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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of A Natural History for Young People: Our
+Animal Friends in Their Native Homes, by Phebe Westcott Humphreys
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most
+other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
+whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of
+the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at
+www.gutenberg.org.  If you are not located in the United States, you'll have
+to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook.
+
+
+
+Title: A Natural History for Young People: Our Animal Friends in Their Native Homes
+       including mammals, birds and fishes
+
+Author: Phebe Westcott Humphreys
+
+Release Date: December 27, 2015 [EBook #50776]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: UTF-8
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A NATURAL HISTORY ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Sonya Schermann and the
+Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
+
+
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: BROWN OR ALPINE BEARS.]
+
+
+
+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+                   A Natural History for Young People
+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+                           Our Animal Friends
+
+                         IN THEIR Native Homes
+
+                               INCLUDING
+
+                       MAMMALS, BIRDS and FISHES
+
+                                   BY
+
+                     MRS. PHEBE WESTCOTT HUMPHREYS
+
+                             --------------
+
+               Over One Hundred and Fifty Illustrations,
+                  including Colored Plates, Half-Tones
+                          and Wood Engravings
+
+                             --------------
+
+
+
+
+                             Copyright 1900
+
+                      By PHEBE WESTCOTT HUMPHREYS
+
+
+
+
+                                PREFACE.
+
+
+This little Volume of Natural History has been prepared to fill a
+long-felt want. As a child the author was especially interested in the
+study of animals, but met with the usual drawback—nothing could be found
+in classified form to meet the requirements of young people, not yet old
+enough to take up a college course of study. Natural Histories abounded
+in every form and in every language, there were scientific works in
+plenty, and numerous books for children, from the fairy tales founded on
+animal life to the usual descriptive matter accompanying profuse
+illustrations in childish books; but nothing could be found in which the
+Mammals, Birds and Fishes, were carefully classified and arranged in the
+proper families, and the whole in words of easy reading—discarding
+unnecessary scientific words and phrases, and carefully explaining the
+necessary ones. It was not until later in school life, when a certain
+knowledge of Greek and Latin became necessary in the college-preparatory
+course that these scientific works could be really enjoyed. And the
+author of this little volume—who was then preparing her first literary
+efforts in the intervals of school work—resolved that one of her
+earliest books should be a carefully arranged Natural History for Young
+People, in which all the desires of her own childhood should be
+realized.
+
+The immensity of the labor involved in preparing such a work did not
+become apparent until once seriously commenced, and French, German,
+Greek and Latin dictionaries were called into requisition in order that
+every scientific word and classification might be carefully explained.
+The best authorities among ancient and modern naturalists have been
+consulted; Goldsmith, Jones, Figuier and Brehm have been quoted, and
+other English, French and German works, studied and compared. And
+although this has been delayed, because of the tedious work required,
+and other books for young people, by the same author have been allowed
+to precede it, this is finished in time to meet the demands of the small
+son of her household, who has reached the age so aptly described by the
+well-worn phrase, “An animated interrogation point”—especially in the
+direction of Natural History. And filling as it does, the demands of
+one, may it meet the desires of the many mothers of inquiring sons and
+daughters, and the young people who are eager for such a work, that is
+accurate, readable and interesting, and fully up to the present
+condition of modern science.
+
+[Illustration: A FAMILY OF TIGERS.]
+
+
+
+
+                               CONTENTS.
+
+
+ PREFACE                                                               5
+
+ OUR ANIMAL FRIENDS                                                   13
+
+
+                    QUADRUMANA—FOUR-HANDED MAMMALS.
+
+ THE TAILLESS APES                                                    17
+
+ Gorilla, Orang Outang, Chimpanzee.
+
+ THE APE MONKEYS                                                      23
+
+ Baboons, Mandrills, Macaques, Wanderoo, Barbary Ape, Bonnet
+   Monkey.
+
+ THE AMERICAN MONKEYS                                                 27
+
+ The Howlers, The Spider Monkeys, The Weepers.
+
+ THE LEMURS                                                           31
+
+ The Fox-Headed Monkeys.
+
+
+                   CARNIVORA—FLESH-EATING QUADRUPEDS.
+
+
+ PLANTIGRADE CARNIVORA—THE BEAR FAMILY.                               33
+
+ The Brown or Alpine Bear, The Collared Bear, The American Bear,
+   The Grizzly Bear, The White or Polar Bear, The Sloth Bear.
+
+
+ DIGITIGRADE CARNIVORA—THE HYENA FAMILY.                              42
+
+ Spotted Hyena, Striped Hyena, Hunting Hyena.
+
+ THE CAT FAMILY                                                       44
+
+ Wild Cat, Domestic Cats, Lion, Tiger, Leopard, Panther, Jaguar,
+   Puma, Ocelot, Lynx, Caracal, Ounce, Serval, Cheetah.
+
+ THE DOG FAMILY                                                       63
+
+ Sporting Dogs, Running Dogs, Pointers, Setters, Newfoundland Dog,
+   Esquimau Dog, Mastiffs, Spaniels, Wild Dogs, Hyena Dog, Wolf,
+   Jackal, Fox.
+
+ THE WEASEL FAMILY                                                    75
+
+ Ermine, Marten, Otter.
+
+ THE CIVET FAMILY                                                     80
+
+ African Civet, Indian Civet, Mangousts, Genet.
+
+
+ AMPHIBIOUS CARNIVORA—THE SEAL FAMILY.                                81
+
+ Common Seal, Sea-Elephants, Sea-Lions, The Walrus, or Morse.
+
+
+ CHEIROPTERA—ANIMALS WITH WINGED HANDS.                               86
+
+ Long-Eared Bats, Long-Nosed Bats, Roussette, Vampires.
+
+ INSECTIVORA—INSECT-EATERS.                                           91
+
+ The Shrews, Water Shrew, Elephant Shrew, The Hedgehogs.
+
+
+                     EDENTATA—TOOTHLESS QUADRUPEDS.
+
+ THE SLOTH FAMILY                                                     94
+
+ Unau, Ai, Armadillos, Ant-Eaters, Pangolins.
+
+ RODENTIA—GNAWING QUADRUPEDS                                          99
+
+ Mice, Rats, Porcupines, Beavers, Squirrels, Prairie Dogs, Hares.
+
+ MARSUPIALIA—POUCHED QUADRUPEDS.                                     111
+
+ Kangaroo, Opossum.
+
+
+                 PACHYDERMATA—THICK-SKINNED QUADRUPEDS.
+
+ THE ELEPHANT FAMILY                                                 114
+
+ African Elephant, Asiatic Elephant, Mammoth, Mastodon.
+
+
+                         ORDINARY PACHYDERMATA.
+ The Hippopotamus.                                                   114
+
+ THE TAPIR FAMILY                                                    117
+
+ American Tapir, Indian Tapir.
+
+ THE RHINOCEROS FAMILY                                               118
+
+ One-Horned Rhinoceros, Two-Horned Rhinoceros.
+
+ THE HOG FAMILY                                                      120
+
+ The Wild Boars, The Wart Hog, The Peccaries.
+
+ THE HORSE FAMILY                                                    123
+
+ Horses and Ponies, The Wild Ass, The Domestic Donkey, The Zebra,
+ The Quagga, The Dauw.
+
+
+                 RUMINANTIA—ANIMALS THAT CHEW THE CUD.
+
+ THE CAMEL FAMILY                                                    129
+
+ Camel, Dromedary, Llama, Paca, Vicuna.
+
+ THE MUSK DEER                                                       133
+
+
+                      RUMINANTS WITH HAIRY HORNS.
+
+ The Giraffe.                                                        134
+
+
+                      RUMINANTS WITH HOLLOW HORNS.
+
+ THE ANTELOPE FAMILY                                                 134
+
+ Chamois, Gazelles, Gnus.
+
+ THE OX FAMILY                                                       141
+
+ Yak, Bison, Buffalo.
+
+ RUMINANTS THAT SHED THEIR HORNS.                                    145
+
+ The Deer Proper, The Reindeer, The Elk or Moose.
+
+
+                       CETACEA—THE WHALE FAMILY.
+
+ BLOWING OR SPOUTING WHALES.                                         152
+
+ Rorquals, Cachalot, Pot Whale, Dolphin, Porpoise, Narwhal.
+
+ HERBIVOROUS CETACEA                                                 159
+
+ Manatee, Duyong.
+
+
+                                 BIRDS.
+
+ BIRDS OF PREY                                                       166
+
+ THE OWL FAMILY                                                      167
+
+ The Horned Owls, Great Owl, Virginia Eared Owl, Long-Eared Owl,
+   Short-Eared Owl, Scops-Eared Owl.
+
+ HORNLESS OWLS                                                       169
+
+ Snow Owls, Barn or Screech Owls, Hawk or Canada Owls, Brown or
+   Tawny Owls, Ural, Burrowing and Sparrow Owls.
+
+ THE FALCON FAMILY                                                   169
+
+ Sea-Eagles, Eagles, Stone Eagles, Harpy Eagles, Buzzards.
+
+ THE VULTURE FAMILY                                                  173
+
+ King Vulture, Bearded Griffon, Condor.
+
+
+                     THE NATATORES—SWIMMING BIRDS.
+
+ THE FAMILY OF DIVERS                                                176
+
+ Great Northern Diver, Penguin, Auk, Grebes.
+
+ DUCKS, GEESE AND SWANS                                              182
+
+ Wild and Domestic Ducks, Sea Ducks, Fresh-water Ducks, Wild and
+   Domestic Geese, Mute and Whistling Swans, Black Swan of
+   Australia, Black-necked Swan.
+
+ THE PELICAN FAMILY                                                  183
+
+ LONG-WINGED SWIMMING BIRDS.                                         190
+
+ Albatros, Petrels, Gulls.
+
+
+                       GRALLATORES—WADING BIRDS.
+
+ WADERS WITH UNITED TOES                                             195
+
+ Avocet, Stilt Bird.
+
+ WADING-BIRDS WITH LONG BILLS                                        197
+
+ Woodcocks, Snipes, Reed Hens.
+
+ WADING-BIRDS WITH KNIFE-SHAPED BILLS                                199
+
+ Storks, Argala or Adjutant, Marabou, Spoonbill, Cranes.
+
+ WADING-BIRDS WITH COMPRESSED BILLS                                  203
+
+ Curious Types, Flamingo, Frigate.
+
+ THE SHORT-WINGED BIRDS                                              206
+
+ Ostrich, Rhea.
+
+
+                       SCRANSORES—CLIMBING BIRDS.
+
+ THE PARROT FAMILY                                                   209
+
+ Grey Parrot or Jaco, Green Parrot, Macaw, Parrakeets, Amazonian
+   Parrot.
+
+ THE COCKATOO FAMILY                                                 214
+
+ Trumpet Cockatoo, Great White Cockatoo, Leadbeater’s Cockatoo,
+   Toucans.
+
+ THE CUCKOO FAMILY                                                   214
+
+ Trogons, Honey-Guides, Anis, Barbets, Touracos, Plantain-Eaters.
+
+ THE WOODPECKER FAMILY                                               217
+
+ Ivory-Billed Woodpeckers, Spotted Woodpeckers, Downy Woodpeckers.
+
+
+                      GALLINACEAE—DOMESTIC BIRDS.
+
+ THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY                                                220
+
+ Grey Partridge, California Partridge.
+
+ THE GROUSE FAMILY                                                   222
+
+ Black Grouse, Ruffled Grouse, Hazel Grouse, Heathcock.
+
+ THE PIGEON FAMILY                                                   224
+
+ Crowned Pigeon, Fan-Tailed Pigeon, Wheeling Pigeon, Tumbler
+   Pigeon, Carrier Pigeon.
+
+ THE PHEASANT FAMILY                                                 225
+
+ Silver Pheasant, Golden Pheasant.
+
+
+                     PASSERINES—THE SPARROW FAMILY.
+
+ HUMMING BIRDS                                                       229
+
+ Sword-bill Humming Bird, Crested Humming Bird.
+
+ KING FISHERS                                                        229
+
+ CROWS                                                               233
+
+ RAVENS                                                              233
+
+ DIPPERS OR WATER WRENS                                              235
+
+
+                                FISHES.
+
+
+                         CARTILAGINOUS FISHES.
+
+ THE LAMPREYS AND EELS                                               239
+
+ Lesser Lamprey, Sea Lamprey, Sand Eels, Electrical Eels, Sea Eel.
+
+ THE FAMILY OF RAIAS OR FLAT-FISH                                    243
+
+ The White Ray, The Lump-Fish, The Torpedo or Cramp-Fish.
+
+ THE SHARK FAMILY                                                    249
+
+ “Man-Eating Sharks,” Dog-Fish, Hammer Heads, Saw-Fish.
+
+ THE STURGEON FAMILY                                                 252
+
+ The Caviare Sturgeon, Huso, or Isinglass Fish, Great Sturgeon,
+   Common Sturgeon, Chimaera.
+
+ OSSEOUS, OR BONY FISHES                                             255
+
+
+ FAMILY OF GLOBE FISH AND COFFERS                                    257
+
+ Globe-Fish, Diodon, Coffers or Ostracions, File-Fish or Balistes.
+
+ PIPE-FISH AND SEA-HORSES                                            258
+
+ THE SOFT-FINNED FISHES                                              259
+
+ Some Curious Specimens, Sea-Snail, Lump-Fish, Echineis.
+
+ FLAT-FISH WITH SOFT FINS                                            260
+
+ The Soles, Turbot, Flounders and Plaice, Halibut and Dab.
+
+ THIRD GROUP OF SOFT-FINNED FISHES                                   261
+
+ Cod, Whiting and Haddock, Pike, Stomias, Chaetodons, Flying-Fish,
+   Herring.
+
+ THE SPINY-FINNED FISHES                                             267
+
+ Trigula or Gurnards, Red Gurnards, Flying Gurnards, Sword-Fish,
+   Archer-Fish.
+
+
+
+
+                         LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
+
+
+ Brown Bear                                   Colored Plate Frontispiece
+
+ A Family of Tigers                                                    6
+
+ A Battle between the Lion and Tiger                                  12
+
+ Flying Squirrels                                                     16
+
+ Gorillas                                                             17
+
+ Orang-Outang                                                         20
+
+ Chimpanzee                                                           22
+
+ Baboons or Dog Headed Monkeys                                        24
+
+ Mandrill                                                             26
+
+ Bonnet Monkeys                                                       28
+
+ Weeping Monkeys                                                      30
+
+ Lemur or Fox Headed Monkeys                                          31
+
+ Sloth Bear                                                           32
+
+ Grizzly Bear and Buffalos                                            35
+
+ Panther Surprised by a Tree Snake                                    36
+
+ Polar Bear                                                           39
+
+ Striped Hyena                                                        42
+
+ Wild Cats                                                            45
+
+ Angora Cat                                                           46
+
+ Pumas Fighting over Vultures                                         53
+
+ Caracal Defending His Booty from Jackals                             54
+
+ Jaguar                                                               57
+
+ Lynx Attacking Fawn                                                  59
+
+ Esquimaux Dogs                                                       62
+
+ Newfoundland Dog                                                     63
+
+ Hyena Dogs                                                           66
+
+ Wolf                                                                 67
+
+ Jackal                                                               70
+
+ Foxes at Home                                                        72
+
+ Weasels and Ermines                                                  75
+
+ Marten                                                               76
+
+ Otter Fishing for His Dinner                                         78
+
+ Mangousts                                                            79
+
+ Genets                                                               80
+
+ Common Seal                                                          82
+
+ Sea Elephants                                                        83
+
+ Walrus                                                               84
+
+ Long-nosed Bats                                                      85
+
+ Sea Lions in Battle                                                  87
+
+ Whale Attacking Bloodheads                                           88
+
+ Long-eared Bats                                                      89
+
+ The Elephant Shrew                                                   92
+
+ Hedgehogs                                                            93
+
+ Sloths                                                               95
+
+ Armadillos                                                           96
+
+ Ant-Eater or Ant Bear                                                97
+
+ Beavers                                                             100
+
+ Porcupines                                                          103
+
+ Goat Defending His Family from a Lynx                               105
+
+ Bisons in Battle                                                    106
+
+ Village of Prairie Dogs                                             107
+
+ Rabbits                                                             108
+
+ Giant Kangaroos                                                     112
+
+ Elephant in the Jungle                                              115
+
+ Hippopotamus                                                        116
+
+ Indian Tapir                                                        118
+
+ One-horned Rhinoceros                                               119
+
+ Wild Boars                                                          121
+
+ Wart Hogs                                                           122
+
+ Shetland Ponies                                                     124
+
+ Domestic Donkey                                                     125
+
+ Zebras                                                              126
+
+ Dromedary                                                           128
+
+ Camel                                                               130
+
+ Llama                                                               131
+
+ Paca                                                                132
+
+ Giraffe                                                             135
+
+ Gnu                                                                 136
+
+ Gazelles                                                            137
+
+ Mountain Sheep                                                      140
+
+ American Buffalo                                                    142
+
+ Yak                                                                 144
+
+ American Deer                                                       146
+
+ Reindeer                                                            148
+
+ Elk or Moose                                                        149
+
+ Pot Whale                                                           155
+
+ Dolphin                                                             157
+
+ Narwhal                                                             158
+
+ Manatee                                                             160
+
+ Eagle, Colored Plate                                                164
+
+ Tailor Bird                                                         165
+
+ Owls                                                                167
+
+ Harpy or Crested Eagle                                              170
+
+ Buzzards                                                            172
+
+ Eagle Picking up an Ice Fox                                         177
+
+ Falcons Fighting                                                    178
+
+ Penguin                                                             179
+
+ Black Necked Swans                                                  184
+
+ Pelicans                                                            186
+
+ Vulture and Griffin Fighting over Prey                              187
+
+ Condor Capturing Llama                                              188
+
+ Albatros                                                            191
+
+ King Fishers                                                        192
+
+ Reed Hen                                                            193
+
+ Ostrich on Her Nest                                                 194
+
+ Woodcock                                                            198
+
+ Broad-billed Stork of Africa                                        200
+
+ Jabiru                                                              201
+
+ Spoonbill                                                           203
+
+ Amazonian Parrot                                                    210
+
+ Ivory Billed Woodpeckers                                            211
+
+ Heathcocks Fighting                                                 212
+
+ Cockatoos                                                           213
+
+ Toucan                                                              216
+
+ Spotted and Downy Woodpeckers                                       218
+
+ Common Gray Partridge                                               221
+
+ Crowned Pigeon                                                      223
+
+ Golden Pheasants                                                    225
+
+ Sword Bill Humming Bird                                             230
+
+ Crested Humming Birds                                               231
+
+ Crows and Ravens                                                    232
+
+ Dippers or Water Wrens                                              234
+
+ Flying Fish. Colored Plate                                          238
+
+ Sea Eel                                                             242
+
+ White Ray                                                           244
+
+ Lump Fish                                                           245
+
+ Herring Attacked by Whales                                          247
+
+ Diver Battling with a Shark                                         248
+
+ Dog Fish                                                            251
+
+ Sturgeon                                                            253
+
+ Chimaera                                                            255
+
+ Coffer or Ostracion                                                 256
+
+ Diodon                                                              258
+
+ Pipe Fish                                                           259
+
+ Chaetodon                                                           262
+
+ Red Gurnard                                                         267
+
+ Flying Gurnard                                                      268
+
+ Sword Fish Spearing His Prey                                        269
+
+ Archer Fish                                                         271
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: A BATTLE BETWEEN THE LION AND TIGER.]
+
+
+
+
+                          Our Animal Friends.
+
+
+OUR animal friends are usually supposed to be included in the home pets,
+and the domestic animals which are useful to us in so many ways; but
+when we learn how closely some of the wildest and fiercest of animals
+are of the greatest benefit to mankind, how they resemble us in the
+formation of their bodies, and in the care and love for their little
+ones, how the many different kinds of animals scattered all over the
+world are related to each other, and how they are divided into families,
+we will have a more friendly feeling toward all the wonderful creatures
+which are often looked upon as the enemies of mankind, and a greater
+interest in their habits and lives in their native homes.
+
+In this little volume of Natural History we will not only study our
+animal friends as individuals, but will learn of their relationship to
+each other, carefully arranged and classified, but much more easily
+understood, than the classification found in the numerous great volumes
+of encyclopedia of Natural History.
+
+We are always interested in the relatives of our human friends; even
+their distant relations living in far off countries soon have a special
+interest for us when they are closely connected to our friends, and we
+are constantly learning of their manner of living and their doings in
+distant lands. In the same manner we find new interest in the fierce
+wild animals of other countries when we learn how they are related to
+our domestic animals and home pets.
+
+We find that not only the Wild Cats, but the fierce Lions, Tigers,
+Panthers, Leopards, Lynxes, Pumas, Jaguars, and many smaller animals,
+belong to the same family as our pet Cats. The Wolf, Jackal, Hyena, and
+many different kinds of Foxes are all closely related to our good
+friends, the Dogs. The Sheep and Cows have some very fierce relations in
+distant countries, as the Gnu and Yak and Bison, and also some very
+accommodating and useful relations, like the Camel, Dromedary, Llama and
+Paca, who are as helpful to their masters and owners as the domestic
+animals of this country. We would not suppose at first thought that our
+Horses belong to the same family as the Rhinoceros, Hippopotamus,
+Elephant, and the Tapir and many smaller animals which are classified
+with them, besides the different kinds of Ponies, Donkeys, and the Dauw
+and Quagga and Zebra.
+
+It is this classification into families, by the use of Latin words, that
+makes the study of Natural History so difficult to many who are
+interested in our animal friends, but do not know just how to find out
+about them without first wading through quantities of long, hard names,
+that seem to have very little use, except to puzzle the reader. As one
+of these interested readers recently remarked while delving away at an
+encyclopedia to learn something of an animal in which he was especially
+interested: “I believe the writer of that article just used all those
+big words to show off, and try to make people believe he knows more than
+any one else.”
+
+This does seem to be the case at times, but many of these hard Latin
+words are often really necessary to make us acquainted with particular
+kinds of animals and their families; and we will use only the absolutely
+necessary ones in this book, and master them together, with the
+different scientific terms explained and made easy to understand, even
+in the index. Then after mastering these general terms for dividing
+animals into families, the study of scientific works on Natural History
+will not be so difficult; for the animals are as carefully classified
+here, from the works of famous Naturalists, as in those larger volumes,
+although the Latin names are used only when it is necessary to
+distinguish different animals that are very much alike, or to divide
+them into families.
+
+There is a very good reason for the hard words and sometimes whole
+sentences of unpronounceable Greek and Latin, often used to describe a
+single little animal—the Greek and Latin language is studied and
+understood by scholars of every other language. If the great Naturalist,
+Linnaeus, had written in Swedish or German, only a Swede or a German
+could have understood his meaning. To talk to a Spaniard or a Frenchman
+about a “River Horse,” giving its English name, would not give him any
+idea of the animal described, but call it a Hippopotamus (which is
+derived from two Greek words meaning horse and river,) and he would at
+once understand the nature of the animal.
+
+It is the same with the classification of the different animals. The
+English and French and German Naturalists differ in their manner of
+arranging into families—according to the formation of the bodies of
+various animals, their manner of moving, what they eat, the number of
+their teeth, the shape of their feet, etc., but it was from the Latin
+and Greek terms that the names of these divisions were taken for all the
+different languages in which works of Natural History have been written.
+Take the first great division—the Mammalia—and it is found that the term
+is used by Naturalists in all languages, and that it comes from the
+Latin word mamma, meaning “the breast.” And we find that all animals
+grouped under this great class are fed on their mother’s milk while they
+are too small to eat the vegetable and animal food on which the father
+and mother live. This is very different from the birds who carry the
+same food that the father and mother eat (the worms and insects) and
+place it in the mouth of the baby bird; and the fowls who teach their
+little ones to scratch and pick up their food from the ground. And while
+the little ones of the birds and fishes and the smaller orders of
+creation develop rapidly and are soon able to take care of themselves,
+the babies of some of the larger animals are almost as helpless as human
+babies, and feed on their mother’s milk for many months before their
+teeth are well formed and they are strong enough for other food. We
+often see pictures of Lions and other fierce beasts tearing dead animals
+to pieces to feed their little ones, but this is only after their teeth
+begin to grow, and like the babies of the human family they are old
+enough to feed at the same table and eat the same kind of food as older
+members of the family.
+
+Many do not realize what a great number of our animal friends belong to
+this great family of Mammals or Mammalia, from the Moles and the Bats to
+the huge Mastodons of past ages. Even some of the large water animals
+are included in it, like the Seals, the Whales and their numerous
+relatives—the Dolphins, Porpoises, Narwhals, etc. The latter are usually
+called fishes by those who do not understand this division into orders
+and families; they are not fishes, however, but belong to the Water
+Mammalia. And in dividing this book into Animals, Birds and Fishes, all
+these members of the Whale family will be found where they belong with
+the great family of Mammalia.
+
+Then after classifying all Mammals both of land and water under the one
+great family, or order, the Latin terms help to sub-divide them into
+smaller families, more closely related, in such a manner that all the
+readers of different languages may understand the meaning of the words
+because of their Greek or Latin origin. Thus we know that a quadruped is
+a four footed animal because the term comes from the Latin words
+quatuor, four, and pes, pedis, a foot. And the term quadrumane comes
+from quatuor, four, and manus, a hand, which makes it easy to understand
+that all the animals classified under “Quadrumana” belong to the monkey
+family, who have four hands instead of four feet, with regular thumbs
+and fingers on the hind hands (which are usually known as feet) as well
+as on the front ones. Thus the word Quadrumana distinguishes this whole
+four-handed family from the Bimanes, or two-handed family, to which
+mankind belongs (making an order by itself) and the Quadrupeds, or the
+great four-footed family.
+
+In the same manner the family to which the Horses belong are not only
+quadrupeds, but they have very thick skin. They are, therefore,
+classified under the term Pachydermata, made up of two Greek words
+meaning thick and skin. We often find many of the Mammalia arranged in
+orders, or large groups, before being divided and sub-divided into
+families and smaller groups. Thus the Dog family and the Cat family are
+both included under the order of Carnivora, or carnivorous quadrupeds,
+which is derived from the two Latin words caro, carnis, flesh, and
+vorare, to devour; and we know that the animals found under this order
+prefer a diet of flesh food, and devour other animals in their wild
+state.
+
+Thus we might continue with explanations of terms, but it requires only
+a few such words and their derivations to make us understand how easy it
+is, after all, to keep in mind the main families and orders and groups
+under which all the different animals are classified. And we will soon
+become so well acquainted with our numerous animal friends in their
+native homes, and grouped in their proper families, that we can easily
+recognize many of the animals that must be crowded out of a book of this
+size. Because we know the meaning of the term used to describe a
+particular animal, we can place him in the family to which he belongs,
+and then understand something of his life and habits by comparing them
+with those of his well-known relatives.
+
+[Illustration: FLYING SQUIRRELS.]
+
+
+
+
+                  Quadrumana—The Four-Handed Mammals.
+
+
+WE will begin with the Monkey family in learning about our animal
+friends, because they resemble mankind more closely than any other
+animal. Although Darwin and other Naturalists have spent years of their
+lives in tracing the resemblances between the Human and the Monkey
+family we had much rather trace the points of difference, for it is not
+pleasant to claim a very close relationship to some of the hideous
+monsters who make their homes in the dense forests or distant countries.
+
+Although the formation of the body, especially the skull, and the
+features, are more like ours, than are those of other animals, the first
+great point of difference is their four hands, those of the legs being
+formed the same as those of the arm, with thumbs and long flexible
+fingers, which enables them to climb trees quickly and swing from branch
+to branch with fearless activity, because they can grasp the limbs of
+the trees with any one of their four hands. Some of them also use their
+tails to assist them in climbing, and the Monkeys are sometimes
+classified under the “prehensile tailed” and the “non-prehensile” tailed
+according to whether the tails are formed for seizing or grasping the
+limbs of the trees. And there is still another family of tailless
+Monkeys.
+
+But while many of the different Monkeys are very active in trees, in
+which they spend the greater part of their time, when in their native
+homes, this formation of hands instead of feet on their legs, makes them
+very awkward when standing erect or walking. Even in the most man-like
+Apes, these hands that serve as feet, are not placed at right angles to
+the legs, so as to come flat upon the ground like ours; but when the
+legs are extended, the soles nearly face each other, so that, when
+erect, the whole weight of the body rests upon the outer edge of the
+sole of this strange foot, or as it should be more properly called, the
+palm of the hand. In addition to this peculiarity, the legs are bent
+inwards to enable them firmly to grasp the boughs of the trees, and this
+makes them very awkward when trying to walk upright on the ground.
+
+Their arms are also very much longer than ours, in proportion to the
+rest of the body, and in some families the fingers will almost touch the
+ground when the large animal is standing erect.
+
+While the majority of the Monkey family have their faces covered with
+hair like the rest of the body, others have what are known as “naked
+faces,” with only a beard, or a fringe of whiskers about the chin and
+throat, and some of these are comically like a human face.
+
+The great family of Quadrumana is divided in various ways by different
+Naturalists; but the easiest classification to keep in mind is the
+grouping of five distinct Orders, each made up of small families.
+
+The first order—The Tailless Apes—includes the Gorilla, the
+Orang-Outang, and the Chimpanzee, and is called by some, Troglodytidae,
+from the Greek word troglodytes, meaning one who hides in caverns.
+Although this is a peculiarity of these Apes, this does not seem so good
+a classification as that given by another Naturalist who calls these the
+Anthropomorphous Monkeys because they so closely resemble the human
+species; the word Anthropomorphous comes from two Greek words meaning
+man and form, and signifies that which has the form of man.
+
+The second order is the Simiadae—The Ape Monkeys—and the term comes from
+the Greek word simos, meaning flat-nosed; these have oblong heads and
+flat nostrils, and the same number of teeth as man, and many of them
+have cheek pouches in which they stow away food for future use. A few of
+the Simiadae are without tails, others have tails (of different lengths
+in the different families), but none of them have prehensile tails, that
+can be used to help them in climbing. All the different families
+belonging to this order are natives of the Old World, and the most of
+them are found in the forests and the mountainous districts of Western
+Africa.
+
+The third order—Cebidae—includes the American Monkeys; and they are
+distinguished from the Monkeys of the Old World by having four more
+grinding teeth, making thirty-six in all instead of thirty-two. These
+American Monkeys have long tails and no cheek-pouches.
+
+The fourth order—Lemuridae—includes the different Lemurs, and the word
+comes from Latin lemur, a sprite, a night-walker, so called from their
+habits of roaming about at night.
+
+Some naturalists include in this order the Flying Cat, or Flying Lemur.
+Others make a distinct fifth order of this species. Although they
+resemble both a weasel and an ape, they have one peculiar formation that
+does not belong to either of these; the long slender limbs are connected
+by a broad, hairy membrane, which looks like a cloak when folded up, but
+which expands and gives the appearance of wings when the animal is
+springing from tree to tree.
+
+Although each one of these orders contain many small families, until the
+different Monkeys seem numberless, yet they can all be classified in
+some one of these groups, and it is not so hard to remember the long
+names when we understand the meaning of the words from which they are
+derived.
+
+
+                     THE GORILLA—THE STRONGEST APE.
+
+[Illustration: GORILLAS.]
+
+The Gorillas live in the hottest parts of Western Africa, and as their
+home is so near the Equator they search out the loneliest and shadiest
+parts of the dense African forests, and whenever it is possible they
+keep near a running stream. It is called a nomadic animal because it
+seldom remains in one place many days together. The reason for this
+wandering life, is the difficulty it finds in procuring its favorite
+food, which is fruit, seeds, nuts, and banana leaves, the young shoots
+of this plant, and the juice, of which it sucks, and other vegetable
+substances.
+
+Although the Gorilla likes to dwell among the trees, it does not find
+this necessary for its happiness, nor does it remain long on the trees
+like some other Monkeys who sit and sleep on the branches. In fact it is
+always found on the ground except when it climbs a tree to gather fruit
+or nuts, and it descends as soon as it has satisfied its hunger. These
+enormous animals would be incapable of jumping from branch to branch
+like the small Monkeys.
+
+The young Gorillas occasionally sleep on trees for safety, but the
+adults rest seated on the ground, their backs against a log or tree,
+thus causing the hair on this part to be worn off.
+
+The Gorilla belongs to the family of “Tailless Apes” and although it is
+not so large as the Orang-Outang—measuring about five feet in height—it
+is very strong. It is called the king of the forests which it inhabits
+because of this strength, which is said to be equal to that of the Lion.
+The Negroes of Africa never attack it except with firearms, and they are
+very proud when they can kill one, because this is very difficult.
+
+The old Gorillas are not fond of company, and usually go about alone or
+in couples. The young Gorillas sometimes go about in groups of six or
+eight but never in great numbers. Their sense of hearing is very
+delicate, and on the approach of the hunter they hurry away with loud
+cries, so that it is difficult to get within gun-shot of them.
+
+
+              THE ORANG-OUTANG—THE WILD MAN OF THE WOODS.
+
+[Illustration: ORANG-OUTANG.]
+
+This large and hideous species of the Monkey family is sometimes called
+the “Wild Man of the Woods.” These animals are somewhat rare, and
+limited to a small region. They live in the thick forests covering the
+low damp lands in the islands of Borneo and Sumatra. Very little is
+known of their habits in a wild state, as it is only by accident that
+they come out in open places, or where the country is inhabited.
+
+When full grown the Orang measures from six to seven feet in height. His
+head is covered with a sort of mane of smooth hair of greyish black
+color, and his face is naked, with the exception of a tufted moustache
+on the upper lip, and a long thick beard. The nose is flat and the
+muzzle very prominent and it is not surprising that some of the
+inhabitants of these countries have many strange and superstitious
+beliefs concerning this hideous “Wild Man of the Woods.”
+
+Although so little is known of these strange animals in their wild
+state, the habits of tame ones have been closely studied, as it is not
+difficult to capture them when very young, and they make very
+interesting pets while small. One of the most intelligent of these
+animals that has yet been known, was brought from Java by Dr. Abel
+Clark, and many interesting stories have been told about it.
+
+At Java, this Monkey lived under a tamarind tree, near the Doctor’s
+dwelling. There it had made a bed, composed of small interlaced branches
+covered with leaves; on this it passed the greater portion of the time,
+looking out for the people who carried fruit, and, when they approached,
+descending to obtain a share.
+
+When taken on board the vessel, it was secured by an iron chain to a
+ring-bolt; but it unfastened itself and ran away, when, finding the
+chain trailing behind, an encumbrance, it threw it over its shoulder. As
+it released itself in this manner several times, it was decided to allow
+it to go at large. It became very familiar with the sailors; it played
+with them, and knew how to escape when pursued, for it darted into
+inaccessible parts of the rigging.
+
+“At first,” writes Doctor Abel Clark, “it usually slept on one of the
+upper yards, after enveloping itself in a sail. In making its bed it
+took the greatest care to remove everything that might disturb the
+smooth surface of the place on which it intended to lie. After
+satisfying its tastes in this part of its domestic arrangements, it lay
+down on its back, bringing the sail over the surface of its body.
+Frequently to torment it, I have beforehand taken possession of its bed.
+In such a case it would endeavor to pull the sail from beneath me, or
+try to expel me from its resting-place, and would not rest until it had
+succeeded. If the bed proved to be large enough for two, it slept
+quietly beside me. When all the sails were unfurled, it searched for
+some other couch, often stealing the sailors’ jackets which were hung
+out to dry, or robbing some hammock of bed-clothes.
+
+“It willingly ate all kinds of meat, especially raw flesh. It was very
+fond of bread, but always preferred fruit when procurable. Its ordinary
+beverage at Java was water, but on board its drink was as varied as its
+food. Above everything it liked coffee and tea, but it also willingly
+took wine.
+
+“One of the sailors was its special friend, and this man shared his
+meals with it. I must say, however, that the Orang-Outang sometimes
+stole from its benefactor. He taught it to eat with a spoon; and it
+might have been seen more than once, tasting its protector’s coffee, and
+affecting a serious air, a perfect caricature of human nature.”
+
+
+                    THE CHIMPANZEE—THE MAN-LIKE APE.
+
+[Illustration: CHIMPANZEE.]
+
+Of all known Monkeys, the Chimpanzee in its habits, its motions and its
+intelligence, comes nearest to the human species. In the first place its
+arms are not so long as those of the other Monkeys described; they
+scarcely reach below the knee when the Chimpanzee is standing erect. And
+although it seldom wears a beard like the “Wild Man of the Woods,” its
+face and ears and the palms of its hands are entirely without hair,
+giving it a much more Human appearance; and in walking, its “hind-hands”
+are often planted quite firmly on the ground like our feet, instead of
+walking on the sides of them. When walking erect, it is fond of using a
+large stick to help support it, and this gives it a manly appearance of
+carrying a cane. Another favorite manner of walking is to bend down and
+touch its fingers to the ground, then by keeping the legs bent, it
+swings itself along by the means of its arms as by a pair of crutches.
+
+The Chimpanzee inhabits the same regions as the Gorilla—the dense
+forests of Africa, and another point of resemblance is that the
+Chimpanzees live in small troops while they are young, and alone or in
+couples in adult life. But unlike the Gorillas they are great climbers
+and pass nearly all their time on trees, seeking the fruits which
+constitute their food.
+
+There is a kind of Chimpanzee called by the natives “Nshiego-mbouve,”
+which builds a kind of leafy nest among the boughs of the loftiest
+trees. This nest is composed of small interlaced branches with a tight
+roof of leaves. It is fixed with firmly tied bands, and is generally
+from six to eight feet in diameter, and presents the form of a dome, an
+arrangement which readily throws off the rain.
+
+The Nshiego is distinguished from the ordinary Chimpanzee, by the
+absence of hair on its head, and it is sometimes called the Bald
+Chimpanzee.
+
+
+
+
+                  THE BABOONS—THE DOG-HEADED MONKEYS.
+
+
+[Illustration: BABOON OR DOG-HEADED MONKEYS.]
+
+The Baboons and the Mandrills are sometimes placed in separate classes
+by Naturalists because of the difference in the length of their tails,
+but they both belong to the same family—the Cynocephali, which is
+derived from the words cyon, cynos, a dog, and cephale, a head, and
+means dog-headed.
+
+In these creatures the teeth and the cheek-pouches, which are similar to
+those of the majority of the Monkey family, are combined with a long
+nose and the nostrils situated like those of a dog. The Baboons have
+longer tails than the Mandrills, and although their forms are very
+clumsy, they climb trees easily, and even display much agility when they
+are sporting among the branches; yet they seldom select the forest as
+their place of residence. They are found almost exclusively in Africa,
+although a single species is found in Asia.
+
+The Baboon was known to the ancient Egyptians, on whose monuments it
+often appears, and as it symbolized the god Thoth, the inventor of the
+alphabet, it was held in great veneration in those days of long ago, and
+numerous mummies of this animal have been found in Egyptian burial
+places.
+
+The Baboon prefers to walk on all fours like a quadruped, and instead of
+living in forests, they choose the mountainous districts, and rocky
+places covered with bushes and brush wood. They live in troops, and each
+troop takes possession of a certain district, which they defend against
+all intruders. If men approach, the alarm is instantly raised, the whole
+troop gather together, and endeavor both by their cries and their
+actions to drive them away. And if not successful in this they will
+attack such visitors with sticks, or throw stones and other missiles at
+them. Even firearms will not frighten the Baboons and a troop will not
+retreat until many are left dead upon the ground.
+
+If a traveler is unfortunate enough to encounter one of these troops
+when alone, he is soon surrounded by numbers of the infuriated beasts,
+and literally torn to pieces. Rather than encounter such a death an
+Englishman once killed himself by leaping from a cliff, where he had
+been hemmed in by a multitude of these ferocious creatures.
+
+Their canine teeth are almost as formidable as those of the Tiger, yet
+they are said to live entirely on vegetable diet, and to be so fond of
+fruit that they sometimes seriously destroy orchards and gardens.
+
+It is usually during the night that they make their thieving excursions,
+and they take great care to ensure the success of their stealing. When
+the troop arrives at the scene of action, it divides into three
+companies, one enters the orchard or garden, while those of the second
+division place themselves as sentinels to give warning of the approach
+of danger, while a third division establishes itself in the rear and
+forms a long line extending from the other troops to their home in a
+neighboring mountain. When all these arrangements are completed, those
+who have broken into the orchard or garden throw the produce of their
+thieving to the nearest sentinels, who pass it on to those behind, and
+thus in a very short time it is handed along the line and stored in a
+safe place at the end, until there has been enough secured to make a
+feast for the entire troop. While thus engaged, if one of the sentinels
+raises a cry of alarm, the whole body will scamper off to their hiding
+places.
+
+
+                  THE MANDRILLS—THE BRILLIANT MONKEYS.
+
+[Illustration: MANDRILL.]
+
+The Mandrills are distinguished by their very short tails, and by deep
+wrinkles on each side of the nose which are often brilliantly colored.
+There are two species living in Western Africa which are known as the
+Mandrill and the Drill.
+
+The Drill is very much like the Mandrill except that its face is
+completely black instead of being striped with color; and it also
+inhabits Guinea.
+
+The Mandrill has a very peculiar appearance when the colors of its face
+are bright. In some instances the entire face is streaked with bright
+red and blue and black bands, and what seems still more curious the
+upper part of the thigh is sometimes of a bright red mixed with blue,
+giving the Monkey a very peculiar appearance. And what seems even more
+strange, these colors are not permanent, but often disappear after or
+during disease, and they even change when the animal is strongly
+excited.
+
+The Mandrill when old is deceitful and malicious. Even when taken quite
+young and supposed to be tame, it should not be trusted, for taming does
+not seem to improve its character.
+
+Besides these changeable colors that stripe the face and tint the thighs
+of the Mandrill, their permanent colors are very bright and striking.
+The hair upon its body is a brownish grey, with olive upon the back; the
+chin is surrounded by a beard of bright lemon yellow; its cheeks are
+either striped or of a brilliant blue, while the nose is red, especially
+towards the tip where it becomes scarlet. It would be difficult to find
+an animal more gaily decorated and yet so hideous. And as it grows to be
+almost as large as a man, it is not surprising that the negroes of the
+Guinea coast, where it is commonly found, should have a superstitious
+fear of so dangerous a creature.
+
+                CURIOUS MONKEYS OF THE MACAQUES FAMILY.
+
+The Monkeys belonging to the group known as Macaques, or Macacus, nearly
+all have tails; some quite long, others short, and still others of
+medium length, and Naturalists sometimes divide them into different
+groups according to the length of the tail. Others classify in different
+ways, making a great many distinct groups or Genus of this particular
+tribe of Monkeys, but the three main groups—the Wanderoo, the Barbary
+Ape and the Bonnet Monkey—are the most important and include the main
+characteristics of all the others.
+
+
+                             THE WANDEROO.
+
+The Wanderoo is commonly found in the island of Ceylon. These Monkeys
+have cheek pouches like the others of this family. They do not grow much
+larger than an English Spaniel Dog and are of a grey color with black
+faces and great white beards reaching from ear to ear, making them look
+like old men. They do very little mischief, keeping in the woods, and
+eating only leaves and buds of trees; but when they are tamed they can
+be taught to eat anything.
+
+The other Monkeys have great respect for this species, looking upon them
+as their superiors; and they are usually considered by mankind to be
+much more intelligent than the rest of the Monkey race.
+
+
+                            THE BARBARY APE.
+
+The Barbary Ape is the only Monkey found in Europe, and differs from
+almost all others belonging to the Macaques, in being without a tail.
+When full grown it is from three to four feet high. Its general color is
+olive green and grey; the face is of a dirty flesh color, with brown
+spots, very much wrinkled, and surrounded with dirty grey hair.
+
+It usually goes on all fours. The young animals are very intelligent and
+gentle, and they are well known throughout Europe as objects of
+exhibition and amusement.
+
+The Barbary Apes prefer to live in rocky places and on the mountains. In
+their native home they live upon pine cones, chestnuts, figs, melons,
+nuts and vegetables which they carry off from gardens near their homes,
+although great care is taken to exclude these mischievous animals. While
+they are committing their thefts, two or three mount to the summits of
+the trees, and of the highest rocks to keep watch, and as soon as these
+sentinels see any one, or hear a noise, they utter a cry of warning, and
+immediately the whole troop take to flight, carrying off whatever they
+have been able to lay their hands on.
+
+
+                          THE BONNET MACAQUES.
+
+[Illustration: BONNET MONKEYS.]
+
+The Bonnet Monkey is frequently caught for exhibition. It is about the
+size of a large cat, greenish grey above and white below, with a long
+tail. The face is naked and wrinkled; the hair of the crown is long and
+dark, and spreads in all directions, lying upon the surface of the head
+like hair in a scalp-wig. On this account the animal is sometimes called
+the Scalp Monkey.
+
+In its native country the Bonnet Monkey is almost as much venerated as
+the Hoonuman in Bengal, and although it does great injury to fields and
+gardens, the natives forbid any one to kill it. Or if this has been done
+through mistake, they demand from the culprit enough money to pay for a
+grand funeral.
+
+When young, the Bonnet Monkey is very amusing as a pet, performing all
+his tricks with a comical gravity. When two or three are kept together,
+they are constantly hugging and nursing each other. When a Monkey of
+this kind has no companions of its own species, it will make friends
+with some other animal, and will often pet and hug a kitten with great
+gravity and all the fondness of a child, at a great risk of choking it.
+When full-grown, however, the behavior of the Bonnet Monkey changes, and
+it becomes sullen and savage and spiteful.
+
+
+
+
+                         THE AMERICAN MONKEYS.
+
+
+There are several queer families of American Monkeys that make their
+home in Brazil, Peru and on the banks of the Amazon and the Orinoco.
+Further South, and along the western part of South America are found
+many of the small Monkeys with long tails like those we usually see in
+this country patiently following the street organs and making trade for
+their Italian masters. The most of these are intelligent, affectionate
+little fellows, and are more in demand for taming than the Monkeys of
+Africa, or even those of the smaller families found in Asia and Europe.
+
+Nearly all of the American Monkeys have long tails, and some find them a
+great help in climbing; these are usually classed as the Prehensile
+tailed Monkeys, and the Non-prehensile tailed Monkeys are those who do
+not make any use of their long tails in grasping the limbs of the trees,
+etc., in climbing. Very few of the American Monkeys have cheek-pouches
+and their nostrils are placed on the sides of the nose, instead of
+beneath it, giving them a very different appearance from the Apes,
+Baboons, etc., found in Africa. The different kinds of American Monkeys
+are usually divided into several families with the usual long hard Latin
+names to distinguish them, but as these names mean simply, the Howlers,
+the Spider Monkeys, the Weepers, etc., we will use only their English
+names in describing them.
+
+
+                          THE HOWLING MONKEYS.
+
+The Monkeys belonging to the family of Howlers are remarkable on account
+of the formation of their throat, which causes their voice to be hoarse
+and loud and very disagreeable. Although they are scarcely two feet in
+height, these Monkeys have the most powerful voice of any known animal.
+When gathered in troops they make the great forests re-echo with their
+tumult, which carries terror even to the bravest man when heard for the
+first time. Travelers compare this noise to the creaking of a great
+multitude of carts whose wheels and axle-trees need greasing; and with
+all this creaking and grinding noise there is a sound like the rolling
+of a drum.
+
+Every day, morning and evening, the Howlers assemble in the forests, and
+one of their number, taking his station upon a lofty tree, makes a sign
+with his hands, as though inviting the others to sit around him. He then
+begins a sort of discourse, in a voice so loud and harsh that any one
+might suppose that they were all screaming together, although one only
+is thus employed; when this one leaves off, he gives a signal to the
+others, who immediately set up a cry in full chorus, until their leader
+commands silence, and is instantly obeyed. The first speaker, or rather
+howler, then begins again, and it is only after several repetitions of
+this that they cease from their discordant yellings.
+
+These Monkeys live in large troops and only frequent the highest trees,
+from which they rarely come down. They leap from branch to branch with
+wonderful agility, and, contrary to the habits of most Quadrumana, seem
+to prefer those parts of the forests which are in the vicinity of rivers
+or swamps. They live almost entirely upon the fruits and foliage of the
+trees around them, and are said occasionally to catch and eat insects.
+The whole race is remarkably sullen, lazy, heavy and of disagreeable
+nature; they are tamed with difficulty. And it is not often that this is
+attempted, for even if they were good-natured and intelligent, they
+would not make desirable pets on account of their voice.
+
+
+                          THE SPIDER MONKEYS.
+
+These curious little Monkeys are found in nearly all parts of South
+America, and they live in troops, making their homes in trees. They feed
+on the insects which are usually found in great quantities in many of
+the South American trees, and occasionally they will descend to the
+ground, in search of small Fish and Molluscs which they find in the mud
+on the banks of the rivers. It is said that they even venture on the
+beds of the rivers when the water is low, and capture the oysters, and
+they are very quick in learning how to open the shells and take out the
+oyster.
+
+These Monkeys are distinguished by their fine silky hair, their strong
+tails, which they use in climbing and in swinging themselves from limb
+to limb, and the fact that they have no thumbs; but only the four
+fingers on each hand. This peculiarity has given them the Greek name by
+which the family is usually classified which means imperfect, but the
+name Spider Monkey has been given to them because of their long, slender
+limbs and their slow, queer manner of walking, which sometimes gives
+them the appearance of huge spiders.
+
+
+                          THE WEEPING MONKEYS.
+
+[Illustration: WEEPING MONKEYS.]
+
+The Weeping Monkeys are smaller, but not so slim as the Spider Monkeys.
+They live in the forests of Guinea and Brazil, and flock together in
+great troops. They will eat snails and small Birds when they can get
+them, but their principal food is the abundance of fruits found among
+the trees where they make their home.
+
+They generally keep on the topmost branches of the highest trees to keep
+out of the way of the Serpents, of which they are very much afraid. Even
+when tamed and brought to this country, the sight of the most harmless
+Snake will fill them with terror.
+
+These Monkeys are called weepers from their plaintive cry. Usually their
+voice is soft; when excited or angry it becomes loud and pitiful; when
+teased it keeps up a kind of plaintive wailing, which has given it its
+name of Weeping Monkey, although they have also been called Musk Monkeys
+at times, because of their musky odor.
+
+These Monkeys have short round heads with the skull projecting
+backwards, and many of them have their faces bordered with long hair;
+others have long hair on top of the head, and in one species, called the
+Horned Monkey, this hair forms two black tufts, having the appearance of
+horns.
+
+All the Weeping Monkeys are gentle and easily tamed, and perform many
+amusing tricks, such as firing off a gun, and sweeping with a small
+broom. They will break a nut between two stones when it is too strong to
+be cracked with their teeth, and show many signs of unusual
+intelligence.
+
+
+
+
+                   THE LEMURS, OR FOX-HEADED MONKEYS.
+
+
+[Illustration: LEMUR OR FOX-HEADED MONKEYS.]
+
+Some very curious animals are found in the Lemur family. The Sloth
+Monkeys, the Indris, the Aye-Ayes and the ugly big-eyed Tarsier, are all
+related to the Lemurs, and some look more like fairy-tale monsters than
+harmless, timid, little animals of the Monkey family.
+
+What are known as the “Lemurs proper,” or the Fox-Headed Monkeys, are
+the best known of this family. Their hair is thick, soft and woolly,
+their ears short and velvety, and their tails long and bushy. They have
+very large eyes, and queer hands with flattened nails.
+
+Nearly all the different members of the Lemur family live in Madagascar
+and the surrounding islands. They like to live in companies or troops
+among the trees, and their food is mainly the fruits of these trees; but
+they will also eagerly catch and devour insects. They are very sociable
+animals, and like to collect in numerous bands; and they sleep in the
+highest parts of the trees where no harm can come to them.
+
+
+
+
+                   Carnivora—Flesh-Eating Quadrupeds.
+
+
+[Illustration: SLOTH BEAR.]
+
+THE Carnivorous animals form the largest and most powerful family of
+Mammals that live on the land; and in this family are also included many
+water Mammals. Although this extensive family contains animals that are
+very different in size and form, yet they are all alike in their
+flesh-eating habits, in possessing strong sharp claws, and three kinds
+of teeth, the incisors, molars and canines; the latter being sharp and
+powerful fangs used for seizing and holding their struggling prey.
+
+Although the animals of this family are all flesh-eaters, and all prefer
+this diet, there are some members that live partially on vegetable food,
+especially when flesh diet is scarce, and this fact is sometimes used to
+help divide the large family into smaller groups. There is also a great
+difference in the manner of walking. Some of the animals place the
+entire sole of the foot upon the ground, from the heel to the toes, so
+that the soles of the feet are without hair; but the greater number have
+their heel so much raised that they walk only on their toes; and in
+these, the part corresponding to the sole is hairy (like that of the
+cat) and is sometimes mistaken for the leg of the animal.
+
+To the first of these divisions the term Plantigrade has been applied.
+The word means stepping on the sole, and comes from planta, the sole;
+and gradior, to step. To the latter division the name Digitigrade is
+given, which means stepping on the toes, and comes from digitus, a
+finger, or toe, and gradior, to step.
+
+There is still another important division to this great family, known as
+the Amphibious Carnivora, which includes the Seals, Sea-Lions, etc.,
+which are capable of living both on the land and in the water.
+
+This is the simplest and most easily remembered of all the divisions of
+the great order of Carnivorous animals. Some Naturalists object to it as
+not being clearly defined, and divide the Carnivora into six great
+families. First the Mustelidae, or Weasel family; second, the Hyena
+family; third, the Felidae, or Cat family; fourth, the Canidae, or Dog
+family; fifth, the Viverridae or Civet family; and sixth the Ursidae or
+Bear family.
+
+These six families are then sub-divided into many smaller families, and
+the Amphibia are grouped by themselves instead of being included among
+the Carnivora—although they are flesh eaters, and this seems to be their
+proper place.
+
+For easy grouping we will cling to the old method of classifying all the
+Carnivorous animals under the three main orders of Plantigrade,
+Digitigrade, and Amphibious Carnivora.
+
+
+
+
+                 PLANTIGRADE CARNIVORA—THE BEAR FAMILY.
+
+
+The Bears form the most important family of the “Plantigrade Carnivora.”
+The sole of the foot is very wide, and the whole surface touches the
+ground in walking. They are very strong and can easily crush a man to
+death in their arms. Different members of the family live in various
+parts of the globe. They eat almost any kind of food, and many of them
+prefer a vegetable diet; very few of them will kill a man or an animal
+simply for the sake of food, unless necessity compels them. But they
+will defend themselves vigorously when attacked, and in spite of their
+heaviness and their slow motions, they prove very quick and fierce at
+such times. They can easily overtake a man in running, and most of them
+climb trees easily.
+
+Bears can stand upright on their hind legs longer than almost any other
+animal, and they usually take this position when they fight.
+
+In eating, Bears sit down like Dogs, and taking up the food in their
+paws raise it to their mouths.
+
+When caught young, the Bear may be easily tamed, and its gentle nature
+enables it to learn many amusing tricks, but it will not often show off
+these tricks without first expressing its unwillingness by deep
+growling, and it often gets very angry during the training.
+
+The best known varieties of Bears are the Brown Bear of Europe, the
+Grizzly and the Black Bear of America, the Syrian Bear, the White or
+Polar Bear, the Sloth Bear and Malay Bear and the Bornean Bear.
+
+Although their native homes are in America, Europe and Asia (it is
+uncertain whether any exist in Africa) they are mainly found in the
+northern regions as they do not like the heat; and when they are found
+in temperate or warm climates, they generally live in the lofty mountain
+ridges.
+
+
+                       THE BROWN OR ALPINE BEAR.
+
+
+                          (See Frontispiece.)
+
+The Brown Bear leads a lonely life in the dark pine forests, and the
+deep gorges or on the highest mountain ridges. It makes its den in
+caverns, on clefts of the rocks, or in the hollow of some giant old
+tree. It generally sleeps during the day and seeks its food at night. It
+feeds on the nuts of the beech, and many kinds of wild fruits and
+berries, preferring those that are slightly sour, and also seeds,
+vegetables and roots. It is very fond of honey, strawberries and grapes
+and will travel many miles to procure these delicacies, and it is
+especially fond of a swarm of ants, which it likes on account of their
+acid taste.
+
+In the lofty region in which it lives, when all these kinds of food
+fail, it makes its way down to some of the lower valleys, and ravages
+the fields of wheat, oats, etc., and any flesh food that it may find,
+especially a carcass of some dead animal. When very hungry it will often
+go many miles from home to seek its vegetable or to kill its animal food
+if necessary, but at dawn it never fails to return to its own home.
+
+This Bear is very cautious, and if it gets into trouble it is not
+because of want of care. It has very keen sight and smell and hearing,
+and whenever it goes into a new neighborhood to search for food, it will
+first climb to the top of some small tree, and explore the surrounding
+space, both by sight and smell. It very seldom enters a trap, and if it
+finds a carcass, it will examine it very carefully before attempting to
+drag it away and eat it.
+
+When it becomes necessary to kill animals for food, it prefers a sheep
+or a goat. It will seldom attack cows, although it has been known to lay
+in wait for these near their drinking places, and when it has sprung on
+the back of one, it seizes it by the nape of the neck, biting and
+tearing it until it bleeds to death. Then, after devouring part of it,
+the Bear carries off the remainder.
+
+The Brown Bear is an easy tempered animal, and is cruel only from
+necessity. It is happy and comic in its ways. But when it is attacked or
+wounded or suddenly disturbed in its sleep, or when its cubs are in
+peril, this bear becomes a dangerous foe.
+
+
+                  THE COLLARED AND THE AMERICAN BEAR.
+
+The Collared Bear and the American Black Bear are somewhat peculiar in
+their nature and habits.
+
+The Ringed, Collared, or Siberian Bear owes its name to a large white
+ring which surrounds its shoulders and fades away on the chest. The
+Siberian Bear is much more formidable than the European variety. In the
+gloomy and cold countries which it inhabits, the vegetation is not
+sufficient to satisfy its appetite; it must therefore, fall back upon
+some kind of animal food. It will also feed on fish, which it catches
+cleverly, and on carcasses thrown on the seashore. It hunts the
+Reindeer, and will often attack man. The inhabitants of Kamtschatka wage
+a war of extermination against this animal.
+
+The American Black Bear, on the contrary, is naturally one of the least
+offensive animals. It has little taste for flesh. Even when hungry, if a
+choice is offered between animal food and fruit, it does not hesitate in
+selecting the vegetable substance. It swims well, and is fond of fish,
+which it catches skillfully. It seldom attacks man, unless it is hunted;
+as a rule, it prefers seeking safety in flight. It principally makes its
+abode in the hollows of firs and pines, selecting the holes which are
+the highest. Under these circumstances, the Americans capture it by
+setting fire to the foot of the tree. This animal is hunted with great
+activity, not only to put an end to its depredations in the corn-fields,
+but also for the sake of its flesh, fat, and fur; the latter is used for
+many purposes. The hams of the American Bear, when salted and smoked,
+have a high reputation both in the United States and Europe.
+
+
+                   THE GRIZZLY, OR “FEROCIOUS BEAR.”
+
+[Illustration: Grizzly Bear and Buffaloes.]
+
+The Grizzly Bear is a native of North America, and has been found near
+61 degrees north latitude, and as far as Mexico to the south. It is
+exceedingly formidable on account of its great strength and ferocity. It
+overpowers even the American Bison, and has been seen to drag along a
+carcass a thousand pounds in weight.
+
+These bears vary considerably in color; the young are darker than the
+older specimens. The feet are armed with long curved claws, those on the
+fore-feet being larger than the hind ones. The Grizzly Bear can dig with
+ease, and is able when young to ascend trees.
+
+It usually inhabits swampy, well-covered spots among trees and bushes,
+and here it makes its lair. It prowls forth both by night and day, and
+is more carnivorous than the Black Bear, but in the latter part of
+summer seeks eagerly for the fruits which then abound; it prefers,
+however, the flesh of animals, and will partially bury a carcass for
+future supply, after having feasted upon its best parts.
+
+Townsend, in the “Narrative of a Journey across the Rocky Mountains,”
+gives the following account of an adventure with a Grizzly Bear on a
+small stream running down a valley covered with quagmires:
+
+“As we approached our encampment near a small grove of willows on the
+margin of the river, a tremendous Grizzly Bear rushed out upon us. Our
+horses ran wildly in every direction, snorting with terror, and became
+nearly unmanageable. Several balls were instantly fired into him, but
+they only seemed to increase his fury. After spending a moment in
+rending each wound (their invariable practice), he selected the person
+who happened to be nearest, and darted after him, but before he
+proceeded far he was sure to be stopped again by a ball from another
+quarter.
+
+“In this way he was driven about among us for fifteen minutes, at times
+so near some of the horses that he received several severe kicks from
+them. One of the pack-horses was fastened upon by the brute, and in the
+terrified animal’s efforts to escape the dreaded gripe, the pack and
+saddle were broken to pieces and disengaged. One of our mules also gave
+him a kick in the head, which sent him rolling to the bottom. Here he
+was finally brought to a stand. The poor animal was now so surrounded by
+enemies, that he was completely bewildered. He raised himself upon his
+hind-feet, standing almost erect, his mouth partly open; and from his
+protruding tongue the blood fell in fast drops. While in this position
+he received about six more balls, each of which made him reel. At last,
+in complete desperation, he rushed into the water and swam several yards
+with astonishing strength and agility, the guns cracking at him
+constantly. But he was not to proceed far. Just then, Richardson, who
+had been absent, rode up, and fixed his deadly aim upon him, fired a
+ball into the back of his head, which killed him instantly.
+
+“The strength of four men was required to drag the ferocious brute from
+the water; upon examining his body, he was found completely riddled;
+there did not appear to be four inches of his shaggy person, from the
+hips upward, that had not received a ball. There must have been at least
+thirty shots made at him, and probably few missed him; yet such was his
+tenacity of life that I have no doubt he would have succeeded in
+crossing the river, but for the last shot in the brain. He would
+probably weigh at the least six hundred pounds, and was about the height
+of an ordinary steer. The spread of the foot laterally was ten inches,
+and the claws measured seven inches in length. This animal was
+remarkably lean. When in good condition he would doubtless much exceed
+in weight the estimate given.”
+
+When driven by hunger, the Grizzly Bear is especially fierce and daring
+in seeking his prey, and (as our illustration shows on page 35) will
+even approach a herd of Buffalo and attack a straying calf. He has
+fallen upon this young Buffalo which has foolishly wandered apart from
+the herd, and thrown him down. Directly will the Grizzly tear his prey
+upon whose body his powerful fore paws are placed, when he is
+interrupted in an unwelcome manner. The anguished bellowing and bleating
+of the fallen animal have been heard by the distant feeding herd, and
+the old Buffalos come immediately, their great, clumsy, heavy bodies
+storming along with startling swiftness to punish the Bear for his
+bloody deed. He sees that he must for the time being postpone his feast
+and prepare to protect himself against the approaching attacking party
+of whom especially the foremost steer, with colossal head sunk low, jaws
+foaming and tail thrown up, presents a vivid picture of ungovernable
+strength and fury. The outcome of the battle can not be doubtful to us.
+Although the Grizzly could easily capture a single Buffalo, his great
+strength can avail nothing against the whole herd of these great
+animals. The Bear, who is a swift runner, must either seek safety in
+flight, or find his end under the horns of his opponents.
+
+
+                       THE WHITE, OR POLAR BEAR.
+
+[Illustration: POLAR BEARS.]
+
+The Polar Bear is a very distinct species, easily recognized by its
+long, flat head, as well as by the white color and smoothness of its
+fur. It is an inhabitant of the frozen shores of the northern
+hemispheres, and semi-aquatic in its habits, swimming and diving with
+the utmost ease and facility, for the purpose of capturing Seals, young
+Whales and Fish, upon which it principally feeds; nevertheless, even
+this animal is not altogether carnivorous, but feeds greedily on
+vegetable substances whenever they can be procured.
+
+The Seal, however, is his favorite food; and Captain Lyon, in the
+following passage, describes the mode in which he captures this animal:
+“The Bear, on seeing his intended prey, gets quietly into the water and
+swims to the leeward of him, from whence, by frequent short dives, he
+silently makes his approaches, and so arranges the distance that, at the
+last dive, he comes to the spot where the Seal is lying. If the poor
+animal attempts to escape by rolling into the water, he falls into the
+Bear’s clutches; if, on the contrary, he lies still, his destroyer makes
+a powerful spring, kills him on the ice, and devours him at his
+leisure.”
+
+The Polar Bear is seldom seen far inland, but frequents the fields of
+ice, and swims to icebergs—often at a great distance from the shore.
+Captain Sabine saw one half-way between the north and south shores of
+Barrow’s Straits, although there was no ice within sight.
+
+The Polar Bear is found further north than any other quadruped, having
+been seen by Captain Parry beyond 82 degrees north latitude.
+
+In illustration of the affection of the mother Bear for her young,
+Captain Scoresby relates the following anecdote: “A mother Bear with her
+two cubs were pursued on the ice by some of the men, and were so closely
+approached as to alarm the mother for the safety of her offspring.
+
+“Finding that they could not advance with the desired speed, she used
+various artifices to urge them forward, but without success. Determined
+to save them if possible, she ran to one of her cubs, placed her nose
+under it, and threw it forward as far as possible; then going to the
+other, she performed the same action, and repeated it frequently until
+she had thus conveyed them to a considerable distance. The young Bears
+seemed perfectly conscious of their mother’s intention; for, as soon as
+they recovered their feet after being thrown forward, they immediately
+ran on in the proper direction, and when the mother came up to renew the
+effort, the little rogues uniformly placed themselves across her path,
+that they might feel the full advantage of the force exerted for their
+safety.”
+
+Doubtless, much of the ferocity of the Polar Bear is to be attributed to
+the barrenness of the regions which it inhabits, the absence of
+vegetation obliging it to attack animals to supply its craving appetite.
+Its domain includes all those solitudes which surround the arctic
+pole—Greenland, Spitzbergen, Nova Zembla, &c. Over these vast ice-fields
+it reigns supreme.
+
+In the summer time, when the White Bears betake themselves to the
+forests farther inland, they attack the Mammals which are natives of
+these regions, especially Reindeer.
+
+Most mariners who have been detained by the ice in the polar seas have
+had frequent encounters with White Bears. Instances have been known in
+which they pursued them into their vessels, even endeavoring to make
+their way into cabins at night through the port-holes.
+
+The White Bear is terrible in its attack. Accustomed, as it is, to meet
+with little or no resistance, and not even suspecting danger, it rushes
+upon Man with a blind fury and determination too often fatal in their
+results.
+
+It is not an uncommon thing for White Bears to drift out to sea on
+floating icebergs, when they become reduced to the most frightful
+distress from hunger. Fatally confined to their icy raft, and utterly
+devoid of all means of subsistence, they ultimately attack and devour
+one another.
+
+The White or Polar Bear often attains a length of nine feet. Its huge
+limbs and powerful claws are developed in fitting proportion to the
+massive body; and the soles of its feet are clad with hair, enabling it
+to tread with safety on the slippery ice floes, where it finds a home.
+Purely carnivorous in its diet, the Polar Bear subsists chiefly on the
+Seals it contrives to trap by watching their breathing holes patiently
+for hours, or it may be for days together. The fur is of a dirty-white
+hue, inclining towards a yellowish-brown tint in the young. When the
+Seals are scarce, these Bears will welcome the carcase of a Whale which
+has floated beyond the recall of the whaler.
+
+The instinct which prompts the Esquimau to feed upon a fatty diet rich
+in carbon, by way of providing in his body a heat-producing basis, also
+leads the Bear to choose his food in the fat and blubber of the Seals
+and Walruses of his seas. Dr. Robert Brown, in his remarks in the
+“Mammals of Greenland,” tells us that he has seen upwards of twenty
+Polar Bears feeding on the huge inflated carcase of a Whale in Pond’s
+Bay, on the western shores of Davis’s Strait.
+
+The Polar Bear is hunted by the Esquimau chiefly by means of Dogs. Its
+flesh, however, is not very desirable. In fact, some parts of the body
+of the Polar Bear, such as the liver, are said to possess poisonous
+qualities. Scoresby relates cases of illness, and even death, which have
+followed upon eating the liver of this animal.
+
+The “nennok,” as the Esquimau terms the Polar Bear, is unusually
+regarded as a fierce and predatory animal. When irritated, or at bay,
+and when pressed by hunger, this Bear, like every other animal, will
+become dangerous. It does not grip or “hug” its enemy, but bites him.
+
+
+                      THE LABIATED, OR SLOTH BEAR.
+
+This strange specimen of the Bear family differs from all the others by
+its extended lips, and a tongue of remarkable length. It is a native of
+India and feeds mainly on vegetables.
+
+The Sloth Bear is often classed with the Borean and Malay Bears, which
+are natives of Malacca and the Borean Isles, and which climb trees
+readily and feed chiefly on fruits. These are all alike in their desire
+for vegetable diet and will not eat flesh except when forced to it, and
+they are all easily tamed and soon learn numerous tricks.
+
+These Bears are sometimes made prisoners in rather a ludicrous manner.
+The natives fill a little barrel with honey and brandy, and lay it in
+some place to which the Bear often resorts. The attraction of the sweet
+liquor is so great, that Mr. Bruin not only indulges himself, but often
+brings Mrs. B. and all the little B.’s to partake of the delicacy; the
+whole party eat and drink till the spirit does its work; they then caper
+and dance about for a time, as if demented, and at length fall asleep,
+and become an easy prey to their captors.
+
+
+
+
+                DIGITIGRADE CARNIVORA—THE HYENA FAMILY.
+
+
+The Hyenas are often grouped with the Cat family, as they have many
+points of resemblance (particularly the rough tongue) and prowl and
+seize their prey in much the same manner. But the Hyenas differ from all
+the members of the Cat family in having the fore legs longer than the
+hind ones, giving them a shambling gait and a strange, sneaking
+appearance. They have large heads, and their jaws are very powerful, and
+able to lift easily a prey of great weight. Their coat is very thick,
+and forms a kind of flowing mane along the ridge of the spine. Their
+claws are short and stout, and are more useful for digging than tearing
+their prey. Dreadful tales have been told of the Hyenas, and their
+unclean habits; how they rob the grave yards and devour the dead bodies,
+and how they prefer decaying animals, to killing their prey and eating
+it while fresh. But they accomplish a good work in one direction, even
+if it does fill us with disgust. They perform the same service among
+quadrupeds that the Vulture does among birds.
+
+In the cities and villages of Africa, in which the care of the public
+roads is often left to chance for their cleaning, the Hyenas are in the
+habit of removing all the decaying substances, which would otherwise
+soon cause diseases by decaying in the hot burning African sun. The
+Hyena even eats all the bones of the carcasses on which they feed.
+
+The Hyenas are not so fierce as is usually supposed. If they can find
+sufficient decaying matter to satisfy their hunger, they will seldom
+attack living prey, and they will never attack mankind except in cases
+of great necessity, but they have been known to break down the walls
+which the inhabitants of African villages erect around their homes and
+kill and drag off the cattle.
+
+
+                           THE STRIPED HYENA.
+
+[Illustration: STRIPED HYENA.]
+
+The Striped Hyena is of a grey color, marked with upright stripes of
+brown or black. It has a thick mane which extends along the whole length
+of the neck, and down the center of the back. This mane stands erect
+when the animal is very angry. This Hyena is about the size of a large
+Dog.
+
+
+                           THE SPOTTED HYENA.
+
+The Spotted Hyena, and an animal very much like it which is some times
+called the Aard Wolf, and the “Hunting Hyena,” all belong to this
+family, but there is very little difference in their forms or their
+manner of living. The Spotted Hyena, which is called by the colonists of
+the Cape of Good Hope the Tiger Wolf, is most commonly met with in
+Southern Africa, where its appetite for living prey, as well as for
+carrion, causes it to be justly regarded as a very dangerous neighbor;
+indeed, as we learn from the reports of travelers, it seems to be
+especially fond of attacking children, and many harrowing tales might be
+told of the fiend-like deeds of which it is guilty.
+
+“To show clearly the preference of the Spotted Hyena for human flesh,”
+says Steedman, “it will be necessary to observe that the Mambookies
+build their houses in the form of bee-hives, and tolerably large, often
+eighteen or twenty feet in diameter; at the higher or back part of the
+house, the floor is raised until within three or four feet of the front,
+where it suddenly terminates, leaving an area from thence to the wall,
+in which every night the calves are tied, to protect them from storms or
+wild beasts. Now, it would be natural to suppose that should the Hyena
+enter, he would seize the first object for his prey, especially as the
+natives always lie with the fire at their feet; but notwithstanding
+this, the practice of this animal has been in every instance to pass by
+the calves in the area, and even the fire, and take the children from
+under the mother’s caress; and this in such a gentle and cautious manner
+that the parent has been unconscious of her loss until the cries of the
+poor little innocent have reached her from without, when hopelessly a
+prisoner in the jaws of the monster.”
+
+
+                          THE HUNTING HYENAS.
+
+The Hunting Hyena was first described by Mr. Burchell. It is smaller and
+of a more slender shape than either the Striped or the Spotted Hyena;
+the ground color of its body is sandy, shaded with darker hair, varied
+with irregular blotches of black, and spots of white. In its teeth it
+resembles the Dog; but, on the other hand, it approaches the Hyenas in
+having only four toes on each foot.
+
+Mr. Burchell was fortunate in bringing home a living specimen, which he
+kept chained up for more than a year. At first it was so ferocious that
+no one attempted to tame it; but at length its manners became softened,
+and it used to play with a Dog chained up in the same yard; yet still
+the man who fed it never dared to venture his hand within its reach. Mr.
+Burchell informs us that in a wild state this animal hunts in packs;
+though in general it hunts at night, it frequently pursues its prey by
+day, and as it is very fleet, none but the swiftest animals can escape
+it. Sheep and oxen are particularly objects of its attacks, the first
+openly, the latter only by surprising them in their sleep and suddenly
+biting off their tails, a mode of attack for which the wide gape and
+great strength of its jaws are peculiarly adapted. This species is found
+throughout Africa.
+
+
+                            THE CAT FAMILY.
+
+
+All the different animals of this great family are alike in having
+short, powerful jaws armed with sharp teeth, and a rough bristling
+tongue, which feels like a rasp when it is drawn across the bare
+skin—wounding by mere licking; in their manner of walking on their toes,
+and in several other characteristics. The fiercest beasts of all the
+carnivorous animals are found in the Felidae family, which includes
+three groups—the Cat tribe, the Lynx and the Hunting Leopard. The Cat
+tribe includes, in the Old World, the Lion, Tiger, Panther, Leopard,
+Ounce, Serval, and Wild and Domestic Cats. In the New World are found
+the Domestic Cats, the Jaguar, Puma and Ocelot.
+
+All these animals in the wild state prefer to feed on living victims,
+devouring their prey as they kill it. Although the various animals
+belonging to this great family differ much in size, they are all alike
+in their mode of attacking and killing their victims. They usually take
+them by surprise, for they do not have so much courage as people
+sometimes think. Crouched in some hidden retreat, they silently and
+patiently await their prey; and as soon as within reach, they spring
+upon it from behind, without allowing time for escape or defence.
+
+
+                        WILD AND DOMESTIC CATS.
+
+[Illustration: WILD CATS.]
+
+It is usual to place the Lion at the head of this great Felidae family,
+which takes its name from the Latin felis, a cat; but it seems more
+appropriate to first describe the Wild and Domestic Cats, as these
+particular feline members have given the great family its name.
+
+The Wild Cat is a reddish brown animal, marked with more or less
+distinct black stripes and spots.
+
+Its length is about two feet. It does not differ in its habits from the
+larger members of this family. It climbs trees with agility, and feeds
+on Birds, Squirrels, Hares, Rabbits, &c. At one time it was very common
+in France and Scotland. It is found in nearly the whole of Europe, and a
+large portion of Asia.
+
+There ought to be ranged beside the Wild Cat a multitude of species,
+which are only separated from it by differences in the color of the fur
+and length of hair, and which are its representatives in the countries
+it does not inhabit. Such are the Pampas Cat, the Bengal Cat, the
+Neptaul, the Egyptian Cat, the Serval Cat, the Caffir Cat, indigenous to
+the Cape, &c.
+
+Certain authors are inclined to believe that the numerous varieties of
+the Domestic Cat have descended from the Wild Cat, and the Egyptian Cat.
+However this may be, there exist several kinds of well-characterised
+Domestic Cats. Such are the Spanish Cat, the Chartreuse Cat, the Red Cat
+of Tobolsk, the Angora Cat, the most highly prized of home pets, the
+Chinese Cat with pendant ears, and the tailless Malay Cat. The tails of
+Wild Cats terminate in an abrupt thick point, while the tails of
+Domestic Cats taper to a finer point.
+
+The Domestic Cat is one of those few animals which has remained in a
+state of independence in its domesticity; it lives with Man, but still
+is not reduced to servitude. If it renders service, it is simply for its
+own interest to do so. That disinterestedness which distinguishes the
+Dog we do not find in the Cat. Whatever Buffon and others may have said,
+it is capable of affection; this attachment is only manifested by
+infrequent caresses, not by devotion. Has a Cat ever been known to
+defend its master? It has been said that it is more attached to
+localities than persons; yet we know of numerous exceptions to this.
+
+[Illustration: ANGORA CAT.]
+
+No animal is more savage than the Cat when threatened by punishment or
+danger. For when it sees no chance of escape, it defends itself with
+energy that cannot be surpassed. So long as its enemy keeps at a
+respectful distance, it confines itself to a passive resistance,
+watching, however, for the slightest indication of hostility, and
+holding itself ready for every emergency. Should its adversary advance
+to seize it, with wonderful activity it strikes with its claws, at the
+same time expressing anger with its voice. It nearly always comes off
+victorious, unless over-matched, for its agility renders escape almost
+certain.
+
+The Cat is less an enemy of the Dog than is generally believed. When
+unacquainted with one another, they have little sympathy in common; but
+when associated for a length of time they become good friends. Then they
+lick each other, sleep with each other, and understand making mutual
+concessions, which enable them to live in peace; in short, the most
+perfect harmony frequently reigns between them.
+
+                      THE LION—THE KING OF BEASTS.
+
+The Lion has been called the “King of Beasts” from most ancient times,
+and this is a very appropriate title, if we consider the impression we
+usually have of this animal when viewed for the first time. He carries
+his head high and walks with a slowness which may well pass for majesty.
+He always appears calm and dignified and conscious of his strength. The
+bushy and magnificent mane which overshadows his head and neck gives an
+added grandeur to his appearance.
+
+Some adult Lions have attained a length of nearly ten feet, from the tip
+of the nose to the root of the tail; but usually they do not exceed six
+or seven feet. With the exception of the mane and a tuft of hair at the
+tip of the tail, the coat of the Lion is entirely smooth, and of a tawny
+color. The mane, which gives this great “King of the Beasts” such a
+lordly appearance, is missing in his mate, who has a smooth neck and a
+smaller head, and is generally in proportion about one-fourth as large.
+The mother Lion is at her fiercest when her little ones are threatened
+with danger; at other times she shows very little of the Lion nature
+except when pressed by hunger.
+
+The Lion has also been called the “Lord of the Forest,” but this is not
+an appropriate title, as he does not prefer the forest for a home. He
+lives in desert arid plains, lightly covered with shrubby vegetation or
+tracts of low brushwood. In India he prowls along the borders of rivers,
+and makes his lair in the jungles.
+
+The Lion slumbers during the day in his retreat, and as night comes on
+he prowls abroad in search of prey. This is not because his eyes are
+unfitted to see in the daytime—like those of the majority of “night
+prowlers”—but he seems to think it prudent to keep at home until
+evening. When the first shadows of twilight appear, he enters upon his
+campaign. If there is a pool in the vicinity of his haunt, he places
+himself in ambush on the edge of it, with the hope of securing a victim
+among the Antelopes, Gazelles, Giraffes, Zebras, Buffaloes, &c., which
+are led thither to slake their thirst. These animals, well aware of this
+habit of their enemy, will not approach a pond without extreme caution.
+If one, however, places itself within reach of their terrible foe, its
+fate is generally sealed. One enormous bound enables the Lion to spring
+on its back, and one blow with his paw breaks its back. If the Lion
+misses his aim, he does not endeavor to continue a useless pursuit, well
+knowing that he cannot compete in speed with the children of the plains.
+He therefore skulks back into his hiding-place, to lie in ambush until
+some more fortunate chance presents itself, or complete night-fall shuts
+out all hope of success.
+
+The Lion, however, is not disposed to remain long with an empty stomach.
+Then it is that he approaches Man’s habitations, with the hope of
+surprising the domestic animals. Fences ten feet in height form no
+obstacle to him, for he will bound over such with ease, when, falling
+into the midst of the herd, he seizes the nearest.
+
+The amount of strength which he manifests under circumstances similar to
+these is really extraordinary. A Lion has been known, at the Cape of
+Good Hope, to carry off a small Cow as a Cat would a Mouse, and, with
+the burden, leap a wide ditch. It is almost impossible to conceive the
+muscular force necessary to jump a fence several feet high when carrying
+a load of several hundred-weight.
+
+The audacity of the Lion increases in proportion to his requirement.
+When he has exhausted all means of procuring subsistence, and when he
+can no longer put off the cravings of hunger, he sets no limit to his
+aggressions, and will brave every danger rather than perish by famine.
+In open day he will then proceed to where the herds of Oxen and Sheep
+pasture, entirely disregarding Shepherds and Dogs. At such times he has
+been known to carry his rashness so far as to attack a drove of
+Buffaloes—an action which is all the bolder as a single one, unless it
+is taken by surprise, is well able to defend itself.
+
+The Lion seems to delight in the tempests of wind and rain, so common in
+Southern Africa; his voice mingles with the thunder, and adds to the
+terror of the timid animals, on whom he then boldly advances. He
+usually, however, waits in ambush, or creeps insidiously towards his
+victim, which with a bound and a rush he dashes to the earth.
+
+“In South Africa,” says Capt. Burton, “the Lion is seldom seen, unless
+surprised asleep in his lair of thicket; during my journey I saw but
+one, although at times his roaring was heard at night. Except in
+darkness or during violent storms, which excite the fiercer Carnivora,
+he is a timid animal, much less feared by the people than the angry and
+agile Leopard. When encountered in the daytime, he stands a second or
+two gazing; then turns slowly round and walks as slowly away for a dozen
+paces, looking over his shoulder; he then begins to trot, and when he
+thinks himself out of sight bounds like a Greyhound.”
+
+If attacked, however, he will show fight as the following experience,
+not likely to be often repeated, will testify: “Being about thirty yards
+off the foe,” says Dr. Livingstone, “I took a good aim at his body,
+through the bush, and fired both barrels into it. The men then called
+out: ‘He is shot! he is shot!’ Others cried: ‘He has been shot by
+another man, too; let us go to him!’ I did not see any one else shoot at
+him; but I saw the Lion’s tail erected in anger behind the bush and,
+turning to the people, said: ‘Stop a little till I load again.’ When in
+the act of ramming down the bullets, I heard a shout. Starting and
+looking half round, I saw the Lion just in the act of springing upon me.
+I was upon a little height. He caught my shoulder as he sprang, and we
+both came to the ground below together. Growling horribly close to my
+ear, he shook me as a Terrier Dog does a Rat. The shock produced a
+stupor similar to that which seems to be felt by a Mouse after the first
+shake of the Cat. It caused a sort of dreaminess, in which there was no
+sense of pain or feeling of terror. It was like what patients partially
+under the influence of chloroform describe, who see all the operation,
+but feel not the knife. This singular condition was not the result of
+any mental process. The shake annihilated fear, and allowed no sense of
+horror in looking round at the beast. This peculiar state is probably
+produced in all animals killed by the Carnivora, and, if so, is a
+merciful provision by our Creator for lessening the pain of death.
+Turning round to relieve myself of the weight, as he had one paw on the
+back of my head, I saw his eyes directed to Mebalwe, who was trying to
+shoot him at the distance of fifteen yards. His gun, a flint one, missed
+fire in both barrels. The Lion immediately left me, and attacking
+Mebalwe, bit his thigh. Another man, whose life I had saved before,
+after he had been tossed by a Buffalo, attempted to spear the Lion while
+he was biting Mebalwe. He left Mebalwe and caught this man by the
+shoulder; but at that moment the bullets he had received had taken
+effect, and he fell down dead. The whole was the work of a few moments,
+and must have been his paroxysm of dying rage. In order to take out the
+charm from him, the Bakatla, on the following day, made a huge bonfire
+over the carcass, which they declared to be that of the largest Lion
+they had ever seen. Besides crunching the bone into splinters, he left
+eleven teeth-wounds in the upper part of my arm.”
+
+Dr. Livingstone says: “The same feeling which has induced the modern
+painter to caricature the Lion, has led the sentimentalist to consider
+the Lion’s roar the most terrific of all earthly sounds. We hear of the
+majestic roar of the king of beasts. It is, indeed, well calculated to
+inspire fear, if you hear it in combination with the tremendously loud
+thunder of that country, on a night so pitchy dark that every flash of
+the intensely vivid lightning leaves you with the impression of
+stone-blindness, while the rain pours down so fast that your fire goes
+out, leaving you without the protection of even a tree, or the chance of
+your gun going off. But when you are in a comfortable house or wagon,
+the case is very different, and you hear the roar of the Lion without
+any awe or alarm.
+
+“The silly Ostrich makes a noise as loud, yet it never was feared by
+man. To talk of the majestic roar of the Lion is mere majestic twaddle.
+On my mentioning this fact some years ago, the assertion was doubted; so
+I have been careful ever since to inquire the opinions of Europeans who
+had heard both, if they could detect any difference between the roar of
+a Lion and that of an Ostrich. The invariable answer was that they could
+not, when the animal was at a distance. The natives assert that they can
+detect a variation between the commencement of the noise of each. There
+is, it must be admitted, a considerable difference between the singing
+noise of a Lion when full, and his deep gruff voice when hungry. In
+general, the Lion’s voice seems to come deeper from the chest than that
+of the Ostrich; but to this day I can distinguish between them with
+certainty only by knowing that the Ostrich roars by day and the Lion by
+night.”
+
+“Attempts to deprive the Lion of his prey are of frequent occurrence in
+the interior of Africa. Indeed, it is no unusual thing to find a number
+of natives residing near such pools of water as are frequented by
+Antelopes, other wild animals, and their constant attendant, the Lion,
+subsisting almost altogether in this way, or on carcasses which the Lion
+has not had time to devour before the return of day, when it is his
+habit to return to his lair.”
+
+Mr. Anderson mentions, as a remarkable circumstance connected with a
+Rhinoceros hunt, that “While following the trail of the animal, we came
+to a spot where one or two Lions, probably taking advantage of his
+crippled condition, had evidently attacked him, and, after a desperate
+scuffle, had been compelled to retreat. This is the only instance I know
+of Lions daring to attack a Rhinoceros, though I have seen it stated in
+print that they will not only assail, but can master the horned
+monster.”
+
+In former times Lions were numerous even in Europe. According to
+Herodotus, Aristotle, and Pausanias, they were abundant in Macedonia,
+Thrace, and Thessaly; but for centuries in these countries they have
+been unknown. Arabia, Syria, and Babylonia used also to contain large
+numbers. In Arabia and on the confines of Persia and India at the
+present date they are scarce.
+
+We may form some idea of their number in ancient times by the quantity
+absorbed annually in the combats which were so much in favor with the
+Romans. In a very brief interval, Sylla had slaughtered a hundred Lions,
+Pompey six hundred, and Caesar four hundred.
+
+In this age the Lion is rarely met with except in Africa, where every
+day its numbers are diminishing, and from whence it will soon completely
+disappear if the present rate of slaughter is continued. Our
+grand-children probably will know the Lion only from our descriptions.
+
+Several varieties of the Lion are distinguished. The most ferocious is
+the Brown Lion of the Cape. In the same neighborhood lives another, much
+less dangerous, the Yellow Cape Lion. After these we may enumerate the
+Lion of Senegal, the Barbary Lion, and the Lion of Persia and Arabia.
+
+
+                               THE TIGER.
+
+The Tiger is as high on the limbs as the Lion; but it is more slender,
+active, and stealthy, closely resembling, in figure and movements, the
+domestic Cat, which serves as the type of the entire genus. Its coat is
+very handsome, being of a yellowish fawn color above and a pure white
+beneath; everywhere irregularly striped by brown transverse bands. Its
+tail, which is very long, is ringed with black, and contributes not a
+little to its beauty. It has also white around the eyes, on the jaws,
+and on the back of each ear.
+
+The Tiger is peculiar to Asia. It inhabits Java, Sumatra, a great part
+of Hindostan, China, and even Southern Siberia as far north as the banks
+of the river Obi.
+
+The Tiger makes its lair in jungles or densely wooded districts
+bordering on water-courses. Like the Lion, it has a den, to which it
+retires for rest; from whence it steals forth, secretes itself in a wood
+on the borders of a frequented path, and there, concealed from every
+eye, awaits its victim. The moment it sees the object of its desire, its
+eyes flash, and its whole bearing manifests a savage joy; it allows the
+unsuspecting prey to draw near, and when it is sufficiently close,
+springs upon it with tremendous velocity. If it scents prey from a
+distance, it glides through the high grass with the undulating movements
+of the serpent, almost impossible to be detected by the human eye.
+
+The Tiger has for a long time borne a reputation for cruelty, as little
+deserved as that for generosity which has been given the Lion. The old
+Naturalists pretended that the Tiger gloried in shedding blood, and that
+it never saw a living creature without desiring to destroy it. Nothing
+can be more untrue. The Tiger does not kill for the pleasure of killing;
+it kills only to appease its hunger. In doing this, it only conforms to
+the necessities of its nature; but when it has fed, it does not exhibit
+any blood-thirsty propensity, but simply defends itself when threatened
+or attacked.
+
+Tigers will occasionally take to water. In the Sunderbunds especially
+they are often seen swimming across the various rivers, which form
+innumerable islands, inhabited only by wild beasts. Invariably, the
+fore-paw is the Tiger’s instrument of destruction. Most people imagine
+that if a Tiger were deprived of his claws and teeth he would be
+rendered harmless; but this is an error; the weight of the limb is the
+real cause of the mischief, for the claws are rarely extended. When the
+Tiger strikes his victim, the operation is similar to that of a hammer,
+the Tiger raising his paw and bringing it down with such force as not
+only to stun a common-sized Bullock, but often to crush the bones of the
+skull!
+
+Williamson gives an amusing account of the mode by which Tigers are
+captured in Oude: “The track of the Tiger being ascertained, which,
+though not invariably the same, may yet be sufficiently known for the
+purpose, the peasants collect a quantity of the leaves of the prouss,
+which are like those of the sycamore, and are common in most underwoods,
+as they form the larger portion of most of the jungles of India. These
+leaves are smeared with a species of bird-lime, made by bruising the
+berries of an indigenous tree; they are then strewed, with the gluten
+uppermost, near to that shady spot to which it is understood the Tiger
+usually resorts during the noontide heats.
+
+“If by chance the animal should tread on one of the smeared leaves, his
+fate may be considered as decided. He commences by shaking his paw, with
+the view to removing the adhesive incumbrance, but finding no relief
+from that expedient, he rubs the nuisance against his face with the same
+intention, by which means his eyes, ears, &c., become sticky, and cause
+such uneasiness as occasions him to roll perhaps among many more of the
+smeared leaves, till at length he becomes completely enveloped, and is
+deprived of sight. In this situation he may be compared to a man who has
+been tarred and feathered. The anxiety produced by this strange and
+novel predicament soon shows itself in dreadful howlings, which serve to
+call the watchful peasants, who in this state find no difficulty in
+shooting the mottled object of their detestation.”
+
+
+                              THE LEOPARD.
+
+The Leopard is smaller and more active than the Tiger and larger than
+the Panther. It is arboreal in its habits and finds in the spots or
+rosettes which decorate its tawny skin a provision highly favorable to
+concealment among the foliage, wherein it lurks, until some passing
+animal approaches sufficiently near to enable it to spring upon its
+unsuspecting prey.
+
+The activity of the Leopard is almost beyond belief. Mr. Andersson,
+speaking of his Dogs, says: “They were, I conjectured, from their
+steady, unbroken, deep bay, close upon the haunches of their enemy, yet
+I could not see distinctly either the Dogs or the object of the pursuit,
+when all at once a magnificent Leopard sprang right before me, from the
+topmost branches of a tall acacia, clearing with a single bound all his
+fierce assailants. I was so astounded at the magnitude of the
+leap—without having witnessed it one can hardly form a notion of the
+distance oversprung—that, looking first at the tree, and then at the
+spot on which the beautiful beast had alighted, I could not withdraw my
+eyes from the scene of its exploit.”
+
+From the propensity of the Leopard to ascend trees, especially when
+pursued, it has in India obtained the name of the lackree-bang or
+Tree-tiger. “Leopards,” says Mr. Williamson, “will not ascend trees
+which have not some underwood growing near them; their usual haunts are
+found in those close woods of which the intervals are grown up with
+thorns, etc., and especially where there are old trees with low boughs,
+favoring their access to the more shady parts of the foliage.
+
+“The royal Tiger will not touch anything but of its own killing, but
+Leopards are not quite so fastidious, and may be allured by the scent of
+meat. I have heard this doubted; but the following fact, which occurred
+while the corps to which I was then attached was at Hazary-bhang, in the
+Ram-ghur country, puts the matter out of doubt. The sergeant-major of
+our battalion had killed an Ox for his winter provision, and had hooked
+up the joints within his hut, which was on the right flank of the line,
+close to the grenadier bell of arms. The sentry stationed there gave the
+alarm that some large animal had entered the hut, in which there were
+several apartments. A light was brought, and numbers crowded the place,
+but nothing could be seen for awhile. All were about to retire, when it
+was discovered that a Leopard was clinging to the thatch with his claws,
+just above where the meat was hanging. No sooner did the animal perceive
+that he was discovered than he quitted his hold, springing suddenly
+down, and darted through the doorway, clawing several as he passed, and
+giving the poor sentry in particular a scratch in the face which laid
+him up for several weeks.”
+
+“Nightly,” says Sir W. C. Harris, “may his low half-smothered growl be
+heard as he prowls round the fold; and in spite of the baying troops of
+Watch Dogs that are maintained for the protection of the flock, he not
+unfrequently contrives to purloin mutton. Viewed in his wild state, few
+animals can surpass the lurking Leopard in point of beauty, his
+brilliant orange and white skin, which shines like silk, being richly
+studded with open rosettes, sometimes of the most intense sable, at
+others disposed as if a Cat had been walking over him with her paws
+tarred. Nor is he less distinguished for elegance and grace. His every
+motion easy and flexible in the highest degree, he bounds among the
+rocks and woods with an agility truly amazing; now stealing along the
+ground with the silence of a Snake—now crouching with his fore-paws
+extended, and his spotted head laid between them, while his chequered
+tail twitches impatiently, and his pale eyes glare mischievously upon
+his unsuspecting victim.”
+
+
+                              THE PANTHER.
+
+[Illustration: Panther Surprised by Tree Snake.]
+
+The Panther is a pretty animal, about three feet in length, not
+including the tail, and is distinguished from the preceding Felidae by
+its deep yellowish-brown coat, speckled with numerous spots. These
+spots, quite black on the head, are disposed in a rose-like fashion over
+the other parts of the body, being formed of five or six little black
+patches grouped in a circular manner around a piece which is of the same
+color as the ground of the coat. For a long time, and even sometimes
+now-a-days, the Panther has been frequently confounded with the Leopard,
+to which certainly it bears a great resemblance. From this error has
+arisen grave contradictions as to its history, and much uncertainty with
+regard to the limits of its natural locality.
+
+It appears to be demonstrated, however, that the veritable Panther is
+not found in Africa, but only in India, Japan, and the neighboring
+islands, such as Java, Sumatra, &c. The island of Java possesses a
+variety which is completely black. This is the famous Black Panther, the
+terror of Java and Sumatra.
+
+The Panther ascends trees with agility, into which it pursues Monkeys
+and other climbing animals. It is a ferocious and untamable animal, and
+inhabits only the wildest forests. No Carnivore, not even the Tiger, is
+more unconquerable, and its pursuit is proportionably dangerous. It
+rarely attacks Man without being provoked; but it is irritated at the
+merest trifle, and its anger is manifested by the lightning rapidity of
+its onset, which invariably results in the speedy death of the imprudent
+being who has aroused its fury. Its power, nimbleness, and stealth
+surpass anything that can be imagined; and it is these qualities which
+render it so dangerous.
+
+Notwithstanding its ferocity when wild, the Panther is easily tamed when
+captured young and is then as mild and affectionate as a Dog.
+
+The Panther is especially fond of young Birds, but is frequently
+disappointed in his search by finding that a Snake has preceded him and
+secured the prize, as illustrated. During his rovings, the Panther
+espies a nest and begins at once to climb the bough on which it is built
+just as the father Bird returns with food for the Birds. At the sight of
+the fearful enemy near his nest, he utters a series of low pitiful
+shrieks. The mate answers him from the distance and comes flying swiftly
+towards him. But the Panther does not allow himself to be turned from
+his purpose; on the contrary, the parents’ alarm makes him feel assured
+that the nest contains a prize for him. Meanwhile the Snake’s rest has
+become disturbed during the clamor and just as the Panther raises his
+head to peer into the nest, the head of the Snake with wide open jaws
+shoots hissing upon him. He falls backward startled! He shares the
+abhorrence of many animals for the Snake, and also fears its sharp bite.
+One moment he hesitates as to whether to give up the hoped-for prize,
+then slowly retreats.
+
+The Panther not only climbs the trees to secure the Birds and small
+climbing animals, but lurking in concealment among the foliage it
+springs upon the Antelopes or other large game which happens to approach
+its hiding place.
+
+A tame Panther in the possession of Mrs. Bowdich was left at liberty to
+go where he pleased, and a boy was appointed to prevent him from
+intruding into the apartments of the officers. His keeper, however,
+generally passed his watch in sleeping, and Sai, as the Panther was
+called, roamed at large. On one occasion Sai found his servant sitting
+on the step of the door, upright, but fast asleep, when he lifted his
+paw, gave him a blow on the side of the head, which laid him flat, and
+then stood wagging his tail as if conscious of the mischief he had
+committed. He became exceedingly attached to the governor, and followed
+him everywhere, like a Dog. His favorite station was at a window of the
+sitting-room, which overlooked the whole town. There, standing on his
+hind-legs, his fore-paws resting on the ledge of the window, and his
+chin laid between them, he appeared to amuse himself with what was
+passing underneath. The children also stood with him at the window, and
+one day, finding his presence an incumbrance, and that they could not
+get their chairs close, they united their efforts to pull him down by
+the tail. He one day missed the governor, who, being in the hall,
+surrounded by black people, was hidden from view, Sai wandered in search
+of him, and having at length found him seated writing at a table, the
+Panther immediately sprang from the door on to his neck, put his head
+close to the governors, rubbed his head upon his shoulder, and tried to
+evince his happiness.
+
+When on board a ship at anchor in the river Gaboon, an Orang-Outang was
+brought for sale, and lived three days on board. “I shall never,” writes
+Mrs. Bowdich, “forget the uncontrollable rage of the one, or the agony
+of the other, at this meeting. The Orang was about three feet high, and
+very powerful in proportion to his size, so that when he fled with
+extraordinary rapidity from the Panther to the farther end of the deck,
+neither men nor things remained upright when they opposed his progress;
+there he took refuge in a sail, and although generally obedient to the
+voice of his master, force was necessary to make him quit the shelter of
+its folds. As to the Panther, his back rose in an arch, his tail was
+elevated and perfectly stiff, his eyes flashed, and as he howled he
+showed his huge teeth; then, as if forgetting the bars before him, he
+tried to spring on the Orang, to tear him to atoms.”
+
+
+                              THE JAGUAR.
+
+[Illustration: JAGUAR.]
+
+The Jaguar is the Leopard of the American forests, and nearly approaches
+to the Tiger of India in strength and daring. The Jaguar may be
+distinguished from the Leopard by a bold streak or two of black
+extending across the chest from shoulder to shoulder. The rosettes on
+the body are very large, open and rather angular, with a central spot or
+two in each, and a central chain of black dashes extends along the
+spine. The size of the Jaguar varies, but usually exceeds that of the
+Leopard. Its form is more robust and less agile and graceful. The limbs
+are short, but exceedingly thick and muscular, the head square and
+larger, and the tail comparatively shorter. The Jaguar is the most
+formidable of all the American members of the Cat family. It prefers the
+marshy and wooded districts of the warmer latitudes, and haunts the vast
+forest along the larger rivers. He climbs and swims with equal facility,
+and preys on the larger domestic quadrupeds, on Peccaries and Monkeys,
+and also on Tortoises and Fishes. Sonnini saw the scratches left on the
+smooth bark of a tree without branches forty feet high. Humboldt heard
+the Jaguar’s yell from the tops of the trees, followed by the sharp,
+shrill, long whistle of the terrified Monkeys, as they seemed to flee.
+It takes Birds in their nests and Fish in the shallows and makes havoc
+in some districts among Horses, Cattle and Sheep.
+
+The Jaguar is also called the American Tiger; it is the largest
+carnivorous animal of the New World. It almost equals the Tiger in size,
+as well as in blood-thirstiness; it measures nearly seven feet from the
+end of the nose to the root of the tail. It is not Zebra-striped like
+the Tiger, but spotted in the same manner as the Panther. Its markings
+are most numerous on the head, thighs, legs and back, but always
+irregular in shape. The ground color of the coat is of a bright tawny
+hue above, and white beneath. The Jaguar is spread over nearly the whole
+of South America and of the warmer parts of North America. It inhabits
+the great forests traversed by rivers, and actively pursues various
+aquatic Mammals. Like the Tiger, it swims with ease and passes the day
+in inaction among the islets of the great lagoons and rivers. In the
+evening it seeks its food, and levies a heavy tribute on the immense
+herds of wild Cattle and Horses that graze in the Pampas of the Plata.
+With a single blow of its paw it breaks the back-bone of its victims.
+
+At the setting and rising of the sun it gives utterance to two cries,
+which are well known to the natives and to hunters. It is by this means
+that it announces to living nature the commencement and the termination
+of its feeding operations, and thus excites terror or joy. In certain
+parts of South America, Jaguars were so numerous, that, according to
+Azara, in the seventeenth century, two thousand were killed every year
+at Paraguay. At the present time many are yet to be found in that
+region, although their numbers are considerably diminished.
+
+
+                          THE PUMA OR COUGAR.
+
+[Illustration: Pumas Fighting over Vultures.]
+
+The Puma or Cougar, formerly improperly called the American Lion, is an
+animal about four and a half feet long, and of an uniform fawn color
+without any spots. It inhabits Paraguay, Brazil, Guiana, Mexico and the
+United States. It has the general appearance of a Lioness, without
+possessing its dimensions.
+
+This animal is alike remarkable for stealth and agility. It makes great
+ravages among the herds, and differs from the other Cats, in slaying
+numerous victims before it commences to feed. To carry off the smaller
+domestic animals, it visits human habitations during the night. It
+prefers living in the open country, yet it climbs trees; its agility is
+such, that at one bound it can ascend upwards of twenty feet.
+
+The Puma is easily tamed, when it knows its master, and receives his
+caresses with pleasure. No inconvenience results from allowing it to run
+at liberty. The celebrated English actor, Kean, had a Puma which
+followed him like a Dog, and kept close to him in the most crowded
+assembly.
+
+
+                              THE OCELOT.
+
+The Ocelot, one of the most beautiful of the Cat family, is a little
+more than three feet in length. The color of its fur is a greyish fawn,
+marked with large spots of a bright fawn, edged with black. Its habits
+are entirely nocturnal; it feeds on Monkeys, Rodents and Birds, climbing
+the trees in their pursuit with great swiftness. It is found in various
+parts of North and South America.
+
+Like the Puma, it rapidly becomes attached to Man. Azara has seen one
+which, although it enjoyed the greatest liberty, would never leave its
+master.
+
+
+                              THE LYNXES.
+
+The animals belonging to the Lynx family differ from the other Felidae
+in their longer coat, their shorter tail, and their ears, which are
+terminated by a tuft of hair. A great number of varieties of Lynx are
+known, as well in the Old as in the New World. The principal ones,
+however, are the European Lynx, the Canada Lynx and the Caracal.
+
+
+                           THE EUROPEAN LYNX.
+
+The European Lynx is well known in the great forests of Northern Europe
+and in Asia; it is also found in some of the Alps and Pyrenees, as well
+as in the Sierras of Spain. This animal measures from thirty to
+thirty-six inches, not including the tail, which is four inches long.
+The upper parts of its body are of a bright red color, with small brown
+spots, while the under parts are white. On each side of its face it has
+an addition of white hairs, which resemble whiskers.
+
+The name of “Loup-cervier” sometimes given to it, probably originated
+from its howling like a Wolf during the night. It nimbly climbs trees in
+pursuit of prey. Martens, Ermines, Hares and Rabbits are its favorite
+food. It does not, however, eat the flesh of larger victims, unless its
+hunger is extreme; but generally is satisfied by sucking out the brain.
+
+Taken young, it becomes accustomed to captivity, and is fond of being
+caressed, but it will return to its wild life if opportunity offers, so
+really never becomes attached to its master. It is an extremely cleanly
+animal, and, like the Cat, passes a large portion of its time in washing
+and cleansing its fur.
+
+The European Lynx is not much smaller than the Wolf, and is said to be
+rather shy than bold, never attacking Man except in self-defence, and
+using his claws as his principal weapons. This animal frequents
+mountainous and thickly-wooded districts, and confines himself to a
+limited hunting ground, not hunting in a pack, but usually in pairs, the
+mother being frequently followed by her young ones. The Lynx usually
+reposes during the day in such a position as to perceive either the
+approach of danger or of prey, going forth at twilight or early dawn to
+seek for food. Mr. Lloyd tells us that if the Lynx fails in his spring,
+he does not pursue his prey to any great distance, but slinks back to
+his retreat, in proof whereof he relates the following anecdote: “Some
+years ago, while a peasant was occupied with agricultural labors in the
+spring, he observed that some Sheep feeding in the distance shied when
+passing near a boulder on the hill-side. Inclination for the green
+grass, however, having at length got the better of their fears, they
+once more approached the spot, when out dashed a large Lynx from his
+ambush, and made several bounds towards them; but as the poor creatures
+had the start of him, they were so fortunate as to escape his clutches.
+Seeing that his efforts were fruitless, the beast now turned about and
+retreated to his hiding place, which the peasant observing, he hastened
+home for his gun, and stealthily approaching the spot, shot him while in
+his lair.”
+
+
+                            THE CANADA LYNX.
+
+[Illustration: LYNX ATTACKING FAWN.]
+
+The Canada Lynx in size and coloring closely resembles the European
+species last mentioned. It is about three feet in length, besides the
+tail, which measures from four to five inches. It is retired in its
+habits, keeping away even from the dwellings of the first settlers in
+the forests. Its fine long fur enables it to resist the cold of the high
+latitudes in which it lives. It is found north of the Great Lakes, as
+far southward as the Middle States, and occasionally near the sea coast.
+
+When alarmed or pursued, the Canada Lynx leaps or bounds rapidly in a
+straight direction from danger, and takes to a tree when hard pressed by
+Dogs. It is very strong, and possessing remarkably large and powerful
+fore-legs and claws, is able to climb trees of any size; and can leap
+from a considerable height to the ground without seeming to feel the
+jar, alighting on all four feet at the same instant, ready for flight or
+for battle.
+
+The food of the Canada Lynx consists principally of Birds and small
+quadrupeds. Occasionally it may carry off some small live stock of the
+farmer, but it usually prefers such game as may be met with in the
+depths of the forest in which it lurks.
+
+
+                              THE CARACAL.
+
+[Illustration: Caracal Defending His Booty from Jackals.]
+
+The Caracal is about the size of the European Lynx. Its fur is red
+above, without spots, and its chest is fawn colored, speckled with
+brown. It is the Lynx of the ancients, and inhabits the north and east
+of Africa, Arabia and Persia. Its habits differ very little from those
+of the Lynx. It always retains, when in captivity, its savage
+disposition and a great desire for liberty.
+
+The Caracal lies in wait for young Antelope and overpowers them without
+special exertion, tearing with his sharp teeth the artery of the throat.
+The dexterous hunter seldom enjoys his prey in peace for, as all large
+animals of prey pursue the small, so the bold, intruding Jackal presses
+him from all sides, waiting his chance to snatch part whenever possible.
+Our illustration shows such a scene. The Jackal generally has a bad time
+in a combat with the Caracal. The Caracal has never yet been tamed in
+any menagerie. Even the Arabs of the Soudan fear him. In the
+illustration he has been aggravated to the highest pitch by the attacks
+of the Jackal. With his long bushy ears lying flat, lips drawn backward
+and one sharp, pointed claw raised, he stands ready to strike and bite.
+Several of the Jackals have already felt his weapons. Despite this they
+howl and press around him until he has had his fill and leaves the rest
+of his meat for the persistent beggars.
+
+The Caracal is said to occasionally hunt in packs like Wild Dogs. But
+this is uncommon; they usually hunt singly or in companies of two or
+three, creeping towards their victim and springing suddenly upon it.
+
+In captivity, Caracals are very irritable, and sometimes display great
+ferocity. Dr. Charleton saw one kill and destroy a Hound in a moment,
+although the poor creature defended itself to the uttermost. They retire
+to a corner of their den, crouching sullenly, and resenting every
+attempt at familiarity; when irritated, the ears are laid close to the
+head, the eyes glare with malignant fury, the teeth are displayed, and
+they utter a hiss not unlike that of a Cat, and quite different from the
+growl of a Lion or Tiger. In their wild state they avoid man, but are
+dangerous foes when hard pressed or wounded.
+
+
+                         THE OUNCE AND SERVAL.
+
+These are two members of the Cat family that seem but little known.
+
+In size, the Ounce is between the Panther and Leopard. The color of its
+coat is not yellow, but grey, and its spots are much more irregular than
+on these animals. It is a native of Asia.
+
+The Serval is also named the Cat-pard or Tiger Cat. It is only about
+thirty inches long. It is found in the forests of Southern Africa; also
+in Abyssinia and Algeria. It lives on small animals, particularly
+Monkeys and Rodents. Its savage nature cannot be changed by taming. Its
+fur, which is varied with bars and black spots on a buff ground, is
+quite valuable.
+
+
+                              THE CHEETAH.
+
+The Cheetah or Hunting Leopard forms the transition between the Cat and
+Dog families. By its physical organization and its character it belongs,
+in fact, to both these classes. It has weak, non-retractile claws, which
+are unfitted for tearing purposes; but in its teeth it unmistakably
+shows its affinity to the Cat family. Its limbs are also longer, and the
+body more slender than that of the Cats, from whence results a greater
+aptitude for hunting. Its tail is curled over on itself at the
+extremity, a disposition very common in Dogs, but which is not observed
+in the Cats. Its mildness, obedient temper, and attachment when tame,
+naturally define its place on the confines of the Feline and the Canine
+family.
+
+The Hunting Leopard inhabits Southern Asia and various parts of Africa.
+It is about four feet in length, and twenty-six inches in height. Its
+fur is very elegant, being a bright fawn color above, perfectly white
+beneath, and everywhere interspersed with black spots. The tail is
+barred with twelve alternately white and black rings. A quantity of
+hair, longer than on other parts of the body, grows on the back of the
+head and neck, forming a scanty mane.
+
+The Cheetah seizes its prey by a succession of bounds remarkable for
+their rapidity. In India and Persia has been adopted the habit of
+training it to hunt certain animals, its natural docility allowing it to
+be readily trained for this service. The custom of employing the Cheetah
+for hunting goes back to a very remote period, for the Arab Rhazes speak
+of it in the tenth century.
