusetts, feeding on winter berries, till driven to the south by deep and inundating snows. At this season they swarm in the Southern States, though they never move in large bodies. The holly, prinos, sumach, smilax, candle-berry myrtle, and the Virginian juniper now afford them an ample repast in the winter, in the absence of the more juicy berries of autumn, and the insects and worms of the milder season. Even in the vicinity of Boston, flocks of Robins are seen, in certain seasons, assembling round open springs in the depth of 606 THE GROUND ROBIN. THE WREN. winter, having arrived probably from the colder interior of the state; and in those situations they are consequently often trapped and killed in great numbers THE GROUND ROBIN, OR TOWWEE FINCH. It is a very common, humble, and unsuspicious bird, dwelling commonly in the thick dark woods and their borders, flying low, and frequenting thick- ets near streams of water, where it spends much time in scratching up the withered leaves for worms and their larvse, and it is particular- ly fond of "Wire- worms (or lull), as well as various kinds of seeds and gravel. Its rust- ling scratch among the leafy carpet of th forest is, often, the only indica- tion of its pre- sence, excepting now and then a call upon its mate (tow-wee, tow-wee, tow-weet,) with which it is almost constantly associated. While thus busily engaged in foraging for subsistence, it may be watched and approached without showing any alarm; and taking a look often at the observer, without suspicion, it scratches up the leaves as before. 'This call of recognition is uttered in a low and somewhat sad tone, and if not soon answered, it becomes louder and interrogatory, tow-wee, towee ? and terminates often with toweet. They are accused of sometimes visiting the pea- fields to feed, but occasion no sensible damage. GPOCND ROBIN. THE WREN. The Wren is found throughout Europe and America. Its nest is curiously constructed, chiefly of moss, and lined with feathers : in shape it is almost oval, with only one small entrance. This nest is generally found in some corner of an out-house, stack of wood, or hole in a wall, near our habitations ; but when the Wren builds in woods, it generally does this in some bush near the ground, on the THE CHAFFINCH, OR PIEFINCH. 607 stump of a tree, or even on the ground. The female lays from ten to eighteen eggs. The materials of the nest are generally adapted to the place where it is formed. If against a hay-rick, its exterior is com- posed of hay : if against the side of a tree clad with white lichens, it is covered with that substance ; and, if built against a tree covered with green moss, or in a bank, its exterior bears a similar correspondence. The lining is invariably of feathers. The Wren does not, as is usual with most other birds, begin the bottom of its nest first. When against a tree, its primary operation is to trace upon the bark, the outline, and thus to fasten it with equal strength to all parts. It then, in succession, closes the sides and top, leaving only a small hole for entrance. If the nest TnE WRFN be placed under a bank, the top is first begun and is well secured in some small cavity ; and by this the fabric is suspended. The song of the Wren is much admired ; being a pleasing warble, and louder than could be expected from the size of the bird. This it continues throughout the year: these birds have been heard to sing unconcerned even during a fall of snow. They also sing very late in the evening ; though not, like the Nightingale, after dark. THE CHAFFINCH, OR PIEFINCH. The Chaffinch or Piefinch, as it is often called, is so well known as to need no description. It is chiefly remarkable for the beau- tiful nest which it constructs. The forks of a thorn or a wild crab-tree are favorite places for the nest, which is composed of mosses, hair, wool, and feathers, covered on the exterior with lichens, and mosses, so exactly resembling the bough on which the nest is placed, that the eye is often deceived by its ap- pearance. In the nest four or five very pretty eggs are laid: these are of a reddish-brown color, sparely marked with deep brown spots, especially towards the larger end. The name Coelebs or Bachelor, is given to this bird, because the females quit this country about Noverab?r, leaving large flocks of males behind them. THE CHAFFINCH. 608 THE SISKIN HEDGE-SPARROW. THE SISKIN". The Siskin is hardly to be considered more than an occasional visitor in England, but in Scotland it sometimes breeds, as may be seen from the following extract : " The Siskin is a common bird in all the high parts of Aberdeen shire, which abound in fir- woods. They build generally near the extremi- ties of the branches of tall fir-trees, or near the summit of the tree. Sometimes the nest is found in plantations of young fir- wood. In one instance, I met with a nest not f""] y /(Sa^"* s ^?^^^^^i bk three feet from the ground. I visited it every day until four or *^ five eggs were deposited. During incubation the female sho\wed-no fear at my approach. On bringing my hand close to the nest, she THE SISKIN showed some inclination to pug- nacity, and tried to frighten me away with her open bill, following my hand round and round when I attempted to touch her. At last she would only look anxiously round to my finger without making any attack on me. The nest was formed of small twigs of birch or heath outside, and neatly lined with hair." Its eggs are a bluish-white spotted with purplish-red. THE HEDGE-ACCENTOR, OR HEDGE-SPARROW. The Hedge- Accentor, or Hedge-Sparrow, is one of our commonest English birds, closely resembling the common Sparrow, in appear- ance. The nest is built in holes, and contains five blue eggs -like those of the Redstart, but stouter in shape, and of a deeper blue. It is often very bold when en- gaged in sitting, and will permit a near approach without leaving the nest. I have repeatedly visited the nest of one of these birds while the female was sitting, and have parted the boughs of the shrub where the nest was placed, in order to get a good view, while the hen bird still sat quietly in the nest anxiously watching everv movement but net attempting to stir. HEDGE ACCENT03. THE CAT-BIRD FIERY-CROWNED KINGLET. 609 THE CAT-BIRD. This quaint and familiar songster passes the winter in the southern extremities of the United States, and along the coast of Mexico, from whence, as early a s February, they arrive in Georgia. About the middle of April they are first seen in Pennsylvania, and at length leisurely ap- p r o a c h New England, by the close of the first or beginning of the second week in May. They continue their migration also to Canada. The Cat-bird often tunes nis cheerful song before the break of day, hopping from bush to bush, with great agility after his insect prey, while yet scarcely distinguishable amidst the dusky shadows of the dawn. The notes of different individuals vary considerably. A quaint sweetness, however, prevails in all his efforts, and his song is frequently made up of short and blended imitations of other birds, given, however, with great emphasis, melody, and variety of tone; and, like the Nightingale, invading the hours of repose, in the late twilight of a summer's evening, when scarce another note is heard, but the hum of the drowsy beetle, his music attains its full effect, and often rises and falls with all the swell and studied cadence of finished harmony. During the heat of the day, or late in the morning, the variety of his song declines, or he pursues his employment in silence and retirement. THE CAT-BIUD. THE AMERICAS FIERY- CROWNED KINGLET. This diminutive bird is found, according to the season, not only throughout North America, but even in the West Indies. A second species with a Fiery Crest (./?. ignicapillus), and a third indigenous to Asia, are very nearly related to the present; the first having been generally confounded with it, or considered as a variety of the same 610 THE BLUE-BIRD. species. Learned ornithologists have referred our bird without hesi- tation to the Fiery- crested Wren, with which, however, it only agrees in the brilliancy of the crown; and, instead of being less, is indeed larger than the true Golden-crested species. Like the former, they appear associated only in pairs, and are seen on their southern route, in part of Massachusetts, a few days in October, and about the middle of the month, or a little earlier or later according to the set- ting in of the season, as they appear to fly before the desolating storms of the northern regions, whither they retire about May to breed. Some of these birds remain in Pennsylvania until December or January, proceeding probably but little farther south during the winter. They are not known to reside in any part of New England, retiring to the remote and desolate limits of the farthest north. THE BLUE-BIKD. This well known and familiar favorite inhabits almost the whole eastern side of the continent of Amer- ica, from the 48th parallel to the very line of the tropics. Some appear to mi- grate in winter to the Bermudas and Brahama islands, though most of those which pass the sum- mer in the North only retire to the Southern States, or the table land of Mexico. In South Carolin a and Georgia they were abundant in January and Feb- ruary, and even on .the 12th and 28th of former month, weather being did. a few of these 'ffkm niiU.crMU.tu/* - _ wanderers warbled out their simple notes from the naked limbs of the long-leaved pines. Sometimes they even pass the winter in Pennsylvania, or at least make their appearance with almost every relenting of the severity of the winter or warm gleam of thawing sunshine. From this circumstance of their roving about in quest of their scanty food, like the hard-pressed and hungry Eobin Bed-breast, who by degrees gains such courage from necessity, as to enter the cottage for his THE BLACK-THROATED GREEN TTARBLER. 611 allowed crumbs ; it has without foundation, been supposed that our Blue-bird, in the intervals of his absence, passes the tedious and stormy time in a state of dormancy; but it is more probable that he flies to some sheltered glade, some warm and more hospit- able situation, to glean his frugal fare from the ber- ries of the cedar, or the wintry fruits which still remain ungathered in the swamps. Defended from the severity of the cold, he now also, in all probability, roosts in the hollows of decayed trees, a situation which he generally chooses for the site of his nest. In the South, at this cheerless season, they are seen to feed on the glutinous berries of the misletoe, the green-briar, and the sumach. Content with their various fare, and little affected by the extremes of heat and cold, they breed and spend the summer from Labrador to Natchez, if not to Mexico, where great elevation produces the most temperate and mild of climates. They are also abundant, at this season, to the west of the Mississippi, in the States of Missouri and Arkansas. BLUE BIRD AND NEST. THE BLACK-THROATED GREEX WARBLER. This rather rare species, says Kuttall, arrives in Pennsylvania from its tropical winter-quarters to- , wards the close of April or begining of May. About the 12th of the latter month it is seen in some parts of Massachusetts ; but never more than a single pair are seen together. At this season, a silent individual may be occasion- ally observed for 39 THE BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER. 612 THE GOLDEN-CRESTED WREN. an hour at a time, carefully and actively searching for small Cater- pillars and winged insects, amidst the white blossoms of the shady apple tree, and so inoffensive and unsuspicious is the little warbler, that he pursues, without alarm, his busy occupation, as the spectator, within a few feet of him, watches at the foot of the tree. Early in October they are seen in small numbers roving restlessly through the forest, preparatory to their departure for the South. Though the greater part of the species probably proceed farther north to rear their young, a few spend the summer in the Middle and Northern States ; but, from their timorous and retiring habits, it is not easy to trace out their retreats at the period of breeding. THE GOLDEN-CRESTED WREN. The head and upper part of the body of this Wren, are of a deep reddish brown: above each eye there is a stroke of white: the back, and the coverts of the wings and tail, are marked with slender transverse black lines; the quill-feathers with bars of black and red. The throat is of a yellowish white. The belly and sides are crossed with narrow dusky -and pale reddish-brown lines. The tail is crossed with ^. dusky bars. The song of this beautiful little bird, the 'smallest of all the British feathered race, is THE GOLDEN-CRESTED wEw. extremely delicate and pleasing. It is not much unlike, but it is not quite so loud as, that of the Common Wren. The Golden- crested Wren may be easily known in winter by its shrill squeak, somewhat resembling the crinking of a Grasshopper. Except in the frosts, it continues its song during the whole year. These birds are very agile : they are almost continually in motion, fluttering from branch to branch, creeping on all sides of the trees, clinging to them in every situation, and often hanging with their backs downward, in the manner of the Titmice. Their food consists chiefly of minute insects, which they find in the crevices of the bark of trees, or catch nimbly on the wing. They also eat the eggs of insects, small worms, and various kind of seeds. They delight to frequent the largest trees, such as oaks, elms, and firs. The nest of the Golden-crested Wren is an interesting