[Illustration: THE MONKEY PAINTER--Page 7. ]

ANECDOTESOFTHE HABITS AND INSTINCTOF ANIMALS. 

BY MRS. R. LEE, FORMERLY MRS. T. E. BOWDICH, AUTHOR OF "THE AFRICAN WANDERERS, " "ADVENTURES IN AUSTRALIA, ""MEMOIRS OF CUVIER, " ETC. 

WITH

ILLUSTRATIONS BY HARRISON WEIR. 

LONDON:GRANT AND GRIFFITH, SUCCESSORS TO J. HARRIS, CORNER OF ST. PAUL'S CHURCHYARD. 

M. DCCC. LII. 

LONDON:PRINTED BY J. WERTHEIMER AND CO. , CIRCUS PLACE, FINSBURY. 

PREFACE. 

In making a selection of anecdotes, those have been assembled which weresupplied by me to other works, and in most instances have receivedconsiderable amplification; others have been given which never beforewere printed--perhaps not even written; while all which have beentransferred from other pages to mine have received the stamp ofauthenticity. Besides those whose names are already mentioned, I have tothank several friends who have drawn from their private stores for myadvantage, and thus enabled me to offer much that is perfectly new. 

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Dry details of science and classification have been laid aside, but acertain order has been kept to avoid confusion; and, although endeavourshave been made to throw as much interest as possible over theserecorded habits and actions of the brute creation; I love the latter toowell to raise a doubt by one word of embellishment, even if I did notabstain from principle. 

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The intentions with which this work was commenced have not been carriedout, inasmuch as materials have crowded upon me beyond all calculation;and, although a large portion has been rejected, the anecdotes relatedgo no farther than the Mammalia, while almost all animals were to havebeen included. 

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With regard to the remaining orders--if the present work should meetwith a favourable reception, I shall hope next year to present thepublic with touching and amusing proofs of the sagacity and dispositionsof birds, and of "hair-breadth scapes" from reptiles, etc. , some ofwhich will, like those in the present volume, be carefully selected fromthe works of travellers, from the resources of friends, and from my ownexperience. 

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To the pleasing task of enlightening those, who, shut up in closecities, have no opportunity of observing for themselves, and to thestill higher enjoyment of directing young minds to an elevating pursuit, the naturalist adds a gratification even better than all, by makingknown the hidden wonders of nature; and leaving to those who delight inargument, the ever unsolved question of where instinct ends and reasonbegins, he sets forth the love of the great Creator towards all Hiscreatures, and the ways He takes to show His wisdom. 

CONTENTS. 

 PAGE

MONKEYS, ETC. 1

BATS 33

MOLES 41

HEDGEHOGS 47

BEARS 51

BADGERS 66

WEASELS 73

OTTERS 78

DOGS 83

WOLVES 162

FOXES 174

HYÆNAS 180

LIONS 186

TIGERS 213

LEOPARDS, PANTHERS, ETC. 224

CATS 237

SQUIRRELS 250

RATS 254

MICE 266

ELEPHANTS 271

HIPPOPOTAMUS 294

HOGS 297

RHINOCEROSES 307

HORSES 312

THE ASS 333

CAMELS. --DROMEDARIES 339

LLAMAS, ETC. 344

DEER 347

GIRAFFES 354

ANTELOPES 358

GOATS 363

SHEEP 368

OXEN 373

ANECDOTES OF ANIMALS. 

THE QUADRUMANA, OR MONKEY TRIBE. 

Formed like man, and practicing similar gestures, but with thumbsinstead of great toes upon their feet, and with so narrow a heel-bone, that even those who constantly walk upright have not the firm anddignified step of human beings; the Quadrumana yet approximate soclosely to us, that they demand the first place in a book devotedprincipally to the intellectual (whether it be reason or instinct)history of animals. This approximation is a matter of amusement to some;but to the larger portion of mankind, I should say, it is a source ofdisgust. "Rapoynda, " I exclaimed, one day, to a troublesome, inquisitive, restless negro, pointing to a black monkey, which muchresembled him in character, "that is your brother. " Never shall I forgetthe malignant scowl which passed over the man's features at my heedlesscomparison. No apology, no kindness, not even the gift of a smartwaistcoat, which he greatly coveted, ever restored me to his goodgraces; and I was not sorry when his Chief summoned him from myvicinity, for I dreaded his revenge. 

A few years after, I stood lost in admiration before Sir EdwinLandseer's inimitable picture of "the monkey who had seen the world, " inwhich nature and truth lend their tone and force to the highest effortsof art; when a voice exclaimed, "How can you waste your time looking atthat thing; such creatures ought never to have been painted;" andalthough the speaker was a religious man, he muttered to himself, "I amnot sure they ought ever to have been made. " The voice proceeded fromone of the finest instances of manly beauty; one famed also for talentand acquirement. Rapoynda started into my recollection; and as I slowlyleft the talented picture, I could not help smiling at the commonfeeling between the savage and the gentleman, thereby proving itsuniversality. 

Never did any one start for a tropical climate with a greater antipathytowards these "wild men" than I did; I lived years in their vicinity andyet contrived to avoid all contact with them, and it was not till I washomeward-bound that my conversion was effected. The ship in which Mr. Bowdich and myself took a round-about course to England, was floatingon a wide expanse of water, disturbed only by the heavy swell, whichforms the sole motion in a calm; the watch on deck were seated near thebows of the vessel, the passengers and officers were almost all below, there was only myself and the helmsman on the after-deck; he stoodlistlessly by the binnacle, and I was wholly occupied in reading. Anoise between a squeak and a chatter suddenly met my ears; and before Icould turn my head to see whence it proceeded, a heavy, living creaturejumped on to my shoulders from behind, and its tail encircled my throat. I felt it was Jack, the cook's monkey; the mischievous, malicious, mocking, but inimitable Jack, whose pranks had often made me laughagainst my will, as I watched him from a distance, but with whom I hadnever made the least acquaintance. Whether from fear or presence of mindI do not pretend to say, but I remained perfectly still, and in a minuteor two Jack put his head forward and stared me in the face, uttering asort of croak; he then descended on to my knees, examined my hands as ifhe were counting my fingers, tried to take off my rings, and when I gavehim some biscuit, curled himself compactly into my lap. We were friendsfrom that moment. My aversion thus cured, I have ever since feltindescribable interest and entertainment in watching, studying, andprotecting monkeys. We had several on board the above-mentioned vessel, but Jack was the prince of them all. 

Exclusively belonging to the cook, although a favourite with the wholecrew, my friend (a Cercopithecus from Senegal) had been at first kept bymeans of a cord, attached to the caboose; but, as he became more andmore tame, his liberty was extended, till at last he was allowed thewhole range of the ship, with the exception of the captain's andpassengers' cabins. The occupations which he marked out for himselfbegan at early dawn, by overturning the steward's parrot-cage wheneverhe could get at it, in order to secure the lump of sugar which thenrolled out, or lick up the water which ran from the upset cup; heevidently intended to pull the parrot's feathers, but the latter, byturning round as fast as Jack turned, always faced him, and his beak wastoo formidable to be encountered. I was frequently awakened by the quicktrampling of feet at this early hour, and knew it arose from a pursuitof Jack, in consequence of some mischief on his part. Like all othernautical monkeys, he descended into the forecastle, where he twisted offthe night-caps of the sailors as they lay in their hammocks, stole theirknives, tools, etc. , and if they were not very active in the pursuit, these purloinings were thrown overboard. 

When the preparations for breakfast began, Jack took his post in acorner near the grate, and when the cook's back was turned, hooked outthe pieces of biscuit which were toasting between the bars for the men, and snatched the bunches of dried herbs, with which they tried toimitate tea, out of the tin mugs. He sometimes scalded or burnt hisfingers by these tricks, which kept him quiet for a few days; but nosooner was the pain gone than he repeated the mischief. 

Two days in each week, the pigs, which formed part of our live stock, were allowed to run about the deck for exercise, and then Jack wasparticularly happy: hiding himself behind a cask, he would suddenlyspring on to the back of one of them, his face to the tail, and awayscampered his frightened steed. Sometimes an obstacle would impede thegallop, and then Jack, loosening the hold which he had acquired bydigging his nails into the skin of the pig, industriously tried touncurl its tail, and if he were saluted by a laugh from some one nearby, he would look up with an assumed air of wonder, as much as to say;What can you find to laugh at? When the pigs were shut up, he thought ithis turn to give others a ride, and there were three little monkeys, with red skins and blue faces, whom he particularly favored: Ifrequently met him with all of them on his back at the same time, squeaking and huddling together, and with difficulty preserving theirseat; when he suddenly stopped, and seemed to ask me to praise thegood-natured action which he was performing. He was, however, jealousof all those of his brethren who came in contact with me, and freedhimself from two of his rivals by throwing them into the sea. One ofthem was a small Lion monkey, of great beauty and extreme gentleness, and immediately after I had been feeding him, Jack called him with acoaxing, patronizing air; but as soon as he was within reach, theperfidious creature seized him by the nape of his neck, and, as quick asthought, popped him over the side of the ship. We were going at a briskrate, and although a rope was thrown out to him, the poor littlescreaming thing was soon left behind, very much to my distress, for hisalmost human agony of countenance was painful to behold. For this, Jackwas punished by being shut up all day in the empty hen-coop, in which heusually passed the night, and which he so hated, that when bed-timecame, he generally avoided the clutches of the steward; he, however, committed so much mischief when unwatched, that it had become necessaryto confine him at night, and I was often obliged to perform the officeof nursemaid. Jack's principal punishment, however, was to be taken infront of the cage in which a panther belonging to me was placed, in thefore part of the deck. His alarm was intense; the panther set up hisback and growled, but Jack instantly closed his eyes, and made himselfperfectly rigid. I generally held him up by the tail, and if I moved, he cautiously opened one eye; but if he caught sight of even a corner ofthe cage, he shut it fast, and again pretended to be dead. His drollesttrick was practised on a poor little black monkey; taking theopportunity when a calm, similar to that spoken of above, left himnearly the sole possessor of the deck. I do not know that he saw me, forI was sitting behind the companion door. The men had been painting theship outside, and were putting a broad band of white upon her, when theywent to dinner below, leaving their paint and brushes on the upper deck. Jack enticed his victim to him, who meekly obeyed the summons; and, seizing him with one hand, he, with the other, took the brush, andcovered him with the white fluid from head to foot. The laugh of the manat the helm called my attention to the circumstance, and as soon as Jackperceived he was discovered, he dropped his dripping brother, andrapidly scampered up the rigging, till he gained the main-top, where hestood with his nose between the bars, looking at what was going onbelow. As the other monkey began to lick himself, I called up thesteward, who washed him clean with turpentine, and no harm ensued; butJack was afraid to come down, and only after three days passed in hiselevated place of refuge did hunger compel him to descend. He chose themoment when I was sitting on deck, and, swinging himself by a rope, hedropped suddenly into my lap, looking so imploringly at me for pardon, that I not only forgave him myself, but procured his absolution fromothers. Jack and I parted a little to the south of the Sicily Islands, after five month's companionship, and never met again; but I was toldthat he was much distressed at my absence, hunted for me all over thevessel in the most disconsolate manner, even venturing into my cabin;nor was he reconciled to the loss of me when the ship's company partedin the London docks. 

Another monkey, of the same species as Jack, was trained by a man inParis to perform a multitude of clever tricks. I met him one daysuddenly as he was coming up the drawing-room stairs. He made way for meby standing in an angle, and when I said, "Good morning, " took off hiscap, and made me a low bow. "Are you going away?" I asked; "where isyour passport?" Upon which he took from the same cap a square piece ofpaper which he opened, and shewed to me. His master told him my gown wasdusty, and he instantly took a small brush from his master's pocket, raised the hem of my dress, cleaned it, and then did the same for myshoes. He was perfectly docile and obedient; when we gave him somethingto eat, he did not cram his pouches with it, but delicately and tidilydevoured it; and when we bestowed money on him, he immediately put itinto his master's hands. 

Much more accomplished monkeys than those of which I have spoken, havebeen known to act plays, and to assume the characters they haveundertaken, with a spirit and aptitude which might tempt us to supposethat they were perfectly cognizant of every bearing of their differentparts; and their stratagems to procure food, and defend themselves, areonly equalled by human beings. 

Denizens of those mighty forests, which clothe the earth between thetropics of both the Old and New World, assembling by hundreds in thoselands where the Palm, the Banyan, the Baobab, the Bombax, and thousandsof magnificent trees adorn the soil; where the most delicious fruits areto be procured, by merely stretching out the hand to separate them fromtheir parent stem; no wonder that both apes and monkeys therecongregate, and strike the European, on his first arrival among them, with astonishment. I had seen many at Cape Coast; but not till Iadvanced into the forest up the windings of the river Gaboon, could Iform any idea of their multitude, or of the various habits whichcharacterize their savage lives. The first time the reality burst uponme, was in going up a creek of that river to reach the town of Naängowhen the most deafening screams were to be heard over head, mixed withsqueaks and sundry strange noises. These proceeded from red and greyparrots, which were pursued to the tops of the tallest trees by themonkeys. The birds were not frightened; on the contrary, they appearedto enjoy the fun, and perching on slight twigs, which would not bear theweight of their playfellows, they stretched out their wings, and seemedvociferously to exclaim, "You can't catch me!" Sometimes, however, they_were_ surprised, and then there was such a scuffle and noise. Thefour-handed beast, however, plucked the red feathers from the tail ofthe bird; and careless of its anger, seated himself on a branch, suckingthe quills till they were dry, when he started for a fresh supply. 

That monkeys enjoy movement, that they delight in pilfering, inoutwitting each other and their higher brethren--men; that they glory intearing and destroying the works of art by which they are surrounded ina domestic state; that they lay the most artful plans to effect theirpurposes, is all perfectly true; but the terms _mirthful_ and _merry_, seem to me to be totally misapplied, in reference to their feelings andactions; for they do all in solemnity and seriousness. Do you standunder a tree, whose thick foliage completely screens you from the sun, and you hope to enjoy perfect shade and repose; a slight rustling provesthat companions are near; presently a broken twig drops upon you, thenanother, you raise your eyes, and find that hundreds of other eyes arestaring at you. In another minute you see the grotesque faces to whichthose eyes belong, making grimaces, as you suppose, but it is no suchthing, they are solemnly contemplating the intruder; they are notpelting him in play, it is their business to drive him from theirdomain. Raise your arm, the boughs shake, the chattering begins, and thesooner you decamp; the more you will shew your discretion. 

Watch the ape or monkey with which you come into closer contact; does hepick up a blade of grass, he will examine it with as much attention asif he were determining the value of a precious stone. Do you put foodbefore him, he tucks it into his mouth as fast as possible, and when hischeek pouches are so full that they cannot hold any more, he looks atyou as if he seriously asked your approval of his laying up stores forthe future. If he destroy the most valuable piece of glass or china inyour possession, he does not look as if he enjoyed the mischief, buteither puts on an impudent air, as much as to say, "I don't care, " orcalmly tries to let you know he thought it his duty to destroy yourproperty. Savage, violent and noisy are they when irritated ordisappointed, and long do they retain the recollection of an affront. Ionce annoyed a monkey in the collection of the Jardin des Plantes, inParis, by preventing him from purloining the food of one of hiscompanions; in doing which I gave him a knock upon his paws. It waslucky that strong wires were between us, or he would probably have hurtme severely in his rage; he shook the cage, he rolled about andscreamed, and did not forget the offence. On future occasions, theinstant he heard my voice, he put himself into a passion: and severalmonths after, although I had been absent the whole time, he seized on mygown while I incautiously stood too near to him, dragged a portion of itwithin the bars, and bit a great piece out of it, although it was madeof a very strong material. 

A monkey, of I know not what species, was domiciled in a family inYorkshire to whom my mother was paying a visit of some days. A largedinner-party was given in honor of the guest, the master of the househelped the soup; but as he was talking at the time, he did not observeits appearance. Presently all to whom it had been served, laid downtheir spoons, or sent their plates away. This of course attractedattention, and on inspection, the liquid was discovered to be full ofshort hairs. The servants in attendance were questioned, but theydeclared they were ignorant of the cause; and the wisest and politestproceeding was, to send the tureen from the table, and, serving thefish, make no further comment. The mistress of the family, however, whenthe ladies left the dining-room, slipped away from her friends, andsummoning the cook to her presence, received an explanation of themystery. The woman said, she had left the kitchen only for one minute, and when she returned, she saw the monkey standing on the hob of thekitchen grate, with one fore-paw resting on the lid of the boiler whichcontained the soup. "Oh, Mr. Curiosity, " she exclaimed, "that is toomuch for you, you can't lift that up. " To her horror and amazement, however, he _had_ lifted it up, and was putting it on again afterpopping the kitten in, whose remains were discovered at the bottom whenthe soup was strained. The poor cook was so bewildered, that she did notknow what to do: it was time for the dinner to be served, and she, therefore, for the look's sake, thought it best to send the soup in asit was, even if it were sent out again immediately, "because you knowma'am, " said she, "that would prove you had ordered it. I always thoughtthe monkey would do the kitten a mischief, he was so jealous of it, andhated it so because it scratched him, so he seized it when asleep. "

A much better disposed monkey belonged to my eldest daughter; and webrought him to England from the Gambia. He seemed to know that he couldmaster the child, and did not hesitate to bite and scratch her whenevershe pulled him a little harder than he thought proper. I punished himfor each offence, yet fed and caressed him when good; by which means Ipossessed an entire ascendancy over him. He was very wretched in Londonlodgings, where I was obliged to fasten him to the bars of a stove, andwhere he had no fresh air; and he was no sooner let loose than he triedto break everything within his reach; so I persuaded his young mistressto present him to the Jardin des Plantes. I took him there; and duringmy stay in that place paid him daily visits. When these werediscontinued, the keeper told me that he incessantly watched for myreturn, and it was long before he recovered his disappointment, and madefriends with his companions in the same cage. Two years after, I againwent to see him; and when I stood before him and said, "Mac, do you knowme?" he gave a scream of delight, put both his paws beyond the bars, stretched them out to me, held his head down to be caressed, uttering alow murmur, and giving every sign of delighted recognition. 

The most melancholy of all monkeys is, apparently, the Chimpanzee; andalthough he has perhaps evinced more power of imitating man than anyother, he performs all he does with a sad look, frequently accompaniedby petulance, and occasional bursts of fury. One of the smaller species, such as those which at different times have been brought to England andParis, was offered to Mr. Bowdich for purchase, while our ship lay inthe river Gaboon. His owner left him with us for four weeks, duringwhich time I had an opportunity of watching his habits. He would notassociate with any other of the tribe, not even the irresistible Jack;but was becoming reconciled to me, when one unlucky day I checked hisdawning partiality. He followed me to the Panther's cage, and I shallnever forget the fearful yell which he uttered. He fled as swiftly aspossible, overturning men and boys in his way, with a strength little tobe expected from his size, nor did he stop till he had thrust himselfinto a boat sail on the after-deck, with which he entirely coveredhimself, and which was thenceforward his favourite abode. It was severaldays before I could reinstate myself in his good opinion, for heevidently thought I had had something to do with the panther. The latterhad been in such a fury, that the sailors thought he would have brokenhis cage; and he continued restless and watchful for hours afterwards, proving that the chimpanzee is found in his country of Ashanti, furtherto the north than we had imagined. We did not buy the animal, on accountof the exorbitant sum asked for him, and the risk of his living during along voyage. He was always very sad, but very gentle; and his attachmentto his master was very great, clinging to him like a child, and goingjoyfully away in his arms. Of those kept in the Zoological gardens ofEngland and Paris, many anecdotes have been related, evincing greatintelligence. One of the latter used to sit in a chair, lock and unlockhis door, drink tea with a spoon, eat with a knife and fork, set outhis own dinner, cry when left alone, and delight in being apparentlyconsidered one of his keeper's family. 

It is in equatorial Africa that the most powerful of all the Quadrumanalive, far exceeding the Oran Outang, and even the Pongo of Borneo. Mr. Bowdich and myself were the first to revive and confirm a longforgotten, and vague report of the existence of such a creature, andmany thought, as we ourselves had not seen it, that we had been deceivedby the natives. They assured us that these huge creatures walkconstantly on their hind feet, and never yet were taken alive; that theywatch the actions of men, and imitate them as nearly as possible. Likethe ivory hunters, they pick up the fallen tusks of elephants, but notknowing where to deposit them, they carry their burthens about till theythemselves drop, and even die from fatigue: that they build huts nearlyin the shape of those of men, but live on the outside; and that when oneof their children dies, the mother carries it in her arms till it fallsto pieces; that one blow of their paw will kill a man, and that nothingcan exceed their ferocity. 

A male and female, of an enormous species of chimpanzee, were brought toBristol by the master of a vessel coming from the river Gaboon, he hadbeen commissioned to bring them alive, but as this was impracticable, he put the male into a puncheon of rum, and the female into a cask ofstrong brine, after they had been shot. The person who had ordered, refused to take them, and Professor Owen secured them for the College ofSurgeons. The flesh of that in salt and water fell from the bones, butit was possible to set the other up so as to have his portrait taken, which likeness is now in the museum of the college. The rum had sodestroyed the hair, that he could not be stuffed, he was between fourand five feet high, his enormous nails, amounting to claws, were welladapted for digging roots, and his huge, strong teeth, must have madehim a formidable antagonist. There could not be any thing much morehideous than his appearance, even when allowances were made for thedisfiguring effects of the spirit in which he had been preserved. He wasentirely covered with hair, and not wrinkled and bare in front like thesmaller Chimpanzee; and it was for some time supposed, that this was theIngheena reported by Mr. Bowdich. Since then, however, some skulls havebeen sent to England from the same locality, of much larger proportions, betokening an almost marvellous size and strength; and these probably, belonged to the real Ingheena. They go about in pairs; and it is evidentfrom their enormous teeth, that, as they are not flesh-eating animals, these weapons must have been given to them as means of defence againstthe most powerful enemies; in fact, against each other. 

I now come from my own knowledge and personal experience to those ofothers, and I cannot begin with a more interesting account than thatgiven by Mr. Bennett of the Ungka Ape, or Gibbon of Sumatra, the SimiaSyndactyla of naturalists. He stood two feet high when on his hind legs, and was covered with black hair, except on the face, the skin of whichwas also black; the legs were short in proportion to the body and arms, the latter being exceedingly long. His only pouch was under the throat, the use of which was not apparent, for he did not make it a reservoirfor food. He uttered a squeaking or chirping note when pleased, a hollowbark when irritated, and when frightened or angry he loudly called out"Ra, ra, ra. " He was as grave as the rest of his tribe, but not equallymischievous; he, however, frequently purloined the ink, sucking thepens, and drinking the liquid whenever he could get at it. He soon knewhis name, and readily went to those who called him. The chief object ofhis attachment was a Papuan child; and he would sit with one of his longarms round her neck, share his biscuit with her, run from or after herin play, roll on the deck, entwining his arms around her, pretend tobite, swing himself away by means of a rope, and then drop suddenly uponher, with many other frolics of a childish character. If, however, shetried to make him play when he was not inclined to do so, he wouldgently warn her by a bite, that he would not suffer her to take anyliberties. He made advances to several small monkeys, but they alwaysdrew themselves up into an opposing force, and he, to punish theirimpertinence, seized hold of their tails, and pulled them till thesqueaking owners contrived to escape, or he dragged them along by theseappendages up the rigging, and then suddenly let them go, he all thetime preserving the utmost gravity. 

When the hour came for the passengers' dinner he took his station nearthe table, and, if laughed at while eating, barked, inflated his pouch, and looked at those who ridiculed him in the most serious manner tillthey had finished, when he quietly resumed his own meal. This is oftendone by others of his race, and some seem to inquire what you see tolaugh at, while others fly into a passion when such an affront isoffered. 

Ungka greatly disliked being left alone, and when refused anything whichhe wished for, rolled upon the deck, threw his arms and legs about, anddashed every thing down which came within his reach, incessantlyuttering "Ra, ra, ra. " He had a great fancy for a certain piece of soap, but was always scolded when he tried to take it away. One day, when hethought Mr. Bennett was too busy to observe him, he walked off with it, casting glances round to see if he were observed. When he had gone halfthe length of the cabin, Mr. Bennett gently called him; and he was soconscience-stricken that he immediately returned the soap to its place, evidently knowing he had done wrong. He was very fond of sweetmeats; butalthough good friends with those who gave them to him, he would notsuffer them to take him in their arms, only allowing two persons to usethat familiarity, and particularly avoiding large whiskers. He felt thecold extremely as he proceeded on his voyage, was attacked withdysentery, and died as he came into a northern latitude. 

A female Gibbon was for some time exhibited in London, whose rapid andenormous springs verified the account given of her brethren by M. Duvaueel, who said that he had seen one of these animals clear a spaceof forty feet, receiving an impetus by merely touching the branch of atree, and catching fruit as she sprang: the one in England could stopherself in the most sudden manner, and calculate her distances withsurprising accuracy. She uttered a cry of half tones, and ended with adeafening shake, which was not unmusical. She made a chirping cry in themorning, supposed to be the call for her companions, beginning slowly, and ending by two barks, which sounded like the tenor E and its octave, at which time the poor thing became evidently agitated. She was, generally speaking, very gentle, and much preferred ladies to gentlemen;but if her confidence had been once acquired, she seemed to place asmuch reliance on a man as she bestowed unsolicited on a woman. 

Monkeys in India are more or less objects of superstitious reverence, and are, consequently, seldom, or ever destroyed. In some places theyare even fed, encouraged, and allowed to live on the roofs of thehouses. If a man wish to revenge himself for any injury committed uponhim, he has only to sprinkle some rice or corn upon the top of hisenemy's house, or granary, just before the rains set in, and the monkeyswill assemble upon it, eat all they can find outside, and then pull offthe tiles to get at that which falls through the crevices. This, ofcourse, gives access to the torrents which fall in such countries, andhouse, furniture, and stores are all ruined. 

The large Banyan trees of the Old World are the favourite resorts ofmonkeys and snakes; and the former when they find one of the latterasleep, seize it by the neck, scramble from their branch, and dash thereptile's head against a stone, all the time grinning with rage. 

The Budeng of Java (Semnopithecus Maurus) abounds in the forests of thatisland, and flies from the presence of man, uttering the most fearfulscreams, and using the most violent gestures; but this is not afrequent antipathy, and there is an amusing account of the familiaritywhich monkeys assume with men, written by a traveller, who, probably, was not a naturalist, for he does not give the technical appellation ofany of the species with which he meets in India. From what he says, however, I should suppose some of his heroes to be the same as theMacacus Rhesus. He expresses his surprise, when he sees monkeys "athome, " for the first time, as being so different to the individuals onthe tops of organs, or in the menageries of Europe. Their air ofself-possession, comprehension, and right to the soil on which they liveis most amusing. From thirty to forty seated themselves to look at hisadvancing palanquin and bearers, just as villagers watch the strangearrival going to "the squire's, " and mingled with the inhabitants, jostling the naked children, and stretching themselves at full lengthclose to the seated human groups, with the most perfect freedom. Thisfreedom often amounts to impudence; and they frequent the tops ofbazaars, in order to steal all they can lay their hands upon below. Theonly way to keep them off, is to cover the roof with a prickly shrub, the thorns of which stick to the flesh like fishhooks. The abovementioned traveller watched one, which he calls a _bandar_, and whichtook his station opposite to a sweetmeat shop. He pretended to beasleep, but every now and then softly raised his head to look at thetempting piles and the owner of them, who sat smoking his pipe withoutsymptoms even of a dose. In half an hour the monkey got up, as if hewere just awake, yawned, stretched himself, and took another position afew yards off, where he pretended to play with his tail, occasionallylooking over his shoulder at the coveted delicacies. At length theshop-man gave signs of activity, and the bandar was on the alert; the manwent to his back room, the bandar cleared the street at one bound, andin an instant stuffed his pouches full of the delicious morsels. He had, however, overlooked some hornets, which were regaling themselves at thesame time. They resented his disturbance, and the tormented bandar, inhis hurry to escape, came upon a thorn-covered roof, where he lay, stung, torn, and bleeding. He spurted the stolen bon-bons from hispouches, and barking hoarsely, looked the picture of misery. The noiseof the tiles which he had dislodged in his retreat brought out theinhabitants, and among them the vendor of sweets, with his turbanunwound, and streaming two yards behind him. All joined in laughing atthe wretched monkey; but their religious reverence for him induced themto go to his assistance; they picked out his thorns, and he limped awayto the woods quite crestfallen. 

The traveller came in constant contact with monkeys in his occupationsof clearing land and planting, and at first, as he lay still among thebrushwood, they gamboled round him as they would round the natives. This peaceable state of things, however, did not last, when heestablished a field of sugar-canes in the newly-cleared jungle. He tellsthe story so well, that I must be allowed to use his own expressions:--

"Every beast of the field seemed leagued against this devoted patch ofsugar-cane. The wild elephants came, and browsed in it; the jungle hogsrooted it up, and munched it at their leisure; the jackals gnawed thestalks into squash; and the wild deer ate the tops of the young plants. Against all these marauders there was an obvious remedy--to build astout fence round the cane field. This was done accordingly, and a deeptrench dug outside, that even the wild elephant did not deem it prudentto cross. 

"The wild hogs came and inspected the trench and the palisades beyond. Abristly old tusker was observed taking a survey of the defenses; but, after mature deliberation, he gave two short grunts, the porcine(language), I imagined, for 'No go, ' and took himself off at a roundtrot, to pay a visit to my neighbour Ram Chunder, and inquire how hislittle plot of sweet yams was coming on. The jackals sniffed at everycrevice, and determined to wait a bit; but the monkeys laughed the wholeintrenchment to scorn. Day after day was I doomed to behold my canesdevoured, as fast as they ripened, by troops of jubilant monkeys. It wasof no use attempting to drive them away. When disturbed, they merelyretreated to the nearest tree, dragging whole stalks of sugar-cane alongwith them, and then spurted the chewed fragments in my face, as I lookedup at them. This was adding insult to injury, and I positively began togrow blood-thirsty at the idea of being outwitted by monkeys. The casebetween us might have been stated in this way. 

"'I have, at much trouble and expense, cleared and cultivated thisjungle land, ' said I. 

"'More fool you, ' said the monkeys. 

"'I have planted and watched over these sugar-canes. '

"'Watched! ah, ha! so have we for the matter of that. '

"'But, surely I have a right to reap what I sowed?'

"'Don't see it, ' said the monkeys; 'the jungle, by rights prescriptiveand indefensible, is ours, and has been so ever since the days of RamHonuman of the long tail. If you cultivate the jungle without ourconsent you must look to the consequences. If you don't like ourcustoms, you may get about your business. We don't want you. '

"I kept brooding over this mortifying view of the matter, until onemorning I hatched revenge in a practicable shape. A tree, with about ascore of monkeys on it, was cut down, and half-a-dozen of the youngestwere caught as they attempted to escape. A large pot of _ghow_ (treacle)was then mixed with as much tartar emetic as could be spared from themedicine chest, and the young hopefuls, after being carefully paintedover with the compound, were allowed to return to their distressedrelatives, who, as soon as they arrived, gathered round them, andcommenced licking them with the greatest assiduity. The results I hadanticipated were not long in making their appearance. A more melancholysight it was impossible to behold; but so efficacious was thistreatment, that for more than two years I hardly ever saw a monkey inthe neighbourhood. "

When we read of the numbers, the intelligence, and the audacity ofmonkeys in this part of the world, it becomes a matter of curiousspeculation as to how they will behave when the railroad is made acrossIndia. 

It has been frequently observed, that there is nothing more distressingthan to see a wounded or suffering monkey. He lays his hand upon thepart affected, and looks up in your face, as if appealing to your kindlyfeelings; and if blood flow, he views it with so frightened anexpression, that he seems to know his life is going from him. Aninquisitive monkey, among the numerous company which sailed in a ship, always seemed desirous of ascertaining the nature of everything aroundhim, and touched, tasted, and closely scrutinized every object to whichhe had not been accustomed. A pot of scalding pitch was in use forcaulking the seams of the upper deck, and when those who were employedin laying it upon the planks turned their heads from him, he dipped onepaw into it, and carrying it to his chin, rubbed himself with thedestructive substance. His yell of pain called the attention of thesailors to him, and they did all in their power to afford alleviation;the pitch was taken off as well as it could be, his pouches beingentirely burnt away, his poor cheeks were wrapped up with rags steepedin turpentine; and his scalded hand was bandaged in the same manner. Hewas a piteous sight, and seemed to look on all who came near, as ifasking for their commiseration. He was very gentle and very sad, submitted to be fed with sugar and water through a tube, but after a fewdays he laid his head down and expired. 

Mr. Forbes tells a story of a female monkey, (the SemnopithecusEntellus), who was shot by a friend of his, and carried to his tent. Forty or fifty of her tribe advanced with menacing gestures, but stoodstill when the gentleman presented his gun at them. One, however, whoappeared to be the chief of the tribe, came forward, chattering andthreatening in a furious manner. Nothing short of firing at him seemedlikely to drive him away; but at length he approached the tent door withevery sign of grief and supplication, as if he were begging for thebody. It was given to him, he took it in his arms, carried it away, withactions expressive of affection, to his companions, and with themdisappeared. It was not to be wondered at that the sportsman vowed neverto shoot another monkey. 

Monkeys are eaten in some parts of the Old World, and universally inSouth America. M. Bonpland speaks of the flesh as lean, hard and dry;but that which I tasted in Africa, was white, juicy, and like chicken. Mr. Bowdich had monkeys served whole before him at the table of the kingof Ashanti, having been roasted in a sitting posture, and he said, nothing could be more horrid or repugnant than their appearance, withthe skin of the lips dried, and the white teeth, giving an aspect ofgrinning from pain. 

The howling monkeys of South America, who make the forests resound atnight, or before a coming storm, with their hideous choruses, and whosehollow and enlarged tongue bone, and expanded lower jaw enable them toutter those melancholy and startling cries, are larger and fatter thanmany others in the same country, and are constantly sought for as food. They eat the thick, triangular Brazil nuts (Bertholletia Excelsa), andbreak the hard pod which contains them with a stone, laying it on thebough of a tree, or some other stone. They sometimes get their tailbetween the two, of course the blow falls upon the tail, and the monkeybounds away, howling in the most frightful manner. 

The prettiest of all monkeys is the Marmozet; the Ouistiti of Buffon;the Simia Jacchus of Linnæus. It is extremely sensitive to cold;nevertheless, if plentifully supplied with wool, cotton, and other warmmaterials, will live for years in this climate. Dr. Neill of Edinburgh, that most excellent protector and lover of animals, brought one fromBahia, which he found great difficulty in training. It even resistedthose who fed it, not allowing them to touch it, putting on an angry, suspicious look, and being roused by even the slightest whisper. Duringthe voyage it ate corn and fruit, and when these became scarce, took tocockroaches; of which it cleared the vessel. It would dispatch twentylarge, besides smaller ones, three or four times in each day, nippingoff the head of the former, and rejecting the viscera, legs, and hardwing cases. Besides these, it fed on milk, sugar, raisins, andbread-crumbs. It afterwards made friends with a cat, and slept and eatwith this animal, but it never entirely lost its distrustful feelings. 

Lieutenant Edwards, in his voyage up the Amazon, mentions a domesticwhite monkey, which had contrived to get to the top of a house, and nopersuasions or threats could get him down again. He ran over the roof, displaced the tiles, peeped into the chambers below (for there are noceilings in that country), and when called, put his thumb up to hisnose. He was shot at with corn, but having found a rag, he held it upbefore him, and so tried to evade the shot; every now and then peepingover the top. At last he was left to himself; and when no endeavourswere made to get him down, he came of his own accord. Captain Brownmentions a monkey, who, when he was troublesome in the cabin of a ship, was fired at with gunpowder and currant jelly; and in order to defendhimself, used to pick up the favorite monkey, and hold him between thepistol and himself when it was presented. 

A race of animals exists in Madagascar, and some of the Eastern islands, to which the name of Maki has been given, and which, although differingin the formation of the skull and teeth, must, from having four hands, be placed among the Quadrumana. They are nocturnal in their habits, verygentle and confiding, with apparently one exception, which is called theVari. M. Frederic Cuvier has told us, that two of these being shut up ina cage together, one killed and eat his companion, leaving nothing butthe skin. Two of them are remarkable for their slow, deliberatemovements; and one of them, named the Lemur Tardigradus, was procuredat Prince of Wales's Island by Mr. Baird. He tells us that his eyesshone brightly in the dark, and that he moved his eyelids diagonally, instead of up and down. He had two tongues, one rough like that of acat, the other narrow and sharp, and both projected at the same time, unless he chose to retain the latter. He generally slept rolled up likea ball, with his arms over his head, taking hold of his cage. He and adog lived together in the same cage, and a great attachment subsistedbetween them; but nothing could reconcile him to a cat, which constantlyjumped over his back, thereby causing him great annoyance. 

I cannot better close this notice of Monkeys than by giving a curiouslegend which is told in Northwestern Africa, and which is more uncommonthan the belief, which is to be found in most countries, that "monkeyscan talk if they like, but they won't, for fear white men should makethem work. " It was related by the negroes to each other with infinitehumour; the different voices of the characters were assumed, and thegestures and countenance were in accordance with the tale. 

"There was once a big and a strong man, who was a cook, and he married awoman who thought herself very much above him, so she only accepted himon condition that she should never be asked to go into the cook-house(kitchen), but live in a separate dwelling. They were married, and allthe house he had for her was the kitchen; but she did not at firstcomplain, because she was afraid to make her husband unhappy. At lastshe became so tired of her life, that she began to find fault; but atfirst was very gentle. At last she scolded incessantly, and the man, tokeep her quiet, told her he would go to the bush (forest), and fetchwood to build her a new house. He went away, and in a few hours broughtsome wood. The next day his wife told him to go and fetch some more. Again he went away, stayed all day, and only brought home a few sticks, which made her so angry, that she took the biggest and beat him with it. The man went away a third time, and stayed all night, not bringing homeany wood at all, saying that the trees which he had cut down were soheavy that he could not bring them all the way. Then he went and stayedtwo days and nights, which made his wife very unhappy. She cried verymuch, intreated him not to leave her, promised not to scold or beat himany more, and to live contentedly in the kitchen; but he answered 'No!you made me go to the bush, now I like the bush very much, and I shallgo and stop there for ever. ' So saying, he rushed out of the cook-houseinto the bush, where he turned into a monkey, and from him came allother monkeys. "

BATS. 

A race of beings, to which the epithet mysterious may be with some truthapplied, affords more interest from its peculiar habits, than from anyproof which can be given of its mental powers; and its place in thiswork is due to the marvellous histories which have been relatedconcerning it, and which have made it an object of superstitious alarm. 

Bats, or Cheiroptera, are particularly distinguished from all othercreatures which suckle their young, by possessing the power of flight. ALemur Galeopithecus, which exists in the Eastern part of the globe, takes long sweeps from tree to tree, and owes this faculty to theextension of its skin between its fore and hind limbs, including thetail; but it cannot be really said to fly. The Bats, then, alone enjoythis privilege; and the prolongation of what, in common parlance, weshould call the arms and fingers, constitutes the framework whichsupports the skin, or membrane forming the wings. The thumbs, however, are left free, and serve as hooks for various purposes. The legs, andtail (when they have any), generally help to extend the membrane of thewing; and the breast-bone is so formed as to support the powerfulmuscles which aid their locomotive peculiarities. They climb and crawlwith great dexterity, and some will run when on the ground; but it isdifficult for most of them to move on a smooth, horizontal surface, andthey drag themselves along by their thumbs. A portion of the Cheiropterafeeds on insects, and another on fruits; one genus subsists chiefly onblood. The first help to clear the atmosphere of those insects which flyat twilight; the second are very destructive to our gardens andorchards; the last are especially the object of that superstitious fearto which I have already alluded. They are all nocturnal or crepuscular, and during the day remain suspended by the sharp claws of their feet tothe under-branches of trees, the roofs of caves, subterranean quarries, or old ruins, hanging with their heads downwards; multitudes live in thetombs of Egypt. 

The appearance of Bats is always more or less grotesque; but this termmore aptly applies to those which live on animal food, in consequence ofthe additions made to the nose and ears, probably for the sake ofincreasing their always acute senses of smell and hearing. The ears arefrequently of an enormous size, and are joined together at the back ofthe head; besides which they have leaf, or lance-shaped appendages infront. A membrane of various forms is also often attached to the nose, in one species the shape of a horse-shoe. The bodies are always coveredwith hair, but the wings consist of a leathery membrane. Anothersingularity in one genus is the extremity of the spine being convertedinto two jointed, horny pieces, covered with skin, so as to form a boxof two valves, each having an independent motion. The large bats of theEast Indies measure five feet from the tip of one wing to that of theother, and they emit a musky odour. The skin of the Nycteris Geoffroyiis very loose upon the body; and the animal draws air through openingsin the cheek pouches, head, and back, and swells itself into a littleballoon; the openings being closed at pleasure by means of valves. Thebite of all is extremely sharp; and we seldom hear of an instance of onebeing tamed. They try to shelter themselves from chilly winds, andfrequent sheltered spots, abounding in masonry, rocks, trees, and smallstreams. 

About the Vampire, or the blood-sucker, there are different opinions:that of the East is said to be quite harmless; but it is asserted thatthe South American species love to attach themselves to all cattle, especially to horses with long manes, because they can cling to the hairwhile they suck the veins, and keep their victim quiet by flapping theirwings over its head; they also fasten themselves upon the tail for thefirst reason, and a great loss of blood frequently ensues. Fowls arefrequently killed by them as they roost upon their perches, for sonoiseless and gentle are they in their flight and operations, thatanimals are not awakened out of their sleep by their attacks. The teethare so disposed that they make a deep and triple puncture, and one wastaken by Mr. Darwin in the act of sucking blood from the neck of ahorse. This able naturalist and accurate observer is of opinion, thathorses do not suffer from the quantity of blood taken from them by theVampire, but from the inflammation of the wound which they make, andwhich is increased if the saddle presses on it. Horses, however, turnedout to grass at night, are frequently found the next morning with theirnecks and haunches covered with blood; and it is known that the batfills and disgorges itself several times. Dr. Carpenter is of the sameopinion as Mr. Darwin, and also disbelieves that these creatures soothetheir victims by fanning them with their wings. 

Captain Stedman, who travelled in Guiana, from 1772 to 1777, publishedan account of his adventures, and for several years afterwards, it wasthe fashion to doubt the truth of his statements. In fact, it was ageneral feeling, up to a much later period than the above, thattravellers were not to be believed. As our knowledge, however, hasincreased, and the works of God have been made more manifest, thereputation of many a calumniated traveller has been restored, and, amongothers, that of Captain Stedman. I shall, therefore, unhesitatinglyquote his account of the bite of the vampire, "On waking, about fouro'clock this morning, in my hammock, I was extremely alarmed at findingmyself weltering in congealed blood, and without feeling any painwhatever. Having started up and run to the surgeon, with a firebrand inone hand, and all over besmeared with gore, the mystery was found to be, that I had been bitten by the vampire or specter of Guiana, which isalso called the flying dog of New Spain. This is no other than a bat ofmonstrous size, that sucks the blood from men and cattle, sometimes eventill they die; knowing, by instinct, that the person they intend toattack is in a sound slumber, they generally alight near the feet, where, while the creature continues fanning with his enormous wings, which keeps one cool, he bites a piece out of the tip of the great toe, so very small indeed, that the head of a pin could scarcely be receivedinto the wound, which is consequently not painful; yet, through thisorifice, he contrives to suck the blood, until he is obliged todisgorge. He then begins again, and thus continues sucking anddisgorging till he is scarcely able to fly, and the sufferer has oftenbeen known to sleep from time into eternity. Cattle they generally bitein the ear, but always in those places where the blood flowsspontaneously. Having applied tobacco-ashes as the best remedy, andwashed the gore from myself and my hammock, I observed several smallheaps of congealed blood all around the place where I had lain, uponthe ground; upon examining which, the surgeon judged that I had lost atleast twelve or fourteen ounces during the night. Having measured thiscreature (one of the bats), I found it to be, between the tips of thewings, thirty-two inches and a half; the colour was a dark brown, nearlyblack, but lighter underneath. "

Mr. Waterton, whom all the world recognizes as a gentleman, andconsequently a man of truth, laboured at one time under the same stigmaof exaggeration as Captain Stedman, and many other illustrioustravellers; and he confirms the blood-sucking in the followingterms:--"Some years ago, I went to the river Paumarau, with a Scotchgentleman. We hung our hammocks in the thatched loft of a planter'shouse. Next morning I heard this gentleman muttering in his hammock, andnow and then letting fall an imprecation or two, 'What is the matter, Sir, ' said I softly, 'is anything amiss?' 'What is the matter!' answeredhe surlily, 'why the vampires have been sucking me to death. ' As soon asthere was light enough, I went to his hammock, and saw it much stainedwith blood. 'There, ' said he, thrusting his foot out of the hammock, 'see how these imps have been drawing my life's blood. ' On examining hisfoot, I found the vampire had tapped his great toe. There was a woundsomewhat less than that made by a leech. The blood was still oozing fromit, and I conjectured he might have lost from ten to twelve ounces ofblood. "

Mr. Waterton further tells us, that a boy of ten or eleven years of agewas bitten by a vampire, and a poor ass, belonging to the younggentleman's father, was dying by inches from the bites of the largerkinds, while most of his fowls were killed by the smaller bats. 

The torpidity in which bats remain during the winter, in climatessimilar to that of England, is well known; and, like other animals whichundergo the same suspension of powers, they have their histories of longimprisonment in places which seem inimical to life. There are twoaccounts of their being found in trees, which are extremely curious, andthe more so, because the one corroborates the other. In the beginning ofNovember, 1821, a woodman, engaged in splitting timber for rail-posts, in the woods close by the lake at Haining, a seat of Mr. Pringle's, inSelkirkshire, discovered, in the centre of a large wild-cherry tree, aliving bat, of a bright scarlet colour, which, as soon as it wasrelieved from its entombment, took to its wings and escaped. In the treethere was a recess sufficiently large to contain the animal; but allaround, the wood was perfectly sound, solid, and free from any fissurethrough which the atmospheric air could reach the animal. 

A man engaged in splitting timber, near Kelsall, in the beginning ofDecember, 1826, discovered, in the centre of a large pear-tree, a livingbat, of a bright scarlet colour, which he foolishly suffered to escape, from fear, being fully persuaded (with the characteristic superstitionof the inhabitants of that part of Cheshire), that it was "a being notof this world. " The tree presented a small cavity in the centre, wherethe bat was enclosed, but was perfectly sound and solid on each side. The scarlet colour of each of these prisoners seems at present to beinexplicable, and makes these statements still more marvellous. 

Professor Bell, in his admirable work on British Quadrupeds speaks of along-eared bat which fed from the hand; and if an insect were heldbetween the lips, it would settle on its master's cheek, and take thefly from his mouth with great quietness. So accustomed was it to this, that it would seek his lips when he made a buzzing noise. It folded itsbeautiful ears under its arm when it went to sleep, and also duringhibernation. Its cry was acute and shrill, becoming more clear andpiercing when disturbed. It is most frequently seen in towns andvillages. This instance of taming to a certain extent might, perhaps, bemore frequently repeated, if bats were objects of more generalinterest. 

MOLES. 

There is a tribe of animals constantly around our country habitations, of underground and nocturnal habits, some of which become torpid inwinter. All are timid and unobtrusive, and yet have great influence uponour welfare; for they check the rapid increase of those worms andinsects which live and breed beneath the soil, and would destroy thecrops which are necessary to our existence. There are certain andconstant characters in their formation, which bring them all under onegroup, called Insectivora, or Insect-eating Mammalia, by naturalists;but among them are smaller groups of individuals, with peculiarcharacters, adapted to their different habits. 

The mole is an instance of one of these minor groups; which, with oneexception, has a portion of sight in spite of its reputation for beingblind. Its smell and hearing, however, are so acute, that they make upfor the deficiency in the other sense, a highly developed organ forwhich, would be very much in the way of an animal which makes itshabitation within the earth, and which rarely comes to the surface inthe day time. Its fore-feet are largest, and powerful muscles enable itto dig up the soil and roots which oppose the formation of itsgalleries, and which are thrown up as they become loosened. The nose, or snout, is furnished with a bone at the end, with which it pierces theearth, and in one genus this bone has twenty-two small, cartilaginouspoints attached to it, which can be extended into a star. A vein liesbehind the ear of all, the smallest puncture of which causes instantdeath. 

The food of moles chiefly consists of worms, and the larvæ, or grubs ofinsects, of which they eat enormous quantities. They are extremelyvoracious, and the slightest privation of food drives them to frenzy, orkills them. They will all eat flesh, and when shut up in a cage withoutnourishment, have been known to devour each other. There is a remarkableinstance of a mole, when in confinement, having a viper and a toad givento it, both of which it killed and devoured. All squeeze out the earthymatter which is inside worms, before eating them, which they do with themost eager rapidity. In June and July, they prowl upon the surface ofthe ground, generally at night, but they have been seen by day, and thisis the time in which they indulge in fleshy food, for then they catchsmall birds, mice, frogs, lizards, and snails; but although when inconfinement one was known to eat a toad, they generally refuse thesereptiles, probably from the acrid humour which exudes from their skin. They, on these occasions of open marauding, are often caught anddevoured in their turn by owls at night, and dogs by day. They have aremarkable power of eating the roots of the colchicum, or meadowsaffron, which takes such powerful effect on other animals, and whichthey probably swallow for the sake of the larvæ or worms upon them. Suchis their antipathy to garlic, that a few cloves put into their runs, will cause their destruction. 

A French naturalist, of the name of Henri Lecourt, devoted a great partof his life to the study of the habits and structure of moles, and hetells us, that they will run as fast as a horse will gallop. By hisobservations he rendered essential service to a large district inFrance, for he discovered that numbers of moles had undermined the banksof a canal, and that, unless means were taken to prevent thecatastrophe, these banks would give way, and inundation would ensue. Byhis ingenious contrivances and accurate knowledge of their habits, hecontrived to extirpate them before the occurrence of further mischief. Moles, however, are said to be excellent drainers of land, and Mr. Hogg, the Ettrick Shepherd, used to declare, that if a hundred men and horseswere employed to dress a pasture farm of 1, 500 or 2, 000 acres, theywould not do it as effectually as moles would do if left to themselves. 

The late Earl of Derby possessed a small deserted island, in the Loch ofClunie, 180 yards from the main land, and as proof that moles swim well, a number of them crossed the water, and took possession of this place. They are said to be dragged, as beavers are, by their companions, wholay hold of their tail, and pull them along while they lie on theirbacks, embracing a quantity of soil dug out in forming their runs. Thefur of the mole is very short, fine, and close, and is as smooth andsoft as Genoa velvet. 

Moles display a high degree of instinct in the skilful construction oftheir subterranean fortresses. Their site is not indicated by thoselittle mounds of loose earth, which we see raised up at night, and whichmark their hunting excursions, but under a hillock reared by themselves, and protected by a wall, bank, or roots of a tree. The earth is wellworked, so as to make it compact and hard, and galleries are formedwhich communicate with each other. A circular gallery is placed at theupper part of the mound, and five descending passages lead from this toa gallery below, which is of larger circumference. Within this lowergallery is a chamber, which communicates with the upper gallery by threedescending tunnels. This chamber is, as it were, the citadel of themole, in which it sleeps. 

A principal gallery goes from the lower gallery, in a direct line to theutmost extent of the ground through which the mole hunts, and from thebottom of this dormitory is another, which descends farther into theearth, and joins this great or principal road. Eight or nine othertunnels run round the hillock at irregular distances, leading from thelower gallery, through which the mole hunts its prey, and which itconstantly enlarges. During this process it throws up the hillocks whichbetray its vicinity to us. The great road is of various depths, according to the quality of the soil in which it is excavated; it isgenerally five or six inches below the surface, but if carried under astream, or pathway, it will be occasionally sunk a foot and a half. Ifthe hillock be very extensive there will be several high-roads, and theywill serve for several moles, but they never trespass on each other'shunting grounds. If they happen to meet in a road, one is obliged toretreat, or they have a battle, in which the weakest always comes offthe worst. In a barren soil, the searching galleries are the mostnumerous, and those made in winter are the deepest, because the wormspenetrate beyond the line of frost, and the mole is as active in winteras in warm weather. 

The females have a separate chamber made for them, in which they bringforth their young. This is situated at some distance from the citadel, and placed where three or four galleries intersect each other. Therethey have a bed made of dry grass, or fibres of roots, and four or fiveyoung are born at the same time, which begin to get their own food whenthey are half grown. 

Like all voracious animals, moles require a large quantity of water, consequently their run, or fortress, generally communicates with a ditchor pond. Should these dry up, or the situation be without suchresources, the little architect sinks perpendicular wells, which retainthe water as it drains from the soil. 

Moles shift their quarters according to circumstances, and as they swimwell, they migrate across rivers; and in sudden inundations are able, not to save themselves alone, but their young, to which they are muchattached. The stratagem and caution which they practise in order tosecure a bird are highly curious: they approach without seeming to doso, but as soon as they are within reach of their prey, they rush uponit, tear open its body, thrust their snout into the intestines, andrevel in their sanguinary feast. They then sleep for three or fourhours, and awake with renewed appetite. 

All mole-catchers will bear testimony to the rapid movements andconsequent difficulty of catching these animals. I have watched agardener stand for half an hour by one of the little hillocks of looseearth, which, from its movement, showed that the mole was there at work, and remain motionless, spade in hand, and when he saw the earth shake, dash his weapon into the heap. The mere uplifting of his arm wassufficient, and before the spade could reach the ground the mole wasgone. He could scarcely reckon on securing his victim once out oftwenty efforts. 

No moles are found in the north of Scotland, or in Ireland, which someattribute to soil and climate; but they exist in other parts of Europeunder similar circumstances. 

HEDGEHOGS. 

Hedgehogs form one of the small groups of insect-eating mammalia, andare remarkable for being also able to eat those substances which aredestructive to others; for instance, they will devour the wings ofSpanish flies (Cantharides) with impunity, which cause fearful tormentsto other animals, and not the least to man, by raising blisters on hisskin. It would seem that the hedgehog is also externally insensible topoison, for it fights with adders, and is bitten about the lips and nosewithout receiving any injury. An experiment has been made byadministering prussic acid to it, which took no effect. 

It is well known that hedgehogs are covered with bristles, amounting tosharp prickles, and that they roll themselves up into a ball. This iseffected by a peculiar set of muscles attached to the skin, by whichthey pull themselves into this shape, and at the same time set up everybristle, and drag their head and limbs within. Such is the resistanceand elasticity of these bristles, that the owners of them may be thrownto great distances and remain unhurt, and they will even throwthemselves down steep places when they wish to move from a particularspot. 

Hedgehogs are nocturnal animals, and frequent woods, gardens, orchards, and thick hedge-rows. It is in the latter that I have heard of one beingmistaken by a hen for a bush, in which she might lay her egg in safety. The fact was announced by the triumphant cackling which these birdsvociferate on such occasions: the egg was consequently searched for, andfound upon the hedgehog's back. 

Hedgehogs feed on insects, slugs, frogs, eggs, young birds in the nest, mice, fallen fruits, and the roots of vegetables, especially theplantain, boring into the ground to get at these substances. They willclear a house of black beetles in a few weeks, as I can attest from myown experience. My kitchen was much infested, not only by them, but by asort of degenerated cockroach, descended from the better conditionedBlattæ, brought in my packages from a tropical country, and which hadresisted all efforts for their extermination, such as boiling water, pepper, arsenic-wafers, mortar, etc. At last, a friend, whose house hadbeen cleared of beetles by a hedgehog, made the animal over to me, verymuch to the discomfort of my cook, to whom it was an object of terror. The first night of its arrival a bed was made for it in a hamper, halffull of hay, and a saucer of milk was set within. The next morning thehedgehog had disappeared, and for several days the search made for itwas fruitless. That it was alive was proved by the milk being drunk outof the saucer in which it was placed. One night I purposely went intothe kitchen after the family had been for some time in bed, and, as Iopened the door, I saw the little creature slink into a hole under theoven attached to the grate. Fearing this would sometimes prove too hotfor it, I had some bricks put in to fill up the aperture. The next nightthe bricks were pulled away, and overturned, evincing a degree ofstrength which astonished us; but, after that, we left the animal to itsown care. The beetles and cockroaches visibly disappeared, but as theydisappeared other things also vanished; kitchen cloths left to dry atnight were missing; then, a silk handkerchief. At last a night-cap lefton the dresser was gone; and these abstractions were most mysterious. The next day there was a general search in possible and impossibleplaces, and the end of a muslin string was seen in the oven-hole; it wasseized on, and not only was the night-cap dragged out, but all themissing and not missing articles which the hedgehog had purloined; mostof them were much torn, and it was supposed that the poor beast hadtaken possession of them to make a soft bed. I have not seen such apropensity noticed elsewhere, and it may be a useful hint to those whokeep hedgehogs. All endeavours to make this animal friendly wereunavailing; but I am told, that hedgehogs are frequently quitedomesticated; and even shew a degree of affection. 

