Quadrupeds, what they are and where found, by Captain Mayne Reid. 

________________________________________________________________________This is a fairly short book, but it certainly hits the spot, for its aimis to inform young people about the four-legged animals of our planet, and this it does very competently. 

Of course there is no reason why young ladies should not read this book:I am sure they would enjoy this just as much Reid's target readership, which was boys. 

There are 24 chapters, each dealing with a kind of animal. Sometimes ananimal genus is given two chapters, for instance domestic dogs, and wilddogs. One grouse: the phrase "well-known" occurs over forty times. Would the "well-known" fact be well-known to the book's intendedreadership? Probably not. 

There are a score of very nice illustrations, most showing numerousanimals of that chapter's genus. 

________________________________________________________________________QUADRUPEDS, WHAT THEY ARE AND WHERE FOUND, BY CAPTAIN MAYNE REID. 

PREFACE. 

I have been called upon to write illustrative sketches to a series ofengravings, designed by an eminent artist. In performing my part of thework I have thrown the _Mammalia_ into twenty-four groups--correspondingmore or less to the picture designs--and have dwelt chiefly on thegeographical distribution of the animals. The _Cetaceae_ and_Vespertilionidae_ are properly omitted. 

In the groups given there is no attempt made at any very scientificarrangement. The sketches are purely of a popular character, even thescientific nomenclature being avoided. It is hoped, however, that theymay prove of service to the zoological tyro, and form as it were hisfirst stepping-stone to a higher order of classification. 

In reality, notwithstanding the prodigious _speculations_ of learnedanatomists, no truly good arrangement of the _Mammalia_ has yet beenarrived at; the deficiency arising from the fact that, as yet, no truezoologist has had the opportunity of a sufficiently extended observationof the natural habits of animals. 

Now, however, that the great agent--steam--has as it were "brought theends of the earth together, " the opportunity is no longer wanting; andit is to be hoped that a better classification may soon be obtained. Who knows but that some ardent young zoologist, who has taken his firstlessons from this little book, may be the man to supply the desideratum?Who knows?

Such a result would be a proud triumph for the author of thesemonographic sketches. 

Mayne Reid. 

CHAPTER ONE. 

MONKEYS OF THE OLD WORLD. 

The great family of the Monkeys, or the "Monkey tribe, " as it is usuallycalled, is divided by naturalists into two large groups--the "Monkeys ofthe Old World, " or those that inhabit Africa, Asia, and the Asiaticislands; and the "Monkeys of the New World, " or those that belong toAmerica. This classification is neither scientific nor natural, but asit serves to simplify the study of these quadrupeds--or _quadrumana_, asthey are termed--it is here retained. Moreover, as there is no genus ofmonkey, nor even a species, common to both hemispheres, such a divisioncan do no harm. 

The number of species of these animals, both in the Old and New Worlds, is so great, that to give a particular description of each would fill alarge volume. It will be only possible in this sketch to point out thecountries they inhabit, and to say a word or two of the more remarkablekinds. 

In point of precedence, the great _Ourang-outang_ contests the palm withthe _Chimpanzee_. Both these creatures often attain the size of anordinary man, and individuals of both have been captured exceeding thissize; while, at the same time, in muscular strength, one of them issupposed to equal seven or eight men. It is remarkable how little isknown of the habits of either. This is accounted for by the fact thatthey both inhabit regions still unexplored by civilised man, dwelling inthick impenetrable forests, where even the savage himself rarelypenetrates. 

Although many exaggerated stories are told of these great satyr apes, and many of these are only "sailors' yarns, " yet it is easy to believethat animals approaching in structure, and even in intelligence, to manhimself, must possess habits of the most singular kind. There is littlemore known of them than there was hundreds of years ago--indeed, wemight say thousands of years; for it is evident that the Carthaginianscame into contact with the chimpanzee on the western coast of Africa, and through them the Romans became acquainted with it; and no doubt itwas this animal that gave origin to most of their stories of satyrs andwild men of the woods. 

The chimpanzee is found only in the forests of tropical Africa--moreespecially along the west coast, the banks of the Gaboon, and otherrivers. The ourang-outang is exclusively Asiatic--inhabiting Borneo, Sumatra, the peninsula of Malacca, Cochin China, and several others ofthe large Oriental islands. Of the ourang-outang there are twospecies--perhaps three--differing very little, except in point of sizeand colour. 

A group of large tail-less apes, usually denominated _Gibbons_, orLong-armed Apes, come next in order. These are neither so large norhuman-like as the ourang or the chimpanzee; nevertheless, they arecapable of walking upon their hind legs, after the manner of bipeds. They are all long-armed apes, and generally use their fore-arms inwalking, but more to assist them in clinging to the branches of trees, and swinging themselves from one to the other. 

The gibbons are all Asiatic monkeys, and inhabit the same countries withthe ourang, viz. , the tropical forests of India and the IndianArchipelago. There are at least a dozen species of them, nearly half ofwhich are found in the Island of Sumatra alone. 

The _Proboscis_ monkeys follow the gibbons. These are also long-armedapes, but with tails and sharp proboscis-like snouts, from which theirname is derived. Only two species are known--both belonging to thegreat Island of Borneo, so rich in varieties of these human-likemammalia. One of the species of proboscis monkeys has also beenobserved in Cochin China. Another large tribe of Asiatic apes, containing in all nearly twenty different species, has been constitutedinto a genus called _Semnopithecus_. These also inhabit the Indiancontinent and the great islands; but they are not so exclusivelytropical in their habits, since several of the species extend theirrange northward to Nepaul, and other districts among the HimalayaMountains. It is a species, or more than one, of these ugly apes thatis venerated by the Hindus; and they are permitted to live withoutmolestation in the sacred groves and temples, though they often provemost troublesome protegees to their fanatical benefactors. 

In Africa, the representatives of this last-mentioned tribe are found inthe _Colobus_ monkeys. Of these there are about a dozen species; andfrom several of them are obtained the long-haired monkey skins ofcommerce. They are all tropical animals, and inhabit the middle zone ofAfrica--their range extending from Abyssinia to the shores of theAtlantic. 

Another very large tribe, containing in all as many as thirty species, and belonging exclusively to Africa, are the _Guenons_. They areclosely allied to the colobus monkeys, but yet sufficiently differentfrom them in habits and conformation to be classed into a separategenus. Most of the guenons inhabit the central regions of Africa; butthey are not exclusively tropical, since several kinds belong toKaffraria, and that region indefinitely called the Cape of Good Hope. 

The _Macaco_ apes constitute another genus, which forms the link betweenthe guenons and the baboons, or dog-headed monkeys. They are neitherexclusively African nor Asiatic monkeys, since species of macacoes arefound in both these continents. They are usually subdivided into themacacoes with long tails, and those with short tails; and there is onespecies which wants this appendage altogether. This is the Magot--perhaps the most noted of all the macacoes, since it was the earliestknown to European nations, and is, in fact, the only species that isindigenous to Europe. It is the magot that inhabits the Rock ofGibraltar. Much has been written as to whether this monkey is reallyindigenous to Europe--some naturalists alleging that it reachedGibraltar from Africa, where it is also common. But it is not generallyknown that, on European ground, the magot is not confined solely to theGibraltar Rock. It is also found in other parts of the south of Spain;and, it is likely enough, has existed there long enough to claim thecharacter of a native. 

In the chain of natural affinities, the _Baboons_, or dog-headedmonkeys, stand next to the macacoes. These are more of a quadruped formthan any yet mentioned; and, both in a moral and physical sense, theyare certainly the ugliest of animals. The hideous Drills and Mandrills, so well-known in our menageries, belong to this genus; as also theChacma, or great dog-monkey of the Cape. 

There are, in all, seven or eight species of baboons, and most of theminhabit Africa. One of the most singular of them, the Hamadryas, extends its range into Arabia; while another, the Black Baboon, is aninhabitant of the Philippine Isles. 

With the baboons we close our list of the Monkeys of the Old World; but, in order to complete the account of these quadruped mammalia, it isnecessary to find a place for those strange creatures usually known asLemurs. These are usually grouped by themselves, and in aclassification succeed the American monkeys--to some of which they havea greater resemblance than to those of the Old World; but, as they areall exclusively inhabitants of the latter, they may appropriately benoticed here. 

The _Lemurs_ are animals having very much the appearance and habits ofmonkeys, but with long snouts or muzzles, resembling that of the fox. Hence they are sometimes called fox-apes. There are many kinds of them, however; and, although classed in a group called lemurs, they differexceedingly from one another, some of them having the appearance offoxes, others more resembling squirrels, and still others like flyingsquirrels--being possessed of a similar wing-like appendage, andcapable, like them, of extended flight. They are known under differentappellations, as Makis, Indris, Loris, Galagos, Tarsiers, Ay-ays, etcetera, and naturalists have subdivided them into a great number ofgenera. They are found both in Africa and Asia; but by far the greaternumber of them, as the Makis and Ay-ays, belong to the Island ofMadagascar. The last are not to be confounded with an animal bearingthe same name--the ay-ay of America. The latter is the singularcreature known as the sloth, of which there are several distinctspecies, all inhabitants of the great forests of tropical America. 

Of the lemurs, at least thirty different kinds are known, more than halfof which belong to the Island of Madagascar. A few species are found onthe west coast of Africa: and the others inhabit the Oriental islands--Ceylon, Java, Sumatra, Timor, Mindanao, and the Philippine Archipelago. 

CHAPTER TWO. 

MONKEYS OF THE NEW WORLD. 

The Monkeys of America differ in many respects from those of the OldWorld. In general they are smaller--none of the species being quite solarge as the baboons. Their bodies and limbs are also more slender andspider-like; and their whole conformation seems intended to adapt themfor dwelling in the great virgin forests of the New World. There is oneparticular in which they differ most remarkably from their congeners ofthe Old World; that is, in having _prehensile_ tails. With these theyare enabled to suspend themselves from the branches of trees, or swingtheir bodies from one to the other; and this prehensile power is fargreater than could be obtained by any clutch of the hand. So great isit, that even after the animal has died from the effect of a shot orother wound, its tail will still remain hooped around the branch; and ifthe body is not taken down by the hunter, it will hang there tillreleased by the decay of the tail!

Not all the monkeys of America possess this prehensile power of tail. Some are entirely without it, and approach nearer to certain kinds inthe Old World; while there are a few species that very closely resemblethe lemurs. These differences have led to a classification of theAmerican monkeys; and they have been thrown into three groups, though itmay be remarked that these groups are not very natural. 

They are as follow:--The _Sapajous_, whose tails are not onlyprehensile, but naked underneath, and tubercled near the tips; the_Sajoas_, who possess the prehensile power, but have hairy tails; andthe _Sajouins_, whose tails are _not_ prehensile. 

For want of a better, this classification may be adopted. 

The Sapajous are subdivided into three genera, of which the Howlers formone. They are so denominated from their habit of assembling in troops, and uttering the most terrible howlings, so loud that the forest isfilled with their sonorous voices. Their cries can be heard at ahalf-league's distance, and produce upon a stranger unaccustomed to suchsounds a very disagreeable impression. The unusual strength of voice isaccounted for by a peculiar drum-like construction of the _os hyoides_, common to all the genera of Sapajous, but more developed in some than inothers; and those in whom the voice is loudest constitute the genus of_Alouatles_, or Howlers. 

Of the true howlers there are about a dozen species known tonaturalists. Most of them are denizens of the tropical forests ofGuiana and Brazil; but some species are not so tropical in their habits, since one or two extend the kingdom of the monkeys into Mexico on thenorth, and southward to Paraguay. 

Closely allied to the last, are the _Ateles_, or Spider monkeys. Thesederive their generic name from their singular spider-like appearance--caused by their disproportionately long and slender limbs, and the greatlength of their tails. None equal them in the prehensile power of thecaudal appendage; and it is of them that that curious story is related--the story of the Monkeys' Bridge--where it is told how they pass over astream: a number of the strongest joining their bodies together by meansof their long tails, and thus forming a bridge, by which the whole troopare enabled to cross. 

Of the spider monkeys there are about a dozen species; but three ofthese have been taken to form one of the three genera into which, asalready stated, the Sapajous are divided. These three differ verylittle from the other spider monkeys, except in being covered with asoft, woolly hair; and, furthermore, in being much more rare than theothers; at all events, they are more rarely seen, as they dwell only inthe thickest forests, far remote from the habitations of man. 

The third and last genus of the Sapajous is that termed _Lagothrix_. They are small monkeys, covered also with soft woolly hair; and theirhabitat is along the banks of rivers. They have a strange habit, notobservable among their congeners, of collecting in small troops, androlling or "clewing" themselves up together. This they do in coldweather, or on the approach of a storm. They summon each other by meansof signals and cries; and selecting the convenient bifurcation of sometree, they there form the singular group. The jaguar and other beastsof prey take advantage of this habit, and often make victims of thewhole _tableau vivant_! There are three species already described, alldenizens of the Brazilian forests. 

The Sajous form the second group of the American monkeys. These havealso prehensile tails; but the power is not so highly-developed in themas in the Sapajous, nor are their tails naked. Moreover, the bodies ofthe Sajous are more robust, and their limbs of stouter make. 

The Sajous are well-tempered creatures, and easily domesticated. Someof the species are favourite pets--on account of their pleasing manners, and the docility of their nature. The old males, however, scarcelydeserve this reputation, as they will bite freely enough when provoked. 

They are not subdivided; but permitted to constitute a single genus, ofwhich there are nearly twenty species--all of them inhabiting equatorialAmerica. 

The Sajouins form the third group; but as the name merely signifiesthose monkeys that have not the power of suspending themselves by thetail, it can hardly be considered a natural group, since there are veryvaried and numerous genera who lack this power. The group of Sajouinsmust therefore be subdivided into several lesser groups. 

First of all we have the true Sajouins; and of these the _Saimiri_ or_Titi_ is the most distinguished species. This pretty little creatureis about equal in size to a squirrel, and possesses all the playfuldisposition of the latter. Its childlike innocence of countenance, aswell as its pleasing and graceful manners, render it a favourite petwherever it can be obtained. Its rich robe of yellowish-grey, mixedwith green, adds to the attraction of its presence. There are severalspecies of Sajouins, known as the Widow monkey, the Moloch, the Mitredmonkey, and the Black-handed Sajouin--all of them dwellers in thetropical regions of America. The Doroucouli is another small species, that in the nocturnal forest often alarms the traveller by its singularcry; and an allied species of Doroucouli constitutes, with the oneabove-mentioned, a second genus of the Sajouins. 

The _Sakis_ form of themselves another and somewhat extensive family ofthe Sajouins. There are a dozen species of them in all; and theypossess the peculiarity of being insect-eaters. They are fond of honey, too; and are often seen ranging the woods, in little troops of ten ortwelve, in search of the nests of the wild bees, which they plunder oftheir luscious stores. 

The _Ouistitis_ also constitute a genus. These, like the Saimiris, arebeautiful little creatures--many of the species not being larger thansquirrels, and marked with the most lively colours: as bright red andorange. There are many different kinds of small squirrels known by thisname, or by its abbreviation--Titi--some of them belonging to the groupof Saimiris, and others to the Ouistitis, properly so called. 

Last of all come the little Tamunus; some of which, in beauty ofcolours, in playfulness of disposition, and other amiable qualities, need not yield either to the Saimiris or Ouistitis. They are equallyprized as pets; and among their Creole owners have equally applied tothem the endearing appellation of Titi-titi. 

Quadrupeds, what they are and where found--by Captain Mayne Reid

CHAPTER THREE. 

BEARS. 

In the days of Linnaeus--that is, a century and a half ago--it wassupposed there was only one kind of Bear in existence--the common Brownbear of Europe. It is true that Linnaeus before his death had heard ofthe great Polar bear, but he had never seen one, and was not certain ofits being a distinct species. Not only has the Polar bear proved to bea very different animal from his brown congener, but other species haveturned up in remote quarters of the globe: until the list of theseinteresting quadrupeds has been extended to the number of at least adozen distinct species--differing not only in size, shape, and colour, but also in many more essential characteristics. Bears have been foundin North America, and others in South America; some in Asia, and stillothers in the islands of the Indian Archipelago; entirely unlike thebrown bear of Europe, as they are to one another. 

As the _Brown bear_ is the oldest of the family known to naturalists, Ishall give him the precedence in this little monograph. 

It is a misnomer to call him the brown bear of Europe, since he is evenmore common in many parts of Asia--especially throughout Asiatic Russiaand Kamtschatka. But he is also met with in most European countries, where there are extensive ranges of mountains. In the mountains ofHungary and Transylvania--as well as in those of Russia, Sweden, andNorway--the brown bear is found. He is also met with as far south asthe Alps--and even the Pyrenees, and Asturias, mountains of Spain; butthe bear of these last-mentioned localities differs considerably fromthe real brown bear of the northern regions; and most probably is adifferent species. 

Again, in North America--in a very remote and sterile region lying tothe westward of Hudson's Bay, and known as the Barren Grounds--a largebrown bear has been observed by travellers and traders of the FurCompany, supposed to be identical with the European bear. This, however, is a doubtful point; and in all likelihood the bear of theBarren Grounds is a new species, only found in that desolate region. 

The brown bear is of solitary habits. During the summer season he roamsabout, growing fat upon roots, fruits, seeds, and wild honey--when hecan procure it. At the approach of winter this animal has the singularhabit of returning to his den, and there remaining dormant or torpidthroughout the season of cold. During this prolonged slumber he takesno sustenance of any kind; and although exceedingly fat when going torest, he comes forth in the spring-time as thin as a skeleton. The denis usually a cave or hollow tree; or, failing this, a _lair_, which theanimal constructs for himself out of branches, lining it snugly withleaves and moss. 

The brown bear is a long-lived animal. Individuals have been known ofthe age of fifty years. The cubs when first born are not much largerthan the puppies of a mastiff. The people of Kamtschatka hunt thisspecies with great assiduity, and obtain from it many of the comfortsand necessaries of life. The skins are used for their beds andcoverlets, for their caps, gloves, and boots. They manufacture from itharness for their dogs. From the intestines they make masks for theirfaces, to protect them from the glare of the sun; and they also use thelatter stretched over their windows as a substitute for glass. Theflesh and fat are among the most esteemed dainties of a Kamtschatkan_cuisine_. Even the shoulder-blades are used as sickles for cuttinggrass. The Laplanders, also--of whose cold country the brown bear is aninhabitant--have a great esteem for this animal. They regard itsprowess as something wonderful, alleging that it has the strength of tenmen, and the sense of twelve! The name for it, in their language, signifies the dog of God. 

The _White_, or _Polar bear_, is, perhaps, the most interesting of thewhole family: not so much on account of his superior size--since thebrown and the grizzly are sometimes as large as he--but rather from hissingular habits, and the many odd stories told about him, dining thelast fifty years, by whalers and Arctic explorers. 

To describe the appearance of the Polar bear would be superfluous. Everybody has seen either a living individual in a menagerie, or astuffed skin of one in a museum; and the long, low, tail-less body--withoutstretched neck and sharp projecting snout--covered with a thick coatof white hair, renders it impossible to mistake the Polar bear for anyother animal. 

This quadruped is more of a _sea_ than _land_ animal. Sometimes, it istrue, he wanders inland for fifty miles or so; but this he does infollowing the course of some river or marshy inlet, where he finds fish. His usual haunts are along the icy shores of the Arctic Ocean, and thenumerous ice-bound islands of the great Polar Sea. There he roams aboutover the frozen banks, or floats upon icebergs and drifts; or, if needbe, takes to the open water, where he can swim with almost the facilityof a fish. 

A proof of his natatory powers is found in the fact that Arctic voyagershave observed him swimming about in the open sea full twenty miles fromthe nearest land! He is equally expert as a diver; and uses this artfor the purpose of capturing various kinds of marine animals, upon whichhe subsists. In regard to food, the Polar bear differs altogether fromhis congeners. He is almost wholly carnivorous in his habits. Indeed, were it otherwise, he could not exist in his icy kingdom--in many partsof which not a trace of vegetation is to be found. Fish of many kinds, birds, and their eggs, and four-footed beasts--when he can lay his clawsupon them--all are welcome to his palate. Nor will he disdain to feastupon the carcass of the great whale--when chance, or the whalefishermen, leaves such a provender in his way. The seal is a particularfavourite with him, and he hunts this creature with skill and assiduity. When he perceives the seal basking upon a ledge of ice, he slipsquietly into the water, and swims to leeward of his intended victim. Heapproaches by frequent short dives--so calculating his distance, that atthe last he comes up close to the spot where the seal is lying. Shouldthe victim attempt to escape, by rolling into the water, it falls intothe bear's clutches: if, on the contrary, it lies still, the bear makesa powerful spring, seizes it on the ice, and then kills and devours itat his leisure. 

In swimming, the Polar bear not only moves rapidly through the water, but is also capable of darting forward in such a way as to seize a fishbefore it can escape beyond reach. On the land, also, he can move withrapidity--his slouching trot being almost as fast as the gallop of ahorse. 

Individuals have been shot that weighed as much as 1600 pounds!

Polar bears are found along the shores of the Arctic Ocean, both in Asiaand America. They do not go to sleep in winter--that is, the males donot. The females with young, however, bury themselves in the snow--having formed a lair--and there remain until they bring forth theiryoung. The cubs are often captured in these snow caves, which theEsquimaux discover by means of dogs trained for this peculiar purpose. 

The _Grizzly bear_ next merits attention. This formidable animal was, for a long time, supposed to be a variety either of the brown bear ofEurope or the black bear of America; but his greater ferocity, so oftenand fatally experienced by travellers, drew the attention of naturalistsupon him, when it was discovered that he was altogether distinct fromeither of the two. His name is usually coupled with that of the RockyMountains of America--for it is chiefly in the defiles and valleys ofthis stupendous chain that he makes his home. He wanders, however, fareastward over the prairies, and also to the Californian Mountains on thewest; and in a latitudinal direction from the borders of Texas on thesouth, northward as far, it is supposed, as the shores of the ArcticSea. At all events, a bear somewhat like him, if not identically thesame, has been seen on the banks of the great Mackenzie River, near itsmouth. Perhaps it may be the brown bear of the Barren Grounds, alreadynoticed; and which last is, in many respects--in size and colourespecially--very similar to the grizzly. 

The grizzly bear is certainly the most ferocious of his tribe--evenexceeding, in this unamiable quality, his white cousin of the icy north;and many a melancholy tale of trapper and Indian hunter attests hisdangerous prowess. He is both carnivorous and frugivorous--will dig forroots and eat fruits when within his reach; but not being atree-climber, he has to content himself with such berries as grow uponthe humbler bushes. Indeed, it is a fortunate circumstance that thefierce animal is unable to ascend a tree. Many a traveller and hunterhave found a neighbouring tree the readiest means of saving their lives, when pursued by this ferocious assailant. Another circumstance is alsoin favour of those pursued by the grizzly bear. In the region where hedwells, but few persons ever go afoot; and although the bear canovertake a pedestrian, his speed is no match for that of the friendlyhorse. 

It is almost hopeless to think of killing a grizzly bear by a singlebullet. There the deadly rifle is no longer deadly--unless when theshot is given in a mortal part; and to take sure aim from the saddle, with a horse dancing in affright, is a feat which even the most skilfulmarksman cannot always accomplish. As many as a dozen bullets have beenfired into the body of a grizzly bear, without killing him outright. 

The strength of this animal equals his ferocity. He pulls the hugebuffalo, a thousand pounds in weight, to the ground; and then drags itscarcass to some cave or crevice among the rocks, or to a hole which hehas dug to receive it. To this place he repairs from time to time, tillthe exhausted store compels him to go in search of a new victim. Manyan incident can be related--and on the best authority too--where man hasbeen the victim of the grizzly bear; and the Indians esteem the killingof one of these animals a feat equal to that of taking the scalp of ahuman enemy. One of the proudest ornaments of a savage chief is anecklace of bears' claws: only to be worn by those who have themselveskilled the animals from which they have been taken. 

The _Black_, or _American bear_, is one of the best known of the family;and on account of his clean smooth head, tapering muzzle, and rich blackfur, he is also one of the best looking of bears. He is foundthroughout the whole of the United States territory--from the Canadas tothe Gulf of Mexico--and westward to the shores of the Pacific. He issometimes met with in the same neighbourhood with the grizzly, but notoften: since their haunts are essentially unlike--the black bear being adenizen of the heavy-timbered forest, while the other frequents thegrassy hills or coppice-openings of the prairies and mountain valleys. 

The black bear is a tree-climber; and ascends the loftiest trees insearch of the honey of the wild bees, or to make his lair in somecavernous hollow of the trunks. His food is usually fruits and roots, but he is also fond of young corn, and often commits seriousdepredations on the maize plantation. In the backwood settlements, where clearings are apart from each other, the black bear is stilloccasionally met with; and the chase of this animal is one of the mostfavourite pastimes of the backwoods' hunter, whether amateur orprofessional. Generally there is little peril in the pursuit--unlesswhen the bear is wounded and enraged, and the hunter chooses to riskhimself at close quarters. 

There are varieties in colour. Some with white throats, and some of acinnamon brown, have been observed; but the colour of the species isusually jet black; and on this account the skins are much prized formilitary and other purposes. 

The _Spectacled bear_ is a native of South America, and frequents theforests upon the declivities of the Andes. This was long supposed to bea variety of the black bear, but later observations prove it to be adifferent species. Its habits are very similar to the last, to which itis also similar in shape. In colour it differs essentially. It isblack, but with a buff snout, and buff rings round the eyes, which giveit that appearance whence it derives its trivial name. Its throat andbreast are whitish. 

There is at least one other species of black bear indigenous to SouthAmerica, inhabiting the tropical forests; but very little is known ofit--further than that it is one of the smallest of the tribe. 

We now reach the Asiatic bears, properly so called; and we have onlyspace to say a word about each. 

The _Siberian bear_ is thought to be only a variety of the brown bear ofEurope, differing slightly in colour. In the former there is a broadband, or collar, of white passing over the neck and meeting upon thebreast. It is, as its name implies, an inhabitant of Siberia. 

The _Thibet bear_ is a dweller among the Himalayas--in Sylhet andNepaul. Its general colour is black, with a white mark, shaped like theletter Y; so placed that the shank of the letter is upon its breast, andthe forks running up the front of its shoulders. It is not carnivorous, and, generally, its disposition is harmless and playful. It is easilytamed. 