fabric. It somewhat resembles that of the Chaffinch ; and is frequently form- ed amongst the leaves at the tip of a branch of a fir-tree, where it swings about in high winds, like a pendulum. It is oval, very deep, THE WILLOW-WREN. G13 and has a small hole near the middle, for the ingress and egress of the bird. The materials composing its exterior are different species of moss ; and within, it is lined with wool, hair, and feathers. The female lays from ten to eighteen eggs, and not unusually brings up as many young-ones. " It may be ranked among those daily miracles of which we take no notice, that this bird should feed so great a number as this without passing over one, and that also in utter dark- ness." The eggs are, iri size, scarcely larger than peas, and are of a white color, sprinkled with small dull spots. These birds are found in various parts of Europe, Asia and America. They are said to bear well every change of. temperature, from the greatest degree of heat to that of the severest cold. They continue with us during the whole year: but Mr. Pennant states that they cross annually from the Orkneys to the Shetland islands, where they breed, and from which they return before the winter. This is a long flight (sixty miles) for so small a bird. THE WILLOW-WREN. This bird is somewhat larger than the Common Wren. The upper parts of the body are of a pale olive-green ; the under parts are pale yellow, and a streak of yellow passes over the eyes. The wings and tail are brown, edged with yellowish green ; and the legs are yel- lowish. The Willow-Wren is not uncommon in many parts of England. It is migratory, visiting there usually about the middle of April, and taking its departure towards the end of September. The females construct their nests in holes at the roots of trees, in hollows of dry banks and other similar places. These are round, and not unlike the nest of the Wren. The eggs are dusky white, marked with reddish spots ; and are five in number. A Willow- Wren had built in a bank of one of the fields of Mr. White, near Selborne. This bird a friend and himself observed, as she sat in her nest ; but they were particularly careful not to disturb her, though she eyed them with some degree of jealousy. Some days after- wards, as they passed the same way, they were desirous of remarking how the brood went on ; but no nest could be found, till Mr. White happened to take up a large bundle of long green moss, which had been thrown as it were carelessly over the nest, in order to mislead the eye of any impertinent obtruder. The Willow- Wren may justly be termed the Nightingale of the northern snowy countries of Europe. It settles on the most lofty branches of the birch-trees, and makes the air resound with its bold and melodious song. 614 THE AMERICAN HOUSE-WREN. AMERICAN HOUSE-WREN. THE AMERICAN HOUSE-WREN. This lively, cheerful, capricious, and well known little minstrel, says Nuttall, is only a summer resident in the United States. Its northern migrations extend to Labrador. But it resides and rears its young principally in the Middle States. My friend, Mr. Say, also observed this species near Pern- bino, beyond the sources of the Mississippi, in the Western wilderness of the 49th degree of latitude. It is likewise said to be an inhabitant of Surinam within the tropics, where its delightful melody has gained it the nickname of the Nightingale. This region, or the intermediate country of Mexico, is probably the winter quarters of our domestic favorite. In Louisiana it is unknown even as a transient visitor, migrating apparently to the east of the Mississippi, and sedulously avoiding the region generally inhabited by the Carolina Wren. It is a matter of surprise how this, and some other species, with wings so short and a flight so fluttering, are ever capable of arriving and returning from such distant countries. At any rate, come from where he may, he makes his appearance in the middle States about the 12th or 15th of April, and is seen in New England in the latter end of that month or by the beginning of May. They take their departure for the South towards the close of September, or early in October, and are not known to winter within the limits of the Union. Some time in the early part of May, our little social visitor enters actively into the cares as well as pleasures which preside instinctively over the fiat of propagation. His nest, from preference, near the house, is placed beneath the eaves, in some remote corner under a shed, out- house, barn, or in a hollow orchard tree ; also in the deserted cell of the Woodpecker, and , when provided with the convenience, in a wooden box along with the Martins and Blue-birds. He will make his nest even in an old hat, nailed up, and perforated with a hole for entrance, or the skull of an Ox stuck upon a pole ; and Audubon saw one deposited in the pocket of a broken down carriage. So pertina- cious is the House Wren in thus claiming the convenience and pro- tection of human society, that according to Wilson, an instance once THE MOCKING WREN MARSH WREN. 615 occurred where a nest was made in the sleeve of a mower's coat, which, in the month of June, was hung up accidentally for two or three days in a shed near a barn. THE CAROLINA, OR MOCKING WREN. THIS remarkable, mimicking, and Musical Wren, says Nuttall, is a constant resident in the Southern States, from Virginia to Florida, but is rarely seen at any season north of the line of Maryland or Delaware, though, attracted by the great river courses, they are abundant from Pittsburg to New Orleans. A few individuals stray, in the course of the spring, as far as the line of New York, and appear in New Jersey and the vicinity of Philadelphia early in the month of May. On the 17th of April, returning from a Southern tour of great extent, I again recog- nised my old and pleasing acquain- tance, by his usual note, near Chester, on the Delaware, where, I have little doubt, a few remain and pass the summer, retiring to the South only as the weather becomes inclement. On the banks of the Patapsco, near Baltimore, their song is still heard to the close of November. According to Audubon, the nest of this bird is usually placed in a hole in some low and decayed tree, or in a fence post ; sometimes also in a stable, barn, or out-house. The materials employed are hay, dry grass, and leaves, for the outer part ; with a lining of horse-hair, or the capillary dry fibres of the Long-moss (Tillandsia. Sometimes the nest is five or six inches deep, but, with the usual precaution of the family, so narrow in the entrance as only to admit of one of the birds at a time. The eggs, five to eight, are oval, and greyish-white, spotted with reddish-brown. Like the common species, an individual (probably one of the young birds) has been observed to roost for a time in an old Wood-Thrush's nest which had been filled with fallen leaves. They are so prolific as to raise two, and sometimes three broods in a season. TIIE MOCKIXQ-TVREN. SHORT-BILLED MARSH-WREN. THIS amusing and not unmusical little species inhabits the lowest marshy meadows, but does not frequent the reed-flats. It never visits cultivated grounds, and is at all times shy, timid, and suspicious. It arrives in Massachusetts about the close of the first week in May, and 616 THE TAILOR-BIRD. retires to the Soutli by the middle of September at farthest, probably by night, as it is never seen in progress, so that its northern residence is only prolonged about four months. In winter they are seen from South Carolina to Texas. The nest of the Short-Billed Marsh- Wren is made wholly of dry, or partly green sedge, bent usually from the top of the grassy tuft in which the fabric is situated. With much ingenuity and labor these simple materials are loosely entwined together into a spherical form, with a small and rather ob- scure entrance left in the side ; a thin lining is sometimes added to the whole, of the linty fibres of the silk weed, or some other similar material. The eggs, pure white, and des- titute of spots, are probably from six to eight. In a nest containing seven eggs, there were three of them larger than the rest, and per- fectly fresh, while the four smaller were far advanced towards hatching ; from this circumstance we may fairly infer that two different individ- uals had laid in the same nest : a circumstance more common among wild birds than is generally imagined. This is also the more remarkable, as the male of this species, like many other Wrens, is much employed in making nests, of which not more than one in three or four are ever occupied by the females ! .SHOUT-BIliLEU NARSH-WKEN. THE TAILOR-BIRD. This, like the last two, is a very small species, measuring scarcely more than three inches in length. It is a native of India. The nest of the Tailor-bird is a very remarkable production. Its exterior is constructed of two leaves ; the one generally dead, which the bird fixes, at the end of some branch, to the side of a living one, by sewing both together with little filaments, in the manner of a pouch or purse, and open at the top. In this operation the bill of the bird serves as a needle. Sometimes, instead of a dead leaf and a living one, two living leaves are sowed together; and, thus connected they seem rather the work of human art than of an uninstructed animal. After the operation of sewing is finished, the cavity is TAILOR BIRD'S NEST. THE PENDULINE TITMOUSE, AND CAPE TITMOUSE. 617 hned with feathers and soft vegetable down. The nest and birds are together so extremely light, that the leaves of the most exterior and slender twigs of the trees are chosen for the purpose ; and, thus situated, the brood is completely secured from the depreda- tions of every invader. OF THE TITMICE IN GENERAL. THE bill is straight, strong, hard, sharp-pointed, and a little com- pressed. The nostrils are round, and covered with bristles. The tongue appears as if cut off at the extremity, and is terminated by three or four bristles. The toes are divided to their origin ; and the back toe is very large and strong. This is a diminutive but sprightly race of birds ; possessed both of courage and strength. Their general food consists of seeds, fruit, and insects ; and a few of them eat flesh. Some of them will ven- ture to assault birds that are twice or thrice their own bulk ; and, in this case, they direct their aim chiefly at the eyes. They often seize upon birds that are weaker than themselves : these they kill, and, having picked a hole in the skull, eat out the brain. They are very prolific, laying eighteen or twenty eggs at a time. Their voice is, in general, unpleasant. THE PENDULINE TITMOUSE, AND CAPE TITMOUSE. These birds are about four inches and a half in length. The fore part of the head is whitish, and the hind part and the neck are ash-colored. The upper parts of the plumage are grey ; the forehead is black ; the throat and the front of the neck are of a very pale ash-color; and the rest of the under parts are yellowish. The quills and tail are brown, edged with vvl ; ite ; 1 and the le s s . are re / d i sh s ra y- In the construction of their nests, the Penduline or Bottle Titmice employ chiefly the light down of the wil- low, the poplar, and the aspen; or of thistles, dandelions, and other flowers. With their bill they entwine these filamentous substances, and form a thick, close web, almost like cloth, this they fortify externally with fibres and small roots, which penetrate into the texture, and in some measure compose the basis of the nest. They line the inside with down, but not woven, in order that their offspring may lie soft. They close the nest above, for the purpose of confining the warmth ; and they suspend it with hemp, nettles, &c., from the cleft of a small pliant branch, (over some stream) that it may rock more gently, assisted by the spring of the branch. In this situation the brood are well supplied with insects, which constitute their chief food ; and they are also thus protected from their enemies. The nest sometimes 618 THE BLUE TITMOUSE. resembles a bag, and sometimes a short purse. The aperture is made in the side, is nearly round, not more than an inch and a half in diameter, and commonly surrounded by a brim more or less protu- berant. These nests are seen in great numbers in the fens of Bologna, and in those of Tuscany, Lithuania, Poland, and Germany. The peasants regard them with superstitious veneration : one of them is usually suspended near the door of each cottage ; and the possessors esteem it a defence against thunder, and its little architect is a sacred bird. The penduline Titmice frequent watery places, for the sake of aquatic insects, on which they feed. The Cape Titmouse, constructs its nest of the down of a species of asclepias. This luxurious nest is made of the texture of flannel, and equals fleecy hosiery in softness. Near the upper end projects a small tube, about an inch in length, with an orifice about three-fourths of an inch in diameter. Immediately under the tube is a small hole in the side, that has no communica- tion with the interior of the nest; in this hole, the male sits at night, and thus both male and female are screened from the weather. TITS CAPE TITMOUSE. THE BLUE TITMOUSE. The bill is short and dusky. The crown of the head is of a line blue color. From the bill to the eyes there is a black line. The forehead and cheeks are white. The back is of a yellowish green ; and the lower side of the body yellow. The wings and tail are blue, the former marked transversely with a white bar. The legs are lead-colored. This busy little bird is frequently seen in our gardens and orchards where its operations are much dread- ed by the over-anxious gardener, who fears, lest, in pursuit of its favorite food, whch is often lodged in the tender buds, it may destroy them also, to the injury of his future harvest: not considering that the Titmouse is the means of destroy- ing a much more dangerous enemy (the caterpillar) which it finds there. It has likewise a strong propensity for flesh. This bird is dis- tinguished above all the rest of the Titmice by its rancor against the owl. The female builds her nest in the holes of walls or trees, which it lines well with feathers ; she lays from fourteen to twenty white eggs. If her eggs be touched by any person, or one of them be broken, she immediately forsakes her nest and builds again, but otherwise she has but one hatch in the year. THB ELUE-TITMOL3E. THE GREAT TITMOUSE LONG-TAILED TITMOUSE. 