Dr. Buckland ascertained the manner in which hedgehogs kill snakes; theymake a sudden attack on the reptile, give it a fierce bite, and then, with the utmost dexterity, roll themselves up so as to present nothingbut spines when the snake retaliates. They repeat this manœuvre severaltimes, till the back of the snake is broken in various places; they thenpass it through their jaws, cracking its bones at short intervals; afterwhich they eat it all up, beginning at the tail. The old legend, thathedgehogs suck the udders of cows as they lie on the ground chewing thecud is, of course, wholly without foundation. They retreat to holes intrees, or in the earth where they make a bed of leaves, moss, etc. , inwhich they roll themselves, and these substances sticking to the spinesmake them look like a bundle of vegetable matter. In this condition theypass the winter, in a state of torpidity; but it should be mentioned, that one which was tame, retained its activity the whole year. There areinstances of hedgehogs performing the office of turnspits in a kitchen;and, from the facility with which they accommodate themselves to allsorts of food, they are easily kept. They, however, when once accustomedto animal diet, will attack young game; and one was detected in thesouth of Scotland in the act of killing a leveret. 

BEARS. 

Among the Carnivora, or flesh-eating animals, Bears take the firstplace; for their characters and habits link them in some degree with thepreceding order, the Insectivora. Both principally live on fruit, grains, and insects, and only eat flesh from necessity, or somepeculiarity of life, such as confinement, or education. 

The Carnivora are divided by naturalists into three tribes, thecharacters for which are taken from their feet and manner of walking. Bears rank among the Plantigrada, or those which put the whole of theirfeet firmly upon the ground when they walk. They are occasionallycunning and ferocious, but often evince good humour, and a great love offun. In their wild state they are solitary the greater part of theirlives; they climb trees with great facility, live in caverns, holes, andhollow trees; and in cold countries, retire to some secluded spot duringthe winter, where they remain concealed, and bring forth their young. Some say they are torpid; but this cannot be, for the female bears comefrom their retreats with cubs which have lived upon them, and it is notlikely, that they can have reared them and remained without food; theyare, however, often very lean and wasted, and the absorption of theirgenerally large portion of fat, contributes to their nourishment. Thestory that they live by sucking their paws is, as may be supposed, afable; when well-fed they always lick their paws, very oftenaccompanying the action with a peculiar sort of mumbling noise. Thereare a few which will never eat flesh, and all are able to do without it. They are, generally speaking, large, clumsy and awkward, possessinglarge claws for digging; and often walk on their hind-feet, a facilityafforded them by the peculiar formation of their thigh-bone. They do notoften attack in the first instance, unless impelled by hunger or danger;they are, however, formidable opponents when excited. In former timesthere were few parts of the globe in which they were not to be found;but like other wild animals, they have disappeared before the advance ofman. Still they are found in certain spots from the northern regions ofthe world, to the burning climes of Africa, Asia, and America. Thelatest date of their appearance in Great Britain, was in Scotland, during the year 1057. 

Bears are always covered with thick fur; which, notwithstanding itscoarseness, is much prized for various purposes. They afford much sportto those inclined for such exercises; but the cruel practice ofbear-baiting is discontinued. In an old edition of Hudibras, there is acurious note of a mode of running at the devoted bears withwheelbarrows, on which they vented their fury, and the baiters thus hadthem at their mercy. At present the hunts are regularly organisedfights, or battles, besides which there are many ways of catching themin traps, pitfalls, etc. 

The large polar bear (Ursus Maritimus), with its white fur, its long, flattened head, and black claws, may be seen in great perfection at theZoological Gardens. In its own country, during the winter, it liveschiefly on seal's flesh, but in the summer eats berries, sea-weed, andmarsh plants. It is one of the most formidable of the race; and may beseen climbing mountains of ice, and swimming from floe to floe with thegreatest rapidity. Captain Lyon tells us, that when a seal lies justashore, the bear gets quietly into the water and swims away from him toleeward; he then takes short dives, and manages so that the last diveshall bring him back close to the seal, which tries to escape by rollinginto the water, when he falls into the bear's paws; and if he should liestill, the bear springs upon and devours him; its favourite food, however, is the floating carcases of whales. The gait of all bears is asort of shuffle; but this one goes at such a rate, that its pace isequal to a horse's gallop. It is remarkably sagacious, and often defeatsthe stratagems practised for its capture. A female with two cubs waspursued across a field of ice by a party of sailors; at first she urgedthe young ones to increase their speed, by running in front of them, turning round, and evincing, by gesture and voice, great anxiety fortheir progress; but finding that their pursuers gained upon them, shealternately carried, pushed, or pitched them forwards, until sheeffected their escape. The cubs seemed to arrange themselves for thethrow, and when thus sent forwards some yards in advance, ran on tillshe again came up to them, when they alternately placed themselvesbefore her. 

A she-bear and two large cubs, being attracted by the scent of someblubber, proceeding from a seahorse, which had been set on fire, and wasburning on the ice, ran eagerly towards it, dragged some pieces out ofthe flames, and eat them with great voracity. The sailors threw themsome lumps still left in their possession, which the old bear took awayand laid before her cubs, reserving only a small piece for herself. Asthey were eating the last piece, the men shot the cubs, and wounded themother. Her distress was most painful to behold, and, though wounded, she crawled to the spot where they lay, tore the piece of flesh intopieces, and put some before each. Finding they did not eat, she triedto raise them, making piteous moans all the time. She then went to somedistance, looked back and moaned, and this failing to entice them, shereturned and licked their wounds. She did this a second time, and stillfinding that the cubs did not follow, she went round and pawed them withgreat tenderness. Being at last convinced that they were lifeless, sheraised her head towards the ship, and, by a growl, seemed to reproachtheir destroyers. They returned this with a volley of musket balls;[1]she fell between her cubs, and died licking their wounds. 

[Illustration: THE BEAR AND HER CUBS. --Page 54. ]

The black bear of Canada is a formidable creature, and Dr. Richardsoncontradicts the assertion that it is not swift of foot; he says that itsoon outstrips the swiftest runner, and adds, that it climbs as well, ifnot better than a cat. It feeds on berries, eggs, and roots; butalthough it does not seek flesh, it does not refuse it when offered. Ayoung bear of this kind roughly handled a Canadian settler, who, being avery large powerful man, returned hug for hug, till the surprised bearlet go its hold. It had ventured into some young plantations, where itwas committing much mischief, and the settler had endeavoured tofrighten it away. A friend of mine was in the house when the gentlemanreturned home, his clothes torn in the struggle, and very much exhaustedby the encounter; he dropped into a chair, and nearly fainted, but alittle brandy revived him, though he was ill some days from thepressure. 

A young English officer, who was stationed at a lone fortress in thesame country, amused himself by taming a bear of the above species. Hetaught him to fetch and carry, to follow him like a dog, and to waitpatiently at meal time for his share. He took the bear with him when hereturned to England, and he became a great favourite with the passengersand the ship's company. Bruin, however, especially attached himself to alittle girl, about four years old, the daughter of one of the ladies onboard, who romped with him as she would with a dog. In one of thesegames of play, he seized her with one fore paw, and with the otherclambered and clung to the rigging, till he lodged her and himself inthe main top, where, regardless of her cries and the agony of hermother, he tried to continue his romp. It would not do to pursue thepair, for fear the bear should drop the child; and his master, knowinghow fond he was of sugar, had some mattresses placed round the mast, incase the child should fall, and then strewed a quantity of the sugar onthe deck; he called Bruin, and pointed to it, who, after a moment'shesitation, came down as he went up, bringing the child in safety. Hewas, of course, deprived of his liberty during the rest of his voyage. 

This same black bear of Canada, after it has hugged its antagonists todeath, tears them open with its hind feet. It will ward off blows likean accomplished boxer; for, as it would be of no use to strike him onhis thickly-covered body, the attacks are usually made about the head. Aman who wantonly threw an axe at a male bear as he passed, wounded him, whereupon the beast rushed at him, the man fell backwards over a fallentree, and, in so doing, tore off a sharp-pointed knob of wood, which hethrust down the bear's throat, and so killed him; not, however, beforehe had received his own death wound from the hind foot. He walked homeholding in his intestines, and died a day or two after. [2]

An old hunter, named Ruhe, having set his traps to catch beavers, returned to the stream to ascertain his success; he missed one of them, and, on looking for it, saw signs of a bear having passed that way. Ashe went on, he heard the noise of a heavy body breaking through thebushes in the thicket. He hid himself behind a rock, and saw a hugebear, limping on three legs to a flat piece of rock, upon which itseated itself, and on raising one of its fore paws Ruhe discovered thatit was encircled by the lost trap. The bear lifted the iron glovetowards his face, examined it, turned his paw round and round, bent hishead from side to side, looked at the trap askance with the mostpuzzled air, felt the encumbrance, tapped it on the rock, and evidentlyknew not what to do. Then he began to feel pain and licked it; but Ruhesoon put an end to all his conjectures, by shooting him dead. [3]

Of all bears, the grizzly is said to be the most formidable, both forsize and ferocity, and Mr. Ruxton tells the following anecdote, in whichone of them makes a conspicuous figure:--"A trapper, named Glass, and acompanion, were setting their beaver traps in a stream to the north ofthe river Platte, when they saw a large, grizzly bear turning up theturf near by, and searching for roots and pig-nuts. The two men crept tothe thicket, and fired at him; they wounded, but did not kill him; thebeast groaned, jumped all four legs from the ground, and, snorting withpain and fury, charged towards the place from whence came the smoke ofthe rifles. The men rushed through the thicket, where the underwoodalmost impeded their progress; but the beast's weight and strengthcarried him along so fast, that he soon came up with them. A steep bluffwas situated a hundred yards off, with a level plain of grass between itand the thicket; the hunters flew across the latter with the utmostspeed, the bear after them. When he reached about halfway, Glassstumbled over a stone and fell. He rose, and the bear stood before himon his hind legs. Glass called to his companion to fire, and he himselfsent the contents of his pistol into the bear's body. The furiousanimal, with the blood streaming from his nose and mouth, knocked thepistol away with one paw, while he stuck the claws of the other into theflesh of his antagonist, and rolled with him on the ground. Glassmanaged to reach his knife, and plunged it several times into the bear, while the latter, with tooth and claw, tore his flesh. At last, blindedwith blood and exhaustion, the knife fell from the trapper's hand, andhe became insensible. His companion, who thought his turn would comenext, did not even think of reloading his rifle, and fled to the camp, where others of his party were resting, to tell the miserable fate oftheir companion. Assistance was sent, and Glass still breathed, but thebear lay across him quite dead, from three bullets and twenty knifewounds; the man's flesh was torn away in slips, and lumps of it lay uponthe ground; his scalp hung bleeding over his face, which was also torn. The men took away the trapper's hunting-shirt, moccasins, and arms, dragged the bear off his body, and left him, declaring, when theyrejoined their party, that they had completed his burial. "

Although the bear no longer figures in the story, I must be allowed torelate the sequel, as a proof of what human nature can endure withoutdestruction. Months elapsed, and some of the party of the abovementioned camp were on their way to a trading port with their skins, when they saw a horseman approach them, with a face so scarred anddisfigured that they could not distinguish his features. 

The stranger accosted that one of the party who had been Glass'scompanion, exclaiming, in a hollow voice, "Hurrah, Bill, my boy, youthought I was gone under (killed) that time, did you? but hand me overmy horse and gun, lad. I'm not dead yet. " Astonishment and horror seizedon the party, many of whom believed he had been buried as well as dead. However, there could be no mistake now, and when they had sufficientlyrecovered from their surprise to listen to Glass's story, he told themthat he knew not how long he lay before he recovered his senses; butwhen he did, and was able to take nourishment, he was obliged to subsiston the flesh of the bear. When he had strength to crawl, he tore off asmuch of this as he could carry in his weak state, and crept down to theriver; he had suffered tortures from cold, wounds, and hunger, but hehad reached the fort, which was between eighty and ninety miles distant, living the greater part of the way on roots and berries, but there hehad been taken care of and recovered. 

The brown bear much resembles the black in size, habits and shape, andlike it, lives in hollow places; he, however, sometimes digs pits forhimself, and even constructs huts, which he lines with moss. Bothattain an enormous size and weight. All bears are extremely fond ofhoney and sugar, and are often taken when venturing too close to man toprocure these enticing substances. The settlers in Canada, when theymake maple sugar, catch them by leaving a boiler full, into which theydip their paws, or their head, and they fall an easy prey whenencumbered with the thick, saccharine matter, and sometimes with theboiler also. Bruin's attention is easily diverted, and many have escapedby throwing a bundle or knapsack down when he is in pursuit of them, forwhile he stoops to examine it, they gain time and distance. It isnatural to him to play all sorts of antics; and we are told by an Indiantraveller, that in one of his journeys, some bears kept in front of hispalanquin, tumbling and playing as if they designed to afford himamusement. Climbing is a great delight to them, and one was seen toascend a scaffolding, for his own pleasure; he at first proceededcautiously, examining the strength of all the joists, and at lastreached the summit, which was one hundred and twenty feet high. Helooked much pleased when he had completed this operation, and theworkmen treated him with great civility. They were going to lower him ina bucket, but to this he would not consent, and descended as he hadmounted, being so pleased with his prowess, that he repeated his visit. 

A Norwegian had tamed a bear so completely, that he used to stand at theback of his master's sledge, where he kept so good a balance, that itwas impossible to upset him: if the sledge went on one side, the bearthrew his weight in the opposite direction, and so kept up theequilibrium. One day, however, his master, in sport, drove over theworst ground he could find, hoping to throw the bear off. This, however, only served to irritate him; and he vented his ill humour by giving hismaster a tremendous blow across the shoulders. 

A countryman, in Russia, when seeking honey, climbed a very high tree;the trunk of which was hollow, and finding there was a large quantity ofcomb in it, he descended, and stuck fast in the tenacious substancethere deposited. He was so far distant from home, that his voice couldnot be heard, and he remained two days in this situation, relieving hishunger with the honey. He began to despair of ever being extricated, when a bear who, like himself, came for the sake of the honey, slid downthe hollow, hind part foremost. The man, in spite of his alarm, seizedhold of him, and the bear, also in a great fright, clambered out as fastas he could, dragging the man up with him, and when clear of histail-bearer, made off as fast as possible. 

The drollest and most accomplished of all bears, was the celebratedMartin, of Paris, whose dancing, climbing, curtsying, tumbling, begging, and many other antics, were the delight of every child in themetropolis, and of many grown-up children also. It is true, that thenursemaids endangered the lives of their charges, by holding them overthe side of the pit in which he was kept; but as none _did_ fall, theycontinued to amuse themselves and their nurslings at the same risk. Onemorning early, he very cleverly withdrew the bolts of his pit door, andsallied forth on his hind-legs to take a walk. The keepers of the gardenhad not risen; but the dogs were on the alert, and surrounded Martin, jumping and barking, half in play, and half in earnest. This roused themen, who, rushing out to see what was the matter, beheld the bear in themidst of the canine troop, his tongue lolling out of his mouth, and anexpression of fun and enjoyment in his countenance, which wasindescribable. Never was the malignant scowl, so often noticed in bears, from pulling the nictating membrane, or third eyelid half over theeye, seen in poor Martin's face; yet he became unpopular from thecupidity of one of the sentinels. This man fancied he saw a five-francpiece lying in the bear's pit, and determined to go during the night, when he would be on duty, and secure it. He accordingly provided himselfwith a ladder, and when the guard was changed, was found lying lifelessat the bottom, the coveted piece in his hand, which proved to be nothingbut a large button. No marks of violence were to be seen upon his body, but the contusions on his head seemed to tell that he had fallen fromthe ladder when near the top, and so met his death. Whether he had beenfrightened, or seized with giddiness, or whether Martin had shaken theladder, no one could say; the animal was sitting quietly by his sidewhen his fate was first made known. The story fled like wildfire fromone end of Paris to the other, and in a short time, the populace werefully convinced that Martin had killed him; and this, combined withother exaggerations, induced them to flock in multitudes to see themurderous bear. Afterwards, two balls of arsenic, wrapped up in somesweet substance, were found in the pit, fortunately before Martin hadtouched them; and the authorities of the establishment thought itprudent to remove him to a den in the menagerie. The front of these denswas closed at night with a sliding shutter, pulled down by inserting ahook at the end of a long pole into a ring, which ring, when the shutterwas down, served to admit a bolt. This did not at all please Martin, andthe keeper never could accomplish the fastening, till some one else wentto the other side to take off the bear's attention; for the moment theshutter was down, Martin inserted his claws and pushed it up again, andthis practice was continued as long as he existed. 

The Malayan Sun bear (Ursus Malayensis) has a long tongue, short smoothfur, very extensible, flexible lips, and large claws. Sir StamfordRaffles had one which was brought up in the nursery with his children, and when he joined the party at table, would only eat the choicestfruit, and drink champagne, and even be out of humour when there wasnone of the latter. He was very affectionate, and never required to bechained or chastised. This bear, a cat, a dog, and a lory from NewHolland, used to eat amicably out of the same dish. His favoriteplayfellow, however, was the dog, although he was teased and worried byit incessantly. He grew to be very powerful, and pulled plants and treesup by the roots, the latter of which were too large for him to embrace. 

The Bornean bear (Ursus Euryspilus) is one of the most amusing andplayful of all bears; begs in the most earnest manner, and when it hasmore to eat than it can hold in its paws and mouth, places the surpluson its hinder feet, as if to keep it from being soiled; and when vexedor irritated, will never be reconciled as long as the offender is in itssight. It does much injury to cocoa-nut trees, by biting off the topshoots, or tearing down the fruit. 

[1] Captain Phipps' Voyage to the North Pole. 

[2] L'Acadie. 

[3] Ruxton. 

BADGERS. 

Badgers belong to the same division of Carnivora as Bears, but differfrom them, not only in size, but in dentition. This, while they claim asort of miniature relationship, forms them into a separate genus. Theyafford many a day of what is called sport, to those who choose to huntthem, during which they evince much sagacity in their efforts to escape;but I am happy to say the custom of tying them into an empty cask, andbaiting them with dogs, no longer exists. They are by nature slothfuland heavy, but are easily tamed, and when roused are fierce. They have agland under the tail, which secretes a liquid of most disagreeableodour, and causes them to pass into a sort of proverb. They feed chieflyon roots, nuts, and other fruits; attack the nests of wasps, or wildbees, and devour their larvæ, themselves, or their honey, with a perfectindifference to their stings, which cannot pierce through their toughhide. They prey at night and live in the thickest parts of woods orcoppices, where they rapidly dig deep holes, by means of their sharp andpowerful claws. These holes are divided into several chambers, theinnermost of which is round, and lined with hay or grass. All are keptvery clean, and every waste remnant of food and species of filth isdeposited in holes dug on purpose for its reception. The passages tothe dwellings frequently turn at sharp angles, at which places thebadgers make a stand when attacked. Mr. St. John caused a badger's holeto be dug out, and he there found balls of grass, rolled up to the sizeof a man's fist, evidently intended for food. That gentleman also says, that he has frequently found the bulb of the common blue hyacinth lyingnear the hole. They devour, besides all sorts of vegetables, smallanimals whether alive or dead, snails and worms; but their peculiardainty consists of eggs. A partridge's nest affords them a deliciousfeast, particularly if they include the sitting hen. 

Badgers have a peculiarly formed chest and jaw, which give them greatstrength; their forehead is so thick, in consequence of a ridge whichruns down the middle of it, that they are unhurt by a blow in frontwhich would kill an ox; while almost a touch at the back of the headwill cause their destruction. Their thick skin, which lies loosely uponthem, is much used for making pistol cases, and their fur is excellentfor painter's brushes. They are difficult to kill, and few dogs havecourage enough to attack them in their holes, where they live in pairs. When thus pursued, they constantly impede the progress of their enemiesby throwing the soil behind them, so as to fill up the passages, whilethey escape to the surface. They are rare animals, but are to be foundin various parts of the world. The Chinese eat them in spite of theirbad odour. When tamed they show great affection, an interesting proof ofwhich is given by Captain Brown in his popular Natural History, which Itranscribe. "Two persons (in France) went on a journey, and passingthrough a hollow way, a dog which was with them, started a badger, whichhe attacked, and pursued till he took shelter in a burrow under a tree. With some pains he was hunted out and killed. Being a few miles from avillage, called Chapelletiere, they agreed to drag him thither, as thecommune gave a reward for every one which was destroyed; besides whichthey proposed selling the skin. Not having a rope, they twisted sometwigs, and by turns drew him along the road. They had not proceeded farwhen they heard the cry of an animal in seeming distress, and stopped tolisten, when another badger approached them slowly. They at first threwstones at it; notwithstanding which, it drew near, came up to the deadanimal, began to lick it, and continued its mournful cry. The men, surprised at this, desisted from offering any further injury to it, andagain drew the dead one along as before; when the living badger, determined not to quit its companion, lay down on it, taking it gentlyby one ear, and in that manner was drawn into the midst of the village;nor could dogs, boys, or men induce it to quit its situation, and totheir shame be it said, they had the inhumanity to kill the poor animal, and afterwards to burn it, declaring it could not be no other than awitch. "

Professor Bell had a badger which followed him like a dog, and which hadbeen tamed when quite young by some cottager's children, with whom heplayed like a puppy. As he grew in years, he became too rough for them, but at Mr. Bell's was a universal favourite. He yelped with a peculiar, sharp cry when excluded from his master's presence. He was fed atdinner-time, and took the morsels in the most orderly manner. He wasvery affectionate, good-tempered, and cleanly. He died of a diseasewhich affects many carnivorous animals in confinement--a contraction ofthe lower opening of the stomach, which prevents the food from passing. 

In that most interesting book, written by Mr. St. John, and called "WildSports of the Highlands, " the author treats at some length of thebadger. I select the following passages from his pages:--

"I was just then startled from my reverie by a kind of grunt close tome, and the apparition of a small, waddling, grey animal, who was busilyemployed in hunting about the grass and stones at the edge of the loch;presently another and another appeared in a little grassy glade whichran down to the water's edge, till at last I saw seven of them busily atwork within a few yards of me, all coming from one direction. It atfirst struck me that they were some farmer's pigs taking a distantramble; but I shortly saw they were badgers, come from their fastnessesrather earlier than usual, tempted by the quiet evening, and by a heavysummer shower that was just over, and which had brought out an infinityof large black snails and worms, on which the badgers were feeding withgood appetite. As I was dressed in grey, and sitting on a grey rock, they did not see me, but waddled about, sometimes close to me, only nowand then, as they crossed my track, they showed a slight uneasiness, smelling the ground, and grunting gently. Presently a very large one, which I took to be the mother of the rest, stood motionless for amoment, listening with great attention, and then giving a loud grunt, which seemed perfectly understood by the others; she scuttled away, followed by the whole lot. I was soon joined by my attendant, whoseapproach they had heard long before my less acute ears gave me warningof his coming. .. . When caught in traps, they [badgers] never leave partof their foot behind them and so escape, as foxes and other verminfrequently do; but they display very great strength and dexterity indrawing up the peg of the trap, and this done, they will carry off theheaviest trap to an amazing distance, over rock or heather. They neverattempt to enter their hole with a trap dangling to their foot, butgenerally lay up in some furze bush or thicket. 

"When first caught, their efforts to escape show a degree of strengthand ingenuity which is quite wonderful, digging and tearing at theirprison with the strength of a rhinoceros. I one day found a badger, notmuch hurt, in a trap. Tying a rope to his hind leg, I drove him homebefore me, as a man drives a pig, but with much less trouble, for hemade no attempts to escape, but trotted quietly ahead, only occasionallyshowing a natural inclination to bolt off the main path, whenever hepassed any diverging road, all of which were probably familiar haunts ofthe unlucky beast. When at home, I put him into a paved court, where Ithought he could not possibly escape. The next morning, however, he wasgone, having displaced a stone that I thought him quite incapable ofmoving, and then digging under a wall. .. . Sometimes I have known abadger leave the solitude of the woods and take to some drain in thecultivated country, where he becomes very bold and destructive to thecrops, cutting down wheat, and ravaging the gardens in a most surprisingmanner. One which I know to be now living in this manner, derives greatpart of his food during the spring from a rookery, under which henightly hunts, feeding on the young rooks that fall from their nests, oron the old ones that are shot. This badger eludes every attempt to traphim. Having more than once run narrow risks of this nature, he hasbecome so cunning, that no one can catch him. If a dozen baited trapsare set, he manages to carry off the baits, and spring every trap, always with total impunity to himself. At one time he was watched out tosome distance from his drain, and traps were then put in all directionsround it, but, by jumping over some and rolling over others, he escapedall. In fact, though a despised and maltreated animal, when he has onceacquired a certain experience in worldly matters, few beasts show moreaddress and cunning in keeping out of scrapes. Though eaten in France, Germany, and other countries, and pronounced to make excellent hams, wein Britain despise him as food, though I see no reason why he should notbe quite as good as any pork. 

"The badger becomes immensely fat. Though not a great eater, his quiethabits and his being a great sleeper prevent his being lean. " That sleepis taken in the day, for his habits are generally nocturnal. 

All badgers may be recognized by the broad black band across theircheeks. Those of India have longer legs than those of Europe; theirsnout is also prolonged, like that of a hog; and their tail resemblesthat of the latter animal. They are very slow in their movement, andwhen affronted make a peculiar grunting noise, and bristle up the hairof their back. If still more roused, they stand on their hind legs asbears do, have much power in their fore legs, and are extremely savagewhen provoked. 

WEASELS. 

The second tribe of Carnivora walks upon its toes, and is, consequently, called Digitigrada; it is chiefly composed of a number of smalleranimals, which are very interesting from many of their habits, veryprecious from the valuable fur which they afford, and in many instancesare so destructive, that they go under the common name of Vermin. Anumerous genus bears the appellation of Vermiform, because their bodiesare long, and their legs are short, which formation enables them toslide through small apertures in worm-fashion, twisting themselvesthrough the winding passages, with their bodies touching the ground. They destroy much game, and, except when trained to kill rats andrabbits, are objects of persecution and dislike. Among them are weasels, polecats, ferrets, martens, skunks, and others. The ermine and sable areincluded with the martens; and the three first send forth a disagreeableodour. They, however, are not to be compared in this respect to theskunk, which of all creatures is one of the most disagreeable, inconsequence of its fœtid gland, which secretes the offensive liquorsent forth when the animal is frightened or irritated. Nothing willobliterate this odour, no other scent overcomes it; no burying in theearth, no washing will avail; even time does not cure, and an article ofdress put by for years, is still unwearable. 

It is to weasels and otters that I shall confine myself in this work, for about their intellectual powers do we know most. The first is a verycourageous beast, not fearing to attack animals much larger thanhimself--even man. A labouring peasant at Glencairn, in Dumfrieshire, was attacked by six of them, who rushed upon him when he was at work ina field. Being frightened at such a furious onset, he fled, but theypursued him, although he dealt some back-handed strokes with a largehorsewhip. He was on the point of being seized by the throat, when hefortunately perceived the fallen branch of a tree. He snatched it up, and making a stand against his enemies, he killed three, and put theothers to flight. Another instance is reported by Captain Brown, in hisPopular Natural history, where the affray commenced by a person strikinga weasel, which squeaked aloud. This roused a whole colony, consistingof fifteen, who flew at him and bit him severely. A gentleman came tohis aid, and with his assistance, several of the assailants were killed, the others ran into the fissures of a neighbouring rock. 

There are instances of weasels having been tamed; but it is verydifficult to make any impression on their affections, although they arevery sagacious, and sagacious animals are more easily influenced thanothers. The weasel and the stoat are so often mistaken for each other, that it will be well to point out the constant difference in each. Thestoat is brown above, dirty white underneath; his tail is longer andmore bushy than that of the weasel, and always black at the tip. Theweasel is red above, and pure white underneath, and the tail is red anduniform, being deprived of the bushy tip. Mr. Bell, from whose pages Ihave taken these characters, defends weasels from the accusation ofdevouring poultry, game, hares, rabbits, and various small birds. Hesays, that when driven by hunger, they may occasionally eat such things;but that their general food consists of mice and rats of everydescription, the field and water vole, and moles; and that they oughtrather to be encouraged than exterminated, because they destroy so muchvermin. They generally approach with the utmost caution and shyness, andwhen once they have seized their prey, they never let go their hold;they aim at the neck, below the ear, or drive their teeth through theback of the head: they hound and spring, and climb trees with thegreatest facility, and seem never to tire of hunting, whether they arehungry or not. Mr. St. John saw one in a stubble field, in whichseveral corn buntings were flying about, or alighting on a thistle. Theanimal disappeared at the foot of this thistle, and the above gentlemanthought he had slunk into a hole, but feeling sure by his manner heintended some mischief, he stayed to watch his movements. As soon as oneof the birds settled on the thistle, something sprang up as quick aslightning, and then disappeared with the bird; it was the weasel, whohad thus successfully concealed himself. The same gentleman chased aweasel into a hollow tree, who carried something in her mouth. Heapplied smoke to the hole, and out she came again, carrying the sameburden. She ran towards a stone-wall, but was met by a terrier, whokilled her, catching her with the greater facility in consequence of herobstinacy in carrying away what Mr. St. John still thought was her prey. On picking it up, however, he found that it was a young weasel, unableto run, which its mother was endeavouring to carry to a place of safety, her former hole in an adjoining field having been ploughed over. Anotherproof of the weasel's affection for her young, was witnessed by alabourer, who, while standing on a foot-path close to the hedge side, perceived a weasel with one of her young ones in her mouth. He kickedher, and she, dropping it, retreated into a hedge. He then stood overthe young one with a stick in his hand, not intending to kill it, butmerely to see how its mother would proceed. She soon peeped from hercovert, and made several feints to get at her charge, but was obliged torun into the hedge again, intimidated by the stick which the manflourished about. At last she summoned up all her resolution, and inspite of everything, after a great deal of dodging to avoid the stick, succeeded in obtaining the object of her solicitude, and bore it offbetween the legs of her tormentor. 

Weasels sometimes fall a prey to hawks; and I transcribe the followingaccount from the pages of Mr. Bell. "As a gentleman of the name ofPinder, was riding over his grounds, he saw, at a short distance fromhim, a kite pounce on some object on the ground, and rise with it in histalons. In a few moments, however, the kite began to show signs of greatuneasiness, rising rapidly in the air, or as quickly falling, andwheeling irregularly round, whilst he was evidently endeavouring to freesome obnoxious thing from him with his feet. After a short but sharpcontest, the kite fell suddenly to the earth, not far from Mr. Pinder. He instantly rode up to the spot, when a weasel ran away from the kite, apparently unhurt, leaving the bird dead, with a hole eaten through theskin under the wing, and the large blood vessels of the part tornthrough. "

The nest composed by weasels, in which they will bring forth four orfive young ones, two or three times a year, is of dry leaves andherbage, is placed in a hole, in a bank, a dry ditch, or a hollow tree, and if a dog come near it, the mother flies at him, and fastens on hislips with great tenacity. 

OTTERS. 

The much persecuted otter presents himself to our notice among theworm-bodied, digitigrade animals. Their broad webbed feet shew that theyfrequent the water, and in fact, they are not only found in rivers andlakes of most European countries, but at sea. Their elongated body isflattened horizontally, their tail is broad and flat, and forms anexcellent rudder for their guidance when in the water. Their short legsare so loosely jointed that they can be turned in any direction whenswimming, and their fur is soft, fine, and close underneath, while alonger, coarser set of hard shining hairs, are on the outside. Theirteeth are very pointed, and well adapted to hold their slippery prey;their ears are very small, and close to their head, and they have anictating membrane, or third eyelid, for the protection of their brighteyes. Their movements in the water are particularly elegant, they swimhorizontally, and rapidly dive after their victims, which they eatashore. It is said, that they will collect a number of trouts into ashoal, and drive them on till, in their dread and alarm, many of thefishes will throw themselves on to the land. They have the power ofremaining very long under water, at a considerable depth, and the fiercemanner in which they keep dogs at bay, often wounding them severely withtheir sharp bites; and the anxious watching for their rise in the waterwhen they have retreated, all form a most exciting sport, so that wehear of otter-hunting as a source of keen enjoyment; and there is a hunton record in which nine otters were killed in one day. 

Otters will certainly consume an immense quantity of fish; and theowners of salmon or trout streams have great spite against them. It is, however, very possible to tame them so as to make them bring the fishwhich they catch. This practice is much more followed in other countriesthan in England; they are purposely kept for it in Sweden, and at asignal from the cook will go and fetch the fish for dinner. Bishop Hebermentions, that he saw several large and very beautiful otters fastenedto bamboo stakes by the side of the Matta Colly river, some of whichappeared to be at play, and uttered a shrill, whistling noise. They worestraw collars and were very tame and docile. They should be caught quiteyoung, and fed on small fish, then they are allowed bread and milk atalternate meals; till at last they entirely live upon this food. Theyare taught to fetch and carry with artificial fishes made of leather, and stuffed with wool. Then they are made to bring dead fishes, and ifthey attempt to tear them, they are severely punished. Thus trained, inprocess of time, the otter becomes useful and domesticated. 

In their natural condition, otters will wander to considerable distancesfor their prey; Mr. St. John says, "I was rather amused at an old womanliving at Sluie on the Findhorn, who, complaining of the hardness of thepresent times, when 'a puir body couldn'a get a drop smuggled whisky, orshoot a roe without his lordship's sportsman finding it out, ' added toher list of grievances, that even the otters were nearly all gone 'puirbeasties. ' 'Well, but what good could the otters do you?' I asked her. 'Good, your honor? why scarcely a morn came but they left a bonny grilse(young salmon) on the scarp down yonder, and the vennison was none theworse of the bit the puir beasts ate themselves, ' The people here(Morayshire) call every eatable animal, fish, flesh, or fowl, venison, or as they pronounce it, vennison. For instance, they tell you that thesnipes are good vennison, or that the trout are not good vennison in thewinter. 

"It seems that a few years ago, before the otters had been so muchdestroyed, the people in particular parts of the river were never at aloss for salmon, as the otters always took them ashore, generally tothe same bank or rock, and in seasons of plenty, they only eat a smallpiece out of the shoulder, leaving the rest untouched, and thecottagers, aware of this, searched every morning for their leavings. "

"Otters, " continues Mr. St. John, "are very affectionate animals; theyoung anxiously seek their mother, if she should be killed; and if theyoung are injured, the parent hovers near them till she is herselfdestroyed. If one of a pair be killed, the one that is left will huntfor its mate with untiring perseverance; and if one be caught in a trap, its companion will run round and round, endeavouring to set it free, onwhich occasions, though so quiet at other times, they make a snortingand blowing like a horse. "

A dog belonging to the above gentleman was running and splashing throughthe shallow water, and suddenly stood still, sometimes whining, as ifcaught in a trap, and then biting furiously at something in the water. He was called by his master, but as he did not obey, his master waded tohim, and found a large otter, holding on by his powerful jaws to thedog's shoulder; and had he not had a good covering of curly hair, hestood a chance of having his leg broken, the bite was so severe. 

The people in Scotland believe that the otters have a king, or leader, which is larger than others, and spotted with white. They also believethat when these animals are killed, a man or another of the brute kinddies suddenly at the same moment; that their skin possesses an antidoteto infection, preserves soldiers from wounds, and saves sailors fromdisasters at sea. The darkness in which otters delight, their wateryhabitations, their oily, noiseless movements, and their dark fur, investthem with mystery in the eyes of the peasantry in many parts of England. 

The emigration of otters is established by the following fact:--"Alabourer going to his work, soon after five o'clock in the morning, sawa number of animals coming towards him, and stood quietly by the hedgetill they came alongside of him. He then perceived four old otters, probably dams, and about twenty young ones. He took a stick out of thehedge and killed one. Directly it began to squeak, all the four old onesturned back, and stood till the other young ones had escaped through thehedge, and then went quietly themselves. Several families were thusjourneying together, and probably they had left their former abode fromnot finding a sufficiency of food. "

The beautiful otter in the Museum of the Zoological Gardens is fromIreland, and is by some considered as a distinct species. It is chieflyfound on the coast of Antrim, living in the caverns formed by thebasaltic columns of that shore, and, as it hunts the salmon, rewards areoffered for its destruction. 

The flesh of all otters is extremely rank and fishy; and because itcannot be called meat, it is often allowed to be eaten on the meagerdays appointed by the Romish Church. 

Captain Brown, in his Popular Natural History, tells us of a person whokept a tame otter with his dogs, which followed him in company withthem. He hunted fish with them, and they never would hunt any otherotter as long as he was with them. 

There was a tame otter in Northumberland, which also followed his masterwherever he went. He caught his own food, and returned home whensatisfied. Once he refused to come to the usual call when he was out, and was lost for some days. At length, going back to the same place, he, with great joy, came creeping to his master's feet, who was stillseeking his favourite. 

DOGS. 

Baron Cuvier says that the most useful conquest achieved by man, is thedomestication of the dog--a conquest so long completed, that it is nowimpossible, with any certainty, to trace these animals to their originaltype. The cleverest of naturalists have supposed them to descend fromwolves, from jackals, or from a mixture of the two; while others, equally clever, assert that they proceeded from different species ofdogs. The latter maintain that the Dingos of Australia, the Buansas ofNepal, or Dholes of India, the Aguaras of South America, and severalother races, are original; and although they may not have produced thedogs which attend man, they prove that we may attribute the latter topredecessors of the same kind, without having recourse to other animalswhich they more or less resemble. On the other hand again, some of ourfirst men are of opinion that there are now no original dogs, but thatall the packs called wild are those which have made their escape from astate of domesticity. This is not the place to examine the merits of thedifferent proofs brought in favor of each argument; and I hasten to abrief notice of some of those which subsist independently of humanassistance. 

All dogs, wild or tame, walk upon their toes with a firm, elastic gait, and their toes are not retractile. Their other external characters areso varied, that it is impossible to give a general summary of theircolour or form; the largest on record (a Suliot, belonging to the kingof Naples), measured four feet at the shoulders; the least wouldprobably give a height of as many inches. All the untamed species arelank and gaunt, their muzzles are long and slender, their eyes oblique, and their strength and tenacity of life are almost marvellous. 

The Dingo, or Australian dog, roams in packs through that vast country;has a broad head, fierce, oblique eyes, acute muzzle; short, pointed, erect ears; tail bushy, and never raised to more than a horizontalposition. He does not bark, but howls fearfully; is extremely sagacious, and has a remarkable power of bearing pain. When beaten so severely asto be left for dead, he has been seen to get up and run away. A manproceeded to skin one, not doubting that life was extinct, and afterproceeding a little way with the operation, he left the hut to sharpenhis knife. When he returned, the poor animal was sitting up, with theloose skin hanging over one side of his face. 

The Dingos worry the cattle of the settlers, and will even eat piecesout of them as they lie upon the ground; the leg of a sheep has beenfrequently gnawed off by them. Domesticated dogs will hunt and killthem; but show signs of great disgust afterwards, always, if they can, plunging themselves into water, as if to get rid of the contaminationcaused by such contact. One taken from his mother at six weeks old waspartially tamed; but at first he crouched down in all the darkestcorners he could find, looking at every one with aversion, and whenalone howling incessantly, especially if the moon were shining. Hebecame gradually reconciled to those who fed him, but to no one else. Henever gave warning of the approach of strangers, and never made an openattack. It is remarkable that these dogs are not found in the closelyneighbouring island of Van Diemen's Land. 

The wild dogs of India go under the name of Buansa, Dhole, and Kolsun, are found in Nepal, the Nilgiris, Coromandel, the Dekkan, etc. , and bearvarious names, according to their locality. They prey night and day, have an acute smell, a peculiar bark, not unlike that of a hound, andare of a sandy or red colour. Their head is long; they have anill-natured look, oblique eyes; long, erect ears; powerful limbs, bushytail, fur varying according to climate, and all animals are afraid ofthem. They kill tigers and cheetahs, and the remains of hogs and deerare to be found in their path. An endeavour to tame one succeeded, andhe was as affectionate and intelligent as many other dogs. 

In Java there is a large, wild dog, and in Beloochistan whole packs areto be found, which pull down buffaloes with ease; their footmarks arelike those of a hound; and still further to the west a much largerspecies is said to exist. 

The Sheeb or Schib, of Syria, is wild, and is probably the wolf-dog ofNatolia. The Deeb of Nubia would seem to be also a primitive species, but not resembling the packs of wild dogs which inhabit Congo and SouthAfrica, etc. , and live in covers and burrows. 

The hunters of South Africa tell us that they pull down the strongestantelopes; they are very destructive to sheep, and mangle more than theydevour. They are extremely swift, and utter a sharp bark, or chatteringcry, which calls the pack together, and is very soft and melodious. Thehatred between them and tame dogs is unconquerable, and in theirappearance they look like a link between the wolf and the hyæna. 

A large group of dogs includes all the indigenous canines of SouthAmerica, under the name of Aguaras, and resembles foxes. They aresilent, if not dumb, and appear to congregate in families rather thanpacks. They have a peculiar propensity to steal and secrete, without anyapparent object for so doing. 

Colonel Hamilton Smith, the able writer on dogs, does not acknowledgesome of these wild races, but thinks they are what he calls feral, ordomestic dogs which have regained their liberty, and have subsisted formany generations on their own intelligence. To these he refers theNatolians and Aguaras; but there can be no doubt concerning the feralnature of the dog of St. Domingo, which descends from the hounds trainedto hunt human beings by the Spaniards, and which are supposed to haveregained their liberty in the woods of Haiti. It is of these dogs thestories are told concerning runaway negroes, and which were taught bymeans of raw food, placed in stuffed representations of human beings. They are very handsome creatures, carrying their heads with an air ofconscious superiority. They follow a track rapidly, and in completesilence; they, however, always seize their victims. 

A contrast to the feral dog of St. Domingo, is the Alco of Mexico, withits small head, short neck, and very thick body. Those of the Pampashaving assumed the shapes of all the dogs transported from Europe, havenow settled into what may be called curs. They are very bold, verysagacious, are not inimical to men, but destructive to the young animalsin herds. They live in burrows, and if brought back to domesticity, arevaluable for their courage and highly developed senses. 

In various cities exist herds of dogs, who do not own any masters; whoinfest the streets in packs, and who are at once the scavengers, thepurifiers, and the greatest nuisances. In beautiful Lisbon; rising fromthe Tagus with her stately towers, her gardens, her churches, her deepblue sky, and her noble aqueduct, leading life's beverage to herexquisite fountains, these animals abound; their presence being easilyaccounted for by their owners bringing and abandoning them there at thetime of the vintage. They eat so many grapes when ripe, that they aresent away in self-defence. Woe to the person who affronts one of them;he is obliged to run hard, or else to keep them at bay, by threateningto throw stones at them, and walking backwards; fortunately he can dothis in the narrow streets of this city, for he would be lost ifsurrounded by them. They lodge by day in the holes of ruins, which areso plentiful in Lisbon. 

The same dogs, with regard to habits, are to be met with in the citiesof Russia, Turkey, and Egypt; but they differ in size and appearance. Those of Turkey are particularly audacious, and in all cities, wherecleanliness is not systematically organised, they are doubtless ofinfinite service; though I have read, in a pamphlet written by a French_savant_, that those in Egypt are one means of continuing the plague, for they uncover the carelessly buried bodies, and drag portions offlesh and clothing into the houses of the living. 

In some of the countries of Guinea, dogs are bred for the table, and sitin circles in the market places for sale. I do not know from what racethey come; they are not used for any other purpose, and are small, extremely ugly, and variously marked with brown, red, or black spots. The passion for dog's flesh is in these countries very strong, and noEuropean can keep an animal of this kind many weeks. An officer arrivedat Cape Coast Castle when I was there, accompanied by three, notimagining the temptation they would present to the appetite of thenatives. One disappeared in the act of landing, and the two others weregone before three weeks had elapsed. My uncle fancied that his rankwould secure a favourite sent to him from Europe. He one morningreceived a deputation from the king of a native town, requesting apalaver, or conference. It was granted, and his sable majesty formallymade proposals for Cæsar to figure as a roast at a grand feast, which hewas about to hold. My uncle indignantly refused; the king increased thesum offered, till it amounted to something considerable, and then theEnglishman, unable to control himself, left the room and sent thecustomary refreshments, with a message, to signify that the palaver wasended. Although every precaution was taken to save the animal, he wasstolen that same night, and gratified the palates of the Africangourmands. 

I now come to what Colonel Smith calls "The Familiar Dogs, " where wefind an amount of intellect, which forbids us to say that they do notreason, and where self-sacrifice, fidelity, courage, and affection, inmany instances raise them far beyond more gifted creatures. It will beadvisable to follow the series of some established work in treating ofthem, and I have selected that of Colonel Hamilton Smith, both for itsextent and its ability. He begins with those which are placed nearest tothe Arctic Circle of both hemispheres, and which form a group of large, wolfish dogs, with tapering noses, pointed ears, and, generallyspeaking, long, white and black hair. They are fierce, broad, and oftenweb-footed; they swim well, hunt together or alone, and when theirowners turn them out to obtain their own living, often fish with greatdexterity. When they quarrel they constantly destroy each other, forthey never will give up while they are alive. Among them are theSiberian dogs, remarkable for the instinct with which they return totheir masters, after weeks of absence and self-subsistence, to dragtheir sleighs. This is the more curious, as they are then always veryill fed, and ill treated. They utter yells when about to be yoked, but, once in file, they move silently and rapidly, sometimes, however, tryingto upset their drivers. 

The tail of the Esquimaux dogs is bushy, and curls very much over theback, which is covered with long, waving hair. They are very patient andfaithful, rapid in their paces, skilful and courageous when hunting, carry burdens, and are very good tempered. They form a close attachmentto their masters; and one which had been kept in confinement inEdinburgh, being let loose, entered the kitchen door, found his waythrough his owner's house, and, leaping on his bed, gave every sign ofaffection. At another time, as his master was walking in Princes StreetGardens, his foot slipped, and he fell, upon which the dog tried to lifthim up by his coat. He was very cunning, and when he ate, strewed hismeat around him, to entice fowls and rats. He then laid himself down, and pretended to be asleep; no sooner, however, did they come, than hepounced upon and killed them. 

A pair of Esquimaux dogs lived in the Menagerie of the Jardin desPlantes, where they were great favourites; but it was extremely painfulto see the poor creatures panting with heat, and almost unable to move, during the hot weather, only feeling happy when cold water was thrownover them. The fondness of the Esquimaux dogs for oil never ceases, andthey do not like to drink water, unless it tastes of this substance. Twoof them are said to have stood hour after hour before a candle-maker'sworkshop, evidently sniffing the fumes of the melted tallow with greatenjoyment. Their scent is particularly delicate, which renders theminvaluable in the chase of the rein-deer. Nor are they, from theirresolution and ferocity, less useful in attacking the bear, the veryname of which beast, pronounced in their hearing, excites their ardour. Even in the sledge they dash after their prey, out of the track, dragging their owner into the pursuit. 

In order to test the strength of the Esquimaux dogs, several experimentshave been made, among others by Captain Lyon, who found that three ofthem could drag him, on a sledge weighing one hundred pounds, at therate of a mile in six minutes. With heavy loads they are often inducedto exert themselves by a woman walking before them, with a mitten inher hand. Having been accustomed to receive food from her, they believethat in this way she offers them meat. They are particularly obedientand affectionate to women, because it is from them that they receive theonly kindnesses bestowed upon them, and a word from a female will excitethem to exertion, when the blows and threats of the men only make themobstinate. 

The dog of the Hare Indians, or Mackenzie river, was first described byDr. Richardson, and is of a smaller size than the Esquimaux breed, butwith broad feet, which prevent him from sinking into the snow. One ofthem, only seven months old, ran beside this gentleman's sledge for ninehundred miles, frequently carrying one of his master's mittens in hismouth; all are very gentle, and, like the Esquimaux dogs, do not bark. 

The large, powerful, and handsome dogs which go by the name ofNewfoundland, are not the pure breed of that country. The latter aremore slender in their make, have a sharper muzzle, a wilder look, andare generally black in colour, with a rusty spot over each eye, and atawny muzzle. These are called Labrador dogs, and it is supposed thatthey and the Esquimaux have contributed to form the commonly acceptedbreed. What the latter have lost, however, in purity of blood, has beengained on the side of beauty, and there is no animal of its size whichconveys a higher idea of intelligence and dignity, than the so-calledNewfoundland dog. All are semi-palmate, and dive, swim, and keep longerin the water than any others of their tribe. One was picked up in theBay of Biscay, out of sight of any other vessel, fatigued and hungry, and which, judging from the circumstances, must have been there for manyhours. Their fidelity, their courage, their generosity, are proverbial, and yet it is whispered that they are occasionally capricious and not tobe trusted. During long years of intercourse with these animals, I nevermet with an instance of this; and I have been told that it is more aptto occur when they have been kept in confinement. 

A noble creature of the mixed breed, and of the usual colour--black andwhite--belonged to me, and his extreme good-nature, and endeavours toguard everything belonging to the family, made him like a confidentialservant. The great defects in his disposition were heedlessness, and anunder estimate of his own power; he did not stop to _think_ before heacted, as many more cautious dogs will do; and he forgot that his weightwas so great as to spoil and crush whatever he laid himself upon. As aninstance of the former, he one day fancied he saw some one whom he knewin the street, and immediately dashed through the window, smashing notonly the glass, but the framework. Directly he had done it he felt hehad been wrong, and returning through the shattered window, which wasopened for him, he hung his head and walked unbidden to a recess in theroom covered with matting, to which place he was always banished whennaughty, and seated himself. The bell was rung for the house-maid tocome and clear away the broken glass, and as the woman smiled when shepassed Lion, I turned my head towards him. There he sat, with a pair ofmy slippers, accidentally left in the room, in his mouth, as if hethought they would obtain his pardon. My gravity was disturbed, andLion, seeing this, humbly came up to me, and rested his chin on myknees. I then lectured him concerning the mischief he had committed; andhe so perfectly understood, that for a long time, when any one pointedto the window, he would hang his head and tail, and look ashamed. Duringmy absence he constantly collected articles which belonged to me, andslept upon them. One day, on returning from church, he met me on thestairs, dragging a new silk dress along with him by the sleeve, which hemust have contrived, by himself, to have abstracted from a peg in acloset. 

It must be owned that, clever as my Lion was, Professor Owen wasacquainted with a Lion who surpassed him. This gentleman was walkingwith a friend, the master of the dog, by the side of a river, near itsmouth, on the coast of Cornwall, and picked up a small piece ofsea-weed. It was covered with minute animals, and Mr. Owen observed tohis companion, throwing the weed into the water, "If this small pieceafforded so many treasures, how microscopically rich the whole plantwould be; I should much like to have one!" The gentleman walked on; buthearing a splashing in the water, turned round, and saw it violentlyagitated. "It is Lion!" both exclaimed, "What can he be about? He waswalking quietly enough by our side a minute ago. " At one moment they sawhis tail above the water, then his head raised for a breath of air, thenthe surrounding element shook again, and at last he came ashore, pantingfrom his exertions, and laid a whole plant of the identical weed at Mr. Owen's feet. After this proof of intelligence, it will not be wonderedat, that when Lion was joyfully expecting to accompany his master andhis guest on an excursion, and was told to go and take care of andcomfort Mrs. Owen, who was ill, that he should immediately return to thedrawing-room, and lay himself by her side, which he never left duringthe absence of his owner; his countenance alone betraying hisdisappointment, and that only for a few minutes. 

Many instances are recorded of Newfoundland dogs having saved the livesof those who have fallen into the water, and among them was my father;who, when he was one day missing, was traced to a deep pond in hismother's garden. His friend Trial was called; some of his youngmaster's clothes were shewn to the dog, the pond was pointed out, andTrial dashed in, shortly bringing out the body. He watched all theendeavours made to restore animation, and at last aided the work bybeing allowed, when dry, to get into the bed, and with the warmth of hisbody give heat and circulation to the half-expiring child. 

A very interesting anecdote is given of a person who was travellingthrough Holland, accompanied by a large Newfoundland dog. Walking oneevening on a high bank, by the side of a canal, his foot slipped; hefell into the water, and being unable to swim, soon became senseless. When he recovered his recollection, he found himself in a cottage, onthe opposite side of the canal, surrounded by peasants, who had beenusing all means for restoring him to life. He was told, that one of themreturning home from his work, saw at a considerable distance, a largedog swimming in the water, sometimes pushing, and sometimes draggingsomething which he appeared to have great difficulty in supporting; butwhich he at length succeeded in getting into a small creek. When there, the animal pulled this object as far out of the water as he was able, and the peasant discovered it to be the body of a man. The dog shookhimself, licked the hands and face of his master; the peasant obtainedassistance, and the body was conveyed to the house, where theendeavours used for resuscitation proved successful. Two bruises, withmarks of teeth appeared, one on the shoulder, the other on the nape ofhis neck, whence it was presumed, that his preserver first seized him bythe shoulder, but that his sagacity prompted him to shift his grasp tothe neck; as by so doing he could keep the head out of the water. He hadcontinued to do this for at least a quarter of a mile, and thuspreserved his owner, as much by his intelligence, as by his affection. 

The Newfoundland dog, like many others, possesses a sense of time, andMr. Bell relates an instance of this, which occurred under his ownobservation. He says, that a fine Newfoundland dog, which was kept at aninn in Dorsetshire, was accustomed every morning as the clock struckeight, to take in his mouth a certain basket, placed for the purpose, containing a few pence, and to carry it across the street to a baker's, who took out the money, and replaced it by the proper number of rolls. With these Neptune hastened back to the kitchen, and safely depositedhis trust; but what was well worthy of remark, he never attempted totake the basket, or even to approach it on Sunday mornings. On oneoccasion, when returning with the rolls, another dog made an attack uponthe basket, for the purpose of stealing its contents; when the trustyNeptune placed the basket on the ground, severely punished theintruder, and then bore off his charge in triumph. 

The proofs of intelligence which I have related, are perhaps surpassedby those of Dandie, a Newfoundland dog belonging to Mr. M'Intyre ofEdinburgh; but it must be recollected, that Dandie's education had beenmore carefully and continuously carried on, than that of his beforementioned brethren. He selected his master's hat from a number ofothers, or a card chosen by his master from a whole pack; picked hismaster's penknife from a heap of others, and any particular articlewhich he might have been told to find, although he would have to searchamong a multitude of others belonging to the same person; proving thatit was not smell which guided him, but an understanding of what he wasrequired to do. One evening, a gentleman in company with others, accidentally dropped a shilling on the floor, which, after diligentsearch, could not be found. Dandie had been sitting in the corner of theroom, apparently unconscious of what had been going on, Mr. M'Intyrethen said to him. "Find us the shilling, Dandie, and you shall have abiscuit, " the dog instantly jumped up, and laid the shilling upon thetable, which he had picked up unperceived by the party. On his returnhome one evening after the family had gone to rest, Mr. M'Intyre couldnot find his boot-jack; upon which he said, "Dandie, I cannot find myboot-jack; search for it. " The dog scratched at the room-door, hismaster opened it, and going to a distant part of the house Dandiereturned with the boot-jack in his mouth; where Mr. M'Intyre recollectedto have left it under a sofa. 

Several gentlemen were in the habit of giving Dandie a penny a day, which he always took to a baker's, and exchanged for bread for himself. One of them was accosted by the dog for his accustomed present; but hesaid, "I have not a penny with me to-day, though I have one at home. "Having returned to his house, some time after he heard a noise at thedoor; it was opened, and Dandie sprang in for his penny. By way offrolic, the gentleman gave him a bad one; the baker refused to exchangethe loaf for it; the dog returned to the door, knocked, and when theservant opened it, laid the penny at her feet, and walked away with anair of contempt. He did not, however, always spend all his money, andone Sunday, when it was very unlikely that he could have received apresent, he was observed to bring home a loaf. Surprised at this, Mr. M'Intyre desired the servant to search the room for money. Dandie seemedquite unconcerned till she approached the bed, when he gently drew herfrom it. Mr. M'Intyre secured him, for he growled and struggled; and, continuing the search, the woman found seven pence halfpenny under apiece of cloth. From that time the dog could not endure her, andhenceforth hid his money in the corner of a sawpit, under a heap ofdust. He constantly escorted Mr. M'Intyre's friends home, when desiredto do so, however considerable the distance, and when they were safe, hereturned to his own quarters. 