+
+In Mongolia the following is the method of conducting this sport. The
+sportsmen start off on horseback, carrying the Cheetah either on a
+Horse, or in a carriage specially constructed for the purpose. The
+animal is chained, and its eyes blindfolded. The places which Gazelles
+frequent are sought out. As soon as one is perceived, the hunters stop,
+the Cheetah is unfastened, and its eyes unbandaged and the game is
+pointed out to it. Immediately, under cover of the high vegetation and
+brushwood, the beast glides off in pursuit, taking advantage, with
+unequalled tact, of the slightest breaks in the ground to conceal its
+movements. When it considers that it is sufficiently near its victim, it
+suddenly shows itself, dashes on with terrible impetuosity, springs on
+the prey after a succession of prodigious bounds and immediately pulls
+it to the ground.
+
+Its master, who has followed the events of the chase, then enters upon
+the scene. To detach it from its victim, he throws it a piece of flesh,
+speaks gently to it, and caresses it; after which he again covers its
+eyes, and replaces it on the saddle or in its conveyance, while the
+assistants carry off the prey.
+
+This kind of hunting is very popular in Mongolia, and a well-trained
+Hunting Leopard attains an extraordinary price among the inhabitants.
+
+In captivity, the Cheetah is familiar, gentle and playful, becoming
+greatly attached to those who are kind to it. When pleased it purs; and
+mews like a Cat when in distress.
+
+
+                            THE DOG FAMILY.
+
+
+[Illustration: ESQUIMAU DOGS.]
+
+The many different kinds of Dogs that are spread over the entire surface
+of the globe, with the Wolves, Jackals and Foxes, and their numerous
+smaller relatives are all grouped under the family of Canidae, which is
+derived from the Latin word Canis, meaning a Dog. All the members of
+this family are digitigrade. Though they walk on their toes, like the
+members of the Felidae, or Cat family, their claws are neither sharp nor
+retractile like those of the Cat and they cannot serve either for attack
+or defence.
+
+Nearly all the members of this family have long tails, more or less
+clothed with hair, and their tongue is smooth, and in this respect
+different from the Cats.
+
+[Illustration: NEWFOUNDLAND DOG.]
+
+They are the most intelligent of the Carnivora. Their senses,
+particularly that of smell, are strongly developed.
+
+Some Naturalists claim that the Dog is a tamed Wolf, others that he is a
+well-educated Jackal, but there can be little doubt that he constitutes
+a genus set apart for the service of mankind, although there are such
+numerous varieties of domestic Dogs. It is impossible to discover in
+which of the past ages, the Dog became the servant of Man. The oldest
+traditions and the most ancient history show us the Dog as the friend
+and the servant of mankind.
+
+Volumes might be written relating stories of which Dogs are the heroes.
+Every day in ordinary life we see something of this kind, and which,
+although of such frequent occurrence, is none the less curious. As
+examples of the past we might call to memory the Dog of Ulysses, the
+model of fidelity; the Dog of Montargis, the vanquisher of crime; of
+Munito, the brilliant player of dominoes. It is not necessary to mention
+the Newfoundland Dog and the Dog of Mount St. Bernard, as preservers of
+human life; their wonderful exploits are too well known to require
+special instances as examples. Nor is it necessary to speak of the
+numberless instances of intelligent Dogs going for provisions for their
+masters, and serving them in curious ways—like the shoe-black’s Dog, who
+was trained to plant his muddy paws on the best polished boots, so as to
+bring more business to his master, the man of the brush. We should never
+come to an end if we attempted to tell of all the exploits of this
+valuable companion of man.
+
+It is also useless to attempt to mention all the various species of Dogs
+that are found scattered over all the inhabited parts of the world; but
+certain varieties may be divided into classes. The Sporting Dogs, for
+instance, are usually divided into two classes—the Running Dogs or
+Hounds, and the Setters or Pointers. The first follow rapidly on a track
+or scent, howling and crying all the way, and only stop when they have
+captured or lost their game. The second follow silently on the trail of
+the game, and only stop pursuing it when the scent announces that they
+are close to the object of their search. It is then that they are said
+to be pointing or setting. Setters generally lie down and wait for the
+sportsman, while the Pointers stand.
+
+Among the Running Dogs might be mentioned the Greyhound, the Hounds of
+Saintonge and of Poitou, English Foxhounds, Harriers and Beagles,
+Turnspits, Bull-dogs, Mastiffs, etc. The principal sporting Dogs are the
+Pointers, Setters, Land Spaniels and Water Spaniels.
+
+It is almost impossible to class all the different kinds of Dogs in
+groups, with the many races and sub-races now existing. Some Naturalists
+have divided all these different varieties into three classes—the
+Matins, the Spaniels, and the Mastiffs, and although this method may
+have its faults, it also has the advantage of being easy to remember and
+sufficient for practical use.
+
+It is among the Matins that the largest-sized Dogs are found. The
+ordinary Matin—the great Danish Dog—is as large as a good-sized Donkey;
+under this class are also found the Spotted Danish Dog, the Little
+Danish Dog, the different varieties of Greyhounds, the Pyrenean
+Shephard’s Dog, the Alpine Dog, and the St. Bernard Dog.
+
+The Spaniels comprise the Wolf Dog, the Chinese Dog, the Siberian Dog,
+the Esquimaux Dog—the two latter being used to draw sledges across the
+snow—the French and English Spaniels, and what is classed as the Small
+Spaniel, including a great number of varieties of “Lap Dogs,” which are
+the favorite home pets, in spite of the fact that they are particularly
+remarkable for their ugliness, and their small size. The principal
+Lap-dogs are the King Charles, Cocker, Blenheim, Small Poodle and the
+Small White Dog of Cuba, or Havanese Dog, etc. Then we come to the
+Turnspits, with straight and crooked legs; the St. Domingo Dog; the
+large Water Spaniel—the most faithful and intelligent of all dogs; the
+Little Water Spaniel, Poodle, Newfoundland Dog; Stag, Fox and Hare
+Hounds; Bloodhounds, Pointers and Setters.
+
+Among the Mastiffs are placed the Great Dog or English Mastiff, an
+animal that is very courageous, and a great fighter; the Thibit Mastiff,
+the Small Mastiff, the Pug, the Bull-dog, the Terrier, and Bull Terrier,
+the Turkish Dog, remarkable for its almost naked skin, and last of all,
+our common Cur Dog, with no distinct characteristics.
+
+Then we have a class of Dogs distinct from these friends and servants of
+mankind. These live either entirely wild or half-wild, and are scattered
+over various parts of the globe. These are the Dingo, or New Holland
+Dog, which is very destructive to domestic animals, and even to cattle;
+the Dhale, or East Indian Dog, which in packs, pursues Deer, Gazelles,
+etc., and which, when collected in troops, does not fear to fight with
+the Lion or Tiger; the Wild Dog of Sumatra; the Cape of Good Hope Dog
+and the Maroon Dog of America.
+
+
+                             THE HYENA DOG.
+
+[Illustration: HYENA DOGS.]
+
+The Hyena Dog might be classed with these wild and half-wild Dogs,
+although it is usually given a distinct genus. As the name indicates, it
+has several points of resemblance with the Hyena. This Dog inhabits
+South Africa. It is about the size of a Wolf, but not so strong as that
+animal. Its coat is of a deep gray color speckled with spots of various
+colors. It has large pointed ears and the tail is long and bushy.
+Although like the Hyena, it is very fond of putrid flesh, the Hyena Dog
+also feeds on living prey, especially Gazelles, Antelopes, etc. To
+pursue and capture these, the Hyena Dogs collect in troops, which are
+sometimes very numerous, and under the direction of a chief, they hunt
+with an intelligence unsurpassed by the best pack of Hounds. When the
+game is taken they divide it equally, but if any of the larger
+Carnivorous animals approach to take a share in the feast, they all
+unite against the intruder. Even Leopards and Lions have been driven off
+by a troop of these fierce Hyena Dogs.
+
+
+                         THE DESTRUCTIVE WOLF.
+
+[Illustration: WOLF.]
+
+Wherever the Wolf is found it is especially dreaded by the owners of
+flocks and herds, and it is considered the most destructive quadruped
+met with in Europe. Both in their habits and their physical structure
+they are very closely related to the Dog. The sense of smell in the Wolf
+is very acute, but its speed is not great. It wearies out its victim by
+untiring perseverance and when in full chase it persistently follows the
+track of the fugitive.
+
+The Wolf is found throughout the whole of Europe, excepting Great
+Britain and the neighboring islands, where it has been exterminated. It
+also inhabits the cold and temperate regions of Asia and America. In
+some natural excavation situated in the woods, the Wolf takes up its
+abode. From here it steals forth at night to prey upon all the weaker
+animal life.
+
+Among the varieties of the Common Wolf, it is necessary to mention the
+Black Wolf, which inhabits the North of Europe, and the Black Wolves of
+the Himalayas; the Dusky Wolf and the Prairie Wolf, which lives in
+troops on the great plains of North America; the Red Wolf, which leads a
+solitary life on the pampas of La Plata and in Texas and Mexico; lastly,
+the Mexican Wolf or Coyotte, and the Java Wolf. In the glacial regions
+of the two continents, White Wolves are found.
+
+Although our Domestic Dogs and Wolves in a wild state are deadly
+enemies, yet when Wolves are captured quite young and tamed, they often
+become quite friendly with the Dogs of the home, and they are even
+considered safe playmates of the children in some instances, although
+they are rather treacherous, and probably few mothers would consider
+them safe. Yet a lady mentioned by Mr. Lloyd in this “Scandinavian
+Adventures” tells of a pet Wolf which she found trustworthy. “This Wolf
+became so faithful and attached that when we took a walk about the
+estate, and he was with us, he would crouch beside us when we rested,
+and would not allow anyone to approach nearer than about twenty paces;
+for if they came closer he would growl and show his teeth. When I called
+him he would lick my hand, at the same time always keeping his eyes
+fastened on the intruder. He went about the house and in the kitchen in
+the same manner as a Dog, and was much attached to the children, whom he
+would lick and play with. This continued until he was five months old.
+He had his kennel in the lower yard near the gate, and in the
+winter-time when the peasants came with charcoal, he would leap on to
+the stone fence, where he would wag his tail and whine until they came
+up to him and patted him. At such times he was always desirous of
+searching their pockets, that he might ascertain if they had anything
+good to eat about them. The men became so accustomed to this that they
+used to amuse themselves by putting a piece of bread in their coat
+pockets to let him find it out, and he ate all that they gave him.
+Besides this, he ate three bowls of food daily. It was remarkable that
+our Dogs used to eat with him out of the same bowl, but if any strange
+animal attempted to share the food with him, he would soon show anger.”
+
+“At one time,” says Mr. Lloyd, “I had serious thoughts of training a
+fine Wolf in my possession as a pointer, but was deterred, owing to the
+liking she exhibited for the neighbor’s pigs. She was chained in a
+little enclosure, just in front of my window, into which these animals,
+when the gate was left open, ordinarily found their way. The devices the
+Wolf employed to get them into her power were very amusing. When she saw
+a Pig in the vicinity of the kennel she, evidently with the purpose of
+putting him off his guard, would throw herself on her side or back, wag
+her tail most lovingly, and look innocence personified. And this amiable
+demeanor would continue until the grunter was beguiled within the length
+of her tether, when in the twinkling of an eye the prey was clutched.
+
+“When the Wolf is hungry, everything is game that comes to his net. In
+the Gulf of Bothnia he often preys upon Seals. When that sea is frozen
+over, or partially so, as is generally the case soon after the turn of
+the year, he roams its icy surface in search of the young of the Gray
+Seal, which at that season breeds among the hummocks in great numbers;
+and finding this an easy way of procuring sustenance, he remains on the
+ice until it breaks up in the spring. It not unfrequently happens,
+however, that during storms large fields of ice, on which numbers of
+Wolves are congregated, break loose from the shore or the land-ice; in
+this case, as soon as the beasts perceive their danger, but see no
+possibility of escape, they rush to and fro, keeping up the while a most
+woeful howling, heard frequently at a great distance until they are
+swallowed up by the waves.”
+
+The vision and hearing, but more particularly the sense of smell in the
+Wolf, are very fully developed. These faculties are of great service in
+enabling it to obtain food and avoid danger.
+
+When suffering from hunger it loses all caution, and becomes a scourge
+to the farmers’ flocks and a source of danger even to Man. In broad
+daylight, under such circumstances, without being seen, it will draw
+near a flock of Sheep, eluding the vigilance of the dogs, it will dart
+forward, seize a victim that it has singled out, and bear it off with
+such velocity as often to defy pursuit. This exploit accomplished, it
+returns time after time to the scene of its previous success, until
+destroyed or driven from the neighborhood.
+
+When it succeeds in obtaining entrance to a sheepfold, the havoc it
+commits is fearful, for it makes a general massacre among the inmates.
+The slaughter terminated, it carries away a victim for immediate use. It
+afterwards takes a second, third, and fourth, which it conceals in
+different places in the neighboring woods. Nor does it return to its
+retreat until daybreak, devoting the last moments to secreting its
+booty.
+
+This craving for slaughter, preceding the act of hiding the carcasses,
+rather denotes foresight than ferocity; the Wolf is not, therefore, the
+monster of cruelty pictured by Buffon.
+
+The Wolf often destroys Dogs, its most deadly enemy; and resorts to
+stratagem the better to accomplish its purpose. Should it see a Puppy
+about a farmyard, it approaches, and attracts attention by frisking and
+making all kinds of gambols to gain its confidence. When the youngster,
+seduced by these overtures, responds to them, and leaves the friendly
+shelter of its home, it is immediately overpowered, and carried off.
+Against a vigorous Dog, capable of defending itself with success, the
+stratagem is different. Two Wolves arrange between themselves the
+following plan:—One shows itself to the hoped-for-victim, and endeavors
+to make the Dog follow its track into an ambuscade, where the second
+Wolf is concealed. Both suddenly assail it at once, and through their
+combination obtain an easy victory.
+
+Under ordinary circumstances the Wolf does not molest Man, but even
+flies from his presence. In cases of extreme hunger, on the contrary, it
+attacks him, looking out for an unguarded moment in order to take him
+unawares. If the Man is on horseback or accompanied by a Dog, its first
+efforts are directed against the quadrupeds.
+
+During the winter, when the ground is covered with snow, in the great
+plains of Germany, in the vast steppes of Russia and Poland, Wolves are
+most dangerous. “Hunger drives the Wolf from the wood,” says a proverb.
+Allied in immense troops they range the country in every direction, and
+become a terrible scourge.
+
+In those plains of Siberia that are infested by Wolves a sledge journey
+is far from agreeable, for frequently a band of these ferocious brutes
+persistently follow travelers. If the sledge stops for only a second,
+the Men and Horses are lost; safety exists only in flight. The struggle
+on such occasions is fearful. The Horses, mad with terror, seem to have
+wings. The Wolves follow on their track, their eyes flashing with fire.
+It is a terrible situation to be placed in to behold these black
+spectres tearing across the surface of the white shroud of snow,
+thirsting for your blood. From time to time a report is heard; a Wolf
+falls. More audacious than the others, the victim had tried to climb the
+sledge, and one of the travelers has shot it. This incident gives some
+advantage to the fugitives; for the carnivorous troop halt for a few
+seconds to devour the body of their companion.
+
+Wolves are not hunted with Hounds that run by scent, for it would only
+be possible to overtake them with Greyhounds, as they are endowed with
+great speed and endurance. The method generally adopted for their
+destruction is to post the hunters around the covers which a Wolf
+frequents. These measures being taken, the grizzly marauder is started
+by Bloodhounds, specially trained for the purpose. The Wolf dashes past
+the sportsmen, either successfully running the gauntlet or getting shot.
+
+
+                              THE JACKAL.
+
+[Illustration: JACKAL.]
+
+The Jackal, five or six varieties of which are known, is common to the
+whole of Africa, all the warm regions of Asia, and to portions of
+Southern Europe. It is about the same length as the Fox, but stands a
+little taller. Its coat is of a greyish-yellow color above, and white
+beneath; its tail is tipped with black at the extremity.
+
+Jackals live together in troops, which are sometimes composed of more
+than a hundred individuals. Although their eyes are adapted for seeing
+in daylight, they usually sleep during the day, and do not go abroad
+until night to seek their food. To keep together they are constantly
+howling, and their voice is sad, loud and unmusical. Their voracity and
+audacity are unparallelled. They enter habitations, when opportunity
+presents itself, and sweep off everything eatable they can reach;
+devouring even boots, Horse harness and other articles made of leather.
+In the desert they follow the caravans, prowl all night around their
+encampment, and endeavor to carry off anything chance may throw in their
+way. After the start of the caravan they rush upon the deserted
+halting-place, greedily fighting for all the refuse. Captain Williamson
+tells us that “Mr. Kinloch, who kept a famous pack of Hounds, having
+chased a Jackal into a jungle, found it necessary to call off his Dogs,
+in consequence of an immense herd of Jackals, which had suddenly
+collected on hearing the cries of their brother, which the Hounds were
+worrying. They were so numerous that not only the Dogs were defeated,
+but the Jackals rushed out of cover in pursuit of them; and when Mr.
+Kinloch and his party rode up to whip them off, their Horses were bit,
+and it was not without difficulty that a retreat was effected. The pack
+was found to have suffered so severely as not to be able to take the
+field for several weeks.
+
+“The Jackal is very watchful. He will wait at your door, and will enter
+your house, and avail himself of the smallest opening for enterprise; he
+will rob your roost, and steal Kids, Lambs, Pigs and sometimes even take
+a Pup from its sleepy mother; he will strip a larder or pick the bones
+of a carcass, all with equal avidity. It is curious to see them
+fighting, almost within reach of your stick, to reach the expected
+booty.
+
+“Both Jackals and Foxes sham death to admiration. After having been
+almost pulled to pieces by Dogs and left to all appearance lifeless,
+they sometimes gradually cock their ears, then look askance at the
+retiring enemy, and when they think themselves unobserved, steal under a
+bank, and thus skulk along till they find themselves safe, when, setting
+off at a trot or a canter, they make the best of their way to some place
+of security.”
+
+
+                               THE FOXES.
+
+[Illustration: FOXES AT HOME.]
+
+These animals are distinguished from Wolves and Dogs by their longer and
+more bushy tail, and by their elongated and more pointed muzzle. They
+have a most offensive odor; and dig holes in the ground, wherein they
+reside and rear their young. They live upon Birds and other animals, but
+never attack any but such as have no power of resistance. The cunning of
+the Fox has always furnished a subject fertile in amusing anecdotes.
+Their attachment to their young is well illustrated in the following
+little narrative extracted from Mr. Lloyd’s “Scandinavian Adventures:”
+
+“A Fox having slaughtered a whole flock of Goslings, M. Drougge, to whom
+they belonged, resolved to attack her and her cubs in their ‘earth.’
+This, however, was so deep that night set in before any satisfaction
+could be obtained. Some days after, on revisiting the kula (or ‘earth’),
+it was found deserted, but, after some search, five cubs were found in a
+newly-made retreat, and deposited in an old hen-house belonging to the
+Lansmann, from whence, however, the mother nearly released them during
+the succeeding night; for in the morning the building was found
+undermined, and the half-rotten floor nearly bitten through. The cubs
+were now removed to an unoccupied room in the dwelling-house itself; and
+even here, by burrowing under the foundations of the building, as she
+was discovered to be doing during the two following nights, her attempts
+to free the prisoners were renewed. But the matter did not rest here;
+for one night shortly after, a continuous noise was heard in the attic,
+where, in consequence, the Lansmann proceeded to ascertain the cause of
+the disturbance. On his way up the stairs he was startled by an animal
+apparently resembling a Dog, running hastily past his legs, to which
+circumstance he at the time paid little attention; but as, when he
+reached the attic, he found everything quiet, he returned to his bed
+again. On the following morning, however, it was discovered that the Fox
+had been the cause of the uproar; for, with the intention of getting
+access to her cubs, she had been endeavoring to make an aperture in the
+chimney, and it then became perfectly clear that it was the Fox herself
+which, in her hurry to escape, had nearly upset the Lansmann, while
+mounting the steps the night before. The room below, in which the cubs
+were confined, was now examined, but they were nowhere to be seen. At
+length, however, their cries were heard in the flue of the stove, the
+whole of which structure it was necessary to take down before they could
+be extricated.”
+
+
+                            THE FENNEC FOX.
+
+The Fennec Fox is a remarkable little animal found in Nubia and other
+parts of Northern Africa, where it resides in burrows excavated in the
+sand. Its body, head included, does not measure more than thirteen
+inches in length, while its tail, which is very bushy, is about eight
+inches long. Its head is narrow, with a pointed muzzle. Its eyes are
+large, and the iris of a deep blue color; the sides of its face are
+margined by long thick whiskers, while its enormous ears, which are very
+broad at the base, erect, and pointed, give a very singular appearance.
+The hair covering the body is of a pale fawn or cream color, shading
+into white beneath.
+
+Bruce describes the Fennec as being a white Weasel. He had several of
+these successively in his possession, and says: “They were all known by
+the name of Fennec, and no other, and said to inhabit the date villages,
+where they build their nests upon trees.” Of one, which he kept, he
+tells us: “Though his favorite food seemed to be dates or sweet fruit,
+yet I observed he was very fond of eggs. Pigeons’ eggs and small Birds’
+eggs were first brought him, which he devoured with great avidity, but
+he did not seem to know how to manage the egg of a hen; when broken for
+him, however, he seemed to eat it with the same eagerness as the others.
+When he was hungry, he would eat bread, especially with honey or sugar.
+It was observable that a Bird, whether confined in a cage near him or
+flying across a room, engrossed his whole attention. He followed it with
+his eyes wherever it went, nor was he at this time to be diverted by
+placing biscuit before him, and it was obvious, by the great interest he
+seemed to take in its motions, that he was accustomed to watch for
+victories over it, either for his pleasure or his food. He seemed very
+much alarmed at the approach of a Cat, and endeavored to hide himself,
+but showed no symptom of preparing for any defence. He suffered himself,
+not without some difficulty, to be handled in the day, when he seemed
+rather inclined to sleep, but was exceedingly restless when night came,
+always endeavoring to make his escape, and though he did not attempt the
+wire, yet with his sharp teeth he soon mastered the wood of any common
+bird-cage.”
+
+
+                            THE COMMON FOX.
+
+The Common Fox is still found throughout Europe. For ages past it has
+had a reputation for cunning, which has given it great notoriety. “As
+cunning as a Fox” is one of the most common adages in the languages of
+nations.
+
+The Fox never attacks animals capable of resistance. In the twilight it
+ventures out in quest of its prey, when it wanders silently around the
+country, prowling about the covers and hedges, hoping to surprise Birds,
+Rabbits or Hares, its usual prey.
+
+If it fails to secure such delicate food, however, it will eat Field
+Mice, Lizards, Frogs, &c. It does not dislike certain fruits, and it is
+especially fond of grapes. To domestic Fowls it is terribly destructive.
+When during its nightly prowling the crow of a Cock strikes its ear, it
+turns at once in the direction of the welcome sound. It wanders around
+the poultry yard, examining and observing all the weak points by which
+an entrance might be gained. When at last successful in reaching the
+Hen-roost, a reckless carnage among its occupants is made, and this not
+so much to satisfy a craving for blood as to provide store for the
+future. With this object, one by one the victims are carried off, and
+concealed in the woods or its den.
+
+If all efforts to enter the Hen-roost are unsuccessful, then Reynard
+undertakes to ruin it in detail, and to slay in one or more months those
+which he cannot kill in a day. With this intention he installs himself
+on the margin of a wood, close to the farm, and anxiously watches every
+movement of the poultry. If his prey wander into the fields, his
+attentions are doubled; seizing the moment when the Watch-dog is out of
+sight, he creeps towards them, draws near his victim without being seen,
+seizes, strangles and carries it off. When these manoeuvres have once
+succeeded, they are repeated till the poultry yard is empty.
+
+The following story, narrated to me by an old woodman, also illustrates
+their cunning. Two Foxes, located in a neighborhood where Hares
+abounded, adopted an ingenious plan for capturing them. One of them lay
+in ambush on the side of a road; the other started the quarry and
+pursued it with ardor, with the object of driving the game into the road
+guarded by his associate. From time to time, by an occasional bark, the
+associate in ambush was notified how the chase was succeeding. When a
+Hare was driven into the road it was immediately pounced on, and both
+Foxes devoured it in thorough good fellowship. Nevertheless, it
+sometimes happened that the Fox who kept watch miscalculated his spring,
+and the Hare escaped. When, as though puzzled at his want of skill, he
+resumed his post, jumped on to the road, and several times repeated the
+movement. His comrade arriving in the middle of this exercise, was not
+slow to comprehend its meaning, and irritated at being fatigued to no
+purpose, chastised his clumsy associate; but a tussle of a few minutes
+sufficed to expend the bad humor, and they were ready to try again.
+
+The adult Fox is also assisted by its young in procuring food when they
+become old enough. Some observers say that these family excursions are
+undertaken for the education of the cubs. When on a hunt to obtain
+aquatic Birds, among the reeds and rushes that margin the borders of
+lakes and rivers, Foxes always proceed with extreme caution, and take
+especial care not to become unnecessarily wet.
+
+One of the most frequent tricks of the Fox, and which shows an unusual
+amount of intelligence, consists in simulating death when surprised by
+the hunters, and there is no hope of safety by flight. It may then be
+handled, kicked about in every direction, even lifted by the tail, hung
+up in the air, or carried thrown over one’s shoulder, without showing
+the slightest sign of life. But as soon as released, and opportunity for
+escape offers, it will hurry away to the great amazement of those so
+cleverly fooled.
+
+The Fox most frequently inhabits a burrow or “earth,” which it excavates
+among stones, rocks, or under the trunk of a tree, at the edge of a
+wood; at other times it digs its subterraneous retreat on cultivated
+land; always it is careful to have it on an elevated slope, so as to be
+protected against rain and inundations.
+
+At times it appropriates the burrow of a Rabbit or Badger, and
+re-arranges it to suit itself.
+
+Its dwelling it divides into three parts: The first part is the place
+from whence it examines the neighborhood before coming out, and from
+where it watches for a favorable moment to escape its persecutors, when
+pursuit has driven it home. Then comes the store-room, a place with
+several outlets, where the provisions are stored away. Lastly, behind
+the store-room, quite at the bottom of the burrow, is the den, the
+sleeping chamber and real habitation of the animal. The Fox seldom
+regularly inhabits its burrow, except when rearing young. After that
+period it generally sleeps in a cover, near a spot where it thinks
+plunder is to be had, sometimes at a distance from its burrow.
+
+
+
+
+                           THE WEASEL FAMILY.
+
+
+[Illustration: WEASELS AND ERMINES.]
+
+The Weasels and their many small relatives—the Ermines, Martens, Otters
+and many others—are usually classed with the Dog and Cat families and
+the Civets and Hyenas, under the second great division of the
+flesh-eating animals or those that walk on their toes; known as the
+Digitigrade Carnivora.
+
+The fierce little Weasel, which is taken as a type of the whole Weasel
+family is the smallest of all the carnivorous animals. It does not often
+measure more than six inches in length. It is found all over the
+temperate part of Europe, although the most of its relatives prefer the
+cold climate of the far North. Its boldness and courage are wonderful,
+and it will often seize and kill animals very much larger than itself.
+
+A Weasel has even been seen to attack an Eagle, and after allowing
+himself to be carried high into the air, he has succeeded after a long,
+hard fight in biting through the throat of the Eagle. Then both fall to
+the ground, and the Eagle dies, although the Weasel is not hurt, except
+the wounds in his skin made by the Eagle’s talons, which soon heal.
+
+Of all the animals belonging to this family, the Weasel is most easily
+tamed, and it soon shows a great affection for its master.
+
+
+                              THE ERMINE.
+
+This little animal is very much like the Weasel in size and form, but it
+usually prefers a colder climate, and makes its home in the northern
+regions of Sweden, Norway, Russia, Siberia and Arctic America. These
+animals do not often measure more than ten inches in length (not
+including the tail) but their skins are very valuable. They bring a high
+price, and a very important trade in them is carried on. In summer, the
+Ermine is of a beautiful brown color above and white below, while the
+tail is tipped with black. In winter the whole coat becomes a brilliant
+white, with sometimes a slightly yellow tinge, the tip of the tail
+remaining black. This is the season in which the fur is most valuable.
+
+
+                              THE MARTENS.
+
+[Illustration: MARTEN SEEKING FOOD IN THE TREES.]
+
+There are three species of Marten that make their home in Europe and
+Western Asia—the Pine Marten, the Sable and the Beech or Stone Marten.
+These all have large, open ears, and long bushy tails, and they live
+principally upon the trees, where, creeping from branch to branch, they
+hunt the small Birds and Squirrels. They are usually found in the gloom
+of dense forests.
+
+The Beech or Stone Marten is found in all parts of Europe, not only in
+the woods, but often in thick hedges and vineyards wherever there is
+shelter for it to creep along and hunt its prey. It will often make its
+home near a farm house and destroy with great fury the small domestic
+animals.
+
+The Sable is eagerly sought after on account of its fur. Its home is in
+the northern part of Europe, in the coldest parts of Russia and Siberia.
+The Turks, Russians and Chinese are the principal purchasers of their
+skins, and they distribute them in trade, far and wide, through Europe
+and Asia. The winter coat of the Sable is almost black and very close,
+and is much more valuable than when the animal is in summer dress.
+
+The Russian exiles in Siberia hunt the Sable, and when in search of this
+animal they are exposed to the perils of famine, climate and wild
+beasts.
+
+The Pine Marten is found in Northern Europe and North America. It owes
+its name to its supposed preference for the cones of the pine tree, as
+the Beech Marten is thought to select the fruit of the beech. The Pine
+Marten is of considerable size; its color yellowish, blended in some
+parts with a blackish tint; head lighter; throat yellow; tail long,
+bushy, and pointed. The fur varies in different individuals, both in
+color and fineness.
+
+This animal lurks in the thick woods, where its prey—Squirrels, Mice,
+Birds and their eggs—abound. It feeds likewise on Insects, Fish and the
+smaller Reptiles, and also on berries, nuts and honey. It is active and
+sprightly, and we are told by Dr. Godman that the Pine Marten frequently
+has his den in the hollows of trees, but very commonly takes possession
+of the nest of some industrious Squirrel, which it enlarges to suit its
+convenience, after putting the builder to death.
+
+These animals are caught for the sake of their fur, which is, however,
+inferior to that of the Sable Marten. A Partridge’s head with the
+feathers is the best bait for the log traps in which this animal is
+taken. It often destroys the hoards of meat and fish laid up by the
+natives, when they have accidentally left a crevice by which it can
+enter.
+
+The Marten, when its retreat is cut off, shows its teeth, sets up its
+hair, arches its back, and makes a hissing noise like a cat. It will
+seize a dog by the nose, and bite so hard that, unless the latter is
+accustomed to the fight, it allows the animal to escape.
+
+It may be easily tamed, and it soon acquires an attachment to its
+master, but it never becomes docile. Its flesh is occasionally eaten,
+though it is not prized by the Indians.
+
+
+                              THE OTTERS.
+
+[Illustration: OTTER FISHING FOR HIS DINNER.]
+
+The Otters prefer to live in or near the water, and they are formed to
+find great enjoyment in this life. Their webbed feet, their slender
+shape and flattened head make them very active in darting through the
+water for their prey. They are usually found along the edges of lakes,
+rivers and streams, where they either dig out a burrow communicating
+with the water, or make their home in some natural crevice near the bank
+of the stream. They feed principally upon fish, and they cause a great
+deal of trouble in the waters near their home, as they are not satisfied
+with killing simply to satisfy their hunger, but often hunt and kill the
+Fish, etc., simply for the sake of killing.
+
+Unlike the most of the Weasel family, the Otters will eat vegetables,
+although they prefer an animal diet. The skin of the Otter has always
+been a fur of great value, for it is soft, close and durable. The coat
+of this animal, like that of the Beaver and almost all of the aquatic
+Mammals, is composed of two layers—the one next to the skin formed of
+short, fine, downy hair; the other, which grows through it, is more
+glossy, longer and coarser.
+
+Otters are found in all parts of the world, but they are most plentiful
+in Europe and America. The Common Otter measures about two feet and a
+quarter from the tip of the nose to the tail—which is from twelve to
+fifteen inches in length. The usual color of the fur is brown, shading
+to darker tints.
+
+In Kamschatka and on the coasts of the North Pacific Ocean, there exists
+a species of Otter, which differs from all other species in the softness
+and brilliancy of its fur, and its living almost entirely in the water.
+It measures more than a yard in length and is very mild in disposition.
+The skins of the Sea Otters are very high in price, and are increasing
+in value, as these animals are becoming very scarce.
+
+
+
+
+                           THE CIVET FAMILY.
+
+
+The Civets are the best known of the family classed as the Viverridae
+which comprises not only the two kinds of Civets—the African and the
+Indian Civet—but the Mangousts, the Genets and many small relatives. The
+Civets are the largest of this family, although they are not often
+larger than a Fox. For many years they were very popular, because of the
+perfume which they furnish and which bears their name. This is secreted
+in small glands which pour it into a double pouch. Since musk has become
+better known, the use of the Civet has been less popular, but at one
+time it formed a valuable article of trade. Each year Africa and India
+exported to Europe large quantities which was used in medicine and
+perfumery.
+
+The Indian Civet inhabits not only the Indian Continent, but also the
+neighboring islands. It differs from the African Civet in having a
+longer and rougher coat. Both are fawn-colored, marked with stripes or
+brown spots.
+
+
+                             THE MANGOUSTS.
+
+[Illustration: MANGOUSTS.]
+
+These are small animals found in the warmest parts of Africa and Asia.
+They have a low body, but are very rapid in their movements, and their
+legs are so short, they have the appearance of crawling rapidly along
+the ground instead of running. Their tail is long and thick at the root,
+and their skin is silky and marked with colored rings.
+
+The Mangousts make their home in marshy places where there are plenty of
+Reptiles. They prefer these to any other food, although they attack
+small animals and Birds. They also search for the eggs of Reptiles, and
+such Birds as build on the ground. They sometimes manage to get into
+poultry yards, when, like the Ferrets and Weasels, they kill all that
+can be found, only eating their brains and drinking their blood.
+
+
+                              THE GENETS.
+
+[Illustration: GENETS.]
+
+The Genets are handsomer little animals than others of this family.
+Their silky fur, speckled with black spots on a fawn-colored ground, has
+a very pretty appearance, and is an object of considerable trade.
+
+The Common Genet is found in the south of France and Spain, and
+throughout the African Continent, and makes its home in low grounds near
+the rivers. The claws of the Genets are retractile, that is, capable of
+being drawn back, like those of the Cat. These animals are very
+successful in hunting Rats and Mice, and they also climb trees and hunt
+for young Birds.
+
+
+
+
+                         AMPHIBIOUS CARNIVORA.
+
+
+The Seals, Walruses, Sea-Elephants and Sea-Lions, etc., are grouped in a
+family known as the Amphibious Carnivora—or the flesh-eating animals
+that live both on the land and in the water. Some Naturalists object to
+this classification, and say that the word Amphibia should only be
+applied to the Batrachians—like the Frogs and the Reptiles that can
+breath either in the water by means of gills, or in the air by means of
+lungs.
+
+But this expression has been altered from its true meaning, and what are
+now called Amphibia, are the animals like the Seals, etc., which are
+organized for living in the water, but which can, with difficulty move
+about on the land.
+
+Very curious animals are found in the Seal family. Their bodies are long
+and cylinder-shaped, with many of the characteristics of the Fishes; and
+their limbs are converted into fins by being provided with broad
+connecting webs. The fur of these various animals is composed of a
+woolly compact coat, the thickness and fineness of which increases with
+the severity of the climate they inhabit; and which is covered by rather
+coarse hairs lubricated with oil, the object of which is to prevent the
+water from penetrating to the skin. A thick layer of fat protects the
+body against cold, especially in the species which inhabit the frigid
+regions.
+
+The Seal family live in numerous troops, and feed on Fishes, Mollusks,
+Crustaceans, etc. They are famous divers, and although they must come to
+the surface to breathe, they can remain a long time under water. This is
+explained by a peculiarity in their circulation. They are provided with
+reservoirs in which the blood accumulates while the lungs are inactive;
+and the animal is not suffocated while under water, because suffocation
+only comes from the stoppage of circulation as soon as the breathing is
+suspended, and in this case the circulation continues all the time the
+animal is under water; and it is only when the blood overruns these
+reservoirs that it is necessary for them to return to the surface of the
+water to breathe.
+
+Owing to this precaution of nature the Amphibia can wander freely about
+in the depths of the ocean in search of their food.
+
+As their members are badly fitted for locomotion on land, the Amphibia
+only leave the water when they want to sleep, or while their babies are
+very young, and feed on the mother’s milk. But these clumsy little
+fellows soon grow strong enough to dive to the bottom of the ocean with
+their mother, and search for food among the small Fishes, etc.
+
+The Amphibia do not live in very warm regions, and they increase more
+and more in number in proportion as one advances towards the poles. They
+are found on the coasts of Europe—in the North Seas, the British Channel
+and the Mediterranean; and in southern latitudes of the Pacific, along
+the coast of Southern Chili and upon the shores of New Zealand.
+
+
+                            THE COMMON SEAL.
+
+[Illustration: COMMON SEAL.]
+
+The Common Seal, a species frequently seen upon our northern coasts,
+measures from three to five feet in length, and is of a yellowish grey
+color, spotted with patches of brown. These animals are met with in
+greater numbers as we approach the Arctic seas, and afford the principal
+means of support to the Esquimaux of Labrador, and the inhabitants of
+the coast of Greenland.
+
+“The Seal,” says Mr. Low, “swims with vast rapidity, and before a gale
+of wind is full of frolic, jumping and tumbling about, sometimes wholly
+throwing itself above water, performing many awkward gambols, and at
+last retiring to a rock or cavern, of which it keeps possession till the
+storm is over.
+
+“Seals seem to have a great deal of curiosity; if people are passing in
+boats, they often come quite close up to the boat, and stare at them,
+following for a long time together. The church of Hay, in Orkney, is
+situated near a small sandy bay, much frequented by these creatures, and
+I observed when the bell rang for divine service, all the creatures
+within hearing swam directly for the shore, and kept looking about them
+as if surprised rather than frightened, and in this manner continued to
+wonder as long as the bell rang.”
+
+They are exceedingly docile and intelligent, and when tamed will be
+quite friendly with the Esquimaux Dogs and spend much of their time with
+them on the icy shore.
+
+
+                             THE SEA-LIONS.
+
+[Illustration: Sea Lions in Battle.]
+
+The Seals belonging to this group differ from the others in having
+prominent external ears. The fingers of the front flippers are nearly
+stiff and immovable, while those of the hind pair are considerably
+extended by a web, and supported by small flattened claws.
+
+The Sea-Lion, or Maned Seal, is an animal of gigantic size, measuring
+from fifteen to twenty feet in length, or even more; it is of a dull
+tawny color, and the neck of the male is covered with a sort of mane,
+composed of hair considerably longer and more crisp than that which
+covers the rest of the body. These formidable creatures are extensively
+distributed along the coasts of the Pacific ocean, more especially in
+the vicinity of the Straits of Magellan, and the neighboring islands.
+After choosing their home, the Sea-Lions will fight fiercely for the
+rights of possession, and, as illustrated on page 87; this is probably
+one of the most interesting and clumsy battles that can well be
+imagined.
+
+
+                           THE SEA-ELEPHANTS.
+
+[Illustration: SEA ELEPHANTS.]
+
+The appearance of the Seals belonging to this group are very curious.
+The head is broad and short, with a tuft of bristles over each eye. The
+upper lip is longer than the lower; the nostrils are wrinkled, and can
+be blown up into a crest. The whiskers are very long; the fore-feet are
+rather small and oblong, with five elongated claws.
+
+The Sea-Elephant is very numerous in the southern latitudes of the
+Pacific, more especially upon the coasts of Terra del Fuego and Chili,
+as well as upon the shores of New Zealand. The full-grown creature
+measures eighteen to twenty feet in length, and from the abundance of
+oil obtained from its carcass, is the subject of important fisheries.
+
+
+                          THE WALRUS OR MORSE.
+
+[Illustration: WALRUS.]
+
+These enormous animals closely resemble seals, both in the shape of
+their body and the structure of their limbs, but are distinguished by
+the shape of their head, and by the enormous tusks which project from
+their upper jaw. These remarkable weapons sometimes measure two feet in
+length, and are of proportionate thickness. The great size of the bones
+of the face required for holding these teeth renders their appearance
+peculiarly striking, their nostrils being pushed so far upwards that,
+instead of being situated at the extremity of the snout, they are placed
+near the top of the head.
+
+Their food seems to consist of sea-weed (which they detach from the soil
+by means of these tusks, which act like garden rakes), as well as of
+animal substances. They frequently measure from twenty to twenty-five
+feet in length, and a full-sized Bull Walrus, weighing three thousand
+pounds, will yield six hundred pounds of blubber, from which excellent
+oil is procured. Its hide is used for harness, shoe soles, and the
+rigging of ships, as well as for the manufacture of glue.
+
+
+
+
+                 CHIEROPTERA—ANIMALS WITH WINGED-HANDS.
+
+
+FOR a long time these curious little animals puzzled the Naturalists.
+Aristotle defined them as Birds with wings of skin. After him, Pliny and
+other Naturalists fell into the same error of classifying them with the
+Birds; but after many centuries the different characters that fix the
+rank of these animals in the scale of created beings are well known, and
+they are placed where they belong, in the great family of Mammals, and
+classed as the Cheiroptera, or animals with winged-hands—as the word
+Cheiroptera comes from two Greek words meaning wing and hand.
+
+All the fingers of the hand (with the exception of the thumb, which is
+short, has a nail, and is quite free) are immoderately long, and united
+by means of a transparent membrane which is without hair. This membrane
+covers also the arm and forearm, and is simply a prolongation of the
+skin of the flanks, composed of two very thin layers. It also extends
+down the hind legs, where it is more or less developed, according to the
+species; but it never reaches the toes of the feet, which are short and
+have nails.
+
+It is owing to this membranous sail that Bats direct their course
+through the air in the same manner as Birds. When they are at rest they
+fold their wings around them, covering their bodies as if in a mantle,
+similar to our closing an umbrella to diminish its volume when it is no
+longer required. This comparison is still more exact when we note that
+the curiously long fingers of the animal perfectly correspond to the
+ribs or rods of the umbrella.
+
+Bats do not descend to the ground if it can possibly be helped, for they
+are very awkward and slow in attempting to walk along the ground; and
+besides this, when on the ground they find themselves in a very
+inconvenient position to resume their flight. Their case is then almost
+the same as that of high-soaring Birds, which, full of grace and
+assurance aloft, are compelled to resort to the most painful efforts to
+ascend again from low levels.
+
+The Bats are classed as nocturnal animals, as they hunt their prey at
+night, and spend the day in caverns, lofts, church spires and old ruins,
+or the trunks of trees. Their eyes, although small, are organized for
+seeing, not in complete darkness but in the twilight, or in the feeble
+light of the moon and stars.
+
+
+                          THE LONG-EARED BATS.
+
+[Illustration: LONG EARED BATS.]
+
+The Long-eared Bat is one of the most interesting of the whole race. Its
+ears are twice as long as its head, and very nearly as long as the body,
+being an inch and a half from the base to the point. Within these large
+ears are what are known as the lesser ears, which are fine and
+transparent, and can be expanded and contracted by their owner to
+produce a beautiful feathery appearance, or festoon-like foldings.
+
+This Bat measures about eighteen inches from tip to tip of its expanded
+wings.
+
+
+                          THE LONG-NOSED BATS.
+
+[Illustration: LONG NOSED BATS.]
+
+There are several varieties of these Bats having a long nose and
+Fox-like face. The best known is commonly called Roussette by the
+French, because of its being generally of a red or brown color; and
+Kalony, or Flying Fox, by the English. It is the largest of the Bat
+family. There are some which attain the size of a Squirrel, and
+sometimes measure four feet across the wings.
+
+The animals belonging to this family inhabit Africa, Asia and the
+Oceanic Islands.
+
+
+                             THE VAMPIRES.
+
+The Vampires are the most dreaded of the Bat family. They are
+characterized by two nasal leaves situated above the upper lip.
+Wonderful tales have been told of their appetite for blood, and although
+their power of sucking the blood of the larger animals has been
+exaggerated, the tales concerning them are by no means devoid of
+foundation, neither are we surprised that such spectral visitants should
+have received the once terrible name of “vampire,” by which they are
+designated.
+
+Mr. Gardner, during his travels in the interior of Brazil, stopped at
+Riachao. He says:
+
+“For several nights before we reached this place, the Horses were
+greatly annoyed by Bats, which are very numerous on this sierra, where
+they inhabit the caves in the limestone rocks; during the night we
+remained at Riachao the whole of my troop suffered more from their
+attacks than they had done before on any previous occasion. All
+exhibited one or more streams of clotted blood on their shoulders and
+backs, which had run from the wounds made by these animals, and from
+which they had sucked their fill of blood.
+
+“When a small sore exists on the back of a Horse, they always prefer
+making an incision in that place. The owner of the house where we
+stopped informed me he was not able to rear Cattle here, on account of
+the destruction made by the Bats among the Calves, so that he was
+obliged to keep them at a distance, in a lower part of the country; even
+the Pigs were not able to escape their attacks.”
+
+These singular creatures, which are productive of so much annoyance, are
+peculiar to the continent of America, being distributed over the immense
+extent of territory between Paraguay and the Isthmus of Darien. Their
+tongue, which is capable of considerable extension, is furnished at its
+extremity with papillae, which appear to be so arranged as to form an
+organ of suction, and their lips have also tubercles symmetrically
+arranged. These are the organs by which they draw the life-blood both
+from man and beast. These animals are the famous Vampires of which
+various travellers have given such wonderful accounts.
+
+Gardner says: “The molar teeth of the true Vampire, or Spectre Bat, are
+of the most carnivorous character, the first being short and almost
+plain, the others sharp and cutting, and terminating in two or three
+points. Their rough tongue has been supposed to be the instrument
+employed for abrading the skin, so as to enable them more readily to
+abstract the blood; but Zoologists are now agreed that such supposition
+is altogether groundless. Having carefully examined in many cases the
+wounds thus made on Horses, Mules, Pigs and other animals, observations
+that have been confirmed by information received from the inhabitants of
+the northern parts of Brazil, I am led to believe that the puncture the
+Vampire makes in the skin of animals is effected by the sharp hooked
+nail of its thumb, and that from the wound thus made it abstracts the
+blood by the suctorial powers of its lips and tongue. That these animals
+attack men is certain, for I have frequently been shown the scars of
+their punctures in the toes of many who had suffered from their attacks,
+but I never met with a recent case. They grow to a large size, and I
+have killed some that measure two feet between the tips of the wings.”
+
+A very similar account of the Vampires is given by Humboldt:
+
+“Our great Dog was bitten, or as the Indians say, stung at the point of
+the nose by some enormous Bats that hovered round our hammocks. The
+Dog’s wound was very small and round, and though he uttered a plaintive
+cry when he felt himself bitten, it was not from pain, but because he
+was frightened at the sight of the Bats, which came out from beneath our
+hammocks. These accidents are much more rare than is believed even in
+the country itself. In the course of several years, notwithstanding we
+slept so often in the open air, in climates where Vampire Bats and other
+species are so common, we were never wounded. Besides, the puncture is
+in no way dangerous, and in general causes so little pain that it often
+does not awaken the person till after the Bat has withdrawn.”
+
+
+
+
+                       INSECTIVORA—INSECT-EATERS.
+
+
+THE quadrupeds which compose this small but numerous group live
+principally upon insects, and have their molar teeth studded with sharp
+points. The habits of the different families are extremely varied. Some
+for instance, like the Hedgehog, seek their food on the ground, while
+others like the Tupaia, hunt for it on trees. The Moles, on the other
+hand, find their subsistence deep in the soil, and live entirely under
+the ground; while the Desmans, and some species of the Shrew Mice live
+in or near the water.
+
+The Insect-eaters are usually divided into three families—the various
+kinds of Moles, which are too well known to require special description;
+the Shrew Mice and their numerous small relatives, including the Water,
+the Oared and the Elephant Shrew, the Desmans, etc.; and the
+Hedgehogs—including the Long-eared and the Common Hedgehog, the Tupaia,
+and other members of this curious prickly family.
+
+
+                              THE SHREWS.
+
+The Common Shrew is a pretty little creature, remarkable for its square
+tail, which is about two-thirds as long as the body. It lives in
+meadows, and has been falsely accused by the ignorant of causing by its
+bite a disease in Horses, and even of witchcraft. The truth seems to be
+that the Shrew has a strong and peculiar odor, which is very repugnant
+to Cats; they drive away and kill the Shrew Mouse, but never eat it. It
+is apparently this circumstance that has been the origin of the
+prejudice against the supposed venomous bite of this animal, and of the
+danger of its attacking Cattle, as well as Horses. It is, however,
+neither venomous nor capable of biting, for it cannot open its mouth
+sufficiently wide to seize the double thickness of an animal’s skin,
+which is especially necessary in biting; and the Horse malady attributed
+by the ignorant to the bite of the Shrew Mouse is a swelling which
+proceeds from an internal cause, and has nothing to do with the bite, or
+rather puncture, of this little creature. Its usual abodes, especially
+in winter, are hay-lofts, stables and barns attached to farm yards; it
+lives upon insects and decayed animal substances.
+
+
+                           THE WATER-SHREWS.
+
+These little animals are slightly larger than the real Shrews, which
+they very much resemble, and from which they are further distinguishable
+by the facility with which they swim and dive, owing to the fringed
+condition of their feet.
+
+The Water-shrew frequents fresh, clear streams and ponds, constructing
+in their banks long winding burrows, terminating in a chamber lined with
+moss and grass. “When born they are,” Mr. Austen tells us, “curious
+pinky-white little creatures, but very unlike their parents.” A small
+colony of these Shrews frequently inhabit the same spot, and towards the
+cool of the evening may be observed searching for food, and sporting
+with each other in the water; now hiding behind stones or large leaves,
+as if to elude their companions, and then darting out to engage in a
+general skirmishing chase, diving and swimming with the greatest
+activity, and occasionally taking a plunge into their holes. By
+constantly traversing the same ground, in going and returning from their
+burrows, they gradually tread down a path among the grass and herbage,
+by which their presence may readily be discovered by an experienced eye.
+When under water, their fur is covered with multitudes of tiny
+air-bubbles that shine like silver and have a beautiful effect when seen
+against the dark surface of the body.
+
+
+                          THE ELEPHANT SHREW.
+
+[Illustration: THE ELEPHANT SHREW.]
+
+This little creature has received its name from its long nose which
+somewhat resembles the trunk of the Elephant on a small scale. This
+species is found in South America, where they may be seen in search of
+prey among the bushes, retiring quickly to their burrows when they find
+themselves observed. They are leaping animals, and love to sit erect,
+basking in the full heat of the sun.
+
+
+                             THE HEDGEHOGS.
+
+[Illustration: HEDGEHOGS.]
+
+The Hedgehogs owe their name to the singular texture of their hair,
+which consists of real spines, capable of being thrown erect at the will
+of the animal. They frequent the woods and hedgerows, living in a burrow
+excavated in some bank, wherein it passes the winter in a lethargic
+condition. It lives principally upon insects, but does not refuse fruits
+and other vegetable substances. Hedgehogs do not stir out during the
+day, but they run or walk about the whole night long. They rarely
+approach dwellings, and prefer elevated and dry places, although they
+are sometimes found in meadows. If laid hold of, they do not try to
+escape or defend themselves, either with their mouth or feet, but they
+roll themselves up into a ball as soon as touched.
+
+As they sleep during winter, the provisions which they are said by some
+to accumulate during the summer would be useless to them. They do not
+eat much, and pass a considerable time without food.
+
+Their flesh is sometimes eaten by the gipsy race, who envelope the
+carcass in soft clay, and then roast it among the heaped fuel of their
+camp-fire.
+
+
+
+
+                     EDENTATA—TOOTHLESS QUADRUPEDS.
+
+
+THIS order is usually known as the Edentata, which means animals which
+are toothless; and yet this does not infer that all the animals included
+in this group are completely devoid of teeth, although this really is
+the case with several species—but in the majority of these animals only
+the incisors are missing, so that there is an empty space in the front
+of their jaws.
+
+All the animals of this group have their limbs terminated by very strong
+claws, which are used for climbing or scratching. Some of these animals
+instead of being clothed with hair, are covered with scales—a
+peculiarity which adds to the strangeness of their appearance; they are
+all rather clumsy in form, slow in their motions and possessed of very
+little intelligence.
+
+Their habits and manner of feeding differ much in the various
+families—some living on vegetables, others on animal substances; some
+burrowing in holes, others living on trees. All are natives of the warm
+regions, both of the Old and New World; and the larger number of them
+are found in South America. They never attain great size, the largest
+species measuring about three feet in length, not including the tail.
+
+The Edentata, or Toothless Quadrupeds, include five families—the Sloths,
+Armadillos, Ant-eaters, Aard-vark and Pangolins.
+
+
+
+
+                           THE SLOTH FAMILY.
+
+
+[Illustration: SLOTHS.]
+
+The Sloths are a strange kind of animal, which, from their more
+prominent characteristics and climbing habits, were for a long time
+classed among the Monkeys. When they are examined on the ground they
+appear deformed and incapable of active motion, for they can only move
+with extreme slowness. This peculiarity is the origin of their name. In
+fact, their fore-legs are so much longer than the hind ones, that in
+walking they are obliged to drag themselves along on their knees.
+
+But if we follow its motions on a tree, in the midst of those conditions
+of existence which are natural to it, the Sloth leaves on our mind a
+very different impression. We then recognize that there is in them no
+want of harmony, and that they, like every other creature, possess the
+means of protecting themselves from the attacks of their enemies. They
+embrace the branches with their strong arms, and bury in the bark the
+enormous claws which terminate their four limbs.
+
+As the last joint of their toes is movable, they can bend them to a
+certain extent, and thus convert their claws into powerful hooks, which
+enable them to hang on trees. Hidden in the densest foliage, they browse
+at their ease on all that surrounds them; or, firmly fixed by three of
+their legs, they use the fourth to gather the fruit and convey it to
+their mouths. Their coat is harsh, abundant and long; and they have
+neither tail nor any visible external ear. They are natives of the
+forests of South America; the two best known being the Unau and the Ai,
+which are found in Guiana, Brazil, Peru and Columbia.
+
+
+                            THE ARMADILLOS.
+
+[Illustration: ARMADILLOS.]
+
+This family is remarkable for the very peculiar nature of their coat,
+which, at first sight, might lead to their being taken for Reptiles.
+Instead of being clad in hair, like other Mammals, they have the upper
+part of the head, the top and sides of the body and the tail protected
+by a scaly covering, very hard in its nature. This covering is composed
+of a number of bony plates, arranged in parallel rows and of various
+shapes; it is not separate from the skin, but forms a very curious
+modification of it. On the head, and fore-part of the body, these plates
+are firmly fixed to one another; but on the middle of the back they are
+possessed of a certain amount of mobility, so as to move one over the
+other. In this way, the animal has the power of executing various
+bending and stretching movements, for instance, of rolling itself up
+into a ball whenever it is attacked.
+
+When pursued it makes hastily for its burrow, but if unable to gain it,
+or to dig a temporary retreat, it partially rolls itself into a ball,
+and allows itself to be turned about by its enemy without attempting to
+move. The Armadillo, we are told, in Nicaragua is kept not only by the
+people of the ranches, but by the inhabitants of some of the little
+towns, to free their houses from ants, which it can follow by scent.
+When searching for ants about a house, the animal puts out its tongue
+and licks the ants into its mouth from around the posts on which the
+houses are raised a little above the ground. It has been known to dig
+down under the floors, and remain absent for three or four weeks at a
+time. They are said to dig down in a straight direction when they
+discover a subterranean colony of ants, without beginning at the mouth
+or entrance of the ant-hole. They are very persevering when in pursuit
+of ants; and while they turn up light soil with the snout, keep the
+tongue busy taking the insects. The burrows of this Armadillo are
+several feet long, winding and generally dug at an angle of 45 degrees.
+The South American negroes, however, dig them up from their holes,
+whither they have been driven by Dogs. Their flesh is considered very
+delicate, and is roasted in the shell.
+
+
+                            THE ANT-EATERS.
+
+[Illustration: ANT-EATER OR ANT BEAR.]
+
+The Ant-eaters feed upon a variety of insects. They are specially
+organized for procuring this food. Completely destitute of teeth, the
+head is terminated by an elongated tube, which encloses a very long
+tongue, something like a worm. This slender tongue, being darted into
+the ant-hills, all the interstices where the insects take refuge yield
+numerous victims, which adhere to it through the gummy secretion with
+which it is covered. The Ant-eaters are armed with sharp claws, useful
+both as instruments for scratching and weapons of defence.
+
+The most remarkable species is the Great Ant-eater, the largest of the
+family. It grows to more than a yard and a half in length, from the tip
+of its long nose to its tail. Its coat is rough, abundant and of a dark
+color. The tail, covered with very long and extremely bushy hair, has
+the power of being raised like a plume, and is more than a yard in
+length. The strength of this animal is so great that it can defend
+itself successfully against the ferocious Jaguar, which it either hugs,
+like a Bear, or tears to pieces with its formidable claws.
+
+It lives in damp forests in which its insect food is most abundant.
+
+There are two other species of the Ant-eater, which live more or less on
+trees and enjoy, on this account, one of the characteristics which are
+peculiar to American Monkeys—that of grasping branches firmly with the
+tail, a portion of which is bare of hair underneath, and capable of
+being twisted round any object. These species are the Tamandua, an
+Ant-eater about three feet long, which divides its time between the
+ground and the thick foliage of trees; and the Little, or Two-toed
+Ant-eater, so called because it has only two toes, instead of four, on
+the front feet. This latter species is a native of Brazil and Guiana. It
+but seldom descends to the ground, and is not much larger than a Rat.
+
+
+                             THE PANGOLINS.
+
+The Pangolins are also Ant-eaters, but the peculiar nature of the
+covering of their bodies will not allow them to be classed with the
+preceding family. The hair of their coat is glued together so as to form
+large scales, inserted in the skin in nearly the same way as the nails
+of a Man, and lapping one over the other, like the slates of a roof.
+From their strong resemblance to Reptiles, the name Scaly Lizard has
+been applied to these creatures.
+
+The Pangolin (from the Javanese word Pangoeling, meaning to roll into a
+ball) have short legs, furnished with stout claws; they are devoid of
+any external ear and have no trace of teeth. Their method of feeding is
+exactly the same as that of the Ant-eaters; but their head, although
+elongated in shape, is not quite so long, and their tongue is less
+slender.
+
+They dwell in forests, where they dig burrows, or lodge in the hollow of
+trees. When they are attacked, they roll themselves into a ball, like
+the Armadillo; at the same time their scales are erected, forming an
+impregnable buckler. This family possesses several species.
+
+The Pangolins are of medium size; they never exceed a yard in length.
+They are natives of the Old World exclusively; India and the Malay
+Isles, the south of China, and a great part of Africa, are the regions
+in which they are usually found.
+
+Although the animals look at first sight like curious, heavy-bodied
+Lizards, they have warm blood, and nourish their young like the rest of
+the Mammalia. The Pangolin lives in burrows in the earth, or sometimes
+in the large hollows of colossal trees which have fallen to the ground.
+The burrows are usually made in light soil on the slope of a hill. There
+are two holes to each gallery: One for entrance, and another for exit.
+This is quite necessary on account of the animal being quite incapable
+of curving its body sideways, so that it cannot turn itself in its
+burrow.
+
+The bodies of Pangolins are very flexible vertically—that is, they can
+roll themselves up into a ball, and coil and uncoil themselves very
+readily—but they cannot turn round within the confined limits of their
+burrows.
+
+“In hunting them,” says M. Du Chaillu, “we had first to ascertain by the
+foot-marks, or more readily by the marks left by the trail of the tail,
+which was the entrance and which the exit of the burrow, and then making
+a trap at one end, drive them out by the smoke of a fire at the other,
+afterwards securing them with ropes.
+
+“Their flesh is good eating. Those I captured were very lean, but I was
+informed by the natives that they are sometimes very fat.”
+
+
+
+
+                      RODENTIA—GNAWING QUADRUPEDS.
+
+
+THE order of animals to which the well known and widely distributed Rats
+and Mice belong, is a very large one, including animals that are
+adapted, according to the genus, either for running, jumping, climbing,
+flying or swimming. They are armed with sharp claws, enabling them to
+climb trees or burrow in the earth. But the special characteristic of
+all the animals of this group, is that they possess only two kinds of
+teeth—incisors and molars. The incisors, two in number, in front of each
+jaw, are very remarkable. Their office is to cut, as with shears, roots
+and branches, and they are wonderfully constructed for this purpose.
+These teeth are long, stout and curved, and being covered with enamel on
+their front face only, they wear away more behind than in front; and by
+rubbing one against the other naturally form a bevelled edge. They
+therefore keep a hard edge that is always sharp-cutting, ready for
+sawing through or gnawing tough substances.
+
+Another strange thing about these teeth is that they always keep the
+same length, notwithstanding their continual wear. The fact is, they
+have no roots, and grow from the base in the same proportion as they are
+worn away at the top.
+
+Many of the Gnawing Quadrupeds have their hind limbs much larger than
+the front ones, so that they leap rather than walk, giving them the
+appearance of the Kangaroo and others belonging to the Marsupial family.
+The animals of the Rodent order feed mainly on seeds, fruit, leaves,
+grasses and occasionally on roots and bark. Some of them, however, such
+as the Rat, are omnivorous, and will even eat flesh.
+
+A great number of the Rodents have their bodies covered with fine, soft
+and prettily-colored hair. For instance, the small Grey Squirrel and the
+Chinchilla both furnish furs of value; and the coats of the Beaver and
+the Rabbit are used in some of our manufactures.
+
+The Rodents are not usually divided into very distinct families, as
+their natural characteristics are not clearly marked. In the family of
+Rats and Mice a large number may be grouped. These form the Mus species,
+from the Latin, Mus, meaning Mouse or Rat. The most of the members of
+this family are too well known to require more than mere mention. This
+family includes besides what are known as the Rats and Mice proper, the
+Field Rats and Mice, the Dormice, Ondatras, Musquash or Musk Rats,
+Lemmings, Hamster Rats and Jerboa Rats.
+
+Grouped with the Chinchillas we find the Lagotis, the Viscacha, and the
+Ctenomys. Then come the Porcupine family, the family of Ground Hogs,
+Guinea Pigs and the Agoutis. The Beavers and the extensive Squirrel
+family are then followed by the Marmots and Woodchucks, the Prairie
+Dogs, and the large family of Hares and Rabbits.
+
+
+                              THE BEAVERS.
+
+[Illustration: BEAVERS.]
+
+These animals, which are celebrated all over the world for their
+industrious habits and their intelligence, do not possess a very
+pleasing appearance. The thick-set shape of the large head, small eyes,
+cloven upper lip which shows its powerful incisors, the long and wide
+tail, flattened like a spatula and covered with scales—combine to give
+the animal an awkward appearance. The hind feet are larger than the
+fore, and are fully webbed.
+
+The Common Beaver is an aquatic animal; the structure of its feet and
+tail enables it to swim with perfect facility. As these animals live
+principally upon the bark of trees and other hard substances, their
+front teeth are excessively strong, and by their assistance they are
+enabled to cut down trees of considerable size, to be used in the
+construction of the curious edifices for the erection of which they have
+been long celebrated. Their mode of building, as adopted by the Beaver
+of America, is described by Hearne with great exactness.
+
+“The situation chosen is various where the Beavers are numerous. They
+tenant lakes, rivers and creeks, especially the two latter for the sake
+of the current, of which they avail themselves in the transportation of
+materials. They also choose such parts as have a depth of water beyond
+the freezing power to congeal at the bottom. In small rivers or creeks
+in which the water is liable to be drained off when the back supplies
+are dried up by the frost, they are led by instinct to make a dam quite
+across the river, at a convenient distance from their houses, thus
+artificially procuring a deep body of water in which to build.
+
+“The dam varies in shape; where the current is gentle it is carried out
+straight, but where rapid it is bowed, presenting a convexity to the
+current. The materials used are drift wood, green willows, birch and
+poplar, if they can be secured, and also mud and stones. These are
+intermixed without order, the only aim being to carry out the work with
+a regular sweep, and to make the whole of equal strength.
+
+“Old dams by frequent repairing become a solid bank, capable of
+resisting a great force of water and ice; and as the willows, poplars
+and birches take root and shoot up, they form by degrees a sort of thick
+hedgerow, often of considerable height. Of the same materials the houses
+themselves are built, and in size proportionate to the number of their
+respective inhabitants, which seldom exceeds four old and six or eight
+young ones. The houses, however, are ruder in structure than the dam,
+the only aim being to have a dry place to lie upon, and perhaps feed in.
+
+“When the houses are large it often happens that they are divided by
+partitions into two or three, or even more compartments, which have in
+general no communication except by water; such may be called double or
+treble houses rather than houses divided. Each compartment is inhabited
+by its own possessors, who know their own door, and have no connection
+with their neighbors, more than a friendly intercourse and joining with
+them in the necessary labor of building.
+
+“So far are the Beavers from driving stakes, as some have said, into the
+ground when building, that they lay most of the wood crosswise, and
+nearly horizontal, without any order than that of leaving a cavity in
+the middle, and when any unnecessary branches project they cut them off
+with their chisel-like teeth and throw them in among the rest to prevent
+the mud from falling in; with this is mixed mud and stones, and the
+whole compacted together. The bank affords them the mud, or the bottom
+of the creek, and they carry it, as well as the stones, under their
+throat, by the aid of their fore-paws; the wood they drag along with
+their teeth.
+
+“They always work during the night, and have been known during a single
+night to have accumulated as much mud as amounted to some thousands of
+their little handfuls. Every fall they cover the outsides of their
+houses with fresh mud, and as late in the autumn as possible, even when
+the frost has set in, as by this means it soon becomes frozen as hard as
+a stone, and prevents their most formidable enemy, the Wolverine, or
+Glutton, from disturbing them during the winter. In laying on this coat
+of mud, they do not make use of their broad flat tails, as has been
+asserted—a mistake which has arisen from their habit of giving a flap
+with the tail when plunging from the outside of the house into the
+water, and when they are startled, as well as at other times. The
+houses, when completed, are dome-shaped, with walls several feet thick.”
+
+
+                         THE PORCUPINE FAMILY.
+
+
+[Illustration: PORCUPINES.]
+
+The Porcupines are singular animals, endowed with a very peculiar
+faculty, that of causing their body, which is covered with quills, to
+bristle up, and thus forming for themselves a formidable armor. The
+small family of Porcupines is divided into four genera—Porcupines
+proper, the Brush-Tailed Porcupine, the Canadian Porcupine and the
+Prehensile Porcupines.
+
+
+                           COMMON PORCUPINES.
+
+The species often called the Crested Porcupine, inhabits Italy, Greece,
+Spain, Northern Africa, and different parts of Asia. We shall describe
+it, which will serve to characterize the whole genus.
+
+This Porcupine is one of the largest Rodents; its average length exceeds
+twenty-four inches. The principal features are very powerful upper
+incisors, short thick toes, furnished with strong claws, a large head,
+small eyes, short ears, a slightly split mouth, and thick-set shape,
+combined with an awkward and clumsy gait.
+
+The body of this animal is covered with pointed quills from eight to
+nine inches long. By means of the action of an enormous muscle, which
+moves at the will of the animal, these can bristle up and radiate in all
+directions. The tail is rudimentary, and is not, like the back, covered
+with quills, but with entirely hollow, white tubes, which produce a
+sharp sound when they clash together. The muzzle is furnished with long
+and strong whiskers; the head and neck are covered with flexible hair,
+which is not prickly, but is susceptible of standing on end.
+
+Under ordinary circumstances, the quills of the Porcupine lie close down
+on its body, and no one would suppose that at a moment’s warning they
+could become formidable weapons. But let anger or fear seize upon the
+animal, and a whole forest of bayonets spring up. If assailed, the
+Porcupine turns its back to the enemy, and places its head between its
+fore-paws, at the same time uttering a hollow grunting noise. If the
+assailant will not be intimidated, the Porcupine endeavors to thrust its
+quills against the body of the foe. The wounds thus inflicted are much
+to be dreaded; for not only are they difficult and tedious to cure, but
+frequently the detached barbs adhering in the flesh are almost
+impossible to extract.
+
+The Porcupine is a shy, solitary and nocturnal animal. It inhabits
+unfrequented localities, and hollows out deep burrows with several
+entrances. At night it comes forth to procure its food, which consists
+of herbs and fruit.
+
+The flesh of the Porcupine is good food, with somewhat the flavor of
+pork. It is, doubtless this similarity, and also the grunting noise
+which it makes, to which it owes its name of Porcupine, as they were
+originally called Porcus Spinatus, or “Prickly Pigs.”
+
+
+                      THE BRUSH-TAILED PORCUPINE.
+
+The Sunda Islands possess a species of Porcupine which is distinguished
+from the preceding by a long tail. This is the Malacca Porcupine, or
+Brush-tailed Porcupine. It is smaller than the common species, and is
+found in Sumatra, Java and Malacca.
+
+
+                        THE CANADIAN PORCUPINE.
+
+America also possesses some species of Porcupines. The most remarkable
+is the Urson, or Canadian Porcupine, which is found north of the 46th
+degree of latitude. It is as large as the European species, and it
+inhabits pine forests, feeding principally on the bark of trees, and its
+den is hollowed out underneath their roots. When attacked, it draws its
+legs beneath its body, sets up its quills, and lashes around with its
+tail.
+
+The Indians hunt it for the sake of its flesh, which is good, and also
+for its skin, from which they make caps, after having plucked out the
+quills, which are used by them for pins.
+
+
+                     PREHENSILE-TAILED PORCUPINES.
+
+Prehensile Porcupines are characterised by a partly bare, prehensile
+tail, and hooked and sharply-pointed claws, which enable them to climb
+trees. Their quills are not long, and are frequently hidden under their
+hair. They have a depressed forehead, and not a prominent one, like that
+of common Porcupines. They are principally met with in South America.
+
+
+
+
+                          THE SQUIRREL FAMILY.
+
+
+The Squirrels are pretty little animals, distinguished by their graceful
+forms and bushy tails. The Common Squirrel lives in tree-tops and feeds
+upon fruit and nuts. During the fine summer nights the voices of the
+Squirrels may be heard, as they chase each other in the tops of the
+trees. They appear to dislike the heat of the sun, and remain during the
+day in their nests, coming out in the evening to play and to feed. The
+nest is warm, neat and impervious to rain; it is generally placed in the
+fork of a tree. They construct it by interlacing twigs with moss,
+pressing and treading on their work to make it firm and capacious, that
+their little ones may repose in safety. The only opening to this nest is
+at the top, just sufficiently wide to allow the Squirrel to pass in and
+out; above the aperture is a kind of conical roof, which completely
+shelters it, and allows no rain to enter the nest.
+
+At the commencement of winter the coat of the Squirrel is renewed, the
+hair being redder than that which falls off. They comb and smooth
+themselves with their paws and teeth, and are very neat.
+
+
+                            GREY SQUIRRELS.
+
+“The Grey Squirrels of North America,” says Audubon, “migrate in
+prodigious numbers, crossing large rivers by swimming with their tails
+extended on the water, and traverse immense tracts of country where food
+is most abundant. During these migrations they are destroyed in vast
+numbers. Their flesh is very white and delicate, and affords excellent
+eating when the animal is young.”
+
+
+                         THE FLYING SQUIRRELS.
+
+The Flying Squirrels are so called from having the skin of the sides
+spread out between the fore and hind legs, so as to constitute a sort of
+parachute, whereby there are enabled to sail through the air to some
+distance, and thus take prodigious leaps from tree to tree.
+
+The Flying Squirrels are gregarious, traveling from one tree to another
+in companies of ten or twelve together. They will fly from sixty to
+eighty yards from one tree to another. They cannot rise in their flight,
+nor keep in a horizontal line, but descend gradually, so that in
+proportion to the distance the tree they intend to fly to is from them,
+so much the higher they mount on the tree they fly from; that they may
+reach some part of the tree, even the lowest part, rather than fall to
+the ground, which exposes them to peril. But having once recovered the
+trunk of a tree, no animal seems nimble enough to take them. Their food
+is that of other Squirrels, including nuts, acorns, pine-seeds, berries,
+&c.
+
+
+                       MARMOTS AND PRAIRIE DOGS.
+
+[Illustration: PRAIRIE DOGS.]
+
+Between the lively, graceful, well-proportioned Squirrels and the
+Marmots, with their squat bodies and sluggish movements, there is a
+great difference. Yet, notwithstanding this, the Marmots are allied to
+the Squirrel.
+
+The Marmots are characterised by very long, powerful incisors, strong
+claws, indicating burrowing habits, and by a tail of medium length,
+somewhat thickly garnished with hair. They have short limbs, and from
+that results the slowness of movement peculiar to them.
+
+The Marmots inhabit different chains of mountains in Europe, Asia and
+North America. They have nearly all the same habits; so that it will
+suffice if we speak of the common species, the only one, in fact, which
+has been well studied.
+
+The Common Marmot lives on the high peaks of the Swiss and Savoy Alps,
+in the vicinity of the glaciers. It forms small societies, composed of
+two or three families, and digs out burrows on the slopes exposed to the
+sun. These burrows have the form of the letter Y; the galleries are so
+very narrow that it is with difficulty the human hand can be inserted
+into them. At the extremity of one of these oblique shafts is found a
+spacious chamber of an oval form, in which the proprietors rest and
+sleep.
+
+The Marmots in a state of nature live exclusively on herbage. They crop
+off the shortest grass with wonderful rapidity. During fine weather they
+love to stretch themselves out, frisk, play or bask in the rays of the
+sun. Remarkable for caution, they never leave their retreats without
+taking the greatest precaution; the old venturing first, after carefully
+inspecting the neighborhood, then the others following. Feeding,
+playing, or basking, they lose nothing of their vigilance, for as soon
+as one has the slightest suspicion of danger, it utters a sharp bark of
+warning, which is quickly repeated by those near it, and in an instant
+the whole band rush into their burrow, or fly towards some place of
+concealment.
+
+After the Alpine Marmot, we may mention the Quebec Marmot, the Maryland
+Marmot, or Woodchuck, which is peculiar to various parts of North
+America, and the Bobac or Poland Marmot.
+
+The Prairie Dog is an allied species, which lives in extensive
+communities in the wild prairies of North America; their villages, as
+the hunters term their burrows, extending sometimes many miles in
+length. They owe their name to the supposed resemblance of their warning
+cry to the bark of small Dog.
+
+
+                           HARES AND RABBITS.
+
+[Illustration: RABBITS.]
+
+The animals composing this family have twenty-two molar teeth, formed of
+vertical layers joined to each other; the ears are very large and
+funnel-shaped, covered with hair externally, almost nude internally; the
+upper lip cleft; the tail is short, furry and ordinarily elevated; the
+hind feet are much longer than those in front, and are provided with
+five toes, while the fore feet have only four; the claws are but little
+developed; the feet are entirely covered with hair, above as well as
+below.
+
+It would be superfluous to describe the Hare in detail; the animal is
+too well known to render it necessary. As, however, it might be
+confounded with the Rabbit, which it much resembles, it may be remarked
+that the Hare has the ears and the thighs longer, the body more slender,
+the head finer, and the coat of a deeper fawn color.
+
+The Hare inhabits hilly or level regions, forest or field; but it is
+most frequently found in flat or slightly elevated districts. It does
+not burrow, but chooses a form or seat, the situation of which varies
+with the season. In summer it is on the hillocks exposed to the north,
+in the shade of heaths or vines; in winter, it is found in sheltered
+places facing the south. It is often found crouched in a furrow between
+two ridges of earth, which have the same color as its coat, so that it
+does not attract attention.
+
+During the daytime, the Hare does not generally stir from its retreat;
+but as soon as the sun approaches the horizon it goes forth to seek
+food—consisting of herbs, roots and leaves. It is very fond of aromatic
+plants, such as thyme, sage and parsley. It is also partial to the bark
+of some varieties of trees.
+
+No animal has so many enemies as the Hare. Snares and traps are set for
+it by poachers. Foxes, Birds of Prey, and sportsmen, aided by Dogs, are
+all its persecutors.
+
+To guard itself against so many perils, the poor creature has ears
+endowed with extraordinary mobility, and which catch the faintest sounds
+from a great distance; four agile and very muscular limbs, which rapidly
+traverse space, and transport their owner quickly from its pursuers. In
+a word, its defence consists in perceiving danger and fleeing from it.
+
+The Rabbit is closely allied to the Hare in its form and external
+aspect, the two differ greatly in habits. The Rabbit lives in societies,
+and retires into burrows. It is not found on the open plain, but chooses
+for its home places where there are hillocks and woody banks. Like the
+Hare, the Rabbit has not a preference for day; but towards evening it
+comes forth and gambols about in the glades or nibbles the dewy herbage.
+
+It has also, like the Hare, many enemies, and to escape them it takes
+refuge in its subterranean dwelling. As it has not the speed of the
+Hare, it would be rapidly overtaken by Dogs if it trusted to its powers
+of flight. Its fear or anger is expressed in a singular fashion, namely,
+by striking the ground with its hind foot; some say it does this to warn
+its fellows of danger.
+
+Besides our well known Wild Rabbits, many fine species have been
+imported from different countries and trained as pets.
+
+The Wild Rabbit, also called the Warren Rabbit, is said to be a native
+of Africa, from whence it passed into Spain, then into France and Italy,
+and successively into all the warm and temperate parts of Europe and
+America.
+
+Among the different breeds of domestic Rabbits must be mentioned the
+Angora Rabbit, originally derived from Asia Minor. Like the Cats and
+Goats bearing the same name, it is celebrated for the length and
+fineness of its hair. It is bred for its fur, which is of value.
+
+Not only is the flesh and the hair of the Rabbit utilized, but its skin
+is also employed in the manufacture of gelatine.
+
+The domestic Rabbit is, therefore, a valuable animal. Not so the wild
+Rabbit, for, by its rapid multiplication, its burrowing habits, and its
+herbivorous tastes, it is to the agriculturist a veritable scourge. For
+this reason it is hunted with perseverance, ferrets being frequently
+employed in some countries to drive it from the depths of its warren.
+
+
+                    THE PICAS AND THE CALLING HARES.
+
+These Rodents differ from the Hares and Rabbits in having ears of
+moderate length, and in the nearly equal development of all their limbs.
+They are principally inhabitants of Siberia and the north of Europe;
+their voice is sharp and piercing, and they are destitute of any tail;
+they are all of small size, none of them exceeding the dimensions of a
+large Rat.
+
+The Pica is about the size of a Guinea Pig, and covered with
+yellowish-red hair. It inhabits the loftiest summits of mountains, and
+employs itself, during the summer, in collecting and drying a supply of
+herbage for winter use. The heaps of hay thus accumulated are of
+extraordinary dimensions, sometimes measuring as much as six or seven
+feet in height, and are invaluable to the hunters of Sables, affording
+fodder for their Horses at a period when no other provender is
+obtainable.
+
+The Calling Hare inhabits the southeastern parts of Russia, and the
+slopes of the Ural mountains, and also the western side of the Atlantic
+chain. The head is long; the ears large, short, and rounded; there is no
+tail. There are twenty molar teeth, five on either side of each jaw. The
+body is only six inches in length. The fur is of a greenish-brown color,
+hoary underneath.
+
+
+
+
+                    MARSUPIALIA—POUCHED QUADRUPEDS.
+
+
+A CURIOUS pouch, or fur bag, in which they carry their babies while they
+are still too young to run about by themselves is the distinguishing
+feature of the members of this group of animals. The name of the order,
+Marsupialia, comes from the Latin, marsupium, meaning a pouch or bag.
+
+When these babies are born they are the most helpless of all young
+animals, as they are not fully developed, and the mother places them in
+this pouch where they remain, like Birds in a nest, until they are
+strong enough to run about by themselves; and for a long time after
+that, they make use of this pouch, by hiding in it in times of danger or
+when the mother is escaping from an enemy; and the little ones could not
+keep up with her unless carried in this pouch.
+
+There are several different animals that belong to this family of
+Pouched Quadrupeds, like the Wombats, Bandicoots, Phalangers, Dasyures,
+etc., but the most important are the Kangaroos and the Opossums.
+
+
+                          THE KANGAROO FAMILY.
+
+[Illustration: GIANT KANGAROOS.]
+
+The Kangaroos vary in size, some being, when erect, as tall as a Man,
+while others are not so large as a Rabbit. They are remarkable for the
+small size of their fore-legs in proportion to their hind ones, and the
+slender make of the fore parts of their body. When eating, their
+fore-feet are placed on the ground, but they usually sit upright,
+resting entirely on the hind-feet and tail, with the body slightly bent
+forwards.
+
+There are a few species, however, in which the body is in better
+proportion. In the Tree Kangaroos of New Guinea, for instance, the tail
+is very bushy, and the fore-legs almost as long as the hind ones.
+
+The Great Kangaroo inhabits New South Wales, and Southern and Western
+Australia. It lives on low grassy hills and plains in the open parts of
+the country, feeding upon the low bushes and herbage, and sheltering
+itself in the high grass during the heat of the day.
+
+The Jerboa Kangaroo is so called on account of the length and
+slenderness of its hind-legs similar to those of the Jerboa Rats.
+
+“Like other members of this family, the Jerboa,” says Mr. Gould,
+“constructs a thick grassy nest, which is placed in a hollow, scratched
+in the ground for its reception, so that when completed it is only level
+with the surrounding grass, which it so closely resembles that, without
+a careful survey, it may be passed unnoticed.
+
+“The site chosen for the nest is the foot of a bush, or any large tuft
+of grass. During the day it is generally tenanted by one, and sometimes
+by a pair of these little creatures, which, lying coiled in the centre,
+are perfectly concealed from view. There being no apparent outlet, it
+would seem that after they have crept in, they drag the grass completely
+over the entrance, when the whole is so like the surrounding herbage
+that it is scarcely perceptible. The natives, however, rarely pass
+without detecting it, and almost invariably kill the sleeping inmates,
+by dashing their tomahawks or heavy clubs at the nest.
+
+“The most curious circumstance connected with the history of the Jerboa
+Kangaroo is the mode in which it collects the grasses for its nest,
+carrying them with its tail, which is strongly prehensile; and, as may
+be easily imagined, their appearance when leaping towards their nests,
+with their tails loaded with grasses, is exceedingly grotesque and
+amusing.
+
+“The usual resorts of the Jerboa Kangaroo are low grassy hills and dry
+ridges, thickly intersected with trees and bushes. It is a nocturnal
+animal, lying curled up in the shape of a ball during the day, and going
+forth as night approaches in search of food, which consists of grasses
+and roots; the latter being procured by scratching and burrowing, for
+which its fore-claws are admirably adapted. When startled from its nest,
+it bounds with amazing rapidity, and always seeks the shelter of a
+hollow tree, a small hole in a rock, or some similar place of refuge.”
+
+
+                             THE OPOSSUMS.
+
+The Opossums were the first Marsupial Quadrupeds known to Naturalists.
+They are peculiar to the American continent. They have fifty teeth.
+Their tongue is rough, and their tail, which is partially denuded of
+hair, prehensile.
+
+The Virginian Opossum is found in Southern States. It destroys poultry
+of which it sucks the blood, but does not eat the flesh. It feeds on
+roots and fruits, climbing the trees, and suspending itself by the tail
+from the branches; in this position it swings itself to and fro, and by
+catching hold of the neighboring branches, passes from tree to tree. It
+hunts after Birds and their nests, and when pursued, feigns to be dead,
+and will endure great torture without showing any sign of vitality.
+
+The Opossum excavates a burrow near a thicket not far distant from the
+abode of Man, and sleeps there during the whole day. While the sun
+shines it does not see clearly, and therefore feeds and plays during the
+night. Although its mode of life resembles that of the Fox and the
+Polecat, it is much less cruel, and has also inferior means of defence.
+It runs badly, and although its jaws are large, they are not strong.
+
+“The Opossum,” says Audubon, “is fond of secluding itself during the
+day, although it by no means confines its predatory rangings to the
+night. Like many other quadrupeds which feed principally upon flesh, it
+is both frugivorous and herbivorous, and when very hard pressed by
+hunger, it seizes various kinds of insects and reptiles. Its gait when
+traveling, and when it supposes itself unobserved, is altogether
+ambling—in other words, it, like a young foal, moves the two legs of one
+side forward at once. Its movements are rather slow, and as it walks or
+ambles along, its curious prehensile tail is carried just above the
+ground, and its rounded ears are directed forwards.”
+
+There are several species of Opossum found in South America, but none in
+the Antilles or the West Indies.
+
+Their method of hunting their prey is interesting. An Opossum is seen
+slowly and cautiously trudging along over the melting snow, by the side
+of an unfrequented pond, nosing as it goes for the fare its ravenous
+appetite prefers. Now it has come upon the fresh track of a Grouse or
+Hare, and it raises its snout and snuffs the keen air. It stops and
+seems at a loss in what direction to go, for the object of its pursuit
+has taken a considerable leap or has cut backwards, before the Opossum
+entered its track. It raises itself up, stands for a while on its
+hind-feet, looks around, sniffs the air, and then proceeds. But now at
+the foot of a noble tree, it comes to a full stand. It walks round the
+base of the large trunk, over the snow-covered roots, and among them
+finds an aperture, which it at once enters. Several minutes elapse, when
+it re-appears, dragging along a Squirrel, already deprived of life; with
+this in its mouth it begins to ascend the tree. Slowly it climbs; the
+first fork does not seem to suit it, for perhaps it thinks that it might
+be there too openly exposed to the view of some wily foe, and so it
+proceeds, until it gains a cluster of branches intertwined with
+grape-vines; and there composing itself, it twists its tail round one of
+the twigs, and with its sharp teeth demolishes the unlucky Squirrel,
+which it holds all the while in its fore-paws.
+
+
+
+
+                 PACHYDERMATA—THICK-SKINNED QUADRUPEDS.
+
+
+ALL the animals of this great order are classified under the name
+Pachydermata, which is derived from two Greek words meaning
+thick-skinned. In nearly all of them the toes are rendered motionless by
+a horny covering which surrounds them, called a hoof, which blunts them
+to the sense of touch; and the form of this hoof helps to divide the
+order into families. There are three divisions in the Pachydermata—the
+Elephant family, known as the Proboscidae (from the Latin word
+proboscis, meaning a trunk); the family of ordinary Pachydermata,
+including the Hippopotamus, Rhinoceros, Hyrax, Tapir, Wild Boar,
+Phacocheres and Peccari; and the family of Solipedes, the name of which
+is derived from the Latin words solus, alone, and pes, pedis, a foot,
+and includes the animals with undivided hoofs, like the Horse, the
+Donkey, Hemionus, Daw, Zebra and Quagga.
+
+
+
+
+                          THE ELEPHANT FAMILY.
+
+
+[Illustration: ELEPHANT.]
+
+The Elephants are the largest animals that live on the earth, as the
+Whales are the largest that live in the water. And it is said that if
+size and strength conferred the right of dominion, these two creatures
+would be able to divide between them the empire of the world.
+
+The proportions of the Elephant are clumsy, its body is thick and bulky,
+its gait heavy and awkward, but its general appearance is imposing and
+noble. These giants of creation have three especially remarkable
+features, their enormous development of skull; their curious trunk,
+which is in reality a marvellous nasal organ which performs the duties
+of arm and hand; and their great tusks, which are nothing but their
+incisive teeth wonderfully elongated.
+
+These tusks protect the trunk, which curls up between them when the
+animal traverses woods in which there are many thorns, prickles and
+thick underbrush. The Elephant also uses them for putting aside and
+holding down branches, when, with its trunk it plucks off the tops of
+leafy boughs. The ivory obtained from the tusks of the Elephant is
+remarkable for the fineness of its grain, whiteness, hardness, and the
+beautiful polish that can be given to it.
+
+Under the feet is a sort of callous sole, thick enough to prevent the
+hoofs from touching the ground, and the toes remain encrusted and hidden
+under thick skin.
+
+The Elephants live in the hottest parts of Africa and Asia, spending the
+greater part of their time in the swamps and forests. Their food
+consists mainly of herbs, fruit and grains.
+
+For a long time it was asserted that Elephants could not lie down, and
+that they always slept standing. It is true that among Elephants as
+among Horses, are found some that can sleep standing, and only rarely
+lie down; but generally they sleep lying on their side, like the
+majority of quadrupeds.
+
+The African Elephant has a head much rounder and less broad than the
+Asiatic Elephant. Its ears are very much longer and its tusks are
+generally stronger.
+
+African Elephants live like those of India, in troops more or less
+numerous; yet they are sometimes found alone—these are called rovers or
+prowlers.
+
+To these should be added the extinct species of the Elephant family, the
+famous Mammoth of the far north—a carcass of which was found under the
+ice in Siberia in 1799, and the wonderful Mastodon of Ohio. The bony
+remains of the Mastodon are found in America and in Central Europe. The
+tusks of the Mastodon have been found to be almost straight, while those
+of the Mammoth are curved round until they nearly form a circle.
+
+
+
+
+                           THE HIPPOPOTAMUS.
+
+
+[Illustration: HIPPOPOTAMUS.]
+
+The Hippopotamus is an enormous animal. After the Elephant and the
+Rhinoceros, it is the largest of terrestrial Mammalia. Its head is very
+bulky and its mouth extends very nearly from eye to eye. All who have
+seen in the menagaries this monstrous mouth opening for a little piece
+of bread, have been surprised at the frightful appearance of this living
+gulf, armed with enormous teeth. When it is shut, the upper lip descends
+in front and on the sides, like an enormous blobber lip which covers the
+extremity of the lower jaw, and partly hides the underlip; but on the
+sides it is the lower lip which stands up. The nostrils, which are in
+front of the muzzle, are surrounded by a muscular apparatus, which
+closes them hermetically when the animal is under water.
+
+The Hippopotamus inhabits Southern and Eastern Africa; but everything
+announces that it will not be long in disappearing before civilization,
+that is to say, the sportsman’s gun.
+
+These animals live in troops on the banks of rivers and in their waters.
+On land, their gait is clumsy and heavy, for their own enormous weight
+tires them; but they are very quick and active in water, where they
+lose, by the pressure of the water, a great portion of their weight. And
+so they pass all day in the water, in which they swim and dive with
+great facility. When swimming they only let the upper surface of their
+heads be seen, from the ears to the surface of the nostrils, which
+allows them to breathe, to see all round them, and to hear the slightest
+noises. In breathing, they spout out noisily, in the form of irregular
+jets, such water as has become introduced into their nostrils. This
+spouting announces to the hunter the presence of the Hippopotamus.
+
+The Hippopotamus feeds on young stalks of reeds, little boughs, small
+shrubs and water plants, also on roots and succulent bulbs.
+
+Its cry is hoarse, but of incredible depth, power and volume. The habits
+of this animal are peaceable; its disposition is, in general, mild and
+inoffensive; it only turns vicious when it is attacked.
+
+Hippopotamus hunting is performed in different ways. Its enemies
+surprise it at night, on its leaving the water, when it comes to browse
+in the meadows and the neighboring plains; or attack it by day in the
+river, either with harpoons or guns, assailing it when it comes to the
+surface to breathe. The unfortunate animal tries to defend itself. In
+its sudden action it sometimes overturns the boats containing its
+enemies. Occasionally, desperate with rage at being wounded, it tries to
+tear the boats to pieces with its formidable tusks. With one bite it
+could cut through the middle of the body of a full-grown man.
+
+The natives of Africa hunt the Hippopotamus, first to obtain the ivory
+furnished by its tusks—an ivory which, without being so good as that of
+the Elephant, is nevertheless very valuable. The skin, or hide, which is
+very thick, is also employed in the manufacture of various instruments.
+The flesh of the Hippopotamus is sought after in South Africa as a
+delicate morsel.
+
+
+
+
+                              THE TAPIRS.
+
+
+[Illustration: INDIAN TAPIR.]
+
+The American Tapir is of about the size of a small Donkey. Its skin is
+of a brown color and nearly naked, its tail of moderate length, its neck
+strong and muscular, and crested above with an upright mane. This animal
+inhabits swampy localities in the vicinity of rivers, and is peculiar to
+the tropical parts of South America, where its flesh is prized by the
+inhabitants as affording excellent and wholesome meat.
+
+The Tapir is a solitary animal, resting during the day in the depths of
+the forest, and coming forth at night to collect its food, which
+consists of fruit, the young shoots of trees, or other vegetables. Its
+senses of smell and hearing are very acute and at the slightest alarm it
+can make its way with ease “through bush and through briar,” without the
+slightest danger of injuring its thick, tough hide. It swims and dives
+well, and can remain for some minutes beneath the water without coming
+to the surface. The Tapir is peaceable unless attacked, in which case it
+defends itself vigorously with its strong teeth.
+
+Tapirs, although common in the Brazilian forests, are scarcely ever
+encountered by hunters during the day-time, so that there is little
+chance of travelers seeing anything more than the foot-marks of this
+largest of the tropical American Mammals. Their flesh is of a very rich
+flavor, something between pork and beef. The young are speckled with
+white.
+
+The Indian Tapir is larger than the South American Tapir, which it
+resembles in the shape of its body. Its hair is short and it has no
+mane. It inhabits the forests of the Island of Sumatra and the Peninsula
+of Malacca.
+
+
+
+
+                         THE RHINOCEROS FAMILY.
+
+
+The Rhinoceroses are large animals, having but three toes on each foot.
+The bones of the nose are massive and conjoined so as to form a sort of
+vault of sufficient strength to support one or two solid horns, which
+are adherent to the skin of the face and constitute formidable weapons
+either for defence or attack. The structure of these horns is fibrous,
+as if they were composed of a mass of hairs glued together.
+
+The natural disposition of these animals is stupid and ferocious. They
+inhabit marshes and other damp localities, and live altogether upon
+vegetable substances—grass, herbs, or the branches of trees.
+
+There are two species—the One-horned and the Two-horned.
+
+
+                       THE ONE-HORNED RHINOCEROS.
+
+[Illustration: ONE-HORNED RHINOCEROS.]
+
+The One-horned Rhinoceros, as its name imports, has but a single horn,
+which is situated upon the middle of the snout; and as this weapon
+sometimes measures upwards of two feet in length, tapering gradually
+from the base to the point, sharp at its extremity, and slightly curved
+towards the back of the animal, it becomes when wielded by its herculean
+possessor a very deadly instrument; with which, at a stroke, it rips up
+the most powerful assailant, and is a formidable antagonist even to the
+Elephant itself.
+
+The skin of this species forms a coat of armor, almost impenetrable by a
+musket-ball; it is in some parts nearly an inch in thickness.
+
+The One-horned Rhinoceros is an inhabitant of the East Indies, more
+especially of that portion of the country situated beyond the Ganges;
+its range, indeed, extends from Bengal to Cochin, China. Slow and
+careless in his movements, this animal wanders through his native plains
+with a heavy step, carrying his huge head so low that his nose almost
+touches the ground, and stopping at intervals, to crop some favorite
+plant, or in playfulness to plough up the ground with his horn, throwing
+the mud and stones behind him.
+
+
+                       THE TWO-HORNED RHINOCEROS.
+
+The Two-horned Rhinoceros is a native of Africa. It differs remarkably
+from the preceding species, first by the possession of a second horn of
+smaller size, situated midway between the larger one and the top of its
+head, and secondly because its skin, more supple than that of the
+preceding species, is entirely destitute of folds.
+
+Whether from a limited sphere of vision arising from the extraordinary
+minuteness of the eyes, which resembling the Pigs in expression, are
+placed nearer to the nose than in most other animals; or whether from an
+over-weening confidence in its own powers, the Rhinoceros will generally
+suffer itself to be approached within even a few yards before
+condescending to take the smallest heed of the foe, who is diligently
+plotting its destruction. At length, uttering a great blast or snort of
+defiance, and lowering its armed muzzle almost to the ground, it charges
+on its enemies; and bullets, hardened with tin or quicksilver, are used
+to kill it.
+
+
+
+
+                            THE BOAR FAMILY.
+
+
+The members of this extensive family are distinguished by having four
+hoofs upon each foot; but of these the two middle ones are much the
+largest, giving the foot much the appearance of being cloven. The lower
+incisors slant forward, and the canines project in the shape of long and
+formidable tusks. Their muzzle is prolonged into a snout of peculiar
+conformation—its margin being dilated and highly sensitive. Its use is
+to turn up the earth in search of roots, in which operation these
+animals seem guided by their sense of smell. They eat nearly all sorts
+of vegetable matter, and may be said to be omnivorous; even flesh not
+being rejected by their accommodating appetite.
+
+To this family belong the Hogs Proper, the Peccaries, the Wart Hog and
+the Babiroussas.
+
+
+                             THE WILD BOAR.
+
+[Illustration: WILD BOARS.]
+
+The Wild Boar, supposed to be the stock from which all our domesticated
+Pigs take their origin, is very different in its habits from the swinish
+multitudes with which it is looked upon as nearly related; his long
+prismatic tusks, curving outwards and slightly upwards on each side of
+his mouth, are weapons which he knows full well how to wield; and from
+the strength of his neck and the activity of his movements, by their
+assistance he is enabled to repel the attacks of all ordinary foes.
+
+The chase of the wild Boar has been from remote antiquity one of the
+most dangerous of field-sports, for when once at bay, the furious
+creature attacks indiscriminately Men, Dogs and Horses, ripping them
+with his tusks, and often inflicting frightful wounds upon his
+assailants.
+
+In India, Boar-hunting is a favorite amusement. The hunters are always
+armed with javelins, which they throw at the animal as he runs away or
+rushes to the charge. His assaults are frequently so furious that the
+Horses will not stand the shock, or if they do are often thrown down and
+severely injured.
+
+
+                             THE WART HOGS.
+
+[Illustration: WART HOGS.]
+
+The Wart Hogs, which resemble the true Hogs, are distinguished from them
+by the structure of their molar teeth. A fleshy excrescence hangs down
+on each side of their cheeks, which gives them a repulsive appearance.
+There are several species to be found in Africa, of which country they
+are natives. They are very courageous, and possessed of immense
+strength. Their habits are similar to those of the Wild Boar. The Cape
+Wart Hog, found at the Cape of Good Hope, is probably the best known.
+
+
+                             THE PECCARIES.
+
+The Peccaries are animals which are peculiar to America. They resemble
+the common Pig in their general shape and in their teeth, but their
+canine tusks do not project from the mouth, and they have no tail.
+
+The Collared Peccary is eaten in South America, and is considered a
+wholesome article of food. The White-lipped Peccary, which is found in
+Guiana, is larger and more strongly built than the others.
+
+
+                           THE HORSE FAMILY.
+
+
+[Illustration: SHETLAND PONIES.]
+
+This includes all quadrupeds that have but a single toe or hoof on each
+foot—the Horse, the Domestic Ass (or Donkey), the Hemionus (or
+Dshikketee), the Dauw (or Peechi), the Zebra and the Quagga.
+
+The subjection of the Horse to Man may be traced back to the most
+primitive date. Moses recommends the Hebrews to have no dread in war of
+the Horses of their enemies. We read in the Book of Kings (I Kings iv,
+26) that “Solomon had 40,000 stalls for his Horses, and 12,000
+horsemen.” According to the same book, these Horses were bought in Egypt
+and brought into the country of the Hebrews.
+
+The remote period to which we can trace back the Horse being employed as
+a domestic animal, renders it very difficult to determine its original
+country. Nor is it possible to state where the finest species may be
+found. The Arabian Horses have long been famous for their beauty and
+intelligence, the English for their racing qualities, the Norman Horses
+for their great strength, and the Breton Horses for their hardiness and
+good temper. And so on through all the different species of past ages,
+we might mention special characteristics for which they were famous; and
+in the mixed species which have been brought to this country from time
+to time, we find traces of these many good qualities.
+
+It is the same with the smaller races of the Horse family, known as the
+Ponies. The various breeds have different characteristics for which they
+are noted. But the ones deserving of special mention belong to the race
+which are natives of a group of islands situated to the north of
+Scotland. These are called Shetland Ponies and are perfect Horses in
+miniature. Some of them are scarcely as high as a Newfoundland Dog, yet
+they are very strong, and will endure any amount of fatigue and
+privation.
+
+
+                     THE WILD AND DOMESTIC DONKEY.
+
+[Illustration: DOMESTIC DONKEY.]
+
+The Ass, or Donkey, like the Horse, is the servant and helper of Man,
+but its domestication is of much less ancient date. The wild type of
+this animal (known under the names of Kiang, Koulan, Onager, or
+Dziggetai) is still a native of many of the Asiatic deserts.
+
+They live together in innumerable droves and travel under the guidance
+of a leader, whom they obey with intelligent submission. If they chance
+to be attacked by Wolves, they range themselves in a circle, placing the
+weaker and younger members in the centre, when they defend themselves so
+courageously with their fore-feet and teeth that they almost invariably
+come off victorious.
+
+The domestic Donkey carries the heaviest burden in proportion to its
+size of all beasts of burden. It costs little or nothing to keep, and
+requires very little care. It is especially valuable in rugged
+mountainous countries, where its sureness of foot enables it to go where
+Horses could not fail to meet with accidents.
+
+In energy, nervous power, and in temperament, the Donkey even surpasses
+the Horse; and it has a greater capacity to endure fatigue.
+
+
+                               THE ZEBRA.
+
+[Illustration: ZEBRAS.]
+
+The Zebra is larger than the Wild Ass, sometimes attaining the size of a
+mature Arab Horse. The richness of its coat would suffice to distinguish
+this creature from every other species of the same genus. The ground
+color is white tinged with yellow, marked with stripes of black and
+brown.
+
+This elegant animal is a native of the Cape of Good Hope, and probably
+the whole of southern, and a part of eastern, Africa. Travelers state
+that they have met with it in Congo, Guinea, and Abyssinia. It delights
+in mountainous countries, and, although it is less rapid than the Wild
+Ass, its paces are so good that the best Horses are alone able to
+overtake it.
+
+The Zebra lives in droves, but is very shy in its nature; it is endowed
+with powers of sight that enable it to perceive from great distances the
+approach of hunters.
+
+
+                      THE HEMIONUS OR DSHIKKETEE.
+
+The Dshikketee in its shape and proportions seems to occupy a position
+intermediate between the Horse and the wild Ass. This indeed is implied
+by its name, derived from the Greek word hemionos, meaning half-ass. It
+somewhat resembles a Mule, but its legs are more slender and it is more
+attractive. Its general color is brown, with black mane and a black
+stripe across the shoulders; the tail likewise is terminated by a black
+tuft.
+
+These quadrupeds inhabit the sandy deserts of Asia, especially those of
+Mongolia or the plains north of the Himalaya, and live in droves often
+consisting of more than a hundred individuals. Enduring and swift, they
+are not easily approached, but as both their hides and flesh are much
+sought after, they are often caught in traps arranged for the purpose,
+or are shot by hundreds lying in ambush near the salt meadows which they
+love to frequent. They were said to be as easily broken in as the Horses
+reared in our meadows and permitted to run at large till they are four
+or five years old.
+
+
+                              THE QUAGGA.
+
+The Quagga is smaller than the Zebra, and resembles the Horse in general
+shape. His head is small, and his ears are short. The color of head,
+neck and shoulders is a dark brown, verging on black. The tail is
+terminated by a tuft of long hair. It is a native of the plateaux of
+Caffraria, and feeds on grasses and shrubs, and lives in droves with the
+Zebra.
+
+It is tamed without difficulty. The Dutch colonists were in the habit of
+keeping them with their herds, which they defended against the Hyenas.
+If one of these formidable carnivora threatened to attack the Cattle,
+the domesticated Quagga would attack and beat down the enemy with its
+fore-hoofs, trampling it to death.
+
+The geographical range of the Quagga does not appear to extend to the
+northward of the river Vaal. The animal was formerly extremely common
+within the colony, but vanishing before the strides of civilization, is
+now to be found there in very limited numbers, and on the borders only.
+Beyond, on those sultry plains which are completely taken possession of
+by wild beasts, and may with strict propriety be termed the domains of
+savage nature, it occurs in interminable herds. Moving slowly across the
+profile of the ocean-like horizon, uttering a shrill barking neigh, of
+which its name forms a correct limitation, long files of Quaggas
+continually remind the early traveler of a rival caravan on its march.
+Bands of many hundreds are thus frequently seen during their migration
+from the dreary and desolate plains of some portion of the interior
+which has formed their secluded abode, seeking for more luxuriant
+pastures where, during the summer months, various herbs and grasses
+thrive.
+
+
+                               THE DAUW.
+
+The Dauw seems to take a middle place between the Zebra and the Quagga.
+It resembles the former in its shape and proportions, and the latter in
+the color of its coat.
+
+This quadruped is a native of the Cape of Good Hope, and doubtless of
+many of the mountainous districts of Southern Africa. It lives in arid
+and desert localities, in droves, and is shy, and difficult to tame.
+
+
+
+
+                     QUADRUPEDS THAT CHEW THE CUD.
+
+
+THIS order of animals is known as the Ruminantia, or the Ruminant Order,
+because all these animals possess the strange power of ruminating, or of
+bringing back into their mouth (in order to re-chew it), the food that
+they have once swallowed.
+
+This power is owing to a complicated structure of their stomach, which
+is divided into several compartments, and which have been considered,
+though with some exaggeration, as so many distinct stomachs. The first
+and largest of these divisions is the paunch, which occupies a large
+portion of the abdomen. The food is here accumulated after being roughly
+crushed by the first chewing. After the paunch comes the bonnet or cap
+stomach. In this cap the food is gradually moulded into small pellets,
+which ascend again into the mouth, by means of a natural movement, and
+not a convulsive or irregular one as in other animals; these pellets
+then undergo a thorough chewing and mixing with the saliva. Such is
+“chewing the cud.”
+
+When the food, thus transformed into a soft and nearly fluid paste
+descends again into the stomach, it goes straight into a third intestine
+and from this it at length passes into the digesting stomach or
+rennet-bag.
+
+The feet of all these animals terminate in two toes which are joined
+together in a bone called the shank. Sometimes also there exists at the
+back of the foot two small spurs or toes. In all these animals except
+the Camels and Llamas—the hoofs, which entirely cover the last joint of
+the two toes on each foot, act side by side on a smooth surface, and
+resemble one single but cloven hoof. Thus the origin of the word
+cloven-hoofed.
+
+The Ruminants are divided in various ways by different Naturalists. Some
+are satisfied with the division simply into Horned and Hornless
+Ruminants. But the best classification is into the two large families of
+the Camels and Common Ruminants. The Camel family includes the Camels
+and Dromedaries—the beasts of burden in dessert lands, and the Llama,
+etc., the beast of burden among the mountains.
+
+The Common Ruminants are divided into three tribes—those with hairy and
+permanent horns, those with hollow-horns, and those that shed their
+horns.
+
+
+
+
+                           THE CAMEL FAMILY.
+
+
+[Illustration: CAMEL.]
+
+Most of the modern Naturalists admit two distinct species of the Camel
+genus; the Camel proper, which has two humps on its back, and the
+Dromedary, which has only one.
+
+The individuals of the Camel genus have a small and strongly-arched
+head. Their ears are slightly developed, still their sense of hearing is
+excellent. Their eyes, which have oblong and horizontal pupils, are
+projecting and gentle in expression, and are protected by a double
+eyelid. Their power of sight is very great. Their nostrils are situated
+at some distance from the extremity of the upper lip, and, externally,
+appear only two simple slits in the skin, which the animal can open or
+shut at will. Their upper lip is split down the centre, and the two
+halves are susceptible of various and separate movements. These
+constitute a very delicate organ of feeling. They are also possessed of
+an extremely acute sense of smell.
+
+This remarkable head is carried with a certain degree of nobility and
+dignity on a somewhat long neck, which, when the animal moves slowly,
+describes a graceful arched curve.
+
+Their peculiar body, made more remarkable by the one or two humps on its
+back, is supported on four long legs, which appear slender in comparison
+with the mass they bear.
+
+In the Camel proper the color of the coat is chestnut-brown. The hair
+grows to a considerable length, and becomes rather curly on the humps
+and about the neck. Below the neck it forms a fringe, which descends
+over the fore-legs.
+
+
+                             THE DROMEDARY.
+
+[Illustration: DROMEDARY.]
+
+The Dromedary, which is less massive in form and smaller in size than
+the Camel, has a coat of brownish-grey. Its hair is soft, woolly, and
+moderately long, more especially about its hump and neck.
+
+The Camel is a native of ancient Bactria. It principally lives in Asia,
+where it has been used, from antiquity, for domestic and military
+service. In Africa, where it is acclimatised, it has doubtless existed
+since the time of the conquest of that country by the Arabs.
+
+The Dromedary is distributed all over a great part of Northern Africa,
+and a portion of Asia. It seems originally to have been a native of
+Arabia.
+
+The faculty which the Camel possesses of being able to dispense with
+drinking for a considerable time, has generally been attributed to the
+fact that it carries internally a reservoir of water, which it uses in
+case of necessity. Its digestive organs, like those of other Ruminants,
+are composed of four different stomachs.
+
+
+                              THE LLAMAS.
+
+[Illustration: LLAMA.]
+
+The Llamas are to the New World what Camels are to the Old Continent.
+They are distinguished from the latter animal by the absence of humps on
+their backs; by their two-toed feet only touching the ground at their
+extremities; by their soles, which are less flattened; and their shape,
+which is more slender and graceful.
+
+There are three species of Llama—the Llama proper, the Paca, and the
+Vicuna.
+
+The Llama was the only beast of burden made use of by the Peruvians at
+the time America was discovered by Europeans, and it exists nowhere else
+in a wild state. It is about the height of an under-sized Horse; its
+head is small and well set; its coat is coarse, and varies in color from
+brown to black; occasionally it is grey, and even white. The hair on its
+body is always longer and more shaggy than on its head, neck and legs.
+
+The ancient inhabitants of Peru made use of this species entirely as
+beasts of burden and labor; but since the introduction of Horses into
+South America their employment has much diminished.
+
+These animals are, however, very useful for the transportation of heavy
+weights across the mountains, on account of the wonderful sureness of
+their footing. They walk very slowly, and can carry upwards of a hundred
+and sixty pounds weight; but they must not be hurried, for if violence
+is used to quicken their pace they are certain to fall down, and
+refusing to get up, would allow themselves to be beaten to death on the
+spot rather than resume their course.
+
+The climate which this animal prefers is that of plateaux, from 10,000
+to 11,000 feet above the sea, and in these localities the most numerous
+herds of Llamas are to be found. The natives fold the domesticated ones,
+like Sheep, in special enclosures near their cabins. At sunrise they are
+set at liberty to seek their food. In the evening they return,
+frequently escorted by wild Llamas; but these take every precaution to
+avoid being captured.
+
+In more ways than one the Llama is most valuable to the inhabitants of
+the mountains; for the flesh of the young is good and wholesome food,
+their skin produces a leather of value, and their hair is used for
+various manufactures.
+
+
+                               THE PACA.
+
+[Illustration: PACA.]
+
+The Paca inhabits similar localities to the former. It may be recognized
+by the development of its hair, which is of a tawny-brown color, very
+long, and falling on each side of the body in long locks.
+
+The Paca is gentle and timid, and allows itself to be led about by those
+who feed and tend it; but if a stranger attempts to take liberties with
+it, it kicks viciously, or ejects its saliva over him. Its food is
+similar to that of Sheep; and its wool is very fine, elastic and long.
+
+
+                              THE VICUNA.
+
+The Vicuna is the smallest species of the Llama genus. It is the same
+size as a Sheep, and strongly resembles the Llama, only that its shape
+is more elegant. Its legs, which are longer in proportion to the body,
+are more slender and better formed; its head is shorter and its forehead
+wider. Its eyes are large, intelligent and mild; its throat is of a
+yellowish color, while the remainder of its body is brown and white.
+
+The rich fleece of this animal surpasses in fineness and softness any
+other wool with which we are acquainted. In order to obtain possession
+of the skin the American hunters pursue them even over the steepest
+summits of the Andes, when, by driving, they force them into pens,
+composed of tightly stretched cords, covered with rags of various
+colors, which frighten and prevent the prey attempting to escape. One of
+these battues sometimes produces from five hundred to a thousand skins.