619 THE GREAT TITMOUSE. The Great Titmouse is common in this country, frequenting gardens, orchards, copses, &c. During the spring it is very active in the capture of insects, but in autumn and winter it is forced to conten\ itself with grains and seeds of various Descriptions. Gil- bert White, in his "Sel- borne," mentions that he has seen the Great Tit " while it hung with its back downwards, to my no small delight and admira- tion, draw straws length- wise from the eaves of thatched houses, in order to pull out the flies that were concealed among them, and that in such numbers that they quite defaced the thatch, and gave it a ragged appearance." The nest of this bird is built in the hole of a wall, or a decayed tree, and in it are placed six or eight eggs, of a white color, spotted with reddish brown. The length of the bird is about six inches. THE GREAT TITMOUSE. THE LONG-TAILED TITMOUSE. The Long-tailed Titmouse is another well-known species of this amusing family. Unlike the other Tits, it does not fre- quent human habitations during be human the winter, but may seen in great numbers twisting and creeping about the branches of hedge-rows and field trees. In summer they are quite as bold as their relations, and especially favor apple-trees, for the sake of the diseased buds, which they pick off and devour, thereby drawing upon them- selves the vengeance of the gardener, who prepares his gun, fires at the supposed depredators, and possibly succeeds in killing them : but he has also succeeded in doing more damage to the healthy buds by his spare shot, than a score of Tits would injure during the entire season. THE LONG-TAILED TITMOUSB. 620 THE COAL-TIT. MARSH-TIT. TUFTED TITMOUSE. The beautiful and elaborate nest which this bird constructs is one of its chief peculiarities. It is oval in shape, and entirely closed, except one small hole at the side, just large enough to admit the bird. The exterior of the nest is usually covered with lichens, and is lined with a thick layer of soft feathers. In this warm and elegant habita tion are laid from ten to fourteen eggs, which are small and very delicately spotted. The entire length of the bird is about five inches and a half. THE COAL-TIT. The Coal- Tit is very similar to the Blue-Tit in form, but smaller, being about four inches in length, and destitute of the lively colors which render that bird so agreeable to the eye. The breast of the Coal-Tit is of a greyish-white, the back yellowish- grey, and the feet and claws of a livid blue ; the head and neck are of a deep black, (whence it has been called the Lesser Blackcap,) with a patch of white on each cheek, and another on the nape of the neck. This bird is not very common in England, but in Scotland, where it frequents the forests of pine and fir, it is more abundant, and may be seen through- out the year, except in very severe weather, when it departs south- ward, or approaches the farm-houses and towns to seek for food. THE MARSH-TIT. The Marsh-Tit is very like the preceding in color and form, though larger, but has no white on the nape of the neck. It is very common in the northern parts of England, but is seldom seen in Scotland above Fifeshire, and scarcely ever so far south as London. Although it may be sometimes met with in the woods in dry districts, it is more frequently to be found among the reeds in low marshy tracts, where it makes its nest, generally choosing some decayed willow for a foundation. The Marsh-Tit is also known provincially as the Smaller One- eye, Willow-Biter, Joe Bent, &c. THE TUFTED TITMOUSE. This species is six and a half inches long, and nine in the stretch of the wings. Above, dark bluish -ash ; the front black tinged with reddish. Beneath sullied white, except the sides under the wings, which are pale reddish-brown. Legs and feet greyish blue. Bill black. Iris hazel. The crest high and pointed, like that of the common Blue Jay. Tail slightly forked. Tips of the wings dusky. Tongue blunt ending in four sharp points. Female very similar to the male. THE CHICADEE, OR BLACK-CAPT TITMOUSE 621 THE CHICADEE. CHICADEE, OE BLACK-CAPT TITMOUSE. This familiar, hardy, and restless little bird chiefly inhabits the Northern and Middle States, as well as Can- ada in which it is even resident in winter around Hudson's Bay, and has been met with at 62 on the North- west coast. In all the Northern and Middle States, during autumn and winter, families of these birds are seen chattering and roving through the woods, busily engaged in gleaning their multi- farious food, along with the preceding species, Nuthatches, and Creepers, the whole forming a busy, active, and noisy group, whose manners, food, and habits bring them together in a common pursuit. Their diet varies with the season, for besides insects, their larvae, and eggs, of which they are more particularly fond, in the month of Sep- tember they leave the woods and assemble familiarly in our orchards and gardens, and even enter the thronging cities in quest of that sup- port which their native forests now deny them. Large seeds of many kinds, particularly those which are oily, as the Sun -flower, and Pine and Spruce Kernels are now sought after. These seeds, in the usual manner of the genus, are seized in the claws and held against the branch, until picked open by the bill to obtain their contents. Fat of various kinds is also greedily eaten, and they regularly watch the retreat of the hog-killers, in the country, to glean up the fragments of meat which adhere to the places where the carcases have been suspended. Its quaint notes and jingling warble are heard even in winter on fine days when the weather relaxes in its severity. It adds by its presence, indomitable action, and chatter, an air of cheerfulness to the silent and dreary winters of the coldest parts of America. Dr. Kichardson found it in the fur countries up to the 65th parallel, where it contrives to dwell throughout the whole year. 622 THE CEDAR BIRD, OR CHERRY-BIRD. THE CEDAR BIRD, OR CHERRY BIRD. This common native wanderer, which in the summer extends its migrations to the re- motest unpeopled regions of Canada,* is also found throughout the American continent to Mexico, and parties occasionally even roam to the tropical forest of Cayenne. In all this extensive geographical range, where great eleva- tion or latitude tempers the climate so as to be favorable to the production of juicy fruits, the Cedar Bird will probably be found either almost wholly to reside or to pass the season of repro- duction. Like its European representative (the Waxen Chatterer,) it is capable of braving a considerable degree of cold, for in Penn- sylvania and New Jersey some of these birds are seen throughout the winter, where as well as in the early part of the summer and fall, they are killed and brought to market, generally fat, and much esteemed as food. Silky softness of plumage, gentleness of disposition, innocence of character, extreme sociability, and an innate inextinguishable love of freedom, accompanied by a constant desire of wandering, are characteristic traits in the physical and moral portrait of the second as well as the preceding species of this pecu- liar and extraordinary genus. Leaving the northern part of the continent, situated beyond the 40th degree, at the approach of winter, they assemble in companies of twenty to a hundred, and wander through the Southern States and Mexico to the confines of the equator, in all of which countries they are now either common or abundant. As observed by Audubon, their flight is easy, continued, and often performed at a considerable height ; and they move in flocks or companies, making several turns before they alight. As the mildness of spring returns, and with it their favorite food, they re-appear in the Northern and Eastern States about the beginning of April, before the ripening of their favorite CEDAK BIRD. * Seen by Mr. Say near Winrpique river in latitude 50, and by Mr. Drummond on the south branch of the Saskatchewan. THE BOHEMIAN WAX-WING, OR WAXEN CHATTERER. 623 fruits, the cherries and mulberries. But at this season, to repay the gardener for the tithe of his crop, their natural due, they fail not to assist in ridding his trees of more deadly enemies which infest them, and the small caterpillars, beetles, and various insects now constitute their only food ; and for hours at a time they may be seen feeding on the all-despoiling Canker-worms, which infest our Apple trees and Elms. On these occasions, silent and sedate, after plentifully feeding, they sit dressing their feathers, in near contact on the same branch to the number of five or six ; and as the season of selective attach- ment approaches, they may be observed pluming each other, and caressing with the most gentle fondness ; a playfulness, in which, however, they are even surpassed by the contemned Eaven, to which social and friendly family our Cedar Bird, different as he looks, has many traits of alliance. THE BOHEMIAN WAXWING, OR WAXEN CHATTERER. The Bohemian Waxwing, or Waxen Chatterer, is only occasionally seen in England during severe frosts, at which time flocks of them sometimes arrive. One of these birds was shot at Oxford in the winter of 1846. It is very -com- mon in Norway and Eussia, and is plentiful in North America. The name of Waxwing is given to it from the sin- gular appendages to the secondary quill feathers, bearing much resem- blance to a drop of red sealing-wax pressed on the wing. Berries of all kinds, especially those of the dog-rose and the haw- thorn, form the principal food of this bird ; but it is related that when in captivity it rejects scarcely any vegetable substance, but loses at the same time all its vivacity and social habits. The note of the Waxwing is not unlike that of the Thrush, but it is very weak and more uncertain than the notes of that beau- THE BOHEMIAN WAXWING. 624 OF THE SWALLOWS IN GENERAL. tiful songster. While singing it agitates the crest on its head, but shows scarcely any of that swelling in the throat so preceptible in the Canary and other singing birds. The length of the bird is rather more than eight inches. THE JAPANESE CHATTERER. This is a species found in Japan, with 'naked nostrils, and without the usual wax-like appendages to the wings which give this genus the name of Waxwing. It is ash-colored, with an ash-colored and red crest. OF THE .SWALLOWS IN GENEKAL. THE bill of the Swallow is short broad at the base, small at the point, and some- what bent. The nostrils are open . The tongue is short, broad, and cloven. The tail, except in one species is fork- ed ; and the \v are long. The are short, and legs (ex- THE SWALLOW. cept in four species, in which they are all placed forward) the toes are placed three before and one behind. Swallows are easily distinguished from all other birds, not only by their general structure, but by their twittering voice, and their manner of life. They fly with great rapidity, seldom walk, and perform all their functions either on the wing or sitting. By means of their wide mouth they easily catch insects in the air, or on the surface of the water ; and on these they subsist. Naturalists have been much divided in their opinions respecting the migration of the Swallow tribe from this country. That the actual migration of the Swallow tribe does take place, has been fully proved from a variety of well-attested facts ; most of which have been taken from the observation of navigators who were eye- witnesses of their flights, and whose ships have sometimes afforded to them resting-places in their toilsome journeys. THE CHIMNEY SWALLOW. 