Mr. Jukes, in his "Excursions in and about Newfoundland, " speaks of adog which appeared to be of the pure breed, and which he thought to bemore intelligent than the mixed race. This animal caught his own fish, for which purpose he sat on a projecting rock, beneath a fish stage, onwhich the fish were laid to dry, watching the water, the depth beingfrom six to eight feet, and the bottom quite white with fish-bones. Onthrowing a piece of codfish into the water, three or four heavy, clumsy-looking fish, called in Newfoundland _sculpins_, would swim in tocatch it. The instant one turned its broadside towards him, he darteddown, and seldom came up without the fish in his mouth. He regularlycarried them as he caught them to a place a few yards off, where hedeposited them, sometimes making a pile of fifty or sixty in the day. Ashe never attempted to eat them, he appeared to fish for his amusement. 

Long, lanky, rough-haired, with drooping, bushy tail; long ears, halferect; long, sharp muzzle; black and fulvous in colour, often mingledwith brown and white, the Shepherd's Dog yields to none in fidelity andsagacity. In his own peculiar calling, nothing can exceed hisvigilance, his quick comprehension, and his intimate knowledge of everyindividual entrusted to his care. Rushing into the middle of his flock, he singles out any one member of it, and brings it to his master. Fiercein the defence of all, he keeps them together by incessantly prowlinground them, dragging the wanderers back to their companions, andfiercely attacking those who would offer them an injury. At night heguides them to their fold; and if this should be in an exposedsituation, he throws himself across the entrance, so that the intrudingenemy will have to pass over his body to commence his work ofdestruction. 

A ludicrous instance of the promptitude with which he punishesoffenders, is related by Colonel Smith, in the following manner:--"Wehave witnessed the care they take of their charge, and with whatreadiness they chastise those that molest them, in the case of a curbiting a sheep in the rear of the flock, and unseen by the shepherd. This assault was committed by a tailor's dog, but not unmarked by theother, who immediately seized him, and dragging the delinquent into apuddle, while holding his ear, kept dabbling him in the mud withexemplary gravity; the cur yelled, the tailor came slipshod with hisgoose to the rescue, and having flung it at the sheep-dog, and missedhim, stood by gaping, not venturing to fetch it back until thecastigation was over and the dog had followed the flock. "

[Illustration: THE SHEPHERD'S DOG AND CUR. --Page 102. ]

As a proof of the comprehension of the shepherd's dog, I quote thedescription of Mr. St. John, in his "Highland Sports:"--"A shepherdonce, to prove the quickness of his dog, who was lying before the firein the house where we were talking, said to me, in the middle of asentence concerning something else, 'I'm thinking, Sir, the cow is inthe potatoes. ' Though he purposely laid no stress on these words, andsaid them in a quiet, unconcerned tone of voice, the dog, who appearedto be asleep, immediately jumped up, and leaping through the openwindow, scrambled up the turf roof of the house, from which he could seethe potato field. He then (not seeing the cow there) ran and looked intothe byre [farm-yard], where she was, and finding that all was right, came back to the house. After a short time the shepherd said the samewords again, and the dog repeated his look-out; but on the false alarmbeing a third time given, the dog got up, and wagging his tail, lookedhis master in the face with so comical an expression of interrogation, that we could not help laughing aloud at him, on which, with a slightgrowl, he laid himself down in his warm corner, with an offended air, asif determined not to be made a fool of again. "

Mr. Hogg, the Ettrick shepherd, is the person of all others to give anadequate idea of the shepherd's dog, and I use very nearly his ownwords. "My dog Sirrah, was beyond all comparison the best dog I eversaw; he was of a surly, unsocial temper; disdaining all flattery, herefused to be caressed; but his attention to my commands and interestswill never again, perhaps, be equalled by any of the canine race. Ithought I discovered a sort of sullen intelligence in his countenance, notwithstanding his dejected and forlorn appearance; I gave a drover aguinea for him. He was scarcely a year old, and knew so little ofherding, that he had never turned a sheep in his life; but as soon as hediscovered that it was his duty to do so, and that it obliged me, I cannever forget with what eagerness and anxiety he learned his evolutions. He would try every way deliberately, till he found out what I wanted himto do, and when I once made him understand a direction, he never forgotor mistook it again. Well as I knew him, he often astonished me; forwhen pressed hard in accomplishing the task that he was put to, he hadexpedients of the moment, that bespoke a great share of the reasoningfaculty. 

"On one occasion, about 700 lambs, which were under his care at weaningtime, broke up at midnight, and scampered off, in three divisions, across the neighbouring hills, in spite of all that he and an assistantcould do to keep them together. The night was so dark, that we couldnot see Sirrah; but the faithful animal heard his master lament theirabsence in words which, of all others, were sure to set him most on thealert; and without more ado, he silently set off in quest of therecreant flock. Meanwhile the shepherd and his companion did not fail todo all in their power to recover their lost charge; they spent the wholenight in scouring the hills, for miles around, but of neither the lambsnor Sirrah could they obtain the slightest trace. They had nothing forit, day having dawned, but to return to their master, and inform him, that they had lost the whole flock of lambs, and knew not what wasbecome of one of them. On our way home, however, we discovered a lot oflambs at the bottom of a deep ravine, and the indefatigable Sirrahstanding in front of them, looking round for some relief, but still trueto his charge. The sun was then up, and when we first came in view, weconcluded that it was one of the divisions which Sirrah had been unableto manage until he came to that commanding situation. But what was ourastonishment, when we discovered that not one lamb of the whole flockwas wanting. How he had got all the divisions collected in the dark isbeyond my comprehension. The charge was left to himself from midnightuntil the rising sun, and if all the shepherds in the forest had beenthere to assist him they could not have effected it with greaterpropriety. "

An exceedingly good shepherd's dog appears to concentrate all his powersin his own immediate vocation; and in this does he exert and exhaust hiswhole capacity. If he be suddenly awoke, and hurriedly called, he rearshimself up to see what sheep are running away, and he is so honourable, that he will lie among pails full of milk, and neither touch themhimself, or suffer cat, rat, or any other creature to molest the store. 

The drovers' dogs are somewhat larger, and more rugged. They are assagacious as the shepherd's dog, but they are trained to act with morecruelty to their charges. 

The original St. Bernard dog, which has for years been the object of somuch interest, resembles the Newfoundland in form, hair, color and size. Another race with close, short hair, is trained to the same services;and one of the latter belonged to me for some time, establishing himselfin the good graces of every one by his good temper and fidelity. Hemust, however, with all his good qualities yield to Bass, the propertyof Sir Thomas Dick Lauder, who thus writes of him. "My St. Bernard wasbrought home direct from the Great St. Bernard, when he was a puppy ofabout four or five months. His bark is tremendous; so loud, indeed, thatI have often distinguished it nearly a mile off. He had been missing forsome time; when, to my great joy, one of the letter carriers broughthim back; and the man's account was, that in going along a certainstreet, he heard his bark from the inside of a yard, and knew itimmediately. He knocked at the gate, and said to the owner of thepremises 'You have got Sir Thomas Lauder's big dog. ' The man denied it. 'But I know you have, ' continued the letter carrier, 'I can swear that Iheard the bark of Sir Thomas's big dog; for there is no dog in, or aboutall Edinburgh, that has such a bark. ' At last, with great reluctance, the man gave up the dog to the letter carrier, who brought him homehere. But though Bass's bark is so terrific, he is the best natured andmost playful dog I ever saw; so much so indeed, that the small KingCharles's spaniel, Raith, used to tyrannize over him for many monthsafter he came here from abroad. I have seen the little creature runfuriously at the great animal when gnawing a bone, who instantly turnedhimself submissively over on his back, with all his legs in the air, whilst Raith, seizing the bone, would make the most absurd andunavailing attempts to bestride the enormous head of his subduedcompanion, with the most ludicrous affectation of the terrible growling, that might bespeak the loftiest description of dog-indignation. When adog attacks Bass in the street or road, he runs away rather thanquarrel; but when compelled to fight by any perseverance in theattacking party, he throws his enemy down in a moment, and then, without biting him, he lays his whole immense bulk down upon him, tillhe nearly smothers him. He took a particular fancy for one of thepostmen who deliver letters here, whose duty it was, besides deliveringletters, to carry a letter bag from one receiving house to another, andthis bag he used to give Bass to carry. Bass always followed that manthrough all the villas in this neighbourhood where he had deliveries tomake, and he invariably parted with him opposite to the gate of theConvent of St. Margaret's, and returned home. When our gate was shuthere to prevent his following the postman, the dog always leaped a highwall to get after him. One day when the postman was ill, or detained bysome accidental circumstance, he sent a man in his place. Bass went upto the man, curiously scanning his face, whilst the man rather retiredfrom the dog, by no means liking his appearance. But as the man left theplace, Bass followed him, shewing strong symptoms that he was determinedto have the post-bag. The man did all he could to keep possession of it. But at length Bass, seeing that he had no chance of getting possessionof the bag by civil entreaty, raised himself on his hind legs, andputting a great fore-paw on, each of the man's shoulders, he laid himflat on his back in the road, and quietly picking up the bag, heproceeded peaceably on his wonted way. The man, much dismayed, aroseand followed the dog, making, every now and then, an ineffectual attemptto coax him to give up the bag. At the first house he came to, he toldhis fears, and the dilemma he was in, but the people comforted him, bytelling him that the dog always carried the bag. Bass walked with theman to all the houses at which he delivered letters, and along the roadtill he came to the gate of St. Margaret's, where he dropped the bag andreturned home. "

The peculiar services which the St. Bernard dog is taught to perform, have made them the blessings of the snow-covered regions in which theydwell; their sense of smell is very acute, their large, full, eye, isvery expressive, and their intelligence has saved many persons fromdeath, when overtaken by cold on the Alpine passes. One of these noblecreatures wore a medal, in commemoration of his having preservedtwenty-two lives, and he at last lost his own in an avalanche, togetherwith those whom he was endeavouring to protect. They carry food and winewith them; and followed by the monks, who have vowed themselves to thetask, seek those who need assistance. 

In passing over a number of dogs mentioned by Colonel Smith, concerningwhich I have no data for anecdotes, I pause for a moment at the drover, or cattle-dog of Cuba, and Terra Firma, in America, placed by him amongthe native dogs, (Canis Laniarius), because they are so serviceable inlanding cattle from vessels. The oxen are hoisted out by slings passedround the base of their horns; and when they are allowed to fall intothe water, men generally swim and guide them by the horns. This office, however, is often performed by one or two dogs, who, catching thefrightened animal by the ears, force it to swim to the landing-place, instantly releasing it when it touches the shore, and can walk to itsdestination. They are equal to mastiffs in strength; and Colonel Smithconsiders them as the feral dogs of St. Domingo, in continueddomesticity, and to have been taken from Spain to the West. 

Elegance of form, grace of movement, beauty of countenance, extraordinary swiftness, and great strength; are all combined in theGreyhound, as recorded during the last three thousand years; andcontinued at the present moment, in various degrees, from the noblesporting dog, to the delicate pet of the drawing-room. The narrow, sharphead, the light, half hanging ears, the long neck, the arched back, theslender yet sinewy limbs, the deep chest, shewing the high developmentof the breathing organs, and the elevated hind quarters, all shadowforth the peculiar qualities of these dogs. Their coat has been adaptedto the climate in which they originally lived: here it is smooth; butbecomes more shaggy as they are from colder regions. Still theirEastern origin is always to be detected by the care which they requireduring our winters; and (like the Arab horses) those kept for coursingare muffled up in cloths during our periods of cold temperature. Theirform, their clear, prominent eyes, shew that they secure their prey byspeed, not by smell, and such is their power in this respect, that theywill run eight miles in twelve minutes, and will run down the hare withfatigue, while they themselves are comparatively fresh. Colonel Smithfixes their earliest origin to the westward of the Asiatic mountains, where the Bactrian and Persian plains commence, and the Scythian steppesstretch to the north. Thence they have been spread over Europe, Asia, and part of Africa, many have again become wild, and others are thepampered dependents of amateur sportsmen. Many Russian noblemen keeppacks of them in the Steppes. 

The Scotch greyhound (Cania Scoticus), generally white, with blackclouds, is said to be the most intellectual of all, and formerly to havehad so good a scent, as to be employed as a blood-hound. Maida, whosename is immortalized as the favourite of Sir Walter Scott, was aScottish greyhound. 

The Irish is the largest of all the western breeds, and is supposed toowe this distinction to mingling with the great Danish dog. To itIreland owes the extirpation of wolves, and itself now scarcely existsbut in name. 

An instance is recorded of a black greyhound, in Lancashire, who adopteda life of freedom, and lived upon depredation. Many attempts were madeto shoot her, but she eluded them all; she was at last ensnared in abarn, where she had placed her puppies; they were destroyed, and shepartially reclaimed, so as to be useful in coursing; but she alwaysretained that wild look which told of her frolic. A Mr. Kirkpatrickpossessed a greyhound which always took care of the meat in the kitchen, and defended it from cats and other dogs. 

The rough, large-boned, ill-looking Lurcher, is said to have descendedfrom the rough greyhound and the shepherd's dog. It is now rare, butthere are some of its sinister-looking mongrel progeny still to be seen. They always bear the reputation of being poachers' dogs, and are deeplyattached to their owners. They have a fine scent; and a man confessed toMr. Bewick, that he could, with his pair of lurchers, procure as manyrabbits as he pleased. They never give tongue, but set about their worksilently and cautiously, and hunt hares and partridges, driving thelatter into the nets of the unlawful sportsmen. They will even pull downdeer. 

There are still many English hearts which beat quicker at the cry of thehound; there are some old ones which throb at the recollection of thewell-appointed field, when the bugle summoned them to the chase, whengallant steeds carried them over gate, hedge, ditch, and river; theyeven glory when they refer to fearful tumbles, barely escaping withlife, and some meeting with a death next in honour, according to theirnotions, to that of a soldier in action. There are some young ones wholisten with entranced ears to the deeds of their forefathers, and amidstthe toil of the dark counting-house, wish that such times could come forthem. They never will come again; railroads have been invented, men'sminds have been diverted into other channels; and fox-hunting, with itsconcomitant evils and its attendant pleasures, is gradually disappearingfrom fox-hunting England. Some, on whom the spirit of Nimrod hasdescended with such force, as to render them impatient under theprivation, go to distant lands, and there perform feats worthy of themighty hunter; but it is neither with hawk nor hound, and before manygenerations have passed, our beautiful race of hunting dogs will existbut in name. 

There are more varieties of these hounds than I can here enumerate; butall possess a larger development of brain than the greyhound; their noseis broader, as well as their jaws; their ears are large and hanging;their tail is raised and truncated, and they have a firm, bold, anderect gait, an appearance of strength, independence, and (if I may beallowed to use the expression) candour, which is vainly looked for inother dogs. They came to us from the East, probably at a later periodthan those dogs which more resemble the wolf. 

The once-esteemed Blood-hound is now rare, and I copy Mr. Bell'sdescription of the breed, in possession of his namesake:--"They standtwenty-eight inches high at the shoulder; the muzzle broad and full, theupper lip large and pendulous, the vertex of the head protuberant, theexpression stern, thoughtful, and noble; the breast broad; the limbsstrong and muscular, and the original colour a deep tan, with largeblack clouds. They are silent when following their scent; and in thisrespect differ from other hounds, who are generally gifted with fine, deep voices. Numbers, under the name of sleuth-hounds, used to be kepton the Borders, and kings and troopers, perhaps equally marauders, have, in olden times, found it difficult to evade them. The noble Bruce hadseveral narrow escapes from them, and the only sure way to destroy theirscent was to spill blood upon the track. In all the common routine oflife they are good-natured and intelligent, and make excellentwatch-dogs. A story is related of a nobleman, who, to make trial whethera young hound was well instructed, desired one of his servants to walkto a town four miles off, and then to a market-town, three miles fromthence. The dog, without seeing the man he was to pursue, followed himby the scent to the above mentioned places, notwithstanding themultitude of market people that went along the same road, and oftravellers that had occasion to come; and when the blood-hound came tothe cross market-town, he passed through the streets without takingnotice of any of the people there, and ceased not till he had gone tothe house where the man he sought rested himself, and where he found himin an upper room, to the wonder of those who had accompanied him in thispursuit. "[4]

The stately Stag-hound, with his steady, cautious qualities, is littleless valuable than the blood-hound for following a scent. Marvellousfeats are related of his perseverance and strength in pursuit of hisgame; but since the reign of George the Third, the breed has not beenkept up. That monarch was particularly fond of this description ofhunting; but now, having fallen into disuse, it is not likely to berevived. Stag-hounds are somewhat smaller than the blood-hound; rougher, with a wider nose, shorter head, loose hanging ears, and a rush tail, nearly erect. A most remarkable stag hunt is recorded as having takenplace in Westmoreland, which extended into Scotland. All the dogs werethrown out except two, who followed their quarry the whole way. The stagreturned to the park whence it started, where it leapt over the walland expired, having made a circuit of at least 120 miles. The houndswere found dead at a little distance, having been unable to leap thewall. 

The fox-hounds are still smaller than the stag-hounds, are generallywhite in colour, with clouds of black and tan. They have been known torun at full speed for ten hours, during which the hunters were obligedto change their horses three times, or abandon the pursuit. 

The Harrier and the Beagle are still smaller varieties: as the nameindicates, the former are used exclusively for hunting the hare, andhave nearly superseded the beagle, which is chiefly valuable for itsvery musical note. There was a fancy breed of them in the time of QueenElizabeth, so small, that they could be carried in a man's glove, andwere called singing dogs. They used to be conveyed to the field inpaniers. 

Turnspits are descended from ill-made hounds, which they resemble inbody, but have very short, and even crooked legs. They are rough orsmooth. They are said also to be derived from terriers, and it seems tome that the perpetuation of malformation in several breeds will producethe turnspit. They derive their name from having been used to turn thekitchen spit, being put into an enclosed wheel, placed at the end forthe purpose. It is a curious fact, that now the office is abolished, therace has become nearly extinct. I extract the following from CaptainBrown's "Popular Natural History, " to prove, that if turnspits hadcrooked legs, they had not crooked wits:--"I have had in my kitchen, "said the Duke de Liancourt, to M. Descartes, "two turnspits, which tooktheir turns regularly every other day in the wheel; one of them, notliking his employment, hid himself on the day he should have wrought, when his companion was forced to mount the wheel in his stead; butcrying and wagging his tail, he intimated that those in attendanceshould first follow him. He immediately conducted them to a garret, where he dislodged the idle dog, and killed him immediately. " Thefollowing occurrence at the Jesuit's College at Flêche, shows thatothers of the species have kept the turnspit to this disagreeable duty. When the cook had prepared the meat for roasting, he found that the dogwhich should have wrought the spit had disappeared. He attempted toemploy another, but it bit his leg and fled. Soon after, however, therefractory dog entered the kitchen, driving before him the truantturnspit, which immediately, of its own accord, went into the wheel. Acompany of turnspits were assembled in the Abbey Church of Bath, wherethey remained very quietly. At one part of the service, however, theword "spit" was pronounced, rather loudly. This reminded the dogs oftheir duty, and they all rushed out in a body, to go to their respectivedwellings. 

From the word "Spanish" being often prefixed to the name of the Pointer, it is supposed that these dogs came to us from the Peninsula; but as alldogs came from the East, their more ancient origin is to be ascribed tothe Phœnicians, who brought them, not only to that country, but probablyto England, although many think they were not known here before 1688. 

In consequence of long training, the peculiar faculty of pointing atgame has become an innate quality on their part; young dogs inherit it, and they only require that discipline which is necessary to make allpuppies behave themselves. If we look at a pointer, the first remarkwhich naturally arises, is that he is a large, indolent hound. He ishowever, extremely docile and affectionate. The black are said to be thebest, but they vary in color; their fur is quite smooth, and they areconsidered very valuable dogs. Mr. Gilpin speaks of a brace of pointers, who stood an hour and a quarter without moving. This, however, wasexceeded by Clio, a dog belonging to my father, who stood with her hindlegs upon a gate for more than two hours, with a nest of partridgesclose to her nose. She must have seen them as she jumped over the gate, and had she moved an inch, they would have been frightened away. Myfather went on, and having other dogs, did not miss Clio for a longtime; at length he perceived she was not with the rest, and neithercame to his call or whistle; he went back to seek her, and there shestood, just as she had got over the gate. His coming up disturbed thebirds, and he shot some of them; but Clio when thus relieved, was sostiff that she could not move, and her master sat down on the grass andrubbed her legs till she could bend them again. She died of old age, having been with us fourteen years from her birth; there were no signsof illness: and she went out in the morning with the shooting party. Thefirst question on the return of the sportsmen was, an inquire for Clio;search was made, and she was found quite stiff in the stable, havingapparently come home to die. 

Of the general intelligence of the pointer, the following is a proof. Agentleman shooting in Ireland, with a dog totally unused to fetch andcarry, killed a snipe. It fell in soft, boggy ground, where he could notget to pick it up. After some vain efforts to approach it, he hied onthe pointer, by saying, "Fetch it, Fan! fetch it. " She seemed for amoment puzzled at such an unusual proceeding, and looked roundinquisitively once or twice, as if to say; What do you mean? Suddenlythe sportsman's dilemma seemed to flash upon her. She walked on, tookthe bird in her mouth quite gently, and carried it to where the groundwas firm; but not one inch further would she bring it, despite all theencouragement of her master, who now wished to make her constantlyretrieve. This, however, was the first and last bird she ever lifted. 

A favourite pointer was lent by a gentleman to a friend; but after someyears of trial, finding the dog would not hunt with him, the friendrequested his master, then in Ireland, to receive him back. He wasconveyed in a packet from Bristol to Cork, and his owner went to meethis dog. The vessel was at some distance from the shore; but seeing himon the deck, the gentleman hailed the sailors, and requested he might besent in a boat. No sooner, however, did the dog hear his master's voice, than he leaped into the water, and with great demonstrations of joy swamto him on the shore. Such meetings have frequently been too much fordogs, who have died from excessive joy at seeing those they loved, aftera long absence. 

The sporting dog called the Setter, is distinguished by his long, silkyhair, and has consequently been considered as a large spaniel. The headshews an unusual development of brain; and his character for affectionand intelligence corresponds with this formation. He is very handsome, is said to have come from Spain to this country, and his original colourto have been deep chestnut, or white. He is now marked with brown, orblack, as well as having these colours. 

A gentleman in Ireland received a present of a beautiful black setterpuppy, from an unknown hand. He bred and cherished him, and the memoryof Black York is still fresh in his country; not only for his perfectsymmetry, his silky, raven black hair, but for his gentle, submissivedisposition. He was a nervous dog when young, for even a loud wordalarmed him, which, combined with his mysterious arrival, and aninvoluntary affection, induced his master to transfer him from thekennel to the drawing-room. From that time York acquired confidence, andlost his timidity; he first walked out with the nursemaids and children, and then accompanied his master. The latter went one morning to a rushyfield, to look at some newly born foals; and there York pointed to asnipe. The bird rose, and pitched some hundred yards away, York's nosedetected him a second time: he crept on a dozen paces, and couchedagain. This circumstance betokened his natural perfections; but with histemperament, the firing a gun might be a dangerous trial. He was takenday after day to mark the snipes, and praised for his conduct. Afterthis, his master took his gun and an attendant, with orders to thelatter, if York should attempt to levant or run away, he was to catchhim in his arms. It occurred as he had anticipated; poor York wasdreadfully frightened; every limb quivered, but he was soothed bycaresses, and encouraged to go where the dead snipe was lying. In amoment he appeared to comprehend the whole. He smelled the snipe, looked at the gun, then in his master's face, and became bolder when hethere saw approbation. Another point, another shot, and another snipe;and York and his master returned home; the gun was put in the corner, and the snipes close by, on the carpet. A dozen times, while his masterwas drinking his wine, York stole quietly to the corner, smelled thesnipes, and examined the gun. From that day he gave up walking with thenursemaids, and became a matchless field dog. 

York was never willingly separated from his master, and was very unhappyat his absence; he soon ascertained, that a carpet bag put into the gig, was the signal for going away; and one day, he secretly followed, andonly shewed himself when he thought he was at such a distance that hecould not be sent back again. He was taken into the gig, and by thismeans escaped a sad death. 

While he was away, a mad dog infected the kennel, and nine setters, andtwo Skye terriers were obliged to be killed, Black York alone remaining. "From the moment, " says York's master, "I took him from the kennel tothe parlour, he cut all low connections; on the human race hisaffections seemed to be concentrated, and on one occasion, he gave amarked instance of his fidelity and intelligence. His mistress had gonewith her maid to the beach to bathe, and a general permission had beengiven to the servants to go to the neighbouring fair a mile off. Theyoung nurse, in the giddiness of girlhood, left the baby in his cot. According to the then existing custom, the hall-door was wide open and, save the sleeping baby, Black York and cats, no living thing heldpossession of the premises. A strange priest arrived, to ask and receivehospitality. He entered the hall, and the dog, otherwise quiet, sprangforward and assailed him like a tiger. The priest retreated, York's backwas ridged for battle, and a mouthful of unquestionable teeth hinted tohis Reverence, that the canine customer would prove an ugly one. Heretreated accordingly, and York sat down beside his sleeping charge. There he remained on guard until the absent mother returned; when sheentered the drawing room, her four legged representative laid his tonguegently across the infant's face, and without opposition permitted FatherMalachi to walk in. "

Equally interesting is the biography of Mr. Bell's setter, Juno, whofrom a puppy was one of the best dogs that ever entered a field. "Sheappeared to be always on the watch, to evince her love and gratitude tothose who were kind to her;" and she had other than human friends. "Akitten, which had been taken from its mother, shewed the usual horror ofcats at Juno's approach. She however seemed determined to conquer theantipathy, and by the most winning perseverance completely attached thekitten to her; and as she had lately lost her puppies, she became itsfoster-mother. Juno also played with some tame rabbits, enticing them byher kind manner; and so fond was she of caressing the young of her ownspecies, that when a spaniel of my father's had puppies, and all but onewere destroyed, Juno would take every opportunity of stealing this fromits mother, and lick and fondle it with the greatest tenderness. Whenthe poor mother discovered the theft, she hastened to bring back herlittle one; only to be stolen again at the first opportunity, until atlength, Juno and Busy killed the poor puppy between them, from excess oftenderness. "

I close this account of the setter, by giving an instance of theremarkable power of dogs to return to their homes from a distance, sooften cited, and which was exemplified by my father's setter Flush, adog of remarkable beauty and value. His master drove him in his dog cartas far as London, a distance of above fifty miles, being the first stageof a shooting excursion in another county. The carriage was soconstructed, that the opening to admit air was above, and not at thesides, so that Flush could not possibly have seen any part of the road. On his arrival in town, the groom tied him up by a cord, with access toa kennel in the yard of the inn where my father stopped. He saw him thelast thing at night, but in the morning the rope had been severed, andthe dog was gone. All inquiries proved fruitless, it was supposed thegreat value of the dog had tempted some one to purloin him, and in greattrouble his master wrote home his lamentations. Late in the evening ofthe day in which he was missed, my mother heard a scratching and whiningat the front door, as she passed through the hall. Not supposing in anyway it could relate to her, she did not heed it. In about half an hour asmothered bark met her ears, and then she ordered a servant to open thehall door and ascertain the cause. There was poor Flush--wet, dirty, hungry, and weary; with the remainder of the rope hanging to his neck. He had never been a house dog, and that he should seek thedwelling-house rather than the stable at some little distance, wasanother proof of his sagacity; he knew he should be there moreimmediately cared for, and so he was. My mother fed him herself; and, stretched before the fire, he forgot his troubles. The joyful news wasconveyed to my father, as fast as the post would take it, and from thattime Flush was a companion in the drawing-room, as well as in theshooting excursion. 

The infinite variety of spaniels almost precludes a separate enumerationof each in a limited work, I shall, therefore, confine myself to a fewgeneral remarks. He may be called a small setter, as the setter iscalled a large spaniel, having the same long hair and ears; but theformer is even more silken in its texture. With some it curls more, andis a little harsher, and these are fonder of the water than the others. Their attachments are strong, their intelligence great, and the beautyof some of them makes them much sought as pets; they are, however, generally useful to the sportsman. The only fault which can be laid totheir charge, and this perhaps only extends to a few, is, that they areapt to love strangers as well as friends. As an instance to thecontrary, was a beautiful little red and white Blenheim, who was mostunsociable, and whose affections were most difficult to win. I, however, succeeded, when on a visit to her mistress; and two years after, when Irepeated my visit, expected to have the same difficulty. She, however, when the first bark had been given, became silent, and she did notfavour me with a sly bite on the heel, as she was in the habit of doingto strangers. Before the evening was over, the recognition was complete, and she jumped into my lap. Her mistress took pains to prevent her fromcoming in contact with vulgar dogs, always thought her possessed of themost refined habits, and was sure she never would be too fat, becauseshe ate so delicately. One evening, a small, social party of us werelistening to the music of Handel, executed by two of the finestperformers in the world, when through the door, which stood a little wayopen, Fanny glided in, with a large piece of fat and skin in her mouth. I thought I was the only person who saw her, and remained quite still;presently my eye caught that of the gentleman of the house, who made asign that he also had discovered her, and our equanimity was muchdisturbed. She crouched rather than walked round the room, dragging her_bonne bouche_ over the rich folds of the delicately-tinted silk damaskcurtains, as they lay upon the ground, till she reached a very obscurecorner under the piano, where she proceeded to enjoy herself. As soon asthe glorious music was concluded, "Did you see Fanny?" was theexclamation, and the delinquent was dragged out before the last morselwas devoured; so there was proof positive. The next morning the cooktold her mistress that she was in the habit of stealing such morsels asI have described, and hiding them, and that she only took them out toeat when she [the cook] was gone to church. Poor Fanny's reputation forrefinement was for ever clouded. 

In the same house lived a larger spaniel, of the variety which takes tothe water, and named Flora. She was an excellent house-dog, and, generally speaking, under no restraint. Some alarm, however, occasionedby a real or reported accident, caused the magistrate of the town inwhich her master resided, to issue an order, that no dogs should leavethe premises of their owners without being muzzled. Accordingly, Flora, when she went out with the servant, had this instrument put on; shehated it at first, tried all she could to get it off, but at lengthappeared to become indifferent to the confinement which it produced. Inconsequence of this, it was, perhaps, more carelessly buckled on, andone day it came off, and the man stooped to put it in its place; Flora, however, was too quick for him, she took it up in her mouth, plungedwith it into a neighbouring pond, and when she reached the deepest part, dropped the muzzle into it, and swam back, with her countenanceexpressing delight. 

All dogs enjoy the sport to which they are bred, and M. Blase tells us, that he was once shooting near Versailles, when his friend, M. Guilleman, accompanied him, with permission to kill wild ducks on thepreserve. There was but one dog between them, but at the first shot, afine spaniel ran up to them at full speed. He plunged into the water, and caressing M. Guilleman, seemed to say--"Here I am at your service;amuse me, and I will amuse you. " The gentlemen pursued their sport allday, and the dog proved excellent. No one appeared to own him; but thesport over, off he set at full gallop, and they saw him no more. Theyspoke of him to the keeper of the water, who informed them, that the dogbelonged to a sportsman living two leagues distant, who was at that timelaid up with the gout. "The dog knows, " added the keeper, "that personscome to shoot here every Sunday; and on that day, regularly makes hisappearance. Having done his duty for the first sportsman whom he meets, he returns to his master. "

Mr. Martin, in his clever little treatise on dogs, vouches for the truthof the following story:--"One morning, as a lady was lacing her boots, one of the laces broke. She playfully said to her pet spaniel who wasstanding by her, 'I wish you would find me another boot lace, ' buthaving managed to use that which was broken, she thought no more aboutit. On the following morning, when she was again lacing her boots, thedog ran up to her with a new silken boot-lace in his mouth. This createdgeneral amazement; for where the dog had obtained it no one could tell. There was no doubt, however, that he had purloined it from some oneelse. "

A black and white spaniel, belonging to a friend of mine, seemed tounderstand everything said to him, and if his master whispered in hisear, "Find something for your master, " every loose article which hecould carry was sure to be laid at his master's feet, and frequently theladies of the family were obliged to lock their work-boxes, to preventtheir contents from being carried off by Dash. If one glove weremissing, and the other were shown to him, he did not rest till he hadfound it; and, one day I saw him push a pile of music-books off aWhat-not, and drag a glove out which had been deemed irrecoverable. Acountryman, charged with a letter to be delivered to Dash's master, arrived at the house while that gentleman was at breakfast. The man wasshown into a parlour, where he was about to sit down, when a growlsaluted his ears. Turning round, he saw Dash lying in a chair near thefire-place, who reared his head, and the ring of the bell-pull hangingclose by, he put his paw in it. As often as the man attempted to sit, sooften did Dash growl; till at last the stranger's curiosity beingexcited, as to what the dog would do if he persevered, he sat down in achair. Dash then effectually pulled the bell; and the servant whoanswered the summons, was much astonished when he heard who had rung. He, however, was equally pleased, for it explained a mystery which hadlong puzzled him and his fellow servants. It seemed, that whenever anyof them sat up for their master or mistress when they were out, theparlour bell was sure to ring immediately after they had settledthemselves to sleep. Of course they had never suspected the spaniel, although, when they afterwards discussed the matter, they recollectedthat when they awoke, he was not to be seen. There was no doubt thatdirectly he saw their eyes closed, he went to the bell in order to rousethem to watchfulness. 

Even surpassing these histories of reason and fidelity, is that whichMr. Bell relates, in nearly the following terms:--"My friend wastravelling on the continent, and his faithful dog was his companion. One day, before he left his lodgings in the morning, with theexpectation of being absent till the evening, he took out his purse inhis room, for the purpose of ascertaining whether he had takensufficient money for the day's occupation, and then went his way, leaving the dog behind. Having dined at a coffee-house, he took out hispurse, and missing a Louis d'or, searched for it diligently, but to nopurpose. Returning home late in the evening, his servant let him in witha face of sorrow, and told him that the poor dog was very ill, as shehad not eaten anything all day, and what appeared very strange, shewould not suffer him to take her food away from before her, but had beenlying with her nose close to the vessel without attempting to touch it. On my friend entering the room, she instantly jumped upon him, then laida Louis d'or at his feet, and immediately began to devour her food withgreat voracity. The truth was now apparent; my friend had dropped themoney in the morning, when leaving the room, and the faithful creaturefinding it, had held it in her mouth until his return enabled her torestore it to his own hands; even refusing to eat for a whole day, lestit should be out of her custody. "

All dogs trained for the service may become Retrievers or finders ofgame, which they bring to their master without injury. Spaniels, however, are generally preferred. Mr. St. John had one called Rover, ablack water-spaniel, who noticed everything that was spoken, and actedaccordingly. If at breakfast-time his master said, "Rover must stop athome to-day, I cannot take him out, " Rover never offered to go: but ifhe said, "I shall take Rover with me to-day, " the moment breakfast wasover, he was on the alert, never losing sight of his master. Plans werefrequently made for the ensuing morning in the dog's presence; and oneday he was not taken; ever after, when Rover heard over night what wasto take place, he started alone, very early, and met the party, sittingin front of the road with a peculiar kind of grin on his face, expressing a doubt of being well received, in consequence of comingwithout permission. Directly, however, he saw he was well received, hethrew off his affected shyness, and jumped about with delight. 

Though a most aristocratic dog in his usual habits, when staying inEngland with Mr. St. John, he struck up an acquaintance with arat-catcher and his curs, assisting them in their business, watching atthe rat-holes where the ferrets were in, and being the best dog of all;for he never gave a false alarm, or failed to give a true one. Themoment he saw his master, however, he cut his humble friends, anddeclined their acquaintance in the most comical manner. 

A dark-brown retriever, named Sam, was in the habit of going into akennel of hounds, who always crowded round and caressed him. When theywere in the field at exercise, Sam was told to go and amuse them; hethen went among them, jumped Jim Crow, and played all sorts of antics, leaping and tumbling about in the most laughable manner, they looking athim most attentively. He went with his master to call upon a lady; shepatted him, asked if he were the celebrated Sam, and hearing he was, sheinvited him to stay with her. The animal ran to his master, looked up, and seemed to ask for his consent. He was told to return to the lady, and take care of her, upon which he ran to her, took her basket fromher, and tried to express his willingness to serve her. He remained withher for some hours, and when his master arrived to fetch him, the ladywas so pleased, that she asked for his company till the next day. Sam'sowner petted and praised him, told him to be a good dog, and stay withthe lady until she had given him his breakfast the next day. The dog wascontented to remain, ate his breakfast on the ensuing morning, thenlooked up in the lady's face, wagged his tail, left the house, and ranhome. He was in the habit of fetching his master's clothes, and ofreturning them to their proper places; and he knew their names. He satin a chair at dinner with the family, without making any confusion; ordined alone, alternately taking a piece of bread and meat, and thendrinking a little milk; and if any one said, "Give me a piece, Sam, " heinstantly obeyed. When all was gone, he cleared away the things. Hewould fetch his master's horse from the inn, pay the hostler, and rideback upon the saddle. In short, he seemed to comprehend every thing thatwas said to him and was a model of good nature and obedience. 

Wonderful as these stories are as matters of reason, they are perhapsexceeded by some of the tricks performed by the Poodle-Dogs, who areeasily distinguished by their crisply curling hair, their large roundhead, and long ears, and to whom water is as welcome and familiar asland. Two of them, educated in Milan, exhibited their powers in Paris, and I can vouch for the veracity of the following statement:--The elderwas named Fido, and the younger Bianco. The former was a serious, steadydog, who walked about with much solemnity; but Bianco was giddy andfrolicsome. A word was given to Fido from the Greek, Latin, Italian, French, or English languages, and selected from a book, where fiftywords in each tongue were inscribed, which, altogether, made threehundred combinations. He selected from the letters of the alphabet thosewhich composed the given word, and laid them in order at the feet of hismaster. On one occasion, the word _heaven_ was told to him, and hequickly placed the letters till he came to the second _e_, when, aftervainly searching for the letter in his alphabet, he took it from thefirst syllable, and inserted it in the second. He went through the fourfirst rules of arithmetic in the same way, with extraordinary celerity, and arranged the double cyphers in the same way as the double vowel inheaven. Bianco, however, although so heedless, was quicker than Fido, and when the latter made a mistake, was called on to rectify it, but asquickly dismissed, as he was wont to pull his companion's ears, to comeand play with him. 

One day Fido spelt the word _Jupiter_ with a _b_, but the younger_savant_ being summoned to correct the error, he carefully contemplatedthe word, and pushing out the _b_, replaced it with a _p_. A lady heldher repeating watch to the ear of Fido, and made it strike eight andthree quarters. Fido immediately selected an 8, and then a 6, for thethree-quarters; the company present and the master insisted upon hiserror, and he again looked among his cyphers, but being unable torectify it, he coolly sat himself down in the middle and looked at thosearound him. The watch was again sounded, and it was ascertained that itstruck two for every quarter, which quite exonerated Fido. Both dogswould sit down to play ecarté, asking each other for, or refusing cards, with the most important and significant look, cutting at proper times, and never mistaking one card for another. Bianco occasionally won, andwent to the cyphers to mark his points, and when he was asked how manyhis adversary had gained, he took out an 0 with his teeth. Theysometimes played at ecarté with one of the company assembled to seethem, when they evinced the same correctness, and seemed to know all theterms of the game. All this passed without the slightest audible orvisible sign between them and their master. 

There is a water dog at Hastings, belonging to Page the boatman, who, onreceiving a penny, immediately takes it to a baker's shop for thepurchase of a roll, nor will he part with it till the person who serveshim has put the bread upon the counter; he then lays it down, and walksoff with his purchase in his mouth. Another dog of this kind, also of myacquaintance, was the family carrier; that is, she carried books, work, etc. , to any person or any room pointed out to her; and as we ratherencroached on her, she lost almost all her teeth from the hard and heavyburthens with which she was laden. We had only to say, "Cora, take thisto so and so, " and if the good dog could not find the person, shebrought it back and stood before us. At the same hour every afternoon, she, untold, brought her master's boot-jack and slippers into his study, to be in readiness for his return. 

Under the despised name of curs, Colonel Smith classes the sharpest, thedrollest, the most pertinacious, the most mischievous, and yet the mostuseful terrier; together with several other small dogs. Long-haired, rough-haired, long-eared, short-eared, brush-tailed, smooth-tailed, long-legged, short-legged, black-eyed, black-nosed; white, brown, black, tan, sandy, mixed; every degree of pure or mongrel blood; terriers ofall kinds swarm around us, playing all sorts of antics, evincing allkinds of impertinences, catching all sorts of vermin, and presentingthemselves to us in every shape of beauty or ugliness, of which theirrace is capable. 

The most ancient of this influential, if not respectable tribe of dogs, indeed the most ancient dog of Great Britain, is the Scotch Terrier, brought to us, probably, from the north-west of Europe by our primitiveinhabitants. There are two varieties of indigenous terriers--the one, smooth, usually white or black in colour, with tan spots; sharp muzzle;bright and lively eyes; pointed or slightly turned-down ears; and tailcarried high. It is, however, supposed that the Scottish race, with ashorter and fuller muzzle, stouter limbs, hard, shaggy fur, sometimeswhite in colour, but more often sandy or ochry, is the oldest and mostgenuine breed. One of these clever and excellent beasts, named Peter, lived with my mother for some years, and during the whole of that timeevinced the greatest sagacity and attachment. He constantly understoodthe conversation, provided it related to cats, rats, or himself; andoften when we spoke of him casually, without even knowing he was in theroom, or calling him by his name, he has laid his head on our knees andwagged his tail, as much as to say, "I understand. " He was a mostinveterate enemy to all rats, mice, and cats, nipping them in the backof the neck, and throwing them over his head at the rate of one in aminute. Before he came into our family, he won a wager that he wouldkill twelve rats in twelve minutes: the second rat fastened on his lip, and hung there while he despatched the other ten, and then, within thegiven time, he finished that also. The inhumanity of such wagers did notrest with him. He was stolen more than once, and brought back when areward was advertised; and, the first time, the signs of suffering abouthim were very manifest. The beard under the chin, the tufts of the ears, the fringes of the legs, had been all cut off, and he had been rubbedwith red ochre to disguise him for sale. He was placed with many othersin a cellar, ready for shipping, and the dog-dealer, or ratherdog-stealer, who brought him to us, said he thought he would have diedof grief in a day or two, for he refused to eat, and seemed to beinsensible either to kindness or anger. For three weeks he hung his headand shrunk into corners, as if he felt himself degraded; but at last ourcaresses and encouragement brought back his usual bold and livelybearing. 

For the last three months of my mother's existence, Peter was almostalways on her bed, night and day; and during the final four weeks, whendeath was daily expected, he was sad and dull: which was attributed tothe change in the habits of the family. Forty-eight hours before all wasover, Peter crept into a corner under the bed, which had always been hisplace of refuge when in trouble; and we with difficulty prevailed on himto quit it, even when his mistress wished to see and say farewell tohim. On that occasion he hung his head, and appeared to be so miserable, that apprehensions of malady on his part were entertained. He returnedto his corner, and was not thought of for some time. At length all wasquiet in the room, and I was about to leave it, when I recollectedPeter. He was with difficulty prevailed on to leave his corner, where helay, curled up and trembling. I lifted him up to take a last look of hisbeloved mistress, but he laid his head on my shoulder, and was so muchdistressed that I carried him away immediately. On the following day, heaccompanied me up stairs, and when I passed my mother's door, he lookedup in my face as much as to say, "Are you going in there?" but I replied"No!" and he never again asked for entrance. The coffin was soldereddown, and removed from the bed-room to the dining-room; and thus had topass the drawing-room where all the family were assembled. On ordinaryoccasions, Peter was furious at the sound of strange footsteps in thehouse, and even barked loudly when any one knocked or rang at thestreet-door. On this occasion, however, he suffered the men employed topass and repass frequently, without making the slightest noise; but thathe was conscious of some unusual occurrence was evident from his jumpinginto my arms, where, as the coffin was brought down, he sat with earserect, and eyes fixed, and panted and trembled in the most agitatedmanner till all was quiet. As long as the body remained in the house, hetook every opportunity of walking round it and lying under it, and whenit was removed at five o'clock one morning, to begin its journey to thefamily vault, he was again much agitated, but never offered to bark. Onthe following day, I and others started to attend the funeral at aconsiderable distance, and my daughters were to arrive at eight o'clock, to pass the day in the house of their deceased grandmother. I took leaveof Peter, placed him on a mat in the hall, and said, "Stay there tillthe girls come. " He laid himself down; and the servants assured me, henever moved till the parties arrived; when he met them with subduedlooks, and closely attached himself to them as long as they werepresent. I returned two hours after midnight; and the first sound whichI heard, when the carriage stopped at the door, was a noisydemonstration of joy from Peter. He thenceforward resumed all his usualhabits, barking on all occasions; but he never was quite the same indisposition. He grew indifferent to every one except my brother, neverplayed again; and four years after was found dead in his corner ofrefuge. 

But it is not in a mournful light alone that we must view the Scotch, orindeed any other terrier; for they are the most untiring playful beingsunder the sun. I picked up a poor little expiring puppy by the edge of apond one day, recovered him, brought him up, and there never was a morefaithful or amusing beast. He proved to be a shaggy Scotch terrier; andhis heedless youth had to undergo many corrections before he became theperfect model of obedience which his maturity presented. One of hismisdemeanours was, to kill the young chickens. The woman who managed thepoultry could not imagine why these little creatures died so fast, andat first suspected that they picked up and swallowed something whichpoisoned them. She, however, opened one, and did not find anything in itwhich confirmed her suspicions; but the feathers were ruffled on theback of the neck, and she was then convinced that they were destroyed bya much larger animal than themselves. She watched for some days; and atlength saw Mr. Bruin, my dog, creep through a little hole in the palingsof the yard, and squat himself down, very gravely, as if he had not athought of mischief in him; presently a little chicken ran past him, snap went Bruin at the back of its neck, and giving it a toss over hishead as he would a rat, the little thing was dead. Another was served inthe same way; and I was then called to inflict the punishment I thoughtmost proper. I was averse to beating him at first, so I pointed to thechicken, and scolded him so much that he appeared to be very sorry forwhat he had done. But he was then young and giddy, and the impressionmade was but slight. In three days he returned to his tricks, and I wasobliged to chastise him more severely. I tied a dead chicken round hisneck, beat him, and shut him up all day in a tool-house, where I visitedhim several times, pointed to the chicken, and repeated how naughty hewas. He was so ashamed that he could not look me in the face, and in theevening, when I released him, he could not eat. He recovered his gaietyin a day or two because he was entirely forgiven; but he never againwent into the poultry-yard, and if by chance he saw a chicken, he wouldhang his head and tail, and walk round it at such a distance, that heevidently recollected his former conduct. 

The great friend and playmate of Bruin, was Pincher a very accomplished, smooth terrier, capital dog to go with the hounds, and to kill all sortsof obnoxious animals. If the two appeared to be asleep, and weexclaimed "Cat!" or "Rat!" in one instant they were on their legs, seeking in every direction for their game. They hunted on their ownaccount sometimes, and were often seen with a red spaniel, trottingthrough the fields, no doubt conspiring together to have a feast. BothBruin and Pincher were perfectly aware when Sunday came round; andalthough on other days, when they saw us equipped for a walk, they weremost vociferous in their entreaties to go also, on Sunday they hidthemselves under the sofa, and never offered to accompany us. They knewwhere we went, and generally came to meet us on our return, sometimesventuring as far as the gate of the churchyard, which was a miledistant, but never went within the enclosure. 

One of my brothers, who was more peculiarly Pincher's master, had agreat fancy to be a doctor as he called it; and he chipped various flintstones into fancied instruments. With these he pretended to performoperations on Pincher, who would lie perfectly passive under his hands, to have his teeth drawn, his limbs set, his wounds bandaged, his veinsopened. The grand finale used to be an entire cutting up, which the boycopied from the same process practised on pigs. The dog was laid upon atable, with his legs stuck out which he made as stiff as possible. Hishead was then cut off, and as soon as the flint was passed across histhroat, the head fell on one side, and it might have been thought thatthe dog fancied it was really off, so entirely did he let it lie withoutmotion. The flint was then passed round his legs, each of which felldown without further movement, as close to the body as he could pullthem. At last, when all was ended, my brother said, "Jump up, good dog!"and Pincher bounding off the table shook himself to life again. 

A favourite terrier was in the habit of accompanying his master, who wasa clergyman, to church, where he was so perfectly quiet, that fewpersons knew of his presence. On one occasion, he went to a funeral, andwhen the procession left the church, accompanied his master to the sideof the grave, where he mingled with the attendants. The parties remainedfor some little time looking at the coffin after it was lowered, and theclergyman slipped away, unobserved even by his dog. An hour after, as hesat at dinner with his friends, his sexton requested to speak with him. He was admitted into the room, when he said it was impossible to closethe grave, and that he did not know what to do. "Why?" asked thegentleman, "Because Sir, your terrier stands there, and flies sofiercely at us whenever we attempt to throw a spade full in, that wedare not go on. " One of the house servants was sent to the churchyard, and there saw the dog in a perfect fury, defending the grave; sherefused to come to his call, so by main force he removed her, andcarried her to the drawing-room. There, the moment she saw her master, her transport of joy equalled her former fury; and it is supposed that, not seeing her master go away, and missing him, she fancied he was inthe grave, and thus strove to protect him from injury. 

The same dog and a companion, equally faithful and sagacious, attachedthemselves to their master's horse, and whenever they could, went outwith it. He rode out on it to dinner, the two dogs with him, who wentcontentedly into the stable with their friend. He ordered his horse whenit was time to go away; but as it was a long while coming to the door, inquiries were made about the delay, upon which the groom appeared, andsaid he dared not take the horse out of the stable, for one of theclergyman's dogs was on its back, and the other by its side, flying atevery person who came near the animal. The owner comprehended themystery, and going to the stable himself, brought forth the steed: thegroom was a stranger, and the dogs dared not trust him with theirmaster's property. 

A terrier, known to Professor Owen, was taught to play at hide and seekwith his master, who summoned him, by saying "Let us have a game, " uponwhich the dog immediately hid his eyes between his paws, in the mosthonourable manner, and when the gentleman had placed a sixpence, or apiece of cake in a most improbable place, he started up and invariablyfound it. His powers were equalled by what was called a Fox-terrier, named Fop, who would hide his eyes, and suffer those at play with him toconceal themselves before he looked up. If his playfellow hid himselfbehind a window curtain, Fop would, for a certain time, carefully passthat curtain, and look behind all the others, behind doors, etc. , andwhen he thought he had looked long enough, seize the concealing curtainand drag it aside in triumph. The drollest thing, however, was to seehim take his turn of hiding; he would get under a chair, and fancy thathe was not seen; of course, those at play with him pretended not to seehim, and it was most amusing to witness his agitation as they passed. When he was ill he had been cured by some homœopathic globules, and everafter, if anything were the matter with him, he would stand near themedicine box, and hold his mouth open. 

A black and tan terrier, belonging to a linen-draper in Swindon, directly the shop was opened in the morning, was in the habit of goingto the post-office with his master; the letter bag was put into hismouth, and he carried it home. One morning he took it into his head toprecede his master, and go alone. The post-master, on seeing him, feltso certain his owner was at the door, that he delivered the bag to him, with which he ran home while his master was seeking him. From that timeit became his regular duty to fetch the letters daily. 

Sir Walter Scott tells us of the remarkable comprehension of humanlanguage evinced by his Bull-dog terrier, called Camp. He understood somany words, that Sir Walter felt convinced an intercourse with dumbanimals might be enlarged. Camp once, bit the baker, for which SirWalter beat him, and, at the same time, explained the enormity of theoffence; after which, to the last moment of his life, he never heard theleast allusion to the story, in whatever voice or tone it might bementioned, without getting up and retiring into the darkest corner ofthe room, with great appearance of distress. Then, if it were said thatthe baker had been well paid, or that the baker was not hurt after all, Camp came forward, capered, barked, and rejoiced. When he was unable, towards the end of his life, to attend his master in his rides, hewatched for his return, and the servant used to tell him Sir Walter wascoming down the hill, or through the moor, Camp never mistook him, although he did not use any gesture, but either went out at the front toascend the hills, or at the back to get at the moor side. 

These anecdotes, taken from many others concerning Terriers, cannot bebetter ended than by some concerning a Russian terrier. As I once wasacquainted with an inimitable monkey, named Jack, so do I now know aninimitable dog of that name. He is small, white, with some quaintlyplaced dark brown spots on the body and head; his eyes are of the mostbrilliant black, he is slightly and genteelly made, and he has aquantity of curling hair on his back only, which gives him a peculiarappearance. He formerly resided in Ireland with the mother of hispresent possessor, to whom he evinced that devoted attachment whichought to be named canine, for there is nothing equal to it in any otheranimal. This lady was ill for some years before her death, and couldonly take exercise in an invalid chair. When she was ready to go out, she would say, "Now, Jack, I am ready for the chair, " upon which heimmediately scampered off to the stables, placed himself in the vehicle, and was dragged to the door. Then he got out till his mistress wasplaced comfortably in it, when he seated himself at her feet. If theywent through the garden, the carriage was stopped at Jack's favouritebeds of flowers, for he had a remarkable fancy, like a cat, to enjoytheir perfume; mignonette being always a source of delight. On oneoccasion, in Dublin, he was lost; sought for, and met in the arms of apoliceman, who was carrying him home. The man said he had actuallydelivered himself up at the station, for he came into the room whereseveral men were seated, looked at one of them, as he stood at his feet, and quietly suffered his collar to be inspected and himself taken up andcarried. 

He entered the drawing-room where his two mistresses were sitting, andmade signs for one of them to go to the door. She did not heed hisrequest; upon which he pulled her gown with his teeth, and she, thinkinghe must have some extraordinary reason for it, then followed him; theinstant she opened the door wide, he squatted himself in the middle ofthe mat placed there, thumping the floor with his tail; before him laysix dead rats, which he had killed and brought to be seen, they beinglaid out, rat fashion, in due form, and he displaying his prowess withgreat pleasure. Jack went to Torquay with his young mistress, where hewas one day lying in the balcony, enjoying the sea breezes. An Italiancame past with his organ, and a monkey; he stopped before Jack, andsuffered his monkey to climb the pillars which supported the balcony andenter. Jack never tamely suffered the intrusion of strangers; but such astranger as this was beyond all patience; he seized him, shook him; thepoor monkey squealed, the Italian bawled out for his companion, andJack's mistress rushed to the window and rescued the unfortunatecreature, just time enough to save him from Jack's final gripe. Somedays after this, Jack was walking out with his mistress's brother, whowas a great invalid, when the sound of an organ saluted his ears. In onemoment he came up with it, seized the accompanying monkey between histeeth, and dashed past his astonished master, with the hind legs of thecreature hanging out on one side, and the feathered hat on the other. Invain did the gentleman call; Jack either did not hear or did not heed;he took his way to the stable where his master's horse was kept, andwould have immolated the monkey, had not the grooms there saved him fromdeath. The invalid and the owner of the monkey arrived at the samemoment, each delighted at the safety of the poor victim. Jack, to thisday, cannot endure an organ or a monkey. 

The Pariah dogs of India, when wild, occupy the woods in numerous packs;they have long backs, pointed ears, sharp noses, and fringed tails. Their fondness for human beings is very remarkable; and they will attachthemselves to a stranger, and not suffer any ill-usage to keep them at adistance. One was known to follow a gentleman travelling in a palanquintill he dropped from fatigue. There is a minute variety, white, withlong silky hair, like a lap dog, and this is trained to carry flambeauxand lanterns. Bishop Heber gives an account of a poor Pariah dog, whofollowed him during a part of his journey through India. He ordered thecook to give him some scraps, and the animal strongly attached himselfto the bishop. When the party were obliged to cross a rapid river, atrather a dangerous ford, the dog was so frightened at the black roaringwater, that he sat down by the side and howled piteously, as the bishopwent over. He, however, assumed courage to follow; but was againdistressed when one of the Sepoys was missing; he ran back to the spot, and howled, returned to the bishop, then back to summon the defaulter, and continued this till the man had rejoined his party. 