The _Sloth bear_ is another Indian species having this peculiar markingon the breast and shoulders. This animal is one of the oddest ofcreatures. Its short limbs and depressed head, with the long shaggyhair surmounting its back like a bullock, give it the appearance ofbeing deformed. On this account it was the favourite of the Indianjugglers, who, depending on its ugliness as a source of attraction, trained it to a variety of tricks. It is therefore sometimes known asthe jugglers' bear (_Ours jongleur_). It has also a peculiar prehensilepower in its lips; and this, with its general shaggy mien, led to thebelief of its being a species of sloth--hence its common name. 

The _Malayan bear_ is another black species, with a marking on thebreast. This mark is of a semi-lunar shape, and whitish; but the colourof the muzzle is buff-yellow. This is a very handsome species, subsisting on vegetable diet; and very injurious to the plantations ofyoung cocoa trees, of the shoots of which it is very fond. It is also ahoney eater; and roams about in quest of the hives of the indigenousbees. It is a native of Malacca, Sumatra, and others of the East Indianislands. 

The _Isabella bear_ is so called from its colour--being of that fulvouswhite known as Isabella colour. It is another of the species belongingto the great range of the Himalayas, and is found in the mountains ofNepaul. Sometimes it is observed of nearly a white colour; which led tothe mistaken belief that Polar bears existed in the Himalayas. 

The _Syrian bear_ is a species found in the mountainous parts of AsiaMinor. It is of a fulvous-brown colour, sometimes approaching toyellowish white. It is partly carnivorous, but feeds also on fruits;and is most remarkable as being the species first mentioned in books--that is, it is the bear of the Bible. 

The _Bornean bear_ is the last to be mentioned, though it is certainlyone of the most beautiful, if not the most beautiful, of the genus. This beauty arises from its peculiar markings, especially from the largepatch of rich orange colour upon the breast. It is a native of thegreat Island of Borneo, and little is known of its habits; but it issupposed to resemble the Malayan bear in these, as it does in many otherrespects. 

In Africa there are no bears. 

CHAPTER FOUR. 

BADGERS. 

The Badger is a silent, solitary, carnivorous creature, having hisrepresentative, in some form or other, in almost every part of theworld; though nowhere either numerous in species or plentiful inindividuals. In Europe he appears in two forms, the _Glutton and commonBadger_; in North America in three, viz. , _Wolverene, American_, and_Mexican Badgers_; and, indeed, we might say a fourth belongs to thatcontinent, for the _Racoon_ is as near being a badger, both inappearance and habits, as he is to being anything else. Forconvenience, therefore, let us class him in this group: he willcertainly be more at home in it than among the _bears_--where most ofthe naturalists have placed him. 

In South America we find another form of badger in the _Coati mondi_, ofwhich there are several varieties; and there, too, the racoon appears ofa species distinct from those of the north. Some writers class thecoati with the civets, but the creature has far more of the habits andappearance of a badger than of a civet cat; and therefore, whatever theanatomists may say, we shall consider the coati a badger. 

But a truer form of the badger than either of the above, exists in SouthAmerica--extending over nearly the whole of that continent. This is the_Grison_, which, in appearance and habits, somewhat resembles thewolverene. It also is found in two or three varieties--according to thepart of the country it inhabits. The _Taira_ is another South Americanspecies of badger-like animal, though usually referred to the weasels. 

In Africa, the badger appears in the _Ratel_, or honey badger, commonfrom Senegal to the Cape. In Asia, in its northern zone, we have the_European badger and Glutton_; and in the south, the _Indian badger_;while in the Himalaya chain dwells another animal, closely allied to thebadgers, called the _Wha_ or _Panda_. In Java, we find still anotherspecies, the _Nientek_; and in the other large Asiatic islands there areseveral kinds of animals that approach very near to badgers in theirforms and habits, but which are usually classed either with the weaselsor civets. 

We shall now give some details respecting the different animals of thisfamily; among which the Glutton, in point of size, as well as for otherreasons, deserves precedence. 

The _Glutton_ is the Rosomak of the Russians, in whose country he ischiefly found--along high northern latitudes, both in Europe and Asia. He is supposed to be identical with the wolverene of North America; andif this be so, his range extends all round the Arctic zone of the globe:since the wolverene is found throughout the whole extent of the Hudson'sBay territory. There are good reasons to believe, however, that the twospecies differ considerably from each other--just as the European badgerdoes from his American cousins. It was the writer Olaus Magnus who gavesuch celebrity to this animal, by telling a very great "story" about thecreature--which, at a time when people were little studied in naturalhistory, was readily believed. Olaus's report was, that whenever theglutton killed an animal, he was in the habit of feeding on the carcasstill his belly became swelled out and tight as a drum; that then hewould pass between two trees growing close together--to press theswelling inwards and ease himself--after which he would return to thecarcass, again fill himself, and then back again to the trees, and soon, till he had eaten every morsel of the dead animal, whatever mighthave been its size! All this, of course, was mere fable; but it is notwithout some foundation in fact: for the Rosomak is, in reality, one ofthe greatest _gluttons_ among carnivorous animals. So, too, is hiscousin, the wolverene of America; as the fur trappers have had sadreasons to know--whenever the creature has come upon a store of theirprovisions. The name of Glutton, therefore, though based upon OlausMagnus's exaggeration, is not so inappropriate. 

The glutton and wolverene are, in fact, very like the common badger intheir habits; except that being much larger and stronger animals, theyprey upon larger game. The reindeer, and other large quadrupeds, areoften the victims of both; and it is even said that they can overcomethe great elk; but this is not confirmed by the observations of anytrustworthy traveller. The young of the elk, or a disabled old one, mayoccasionally succumb to them, but not an elk in full vigour, nor yet areindeer, except when they can surprise the latter asleep. Their gameis usually the smaller quadrupeds; and in the fur countries no animal isa greater pest to the trapper than the wolverene or glutton. A singleindividual will in one night visit a whole line of traps, and rob themof the captured animals--whether they be polar hares, white or bluefoxes, martens, or ermine weasels. 

It is this creature that is usually represented lying in wait upon thelimb of a tree, and springing upon deer as they pass underneath: butthis story of its habits wants confirmation. 

The fur of the wolverene is one of the _staple_ articles of trade of theHudson's Bay Company; though it is more prized among the Russians thanwith us--who esteem it in value as next to the ermine. 

The _Common_, or _European badger_, need not be here described, since itis familiar to all. The same may be said of the two American badgers, and also that of India, all three of which are very similar in habitsand appearance to the common kind. 

But the _African badger_, or _Ratel_, merits a word or two. It is aboutthe size of the true badger, and ordinarily lives on small game, asbadgers do; but, in addition to this, it is fond of varying its dietwith a little honey. This it procures from the nests of wild bees, common throughout the whole of Africa. The account given of the mode inwhich it finds these nests would be incredible, were it not that we havethe testimony of reverend missionaries to confirm it. It is asfollows:--In Africa there is a bird--a species of cuckoo--known as theIndicator bird, or honey guide. This little creature hops from tree totree, itself apparently in search of the bees' nests. While doing so, it utters a shrill cry; and these cries are repeated until the honeyhive is found. The ratel lies in wait for this bird; and, on hearingthe cry, makes towards it, and keeps following its flights till thebees' nest is found. Should this prove to be in a tree and out ofreach--for the ratel is not a climber--the animal vents his chagrin bytearing at the trunk with his teeth, as if he had hopes of felling thetree. The scratches thus made on the bark serve as a guide to certainother creatures, who are also fond of honey, viz. , the Kaffir huntersand Bushmen. 

Should the bees' nest prove to be on the ground, or under it, the ratelsoon unearths the treasure with his strong claws, and takes possessionof it, regardless of the stings of the bees, against which his thickskin defends him. 

The _Orison_ inhabits the forests of South America, from Guiana toParaguay. It is quite as ferocious as any of the tribe; but its smallersize hinders it from attacking large animals, and its victims are birds, agoutis, and other small rodents--against all of which it wages a war ofextermination. When surprised by the hunters and their dogs, it willbattle furiously till life is extinct: all the while emitting a strongdisagreeable smell, after the manner of the weasels and polecats. The_Racoon_, which we have grouped with the badgers, is both a North andSouth American animal; dwelling in dense forests, and making its lair inthe hollow of a tree. This animal is a good tree-climber, and usuallytakes refuge among the higher branches when pursued. It is nocturnal inits habits, but in deep shady woods it may be seen prowling about in thedaylight, in search of birds and their eggs, small rodents, fish, orfrogs, all of which it eats indifferently. There are several distinctspecies. 

The _Coati_ is exclusively South American. This, unlike the racoon, sleeps at night, and prowls during the day. It is also an experttree-climber, and has a peculiarity in this respect; viz. , it descends atree _head foremost_, which no other animal of its order can do. It isequally as fierce and carnivorous as any of the badgers; and its prey, as with the _racoon_, consists of birds, their eggs, and smallquadrupeds. It feeds also upon insects; and will turn over the earthwith its long proboscis-like snout. When drinking it laps like the dog. In eating, it uses its fore-paws to carry the food to its mouth, thoughnot as squirrels and monkeys do. On the contrary, it first divides theflesh, or whatever it may be, into small morsels, and then raises theseto its mouth by impaling them on its claws as on a fork!

It is not a solitary animal, but prefers the society of its companions, and usually goes about in troops or gangs. Its lair, like the racoon, is the hollow of a tree. 

The _Panda_ of the East Indies is an animal of very similar habits. Itis found chiefly along the banks of streams that descend from themountains; and subsists upon small quadrupeds and birds--which it isable to follow to the tops of the tallest trees. Its name of Qua, orOua, or Wha, is derived from the cry which it utters, and repeats veryoften; and which is well represented by any of the syllables abovewritten. 

CHAPTER FIVE. 

WEASELS, OTTERS AND CIVETS. 

Fortunate it is that the quadrupeds composing this group are all animalsof small dimensions. Were they equal in size to lions and tigers, thehuman race would be in danger of total extirpation: for it is well-knownthat weasels are the most ferocious and bloodthirsty creatures upon theearth. None of them, however, much exceed the size of the ordinary cat:unless we include the gluttons and wolverenes among the weasels, asnaturalists sometimes do, notwithstanding that these animals differaltogether from them. 

The _civets_, it is true, are not usually classed with the weasels, butform a group of themselves; however, they are much more nearly relatedto weasels than the gluttons; and where, as in the present case, it isdesirable to divide the mammalia into large groups, they will stand verywell together. In truth, the civets are much nearer in resemblance toweasels than the otters are; and these two last are generally classedtogether--the otters being neither more nor less than water weasels. 

We shall first consider the true _Weasels_: that is, the Weasels, Stoats, Ferrets, Polecats, and Martens. 

The habits of most of the species are well-known; and all resemble eachother in the exceeding ferocity of their disposition. It will only benecessary to say a word about their geographical distribution, and tospeak of a few of the more noted kinds. 

In Great Britain, five species are natives: the Pine and Beech Martens, the Stoat, the Common Weasel (which is the type of the family), and thePolecat. The Ferret is not indigenous to the country, but has beenintroduced from Africa, and is trained, as is well-known, for thepursuit of the rabbit--which it can follow into the very innermostrecesses of its burrow. The English species of weasels are also commonto other countries of Europe and Asia. 

In the high northern latitudes of the Old World, we find a verycelebrated species--celebrated for a long time on account of itsvaluable fur--the Sable. The sable is a true marten: a tree-climber, and one of the most sanguinary of weasels. An account of its habits, and of the mode of hunting it, forms one of the most interestingchapters in natural history. 

An allied species inhabits the Hudson's Bay territory, known as theAmerican sable, and another, belonging to the Japanese islands, iscalled the Japan sable. 

The Ermine is a species equally famous; and for a like reason--the valueof its beautiful white fur, so long an article of commerce. The ermineis neither more nor less than a stoat in winter dress; but there areseveral varieties of it--some that turn to brown in summer, whileanother kind retains its snow-white covering throughout all the year. The ermine is common to Europe, Asia, and North America. 

The Pekan is a larger species, belonging to North America, andsemi-aquatic in its habits; while the Vison, or Mink, is a large blackweasel that inhabits the borders of rivers in Canada and the UnitedStates, where it preys upon fish and aquatic reptiles. 

In North America there is also a very large Pine marten, so called fromits habit of dwelling in the pine forests--where it climbs the trees inpursuit of birds and squirrels. This is among the largest of the weaseltribe. In California, a new species has been described under the nameof the Yellow-cheeked weasel, and in Mexico another, the Black--faced;so that North America has its full complement of these sanguinaryquadrupeds. Nor is the southern division of that continent without itsweasels, as there is one species or more in New Granada, one in Guiana, and two or three in Chili and Peru. 

In India, there is the White-cheeked weasel, Hodgson's and Horsefield'sweasels; and in Nepaul, the Nepaul weasel, and the Cathia. Furthernorth in Asia, there is, in Siberia, the Vomela, the Chorok, and theAltai weasel of the Altai Mountains; and no doubt need exist thatanimals of the weasel tribe are to be found everywhere. Indeed, if weregard as weasels the various carnivorous quadrupeds of the glutton andbadger family, which have been described elsewhere in these sketches--including the strange Teledu or Stinkard of Java, the Helietis of Indiaand China, the Taira and Grison of Brazil, the Ratel or honey badger ofAfrica, the Zorille of the Cape, the Zorilla or Maikel of Patagonia, theSand bear of India, and the numerous varieties of the celebratedPolecat, or Skunk, of North and South America--we may well say thatthere are weasels, or their representatives, in every hole and corner ofthe earth. 

With regard to the Polecats of America, they form a sort of link betweenthe weasels and civets; and although there was long supposed to be butone kind--as in the case of the opossum--it is now ascertained thatthere are several distinct species, with an endless list of varieties. 

The _Water Weasels_, or _Otters_, are not so numerous either in speciesor individuals--though there are at least a dozen of them in all, andthey are widely distributed over the world. 

In Britain, there is but one--the Common or European otter; and in NorthAmerica, a very similar species was supposed, until recently, to be theonly one inhabiting that continent. The rivers of California, however, have presented us with a second, known as the Californian otter; and thesingular Sea otter, whose beautiful fur is so prized under the name ofSea otter, is also an animal inhabiting the coasts of California--as itdoes most part of the western seaboard of the American continent. 

The Grey otter is a South African animal, and in India we have theWargul; while in the rivers of Nepaul--a country so rich in mammalia--there is the Golden brown otter. China, in common with otherIndo-Chinese countries, possesses the Chinese otter; and South Americahas the Brazilian Contra, and in all probability several other species. 

With regard to the _Civet-Weasels_--or Civet Cats, as they are commonlycalled--there is a still greater variety, both in genera and species: somany, indeed, that, as already stated, they have been arranged in afamily by themselves. They may be regarded, however, as large weasels, distinguished from the others by their having a sort of pouch or glandunder the tail, in which is secreted an unctuous and highly odoroussubstance. This, in some species, as in the true civets, is relished asa perfume or scent, while in others it is an extremely disagreeableodour. The true civet is a native of North Africa; where it is kept ina tame state, for the purpose of obtaining from it the well-knownperfume of commerce. An allied species, the Rasse, belongs to Java--andis there also kept in cages for the same purpose--while in Asia--fromArabia to Malabar, and among the Malays and Arabs of Borneo, Macassar, and other islands of the Indian Archipelago--still another species ofcivet affords a similar perfumed substance. 

The Aard Wolf (earth wolf) of South Africa is usually classed among thecivets, but with very slight reason. It is far more like the hyena; andis certainly nothing else than a hyena. 

The Delundung of Java is a creature that bears a resemblance to thecivets; and may be regarded as forming a link between these and the truecats. 

The Genets constitute a division of the civet-weasel tribe; and one ofwhich there are numerous species. They are usually pretty spottedcreatures, with immensely long tails; and but for their cruel andsanguinary habits would, no doubt, be favourites. They exist in SouthEurope; and, under different forms and appellations, extend over allAfrica to Madagascar and the Cape--as well as through the countries ofSouthern Asia and the Asiatic islands. 

The Ichneumons claim our attention next. These are celebrated animals, on account of the strange and fabulous tales related of the speciesknown as the Egyptian ichneumon, which, among the people of Egypt, isdomesticated, and was once held as a sacred animal. Besides theEgyptian ichneumon, there are several other species in Africa--onebelonging to Abyssinia, and no less than six to the countries near theCape. The Garangan of Java is an ichneumon; and so also are the Mongoosand Nyula of Nepaul; while in the Malay peninsula is a species known asthe Malacca ichneumon. The Paradoxure is usually classed with thecivets, though it wants the perfumed pouch; and the Suricate orMeer-cat, of the Cape colonists, takes its station in this group. Abadger-like animal of Madagascar, the Mangu, is also regarded as acivet: so, too, are the Coatis of the New World, though these last areevidently of much nearer kin to the badgers. 

Perhaps the curious creature known as the Potto, or Kinkajou, has morepretensions to a place among the civets: at all events, it deserves onein the general group of the weasels. 

CHAPTER SIX. 

TAME DOGS. 

Perhaps of all other animals the dog has been the earliest and mostconstant companion of man. His swiftness and strength, but moreespecially his highly-developed power of smelling, have made him apowerful ally against the other animals; and these qualities must haveattracted the attention of man at an early period--particularly in thosetimes when the chase was, perhaps, the only pursuit of mankind. 

No animal is more widely distributed over the earth. He has followedman everywhere; and wherever human society exists, there this constantand faithful attendant may be found--devoted to his master, adopting hismanners, distinguishing and defending his property, and remainingattached to him even after death. 

It is a question among naturalists as to what was the parent stock ofthe dog. Some allege that he has sprung from the wolf; others that heis a descendant of the jackal; while not a few believe that there weretrue wild dogs, from which the present domesticated race had theirorigin. These ideas are mere speculations, and not very reasonable oneseither. It would not be difficult to show, that different kinds of dogshave sprung from different kinds of animals--that is, animals of thesame great family--from wolves, foxes, jackals, zerdas, and even hyenas. This can be proved from the fact, that domesticated breeds among savagetribes, both in Asia and America, are undoubtedly the descendants ofwolves and jackals: such, for instance, as the Esquimaux dog of theArctic regions, the Dingo of Australia, the Indian dogs of NorthAmerica--of which there are several varieties--and also one or two kindsexisting in Mexico and South America. 

Naturalists deny that there are any true dogs living in a wild state. This is simply an unreasonable assertion. Wild dogs of several speciesare to be met with in Asia and America; and if it be asserted that theseoriginally came from a domesticated stock, the same cannot be said ofthe hunting dog of Southern Africa--which is neither more nor less thana _wild hound_. 

Perhaps none of the animals that have submitted to the conquest of manhave branched off into a greater number of varieties than this one. There are more kinds than either of horses or oxen. We shall not, therefore, attempt a description of each; but limit ourselves to speakof those breeds that are the most remarkable--or rather those with whichthe reader is supposed to be least familiar. To describe such varietiesas the spaniel, the greyhound, the mastiff, or the terrier, would notadd much to the knowledge which the English reader already possesses. 

One of the most remarkable of dogs is the huge mastiff of Tibet. He islong-haired, and usually of a jet black colour. He is quite a match insize for either the Newfoundland or San Bernard breeds, and not unlikeone or the other--for it may be remarked, that these in many pointsresemble each other. 

The Tibet dog, as his name implies, is the property of the Tibetians:especially the Bhootees--the same people who own that curious species ofcattle, the _Yak_, or grunting ox, and who reside on the northern slopesof the Himalaya mountains. It may be inferred, therefore, that theTibet dog affects a cold climate; and such is in reality the case. Hecannot bear heat; and does not thrive, even in the kingdom of Nepaul. Attempts to introduce the breed into England have resulted in failure:the animals brought hither having died shortly after their arrival. 

The masters of these dogs--the Bhootees, or Bhoteas, are a singularrace, of a ruddy copper colour, rather short in stature, but ofexcellent disposition. Their clothing consists of furs and woollencloths, adapted to the cold climate which they inhabit. The men tillthe ground, and keep yaks and sheep, and sometimes come down into thewarm plains to trade--penetrating even to Calcutta. The women remain athome, their only protectors being these great dogs, who watch faithfullyover their villages and encampments, and fly fiercely at any strangerwho may approach them. It is said that they are especially hostile topeople who have a _white_ face; but this disposition is alsocharacteristic of the dogs belonging to the American Indians--andperhaps those possessed by all savages with a coloured skin. 

The Dingo, or dog of Australia, is an animal domesticated among theaborigines of that country. He is a dog of wolf-like shape, who doesnot bark, but utters only a mournful howling. He is used by thewretched natives both for the chase and as an article of food; and is afierce and voracious creature--not hesitating to launch himself on thelarger kinds of animals. He is especially employed in hunting thekangaroo; and sometimes terrible combats occur between the dingo and thelarger species of kangaroos--resulting always in the death of thelatter. 

The San Bernard dog, supposed to be a cross between the mastiff andshepherd's dog, is too celebrated to require a description here. Hissagacity in discovering travellers amid the Alpine snows, and guidingthem upon their path, is the quality upon which the fame of this dog hasbeen founded; but it may be remarked that many of the feats attributedto him have their origin in the fertile fancies of Parisian writers. 

The Esquimaux dog is another celebrated variety. He is an animal with afox-like face and thick coat of whitish hair, generally tinged withyellow. He is to the Esquimaux a most valuable companion: trained todraw their sledges over the surface of the snow, and enabling them tomake long and rapid journeys--without which these singular people wouldbe ofttimes in danger of perishing amid the inhospitable regions theyinhabit. 

The Indians of North America possess two or three varieties ofdomesticated dogs, evidently derived from the wolves of that region. Indeed, the common Indian dogs, found among the Sioux and other northerntribes, bear so close a resemblance to the large American wolf, thatthey are often taken for this animal, and in consequence shot, orotherwise killed by mistake. The Indians use them for carrying burdens:their tents and tent poles being transported by these animals on longjourneys across the prairies. Their flesh is a favourite article of thesavage _cuisine_; but it is too costly to be used as an every-day food;and is only served up on grand festive occasions. Like the dogs ofTibet, these Indian wolf dogs have the greatest antipathy to a whiteskin; so much so, that even a friend in that guise can rarely obtaineither their confidence or friendship. 

A smaller kind than the common one is found among certain tribes, andappears to have derived its origin from the prairie wolf--the jackal ofAmerica--while the Hare Indians of the Rocky Mountains possess a thirdvariety; and it is known that still another exists among the tribes ofRussian America. This last is short-haired and smooth-coated: thereforediffering altogether from the Indian dogs of the prairies. 

In Mexico, there are two or three native dogs: found there on thearrival of Europeans. One is the _Alco_--a dog remarkable for a curioushunch or protuberance upon the back and shoulders, a thick short neck, and small pointed muzzle. He is thinly covered with long hair, of ayellowish colour. 

Another singular variety is the dog of Chihuahua and this is, perhaps, the smallest of all canine creatures. Full-grown specimens have beenseen, whose dimensions did not exceed those of the common rat; and asingular fact, well authenticated, is, that this dog, when transportedfrom Chihuahua to any other place--even to the city of Mexico itself--invariably becomes larger, or degenerates, as the Mexicans have it!There is also in Mexico a hairless dog. It is, no doubt, the same asthat known by the name of Turkish dog; since this variety cameoriginally from Spanish America. 

In South America, there are several species of native dogs, found amongthe savages of the Orinoco and Amazon. They are small animals, usuallyof a whitish colour: but their owners follow the curious practice ofdyeing them with annatto, indigo, and other brilliant dyes, for thepurpose of rendering them more ornamental!

We can only find space to say that there are many other varieties ofdomesticated dogs, almost unknown beyond the countries in which they arefound. Such are the _Quao_ of Rhamgur, the Sumatran dog, the _Poull_ ofNew Ireland, the dogs of Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego--those of theSouth Sea Islands; and the _Waht_ that inhabits some of the ranges ofthe Himalayas. 

It is reasonable to suppose that there is not a nation upon earth, hardly a tribe--civilised or savage--that does not possess some varietyof the canine race differing from all the others. 

CHAPTER SEVEN. 

WILD DOGS. 

By _Wild Dogs_, we mean not only several sorts of true dogs, that indifferent parts of the world are found living in a wild state; but alsoWolves, Foxes, Jackals, Hyenas, and Fennecs--for all these are but dogsin a state of nature. 

First, we shall speak of the true dogs living in a wild state--that is, apart from the society of man. 

It is not necessary here to go into the often-debated question, as towhether dogs were originally wolves, or what species of wolf the dog isdescended from. This is all mere speculation, and answers no purpose. It is just as likely that wolves sprang from dogs, as that dogs camefrom wolves; and every one may perceive that two breeds of the dogspecies are often far more unlike each other--both in appearance andhabits--than a dog is to a wolf itself. Again, foxes differ only fromwolves in point of size; and a small wolf is in reality a fox, while alarge fox may be equally regarded as a wolf. Furthermore, the jackal isnothing else than another form of the same animal--the wolf or dog, whichever you choose to term it; and the hyenas but a still _uglier_shape of the same carnivorous creature. 

With regard to the true wild dogs--which are not regarded as wolves--wefind them existing in various parts of the world. They usually live incommunities, and have the habit of hounds--that is, they hunt in packs. Whether they were originally dogs in a domesticated state, and havesince seceded from the society of man, is a question which naturalistsare unable to agree upon. 

In India there are two or three kinds of wild dogs living thus. One inthe Deccan--called Kolsun by the Mahratta people--is a reddish-colouredanimal, nearly as large as the common European wolf. It dwells in theforests, far remote from the villages--and of course lives by preyingupon other animals--just as wolves and foxes do. Again, in the forestsof the Himalaya mountains there is another species of wild dog, different from that of the Deccan. It is usually known as the wild dogof Nepaul, from its being found in many parts of that kingdom. A largecommunity of these animals is often met with in the mountain forests--living in caves, or at the bottoms of cliffs, where there are deepcrevices among the boulders of loose rocks, that afford them a secureasylum when pursued by their enemies. In these places the dogs sleep, and bring forth their young; and the puppies are taught to beexceedingly wary, and not stray far from their dens during the absenceof the mothers. Indeed, so cunning do they become when only a few daysold, that it is difficult to capture one of them outside itsimpenetrable lodging-place. 

During many hours the old ones are abroad, in pursuit of the animalsupon whose flesh they subsist; and, as already stated, these dogs followtheir game not singly, but in bands or packs. In this way, instinctteaches them that they will have a better chance of success; since theyare more able to head the pursued animal, turn it in differentdirections, and at length run it to the ground. A curious fact isrelated of the cunning of these wild dogs. It is stated that when inpursuit of the larger animals--such as stags and large antelopes thatinhabit the same district--instead of running them down at once, thedogs manoeuvre so as to guide the game to their breeding place, beforegiving the final _coup_ to the chase! The object of this is to bringthe carcass within reach of their young; which, were it killed at agreat distance off, would be obviously impossible. Such a habit as thiswould prove them possessed of something more than instinct; but for allthat, it may be true. A fact seems to confirm it: the fact that a largequantity of bones is always observed in the immediate neighbourhood ofthe breeding places--some of these being of such a size as to precludethe belief that they could have been carried thither by the dogsthemselves. 