625 THE CHIMNEY SWALLOW. THE CHIMNEY SWALLOW. During the summer months this Swallow takes up its residence in this country, building its nest generally in the insides of our chimneys, a few feet from the top. This nest is composed of mud mixed with straw and hair, and lined with feathers. It lays four or five eggs, and has two broods in the year. The progressive method by which the young-ones are intro- duced to their proper habits, is very curious. They first, but not with- o u t some difficulty, emerge from the shaft : for a day or two they are fed on the chimney- top ; and then are conducted to the dead, leafless bough of some neighboring tree, where, sitting in a row, they are attended by the parents with great assiduity. In a day or two after this, they are strong enough to fly, but they continue still unable to take their own food. They therefore play about near the place, where the dams are watching for flies ; and, when a mouthful is collected, at a certain signal, the dam and the nestling advance, rising towards each other, and meeting at an angle ; the young-one all the while uttering such a short quick note of gratitude and complacency, that a person must have paid very little regard to the wonders of nature, who has not re- marked this scene. As soon as the dam has disengaged herself from the first brood, she immediately commences her preparations for a second, which is intro- duced into the world about the middle or latter end of August. During every part of the summer, the Swallow is a most instructive pattern of unwearied industry and affection : from morning to night, while there is a family to be supported, she spends the whole time in skimming along, and exerting the most sudden turns and quick evolutions : avenues, and long walks under hedges, pasture-fields, and mown meadows where cattle graze, are her delight, especially if there are trees interspersed, because in such spots insects most abound. When a fly is taken, a smart snap from her bill is to be heard, not unlike the noise of the shutting of a watch-case ; but the motion of the mandibles is too quick for 'the eye. The Swallow is the excubitor to the House-Martins and other little birds, announcing the approach of birds of prey : for as soon as- a Hawk or an Owl appears the Swal! >w calls, with a shrill alarming note, all 626 THE CHIMNEY SWALLOW. his own fellows and the Martins about him ; who pursue in a body, and strike their enemy, till they have driven him from the place, darting down upon his back, and rising in a perpendicular line in per- fect security. This bird will also sound the alarm, and strike at cats when they climb on the roofs of houses, or otherwise approach the nests. Wonderful is the address, Mr. White justly observes, which this adroit bird exhibits in ascending and decending with security through the narrow passage of a chimney. When hovering over the mouth of the funnel, the vibrations of its wings acting on the confined air, occasion a rumbling like distant thunder. It is not improbable that the dam submits to the inconvenience of having her nest low down in the shaft, in order to have her broods secure from rapacious birds ; and particularly from Owls, which are frequently found to fall down chimneys, probably in their attempts to get at the nestlings. Professor Kalm, in his Travels in America, says, that a very reputable lady and her children related to him the following story respecting these birds, assuring him at the same time that they were all eye-witnesses to the fact : " A couple of Swallows built their nest in the stable belonging to the lady ; and the female laid eggs in the nest, and was about to brood them. Some days .afterwards the people saw the female still sitting on the eggs : but the male flying about the nest, and sometimes settling on a nail, was heard to utter a very plaintive note, which betrayed his uneasiness. On a nearer examina- tion, the female was found dead in the nest ; and the people flung her body away. The male then went to sit upon the eggs ; but after being about two hours on them, and perhaps finding the business too troublesome, he went out, and returned in the afternoon with another female, which sat upon the nest, and afterwards fed the young-ones, till they were able to provide for themselves." At Camerton Hall, near Bath, a pair of Swallows built their nest on the upper part of the frame of an old picture over the chimney-piece ; entering through a broken pane in the window of the room. They came three years successively; and in all probability would have con- tinued to do so, had not the room been put in repair, which prevented their access to it. Another pair were known to build for two successive years on the handles of a pair of garden shears, that were stuck up against the boards in an out-house ; and therefore must have had their nest spoiled whenever the implement was wanted. And what is still more strange, a bird of the same species built its nest on the wings and body of an Owl, that happened to hang dead and dry from the rafter of a barn and so loose as to be moved by every gust of wind. This Owl, with the nest on its wings, and with eggs in the nest, was taken as a curi- osity to the museum of Sir Ashton Lever. That gentleman, struck with the singularity of the sight, furnished the person who brought it with a large shell, desiring him to fix it just where the Owl had hung. The man did so ; and in the following year a pair of Swallows, probably the same, built their nest in the shell, and laid eggs. "By the myriads of insects, which every single brood of Swallows destroy, in the course of a summer, these birds defend us in a great THE CHIMNEY SWALLOW. 627 measure from the personal and domestic annoyance of flies and gnats , and what is of infinitely more consequence, they keep down the numbers of our minute enemies, which, either in the grub or. winged state, would otherwise prey on the labors of the husbandman. Since, then, Swallows are guardians of our corn, they should every where be protected by the same popular veneration which in Egypt defends the Ibis, and in Holland the Stork. We more frequently hear of unpro- ductive harvests on the Continent than in England ; and it is well known that Swallows are caught and sold as food, in the markets of Spain, France, and Italy. When this practice has been very general and successful, I have little doubt that it has, at times, contributed to a scarcity of corn. In England they are not driven to such resources to furnish their tables. But what apology can be made for those, and many there are, whose education should have taught them more innocent amusements, but who wantonly murder Swallows, under the idle pretence of improving their skill in shooting game ? Besides the cruelty of starving whole nests by killing the dam, they who follow this barbarous diversion would do well to reflect, that by every Swallow they kill, they assist the effect9of blasts, mildews, and vermin, in causing a scarcity of bread. All the birds of this tribe have been observed to drink as they fly along, sipping the surface of the "water ; but the Swallow alone, in general, washes on the wing, by dropping into a pond many times successively. In very hot weather, House-Martins and Bank-Martins, also sometimes dip and wash. Swallows feed on small Beetles, as well as on Gnats and Flies ; and often settle on dug ground or paths, for gravel, which assists in grin- ding and digesting their food. Horsemen, on wide downs, are often closely attended, for miles together, by a small party of Swallows ; which play before and behind them, sweeping around, and collecting all the insects that are roused by the trampling of the horse's feet. When the wind blows hard, the birds, without this expedient, are often forced to alight, in order to pick up their lurking prey. Mr. White informs us, that for some weeks before the Swallows de- part, they (without exceptions) forsake houses and chimneys, and roost in trees; and that they usually withdraw about the beginning of October, though some few stragglers may be seen at times till the first week in November. A few days previously to their departure, they assemble in vast flocks on house-tops, churches, and trees, from which they take their flight. I shall conclude the account of this bird with an anecdote related by M. de Buffon. This celebrated writer informs us, that a shoemaker in Basle put a collar on a Swallow, containing an inscription to this purport : " Pretty Swallow, tell me, whither goest thou in winter?" and in the ensuing spring he received, by the same courier, the fol- lowing answer : " To Anthony at Athens : Why dost thou inquire?" ' 40 628 THE MARTIN. The most probable conjecture on this story is, that the answer was written by some one who had caught the bird in Switzerland ; for both Belon and Aristotle assure us, that though the Swallows live half the year in Greece, yet they always pass the winter in Africa. The Rev. Revett Shepperd, F. L. S., a few years ago communicated to me the following acount of a Swallow which was domesticated by Miss Boldero of Ixworth, near Bury St. Edmunds: " On the 19th of July, 1806, three young Swallows fell down the chimney of this lady's bed-chamber, and, being fond of birds, she determined, if possible, to rear them. Two of them died in the course of a week, but the third, by feeding it with boiled egg, mixed occasionally with bread, she succeeded in rearing. It grew fast, and continued in excellent health. As flies were its most natural food, she supplied it with these as fre- quently as possible. It drank plentifully of water, and seemed to derive great pleasure from regularly washing itself. This bird grew so tame that it would come to its mistress whenever she held out her finger for it to alight upon ; and thus perched, would catch every fly within its reach. Its eagerness in this act, and its manner of catching these insects, the snap of its bonk in so doing, and its general docility, rendered it a very amusing and interesting' object. Frequently after dinner, Miss Boldero would bring it upon her finger into the dining- room, a large and lofty apartment. Here it would fly about with great freedom ; and, when tired, would come to its mistress to rest itself upon her. It did not appear to notice a small Parrot, which was loose in the same room, and upon the perches of whose stand it was fond of alighting. If, however, the Parrot attempted to attack it, the Swallow always opened its beak in a threatening manner, as if resolved to defend itself from insult. "When the usual term for the migration of its tribe approached, this bird became uneasy ; and, as it was occasionally hung in a cage on the outside of the house, the other Swallows came about it, and appeared to invite it to go with them. The Swallows, so long as any remained, came every day to it ; and when they had all disappeared it became tolerably tranquil. Miss Boldero was extremely anxious to preserve it through the winter, and though aware of the difficulty she should have in feeding it through that season, resolved to make the attempt. On the 9th of October, however, after she had fed it as usual, and had left it in apparent health and vigor, she had the morti- fication, on returning to her chamber, to find it dead. The cause of its death she was unable to ascertain; but she imagined that the bird might have been inadvertently struck by the servant, whilst she was cleaning the room." THE MARTIN. About the 16th of April these birds begin to appear, and generally for some time they pay no attention to the business of nidification, but play and sport about, either to recruit themselves from the fatigue of their journey, or else that their blood may recover its true tone THE MARTIN. THE MARTIN. 629 and texture, after having been so long benumbed by the severities of the winter. Towards the middle of May, if the weather be fine, the Martin begins to think of providing a mansion for its family. The crust or shell of its nest seems to be formed of such dirt or loam as is most readily met with ; and it is tempered and wrought together with little pieces of broken straws, to render it tough and tenacious. As this bird often builds against a perpendicular wall, without any projecting le&ge under, its utmost efforts are necessary to get the first foundation firmly fixed, so as to carry safely the superstructure. On this occasion the bird not only clings with its claws, but partly supports itself by strongly inclining its tail against the wall, making that a fulcrum; and, thus fixed, it plasters the materials into the face of the brick or stone. But that this work may not, while soft, incline down by its own weight, the provident architect has the prudence and forbearance not to proceed too fast ; but, by building only in the morning, and dedicating the rest of the day to food and amusement, she gives it sufficient time to dry and harden. About half an inch seems to be a sufficient layer for a day. Thus, careful workmen, when they build mud-walls, (informed at first, perhaps, by this little bird,) add but a moderate layer at a time, and then desist, lest the work should become top-heavy, and so be ruined by its own weight. By this method, in about ten or twelve days, a hemispherical nest is formed, with a small aperture towards the top ; strong, compact, and warm, and perfectly fitted for all the purposes for which it was in- tended. But nothing is more common than for the House-Sparrow, as soon as the shell is finished, to seize on it, eject the owner, and to line it according to its own peculiar manner. After so much labor is bestowed in erecting a mansion, as Nature seldom works in vain, Martins will breed for several years successively in the same nest, where it happens to bs well sheltered and secured from the injuries of the weather. The shell or crust of the nest is a sort of rustic work, full of knobs and protuberances on the outside: nor is the inside smoothed with any great exactness ; but it is rendered soft and warm, and fit for incubation, by a lining of small straws, grasses, and feathers, and sometimes by a bed of moss interwoven with wool. In this nest are produced four or five young ones ; which, when arrived at full growth, become impatient of confinement, and sit all day with their heads out at the orifice, where the dams, by clinging to the nest, supply them with food from morning to night. After this they are feel on wing by the parents ; but this feat is performed by so quick and almost imperceptible a flight, that a person must attend very exactly to the motions of the birds, before he is able to perceive it. 630 THE MARTIN. As soon as the young-ones are able to provide for themselves, the dams repair their nest for a second brood. The first flight then asso- ciate in vast flocks ; and may be seen on sunny mornings and evenings, clustering and hoyering