The bishop relates a story of one of these dogs who, being in search ofwater, thrust his head into an earthen jar, and could not get it outagain; he rushed about in all directions, bellowing and howling in themost fearful manner. The guard sprang to their feet, and stood preparedto encounter an enemy, whose approach they thought was announced by theblast of a war-horn. Halters were broken, and horses and mules prancedover the tent ropes; and it was some minutes before the cause of thisconfusion was ascertained. 

A massive form, arched skull, deep lower jaw, strong legs and neck, semi-hanging ears, truncated tail, and frequent presence of a fifth toe, distinguish the noble Mastiff. They are silent, phlegmatic dogs, conscious of their own strength, seem to consider themselves more ascompanions than servants, are resolute, and face danger with the utmostself-possession. A cold region, such as the highest ranges of CentralAsia, is best adapted to their perfect development, and yet their onlywild type is met with in Africa. They are old denizens of Great Britain, and are said to have been brought here before the Romans conquered thecountry. They are not supposed to have come originally from Africa, butfrom Thibet, through the north of Europe. 

They have been known to conquer lions; and yet, while they possess themost indomitable strength and courage, they are the gentlest of animals, suffering children to sit upon them, pull them roughly, and small dogsto snap and snarl at them. Confinement alone disturbs their temper. Theyare excellent guardians, and such is their deliberate coolness, thatthey have been known to walk quietly by the side of a thief withoutdoing him an injury, merely preventing his escape. They will, however, suffer the rogue to go away, if he has not already purloined anything. 

It is well known that dogs love to be in a crowd of people, and this isfrequently the temptation for them to enter churches. A number of dogs, in a village of Bohemia, had followed this practice, including anEnglish mastiff, belonging to a nobleman who lived there. A magistratewho presided at a Court, observed upon it, and said, in an authoritativevoice, "No dogs shall be allowed to go to church, let me not see onethere in future. " The mastiff was present, and seemed to listen withattention, not without effect, for on the ensuing Sunday, he, risingearly, ran barking at the village dogs, took his station near the doorof the church, killed the only dog that ventured in, notwithstandingthe prohibition; and always posted himself as a sentinel on duty, beforethe church, but without ever afterwards entering it. 

An English gentleman, some time ago, went to some public gardens, at St. Germain, with a large mastiff, who was refused admittance, and thegentleman left him in the care of the bodyguards, who were placed there. The Englishman, some time after he had entered, returned to the gate, and informed the guards that he had lost his watch, telling thesergeant, that if he would permit him to take in the dog, he would soondiscover the thief. His request being granted, the gentleman made signsto the dog of what he had lost, who immediately ran about among thecompany, and traversed the gardens, till at last he laid hold of a man. The gentleman insisted that this person had his watch; and, on beingsearched, not only his watch, but six others, were discovered in hispockets. What is more remarkable, the dog took his master's watch fromthe other six, and carried it to him. This is rather an old story, butit is an excellent example of the sagacity of the mastiff. 

The following anecdote has been sent to me while writing the above, bythe gentleman who witnessed the occurrence, and, as Glaucous was half amastiff, I insert it in this place:--

"An Irish gentleman, possessed a couple of immense dogs, male andfemale, half Newfoundland, half mastiff, which were celebrated fortheir sagacity, courage, and high-training. They were, in the mostcomprehensive sense, amphibious, and their home being near the sea, theyspent many hours daily in the water. 

"One day a young gentleman, related to the owner of these dogs, and towhom the male, who was called Glaucous, had attached himself with theardent affection so characteristic of his species, was walking on theshore with him. It was nearly low water, and a sand-bank, covered duringhigh tide, was visible at some hundred yards distance from the shore. His attention was drawn to this object, from the circumstance of thewater being in a state of commotion around it, while the sea elsewherewas perfectly placid. On further examination, he discovered that somelarge fish was chasing a shoal of whiting, and in his eagerness tocapture his prey, he more than once ran on the sand-bank. 

"Directing the dog's attention to these objects, he was encouraged toswim to the sand-bank, which he soon attained, and he had not been therea minute, before the large fish made another dash almost under his nose. The dog immediately pursued the fish; and ere it had reached the deepwater he seized it by the shoulders, and bore it to the sand-bank. Thefish, however, remained far from passive under such treatment, for assoon as it was released, it opened its large jaws, and bit the dog sofiercely as to cause his muzzle to be crimsoned with blood. 

"A few struggles brought the fish again into his own element, in whichhe quickly disappeared. But the dog, though severely bitten, was notdiscomfited. A cheering call from his young friend, was followed by hisdashing into the water after his finny foe, and diving, he reappearedwith the fish trailing from his jaws. Again he bore him to thesand-bank, and again the fish made good use of his teeth. 

"But it was evident that the struggle could not be much longercontinued. Availing himself of every opportunity, the dog used hispowerful tusks with terrible effect on the fish's shoulders, and atlast, taking a good gripe of his prey, he set off for the shore. Whenabout halfway, the fish managed to break loose, but Glaucous was tooquick for him, and once more seizing him, he landed his prize with allthe apparent triumph evinced by a veteran angler, who secures a monstersalmon after a lengthy battle. The fish turned out to be a hake; itweighed seventeen pounds, and when opened was found completely filledwith whitings. "

The Bull-dog, with his truncated nose, his broad mouth, red eyelids, large head, forehead sinking between the eyes, nose rising, under-jawprojecting, often showing the teeth, and thick make, has not thoseoutward characters which compose beauty. 

Their heads have always black about them; but the rest is brindled, buff, ochry, or white. They are said to be less sagacious than otherdogs, and less capable of attachment; but their great strength, theircourage, and extreme pertinacity in keeping hold when they have oncetaken a gripe, makes them most valuable for completing the packs ofhounds trained to hunt boars, wolves, and still larger animals. Whenexcited they are terrific in appearance, and were formerly used forbull-baiting in this country. In Spain and Corsica, where this practiceis still continued, they may be seen in all their strength and power. Ihave been told they are gentle when not engaged in their cruel sport. 

The Pug has been by some considered as a variety of the bull-dog, andothers reject this opinion. His round head, grotesquely abbreviatedmuzzle, and small, tightly curled tail, they think, entitling him to aplace of his own among dogs. Authorities state that he is a cross, ill-tempered little dog, but my own experience contradicts this. The twowith whom I have come in frequent contact, have been remarkably playfuland good-natured. One was the pet of a lady; and his bringing up oughtto have made him gentlemanly; but he had several low tricks in theeating way; such as stealing from the scullery, which used to provokehis mistress. His place for hiding the purloined dainties was under thepillow of her bed, and frequently at her nightly examination of thespot, she found, not only bones, but dead mice. 

Pug number two, was a very clever fellow, who used to walk out byhimself every day, and when he wished to re-enter the house, he alwaysrang the door bell; either by shaking the wire with his paw, or takingit between his teeth. He was clever in fetching what was wanted fromdistant parts of the house, but was very much afraid of being by himselfin the dark. He had formed a great friendship with a kitten, and the twoused to bask together before the fire. If Pug were told to fetch somearticle from the bed-room, after the house was closed for the night, heinsisted on having puss's companionship. If she were unwilling to move, he dragged her along with his mouth, and frequently mounted severalstairs with her, before she gave consent to the proceeding. 

Multitudes of anecdotes exist, which have been handed down to us, asrelating to dogs, without any information of the species of theprincipal actors, as in the following instances. 

The fire dog, only just dead, was to be seen at almost everyconflagration in London, either mounted on the engine, or tearing alongby its side, seeming to think his presence necessary on all suchoccasions. He was well known at all the engine stations, though he didnot belong to, or derive his support from any individual. There is now adog, at the Temple, which belongs to the inn, and not to any oneperson; he is a mongrel, is fed wherever he chooses to ask, and is tobe seen everywhere within the precincts of the place. Dogs havefrequently been known to attach themselves to regiments, in the samemanner. One named Battalion, belonged to the first regiment of RoyalGuards in France. Being always stationed at the guard-house, he remainedthere. The frequent change of masters was of no importance to him; hedid not even go to the barracks; and considered himself as the propertyof twelve soldiers, two corporals, a sergeant, and a drummer, whoeverthey might happen to be; but if the regiment changed garrison, heinstalled himself at the new guard-house. He never took any notice ofthose who did not wear the same uniform. 

The histories of the smuggling dogs on the frontiers of France, are wellknown, but these smugglers are now almost all destroyed. The extent towhich this illicit commerce was carried, was enormous. Dogs notions ofproperty, however, are often very scrupulous; a lady at Bath found herway impeded as she walked by a dog, who had discovered the loss of herveil, though she had not; the animal had left his own master to seek itfor her; he found it, and then returned to his owner. They often shew apresentiment of danger, and gave notice of the earthquake at Gabaluascoin 1835, by leaving the town, also at Concepcion, in the same manner. 

Some dogs have a great antipathy to music, others only to certain tones, and I have known a dog who always set up a howl at particular passages. There was one who, before the great revolution in France, used to marchwith the band at the Thuileries because he liked it, and at nightfrequented the opera and other theatres. 

The most surprising histories told of dogs are concerning their speech. Liebnitz reported to the French Academy of Sciences, that a dog had beentaught to modulate his voice, so that he could distinctly ask forcoffee, tea, and chocolate. After this we may believe that a dog waslearning to say Elizabeth. I have often watched for such sounds, fromenergetic, clever dogs, who have evidently tried _vivâ voce_ to make meacquainted with some circumstance, but never heard anythingintelligible, and I cannot imagine that the organs of speech arebestowed upon a favoured few; without which the articulation of wordsmust be impossible. 

Volumes might be filled with these anecdotes of dogs, but I will hereconclude my list with the picture given by Mr. St. John of his pets, portraying a happiness which contrasts strongly with the miserablecondition of many ill-used animals, belonging to hard-hearted masters, who perform valuable services, and are yet kicked, spurned, orhalf-starved. 

"Opposite the window of the room I am in at present, " says thisgentleman, "are a monkey and five dogs basking in the sun, ablood-hound, a Skye terrier, a setter, a Russian poodle, and a youngNewfoundland, who is being educated as a retriever. They all live ingreat friendship with the monkey, who is now in the most absurd mannersearching the poodle's coat for fleas, lifting up curl by curl, andexamining the roots of the hair. Occasionally, if she thinks that shehas pulled the hair, or lifted one of his legs rather too roughly, shelooks the dog in the face with an inquiring expression to see if he beangry. The dog, however, seems rather to enjoy the operation, and, showing no symptoms of displeasure, the monkey continues her search; andwhen she sees a flea, catches it in the most active manner, looks at itfor a moment, and then eats it with great relish. Having exhausted thegame on the poodle, she jumps on the back of the blood-hound, and havinglooked into her face to see how she will bear it, begins a new search, but, finding nothing, goes off for a game at romps with the Newfoundlanddog. While the blood-hound, hearing the voice of one of the children, towhom she has taken a particular fancy, walks off to the nursery. Thesetter lies dozing and dreaming of grouse; while the little terrier sitswith ears pricked up, listening to any sounds of dog or man that shemay hear; occasionally she trots off on three legs to look at the backdoor of the house, for fear any rat-hunt, or fun of that sort may takeplace without her being invited. Why do Highland terriers so often runon three legs, particularly when bent on any mischief? Is it to keep onein reserve in case of emergencies? I never had a Highland terrier whodid not hop along constantly on three legs, keeping one of the hind legsup as if to give it rest. "

A proof of the sudden attachments which dogs will form, is given by Mr. Murray, to whom the dog of his guide took a fancy. Mr. Murray passed thenight in the house of his master, fed him, and the animal sat looking upin his face. The next morning the party started on foot to cross thePyrenees, and when the guide had fulfilled his agreement and receivedhis reward, he took his leave; the dog, however, followed Mr. Murray, and no threats or entreaties could prevail on him to turn back. Heproceeded to an inn with his new friend, and Mr. Murray was making abargain with the innkeeper to send the dog to his owner, when a boy camefrom the man, to claim the beast. He followed the boy two or three timesfor a few yards, and invariably returned. A strong cord was then tiedround his neck, and the boy was told to lead him with that; but at alittle distance, finding that he could not get rid of the cord, the dogleaped upon the boy, threw him down, dragged the cord out of his hand, and returned to Mr. Murray. After this it seemed inevitable that theyshould travel together. Mr. Murray sent for the master, bought the dog, and eventually took him to Scotland, having a place secured for himalways in the diligence; and from the moment he arrived, he became thepet of the family. 

Another instance of the same feeling in dogs, occurred to a sportingtraveller in Norway (Mr. Lloyd, if I mistake not) to whom the dog of apeasant took the same sudden liking. 

[4] Boyle. 

WOLVES. 

Strong, gaunt, ferocious, cunning, cowardly, and sinister-looking, wolves (Canis Lupus) still inhabit the forest and mountainous districtsof Europe, Asia, and America; a few being occasionally met with inplains. Happily they have been extirpated from Great Britain andIreland, but in many parts of populous countries on the EuropeanContinent, an unusually severe winter brings them to the habitations ofman. 

Their resemblance to dogs, internally and externally, has led to thesupposition, that they were the original parents of the latter; but Ihave elsewhere alluded to this unsettled question. 

The muscles of the head, neck, and shoulders of wolves, are extremelypowerful, and the snap with which they bite is never to be mistaken, being apparently peculiar to them. They drink by suction, and it issaid, that if the offspring which they have by a dog, should lap, theytake a dislike to it. The cry which they make is not a regular bark, buta hoarse, ugly noise, and the howl which they delight in setting up atnight, is one of the most melancholy sounds possible. They vary much incolour, being white, black, grey, brown, etc. Their digitigrade walk, sharp muzzle, oblique eyes, and hanging tail, in their wild state, areless conspicuous in domestication, and they then gradually assimilatethemselves in appearance to our hounds. 

Innumerable are the true histories which have been transmitted to usconcerning wolves. Their nightly prowling, their quiet, untiringperseverance in pursuit, their skulking disposition, their artfulstratagems, all impart a mystery to them which has been heightened byfear, and the natural proneness of man to magnify tales of horror. 

Wolves are too suspicious to be often taken in traps; and when pursuedthey run with their noses almost touching the ground, their eyes glowinglike fire, the hair of their head and neck bristled up, their tail drawnclose to their legs. Their usual height at the shoulders is about twofeet and a half; their young are born in caverns or gloomy recesses, andthe female wolf is furious in their defence. They often fight with eachother; and it is said, if a wounded wolf come among his fellows, he isimmediately torn in pieces and devoured. 

Mr. Lloyd, in his "Field Sports in the North of Europe, " tells us of apeasant who, in the neighbourhood of St. Petersburgh, met with thefollowing narrow escape:--"He was pursued by eleven of these ferociousanimals, while he was in his sledge. At this time he was only about twomiles from home, towards which he urged his horse at the very top of hisspeed. At the entrance of his residence was a gate, which happened to beclosed at the time; but the horse dashed this open, and thus his masterand himself found refuge in the courtyard. They were followed, however, by nine out of the eleven wolves; but very fortunately, at the veryinstant these had entered the enclosure, the gate swung back on itshinges, and thus they were caught as in a trap. From being the mostferocious of animals, now that they found escape impossible, theycompletely changed, and so far from offering molestation to any one, they slunk into holes and corners, and allowed themselves to beslaughtered, almost without making resistance. "

A more tragic occurrence happened to an unfortunate woman, also inRussia, and is related by the same gentleman:--"A woman, accompanied bythree of her children, was one day in a sledge, when they were pursuedby a number of wolves. She put the horse into a gallop, and drovetowards her home with the utmost speed. She was not far from it; butthe ferocious animals gained upon her, and were on the point of rushingon to the sledge. For the preservation of her own life, and that of theremaining children, the poor, frantic creature cast one of them to herblood-thirsty pursuers. This stopped their career for a moment; but, after devouring the poor child, they renewed the pursuit, and a secondtime came up with the vehicle. The mother, driven to desperation, resorted to the same horrible expedient, and threw another of heroffspring to her ferocious assailants. The third child was alsosacrificed in the same way, and soon after, the wretched being reachedher home in safety. Here she related what had happened, and endeavouredto palliate her own conduct, by describing the dreadful alternative towhich she had been reduced. A peasant, however, who was among thebystanders, and heard the recital, took up an axe, and with one blowcleft her skull in two, saying, at the same time, 'that a mother whocould thus sacrifice her children for the preservation of her own life, was no longer fit to live. ' The man was committed to prison, but theEmperor subsequently granted him a pardon. "

The tame wolf at the Jardin des Plantes, is described by M. FredericCuvier, in the following manner:--"This animal was brought up as a youngdog, became familiar with every person whom he was in the habit ofseeing, and in particular followed his master everywhere, evincingchagrin at his absence, obeying his voice, and showing a degree ofsubmission, scarcely differing in any respect from that of the mostthoroughly domesticated dog. His master being obliged to be absent for atime, presented his pet to the Jardin des Plantes, where the animal, confined in a den, continued disconsolate, and would scarcely take hisfood. At length, however, his health returned; he became attached to hiskeepers, and appeared to have forgotten all his former affection; when, after eighteen months, his master returned. At the first word heuttered, the wolf, who had not perceived him among the crowd, recognizedhim, exhibited the most lively joy, and, being set at liberty, lavishedon his old friend the most affectionate caresses. A second separationand return was followed by similar demonstrations of sorrow, which, however, again yielded to time. Three years had passed, and the wolf wasliving happily in company with a dog, when his master again returned, and the still remembered voice was instantly replied to by the mostimpatient cries, which were redoubled as soon as the poor fellow was atliberty, when, rushing to his master, he threw his fore-feet on hisshoulders, licking his face with every mark of the most lively joy, andmenacing his keepers, who offered to remove him, and towards whom, not amoment before, he had been showing every mark of fondness. A thirdseparation, however, seemed to be too much for this faithful animal'stemper; he became gloomy, desponding, refused his food, and for a longtime his life appeared to be in danger. His health, however, returned;but he no longer suffered the caresses of any but his keepers, andtowards strangers manifested the original savageness of his species. "

There was another wolf at the same Menagerie, who was very docile andaffectionate, distinguishing those whom he knew from strangers, andseeking their caresses. We were very good friends, and I often playedwith him, so that he knew my voice. After an absence of two years, to mygreat surprise, he recognized it, dashed to the bars of the den, thrusthis paws out to greet me, and gave every sign of delight. It isprobable, that this circumstance, combined with another, may have givenrise to the history related by Captain Brown, in his "Popular NaturalHistory, " of which I now beg to give a correct version:--"Mme. Ducrest[then Mlle. Duvaucel] and I were going out at Baron Cuvier's front door, when a man, holding something tied up in a handkerchief, asked if webelonged to the house. On replying in the affirmative, he offered hisbundle; she shrank from it, as the same thing had occurred to me a fewdays before, and I received the dried and tattooed head of a NewZealander; but he opened the handkerchief, and displayed a beautifullittle wolf puppy, covered with silky black hair. She joyfully receivedit; we carried it to the keepers of the Menagerie, and orders were giventhat it might be fed on soup and cooked meat. The wolf continued to bevery handsome, very playful, and very tame for about a year, when shebecame a mother, and from that time was savage and unsociable to humanbeings, never recovering her former amiable disposition. She was fromthe Pyrenees. "

The following story is told by a gentleman who was sporting in Hungaryat the time the circumstance occurred:--"About dusk, just as the lastsledge had arrived within a quarter of a mile of a village on the wayhomeward, and had cleared the corner of a wood which had bounded theroad at a few yards distance for a considerable length; the owner, whowas seated behind, with his back to the horses, espied a wolf rush outof the angle of the wood, and give chase to the sledge at the top of hisspeed. The man shouted to the boy who was driving, 'Farkas! farkas!' (awolf! a wolf!). Itze het! itze het! (drive on), ' and the lad, lookinground in terror, beheld the animal just clearing the gripe which ranalong the road they had passed. Quick as lightning, with shout and whip, and with all his might, he urged the horses to gain the village. Awaythey flew at their fullest stretch, as if sensible of the danger behindthem, conveyed to them by the exclamation of the lad, and the dreadedname of the animal which he shouted in their ears. The man turned hisseat and urged the boy still more energetically to lash the horses totheir very utmost speed. He did not need any further incentive, butpushed on the nags with frantic exertion. The sledge flew over theslippery road with fearful speed; but the wolf urged yet more his utmostpace, and gained fast upon it. The village was distant about two hundredyards below the brow of the hill; nothing but the wildest pace couldsave them, and the man felt that the wolf would inevitably spring uponthem before they could get to the bottom. Both shouted wildly as theypursued their impetuous career, the sledge swerving frightfully from oneside of the road to the other, and threatening every moment to turnover. The man then drew his thick bunda (sheep-skin) over his head; helooked behind and saw the fierce, panting beast within a few yards ofhim; he thought he felt his hot breath in his face; he ensconced hishead again in his bunda, and, in another moment, the wolf sprang uponhis back, and gripped into the thick sheep skin that covered his neck. With admirable presence of mind the bold-hearted peasant now threw upboth his hands, and grasping the wolf's head and neck with all hisstrength, hugged him with an iron clutch to his shoulders. 'Itze het, 'now shouted the cool fellow, and holding his enemy in a death grip, they swept into the village, dragging the fierce brute after them, inspite of his frantic efforts to disengage himself. The shouts of the boyand man, with the mad speed and noise of the horses, brought thevillagers out to see what was the matter. 'Farkas! farkas!' shoutedboth, and the peasants immediately seeing their perilous position, gavechase with their axes, calling out to the man to hold on bravely. Atlength the boy succeeded in slackening the speed of the animals, thesledge stopped, and the peasants, rushing on, dispatched the ferociouscreature upon the man's back, whose arms were so stiffened with theimmense muscular exertion he had so long maintained, that he couldhardly loose them from the neck of the dead wolf. "

An unfortunate clergyman, in the neighbourhood of Eauxbonnes in theBasses Pyrenees, was not as fortunate as the Slovack peasant; for, as hewas returning from visiting the sick in January, 1830, he was beset byhungry wolves, and torn to pieces by them; the fragments which theyleft, and the blood upon the snow, alone telling his fate. 

The North American wolves are not as gaunt as those of Europe, havingshorter legs, thicker fur, shorter muzzle, broader heads, more bushytail, and being altogether more compact. Their habits, however, are muchthe same, A farmer in New Hampshire was one night awakened by a noisein his hog-pen; on looking out he saw, what he supposed to be a fox, onthe low, sloping roof of the sty. He went out, but found that the animalwas a grey wolf, which, instead of making off, fiercely attacked him, rushing down the roof towards him; and before the man had time to moveback, the wolf had bitten his arm three times, with his quick andrepeated snaps, lacerating it from the elbow to the wrist; then, however, he leaped from the roof to the ground, and by so doing lost hisadvantage; for the man succeeded in seizing him on each side of the neckwith his hands, and held him firmly in that position till his wife, whomhe called out, came up with a large butcher's knife, and cut the beast'sthroat. It was three months before the man's arm was healed; everyincision, it was said, piercing to the bone. [5]

A white wolf always attends the bull, called buffalo, of WesternAmerica; besides which the same country affords other varieties. Amongthem are the Coyotes, or Medicine Wolves, of the Indians, who show themgreat reverence. They are small, sagacious, and cunning; assemble inpacks, and hunt in troops of from three to thirty, along the runs ofdeer and antelopes, and run down their quarry. When game has been killedby hunters, they sit patiently at a short distance, while larger wolvesprowl around, pouncing on the pieces thrown to them by the men, andwhich the small ones drop instantly. They keep watch round a camp atnight, and gnaw the skin ropes of horses and cattle. 

When the Coyotes, or small white wolves, of Mexico, lose all hope ofescape, they curl themselves up and await death. If impelled by hunger, one snatches a piece from the hunter, while he cuts up his game, thewhole herd rush upon it, fight, growl, and tear each other for it. Mr. Ryan, from whose lively descriptions these notices are taken, was fordays followed by a large grey wolf, and every evening when he encamped, the wolf squatted himself down, and helped himself whenever he could. Something, however, was generally left for him; and he became so tame, that he stopped when the party stopped, and when anything was killed, walked round and round, licking his jaws in expectation of his share. Noone ever molested him, and, therefore, he continued quite harmless. Thissort of proceeding will sometimes take place with a whole pack. 

Mr. Ruxton one day killed an old buck, and left it on the ground, wheresix small wolves were in attendance. Ten minutes after he left his game, the six wolves came up with him, one of which had his nose and facebesmeared with blood, and he seemed to be almost bursting. Thinking itimpossible they should have devoured the buck in so short a time, he hadthe curiosity to return and see what impression they had made upon it, and why they had left it. To his astonishment, he found only the bonesand some of the hair remaining, the flesh having been taken off as if ithad been scraped with a knife. They flourish their tails, snarl, bite, squeak, and swallow the whole time of their meal; and if kindly treated, will come and warm themselves by the fires of the hunters when they areasleep, and sit nodding their own heads with drowsiness. 

The Esquimaux dogs, though very bold when attacking bears, are so muchafraid of wolves, that they scarcely make any resistance when set uponby them. Sir John Richardson tells us, that a wolf, wounded by amusket-ball, returned after dusk, and carried off a dog from among fiftyothers, who howled piteously, but did not dare to try and rescue theircompanion. 

Several wolves will combine, and, forming a semicircle, creep slowlytowards a herd of deer, if there be a precipice near, and hemming themin gradually, so as not to alarm them suddenly, drive them to the edgeof the precipice; then they all at once set up the most terrific yells, and taking flight, the poor deer leap over the precipice, where thewolves follow them at their leisure by a safer path, to feed on theirmangled carcases. 

On one occasion, a troop of nine white wolves endeavoured to practisethe same trick upon Sir John Richardson, evidently intending to drivehim into the river. However, when he rose up they halted, and on hisadvancing, made way for him to go to the tents. 

The lovers of tragic histories will find many of the most fearful kindamong the legends of all countries where wolves abound; all probablyfounded on fact, but mostly interwoven with romance. There cannot beanything much more shocking than that of the solitary traveller, galloping into a village pursued by these beasts, and knocking at thedoors, earnestly entreating for refuge. The inhabitants were mostlyburied in sleep; some few heard and did not move, others had a dim, confused notion of what was passing, and also remained in their beds;while others again did not hear anything. The next morning the sad eventwas told by finding the traveler's cloak and a few bones. 

[5] Gosse's Canadian Naturalist. 

FOXES. 

Stealing along in the dark of evening, the cunning and rapacious Fox(Canis Vulpes) leaves his hole in the earth, and roams in search of hisprey. The poultry-yards, rabbit-warrens, and the haunts of game, tell ofhis skilful depredations; but he is not at all difficult in hisappetite. To be sure, when he can get ripe grapes, he has a feast. Ifyoung turkeys and hares are not to be had, he puts up with a youngfawn, a wild duck, or even weasels, mice, frogs, or insects. He willalso walk down to the sea-shore, and sup upon the remains of fishes, orarrest the crabs and make them alter their sidelong course so as tocrawl down his throat. Reynard also has an eye to the future; for henever lets anything escape which comes within his sharp bite, and asthere must be a limit to the quantity which any animal can contain, whenhe cannot possibly eat any more, he, in various spots, well marked byhimself, buries the remainder for the morrow's meal. With only his toestouching the earth, he prowls about with noiseless steps; his nose andears alive to the faintest sound or odour; his cat-like eyes, withlinear pupil, gleaming like coals of fire, and he suddenly springs uponhis victims before they are aware of his vicinity. His bushy tail is theenvied trophy of the huntsman, who calls it a brush. His colours arewhite, black, red, yellow, bluish, or variegated; and in cold climateshe always turns white in winter. The father takes no care of hischildren; but the mother performs her duty with the most exemplarydevotion for four months. 

The fox is generally a solitary, suspicious animal; even when as muchtamed as he can be, he seems to think he is going to be deceived andill-treated: perhaps he judges of others by himself. He lives very oftenin a burrow, called an earth, belonging to somebody else, for he hasvery lax morals concerning property, and a great idea that right isestablished by possession. If he should be caught and put inconfinement, he is very ferocious, or dies of ennui; but he is much toocoy and clever to be easily entrapped. His cry is a sort of yelp, which, however, he is much too cautious to utter when he is earning his living. 

Occasionally the fox has been caught in a trap, and there is the historyof one who escaped and left one of his fore feet behind him. After alapse of time, his trail was to be seen in various places, and was, ofcourse, easily recognized. This continued for two years, when he waschased by Mr. St. John and easily killed. Another who was unearthed bythe dogs, instead of running after the usual fashion of these beasts, turned suddenly upon each dog that came up and jumped over him. Thiscould not last long, although it puzzled the dogs very much; he wastaken, and then only was the reason for his manœuvre discovered byfinding that he had only three feet. 

Mr. St. John relates the following history of the cunning of afox:--"Just after it was daylight, I saw a large fox come very quietlyalong the edge of the plantation; he looked with great care over theturf wall into the field, and seemed to long very much to get hold ofsome of the hares that were feeding in it, but apparently knew that hehad no chance of catching one by dint of running. After considering ashort time, he seemed to have formed his plans, examined the differentgaps in the wall, fixed upon one which appeared to be most frequented, and laid himself down close to it, in an attitude like that of a cat ata mouse hole. "

[Illustration: THE FOX AND THE HARES. --Page 176. ]

"In the meantime I watched all his plans; he then with great care andsilence scraped a small hollow in the ground, throwing up the sand as akind of screen; every now and then, however, he stopped to listen, andsometimes to take a most cautious peep into the field. When he had donethis he laid himself down in a convenient posture for springing on hisprey, and remained perfectly motionless, with the exception of anoccasional reconnoiter of the feeding hares. When the sun began to rise, they came, one by one, from the field to the plantation; three hadalready come without passing by his ambush, one within twenty yards ofhim, but he made no movement beyond crouching still more flatly to theground. Presently two came directly towards him, and though he did notventure to look up, I saw, by an involuntary motion of his ears, thatthose quick organs had already warned him of their approach. The twohares came through the gap together, and the fox, springing with thequickness of lightning, caught one and killed her immediately; he thenlifted up his booty, and was carrying it off, when my rifle-ball stoppedhis course. "

In Captain Brown's "Popular Natural History, " I find the following:--"Inthe autumn of the year 1819, at a fox-chase in Galloway, a very strongfox was hard run by the hounds. Finding himself in great danger of beingtaken, Reynard made for a high wall at a short distance, and springingover it, crept close under the other side: the hounds followed, but nosooner had they leaped the wall, than he sprang back again over it, andby this cunning device gave them the slip, and got safe away from hispursuers. "

An American gentleman of Pittsfield, accompanied by two blood-hounds, found a fox, and pursued him for nearly two hours, when suddenly thedogs appeared at fault. Their master came up with them near a large logof wood lying on the ground, and felt much surprise at their making acircuit of a few roods without any object in view, every trace of thefox seeming to have been lost, while the dogs still kept yelping. Onlooking about him the gentleman saw the fox stretched upon the log, apparently lifeless. He made several unsuccessful efforts to direct theattention of the dogs towards the place, and at length he approached sonear as to see the animal breathe. Even then Reynard did not show anyalarm; but his pursuer aimed a blow at him with the branch of a tree, upon which he leaped from his lurking-place, and was taken. 

One of the drollest incidents in fox-hunting was that at Newry, inIreland, when, being pursued very hotly, the fox leaped on to the top ofa turf-stack, where he laid himself down quite flat. At last, one of thehounds perceived him, and he was obliged again to run. After this, heclimbed up a stone wall, whence he sprang on to the roof of a cabin nearby, and mounting to the chimney top, from thence inspected his enemies. An old hound, however, followed him, and was on the point of seizinghim, when Reynard dropped down the chimney into the lap of an old woman, who was smoking her pipe at the corner. The hound did not dare tofollow, but the sportsmen came up, and entering the cabin, found it inpossession of the fox; the frightened woman and children huddled intoone corner, and the fox (who was taken alive) grinning at them. 

In all ages of fable, the fox has been the principal hero. The mostancient fables on record, those of Lokman, the Arabian, from whom Æsoptook most of his, gives him a very conspicuous place among the craftycourtiers of the lion. The chief phrase of which the wily flatterermakes use, as he bows with affected humility to his sovereign, is, "Oh, Father of Beauty, " by which indirect compliment he generally gains hiswishes. The early German writers have also chosen him as the principalhero of various histories, and the poem of "Reynard, the Fox, " willlive as long as printers and illustrators exercise their art and talent. 

The Arctic fox is smaller than ours; even the soles of his feet arecovered with fur, like those of the hare, and he is altogether morethickly clothed. He has often been supposed to be pied in colour, butthis is only in process of turning to the hue of winter. He is in theseclimates a much more gregarious animal, and several families live in thesame earth. Bishop Heber mentions one in India, which feeds chiefly onfield-mice and white ants, and this probably is the species of which thenatives say, that he can turn nine times within the space of his ownlength. He is about half the size of the European. 

Much valuable fur is derived both from European and American foxes, where there is a great variety of colour, not depending on temperature. 

In Ireland there is a small animal called a fox, which does not eatflesh, but contents itself with vegetables, and is so perfectlyharmless, that it roams about, unmolested even by dogs. 

HYÆNAS. 

There cannot be a much more uninteresting animal than the hard-hided, knock-kneed Hyæna, which is pre-eminently African, although he is foundin the East; having, according to the opinion of some naturalists, migrated thither in the wake of caravans. He has a ferocious, ill-natured look, yet the first impression made by his appearance canonly be expressed by the word "sneaking. " He is of a tawny colour, moreor less dusky till it approaches black, and is generally spotted, orstriped. He has a mane continued all along the spine; his ears are longand erect; he is digitigrade, his claws are strong, and not retractile;he possesses a gland which sends forth a disagreeable odour, and hiseyes have a pupil which is contracted at the top, and round at thebottom, which gives them a singular expression. 

The great peculiarity of form in the Hyæna is the disproportionatesmallness of his hind quarters; besides which, the vertebræ of his neckvery often become stiffened, in consequence of the strain put upon themby the powerful muscles of that part, and of the jaws. So firm is thehold which they take, that nothing will make them leave what they haveonce seized. They devour bones as well as muscles, rejecting only hoofs, horns, and skull; and this power must have existed in former ages, forin the caves which they inhabited, and into which they dragged theirprey, their fossil remains are found with those of gigantic mastodons, etc. , on which their teeth had made impression. This stiffness of theneck has caused many to imagine that it was composed of one joint only, and led the Arabs to make Hyænas the symbols of obstinacy. 

The habits of Hyænas accord with their outward appearance; they arenature's scavengers, and feed on everything, being, with the jackal andGenet cat, the especial robbers of the cemetery. Many are the storiestold of their cruel depredations, such as their stealing into the kraalsof the Caffres and Hottentots, and abstracting the sleeping infants fromunder the kaross of its mother, who only becomes conscious of her losswhen she hears the cries of the victim. Major Denham, in his travels, tells us of a village stormed by them at night, when they carried offasses and other animals. 

My own impressions of the Hyæna are, that he is a timid, cowardlyanimal. I always found them shun my approach; and my uncle has told me, that when he often encountered them during his command of the outpost ofTantum Querry, on the leeward coast of Africa, they invariably turnedfrom him, and slunk out of sight with their dragging, shuffling gait. Icannot say that they disturbed the stillness of the night, because atropical night never is still; but their cry used suddenly to come uponour ears, and I know not why, always seemed to be close to us. The roarof a leopard or lion is most grand, however terrific; but what iscalled the laugh of the hyæna, is just like the triumphant exultationof a fierce madman, when he reaches his long-sought victim. 

All the natives of the Gold Coast bear witness to the powers of mimicryevinced by the hyæna; they say that he hides himself in the jungle, andimitates the cries of other beasts till he allures them to his side, when he falls upon and devours them. A gentleman, who long commanded afortress on the Gold Coast, told me the following story, which confirmsthe above assertion:--"Some women from the neighbouring village wereaccustomed to pass the walls of the fort to fetch water after sunset, atthe dinner hour of this officer, and made so much noise, that theydisturbed him, so he ordered them to take another path. The next eveningthe noise recurred, and the same order was repeated the next morning; onwhich the women protested they had gone quite another way. On the thirdevening, when the laughing and talking were apparently recommencing, asergeant sallied forth to bring the delinquents into the fort; but tohis surprise there were only three hyænas to be seen, whose imitation ofhuman sounds had deceived all those who had heard them on the precedingoccasions. "

It was long supposed that the hyæna was incapable of attachment, but Mr. Burchell brought one with him from South Africa to this country, whichevidently loved his master, and was jealous of other animals. ColonelSykes procured one in India who followed him about like a dog, playedwith the sailors on board ship with the greatest good humour, and neverforgot his first owner. He was placed in the Zoological Gardens, where, although Colonel Sykes paid him rare visits, he always recognized himamidst the crowd. One day, when the hyæna was asleep, this gentlemansuddenly called him by his name; the poor beast as suddenly started onto his legs, looked up, rubbed his head against the bars of his cage, bounded about uttering short cries, looked sorrowfully at Colonel Sykeswhen he went away, and repeated these manifestations of joy when hereturned. 

The Spotted Hyæna has been called the Hyæna Capensis, from the beliefthat it only inhabited South Africa; but it is found as frequently inGuinea as the striped variety, and has just the same propensities. Nearthe Cape, however, it does more mischief, because colonists have settledthemselves there, and their farms afford more valuable prey. They aresaid to prefer making an attack on strong, vigorous animals, becausethey run away, and the hyænas can follow them; but the weaker animalsturn round and face their enemy, which always intimidates them. 

Mr. Steedman, a South African traveller, gives an unmitigated badcharacter to the spotted hyænas, and says, that such is their preferencefor human flesh, that they will even pass by the cattle, and seize onchildren as old as eight years. 

The Straand Wolf of the Dutch, or the Villose Hyæna of Dr. Abel Smith, who has done so much for the natural history of Southern Africa, is lesscommon than the other species; and often feeds on the shore, from itspreference for those dead animals which are cast up by the sea. If, however, it be pressed by hunger, it commits just as many depredationsas the others. It is extremely cunning, conceals itself by day among themountains, or thick patches of forest, and preys at a great distancefrom its habitation. 

Mr. Pringle confirms Mr. Steedman's accounts of the terrible havococcasioned by the hyænas of South Africa, and says, that in the districtof Somerset, they destroyed seventy foals in one year, belonging to thefarmers; he, however, believes, that they never attack human beings bynight or by day, and that they come in packs and play the part offour-footed vultures, even devouring their own kindred if they shouldchance to be killed; but no other beast of prey will eat them, from theoffensive rankness of their flesh. The den of a spotted hyæna, that waskept in the Tower about twenty years ago, required some repair. Thecarpenter nailed a thick oaken plank upon the floor, about seven feetlong, putting at least a dozen nails into it, each longer than hismiddle finger. At one end of this piece of wood, there was a smallprojection, and not having a proper chisel with him by which he mightremove it, the man returned to his shop to fetch one. While he wasabsent, some persons came to see the animals; and the hyæna was let downby the keeper into the part of the den in which the carpenter had beenat work. Directly the beast saw the projecting piece of wood, he seizedit with his teeth, tore the plank up, and drew out every nail with theutmost ease; which action will give a good idea of the muscular strengthof this creature. 

It is impossible to say why there should be such conflicting accounts ofthe hyæna, given by those whose veracity is undoubted. No one dreadsthem on the Gold Coast, but they seem to be the terror of all theinhabitants at, and to the north of the Cape, also in Abyssinia, whereBruce called them "the plagues of their lives, " and we can scarcelyforbear a smile, when we read that one of them stood by his bed-side, with a purloined bunch of candles in his mouth; having found his way tohim even through the streets of Gondar. 

THE CAT TRIBE. --LIONS. 

I must be allowed to give a somewhat more lengthened description than Ihave bestowed on other animals, to the Felidæ, or Cat-tribe, becausethe same characters serve for all; size and colour being almost the onlydifference among those of which I shall treat. Grace and strength aretheir universal attributes, the latter lying chiefly in the fore partsof their frames; such as their paws, legs, shoulders, neck and jaws; theformer in their arched and rounded form, and the extreme suppleness oftheir joints. Their muzzle is short and round, some of their teeth areof enormous size and strength, their sight is very acute both by nightand day; their eyes are set obliquely in the head, and always glare inthe dark; and sometimes by day when they are in a rage. It is only inthe smaller tribes that the pupil is vertically linear, when the fulllight causes it to contract. The ears are large, and the sense ofhearing much developed. Their smell is not equally perfect, and theroughness of their tongue shews, that their taste cannot be verydelicate. This roughness is caused by the horny papillæ, or smallprojections, with points directed backwards, which cover the tongue, andenable it to lick the flesh from the bones of their food. They have longbristles on each side of the mouth, which form the most sensitive organsof touch; each bristle being inserted in a bed of glands under the skin, communicating with a nerve. The claws of the Felidæ are extremelystrong, sharp, and crooked; and all four-feet are furnished with them, five before, and four behind; and the most effective system of muscularcontrivance not only gives such force to the fore-paws, that a blow fromone of these will fracture a man's skull, but keeps these claws fromtouching the ground, and enables the animal to draw them back into asheath. In aid of this, the sole of the foot, and each of the toes, hasa soft, elastic pad, or cushion under it, on which they walk, and asthey never set the heel to the ground, their footsteps are noiseless, unless they choose them to be otherwise. It is with their formidableclaws, and still more formidable teeth, that they tear their prey topieces. 

None of the Feline tribe will eat vegetables, unless domesticated, eventhen but rarely; and in their wild state, unless pressed by hunger, theywill only eat what they themselves have killed. They have an abhorrenceof anything which is decomposed. The fur, with the exception of theLion's mane, and that of the cat, is short, close, and soft; capable, when dressed, of receiving a high polish. Many are striped and spottedwith black, and the larger kinds, are generally of a warm, fulvouscolour. The domestic cat is, however, often white, black, gray, andbrindled; some leopards are black, and there is a small, beautiful wildcat, marked like the panther. All are very wary and cunning, and seldomface their foes. They lie in ambush for them, and suddenly spring uponthem, seeming to take a pleasure in prolonging their torments. They arevery sensible to caresses and affection, but a blow, or angry word, rouses them to fury. They are certainly capricious, and sometimeswithout any apparent cause burst into fits of ill temper, therefore areby no means to be trusted, even in the midst of love and docility. 

The backward carriage of his head, his majestic stride, and thedeliberate manner in which he looks at his enemy, have caused the Lionto be called the king of beasts. He is only occasionally seen in theforests, and inhabits plains, where rocks, or low jungle, afford him ashelter. He, however, retreats before the advance of men, and has nowdeserted many of those regions where he was once undisputed lord of thecountry. The Lion of America is altogether different; therefore it maybe said, that only Central Asia, and almost all Africa are traversed byhim. Formerly the eastern boundary of Europe scarcely formed a limit tohis presence; the Arabian literature is full of allusions to him, andthe Holy Scriptures constantly attest his presence in Syria, during thetimes in which they were written. 

The beauty of the Lion's mane is well known. According to Mr. GordonCumming, its colour varies with age, being fulvous and bright whenyoung, black when the animal is in his full strength, and grisly withold age. There has been, however, a species recently discovered inGuzerat, which has but little or no mane, it also has shorter limbs andtail, the latter having a larger brush at the end. It is bold, commitsgreat havoc among the cattle; and is supposed to have been driven out ofCutch, by the practice adopted by the natives, of burning their grass. Anail or prickle at the end of a lion's tail is often found, but hasnothing to do with the caudal vertebræ. It is probably a hardened pieceof skin, or a mass of agglutinated hairs, in the manner of horn; itcomes off with only a slight touch. 

Lions come to their full strength at five years, but live a long time;for instance, one from the Gambia was proved to be sixty-three years ofage. They sleep by day, and feed by night, lap their drink, and delightin coming forth in the midst of furious storms, when they add theirmighty roars to those of the elements. Seldom does a tempest rage intropical Africa, but its fearful sounds are increased by the din of wildanimals; that of the lion being heard above all others. Countless arethe histories of his depredations, and numerous are the daring andgallant exploits performed by Europeans against this noble game; thefollowing is an abridgment of a narrative, from the pen of theMarchioness of Hastings; and published in the Miscellany of NaturalHistory; herself being the heroine of the chase. 

"The field was taken in quest of three lions, supposed to be lurkingnear the tents. The ground was flat and ploughed. When we came to theedge of the jungle, we halted a little; the people came round in crowds, and, in a few minutes, the trees were covered with men, placed there byFraser for observation. When we were sent for, we found Fraser by theside of the great canal--he had received intelligence of both a lion anda tiger, and he desired Barton and myself to go down upon an elephant, watch the bed of the canal, and move slowly to the south, while headvanced in a contrary direction. The rest of the party were to beat thejungle above, which was too thick to admit the passage of an elephantthrough it. We fell in with Fraser where the canal was a little wider, and neither of us had been successful, though we had searched every bushwith our eyes, in passing along. He desired us to wait till he hadmounted the bank to look after the rest of the elephants. He had hardlygone away before a lioness crossed the narrow neck of the canal, justbefore us, and clambered up the opposite bank. I fired, but missed her, and she ran along the bank to the westward. We turned round and had themortification of seeing her again go through the water, at which ourelephant became refractory, wheeled about, and was so unsteady as toprevent us from firing. We followed her up to the thicket, put theelephant's head into it, and we heard the lioness growling close to us. Just as we were expecting her charge and had prepared our guns, roundwheeled the elephant again, and became perfectly unmanageable. Duringthe scuffle between the elephant and his driver, we heard the cry thatthe lioness was again off. She again crossed the Nullah, and just as wehad got our elephant to go well in, the lioness ran back, and crouchedunder a thicket on our left, where she had been originally started. Allthis happened in less than a minute. Fraser then called to us to comeround the bush, as the lioness being on a line with us, we prevented himfrom firing. Just as we got out of his reach, he fired, and when theelephant stopped I did the same. Both shots took effect, and the lionesslay and growled in a hollow, mellow tone. After a few discharges shetried to sally forth, but her loins were cut to pieces, which wasfortunate for us, as her fore parts seemed strong and unhurt. She rearedherself upon them, and cast towards us a look that bespoke revenge, complaint, and dignity. Her head, half averted from us, was turned backas if ready to start at us, if the wounds in her loins had not disabledher. As it was now a mercy to put an end to her sufferings, I took asteady aim, and shot her through the head. She fell dead at once, andher lower jaw was carried away; she was drawn up the bank and pronouncedto be two years old. She had thrown one man down, and got himcompletely under her with his turban in her mouth, when a shot grazedher side. She immediately left her hold and crossed the canal, where wefirst perceived her. "

There used to be, and perhaps is still, a lion in the menagerie ofBrussels, whose cell requiring some repairs, his keeper desired acarpenter to set about them; but when he saw the lion, he drew back withterror. The keeper entered the cell, and then led the animal to theupper part of it, where he amused himself by playing with him, and thenfell asleep. The carpenter, fully trusting to the vigilance of thekeeper, pursued his work, and when he had finished, called to him toinspect what he had done. The man made no answer; the carpenter calledagain and again, but to no purpose, and, being alarmed, went to theupper part of the den, and looked through the railing. Seeing the lionand his keeper sleeping side by side, he uttered a loud cry. The lionsuddenly awakened, started up, looked furiously at the carpenter, andplacing his paw on the breast of his keeper, lay down to sleep again. The carpenter was dreadfully frightened, and ran out, telling what hehad seen. Some of the attendants went and opened the door which thecarpenter had secured with several bars, and contrived to wake thekeeper; who, on opening his eyes, did not appear to be in the leastfrightened at his situation. He took the paw of the lion, shook it, andquietly led him down to the lower part of his residence. 

It is from Mr. Pringle and Mr. Gordon Cumming that we derive the moststirring adventures with lions; and I profit by the advantage affordedme by their pages. The first was a relation of mine by marriage, and Ihave enjoyed frequent conversations with him concerning his travels;rendered the more extraordinary by his lameness, which proved the energyof that mind which could thus surmount bodily infirmity. 

Mr. Cumming still lives to tell his own tales; and no one can hear orread his words without seeing that he has one of those ardent spiritswhich loves danger for the sake of danger, and that his indomitablecourage and hardihood, from his early years, when he killed the deer onhis father's domains, prepared him to be what he now is, the mostsuccessful of all men in his warfare with wild animals. 

In a note to the "Poetical Remains of Mr. Pringle, " I find the followingremarkable escape:--"Lucas Van Buren usually carried a huge elephantgun, as long and unwieldy as himself; but left it at home one day whenhe had most need of it. He was riding across the open plains, near theLittle Fish river, one morning about day break, when observing a lion ata distance, he endeavoured to avoid him by making a circuit. There werethousands of spring-bocks scattered over the extensive flats; but fromthe open nature of the country, the lion had probably been unsuccessfulin his hunting. Lucas soon perceived that he was not disposed to let_him_ pass without further parlance, and that he was rapidly approachingto the encounter. Being without his gun, the farmer, little inclined tocultivate his acquaintance, turned his horse off at a right angle, andgalloped for life. But it was too late; the horse was fagged, and bore aheavy man upon his back; the lion was fresh, furious with hunger, andcame down upon him like a thunder-bolt. In a few minutes he brought manand horse to the ground. Luckily, the man was not hurt, and the lion wastoo much occupied with the horse to pay any attention to him. Hardlyknowing how he escaped, he contrived to do so, and reached the nearesthouse. His remarks, when he related his adventure, were concerning theaudacity of the lion in attacking a Christian man; but his chiefvexation was about the saddle. He returned to the spot the next day, andfound the horse's bones picked clean, lion and saddle having bothdisappeared. Lucas said he could excuse the beast for killing the horse, as he had allowed himself to escape; but the abstraction of the saddle, for which, he added, the lion could not possibly have any use, raisedhis spleen, and called down a shower of abuse whenever he related thestory. 

"We had, " says Mr. Pringle, "been to tea with Captain Cameron's family, to whom, as we were only three miles distant, we considered ourselvesnext-door neighbours; and as the weather was fine, we rode home bymoonlight, jesting all the way about wild beasts and Caffres, and not atall suspecting that a lion was dogging us through the bushes the wholeway home. 

"About midnight I was awakened by an unusual noise in the cattle-fold, and looking out, saw all our horned cattle spring over the high thornfence, and scamper round the place. Fancying that a hyæna, which I hadheard howling when I went to bed, had alarmed the animals, I salliedforth to have a shot at it. I, however, could not find any cause for thedisturbance, and calling a Hottentot to drive back the cattle, and shutthem in, I again went to bed. The next morning Captain Cameron rode overto say, his herdsman had discovered that a large lion had followed us upthe valley, and then, on further inspection, we found he had visited thefold, and carried off a sheep. He appeared to have retreated to themountains, and we did not pursue him. 

"The lion, however, was not disposed to let us off so easily. Hereturned that night, and killed my favourite riding-horse, a little morethan a hundred yards from my door; I then considered it right to takemeasures for defence, and called forth a party for his pursuit, theHottentots saying that as he had only eaten a small part of the horse hewould be in the vicinity. Seventeen horsemen, Mulattoes and Hottentots, and a number of strong hounds, soon assembled. 

"The Hottentots traced the lion on foot, discovering his spoor, ortrack, with surprising dexterity, and found him in a large thicket abouta mile distant. The dogs failed to dislodge him, the Mulattoes roderound the jungle, and fired into it, but without effect. At last threeScotchmen determined to march in, provided the Mulattoes would supporttheir fire. Regardless of the warnings of more prudent men, they wentin, and, as they thought, found the lion crouched among the roots of alarge evergreen bush, glaring at them from under the foliage. They firedand struck, not the lion, but a great block of sand-stone, which theybad mistaken for him; but beyond which he was actually lying. With afurious growl he bolted from the bush; the Mulattoes fledhelter-skelter, leaving the Scots with empty guns, tumbling over eachother in their haste to escape. In a twinkling he was upon them, withone stroke of his paw dashed John Rennie to the ground, and with onefoot upon him, looked round upon his assailants in conscious power andpride, and with the most noble and imposing port that could beconceived. It was the most magnificent thing I ever witnessed; but thedanger of our friends was too great to enjoy the picture. We expectedevery minute to see one or more of them torn to pieces; and yet in theirposition, one lying under the lion's paw, and the others scramblingtowards us, we dared not fire. Fortunately, however, the lion, aftersteadily surveying us, turned calmly away, drove off the hounds with hisheels, as if they had been rats, and bounded over the adjoining thicketlike a cat, clearing bushes twelve or fifteen feet high, as if they hadbeen tufts of grass. 

"Our comrade had sustained no other injury than a scratch upon the back, and a severe bruise, and we renewed the chase. We found the enemystanding at bay under a mimosa tree. The dogs barked round him, but wereafraid to approach; for he growled fiercely, and brandished his tail ina manner that showed he meditated mischief. The Hottentots, by taking acircuit, reached a precipice above him, another party of us occupied aposition on the other side of the glen, so that the lion was between twofires; he became confused, we battered away at him, and he fell, piercedwith many wounds. He appeared to be full grown, and six years old, measuring eleven feet from the nose to the tip of the tail. His foreleg, below the knee, was so thick, that I could not span it with bothhands; his head was almost as large as that of an ordinary ox. Hisflesh, which I had the curiosity to taste, resembled very white, coarsebeef, and was insipid rather than disagreeable. "

The ensuing histories are from Mr. Gordon Cumming's pen;--"A buffalo waswounded, and two hunters in pursuit of him were joined by three lions, who also gave chase, and getting before the gentlemen sprang upon thebuffalo. The latter, being very large, struggled much; the hunters firedupon the lions, and as each ball struck, the latter seemed to think theblood which flowed came from the buffalo's bones; consequently, two wereeasily secured, but the third had the sense to walk away. 

"The Oryx sometimes fights the lion, and is victorious; but the bodieshave been seen lying close together, the lion having been piercedthrough by the horns of the gemsbok, and as he could not draw them outagain, each died from the mortal blow inflicted by, at least, one ofthem. 