+
+
+
+
+                             THE MUSK DEER.
+
+
+Although it belongs to the Deer family, the little Musk Deer is often
+classified with this group because it is without horns, and resembles
+the Camel family in its teeth and other characteristics. This is a
+graceful little animal, about the size of a half-grown Fawn of our
+common Deer. Its tail is very short, and it is covered with hair so
+coarse and so brittle that it is almost like bristles, but what
+especially distinguishes it, is its pouch filled with the substance so
+well known in medicine and perfumery under the name of musk.
+
+The Musk Deer is a native of the mountainous region between Siberia,
+China and Thibet.
+
+
+
+
+                         THE HORNED RUMINANTS.
+
+
+The family of Common Ruminants form a natural group comprehending the
+greatest number of Ruminants. The feature which distinguishes the
+animals composing it, not only from the Camel family, but also from all
+the other Ruminants, is the existence of two horns on the forehead of
+the male, and sometimes on the female.
+
+The structure of these horns presents various differences, and has
+caused the division of this large and important family into three
+tribes, namely, Ruminants with hairy and permanent horns, hollow-horned
+Ruminants and Ruminants which shed their horns.
+
+
+
+
+               RUMINANTS WITH HAIRY AND PERMANENT HORNS.
+
+
+[Illustration: GIRAFFE.]
+
+This tribe consists of a single genus, that of the Giraffe, which has
+also but one species.
+
+The height of the Giraffe, the singular proportions of its body, the
+beauty of its coat and the peculiarity of its gait, are sufficient to
+explain the curiosity which these animals have always excited.
+
+Its long and tapering head is lighted up by two large, animated and
+gentle eyes; its forehead is adorned with two horns, which consist of a
+porous, bony substance, covered externally with a thick skin and bristly
+hair. In the middle of the forehead there is a protuberance of the same
+nature as the horns, but wider and shorter. The head of the Giraffe is
+supported by a very long neck. Along the neck is a short, thin mane. The
+body is short, and the line of the backbone is very sloping. Its
+fore-quarters are higher than the hinder—a feature which is observed in
+the Hyena. Its legs are most extensively developed, and are terminated
+by cloven hoofs. The skin, which is of a very light fawn-color, is
+covered with short hair, marked with large triangular or oblong spots of
+a darker shade.
+
+Giraffes are only found in Africa, and even there they are not numerous.
+They live in families of from twelve to sixteen members. They frequent
+the verge of the deserts, and are met with from the northern limits of
+Cape Colony to Nubia.
+
+The usual pace of the Giraffe is an amble, that is to say, they move
+both their legs on one side at the same time. Their mode of progression
+is singular and very ungainly. At the same time as they move their body,
+their long neck is stretched forward, giving them a very awkward
+appearance. Their long neck enables them to reach with their tongue the
+leaves on the tops of high shrubs, which constitute a large part of
+their food.
+
+
+
+
+                      RUMINANTS WITH HOLLOW HORNS.
+
+
+These Ruminants have horns which are covered with an elastic sheath,
+something like agglutinated hair; they may be divided into two groups.
+
+To the first group belong the Chamois, Gazelle, Saiga, Nyl-ghau, Gnu and
+Bubale. To the second group belong the Common Goat, the Mouflon or Wild
+Sheep, the Domestic Sheep and the Ox.
+
+The most remarkable species belonging to the first division all come
+under the natural group formerly known by the name of Antelopes. It
+comprehends about a hundred species, which live, for the most part, in
+Africa. They are generally slender and lightly-made, fleet in running,
+of a gentle and timid disposition; they are gregarious, and are
+particularly distinguishable by the different shapes of their horns.
+
+We shall glance at the most remarkable genera resulting from the
+division of the old general group of Antelopes.
+
+
+                              THE CHAMOIS.
+
+The chief characteristic of the Chamois is constituted by the smooth
+horns which are placed immediately above the orbits. These horns are
+almost upright, with a backward tendency, and curved like a hook at the
+end. The horns exist in both sexes, and are nearly the same size in
+each. The Chamois has a short tail, and no beard.
+
+The European Chamois is about the size of a small Goat. It is covered
+with two sorts of hair—one woolly, very abundant, and of a brownish
+color; the other, silky, spare and brittle. Its coat is dark brown in
+winter and fawn-color in summer; its fine and intelligent head is of a
+pale yellow, with a brown stripe down the muzzle and round the eyes. Its
+horns are black, short, smooth, and not quite rounded.
+
+This graceful Ruminant inhabits the Pyrenees and Alps, and also some of
+the highest points in Greece. But from constant persecution it has
+lately become so rare that few people can boast of having been
+successful in its pursuit.
+
+The Chamois lives in small herds, in the midst of steep rocks on the
+highest mountain summits. With marvelous agility it leaps over ravines,
+scales with nimble and sure feet the steepest acclivities, bounds along
+the narrowest paths on the edge of the most perilous abysses, and
+jumping from rock to rock, will take its stand on the sharpest point,
+where there appears hardly room for its feet to rest; and all this is
+accomplished with an accuracy of sight, a muscular energy, an elegance
+and precision of movement, and a self-possession which are without
+equal. From these facts, it can easily be understood that hunting this
+nimble and daring animal is an amusement full of danger.
+
+On the approach of winter the Chamois goes from the northern side of the
+mountains, to the southern, but it never descends into the plain.
+
+
+                             THE GAZELLES.
+
+[Illustration: GAZELLES.]
+
+The Gazelles are animals of graceful shape, rather smaller in size than
+the Chamois. The horns are twice bent, in the shape of a lyre, and
+without sharp edges; the nostrils are generally surrounded by hair.
+
+The eyes of this animal are so beautiful and so soft in expression, its
+movements are so elegant and so light, that the Gazelle is used by the
+Arab poets as the type of all that is lovely and graceful.
+
+Gazelles proper are the species of this genus which are generally to be
+seen in our parks and menageries. Such, for instance, as the Dorcas
+Gazelle, which inhabits the large plains and Saharian region of Northern
+Africa. It is the same size as a Roe, but its shape is lighter and more
+graceful.
+
+
+                                THE GNU.
+
+[Illustration: GNU.]
+
+The Gnu, sometimes called the Gnu Antelope, inhabits Southern Africa. It
+is about the size of a Donkey, and is curiously formed. Added to its
+muscular and thick-set body, it has the muzzle of an Ox, the legs of a
+Stag, and the neck, shoulders and rump of a small Horse. Its head is
+flattened, and its brown hair is short. On its neck it has a mane of
+white, grey and black hair, and under its chin hangs a thick brown
+beard. It also has horns, something like those of the Cape Buffalo,
+which first bend downwards and then curve in an upward direction. It is
+not surprising with such a queer combination, that strange stories were
+told of this animal in the past, as it has the appearance of being made
+up of various portions of several other animals.
+
+These strangely constructed animals are found in the mountainous
+districts to the north of the Cape of Good Hope, and probably throughout
+a large portion of Africa. They are very wild, and are swift runners and
+may be seen skimming along in single file following one of their number
+as a guide.
+
+
+                               THE GOATS.
+
+These animals differ among themselves to a wonderful extent in their
+shape, their color and even in the texture of their fleece. The Goats of
+Angora in Cappadocia are provided with a soft and silky clothing. Those
+of Thibet have become celebrated for the delicacy of a kind of wool
+which grows among their hair, from which Cashmere shawls are
+manufactured. In Upper Egypt is a race remarkable for the roughness of
+their coat, while the Goats of Guinea and of Judea are distinguished by
+the smallness of their dimensions, and by their horns, which are pointed
+backwards. But whatever may be the cause of these peculiarities, the
+whole race seems to retain the characters derivable from a mountain
+origin; they are robust, capricious, and vagabond; they prefer dry hills
+and wild localities, where they can procure only the coarsest herbage,
+or browse upon the shrubs and bushes. They are likewise very injurious
+in forests, where they destroy the young trees by devouring the bark.
+Their flesh is strong and rank, so that they are seldom eaten;
+nevertheless, their milk is an article of diet, and the Kid, while
+young, is tender and nutritious.
+
+
+                            THE COMMON GOAT.
+
+The Common Goat inhabits wild and mountainous regions in a state of
+semi-wildness, seeming to have little regard either for the protection
+or the neglect of people resident in its vicinity; but although not
+cared for, like its not very distant relative, the Sheep, it is by no
+means without its value. The Goat affords milk in considerable
+abundance; its hair, though more harsh than wool, is useful in the
+manufacture of various kinds of stuffs, and its skin is more valuable
+than that of the sheep. The Goat has more intelligence than the Sheep,
+and soon becomes familiar and attached; it is light, active, and less
+timid than the Sheep; it is capricious and loves to wander, to climb
+steep mountains, sleeping frequently on the point of a rock or the edge
+of a precipice. It is robust, and will feed on almost any plant. It does
+not, like the Sheep, avoid the mid-day heat, but sleeps in the sunshine,
+and exposes itself willingly to its full glare. It is not alarmed by
+storms, but appears to suffer from a great degree of cold.
+
+
+                               THE IBEX.
+
+The Ibex combines with the characters of the Goat the agility and
+fleetness of the Antelopes. “All readers of natural history,” says
+Col. Markham, “are familiar with the wonderful climbing and saltatory
+powers of the Ibex; and although they cannot (as has been described in
+print) make a spring and hang on by the horns until they gain a
+footing, yet in reality for such heavy animals they get over the most
+inaccessible-looking places in an almost miraculous manner. Nothing
+seems to stop them nor to impede their progress in the least. To see a
+flock, after being fired at, take a distant line across country, which
+they often do over all sorts of seemingly impassable ground, now along
+the naked surface of an almost perpendicular rock, then across a
+formidable landslip or an inclined plane of loose stones or sand,
+which the slightest touch sets in motion both above and below,
+dividing into chasms to which there seems no possible outlet, but
+instantly reappearing on the opposite side, never deviating in the
+slightest from their course, and at the same time getting over the
+ground at the rate of something like fifteen miles an hour, is a sight
+not to be easily forgotten.”
+
+The Ibex inhabits the most inaccessible summits of the loftiest
+mountains of Europe, Asia and Africa, and may frequently be seen
+bounding from rock to rock among the highest peaks of their snow-clad
+grandeur, climbing cliffs with the activity of a Bird, and disporting
+itself in regions unapproachable by any other quadruped.
+
+
+                            THE BEZOARGOAT.
+
+[Illustration: Goat Defending His Family from a Lynx.]
+
+There is a striking resemblance in form, the habit of living and
+character of the Bezoargoat, (extensively raised in mountainous regions
+of Asia Minor, Persia and various islands of Greece) and the Stonebuck
+of the Alps. The body of the Bezoargoat is narrow and the limbs high.
+The long, strong horns form a uniformly curved arch, and both sexes have
+strong beards. The skin is colored reddish gray along the sides of the
+neck, growing lighter towards the body. The thigh is white both
+underneath and outside. The breast, chin and ridge of the nose is
+blackish brown. Their nourishment consists of dry grasses, cedar
+needles, leaves and fruits.
+
+The Bezoargoats are very shy and experts in racing and climbing,
+venturing the most dangerous leaps with the utmost courage and
+dexterity. They are able to brave the greatest dangers. There is,
+nevertheless, a source of danger threatening their young from the Eagle,
+the Bearded Vulture and the Pardellynx. The Birds of Prey swoop rapidly
+and unexpectedly from the heights and carry off the young Kid; but the
+Pardellynx steals slyly upon the herd at pasture. This beautiful,
+slender, crafty beast of prey, about the size of the Lynx, which is also
+abundantly found in the Spanish mountains, eagerly hunts the Bezoargoat.
+Through his exceptionally keen sense of sight and hearing, the crafty,
+noiseless, sneaking Pardellynx frequently succeeds in stealing upon the
+herd and despite their watchfulness attempts to overpower one of the
+flock. The illustration on page 105 carries us into the mountain regions
+of Taurus. A Pardellynx has crept unnoticed upon a family of grazing
+Bezoargoats and has suddenly sprung upon the back of the old Goat,
+burying his fangs into the neck of his prize.
+
+
+                               THE SHEEP.
+
+[Illustration: MOUNTAIN SHEEP.]
+
+The members of this family have horns which, at first directed
+backwards, wind spirally forwards; their forehead is generally convex,
+and they are without any beard. In other respects they are closely
+allied to the Goats.
+
+The Common Sheep, like other animals placed at the disposal of mankind,
+presents innumerable varieties in accordance with the breed or climate
+to which it may belong. Thus we find in Europe flocks with coarse or
+fine wool, of large or of small size, with long horns or with short
+horns—some in which the horns are wanting in the females; others in
+which they are deficient in both sexes.
+
+The Spanish varieties are distinguished by their fine curly wool and
+large spiral horns, which exist in the males only; while the English
+breeds are celebrated on account of the length of their fleece and the
+delicacy of their mutton.
+
+The Sheep of Southern Russia are remarkable on account of the length of
+their tails; while those of India and some parts of Africa are
+distinguished by the length of their legs, pendent ears, coarse wool,
+and total want of horns in either sex. In Persia, Tartary, and China the
+tail of the Sheep appears to be entirely transformed into a double globe
+of fat; and those of Syria and Barbary, notwithstanding the length of
+their tails, have them loaded with fat, while their wool is intermixed
+with coarse hair. Everywhere, however, the Sheep is invaluable to the
+human race, and the care of their flocks one of the earliest occupations
+of civilized nations.
+
+“This species,” says Buffon, “appears to be preserved only by the
+assistance and care of Man; it seems unable to subsist by itself. The
+reclaimed Sheep is absolutely without resource and without defence. The
+Ram is but weakly armed; its courage is only petulance. The females are
+still more timid than the males. It is fear that causes them so often to
+assemble in flocks; the slightest noise makes them throw themselves down
+headlong or crowd one against the other; and this fear is accompanied
+with the greatest stupidity, for they know not how to avoid danger.”
+
+They appear not even to feel the inconveniences of their situation; they
+remain obstinately where they are exposed to the rain or snow. In order
+to oblige them to change their situation and take a certain road, a
+leader is necessary, whose movements they follow at every step. This
+leader would himself remain motionless with the rest of the flock, if he
+were not driven by the Shepherd or excited by the Sheep-dog, which knows
+well how to defend, direct, separate, reassemble them, and communicate
+to them all necessary movements.
+
+They are, of all animals, the most stupid and devoid of resources.
+Goats, which resemble them in so many other respects, have much more
+sense. They know how to guide themselves, they avoid danger, and easily
+familiarize themselves with new objects; while the Sheep neither
+retreats nor advances, and although it stands in need of assistance,
+does not approach Man so willingly as the Goat, besides—a quality which,
+in animals, appears to indicate the last degree of timidity or of want
+of feeling—it allows its Lamb to be taken away without defending it,
+without anger or resistance, or even signifying its grief by a cry
+differing from its usual bleat.
+
+Nevertheless, this creature, so helpless and so apathetic, is to mankind
+the most valuable of all animals, and of the most immediate and
+extensive use. Alone it suffices for his most pressing wants, furnishing
+both food and clothing, besides the various uses of the fat, milk, skin,
+entrails and bones. Nature has not bestowed anything upon the Sheep that
+does not serve for the advantage of the human race.
+
+
+
+
+                             THE OX FAMILY.
+
+
+[Illustration: Bisons in Battle.]
+
+This family is easily distinguished from the other groups of
+Hollow-horned Ruminants. It is composed of large, heavy animals, in
+which the skin of the neck is loose and hanging, forming a large fold
+called the dew-lap.
+
+There are eight species found in this family—the American Buffalo or
+Bison, the Musk Ox, the Cape Buffalo, the European Bison or Auroch, the
+Yak, the Jungle Ox, the Common Buffalo of India, and the Common Ox, or
+the well known group including our domestic Cattle.
+
+
+                         THE AMERICAN BUFFALO.
+
+[Illustration: AMERICAN BUFFALO.]
+
+The American Buffalo, commonly known in other countries as the Bison, is
+a gigantic species which ranges over the temperate and northern
+provinces of the American continent. It is of thick-set shape, and
+carries its head low, on a level with its back, while its shoulders are
+high. Its head is short and large; its horns are small, lateral, far
+apart, black and rounded. Its head, neck, and shoulders are covered with
+thick, curly, dark brown hair. Its tail is short, and terminated by a
+tuft of long hair.
+
+This immense animal inhabits all parts of North America, especially the
+plateaux on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains. In the spring,
+herds of thousands of Buffaloes, crowded closely together, make their
+way up from the south to the north of these vast steppes; in the autumn
+they migrate again to the south. When the summer comes, these wild
+troops break up, and the Buffaloes separate into couples or small herds.
+
+American Buffaloes are not ferocious in their nature; they seldom attack
+Man, but will defend themselves when wounded; they then become
+formidable adversaries, for their enormous heads, well furnished with
+horns, and their fore-feet, are terrible weapons. In their migrations,
+their numbers are so enormous, that as they advance everything that
+comes in their way is devastated.
+
+
+                              THE MUSK OX.
+
+The Musk Ox is much smaller than the Common Ox, and has somewhat the
+appearance of an enormous sheep. Its forehead is arched; its mouth
+small; its muzzle completely covered with hair; and its horns, which are
+very large, are closely united at the base, and bending downwards over
+the sides of its head, suddenly turn backwards and upwards at the tips.
+Its long and abundant coat is of a dark brown color. It exhales a strong
+odor of musk.
+
+This animal, which is a combination of the Ox, Sheep, and Goat, inhabits
+North America below the polar circle, and lives in families of from ten
+to twenty individuals.
+
+Notwithstanding its apparent heaviness, the Musk Ox climbs over rocks
+almost as nimbly as a Goat, and its speed across the rocky, rough,
+barren grounds, (its principal habitat) for an animal so clumsy, is
+truly astonishing.
+
+
+                         THE EUROPEAN BUFFALO.
+
+The European Buffalo, or Auroch, is, next to the Elephant, Rhinoceros
+and Giraffe, the largest terrestrial Mammals. It is nearly six feet
+high. Its horns are large, round and lateral, and its tail is long; the
+front of the body, as far as the shoulders, is covered with coarse,
+harsh, brown hair; the underneath part of its throat, down to its
+breast, is furnished with a long pendulous mane, and the rest of its
+body is covered with short black hair.
+
+This animal is the Urus of the ancients. It formerly lived in all the
+marshy forests of temperate Europe, even in Great Britain. In the time
+of Caesar it was still to be found in Germany, but, from the increase of
+Man and his conquests, it has become more and more rare. At the present
+time it is only to be found in two provinces of Russia. Very severe
+orders have been issued by the Emperor of Russia to prevent the
+destruction of these animals, and not one can be killed without his
+permission.
+
+
+                           THE CAPE BUFFALO.
+
+The Cape Buffalo is distinguished by its large horns, from all the other
+species peculiar to the Old World, the flattened bases of which cover
+the top of its head like a helmet, only leaving a triangular space
+between them. The horns of this African Ruminant are black, while its
+coat is brown. It lives in numerous herds in the thickest forests of
+Southern Africa, from the northern limits of Cape Colony as far as
+Guinea.
+
+When in the open country it is shy and cautious; but is formidable and
+aggressive when hunted in the woods which form its principal retreat.
+Buffalo hunting is one of the occupations of the natives of the south of
+Africa; and it is not unaccompanied by danger, for it often happens that
+the respective characters are inverted, and it is the Buffalo which
+chases the hunters.
+
+
+                                THE YAK.
+
+[Illustration: YAK.]
+
+The Yak, or Horse-tailed Buffalo, has a large tuft of woolly hair on its
+head, and a sort of mane on its neck; the underneath part of its body,
+particularly around the legs, is covered with very bushy, long, pendent
+hair; its tail, which is entirely covered with hair, resembles that of a
+horse; while its voice is a low and monotonous sound, which becomes
+harsh and discordant when the animal is excited.
+
+It is found undomesticated on the confines of Chinese Tartary. It is
+then wild, and dangerous; but when captured and broken in, it proves a
+useful servant to the inhabitants of Thibet and the north of China, who
+utilize it as we do our Cattle. Its milk is excellent; and its strength
+in carrying loads and dragging ploughs and conveyances extraordinary.
+But it is with difficulty they are tamed, for their disposition is
+always restless and wilful, and subject to fits of bad temper. Its flesh
+is highly esteemed, and coarse fabrics are made from its hair.
+
+The tail of this Ruminant has long been valued in the East. Attached to
+the end of a lance, with the Mussulmen it is the insignia of the dignity
+of Pacha; and, the higher this dignity, the greater is the number of
+tails which the possessor of rank has a right to have carried before
+him. The Chinese also adorn themselves with the tail of the Yak, dyed
+red, by placing it in their caps. It is moreover employed as a switch
+for driving away flies.
+
+
+                             THE JUNGLE OX.
+
+The Jungle Ox very strongly resembles the Common Ox, but its horns are
+flattened from front to back, and tend outwards and upwards. These Oxen
+are reared in a domestic state in the mountainous countries of the
+northeast of India.
+
+
+                          THE COMMON BUFFALO.
+
+The Common Buffalo appears to be a native of the warm and damp parts of
+India and the neighboring isles, from whence it has spread into Persia,
+Arabia, the south of Africa, Greece and Italy. It is nearly the same
+size as an Ox. Its bulging forehead, which is longer than it is wide,
+bears two black horns, turned outwards. Its coat is coarse and scant,
+except on its throat and cheeks, and it has a very small dew-lap. It
+lives in numerous herds in marshy and low plains, where it delights in
+wallowing. It is of a wild and untractable disposition, particularly
+towards strangers; and, in order to make use even of those which are the
+tamest, the more perfectly to control them, a ring of iron is passed
+through their nostrils. In the cultivation of rice that cereal
+particularly requiring moist land—their services are most valuable, for
+their power of draught, even when immersed to the knees in mud, far
+exceeds all other animals in a similar situation.
+
+The Arna, or Wild Buffalo, must be considered as a variety of this
+species. Its horns are very large, about five feet long, wrinkled on
+their concave side, and flat in front. It is principally found in
+Hindostan.
+
+
+
+
+                   RUMINANTS WHICH SHED THEIR HORNS.
+
+
+[Illustration: AMERICAN DEER.]
+
+The distinctive characteristic of the animals of this group consists in
+the texture, shape and manner of growth of their frontal protuberances.
+These projections, which are called antlers, and not horns, are bony,
+solid, and more or less branching. They do not have the horny casing
+which exists in all Hollow-horned Ruminants. They fall off and are
+renewed at a certain period every year up to a certain age, and it is
+because of this peculiarity that these animals are known as Ruminants
+with deciduous horns.
+
+In the full grown animal the antler is composed of a cylindrical or
+flattened stem, according to the genus, which is called the brow-antler,
+from which branch out at intervals slighter or shorter additions, called
+tines or branches. The base of the brow-antler is surrounded by a circle
+of small bony excrescences, which afford a passage to the blood vessels
+intended to provide for the growth of the antler; these are called
+burrs.
+
+There are various terms used to indicate the growth of the antlers. In
+the first place, on the brow of the young animal, two small elevations
+or knobs are seen to make their appearance, above each of which there
+soon grows a projection of cartilage, which finally assumes a bony
+texture.
+
+Until they become perfectly hard, these two early sprouts are protected
+from any external friction by a kind of velvety skin, which dries up as
+soon as the cartilage turns to bone.
+
+The short horns which then adorn its brow take the name of dags. At the
+commencement of the third year the dags fall off, but soon after they
+are replaced by other and longer ones, which throw out their first
+tines; and from this time they are considered as entitled to the name of
+antler.
+
+The falling off and periodical renewal of these bony projections is
+really a very curious phenomenon. It seems as if it ought to take
+several years for the horns to regain, as they do, equal or even larger
+dimensions than their predecessors; nevertheless, they shoot out all
+complete in the space of a few weeks. Still, the explanation of this
+fact is simple enough.
+
+The skin which covers the base of the antlers of this animal is
+traversed by a large number of blood vessels, which supply the phosphate
+of lime necessary to solidify the bony parts. Up to the time when the
+antler has acquired the full growth which it is to attain in each year,
+this skin continues to receive the requisite flow of blood; it retains,
+in fact, its living action. But as soon as the growth is complete, and
+it becomes bony, the burrs increase in size, strangulate the vessels,
+and stop the flow of the alimentary fluid. This skin then withers and
+comes away from the antler, which, thus laid bare and no longer
+receiving nourishment, gradually wastes away or decays, and falls off at
+the end of a few months, again making its appearance in the approaching
+season.
+
+Nearly all the members of this family are remarkable for the elegance of
+their shape, the dignity of their attitudes, the grace and vivacity of
+their movements, the slenderness of their limbs, and the sustained
+rapidity of their flight. They have a very short tail; moderately sized
+and pointed ears, and their eyes are clear and full of gentleness.
+
+The coat of Ruminants which shed their horns is generally brown or
+fawn-colored. It is composed of short, close and brittle hair, which
+assumes a somewhat woolly nature in the inclement regions of the extreme
+north, more especially in the winter season.
+
+These Ruminants live in small droves or herds in forests, on mountains
+or plains, and feed on leaves, buds, grass, moss, or the bark of trees,
+etc. They are distributed over all the surface of the globe, both in the
+hottest and coldest climates. The Reindeer and Elk are peculiar to the
+northern regions of both continents; but numerous species are, on the
+contrary, found in hot and temperate countries.
+
+The family of Ruminants which shed their horns comprehends three
+genera—the Reindeer, the Elk, and the Deer proper—all differing in the
+shape and size of their antlers.
+
+
+                             THE REINDEER.
+
+[Illustration: REINDEER.]
+
+The Reindeer is of about the size of the Red Deer, but its legs are
+shorter and thicker. The horns, which exist in both sexes, are divided
+into several branches; at first they are slender and pointed, but as
+they grow they extend, and ultimately terminate in broad and toothed
+palmations. The hair of this animal, which is brown in summer, becomes
+almost white as winter approaches—a circumstance which accounts for the
+idea among the ancients, that the “Tarandus” could assume any color it
+thought proper.
+
+The Reindeer is met with only in the extreme north of Europe and of
+America. It is more especially a native of Lapland, where it is as
+serviceable to the sojourner in those icy regions as the Camel to the
+inhabitants of the sandy desert. The Laplanders keep numerous flocks of
+them, drive them in summer-time to the mountains of their country, and
+in winter cause them to return to the plains, where they use them as
+beasts of burden and of draught, eat their flesh, feed their children
+with their milk, and clothe themselves with their skins. “These useful
+animals,” says Mr. Lloyd, “not only mainly contribute to the
+subsistence, but constitute the chief riches of that nomade people.
+Without the Reindeer, indeed, the Lapp could hardly contrive to exist in
+the dreary region he inhabits, the needful provender being too scanty to
+admit of the well-being of other animals, such as Sheep and horned
+Cattle, which in more southern countries are made subservient to the
+purposes of Man.”
+
+“A large herd of Reindeer,” says Lloyd in his Scandinavian Adventures,
+“traversing the open country or the surface of a frozen lake, as the
+case may be, when the Lapp is changing his encampment, is a very
+magnificent sight. In the front walks a Man leading a Reindeer, or
+perhaps the Man quite alone, who only now and then calls to the animals,
+which, at a few paces’ distance, faithfully follow where he leads.
+
+“In the first ranks of the herd one commonly sees many noble males, who
+proudly elevate their heads, attired with large and branching antlers.
+The rest of the herd follow one another in close phalanx. It resembles a
+wondrous moving forest, whose innumerably branched crowns, with their
+rapid and constantly shifting motion, make the most pleasing impression
+on the eye and mind of the spectator.
+
+“The Lapp sometimes calls a great herd of Reindeer a sava, or sea, a
+figurative expression, beautiful as faithful; taken, probably, not only
+from the immensity of the ocean, but from its surface being in constant
+undulatory motion.”
+
+
+                               THE ELKS.
+
+[Illustration: ELK OR MOOSE.]
+
+The Elk, or Moose Deer, the typical representative of this sub-family,
+is an ungainly-looking animal, as large as, or larger than an ordinary
+Horse. It seems to be raised on legs of disproportionate height. Its
+muzzle is broad and pendulous; its throat swollen, as if it was
+afflicted with a goitre; while its hair is rough and of an ashy color of
+variable shades. The horn of the Elk is at first dagger-shaped, and then
+divided into strips; but at the age of five years, it assumes the shape
+of a broad triangular expansion, with prongs upon its outer margin. The
+weight of these horns increases with the age of the animal, until they
+weigh fifty or sixty pounds, and present as many as fourteen antlers or
+projections from each horn.
+
+This animal inhabits the forests of the north, both of the European and
+American continents, where it may be seen in small herds, making its way
+through the marshy forests. It is an excellent swimmer, and from the
+peculiar structure of its hoofs, able to cross marshy ground with great
+facility. The sense of smell in the Elk is exceedingly acute; and when
+once he scents a pursuer, he darts away with lightning speed, and
+usually without a single pause till he is four or five miles away from
+the object of his fear. He frequents in summer low and marshy ground,
+where water and trees abound; while in winter he resorts to thicker
+shelter on higher levels. The Elk feeds chiefly by day, in the summer on
+the bark, leaves and small branches of young trees, and various species
+of grasses. In the winter he adds to his food the leaves of various
+firs, and different kinds of lichens.
+
+
+                            THE DEER PROPER.
+
+The animals classified under this title include a large number of
+species distributed over the warm and temperate regions of both
+continents. The animals are remarkable for their grace and agility. The
+various species differ somewhat in the shape of their antlers, and the
+color of their coat, which is sometimes all of a fawn-colored shade,
+sometimes dotted over with white spots during their youth, and sometimes
+mottled during the whole of their life. The principal species are the
+Common Stag, or Red Deer, the Large Stag of Canada, or Wapiti, the
+Virginian Stag, the Axis, the Porcine Deer, the Fallow Deer, and the
+Common Roe.
+
+
+                             THE RED DEER.
+
+The Red Deer is certainly one of the most beautiful of European animals,
+owing to the majestic antlers which adorn its head, and its stately and
+graceful bearing. This quadruped is about the size of a small Horse. Its
+coat, which varies according to the season, changes from light brown in
+summer to greyish in winter. It has generally a very gentle and timid
+disposition, and dreads the presence of Man, taking flight at the
+slightest alarm. On the contrary, when not disturbed, it manifests an
+amount of laziness which contrasts strangely with its extraordinary
+agility.
+
+When arrived at a certain age, and in full possession of all its
+strength, the Stag loves solitude, and in localities where possible,
+confines itself during the whole summer to thickets and woods, scarcely
+coming forth except at night to search for sustenance; this done, it
+again retires to the thickest brake, to rest and digest its food. At the
+end of autumn it visits the plains, making its way into badly-enclosed
+gardens, where it satisfies its appetite with the agriculturist’s
+cereals and fruit. If there should not be a sufficiency of the latter on
+the ground, the Stag increases the supply by standing upright against
+the trunk of the tree, and using its antlers as a pole to knock down
+enough to satisfy its appetite.
+
+The favorite food of the Red Deer is grass, leaves, fruits and buds; but
+as none of these can be found in winter, it is compelled to eat moss,
+heath and lichens. When the ground is covered with snow it will feed
+upon the bark of trees. At this season of the year these animals
+assemble in numerous herds under the tallest trees of the forest, to
+obtain shelter from the north wind, when they crowd closely against one
+another for warmth.
+
+The Stag produces every year a new head of horns; and its age is
+generally indicated by them. At six years of age it is said to possess a
+full head; in the following years, and up to the end of its life, it is
+known as a Royal Stag.
+
+
+                           THE CANADIAN STAG.
+
+A magnificent species of Stag is found in North America, which is called
+the Large Stag of Canada, or Wapiti. This animal bears some resemblance
+to the Elk. It is easily tamed, and soon becomes used to confinement.
+The North American Indians catch it in snares when young, and rear it
+with care. At maturity they harness it to their sledges during the
+winter, and its powerful frame enables it to draw heavy loads. Its
+flesh, which is excellent, forms a large portion of the Red Man’s
+sustenance.
+
+
+                          THE VIRGINIAN DEER.
+
+The Virginian Deer is common in the United States, where it is the
+favorite animal of chase. It is larger than the Fallow Deer, and is
+excessively abundant in some portions of this country; but so many of
+them are annually slaughtered that, before a hundred years are past,
+says Audubon, this animal will have become an extraordinary rarity.
+Their death is generally accomplished by the hunter stalking on them
+unawares, when they are shot; or driving them from cover when their
+favorite passes (which are easily distinguished by the experienced) are
+guarded by marksmen.
+
+
+                   THE SAMBOO, AXIS AND PORCINE DEER.
+
+The Indian continent and Malay Islands produce several very remarkable
+species of Stags. First let us mention the Samboo, or Aristotle Deer, so
+called because it was first described by that celebrated philosopher of
+antiquity; then the Axis, a very elegant animal with a fawn-colored coat
+speckled with white, and horns furnished with only two branches; and
+lastly, the Porcine Deer, which owes its name to its small size and
+massive shape. In Bengal, these two last named species are reared in a
+domesticated state, and fattened for the table.
+
+
+                            THE FALLOW DEER.
+
+The Fallow Deer holds a middle place in size between the Red Deer and
+the Roe. Its height, at the withers, is little more than ten hands. It
+may be easily recognized by its horns, which are round at the base, and
+palmated above. Its coat, like that of the Axis, is fawn-colored or
+brown, dotted over with white spots, which in summer are very distinctly
+marked, but are scarcely perceptible in winter. Its habits differ but
+slightly from those of the Red Deer.
+
+The Fallow Deer is found over a large part of Europe, in the north of
+Africa and also in Asia Minor.
+
+
+                            THE COMMON ROE.
+
+The Roe Deer is one of the most elegant and graceful representatives of
+this group. It does not measure much more than a yard in length. Its
+horns are small, and very simple in their shape. They are composed of a
+deeply indented stem, which is straight for the greater part of its
+length, and furnished at the top with two branches, forming a fork at
+the extremity. Its coat is a uniform fawn-color, the shade of which
+varies with the season.
+
+The Roes frequent young woods and thickets in the vicinity of cultivated
+ground, where they delight to crop the buds and shoots, thus doing
+considerable mischief in plantations. They are timid, intelligent and
+gentle; the least unaccustomed noise frightens them. Still, all their
+precautions are not sufficient to protect them against the multitude of
+huntsmen eager for their capture—an eagerness the more excusable as the
+Roe furnishes the finest venison.
+
+
+
+
+                          CETACEA—THE WHALES.
+
+
+[Illustration: Whale Attacked by Bloodheads.]
+
+THE Whale family, or the Cetacea, are really aquatic animals, although
+they resemble Fishes externally. Their whole structure—their lungs
+instead of gills for breathing, their heart, and their manner of feeding
+their young, all show that they belong to the Mammals. Only, instead of
+being organized for living on land, they are better suited for the
+water. Some of them reach an enormous size, and are the giants of the
+animal kingdom.
+
+Their body, more or less spindle-shaped, is terminated in a tail which
+is very broad and forms a fin. This fin or tail is not vertical, as in
+Fishes, and it is the principal agent for moving these living masses.
+
+On the back of most of the Cetacea there is another fin, which is merely
+a part of the skin. They have no hind fins, and their great front fins
+or arms are of little use for locomotion through the water, but serve to
+balance their movements.
+
+The skin of the different members of the Whale family is generally quite
+hairless, which very rarely happens in the case of other Mammalia. The
+largest of other animals are small when compared with many of the
+Cetacea. These great creatures swim quite rapidly, however. Because of
+the air contained in their chest, and the great quantity of grease with
+which their tissues are charged, and the great strength of their tail in
+pushing them forward, they move easily through the waves, looking for
+the Fish, Molluscs and Crustacea, which they eat in enormous quantities.
+
+The Whale family is first divided into two classes, the Blowing Cetacea,
+and the Herbiverous Cetacea. The Herbiverous class includes the Manatees
+and the Duyongs who live on the weedy, shallow shores around the islands
+and mouths of rivers, and feed on the sea-weed.
+
+The class of Blowing Cetacea includes the Whale proper, the Rorquals and
+the great Cachalot or Sperm Whale, in which the head constitutes in
+itself one-third, or even one-half of the total length of the creature,
+the Whalebone Whale; and a second division containing the Dolphin, the
+Porpoise, Narwhal, etc., in which the head is in the usual proportion to
+the body.
+
+
+                      THE WHALE, AND ITS ENEMIES.
+
+We hear surprising stories of the Whales of past ages which measured
+from one or two hundred feet in length; and from the skeletons that have
+been discovered, it is found that even if they did not reach this great
+length, it is probably true, as Goldsmith claims, that they were very
+much larger in the past than now. It is the same as with the quadrupeds,
+the huge Mastodons, etc., from the skeletons that have been dug up from
+time to time it is evident that there must have been terrestrial animals
+twice as large as the Elephant, but these, being rivals with mankind for
+the large territory required for their existence, must have been
+destroyed in the contest. And in the sea, as well as upon land, Man has
+destroyed the larger tribes of animals.
+
+The Whale is the largest animal of which we have any certain
+information; and the various purposes to which, when taken, its
+different parts are converted, have made us well acquainted with its
+history. Of the Whale proper, there are no less than seven different
+kinds; all distinguished from each other by their external figure or
+internal formation. They differ somewhat in their manner of living; the
+Fin-fish having a larger swallow than the rest, being more active,
+slender and fierce, and living chiefly upon Herrings. However, they are
+none of them very voracious; and, if compared to the Cachalot, that
+enormous tyrant of the deep, they appear harmless and gentle. The
+history of the rest, therefore, may be comprised under that of the Great
+Common Greenland Whale, with which we are best acquainted.
+
+The Great Greenland Whale is a large, heavy animal, and the head alone
+makes a third of its bulk. It is usually found from sixty to seventy
+feet long. The fins on each side are from five to eight feet, composed
+of bones and muscles, and sufficiently strong to give the great mass of
+body which they move, speed and activity. The tail, which lies flat on
+the water, is about twenty-four feet broad, and, when the Whale lies on
+one side, its blow is tremendous. The skin is smooth and black, and in
+some places marbled with white and yellow; which, running over the
+surface, has a very beautiful effect.
+
+The Whale makes use only of the tail to advance itself forward in the
+water. This serves as a great oar to push its mass along; and it is
+surprising to see with what force and celerity its enormous bulk cuts
+through the ocean. The fins are only made use of for turning in the
+water, and giving direction to its course. The Mother-whale also makes
+use of them, when pursued, to bear off her young, clapping them on her
+back, and supporting them, by the fins on each side, from falling.
+
+The outward or scarf skin of the Whale is no thicker than parchment; but
+this removed, the real skin appears, of about an inch thick, and
+covering the fat or blubber that lies beneath; this is from eight to
+twelve inches in thickness; and is, when the Whale is in health, of a
+beautiful yellow. The muscles lie beneath; and these, like the flesh of
+quadrupeds, are very red and tough.
+
+Nothing can exceed the tenderness of the mother for her young; she
+carries it with her wherever she goes, and, when hardest pursued, keeps
+it supported between her fins. Even when wounded, she still clasps her
+baby; and when she plunges to avoid danger, takes it to the bottom; but
+rises sooner than usual, to give it breath again.
+
+It seems astonishing how a shoal of these enormous animals find
+subsistence together, when it would seem that the supplying even one
+with food would require greater plenty than the ocean could furnish. To
+increase our wonder, we not only see them herding together, but usually
+find them fatter than any other animals of land or sea. We likewise know
+that they cannot swallow large Fishes, as their throat is so narrow,
+that a Fish larger than a Herring could not enter. How then do they
+subsist and grow so fat? A small insect which is seen floating in those
+seas, and which Linnaeus terms the Medusa, is sufficient for this
+supply.
+
+These insects are black, and of the size of a small bean, and are
+sometimes seen floating in clusters on the surface of the water. They
+are of a round form, like Snails in a box, but they have wings, which
+are so tender that it is scarcely possible to touch them without
+breaking. These serve rather for swimming than flying; and the little
+animal is called by the Icelanders, the Walfischoas, which signifies the
+Whale’s provender. They have the taste of raw muscles, and have the
+smell of burnt sugar. These are the food of the Whale, which it is seen
+to draw up in great numbers with its huge jaws, and to bruise between
+its barbs, which are always found with several of these sticking among
+them.
+
+As the Whale is a meek animal, it is not to be wondered that it has many
+enemies, willing to take advantage of its disposition, and inaptitude
+for combat. There is a small animal, of the Shell-fish kind, called the
+Whale-louse, that sticks to its body, as we see shells sticking to the
+bottom of a ship. This hides itself chiefly under the fins; and whatever
+efforts the great animal makes, it still keeps its hold and lives upon
+the fat, which it is provided with instruments to reach.
+
+The Sword-fish, however, is the Whale’s most terrible enemy. “At the
+sight of this little animal,” says Anderson, “the Whale seems agitated
+in an extraordinary manner; leaping from the water as if with affright.
+Wherever it appears, the Whale perceives it at a distance, and flies
+from it in the opposite direction. I have been myself,” he continues, “a
+spectator of their terrible encounter. The Whale has no instrument of
+defence except the tail; with that it endeavors to strike the enemy; and
+a single blow taking place, would effectually destroy its adversary; but
+the Sword-fish is as active as the other is strong, and easily avoids
+the stroke; then bounding into the air, it falls upon its great enemy,
+and endeavors, not to pierce with its pointed beak, but to cut with its
+toothed edges. The sea all about is soon dyed with blood, proceeding
+from the wounds of the Whale, while the enormous animal vainly endeavors
+to reach its invader, and strikes with its tail against the surface of
+the water, making a report at each blow louder than the noise of a
+cannon.”
+
+The Whale has still another deadly enemy—the tribe of Bloodheads, known
+as the Wolves of the ocean. This is a species of Whale and, like the
+Whale, also belongs to Mammalian animals. Although the Bloodheads in
+relation to the enormous Whale may be termed small, they wage war in
+troups of five or ten, undaunted and impassionately attacking the huge
+monster who usually succumbs to the assault. They, therefore, deserve
+the name assigned them by Linneus, “Torment of the Whale.” They are even
+more blood-thirsty than the Shark in boldness, killing Seal and smaller
+Fish in masses.
+
+The Whale when attacked by these Fish of Prey appears to become at first
+paralyzed with fear and hardly makes any effort to defend himself,
+although it would hardly benefit him to do so as the Bloodheads are the
+swiftest of the Whale family, swimming with extraordinary quickness and
+dexterity. The “Wolves of the Sea” encircle the gigantic, clumsy Whale
+like a pack of Hounds around a pursued and exhausted Deer. Some of them
+attack him at the head and forefins, others attack him from underneath,
+while others attack the lips, and when he opens his gigantic mouth,
+attempt to slash apart his tongue. Finally the giant becomes angered. He
+whips the water with his tail and his front fins with tremendous force,
+snorts powerful streams out of the nostrils of his colossal head; dives
+under and shoots up in an endeavor to shake off his enemies and to
+dispatch them with his fins. Often this terrific combat, as illustrated
+on page 88, lasts for a considerable length of time, ending mostly with
+the downfall and death of the Whale. The Bloodheads tear him apart in a
+horrible manner until death ensues, after which they feast for days with
+pleasure on the immense carcass, and then start in search of further
+prey.
+
+
+                             THE CACHALOTS.
+
+[Illustration: SPERM WHALE.]
+
+In these Cetaceans the head is of vast size and excessively vaulted, or
+arched, especially in front. The upper jaw has no whalebone nor teeth of
+any kind, excepting a few rudiments. The lower jaw, which is very narrow
+and much elongated, is armed on each side with a lengthy row of teeth of
+considerable size and conical shape, the points of which when the mouth
+is shut, are received into corresponding depressions in the upper jaw.
+
+The upper region of their prodigious head is made up of vast caverns
+filled with an oily fluid, which on cooling becomes solid, constituting
+the valuable substance generally known by the name of “spermaceti.” It
+is not, however, in the vaults of the head only that this fat is found.
+It appears to be distributed through various excavations in the body,
+and to be diffused even among the dense mass of blubber which envelopes
+the exterior of the animal.
+
+The peculiar odorous substance, so well known under the name of
+“ambergris,” is likewise obtained from the Cachalot.
+
+How many species of these monstrous creatures exist in the ocean we
+cannot tell, seeing that the observations of the Whale-fishermen are
+generally by no means sufficiently precise for the purposes of Natural
+History. That which appears to be most frequently met with is the
+Great-headed Spermaceti Whale.
+
+This giant of the deep has merely a callous hump upon its back, in place
+of a dorsal fin. On each side of its lower jaw are from twenty to
+twenty-three large conical teeth. The “blow hole” through which it
+respires is a single orifice, situated on the top of the head—not a
+double aperture as in most other Cetaceans. The species seems to be
+widely distributed, but its range is principally confined to the oceans
+south of the Equator.
+
+
+                         THE WHALEBONE WHALES.
+
+These Whales resemble the Cachalots, both in the vastness of their bulk,
+and in the disproportionate size of their head, when compared with their
+entire length. Their forehead, however, is considerably flatter than
+that of the Spermaceti Whales, and they have no true teeth. Instead of
+the usual implements of mastication, their upper jaw, which somewhat
+resembles a great boat turned keel upwards, or the roof of a house, has
+its under surface densely furnished with plates of a substance called
+“whalebone,” consisting of horny plates resembling the blades of
+scythes, placed transversely. These becoming thinner towards their
+edges, are fringed with a long hair-like border, so that the whole
+apparatus forms an immense sieve.
+
+The Whalebone Whale—long considered as the largest animal at present in
+existence—according to the testimony of the Rev. Captain Scoresby, seems
+rarely, if ever, to exceed seventy feet in length; a size, which,
+although prodigious, is exceeded by some other Cetaceans. Its back is
+unprovided with a dorsal fin. The blubber, or elastic fat beneath its
+skin, which is sometimes several feet in thickness, furnishes immense
+quantities of oil, in search of which whole fleets were formerly fitted
+out, until the entire race of these Whales has become almost extinct. At
+a very recent period these leviathans of the ocean were not uncommonly
+met with on the British coast; but generally they have been compelled to
+retire for safety to the recesses of the ice-bound coasts of the north,
+and even there they are rarely to be encountered, their number appearing
+to constantly diminish.
+
+In addition to the large supplies of oil fat, commerce was indebted to
+them for the whalebone, formerly so abundant, consisting of broad plates
+of that black, flexible, horny substance, sometimes measuring eight or
+ten feet in length; and of these a single individual has been known to
+furnish eight or nine hundred from each side of the roof of its mouth,
+as well as upwards of twenty tons of oil. Notwithstanding its colossal
+size, the Whalebone Whale is very harmless, living principally upon the
+small animals that crowd the seas to which it resorts, straining them
+from the surrounding water by means of its sieve-like mouth.
+
+
+                             THE DOLPHINS.
+
+[Illustration: DOLPHIN.]
+
+These animals are easily distinguished from the others of the Whale
+family by their arched forehead, the beak-like jaws, and the beauty and
+elegance of their movements in the water. For many ages the Dolphin has
+been noted for its intelligence and docility, its affectionate
+disposition being quite as noticeable among the water animals, as that
+of the Dog or the Elephant among quadrupeds.
+
+They usually swim in companies, leaping and tumbling over one another
+with amusing playfulness. They live principally upon Fishes, which, from
+the swiftness of their movements, they have no difficulty in catching.
+
+People have always had a great idea of the strength of the Dolphin, and
+at one time it was said of those who attempted to perform
+impossibilities, that they “wanted to tie a Dolphin by the tail.” It is
+principally with the assistance of this powerful tail that the Dolphin
+swims with such rapidity, and that it has gained for itself the title of
+“Sea-arrow.”
+
+When the Dolphins—which go in numerous troops and in certain order—meet
+a ship, they follow it, so as to catch the Fish which the refuse thrown
+from the ship attracts in quantities. At whatever speed the ship may be,
+either sailing or steaming, they keep up with it, and play about among
+the waves, bounding, turning over and over, and never tiring of frisking
+and tumbling, affording continual amusement to the crew.
+
+Many authors have said that the Dolphin leaps high enough above the
+surface of the water to jump on board small vessels. They say that in
+this case the animal curves its body round with force, bends its tail
+like a bow, and then unbends it, in such a manner as to fly like the
+arrow from a bow.
+
+When they saw these animals following their ships, the sailors imagined
+that they were accompanying them from an instinct of sociability. They
+have even gone so far as to say that these animals have a sort of
+affection for seamen, as well as for each other.
+
+
+                             THE PORPOISES.
+
+The Porpoises differ from the Dolphins in having their snout short and
+uniformly rounded, without a beak-like projection. Their teeth are
+compressed, sharp-edged, and rounded, their number from twenty-two to
+twenty-five in each jaw. Their skin is smooth and shining, black above
+and white below, and as they never attain a greater length than four or
+five feet from the tip of the muzzle to the extremity of their flat
+horizontal tail, they may be regarded as the smallest of the Cetacean
+Order. These animals abound in every sea, and many people have witnessed
+their unwieldy gambollings, the character of which is by no means badly
+expressed by their name (porc-poisson, hog-fishes). They have, in fact,
+somewhat the appearance of floating pigs, as they wallow in the trough
+of the sea and roll over each other amid the foaming waves.
+
+Their food consists entirely of Fishes, of which they destroy great
+quantities. They follow the shoals of Herrings and of Mackerel, and when
+pursuing their prey, not unfrequently venture into the estuaries of
+rivers, and make excursions up the rivers themselves.
+
+
+                             THE NARWHALS.
+
+[Illustration: NARWHAL.]
+
+The Narwhals have no teeth, but are furnished with an enormous tusk,
+that projects from the upper jaw, and becomes a most formidable weapon.
+
+The Narwhal is an inhabitant of the Arctic seas, where it sometimes
+attains a length of from twenty to twenty-five feet. Its skin is
+beautifully marbled with brown and white; its muzzle is round, and its
+mouth, unlike that of other Cetaceans, is disproportionately small. Its
+single tooth, or horn-like tusk, projects from the head in a line with
+the body, sometimes to the length of nine or ten feet. It is spirally
+twisted, tapering to a point, and as it is composed of the hardest
+ivory, is capable not only of transfixing the body of a Whale, but when
+impelled by such momentum as is derived from the speed of its ponderous
+owner, has been known to penetrate the oaken ribs of a British
+man-of-war to the depth of nearly a couple of feet, and probably has
+thus caused the loss of many ships incapable of resisting the shock.
+
+                         HERBIVOROUS CETACEANS.
+
+
+Until a very recent period the animals composing this family were quite
+unknown, or perhaps we ought rather to say they were just sufficiently
+known to make them the objects of superstition. Seeing that there is in
+their general appearance, somewhat of a resemblance to the human form,
+the casual glimpses obtained of them at once satisfied their first
+discoverers that they were Tritons and Sirens, such as they had read of
+in mythological writings, and the belief in the existence of Mermaids
+and Mermen was thus at once confirmed.
+
+In the works of Gesner, Aldrovandus and Jonston, the earliest authors
+after the renaissance of Natural History in modern times, the figures of
+creatures having human bodies joined with the tails of Fishes are
+inserted with the utmost faith in their existence.
+
+A more accurate acquaintance with these strange creatures has, however,
+revealed to later voyagers that they are merely a race of animals very
+closely allied in their organization to Whales, which in form they
+closely resemble, while their internal structure shows them to be still
+more nearly related to the gigantic Pachyderm Quadrupeds, such as the
+Hippopotamus and the Tapir.
+
+The main feature which distinguishes the Herbivorous Cetaceans is their
+total want of hind limbs, a circumstance in which they resemble the true
+Whales and Dolphins; but in the structure of their nostrils they conform
+to the usual arrangement met with in four-footed Mammalia. Instead of
+whalebone or the sharp conical teeth of the Dolphins, they are furnished
+with broad, flat grinders, wherewith they chew their vegetable food,
+which consists principally of the sea-weeds, etc., abundant near the
+shores which they frequent. In short, as Buffon well expresses it, these
+creatures terminate the list of terrestrial quadrupeds and commence the
+history of the population of the sea, or, more correctly, form the
+connecting link between the Mammiferous inhabitants of the ocean and
+those of the river and the marsh.
+
+This family comprises the Manatees and the Dugongs.
+
+
+                             THE MANATEES.
+
+[Illustration: MANATEE.]
+
+These animals are distinguished by the arrangement of their teeth and by
+certain peculiarities in the structure of their head. The number of
+their teeth is considerable, their grinders have roots distinct from the
+crown of the tusk, which forms a grinding surface composed of transverse
+elevated ridges. The incisor teeth are quite rudimentary. Their only
+limbs somewhat resemble hands, and their fingers are provided with
+nails, while the fin at their tail is not forked, but single, and of an
+oval shape. These creatures seem to be intermediate in their structure
+between the Pachyderms and the Cetaceans, seeing that their grinding
+teeth very much resemble those of the Tapirs. Three species are known to
+Naturalists—one from South America, one from Senegal and one from
+Florida.
+
+
+                      THE SOUTH AMERICAN MANATEE.
+
+Although the western coasts of Africa were frequented by sailors in very
+ancient times, and known to Europeans long before the discovery of the
+American continent, the Manatee which is found upon the eastern shores
+of America was known to Naturalists before the African species. The
+interest aroused by the discovery of a new world attracted enlightened
+men, who flocked to its shore, and described its productions; while the
+African continent, never having received Europeans but as enemies, was
+in turn treated as an enemy’s country, and could only be visited at a
+considerable risk.
+
+The name of Manatus is evidently derived from the Spanish word mano, a
+hand, or manato, furnished with hands, seeing that the creature seems to
+have no arms, little being seen externally but the fingers. Its length
+is from eighteen to twenty feet, and it is at least six feet across at
+the broadest part of its body, just behind the hands. Its general
+appearance is that of a Whale; it has no neck, nor any vestiges of
+hinder extremities, but it differs materially from the true Cetaceans in
+many points of its structure. Four of its fingers, for instance, are
+furnished with nails, and its tail is of an oval shape.
+
+This animal appears to live entirely upon sea-weed, nothing but the
+remains of various kinds of fucus having been found in its stomach. The
+form of its teeth corresponds with the supposition that this is its only
+food, and seeing that it has no incisor teeth, it must necessarily
+browse this kind of grass by means of its fleshy lips, which are covered
+with stiff hairs. The habits of the Manatee are gentle; it is even
+stated to be capable of being to some extent tamed. It associates with
+its fellows in herds, which are more or less numerous. The mother
+exhibits the greatest affection for her young ones, which are one or two
+in number; she carries them in her hands while feeding them, and her
+milk is said to be as sweet and well-tasted as that of a cow. The
+Manatee frequents the estuaries of the rivers of South America, and even
+sometimes ventures to ascend their streams for a short distance. Its
+flesh and its fat are both considered delicacies. One is said to
+resemble veal, the other bacon, the latter having the additional
+recommendation of keeping good for a long period.
+
+
+                              THE DUGONGS.
+
+The Dugongs were for some time confounded with the Walruses and
+Manatees, under the generic name of Trichecus, until Lacepede,
+perceiving their distinctive characters, separated them as a distinct
+race, to which he applied the name Dugong, thus trying to Latinize their
+native appellation. Such Latin as that, however, could not be tolerated
+even by Zoologists, and hence Illiger conferred upon them the more
+euphonious name of Halicore (daughter of the sea). Although the
+organization of the Dugong in its general features resembles that of the
+Manatee, there are important differences whereby they are clearly
+distinguishable. The molar teeth of the Dugong have no roots, but
+present merely a flat surface bordered with enamel; moreover, they are
+fewer than in the Manatee, and the Dugong has rudimentary incisors. The
+structure of the hands is likewise modified. The fingers of the Dugong
+have no nails, and very much resemble the flippers of ordinary
+Cetaceans, while the nostrils, instead of opening at the end of the
+snout, are approximated to the top of the head, another circumstance by
+which the Dugongs seem to be intermediate between the herbivorous and
+carnivorous forms of Whale.
+
+The only known species is the Halicore Dugong. These animals live in
+societies, in shallow bays near the mouths of rivers, and in narrow arms
+of the sea where the depth is only two or three fathoms. In such
+situations they find abundance of sea-weed, which seems to constitute
+their only nutriment, and which they tear from the rocks by means of
+their flexible but powerful and fleshy lips. In the Sunda Isles Dugongs
+were formerly numerous, but their flesh is esteemed a dainty, and the
+species is now becoming scarce.
+
+The chase after them is carried on during very calm weather, and
+generally by night. Their vicinity is detected by the noise they make in
+breathing as they lie at the top of the water, when by approaching them
+cautiously in a boat, they are easily harpooned. When once the weapon is
+fixed, all the efforts of the assailants are directed to getting a rope
+round the tail of their victim, and this being accomplished it is quite
+helpless.
+
+The mother and her young, and also the male and his mate, show great
+attachment for each other; if one is caught, the capture of the other is
+a certainty, as the survivor, totally regardless of danger, gives itself
+up to its enemies.
+
+
+
+
+                                 Birds.
+
+
+[Illustration: STONE EAGLE GUARDING HIS BOOTY.]
+
+IN the study of our beautiful and interesting friends, the Birds, it is
+useless to enter into any prolonged discussion concerning their
+structure and their habits in this limited space; we are too eager to
+arrange them in their proper families, and learn of the interesting
+traits of individuals.
+
+[Illustration: TAILOR BIRD.]
+
+There is one thing worthy of consideration, however, in studying the
+Birds as a whole, before taking up individuals; and that is their
+wonderful intelligence in the building of their nests and the care of
+their young. It is difficult to understand this intelligence as
+exhibited in Birds. In the Mammals, whose organization approaches nearer
+to our own, we are enabled partly to comprehend their joys and griefs,
+but in the case of Birds it is difficult to understand their sensations.
+
+To explain this mystery a word has been invented which proves generally
+satisfactory. Thus we call the sentiment which leads the Birds to
+perform so many admirable actions, instinct. The tenderness of the
+mother for her young for instance—a tenderness so full of delicacy and
+foresight, is, we say, only the result of instinct. It is agreed,
+however, that this instinct singularly resembles the intelligence called
+reason.
+
+Take the intelligence that is shown in the majority of Birds in the nest
+building. The Tailor bird—an East Indian Bird related to the
+Warblers—shows rare intelligence in constructing its nest by stitching
+together the leaves of plants; and as we study the individuals of the
+different families of Birds we will find numerous instances of this
+marvellous quality commonly known as instinct.
+
+Birds have been arranged in groups and families in various ways by
+different Naturalists, but the most satisfactory classification is the
+division into six great families. First, the Raptores, or Birds of Prey;
+second, the Natatores, or Swimming Birds; third, the Grallatores, or
+Wading Birds; fourth, the Scransores, or Climbing Birds; fifth, the
+Gallinaceae, or Domestic Birds; sixth, the Passerines, or the Sparrow
+Family.
+
+
+
+
+                             BIRDS OF PREY.
+
+
+The numerous Birds classified as Raptores, or Birds of Prey, are divided
+into two great families—the Owls or Nocturnal Birds of Prey, who hunt
+and kill their prey during the night; and the Diurnal Birds of Prey,
+including the Falcons, Eagles and the Vultures, who seek their food
+during the day.
+
+All the different Birds belonging to this order are characterized by a
+strong, hooked and sharp-edged bill, strong legs covered with feathers,
+four toes, three in front and one behind, which are usually very
+flexible, and provided with strong talons. As their name indicates, they
+live by plunder and blood-shedding. They correspond in the class of
+Birds with the Carnivora among Mammals. Like them, they live on animals,
+either dead or living; like them, too, they possess the strength and
+cunning which are necessary to secure their victims.
+
+The Birds of Prey do not possess any of the graces and power of song
+which characterize other races of Birds. Their only utterance consists
+of harsh cries or strange and plaintive sounds, and it is very seldom
+that their plumage is gay or attractive. Destruction is the sole object
+of their existence, and they are the terror of the rest of the feathered
+creation.
+
+They are found over the whole surface of the globe. The larger species
+inhabit lofty mountains, or seek a hiding place in solitary cliffs.
+
+
+
+
+                            THE OWL FAMILY.
+
+
+[Illustration: OWLS.]
+
+The Owls represent the nocturnal Birds of Prey. They are distinguished
+by large staring eyes directed straight in front, and surrounded by a
+circle of slender and stiff feathers, which by their radiation around
+the face form a nearly complete disc. They have short strong bills and
+sharp claws for seizing their prey.
+
+With the exception of the Barn Owl, all these nocturnal Birds of Prey
+lay eggs of spherical shape. They live in couples, only assembling in
+flocks at the time of migrating to a warmer climate. They do not build
+any nests but deposit their eggs in the cavities in old trunks of trees
+or ruined habitations. None of these Birds come out of their roosting
+places during the day, unless they are forced to do so.
+
+For brief and simple classification the Owl family is usually divided
+into two groups—the Horned Owls and the Hornless Owls.
+
+
+                            THE HORNED OWLS.
+
+These are distinguished by two tufts or horns of feathers placed on each
+side of their head. They are sub-divided into many species. The five
+most important are the Great Owl, Virginian Eared Owl, the Long-eared
+Owl, Short-eared Owl, and Scops-eared Owl.
+
+The Great Owl is the most remarkable of the whole family on account of
+its size and strength. Its height is on an average of two feet, and it
+is known as the king of nocturnal Birds. Its bills and claws are of a
+black color, very strong and hooked. Its plumage is brown, with black
+spots and dark brown stripes. Its wings when extended, are not less than
+five feet across. This bird makes its home among the clefts of rocks on
+mountain sides, rarely leaving this elevated ground to descend into the
+plain, even when hunting. Its peculiar cry, re-echoing in the silence of
+the night, is a source of terror to the rest of the feathered creation.
+It feeds upon Rabbits, Moles, Rats and Mice, and even devours Toads,
+Frogs and small reptiles. This Owl is the most courageous of the family,
+and often fights with the Tawny Eagle. In these fierce fights, both the
+Owl and the Eagle are sometimes killed, as they bury their claws so deep
+in one another’s flesh that they cannot withdraw them.
+
+The Great Owl is common in Switzerland and Italy and also inhabits Asia.
+
+The Virginian Eared Owl inhabits North America. This bird is nearly the
+size of the Great Owl of Europe. It is distinguished from the latter by
+a different arrangement of the feathered projections on its head, which,
+instead of starting from the ears, take their rise close above the bill.
+This bird feeds on young poultry, which it boldly carries off from the
+very midst of poultry yards; to the Turkey it is especially destructive.
+When other food fails, it feeds on dead fish. If caught when young it is
+easily tamed, but as it gets mature its blood-thirsty instincts become
+so powerful that it proves a most expensive pet.
+
+
+                          THE LONG-EARED OWL.
+
+The Long-eared Owl is more sociable than most nocturnal Birds of Prey,
+and is often met with in the north of France and England. It is also
+found in Asia, Africa and America. It is not large, for it seldom
+exceeds fifteen inches in length; nevertheless, it is possessed of great
+courage, and attacks successfully Birds and Mammals of considerable
+size. Its appetite appears insatiable. The general color varies from
+pale to dark brown, marked with dark pencilings. Any nest, even that of
+the Squirrel, suits its fancy, in which it lays four or five white eggs.
+Although so blood-thirsty, it is easily tamed.
+
+The Short-eared Owl is about a foot in height. The horns of this species
+are much shorter than those of the Long-eared Owl. Its length is about
+fifteen inches; its plumage is russet, shaded with grey and brown. It
+has a black bill and claws, and beautiful yellow eyes. It inhabits
+hollows in rocks or dead trees, and old ruined houses, and sometimes
+installs itself in nests left vacant by Magpies, Ravens and Buzzards.
+
+This Owl being very fond of Mice, which form its principal food, all
+that is necessary to attract it to a snare is to imitate the cry of
+those Rodents. It also feeds on Moles, and, in cases of emergency, even
+on Frogs, Toads, Leverets and young Rabbits. Its nest has been found in
+a Rabbit hole. This Bird displays much courage in the defence of its
+young when it thinks them in danger, and does not even fear to attack
+Man. Its cry is a kind of low moaning, which it frequently utters during
+the night.
+
+The Scops-eared Owl is remarkable for its small size, which does not
+exceed that of the Thrush; and for its horns, which are perfectly formed
+of a single feather. These Owls are more sociable than the others, and
+they are of great service to the farmers in destroying field Mice. Bats
+and large insects are also favorite food for these Birds, and when these
+are scarce, they will eat Fish, and may then be seen hovering over ponds
+and rivers, seizing the Fish when they come to the surface of the water.
+
+
+
+
+                             HORNLESS OWLS.
+
+
+The Hornless Owls are much like the others with the exception of their
+smooth round heads, without any projecting feathers to form curious ears
+and horns. There are many species in this group, the principal ones
+being the Snow Owls, the Barn or Screech Owls, the Hawk or Canada Owls,
+Brown or Tawny Owls, Ural Owls, Burrowing Owls, and Sparrow Owls.
+
+The Barn or Screech Owls are among the best known of the family, as they
+are found in nearly all parts of the globe. The White Owl, or Snow Owl,
+sometimes called the Harfang, may also be found in all parts of North
+America, Europe and Asia. Its plumage is a brilliant white, with some
+black spots on the head. This color is well suited to the nature of the
+places in which it lives, for it sometimes inhabits the most desolate
+solitudes of North America, Newfoundland, Hudson’s Bay, Greenland and
+Iceland; and its color harmonizes so well with its surroundings that it
+can traverse almost unseen, the immense deserts of snow in search of its
+prey.
+
+
+
+
+                           THE FALCON FAMILY.
+
+
+The Falcon tribe form the most important group of the Diurnal Birds of
+Prey—or those that hunt during the day. They usually feed on living
+animals, also there are some species of this family that will feed like
+the Vultures on putrid flesh. The Diurnal Birds of Prey are divided into
+three different families—the Falcons, the Vultures and the Serpent
+Eaters.
+
+The Falcon family is divided into the Falcons proper, the Eagles, Sea
+Eagles, Harpy Eagles, Buzzards, Hawks, Goshawks and Harriers.
+
+Falcons properly so called (from falx a reaping-hook) are the ideal
+Birds of Prey. They have a short bill bent from the base with a very
+strong tooth on each side of the upper part, with which an indentation
+corresponds in the lower portion. The wings of this Bird are long and
+pointed, causing its flight to be powerful and rapid. They feed only on
+living prey, Birds and small Mammals, and they always hunt on the wing.
+
+
+                              THE EAGLES.
+
+[Illustration: HARPY OR CRESTED EAGLE.]
+
+The Eagles are distinguished from the Falcons proper by their strong
+bills which are scalloped and not toothed. Their wings are long and
+tails rounded. The Harpy or Crested Eagle is called the model species of
+this tribe. It is very large and the most formidable, measuring nearly
+five feet from the extremity of the head to that of the tail. Its bill
+is more than two inches in length, and its claws and toes are larger and
+more robust than the fingers of a man. It is said that the Harpy does
+not fear to attack animals of large size and even Men. Two or three
+blows from its bill are sufficient to break its victim’s skull. The
+Harpy inhabits the great forests situated on the banks of the rivers of
+South America. The Indians, who have great admiration for its warlike
+qualities, show great respect for this Bird; and they use its long wing
+and tail feathers to adorn themselves on state occasions.
+
+
+                            THE STONE EAGLE.
+
+[Illustration: Eagle Picking up an Ice Fox.]
+
+Anyone who has visited Switzerland has often seen these powerful Birds
+swaying majestically over the highest point of the Alps. With widespread
+wings they glide along with easy motion. The sharp eye searches the
+earth anxiously and discerns the smallest prey from the greatest height.
+The Bird descends with slow circling movements and presently drawing his
+wings with loud, rustling noise, he darts to the earth like an arrow. He
+buries his outstretched fangs into the body of his prey and crushes it
+sooner or later, according to its size and power of resistance, without
+the use of his bill. After killing his prize, the Eagle spreads himself
+out to his full size and gives vent to a triumphant shriek of conscious
+victory. The powerful bill then begins the work of annihilation.
+
+He steals smaller and larger animals—Rabbits, Lambs, Kids and Foxes.
+Nordmann relates that Stone Eagles have even been known to pounce upon
+heavy Swine. Neither are small Children safe from him. Among Birds, his
+prey is the Crane, Stork, Duck, Goose, etc., or any large and clumsy
+Bird. He does not attack swift Birds.
+
+In the spring they hatch their eggs in a lonely, quiet cliff on the
+mountains, locating the nest in a strong tree. No other interloper is
+tolerated in the same district. Should any such appear, the male Stone
+Eagle advances with loud, angry shrieks. The intruder pauses, startled
+for the moment. He does not feel safe in the strange district and
+hesitates for a moment as to whether to undertake the combat with the
+rightful owner of the district. Soon, however, his boldness overweighs
+his better judgment and the powerful Birds circle about each other
+seeking to attack a weak spot. They circle nearer and presently with a
+bold plunge one swoops down upon his opponent. Each clutches the other
+with powerful fangs, making the blood flow and amid the rushing noise of
+the flapping wings, furious blows are struck, causing the feathers to
+fly in every direction. The combatants gradually sink lower and soon
+touch the earth upon which they roll about. Presently the intruder
+endeavors to free himself and, bleeding from many wounds, hastens away.
+The victor pursues him for a short distance and finally returns to his
+mate, who, having been an interested witness of the combat from the
+distance, welcomes him with joyful clamor.
+
+The Stone Eagle lays from two to four eggs, about the size of a
+Peacock’s, of a greenish white color with brown spots. During the time
+their young remain in the nest the parents’ search for prey is
+continuous. In one of the nests, Hunter Regg found part of a Fox, a
+Prairie Dog and remains of not less than five Rabbits of the Alps.
+
+
+                             THE SEA EAGLE.
+
+[Illustration: Falcons Fighting.]
+
+The common name of the Sea Eagle—Pygargus—is derived from the Greek word
+which means “white tail.” These Birds feed on Fish and aquatic Birds.
+They are found along the shores of Europe, Northern Siberia, Asia Minor
+and Egypt. A powerful, bold and dangerous Bird of Prey, with a covering
+of slate colored and golden brown feathers with light and dark streaks
+and bands. Like the Stone Eagle, he pursues every wild animal he can
+overpower and besides this, he makes good use of his unfeathered talons
+to the terror of the watery inhabitants, in catching Fish with ease. The
+Porcupine’s prickly coat is no protection against him, nor the Fox’s
+sharp teeth. Neither the precaution of the Wild Goose, nor the readiness
+of the Diving Bird in disappearing under the waves, nor the guard of the
+faithful Dog and Shepherd over the Lamb. Neither the Fish’s cool
+element. All are the prey of the bold robber. He attacks Children, and,
+under favorable conditions, even grown persons. His principal
+nourishment is Fish and for this reason his aerie is generally near the
+seacoast or large inland streams. He does not at all despise carrion and
+during the winter regularly haunts fishing places and the regions of
+mankind, such as flaying places, slaughter-houses, etc., wherever there
+is a possibility of his obtaining booty. In Northern Russia and Siberia,
+in the winter, when every river and pond is frozen over, the Sea Eagle
+is obliged to exist entirely on land animals, and overcome by hunger
+boldly snatches a Fox from the horde (see illustration), soars away with
+and kills him; heedless of his struggles and attempt to free himself, by
+attacking with his sharp teeth, the fangs and bill grasping him.
+
+
+                             THE BUZZARDS.
+
+[Illustration: BUZZARDS.]
+
+The Buzzards have long wings and a large head. They do not chase their
+prey when it is on the wing, but hide themselves, where they wait until
+a victim passes within reach. When thus occupied they will sometimes
+remain for several hours perfectly quiet, looking so sleepy and inactive
+that their stupidity has become proverbial. This stupid look is partly
+due to the weakness of their eyes, which are affected by strong light.
+
+They generally build their nests in the loftiest trees, and occasionally
+in thickets of brushwood among the rocks. When frost comes they visit
+farm yards and steal poultry, and when pressed by hunger they become
+very bold.
+
+
+
+
+                          THE VULTURE FAMILY.
+
+
+[Illustration: Vulture and Griffin Fighting over Prey.]
+
+The Vultures are the most disgusting of the feathered creation. Like the
+Hyena among animals, they rarely attack living prey, but live almost
+entirely upon putrid flesh, and after filling themselves with this food
+they will remain in a state of stupid torpor until it is digested. Yet
+much as we despise them, we must recognize their friendly mission to
+mankind, for while the other Birds of Prey are often of use to the
+farmers, etc., in killing off the field and barn Mice, and destructive
+insects, the Vultures remove all decaying flesh and putrid matter from
+the earth that might otherwise breed disease.
+
+The Vultures fly heavily, but mount aloft to great altitudes. They have
+wonderful powers of vision. Should a carcass be left on the plain they
+immediately see it, and drop down, turning over and over in their hurry
+to arrive at the feast.
+
+The Bearded Griffon, Condor, King Vulture, Urubu, Turkey Buzzard,
+Fulvous Vulture and Pondicherry Vulture, are the principal species of
+the great Vulture family.
+
+
+                          THE BEARDED GRIFFON.
+
+The Bearded Griffon is the celebrated Lammergeyer, described by some
+Naturalist under the name of the Golden Vulture. The Lammergeyer forms,
+as the name indicates, an intermediate genus between the Eagles and the
+Vultures, having head and eyes like the Vultures and feet and strong
+beak like the Eagles. It owes its name—Bearded Griffon—to a tuft of
+stiff hair that is under the beak. The loftiest mountains of Europe,
+Asia and Africa are its home, and its aerie, which is of great size, is
+built among the most inaccessible rocks.
+
+In our illustration, one of these Bearded Griffons or Golden Vultures
+has discovered a Common Vulture (sometimes called the Goose Hawk)
+feasting upon the carcass of a Pamir-sheep (one of the greatest of the
+Sheep species, inhabiting lofty plateaus above the tree limit).
+
+The Vulture at the feast hears the rushing of mighty wings and the
+Bearded Griffon, followed by his wife, drops on a neighboring rock.
+
+With spreading wings and wide opened bill, the Bearded Griffon flies on
+his opponent to make him relinquish his booty; but the Vulture is not
+easily scared off. He is courageous, passionate and artful. With ruffled
+plumage, neck drawn in, beak opened to ward off the blow, he awaits the
+attack. Suddenly he darts out the long neck quick as a wink and seeks to
+give his enemy a blow with his beak. But the other is on his guard, and
+the Vulture again takes the waiting attitude. But it will not last long;
+the Bearded Griffon rushes on him, and with claws meeting these kings of
+the air fight out a mighty battle. It is scarcely to be doubted that the
+stronger Bearded Griffon will at last win the victory and divide the
+spoil with his wife, while the exhausted and bleeding Vulture flies away
+to seek some other supply to satisfy his hunger. So throughout all
+nature the bitter fight for existence goes on, and ever the strong must
+be overcome by the yet stronger.
+
+
+                              THE CONDOR.
+
+[Illustration: Condor Capturing Llama.]
+
+As in the Alps and Pyrenees the Vulture and his kin reign and build
+their aerie, so in the mountain heights of the South American Andes,
+from the equator to the 45 degrees of latitude, the mighty Condor
+reigns. He is the most powerful of all Birds of Prey, of whose mode of
+living mankind has only been able during the last few years, to obtain
+much accurate information. The color of his plumage is black shading
+toward dark blue. The centre of the wings are white, head and throat are
+almost bare, and the warty skin on both sides of the neck is red. The
+red comb on the head and the white silky collar are sufficiently
+characteristic of the Condor to distinguish him from other Birds of
+these mountains.
+
+The power of flight and swiftness of this Bird is altogether
+extraordinary and the keenness of his sight wonderful. He, like the
+other Vultures, subsists on carrion. In case of a deficiency in this
+direction, he attacks herds of Lambs, Sheep and Calves and among the
+various species of Llama infesting his regions he causes great
+devastation, wherefore inhabitants of these mountain regions have great
+aversion for him and endeavor in every possible manner to entrap and
+destroy him. It is astonishing how this Bird, swaying at such tremendous
+height that the naked eye can scarcely discern him, can detect carrion,
+which has been thrown aside as a bait for him, or the nearness of
+wounded animal, and how first one, then others, appear, of whose
+presence one has previously had no inkling. When the Condor pursues an
+animal, he continues the chase until either the prey, leaping over a
+precipice, dashes to pieces, or he pounces upon and crushes it,
+battering in its skull with his powerful bill. His principal booty as
+previously mentioned, is the swift-footed though defenceless Llama. In
+the illustration we see how a powerful Condor has pursued one of the
+most useful of domestic animals until he has fallen exhausted, and now
+proceeds to kill and consume him. In the distance hovers a comrade with
+whom he will be obliged, willingly or otherwise, to share the booty.
+
+
+
+
+                   THE NATATORES, OR SWIMMING BIRDS.
+
+
+The Swimming Birds or Natatores take their name from the Latin natare,
+to swim. The toes are united by the extension of webs between them; and
+the whole order of Swimming Birds can dive without the body becoming
+wet, as their feathers are anointed with an oily liquid furnished by
+certain glands in their skin, which renders them impervious to moisture.
+This oily substance and the structure of their feathers—which are
+smooth, three-cornered, and closely interlaced—cause the water to glide
+off their polished surface; while the down beneath the feathers protects
+their bodies from the cold of the most severe winters.
+
+The Swimming Birds are very numerous both in species and individuals,
+and inhabit all countries. According to some Naturalists these Birds
+which frequent the sea constitute one-fourteenth part of all the Birds
+on the globe, and the number of species is said to be nearly ten
+thousand. They feed on vegetables, insects and Fishes, and build their
+nests on the sand, in nooks and crannies of the rocks, or on the margin
+of lakes and rivers.
+
+
+                       THE BLACK-THROATED DIVER.
+
+The Black-throated Diver is small and slender. It floats deep in the
+water, and when alarmed, swims at surprising speed, with outstretched
+neck and rapid beat of the wings, and little more than its head above
+the surface.
+
+It flies high and in a direct course with great rapidity.
+
+Mr. Selby describes an ineffectual pursuit of a pair on Loch Shin, in
+Sutherlandshire, which was long persevered in. In this case submersion
+frequently took place, which continued for nearly two minutes at a time,
+and they generally reappeared at nearly a quarter of a mile distant from
+the spot at which they went down. In no instance did he ever see them
+attempt to escape by taking wing. When swimming, they are in the
+constant habit of dipping their bill in the water with a graceful motion
+of the head and neck.
+
+“I may observe,” says this acute ornithologist, “that a visible track
+from the water to the nest was made by the female, whose progress on
+land is effected by shuffling along upon her belly, propelled from
+behind by her legs.”
+
+The Black-throated Diver has the beak and throat black; summit of the
+head ashy grey; the breast and the sides of the neck white, with black
+spots; the back and rump black; the coverts of the wings with white
+spots, and all the lower parts pure white. The Bird, though rare in
+England and France, is very common in the north of Europe. It is found
+on the lakes of Siberia, of Iceland, in Greenland and Hudson’s Bay, and
+sometimes in the Orkney Islands. The women of Lapland make bonnets with
+its skin dressed without removing the feathers; but in Norway it is
+considered an act of impiety to destroy it, as the different cries which
+it utters are said to prognosticate fine weather or rain.
+
+The eggs, of which there are two, sometimes three, in the same nest, are
+of a very elongated oval form, three inches in length, two inches in the
+greatest girth and of a brownish olive sprinkled with black or
+dark-brown spots, and are larger at one end than at the other.
+
+In the spring the Sea-birds assemble in large flocks. In fact certain
+localities are chosen year after year, and these are occupied by
+innumerable flocks at certain seasons, all of which seem to live
+together in perfect harmony.
+
+Some of the families of the Swimming Birds are valuable additions to the
+poultry yards. Ducks and Geese furnish delicate and nourishing food; the
+Swan is gracefully ornamental on our lakes and ponds. The down of all
+the aquatic Birds as an article of commerce is of great value in
+northern countries. Their eggs constitute good food, and in many
+countries the inhabitants consume them in great quantities.
+
+But their usefulness does not end here. Guano, so eagerly sought for by
+the farmer, is the excrement of aquatic Fowls which has accumulated for
+ages, until in the South Pacific Ocean it is said to have formed whole
+islands; some of them being covered with this valuable agricultural
+assistant to the depth of ninety or a hundred yards. This does not seem
+so marvellous when it is considered that twenty-five or thirty thousand
+Sea-birds sleep on these islands night after night, and that each of
+them will yield half a pound of guano daily, which owes its unrivalled
+fertilizing power to the ammoniacal salts, phosphate of lime, and
+fragments of feathers of which it is composed.
+
+Although the numerous Swimming Birds are alike in having webbed feet and
+oily plumage that cannot be saturated with water, they have also many
+points of difference which make it necessary to divide them into various
+families. For instance, some of the Swimmers are feeble and slow in
+their flight, and others cannot even rise from the water as their wings
+are so small. On the other hand, there are species which possess
+wonderful power of traversing the air, their well-developed wings
+enabling them to pass through space with marvellous rapidity. The
+Petrels seem to delight in storms and tempests, mingling their cries
+with the roar of the waves; and the dread which is experienced by the
+mariner at the approach of a gale is unknown to the Sea Gull and
+Albatros, for they appear to delight in the warring elements.
+
+Because of these differences in their characteristics, Naturalists have
+divided the Swimming Birds in various ways, but the best and the
+simplest is the division into four great families. First, the Divers, or
+the Sea Birds with thin, short wings; second, the large family to which
+the Swan and Ducks and Geese belong; third, the Pelican family; fourth,
+the Swimming Birds with long wings.
+
+
+
+
+                         THE FAMILY OF DIVERS.
+
+
+The most important birds found in this family are the Great Northern
+Diver, the Arctic Diver, Penguins, Auks, Grebes, and Guillemots.
+
+All these Birds are distinguished by wings so thin and short as to be
+almost useless for flying. They are all habitual divers and tireless
+swimmers, using their wings as Fish do their fins. To raise their wings
+after taking a down stroke requires much greater effort than a Bird of
+flight makes in raising its wings in the air; for this reason the muscle
+in the wings of the Diving Birds has an unusually large development to
+give them greater strength.
+
+The Divers are inhabitants of northern seas. There they build their
+nests on some solitary island and lay two eggs, oblong in shape and
+white in color. Fish, particularly the Herring, are their principal
+food, and they are such active swimmers and divers that it takes a quick
+eye and hand to shoot them.
+
+
+                       THE GREAT NORTHERN DIVER.
+
+This great Bird has been called a wanderer on the ocean. It is not only
+found along the margins of the sea, fishing in the bays and at the river
+banks, but is also met with out on the ocean many miles from the shore.
+Narrow channels and sandy bays are, however, its favorite resorts; there
+it floats, its body deeply submerged in the water. But though swimming
+so deep in the water, it can overtake and shoot ahead of all the more
+buoyant swimmers.
+
+The Bird is sometimes known as the Loon. It is seldom found on the land,
+being ill fitted for walking or flying, and although it is expert in
+swimming long distances under water, and when it does come up seldom
+exposes more than its neck, it flies rather better than many other
+short-winged divers. It flies heavily, in a circle, round those who have
+disturbed it in its haunts, its loud and melancholy cry resembling the
+howling of a wolf, or the distant scream of a man in distress. When the
+“Loon” calls frequently, it is supposed to portend a storm. In the bad
+weather which precedes the advent of winter on the northern American
+lakes, previous to migration, the wild weird note of the Loon is so
+unnatural that the Indians ascribe to it supernatural powers.
+
+
+                             THE PENGUINS.
+
+[Illustration: PENGUIN.]
+
+The Penguins belong exclusively to cold countries. They live almost
+entirely in the water, and although they seldom come ashore, except to
+build their nests and lay their eggs, or when driven by squalls or
+storms from their favorite element, they do not often swim far from the
+land. On the shore they are compelled to sit erect, as their feet are
+placed at the extremity of the body—an arrangement which renders them
+awkward and heavy when they try to sit or walk. They carry the head very
+high and the neck stretched out, while their short winglets are held out
+like two short arms. When they sit perched in flocks on some lofty
+projecting rock they might be mistaken at a distance for a line of
+soldiers.
+
+At certain periods of the year the Penguins assemble on the beach as if
+they had planned to meet for deliberation. These assemblies last for a
+day or two, and are conducted with an obvious degree of solemnity. When
+the meeting results in a decision, they proceed to work with great
+activity.
+
+Upon a ledge of rock, sufficiently level and of the necessary size, they
+trace a square with one of its sides parallel and overlooking the edge
+of the water, which is left open for the egress of the colony. Then with
+their beaks they proceed to collect all the stones in the neighborhood,
+which they heap up outside the lines marked out, to serve them as a wall
+to shelter them from the prevailing winds. During the night these
+openings are guarded by sentinels.
+
+They afterwards divide the enclosure into smaller squares, each large
+enough to receive a certain number of nests, with a passage between each
+square. No architect could arrange the plan in a more regular manner.
+
+What is most singular is that the Albatross, a Bird adapted for flight,
+associates at this period with these half Fish, half Birds, the
+Penguins; so that the nest of an Albatross may be seen next the nest of
+a Penguin, and the whole colony, so differently constituted, appear to
+live on the best terms of intimacy. Each keeps to its own nest, and if
+by chance there is a complaint, it is that some Penguin has robbed the
+nest of his neighbor, the Albatross.
+
+Other Sea-birds come to partake of the hospitality of the little
+republic. With the permission of the masters of the society, they build
+their nests in the vacancies that occur in the squares.
+
+The Penguin lays but one egg, which she only leaves for a few moments
+until hatched, the mate taking her place while she seeks her food. The
+Penguins are so numerous in the Antarctic seas, that 100,000 eggs have
+been collected by the crew of one vessel.
+
+The King Penguin has been described by most Naturalists as a distinct
+species. Of this there is little doubt. They abound in the southern
+seas. Their short stunted wings, which make them quite incapable of
+flying, are reduced to a flat and very short stump, totally destitute of
+feathers, being covered with a soft down, having something of the
+appearance of hair, which might be taken for scales. Like all the
+Penguins, this Bird is an excellent swimmer and diver, and its coating
+of down is so dense that it even resist a bullet; it is consequently
+difficult to shoot.
+
+Their nests are a very simple construction, for they content themselves
+with a hole in the sand deep enough to contain two eggs, but more often
+one.
+
+In spite of the limited number of eggs, the quantity of these Birds
+found in the south of Patagonia is something marvellous. When sailors
+land in these high latitudes they take or kill as many as they choose.
+Sir John Narborough says, speaking of those at the Falkland Islands,
+that “when the sailors walked among the feathered population to provide
+themselves with eggs, they were regarded with sidelong glances.” In many
+places the shores were covered with these Birds, and 300 have been taken
+within an hour; for generally they make no effort to escape, but stand
+quietly by while their companions are being knocked down with sticks.
+
+In another islet, in the Straits of Magellan, Captain Drake’s crew
+killed more than 3,000 in one day. These facts are not exaggerated. This
+island, when visited by these navigators, probably had never been
+pressed previously by a human foot, and the Birds had succeeded each
+other from generation to generation in incalculable numbers, hitherto
+free from molestation.
+
+The Penguins have no fear of man. Mr. Darwin pleasantly relates an
+encounter that he had with one of these Birds on the Falkland Islands.
+“One day,” he says, “having placed myself between a Penguin and the
+water, I was much amused by the action of the Bird. It was a brave Bird,
+and, till reaching the sea, it regularly fought and drove me backwards.
+Nothing less than heavy blows would have stopped him. Every inch gained
+he kept firmly, standing close before me firm, erect and determined, all
+the time rolling his head from side to side in a very odd manner.”
+
+There are many species of Penguins, the handsomest probably being the
+Crested Penguin, which is a native of Patagonia, and has a very
+conspicuous appearance. These Birds are called by sailors, regardless of
+species, Jackass Penguins, from their habit, when on shore, of throwing
+their head backwards, and of making a strange loud noise very like the
+braying of a Donkey.
+
+This family all defend themselves vigorously with their beaks when an
+attempt is made to lay hands on them; and when pursued, they will
+pretend to retreat, and return immediately, throwing themselves upon
+their assailant. “At other times they will look at you askance,” says
+Pernetty, “the head inclined first on one side, then on the other, as if
+they were mocking you.” They hold themselves upright on their feet, the
+body erect in a perpendicular line with the head. Navigators passing
+these islands of the southern seas might suppose that they were densely
+inhabited, for the loud roaring voices of these Birds produce a noise
+equal to that of a great crowd. The flesh is most unpalatable, but it is
+frequently the only resource of ship’s crews who find themselves short
+of provisions in these inhospitable regions. However, their eggs have
+the redeeming quality of being excellent.
+
+
+                                THE AUK.
+
+The Auk is a noble Bird, which was once common in our waters, but at
+this date scarce even in the Arctic seas; it is but little known. In
+habits and mode of life it strongly resembles the Penguins.
+
+
+                              THE GREBES.
+
+The Grebes have the head small, the neck somewhat elongated, the legs
+attached to the abdomen, the tail rudimentary, the tarsi compressed, the
+anterior toes united at their base by a membrane. These Birds live on
+the sea, but they inhabit fresh water by preference, feeding on small
+Fishes, Worms, Molluscs, Insects, and the products of aquatic
+vegetation. While they dive and swim admirably, they also fly with
+vigorous wing; but they rarely resort to this unless alarmed or when
+migrating.
+
+The nest of the Grebe is usually placed in a tuft of rushes on the edge
+of the water. It is composed of large grassy plants roughly interlaced,
+and the interior is lined with soft broken grasses delicately arranged.
+The eggs vary from three to seven. On shore they cannot walk well, but
+creep along in an awkward manner. They are covered with fine, warm down,
+so close and lustrous that muffs are made from their breast.
+
+Grebes are inhabitants of the old and new Continents. Among the European
+species may be noticed the Crested Grebe, about the size of a Duck,
+ornamented with a double black crest; the Horned Grebe, provided with
+two long tufts of feathers, in the form of a horn; and the Eared Grebe,
+distinguished by its beak, the base of which is depressed, while the
+point is raised upwards.
+
+The Crested Grebe is the best known in the United States. These have
+been found in limited numbers around the Great Lakes and as far south as
+Mexico.
+
+
+
+
+                        DUCKS, GEESE AND SWANS.
+
+
+This family of Swimming Birds are perhaps better known all over the
+world than any other large group of Birds. It is unnecessary to describe
+the characteristics to make us acquainted with the family, but it may be
+well to mention some of the principal types.
+
+
+                                 DUCKS.
+
+The Ducks are of two sorts, either wild or tame. The Wild Ducks comprise
+two groups—the Sea Ducks, which feed mostly in salt waters, dive much in
+feeding, and have a very broad bill; and the Pond Ducks, which have a
+straight and narrow bill; these generally frequent the fresh water, but
+pass much of their time on land, feeding on aquatic plants, Insects,
+Worms and sometimes Fish.
+
+The first division comprises the Shieldrake, Muscovy Duck, Gadwall,
+Shoveller, Pintail, Widgeon, Bimaculated Duck, Garganey and Teal. The
+second division includes the Red-crested Duck, Pochard, Ferruginous
+Duck, Scaup, Tufted Duck, Harlequin Duck, Long-tailed Duck, and Golden
+Eye; while between the two divisions are placed (as possessing some of
+the characteristics of each) the Eider Duck, King Duck, Velvet Duck and
+Scoter.
+
+
+                                 GEESE.
+
+Geese in many respects resemble Ducks and Swans, but they are less
+aquatic in their habits, often keeping at a distance from large bodies
+of water and living in moist meadows and marshes, where they find
+herbage and various kinds of seeds on which to feed. They swim very
+little and seldom dive. They make their nests on the ground, and lay
+from six to eight eggs, which are hatched in a little more than a month.
+
+The Wild Goose, though not very elegant in form, has none of the
+awkwardness of the Domestic Goose, which is generally supposed to be
+descended from it.
+
+There are very few species of Wild Geese compared with the Ducks. The
+Grey-lag Goose, the Canada Goose, Bean Goose, White-fronted Bernicle and
+the Black-faced Bernicle form the most distinct species.
+
+Although they are seldom seen on the water during the day, Wild Geese go
+every evening to the ponds and rivers in their neighborhoods to pass the
+night, so that the Wild Goose visits its aquatic haunts when the Wild
+Ducks are leaving them.
+
+
+                                 SWANS.
+
+[Illustration: BLACK NECKED SWANS.]
+
+Just as the Goose has long been the symbol of awkwardness and stupidity,
+so the Swan has been an object of admiration in all ages for its noble
+proportions, the graceful curve of its neck and its small and shapely
+head. On the water it is the picture of elegant ease. It swims
+apparently without effort and with great rapidity. Different species are
+found in America, Europe and Asia, and in Australia a black Swan is very
+abundant.
+
+In the wild state it lives on lakes, rivers and sea-coasts of both
+hemispheres, feeding on such seeds, leaves, roots, water-insects, Frogs
+and Worms as come in its way. In its domestic state, it is the charm and
+ornament of our lakes and rivers; but, except in a few instances, it is
+only kept for show, as it is jealous and cruel in disposition and not
+friendly with domestic fowls.
+
+Both the Mute and the Whistling Swan were celebrated among the ancients;
+and the Black Swan of Australia is quite distinct from the white and the
+Grey Swans of other countries; and one curious species is pure white
+with a black neck, like those of our illustration who are enjoying
+themselves in the water, all unconscious of the danger lurking on the
+tree-branch above them, although the chattering Parrots seem to be
+endeavoring to give them warning.
+
+The Swan, like the Goose, lays from six to eight eggs, of a greenish
+white color. It takes them about six weeks to hatch. The baby Swans or
+Cygnets are first covered with a grey down, soft and fine like the
+yellow down of Goslings. The regular feathers do not appear until the
+third year.
+
+
+
+
+                          THE PELICAN FAMILY.
+
+
+[Illustration: PELICANS.]
+
+All the Birds of the Pelican family are distinguished by having the hind
+toe united to the others by a single membrane. Some of the group are
+large and heavy Birds, but they are all gifted with powerful wings, and
+they are, at the same time, good swimmers. Besides the Pelicans
+themselves, we find in this family of Birds, the Tropic Bird, the
+Darter, the Gannets and the Cormorants.
+
+The Pelicans are large, heavy aquatic Birds, with great extent of wing
+and are excellent swimmers; their haunts are the sea-coast, and the
+banks of rivers, lakes, and marshes. Whenever a Fish betrays its
+presence by leaping or flashing its glittering scales in the sun, the
+Pelican will be seen sailing towards it.
+
+This Bird has an appetite so insatiable and a stomach so capacious that,
+in one day it devours as much food as would satisfy six men. The
+Egyptians have nicknamed it the River Camel, because it can imbibe at
+once more than twenty pints of water. Certainly it only makes two meals
+a day; but, oh, what meals they are!
+
+Pelicans often travel in large flocks, visiting the mouths of rivers or
+favorite retreats on the sea-coast. When they have made choice of a
+suitable fishing place, they arrange themselves in a wide circle, and
+begin to beat the water with extended wing, so as to drive the Fish
+before them, gradually diminishing the circle as they approach the shore
+or some inlet on the coast. In this manner they get all the Fish
+together into a small space, when the common feast begins.
+
+After gorging themselves, they retire to the shore, where the process of
+digestion follows. Some rest with the neck over the back; others busily
+dress and smoothe their plumage, waiting patiently until returning
+appetite invites them to fresh exertions. When thus resting,
+occasionally one of these Birds empties his well-lined pouch, and
+spreads in front of him all the Fish that it contains, in order to feed
+upon them at leisure.
+
+In spite of its great size, the Pelican flies easily and to considerable
+distances. It does not dive but will occasionally dash down on Fish from
+a considerable height, and with such force that it becomes submerged;
+but its buoyancy instantly brings it again to the surface. It perches on
+trees, but seems to prefer rocks.
+
+The nest is generally formed of coarse, reedy grass, lined with softer
+material and placed in the clefts of dry rocks near the water.
+Occasionally they will lay in an indentation in the ground which they
+have previously roughly lined with blades of grass.
+
+The Pelican is more common in tropical regions than in temperate
+climates. They are very numerous in Africa, Siam, Madagascar, the Sunda
+Isles, the Philippines; and in the Western Hemisphere they abound from
+the Antilles to the northern temperate part of the North American
+continent. They haunt the neighborhood of rivers and lakes and the
+sea-coast.
+
+The best known species are—first, the Crested Pelican; second, the White
+Pelican; third, the Brown Pelican; fourth, the Spectacled Pelican.
+
+
+                          THE CRESTED PELICAN.
+
+The Crested Pelican in common with the White Pelican, inhabits the
+southeast of Europe and Africa, and is also found in Hungary, Dalmatia,
+Greece, the Crimea, and the Ionian Islands, as well as in Algeria, and,
+according to some authors, it is frequently met with in China.
+
+It has white plumage, with the exception that the ends of the feathers
+of the back and wings are black. The feathers of the head and upper part
+of the neck are twisted up so as to form a large tuft or crest, hence
+the name it bears. Its European home is principally the marshes round
+the Black Sea.
+
+Of their modes of life travelers in those regions give very interesting
+descriptions.
+
+“Nowadays,” says W. H. Simpson, “a solitary individual may be seen
+fishing here and there throughout this vicinity; the remnant have
+betaken themselves to the neighboring islands. Here, towards the end of
+February last, the community constituted a group of seven nests—a sad
+falling off from the year before, when thirty-four nests were grouped
+upon a neighboring islet.
+
+“As we approached the spot in a boat the Pelicans left their nests, and
+taking to the water, sailed away like a fleet of stately ships, leaving
+their nursery in possession of the invader. The boat grounded in two or
+three feet of mud, and when the party had floundered through this, the
+seven nests were found to be empty. A fisherman had plundered them that
+morning, taking from each nest one egg, which we afterwards recovered.
+The nests were constructed in a great measure of old reed palings (used
+by the natives for enclosing Fish) mixed with such pieces of the
+vegetation of the islet as were suitable for the purpose. The seven
+nests were arranged in the shape of an irregular cross, the navel of the
+cross, which was the tallest nest, being about thirty inches high, the
+two next in line being about two feet, and the two forming the arms
+being a few inches lower, the two extremes at either end being about
+fourteen inches from the ground. The eggs are chalky, like others of the
+Pelican family, very rough in texture.”
+
+
+                           THE WHITE PELICAN.
+
+The White Pelican is as large as a Swan. Its bill is about fifteen
+inches in length. Its plumage is white, with a slightly rosy tint, the
+crest and a few feathers on the neck yellowish.
+
+It is very common on the lakes and rivers of Hungary and southern
+Russia, as well as on the banks of the Danube. A wild rocky shore, where
+it can look down on the sea, is the favorite haunt of this Pelican; but
+it is not uncommon for it to perch on trees. The nest is formed of
+coarse reedy grass, with a lining of finer quality; it is generally made
+on the ground, and is about eighteen inches in diameter, in which it
+lays four, sometimes five, white eggs, but more frequently two, slightly
+oblong, and alike at both ends. Fish forms its principal food, which it
+captures chiefly in shallow inlets, as it is an indifferent diver.
+Occasionally its flight is lofty, but generally close to the surface of
+the water.
+
+
+                           THE BROWN PELICAN.
+
+The Brown Pelican is an American species, smaller than the preceding. It
+has the head and the neck variegated with white and ash-color; all the
+rest of the plumage of a brownish grey, with white marks on the back;
+the pouch is of an ashy blue, striped with a red hue. It is found on the
+coasts of Peru, Florida and South Carolina.
+
+Although heavy-looking on the wing, this species is capable of
+performing flights of immense distance, and to a certain extent may be
+considered migratory. In winter they are seldom seen beyond the edge of
+the tropics, but in summer they are frequently found as far north as the
+thirty-sixth degree of latitude. Extremely wary and difficult of
+approach, they are seldom shot, although persistently pursued by
+fishermen, on account of the immense damage they do to the spawn and
+young Fish.
+
+They are also possessed of the greatest powers of vitality, and resist
+death when pierced with wounds so serious that they would inevitably
+kill any other species.
+
+From this circumstance doubtless they receive the name of Die-hards from
+the residents that dwell on the margin of the Gulf of Mexico. When
+disabled from taking flight, their courage in defending themselves from
+an assailant is as remarkable as that of the Bittern; but being
+possessed of superior size and strength to the latter Bird, the Brown
+Pelican can successfully resist the strongest Dog.
+
+Like the other species of this genus they live in small communities of
+twenty or thirty members, and build their nests upon the ground closely
+adjoining each other, and the utmost good fellowship, almost affection
+for each other, exists between them. The young Birds remain with their
+parents till the spring following their birth, the old ones driving them
+off to seek new homes, when the advance of the season tells them that
+they must provide a home for a coming family. As in many other races,
+the plumage of the young is much darker and less handsomely marked than
+in the adults. From frequent persecution, the Brown Pelican has of late
+years much diminished in numbers.
+
+
+                        THE SPECTACLED PELICAN.
+
+The Spectacled Pelican, which is only found in southern climates, is
+thus named from the naked skin which surrounds its eyes, giving the Bird
+the appearance of having on a pair of spectacles. Its plumage is white,
+and in habits and mode of life it closely resembles the previously
+described species. One of its principal haunts is along the southern
+coasts of China, especially in the vicinity of the mouth of the Canton
+river, and on the bays near it. The Chinese regard them as sacred, and
+nothing would induce them either to rob them of their eggs or young.
+
+Longevity is reported to be one of their characteristics. A very old
+mandarin, living on the margin of Meers’ Bay, once pointed out a
+Spectacled Pelican, that he said he could remember since his childhood.
+This Bird was partially tamed; for although it went long distances to
+fish, it always returned to his village to pass the night.
+
+
+
+
+                    THE LONG-WINGED SWIMMING BIRDS.
+
+
+[Illustration: ALBATROS.]
+
+The fourth large family of Swimming Birds includes the many long-winged
+species which are thus named not only because of the great length of
+their wings, but for their long and enduring power of flight. Mariners
+meet them everywhere, and easily recognize them by their long and
+pointed wings, forked tails and short legs. They pass their lives at a
+great distance from land, and do not approach the shore except to lay
+their eggs and hatch their young. In this family are found the
+Albatrosses, the Petrels, Gulls, Skuas, Scissors-bills or Skimmers, and
+the Sea Swallows.
+
+The Albatross is the largest and the most bulky of all the Birds which
+fly over the surface of the sea. It belongs principally to the southern
+hemisphere. The sailors know it under the name of Cape Sheep, which they
+give it on account of its enormous size. Its extended wings measure as
+much as sixteen feet five inches across. Its plumage is generally white,
+with the exception of a dark back.
+
+Courage is not measured by size. This rule holds good in these Birds,
+for notwithstanding their wonderful strength and their large, strong,
+sharp and hooked bills, they exhibit the most unaccountable cowardice.
+Even a poor weak Sea-mew will attack an Albatross, the cowardly giant
+finding no better means of getting rid of his enemy than by plunging
+into the water. Although they are most gluttonous in taste, they prefer
+flight to contending for their food. This consists of marine animals,
+Molluscs, and the spawn of Fish. When they are filled to repletion, and
+the prey which they have seized is too large to swallow whole, they may
+be seen with part of it hanging outside their bill, until the first half
+is digested. Thus embarrassed, the Albatross has only one mode of escape
+if it happens to be pursued; namely, by disgorging the food with which
+its stomach is overloaded.
+
+Gifted with an extraordinary power of flight, these Birds venture out to
+enormous distances from land, more especially in stormy weather. They
+seem to delight in storms. When overcome with fatigue, they repose on
+the surface of the sea, placing their head under their wings. When in
+this position they are very easily captured. In order to do this, the
+sailors have only to approach silently, and knock them down with a
+boat-hook or spear them with a harpoon.
+
+Navigators have opportunities of observing these Birds in the Antarctic
+regions, where there is no night at certain seasons of the year, and
+they assert that the same flocks may be seen hovering around their
+vessel during many successive days without exhibiting the least signs of
+exhaustion or the slightest relaxation in their strength. A peculiarity
+in their mode of flight is that, whenever they are ascending or
+descending, they seldom flap their wings, but fly without an effort.
+
+To follow in the wake of some passing ship, probably because the
+agitation of her track brings to the surface the small fry of marine
+animals which are their principal food, appears to delight them. They
+pounce upon anything that falls overboard, even Man. On one occasion a
+sailor fell into the sea from a French vessel, and could not be
+immediately rescued because there was no boat in a fit state to be
+lowered. A flock of Albatrosses, which followed in the ship’s wake,
+pounced upon the unfortunate seaman, and commenced to peck his head.
+Being unable to buffet both with the sea and the enemies which
+surrounded him, the poor sailor perished before the very eyes of his
+comrades.
+
+The Gulls, the Albatrosses and Petrels may be said to be the Vultures of
+the ocean—its scavengers; for they cleanse it of all the putrefied
+animal substances which float on its surface.
+
+In the autumn the Albatrosses congregate at their favorite
+nesting-places. They assemble in immense numbers on the islands in the
+South Atlantic Ocean. Their nests, which are about three feet in height,
+are formed of mud.
+
+Their flesh is very hard, and can only be rendered eatable by laying it
+for a long time in salt, and afterwards boiling it, and flavoring it
+with some piquant sauce.
+
+The most remarkable species are the Common Albatross, which frequents
+the seas washing the south of Africa; the Sooty Albatross which also
+inhabits the seas round the Cape of Good Hope; the Yellow-beaked
+Albatross which, like the preceding species, inhabits the seas of the
+South Pole.
+
+
+
+
+                   THE GRALLATORES, OR WADING BIRDS.
+
+
+Nearly all the Wading Birds have very long legs; in some species these
+are of such surprising dimensions that the Birds appear to be mounted on
+stilts. This peculiarity is well adapted to their modes of life. They
+inhabit river banks, lakes and marshes, in which they find their food;
+consequently they are fearless of water and ooze. Not all the birds
+classed with the Waders live near the water, however; the Runners, or
+such Birds as the Ostrich, Agami, Bustard Emu, etc., are usually classed
+with the same group because of the similarity of their long, strong legs
+and short wings.
+
+The bills of the different Birds found in this group assume various
+forms. They are generally long, but according to the species, they may
+be thick or slender, tapering or flat, blunt or pointed, strong or weak,
+and in some kinds, such as the Flamingo, the Spoonbill, the Boatbill,
+etc., they really defy all description. The neck is always slender and
+in perfect harmony with the length of the legs.
+
+Almost all the Waders are powerful Birds on the wing, and twice a year
+most of them emigrate like the Wild Ducks, Geese and Swans. There are
+exceptions to this rule, however. Some of them, like the Bustard, move
+through the air with difficulty; while the short winged species are
+unable to fly at all, their wings being only useful for helping them
+along in running, and thus assisted, they are remarkably swift.
+
+The nature of their food varies with the form and strength of the bill,
+and the locality they inhabit. It consists generally of Fish, worms and
+insects, and sometimes of small animals and reptiles, as well as grasses
+and seeds.
+
+The Waders are usually divided into six great families. These are
+classified under long Latin names descriptive of some peculiarity
+belonging to each, but which can be more easily remembered as: First,
+the Waders with united toes; second, the long-toed Waders; third, the
+Waders with long bills; fourth, the Waders with knife-shaped bills;
+fifth, the Waders with compressed bills; sixth, the short-winged Birds.
+
+
+
+
+                      THE WADERS WITH UNITED TOES.
+
+
+As the feet of these Birds are partly webbed, they seem to belong to the
+swimmers, but the arrangement of their toes is altogether different, and
+their unusually long legs would also place them in a different family.
+This is the smallest of the family of Waders. In fact only two varieties
+are usually found in it—the Avocet and the Stilt Bird.
+
+
+                              THE AVOCET.
+
+This Bird has a very curious bill—long, slender, flexible and curved
+upwards. It uses this strange instrument to rake up the sand and mud in
+order to catch the worms, small molluscs and Fish-spawn, which
+constitute its chief food. Its long legs enable it to travel in safety
+over swamps and lagoons; it also swims with great ease. It may often be
+seen looking for its food on the margins of lakes and ponds.
+
+The Avocet stands about twenty inches in height, although its body is
+but little larger than a Pigeon’s. It is a pretty bird, of slender make;
+its plumage is black on the head and back, and white underneath. It is
+to be met with on both the Continents; the European species is common in
+Holland and on the French coast. Wild and shy in its nature, it is very
+difficult of approach, and is clever in avoiding snares and in escaping
+pursuit, either by flight or swimming. The nest of the Avocet is a very
+simple structure, generally made by placing a few blades of grass in a
+hole in the sand, where it lays two or three eggs, of which it is
+frequently robbed, for they are regarded as great delicacies. The flesh,
+however, is of little value.
+
+
+                            THE STILT BIRDS.
+
+The Stilt Birds obtain their name from the excessive length of their
+legs, which are also so slender and flexible that they can be bent
+considerably without breaking. Their feet are not so completely webbed
+as the species we have just mentioned; the two membranes which unite the
+toes are unequal in size. The bill is long, slender and sharp, like that
+of the Avocet, but straight; the wings are long and pointed; the tail
+small. They are about the size of the Avocet, and sometimes attain the
+height of twenty-six inches. They possess considerable powers of flight,
+but walk with difficulty; on the other hand, they are much at home on
+mud or in marshes and swamps, in which they bore with their long beaks
+for insects, larvae, and small molluscs, dainties to which they are very
+partial.
+
+They are dull, shy birds, leading a solitary life, except at nesting
+time. At that period they assemble in great numbers, build their nests
+in the marshes, on little hillocks, close to one another, grass being
+the principal material employed. They lay four greenish colored eggs,
+with ash colored spots. The male bird watches while the females are
+sitting; and, at the slightest alarm, he raises a cry which startles the
+flock. The whole colony may then be seen on the wing, waiting for the
+danger to pass before settling down.
+
+Stilt Birds are uncommon in Western Europe; they are principally to be
+met with in the Russian and Hungarian marshes. During the summer they
+occasionally visit the shores of the Mediterranean, but they are seldom
+seen on those of the Atlantic.
+
+
+
+
+                           LONG-TOED WADERS.
+
+
+[Illustration: Reed Hen Caught by Fish.]
+
+The Birds forming this family are remarkable for the extreme length of
+their toes, which are entirely separate, or but slightly webbed; they
+are thus enabled to walk on the weeds growing on the surface of the
+water. In most instances the shortness of their wings limits their
+powers of flight.
+
+This order includes the Gallinules, or Water Hens, Rails, Coots,
+Pratincoles, and Screamers.
+
+The chief characteristics of the Reed Hen are a short and strong bill,
+thick at the base and sharp at the end, with a prolongation of it
+extending up the forehead; four well-spread toes, furnished with sharp
+claws—the three front toes united by a small and cloven membrane. Their
+favorite haunts are marshy places and the banks of lakes or rivers,
+where they feed on Worms, Insects, Molluscs, and the smaller Fish. The
+Pike is their greatest enemy.
+
+In early spring, Reed Hens return from the southern winter quarters and
+hunt up their summer pond. Like the Stork and the Swallow, they return
+from year to year to their chosen and beloved home. Among last year’s
+reeds and gray rushes, the pair bustle around hunting food and a
+suitable place for the cradle of their children. They are neat and
+graceful looking Birds, interesting in every movement, likewise in
+figure and coloring. The feathers are dark brown and slate gray, spotted
+white on the sides. The forehead is red and the glistening eyes are
+encircled with yellow, gray and red rings. The bill is yellow at the
+point and red at the roots. The long toes are edged with flaps for
+swimming and they glide easily and safely over the water.
+
+They locate their nest on a down-trodden reed bush by the shore, a low
+decayed trunk of a tree or on the edge of an island of leaves. It is
+mostly hidden and presents little of beauty, but is suitable for its
+purpose. From six to twelve eggs are soon laid therein, which are large
+for the size of the Bird, and are spotted dark brown. The hatching lasts
+three weeks, then the young ones appear, cute little things who leave
+the nest the next day and follow the lead of the mother into the water.