In Ramghur there is a wild dog called Quao, or Quaw, which lives incommunities, just as those of Nepaul; and still another kind inhabitsthe forests of the Island of Sumatra. 

None of these kinds are to be confounded with the half-wild dogs ofIndia, called pariah dogs; since the latter, although not owned byindividuals, dwell in the villages, and of course associate with man. Besides, the pariahs are of no particular breed--there being severalsorts of pariah dogs. They are merely _outcast curs_, without owners, that pick up a living as they best can. 

Passing from India to the tropical countries of America, we find anothersort of wild dog in the forests of Guiana, known as the Koupara, orCrab-dog. It is not certain whether these dogs are indigenous toGuiana, or the progeny of some domestic variety introduced by thecolonists. They dwell in small troops or families, of six or sevenindividuals each, and their food is furnished by the _pacas, agoutis_, and other small rodent animals of tropical America. They also findsustenance in several kinds of crabs, which they adroitly capture uponthe banks of the rivers; and it is from their habit of feeding uponthese they have derived the name of crab-dogs. They are easily tamed;and when crossed with other breeds, a variety is produced which isesteemed by the natives as the very best kind for the hunting of theagoutis, cavies, and capibaras. 

The wild dogs of the Cape country, called _Wilde Hunden_ (wild hounds)by the Dutch, are usually regarded as near akin to the _hyenas_. Butthey are more like real wild hounds than hyenas; and their colour--whichis a mixture of black, white, and tan--almost points to them as theprogenitors of that variety of dog known as the hound. Their habits, too, would seem to confirm this hypothesis: for it is well-known thatthese animals pursue their prey just after the manner of a pack of realhounds--doubling upon it, and using every artifice to run it down. Thenumerous species of ruminant animals--the antelope in particular--arethe especial objects of their pursuit, and upon these they subsist. Like the Indian wild dogs, they live in communities--using the burrowsof the wild hog and ant-eater, as also the hollow ant-hills, for theirlairs and breeding places. Travellers passing across the plains ofSouth Africa have often witnessed the splendid spectacle of a pack ofthese beautiful wild hounds in pursuit of a large antelope, and almostfancied themselves looking at a stag hunt, with a kennel of real houndsgoing at full view!

The true wild dog of all is that creature so well-known and celebratedin all our tales of childhood--the _Wolf_. 

To describe the wolf, or even to give an account of his habits, would besuperfluous. Almost every one is acquainted with the gaunt form, theshaggy hide, and tierce aspect of this formidable creature; and everyone has heard of his fierce and savage disposition: for who is ignorantof the story of "Little Red Riding Hood?"

The presence of this much-disliked animal is almost universal: by whichI mean, that in some form or other he is represented in almost everycorner of the globe. You may say there are no wolves in Africa; butthis is not true: for the hyenas are nothing more nor less than wolves, and wolves of the very ugliest kind. 

Fortunately wolves are no longer found in Britain, though they were onceplentiful enough in these islands; but all over the continent of Europethere are still numerous wolves in the forests and mountains. 

The Common Wolf, that is, the wolf of Europe, is the type of the family;but this type offers many varieties--according to the differentlocalities in which it is found. I shall here notice these varieties. 

French wolves are generally browner and smaller than those of Germany;and the wolves of Russia, Sweden, and Norway are still stronger animals, and of a more sinister appearance. These differ very much in colour, which in winter is almost white. Again, the Alpine wolves are smallerthan the French, and of a brownish-grey colour; while those of Italy andTurkey have a yellowish tinge. Black wolves are not uncommon, especially in the Pyrenees of Spain; but whether these, as well as theothers, are all mere varieties of the common wolf, or whether there aretwo or three distinct species of European wolf, are questions to be leftto the disputation of systematic naturalists. 

Over all the continent of America, from the Arctic shores in the northto Tierra del Fuego in the south, wolves are found; and here again thereare varieties in size, colour, and even habits, that may fairly entitlethe different kinds to rank as separate species. Most certainly thereare distinct species, for that known as the Prairie Wolf, and also theCoyote of Mexico, are two kinds that more resemble jackals than realwolves. 

Besides, other wolves of the American continent, as the Brown Wolf ofMexico, the great Dusky Wolf of the Upper Missouri, the Aguara Dog ofSouth America, the Wild Dog of the Falkland Islands, the Fox Wolves ofPatagonia and Terra del Fuego, the Guazu of Paraguay and Chili, and theNorth American Common Wolf--are all animals of such different appearanceand habits, that it is absurd to term them varieties of the samespecies. In Asia we have just the same series of varieties--that is, inevery part of the great continent is found some representative of thetribe, which in reality is no variety, but an original and indigenousanimal of the wolf kind--such as the Sandgah, or Indian wolf of theHimalayas; the Beriah, another Indian wolf; and the Derboom, a blackspecies that inhabits the mountains of Arabia and Syria. 

In Africa the wolf is represented by the hyenas, of which there are atleast four species--one of them, the common hyena, belonging to thenorthern half of the African continent, and extending its range intoseveral countries of Asia. At the Cape, and northward into CentralAfrica, three large species of hyena, and one small one (the Aard wolf), represent the lupine family. The Jackal, too--of which there areseveral distinct kinds in Asia and Africa--is only a wolf of diminutivesize and gregarious habit. 

This creature is fairly represented in America by the Coyote of Mexico, and the Barking Wolf of the prairies; and in Asia, upon the steppes ofTartary, by the Corsac. 

Even in Australia, where new mammalia have turned up in such odd andfantastic forms, the wolf has his congener in that curious creatureknown as the Tasmanian wolf. 

With regard to foxes, they, like the wolves, are distributed almostuniversally over the globe; and exhibit a like variety of forms andcolours, according to the different localities which they inhabit. Their name is legion. 

As the smallest representatives of the wild dogs, we find in Africa thecurious little creatures known as the Fennecs. Of these there are alsovarieties; for, although very much alike in habits, the Fennecs ofAbyssinia and those of the Cape are evidently distinct species. 

CHAPTER EIGHT. 

CATS. 

The Lion is the _king of cats_; though there are some who think that theTiger has a better claim to the _throne_. In point of size andstrength, there is not much difference between these two animals. Thelion _appears_ larger, on account of his shaggy mane; but specimens ofthe tiger have been taken whose measurement was equal to that of thelargest lion. Otherwise, the tiger is decidedly superior in courage, inaddress, and in beauty; in fact, the royal tiger is one of the mostbeautiful of animals; while the lion, notwithstanding the great fame heenjoys, is among the very ugliest of brutes. 

These two powerful creatures often meet in the jungles of India, and trytheir strength in single combat. It is not decided which is superior inprowess, since victory is sometimes on one side and sometimes on theother. No doubt this depends on the individuals who may engage, forlions are not all alike, nor tigers neither. Both differ in strengthand courage, just as men do; and this difference is caused by a varietyof circumstances--such as age, size, season of the year, nature of thecountry and climate, and many like contingencies. 

Remember that the lion is found both in Asia and Africa, and nowhereelse. He inhabits the whole of Africa, from the Cape to the shores ofthe Mediterranean, and there are three well-marked varieties on thatcontinent. In Asia he is only found in its southern part--that is, inthe tropical and sub-tropical regions; and there are also two or threevarieties of the Asiatic lion. 

With regard to the tiger, he is altogether an Asiatic. There are notigers in Europe, Africa, and America--of course we mean in their wildstate; and the stories of tiger-hunts in Africa and America, frequentlyto be met with in books and newspapers, are the narratives of mereignorant travellers, who confound the royal tiger with several speciesof spotted cats--of which we shall presently speak. We may add that thetiger, although exclusively Asiatic, is not exclusively tropical in hishaunts. Tigers are more abundant in the hot jungles of India and someof the larger islands of the Indian Ocean than elsewhere; but they havealso been observed far to the north of the Himalayan chain on the great_steppes_ that extend almost to the confines of Siberia. 

To continue the monarchical analogy; there are four cats that may becalled the princes of the family. These are the _Jaguar_, the_Leopard_, the _Panther_, and the _Hunting-leopard_ or _Cheetah_. Thefirst of these is exclusively American; the other three, African andAsiatic. They are all four what are termed spotted cats; that is, having black markings on a buff or yellowish ground. I need not addthat they are all beautiful creatures. A superficial observer wouldeasily mistake the one for the other; and in common phrase, they areindifferently termed leopards, panthers, and even tigers; but thenaturalist, and even the _furrier_ knows that they are four distinctspecies. 

I shall endeavour to point out as briefly as possible some marks thatwill enable _you_ to distinguish them. In the spots we find a tolerablygood criterion of the species. Those upon the body of the jaguar arenot spots, but rather what may be termed rosettes. So, too, the blackmarkings of the leopard and panther are rosettes; that is, irregularblack rings enclosing an open space of the yellow ground. On thecontrary, the spots upon the hunting-leopard are real spots, of auniform black; and, consequently, this animal is easily distinguishedfrom the other three. He differs from them also in shape. He is longerin the legs, stands more upright upon them, and can run more swiftlythan any of the cat tribe. In fact, he has a tendency towards thenature and habits of the dog, and might be appropriately termed thecat-dog, or the dog-cat, whichever you please. It is on account of hiscanine qualities that he is sometimes trained to the chase: hence hisspecific name of the hunting-leopard. He inhabits both Asia and Africa. 

But how are the jaguar, leopard, and panther to be distinguished fromone another? The jaguar easily enough from the other two. His rosetteshave a black point in the centre, which is wanting in the rings of thepanther and leopard. Besides, the jaguar is a larger and more powerfulanimal. Humboldt and others have observed specimens of the jaguarnearly equal in dimensions to those of the royal tiger himself; and hisfeats of fierce prowess, in the forests of Spanish America, are scarceeclipsed by those of his congener in the jungles of India. Human beingsare frequently his victims, and settlements have been abandoned onaccount of the dangerous proximity of the jaguars. His range in Americais pretty nearly co-terminal with the Spanish territories--including, ofcourse, Brazil and Guiana, and excluding the country of Patagonia, wherea smaller species takes his place. In all these countries he ismisnamed tiger (_tigre_)--hence the anomalous stories to which we havealluded. We may add that there is a _black_ jaguar in tropical America, just as there is a _black_ panther in Asia. In neither case is it adifferent species: only a variety as regards colour. In all otherrespects the black and yellow kinds are alike. Even on the black onesthe spots are observable in a certain light, being of a deeper hue thanthe general ground colour of the skin. 

Thus, then, it is easy to distinguish a cheetah from a jaguar, or eitherfrom a leopard or panther; but with regard to these last two, thedistinction is more difficult. In fact, so much are they alike, thatthe two species are confounded even by naturalists; and it is yet anundecided point which is the leopard, and which the panther! That thereare two distinct species is certain. The London furrier knows thatthere are two kinds of skins, which he distinguishes mainly by the feel;but the learned zoologist, Temminck, has pointed out a difference in theanatomical structure. Both animals are natives of Africa, and both weresupposed to exist in Asia; but it is doubtful whether that known as theleopard extends beyond the limits of the African continent. The pantheris that one which is a little heavier in the body, more cat-like inshape, and of a deeper yellow in the ground colour; but, perhaps, thetruest distinction is found in the tail, which is longer in the pantherthan in the leopard, and consists of a greater number of vertebrae. 

The panther is a well-known animal in India and the Asiatic islands;and, as already stated, there is a dark-skinned variety, commonly knownas the Black Panther of Java. 

Taking the cat family according to size, the next that deserves mentionis the Couguar, or Puma. This is the panther of the Anglo-Americans, and the lion (_leon_) of the Mexicans and South Americans. His colouris a uniform tawny red, or calf colour; and he is inferior to the jaguarin size, strength, and courage. Notwithstanding, he is a formidableanimal, and has been known to attack and destroy the larger mammalia. When wounded, or at bay, he will also defend himself against a humanenemy; and there have been instances of hunters, both white and Indian, having succumbed to his strength. His range extends over nearly thewhole continent of America; but he more particularly affects the deepshadow of the forests; and, like the jaguar, he is a tree-climber. Hehas no claim to the title of lion, except from some resemblance incolour; and no doubt it was this that led to his misnomer among theearly settlers of Spanish America. 

The Ounce comes next. Of all the large cats this is the least known, either to naturalists or hunters. We only know that such a speciesexists; that it is a native of Western Asia (Persia, and perhapsArabia); that it is an animal nearly as large as the leopard or panther, but of stouter build and clumsier shape; that it is covered with longwoolly hair of a pale-yellow colour, and spotted, not so distinctly asthe true leopards, from which it is easily distinguished, both by itsform and colour. The name Ounce is from Buffon; but this specificappellation is also applied to the jaguar of America, the Jaguarundi, orlesser jaguar of Paraguay, and even to the Ocelot. 

The _Rimau-dahan_ is one of the most beautiful species of cats. It isof a yellowish ground colour, not spotted like the leopard, but markedwith broad black bands and patches; in other words, clouded. It is notso large as either of the species described. It is a tree-climber, andlies in wait for its prey in the forks of the lower limbs, where it alsogoes to sleep. From this habit it derives its name, _Dalian_; which, inthe Sumatran language, signifies the fork of a tree. 

Not unlike the _Rimau-dahan_, both in size and markings, is the Nepaulcat: a species, as its name imports, found in Nepaul, in the mountainforests. 

The Serval is a spotted cat--black upon a pale-yellowish ground--andconsiderably larger than the domestic species. It is a native of SouthAfrica; and its skin is prized among the Kaffirs, for making their furcloaks or _karosses_. 

The Ocelot is about equal in size to the last-named, and equally prizedfor its beautiful skin, which is clouded with an admixture of spots andstripes upon a ground of yellowish-grey. It belongs to SpanishAmerica--more especially Mexico: and it is said to have been this animalthat is represented on the hieroglyphical paintings of the ancientAztecs. More probably its nobler congener, the jaguar, which is alsofound in Mexico, is the animal that held this distinction in the land ofAnahuac. 

In Central and South America there are a great many species of stripedand spotted cats, known generally as tiger cats. The Ocelot is one ofthese; but there are also the Pampas cats, the Chati, the Jaguarundi, the Margay, the False Margay, and many others. 

Numerous species, too, exist in the forests of India; as also in thegreat tropical islands of Java, Sumatra, Borneo, and the Philippines. 

There is yet a section of the cat family to be described. These are thelynxes, or cats with short tails and long ears--the latter erect, and atthe tips pointing inward, or towards each other. 

Of the _Lynxes_ three species are found in North America. The largestof these is the Canada lynx, which in point of size approaches thesmaller species of leopards. The colour of this animal is of a reddishgrey, with spots very indistinctly marked. Its fur is long, and itsskins form one of the principal articles of the Hudson's Bay trade. 

The Canada lynx is not found so far south as the United States; but itsplace is there occupied by the Bay lynx--a smaller species, and one verysimilarly marked, except that the rufous tint on the back and sides ofthe latter is deeper, and the spots more pronounced. 

Still further south is a third species, only made known to naturalistswithin the last few years. It inhabits Texas, and is hence called theTexan lynx. It is of a darker red than either of the preceding; but inother respects--size, shape, and habits--it is almost identical with theBay lynx. Both range to the Pacific. 

Of the lynxes of the Old World, there is the common or European lynx, which is still found in several European countries; the Caracal, anative of Africa and part of Asia; the Booted lynx, also indigenous toboth continents; the Chaus, belonging to the country of the Mahrattas;the Kattlo, a large species, of Northern Europe; the Nubian lynx, ofNorth Africa; and the Southern lynx, a native of Spain. 

It may be added that there is scarce one of these species of which thereare not two or more varieties, known only to those who have made a studyof the Kingdom of Nature. 

CHAPTER NINE. 

RATS AND OTHER RODENTS. 

In this group we include not only Rats, but a great many other smallrodents, or gnawers, such as Mice, Marmots, Lemmings, Hamsters, Mole-Rats, Jerboas, and Jumping Mice. The Shrew-Mice and Moles may alsobe classed here--although naturalists separate them from rodents, because their food is not herbivorous, but consists of worms andinsects. For all that, there is a certain general resemblance, both asto appearance and habits, among all these small quadrupeds; which, forpurposes of classification, is, perhaps, of more value than meredifference of food, or tubercles upon the teeth; especially, as it canbe proved, that the sort of food an animal eats, is often dependent onthe circumstances in which it may be placed. 

Of the _Rats_, properly so called, there are numerous species, as wellas varieties. Their size is, in general, about the same as the Blackand Norway rats--both of which belong to England, and have beenintroduced, by means of ships, into every country upon the habitableglobe. They are said to have come originally from Asia. There is onespecies of rat, however, that is much larger than either of these--theGigantic rat, found in Indian countries, and which in size quite equalsa rabbit!

The habits of the rats are too well-known to require description. Some--as the Wood Rat and Florida Rat of America--dwell apart from thehabitations of man, in the woods; where, instead of living in burrows, they construct large nests, by collecting together heaps of sticks, leaves, and grass. 

_Mice_ may be regarded as only a smaller kind of rats; and of thesethere are many distinct species--both in the Old and New Worlds. 

The _Marmots_ are, perhaps, the most interesting of the small rodents. They stand in a sort of connection with the squirrels, more especiallythe ground squirrels: on the other hand, they resemble rabbits; and theyhave still many points of identity with rats. They belong to thenorthern zones of Europe, Asia, and America. There are three or fourspecies belonging to the Old World; and a great many to North America. Moreover there is a considerable difference in the habits of thesespecies, which has led zoologists to separate them into several genera. One genus, called the Seed-eaters, is a very curious kind. The marmotsof this genus have a pair of pockets or pouches--one on the outside ofeach cheek--in which they actually carry seeds and other articles offood to their burrows. These pouches, when filled, impart to the littlecreatures a most ludicrous appearance. 

The marmots usually live in large communities--in burrows, as rabbitsdo. These burrows are sometimes very extensive--especially so, in thecase of the prairie marmot of America--better known as the Prairie Dog--whose _villages_ sometimes cover an extent of many square miles; andwhose odd social habits have been repeatedly and accurately described bylate travellers who have crossed the American continent. 

The _Mole-rats_ are a sort of combination between moles and rats: hencetheir common name. One species is found in Eastern Russia; where itburrows much after the fashion of the mole--living principally uponroots. Two other kinds belong to South Africa. Both these are of largesize, nearly as big as rabbits. On the plains, they make extensiveexcavations, which often prove dangerous to the horse and his rider--causing the former to stumble. The Dutch of the Cape know them by thename of Sand Moles. 

The _Hamsters_ differ considerably from the marmots in their mode ofburrowing. They make their underground dwellings very extensive--havinga great many chambers and galleries. In these they collect vast storesof food--consisting of grain, peas, and seeds of various kinds. Sometimes two or three bushels of provision will be found in thestorehouse of a single family. The hamsters do not confine themselvesexclusively to a vegetable diet: since it is known that they will killand eat birds, or even small quadrupeds. In this respect they resemblethe common rats; and, therefore, it is idle to talk of mere_herbivorous_ genera of animals. The hamsters are very fierce littlecreatures: constantly fighting with other quadrupeds, and even amongthemselves; but the polecat is their master and tyrant, and carries on awar of extermination against them--following them through the intricateways of their burrows, and destroying them even in their dens!

There are several species of hamsters in Europe and Asia, and also inNorth America: for the animal known as the Canada Pouched Rat is of thiskind, and so also is the Tucan of Mexico. So also is that very singularand beautiful creature, the Chinchilla of South America--so celebratedfor its soft and valuable fur. 

The _Lemmings_ are another form of small rodent animals, celebrated fortheir extraordinary migratory habit; which resembles that of the greysquirrels of North America. There are several species of lemmingsbelonging to the northern section of the Old Continent--in EasternRussia and Asia. One or two are found in North America--in that part ofit known as the Hudson's Bay Territory. 

The _Spinous Rats_ are little animals much resembling ordinary rats; butwith the peculiarity of having stiff spines growing among their hair, after the manner of porcupine quills. There are several species ofthem: all natives of tropical America. 

The _Jerboas_ are, perhaps, the most singular of all the rodents. Theyare noted for having the hind legs much longer than the fore ones--infact, being shaped very much like the kangaroos--of which they might betermed Lilliputian varieties, were it not that they lack the pouch, which distinguishes these curious creatures. Like the kangaroos, theyuse their fore-feet only to rest upon. When in motion, or desirous ofpassing quickly over the ground, they make use of their hind-feet only:proceeding by long leaps or jumps, and sometimes springing to thedistance of twelve or fifteen feet. Their tails being long and slender, were supposed _not_ to assist them in this operation; but an experimentmade by a cruel Frenchman--that of cutting off these appendages--provedthat a considerable portion of the jumping power is derived from thetail. 

Africa and Asia are the head-quarters of these quadrupeds--the mostnoted species being the Jerboas of Egypt, and the Leaping Hare of theCape. They dwell in sandy deserts--burrowing in communities like themarmots. In America there are no true jerboas: they are thererepresented by the Jumping Mice of Labrador and the Hudson's BayTerritory; which resemble the jerboas in almost everything except size, the jumping mice being much smaller animals. 

_Field Mice_ and _Dormice_ are other kinds of small rodents, differingfrom the common kind of mouse; but the habits and appearance of theselittle quadrupeds are well-known. 

The _Beaver_ and _Musk-rat_, or _Musquash_ of America, are usuallyclassed among the rat tribe; but these animals, for many reasons, deserve to stand apart and form a group of themselves. With regard tothe shrew-mice and moles, there is less reason for separating them fromother mice; and we shall speak of them in this connection. 

The _Moles_ are known to be the best burrowers in the world: since theycan pass under the surface of the ground as fast as a man can dig afterthem, or even faster. In England, the common mole is well-known--toowell, in fact--for it is the very pest of the farmer; and the damagedone by it to the herbage is very considerable indeed--of greater amountthan that occasioned by any other wild animal. 

In America, where there are several species of moles, their habits aresimilar; and the common American mole is very like its European congenerin every respect. But there are two or three species found in NorthAmerican countries very different from either; and the most singular ofall is that known as the Star-nosed Mole. This creature has thecartilage of the snout extended into five or six branches, that radiatefrom each other, like spokes of a wheel, or the points of a star--hencethe name of star-nosed mole. The use of this singular appendage is notclearly understood; and, indeed, it would appear to be an obstruction tothe natural requirements of the animal. No doubt, however, it has itspurpose--though that purpose be unknown to us. 

The _Shrew-Mice_ are still another kind of small ratlike quadrupeds. They are distinguished by having upon each flank, under the ordinaryskin, a little band of stiff and close hairs, from which an odoriferoushumour is distilled. They dig holes in the earth, which they seldomcome out of until towards evening; and their food consists of insectsand worms. A species that inhabits the Pyrenees, and also the mountainsof Russia, are called Desmans, and differ somewhat from the ordinaryshrew-mice. They are aquatic in their habits; and their burrows alwaysenter the ground below the level of the water. The Russian species areusually termed Musk-rats; but these are not to be confounded with themusk-rats of America--which last should undoubtedly be classed with thebeavers. 

In India, the shrew-mice attain to the size of ordinary rats, and arethere also called musk-rats, from the fact that a strong odour of muskis exhaled by them--so strong as to make the place through which theanimal passes exceedingly disagreeable. The same is true of the Russianmusk-rats, but for all that their skins are employed in chestscontaining clothing: since the musky smell is a good preservativeagainst the moths. 

In addition to the numerous rat animals above-mentioned, there are stillother kinds in different parts of the world--the names of which wouldalone fill many pages. Hence it is that the study of this section ofthe mammalia is, perhaps, the most difficult of all; and a trueclassification of these small quadrupeds has hitherto proved a puzzle tothe most expert zoologists. 

CHAPTER TEN. 

BEAVERS. 

Of true Beavers there is only one species--unless the beaver of the OldWorld be different from the well-known animal of the American continent. This is a question which has been much debated among naturalists; andcertainly the difference which is known to exist between the habits ofthe two animals would seem to prove them distinct. The European beaveris generally supposed to lead a solitary life--burrowing in the banks ofrivers as otters do; but this supposition is evidently erroneous: or, rather, we should say, its solitary habit is not its normal or originalcondition, but has been produced by circumstances. It is probable thatif European beavers were left to themselves, in a situation remote fromthe presence of man, they would build dams, and dwell together incolonies, just as the American beavers do. In fact, such colonies haveactually existed in some parts of Europe and Asia; and no doubt exist atthe present hour. One has even been found on the small river Nutha, ina lonely canton of the Magdeburg district, near the Elbe. Moreover, itis well-known that the American beavers, when much hunted and persecuted(as they are certain to be whenever the settlements approach theirterritory) forsake their gregarious habit; and betake themselves to the"solitary system;" just as their European cousins have done. Did thisconstitute the only difference between the beavers of the Old and NewWorlds, we might regard them as one and the same; but there are otherand still more important points of distinction--reaching even to theiranatomical structure--which seem to prove them distinct species. Theprobability is in favour of this view: since there is perhaps noindigenous quadruped of the one continent exactly identical with itssynonymous species of the other; excepting the polar bears, and a fewother kinds--whose arctic range leads them, as it were, all round theearth. The written natural history of the beaver is usually that of theAmerican species; not that this differs materially from his Europeancongener, but simply because it has been more extensively and accuratelyobserved. Its valuable fur has long rendered it an object of the chase;and for fifty years it has been hunted _a l'outrance_, and, in fact, exterminated from a wide domain of more than a million of square miles. Formerly, its range extended from the Gulf of Mexico almost to theshores of the Arctic Sea, and latitudinally from ocean to ocean. Atpresent, it is not found in the territory of the United States proper, except in remote and solitary situations, among the mountains, or insome tracts still unsettled. Even where found in these places, its modeof life approximates more to that of the European species; that is, itburrows instead of builds. The beaver has been long reputed as the mostsagacious of quadrupeds. True it is, that the capacity of cutting downtrees--often a foot or more in diameter--floating or rafting these treesdown a stream, and constructing a dam with them, and afterwards buildingits singular houses or lodges in the water, would seem to indicate thepresence of a rational power. But there are many other creatures--birds, insects, and quadrupeds--that exhibit instincts quite assurprising. 

Nevertheless the habits of the beaver are curious in the extreme, anddeserve to be given in detail. The best account of them is that of theold and truthful traveller Hearne: upon whose homely but accurateobservations scores of fireside naturalists have established a measureof their fame. We shall leave _him_ to tell the story of these singularanimals. 