around towers and steeples, and on the roofs of churches and houses. These congregations usually begin to take place about the first week in August. From observing the birds approaching and playing about the eaves of buildings, many persons have been led to suppose that more than two old birds attend on each nest. The Martins are often very capricious in fixing on a nesting-place, beginning many edifices and leaving them unfinished ; but (as we have before observed) when a nest has once been completed in a sheltered situation, it is made to serve for several seasons. In form- ing their nests, these industrious artificers are at their labor, in the long days, before four o'clock in the morning : in fixing their materials they plaster them on with their chins, moving the head with a quick vibratory motion. Sometimes, in very hot weather, they dip and wash themselves as they flv, but not so frequently as the Swallows. They are the least agile of all the British hirundines ; their wings and tails are short, and therefore they are not capable of those surprising turns, and quick and glancing evolutions, that are so observable in the Chimney-Swal- lows. Their motion is placid and easy : generally in the middle region of the air ; for they seldom mount to any great height, and never sweep long together over the surface of the ground or water. They do not wander far in quest of food ; but are fond of sheltered places near some lake, or under some hanging wood, especially in windy weather. During the residence of a Mr. Simpson, at Welton in North America, he one morning heard a noise from a couple of Martins that were flying from tree to tree near his dwelling. They made several attempts to get into a box or cage which was fixed against the house, and which they had before occupied ; but they always ap- peared to fly from it again with the utmost dread, at the same time repeating those loud cries which first drew his attention. Curiosity led this gentleman to watch their motions. After some time, a small Wren came from the box, and perched on a tree near it ; when her shrill notes seemed to amaze her antagonists. Having remained a short time, she flew away. The Martins took this opportunity of re- turning to the cage ; but their stay was short. Their diminutive adver- sary entered and made them retire with the greatest precipitation. They continued manoeuvring in this way, during the whole day, but on the following morning, when the Wren quitted the cage, the Mar- tins immediately returned, took possession of their mansion, broke up their own nest, went to work afresh with extreme industry and ingenuity, and soon barricaded their doors. The Wren re- turned, but could not now re-enter. She made attempts to storm the nest, but did not succeed. The Martins abstaining from food nearly two days, persevered during the whole of that time in defend- THE SAND-MARTIN. 631 ing tne entrance ; and the Wren, finding she could not force the works, raised the siege, quitted her intentions, and left the Martins in quiet possession of their dwelling. THE SAND-MARTIN. In the banks of rivers, and in the perpendicular sides of sand- pits, these birds dig round and regular holes, about two feet in depth, which run horizon- tally, and in a somewhat serpentine direction. At the further end of these burrows, the birds construct their rude nest of grass and feathers. " Though one would at first be disinclined to believe (says Mr. White) that this weak bird, with her soft tender bill and claws, should ever THE 8AND MARTIN . be able to bore the stubborn sand-bank with- out entirely disabling herself; yet with these feeble instruments have I seen a pair of them make great dispatch ; and could remark how much they had scooped in a day, by the fresh sand which ran down the bank, and which was of a different color from what lay loose and had been bleached in the sun. In what space of time the little artists are able to mine and finish these cavities, I have never been able to discover ; but it would be a matter worthy of observation, where it falls in the way of any naturalist to make such remarks. This I have often taken notice of, that several holes of different depths are left unfinished at the end of the summer. To imagine that these begin- nings were intentionally made, in order to be in the greater forward- ness for the ensuing spring, is allowing perhaps too much foresight to a simple bird. May not the cause of their being left unfinished, arise from the birds meeting, in those places, with strata too harsh, hard, and solid, for their purpose; which they relinquish, and go to a fresh spot, where they can work more freely ? Or may they not in other places fall in with a soil as much too loose and mouldering, liable to founder, and threatening to overwhelm them and their labors? One thing is remarkable; that, after some years, the old holes are forsaken, and new ones are bored ; perhaps because the former habitations were become foul and fetid from long use, or be- cause they so abounded with fleas as to become untenable." Sand Martins are so strangely annoyed with fleas, that these vermin have been sometimes seen swarming at the mouths of their holes, like bees on the stools of their hives. The Sand Martin appears in this country about the same time as the Swallow, and lays from four to six white and semi-transparent eggs. These birds seem not to be of very sociable disposition : with us they never congregate in the autumn. They have a peculiar man- ner of flying : they flirt about with odd jerks and vacillations, not unlike the motions of a Butterfly. 632 THE ESCULENT SWALLOW. THE ESCULENT SWALLOW. The Esculent Swallow is somewhat smaller than the Wren. Its bill is thick. The upper parts of the body are brown, and the under parts whitish. The tail is forked; and each feather is tipped with white. The legs are brown. The nest of this bird is exceedingly curious, and is composed of such materials, that it is not only edible, but is accounted by the epicures of Asia, among their greatest dainties. It generally weighs -about half an ounce ; and is, in shape, like a half-lemon, or, as some say, like a saucer with one side flatted, which adheres to the rock. The texture somewhat resembles isinglass, or fine gum-dragon : and the several layers of the component matter are very apparent ; it be- ing fabricated from repeated parcels of a soft, siimy substance, in the same manner as the Martins form their nests of mud'. Authors differ much as to the materials of which this nest is composed : some suppose it to consist of sea-worms, of the Mollusca class; others from the sea-qualm, (a kind of Cuttle-fish,) or a glutinous sea-plant, called agal-agal. It has also been supposed that the Swallows rob other birds of their eggs, and, after breaking their shells, apply the white of them in the composition of these structures. The best sort of nests, which are perfectly free from dirt are dis- solved in broth, in order to thicken it ; and are said to give it an exquisite flavor. Or they are soaked in water, to soften them ; then pulled to pieces ; and, after being mixed with ginseng, are put into the body of a fowl. The whole is afterwards stewed in a pot, with a suf- ficient quantity of water, and left on the coals all night. On the following morning it is in a state to be eaten. These nests are found in vast numbers in certain caverns of islands in the Soolo Archipelago. The best kind sell in China at from one thousand to fifteen hundred dollars the pick ; (about twenty-five pounds ; ) the black and dirty ones for only twenty dollars. It is said that the Dutch alone export from Batavia one thousand picles of these nests every year : they are brought from the islands of Cochin-China and those lying east of them. The following is the account given of the nests of the Esculent Swallow by Sir George Staunton : " In the Cass (a small island near Sumatra) were found two caverns, running horizontally into the side of the rock ; and in these were a number of those bird-nests so much prized by the Chinese epicures. They seem to be composed of fine filaments, cemented together by a transparent viscous matter, not unlike what is left by the foam of the sea upon stones alternately cov- ered by the tide, or those gelatinous animal substances that are found floating on every coast. The nests adhere to each other, and to the sides of the cavern ; mostly in rows, without any break or interruption. The birds that build these nests are small gray Swallows, with bellies of a dirty white color. They were flying about in considerable numbers ; but were so small, and their flight was so quick, that they escaped the THE BLACK MARTIN, OR SWIFT. 633 shot fired at them. The same sort of nests are said also to be found in deep caverns at the foot of the highest mountains in the middle of Java, and at a great distance from the sea. The Esculent Swallows feed on insects which they find hovering over stagnated pools between the mountains, and for the catching of which their wide-opening beaks are particularly adapted. They prepare their nests from the best remnants of their food. Their greatest enemy is the Kite, which often intercepts them in their passage to and from the caverns. The nests are placed in horizontal rows, at different depths, from fifty to five hundred feet. The color and value of the nests depend on the quantity and quality of the insects caught ; and, perhaps, also on the situation in which they are' built. Their value is chiefly ascertained by the uniform fineness and delicacy of their texture ; those that are white and transparent being most esteemed, and often fetching in China, their weight in silver. " These nests are a considerable object of traffic among the Javanese ; many of whom are employed in it from their infancy. The birds, after having spent nearly two months in preparing their nests, lay each two eggs, which are hatched in about fifteen days. "When the young birds become fledged, is the proper time to take the nests ; and this is re- gularly done three times a year, and is effected by means of ladders of bamboo and reeds, by which the people descend into the caverns : but when these are very deep, rope-ladders are preferred. This operation is attended with much danger. The inhabitants of the mountains, who obtain a livelihood by collecting the nests, always begin by sacrificing a buffalo. They also pronounce certain prayers, anoint themselves with sweet-scented oil, and smoke the entrance of the cavern with gum-benjamin. Near some of the caverns a tutelar goddess is wor- shipped, whose priest burns incense, and lays his protecting hands on every person preparing to descend. A flambeau is, at the same time, carefully prepared, with a gum which exudes from a tree growing in the vicinity, and which is not easily extinguished by fixed air or subterraneous vapors." THE BLACK MARTIN, OR SWIFT. . The legs of the Swift are so short, that the actions of walking and rising from the ground seem very difficult to it. Providence, however, has made the bird ample compensation, by furnishing it with means, in a peculiarly great extent of wing, for an easy and long-continued flight. It passes more of its time on wing than any other Swallow, and its flight is more rapid. It breeds under the eaves of houses, in steeples, and other lofty buildings ; and makes its nest of grass and feathers. The feet of this bird are of a peculiar structure, all the toes standing forward. The least toes consist of only one bone ; the others of two each ; in which they differ from the toes of all other birds. This, however, is a construction nicely adapted to the purposes for which the feet of these birds are employed. 