"Hendrick and Ruyter lay on one side of the fire under one blanket, andJohn Stefolus on the other; the fire was very small, and the night waspitch dark and windy. Suddenly the appalling and murderous voice of anangry, blood-thirsty lion burst upon my ear, within a few yards of us, followed by the shrieking of the Hottentots. Again and again theterrific roar of attack was repeated. We heard John and Ruyter shriek, 'The lion! the lion!' Still, for a few minutes, all thought he was onlychasing one of the dogs round the kraal; but the next instant JohnStefolus rushed into the midst of us almost speechless with fear, hiseyes bursting from their sockets, and shrieked out, 'The lion! the lion!he has got Hendrick; he dragged him away from the fire; I struck himwith the burning brand upon his head, but he would not let go his hold. Hendrick is dead! Let us take fire and look for him!' The rest of mypeople rushed about, shrieking and yelling as if they were mad. I wasangry with them for their folly, and told them if they did not standstill and keep quiet, the lion would have another of us; most likelythere was a troop of them. The dogs were let loose, and the fireincreased. Hendrick's name was shouted; but all was then still. I toldthe men he was dead, and had everything brought within the cattle-fold, lighted a fire, and closed the entrance as well as we could. We sat withour guns in our hands till daylight, expecting a lion every moment; thedogs fought one another, then got scent of the lion, and barked at himtill day broke, he now and then driving them back; and he lay all thenight within forty yards of the party, having dragged the man into alittle hollow at the back of the bush. He had grappled him with hisclaws, and bitten him in the breast and shoulder, all the while feelingfor his neck, and when he got hold of that dragged him into the shade. The poor man cried, 'Help me, help me, oh God! Men, help me!' then allwas still, except that his comrades heard the cracking of his bones. Thebeast did not heed the beating about the head with the burning wood. Thelion dragged the remains of him away the next morning, but in the hollowwas found one of poor Hendrick's legs, the shoe still on the foot, withfragments of his coat. The next day came the lion's turn; for the party, by killing him, avenged the death of poor Hendrick. "

It has often been said that the human voice has great power over thefiercest animals; and I do not think a stronger proof of it can be metwith, than in this adventure of Mr. Gordon Cumming's:--"I fired at thenearest lioness, having only one shot in my rifle. The ball told badly;the lioness at which I had fired wheeled right round, and came on, lashing her tail, showing her teeth, and making that horrid, murderous, deep growl, which an angry lion generally utters. Her comrade hastilyretreated. The instant the lioness came on, I stood up to my fullheight, holding my rifle, and my arms extended high above my head. Thischecked her in her course, but on looking round, and missing hercomrade, and observing Ruyter slowly advancing, she was still moreexasperated, and fancying that she was near being surrounded, she madeanother forward movement, growling terribly. This was a moment of greatdanger, I felt that my only chance of safety was extreme steadiness, so, standing motionless as a rock, with my eyes firmly fixed upon her, Icalled in a clear, commanding voice, 'Holloa, old girl! What's thehurry? take it easy! Holloa! holloa!' She once more halted and seemedperplexed, looking round for her comrade. I then thought it prudent tobeat a retreat, which I very slowly did, talking to the lioness all thetime. She seemed undecided as to her future movements, and was gazingafter me, and snuffing the ground, when I last beheld her. "

I copy the ensuing anecdote from Mr. Campbell's second journey toAfrica. "A lion had been near to a bushman's hut the whole night, waiting, it was supposed for the arrival of his companions, to assist inattacking the family; and if they had made the attack in conjunctionwith each other, it is probable they would have met with success. TwoBootchuana herdsmen, attending near the place next morning, saw him andran to inform the people. On their way they met six Griquas coming toattack the formidable creature, having already heard he was there. Advancing towards him, they fired, and wounded, but did not disable him. Enraged by pain, he advanced to take revenge on his assailants. Onseeing him approach, the Griquas leaped from their horses, formed theminto a close line with their tails towards the lion, and took theirstand at the horse's heads. The enraged animal flew upon a Bootchuanawho was not protected by the horses, and who tried to defend himselfwith his kaross, or skin cloak. The lion, however, caught him by thearm, threw him on the ground; and while the poor man still tried todefend himself, by keeping the kaross round him, the lion got under it, and gnawed part of his thigh. His Bootchuana companion at that timethrew his assagai, which entered the lion's back. The Griquas would havefired, but were afraid of shooting the man; in order then to drive himaway, they made a great noise, and threw some stones. The lion then leftthe man, and rushed on them, when they again checked his attack byturning the horses round. He next crept under the belly of a mare, andseized her by the fore legs, but with a powerful kick she made him letgo his hold. In revenge, and by one stroke of his paw, he tore open thebody of the mare, and retired. After this, he tried to get round thehorses to the men, but when on the point of making a spring, he washappily killed by a musket ball, the ball penetrating behind the ear. "

It is singular, says Mr. Sparrman in his African travels, that the lionis reported frequently, although provoked, to content himself withsometimes only wounding the human species, or at least to wait some timebefore he gives the fatal blow to the unhappy victim he has got underhim. A farmer had the misfortune to see a lion seize two of his oxen, atthe very instant he had taken them out of the wagon, but they felldown dead, having had their backs broken. A father and two sons were insearch of a lion, when he rushed upon them, threw one of them under hisfeet, but he received no great hurt, for the two others shot him deadupon the spot. Another farmer had lain some time under a lion, receivedseveral bruises from the beast, and was a good deal bitten by him in onearm, but the noble animal, as it were, gave him his life: nevertheless, others say, that if a lion once taste human blood, he for ever afterthirsts for it. So strong is this opinion in India, that an officer whowas asleep with his left hand out of bed, was awoke by his pet lionlicking him. Of course the rough tongue brought blood, and he tried towithdraw his hand. The lion gave a slight growl, upon which the officertook a loaded pistol from under his pillow, and shot him dead, feelingconvinced if he escaped then, he should never again be safe. 

I might multiply my stories of destruction and escapes, till they alonewould form a volume, but I would rather give a few instances of thegratitude of this magnificent creature. "One day, " relates Mr. Hope, "the company attended the Duchess of Hamilton to see her lion fed; andwhile they were teasing and provoking him, the porter came and said, that a sergeant with some recruits at the gate begged to see the lion. Her grace afforded permission; the lion was growling over his prey, thesergeant advanced to the cage, called "Nero, Nero, don't you know me, "and the animal instantly raised his head; rose, left his food, andwagging his tail went to the bars of his cage. The man patted him, andthen said it was three years since they had seen each other, that he hadtaken charge of the lion from Gibraltar, and he was glad to see the poorbeast shew so much gratitude. The lion, indeed, seemed to be perfectlypleased, went to and fro, rubbing himself against the place where hisold friend stood, and licked the sergeant's hand as he held it out tohim. "

A lion, which, for its extreme beauty, was to be sent to Paris fromSenegal, fell sick before the departure of the vessel, and was let looseto die on an open space of ground. A traveller there, as he returnedhome from a hunting excursion, found him in a very exhausted state, andcompassionately poured a quantity of milk down his throat. Thusrefreshed, the poor beast recovered. From that time he became so tame, and was so attached to his benefactor, that he afterwards ate from hishand and followed him like a dog, with only a string tied round hisneck. 

M. Felix, one of the keepers of the animals of the Menagerie in Paris, became so ill, that another person was obliged to perform his duty. Amale lion, whom, with a female, he himself had brought to the place, remained constantly at one end of his cage, and refused to eat anythinggiven him by the stranger, at whom he often roared. He even disliked thecompany of the female, and paid no attention to her. The animal wassupposed to be ill, and yet no one dared to approach him. At length M. Felix recovered, and intending to surprise the lion, showed his facebetween the bars. In a moment the beast made a bound, leaped against thebars, caressed him with his paws, licked his face, and trembled withpleasure. The female also ran to him; but the lion drove her back, as ifshe were not to snatch any of the favours from Felix, and he was aboutto quarrel with her. The keeper then entered the cage, and caressed themby turns, and after that often went to them, and had complete controlover them. They would obey all his commands, and all their recompensewas to lick his hand. 

A curious circumstance took place at New Orleans in the year 1832, whena bear was let down into the cage of an old African lion, supposing itwould be torn to pieces. As many people were assembled to see thebarbarous exhibition, the bear placed himself in a fighting posture, andflew at the lion; but, to the great disappointment of all present, thelion placed his paw upon the bear's head, as if to express his pity, andtried to make friends with him. He took the bear under his protection, suffered no one to approach close to the cage, and did not sleep tillhe was exhausted, so closely did he watch over his new friend. Hesuffered the bear to eat, but long refused food for himself, and whenthe last accounts were received, continued to guard the bear asjealously as possible. 

The lioness has no mane; is smaller, and more slender in her proportionsthan the male; she carries her head even with the line of her back, andwants the majestic courage of the lion, but she is more agile. Hertemper is more irritable, and Mr. Gordon Cumming says:--"She is moredangerous before she has been a mother; yet every vestige of tameness ordocility vanishes when she _is_ a mother, and she is then in a constantstate of excitement, getting into the most violent fury if any oneshould attempt to touch her cubs. " The story of the lioness which onenight attacked one of the horses of the Exeter mail has been told somany different ways, that I am glad to copy the correct account fromCaptain Brown's "Popular Natural History":--"She had made her escapefrom a travelling Menagerie, on its way to Salisbury fair, and suddenlyseized one of the leading horses. This, of course, produced great alarmand confusion, which was not lessened by perceiving what the enemy was;and two inside passengers took refuge in a house. A large mastiffattacked the intruder, upon which she quited the horse, and turned uponhim; he fled, but she pursued and killed him, after running fortyyards. On the alarm being given, her keepers went after her, till shetook refuge under a granary, with the dog still within her teeth. Theybarricaded her there to prevent her escape, and she roared there soloudly, that she was heard half a mile off. She was afterwards securedand taken to her den; and of course her adventure increased thecelebrity of the menagerie to which she belonged. Before this happened, she was considered as very tame, and never had given any signs offerocity; she therefore affords another example, that it is not safe totrust these animals: of course the poor horse was dreadfully torn, andthe expressions of his agony were most affecting; the lioness, however, had missed the vital parts. "

The Puma or Cougar, of North and South America, is generally called alion, but he has no mane, or tufted tail, and when young, his pale, fawncoat, is striped with blackish brown. These marks however, disappearwith age. He is the largest of the feline tribe on that continent, andis very destructive to smaller animals. He rarely attacks man, and onsome occasions evinces as much courage as the true lion, and a curiousobservation has been made by travellers, that he becomes less bold as heapproaches to the north. One given to Professor Jamieson of Edinburgh, seemed to delight in playing with a tub of water, he also played withdogs and monkeys without the slightest interruption to their goodunderstanding; but if a goat or a fowl came in sight, they were snappedup immediately. He made his escape one night in London; and offered noresistance when caught by a watchman. He is hunted on the Pampas bydogs, and the Indians secure him with the bolas or the lasso. He climbstrees with great facility; his skin makes excellent gloves; and manypersons consider his flesh to be dainty food. 

Mr. Waterton, in one of his essays, makes some remarks, and relates astory which ought to be inserted in every book which treats of felineanimals; therefore, although many others have quoted them, I do notapologize for inserting an abridgment of them here. He says, all animalsof the dog tribe must be combated with might and main, and withunceasing exertion, in their attacks upon man; for from the moment theyobtain the mastery, they worry and tear their victim as long as liferemains in it. On the contrary, animals of the cat tribe, having onceovercome their prey, cease for a certain time to inflict further injuryupon it. Thus, during the momentous intervals, from the stroke which haslaid a man beneath a lion, to the time when the lion shall begin todevour him, the man may have it in his power to rise again; either byhis own exertions, or by the fortunate intervention of an armed friend. But then all depends upon quiet on the part of the man, until heplunges his dagger into the heart of the animal; for if he tries toresist, he is sure to feel the force of his adversary's claws and teethwith redoubled vengeance. Many years ago, Colonel Duff, in India, waslaid low by the stroke of a Bengal tiger. On coming to himself, he foundthe animal standing over him. Recollecting that he had his dirk by hisside, he drew it out of the case, in the most cautious manner possible, and by one happy thrust quite through the heart, he laid the tiger deadat his side. 

The particular instance, however, to which Mr. Waterton alludes, andwhich was told him by the parties themselves, I now briefly give:--Theweather was intolerably sultry. After vainly spending a considerabletime in creeping through the grass and bushes, with the hope ofdiscovering the place of the lion's retreat, they (the party) concludedthat he had passed quite through the jungle, and gone off in an oppositedirection. Resolved not to let their game escape, Lieutenants Delamainand Lang returned to the elephant, and immediately proceeded round thejungle, expecting to discover the route which they conjectured the lionhad taken. Captain Woodhouse, however, remained in the thicket, and ashe could discern the print of the animal's foot on the ground, he boldlyresolved to follow up the track at all hazards. The Indian game-finderwho continued with his commander, at last espied the lion in the covert, and pointed him out to the Captain, who fired, but unfortunately missedhis mark. There was now no alternative left but to retreat and load hisrifle. Having retired to a distance he was joined by LieutenantDelamain, who had dismounted from his elephant on hearing the report ofthe gun. This unexpected meeting increased the Captain's hopes ofultimate success. He pointed out to the Lieutenant the place where hewould probably find the lion, and said he would be up with him in amoment or two. 

Lieutenant Delamain on going eight or ten paces down, got a sight of thelion and discharged his rifle at him. This irritated the mighty king, and he rushed towards him. Captain Woodhouse now found himself placed inan awkward situation. He was aware that if he retraced his steps inorder to put himself in a better position for attack he would just getto the point to which the lion was making, wherefore he instantlyresolved to stand still, in the hopes that the lion would pass by at adistance of four yards or so, without perceiving him, as the interveningcover was thick and strong. In this, however, he was deceived; for theenraged lion saw him as he passed, and flew at him with a dreadful roar. In an instant, as though it had been done by a stroke of lightning, therifle was broken and thrown out of the Captain's hand, his left leg atthe same moment being seized by the claws, and his right arm by theteeth, of his desperate antagonist. Lieutenant Delamain ran up anddischarged his piece full at the lion; and this caused the lion and theCaptain to come to the ground together, whilst the Lieutenant hastenedout of the jungle to re-load his gun. The lion now began to crunch theCaptain's arm; but the brave fellow, notwithstanding the pain, had thecool determined resolution to lie still. The lordly savage let the armdrop out of his mouth, and quietly placed himself in a couchingposition, with both his paws upon the thigh of his fallen foe. Whilethings were in this untoward situation, the Captain unthinkingly, raisedhis hand to support his head, which had got placed ill at ease in thefall. No sooner, however, had he moved it, than the lion seized thelacerated arm a second time; crunched it as before, and fractured thebone still higher up. This additional _memento mori_ from the lion wasnot lost on Captain Woodhouse; it immediately put him in mind that hehad committed an act of imprudence in stirring. The motionless state inwhich he persevered after this broad hint, shewed that he had learnt toprofit by the painful lesson. 

The two Lieutenants were now hastening to his assistance, and he heardthe welcome sound of feet approaching; but unfortunately they were in awrong direction, as the lion was betwixt them and him. Aware that ifhis friends fired, the balls would hit him, after they had passedthrough the lion's body, Captain Woodhouse quietly pronounced, in a lowand subdued tone, "to the other side! to the other side!" Hearing thevoice, they looked in the direction from whence it proceeded, and totheir horror saw their brave comrade in his utmost need. Having made acircuit, they cautiously came up on the other side; and LieutenantDelamain, whose coolness in encounters with wild beasts had always beenconspicuous, from a distance of about a dozen yards, fired at the lionover the person of the prostrate warrior. The lion merely quivered; hishead dropped upon the ground, and in an instant he lay dead on his side, close to his intended victim. 

TIGERS. 

The Tiger is exclusively an Asiatic animal, and his range extends, notonly over the more southern part of that continent, but to the largerislands of the Archipelago, where he is particularly destructive. He isas tall as the lion, but not quite so powerful; he is, however, moreagile, more graceful, and more insidious. He crouches, and mostlysprings in the same manner as the lion and other feline animals; he ismore ferocious, and will even fight with the lion. He seems to delightin blood itself, for he will kill several victims, suck their blood, and leave their carcasses to be devoured at another opportunity. 

The colour of the tiger is a bright orange tawny, white underneath, andbroad black stripes on the back, sides and tail. His head is rounderthan that of the lion, and he takes the most enormous leaps; he is to betamed to a certain extent, but never trusted. He prowls both night andday; and in some places, the devastation he has caused is terrific. Nothing can exceed the tragic tales which are told of him, in thecountries where he exists in numbers; and in one part of India, it issaid that at least three hundred lives were taken every year, within adistrict containing seven villages, independent of an enormous number ofsheep, goats, and cattle. Horses will not stand in his presence with anysteadiness; and the elephant is restless when in his vicinity. Thissagacious animal often manages to shake him off; and if he have takenhold of his trunk, he tramples on him with his fore-feet and so destroyshim. If he cannot dislodge him from his body, he lies down upon him, andattempts to kill him by rolling his ponderous weight upon him. Seldom, however, is the tiger the aggressor, unless he be driven to it byhunger, or maddened by pain and despair, and then he struggles till hedies. He hides himself with such caution and skill, that travellers arelaid hold of without being aware of his vicinity. The bride has beensnatched from her camel, the sportsman from his elephant, and the childfrom its mother. 

Tigers are much more easily caught in traps than lions; and those mostused, are made so as to fall upon them when they seize the bait. InSumatra the natives poison the carcasses which are left for them, orthey fasten these baits to a stake, or tree, and place a vessel filledwith arsenic and water near by, of which the tiger invariably drinks, after making a full meal. 

A tiger is easily started by a sudden noise, as the well-known story ofMrs. Day and her umbrella will prove; but I have another and more recentinstance of this, which occurred to my brother. He was one evening onhis return to his own house, from that of a brother officer with whom hehad been dining, and he was met by his servants, who intreated of him tomake haste home, for there was a tiger prowling round; and, in fact, ajackal was close to him, who so often accompanies the tiger when seekinghis prey. My brother had been two or three years in India, and yet hadnever seen one of these animals, so he told his men they might return, but he should stay, for he much wished to see a tiger. They in vaintried to dissuade him; but, fancying the beast was close by, they allran away, and left him to his fate. He sat down quietly by the bank ofhis garden, and had not been there long when the tiger actuallyappeared. He stopped, looked very grand, and seemed doubtful whether heshould make an attack on the motionless person before him, and therenever was a more beautiful animal than he appeared to be. He uttered asort of growl, and crouched down, as the cat often does when tormentinga mouse; and my brother almost gave himself up for lost. He fancied thathe had been hidden, and that the tiger could not perceive him as hepassed; but he took off his grenadier cap, which was large, and coveredwith bear's skin, and putting it before his face roared in it as loudlyas he could; the noise and the action so surprised the tiger, that heturned round, and leaped into the neighbouring thicket. My brotherhastened away, and met his servants, who, now the danger was over, werecoming to protect their master with drums and torches. 

The tiger has been known to snatch without springing, of which thefollowing anecdote, told me by a friend, is a confirmation. He was goingup one of the rivers in Assam, at the time when our troops tookpossession of that country, in a covered boat, and his principal servantretired on to the roof of the covering, to smoke at his ease. The riverwas narrow, the banks were high, and they were going at a leisurelypace, when my friend heard a slight scuffle over his head, then ascream, followed by the cries of his party. On inquiring the cause, thelatter told him that a tiger had crept on to the top of the boat, putout his paw, laid hold of the man as the boat passed, and dragged himinto the jungle. 

The history of an unfortunate guide is an instance of the immediatemischief which ensues from the first blow of one of these powerfulcreatures. The poor man remonstrated with the officer, whose party hewas conducting, on the imprudence of marching before daylight; but theofficer, supposing it to be laziness, threatened to punish him if he didnot go on. The man took his shield and sword, and walked along thenarrow path, bordered on each side by high grass and bamboo. After goingfive miles, the officer heard a tremendous roar, and a large tigerpassed him, so close, that he nearly brushed his horse, and sprang uponthe guide. The latter lifted up his shield, but he was down in aninstant, and under the tiger's paws, who seized him with his teeth, growled, and looked at the officer. The tiger was attacked, and soseverely wounded that he dropped his victim; but it was all over withthe poor guide, the first blow had literally smashed his head in pieces. 

In a plain near the Narbudda river, a party were hunting a tiger; butthe beast did not seem inclined to come to a battle with hisantagonists. He trotted across the plain, and as he passed anunfortunate cow, he raised his paw, gave her a blow on the shoulder, andshe fell. He went on, and when the hunters examined the cow, she wasdead, he having left the print of every toe, and, in fact, every part ofhis paw upon the shoulder blade, without making the smallest wound. 

The following anecdotes have been obtained from various sources, andsome of the narrators were actors in the scenes described. A tiger hadsprung upon the shoulder of Lieutenant Colnett's elephant, who in thissituation fired at him, and he fell. Conceiving him to be disabled, theLieutenant descended from the elephant for the purpose of dispatchinghim with his pistols; but in alighting, he came in contact with thetiger, who had only crouched for a second spring, and who, catching holdof him by the thigh, dragged him some distance along the ground. Havingsucceeded in drawing one of a brace of pistols from his belt, LieutenantColnett fired, and lodged a ball in the body of the tiger, when thebeast became enraged, shook him violently without letting go his hold, and made off towards the thickest part of the jungle with his prey. Inthe struggle to disengage himself from the clutches of the animal, theLieutenant caught hold of the tiger by both his ears, and succeeded, after some time, in throwing the beast on his side, when he availedhimself of his momentary release to draw forth the remaining pistol, andplacing the muzzle at the breast of the tiger, shot him through theheart. He then returned to his elephant, which he mounted withoutassistance, feeling at the moment little pain from his wounds, althoughhe received no fewer than thirty-five, from the effects of which he longafterwards continued to suffer. 

A very large Royal tiger descended from some heights. After he hadsettled himself, a party advanced, and he seemed anxious to charge, butshowed great reluctance to quit the spot where he had rested. Severalballs struck him in the flanks, and a musket ball having pierced hisside obliquely, passed through his liver, and he did not rise again. Hisskin measured ten feet four inches and a half, and he was ten years ofage; for he had ten lobes to his liver, and it is by the appearance ofthe tiger's liver that the natives ascertain the age. 

I have quoted the above anecdote, not to prove the truth of thecircumstance as regards the tiger's liver, but as a tradition among theinhabitants. 

The people of Chittagong were alarmed by the appearance of a tigress, who was first discovered among some cattle that were grazing at themouth of the river. On the first alarm, the natives of the vicinityassembled with all speed and advanced against her. Irritated by this, she sprang furiously on the person nearest to her, and wounded himseverely. The immediate attack of the crowd, however, was successful inrescuing the man from her grasp. On this the tigress, finding herselfhemmed in on all sides, and seeing no way of avoiding the multitude, except by the river, took to the water, and swam about five miles, closely pursued by the natives in their boats, until she landed under atree in a dockyard. Here she laid herself down, apparently muchfatigued; but before the people in the yard could get their fire armsready, she had, in a great degree, recovered her strength. Several shotswere fired at her, and two of them penetrated her body, one of whichlamed her. Rendered desperate by this, she advanced against her newopponents, and singling out a European gentleman in the yard, who wasprovided with a cutlass, she sprang upon him before he could make use ofhis weapon; knocked him down with her fore paw, seized his head in hermouth, bit off a considerable part of the skin of his forehead, andwounded him in several places. After this, she sprang upon a native, fractured his skull, and otherwise lacerated him so dreadfully that hedied next day. She then entered a thicket close by, where she wasallowed to remain unmolested. On the morning of the following day, shehad got about a mile further from the water side, and near to a sepoyvillage. Here she was surrounded by about a thousand natives, when, although she was very lame, she sprang furiously on several of them, andwounded one poor woman so dreadfully, as to occasion her death. Afortunate shot, however, laid the animal prostrate. 

There is an account of a tame tiger which was brought from China in thePitt East Indiaman, "who was so far domesticated as to admit of everykind of familiarity from the people on board. He seemed to be quiteharmless and as playful as a kitten. He frequently slept with thesailors in their hammocks, and would suffer two or three of them torepose their heads on his back, as upon a pillow, while he lay stretchedupon the deck. In return for this, he would, however, now and then stealtheir meat. Having one day carried off a piece of beef from thecarpenter, the man followed the animal, took it out of his mouth, andbeat him severely for the theft, which punishment he suffered with allthe patience of a dog. He would frequently run out upon the bowsprit, climb about like a cat, and perform a number of tricks, with astonishingagility. There was a dog on board, with whom he often played in the mostamusing manner; he was only a month or six weeks old when he was takenon board, and arrived in England before he had completed a year. "

The tiger is not as fond of his children as the lion is, and oftenabandons the female while she is rearing her young. The tigress willdestroy her offspring as the cat does; but the following is an instanceof her affection, taken from Captain Williamson's "Oriental FieldSports. " This officer had two tiger cubs brought to him, which had beendiscovered, with two more, by some villagers while their mother had beenin quest of prey. The captain put them into a stable where they werevery noisy during the night. A few days having elapsed, their mother atlength discovered where they were, came to relieve them, and replied totheir cries by tremendous howlings, which induced their keeper to setthe cubs at liberty, lest the dam should break in. She had carried themoff to an adjoining jungle before morning. 

Bishop Heber happily compares the slight movement of the long grass ofthe jungle, which betrays the presence of the tiger, to the bubbleswhich rise to the surface of water, and show the lurking place of theotter. 

The immense strength of the tiger is frequently shown by the manner inwhich he throws his prey over his shoulder, and conveys it to his lairto be devoured. One is said to have carried a buffalo in this manner, which weighed a thousand pounds. Captain Brown gives the followingaccount of the innate love of flesh displayed by the tiger:--"A party ofgentlemen from Bombay, one day visiting the stupendous temple ofElephants, discovered a tiger's whelp in one of the obscure recesses. Desirous of kidnapping the cub, without encountering the fury of itsdam, they took it up hastily and cautiously retreated. Being leftentirely at liberty, and extremely well fed, the tiger grew rapidly, appeared tame, and in every respect domesticated. At length, when it hadattained a great size, and, notwithstanding its apparent gentleness, began to inspire terror by its tremendous powers of doing mischief. Apiece of raw meat, dripping with blood, fell in its way. Hitherto it hadbeen studiously kept from animal food; but the instant it had dipped itstongue in blood, something like madness seemed to have seized upon theanimal. A destructive principle, hitherto dormant, was awakened; itdarted fiercely and with glaring eyes upon its prey, tore it to pieceswith fury, and roaring in the most fearful manner, rushed at once intothe jungle. "

I am not sorry to end this account of the tiger with an old story, whichplaces the fierce beast of prey in rather a more amiable light than mostof the previous histories. "A tigress of great beauty, from Bengal, being extremely docile on her passage home from Calcutta, was allowed torun about the vessel, and became exceedingly familiar with the sailors. On her arrival in the Thames, however, her temper became very irascible, and even dangerous. She was placed in the Tower, where she for some timecontinued to exhibit a sulky and savage disposition. One day, the personwho had charge of her on board the ship, visited the Tower, and beggedpermission of the keeper to be allowed to enter her den, to which he atlast agreed, though with much reluctance. No sooner did the tigressrecognise her old friend, than she fawned upon him, licked, and caressedhim, exhibiting the most extravagant signs of pleasure; and when heleft her, she whined and cried the whole day afterwards. "

LEOPARDS, PANTHERS, ETC. 

The Felis Leopardus and the Felis Pardus of authors, represent theLeopard and Panther; but it has been impossible to establish anycharacters which mark the difference between them. Size, colour, form, and position of spots have been resorted to, but age and locality haveset all rules aside, and, therefore, in treating of them, I shall usethe term indiscriminately. Their extreme beauty, and their greaterdocility, make them more interesting than the tiger; nevertheless, they, like others of the feline tribe, should not be treated too unreservedly. Their internal anatomy and dentition agree with those of the tiger, butthey are of smaller and slighter make, are natives of the East, butparticularly abundant in most parts of Africa. They are exceedinglyactive and graceful; swim, climb trees, or slide along the ground like asnake, and are very apt to spring upon their victims from the branchesof trees. Their coat is of that beautiful shade of tawny, which forms sogood a contrast with their black rosettes, or spots. 

My first personal acquaintance with leopards and panthers was made onthe leeward coast of Africa, and one of the latter brought by Mr. Bowdich and myself in a living state to this country, at first delightedthe men of science, because, in his remarkably beautiful coat, theyhoped to find characters which would mark the difference between thesetwo animals; but as we produced skin after skin, they began again todoubt, and the problem still remains unsolved. My history of the Ashantipanther has been so often repeated in various works, that I shouldhesitate to introduce it here, had it not more than once been presentedto the public, in a form which did not originate with myself. The onlyother account from my own pen was supplied to Mr. Loudon, for hisMagazine of Natural History, to which I now make a few additions. 

The panther to which I allude, was one of two cubs, found in one of theforests of the kingdom of Ashanti. They were both taken to the king, andwhen Mr. Hutchison (the resident left in Kumasi by Mr. Bowdich) came tohead-quarters, his Majesty desired this one to be presented to theGovernor. He had suffocated his brother in a fit of romping, being muchthe larger of the two, but he was extremely docile and good-tempered, and was led by a chain only, being let loose when eating was goingforward, on which occasions he received his share; but he helped himselfto a fowl once or twice, and as he always gave it up to his master, hewas occasionally employed to secure provisions when the natives surlilyrefused a supply. He was one day sitting behind Mr. Hutchison, with hischin on the latter's shoulder, when this gentleman refreshed himself bypouring some lavender water on his handkerchief. In an instant, thispanther tore it out of his hand, as if in a state of ecstasy, nor ceasedto roll over it till the cambric was in fragments. 

The day after his arrival at Cape Coast, he was led into the hall wherewe were all dining; and he received our salutations with apparentpleasure. On one occasion he stood on his hind legs, and put his forepaws on the shoulders of an officer, who hastily retreated, and it wasamusing to see the unconquerable dread of him which assailed men whowere undaunted where men only were concerned. We named the panther "Saï"after the king, and he was kept in a small court; his claws and teethwere filed, and no live food was given to him. A boy was appointed towatch him. He was perfectly harmless; and the only violence he evinced, was when a servant pulled his food from him, and he then tore a pieceout of the man's leg. Once he escaped, and dashed on to the ramparts, where he caused a scene of confusion which was quite laughable; thesentinels fled, the officers closed their doors, the castle gates wereshut; but when he was tired of his scamper, the playful beast quietlylaid himself down under a gun carriage, and suffered his attendant tolead him away. At last he was allowed to roam at large, orders beinggiven to prevent his going beyond the gates; and the boy was desired notto leave him. He, however, often fell asleep, on which occasions Saïwould come stealthily behind him as he sat upright, and knock him overwith a blow from his paw, when he wagged his tail with delight. Hisprincipal amusement was to stand on his hind legs, his fore paws restingon the sill of one of the windows, his chin between them, and therecontemplate all that was going on in the town below. But this was also afavourite pastime with my uncle's children; and there was not alwaysroom for all, so they often pulled him down by the tail, and took hisplace, without exciting his anger. His attachment to my uncle was verygreat, and he chiefly lived in his room. He missed him one day when hewas holding a great palaver in the hall, and wandered about in search ofhim. The multitude prevented the panther from seeing his friend, and hewandered to other parts of the castle, among others to my room, where helaid himself down with a disconsolate look. The palaver over, theGovernor returned to his room to write, and the door being open, heheard Saï coming slowly up the stairs. The panther started when he sawthe object of his search, and as he made one bound across the room, myuncle gave himself up for lost; but the affectionate creature nestledhis head into his master's shoulder, rubbed his cheek against him, andonly tried by caresses to evince his happiness. He was very fond ofhiding himself under one of the sofas in the hall, where a rustlingnoise, a protruding paw, or an occasional peep from behind the cover, alone betrayed his presence. The Governor was once entertaining someofficers from Elmina, when, in the midst of an animated discussion, theyboth turned pale, and stopped speaking. Their host looked up--"I begyour pardon, " said one of them, "but are you aware what animal is nowlying under that sofa?" "Saï, " said my uncle, "come and speak to thesegentlemen. " The panther walked up to them, and both darted behind theGovernor, nor did they feel comfortable when Saï was ordered back to hishiding-place. I bantered one of them about his fears when I met him atdinner; and he confessed that he had never been more frightened. One ofthe drollest circumstances attending Saï's presence at the castle, occurred to a woman who swept the floor of the great hall every daybefore dinner was laid, with a little hand-broom, called a prah-prah. She was engaged in her usual occupation, without knowing that Saï wasthere, and stooping almost on all fours; when with a sudden impulse offun, the panther jumped upon her back, and stood there, wagging histail. Naturally supposing she was going to be devoured, the poorprah-prah woman screamed so violently as to bring the other servants, whereupon they being of the same opinion as herself, and thinking theirturn might come next, ran away; nor was she released till the governor, hearing the noise, came to her assistance. 

Before Saï was put on board the vessel in which we were to sailtogether, we had become the best friends possible; and I and my unclecoaxed him into the cage made for his accommodation. He was put into acanoe, the men belonging to which were so alarmed when he moved, thatthey upset the canoe, and the poor animal was plunged into the sea. Wewere watching him from a window in the castle, and gave him up for lost;but some of the sailors of the vessel, seeing the disaster, stepped intoa boat, and rescued him. He was so subdued by his ducking, and theuncomfortable dampness of his cage, for no one dared to open it to wipeit out, that he rolled himself up in the corner, and only, after aninterval of some days, was roused by my voice. When I first spoke heraised his head, held it first on one side then on the other, and when Icame fully into view, jumped upon his legs, and appeared frantic withjoy; he rolled himself over and over, howled, opened his enormous jaws, and seemed as if he could tear his cage to pieces, in order to get closeto me. Gradually, however, his violence subsided; he was amply caressed;and from that time, ate everything which was offered to him: perhaps hehad suffered from sea-sickness. I indulged him twice a week with somelavender water put into a cup made of stiff paper, but never allowedhim to have it when his claws were pushed forth; so that he learned toretract them at my bidding. 

While we lay for weeks in the river Gaboon, he was never suffered toleave his cage, because the deck was constantly filled with blackpersons, to whom he always manifested a decided aversion. I have alreadymentioned his rage at seeing a chimpanzee and monkeys, and onlysecondary to this was the approach of pigs, whom he seemed to long todevour. 

On the voyage to England direct, I thought he would have been starved todeath; for we were boarded by pirates, who took almost all ourprovisions away, of course including our live stock, and if it had notbeen for the numerous parrots in the vessel, Saï must have met with amelancholy death. Some died daily as we came into colder climates, andhe was allowed one each day. It was just enough to keep him fromstarving, and this sometimes made him seize it so ravenously, that hedid not give himself time to pluck off the feathers; these in process oftime formed a hard substance within the intestines, which made him veryill, he refused even his small portion of food, and I thought would havedied; but I made some pills of calomel, butter, and flour, and put themvery far down his throat, while his particular attendant, one of thecabin boys, held his jaws open. The boy slept in the cage with him allnight; and the next morning, I administered a further dose, whicheffected his cure. 

Having, after a long absence from England, no accommodation for such aninmate, we, as speedily as possible, sought a home for him. He waspresented to the duchess of York, who boarded him at Exeter Change, tillshe herself was going to Oatlands. I visited him more than once; and itwas only by stratagem that I could get away without his following me. One morning the duchess called and played with him, when he appeared tobe in perfect health. In the evening, when her coachman went to fetchhim, he was dead, and his malady _said_ to be inflammation of the lungs. 

The Panther is considered as a sacred animal on the Gold Coast; and thepriests demand a fine for each one that is killed; consequently, theyand leopards (if there be any difference) are numerous, and occasionallycommit much mischief. They leap over high walls, or stockades, and takeaway the sheep and goats kept within, leaping back with them in theirmouths. They come into the streets of the towns or villages at night, where I have often seen them jumping about, and chasing each other. Ourchief surgeon had a house on the outskirts of the forest, that he mightenjoy more room than he could have in barracks; and one night, whilesleeping there, he thought he heard his servant boys (who generallyremained all night in the verandah) dancing outside his bed-room door. He called to them to be quiet, and for a minute or two the noise ceased;as this happened several times, he rose, took a large stick, opened hisdoor a little way, in order to punish them, when, instead of his sableattendants, he saw two large panthers performing their own dance; and itis scarcely necessary to say, that he quickly closed his door, andtolerated the nuisance. 

A woman at Annamaboo was very much scarred on one arm and shoulder, inconsequence of a panther having sprung upon her when her child was ather back, and she was carrying a pitcher of water. The pitcher fell, andshe made so vigorous an attack upon his eyes, that he became bewildered, and retreated. This is not the only instance I have heard of wild andferocious animals being driven away by blows on this part. 

A little girl of fourteen, who was to have been my maid as soon as shewas old enough, was not as fortunate as her neighbour; she beingattacked by a panther who sprang upon her through an open window, in aroom where she was sleeping by herself. Her cries brought her familyround her, and the beast made his escape as he had entered, but havingonce tasted blood there, he was sure to return, and a trap was madewhich caught him the ensuing night; the fine was paid, and the skin wasgiven to me. The poor child had a piece of her scalp taken off, atriangular morsel had been bitten from her shoulder; and her throat hada gash on each side of her windpipe. All these wounds appeared as ifthey had been cut with a knife; none of them were mortal, but she hadnot strength to encounter the weakness they engendered. Her fatherbrought her in a canoe to head-quarters for the attendance of an Englishsurgeon, but she expired as she was carried ashore. 

A party of us had gone to St. Mary's near the mouth of the river Gambia;and in the evening a bright moonlight induced us to take a walk. It wasnot very prudent; but we started, the commandant, a quaker lady andmyself, to the outskirts of the forest. My female companion after we hadadvanced some distance, began to think of danger, and I, in mischief, rustled among the branches of the thicket in order to alarm her stillmore. We proceeded as far as a spring under a huge Baobab, where westood for some time, till the monkeys began to pelt us from the treeover our heads. A slight movement in the bushes also seemed to say itwas time to depart; and then, expatiating on our own fool-hardiness, wewent on, and reached home in safety. The next morning we were informed, that an enormous leopard had been caught in a trap close to the spring, half an hour after we had been there, and his footsteps had been tracedupon mine in the sand. We never could understand, humanly speaking, whatsaved us, unless it were the long white plumes which waved from the hatof the commandant. These traps are generally pitfalls, baited, toooften, with a live kid, whose cries entice the beast of prey. 

The Jaguar is the leopard of America, and is also very destructive attimes; hunger, however, is the prompter; and Baron Humboldt relates astory of a native woman, whose children used to play daily with onewhich came from the forest close by. She discovered it in consequence ofthe cry of one of the children, who received a scratch in play fromtheir companion, who was a little too rough. Had he required a supper, the wound would probably have been more than a scratch. D'Azara, however, says, he is a very ferocious animal; causing great destructionamong horses and asses. He is extremely fond of eggs, and goes to theshores frequented by turtles, and digs them out of the sand. 

Two of the early settlers in the western states of America, a man andhis wife closed their wooden hut, and went to pay a visit at a distance, leaving a freshly killed piece of venison hanging inside. 

The gable end of this house was not boarded up as high as the roof, buta large aperture was left for light and air. By taking an enormousleap, a hungry jaguar, attracted by the smell of the venison, hadentered the hut, and devoured part of it; he was disturbed by the returnof the owners, and took his departure. The venison was removed: thehusband went away the night after to a distance, and left his wife alonein the hut. She had not been long in bed before she heard the jaguarleap in at the open gable; there was no door between her room and thatin which he had entered, and she knew not how to protect herself. She, however, screamed as loudly as she could, and made all the violentnoises she could think of, which served to frighten him away at thattime; but she knew he would come again, and she must be prepared forhim. She tried to make a large fire; but the wood was expended. Shethought of rolling herself up in the bed clothes; but these would betorn off. The idea of getting under the low bedstead suggested itself, but she felt sure a paw would be stretched forth which would drag herout: her husband had taken all their fire-arms. At last, as she heardthe jaguar this time scrambling up the end of the house, she, indespair, got into a large store chest, the lid of which closed with aspring. Scarcely was she within it, and had dragged the lid down, inserting her fingers between it and the side of the chest, when thejaguar discovered where she was; he smelt round the chest, tried to gethis head in through the crack, but fortunately he could not raise thelid; he found her fingers and began to lick them; she felt them bleed, but did not dare to move them, for fear she should be suffocated. Atlength the jaguar leaped on to the lid, and his weight, pressing downthe lid, fractured these fingers. Still she could not move, he smeltround again, he pulled, he leaped on and off, till, at last, gettingtired of his vain efforts, he went away. The poor woman lay there tilldaybreak, and then only, feeling safe from her enemy, she went as fastas her strength would let her to the nearest neighbour's, a distance oftwo miles, where she procured help for her wounded fingers, which werelong getting well. On his return, her husband found a male and femalejaguar in the forest close by, with their cubs; and all were destroyed. 

As proof that these animals are as soon startled as the tiger, we aretold of an Indian, who saw a fierce-looking jaguar standing directly inhis path, at a distance of ten paces. At first he was extremely puzzledto know what to do; but a sudden impulse prompted him to take off hisbroad brimmed hat, make a low bow, and say, "A very good morning to you, Sir;" and to his surprise, the jaguar turned round, and walked leisurelyaway. 

A very beautiful Ounce lived in the menagerie of the Jardin des Plantes, in Paris, which became extremely tame; and Mdlle. Cuvier and I usedvery often to go and take him a walk, leading him from his den to asmall space surrounded by high stakes: he required no other confinementto ensure his obedience, than twisting our hands in the loose skin ofhis neck, and he never failed at all times to recognise us with pleasureif we went into his vicinity. 

The Cheetah is gentle and affectionate, and successfully trained forhunting. 

CATS. 

Cats are diminished examples of the feline race; but their fur is longerthan that of others, and they bear a greater resemblance to leopardsthan to lions. The idea of majesty is not connected with them, but theyare celebrated for grace, elegance, suppleness, and insidiousness. Thereis yet a wild species in existence, which inhabits the mountainous andwooded districts of the northern part of England, and also Scotland, where it used formerly to be very abundant. It is scarcely necessary togive a description, even of the untamed species, so well known are thegeneral characters of these animals. It will be quite sufficient to say, that the head of the latter is triangular, the soles of the feet of themale are always black, their tails are bushy, they spring furiously uponwhoever approaches, and utter unearthly cries. Mr. St. John, whenwalking up to his knees in heather, over broken ground, came suddenlyupon a wild cat. She rushed out between his legs, every hair standingup. He cut a good sized stick; and three Skye terriers gave chase tillshe took refuge in a corner, spitting and growling. On trying todislodge her, she flew at Mr. St. John's face, over the dog's heads; buthe struck her while in the air, and she fell among the dogs, who soondispatched her, even though they say, that a wild-cat has twelve insteadof nine lives. If one be taken, those in the neighbourhood are sure tobe also secured, as they will all, in the manner of foxes, assembleround the body of their relation. 

Domestic cats often run away to the woods and subsist on their ownhunting; but these are not to be taken for the real wild cat. The femaleof the latter is the smaller of the two, and retires into the fissuresof rocks, or takes possession of some large bird's nest, when she isabout to have young ones. They are found all through Germany, Russia, Hungary, and the North of Asia, where their fur is much more valued thanit is here, probably on account of the length and quality of the hair. 

Our house cats are, by most naturalists, supposed not to have descendedfrom the above wild species. Professor Temminck ascribes their originto the Nubian cat, found in that country by M. Rüppell, but Mr. Belldiffers from him. 

Cats were numerous in Egypt, where they were much prized, and honouredwith being embalmed. In Abyssinia they form part of a marriage dowry, for fear the mice should eat up the other portions. Nevertheless, itwill be perhaps more like the truth if we give our cats an Asiaticorigin. When they run wild, Mr. St. John says, they are oftenirreclaimable, and do incredible mischief. There are instances, however, of their returning to their homes bringing game with them. One known tothe above gentleman, used every winter evening to bring in a woodcock;another brought back rabbits and hares; the latter was constantly caughtin traps, which accident did not cure him of his wanderings, and henever struggled, but sat quietly till some one came and effected hisrelease. 

All cats sleep slightly, raise their back, bristle up their hair, andswell up their tail when angry. Those which have been domesticated arevery inquisitive concerning things rather than persons; smell, andinspect a new piece of furniture several times; are attached to houses, and are extremely fond of scents, especially certain kinds emanatingfrom plants. They seldom eat the rats which they kill, although theydevour mice. If they should swallow a shrew, which is very rare, theyalmost immediately reject it. They will sit hour after hour watching atthe mouth of a hole, and after seizing their prey, bring it to theirfavourites in the house to show their prowess, and strut about with agreat air of self-satisfaction. They generally have a great dislike towater; but they have been known to surmount this when they could catch afish, for which species of food they have a great preference. Theaccusation that they play with you one minute, and scratch you the next, is too true: the change is not an act of treachery, but arises fromexcitement. 

I know not whence it is derived; but for centuries cats have beenconnected with superstition and sorcery. They have always been regardedas attendants upon witches; and witches themselves have been said toborrow their shapes when on their mysterious expeditions. I was oncetold, that Lord Cochrane was accompanied by a favourite black cat in acruise through the northern seas. The weather had been mostunpropitious; no day had passed without some untoward circumstance, andthe sailors were not slow in attributing the whole to the influence ofthe black cat on board. This came to Lord Cochrane's ears, and knowingthat any attempt to reason his men out of so absurd a notion wasperfectly useless, he offered to sacrifice this object of his regard, and have her thrown overboard. This, however, far from creating anysatisfaction, only alarmed the men still more; they were sure that thetempests she would then raise would be much worse than any they had yetencountered; and they implored his lordship to let her remainunmolested. "There was no help, and they could only hope, if she werenot affronted, they might, at the end of their time, reach England insafety. "

Black cats were always more especially connected with superstitiousfeelings, and I was once accosted by a peasant's wife, who, with a phialin her hand to contain it, requested I would give her a few drops ofblood from the tail of my black kitten; not only to bring luck to herhearth, but to keep pestilence from her doors. Even lately, a workingwoman told me not to turn a stray black cat from my house; for, if Idid, I should never have any prosperity afterwards. Captain Brown tellsus that on Hallowe'en, it was usual in Scotland for families to tie uptheir cat, in order to preserve it from being used as a pony by thewitches that night. Those who neglected this precaution, ran the risk ofseeing their cat scampering through the fields, with a witch on itsback, on the high road to Norway. A black cat was commonly sacrificed bythe ancients to Hecate, or among the Scandinavians to Frea, the northernHecate. A black cat, sent with a prayer-book and a bag of sand into anew house, so as to precede the proprietor in possession, was formerlydeemed essential to ensure prosperity to the person changing his abode. To steal a black cat, and bury it alive, is in the Irish Highlands, considered as a specific for a disorder in cattle, termed "blacklegs, "which otherwise proves fatal. 

There is yet another peculiar feeling respecting cats--namely, thestrange antipathy which some persons entertain towards them, and isequally unassailable with that of superstition. Of course, in manyinstances, illness and weak indulgence, have greatly increased it, butin some cases, it has been, unconsciously harboured, and in othersunconquerable. A friend of mine told me, that through life this feelinghad accompanied him, in spite of every endeavour made to eradicate it. When a little boy he awoke one night, with that trembling and coldperspiration which always assailed him when a cat was in his vicinity;and, screaming for help, he intreated the servant who entered to takeaway the cat which was in the room. The man searched, but found notraces of puss. His young master still persisted she was there, but arenewed search proved equally unavailing, nor could he compose himselfto rest unless the servant remained in the room till he was asleep. Thisaccomplished, the man left him, and a second time my friend awoke in thesame manner, with the same appeals for assistance. They were obeyed; hehimself joined in the search, and he dragged out a cat from the closestove (for it was in Germany) which had taken refuge there, and beenwholly unperceived by the man servant. This gentleman's daughterinherited the same antipathy, and neither the tenderest feelings towardsother "dumb creatures, " or the strongest efforts of a mind of unusualstrength, could subdue the uncomfortable and distressing sensation whichthrilled through her when a cat was in her presence. 

Where every house has a cat, many two, where every female cat, at leasttwice in each year, brings forth a litter of from three to five kittens, which are not all drowned, some idea may be formed of the untellablenumber of cats in London; but it is only the dwellers in what is calleda quiet out-of-the-way street in the metropolis, who can form any notionof the noise and caterwaulings of this part of the population. All cats, on first taking possession with their owners, of a house, are obliged toenter into an alliance, offensive and defensive, with the olderinhabitants of the neighbourhood. In some instances the amicablearrangements, though less noisy, are the most troublesome, of which Iwas convinced in one of my dwellings. The back overlooked a number ofgardens, some of which were large, and to enjoy these sufficiently, asmall, leaded terrace was thrown out from the back drawing-room window. Here all the cats of all the gardens, the street, and the oppositesquare, used to hold their _conversazione_; and I presume, that my catswere particularly amiable, for often, if the drawing-room window hadbeen left open during our absence, we found a select few, perhaps fiveor six, sitting within its precincts, as if in friendly talk. 

Every cat that comes to a new area in London, appears to me to beobliged to fight till he gains undisturbed possession of it; at least soit has been the case with my cats. A very fine, bold, powerful tabby, did this twice with perfect success; but after repeated combats, although victorious, the struggle made him fierce and occasionallysullen. Another who was a very beautiful creature, but much weaker, usedto come in with his handsome ears slit, his cheeks swollen, his fur tornoff, his frolic and vivacity gone; and he sat crouching by the fire allday. At night he was roused by the fierce defiance of his enemies; andthe contest continued till he died from his exertions. 

One cat belonging to me had a curious manner of shewing herdisappointment or anger, whichever it might be; for the instant she wasaffronted, she walked away and seated herself with her back to theoffending parties. A child of hers was an instance of the effect ofjudicious education, for fair and gentle treatment transformed her, froma violent, outrageous kitten, to a well behaved cat, and it was curiousto see the instantaneous effect which the voice of his preceptressproduced. Cats will learn all sorts of antics, and form all sorts ofcontradictory attachments; young birds, puppies, rats and micefrequently being the objects. My mother-in-law had both a favouritecanary and an equally beloved cat; the former lived in her bed room; andwhen alone, she suffered him to fly about the room, for she could thereexclude the latter. Chance, however, discovered that puss was as fond ofthe canary as she was; and, to her surprise, on raising her head fromher work one morning, she saw the bird perched upon the cat's body, without fear, and the cat evidently delighted. After that there was nofurther restraint, and the two pets were daily companions. Theirmistress, however, received another fright; for Puss gave a slightgrowl, and seizing the bird in her mouth, leaped on to the bed; her tailswelled out, her hair erect, and her eyes as big as four. The bird wasof course given up for lost: but the door being accidentally left open, a strange cat had come in; and it was for the preservation of the bird, that the cat had seized him, and as soon as the intruder was drivenaway, she set the prisoner at liberty. Cats have often been trained toact as game-finders, without offering the slightest damage to theircapture; they have given the alarm when thieves have been breaking in;and manifested great proofs of reflection and thought, which may becalled reason, without degrading this act of the intellect. Onebelonging to my sister invariably goes to her room when she rings herbell; but does not offer to stir when any other bell in the house issounded. Another, in the service of a friend, was in the habit of goinginto the garden, catching a bird, and bringing it to the cook, appearing to ask her to dress it; and yet it was perfectly her ownsuggestion. 

A brother of mine had a favourite tortoise-shell cat, named Monkey, whoalways sat on his shoulder when he was shaving, and evinced every signof deep attachment. He left her under the care of some friends when hewent abroad; and, two years after, these ladies were surprised theevening he was expected home, at the extreme restlessness of the animal. She heard the arrival of the carriage at the garden gate before theydid; and ere the bell was rung, she was furious to be let out to meethim. Her joy was indescribable; and the next morning she took her placeon his shoulder as usual, when she saw him prepare his razor. Suchattachments have been known to continue after death; and cats have diedof grief on their master's grave. 

I have already noticed a great friendship between a pug dog and a cat;and the following proof of a similar strength of love is taken from thepages of M. Wenzel, in his "Observations on the Language of Brutes. " "Ihad a cat and a dog, which became so attached to each other, that theywould never willingly be asunder. Whenever the dog got any choice morselof food, he was sure to divide it with his whiskered friend. They alwaysate socially out of one plate, slept in the same bed, and daily walkedout together. Wishing to put this apparently sincere friendship to theproof, I one day, took the cat by herself into my room, while I had thedog kept in another apartment. I entertained the cat in a most sumptuousmanner; being desirous to see what sort of meal she would make withouther friend, who had been hitherto her constant table companion. The catenjoyed the treat, and seemed entirely to have forgotten the dog. I hadhad a partridge for dinner, half of which I intended to keep for supper. My wife covered it with a plate, and put it into a cupboard, the door ofwhich she did not lock. The cat left the room, and I walked out onbusiness; my wife meanwhile sat at work in an adjoining apartment. WhenI returned home, she related to me the following circumstances:--The cathaving hastily left the dining-room, went to the dog, and mewedunusually loudly, and in different tones; which the dog, from time totime, answered with a short bark. They went together to the door of theroom where the cat had dined, and waited till it was opened. The twofriends then immediately entered the apartment. My wife rose from herseat, went softly to the door which stood ajar, to observe what wasgoing on. The cat led the dog to the cupboard which contained thepartridge, pushed off the plate which covered it, and taking out myintended supper, laid it before her canine friend, who devoured itquickly. "

The following anecdote almost places the cat on a level with thedog:--"A physician of Lyons was requested to inquire into a murder thathad been committed on a woman of that city. In consequence of thisrequest, he went to the habitation of the deceased, where he found herextended lifeless on the floor, weltering in her blood. A large whitecat was mounted on the cornice of a cupboard, at the far end of theapartment, where he seemed to have taken refuge. He sat motionless withhis eyes fixed on the corpse, and his attitude and looks expressinghorror and affright. The following morning he was found in the samestation and attitude, and when the room was filled with officers ofjustice, neither the clattering of the soldier's arms, nor the loudconversation of the company, could in the least degree divert hisattention. As soon, however, as the suspected persons were brought in, his eyes glared with increased fury, his hair bristled, he darted intothe middle of the apartment, where he stopped for a moment to gaze atthem, and then precipitately retreated under the bed. The countenancesof the assassins were disconcerted, and they were now, for the firsttime, abandoned by their audacious atrocity. "

There are several instances on record of cats finding their way back totheir former abodes under circumstances of great difficulty, and thefollowing appears to me to be one of the most striking of them, andquoted from a letter:--"When living at Four Paths, Clarendon, Jamaica, I wanted a cat, and had one given to me, which was nearly full grown; itwas brought from Morgan's Valley Estate, where it was bred, and hadnever been removed from that place before. The distance was five miles. It was put into a canvass bag, and carried by a man on horseback. Between the two places there are two rivers, one of them about eightyfeet broad and two feet and a half deep, running strong; the other iswider and more rapid, but less deep; over these rivers are no bridges. The cat was shut up at Four Paths for some days, and when considered tobe reconciled to her new dwelling, she was allowed to go about thehouse. The day after obtaining her liberty, she was missing; and, uponmy next visiting the estate she was brought from, I was quite amazed tolearn that the cat had come back again. Did she swim over the rivers atthe fords where the horse came through with her, or did she ascend thebanks for a considerable distance, in search of a more shallow place, and where the stream was less powerful? At all events she must havecrossed the rivers, in opposition to her natural habits. "

A singular malformation in the cat has been perpetuated, till a race oftailless cats is now in existence, and which is certainly no improvementon the original stock; for nothing can be more graceful than theattitudes of the cat's tail, or more expressive of its feelings of joyor anger. 

SQUIRRELS. 

A peculiar formation of the incisors, or front teeth, groups a numberof smaller animals together under the name of Rodentia, from the Latinword _rodens_, which signifies gnawing. These teeth act as files, sothat the food on which their owners principally live is reduced byfriction to a state which fits it for digestion. As the edges of theseteeth become worn by constant use, they incessantly grow from the root. If one be broken, that opposite to it, in the other jaw, being deprivedof its habitual wear and tear, grows so fast that it not only annoys itsowner, but has caused his destruction by effectually closing the mouth. Their lower jaws can only move backwards and forwards; some exclusivelyeat vegetables, others eat all things, and others again prefer flesh. Some carry their food to their mouths with their paws, and climb trees;and, in many, the hinder limbs are so much longer than those in front, that they leap instead of walk. They are widely and numerously spread onthe surface of the earth, and therefore bear strongly on its history;but it is not among them that we find the high intellectual developmentwith which many other animals are gifted. 

Squirrels are some of the most beautiful of the Rodentia, and chieflylive in trees. The fur of some of the species is extremely beautiful andvaluable; they are very active, elegant little creatures, and easilytamed, when they become very playful and affectionate. A friend of minewas deprived of her only daughter, and the lost one's pet squirrel wasof course cherished and loved; the little creature used to run up thelady's arm, and seat itself on her shoulder, caress her with its head, nestle itself into her neck, and drink her tears. As long as it lived, it was never caressed by the mother without first looking in her facefor the drops, which it had been accustomed to remove. 

These animals have a large bushy tail, the hair of which spreads out oneach side like a feather; and by it they are guided and supported whenthey leap. The flying squirrels, as they are called, have an expansionof the skin of the sides, which extends between the hind and fore legs, by which they are suspended in the air when passing from tree to tree, and by it are enabled to go to greater distances without being actuallyable to fly, as their name would imply. The general colour of theEnglish squirrel is red in summer; but in winter they often assume agrayish tint, at which time they have long pencils of hair at the top oftheir ears. This grey becomes more decided in more northern climates;and occasionally they are black. They always live in pairs, andsometimes are gregarious, inhabiting burrows. They lay up stores ofprovisions in different places; but they sleep the greater part of thecold months, their tail turned over them to keep them warm, havingbeforehand made a very elaborate nest of moss, leaves, and interlacingfibres in the hole of a tree, or the fork of two branches. Theyexclusively eat vegetable food, and are occasionally themselves eaten bythe larger birds of prey. 