"The beavers, " he says, "being so plentiful, the attention of mycompanions was chiefly engaged on them, as they not only furnisheddelicious food, but their skins proved a valuable acquisition, --being aprincipal article of trade, as well as a serviceable one for clothing. The situation of the beaver-houses are various. Where the beavers arenumerous, they are found to inhabit lakes, ponds, and rivers, as well asthose narrow creeks which connect the numerous lakes with which thiscountry abounds; but the two latter are generally chosen by them whenthe depth of water and other circumstances are suitable, as they havethen the advantage of a current to convey wood and other necessaries totheir habitations; and because, in general, they are more difficult tobe taken than those that build in standing water. They always choosethose parts that have such a depth of water as will resist the frost inwinter, and prevent it from freezing to the bottom. The beavers thatbuild their houses in small rivers or creeks, in which water is liableto be drained off when the back supplies are dried up by the frost, arewonderfully taught by instinct to provide against that evil by making adam quite across the river, at a convenient distance from their houses. The beaver-dams differ in shape, according to the nature of the place inwhich they are built. If the water in the river or creek have butlittle motion, the dam is almost straight; but when the current is morerapid, it is always made with a considerable curve, convex towards thestream. The materials made use of are drift-wood, green willows, birch, and poplars if they can be got; also mud and stones, intermixed in sucha manner as must evidently contribute to the strength of the dam; butthere is no other order or method observed in the dams, except that ofthe work being carried on with a regular sweep, and all the parts beingmade of equal strength. In places which have been long frequented bybeavers undisturbed, their dams, by frequent repairing, become a solidbank, capable of resisting a great force both of water and ice; and asthe willow, poplar, and birch generally take root and shoot up, they bydegrees form a regular planted hedge, which I have seen in some placesso tall, that birds have built their nests among the branches. 

"The beaver-houses are built of the same materials as their dams, andare always proportioned in size to the number of inhabitants, whichseldom exceeds four old and six to eight young ones; though, by chance, I have seen above double the number. Instead of order or regulationbeing observed in rearing their houses, they are of a much ruderstructure than their dams; for, notwithstanding the sagacity of theseanimals, it has never been observed that they aim at any otherconvenience in their houses than to have a dry place to lie on; andthere they usually eat their victuals, which they occasionally take outof the water. It frequently happens that some of the large houses arefound to have one or more partitions (if they deserve that appellation), but it is no more than a part of the main building left by the sagacityof the beaver to support the roof. On such occasions it is common forthese different apartments, as some are pleased to call them, to have nocommunication with each other but by water; so that, in fact, they maybe called double or treble houses, rather than different apartments ofthe same house. I have seen a large beaver-house built in a smallisland that had near a dozen apartments under one roof; and, two orthree of these only excepted, none of them had any communication witheach other but by water. As there were beavers enough to inhabit eachapartment, it is more than probable that each family knew their own, andalways entered at their own door, without any further connection withtheir neighbours than a friendly intercourse, and to join their unitedlabours in erecting their separate habitations, and building their damswhere required. Travellers who assert that the beavers have two doorsto their houses--one on the land side, and the other next the water--seem to be less acquainted with these animals than others who assignthem an elegant suite of apartments. Such a construction would rendertheir houses of no use, either to protect them from their enemies, orguard them against the extreme cold of winter. 

"So far are the beavers from driving stakes into the ground whenbuilding their houses, that they lay most of the wood crosswise, andnearly horizontal, and without any other variation than that of leavinga hollow or cavity in the middle. When any unnecessary branches projectinward they cut them off with their teeth, and throw them in among therest, to prevent the mud from falling through the roof. It is amistaken notion that the woodwork is first completed and then plastered;for the whole of their houses, as well as their dams, are, from thefoundation, one mass of mud and wood, mixed with stones, if they can beprocured. The mud is always taken from the edge of the bank, or thebottom of the creek or pond near the door of the house; and though theirfore-paws are so small, yet it is held close up between them under theirthroat: thus they carry both mud and stones, while they always drag thewood with their teeth. All their work is executed in the night, andthey are so expeditious, that in the course of one night I have knownthem to have collected as much as amounted to some thousands of theirlittle handfuls. It is a great piece of policy in these animals tocover the outside of their houses every fall with fresh mud, and as lateas possible in the autumn, even when the frost becomes pretty severe, asby this means it soon freezes as hard as a stone, and prevents theircommon enemy, the wolverene, from disturbing them during the winter; andas they are frequently seen to walk over their work, and sometimes togive a flap with their tail, particularly when plunging into the water, this has, without doubt, given rise to the vulgar opinion that they usetheir tails as a trowel, with which they plaster their houses; whereasthat flapping of the tail is no more than a custom which they alwayspreserve, even when they become tame and domestic, and more particularlyso when they are startled. 

"Their food consists of a large root, something resembling acabbage-stalk, which grows at the bottom of the lakes and rivers. Theyalso eat the bark of trees, particularly those of the poplar, birch, andwillow; but the ice preventing them from getting to the land in thewinter, they have not any bark to feed on in that season, except that ofsuch sticks as they cut down in summer, and throw into the wateropposite the doors of their houses; and as they generally eat a greatdeal, the roots above-mentioned constitute a principal part of theirfood during the winter. In summer they vary their diet by eatingvarious kinds of herbage, and such berries as grow near their hauntsduring that season. When the ice breaks up in the spring the beaversalways leave their houses, and rove about until a little before the fallof the leaf, when they return again to their old habitations, and lay intheir winter-stock of wood. They seldom begin to repair their housestill the frost commences, and never finish the outer coat till the coldis pretty severe, as has been already mentioned. When they erect a newhabitation they begin felling the wood early in the summer, but seldombegin to build until the middle or latter end of August, and nevercomplete it till the cold weather be set in. 

"Persons who attempt to take beavers in winter should be thoroughlyacquainted with their manner of life; otherwise they will have endlesstrouble to effect their purpose, because they have always a number ofholes in the banks, which serve them as places of retreat when anyinjury is offered to their houses, and in general it is in those holesthat they are taken. When the beavers which are situated in a smallriver or creek are to be taken, the Indians sometimes find it necessaryto stake the river across to prevent them from passing; after which theyendeavour to find out all their holes or places of retreat in the bank. This requires much practice and experience to accomplish, and isperformed in the following manner:--Every man being furnished with anice-chisel, lashes it to the end of a small staff about four to fivefeet long; he then walks along the edge of the banks, and keeps knockinghis chisel against the ice. Those who are acquainted with that kind ofwork well know by the sound of the ice when they are opposite to any ofthe beavers' holes or vaults. As soon as they suspect any, they cut ahole through the ice big enough to admit an old beaver; and in thismanner proceed till they have found out all their places of retreat, orat least as many of them as possible. While the principal men are thusemployed, some of the under-strappers and the women are busy in breakingopen the house--which at times is no easy task, for I have frequentlyknown these houses to be five or six feet thick; and one, in particular, was more than eight feet thick in the crown. When the beavers find thattheir habitations are invaded, they fly to their holes in the banks forshelter; and on being perceived by the Indians, which is easily done, byattending to the motion of the water, they block up the entrance withstakes of wood, and then haul the beaver out of its hole, either byhand, if they can reach it, or with a large hook made for that purpose, which is fastened to the end of a long stick. The beaver is an animalwhich cannot keep long under at a time; so that when their houses arebroken open, and all their places of retreat discovered, they have butone choice left, as it may be called--either to be taken in their houseor their vaults; in general they prefer the latter; for where there isone beaver caught in the house, many thousands are taken in the vaultsin the banks. Sometimes they are caught in nets, and, in summer, veryfrequently in traps. 

"In respect to the beavers dunging in their houses, as some personsassert, it is quite wrong, as they always plunge into water to do it. Iam the better enabled to make this assertion, from having kept severalof them till they became so domesticated as to answer to their name, andfollow those to whom they were accustomed in the same manner as a dogwould do; and they were as much pleased at being fondled as any animal Iever saw. In cold weather they were kept in my own sitting-room, wherethey were the constant companions of the Indian women and children; andwere so fond of their company, that when the Indians were absent for anyconsiderable time, the beavers discovered great signs of uneasiness, andon their return showed equal marks of pleasure, by fondling on them, crawling into their laps, lying on their backs, sitting erect like asquirrel, and behaving like children who see their parents but seldom. In general, during the winter, they lived on the same food as the womendid; and were immoderately fond of rice and plum-pudding; they would eatpartridges and fresh venison very freely; but I never tried them withfish, though I have heard they will at times prey on them. In fact, there are few graminivorous animals that may not be brought to becarnivorous. "

The _Musquash_, or _Musk-rat_, is undoubtedly a beaver, and has beencalled at times the Little Beaver; but it has pleased the naturalists toconstitute it a genus of itself, though there is only the one speciesknown. Its habits are extremely like those of the beaver: it isaquatic, or amphibious, if you please--building itself a conical housein the midst of a swamp, or low islet, and feeding on shoots of trees, bits of green wood, leaves and stalks of nettles, and other herbaceousplants. Its fur bears a very great resemblance to that of the beaver, only it is shorter, and therefore less valuable. Notwithstanding this, it is an article of extensive commerce; and upwards of a million skinshave been imported into England in a single year. The musquash mightalso be exterminated like the beaver; but being a smaller creature, andtherefore less persecuted by the amateur sportsman, it is still commonenough upon the streams of the northern and middle States of America. Further north it is plentiful; and the Hudson's Bay Company procure avast number of skins for annual exportation to Europe. Its name ofmusk-rat is derived from the scent of musk which the animal emits, andwhich is especially powerful during the season of rut. 

It is possible that the musk-rat of Siberia, as well as several speciesof water-rats belonging to South America--and known vaguely by the nameof Lutras and Nutrias--may be animals of the beaver kind, rather thanWater-Rats or Otters, among which they are generally classed. 

CHAPTER ELEVEN. 

SQUIRRELS. 

These pretty little animals are widely distributed over the earth;though to this remark Australia seems to form an exception, since nospecies has yet been discovered there. However, there is much of thatgreat island continent yet to be explored; and perhaps it may turn outthat Australia has its squirrels, as well as other parts of the world--no doubt squirrels with pouches. 

In number of species--and also of individuals, it may be added--Americaexcels all other countries, and the great forests of North America maybe regarded as the head-quarters of the squirrel tribe; but, if we giveprecedence to size, the squirrels of the East Indian countries areentitled to the first place. 

Animals known as Squirrels are of three very distinct kinds--viz. , Squirrels, properly so called; Ground Squirrels: and Flying Squirrels. These three kinds are very naturally separated into three differentgenera; but the closet naturalists, not content with this simpledivision, have again subdivided them into other sub-genera, using verydifficult names to distinguish them. In our little sketch we shallsimply call them by the three names above-mentioned. 

The _Squirrels_, properly so called, are not only tree-climbers, but, asevery one knows, dwell habitually upon trees, and there make their nestsand their home. And perfectly at home they are among the highestbranches; for under no circumstances do they ever miss their footing, orare they in the slightest danger of falling. In fact, they can not onlyrun with the greatest agility along the branches, but equally well withtheir backs downward; and can spring from branch to branch, and alsofrom tree to tree, over wide intervals of many yards. They can alsoleap down from the tops of the tallest trees to the earth--a feat oftenwitnessed by squirrel-hunters--and do so without the appearance ofhaving received the slightest injury; for, without pausing a moment onthe ground, they continue their flight towards some other tree, wherethey expect to find better shelter from the short gun or rifle of theirhuman enemy. 

The squirrel builds a nest in the tree, similar to that of some birds;but they have also in the same tree a more secure retreat in case ofbeing pursued. This is a hole in the trunk or one of the larger limbs--some natural excavation caused by the decaying of a branch--in short, what is termed a "knot hole, " which is common in many kinds of timber. In this hole the squirrel usually lays up its store of winter food, consisting of nuts, beech-mast, etcetera; and here it takes refuge whenhunted, finding the tree-cave a safe asylum. Unless decoyed out again, or, which often happens, _frightened_ out again, by rubbing the trunkwith a piece of stick, the squirrel must escape scot-free nine times outof ten, since no hunter would think of felling a huge tree to procure soinsignificant a reward as the carcass of a squirrel; and without fellingthe tree, and splitting it up, too, the creature could not be reached. Various devices, however, are practised to decoy it forth; and these, unfortunately for the little refugee, too often succeed. 

The squirrels are the life of the American woods--indeed, a journeythrough these great forests would often be very monotonous were it notenlivened by the presence and gambols of these beautiful creatures; andin the depth of winter, when the squirrels keep within their darktree-caves, the solitude of the forest seems redoubled. But even duringfrost and snow, when the weather is fine and the sun shining brightly, afew will be seen venturing forth, as if to take an airing. 

A great many species exist in the forests of North America; sometimesonly one, and sometimes several, occupy the same district. They are ofdifferent colours and sizes--some as small as the common squirrel ofEngland, while several species are three or four times as large. Someare grey, others brown grey, several species of a fox red, and thoseesteemed the most beautiful are of a uniform jet black. Several newspecies have lately been found in the forests of Oregon and California. 

Their habits are all nearly alike; but to one species of Grey Squirrelbelongs a habit as distinct as it is singular. This is their habit ofcollecting together in immense flocks of many thousands, and migratingover vast tracts of country, crossing broad rapid rivers, and staying atno obstacle. The object of this migration is not known, only that itappears to be the result of some impulse--such as excites to a similarmovement the springboks of South Africa, the buffaloes of North America, and the passenger pigeons. 

In Europe the squirrel is represented by the Common Squirrel of our ownwoods, and which is found throughout the whole of Northern Europe andAsia, wherever there are trees. Although of a reddish colour inEngland, as well as in France, it assumes different hues, according tothe different countries it inhabits; and in the more northern latitudesit is quite grey. Another European species, distinct from the Englishsquirrel, is a denizen of the Pyrenees and the Alps of Dauphine. 

The Palm Squirrel is a beautiful species belonging to the tropical partsof Africa and India, and dwelling principally upon the palm trees--asits name imports. 

Another, known as the Barbary Squirrel, belongs to North Africa, and isalso a dweller upon palm trees. 

The largest, and perhaps the most richly-coated of the tribe, is theMalabar Squirrel of India, which is as large as a domestic cat. It alsohaunts among palm trees, and is fond of the milk of the cocoa-nut, either in a liquid or solid state. 

There are squirrels also in Eastern Africa. India has several species, and the great islands of Madagascar, Ceylon, Java, Borneo, Sumatra, etcetera, have each one or more species of large and beautifulsquirrels. 

The _Ground Squirrels_ differ from the true squirrels in severalrespects, though the chief difference lies in the fact that the formermake their nest or lair upon the ground, while the latter universallylodge themselves aloft among the branches. The Ground Squirrels canclimb, and appear to ascend trees almost as nimbly as their congeners;but they rarely do so unless when pursued, and then but seldom go beyondthe lower forks or branches. Their nest is usually in some hole orcavity among the roots, though several species have been latelydiscovered in rocky regions, dwelling in the crevices of rocks. Theyapproach in habits to the marmot tribe, and seem to link the treesquirrels with these last. Usually, these ground squirrels are stripedlongitudinally with black, red, and white stripes, giving them a fineappearance; and the species are of different dimensions, from that ofthe ordinary squirrel to the size of a mouse. In America, for a longtime, but one kind was supposed to exist; but latterly a great number ofspecies have been observed and described: denizens of the far West--ofthe prairies, and remote valleys of the Rocky Mountains. 

The African species of ground squirrel, already mentioned as the PalmSquirrel, has its dwelling among the palm trees, on the fruit and rootsof which--especially that of the date-palm--it subsists. It is also aninhabitant of India, where there is at least one other species of palmground squirrel. 

In Europe, and throughout the whole of Northern Asia, the groundsquirrels are represented by the _burunduk_--a very interesting littlespecies, quite similar in habits to those of North America. 

The _Flying Squirrels_ are the last of the group. These are the mostsingular of all, and resemble great bats more than squirrels. Theypossess the power, not exactly of flight, but of making very long leapsfrom a higher to a lower level, so long that they might almost beregarded as flights. They can pass from one tree to another standingmore than a hundred yards apart, and this without descending more than afew feet below the level from which they started. This feat they areenabled to perform by means of a broad membrane that extends from theskin of their fore-legs to that of their thighs, and which, whenstretched out, endows them with the properties of a parachute. Theirbodies, too, have a flattened shape like the bats; and this also helpsto sustain them in the air. 

They are true squirrels, however, living upon trees, as the commonsquirrels do, and looking very like the latter, notwithstanding theirwinged legs. In one point, however, they differ essentially from thecommon squirrels; and that is, they are _nocturnal_ in their habits. Inthe daytime they are never seen, except by accident; but in thetwilight, and during a clear night, they may be observed making theirlong leaps from tree to tree, through the glades or along the edges ofthe forest. There are several species inhabiting the forests ofAmerica, and of late California has yielded several new ones. In thetropical forests of America there are several large species, and the OldWorld has its flying squirrel in the Polatouka, which inhabits the pineforests of Northern Europe and Asia. 

The largest species of these singular quadrupeds appears to belong tothe Oriental Islands--to Java, Sumatra, the Philippines, and Moluccas, or Spice Islands, as also to Japan. The great Teguan, or flyingsquirrel of the Moluccas, is in reality as large as a cat!

The singular Ay-ay of Madagascar is sometimes classed among thesquirrels and sometimes among the lemurs. It certainly bears a greatresemblance to the squirrel family; but the habits of all animalsbelonging to Madagascar are so little known that it is difficult toassign them to that exact genus in which Nature intended they should beplaced. 

CHAPTER TWELVE. 

HARES, RABBITS, AND OTHER RODENTS. 

The Hare, and its very near congener, the Rabbit, are animals toowell-known to need description; but it is necessary to say that, besidesthe species of both, peculiar to Great Britain, there are many otherkinds in other parts of the world. Even in Britain itself, includingIreland, there are several distinct sorts both of hares and rabbits; forthe Irish hare is distinct, being a larger, stronger, and even swifteranimal than the English hare, and having many other points peculiar toit. Moreover, in the northern and mountainous parts of Scotland thereis found the Varying or Alpine Hare, whose fur changes in the winterseason to a snowy whiteness. But I may here remark, that the Irish harealso possesses this singular power of transformation, since upon themountains of the north, especially upon the Mourne range, in countyDown, _white_ hares have been frequently observed. Is this the Irishhare turned white, or the true Alpine hare of Pallas?

Hares and rabbits are peculiarly the denizens of cold countries, astheir warm woolly covering would plainly indicate. In tropical climatestheir place is supplied by other kinds of rodents, that resemble them inhabits, if not in "dress. " Of these other animals we shall presentlyspeak. To the above remark, however a few partial exceptions may bebrought forward; since there is a species existing in Egypt known as theEgyptian Hare, and there are three others at the Cape--the Rock Hare, the Burrow Hare, and the Vlakte Haas. These, however, differ veryconsiderably from the common hares and rabbits of northern countries;and the remark still holds good, that in the tropics--properly socalled--the hare does not exist: neither has any true hare been found inthe new world of Australia. 

Otherwise, hares are plenteous in the different continents of Europe, Asia, Africa, and America. In Asia there is a species inhabiting theregions of the Altai Mountains, and another peculiar to the Siberianterritory, called the Tolai. There is an Indian species found in theNepaul Mountains, and a curious variety, also a native of Nepaul and theHimalayas, known as the Woolly Hare of Thibet. 

The Polar Hare, valued for its beautiful white fur, inhabits thecountries around the Arctic Ocean, and is common in Labrador and theHudson's Bay territory. In North America, also, there are several otherspecies of hares: the Marsh, or Swamp Hare, of the Southern UnitedStates, which dwells among the extensive marshes of the Carolinas andLouisiana, and which freely takes to the water; the Rabbit of the MiddleStates, which is a true hare, though from its small size usually termeda rabbit; the Californian Hare, indigenous to California, and alsoanother Marsh Hare, belonging to the same country. Upon the prairiesseveral distinct species have lately been discovered, among which theSage Hare deserves especial mention. This kind derives its name fromits being a dweller on the desert plains, where scarce any othervegetation exists except the _artemisia_, or wild sage plant, the leavesof which constitute the principal food of the animal, rendering itsflesh almost uneatable. 

The _Calling Hares_ differ very much from the common hares and rabbits--so much as to constitute a separate genus. Their ears are shorter, andthey are altogether without tails. Their habits, however, are verysimilar to those of the hare family, and they are therefore verynaturally grouped with the latter. They derive their trivial name fromthe habit of uttering a note, which somewhat resembles the piping of aquail, and which can be heard at a very great distance. This note isrepeated three or four times at night and morning, but is seldom heardduring the middle of the day, unless when the weather is cloudy. 

The calling hares are distributed over Asia and North America. At leasttwo species belong to the Himalayan country, and one is found in Cabul. In Siberia and Northern Russia there is another, called the Eadajac; andseveral species inhabit the northern countries of America--some so smallas scarcely to exceed the dimensions of a rat! The Little Chief is oneof these tiny creatures long known; but late explorers of the RockyMountain regions have discovered a species still smaller than the littlechief. 

The _Cavies_ appear to represent the hare family in the tropical partsof America. It is true that these last differ from hares in manyparticulars; but they have also many points of resemblance, and they maybe grouped together in a very natural manner. They live much in thesame manner; they are swift and inoffensive as the hares; but, insteadof being clothed in soft wool, which would be altogether unsuitable tothe climate in which they dwell, the cavies have a covering of hair sofine and thin as to convey to the touch a feeling of coolness ratherthan warmth. Some of the cavies are among the largest animals of theRodent Family; for instance, the great Capivara, which is equal in sizeto an ordinary pig. This species is not a swift runner upon land; butit is semi-aquatic in its habits, and can swim and dive like an otter, its feet being webbed or palmated. It herds in troops of from five orten to fifty in number, and is found upon the banks of all the greatSouth American rivers, where it has for its chief enemy the fiercejaguar. 

The Guinea Pig is one of the family of cavies. This beautiful littleanimal is too well-known to require description. It may be remarked, however, that the name Guinea Pig is altogether a mistake, since thecreature is found wild only in South America, and is _not_ a native ofGuinea in Africa. Very likely it was originally brought from Guiana, and this has led to the misnomer. There are several species of Guineapig in South America, differing from one another in size, shape, andcolour. Besides the large Capivara and the little Guinea Pig, there areseveral intermediate kinds. These are known as the True Cavies, and areusually called Agoutis, or Acouchis. The agoutis are about the size ofthe common hare, and run almost as swiftly. For their food they prefernuts to herbage, which is natural enough in a region where the latter isscanty and the former exists in plenty; and in eating they "squat"upright on their haunches, and convey the food to their mouth after themanner of squirrels. The agouti, like the hare, frequently rolls overwhen descending a hill at full speed--a habit, or rather an accident, due to the same cause in both animals, namely, the great length of thehind legs. When angry, the agouti stamps with the fore-feet, gruntslike a young pig, and erects the bristly hair upon its crupper after themanner of porcupines. 

There are many species of agouti throughout tropical America and theWest India Islands, and the range of the genus extends as far south asthe plains of Patagonia. 

The _Pacas_ form another genus belonging to the family of the caviesthat may be also grouped with the hares and rabbits. They burrow likethe common rabbit, and their food consists of nuts, fruits, and roots. Their flesh is excellent; and on this account they are hunted eagerly, both by the Indians and whites who dwell in the countries where they arefound. There are several species of them in South America, and theywere also very common at one time in the West India Islands; but onaccount of the persecution of many enemies--more especially of hunters--they are now comparatively rare. 

With the hares and rabbits may be classed still another family of SouthAmerican animals, and one of the most interesting of the whole group. These are the Chinchillas and Viscachas. The place assigned to them bysome naturalists is with the hamsters, and therefore they are groupedwith the rats; but an examination into the habits of these animals showsthat they are in reality representatives of the hares and rabbits on theelevated table-lands of Chili and Peru, as also over the whole plaincountry of La Plata and Patagonia. There are several species knownindifferently as Viscachas and Chinchillas; but the true Chinchilla, celebrated for its soft and beautiful woolly coat, is an inhabitant ofthe elevated plateaux of the Andes, where the climate is as cold as inSiberia itself. The natural history of these rodents is full of curiousinterest, and deserves to be given more in detail, if our space wouldonly admit of it. 

CHAPTER THIRTEEN. 

ELEPHANTS. 

The Elephant is by far the largest of land animals, and for this reasonone of the most interesting to the student of zoology; but even withoutthis superiority, he possesses qualities that entitle him to rank amongthe curious objects of creation. 

In ages long gone by there were elephants upon the earth--or animalsresembling elephants--as much larger than the existing species as theseare superior in size to other quadrupeds. Such were the mammoths andmastodons, the skeletons of which are occasionally found buried beneaththe surface of the soil in different parts of the world. 

As might be expected, the species of this gigantic quadruped are notnumerous. For a long time there was supposed to be only one; but thiswas an erroneous belief, and it is now proved that there are _at least_two, since the elephants of Africa and those of Asia are altogetherdifferent from each other. It is not quite certain that the elephant ofthe Island of Ceylon is identically the same as other Indian elephants;and in the Asiatic countries and islands there are varieties differingfrom each other in size, and other peculiarities, quite as much as anyof them does from the elephant of Africa. Again, in Africa itself wefind that this great creature has its varieties--some larger and somesmaller, according to the part of the country in which they are found. Even the natives of both Africa and the Indian territories recognisedifferent kinds, proving that on both continents there are severalpermanent varieties, if not species. 

In the Indian countries these varieties have received distinct names--just as our breeds of dogs--and an elephant is valued according to thebreed or caste to which he belongs; for in India caste is a universalidea, even among animals. 

There are two principal castes--the Koomareah, of princely race; and theMerghee, or hunting elephant. These two kinds differ a good deal--asmuch, indeed, as if they were separate species. The koomareah isdeep-bodied, strong, and compact, with a very large trunk and shortthick legs. As a large trunk is considered the great beauty of anelephant, the koomareah is therefore preferred to the merghee; besides, he is also superior to the latter in strength and powers of endurance. 

The merghee is a taller animal, but neither so compact nor so strong, and his trunk is short and slender in proportion to his height. Hetravels faster, however; and for this reason is oftener employed in thechase. 

A cross between these two varieties is called a Sunkareah, whichsignifies a mixed breed or mule; and in a herd of elephants there willbe found not only sunkareahs, but several varieties of cross breedsbetween the koomareahs and merghees. These "mules" are prized if theypartake more of the nature of the princely caste, and less valued whennearer to the merghee. 