634 THE BLACK MARTIN, OR SWIFT. The Swift visits England the latest, and leaves the earliest, of any bird of its tribe : it does not often arrive before the begining of May, and seldom remains later than the middle of August. It is the most active of all birds ; being on wing, in the height of summer, at least sixteen hours in the day ; withdrawing to rest, in the longest days, about a quarter before nine in the evening, some time after all the other day-birds are gone. Just before they retire, large groups of Swifts assemble high in the air, screaming, and shooting about with wonderful rapidity. They are chiefly alert in sultry, lowering weather ; when they express great alacrity, and seem to call forth all their powers. In hot mornings, the Swifts collect together, in little parties, and dash around the steeples and churches, squeaking at the same time in a very clamorous manner. These are supposed to be the males sere- nading the sitting hens ; as they seldom make this noise till they come close to the walls or eaves, and those within always utter in return a faint note of complacency. When the hen has been occupied all the day in sitting, she rushes forth, just before it is dark, to relieve her weary limbs. She snatches a scanty meal for a few minutes, and then returns to her task of incubation. Swifts, when shot while they have young-ones, are found to have a little cluster of insects in their mouths, which they pouch and hold under their tongue. In general, they fly and feed higher in the air than any other species. They also range to vast distances ; for motion is but a slight labor to them, endowed as they are with such wonderful powers of wing. Sometimes, however, in the summer they may be observed, for many successive hours, hawking very low, over pools and streams, in search of the Cadew-flies, May -flies, and Dragon flies, which frequent the banks and surface of waters, and which afford them a plentiful nourishment. Sometimes they pursue and strike at birds of prey when they are sailing about in the air ; but they do not express so much vehemence and fury on these occasions as the Swallows. Swifts breed but once in the summer and produce no more than two young-ones at a time. The main body of these birds retire from this country before the middle of August, generally by the 10th, (which is but a short time after the flight of their young-ones,) and not a single straggler is to be seen on the 20th. This early retreat is totally unaccountable, as that time is often the most delightful in the year. But, what is yet more extraordinary, they begin to retire still earlier in the most southerly parts of Andalusia ; where they cannot be influenced by any defect of heat, or even (as one would suppose) of food. This is one of those incidents in natural history, which not only baffle our researches, but also elude our conjectures. The voice of the Swift is a harsh scream ; yet there are few ears to which it is not pleasing, from an agreeable association of ideas, since it is never heard but in the most lovely weather of summer. These birds never, unless by accident, settle on the ground, from the diffi- culty they have in walking, or rather (as it may be called) in crawling ; but they have a strong grasp with their feet, by which they readily THE TROGON. THE HOOPOE. G35 cling to walls and other places that they frequent. Their bodies being flat, they can enter a very narrow crevice ; and where they cannot pass on their bellies, they will turn up edgewise to push them- selves through. THE TROGON. The magnificent family of the Trogons stands pre-eminent in beauty arid brilliancy of plumage, the usual tint being a metal- lic golden green, boldly con- trasted with scarlet, black and brown. The toes are placed two behind and two before, like those of the Woodpeckers. The Resplendent Trogon is the most gorgeous of all this gorgeous family. Its long and gracefully curved tail, nearly three feet long; the whole of the upper sur- face, and the throat, are a glowing green ; the breast and under parts are bright crimson; the middle feathers of the tail black, and the outer feathers white. This splendid bird is an inhabitant of Mexico, and was used by the Mexican nobles as an ornament to their head-dress. From the feathers of these and other Trogons the mosaic pictures of the Mexicans were made. One of these, most delicately and beau- tifully executed, containing many figures, is now in the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford, and is there said to be made of Humming-birds' feathers. The subject is " Christ fainting under the cross." The , whole picture is about the size of the palm of the hand, and the figures are barely half an inch in height. This is a very difficult bird to stuff, on account of -the delicate texture of the skin, which is so fragile, that it tears almost as easily as wet blotting paper. RESPLENDENT TROGOXS. THE HOOPOE. One of the most elegant birds that visit England is unfortunately a very rare guest, and seldom if ever, breeds there. Its beautiful cresl can be raised or depressed at pleasure, but is seldom displayed unless the bird is excited from some cause. Its food consists of insects, which 636 THE HOOPOE. it first batters and moulds into an oblong mass, and then swallows with a peculiar jerk of the head. In Yarrell's British Birds, there is a very interesting account of a tame Hoopoe in the possession of Mr. Bartlett. In France Hoopoes are very common, and may be seen examining old and rotten stumps for the insects that invariably congregate in such places. There they may be seen in flocks, but they never seem to go over to England 'in greater numbers than one pair at a time. M. Bechstein gives a curious account of the attitude assumed by the Hoopoe on perceiving a large bird in the air. " As soon as they perceived a Raven or even a Pigeon, they were on their bellies in the twinkling of an eye, their wings stretched out by the side of the head so that the large quill feathers touched the head, leaning on the back with the bill pointing upwards. Jii this curious posture they might be taken for an old rag !" These birds of which he is speaking are two young Hoopoes whom he had taken from the nest and was rearing. They lived for some time, but both died of civilization. The fe- male had a habit of dragging her food about the floor, so that it became covered with rubbish. This formed a hard mass nearly the size of an ordinary nut in the bird's stomach, some- thing like the balls of hair found in the stomach of a cow, and soon killed the poor Hoopoe. The male bird lived through the win- ter, but becoming attached to the warmth of the stove, its beak^ HOOPOE . became so unnaturally dry, that the two man- dibles separated from each other and curved outwards, having an interval of nearly an inch between their tips. The bird of course soon died of absolute starvation. The Hoopoe lays from four to seven grey eggs in the hollow of a tree. Its length is one foot. .LYRE BIRDS. MALE AND FEMALE. Page 639. THE PARADISE GRAKLE. LYRE BIRD, ETC. 639 PARADISE GRAKLE. THIS is a native of New Guinea, where it perches on the tallest trees, feeding upon fruits and berries. In its manners it resembles the Crow. It is sixteen inches long, with a large strong beak. The plu- mage is iridescent green, violet, gold and silver, on a steel blue ground. This bird, called by naturalists the Minura Superlas, is found in New South Wales, where it lives in the thickets on the coasts, and on the mountains in the interior. It is shy and difficult of access. Its chief beauty is in the plumage of its tail, which is very elegant, assuming the form of an ancient Lyre. It has an agreeable song of its own, and imitates those of other birds, and even the barking of a dog. THE LYRE BIRD. THE LYRE BIRD. JIED BILLED PIQUE-BCEUF. This is an African bird. It is ash-colored, glazed with blue above and rust color below, with a red bill. Like our common Crow Black bird, it lives on the insects which infest the hides of quadrupeds and on the larvae hatched under the skin of the larger ruminating animals, as the Ox, Buffalo, and the heavy Antelopes. His strong claws and bill enable him to reach these vermin to the great relief of his patients. 640 OF THE PIGEON TRIBE IN GENERAL. OF THE PIGEON TEIBE IN GENERAL. These birds have a weak slender bill, straight at the base ; with a soft protuberance, in which the nostrils are situated. The legs are short, and in most of the species red ; and the toes are divided to the origin. The Pigeons constitute a tribe that forms a connecting link between the passerine birds and the poultry. They are much dispersed over the world, some of the species being found even in the arctic re- gjons. Their principal food is grain : they drink much : and not at inter- vals like other birds, but by a continued draught, like quad- rupeds. During the breeding- time they associate in pairs, and pay court to each other with their bills. The female Ia 7 s two e 8*S s > and the young-ones are, for the most part, a male and a female. They usually breed more than once in the year ; and the parent birds divide the labor of incubation by sitting alternately on the eggs. Both the male and female assist in feeding their offspring. This, in most of the species with which we are acquainted, is done by means of a substance secreted in the crop, which in appearance is not unlike curd, and is analogous to milk in quadrupeds. During incubation, the coat of the crop is gradually enlarged and thickened, like what happens to the udders -of female quadrupeds during the time of uterine gestation. On comparing the state of the crop when the bird is not sitting, with its appearance on these ocasions, the difference is found to be very remarkable. In the first case it is thin and membranous ; but when the young-ones are about to be hatched, it becomes thicker, and takes a glandular appearance, having 'its internal surface very irregular. Whatever may be the consistence of this substance when just secreted, it probably very soon coagulates into a granulated white curd ; and in this form it is always found in the crop. If an old Pigeon be killed just when the young-ones are hatching, the crop will be found as above described, having in its cavity pieces of white curd mixed with the common food of the bird, such as barley, peas, or grain. The young Pigeons are fed for a little while with this substance only : THE WILD PIGEON, OR STOCK-DOVE. 641 about the third day some of the common food is to be found along with it. As the Pigeons grow older, the proportion of common food is in- creased ; so that by the time they are seven, eight, or nine days old, the secretion of the curd ceases in the old ones, and of course no more is found in the crop of the young. It is a curious fact, that the parent Pigeon has, at first, power to throw up this curd without any mixture of common food ; although, afterwards, both are thrown up, in the proportion required for the young-ones. THE WILD PIGEOX, OR STOCK-DOVE. THIS bird is of a bluish ash-color : the breast is dashed with a fine changeable greea and purple ; and the sides of the neck are of a shining copper-color. Its wings are marked with two black-bars ; one on the coverts, and the other on the quill feathers. The back is white, and the tail barred near the end with black. The usual weight is about four- teen ounces. Multitudes of Wild Pigeons visit this coun- try in the winter, from their more northerly summer retreats. They appear about November, and again retire (except a few that breed with us) in the spring. While the beech woods were suffered to cover large tracts of ground, the,se birds used to haunt them in myriads, frequently extending above a mile in length, as they went out in a morning to feed. They are, how- ever, still found in considerable quantity, forming their nests in holes of rock, and old towers, and in the hollows of trees ; but never, like the King- dove, on the boughs. In a state of domes- tication, these Pigeons are known to breed eight or nine times in the WILD PIGEON. 642 THE CARRIER PIGEON. year ; and though only two eggs are laid at a time, their increase is so rapid and prodigious, that, at the expiration of four years, the pro- duce, and descendants, of a single pair, may amount to the immense number of nearly fifteen thousand. The usual way to entice Pigeons to remain at a required spot, is to place what is called a salt-cat near them. This is composed of loam, old rubbish, and salt, and will so effectually answer the purpose as to decoy even those which belong to other places. We have a singular anecdote of the effect of music on a Pigeon, re- lated by John Lockman, in some reflections concerning operas, prefixed to his musical drama of Kosalinda. This person being at the house of Mr. Lee, a gentleman who lived in Cheshire, and whose daughter was a fine performer on the harp- sichord, he observed a Pigeon, which, whenever the young lady played the song of " Speri si" in Handel's opera of Admetus. (and this only,) would descend from an adjacent Dovehouse to the room-window where she sat, and listen to it apparently with the most pleasing emotions ; and when the song was finished, it always returned immediately to the Dove-house. WILD PIGEON. GABBIER PIGEOX CARRIER PIGEON. There are upwards of twenty varieties of the Domestic Pigeon ; and of these the Carriers are the most celebrated. They obtained their name from their being sometimes employed to convey letters and small packets from one place to another. It is through attachment to their native place* and particulaaly to the spot where they have brought up their young-ones, that they are thus rendered useful to mankind. The bird is conveyed from .its home to the place whence the information is intended to be sent ; the letter is tied under its wing, and it is let loose. From the instant of its liberation its flight is di- rected through the clouds, at an amazing height, to its home. By an instinct altogether inconceivable, it darts onward, in a straight line, to the very spot whence it was taken ; but how it can direct its flight so exactly, will prob- ably for ever remain unknown to us. The rapidity of their flight is very won- derful. Lithgow assures us that one of them will carry a letter from Babylon to Aleppo (which, to a man, is usually thirty days' journey) in forty-eight hours. To measure their speed with some degree of exactness, a gentleman some years ago, on a THE RING-DOVE. 643 trifling wager, sent a Carrier Pigeon from London, by the coach, friend at Bury St. Edmund's; and along with it a note, desiring that the Pigeon, two days after its arrival there, might be thrown up precisely when the town clock struck nine in the morning. This was accordingly done; and the Pigeon arrived in London, and flew into the Bull-inn, in Bishopsgate-street, at half-past eleven o'clock of the same morning, having flown seventy-two miles in two hours and a half. The Carrier Pigeon is easily distinguished from the other varieties, by a broad circle of naked white skin round the eyes, and by its dark blue or blackish color.. to a THE RING-DOVE. The Eing-dove is the largest Pigeon which is found in England, and may at once be distinguish- ed from all others by its size. Its weight is about twenty ounces; its length eighteen inches, and its breadth about thirty. The head, back, and coverts of the wings are of a bluish ash-color. The lower side of the neck and breast is of a purplish red, dashed with ash-color. On the hind part of the neck there is a semi-cir- cular line of white ; above and beneath that the feathers are glossy, and of