Sir Francis Head gives us the following account of his meeting with asquirrel in Canada. "I was waiting the approach of a large flock of wildfowl; but a little villain of a squirrel on the bough of a tree close tome, seemed to have determined that even now I should not rest in quiet;for he sputtered and chattered with so much vehemence, that he attractedthe attention of my dog. This was truly mortifying; for he kept his eyesfixed on the squirrel. With my hand I threatened the little beast; buthe actually set up his back and defied me, becoming even more passionatethan before; till, all of a sudden, as if purposely to alarm the game, he dropped plump within a couple of yards of Rover's nose. This was toomuch for the latter to bear, so he gave a bounce and sprang upon theimpertinent squirrel; who, in a second, was out of his reach, cockinghis tail and shewing his teeth, on the identical bough where he had satbefore. Away flew all the wild fowl, and my sport was completely marred. My gun went involuntarily to my shoulder to shoot the squirrel; but Ifelt I was about to commit an act of sheer revenge on a courageouslittle animal, which deserved a better fate. As if aware of myhesitation, he nodded his head with rage, and stamped his fore paws onthe tree; while in his chirruping, there was an intonation of sound, which seemed like contempt. What business had I there trespassing on hisdomain, and frightening his wife and little family, for whom he wasready to lay down his life? There he would sit in spite of me, and makemy ears ring with the sound of his woo-whoop, till the spring of lifeshould cease to bubble in his little heart. "

It is from Captain Brown's pages that I extract the following. "Agentleman procured a squirrel from a nest, found at Woodhouse, nearEdinburgh, which he reared and rendered extremely docile. It was kept ina box below an aperture, where was suspended a rope, by which the animalascended and descended. The little creature used to watch very narrowlyall its master's movements; and, whenever he was preparing to go out, itran up his legs, and entered his pocket, from whence it would peep outat passengers as he walked along the streets, never venturing however togo out. 

"But no sooner would he reach the outskirts of the city, than thesquirrel leaped on the ground, ran along the road, ascended to the topsof trees and hedges with the quickness of lightning, and nibbled at theleaves and bark; and, if the gentleman walked on, it would descend, scamper after him, and again enter his pocket. Whenever it heard acarriage or cart, it became much alarmed, and always hid itself tillthey had passed by. This gentleman had a dog, between which and thesquirrel, a certain enmity existed. Whenever the dog lay asleep, thesquirrel showed its teasing disposition by rapidly descending from itsbox, scampering over the dog's body, and then quickly mounting itsrope. "

RATS. 

Some persons profess to think that the Rodents called Rats are beautifulanimals; and I presume that, prejudice apart, the sleek skin, the sharphead, the long, slender tail, and the keen look of their bright blackeyes, ought to be attractions; but those who have been annoyed withthese animals as I have been, can scarcely regard them with anything butdislike. Overspreading the whole world as they do, it is no wonder, where they are not vigorously checked, and where food is abundant, theirnumbers should amount to something frightful. On a visit to SierraLeone, I was all day at the Government House, and going to an upperroom to make my toilette, I heard a pattering of little feet close tome, and turning my head I saw between the floor and the shrunken door ofthe next apartment, a whole army of rats on a peregrination, and givingsuch an idea of number, that, uninitiated as I then was (it being on myfirst journey to Africa), I was perfectly appalled, and most thankfulthat I returned that night to sleep in my safer cabin on board ship. This, however, was but the beginning; and, in the next vessel which Ientered, they were so numerous, that the next time she returned to port, she was sunk for a time, as the only means of getting rid of them. Between these creatures and the cockroaches, I thought my poor child andmyself must be devoured. 

There is a facility given to the human mind to accommodate itself to allcircumstances, for which perhaps we are not sufficiently thankful; andit never was more strongly manifested than in my own case, for both fearand apprehension vanished with habit, and I became fearless of thoseanimated creatures which at first seemed to be the bane of my existence. When living in Cape Coast Castle, I used to see the rats come in troopspast my door, walking over my black boys as they lay there, and who onlyturned themselves over to present the other sides of their faces andbodies, when the rats returned--and thought it a good joke. Thefiercest encounter which I ever had with them was during one of thoseterrific storms, which are more furious between the tropics thanelsewhere. I was then, however, under the Equator, in a native hut, andheard an exceeding rustling and movement all around me. To my terror, Iperceived that these proceeded from a number of rats running up and downthe sides of the room in which I was to pass the night, and who shortlybegan to run over me; they being disturbed by the torrents of rain whichwere then falling. The only weapon I could find was a shoe, and curlingmyself into a large armchair, taken out of a French vessel, and coveredwith blue satin damask, I sat prepared for my enemies, whom I dreadedmuch more than the lightning, which was flashing across the iron barslaid upon the floor. I felt that the silk of my place of refuge was somesort of protection against this; but my own arm could alone save me frommy four-footed foes. Presently my husband came in, and saluted me with ashout of laughter, which, however, abated when he saw my antagonists. The storm lulled for a while, and the rats retreated: we then creptwithin the curtains of bamboo cloth, which encircled a rude imitation ofa four-post bedstead, but I kept possession of my shoe. Weary withwatching, I closed my eyes, but was awakened by a tremendous flash oflightning, immediately followed by awful thunder and a tumultuous rushof rats. Some of them scrambled up the outside of the curtains; butarms in hand I sat up, and directed by the noise, I hurled the invadersto the ground, till at length resistance, and the passing away of thestorm allowed me to sleep in peace. 

These were the brown rats which infest every part of the world, but verymuch increased in size by their residence in a hot climate. 

Besides these brown rats, a bush rat, as it is called, infests theforests, and is about as large as a young pig. When I first saw this, and felt myself surrounded as it were, by familiar animals increased tosuch magnitude, by multitudes previously unknown to me, and others ofwhich I had only heard, and yet none of us were devoured, I could notbut feel with tenfold depth the Creator's command, that man should havethe dominion over them all. His own strength alone could never enablehim to walk among them unharmed. 

The principal characters which distinguish the rat remain in allcountries, but there are several species. The black rat is that whichfirst inhabited this island; but it has been nearly driven out by thebrown, which is, without any foundation, termed the Norway rat. It camefrom India, Persia, etc. , and is said to have appeared in Europe after agreat earthquake in 1727. All are so eminently carnivorous, that they donot make the least ceremony of devouring each other in times ofscarcity; so that on one occasion, already spoken of, when I and mycompanions stood a chance of being starved ourselves, we felt sure thatthe violent screams and struggles we heard going on among the ratsbehind the planks, arose from the meals which the strong were makingupon their more feeble brethren. 

Rats are nocturnal in their habits, and like to live in subterranean, ormysterious abodes. They are found in islands lying in the midst of theocean, till the moment of their discovery to us, supposed not to havebeen visited by man, and yet the question still remains unsettled, whether the differences which exist in rats were caused by locality, orwhether they were so from the beginning. There is now no known spot freefrom the Norway rat, and the greater the number, of course the moreimpudent they become. In Ceylon, I am told, where they are innumerable, they perch on the top of a chair, or screen, and sit there tillsomething is thrown at them, at which they slowly retreat. A noise isheard in the verandah close by you, and you see a party of rats, disputing with a dog for the possession of some object. A traveller inCeylon saw his dogs set upon a rat, and making them relinquish it, hetook it up by the tail, the dogs leaping after it the whole time; hecarried it into his dining-room, to examine it there by the light of thelamp, during the whole of which period it remained as if it were dead;limbs hanging, and not a muscle moving. After five minutes he threw itamong the dogs, who were still in a state of great excitement; and tothe astonishment of all present, it suddenly jumped upon its legs, andran away so fast that it baffled all its pursuers. 

One evening, when at Bathurst, St. Mary's, I was sitting at work in anupper room, and in the midst of the stillness, heard somewhat breathingclose to me. There was no other person in the chamber except my child, who was asleep in bed. Although startled, I did not move, but casting myeyes round I saw a huge rat, sitting upon the table at my elbow, watching every movement of my fingers. I could scarcely help laughing athis cool impudence, and suppose I had been too much absorbed by thought, or employment, to notice his approach. I gradually laid down my work, and slipping quietly out of the room, as if I had not perceived him, called the servants. It was supposed that there were nests of rats inthe chimney; for that Government House had been wisely provided with thepossibility of having fires in the rooms during the rainy season; andthe hunt began. I jumped on to the bed, not only to be out of the way, but to keep the rats from the place where my child was. Two of the men, furnished with sticks, routed the enemy from their hiding-places, andfour others squatted at the corners of the room, holding a cloth spreadbetween their hands. They said it was most likely the rats would runround the walls, and they should therefore catch them in the open cloth. The event proved them to be right; the frightened animals rushed tothem, were immediately enclosed, and their necks were wrung in a moment. After the hunt was ended, they were thrown over the verandah into thegarden, to the number of at least fifty. In the morning, however, theywere all gone, but the footmarks of the Genet cats told how they hadbeen removed. Some squeaks the next day in the chimney betrayed thepresence of some very young ones, and a fire of damp grass beinglighted, their destruction was completed by suffocation. This wasperhaps cruel, but it was necessary in self-defence; and I shuddered tothink of how I and my daughter might, in our sleep, have been attackedby these animals. It is not to be wondered at, when surrounded bymyriads of obnoxious animals, how any tender feelings towards that partof creation become blunted. At the moment of which I speak, valuablebooks, dried plants, papers containing the data of scientificobservations, concerning the survey of the river Gambia to aconsiderable distance, were destroyed during the illness of theobserver, by rats and insects. 

[Illustration: LEADING THE BLIND RAT. --Page 261. ]

One afternoon, the commandant of Bathurst was quietly reading, when heheard a violent squeaking and hissing in the room below him, which waseven with the ground, and contained stores. He took the key, andfollowed by his servants armed with sticks, went to ascertain the cause. On opening the door they beheld a rat and a venomous serpent engaged inmortal combat. Nothing could be more beautiful than the action of bothanimals; the rat had retreated for a moment, and stood with flashingeyes; the head of the serpent was reared to receive a fresh attack;again and again they closed and separated, but the reptile, althoughmuch bitten, gained the victory; the rat fell, foamed at the mouth, swelled to a great size, and died in a very few minutes. The serpentglided away, but was afterwards discovered in her nest with severalyoung ones, in a crack of the store-room wall, close to a staircase, which we were in the habit of descending daily, and where, in fact, Ihad often seen the serpents' heads peeping out, and had waited till theywere withdrawn. 

Of the brown rat Mr. Jesse tells the following story:--"The Rev. Mr. Ferryman, walking out in some meadows one evening, observed a greatnumber of rats in the act of migrating from one place to another, whichit is known, they are in the habit of doing occasionally. He stoodperfectly still, and the whole assemblage passed close to him. Hisastonishment, however, was great, when he saw an old blind rat, whichheld a piece of stick at one end in its mouth, while another rat hadhold of the other end of it, and thus conducted his blind companion. "

The amount of destructive force possessed by rats, cannot be betterexemplified than in the report given to the French Government, relatingto the removal of the horse slaughter-houses, situated at Montfaucon, toa greater distance from Paris; one great objection being the disastrousconsequences which might accrue to the inhabitants of the neighbourhood, if these voracious creatures were suddenly deprived of their usualsustenance. It is well known, that the mischief which they occasion isnot confined to what they eat; but they undermine houses, burrow throughdams, destroy drains, and commit incalculable havoc, in every place andin every thing. 

The report states, that the carcases of horses killed one day, andamounting to thirty-five, would be found the next morning with the bonespicked clean. A person of the name of Dusaussois, belonging to theestablishment, made this experiment. A part of his yard was enclosed bysolid walls, at the foot of which, several holes were made for theentrance and exit of the rats. Into this enclosure he put the bodies ofthree horses, and in the middle of the night he stopped up all the holesas quietly as he could; he then summoned several of his workmen, andeach, armed with a torch and a stick, entered the yard, and carefullyclosed the door. They then commenced a general massacre; in doingwhich, it was not necessary to take aim, for wherever the blow fell, itwas sure to knock over a rat, none being allowed to escape by climbingover the walls. This experiment was repeated at intervals of a few days, and at the end of a month, 16, 050 rats had been destroyed. In one nightthey killed 2, 650; and yet this cannot give an entirely adequate idea oftheir number, for the yard in question did not cover more than atwentieth part of the space allotted to killing horses. The rats in thisplace have made burrows for themselves, like catacombs; and so great istheir number, that they have not found room close by theslaughter-houses. They have gone farther; and the paths to and fromtheir dwellings may be traced across the neighbouring fields. 

The Zoological Gardens in the Regent's Park, are greatly infested byrats; but they are too cunning to stay there during the day time, whenthey might be more easily caught; so they in the morning cross the canalto the opposite shore, and return in the evening to commit theirdepredations. 

The Water-rats, or Voles, eat fishes, frogs, and toads, besides otherfood, and do infinite mischief to banks and dams, which they undermine. Their smell is so acute, that they will not approach a trap over which ahand has been passed; and they are particularly abundant in all placeswhere herrings are cured, leaving them when the season is over. Thething of all others which attracts rats of all kinds, is a piece ofroast beef; of which they are so fond, that they have been known to killa companion who has eaten some, that they might devour the contents ofhis stomach. 

Dr. Carpenter was told by a trustworthy eyewitness, that she saw anumber of rats safely convey some eggs down a flight of stairs, from astore room, to their own dwellings. They stationed themselves on eachstair, and each egg, held in the fore paws, was handed from one rat toanother the whole way. The rats who dipped their tails into a jar oftreacle, into which they could not dip their paws, and suffered theircompanions to lick them afterwards, is a well known story. 

Rats have often attacked children who have been left in a room bythemselves; and infants have even lost their lives from the blood whichtheir bites have caused to flow. 

The following instance of sagacity deserves to be recorded. "During thegreat flood of the 4th of September, 1829, when the river Tyne was at itheight, a number of people were assembled on its margin. A swan appearedwith a black spot upon its plumage, which on its nearer approach provedto be a live rat. It is probable, that the latter had been borne intothe water by some object, and observing the swan, had taken refuge onits back for safety. As soon as the swan reached the land, the ratleaped off and ran away. "

Two ladies, friends of a near relative of my own, from whom I receivedan account of the circumstance, were walking in Regent-street, and wereaccosted by a man who requested them to buy a beautiful little dog, covered with long, white hair, which he carried in his arms. Such thingsare not uncommon in that part of London, and the ladies passed onwithout heeding him. He followed, and repeated his entreaties, stating, that as it was the last he had to sell, they should have it at areasonable price. They looked at the animal; it was really an exquisitelittle creature, and they were at last persuaded. The man took it homefor them, received his money, and left the dog in the arms of one of theladies. A short time elapsed, and the dog, which had been very quiet, inspite of a restless, bright eye, began to show symptoms of uneasiness, and as he ran about the room, exhibited some unusual movements, whichrather alarmed the fair purchasers. At last, to their great dismay, thenew dog ran squeaking up one of the window curtains, so that when thegentleman of the house returned home a few minutes after, he found theladies in consternation, and right glad to have his assistance. Hevigorously seized the animal, took out his penknife, cut off itscovering, and displayed a large rat to their astonished eyes, and, ofcourse to its own destruction. 

MICE. 

The round, yet delicate form of the Mouse, and the better expression ofits countenance, make it an object much more worthy of admiration thanthe rat, of which it is but a diminished representative. It has the samedestructive propensities, assembles also in vast numbers, and is equallycarnivorous; but with all these, it is a more tamable and lovableanimal. There is a white variety which is often nurtured as a pet. Mr. Darwin says, that with other small Rodents, numbers live together innearly desert places, as long as there are a few blades of vegetationleft; and that they swarm on the borders of salt-lakes, where not a dropof fresh water can be procured. Some of them lay up stores of food, especially those which inhabit northern countries. 

Field mice do an infinity of harm to young plantations, by nibbling offthe young shoots, and, in order to catch them, pits from eighteen totwenty inches deep, are sunk in the soil, which are wider at the bottomthan the top, so that they cannot easily get out. One hundred thousandwere destroyed in this manner in the Forest of Dean, and about the samenumber in the New Forest. They make very beautiful round nests, ofcuriously plaited blades of wheat, split into narrow strips with theirteeth, and in them will often be found nine little mice. These nests aresuspended to some stalks, or thistles. 

I can bear witness to the possibility of taming mice, for I kept six ina box for several months, which were so well fed, that they did notattempt to gnaw their dwelling. I had a sort of little cart constructedfor them, with bone buttons for wheels, and a packthread harness; and onbeing taken out of the box, they remained perfectly quiet till theharness was put upon them, and when that was done, they started at fullgallop along the top of a square piano. Of course, care was taken toturn them back when they reached the end; but they soon learned to turnof their own accord, and performed their journey with as much regularityas well-trained horses. Death deprived me of my steeds; but I suspect itwas in consequence of the injudicious cramming which I bestowed upon myfavourites. 

During an illness of some week's duration, mice were to me a source bothof amusement and annoyance; the former certainly predominating. Awainscot ledge ran round the room in which I lay, and it was theirdelight to scamper after one another upon this projection; but as thehead of my curtain-less bed was close to it, they so frequently divergedon to my face, that I was obliged to have it drawn at least a yard fromthe wall. Sometimes also, they dragged away my pocket handkerchief, which, from not being immediately missed, was not recovered till sundryholes had been nibbled in it. A small table stood by my bed-side; havingon it a basin full of cold tea, which formed my night beverage. On oneoccasion, my light was extinguished, and I heard a scratching againstthe legs of the table. I guessed the cause, and tried to frighten theclimber away; but I suspect he mounted by the bed clothes, for Ipresently heard something flop into the tea. All was silent; and Iconcluded the intruder was drowned; but of course, whatever my thirst, Idid not attempt to drink. When daylight came, there sat a poor mouse, holding up his little chin just above the liquid. Had he moved he musthave been suffocated; and he had been all those hours in this position. It was impossible to take away a life so hardly earned, and he wasallowed to rejoin his companions. 

The head-quarters of my mice seemed to be a large closet in one cornerof the room, from which they constantly issued, and to which theyretreated on the least alarm, for it was always accessible, inconsequence of the door not closing properly. They often appeared to meto hold a council, for they would sally forth in a body; not giddily, and as if by chance, but with all the gravity of diplomatic characters, and form a circle, when deliberations commenced. They were carried onin a language between a squeak and a chatter, and occasionally one wouldrise, and place himself in another part of the circle. I would havegiven a great deal to have understood what was going on; but as I couldnot, I occasionally disturbed them by laughing, when they huddled backto the closet; and when I grew stronger, I sometimes dashed a pillow inamong them, which made the poor senators breathless with agitation, andscuffle under the furniture, till they thought they might gain thecloset in safety. I little imagined the deeds committed in thatdomicile, or I might not have been so indulgent to them; it was no lessthan gnawing holes in some valuable antelope, monkey, and leopard skins, which were to have been sent to my friends by the next departing vessel. 

When I was allowed to eat, my appetite was kindly tempted by daintiessent to me by friends, and which were placed under tin covers, on thetop of a chest of drawers. The endeavours of my rodent companions to getat these were excessively droll; but as fast as they clambered an inchor two up the sides, the slippery metal caused them to slide down again;then they thought if they could but get to the top of the cover, theyshould succeed; so they mounted upon each others' shoulders, andaccomplished the feat, but not their purpose; instead of gettinginside, down they came in a body again, but they became so used to mylaughter, that they did not mind it. Many of them combined together topush the cover off the dish; but it was too firmly retained by the rimto be moved. One day they thought they had triumphed, for the cover wasnot quite put down in one place. A summons was evidently given, andpresently a number of little paws were inserted to raise it stillhigher; but instead of doing this, the cover slipped on to their paws, and it was very ludicrous to see their pain and mortification. Afterthis they so far abandoned the attempt that only one would beoccasionally seen walking round, as if by reconnoitering the fortressagain, his genius would suggest a successful termination to theenterprise. 

In an American scientific journal, there is a well-authenticated accountof a strange and overpowering sensibility to music, as evinced by amouse. It says, "that one evening, as a few officers on board a Britishman-of-war, in the harbour of Portsmouth, were seated round the fire, one of them began to play a plaintive air upon the violin. He hadscarcely performed ten minutes, when a mouse, apparently frantic, madeits appearance in the centre of the floor. The strange gestures of thelittle animal strongly excited the attention of the officers, who, withone consent, resolved to suffer it to continue its singular actionsunmolested. Its exertions appeared to be greater every moment; it shookits head, leapt about, and exhibited signs of the most ecstatic delight. It was observed that in proportion to the gradations of the tones to thesoft point, the feelings of the animal appeared to be increased. Afterperforming actions, which an animal so diminutive would, at first sight, seem incapable of, the little creature, to the astonishment of thedelighted spectators, suddenly ceased to move, fell down, and expiredwithout evincing any symptoms of pain. "

ELEPHANTS. 

The extraordinary thickness of skin which distinguishes certain animals, has induced naturalists to group them together, and call themPachydermata. This group is again divided according to the still furtherpeculiarities which some of them possess; and in the first subdivisionare elephants; distinguished by an enormous prolongation of the upperlip and nose, into what is termed a trunk, or proboscis. The largestanimals in the world are to be found among them; and according to some, they are the most sagacious. There is, however, a strong inclination inmany to give the dog the highest place next to man, with regard tointellect. 

The trunk of which I have just spoken, is formed of numbers of muscularfibres, amounting to at least 40, 000, which take various directions, andcross each other in so many ways, that the whole forms one of the mostflexible organs that can be conceived. It can be contracted, raised, depressed, curved, turned, or twisted round any object at the will ofits possessor; and can lay hold of, and pick up the most minute and thethinnest substance, aided in such instances by the prolongation of itsupper edge into what is called a finger, which protects the nostrils, and acts as a feeler. This trunk serves as a reservoir for holdingliquid, which can be put into the mouth at pleasure, by inserting theend between the jaws; or for retaining it as long as may be wished, whenit is discharged over any object which the elephant desires to inundate. He occasionally pours it upon his own body, thereby not only cooling andrefreshing himself, but getting rid of the numerous insects which lodgethemselves in his hide. The trumpet-like noise, for which elephants areremarkable, proceeds from their trunk, and it serves in other ways toexpress their feelings, for with it they bestow their caresses. A tameelephant, in the Jardin des Plantes, took a great fancy to a littlegirl, who used to walk in the menagerie every morning with her nurse, before it was open to the public. It constantly happened that she andthe elephant would be met together, and not only was his care to avoidtrampling upon her most excessive, but if she were going the same way, he would gently insinuate the end of his proboscis under her arm, lovingly rest it there, and walk by her side. Great pains are alwaystaken by these animals to guard their trunks from injury; and theyconstantly raise them as high in the air as they can, to prevent theircoming in contact with any hurtful substance. With them food is procuredand conveyed to the mouth; and they pull down, not only branches oftrees, but, in many instances, the trees themselves. 

The immense skull and neck, and in fact, the size of the body, requiredto sustain the weight of this ponderous organ, and the tusks with whichthey are provided, give elephants a clumsy, heavy look. The proportionsof the head cause the eyes to look small; the weight of the head itselfis, however, much diminished by the hollow cavities in front, which makeit almost a vain attempt to try to kill an elephant by shooting him inthe forehead; for the balls lodge in these cells: they so protect thebrain, which is the seat of feeling, that fearful buttings are practisedwith impunity by these animals. 

The teeth of elephants are remarkable; for they consist of only onelarge grinder on each side, and in each jaw, which looks like a bundleof smaller teeth, fastened together by intervening and surroundingplates of enamel. These grinders change frequently during the life ofthe animal, perhaps even six or eight times, as long as the jaw grows;and the new arrivals do not come from below, but are formed behind theold one, and push it out. There are no other teeth, properly so called, but in the upper jaw are two tusks, which supply the ivory of commerce, and which are changed once during the life of the animal. Their enormousweight and size are almost fabulous, and combined with the trunk, makeus cease to wonder that the whole body should have strength alone as itsattribute, and be entirely wanting in grace. One of these tusks, sold atAmsterdam, weighed 350 pounds, and with such weapons as these, aptlycalled _defenses_ by the French, they are able to uproot enormous trees, and catching their heaviest foes upon them, hurl them to the ground, ortransfix them so as never to rise again. The ears are large, and hangflapping over the shoulders, and are very sensible to the touch; thehearing seems to be much more alive to grave than to acute sounds. 

Four ungraceful, stiff columns, for legs, support the clumsy body. Oneach fore foot there are five toes, and on each hind foot four; each toeshould shew a hoof, but sometimes the skin envelops and conceals them. The sole is nearly round; and the skin of a foot exhibited by Mr. GordonCumming, is so large, that a child of three years of age could easilyseat itself within it. The tail is small in circumference, flattened atthe end, and has thick, stiff bristles at the extremity. These tails aresometimes used as whips, and at the court of Ashanti, when decoratedwith gold; they form part of the insignia of the Court. The skin isgenerally dark-coloured, and rough, having a few scattered hairs uponit; proofs, however, have been found, that a race of elephants thicklycovered with hair, once existed. White elephants are occasionally metwith, and it has been asserted, that they are worshiped. Others havecontradicted this, and declare, that they are only kept as a piece ofroyal state. 

The usual height of elephants is from nine to ten feet; but many havebeen known to attain fourteen; the skeleton of that sent to the CzarPeter, by the king of Persia, and which is seen in the museum at St. Petersburgh, is sixteen and a half, and there are records of elephantsattaining the enormous height of twenty feet. When we think of themountainous animal, as I have described the elephant to be, it seemsinconsistent to say, that he is swift in his paces: in truth, he is not;a heavy trot being the fastest movement which he can accomplish. Hisenormous stride, however, gives him the advantage over lighter animals;and we have heard of a fast-galloping horse finding it difficult toescape from an elephant, even when urged to his utmost speed. The gaitis most fatiguing and uncomfortable to those who ride him for the firstfew times, because he moves the two feet on the same side at once; andthe larger the elephant, the more uncomfortable the movement. BishopHeber, however, seems to have formed an exception in this respect, forhe says, it was far from being disagreeable, and appeared to him toresemble being carried on men's shoulders. It is supposed that the neck, where the driver places himself, is the easiest seat. He guides theanimals by occasionally touching their ears, pressing his legs to thesides of their necks, pricking them with a pointed instrument, orknocking them with the handle; often, however, they are so docile, thata mere word will be sufficient. 

The favourite habitation of the elephant is the forest, or green plain, near which is a river, or lake: water he must have, for both in freedomand captivity, bathing seems to be a necessary condition of hisexistence. This propensity reminds me of the often-repeated trick of thebefore-mentioned elephant of the Jardin des Plantes. His stable openedinto a small enclosure, in the midst of which was a pond. In this pondhe constantly laid himself, and was so hidden by the water, thatnothing of him appeared, except the end of his proboscis, which itrequired an experienced eye to detect. The crowd often assembled roundthe enclosure of the "elephant's park, " as it was called, supposing theyshould see him issue from his stable. All at once, however, a copiousshower would assail them, and ladies with their transparent bonnets, andgentlemen with their shining hats, were forced to seek shelter under theneighbouring trees, where they looked up at the cloudless sky, andwondered from whence the shower could come. When they directed theireyes towards the elephant's pond, they saw him standing in the midst, evincing an awkward joy at the trick he had played. In process of timehis pastime became generally known, and the moment the water rose fromhis trunk, his beholders ran away, which he also seemed to enjoyexceedingly, getting up as fast as he could to behold the bustle he hadcreated. This same elephant had been landed from the vessel, whichbrought him from the East Indies, at Bordeaux, and the sailor lad, whohad taken charge of him during the voyage, was appointed to conduct himthrough France to Paris. The rough, and sometimes paved roads, cut thepoor animal's feet, and a shoemaker was employed to make him four boots. There was not much skill required, as no shape was necessary; but theyanswered the purpose, and were afterwards hung up in his stable to thegreat delight of the younger visitants to the Jardin, who often wentexpressly to see the elephant's boots. When he and his guide stopped forthe night, a mattress used to be thrown down on the floor for thelatter; but, after a few nights, the elephant discovered how comfortableit was, and under pretense of sharing the accommodation, at lengthnightly pushed Auguste off, and stretched his own huge carcass upon themattress. 

Constant differences between the Asiatic and African elephants haveestablished them into separate species. The enamel of the grinders is soplaced in the latter, as to form lozenges; and in the former, parallel-fluted ribbons. The ears of the African animal are much larger, and the shape of his forehead is more convex. Although it was from thiscountry that the Romans obtained all their clever, well-trainedelephants, the natives now never think of making them useful. Connectedwith this, I was once much amused by the proposal, seriously suggested, that if we English would go among the savage tribes of Africa, and tamesome of their elephants, they would be so convinced of our superiority, that they would, without hesitation, submit to our dominion. This camefrom a learned king's counsel, and was seriously uttered to one of hisMajesty's government, without exciting surprise in any but myexperienced self. In our human impatience we are apt to think theprogress we so much desire, comes slowly; but _could_ such an idea be_now_ entertained?

A curious propensity in the Indian elephant has been repeatedly noticed. I mean the separation of a male elephant from all his companions, inorder to lead a solitary existence. I am rather of opinion with some ofthe natives, that he has been turned away by them for his own misdeeds;but I know not if this will equally apply to the raccoon, the only otheranimal, I believe, concerning whom the same habit is recorded. At allevents, the hermit elephant is particularly fierce and mischievous; andit becomes a matter of policy, or even necessity, to catch him. TheIndians hunt him down, accompanied by two trained female elephants, whodraw near to him as if unconscious of his presence, and begin to eat thesurrounding food as a matter of course. If he join them, they lavishtheir caresses upon him, and while he is returning their blandishments, the hunters creep softly to his feet, and having tied them together, fasten him to a tree, or let him go loose, with merely the shacklesround all his legs. Of course he is in a dreadful rage, especially whenthe females desert him; but hunger, thirst, and ineffectual struggles, at last subdue him; he is led away, and generally trained; but if hisviolent efforts should effect his liberation, he plunges into theforests, whither the hunters prudently do not again go to effect hiscapture. Some female elephants are also used to decoy wild males intoinclosure's, where they are secured; and there is a wholesale method ofsurrounding a herd by a number of men, who, by means of various noises, musketry, fire-works, drums and trumpets, drive the elephants into pensconstructed for the purpose, and supplied with water; where the poorcreatures are made to stay some time. The elephants become very furious;and as the strongest inclosure's might give way to their overpoweringstrength, sentinels are placed all round, who light fires and make allthe noises which the prisoners most dread, till they again become quiet. 

Elephants, after being domesticated for years, will return to theforests, and resume their wild habits; but they never forget theireducation. Their former keepers have recognized them among their untamedcompanions, called them, and without hesitation, they have walked fromthe midst of their brethren, and quietly returned to their formerhabits, after a lapse of ten years. All are extremely sensible to thepraises and caresses of those who attend to them, for whose sake theywill make the most wonderful exertions. They are useful in transportingartillery and heavy baggage, and their docility and obedient performanceof their duties, even when left to themselves, is perfect. They are notnow used in war, except by some of the native princes; but they largelyenter into the state processions, decked out with the most costlytrappings of gold and silver, frontlets of jewels, gold and silverchains, and bells, etc. Travellers generally place a kind of canopy ontheir backs, in which two or three persons can sit; but the saddle ismost used when hunting tigers. They dexterously catch these animals upontheir tusks, if the attack be made in front, but the tiger willsometimes seize them in the flank, when if they cannot roll upon him, the elephants rush forward, and the tiger is generally shot. Theassertion that the elephant and rhinoceros will fight a duel for thepleasure of the thing, does not seem to be borne out by experience; butcombats have been seen between them, in which sometimes one, andsometimes the other, have gained the victory. 

The quantity of food daily consumed by an elephant in captivity iscalculated at 200 lbs; besides thirty-six pails of water. It consists ofturnips, rice, chaff, bran, hay, and sea biscuit. Straw is allowed forhis bed, which is generally consumed before morning; besides which, whenthey are in menageries they receive no small quantity of dainties fromvisitors. I never could enter the Rotunda in the Paris menagerie, without being furnished with bread or carrots for its inhabitants: theinstant the Indian elephant caught sight of me, he used to sit down, getup again, make what was called a curtsy, and play other antics; and theinstant I came before him, squat down again; his trunk raised, and hisenormous mouth wide open to receive what I threw into it; the attitudewas so grotesque and imploring, that it was impossible to deny him. Intheir native condition, elephants eat the young juicy roots, andbranches of trees; the latter of which, they beat two or three timesbefore they take them, and they then tuck them into the left side oftheir mouths; they also devour grass, and bulbous roots, which they pullup with their proboscis. The vast numbers in which the herds assemble, give some idea of the extent of the vegetable riches which can supportsuch colossal eaters from generation to generation; the weight of anordinary one will be 7000 lbs, and the mind becomes bewildered, inthinking of the quantity required for the daily sustenance of thousandsof such animals. They open paths through forests which would beimpenetrable to others; and seem to exercise much judgment in choosingtheir route, the large bull elephants taking the lead, crushing thejungle, tearing down the branches, and uprooting the trees; the femalesand the young sometimes amounting to three hundred, march after insingle file, and the way thus made is as smooth as a gravel walk. Theyoften carry branches of trees, with which they flap the insects fromtheir bodies as they walk along. 

A settler's wife complained to Mr. Pringle very bitterly, of thedestruction occasioned to her husband's crops by the elephants; whichshe, with reason, said were too big to wrestle with, and theyoccasionally seemed to commit mischief from mere wantonness. In the sameplace, a troop came down one dark and rainy night to the outskirts ofthe village; but knowing that it was sometimes dangerous to encounterthem, the inhabitants did not go out; although they heard them making aterrible bellowing and uproar. It appeared the next morning, that one ofthe elephants had fallen into an unfinished trench, which had no waterin it, and did not know how to get out again. It is supposed, that hiscompanions had pulled him out with their trunks; for there were clearlydefined marks of their having stationed themselves on each side; somekneeling, and some standing, and that thus he had been hoisted up. 

The remarkable escape of Lieut. Moodie is one of the most extraordinaryencounters on record. A servant informed him that a large troop ofelephants was in the vicinity, and that a party had gone out to attackthem, so he started to join in the hunt; but losing his way in thejungle, he did not overtake them till they had driven the elephants fromtheir first station. On leaving the jungle, he was going through ameadow on the banks of the Gualana, to the spot where the firing hadbegun, when he was suddenly warned of some danger, by the cry of "Takecare" both in Dutch and English. He heard a crackling behind him, occasioned by the elephants breaking through the wood, which wasaccompanied by their screams. A large female elephant, and three of asmaller size, departed from the rest, and came towards him; but notbeing in a good position for firing, Mr. Moodie retreated from theirdirect path, to get a better place from which to take aim, and hopedthey would not observe him. They, however, rapidly pursued him; hereserved his fire as a last resource, and turning off at a right angle, made for the banks of the river, intending to take refuge among therocks on the other side. Before this, however, they were close upon him, screaming so tremendously that he was almost stunned by their noise. Heturned upon them, and fired at the head of the largest; the powder hadbecome damp, the gun hung fire, till he was in the act of taking it fromhis shoulder, when it went off, and the ball grazed the side of thelarge elephant's head. She stopped for an instant, and then rushedfuriously forward: whether struck down or not, he could never say; butLieut. Moodie fell. The animal had only one tusk, which missed him asshe rushed upon him; but it ploughed up the earth within an inch or twoof his body; she then caught him by the middle with her trunk, threwhim between her fore feet, and battered him with them for a short time;one of these huge feet once pressed him so much, that his bones bentunder its weight. He did not lose his recollection, and he constantlywas able to twitch himself on one side, and so avoid several blows. Twoof his party came up and fired at her; one bullet alone touching her inthe shoulder; her young ones then retreated, and she left her victim, finally knocking him with her hind feet as she went off. He got up, picked up his gun, and staggered away as fast as he could. She turnedround, looked after him; and he then lay down in the long grass, and soeluded her observation. 

A soldier of the Royal African Corps did not escape as Mr. Moodie did, for an elephant caught him with his trunk, carried him some distance, threw him down, brought his four feet together and trod and stamped uponhim till he was dead. He left the body, then returned to it, knelt downupon, crushed and kneaded it once more; then he seized it with histrunk, bore it to the jungle, and threw it among the bushes. 

One of the strongest instincts of the elephant is to try the strength ofeverything before he ventures upon it, and it is almost impossible toinduce him to trust himself upon any surface which is not perfectly firmand steady. Therefore the well-authenticated story is the moreextraordinary of a rope-dancing, or rather walking elephant, who notonly walked forwards, but backwards upon a suspended rope. 

A female elephant, seven years old, on being brought to the Adelphi, first ascertained the safety of the stage, and then began to rehearsethe parts she used to play in Paris. Having succeeded so well in thisplace, she took a higher walk of performances at the Coburg theatre, where she rehearsed for three weeks, then distinguished the actors, learnt to place the crown on the head of the lawful king, and feasted athis banquet with perfect propriety. All this was taught her by kindness. 

A poor little calf elephant hovered about the body of its mother aftershe had been killed, making the most mournful noises; the herd haddeserted them, and they had passed the night in the forest. The poorthing, when the hunters came up, entwined its little proboscis abouttheir legs, showed its delight at their approach by many ungainlyantics, then went to the body of its mother, scaring away the vultures;ran round it with every mark of grief, and tried to raise it with itstrunk. Of course the confidence of the baby elephant was not abused, though its wishes for aid towards its mother, could not be gratified. 

The elephants of Ceylon have always been reckoned the best; andinstances of their memory are quite extraordinary. A favourite mode ofexecution among the Canadians, when they were masters of the island, wasto make the elephants trample upon the criminals, so as to crush theirlimbs first, and by avoiding the vital parts prolong their agony. WhenMr. Sirr was there, he saw one of these elephant executioners. The wordof command, "Slay the wretch!" was given to him; upon which he raisedhis trunk, pretended to twist it round a body, then slowly raised one ofhis fore feet, and placed it where the limbs of the victim would havebeen; then he stood motionless with his trunk in the air. He was orderedto complete his work, and he placed one foot as if on the man's abdomen, and another as if on his head, with apparently sufficient force todestroy life. The elephant had not done this for thirty-five years, andyet recollected the whole. They attain a great age, and have been knownto live more than a hundred years. 

Major Rogers, who had killed one thousand four hundred elephants, shotone on whom the ball only made a flesh wound; the creature, in a fury, uttered its trumpet-like shriek, seized the Major with his trunk, carried him to a deep hole, dashed him into it, and trampled upon him, breaking his right arm in two places, and several of his ribs. He musthave been killed if the hole had been large enough to give the elephantroom to exercise his whole strength. He became senseless; but when hecame to himself, found the elephant gone, and friends about him: he knewwhat had happened, and said he had always made up his mind, in case ofsuch an accident, to remain quite passive, as affording the best chanceof escape--and his plan answered. 

Nothing done to elephants by way of insult, teasing, or unkindness, isever forgotten or forgiven by them, and they are sure to take anopportunity of revenging themselves. On the other hand, kindness isequally remembered and appreciated; an awkward proof of which occurredto a lady, who, when she frequently went to see a male elephant, carriedto him bread, apples, and brandy. To show his gratitude for these, hetook her up with his trunk one day, and seated her on his back. As shecould not enjoy this testimonial of his feelings, she uttered the mostpiercing shrieks, and implored the assistance of those around. Hiskeepers, however, advised her not to stir, and there she was obliged towait till he again encircled her with his trunk, and put her on theground in safety. Of the attachment of elephants to each other, a proofwas given by two in the Jardin des Plantes, who had been with difficultyseparated during their journey thither from Holland. They were placed intwo apartments, divided by a portcullis. The male soon found out thatthis was fastened only by a perpendicular bolt, which he soon raised, and then rushed into the other room. The joy of the two at meeting canscarcely be described: their cries of joy shook the whole building, andthey blew air from their trunks resembling the blasts from smiths'bellows. The female moved her ears with great rapidity, and entwined hertrunk round the body of the male; she kept the end motionless for a longtime close to his ear, and after holding it again round his body, applied it to her own mouth. The male encircled her with his trunk, andshed tears. They were afterwards kept in the same apartment; and theirattachment was never interrupted. 

The indignation of elephants at being laughed at or deceived, has beenmanifested very often; and sometimes they punish the offenders withdeath; at others, they seem perfectly to understand in what way theirretaliation will take most effect, without inflicting so serious areproof. 

An artist in Paris was anxious to draw one of the elephants of themenagerie there; with his trunk in the air, and his mouth wide open. After throwing fruit and vegetables in for some time, to make him repeatthe attitude, his keeper only pretended to do so, fearing to give himtoo much food. The elephant at last became irritated, and perfectlyunderstood that the artist was the cause of his annoyance; he, therefore, turned round upon him, and dashed a quantity of water overthe paper on which he was drawing. It is chiefly in animals of greatestintelligence that we find the greatest affection and gratitude;elephants have sometimes refused to eat, and have pined to death whenseparated from their favourite keepers, and they are never obliteratedfrom their memory. Their humanity is also frequently conspicuous; and weare told of one who, on being ordered to walk over the bodies of somesick persons, at first refused to advance; and then on being goaded byhis driver, gently took the poor men up with his trunk, and laid them onone side, so that he could not do them any injury. 

The following is another fearful instance of their power and vengeance, related by Mr. Burchell, a South African traveller. "Carl Krieger was afearless hunter, and being an excellent marksman, often ventured intothe most dangerous situations. One day, having with his party pursued anelephant which he had wounded, the irritated animal suddenly turnedround, and singling out from the rest the person by whom he had beeninjured, seized him with his trunk, and lifting his wretched victim highin the air, dashed him with dreadful force to the ground. Hiscompanions, struck with horror, fled precipitately from the fatal scene, unable to look back upon the rest of the dreadful tragedy; but on thefollowing day, they repaired to the spot, where they collected the fewbones that could be found, and buried them. The enraged animal had notonly literally trampled Krieger's body to pieces, but did not feel itsvengeance satisfied till it had pounded the very flesh and bones intothe dust, so that nothing of the unfortunate man remained excepting afew of the latter, which made most resistance from their size. "

M. Frederic Cuvier, in his admirable essay on the "Domestication ofAnimals, " writes as follows, concerning an elephant in the menagerie ofthe Jardin des Plantes. The care of this animal had been confided, whenhe was only three or four years old, to a young person, who taught him anumber of those tricks which amuse the public. The animal loved him somuch, as not only to be perfectly obedient to all his commands, but tobe unhappy out of his presence. He rejected the kindness of every oneelse, and even was with difficulty persuaded to eat the food presentedto him. 

During a certain period, the elephant had remained with his owner, andthe young man, his son, had constantly evinced the greatest kindnesstowards the animal; but he was at length sold to the government, and hiskeeper hired to take care of him; deprived of all restraint, and hisfamily no longer present to watch over him, the latter neglected hischarge, and when intoxicated, even struck his favourite, for heabandoned himself to the worst habits. The naturally cheerfuldisposition of the elephant began to alter, and he was thought to beill; he was still obedient, but his exercises no longer gave himpleasure. He now and then appeared to be impatient, but tried to represshis feelings; the struggle, however, changed him so much, that hiskeeper became still more dissatisfied with him. Orders had been given tothe young man never to beat the elephant, but in vain. Mortified atlosing his influence, which daily became less, his own irritabilityincreased; and one day being more unreasonable than ever, he struck theelephant with such brutality, that the beast uttered a furious cry. Thefrightened keeper fled, and it was well he did so, for from that momentthe elephant could not endure the sight of him, becoming violent themoment he appeared; and nothing ever restored the poor animal to hisprevious good conduct: hatred had succeeded to love, indocility toobedience, and as long as the animal lived these two latter feelingspredominated. 

Mr. Broderip, in his delightful Zoological Recreations, tells us of anelephant which was shewn, among other wild beasts, at a fair in the Westof England. One of the spectators gratified the elephant by someexcellent gingerbread nuts, in return for which, the animal, unsolicited, performed his tricks. The donor, however, was a practicaljoker, and when he had gained the confidence of the good-tempered beast, presented him with a large parcel, weighing two or three pounds, whichthe elephant took unsuspectingly, all at once. He had scarcelyswallowed it, however, than he set up a loud roar, and seemed to sufferexceedingly; he gave the bucket to his keeper, as if to ask for water, which was supplied to him most plentifully. "Ho!" said his tormentor, "Those nuts were a trifle hot, old fellow, I guess. " "You had better beoff, " exclaimed the keeper, "unless you want the bucket at your head;and serve you right, too. " The elephant drank the sixth bucket full, andthen hurled the empty vessel at the head of the man, just as he clearedthe entrance of the show, or most probably he would have lost his life. A year after, at the same place, the joker again went to see theelephant, with one pocket full of good nuts, and the other with nuts ofpepper. He gave the animal some of the first, and then presented himwith one that was hot. The moment the elephant tasted it, he seized thecoat tails of the man, and lifted him from the ground, when the clothgiving way, he dropped down, half dead with fright; and his coat reducedto a jacket. The elephant retained the skirts, inserted his trunk intothe pockets, and devoured the good nuts in the most leisurely manner, after due examination. Those done, he trampled upon the others, till hehad reduced them to a mash, then tore the coat skirts to rags, and threwthem to their owner. 

We must not omit to mention the remarkable partiality of the elephantfor brandy, rum, or arrack, either of which will tempt him to makeextraordinary exertions, and which seems almost unnatural in so simple afeeder. 

HIPPOPOTAMUS. 

When all London, and half England, have been to see the Hippopotamus, atthe Zoological Gardens, I feel as if a work on animals, written at thepresent moment, would be incomplete unless it contained some notice ofthis animal. Nevertheless, in spite of research into old and new books, into private reminiscences, and personal recollections, I find itdifficult to raise him to the intellectual place of those which havebeen, or will be treated of in my pages. When I heard praises solavishly bestowed upon him, when I became even reproached for not havingbeen to see him, I began to think I had been mistaken, and that myformer acquaintance with his brethren must have been made undercircumstances which had caused prejudice; I therefore paid him a visit, spent some little time in watching and observing him, and came away, more than ever astonished at the marvellous effects which novelty andvariety will produce in the minds of men; throwing beauty and interestover the most ungainly form and good-natured stupidity. He certainlylooks to greater advantage in this country than he does in his own; forhere a rose-coloured blush tinges his skin, and there he is too oftencovered with mud, to wear any other appearance than that of a dirtybrown. 

The hippopotamus is exclusively a denizen of Africa; and perfectlyharmless when unprovoked; except that he sometimes gets into theplantations in the vicinity of his haunts, and crushes and devours acrop of maize, or millet. He would rather avoid fighting or quarreling;but, like all other brute creatures, can retaliate an injury with afury, which is rendered frightful by his enormous weight. He looks bestwhen walking in the shallow part of a lake or river, just under thewater, with his eyes open; but if there should be a boat, or canoe onthe surface, the sooner it bears its freight to the shore the better;for he is sure at least to try and upset it with his huge back; not thathe has any murderous intentions, but he probably thinks it is anintrusion on his peculiar domains. 

The hide of the hippopotamus, of which tremendous whips are made, is atleast two inches thick, and has no hair upon it; his legs are so short, that the body of one that is full grown, almost reaches the ground, andsometimes measures five feet across; his tail is very short andinsignificant, and his eyes and ears are very small. They live togetherin small numbers, feed chiefly on grass and aquatic plants, and comeforth at night. Each foot has four toes, and each toe a separate hoof;the nostrils open on the top of the muzzle; their flesh is thought to bevery good to eat, and to resemble pork. A thick layer of fat lies justunder the skin, which the Africans look upon as a great delicacy for thetable. The male is the largest; and two species are said to exist. Theexploits of Mr. Gordon Cumming give us a lively picture of their habits;but there is nothing in his work which affords the slightest interest intheir mental faculties. The following account from the pen of CaptainOwen who explored so large a portion of the African shores, is the onlyinstance I have met with which wears the semblance of almost unprovokedanger on the part of a hippopotamus:--"While examining a branch of theTemby river, in Delagoa Bay, a violent shock was suddenly felt fromunderneath the boat, and in another moment, a monstrous hippopotamusreared itself up from the water, and in a most ferocious and menacingattitude rushed open-mouthed at the boat; with one grasp of itstremendous jaws it seized and tore seven planks from her side; thecreature disappeared for a few seconds, and then rose again, apparentlyintending to repeat the attack, but was fortunately deterred by thecontents of a musket discharged in its face. The boat rapidly filled;but, as she was not more than an oar's length from the shore, they (thecrew) succeeded in reaching it before she sank. The keel, in allprobability, had touched the back of the animal, which, irritating him, occasioned this furious attack; and had he got his upper jaw above thegunwale, the whole broadside must have been torn out. The force of theshock from beneath, previously to the attack, was so violent, that herstern was almost lifted out of the water, and Mr. Tambs, the midshipmansteering, was thrown overboard, but fortunately rescued before theirritated animal could seize him. "

The hippopotamus, with his shy and secluded habits, may be easily passedas he lies concealed among the reeds which grow by the side of theriver, but if once he gets into the water, he is always to be detectedby the blowing noise which he makes. 

HOGS. 

Nature has so strongly marked the wild and the tame Hog with the samecharacters, that no hesitation arises in pronouncing the former to bethe stock from whence we have derived the latter. In common, however, with all other free and domesticated animals, there is a prolongation ofmuzzle in the wild species, which is not to be found in those of oursties. The tusks also are larger; in this instance, as in all others, showing how bountifully the Great Creator provides for all. The domestichog is not required to seek his food and dig roots as his untamedbrother does, and, therefore, the parts most used for these purposes arenot equally developed. Both, however, possess very powerful muscles ofthe neck and shoulder, to give movement to their large and strong jaws. They all have four toes on each foot; the two in the middle being muchthe largest and armed with strong hoofs. Their snout looks as if it hadbeen suddenly chopped off, as if to expose the nostrils, which arepierced in this truncated portion. Their triangular, canine teeth, ortusks, project beyond the mouth; those of both jaws curve upwards. Theymake very formidable weapons, as many a dog and huntsman has known tohis cost. Wild hogs are covered with stiff, dark brown hair, which getsgrizzly with age, and is more upright along the back. The tail is short;and in many varieties of the domestic pig, it curls very tightly. 

The male wild boar only associates with the female for a short period, and at other times lives alone, in the thickest parts of dense forests;coming forth in the evening to procure his food, which is chiefly of avegetable nature. It is only when pressed by hunger, that wild hogs willeat animal substances. The females herd together, and their youngremain with them till they are two or three years old. When they areabout to be born, the mothers retreat as far as possible from thefathers, as the latter have a most longing desire always to devour theiroffspring. The females, left to defend themselves and their children, place the latter behind them, and expose themselves in a line to theattacks of an enemy, or they form a circle round them, and evince anextraordinary amount of fury and courage. Sparrman, the South Africantraveller asserts, that the species of wild sow in those regions, whenso closely pursued that it is impossible for them to make off, take theyoung pigs in their mouths. To his astonishment, one day, when pursuinga herd, all the young ones disappeared, nor could he explain the mysterytill aware of this singular fact. 

The hunting of wild boars has, from the most ancient times, beenreckoned a noble sport; for it not only called for dexterity andcourage, but was attended with considerable danger, from the extremesavageness of these animals when at bay, and the facility with whichthey rip open their antagonists with their tusks. They were in formertimes considered as royal game, and fines were imposed on those whokilled them without having the privilege of doing so. The time of theirextirpation in England is uncertain; but we know that in the reign ofCharles the First, orders were given for some domestic hogs to be turnedinto the New Forest, that they might become wild; but they were alldestroyed in the time of Cromwell. Some still exist in the largeEuropean forests, and a variety of hounds are still trained to huntthem. Horses are particularly alarmed at them, and in the history ofboar-hunts, we constantly read of the sportsmen being forced to alightfrom their steeds to take a steady aim. The numbers of ancient arms inwhich they are found, and the names of old places derived from them, attest their numerous presence here; for instance, Brandon, which is_brawn's den_; brawn being the old term for boar. Their skin is so thickas frequently to deaden the force of bullets, which, after death, havebeen found lying between it and the flesh. 

The wild boars of Africa have a broader snout than their Europeanbrethren, and possess two protuberances under the eyes, which preventthem from seeing anything underneath them. They live in subterraneanholes; and one which had been for some time kept in confinement, wasaccidentally left loose in a small court near his cage, upon which hetore up the pavement, and had already made a deep pit when his keeperreturned. When the natives of Africa spear or entrap one, they tie hisfore-feet together, sling him on a pole, decorate him and themselveswith creeping plants, and return to their huts with triumphant shoutsand rejoicing. The flesh of these is very close-grained, white andhard. The impossibility of keeping meat in that country till it becomestender, makes wild boar flesh almost useless to Europeans, unless theirteeth vie with those of negroes. 

Some idea of the sort of sport which attends the chase of wild boars, may be formed from the following account of one which took place in aforest in Luxembourg. At a battle, several of these animals were driventogether, and they came rushing on like a squadron of heavy dragoons, breaking through the underwood. Several shots were fired, and they triedto disperse. One huntsman got out of the line, and a boar came rushingupon him; but a fresh shot broke one of his legs; which, however, thoughit made him more savage, caused him to turn into the forest. Thewell-trained dogs, and the huntsmen pursued him; and when they came upwith him, found him terrifically savage. One of the hounds, more daringthan the rest, made a dart at the beast, seized him by one ear, andbounded over him to the opposite side. They ran off together, the boar'shead almost turned upside down; but, with a sudden jerk, the dog wasshaken off, and the boar tearing him open, tossed him several feet inthe air. The pack then gathered so thickly round, that the boar'sprogress was stayed; the men then came up and cut his throat. At anotherpoint of the wood, a sow, weighing three hundred pounds, and followedby her young, was wounded, and furiously pursued a hunter, whom shesurprised in a narrow pass between two rocks. He waited her approach andfired, or rather tried to do so, but his gun missed; he then, in aninstant, fell on his face and hands, and the sow ran over his body. Rising, and loading his gun, he provoked the sow again by his cries. Thefoaming creature, with flashing eyes, turned upon him; but this time shereceived the charge in her head and fell. 

Wild hogs are easily domesticated, and as easily resume theiruncivilized habits; but they seem then to keep in packs. Mr. Byamrelates the following adventure with these renegades:--"I was one dayhunting alone, on foot, in a rather open wood, when a large boar madehis appearance about sixty yards off, and not seeing any of hiscompanions, I let fly the ball, and tumbled him over. He gave a fiercegrunt or two as he lay; and a large herd of boars and sows rushed out ofsome thick underwood behind him, and, after looking at the fallen beastfor a few seconds, made a dash at me: but they were a trifle too late, for on catching sight of them, I ran to a tree, 'cut up' it for life, and had only just scrambled into some diverging branches, about ten feetfrom the ground, when the whole herd arrived; grunting and squeaking, atthe foot of the tree. I could not help laughing at the ridiculous figureI must have made, chased up a tree by a dozen of pigs; but it soonturned out no laughing matter, for their patience was not, as Iexpected, soon exhausted; and they settled round the tree about twentyyards distant, and kept looking at me with their little twinkling eyes, as much as to say, 'We'll have you yet. '" So far are Mr. Byam's ownwords; and I now give the sequel in a more abridged form, though, by sodoing, I feel that I deprive the story of some of its zest:--Having madeup his mind to a regular siege, he examined his resources, and foundthem to be a double-barreled gun, a flask of powder (nearly full), plenty of copper caps; a few charges of shot; only two balls; a knife, flint, and steel; a piece of hard, dried tongue; a small flask ofspirits and water; and a good bundle of cigars. He could not expectrelief, a sally was out of the question; so he made himself ascomfortable as he could. Hour after hour passed, the pigs never stirred, except when one or two returned to look at their dead comrade, as if tosharpen their revenge. At length the imprisoned hunter thought of firingoff some powder every few minutes, shouting at the same time. One barrelof his gun was still loaded with shot, and he aimed at an old boar; who, on returning from his deceased friend, had looked up at him and grunted. The whole charge, at a distance of about twenty feet, went into theboar's face, who then turned round and ran away, making a horriblenoise. The rest of the party charged altogether up to the foot of thetree, but the outcry of the old boar drew them away; and the whole herdwent after him, making such a noise as never before had saluted Mr. Byam's ears. He remained in the tree a short time; and, when all wasquiet, he slipped down, and ran away as fast as he could, in a contrarydirection. 

Hogs are not equally prized by all nations. The detestation in whichthey were held by the Egyptians, was continued by the Israelites; notonly from living with those people, but because they were uncleananimals. They are still viewed in that light by Brahmins and Mussulmans, who only rear them to sell to Christians, or to make scavengers of them, for, in a domestic state, they are omnivorous. The dislike of the latterto them was once very serviceable to me; for when we were bivouackingclose to a Mahommedan village, the people, and the priests throngedaround us, so as to be extremely troublesome; and the only way in whichwe could keep them at a distance, without force, was by tying pieces ofham over the different entrances of the building in which we were. 

Somewhat like rats, there seems to be a mysterious distribution of swineall over the face of the earth; and much astonishment was created in theminds of the discoverers of the South Sea Islands, by finding them inthose far-off specks of the earth. Perhaps there had been earliernavigators there than ourselves. 

Pork, fresh or cured, forms the principal food of our sailors andpeasantry; and most precious is the pig to the poor man. It is often thepet of the younger branches of his family, and returns their affectionwith interest. 

Of course, it is an idle fable that pigs can see and smell the wind; butit is perfectly true that they are always much agitated when a storm isapproaching. 