In addition to these distinctions, another very important one is foundin the size and shape of the teeth. The Dauntelah is one with verylarge teeth, in opposition to the Mookna, in which the tusks are ofsmall dimensions, and scarcely visible outside the mouth. The Europeansprefer elephants of the mookna variety, as these are of milderdisposition than the dauntelahs; but the natives prize the large-toothedkinds, taking the chance of being able to tame them to submission. There are many degrees between the mookna and dauntelah, founded on theform of the tusks. Those of the Pullung-daunt project forward with analmost horizontal curve, while the straight tusks of the mooknas pointdirectly downwards. Nearly a dozen varieties or breeds are thusestablished among the elephants of India that are held in a state ofdomestication. 

White elephants are also met with, and are highly prized by the rajahsand wealthy nobles. These are mere varieties, produced by albinism, andmay belong to any of the castes already described. 

It has been further ascertained that the elephants of different Indiancountries vary a good deal in point of size. Those from the southerndistricts, and some of the larger islands, are larger and stronger thanthe elephants of Nepaul and other mountain countries in the north. Thefinest are those of Cochin China and the Burmese territories of Pegu, while those of Ceylon are even superior to the kinds indigenous toNorthern India. 

The African elephants are said also to be larger as they dwell nearer tothe Equator; and from this it would appear that the elephant isessentially a tropical animal, and thrives best in the climate of thetorrid zone. 

The Asiatic elephant is found wild as well as domesticated in nearly allthe Indian countries, as also in many of the large islands. Its rangenorthward is bounded by the lower hills of the Himalayas; and amongthese, especially through the _saul_ forests, these huge animals roamabout in herds, each herd being under the guidance or leadership of anold male, or "bull, " as he is termed. As an elephant brings aconsiderable sum of money, even in India, these are eagerly hunted; andtheir capture is accomplished by decoying them into a pound or enclosureconstructed for the purpose, where ropes are attached to them, and thentied to the neighbouring trees. The decoy used is a tame elephant, thathas been already trained for the purpose. 

There are in India, as well as in Africa, certain old bull elephantsthat lead a solitary life, and that are scarcely ever seen in companywith the herds. These bachelors are usually of a morose and fiercedisposition, and when one of them is captured it requires all the skillof the hunters to keep clear of danger. These wild bulls are larger andstronger than the common kind, and so untamable in their ferocity thateven when captured no use can be made of them, since they will dierather than submit to being trained. They are called Goondahs by thepeople of Hindostau, and by English hunters Rogues or Rovers. 

The African elephant next merits attention. There is no difficulty indistinguishing this species from any of the Indian varieties. Theimmensely large ears constitute a marked characteristic of the former, which at once becomes recognisable. Other points of difference are thegreater convexity of the forehead or skull and the larger size of thetusks; though this last point of distinction is not always to bedepended upon, since there are Indian elephants with tusks of similardimensions. Generally, however, the African elephants have the largest"ivories. "

In point of bulk the Asiatic species has been considered superior; butthis belief may not be correct. Certain circumstances should be takeninto account. The Asiatic elephant is living in a domesticated state, and this may have produced a greater size, as it does in the case ofmost other quadrupeds. Another circumstance: the African elephants ofour collections have been mostly obtained from the Cape, or the regionscontiguous to it. But it is now known that in the countries nearer tothe equator there exists a much larger kind, that appears to be quite asbulky as any of the Asiatic varieties. 

The height of the elephant has been much exaggerated by travellers--somehaving been described as measuring eighteen feet from the foot to thetop of the shoulder! An authority on this subject, who measured thelargest he could meet with in different parts of India, found none thatstood over twelve feet, and this appears to be the actual height of thevery biggest of elephants. 

The African elephants have not been tamed--at least not in modern times;but it is certain that the elephants used by the Carthaginians in theirwars with the Romans were of this species; and also that Africanelephants were the species exhibited by Caesar and Pompey in the Romanarena. 

In a wild state the African elephant has a wide range--from the Capecountry on the south to Senegal on the western side, throughout thewhole of Central Africa, and along the oriental coast to the valley ofthe Nile; but it is not very certain whether the elephant of the easterncountries of Africa is the African species or a variety of the Asiatickind. The African elephant is said to be fiercer than that of Asia; butthis is a doubtful statement; and perhaps the habits of the two do notmaterially differ, farther than might be expected from a difference ofclimate, food, and other external circumstances. 

CHAPTER FOURTEEN. 

THE HIPPOPOTAMUS, RHINOCEROS, AND TAPIR. 

Though these three kinds of creatures belong to different genera, thereis a certain family likeness among them that entitles them to be classedtogether; and since there are not many species of each, they willconveniently form a group. 

Of late the hippopotamus has been the most notorious of the three;though he is far from being as interesting an animal as the rhinoceros. Since, however, he is at present the most popular, we shall give him theforemost place in our sketch. 

The Hippopotamus was known to the Greeks and Romans. His name is Greek, and, as every one knows, signifies the River-horse. Why so called? youmay ask--since between this unwieldy creature and the beautiful horsethere does not appear a single point of resemblance. The answer is, that the cry of the hippopotamus was fancied to resemble the neighing ofa horse; and in some respects this is really the case. Hence themisnomer. The Dutch of the Cape Colony call the creature a Cow, orSea-cow, which is also an ill-adapted name. The cow is well enough, forthe head and mouth of the animal bear a very striking resemblance tothose of a broad-muffled cow; but what the "sea" has to do with it isnot so clearly understood: since the hippopotamus is found only in freshwater in lakes and rivers. 

Every one knows that this huge creature is of amphibious habits; andlives equally well on land, in the water, or even under the water. Itrequires air, however, and at intervals rises to the surface to breathe. On such occasions it usually projects a jet of water from itsnostrils--in other words, it spouts, after the manner of the whales. 

It is altogether herbivorous; and grass and the leaves of succulentplants form its subsistence. A vast quantity of these are required tosustain it; and a single individual will consume as much as two hundredpounds' weight in a day. 

The hippopotamus, notwithstanding its formidable appearance, is not adangerous enemy if suffered to go unmolested, or rather if persons donot come in its way. When wounded, however, or even intruded upon inits solitary haunts, it will attack man himself; and a boat or canoepassing along a river frequented by these creatures is in danger ofsuffering a similar fate to that resulting from an encounter with thegreat whale--that is, of being tossed out of the water or broken topieces. 

The River-horse, or Sea-cow (whichever you prefer to call the creature), is exclusively confined to the African continent; and is found in allthe great lakes and rivers from the Cape Colony to the southern limitsof the Sahara. It is indigenous to the Upper Nile; but does not showitself in the lower half of that river. In fact, its range appears tobe exactly co-terminal with that of the African elephant. 

There is a question about the number of species. For long it wassupposed there was only one, but now it is ascertained that two, or evenmore, exist. The hippopotami of the Nile differ considerably from eachother and also from the species known as Sea-cow in South Africa; whilea smaller kind than either has been observed in the rivers of WesternAfrica. 

The _Rhinoceros_ is altogether a more curious and interesting animalthan the hippopotamus; but, being more common, and oftener encounteredby modern travellers, it is at present less an object of curiosity. 

Of rhinoceroses at least seven distinct species are known--three of thembeing Asiatic, and four African. 

The largest of all is the Indian rhinoceros, which inhabits a part ofBengal and the countries beyond--Burmah, Siam, and Cochin China. Thisspecies is easily distinguished from the others by the thick rough skin, which is placed on the animal's body in such a fashion as to resemble acoat of ancient armour. The singular protuberances have a completeresemblance to the "bosses" which were worn on the shields andbreast-plates of warriors of the olden time. 

A second species, the Warak, which inhabits Java, is somewhat similarlyaccoutred; but the third Asiatic kind, the Sumatran rhinoceros, has asmoother skin, more resembling that of the African rhinoceros. 

These last-mentioned are denizens of the African continent; butespecially of the regions extending northward from the Cape. They donot all four frequent the same district; but two, and sometimes three ofthem, are found in one locality. They are distinguished as the blackand white rhinoceroses--there being two species of the black, and two ofthe white. The black ones are much fiercer than their white congeners;although the latter are by far the largest, and present a far moreformidable appearance, from the extreme length of their horns. 

The _Tapir_ was for a long time supposed to be exclusively an Americananimal, but later research proves that there is also a species in Asia. It is found in the Island of Sumatra, and is larger than the Americanspecies, though very much resembling it in other respects. A newspecies has also been discovered in South America, altogether differingfrom the American tapir already so well-known. 

The habits of the American tapir are not unlike those of the rhinoceros. It is a creature of great strength, and heavy in its movements. It canlive for a long time under water; and its haunts are the banks of thegreat rivers--especially where these are marshy, and covered with reedsand other aquatic plants, which constitute its food. It can swim orwalk under the water at will; but its lair is generally in some bushyretreat at a distance from the banks; and its visits to the water areusually nocturnal. It is an object of chase among the native Indians, who prize both its flesh and skin; but its capture is by no means aneasy matter, since its thick hide renders it impervious to the tinyarrow of the blow-gun. 

This species is found in all the rivers of South America, from Paraguayto the Isthmus of Darien; but its range terminates very abruptly on thenorth--a fact which puzzles the naturalist, since for many degreesfurther northward, climate and other circumstances are found similar tothose which appear to favour its existence in the southern part of thecontinent. 

The other species of American tapir differs considerably in the natureof its haunts and habits. In these it is said more to resemble thetapir of Sumatra. The latter is found dwelling at a great elevation, infact, on the tops of the highest mountains of that island; whereas theDanta, or American tapir, is altogether confined to the low hot plains. In the same district of country, and even in the same rivers--butfurther up among the mountains--the smaller species of American tapir ismet with, but never upon the low level of the plains. 

When we consider that for more than three centuries, in a countryinhabited by a civilised people, this new species of American tapir hasremained not only undescribed but even unknown to the scientific world, we may fairly conjecture that other species of this, as well as of manyother animals, may yet be brought to light to gratify the lover ofnature, and add to his store of pleasant knowledge. 

CHAPTER FIFTEEN. 

GIRAFFES, CAMELS, AND LLAMAS. 

Strictly speaking, the Giraffes cannot be considered as belonging to thesame family with the Camels, nor yet the Camels be classed with theLlamas; but there is a very great resemblance between these three generaof animals, and, except for scientific purposes, they form a groupsufficiently natural. Indeed any one of the three is more like to theother two than to any other kind of mammalia; although some naturalistsprefer considering the giraffe as a species of deer. Thisclassification, however, rests principally upon an erroneoussupposition--that the oblong protuberances on the head of the giraffeare horns, which in reality they are not, but mere continuations of thefrontal bone. It would be as absurd, therefore, to call the giraffe adeer, as to consider it a species of camel, and perhaps more so. It maybe regarded as an animal _sui generis_; but in making a series ofgroups--such as we have here attempted--it appears more natural to placeit alongside the camels than elsewhere; and it is certainly as much likethe true camel or dromedary as either the llama or vicuna. One of itsmost popular names--that of Camelopard, or Spotted Camel--shows theresemblance which suggests itself to the eye of the traveller andordinary observer; and this resemblance extends also to many charactersthat are not external. Indeed, after all that has been said byanatomical naturalists, we might hazard assertion of the belief, thatthe camelopard is neither more nor less than a species of wild camel. 

Its appearance need not be described. Every eye is familiar with theslender form, long neck, smooth coat, and spotted skin of this singularanimal. But its habits are less understood, and this arises fromseveral distinct causes. In the first place, the giraffe inhabits onlythose countries about which very little is known by civilised people;secondly, it is but rarely seen, even by travellers; and, thirdly, whenit _is_ encountered in its native haunts, it is of so shy a disposition, and so ready to take flight, that scarce any opportunity is everobtained for properly observing it. 

The giraffe is exclusively confined to the continent of Africa; but itsrange is by no means limited. It was formerly common enough as farsouth as the Cape itself, whence it was driven by the Dutch andHottentot hunters. It is not now met with to the south of the GreatOrange River. Northward from this point, it extends to Nubia andAbyssinia; but it does not appear that it inhabits the western sectionof the continent, since it is not heard of in Guinea, or any of thecountries on the Atlantic coast. In the interior it is common enough. 

The giraffes herd together in small troops--consisting of ten or a dozenindividuals--and prefer the open forests, or rather the hills coveredwith copses of acacia and other African trees. Their principal food isthe foliage of these trees; and one species of mimosa--the _camel-doorn_(camel-thorn) of the Dutch hunters--is their especial favourite. Theleaves of this tree, like all others of the acacia tribe, are of pinnateform, and sweet to the taste; and the giraffe browses upon them, standing erect, with its long neck outstretched to a height of nearlytwenty feet! Its tongue is possessed of a peculiarly prehensile power, and with this extended a foot or more beyond the lips, it can sweep inthe leaves and twigs for a wide circle around its muzzle. 

When affrighted and put to its speed, the giraffe appears to go with anup-and-down gait, and some travellers have alleged that it limps. Thisarises from the fact, that every time it lifts its fore-feet, it throwsback its long neck, which on other occasions is always held erect. Itsometimes travels with a pacing step, but it can also gallop after themanner of a horse, and is even so swift that it requires a horse at fullspeed to overtake it. 

Notwithstanding that its food consists principally of the leaves andtwigs of trees, the giraffe will also eat grass. While browsing thus, it usually bends one of its knees downward; and while stretching upwardsto a high branch, it brings all its feet nearer to each other. It oftenlies down to "chew its cud" or to sleep; and this habit produces thecallosities upon the sternum and knees, which resemble those of thecamels. 

The giraffe is a peaceful and timid animal, and is often the prey of thelion--the fierce beast of prey taking it unawares, springing upon itsback, and destroying it by breaking the cervical vertebrae with hispowerful teeth. Sometimes, however, it is enabled to drive the lion offby kicking out against him with its heels, and tiring or discouraginghim from the attack. 

The Hottentots and Kaffirs hunt the giraffe for the sake of its flesh, which in young individuals is very good eating. Sometimes, however, itsmells strongly of a species of shrub upon which the animal feeds, andwhich gives it a disagreeable odour. The Bushmen are particularly fondof the marrow produced in its long shank bones, and to obtain this, theyhunt the animal with their poisoned arrows. They also make out of itsskin bottles and other vessels for containing water. 

Conspicuous as is the giraffe, it is not so easy to distinguish it inthe haunts where it inhabits. Seen from a distance, it has theappearance of a decayed tree, and, remaining motionless, it is oftenpassed by the hunter or traveller without being observed. It is itselfvery keen-sighted; and the manner in which its large beautiful eye isset gives it a decided advantage for seeing around it, even without thenecessity of turning its head. On this account it is approached withgreat difficulty, and usually contrives to escape from the most ardentpursuer. 

The _Camels_ come next in turn. Of these there exist two distinctspecies--the Camel, or Bactrian camel; and the Dromedary, or Arabiancamel. Both are found only in a domesticated state. Both are "beastsof burthen, " and of both there are several varieties. 

First, then, of the Bactrian camel--that is, the species with two humps. 

This animal differs very much from the Arabian camel, and is altogethermore rare. It is about ten feet in length of body, and coveredgenerally with a thick shaggy coat of hair of a dark brown colour; butthere is no difficulty in distinguishing it from its Arabian congener. The two huge humps or hunches upon its back form a sufficient token bywhich to identify the species. 

It is found in Persia and the adjoining countries; but in no part insuch numbers as in the middle zone of Asia--in the Taurus, and to thenorth of the Himalaya Mountains. It is also seen occasionally in Arabiaand other countries; but in these it is rare, the dromedary taking itsplace for all purposes required by man. It is, nevertheless, of astouter build than the latter, and stronger in proportion to its size. As already stated, there are several varieties, produced by a differencein stature, colour, and swiftness. 

The Dromedary, or Arabian camel, is altogether more widely distributed, and better known to the world. It is propagated in Arabia, Persia, thesouth of Tartary, some parts of India, in Africa from Egypt to Morocco, and from the Mediterranean Sea to the river Senegal. It is alsonumerous in the Canary Islands, and has been introduced into Italy, especially at Pisa, in Tuscany. It is not generally known that it hasalso been transported into the Island of Cuba, and employed at the minesof El Cobre, near Santiago; and later still--in fact, at the presenthour--an attempt is being made to naturalise it upon the central plainsof Texas and California. 

The callosities upon the limbs and chest, and the hump on the back, havecaused much perplexity among naturalists; but, perhaps, their purposemay be explained. They seem to bear some relation to the necessities ofthe animal, considered as the slave or man. The callosities are thepoints on which it kneels down to receive its burden. The hump, whichis a fatty secretion, is known to be absorbed into the system when theanimal is pinched for food, thus forming a provision against thecasualties to which it is subject in a life evidently ordained to bepassed in the desert. Add to this, that its singularly formed stomachrenders it capable of containing a supply of water suitable to longjourneys, and we have ample evidence of the purpose for which thissingular and useful creature was designed. 

The camel furnishes the Arab with flesh and milk, of its hair he weavesclothing, and even tents; his belt and sandals are the produce of itshide, and its dung affords him fuel. 

The hair of the Persian camel is held in the highest estimation. Thereare three kinds of it--black, red, and grey; the black being of mostvalue, and the grey fetching only half the price of the red. 

But all such uses are mere trifles when compared with the value of theseanimals as beasts of burden--"ships of the desert, " as they have beenpoetically named. By means of them, communication is kept up betweendistant countries separated by large tracts of frightful deserts, which, without some such aid, would be entirely impassable by man. 

We arrive at the _Llamas_, or camel sheep, as the old Spanish colonistsused to call them. 

These animals are natives of South America, and their range is limited. They are found only on the high plateaus of the Andes; through whichthey extend, from New Granada on the north to Chili on the south, thoughone species ranges even to the Straits of Magellan. In all there arefour distinct species of them--the Llama proper, the Paca or Alpaca, theGuanaco, and the Vicuna. 

The Llama and Paca are both held in a state of domestication; the formeras a beast of burden, and the latter for its hair or wool. On the otherhand, the Guanacos and Vicunas are wild animals, and are eagerly huntedby the mountain tribes of Indians for their flesh and skins, but in thecase of the vicuna for the very fine wool which it yields, and whichcommands an enormous price in the markets of Peru. 

The Cordilleras of the Andes, below the line of perpetual snow, is theregion inhabited by these creatures. In the hot countries, lying lower, they do not thrive; and even die in journeys made to the tropic coastlands. The wild species keep together in herds--sometimes of one or twohundred individuals--feeding on a sort of rushy grass or reed--called_yea_ by the natives--and they scarce ever drink, so long as they canpasture on green herbage. They have the singular habit of going to aparticular spot to drop their dung, which resembles that of goats orsheep; and this habit often costs them their lives, since the excrementpoints out to the hunter their place of resort. They keep a carefullook-out against any danger, usually taking care to place old males assentinels of the flock, who give warning of the approach of an enemy. When startled they run swiftly, but soon halt, stand gazing back, andthen gallop on as before. 

During summer they frequent the sides of the mountains; but, as winterapproaches, they descend to the high table plains, and browse upon thenatural meadows found there. They are captured in various ways. TheIndians take them by first surrounding the herd, and then driving itwithin enclosures constructed for the purpose. They are also run downby dogs, trained to hunt them by the mountaineers of Chili, in whichcountry they are found wild in great numbers. During the chase theyfrequently turn upon their pursuer, utter a wild shrill neighing, andthen resume their rapid flight. 

The Vicunas--which are the smallest of the four kinds, and also theprettiest--are captured by the Indians in a still more singular manner. A large tract of the plains is enclosed merely by a cord, stretchedhorizontally upon stakes, of about four feet in height. To the cord areattached pieces of cloth, feathers, or coloured rags of any kind. Intothis feeble enclosure the herd of vicunas is driven; and, strange tosay, the frightened animals will permit themselves to be crowdedtogether, and killed with stones rather than leap over the cord. 

When any guanacos chance to be mixed up with the herd, the result islikely to be very different. These, being of bolder spirit, as well aslarger size, at once overleap or break through the fictitious barrier, and sweep off to the mountains, followed by the whole flock of thevicunas. 

The capability of the llama to carry burdens is well-known. They werethus employed by the ancient Peruvians, and, although at present theyare less valued on this account, many are still used in carrying theores from the rich gold and silver mines of Chili and Peru to thesmelting furnaces, or ports of embarkation on the coast. Theintroduction of the mule, however, has to a great extent relieved thellamas of their load; and less attention is now paid either to theirtraining or increase. 

CHAPTER SIXTEEN. 

SWINE. 

If not one of the most agreeable, the Hog--or Pig, as it is oftenercalled--is one of the most useful of the domesticated animals. Indeed, it would be difficult to say how culinary operations could be carried onwithout the valuable fat which this creature produces in such plenty, and to which both cooks and confectioners are so largely indebted. Besides, there are whole nations who feed almost entirely upon itsflesh; and even its skin and bristles constitute an important item ofmanufacturing industry. The facility with which the flesh can bepreserved under the name of bacon, the length of time it may be keptwithout the danger of spoiling, combined with the undoubtedwholesomeness of such an article of diet, render it one of the mostconvenient articles of provision; and hence in agricultural districts, and other places far remote from towns, it is an almost universalarticle of food. 

The number of species that form the group of hogs or swine is verylimited indeed; in all not exceeding half a score. These, however, arefound in endless varieties, and distributed over all the globe, since ineach of the five great divisions one or more indigenous kind of hog hasbeen found. That which forms the type on which the swine family isfounded, is, of course, the _Common Pig_; and this is supposed to bedescended from the wild boar, so well-known in connection with the chaseduring medieval times. 

It is superfluous to say that the common hog of our farmyards has beenpropagated until an almost countless variety of breeds have beenproduced--not only every country, but even single counties or provinceshaving a breed of its own. All, however, are so much alike in habitsand general appearance, and their characteristics so well-known, that itwould be idle to give any description of them here. We shall onlyremark that the pig, if fairly treated, is by no means an animal offilthy or dirty habits, as is generally supposed. On the contrary, itis cleanly in its nature; and its slovenliness is brought upon it by themanner in which it is styed up, in its own filth. Neither is it astupid creature, but possesses considerable intelligence; as is provedby the tricks which it has been taught to perform under the name of the"learned pig;" while several individuals have been trained to follow thegun, and stand to game as stanch as the best pointers. In France it isnot uncommon for the truffle-hunters to use pigs in search of thisfavourite esculent--the keenness of scent which the animal possessesenabling it to find this hidden treasure, just as it does potatoes orother roots, far under the surface of the ground. 

The _Wild Boar_, next to the common domestic variety, is the best knownand most celebrated of the swine. In earlier times it was found inevery part of Europe. Even at this day, it is not rare in the forestfastnesses of most of the continental countries, and also in Asia. Itwas formerly common in England, and the chase of it was a favouritepastime among the kings and nobles, especially about the time of theNorman Conquest. In those days the Game laws were certainly harshenough--much more so than those of our own time--since William theConqueror issued an edict punishing with the _loss of his eyes_ any onewho should be convicted of killing a wild boar!

In Europe the famed boar spear, used in hunting this animal, has givenway to the rifle; but in India, where the field is taken on horseback, the spear is still in use; and hunting the wild boar is one of the mostexciting of wild sports practised in that country. 

The wild boar of India, however, is in some respects different from thatof Europe; and naturalists generally class it as a distinct species. 

The _Babirussa_ is another species belonging to the East Indian world:found principally in the Moluccas and other islands of the IndianArchipelago. It is of about the same size as the common pig; but ofmore slender shape, and stands higher upon its deer-like limbs. Theskin is thinly furnished with soft bristles, and is of a greyish tint, inclining to fawn colour on the belly. But the most striking characterof the babirussa is to be found in its tusks. Of these there are twopairs of unequal size. The lower ones are short--somewhat resemblingthose of the common boar--whereas the two upper ones protrude throughthe skin of the muzzle, and then curve backward like a pair of horns, and often downward again, so as to form a complete circle! It is notknown for what purpose these appendages exist. The two lower tusks mustbe formidable weapons; but the upper ones, especially in oldindividuals, can hardly inflict a wound. They may perhaps ward off thebushes from the eyes of the animal, as it rushes through the thick coverof its jungly retreat. The females are without these tusks; and arealso much smaller than the males. 

The babirussa inhabits marshy thickets and forests; and is hunted forits flesh--which is highly prized both by the natives and foreigners. It is very swift and fierce. When pursued or wounded in the chase, itwill show fight like the wild boar of Europe. 

The _Papuan hog_, or _bene_, is a native of the Island of New Guinea;and is characterised by its small stature and slender and graceful form. Its tusks are not large, and are shaped like the incisor teeth. It iscovered with thick, short, and yellowish-coloured bristles; and whenyoung it is marked by bright fulvous stripes along the back. The nativePapuans highly esteem its flesh; and on this account it is hunted bythem in the forests where it is found. Its young are often captured, and brought up in a domesticated state--in order that their flesh maythe more easily be procured. Foreigners, who have visited this island, relish it as an article of food. 

We now come to the hogs of Africa--the Wart-hogs, as they are commonlycalled. Of these there are two species; and it would be difficult tosay which is the uglier of the two. In respect of _ugliness_, eitherwill compare advantageously with any other animal in creation. Thedeformity lies principally in the _countenance_ of these animals; and iscaused by two pairs of large protuberances, or warts, that rise upon thecheeks and over the frontal bone. These excrescences--if we may so callthem--lend to the visage of the creature an aspect positively hideous, which is rendered still more ugly and fierce-looking by a pair offormidable tusks curving upward from each jaw. The body is nearlynaked--excepting along the neck and back, where a long bristly manegives a shaggy appearance to the animal--especially when these bristles, of nearly a foot in length, are erected under the impulse of rage. Other peculiarities are, a pair of whiskers of white curling hair alongthe lower jaws; small black eyes surrounded by white bristly hair; along tail tufted at the extremity; and on the knees of the fore-legs apiece of thick callous skin, hard and protuberant. In fact, everycharacteristic of this creature seems intended to make his portrait asdisagreeable as may be. 

We have said there are two species. These are known as Aelian'swart-hog and the Cape wart-hog. The former is a native of Abyssinia, Kordofan, and other countries of North Africa; while the latter, as itsname implies, is found at the Cape--or rather throughout the wholesouthern part of the continent. It is the Vlack Vaark of the Dutchcolonists; and this species differs from Elian's wart-hog in having thecheek protuberances much larger, its head more singularly shaped, and, if possible, in being _uglier_!