changeable colors when opposed to the light. The belly is of a dirty white. The greater quill-feathers are dusky; the rest ash-colored. Underneath the bastard-wing there is a white stroke pointing RING-DOVE. downward. These Pigeons build their nests on the branches of trees, and gen- erally prefer those of the pine. The nest is large and open, formed principally of dried sticks ; and the eggs, which may frequently be seen through the bottom of the nest, are larger than those of the Domestic Pigeon. The food of this, as well as of the other species, is principally grain ; but a neighbor of the Kev. Mr. White, of Selborne, shot a Ring-dove, as it was going to roost; and when his wife had picked 41 644. THE CROWNED PIGEON. and drawu it, she found its craw stuffed with a collection of the ten- der tops of turnips. Hence we may see that grariivorous birds, when their usual kinds of subsistence fail, can feed on the leaves of vegetablee. There is indeed reason to suppose that they would not long be healthy without these substances; for Turkeys, though corn-fed, delight in a great variety of plants, such as cabbage, lettuce, and endive; poultry pick much grass; and Geese live for months together on commons, by grazing only. Attempts have frequently been made to domesticate these birds, by hatching their eggs in dove-houses, under the common Pigeon ; but as soon as the young-ones were able to fly, they always escaped to their proper haunts. Mr. Montagu was at considerable pains in experiments of this nature ; and though he so far tamed them within doors as to have them become exceedingly troublesome, yet he never could produce a breed, either by themselves or with the tame Pigeon. Two that were brought up with a male Pigeon, were rendered so tame that they would eat out of the hand ; but as they showed no signs of breeding in the spring, they were suffered to fly away, by the window of the room in which they were confined being left open. It was supposed that, the Pigeon might induce them to return to their usual place of abode, either for food or to roost; but from that moment they assumed their natural habits, and nothing more was seen of them, although the Pigeon remained. This gentleman bred up a curious as- semblage of birds, which lived together in perfect amity : it consisted of a common Pigeon, a Ring-dove, a White-owl, and a Sparrow-hawk; and the King-dove was master of the whole. THE CROWNED PIGEON. This bird is about the size of a common Turkey. Its head is adorned with a most superb circular crest of feathers, standing erect and composed of loose, unconnected webs, of a fine bluish ash-color. The eyes are lodged in a shut- tle-shaped band of black. The lesser coverts of the wings, and the upper part of the back, are of a dark reddish purple : the first greater coverts are white, edged with red ; and all the rest of the plumage is of the same color as the crest. The wings of the Crowned Pigeon are armed each with a horny excrescence, with which they are able to strike a severe blow. These birds are easily rendered tame ; and, in the East Indies, they are kept CROWNED PIGEON. THE PASSENGER PIGEON. 645 They have frequently been brought in courtyards, with poultry, alive into Europe, where they are justly considered among the greatest ornaments of the menagerie: and one instance has occurred of a female laying eggs, but these were unproductive. In a wild state they breed in the highest trees. These birds have all -the habits of the com- mon Pigeons; billing, inflating their breast, and cooing: the noise of their cooing is, however, so loud, as, at times, to resemble rather a bellowing. It said that M. Bou- sailors were greatly alarmed at hearing this noise for the first time, in the wild and unfrequented spots of some of the islands on which they landed : they supposed it to proceed from the savage cries of hostile and concealed natives. The Crowned Pigeons are found in New Guinea, Pulo, and a few of the adjacent islands. is gainville's THE GREAT CROWNED PIGEON. THE PASSENGER PIGEON. This species is about the size of the common Pigeon. Its bill is black. Round the eyes there is a crimson mark ; and the head, throat, and upper parts of the body, are ash-colored. The sides of the neck are of a grossy, variable purple. The fore part of the neck and breast are vinaceous ; and the under parts are of a similar color, but paler. The tail is tolerably long. The legs are red, and the claws black. Passenger Pigeons visit in enormous flocks, the different parts of North America. In the southern provinces their numbers depend greatly on the mildness or severity of the season : for in very mild weather few or none of them are to be seen. Actuated by necessity, they change their situation in search of acorns, mast, and berries which 646 THE PASSENGER PIGEON. THE PASSENGER PIGEOX. the warmer provinces yield in vast abundance. When they alight, the ground is quickly cleared of all esculent fruits ; to the great injury of the Hog, and other mast-eating animals. After having devoured every thing that h as fallen on the sur- face, they form themselves into a great perpendicular column, and fly around the boughs of trees, from top to bottom, beating down the acorns with their wings ; and they then, in succession, alight on the ground, and again begin to eat. " I think," says Mr. Blackburne, in a letter to Mr. Pennant, " that these are as remarkable birds as any in America. They are in vast numbers in all parts ; and have, at times, been of great service to our garrisons, in supplying them with fresh meat, especially at the outposts. A friend told me, that in the year in which Quebec was taken, the whole army was supplied with this subsistence. The way was this. Every man took his club, (for they were forbidden to use their firelocks,) and the Pigeons flew in such numbers, that each person could kill as many as he wanted. They in general begin to fly soon after day -break, and continue till nine or ten o'clock ; and again about three in the afternoon and continue till five or six ; but what is very remarkable, their course is always westerly. The times of flying here are in the spring, about the latter end of February or the beginning of March, and they continue their flight every day for eight or ten days ; and again in the fall, when they appear at the latter end of July or the beginning of August. The inhabitants catch vast numbers of them in clap-nets. I have seen them brought to the market at New York by sacksful. People in general are very fond of them, and I have heard many say that they think them as good as our common blue Pigeon : but I cannot agree in this opinion : the flesh tastes most 7 like that of our Queest, or wild Pigeon, but it is better. Sir William Johnston told me, that at one shot, with a blunderbuss, he killed above a hundred and twenty. I must remark a singular fact : that notwithstanding the whole people of a town go out a pigeoning, as they call it, they do not on some days, kill a single hen bird ; and on the very next day not a single cock ; (and yet both sexes always fly westerly ;) and when this is the case, the people are always assured that there will be a great quantity of them that season." These Pigeons were so numerous when La Hontan was in Canada, THE PASSENGER PIGEON. 647 PASSENGER PIGEONS. that, he says, the bishop had been compelled more than once formally to exorcise them, on account of the damage they committed. Many of the trees are said to have had more Pigeons on them than leaves; and for eighteen or twenty days, it was supposed that a sufficient number might have been killed to supply food for a thousand -' men. Mr. Weld who some years ago travelled through the States of North America, informs us that a gentle- man of the town of Niagara assured him, that once when he was embarking on board a vessel from Toronto a flight of Pigeons was observed coming from that quarter ; that, as he sailed over the lake Ontario to Toronto, forty miles distant from Niagara, Pigeons were seen flying over-head, the whole way, in a direction contrary to that in which the vessel proceeded ; and that, on his arriving at the place of his destination, the birds were still observed coming from the North, in as large bodies as had been noticed at any time during the voyage. Supposing, therefore, that the Pigeons moved no faster than the vessel, the flight, according to this gentleman's account, must have exceeded at least eighty miles. During their migrations, these Pigeons are very fat. It is a singular fact, that Mr. St. John found in the craw of one of them some undigested rice, when the nearest rice-fields were at least five hun- dred and sixty miles from his habitation. He naturally con- cluded that either they must fly with almost the celerity of the wind, or that digestion must be in a great measure suspended during their flight. The Indians often watch the roosting-places of these birds ; and, knocking them on the head in the night, bring them away by thousands. They preserve the oil, or fat, which they use instead of butter. GROUP OF \VILD PIGEONS. 648 THE NICOBAR PIGEON. By the Europeans they are generally caught in nets extended on the ground ; to which they are allured by tame Pigeons of their own species, that are blinded, and fastened to a long string. The short flights and repeated calls of the shackled birds, never fail either to excite their curiosity, or bring some of them down to attempt their relief; when they are immediately enclosed. Every farmer has a tamed Pigeon in a cage at his door all the year round, to be ready against the season of their flight. M. du Pratz, when he was in America, placed under the roosting trees of these Pigeons, vessels filled with flaming sulphur, the fumes of which brought them to the ground in immense numbers. PASSENGER PIGEON'. THE NICOBAK PIGEON. This splendid bird, is a native of Java, Nicobar, Sumatra, and many of the Moluccas. It is, as far as we have been enabled to determine, terrestrial in its habits. Its plum- age is exceedingly refulgent; the head is of a dull slate color, with a tinge of purple : long flowing pointed feathers ornament the neck, like the hackles of the domestic cock, of a rich green with coppery reflec- tions ; the coverts of the wings are also pointed. The whole of the upper portion of the body is bronze with steel-blue reflections on glossy green ; the under portion is similar, only less brilliant. The tail is pure white. THE NICOBAR PIGEON THE CHESTNUT-SHOULDERED PIGEON. THE TALPICOTI. 649 THE CHESTNUT-SHOULDERED PIGEON, This magnificent bird is a native of New Zealand, and is very abundant in the woods near the Bay of Islands. Their flesh is excellent. All the upper parts and throat are of a chang- able hue, in which are mingled rosy-copper reflections running into brilliant iridescent tints ; the quills are of a more sombre tone. The tail above is brown slightly tinged with greenish, below it is brown ; breast and under parts white; bill and tarsi carmine; a bright red skin sur- rounds the eye. Length about nineteen inches. THE CHESTNUT-SHOULDERED PIGIOIC. THE TALPICOTI. Brazil, Paraguay, and other portions of South America are the native countries of this little Pigeon. It is seldom if ever, seen in large flocks, but often in families of five or six, fre- quents the borders of woods, and sometimes ventures near farm yards. "When cap- tured it soon becomes reconciled, and breeds freely. THE TALPICOTI. 650 BROWN-BACKED PERISTERA. OCEANIC FRUIT PIGEON. THE BROWN-BACKED PERISTERA. THE BROWN-BACKED PERISTERA. This species is a native of Southern Africa, where it is said to frequent woods ; but little appears to be known respecting it. The plumage above is brown, slightly tinged with grey on the neck ; three or four of the greater wing-coverts have large spots of shining green ; forehead, a streak over each eye, and all the under parts white ; middle tail- feathers brown, the two exterior on each side grey, with a broad black bar; under surface of wings and sides pale orange-brown ; under tail-coverts brown ; bill and legs grey, the latter tinged with red ; length nine inches. THE OCEANIC FRUIT PIGEON. The Oceanic Fruit Pigeon is fourteen inches in length, includ- ing the tail, which measures five ; the bill, an inch long, is black, strong, and surmounted at its base by a rounded very black caruncle ; the feet are very strong and of a bright orange color; the tarsi are feathered nearly down to the toes, which have a well developed bor- der ; the wings are pointed and only one inch shorter than the tail, which is almost rectilinear. The lower part of the belly, the vent, the thighs, and the lowei tail-coverts, are a deep ferruginous red : the tail-feathers on the under side are a bright reddish-green. THE OCEANIC FRUIT PI(5i:0\. THE MANASOPE PIGEON. WATTLED GROUND PIGEON. 651 THE MANASOPE PIGEON. A most elegant bird, is found in the deep forests of New Guinea, and in the neighborhood of the harbor of Dorery. Its head, rump, upper part of the body, wings, and tail, of an agree- able grass green; a large hood of a beautiful indigo- blue covers the occiput ; elongated blue spots occupy the centre of the subular feathers, which are bordered with a straight yellow line. The throat to half-way down the neck is ash grey ; the breast is greyish-green. THE WATTLED GROUND PIGEON. The wattled ground Pigeon is a native of South Africa. Its nest is composed of twigs and the dried stems of grasses, placed in some slight hollow of the ground, and there the female lays six or eight reddish -white eggs, which are incubated by both the parents. The young, like those of the Partridge, almost imme- diately follow the parent, who broods over them, and gathers them beneath her wings. They walk and run with great rapid- ity ; and roost on bushes or the lower branches of trees. THE WATTLED GROUND PIQEOIT. 