+
+A more delightful picture can hardly be imagined, than when the little
+chicks bustle around the parents, now here, now there, catching large
+flies, a worm, or a water insect. Swift as an arrow they shoot towards
+the mother when she has found a morsel for them. Alertly the old ones
+watch in every direction for possible danger. Now appears above them a
+dark circling dot. A short call, and swift as lightning the whole family
+disappears. Where to? One could hardly guess if not here and there a
+brown head peeps out from under the green leaf or blade in the water, or
+a yellow bill point appears on the mirrored surface. When the danger is
+over, all again appear.
+
+These Birds are experts in hide and seek play. They dive and swim like a
+Fish under water, using their wings to row. It would appear as though no
+enemy could harm them. Mankind protects them. Dogs and Cats cannot
+pursue them into the water. Falcon, Hawk or Marshbirds cannot find their
+hiding places. Yet in the midst of the quiet, poetic, lonely pond, among
+blooming water-roses and lilies, treason and death lurks for them; and
+this enemy, knavish and frightful, the Reed Hen cannot escape. It is the
+Pike. His outward appearance shows what a bold robber he is. The trunk
+narrow and long, the flattened head with wide open, broad jaws lined
+with a terrible set of long, pointed, rake-like teeth. Anything they
+catch hold of is lost.
+
+With strong strokes the pirate rows through his element. Nothing is safe
+from him. He feeds on the small Frogs and Snakes, Carp, Trout and White
+Fish. Like the Shark in the ocean, the blood-thirsty tyrant is master of
+the surroundings in every fresh water settlement. He snatches young
+Ducks, and often destroys whole broods. He is the destroyer of Pond Hens
+if they come within his reach. With brutal grip he drags the young Hen
+into the depths of the water, nor does he spare the old ones. Under the
+mirrory surface he chases the harmless family, until he has destroyed
+every one. The Reed Hen avoids the spot where the Pike is found.
+
+If everything is favorable, young Reed Hen are able to take care of
+themselves after the first two or three weeks, and the old ones go about
+their second hatching. When these are hatched the picture is still more
+interesting, as the older children take care of the younger and help the
+parents feed them, making a picture of a prosperous, flourishing family.
+So they continue during the whole summer and by the beginning of autumn
+the whole pond is filled with the neat little Birds, until suddenly one
+morning they have all disappeared towards their winter quarters.
+
+They return the next spring, intending to settle where they were born,
+but now circumstances are changed. Last year’s Chicks are able to take
+care of themselves and want to build in their own home, and naturally
+search for the old familiar pond, but here arises trouble. Only one pair
+is allowed in the old home. The parents jealously defend their chosen
+spot against all intruders; and as loving and kind as they nurse their
+young in childhood, now that they are grown up they see in them only
+intruders, whom they must disperse with force. This often causes bitter
+strife until the district has been cleared.
+
+
+
+
+                     WADING BIRDS WITH LONG BILLS.
+
+
+The Birds composing this family are characterized by a long and flexible
+bill, which is well adapted for boring in the mud and soft ground. They
+are usually found in the marshes or along the shore, yet some species
+spend the greater part of their time inland. Among them are found the
+Woodcocks, Snipes, Sandpipers, Turnstones, Ruffs, Knots, Godwits,
+Curlews and Ibis.
+
+
+                             THE WOODCOCK.
+
+[Illustration: WOODCOCK.]
+
+The Common Woodcock has a very long, straight and slender bill, and a
+flattened head. These Birds live in the woods, and seldom frequent the
+shore or river banks. They differ from the Snipes in having a fuller
+body and broader wings. They are shy, timid Birds, and conceal
+themselves by day in the depths of the most retired woods. The
+brightness of daylight appears to dazzle them, and they do not seem to
+see clearly until evening when they leave their retreats to seek their
+food of worms and grubs in the cultivated fields, damp meadows or near
+springs.
+
+The Woodcock lays four or five oval eggs rather larger than those of the
+Pigeon. The young Birds run about as soon as they are hatched, and the
+parent Birds guard them with great care. If any danger threatens, the
+old Birds catch up their little ones, holding them under their necks by
+means of their beaks, and thus carry them to a place of safety.
+
+
+                              THE SNIPES.
+
+These Birds closely resemble the Woodcocks, but are smaller and also
+different in their habits. They live in the marshes, feeding on grubs
+and aquatic plants. They are found in nearly all parts of the globe, and
+they make their nests among the reeds in muddy, boggy places, difficult
+of access to both man and beast; in which they lay four or five eggs.
+The young ones leave the nest as soon as they are hatched, but for a
+long time the parents feed them, as their long bills are not solid
+enough to bore for their own food.
+
+
+
+
+                 WADING BIRDS WITH KNIFE-SHAPED BILLS.
+
+
+The fourth family of Wading Birds is classified by a Latin name meaning
+knife-shaped bill, although the different Birds found in this group have
+bills of many curious forms; they are all long, sharp-edged and very
+strong. These Birds live along the edges of marshes and the banks of
+rivers, and their long legs have great strength; so that many of them
+are able to stand on one leg for hours together. This faculty is said to
+be due to a curious arrangement in the knee—a sort of knot which
+stiffens the ligaments of the knee, forming a kind of catch similar to
+the spring of a knife.
+
+The principal species of this family are the various Storks—including
+the Argala or Adjutant, the Marabou and Jabiru—the Spoonbill, Boatbill,
+Heron and the different Cranes—including the Egret and the Bittern.
+
+
+                              THE STORKS.
+
+[Illustration: BROAD-BILLED STORK OF AFRICA.]
+
+The Common Stork has a long and straight bill, wide at the base, pointed
+and sharp-edged; the legs are long and slender; the tail is short. They
+are found in nearly all parts of the world. Some species migrate with
+regularity, being admirably constructed for traveling long distances;
+for, although their bulk seems great, their weight is comparatively
+small, as most of their bones are hollow. In their migratory journeys,
+which occur principally by night, they fly in continuous or angular
+lines.
+
+Storks prefer moist swampy localities, as they feed principally on
+Reptiles, Batrachians and Fishes; but small Birds and Mammalia,
+Molluscs, Worms, Insects, even Bees are not refused by them, or carrion,
+and other impurities. Their manner is slow and grave; they never appear
+in a hurry. On the wing they resemble crosses, from their manner of
+carrying the head and neck. They have no voice, and the only noise they
+make is a cracking, which results from one mandible striking against the
+other, and which expresses either anger or love; it is sometimes very
+loud. They lay from two to four eggs. The duration of their life is from
+fifteen to twenty years.
+
+There are several species of Storks, the most important being the White
+Stork. It measures about forty inches in height; its plumage is white;
+the wings are fringed with black. This is the species best known in
+Europe. Holland and Germany are its favorite residences. It is very
+common in the warm and temperate parts of Asia. In the month of August
+it leaves Europe to visit Africa, from whence it returns in the
+following spring. This migration is not caused by temperature, as the
+Stork can bear severe cold. No, it is a mere question of sustenance;
+for, feeding as it does principally upon reptiles which remain in a
+complete state of torpor during our winters, it is naturally compelled
+to seek its food elsewhere.
+
+The Stork is of a mild nature, and is easily tamed. As it destroys a
+host of noxious creatures, it has become a useful helper to Man, who,
+not ungrateful, gives it protection. In ancient Egypt it was venerated
+on the same score as the Ibis; in Thessaly there was a law which
+condemned to death any one killing these Birds. Even at the present day
+the Germans and Dutch esteem it a fortunate omen when a Stork selects
+their house for its home, and they even furnish it with inducements to
+do so by placing on their roofs a box or wheel, which forms a foundation
+for the Bird to build a nest, which it constructs of reeds, grass and
+feathers.
+
+The Black Stork is rather smaller than the White Stork; it is a native
+of eastern Europe. It feeds almost exclusively on Fish, which it catches
+with much skill. It is very shy; avoids the society of Man; and builds
+its nest in trees.
+
+The Argala, also called the Adjutant, is characterized by its very
+strong and large bill, and the bareness of its neck, the lower part of
+which is provided with a pouch somewhat resembling a large sausage.
+According to Temminck, there is a notable difference between the Marabou
+and the Argala, the characteristic mark of the latter frequently hanging
+down a foot, while it is much shorter in the Marabou.
+
+The Marabou inhabits India; they feed on Reptiles and all kinds of
+filth, and this fact has been the means of securing for them the
+goodwill of the people. In the large cities of Hindostan they are as
+tame as Dogs, and clear the streets of every kind of garbage which
+litters them. At meal times they never fail drawing themselves up in
+line in front of the barracks, to eat the refuse thrown to them by the
+soldiers; their gluttony is so great that they will swallow enormous
+bones. At Calcutta they are protected by law, which inflicts a fine on
+any one killing them.
+
+The long white feathers, celebrated for their delicacy and airiness,
+which are known in commerce by the name of Marabou feathers, come from
+this Bird and the African Marabou. Consequently, in spite of their
+ugliness, a good many are reared in a domestic state.
+
+There are several other species which are allied to the Storks, and are
+only distinguished from them by a slightly different form of the bill.
+
+[Illustration: JABIRU.]
+
+The best known among these are the Jabiru, which is a native of
+Australia; the curious Broad-billed Stork of Africa, as illustrated
+(with the White Storks and the Demoiselle Crane on the tree); the
+Bec-ouvert, which inhabits India and Africa; the Drome, which is met
+with on the shores of the Black Sea and Senegal; and the Tantalus, which
+lives in the warm regions of both the Old and New World.
+
+
+                             THE SPOONBILL.
+
+The Spoonbill is remarkable for the singular form of its bill, which is
+about four times the length of the head, straight and flexible. The
+upper part, which is about an inch and a quarter broad at the base,
+gradually narrows to three-quarters of an inch, and again increases to
+two inches at the point, causing a resemblance to a spoon, from which it
+takes its name.
+
+It uses this bill for dipping into the mud and water, whence it extracts
+worms and small Fish, on which it principally feeds. It also eats water
+insects, which it catches by placing its bill, half open, on the surface
+of the water, permitting them to float on to the lower part of the bill,
+when it quickly closes the bill and makes them captive.
+
+
+
+
+                THE WADING BIRDS WITH COMPRESSED BILLS.
+
+
+[Illustration: SPOONBILL.]
+
+The Birds which belong to this family differ greatly in the length of
+their legs—which seems to be the main characteristic of the Waders. In
+fact, some of these Birds seem to form a sort of connecting link between
+the Waders and the Domestic Fowls, in the form of the bill as well as in
+the length of the leg. Among them are the Golden-breasted Trumpeter, the
+Cariama, the Oyster-catcher, the Plovers, the Lapwing, the Coursers, the
+Dotterel, and the Bustard.
+
+
+                    THE FRIGATE BIRD AND FLAMINGOES.
+
+Before passing on to the sixth family of Wading or Long-legged Birds, we
+must notice two curious types that seem to form distinct classes. The
+Flamingoes, which are certainly Waders and yet with webbed feet like the
+Swimmers, and the curious Frigate Bird about which so many strange tales
+are told of its wonderful power of flight.
+
+The Flamingo is one of the most curious of the tribe of Waders. The most
+fanciful imagination would fail to picture to itself anything more odd
+than the conformation of this Bird. It has extremely long legs,
+supporting quite a small body; a neck corresponding in length with the
+leg, a rather long bill, sharply curved and apparently broken in the
+middle. Add to this a plumage of rose-color, warming into a bright red
+on the back and wings, and we have an object of both wonder and
+admiration.
+
+Ancient writers, struck by the vivid coloring of its wings, called this
+the Fiery-winged Bird; this term was designated in France by the word
+flambert, or flamant; from which came the name Flamingo, by which the
+Bird is popularly known.
+
+Flamingoes inhabit the margins of lakes and ponds, more rarely the
+seashore. They feed on Worms, Molluscs, and the Spawn of Fishes, which
+they capture by the following stratagem: Placing their long neck and
+head in such a position that the upper mandible of their bill is the
+lowest, they stir the mud about in every direction, thus easily succeed
+in disturbing the small Fish which have settled in it, and capturing
+them while blended with the thick sediment. They also use their feet for
+working the ooze and detaching the fry and spawn, to which they are
+partial.
+
+They love company, and live in flocks, which are subject to strict
+discipline. When they are fishing they draw themselves up into long,
+straight and regular files, protected by sentinels whose office it is to
+give a signal of alarm on the approach of danger. If any cause for
+uneasiness should arise, the scout-birds give a piercing cry, not unlike
+the note of a trumpet, and the whole flock immediately wing their way to
+a place of safety.
+
+Flamingoes are very shy and timid, and shun all attempts of Man to
+approach them; the vicinity of animals, however, they disregard. Any one
+who is acquainted with this fact can take advantage of it, for, by
+dressing himself up in the skin of a Horse or an Ox, he can effect
+immense slaughter among these beautiful creatures. Thus disguised, the
+sportsman may shoot them down at his ease, so long as their enemy is
+unrecognized; the noise of the gun only stupefies them, so that they
+refuse to leave, although their companions are dropping down dead around
+them.
+
+Some authors have asserted that the Flamingo makes use of its long neck
+as a third leg, walking with its head resting on the ground like a foot.
+The fact that has doubtless given rise to this supposition is the
+position of the neck, necessitated by its peculiar method of seeking
+food. We are told about a Flamingo reared in captivity which, being
+accidentally deprived of one of its limbs, found out a remedy for its
+infirmity by walking on one leg and helping itself along by means of its
+bill, using the latter as a crutch; the master of the Bird, noticing
+this, fitted it with a wooden leg, which it used with the greatest
+success. But this story, which applies very well to a domesticated Bird
+which was maimed, and consequently under peculiar conditions, does not
+prove that this is a common practice.
+
+The Flamingo makes itself a nest which is as original as its own
+personal appearance. It consists of a truncated cone, about twenty
+inches in height, and formed of mud dried in the sun. At the summit of
+this little hillock it hollows out a shallow cavity, in which two eggs
+are laid, rather elongated in shape, and of a dead white color. When
+hatching the eggs, the Flamingo sits astride on this novel imitation of
+a throne, with her legs hanging down on each side. The young ones run
+about very soon after they are hatched, but it is some time before they
+are able to fly—not, indeed, until they are clothed with their full
+plumage. At two years old they assume the more brilliant colors of the
+adult Bird.
+
+The Flamingo is found in all the warm and temperate regions of the
+globe. On certain islands off the American continent they exist in such
+numbers that navigators have given them the name of the Flamingo
+Islands. In the Old World they are found spread over a region below the
+fortieth degree of latitude, principally in Egypt and the Nile
+tributaries; during the summer they seek a cooler climate. The height of
+these magnificent Birds reaches to about five feet; when they are
+flying, in the peculiar formation common to most aquatic Birds, with the
+neck stretched out and the legs projecting behind, they look, in the
+clear sky, like gigantic triangles of fire.
+
+The ancients greedily sought after the flesh of the Flamingo, which they
+regarded as the most choice food. The tongue especially was thought to
+be an exquisite dainty. At the present day we no longer eat the Bird; to
+modern palates its flesh is disagreeable in flavor, and it retains a
+marshy smell which is far from being pleasant. With regard to the
+tongue, the Egyptians, it is said, are content with extracting an oil
+from it, which is used to flavor certain food.
+
+
+                           THE FRIGATE BIRD.
+
+The Frigate Bird is principally characterized by a strong, robust bill,
+longer than the head, with mandibles hooked at the point; the front of
+the neck bare of feathers; wings very long and narrow, first two
+feathers longest; tail lengthy and forked; feet short; toes united by a
+membrane deeply notched.
+
+The Frigate Bird has a most expansive spread of wing; its power of
+flight is, therefore, very great. It inhabits the tropical seas of both
+the Old and New World; and navigators assure us that they have met with
+it many miles from any shore. When a hurricane arises they mount up far
+above the storm, and remain in those empyrean regions until it is again
+fine weather. In consequence of their almost disproportionate spread of
+wing, they can sustain themselves in the air for lengthened periods,
+without taking or requiring rest.
+
+Their sight is so piercing that, at a distance far beyond that which
+would render them invisible to us, they can perceive their prey, the
+principal of which is the Flying-fish. From their elevated situation,
+they dart down upon their favorite food, which has relinquished its
+native element; and, keeping their neck and feet in a horizontal
+position, cleave asunder the air and grasp their victim, who little
+expected to meet with an enemy in the element which it sought for
+safety. It is no unusual thing for it to rob the Gannet of the Fish
+which it has just caught; the unfortunate Bird acting as purveyor to
+this sea-robber.
+
+The Frigate Bird is of such a combative temperament, and has such an
+unbounded confidence in its strength, that it is not afraid of Man. It
+has been known to dash at a sailor, and to snatch at the Fish which he
+held in his hand. M. de Kerhoent, a French navigator, relates that,
+during a residence at the Island of Ascension, a perfect cloud of
+Frigate Birds surrounded his crew. They hovered about a few feet above
+the coppers of the open-air kitchen, in order to carry off the meat,
+without being intimidated in the least by the presence of his followers.
+Some of them approached so near, that M. de Kerhoent knocked down one of
+the impudent intruders with a blow of his stick.
+
+They assemble in large flocks on the islands where they are accustomed
+to breed. In the month of May they begin to repair their old or
+construct new nests. They pluck off with their beaks from the bush small
+dry branches, and with these pieces of stick crossed and re-crossed, a
+foundation is formed. These nests are situated upon trees which hang
+over the water, or are placed on rocks overjutting the sea; in them they
+lay one egg of a pure white color.
+
+
+
+
+                        THE SHORT-WINGED BIRDS.
+
+
+The family of Short-winged Birds which is represented by the Ostrich,
+differs so greatly from all the other long-legged Birds that some
+Naturalists include them in a separate group, and call them Cursores or
+Runners. This is an arrangement that has much in its favor, but they
+seem to be more popularly grouped with the great order of Long-legged or
+Wading Birds.
+
+All the Birds in this family have wings, but so slightly developed that
+they are entirely unfit for purposes of flight, and are only useful in
+increasing the speed of their limbs. Their legs are very long and
+powerful and capable of immense muscular effort, thus enabling them to
+run with extraordinary fleetness.
+
+This group includes the Ostrich, Emu, Rhea, Cassowary and the Apteryx.
+
+
+                              THE OSTRICH.
+
+[Illustration: Ostrich on Her Nest.]
+
+The head of the Ostrich is naked and callous, with a short bill, much
+depressed and rounded at the point; its legs are half naked, muscular,
+and fleshy; the feet are long and rough, terminating in two toes
+pointing forward, one of which is shorter than the other and has no
+claw; the wings are very short, and formed of soft and flexible
+feathers; the tail taking the form of a plume.
+
+There is but one species of the Ostrich; it is sparsely diffused over
+the interior of Africa, and is rarely found in Asia except perhaps in
+Arabia. It is the largest member of the family, generally measuring six
+feet in height, and occasionally attaining nine feet; its weight varies
+from twenty to a hundred pounds.
+
+The Ostrich has been known from the most remote antiquity. It is spoken
+of in the sacred writings, for Moses forbade the Hebrews to eat of its
+flesh, as being “unclean food.” The Romans, however, far from sharing
+the views of the Jewish legislator, considered it a great culinary
+luxury. In the days of the Emperors they were consumed in considerable
+numbers; and we read that the luxurious Heliogabalus carried his
+magnificence so far as to cause a dish composed of the brains of 600
+Ostriches to be served at a feast; this must have cost an almost
+incalculable sum. In former days it was a favorite dish with the tribes
+of Northern Africa. At the present date the Arabs content themselves
+with using its fat as an outward application in certain diseases,
+especially rheumatic affections; and they derive from it, as they say,
+very beneficial effects.
+
+The natives of Africa call the Ostrich “the Camel of the desert,” just
+as the Latins denominated it Struthio camelus. There is, in fact, some
+likeness between them. This resemblance consists in the length of the
+neck and legs, and in the form of the toes. In some of their habits they
+also resemble each other; the Ostrich lies down in the same way as the
+Camel, by first bending the knee, then leaning forward on the fleshy
+part of the sternum, and letting its hinder quarters sink down last of
+all.
+
+That the Ostrich is extremely voracious is certain. Although the senses
+of sight and hearing are so highly developed that it is said to
+distinguish objects six miles off, and the slightest sounds excite its
+ear, the senses of taste and smell are very imperfect. This is the
+explanation given for its readiness to swallow unedible substances. In a
+wild state it takes into its stomach large pebbles, to increase its
+digestive powers; in captivity it gorges bits of wood and metal, pieces
+of glass, plaster and chalk, probably with the same object.
+
+Herbage, Insects, Molluscs, small Reptiles, and even small animals, are
+the principal food of the wild Ostrich; when it is in a state of
+domesticity even young Chickens are frequently devoured by it. It is
+capable of enduring hunger and thirst for many days—about the most
+useful faculty it could possess in the arid and burning deserts which it
+inhabits—but it is quite a mistake to suppose it never drinks, for it
+will travel immense distances in search of water when it has suffered a
+long deprivation, and will then drink with evident pleasure.
+
+The muscular power of the Ostrich is truly surprising. If matured it can
+carry a man on its back; and is readily trained to be mounted like a
+Horse, and to bear a burden. The tyrant Firmius, who reigned in Egypt in
+the third century, was drawn about by a team of Ostriches; even now the
+Negroes frequently use it for riding.
+
+When it first feels the weight of its rider, the Ostrich starts at a
+slow trot; it however soon gets more animated, and stretching out its
+wings, takes to running with such rapidity that it seems scarcely to
+touch the ground. To the wild animals which range the desert it offers a
+successful resistance by kicking, the force of which is so great that a
+blow in the chest is sufficient to cause death.
+
+Man succeeds in capturing the Ostrich only by stratagem. The Arab on his
+swiftest courser would fail to get near if he did not by his
+intelligence supply the deficiency in his physical powers. “The legs of
+an Ostrich running at full speed,” says Dr. Livingstone, “can no more be
+seen than the spokes in the wheel of a vehicle drawn at a gallop.”
+According to the same author, the Ostrich can run about thirty miles in
+an hour—a speed and endurance much surpassing that of the swiftest
+Horse.
+
+The Arabs, well acquainted with these facts, follow them for a day or
+two at a distance, without pressing too closely, yet sufficiently near
+to prevent them taking food. When they have thus starved and wearied the
+Birds, they pursue them at full speed, taking advantage of the fact,
+which observation has taught them, that the Ostrich never runs in a
+straight line, but describes a curve of greater or less extent. Availing
+themselves of this habit, the horsemen follow the chord of this arc,
+and, repeating the stratagem several times, they gradually get within
+reach, when, making a final dash, they rush impetuously on the harassed
+Birds, and beat them down with their clubs, avoiding as much as possible
+shedding blood, as this depreciates the value of the feathers, which are
+the chief inducement for their pursuit.
+
+Some tribes attain their object by a rather singular artifice. The
+hunter covers himself with an Ostrich’s skin, passing his arm up the
+neck of the Bird so as to render the movements more natural. By the aid
+of this disguise, if skilfully managed, Ostriches can be approached
+sufficiently near to kill them.
+
+The Arabs hunt the Ostrich with Dogs, which pursue it until it is
+completely worn out. In the breeding season, having sought and found out
+where the Ostriches lay their eggs, another artifice is to dig a hole
+within gunshot of the spot, in which a man, armed with a gun, can hide
+himself. The concealed enemy easily kills the male and female Birds in
+turn, as they sit on their nest. Lastly, to lie in wait for them close
+by water, and shoot them when they come to quench their thirst is often
+successful.
+
+The Ostrich, which is an eminently sociable Bird, may sometimes be seen
+in flocks of 200 or 300, mixed up with droves of Zebras, Quaggas, &c.
+They pair about the end of Autumn.
+
+The nest of the Ostrich is more than three feet in diameter; it is only
+a hole dug in the ground and surrounded by a rampart composed of sticks,
+etc., and a trench scratched round it outside to drain off the water.
+The eggs weigh from two to three pounds, one of them being more than
+sufficient for the breakfast of two or three people.
+
+The Rhea or South American Ostrich bears the greatest resemblance to the
+African Ostrich, of which it is the representative in the New World; but
+it is only about half the size of the African Bird, and has three toes
+instead of two. The color of its plumage is a uniform grey.
+
+This Bird (called by the Brazilians Nhandu-Guacu) inhabits the Pampas of
+South America, the coolest valleys in Brazil, Chili, Peru, and
+Magellan’s Land. There they may be seen wandering over the open plains
+in flocks of about thirty, in company with herds of Oxen, Horses and
+Sheep. They browse on the grass like Cattle, at the same time searching
+for various seeds. They run nearly as swiftly as the Ostrich, so are
+well able, by speed, to escape the pursuit of their enemies. If a river
+interrupts their course, they do not hesitate to plunge into it, as they
+are excellent swimmers; indeed, so fond are they of water that they take
+pleasure in splashing and bathing in it.
+
+The Rhea lays its eggs and hatches them in the same manner as the
+Ostrich. They are Birds of a gentle nature, and are tamed with the
+greatest ease, becoming very familiar in the house, visiting the various
+apartments, wandering about the streets, and even into the country; but
+they always return to their homes before sunset.
+
+
+
+
+                   THE SCANSORES, OR CLIMBING BIRDS.
+
+
+The family to which these Birds belong takes its name from the Latin
+words, scandere, scansum, meaning to climb; yet, strange as it may seem,
+there are many birds belonging to this family that cannot climb, and
+there are other Birds, especially some of those belonging to the Sparrow
+family, that can climb and are not classified in this group.
+
+The peculiar characteristic of all the birds found among the Scansores
+is the formation of their feet. The toes are in pairs, two before and
+two behind, which enables them to cling to the branches, and climb all
+about the trees. All the different Birds who have their toes arranged in
+this peculiar manner are included in the family of Scansores; and
+although some of them do not climb so readily as others, they spend the
+greater part of their time perched in the trees instead of flying about
+in the air. Their flight is medium, not being so strong as that of the
+Birds of Prey nor so light as that of the Sparrow family.
+
+The climbers do not form a very large family; the most familiar are the
+Parrots, Cockatoos, Cuckoos, Toucans, Jamicars, Woodpeckers, etc. They
+live chiefly in warm countries, and feed upon fruits and insects, and
+the majority are noted for their brilliant colors.
+
+
+
+
+                              THE PARROTS.
+
+
+[Illustration: AMAZONIAN PARROT.]
+
+The Parrots have large, strong, round beaks, with the upper part hooked
+and sharp at the tip, and the under part rather deeply hollowed. The
+tongue is thick, fleshy and movable, and the feet are perfected to such
+a degree that they really become hands, able to seize, hold and retain
+small objects. Their toes are supplied with strong and hooked claws,
+which make these birds pre-eminently climbers. The Parrots walk with
+difficulty, and with such trouble that they rarely descend to the ground
+in their native homes, and only under pressing circumstances. Besides,
+they find all the necessaries of their existence on trees. They are not
+more favored with regard to their flight; and we can understand that it
+should be so; for, living in thick woods, they only require to make
+trifling changes of place, such as from one tree to another. However,
+some species, especially the smaller, are capable of a prolonged and
+effective use of their wings. According to Levaillant, some even
+migrate, and travel hundreds of miles every year; but this is unusual.
+In general, Parrots remain in the localities where they are reared.
+
+Sociable in their dispositions, they assemble in more or less numerous
+bands, and make the forests re-echo with their loud cries. To some
+species it is such an imperative necessity to be near each other and
+live in common, that they have received from Naturalists the name of
+“inseparables.” They deposit their eggs in the hollows of trees and in
+the crevices of rocks. The young birds are quite naked when hatched; it
+is not till the end of three months that they are completely covered
+with feathers. The parent birds wait upon them with the greatest care,
+and become threatening when approached too closely by intruders.
+
+Parrots prefer the fruits of the palm, banana, and guava trees. They may
+be seen perched upon one foot, using the other to bear the food to their
+beaks, and retain it there till eaten. After they have extracted the
+kernel they free it from its envelope, and swallow it in particles. They
+often visit plantations, and cause great devastation. In a domestic
+state they eat seeds, grain, bread, and even raw or cooked meat, and it
+is with pleasure that they receive bones to pick; they are also very
+partial to sugar. It is well known that bitter almonds and parsley act
+upon them as violent poisons. They drink and bathe frequently; in summer
+they show the greatest desire for plunging and splashing in water.
+
+They climb in a peculiar manner, which has none of the abruptness
+displayed by other Birds of the same order. This they accomplish with
+slow and irregular movements, helped by their beak and feet. Like almost
+all birds of tropical regions, these Birds are adorned with most
+beautiful colors, green and red being the most prominent, with
+occasional markings of yellow and even blue; and some kinds of Parrots
+have very handsomely developed tails.
+
+The Parrots are the favorites of the human family because of their
+remarkable talent of imitation. They retain and repeat words which they
+have heard by chance, or sentences which they have been taught, and also
+imitate the cries of different animals, and the sounds of musical
+instruments, etc. The species most remarkable for their talking and
+imitating are the Grey Parrot or Jaco, a native of Africa, and the Green
+Parrot from the West Indies and tropical America.
+
+The Macaws—the largest of the Parrots—are recognized by their bare
+cheeks and long tapering tails. They inhabit South America and are
+arrayed in the most brilliant colors. The principal species are the Ara
+or Blue and Yellow Macaw.
+
+The Parrakeets are much smaller than the Macaws, and like them, have
+long tapering tails, but their cheeks are feathered. What are known as
+the “Love-birds” are the rarest and smallest of this group. They make
+their home in America and Southern Africa.
+
+What are known as the “Parrots proper” are distinguished from other
+groups of the same family by their short, square tails. They have
+feathered cheeks like the Parrakeets, and are between these and the
+Macaws in size. They are appreciated on account of their memory and
+their habit of repeating what they hear without any special teaching.
+These Parrots are divided into several groups, and species according to
+their size and color. Among them we find the Grey Parrot or Jaco, a
+native of the West coast of Africa, the Festive Green Parrot, and the
+Amazonian Parrot, which is remarkable for its power of imitating, and
+the richness of its green plumage.
+
+
+
+
+                             THE COCKATOOS.
+
+
+[Illustration: COCKATOOS.]
+
+These Birds are very handsome members of the Parrot family, especially
+the ones that are crowned with very full tufts of feathers about the
+head. Some have the head entirely surmounted by a white, yellow or pink
+tuft, which they can raise or lower at will. Their tails are short, and
+their cheeks feathered. They are the largest among the race of Parrots
+of the old continent. They inhabit the Indies; and, although they are
+pretty, graceful, and very docile and caressing when tamed, they do not
+talk so well as some of the other Parrots.
+
+There is one remarkable species of the Cockatoos, sometimes called the
+Trumpet Cockatoo, because of the formation of the tongue. This is
+cylindrical and terminated by a little gland slightly hollowed at the
+end. In eating, this Bird takes the kernels of the fruits which form its
+food, crushes them by the help of its jaws, then seizes the food by
+means of the hollow which terminates the tongue, projects the trumpet in
+front, and makes it pass to the palate which causes it to fall into the
+throat. As this peculiarity of the trumpet-like tongue has never been
+noticed in any other Bird, it has made this species quite as noted as
+the Great White Cockatoo, and Leadbeater’s Cockatoo, which have long
+been known as the handsomest species of this family.
+
+
+
+
+                              THE CUCKOOS.
+
+
+The Cuckoos are about the size of a Turtle Dove. They have beaks about
+as long as the head, slightly curved and compressed, and rather long and
+rounded tails, and long pointed wings. There are several kinds of Birds
+belonging to this group, some of which differ from the Cuckoos proper,
+in having short wings and long tapering tails. Among these are found the
+Trogons, Honey-guides, Anis or Annos, Barbets and the Touracos or
+Plantain-eaters. These different species belong to all the countries of
+the old continent.
+
+Only one species is found in Europe—the Grey, or European Cuckoo. These
+are migratory Birds; they pass the warm season in Europe, and the winter
+in Africa, or in the warm parts of Asia.
+
+Cuckoos are celebrated for the peculiar manner in which they raise their
+young. They do not build a nest, nor cover their eggs, neither do they
+take care of their young. They place their eggs in the nests of other
+Birds, such as the Lark, the Robin, the Hedge Sparrow, the Thrush,
+Blackbird, etc. They leave the care of hatching their eggs, and even the
+care of the young Birds to these strangers. Cuckoos lay eight to ten
+eggs in the space of a few weeks. When an egg has been laid the Bird
+picks it up in her beak, and carries it to the first unoccupied nest
+that she can find, and there deposits it when the owner of the nest is
+away. The next egg is placed in a neighboring nest, but never in the
+same as the first. The mother shows great intelligence in this, for by
+placing two eggs in the same nest of a smaller Bird, the greater size of
+her little ones would crowd the space intended by the builder, for
+smaller Birds of her own. And two Robins or Hedge-sparrows would be kept
+very busy feeding such great hungry Birds as would hatch from the
+Cuckoo’s eggs.
+
+Another way in which the Mother Cuckoo shows her intelligence is her
+plan of breaking an egg in the nest in which hers is to be placed. If
+she finds one or more eggs in the nest, after she has placed hers in
+position she will take one of the others out, break it with her beak and
+scatter the shell, so that when the other Bird returns to her nest she
+will find the same number of eggs that she left. The Cuckoo has often
+been considered a very mean Bird, and a hard-hearted mother, because of
+this practice of imposing on other Birds, yet Naturalists excuse them by
+explaining that as the Cuckoo lays her eggs at considerable intervals
+she would find that she could not cover them and raise a family at the
+same time, for while some were hatching and the young Birds requiring
+constant attention, the other eggs would require her sitting upon them
+and keeping them warm for hatching later; so perhaps after all, the
+poor, misjudged Bird is simply following instinct without any thought of
+meanness.
+
+
+                      HONEY-GUIDES OR INDICATORS.
+
+The Honey-guides or Indicators which stand nearest to the Cuckoos in
+this group, take their name from their unusual habit of guiding the
+natives of the countries in which they are found to hives of wild honey
+bees. They feed on insects and are especially fond of the pupae of bees.
+So while the natives (who have been attracted by the cries of the Bird
+to the hive of the bees) are taking out the honey, the Bird remains in a
+tree nearby watching the process, and when the honey is all removed they
+approach to reap the fruits of its trouble.
+
+
+                           ANIS AND BARBETS.
+
+The Anis and the Barbets also belong to the group of Cuckoos. The Anis
+have bulky, short beaks surmounted by a sharp crest. They live in the
+hot regions of South America and feed upon Reptiles and Insects. The two
+principal species of this genus are the Razor-bill of Jamaica, and the
+Savannah Blackbird of America.
+
+The Barbets owe their name to a number of straight hairs which they have
+upon their beak. They are massive in form, and their flight is heavy.
+They inhabit the warm countries of both continents, and feed upon
+fruits, berries and Insects. The best known of this genus is the
+Collared Barbet, with a distinct collar of white feathers about the
+throat. The Barbets have a curious habit of raising all their plumage
+till they look like a ball of feathers; from this peculiarity they have
+gained the name of Puff-birds.
+
+
+                          TROGONS AND TURACOS.
+
+The Trogons, like the Barbets, have the bases of their beaks covered
+with hair. Their soft and silky plumage glitters with the most brilliant
+hues, and their tails are extremely long and in some instances very
+beautifully formed. They are sometimes called Couroucous because of
+their peculiar cry or call to each other. The most remarkable species is
+the Resplendent Trogon, which is found both in Mexico and Brazil. The
+plumage of this Bird is a magnificent emerald green, frosted with gold;
+its breast is red, and its head is surmounted by a beautiful tuft of the
+green color.
+
+The Turacos or Plantain-eaters are African Birds which closely resemble
+the Curassows. They live in forests and perch upon the highest branches
+of trees; their flight is heavy and awkward.
+
+
+                              THE TOUCANS.
+
+[Illustration: TOUCAN.]
+
+An immense beak is the first thing to attract attention to any member of
+the Toucan family. This group is divided into the Common Toucans and the
+Aracaris. The Aracari are not so large as the other Toucans, and they
+have a more solid beak and a longer tail. The Curl-crested Aracaris is
+noted for its beautiful variegated plumage.
+
+Some of the Common Toucans also have handsome markings about the throat;
+but the enormous beak is their principal characteristic, and it is much
+the same in all the different members of the family.
+
+It is much longer than the head, is curved at its extremity and dented
+at its edges. It is not so heavy to bear, and incommodes the movements
+of the Birds less than might be supposed, for it is formed of a spongy
+tissue, the numerous cells of which are filled with air. Thus it is very
+weak, and does not serve to break or even to bruise fruits,
+notwithstanding the idea one forms at first sight of its strength, for
+it is not even capable of breaking off the bark of trees, as certain
+authors have claimed. This wonderful bill encloses a still more strange
+tongue; very straight and as long as the beak, which is covered on each
+side with closely packed barbs, similar to a feather, the use of which
+remains to us a complete mystery. This curious instrument so struck the
+Naturalists of Brazil, where many Toucans are found, that it furnished
+them with a name. In Brazilian toucan means “feather.”
+
+Toucans feed on fruits and insects; they live in bands of from six to
+ten in damp places where the palm tree flourishes, for its fruit is
+their favorite food. In eating they seize the fruit with the extremity
+of the beak, make it bounce up in the air, receive it then into the
+throat, and swallow it in one piece. If it is too large, and impossible
+to divide, they reject it. They are rarely seen on the ground, and
+although their flight is heavy and difficult, they perch on the branches
+of the highest trees, where they remain in ceaseless motion. Their call
+is a sort of whistle, frequently uttered.
+
+They build their nests in holes hollowed out by Woodpeckers or other
+Birds. They all have very brilliant plumage, and inhabit Paraguay,
+Brazil and Guiana.
+
+
+
+
+                            THE WOODPECKERS.
+
+
+[Illustration: Ivory-Billed Woodpecker.]
+
+The Birds which comprise this group have long conical pointed beaks, and
+a very extensible tongue. They form two genera—the Woodpeckers and the
+Wry-necks.
+
+Woodpeckers excel in the art of climbing, but they do not perform it in
+the same manner as the Parrots. They climb by extending their toes
+supplied with bent claws, upon the trunk of a tree and maintain
+themselves hanging there. Then they move themselves a little further by
+a sudden and jerked skip, and so on. They are helped in these movements
+by the disposition of the tail, formed of straight resistant feathers,
+slightly worn away at the ends, which pressed against a tree serve as a
+support to the Bird. By means of these peculiarities in their feet and
+tail feathers, the Woodpeckers traverse the trees in every
+direction—upwards, downwards or horizontally.
+
+Woodpeckers are of a timid, restless disposition; they live alone in the
+midst or on the borders of large forests.
+
+[Illustration: SPOTTED AND DOWNY WOODPECKERS.]
+
+Insects and their larvae form their nourishment, which they seek in the
+trunks and clefts of trees. Their tongue is wonderfully suited for this
+purpose. It is very long, and, by a peculiar mechanism, can be projected
+out far enough to reach objects three or four inches away. The beak is
+terminated by a horny point bristling with small hooks. In many species
+it is overlaid with a sticky substance secreted by two glands, the
+effect of which is to catch the insects which it touches. Whenever the
+Bird darts this tongue into the crevices, it draws it out more or less
+laden with insects. If it perceives an insect that it cannot reach by
+means of this organ, it uses its strong beak; striking the tree with
+redoubled blows, it cuts the bark, breaks an opening, and seizes the
+coveted prey.
+
+It often also taps with its beak to sound a tree, and assure itself that
+there is no recess in the interior which would serve as a refuge for its
+prey. If the trunk is hollow, it examines all parts to find an entrance
+to the cavity. When it has discovered it, it introduces its tongue; and
+if the canal is not large enough to permit it to explore the hiding
+place with success, it increases the size of the aperture. It is not
+only to seek for food that Woodpeckers make holes in trees, but also to
+form secure hiding places for their nests. Some species, it is true,
+select the openings which they find, but others hollow out their nesting
+places according to their tastes. When such is the case, they select
+soft-wood trees, such as willow, aspen, etc. The cavity which they bore
+to where the nest is placed is generally so oblique and so deep that
+perfect darkness surrounds them. This is doubtless a measure of security
+against small Mammals, especially the rodents, the natural enemies of
+their family. The mother deposits her eggs upon a bed of moss or the
+dust of worm-eaten wood. The young Birds grow slowly, and receive for a
+long time the care of their parents.
+
+Woodpeckers are generally considered noxious Birds, because they are
+supposed to injure the trees of forests and orchards, and for this
+reason a relentless war is made against them. They should, on the
+contrary, be protected; for they destroy innumerable insects, the real
+enemies of timber, and never touch a sound limb, for in it their food is
+not to be found. There are a great number of species of Woodpeckers
+known, which are spread over the two continents. The principal are the
+Ivory-billed Woodpecker, a native of America; the great Spotted
+Woodpecker and the Downy Woodpecker.
+
+Wry-necks owe their name to the curious property they possess of being
+able to twist their necks in such a manner as to turn the head in all
+directions. They repeat this movement every instant, especially when
+surprised or angry. At the same time their eyes become fixed, the
+feathers of the head stand up, and the tail expands. Like Woodpeckers,
+they can hang upon trees, and sustain themselves in a vertical position
+for a long time; but they are incapable of climbing. The weakness of
+their beaks does not permit of their boring trees; therefore they seek
+their nourishment upon the ground, principally among the ant-hills. They
+build in natural holes in trees, or in those hollowed by Woodpeckers.
+Their plumage is attractive and their size is about that of the Lark.
+They inhabit all the old continent.
+
+
+                             THE JACAMARS.
+
+Jacamars inhabit equatorial America. They are characterized by long and
+pointed beaks, and short wings. They have three or four toes, according
+to the species. Their habits are little known; but it is certain that
+they live isolated or in pairs, that they are stupid, move but little,
+and rarely depart from the neighborhood where they have chosen their
+dwelling. All species do not frequent similar localities—as some like
+thick woods, others prefer open plains; all, however, are insect eaters.
+In their manners, as well as in their physical characteristics, Jacamars
+appear to resemble Kingfishers, of which we shall speak hereafter. The
+Paradise Jacamar is a good representative of the family.
+
+
+
+
+                  THE GALLINACEAE, OR DOMESTIC BIRDS.
+
+
+The family of Birds to which our domestic fowls belong is a very large
+one. It is known as the family of Gallinaceous Birds. The word is
+derived from the Latin gallina, a hen, and gallus, a cock. The many
+different Birds and Fowls found under this family are usually divided
+into six groups, and these may be readily classified without their long
+Latin names to designate them.
+
+In the first we find the different kinds of Grouse, the Cock of the
+Plains, the Heathcock, the Hazel Hen and others of the same nature, that
+resemble our Hens and Roosters, and care for their chickens in the same
+manner. Under the second group we find the Quail, the Colin, the
+Partridge, etc., that are well known in this country and in Europe. The
+Birds under the third group belong to South America, and are
+representatives of the Partridge on that continent. The birds belonging
+to the fourth group are the Chionides of Australia and New Zealand. In
+size they are between our Partridge and Pigeon. They live near the
+sea-beach, and feed on the sea-weed and dead Fishes that are thrown up
+by the waves.
+
+In the fifth group are found a queer family of birds with straight
+slender bills and feet that are furnished with long, sharp claws. These
+birds are also found in Australia and they have a peculiar habit of
+laying each of their eggs in a separate hole, then covering each with a
+large mound, scraped together by the Birds; and the eggs are then left
+to be hatched by the sun. The Bush-turkeys of Australia and New Guinea
+also belong to this group.
+
+The sixth group comprises our Pheasants, Peacocks, Guinea Fowls,
+Curassows and Turkeys. The handsomest Birds belonging to the family of
+domestic Fowls—the Peacocks, Golden Pheasants, etc., are found in this
+group.
+
+
+
+
+                            THE PARTRIDGES.
+
+
+[Illustration: COMMON GRAY PARTRIDGE.]
+
+The Partridges make their home on the ground and never perch in trees
+except when they are forced to do so. Like the Quail they run with
+remarkable swiftness; their flight is rapid, but low, and does not
+extend to long distances. These Birds are very sociable, and live in
+flocks or coveys composed of the parents and the young of the last
+brood. They are not migratory, and they seem to attach themselves to
+certain localities and do not leave unless compelled to.
+
+At the time of laying, the mother-bird makes a hole in the earth, which
+she lines with grass and leaves, and in it deposits her eggs, to the
+number of twelve or fifteen, and sometimes twenty or more. While she is
+sitting upon the eggs her mate watches over her and guards her from
+danger.
+
+When the young are hatched, the father-bird devotes himself to the care
+of his children. He accompanies them in their wanderings; he teaches
+them to catch grubs, find ants’ eggs, and shows himself as skilful as
+the mother in guarding them from attacks of their enemies. At the
+appearance of danger the father utters a cry of alarm, which warns the
+young ones to hide. Drooping his wings in order to induce the intruder
+to follow him, he pretends to be unable to fly. At the same time the
+mother-bird proceeds in another direction and, alighting some distance
+off, she runs back to her family, and leads them to a place of safety.
+This is one of the intelligent methods by which the young brood is
+protected.
+
+A few weeks after they are hatched the young Partridges are able to fly,
+and to provide for their own wants; they do not leave their parents, but
+continue to live with them until the following spring, when they begin
+to build nests and plan for their own children.
+
+Partridges are of a shy and timid nature, which shows itself in many
+ways. But this is not surprising when it is remembered how numerous are
+their foes, for Foxes and Birds of prey make continual havoc among them;
+the latter especially are particularly dreaded. At the mere sight of one
+of the Falcon tribe, a Partridge is so overcome with fear as to be
+almost incapable of concealing itself, and it is not until the dreaded
+enemy is gone that it regains self-possession.
+
+When a Bird of prey unsuccessfully dashes at a Partridge in cover, no
+power is able to make it take wing, and any one can then lay hands on it
+without difficulty. A Partridge has even been known to prefer dying in
+its hiding-place from suffocation to exposing itself to the mercies of
+its pursuer.
+
+The knowledge of these facts has suggested a very simple and effectual
+method of making Partridges which are wild remain on the ground without
+flying, till the sportsman is within gun-shot. This is done by
+frightening them with an artificial Bird of Prey, attached to the tail
+of a kite, which is flown over them.
+
+Partridges make very delicate food of fine flavor, and they are not only
+shot in their wild state for this purpose, but in some countries are
+tamed and raised in great numbers, like the domestic fowls, especially
+the Grey Partridge. We are told of a whole covey of Partridges of this
+variety in England which were so tame that they could be driven like a
+flock of Geese.
+
+The California Partridge is one of the handsomest of the whole family of
+Partridges. It is a native of the western shores of North America. It is
+adorned with a crest, giving it a much finer appearance than that of the
+plain little brown fellows of the Eastern part of this country.
+
+
+                     THE GROUSE AND THE HEATHCOCK.
+
+
+[Illustration: Heathcocks Fighting.]
+
+There is a great variety of Grouse and Prairie Chickens belonging to
+this family of Birds. The Pinnated Grouse is a native of the prairies of
+North America. Its feathers are light brown, occasionally spotted with
+white. Its call is deep and sonorous, and can be heard for miles in
+still weather. The Pinnated Grouse is frequently called the Prairie
+Chicken. They lay from twelve to fourteen eggs and are the most devoted
+parents.
+
+The Black Grouse is about the size of a Pheasant, and is distinguished
+by the tail, which is divided into two parts composed of four feathers
+on each side curling outwards.
+
+The Ruffled Grouse is an American Bird, but differs from the others in
+size and habits. The hill-sides, densely covered with evergreens or
+birch are its favorite resorts, and on the wing, it is remarkable for
+its swiftness.
+
+The Hazel Grouse is suspicious and timid, and hides among the thick
+foliage of the green trees at the least appearance of danger. This bird
+flies awkwardly, but runs very swiftly. It is about the size of a
+Partridge, and its plumage is of a reddish brown color, mixed with
+white.
+
+The Heathcock is very similar to the Grouse. The heath plains with their
+juniper bushes and birches are his favorite abode. His food consists of
+all kinds of seeds and berries, especially the bilberry, juniper berry,
+wheat, oats and buckwheat, besides Insects, Snails and Worms, and he is
+particularly fond of Ants. The Heathcocks are great fighters. They fight
+in the fashion of the domestic Cocks, but with much greater fury and
+bitterness. With heads down, fan-shaped tails erected, and wings
+hanging, the two opponents circle around each other. Suddenly they rush
+together, spring at each other, and mutually endeavor to inflict wounds
+with beak and claws, so that the feathers fly far and wide. Wearied,
+they pause only to take up the battle again with equal bitterness after
+a short rest, until finally one of the combatants is put to flight. Then
+the victor flies to a neighboring tree and announces his victory in
+clear, joyous tones to all the Hens that can be found in the
+neighborhood. But very often this song of triumph is also his death
+song. Already the hunter has long observed him from his place of
+concealment, and awaited a favorable opportunity. Now he sends at him
+the deadly lead, and in the midst of his triumph song the Cock falls
+dead to the ground.
+
+The Hens build a simple nest out of dry twigs, grass and feathers in
+some hollow in the high grass, in the midst of the heath or under
+bushes. The setting consists of from six to twelve yellow eggs with
+brown spots of the same size as those of the domestic Hen’s eggs. After
+three weeks the young are hatched out and are taken by the careful
+mother under her wings, and anxiously guarded and followed. The flesh of
+the Heathcock is more tender and finely flavored than that of the
+Wood-grouse.
+
+
+
+
+                              THE PIGEONS.
+
+
+[Illustration: CROWNED PIGEON.]
+
+The family of Birds to which the Pigeons and the Doves belong is usually
+classed by itself, as forming a link between two other families, and as
+these are important divisions, it will be well to keep in mind the
+meaning of their Latin names. The Pigeons and Doves belong to the family
+of Columbidae, which is derived from the Latin word columba, meaning a
+dove; and this forms the division between the domestic or Gallinaceous
+family, that we have just studied, and the family of Passerines, or
+Sparrows; the name of this family being derived from the Latin word
+passer, meaning a sparrow.
+
+It would be useless to attempt to describe all the different kinds of
+Pigeons in this space, but we can mention the leading groups, with their
+distinguishing features.
+
+The Crowned Pigeon is one of the handsomest. This is usually found in
+New Guinea. The plumage of this Bird is a beautiful greyish blue, with
+markings of dark blue and white, and its head is crowned with a plume of
+long tapering feathers.
+
+The Fan-tailed Pigeon is remarkable for its tail, which is very large
+and raised like that of a Peacock when spread out to its handsomest
+extent.
+
+The Nun Pigeon is recognized by a kind of hood formed of raised
+feathers, which covers the back of the head and neck, and to which it
+owes its name.
+
+The Wheeling Pigeon describes circles, like Birds of Prey, when it is
+flying. This Bird has an unpleasant disposition, and a bad habit of
+annoying other Pigeons. It should be excluded from Pigeon-houses.
+
+The Tumbler Pigeon owes its name to its curious manner of flying. It has
+a habit, after it has risen to a certain height, of throwing five or six
+summersaults.
+
+The Pouter Pigeon owes its name to the faculty which it possesses of
+inflating its crop to an immense size by the introduction of air. This
+peculiarity often destroys them; indeed, when feeding their young, they
+find so much difficulty in causing the seeds which they have swallowed
+to reascend into their beaks, that they contract a malady which is
+frequently fatal.
+
+The Roman Pigeons, thus named because they are very common in Italy, are
+easily recognized from the circle of red which surrounds their eyes.
+
+The Swift Pigeon is of small size, its flight is light and rapid.
+
+The Carrier Pigeons belong to this race. They are celebrated for their
+attachment to their birthplace, or to the spot that contains their
+young, and for the intelligence which enables them to regain their
+native countries from whatever distance. Transport them miles from their
+homes, even in a well-closed basket, then give them their liberty, and
+they will return, without the slightest hesitation, to the place from
+which they were taken. This valuable faculty has long been utilized,
+especially in the East.
+
+The Romans made use of Pigeons as messengers. Pliny says that this means
+was employed by Brutus and Hirtius to concert together during the siege
+of a town by Mark Antony. At the siege of Leyden, in 1574, the Prince of
+Orange employed Carrier Pigeons to carry on a correspondence with the
+besieged town, which he succeeded in freeing. The Prince, to mark his
+acknowledgment of the services rendered by these wise Birds, wished them
+to be fed with strawberries, and their bodies to be embalmed after
+death.
+
+We learn from Pierre Belon, the Naturalist, that in his time navigators
+from Egypt and Cyprus took Pigeons upon their galleys, and liberated
+them when they had arrived at the port of destination, in order to
+announce to their families their safe journey. In our century they have
+been made use of for similar purposes.
+
+
+
+
+                             THE PHEASANTS.
+
+
+[Illustration: GOLDEN PHEASANTS]
+
+Under the name of Phasianidae, the Pheasants form a distinct family,
+which is divided into several groups of Birds and Domestic Fowls which
+have similar characteristics. Not only our well known Pheasants, but the
+Peacocks, Guinea Fowls, Turkeys, Currassows, Bankiva Fowl, Tragopans,
+and the Argus are all grouped in this family, because they all have
+short bills, wings so short that they cannot fly readily, brilliant
+plumage, and tails largely developed, forming the greatest beauty of the
+Bird in many instances.
+
+The Pheasant, especially, is remarkable for the length of its tail; the
+middle feathers of which in one species, known as Reeve’s Pheasant,
+sometimes attain a length of seven or eight feet.
+
+The Silver Pheasant and the Golden Pheasant are two beautiful species.
+The former is clothed in a black and white costume that gives it a fine
+silvery appearance. The latter is brilliantly clothed in purple and
+gold, and bears a golden yellow crest on its head, with a handsome
+circular collar effect; and the tail of the Golden Pheasant is very long
+and showy.
+
+There are many other species of Pheasants, distinguished by some
+peculiarity of the plumage, but there is no special difference in their
+habits.
+
+In the wild state the Pheasants prefer wooded slopes or marshy plains,
+and their food is composed of grains, berries, Worms, Insects, Snails,
+etc. They are shy and timid in their nature, taking flight at the least
+indication of danger. They make their nest on the ground in the midst of
+a thicket, or in a tuft of grass, and the hen Pheasant lays from twelve
+to twenty eggs, which require twenty-four days to hatch.
+
+In some parts of the country these Birds are raised in enclosures called
+pheasantries. During the first two months of existence, the young
+Pheasants require the greatest care, as the tender little fellows are
+subject to numerous maladies.
+
+
+
+
+                 THE PASSERINES, OR THE SPARROW FAMILY.
+
+
+It seems strange that one of the very largest families of Birds should
+take as its type our common little Sparrow, yet the Passerine family
+takes its name from the Latin word passer, meaning a Sparrow. These are
+also known as Perching Birds. Taking it altogether this is an odd family
+of Birds, so many are included in it, in which it is difficult to detect
+the bonds which connect them.
+
+For example, where is the link which unites the Crow to the Swallow, or
+the Hornbill to the Humming-bird? Nevertheless all these winged
+creatures, so different externally, belong to the Passerines. Some
+Naturalists have claimed that this family presents only negative
+characteristics, bringing together in an odd group all the birds that
+are not included among the Rapacious, the Swimming, Wading, Gallinaceous
+or Domestic, and Climbing Birds. The principal points in common among
+these birds is that the outer toe is united to the middle one, more or
+less. Their food consists mainly of seeds, insects and fruit. They fly
+gracefully and easily, and their walk consists of a succession of little
+leaps. They build their nests and take their rest under the thick
+foliage of trees, or under the eaves of buildings.
+
+In this extensive family we find most of the songsters of the woodlands.
+Some of them have even the gift of imitating the human voice and the
+cries of wild animals. Many are remarkable for their brilliant plumage,
+others are appreciated as delicacies for the table. Some of them are
+easily tamed, but none of them have been brought to a domestic state.
+
+Some Naturalists divide the Passerines into five great groups, the first
+based upon the structure of the feet, the other four on the formation of
+the bill. Others object to this classification because it is not always
+possible to assign a place to certain groups because of peculiarities of
+their beak alone. This distribution is generally followed, however, as
+it is easy to remember.
+
+
+                  THE PERCHING BIRDS WITH UNITED TOES.
+
+As the different members of the great Passerine or Sparrow family are
+nearly all Perching Birds, it is easier to give them this classification
+in dividing them into groups, and thus avoid the many Latin names that
+it is not necessary to remember. In the first group we find the Perching
+Birds with united toes—the outer toe being nearly as long as the middle
+one and fast to it. This group includes the Hornbills, the Fly-catchers,
+the King-fishers, the Bee-eaters, and the Motmots.
+
+
+                             THE HORNBILLS.
+
+The Hornbills are remarkable for their enormous development of beak,
+which is long, very wide, compressed, and more or less curved and
+notched, and in some species surmounted by a large helmet-like
+protuberance. This immense beak is nevertheless very light, being
+spongy, as in the Toucans. The Hornbills have in some respects the
+bearing of the Crow; this led Bontius to class them among the Crows,
+under the name of Indian Crow. They walk with difficulty, and their
+flight is clumsy, their favorite position being on a perch at the summit
+of lofty trees. Great flocks of these haunt the forests of the warmer
+regions of the Old World, especially Africa, India, and the Oceanic
+Archipelago. They build their nests in the hollows of trees. They are
+omnivorous. The fruits, seeds, and insects of those regions are their
+principal food; yet they will not refuse flesh.
+
+In India they are domesticated, their services in destroying rats and
+mice being valuable. The plumage of the Hornbill is black or grey, of
+various shades; but there is a species described by Dr. Latham and Dr.
+Shaw under the name of the Crimson Hornbill, which Mr. Swainson thinks
+may prove to be a link between Toucans and Hornbills, and thus combine
+the beauty of plumage of the former with the peculiarity of form of the
+latter. Their flesh is delicate, especially when fed on aromatic seeds.
+Many species are described, varying in size, among which the Rhinoceros
+Hornbill is the most worthy of notice. This bird is so named from the
+singular protuberance with which its bill is surmounted; this is a
+smooth horny helmet, curving upwards from the bill, somewhat resembling
+the horn of the rhinoceros. It is a native of India and the islands of
+the Indian Ocean.
+
+
+                           THE FLY-CATCHERS.
+
+The Fly-catchers are a family of insect-eating Birds, many of which are
+British, distinguished by long, broad, and very flat bills, contracting
+suddenly at the tip; the tail is short, slender and rounded; the legs
+long and weak. It has a bright green plumage above, whitish beneath; and
+a scarlet throat. It is a native of South America and the Antilles; and
+a traveler, under the name of Green Humming-bird, describes it as “one
+of the most beautiful birds he ever saw.” It is a familiar little Bird,
+and will often let a Man come within a few feet to admire it before
+becoming alarmed.
+
+It lives almost entirely on the ground, feeding on Insects, which it
+catches in the evening. It builds its nest in the crevices on river
+banks, or in the soft rocks, in which it hollows out a dwelling by means
+of its bill and feet.
+
+
+
+
+                           THE KING-FISHERS.
+
+
+[Illustration: KING FISHERS.]
+
+The King-fishers, the Martin-fishers of some authors, form a highly
+interesting group. They are very singular Birds. Their bill is strong,
+straight and angular, being of immense length compared with their size.
+Living on the banks of rivers, they feed almost exclusively on Fish,
+watching patiently from a fixed station, generally a naked twig
+overhanging the water, or a stone projecting above the surface, for its
+prey. In this position it will sometimes remain for hours, absolutely
+immovable.
+
+When a Fish comes within reach, with great rapidity the King-fisher
+darts upon it, seizing it in its powerful mandibles, and after
+destroying it by compression, or by knocking it against a stone or the
+trunk of a tree, swallows it head foremost.
+
+When Fish are scarce they feed upon aquatic Insects, which they seize on
+the wing. They build their nests in the steep banks of rivers, either in
+the natural crevices, or in holes hollowed out by Water-rats; and these
+dwelling places are generally littered by the fragments of their food.
+Father and mother sit alternately, and when the young are hatched they
+feed them with the produce of their fishing. The Bird has a shrill and
+piercing note, which it utters on the wing.
+
+
+                            THE BEE-EATERS.
+
+The Bee-eaters have the beak long, thin, slightly curved and pointed;
+the wings are long and pointed; the tail is well-developed, tapering or
+forked. They are slender, graceful Birds. Their cries, while they skim
+through the air on rapid wing, are constant. The name of Bee-eaters they
+receive from their principal food, which consists of large bees and
+wasps. They seize their prey either on the wing, like the Swallows, or
+secrete themselves at the entrance to a hive, and catch the inmates that
+enter or depart, whose stings they are skilful in avoiding. Living
+together in numerous flocks, they rapidly clear a district of wasps and
+bees.
+
+They build their nests in the banks of rivers or rivulets, in holes
+which they excavate to the depth of six or seven feet.
+
+
+                              THE MOTMOTS.
+
+The Motmots are Birds still very imperfectly known. They are remarkably
+massive in form, heavy and slow on the wing. In the Motmots the beak is
+long, robust and crenated at the edge. They are very wild, and lead an
+isolated life in the thick forests of South America, where they build in
+holes in trees. They are about the size of a Magpie and many of that
+Bird’s bad qualities are attributed to the Brazilian Motmot.
+
+
+                    PERCHING BIRDS WITH LONG BEAKS.
+
+This group is characterized by a long, slender beak, straight or curved,
+but always without indentation, and comprises the Humming-birds,
+Creepers, Nuthatches and Hoopoes.
+
+
+                           THE HUMMING-BIRDS.
+
+[Illustration: SWORD BILL HUMMING BIRD.]
+
+The Humming-birds are the most lovely of the winged race. Nature seems
+to have endowed them with her rarest gifts. In creating them she
+surpassed herself, and exhausted all the charms at her disposal; for she
+gave them grace, elegance, rapidity of motion, magnificence of plumage,
+and indomitable courage. What can be more delightful than the sight of
+these little feathered beauties, flashing with the united fires of the
+ruby, the topaz, the sapphire, and the emerald, flying from flower to
+flower amid the richest tropical vegetation? Such are the lightness and
+rapidity of some of the smaller species, that the eye can scarcely
+follow the quick beat of their wings. When they hover they appear
+perfectly motionless, and one might fancy them suspended by an invisible
+thread.
+
+Specially adapted for life in the air, they are unceasingly in motion,
+searching for their food in the calyx of flowers, from which they drink
+the nectar with so much gentleness that the plant is scarcely stirred.
+But the juice and honey of flowers, as some authors affirm, are not
+their only food—such unsubstantial diet would be insufficient to sustain
+the great activity displayed almost every moment of their existence.
+
+The tongue of the Humming-bird is a microscopic instrument of marvellous
+arrangement. It is composed of two half-tubes placed one against the
+other, capable of opening and shutting, like a pair of pliers. Moreover,
+it is constantly moistened by a glutinous saliva, by which it is enabled
+to seize and hold Insects.
+
+[Illustration: CRESTED HUMMING BIRD.]
+
+Proud of their gay colors, the Humming-birds take the greatest care to
+protect their plumage. They frequently dress themselves by passing their
+feathers through their bills.
+
+The nest of the Humming-bird is a masterpiece. It is about the size of
+half an apricot. These consist of lichens, and are most artistically
+interwoven, the crevices being closed up with the Bird’s saliva; the
+interior is padded with the silky fibres furnished by various plants.
+This pretty cradle is suspended to a leaf, sometimes to a small branch
+of rushes, or even to the straw roof of a hut. The Bird lays twice a
+year a pair of pure white eggs, about the size of a pea.
+
+These little creatures are universally admired for their elegance and
+beauty, and the names given them are generally descriptive of their
+excessive minuteness. The creoles of the Antilles call them Murmurers;
+the Spaniards Picaflores; the Brazilians, Shupaflores, or
+Flower-suckers; finally, the Indians call these darlings Sunbeams.
+
+Among the most formidable enemies of the Humming-bird may be reckoned
+the Monster Spider, which spins its web round their nests, and devours
+eggs or young; even the old Birds are sometimes its victims.
+
+Humming-birds are scattered over the greater part of South and North
+America, even as far north as Canada; but in Brazil and Guiana they are
+most abundant. At least 500 species are known. Among the more remarkable
+species we may note the Topaz-throated Trochilus, a native of Brazil;
+the Sickle-winged Humming-bird; the Double-crested Humming-bird; Gould’s
+Humming-bird; Cora Humming-bird; the Giant Humming-bird, which attains
+the size of a Swallow; the Dwarf Humming-bird, whose size does not
+exceed that of a bee; the Bar-tailed Humming-bird or Sapho Comet, a
+native of Eastern Peru; the Racket-tailed Humming-bird, so named from
+the shape of its tail, which spreads out at the extremity in the form of
+a racket; the Crested Humming-bird, with a double crest on the head of
+the male Bird; and the Sword-bill Humming-bird, with a bill as long as
+the whole body of the Bird.
+
+
+
+
+                               THE CROWS.
+
+
+[Illustration: CROWS AND RAVENS.]
+
+The Crows are divided into four groups or sub-genera—namely, the Crows
+properly so called, Pies, Jays and Nutcrackers.
+
+The genus Corvus, or Crow family, as limited by modern Naturalists,
+comprehends the Raven, the Carrion Crow, the Royston or Hooded Crow, the
+Rook, the Jackdaw, Great-billed Crow, Philippine Crow and Fish Crow.
+
+All these species have in many respects the same characteristics, and
+the same habits. With the exception of the Raven and Magpie, which live
+in pairs, the others reside together in companies, whether they are in
+quest of their daily food or roosting for the night. They are all
+possessed of intelligence, cunning, mischievous habits, the gift of
+imitation, though in different degrees, and the same provident habit of
+amassing provisions in secret places. This last peculiarity in the tamed
+Birds degenerates into a perfect mania, which leads them to carry off
+and hide everything that attracts or pleases their eye, especially gems
+and bright articles of metal. The whole group are easily tamed.
+
+The Crows, especially the Raven and the Carrion Crow, are omnivorous.
+Living or dead flesh, Insects, eggs, fruit, seeds—nothing comes amiss to
+their palate.
+
+The Ravens possess a vigorous and sustained flight; they have a keen
+sense of smell and excellent vision. By exercising these latter
+qualities they quickly learn where food is to be obtained, and as they
+wing towards it they constantly utter their cry, as if inviting their
+companions to join them; this croak, as it is called, is harsh and
+dissonant. Their plumage being of a sombre black, and their voice so
+unmusical, have doubtless been the reasons why they have long been
+considered Birds of ill omen. When taken young, they are tamed with
+great facility, for they will neither rejoin their own race nor desert
+the neighborhood where they have been kindly treated. True, they may go
+into the fields to seek for food, but when the increasing shadows
+predict the approach of night, their familiar resting place in the house
+of their protector will be sought. They become much attached to those
+who take notice of them, and will recognize them even in a crowd.
+
+
+
+
+                              THE DIPPERS.
+
+
+[Illustration: DIPPERS OR WATER WRENS.]
+
+The Dippers or Water Wrens have straight and slender bills; large and
+stout toes, furnished with strong hooked claws, and short wings and
+tails. The decidedly aquatic habits of these Birds form a curious
+exception to the rest of the Sparrow family. They live constantly on the
+edge of the water, or in the water itself, hunting for the Insects which
+constitute their food.
+
+Although their toes are not webbed, they may often be noticed diving and
+moving about under water, by extending their wings and using them as
+fins. They are frequently seen flying along streams, and catching the
+winged Insects skimming over the surface of the water. They build their
+nests along the banks of mountain streams, and thrive in great numbers
+in such rocky countries as the Alps, Pyrenees, and other mountain chains
+in the south, west and north of Europe.
+
+
+
+
+                                Fishes.
+
+
+[Illustration: FLYING-FISH.]
+
+THE numerous Fishes that inhabit the waters all over the globe are
+divided into two great groups—the Cartilaginous Fishes, with their
+framework made up of bones in the form of cartilage or gristle, and the
+Osseous, or bony Fishes. These large groups are sub-divided in a most
+puzzling manner by many Naturalists. The long Latin and Greek names used
+to classify these groups and smaller families are so much more difficult
+to remember than are the divisions of the great group of Mammals, that
+we will entirely discard all these derivations and explanations, using
+only the common English names for grouping them according to their
+peculiarities of form, the arrangement of the gills, the number and form
+of their fins, etc., etc.
+
+The first great group of Cartilaginous Fishes is divided into three
+sections, which make in reality four families, as the second section
+comprises two. In the first of these we find the queer family of
+Lampreys, in which the mouth forms a sucker. In the second, are the
+family of Raias, and the Shark family, characterized by their mouth
+being furnished with jaws. The third includes the Sturgeons, which are
+distinguished by having the gills free.
+
+The Bony Fishes are divided into four great sections. The first is
+represented by the family of Globe Fish and Coffers, which have the jaw
+attached to the cranium. The second includes the queer family of
+Pipe-fish and Sea-horses, which have the gills divided into round tufts
+arranged in pairs. The third division includes the family of soft-finned
+Fishes, in which the rays of the fins are soft. In the fourth section
+are the various families of spiny-finned Fishes. And in some one of
+these groups with their distinct characteristics, may be classified all
+the numerous Fishes that are known to modern Naturalists.
+
+
+
+
+                         CARTILAGINOUS FISHES.
+
+
+
+
+                       THE LAMPREYS AND THE EELS.
+
+
+It is not usual to class these two families together, but they look so
+much alike until studied closely, all the different varieties having the
+appearance of serpents, with fins and curious forms of tails and heads,
+that it seems best to study them together and find the points of
+difference. The Lamprey is of a lighter color than the Eel, and is not
+so graceful, but of a rather clumsy form. But it differs most in its
+mouth, which is round, and placed below the end of the nose. It
+resembles the mouth of a Leech more than that of an Eel.
+
+The Lamprey has a hole on top of its head through which it spouts water,
+somewhat like a Whale, and the fins are formed by a lengthening out of
+the skin instead of having a set of bones or spines for that purpose.
+The mouth of the Lamprey is not only formed like that of the Leech, but
+it has the same property of sticking close to and sucking any body that
+is applied to it. It has a wonderful power of holding on to stones by
+sucking with its mouth, so that it is almost impossible to draw it away.
+We are told of one that weighed only three pounds, and yet it stuck so
+firmly to a stone weighing twelve pounds, that it remained suspended by
+its mouth, and it was almost impossible to make it loosen its hold.
+
+This wonderful strength of suction is supposed to arise from the power
+of the Lamprey to exhaust the air within its body by the hole over the
+nose, while the mouth is closely fixed to the object, and allows no air
+to enter.
+
+This adhesive or sticking quality in the Lamprey is somewhat increased
+by the slimy substance which is smeared all over its body. This
+substance serves to keep it warm in the cold water, and it also keeps
+its skin soft and pliant.
+
+Every year, usually about the beginning of the spring, the Lampreys
+leave the sea, where they usually make their home, and make holes or
+nests in the gravelly bottoms of rivers. Here the eggs are laid, and the
+mother Lamprey watches near until the eggs hatch. Then she is often seen
+with her whole family playing about her until they have become well
+grown, when she takes the whole family back in triumph to the ocean.
+
+There are several different species belonging to the Lamprey family. The
+kind known as the Lesser Lamprey inhabits Europe, Japan and the lakes of
+South America. It measures from twelve to fifteen inches long. Then
+there is a still smaller member of the family called the Lampern, which
+lives in European rivers, and is about six or seven inches long. It
+hides itself under stones or in the mud, but does not have the same
+power of suction as some of the larger ones.
+
+The Sea Lamprey belongs to the Mediterranean. When full grown it is
+about three feet long, and its light yellow body is marbled with brown.
+The Lampreys feed on worms, molluscs and small Fishes. The larger ones
+often seize Fishes of great size, and suck them like a Leech.
+
+All the different kinds of Lampreys are considered very fine and
+delicate food, and horrible stories are told of how kings and emperors
+used to raise the best kinds of Lampreys in ponds and feed them by
+throwing into the ponds live slaves who had displeased them; as they
+considered the Lamprey had a finer flavor when fed on human flesh. But
+only one man, a senator of Rome, was really known to do such a dreadful
+thing, and we are told that when Augustus, the emperor, heard it he
+ordered all these ponds to be filled up; but not until after many poor
+slaves had met this awful death, simply because they did not happen to
+please their wicked master.
+
+
+                               THE EELS.
+
+The Eels belong to the family of bony Fishes, although the Lampreys
+which they resemble in general appearance, belong to the family of
+Fishes whose framework is made up of cartilage, or gristle. The Eels
+form a very large family if we would include the different kinds of bony
+Fishes that have the same snake-like form of the common Eel. We find
+these smaller families classed under the name of Apoda; this word means
+without feet when applied to animals, but when used to describe Fishes,
+means without the ventral fins which serve in the place of feet.
+
+As the different kinds of Eels found under this family of Apoda are
+described by their Greek or Latin names, it will be well for us to
+understand the meaning of each of the four divisions. We would hardly
+recognize the plain Sand Eel, when we find him classed with “Osseous
+Fishes” under the name of “Ammodytes,” yet this is where the Naturalists
+place him, because this word in Latin means a sand-burrower, a kind of
+serpent, and is also derived from two Greek words meaning sand, and
+diver. The Electrical Eel is classed under fresh water Fishes under the
+name of Gymnotus, which comes from two Greek words meaning naked and
+back, showing that the back of the Electrical Eel is without fins. The
+Sea Eel is classed under the name of Muraenas, while Anguilla, which
+means snaky, serpent-like, is used to describe the plain Eels with
+smooth bodies and very few of the characteristics which distinguish the
+other Eels.
+
+We will simply give all these different kinds of Eels their plain common
+name, but when we read of wonderful fresh water Fishes called Gymnotus
+Electricus, who have strange electrical powers, we will know the word is
+used to describe the Electrical Eel.
+
+
+                            ELECTRICAL EELS.
+
+Very strange stories are told of these Eels, and its power to give an
+Electric shock to any person or animal who touches it. Alexander von
+Humboldt is said to have given the first precise account of this very
+curious Eel. This celebrated Naturalist tells of a voyage up the Orinoco
+for the purpose of studying the Electrical Eel, great numbers of which
+are found in the neighborhood of this river. Some Indians conducted the
+party to the Cano de Bera, a muddy pond surrounded by rich vegetation,
+Indian figs and beautiful flowers.
+
+The party of Naturalists were surprised when they learned that it would
+be necessary to use about thirty half-wild Horses to help them fish for
+the Electrical Eel, and that the severe shocks of electricity given by
+the Eels must be expended upon the Horses before it would be safe to
+touch the Eels.
+
+While our hosts were explaining to us this strange mode of fishing, the
+troop horses and mules had arrived, and the Indians had made a sort of
+battue, pressing the horses on all sides, and forcing them into the
+marsh. The Indians, armed with long canes and harpoons, placed
+themselves round the basin, some of them mounting the trees, whose
+branches hung over the water, and by their cries, and still more by
+their canes, prevented the horses from landing again.
+
+The Eels, stunned by the noise, defended themselves by repeated
+discharges of their batteries. For a long time it seemed as if they
+would be victorious over the Horses. Some of the Mules especially, being
+almost stifled by the frequency and force of the shock, disappeared
+under the water, and some of the Horses, in spite of the watchfulness of
+the Indians, regained the bank, where, overcome by the shocks they had
+undergone, they stretched themselves at their whole length.
+
+The picture presented was now indescribable. Groups of Indians
+surrounded the basin; the Horses with bristling mane, terror and grief
+in their eyes, trying to escape from the storm which had surprised them;
+the Eels, yellow and livid, looking like great aquatic Serpents swimming
+on the surface of the water, and chasing their enemies, were objects at
+once appalling and picturesque. In less than five minutes two Horses
+were drowned.
+
+When the struggle had lasted a quarter of an hour, the Mules and Horses
+appeared less frightened, the manes became more natural, the eyes
+expressed less terror, the Eels shunned, in place of attacking them; at
+the same time approaching the bank, when they were easily taken by
+throwing little harpoons at them attached to long cords; the harpoon,
+sometimes hooking two at a time, being landed by means of the long cord.
+They were drawn ashore without being able to communicate any shock.
+
+Having landed the Eels, they were transported to little pools dug in the
+soil, and filled with fresh water; but such is the terror they inspire,
+that none of the people of the country would release them from the
+harpoon—a task which the travelers had to perform themselves, and
+receive the first shock, which was not slight—the most energetic
+surpassing in force that communicated by a Leyden jar, completely
+charged.
+
+The Electrical Eel surpasses in size and strength all the other Electric
+Fishes. Humboldt saw them five feet three inches long. They vary in
+color according to age, and the nature of the muddy water in which they
+live. Beneath, the head is of a fine yellow color mixed with red; the
+mouth is large, and furnished with small teeth arranged in many rows.
+
+The Electrical Eel gives the most frightful shocks without the least
+muscular movement in the fins, in the head, or any other part of the
+body. The shock, indeed, depends upon the will of the animal, and in
+this respect differs from a Leyden jar, which is discharged by
+communicating with two opposite poles. It happens sometimes that an
+Electrical Eel, seriously wounded, only gives a very weak shock, but if,
+thinking it exhausted, it is touched fearlessly, its discharge is
+terrible.
+
+
+                               SEA EELS.
+
+[Illustration: SEA EEL.]
+
+The Sea Eels are slender, serpent-like Fishes, that are very strong and
+active, and they swim with the same waving movements in the water, as
+the serpents use in creeping on dry land. These Eels feed on small
+Fishes, Crabs, etc., and are such hungry fellows that when other food
+fails they begin to nibble at each other’s tails.
+
+It is difficult to catch a Sea Eel; they are usually caught with rod and
+line, or with line and ground bait, but they are quick in making their
+escape. When they have swallowed a hook they will often cut the line
+with their teeth, or they turn upon it, and try, by winding it round
+some object, to strain or break it. When caught in a net they quickly
+choose some mesh through which their body can glide.
+
+Like the Lampreys, these Sea Eels make excellent food, and are often
+raised in ponds and carefully fed to give their flesh a delicate flavor.
+
+
+                               SAND EELS.
+
+The Sand Eel is an easily frightened little fellow who buries himself in
+the sand. He is quite handsome, being silvery-blue—brighter on the lower
+parts than on the upper, with the radiating fins first white and then
+blue in color.
+
+This Eel is seldom seen swimming about. It hollows out a burrow for
+itself in the sand to the depth of fifteen or twenty inches, where it
+hunts out worms on which it feeds, while it shelters itself from the
+jaws of the hungry Fishes which eagerly hunt for its delicate flesh.
+
+
+                              COMMON EELS.
+
+The plain, snake-like Eel classed under the name of Anguilla is found in
+European rivers, and in various parts of North America. Although it is
+sometimes eaten it is not considered especially good for food; it does
+not often measure much over two feet in length, and is covered with a
+soft, slimy skin, and sometimes with tiny scales almost too small to be
+seen.
+
+
+                              CONGER EELS.
+
+The Conger Eel of the United States which belongs to this family is
+often five feet or more in length, while the Conger Eel of Europe is
+very large, as thick as a man’s leg, and sometimes ten feet long.
+
+
+
+
+                   THE FAMILY OF RAIAS, OR FLAT-FISH.
+
+
+All the curious Fish of this family—which forms the second group of the
+Cartilaginous Fishes—are broad, and swim flat on the water, and they are
+distinguished by the spines or prickles which the different species have
+on various parts of their body, or on the tail.
+
+It is by these spines that the different members of this family are
+distinguished from each other. The Skate has the middle of the back
+rough, and a single row of spines on the tail. The Sharp-nosed Ray has
+ten spines that are situated towards the middle of the back. The Rough
+Ray has its spines spread over the whole back. The Fire-flare has but
+one spine but that is a terrible one. This dangerous weapon is placed on
+the tail, about four inches from the body, and is about five inches
+long. It is of flinty hardness; the sides are thin, sharp-pointed, and
+closely and sharply bearded the whole way.
+
+The White Ray, the Lump-fish and the Torpedo or Cramp-fish are the most
+important of this family, and these curious specimens are worthy of
+special description.
+
+
+                             THE WHITE RAY.
+
+[Illustration: WHITE RAY.]
+
+The mouth of this Fish is placed in the lower part of the head, and far
+from the extremity of the nose; it is furnished with many rows of hooked
+and pointed teeth. The eyes, which are on the upper part of the head are
+half projecting and are protected by an elastic skin which covers the
+head. Immediately behind the eyes are two blow-holes which are connected
+with the interior of the mouth. The Fish is able to open and close these
+holes at pleasure, by means of a membrane which acts as a sort of valve.
+Through these holes it ejects the surplus water that is not required for
+respiration. In its general color this Fish is ashy grey on its upper
+surface; and white, with rows of black spots below.
+
+Its tail is long, flexible and slender and is used as a rudder, and as a
+weapon. When lying in wait for its prey at the bottom of the sea, and it
+has no desire to change its position, a rapid and sudden stroke of this
+formidable weapon, armed with hooked bones on its upper surface, arrests
+its victim by wounding or killing it, without disturbing the mud or
+sea-weed by which the Fish is covered. This species often grows to be
+quite large, and their flesh is firm and nourishing, but the larger
+specimens seldom approach inhabited shores.
+
+
+                             THE LUMP-FISH.
+
+[Illustration: LUMP FISH.]
+
+This is one of the largest of the Ray family. It sometimes reaches a
+length of twelve feet, and being excellent eating, is much sought after
+by fishermen. It is commonly seen with the Skate-fish in European
+markets, as it inhabits all the European seas.
+
+A ray of great curving spines extends all along the back of the
+Lump-fish, to the end of the tail. Two similar spines are above and two
+below the point of the nose. Two others are placed before, and three
+behind the eyes. In fact, the whole surface of this curious Lump-fish
+fairly bristles with large and small spines, and because of this it is
+sometimes called the Buckler-fish; for these spines are not merely for
+ornament, but for defence. The color of the upper surface of this Fish
+is brown with light spots. The tail, which often exceeds the body in
+length, has three small fins at the end.
+
+Ray-fish of all kinds are inhabitants of the deep sea, but they change
+according to the seasons. While stormy weather prevails they hide
+themselves in the depth of the ocean, where they lie in ambush, creeping
+along the bottom. But they do not always live at the bottom; they rise
+occasionally to the surface, far from shore, eagerly chasing other
+inhabitants of the deep, lashing the water with their tails and fins,
+springing out of the water, and making it foam with their sport.
+
+When pursuing their prey they use their great fins which resemble wings,
+and with these and their tail, they beat the waters in order to fall
+unexpectedly upon their prey, as the Eagle swoops upon its victim.
+
+
+                      THE TORPEDO, OR CRAMP FISH.
+
+The Torpedo has no spines which can wound, but it has a much more
+powerful weapon of defence. Like the Electrical Eel, this Fish has the
+power of producing violent electrical shocks.
+
+The electrical effects produced on the fisherman who seizes one of these
+Fish, were noted from early times; but Redi, the Italian Naturalist of
+the seventeenth century, was the first who studied them scientifically.
+Having caught and landed one of them with every precaution, “I had
+scarcely touched and pressed it with my hand,” says this Naturalist,
+“than I experienced a tingling sensation, which extended to my arms and
+shoulders, and which was followed by a disagreeable trembling, with a
+painful and acute sensation in the elbow joint, which made me withdraw
+my arm immediately.”
+
+Other Naturalists have described similar sensations, and careful study
+has been made of this Fish to discover the cause of this shock, and the
+hidden power possessed by the Fish of storing up this animal
+electricity. It still remains a mystery, however, in spite of extensive
+experimenting.
+
+The body of the Torpedo or Cramp-fish is almost circular, and it is
+thicker than others of the Ray family. The skin is soft and smooth, and
+of a yellowish color marked with darker spots. The eyes are very small,
+and behind them are two star-like spout-holes; the mouth is small, and
+the long tail tapers to a point, finished with a sort of caudal fin.
+These curious Fishes are found in the English Channel and along the
+shores of the Mediterranean.
+
+
+
+
+                           THE SHARK FAMILY.
+
+
+[Illustration: Diver Battling with a Shark.]
+
+The Sharks, like the Raias, have their mouth furnished with jaws, and
+for this reason they are classified in the same group of Cartilaginous
+Fishes, as distinct from the Lampreys and the Sturgeons. This family
+includes not only the Sharks, but the Dog-fishes, Hammerheads and the
+Saw-fish. All the species have a lengthened body, merging into a thick
+tail and a rough skin.
+
+The Shark becomes the terror of the sea almost as soon as it is born. At
+first it eats the Cuttle-fish, Molluscs, etc., then the Flounders and
+Cod-fish. But the prey which has the greatest charm for him is Man. He
+will even attack a diver in the strong diver’s costume, and in the
+waters where these “Hyenas of the Seas,” (as the Sharks are sometimes
+called) are to be found, the divers find it necessary to make special
+preparations for fighting them.
+
+When the diver is eagerly engaged with his work, he sees suddenly a
+great shadow fall on the bottom of the sea and he immediately recognizes
+with horror the spindle-shaped body of the Man-eating Shark. The head is
+flat; the fore-part of the snout is projected forward; the wide mouth,
+pushed far back, is supplied with sharp triangular teeth.
+
+The bold robber has seen the diver and comes at him. If he loses his
+coolness, he will be the spoil of the greedy Shark. He draws his dagger,
+which he carries with him for such an event. Dexterously he avoids the
+animal and stabs him deep with the dagger. A great stream of blood
+stains the water. In his death struggles the mighty animal threshes the
+water with his great fins and seeks safety in flight. Then another Shark
+approaches, and again must the diver fight a life and death battle. He
+is successful in making this enemy also incapable of fighting; then
+completely exhausted, he gives the signal to be drawn up. But the diver
+is not always fortunate enough to overcome the horrible animals. He is
+sometimes terribly torn by the daring Man-eaters.
+
+The back and sides of the Shark are of an ashy brown; beneath it is
+faded white. The head is flat, and terminates in a nose slightly
+rounded. Its terrible mouth is in the form of a semi-circle, and of
+enormous size; the contour of the upper jaw of a Shark of ten yards
+length being about two yards wide, and its throat being in proportion to
+this monstrous opening.
+
+When the throat of the Fish is open we see beyond the lips (which are
+straight and of the consistency of leather) certain plates of teeth,
+which are triangular and white as ivory. If the Shark is an adult it has
+in the upper as in the lower jaw six rows of these murderous arms, an
+arsenal ready to tear and rend its victim. These teeth take different
+motions according to the will of the animal; and obedient to the muscles
+round their base, by means of which it can erect or retract its various
+rows of teeth, it can even erect a portion of any row, while the others
+remain at rest in their bed. Thus this far-seeing tyrant of the ocean
+knows how to measure the number and power of the arms necessary to
+destroy its prey. For the destruction of the weak and defenceless, one
+row of teeth suffices; for the more formidable adversary it has a whole
+arsenal at command.
+
+The eyes of the Shark are small, and nearly round; its scent is very
+subtle; its fins are strong and rough. The tail is possessed of immense
+power, and is capable of breaking the limb of a robust Man by a single
+stroke.
+
+He seeks eagerly for human flesh, and haunts the neighborhood where it
+hopes to find the precious morsel. He follows the ship in which his
+instinct tells him it is to be found, and makes extraordinary efforts to
+reach it. He has been known to leap into a boat in order to seize the
+frightened fishermen; he throws himself upon the ship, cleaving the
+waves at full speed to snap up some unhappy sailor who has shown himself
+beyond the bulwarks.
+
+He follows the course of the slaver, watching for the horrors of the
+middle passage, ready to engulf the Negroes’ corpses as they are thrown
+into the sea. Commerson relates a significant fact bearing on the
+subject. The corpse of a Negro had been suspended from a yard-arm twenty
+feet above the level of the sea. A Shark was seen to make many efforts
+to reach the body, and it finally succeeded in securing it, member by
+member, undisturbed by the cries of the horror-stricken crew. In order
+that an animal so large and heavy should be able to throw itself to this
+height, the muscles of the tail and posterior parts of the body must
+have an astonishing power.
+
+The mouth of the Shark being placed in the lower part of the head, it
+becomes necessary to turn itself round in the water before it can seize
+the object which is placed above him. He meets with men bold enough to
+profit by this conformation, and chase this formidable and ferocious
+creature. On the African coast the Negroes attack the Shark in his own
+element, swimming towards him, and seizing the moment when he turns
+himself to rip him up with a sharp knife. This act of courage and
+audacity cannot, however, be said to be Shark-fishing.
+
+The fishing operation is conducted as follows: Choosing a dark night, a
+hook is prepared by burying it in a piece of lard and attaching it to a
+long and solid wire chain. The Shark looks askance at this prey, feels
+it, then leaves it; he is tempted by withdrawing the bait, when he
+follows and swallows it gluttonously. He now tries to sink into the
+water, but, checked by the chain, he struggles and fights. By-and-by he
+gets exhausted, and the chain is drawn up in such a manner as to raise
+the head out of the water. Another cord is now thrown out with a running
+knot or loop, in which the body of the Shark is caught near the tail.
+Thus bound, the captured Shark is soon lifted on deck, where he is put
+to death with great precaution as there is still great danger from his
+bites and the fierce blows of his tail.
+
+
+                             THE DOG-FISH.
+
+[Illustration: DOG-FISH.]
+
+The Dog-fish, which sometimes attains the length of between three and
+four feet, is exceedingly voracious. It feeds upon other fish, of which
+it destroys great quantities; it does not hesitate to attack the
+fishermen, and especially bathers in the sea. It places itself in
+ambush, like the Raias, in order to attack its prey.
+
+The flesh of the Dog-fish is hard, smells of musk, and is rarely eaten;
+but the skin becomes an article of commerce, and is known as shagrin,
+being, like the skin of the Shark, used for making spectacle-cases and
+for other ornamental purposes, for which its green color and high polish
+recommend it.
+
+There is a smaller species than the preceding, which haunts rocky
+shores, where it lies in wait for its prey. Its spots are larger and
+more scattered, and its ventral fins are nearly square. It feeds on
+Molluscs, Crustaceans, and small Fishes.
+
+
+                            THE HAMMERHEAD.
+
+The Hammerhead is chiefly distinguished by the singular form of its
+head, which is flattened horizontally, and the sides prolonged, giving
+it the appearance of the head of a hammer. The eyes of this Fish are
+placed at the extremity of these hammer points of the head; they are
+grey, projecting, and the iris is gold-colored. When the animal is
+irritated, the colors of the iris become like flame, to the horror of
+the fishermen who behold them.
+
+Beneath the head and near to the junction of the trunk is the mouth,
+which is semi-circular, and furnished on each jaw with three or four
+rows of large teeth pointed and barbed on two sides.
+
+The most common species in our seas is long and slender in the body,
+which is grey, and the head is black. It usually attains the length of
+eleven or twelve feet, weighing occasionally nearly five hundred pounds.
+Its boldness and voracity, and craving for blood, are more remarkable
+than its size. If the Hammerhead has not the strength of the Shark, it
+surpasses it in fury; few Fishes are better known to sailors in
+consequence of its striking form. Its voracity often brings it round
+ships and near the coast. Its visits impress themselves on the memory of
+the sailor, and he loves to relate his hair-breadth escape from the
+meeting.
+
+
+                             THE SAW-FISH.
+
+The Saw-fish is distinguished from all other known Fishes by the
+formidable arm which it carries in its head. This weapon is a
+prolongation of the nose, which, in place of being rounded off or
+reduced to a point, forms a long, straight, strong, sword-like
+termination, flat on both sides, and on the two edges furnished with
+numerous strong teeth, giving the appearance of a double saw, or one
+with teeth on both edges.
+
+Thus armed, the Saw-fish—the length of which is from twelve to fifteen
+feet—fearlessly attacks the fiercest inhabitants of the ocean. With this
+threatening weapon, sometimes two yards in length, it dares to try its
+strength with the Whale, and in a combat between the two, the Saw-fish
+is usually victorious.
+
+The Saw-fish is sometimes called the Sword-fish because of the
+sword-shape of its long saw, but it should be remembered that these
+Fishes are entirely distinct, for the Saw-fish belongs to the class of
+Cartilaginous Fishes, while the real Sword-fish, whose sharp sword is
+strong and smooth—without the saw-like teeth—is found among the Osseous
+or bony Fishes in the Mackerel family.
+
+
+
+
+                          THE STURGEON FAMILY.
+
+
+[Illustration: STURGEON.]
+
+The principal Fish belonging to this family are the different kinds of
+Sturgeon and the strange Chimaera, concerning which so many weird tales
+have been told.
+
+Four species of Sturgeon are commonly known. The Caviare Sturgeon, the
+Huso or Isinglass Fish, the Great Sturgeon and the Common Sturgeon. The
+Caviare Sturgeon is the best known in this country, as well as in
+European waters, and it is the most eagerly sought after by fishermen
+because it is from the roe of this Fish that the noted delicacy called
+caviare is made, which until recent years was confined principally to
+Russia, but which is now well known and consumed on both continents.
+
+What is known as the Isinglass Fish, besides supplying us with roe
+similar to that of the Caviare Sturgeon, also furnishes a valuable
+commodity known as isinglass.
+
+The Common Sturgeon abounds in the North Sea and the Mediterranean. It
+is usually about two yards to seven feet long, but has been known to
+attain the length of ten or twelve feet.
+
+It is remarkable for the number and form of the osseous plates or
+scales, which cover the body like so many bucklers. It has no less than
+twelve to fifteen of these rough bony plates, relieved by projections,
+which are pointed in the young, and soften down with age. On each side
+is a row of thirty to thirty-five of these triangular plates, separated
+from each other by considerable intervals. The head is broad at the
+base, gradually contracting towards the point, and terminating in a
+conical nose. The mouth is large and considerably behind the extremity
+of the nose, and its jaws, in place of teeth, are furnished with
+cartilages. Between the mouth and the nose are four slender and very
+elastic barbs, or wattles, like so many little worms. It is claimed that
+these wattles attract small Fishes to the jaws of the animal, while it
+conceals itself among the roots of aquatic plants.
+
+In the sea the Sturgeon feeds on Herrings, Mackerel, Cod-fish and other
+Fishes of moderate size. In the rivers it attacks the Salmon which
+ascend them about the same time. Mingling with them, however, it seems a
+giant. Its flesh is delicate, and in countries where they are caught in
+quantities it is dried and preserved.
+
+The Great Sturgeon, which sometimes exceeds a thousand pounds, is only
+found in the rivers which flow into the Caspian and Black seas. The
+Volga, the Don, and the Danube produce the largest species.
+
+
+                              THE CHIMERA.
+
+[Illustration: CHIMERA]
+
+This curious member of the Sturgeon family resembles the Sturgeon only
+in the formation of the gills. Otherwise it seems distinct not only from
+the rest of the family with free gills, but from all other Fishes. Many
+strange tales have been told of it in the past; and the Arctic Chimera
+is the monster of mythological antiquity, which used to be represented
+with the body of a Goat, the head of a Lion, the tail of a Dragon, and a
+gaping throat that vomited flames. At a later period it was described
+simply as a monstrous Fish with a Lion’s head. But now that it has
+become better known, we are inclined to ridicule these old-time tales
+that surrounded this Fish with a fascinating mystery.
+
+But even now the strange form of the Chimera, the manner in which it
+moves, the different parts of its hideous mouth and nose, its mode of
+showing its teeth, its ape-like contortions and grimaces, its long tail
+which acts with such rapidity—reminding one of a Reptile—all work on the
+imagination with a horrible fascination, and we can understand how it
+influenced the superstitious fishermen of the past who noticed its queer
+antics in the sea, and were too cautious to give it close study.
+
+This strange Fish is usually from five to six feet in length, of a
+silver color, spotted with brown. The largest variety, known as the
+Arctic, or the Monster Chimera, inhabits the North Sea, and another
+species, which closely resembles it, but is somewhat smaller, known as
+the Antarctic Chimera, is found in the southern hemisphere.
+
+
+
+
+                      THE OSSEOUS OR BONY FISHES.
+
+
+Some Naturalists claim that these are the only inhabitants of the water
+that should be called Fishes—that the Cetacea or the Whale family are
+simply huge beasts that have taken up their abode in the ocean, and that
+the cartilagenous Fishes form an amphibious band by themselves.
+
+Others have classed the whole of these three great groups under the name
+of Fishes. But modern Scientists have settled upon the classification
+which has been carried out in this little Natural History—the Cetacea
+are placed among the Mammals and kept entirely distinct from the Fishes
+(none of which feed and care for their young in the same manner as the
+Mammals); and the great tribe of Fishes are now divided into two groups
+of cartilaginous and osseous Fishes, with their numerous sub-divisions
+into families and species.
+
+We have studied the curious families of the cartilaginous Fishes and now
+we find more familiar varieties of our well-known Fishes among the
+families of bony Fishes, although even in this division some very rare
+and wonderful specimens are found.
+
+The history of any one family of the bony Fishes very closely resembles
+all the rest—they breathe air and water through the gills. They live by
+devouring such Fish and the animal life of the great waters as their
+mouth is capable of admitting. They propagate not by bringing forth
+their young alive, like the Mammals and a few of the cartilaginous
+Fishes, nor by distinct eggs, like the remainder of the latter class,
+but by spawn, as their roe is called, which is made up of hundreds, and
+in some instances hundreds of thousands of tiny eggs.
+
+The bones of these Fishes also makes them distinct from all others. They
+have the appearance of being solid, but when examined more closely they
+are found to be hollow and filled with a substance less oily than
+marrow. These bones are very numerous and pointed and to them the
+muscles are fixed which move the different parts of the body.
+
+
+
+
+                 THE FAMILY OF GLOBE FISH AND COFFERS.
+
+
+[Illustration: COFFRE OR OSTRACION.]
+
+This forms the first group of bony Fishes, which are distinguished by
+having the jaw attached to the cranium. In the Globe Fish the jaws have
+no apparent teeth, but they are furnished with a kind of beak in ivory,
+which represents them. In the group to which the Coffer Fish belong the
+nose terminates in a little mouth armed with true teeth. The first group
+includes the Globe-fish and the Diodons; in the second group we find the
+Coffers or Ostracions and the File-fish or Balistes.
+
+The skin of the Globe-fish bristles with small slightly projecting
+spines, which repel their enemies, and even wound the hand that would
+grasp them. They enjoy, besides, a strange power; they can inflate the
+lower part of their body, and give it an extension so great that it
+becomes like an inflated ball, in which the real shape of the Fish is
+lost. This result is obtained by the introduction of an immense quantity
+of air into the stomach when it wishes to ascend to the surface. The
+species of Globe-fish are numerous. Some of them are common in the Nile,
+where they are frequently left ashore during the annual inundations.
+
+There is a smooth Globe-fish known as the Moon-fish. Its compressed,
+spineless body, being very round, has been compared to a disk, and more
+poetically to the moon, to the great circular surface of which the
+dazzling silvery white disk bears some resemblance. But it is especially
+during the night that it justifies the name given to it. Then it shines
+brightly from its own phosphorescent light, at a little distance beneath
+the surface.
+
+On very dark nights, this Globe-fish is sometimes seen swimming in the
+soft light which emanates from its body, the rays rendered undulating by
+the rippling of the water which it traverses, so as to resemble the
+trembling light of the moon half-veiled in misty vapors. When many of
+these Fishes rove about together, mingling their silvery trains, the
+scene suggests the idea of dancing stars. The Moon-fish is common in the
+Mediterranean, and sometimes reaches the markets of Europe. It is about
+thirty inches in length.
+
+
+                              THE DIODONS.
+
+[Illustration: DIODON.]
+
+The curious Diodons differ from the Globe-fish in the form of their bony
+jaws, each forming only one piece. They differ also in their spines,
+which are much larger than those of the Globe-fish. These Fishes may be
+said to be the Hedgehogs and Porcupines of the sea. Like the Globe-fish,
+they can erect their spines and inflate their bodies.
+
+
+                              THE COFFERS.
+
+The Coffers or Ostracions, are without scales, but are covered with
+regular bony compartments which are so jointed to one another that the
+body seems to be enclosed in a kind of box or long coffer, which only
+reveals the fins and a portion of the tail. The body is usually of a
+triangular shape, although some species are quadrangular; but no matter
+what the form, this queer bony box gives the Fish an odd appearance,
+making it distinct from all others.
+
+These singular Fishes are found in the Indian Ocean and in the American
+seas. They are of moderate size, and of little value as food for
+mankind.
+
+
+                             THE FILE-FISH.
+
+These have a compressed body, and the jaws are furnished with eight
+teeth arranged in a single row on each jaw. The mouth is small and the
+body is enveloped in very hard scales. The File-fish or Balistes are
+inhabitants of tropical seas, with one exception. They are brilliantly
+colored, and as they herd together in great numbers they form curious
+combinations of rare coloring in the equatorial seas.
+
+
+
+
+                     THE PIPE-FISH AND SEA-HORSES.
+
+
+[Illustration: PIPE FISH.]
+
+The second division of the bony Fishes is quite small, including only
+the Pipe-fish and the Sea-horses. These are distinguished by having the
+gills divided into small round tufts and arranged in pairs—a structure
+that is peculiar and different from that of any other Fishes. These
+gills are enclosed under a large cover, which leaves only a small hole
+for the escape of water which has served the purposes of respiration.
+
+The Pipe-fishes belonging to this family possess a very strange organic
+peculiarity. Their bodies are long, slender, and slightly tapering,
+covered with plates set lengthwise; and the skin in swelling forms a
+pouch near the tail into which the eggs glide to be hatched, and which
+is afterwards a shelter for the young.
+
+The Trumpet Pipe-fish has a small head and a long cylinder-shaped nose,
+slightly raised at the end, and terminating in a very small mouth
+without teeth. It is generally found in the Atlantic and the
+Mediterranean.
+
+There is still another Pipe-fish—the Fistularia—not often classed with
+this family, but found among the spiny-finned Fishes, with an extremely
+long nose in front of the head; this forms a long tube, in fact, at the
+end of which is the mouth. This species is common at the Antilles. It
+reaches a length of about three feet. It feeds upon crustaceans and
+small Fishes, which it drags from the interstices of the rocks and
+stones by means of its long pipe.
+
+
+                             THE SEA-HORSE.
+
+The queer little Sea-horses which are often found dried among a
+collection of sea-shells and ocean relics, are only a few inches in
+length. Their head bears some resemblance to that of a Horse, while the
+tail resembles the rings of a Caterpillar, and the body is covered with
+triangular scales. They keep in a vertical position when they swim, and
+the tail seems on the alert, to seize whatever it meets in the water,
+clasping the stems of rushes, etc. Once fixed by the tail, the queer
+little animal seems to watch all the surrounding objects, and darts
+quickly on any prey presenting itself. They live on Worms and Fish eggs
+and substances found at the bottom of the sea.
+
+
+
+
+                   THE FAMILY OF SOFT-FINNED FISHES.
+
+
+The principal character of the Fishes of this large family (which forms
+the third group of bony Fishes) is that the rays of the fins are soft,
+with very few exceptions. They inhabit both the sea and fresh water, and
+this group is found to include Fishes of the most importance as human
+food, such as the Herring, the Cod, Salmon, Carp, Pike, and many others.
+
+This family is usually divided into three groups: The Eels—which have
+already been described with the Lampreys—the various flat Fishes, like
+the Flounders, Turbot, Plaice, Sole, Halibut, etc., and third, the
+Fishes already mentioned as the favorites for food, with curious
+specimens of Flying-fish, etc.
+
+
+                        SOME STRANGE SPECIMENS.
+
+In the second division of this family we find several curious specimens
+before coming to the better known flat Fish which are used for food. The
+first of these is the Sea-snail, which has a long mucuous body without
+scales and front fins forming suckers, whereby it can attach itself to
+the rocks. A curious Lump-fish is also classified here which is very
+different from the Lump-fish of the Ray family. It has little to
+distinguish it, except that this also has a strong sucker formed by the
+disc of the ventral fins. And a third queer specimen is the Echineis—an
+inhabitant of the Mediterranean, which has a flat disk covering its
+head, which is formed of a number of movable plates of cartilage. Aided
+by this queer organ it attaches itself firmly to rocks, and even to
+ships and larger Fishes which it meets with in its wanderings. Its
+adhesion to these objects is so strong that the strength of a man often
+fails to separate them. It sometimes attaches itself to a Shark by means
+of this strange disk, and makes long voyages on this monstrous
+locomotive Fish, without fatigue or danger; for its enemies are kept a
+distance by fear of the fierce monster which carries it.
+
+
+
+
+               THE FLAT-FISHES OF THE SOFT-FINNED FAMILY.
+
+
+These have peculiar flat bodies, greatly compressed, but in a direction
+different from the flat Fishes of the Ray family. In the case of the
+Raia, the body is flattened horizontally, but in the Fishes belonging to
+this family the bodies are compressed laterally—like that of the
+well-known Flounder. The head of the Fishes of this group are not
+symmetrical; the two eyes are placed on the same side, and the two sides
+of the mouth are unequal. These strange flat Fishes are always turned
+upon their side, and the side turned towards the bottom of the sea is
+that which has no eye. It is to this habit of swimming on their side
+that they owe their popular name of side-swimmers.
+
+They advance through the water very slowly compared with the motion of
+other Fishes. They can ascend or descend in the water very quickly, but
+cannot turn to the right or left with the same ease as other Fishes.
+This property of rapidly rising or sinking in the water is more useful
+to them, as they spend the greater part of their time at the greatest
+depths, where they draw themselves along the sands at the bottom of the
+sea, and often hide themselves from their enemies.
+
+
+                               THE SOLES.
+
+These flat Fish have an oblong body, the side opposite to the edges
+being furnished with shaggy, soft hairs; the nose is round and nearly
+always in advance of the mouth, which is twisted to the felt side, and
+furnished with teeth only on one side, while the eyes are on the right
+side. The Common Sole is from eighteen to twenty inches in length. It is
+brown on the right, and whitish on the opposite side. Its flesh has a
+very delicate flavor, and it is said to acquire a finer taste by being
+kept for several days.
+
+
+                              THE TURBOT.
+
+The Turbot resembles a lozenge in general form. Its under jaw is more
+advanced than the upper one, and is furnished with many rows of small
+teeth. One side is marbled brown and yellow, and the other is white with
+brownish spots and points; the long rows of soft fins are yellow with
+brown spots. The true Turbot has always been the special delight of the
+epicure, and fabulous sums are said to have been paid at different
+times, in order to secure a fine specimen.
+
+
+                       THE FLOUNDERS AND PLAICE.
+
+The Flounders and Plaice inhabit the northern seas of Europe. They are
+also found along our coasts; the Flounders are fresh water Fishes of
+small size, abundant in the Thames and many other rivers; and they are
+desirable for food, although not so delicately flavored as the Turbot.
+The Common Plaice attains the length of ten or twelve inches. It is
+brown, spotted with red or orange. On the eye-side of the head are some
+bony tubercles, but the rest of the body is smooth.
+
+
+                        THE HALIBUT AND THE DAB.
+
+The Dab is distinguished from the other flat Fish by having very hard
+scales on its body, and the Halibut has the distinction of being the
+largest of this class of flat Fish. It is occasionally caught in the
+seas of Northern Europe and Greenland, measuring seven feet, and
+weighing from three to four hundred pounds. The body of the Halibut is
+more elongated than that of the Plaice or Flounder, and its jaws are
+armed with strong and pointed teeth.
+
+The natives of Greenland fish for the Halibut with an implement which
+they call gangnaed. It is composed of a hempen cord five or six hundred
+yards in length, to which are attached about thirty smaller cords, each
+furnished with a barbed hook at the end. The larger cord is attached to
+floating planks, which act as trimmers, indicating the place of this
+destructive contrivance. At the end of twenty-four hours these lines are
+drawn from the water, and it is not unusual to find five or six large
+Halibut caught on the hooks.
+
+Another mode of catching this and other flat Fish is to spear them on
+their sandy beds. No rule is laid down for this method of fishing; in
+some places it is carried on successfully by means of a common
+pitchfork. In other places a fine spear is used for the purpose—very
+long and with sharp prongs.
+
+
+
+
+                 THE THIRD GROUP OF SOFT-FINNED FISHES.
+
+
+This includes the well-known Fishes—of which the Cod-fish is the type—so
+commonly found on our tables. They are characterized by their pointed
+fins, and grouped according to the position of these fins. The body is
+long and slightly compressed; the head well proportioned. Their fins are
+soft and their scales are small and soft. The majority of these Fishes
+are too well known to require further description. According to the
+position of their fins we find forming one of the smaller groups—the
+Cod, the Whiting and the Haddock. In another small group is the Salmon
+and the Trout. A third group includes the Pike, and several curious
+relatives—the Stomias, Flying-fish and the Chetedon. And a fourth
+includes the Herring, Ancovy, Pilchard, Sprat and Shad.
+
+
+                            THE CHEATODONS.
+
+[Illustration: CHAETODON.]
+
+These Fish form a very curious species. They are brilliantly colored and
+marked with odd stripes. Their head is large, with small eyes placed
+near the top; the nose and the mouth of some species are very curiously
+formed; and the tail—which is not divided—also shows strange forms in
+some varieties.
+
+One of the best known is the Bow-banded Chaetodon. The ground color of
+this Fish is brown, which shades to black towards the back, and looks as
+though covered with velvet and inlaid with ivory, and the light stripes
+in the form of a bow, on both sides of the body give it still more showy
+appearance. This species inhabits the coasts of Brazil, and other parts
+of South America, and grows from three to six inches in length. Other
+varieties are somewhat larger, but they are all comparatively small
+Fish.
+
+In the winter or rainy seasons they lie deep in holes near the shore.
+During the summer, when the sun in that climate blazes the whole day,
+they keep at a depth of twenty to thirty yards, which protects them from
+its intense heat.
+
+
+                              FLYING-FISH.
+
+Strange tales have been told from time to time of the marvellous powers
+of flight possessed by certain Fishes; and while some of these have been
+greatly exaggerated, it is nevertheless true that some Fish do possess
+that power to a surprising degree, yet only on certain limited lines,
+unlike the upward flight of Birds. (See colored plate).
+
+The front fins of the Flying-fish are transformed into wings by which
+they are enabled to rise for a few seconds. These wings, however, are
+neither long nor powerful, for they act the part of a parachute, rather
+than wings.
+
+These curious fins of the Flying-fish are nearly as long as the whole
+body; the head is flattened above and on the sides, and the lower part
+of the body is covered with a long series of scales; and the mouth is
+filled with small pointed teeth.
+
+The Flying-fishes in their own element are harassed by attacks of other
+inhabitants of the ocean, and when under the excitement of fear they
+take to the air, they are equally exposed to the attack of aquatic
+Birds, especially the various species of Gulls. In their leap from the
+water, their fins sustain them like parachutes, with which they beat the
+air. Mr. Bennett’s description is clear on this point. “I have never,”
+he says, “been able to see any percussion of the pectoral fins during
+flight; and the greatest length of time I have seen this Fish on the fly
+has been thirty seconds by the watch, and the longest flight, mentioned
+by Captain Basil Hall, has been two hundred yards, but he thinks that
+subsequent observation has extended the space. The usual height of their
+flight, as seen above the surface of the water, is from two to three
+feet, but I have known them come on board at the height of fourteen feet
+and upwards. And they have been well ascertained to come into the chains
+of a line-of-battle ship, which is considered to be upwards of twenty
+feet. But it must not be supposed that they have the power of raising
+themselves into the air after having left their native element; for on
+watching them I have often seen them fall much below the elevation at
+which they first rose from the water; nor have I ever in any instance
+seen them rise from the height to which they first sprang, for I
+conceive the elevation they take depends on the power of the first
+spring.”
+
+The brilliant coloring of the Flying-fish would seem designed to point
+it out to its enemies, against whom it is totally defenceless. A
+dazzling silvery splendor pervades its surface. The summit of its head,
+its back, and its sides, are of azure blue; this blue becomes spotted
+upon the fins and the tail. This Fish is the common prey of the more
+voracious Fishes, such as the Shark, and also of the Sea-birds; its
+enemies abound in the air and water. If it succeeds in escaping the
+Charybdis of the water, the chances are in favor of its coming to grief
+in the Scylla of the atmosphere; if it escapes the jaws of the Shark, it
+will probably fall to the share of the Sea-gull.