The wart-hog dwells among low bushes and forests. It creeps on its bentfore-feet in quest of food--sliding along on its knees, and propellingitself forward by its hind legs. This habit will account for thecallosities already mentioned. In this posture it digs up the ground, extracting therefrom the roots and bulbs (of which its food is supposedentirely to consist); for, fierce and hideous as its aspect may be, thewart-hog is less omnivorous than several other species of the tribe. 

And now for the indigenous hogs of America, the _Peccaries_. Of these, also, there are two species described by naturalists; though certainly athird kind exists in the South American forests, distinct from the twothat are known. 

These are the _Collared Peccary_, or _Coyametl_; and the _White-lippedPeccary_, or _Tagassou_. 

For a long time these two species were confounded with each other; butit is now proved that they are distinct--not only in size and colour, but to some extent also in their geographical distribution, theirhaunts, and habits. 

The Collared Peccary is of small stature: not larger than a half-grownBerkshire pig. It is thickly covered with hairy bristles of agreyish-brown colour, and has a whitish band or collar around the neck--from which circumstance it derives its trivial specific name. Itsgeographical range is more extensive than that of its congener. It isfound not only in South America, but throughout the whole of Central andNorth America, as far as the borders of the United States territory: inother words, the limits of its range are co-extensive with what wasformerly _Spanish America_. It exists in Texas; and still further tothe north-west, in New Mexico and California--though nowhere to the eastof the Mississippi river. In Texas it is common enough; and stories arerelated of many a redoubtable Texan hunter having been "tree'd"--thatis, forced to take shelter in a tree from a band of peccaries, whoserage he may have provoked while wandering in their haunts, and toorecklessly making use of his rifle. The same is related as occurring toSouth American hunters with the white-lipped peccaries--that have asimilar habit of trooping together in droves, and acting in concert, both for defence and attack, against the common enemy. 

The chief points of distinction between the two species are in the sizeand colour. The white-lipped kind is much the larger--frequentlyweighing one hundred pounds--while a full-grown individual of thecollared peccary does not exceed in weight over fifty pounds. Theformer are of a deeper brown colour, want the white collar around theneck; but in its stead have a whitish patch around the mouth or lips, from which also comes their specific appellation. These are alsothicker and stouter, have shorter legs, and a more expanded snout. Theytroop together in larger droves, that often number a thousandindividuals of all ages and sizes. Thus united, they traverse extensivedistricts of forest--the whole drove occupying an extent of a league inlength--all directed in their march by an old male, who acts as leader. Should they be impeded in their progress by a river, the chief stops fora moment to reconnoitre; then plunges boldly into the stream, followedby all the rest of the troop. The breadth of the river, and therapidity of the current, seem to be but trifling obstacles to them; andare overcome easily, since the peccaries are excellent swimmers. Theycontinue their onward march through the open grounds; over theplantations, which, unfortunately for their owners, may chance to lie intheir way; and which they sometimes completely devastate, by rooting outthe whole of the crops of maize, potatoes, sugarcane, or manioc. Ifthey should meet with any opposition, they make a singular noise--chattering their teeth like castanets; and if a hunter should chance toattack them when moving thus, he is sure to be surrounded and torn topieces: unless he find some tree or other convenient object, where hemay make escape, by getting out of their reach. 

The white-lipped peccaries are found in all the forests of SouthAmerica--from the Caribbean Sea to the Pampas of Buenos Ayres. They areabundant in Paraguay; and Sonnini, the traveller, has observed them inGuyana. Others report their presence on the Orinoco and itstributaries--as also on all the waters of the Amazon. Most probably, itwas from the number of these animals observed upon its banks by theearly travellers, that the last-mentioned river obtained one of itsSpanish names--the Rio Maranon--which signifies the "river of the wildhogs. "

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN. 

HORSES AND ASSES. 

The Horse--_par excellence_ the noblest of animals--is represented byonly a limited number of species; but, like other creatures domesticatedby man, he is found of many different breeds and varieties: too many tobe minutely described in these pages. Suffice it to say, that almostevery civilised nation possesses several kinds of horses--differing fromone another in size, shape, colour, and qualities: in size especially--since this fine animal may be observed not much bigger than a mastiff;while other members of his family attain almost to the dimensions of anelephant! Even savage tribes, both in Asia and America, are inpossession of peculiar breeds of horses; and it may be assumed as afact, that more than a hundred varieties exist upon the earth. Thesehave all been regarded as springing from one original stock; but hereagain there is only vague conjecture; and it is far more probable, thatthe domesticated horses are the descendants of several kinds originallydistinct in their wild state. 

There are wild horses at the present day in Asia, Africa, and America;but it is questionable whether any of these are the descendants of anoriginally wild stock. More likely they are the progeny of horsesescaped from the domesticated breeds. Of course we refer to the _true_horses of the genus _equus_; and not to the dziggetais, quaggas, andzebras--to which we shall presently refer. These last-mentioned kindsare still found wild, as they have ever been; and, with one or twoexceptions, none of their species have been tamed to the use of man. 

In America--both in the northern and southern divisions of thecontinent--herds of wild horses are numerous. These have all sprungfrom individuals that escaped from their owners, and in process of timehave multiplied to a great extent. Of course they could have no otherorigin: since it is well-known that, previous to the time of Columbus, no animal of the horse kind existed in America. The wild horses nowfound there are descended then from a domestic breed; and this breed hasbeen easily ascertained to be that used by the Spaniards in theirconquests of Mexico and Peru. It is a race known as the Andalusianhorse--nearly allied to the Arabian--and no doubt at an earlier periodimported into the peninsula of Spain by the Moors. These horses aremuch smaller than the English hunter; but possess all the properties ofa true horse--the shape, action, etcetera--and cannot, therefore, beconsidered as mere _ponies_. They are, in reality, well-blooded horses, of small stature; and no breed could be better suited to the climate ofmost parts of Spanish America, where they now run wild. 

On the pampas of South America these horses exist in vast droves. TheGauchos, a half-civilised race of men, live amidst their herds, and huntthem chiefly for the hides. They early learn to capture and ride them;and a Gaucho is seldom seen off the back of his horse. He can captureand break one in in the course of an hour. The flesh also serves him asan article of food. Down as far as the Straits of Magellan the drovesof wild horses are found. There the native Indians have tamed many ofthem--even the women and children going most of their time on horseback. On the llanos, or great plains, that extend northward from the Amazonand Orinoco--that is, in the provinces of Venezuela--other droves ofwild horses exist; and these, along with half-wild oxen, form the soleproperty and pursuit of a class of men called Llaneros, who in manyrespects resemble the Gauchos. Again, proceeding to North America, wefind the same species of horse running wild on the great plains to thenorth of Mexico; in California, and upon the prairies east of the RockyMountains. In Mexico Proper, as also in California, they are _owned_ bygreat landed proprietors; and are annually caught, branded, and sold. Many of these proprietors can count from 10, 000 to 20, 000 head roamingwithin the boundaries of their estates, besides large droves of hornedcattle and mules. In the vast regions between the settled parts ofMexico and the frontier settlements of the United States, the wildhorses are the property of no one, but range freely over the prairieswithout mark or brand. These are hunted and captured by differenttribes of Indians--Comanches, Pawnees, Sioux, Blackfeet, etcetera, whoalso possess large numbers of them tamed and trained to various uses. Like the Gauchos and Llaneros of the south, these Indians use the fleshof the horse for food, and esteem it the greatest delicacy! Among sometribes, where the buffalo is not found, the horse takes the place of thelatter as an article of diet; and forms the principal article ofsubsistence of thousands of these people. Among most of the prairietribes the chase of this animal, or the buffalo, is the sole pursuit oftheir lives. 

Still further north ranges the wild horse, even as far as the prairiesextend; and among the tribes of the Saskatchewan he is also found--usedby them for the saddle, and also as a beast of burden. In theseregions, however, the buffalo still exists in great numbers; and thehorse, besides being eaten himself, is also employed to advantage in thechase of this animal. 

The wild horses of America are not all exactly of one breed. Those ofthe Mexico-American prairies, called by the Spaniards _mustenos_(mustangs), differ slightly from those found upon the llanos of SouthAmerica; and these again from the horses of the pampas, and theparameros of Peru. These differences, however, are but slight, andowing solely to climatic and other little causes. But the mustangs ofthe northern prairies have among them an admixture of breeds, derivedfrom American runaways along the borders of the Mississippi, and othersescaped from travellers on the prairies; and there have latterly beendiscovered mustangs of large size--evidently sprung from theEnglish-Arabian horse. 

In the Falkland Islands the horse is also found in an untamed state. These were introduced by the French in 1764; but have since becomeperfectly wild. Strange to say, they are only found in the eastern partof the island--although the pasture there is not more rich than in thewest, and there is no natural boundary between the two!

In Asia the horse runs wild in large herds--just as in America. Therange in which they are found in this state is chiefly on the greatplains, or steppes--stretching from the Himalaya Mountains to Siberia. The Calmuck Tartars tame them; and possess vast droves, like the Gauchosand Indians. They also eat their flesh; and among many tribes ofTartars mare's milk is esteemed the most delicious of beverages. 

After the true horse, the most beautiful species is the _Zebra_. Everyone knows the general appearance of this handsomely marked animal, whichappears as if Nature had painted his body for effect. 

Of the zebra there are two distinct kinds--both of them natives ofAfrica, and belonging to the southern half of that great continent. They are easily distinguished from each other by the stripes. One ofthem is literally striped to the very hoofs--the dark bands runningaround the limbs in the form of rings. The stripes extend in the sameway over the neck and head, to the very snout or muzzle. This is thetrue zebra, an animal that inhabits the mountainous regions of SouthAfrica, and which differs altogether from the _dauw_ or Burchell'szebra, also found upon the great plains or karoos of the same region. The latter has the stripes only over the body; while the head and legsare very faintly streaked, or altogether of a plain brownish colour. Attempts have been made at taming both of these kinds, and with somesuccess. They have been trained both to the saddle and draught; but, even in the most tractable state to which they have been yet reduced, they are considered as "treacherous, wicked, obstinate, and fickle. "

Another species of horse found also in South America is the _Quagga_. This is very much like the zebra in size, shape, and in fact everythingexcept colour. In the last respect it differs from both, in being of aplain ashy brown hue over the upper parts of the body, very indistinctlystriped, and of a dirty white colour underneath. Like the dauw, itfrequents the open plains--trooping together in vast droves, and oftenherding with several species of antelopes. 

Another species of quagga, called the Isabella quagga, is supposed toexist in South Africa; but there are doubts upon this subject. The nameis derived from the colour of a specimen seen by a very untrustworthytraveller, which was of the hue known as Isabella colour; but nothing isknown of the animal, and most naturalists believe that the Isabellaquagga is identical with the other species, and that the specimenreported by Le Vaillant was only a young quagga of the common kind. 

All these species of African horses are generally classed with the genus_Asinus_; that is, they are considered as _asses_, not _horses_. 

We now come to other species of the ass genus, which were all originallynatives of Asia. 

First, then, there is the domestic _Ass_; and of this species there arealmost as many varieties as of the horse, --some of them, as the Guddhaof the Mahrattas, not larger than a mastiff, while others exist indifferent parts of the world as large as a two-year-old heifer. Assesare found of a pure white, and black ones are common, but the usualcolour is that to which they have given their name--the "colour of anass. "

Besides the domestic species, there are several others still found wild. There is the Koulan, which is exceedingly shy and swift--so much sothat it is difficult to capture or even kill one of them; since beforethe hunter can approach within rifle range of them, they take the alarmand gallop out of sight. They live in troops, inhabiting the desertplains of Persia and Mesopotamia in winter, while in summer they betakethemselves to the mountain ranges. They are also found on the steppesbordering the Caspian and Aral Seas. 

Another species of wild ass is the Kiang. This inhabits Thibet. It isof a bright bay colour, and has a smooth coat; but the males are deepercoloured than the females. They live in troops of about a dozenindividuals under a solitary male; and frequent places where thethermometer is below zero--though they dwell indifferently either onopen plains or mountains. 

The kiang has a variety of appellations, according to the country inwhich it is found. It is the Dziggetai, and the Wild Ass of Cutch, andalso the Yototze of the Chinese; but it is very probable that all theseare the names of different species. It is further probable, that thereexist several other species of wild asses in the Thibetian and Tartarcountries of Asia--and also in the vast unknown territories ofNorth-eastern Africa--yet to be classified and described; for it may behere observed that a monograph of the horse tribe alone, fullydescribing the different species and breeds, would occupy the whole lifeof a naturalist. 

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN. 

THE OX TRIBE. 

Our common domestic cattle furnish the type on which this family isfounded; and it is well-known that of this type there are many varietiesin different countries. Even in our own, so many are there, that a merelist of their names would fill one of our pages. We shall refraintherefore from giving any description of the different varieties--simplyremarking that they are all supposed to spring from one original. Thisis, to say the least, a very doubtful hypothesis, since cattle have beenfound domesticated in many countries, and the period of their firstintroduction to the society of man is altogether unknown. It is farmore likely that different species have furnished the varieties nowknown as domestic cattle. 

We shall proceed to describe the other bovine animals--which, althoughof the same family, are beyond doubt of a distinct species from thecommon cattle. 

The _Zebu_ is one of the most remarkable. Its home is India and theadjacent regions; where it branches off into almost as many varieties asthere are breeds of our own oxen. These varieties have different names;and they differ in size, shape, and other particulars; but the hump andlong hanging dewlap render the zebu easily recognisable. 

In India they are sometimes employed as beasts of the saddle anddraught; and their flesh is also eaten, though with the exception of thehump (which is esteemed a great delicacy) it is not equal to Englishbeef. Among the Hindus the zebus are regarded as sanctified creatures;and to slaughter them is deemed sin. For all that, these fanatics donot hesitate to _work_ them--sometimes hard enough. There are somezebus, however, that are considered more holy than common. These may beseen wandering idly about the villages, fed from the hands of thepeople; and if neglected in this regard, they walk uninvited into therice enclosures, and help themselves!

The zebus are usually of an ashy-grey colour, though many are white; andtheir size varies from that of an ordinary calf, to the stature of afull-grown bull. 

There is a variety of the zebu--or perhaps a distinct species--known asthe Dante. It is an African animal--that is, Egypt is the country whereit is chiefly found. Very little knowledge of it exists amongnaturalists. It is distinguished from the Indian zebu by having asmaller hump upon the withers and a narrower face; and it is supposed tobe the animal represented on the ancient Egyptian tombs. 

We next come to the kind of oxen termed _Buffaloes_; and of these thereare several species. 

First, there is the _Indian buffalo_; and it may here be remarked, thatwhen the word buffalo is used, an animal with a huge hump upon itsshoulders is usually understood. This is an error, arising, no doubt, from the fact that the _bison_ of America, which _has_ a hump, isgenerally called a buffalo. But the Indian buffalo has no suchprotuberance; nor yet the African species. The Indian animal is foundboth in a domesticated and wild state; but both are clearly of the samespecies. The wild one is called the Arna, and the tame one Bhainsa, inthe language of the natives. The former is of much greater size thanthe latter--standing, when full-grown, as high as the tallest man! Sostrong are these animals, that an arna bull has been known to butt downa good-sized elephant with a single stroke of his horns!

It is the Indian buffalo that is found in Italy--where it has beenintroduced, and is used for draught; its great strength giving it theadvantage over horses, especially on the deep miry roads that exist insome parts of the peninsula. 

The _Manilla buffalo_ is a smaller variety or species of the arna, inhabiting, as its name imports, the Philippine Islands. 

The _African buffalo_, sometimes known as the _Kaffir buffalo_, isanother of these great oxen, and not the least celebrated of the tribe. It is an inhabitant of Africa, and is found chiefly in the southern halfof that continent, from the Cape of Good Hope northwards. It is ananimal of vast size and strength; often waging war with the lion, andfrequently with man himself. In these encounters the buffalo is but toosuccessful; and it is asserted among the natives of South Africa, thatthere are more deaths among them, caused by buffalo bulls, than by allthe other wild beasts of the country. Like his Indian congener, theshock from the massive horns of an African buffalo is almostirresistible; and both the lion and elephant at times succumb to it. 

There is a smaller African species about which less is known. This isthe Zamouse or Bush cow, which differs from the true buffalo in having aflatter forehead, and being altogether without the dewlap. 

We now come to the _American buffalo_, or _Bison_, as it should becalled. This is indigenous to North America; and its present range isconfined to the great prairies that extend eastward from the foot of theRocky Mountains. It was formerly found much farther to the east--infact, to the Atlantic coast; but its limits are now far beyond themeridian of the Mississippi. Hunters (both red and white) have drivenit across the Rocky Mountains; and of late years it has been met with inthe territory of the Upper Columbia. Its habits are too well-known tocall for a description here, and its shaggy coat, with the deformity ofits huge shoulder-hump, are familiar to every eye. With one exception, it is the only species of the ox tribe indigenous to America--and it maybe added, to North America--since no native bovine animal is known toexist in the southern half of the Transatlantic continent. 

The _European buffalo_--or as it is sometimes called _Lithuanianbuffalo_--bears a considerable resemblance to that of the prairies. Insize it is perhaps superior; but the two are much alike in generalappearance--especially in their massive form, and the long brown hair, of woolly texture, so thickly set upon their necks and shoulders. 

The European buffalo is nearly extinct, and exists only in some of theforests of Lithuanian Poland, where it is rather half-wild than wild;that is, it freely roams the forests, but only as the deer in our ownextensive parks, or the white cattle, known as the wild Scotch oxen--inother words, it has an owner. 

A very remarkable species is the _Yak_, or _Grunting Ox_. This is foundonly in the high, cold countries that lie to the north of the HimalayanMountains--in Thibet and Tartary. There is only one species, but thisis both wild and tame--the wild sort being the larger and moreformidable animal. The domestic variety is used by the people of Thibetfor carrying burdens; and both its milk and flesh are in great demand inthese cold countries of poverty and hunger. 

The yaks dislike the warmth of summer; and during that season seek tohide themselves in the shade, or under water, in which they swim well. Their grunt exactly resembles that of a hog. The calves are coveredwith rough black hair like a curly-haired dog; but, when three monthsold, they obtain the long hair that distinguishes the full-grown animal, and which hangs so low as to give it the appearance of being withoutlegs! They willingly live with common cattle, and will breed with them;but the wild yak bull is an exceedingly fierce and dangerous animal. The tail of the grunting ox is very full, or bushy; and although thehair of the body is usually black, that upon the tail is universally ofa pure white. This hair, when dyed red, is used by the Chinese to formthe tufts worn in the caps of the mandarins. It is the _chowry_ orfly-brush of India. 

Like other domesticated cattle, the yak is found of different breeds--known by the names of Noble yak, Plough yak, etcetera. 

Next in succession comes the _Musk Ox_ of America, which, from its longhanging hair, and also from many of its habits, bears a good deal ofresemblance to the grunting ox. The musk ox is a native of NorthAmerica; and there his range is confined to the most remote regions ofthe Hudson's Bay territory. He is met with in the inhospitable trackknown as the Barren Grounds--and also along the coasts and islands ofthe Arctic Ocean--but nowhere so far south as the boundary of the UnitedStates or the Great Lakes. But for the land expeditions of severalArctic explorers, the existence of the musk ox would hardly have beenknown; and, as it is, his habits are but little understood. He is notof large size--being between the stature of an ox and a sheep--and ingeneral appearance he resembles the latter more than the former; hence, among naturalists, he is styled the Sheep ox (_ovibos_). He and theBison, as already remarked, are the only _indigenous_ oxen of America. 

To return to Asia. In its south-eastern parts--the Indies--we findseveral other species of the ox tribe. There is the _Gayal_ or_Jungly-gau_, which inhabits the eastern parts of Bengal, especially themountains that separate this province from Arracan. Of this there is atame and wild species--the latter an inhabitant of forests, livingrather upon the shoots of trees than upon grass. It is a large animal, more like the common ox than any of the buffaloes; and it is also lessfierce in its disposition than the latter. 

Next to the gayal is the _Gam_--also a forest-dwelling ox, of largesize; and, like the other, browsing upon the leaves and twigs of trees. 

The gam inhabits several forest-covered mountains in Central India, where it is only found wild. Attempts have been made to domesticate it, but without success--since it is both a shy and fierce animal; so muchso that even the calves will not live in captivity!

Another Indian ox is the _Takin_, which inhabits the country of theKamptis, in the eastern ranges of the Himalayas, and about which thereis a dispute among naturalists, as to whether _it is an ox_!

We conclude our sketch with the _Anoa_, which belongs to Celebes--asmall species bearing some resemblance to the antelopes; and the_Banting_ or _Sumatran Ox_, a native of Java, Borneo, and also, as itssecond name denotes, of the Island of Sumatra. 

CHAPTER NINETEEN. 

SHEEP. 

The Sheep is one of the animals which man has subjected to his use; andone, too, of primary importance in the domestic economy of almost everycivilised nation. Like the horse, dog, cat, ox, and pig, it has assumedthe greatest possible variety. Many naturalists have treated thesevarieties as species; but those writers of greatest authority agree inconsidering all the domestic breeds as having originated from one commonstock; and it would be idle here to speculate upon this question. 

Of the _tame sheep_ there are not less than forty very distinct kinds, besides numerous varieties of each of these kinds! These, of course, are distributed among many nations, and exhibit a very great differencein point of size and general appearance. Some are without horns, whileothers have these appendages very large, and of eccentric shape; someare covered with long crisp wool; others have the wool lank andstraight; while still others have no wool at all, but instead a coat ofhair resembling that of a spaniel or Newfoundland dog! But, besidesthese distinct kinds, as already stated, there are numerous varieties ofeach kind. For instance, the common sheep of England is itself branchedout into quite as many as twenty breeds, each of which has a name of itsown, and differs from all the others in many essential characteristics. 

Leaving the common sheep of our own country, we shall say a few words ofsome of the more noted kinds that are in the possession of differentnations abroad. 

From Spain comes the Merino, so celebrated for the quality of its wool;while in Astracan and other Oriental countries there is a breed, thelambs of which furnish the well-known Astracan lambs'-skin, one of themost beautiful and valuable of furs. The Wallachian sheep, bred inHungary, Transylvania, and the Danubian principalities, also produces aflue fur-like skin, much worn by the peasantry of Eastern Europe, injackets and cloaks termed "bundas. "

A very similar kind of hairy-coated sheep is propagated throughoutAsiatic Russia and Siberia--the skins affording a warm and comfortableclothing for the natives of these cold countries. 

In the Indian countries there are many varieties, such as the Barwall ofNepaul, and also the Huniah, Cago, and Seeling, belonging to the samekingdom. Again, in the Deccan there is a breed known as Deccan sheep, another called Garar, and two others in Mysore denominated respectivelythe Carrimbar and Shaymbliar. China has a variety known as the Morvan, with very long legs; and in Russia, again, there is a kind with tails solong that their tops drag upon the ground; and another in NorthernRussia, with tails so short that they appear altogether wanting!

With regard to tails, no breed has these appendages so developed as thebroad or fat-tailed sheep. This kind is supposed to have originallycome from Barbary; but they are now propagated in different parts of theworld. In Asia they are found among the Tartars, Persians, Buchanans, and Thibetians. In Africa itself they are common among the Abyssinians, and are also kept in large flocks by the Dutch colonists of the Cape. The tails of these sheep are sometimes so large and heavy, that it iswith difficulty the animals can carry them; and in some instances theyare dragged along the ground as the sheep move from place to place! Thefat of which this appendage is composed is esteemed a great delicacy;and at the Cape, as elsewhere, it constitutes an important article ofthe _cuisine_. 

There are several other curious breeds of sheep reared in the differentcountries of Africa. These are, the Guinea sheep of the western coast;the Morocco sheep, bred in the kingdom of the same name; the Africansheep, an inhabitant of the Sahara; and the smooth-haired African sheep. There are also the Tezzan sheep, belonging to Tripoli; the Saint Helenasheep, of the celebrated Island of Saint Helena; the Congo sheep, ofCongo; and the Angolas, of the same region, famous for the quality oftheir wool--not to be confounded, however, with the Angora wool, whichis the produce of a goat. There are sheep in Tartary that eat boneslike dogs, and in Hindustan and Nepaul there are kinds that have fourhorns each. These are the Dumbas. A little species exists in Iceland, in which the horns sometimes grow to the number of eight--though four isthe more common number. America, too, has its varieties. These are theBrazilian sheep, the Demerara breed, the South American sheep, and avariety known as the West Indian. 

In fact, go to whatever part of the world you may, you will find aspecies or variety of this valuable animal, different in some respectsfrom all the others. 

The _wild sheep_, like the wild goats, do not number a great manyspecies; but there are certainly several that are yet undescribed, andperhaps there may be about a dozen in all. No doubt the great centralmountains of Asia, and also the ranges of Northern Africa, stillunexplored, will in time yield several new species of wild sheep. Indeed, late travellers in the Himalayas speak of wild sheep that appearto be essentially different from the _argali_, and other species alreadyknown. 

One species of wild sheep belongs to Europe--the Moufflon, which is tothis day found plentifully in the mountainous parts of Corsica, Cyprus, and Candia. It was supposed to be the original of the tame breeds; butthis is a mere conjecture. 

In America there is also but one species of wild sheep, though it hasalso a variety. This is the Bighorn of the Rocky Mountains, lately muchspoken of by prairie travellers and fur-hunters. It is not known intropical North America, nor does its range extend to the Andes of thesouth; but it is found to the west, in the mountains of California, in avariety called the Californian sheep. The bighorn is extremely like theAsiatic argali, and was for a long time regarded as identical with thelatter; but this was an error. It is now ascertained that not only isthe American animal of another species, but also that there are severaldistinct species of the argali itself in the different ranges of Asiaticmountains. 

Africa has its wild sheep, but only in its northern parts. This is theAoudad, which dwells in the mountains of Barbary. 

Asia appears to be the head-quarters of the wild sheep. One species isfound in Armenia, and another in the Caucasus. Siberia has an argali, that appears altogether to differ from the argali of the Himalayas. Again, in the Himalayan Mountains themselves, there is one species whichranges north only as far as Thibet; while on the Thibetian plateaux, asfar as the Altai Mountains, there is another, if not two other species, quite distinct from the latter. 

It has been observed by competent travellers, that these Thibetianargalis bear a very strong resemblance to the different breeds of tamesheep found in the same regions; from which it may be reasonablyinferred that the domesticated varieties of different countries havesprung from several wild species, instead of being all descended fromone common origin. 

CHAPTER TWENTY. 

GOATS. 