Considering the stupid way in which they run when they are frightened, the manner in which they squeak on all occasions, and the obstinacywhich they evince, very often when an endeavour is made to add to theirrelief or comfort, it is not surprising that a low estimate of theirintelligence should hare been formed. Nevertheless, they have beentrained to point out letters and spell words, till they have acquiredthe appellation of "learned pigs. " What, however, is more useful, theydraw the plough in the south of France--they are taught to hunt thetruffles, which are hidden under the soil--they even stand at game likethe most accomplished pointers. The latter instruction was conveyed bymeans of stones and pudding; if they failed in their duty, they receivedthe former; but when they drooped their ears and tail, and sank upontheir knees, nor rose till the birds had already risen, they feasted on"lumps o' pudding. "

Of the voracity of pigs, there are many stories, all more or lessdisagreeable; and none more so than when they have killed and partiallyeaten children, and utterly devoured their young keepers. Such storieshave been too well authenticated to be doubted; but they are exceptionsto the general history of the animal. It is much more pleasing to referto the life, death, and burial of poor Jean, who was saved out of alitter of six (born on board ship) from the butcher's knife. She wasbrought up as a pet, and suffered to run about deck, among sheep andgoats. Most of the live stock was washed off, but Jean remained becauseshe had been stowed away in the long boat. In warm latitudes the mentook their meals on deck, and she was always one of the mess, poking hernose into every bread bag, and scalding it in the soup. The sailorspoured grog down her throat, and twice made her tipsy; and she behavedas most individuals do on such occasions. 

In consequence of the scarcity of fresh provisions in the Chinese seas, Jean was ordered to be killed, her fry to be eaten one day, her headmade into turtle soup the next, and after that, her legs, etc. , roasted;but the ship's company pleaded that she might be spared, stating, amongother reasons, that when called, she came like a dog. "Jean! Jean!"exclaimed the captain, and she bounced along, tripping up the officer ofthe watch. 

Like most pets, Jean became intolerably fat and lazy, in which conditionshe was an object of great attraction to the Chinese; they longed forher, wanted to buy her, begged for her, and watched for her, knowing shemust die soon, and then be thrown overboard. Jack, however, had noinclination to gratify the Chinamen, and when poor Jean breathed herlast, two masses of ballast iron were placed, one on each cheek, andlashed to her neck and shoulders in such a manner, that by theirprojection they made a long, sharp snout, which would penetrate into themud. She was lowered over the ship's side, head foremost, and when belowthe surface of the water, the rope was cast off, and her well-loadedcarcase went down too deep, even for the search of the cunningChinese. [6]

[6] The source whence I obtained this anecdote has escaped me; but Ithink it is from the pen of Captain Basil Hall. 

RHINOCEROSES. 

With quite as little personal beauty as the Pachydermata of which I havehitherto treated, the Rhinoceros takes his place among the powerful ofthe earth. He has no tusks, but bears one or two horns upon his nose. Ofthese, when there are two, the foremost is the largest, all are curvedand polished, and appear to be formed of hairs, aggregated into a solidmass. The bones of the nose are remarkably thickened and developed intothat form which is best adapted to resist a shock--namely, the arch; andby this, not only is the animal able to carry its horn high, but to bearthe tremendous resistance with which it meets when it uses that horn. Inall but one species the upper lip is prolonged, and capable of suchextension that it becomes prehensile; it protrudes this lip, lowers itshorn or horns, so as to lean forwards, and rushes at the object of itsanger or dislike with almost inconceivable fury. I have alreadycontradicted the assertion, that it seeks the elephant for the purposeof giving him battle, on which occasion it was said to sharpen its hornagainst a stone just before the engagement: according to Mr. GordonCumming's account, they inhabit the same neighbourhood withoutexhibiting any particular enmity towards each other. 

As far as we know at present, there are six species, all of whichinhabit Africa and India, including Java and Sumatra; they have threetoes on each foot covered with a hoof. The sides of their body projectin a remarkable degree; their skin is enormously thick, knotty in itssurface, and has but a few hairs scattered over it. The Indianrhinoceroses have enormous folds of this skin, hanging upon theshoulders, haunches, neck and thighs, looking as if each fold covered athick rope; the ears of all are erect, the eyes small and near the nose;the tail short; they carry their heads so low that they almost touch theearth; they plough up the ground with their horn, scattering stones andsoil without any apparent motive, and few things can resist theimpetuous force which they put forth, when they rush upon an objectwhich has excited their fury. Their smell and hearing are extremelyacute, so that it is difficult to approach them; but as their sight isvery limited, they may be avoided by slipping on one side when they arein pursuit of an enemy. 

The Javanese and Sumatran species are smaller, lighter, and consequentlyless ferocious and powerful than the others. Both in Africa and Indiathere is a superstition with regard to the horns of all the species, which the natives declare are sensibly acted on by poison. It is thecustom to make cups of them, and in India it is said, that liquid poisonpoured into them, effervesces in such a manner that it overflows thecup. In Africa, the inhabitants assure you, that the cup will turn blackfrom the same cause; and that water drunk from them possesses medicinalproperties, especially if stirred with iron. The folds on the skin ofthe African species are much less than those of the Indian, and amountto scarcely more than wrinkles. The latter have been known to live ahundred years, and when young, their skin has a pink tinge. All eat theyoung branches of trees, and shrubs, and grass. 

It has been observed, that the skin of the African rhinoceros is so fullof insects, that birds are in the habit of perching upon them, for thepurpose of feeding on these insects. They suffer their winged friends toremain undisturbed, thinking, that as long as they stay, no enemy isnear; but if they fly off, some danger is approaching, for which theyimmediately look out. These birds are not unlike the missal thrush, andremain by their friends till they are forced to leave them. When thelatter are shot, they fly away, uttering a harsh cry, and return totheir positions when all is quiet, even adhering to them all night. Thismay be also the case in India; but I have only seen it recorded ofAfrica. 

I should suppose that the loud blowing noise attributed to the Africanrhinoceros, holds good with all. The black variety is the mostdangerous; they ramble about at night, and go to the river to drink, between the hours of nine and twelve. Those sudden fits of frenzy, towhich all are liable, are particularly outrageous in them; and they havebeen seen to attack the bushes around them for hours at a time; utteringa strange noise, something like the combination of a grunt and awhistle. Their flesh is rather like beef, perhaps having even a finerflavour. They go about singly or in pairs, are much the most active, andpursue any object which attracts them with a perseverance which is quiteludicrous. According to Major Harris, much of the brain lies under thehorns, and he saw them sometimes assemble in herds of thirty-two. Thebest place to aim at, when it is desirable to kill them, is behind theshoulder. Before they charge, they stand rolling their body from side toside. They become furious at the sight of fire, and in order to get atit, they dash forward with mad fury, nor rest till they have scatteredand extinguished all the burning wood. 

The White Rhinoceroses have a longer neck than the others. Their muzzleis shorter, and more square, resembling that of the ox. 

Most of the rhinoceroses brought to Europe have been remarkablygood-tempered and docile; but one which was lodged in Exeter Change, wasonly kept in order by the whip; no kindness having any effect upon him, especially in his sudden fits of fury, which were of the most frightfulviolence. 

Mr. Burchell's measurement of a rhinoceros, made him eleven feet fromthe tip of the nose to the insertion of the tail, and the girth of thebody was eight feet four inches. 

"Some years ago, " says Captain Brown, "a party of Europeans, with theirnative attendants and elephants (of course this must have been inIndia) met with a small band of seven (rhinoceroses). These were led bya larger, and more powerful animal than the rest. When this large leadercharged the hunters, the first elephants, in place of using their tusksas weapons, wheeled round, and received the blow of the rhinoceros'shorn on their hind quarters; and so powerful was the concussion, that itbrought them instantly to the ground with their riders; and as soon asthey could get on their feet again, the brute was ready to repeat theattack, and was certain to produce another fall; and in this manner didthe contest continue, until four of the seven were killed, when the restmade good their retreat. "

HORSES. 

Although, still lingering among the Pachydermata, I have now left behindme the ponderous and unwieldy forms which inhabit the wild and woodedtracts of the earth's surface, and come to the group called Solipeda, from the one round and horny hoof which encircles all the feet; one toeis apparent; and two points on each side, under the skin, representlateral toes; besides which there is, underneath, a soft pad, or what isgenerally termed the frog, which touches the ground when the animalwalks. 

Strength, beauty, and activity, are all combined in horses; theirelegantly shaped head, with its long pointed ears, and large eyes, iscarried high or thrown back; and while they rapidly glance into thehorizon, to look for friends or foes, their well defined nostrils snifffresh vigour from the passing breeze; but this is not all--these sameears laid flat back upon their head tell you that they have beenaffronted, and mean to be revenged for the insult; when they are uprightthey are listening to sounds, which their rider cannot hear, and whenthey are pointed forward they rejoice in the affectionate voices ofthose whom they love. Those full, hazel eyes denote passions of variouskinds, are often turned full of parental love on the offspring whichgambols by their side, or of gratitude upon their kind masters, following their benefactors with a melancholy look, when they take theirdeparture. Those nostrils are dilated sometimes with anger, at otherswith the pleasures of the chase; and the arched neck, the broad muscularchest, the graceful, curving lines of the body, the well-shaped, sinewylimbs, sometimes slender and delicate in their proportions, bear thesebeautiful creatures over hill and dale almost with the swiftness of abird; while their long mane and tail float in the air, as if thecreature whom they adorn were about to soar to heaven. 

In a state of freedom, horses are swift, fierce, and inquisitive; theyherd together in large numbers. The males evince the most faithfulattachment to the females, and protect them and their offspring to thedeath. The latter are fond and devoted mothers. 

In activity, there is no animal which more decidedly takes its characterfrom its early masters or instructors; their admirable qualities areheightened; their fierceness becomes courage; their wild actions areturned into play, and their attachment and sagacity are only surpassedby those of the dog. On the other hand, most of what are called theirvices may be traced to their early training. Allowances must, of course, be made for natural disposition, which varies as much in the brutecreation as it does in man; and I have met with ill-tempered horses, which have been so from the moment they were taken from their nativeforests; but generally speaking, the horse becomes the protector, thecompanion, the friend, of his possessor. When dead, every part of him isuseful; and when living, all his energies make him one of the greatestblessings which a beneficent Creator has bestowed on the earthly lord ofall. 

Horses' teeth are so important a part of their history, that althoughthis book does not profess to treat of science, it would be incompleteif I did not briefly point out how distinctly they shew the age of theanimal. First of all, however, it should be known, that the mouth seemsto have been expressly formed for the bit, by which man controls thisadmirable creature; for, corresponding with each angle of the mouth is aspace between the teeth, in which it lodges with the greatestconvenience. The front teeth, or incisors, begin to appear when thehorse is fifteen days old, and amount to six in number in each jaw. All, from the first, are at the top, or crown, hollowed into a groove. Thetwo in the middle are shed and replaced at three years and a half, thetwo next at four and a half, and the two outside, called the cornerteeth, at seven and a half, or eight. The grooves on the crowns, becomeeffaced, and the tops of the teeth are more triangular as age increases. The females have no canine teeth; but the males always have two smallones in the upper jaw, and sometimes two in the lower; the former appearwhen they are four years old, the latter at three and a half; theyremain pointed till the horse has attained six years, and when he is tenthey begin to grow loose, and expose their roots. They have six grindersin each side of each jaw, with flat crowns, and the plates of enamelwhich surround the dental substance, appear in them like four crescents. The life of horses generally lasts about thirty years; but they havefrequently been known to exceed that age. Then, however, mastication hasbecome difficult, they get lean, or what is called out of condition; andold favorites, if they are attended to as they ought to be, after longand faithful services, have their food bruised, and even cooked forthem. It is surprising to see what entire rest frequently does for them, even at an advanced age; and I have seen them, in consequence of it, again taken into a degree of service when they have been supposed pastall work. 

The origin of horses is involved in so much obscurity, that it has givenrise to frequent speculation; not as in the dog, with regard to the typeof the race, but the quarter of the globe where they were first located. It appears to me, that the greatest mass of opinion is in favour ofTartary, or Central Asia, where it is supposed that the only existingwild race now lives, all the rest in a state of freedom, being feral, ordescended from domesticated pairs, which have again become wild. Some ofthese are also on the steppes of Tartary; but immense numbers inhabitthe extensive plains of South America, which are supposed to be thedescendants of the Spanish horses, and to have escaped from theconquerors of that continent. Large herds also run about in variousparts of North America and Africa; and smaller numbers in England, wherethey have dwindled to ponies. Mr. Bell, whose authority few would dareto dispute, thinks that the Egyptians were the first people who broughtthe horse into subjection, and that Africa contained the original race;but the ancient mysteries of the East are only now beginning to beopened to us; and, I suspect, we shall find that the Egyptians derivedtheir horses, as well as everything else, from the still older Asiatics. 

It would be in vain to attempt, in a work of this kind, to describe thedifferent species and varieties of horses; I shall, therefore, quicklypass on to a small selection from the numerous anecdotes placed beforeme, a few of which are the results of personal experience. Before I dothis, however, it may be as well to make a few observations concerningtheir food. They are eminently vegetable feeders; grains and driedgrasses, such as hay and straw, also clover, being preferred when theyare in constant service. The more valuable sorts are seldom much usedwhile they are feeding entirely on green grass. They are extremely fondof the niceties which are so often bestowed on pets, such as bread, apples, cakes, etc. ; and some are passionately fond of sugar. M. Frederic Cuvier taught one he constantly rode, to play certain tricks, rewarding him for them with sugar; and, if the provision contained inhis pocket were not sufficient, he would stop at a road-side inn, andprocure some more for the horse. Accordingly, when the sagacious animalcame again to these houses, he would perform the same antics which hadbefore procured him the sugar, and then stand still, as if again toreceive his reward. While speaking of this creature, I may as wellmention, that he delighted in pulling down his own hay, and feeding thegoats, which lived on the other side of his palings, with it; and once, when he was fed with straw, on account of some malady, his companions, who ate at the same manger, were so concerned at what they thought hisinferior fare, that they pushed their hay to him. 

Horses have not the least objection to animal food; and it has beenoften given to them when they have been obliged to perform immensejourneys, or to undergo any very great exertion. It, however, excitesthem very much, and, if not judiciously bestowed, makes them fierce anduncontrollable. Stories are told of poor men, who, when the despots ofthe East have ordered them to give up their favourite horses, have fedthem on flesh, and rendered them so unmanageable, that the tyrants haveno longer desired what they once thought a prize. Horses will also drinkstrong ale, etc. , with the greatest relish; and oat gruel, mixed withit, has often proved an excellent restorative for them after an unusualstrain upon their powers. They will not refuse even spirits or wine, administered in the same manner; but it is very questionable if theseare equally efficacious. There is no telling, however, what strangeinconsistencies domestication will produce in the matter of food; forcats have been known to refuse everything for boiled greens, when theywere to be had. 

The following account is abridged from Mr. Kohl's description of thoseAsiatic horses, which are bred in the steppes, and are private property, although he calls them quite wild. --"Only in the heart of Tartary canthe horse be found perfectly in a wild state. One herd in the steppewill consist of 1000 horses; but the keepers of herds will have several. Dressed in leather, with a girdle which contains the implements of hisveterinary art; a black lambskin cap on his head, the _tabuntshik_, orherdsman, eats, drinks, and sleeps in his saddle; has no shelter, anddare not even turn his back upon a storm, as the creatures do for whomhe is responsible. In his hand he holds a whip, with a thick, shorthandle, and a lash from fifteen to eighteen feet long. Then he must havea sling, with which he takes unerring aim at each individual of hisstraggling herd; then a wolf-stick, with a knob of iron at the end, hangs from his saddle; and a cask of water, a bag of bread, and a bottleof brandy are necessary parts of his equipment. He pays for every horsethat is lost; in ten years he is worn out, yet is unfit for any otherlife; he lives in constant dread of horse-stealers, notwithstandingwhich he steals them himself. 

"From Easter to October the herds graze day and night in the steppes. Inthe winter they are sheltered at night by mounds of earth, and a sort ofroof, from the north. The stallions and stronger horses take possessionof the shed, and the rest stand outside, huddled together. In severewinters, sickness and death overtake them, and those who survive, walkabout like specters. But when they eat the young grass, which appearswhen the snow is melted, they are as wild and mischievous as ever. Thestallions seem to consider themselves as the chiefs of the herd; and oneof these, by right of strength, is the chief _par excellence_. Sometimesone stallion will have affronted the rest, and all combine to turn himout; and then he will be seen apart from them, with a few maresattending him. [7] Occasionally two herds will fight for right ofpasture; the mares and foals keep aloof, the stallions flourish theirtails, erect their manes, rattle their hoofs together, and fasten oneach other with their teeth; the victorious party carrying off severalmares. 

"In the spring come the wolves, being very fond of young foals; so theyconstantly prowl round the herds, never attacking them by day if theyare numerous; but come at night, and if they are scattered, they make arush upon their victims. The stallions, however, charge at them; andthey take flight only, however, to return and secure a straggling foal, to whose rescue the mother comes, and herself perishes. When this isfound out, a terrible battle ensues; the foals are placed in the centre, the mares encircle them, charging the wolves in front; tearing themwith their teeth, and trampling them with their fore-feet, always usingthe latter, and not the hind feet; the stallions rush about, and oftenkill a wolf with one blow; they then pick up the body with their teeth, and throw it to the mares, who trample upon it till its original form isutterly destroyed. If eight or ten hungry wolves should pull down astallion, the whole herd will revenge him, and almost always destroy thewolves; who, however, generally try to avoid these great battles, andchase a mare or foal separated from the rest, creep up to them, imitating a watchdog, and wagging their tails, spring at the throat ofthe mare; and then the foal is carried off. Even this will not alwayssucceed, and if the mare give alarm, the wolf is pursued by herd andkeeper, and his only chance of escape is to throw himself head-foremostdown the steep sides of a ravine. 

"The horses suffer more from thirst in summer than from famine inwinter; the heat is intolerable, there is no shade, and each horse triesto protect itself by its neighbour's body. In the autumn the owners ofthe herd call them in to thresh corn; the turf is removed, the groundbeaten till it is very hard, and a railing placed round it; the corn isspread, and five hundred horses at a time are driven into the enclosure;they are terrified by the crackling straw and the noise of the whip overtheir heads, and the more frantic they are the sooner is the cornthreshed. "

The attachment of Arabs to their horses, the extreme beauty of theseanimals, which form part of the family, and are sometimes more preciousto their owners than wives or children, have become proverbial. They aremanaged by kindness; and nothing can exceed the indignation of theowners when they behold any attempt to manage a horse of any kind bymeans of the whip. It is the Arabian which, imported through Spain, ordirect to England, has produced so much improvement in the Europeanstock. An Arab mare of pure descent, had, by means of the Moors, foundher way to the north western coast of Africa, where she was purchased byan English officer. At first I was a little disappointed in herappearance, for she was thin; but as her foal became independent of her, and learned to eat, she recovered her condition, and I was never tiredof looking at her. To all who delight in admiring wild, unrestrainedaction, there could not be a much greater treat than to have the gatesof the Government-House spur closed, and turn her and her child looseinto it, while we stood upon the veranda to watch them. At no time didshe ever walk; but went every where with a light, dancing step. And onthese occasions the frolics, the gestures, were past all description;standing at one corner, her fore feet stretched out, she would appearto wait for the pretty little son who trotted up to her; when, in amoment, almost so as to elude sight, she would bound completely overhim, and take her stand at another corner; then back again, and roundand round, till it seemed to me that all the tricks taught by Ducrow, the waltzing and quadrilling excepted, must have been suggested bywatching the movements of wild horses. A curious adventure happened tothat little foal, which is worthy of record. A year or two after this, the groom took him to the river to wash his legs, and as he turned tocome out again, a crocodile bit him; he struggled for a moment and fell;this frightened the crocodile away, and the poor young horse was draggedfrom the water's edge; the formidable teeth of the reptile had nearlyseparated the foot from the leg, and it hung by one tendon. There seemedto be no alternative but to shoot him; however, a native suggested tohis owner, that there was a famous Moorish doctor then in the place, andif any one could cure the horse, he could; at any rate it was worth thetrial: the man came, was very quiet, did not promise anything, butunited the parts, bandaged them together, had the patient fastened downin the position in which he chose him to lie, and after some weeks ofcareful tending, the animal was restored to his master even withoutblemish. It was only by passing the hand along the parts which had beensevered, that the scar could be detected; and he was afterwards sold fora handsome sum. 

M. De Lamartine tells an interesting story of an Arab chief and hishorse, which is highly characteristic. They, and the tribe to which theybelonged, attacked a caravan in the night, and were returning with theirplunder, when some horsemen, belonging to the Pasha of Acre, surroundedthem, killed several, and bound the rest with cords. Among the latterwas the chief, Abou el Marek, who was carried to Acre, and, bound handand foot, laid at the entrance of their tent during the night. The painof his wounds kept him awake, and he heard his own horse neigh, who waspicketed at a little distance from him. Wishing to caress him, perhapsfor the last time, he dragged himself up to him, and said--"Poor friend!what will you do among the Turks? You will be shut up under the roof ofa Khan, with the horses of a Pasha or an Aga; no longer will the womenand children of the tent bring you barley, camel's milk, or dhourra, inthe hollow of their hands; no longer will you gallop free as the wind inthe desert; no longer will you cleave the waters with your breast, andlave your sides, as pure as the foam from your lips. If I am to be aslave, at least you may go free. Return to our tent, tell my wife thatAbou el Marek will return no more; but put your head still into thefolds of the tent, and lick the hands of my beloved children. " Withthese words, as his hands were tied, the chief, with his teeth, undidthe fetters which held the courser bound, and set him at liberty; butthe noble animal, on recovering his freedom, instead of galloping awayto the desert, bent his head over his master, and seeing him in fetters, and on the ground, took his clothes gently between his teeth, lifted himup and set off at full speed towards home. Without resting he madestraight for the distant, but well-known tent in the mountains ofArabia. He arrived there in safety, laid his master down at the feet ofhis wife and children, and immediately dropped down dead with fatigue. The whole tribe mourned him, the poets celebrated his fidelity; and hisname is still constantly in the mouths of the Arabs of Jericho. 

The Arabs have five noble races, among which that of Kohlan is the mostcelebrated for its beauty, temper, courage, memory, and almost humanintelligence. 

The value which the Arabs themselves set upon their horses may, perhaps, be exemplified, when I say, that the before-mentioned mare (Cora) hadbeen brought to the coast in some secret manner; and as soon as ittranspired where she was, a comparatively insignificant Sultan of theinterior, sent to offer goods for her to the value of three hundredpounds. When her master left Africa, he sold her to a general officer, and I never heard what became of her after that. The following is a_short_ pedigree of one of these valuable creatures:--"In the name ofGod, the merciful! The cause of the present writing is, that we witnessthat the grey horse Derrish, of Mahomet Bey, is of the first breed ofNedgdee horses, whose mother is the grey mare, Hadha the famous, andwhose father is the bay horse, Dabrouge, of the horses of the tribeBenihaled. We testify on our conscience and fortune, that he is thebreed concerning which the prophet said, 'the true runners, when theyrun, strike fire; they grant prosperity until the day of judgment. ' Wehave testified what is known, and God knows who are true witnesses. " Sixsignatures verified this pedigree. 

I had marked out a selection of quotations as proofs of the highqualities of the noble horse; but I must now be as brief as possible, and not profit too much by the interesting labours of others. Itherefore continue my own observations. When staying on the borders ofthe river Gambia, I saw two of the native horses which belonged to thestud of the Commandant there; they had been brought from the interior, and taken from a wild herd; but they were totally unlike the raceshitherto described. The mare, of a reddish brown, had been some timedomesticated, and was docile and well behaved; neither of thempossessing sufficient character to be referred to the Barb, theDongola, or the Nubian breeds. They were undersized, and not handsome;the male, who had not been long from his native forests, was the bestlooking; carried his head well, was strongly and compactly made, especially about the shoulders, and there was much fire about the head, which, however, was far from handsome; his legs were slender andwell-shaped. The peculiar circumstances in which I was placed, renderedit necessary that I should, for the sake of health, take horse-exercise. There was nothing which could carry me except this little grey horse;for I could not persuade those around me to let me mount Cora, becausethey said she had so hard a mouth: so a side-saddle was put on, and aman with a skirt tried the grey once or twice; he was tolerably quiet, and without much disturbance, he went pretty well for a few weeks; theonly trouble being to get upon his back. He, however, had one greatpeculiarity, which manifested itself rather awkwardly, when a party ofus started to go to a distance. He could not endure strangers, and wouldnot suffer any of his own kind to approach him who did not live in thesame stable as himself. This was great affectation in a horse just wildfrom the woods, but so it was; the instant my companions approached me, he made a bolt, his heels went into the air, and it was in vain toresist his fancy. We returned the next day, and while fording a creek, which we had crossed in a canoe the day before, one of our party forgotmy horse's peculiarity and came up to me; he darted fairly out to sea, and not till he found himself off his legs was he frightened;fortunately alarm made him tractable, and I easily turned his head andlanded in safety. Wishing however, to punish him, I galloped him home, four miles through loose sand, which was over his fetlocks; far, however, from being subdued, when I had dismounted and went to pat hischeck, he tried to bite me. 

The beauty and excellence of English horses, taken as a whole, have beenacknowledged to surpass those of the rest of the world; their speed, their enormous leaps, their long journeys, their strength, have beenfrequent themes of admiration; and I regret that I cannot fill morepages, with the histories that are recorded of them; but there are manyexcellent books on that subject alone, which may be read with greatadvantage; and I pass on to a very clever hunter, called Nannie, whobelonged to my father, and who performed a feat, thought, in mychildhood, to be unique, but which I have of late seen mentioned in thepapers, as accomplished by other horses. In those days, gentlemen seldomretired from the dinner table, without being at least elated; and, on anoccasion of this sort, my father, by way of summing up his favourite'swonderful abilities, said, "he was sure she would, at his bidding, jumpover the supper table, " which was then set out for about twenty persons. Being an only daughter, I was often allowed to exceed the hours at whichchildren are usually sent to bed; and I was therefore present during thewhole scene. Doubts were expressed, bets were laid, the parties becameexcited; and Nannie was ordered from her stable, bridled and saddled, asif for her master's riding. She was led into the room; the gentlemenwere all assembled, the table was glittering with lights, glass, andsilver; the room was also brilliant; and at first, Nannie was a littlesurprised. The chairs were set on each side of the room; but, as theseats were pushed under, they only added to the height; my fathermounted, and said, "Over, Nannie": the docile creature poised herself onher hind legs, stretched out her neck, as if to measure the distance, and cleared the whole; the only ill effect arising from which, was, thatthe marks of her hoofs were left in the carpet. This clever mareconstantly opened the door of her stable, and went to warm herself atthe fire in the harness-room; but her affection for her master had morethan once preserved his life. On one occasion, it is supposed, he hadslipped off her, and been unable to get on again; when, overcome withsleep, he folded his arms, rested them against her side, and laying hishead upon them, remained there in a sound slumber. It was presumed theyhad been in this posture a long time; and, had she moved, his life wouldprobably have been endangered by the fall, for they were close to asteep declivity. On another occasion she came home, neighed at the doorof the dwelling, and did not offer to go to the stable; the family werearoused, servants rose, she trotted back, and stood by her master, whowas lying senseless by the side of the road. They must have fallentogether, as on his chest was the mark of one of her feet, probably madein getting up again. He was only stunned, and in a few days recoveredfrom his fall, while she was more than ever loved. She was a chestnutmare, with a white star; and very like her, was another, called Peggy, which, from having belonged especially to our mother, we, as children, claimed as ours also; and I have always, when recollecting her, beenable to picture to myself the intimacy between horses and human beingsin an Arab family. We crawled over her, we seated ourselves upon herwithout bridle or saddle, we clung to her neck when she had no room forus on her back, and we sat upon her as she herself lay in her stall. When she was ill, we administered the medicine, almost quarreling as towho should take the gruel to her; when she heard our voices, whateverpain she was in, she saluted us with a neigh; she was patient underevery infliction, accommodated herself to every fancy, and, with herprudence and good temper, was often instrumental to our safety. Althoughshe had been a hunter, and was a lady's horse, she went well in harness, and used to run in a curricle, with all the fiery spirits whom my fatherchose to drive; and we must have been dashed to pieces more than once, but for her steadiness and forbearance. At last, we were obliged to partwith her; that is, we were going to live where we could not keep her;and a friend took her into his park, where she was to remain free allthe rest of her life. Five years after, I was sitting at an open window, in the neighbourhood of the metropolis, and a sound met my ear. "If everI heard Peggy's step, " I exclaimed, "that is it; she is now coming alongthe road. " I was disbelieved; but in one minute after, the stillbeautiful creature, though thirty-three years old, was at the gate: werushed to her; we called her; she answered us; she danced about; sherubbed her face against ours; she looked for the same caresses, the sameniceties which she used to get from us--and half an hour quickly passedin mutual caresses. The gentleman in whose park she had been living, hadfound her so fresh, that he had ridden her by easy journeys, to London, and during his few days' visit, sent her to see us--she lived two yearsafter that, and died of old age, without a struggle. 

[Illustration: WILD HORSES AND WOLVES. --Page 330. ]

A friend told me the other day, that a horse had been in the habit ofgoing with his master a certain road, and stopping at the same inn, where those who fed him always threw some beans into the corn put beforehim. After a time, he and his master went from that part of the country, and remained away for two years, then the same habits were resumed, andthe same inn frequented; the latter, however, had changed its owners. While enjoying his dinner, the rider was informed, that his horse wouldnot eat, that he appeared to be perfectly well, but there was somethingwrong about the corn, which they knew not how to rectify, for it was thevery best. The gentleman went to the stable, the horse neighed, lookedat him, and then at the manger, and it struck him suddenly, that theanimal missed the food he had been accustomed to receive there, and nowhere else. "Throw some beans in, " he said to the hostler; he was obeyed;and the horse looked at him as if to express his thanks, and took hismeal contentedly. 

I terminate these anecdotes with one concerning a cart horse, which Inever saw in print, but once. He had frequently given proofs of greatsagacity; but the chief was the following:--"During the winter, a largewide drain had been made, and over this, strong planks had been placedfor our friend, the cart horse, to pass over to his stable. It hadsnowed during the night, and had frozen very hard in the morning. Howhe passed over the planks on going out to work, I know not; but, onbeing turned loose from the cart at breakfast, he came up to them, and Isaw his fore feet slip: he drew back immediately, and seemed for amoment at a loss how to get on. Close to these planks a cart load ofsand had been placed: he put his fore feet on this, and looked wistfullyto the other side of the drain. "

The boy who attended this horse, and who had gone round by another path, seeing him stand there, called him. The horse immediately turned round, and set about scraping the sand most vigorously, first with one hindfoot, then with the other. The boy, perhaps wondering what he was goingto do, waited to see. When the planks were completely covered with sand, the horse turned round again, unhesitatingly walked over, and trotted upto his stable and driver. 

[7] This seems to confirm the opinion of the Indians concerning thesolitary elephants. 

THE ASS. 

Although far from equaling the horse in grace or beauty, the ass, inhis wild condition, is a handsome, swift, and powerful animal, sodifferent to the degenerated, ill-used, and scrubby creatures of thiscountry, that they would scarcely be recognized as belonging to the samestock, if placed side by side. In Spain, and other parts of SouthernEurope, and the Cape de Verde Islands, they are very superior; but theyare even surpassed by those of the East. All acquainted with Scriptureknow the importance formerly attached to them, when the wisest and bestof the land rode in state upon white asses. It will also be recollected, that the Israelites were at first forbidden to use horses, and theplaces of the latter were then supplied by asses. From the time, however, that the finer animals became common, asses seem to have falleninto disrepute; and we read that the greatest of all beings, whenperforming His Divine Mission upon earth, and was about to give himselfup as a sacrifice for us, rode into Jerusalem upon an ass, therebyshewing his humility. 

Asses are eminently creatures of a warm climate, where they have asmooth, sleek coat, well-made legs, and elevated carriage of the head. They were introduced into Great Britain at an early period; for we hearof twelve shillings being paid for one in the time of Ethelred; but theyare supposed to have become extinct, and to have been re-introduced inthe reign of Queen Mary, in consequence of our then intercourse withSpain. They are still in great perfection in Persia, where there are twovarieties, one kept for riding, and the other for carrying burthens. Theformer are very strong, lift their legs well, and are broken in ashorses are; but the best are said to be natives of Arabia. They are notall larger than ours, a smaller variety being frequently met with, norhave they all the dark streak across the shoulders. They are of a paleyellow, silvery grey, brown and reddish colors. The celebrated whiteasses are Albinos. All have a short black mane, a dark streak upon theback; and their tail, which so particularly distinguishes them fromhorses, is covered with short hair, except at the tip, which is adornedwith a tuft, generally dark in color. Their peculiar cry or bray, isproduced by two small cavities in their windpipes; their hoofs are, inDamascus, made into rings, which the lower classes wear under theirarmpits, or round their thumbs, to save them from the rheumatism; theirflesh is much esteemed as food among the Persians and Tartars. They arefond of congregating near Lake Aral in the summer, but go further to thesouth in winter. Vast hordes exist in Tartary, each headed by a chief. They are also numerous in America, having probably been left there bythe Spaniards. 

Mr. Bell describes an ass which belonged to his grandfather, who was soswift, that matches were made against him by the possessors of thefastest asses which could be found; but he beat them all, and evenfollowed the hounds, coming up in gallant style, at the death of thefox. 

The well-known antipathy between the horse and the ass is scarcely tobe explained, and has been often overcome; nevertheless, it always moreor less exists, and many instances are on record in which it has causedinconvenience. One of these I can supply, which occurred when I was inPortugal. I started on a donkey to make a drawing of the great aqueductwhich supplies Lisbon with its delicious water, and just as I had chosenmy position, and established myself, my husband rode up on a beautifuland valuable horse, belonging to a friend. He wished to procure somespecimens of the neighbouring rocks, and not liking to take a borrowedanimal among them, he desired my donkey guide to hold his steed as wellas mine. The boy obeyed; and Mr. Bowdich soon disappeared among thehollows. For a few minutes the horse stood quietly enough; but from thebeginning he gave very significant glances at the companion forced uponhim. At last he worked himself into a complete passion; snorted, pranced, reared, tossed his head, dilated his nostrils, and tried toreach the ass with his fore feet. He was prevented from doing this bythe boy, who opposed him with much temper and courage; he then tried toturn round and kick the object of his indignation, who was by no meansdisposed to take the insult quietly. The boy let go the ass, who gaveone fling at the horse, and then went very quietly to nibble the grass, lying in patches on the rough ground. The horse, however, now tried toget at the donkey; broke his bridle, pursued him, and both scamperedoff, the former doing just the very thing Mr. Bowdich wished to avoid. Iwas obliged to start up suddenly to get out of their way; my pencils andpaper all made independent excursions, and the only thing to be done, was for me to catch the donkey, and the boy to catch the horse. Mine wasmuch the easiest task; but both being accomplished, we kept them apart, the ass standing quietly enough, but the horse refusing to behavehimself unless the boy mounted on his back, and rode him up and down onthe smoothest path he could find. At length Mr. Bowdich returned, andthought all that had passed a good joke, in which I could not agree withhim. He rode away; and I quietly finished my sketch. 

Bishop Heber gives the following description of an ass which he saw in apaddock, near Bombay, and which portrays a different disposition. Hesays, "it was a noble wild ass from Cutch, as high as a well grownGalloway, a beautiful animal, admirably formed for fleetness and power, apparently very gentle and fond of horses, and by no means disliked bythem; in which respect the asses of India differ from all others ofwhich I have heard. The same fact has been told me of the wild ass inRajpootana. "

Of the power of the ass to bear fatigue, the history of Mr. Wilson isan instance. He drove one which was his own property, in a light gig, from Ipswich to London, and back again, a distance of 140 miles, in twodays. The ass went at a pace little short of that of a good gig horse, and fed well at different stages. On his return, he came in without theaid of a whip, at the rate of seven miles an hour, and performed thewhole journey with ease; he was twelve hands and a half high, and halfbred Spanish and English. 

Asses, although they do credit to good feeding, can live on very little, and that little of inferior quality. They have a decided manner ofrefusing to move when they are overloaded; and they are often seizedwith an immovable fit without having any apparent reason for it. Insteep places they are invaluable, and their feet more sure than those ofmen would be. I have seen them put both their fore feet out together, and let them slip, then drag their hind feet up to them, and repeat thisprocess on descending the vitrified, and almost perpendicular roads ofMadeira, taking a zigzag direction across the road each time. Mules dothe same, and perhaps derive the faculty from their asinine blood. 

There cannot be a better proof of the intellect of asses, than byshewing them to be fond of the fine arts; therefore the account of oneat Chartres, must enter into this work. "He used to go to the Chateaud'Ouarville, to hear the music that was often performed there. Theowner of the Chateau was a lady, who had an excellent voice; andwhenever she began to sing, he never failed to draw nearer the window, and listen very attentively. Once, when a piece was performed, which nodoubt pleased him better than any he had heard before, he left hisordinary post, walked without ceremony into the music-room; and in orderto add to the concert, what he thought perhaps might be an improvement, he began to bray with all his might. "

CAMELS. --DROMEDARIES. 

A peculiarity in the digestive organs of some animals causes all thosewho possess it to be thrown together into one large order, bynaturalists. They have no front teeth, except in the lower jaw, and inplace of them, the upper jaw is provided with a bony pad. A very fewhave canine teeth, and their grinders are marked with double crescents. They have two hoofs, but as the inside edge of these is flattened, theylook as if they had only one cleft down the middle, the foot underneathis provided with elastic pads, connecting the toes together, andextruding beyond them at the sides. These cushions at each step expand, support the animal in yielding sand, and protect it on harder ground. 

After they have taken their food, these Ruminantia, as they are called, lie down, and remain in a state of complete repose, in order to chew ita second time; and the process is thus accomplished: they have fourstomachs, the first is called the paunch, and is the largest of all;into it descend the grass, herbs, and leaves, when first cropped andimperfectly masticated. Thence the mass goes into the second stomach, orhoneycomb, so named, because its structure gives it the appearance ofthat substance: it is small and globular, and by means of its cells, squeezes the food into little balls, which are thrown up into the mouthof the animal, to receive a second mastication, called "chewing thecud. " After this has been effected, it descends into the third stomach, or the feck, which looks something like the several leaves of a book;lastly it goes into the fourth stomach, which is merely wrinkled. It isin this that real digestion takes place; all the previous labour havingbeen but a mere preparation for it, and indicated by the name of theorder, taken from a Latin word, signifying "to chew over. "

It would seem impossible for any animals to be more useful to man thanthe dog or the horse, yet these Ruminantia are still more precious tohim, for while they serve him as beasts of burden, or transport, theyperform agricultural labours and supply him generally with a variety offood. Milk, butter, cheese, the very best meat, the strongest yet mostdelicate leather, that most valuable commodity wool, hair, horn, and along list of utilities, all proceeding from them; while the extremebeauty of many of the genera, and the sport they afford, contribute tohis mere pleasure, as well as his comfort. 

The Camels and Dromedaries, which come first before me, are confined butto a small portion of the earth's surface; they, however, in their moreconfined sphere afford incalculable benefits. Without them we should notbe able to traverse those large plains of sand, which lie between thedifferent countries of Africa, and also of south-western Asia. Theirgaunt and angular form does not class them among the beauties to which Ihave alluded; and the only pretensions which their outward appearancecan present for praise, is their admirable adaptation for the officeswhich they have to perform. Their full, upper lip is cleft, their neckis long, their eyes prominent and shaded with eye-lashes, their nostrilsare like slits, which they can close at pleasure; their body has one ortwo humps on it, their legs have callous pads upon them, their feet arelarge and spreading, and their hair hangs loosely upon them in patches. That long, upper lip, however, when the hot blast of the desert almostdries their mouth, plunges into the sand and finds momentary relief bygetting below the surface; that long ungainly neck raises the head sothat the prominent eyes may see objects in the far distance; thosenostrils are apertures to the most acute organs of smell, by which theycan even ascertain that water is near; those callous pads enable them tokneel when they are to be laden, or mounted, and those ugly humps areprovisions of fat, which supply them with nourishment, if, during theirlong journeys, there is a scarcity of provisions. One of their mostinvaluable properties is the length of time which they can go withoutdrinking, owing to the large secretion of water in their honeycombstomach, while in times of intolerable privation, they may be killed, and so save their masters from starvation. 

The camel has two humps, the dromedary one; the last is the lightest andthe swiftest, and is generally chosen for riding, while the formercarries the burdens. High saddles are placed on their backs; and itrequires either to be used to them, or to be particularly careful not tobe half killed at starting. The rider places himself in the saddle whilethe animals are kneeling; and, when they raise their hind legs, whichthey do first of all, they send the unprepared traveller forwards, andhis breath is almost taken out of him by the blow which he receives uponhis chest; then as they get upon their fore legs they throw him back, so as to endanger his spine. Their pace is at first very disagreeable, being so long and slouching; but, generally speaking, they are extremelydocile and affectionate; they, however, will not stir if they think theyare overloaded, and if they are made angry, they are furious, especiallyagainst each other, quarreling much more frequently with their ownspecies than they do with man. Their owners are always very careful tosee that their humps are in good condition before they set off on ajourney, and some varieties are preferred to others on account of theirbeing able to bear a longer period of drought. They are generallydecorated with bells, the sounds of which, in their desert journeys, aresaid to be very agreeable to them. If once they fall from fatigue orsickness they seldom rise again; but, as a whole party, particularlywhen every day's provision of water is measured, cannot be stopped forone, they are left alone to die; their eyes following the masters whoare obliged to abandon them, and whom they have served so faithfully;the vultures, already hovering over them, ready to pick their bones assoon as they have sent forth their last breath. Their spine, when againfound, is often raised upon a pole, as a charm against the witheringspell of the evil eye. 

The load of a camel is about 800 lbs. , and their usual pace nearly threemiles an hour; but at this rate they continue for nine or ten hours. Their colour is chiefly a reddish brown, or grey, rarely black; andoccasionally white. They are natives of the countries which theyinhabit; the dromedary coming from Arabia and Africa, the camel from themiddle of Asia, to the north of the Himalaya mountains. They are said toharbour revenge; but, if this be once gratified, they soon return togood humour. 

LLAMAS, ETC. 

Llamas are called the camels of the New World, and under this commonname are included more than one species. They exist in large herds, andare much more sightly than the animals to which they are compared; theirbacks are straighter, their heads very handsome, and their fleeces arethick and equal. They will carry a load of 150 lbs. , and were the onlybeasts of burthen found among the Peruvians, when these people wereconquered by the Spaniards. Their feet differ from those of the camel, but are equally adapted to the soil which they have to traverse; theyare formed of two springy toes, each of which has a rough cushionunderneath, and a strong, short hoof on the tip, pointed and hooked, like a claw. These take firm hold of the rapid and precipitous ascentsand descents, which they encounter in travelling to and from the mines;in which journeys they carry 100 lbs. Of metal over the rugged mountainpasses, and perform a distance of about twelve miles during the day. Atone time 300, 000 were employed by the Potosi mines alone. In one respectthey imitate camels by lying down, and refusing to stir when they areoverloaded, and they never go beyond their usual pace. They spit in theface of their riders when tied up, or made to lie down; which isparticularly disagreeable, from the nature of their saliva. 

The different species are not clearly defined, and we require a moreintimate knowledge of them before we can separate them from each other:the domestic animals are certainly Llamas; then there are the Guanacos, which are also called Huanacos. They live on mountains, but frequentlypasture in the plains; and when the females do this, the males watchfrom a more elevated position; and if they see men approaching, neighsomething like a horse, to warn them of their danger, then descend intothe valley, and drive their charge before them. 

Besides these two, are the Vicuñas (spelt also Vicunhas), and Vicugnas, who are of a tawny red colour, and live in the bleak, cold parts ofmountains, preferring frost and snow. They are remarkably swift andtimid, and their wool is very fine and silky. 

To these must be added the Paco, or Alpaca, and the Taruga, who arelarger, and even swifter than the Vicuñas, and wander about singly, among steep and rocky places. M. Frederic Cuvier thinks there are butthree species; the Guanaco, which, in a domestic state, is the Llama;the Paco, or Alpaca; and the Vicuña. I am desirous of dwelling thus muchupon these divisions, because the readers of South American travels areoften much puzzled by the manner in which they are mentioned. 

The Guanacos, when they have plenty of the rushy grass, on which theylove to feed, never require any drink, but they have no cells in theirstomach for the secretion of water: they are particularly active inthrowing out their saliva at the least offence. They give very severeblows with their fore feet: and I have often, with the above gentleman, watched them fight with a fury which was at first laughable, tearinglarge mouthfuls of hair from each other, and at last obliged to beseparated, from the injuries they were likely to give and receive. 

The great enemy of these animals is the Puma, and they fly from him; butMr. Darwin says he has often known them not only neigh and squeak whenmen approach, but dance and leap about in the most absurd manner. Theyare easily caught, for they get quite bewildered, when pursued; but theyare much bolder when in captivity. They appear to have favourite spotsto which they go to die, and which are perfectly white with theirbones; this has been observed close to the river Gallego, and elsewhere. 

Manufactures from their hair more resemble silk than woolen stuffs, andsome of those made of the Alpaca fleece, are quite black, without havingbeen dyed. It has been a matter of surprise to many, that they are notnaturalized in this country, as the climate would not be an obstacle tosuccess. The demand, however, for their produce so much, increases, thatit is very probable they may at some future time become denizens of ourmountainous districts. 

DEER. 

The elegant animals included under the name of Deer, afford the highestsport to the hunter, the most precious skins, and delicious food. Considering their size, they are matchless in speed and vigour, and areas beautiful as they are swift. They are spread all over the globe, except Australia, and Central and Southern Africa; their place in thelatter continent being supplied by giraffes and antelopes. They leavethe higher mountains to goats, live on moderate elevations, but delightmost in wide, open countries. The fissures, or what are calledlachrymals, exist in most of them; they are clefts below the eyes, whichbear the name of tear-ducts, but their use is not yet understood. Theywould not be so much developed as they are in many, unless they borestrongly upon the animal's economy; but they do not communicate with thenose, nor are they, in any way, connected with respiration. They arecertainly in relation with glands, because they secrete a greasy fluid, more abundant at some times than at others, when the edges are muchswollen; and the animals often touch objects with them, stretching themwide open, doing so, when they are under excitement of any kind. 

The muzzles of some deer are nearly flat, and destitute of hair; inothers, they are covered with hair, and the upper lip is prehensile. 

Only the male deer have horns, or antlers, as they are called, whichthey shed every year; and, up to a certain age, at every renewal, theyincrease in size and number of branches. They are placed on a bony padupon the forehead, which is covered with skin; and in the second year oftheir age, this skin swells; blood rushes towards the pads, theirarteries increase, and rapidly deposit bony matter, the antlers begin toform, the skin increases with them, and continues to cover them, and thelarge arteries which it carries with it make furrows upon the bonymatter, which always remain. So thick and soft is the pile of hair whichprotects the skin, that it deserves, and has received, the name ofvelvet. When the antlers have attained their yearly size, the arteriesbegin to deposit a rough ring of bone round the edges of the pad, whichincreases till it stops their passage; so that, deprived of its naturalnourishment, the velvet shrivels up, dries, and peels off; a processwhich the deer hastens by rubbing his antlers against trees. The latterare then hard and serviceable, for had they been used and wounded, whentheir covering was so full of blood, the shock would have sent a rush ofit back to the brain, and probably have killed the deer. Before Iunderstood this arrangement, I have seen these animals with woundedhorns, and have wondered much at the large flow of blood which issuedfrom them, and others have probably done the same. When the skin isgone, the antlers remain, as it were mechanically, and as it is one ofthe great laws of life to throw off every thing which is no longer apart of itself, they obey the rule. Absorption takes place beneath thebony ring, particle after particle disappears, and down go the antlers, either from their own weight, or some accidental touch; the part wherethey stood is quickly covered with skin till spring returns, when a newgrowth commences, and a larger pair ensues. The common stag loses hisantlers early in the spring; and they sprout forth again very soonafter. 

There is no part of the game laws of various countries more stringent, than that which relates to the killing of deer, or their management. Whatever concerned Venerie, as it was called, was a necessary part of anobleman's or gentleman's education. The private histories of kings arevery much mixed up with the deer laws, and also some of the publictransactions; for many a fine has been paid, many a worthy person sentinto exile, and many a life lost, in consequence of their infringement;and the technicalities with which the science and the laws were loaded, appear in the present times most absurd and tiresome. 

Deer are still to be found wild in Scotland, but most rarely in England;in the north of Europe and America they are common, and those whichfrequent cold countries have the antlers much flattened, as if to shovelaway the snow; they will sometimes weigh 60 lbs. These animals are everywhere tenacious of life, and will run a long way after being hit in amortal part. 

Rein-deer, which form the wealth of the Laplanders, serve them for foodand clothing, draw them over pathless fields of snow in safety, and arethe only species really domesticated. They eat a lichen which they findunder the snow, during the winter, and live together in large herds. They are the least handsome of the whole tribe; are perfectly obedient, and one man sometimes possesses as many as two thousand. Their jointscrack as they move, and they are extremely fond of salt; even taking itfrom the hands of strangers. They usually run at the rate of ten Englishmiles the hour, but have gone nineteen, and draw a weight of 300 lbs;but they require good driving, and sometimes dash on, perfectlyregardless of the comfort of those in the sledge. Their smell is veryacute; and by it they are enabled to come up with their party, if theyshould have been left behind. They suffer intensely from insects, especially from a large species (_œstrus tarandi_), which deposits itseggs in the hole made by its bite. In order to avoid these pests, therein-deer are driven during the summer months to the mountains whichoverhang the coasts, where their foes are much less numerous. They areso terrified at their approach, that the sight of one will make themfurious. 

Mr. Wentzel says that the Dog-rib Indians go in pairs to kill rein-deer, the foremost carrying in one hand the horns and part of the skin of ahead of the deer, and in the other, a small bundle of twigs, againstwhich he, from time to time, rubs the horns, as the deers do. Hiscompanion follows exactly in his footsteps, holding the guns of both ina horizontal position; so that the muzzle of each projects under the armof the first. Both have a fillet of white skin round their foreheads, and the foremost a strip of the same round each wrist. They graduallyapproach the herd, raise their legs very slowly, and put them down againsuddenly, in the manner of deer. 

If any of the herd see them, they stop, and the head is made to play itspart by copying their movements. By these means the hunters get into thevery centre of the herd without exciting suspicion; the hindmost manthen pushes forward his comrade's gun, and both fire nearly at the sameinstant. The deer scamper off, the hunters trot after them; the pooranimals soon halt to see what alarmed them; their enemies have reloadedtheir guns as they proceeded, and give them a second discharge. Theconsternation of the deer increases, they run about in the utmostconfusion, and the greater number are frequently thus destroyed. 

I have already spoken of dogs which attach themselves to communities, and now I have a similar instance of a deer to offer, in combination, however, with a dog, who attached himself to the 42nd Highlanders, having been presented to that regiment by a friend of one of theofficers. The dog had belonged to a captain in the navy, who dined atthe mess, while the regiment was stationed in Malta, and so attachedhimself to that community, that nothing would induce him to leave it; sohis master was forced to leave his favourite Newfoundland behind him;who, from that moment, would never follow any one who did not wear theuniform of his friends. The soldiers subscribed, and gave him a collarwith the name of the regiment on it, and called him Peter. A mutualattachment soon took place between the deer and the dog; and theyregularly appeared on parade together. The latter frequented thecook-house, where the cook ill-treated him, which was not forgotten, andone day when the bathing time was come, at which recreation Peter wasthe first in and the last out of the water; the cook joined the othersof his corps; and Peter, knowing his power in his own element, pulledhim down, and would have drowned him, had not the soldiers come to hisrescue. 

Both dog and deer marched with the band, and remained with it when inquarters. The latter was very fond of biscuit; but if it had beenbreathed upon he would not touch it, and although many ways of cheatinghim were tried, he invariably detected the contamination. At one time hebecame very irritable; and if a stranger passed between the band and themain body of the regiment, he attacked him with his antlers. He wasgrazing one day when a cat from the neighbourhood bristled up her hair, and set up her back at him; and the poor deer, seized with a sudden andunaccountable panic, sprang over a precipice two hundred feet high, andwas killed on the spot. Peter being close by, rushed to the battlements, and barked and yelled most piteously. His own end was a tragic one; hesnarled at an officer who had often ill-used him, and the unfeeling manordered the poor dog to be shot by those who loved him, and lamented himas long as they lived. 

The smallest of the deer species lives in Ceylon; a lovely, delicatelittle creature, with lustrous eyes, and of exquisite form. When fullgrown it is only ten inches high, fourteen long, and weighs about fivepounds. Its throat, head, and neck, are all white; its body is grey, striped with black, and spotted at equal distances with yellow. Althoughvery timid, it is to be tamed; but if angry, it kicks out its littlehind legs, and slender pointed hoofs, with great violence. One which wasdomesticated was placed on a dinner-table, where it ran about andnibbled fruit from the dishes; answered to its name, and returned thecaresses which were bestowed upon it. Its terror of dogs was at firstvery great; but at last it allowed a small terrier to come close to it;and heard the bark of others without being uneasy. A pair were broughtto England, but soon died from inflammation of the lungs; the common andfatal disease which attacks almost all tropical animals in this climate. 

GIRAFFES. 

Some years ago, giraffes were thought to be fabulous animals; and theill-treated Le Vaillant was supposed to have _invented_ them, in spiteof the description which the Romans left of them. He was a littlepoetical in his style of writing, which John Bull is not fond of whenfacts are narrated, so John Bull begged to doubt his assertions. Helived, however, to see his veracity established, which the kind old man, a year or two before his death, assured me was a great happiness to him. Lord Caledon brought a skin home from the Cape, and badly as it wasstuffed, it began to dawn on the minds of the Europeans, that such ananimal really existed. Then a live one was brought to Paris, and anotherto His Majesty George the Fourth, who petted his till it died. Now thereare several living in our Zoological Gardens; some of whom were born inthe Menagerie. 

The great peculiarity of the giraffes lies in possessing a very shortbody, and very long legs; which formation involves a multitude ofawkward movements; for instance, when they walk fast there is a jerkingin the pace, as if it were not easy to them; and when they gallop, thehind feet often project beyond the fore feet. Their very long neck isnot arched, but bends obliquely from the shoulders, so that when theywish to drink from the ground, they are obliged to hold their fore legsvery widely apart. They look best when going slowly, at which time theirstep is very stately, and their beautiful head is borne loftily aboveother animals; they have two short, bony horns covered with skin, and aprominence of bone on the top of the forehead; they have large, fulleyes, with which, owing to their convex form, they can see immensedistances in all directions; their ears are long and flexible, and theyhave a long, black, prehensile tongue; with this they drag down thebranches of the trees on which they browse. Their upper lip is veryflexible and projects over the under, which greatly assists them inprocuring their food; their tail is long, and has a tuft at the end;their skin is very glossy, is covered with large angular spots, and isoften an inch and a half thick. Their great enemy is the lion, whosprings upon them when they are drinking, and the affrighted giraffesstart with all the speed of a swift courser, their enemy on their back, nor stop till they fall from exhaustion or loss of blood. They werenever heard to utter a sound, and therefore are supposed to be perfectlymute, even when wild. 

I was living in Paris when the giraffe, sent to that country, arrived. She and her keeper, Ati, landed at Bordeaux, amidst most enthusiasticacclamations, which accompanied them all the way to the metropolis. Adeputation from each large town through which she passed, formed of themunicipal authorities, met her, and one of the most learned savants, went all the way from the Jardin des Plantes, and accompanied her onher triumphal march. "La giraffe, " however, did not appreciate thesehonours, and she was often impatient under the etiquette imposed on her. On one occasion she broke loose from her cavalcade, Ati and all, anddashing among the horsemen, scattered them right and left, some on andsome off their steeds; a dignified mayor lay in the dust, and by hisside rolled the pains-taking savant who performed so long a journey inher service. The enthusiasm did not abate when she reached herdestination. Thirteen thousand more than the usual weekly number passedover the Pont d'Austerlitz alone, and as the public curiosity did butincrease for six weeks, steps were obliged to be taken to prevent themultitude from pressing upon her. There were several natives of the Eastat that time in the French capital; and they went among others to seeher. The moment she beheld their turbans, she stretched her neck out andlicked their foreheads, no doubt recognizing their head-dresses. Herlove for roses was very great; and she eagerly snatched them from thosewho carried or wore them, to their great astonishment; for few couldcalculate on the distance which she could reach. I went one day into herpark, holding some carrots in my hand, with some of which I fed her, then turning to the cows, lying at some distance, who had come with herto afford a supply of milk for her on the voyage, I began to give someto them. Without moving her legs from the place where I had left her, she stretched her long neck and head over my head, and hooking thecarrots up with her tongue, surprised me not a little, for I could nottell what shadow was coming over me. She was as fond of onions as ofcarrots; and this is not surprising, for they are very sweet and mild inher native country. Her Darfur attendant, Ati, slept in a gallery at thetop of her stables, and there was very little repose for him afterdaylight; she routed him up with her nose, and seemed to think becauseshe was stirring he ought also to be on the alert. This was ratheragainst his ideas on the subject, as he was apt to stay out late at thedances in the neighbouring _guinguettes_; and he used to complain, allthe time loving her very dearly. 