+
+The Dolphin is also a formidable enemy to the much-persecuted
+Flying-fish. Captain Basil Hall gives a very animated description of
+their mode of attack. He was in a prize, a low Spanish schooner, rising
+not above two feet and a half out of the water. “Two or three Dolphins
+had ranged past the ship in all their beauty. The ship in her progress
+through the water had put up a shoal of these Flying-fish which took
+their flight to windward. A large Dolphin which had been keeping company
+with us abreast of the weather gangway at the depth of two or three
+fathoms, and as usual glistening most beautifully in the sun, no sooner
+detected our poor friends take wing than he turned his head towards
+them, darted to the surface, and leaped from the water with a velocity
+little short, as it seemed to us, of a cannon ball. But though the
+impetus with which he shot himself into the air gave him an initial
+velocity greatly exceeding that of the Flying-fish, the start which his
+fated prey had got enabled them to keep ahead of him for a considerable
+time. The length of the Dolphin’s first spring could not be less than
+ten yards, and after he fell we could see him gliding like lightning
+through the water for a moment, when he again rose, and shot upwards
+with considerably greater velocity than at first, and of course to a
+still greater distance.
+
+“In this manner the merciless pursuer seemed to strike along the sea
+with fearful rapidity, while his brilliant coat sparkled and flashed in
+the sun quite splendidly. As he fell headlong in the water at the end of
+each leap, a series of circles were sent far over the surface, for the
+breeze, just enough to keep the royals and topgallant studding-sails
+extended, was hardly felt as yet below.
+
+“The group of wretched Flying-fishes, thus hotly pursued, at length
+dropped into the sea; but we were rejoiced to observe that they merely
+touched the top of the swell, and instantly set off again in a fresh and
+even more vigorous flight. It was particularly interesting to observe
+that the direction they took now was quite different from the one in
+which they had set out, showing that they had detected their fierce
+enemy, who was following them with giant steps along the waves and was
+gaining rapidly upon them. His pace, indeed, was two or three times as
+swift as theirs, poor little things! and the greedy Dolphin was fully as
+quick-sighted; for whenever they varied their flight in the smallest
+degree, he lost not the tenth part of a second in shaping his course so
+as to cut off the chase; while they, in a manner really not unlike that
+of the Hare, doubled more than once upon the pursuer. But it was soon
+plainly to be seen that the strength and confidence of the Flying-fish
+were fast ebbing; their flights became shorter and shorter, and their
+course more fluttering and uncertain, while the leaps of the Dolphin
+seemed to grow more vigorous at each bound.
+
+“Eventually this skilful sea-sportsman seemed to arrange his springs so
+as to fall just under the very spot on which the exhausted Flying-fish
+were about to drop. This catastrophe took place at too great a distance
+for us to see from the deck what happened; but on our mounting high on
+the rigging, we may be said to have been in at the death; for then we
+could discover that the unfortunate little creatures one after another,
+either popped right into the Dolphin’s jaws as they lighted on the
+water, or were snapped up instantly after.”
+
+
+                              THE HERRING.
+
+[Illustration: Herring Attacked by Whale.]
+
+As this Fish is so commonly known in all parts of the world, it would
+not seem necessary to give it special mention or description, except for
+the fact of its congregating in such wonderful “schools” at various
+seasons, and the fact that it forms the principal food of the Whale
+family. Because of the great quantities in which it is captured in
+certain parts of the Old World, it has been called the most important of
+all Fishes for mankind, and the old Hollanders used to say that the
+Herring fishery was the greater and the Whale fishery the least.
+
+The Herring banks or schools are separated into two groups—the high sea
+and the coast schools. In each, the Fish are found in unbelievable
+masses; they extend over a vast space, and in some instances it is
+claimed that in these great schools the Fish swam so thick that an oar
+pushed into the midst, did not fall, but remained standing.
+
+It has been stated that about thirty years ago, when one of these great
+schools were passing, the fishermen of Lowestoft, a coast city of about
+fifteen thousand inhabitants, in the English county of Suffolk, caught
+in two days around twenty-two millions of Herring, only a small part of
+which could be preserved. Neither people, nor casks, nor salt enough
+were at hand, and the greater part of these Herring were used for
+fertilizer.
+
+The markings of the Herring are very peculiar in some instances, and
+have lead to curious superstitions. The back of the Fish is green during
+life, but after death it becomes an indigo blue color. Other parts vary
+in their color and markings, sometimes representing written characters,
+which ignorant fishermen have considered to be words of mystery.
+
+In November, 1587, two Herrings were taken on the coast of Norway on the
+bodies of which were markings representing Gothic printed characters.
+These Herrings had the signal honor of being presented to the King of
+Norway, Frederick II. This superstitious prince turned pale at sight of
+this supposed prodigy. On the back of these innocent inhabitants of the
+deep he saw certain cabalistic characters, which he thought announced
+his death and that of his queen. Learned men were consulted. Their
+science, as reported, enabled them to read distinctly words expressing
+the sentiment, “Very soon you will cease to fish Herrings, as well as
+other people.” Other savants were assembled who gave another
+explanation; but in 1588 the king died, and the people were firmly
+convinced that the two Herrings were celestial messengers charged to
+announce to the Norwegian people the approaching end of the monarch.
+
+This Fish abounds throughout the entire Northern Ocean in immense
+shoals, which are found in the bays of Greenland, Lapland, and round the
+whole coast of the British islands. Great shoals of them also occupy the
+gulfs of Sweden, of Norway and of Denmark.
+
+It was the favorite theory, not very long ago, that Herrings emigrated
+to and from the arctic regions. It was asserted, by the supporters of
+this theory, that in the inaccessible seas of high northern latitudes
+Herring existed in overwhelming numbers, an open sea within the arctic
+circle affording a safe and bounteous feeding-ground. At the proper
+season vast bodies gathered themselves together into one great army,
+which, in numbers exceeding the powers of imagination, departed for more
+southern regions.
+
+This great Herr, or army, was sub-divided, by some instinct, as they
+reached the different shores, led, according to the ideas of fishermen,
+by Herring of more than ordinary size and sagacity, one division taking
+the west side of Britain, while another took the east side, the result
+being an adequate and well divided supply of Herrings, which penetrated
+every bay and arm of the sea.
+
+Closer observation, however, shows that this theory has no existence in
+fact. Lacepede denies that those periodical journeyings take place.
+Valenciennes also rejects them. It is true that the Herrings have
+disappeared in certain neighborhoods in which they were formerly very
+plentiful; but it is also certain that, in many of the fishing stations,
+Fish are taken all the year round. Moreover, the discovery that the
+Herring of America is a distinct species from that of Europe, and that
+they do not even spawn in the same waters, is fatal to the theory. In
+short, there is a total absence of proof of their migrations to high
+northern latitudes, and recent discoveries all tend to show that the
+Herring is native to the shores on which it is taken.
+
+What seems most surprising is the fact that these harmless little
+Fishes, which live largely on small crustaceans and small Fishes just
+hatched, should continue to thrive in such marvellous numbers, when its
+enemies are the most formidable inhabitants of the ocean. All the
+different members of the Whale family destroy them by the thousands, and
+our illustration on Page 247, where the Sword-Whales are feasting on one
+of the great shoals of Herring, gives a limited idea of the great
+quantities devoured by these great Fish. Then we must take into
+consideration that man, on the other hand, carries on a war which
+threatens to be one of extermination. In fact, the Herring fishery has
+been to certain nations, the great cause of their prosperity. It was the
+foundation of Dutch independence. But in spite of this continual war
+against them, the Herrings continue to thrive and increase, and they are
+well worthy of the place they have long held as one of the greatest
+friends and helpers of mankind that has been found in the animal kingdom
+of the great deep.
+
+
+
+
+                   THE FAMILY OF SPINY-FINNED FISHES.
+
+
+[Illustration: RED GURNARD.]
+
+This fourth large family of bony Fishes includes the Perch family, which
+is altogether a fresh water Fish; and many curious species which are
+found in the sea—like the Weevers, Mullets, Gurnards, Labrus, Frog-fish
+and Sword-fish. The well known Mackerel family is also included among
+the Fishes with spiny fins, with the Tunny and the curious Archer-fish.
+
+The Weevers are a good type of these spiny-finned Fishes. They bury
+themselves in the sand, and are dangerous to the fishermen because of
+the serious wounds which they inflict with their spines.
+
+
+                             THE GURNARDS.
+
+[Illustration: FLYING GURNARD.]
+
+These fascinating Sea-scorpions are remarkable for the hideous
+appearance of their heads, quite as much as for the beautiful markings
+of their body. The head is mailed and cuirassed in a wonderful manner;
+it is very large in proportion to the body, broad in front and
+compressed at the sides, and completely covered with large spines and
+fringed barbs; the longest of these are over the eyes, and the broadest
+near the corners of the mouth; the jaws are furnished with a great
+number of small sharp teeth; the tongue is loose, thin and pointed at
+the end; the lips are also movable, and the upper lip is composed of two
+bones which form a furrow in the middle where they join; the nostrils
+are single and lie midway between the mouth and the eyes. The whole
+effect of these Fishes, so different from other species, gives them a
+disagreeable and even hideous appearance, and has procured for them
+various names, such as Sea-frog, Sea-devil, Sea-scorpion, and others
+equally significant. And whether we consider the curious and remarkable
+appearance of the Red Gurnard as he moves along the sandy bottom,
+seeming to walk on the strange projections that look like huge toes
+growing out from the front fins—or the still more startling effect of
+the Flying Gurnard—it is not surprising that superstitious fishermen
+have told remarkable tales of these strange Fish in the past.
+
+Twelve species of the Trigula or Gurnards are known. The commonest
+species are the Grey Gurnard—a silvery grey Fish, clouded with brown,
+and speckled with black. This is found in British seas. The Red Gurnard
+is commonly found in the Mediterranean. This is a fine, bright red-rose
+color, paler beneath and more vivid about the fins. The Perlon or
+Sapharine Gurnard is a large species, handsomely marked with green and
+blue hues.
+
+The Flying Gurnard is much like the other Flying-fishes in the formation
+of the front fins into wings, and in the manner of their flight, but
+their appearance is very different because of their queer armored head
+and the large eyes, as well as the brilliant markings peculiar to the
+Gurnard family.
+
+
+                            THE SWORD-FISH.
+
+[Illustration: SWORD FISH SPEARING HIS PREY.]
+
+The Sword-fish, so called from the upper jaw being elongated into a
+formidable spear or sword, was known to the ancients, and has borne this
+name which recalls its important characteristic, from very early times.
+And while the Saw-fish, which belongs to the group of Cartilaginous
+Fishes, and a species of Sword-whale, have also been known as
+Sword-fishes, this species—scientifically known as Xiphias gladius—is
+the real, and the original Sword-fish.
+
+This Fish attains a great size, being found in the Mediterranean and
+Atlantic from five to six feet in length. Its body is covered with
+minute scales, the sword forming three-tenths of its length. On the back
+it bears a single long dorsal fin; the tail is keeled, the lower jaw is
+sharp, the mouth toothless, the upper part of the Fish bluish-black,
+merging into silver beneath.
+
+It seems to have a natural desire to exercise towards and against all
+the arm with which nature has furnished it; it darts with the utmost
+fury upon the most formidable moving bodies; it attacks the Whale; and
+there are numerous and well authenticated instances of ships being
+perforated by the jaw of this powerful creature, while the toothed spear
+of the Saw-fish has been found fast in the body of a Whale which it has
+pierced.
+
+In 1725, some carpenters having occasion to examine the bottom of a
+ship, which had just returned from the Tropical seas, found the lance of
+a Sword-fish buried deep in the timbers of the ship. They declared that,
+to drive a pointed bolt of iron of the same size and form to the same
+depth, would require eight or nine blows of a hammer weighing thirty
+pounds. From the position of the weapon it was evident that the Fish had
+followed the ship while under full sail; it had penetrated through the
+metal sheathing, and three inches and a half beyond, into the solid
+frame.
+
+The Sword-fish has obstinate combats with the Saw-fish, and even the
+Shark, and it is supposed that when he attacks the bottom of a vessel he
+takes that sombre mass for the body of an enemy.
+
+
+                            THE ARCHER FISH.
+
+[Illustration: ARCHER FISH.]
+
+The idea of a Shooting-fish seems quite as odd as that of a Flying-fish,
+yet the Archer-fish often uses this method of bringing down its prey.
+For this reason he is sometimes known as the Toxotes—the word meaning a
+bowman or archer. Although the Archer-fish belongs to this fourth family
+of bony Fishes—those with spiny fins—it is not only unlike any other
+species of this family, but unlike any other Fish known; in that it is
+the only one that goes out gunning for its prey. It possesses the power
+of spurting water from its mouth with such force as to bring down
+Insects from aquatic plants within its reach. As it lives almost
+entirely upon these insects, it may take rather tedious gunning at times
+to secure enough to satisfy its hunger, and it is decidedly interesting
+to watch this small archer on one of his hunting expeditions.
+
+In these four groups of cartilaginous Fish, and the four distinct
+sections of bony Fishes, with their numerous sub-divisions, may be
+classified all the different Fishes that have become known, through all
+the careful research of modern Naturalists. Not that they could all be
+described in this limited space; nor, in fact, even given separate
+mention. Very few have a clear idea of how many different kinds of
+Fishes there really are. In the long ago, when Naturalists first made a
+study of the inhabitants of the water, and began to write the results of
+their researches, it seemed surprising to them to discover nearly a
+hundred distinct species. In their different families, Pliny, the
+Naturalist, described ninety-four species of Fish. Later Linnaeus
+characterized four hundred and seventy-eight. And, marvellous as it may
+seem, the Naturalists of the present day know upwards of thirteen
+thousand, a tenth of which are fresh water Fishes. While all these
+numerous species may possess some distinct peculiarity, they are sure to
+possess other characteristics that will classify them with some of these
+families. And after becoming familiar with the characteristics of this
+limited number of groups and families we may feel acquainted, to a
+certain extent, with this whole great throng of nearly thirteen thousand
+Fishes.
+
+We often hear the fact regretted, that so many of the larger Fish live
+almost entirely by devouring smaller species. And taking into
+consideration the immense quantities consumed by mankind each year, not
+only as they are caught fresh from the water, but the hundreds and
+thousands of barrels and cans of dried and pickled Fish that are shipped
+all over the world from the great Salmon and Cod and Herring fisheries,
+it is sometimes thought that, in time, the different species of Fish
+must surely be exhausted.
+
+But when we think of this marvellous number of species, and then
+remember the quantities of a single kind sometimes found in a single
+shoal (like that of the Herrings, quoted, in which twenty-two millions
+were caught in two days), there appears to be little danger of the
+Fishes becoming scarce; for it seems almost past belief that there can
+be so many finned inhabitants of the vast waters that comprise nearly
+three-fourths of the surface of the globe.
+
+
+
+
+Transcriber's Note:
+
+
+Some punctuation has been corrected without note, however inconsistent
+spelling and hyphenation were retained.
+
+Some page numbers in the table of contents have been corrected and/or
+rearranged to match the actual page order. Many headings in the table of
+contents do not correspond directly to the headings in the text. These
+were left as printed.
+
+Missing page numbers in internal references were added.
+
+The order of illustrations was changed in order to place the
+illustrations near to the text describing them. The line 'Caracal
+Defending His Booty from' in the list of illustrations was moved to
+correspond to the correct illustration.
+
+On p. 73-74, some out of order text was rearranged.
+
+Further corrections are listed below:
+
+    Table of Contents Vanderoo -> Wanderoo
+    Table of Contents Mongousts -> Mangousts
+    List of Illustrations Mongousts -> Mangousts
+    p. 15 quator -> quatuor
+    p. 23 unpronouncable -> unpronounceable
+    p. 29 Molluses -> Molluscs
+    p. 33 Plantigrae -> Plantigrade
+    p. 43 caross -> caress
+    p. 47 form ancient times -> from ancient times
+    p. 49 but his thigh -> bit his thigh
+    p. 52 throug -> through
+    p. 60 gowl -> growl
+    p. 61 physicial -> physical
+    p. 64 Turnsplits -> Turnspits
+    p. 65 beeen -> been
+    p. 74 acquatic -> aquatic
+    p. 74 soons -> soon
+    p. 79 vegetbles -> vegetables
+    p. 81 prinicpal ->principal
+    p. 86 Fliny and other Naturalists -> Pliny and other Naturalists
+    p. 93 considerale -> considerable
+    p. 98 omniverous -> omnivorous
+    p. 101 possesssors -> possessors
+    p. 113 herbivorour -> herbivorous
+    p. 127 ruminanting -> ruminating
+    p. 136 browinsh -> brownish
+    p. 139 both sex -> both sexes
+    p. 141 sumer -> summer
+    p. 152 little us -> little use
+    p. 152 Moluscs -> Molluscs
+    p. 153 Narwhale -> Narwhal
+    p. 156 Nothwithstanding -> Notwithstanding
+    p. 1566 without and -> without a
+    p. 161 sime -> some
+    p. 174 Pyranees -> Pyrenees
+    p. 174 exhaused -> exhausted
+    p. 176 heir usefulness -> their usefulness
+    p. 192 surounded -> surrounded
+    p. 197 Woodcooks -> Woodcocks
+    p. 202 slighly -> slightly
+    p. 207 the also resemble -> they also resemble
+    p. 208 valeys -> valleys
+    p. 208 in deed -> indeed
+    p. 209 hey -> they
+    p. 215 Plantian -> Plantain
+    p. 217 resistent -> resistant
+    p. 219 atractive -> attractive
+    p. 219 neighhood -> neighborhood
+    p. 222 Prarie Chickens -> Prairie Chickens
+    p. 224 seige -> siege (two instances)
+    p. 227 midde -> middle
+    p. 229 These consists -> These consist
+    p. 243 ImmIediately -> Immediately
+    p. 246 the the elbow -> the elbow
+    p. 264 spindel-shaped -> spindle-shaped
+    p. 265 a round -> around
+    p. 266 nothern -> northern
+    p. 266 Herring fishers -> Herring fishery
+    p. 272 famlies -> families
+    p. 272 imense -> immense
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of A Natural History for Young People:
+Our Animal Friends in Their Native , by Phebe Westcott Humphreys
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+<pre>
+
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of A Natural History for Young People: Our
+Animal Friends in Their Native Homes, by Phebe Westcott Humphreys
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most
+other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
+whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of
+the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at
+www.gutenberg.org.  If you are not located in the United States, you'll have
+to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook.
+
+
+
+Title: A Natural History for Young People: Our Animal Friends in Their Native Homes
+       including mammals, birds and fishes
+
+Author: Phebe Westcott Humphreys
+
+Release Date: December 27, 2015 [EBook #50776]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: UTF-8
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A NATURAL HISTORY ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Sonya Schermann and the
+Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
+
+
+
+
+
+
+</pre>
+
+
+<div id='fr'  class='figcenter id001'>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_2'>2</span>
+<img src='images/illus002.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>BROWN OR ALPINE BEARS.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<hr class='c000' />
+
+<div class='nf-center-c0'>
+  <div class='nf-center'>
+    <div><span class='pageno' id='Page_3'>3</span><span class='xlarge'>A Natural History for Young People</span></div>
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<hr class='c001' />
+
+<div>
+  <h1 class='c002'>Our Animal Friends<br /> <br /><span class='small'>IN THEIR</span> Native Homes</h1>
+</div>
+
+<div class='nf-center-c0'>
+<div class='nf-center c003'>
+    <div>INCLUDING</div>
+    <div class='c003'><span class='xlarge'>MAMMALS, BIRDS and FISHES</span></div>
+    <div class='c003'>BY</div>
+    <div class='c003'><span class='large'><span class='sc'>Mrs. Phebe Westcott Humphreys</span></span></div>
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<hr class='c004' />
+
+<div class='nf-center-c0'>
+  <div class='nf-center'>
+    <div>Over One Hundred and Fifty Illustrations,</div>
+    <div>including Colored Plates, Half-Tones</div>
+    <div>and Wood Engravings</div>
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<hr class='c004' />
+
+<div class='nf-center-c0'>
+<div class='nf-center c005'>
+    <div><span class='pageno' id='Page_4'>4</span>Copyright 1900</div>
+    <div class='c003'>By <span class='sc'>Phebe Westcott Humphreys</span></div>
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_5'>5</span>
+  <h2 id='pr' class='c006'>PREFACE.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>This little Volume of Natural History
+has been prepared to fill a long-felt want.
+As a child the author was especially interested
+in the study of animals, but met
+with the usual drawback—nothing could
+be found in classified form to meet the requirements
+of young people, not yet old
+enough to take up a college course of
+study. Natural Histories abounded in
+every form and in every language, there
+were scientific works in plenty, and numerous
+books for children, from the fairy
+tales founded on animal life to the usual
+descriptive matter accompanying profuse
+illustrations in childish books; but nothing
+could be found in which the Mammals,
+Birds and Fishes, were carefully
+classified and arranged in the proper
+families, and the whole in words of
+easy reading—discarding unnecessary
+scientific words and phrases, and carefully
+explaining the necessary ones. It
+was not until later in school life, when
+a certain knowledge of Greek and Latin
+became necessary in the college-preparatory
+course that these scientific
+works could be really enjoyed. And
+the author of this little volume—who was
+then preparing her first literary efforts in
+the intervals of school work—resolved
+that one of her earliest books should be
+a carefully arranged Natural History for
+Young People, in which all the desires of
+her own childhood should be realized.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The immensity of the labor involved in
+preparing such a work did not become
+apparent until once seriously commenced,
+and French, German, Greek
+and Latin dictionaries were called into
+requisition in order that every scientific
+word and classification might be carefully
+explained. The best authorities
+among ancient and modern naturalists
+have been consulted; Goldsmith, Jones,
+Figuier and Brehm have been quoted,
+and other English, French and German
+works, studied and compared. And although
+this has been delayed, because of
+the tedious work required, and other
+books for young people, by the same author
+have been allowed to precede it, this
+is finished in time to meet the demands of
+the small son of her household, who has
+reached the age so aptly described by the
+well-worn phrase, “An animated interrogation
+point”—especially in the direction
+of Natural History. And filling as
+it does, the demands of one, may it meet
+the desires of the many mothers of inquiring
+sons and daughters, and the
+young people who are eager for such a
+work, that is accurate, readable and interesting,
+and fully up to the present condition
+of modern science.</p>
+<div id='i006'  class='figcenter id002'>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_6'>6</span>
+<img src='images/illus008.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>A FAMILY OF TIGERS.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_7'>7</span>
+  <h2 class='c006'>CONTENTS.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<table class='table0' summary=''>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#pr'>PREFACE</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_5'>5</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h013'>OUR ANIMAL FRIENDS</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_13'>13</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr><td class='c011' colspan='2'><a href='#h017'>QUADRUMANA—FOUR-HANDED MAMMALS.</a></td></tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h017b'>THE TAILLESS APES</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_17'>17</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>Gorilla, Orang Outang, Chimpanzee.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h023'>THE APE MONKEYS</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_23'>23</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>Baboons, Mandrills, Macaques, <a id='wand'></a>Wanderoo, Barbary Ape, Bonnet Monkey.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h027'>THE AMERICAN MONKEYS</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_27'>27</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>The Howlers, The Spider Monkeys, The Weepers.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h031'>THE LEMURS</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_31'>31</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>The Fox-Headed Monkeys.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr><td class='c011' colspan='2'><a href='#h033'>CARNIVORA—FLESH-EATING QUADRUPEDS.</a></td></tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h033b'>PLANTIGRADE CARNIVORA—THE BEAR FAMILY.</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_33'>33</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>The Brown or Alpine Bear, The Collared Bear, The American Bear, The Grizzly Bear, The White or Polar Bear, The Sloth Bear.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h042'>DIGITIGRADE CARNIVORA—THE HYENA FAMILY.</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_42'>42</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>Spotted Hyena, Striped Hyena, Hunting Hyena.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h044'>THE CAT FAMILY</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_44'>44</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>Wild Cat, Domestic Cats, Lion, Tiger, Leopard, Panther, Jaguar, Puma, Ocelot, Lynx, Caracal, Ounce, Serval, Cheetah.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h063'>THE DOG FAMILY</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_63'>63</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>Sporting Dogs, Running Dogs, Pointers, Setters, Newfoundland Dog, Esquimau Dog, Mastiffs, Spaniels, Wild Dogs, Hyena Dog, Wolf, Jackal, Fox.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h075'>THE WEASEL FAMILY</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_75'>75</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>Ermine, Marten, Otter.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h080'>THE CIVET FAMILY</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_80'>80</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>African Civet, Indian Civet, <a id='man1'></a>Mangousts, Genet.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h081'>AMPHIBIOUS CARNIVORA—THE SEAL FAMILY.</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_81'>81</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>Common Seal, Sea-Elephants, Sea-Lions, The Walrus, or Morse.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h086'>CHEIROPTERA—ANIMALS WITH WINGED HANDS.</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_86'>86</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>Long-Eared Bats, Long-Nosed Bats, Roussette, Vampires.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h091'>INSECTIVORA—INSECT-EATERS.</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_91'>91</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>The Shrews, Water Shrew, Elephant Shrew, The Hedgehogs.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr><td class='c011' colspan='2'><a href='#h094'>EDENTATA—TOOTHLESS QUADRUPEDS.</a></td></tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h094b'>THE SLOTH FAMILY</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_94'>94</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>Unau, Ai, Armadillos, Ant-Eaters, Pangolins.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h099'>RODENTIA—GNAWING QUADRUPEDS</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_99'>99</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>Mice, Rats, Porcupines, Beavers, Squirrels, Prairie Dogs, Hares.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h111'>MARSUPIALIA—POUCHED QUADRUPEDS.</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_111'>111</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'>Kangaroo, Opossum.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr><td class='c011' colspan='2'><a href='#h114'>PACHYDERMATA—THICK-SKINNED QUADRUPEDS.</a></td></tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h114b'>THE ELEPHANT FAMILY</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_114'>114</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>African Elephant, Asiatic Elephant, Mammoth, Mastodon.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr><td class='c011' colspan='2'><a href='#h114c'>ORDINARY PACHYDERMATA.</a></td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>The Hippopotamus.</td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_114'>114</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h117'>THE TAPIR FAMILY</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_117'>117</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>American Tapir, Indian Tapir.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h118'>THE RHINOCEROS FAMILY</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_118'>118</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>One-Horned Rhinoceros, Two-Horned Rhinoceros.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h120'>THE HOG FAMILY</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_120'>120</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>The Wild Boars, The Wart Hog, The Peccaries.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h123'>THE HORSE FAMILY</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_123'>123</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'>Horses and Ponies, The Wild Ass, The Domestic Donkey, The Zebra, The Quagga, The Dauw.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr><td class='c011' colspan='2'><a href='#h129'>RUMINANTIA—ANIMALS THAT CHEW THE CUD.</a></td></tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h129b'>THE CAMEL FAMILY</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_129'>129</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>Camel, Dromedary, Llama, Paca, Vicuna.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h133'>THE MUSK DEER</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_133'>133</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr><td class='c011' colspan='2'><span class='pageno' id='Page_8'>8</span><a href='#h134'>RUMINANTS WITH HAIRY HORNS.</a></td></tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h134b'>The Giraffe.</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_134'>134</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr><td class='c011' colspan='2'><a href='#h134c'>RUMINANTS WITH HOLLOW HORNS.</a></td></tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h134c'>THE ANTELOPE FAMILY</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_134'>134</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>Chamois, Gazelles, Gnus.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h141'>THE OX FAMILY</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_141'>141</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'>Yak, Bison, Buffalo.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h145'>RUMINANTS THAT SHED THEIR HORNS.</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_145'>145</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>The Deer Proper, The Reindeer, The Elk or Moose.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr><td class='c011' colspan='2'><a href='#h152'>CETACEA—THE WHALE FAMILY.</a></td></tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h152'>BLOWING OR SPOUTING WHALES.</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_152'>152</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>Rorquals, Cachalot, Pot Whale, Dolphin, Porpoise, Narwhal.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h159'>HERBIVOROUS CETACEA</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_159'>159</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>Manatee, Duyong.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr><td class='c011' colspan='2'><a href='#h166'>BIRDS.</a></td></tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h166b'>BIRDS OF PREY</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_166'>166</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h167'>THE OWL FAMILY</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_167'>167</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>The Horned Owls, Great Owl, Virginia Eared Owl, Long-Eared Owl, Short-Eared Owl, Scops-Eared Owl.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h169'>HORNLESS OWLS</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_169'>169</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>Snow Owls, Barn or Screech Owls, Hawk or Canada Owls, Brown or Tawny Owls, Ural, Burrowing and Sparrow Owls.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h169b'>THE FALCON FAMILY</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_169'>169</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>Sea-Eagles, Eagles, Stone Eagles, Harpy Eagles, Buzzards.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h173'>THE VULTURE FAMILY</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_173'>173</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>King Vulture, Bearded Griffon, Condor.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr><td class='c011' colspan='2'><a href='#h176'>THE NATATORES—SWIMMING BIRDS.</a></td></tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h176b'>THE FAMILY OF DIVERS</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_176'>176</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>Great Northern Diver, Penguin, Auk, Grebes.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h182'>DUCKS, GEESE AND SWANS</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_182'>182</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>Wild and Domestic Ducks, Sea Ducks, Fresh-water Ducks, Wild and Domestic Geese, Mute and Whistling Swans, Black Swan of Australia, Black-necked Swan.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h183'>THE PELICAN FAMILY</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_183'>183</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h190'>LONG-WINGED SWIMMING BIRDS.</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_190'>190</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>Albatros, Petrels, Gulls.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr><td class='c011' colspan='2'><a href='#h195'>GRALLATORES—WADING BIRDS.</a></td></tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h195b'>WADERS WITH UNITED TOES</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_195'>195</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>Avocet, Stilt Bird.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h197'>WADING-BIRDS WITH LONG BILLS</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_197'>197</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>Woodcocks, Snipes, Reed Hens.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h199'>WADING-BIRDS WITH KNIFE-SHAPED BILLS</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_199'>199</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>Storks, Argala or Adjutant, Marabou, Spoonbill, Cranes.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h203'>WADING-BIRDS WITH COMPRESSED BILLS</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_203'>203</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>Curious Types, Flamingo, Frigate.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h206'>THE SHORT-WINGED BIRDS</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_206'>206</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>Ostrich, Rhea.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr><td class='c011' colspan='2'><a href='#h209'>SCRANSORES—CLIMBING BIRDS.</a></td></tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h209b'>THE PARROT FAMILY </a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_209'>209</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>Grey Parrot or Jaco, Green Parrot, Macaw, Parrakeets, Amazonian Parrot.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h214'>THE COCKATOO FAMILY</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_214'>214</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>Trumpet Cockatoo, Great White Cockatoo, Leadbeater’s Cockatoo, Toucans.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h214b'>THE CUCKOO FAMILY</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_214'>214</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>Trogons, Honey-Guides, Anis, Barbets, Touracos, Plantain-Eaters.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h217'>THE WOODPECKER FAMILY</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_217'>217</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>Ivory-Billed Woodpeckers, Spotted Woodpeckers, Downy Woodpeckers.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr><td class='c011' colspan='2'><a href='#h220'>GALLINACEAE—DOMESTIC BIRDS.</a></td></tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h220b'>THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_220'>220</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>Grey Partridge, California Partridge.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h222'>THE GROUSE FAMILY</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_222'>222</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>Black Grouse, Ruffled Grouse, Hazel Grouse, Heathcock.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h224'>THE PIGEON FAMILY</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_224'>224</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>Crowned Pigeon, Fan-Tailed Pigeon, Wheeling Pigeon, Tumbler Pigeon, Carrier Pigeon.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h225'>THE PHEASANT FAMILY</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_225'>225</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>Silver Pheasant, Golden Pheasant.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr><td class='c011' colspan='2'><a href='#h229'>PASSERINES—THE SPARROW FAMILY.</a></td></tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h229b'>HUMMING BIRDS</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_229'>229</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>Sword-bill Humming Bird, Crested Humming Bird.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h229c'>KING FISHERS</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_229'>229</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h233'>CROWS</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_233'>233</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h233'>RAVENS</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_233'>233</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h235'>DIPPERS OR WATER WRENS</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_235'>235</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr><td class='c011' colspan='2'><span class='pageno' id='Page_9'>9</span><a href='#h239'>FISHES.</a></td></tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr><td class='c011' colspan='2'><a href='#h239b'>CARTILAGINOUS FISHES.</a></td></tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h239c'>THE LAMPREYS AND EELS</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_239'>239</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>Lesser Lamprey, Sea Lamprey, Sand Eels, Electrical Eels, Sea Eel.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h243'>THE FAMILY OF RAIAS OR FLAT-FISH</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_243'>243</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>The White Ray, The Lump-Fish, The Torpedo or Cramp-Fish.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h249'>THE SHARK FAMILY</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_249'>249</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>“Man-Eating Sharks,” Dog-Fish, Hammer Heads, Saw-Fish.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h252'>THE STURGEON FAMILY</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_252'>252</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>The Caviare Sturgeon, Huso, or Isinglass Fish, Great Sturgeon, Common Sturgeon, Chimaera.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h255'>OSSEOUS, OR BONY FISHES</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_255'>255</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h257'>FAMILY OF GLOBE FISH AND COFFERS</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_257'>257</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>Globe-Fish, Diodon, Coffers or Ostracions, File-Fish or Balistes.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h258'>PIPE-FISH AND SEA-HORSES</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_258'>258</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h259'>THE SOFT-FINNED FISHES</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_259'>259</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>Some Curious Specimens, Sea-Snail, Lump-Fish, Echineis.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h260'>FLAT-FISH WITH SOFT FINS</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_260'>260</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>The Soles, Turbot, Flounders and Plaice, Halibut and Dab.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h261'>THIRD GROUP OF SOFT-FINNED FISHES</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_261'>261</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>Cod, Whiting and Haddock, Pike, Stomias, Chaetodons, Flying-Fish, Herring.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#h267'>THE SPINY-FINNED FISHES</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_267'>267</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c012'>Trigula or Gurnards, Red Gurnards, Flying Gurnards, Sword-Fish, Archer-Fish.</td>
+    <td class='c010'></td>
+  </tr>
+</table>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_10'>10</span>
+  <h2 class='c006'>LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<table class='table1' summary=''>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#fr'>Brown Bear</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#fr'>Colored Plate Frontispiece</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i006'>A Family of Tigers</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i006'>6</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i012'>A Battle between the Lion and Tiger</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i012'>12</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i016'>Flying Squirrels</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i016'>16</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i017'>Gorillas</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i017'>17</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i020'>Orang-Outang</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i020'>20</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i022'>Chimpanzee</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i022'>22</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i024'>Baboons or Dog Headed Monkeys</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i024'>24</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i026'>Mandrill</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i026'>26</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i028'>Bonnet Monkeys</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i028'>28</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i030'>Weeping Monkeys</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i030'>30</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i031'>Lemur or Fox Headed Monkeys</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i031'>31</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i032'>Sloth Bear</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i032'>32</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i035'>Grizzly Bear and Buffalos</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i035'>35</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i036'>Panther Surprised by a Tree Snake</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i036'>36</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i039'>Polar Bear</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i039'>39</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i042'>Striped Hyena</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i042'>42</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i045'>Wild Cats</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i045'>45</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i046'>Angora Cat</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i046'>46</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i053'>Pumas Fighting over Vultures</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i053'>53</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i054'>Caracal Defending His Booty from Jackals</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i054'>54</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i057'>Jaguar</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i057'>57</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i059'>Lynx Attacking Fawn</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i059'>59</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i062'>Esquimaux Dogs</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i062'>62</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i063'>Newfoundland Dog</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i063'>63</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i066'>Hyena Dogs</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i066'>66</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i067'>Wolf</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i067'>67</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i070'>Jackal</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i070'>70</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i072'>Foxes at Home</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i072'>72</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i075'>Weasels and Ermines</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i075'>75</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i076'>Marten</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i076'>76</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i078'>Otter Fishing for His Dinner</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i078'>78</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a id='man2'></a><a href='#i079'>Mangousts</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i079'>79</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i080'>Genets</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i080'>80</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i082'>Common Seal</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i082'>82</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i083'>Sea Elephants</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i083'>83</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i084'>Walrus</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i084'>84</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i085'>Long-nosed Bats</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i085'>85</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i087'>Sea Lions in Battle</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i087'>87</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i088'>Whale Attacking Bloodheads</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i088'>88</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i089'>Long-eared Bats</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i089'>89</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i092'>The Elephant Shrew</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i092'>92</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i093'>Hedgehogs</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i093'>93</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i095'>Sloths</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i095'>95</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i096'>Armadillos</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i096'>96</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i097'>Ant-Eater or Ant Bear</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i097'>97</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i100'>Beavers</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i100'>100</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i103'>Porcupines</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i103'>103</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i105'>Goat Defending His Family from a Lynx</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i105'>105</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i106'>Bisons in Battle</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i106'>106</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i107'>Village of Prairie Dogs</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i107'>107</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i108'>Rabbits</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i108'>108</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i112'>Giant Kangaroos</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i112'>112</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i115'>Elephant in the Jungle</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i115'>115</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i116'>Hippopotamus</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i116'>116</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i118'>Indian Tapir</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i118'>118</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i119'>One-horned Rhinoceros</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i119'>119</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i121'>Wild Boars</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i121'>121</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i122'>Wart Hogs</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i122'>122</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i124'>Shetland Ponies</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i124'>124</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i125'>Domestic Donkey</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i125'>125</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i126'>Zebras</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i126'>126</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i128'>Dromedary</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i128'>128</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i130'>Camel</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i130'>130</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i131'>Llama</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i131'>131</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i132'>Paca</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i132'>132</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i135'>Giraffe</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i135'>135</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i136'>Gnu</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i136'>136</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i137'>Gazelles</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i137'>137</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i140'>Mountain Sheep</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i140'>140</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i142'>American Buffalo</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i142'>142</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i144'>Yak</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i144'>144</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i146'>American Deer</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i146'>146</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i148'>Reindeer</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i148'>148</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i149'>Elk or Moose</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i149'>149</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><span class='pageno' id='Page_11'>11</span><a href='#i155'>Pot Whale</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i155'>155</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i157'>Dolphin</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i157'>157</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i158'>Narwhal</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i158'>158</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i160'>Manatee</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i160'>160</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i164'>Eagle, Colored Plate</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i164'>164</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i165'>Tailor Bird</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i165'>165</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i167'>Owls</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i167'>167</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i170'>Harpy or Crested Eagle</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i170'>170</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i172'>Buzzards</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i172'>172</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i177'>Eagle Picking up an Ice Fox</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i177'>177</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i178'>Falcons Fighting</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i178'>178</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i179'>Penguin</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i179'>179</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i184'>Black Necked Swans</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i184'>184</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i186'>Pelicans</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i186'>186</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i187'>Vulture and Griffin Fighting over Prey</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i187'>187</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i188'>Condor Capturing Llama</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i188'>188</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i191'>Albatros</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i191'>191</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i192'>King Fishers</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i192'>192</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i193'>Reed Hen</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i193'>193</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i194'>Ostrich on Her Nest</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i194'>194</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i198'>Woodcock</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i198'>198</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i200'>Broad-billed Stork of Africa</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i200'>200</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i201'>Jabiru</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i201'>201</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i203'>Spoonbill</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i203'>203</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i210'>Amazonian Parrot</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i210'>210</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i211'>Ivory Billed Woodpeckers</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i211'>211</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i212'>Heathcocks Fighting</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i212'>212</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i213'>Cockatoos</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i213'>213</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i216'>Toucan</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i216'>216</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i218'>Spotted and Downy Woodpeckers</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i218'>218</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i221'>Common Gray Partridge</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i221'>221</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i223'>Crowned Pigeon</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i223'>223</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i225'>Golden Pheasants</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i225'>225</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i230'>Sword Bill Humming Bird</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i230'>230</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i231'>Crested Humming Birds</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i231'>231</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i232'>Crows and Ravens</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i232'>232</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i234'>Dippers or Water Wrens</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i234'>234</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i238'>Flying Fish. Colored Plate</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i238'>238</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i242'>Sea Eel</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i242'>242</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i244'>White Ray</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i244'>244</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i245'>Lump Fish</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i245'>245</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i247'>Herring Attacked by Whales</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i247'>247</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i248'>Diver Battling with a Shark</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i248'>248</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i251'>Dog Fish</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i251'>251</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i253'>Sturgeon</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i253'>253</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i255'>Chimaera</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i255'>255</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i256'>Coffer or Ostracion</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i256'>256</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i258'>Diodon</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i258'>258</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i259'>Pipe Fish</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i259'>259</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i262'>Chaetodon</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i262'>262</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i267'>Red Gurnard</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i267'>267</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i268'>Flying Gurnard</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i268'>268</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i269'>Sword Fish Spearing His Prey</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i269'>269</a></td>
+  </tr>
+  <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+  <tr>
+    <td class='c009'><a href='#i271'>Archer Fish</a></td>
+    <td class='c010'><a href='#i271'>271</a></td>
+  </tr>
+</table>
+<div id='i012'  class='figcenter id003'>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_12'>12</span>
+<img src='images/illus021.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>A BATTLE BETWEEN THE LION AND TIGER.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_13'>13</span>
+  <h2 id='h013' class='c006'>Our Animal Friends.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='drop-capa0_2_0_6 c013'>OUR animal friends are usually supposed
+to be included in the home
+pets, and the domestic animals
+which are useful to us in so many ways;
+but when we learn how closely some of
+the wildest and fiercest of animals are of
+the greatest benefit to mankind, how
+they resemble us in the formation of their
+bodies, and in the care and love for their
+little ones, how the many different kinds
+of animals scattered all over the world
+are related to each other, and how they
+are divided into families, we will have a
+more friendly feeling toward all the wonderful
+creatures which are often looked
+upon as the enemies of mankind, and a
+greater interest in their habits and lives in
+their native homes.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>In this little volume of Natural History
+we will not only study our animal friends
+as individuals, but will learn of their relationship
+to each other, carefully arranged
+and classified, but much more
+easily understood, than the classification
+found in the numerous great volumes of
+encyclopedia of Natural History.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>We are always interested in the relatives
+of our human friends; even their distant
+relations living in far off countries
+soon have a special interest for us when
+they are closely connected to our friends,
+and we are constantly learning of their
+manner of living and their doings in distant
+lands. In the same manner we find
+new interest in the fierce wild animals of
+other countries when we learn how they
+are related to our domestic animals and
+home pets.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>We find that not only the Wild Cats,
+but the fierce Lions, Tigers, Panthers,
+Leopards, Lynxes, Pumas, Jaguars, and
+many smaller animals, belong to the same
+family as our pet Cats. The Wolf, Jackal,
+Hyena, and many different kinds of
+Foxes are all closely related to our good
+friends, the Dogs. The Sheep and Cows
+have some very fierce relations in distant
+countries, as the Gnu and Yak and Bison,
+and also some very accommodating and
+useful relations, like the Camel, Dromedary,
+Llama and Paca, who are as helpful
+to their masters and owners as the domestic
+animals of this country. We would
+not suppose at first thought that our
+Horses belong to the same family as the
+Rhinoceros, Hippopotamus, Elephant,
+and the Tapir and many smaller animals
+which are classified with them, besides
+the different kinds of Ponies, Donkeys,
+and the Dauw and Quagga and Zebra.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>It is this classification into families, by
+the use of Latin words, that makes the
+study of Natural History so difficult to
+many who are interested in our animal
+friends, but do not know just how to find
+out about them without first wading
+through quantities of long, hard names,
+that seem to have very little use, except to
+puzzle the reader. As one of these interested
+readers recently remarked while
+delving away at an encyclopedia to learn
+something of an animal in which he was
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_14'>14</span>especially interested: “I believe the
+writer of that article just used all those
+big words to show off, and try to make
+people believe he knows more than any
+one else.”</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>This does seem to be the case at times,
+but many of these hard Latin words are
+often really necessary to make us acquainted
+with particular kinds of animals
+and their families; and we will use only
+the absolutely necessary ones in this
+book, and master them together, with the
+different scientific terms explained and
+made easy to understand, even in the index.
+Then after mastering these general
+terms for dividing animals into families,
+the study of scientific works on Natural
+History will not be so difficult; for
+the animals are as carefully classified
+here, from the works of famous Naturalists,
+as in those larger volumes, although
+the Latin names are used only when it is
+necessary to distinguish different animals
+that are very much alike, or to divide
+them into families.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>There is a very good reason for the
+hard words and sometimes whole sentences
+of <a id='pro'></a>unpronounceable Greek and
+Latin, often used to describe a single little
+animal—the Greek and Latin language
+is studied and understood by
+scholars of every other language. If the
+great Naturalist, Linnaeus, had written
+in Swedish or German, only a Swede or a
+German could have understood his meaning.
+To talk to a Spaniard or a Frenchman
+about a “River Horse,” giving its
+English name, would not give him any
+idea of the animal described, but call it a
+Hippopotamus (which is derived from
+two Greek words meaning horse and
+river,) and he would at once understand
+the nature of the animal.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>It is the same with the classification of
+the different animals. The English and
+French and German Naturalists differ in
+their manner of arranging into families—according
+to the formation of the bodies
+of various animals, their manner of moving,
+what they eat, the number of their
+teeth, the shape of their feet, etc., but it
+was from the Latin and Greek terms that
+the names of these divisions were taken
+for all the different languages in which
+works of Natural History have been written.
+Take the first great division—the
+Mammalia—and it is found that the term
+is used by Naturalists in all languages,
+and that it comes from the Latin word
+mamma, meaning “the breast.” And we
+find that all animals grouped under this
+great class are fed on their mother’s milk
+while they are too small to eat the vegetable
+and animal food on which the father
+and mother live. This is very different
+from the birds who carry the same food
+that the father and mother eat (the
+worms and insects) and place it in the
+mouth of the baby bird; and the fowls
+who teach their little ones to scratch
+and pick up their food from the ground.
+And while the little ones of the birds and
+fishes and the smaller orders of creation
+develop rapidly and are soon able to take
+care of themselves, the babies of some of
+the larger animals are almost as helpless
+as human babies, and feed on their mother’s
+milk for many months before their
+teeth are well formed and they are strong
+enough for other food. We often see
+pictures of Lions and other fierce beasts
+tearing dead animals to pieces to feed
+their little ones, but this is only after their
+teeth begin to grow, and like the babies
+of the human family they are old enough
+to feed at the same table and eat the same
+kind of food as older members of the
+family.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'><span class='pageno' id='Page_15'>15</span>Many do not realize what a great number
+of our animal friends belong to this
+great family of Mammals or Mammalia,
+from the Moles and the Bats to the huge
+Mastodons of past ages. Even some of
+the large water animals are included in it,
+like the Seals, the Whales and their numerous
+relatives—the Dolphins, Porpoises,
+Narwhals, etc. The latter are usually
+called fishes by those who do not understand
+this division into orders and families;
+they are not fishes, however, but belong
+to the Water Mammalia. And in
+dividing this book into Animals, Birds
+and Fishes, all these members of the
+Whale family will be found where they
+belong with the great family of Mammalia.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Then after classifying all Mammals
+both of land and water under the one
+great family, or order, the Latin terms
+help to sub-divide them into smaller families,
+more closely related, in such a manner
+that all the readers of different languages
+may understand the meaning of
+the words because of their Greek or Latin
+origin. Thus we know that a quadruped
+is a four footed animal because the term
+comes from the Latin words <a id='quat'></a>quatuor, four,
+and pes, pedis, a foot. And the term
+quadrumane comes from quatuor, four,
+and manus, a hand, which makes it easy
+to understand that all the animals classified
+under “Quadrumana” belong to the
+monkey family, who have four hands instead
+of four feet, with regular thumbs
+and fingers on the hind hands (which are
+usually known as feet) as well as on the
+front ones. Thus the word Quadrumana
+distinguishes this whole four-handed
+family from the Bimanes, or two-handed
+family, to which mankind belongs
+(making an order by itself) and the
+Quadrupeds, or the great four-footed
+family.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>In the same manner the family to
+which the Horses belong are not only
+quadrupeds, but they have very thick
+skin. They are, therefore, classified under
+the term Pachydermata, made up of
+two Greek words meaning thick and skin.
+We often find many of the Mammalia arranged
+in orders, or large groups, before
+being divided and sub-divided into families
+and smaller groups. Thus the Dog
+family and the Cat family are both included
+under the order of Carnivora, or
+carnivorous quadrupeds, which is derived
+from the two Latin words caro, carnis,
+flesh, and vorare, to devour; and we know
+that the animals found under this order
+prefer a diet of flesh food, and devour
+other animals in their wild state.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Thus we might continue with explanations
+of terms, but it requires only a few
+such words and their derivations to make
+us understand how easy it is, after all, to
+keep in mind the main families and orders
+and groups under which all the different
+animals are classified. And we will soon
+become so well acquainted with our numerous
+animal friends in their native
+homes, and grouped in their proper families,
+that we can easily recognize many
+of the animals that must be crowded out
+of a book of this size. Because we know
+the meaning of the term used to describe
+a particular animal, we can place him in
+the family to which he belongs, and then
+understand something of his life and habits
+by comparing them with those of his
+well-known relatives.</p>
+
+<div id='i016'  class='figcenter id004'>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_16'>16</span>
+<img src='images/illus029.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>FLYING SQUIRRELS.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_17'>17</span>
+  <h2 id='h017' class='c006'>Quadrumana—The Four-Handed Mammals.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='drop-capa0_2_0_6 c013'>WE will begin with the Monkey
+family in learning about our
+animal friends, because they
+resemble mankind more closely than any
+other animal. Although Darwin and
+other Naturalists have spent years of
+their lives in tracing the resemblances between
+the Human and the Monkey family
+we had much rather trace the points of
+difference, for it is not pleasant to claim a
+very close relationship to some of the hideous
+monsters who make their homes in
+the dense forests or distant countries.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Although the formation of the body,
+especially the skull, and the features, are
+more like ours, than are those of other
+animals, the first great point of difference
+is their four hands, those of the legs being
+formed the same as those of the arm, with
+thumbs and long flexible fingers, which
+enables them to climb trees quickly and
+swing from branch to branch with fearless
+activity, because they can grasp the
+limbs of the trees with any one of their
+four hands. Some of them also use their
+tails to assist them in climbing, and the
+Monkeys are sometimes classified under
+the “prehensile tailed” and the “non-prehensile”
+tailed according to whether
+the tails are formed for seizing or grasping
+the limbs of the trees. And there is
+still another family of tailless Monkeys.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>But while many of the different Monkeys
+are very active in trees, in which
+they spend the greater part of their time,
+when in their native homes, this formation
+of hands instead of feet on their legs,
+makes them very awkward when standing
+erect or walking. Even in the most
+man-like Apes, these hands that serve as
+feet, are not placed at right angles to the
+legs, so as to come flat upon the ground
+like ours; but when the legs are extended,
+the soles nearly face each other, so that,
+when erect, the whole weight of the body
+rests upon the outer edge of the sole of
+this strange foot, or as it should be more
+properly called, the palm of the hand.
+In addition to this peculiarity, the legs
+are bent inwards to enable them firmly to
+grasp the boughs of the trees, and this
+makes them very awkward when trying
+to walk upright on the ground.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Their arms are also very much longer
+than ours, in proportion to the rest of the
+body, and in some families the fingers will
+almost touch the ground when the large
+animal is standing erect.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>While the majority of the Monkey
+family have their faces covered with hair
+like the rest of the body, others have what
+are known as “naked faces,” with only a
+beard, or a fringe of whiskers about the
+chin and throat, and some of these are
+comically like a human face.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The great family of Quadrumana is
+divided in various ways by different Naturalists;
+but the easiest classification to
+keep in mind is the grouping of five distinct
+Orders, each made up of small families.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The first order—The Tailless Apes—includes
+the Gorilla, the Orang-Outang,
+and the Chimpanzee, and is called by
+some, Troglodytidae, from the Greek
+word troglodytes, meaning one who hides
+in caverns. Although this is a peculiarity
+of these Apes, this does not seem so
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_19'>19</span>good a classification as that given by another
+Naturalist who calls these the Anthropomorphous
+Monkeys because they
+so closely resemble the human species;
+the word Anthropomorphous comes
+from two Greek words meaning man and
+form, and signifies that which has the
+form of man.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The second order is the Simiadae—The
+Ape Monkeys—and the term comes
+from the Greek word simos, meaning
+flat-nosed; these have oblong heads and
+flat nostrils, and the same number of
+teeth as man, and many of them have
+cheek pouches in which they stow away
+food for future use. A few of the Simiadae
+are without tails, others have tails
+(of different lengths in the different families),
+but none of them have prehensile
+tails, that can be used to help them in
+climbing. All the different families belonging
+to this order are natives of the
+Old World, and the most of them are
+found in the forests and the mountainous
+districts of Western Africa.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The third order—Cebidae—includes
+the American Monkeys; and they are distinguished
+from the Monkeys of the Old
+World by having four more grinding
+teeth, making thirty-six in all instead of
+thirty-two. These American Monkeys
+have long tails and no cheek-pouches.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The fourth order—Lemuridae—includes
+the different Lemurs, and the
+word comes from Latin lemur, a sprite, a
+night-walker, so called from their habits
+of roaming about at night.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Some naturalists include in this order
+the Flying Cat, or Flying Lemur. Others
+make a distinct fifth order of this species.
+Although they resemble both a
+weasel and an ape, they have one peculiar
+formation that does not belong to either
+of these; the long slender limbs are connected
+by a broad, hairy membrane,
+which looks like a cloak when folded up,
+but which expands and gives the appearance
+of wings when the animal is springing
+from tree to tree.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Although each one of these orders
+contain many small families, until the different
+Monkeys seem numberless, yet
+they can all be classified in some one of
+these groups, and it is not so hard to remember
+the long names when we understand
+the meaning of the words from
+which they are derived.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h017b' class='c014'>THE GORILLA—THE STRONGEST APE.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<div id='i017'  class='figcenter id005'>
+<img src='images/illus033.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>GORILLAS.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>The Gorillas live in the hottest parts of
+Western Africa, and as their home is so
+near the Equator they search out the
+loneliest and shadiest parts of the dense
+African forests, and whenever it is possible
+they keep near a running stream. It
+is called a nomadic animal because it seldom
+remains in one place many days together.
+The reason for this wandering
+life, is the difficulty it finds in procuring
+its favorite food, which is fruit, seeds,
+nuts, and banana leaves, the young
+shoots of this plant, and the juice, of
+which it sucks, and other vegetable substances.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Although the Gorilla likes to dwell
+among the trees, it does not find this necessary
+for its happiness, nor does it remain
+long on the trees like some other
+Monkeys who sit and sleep on the
+branches. In fact it is always found on
+the ground except when it climbs a tree
+to gather fruit or nuts, and it descends as
+soon as it has satisfied its hunger. These
+enormous animals would be incapable of
+jumping from branch to branch like the
+small Monkeys.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'><span class='pageno' id='Page_20'>20</span>The young Gorillas occasionally sleep
+on trees for safety, but the adults rest
+seated on the ground, their backs against
+a log or tree, thus causing the hair on this
+part to be worn off.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Gorilla belongs to the family of
+“Tailless Apes” and although it is not so
+large as the Orang-Outang—measuring
+about five feet in height—it is very
+strong. It is called the king of the forests
+which it inhabits because of this
+strength, which is said to be equal to that
+of the Lion. The Negroes of Africa never
+attack it except with firearms, and they
+are very proud when they can kill one,
+because this is very difficult.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The old Gorillas are not fond of company,
+and usually go about alone or in
+couples. The young Gorillas sometimes
+go about in groups of six or eight but
+never in great numbers. Their sense of
+hearing is very delicate, and on the approach
+of the hunter they hurry away
+with loud cries, so that it is difficult to
+get within gun-shot of them.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE ORANG-OUTANG—THE WILD MAN OF THE WOODS.</h3>
+
+<div id='i020'  class='figcenter id006'>
+<img src='images/illus038.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>ORANG-OUTANG.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>This large and hideous species of the
+Monkey family is sometimes called the
+“Wild Man of the Woods.” These animals
+are somewhat rare, and limited to a
+small region. They live in the thick forests
+covering the low damp lands in the
+islands of Borneo and Sumatra. Very
+little is known of their habits in a wild
+state, as it is only by accident that they
+come out in open places, or where the
+country is inhabited.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>When full grown the Orang measures
+from six to seven feet in height. His
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_21'>21</span>head is covered with a sort of mane of
+smooth hair of greyish black color, and
+his face is naked, with the exception of a
+tufted moustache on the upper lip, and a
+long thick beard. The nose is flat and
+the muzzle very prominent and it is not
+surprising that some of the inhabitants of
+these countries have many strange and
+superstitious beliefs concerning this hideous
+“Wild Man of the Woods.”</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Although so little is known of these
+strange animals in their wild state, the
+habits of tame ones have been closely
+studied, as it is not difficult to capture
+them when very young, and they make
+very interesting pets while small. One
+of the most intelligent of these animals
+that has yet been known, was brought
+from Java by Dr. Abel Clark, and many
+interesting stories have been told about
+it.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>At Java, this Monkey lived under a
+tamarind tree, near the Doctor’s dwelling.
+There it had made a bed, composed
+of small interlaced branches covered with
+leaves; on this it passed the greater portion
+of the time, looking out for the people
+who carried fruit, and, when they approached,
+descending to obtain a share.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>When taken on board the vessel, it was
+secured by an iron chain to a ring-bolt;
+but it unfastened itself and ran away,
+when, finding the chain trailing behind,
+an encumbrance, it threw it over its
+shoulder. As it released itself in this
+manner several times, it was decided to
+allow it to go at large. It became very
+familiar with the sailors; it played with
+them, and knew how to escape when pursued,
+for it darted into inaccessible parts
+of the rigging.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>“At first,” writes Doctor Abel Clark,
+“it usually slept on one of the upper
+yards, after enveloping itself in a sail.
+In making its bed it took the greatest
+care to remove everything that might disturb
+the smooth surface of the place on
+which it intended to lie. After satisfying
+its tastes in this part of its domestic arrangements,
+it lay down on its back,
+bringing the sail over the surface of its
+body. Frequently to torment it, I have
+beforehand taken possession of its bed.
+In such a case it would endeavor to pull
+the sail from beneath me, or try to expel
+me from its resting-place, and would not
+rest until it had succeeded. If the bed
+proved to be large enough for two, it
+slept quietly beside me. When all the
+sails were unfurled, it searched for some
+other couch, often stealing the sailors’
+jackets which were hung out to dry, or
+robbing some hammock of bed-clothes.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>“It willingly ate all kinds of meat, especially
+raw flesh. It was very fond of
+bread, but always preferred fruit when
+procurable. Its ordinary beverage at
+Java was water, but on board its drink
+was as varied as its food. Above everything
+it liked coffee and tea, but it also
+willingly took wine.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>“One of the sailors was its special
+friend, and this man shared his meals with
+it. I must say, however, that the Orang-Outang
+sometimes stole from its benefactor.
+He taught it to eat with a spoon;
+and it might have been seen more than
+once, tasting its protector’s coffee, and
+affecting a serious air, a perfect caricature
+of human nature.”</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE CHIMPANZEE—THE MAN-LIKE APE.</h3>
+
+<div id='i022'  class='figcenter id007'>
+<img src='images/illus043.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>CHIMPANZEE.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>Of all known Monkeys, the Chimpanzee
+in its habits, its motions and its intelligence,
+comes nearest to the human species.
+In the first place its arms are not
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_23'>23</span>so long as those of the other Monkeys
+described; they scarcely reach below the
+knee when the Chimpanzee is standing
+erect. And although it seldom wears a
+beard like the “Wild Man of the Woods,”
+its face and ears and the palms of its
+hands are entirely without hair, giving it
+a much more Human appearance; and in
+walking, its “hind-hands” are often
+planted quite firmly on the ground like
+our feet, instead of walking on the sides
+of them. When walking erect, it is fond
+of using a large stick to help support it,
+and this gives it a manly appearance of
+carrying a cane. Another favorite manner
+of walking is to bend down and
+touch its fingers to the ground, then by
+keeping the legs bent, it swings itself
+along by the means of its arms as by a
+pair of crutches.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Chimpanzee inhabits the same regions
+as the Gorilla—the dense forests of
+Africa, and another point of resemblance
+is that the Chimpanzees live in small
+troops while they are young, and alone or
+in couples in adult life. But unlike the
+Gorillas they are great climbers and pass
+nearly all their time on trees, seeking the
+fruits which constitute their food.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>There is a kind of Chimpanzee called
+by the natives “Nshiego-mbouve,” which
+builds a kind of leafy nest among the
+boughs of the loftiest trees. This nest is
+composed of small interlaced branches
+with a tight roof of leaves. It is fixed
+with firmly tied bands, and is generally
+from six to eight feet in diameter, and
+presents the form of a dome, an arrangement
+which readily throws off the rain.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Nshiego is distinguished from the
+ordinary Chimpanzee, by the absence of
+hair on its head, and it is sometimes
+called the Bald Chimpanzee.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h023' class='c006'>THE BABOONS—THE DOG-HEADED MONKEYS.</h2>
+</div>
+<div id='i024'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus048.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>BABOON OR DOG-HEADED MONKEYS.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>The Baboons and the Mandrills are
+sometimes placed in separate classes by
+Naturalists because of the difference in
+the length of their tails, but they both belong
+to the same family—the Cynocephali,
+which is derived from the words
+cyon, cynos, a dog, and cephale, a head,
+and means dog-headed.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>In these creatures the teeth and the
+cheek-pouches, which are similar to those
+of the majority of the Monkey family, are
+combined with a long nose and the nostrils
+situated like those of a dog. The
+Baboons have longer tails than the Mandrills,
+and although their forms are very
+clumsy, they climb trees easily, and even
+display much agility when they are sporting
+among the branches; yet they seldom
+select the forest as their place of residence.
+They are found almost exclusively
+in Africa, although a single species
+is found in Asia.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Baboon was known to the ancient
+Egyptians, on whose monuments it often
+appears, and as it symbolized the god
+Thoth, the inventor of the alphabet, it
+was held in great veneration in those days
+of long ago, and numerous mummies of
+this animal have been found in Egyptian
+burial places.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Baboon prefers to walk on all
+fours like a quadruped, and instead of living
+in forests, they choose the mountainous
+districts, and rocky places covered
+with bushes and brush wood. They live
+in troops, and each troop takes possession
+of a certain district, which they defend
+against all intruders. If men approach,
+the alarm is instantly raised, the
+whole troop gather together, and endeavor
+both by their cries and their actions
+to drive them away. And if not
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_24'>24</span>successful in this they will attack such visitors
+with sticks, or throw stones and
+other missiles at them. Even firearms
+will not frighten the Baboons and a troop
+will not retreat until many are left dead
+upon the ground.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>If a traveler is unfortunate enough to
+encounter one of these troops when
+alone, he is soon surrounded by numbers
+of the infuriated beasts, and literally torn
+to pieces. Rather than encounter such
+a death an Englishman once killed himself
+by leaping from a cliff, where he had
+been hemmed in by a multitude of these
+ferocious creatures.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Their canine teeth are almost as formidable
+as those of the Tiger, yet they are
+said to live entirely on vegetable diet, and
+to be so fond of fruit that they sometimes
+seriously destroy orchards and gardens.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>It is usually during the night that they
+make their thieving excursions, and they
+take great care to ensure the success of
+their stealing. When the troop arrives
+at the scene of action, it divides into three
+companies, one enters the orchard or garden,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_25'>25</span>while those of the second division
+place themselves as sentinels to give
+warning of the approach of danger, while
+a third division establishes itself in the
+rear and forms a long line extending from
+the other troops to their home in a neighboring
+mountain. When all these arrangements
+are completed, those who
+have broken into the orchard or garden
+throw the produce of their thieving to the
+nearest sentinels, who pass it on to those
+behind, and thus in a very short time it is
+handed along the line and stored in a safe
+place at the end, until there has been
+enough secured to make a feast for the
+entire troop. While thus engaged, if one
+of the sentinels raises a cry of alarm, the
+whole body will scamper off to their hiding
+places.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE MANDRILLS—THE BRILLIANT MONKEYS.</h3>
+
+<div id='i026'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus053.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>MANDRILL.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Mandrills are distinguished by
+their very short tails, and by deep wrinkles
+on each side of the nose which are
+often brilliantly colored. There are two
+species living in Western Africa which
+are known as the Mandrill and the Drill.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Drill is very much like the Mandrill
+except that its face is completely
+black instead of being striped with color;
+and it also inhabits Guinea.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Mandrill has a very peculiar appearance
+when the colors of its face are
+bright. In some instances the entire face
+is streaked with bright red and blue and
+black bands, and what seems still more
+curious the upper part of the thigh is
+sometimes of a bright red mixed with
+blue, giving the Monkey a very peculiar
+appearance. And what seems even more
+strange, these colors are not permanent,
+but often disappear after or during disease,
+and they even change when the animal
+is strongly excited.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Mandrill when old is deceitful and
+malicious. Even when taken quite
+young and supposed to be tame, it should
+not be trusted, for taming does not seem
+to improve its character.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Besides these changeable colors that
+stripe the face and tint the thighs of the
+Mandrill, their permanent colors are very
+bright and striking. The hair upon its
+body is a brownish grey, with olive upon
+the back; the chin is surrounded by a
+beard of bright lemon yellow; its cheeks
+are either striped or of a brilliant blue,
+while the nose is red, especially towards
+the tip where it becomes scarlet. It
+would be difficult to find an animal more
+gaily decorated and yet so hideous. And
+as it grows to be almost as large as a man,
+it is not surprising that the negroes of the
+Guinea coast, where it is commonly
+found, should have a superstitious fear of
+so dangerous a creature.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>CURIOUS MONKEYS OF THE MACAQUES FAMILY.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Monkeys belonging to the group
+known as Macaques, or Macacus, nearly
+all have tails; some quite long, others
+short, and still others of medium length,
+and Naturalists sometimes divide them
+into different groups according to the
+length of the tail. Others classify in different
+ways, making a great many distinct
+groups or Genus of this particular
+tribe of Monkeys, but the three main
+groups—the Wanderoo, the Barbary Ape
+and the Bonnet Monkey—are the most
+important and include the main characteristics
+of all the others.</p>
+
+<div>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_26'>26</span>
+<h3 class='c015'>THE WANDEROO.</h3>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Wanderoo is commonly found in
+the island of Ceylon. These Monkeys
+have cheek pouches like the others of this
+family. They do not grow much larger
+than an English Spaniel Dog and are of a
+grey color with black faces and great
+white beards reaching from ear to ear,
+making them look like old men. They
+do very little mischief, keeping in the
+woods, and eating only leaves and buds of
+trees; but when they are tamed they can
+be taught to eat anything.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The other Monkeys have great respect
+for this species, looking upon them as
+their superiors; and they are usually considered
+by mankind to be much more intelligent
+than the rest of the Monkey
+race.</p>
+
+<div>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_27'>27</span>
+<h3 class='c015'>THE BARBARY APE.</h3>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Barbary Ape is the only Monkey
+found in Europe, and differs from almost
+all others belonging to the Macaques, in
+being without a tail. When full grown
+it is from three to four feet high. Its general
+color is olive green and grey; the face
+is of a dirty flesh color, with brown spots,
+very much wrinkled, and surrounded
+with dirty grey hair.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>It usually goes on all fours. The
+young animals are very intelligent and
+gentle, and they are well known throughout
+Europe as objects of exhibition and
+amusement.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Barbary Apes prefer to live in
+rocky places and on the mountains. In
+their native home they live upon pine
+cones, chestnuts, figs, melons, nuts and
+vegetables which they carry off from gardens
+near their homes, although great
+care is taken to exclude these mischievous
+animals. While they are committing
+their thefts, two or three mount to the
+summits of the trees, and of the highest
+rocks to keep watch, and as soon as these
+sentinels see any one, or hear a noise,
+they utter a cry of warning, and immediately
+the whole troop take to flight, carrying
+off whatever they have been able to
+lay their hands on.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE BONNET MACAQUES.</h3>
+
+<div id='i028'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus060.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>BONNET MONKEYS.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Bonnet Monkey is frequently
+caught for exhibition. It is about the
+size of a large cat, greenish grey above
+and white below, with a long tail. The
+face is naked and wrinkled; the hair of the
+crown is long and dark, and spreads in all
+directions, lying upon the surface of the
+head like hair in a scalp-wig. On this account
+the animal is sometimes called the
+Scalp Monkey.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>In its native country the Bonnet Monkey
+is almost as much venerated as the
+Hoonuman in Bengal, and although it
+does great injury to fields and gardens,
+the natives forbid any one to kill it. Or
+if this has been done through mistake,
+they demand from the culprit enough
+money to pay for a grand funeral.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>When young, the Bonnet Monkey is
+very amusing as a pet, performing all his
+tricks with a comical gravity. When
+two or three are kept together, they are
+constantly hugging and nursing each
+other. When a Monkey of this kind has
+no companions of its own species, it will
+make friends with some other animal, and
+will often pet and hug a kitten with great
+gravity and all the fondness of a child, at
+a great risk of choking it. When full-grown,
+however, the behavior of the Bonnet
+Monkey changes, and it becomes sullen
+and savage and spiteful.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h027' class='c006'>THE AMERICAN MONKEYS.</h2>
+</div>
+<p class='c007'>There are several queer families of
+American Monkeys that make their home
+in Brazil, Peru and on the banks of the
+Amazon and the Orinoco. Further
+South, and along the western part of
+South America are found many of the
+small Monkeys with long tails like those
+we usually see in this country patiently
+following the street organs and making
+trade for their Italian masters. The
+most of these are intelligent, affectionate
+little fellows, and are more in demand for
+taming than the Monkeys of Africa, or
+even those of the smaller families found
+in Asia and Europe.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Nearly all of the American Monkeys
+have long tails, and some find them a
+great help in climbing; these are usually
+classed as the Prehensile tailed Monkeys,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_28'>28</span>and the Non-prehensile tailed Monkeys
+are those who do not make any use of
+their long tails in grasping the limbs of
+the trees, etc., in climbing. Very few of
+the American Monkeys have cheek-pouches
+and their nostrils are placed on
+the sides of the nose, instead of beneath
+it, giving them a very different appearance
+from the Apes, Baboons, etc., found
+in Africa.
+The different kinds of American Monkeys
+are usually divided into several families
+with the usual long hard Latin names
+to distinguish them, but as these names
+mean simply, the Howlers, the Spider
+Monkeys, the Weepers, etc., we will use
+only their English names in describing
+them.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE HOWLING MONKEYS.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Monkeys belonging to the family
+of Howlers are remarkable on account of
+the formation of their throat, which
+causes their voice to be hoarse and loud
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_29'>29</span>and very disagreeable. Although they
+are scarcely two feet in height, these
+Monkeys have the most powerful voice of
+any known animal. When gathered in
+troops they make the great forests re-echo
+with their tumult, which carries terror
+even to the bravest man when heard
+for the first time. Travelers compare this
+noise to the creaking of a great multitude
+of carts whose wheels and axle-trees need
+greasing; and with all this creaking and
+grinding noise there is a sound like the
+rolling of a drum.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Every day, morning and evening, the
+Howlers assemble in the forests, and one
+of their number, taking his station upon
+a lofty tree, makes a sign with his hands,
+as though inviting the others to sit
+around him. He then begins a sort of
+discourse, in a voice so loud and harsh
+that any one might suppose that they
+were all screaming together, although
+one only is thus employed; when this one
+leaves off, he gives a signal to the others,
+who immediately set up a cry in full
+chorus, until their leader commands silence,
+and is instantly obeyed. The first
+speaker, or rather howler, then begins
+again, and it is only after several repetitions
+of this that they cease from their
+discordant yellings.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>These Monkeys live in large troops and
+only frequent the highest trees, from
+which they rarely come down. They
+leap from branch to branch with wonderful
+agility, and, contrary to the habits of
+most Quadrumana, seem to prefer those
+parts of the forests which are in the vicinity
+of rivers or swamps. They live almost
+entirely upon the fruits and foliage
+of the trees around them, and are said
+occasionally to catch and eat insects.
+The whole race is remarkably sullen,
+lazy, heavy and of disagreeable nature;
+they are tamed with difficulty. And it is
+not often that this is attempted, for even
+if they were good-natured and intelligent,
+they would not make desirable pets on account
+of their voice.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE SPIDER MONKEYS.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>These curious little Monkeys are found
+in nearly all parts of South America, and
+they live in troops, making their homes
+in trees. They feed on the insects which
+are usually found in great quantities in
+many of the South American trees, and
+occasionally they will descend to the
+ground, in search of small Fish and <a id='moll'></a>Molluscs
+which they find in the mud on the
+banks of the rivers. It is said that they
+even venture on the beds of the rivers
+when the water is low, and capture the
+oysters, and they are very quick in learning
+how to open the shells and take out
+the oyster.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>These Monkeys are distinguished by
+their fine silky hair, their strong tails,
+which they use in climbing and in swinging
+themselves from limb to limb, and the
+fact that they have no thumbs; but only
+the four fingers on each hand. This peculiarity
+has given them the Greek name
+by which the family is usually classified
+which means imperfect, but the name
+Spider Monkey has been given to them
+because of their long, slender limbs and
+their slow, queer manner of walking,
+which sometimes gives them the appearance
+of huge spiders.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE WEEPING MONKEYS.</h3>
+
+<div id='i030'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus067.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>WEEPING MONKEYS.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Weeping Monkeys are smaller,
+but not so slim as the Spider Monkeys.
+They live in the forests of Guinea and
+Brazil, and flock together in great troops.
+They will eat snails and small Birds when
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_30'>30</span>they can get them, but their principal
+food is the abundance of fruits found
+among the trees where they make their
+home.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>They generally keep on the topmost
+branches of the highest trees to keep out
+of the way of the Serpents, of which they
+are very much afraid. Even when tamed
+and brought to this country, the sight of
+the most harmless Snake will fill them
+with terror.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>These Monkeys are called weepers
+from their plaintive cry. Usually their
+voice is soft; when excited or angry it becomes
+loud and pitiful; when teased it
+keeps up a kind of plaintive wailing,
+which has given it its name of Weeping
+Monkey, although they have also been
+called Musk Monkeys at times, because
+of their musky odor.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>These Monkeys have short round
+heads with the skull projecting backwards,
+and many of them have their faces
+bordered with long hair; others have
+long hair on top of the head, and in one
+species, called the Horned Monkey, this
+hair forms two black tufts, having the
+appearance of horns.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>All the Weeping Monkeys are gentle
+and easily tamed, and perform many
+amusing tricks, such as firing off a gun,
+and sweeping with a small broom. They
+will break a nut between two stones when
+it is too strong to be cracked with their
+teeth, and show many signs of unusual intelligence.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_31'>31</span>
+  <h2 id='h031' class='c006'>THE LEMURS, OR FOX-HEADED MONKEYS.</h2>
+</div>
+<div id='i031'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus072.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>LEMUR OR FOX-HEADED MONKEYS.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>Some very curious animals are found
+in the Lemur family. The Sloth Monkeys,
+the Indris, the Aye-Ayes and the
+ugly big-eyed Tarsier, are all related to
+the Lemurs, and some look more like
+fairy-tale monsters than harmless, timid,
+little animals of the Monkey family.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>What are known as the “Lemurs proper,”
+or the Fox-Headed Monkeys, are the
+best known of this family. Their hair is
+thick, soft and woolly, their ears short
+and velvety, and their tails long and
+bushy. They have very large eyes, and
+queer hands with flattened nails.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Nearly all the different members of the
+Lemur family live in Madagascar and the
+surrounding islands. They like to live in
+companies or troops among the trees, and
+their food is mainly the fruits of these
+trees; but they will also eagerly catch and
+devour insects. They are very sociable
+animals, and like to collect in numerous
+bands; and they sleep in the highest parts
+of the trees where no harm can come to
+them.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_33'>33</span>
+  <h2 id='h033' class='c006'>Carnivora—Flesh-Eating Quadrupeds.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<div id='i032'  class='figcenter id009'>
+<img src='images/illus075.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>SLOTH BEAR.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='drop-capa0_2_0_6 c013'>THE Carnivorous animals form the
+largest and most powerful family
+of Mammals that live on the
+land; and in this family are also included
+many water Mammals. Although this
+extensive family contains animals that
+are very different in size and form, yet
+they are all alike in their flesh-eating habits,
+in possessing strong sharp claws, and
+three kinds of teeth, the incisors, molars
+and canines; the latter being sharp
+and powerful fangs used for seizing and
+holding their struggling prey.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Although the animals of this family are
+all flesh-eaters, and all prefer this diet,
+there are some members that live partially
+on vegetable food, especially when
+flesh diet is scarce, and this fact is sometimes
+used to help divide the large family
+into smaller groups. There is also a
+great difference in the manner of walking.
+Some of the animals place the entire
+sole of the foot upon the ground,
+from the heel to the toes, so that the soles
+of the feet are without hair; but the
+greater number have their heel so much
+raised that they walk only on their toes;
+and in these, the part corresponding to
+the sole is hairy (like that of the cat) and
+is sometimes mistaken for the leg of the
+animal.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>To the first of these divisions the term
+Plantigrade has been applied. The word
+means stepping on the sole, and comes
+from planta, the sole; and gradior, to
+step. To the latter division the name
+Digitigrade is given, which means stepping
+on the toes, and comes from digitus,
+a finger, or toe, and gradior, to step.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>There is still another important division
+to this great family, known as the
+Amphibious Carnivora, which includes
+the Seals, Sea-Lions, etc., which are capable
+of living both on the land and in the
+water.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>This is the simplest and most easily remembered
+of all the divisions of the great
+order of Carnivorous animals. Some
+Naturalists object to it as not being
+clearly defined, and divide the Carnivora
+into six great families. First the Mustelidae,
+or Weasel family; second, the
+Hyena family; third, the Felidae, or Cat
+family; fourth, the Canidae, or Dog family;
+fifth, the Viverridae or Civet family;
+and sixth the Ursidae or Bear family.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>These six families are then sub-divided
+into many smaller families, and the Amphibia
+are grouped by themselves instead
+of being included among the Carnivora—although
+they are flesh eaters, and this
+seems to be their proper place.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>For easy grouping we will cling to the
+old method of classifying all the Carnivorous
+animals under the three main orders
+of Plantigrade, Digitigrade, and
+Amphibious Carnivora.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h033b' class='c006'>PLANTIGRADE CARNIVORA—THE BEAR FAMILY.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>The Bears form the most important
+family of the “<a id='plant'></a>Plantigrade Carnivora.”
+The sole of the foot is very wide, and the
+whole surface touches the ground in
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_34'>34</span>walking. They are very strong and can
+easily crush a man to death in their arms.
+Different members of the family live in
+various parts of the globe. They eat almost
+any kind of food, and many of them
+prefer a vegetable diet; very few of them
+will kill a man or an animal simply for the
+sake of food, unless necessity compels
+them. But they will defend themselves
+vigorously when attacked, and in spite of
+their heaviness and their slow motions,
+they prove very quick and fierce at such
+times. They can easily overtake a man
+in running, and most of them climb trees
+easily.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Bears can stand upright on their hind
+legs longer than almost any other animal,
+and they usually take this position when
+they fight.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>In eating, Bears sit down like Dogs,
+and taking up the food in their paws raise
+it to their mouths.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>When caught young, the Bear may be
+easily tamed, and its gentle nature enables
+it to learn many amusing tricks, but
+it will not often show off these tricks
+without first expressing its unwillingness
+by deep growling, and it often gets very
+angry during the training.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The best known varieties of Bears are
+the Brown Bear of Europe, the Grizzly
+and the Black Bear of America, the Syrian
+Bear, the White or Polar Bear, the
+Sloth Bear and Malay Bear and the Bornean
+Bear.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Although their native homes are in
+America, Europe and Asia (it is uncertain
+whether any exist in Africa) they are
+mainly found in the northern regions as
+they do not like the heat; and when they
+are found in temperate or warm climates,
+they generally live in the lofty mountain
+ridges.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE BROWN OR ALPINE BEAR.</h3>
+
+<div class='nf-center-c0'>
+<div class='nf-center c017'>
+    <div>(See <a href='#fr'>Frontispiece</a>.)</div>
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Brown Bear leads a lonely life in
+the dark pine forests, and the deep
+gorges or on the highest mountain
+ridges. It makes its den in caverns, on
+clefts of the rocks, or in the hollow of
+some giant old tree. It generally sleeps
+during the day and seeks its food at
+night. It feeds on the nuts of the beech,
+and many kinds of wild fruits and berries,
+preferring those that are slightly sour,
+and also seeds, vegetables and roots. It
+is very fond of honey, strawberries and
+grapes and will travel many miles to procure
+these delicacies, and it is especially
+fond of a swarm of ants, which it likes on
+account of their acid taste.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>In the lofty region in which it lives,
+when all these kinds of food fail, it makes
+its way down to some of the lower valleys,
+and ravages the fields of wheat, oats,
+etc., and any flesh food that it may find,
+especially a carcass of some dead animal.
+When very hungry it will often go many
+miles from home to seek its vegetable or
+to kill its animal food if necessary, but at
+dawn it never fails to return to its own
+home.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>This Bear is very cautious, and if it gets
+into trouble it is not because of want of
+care. It has very keen sight and smell
+and hearing, and whenever it goes into a
+new neighborhood to search for food, it
+will first climb to the top of some small
+tree, and explore the surrounding space,
+both by sight and smell. It very seldom
+enters a trap, and if it finds a carcass, it
+will examine it very carefully before attempting
+to drag it away and eat it.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>When it becomes necessary to kill animals
+for food, it prefers a sheep or a goat.
+It will seldom attack cows, although it
+has been known to lay in wait for these
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_37'>37</span>near their drinking places, and when it
+has sprung on the back of one, it seizes
+it by the nape of the neck, biting and
+tearing it until it bleeds to death. Then,
+after devouring part of it, the Bear carries
+off the remainder.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Brown Bear is an easy tempered
+animal, and is cruel only from necessity.
+It is happy and comic in its ways. But
+when it is attacked or wounded or suddenly
+disturbed in its sleep, or when its
+cubs are in peril, this bear becomes a dangerous
+foe.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE COLLARED AND THE AMERICAN BEAR.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Collared Bear and the American
+Black Bear are somewhat peculiar in
+their nature and habits.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Ringed, Collared, or Siberian
+Bear owes its name to a large white ring
+which surrounds its shoulders and fades
+away on the chest. The Siberian Bear is
+much more formidable than the European
+variety. In the gloomy and cold
+countries which it inhabits, the vegetation
+is not sufficient to satisfy its appetite;
+it must therefore, fall back upon
+some kind of animal food. It will also
+feed on fish, which it catches cleverly,
+and on carcasses thrown on the seashore.
+It hunts the Reindeer, and will often attack
+man. The inhabitants of Kamtschatka
+wage a war of extermination
+against this animal.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The American Black Bear, on the contrary,
+is naturally one of the least offensive
+animals. It has little taste for flesh.
+Even when hungry, if a choice is offered
+between animal food and fruit, it does not
+hesitate in selecting the vegetable substance.
+It swims well, and is fond of fish,
+which it catches skillfully. It seldom attacks
+man, unless it is hunted; as a rule,
+it prefers seeking safety in flight. It
+principally makes its abode in the hollows
+of firs and pines, selecting the holes
+which are the highest. Under these circumstances,
+the Americans capture it by
+setting fire to the foot of the tree. This
+animal is hunted with great activity, not
+only to put an end to its depredations in
+the corn-fields, but also for the sake of its
+flesh, fat, and fur; the latter is used for
+many purposes. The hams of the American
+Bear, when salted and smoked, have
+a high reputation both in the United
+States and Europe.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE GRIZZLY, OR “FEROCIOUS BEAR.”</h3>
+
+<div id='i035'  class='figcenter id010'>
+<img src='images/illus082.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>Grizzly Bear and Buffaloes.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Grizzly Bear is a native of North
+America, and has been found near 61 degrees
+north latitude, and as far as Mexico
+to the south. It is exceedingly formidable
+on account of its great strength and
+ferocity. It overpowers even the American
+Bison, and has been seen to drag
+along a carcass a thousand pounds in
+weight.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>These bears vary considerably in
+color; the young are darker than the
+older specimens. The feet are armed
+with long curved claws, those on the fore-feet
+being larger than the hind ones.
+The Grizzly Bear can dig with ease, and
+is able when young to ascend trees.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>It usually inhabits swampy, well-covered
+spots among trees and bushes, and
+here it makes its lair. It prowls forth
+both by night and day, and is more carnivorous
+than the Black Bear, but in the
+latter part of summer seeks eagerly for
+the fruits which then abound; it prefers,
+however, the flesh of animals, and will
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_38'>38</span>partially bury a carcass for future supply,
+after having feasted upon its best parts.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Townsend, in the “Narrative of a Journey
+across the Rocky Mountains,” gives
+the following account of an adventure
+with a Grizzly Bear on a small stream
+running down a valley covered with
+quagmires:</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>“As we approached our encampment
+near a small grove of willows on the
+margin of the river, a tremendous Grizzly
+Bear rushed out upon us. Our horses
+ran wildly in every direction, snorting
+with terror, and became nearly unmanageable.
+Several balls were instantly
+fired into him, but they only seemed
+to increase his fury. After spending
+a moment in rending each wound (their
+invariable practice), he selected the person
+who happened to be nearest, and
+darted after him, but before he proceeded
+far he was sure to be stopped again by a
+ball from another quarter.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>“In this way he was driven about
+among us for fifteen minutes, at times so
+near some of the horses that he received
+several severe kicks from them. One of
+the pack-horses was fastened upon by the
+brute, and in the terrified animal’s efforts
+to escape the dreaded gripe, the pack and
+saddle were broken to pieces and disengaged.
+One of our mules also gave him
+a kick in the head, which sent him rolling
+to the bottom. Here he was finally
+brought to a stand. The poor animal
+was now so surrounded by enemies, that
+he was completely bewildered. He
+raised himself upon his hind-feet, standing
+almost erect, his mouth partly open;
+and from his protruding tongue the
+blood fell in fast drops. While in this
+position he received about six more balls,
+each of which made him reel. At last,
+in complete desperation, he rushed into
+the water and swam several yards with
+astonishing strength and agility, the
+guns cracking at him constantly. But
+he was not to proceed far. Just then,
+Richardson, who had been absent, rode
+up, and fixed his deadly aim upon him,
+fired a ball into the back of his head,
+which killed him instantly.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>“The strength of four men was required
+to drag the ferocious brute from
+the water; upon examining his body, he
+was found completely riddled; there did
+not appear to be four inches of his shaggy
+person, from the hips upward, that had
+not received a ball. There must have
+been at least thirty shots made at him,
+and probably few missed him; yet such
+was his tenacity of life that I have no
+doubt he would have succeeded in crossing
+the river, but for the last shot in the
+brain. He would probably weigh at the
+least six hundred pounds, and was about
+the height of an ordinary steer. The
+spread of the foot laterally was ten
+inches, and the claws measured seven
+inches in length. This animal was remarkably
+lean. When in good condition
+he would doubtless much exceed in
+weight the estimate given.”</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>When driven by hunger, the Grizzly
+Bear is especially fierce and daring in
+seeking his prey, and (as our illustration
+shows on page <a href='#i035'>35</a>) will even approach a
+herd of Buffalo and attack a straying calf.
+He has fallen upon this young Buffalo
+which has foolishly wandered apart from
+the herd, and thrown him down. Directly
+will the Grizzly tear his prey upon
+whose body his powerful fore paws are
+placed, when he is interrupted in an unwelcome
+manner. The anguished bellowing
+and bleating of the fallen animal
+have been heard by the distant feeding
+herd, and the old Buffalos come immediately,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_39'>39</span>their great, clumsy, heavy bodies
+storming along with startling swiftness to
+punish the Bear for his bloody deed. He
+sees that he must for the time being postpone
+his feast and prepare to protect himself
+against the approaching attacking
+party of whom especially the foremost
+steer, with colossal head sunk low, jaws
+foaming and tail thrown up, presents a
+vivid picture of ungovernable strength
+and fury. The outcome of the battle can
+not be doubtful to us. Although the
+Grizzly could easily capture a single Buffalo,
+his great strength can avail nothing
+against the whole herd of these great animals.
+The Bear, who is a swift runner,
+must either seek safety in flight, or find
+his end under the horns of his opponents.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE WHITE, OR POLAR BEAR.</h3>
+
+<div id='i039'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus090.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>POLAR BEARS.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Polar Bear is a very distinct species,
+easily recognized by its long, flat
+head, as well as by the white color and
+smoothness of its fur. It is an inhabitant
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_40'>40</span>of the frozen shores of the northern hemispheres,
+and semi-aquatic in its habits,
+swimming and diving with the utmost
+ease and facility, for the purpose of capturing
+Seals, young Whales and Fish, upon
+which it principally feeds; nevertheless,
+even this animal is not altogether
+carnivorous, but feeds greedily on vegetable
+substances whenever they can be
+procured.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Seal, however, is his favorite food;
+and Captain Lyon, in the following passage,
+describes the mode in which he captures
+this animal: “The Bear, on seeing
+his intended prey, gets quietly into the
+water and swims to the leeward of him,
+from whence, by frequent short dives, he
+silently makes his approaches, and so arranges
+the distance that, at the last dive,
+he comes to the spot where the Seal is
+lying. If the poor animal attempts to
+escape by rolling into the water, he falls
+into the Bear’s clutches; if, on the contrary,
+he lies still, his destroyer makes a
+powerful spring, kills him on the ice, and
+devours him at his leisure.”</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Polar Bear is seldom seen far inland,
+but frequents the fields of ice, and
+swims to icebergs—often at a great distance
+from the shore. Captain Sabine
+saw one half-way between the north and
+south shores of Barrow’s Straits, although
+there was no ice within sight.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Polar Bear is found further north
+than any other quadruped, having been
+seen by Captain Parry beyond 82 degrees
+north latitude.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>In illustration of the affection of the
+mother Bear for her young, Captain
+Scoresby relates the following anecdote:
+“A mother Bear with her two cubs were
+pursued on the ice by some of the men,
+and were so closely approached as to
+alarm the mother for the safety of her offspring.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>“Finding that they could not advance
+with the desired speed, she used various
+artifices to urge them forward, but without
+success. Determined to save them
+if possible, she ran to one of her cubs,
+placed her nose under it, and threw it forward
+as far as possible; then going to the
+other, she performed the same action,
+and repeated it frequently until she had
+thus conveyed them to a considerable
+distance. The young Bears seemed perfectly
+conscious of their mother’s intention;
+for, as soon as they recovered their
+feet after being thrown forward, they immediately
+ran on in the proper direction,
+and when the mother came up to renew
+the effort, the little rogues uniformly
+placed themselves across her path, that
+they might feel the full advantage of the
+force exerted for their safety.”</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Doubtless, much of the ferocity of the
+Polar Bear is to be attributed to the barrenness
+of the regions which it inhabits,
+the absence of vegetation obliging it to
+attack animals to supply its craving appetite.
+Its domain includes all those solitudes
+which surround the arctic pole—Greenland,
+Spitzbergen, Nova Zembla,
+&amp;c. Over these vast ice-fields it reigns
+supreme.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>In the summer time, when the White
+Bears betake themselves to the forests
+farther inland, they attack the Mammals
+which are natives of these regions, especially
+Reindeer.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Most mariners who have been detained
+by the ice in the polar seas have had frequent
+encounters with White Bears. Instances
+have been known in which they
+pursued them into their vessels, even endeavoring
+to make their way into cabins
+at night through the port-holes.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The White Bear is terrible in its attack.
+Accustomed, as it is, to meet with little or
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_41'>41</span>no resistance, and not even suspecting
+danger, it rushes upon Man with a blind
+fury and determination too often fatal in
+their results.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>It is not an uncommon thing for White
+Bears to drift out to sea on floating icebergs,
+when they become reduced to the
+most frightful distress from hunger. Fatally
+confined to their icy raft, and utterly
+devoid of all means of subsistence, they
+ultimately attack and devour one another.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The White or Polar Bear often attains
+a length of nine feet. Its huge limbs and
+powerful claws are developed in fitting
+proportion to the massive body; and the
+soles of its feet are clad with hair, enabling
+it to tread with safety on the slippery
+ice floes, where it finds a home.
+Purely carnivorous in its diet, the Polar
+Bear subsists chiefly on the Seals it contrives
+to trap by watching their breathing
+holes patiently for hours, or it may be for
+days together. The fur is of a dirty-white
+hue, inclining towards a yellowish-brown
+tint in the young. When the
+Seals are scarce, these Bears will welcome
+the carcase of a Whale which has floated
+beyond the recall of the whaler.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The instinct which prompts the Esquimau
+to feed upon a fatty diet rich in carbon,
+by way of providing in his body a
+heat-producing basis, also leads the Bear
+to choose his food in the fat and blubber
+of the Seals and Walruses of his seas.
+Dr. Robert Brown, in his remarks in the
+“Mammals of Greenland,” tells us that he
+has seen upwards of twenty Polar Bears
+feeding on the huge inflated carcase of a
+Whale in Pond’s Bay, on the western
+shores of Davis’s Strait.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Polar Bear is hunted by the Esquimau
+chiefly by means of Dogs. Its flesh,
+however, is not very desirable. In fact,
+some parts of the body of the Polar Bear,
+such as the liver, are said to possess poisonous
+qualities. Scoresby relates cases
+of illness, and even death, which have followed
+upon eating the liver of this animal.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The “nennok,” as the Esquimau terms
+the Polar Bear, is unusually regarded as
+a fierce and predatory animal. When irritated,
+or at bay, and when pressed by
+hunger, this Bear, like every other animal,
+will become dangerous. It does
+not grip or “hug” its enemy, but bites
+him.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE LABIATED, OR SLOTH BEAR.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>This strange specimen of the Bear family
+differs from all the others by its extended
+lips, and a tongue of remarkable
+length. It is a native of India and feeds
+mainly on vegetables.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Sloth Bear is often classed with
+the Borean and Malay Bears, which are
+natives of Malacca and the Borean Isles,
+and which climb trees readily and feed
+chiefly on fruits. These are all alike in
+their desire for vegetable diet and will not
+eat flesh except when forced to it, and
+they are all easily tamed and soon learn
+numerous tricks.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>These Bears are sometimes made prisoners
+in rather a ludicrous manner. The
+natives fill a little barrel with honey and
+brandy, and lay it in some place to which
+the Bear often resorts. The attraction of
+the sweet liquor is so great, that Mr.
+Bruin not only indulges himself, but often
+brings Mrs. B. and all the little B.’s to
+partake of the delicacy; the whole party
+eat and drink till the spirit does its work;
+they then caper and dance about for a
+time, as if demented, and at length fall
+asleep, and become an easy prey to their
+captors.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_42'>42</span>
+  <h2 id='h042' class='c006'>DIGITIGRADE CARNIVORA—THE HYENA FAMILY.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>The Hyenas are often grouped with
+the Cat family, as they have many points
+of resemblance (particularly the rough
+tongue) and prowl and seize their prey
+in much the same manner. But the Hyenas
+differ from all the members of the
+Cat family in having the fore legs longer
+than the hind ones, giving them a shambling
+gait and a strange, sneaking appearance.
+They have large heads, and
+their jaws are very powerful, and able to
+lift easily a prey of great weight. Their
+coat is very thick, and forms a kind of
+flowing mane along the ridge of the
+spine. Their claws are short and stout,
+and are more useful for digging than
+tearing their prey.
+Dreadful tales have been told of the
+Hyenas, and their unclean habits; how
+they rob the grave yards and devour the
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_43'>43</span>dead bodies, and how they prefer decaying
+animals, to killing their prey and eating
+it while fresh. But they accomplish
+a good work in one direction, even if it
+does fill us with disgust. They perform
+the same service among quadrupeds that
+the Vulture does among birds.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>In the cities and villages of Africa, in
+which the care of the public roads is often
+left to chance for their cleaning, the Hyenas
+are in the habit of removing all the
+decaying substances, which would otherwise
+soon cause diseases by decaying in
+the hot burning African sun. The Hyena
+even eats all the bones of the carcasses
+on which they feed.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Hyenas are not so fierce as is usually
+supposed. If they can find sufficient
+decaying matter to satisfy their
+hunger, they will seldom attack living
+prey, and they will never attack mankind
+except in cases of great necessity, but
+they have been known to break down the
+walls which the inhabitants of African
+villages erect around their homes and kill
+and drag off the cattle.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE STRIPED HYENA.</h3>
+
+<div id='i042'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus097.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>STRIPED HYENA.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Striped Hyena is of a grey color,
+marked with upright stripes of brown or
+black. It has a thick mane which extends
+along the whole length of the neck,
+and down the center of the back. This
+mane stands erect when the animal is
+very angry. This Hyena is about the
+size of a large Dog.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE SPOTTED HYENA.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Spotted Hyena, and an animal
+very much like it which is some times
+called the Aard Wolf, and the “Hunting
+Hyena,” all belong to this family, but
+there is very little difference in their
+forms or their manner of living. The
+Spotted Hyena, which is called by the
+colonists of the Cape of Good Hope the
+Tiger Wolf, is most commonly met with
+in Southern Africa, where its appetite for
+living prey, as well as for carrion, causes
+it to be justly regarded as a very dangerous
+neighbor; indeed, as we learn from
+the reports of travelers, it seems to be
+especially fond of attacking children, and
+many harrowing tales might be told of
+the fiend-like deeds of which it is guilty.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>“To show clearly the preference of the
+Spotted Hyena for human flesh,” says
+Steedman, “it will be necessary to observe
+that the Mambookies build their
+houses in the form of bee-hives, and tolerably
+large, often eighteen or twenty
+feet in diameter; at the higher or back
+part of the house, the floor is raised until
+within three or four feet of the front,
+where it suddenly terminates, leaving an
+area from thence to the wall, in which
+every night the calves are tied, to protect
+them from storms or wild beasts.
+Now, it would be natural to suppose that
+should the Hyena enter, he would seize
+the first object for his prey, especially as
+the natives always lie with the fire at their
+feet; but notwithstanding this, the practice
+of this animal has been in every instance
+to pass by the calves in the area,
+and even the fire, and take the children
+from under the mother’s <a id='car'></a>caress; and this
+in such a gentle and cautious manner that
+the parent has been unconscious of her
+loss until the cries of the poor little innocent
+have reached her from without,
+when hopelessly a prisoner in the jaws of
+the monster.”</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE HUNTING HYENAS.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Hunting Hyena was first described
+by Mr. Burchell. It is smaller
+and of a more slender shape than either
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_44'>44</span>the Striped or the Spotted Hyena; the
+ground color of its body is sandy, shaded
+with darker hair, varied with irregular
+blotches of black, and spots of white. In
+its teeth it resembles the Dog; but, on the
+other hand, it approaches the Hyenas in
+having only four toes on each foot.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Mr. Burchell was fortunate in bringing
+home a living specimen, which he kept
+chained up for more than a year. At
+first it was so ferocious that no one attempted
+to tame it; but at length its manners
+became softened, and it used to play
+with a Dog chained up in the same yard;
+yet still the man who fed it never dared
+to venture his hand within its reach.
+Mr. Burchell informs us that in a wild
+state this animal hunts in packs; though
+in general it hunts at night, it frequently
+pursues its prey by day, and as it is very
+fleet, none but the swiftest animals can
+escape it. Sheep and oxen are particularly
+objects of its attacks, the first
+openly, the latter only by surprising them
+in their sleep and suddenly biting off their
+tails, a mode of attack for which the wide
+gape and great strength of its jaws are
+peculiarly adapted. This species is found
+throughout Africa.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h044' class='c014'>THE CAT FAMILY.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>All the different animals of this great
+family are alike in having short, powerful
+jaws armed with sharp teeth, and a rough
+bristling tongue, which feels like a rasp
+when it is drawn across the bare skin—wounding
+by mere licking; in their manner
+of walking on their toes, and in several
+other characteristics. The fiercest
+beasts of all the carnivorous animals are
+found in the Felidae family, which includes
+three groups—the Cat tribe, the
+Lynx and the Hunting Leopard. The
+Cat tribe includes, in the Old World, the
+Lion, Tiger, Panther, Leopard, Ounce,
+Serval, and Wild and Domestic Cats.
+In the New World are found the Domestic
+Cats, the Jaguar, Puma and
+Ocelot.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>All these animals in the wild state prefer
+to feed on living victims, devouring
+their prey as they kill it. Although the
+various animals belonging to this great
+family differ much in size, they are all
+alike in their mode of attacking and killing
+their victims. They usually take
+them by surprise, for they do not have so
+much courage as people sometimes
+think. Crouched in some hidden retreat,
+they silently and patiently await their
+prey; and as soon as within reach, they
+spring upon it from behind, without allowing
+time for escape or defence.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>WILD AND DOMESTIC CATS.</h3>
+
+<div id='i045'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus105.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>WILD CATS.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>It is usual to place the Lion at the head
+of this great Felidae family, which takes
+its name from the Latin felis, a cat; but
+it seems more appropriate to first describe
+the Wild and Domestic Cats, as
+these particular feline members have
+given the great family its name.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Wild Cat is a reddish brown animal,
+marked with more or less distinct
+black stripes and spots.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Its length is about two feet. It does
+not differ in its habits from the larger
+members of this family. It climbs trees
+with agility, and feeds on Birds, Squirrels,
+Hares, Rabbits, &amp;c. At one time it was
+very common in France and Scotland.
+It is found in nearly the whole of Europe,
+and a large portion of Asia.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'><span class='pageno' id='Page_45'>45</span>There ought to be ranged beside the
+Wild Cat a multitude of species, which
+are only separated from it by differences
+in the color of the fur and length of hair,
+and which are its representatives in the
+countries it does not inhabit. Such are
+the Pampas Cat, the Bengal Cat, the
+Neptaul, the Egyptian Cat, the Serval
+Cat, the Caffir Cat, indigenous to the
+Cape, &amp;c.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Certain authors are inclined to believe
+that the numerous varieties of the Domestic
+Cat have descended from the Wild
+Cat, and the Egyptian Cat. However
+this may be, there exist several kinds of
+well-characterised Domestic Cats. Such
+are the Spanish Cat, the Chartreuse Cat,
+the Red Cat of Tobolsk, the Angora Cat,
+the most highly prized of home pets, the
+Chinese Cat with pendant ears, and the
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_46'>46</span>tailless Malay Cat. The tails of Wild
+Cats terminate in an abrupt thick point,
+while the tails of Domestic Cats taper to
+a finer point.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Domestic Cat is one of those few
+animals which has remained in a state of
+independence in its domesticity; it lives
+with Man, but still is not reduced to servitude.
+If it renders service, it is simply
+for its own interest to do so. That disinterestedness
+which distinguishes the Dog
+we do not find in the Cat. Whatever
+Buffon and others may have said, it is
+capable of affection; this attachment is
+only manifested by infrequent caresses,
+not by devotion. Has a Cat ever been
+known to defend its master? It has been
+said that it is more attached to localities
+than persons; yet we know of numerous
+exceptions to this.</p>
+
+<div id='i046'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus110.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>ANGORA CAT.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c008'>No animal is more savage than the Cat
+when threatened by punishment or danger.
+For when it sees no chance of escape,
+it defends itself with energy that
+cannot be surpassed. So long as its enemy
+keeps at a respectful distance, it confines
+itself to a passive resistance, watching,
+however, for the slightest indication
+of hostility, and holding itself ready for
+every emergency. Should its adversary
+advance to seize it, with wonderful activity
+it strikes with its claws, at the same
+time expressing anger with its voice. It
+nearly always comes off victorious, unless
+over-matched, for its agility renders escape
+almost certain.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Cat is less an enemy of the Dog
+than is generally believed. When unacquainted
+with one another, they have little
+sympathy in common; but when associated
+for a length of time they become
+good friends. Then they lick each other,
+sleep with each other, and understand
+making mutual concessions, which enable
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_47'>47</span>them to live in peace; in short, the
+most perfect harmony frequently reigns
+between them.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE LION—THE KING OF BEASTS.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Lion has been called the “King of
+Beasts” <a id='from'></a>from most ancient times, and this
+is a very appropriate title, if we consider
+the impression we usually have of this
+animal when viewed for the first time.
+He carries his head high and walks with a
+slowness which may well pass for majesty.
+He always appears calm and dignified
+and conscious of his strength.
+The bushy and magnificent mane which
+overshadows his head and neck gives an
+added grandeur to his appearance.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Some adult Lions have attained a
+length of nearly ten feet, from the tip of
+the nose to the root of the tail; but usually
+they do not exceed six or seven feet.
+With the exception of the mane and a
+tuft of hair at the tip of the tail, the coat
+of the Lion is entirely smooth, and of a
+tawny color. The mane, which gives
+this great “King of the Beasts” such a
+lordly appearance, is missing in his mate,
+who has a smooth neck and a smaller
+head, and is generally in proportion
+about one-fourth as large. The mother
+Lion is at her fiercest when her little ones
+are threatened with danger; at other
+times she shows very little of the Lion nature
+except when pressed by hunger.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Lion has also been called the
+“Lord of the Forest,” but this is not an
+appropriate title, as he does not prefer the
+forest for a home. He lives in desert
+arid plains, lightly covered with shrubby
+vegetation or tracts of low brushwood.
+In India he prowls along the borders of
+rivers, and makes his lair in the jungles.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Lion slumbers during the day in
+his retreat, and as night comes on he
+prowls abroad in search of prey. This is
+not because his eyes are unfitted to see
+in the daytime—like those of the majority
+of “night prowlers”—but he seems
+to think it prudent to keep at home until
+evening. When the first shadows of
+twilight appear, he enters upon his campaign.
+If there is a pool in the vicinity
+of his haunt, he places himself in ambush
+on the edge of it, with the hope of securing
+a victim among the Antelopes, Gazelles,
+Giraffes, Zebras, Buffaloes, &amp;c.,
+which are led thither to slake their thirst.
+These animals, well aware of this habit of
+their enemy, will not approach a pond
+without extreme caution. If one, however,
+places itself within reach of their
+terrible foe, its fate is generally sealed.
+One enormous bound enables the Lion
+to spring on its back, and one blow with
+his paw breaks its back. If the Lion
+misses his aim, he does not endeavor to
+continue a useless pursuit, well knowing
+that he cannot compete in speed with the
+children of the plains. He therefore
+skulks back into his hiding-place, to lie
+in ambush until some more fortunate
+chance presents itself, or complete night-fall
+shuts out all hope of success.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Lion, however, is not disposed to
+remain long with an empty stomach.
+Then it is that he approaches Man’s habitations,
+with the hope of surprising the
+domestic animals. Fences ten feet in
+height form no obstacle to him, for he
+will bound over such with ease, when,
+falling into the midst of the herd, he
+seizes the nearest.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The amount of strength which he manifests
+under circumstances similar to
+these is really extraordinary. A Lion
+has been known, at the Cape of Good
+Hope, to carry off a small Cow as a Cat
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_48'>48</span>would a Mouse, and, with the burden,
+leap a wide ditch. It is almost impossible
+to conceive the muscular force necessary
+to jump a fence several feet high
+when carrying a load of several hundred-weight.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The audacity of the Lion increases in
+proportion to his requirement. When
+he has exhausted all means of procuring
+subsistence, and when he can no longer
+put off the cravings of hunger, he sets no
+limit to his aggressions, and will brave
+every danger rather than perish by famine.
+In open day he will then proceed
+to where the herds of Oxen and Sheep
+pasture, entirely disregarding Shepherds
+and Dogs. At such times he has been
+known to carry his rashness so far as to
+attack a drove of Buffaloes—an action
+which is all the bolder as a single one,
+unless it is taken by surprise, is well able
+to defend itself.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Lion seems to delight in the tempests
+of wind and rain, so common in
+Southern Africa; his voice mingles with
+the thunder, and adds to the terror of the
+timid animals, on whom he then boldly
+advances. He usually, however, waits
+in ambush, or creeps insidiously towards
+his victim, which with a bound and a rush
+he dashes to the earth.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>“In South Africa,” says Capt. Burton,
+“the Lion is seldom seen, unless surprised
+asleep in his lair of thicket; during my
+journey I saw but one, although at times
+his roaring was heard at night. Except
+in darkness or during violent storms,
+which excite the fiercer Carnivora, he is
+a timid animal, much less feared by the
+people than the angry and agile Leopard.
+When encountered in the daytime, he
+stands a second or two gazing; then turns
+slowly round and walks as slowly away
+for a dozen paces, looking over his shoulder;
+he then begins to trot, and when he
+thinks himself out of sight bounds like a
+Greyhound.”</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>If attacked, however, he will show fight
+as the following experience, not likely to
+be often repeated, will testify: “Being
+about thirty yards off the foe,” says Dr.
+Livingstone, “I took a good aim at his
+body, through the bush, and fired both
+barrels into it. The men then called out:
+‘He is shot! he is shot!’ Others cried:
+‘He has been shot by another man, too;
+let us go to him!’ I did not see any one
+else shoot at him; but I saw the Lion’s
+tail erected in anger behind the bush and,
+turning to the people, said: ‘Stop a little
+till I load again.’ When in the act of
+ramming down the bullets, I heard a
+shout. Starting and looking half round,
+I saw the Lion just in the act of springing
+upon me. I was upon a little height.
+He caught my shoulder as he sprang, and
+we both came to the ground below together.
+Growling horribly close to my
+ear, he shook me as a Terrier Dog does a
+Rat. The shock produced a stupor similar
+to that which seems to be felt by a
+Mouse after the first shake of the Cat.
+It caused a sort of dreaminess, in which
+there was no sense of pain or feeling of
+terror. It was like what patients partially
+under the influence of chloroform
+describe, who see all the operation, but
+feel not the knife. This singular condition
+was not the result of any mental process.
+The shake annihilated fear, and
+allowed no sense of horror in looking
+round at the beast. This peculiar state
+is probably produced in all animals killed
+by the Carnivora, and, if so, is a merciful
+provision by our Creator for lessening the
+pain of death. Turning round to relieve
+myself of the weight, as he had one paw
+on the back of my head, I saw his eyes directed
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_49'>49</span>to Mebalwe, who was trying to
+shoot him at the distance of fifteen yards.
+His gun, a flint one, missed fire in both
+barrels. The Lion immediately left me,
+and attacking Mebalwe, <a id='bit'></a>bit his thigh.
+Another man, whose life I had saved before,
+after he had been tossed by a Buffalo,
+attempted to spear the Lion while
+he was biting Mebalwe. He left Mebalwe
+and caught this man by the shoulder;
+but at that moment the bullets he
+had received had taken effect, and he fell
+down dead. The whole was the work of
+a few moments, and must have been his
+paroxysm of dying rage. In order to
+take out the charm from him, the Bakatla,
+on the following day, made a huge
+bonfire over the carcass, which they declared
+to be that of the largest Lion they
+had ever seen. Besides crunching the
+bone into splinters, he left eleven teeth-wounds
+in the upper part of my arm.”</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Dr. Livingstone says: “The same feeling
+which has induced the modern
+painter to caricature the Lion, has led
+the sentimentalist to consider the Lion’s
+roar the most terrific of all earthly
+sounds. We hear of the majestic roar of
+the king of beasts. It is, indeed, well
+calculated to inspire fear, if you hear it in
+combination with the tremendously loud
+thunder of that country, on a night so
+pitchy dark that every flash of the intensely
+vivid lightning leaves you with
+the impression of stone-blindness, while
+the rain pours down so fast that your
+fire goes out, leaving you without the
+protection of even a tree, or the chance
+of your gun going off. But when you
+are in a comfortable house or wagon, the
+case is very different, and you hear the
+roar of the Lion without any awe or
+alarm.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>“The silly Ostrich makes a noise as
+loud, yet it never was feared by man.
+To talk of the majestic roar of the Lion
+is mere majestic twaddle. On my mentioning
+this fact some years ago, the assertion
+was doubted; so I have been careful
+ever since to inquire the opinions of
+Europeans who had heard both, if they
+could detect any difference between the
+roar of a Lion and that of an Ostrich.
+The invariable answer was that they could
+not, when the animal was at a distance.