My young readers will be surprised to hear that nothing is moredifficult than to tell a _Goat_ from a _Sheep_. Yet such is in realitythe fact. Of course the common goat is easily distinguished from thecommon sheep; but then there are species and varieties of both theseanimals so like in shape, size, colour, and habits, that the mostaccomplished naturalists are unable to pronounce which are goats andwhich are sheep! Indeed, some naturalists make no distinction at all, but class both under the same genus. This, however, is not a correctview, since there is an essential difference in the _nature_ of thesetwo animals, notwithstanding the frequent resemblance in their outwardappearance. It was upon this very point--their _nature_--that therenowned Buffon relied in separating them; he alleging that the sheepdiffered only from the goats in the greater gentleness and timidity oftheir disposition. It is true that this is not a very scientific modeof classification; yet, strange to say, it is held to be one of thesafest guides for distinguishing the one from the other. Of course, itcan only be relied upon when taken in connection with other indices of aphysical character. Perhaps you may fancy that goats and sheep may bedistinguished from each other by the "coat"--the former having a _hairy_coat, while that of the latter is _woolly_. For you who reside in theBritish Islands, this mark would stand good enough, since British goatsare in reality clothed with hair, and British sheep with wool; but inmany other countries the case is not only different, but directly thereverse, the goats being _woolly_, while the sheep are _hairy_!

It may be further remarked, that there are both goats and sheep so verynearly akin to antelopes, that it is again difficult to draw a line ofdistinction among the three. Indeed, there is a section of the antelopetribe, called the _goat-antelopes_, so called on account of this veryapproximation. Several species of antelopes--as the chamois of theAlps, and others--are by many naturalists classed as goats; and thebighorn of the Rocky Mountains, which is a true wild sheep, is alsoclassed by some zoologists as a species of antelope. 

The goats approach nearer to the nature of antelopes than do the sheep. In fact, the mountain antelopes are extremely like goats in their natureand habits. On this account the latter are supposed to stand betweenthe sheep and antelopes. 

We shall separate the goats into two kinds: first, the _tame_ or_domesticated_ goats; and secondly, the _wild_ ones. Of thedomesticated kind there is an endless list of varieties; and upon thequestion as to which of the wild species was the parent stock, thousandsof opinions have been expressed, and long treatises written. It is justas with the dog, and other domestic animals--no one can certainly saywhat species was first introduced to the society of human beings; and itis far more likely that it was not any one wild species, but several, and belonging to different countries, that gave origin to the numerouskinds of goats now in the possession of man. 

It would be a troublesome task to describe these numerous varieties. Every country has its kind; and, in fact, every district of country canshow a breed distinct from all the others. Instead of specifying eachbreed, we shall only mention a few of the more noted and valuable sorts. 

The Thibet or Cashmere goat is perhaps the most celebrated of the tribe;its celebrity arising from the fineness of its wool, out of which aremanufactured the costly Cashmere shawls. An attempt was made tointroduce this variety into England; but it has not been successful, though the cause of its failure has not been communicated to the public. We can easily find a very good reason in the fact, that a first-classCashmere shawl requires a year in its manufacture; and therefore, if anEnglish weaver were to have the raw material for nothing, his labourwould amount to more than the shawl was worth in the market! It is justthe same with the culture of the tea-plant. There are many districts inAmerica where the tea-tree would flourish as well as in China; but whatwould be the use of growing it there, since the labour required to bringit to a state of readiness for the teapot would also raise it to anunsaleable price! These are the important principles that people whotalk of protective duties entirely lose sight of. 

The best Cashmere goats are brought from the Thibet country; and thenwool sells for a rupee a pound in Cashmere itself. It is spun by thewomen, and afterwards dyed. The persons employed in making the shawlssit on a bench around the frame. If it be a _pattern_ shawl, fourpersons labour at its manufacture; but a plain one requires only two. The borders are marked with wooden needles, there being a separateneedle for each colour; and the rough side of the shawl is uppermostwhile it is being made. 

The best shawls are manufactured in the kingdom of Cashmere itself, though many are made in other Oriental countries, and also in France;and the wool of several varieties of the goat, besides the Thibet, isused in the manufacture. In Cashmere alone 30, 000 shawls are madeannually--giving employment to about 50, 000 people. 

The Angora goat is another noted variety--esteemed for its fine silkyhair. It inhabits the countries of Angora and Beibazar, in AsiaticTurkey, where it is kept in large flocks, the goatherds bestowing muchcare upon the animals--frequently combing and washing them!

The Syrian goat, remarkable for its excessively long ears, is reared inAleppo and other parts of Asiatic Turkey, and is kept for the use of itsmilk, with which many of the towns are supplied. 

There are other varieties less noted, among which may be mentioned theSpanish goats, without horns; the Juda, or African goat, with two hairywattles under the chin; and the pretty little Whidaw goat--also a smallAfrican variety. There is also a Nepaul goat, and one belonging to theDeccan, called Bukee--a very large gaunt fellow, with long shaggy hair. The Irish goat, too, is a peculiar variety of the common or domesticspecies. 

Tame goats are distributed very generally over all the Old World. Theythrive well in the cold climate of Norway; and are equally at home inthe hottest parts of Africa and the Indian islands. In America they arerare, in the territory inhabited by the Anglo-Saxon races--it not beingconsidered a valuable speculation to "raise" them; but throughout theSpanish territories, both in North and South America, large flocks maybe seen, and the wild goats of Juan Fernandez are descendants of theseSpanish-American domesticated breeds. 

The species of true _wild goats_ are not numerous, but are verygenerally distributed over the world--particularly over the oldcontinents. In America only one wild species is indigenous: that is, the Rocky Mountain goat. Some authors have asserted that this speciesis not indigenous to America; but most certainly this statement is anerror. From its peculiar appearance, as well as from the locality inwhich it is found, it could never have sprung from any knowndomesticated breed. It is a long-haired creature, snow-white in colour, and with very short straight horns. Its hair is of silky hue andfineness, and hangs so low that the animal appears as if without legs. Its skin makes one of the most beautiful of saddle covers; and for thispurpose it is used; but the animal itself being rare, and only found inthe most remote and inaccessible regions of the Rocky Mountains, a goodskin is as costly as it is valuable. It is met with in the greatcentral range, from Northern Mexico, as far north as the Rocky Mountainsextend; and it is supposed also to exist among the higher summits of theCalifornian mountains. 

The Ibex is another species of wild goat, somewhat celebrated. It isthe wild goat of the European Alps, where it is known by the Germans asStein-boc, and as Bouquetin among the French. 

Another ibex belongs to the Caucasian Mountains, called Zebudor, orHach; and still another kind inhabits the Himalayas, where it passesunder the name of Sakeen. There is also an ibex in Siberia; and stillanother in the Pyrenees. 

In addition to these, there is a large wild goat in the loftiestHimalayas, known as the Jaral, or Tur; and another in India called theJungle Kemas, or Wild Sheep of Tenasserim. In Northern Africa, again, there are several species of native wild goats, as the Jaela in Egypt, and the Walie of the African-Arab countries; but in South Africa noindigenous wild goats have been observed--their place in that regionbeing supplied by their near congeners the Klipspringers, and otherrock-loving antelopes. 

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE. 

ANTELOPES. 

The Antelope tribe is so closely related to that of the Deer, that it isoften difficult to distinguish one from the other. Indeed, certainspecies of antelopes are more like to certain species of deer, thaneither to their own kind. This is more especially true of the females, where the horns--the chief point of distinction--are absent. In suchcases, even the accomplished naturalist is perplexed by the closeresemblance--which extends beyond mere outward appearance, and is foundthroughout all their habits. 

It may be remarked, however, that the different species of antelopesdiffer not only in size, shape, and colour, but quite as much in theirmodes of existence. Some, like the African Eland and the Nyl-ghau ofIndia, are clumsy creatures both in shape and movements; while others, as the Gazelles, are models of symmetry and grace. Some are dwellers inthe arid recesses of the desert; while others affect the most fertilepastures, or the deepest shades of the thick forest. Others, again, find their home amidst the sedge on the banks of lakes and rivers, passing half their time in the water; while several species--as theChamois of Europe and the Klipspringer of South Africa--dwell in themountains, making their way among cliffs and ravines, with an agilityscarce equalled by any other animal. Again, some species aregregarious, and herd together in vast flocks; while others are foundonly in small droves, or families, and not a few species lead what istermed a solitary life. In all these respects the antelopes resemblethe deer; and, indeed, no very marked distinction can be pronouncedbetween the two. As already remarked, the main point of difference, upon which scientific naturalists rely, is found in the horns; those ofthe deer being termed osseous, or bony, while these appendages in theantelopes are true horns--that is, of the same material as the horns ofoxen. Furthermore, the horns--or rather antlers--of the deer arecaducous, shedding annually; while those of the antelopes arepersistent, remaining throughout the life-time of the animal--as withgoats, sheep, and oxen. 

The antelopes appear to stand, as it were, in a central position, surrounded by these three last-mentioned groups; in other words, thereare species of antelopes that can scarcely be distinguished from goats, others equally like sheep, and others that come very near being trueoxen! Nay, further, there are one or two species--the Gnus of SouthAfrica--that bear a considerable resemblance to horses!

At one time the antelopes were all classed in a single genus; but sincethe species have increased--or rather the knowledge of them--thisarrangement has been deemed inconvenient; and the systematic naturalistshave separated them into a great many genera--twenty or more--and tothese genera they have given such a variety of pedantic titles, that itwould be wellnigh impossible for one man's memory to retain them all. Ido not hesitate to say, that it would have been much wiser to haveretained the nomenclature of the old naturalists, and called all theseanimals _antelopes_--leaving the specific appellations to distinguishthem from one another. 

In a popular sketch it is necessary to treat them in this way; for togive even a list of the generic characters of the systematic naturalistswould occupy the whole of our space. 

First, then, of the number of these ruminants--that is, the number ofkinds. In this respect they exceed the deer tribe, amounting in all tobetween eighty and ninety distinct kinds. Perhaps there are one hundredspecies upon the whole earth, since several new ones have been recentlydiscovered in the interior regions of Asia and Africa. 

It is scarcely necessary to say that Africa is the great head-quartersof the antelope tribe--more than half the species belonging to thatcontinent. In number of individuals, too, it far excels; the vast herdsof these animals that roam over the karoos and great plains of SouthAfrica consisting sometimes of numbers countless as locusts or the sandsof the sea! Asia, however, is not without its share of species; andespecially that portion of it--the Oriental region--so rich in othermammalia. In Australia no antelope has yet been found; nor even in thelarge island of Madagascar, so African in its character. Only onerepresentative of the antelopes is indigenous to the New World--theProng-horn of the prairies; for the Bighorn of the Rocky Mountains is asheep, not an antelope. To say the least, this is a natural fact ofsome singularity; for from all we know of the habits of these animals, no country could be better suited to their existence than the greatprairies of North America, or the llanos of the Orinoco, the paramos ofBrazil, and the pampas of Buenos Ayres and Patagonia. And yet on theseSouth American plains no animal of the genus _antelope_ has yet beendiscovered;--and on the prairies, as already mentioned, only onespecies, the Prong-horn. 

It is worthy of remark, also, that in Africa, where the antelopes mostabound, no deer are found to exist in the few African species of thelatter being denizens only of the extreme north of Africa, where thatcontinent approximates in character to the southern countries of Europe. 

In Europe there are two species--the well-known Chamois of the Alps, andthe Saiga of Eastern Europe, which last is also an Asiatic animal. 

In describing the different species--and we can only say a word or twoof each--we shall class them, not according to generic distinctions, butrather by their geographical distribution; and we shall begin with the_Antelopes of Africa_. 

Of these the Eland is the largest (as it also is the largest ofantelopes), being sometimes of the size and weight of a full-grownhorse! It is an animal of rather an ungainly appearance; but itsbeautiful buff colour and mild disposition make up for its ungracefulshape; and it is scarcely ever out of good condition. Its home isSouthern Africa, where it is still found in large herds; and its fleshaffords a plentiful subsistence both to travellers and the half-savagenatives of the land. 

Hunting the eland is a common pastime; and no craft is required toinsure success, since these creatures are almost as tame as domesticcattle; so tame that the horseman usually rides into the middle of thedrove, and, singling out the fattest bull, shoots him down without anydifficulty. The eland thrives well in England; and Dr Livingstoneremarks it strange that it has not long since been introduced to ourpastures--since its flesh is better than beef, and the animal itself isas large as an ox. 

The Gingi Jonga is a distinct variety of the eland, found in WesternAfrica. 

The Koodoo is another large species, of which South Africa is the home. This is remarkable for a noble appearance; but its most strikingcharacteristic is its magnificent horns--each of which is four feet inlength, sweeping widely outwards in an elegant spiral curvature. Thekoodoo loves the shade of the forest, and especially delights to dwellon the banks of rivers--taking freely to the water and swimming well. 

The Gnu next merits attention. In point of fact this is the mostsingular of the whole genus--being that which in many respects resemblesthe horse. There are two kinds, both belonging to South Africa, andknown as the Gnu and Brindled Gnu. When seen galloping at a distance, they bear a marked resemblance to quaggas, or wild horses. They live inextensive herds on the karoos; and are hunted by the natives for theirskins--out of which the Kaffirs make their karosses. Their flesh iseaten; though it is not so much esteemed as that of some otherantelopes. 

The Oryx, or Gemsbok, is a middle-sized species, dwelling in the sameneighbourhood with the gnus. It is a heavy, stout animal, with a longbunch tail, and a pair of tapering slender horns, almost perfectlystraight, and sweeping back towards the shoulders. It is truly acreature of the open desert plains; and can go for a long time withoutwater. It is bold and dangerous--especially when wounded--and will givebattle to the hunter even, it is said, when that hunter chances to bethe lion himself!

The true Oryx, or Milk-white Antelope, mentioned by early writers, is akindred species to the Gemsbok; and is found in Northern Africa--inSennaar, Nubia, Abyssinia, and Senegal. This last is a celebratedspecies, on account of the supposition that it is the animal figured onthe temples of Egypt, and known as the _Unicorn_. It would not bedifficult, I imagine, to point out the absurdity of this belief; and toprove that the Unicorn of the ancients was either the Gnu of SouthAfrica, or an allied species--supposed to exist at the present time inthe inter-tropical region of the same continent. 

A third species of oryx, the Beisa, inhabits Abyssinia. 

The Addax is a large, heavily-formed antelope, with spiral horns andox-like appearance, inhabiting the greater part of the Central Africanregion. It frequents sandy plains, and is noted for its broad hoofs, which seem designed to prevent it from sinking in the soft yielding sandof the desert. The addax is not gregarious, living in pairs orfamilies. 

One of the handsomest of South African antelopes is the Water Buck, afine large species, with long, widely-spreading horns. It is calledWater Buck on account of its habit of frequenting the marshy banks ofrivers and lakes, where it spends most of its time half immersed in thewater!

The Lechee is another species, allied to this, and of very similarhabits; and two, if not three species of _water_ antelopes have beenlately discovered by Livingstone and other South African explorers. TheSing-sing is an antelope belonging to Western Africa. The English onthe Gambia call it the "Jackass Deer, " from its resemblance to a donkey. The negroes believe that its presence has a sanitary effect upon theircattle; and hardly a flock is seen without having one or two sing-singsalong with it. A similar fancy is entertained in our own country inregard to the common goat--many people keeping one in their stables, under the belief that it is beneficial to the health of the horses!

Another Sing-sing is the Equitoon, or Kob, of Senegal--often confoundedwith the former species. 

A very beautiful antelope is the Blue buck, or Blauwboc of the Capecolonists. It is a large, bold animal, with horns ringed, and gentlycurving backwards. Its skin is jet black; and it is this colourreflected through the ashy-grey hair that gives the animal that purplishor blue tint, whence it derives its name. It is found in small troopson the plains north of Kurrichane; and when wounded, or in the ruttingseason, the males are dangerous creatures. Another similar species, butlarger, is the Tah-kaitze, which is plentiful in the country of theBechuanas. It is so ferocious in its disposition, that the nativehunters fear to attack it with the asseghai; but prefer capturing it inpitfalls. 

The Black buck is a species of similar character and habits; and inSenegal there is one, not unlike the foregoing, known among the Frenchas _vache-brune_, and called by the Mandingoes _white mouth_. 

The Pallah is another fine species of South African antelope. Its hornsare of the lyrate form, and its colour a bright rufous. It is on thisaccount known among the Dutch colonists as the Rooye-boc (Red buck). Itruns in small troops, and is found in the country of the Bechuanas, whohunt it for its flesh. 

The Stein-boc is one of the slenderest and most graceful of antelopes. It lives upon stony plains and in mountain valleys in South Africa--hence its name of _stein-boc_, or stone buck. It is very swift, and, when at full speed, will often spring over fifteen feet at a singleleap. Its flesh is much prized, and on this account it is huntedeagerly by the natives; so that, although one of the swiftest ofanimals, it is now rare in most parts of the Cape colony. 

The Grys-boc is a closely allied species, but not so elegantly formed, nor yet so swift. It hides when closely pursued--thrusting its headinto a bush, or squatting like a hare in her form. The stein-boc has asimilar habit. 

The Bleek-boc, or Ourebi, is one of those antelopes which have thecurious appendages upon the knees called brushes. It is a large animal, and its flesh is eaten by the Kaffirs, in whose country it is chieflyfound. A very similar species, called the _gibari_, exists in NorthernAfrica--Abyssinia--and also on the western coast. 

Of all the South African antelopes, perhaps none is more known andadmired than the Spring-boc (springbuck). Its name is derived from acurious habit the animal has of, every now and then, springing upwardfrom the ground, while going at full speed across the plains. This leapis sometimes made to the height of many feet, in an almost perpendiculardirection, and apparently without any other motive than for amusement!The spring-bucks are eminently gregarious; indeed, they may be said toswarm. Herds have been met with, numbering as many as 50, 000individuals, migrating from one part of the country to the other, andpaying but little heed to the crowds of hyenas, wild dogs, and otherpredatory creatures, who keep them company only to destroy and devourthem. 

The Klipspringer is a small antelope that inhabits the most inaccessiblemountains of Southern Africa; and, like its near congener, the chamoisof the Alps, is as much at home on the narrow ledges of cliffs as itskindred are upon the open plains. It is a long-haired, shaggy littlecreature; but its long hair does not protect it from the bullet of thehunter; and its young frequently fall victims to the eagle, and thegreat lammer-geyer vulture, which also dwells among these mountains. 

In addition to those described, there are many other species ofantelopes in Africa. The Duyker-boc, or Diving-buck--so called from itshabit of ducking or diving under the bushes when pursued--is a Capespecies; and there is another diving-buck, called the Black-faced; andstill another of these bush antelopes, termed Burchell's bush-boc. Thenthere is the Four-tufted antelope of Senegal; the Red-crowned bush-boc, also of Western Africa; and, belonging to the same region, theWhite-backed bush-boc. In the Island of Fernando Po there is found theBlack-striped bush-boc; and in Abyssinia, the Madoqua, or Abyssinianbush-goat, of a yellow colour. The Bay bush-buck and Bay bush-goat aretwo species described as natives of Sierra Leone; while the Blackbush-boc, of a sooty black colour, is found on the coast of Guinea. 

The Coquetoon is a species of a deep-reddish bay colour, belonging toWestern Africa; and on the Senegal and Gambia we meet with another sootyspecies, called the Guevei. At Port Natal, in South Africa, there is ared species called the Natal bush-boc; and the Kleene-boc, a diminutivelittle creature, only about twelve inches in height--a very pigmy amongthe antelopes--also belongs to the same region. Several other smallspecies--or pigmy antelopes, as they are termed--are found along thewest coast of Africa, viz. , the Black-rumped guevei of Fernando Po; theGrisled guevei of Sierra Leone; and the White-footed guevei of the sameregion. The little creature known as the Royal antelope, orGuinea-musk, is a native of Guinea. Still others in South Africa arethe Ree-boc and the Reed-boc--the latter deriving its name from itshabit of frequenting the reeds that grow along the banks of the SouthAfrican rivers. In the Island of Zanzibar there is a very small speciesof antelope; and another found in Abyssinia, and called also theMadoqua, is said to be the smallest of all horned animals--being not solarge as an English hare!

In North Africa--in the Sahara Desert--exists a large species, called bythe Arabs the Wild Ox. It is one of the clumsiest in shape of the wholetribe. In the south two kinds are near akin to it--the Harte-beest orSecaama, and the Sassaby or Bastard harte-beest. The Korrigun isanother of these large antelopes, belonging to Western Africa; and theBonte-boc and Bles-boc are two similar kinds, existing in the country ofthe Hottentots. The Bosch-boc, or Bush-goat, is still another of thesouthern antelopes, which derives its name from its dwelling-place--thebushy thickets--out of which it never shows itself; and, in addition toall these, there is the Decula of Abyssinia, the Guib of the westerncoast, the Ingala of Natal, and the Broad-horned antelope of the Bightof Biafra. 

We have not yet mentioned the _Gazelles_, which are, perhaps, the mostinteresting of all the antelope tribe. It is not necessary to describetheir forms, or dilate upon the gracefulness of their movements andappearance. Their beautiful eyes have been a theme for the admirationof all ages. We shall only remark here, that there are several speciesof antelopes called gazelles, and that they are all natives of Africa. There is the Dorcas gazelle of Egypt, Barbary, and Asia Minor; theIsabella gazelle of Egypt and Kordofan; the Mhorr of Western Africa; theAbyssinian mhorr of the eastern parts of the continent; the Andora ofSennaar, Dongola, and Kordofan; and, lastly, the Korin. These are allgazelles; and it is believed that several other species may yet be foundin the interior parts of Africa. Such is the list of African antelopes. 

With regard to the Asiatic species, we can only find space to give theirnames, and point out the localities they inhabit. 

The Nyl-ghau claims to be mentioned first, as it is one of the largestantelopes known. It inhabits the dense forests of India, and is acreature of interesting and singular habits. The Goral and Serow arealso two large species inhabiting the Himalayas--especially in thekingdom of Nepaul--while the Chousinga is a denizen of the wooded plainsof Bengal, Behar, and Orissa. Two others, Chousingas, are the Rusty redand Full horned, both natives of India; and the Jungliburka, a speciesfound in the Bombay Presidency. In Persia we find the well-known Sasin, or common antelope, as it is usually called; and in the OrientalIslands, Sumatra furnishes us with the Cambing outan, and Japan with theJapanese goat antelope. The Mahrattas have the Chikara, or Ravine-deer, a species peculiar to the rocky hills of the Deccan. China is notwithout its representative in the Whang-yang, or yellow-goat, which alsoinhabits the arid deserts of Central Asia, Thibet, and Southern Siberia. The Goa is another Thibetian species; and this ends our list of thetribe: for the two European antelopes, the Chamois and Saiga, and theone peculiar to the prairies of North America--the Prong-horn--havealready received mention. 

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO. 

DEER. 

Of these graceful quadrupeds there are nearly fifty species known to thescientific naturalist. These are geographically distributed throughoutthe continents of Europe, Asia, and America; and several belong to thegreat Indian islands. In Africa we find only two kinds, and theseconfined to the mountain regions near the coast of the MediterraneanSea. Throughout the central and southern parts of that vast continentno native deer exist; but their place is plentifully supplied by theirvery near kindred the antelopes--for which, as already seen, Africa isespecially famous. 

It will be evident to my young readers, that anything like a detaileddescription of fifty different kinds of animals would take up a volumeof itself. I must therefore content myself with giving a brief accountof the more remarkable species, and a word or two only about those lessnoted. 

If size entitle a species to precedence, then decidedly the _Elk_ shouldstand first. He is the largest of the deer tribe--not unfrequentlystanding as high as a horse, and carrying upon his crown a pair ofbroad, flat-branched antlers, weighing sixty pounds! Although truly ananimal of the deer kind, he lacks those graceful shapes and proportionsthat characterise most of his congeners; and his mode of progression--asort of shambling trot--is awkward in the extreme. While the animal isin the act of running, its long split hoofs strike together, giving outa series of singular sounds that resemble the crackling of castanets. In the elk countries of North America the native Indians prize theskins--dressing them into a soft pliable leather. The flesh is alsoeaten; but it is inferior to the venison of either the fallow or reddeer. 

The elk belongs equally to the Old and New Worlds. His range is thewooded countries of high latitudes in the north, both of Europe andAsia; and in America he is found in similar situations. In the lattercontinent he is called the Moose; and the name Elk is there erroneouslygiven to another and more southern species--the Wapiti--to be noticedpresently. 

In North America the range of the elk may be defined by regarding theboundary-line of the United States and Canada as its southern limit. Formerly elks were met with as far south as the Ohio--now they are rareeven in Wisconsin. In Canada, and northward to the shores of the ArcticSea, wherever timber is plenteous, the great moose deer dwell. Theyroam in small herds--or perhaps only families, consisting of six orseven individuals--and feed chiefly on the leaves of plants and trees. Their legs are so long, and their necks so short, that they cannot grazeon the level ground, but, like the giraffes of Africa, are compelled tobrowse on the tops of tall plants, and the twigs and leaves of trees, inthe summer; while in the winter they feed on the tops of the willows andsmall birches, and are never found far from the neighbourhood where suchtrees grow. Though they have no fore-teeth in their upper jaw, yet theyare enabled somehow or other to crop from the willows and birch treestwigs of considerable thickness, cutting them off as clean as if thetrees were pruned by a gardener's shears. 

The moose is a sly animal, and in early winter all the craft of thehunter is required to capture it. In summer it is easier to do so:these animals are then so tormented with mosquitoes and gnats, that theybecome almost heedless of the approach of their more dangerous enemy, man. In winter the hunter follows the moose by his track, easilydiscovered in the snow; but it is necessary to approach from theleeward, as the slightest sound borne to his ear upon the breeze issufficient to start him off. A very singular habit of the moose adds tothe difficulty of approaching him. When he has the intention to repose, he turns sharply out of the general track he has been following, andthen, making a circuit, lies down, his body being hidden by thesurrounding snow. In this lair he can hear any one passing along thetrack he has made; and, thus warned, his escape is easy. The hunter whounderstands his business can usually give a guess (from a survey of theground) of where these detours are likely to be taken, and takes hismeasures accordingly. When within range, the hunter usually makes somenoise, as by snapping a twig: the moose starts to his feet, and showshimself above the snow. For a moment he squats on his hams, beforestarting off. This is the fatal moment, for it is the time for thehunter to take sure aim and send the fatal bullet. If the shot proveonly a slight wound, and not mortal, the moose sometimes turns upon hisenemy; and if a friendly tree be not convenient, the hunter stands agood chance of being trampled to death. In the rutting season the moosewill assail even man himself without provocation; and at such times theold "bulls" (as the hunters term the males) have terrible conflicts withone another. 