ANTELOPES. 

The many characters which antelopes possess in common with deer, seem toplace them together; but naturalists have ranked them among thoseRuminantia who have hollow horns. They are some of the most beautifulanimals in the world, and are sub-divided into sections, which depend onthe shape of their horns, but into which classification the present workdoes not enter. The exquisite Gazelle, the type of Eastern beauty, thepoet's theme, with her slight and graceful shape, her slender limbs, and her full, dark eyes, often meets with a fate which has no poetry init; for she is the favourite morsel of the lion and the leopard. Itmight have been thought, that they would have preferred larger and morefleshy game, but, like true epicures, the high flavour of the gazelle ispreferred to size. The falcon is often used by men for catching them, aseven the swift greyhound cannot overtake them; they are also driven intotraps, by surrounding them, in the manner of a battle. Their skin isused in making a peculiar sort of drum. 

The pigmy antelope inhabits some parts of Africa, and, in size, corresponds with the small deer of Ceylon. I never saw so beautiful alittle creature, appearing more like a fable than a reality. Their tinyblack horns are but slightly curved inwards, their legs are not thickerthan the quill with which I am now writing; and yet all the charactersof the antelope are strongly marked. The first I saw had been brought tomy uncle; and as I entered his room, I stood quite still at the door, with surprise at this exquisite, tiny creature, who remained with oneleg up, ready to dart away with the speed of lightning from theintruder, for whose approach he was listening. I feared to move, lestthe vision should disappear; but death soon made it fade awayaltogether. Captain Fisher, of the Navy, tried to take a pair of thesefairy-like creatures to England; they were kept in his own cabin, hegave them all the goat's milk which had been provided for his own use, and took infinite pains to shelter them from cold or accident; hesucceeded in getting them as far as the Channel, where they ate somepieces of cork which had been dropped on the floor, and died. I wasequally unfortunate with a beautiful, spotted antelope, which wasbrought to me; and which never could stand in the house. It had not beenhurt; but the instant it was put upon its legs, it slipped about, and Iwas told this species always did so. I fed it, carried it about, and itwas very gentle, and began to know me, though still wild. It died at theend of a fortnight, in strong convulsions. 

Antelopes are exclusively inhabitants of the Old World; and some ideamay be formed of their immense numbers in South Africa, where thespecies are most varied and powerful, by reading the followingquotations from Mr. Pringle, and Mr. Gordon Cumming. The formersays--"We pursued our journey over extensive plains, still parched bysevere drought, and undulating heights clothed with a brown and scantyherbage, and sprinkled over with numerous herds of springbok. Near thebanks of the Little Fish river, so numerous were those herds, that theyliterally speckled the face of the country, as far as the eye couldreach; insomuch that we calculated we had sometimes within view not lessthan 20, 000 of these beautiful animals. As we galloped on, they boundedoff continually, on either side, with the velocity from which theyderive their colonial appellation. They were probably _part_ of one ofthe great migratory swarms which, after long-continued droughts, sometimes inundate the colony from the Northern wastes. "

Mr. Cumming informs us, that, "When pursued, the springbok jumps up intothe air ten or twelve feet, for which they curve their loins, riseperpendicularly, and the long white hair on their haunches and backfloats about; they pass over a space of twelve to fifteen feet, comedown, then rise again; and after doing this several times, they boundoff, arch their necks, then halt, and face their enemy. If they come toa place over which men or lions have walked, they jump across it. Theycan only be compared to locusts; for they eat up every green thing, andalways return to their haunts by a different road to that which they hadpreviously passed. Their herds consist of tens of thousands; and wherethey have staid for some time, thousands of skulls strew the plain. " Inanother part of his book, the same author tells us, that the ground wasliterally covered with them, forming a dense, living mass, marchingslowly, and pouring like a great river for hours: hundreds of thousandsscarcely tell their number. "I give you my word, " said a boer, "that Ihave ridden a long day's journey, over a succession of flats coveredwith them as far as I could see, as thick as sheep standing in a fold. "

Among the Antelopes of the same part of the world is the Oryx, orGemsbok, a very beautiful animal, which has been supposed to give riseto the Unicorn of Sacred writings; "for its long, straight horns, alwaysso exactly cover one another, when viewing them from a distance, thatthey look like one. They have an erect mane, a long tail, and are like ahorse, with the head and hoof of an Antelope. Their bearing is mostnoble, they are the size of an ass, have black bands about the head, looking like a stall collar. They live in almost barren regions, neverwant water, are very swift, and only to be caught by riding down. "

The fierce Gnoo, Gnu, or _Blue Wilde Beest_ of the colonists to thenorth of the Cape of Good Hope, are not as numerous as the spring-boks;and are easily distinguished by their large, curving horns, and thedownward carriage of their head; for they never can look up. One wasfound with a fore leg caught over his horn, and so was easily secured;for he could not, of course, run, and had probably got himself into thatattitude when fighting. They have a shaggy head, long hair or mane uponthe chest, a long white tail, and wild red eyes. They utter fearfulsnorts, and kick and leap about in the most grotesque and fantasticmanner. If a red handkerchief be held before them, it produces the mostviolent excitement. 

GOATS. 

The three last genera of which I shall treat are all Ruminantia, and aredistinguished by their horns, which are divided into cells; and whichcells communicate with the skull. The two first, goats and sheep, soclosely resemble each other, that in many instances the one appears tobe a mere variety of the other. If we look at the Merino breed, with itsclosely curled, soft, white wool, and then turn to a grave-looking goat, with its long beard and hair, we shall not be conscious of theirresemblance; but if we place a sheep that has long resided in, or beenborn in a tropical country, by the side of the goat, we shall scarcelybe able to distinguish one from the other. The wool gradually uncurls, lengthens, and becomes harsh and glossy; and were not the goat's hornsdirected upward, and then inclined backwards, those of the sheepdirected backwards and returned to the front in a spiral form; had notthe goats, generally speaking, a long beard, and the sheep none, and hadnot the goats a concave or flat forehead, and the sheep mostly a convexone, we should not be able to separate them; and even thesecharacters--if not well defined--are not very conspicuous, unless to apractised, or careful observer. 

The Chamois, which is classed by many among goats, in some degreeapproaches the antelopes. Its horns shoot straight up, and then at thetips turn suddenly back, like a fish hook; it frequents all the mountainchains of Europe and western Asia; in summer climbing to the highestsummits, and displaying the most daring agility. In the winter it comesdown just below the regions of perpetual snow, for the sake ofnourishment. Its smell, sight, and hearing, are very acute, and it willdetect the approach of a hunter at the distance of half a league. Whenfrightened, it bounds from rock to rock, making a strange hissing sound;dashes itself across the most fearful chasms, and throws itself downprecipices of thirty feet. It feeds on herbs and flowers, and the youngshoots of shrubs; seldom drinks, and is extremely fond of salt. As someof the rocks of the Alps contain saltpeter, the chamois has worn holesin them by constant licking. 

As with other domesticated animals, there are many disputes as to theoriginal country of Goats; but most naturalists seem inclined to thinkthat the first stock was placed in Persia; but it is a question involvedin much obscurity. In very far-off times, when superstition and medicinewent hand in hand, and charms were deemed more efficacious than drugs, ahard substance found in the intestines of goats, was greatly valued as acure for most disorders. It was called the bezoar stone, and was aconcretion chiefly of resinous bile and magnesia, and the rest inertvegetable matter. It was sold for ten times its weight in gold, and wassaid to come from some unknown animal, to increase the mystery belongingto it. Bezoars are now found in oxen, sheep, horses, porcupines, andeven the human subject, slightly varying in their construction, and areoften balls of hair, which has been licked off the animal's own coat. 

The Angora and Cappadocian Goats are famed for their long, silky hair, which yields beautiful manufactures; but they are far surpassed by thegoats of Thibet, the under wool of which is combed off, and made intothose shawls which have for years been so famous and so costly. It takesthe produce of ten goats to make a shawl a yard and a half square; thewool is bleached with rice flour, and the heavy taxes levied upon them, makes these unequaled shawls keep up their high price. From theearliest times we read of goat's hair being woven into cloth of variedquality, especially in scriptural writings; and their skins have alwaysafforded valuable leather. That of the kid is of the finest quality. 

All goats are hardy and wandering in their habits, and frequent thoseplaces where no other animal could gain a footing. They exist in a feralstate in the mountainous parts of our island, and throughout Europe andWestern Asia. There is always much attachment between them and horses, when domesticated. Some say it is in consequence of the strong odourwhich is emitted by goats; and others because the horse, who so lovescompanionship, delights in their vivacity. They vigorously defend theiryoung, as the following anecdote will shew. "A person having missed oneof his goats, when the flock returned at night, desired two boys towatch all night, that she should not get into his young plantation, andnibble off the tops of the trees. At daybreak the watchers looked forthe missing animal, and saw her on a pointed rock at some distance. During the night she had given birth to a kid, and was then defending itfrom a fox. The latter went round and round, but she turned her hornsupon him in all directions. The younger boy went to procure assistance, and the elder hollowed and threw stones to frighten away the marauder. Reynard looked at him, saw he was not strong enough to master him, andsuddenly tried to seize the kid. All three disappeared; and were foundat the bottom of a precipice; the goat's horns were stuck into the fox, the kid lay stretched beside her, with a lacerated throat, and it wassupposed; when the death-wound was inflicted by the poor mother, the foxstaggered, and dragged her and her child with him in his fall. " (Capt. Brown's "Popular Natural History. ")

A goat and her kids frequented a square in which I once lived, and wereoften fed by myself and servants; a circumstance which would have madeno impression, had I not heard a thumping at the hall door, which arosefrom the buttings of the goat when the food was not forthcoming, andwhose example was followed by the two little things. After a time thisremained unheeded, and to our great astonishment, one day, the area bellused by the tradespeople, and the wire of which passed by the side ofone of the railings, was sounded. The cook answered it; but no one wasthere save the goat and kids, with their heads bent down towards thekitchen window. It was thought that some boy had rung for them; but theywere watched, and the old goat was seen to hook one of her horns intothe wire, and pull it. This is too much like reason to be ascribed tomere instinct. 

The Caucasian Ibex, is a goat which affords as much dangerous andexciting sport as the chamois, but is more savage; and has been known toturn round on its pursuer, and hurl him down a precipice. It has aremarkable way of throwing itself down these steep places, headforemost, so as to light upon its horns; which being elastic, bear theshock, and save the animal from injury. They pasture in the valleys atnight, and return during the day to the mountains. 

In countries where bulls and cows will not live, goats are invaluable. Their flesh is like bad mutton; but long absence from South downs, makesthe appetite less dainty, and their kids are very delicate. However, itis chiefly for their good, nourishing milk that they are to be prized. The horns of goats are often used by Mussulmans, as an antidote to theevil eye. 

Bishop Heber relates the following anecdote. "A monkey came down from atree to steal the breakfast of a shepherd, who was resting under it withhis flock of sheep and goats. He drove the monkey away, who, in hishurry, upset a bee's nest. The insects flew out, and attacked not onlythe intruder, but the goats and sheep underneath. The curious part wasto watch the different behaviour of the two species. The sheep crowdedtogether, buried their noses in the sand, and did not attempt to resist, but bleated piteously. The goats all ran as fast as they could to anencamping party close by, seeking the assistance of man, as dogs wouldhave done. "

SHEEP. 

IT is but little necessary to descant here on the different fleeces, andvarious flavours of mutton which the numerous breeds of sheep afford. The least reflection and observation, teach us their unspeakable valueas sources of food, clothing, and other purposes; my task therefore lieswith their dispositions and comprehensions. The last anecdote relatedshews, that they have more patience, but less courage and resource, thanthe more lively companions with whom they are so frequently associated, and whom they so much resemble. In many instances, however, maternalinstinct has called forth their powers to a degree which has causedsurprise; and they have been known to traverse considerable distances toseek the assistance of their own kind, or of their shepherd, when theirlambs have been in danger. Moreover, a ram is sometimes a formidableenemy, when he thinks any mischief is intended towards the flock ofwhich he is the proud leader. 

Of the attachment of sheep to their native place, Captain Brown gives avery remarkable instance. "A ewe made a journey of nine days' length toreturn to her native place, with her lamb; and was tracked socompletely, as to make her owners acquainted with her adventures. Nothing turned her back, and whenever her lamb lagged behind, she urgedhim on with her impatient bleating. When she reached Stirling, it wasthe day of an annual fair, and she dared not venture into the crowd;she, therefore, laid herself down by the road side, with her lamb, outside the town, and the next morning early, stole through the streets, only terrified at the dogs which she encountered. She came to atoll-bar, the keeper of which stopped her, supposing she was a strayanimal, and would shortly be claimed. She frequently tried to getthrough the gate, but was as often prevented, and she patiently turnedback. At last she found some means of eluding the obstacle, for on theninth day she reached her destination with her lamb, where she wasrepurchased, and remained till she died of old age in her seventeenthyear. "

Sheep have been known, when seized with an epidemic disorder, to absentthemselves from the rest of the flock, and hide themselves; and manytouching stories are told of the artifices of necessity practised towean them from their dead offspring, and make them adopt others; also ofthe manner in which they remain and watch the inanimate objects of theiraffection. 

A gentleman travelling in a lonely part of the Highlands, received astrong proof of sagacity in a ewe, who came piteously bleating to meethim. When near, she redoubled her cries, and looked up in his face, asif to ask his assistance. He alighted from his gig, and followed her. She led him to a cairn at a considerable distance from the road, wherehe found a lamb, completely wedged in betwixt two large stones, andstruggling with its legs uppermost. He extricated the sufferer, andplaced it on the green sward; and the mother poured forth her thanks ina long and continued bleat. (Capt. Brown's Pop. Nat. Hist. )

The following history was related by one of the shepherds to whom thecircumstance occurred. "We were seven of us, grazing the sheep of a richBulgarian, on the steppe of Atkeshoff, and had a flock of 2000 sheep, and 150 goats. It was the month of March, and they were just driven out;the weather was mild, and the grass had appeared, but the wind wasbitterly cold in the evening, and it began to rain. The rain soon turnedto snow, and our wet cloaks were frozen as hard as boards. A few hoursafter, came a Siberian _viuga_, or snowdrift, from the north-east, whistling about our ears till seeing or hearing was impossible. We triedto find our way home, from which we were not far distant; but the sheepwould not face the wind, and even the goats, who will face anything buta _viuga_, began to run before the storm. To prevent the flock fromscampering away was impossible, and all that could be done was to keepthem together. We had to race all night, and in the morning there wasnothing but snow all round us. The _viuga_ raged all that day, and thepoor sheep were even more wild and frightened than in the night. Sometimes we gave up all as lost, but roused ourselves again, and ranwith the screaming, bleating flock, while the oxen trotted after withthe wagon, and the dogs came howling behind. The poor goats were alllost, or frozen to death the first day, in which we ran at least fiftyor sixty versts, leaving a track of dead sheep behind us. In theevening the poor beasts were less wild, being exhausted by hunger andfatigue. Two of our party reported themselves sick, and crept under themats and skins in the wagon, and the rest had only time to take alittle bread and snow to save life. 

"Night came, no house was near, and this was worse than the preceding. The storm was driving us upon the coast, and we expected to be blownwith our stupid cattle into the sea. Another shepherd fell sick, and wethought that night would have been the last for us all. In the morningthe wind shifted, and drove us towards some houses, which we saw throughthe drifting snow, but though they were not more than thirty feet away, it was quite impossible to make the foolish sheep turn aside. On theywent before the wind, in spite of all we could do, and we soon lostsight of the houses. Their inhabitants, however, had heard the howlingof the dogs, and about twenty came to our assistance. We then managed toturn the sheep, and drive them under sheds, and into houses. All thegoats and five hundred sheep were lost. Many died after they got undershelter, for in their fright, they crowded so close together, that theywere smothered. Half a verst farther, and we should have come to thecoast, rising twenty-five fathoms above the sea. "

The above gives a lively picture of sufferings which are unknown to us, and in which the dogs seem to have been less efficacious than our ownexcellent breed. 

OXEN. 

The widely distributed genus Bos, has horns in both sexes, and in it wefind the largest of the Ruminantia. They, generally speaking, havecomparatively short legs, and heavy massive bodies. The perfection ofdomestic oxen is said to be a resemblance to a box set upon four posts;but in some of the wilder species, an arched back is certainly a beauty. Their foreheads are very wide, and mostly flat; their ears large, andprojecting from the sides of the head; their muzzle broad, destitute ofhair, and always moist. A long ridge passes across the top of theforehead, from which proceed two horns, more or less curved, sometimesof great length, always tapering to a point, and having a bony core. Their neck is thick, and from it hangs a dewlap, which passes betweenthe fore legs. The hoofs are cleft. 

Of the origin of these Ruminants we know absolutely nothing, for theyare spoken of as domesticated animals from the earliest times; andalthough there are such things as wild tribes now existing, we are notsure whether they were placed where they are with their presentcharacters, or whether all are modifications of one pair, according tocircumstances. The most conspicuous among them are the Zebu, theBuffalo, the Bison, and the bulls of various parts of the Old World. Those cattle which roam about in a free state in South America, NewZealand, and Australia, have not very long escaped from the dominion ofman. 

In India some of the heathen natives make a certain ox a sacred animal;the Brahmins worship it; and it is a distinct variety from the commonworking oxen, who are by no means treated kindly. The cherished sortsare very sleek and tame, and even voluntarily go up to strangers whohave grass in their hands, and eat it from them. They are, however, troublesome, as all pets are, and no one will dare to check them, forthey must not be struck. Near Calcutta, they often break into gardens, put their noses into pastrycook's and fruiterer's shops, and have notthe least hesitation, when they are affronted, in going up to theoffenders and giving them a poke with their horns. 

The Zebus are spread over India, China, the Archipelago, Madagascar, andseveral parts of Africa. They are distinguished by a hump of fat betweentheir shoulders, and they are as good for the saddle as for draught. They are more active and agile than we can imagine them to be, accustomed as we are to the slow, heavy pace of others of the tribe;they go with ease at the rate of six miles an hour, and travel forfifteen or sixteen hours in the day. Their paces are very agreeable, being wholly without the circular motion of the hind legs, which makesours so tiring to ride. They will go over a five-barred gate, as well asthe best hunter; are equally good for the plough, or for threshing corn, and the white are the most esteemed. 

The Gayal affords the richest milk, and prefers feeding on trees. Italso comes from India; it is gentle even in its wild state, and runsaway from, but never faces man. 

The Gours are much more formidable than the preceding; and the Indianssay the tiger has no chance with them when full grown. They also eattrees and grass, and will not live in captivity. They grow to an immensesize; their back is arched, and a very thick ridge rises upon it, whichsubsides towards the tail. 

The Yak has narrow nostrils, the ears small and pointed, the foreheadcovered with black curling hair, that on the back is smooth, and of adark brown or black colour, with one white stripe on the withers, andanother on the croup. The shoulders, sides, inside of thighs, and underpart of the body, are covered with a mane of hair which almost reachesthe ground and is of a grizzled black with a central line of white alongthe belly. The tail is a large mass of glossy, coarse hair; quitewhite, and from eighteen to twenty inches long. The horns are small, pointed, and curve forwards. The animal is said to be very wild andmischievous; but it can be tamed. The tails were used by the Mongols andTartars as standards, and throughout the East are now fitted into ivoryhandles, and form brushes for driving away the flies. The Yaks aredull-looking animals, and make a low, grunting noise, causing them to beknown in Europe as the grunting cow. They are very useful whendomesticated, and yield an abundance of milk. Not many years ago, theywere objects of mystery, and those who travelled to collect thecuriosities of nature, were ordered to ascertain their attributes, almost their existence, the tails alone having reached Europe. 

Buffaloes are heavier and clumsier animals than the ox, and are coveredwith coarser hair; they are very wild and savage, rush upon the tiger, crush, and trample him to death. They delight in those steaming marsheswhich are pestilential to other beings, and wallow in stagnant water. Their hide is particularly tough, their flesh hard, and their milkdelicious. They are sometimes trained to be very useful, especiallywhere rivers are apt to be swollen; for they do not fear to breast anytorrent, however violent it may be in its course. They are spread overIndia, China, and various parts of Africa, have been introduced intoSpain and Italy, and wherever they live, malaria is sure to exist. TheCape Buffalo is said to be more than a match for the lion, who onlyovercomes him by some cunning stratagem, or springs upon him when he isdrinking. If, however, others of the herd come to his assistance, thelion is either vanquished, or obliged to decamp. 

A herd consisting of seven wild buffaloes, with one calf, was discoveredin Hindustan, and four gentlemen proceeded to hunt them. After havingfollowed them for three miles, the young one separated from the herd andjoined some tame cattle belonging to a neighbouring village. It waskilled by the party, who afterwards continued the pursuit of the oldones, and they were overtaken in a high grass jungle four miles furtheroff. They were quickly driven from this place, and closely followed formore than six miles over a plain. At length the party succeeded inseparating one buffalo from the herd. Here the encounter began. Afterreceiving several wounds, he still continued his flight; he suddenlyhalted, and kept his pursuers at bay; after a short interval he againfled, was pursued, and wounded as before, carrying the spears stickingin his back and sides for several hundred yards. Lieut. White of the15th N. I. , rode up very close to him, threw his spear, and wounded theanimal in the loins. His horse being much exhausted, was unable to wheelround before the buffalo turned about and charged with such vigour, that both horse and rider were overthrown, and lay many yards distant. Fortunately the lieutenant received no injury, and when the animalapproached, he had the presence of mind to lie flat on his back. Thebeast approached, but stood at his feet without offering any violence. The other sportsmen called repeatedly to their companion to arise andescape. For some time, however, he disregarded their advice, fearful ofthe consequences. At length, in compliance with their entreaty, hearose. The buffalo instantly rushed forward, but Mr. White escaped byagain throwing himself down; while the enraged beast, missing his aim, fell on the ground, his horns grazing Mr. White's back, as he passedover him. After this lucky escape, he seized the favourable opportunity, and regained his horse. The buffalo then took refuge in a tank; and whenhis former opponent joined his companions, who were standing on thebank, the animal issued forth, and selecting Lieut. White for the objectof his vengeance, pursued him to a considerable distance. The buffalowas now rendered quite furious, and attacked every thing within hisreach, such as cows and dogs. Unfortunately an old woman passed, andbecame the victim of his rage; she was taken up without any appearanceof life, having her arms broken, and many wounds. The horsemen were toofatigued to renew the attack, and the buffaloes, having gained avictory, continued their course without further molestation. (Capt. Brown's Pop. Nat. Hist. )

Mr. Pringle describes the Cape Buffalo to be "a very formidable andpowerful animal, considerably larger than the domestic ox; the bony padon his forehead making a complete helmet, and it is impossible to piercehim with bullets which have not been hardened by tin. He is said to befierce, treacherous, and savage, and even when not provoked, will attackany man who strays near his haunts; skulking in the jungle when he seesthen approach, and then suddenly rushing out upon them. If he kill aman, he stands over him for some time, trampling on him with his hoofs, crushing him with his knees, mangling him with his horns, and strippingoff his skin with his rough and prickly tongue. He goes away and returnsagain and again, as if he could not sufficiently glut his vengeance. 

"A party of boers had gone out to hunt a herd of buffaloes which weregrazing on a piece of marshy ground. As they could not get within shotof the game without crossing part of the marsh which was not safe forthe horses, they agreed to leave them in charge of the Hottentots, andadvance on foot, thinking that if any of the buffaloes should turn uponthem, it would be easy to escape by retreating across the quagmire, which, though passable for man, would not support the weight of a heavyquadruped. They advanced accordingly, and, under covert of the bushes, approached the game with such advantage, that the first volley broughtdown three of the fattest of the herd, and so severely wounded the greatbull leader, that he dropped on his knees, bellowing furiously. Thinkinghim mortally wounded, the foremost of the huntsmen issued from thecovert, and began reloading his musket as he advanced, to give him afinishing shot. But no sooner did the infuriated animal see his foe infront of him, than he sprang up and rushed headlong upon him. The man, throwing down his heavy gun, fled towards the quagmire, but the beastwas so close upon him, that he despaired of escaping in that direction, and turning suddenly round a clump of copse-wood, began to climb an oldmimosa tree which stood at one side of it. The raging beast, however, was too quick for him. Bounding forward with a roar, which my informantdescribed as being one of the most frightful sounds he ever heard, hecaught the unfortunate man with his terrible horns, just as he hadnearly escaped his reach, and tossed him into the air with such force, that the body fell dreadfully mangled into a cleft of the tree. Thebuffalo ran round the tree once or twice, apparently looking for theman, until weakened with loss of blood, he again sank on his knees. Therest of the party, recovering from their confusion, then came up anddespatched him, though too late to save their comrade, whose body washanging in the tree quite dead. "

The Aurochs is the European Bison, and is one of the largest and noblestof the genus. He stands six feet high at the shoulders, has two sorts ofhair, one short, soft, and woolly, and the other long, rough, andcovering the upper part and sides of the head; the chest, neck andshoulders, forming an enormous mane, sometimes a foot long. The tongue, lips and palate have a bluish tint, the eyes are small, and piercing; anodour resembling both musk and violets exudes from the skin, especiallythat part which covers the convex forehead, and which may be smelt at adistance of a hundred yards. Their flesh is much esteemed, they live inthickets near swamps, come out at night to eat the bark of young trees, lichens, and young shoots, carry their head low, are never completelytamed, detest the common bull, and their only attachment to human beingsis bestowed on their keepers. They are now rare. A few are found inLithuanian Poland; but they used to inhabit all the European forests. 

The American Bison, now familiarly called a Buffalo, exists in vastherds in the prairies of the New World. A _mob_ of them, as a herd iscalled, is irresistible; destroys everything over which it passes;numbers hundreds of thousands, and rushes like a cataract over theplains, with a noise resembling that of thunder. They are very dangerousanimals to attack, hence the sport they afford is more exciting. Forgraphic pictures of it, I would advise my readers to peruse the pages ofMr. Catlin. They delight in salt springs and morasses; the bullssometimes fight furiously with each other; their greatest enemy is thegrizzly bear, who frequently brings them down; and they have no antipathyto the common ox, like their European brethren. Mr. Bryan shot one; andthe bullet passed completely through him, almost cutting his heart intwo, and yet he ran half a mile before he fell. 

The Musk Oxen live in the high latitudes of North America, are verysmall, but look larger than they are, from the quantity of long, woollyhair with which they are covered, and which often reaches the ground. Their flesh smells strongly of musk; and they are easily irritated. Somestockings made from their long fleece, have been said to equal thosemanufactured with silk. 

The Chillingham Park Cattle are very handsome, being white with redears, and black muzzle; their horns are also white with black tips, andgreatly resemble our Devonshire breed, which is thought to approachnearer than any other to the Welsh wild cattle of ancient times. Theyare fleet, bold, and active, hide their calves for the first week afterthey are born, and are at all times dangerous to approach. 

Like the sheep, there are so many breeds of oxen in this country, thatthe plan of my work cannot embrace them. They are a most important itemin the riches of England; and few are insensible to the merits of ourcheese and roast beef. We are not exactly on the same terms with ouroxen as the Swiss are with theirs, with whom they form a part of thefamily, and where they are adorned with gay trappings and expensivebells; but our cows are familiar friends, coming when they are called, of themselves returning to the farm at milking time, and evincing greataffection. I have not seen it stated elsewhere; but I have been toldmany times, that it is necessary to milk the cow always on the sameside, or she kicks and rebels. Our bulls are sometimes fierce, but aremuch under the influence of voice and gesture. Both sexes will givenotice of approaching rain after a drought, and are very inquisitive. 

Mr. Bell gives us the following anecdote which was witnessed by one ofhis near relatives:--"A cow which was feeding tranquilly in a pasture, the gate of which was open to the road, was much annoyed by amischievous boy, who amused himself by throwing stones at the peacefulanimal; who, after bearing with his impertinence for some time, atlength went up to him, hooked the end of her horn into his clothes, andlifting him from the ground, carried him out of the field, and laid himdown in the road. She then calmly returned to her pasture, leaving himquit with a severe fright and a torn garment. "

In Mr. Byam's "Central America" I find this interesting history, withwhich I conclude the present series of anecdotes:--"A bull had gored somany cattle that he was lassoed, and his horns blunted at the tips, toprevent further mischief. A few weeks after, a panther (jaguar) killed acow, and from the torn condition of the bull's head and neck, and thetrampled state of the ground, he had evidently done battle for the cow. He was secured, his wounds plastered up, his horns made sharp again, and turned out into the Savannah. The wild dogs and vultures having beenkept from the body of the cow during the day, the panther returned tohis feast at night, and a furious engagement took place between him andthe bull; for the former was found dead, close by the cow, the nextmorning, pierced through and through. The bull returned again and againto him with fury, and was himself again wounded; but his gashes weresown up, and he remained so fierce, that his horns were obliged to bere-blunted. "

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Contents:--Arkwright--Burke--Burns--Byron--Canning--Earl of Chatham--AdamClarke--Clive--Captain Cook--Cowper--Crabbe--Davy--Eldon--Erskine--Fox--Franklin--Goldsmith--Earl Grey--Warren Hastings--Heber--Howard--Jenner--SirW. Jones--Mackintosh--H. Martyn--Sir J. Moore--Nelson--Pitt--Romilly--SirW. Scott--Sheridan--Smeaton--Watt--Marquis of Wellesley--Wilberforce--Wilkie--Wellington. 

 "A work which will be welcomed in any circle of intelligent young persons. "--_British Quarterly Review. _

MRS. TRIMMER'S HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 

Revised and brought down to the present time, by MRS. MILNER, withportraits of the Sovereigns in their proper costume, and Frontispiece byHarvey. New Edition in one volume, price 5_s. _ cloth. 

 "The editing has been very judiciously done. The work has an established reputation for the clearness of its genealogical and chronological tables, and for its pervading tone of Christian piety. "--_Church and State Gazette. _

THE CELESTIAL EMPIRE;

or, POINTS AND PICKINGS OF INFORMATION ABOUT CHINA AND THE CHINESE. Bythe Author of "Paul Preston, " "Soldiers and Sailors, " &c. With TwentyEngravings from Drawings by W. H. Prior. Foolscap 8vo. 6_s. _ cloth;6_s. _ 6_d. _ gilt edges. 

 "This very handsome volume contains an almost incredible amount of information. "--_Church and State Gazette. _

 "The book is exactly what the author proposed it should be, full of good information, good feeling, and good temper. "--_Allen's Indian Mail. _

 "Even well-known topics are treated with a graceful air of novelty. "--_Athenæum. _

SOLDIERS AND SAILORS;

OR, ANECDOTES, DETAILS, AND RECOLLECTIONS OF NAVAL AND MILITARY LIFE, ASRELATED TO HIS NEPHEWS BY AN OLD OFFICER. With 50 beautiful Wood-cuts, from Designs by JOHN GILBERT. Foolscap 8vo. 6_s. _ cloth; 6_s. _ 6_d. _gilt edges. 

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TALES FROM THE COURT OF OBERON:

Containing the Favourite Histories of TOM THUMB, GRACIOSA AND PERCINET, VALENTINE AND ORSON, and CHILDREN IN THE WOOD. With SixteenIllustrations by ALFRED CROWQUILL. Small 4to. 3_s. _ 6_d. _ plain; 4_s. _6_d. _ coloured. 

=M. FRASER TYTLER. =

THE WONDER SEEKER;

or, THE HISTORY OF CHARLES DOUGLAS. By M. FRASER TYTLER, Author of"TALES OF THE GREAT AND BRAVE. " With Illustrations by ABSOLON. SecondEdition. Fcap. 8vo. Price 4_s. _ 6_d. _ cloth; 5_s. _ 6_d. _ coloured, giltedges. 

 "It it precisely the book that town boys would like, because it tells them of the country; and country boys cherish, because it teaches them to enjoy in the country what perhaps they never enjoyed before. "--_Art Union. _

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 "The moral tone of the book is bracing, and its spirit excellent; the work cannot fail to delight as well as to benefit the young. "--_Spectator. _

GLIMPSES OF NATURE, AND OBJECTS OF INTEREST DESCRIBED, DURING A VISIT TO THE ISLE OF WIGHT. Designed to assist and encourage Young Persons in forming habits ofobservation. By MRS. LOUDON, Second Edition enlarged, with 41Illustrations. 3_s. _ 6_d. _ cloth. 

 "We could not recommend a more valuable little volume. It is full of information conveyed in the most agreeable manner. "--_Literary Gazette. _

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THE YOUNG LADIES' READER:

With observations on Reading aloud, and Remarks prefixed to thedivisions of the Work. By Mrs. ELLIS, Author of "THE WOMEN OF ENGLAND, "&c. Foolscap 8vo. Price 4_s. _ 6_d. _ cloth. 

Contents. --NARRATIVE AND DESCRIPTION. --ILLUSTRATIONS OFCHARACTER. --ILLUSTRATIONS OF PRINCIPLE. --IMAGINARY SCENES ANDCONVERSATIONS. --MISCELLANEOUS PIECES. --POETRY. 

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THE YOUNG JEWESS AND HER CHRISTIAN SCHOOL-FELLOWS. By the Author of"RHODA, " &c. , with a Frontispiece by J. GILBERT. 16mo. Price 1_s. _ 6_d. _cloth. 

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RHODA: OR, THE EXCELLENCE OF CHARITY. 

With three Illustrations by WILLIAMS. 16mo. Price 2_s. _ cloth. 

 "Not only adapted for children, but many parents might derive great advantage from studying its simple truths. "--_Church and State Gazette. _

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=WORKS BY THE AUTHOR OF MAMMA'S BIBLE STORIES. =

FANNY AND HER MAMMA;

or, EASY LESSONS FOR CHILDREN. In which it is attempted to bringScriptural Principles into daily Practice; with Hints on NurseryDiscipline. Illustrated by J. GILBERT. 16mo. Price 3_s. _ 6_d. _ cloth. 4_s. _ 6_d. _ coloured, gilt edges. 

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SHORT AND SIMPLE PRAYERS, FOR THE USE OF YOUNG CHILDREN, WITH HYMNS. Second Edition. Square 16mo. Price 1_s. _ 6_d. _ cloth. 

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MAMMA'S BIBLE STORIES, FOR HER LITTLE BOYS AND GIRLS, adapted to the capacities of very youngchildren. Eighth Edition, with 12 Engravings, Price 3_s. _ 6_d. _ cloth. 

A SEQUEL TO MAMMA'S BIBLE STORIES. 

Third Edition. With 12 Illustrations. Price 3_s. _ 6_d. _ cloth. 

BIBLE SCENES;

OR, SUNDAY EMPLOYMENT FOR VERY YOUNG CHILDREN. Consisting of TwelveColoured Illustrations on Cards, and the History written in SimpleLanguage. In a neat Box. Price 3_s. _ 6_d. _; or dissected as a Puzzle, price 6_s. _ 6_d. _

FIRST SERIES: HISTORY OF JOSEPH. SECOND SERIES: HISTORY OF OUR SAVIOUR. THIRD SERIES: HISTORY OF MOSES. FOURTH SERIES: THE MIRACLES OF CHRIST. 

 "It is hoped that these 'Scenes' may form a useful and interesting addition to the Sabbath occupations of the Nursery. From their very earliest infancy little children will listen with interest and delight to stories brought thus palpably before their eyes by means of illustration. "--_Preface. _

ARITHMETIC FOR YOUNG CHILDREN, in a Series of Exercises, exhibiting the manner in which it should betaught, by H. GRANT, Author of "Drawing for Young Children, " &c. NewEdition, price 1_s. _ 6_d. _ cloth. 

 "This work will be found effectual for its purpose, and interesting to children. "--_Educational Times. _

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TRUE STORIES FROM ANCIENT HISTORY, Chronologically arranged from the Creation of the World to the Death of Charlemagne. Tenth Edition, with 24 Steel Engravings. 12mo. 5_s. _ cloth; 6_s. _ half-bd. Morocco. 

TRUE STORIES FROM MODERN HISTORY, Chronologically arranged from the Death of Charlemagne to the Year 1849. Seventh Edition, with 24 Steel Engravings. 12mo. 5_s. _ cloth; 6_s. _ half-bd. Morocco. 

TRUE STORIES FROM ENGLISH HISTORY, Chronologically arranged from the Invasion of the Romans to the Present Time. Sixth Edition. With 36 Steel Engravings. 12mo. , price 5_s. _ cloth; 6_s. _ half-bd. Morocco. 

SCENES IN FOREIGN LANDS;

 from the Portfolio and Journal of a Traveller in various parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, and America; upon a plan arranged by the late REV. ISAAC TAYLOR, Author of "SCENES OF COMMERCE, " &c. With 192 Illustrations. 12mo. Price 7_s. _ 6_d. _ cloth; 9_s. _ half-bd. Morocco. 

SCENES OF COMMERCE BY LAND AND SEA;

 or, "Where does it come from?" answered. Upon a plan arranged by the late REV. ISAAC TAYLOR. A New Edition; including "SCENES OF BRITISH WEALTH. " With 66 Engravings on Steel, and a View of the New Royal Exchange. 12mo. Price 6_s. _ cloth; 7_s. _ 6_d. _ half-bd. Morocco. 

HOME AMUSEMENTS, A Collection of RIDDLES, CHARADES, CONUNDRUMS, PARLOUR GAMES, AND FORFEITS. With a Frontispiece printed in gold and colours. 16mo. Price 2_s. _ 6_d. _ cloth. 

THE PRINCE OF WALES'S PRIMER. 

 With 300 Illustrations by J. GILBERT. Dedicated to her Majesty. New edition with title and cover printed in gold and colours. Price 1_s. _

EMILY'S REWARD;

 OR, THE HOLIDAY TRIP TO PARIS. By MRS. HOFLAND (_Her last work_). AUTHOR OF "DAUGHTER OF A GENIUS, " "ELLEN THE TEACHER, " ETC. With a Frontispiece by WILLIAMS. 18mo. Price 2_s. _ 6_d. _ cloth. 

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OUTLINES of IRISH HISTORY: written for the Use of Young Persons. WithEngravings. Price 4_s. _ 6_d. _ half-bound, 12mo. 

WARS of the JEWS, as related by JOSEPHUS; adapted to the capacities ofYoung Persons, and Illustrated with 24 Engravings. Sixth Edition. Price4_s. _ 6_d. _ cloth. 

STORIES from the OLD and NEW TESTAMENTS, on an improved Plan. By theRev. BOURNE HALL DRAPER. With 48 Engravings. Fifth Edition. Price 5_s. _cloth; 6_s. _ half-bound morocco, 12mo. 

BEGINNINGS of BRITISH BIOGRAPHY; being the Lives of One Hundred Personseminent in English History. By the Rev. ISAAC TAYLOR. 48 Engravings. Price 5_s. _ cloth; 6_s. _ half-bd. , 12mo. 

THE JUVENILE TRAVELLERS; or, A Tour through the principal States andKingdoms of Europe; with an Account of their Inhabitants, NaturalProductions, and Antiquities. By PRISCILLA WAKEFIELD. NineteenthEdition, corrected and enlarged. 12mo. Price 6_s. _ cloth. 

A FAMILY TOUR THROUGH THE BRITISH EMPIRE; containing some Account of itsManufactures, Natural and Artificial Curiosities, History andAntiquities. By PRISCILLA WAKEFIELD. Fifteenth Edition, corrected andenlarged. 12mo. Price 6_s. _ cloth. 

MORAL TALES. By MISS EDGEWORTH. A New Edition, in One Volume. Foolscap8vo. Price 5_s. _ cloth. 

HOW TO BE HAPPY; or, Fairy Gifts: to which is added, a SELECTION OFMORAL ALLEGORIES, from the best English Writers. Second Edition, with 8superior Engravings. Price 4_s. _ 6_d. _ cloth, 12mo. 

The VISIT for a WEEK; or, Hints on the Improvement of Time: containingOriginal Tales, Anecdotes from Natural and Moral History, &c. By LUCYPEACOCK. Twelfth Edition. Price 4_s. _ cl. 

The HISTORY of SANDFORD and MERTON. By THOMAS DAY, Esq. A New Editionrevised, with Cuts from Designs by Harvey. Price 4_s. _ 6_d. _ cloth. 

EVENINGS AT HOME; or, The Juvenile Budget Opened. By DR. AIKIN and MRS. BARBAULD. Sixteenth Edition, revised and newly arranged by Arthur Aikin, Esq. , and Miss Aikin. With some additional Pieces by the Authors. WithEngravings by Harvey. Foolscap 8vo. , price 5_s. _ cloth. 

ROWBOTHAM'S NEW AND EASY METHOD OF LEARNING THE FRENCH GENDERS. NewEdition. Price 6_d. _

BELLENGER'S FRENCH WORD AND PHRASE-BOOK; Containing a Select Vocabularyand Dialogues, for the Use of Beginners. New Edition, price 1_s. _sewed. 

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=The Abbé Gaultier's Geographical Works. =

1. FAMILIAR GEOGRAPHY, with a concise Treatise on the Artificial Sphere, and Two coloured Maps, illustrative of the principal Geographical Terms. Thirteenth Edition. Price 3_s. _ cloth, 16mo. 

2. GEOGRAPHICAL and HISTORICAL QUESTIONS, referring by characteristicand distinguishing marks, to the most remarkable places in the World;with 3 small coloured Charts of the comparative heights of Mountains andlength of Rivers. Price 3_s. _ in cloth, 16mo. 

3. An ATLAS, adapted to the Abbé Gaultier's Geographical Games, consisting of 8 Maps, coloured, and in Outline, &c. Price 15_s. _half-bound, folio. 

 *** For the purpose of playing the Games, a set of Counters, on which the names of the Kingdoms, Seas, Rivers &c. , are printed, may be had, price 6_s. _ in a box. 

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=BUTLER'S OUTLINE MAPS=

BUTLER'S OUTLINE MAPS, and KEY; or, Geographical and BiographicalExercises; with a Set of Coloured Outline Maps; designed for the Use ofYoung Persons. By the late WILLIAM BUTLER. Enlarged by the Author's Son, J. O. BUTLER. Twenty-eighth Edition, Revised. Price 4_s. _

 * * * * *

An ABRIDGMENT of ANCIENT GEOGRAPHY, divided into Short Lessons in theform of Questions and Answers, intended as a Sequel to the "Geographyfor Children. " Written by the Abbé Langlet du Fresnoy. With a Map. Second Edition. Price 2_s. _ 6_d. _ 16mo. Cloth. 

BATTLE FIELDS. A Graphic Guide to the Places described in the History ofEngland as the scenes of such Events; with the situation of thePrincipal Naval Engagements fought on the Coast of the British Empire. By Mr. WAUTHIER, Geographer. Price on a large sheet, 5_s. _; in case, 7_s. _ 6_d. _; or mounted on oak and varnished, 12_s. _

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=Mrs. Lovechild's Grammatical Works. =

THE CHILD'S GRAMMAR. By the late Lady FENN, under the assumed name ofMrs. Lovechild. Forty-fourth Edition. 18mo. Price 9_d. _ cloth. 

THE MOTHER'S GRAMMAR: a Sequel to "The Child's Grammar. " Twenty-secondEdition. 18mo. Price 1_s. _ cloth. 

 The first of these little Treatises is intended to be the young pupil's manual; and the greater part of it is to be committed to memory; the Second is designed to remain some time in the possession of the teacher for her own occasional use. 

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 _The following Works are handsomely bound in cloth; with numerous Illustrations to each. _

ANDERSEN'S (H. C. ), NIGHTINGALE AND OTHER TALES, 3_s. _ 6_d. _ plain;4_s. _ 6_d. _ coloured. 

ANDERSEN'S (H. C. ), UGLY DUCK AND OTHER TALES, 3_s. _ 6_d. _ plain; 4_s. _6_d. _ coloured. 

*** The above bound in One Volume entitled "TALES FROM DENMARK, " 6_s. _plain; 7_s. _ 6_d. _ coloured. 

ANECDOTES of KINGS, selected from History; or, Gertrude's Stories forChildren. With Engravings. Price 2_s. _ 6_d. _ plain; 3_s. _ 6_d. _coloured. 

BIBLE ILLUSTRATIONS; or, A Description of Manners and Customs peculiarto the East, and especially Explanatory of the Holy Scriptures. By theRev. B. H. DRAPER. With Engravings. Fourth Edition. Revised by J. KITTO, Editor of "The Pictorial Bible, " &c. Price 4_s. _

 "This volume will be found unusually rich in the species of information so much needed by young readers of the Scriptures. "--_Christian Mother's Mag. _

THE BRITISH HISTORY BRIEFLY TOLD, and a Description of the AncientCustoms, Sports, and Pastimes of the English. Embellished withfull-length Portraits of the Sovereigns of England in their properCostumes, and 18 other Engravings. Price 4_s. _ 6_d. _

CHIT CHAT; or, Short Tales in Short Words. By a MOTHER. Author of"Always Happy. " New Edition, enlarged. With 16 Engravings. Price 3_s. _6_d. _

CONVERSATIONS on the LIFE of JESUS CHRIST, for the use of Children, by aMOTHER. A New Edition. With 12 Engravings. Price 2_s. _ 6_d. _ plain;3_s. _ 6_d. _ coloured. 

COSMORAMA. The Manners, Customs, and Costumes of all Nations of theWorld described. By J. ASPIN. New Edition, with numerous Illustrations. Price 3_s. _ 6_d. _ plain; and 4_s. _ 6_d. _ coloured. 

EASY LESSONS; or, Leading-Strings to Knowledge. In Three Parts. TheFirst and Third Parts by a LADY; the Second Part arranged by the lateMrs. TRIMMER. New Edition; with 8 Engravings. Price 2_s. _ 6_d. _ plain;3_s. _ 6_d. _ coloured. 

FACTS to CORRECT FANCIES; or, Short Narratives compiled from theBiography of Remarkable Women. By a MOTHER. With Engravings. Price 3_s. _6_d. _ plain; 4_s. _ 6_d. _ coloured. 

FANNY AND HER MAMMA; or, Reading Lessons for Children by the Author of"Mamma's Bible Stories, " with Illustrations by JOHN GILBERT. Price 3_s. _6_d. _ plain; 4_s. _ 6_d. _ coloured. 

THE FARM: a New Account of Rural Toils and Produce. By JEFFERYS TAYLOR. Second Edition. Illustrated with 8 Engravings on Steel, and 26Wood-cuts. Price 4_s. _

INFANTINE KNOWLEDGE: a Spelling and Reading-Book, on a Popular Plan, combining much Useful Information with the Rudiments of Learning. By theAuthor of "The Child's Grammar. " With numerous Engravings. --SeventhEdition. Price 3_s. _ plain; or 3_s. _ 6_d. _ coloured, half-bound. 

THE JUVENILE RAMBLER; or, Sketches and Anecdotes of the People ofvarious Countries, with Views of the Principal Cities of the World. NewEdition. Price 3_s. _ 6_d. _

KEY to KNOWLEDGE; or, Things in Common Use simply and shortly Explained. By a MOTHER. Author of "Always Happy, " &c. Twelfth Edition. Withnumerous Illustrations. Price 3_s. _ 6_d. _

THE LADDER to LEARNING: a Collection of Fables, Original and Select, arranged progressively in words of One, Two, and Three Syllables. Editedand improved by the late MRS. TRIMMER. With 79 cuts. Eighteenth Edition. 3_s. _ 6_d. _

LITTLE LESSONS for LITTLE LEARNERS, in words of One Syllable. By Mrs. BARWELL. Seventh Edition, with numerous Illustrations. Price 2_s. _ 6_d. _plain; 3_s. _ 6_d. _ coloured. 

LOUDON'S (Mrs. ) GLIMPSES of NATURE, and Objects of Interest describedduring a Visit to the Isle of Wight; designed to assist and encourageYoung Persons in Forming Habits of Observation. Second Edition, with 41Illustrations. Price 3_s. _ 6_d. _

MAMMA'S BIBLE STORIES, for her Little Boys and Girls, adapted to thecapacity of very Young Children. Eighth Edition. With Engravings. Price3_s. _ 6_d. _

A SEQUEL to MAMMA'S BIBLE STORIES, chiefly in words of Two Syllables. Third Edition, with 12 Illustrations. Price 3_s. _ 6_d. _

SHORT and SIMPLE PRAYERS for CHILDREN, with Hymns. By the Author of"Mamma's Bible Stories. " Price 1_s. _ 6_d. _

MAMMA'S LESSONS for her Little Boys and Girls. With 8 plates. EleventhEdition. Price 2_s. _ 6_d. _ plain; or 3_s. _ 6_d. _ coloured. 

MARMADUKE MULTIPLY'S MERRY METHOD OF MAKING MINOR MATHEMATICIANS; or, The Multiplication Table in Rhyme. With 69 Engravings. Price 4_s. _ 6_d. _coloured. 

THE MINE; or, Subterranean Wonders. An Account of the Operations of theMiner, and the Products of his Labours; with a Description of the mostimportant in all parts of the World. By the late Rev. ISAAC TAYLOR. Sixth Edition, with numerous corrections and additions, by MRS. LOUDON. With 45 New Wood-cuts and 16 Steel Engravings. Price 4_s. _

THE GARDEN; or, Frederic's Monthly Instructions for the Management andFormation of a Flower-Garden. Fourth Edition. With Engravings of theFlowers in Bloom for each Month in the Year, &c. Price 3_s. _ 6_d. _plain, or 6_s. _ with the Flowers coloured. 

THE NATURAL HISTORY of QUADRUPEDS. By F. SHOBERL. With numerousEngravings, from Drawings by T. LANDSEER. New Edition in one volume. Price 4_s. _ 6_d. _ plain; 6_s. _ coloured. 

THE NATURAL HISTORY of BIRDS. By F. SHOBERL. With numerous engravingsfrom Drawings by T. LANDSEER. Price 4_s. _

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PAUL PRESTON'S VOYAGES, TRAVELS, AND REMARKABLE ADVENTURES, principallyin Europe. With numerous engravings. Second Edition. Price 3_s. _ 6_d. _

THE PICTURESQUE PRIMER; or, Useful Matter made Pleasing Pastime forLeisure Hours. By the Rev. W. FLETCHER. New Edition. With 100 Wood-cuts. Price 2_s. _ 6_d. _

THE PUBLIC BUILDINGS of LONDON and WESTMINSTER DESCRIBED. By F. SHOBERL. With 24 steel Engravings. Price 4_s. _ 6_d. _

RODWELL'S (MISS) FIRST STEPS TO SCOTTISH HISTORY, with Ten Illustrationsby WEIGALL. 4_s. _ plain; 4_s. _ 6_d. _ coloured. 

SHORT TALES, written for Children. By Dame Truelove and her Friends. Anew Edition, with 20 Engravings. Price 3_s. _ 6_d. _

THE SHIP; a description of different kinds of Vessels, the Origin ofShip-building, a Brief Sketch of Naval Affairs, with the DistinctiveFlags of different Nations, and numerous illustrative Engravings. By thelate Rev. ISAAC TAYLOR. Sixth Edition, revised. With additions, by M. H. BARKER, Esq. , The Old Sailor. Price 4_s. _

STORIES of EDWARD and his LITTLE FRIENDS. With 12 Illustrations. SecondEdition, 3_s. _ 6_d. _ plain, 4_s. _ 6_d. _ coloured. 

STORIES selected from the HISTORY of FRANCE, chronologically arrangedfrom Clovis to the present time. With Portraits of Thirty-four of theSovereigns in their proper Costumes, also Four Engravings relating toEvents of French History. Price 4_s. _

SUNDAY LESSONS for LITTLE CHILDREN. By Mrs. BARWELL. Third Edition. Price 2_s. _ 6_d. _ plain; 3_s. _ coloured. 

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THE CHAPTER OF KINGS. By MR. COLLINS. With 38 Engravings. (4_s. _coloured. )

FRUITS OF ENTERPRISE, exhibited in the Travels of Belzoni. TwelfthEdition, 18mo. 

FAMILIAR GEOGRAPHY. By the Abbé GAULTIER. With coloured Maps. 

GEOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL QUESTIONS. By the Abbé GAULTIER, forming asequel to 'Familiar Geography. '

CLAUDINE, a Swiss Tale. By the Author of 'Always Happy. '

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A VISIT TO GROVE COTTAGE; and the INDIAN CABINET OPENED. New Edit. 

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DECEPTION, AND FREDERICK MARSDEN, the Faithful Friend. Tales for Youth. 

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LES JEUNES NARRATEURS; or, Moral Tales in French, with a Key to theDifficult Words. By M. De la Voye. 

PICTORIAL FRENCH GRAMMAR. With 80 Illustrations. By M. De la Voye. 

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NINA, an Icelandic Tale. By the Author of "Always Happy. "

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ALPHABET OF GOODY TWO-SHOES; "by learning which, she soon got rich. "

CHILDREN IN THE WOOD. 

CINDERELLA; or, The Little Glass Slipper. 

COCK-ROBIN; a very pretty Painted Toy, for little Girl, or little Boy. 

CRIES OF LONDON (The). 

COSTUMES OF DIFFERENT NATIONS ILLUSTRATED. 

COURTSHIP, MARRIAGE, and PICNIC DINNER OF COCK ROBIN AND JENNY WREN. 

COWSLIP (The); with 30 new wood-cuts, plain (1_s. _ 6_d. _ _coloured_). 

DAISY (The); ditto (ditto). 

DAME PARTLET'S FARM, an Account of the good Life she led, and the Richesshe obtained by Industry. 

DAME TROT AND HER CAT. 

GRACIOSA AND PERCINET. 

GRANDMAMMA'S RHYMES for the Nursery. With superior wood-cuts. Plain. 

HISTORY OF THE APPLE PIE. Written by Z. With DAME DEARLOVE'S DITTIES. 

HISTORY OF THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT. 

INFANT'S FRIEND (The); or, Easy Reading Lessons. 

INFANT'S GRAMMAR (The); or, A Picnic Party of the Parts of Speech. 

JOHN GILPIN (The Diverting History of). 

LITTLE RHYMES FOR LITTLE FOLKS. 

MONKEY'S FROLIC (The), &c. 

MOTHER HUBBARD AND HER DOG. 

NURSERY DITTIES from the Lips of Mrs. Lullaby. Illustrations by Leech. Plain. 

OLD WOMAN AND HER PIG. 

PEACOCK AT HOME (The); with the BUTTERFLY'S BALL; and the FANCY FAIR. 

PORTRAITS AND CHARACTERS OF THE KINGS OF ENGLAND. 

PETER PIPER'S PRACTICAL PRINCIPLES of Plain and Perfect Pronunciation. To which is added, a Collection of Moral and Entertaining Conundrums. 

PRINCE OF WALES'S PRIMER. With 300 Illustrations. 

PUSS IN BOOTS; or, The Master-Cat. 

SIMPLE STORIES, in Words of One Syllable. By the Author of "Stories ofOld Daniel. "

SNOW-DROP (The); or, Poetic Trifles for Little Folks. 

TOM THUMB. 

TOMMY TRIP'S MUSEUM OF BEASTS. Part I. 

TOMMY TRIP'S MUSEUM OF BEASTS. Part II. 

TOMMY TRIP'S MUSEUM OF BIRDS. Part I. 

TOMMY TRIP'S MUSEUM OF BIRDS. Part II. 

VALENTINE AND ORSON. 

WALKS WITH MAMMA; or, Stories in Words of One Syllable. 

WHITTINGTON AND HIS CAT. 

WORD BOOK (The); or, Stories chiefly in Three Letters. 

 * * * * *

LONDON: Printed by SAMUEL BENTLEY & CO. , Bangor House, Shoe Lane.