+The natives assert that they can detect a
+variation between the commencement of
+the noise of each. There is, it must be
+admitted, a considerable difference between
+the singing noise of a Lion when
+full, and his deep gruff voice when hungry.
+In general, the Lion’s voice seems
+to come deeper from the chest than that
+of the Ostrich; but to this day I can distinguish
+between them with certainty
+only by knowing that the Ostrich roars
+by day and the Lion by night.”</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>“Attempts to deprive the Lion of his
+prey are of frequent occurrence in the interior
+of Africa. Indeed, it is no unusual
+thing to find a number of natives residing
+near such pools of water as are frequented
+by Antelopes, other wild animals,
+and their constant attendant, the
+Lion, subsisting almost altogether in this
+way, or on carcasses which the Lion has
+not had time to devour before the return
+of day, when it is his habit to return to
+his lair.”</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Mr. Anderson mentions, as a remarkable
+circumstance connected with a
+Rhinoceros hunt, that “While following
+the trail of the animal, we came to a spot
+where one or two Lions, probably taking
+advantage of his crippled condition, had
+evidently attacked him, and, after a desperate
+scuffle, had been compelled to retreat.
+This is the only instance I know
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_50'>50</span>of Lions daring to attack a Rhinoceros,
+though I have seen it stated in print that
+they will not only assail, but can master
+the horned monster.”</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>In former times Lions were numerous
+even in Europe. According to Herodotus,
+Aristotle, and Pausanias, they were
+abundant in Macedonia, Thrace, and
+Thessaly; but for centuries in these countries
+they have been unknown. Arabia,
+Syria, and Babylonia used also to contain
+large numbers. In Arabia and on
+the confines of Persia and India at the
+present date they are scarce.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>We may form some idea of their number
+in ancient times by the quantity absorbed
+annually in the combats which
+were so much in favor with the Romans.
+In a very brief interval, Sylla had slaughtered
+a hundred Lions, Pompey six hundred,
+and Caesar four hundred.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>In this age the Lion is rarely met with
+except in Africa, where every day its
+numbers are diminishing, and from
+whence it will soon completely disappear
+if the present rate of slaughter is continued.
+Our grand-children probably
+will know the Lion only from our descriptions.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Several varieties of the Lion are distinguished.
+The most ferocious is the
+Brown Lion of the Cape. In the same
+neighborhood lives another, much less
+dangerous, the Yellow Cape Lion. After
+these we may enumerate the Lion of
+Senegal, the Barbary Lion, and the Lion
+of Persia and Arabia.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE TIGER.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Tiger is as high on the limbs as the
+Lion; but it is more slender, active, and
+stealthy, closely resembling, in figure and
+movements, the domestic Cat, which
+serves as the type of the entire genus.
+Its coat is very handsome, being of a yellowish
+fawn color above and a pure white
+beneath; everywhere irregularly striped
+by brown transverse bands. Its tail,
+which is very long, is ringed with black,
+and contributes not a little to its beauty.
+It has also white around the eyes, on the
+jaws, and on the back of each ear.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Tiger is peculiar to Asia. It inhabits
+Java, Sumatra, a great part of Hindostan,
+China, and even Southern Siberia
+as far north as the banks of the river Obi.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Tiger makes its lair in jungles or
+densely wooded districts bordering on
+water-courses. Like the Lion, it has a
+den, to which it retires for rest; from
+whence it steals forth, secretes itself in a
+wood on the borders of a frequented
+path, and there, concealed from every
+eye, awaits its victim. The moment it
+sees the object of its desire, its eyes flash,
+and its whole bearing manifests a savage
+joy; it allows the unsuspecting prey to
+draw near, and when it is sufficiently
+close, springs upon it with tremendous
+velocity. If it scents prey from a distance,
+it glides through the high grass
+with the undulating movements of the
+serpent, almost impossible to be detected
+by the human eye.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Tiger has for a long time borne a
+reputation for cruelty, as little deserved as
+that for generosity which has been given
+the Lion. The old Naturalists pretended
+that the Tiger gloried in shedding blood,
+and that it never saw a living creature
+without desiring to destroy it. Nothing
+can be more untrue. The Tiger does not
+kill for the pleasure of killing; it kills only
+to appease its hunger. In doing this, it
+only conforms to the necessities of its nature;
+but when it has fed, it does not exhibit
+any blood-thirsty propensity, but
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_51'>51</span>simply defends itself when threatened or
+attacked.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Tigers will occasionally take to water.
+In the Sunderbunds especially they are
+often seen swimming across the various
+rivers, which form innumerable islands,
+inhabited only by wild beasts. Invariably,
+the fore-paw is the Tiger’s instrument
+of destruction. Most people imagine
+that if a Tiger were deprived of his
+claws and teeth he would be rendered
+harmless; but this is an error; the weight
+of the limb is the real cause of the mischief,
+for the claws are rarely extended.
+When the Tiger strikes his victim, the
+operation is similar to that of a hammer,
+the Tiger raising his paw and bringing it
+down with such force as not only to stun
+a common-sized Bullock, but often to
+crush the bones of the skull!</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Williamson gives an amusing account
+of the mode by which Tigers are captured
+in Oude: “The track of the Tiger being
+ascertained, which, though not invariably
+the same, may yet be sufficiently known
+for the purpose, the peasants collect a
+quantity of the leaves of the prouss,
+which are like those of the sycamore, and
+are common in most underwoods, as they
+form the larger portion of most of the
+jungles of India. These leaves are
+smeared with a species of bird-lime, made
+by bruising the berries of an indigenous
+tree; they are then strewed, with the gluten
+uppermost, near to that shady spot to
+which it is understood the Tiger usually
+resorts during the noontide heats.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>“If by chance the animal should tread
+on one of the smeared leaves, his fate may
+be considered as decided. He commences
+by shaking his paw, with the view
+to removing the adhesive incumbrance,
+but finding no relief from that expedient,
+he rubs the nuisance against his face with
+the same intention, by which means his
+eyes, ears, &amp;c., become sticky, and cause
+such uneasiness as occasions him to roll
+perhaps among many more of the
+smeared leaves, till at length he becomes
+completely enveloped, and is deprived of
+sight. In this situation he may be compared
+to a man who has been tarred and
+feathered. The anxiety produced by this
+strange and novel predicament soon
+shows itself in dreadful howlings, which
+serve to call the watchful peasants, who in
+this state find no difficulty in shooting
+the mottled object of their detestation.”</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE LEOPARD.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Leopard is smaller and more active
+than the Tiger and larger than the Panther.
+It is arboreal in its habits and finds
+in the spots or rosettes which decorate
+its tawny skin a provision highly favorable
+to concealment among the foliage,
+wherein it lurks, until some passing animal
+approaches sufficiently near to enable
+it to spring upon its unsuspecting
+prey.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The activity of the Leopard is almost
+beyond belief. Mr. Andersson, speaking
+of his Dogs, says: “They were, I conjectured,
+from their steady, unbroken, deep
+bay, close upon the haunches of their enemy,
+yet I could not see distinctly either
+the Dogs or the object of the pursuit,
+when all at once a magnificent Leopard
+sprang right before me, from the topmost
+branches of a tall acacia, clearing with a
+single bound all his fierce assailants. I
+was so astounded at the magnitude of the
+leap—without having witnessed it one
+can hardly form a notion of the distance
+oversprung—that, looking first at the
+tree, and then at the spot on which the
+beautiful beast had alighted, I could not
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_52'>52</span>withdraw my eyes from the scene of its
+exploit.”</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>From the propensity of the Leopard to
+ascend trees, especially when pursued, it
+has in India obtained the name of the
+lackree-bang or Tree-tiger. “Leopards,”
+says Mr. Williamson, “will not ascend
+trees which have not some underwood
+growing near them; their usual
+haunts are found in those close woods of
+which the intervals are grown up with
+thorns, etc., and especially where there
+are old trees with low boughs, favoring
+their access to the more shady parts of the
+foliage.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>“The royal Tiger will not touch anything
+but of its own killing, but Leopards
+are not quite so fastidious, and may be allured
+by the scent of meat. I have heard
+this doubted; but the following fact,
+which occurred while the corps to which
+I was then attached was at Hazary-bhang,
+in the Ram-ghur country, puts the
+matter out of doubt. The sergeant-major
+of our battalion had killed an Ox for
+his winter provision, and had hooked up
+the joints within his hut, which was on the
+right flank of the line, close to the grenadier
+bell of arms. The sentry stationed
+there gave the alarm that some large animal
+had entered the hut, in which there
+were several apartments. A light was
+brought, and numbers crowded the place,
+but nothing could be seen for awhile. All
+were about to retire, when it was discovered
+that a Leopard was clinging to the
+thatch with his claws, just above where
+the meat was hanging. No sooner did
+the animal perceive that he was discovered
+than he quitted his hold, springing
+suddenly down, and darted <a id='through'></a>through the
+doorway, clawing several as he passed,
+and giving the poor sentry in particular a
+scratch in the face which laid him up for
+several weeks.”</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>“Nightly,” says Sir W. C. Harris,
+“may his low half-smothered growl be
+heard as he prowls round the fold; and in
+spite of the baying troops of Watch Dogs
+that are maintained for the protection of
+the flock, he not unfrequently contrives
+to purloin mutton. Viewed in his wild
+state, few animals can surpass the lurking
+Leopard in point of beauty, his brilliant
+orange and white skin, which shines like
+silk, being richly studded with open rosettes,
+sometimes of the most intense sable,
+at others disposed as if a Cat had
+been walking over him with her paws
+tarred. Nor is he less distinguished for
+elegance and grace. His every motion
+easy and flexible in the highest degree, he
+bounds among the rocks and woods with
+an agility truly amazing; now stealing
+along the ground with the silence of a
+Snake—now crouching with his fore-paws
+extended, and his spotted head laid
+between them, while his chequered tail
+twitches impatiently, and his pale eyes
+glare mischievously upon his unsuspecting
+victim.”</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE PANTHER.</h3>
+
+<div id='i036'  class='figcenter id011'>
+<img src='images/illus083.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>Panther Surprised by Tree Snake.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Panther is a pretty animal, about
+three feet in length, not including the
+tail, and is distinguished from the preceding
+Felidae by its deep yellowish-brown
+coat, speckled with numerous
+spots. These spots, quite black on the
+head, are disposed in a rose-like fashion
+over the other parts of the body, being
+formed of five or six little black patches
+grouped in a circular manner around a
+piece which is of the same color as the
+ground of the coat.
+For a long time, and even sometimes
+now-a-days, the Panther has been frequently
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_55'>55</span>confounded with the Leopard, to
+which certainly it bears a great resemblance.
+From this error has arisen grave
+contradictions as to its history, and much
+uncertainty with regard to the limits of its
+natural locality.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>It appears to be demonstrated, however,
+that the veritable Panther is not
+found in Africa, but only in India, Japan,
+and the neighboring islands, such as Java,
+Sumatra, &amp;c. The island of Java possesses
+a variety which is completely black.
+This is the famous Black Panther, the
+terror of Java and Sumatra.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Panther ascends trees with agility,
+into which it pursues Monkeys and other
+climbing animals. It is a ferocious and
+untamable animal, and inhabits only the
+wildest forests. No Carnivore, not even
+the Tiger, is more unconquerable, and its
+pursuit is proportionably dangerous. It
+rarely attacks Man without being provoked;
+but it is irritated at the merest
+trifle, and its anger is manifested by the
+lightning rapidity of its onset, which invariably
+results in the speedy death of the
+imprudent being who has aroused its
+fury. Its power, nimbleness, and stealth
+surpass anything that can be imagined;
+and it is these qualities which render it so
+dangerous.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Notwithstanding its ferocity when
+wild, the Panther is easily tamed when
+captured young and is then as mild and
+affectionate as a Dog.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Panther is especially fond of
+young Birds, but is frequently disappointed
+in his search by finding that a
+Snake has preceded him and secured the
+prize, as illustrated. During his rovings,
+the Panther espies a nest and begins at
+once to climb the bough on which it is
+built just as the father Bird returns with
+food for the Birds. At the sight of the
+fearful enemy near his nest, he utters a series
+of low pitiful shrieks. The mate answers
+him from the distance and comes flying
+swiftly towards him. But the Panther
+does not allow himself to be turned from
+his purpose; on the contrary, the parents’
+alarm makes him feel assured that the
+nest contains a prize for him. Meanwhile
+the Snake’s rest has become disturbed
+during the clamor and just as the
+Panther raises his head to peer into the
+nest, the head of the Snake with wide
+open jaws shoots hissing upon him. He
+falls backward startled! He shares the
+abhorrence of many animals for the
+Snake, and also fears its sharp bite. One
+moment he hesitates as to whether to
+give up the hoped-for prize, then slowly
+retreats.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Panther not only climbs the trees
+to secure the Birds and small climbing
+animals, but lurking in concealment
+among the foliage it springs upon the Antelopes
+or other large game which happens
+to approach its hiding place.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>A tame Panther in the possession of
+Mrs. Bowdich was left at liberty to go
+where he pleased, and a boy was appointed
+to prevent him from intruding
+into the apartments of the officers. His
+keeper, however, generally passed his
+watch in sleeping, and Sai, as the Panther
+was called, roamed at large. On one occasion
+Sai found his servant sitting on the
+step of the door, upright, but fast asleep,
+when he lifted his paw, gave him a blow
+on the side of the head, which laid him
+flat, and then stood wagging his tail as if
+conscious of the mischief he had committed.
+He became exceedingly attached
+to the governor, and followed him
+everywhere, like a Dog. His favorite
+station was at a window of the sitting-room,
+which overlooked the whole town.
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_56'>56</span>There, standing on his hind-legs, his fore-paws
+resting on the ledge of the window,
+and his chin laid between them, he appeared
+to amuse himself with what was
+passing underneath. The children also
+stood with him at the window, and one
+day, finding his presence an incumbrance,
+and that they could not get their
+chairs close, they united their efforts to
+pull him down by the tail. He one day
+missed the governor, who, being in the
+hall, surrounded by black people, was hidden
+from view, Sai wandered in search
+of him, and having at length found him
+seated writing at a table, the Panther immediately
+sprang from the door on to his
+neck, put his head close to the governors,
+rubbed his head upon his shoulder, and
+tried to evince his happiness.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>When on board a ship at anchor in
+the river Gaboon, an Orang-Outang was
+brought for sale, and lived three days on
+board. “I shall never,” writes Mrs. Bowdich,
+“forget the uncontrollable rage of
+the one, or the agony of the other, at this
+meeting. The Orang was about three
+feet high, and very powerful in proportion
+to his size, so that when he fled with
+extraordinary rapidity from the Panther
+to the farther end of the deck, neither
+men nor things remained upright when
+they opposed his progress; there he took
+refuge in a sail, and although generally
+obedient to the voice of his master, force
+was necessary to make him quit the shelter
+of its folds. As to the Panther, his
+back rose in an arch, his tail was elevated
+and perfectly stiff, his eyes flashed, and as
+he howled he showed his huge teeth;
+then, as if forgetting the bars before him,
+he tried to spring on the Orang, to tear
+him to atoms.”</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE JAGUAR.</h3>
+
+<div id='i057'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus133.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>JAGUAR.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Jaguar is the Leopard of the
+American forests, and nearly approaches
+to the Tiger of India in strength and daring.
+The Jaguar may be distinguished
+from the Leopard by a bold streak or two
+of black extending across the chest from
+shoulder to shoulder. The rosettes on
+the body are very large, open and rather
+angular, with a central spot or two in
+each, and a central chain of black dashes
+extends along the spine. The size of the
+Jaguar varies, but usually exceeds that
+of the Leopard. Its form is more robust
+and less agile and graceful. The limbs
+are short, but exceedingly thick and muscular,
+the head square and larger, and the
+tail comparatively shorter. The Jaguar
+is the most formidable of all the American
+members of the Cat family. It prefers
+the marshy and wooded districts of
+the warmer latitudes, and haunts the vast
+forest along the larger rivers. He climbs
+and swims with equal facility, and preys
+on the larger domestic quadrupeds, on
+Peccaries and Monkeys, and also on Tortoises
+and Fishes. Sonnini saw the
+scratches left on the smooth bark of a tree
+without branches forty feet high. Humboldt
+heard the Jaguar’s yell from the
+tops of the trees, followed by the sharp,
+shrill, long whistle of the terrified Monkeys,
+as they seemed to flee. It takes
+Birds in their nests and Fish in the shallows
+and makes havoc in some districts
+among Horses, Cattle and Sheep.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Jaguar is also called the American
+Tiger; it is the largest carnivorous animal
+of the New World. It almost equals the
+Tiger in size, as well as in blood-thirstiness;
+it measures nearly seven feet from
+the end of the nose to the root of the tail.
+It is not Zebra-striped like the Tiger, but
+spotted in the same manner as the Panther.
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_57'>57</span>Its markings are most numerous
+on the head, thighs, legs and back, but
+always irregular in shape. The ground
+color of the coat is of a bright tawny hue
+above, and white beneath.
+The Jaguar is spread over nearly the
+whole of South America and of the
+warmer parts of North America. It inhabits
+the great forests traversed by rivers,
+and actively pursues various aquatic
+Mammals. Like the Tiger, it swims with
+ease and passes the day in inaction among
+the islets of the great lagoons and rivers.
+In the evening it seeks its food, and levies
+a heavy tribute on the immense herds of
+wild Cattle and Horses that graze in the
+Pampas of the Plata. With a single blow
+of its paw it breaks the back-bone of its
+victims.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>At the setting and rising of the sun it
+gives utterance to two cries, which are
+well known to the natives and to hunters.
+It is by this means that it announces to
+living nature the commencement and the
+termination of its feeding operations, and
+thus excites terror or joy. In certain
+parts of South America, Jaguars were so
+numerous, that, according to Azara, in
+the seventeenth century, two thousand
+were killed every year at Paraguay. At
+the present time many are yet to be found
+in that region, although their numbers
+are considerably diminished.</p>
+
+<div>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_58'>58</span>
+<h3 class='c015'>THE PUMA OR COUGAR.</h3>
+</div>
+
+<div id='i053'  class='figcenter id012'>
+<img src='images/illus125.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>Pumas Fighting over Vultures.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Puma or Cougar, formerly improperly
+called the American Lion, is an
+animal about four and a half feet long,
+and of an uniform fawn color without any
+spots. It inhabits Paraguay, Brazil, Guiana,
+Mexico and the United States. It
+has the general appearance of a Lioness,
+without possessing its dimensions.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>This animal is alike remarkable for
+stealth and agility. It makes great ravages
+among the herds, and differs from
+the other Cats, in slaying numerous victims
+before it commences to feed. To
+carry off the smaller domestic animals, it
+visits human habitations during the
+night. It prefers living in the open country,
+yet it climbs trees; its agility is such,
+that at one bound it can ascend upwards
+of twenty feet.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Puma is easily tamed, when it
+knows its master, and receives his caresses
+with pleasure. No inconvenience
+results from allowing it to run at liberty.
+The celebrated English actor, Kean, had
+a Puma which followed him like a Dog,
+and kept close to him in the most
+crowded assembly.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE OCELOT.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Ocelot, one of the most beautiful
+of the Cat family, is a little more than
+three feet in length. The color of its fur
+is a greyish fawn, marked with large
+spots of a bright fawn, edged with black.
+Its habits are entirely nocturnal; it feeds
+on Monkeys, Rodents and Birds, climbing
+the trees in their pursuit with great
+swiftness. It is found in various parts of
+North and South America.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Like the Puma, it rapidly becomes attached
+to Man. Azara has seen one
+which, although it enjoyed the greatest
+liberty, would never leave its master.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE LYNXES.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The animals belonging to the Lynx
+family differ from the other Felidae in
+their longer coat, their shorter tail, and
+their ears, which are terminated by a tuft
+of hair. A great number of varieties of
+Lynx are known, as well in the Old as in
+the New World. The principal ones,
+however, are the European Lynx, the
+Canada Lynx and the Caracal.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE EUROPEAN LYNX.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The European Lynx is well known in
+the great forests of Northern Europe and
+in Asia; it is also found in some of the
+Alps and Pyrenees, as well as in the Sierras
+of Spain. This animal measures
+from thirty to thirty-six inches, not including
+the tail, which is four inches long.
+The upper parts of its body are of a bright
+red color, with small brown spots, while
+the under parts are white. On each side
+of its face it has an addition of white
+hairs, which resemble whiskers.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The name of “Loup-cervier” sometimes
+given to it, probably originated
+from its howling like a Wolf during the
+night. It nimbly climbs trees in pursuit
+of prey. Martens, Ermines, Hares and
+Rabbits are its favorite food. It does
+not, however, eat the flesh of larger victims,
+unless its hunger is extreme; but
+generally is satisfied by sucking out the
+brain.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Taken young, it becomes accustomed
+to captivity, and is fond of being caressed,
+but it will return to its wild life if opportunity
+offers, so really never becomes attached
+to its master. It is an extremely
+cleanly animal, and, like the Cat, passes a
+large portion of its time in washing and
+cleansing its fur.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The European Lynx is not much
+smaller than the Wolf, and is said to be
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_59'>59</span>rather shy than bold, never attacking
+Man except in self-defence, and using his
+claws as his principal weapons. This animal
+frequents mountainous and thickly-wooded
+districts, and confines himself to
+a limited hunting ground, not hunting in
+a pack, but usually in pairs, the mother
+being frequently followed by her young
+ones. The Lynx usually reposes during
+the day in such a position as to perceive
+either the approach of danger or of prey,
+going forth at twilight or early dawn to
+seek for food. Mr. Lloyd tells us that if
+the Lynx fails in his spring, he does not
+pursue his prey to any great distance, but
+slinks back to his retreat, in proof whereof
+he relates the following anecdote:
+“Some years ago, while a peasant was occupied
+with agricultural labors in the
+spring, he observed that some Sheep
+feeding in the distance shied when passing
+near a boulder on the hill-side. Inclination
+for the green grass, however,
+having at length got the better of their
+fears, they once more approached the
+spot, when out dashed a large Lynx from
+his ambush, and made several bounds towards
+them; but as the poor creatures
+had the start of him, they were so fortunate
+as to escape his clutches. Seeing
+that his efforts were fruitless, the beast
+now turned about and retreated to his
+hiding place, which the peasant observing,
+he hastened home for his gun, and
+stealthily approaching the spot, shot him
+while in his lair.”</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE CANADA LYNX.</h3>
+
+<div id='i059'  class='figcenter id003'>
+<img src='images/illus140.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>LYNX ATTACKING FAWN.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Canada Lynx in size and coloring
+closely resembles the European species
+last mentioned. It is about three feet in
+length, besides the tail, which measures
+from four to five inches. It is retired in
+its habits, keeping away even from the
+dwellings of the first settlers in the forests.
+Its fine long fur enables it to resist
+the cold of the high latitudes in which it
+lives. It is found north of the Great
+Lakes, as far southward as the Middle
+States, and occasionally near the sea
+coast.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>When alarmed or pursued, the Canada
+Lynx leaps or bounds rapidly in a
+straight direction from danger, and takes
+to a tree when hard pressed by Dogs. It
+is very strong, and possessing remarkably
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_60'>60</span>large and powerful fore-legs and
+claws, is able to climb trees of any size;
+and can leap from a considerable height
+to the ground without seeming to feel
+the jar, alighting on all four feet at the
+same instant, ready for flight or for battle.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The food of the Canada Lynx consists
+principally of Birds and small quadrupeds.
+Occasionally it may carry off some
+small live stock of the farmer, but it usually
+prefers such game as may be met
+with in the depths of the forest in which it
+lurks.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE CARACAL.</h3>
+
+<div id='i054'  class='figcenter id013'>
+<img src='images/illus126.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>Caracal Defending His Booty from Jackals.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Caracal is about the size of the
+European Lynx. Its fur is red above,
+without spots, and its chest is fawn colored,
+speckled with brown. It is the
+Lynx of the ancients, and inhabits the
+north and east of Africa, Arabia and Persia.
+Its habits differ very little from those
+of the Lynx. It always retains, when in
+captivity, its savage disposition and a
+great desire for liberty.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Caracal lies in wait for young Antelope
+and overpowers them without
+special exertion, tearing with his sharp
+teeth the artery of the throat. The dexterous
+hunter seldom enjoys his prey in
+peace for, as all large animals of prey pursue
+the small, so the bold, intruding
+Jackal presses him from all sides, waiting
+his chance to snatch part whenever possible.
+Our illustration shows such a
+scene. The Jackal generally has a bad
+time in a combat with the Caracal. The
+Caracal has never yet been tamed in any
+menagerie. Even the Arabs of the Soudan
+fear him. In the illustration he has
+been aggravated to the highest pitch by
+the attacks of the Jackal. With his long
+bushy ears lying flat, lips drawn backward
+and one sharp, pointed claw raised,
+he stands ready to strike and bite. Several
+of the Jackals have already felt his
+weapons. Despite this they howl and
+press around him until he has had his fill
+and leaves the rest of his meat for the persistent
+beggars.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Caracal is said to occasionally
+hunt in packs like Wild Dogs. But this
+is uncommon; they usually hunt singly or
+in companies of two or three, creeping
+towards their victim and springing suddenly
+upon it.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>In captivity, Caracals are very irritable,
+and sometimes display great ferocity.
+Dr. Charleton saw one kill and destroy a
+Hound in a moment, although the poor
+creature defended itself to the uttermost.
+They retire to a corner of their den,
+crouching sullenly, and resenting every
+attempt at familiarity; when irritated, the
+ears are laid close to the head, the eyes
+glare with malignant fury, the teeth are
+displayed, and they utter a hiss not unlike
+that of a Cat, and quite different from the
+<a id='growl'></a>growl of a Lion or Tiger. In their wild
+state they avoid man, but are dangerous
+foes when hard pressed or wounded.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE OUNCE AND SERVAL.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>These are two members of the Cat family
+that seem but little known.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>In size, the Ounce is between the Panther
+and Leopard. The color of its coat
+is not yellow, but grey, and its spots are
+much more irregular than on these animals.
+It is a native of Asia.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Serval is also named the Cat-pard
+or Tiger Cat. It is only about thirty
+inches long. It is found in the forests of
+Southern Africa; also in Abyssinia and
+Algeria. It lives on small animals, particularly
+Monkeys and Rodents. Its savage
+nature cannot be changed by taming.
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_61'>61</span>Its fur, which is varied with bars and
+black spots on a buff ground, is quite valuable.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE CHEETAH.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Cheetah or Hunting Leopard
+forms the transition between the Cat and
+Dog families. By its <a id='phys'></a>physical organization
+and its character it belongs, in fact,
+to both these classes. It has weak, non-retractile
+claws, which are unfitted for
+tearing purposes; but in its teeth it unmistakably
+shows its affinity to the Cat
+family. Its limbs are also longer, and
+the body more slender than that of the
+Cats, from whence results a greater aptitude
+for hunting. Its tail is curled over
+on itself at the extremity, a disposition
+very common in Dogs, but which is not
+observed in the Cats. Its mildness, obedient
+temper, and attachment when tame,
+naturally define its place on the confines
+of the Feline and the Canine family.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Hunting Leopard inhabits Southern
+Asia and various parts of Africa. It
+is about four feet in length, and twenty-six
+inches in height. Its fur is very elegant,
+being a bright fawn color above,
+perfectly white beneath, and everywhere
+interspersed with black spots. The tail is
+barred with twelve alternately white and
+black rings. A quantity of hair, longer
+than on other parts of the body, grows on
+the back of the head and neck, forming a
+scanty mane.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Cheetah seizes its prey by a succession
+of bounds remarkable for their
+rapidity. In India and Persia has been
+adopted the habit of training it to hunt
+certain animals, its natural docility allowing
+it to be readily trained for this service.
+The custom of employing the
+Cheetah for hunting goes back to a very
+remote period, for the Arab Rhazes speak
+of it in the tenth century.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>In Mongolia the following is the
+method of conducting this sport. The
+sportsmen start off on horseback, carrying
+the Cheetah either on a Horse, or in a
+carriage specially constructed for the
+purpose. The animal is chained, and its
+eyes blindfolded. The places which
+Gazelles frequent are sought out. As
+soon as one is perceived, the hunters
+stop, the Cheetah is unfastened, and its
+eyes unbandaged and the game is pointed
+out to it. Immediately, under cover of
+the high vegetation and brushwood, the
+beast glides off in pursuit, taking advantage,
+with unequalled tact, of the slightest
+breaks in the ground to conceal its movements.
+When it considers that it is sufficiently
+near its victim, it suddenly shows
+itself, dashes on with terrible impetuosity,
+springs on the prey after a succession of
+prodigious bounds and immediately pulls
+it to the ground.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Its master, who has followed the events
+of the chase, then enters upon the scene.
+To detach it from its victim, he throws it
+a piece of flesh, speaks gently to it, and
+caresses it; after which he again covers its
+eyes, and replaces it on the saddle or in its
+conveyance, while the assistants carry off
+the prey.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>This kind of hunting is very popular in
+Mongolia, and a well-trained Hunting
+Leopard attains an extraordinary price
+among the inhabitants.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>In captivity, the Cheetah is familiar,
+gentle and playful, becoming greatly attached
+to those who are kind to it. When
+pleased it purs; and mews like a Cat when
+in distress.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_63'>63</span>
+  <h2 id='h063' class='c014'>THE DOG FAMILY.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<div id='i062'  class='figcenter id014'>
+<img src='images/illus147.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>ESQUIMAU DOGS.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>The many different kinds of Dogs that
+are spread over the entire surface of the
+globe, with the Wolves, Jackals and
+Foxes, and their numerous smaller relatives
+are all grouped under the family of
+Canidae, which is derived from the Latin
+word Canis, meaning a Dog. All the
+members of this family are digitigrade.
+Though they walk on their toes, like the
+members of the Felidae, or Cat family,
+their claws are neither sharp nor retractile
+like those of the Cat and they cannot
+serve either for attack or defence.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Nearly all the members of this family
+have long tails, more or less clothed with
+hair, and their tongue is smooth, and in
+this respect different from the Cats.</p>
+
+<div id='i063'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus151.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>NEWFOUNDLAND DOG.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c008'>They are the most intelligent of the
+Carnivora. Their senses, particularly
+that of smell, are strongly developed.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Some Naturalists claim that the Dog
+is a tamed Wolf, others that he is a well-educated
+Jackal, but there can be little
+doubt that he constitutes a genus set
+apart for the service of mankind, although
+there are such numerous varieties
+of domestic Dogs. It is impossible to
+discover in which of the past ages, the
+Dog became the servant of Man. The
+oldest traditions and the most ancient
+history show us the Dog as the friend and
+the servant of mankind.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'><span class='pageno' id='Page_64'>64</span>Volumes might be written relating
+stories of which Dogs are the heroes.
+Every day in ordinary life we see something
+of this kind, and which, although
+of such frequent occurrence, is none the
+less curious. As examples of the past we
+might call to memory the Dog of Ulysses,
+the model of fidelity; the Dog of
+Montargis, the vanquisher of crime; of
+Munito, the brilliant player of dominoes.
+It is not necessary to mention
+the Newfoundland Dog and the
+Dog of Mount St. Bernard, as preservers
+of human life; their wonderful exploits
+are too well known to require special instances
+as examples. Nor is it necessary
+to speak of the numberless instances of
+intelligent Dogs going for provisions for
+their masters, and serving them in curious
+ways—like the shoe-black’s Dog,
+who was trained to plant his muddy paws
+on the best polished boots, so as to bring
+more business to his master, the man of
+the brush. We should never come to an
+end if we attempted to tell of all the exploits
+of this valuable companion of man.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>It is also useless to attempt to mention
+all the various species of Dogs that are
+found scattered over all the inhabited
+parts of the world; but certain varieties
+may be divided into classes. The Sporting
+Dogs, for instance, are usually divided
+into two classes—the Running Dogs
+or Hounds, and the Setters or
+Pointers. The first follow rapidly on a
+track or scent, howling and crying all the
+way, and only stop when they have captured
+or lost their game. The second follow
+silently on the trail of the game, and
+only stop pursuing it when the scent announces
+that they are close to the object
+of their search. It is then that they are
+said to be pointing or setting. Setters
+generally lie down and wait for the
+sportsman, while the Pointers stand.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Among the Running Dogs might be
+mentioned the Greyhound, the Hounds
+of Saintonge and of Poitou, English Foxhounds,
+Harriers and Beagles, <a id='turn'></a>Turnspits,
+Bull-dogs, Mastiffs, etc. The
+principal sporting Dogs are the Pointers,
+Setters, Land Spaniels and Water Spaniels.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>It is almost impossible to class all the
+different kinds of Dogs in groups, with
+the many races and sub-races now existing.
+Some Naturalists have divided all
+these different varieties into three classes—the
+Matins, the Spaniels, and the Mastiffs,
+and although this method may
+have its faults, it also has the advantage
+of being easy to remember and sufficient
+for practical use.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>It is among the Matins that the largest-sized
+Dogs are found. The ordinary
+Matin—the great Danish Dog—is as
+large as a good-sized Donkey; under this
+class are also found the Spotted Danish
+Dog, the Little Danish Dog, the different
+varieties of Greyhounds, the Pyrenean
+Shephard’s Dog, the Alpine Dog,
+and the St. Bernard Dog.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Spaniels comprise the Wolf Dog,
+the Chinese Dog, the Siberian Dog, the
+Esquimaux Dog—the two latter being
+used to draw sledges across the snow—the
+French and English Spaniels, and
+what is classed as the Small Spaniel, including
+a great number of varieties of
+“Lap Dogs,” which are the favorite home
+pets, in spite of the fact that they are particularly
+remarkable for their ugliness,
+and their small size. The principal Lap-dogs
+are the King Charles, Cocker, Blenheim,
+Small Poodle and the Small White
+Dog of Cuba, or Havanese Dog, etc.
+Then we come to the Turnspits, with
+straight and crooked legs; the St. Domingo
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_65'>65</span>Dog; the large Water Spaniel—the
+most faithful and intelligent of all
+dogs; the Little Water Spaniel, Poodle,
+Newfoundland Dog; Stag, Fox and Hare
+Hounds; Bloodhounds, Pointers and Setters.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Among the Mastiffs are placed the
+Great Dog or English Mastiff, an animal
+that is very courageous, and a great
+fighter; the Thibit Mastiff, the Small
+Mastiff, the Pug, the Bull-dog, the Terrier,
+and Bull Terrier, the Turkish Dog,
+remarkable for its almost naked skin,
+and last of all, our common Cur Dog,
+with no distinct characteristics.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Then we have a class of Dogs distinct
+from these friends and servants of mankind.
+These live either entirely wild or
+half-wild, and are scattered over various
+parts of the globe. These are the Dingo,
+or New Holland Dog, which is very
+destructive to domestic animals, and even
+to cattle; the Dhale, or East Indian Dog,
+which in packs, pursues Deer, Gazelles,
+etc., and which, when collected in troops,
+does not fear to fight with the Lion or
+Tiger; the Wild Dog of Sumatra; the
+Cape of Good Hope Dog and the Maroon
+Dog of America.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE HYENA DOG.</h3>
+
+<div id='i066'  class='figcenter id003'>
+<img src='images/illus158.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>HYENA DOGS.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Hyena Dog might be classed with
+these wild and half-wild Dogs, although
+it is usually given a distinct genus. As
+the name indicates, it has several points
+of resemblance with the Hyena. This
+Dog inhabits South Africa. It is about
+the size of a Wolf, but not so strong as
+that animal. Its coat is of a deep gray
+color speckled with spots of various colors.
+It has large pointed ears and the
+tail is long and bushy. Although like
+the Hyena, it is very fond of putrid flesh,
+the Hyena Dog also feeds on living prey,
+especially Gazelles, Antelopes, etc. To
+pursue and capture these, the Hyena
+Dogs collect in troops, which are sometimes
+very numerous, and under the direction
+of a chief, they hunt with an intelligence
+unsurpassed by the best pack of
+Hounds. When the game is taken they
+divide it equally, but if any of the larger
+Carnivorous animals approach to take
+a share in the feast, they all unite against
+the intruder. Even Leopards and Lions
+have <a id='been'></a>been driven off by a troop of these
+fierce Hyena Dogs.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE DESTRUCTIVE WOLF.</h3>
+
+<div id='i067'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus161.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>WOLF.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>Wherever the Wolf is found it is especially
+dreaded by the owners of flocks and
+herds, and it is considered the most destructive
+quadruped met with in Europe.
+Both in their habits and their
+physical structure they are very closely
+related to the Dog. The sense of smell
+in the Wolf is very acute, but its speed is
+not great. It wearies out its victim by
+untiring perseverance and when in full
+chase it persistently follows the track of
+the fugitive.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Wolf is found throughout the
+whole of Europe, excepting Great Britain
+and the neighboring islands, where it
+has been exterminated. It also inhabits
+the cold and temperate regions of Asia
+and America. In some natural excavation
+situated in the woods, the Wolf takes
+up its abode. From here it steals forth
+at night to prey upon all the weaker animal
+life.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Among the varieties of the Common
+Wolf, it is necessary to mention the Black
+Wolf, which inhabits the North of Europe,
+and the Black Wolves of the Himalayas;
+the Dusky Wolf and the Prairie
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_67'>67</span>Wolf, which lives in troops on the great
+plains of North America; the Red Wolf,
+which leads a solitary life on the pampas
+of La Plata and in Texas and Mexico;
+lastly, the Mexican Wolf or Coyotte, and
+the Java Wolf. In the glacial regions of
+the two continents, White Wolves are
+found.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Although our Domestic Dogs and
+Wolves in a wild state are deadly enemies,
+yet when Wolves are captured
+quite young and tamed, they often become
+quite friendly with the Dogs of the
+home, and they are even considered safe
+playmates of the children in some instances,
+although they are rather treacherous,
+and probably few mothers would
+consider them safe. Yet a lady mentioned
+by Mr. Lloyd in this “Scandinavian
+Adventures” tells of a pet Wolf which
+she found trustworthy. “This Wolf became
+so faithful and attached that when
+we took a walk about the estate, and he
+was with us, he would crouch beside us
+when we rested, and would not allow anyone
+to approach nearer than about
+twenty paces; for if they came closer he
+would growl and show his teeth. When
+I called him he would lick my hand, at
+the same time always keeping his eyes
+fastened on the intruder. He went about
+the house and in the kitchen in the same
+manner as a Dog, and was much attached
+to the children, whom he would lick and
+play with. This continued until he was
+five months old. He had his kennel in
+the lower yard near the gate, and in the
+winter-time when the peasants came with
+charcoal, he would leap on to the stone
+fence, where he would wag his tail and
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_68'>68</span>whine until they came up to him and patted
+him. At such times he was always
+desirous of searching their pockets, that
+he might ascertain if they had anything
+good to eat about them. The men became
+so accustomed to this that they
+used to amuse themselves by putting a
+piece of bread in their coat pockets to let
+him find it out, and he ate all that they
+gave him. Besides this, he ate three
+bowls of food daily. It was remarkable
+that our Dogs used to eat with him out
+of the same bowl, but if any strange animal
+attempted to share the food with
+him, he would soon show anger.”</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>“At one time,” says Mr. Lloyd, “I had
+serious thoughts of training a fine Wolf
+in my possession as a pointer, but was deterred,
+owing to the liking she exhibited
+for the neighbor’s pigs. She was chained
+in a little enclosure, just in front of my
+window, into which these animals, when
+the gate was left open, ordinarily found
+their way. The devices the Wolf employed
+to get them into her power were
+very amusing. When she saw a Pig in
+the vicinity of the kennel she, evidently
+with the purpose of putting him off his
+guard, would throw herself on her side
+or back, wag her tail most lovingly, and
+look innocence personified. And this
+amiable demeanor would continue until
+the grunter was beguiled within the
+length of her tether, when in the twinkling
+of an eye the prey was clutched.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>“When the Wolf is hungry, everything
+is game that comes to his net. In the
+Gulf of Bothnia he often preys upon
+Seals. When that sea is frozen over, or
+partially so, as is generally the case soon
+after the turn of the year, he roams its icy
+surface in search of the young of the Gray
+Seal, which at that season breeds among
+the hummocks in great numbers; and
+finding this an easy way of procuring
+sustenance, he remains on the ice until it
+breaks up in the spring. It not unfrequently
+happens, however, that during
+storms large fields of ice, on which numbers
+of Wolves are congregated, break
+loose from the shore or the land-ice; in
+this case, as soon as the beasts perceive
+their danger, but see no possibility of
+escape, they rush to and fro, keeping up
+the while a most woeful howling, heard
+frequently at a great distance until they
+are swallowed up by the waves.”</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The vision and hearing, but more particularly
+the sense of smell in the Wolf,
+are very fully developed. These faculties
+are of great service in enabling it to
+obtain food and avoid danger.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>When suffering from hunger it loses
+all caution, and becomes a scourge to the
+farmers’ flocks and a source of danger
+even to Man. In broad daylight, under
+such circumstances, without being seen, it
+will draw near a flock of Sheep, eluding
+the vigilance of the dogs, it will dart forward,
+seize a victim that it has singled
+out, and bear it off with such velocity as
+often to defy pursuit. This exploit accomplished,
+it returns time after time to
+the scene of its previous success, until destroyed
+or driven from the neighborhood.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>When it succeeds in obtaining entrance
+to a sheepfold, the havoc it commits
+is fearful, for it makes a general massacre
+among the inmates. The slaughter
+terminated, it carries away a victim
+for immediate use. It afterwards takes
+a second, third, and fourth, which it conceals
+in different places in the neighboring
+woods. Nor does it return to its retreat
+until daybreak, devoting the last
+moments to secreting its booty.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>This craving for slaughter, preceding
+the act of hiding the carcasses, rather denotes
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_69'>69</span>foresight than ferocity; the Wolf is
+not, therefore, the monster of cruelty
+pictured by Buffon.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Wolf often destroys Dogs, its
+most deadly enemy; and resorts to stratagem
+the better to accomplish its purpose.
+Should it see a Puppy about a
+farmyard, it approaches, and attracts attention
+by frisking and making all kinds
+of gambols to gain its confidence. When
+the youngster, seduced by these overtures,
+responds to them, and leaves the
+friendly shelter of its home, it is immediately
+overpowered, and carried off.
+Against a vigorous Dog, capable of defending
+itself with success, the stratagem
+is different. Two Wolves arrange between
+themselves the following plan:—One
+shows itself to the hoped-for-victim,
+and endeavors to make the Dog follow
+its track into an ambuscade, where the
+second Wolf is concealed. Both suddenly
+assail it at once, and through their
+combination obtain an easy victory.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Under ordinary circumstances the
+Wolf does not molest Man, but even flies
+from his presence. In cases of extreme
+hunger, on the contrary, it attacks him,
+looking out for an unguarded moment in
+order to take him unawares. If the Man
+is on horseback or accompanied by a
+Dog, its first efforts are directed against
+the quadrupeds.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>During the winter, when the ground
+is covered with snow, in the great plains
+of Germany, in the vast steppes of Russia
+and Poland, Wolves are most dangerous.
+“Hunger drives the Wolf from the
+wood,” says a proverb. Allied in immense
+troops they range the country in
+every direction, and become a terrible
+scourge.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>In those plains of Siberia that are infested
+by Wolves a sledge journey is far
+from agreeable, for frequently a band of
+these ferocious brutes persistently follow
+travelers. If the sledge stops for only a
+second, the Men and Horses are lost;
+safety exists only in flight. The struggle
+on such occasions is fearful. The
+Horses, mad with terror, seem to have
+wings. The Wolves follow on their
+track, their eyes flashing with fire. It is
+a terrible situation to be placed in to behold
+these black spectres tearing across
+the surface of the white shroud of snow,
+thirsting for your blood. From time to
+time a report is heard; a Wolf falls.
+More audacious than the others, the victim
+had tried to climb the sledge, and one
+of the travelers has shot it. This incident
+gives some advantage to the fugitives;
+for the carnivorous troop halt for a
+few seconds to devour the body of their
+companion.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Wolves are not hunted with Hounds
+that run by scent, for it would only be
+possible to overtake them with Greyhounds,
+as they are endowed with great
+speed and endurance. The method generally
+adopted for their destruction is to
+post the hunters around the covers which
+a Wolf frequents. These measures being
+taken, the grizzly marauder is started by
+Bloodhounds, specially trained for the
+purpose. The Wolf dashes past the
+sportsmen, either successfully running
+the gauntlet or getting shot.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE JACKAL.</h3>
+
+<div id='i070'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus170.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>JACKAL.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Jackal, five or six varieties of
+which are known, is common to the
+whole of Africa, all the warm regions of
+Asia, and to portions of Southern Europe.
+It is about the same length as the
+Fox, but stands a little taller. Its coat
+is of a greyish-yellow color above, and
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_70'>70</span>white beneath; its tail is tipped with black
+at the extremity.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Jackals live together in troops, which
+are sometimes composed of more than a
+hundred individuals. Although their
+eyes are adapted for seeing in daylight,
+they usually sleep during the day, and do
+not go abroad until night to seek their
+food. To keep together they are constantly
+howling, and their voice is sad,
+loud and unmusical. Their voracity and
+audacity are unparallelled. They enter
+habitations, when opportunity presents
+itself, and sweep off everything eatable
+they can reach; devouring even boots,
+Horse harness and other articles made of
+leather. In the desert they follow the
+caravans, prowl all night around their encampment,
+and endeavor to carry off anything
+chance may throw in their way.
+After the start of the caravan they rush
+upon the deserted halting-place, greedily
+fighting for all the refuse.
+Captain Williamson tells us that “Mr.
+Kinloch, who kept a famous pack of
+Hounds, having chased a Jackal into a
+jungle, found it necessary to call off his
+Dogs, in consequence of an immense
+herd of Jackals, which had suddenly collected
+on hearing the cries of their
+brother, which the Hounds were worrying.
+They were so numerous that not
+only the Dogs were defeated, but the
+Jackals rushed out of cover in pursuit of
+them; and when Mr. Kinloch and his
+party rode up to whip them off, their
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_71'>71</span>Horses were bit, and it was not without
+difficulty that a retreat was effected. The
+pack was found to have suffered so severely
+as not to be able to take the field
+for several weeks.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>“The Jackal is very watchful. He will
+wait at your door, and will enter your
+house, and avail himself of the smallest
+opening for enterprise; he will rob your
+roost, and steal Kids, Lambs, Pigs and
+sometimes even take a Pup from its
+sleepy mother; he will strip a larder or
+pick the bones of a carcass, all with equal
+avidity. It is curious to see them fighting,
+almost within reach of your stick, to
+reach the expected booty.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>“Both Jackals and Foxes sham death
+to admiration. After having been almost
+pulled to pieces by Dogs and left to
+all appearance lifeless, they sometimes
+gradually cock their ears, then look askance
+at the retiring enemy, and when
+they think themselves unobserved, steal
+under a bank, and thus skulk along till
+they find themselves safe, when, setting
+off at a trot or a canter, they make the
+best of their way to some place of security.”</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE FOXES.</h3>
+
+<div id='i072'  class='figcenter id015'>
+<img src='images/illus175.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>FOXES AT HOME.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>These animals are distinguished from
+Wolves and Dogs by their longer and
+more bushy tail, and by their elongated
+and more pointed muzzle. They have a
+most offensive odor; and dig holes in the
+ground, wherein they reside and rear
+their young. They live upon Birds and
+other animals, but never attack any but
+such as have no power of resistance. The
+cunning of the Fox has always furnished
+a subject fertile in amusing anecdotes.
+Their attachment to their young is well
+illustrated in the following little narrative
+extracted from Mr. Lloyd’s “Scandinavian
+Adventures:”</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>“A Fox having slaughtered a whole
+flock of Goslings, M. Drougge, to whom
+they belonged, resolved to attack her and
+her cubs in their ‘earth.’ This, however,
+was so deep that night set in before any
+satisfaction could be obtained. Some
+days after, on revisiting the kula (or
+‘earth’), it was found deserted, but, after
+some search, five cubs were found in a
+newly-made retreat, and deposited in an
+old hen-house belonging to the Lansmann,
+from whence, however, the mother
+nearly released them during the succeeding
+night; for in the morning the building
+was found undermined, and the half-rotten
+floor nearly bitten through. The
+cubs were now removed to an unoccupied
+room in the dwelling-house itself; and
+even here, by burrowing under the foundations
+of the building, as she was discovered
+to be doing during the two following
+nights, her attempts to free the prisoners
+were renewed. But the matter did
+not rest here; for one night shortly after,
+a continuous noise was heard in the attic,
+where, in consequence, the Lansmann
+proceeded to ascertain the cause of the
+disturbance. On his way up the stairs he
+was startled by an animal apparently resembling
+a Dog, running hastily past his
+legs, to which circumstance he at the time
+paid little attention; but as, when he
+reached the attic, he found everything
+quiet, he returned to his bed again. On
+the following morning, however, it was
+discovered that the Fox had been the
+cause of the uproar; for, with the intention
+of getting access to her cubs, she had
+been endeavoring to make an aperture in
+the chimney, and it then became perfectly
+clear that it was the Fox herself
+which, in her hurry to escape, had nearly
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_73'>73</span>upset the Lansmann, while mounting the
+steps the night before. The room below,
+in which the cubs were confined, was now
+examined, but they were nowhere to be
+seen. At length, however, their cries
+were heard in the flue of the stove, the
+whole of which structure it was necessary
+to take down before they could be extricated.”</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE FENNEC FOX.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Fennec Fox is a remarkable little
+animal found in Nubia and other parts of
+Northern Africa, where it resides in burrows
+excavated in the sand. Its body,
+head included, does not measure more
+than thirteen inches in length, while its
+tail, which is very bushy, is about eight
+inches long. Its head is narrow, with a
+pointed muzzle. Its eyes are large, and
+the iris of a deep blue color; the sides of
+its face are margined by long thick whiskers,
+while its enormous ears, which are
+very broad at the base, erect, and pointed,
+give a very singular appearance. The
+hair covering the body is of a pale fawn
+or cream color, shading into white beneath.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Bruce describes the Fennec as being a
+white Weasel. He had several of these
+successively in his possession, and says:
+“They were all known by the name of
+Fennec, and no other, and said to inhabit
+the date villages, where they build their
+nests upon trees.” Of one, which he
+kept, he tells us: “Though his favorite
+food seemed to be dates or sweet fruit,
+yet I observed he was very fond of eggs.
+Pigeons’ eggs and small Birds’ eggs were
+first brought him, which he devoured
+with great avidity, but he did not seem
+to know how to manage the egg of a hen;
+when broken for him, however, he
+seemed to eat it with the same eagerness
+as the others. When he was hungry, he
+would eat bread, especially with honey
+or sugar. It was observable that a Bird,
+whether confined in a cage near him or
+flying across a room, engrossed his whole
+attention. He followed it with his eyes
+wherever it went, nor was he at this time
+to be diverted by placing biscuit before
+him, and it was obvious, by the great interest
+he seemed to take in its motions,
+that he was accustomed to watch for victories
+over it, either for his pleasure or his
+food. He seemed very much alarmed at
+the approach of a Cat, and endeavored to
+hide himself, but showed no symptom of
+preparing for any defence. He suffered
+himself, not without some difficulty, to
+be handled in the day, when he seemed
+rather inclined to sleep, but was exceedingly
+restless when night came, always
+endeavoring to make his escape, and
+though he did not attempt the wire, yet
+with his sharp teeth he soon mastered the
+wood of any common bird-cage.”</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE COMMON FOX.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Common Fox is still found
+throughout Europe. For ages past it
+has had a reputation for cunning, which
+has given it great notoriety. “As cunning
+as a Fox” is one of the most common
+adages in the languages of nations.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Fox never attacks animals capable
+of resistance. In the twilight it ventures
+out in quest of its prey, when it wanders
+silently around the country, prowling
+about the covers and hedges, hoping to
+surprise Birds, Rabbits or Hares, its usual
+prey.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>If it fails to secure such delicate food,
+however, it will eat Field Mice, Lizards,
+Frogs, &amp;c. It does not dislike certain
+fruits, and it is especially fond of grapes.
+To domestic Fowls it is terribly destructive.
+When during its nightly prowling
+the crow of a Cock strikes its ear, it turns
+at once in the direction of the welcome
+sound. It wanders around the poultry
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_74'>74</span>yard, examining and observing all the
+weak points by which an entrance might
+be gained. When at last successful in
+reaching the Hen-roost, a reckless carnage
+among its occupants is made, and
+this not so much to satisfy a craving for
+blood as to provide store for the future.
+With this object, one by one the victims
+are carried off, and concealed in the
+woods or its den.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>If all efforts to enter the Hen-roost are
+unsuccessful, then Reynard undertakes to
+ruin it in detail, and to slay in one or more
+months those which he cannot kill in a
+day. With this intention he installs himself
+on the margin of a wood, close to the
+farm, and anxiously watches every movement
+of the poultry. If his prey wander
+into the fields, his attentions are doubled;
+seizing the moment when the Watch-dog
+is out of sight, he creeps towards them,
+draws near his victim without being seen,
+seizes, strangles and carries it off. When
+these manoeuvres have once succeeded,
+they are repeated till the poultry yard is
+empty.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The following story, narrated to me by
+an old woodman, also illustrates their
+cunning. Two Foxes, located in a neighborhood
+where Hares abounded, adopted
+an ingenious plan for capturing them.
+One of them lay in ambush on the side of
+a road; the other started the quarry and
+pursued it with ardor, with the object of
+driving the game into the road guarded
+by his associate. From time to time, by
+an occasional bark, the associate in ambush
+was notified how the chase was succeeding.
+When a Hare was driven into
+the road it was immediately pounced on,
+and both Foxes devoured it in thorough
+good fellowship. Nevertheless, it sometimes
+happened that the Fox who kept
+watch miscalculated his spring, and the
+Hare escaped. When, as though puzzled
+at his want of skill, he resumed his
+post, jumped on to the road, and several
+times repeated the movement. His comrade
+arriving in the middle of this exercise,
+was not slow to comprehend its
+meaning, and irritated at being fatigued
+to no purpose, chastised his clumsy associate;
+but a tussle of a few minutes sufficed
+to expend the bad humor, and they
+were ready to try again.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The adult Fox is also assisted by its
+young in procuring food when they become
+old enough. Some observers say
+that these family excursions are undertaken
+for the education of the cubs.
+When on a hunt to obtain <a id='aqua'></a>aquatic Birds,
+among the reeds and rushes that margin
+the borders of lakes and rivers, Foxes always
+proceed with extreme caution, and
+take especial care not to become unnecessarily
+wet.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>One of the most frequent tricks of the
+Fox, and which shows an unusual
+amount of intelligence, consists in simulating
+death when surprised by the hunters,
+and there is no hope of safety by
+flight. It may then be handled, kicked
+about in every direction, even lifted by
+the tail, hung up in the air, or carried
+thrown over one’s shoulder, without
+showing the slightest sign of life. But
+as soon as released, and opportunity for
+escape offers, it will hurry away to the
+great amazement of those so cleverly
+fooled.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Fox most frequently inhabits a
+burrow or “earth,” which it excavates
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_75'>75</span>among stones, rocks, or under the trunk
+of a tree, at the edge of a wood; at other
+times it digs its subterraneous retreat on
+cultivated land; always it is careful to
+have it on an elevated slope, so as to be
+protected against rain and inundations.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>At times it appropriates the burrow of
+a Rabbit or Badger, and re-arranges it to
+suit itself.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Its dwelling it divides into three parts:
+The first part is the place from whence it
+examines the neighborhood before coming
+out, and from where it watches for a
+favorable moment to escape its persecutors,
+when pursuit has driven it home.
+Then comes the store-room, a place with
+several outlets, where the provisions are
+stored away. Lastly, behind the store-room,
+quite at the bottom of the burrow,
+is the den, the sleeping chamber and real
+habitation of the animal. The Fox seldom
+regularly inhabits its burrow, except
+when rearing young. After that period
+it generally sleeps in a cover, near a spot
+where it thinks plunder is to be had,
+sometimes at a distance from its burrow.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h075' class='c006'>THE WEASEL FAMILY.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<div id='i075'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus182.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>WEASELS AND ERMINES.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>The Weasels and their many small relatives—the
+Ermines, Martens, Otters and
+many others—are usually classed with
+the Dog and Cat families and the Civets
+and Hyenas, under the second great division
+of the flesh-eating animals or those
+that walk on their toes; known as the
+Digitigrade Carnivora.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The fierce little Weasel, which is taken
+as a type of the whole Weasel family is
+the smallest of all the carnivorous animals.
+It does not often measure more
+than six inches in length. It is found all
+over the temperate part of Europe, although
+the most of its relatives prefer the
+cold climate of the far North. Its boldness
+and courage are wonderful, and it
+will often seize and kill animals very
+much larger than itself.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'><span class='pageno' id='Page_76'>76</span>A Weasel has even been seen to attack
+an Eagle, and after allowing himself to be
+carried high into the air, he has succeeded
+after a long, hard fight in biting through
+the throat of the Eagle. Then both fall
+to the ground, and the Eagle dies, although
+the Weasel is not hurt, except
+the wounds in his skin made by the
+Eagle’s talons, which soon heal.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Of all the animals belonging to this
+family, the Weasel is most easily tamed,
+and it <a id='soon'></a>soon shows a great affection for
+its master.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE ERMINE.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>This little animal is very much like the
+Weasel in size and form, but it usually
+prefers a colder climate, and makes its
+home in the northern regions of Sweden,
+Norway, Russia, Siberia and Arctic
+America. These animals do not often
+measure more than ten inches in length
+(not including the tail) but their skins are
+very valuable. They bring a high price,
+and a very important trade in them is carried
+on. In summer, the Ermine is of a
+beautiful brown color above and white
+below, while the tail is tipped with black.
+In winter the whole coat becomes a brilliant
+white, with sometimes a slightly
+yellow tinge, the tip of the tail remaining
+black. This is the season in which the
+fur is most valuable.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE MARTENS.</h3>
+
+<div id='i076'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus187.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>MARTEN SEEKING FOOD IN THE TREES.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>There are three species of Marten that
+make their home in Europe and Western
+Asia—the Pine Marten, the Sable and
+the Beech or Stone Marten. These all
+have large, open ears, and long bushy
+tails, and they live principally upon the
+trees, where, creeping from branch to
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_77'>77</span>branch, they hunt the small Birds and
+Squirrels. They are usually found in the
+gloom of dense forests.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Beech or Stone Marten is found in
+all parts of Europe, not only in the
+woods, but often in thick hedges and
+vineyards wherever there is shelter for
+it to creep along and hunt its prey. It
+will often make its home near a farm
+house and destroy with great fury the
+small domestic animals.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Sable is eagerly sought after on
+account of its fur. Its home is in the
+northern part of Europe, in the coldest
+parts of Russia and Siberia. The Turks,
+Russians and Chinese are the principal
+purchasers of their skins, and they distribute
+them in trade, far and wide,
+through Europe and Asia. The winter
+coat of the Sable is almost black and very
+close, and is much more valuable than
+when the animal is in summer dress.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Russian exiles in Siberia hunt the
+Sable, and when in search of this animal
+they are exposed to the perils of famine,
+climate and wild beasts.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Pine Marten is found in Northern
+Europe and North America. It owes its
+name to its supposed preference for the
+cones of the pine tree, as the Beech Marten
+is thought to select the fruit of the
+beech. The Pine Marten is of considerable
+size; its color yellowish, blended in
+some parts with a blackish tint; head
+lighter; throat yellow; tail long, bushy,
+and pointed. The fur varies in different
+individuals, both in color and fineness.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>This animal lurks in the thick woods,
+where its prey—Squirrels, Mice, Birds
+and their eggs—abound. It feeds likewise
+on Insects, Fish and the smaller
+Reptiles, and also on berries, nuts and
+honey. It is active and sprightly, and
+we are told by Dr. Godman that the Pine
+Marten frequently has his den in the hollows
+of trees, but very commonly takes
+possession of the nest of some industrious
+Squirrel, which it enlarges to suit its convenience,
+after putting the builder to
+death.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>These animals are caught for the sake
+of their fur, which is, however, inferior to
+that of the Sable Marten. A Partridge’s
+head with the feathers is the best bait for
+the log traps in which this animal is taken.
+It often destroys the hoards of meat and
+fish laid up by the natives, when they
+have accidentally left a crevice by which
+it can enter.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Marten, when its retreat is cut off,
+shows its teeth, sets up its hair, arches
+its back, and makes a hissing noise like a
+cat. It will seize a dog by the nose, and
+bite so hard that, unless the latter is accustomed
+to the fight, it allows the animal
+to escape.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>It may be easily tamed, and it soon acquires
+an attachment to its master, but it
+never becomes docile. Its flesh is occasionally
+eaten, though it is not prized by
+the Indians.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE OTTERS.</h3>
+
+<div id='i078'  class='figcenter id003'>
+<img src='images/illus192.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>OTTER FISHING FOR HIS DINNER.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Otters prefer to live in or near the
+water, and they are formed to find great
+enjoyment in this life. Their webbed
+feet, their slender shape and flattened
+head make them very active in darting
+through the water for their prey. They
+are usually found along the edges of
+lakes, rivers and streams, where they
+either dig out a burrow communicating
+with the water, or make their home in
+some natural crevice near the bank of the
+stream. They feed principally upon fish,
+and they cause a great deal of trouble in
+the waters near their home, as they are
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_79'>79</span>not satisfied with killing simply to satisfy
+their hunger, but often hunt and kill the
+Fish, etc., simply for the sake of killing.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Unlike the most of the Weasel family,
+the Otters will eat <a id='veg'></a>vegetables, although
+they prefer an animal diet. The skin of
+the Otter has always been a fur of great
+value, for it is soft, close and durable. The
+coat of this animal, like that of the Beaver
+and almost all of the aquatic Mammals,
+is composed of two layers—the one next
+to the skin formed of short, fine, downy
+hair; the other, which grows through it, is
+more glossy, longer and coarser.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Otters are found in all parts of the
+world, but they are most plentiful in Europe
+and America. The Common Otter
+measures about two feet and a quarter
+from the tip of the nose to the tail—which
+is from twelve to fifteen inches in length.
+The usual color of the fur is brown, shading
+to darker tints.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>In Kamschatka and on the coasts of
+the North Pacific Ocean, there exists a
+species of Otter, which differs from all
+other species in the softness and brilliancy
+of its fur, and its living almost entirely
+in the water. It measures more
+than a yard in length and is very mild in
+disposition. The skins of the Sea Otters
+are very high in price, and are increasing
+in value, as these animals are becoming
+very scarce.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_80'>80</span>
+  <h2 id='h080' class='c006'>THE CIVET FAMILY.</h2>
+</div>
+<p class='c007'>The Civets are the best known of the
+family classed as the Viverridae which
+comprises not only the two kinds of Civets—the
+African and the Indian Civet—but
+the Mangousts, the Genets and many
+small relatives. The Civets are the largest
+of this family, although they are not
+often larger than a Fox. For many
+years they were very popular, because of
+the perfume which they furnish and
+which bears their name. This is secreted
+in small glands which pour it into a double
+pouch. Since musk has become better
+known, the use of the Civet has been
+less popular, but at one time it formed a
+valuable article of trade. Each year
+Africa and India exported to Europe
+large quantities which was used in medicine
+and perfumery.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Indian Civet inhabits not only the
+Indian Continent, but also the neighboring
+islands. It differs from the African
+Civet in having a longer and rougher
+coat. Both are fawn-colored, marked
+with stripes or brown spots.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE MANGOUSTS.</h3>
+
+<div id='i079'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus195.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>MANGOUSTS.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>These are small animals found in the
+warmest parts of Africa and Asia. They
+have a low body, but are very rapid in
+their movements, and their legs are so
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_81'>81</span>short, they have the appearance of crawling
+rapidly along the ground instead of
+running. Their tail is long and thick at
+the root, and their skin is silky and
+marked with colored rings.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Mangousts make their home in
+marshy places where there are plenty of
+Reptiles. They prefer these to any other
+food, although they attack small animals
+and Birds. They also search for the eggs
+of Reptiles, and such Birds as build on the
+ground. They sometimes manage to get
+into poultry yards, when, like the Ferrets
+and Weasels, they kill all that can be
+found, only eating their brains and drinking
+their blood.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE GENETS.</h3>
+
+<div id='i080'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus200.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>GENETS.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Genets are handsomer little animals
+than others of this family. Their
+silky fur, speckled with black spots on
+a fawn-colored ground, has a very pretty
+appearance, and is an object of considerable
+trade.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Common Genet is found in the
+south of France and Spain, and throughout
+the African Continent, and makes its
+home in low grounds near the rivers.
+The claws of the Genets are retractile,
+that is, capable of being drawn back, like
+those of the Cat. These animals are very
+successful in hunting Rats and Mice, and
+they also climb trees and hunt for young
+Birds.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h081' class='c006'>AMPHIBIOUS CARNIVORA.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>The Seals, Walruses, Sea-Elephants
+and Sea-Lions, etc., are grouped
+in a family known as the Amphibious
+Carnivora—or the flesh-eating
+animals that live both on the land and in
+the water. Some Naturalists object to
+this classification, and say that the word
+Amphibia should only be applied to the
+Batrachians—like the Frogs and the Reptiles
+that can breath either in the water by
+means of gills, or in the air by means of
+lungs.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>But this expression has been altered
+from its true meaning, and what are now
+called Amphibia, are the animals like the
+Seals, etc., which are organized for living
+in the water, but which can, with difficulty
+move about on the land.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Very curious animals are found in the
+Seal family. Their bodies are long and
+cylinder-shaped, with many of the characteristics
+of the Fishes; and their limbs
+are converted into fins by being provided
+with broad connecting webs. The fur of
+these various animals is composed of a
+woolly compact coat, the thickness and
+fineness of which increases with the severity
+of the climate they inhabit; and
+which is covered by rather coarse hairs
+lubricated with oil, the object of which is
+to prevent the water from penetrating to
+the skin. A thick layer of fat protects
+the body against cold, especially in the
+species which inhabit the frigid regions.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Seal family live in numerous
+troops, and feed on Fishes, Mollusks,
+Crustaceans, etc. They are famous divers,
+and although they must come to the
+surface to breathe, they can remain a
+long time under water. This is explained
+by a peculiarity in their circulation.
+They are provided with reservoirs
+in which the blood accumulates while the
+lungs are inactive; and the animal is not
+suffocated while under water, because
+suffocation only comes from the stoppage
+of circulation as soon as the breathing is
+suspended, and in this case the circulation
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_82'>82</span>continues all the time the animal is under
+water; and it is only when the blood overruns
+these reservoirs that it is necessary
+for them to return to the surface of the
+water to breathe.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Owing to this precaution of nature the
+Amphibia can wander freely about in the
+depths of the ocean in search of their
+food.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>As their members are badly fitted for
+locomotion on land, the Amphibia only
+leave the water when they want to sleep,
+or while their babies are very young, and
+feed on the mother’s milk. But these
+clumsy little fellows soon grow strong
+enough to dive to the bottom of the
+ocean with their mother, and search for
+food among the small Fishes, etc.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Amphibia do not live in very warm
+regions, and they increase more and more
+in number in proportion as one advances
+towards the poles. They are found on
+the coasts of Europe—in the North Seas,
+the British Channel and the Mediterranean;
+and in southern latitudes of the Pacific,
+along the coast of Southern Chili
+and upon the shores of New Zealand.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE COMMON SEAL.</h3>
+
+<div id='i082'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus208.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>COMMON SEAL.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Common Seal, a species frequently
+seen upon our northern coasts, measures
+from three to five feet in length, and is of
+a yellowish grey color, spotted with
+patches of brown. These animals are
+met with in greater numbers as we approach
+the Arctic seas, and afford the
+<a id='prin'></a>principal means of support to the Esquimaux
+of Labrador, and the inhabitants of
+the coast of Greenland.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'><span class='pageno' id='Page_83'>83</span>“The Seal,” says Mr. Low, “swims
+with vast rapidity, and before a gale of
+wind is full of frolic, jumping and tumbling
+about, sometimes wholly throwing
+itself above water, performing many awkward
+gambols, and at last retiring to a
+rock or cavern, of which it keeps possession
+till the storm is over.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>“Seals seem to have a great deal of curiosity;
+if people are passing in boats, they
+often come quite close up to the boat, and
+stare at them, following for a long time
+together. The church of Hay, in Orkney,
+is situated near a small sandy bay,
+much frequented by these creatures, and
+I observed when the bell rang for divine
+service, all the creatures within hearing
+swam directly for the shore, and kept
+looking about them as if surprised rather
+than frightened, and in this manner continued
+to wonder as long as the bell
+rang.”</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>They are exceedingly docile and intelligent,
+and when tamed will be quite
+friendly with the Esquimaux Dogs and
+spend much of their time with them on
+the icy shore.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE SEA-LIONS.</h3>
+
+<div id='i087'  class='figcenter id016'>
+<img src='images/illus225.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>Sea Lions in Battle.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Seals belonging to this group differ
+from the others in having prominent
+external ears. The fingers of the front
+flippers are nearly stiff and immovable,
+while those of the hind pair are considerably
+extended by a web, and supported by
+small flattened claws.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Sea-Lion, or Maned Seal, is an animal
+of gigantic size, measuring from fifteen
+to twenty feet in length, or even
+more; it is of a dull tawny color, and the
+neck of the male is covered with a sort of
+mane, composed of hair considerably
+longer and more crisp than that which
+covers the rest of the body. These formidable
+creatures are extensively distributed
+along the coasts of the Pacific ocean,
+more especially in the vicinity of the
+Straits of Magellan, and the neighboring
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_84'>84</span>islands. After choosing their home, the
+Sea-Lions will fight fiercely for the rights
+of possession, and, as illustrated on page
+<a href='#i087'>87</a>; this is probably one of the most interesting
+and clumsy battles that can well be
+imagined.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE SEA-ELEPHANTS.</h3>
+
+<div id='i083'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus213.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>SEA ELEPHANTS.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The appearance of the Seals belonging
+to this group are very curious. The
+head is broad and short, with a tuft of
+bristles over each eye. The upper lip is
+longer than the lower; the nostrils are
+wrinkled, and can be blown up into a
+crest. The whiskers are very long; the
+fore-feet are rather small and oblong,
+with five elongated claws.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Sea-Elephant is very numerous in
+the southern latitudes of the Pacific,
+more especially upon the coasts of Terra
+del Fuego and Chili, as well as upon the
+shores of New Zealand. The full-grown
+creature measures eighteen to twenty feet
+in length, and from the abundance of oil
+obtained from its carcass, is the subject
+of important fisheries.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE WALRUS OR MORSE.</h3>
+
+<div id='i084'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus218.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>WALRUS.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>These enormous animals closely resemble
+seals, both in the shape of their
+body and the structure of their limbs, but
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_86'>86</span>are distinguished by the shape of their
+head, and by the enormous tusks which
+project from their upper jaw. These
+remarkable weapons sometimes measure
+two feet in length, and are of proportionate
+thickness. The great size of the
+bones of the face required for holding
+these teeth renders their appearance peculiarly
+striking, their nostrils being
+pushed so far upwards that, instead of being
+situated at the extremity of the snout,
+they are placed near the top of the head.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Their food seems to consist of sea-weed
+(which they detach from the soil
+by means of these tusks, which act like
+garden rakes), as well as of animal substances.
+They frequently measure from
+twenty to twenty-five feet in length, and
+a full-sized Bull Walrus, weighing three
+thousand pounds, will yield six hundred
+pounds of blubber, from which excellent
+oil is procured. Its hide is used for harness,
+shoe soles, and the rigging of ships,
+as well as for the manufacture of glue.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h086' class='c006'>CHIEROPTERA—ANIMALS WITH WINGED-HANDS.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='drop-capa0_2_0_6 c013'>FOR a long time these curious little
+animals puzzled the Naturalists.
+Aristotle defined them as Birds
+with wings of skin. After him, <a id='pliny'></a>Pliny and
+other Naturalists fell into the same error
+of classifying them with the Birds; but
+after many centuries the different characters
+that fix the rank of these animals
+in the scale of created beings are well
+known, and they are placed where they
+belong, in the great family of Mammals,
+and classed as the Cheiroptera, or animals
+with winged-hands—as the word
+Cheiroptera comes from two Greek
+words meaning wing and hand.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>All the fingers of the hand (with the
+exception of the thumb, which is short,
+has a nail, and is quite free) are immoderately
+long, and united by means of a
+transparent membrane which is without
+hair. This membrane covers also the
+arm and forearm, and is simply a prolongation
+of the skin of the flanks, composed
+of two very thin layers. It also
+extends down the hind legs, where it is
+more or less developed, according to the
+species; but it never reaches the toes of
+the feet, which are short and have nails.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>It is owing to this membranous sail
+that Bats direct their course through the
+air in the same manner as Birds. When
+they are at rest they fold their wings
+around them, covering their bodies as if
+in a mantle, similar to our closing an umbrella
+to diminish its volume when it is
+no longer required. This comparison is
+still more exact when we note that the
+curiously long fingers of the animal perfectly
+correspond to the ribs or rods of
+the umbrella.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Bats do not descend to the ground if it
+can possibly be helped, for they are very
+awkward and slow in attempting to walk
+along the ground; and besides this, when
+on the ground they find themselves in a
+very inconvenient position to resume
+their flight. Their case is then almost
+the same as that of high-soaring Birds,
+which, full of grace and assurance aloft,
+are compelled to resort to the most painful
+efforts to ascend again from low levels.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Bats are classed as nocturnal animals,
+as they hunt their prey at night, and
+spend the day in caverns, lofts, church
+spires and old ruins, or the trunks of
+trees. Their eyes, although small, are
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_89'>89</span>organized for seeing, not in complete
+darkness but in the twilight, or in the
+feeble light of the moon and stars.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE LONG-EARED BATS.</h3>
+
+<div id='i089'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus229.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>LONG EARED BATS.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Long-eared Bat is one of the most
+interesting of the whole race. Its ears
+are twice as long as its head, and very
+nearly as long as the body, being an inch
+and a half from the base to the point.
+Within these large ears are what are
+known as the lesser ears, which are fine
+and transparent, and can be expanded
+and contracted by their owner to produce
+a beautiful feathery appearance, or festoon-like
+foldings.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>This Bat measures about eighteen
+inches from tip to tip of its expanded
+wings.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE LONG-NOSED BATS.</h3>
+
+<div id='i085'  class='figcenter id010'>
+<img src='images/illus221.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>LONG NOSED BATS.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>There are several varieties of these
+Bats having a long nose and Fox-like
+face. The best known is commonly
+called Roussette by the French, because
+of its being generally of a red or brown
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_90'>90</span>color; and Kalony, or Flying Fox, by the
+English. It is the largest of the Bat family.
+There are some which attain the
+size of a Squirrel, and sometimes measure
+four feet across the wings.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The animals belonging to this family
+inhabit Africa, Asia and the Oceanic Islands.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE VAMPIRES.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Vampires are the most dreaded of
+the Bat family. They are characterized
+by two nasal leaves situated above the
+upper lip. Wonderful tales have been
+told of their appetite for blood, and although
+their power of sucking the blood
+of the larger animals has been exaggerated,
+the tales concerning them are by no
+means devoid of foundation, neither are
+we surprised that such spectral visitants
+should have received the once terrible
+name of “vampire,” by which they are
+designated.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Mr. Gardner, during his travels in the
+interior of Brazil, stopped at Riachao.
+He says:</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>“For several nights before we reached
+this place, the Horses were greatly annoyed
+by Bats, which are very numerous
+on this sierra, where they inhabit the
+caves in the limestone rocks; during the
+night we remained at Riachao the whole
+of my troop suffered more from their attacks
+than they had done before on any
+previous occasion. All exhibited one or
+more streams of clotted blood on their
+shoulders and backs, which had run from
+the wounds made by these animals, and
+from which they had sucked their fill of
+blood.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>“When a small sore exists on the back
+of a Horse, they always prefer making an
+incision in that place. The owner of the
+house where we stopped informed me
+he was not able to rear Cattle here, on
+account of the destruction made by the
+Bats among the Calves, so that he was
+obliged to keep them at a distance, in a
+lower part of the country; even the Pigs
+were not able to escape their attacks.”</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>These singular creatures, which are
+productive of so much annoyance, are peculiar
+to the continent of America, being
+distributed over the immense extent of
+territory between Paraguay and the Isthmus
+of Darien. Their tongue, which is
+capable of considerable extension, is furnished
+at its extremity with papillae,
+which appear to be so arranged as to form
+an organ of suction, and their lips have
+also tubercles symmetrically arranged.
+These are the organs by which they draw
+the life-blood both from man and beast.
+These animals are the famous Vampires
+of which various travellers have given
+such wonderful accounts.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Gardner says: “The molar teeth of the
+true Vampire, or Spectre Bat, are of the
+most carnivorous character, the first
+being short and almost plain, the others
+sharp and cutting, and terminating in
+two or three points. Their rough tongue
+has been supposed to be the instrument
+employed for abrading the skin, so as to
+enable them more readily to abstract the
+blood; but Zoologists are now agreed
+that such supposition is altogether
+groundless. Having carefully examined
+in many cases the wounds thus made on
+Horses, Mules, Pigs and other animals,
+observations that have been confirmed by
+information received from the inhabitants
+of the northern parts of Brazil, I am led
+to believe that the puncture the Vampire
+makes in the skin of animals is effected
+by the sharp hooked nail of its thumb,
+and that from the wound thus made it abstracts
+the blood by the suctorial powers
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_91'>91</span>of its lips and tongue. That these animals
+attack men is certain, for I have frequently
+been shown the scars of their
+punctures in the toes of many who had
+suffered from their attacks, but I never
+met with a recent case. They grow to a
+large size, and I have killed some that
+measure two feet between the tips of the
+wings.”</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>A very similar account of the Vampires
+is given by Humboldt:</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>“Our great Dog was bitten, or as the
+Indians say, stung at the point of the
+nose by some enormous Bats that hovered
+round our hammocks. The Dog’s
+wound was very small and round, and
+though he uttered a plaintive cry when
+he felt himself bitten, it was not from
+pain, but because he was frightened at
+the sight of the Bats, which came out
+from beneath our hammocks. These accidents
+are much more rare than is believed
+even in the country itself. In the
+course of several years, notwithstanding
+we slept so often in the open air, in climates
+where Vampire Bats and other
+species are so common, we were never
+wounded. Besides, the puncture is in
+no way dangerous, and in general causes
+so little pain that it often does not
+awaken the person till after the Bat has
+withdrawn.”</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h091' class='c006'>INSECTIVORA—INSECT-EATERS.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='drop-capa0_2_0_6 c013'>THE quadrupeds which compose
+this small but numerous group
+live principally upon insects, and
+have their molar teeth studded with
+sharp points. The habits of the different
+families are extremely varied. Some for
+instance, like the Hedgehog, seek their
+food on the ground, while others like the
+Tupaia, hunt for it on trees. The Moles,
+on the other hand, find their subsistence
+deep in the soil, and live entirely under
+the ground; while the Desmans, and
+some species of the Shrew Mice live in or
+near the water.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Insect-eaters are usually divided
+into three families—the various kinds of
+Moles, which are too well known to require
+special description; the Shrew Mice
+and their numerous small relatives, including
+the Water, the Oared and the
+Elephant Shrew, the Desmans, etc.; and
+the Hedgehogs—including the Long-eared
+and the Common Hedgehog, the
+Tupaia, and other members of this curious
+prickly family.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE SHREWS.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Common Shrew is a pretty little
+creature, remarkable for its square tail,
+which is about two-thirds as long as the
+body. It lives in meadows, and has been
+falsely accused by the ignorant of causing
+by its bite a disease in Horses, and even of
+witchcraft. The truth seems to be that
+the Shrew has a strong and peculiar odor,
+which is very repugnant to Cats; they
+drive away and kill the Shrew Mouse, but
+never eat it. It is apparently this circumstance
+that has been the origin of the
+prejudice against the supposed venomous
+bite of this animal, and of the danger
+of its attacking Cattle, as well as
+Horses. It is, however, neither venomous
+nor capable of biting, for it cannot
+open its mouth sufficiently wide to seize
+the double thickness of an animal’s skin,
+which is especially necessary in biting;
+and the Horse malady attributed by the
+ignorant to the bite of the Shrew Mouse is
+a swelling which proceeds from an internal
+cause, and has nothing to do with the
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_92'>92</span>bite, or rather puncture, of this little creature.
+Its usual abodes, especially in
+winter, are hay-lofts, stables and barns attached
+to farm yards; it lives upon insects
+and decayed animal substances.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE WATER-SHREWS.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>These little animals are slightly larger
+than the real Shrews, which they very
+much resemble, and from which they are
+further distinguishable by the facility
+with which they swim and dive, owing to
+the fringed condition of their feet.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Water-shrew frequents fresh, clear
+streams and ponds, constructing in their
+banks long winding burrows, terminating
+in a chamber lined with moss and
+grass. “When born they are,” Mr.
+Austen tells us, “curious pinky-white little
+creatures, but very unlike their parents.”
+A small colony of these Shrews
+frequently inhabit the same spot, and towards
+the cool of the evening may be observed
+searching for food, and sporting
+with each other in the water; now hiding
+behind stones or large leaves, as if to
+elude their companions, and then darting
+out to engage in a general skirmishing
+chase, diving and swimming with the
+greatest activity, and occasionally taking
+a plunge into their holes. By constantly
+traversing the same ground, in going and
+returning from their burrows, they gradually
+tread down a path among the grass
+and herbage, by which their presence
+may readily be discovered by an experienced
+eye. When under water, their fur
+is covered with multitudes of tiny air-bubbles
+that shine like silver and have a
+beautiful effect when seen against the
+dark surface of the body.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE ELEPHANT SHREW.</h3>
+
+<div id='i092'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus239.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>THE ELEPHANT SHREW.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>This little creature has received its
+name from its long nose which somewhat
+resembles the trunk of the Elephant on
+a small scale. This species is found in
+South America, where they may be seen
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_93'>93</span>in search of prey among the bushes, retiring
+quickly to their burrows when they
+find themselves observed. They are
+leaping animals, and love to sit erect,
+basking in the full heat of the sun.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE HEDGEHOGS.</h3>
+
+<div id='i093'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus244.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>HEDGEHOGS.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Hedgehogs owe their name to the
+singular texture of their hair, which consists
+of real spines, capable of being
+thrown erect at the will of the animal.
+They frequent the woods and hedgerows,
+living in a burrow excavated in some
+bank, wherein it passes the winter in a
+lethargic condition. It lives principally
+upon insects, but does not refuse fruits
+and other vegetable substances. Hedgehogs
+do not stir out during the day, but
+they run or walk about the whole night
+long. They rarely approach dwellings,
+and prefer elevated and dry places, although
+they are sometimes found in
+meadows. If laid hold of, they do not
+try to escape or defend themselves, either
+with their mouth or feet, but they roll
+themselves up into a ball as soon as
+touched.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>As they sleep during winter, the provisions
+which they are said by some to
+accumulate during the summer would be
+useless to them. They do not eat much,
+and pass a <a id='con'></a>considerable time without food.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Their flesh is sometimes eaten by the
+gipsy race, who envelope the carcass in
+soft clay, and then roast it among the
+heaped fuel of their camp-fire.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_94'>94</span>
+  <h2 id='h094' class='c006'>EDENTATA—TOOTHLESS QUADRUPEDS.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='drop-capa0_2_0_6 c013'>THIS order is usually known as the
+Edentata, which means animals
+which are toothless; and yet this
+does not infer that all the animals included
+in this group are completely devoid
+of teeth, although this really is the
+case with several species—but in the majority
+of these animals only the incisors
+are missing, so that there is an empty
+space in the front of their jaws.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>All the animals of this group have their
+limbs terminated by very strong claws,
+which are used for climbing or scratching.
+Some of these animals instead of
+being clothed with hair, are covered with
+scales—a peculiarity which adds to the
+strangeness of their appearance; they are
+all rather clumsy in form, slow in their
+motions and possessed of very little intelligence.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Their habits and manner of feeding differ
+much in the various families—some
+living on vegetables, others on animal
+substances; some burrowing in holes,
+others living on trees. All are natives of
+the warm regions, both of the Old and
+New World; and the larger number of
+them are found in South America. They
+never attain great size, the largest species
+measuring about three feet in length,
+not including the tail.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Edentata, or Toothless Quadrupeds,
+include five families—the Sloths,
+Armadillos, Ant-eaters, Aard-vark and
+Pangolins.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h094b' class='c006'>THE SLOTH FAMILY.</h2>
+</div>
+<div id='i095'  class='figcenter id017'>
+<img src='images/illus249.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>SLOTHS.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>The Sloths are a strange kind of animal,
+which, from their more prominent
+characteristics and climbing habits, were
+for a long time classed among the Monkeys.
+When they are examined on the
+ground they appear deformed and incapable
+of active motion, for they can only
+move with extreme slowness. This peculiarity
+is the origin of their name. In
+fact, their fore-legs are so much longer
+than the hind ones, that in walking they
+are obliged to drag themselves along on
+their knees.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>But if we follow its motions on a tree,
+in the midst of those conditions of existence
+which are natural to it, the Sloth
+leaves on our mind a very different impression.
+We then recognize that there
+is in them no want of harmony, and that
+they, like every other creature, possess
+the means of protecting themselves from
+the attacks of their enemies. They embrace
+the branches with their strong
+arms, and bury in the bark the enormous
+claws which terminate their four limbs.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>As the last joint of their toes is movable,
+they can bend them to a certain extent,
+and thus convert their claws into
+powerful hooks, which enable them to
+hang on trees. Hidden in the densest
+foliage, they browse at their ease on all
+that surrounds them; or, firmly fixed by
+three of their legs, they use the fourth to
+gather the fruit and convey it to their
+mouths. Their coat is harsh, abundant
+and long; and they have neither tail nor
+any visible external ear. They are natives
+of the forests of South America;
+the two best known being the Unau and
+the Ai, which are found in Guiana, Brazil,
+Peru and Columbia.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE ARMADILLOS.</h3>
+
+<div id='i096'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus252.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>ARMADILLOS.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>This family is remarkable for the very
+peculiar nature of their coat, which, at
+first sight, might lead to their being taken
+for Reptiles. Instead of being clad
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_96'>96</span>in hair, like other Mammals, they have
+the upper part of the head, the top and
+sides of the body and the tail protected
+by a scaly covering, very hard in its nature.
+This covering is composed of a
+number of bony plates, arranged in parallel
+rows and of various shapes; it is not
+separate from the skin, but forms a very
+curious modification of it. On the head,
+and fore-part of the body, these plates are
+firmly fixed to one another; but on the
+middle of the back they are possessed of
+a certain amount of mobility, so as to
+move one over the other. In this way,
+the animal has the power of executing
+various bending and stretching movements,
+for instance, of rolling itself up
+into a ball whenever it is attacked.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>When pursued it makes hastily for its
+burrow, but if unable to gain it, or to dig
+a temporary retreat, it partially rolls itself
+into a ball, and allows itself to be turned
+about by its enemy without attempting to
+move. The Armadillo, we are told, in
+Nicaragua is kept not only by the people
+of the ranches, but by the inhabitants of
+some of the little towns, to free their
+houses from ants, which it can follow by
+scent. When searching for ants about a
+house, the animal puts out its tongue and
+licks the ants into its mouth from around
+the posts on which the houses are raised
+a little above the ground. It has been
+known to dig down under the floors, and
+remain absent for three or four weeks at
+a time. They are said to dig down in a
+straight direction when they discover a
+subterranean colony of ants, without beginning
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_97'>97</span>at the mouth or entrance of the
+ant-hole. They are very persevering
+when in pursuit of ants; and while they
+turn up light soil with the snout, keep the
+tongue busy taking the insects. The
+burrows of this Armadillo are several feet
+long, winding and generally dug at an
+angle of 45 degrees. The South American
+negroes, however, dig them up from
+their holes, whither they have been driven
+by Dogs. Their flesh is considered very
+delicate, and is roasted in the shell.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE ANT-EATERS.</h3>
+
+<div id='i097'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus257.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>ANT-EATER OR ANT BEAR.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Ant-eaters feed upon a variety of
+insects. They are specially organized
+for procuring this food. Completely
+destitute of teeth, the head is terminated
+by an elongated tube, which encloses a
+very long tongue, something like a
+worm. This slender tongue, being
+darted into the ant-hills, all the interstices
+where the insects take refuge yield
+numerous victims, which adhere to it
+through the gummy secretion with which
+it is covered. The Ant-eaters are armed
+with sharp claws, useful both as instruments
+for scratching and weapons of defence.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The most remarkable species is the
+Great Ant-eater, the largest of the family.
+It grows to more than a yard and a half
+in length, from the tip of its long nose to
+its tail. Its coat is rough, abundant and
+of a dark color. The tail, covered with
+very long and extremely bushy hair, has
+the power of being raised like a plume,
+and is more than a yard in length. The
+strength of this animal is so great that it
+can defend itself successfully against the
+ferocious Jaguar, which it either hugs,
+like a Bear, or tears to pieces with its
+formidable claws.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>It lives in damp forests in which its insect
+food is most abundant.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'><span class='pageno' id='Page_98'>98</span>There are two other species of the Ant-eater,
+which live more or less on trees and
+enjoy, on this account, one of the characteristics
+which are peculiar to American
+Monkeys—that of grasping branches
+firmly with the tail, a portion of which is
+bare of hair underneath, and capable of
+being twisted round any object. These
+species are the Tamandua, an Ant-eater
+about three feet long, which divides its
+time between the ground and the thick
+foliage of trees; and the Little, or Two-toed
+Ant-eater, so called because it has
+only two toes, instead of four, on the
+front feet. This latter species is a native
+of Brazil and Guiana. It but seldom descends
+to the ground, and is not much
+larger than a Rat.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE PANGOLINS.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Pangolins are also Ant-eaters, but
+the peculiar nature of the covering of
+their bodies will not allow them to be
+classed with the preceding family. The
+hair of their coat is glued together so as
+to form large scales, inserted in the skin
+in nearly the same way as the nails of a
+Man, and lapping one over the other,
+like the slates of a roof. From their
+strong resemblance to Reptiles, the name
+Scaly Lizard has been applied to these
+creatures.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Pangolin (from the Javanese word
+Pangoeling, meaning to roll into a ball)
+have short legs, furnished with stout
+claws; they are devoid of any external ear
+and have no trace of teeth. Their
+method of feeding is exactly the same as
+that of the Ant-eaters; but their head, although
+elongated in shape, is not quite
+so long, and their tongue is less slender.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>They dwell in forests, where they dig
+burrows, or lodge in the hollow of trees.
+When they are attacked, they roll themselves
+into a ball, like the Armadillo; at
+the same time their scales are erected,
+forming an impregnable buckler. This
+family possesses several species.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Pangolins are of medium size;
+they never exceed a yard in length. They
+are natives of the Old World exclusively;
+India and the Malay Isles, the south of
+China, and a great part of Africa, are the
+regions in which they are usually found.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Although the animals look at first
+sight like curious, heavy-bodied Lizards,
+they have warm blood, and nourish their
+young like the rest of the Mammalia.
+The Pangolin lives in burrows in the
+earth, or sometimes in the large hollows
+of colossal trees which have fallen to the
+ground. The burrows are usually made
+in light soil on the slope of a hill. There
+are two holes to each gallery: One for
+entrance, and another for exit. This is
+quite necessary on account of the animal
+being quite incapable of curving its body
+sideways, so that it cannot turn itself in
+its burrow.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The bodies of Pangolins are very flexible
+vertically—that is, they can roll
+themselves up into a ball, and coil and
+uncoil themselves very readily—but they
+cannot turn round within the confined
+limits of their burrows.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>“In hunting them,” says M. Du Chaillu,
+“we had first to ascertain by the foot-marks,
+or more readily by the marks left
+by the trail of the tail, which was the entrance
+and which the exit of the burrow,
+and then making a trap at one end, drive
+them out by the smoke of a fire at the
+other, afterwards securing them with
+ropes.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>“Their flesh is good eating. Those I
+captured were very lean, but I was informed
+by the natives that they are
+sometimes very fat.”</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_99'>99</span>
+  <h2 id='h099' class='c006'>RODENTIA—GNAWING QUADRUPEDS.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='drop-capa0_2_0_6 c013'>THE order of animals to which the
+well known and widely distributed
+Rats and Mice belong, is a
+very large one, including animals that
+are adapted, according to the genus,
+either for running, jumping, climbing,
+flying or swimming. They are armed
+with sharp claws, enabling them to climb
+trees or burrow in the earth. But the
+special characteristic of all the animals of
+this group, is that they possess only two
+kinds of teeth—incisors and molars. The
+incisors, two in number, in front of each
+jaw, are very remarkable. Their office
+is to cut, as with shears, roots and
+branches, and they are wonderfully constructed
+for this purpose. These teeth
+are long, stout and curved, and being
+covered with enamel on their front face
+only, they wear away more behind than
+in front; and by rubbing one against the
+other naturally form a bevelled edge.
+They therefore keep a hard edge that is
+always sharp-cutting, ready for sawing
+through or gnawing tough substances.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Another strange thing about these
+teeth is that they always keep the same
+length, notwithstanding their continual
+wear. The fact is, they have no roots,
+and grow from the base in the same proportion
+as they are worn away at the top.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Many of the Gnawing Quadrupeds
+have their hind limbs much larger than
+the front ones, so that they leap rather
+than walk, giving them the appearance
+of the Kangaroo and others belonging to
+the Marsupial family. The animals of
+the Rodent order feed mainly on seeds,
+fruit, leaves, grasses and occasionally on
+roots and bark. Some of them, however,
+such as the Rat, are <a id='omni'></a>omnivorous,
+and will even eat flesh.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>A great number of the Rodents have
+their bodies covered with fine, soft and
+prettily-colored hair. For instance, the
+small Grey Squirrel and the Chinchilla
+both furnish furs of value; and the coats
+of the Beaver and the Rabbit are used in
+some of our manufactures.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Rodents are not usually divided
+into very distinct families, as their natural
+characteristics are not clearly marked.
+In the family of Rats and Mice a large
+number may be grouped. These form the
+Mus species, from the Latin, Mus, meaning
+Mouse or Rat. The most of the
+members of this family are too well
+known to require more than mere mention.
+This family includes besides what
+are known as the Rats and Mice proper,
+the Field Rats and Mice, the Dormice,
+Ondatras, Musquash or Musk Rats,
+Lemmings, Hamster Rats and Jerboa
+Rats.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Grouped with the Chinchillas we find
+the Lagotis, the Viscacha, and the Ctenomys.
+Then come the Porcupine family,
+the family of Ground Hogs, Guinea
+Pigs and the Agoutis. The Beavers and
+the extensive Squirrel family are then followed
+by the Marmots and Woodchucks,
+the Prairie Dogs, and the large family of
+Hares and Rabbits.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE BEAVERS.</h3>
+
+<div id='i100'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus267.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>BEAVERS.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>These animals, which are celebrated all
+over the world for their industrious habits
+and their intelligence, do not possess
+a very pleasing appearance. The thick-set
+shape of the large head, small eyes,
+cloven upper lip which shows its powerful
+incisors, the long and wide tail, flattened
+like a spatula and covered with scales—combine
+to give the animal an awkward
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_100'>100</span>appearance. The hind feet are larger
+than the fore, and are fully webbed.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Common Beaver is an aquatic animal;
+the structure of its feet and tail enables
+it to swim with perfect facility. As
+these animals live principally upon the
+bark of trees and other hard substances,
+their front teeth are excessively strong,
+and by their assistance they are enabled
+to cut down trees of considerable size, to
+be used in the construction of the curious
+edifices for the erection of which they
+have been long celebrated. Their mode
+of building, as adopted by the Beaver of
+America, is described by Hearne with
+great exactness.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>“The situation chosen is various where
+the Beavers are numerous. They tenant
+lakes, rivers and creeks, especially the
+two latter for the sake of the current, of
+which they avail themselves in the transportation
+of materials. They also choose
+such parts as have a depth of water beyond
+the freezing power to congeal at the
+bottom. In small rivers or creeks in
+which the water is liable to be drained off
+when the back supplies are dried up by
+the frost, they are led by instinct to make
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_101'>101</span>a dam quite across the river, at a convenient
+distance from their houses, thus artificially
+procuring a deep body of water
+in which to build.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>“The dam varies in shape; where the
+current is gentle it is carried out straight,
+but where rapid it is bowed, presenting a
+convexity to the current. The materials
+used are drift wood, green willows, birch
+and poplar, if they can be secured, and also
+mud and stones. These are intermixed
+without order, the only aim being
+to carry out the work with a regular
+sweep, and to make the whole of equal
+strength.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>“Old dams by frequent repairing become
+a solid bank, capable of resisting a
+great force of water and ice; and as the
+willows, poplars and birches take root
+and shoot up, they form by degrees a sort
+of thick hedgerow, often of considerable
+height. Of the same materials the
+houses themselves are built, and in size
+proportionate to the number of their respective
+inhabitants, which seldom exceeds
+four old and six or eight young
+ones. The houses, however, are ruder in
+structure than the dam, the only aim
+being to have a dry place to lie upon, and
+perhaps feed in.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>“When the houses are large it often
+happens that they are divided by partitions
+into two or three, or even more
+compartments, which have in general no
+communication except by water; such
+may be called double or treble houses
+rather than houses divided. Each compartment
+is inhabited by its own <a id='pos'></a>possessors,
+who know their own door, and have
+no connection with their neighbors, more
+than a friendly intercourse and joining
+with them in the necessary labor of building.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>“So far are the Beavers from driving
+stakes, as some have said, into the ground
+when building, that they lay most of the
+wood crosswise, and nearly horizontal,
+without any order than that of leaving a
+cavity in the middle, and when any unnecessary
+branches project they cut them
+off with their chisel-like teeth and throw
+them in among the rest to prevent the
+mud from falling in; with this is mixed
+mud and stones, and the whole compacted
+together. The bank affords them
+the mud, or the bottom of the creek, and
+they carry it, as well as the stones, under
+their throat, by the aid of their fore-paws;
+the wood they drag along with their
+teeth.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>“They always work during the night,
+and have been known during a single
+night to have accumulated as much mud
+as amounted to some thousands of their
+little handfuls. Every fall they cover the
+outsides of their houses with fresh mud,
+and as late in the autumn as possible,
+even when the frost has set in, as by this
+means it soon becomes frozen as hard as
+a stone, and prevents their most formidable
+enemy, the Wolverine, or Glutton,
+from disturbing them during the winter.
+In laying on this coat of mud, they do not
+make use of their broad flat tails, as has
+been asserted—a mistake which has
+arisen from their habit of giving a flap
+with the tail when plunging from the
+outside of the house into the water, and
+when they are startled, as well as at other
+times. The houses, when completed, are
+dome-shaped, with walls several feet
+thick.”</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_102'>102</span>
+  <h2 class='c014'>THE PORCUPINE FAMILY.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<div id='i103'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus274.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>PORCUPINES.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>The Porcupines are singular animals,
+endowed with a very peculiar faculty,
+that of causing their body, which is covered
+with quills, to bristle up, and thus
+forming for themselves a formidable armor.
+The small family of Porcupines is
+divided into four genera—Porcupines
+proper, the Brush-Tailed Porcupine, the
+Canadian Porcupine and the Prehensile
+Porcupines.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>COMMON PORCUPINES.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The species often called the Crested
+Porcupine, inhabits Italy, Greece, Spain,
+Northern Africa, and different parts of
+Asia. We shall describe it, which will
+serve to characterize the whole genus.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>This Porcupine is one of the largest
+Rodents; its average length exceeds
+twenty-four inches. The principal features
+are very powerful upper incisors,
+short thick toes, furnished with strong
+claws, a large head, small eyes, short ears,
+a slightly split mouth, and thick-set
+shape, combined with an awkward and
+clumsy gait.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The body of this animal is covered
+with pointed quills from eight to nine
+inches long. By means of the action of
+an enormous muscle, which moves at the
+will of the animal, these can bristle up
+and radiate in all directions. The tail is
+rudimentary, and is not, like the back,
+covered with quills, but with entirely hollow,
+white tubes, which produce a sharp
+sound when they clash together. The
+muzzle is furnished with long and strong
+whiskers; the head and neck are covered
+with flexible hair, which is not prickly,
+but is susceptible of standing on end.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Under ordinary circumstances, the
+quills of the Porcupine lie close down on
+its body, and no one would suppose that
+at a moment’s warning they could become
+formidable weapons. But let anger
+or fear seize upon the animal, and a
+whole forest of bayonets spring up. If
+assailed, the Porcupine turns its back to
+the enemy, and places its head between
+its fore-paws, at the same time uttering a
+hollow grunting noise. If the assailant
+will not be intimidated, the Porcupine endeavors
+to thrust its quills against the
+body of the foe. The wounds thus inflicted
+are much to be dreaded; for not
+only are they difficult and tedious to cure,
+but frequently the detached barbs adhering
+in the flesh are almost impossible to
+extract.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Porcupine is a shy, solitary and
+nocturnal animal. It inhabits unfrequented
+localities, and hollows out deep
+burrows with several entrances. At
+night it comes forth to procure its food,
+which consists of herbs and fruit.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The flesh of the Porcupine is good
+food, with somewhat the flavor of pork.
+It is, doubtless this similarity, and also
+the grunting noise which it makes, to
+which it owes its name of Porcupine, as
+they were originally called Porcus Spinatus,
+or “Prickly Pigs.”</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE BRUSH-TAILED PORCUPINE.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Sunda Islands possess a species of
+Porcupine which is distinguished from
+the preceding by a long tail. This is the
+Malacca Porcupine, or Brush-tailed Porcupine.
+It is smaller than the common
+species, and is found in Sumatra, Java
+and Malacca.</p>
+
+<div>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_104'>104</span>
+<h3 class='c015'>THE CANADIAN PORCUPINE.</h3>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>America also possesses some species of
+Porcupines. The most remarkable is
+the Urson, or Canadian Porcupine, which
+is found north of the 46th degree of latitude.
+It is as large as the European species,
+and it inhabits pine forests, feeding
+principally on the bark of trees, and its
+den is hollowed out underneath their
+roots. When attacked, it draws its legs
+beneath its body, sets up its quills, and
+lashes around with its tail.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Indians hunt it for the sake of its
+flesh, which is good, and also for its skin,
+from which they make caps, after having
+plucked out the quills, which are used by
+them for pins.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>PREHENSILE-TAILED PORCUPINES.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>Prehensile Porcupines are characterised
+by a partly bare, prehensile tail, and
+hooked and sharply-pointed claws, which
+enable them to climb trees. Their quills
+are not long, and are frequently hidden
+under their hair. They have a depressed
+forehead, and not a prominent one, like
+that of common Porcupines. They are
+principally met with in South America.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 class='c006'>THE SQUIRREL FAMILY.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>The Squirrels are pretty little animals,
+distinguished by their graceful forms and
+bushy tails. The Common Squirrel lives
+in tree-tops and feeds upon fruit and
+nuts. During the fine summer nights
+the voices of the Squirrels may be heard,
+as they chase each other in the tops of the
+trees. They appear to dislike the heat
+of the sun, and remain during the day in
+their nests, coming out in the evening to
+play and to feed. The nest is warm, neat
+and impervious to rain; it is generally
+placed in the fork of a tree. They construct
+it by interlacing twigs with moss,
+pressing and treading on their work to
+make it firm and capacious, that their little
+ones may repose in safety. The only
+opening to this nest is at the top, just
+sufficiently wide to allow the Squirrel to
+pass in and out; above the aperture is a
+kind of conical roof, which completely
+shelters it, and allows no rain to enter
+the nest.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>At the commencement of winter the
+coat of the Squirrel is renewed, the hair
+being redder than that which falls off.
+They comb and smooth themselves with
+their paws and teeth, and are very neat.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>GREY SQUIRRELS.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>“The Grey Squirrels of North America,”
+says Audubon, “migrate in prodigious
+numbers, crossing large rivers by
+swimming with their tails extended on
+the water, and traverse immense tracts of
+country where food is most abundant.
+During these migrations they are destroyed
+in vast numbers. Their flesh is
+very white and delicate, and affords excellent
+eating when the animal is young.”</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE FLYING SQUIRRELS.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Flying Squirrels are so called from
+having the skin of the sides spread out
+between the fore and hind legs, so as to
+constitute a sort of parachute, whereby
+there are enabled to sail through the air
+to some distance, and thus take prodigious
+leaps from tree to tree.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Flying Squirrels are gregarious,
+traveling from one tree to another in
+companies of ten or twelve together.
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_107'>107</span>They will fly from sixty to eighty yards
+from one tree to another. They cannot
+rise in their flight, nor keep in a horizontal
+line, but descend gradually, so that in
+proportion to the distance the tree they
+intend to fly to is from them, so much the
+higher they mount on the tree they fly
+from; that they may reach some part of
+the tree, even the lowest part, rather than
+fall to the ground, which exposes them to
+peril. But having once recovered the
+trunk of a tree, no animal seems nimble
+enough to take them. Their food is that
+of other Squirrels, including nuts, acorns,
+pine-seeds, berries, &amp;c.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>MARMOTS AND PRAIRIE DOGS.</h3>
+
+<div id='i107'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus282.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>PRAIRIE DOGS.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>Between the lively, graceful, well-proportioned
+Squirrels and the Marmots,
+with their squat bodies and sluggish
+movements, there is a great difference.
+Yet, notwithstanding this, the Marmots
+are allied to the Squirrel.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Marmots are characterised by very
+long, powerful incisors, strong claws, indicating
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_108'>108</span>burrowing habits, and by a tail
+of medium length, somewhat thickly
+garnished with hair. They have short
+limbs, and from that results the slowness
+of movement peculiar to them.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Marmots inhabit different chains
+of mountains in Europe, Asia and North
+America. They have nearly all the same
+habits; so that it will suffice if we speak
+of the common species, the only one, in
+fact, which has been well studied.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Common Marmot lives on the
+high peaks of the Swiss and Savoy Alps,
+in the vicinity of the glaciers. It forms
+small societies, composed of two or three
+families, and digs out burrows on the
+slopes exposed to the sun. These burrows
+have the form of the letter Y; the
+galleries are so very narrow that it is with
+difficulty the human hand can be inserted
+into them. At the extremity of one of
+these oblique shafts is found a spacious
+chamber of an oval form, in which the
+proprietors rest and sleep.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Marmots in a state of nature live
+exclusively on herbage. They crop off
+the shortest grass with wonderful rapidity.
+During fine weather they love to
+stretch themselves out, frisk, play or bask
+in the rays of the sun. Remarkable for
+caution, they never leave their retreats
+without taking the greatest precaution;
+the old venturing first, after carefully inspecting
+the neighborhood, then the others
+following. Feeding, playing, or
+basking, they lose nothing of their vigilance,
+for as soon as one has the slightest
+suspicion of danger, it utters a sharp
+bark of warning, which is quickly repeated
+by those near it, and in an instant
+the whole band rush into their burrow,
+or fly towards some place of concealment.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>After the Alpine Marmot, we may
+mention the Quebec Marmot, the Maryland
+Marmot, or Woodchuck, which is
+peculiar to various parts of North America,
+and the Bobac or Poland Marmot.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Prairie Dog is an allied species,
+which lives in extensive communities in
+the wild prairies of North America; their
+villages, as the hunters term their burrows,
+extending sometimes many miles
+in length. They owe their name to the
+supposed resemblance of their warning
+cry to the bark of small Dog.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>HARES AND RABBITS.</h3>
+
+<div id='i108'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus287.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>RABBITS.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The animals composing this family
+have twenty-two molar teeth, formed of
+vertical layers joined to each other; the
+ears are very large and funnel-shaped,
+covered with hair externally, almost nude
+internally; the upper lip cleft; the tail is
+short, furry and ordinarily elevated; the
+hind feet are much longer than those in
+front, and are provided with five toes,
+while the fore feet have only four; the
+claws are but little developed; the feet are
+entirely covered with hair, above as well
+as below.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>It would be superfluous to describe
+the Hare in detail; the animal is too well
+known to render it necessary. As, however,
+it might be confounded with the
+Rabbit, which it much resembles, it may
+be remarked that the Hare has the ears
+and the thighs longer, the body more
+slender, the head finer, and the coat of a
+deeper fawn color.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Hare inhabits hilly or level regions,
+forest or field; but it is most frequently
+found in flat or slightly elevated
+districts. It does not burrow, but
+chooses a form or seat, the situation of
+which varies with the season. In summer
+it is on the hillocks exposed to the
+north, in the shade of heaths or vines; in
+winter, it is found in sheltered places facing
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_109'>109</span>the south. It is often found crouched
+in a furrow between two ridges of earth,
+which have the same color as its coat, so
+that it does not attract attention.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>During the daytime, the Hare does not
+generally stir from its retreat; but as soon
+as the sun approaches the horizon it goes
+forth to seek food—consisting of herbs,
+roots and leaves. It is very fond of aromatic
+plants, such as thyme, sage and
+parsley. It is also partial to the bark of
+some varieties of trees.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>No animal has so many enemies as the
+Hare. Snares and traps are set for it by
+poachers. Foxes, Birds of Prey, and
+sportsmen, aided by Dogs, are all its persecutors.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>To guard itself against so many perils,
+the poor creature has ears endowed with
+extraordinary mobility, and which catch
+the faintest sounds from a great distance;
+four agile and very muscular limbs, which
+rapidly traverse space, and transport their
+owner quickly from its pursuers. In a
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_110'>110</span>word, its defence consists in perceiving
+danger and fleeing from it.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Rabbit is closely allied to the
+Hare in its form and external aspect, the
+two differ greatly in habits. The Rabbit
+lives in societies, and retires into burrows.
+It is not found on the open plain, but
+chooses for its home places where there
+are hillocks and woody banks. Like the
+Hare, the Rabbit has not a preference for
+day; but towards evening it comes forth
+and gambols about in the glades or nibbles
+the dewy herbage.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>It has also, like the Hare, many enemies,
+and to escape them it takes refuge
+in its subterranean dwelling. As it has
+not the speed of the Hare, it would be
+rapidly overtaken by Dogs if it trusted
+to its powers of flight. Its fear or anger
+is expressed in a singular fashion, namely,
+by striking the ground with its hind foot;
+some say it does this to warn its fellows
+of danger.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Besides our well known Wild Rabbits,
+many fine species have been imported
+from different countries and trained as
+pets.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Wild Rabbit, also called the Warren
+Rabbit, is said to be a native of Africa,
+from whence it passed into Spain, then
+into France and Italy, and successively
+into all the warm and temperate parts of
+Europe and America.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Among the different breeds of domestic
+Rabbits must be mentioned the Angora
+Rabbit, originally derived from
+Asia Minor. Like the Cats and Goats
+bearing the same name, it is celebrated
+for the length and fineness of its hair. It
+is bred for its fur, which is of value.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Not only is the flesh and the hair of the
+Rabbit utilized, but its skin is also employed
+in the manufacture of gelatine.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The domestic Rabbit is, therefore, a
+valuable animal. Not so the wild Rabbit,
+for, by its rapid multiplication, its
+burrowing habits, and its herbivorous
+tastes, it is to the agriculturist a veritable
+scourge. For this reason it is hunted
+with perseverance, ferrets being frequently
+employed in some countries to
+drive it from the depths of its warren.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE PICAS AND THE CALLING HARES.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>These Rodents differ from the Hares
+and Rabbits in having ears of moderate
+length, and in the nearly equal development
+of all their limbs. They are principally
+inhabitants of Siberia and the
+north of Europe; their voice is sharp and
+piercing, and they are destitute of any
+tail; they are all of small size, none of
+them exceeding the dimensions of a large
+Rat.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Pica is about the size of a Guinea
+Pig, and covered with yellowish-red hair.
+It inhabits the loftiest summits of mountains,
+and employs itself, during the
+summer, in collecting and drying a supply
+of herbage for winter use. The
+heaps of hay thus accumulated are of
+extraordinary dimensions, sometimes
+measuring as much as six or seven feet
+in height, and are invaluable to the hunters
+of Sables, affording fodder for their
+Horses at a period when no other provender
+is obtainable.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Calling Hare inhabits the southeastern
+parts of Russia, and the slopes of
+the Ural mountains, and also the western
+side of the Atlantic chain. The head is
+long; the ears large, short, and rounded;
+there is no tail. There are twenty molar
+teeth, five on either side of each jaw.