The habits of the elk of Northern Europe appear to be identical with themoose of America. Hunting it in Sweden and Norway is a favourite sport, and its flesh is eaten, the nose and tongue being esteemed greatdelicacies, as they are in America. It is related that elks wereformerly used in Sweden to draw the sledge; but, for certain reasons, this was prohibited by law. 

In point of size, the _Wapiti_ stands next to the elk. In shape heresembles the well-known Stag or Red Deer of our parks, but is muchlarger. The wapiti is exclusively a native of North America; and it maybe remarked that his range is more southerly, and not so northerly asthat of the moose. He is not found so far south as the Southern States, nor farther north than the Canadas; but around the great lakes, andwestward to the Rocky Mountains, and even to the Pacific, the wapiti ismet with. He is a noble creature--perhaps the noblest of the deertribe--and it is a boast of the backwoods' hunter to have killed an elk;for such, as already mentioned, is the name erroneously given to thisanimal. 

Perhaps the _Reindeer_ is the most celebrated of all the deer; and juston that account I shall say but little of this species, since its habitsare familiar to every one. Every one has read of the Laplander and hisreindeer--how these people have tamed and trained, and otherwisesubmitted it to a variety of useful purposes; but the Laplanders are notthe only people who have to do with the reindeer. The tribes of theTungusians and Tchutski, who inhabit the northern parts of Asia, havealso trained it to various uses--as a beast of burden, and also to rideupon. The variety--perhaps it is a distinct species--which theTungusians employ for the saddle, is much larger than that of theLaplanders; but it may be remarked that there are also varieties inLapland itself. The same remark applies to the reindeer of America, which is found in the northern parts of the Hudson's Bay territory, andall along the shores of the Arctic Ocean, making its way over frozenseas, even to the islands that lie around the pole. In these desolatecountries the Caribou (for by such name is the reindeer known inAmerica) is hunted by both Indians and Esquimaux; but it has never beentrained by either race to any useful purpose, and is only sought for asfurnishing an important article of food and clothing. At least twokinds of Caribou exist in the vast tracts of almost unknown countryknown as Prince Rupert's Land, or the Hudson's Bay territory. 

As the three kinds described belong--at least partially--to the NewWorld, we shall finish with the other deer of this hemisphere, beforeproceeding to those peculiar to the Old World. 

The _Virginian Deer_ is the species common to the United States proper, and, in fact, the only wild species now found in the greater number inthe States. It is a small animal, very similar to the fallow-deer ofEurope; and several varieties (or species), not differing much from theVirginian deer, exist throughout the forests of Mexico, California, Oregon, and South America. In Mexico there are three or four species, severally known as the Mexican Deer, the Mazama, the Cariacou, and byother appellations. Of course, the inhabitants simply know them asvenados (deer). In Guyana there are one or two small species, and alongthe forest-covered sides of the Andes two or three more. In Boliviathere is a large kind known as the Tarush; and on the pampas of BuenosAyres and Patagonia is a kind called Guazuti, which associates in largeherds, and is remarkable for the powerful odour emitted by the bucks. 

In the forests of the Amazon, and all through the Brazilian country, deer exist of different species; several, as the Guazuviva, the Pita, the Eyebrowed Brocket, and the Large-eared Brocket, being tiny littlecreatures, not much larger than the fawns of the ordinary species. 

Returning to North America, we find several varieties of the VirginianDeer in the countries lying along the Pacific coast--viz. , California, Oregon, and Russian America. These have received trivial names, thoughit is believed that they are only varieties, as mentioned above. Two, however, appear to be specifically different from the Virginian deer. One of these is the Mule Deer of the Rocky Mountains--almost as large asthe red deer of our own country, and well-known to the trappers of theUpper Missouri. Another is a well-marked species, on account of thelength of its tail--whence it has received its hunter appellation of theLong-tailed Deer. 

The _Deer of Europe_ are not numerous in species; but if we consider thelarge herds shut up in parks, they are perhaps as plentiful in numbersas elsewhere, over a like extent of territory. 

The _Reindeer_ and _Elk_, as already stated, are both indigenous toEurope; so also the _Stag_ or _Red Deer_, the greatest ornament of ourparks. The red deer runs wild in Scotland, and in most of the greatforests of Europe and Asia. There are also varieties of this nobleanimal, a small one being found in the mountains of Corsica. 

The _Fallow-Deer_ is too well-known to need description. It is enoughto say that it exists wild in most countries of Europe, our ownexcepted. Into this country it is supposed to have been introduced fromDenmark. 

The _Roebuck_, another species of our parks, is indigenous to bothEngland and Scotland. It is now found plentiful only in the northernparts of Great Britain. It is a native also of Italy, Sweden, Norway, and Siberia. 

The _African Deer_ consist of two species, supposed to be varieties ofred deer. They are found in Barbary, and usually known as the BarbaryDeer. But the fallow-deer also exists in North Africa, in the woods ofTunis and Algiers; and Cuvier has asserted that the fallow-deeroriginally came from Africa. This is not probable, since they are atpresent met with over the whole continent of Asia, even in China itself. 

We now arrive at the species more especially termed _Asiatic_ or _IndianBeer_. These form a numerous group, containing species that differessentially from each other. 

There is the _Ritsa_, or Great Black Stag of the Japanese and Sumatrans. It is named _black_ stag, from its dark brown colour during winter. Itis fully as large as our own stag; and is further distinguished by longhair growing upon the upper part of its neck, cheeks, and throat, whichgives it the appearance of having a beard and mane! It inhabits Bengal, and some of the large Indian islands. 

The _Samboo_, or _Sambur_, is another large species, not unlike therusa. It is found in various parts of India, and especially in thetropical island of Ceylon. Several varieties of it have been describedby naturalists. 

In the Himalaya Mountains there exist two or three species of largedeer, not very well-known. One is the Saul Forest Stag, or Bara-singa--a species almost as large as the Canadian wapiti. Another is the Marl, or Wallich's Stag, which is also found in Persia. Still anotherspecies, the Sika, inhabits Japan; and yet another, the Baringa, orSpotted Deer of the Sunderbunds, dwells along the marshy rivers of thislast-mentioned territory. Again, there is the Spotted Rusa, and otherspecies, inhabitants of the Saul Forests. In fact, the number ofspecies of Indian deer is far from being accurately ascertained, to saynothing of the very imperfect descriptions given of those that areactually known. 

When we come to the great Oriental islands--the Isles of Ind--we findmany new and beautiful species; some being large noble stags, whileothers are tiny graceful little creatures like gazelles. 

In Sumatra and Borneo we have a distinct species of Sambur Deer; inTimor a smaller one; a third exists in Java; and a fourth in thePhilippines. In Java, too, we find the beautiful little Muntjak; andanother tiny variety in China, called the Chinese Muntjak. 

Returning again to the Himalaya country, we encounter, in the plainssouth of this great chain, the Spotted Axis, so well-known from itsbeautiful markings, which resemble those of the fawn of our ownfallow-deer. But it may be remarked that there are two or three speciesof spotted deer, and that they inhabit the plains of India--from theHimalayas southward to the Island of Ceylon. Ascending these greatmountains, we encounter among their lower slopes another very singularspecies of cervine creature--the Musk Deer--which, though but littleknown, is one of the most interesting of its tribe; especially so, as itis from the secreting glands of this curious little animal that most ofthe celebrated perfume of commerce is obtained. 

Crossing the Himalayas, and advancing northwards, we find upon theplains of Central Asia a species of deer, known among the Tartars asSiaga, and to our own naturalists as the Tail-less Roe. Several speciesentirely unknown to scientific men will yet be discovered, when theimmense steppes of Asia come to be explored by observers capable ofdescribing and classifying. 

Like many another genus of animals, a complete monograph of the deertribe would be of itself the labour of a life. 

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE. 

QUADRUPEDS WITH POCKETS. 

In the year 1711 was brought to France, from the Island of New Guinea, an animal of an unknown species, and one that was singular in manyrespects; but especially so, from the fact of its having a double skin, covering a part of its belly, and forming a sort of pocket or pouch. This animal was Le Brun's Kangaroo; very properly named after thenaturalist who first described it, since it was the first of themarsupial or pouched animals known to the scientific world. 

The Opossums of America were afterwards scientifically described; but itis only of late years that the numerous species and genera of pouchedanimals--constituting almost the entire mammalia of the Australianworld--have become generally known to Europeans. 

The peculiarity of the _pouched_ animals is in reality the _pouch_, common to all of them. Otherwise they differ in many respects--somebeing carnivorous, others graminivorous, others insectivorous, and soon. In fact, among them we have forms analogous to almost all thedifferent groups of ordinary mammalia. Some naturalists have evenclassified them in the different groups, but with little success; and itis perhaps better to keep them together, retaining the "pouch" as thecommon characteristic. 

The marsupial animals bring forth their young before they are fullydeveloped. The mother places the mouth, of what is little more than afoetus, to her teat; and there it remains till it is able to go alone. The pouch covers the teats, and serves to protect the young, while theprocess of development is going on. Even after the little ones are ableto run about, they continue to use this singular nest as a place ofrepose, and a refuge in case of attack by an enemy!

The pouched animals are not entirely confined to the Australian island. The large island of New Guinea possesses some of them; and there arespecies in Java, and others of the Asiatic islands. America (both Northand South) has the opossums, in numerous species; but it is inAustralia, and the contiguous islands of Van Diemen's Land and NewGuinea, that we find both the genera and species in greatest numbers. These countries are, in fact, the head-quarters of the marsupialanimals. 

The true genera are not numerous, though the species of most of themare; and it is but natural to suppose that many new ones--both generaand species--will yet be discovered, when the vast _terra incognita_ ofAustralia comes to be explored. In fact, every expedition into theinterior brings home with it some new animal that carries a pouch!

As the opossums were the first of these animals whose habits becamegenerally known to Europeans, we shall speak first of them; and it maybe remarked, that although there are several species in the Australiancountries resembling the true opossums, and are even called opossums, yet among naturalists the name is usually limited to the pouched animalsof America. 

The old writer, Lawson, gives as succinct an account of the habits ofthe best known species--the Virginia opossum--as may be found anywhere. We shall adopt it _verbatim_:--"The possum, " says he, "is found nowherebut in America. She is the wonder of all the land animals--being of thesize of a badger, and near that colour. The female, doubtless, breedsher young at her teats, for I have seen them stuck fast thereto whenthey have been no bigger than a small raspberry, and seeminglyinanimate. She has a paunch, or false belly, wherein she carries heryoung, after they are from those teats, till they can shift forthemselves. 

"Their food is roots, poultry, or wild fruits. They have no hair ontheir tails, but a sort of scale or hard crust, as the beavers have. Ifa cat has nine lives, this creature surely has nineteen; for if youbreak every bone in their skin, and smash their skull, leaving themquite dead, you may come an hour after and they will be quite gone away, or, perhaps, you may meet them creeping away. They are a very stupidcreature, utterly neglecting their safety. They are most like rats thananything. I have for necessity, in the wilderness, eaten of them. Their flesh is very white and well-tasted, but their ugly tails put meout of conceit with that fare. They climb trees as the racoons do. Their fur is not esteemed or used, save that the Indians spin it intogirdles and gaiters. "

Bating the exaggeration about their tenacity of life, and also the erroras to their mode of bringing forth, the above account hits off theopossum to a nicety. Lawson might have added that their tails arehighly prehensile, and are not only used for suspending them to thebranches of trees, but also employed by the female for holding her youngupon her back--in which fashion she often carries them about. 

The flesh of the opossum is not only eatable, but much eaten, and evensought after as a delicacy both by negroes and whites. 

It is surprising how the number of species of this animal has latelymultiplied, under the research of naturalists. Perhaps no creatureillustrates more forcibly the folly of setting limits to the species ofanimals, by simply trusting to the account of those known or described. Over thirty species have been found in America, of which five or sixbelong to the northern division of the continent. The tropical regionis their head-quarters; but they are not confined to the torrid zone, since there are species existing everywhere, from Canada to Chili. 

Another form of pouched animal that can scarcely be called an opossum isthe Yapock of tropical South America. It is a smaller animal than theopossum, aquatic in its habits, and in fact approaches nearer to thefamily of the water-rats. Of this, too, there are several species. 

Crossing to Australia we find the pouched animals, as already observed, of several different and very dissimilar genera. 

Taking them in the usual order of mammalia, we have three kinds trulycarnivorous. First, the Tasmanian wolf, a creature which possesses allthe fierce attributes of his synonyme, and is, in fact, a wolf, only onewho carries a pocket. He is an animal as active as fierce, and lives bypreying on the kangaroos and other kindred animals. He is alsotroublesome to the breeders of sheep; as, since the introduction ofthese innocent animals to his country, he appears to have formed apreference for mutton over kangaroo flesh. Fortunately his range is notextensive, as he is confined to the island of Van Dieman's Land, and hasnot been observed elsewhere. Only one species has been yet discovered. 

Another pouched animal, equally carnivorous, is the Ursine Opossum. This is a burrowing creature about the size of a badger, and of equallyvoracious habits. 

In some places it proves extremely destructive to the poultry of thesettler, though it will also eat carcass, or dead fish--in short, anything. 

In a state of captivity it will not submit to be tamed, bitingeverything that comes near it, at the same time uttering a sort ofyelling growl. Small though it be, in many of its actions and habits itresembles the bear, and might be regarded as the Australianrepresentative of the ursine family; but several of its species approachnearer to the weasels--for it is not so poor in species as the Tasmanianwolf, there being at least five kinds of it in Australia and VanDieman's Land. One variety of it is distinguished by the name of NativeDevil!

Another genus of Australian _carnivora_ is in the Phascogals. Theseanimals are smaller than the last, and dwell upon trees like squirrels. From their having bushy tails, they might readily be mistaken foranimals of the squirrel kind; but their habits are entirely different--since to birds, and other small game, they are as destructive as theweasel itself. 

After the true carnivora come the Bandicoots. These are named after thegreat bandicoot rat of India, to which the early settlers fancied theybore a resemblance. They are insect-eaters, and represent in Australiathe shrews and tenrecs of the Old World. They also feed upon roots andbulbs, which with their strong claws they are enabled to scratch up outof the ground. Their mode of progression is by leaps--not like those ofthe kangaroo, but still more resembling the pace of a rabbit or hare--and they appear to prefer mountainous regions for their habitat. Thereare several species of them in Australia and the adjacent islands. 

The Phalangers, or Fox Opossums, come next in order. These creaturesare so called from a sort of resemblance which they bear to thewell-known Reynard; but, fortunately, the resemblance does not extend totheir habits, as they are all supposed to be innocent creatures, livingon fruits and seeds, and climbing trees for the purpose of obtainingthem. The true Vulpine Opossum--which is a native of Australia, nearPort Jackson--is very much like a small fox; but there are twosub-genera of the phalangers that differ much from this form. One ofthese is the Scham-scham, a very beautiful spotted creature found in theMolucca and Papuan islands. Several other species of phalangers inhabitthese and other Asiatic islands, especially Celebes and New Ireland. 

The other sub-genus is that of the Flying Squirrels, usually known asNorfolk Island Flying Squirrels, though it is not even certain that theyinhabit the last-mentioned island. It needs only to be said that theseanimals are very much like other flying squirrels; and in fact they_are_ squirrels, only squirrels of the marsupial kind. There areseveral species already described. 

Another pouched animal is the Koala, or Ashy Koala as it is called. Itdiffers in appearance from all the others, being of stout make, andalmost without a tail. It is not unlike the bear in its form andmovements; but its bulk is scarce equal to that of a moderate sized dog. It can climb trees with great facility, though it makes its lodgmentamong their roots, in a den which it hollows out for itself. Its foodis supposed to be fruits, and very likely it is the Australianrepresentative of the _frugivorous_ bears. It has the singular habit ofcarrying its young one upon its back, after the latter has grown toolarge to be conveniently stowed away in the pouch. Two species of koalahave been spoken of, but as yet one only is described and certainlyknown. 

The Wombat is another animal of thick stout form, and also without tail. It is a slow creature, easily overtaken by a man on foot. It burrowsin the ground. During the day it remains in its hole, issuing forthonly at night to procure its food, which consists mainly of herbage. There is but one species known, belonging to both Van Dieman's Land andNew South Wales. 

I have kept the Kangaroos to the last: not that they are the leastinteresting, but because these very singular animals are now sowell-known, and their habits have been so often described, that it seemsalmost superfluous to say a word about them. I shall content myselfwith observing that the genus of the kangaroos has been divided into twosub-genera, the true Kangaroos, and those known as Kangaroo Rats. Thedifference, however, is not very great, since the rats are as mild andinoffensive in their habits as the kangaroos themselves. Of thekangaroo rats there are several species; but when we arrive at the truekangaroos we find a list altogether too numerous to mention. They areof all sizes, too, from that of the great giant kangaroo, that stands, or rather squats, full five feet in height, down to little tinycreatures not bigger than rabbits or squirrels. There are nearly fiftyspecies in all inhabiting the known parts of the Australasian islands. It may be remarked, in conclusion, that two or three other kinds ofpouched animals, differing from all the foregoing, have been latelybrought to light by recent explorers; but, since nothing certain hasbeen ascertained in regard to their habits, it would be idle in thisplace even to mention their names. 

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR. 

ANT-EATERS, ARMADILLOES, AND OTHER ODD ANIMALS. 

This is, perhaps, the most interesting of the groups--interesting onaccount of the singular animals which compose it, every one of which maybe termed an odd creature. In a strictly natural classification theseanimals would not come together, since many of the species are unlikethe others both in appearance and habits; but in a scientific point ofview the absence of incisor teeth has caused them to be ranged togetherin a group, known as the _edentata_, or toothless animals. 

In this group we shall give the first place to the true ant-eaters, andfirst speak of the ant-eaters of America. Of these there are fourwell-known species, the great Ant-bear, or Tamanoir; the Tamandua, orlittle Ant-bear; another little ant-bear, the Ringed Tamandua; and avery small species that differs much from the other three. They are allinhabitants of tropical America, and there are varieties of them indifferent districts. 

The Tamanoir is by far the largest, often attaining the size of aNewfoundland dog; and the long hair which covers its sides, togetherwith its immense bushy tail, give to it the appearance of being muchbulkier than it is. 

Its habits are tolerably well-known, constituting a very curious chapterin natural history which we have not space to give. Suffice it to saythat its food consists entirely of ants and termites, which ofthemselves form a strange feature in the zoology of tropical countries. These it eats--not with teeth, but by means of its long slimy tongue, bywhich it is enabled to draw into its mouth hundreds of the littlecreatures at a time. 

The two species of smaller ant-bears, or Tamanduas, obtain theirsustenance in a similar manner, and in other respects are like theirgreat congener; but they possess a power with which the latter is notgifted--that of climbing trees, and making their nests high up in thecavities of the trunks. They have the further power of being able tosuspend themselves from the branches with their tails, which, like thoseof the opossums, are highly prehensile. The tamanduas do not livesolely upon ant-diet. The wild bees, that build nests among thebranches, are also objects of their attention; and their thick hairyskins appear to protect them from the stings of these insects. 

The smallest species--called the Ouatiri, or Two-toed Ant-eater--differsaltogether from the three above-mentioned. It more resembles a littlemonkey, and is covered all over with a thick coat of soft woolly hair ofa yellowish colour. It is also a tree-climber, possesses a nakedprehensile tail, and makes its nest in a hole in the trunk, or in one ofthe larger branches. 

In Africa the ant-eaters are represented by several kinds of animals, differing essentially from each other in outward appearance, though allagreeing in their habits, or rather in the nature of their food. 

The Aard-vark, or Earth-hog, of the Cape colonists, is the most notedkind. This animal is a long, low-bodied creature, with sharp-pointedsnout, and an immense whip-like tongue, which he is capable ofprojecting to a great distance, in the same manner as the tamanoir. Hisbody is covered with a dense shock of reddish-brown hair; and he dwellsin a burrow, which he can cleverly make for himself--hence his trivialname of Ground-hog. 

The other African ant-eaters are usually called Pangolins, or Manis. These are covered with scales that resemble suits of ancient armour; andon this account they have sometimes been confounded with thearmadilloes, though the two kinds of creatures are altogether differentin their habits. The pangolins possess, in common with the armadilloes, the power of rolling themselves into a ball whenever attacked by anenemy--a fashion not peculiar to pangolins and armadilloes, but alsopractised by our own well-known hedgehog. 

The Sloths belong to this group of mammalia; not that they have theslightest resemblance to the ant-eaters in any respect, but simply, asbefore stated, because they want the cutting teeth. They are notabsolutely toothless, however, since they possess both canines andmolars. With these they are enabled to masticate their food, whichconsists of the leaves and tender shoots of trees. 

The name, _sloth_, is derived from the sluggishness of their movements, amounting almost to complete inactivity. They scarce stir from the spotin which they may be placed, or at all events move so slowly as to be awhole hour in getting from one tree to another, or even from one limb toanother! They spend most part of their time upon the trees (the_cecropia peltata_ is their favourite), usually clinging to the brancheswith their backs downward; and in this way they crawl from one toanother, uttering at intervals a plaintive cry, which resembles thesyllable _ai_, uttered several times in succession. From this theyderive one of their trivial names of Ai, or Ay-ay. 

The sloths are all inhabitants of tropical America--dwellers in thegreat forests of Guiana and Brazil. 

As natural curiosities in the animal kingdom, the Armadilloes do notyield to any of the four-footed creatures, and an account of theirhabits, would space permit, could not be otherwise than extremelyinteresting. They are exclusively inhabitants of America; but manyspecies, both in North and South America, are found far beyond thelimits of the torrid zone. There are a great many species known--andthese are of all sizes--from that of an ordinary rat, to the GiantTatou, which sometimes attains the enormous dimensions of a moderatesized sheep! It may be mentioned that they are subdivided into a numberof genera, as the sloths, etcetera; and here, again, without any verysufficient reason, since they all possess the scaly armour--from whichthe name armadillo is derived--and their habits are nearly identical. They dwell in burrows, which they make for themselves; in fact, they aremore than ordinarily clever at excavating, and have been blamed forcarrying their tunnels into graveyards, and feeding upon the bodiesthere deposited! Of some of the species this charge is but too true;and one would think that an animal of such habit would be regarded withdisgust. On the contrary, the flesh of the armadillo is in much esteemas an article of food, both among the white colonists and the natives, and men and dogs are employed in many parts of South America to procureit for the table. Several species of armadilloes possess the power ofclueing themselves up, _a la hedgehog_, and thus presenting animpenetrable front to the attacks of an enemy; while others want thispower, but, in its stead, can flatten their bodies along the ground, insuch a way that neither dog nor jaguar can set tooth upon anythingsofter than their scales, and these are as impenetrable as if they wereplates of steel. 

The more noted species are known by different names--as the Tatou Poyou, the Giant Tatou, the Peba, the Pichiciago, the Pichey, the Hairy Tatou, the Mataco, the Apara, and such like designations. 

It may be added, that the armadilloes dwell in districts verydissimilar. According to the species, they inhabit low marshes, thickforests, or dry open hills; and several kinds are indigenous to the hightable-lands of the Andes. 

Their usual food consists of fruits, legumes, and roots; but they arenearly all omnivorous, and will eat carrion whenever it falls in theirway. 

To this group belong two very singular animals, that have only of lateyears become known. These are the Mullingong--better known as theOrnithoryncus--and the Echidna, or Ant-eating Hedgehog. Both arenatives of what may be termed the new world of Australasia. 

To give an account of the peculiar conformation or appearance of themullingong would require many pages, and only the artist can convey anyidea of what the creature is like. Suffice it to say, that it is a sortof triangular cross between a bird, a quadruped, and a fish; having thebill of a duck, the hair, skin, and legs of a quadruped, and the aquatichabits of a fish, or rather of a seal. In general appearance it is, perhaps, more like to a beaver than to any other animal. It dwells uponthe banks of rivers, lakes, or marshes, burrows in the ground like abadger, swims and dives well, and feeds chiefly on aquatic insects. 

The echidna is altogether a different sort of creature, both inappearance and habits. It is, in reality, an ant-eater, with the bodyof a porcupine, having a long slender snout and an extensile tongue, just like that of other ant-eaters. It burrows in the ground, where itcan remain for a long period without food, and it is supposed to issueforth only during the season of the rains. It also possesses the powerof rolling itself into a ball, like the hedgehog--hence its name amongthe colonists of Ant-eating Hedgehog; but by far the most appropriateappellation for it is the Porcupine Ant-eater, since in generalappearance it is exceedingly like several species of porcupines. 

The Porcupines and Hedgehogs, though usually classed elsewhere, onaccount of their teeth, their food, and a few other reasons not verynatural, should certainly stand in this group of odd animals; and herelet us place them. We have not space to say much about either of them;and can only remark of the porcupines, that there are nearly a dozenknown species inhabiting different parts of the world--as usual, separated into a great number of genera. Europe, Asia, Africa, theAsiatic Islands, North and South America, all have their porcupines--some of them entirely covered with quills, others with hair intermingledwith the spines, and still others on which the spinous processes are sosmall as to be scarcely perceptible, yet all partaking of the habits andcharacter of the true porcupines. It may be further remarked, that theAmerican porcupines are tree-climbers, and feed upon twigs and bark; infact, lead a life very much resembling that of the sloths. 

The Hedgehogs, about which so much has been said, should also go withthis group, though it is usual to place them among carnivorous animals. 

Of hedgehogs there are also several species, and they are found in mostcountries of Europe, and in many parts of Asia and Africa. No truehedgehog has yet been discovered in North or South America, but theyhave their representatives there in other species of worm-eatinganimals. 

It would not be proper to conclude these sketches without remarking, that there are still a few other odd animals which we have not anopportunity of introducing here. As an instance, we may mention thelittle Daman, or Hyrax, a native of Africa and Asia Minor, and of whichthere are two or three distinct species. This is the animal over whichMr Frederic Cuvier, and other learned anatomists, have raised such apaean of triumph--having discovered that, notwithstanding its greatresemblance to a rabbit, the little creature was, in reality, a_rhinoceros_!

M. Cuvier and his followers seem to have omitted the reflection thatthis wonderful discovery very naturally suggests. Putting itinterrogatively, we may ask, How is it that the hyrax, whose "anatomicalstructure proves it to be a rhinoceros, " is _not_ a rhinoceros inhabits, appearance, nor, in fact, in anything but the shape of itsbones?

If, then, we were to take osteology for our guide, I fear we shouldoften arrive at very erroneous conclusions; and were the little hyrax anextinct animal, and not known to us by actual observation, we should beled by anatomical theorists to ascribe to the timid creature a verydifferent set of manners from what it has got. 

Despite anatomic theories, then, we shall continue to regard the hyrax--the coney of the Scriptures--as a _rabbit, and not a rhinoceros_!

FINIS.