652 THE PHASIANELLA. THE PHASIANELLA. This beautiful species is found in Australia, Java, and the Phillipine and Molucca islands. It is an inhabitant of the woods, and its food is said to consist of a kind of Pi- mento and of other aromatic berries, swallowed entire. The flesh is dark, but its flavor is stated to be excellent. Its length is from fourteen to sixteen inches, the tail being seven and rather more. Their habits and mode of life are also nearly allied to the other arboreal species, being the constant inhabitants of the woods, and subsisting upon the fruits and berries of various trees and shrubs. M. Temminck, in his description of these species, says that it possesses a structure and form precisely similar to that of the Columba migratoria of North America. To this we cannot subscribe, seeing that its essential characters, as above described, are different, and that the only point of resemblance consists in the length of the tail. In- deed, so far removed do we think it from the American group, that we cannot consider it as its analogue in the Asiatic regions where it resides. The prevaling color of these Pigeons is bluish-gray, of various intensities and shades, frequently embellished upon the neck with feathers having a metallic lustre and pecular form, and which exhibit various tints of color according to the light in which they are viewed. They are naturally birds of a wild and timid disposition (though one species has been partly reclaimed), and usually live congregated in extensive flocks, except during the season of reproduction, when they pair. Most of the species seek their food upon the ground. THE PHASIANELLA. THE BRONZE-WINGED PIGEON. 653 They build in trees or holes of rocks,, making a shallow nest of small twigs loosely put together. Their eggs are never more than two in number, their color a pure white; they are incubated alternately by both sexes, and are hatched after being sat upon from eighteen to twenty-one days. The young, upon exclusion, are thinly covered with down, which is rapidly succeeded by the proper feathers. THE BRONZE-WINGED PIGEON. This beautiful species is a native of Australia, and is common near Sidney from Sep- tember till Febru- ary. It is usually seen in pairs ; and their voice is loud and sonorous. The nest is placed either in the hole of a mouldering tree or on a stump. The eggs are two and white. The wing-coverts are remarkable for a large ovate spot of metallic lustre, changing in differ- ent lights. It belongs t o the species Phaps, which is characterized as follows by Mr. Selby. Bill moderately long, rather slender ; upper mandible gently deflected at fche tip, and with the indication of a notch or emargination. Wings of mean length ; second and third feathers longest, and nearly equal. Tail slightly rounded. Legs, tarsi as long as the middle toe, the front covered with a double row of scales, sides and back reticulated with small hexagonal scales. Hind toe short ; inner toe exceeding the outer in length. Claws blunt, slightly arched. Type, Columla Chakoptera, Latham: Columba elegcws, Temm.; and Columba picata, Wagler, be long to this group. THE LROXZE-WINGED PIGEON. 654 THE ROCK-DOVE. THE ROCK-DOVE. This species is spread over a great portion of Europe, Asia, and Northern Africa, abound- ing in the rocky islands of the Mediterranean and in the Orkneys. The Bock- dove is more slender than the Stock-dove, and is astonishingly rapid in flight. It may at once be distinguished from the latter by the white color of the lower part of the back, and the two distinct bands of leaden black across the wings. It is to the Eock-dove a species almost universally spread in its wild state through- out the Old World, that the domestic Pigeon and its varieties must be referred. All these varie- ties breed with each other, and with the wild Rock- dove ; and without due care, all soon degenerate, as it is termed, and acquire the original form and coloring. "Under tnis species," writes Mr. Selby, "we include not only the common Pigeon, or inhabitant of the dove-cot, but all those numer- ous varieties, or, as they are frequently termed, races of domesticated Pigeons, so highly prized, and fostered with such care and attention by the amateur breeder or Pigeon fancier; for, however diversified their forms, color or peculiarity of habit may be, we consider them all as having originated from a few accidental varieties of the common Pigeon, and not from any cross of that bird with other species, no signs or marks whatever of such being apparent in any of the numer- ous varieties known to us. In fact, the greater part of them owe their existence to the interference and the art of man; for *by separting from the parent stock such accidental varieties as have occasionally occurred, by subjecting these to captivity and domestication, and by assorting them and pairing them together, as fancy or caprice suges- ted, he has at intervals generated all the various races and peculiar varieties which, it is well known, when once produced, may be per- petuated for an indefinite perod, .by being kept separate from, and unmixed with others; or what b}^ those interested in such pursuits is usually termed ' breeding in and in.'" THE ROCK-DOVE. THE DOUBLE-CRESTED PIGEON. 655 THE DOUBLE-CKESTED PIGEON. New Holland and Java are the native localities of this species. The head is ornamented with a frontal crest composed of long recurved lax feathers, advancing even on the bill, and of a bluish grey Color tinged with rufous ; behind this, on the back of the head, is a second crest of rich rufous and composed of long de- cumbent feathers with open barbules and bounded by a black streak running back from each eye ; bill rich v orange ; sides and front of the neck, together with the breast, pale gray, the base of the feathers being black, at their end they assume a trifid form ; back scapulars and wing-coverts deep bluish grey ; quills and secondaries bluish black ; under plumage grey; tail square, black at the base, and a narrow bar being of a pale grey with a reddish tinge ; legs crimson. The double crest gives the head of the Pigeon a character unlike any of its congeners, and more resembling that of some of the crested Phasianidce or Cracidce, with which an analogical relation is thus sustained. In other respects its characters agree with those of Columba spadicea, the proportion of the wings and the form of the feet being nearly the same. Although an approach from the fruit-eating Pigeons, or Carpo- phagsB, to the true Pigeons, is made by Columba spadicea and dilopha, still the form of their feet, is evidently better adapted for arboreal than terrene habits, and their general aspect, are such as to show that some intermediate form is wanting to bring them into that immediate connexion with the group represented by the European ring Pigeon, which M. Temminck seems to intimate. TUB DOUBLE-CRESTED PIGEDN. 656 THE AROMATIC VINAGO. THE AKOMATIC VINAGO. This bird is a native of India, Java, and the adjacent islands. It is of a mild and timorous disposi- tion, and is generally seen in flocks or societies, except during the period of repro- duction, when they pair, and retire to the recesses of the forest. The nest is simple and composed of a few twigs loosely put together, and the eggs are two.' The base or softer part of the bill is a blackish grey, the tip yellowish white, strong, much hooked, and bulging on the side. The forehead is of a bright silken green, the crown greenish grey, the chin and throat gamboge-yellow, the remainder of the neck, the breast, belly, lower back and rump, yellowish green. The tail has the two middle feathers wholly green, and slightly ex- ceeding the rest in length. - In its habits it is arboreal. Mr. Selby gives the follow- ing note which accompanied the skins of Vinago militaris, and Vinago aromatica. " Green Pigeon. This beautiful bird has brilliant red eyes. Its feet are something like the Parrot's, and it climbs in the same way as that bird. lit is very difficult to find ; for although a flock is marked into a tree, yet its color is so similar to the leaf of the banyan (on the small red fig of which it feeds), that if a bird does not move you may look for many minutes before you can see one, al- though there may be fifty in the tree." THE AROMATIC VINAGO. GALLINACEOUS BIRDS. IN the birds of this order, the bill is convex, the upper mandible lying in an arch over the lower one ; and the nostrils are arched over witha cartilaginous membrane. The feet are formed for running, without a back toe; and the toes are rough underneath. OF THE TURKEY TRIBE IN GENERAL. BELONGING to the present tribe, two species only have hitherto been discovered ; one in America, and the other in the more retired parts of India. In each of them the bill is convex, short, and strong. The head and neck, or throat, and in some of the species all three, are covered with naked carunculated or warty flesh, the skin of which is flaccid and membranaceous. The tail is broad, and the birds have the power of expanding it. THE AMERICAN, OR COMMON TURKEY. The hunting of these birds forms one of the principal diversions of the natives of Canada. When they have discovered the retreat of a flock of Turkeys, which in general is near fields of nettles, or where there is plenty of any kind of grain, they send a well-trained dog into the midst of the flock. The birds no sooner perceive their enemy, then they run off at full speed, and with such swiftness, that they leave the dog far behind. He, however, follows ; and at last forces them to take shelter in a tree ; where they sit, spent and fatigued, till the hunters come up, and with long poles knock them down one after another. Turkeys were first introduced from North America into England in (657) 658 THE AMERICAN, OR COMMON TURKEY. the reign of Henry the Eighth. According to Tusser's " Five Hundred Pointes of good Husbandrie," they began about the year 1585 to form. an article in our rural Christmas feasts : Beefe, mutton, and pork, shred pies of the best, Pig, veale, goose, and capon, and turfa'e well drest Cheese, apples, and nuts, jolly carols to heare, As then in the countrie is counted good cheare." These birds, among themselves, are extremely furious ; and yet against other animals they are gene- rally weak and cowardly. The domestic cock often makes them keep at a distance ; and they seldom venture to attack him but with united force, when the cock is rather oppressed by their weight than an- noyed by their weapons. There have, however, occurred instances in which the Turkey-cock has not been found wanting in prowess: A gentleman of New York received from a distance a Turkey-cock and hen, and a pair of Bantams, which he put into his yard with other poultry. Some time after- wards, as he was feeding them from the barn-door, a large hawk suddenly turned the corner of the barn, and made a pitch at the Bantam-hen. She immediately gave the alarm, by a noise which is natural to poultry on such occasions. On hearing this, the Turkey-cock, which was at a little distance, and no doubt understood the Hawk's intentions, and the . imminent danger of his old acquaint- ance, flew at the tyrant with such violence, and gave him so severe a stroke with his spurs when about to seize his prey, as to knock him from the hen to a considerable distance ; and the timely aid of this faithful auxiliary saved the bantam from being devoured. To this I can add another in- stance (though very different in its nature) of the gallantry of the Tur- key-cock. In the month of May, 1798, a female Turkey, belonging to a gentleman in Sweden, was sitting upon eggs : and as the cock, in her absence, began to appear uneasy and dejected, he was put into the place with her. He immediately sat down by her side ; and it was soon found that he had taken some eggs from under her, and had CO.MMOI* TURKEY. DOMESTIC TURKEY-COCK. THE AMERICAN, OR COMMON TURKEY. 659 himself sat upon them. The eggs were put back, but he soon after- wards took them again. This induced the owner, by way of experiment, to have a nest made, and as many eggs put into it as* it was thought the cock could con- veniently cover. The bird seemed highly pleased with this mark of confidence ; he sat with great pa- tience on the eggs, and was so atten- tive to the care of hatching them, as scarcely to afford himself time to take the food necessary for his support. At the usual period, t w e n t y-e i g h t young-ones were produced : and the cock, which was in some measure the parent of this numerous off- spring, appeared perplexed on seeing so many little creatures WILD TURKEY. picking around him, and requiring his care. He was not, however, trusted with the rearing of the brood, lest he should neglect them ; and they were reared by other means. The disposition of the female Turkey is in general much more mild and gentle than that of the male. "When leading out her young family to collect their food, though so large and apparently so power- ful a bird she gives them very little protection against the attacks of any rapacious animal that comes in her way. She rather warns them to shift for themselves, than prepares to defend them. " I have heard a Turkey-hen, when at the head of her brood, (says the Abbe de la Pluche,) send forth the most piteous scream, without my being able to perceive the cause : her young-ones, however, immediately when the warning was given, skulked under the bushes, grass, or whatever else seemed to offer shelter