+The body is only six inches in length.
+The fur is of a greenish-brown color,
+hoary underneath.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_111'>111</span>
+  <h2 id='h111' class='c006'>MARSUPIALIA—POUCHED QUADRUPEDS.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='drop-capa0_2_0_6 c013'>A CURIOUS pouch, or fur bag, in
+which they carry their babies
+while they are still too young to
+run about by themselves is the distinguishing
+feature of the members of this
+group of animals. The name of the order,
+Marsupialia, comes from the Latin,
+marsupium, meaning a pouch or bag.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>When these babies are born they are
+the most helpless of all young animals, as
+they are not fully developed, and the
+mother places them in this pouch where
+they remain, like Birds in a nest, until
+they are strong enough to run about by
+themselves; and for a long time after
+that, they make use of this pouch, by hiding
+in it in times of danger or when the
+mother is escaping from an enemy; and
+the little ones could not keep up with her
+unless carried in this pouch.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>There are several different animals
+that belong to this family of Pouched
+Quadrupeds, like the Wombats, Bandicoots,
+Phalangers, Dasyures, etc., but the
+most important are the Kangaroos and
+the Opossums.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE KANGAROO FAMILY.</h3>
+
+<div id='i112'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus297.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>GIANT KANGAROOS.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Kangaroos vary in size, some being,
+when erect, as tall as a Man, while
+others are not so large as a Rabbit.
+They are remarkable for the small size of
+their fore-legs in proportion to their hind
+ones, and the slender make of the fore
+parts of their body. When eating, their
+fore-feet are placed on the ground, but
+they usually sit upright, resting entirely
+on the hind-feet and tail, with the body
+slightly bent forwards.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>There are a few species, however, in
+which the body is in better proportion.
+In the Tree Kangaroos of New Guinea,
+for instance, the tail is very bushy, and
+the fore-legs almost as long as the hind
+ones.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Great Kangaroo inhabits New
+South Wales, and Southern and Western
+Australia. It lives on low grassy hills
+and plains in the open parts of the country,
+feeding upon the low bushes and
+herbage, and sheltering itself in the high
+grass during the heat of the day.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Jerboa Kangaroo is so called on
+account of the length and slenderness of
+its hind-legs similar to those of the Jerboa
+Rats.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>“Like other members of this family,
+the Jerboa,” says Mr. Gould, “constructs
+a thick grassy nest, which is placed in a
+hollow, scratched in the ground for its reception,
+so that when completed it is only
+level with the surrounding grass, which
+it so closely resembles that, without a
+careful survey, it may be passed unnoticed.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>“The site chosen for the nest is the foot
+of a bush, or any large tuft of grass. During
+the day it is generally tenanted by
+one, and sometimes by a pair of these little
+creatures, which, lying coiled in the
+centre, are perfectly concealed from view.
+There being no apparent outlet, it would
+seem that after they have crept in, they
+drag the grass completely over the entrance,
+when the whole is so like the surrounding
+herbage that it is scarcely perceptible.
+The natives, however, rarely
+pass without detecting it, and almost invariably
+kill the sleeping inmates, by
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_112'>112</span>dashing their tomahawks or heavy clubs
+at the nest.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>“The most curious circumstance connected
+with the history of the Jerboa
+Kangaroo is the mode in which it collects
+the grasses for its nest, carrying
+them with its tail, which is strongly prehensile;
+and, as may be easily imagined,
+their appearance when leaping towards
+their nests, with their tails loaded with
+grasses, is exceedingly grotesque and
+amusing.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>“The usual resorts of the Jerboa Kangaroo
+are low grassy hills and dry ridges,
+thickly intersected with trees and bushes.
+It is a nocturnal animal, lying curled up
+in the shape of a ball during the day, and
+going forth as night approaches in search
+of food, which consists of grasses and
+roots; the latter being procured by
+scratching and burrowing, for which its
+fore-claws are admirably adapted. When
+startled from its nest, it bounds with
+amazing rapidity, and always seeks the
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_113'>113</span>shelter of a hollow tree, a small hole in a
+rock, or some similar place of refuge.”</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE OPOSSUMS.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Opossums were the first Marsupial
+Quadrupeds known to Naturalists.
+They are peculiar to the American continent.
+They have fifty teeth. Their
+tongue is rough, and their tail, which is
+partially denuded of hair, prehensile.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Virginian Opossum is found in
+Southern States. It destroys poultry of
+which it sucks the blood, but does not eat
+the flesh. It feeds on roots and fruits,
+climbing the trees, and suspending itself
+by the tail from the branches; in this position
+it swings itself to and fro, and by
+catching hold of the neighboring
+branches, passes from tree to tree. It
+hunts after Birds and their nests, and
+when pursued, feigns to be dead, and will
+endure great torture without showing
+any sign of vitality.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Opossum excavates a burrow near
+a thicket not far distant from the abode
+of Man, and sleeps there during the whole
+day. While the sun shines it does not
+see clearly, and therefore feeds and plays
+during the night. Although its mode of
+life resembles that of the Fox and the
+Polecat, it is much less cruel, and has also
+inferior means of defence. It runs badly,
+and although its jaws are large, they are
+not strong.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>“The Opossum,” says Audubon, “is
+fond of secluding itself during the day,
+although it by no means confines its
+predatory rangings to the night. Like
+many other quadrupeds which feed principally
+upon flesh, it is both frugivorous
+and <a id='herb'></a>herbivorous, and when very hard
+pressed by hunger, it seizes various kinds
+of insects and reptiles. Its gait when
+traveling, and when it supposes itself unobserved,
+is altogether ambling—in other
+words, it, like a young foal, moves the
+two legs of one side forward at once. Its
+movements are rather slow, and as it
+walks or ambles along, its curious prehensile
+tail is carried just above the
+ground, and its rounded ears are directed
+forwards.”</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>There are several species of Opossum
+found in South America, but none in the
+Antilles or the West Indies.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Their method of hunting their prey is
+interesting. An Opossum is seen slowly
+and cautiously trudging along over the
+melting snow, by the side of an unfrequented
+pond, nosing as it goes for the
+fare its ravenous appetite prefers. Now
+it has come upon the fresh track of a
+Grouse or Hare, and it raises its snout
+and snuffs the keen air. It stops and
+seems at a loss in what direction to go,
+for the object of its pursuit has taken a
+considerable leap or has cut backwards,
+before the Opossum entered its track. It
+raises itself up, stands for a while on its
+hind-feet, looks around, sniffs the air, and
+then proceeds. But now at the foot of
+a noble tree, it comes to a full stand. It
+walks round the base of the large trunk,
+over the snow-covered roots, and among
+them finds an aperture, which it at once
+enters. Several minutes elapse, when it
+re-appears, dragging along a Squirrel,
+already deprived of life; with this in its
+mouth it begins to ascend the tree.
+Slowly it climbs; the first fork does not
+seem to suit it, for perhaps it thinks that
+it might be there too openly exposed to
+the view of some wily foe, and so it proceeds,
+until it gains a cluster of branches
+intertwined with grape-vines; and there
+composing itself, it twists its tail round
+one of the twigs, and with its sharp teeth
+demolishes the unlucky Squirrel, which
+it holds all the while in its fore-paws.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_114'>114</span>
+  <h2 id='h114' class='c006'>PACHYDERMATA—THICK-SKINNED QUADRUPEDS.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='drop-capa0_6_0_6 c013'>ALL the animals of this great order
+are classified under the name
+Pachydermata, which is derived
+from two Greek words meaning thick-skinned.
+In nearly all of them the toes
+are rendered motionless by a horny covering
+which surrounds them, called a
+hoof, which blunts them to the sense of
+touch; and the form of this hoof helps to
+divide the order into families. There are
+three divisions in the Pachydermata—the
+Elephant family, known as the Proboscidae
+(from the Latin word proboscis,
+meaning a trunk); the family of ordinary
+Pachydermata, including the Hippopotamus,
+Rhinoceros, Hyrax, Tapir, Wild
+Boar, Phacocheres and Peccari; and the
+family of Solipedes, the name of which is
+derived from the Latin words solus,
+alone, and pes, pedis, a foot, and includes
+the animals with undivided hoofs, like the
+Horse, the Donkey, Hemionus, Daw,
+Zebra and Quagga.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h114b' class='c006'>THE ELEPHANT FAMILY.</h2>
+</div>
+<div id='i115'  class='figcenter id003'>
+<img src='images/illus302.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>ELEPHANT.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>The Elephants are the largest animals
+that live on the earth, as the Whales are
+the largest that live in the water. And
+it is said that if size and strength conferred
+the right of dominion, these two creatures
+would be able to divide between
+them the empire of the world.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The proportions of the Elephant are
+clumsy, its body is thick and bulky, its
+gait heavy and awkward, but its general
+appearance is imposing and noble.
+These giants of creation have three especially
+remarkable features, their enormous
+development of skull; their curious
+trunk, which is in reality a marvellous
+nasal organ which performs the duties of
+arm and hand; and their great tusks,
+which are nothing but their incisive teeth
+wonderfully elongated.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>These tusks protect the trunk, which
+curls up between them when the animal
+traverses woods in which there are many
+thorns, prickles and thick underbrush.
+The Elephant also uses them for putting
+aside and holding down branches, when,
+with its trunk it plucks off the tops of
+leafy boughs. The ivory obtained from
+the tusks of the Elephant is remarkable
+for the fineness of its grain, whiteness,
+hardness, and the beautiful polish that
+can be given to it.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Under the feet is a sort of callous sole,
+thick enough to prevent the hoofs from
+touching the ground, and the toes remain
+encrusted and hidden under thick skin.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Elephants live in the hottest parts
+of Africa and Asia, spending the greater
+part of their time in the swamps and forests.
+Their food consists mainly of
+herbs, fruit and grains.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>For a long time it was asserted that
+Elephants could not lie down, and that
+they always slept standing. It is true
+that among Elephants as among Horses,
+are found some that can sleep standing,
+and only rarely lie down; but generally
+they sleep lying on their side, like the
+majority of quadrupeds.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The African Elephant has a head much
+rounder and less broad than the Asiatic
+Elephant. Its ears are very much longer
+and its tusks are generally stronger.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>African Elephants live like those of India,
+in troops more or less numerous; yet
+they are sometimes found alone—these
+are called rovers or prowlers.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>To these should be added the extinct
+species of the Elephant family, the famous
+Mammoth of the far north—a carcass
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_116'>116</span>of which was found under the ice in
+Siberia in 1799, and the wonderful Mastodon
+of Ohio. The bony remains of the
+Mastodon are found in America and in
+Central Europe. The tusks of the Mastodon
+have been found to be almost
+straight, while those of the Mammoth are
+curved round until they nearly form a
+circle.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h114c' class='c006'>THE HIPPOPOTAMUS.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<div id='i116'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus308.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>HIPPOPOTAMUS.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>The Hippopotamus is an enormous animal.
+After the Elephant and the Rhinoceros,
+it is the largest of terrestrial
+Mammalia. Its head is very bulky and
+its mouth extends very nearly from eye
+to eye. All who have seen in the menagaries
+this monstrous mouth opening for a
+little piece of bread, have been surprised
+at the frightful appearance of this living
+gulf, armed with enormous teeth. When
+it is shut, the upper lip descends in front
+and on the sides, like an enormous blobber
+lip which covers the extremity of the
+lower jaw, and partly hides the underlip;
+but on the sides it is the lower lip which
+stands up. The nostrils, which are in
+front of the muzzle, are surrounded by a
+muscular apparatus, which closes them
+hermetically when the animal is under
+water.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Hippopotamus inhabits Southern
+and Eastern Africa; but everything announces
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_117'>117</span>that it will not be long in disappearing
+before civilization, that is to say,
+the sportsman’s gun.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>These animals live in troops on the
+banks of rivers and in their waters. On
+land, their gait is clumsy and heavy, for
+their own enormous weight tires them;
+but they are very quick and active in
+water, where they lose, by the pressure
+of the water, a great portion of their
+weight. And so they pass all day in the
+water, in which they swim and dive with
+great facility. When swimming they
+only let the upper surface of their heads
+be seen, from the ears to the surface of
+the nostrils, which allows them to
+breathe, to see all round them, and to
+hear the slightest noises. In breathing,
+they spout out noisily, in the form of irregular
+jets, such water as has become
+introduced into their nostrils. This
+spouting announces to the hunter the
+presence of the Hippopotamus.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Hippopotamus feeds on young
+stalks of reeds, little boughs, small shrubs
+and water plants, also on roots and succulent
+bulbs.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Its cry is hoarse, but of incredible
+depth, power and volume. The habits
+of this animal are peaceable; its disposition
+is, in general, mild and inoffensive;
+it only turns vicious when it is attacked.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Hippopotamus hunting is performed
+in different ways. Its enemies surprise
+it at night, on its leaving the water, when
+it comes to browse in the meadows and
+the neighboring plains; or attack it by
+day in the river, either with harpoons or
+guns, assailing it when it comes to the
+surface to breathe. The unfortunate
+animal tries to defend itself. In its sudden
+action it sometimes overturns the
+boats containing its enemies. Occasionally,
+desperate with rage at being
+wounded, it tries to tear the boats to
+pieces with its formidable tusks. With
+one bite it could cut through the middle
+of the body of a full-grown man.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The natives of Africa hunt the Hippopotamus,
+first to obtain the ivory furnished
+by its tusks—an ivory which, without
+being so good as that of the Elephant,
+is nevertheless very valuable. The skin,
+or hide, which is very thick, is also employed
+in the manufacture of various instruments.
+The flesh of the Hippopotamus
+is sought after in South Africa as a
+delicate morsel.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h117' class='c006'>THE TAPIRS.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<div id='i118'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus315.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>INDIAN TAPIR.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>The American Tapir is of about the
+size of a small Donkey. Its skin is of a
+brown color and nearly naked, its tail of
+moderate length, its neck strong and
+muscular, and crested above with an upright
+mane. This animal inhabits
+swampy localities in the vicinity of rivers,
+and is peculiar to the tropical parts
+of South America, where its flesh is
+prized by the inhabitants as affording excellent
+and wholesome meat.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Tapir is a solitary animal, resting
+during the day in the depths of the forest,
+and coming forth at night to collect its
+food, which consists of fruit, the young
+shoots of trees, or other vegetables. Its
+senses of smell and hearing are very acute
+and at the slightest alarm it can make its
+way with ease “through bush and
+through briar,” without the slightest danger
+of injuring its thick, tough hide. It
+swims and dives well, and can remain for
+some minutes beneath the water without
+coming to the surface. The Tapir is
+peaceable unless attacked, in which case
+it defends itself vigorously with its strong
+teeth.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'><span class='pageno' id='Page_118'>118</span>Tapirs, although common in the Brazilian
+forests, are scarcely ever encountered
+by hunters during the day-time, so
+that there is little chance of travelers
+seeing anything more than the foot-marks
+of this largest of the tropical
+American Mammals. Their flesh is of a
+very rich flavor, something between pork
+and beef. The young are speckled with
+white.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Indian Tapir is larger than the
+South American Tapir, which it resembles
+in the shape of its body. Its hair is
+short and it has no mane. It inhabits
+the forests of the Island of Sumatra and
+the Peninsula of Malacca.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h118' class='c006'>THE RHINOCEROS FAMILY.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>The Rhinoceroses are large animals,
+having but three toes on each foot. The
+bones of the nose are massive and conjoined
+so as to form a sort of vault of sufficient
+strength to support one or two
+solid horns, which are adherent to the
+skin of the face and constitute formidable
+weapons either for defence or attack.
+The structure of these horns is fibrous,
+as if they were composed of a mass of
+hairs glued together.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The natural disposition of these animals
+is stupid and ferocious. They inhabit
+marshes and other damp localities,
+and live altogether upon vegetable substances—grass,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_119'>119</span>herbs, or the branches of
+trees.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>There are two species—the One-horned
+and the Two-horned.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE ONE-HORNED RHINOCEROS.</h3>
+
+<div id='i119'  class='figcenter id018'>
+<img src='images/illus317.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>ONE-HORNED RHINOCEROS.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The One-horned Rhinoceros, as its
+name imports, has but a single horn,
+which is situated upon the middle of the
+snout; and as this weapon sometimes
+measures upwards of two feet in length,
+tapering gradually from the base to the
+point, sharp at its extremity, and slightly
+curved towards the back of the animal, it
+becomes when wielded by its herculean
+possessor a very deadly instrument; with
+which, at a stroke, it rips up the most
+powerful assailant, and is a formidable antagonist
+even to the Elephant itself.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The skin of this species forms a coat of
+armor, almost impenetrable by a musket-ball;
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_120'>120</span>it is in some parts nearly an inch in
+thickness.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The One-horned Rhinoceros is an inhabitant
+of the East Indies, more especially
+of that portion of the country situated
+beyond the Ganges; its range, indeed,
+extends from Bengal to Cochin,
+China. Slow and careless in his movements,
+this animal wanders through his
+native plains with a heavy step, carrying
+his huge head so low that his nose almost
+touches the ground, and stopping at intervals,
+to crop some favorite plant, or in
+playfulness to plough up the ground with
+his horn, throwing the mud and stones
+behind him.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE TWO-HORNED RHINOCEROS.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Two-horned Rhinoceros is a native
+of Africa. It differs remarkably
+from the preceding species, first by the
+possession of a second horn of smaller
+size, situated midway between the larger
+one and the top of its head, and secondly
+because its skin, more supple than that of
+the preceding species, is entirely destitute
+of folds.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Whether from a limited sphere of vision
+arising from the extraordinary minuteness
+of the eyes, which resembling
+the Pigs in expression, are placed nearer
+to the nose than in most other animals;
+or whether from an over-weening confidence
+in its own powers, the Rhinoceros
+will generally suffer itself to be approached
+within even a few yards before
+condescending to take the smallest heed
+of the foe, who is diligently plotting its
+destruction. At length, uttering a great
+blast or snort of defiance, and lowering
+its armed muzzle almost to the ground,
+it charges on its enemies; and bullets,
+hardened with tin or quicksilver, are used
+to kill it.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h120' class='c006'>THE BOAR FAMILY.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>The members of this extensive family
+are distinguished by having four hoofs
+upon each foot; but of these the two middle
+ones are much the largest, giving the
+foot much the appearance of being
+cloven. The lower incisors slant forward,
+and the canines project in the
+shape of long and formidable tusks.
+Their muzzle is prolonged into a snout of
+peculiar conformation—its margin being
+dilated and highly sensitive. Its use is
+to turn up the earth in search of roots, in
+which operation these animals seem
+guided by their sense of smell. They eat
+nearly all sorts of vegetable matter, and
+may be said to be omnivorous; even flesh
+not being rejected by their accommodating
+appetite.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>To this family belong the Hogs
+Proper, the Peccaries, the Wart Hog and
+the Babiroussas.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE WILD BOAR.</h3>
+
+<div id='i121'  class='figcenter id003'>
+<img src='images/illus323.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>WILD BOARS.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Wild Boar, supposed to be the
+stock from which all our domesticated
+Pigs take their origin, is very different in
+its habits from the swinish multitudes
+with which it is looked upon as nearly related;
+his long prismatic tusks, curving
+outwards and slightly upwards on each
+side of his mouth, are weapons which he
+knows full well how to wield; and from
+the strength of his neck and the activity of
+his movements, by their assistance he is
+enabled to repel the attacks of all ordinary
+foes.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'><span class='pageno' id='Page_122'>122</span>The chase of the wild Boar has been
+from remote antiquity one of the most
+dangerous of field-sports, for when once
+at bay, the furious creature attacks indiscriminately
+Men, Dogs and Horses, ripping
+them with his tusks, and often inflicting
+frightful wounds upon his assailants.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>In India, Boar-hunting is a favorite
+amusement. The hunters are always
+armed with javelins, which they throw at
+the animal as he runs away or rushes to
+the charge. His assaults are frequently
+so furious that the Horses will not stand
+the shock, or if they do are often thrown
+down and severely injured.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE WART HOGS.</h3>
+
+<div id='i122'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus326.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>WART HOGS.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Wart Hogs, which resemble the
+true Hogs, are distinguished from them
+by the structure of their molar teeth. A
+fleshy excrescence hangs down on each
+side of their cheeks, which gives them a
+repulsive appearance. There are several
+species to be found in Africa, of which
+country they are natives. They are very
+courageous, and possessed of immense
+strength. Their habits are similar to
+those of the Wild Boar. The Cape Wart
+Hog, found at the Cape of Good Hope, is
+probably the best known.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE PECCARIES.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Peccaries are animals which are
+peculiar to America. They resemble the
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_123'>123</span>common Pig in their general shape and
+in their teeth, but their canine tusks do
+not project from the mouth, and they
+have no tail.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Collared Peccary is eaten in South
+America, and is considered a wholesome
+article of food. The White-lipped Peccary,
+which is found in Guiana, is larger
+and more strongly built than the others.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h123' class='c014'>THE HORSE FAMILY.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<div id='i124'  class='figcenter id003'>
+<img src='images/illus332.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>SHETLAND PONIES.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>This includes all quadrupeds that have
+but a single toe or hoof on each foot—the
+Horse, the Domestic Ass (or Donkey),
+the Hemionus (or Dshikketee), the
+Dauw (or Peechi), the Zebra and the
+Quagga.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The subjection of the Horse to Man
+may be traced back to the most primitive
+date. Moses recommends the Hebrews
+to have no dread in war of the Horses of
+their enemies. We read in the Book of
+Kings (I Kings iv, 26) that “Solomon
+had 40,000 stalls for his Horses, and 12,000
+horsemen.” According to the same
+book, these Horses were bought in Egypt
+and brought into the country of the Hebrews.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The remote period to which we can
+trace back the Horse being employed as
+a domestic animal, renders it very difficult
+to determine its original country.
+Nor is it possible to state where the finest
+species may be found. The Arabian
+Horses have long been famous for their
+beauty and intelligence, the English for
+their racing qualities, the Norman Horses
+for their great strength, and the Breton
+Horses for their hardiness and good temper.
+And so on through all the different
+species of past ages, we might mention
+special characteristics for which they
+were famous; and in the mixed species
+which have been brought to this country
+from time to time, we find traces of these
+many good qualities.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>It is the same with the smaller races of
+the Horse family, known as the Ponies.
+The various breeds have different characteristics
+for which they are noted. But
+the ones deserving of special mention belong
+to the race which are natives of a
+group of islands situated to the north of
+Scotland. These are called Shetland
+Ponies and are perfect Horses in miniature.
+Some of them are scarcely as high
+as a Newfoundland Dog, yet they are
+very strong, and will endure any amount
+of fatigue and privation.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE WILD AND DOMESTIC DONKEY.</h3>
+
+<div id='i125'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus335.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>DOMESTIC DONKEY.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Ass, or Donkey, like the Horse, is
+the servant and helper of Man, but its
+domestication is of much less ancient
+date. The wild type of this animal
+(known under the names of Kiang, Koulan,
+Onager, or Dziggetai) is still a native
+of many of the Asiatic deserts.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>They live together in innumerable
+droves and travel under the guidance of
+a leader, whom they obey with intelligent
+submission. If they chance to be attacked
+by Wolves, they range themselves
+in a circle, placing the weaker and
+younger members in the centre, when
+they defend themselves so courageously
+with their fore-feet and teeth that they almost
+invariably come off victorious.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The domestic Donkey carries the heaviest
+burden in proportion to its size of all
+beasts of burden. It costs little or nothing
+to keep, and requires very little care.
+It is especially valuable in rugged mountainous
+countries, where its sureness of
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_125'>125</span>foot enables it to go where Horses could
+not fail to meet with accidents.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>In energy, nervous power, and in temperament,
+the Donkey even surpasses the
+Horse; and it has a greater capacity to
+endure fatigue.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE ZEBRA.</h3>
+
+<div id='i126'  class='figcenter id003'>
+<img src='images/illus338.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>ZEBRAS.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Zebra is larger than the Wild Ass,
+sometimes attaining the size of a mature
+Arab Horse. The richness of its coat
+would suffice to distinguish this creature
+from every other species of the same
+genus. The ground color is white tinged
+with yellow, marked with stripes of black
+and brown.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>This elegant animal is a native of the
+Cape of Good Hope, and probably the
+whole of southern, and a part of eastern,
+Africa. Travelers state that they have
+met with it in Congo, Guinea, and Abyssinia.
+It delights in mountainous countries,
+and, although it is less rapid than
+the Wild Ass, its paces are so good that
+the best Horses are alone able to overtake
+it.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Zebra lives in droves, but is very
+shy in its nature; it is endowed with powers
+of sight that enable it to perceive from
+great distances the approach of hunters.</p>
+
+<div>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_127'>127</span>
+<h3 class='c015'>THE HEMIONUS OR DSHIKKETEE.</h3>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Dshikketee in its shape and proportions
+seems to occupy a position intermediate
+between the Horse and the
+wild Ass. This indeed is implied by its
+name, derived from the Greek word hemionos,
+meaning half-ass. It somewhat
+resembles a Mule, but its legs are more
+slender and it is more attractive. Its
+general color is brown, with black mane
+and a black stripe across the shoulders;
+the tail likewise is terminated by a black
+tuft.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>These quadrupeds inhabit the sandy
+deserts of Asia, especially those of Mongolia
+or the plains north of the Himalaya,
+and live in droves often consisting of
+more than a hundred individuals. Enduring
+and swift, they are not easily approached,
+but as both their hides and
+flesh are much sought after, they are
+often caught in traps arranged for the
+purpose, or are shot by hundreds lying in
+ambush near the salt meadows which
+they love to frequent. They were said
+to be as easily broken in as the Horses
+reared in our meadows and permitted to
+run at large till they are four or five years
+old.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE QUAGGA.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Quagga is smaller than the Zebra,
+and resembles the Horse in general
+shape. His head is small, and his ears
+are short. The color of head, neck and
+shoulders is a dark brown, verging on
+black. The tail is terminated by a tuft of
+long hair. It is a native of the plateaux
+of Caffraria, and feeds on grasses and
+shrubs, and lives in droves with the
+Zebra.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>It is tamed without difficulty. The
+Dutch colonists were in the habit of keeping
+them with their herds, which they defended
+against the Hyenas. If one of
+these formidable carnivora threatened to
+attack the Cattle, the domesticated
+Quagga would attack and beat down the
+enemy with its fore-hoofs, trampling it
+to death.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The geographical range of the Quagga
+does not appear to extend to the northward
+of the river Vaal. The animal was
+formerly extremely common within the
+colony, but vanishing before the strides
+of civilization, is now to be found there in
+very limited numbers, and on the borders
+only. Beyond, on those sultry plains
+which are completely taken possession of
+by wild beasts, and may with strict propriety
+be termed the domains of savage
+nature, it occurs in interminable herds.
+Moving slowly across the profile of the
+ocean-like horizon, uttering a shrill barking
+neigh, of which its name forms a correct
+limitation, long files of Quaggas
+continually remind the early traveler of a
+rival caravan on its march. Bands of
+many hundreds are thus frequently seen
+during their migration from the dreary
+and desolate plains of some portion of the
+interior which has formed their secluded
+abode, seeking for more luxuriant pastures
+where, during the summer months,
+various herbs and grasses thrive.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE DAUW.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Dauw seems to take a middle
+place between the Zebra and the Quagga.
+It resembles the former in its shape and
+proportions, and the latter in the color of
+its coat.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>This quadruped is a native of the Cape
+of Good Hope, and doubtless of many of
+the mountainous districts of Southern
+Africa. It lives in arid and desert localities,
+in droves, and is shy, and difficult to
+tame.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_129'>129</span>
+  <h2 id='h129' class='c006'>QUADRUPEDS THAT CHEW THE CUD.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='drop-capa0_2_0_6 c013'>THIS order of animals is known as
+the Ruminantia, or the Ruminant
+Order, because all these animals
+possess the strange power of <a id='rum'></a>ruminating,
+or of bringing back into their
+mouth (in order to re-chew it), the food
+that they have once swallowed.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>This power is owing to a complicated
+structure of their stomach, which is divided
+into several compartments, and
+which have been considered, though with
+some exaggeration, as so many distinct
+stomachs. The first and largest of these
+divisions is the paunch, which occupies a
+large portion of the abdomen. The food
+is here accumulated after being roughly
+crushed by the first chewing. After the
+paunch comes the bonnet or cap stomach.
+In this cap the food is gradually
+moulded into small pellets, which ascend
+again into the mouth, by means of a natural
+movement, and not a convulsive or
+irregular one as in other animals; these
+pellets then undergo a thorough chewing
+and mixing with the saliva. Such is
+“chewing the cud.”</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>When the food, thus transformed into
+a soft and nearly fluid paste descends
+again into the stomach, it goes straight
+into a third intestine and from this it at
+length passes into the digesting stomach
+or rennet-bag.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The feet of all these animals terminate
+in two toes which are joined together in
+a bone called the shank. Sometimes also
+there exists at the back of the foot two
+small spurs or toes. In all these animals
+except the Camels and Llamas—the
+hoofs, which entirely cover the last joint
+of the two toes on each foot, act side by
+side on a smooth surface, and resemble
+one single but cloven hoof. Thus the
+origin of the word cloven-hoofed.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Ruminants are divided in various
+ways by different Naturalists. Some are
+satisfied with the division simply into
+Horned and Hornless Ruminants. But
+the best classification is into the two
+large families of the Camels and Common
+Ruminants. The Camel family includes
+the Camels and Dromedaries—the
+beasts of burden in dessert lands, and
+the Llama, etc., the beast of burden
+among the mountains.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Common Ruminants are divided
+into three tribes—those with hairy and
+permanent horns, those with hollow-horns,
+and those that shed their horns.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h129b' class='c006'>THE CAMEL FAMILY.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<div id='i130'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus348.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>CAMEL.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>Most of the modern Naturalists admit
+two distinct species of the Camel genus;
+the Camel proper, which has two humps
+on its back, and the Dromedary, which
+has only one.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The individuals of the Camel genus
+have a small and strongly-arched head.
+Their ears are slightly developed, still
+their sense of hearing is excellent. Their
+eyes, which have oblong and horizontal
+pupils, are projecting and gentle in expression,
+and are protected by a double
+eyelid. Their power of sight is very
+great. Their nostrils are situated at
+some distance from the extremity of the
+upper lip, and, externally, appear only
+two simple slits in the skin, which the animal
+can open or shut at will. Their upper
+lip is split down the centre, and the
+two halves are susceptible of various and
+separate movements. These constitute a
+very delicate organ of feeling. They are
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_130'>130</span>also possessed of an extremely acute
+sense of smell.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>This remarkable head is carried with a
+certain degree of nobility and dignity on
+a somewhat long neck, which, when the
+animal moves slowly, describes a graceful
+arched curve.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Their peculiar body, made more remarkable
+by the one or two humps on its
+back, is supported on four long legs,
+which appear slender in comparison with
+the mass they bear.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>In the Camel proper the color of the
+coat is chestnut-brown. The hair grows
+to a considerable length, and becomes
+rather curly on the humps and about the
+neck. Below the neck it forms a fringe,
+which descends over the fore-legs.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE DROMEDARY.</h3>
+
+<div id='i128'  class='figcenter id003'>
+<img src='images/illus341.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>DROMEDARY.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Dromedary, which is less massive
+in form and smaller in size than the
+Camel, has a coat of brownish-grey. Its
+hair is soft, woolly, and moderately long,
+more especially about its hump and neck.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Camel is a native of ancient Bactria.
+It principally lives in Asia, where
+it has been used, from antiquity, for domestic
+and military service. In Africa,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_131'>131</span>where it is acclimatised, it has doubtless
+existed since the time of the conquest of
+that country by the Arabs.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Dromedary is distributed all over
+a great part of Northern Africa, and a
+portion of Asia. It seems originally to
+have been a native of Arabia.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The faculty which the Camel possesses
+of being able to dispense with drinking
+for a considerable time, has generally
+been attributed to the fact that it carries
+internally a reservoir of water, which it
+uses in case of necessity. Its digestive
+organs, like those of other Ruminants,
+are composed of four different
+stomachs.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE LLAMAS.</h3>
+
+<div id='i131'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus353.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>LLAMA.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Llamas are to the New World
+what Camels are to the Old Continent.
+They are distinguished from the latter
+animal by the absence of humps on their
+backs; by their two-toed feet only touching
+the ground at their extremities; by
+their soles, which are less flattened; and
+their shape, which is more slender and
+graceful.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>There are three species of Llama—the
+Llama proper, the Paca, and the Vicuna.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Llama was the only beast of burden
+made use of by the Peruvians at the
+time America was discovered by Europeans,
+and it exists nowhere else in a wild
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_132'>132</span>state. It is about the height of an under-sized
+Horse; its head is small and well
+set; its coat is coarse, and varies in color
+from brown to black; occasionally it is
+grey, and even white. The hair on its
+body is always longer and more shaggy
+than on its head, neck and legs.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The ancient inhabitants of Peru made
+use of this species entirely as beasts of
+burden and labor; but since the introduction
+of Horses into South America their
+employment has much diminished.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>These animals are, however, very useful
+for the transportation of heavy
+weights across the mountains, on account
+of the wonderful sureness of their footing.
+They walk very slowly, and can
+carry upwards of a hundred and sixty
+pounds weight; but they must not be
+hurried, for if violence is used to quicken
+their pace they are certain to fall down,
+and refusing to get up, would allow themselves
+to be beaten to death on the spot
+rather than resume their course.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The climate which this animal prefers is
+that of plateaux, from 10,000 to 11,000
+feet above the sea, and in these localities
+the most numerous herds of Llamas are
+to be found. The natives fold the domesticated
+ones, like Sheep, in special enclosures
+near their cabins. At sunrise
+they are set at liberty to seek their food.
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_133'>133</span>In the evening they return, frequently escorted
+by wild Llamas; but these take
+every precaution to avoid being captured.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>In more ways than one the Llama is
+most valuable to the inhabitants of the
+mountains; for the flesh of the young is
+good and wholesome food, their skin produces
+a leather of value, and their hair is
+used for various manufactures.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE PACA.</h3>
+
+<div id='i132'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus358.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>PACA.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Paca inhabits similar localities to
+the former. It may be recognized by
+the development of its hair, which is of a
+tawny-brown color, very long, and falling
+on each side of the body in long locks.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Paca is gentle and timid, and allows
+itself to be led about by those who
+feed and tend it; but if a stranger attempts
+to take liberties with it, it kicks
+viciously, or ejects its saliva over him.
+Its food is similar to that of Sheep; and its
+wool is very fine, elastic and long.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE VICUNA.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Vicuna is the smallest species of
+the Llama genus. It is the same size as
+a Sheep, and strongly resembles the
+Llama, only that its shape is more elegant.
+Its legs, which are longer in proportion
+to the body, are more slender and
+better formed; its head is shorter and its
+forehead wider. Its eyes are large, intelligent
+and mild; its throat is of a yellowish
+color, while the remainder of its
+body is brown and white.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The rich fleece of this animal surpasses
+in fineness and softness any other
+wool with which we are acquainted. In
+order to obtain possession of the skin
+the American hunters pursue them even
+over the steepest summits of the Andes,
+when, by driving, they force them into
+pens, composed of tightly stretched
+cords, covered with rags of various colors,
+which frighten and prevent the prey
+attempting to escape. One of these
+battues sometimes produces from five
+hundred to a thousand skins.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h133' class='c006'>THE MUSK DEER.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>Although it belongs to the Deer family,
+the little Musk Deer is often classified
+with this group because it is without
+horns, and resembles the Camel family
+in its teeth and other characteristics.
+This is a graceful little animal, about the
+size of a half-grown Fawn of our common
+Deer. Its tail is very short, and it
+is covered with hair so coarse and so brittle
+that it is almost like bristles, but what
+especially distinguishes it, is its pouch
+filled with the substance so well known in
+medicine and perfumery under the name
+of musk.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Musk Deer is a native of the
+mountainous region between Siberia,
+China and Thibet.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h134' class='c006'>THE HORNED RUMINANTS.</h2>
+</div>
+<p class='c007'>The family of Common Ruminants
+form a natural group comprehending the
+greatest number of Ruminants. The
+feature which distinguishes the animals
+composing it, not only from the Camel
+family, but also from all the other Ruminants,
+is the existence of two horns on
+the forehead of the male, and sometimes
+on the female.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The structure of these horns presents
+various differences, and has caused the
+division of this large and important family
+into three tribes, namely, Ruminants
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_134'>134</span>with hairy and permanent horns, hollow-horned
+Ruminants and Ruminants which
+shed their horns.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h134b' class='c006'>RUMINANTS WITH HAIRY AND PERMANENT HORNS.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<div id='i135'  class='figcenter id019'>
+<img src='images/illus365.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>GIRAFFE.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>This tribe consists of a single genus,
+that of the Giraffe, which has also but one
+species.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The height of the Giraffe, the singular
+proportions of its body, the beauty of its
+coat and the peculiarity of its gait, are
+sufficient to explain the curiosity which
+these animals have always excited.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Its long and tapering head is lighted
+up by two large, animated and gentle
+eyes; its forehead is adorned with two
+horns, which consist of a porous, bony
+substance, covered externally with a thick
+skin and bristly hair. In the middle of
+the forehead there is a protuberance of
+the same nature as the horns, but wider
+and shorter. The head of the Giraffe is
+supported by a very long neck. Along
+the neck is a short, thin mane. The body
+is short, and the line of the backbone is
+very sloping. Its fore-quarters are
+higher than the hinder—a feature which
+is observed in the Hyena. Its legs are
+most extensively developed, and are terminated
+by cloven hoofs. The skin,
+which is of a very light fawn-color, is covered
+with short hair, marked with large
+triangular or oblong spots of a darker
+shade.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Giraffes are only found in Africa, and
+even there they are not numerous. They
+live in families of from twelve to sixteen
+members. They frequent the verge of
+the deserts, and are met with from the
+northern limits of Cape Colony to Nubia.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The usual pace of the Giraffe is an amble,
+that is to say, they move both their
+legs on one side at the same time. Their
+mode of progression is singular and very
+ungainly. At the same time as they
+move their body, their long neck is
+stretched forward, giving them a very
+awkward appearance. Their long neck
+enables them to reach with their tongue
+the leaves on the tops of high shrubs,
+which constitute a large part of their
+food.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h134c' class='c006'>RUMINANTS WITH HOLLOW HORNS.</h2>
+</div>
+<p class='c007'>These Ruminants have horns which
+are covered with an elastic sheath, something
+like agglutinated hair; they may
+be divided into two groups.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>To the first group belong the Chamois,
+Gazelle, Saiga, Nyl-ghau, Gnu and Bubale.
+To the second group belong the
+Common Goat, the Mouflon or Wild
+Sheep, the Domestic Sheep and the Ox.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The most remarkable species belonging
+to the first division all come under
+the natural group formerly known by the
+name of Antelopes. It comprehends
+about a hundred species, which live, for
+the most part, in Africa. They are generally
+slender and lightly-made, fleet in
+running, of a gentle and timid disposition;
+they are gregarious, and are particularly
+distinguishable by the different
+shapes of their horns.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>We shall glance at the most remarkable
+genera resulting from the division of
+the old general group of Antelopes.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE CHAMOIS.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The chief characteristic of the Chamois
+is constituted by the smooth horns
+which are placed immediately above the
+orbits. These horns are almost upright,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_136'>136</span>with a backward tendency, and curved
+like a hook at the end. The horns exist
+in both sexes, and are nearly the same
+size in each. The Chamois has a short
+tail, and no beard.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The European Chamois is about the
+size of a small Goat. It is covered with
+two sorts of hair—one woolly, very
+abundant, and of a <a id='brown'></a>brownish color; the
+other, silky, spare and brittle. Its coat is
+dark brown in winter and fawn-color in
+summer; its fine and intelligent head is of
+a pale yellow, with a brown stripe down
+the muzzle and round the eyes. Its horns
+are black, short, smooth, and not quite
+rounded.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>This graceful Ruminant inhabits the
+Pyrenees and Alps, and also some of the
+highest points in Greece. But from constant
+persecution it has lately become so
+rare that few people can boast of having
+been successful in its pursuit.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Chamois lives in small herds, in the
+midst of steep rocks on the highest mountain
+summits. With marvelous agility it
+leaps over ravines, scales with nimble and
+sure feet the steepest acclivities, bounds
+along the narrowest paths on the edge of
+the most perilous abysses, and jumping
+from rock to rock, will take its stand on
+the sharpest point, where there appears
+hardly room for its feet to rest; and all
+this is accomplished with an accuracy of
+sight, a muscular energy, an elegance
+and precision of movement, and a self-possession
+which are without equal.
+From these facts, it can easily be understood
+that hunting this nimble and daring
+animal is an amusement full of danger.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>On the approach of winter the Chamois
+goes from the northern side of the
+mountains, to the southern, but it never
+descends into the plain.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE GAZELLES.</h3>
+
+<div id='i137'  class='figcenter id003'>
+<img src='images/illus368.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>GAZELLES.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Gazelles are animals of graceful
+shape, rather smaller in size than the
+Chamois. The horns are twice bent, in
+the shape of a lyre, and without sharp
+edges; the nostrils are generally surrounded
+by hair.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The eyes of this animal are so beautiful
+and so soft in expression, its movements
+are so elegant and so light, that the Gazelle
+is used by the Arab poets as the type
+of all that is lovely and graceful.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Gazelles proper are the species of this
+genus which are generally to be seen in
+our parks and menageries. Such, for instance,
+as the Dorcas Gazelle, which inhabits
+the large plains and Saharian region
+of Northern Africa. It is the same
+size as a Roe, but its shape is lighter and
+more graceful.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE GNU.</h3>
+
+<div id='i136'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus367.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>GNU.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Gnu, sometimes called the Gnu
+Antelope, inhabits Southern Africa. It
+is about the size of a Donkey, and is curiously
+formed. Added to its muscular
+and thick-set body, it has the muzzle of
+an Ox, the legs of a Stag, and the neck,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_138'>138</span>shoulders and rump of a small Horse.
+Its head is flattened, and its brown hair
+is short. On its neck it has a mane of
+white, grey and black hair, and under its
+chin hangs a thick brown beard. It also
+has horns, something like those of the
+Cape Buffalo, which first bend downwards
+and then curve in an upward direction.
+It is not surprising with such a
+queer combination, that strange stories
+were told of this animal in the past, as it
+has the appearance of being made up of
+various portions of several other animals.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>These strangely constructed animals
+are found in the mountainous districts to
+the north of the Cape of Good Hope, and
+probably throughout a large portion of
+Africa. They are very wild, and are swift
+runners and may be seen skimming along
+in single file following one of their number
+as a guide.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE GOATS.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>These animals differ among themselves
+to a wonderful extent in their shape,
+their color and even in the texture of
+their fleece. The Goats of Angora in
+Cappadocia are provided with a soft and
+silky clothing. Those of Thibet have become
+celebrated for the delicacy of a kind
+of wool which grows among their hair,
+from which Cashmere shawls are manufactured.
+In Upper Egypt is a race remarkable
+for the roughness of their coat,
+while the Goats of Guinea and of Judea
+are distinguished by the smallness of
+their dimensions, and by their horns,
+which are pointed backwards. But
+whatever may be the cause of these peculiarities,
+the whole race seems to retain
+the characters derivable from a mountain
+origin; they are robust, capricious, and
+vagabond; they prefer dry hills and wild
+localities, where they can procure only
+the coarsest herbage, or browse upon the
+shrubs and bushes. They are likewise
+very injurious in forests, where they destroy
+the young trees by devouring the
+bark. Their flesh is strong and rank, so
+that they are seldom eaten; nevertheless,
+their milk is an article of diet, and the
+Kid, while young, is tender and nutritious.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE COMMON GOAT.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Common Goat inhabits wild and
+mountainous regions in a state of semi-wildness,
+seeming to have little regard
+either for the protection or the neglect of
+people resident in its vicinity; but although
+not cared for, like its not very
+distant relative, the Sheep, it is by no
+means without its value. The Goat affords
+milk in considerable abundance; its
+hair, though more harsh than wool, is
+useful in the manufacture of various kinds
+of stuffs, and its skin is more valuable
+than that of the sheep. The Goat has
+more intelligence than the Sheep, and
+soon becomes familiar and attached; it is
+light, active, and less timid than the
+Sheep; it is capricious and loves to wander,
+to climb steep mountains, sleeping
+frequently on the point of a rock or the
+edge of a precipice. It is robust, and will
+feed on almost any plant. It does not,
+like the Sheep, avoid the mid-day heat,
+but sleeps in the sunshine, and exposes itself
+willingly to its full glare. It is not
+alarmed by storms, but appears to suffer
+from a great degree of cold.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE IBEX.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Ibex combines with the characters
+of the Goat the agility and fleetness of
+the Antelopes. “All readers of natural
+history,” says Col. Markham, “are familiar
+with the wonderful climbing and saltatory
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_139'>139</span>powers of the Ibex; and although
+they cannot (as has been described in
+print) make a spring and hang on by the
+horns until they gain a footing, yet in
+reality for such heavy animals they get
+over the most inaccessible-looking places
+in an almost miraculous manner. Nothing
+seems to stop them nor to impede
+their progress in the least. To see a
+flock, after being fired at, take a distant
+line across country, which they often do
+over all sorts of seemingly impassable
+ground, now along the naked surface of
+an almost perpendicular rock, then across
+a formidable landslip or an inclined plane
+of loose stones or sand, which the slightest
+touch sets in motion both above and
+below, dividing into chasms to which
+there seems no possible outlet, but instantly
+reappearing on the opposite side,
+never deviating in the slightest from their
+course, and at the same time getting over
+the ground at the rate of something like
+fifteen miles an hour, is a sight not to be
+easily forgotten.”</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Ibex inhabits the most inaccessible
+summits of the loftiest mountains of
+Europe, Asia and Africa, and may frequently
+be seen bounding from rock to
+rock among the highest peaks of their
+snow-clad grandeur, climbing cliffs with
+the activity of a Bird, and disporting itself
+in regions unapproachable by any
+other quadruped.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE BEZOARGOAT.</h3>
+
+<div id='i105'  class='figcenter id020'>
+<img src='images/illus278.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>Goat Defending His Family from a Lynx.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>There is a striking resemblance in
+form, the habit of living and character of
+the Bezoargoat, (extensively raised in
+mountainous regions of Asia Minor,
+Persia and various islands of Greece) and
+the Stonebuck of the Alps. The body
+of the Bezoargoat is narrow and the
+limbs high. The long, strong horns
+form a uniformly curved arch, and both
+<a id='sexes'></a>sexes have strong beards. The skin is colored
+reddish gray along the sides of the
+neck, growing lighter towards the body.
+The thigh is white both underneath and
+outside. The breast, chin and ridge of
+the nose is blackish brown. Their nourishment
+consists of dry grasses, cedar
+needles, leaves and fruits.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Bezoargoats are very shy and experts
+in racing and climbing, venturing
+the most dangerous leaps with the utmost
+courage and dexterity. They are able to
+brave the greatest dangers. There is,
+nevertheless, a source of danger threatening
+their young from the Eagle, the
+Bearded Vulture and the Pardellynx.
+The Birds of Prey swoop rapidly and unexpectedly
+from the heights and carry off
+the young Kid; but the Pardellynx steals
+slyly upon the herd at pasture. This
+beautiful, slender, crafty beast of prey,
+about the size of the Lynx, which is also
+abundantly found in the Spanish mountains,
+eagerly hunts the Bezoargoat.
+Through his exceptionally keen sense of
+sight and hearing, the crafty, noiseless,
+sneaking Pardellynx frequently succeeds
+in stealing upon the herd and despite
+their watchfulness attempts to overpower
+one of the flock. The illustration on
+page <a href='#i105'>105</a> carries us into the mountain regions
+of Taurus. A Pardellynx has crept
+unnoticed upon a family of grazing Bezoargoats
+and has suddenly sprung upon
+the back of the old Goat, burying his
+fangs into the neck of his prize.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE SHEEP.</h3>
+
+<div id='i140'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus375.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>MOUNTAIN SHEEP.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The members of this family have horns
+which, at first directed backwards, wind
+spirally forwards; their forehead is generally
+convex, and they are without any
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_140'>140</span>beard. In other respects they are closely
+allied to the Goats.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Common Sheep, like other animals
+placed at the disposal of mankind,
+presents innumerable varieties in accordance
+with the breed or climate to which
+it may belong. Thus we find in Europe
+flocks with coarse or fine wool, of large
+or of small size, with long horns or with
+short horns—some in which the horns
+are wanting in the females; others in
+which they are deficient in both sexes.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Spanish varieties are distinguished
+by their fine curly wool and large spiral
+horns, which exist in the males only;
+while the English breeds are celebrated
+on account of the length of their fleece
+and the delicacy of their mutton.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Sheep of Southern Russia are remarkable
+on account of the length of
+their tails; while those of India and some
+parts of Africa are distinguished by the
+length of their legs, pendent ears, coarse
+wool, and total want of horns in either
+sex. In Persia, Tartary, and China the
+tail of the Sheep appears to be entirely
+transformed into a double globe of fat;
+and those of Syria and Barbary, notwithstanding
+the length of their tails, have
+them loaded with fat, while their wool is
+intermixed with coarse hair. Everywhere,
+however, the Sheep is invaluable
+to the human race, and the care of their
+flocks one of the earliest occupations of
+civilized nations.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'><span class='pageno' id='Page_141'>141</span>“This species,” says Buffon, “appears
+to be preserved only by the assistance and
+care of Man; it seems unable to subsist
+by itself. The reclaimed Sheep is absolutely
+without resource and without defence.
+The Ram is but weakly armed;
+its courage is only petulance. The females
+are still more timid than the males.
+It is fear that causes them so often to assemble
+in flocks; the slightest noise
+makes them throw themselves down
+headlong or crowd one against the other;
+and this fear is accompanied with the
+greatest stupidity, for they know not how
+to avoid danger.”</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>They appear not even to feel the inconveniences
+of their situation; they remain
+obstinately where they are exposed
+to the rain or snow. In order to oblige
+them to change their situation and take a
+certain road, a leader is necessary, whose
+movements they follow at every step.
+This leader would himself remain motionless
+with the rest of the flock, if he
+were not driven by the Shepherd or excited
+by the Sheep-dog, which knows well
+how to defend, direct, separate, reassemble
+them, and communicate to them all
+necessary movements.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>They are, of all animals, the most stupid
+and devoid of resources. Goats,
+which resemble them in so many other respects,
+have much more sense. They
+know how to guide themselves, they
+avoid danger, and easily familiarize themselves
+with new objects; while the Sheep
+neither retreats nor advances, and although
+it stands in need of assistance,
+does not approach Man so willingly as
+the Goat, besides—a quality which, in
+animals, appears to indicate the last degree
+of timidity or of want of feeling—it
+allows its Lamb to be taken away without
+defending it, without anger or resistance,
+or even signifying its grief by a cry
+differing from its usual bleat.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Nevertheless, this creature, so helpless
+and so apathetic, is to mankind the most
+valuable of all animals, and of the most
+immediate and extensive use. Alone it
+suffices for his most pressing wants, furnishing
+both food and clothing, besides
+the various uses of the fat, milk, skin, entrails
+and bones. Nature has not bestowed
+anything upon the Sheep that
+does not serve for the advantage of the
+human race.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h141' class='c006'>THE OX FAMILY.</h2>
+</div>
+<div id='i106'  class='figcenter id003'>
+<img src='images/illus279.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>Bisons in Battle.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>This family is easily distinguished from
+the other groups of Hollow-horned Ruminants.
+It is composed of large, heavy
+animals, in which the skin of the neck is
+loose and hanging, forming a large fold
+called the dew-lap.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>There are eight species found in this
+family—the American Buffalo or Bison,
+the Musk Ox, the Cape Buffalo, the European
+Bison or Auroch, the Yak, the
+Jungle Ox, the Common Buffalo of India,
+and the Common Ox, or the well
+known group including our domestic
+Cattle.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE AMERICAN BUFFALO.</h3>
+
+<div id='i142'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus381.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>AMERICAN BUFFALO.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The American Buffalo, commonly
+known in other countries as the Bison, is
+a gigantic species which ranges over the
+temperate and northern provinces of the
+American continent. It is of thick-set
+shape, and carries its head low, on a level
+with its back, while its shoulders are high.
+Its head is short and large; its horns are
+small, lateral, far apart, black and
+rounded. Its head, neck, and shoulders
+are covered with thick, curly, dark brown
+hair. Its tail is short, and terminated by
+a tuft of long hair.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'><span class='pageno' id='Page_142'>142</span>This immense animal inhabits all parts
+of North America, especially the plateaux
+on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains.
+In the spring, herds of thousands
+of Buffaloes, crowded closely together,
+make their way up from the south to the
+north of these vast steppes; in the autumn
+they migrate again to the south.
+When the <a id='summer'></a>summer comes, these wild
+troops break up, and the Buffaloes separate
+into couples or small herds.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>American Buffaloes are not ferocious
+in their nature; they seldom attack Man,
+but will defend themselves when
+wounded; they then become formidable
+adversaries, for their enormous heads,
+well furnished with horns, and their fore-feet,
+are terrible weapons. In their migrations,
+their numbers are so enormous,
+that as they advance everything that
+comes in their way is devastated.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE MUSK OX.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Musk Ox is much smaller than the
+Common Ox, and has somewhat the appearance
+of an enormous sheep. Its
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_143'>143</span>forehead is arched; its mouth small; its
+muzzle completely covered with hair;
+and its horns, which are very large, are
+closely united at the base, and bending
+downwards over the sides of its head, suddenly
+turn backwards and upwards at the
+tips. Its long and abundant coat is of a
+dark brown color. It exhales a strong
+odor of musk.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>This animal, which is a combination of
+the Ox, Sheep, and Goat, inhabits North
+America below the polar circle, and lives
+in families of from ten to twenty individuals.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Notwithstanding its apparent heaviness,
+the Musk Ox climbs over rocks almost
+as nimbly as a Goat, and its speed
+across the rocky, rough, barren grounds,
+(its principal habitat) for an animal so
+clumsy, is truly astonishing.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE EUROPEAN BUFFALO.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The European Buffalo, or Auroch, is,
+next to the Elephant, Rhinoceros and
+Giraffe, the largest terrestrial Mammals.
+It is nearly six feet high. Its horns are
+large, round and lateral, and its tail is
+long; the front of the body, as far as the
+shoulders, is covered with coarse, harsh,
+brown hair; the underneath part of its
+throat, down to its breast, is furnished
+with a long pendulous mane, and the rest
+of its body is covered with short black
+hair.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>This animal is the Urus of the ancients.
+It formerly lived in all the marshy forests
+of temperate Europe, even in Great Britain.
+In the time of Caesar it was still to
+be found in Germany, but, from the increase
+of Man and his conquests, it has
+become more and more rare. At the
+present time it is only to be found in two
+provinces of Russia. Very severe orders
+have been issued by the Emperor of Russia
+to prevent the destruction of these
+animals, and not one can be killed without
+his permission.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE CAPE BUFFALO.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Cape Buffalo is distinguished by
+its large horns, from all the other species
+peculiar to the Old World, the flattened
+bases of which cover the top of its head
+like a helmet, only leaving a triangular
+space between them. The horns of this
+African Ruminant are black, while its
+coat is brown. It lives in numerous
+herds in the thickest forests of Southern
+Africa, from the northern limits of Cape
+Colony as far as Guinea.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>When in the open country it is shy and
+cautious; but is formidable and aggressive
+when hunted in the woods which
+form its principal retreat. Buffalo hunting
+is one of the occupations of the natives
+of the south of Africa; and it is not
+unaccompanied by danger, for it often
+happens that the respective characters
+are inverted, and it is the Buffalo which
+chases the hunters.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE YAK.</h3>
+
+<div id='i144'  class='figcenter id003'>
+<img src='images/illus386.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>YAK.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Yak, or Horse-tailed Buffalo, has
+a large tuft of woolly hair on its head, and
+a sort of mane on its neck; the underneath
+part of its body, particularly around
+the legs, is covered with very bushy, long,
+pendent hair; its tail, which is entirely
+covered with hair, resembles that of a
+horse; while its voice is a low and monotonous
+sound, which becomes harsh and
+discordant when the animal is excited.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>It is found undomesticated on the confines
+of Chinese Tartary. It is then wild,
+and dangerous; but when captured and
+broken in, it proves a useful servant to
+the inhabitants of Thibet and the north
+of China, who utilize it as we do our Cattle.
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_145'>145</span>Its milk is excellent; and its strength
+in carrying loads and dragging ploughs
+and conveyances extraordinary. But it
+is with difficulty they are tamed, for their
+disposition is always restless and wilful,
+and subject to fits of bad temper. Its
+flesh is highly esteemed, and coarse fabrics
+are made from its hair.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The tail of this Ruminant has long
+been valued in the East. Attached to
+the end of a lance, with the Mussulmen it
+is the insignia of the dignity of Pacha;
+and, the higher this dignity, the greater
+is the number of tails which the possessor
+of rank has a right to have carried before
+him. The Chinese also adorn themselves
+with the tail of the Yak, dyed red,
+by placing it in their caps. It is moreover
+employed as a switch for driving
+away flies.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE JUNGLE OX.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Jungle Ox very strongly resembles
+the Common Ox, but its horns are
+flattened from front to back, and tend
+outwards and upwards. These Oxen are
+reared in a domestic state in the mountainous
+countries of the northeast of
+India.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE COMMON BUFFALO.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Common Buffalo appears to be a
+native of the warm and damp parts of India
+and the neighboring isles, from
+whence it has spread into Persia, Arabia,
+the south of Africa, Greece and Italy. It
+is nearly the same size as an Ox. Its
+bulging forehead, which is longer than it
+is wide, bears two black horns, turned
+outwards. Its coat is coarse and scant,
+except on its throat and cheeks, and it
+has a very small dew-lap. It lives in
+numerous herds in marshy and low
+plains, where it delights in wallowing.
+It is of a wild and untractable disposition,
+particularly towards strangers; and, in order
+to make use even of those which are
+the tamest, the more perfectly to control
+them, a ring of iron is passed through
+their nostrils. In the cultivation of rice
+that cereal particularly requiring moist
+land—their services are most valuable,
+for their power of draught, even when
+immersed to the knees in mud, far exceeds
+all other animals in a similar situation.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Arna, or Wild Buffalo, must be
+considered as a variety of this species.
+Its horns are very large, about five feet
+long, wrinkled on their concave side, and
+flat in front. It is principally found in
+Hindostan.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h145' class='c006'>RUMINANTS WHICH SHED THEIR HORNS.</h2>
+</div>
+<div id='i146'  class='figcenter id003'>
+<img src='images/illus391.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>AMERICAN DEER.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>The distinctive characteristic of the animals
+of this group consists in the texture,
+shape and manner of growth of their
+frontal protuberances. These projections,
+which are called antlers, and not
+horns, are bony, solid, and more or less
+branching. They do not have the horny
+casing which exists in all Hollow-horned
+Ruminants. They fall off and are renewed
+at a certain period every year up
+to a certain age, and it is because of this
+peculiarity that these animals are known
+as Ruminants with deciduous horns.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>In the full grown animal the antler is
+composed of a cylindrical or flattened
+stem, according to the genus, which is
+called the brow-antler, from which branch
+out at intervals slighter or shorter
+additions, called tines or branches. The
+base of the brow-antler is surrounded by
+a circle of small bony excrescences, which
+afford a passage to the blood vessels intended
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_146'>146</span>to provide for the growth of the
+antler; these are called burrs.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>There are various terms used to indicate
+the growth of the antlers. In the
+first place, on the brow of the young animal,
+two small elevations or knobs are
+seen to make their appearance, above
+each of which there soon grows a projection
+of cartilage, which finally assumes a
+bony texture.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Until they become perfectly hard,
+these two early sprouts are protected
+from any external friction by a kind of
+velvety skin, which dries up as soon as
+the cartilage turns to bone.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The short horns which then adorn its
+brow take the name of dags. At the
+commencement of the third year the dags
+fall off, but soon after they are replaced
+by other and longer ones, which throw
+out their first tines; and from this time
+they are considered as entitled to the
+name of antler.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The falling off and periodical renewal
+of these bony projections is really a very
+curious phenomenon. It seems as if it
+ought to take several years for the horns
+to regain, as they do, equal or even larger
+dimensions than their predecessors; nevertheless,
+they shoot out all complete in
+the space of a few weeks. Still, the explanation
+of this fact is simple enough.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The skin which covers the base of the
+antlers of this animal is traversed by a
+large number of blood vessels, which supply
+the phosphate of lime necessary to
+solidify the bony parts. Up to the time
+when the antler has acquired the full
+growth which it is to attain in each year,
+this skin continues to receive the requisite
+flow of blood; it retains, in fact, its living
+action. But as soon as the growth
+is complete, and it becomes bony, the
+burrs increase in size, strangulate the
+vessels, and stop the flow of the alimentary
+fluid. This skin then withers and
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_147'>147</span>comes away from the antler, which, thus
+laid bare and no longer receiving nourishment,
+gradually wastes away or decays,
+and falls off at the end of a few
+months, again making its appearance in
+the approaching season.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Nearly all the members of this family
+are remarkable for the elegance of their
+shape, the dignity of their attitudes, the
+grace and vivacity of their movements,
+the slenderness of their limbs, and the
+sustained rapidity of their flight. They
+have a very short tail; moderately sized
+and pointed ears, and their eyes are clear
+and full of gentleness.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The coat of Ruminants which shed
+their horns is generally brown or fawn-colored.
+It is composed of short, close
+and brittle hair, which assumes a somewhat
+woolly nature in the inclement regions
+of the extreme north, more especially
+in the winter season.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>These Ruminants live in small droves
+or herds in forests, on mountains or
+plains, and feed on leaves, buds, grass,
+moss, or the bark of trees, etc. They are
+distributed over all the surface of the
+globe, both in the hottest and coldest
+climates. The Reindeer and Elk are peculiar
+to the northern regions of both
+continents; but numerous species are, on
+the contrary, found in hot and temperate
+countries.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The family of Ruminants which shed
+their horns comprehends three genera—the
+Reindeer, the Elk, and the Deer
+proper—all differing in the shape and
+size of their antlers.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE REINDEER.</h3>
+
+<div id='i148'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus398.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>REINDEER.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Reindeer is of about the size of the
+Red Deer, but its legs are shorter and
+thicker. The horns, which exist in both
+sexes, are divided into several branches;
+at first they are slender and pointed, but
+as they grow they extend, and ultimately
+terminate in broad and toothed palmations.
+The hair of this animal, which is
+brown in summer, becomes almost white
+as winter approaches—a circumstance
+which accounts for the idea among the
+ancients, that the “Tarandus” could assume
+any color it thought proper.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Reindeer is met with only in the
+extreme north of Europe and of America.
+It is more especially a native of Lapland,
+where it is as serviceable to the sojourner
+in those icy regions as the Camel to the
+inhabitants of the sandy desert. The
+Laplanders keep numerous flocks of
+them, drive them in summer-time to the
+mountains of their country, and in winter
+cause them to return to the plains,
+where they use them as beasts of burden
+and of draught, eat their flesh, feed their
+children with their milk, and clothe themselves
+with their skins. “These useful
+animals,” says Mr. Lloyd, “not only
+mainly contribute to the subsistence, but
+constitute the chief riches of that nomade
+people. Without the Reindeer, indeed,
+the Lapp could hardly contrive to exist
+in the dreary region he inhabits, the needful
+provender being too scanty to admit
+of the well-being of other animals, such as
+Sheep and horned Cattle, which in more
+southern countries are made subservient
+to the purposes of Man.”</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>“A large herd of Reindeer,” says Lloyd
+in his Scandinavian Adventures, “traversing
+the open country or the surface
+of a frozen lake, as the case may be, when
+the Lapp is changing his encampment, is
+a very magnificent sight. In the front
+walks a Man leading a Reindeer, or perhaps
+the Man quite alone, who only now
+and then calls to the animals, which, at a
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_148'>148</span>few paces’ distance, faithfully follow
+where he leads.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>“In the first ranks of the herd one commonly
+sees many noble males, who
+proudly elevate their heads, attired with
+large and branching antlers. The rest
+of the herd follow one another in close
+phalanx. It resembles a wondrous moving
+forest, whose innumerably branched
+crowns, with their rapid and constantly
+shifting motion, make the most pleasing
+impression on the eye and mind of the
+spectator.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>“The Lapp sometimes calls a great herd
+of Reindeer a sava, or sea, a figurative
+expression, beautiful as faithful; taken,
+probably, not only from the immensity of
+the ocean, but from its surface being in
+constant undulatory motion.”</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE ELKS.</h3>
+
+<div id='i149'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus401.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>ELK OR MOOSE.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Elk, or Moose Deer, the typical
+representative of this sub-family, is an
+ungainly-looking animal, as large as, or
+larger than an ordinary Horse. It
+seems to be raised on legs of disproportionate
+height. Its muzzle is broad and
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_149'>149</span>pendulous; its throat swollen, as if it was
+afflicted with a goitre; while its hair is
+rough and of an ashy color of variable
+shades. The horn of the Elk is at first
+dagger-shaped, and then divided into
+strips; but at the age of five years, it assumes
+the shape of a broad triangular expansion,
+with prongs upon its outer margin.
+The weight of these horns increases
+with the age of the animal, until they
+weigh fifty or sixty pounds, and present
+as many as fourteen antlers or projections
+from each horn.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>This animal inhabits the forests of
+the north, both of the European and
+American continents, where it may be
+seen in small herds, making its way
+through the marshy forests. It is an excellent
+swimmer, and from the peculiar
+structure of its hoofs, able to cross
+marshy ground with great facility. The
+sense of smell in the Elk is exceedingly
+acute; and when once he scents a pursuer,
+he darts away with lightning speed,
+and usually without a single pause till he
+is four or five miles away from the object
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_150'>150</span>of his fear. He frequents in summer low
+and marshy ground, where water and
+trees abound; while in winter he resorts
+to thicker shelter on higher levels. The
+Elk feeds chiefly by day, in the summer
+on the bark, leaves and small branches of
+young trees, and various species of
+grasses. In the winter he adds to his
+food the leaves of various firs, and different
+kinds of lichens.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE DEER PROPER.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The animals classified under this title
+include a large number of species distributed
+over the warm and temperate regions
+of both continents. The animals
+are remarkable for their grace and agility.
+The various species differ somewhat in
+the shape of their antlers, and the color of
+their coat, which is sometimes all of a
+fawn-colored shade, sometimes dotted
+over with white spots during their youth,
+and sometimes mottled during the whole
+of their life. The principal species are
+the Common Stag, or Red Deer, the
+Large Stag of Canada, or Wapiti, the
+Virginian Stag, the Axis, the Porcine
+Deer, the Fallow Deer, and the Common
+Roe.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE RED DEER.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Red Deer is certainly one of the
+most beautiful of European animals, owing
+to the majestic antlers which adorn
+its head, and its stately and graceful bearing.
+This quadruped is about the size of
+a small Horse. Its coat, which varies according
+to the season, changes from light
+brown in summer to greyish in winter.
+It has generally a very gentle and timid
+disposition, and dreads the presence of
+Man, taking flight at the slightest alarm.
+On the contrary, when not disturbed, it
+manifests an amount of laziness which
+contrasts strangely with its extraordinary
+agility.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>When arrived at a certain age, and in
+full possession of all its strength, the Stag
+loves solitude, and in localities where possible,
+confines itself during the whole summer
+to thickets and woods, scarcely coming
+forth except at night to search for
+sustenance; this done, it again retires to
+the thickest brake, to rest and digest its
+food. At the end of autumn it visits the
+plains, making its way into badly-enclosed
+gardens, where it satisfies its appetite
+with the agriculturist’s cereals and
+fruit. If there should not be a sufficiency
+of the latter on the ground, the
+Stag increases the supply by standing upright
+against the trunk of the tree, and
+using its antlers as a pole to knock down
+enough to satisfy its appetite.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The favorite food of the Red Deer is
+grass, leaves, fruits and buds; but as none
+of these can be found in winter, it is compelled
+to eat moss, heath and lichens.
+When the ground is covered with snow it
+will feed upon the bark of trees. At this
+season of the year these animals assemble
+in numerous herds under the tallest trees
+of the forest, to obtain shelter from the
+north wind, when they crowd closely
+against one another for warmth.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Stag produces every year a new
+head of horns; and its age is generally indicated
+by them. At six years of age it
+is said to possess a full head; in the following
+years, and up to the end of its life,
+it is known as a Royal Stag.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE CANADIAN STAG.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>A magnificent species of Stag is found
+in North America, which is called the
+Large Stag of Canada, or Wapiti. This
+animal bears some resemblance to the
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_151'>151</span>Elk. It is easily tamed, and soon becomes
+used to confinement. The North
+American Indians catch it in snares when
+young, and rear it with care. At maturity
+they harness it to their sledges during
+the winter, and its powerful frame enables
+it to draw heavy loads. Its flesh, which
+is excellent, forms a large portion of the
+Red Man’s sustenance.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE VIRGINIAN DEER.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Virginian Deer is common in the
+United States, where it is the favorite animal
+of chase. It is larger than the Fallow
+Deer, and is excessively abundant in
+some portions of this country; but so
+many of them are annually slaughtered
+that, before a hundred years are past,
+says Audubon, this animal will have become
+an extraordinary rarity. Their
+death is generally accomplished by the
+hunter stalking on them unawares, when
+they are shot; or driving them from cover
+when their favorite passes (which are easily
+distinguished by the experienced) are
+guarded by marksmen.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE SAMBOO, AXIS AND PORCINE DEER.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Indian continent and Malay Islands
+produce several very remarkable
+species of Stags. First let us mention
+the Samboo, or Aristotle Deer, so called
+because it was first described by that celebrated
+philosopher of antiquity; then the
+Axis, a very elegant animal with a fawn-colored
+coat speckled with white, and
+horns furnished with only two branches;
+and lastly, the Porcine Deer, which owes
+its name to its small size and massive
+shape. In Bengal, these two last named
+species are reared in a domesticated state,
+and fattened for the table.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE FALLOW DEER.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Fallow Deer holds a middle place
+in size between the Red Deer and the
+Roe. Its height, at the withers, is little
+more than ten hands. It may be easily
+recognized by its horns, which are round
+at the base, and palmated above. Its
+coat, like that of the Axis, is fawn-colored
+or brown, dotted over with white spots,
+which in summer are very distinctly
+marked, but are scarcely perceptible in
+winter. Its habits differ but slightly
+from those of the Red Deer.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Fallow Deer is found over a large
+part of Europe, in the north of Africa and
+also in Asia Minor.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE COMMON ROE.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Roe Deer is one of the most elegant
+and graceful representatives of this
+group. It does not measure much more
+than a yard in length. Its horns are
+small, and very simple in their shape.
+They are composed of a deeply indented
+stem, which is straight for the greater
+part of its length, and furnished at the top
+with two branches, forming a fork at the
+extremity. Its coat is a uniform fawn-color,
+the shade of which varies with the
+season.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Roes frequent young woods and
+thickets in the vicinity of cultivated
+ground, where they delight to crop the
+buds and shoots, thus doing considerable
+mischief in plantations. They are timid,
+intelligent and gentle; the least unaccustomed
+noise frightens them. Still, all
+their precautions are not sufficient to protect
+them against the multitude of huntsmen
+eager for their capture—an eagerness
+the more excusable as the Roe furnishes
+the finest venison.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_152'>152</span>
+  <h2 id='h152' class='c006'>CETACEA—THE WHALES.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<div id='i088'  class='figcenter id012'>
+<img src='images/illus226.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>Whale Attacked by Bloodheads.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='drop-capa0_2_0_6 c013'>THE Whale family, or the Cetacea,
+are really aquatic animals, although
+they resemble Fishes externally.
+Their whole structure—their
+lungs instead of gills for breathing, their
+heart, and their manner of feeding their
+young, all show that they belong to the
+Mammals. Only, instead of being organized
+for living on land, they are better
+suited for the water. Some of them
+reach an enormous size, and are the
+giants of the animal kingdom.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Their body, more or less spindle-shaped,
+is terminated in a tail which is
+very broad and forms a fin. This fin or
+tail is not vertical, as in Fishes, and it is
+the principal agent for moving these living
+masses.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>On the back of most of the Cetacea
+there is another fin, which is merely a part
+of the skin. They have no hind fins, and
+their great front fins or arms are of little
+<a id='use'></a>use for locomotion through the water, but
+serve to balance their movements.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The skin of the different members of
+the Whale family is generally quite hairless,
+which very rarely happens in the case
+of other Mammalia. The largest of other
+animals are small when compared with
+many of the Cetacea. These great creatures
+swim quite rapidly, however. Because
+of the air contained in their chest,
+and the great quantity of grease with
+which their tissues are charged, and the
+great strength of their tail in pushing
+them forward, they move easily through
+the waves, looking for the Fish, <a id='mol'></a>Molluscs
+and Crustacea, which they eat in enormous
+quantities.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Whale family is first divided into
+two classes, the Blowing Cetacea, and
+the Herbiverous Cetacea. The Herbiverous
+class includes the Manatees and the
+Duyongs who live on the weedy, shallow
+shores around the islands and mouths of
+rivers, and feed on the sea-weed.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The class of Blowing Cetacea includes
+the Whale proper, the Rorquals and the
+great Cachalot or Sperm Whale, in which
+the head constitutes in itself one-third, or
+even one-half of the total length of the
+creature, the Whalebone Whale; and a
+second division containing the Dolphin,
+the Porpoise, <a id='nar'></a>Narwhal, etc., in which the
+head is in the usual proportion to the
+body.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE WHALE, AND ITS ENEMIES.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>We hear surprising stories of the
+Whales of past ages which measured from
+one or two hundred feet in length; and
+from the skeletons that have been discovered,
+it is found that even if they did not
+reach this great length, it is probably
+true, as Goldsmith claims, that they were
+very much larger in the past than now.
+It is the same as with the quadrupeds, the
+huge Mastodons, etc., from the skeletons
+that have been dug up from time to time
+it is evident that there must have been
+terrestrial animals twice as large as the
+Elephant, but these, being rivals with
+mankind for the large territory required
+for their existence, must have been destroyed
+in the contest. And in the sea,
+as well as upon land, Man has destroyed
+the larger tribes of animals.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Whale is the largest animal of
+which we have any certain information;
+and the various purposes to which, when
+taken, its different parts are converted,
+have made us well acquainted with its
+history. Of the Whale proper, there are
+no less than seven different kinds; all distinguished
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_153'>153</span>from each other by their external
+figure or internal formation. They
+differ somewhat in their manner of living;
+the Fin-fish having a larger swallow than
+the rest, being more active, slender and
+fierce, and living chiefly upon Herrings.
+However, they are none of them very
+voracious; and, if compared to the Cachalot,
+that enormous tyrant of the deep,
+they appear harmless and gentle. The
+history of the rest, therefore, may be comprised
+under that of the Great Common
+Greenland Whale, with which we are best
+acquainted.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Great Greenland Whale is a large,
+heavy animal, and the head alone makes
+a third of its bulk. It is usually found
+from sixty to seventy feet long. The
+fins on each side are from five to eight
+feet, composed of bones and muscles, and
+sufficiently strong to give the great mass
+of body which they move, speed and activity.
+The tail, which lies flat on the
+water, is about twenty-four feet broad,
+and, when the Whale lies on one side, its
+blow is tremendous. The skin is smooth
+and black, and in some places marbled
+with white and yellow; which, running
+over the surface, has a very beautiful
+effect.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Whale makes use only of the tail
+to advance itself forward in the water.
+This serves as a great oar to push its mass
+along; and it is surprising to see with
+what force and celerity its enormous
+bulk cuts through the ocean. The fins
+are only made use of for turning in the
+water, and giving direction to its course.
+The Mother-whale also makes use of
+them, when pursued, to bear off her
+young, clapping them on her back, and
+supporting them, by the fins on each side,
+from falling.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The outward or scarf skin of the Whale
+is no thicker than parchment; but this
+removed, the real skin appears, of about
+an inch thick, and covering the fat or
+blubber that lies beneath; this is from
+eight to twelve inches in thickness; and
+is, when the Whale is in health, of a beautiful
+yellow. The muscles lie beneath;
+and these, like the flesh of quadrupeds,
+are very red and tough.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Nothing can exceed the tenderness of
+the mother for her young; she carries it
+with her wherever she goes, and, when
+hardest pursued, keeps it supported between
+her fins. Even when wounded,
+she still clasps her baby; and when she
+plunges to avoid danger, takes it to the
+bottom; but rises sooner than usual, to
+give it breath again.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>It seems astonishing how a shoal of
+these enormous animals find subsistence
+together, when it would seem that the
+supplying even one with food would require
+greater plenty than the ocean could
+furnish. To increase our wonder, we not
+only see them herding together, but usually
+find them fatter than any other animals
+of land or sea. We likewise know
+that they cannot swallow large Fishes, as
+their throat is so narrow, that a Fish
+larger than a Herring could not enter.
+How then do they subsist and grow so
+fat? A small insect which is seen floating
+in those seas, and which Linnaeus
+terms the Medusa, is sufficient for this
+supply.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>These insects are black, and of the size
+of a small bean, and are sometimes seen
+floating in clusters on the surface of the
+water. They are of a round form, like
+Snails in a box, but they have wings,
+which are so tender that it is scarcely possible
+to touch them without breaking.
+These serve rather for swimming than
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_154'>154</span>flying; and the little animal is called by
+the Icelanders, the Walfischoas, which
+signifies the Whale’s provender. They
+have the taste of raw muscles, and have
+the smell of burnt sugar. These are the
+food of the Whale, which it is seen to
+draw up in great numbers with its huge
+jaws, and to bruise between its barbs,
+which are always found with several of
+these sticking among them.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>As the Whale is a meek animal, it is not
+to be wondered that it has many enemies,
+willing to take advantage of its disposition,
+and inaptitude for combat. There
+is a small animal, of the Shell-fish kind,
+called the Whale-louse, that sticks to its
+body, as we see shells sticking to the bottom
+of a ship. This hides itself chiefly
+under the fins; and whatever efforts the
+great animal makes, it still keeps its hold
+and lives upon the fat, which it is provided
+with instruments to reach.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Sword-fish, however, is the
+Whale’s most terrible enemy. “At the
+sight of this little animal,” says Anderson,
+“the Whale seems agitated in an extraordinary
+manner; leaping from the
+water as if with affright. Wherever it
+appears, the Whale perceives it at a distance,
+and flies from it in the opposite direction.
+I have been myself,” he continues,
+“a spectator of their terrible encounter.
+The Whale has no instrument of
+defence except the tail; with that it endeavors
+to strike the enemy; and a single
+blow taking place, would effectually destroy
+its adversary; but the Sword-fish is
+as active as the other is strong, and easily
+avoids the stroke; then bounding into the
+air, it falls upon its great enemy, and endeavors,
+not to pierce with its pointed
+beak, but to cut with its toothed edges.
+The sea all about is soon dyed with blood,
+proceeding from the wounds of the
+Whale, while the enormous animal vainly
+endeavors to reach its invader, and strikes
+with its tail against the surface of the water,
+making a report at each blow louder
+than the noise of a cannon.”</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Whale has still another deadly enemy—the
+tribe of Bloodheads, known as
+the Wolves of the ocean. This is a species
+of Whale and, like the Whale, also
+belongs to Mammalian animals. Although
+the Bloodheads in relation to the
+enormous Whale may be termed small,
+they wage war in troups of five or ten, undaunted
+and impassionately attacking
+the huge monster who usually succumbs
+to the assault. They, therefore, deserve
+the name assigned them by Linneus,
+“Torment of the Whale.” They are even
+more blood-thirsty than the Shark in
+boldness, killing Seal and smaller Fish in
+masses.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Whale when attacked by these
+Fish of Prey appears to become at first
+paralyzed with fear and hardly makes any
+effort to defend himself, although it
+would hardly benefit him to do so as the
+Bloodheads are the swiftest of the Whale
+family, swimming with extraordinary
+quickness and dexterity. The “Wolves
+of the Sea” encircle the gigantic, clumsy
+Whale like a pack of Hounds around a
+pursued and exhausted Deer. Some of
+them attack him at the head and forefins,
+others attack him from underneath, while
+others attack the lips, and when he opens
+his gigantic mouth, attempt to slash
+apart his tongue. Finally the giant becomes
+angered. He whips the water
+with his tail and his front fins with tremendous
+force, snorts powerful streams
+out of the nostrils of his colossal head;
+dives under and shoots up in an endeavor
+to shake off his enemies and to dispatch
+them with his fins. Often this terrific
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_155'>155</span>combat, as illustrated on page <a href='#i088'>88</a>, lasts
+for a considerable length of time, ending
+mostly with the downfall and death of the
+Whale. The Bloodheads tear him apart
+in a horrible manner until death ensues,
+after which they feast for days with pleasure
+on the immense carcass, and then
+start in search of further prey.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE CACHALOTS.</h3>
+
+<div id='i155'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus416.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>SPERM WHALE.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>In these Cetaceans the head is of vast
+size and excessively vaulted, or arched,
+especially in front. The upper jaw has
+no whalebone nor teeth of any kind, excepting
+a few rudiments. The lower jaw,
+which is very narrow and much elongated,
+is armed on each side with a
+lengthy row of teeth of considerable size
+and conical shape, the points of which
+when the mouth is shut, are received into
+corresponding depressions in the upper
+jaw.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The upper region of their prodigious
+head is made up of vast caverns filled with
+an oily fluid, which on cooling becomes
+solid, constituting the valuable substance
+generally known by the name of “spermaceti.”
+It is not, however, in the vaults
+of the head only that this fat is found.
+It appears to be distributed through various
+excavations in the body, and to be
+diffused even among the dense mass of
+blubber which envelopes the exterior of
+the animal.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'><span class='pageno' id='Page_156'>156</span>The peculiar odorous substance, so well
+known under the name of “ambergris,”
+is likewise obtained from the Cachalot.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>How many species of these monstrous
+creatures exist in the ocean we cannot
+tell, seeing that the observations of the
+Whale-fishermen are generally by no
+means sufficiently precise for the purposes
+of Natural History. That which
+appears to be most frequently met with is
+the Great-headed Spermaceti Whale.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>This giant of the deep has merely a callous
+hump upon its back, in place of a
+dorsal fin. On each side of its lower jaw
+are from twenty to twenty-three large
+conical teeth. The “blow hole” through
+which it respires is a single orifice, situated
+on the top of the head—not a double
+aperture as in most other Cetaceans.
+The species seems to be widely distributed,
+but its range is principally confined
+to the oceans south of the Equator.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE WHALEBONE WHALES.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>These Whales resemble the Cachalots,
+both in the vastness of their bulk, and in
+the disproportionate size of their head,
+when compared with their entire length.
+Their forehead, however, is considerably
+flatter than that of the Spermaceti
+Whales, and they have no true teeth. Instead
+of the usual implements of mastication,
+their upper jaw, which somewhat
+resembles a great boat turned keel upwards,
+or the roof of a house, has its under
+surface densely furnished with plates
+of a substance called “whalebone,” consisting
+of horny plates resembling the
+blades of scythes, placed transversely.
+These becoming thinner towards their
+edges, are fringed with a long hair-like
+border, so that the whole apparatus forms
+an immense sieve.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Whalebone Whale—long considered
+as the largest animal at present in
+existence—according to the testimony of
+the Rev. Captain Scoresby, seems rarely,
+if ever, to exceed seventy feet in length;
+a size, which, although prodigious, is exceeded
+by some other Cetaceans. Its
+back is unprovided with a dorsal fin. The
+blubber, or elastic fat beneath its skin,
+which is sometimes several feet in thickness,
+furnishes immense quantities of oil,
+in search of which whole fleets were formerly
+fitted out, until the entire race of
+these Whales has become almost extinct.
+At a very recent period these leviathans
+of the ocean were not uncommonly met
+with on the British coast; but generally
+they have been compelled to retire for
+safety to the recesses of the ice-bound
+coasts of the north, and even there they
+are rarely to be encountered, their number
+appearing to constantly diminish.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>In addition to the large supplies of oil
+fat, commerce was indebted to them for
+the whalebone, formerly so abundant,
+consisting of broad plates of that black,
+flexible, horny substance, sometimes
+measuring eight or ten feet in length; and
+of these a single individual has been
+known to furnish eight or nine hundred
+from each side of the roof of its mouth, as
+well as upwards of twenty tons of oil.
+<a id='not'></a>Notwithstanding its colossal size, the
+Whalebone Whale is very harmless, living
+principally upon the small animals
+that crowd the seas to which it resorts,
+straining them from the surrounding water
+by means of its sieve-like mouth.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE DOLPHINS.</h3>
+
+<div id='i157'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus423.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>DOLPHIN.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>These animals are easily distinguished
+from the others of the Whale family by
+their arched forehead, the beak-like jaws,
+and the beauty and elegance of their
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_157'>157</span>movements in the water. For many
+ages the Dolphin has been noted for its
+intelligence and docility, its affectionate
+disposition being quite as noticeable
+among the water animals, as that of the
+Dog or the Elephant among quadrupeds.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>They usually swim in companies, leaping
+and tumbling over one another with
+amusing playfulness. They live principally
+upon Fishes, which, from the swiftness
+of their movements, they have no
+difficulty in catching.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>People have always had a great idea
+of the strength of the Dolphin, and at one
+time it was said of those who attempted
+to perform impossibilities, that they
+“wanted to tie a Dolphin by the tail.” It
+is principally with the assistance of this
+powerful tail that the Dolphin swims
+with such rapidity, and that it has gained
+for itself the title of “Sea-arrow.”</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>When the Dolphins—which go in
+numerous troops and in certain order—meet
+a ship, they follow it, so as to catch
+the Fish which the refuse thrown from
+the ship attracts in quantities. At whatever
+speed the ship may be, either sailing
+or steaming, they keep up with it, and
+play about among the waves, bounding,
+turning over and over, and never tiring
+of frisking and tumbling, affording continual
+amusement to the crew.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Many authors have said that the Dolphin
+leaps high enough above the surface
+of the water to jump on board small vessels.
+They say that in this case the animal
+curves its body round with force,
+bends its tail like a bow, and then unbends
+it, in such a manner as to fly like
+the arrow from a bow.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>When they saw these animals following
+their ships, the sailors imagined that
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_158'>158</span>they were accompanying them from an
+instinct of sociability. They have even
+gone so far as to say that these animals
+have a sort of affection for seamen, as
+well as for each other.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE PORPOISES.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Porpoises differ from the Dolphins
+in having their snout short and uniformly
+rounded, without <a id='a-and'></a>a beak-like projection.
+Their teeth are compressed, sharp-edged,
+and rounded, their number from
+twenty-two to twenty-five in each jaw.
+Their skin is smooth and shining, black
+above and white below, and as they never
+attain a greater length than four or five
+feet from the tip of the muzzle to the extremity
+of their flat horizontal tail, they
+may be regarded as the smallest of the
+Cetacean Order. These animals abound
+in every sea, and many people have witnessed
+their unwieldy gambollings, the
+character of which is by no means badly
+expressed by their name (porc-poisson,
+hog-fishes). They have, in fact, somewhat
+the appearance of floating pigs, as
+they wallow in the trough of the sea and
+roll over each other amid the foaming
+waves.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Their food consists entirely of Fishes,
+of which they destroy great quantities.
+They follow the shoals of Herrings and of
+Mackerel, and when pursuing their prey,
+not unfrequently venture into the estuaries
+of rivers, and make excursions up
+the rivers themselves.</p>
+
+<div>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_159'>159</span>
+<h3 class='c015'>THE NARWHALS.</h3>
+</div>
+
+<div id='i158'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus428.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>NARWHAL.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Narwhals have no teeth, but are
+furnished with an enormous tusk, that
+projects from the upper jaw, and becomes
+a most formidable weapon.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Narwhal is an inhabitant of the
+Arctic seas, where it sometimes attains a
+length of from twenty to twenty-five
+feet. Its skin is beautifully marbled with
+brown and white; its muzzle is round, and
+its mouth, unlike that of other Cetaceans,
+is disproportionately small. Its single
+tooth, or horn-like tusk, projects from the
+head in a line with the body, sometimes
+to the length of nine or ten feet. It is
+spirally twisted, tapering to a point, and
+as it is composed of the hardest ivory, is
+capable not only of transfixing the body
+of a Whale, but when impelled by such
+momentum as is derived from the speed
+of its ponderous owner, has been known
+to penetrate the oaken ribs of a British
+man-of-war to the depth of nearly a couple
+of feet, and probably has thus caused
+the loss of many ships incapable of resisting
+the shock.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h159' class='c006'>HERBIVOROUS CETACEANS.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>Until a very recent period the animals
+composing this family were quite unknown,
+or perhaps we ought rather to
+say they were just sufficiently known to
+make them the objects of superstition.
+Seeing that there is in their general appearance,
+somewhat of a resemblance to
+the human form, the casual glimpses obtained
+of them at once satisfied their first
+discoverers that they were Tritons and
+Sirens, such as they had read of in mythological
+writings, and the belief in the existence
+of Mermaids and Mermen was
+thus at once confirmed.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>In the works of Gesner, Aldrovandus
+and Jonston, the earliest authors after the
+renaissance of Natural History in modern
+times, the figures of creatures having
+human bodies joined with the tails of
+Fishes are inserted with the utmost faith
+in their existence.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>A more accurate acquaintance with
+these strange creatures has, however, revealed
+to later voyagers that they are
+merely a race of animals very closely allied
+in their organization to Whales,
+which in form they closely resemble,
+while their internal structure shows them
+to be still more nearly related to the gigantic
+Pachyderm Quadrupeds, such as
+the Hippopotamus and the Tapir.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The main feature which distinguishes
+the Herbivorous Cetaceans is their total
+want of hind limbs, a circumstance in
+which they resemble the true Whales and
+Dolphins; but in the structure of their
+nostrils they conform to the usual arrangement
+met with in four-footed Mammalia.
+Instead of whalebone or the
+sharp conical teeth of the Dolphins, they
+are furnished with broad, flat grinders,
+wherewith they chew their vegetable
+food, which consists principally of the
+sea-weeds, etc., abundant near the shores
+which they frequent. In short, as Buffon
+well expresses it, these creatures terminate
+the list of terrestrial quadrupeds
+and commence the history of the population
+of the sea, or, more correctly, form
+the connecting link between the Mammiferous
+inhabitants of the ocean and
+those of the river and the marsh.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>This family comprises the Manatees
+and the Dugongs.</p>
+
+<div>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_160'>160</span>
+<h3 class='c015'>THE MANATEES.</h3>
+</div>
+
+<div id='i160'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus436.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>MANATEE.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>These animals are distinguished by the
+arrangement of their teeth and by certain
+peculiarities in the structure of their head.
+The number of their teeth is considerable,
+their grinders have roots distinct from
+the crown of the tusk, which forms a
+grinding surface composed of transverse
+elevated ridges. The incisor teeth are
+quite rudimentary. Their only limbs
+somewhat resemble hands, and their fingers
+are provided with nails, while the fin
+at their tail is not forked, but single, and
+of an oval shape. These creatures seem
+to be intermediate in their structure between
+the Pachyderms and the Cetaceans,
+seeing that their grinding teeth
+very much resemble those of the Tapirs.
+Three species are known to Naturalists—one
+from South America, one from Senegal
+and one from Florida.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE SOUTH AMERICAN MANATEE.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>Although the western coasts of Africa
+were frequented by sailors in very ancient
+times, and known to Europeans long before
+the discovery of the American continent,
+the Manatee which is found upon
+the eastern shores of America was known
+to Naturalists before the African species.
+The interest aroused by the discovery of
+a new world attracted enlightened men,
+who flocked to its shore, and described its
+productions; while the African continent,
+never having received Europeans but as
+enemies, was in turn treated as an enemy’s
+country, and could only be visited
+at a considerable risk.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The name of Manatus is evidently derived
+from the Spanish word mano, a
+hand, or manato, furnished with hands,
+seeing that the creature seems to have no
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_161'>161</span>arms, little being seen externally but the
+fingers. Its length is from eighteen to
+twenty feet, and it is at least six feet
+across at the broadest part of its body,
+just behind the hands. Its general appearance
+is that of a Whale; it has no
+neck, nor any vestiges of hinder extremities,
+but it differs materially from the true
+Cetaceans in many points of its structure.
+Four of its fingers, for instance, are furnished
+with nails, and its tail is of an oval
+shape.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>This animal appears to live entirely
+upon sea-weed, nothing but the remains
+of various kinds of fucus having been
+found in its stomach. The form of its
+teeth corresponds with the supposition
+that this is its only food, and seeing that
+it has no incisor teeth, it must necessarily
+browse this kind of grass by means of its
+fleshy lips, which are covered with stiff
+hairs. The habits of the Manatee are
+gentle; it is even stated to be capable of
+being to some extent tamed. It associates
+with its fellows in herds, which are
+more or less numerous. The mother exhibits
+the greatest affection for her young
+ones, which are one or two in number;
+she carries them in her hands while feeding
+them, and her milk is said to be as
+sweet and well-tasted as that of a cow.
+The Manatee frequents the estuaries of
+the rivers of South America, and even
+sometimes ventures to ascend their
+streams for a short distance. Its flesh
+and its fat are both considered delicacies.
+One is said to resemble veal, the other
+bacon, the latter having the additional
+recommendation of keeping good for a
+long period.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE DUGONGS.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Dugongs were for <a id='some'></a>some time
+confounded with the Walruses and Manatees,
+under the generic name of Trichecus,
+until Lacepede, perceiving their distinctive
+characters, separated them as a
+distinct race, to which he applied the
+name Dugong, thus trying to Latinize
+their native appellation. Such Latin as
+that, however, could not be tolerated
+even by Zoologists, and hence Illiger conferred
+upon them the more euphonious
+name of Halicore (daughter of the sea).
+Although the organization of the Dugong
+in its general features resembles
+that of the Manatee, there are important
+differences whereby they are clearly distinguishable.
+The molar teeth of the
+Dugong have no roots, but present
+merely a flat surface bordered with
+enamel; moreover, they are fewer than in
+the Manatee, and the Dugong has rudimentary
+incisors. The structure of the
+hands is likewise modified. The fingers
+of the Dugong have no nails, and very
+much resemble the flippers of ordinary
+Cetaceans, while the nostrils, instead of
+opening at the end of the snout, are approximated
+to the top of the head, another
+circumstance by which the Dugongs
+seem to be intermediate between
+the herbivorous and carnivorous forms of
+Whale.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The only known species is the Halicore
+Dugong. These animals live in societies,
+in shallow bays near the mouths of rivers,
+and in narrow arms of the sea where the
+depth is only two or three fathoms. In
+such situations they find abundance of
+sea-weed, which seems to constitute their
+only nutriment, and which they tear from
+the rocks by means of their flexible but
+powerful and fleshy lips. In the Sunda
+Isles Dugongs were formerly numerous,
+but their flesh is esteemed a dainty, and
+the species is now becoming scarce.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'><span class='pageno' id='Page_162'>162</span>The chase after them is carried on during
+very calm weather, and generally by
+night. Their vicinity is detected by the
+noise they make in breathing as they lie
+at the top of the water, when by approaching
+them cautiously in a boat, they
+are easily harpooned. When once the
+weapon is fixed, all the efforts of the assailants
+are directed to getting a rope
+round the tail of their victim, and this being
+accomplished it is quite helpless.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The mother and her young, and also
+the male and his mate, show great attachment
+for each other; if one is caught, the
+capture of the other is a certainty, as the
+survivor, totally regardless of danger,
+gives itself up to its enemies.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_165'>165</span>
+  <h2 id='h166' class='c006'>Birds.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<div id='i164'  class='figcenter id015'>
+<img src='images/illus444.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>STONE EAGLE GUARDING HIS BOOTY.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='drop-capa0_2_0_6 c013'>IN the study of our beautiful and interesting
+friends, the Birds, it is
+useless to enter into any prolonged
+discussion concerning their structure
+and their habits in this limited space;
+we are too eager to arrange them in
+their proper families, and learn of the interesting
+traits of individuals.</p>
+
+<div id='i165'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus447.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>TAILOR BIRD.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c008'>There is one thing worthy of consideration,
+however, in studying the Birds as
+a whole, before taking up individuals;
+and that is their wonderful intelligence
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_166'>166</span>in the building of their nests and the care
+of their young. It is difficult to understand
+this intelligence as exhibited in
+Birds. In the Mammals, whose organization
+approaches nearer to our own, we
+are enabled partly to comprehend their
+joys and griefs, but in the case of Birds
+it is difficult to understand their sensations.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>To explain this mystery a word has
+been invented which proves generally
+satisfactory. Thus we call the sentiment
+which leads the Birds to perform so many
+admirable actions, instinct. The tenderness
+of the mother for her young for instance—a
+tenderness so full of delicacy
+and foresight, is, we say, only the result
+of instinct. It is agreed, however, that
+this instinct singularly resembles the intelligence
+called reason.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Take the intelligence that is shown in
+the majority of Birds in the nest building.
+The Tailor bird—an East Indian
+Bird related to the Warblers—shows rare
+intelligence in constructing its nest by
+stitching together the leaves of plants;
+and as we study the individuals of the different
+families of Birds we will find numerous
+instances of this marvellous quality
+commonly known as instinct.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Birds have been arranged in groups
+and families in various ways by different
+Naturalists, but the most satisfactory
+classification is the division into six great
+families. First, the Raptores, or Birds
+of Prey; second, the Natatores, or Swimming
+Birds; third, the Grallatores, or
+Wading Birds; fourth, the Scransores,
+or Climbing Birds; fifth, the Gallinaceae,
+or Domestic Birds; sixth, the Passerines,
+or the Sparrow Family.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h166b' class='c006'>BIRDS OF PREY.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>The numerous Birds classified as Raptores,
+or Birds of Prey, are divided
+into two great families—the Owls or
+Nocturnal Birds of Prey, who hunt and
+kill their prey during the night; and the
+Diurnal Birds of Prey, including the Falcons,
+Eagles and the Vultures, who seek
+their food during the day.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>All the different Birds belonging to
+this order are characterized by a strong,
+hooked and sharp-edged bill, strong legs
+covered with feathers, four toes, three in
+front and one behind, which are usually
+very flexible, and provided with strong
+talons. As their name indicates, they
+live by plunder and blood-shedding.
+They correspond in the class of Birds
+with the Carnivora among Mammals.
+Like them, they live on animals, either
+dead or living; like them, too, they possess
+the strength and cunning which are
+necessary to secure their victims.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Birds of Prey do not possess any
+of the graces and power of song which
+characterize other races of Birds. Their
+only utterance consists of harsh cries or
+strange and plaintive sounds, and it is
+very seldom that their plumage is gay or
+attractive. Destruction is the sole object
+of their existence, and they are the
+terror of the rest of the feathered creation.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>They are found over the whole surface
+of the globe. The larger species inhabit
+lofty mountains, or seek a hiding place in
+solitary cliffs.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_167'>167</span>
+  <h2 id='h167' class='c006'>THE OWL FAMILY.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<div id='i167'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus456.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>OWLS.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>The Owls represent the nocturnal
+Birds of Prey. They are distinguished
+by large staring eyes directed straight in
+front, and surrounded by a circle of slender
+and stiff feathers, which by their radiation
+around the face form a nearly complete
+disc. They have short strong bills
+and sharp claws for seizing their prey.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>With the exception of the Barn Owl,
+all these nocturnal Birds of Prey lay eggs
+of spherical shape. They live in couples,
+only assembling in flocks at the time of
+migrating to a warmer climate. They
+do not build any nests but deposit their
+eggs in the cavities in old trunks of trees
+or ruined habitations. None of these
+Birds come out of their roosting places
+during the day, unless they are forced to
+do so.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>For brief and simple classification the
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_168'>168</span>Owl family is usually divided into two
+groups—the Horned Owls and the
+Hornless Owls.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE HORNED OWLS.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>These are distinguished by two tufts
+or horns of feathers placed on each side
+of their head. They are sub-divided into
+many species. The five most important
+are the Great Owl, Virginian Eared Owl,
+the Long-eared Owl, Short-eared Owl,
+and Scops-eared Owl.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Great Owl is the most remarkable
+of the whole family on account of its size
+and strength. Its height is on an average
+of two feet, and it is known as the
+king of nocturnal Birds. Its bills and
+claws are of a black color, very strong
+and hooked. Its plumage is brown,
+with black spots and dark brown stripes.
+Its wings when extended, are not less
+than five feet across. This bird makes
+its home among the clefts of rocks on
+mountain sides, rarely leaving this elevated
+ground to descend into the plain,
+even when hunting. Its peculiar cry, re-echoing
+in the silence of the night, is a
+source of terror to the rest of the feathered
+creation. It feeds upon Rabbits,
+Moles, Rats and Mice, and even devours
+Toads, Frogs and small reptiles. This
+Owl is the most courageous of the family,
+and often fights with the Tawny
+Eagle. In these fierce fights, both the
+Owl and the Eagle are sometimes killed,
+as they bury their claws so deep in one
+another’s flesh that they cannot withdraw
+them.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Great Owl is common in Switzerland
+and Italy and also inhabits Asia.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Virginian Eared Owl inhabits
+North America. This bird is nearly the
+size of the Great Owl of Europe. It is
+distinguished from the latter by a different
+arrangement of the feathered projections
+on its head, which, instead of starting
+from the ears, take their rise close
+above the bill. This bird feeds on young
+poultry, which it boldly carries off from
+the very midst of poultry yards; to the
+Turkey it is especially destructive.
+When other food fails, it feeds on dead
+fish. If caught when young it is easily
+tamed, but as it gets mature its blood-thirsty
+instincts become so powerful that
+it proves a most expensive pet.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE LONG-EARED OWL.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Long-eared Owl is more sociable
+than most nocturnal Birds of Prey, and is
+often met with in the north of France and
+England. It is also found in Asia, Africa
+and America. It is not large, for it seldom
+exceeds fifteen inches in length;
+nevertheless, it is possessed of great courage,
+and attacks successfully Birds and
+Mammals of considerable size. Its appetite
+appears insatiable. The general
+color varies from pale to dark brown,
+marked with dark pencilings. Any nest,
+even that of the Squirrel, suits its fancy,
+in which it lays four or five white eggs.
+Although so blood-thirsty, it is easily
+tamed.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Short-eared Owl is about a foot in
+height. The horns of this species are
+much shorter than those of the Long-eared
+Owl. Its length is about fifteen
+inches; its plumage is russet, shaded with
+grey and brown. It has a black bill and
+claws, and beautiful yellow eyes. It inhabits
+hollows in rocks or dead trees, and
+old ruined houses, and sometimes installs
+itself in nests left vacant by Magpies, Ravens
+and Buzzards.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>This Owl being very fond of Mice,
+which form its principal food, all that is
+necessary to attract it to a snare is to imitate
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_169'>169</span>the cry of those Rodents. It also
+feeds on Moles, and, in cases of emergency,
+even on Frogs, Toads, Leverets
+and young Rabbits. Its nest has been
+found in a Rabbit hole. This Bird displays
+much courage in the defence of its
+young when it thinks them in danger,
+and does not even fear to attack Man.
+Its cry is a kind of low moaning, which
+it frequently utters during the night.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Scops-eared Owl is remarkable for
+its small size, which does not exceed that
+of the Thrush; and for its horns, which
+are perfectly formed of a single feather.
+These Owls are more sociable than the
+others, and they are of great service to
+the farmers in destroying field Mice.
+Bats and large insects are also favorite
+food for these Birds, and when these are
+scarce, they will eat Fish, and may then
+be seen hovering over ponds and rivers,
+seizing the Fish when they come to the
+surface of the water.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h169' class='c006'>HORNLESS OWLS.</h2>
+</div>
+<p class='c007'>The Hornless Owls are much like the
+others with the exception of their smooth
+round heads, without any projecting
+feathers to form curious ears and horns.
+There are many species in this group, the
+principal ones being the Snow Owls, the
+Barn or Screech Owls, the Hawk or Canada
+Owls, Brown or Tawny Owls, Ural
+Owls, Burrowing Owls, and Sparrow
+Owls.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Barn or Screech Owls are among
+the best known of the family, as they are
+found in nearly all parts of the globe.
+The White Owl, or Snow Owl, sometimes
+called the Harfang, may also be found in
+all parts of North America, Europe and
+Asia. Its plumage is a brilliant white,
+with some black spots on the head. This
+color is well suited to the nature of the
+places in which it lives, for it sometimes
+inhabits the most desolate solitudes of
+North America, Newfoundland, Hudson’s
+Bay, Greenland and Iceland; and
+its color harmonizes so well with its surroundings
+that it can traverse almost unseen,
+the immense deserts of snow in
+search of its prey.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h169b' class='c006'>THE FALCON FAMILY.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>The Falcon tribe form the most important
+group of the Diurnal Birds of
+Prey—or those that hunt during the day.
+They usually feed on living animals, also
+there are some species of this family that
+will feed like the Vultures on putrid flesh.
+The Diurnal Birds of Prey are divided into
+three different families—the Falcons,
+the Vultures and the Serpent Eaters.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Falcon family is divided into the
+Falcons proper, the Eagles, Sea Eagles,
+Harpy Eagles, Buzzards, Hawks, Goshawks
+and Harriers.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Falcons properly so called (from falx a
+reaping-hook) are the ideal Birds of Prey.
+They have a short bill bent from the base
+with a very strong tooth on each side of
+the upper part, with which an indentation
+corresponds in the lower portion.
+The wings of this Bird are long and
+pointed, causing its flight to be powerful
+and rapid. They feed only on living
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_170'>170</span>prey, Birds and small Mammals, and they
+always hunt on the wing.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE EAGLES.</h3>
+
+<div id='i170'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus466.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>HARPY OR CRESTED EAGLE.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Eagles are distinguished from the
+Falcons proper by their strong bills which
+are scalloped and not toothed. Their
+wings are long and tails rounded. The
+Harpy or Crested Eagle is called the
+model species of this tribe. It is very
+large and the most formidable, measuring
+nearly five feet from the extremity of
+the head to that of the tail. Its bill is
+more than two inches in length, and
+its claws and toes are larger and more robust
+than the fingers of a man. It is said
+that the Harpy does not fear to attack
+animals of large size and even Men. Two
+or three blows from its bill are sufficient
+to break its victim’s skull. The Harpy
+inhabits the great forests situated on the
+banks of the rivers of South America.
+The Indians, who have great admiration
+for its warlike qualities, show great respect
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_171'>171</span>for this Bird; and they use its long
+wing and tail feathers to adorn themselves
+on state occasions.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE STONE EAGLE.</h3>
+
+<div id='i177'  class='figcenter id020'>
+<img src='images/illus484.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>Eagle Picking up an Ice Fox.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>Anyone who has visited Switzerland
+has often seen these powerful Birds
+swaying majestically over the highest
+point of the Alps. With widespread
+wings they glide along with easy motion.
+The sharp eye searches the earth anxiously
+and discerns the smallest prey from
+the greatest height. The Bird descends
+with slow circling movements and presently
+drawing his wings with loud, rustling
+noise, he darts to the earth like an arrow.
+He buries his outstretched fangs
+into the body of his prey and crushes it
+sooner or later, according to its size and
+power of resistance, without the use of his
+bill. After killing his prize, the Eagle
+spreads himself out to his full size and
+gives vent to a triumphant shriek of conscious
+victory. The powerful bill then
+begins the work of annihilation.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>He steals smaller and larger animals—Rabbits,
+Lambs, Kids and Foxes. Nordmann
+relates that Stone Eagles have even
+been known to pounce upon heavy
+Swine. Neither are small Children safe
+from him. Among Birds, his prey is the
+Crane, Stork, Duck, Goose, etc., or any
+large and clumsy Bird. He does not attack
+swift Birds.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>In the spring they hatch their eggs in
+a lonely, quiet cliff on the mountains, locating
+the nest in a strong tree. No
+other interloper is tolerated in the same
+district. Should any such appear, the
+male Stone Eagle advances with loud,
+angry shrieks. The intruder pauses,
+startled for the moment. He does not
+feel safe in the strange district and hesitates
+for a moment as to whether to undertake
+the combat with the rightful
+owner of the district. Soon, however,
+his boldness overweighs his better judgment
+and the powerful Birds circle about
+each other seeking to attack a weak
+spot. They circle nearer and presently
+with a bold plunge one swoops down upon
+his opponent. Each clutches the
+other with powerful fangs, making the
+blood flow and amid the rushing noise of
+the flapping wings, furious blows are
+struck, causing the feathers to fly in every
+direction. The combatants gradually
+sink lower and soon touch the earth upon
+which they roll about. Presently the intruder
+endeavors to free himself and,
+bleeding from many wounds, hastens
+away. The victor pursues him for a
+short distance and finally returns to his
+mate, who, having been an interested witness
+of the combat from the distance, welcomes
+him with joyful clamor.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Stone Eagle lays from two to four
+eggs, about the size of a Peacock’s, of a
+greenish white color with brown spots.
+During the time their young remain in
+the nest the parents’ search for prey is
+continuous. In one of the nests, Hunter
+Regg found part of a Fox, a Prairie Dog
+and remains of not less than five Rabbits
+of the Alps.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE SEA EAGLE.</h3>
+
+<div id='i178'  class='figcenter id004'>
+<img src='images/illus485.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>Falcons Fighting.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The common name of the Sea Eagle—Pygargus—is
+derived from the Greek
+word which means “white tail.” These
+Birds feed on Fish and aquatic Birds.
+They are found along the shores of Europe,
+Northern Siberia, Asia Minor and
+Egypt. A powerful, bold and dangerous
+Bird of Prey, with a covering of slate colored
+and golden brown feathers with light
+and dark streaks and bands. Like the
+Stone Eagle, he pursues every wild animal
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_172'>172</span>he can overpower and besides this, he
+makes good use of his unfeathered talons
+to the terror of the watery inhabitants, in
+catching Fish with ease. The Porcupine’s
+prickly coat is no protection
+against him, nor the Fox’s sharp teeth.
+Neither the precaution of the Wild
+Goose, nor the readiness of the Diving
+Bird in disappearing under the waves,
+nor the guard of the faithful Dog and
+Shepherd over the Lamb. Neither the
+Fish’s cool element. All are the prey of
+the bold robber. He attacks Children,
+and, under favorable conditions, even
+grown persons. His principal nourishment
+is Fish and for this reason his aerie
+is generally near the seacoast or large inland
+streams. He does not at all despise
+carrion and during the winter regularly
+haunts fishing places and the regions of
+mankind, such as flaying places, slaughter-houses,
+etc., wherever there is a possibility
+of his obtaining booty. In Northern
+Russia and Siberia, in the winter,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_173'>173</span>when every river and pond is frozen over,
+the Sea Eagle is obliged to exist entirely
+on land animals, and overcome by hunger
+boldly snatches a Fox from the horde (see
+illustration), soars away with and kills
+him; heedless of his struggles and attempt
+to free himself, by attacking with
+his sharp teeth, the fangs and bill grasping
+him.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE BUZZARDS.</h3>
+
+<div id='i172'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus471.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>BUZZARDS.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Buzzards have long wings and a
+large head. They do not chase their
+prey when it is on the wing, but hide
+themselves, where they wait until a victim
+passes within reach. When thus occupied
+they will sometimes remain for
+several hours perfectly quiet, looking so
+sleepy and inactive that their stupidity
+has become proverbial. This stupid look
+is partly due to the weakness of their
+eyes, which are affected by strong light.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>They generally build their nests in the
+loftiest trees, and occasionally in thickets
+of brushwood among the rocks. When
+frost comes they visit farm yards and
+steal poultry, and when pressed by hunger
+they become very bold.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h173' class='c006'>THE VULTURE FAMILY.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<div id='i187'  class='figcenter id016'>
+<img src='images/illus506.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>Vulture and Griffin Fighting over Prey.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>The Vultures are the most disgusting
+of the feathered creation. Like the Hyena
+among animals, they rarely attack
+living prey, but live almost entirely upon
+putrid flesh, and after filling themselves
+with this food they will remain in a state
+of stupid torpor until it is digested. Yet
+much as we despise them, we must recognize
+their friendly mission to mankind,
+for while the other Birds of Prey are often
+of use to the farmers, etc., in killing
+off the field and barn Mice, and destructive
+insects, the Vultures remove all decaying
+flesh and putrid matter from the
+earth that might otherwise breed disease.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Vultures fly heavily, but mount
+aloft to great altitudes. They have wonderful
+powers of vision. Should a carcass
+be left on the plain they immediately
+see it, and drop down, turning over and
+over in their hurry to arrive at the feast.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Bearded Griffon, Condor, King
+Vulture, Urubu, Turkey Buzzard, Fulvous
+Vulture and Pondicherry Vulture,
+are the principal species of the great Vulture
+family.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE BEARDED GRIFFON.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Bearded Griffon is the celebrated
+Lammergeyer, described by some Naturalist
+under the name of the Golden
+Vulture. The Lammergeyer forms, as
+the name indicates, an intermediate
+genus between the Eagles and the Vultures,
+having head and eyes like the Vultures
+and feet and strong beak like the
+Eagles. It owes its name—Bearded
+Griffon—to a tuft of stiff hair that is under
+the beak. The loftiest mountains of
+Europe, Asia and Africa are its home,
+and its aerie, which is of great size, is
+built among the most inaccessible rocks.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>In our illustration, one of these
+Bearded Griffons or Golden Vultures has
+discovered a Common Vulture (sometimes
+called the Goose Hawk) feasting
+upon the carcass of a Pamir-sheep (one of
+the greatest of the Sheep species, inhabiting
+lofty plateaus above the tree limit).</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Vulture at the feast hears the rushing
+of mighty wings and the Bearded
+Griffon, followed by his wife, drops on a
+neighboring rock.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'><span class='pageno' id='Page_174'>174</span>With spreading wings and wide opened
+bill, the Bearded Griffon flies on his opponent
+to make him relinquish his booty;
+but the Vulture is not easily scared off.
+He is courageous, passionate and artful.
+With ruffled plumage, neck drawn in,
+beak opened to ward off the blow, he
+awaits the attack. Suddenly he darts out
+the long neck quick as a wink and seeks
+to give his enemy a blow with his beak.
+But the other is on his guard, and the
+Vulture again takes the waiting attitude.
+But it will not last long; the Bearded
+Griffon rushes on him, and with claws
+meeting these kings of the air fight out a
+mighty battle. It is scarcely to be
+doubted that the stronger Bearded Griffon
+will at last win the victory and divide
+the spoil with his wife, while the exhausted
+and bleeding Vulture flies away
+to seek some other supply to satisfy his
+hunger. So throughout all nature the
+bitter fight for existence goes on, and
+ever the strong must be overcome by the
+yet stronger.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE CONDOR.</h3>
+
+<div id='i188'  class='figcenter id012'>
+<img src='images/illus507.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>Condor Capturing Llama.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>As in the Alps and <a id='pyr'></a>Pyrenees the Vulture
+and his kin reign and build their
+aerie, so in the mountain heights of the
+South American Andes, from the equator
+to the 45 degrees of latitude, the mighty
+Condor reigns. He is the most powerful
+of all Birds of Prey, of whose mode of living
+mankind has only been able during
+the last few years, to obtain much accurate
+information. The color of his plumage
+is black shading toward dark blue.
+The centre of the wings are white, head
+and throat are almost bare, and the warty
+skin on both sides of the neck is red. The
+red comb on the head and the white silky
+collar are sufficiently characteristic of the
+Condor to distinguish him from other
+Birds of these mountains.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The power of flight and swiftness of
+this Bird is altogether extraordinary and
+the keenness of his sight wonderful. He,
+like the other Vultures, subsists on carrion.
+In case of a deficiency in this direction,
+he attacks herds of Lambs, Sheep
+and Calves and among the various species
+of Llama infesting his regions he causes
+great devastation, wherefore inhabitants
+of these mountain regions have great
+aversion for him and endeavor in every
+possible manner to entrap and destroy
+him. It is astonishing how this Bird,
+swaying at such tremendous height that
+the naked eye can scarcely discern him,
+can detect carrion, which has been
+thrown aside as a bait for him, or the nearness
+of wounded animal, and how first
+one, then others, appear, of whose presence
+one has previously had no inkling.
+When the Condor pursues an animal, he
+continues the chase until either the prey,
+leaping over a precipice, dashes to pieces,
+or he pounces upon and crushes it, battering
+in its skull with his powerful bill.
+His principal booty as previously mentioned,
+is the swift-footed though defenceless
+Llama. In the illustration we
+see how a powerful Condor has pursued
+one of the most useful of domestic animals
+until he has fallen <a id='ex'></a>exhausted, and
+now proceeds to kill and consume him.
+In the distance hovers a comrade with
+whom he will be obliged, willingly or
+otherwise, to share the booty.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_175'>175</span>
+  <h2 id='h176' class='c006'>THE NATATORES, OR SWIMMING BIRDS.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>The Swimming Birds or Natatores
+take their name from the Latin natare, to
+swim. The toes are united by the extension
+of webs between them; and the
+whole order of Swimming Birds can dive
+without the body becoming wet, as their
+feathers are anointed with an oily liquid
+furnished by certain glands in their skin,
+which renders them impervious to moisture.
+This oily substance and the structure
+of their feathers—which are smooth,
+three-cornered, and closely interlaced—cause
+the water to glide off their polished
+surface; while the down beneath the
+feathers protects their bodies from the
+cold of the most severe winters.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Swimming Birds are very numerous
+both in species and individuals, and
+inhabit all countries. According to
+some Naturalists these Birds which frequent
+the sea constitute one-fourteenth
+part of all the Birds on the globe, and the
+number of species is said to be nearly
+ten thousand. They feed on vegetables,
+insects and Fishes, and build their nests
+on the sand, in nooks and crannies of the
+rocks, or on the margin of lakes and
+rivers.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE BLACK-THROATED DIVER.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Black-throated Diver is small and
+slender. It floats deep in the water, and
+when alarmed, swims at surprising speed,
+with outstretched neck and rapid beat
+of the wings, and little more than its head
+above the surface.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>It flies high and in a direct course with
+great rapidity.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Mr. Selby describes an ineffectual pursuit
+of a pair on Loch Shin, in Sutherlandshire,
+which was long persevered in.
+In this case submersion frequently took
+place, which continued for nearly two
+minutes at a time, and they generally reappeared
+at nearly a quarter of a mile distant
+from the spot at which they went
+down. In no instance did he ever see
+them attempt to escape by taking wing.
+When swimming, they are in the constant
+habit of dipping their bill in the
+water with a graceful motion of the head
+and neck.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>“I may observe,” says this acute ornithologist,
+“that a visible track from the
+water to the nest was made by the female,
+whose progress on land is effected by
+shuffling along upon her belly, propelled
+from behind by her legs.”</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Black-throated Diver has the beak
+and throat black; summit of the head
+ashy grey; the breast and the sides of the
+neck white, with black spots; the back
+and rump black; the coverts of the wings
+with white spots, and all the lower parts
+pure white. The Bird, though rare in
+England and France, is very common in
+the north of Europe. It is found on the
+lakes of Siberia, of Iceland, in Greenland
+and Hudson’s Bay, and sometimes
+in the Orkney Islands. The women of
+Lapland make bonnets with its skin
+dressed without removing the feathers;
+but in Norway it is considered an act of
+impiety to destroy it, as the different cries
+which it utters are said to prognosticate
+fine weather or rain.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The eggs, of which there are two,
+sometimes three, in the same nest, are of
+a very elongated oval form, three inches
+in length, two inches in the greatest girth
+and of a brownish olive sprinkled with
+black or dark-brown spots, and are larger
+at one end than at the other.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'><span class='pageno' id='Page_176'>176</span>In the spring the Sea-birds assemble in
+large flocks. In fact certain localities
+are chosen year after year, and these are
+occupied by innumerable flocks at certain
+seasons, all of which seem to live together
+in perfect harmony.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Some of the families of the Swimming
+Birds are valuable additions to the poultry
+yards. Ducks and Geese furnish delicate
+and nourishing food; the Swan is
+gracefully ornamental on our lakes and
+ponds. The down of all the aquatic
+Birds as an article of commerce is of
+great value in northern countries. Their
+eggs constitute good food, and in many
+countries the inhabitants consume them
+in great quantities.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>But <a id='their'></a>their usefulness does not end here.
+Guano, so eagerly sought for by the
+farmer, is the excrement of aquatic
+Fowls which has accumulated for ages,
+until in the South Pacific Ocean it is said
+to have formed whole islands; some of
+them being covered with this valuable
+agricultural assistant to the depth of
+ninety or a hundred yards. This does
+not seem so marvellous when it is considered
+that twenty-five or thirty thousand
+Sea-birds sleep on these islands night
+after night, and that each of them will
+yield half a pound of guano daily, which
+owes its unrivalled fertilizing power to
+the ammoniacal salts, phosphate of lime,
+and fragments of feathers of which it is
+composed.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Although the numerous Swimming
+Birds are alike in having webbed feet and
+oily plumage that cannot be saturated
+with water, they have also many points
+of difference which make it necessary to
+divide them into various families. For
+instance, some of the Swimmers are feeble
+and slow in their flight, and others
+cannot even rise from the water as their
+wings are so small. On the other hand,
+there are species which possess wonderful
+power of traversing the air, their well-developed
+wings enabling them to pass
+through space with marvellous rapidity.
+The Petrels seem to delight in storms
+and tempests, mingling their cries with
+the roar of the waves; and the dread
+which is experienced by the mariner at
+the approach of a gale is unknown to the
+Sea Gull and Albatros, for they appear to
+delight in the warring elements.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Because of these differences in their
+characteristics, Naturalists have divided
+the Swimming Birds in various ways, but
+the best and the simplest is the division
+into four great families. First, the Divers,
+or the Sea Birds with thin, short
+wings; second, the large family to which
+the Swan and Ducks and Geese belong;
+third, the Pelican family; fourth, the
+Swimming Birds with long wings.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h176b' class='c006'>THE FAMILY OF DIVERS.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>The most important birds found in this
+family are the Great Northern Diver, the
+Arctic Diver, Penguins, Auks, Grebes,
+and Guillemots.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>All these Birds are distinguished by
+wings so thin and short as to be almost
+useless for flying. They are all habitual
+divers and tireless swimmers, using their
+wings as Fish do their fins. To raise
+their wings after taking a down stroke requires
+much greater effort than a Bird of
+flight makes in raising its wings in the
+air; for this reason the muscle in the
+wings of the Diving Birds has an unusually
+large development to give them
+greater strength.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'><span class='pageno' id='Page_179'>179</span>The Divers are inhabitants of northern
+seas. There they build their nests on
+some solitary island and lay two eggs, oblong
+in shape and white in color. Fish,
+particularly the Herring, are their principal
+food, and they are such active swimmers
+and divers that it takes a quick eye
+and hand to shoot them.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE GREAT NORTHERN DIVER.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>This great Bird has been called a wanderer
+on the ocean. It is not only found
+along the margins of the sea, fishing in
+the bays and at the river banks, but is
+also met with out on the ocean many
+miles from the shore. Narrow channels
+and sandy bays are, however, its favorite
+resorts; there it floats, its body deeply
+submerged in the water. But though
+swimming so deep in the water, it can
+overtake and shoot ahead of all the more
+buoyant swimmers.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Bird is sometimes known as the
+Loon. It is seldom found on the land,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_180'>180</span>being ill fitted for walking or flying, and
+although it is expert in swimming long
+distances under water, and when it does
+come up seldom exposes more than its
+neck, it flies rather better than many
+other short-winged divers. It flies heavily,
+in a circle, round those who have
+disturbed it in its haunts, its loud and
+melancholy cry resembling the howling
+of a wolf, or the distant scream of a man
+in distress. When the “Loon” calls frequently,
+it is supposed to portend a
+storm. In the bad weather which precedes
+the advent of winter on the northern
+American lakes, previous to migration,
+the wild weird note of the Loon is
+so unnatural that the Indians ascribe to it
+supernatural powers.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE PENGUINS.</h3>
+
+<div id='i179'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus488.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>PENGUIN.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Penguins belong exclusively to
+cold countries. They live almost entirely
+in the water, and although they seldom
+come ashore, except to build their
+nests and lay their eggs, or when driven
+by squalls or storms from their favorite
+element, they do not often swim far from
+the land. On the shore they are compelled
+to sit erect, as their feet are placed
+at the extremity of the body—an arrangement
+which renders them awkward
+and heavy when they try to sit or walk.
+They carry the head very high and the
+neck stretched out, while their short
+winglets are held out like two short arms.
+When they sit perched in flocks on some
+lofty projecting rock they might be mistaken
+at a distance for a line of soldiers.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>At certain periods of the year the Penguins
+assemble on the beach as if they had
+planned to meet for deliberation. These
+assemblies last for a day or two, and are
+conducted with an obvious degree of solemnity.
+When the meeting results in a
+decision, they proceed to work with great
+activity.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Upon a ledge of rock, sufficiently level
+and of the necessary size, they trace a
+square with one of its sides parallel and
+overlooking the edge of the water, which
+is left open for the egress of the colony.
+Then with their beaks they proceed to
+collect all the stones in the neighborhood,
+which they heap up outside the lines
+marked out, to serve them as a wall to
+shelter them from the prevailing winds.
+During the night these openings are
+guarded by sentinels.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>They afterwards divide the enclosure
+into smaller squares, each large enough
+to receive a certain number of nests, with
+a passage between each square. No architect
+could arrange the plan in a more
+regular manner.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>What is most singular is that the Albatross,
+a Bird adapted for flight, associates
+at this period with these half Fish, half
+Birds, the Penguins; so that the nest of an
+Albatross may be seen next the nest of a
+Penguin, and the whole colony, so differently
+constituted, appear to live on the
+best terms of intimacy. Each keeps to
+its own nest, and if by chance there is a
+complaint, it is that some Penguin has
+robbed the nest of his neighbor, the Albatross.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Other Sea-birds come to partake of the
+hospitality of the little republic. With
+the permission of the masters of the society,
+they build their nests in the vacancies
+that occur in the squares.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Penguin lays but one egg, which
+she only leaves for a few moments until
+hatched, the mate taking her place while
+she seeks her food. The Penguins are
+so numerous in the Antarctic seas, that
+100,000 eggs have been collected by the
+crew of one vessel.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'><span class='pageno' id='Page_181'>181</span>The King Penguin has been described
+by most Naturalists as a distinct species.
+Of this there is little doubt. They
+abound in the southern seas. Their
+short stunted wings, which make them
+quite incapable of flying, are reduced to a
+flat and very short stump, totally destitute
+of feathers, being covered with a soft
+down, having something of the appearance
+of hair, which might be taken for
+scales. Like all the Penguins, this Bird
+is an excellent swimmer and diver, and
+its coating of down is so dense that it
+even resist a bullet; it is consequently difficult
+to shoot.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Their nests are a very simple construction,
+for they content themselves with a
+hole in the sand deep enough to contain
+two eggs, but more often one.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>In spite of the limited number of eggs,
+the quantity of these Birds found in the
+south of Patagonia is something marvellous.
+When sailors land in these high
+latitudes they take or kill as many as they
+choose. Sir John Narborough says,
+speaking of those at the Falkland Islands,
+that “when the sailors walked among the
+feathered population to provide themselves
+with eggs, they were regarded with
+sidelong glances.” In many places the
+shores were covered with these Birds, and
+300 have been taken within an hour; for
+generally they make no effort to escape,
+but stand quietly by while their companions
+are being knocked down with sticks.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>In another islet, in the Straits of Magellan,
+Captain Drake’s crew killed more
+than 3,000 in one day. These facts are
+not exaggerated. This island, when visited
+by these navigators, probably had
+never been pressed previously by a human
+foot, and the Birds had succeeded each
+other from generation to generation in
+incalculable numbers, hitherto free from
+molestation.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Penguins have no fear of man.
+Mr. Darwin pleasantly relates an encounter
+that he had with one of these Birds on
+the Falkland Islands. “One day,” he
+says, “having placed myself between a
+Penguin and the water, I was much
+amused by the action of the Bird. It
+was a brave Bird, and, till reaching the
+sea, it regularly fought and drove me
+backwards. Nothing less than heavy
+blows would have stopped him. Every
+inch gained he kept firmly, standing close
+before me firm, erect and determined, all
+the time rolling his head from side to side
+in a very odd manner.”</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>There are many species of Penguins,
+the handsomest probably being the
+Crested Penguin, which is a native of Patagonia,
+and has a very conspicuous appearance.
+These Birds are called by
+sailors, regardless of species, Jackass Penguins,
+from their habit, when on shore, of
+throwing their head backwards, and of
+making a strange loud noise very like the
+braying of a Donkey.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>This family all defend themselves vigorously
+with their beaks when an attempt
+is made to lay hands on them; and
+when pursued, they will pretend to retreat,
+and return immediately, throwing
+themselves upon their assailant. “At
+other times they will look at you
+askance,” says Pernetty, “the head inclined
+first on one side, then on the other,
+as if they were mocking you.” They
+hold themselves upright on their feet, the
+body erect in a perpendicular line with
+the head. Navigators passing these islands
+of the southern seas might suppose
+that they were densely inhabited, for the
+loud roaring voices of these Birds produce
+a noise equal to that of a great
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_182'>182</span>crowd. The flesh is most unpalatable,
+but it is frequently the only resource of
+ship’s crews who find themselves short of
+provisions in these inhospitable regions.
+However, their eggs have the redeeming
+quality of being excellent.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE AUK.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Auk is a noble Bird, which was
+once common in our waters, but at this
+date scarce even in the Arctic seas; it is
+but little known. In habits and mode of
+life it strongly resembles the Penguins.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE GREBES.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Grebes have the head small, the
+neck somewhat elongated, the legs attached
+to the abdomen, the tail rudimentary,
+the tarsi compressed, the anterior
+toes united at their base by a membrane.
+These Birds live on the sea, but they inhabit
+fresh water by preference, feeding
+on small Fishes, Worms, Molluscs, Insects,
+and the products of aquatic vegetation.
+While they dive and swim admirably,
+they also fly with vigorous wing;
+but they rarely resort to this unless
+alarmed or when migrating.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The nest of the Grebe is usually placed
+in a tuft of rushes on the edge of the water.
+It is composed of large grassy
+plants roughly interlaced, and the interior
+is lined with soft broken grasses delicately
+arranged. The eggs vary from
+three to seven. On shore they cannot
+walk well, but creep along in an awkward
+manner. They are covered with fine,
+warm down, so close and lustrous that
+muffs are made from their breast.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Grebes are inhabitants of the old and
+new Continents. Among the European
+species may be noticed the Crested
+Grebe, about the size of a Duck, ornamented
+with a double black crest; the
+Horned Grebe, provided with two long
+tufts of feathers, in the form of a horn;
+and the Eared Grebe, distinguished by its
+beak, the base of which is depressed,
+while the point is raised upwards.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Crested Grebe is the best known
+in the United States. These have been
+found in limited numbers around the
+Great Lakes and as far south as Mexico.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h182' class='c006'>DUCKS, GEESE AND SWANS.</h2>
+</div>
+<p class='c007'>This family of Swimming Birds are perhaps
+better known all over the world than
+any other large group of Birds. It is
+unnecessary to describe the characteristics
+to make us acquainted with the family,
+but it may be well to mention some of
+the principal types.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>DUCKS.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Ducks are of two sorts, either wild
+or tame. The Wild Ducks comprise two
+groups—the Sea Ducks, which feed
+mostly in salt waters, dive much in feeding,
+and have a very broad bill; and the
+Pond Ducks, which have a straight and
+narrow bill; these generally frequent the
+fresh water, but pass much of their time
+on land, feeding on aquatic plants, Insects,
+Worms and sometimes Fish.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The first division comprises the Shieldrake,
+Muscovy Duck, Gadwall, Shoveller,
+Pintail, Widgeon, Bimaculated Duck,
+Garganey and Teal. The second division
+includes the Red-crested Duck, Pochard,
+Ferruginous Duck, Scaup, Tufted
+Duck, Harlequin Duck, Long-tailed
+Duck, and Golden Eye; while between
+the two divisions are placed (as possessing
+some of the characteristics of each)
+the Eider Duck, King Duck, Velvet
+Duck and Scoter.</p>
+
+<div>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_183'>183</span>
+<h3 class='c015'>GEESE.</h3>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>Geese in many respects resemble
+Ducks and Swans, but they are less
+aquatic in their habits, often keeping at a
+distance from large bodies of water and
+living in moist meadows and marshes,
+where they find herbage and various
+kinds of seeds on which to feed. They
+swim very little and seldom dive. They
+make their nests on the ground, and lay
+from six to eight eggs, which are hatched
+in a little more than a month.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Wild Goose, though not very elegant
+in form, has none of the awkwardness
+of the Domestic Goose, which is generally
+supposed to be descended from it.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>There are very few species of Wild
+Geese compared with the Ducks. The
+Grey-lag Goose, the Canada Goose, Bean
+Goose, White-fronted Bernicle and the
+Black-faced Bernicle form the most distinct
+species.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Although they are seldom seen on the
+water during the day, Wild Geese go
+every evening to the ponds and rivers in
+their neighborhoods to pass the night, so
+that the Wild Goose visits its aquatic
+haunts when the Wild Ducks are leaving
+them.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>SWANS.</h3>
+
+<div id='i184'  class='figcenter id021'>
+<img src='images/illus500.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>BLACK NECKED SWANS.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>Just as the Goose has long been the
+symbol of awkwardness and stupidity, so
+the Swan has been an object of admiration
+in all ages for its noble proportions,
+the graceful curve of its neck and its
+small and shapely head. On the water it
+is the picture of elegant ease. It swims
+apparently without effort and with great
+rapidity. Different species are found in
+America, Europe and Asia, and in Australia
+a black Swan is very abundant.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>In the wild state it lives on lakes, rivers
+and sea-coasts of both hemispheres, feeding
+on such seeds, leaves, roots, water-insects,
+Frogs and Worms as come in its
+way. In its domestic state, it is the charm
+and ornament of our lakes and rivers;
+but, except in a few instances, it is only
+kept for show, as it is jealous and cruel in
+disposition and not friendly with domestic
+fowls.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Both the Mute and the Whistling Swan
+were celebrated among the ancients; and
+the Black Swan of Australia is quite distinct
+from the white and the Grey Swans
+of other countries; and one curious species
+is pure white with a black neck, like
+those of our illustration who are enjoying
+themselves in the water, all unconscious
+of the danger lurking on the tree-branch
+above them, although the chattering
+Parrots seem to be endeavoring to give
+them warning.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Swan, like the Goose, lays from six
+to eight eggs, of a greenish white color.
+It takes them about six weeks to hatch.
+The baby Swans or Cygnets are first covered
+with a grey down, soft and fine like
+the yellow down of Goslings. The regular
+feathers do not appear until the third
+year.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h183' class='c006'>THE PELICAN FAMILY.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<div id='i186'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus503.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>PELICANS.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>All the Birds of the Pelican family are
+distinguished by having the hind toe
+united to the others by a single membrane.
+Some of the group are large and
+heavy Birds, but they are all gifted with
+powerful wings, and they are, at the same
+time, good swimmers. Besides the Pelicans
+themselves, we find in this family of
+Birds, the Tropic Bird, the Darter, the
+Gannets and the Cormorants.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Pelicans are large, heavy aquatic
+Birds, with great extent of wing and are
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_185'>185</span>excellent swimmers; their haunts are the
+sea-coast, and the banks of rivers, lakes,
+and marshes. Whenever a Fish betrays
+its presence by leaping or flashing its glittering
+scales in the sun, the Pelican will
+be seen sailing towards it.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>This Bird has an appetite so insatiable
+and a stomach so capacious that, in one
+day it devours as much food as would
+satisfy six men. The Egyptians have
+nicknamed it the River Camel, because it
+can imbibe at once more than twenty
+pints of water. Certainly it only makes
+two meals a day; but, oh, what meals they
+are!</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Pelicans often travel in large flocks,
+visiting the mouths of rivers or favorite
+retreats on the sea-coast. When they
+have made choice of a suitable fishing
+place, they arrange themselves in a wide
+circle, and begin to beat the water with
+extended wing, so as to drive the Fish before
+them, gradually diminishing the circle
+as they approach the shore or some
+inlet on the coast. In this manner they
+get all the Fish together into a small
+space, when the common feast begins.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>After gorging themselves, they retire
+to the shore, where the process of digestion
+follows. Some rest with the neck
+over the back; others busily dress and
+smoothe their plumage, waiting patiently
+until returning appetite invites them to
+fresh exertions. When thus resting, occasionally
+one of these Birds empties his
+well-lined pouch, and spreads in front of
+him all the Fish that it contains, in order
+to feed upon them at leisure.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>In spite of its great size, the Pelican
+flies easily and to considerable distances.
+It does not dive but will occasionally dash
+down on Fish from a considerable height,
+and with such force that it becomes submerged;
+but its buoyancy instantly
+brings it again to the surface. It
+perches on trees, but seems to prefer
+rocks.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The nest is generally formed of coarse,
+reedy grass, lined with softer material and
+placed in the clefts of dry rocks near the
+water. Occasionally they will lay in an
+indentation in the ground which they
+have previously roughly lined with blades
+of grass.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Pelican is more common in tropical
+regions than in temperate climates.
+They are very numerous in Africa, Siam,
+Madagascar, the Sunda Isles, the Philippines;
+and in the Western Hemisphere
+they abound from the Antilles to the
+northern temperate part of the North
+American continent. They haunt the
+neighborhood of rivers and lakes and the
+sea-coast.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The best known species are—first, the
+Crested Pelican; second, the White Pelican;
+third, the Brown Pelican; fourth,
+the Spectacled Pelican.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE CRESTED PELICAN.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Crested Pelican in common with
+the White Pelican, inhabits the southeast
+of Europe and Africa, and is also found in
+Hungary, Dalmatia, Greece, the Crimea,
+and the Ionian Islands, as well as in Algeria,
+and, according to some authors, it
+is frequently met with in China.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>It has white plumage, with the exception
+that the ends of the feathers of the
+back and wings are black. The feathers
+of the head and upper part of the neck are
+twisted up so as to form a large tuft or
+crest, hence the name it bears. Its European
+home is principally the marshes
+round the Black Sea.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Of their modes of life travelers in those
+regions give very interesting descriptions.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'><span class='pageno' id='Page_186'>186</span>“Nowadays,” says W. H. Simpson, “a
+solitary individual may be seen fishing
+here and there throughout this vicinity;
+the remnant have betaken themselves to
+the neighboring islands. Here, towards
+the end of February last, the community
+constituted a group of seven nests—a sad
+falling off from the year before, when
+thirty-four nests were grouped upon a
+neighboring islet.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>“As we approached the spot in a boat
+the Pelicans left their nests, and taking to
+the water, sailed away like a fleet of
+stately ships, leaving their nursery in possession
+of the invader. The boat
+grounded in two or three feet of mud, and
+when the party had floundered through
+this, the seven nests were found to be
+empty. A fisherman had plundered
+them that morning, taking from each nest
+one egg, which we afterwards recovered.
+The nests were constructed in a great
+measure of old reed palings (used by the
+natives for enclosing Fish) mixed with
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_189'>189</span>such pieces of the vegetation of the islet
+as were suitable for the purpose. The
+seven nests were arranged in the shape of
+an irregular cross, the navel of the cross,
+which was the tallest nest, being about
+thirty inches high, the two next in line
+being about two feet, and the two forming
+the arms being a few inches lower,
+the two extremes at either end being
+about fourteen inches from the ground.
+The eggs are chalky, like others of the
+Pelican family, very rough in texture.”</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE WHITE PELICAN.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The White Pelican is as large as a
+Swan. Its bill is about fifteen inches in
+length. Its plumage is white, with a
+slightly rosy tint, the crest and a few
+feathers on the neck yellowish.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>It is very common on the lakes and rivers
+of Hungary and southern Russia, as
+well as on the banks of the Danube. A
+wild rocky shore, where it can look down
+on the sea, is the favorite haunt of this
+Pelican; but it is not uncommon for it to
+perch on trees. The nest is formed of
+coarse reedy grass, with a lining of finer
+quality; it is generally made on the
+ground, and is about eighteen inches in
+diameter, in which it lays four, sometimes
+five, white eggs, but more frequently two,
+slightly oblong, and alike at both ends.
+Fish forms its principal food, which it
+captures chiefly in shallow inlets, as it is
+an indifferent diver. Occasionally its
+flight is lofty, but generally close to the
+surface of the water.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE BROWN PELICAN.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Brown Pelican is an American
+species, smaller than the preceding. It
+has the head and the neck variegated with
+white and ash-color; all the rest of the
+plumage of a brownish grey, with white
+marks on the back; the pouch is of an
+ashy blue, striped with a red hue. It is
+found on the coasts of Peru, Florida and
+South Carolina.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Although heavy-looking on the wing,
+this species is capable of performing
+flights of immense distance, and to a certain
+extent may be considered migratory.
+In winter they are seldom seen beyond
+the edge of the tropics, but in summer
+they are frequently found as far north as
+the thirty-sixth degree of latitude. Extremely
+wary and difficult of approach,
+they are seldom shot, although persistently
+pursued by fishermen, on account of
+the immense damage they do to the
+spawn and young Fish.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>They are also possessed of the greatest
+powers of vitality, and resist death
+when pierced with wounds so serious that
+they would inevitably kill any other species.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>From this circumstance doubtless they
+receive the name of Die-hards from the
+residents that dwell on the margin of the
+Gulf of Mexico. When disabled from
+taking flight, their courage in defending
+themselves from an assailant is as remarkable
+as that of the Bittern; but being possessed
+of superior size and strength to
+the latter Bird, the Brown Pelican can
+successfully resist the strongest Dog.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Like the other species of this genus
+they live in small communities of twenty
+or thirty members, and build their nests
+upon the ground closely adjoining each
+other, and the utmost good fellowship,
+almost affection for each other, exists between
+them. The young Birds remain
+with their parents till the spring following
+their birth, the old ones driving them off
+to seek new homes, when the advance of
+the season tells them that they must provide
+a home for a coming family. As in
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_190'>190</span>many other races, the plumage of the
+young is much darker and less handsomely
+marked than in the adults. From
+frequent persecution, the Brown Pelican
+has of late years much diminished in
+numbers.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE SPECTACLED PELICAN.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Spectacled Pelican, which is only
+found in southern climates, is thus named
+from the naked skin which surrounds its
+eyes, giving the Bird the appearance of
+having on a pair of spectacles. Its plumage
+is white, and in habits and mode of
+life it closely resembles the previously described
+species. One of its principal
+haunts is along the southern coasts of
+China, especially in the vicinity of the
+mouth of the Canton river, and on the
+bays near it. The Chinese regard them as
+sacred, and nothing would induce them
+either to rob them of their eggs or young.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Longevity is reported to be one of
+their characteristics. A very old mandarin,
+living on the margin of Meers’
+Bay, once pointed out a Spectacled Pelican,
+that he said he could remember since
+his childhood. This Bird was partially
+tamed; for although it went long distances
+to fish, it always returned to his
+village to pass the night.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h190' class='c006'>THE LONG-WINGED SWIMMING BIRDS.</h2>
+</div>
+<div id='i191'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus513.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>ALBATROS.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>The fourth large family of Swimming
+Birds includes the many long-winged
+species which are thus named not only
+because of the great length of their
+wings, but for their long and enduring
+power of flight. Mariners meet them everywhere,
+and easily recognize them by
+their long and pointed wings, forked tails
+and short legs. They pass their lives at
+a great distance from land, and do not approach
+the shore except to lay their eggs
+and hatch their young. In this family
+are found the Albatrosses, the Petrels,
+Gulls, Skuas, Scissors-bills or Skimmers,
+and the Sea Swallows.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Albatross is the largest and the
+most bulky of all the Birds which fly over
+the surface of the sea. It belongs principally
+to the southern hemisphere. The
+sailors know it under the name of Cape
+Sheep, which they give it on account of
+its enormous size. Its extended wings
+measure as much as sixteen feet five
+inches across. Its plumage is generally
+white, with the exception of a dark back.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Courage is not measured by size.
+This rule holds good in these Birds, for
+notwithstanding their wonderful strength
+and their large, strong, sharp and hooked
+bills, they exhibit the most unaccountable
+cowardice. Even a poor weak Sea-mew
+will attack an Albatross, the cowardly
+giant finding no better means of
+getting rid of his enemy than by plunging
+into the water. Although they are
+most gluttonous in taste, they prefer
+flight to contending for their food. This
+consists of marine animals, Molluscs, and
+the spawn of Fish. When they are filled
+to repletion, and the prey which they
+have seized is too large to swallow whole,
+they may be seen with part of it hanging
+outside their bill, until the first half is digested.
+Thus embarrassed, the Albatross
+has only one mode of escape if it
+happens to be pursued; namely, by disgorging
+the food with which its stomach
+is overloaded.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Gifted with an extraordinary power of
+flight, these Birds venture out to enormous
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_191'>191</span>distances from land, more especially
+in stormy weather. They seem to
+delight in storms. When overcome with
+fatigue, they repose on the surface of the
+sea, placing their head under their wings.
+When in this position they are very easily
+captured. In order to do this, the sailors
+have only to approach silently, and knock
+them down with a boat-hook or spear
+them with a harpoon.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Navigators have opportunities of observing
+these Birds in the Antarctic regions,
+where there is no night at certain
+seasons of the year, and they assert that
+the same flocks may be seen hovering
+around their vessel during many successive
+days without exhibiting the least
+signs of exhaustion or the slightest relaxation
+in their strength. A peculiarity in
+their mode of flight is that, whenever
+they are ascending or descending, they
+seldom flap their wings, but fly without
+an effort.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>To follow in the wake of some passing
+ship, probably because the agitation of
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_192'>192</span>her track brings to the surface the small
+fry of marine animals which are their
+principal food, appears to delight them.
+They pounce upon anything that falls
+overboard, even Man. On one occasion
+a sailor fell into the sea from a French
+vessel, and could not be immediately rescued
+because there was no boat in a fit
+state to be lowered. A flock of Albatrosses,
+which followed in the ship’s wake,
+pounced upon the unfortunate seaman,
+and commenced to peck his head. Being
+unable to buffet both with the sea and
+the enemies which <a id='sur'></a>surrounded him, the
+poor sailor perished before the very eyes
+of his comrades.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Gulls, the Albatrosses and Petrels
+may be said to be the Vultures of the
+ocean—its scavengers; for they cleanse
+it of all the putrefied animal substances
+which float on its surface.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>In the autumn the Albatrosses congregate
+at their favorite nesting-places.
+They assemble in immense numbers on
+the islands in the South Atlantic Ocean.
+Their nests, which are about three feet in
+height, are formed of mud.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Their flesh is very hard, and can only
+be rendered eatable by laying it for a long
+time in salt, and afterwards boiling it, and
+flavoring it with some piquant sauce.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The most remarkable species are the
+Common Albatross, which frequents
+the seas washing the south of Africa; the
+Sooty Albatross which also inhabits
+the seas round the Cape of Good Hope;
+the Yellow-beaked Albatross which, like
+the preceding species, inhabits the seas
+of the South Pole.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h195' class='c006'>THE GRALLATORES, OR WADING BIRDS.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>Nearly all the Wading Birds have very
+long legs; in some species these are of
+such surprising dimensions that the Birds
+appear to be mounted on stilts. This peculiarity
+is well adapted to their modes of
+life. They inhabit river banks, lakes and
+marshes, in which they find their food;
+consequently they are fearless of water
+and ooze. Not all the birds classed
+with the Waders live near the water,
+however; the Runners, or such Birds as
+the Ostrich, Agami, Bustard Emu, etc.,
+are usually classed with the same group
+because of the similarity of their long,
+strong legs and short wings.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The bills of the different Birds found
+in this group assume various forms.
+They are generally long, but according
+to the species, they may be thick or slender,
+tapering or flat, blunt or pointed,
+strong or weak, and in some kinds, such
+as the Flamingo, the Spoonbill, the
+Boatbill, etc., they really defy all description.
+The neck is always slender
+and in perfect harmony with the length
+of the legs.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Almost all the Waders are powerful
+Birds on the wing, and twice a year most
+of them emigrate like the Wild Ducks,
+Geese and Swans. There are exceptions
+to this rule, however. Some of
+them, like the Bustard, move through the
+air with difficulty; while the short winged
+species are unable to fly at all, their wings
+being only useful for helping them along
+in running, and thus assisted, they are
+remarkably swift.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The nature of their food varies with
+the form and strength of the bill, and the
+locality they inhabit. It consists generally
+of Fish, worms and insects, and
+sometimes of small animals and reptiles,
+as well as grasses and seeds.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Waders are usually divided into
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_195'>195</span>six great families. These are classified
+under long Latin names descriptive of
+some peculiarity belonging to each, but
+which can be more easily remembered as:
+First, the Waders with united toes; second,
+the long-toed Waders; third, the
+Waders with long bills; fourth, the Waders
+with knife-shaped bills; fifth, the
+Waders with compressed bills; sixth, the
+short-winged Birds.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h195b' class='c006'>THE WADERS WITH UNITED TOES.</h2>
+</div>
+<p class='c007'>As the feet of these Birds are partly
+webbed, they seem to belong to the
+swimmers, but the arrangement of their
+toes is altogether different, and their unusually
+long legs would also place them
+in a different family. This is the smallest
+of the family of Waders. In fact only
+two varieties are usually found in it—the
+Avocet and the Stilt Bird.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE AVOCET.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>This Bird has a very curious bill—long,
+slender, flexible and curved upwards.
+It uses this strange instrument
+to rake up the sand and mud in order to
+catch the worms, small molluscs and
+Fish-spawn, which constitute its chief
+food. Its long legs enable it to travel
+in safety over swamps and lagoons; it
+also swims with great ease. It may often
+be seen looking for its food on the margins
+of lakes and ponds.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Avocet stands about twenty
+inches in height, although its body is
+but little larger than a Pigeon’s. It is a
+pretty bird, of slender make; its plumage
+is black on the head and back, and
+white underneath. It is to be met with
+on both the Continents; the European
+species is common in Holland and on the
+French coast. Wild and shy in its nature,
+it is very difficult of approach, and
+is clever in avoiding snares and in escaping
+pursuit, either by flight or swimming.
+The nest of the Avocet is a very
+simple structure, generally made by placing
+a few blades of grass in a hole in the
+sand, where it lays two or three eggs, of
+which it is frequently robbed, for they
+are regarded as great delicacies. The
+flesh, however, is of little value.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE STILT BIRDS.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Stilt Birds obtain their name from
+the excessive length of their legs, which
+are also so slender and flexible that they
+can be bent considerably without breaking.
+Their feet are not so completely
+webbed as the species we have just mentioned;
+the two membranes which unite
+the toes are unequal in size. The bill is
+long, slender and sharp, like that of the
+Avocet, but straight; the wings are long
+and pointed; the tail small. They are
+about the size of the Avocet, and sometimes
+attain the height of twenty-six
+inches. They possess considerable powers
+of flight, but walk with difficulty; on
+the other hand, they are much at home
+on mud or in marshes and swamps, in
+which they bore with their long beaks for
+insects, larvae, and small molluscs, dainties
+to which they are very partial.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>They are dull, shy birds, leading a solitary
+life, except at nesting time. At
+that period they assemble in great numbers,
+build their nests in the marshes, on
+little hillocks, close to one another, grass
+being the principal material employed.
+They lay four greenish colored eggs,
+with ash colored spots. The male bird
+watches while the females are sitting;
+and, at the slightest alarm, he raises a cry
+which startles the flock. The whole colony
+may then be seen on the wing, waiting
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_196'>196</span>for the danger to pass before settling
+down.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Stilt Birds are uncommon in Western
+Europe; they are principally to be met
+with in the Russian and Hungarian
+marshes. During the summer they occasionally
+visit the shores of the Mediterranean,
+but they are seldom seen on
+those of the Atlantic.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 class='c006'>LONG-TOED WADERS.</h2>
+</div>
+<div id='i193'  class='figcenter id004'>
+<img src='images/illus519.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>Reed Hen Caught by Fish.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>The Birds forming this family are remarkable
+for the extreme length of their
+toes, which are entirely separate, or but
+slightly webbed; they are thus enabled
+to walk on the weeds growing on the
+surface of the water. In most instances
+the shortness of their wings limits their
+powers of flight.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>This order includes the Gallinules, or
+Water Hens, Rails, Coots, Pratincoles,
+and Screamers.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The chief characteristics of the Reed
+Hen are a short and strong bill, thick at
+the base and sharp at the end, with a
+prolongation of it extending up the forehead;
+four well-spread toes, furnished
+with sharp claws—the three front toes
+united by a small and cloven membrane.
+Their favorite haunts are marshy places
+and the banks of lakes or rivers, where
+they feed on Worms, Insects, Molluscs,
+and the smaller Fish. The Pike is their
+greatest enemy.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>In early spring, Reed Hens return
+from the southern winter quarters and
+hunt up their summer pond. Like the
+Stork and the Swallow, they return from
+year to year to their chosen and beloved
+home. Among last year’s reeds and
+gray rushes, the pair bustle around hunting
+food and a suitable place for the cradle
+of their children. They are neat and
+graceful looking Birds, interesting in
+every movement, likewise in figure and
+coloring. The feathers are dark brown
+and slate gray, spotted white on the sides.
+The forehead is red and the glistening
+eyes are encircled with yellow, gray and
+red rings. The bill is yellow at the point
+and red at the roots. The long toes are
+edged with flaps for swimming and they
+glide easily and safely over the water.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>They locate their nest on a down-trodden
+reed bush by the shore, a low decayed
+trunk of a tree or on the edge of an island
+of leaves. It is mostly hidden and presents
+little of beauty, but is suitable for its
+purpose. From six to twelve eggs are
+soon laid therein, which are large for the
+size of the Bird, and are spotted dark
+brown. The hatching lasts three weeks,
+then the young ones appear, cute little
+things who leave the nest the next day
+and follow the lead of the mother into the
+water.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>A more delightful picture can hardly
+be imagined, than when the little chicks
+bustle around the parents, now here, now
+there, catching large flies, a worm, or a
+water insect. Swift as an arrow they
+shoot towards the mother when she has
+found a morsel for them. Alertly the old
+ones watch in every direction for possible
+danger. Now appears above them a
+dark circling dot. A short call, and swift
+as lightning the whole family disappears.
+Where to? One could hardly guess if
+not here and there a brown head peeps
+out from under the green leaf or blade in
+the water, or a yellow bill point appears
+on the mirrored surface. When the danger
+is over, all again appear.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'><span class='pageno' id='Page_197'>197</span>These Birds are experts in hide and
+seek play. They dive and swim like a
+Fish under water, using their wings to
+row. It would appear as though no enemy
+could harm them. Mankind protects
+them. Dogs and Cats cannot pursue
+them into the water. Falcon, Hawk
+or Marshbirds cannot find their hiding
+places. Yet in the midst of the quiet,
+poetic, lonely pond, among blooming
+water-roses and lilies, treason and death
+lurks for them; and this enemy, knavish
+and frightful, the Reed Hen cannot escape.
+It is the Pike. His outward appearance
+shows what a bold robber he is.
+The trunk narrow and long, the flattened
+head with wide open, broad jaws lined
+with a terrible set of long, pointed, rake-like
+teeth. Anything they catch hold of
+is lost.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>With strong strokes the pirate rows
+through his element. Nothing is safe
+from him. He feeds on the small Frogs
+and Snakes, Carp, Trout and White Fish.
+Like the Shark in the ocean, the blood-thirsty
+tyrant is master of the surroundings
+in every fresh water settlement. He
+snatches young Ducks, and often destroys
+whole broods. He is the destroyer
+of Pond Hens if they come within
+his reach. With brutal grip he drags the
+young Hen into the depths of the water,
+nor does he spare the old ones. Under
+the mirrory surface he chases the harmless
+family, until he has destroyed every
+one. The Reed Hen avoids the spot
+where the Pike is found.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>If everything is favorable, young Reed
+Hen are able to take care of themselves
+after the first two or three weeks, and the
+old ones go about their second hatching.
+When these are hatched the picture is
+still more interesting, as the older children
+take care of the younger and help
+the parents feed them, making a picture
+of a prosperous, flourishing family. So
+they continue during the whole summer
+and by the beginning of autumn the
+whole pond is filled with the neat little
+Birds, until suddenly one morning they
+have all disappeared towards their winter
+quarters.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>They return the next spring, intending
+to settle where they were born, but now
+circumstances are changed. Last year’s
+Chicks are able to take care of themselves
+and want to build in their own home, and
+naturally search for the old familiar pond,
+but here arises trouble. Only one pair
+is allowed in the old home. The parents
+jealously defend their chosen spot against
+all intruders; and as loving and kind as
+they nurse their young in childhood, now
+that they are grown up they see in them
+only intruders, whom they must disperse
+with force. This often causes bitter
+strife until the district has been cleared.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h197' class='c006'>WADING BIRDS WITH LONG BILLS.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>The Birds composing this family are
+characterized by a long and flexible bill,
+which is well adapted for boring in the
+mud and soft ground. They are usually
+found in the marshes or along the shore,
+yet some species spend the greater part of
+their time inland. Among them are
+found the Woodcocks, Snipes, Sandpipers,
+Turnstones, Ruffs, Knots, Godwits,
+Curlews and Ibis.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE WOODCOCK.</h3>
+
+<div id='i198'  class='figcenter id010'>
+<img src='images/illus529.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>WOODCOCK.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Common Woodcock has a very
+long, straight and slender bill, and a flattened
+head. These Birds live in the
+woods, and seldom frequent the shore or
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_199'>199</span>river banks. They differ from the Snipes
+in having a fuller body and broader
+wings. They are shy, timid Birds, and
+conceal themselves by day in the depths
+of the most retired woods. The brightness
+of daylight appears to dazzle them,
+and they do not seem to see clearly until
+evening when they leave their retreats
+to seek their food of worms and grubs in
+the cultivated fields, damp meadows or
+near springs.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Woodcock lays four or five
+oval eggs rather larger than those of the
+Pigeon. The young Birds run about as
+soon as they are hatched, and the parent
+Birds guard them with great care. If
+any danger threatens, the old Birds catch
+up their little ones, holding them under
+their necks by means of their beaks, and
+thus carry them to a place of safety.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE SNIPES.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>These Birds closely resemble the
+<a id='wood'></a>Woodcocks, but are smaller and also different
+in their habits. They live in the
+marshes, feeding on grubs and aquatic
+plants. They are found in nearly all
+parts of the globe, and they make their
+nests among the reeds in muddy, boggy
+places, difficult of access to both man and
+beast; in which they lay four or five eggs.
+The young ones leave the nest as soon as
+they are hatched, but for a long time the
+parents feed them, as their long bills are
+not solid enough to bore for their own
+food.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h199' class='c006'>WADING BIRDS WITH KNIFE-SHAPED BILLS.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>The fourth family of Wading Birds is
+classified by a Latin name meaning
+knife-shaped bill, although the different
+Birds found in this group have bills of
+many curious forms; they are all long,
+sharp-edged and very strong. These
+Birds live along the edges of marshes and
+the banks of rivers, and their long legs
+have great strength; so that many of them
+are able to stand on one leg for hours together.
+This faculty is said to be due to
+a curious arrangement in the knee—a
+sort of knot which stiffens the ligaments
+of the knee, forming a kind of catch similar
+to the spring of a knife.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The principal species of this family are
+the various Storks—including the Argala
+or Adjutant, the Marabou and Jabiru—the
+Spoonbill, Boatbill, Heron and the
+different Cranes—including the Egret
+and the Bittern.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE STORKS.</h3>
+
+<div id='i200'  class='figcenter id019'>
+<img src='images/illus533.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>BROAD-BILLED STORK OF AFRICA.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Common Stork has a long and
+straight bill, wide at the base, pointed and
+sharp-edged; the legs are long and slender;
+the tail is short. They are found in
+nearly all parts of the world. Some species
+migrate with regularity, being admirably
+constructed for traveling long
+distances; for, although their bulk seems
+great, their weight is comparatively
+small, as most of their bones are hollow.
+In their migratory journeys, which occur
+principally by night, they fly in continuous
+or angular lines.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Storks prefer moist swampy localities,
+as they feed principally on Reptiles, Batrachians
+and Fishes; but small Birds
+and Mammalia, Molluscs, Worms, Insects,
+even Bees are not refused by them,
+or carrion, and other impurities. Their
+manner is slow and grave; they never appear
+in a hurry. On the wing they resemble
+crosses, from their manner of carrying
+the head and neck. They have no
+voice, and the only noise they make is a
+cracking, which results from one mandible
+striking against the other, and which
+expresses either anger or love; it is sometimes
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_201'>201</span>very loud. They lay from two to
+four eggs. The duration of their life is
+from fifteen to twenty years.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>There are several species of Storks, the
+most important being the White Stork.
+It measures about forty inches in height;
+its plumage is white; the wings are
+fringed with black. This is the species
+best known in Europe. Holland and
+Germany are its favorite residences. It
+is very common in the warm and temperate
+parts of Asia. In the month of
+August it leaves Europe to visit Africa,
+from whence it returns in the following
+spring. This migration is not caused by
+temperature, as the Stork can bear severe
+cold. No, it is a mere question of sustenance;
+for, feeding as it does principally
+upon reptiles which remain in a complete
+state of torpor during our winters, it is
+naturally compelled to seek its food elsewhere.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Stork is of a mild nature, and is
+easily tamed. As it destroys a host of
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_202'>202</span>noxious creatures, it has become a useful
+helper to Man, who, not ungrateful, gives
+it protection. In ancient Egypt it was
+venerated on the same score as the Ibis;
+in Thessaly there was a law which condemned
+to death any one killing these
+Birds. Even at the present day the Germans
+and Dutch esteem it a fortunate
+omen when a Stork selects their house for
+its home, and they even furnish it with
+inducements to do so by placing on their
+roofs a box or wheel, which forms a foundation
+for the Bird to build a nest, which
+it constructs of reeds, grass and feathers.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Black Stork is rather smaller than
+the White Stork; it is a native of eastern
+Europe. It feeds almost exclusively on
+Fish, which it catches with much skill.
+It is very shy; avoids the society of Man;
+and builds its nest in trees.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Argala, also called the Adjutant, is
+characterized by its very strong and large
+bill, and the bareness of its neck, the
+lower part of which is provided with a
+pouch somewhat resembling a large sausage.
+According to Temminck, there is
+a notable difference between the Marabou
+and the Argala, the characteristic
+mark of the latter frequently hanging
+down a foot, while it is much shorter in
+the Marabou.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Marabou inhabits India; they feed
+on Reptiles and all kinds of filth, and this
+fact has been the means of securing for
+them the goodwill of the people. In the
+large cities of Hindostan they are as tame
+as Dogs, and clear the streets of every
+kind of garbage which litters them. At
+meal times they never fail drawing themselves
+up in line in front of the barracks,
+to eat the refuse thrown to them by the
+soldiers; their gluttony is so great that
+they will swallow enormous bones. At
+Calcutta they are protected by law, which
+inflicts a fine on any one killing them.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The long white feathers, celebrated for
+their delicacy and airiness, which are
+known in commerce by the name of Marabou
+feathers, come from this Bird and
+the African Marabou. Consequently, in
+spite of their ugliness, a good many are
+reared in a domestic state.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>There are several other species which
+are allied to the Storks, and are only distinguished
+from them by a <a id='slight'></a>slightly different
+form of the bill.</p>
+
+<div id='i201'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus534.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>JABIRU.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c008'>The best known among these are the
+Jabiru, which is a native of Australia; the
+curious Broad-billed Stork of Africa, as
+illustrated (with the White Storks and
+the Demoiselle Crane on the tree); the
+Bec-ouvert, which inhabits India and Africa;
+the Drome, which is met with on
+the shores of the Black Sea and Senegal;
+and the Tantalus, which lives in the warm
+regions of both the Old and New World.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE SPOONBILL.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Spoonbill is remarkable for the
+singular form of its bill, which is about
+four times the length of the head, straight
+and flexible. The upper part, which is
+about an inch and a quarter broad at the
+base, gradually narrows to three-quarters
+of an inch, and again increases to two
+inches at the point, causing a resemblance
+to a spoon, from which it takes its name.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>It uses this bill for dipping into the
+mud and water, whence it extracts worms
+and small Fish, on which it principally
+feeds. It also eats water insects, which it
+catches by placing its bill, half open, on
+the surface of the water, permitting them
+to float on to the lower part of the bill,
+when it quickly closes the bill and makes
+them captive.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_203'>203</span>
+  <h2 id='h203' class='c006'>THE WADING BIRDS WITH COMPRESSED BILLS.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<div id='i203'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus542.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>SPOONBILL.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>The Birds which belong to this family
+differ greatly in the length of their legs—which
+seems to be the main characteristic
+of the Waders. In fact, some of these
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_204'>204</span>Birds seem to form a sort of connecting
+link between the Waders and the Domestic
+Fowls, in the form of the bill as well as
+in the length of the leg. Among them
+are the Golden-breasted Trumpeter, the
+Cariama, the Oyster-catcher, the Plovers,
+the Lapwing, the Coursers, the Dotterel,
+and the Bustard.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE FRIGATE BIRD AND FLAMINGOES.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>Before passing on to the sixth family of
+Wading or Long-legged Birds, we must
+notice two curious types that seem to
+form distinct classes. The Flamingoes,
+which are certainly Waders and yet with
+webbed feet like the Swimmers, and the
+curious Frigate Bird about which so
+many strange tales are told of its wonderful
+power of flight.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Flamingo is one of the most curious
+of the tribe of Waders. The most
+fanciful imagination would fail to picture
+to itself anything more odd than the conformation
+of this Bird. It has extremely
+long legs, supporting quite a small body;
+a neck corresponding in length with the
+leg, a rather long bill, sharply curved
+and apparently broken in the middle.
+Add to this a plumage of rose-color,
+warming into a bright red on the back
+and wings, and we have an object of both
+wonder and admiration.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Ancient writers, struck by the vivid
+coloring of its wings, called this the
+Fiery-winged Bird; this term was designated
+in France by the word flambert, or
+flamant; from which came the name
+Flamingo, by which the Bird is popularly
+known.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Flamingoes inhabit the margins of
+lakes and ponds, more rarely the seashore.
+They feed on Worms, Molluscs,
+and the Spawn of Fishes, which they capture
+by the following stratagem: Placing
+their long neck and head in such a position
+that the upper mandible of their bill
+is the lowest, they stir the mud about in
+every direction, thus easily succeed in disturbing
+the small Fish which have settled
+in it, and capturing them while blended
+with the thick sediment. They also use
+their feet for working the ooze and detaching
+the fry and spawn, to which they
+are partial.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>They love company, and live in flocks,
+which are subject to strict discipline.
+When they are fishing they draw themselves
+up into long, straight and regular
+files, protected by sentinels whose office
+it is to give a signal of alarm on the approach
+of danger. If any cause for uneasiness
+should arise, the scout-birds give
+a piercing cry, not unlike the note of a
+trumpet, and the whole flock immediately
+wing their way to a place of safety.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Flamingoes are very shy and timid,
+and shun all attempts of Man to approach
+them; the vicinity of animals, however,
+they disregard. Any one who is acquainted
+with this fact can take advantage
+of it, for, by dressing himself up in
+the skin of a Horse or an Ox, he can effect
+immense slaughter among these
+beautiful creatures. Thus disguised, the
+sportsman may shoot them down at his
+ease, so long as their enemy is unrecognized;
+the noise of the gun only stupefies
+them, so that they refuse to leave, although
+their companions are dropping
+down dead around them.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Some authors have asserted that the
+Flamingo makes use of its long neck as a
+third leg, walking with its head resting on
+the ground like a foot. The fact that has
+doubtless given rise to this supposition is
+the position of the neck, necessitated by
+its peculiar method of seeking food. We
+are told about a Flamingo reared in captivity
+which, being accidentally deprived
+of one of its limbs, found out a remedy
+for its infirmity by walking on one leg
+and helping itself along by means of its
+bill, using the latter as a crutch; the master
+of the Bird, noticing this, fitted it with
+a wooden leg, which it used with the
+greatest success. But this story, which
+applies very well to a domesticated Bird
+which was maimed, and consequently under
+peculiar conditions, does not prove
+that this is a common practice.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'><span class='pageno' id='Page_205'>205</span>The Flamingo makes itself a nest
+which is as original as its own personal
+appearance. It consists of a truncated
+cone, about twenty inches in height, and
+formed of mud dried in the sun. At the
+summit of this little hillock it hollows out
+a shallow cavity, in which two eggs are
+laid, rather elongated in shape, and of a
+dead white color. When hatching the
+eggs, the Flamingo sits astride on this
+novel imitation of a throne, with her legs
+hanging down on each side. The young
+ones run about very soon after they are
+hatched, but it is some time before they
+are able to fly—not, indeed, until they are
+clothed with their full plumage. At two
+years old they assume the more brilliant
+colors of the adult Bird.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Flamingo is found in all the warm
+and temperate regions of the globe. On
+certain islands off the American continent
+they exist in such numbers that navigators
+have given them the name of the
+Flamingo Islands. In the Old World
+they are found spread over a region below
+the fortieth degree of latitude, principally
+in Egypt and the Nile tributaries;
+during the summer they seek a cooler climate.
+The height of these magnificent
+Birds reaches to about five feet; when
+they are flying, in the peculiar formation
+common to most aquatic Birds, with the
+neck stretched out and the legs projecting
+behind, they look, in the clear sky,
+like gigantic triangles of fire.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The ancients greedily sought after the
+flesh of the Flamingo, which they regarded
+as the most choice food. The
+tongue especially was thought to be an
+exquisite dainty. At the present day we
+no longer eat the Bird; to modern palates
+its flesh is disagreeable in flavor, and it
+retains a marshy smell which is far from
+being pleasant. With regard to the
+tongue, the Egyptians, it is said, are content
+with extracting an oil from it, which
+is used to flavor certain food.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE FRIGATE BIRD.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Frigate Bird is principally characterized
+by a strong, robust bill, longer
+than the head, with mandibles hooked at
+the point; the front of the neck bare of
+feathers; wings very long and narrow,
+first two feathers longest; tail lengthy and
+forked; feet short; toes united by a membrane
+deeply notched.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Frigate Bird has a most expansive
+spread of wing; its power of flight is,
+therefore, very great. It inhabits the
+tropical seas of both the Old and New
+World; and navigators assure us that
+they have met with it many miles
+from any shore. When a hurricane arises
+they mount up far above the storm, and
+remain in those empyrean regions until it
+is again fine weather. In consequence of
+their almost disproportionate spread of
+wing, they can sustain themselves in the
+air for lengthened periods, without taking
+or requiring rest.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Their sight is so piercing that, at a distance
+far beyond that which would render
+them invisible to us, they can perceive
+their prey, the principal of which is the
+Flying-fish. From their elevated situation,
+they dart down upon their favorite
+food, which has relinquished its native
+element; and, keeping their neck and feet
+in a horizontal position, cleave asunder
+the air and grasp their victim, who little
+expected to meet with an enemy in the
+element which it sought for safety. It is
+no unusual thing for it to rob the Gannet
+of the Fish which it has just caught; the
+unfortunate Bird acting as purveyor to
+this sea-robber.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'><span class='pageno' id='Page_206'>206</span>The Frigate Bird is of such a combative
+temperament, and has such an unbounded
+confidence in its strength, that
+it is not afraid of Man. It has been
+known to dash at a sailor, and to snatch
+at the Fish which he held in his hand.
+M. de Kerhoent, a French navigator, relates
+that, during a residence at the Island
+of Ascension, a perfect cloud of Frigate
+Birds surrounded his crew. They
+hovered about a few feet above the coppers
+of the open-air kitchen, in order to
+carry off the meat, without being intimidated
+in the least by the presence of his
+followers. Some of them approached so
+near, that M. de Kerhoent knocked down
+one of the impudent intruders with a blow
+of his stick.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>They assemble in large flocks on the islands
+where they are accustomed to
+breed. In the month of May they begin
+to repair their old or construct new nests.
+They pluck off with their beaks from the
+bush small dry branches, and with these
+pieces of stick crossed and re-crossed, a
+foundation is formed. These nests are
+situated upon trees which hang over the
+water, or are placed on rocks overjutting
+the sea; in them they lay one egg of a
+pure white color.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h206' class='c006'>THE SHORT-WINGED BIRDS.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>The family of Short-winged Birds
+which is represented by the Ostrich, differs
+so greatly from all the other long-legged
+Birds that some Naturalists include
+them in a separate group, and call
+them Cursores or Runners. This is an arrangement
+that has much in its favor, but
+they seem to be more popularly grouped
+with the great order of Long-legged or
+Wading Birds.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>All the Birds in this family have wings,
+but so slightly developed that they are
+entirely unfit for purposes of flight, and
+are only useful in increasing the speed of
+their limbs. Their legs are very long
+and powerful and capable of immense
+muscular effort, thus enabling them to
+run with extraordinary fleetness.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>This group includes the Ostrich, Emu,
+Rhea, Cassowary and the Apteryx.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE OSTRICH.</h3>
+
+<div id='i194'  class='figcenter id012'>
+<img src='images/illus520.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>Ostrich on Her Nest.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The head of the Ostrich is naked and
+callous, with a short bill, much depressed
+and rounded at the point; its legs are half
+naked, muscular, and fleshy; the feet are
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_207'>207</span>long and rough, terminating in two toes
+pointing forward, one of which is shorter
+than the other and has no claw; the wings
+are very short, and formed of soft and
+flexible feathers; the tail taking the form
+of a plume.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>There is but one species of the Ostrich;
+it is sparsely diffused over the interior of
+Africa, and is rarely found in Asia except
+perhaps in Arabia. It is the largest
+member of the family, generally measuring
+six feet in height, and occasionally attaining
+nine feet; its weight varies from
+twenty to a hundred pounds.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Ostrich has been known from the
+most remote antiquity. It is spoken of
+in the sacred writings, for Moses forbade
+the Hebrews to eat of its flesh, as being
+“unclean food.” The Romans, however,
+far from sharing the views of the Jewish
+legislator, considered it a great culinary
+luxury. In the days of the Emperors
+they were consumed in considerable numbers;
+and we read that the luxurious Heliogabalus
+carried his magnificence so far
+as to cause a dish composed of the brains
+of 600 Ostriches to be served at a feast;
+this must have cost an almost incalculable
+sum. In former days it was a favorite
+dish with the tribes of Northern Africa.
+At the present date the Arabs content
+themselves with using its fat as an outward
+application in certain diseases, especially
+rheumatic affections; and they
+derive from it, as they say, very beneficial
+effects.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The natives of Africa call the Ostrich
+“the Camel of the desert,” just as the Latins
+denominated it Struthio camelus.
+There is, in fact, some likeness between
+them. This resemblance consists in the
+length of the neck and legs, and in the
+form of the toes. In some of their habits
+<a id='they'></a>they also resemble each other; the Ostrich
+lies down in the same way as the Camel,
+by first bending the knee, then leaning
+forward on the fleshy part of the sternum,
+and letting its hinder quarters sink down
+last of all.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>That the Ostrich is extremely voracious
+is certain. Although the senses of
+sight and hearing are so highly developed
+that it is said to distinguish objects six
+miles off, and the slightest sounds excite
+its ear, the senses of taste and smell are
+very imperfect. This is the explanation
+given for its readiness to swallow unedible
+substances. In a wild state it takes into
+its stomach large pebbles, to increase its
+digestive powers; in captivity it gorges
+bits of wood and metal, pieces of glass,
+plaster and chalk, probably with the same
+object.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Herbage, Insects, Molluscs, small Reptiles,
+and even small animals, are the principal
+food of the wild Ostrich; when it is
+in a state of domesticity even young
+Chickens are frequently devoured by it.
+It is capable of enduring hunger and
+thirst for many days—about the most
+useful faculty it could possess in the arid
+and burning deserts which it inhabits—but
+it is quite a mistake to suppose it
+never drinks, for it will travel immense
+distances in search of water when it has
+suffered a long deprivation, and will then
+drink with evident pleasure.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The muscular power of the Ostrich is
+truly surprising. If matured it can carry
+a man on its back; and is readily trained
+to be mounted like a Horse, and to bear
+a burden. The tyrant Firmius, who
+reigned in Egypt in the third century,
+was drawn about by a team of Ostriches;
+even now the Negroes frequently use it
+for riding.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>When it first feels the weight of its
+rider, the Ostrich starts at a slow trot; it
+however soon gets more animated, and
+stretching out its wings, takes to running
+with such rapidity that it seems
+scarcely to touch the ground. To the
+wild animals which range the desert it offers
+a successful resistance by kicking, the
+force of which is so great that a blow in
+the chest is sufficient to cause death.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Man succeeds in capturing the Ostrich
+only by stratagem. The Arab on his
+swiftest courser would fail to get near if
+he did not by his intelligence supply the
+deficiency in his physical powers. “The
+legs of an Ostrich running at full speed,”
+says Dr. Livingstone, “can no more be
+seen than the spokes in the wheel of a vehicle
+drawn at a gallop.” According to
+the same author, the Ostrich can run
+about thirty miles in an hour—a speed
+and endurance much surpassing that of
+the swiftest Horse.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Arabs, well acquainted with these
+facts, follow them for a day or two at a
+distance, without pressing too closely, yet
+sufficiently near to prevent them taking
+food. When they have thus starved and
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_208'>208</span>wearied the Birds, they pursue them at
+full speed, taking advantage of the fact,
+which observation has taught them, that
+the Ostrich never runs in a straight line,
+but describes a curve of greater or less
+extent. Availing themselves of this
+habit, the horsemen follow the chord of
+this arc, and, repeating the stratagem
+several times, they gradually get within
+reach, when, making a final dash, they
+rush impetuously on the harassed Birds,
+and beat them down with their clubs,
+avoiding as much as possible shedding
+blood, as this depreciates the value of the
+feathers, which are the chief inducement
+for their pursuit.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Some tribes attain their object by a
+rather singular artifice. The hunter covers
+himself with an Ostrich’s skin, passing
+his arm up the neck of the Bird so as to
+render the movements more natural. By
+the aid of this disguise, if skilfully managed,
+Ostriches can be approached sufficiently
+near to kill them.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Arabs hunt the Ostrich with
+Dogs, which pursue it until it is completely
+worn out. In the breeding season,
+having sought and found out where the
+Ostriches lay their eggs, another artifice
+is to dig a hole within gunshot of the spot,
+in which a man, armed with a gun, can
+hide himself. The concealed enemy easily
+kills the male and female Birds in turn,
+as they sit on their nest. Lastly, to lie
+in wait for them close by water, and shoot
+them when they come to quench their
+thirst is often successful.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Ostrich, which is an eminently sociable
+Bird, may sometimes be seen in
+flocks of 200 or 300, mixed up with
+droves of Zebras, Quaggas, &amp;c. They
+pair about the end of Autumn.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The nest of the Ostrich is more than
+three feet in diameter; it is only a hole
+dug in the ground and surrounded by a
+rampart composed of sticks, etc., and a
+trench scratched round it outside to drain
+off the water. The eggs weigh from two
+to three pounds, one of them being more
+than sufficient for the breakfast of two or
+three people.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Rhea or South American Ostrich
+bears the greatest resemblance to the African
+Ostrich, of which it is the representative
+in the New World; but it is only
+about half the size of the African Bird,
+and has three toes instead of two. The
+color of its plumage is a uniform grey.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>This Bird (called by the Brazilians
+Nhandu-Guacu) inhabits the Pampas of
+South America, the coolest <a id='val'></a>valleys in Brazil,
+Chili, Peru, and Magellan’s Land.
+There they may be seen wandering over
+the open plains in flocks of about thirty,
+in company with herds of Oxen, Horses
+and Sheep. They browse on the grass
+like Cattle, at the same time searching for
+various seeds. They run nearly as
+swiftly as the Ostrich, so are well able, by
+speed, to escape the pursuit of their enemies.
+If a river interrupts their course,
+they do not hesitate to plunge into it, as
+they are excellent swimmers; <a id='indeed'></a>indeed, so
+fond are they of water that they take
+pleasure in splashing and bathing in it.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Rhea lays its eggs and hatches
+them in the same manner as the Ostrich.
+They are Birds of a gentle nature, and are
+tamed with the greatest ease, becoming
+very familiar in the house, visiting the
+various apartments, wandering about the
+streets, and even into the country; but
+they always return to their homes before
+sunset.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_209'>209</span>
+  <h2 id='h209' class='c006'>THE SCANSORES, OR CLIMBING BIRDS.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>The family to which these Birds belong
+takes its name from the Latin words,
+scandere, scansum, meaning to climb;
+yet, strange as it may seem, there are
+many birds belonging to this family that
+cannot climb, and there are other Birds,
+especially some of those belonging to the
+Sparrow family, that can climb and are
+not classified in this group.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The peculiar characteristic of all the
+birds found among the Scansores is the
+formation of their feet. The toes are
+in pairs, two before and two behind,
+which enables them to cling to the
+branches, and climb all about the trees.
+All the different Birds who have their
+toes arranged in this peculiar manner
+are included in the family of Scansores;
+and although some of them do not climb
+so readily as others, they spend the
+greater part of their time perched in the
+trees instead of flying about in the air.
+Their flight is medium, not being so
+strong as that of the Birds of Prey nor so
+light as that of the Sparrow family.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The climbers do not form a very large
+family; the most familiar are the Parrots,
+Cockatoos, Cuckoos, Toucans, Jamicars,
+Woodpeckers, etc. They live chiefly in
+warm countries, and feed upon fruits and
+insects, and the majority are noted for
+their brilliant colors.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h209b' class='c006'>THE PARROTS.</h2>
+</div>
+<div id='i210'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus561.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>AMAZONIAN PARROT.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>The Parrots have large, strong, round
+beaks, with the upper part hooked and
+sharp at the tip, and the under part rather
+deeply hollowed. The tongue is thick,
+fleshy and movable, and the feet are perfected
+to such a degree that they really
+become hands, able to seize, hold and retain
+small objects. Their toes are supplied
+with strong and hooked claws,
+which make these birds pre-eminently
+climbers. The Parrots walk with difficulty,
+and with such trouble that they
+rarely descend to the ground in their native
+homes, and only under pressing circumstances.
+Besides, they find all the
+necessaries of their existence on trees.
+They are not more favored with regard
+to their flight; and we can understand
+that it should be so; for, living in thick
+woods, they only require to make trifling
+changes of place, such as from one tree
+to another. However, some species, especially
+the smaller, are capable of a prolonged
+and effective use of their wings.
+According to Levaillant, some even migrate,
+and travel hundreds of miles every
+year; but this is unusual. In general,
+Parrots remain in the localities where
+they are reared.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Sociable in their dispositions, they assemble
+in more or less numerous bands,
+and make the forests re-echo with their
+loud cries. To some species it is such an
+imperative necessity to be near each
+other and live in common, that they have
+received from Naturalists the name of
+“inseparables.” They deposit their eggs
+in the hollows of trees and in the crevices
+of rocks. The young birds are quite
+naked when hatched; it is not till the end
+of three months that they are completely
+covered with feathers. The parent birds
+wait upon them with the greatest care,
+and become threatening when approached
+too closely by intruders.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Parrots prefer the fruits of the palm,
+banana, and guava trees. They may be
+seen perched upon one foot, using the
+other to bear the food to their beaks, and
+retain it there till eaten. After they have
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_210'>210</span>extracted the kernel they free it from its
+envelope, and swallow it in particles.
+They often visit plantations, and cause
+great devastation. In a domestic state
+they eat seeds, grain, bread, and even raw
+or cooked meat, and it is with pleasure
+that <a id='they2'></a>they receive bones to pick; they are
+also very partial to sugar. It is well
+known that bitter almonds and parsley
+act upon them as violent poisons. They
+drink and bathe frequently; in summer
+they show the greatest desire for plunging
+and splashing in water.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>They climb in a peculiar manner,
+which has none of the abruptness displayed
+by other Birds of the same order.
+This they accomplish with slow and irregular
+movements, helped by their beak
+and feet. Like almost all birds of tropical
+regions, these Birds are adorned with
+most beautiful colors, green and red being
+the most prominent, with occasional
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_213'>213</span>markings of yellow and even blue; and
+some kinds of Parrots have very handsomely
+developed tails.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Parrots are the favorites of the
+human family because of their remarkable
+talent of imitation. They retain and
+repeat words which they have heard by
+chance, or sentences which they have
+been taught, and also imitate the cries of
+different animals, and the sounds of musical
+instruments, etc. The species most
+remarkable for their talking and imitating
+are the Grey Parrot or Jaco, a native
+of Africa, and the Green Parrot from the
+West Indies and tropical America.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Macaws—the largest of the Parrots—are
+recognized by their bare
+cheeks and long tapering tails. They inhabit
+South America and are arrayed in
+the most brilliant colors. The principal
+species are the Ara or Blue and Yellow
+Macaw.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Parrakeets are much smaller than
+the Macaws, and like them, have long
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_214'>214</span>tapering tails, but their cheeks are feathered.
+What are known as the “Love-birds”
+are the rarest and smallest of this
+group. They make their home in America
+and Southern Africa.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>What are known as the “Parrots proper”
+are distinguished from other groups
+of the same family by their short, square
+tails. They have feathered cheeks like
+the Parrakeets, and are between these
+and the Macaws in size. They are appreciated
+on account of their memory and
+their habit of repeating what they hear
+without any special teaching. These
+Parrots are divided into several groups,
+and species according to their size and
+color. Among them we find the Grey
+Parrot or Jaco, a native of the West coast
+of Africa, the Festive Green Parrot, and
+the Amazonian Parrot, which is remarkable
+for its power of imitating, and the
+richness of its green plumage.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h214' class='c006'>THE COCKATOOS.</h2>
+</div>
+<div id='i213'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus568.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>COCKATOOS.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>These Birds are very handsome members
+of the Parrot family, especially the
+ones that are crowned with very full tufts
+of feathers about the head. Some have
+the head entirely surmounted by a white,
+yellow or pink tuft, which they can raise
+or lower at will. Their tails are short,
+and their cheeks feathered. They are
+the largest among the race of Parrots of
+the old continent. They inhabit the
+Indies; and, although they are pretty,
+graceful, and very docile and caressing
+when tamed, they do not talk so well as
+some of the other Parrots.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>There is one remarkable species of the
+Cockatoos, sometimes called the Trumpet
+Cockatoo, because of the formation
+of the tongue. This is cylindrical and
+terminated by a little gland slightly hollowed
+at the end. In eating, this Bird
+takes the kernels of the fruits which form
+its food, crushes them by the help of its
+jaws, then seizes the food by means of the
+hollow which terminates the tongue, projects
+the trumpet in front, and makes it
+pass to the palate which causes it to fall
+into the throat. As this peculiarity of
+the trumpet-like tongue has never been
+noticed in any other Bird, it has made
+this species quite as noted as the Great
+White Cockatoo, and Leadbeater’s Cockatoo,
+which have long been known as the
+handsomest species of this family.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h214b' class='c006'>THE CUCKOOS.</h2>
+</div>
+<p class='c007'>The Cuckoos are about the size of a
+Turtle Dove. They have beaks about as
+long as the head, slightly curved and
+compressed, and rather long and rounded
+tails, and long pointed wings. There are
+several kinds of Birds belonging to this
+group, some of which differ from the
+Cuckoos proper, in having short wings
+and long tapering tails. Among these
+are found the Trogons, Honey-guides,
+Anis or Annos, Barbets and the Touracos
+or Plantain-eaters. These different
+species belong to all the countries of the
+old continent.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Only one species is found in Europe—the
+Grey, or European Cuckoo. These
+are migratory Birds; they pass the warm
+season in Europe, and the winter in Africa,
+or in the warm parts of Asia.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Cuckoos are celebrated for the peculiar
+manner in which they raise their young.
+They do not build a nest, nor cover their
+eggs, neither do they take care of their
+young. They place their eggs in the
+nests of other Birds, such as the Lark, the
+Robin, the Hedge Sparrow, the Thrush,
+Blackbird, etc. They leave the care of
+hatching their eggs, and even the care of
+the young Birds to these strangers.
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_215'>215</span>Cuckoos lay eight to ten eggs in the
+space of a few weeks. When an egg has
+been laid the Bird picks it up in her beak,
+and carries it to the first unoccupied nest
+that she can find, and there deposits it
+when the owner of the nest is away. The
+next egg is placed in a neighboring nest,
+but never in the same as the first. The
+mother shows great intelligence in this,
+for by placing two eggs in the same nest
+of a smaller Bird, the greater size of her
+little ones would crowd the space intended
+by the builder, for smaller Birds
+of her own. And two Robins or Hedge-sparrows
+would be kept very busy feeding
+such great hungry Birds as would
+hatch from the Cuckoo’s eggs.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Another way in which the Mother
+Cuckoo shows her intelligence is her plan
+of breaking an egg in the nest in which
+hers is to be placed. If she finds one or
+more eggs in the nest, after she has
+placed hers in position she will take one of
+the others out, break it with her beak and
+scatter the shell, so that when the other
+Bird returns to her nest she will find the
+same number of eggs that she left. The
+Cuckoo has often been considered a very
+mean Bird, and a hard-hearted mother,
+because of this practice of imposing on
+other Birds, yet Naturalists excuse them
+by explaining that as the Cuckoo lays her
+eggs at considerable intervals she would
+find that she could not cover them and
+raise a family at the same time, for while
+some were hatching and the young Birds
+requiring constant attention, the other
+eggs would require her sitting upon them
+and keeping them warm for hatching
+later; so perhaps after all, the poor, misjudged
+Bird is simply following instinct
+without any thought of meanness.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>HONEY-GUIDES OR INDICATORS.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Honey-guides or Indicators which
+stand nearest to the Cuckoos in this
+group, take their name from their unusual
+habit of guiding the natives of the
+countries in which they are found to hives
+of wild honey bees. They feed on insects
+and are especially fond of the pupae of
+bees. So while the natives (who have
+been attracted by the cries of the Bird to
+the hive of the bees) are taking out the
+honey, the Bird remains in a tree nearby
+watching the process, and when the
+honey is all removed they approach to
+reap the fruits of its trouble.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>ANIS AND BARBETS.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Anis and the Barbets also belong
+to the group of Cuckoos. The Anis have
+bulky, short beaks surmounted by a sharp
+crest. They live in the hot regions of
+South America and feed upon Reptiles
+and Insects. The two principal species
+of this genus are the Razor-bill of Jamaica,
+and the Savannah Blackbird of America.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Barbets owe their name to a number
+of straight hairs which they have
+upon their beak. They are massive in
+form, and their flight is heavy. They inhabit
+the warm countries of both continents,
+and feed upon fruits, berries and Insects.
+The best known of this genus is
+the Collared Barbet, with a distinct collar
+of white feathers about the throat.
+The Barbets have a curious habit of raising
+all their plumage till they look like a
+ball of feathers; from this peculiarity they
+have gained the name of Puff-birds.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>TROGONS AND TURACOS.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Trogons, like the Barbets, have
+the bases of their beaks covered with hair.
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_216'>216</span>Their soft and silky plumage glitters with
+the most brilliant hues, and their tails are
+extremely long and in some instances
+very beautifully formed. They are sometimes
+called Couroucous because of their
+peculiar cry or call to each other. The
+most remarkable species is the Resplendent
+Trogon, which is found both in Mexico
+and Brazil. The plumage of this
+Bird is a magnificent emerald green,
+frosted with gold; its breast is red, and its
+head is surmounted by a beautiful tuft of
+the green color.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Turacos or <a id='plant2'></a>Plantain-eaters are African
+Birds which closely resemble the
+Curassows. They live in forests and
+perch upon the highest branches of trees;
+their flight is heavy and awkward.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE TOUCANS.</h3>
+
+<div id='i216'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus575.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>TOUCAN.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>An immense beak is the first thing to
+attract attention to any member of the
+Toucan family. This group is divided
+into the Common Toucans and the Aracaris.
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_217'>217</span>The Aracari are not so large as
+the other Toucans, and they have a more
+solid beak and a longer tail. The Curl-crested
+Aracaris is noted for its beautiful
+variegated plumage.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Some of the Common Toucans also
+have handsome markings about the
+throat; but the enormous beak is their
+principal characteristic, and it is much the
+same in all the different members of the
+family.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>It is much longer than the head, is
+curved at its extremity and dented at its
+edges. It is not so heavy to bear, and
+incommodes the movements of the Birds
+less than might be supposed, for it is
+formed of a spongy tissue, the numerous
+cells of which are filled with air. Thus it
+is very weak, and does not serve to break
+or even to bruise fruits, notwithstanding
+the idea one forms at first sight of its
+strength, for it is not even capable of
+breaking off the bark of trees, as certain
+authors have claimed. This wonderful
+bill encloses a still more strange tongue;
+very straight and as long as the beak,
+which is covered on each side with closely
+packed barbs, similar to a feather, the use
+of which remains to us a complete mystery.
+This curious instrument so struck
+the Naturalists of Brazil, where many
+Toucans are found, that it furnished
+them with a name. In Brazilian toucan
+means “feather.”</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Toucans feed on fruits and insects;
+they live in bands of from six to ten in
+damp places where the palm tree flourishes,
+for its fruit is their favorite food.
+In eating they seize the fruit with the extremity
+of the beak, make it bounce up in
+the air, receive it then into the throat, and
+swallow it in one piece. If it is too large,
+and impossible to divide, they reject it.
+They are rarely seen on the ground, and
+although their flight is heavy and difficult,
+they perch on the branches of the
+highest trees, where they remain in ceaseless
+motion. Their call is a sort of whistle,
+frequently uttered.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>They build their nests in holes hollowed
+out by Woodpeckers or other
+Birds. They all have very brilliant plumage,
+and inhabit Paraguay, Brazil and
+Guiana.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h217' class='c006'>THE WOODPECKERS.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<div id='i211'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus564.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>Ivory-Billed Woodpecker.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>The Birds which comprise this group
+have long conical pointed beaks, and a
+very extensible tongue. They form two
+genera—the Woodpeckers and the Wry-necks.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Woodpeckers excel in the art of climbing,
+but they do not perform it in the
+same manner as the Parrots. They
+climb by extending their toes supplied
+with bent claws, upon the trunk of a tree
+and maintain themselves hanging there.
+Then they move themselves a little
+further by a sudden and jerked skip, and
+so on. They are helped in these movements
+by the disposition of the tail,
+formed of straight <a id='resist'></a>resistant feathers,
+slightly worn away at the ends, which
+pressed against a tree serve as a support
+to the Bird. By means of these peculiarities
+in their feet and tail feathers, the
+Woodpeckers traverse the trees in every
+direction—upwards, downwards or horizontally.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Woodpeckers are of a timid, restless
+disposition; they live alone in the midst
+or on the borders of large forests.</p>
+
+<div id='i218'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus581.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>SPOTTED AND DOWNY WOODPECKERS.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c008'>Insects and their larvae form their
+nourishment, which they seek in the
+trunks and clefts of trees. Their tongue
+is wonderfully suited for this purpose. It
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_218'>218</span>is very long, and, by a peculiar mechanism,
+can be projected out far enough to
+reach objects three or four inches away.
+The beak is terminated by a horny point
+bristling with small hooks. In many
+species it is overlaid with a sticky substance
+secreted by two glands, the effect
+of which is to catch the insects which it
+touches. Whenever the Bird darts this
+tongue into the crevices, it draws it out
+more or less laden with insects. If it
+perceives an insect that it cannot reach
+by means of this organ, it uses its strong
+beak; striking the tree with redoubled
+blows, it cuts the bark, breaks an opening,
+and seizes the coveted prey.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>It often also taps with its beak to sound
+a tree, and assure itself that there is no
+recess in the interior which would serve
+as a refuge for its prey. If the trunk is
+hollow, it examines all parts to find an entrance
+to the cavity. When it has discovered
+it, it introduces its tongue; and if the
+canal is not large enough to permit it to
+explore the hiding place with success, it
+increases the size of the aperture. It is
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_219'>219</span>not only to seek for food that Woodpeckers
+make holes in trees, but also to form
+secure hiding places for their nests.
+Some species, it is true, select the openings
+which they find, but others hollow
+out their nesting places according to their
+tastes. When such is the case, they select
+soft-wood trees, such as willow, aspen,
+etc. The cavity which they bore to
+where the nest is placed is generally so
+oblique and so deep that perfect darkness
+surrounds them. This is doubtless a
+measure of security against small Mammals,
+especially the rodents, the natural
+enemies of their family. The mother deposits
+her eggs upon a bed of moss or the
+dust of worm-eaten wood. The young
+Birds grow slowly, and receive for a long
+time the care of their parents.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Woodpeckers are generally considered
+noxious Birds, because they are supposed
+to injure the trees of forests and orchards,
+and for this reason a relentless war is
+made against them. They should, on the
+contrary, be protected; for they destroy
+innumerable insects, the real enemies of
+timber, and never touch a sound limb, for
+in it their food is not to be found. There
+are a great number of species of Woodpeckers
+known, which are spread over
+the two continents. The principal are
+the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, a native of
+America; the great Spotted Woodpecker
+and the Downy Woodpecker.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Wry-necks owe their name to the curious
+property they possess of being able
+to twist their necks in such a manner as
+to turn the head in all directions. They
+repeat this movement every instant, especially
+when surprised or angry. At
+the same time their eyes become fixed,
+the feathers of the head stand up, and the
+tail expands. Like Woodpeckers, they
+can hang upon trees, and sustain themselves
+in a vertical position for a long
+time; but they are incapable of climbing.
+The weakness of their beaks does not permit
+of their boring trees; therefore they
+seek their nourishment upon the ground,
+principally among the ant-hills. They
+build in natural holes in trees, or in those
+hollowed by Woodpeckers. Their plumage
+is <a id='att'></a>attractive and their size is about that
+of the Lark. They inhabit all the old
+continent.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE JACAMARS.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>Jacamars inhabit equatorial America.
+They are characterized by long and
+pointed beaks, and short wings. They
+have three or four toes, according to the
+species. Their habits are little known;
+but it is certain that they live isolated or
+in pairs, that they are stupid, move but
+little, and rarely depart from the <a id='neigh'></a>neighborhood
+where they have chosen their dwelling.
+All species do not frequent similar
+localities—as some like thick woods, others
+prefer open plains; all, however, are
+insect eaters. In their manners, as well
+as in their physical characteristics, Jacamars
+appear to resemble Kingfishers, of
+which we shall speak hereafter. The
+Paradise Jacamar is a good representative
+of the family.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_220'>220</span>
+  <h2 id='h220' class='c006'>THE GALLINACEAE, OR DOMESTIC BIRDS.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>The family of Birds to which our domestic
+fowls belong is a very large one.
+It is known as the family of Gallinaceous
+Birds. The word is derived from the
+Latin gallina, a hen, and gallus, a cock.
+The many different Birds and Fowls
+found under this family are usually divided
+into six groups, and these may be
+readily classified without their long Latin
+names to designate them.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>In the first we find the different
+kinds of Grouse, the Cock of the Plains,
+the Heathcock, the Hazel Hen and others
+of the same nature, that resemble our
+Hens and Roosters, and care for their
+chickens in the same manner. Under
+the second group we find the Quail, the
+Colin, the Partridge, etc., that are well
+known in this country and in Europe.
+The Birds under the third group belong
+to South America, and are representatives
+of the Partridge on that continent.
+The birds belonging to the fourth group
+are the Chionides of Australia and New
+Zealand. In size they are between our
+Partridge and Pigeon. They live near
+the sea-beach, and feed on the sea-weed
+and dead Fishes that are thrown up by
+the waves.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>In the fifth group are found a queer
+family of birds with straight slender bills
+and feet that are furnished with long,
+sharp claws. These birds are also found
+in Australia and they have a peculiar
+habit of laying each of their eggs in a separate
+hole, then covering each with a
+large mound, scraped together by the
+Birds; and the eggs are then left to be
+hatched by the sun. The Bush-turkeys
+of Australia and New Guinea also belong
+to this group.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The sixth group comprises our Pheasants,
+Peacocks, Guinea Fowls, Curassows
+and Turkeys. The handsomest
+Birds belonging to the family of domestic
+Fowls—the Peacocks, Golden Pheasants,
+etc., are found in this group.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h220b' class='c006'>THE PARTRIDGES.</h2>
+</div>
+<div id='i221'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus591.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>COMMON GRAY PARTRIDGE.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>The Partridges make their home on
+the ground and never perch in trees except
+when they are forced to do so. Like
+the Quail they run with remarkable swiftness;
+their flight is rapid, but low, and
+does not extend to long distances. These
+Birds are very sociable, and live in flocks
+or coveys composed of the parents and
+the young of the last brood. They are
+not migratory, and they seem to attach
+themselves to certain localities and do
+not leave unless compelled to.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>At the time of laying, the mother-bird
+makes a hole in the earth, which she lines
+with grass and leaves, and in it deposits
+her eggs, to the number of twelve or fifteen,
+and sometimes twenty or more.
+While she is sitting upon the eggs her
+mate watches over her and guards her
+from danger.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>When the young are hatched, the
+father-bird devotes himself to the care
+of his children. He accompanies them
+in their wanderings; he teaches them to
+catch grubs, find ants’ eggs, and shows
+himself as skilful as the mother in guarding
+them from attacks of their enemies.
+At the appearance of danger the father
+utters a cry of alarm, which warns the
+young ones to hide. Drooping his
+wings in order to induce the intruder to
+follow him, he pretends to be unable to
+fly. At the same time the mother-bird
+proceeds in another direction and, alighting
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_221'>221</span>some distance off, she runs back to
+her family, and leads them to a place of
+safety. This is one of the intelligent
+methods by which the young brood is
+protected.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>A few weeks after they are hatched the
+young Partridges are able to fly, and to
+provide for their own wants; they do not
+leave their parents, but continue to live
+with them until the following spring,
+when they begin to build nests and plan
+for their own children.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Partridges are of a shy and timid nature,
+which shows itself in many ways.
+But this is not surprising when it is remembered
+how numerous are their foes,
+for Foxes and Birds of prey make continual
+havoc among them; the latter
+especially are particularly dreaded. At
+the mere sight of one of the Falcon tribe,
+a Partridge is so overcome with fear as
+to be almost incapable of concealing itself,
+and it is not until the dreaded enemy
+is gone that it regains self-possession.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>When a Bird of prey unsuccessfully
+dashes at a Partridge in cover, no power
+is able to make it take wing, and any one
+can then lay hands on it without difficulty.
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_222'>222</span>A Partridge has even been
+known to prefer dying in its hiding-place
+from suffocation to exposing itself to the
+mercies of its pursuer.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The knowledge of these facts has suggested
+a very simple and effectual method
+of making Partridges which are wild remain
+on the ground without flying, till
+the sportsman is within gun-shot. This
+is done by frightening them with an artificial
+Bird of Prey, attached to the tail
+of a kite, which is flown over them.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Partridges make very delicate food of
+fine flavor, and they are not only shot in
+their wild state for this purpose, but in
+some countries are tamed and raised in
+great numbers, like the domestic fowls,
+especially the Grey Partridge. We are
+told of a whole covey of Partridges of
+this variety in England which were so
+tame that they could be driven like a
+flock of Geese.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The California Partridge is one of the
+handsomest of the whole family of Partridges.
+It is a native of the western
+shores of North America. It is adorned
+with a crest, giving it a much finer appearance
+than that of the plain little
+brown fellows of the Eastern part of this
+country.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h222' class='c014'>THE GROUSE AND THE HEATHCOCK.</h2>
+</div>
+<div id='i212'  class='figcenter id020'>
+<img src='images/illus565.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>Heathcocks Fighting.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>There is a great variety of Grouse and
+<a id='prairie'></a>Prairie Chickens belonging to this family
+of Birds. The Pinnated Grouse is a native
+of the prairies of North America.
+Its feathers are light brown, occasionally
+spotted with white. Its call is deep and
+sonorous, and can be heard for miles in
+still weather. The Pinnated Grouse is
+frequently called the Prairie Chicken.
+They lay from twelve to fourteen eggs
+and are the most devoted parents.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Black Grouse is about the size of
+a Pheasant, and is distinguished by the
+tail, which is divided into two parts composed
+of four feathers on each side curling
+outwards.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Ruffled Grouse is an American
+Bird, but differs from the others in size
+and habits. The hill-sides, densely covered
+with evergreens or birch are its favorite
+resorts, and on the wing, it is remarkable
+for its swiftness.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Hazel Grouse is suspicious and
+timid, and hides among the thick foliage
+of the green trees at the least appearance
+of danger. This bird flies awkwardly,
+but runs very swiftly. It is about the
+size of a Partridge, and its plumage is of
+a reddish brown color, mixed with white.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Heathcock is very similar to the
+Grouse. The heath plains with their juniper
+bushes and birches are his favorite
+abode. His food consists of all kinds of
+seeds and berries, especially the bilberry,
+juniper berry, wheat, oats and buckwheat,
+besides Insects, Snails and Worms, and
+he is particularly fond of Ants. The
+Heathcocks are great fighters. They
+fight in the fashion of the domestic
+Cocks, but with much greater fury and
+bitterness. With heads down, fan-shaped
+tails erected, and wings hanging, the two
+opponents circle around each other.
+Suddenly they rush together, spring at
+each other, and mutually endeavor to inflict
+wounds with beak and claws, so that
+the feathers fly far and wide. Wearied,
+they pause only to take up the battle
+again with equal bitterness after a short
+rest, until finally one of the combatants is
+put to flight. Then the victor flies to a
+neighboring tree and announces his victory
+in clear, joyous tones to all the Hens
+that can be found in the neighborhood.
+But very often this song of triumph is
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_223'>223</span>also his death song. Already the hunter
+has long observed him from his place of
+concealment, and awaited a favorable opportunity.
+Now he sends at him the
+deadly lead, and in the midst of his triumph
+song the Cock falls dead to the
+ground.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Hens build a simple nest out of
+dry twigs, grass and feathers in some hollow
+in the high grass, in the midst of the
+heath or under bushes. The setting consists
+of from six to twelve yellow eggs
+with brown spots of the same size as those
+of the domestic Hen’s eggs. After three
+weeks the young are hatched out and are
+taken by the careful mother under her
+wings, and anxiously guarded and followed.
+The flesh of the Heathcock is
+more tender and finely flavored than that
+of the Wood-grouse.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_224'>224</span>
+  <h2 id='h224' class='c006'>THE PIGEONS.</h2>
+</div>
+<div id='i223'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus596.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>CROWNED PIGEON.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>The family of Birds to which the Pigeons
+and the Doves belong is usually
+classed by itself, as forming a link between
+two other families, and as these
+are important divisions, it will be well to
+keep in mind the meaning of their Latin
+names. The Pigeons and Doves belong
+to the family of Columbidae, which is derived
+from the Latin word columba,
+meaning a dove; and this forms the division
+between the domestic or Gallinaceous
+family, that we have just studied,
+and the family of Passerines, or Sparrows;
+the name of this family being derived
+from the Latin word passer, meaning
+a sparrow.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>It would be useless to attempt to describe
+all the different kinds of Pigeons in
+this space, but we can mention the leading
+groups, with their distinguishing
+features.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Crowned Pigeon is one of the
+handsomest. This is usually found in
+New Guinea. The plumage of this Bird
+is a beautiful greyish blue, with markings
+of dark blue and white, and its head is
+crowned with a plume of long tapering
+feathers.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Fan-tailed Pigeon is remarkable
+for its tail, which is very large and raised
+like that of a Peacock when spread out
+to its handsomest extent.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Nun Pigeon is recognized by a
+kind of hood formed of raised feathers,
+which covers the back of the head and
+neck, and to which it owes its name.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Wheeling Pigeon describes circles,
+like Birds of Prey, when it is flying.
+This Bird has an unpleasant disposition,
+and a bad habit of annoying other Pigeons.
+It should be excluded from Pigeon-houses.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Tumbler Pigeon owes its name to
+its curious manner of flying. It has a
+habit, after it has risen to a certain height,
+of throwing five or six summersaults.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Pouter Pigeon owes its name to
+the faculty which it possesses of inflating
+its crop to an immense size by the introduction
+of air. This peculiarity often
+destroys them; indeed, when feeding
+their young, they find so much difficulty
+in causing the seeds which they have
+swallowed to reascend into their beaks,
+that they contract a malady which is frequently
+fatal.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Roman Pigeons, thus named because
+they are very common in Italy, are
+easily recognized from the circle of red
+which surrounds their eyes.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Swift Pigeon is of small size, its
+flight is light and rapid.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Carrier Pigeons belong to this
+race. They are celebrated for their attachment
+to their birthplace, or to the
+spot that contains their young, and for
+the intelligence which enables them to regain
+their native countries from whatever
+distance. Transport them miles from
+their homes, even in a well-closed basket,
+then give them their liberty, and they will
+return, without the slightest hesitation,
+to the place from which they were taken.
+This valuable faculty has long been utilized,
+especially in the East.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Romans made use of Pigeons as
+messengers. Pliny says that this means
+was employed by Brutus and Hirtius to
+concert together during the <a id='siege'></a>siege of a
+town by Mark Antony. At the siege of
+Leyden, in 1574, the Prince of Orange
+employed Carrier Pigeons to carry on a
+correspondence with the besieged town,
+which he succeeded in freeing. The
+Prince, to mark his acknowledgment of
+the services rendered by these wise Birds,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_225'>225</span>wished them to be fed with strawberries,
+and their bodies to be embalmed after
+death.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>We learn from Pierre Belon, the Naturalist,
+that in his time navigators from
+Egypt and Cyprus took Pigeons upon
+their galleys, and liberated them when
+they had arrived at the port of destination,
+in order to announce to their families
+their safe journey. In our century
+they have been made use of for similar
+purposes.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h225' class='c006'>THE PHEASANTS.</h2>
+</div>
+<div id='i225'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus601.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>GOLDEN PHEASANTS</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>Under the name of Phasianidae, the
+Pheasants form a distinct family, which
+is divided into several groups of Birds
+and Domestic Fowls which have similar
+characteristics. Not only our well
+known Pheasants, but the Peacocks,
+Guinea Fowls, Turkeys, Currassows,
+Bankiva Fowl, Tragopans, and the Argus
+are all grouped in this family, because
+they all have short bills, wings so short
+that they cannot fly readily, brilliant
+plumage, and tails largely developed,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_226'>226</span>forming the greatest beauty of the Bird in
+many instances.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Pheasant, especially, is remarkable
+for the length of its tail; the middle
+feathers of which in one species, known as
+Reeve’s Pheasant, sometimes attain a
+length of seven or eight feet.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Silver Pheasant and the Golden
+Pheasant are two beautiful species. The
+former is clothed in a black and white
+costume that gives it a fine silvery appearance.
+The latter is brilliantly clothed
+in purple and gold, and bears a golden
+yellow crest on its head, with a handsome
+circular collar effect; and the tail of the
+Golden Pheasant is very long and showy.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>There are many other species of
+Pheasants, distinguished by some peculiarity
+of the plumage, but there is no special
+difference in their habits.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>In the wild state the Pheasants prefer
+wooded slopes or marshy plains, and their
+food is composed of grains, berries,
+Worms, Insects, Snails, etc. They are
+shy and timid in their nature, taking
+flight at the least indication of danger.
+They make their nest on the ground in
+the midst of a thicket, or in a tuft of grass,
+and the hen Pheasant lays from twelve to
+twenty eggs, which require twenty-four
+days to hatch.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>In some parts of the country these
+Birds are raised in enclosures called
+pheasantries. During the first two
+months of existence, the young Pheasants
+require the greatest care, as the tender
+little fellows are subject to numerous
+maladies.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h229' class='c006'>THE PASSERINES, OR THE SPARROW FAMILY.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>It seems strange that one of the very
+largest families of Birds should take as its
+type our common little Sparrow, yet the
+Passerine family takes its name from the
+Latin word passer, meaning a Sparrow.
+These are also known as Perching Birds.
+Taking it altogether this is an odd family
+of Birds, so many are included in it, in
+which it is difficult to detect the bonds
+which connect them.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>For example, where is the link which
+unites the Crow to the Swallow, or the
+Hornbill to the Humming-bird? Nevertheless
+all these winged creatures, so
+different externally, belong to the Passerines.
+Some Naturalists have claimed
+that this family presents only negative
+characteristics, bringing together in an
+odd group all the birds that are not included
+among the Rapacious, the Swimming,
+Wading, Gallinaceous or Domestic,
+and Climbing Birds. The principal
+points in common among these birds is
+that the outer toe is united to the middle
+one, more or less. Their food consists
+mainly of seeds, insects and fruit. They
+fly gracefully and easily, and their walk
+consists of a succession of little leaps.
+They build their nests and take their rest
+under the thick foliage of trees, or under
+the eaves of buildings.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>In this extensive family we find most
+of the songsters of the woodlands. Some
+of them have even the gift of imitating
+the human voice and the cries of wild animals.
+Many are remarkable for their
+brilliant plumage, others are appreciated
+as delicacies for the table. Some of them
+are easily tamed, but none of them have
+been brought to a domestic state.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Some Naturalists divide the Passerines
+into five great groups, the first based
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_227'>227</span>upon the structure of the feet, the other
+four on the formation of the bill. Others
+object to this classification because it
+is not always possible to assign a place to
+certain groups because of peculiarities of
+their beak alone. This distribution is
+generally followed, however, as it is easy
+to remember.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE PERCHING BIRDS WITH UNITED TOES.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>As the different members of the great
+Passerine or Sparrow family are nearly
+all Perching Birds, it is easier to give
+them this classification in dividing them
+into groups, and thus avoid the many
+Latin names that it is not necessary to
+remember. In the first group we find
+the Perching Birds with united toes—the
+outer toe being nearly as long as the
+<a id='middle'></a>middle one and fast to it. This group includes
+the Hornbills, the Fly-catchers,
+the King-fishers, the Bee-eaters, and the
+Motmots.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE HORNBILLS.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Hornbills are remarkable for their
+enormous development of beak, which is
+long, very wide, compressed, and more
+or less curved and notched, and in some
+species surmounted by a large helmet-like
+protuberance. This immense beak
+is nevertheless very light, being spongy,
+as in the Toucans. The Hornbills have
+in some respects the bearing of the Crow;
+this led Bontius to class them among the
+Crows, under the name of Indian Crow.
+They walk with difficulty, and their flight
+is clumsy, their favorite position being on
+a perch at the summit of lofty trees.
+Great flocks of these haunt the forests of
+the warmer regions of the Old World,
+especially Africa, India, and the Oceanic
+Archipelago. They build their nests in
+the hollows of trees. They are omnivorous.
+The fruits, seeds, and insects of
+those regions are their principal food;
+yet they will not refuse flesh.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>In India they are domesticated, their
+services in destroying rats and mice being
+valuable. The plumage of the Hornbill
+is black or grey, of various shades;
+but there is a species described by Dr.
+Latham and Dr. Shaw under the name
+of the Crimson Hornbill, which Mr.
+Swainson thinks may prove to be a link
+between Toucans and Hornbills, and thus
+combine the beauty of plumage of the
+former with the peculiarity of form of
+the latter. Their flesh is delicate, especially
+when fed on aromatic seeds. Many
+species are described, varying in size,
+among which the Rhinoceros Hornbill is
+the most worthy of notice. This bird is
+so named from the singular protuberance
+with which its bill is surmounted; this is
+a smooth horny helmet, curving upwards
+from the bill, somewhat resembling the
+horn of the rhinoceros. It is a native of
+India and the islands of the Indian
+Ocean.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE FLY-CATCHERS.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Fly-catchers are a family of insect-eating
+Birds, many of which are British,
+distinguished by long, broad, and very
+flat bills, contracting suddenly at the tip;
+the tail is short, slender and rounded; the
+legs long and weak. It has a bright
+green plumage above, whitish beneath;
+and a scarlet throat. It is a native of
+South America and the Antilles; and a
+traveler, under the name of Green Humming-bird,
+describes it as “one of the
+most beautiful birds he ever saw.” It is
+a familiar little Bird, and will often let a
+Man come within a few feet to admire it
+before becoming alarmed.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'><span class='pageno' id='Page_229'>229</span>It lives almost entirely on the ground,
+feeding on Insects, which it catches in the
+evening. It builds its nest in the crevices
+on river banks, or in the soft rocks, in
+which it hollows out a dwelling by means
+of its bill and feet.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h229c' class='c006'>THE KING-FISHERS.</h2>
+</div>
+<div id='i192'  class='figcenter id022'>
+<img src='images/illus609.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>KING FISHERS.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>The King-fishers, the Martin-fishers of
+some authors, form a highly interesting
+group. They are very singular Birds.
+Their bill is strong, straight and angular,
+being of immense length compared with
+their size. Living on the banks of rivers,
+they feed almost exclusively on Fish,
+watching patiently from a fixed station,
+generally a naked twig overhanging the
+water, or a stone projecting above the
+surface, for its prey. In this position it
+will sometimes remain for hours, absolutely
+immovable.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>When a Fish comes within reach, with
+great rapidity the King-fisher darts upon
+it, seizing it in its powerful mandibles, and
+after destroying it by compression, or by
+knocking it against a stone or the trunk
+of a tree, swallows it head foremost.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>When Fish are scarce they feed upon
+aquatic Insects, which they seize on the
+wing. They build their nests in the steep
+banks of rivers, either in the natural crevices,
+or in holes hollowed out by Water-rats;
+and these dwelling places are generally
+littered by the fragments of their
+food. Father and mother sit alternately,
+and when the young are hatched they
+feed them with the produce of their fishing.
+The Bird has a shrill and piercing
+note, which it utters on the wing.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE BEE-EATERS.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Bee-eaters have the beak long,
+thin, slightly curved and pointed; the
+wings are long and pointed; the tail is
+well-developed, tapering or forked. They
+are slender, graceful Birds. Their cries,
+while they skim through the air on rapid
+wing, are constant. The name of Bee-eaters
+they receive from their principal
+food, which consists of large bees and
+wasps. They seize their prey either on
+the wing, like the Swallows, or secrete
+themselves at the entrance to a hive, and
+catch the inmates that enter or depart,
+whose stings they are skilful in avoiding.
+Living together in numerous flocks, they
+rapidly clear a district of wasps and bees.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>They build their nests in the banks of
+rivers or rivulets, in holes which they excavate
+to the depth of six or seven feet.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE MOTMOTS.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Motmots are Birds still very imperfectly
+known. They are remarkably
+massive in form, heavy and slow on the
+wing. In the Motmots the beak is long,
+robust and crenated at the edge. They
+are very wild, and lead an isolated life in
+the thick forests of South America, where
+they build in holes in trees. They are
+about the size of a Magpie and many of
+that Bird’s bad qualities are attributed to
+the Brazilian Motmot.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>PERCHING BIRDS WITH LONG BEAKS.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>This group is characterized by a long,
+slender beak, straight or curved, but always
+without indentation, and comprises
+the Humming-birds, Creepers, Nuthatches
+and Hoopoes.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h229b' class='c014'>THE HUMMING-BIRDS.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<div id='i230'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus612.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>SWORD BILL HUMMING BIRD.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>The Humming-birds are the most
+lovely of the winged race. Nature seems
+to have endowed them with her rarest
+gifts. In creating them she surpassed
+herself, and exhausted all the charms at
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_230'>230</span>her disposal; for she gave them grace, elegance,
+rapidity of motion, magnificence
+of plumage, and indomitable courage.
+What can be more delightful than the
+sight of these little feathered beauties,
+flashing with the united fires of the ruby,
+the topaz, the sapphire, and the emerald,
+flying from flower to flower amid the
+richest tropical vegetation? Such are
+the lightness and rapidity of some of the
+smaller species, that the eye can scarcely
+follow the quick beat of their wings.
+When they hover they appear perfectly
+motionless, and one might fancy them
+suspended by an invisible thread.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Specially adapted for life in the air,
+they are unceasingly in motion, searching
+for their food in the calyx of flowers, from
+which they drink the nectar with so much
+gentleness that the plant is scarcely
+stirred. But the juice and honey of flowers,
+as some authors affirm, are not their
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_231'>231</span>only food—such unsubstantial diet would
+be insufficient to sustain the great activity
+displayed almost every moment of their
+existence.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The tongue of the Humming-bird is a
+microscopic instrument of marvellous arrangement.
+It is composed of two half-tubes
+placed one against the other, capable
+of opening and shutting, like a pair of
+pliers. Moreover, it is constantly moistened
+by a glutinous saliva, by which it
+is enabled to seize and hold Insects.</p>
+
+<div id='i231'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus617.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>CRESTED HUMMING BIRD.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c008'>Proud of their gay colors, the Humming-birds
+take the greatest care to protect
+their plumage. They frequently
+dress themselves by passing their feathers
+through their bills.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The nest of the Humming-bird is a
+masterpiece. It is about the size of half
+an apricot. These <a id='consist'></a>consist of lichens,
+and are most artistically interwoven, the
+crevices being closed up with the Bird’s
+saliva; the interior is padded with the
+silky fibres furnished by various plants.
+This pretty cradle is suspended to a leaf,
+sometimes to a small branch of rushes, or
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_233'>233</span>even to the straw roof of a hut. The
+Bird lays twice a year a pair of pure white
+eggs, about the size of a pea.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>These little creatures are universally
+admired for their elegance and beauty,
+and the names given them are generally
+descriptive of their excessive minuteness.
+The creoles of the Antilles call them
+Murmurers; the Spaniards Picaflores;
+the Brazilians, Shupaflores, or Flower-suckers;
+finally, the Indians call these
+darlings Sunbeams.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Among the most formidable enemies
+of the Humming-bird may be reckoned
+the Monster Spider, which spins its web
+round their nests, and devours eggs or
+young; even the old Birds are sometimes
+its victims.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Humming-birds are scattered over the
+greater part of South and North America,
+even as far north as Canada; but in Brazil
+and Guiana they are most abundant. At
+least 500 species are known. Among the
+more remarkable species we may note
+the Topaz-throated Trochilus, a native of
+Brazil; the Sickle-winged Humming-bird;
+the Double-crested Humming-bird;
+Gould’s Humming-bird; Cora Humming-bird;
+the Giant Humming-bird,
+which attains the size of a Swallow; the
+Dwarf Humming-bird, whose size does
+not exceed that of a bee; the Bar-tailed
+Humming-bird or Sapho Comet, a native
+of Eastern Peru; the Racket-tailed Humming-bird,
+so named from the shape of its
+tail, which spreads out at the extremity in
+the form of a racket; the Crested Humming-bird,
+with a double crest on the
+head of the male Bird; and the Sword-bill
+Humming-bird, with a bill as long as
+the whole body of the Bird.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h233' class='c006'>THE CROWS.</h2>
+</div>
+<div id='i232'  class='figcenter id003'>
+<img src='images/illus620.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>CROWS AND RAVENS.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>The Crows are divided into four groups
+or sub-genera—namely, the Crows properly
+so called, Pies, Jays and Nutcrackers.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The genus Corvus, or Crow family, as
+limited by modern Naturalists, comprehends
+the Raven, the Carrion Crow, the
+Royston or Hooded Crow, the Rook, the
+Jackdaw, Great-billed Crow, Philippine
+Crow and Fish Crow.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>All these species have in many respects
+the same characteristics, and the same
+habits. With the exception of the Raven
+and Magpie, which live in pairs, the others
+reside together in companies, whether
+they are in quest of their daily food or
+roosting for the night. They are all possessed
+of intelligence, cunning, mischievous
+habits, the gift of imitation, though in
+different degrees, and the same provident
+habit of amassing provisions in secret
+places. This last peculiarity in the tamed
+Birds degenerates into a perfect mania,
+which leads them to carry off and hide
+everything that attracts or pleases their
+eye, especially gems and bright articles of
+metal. The whole group are easily
+tamed.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Crows, especially the Raven and
+the Carrion Crow, are omnivorous. Living
+or dead flesh, Insects, eggs, fruit,
+seeds—nothing comes amiss to their palate.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Ravens possess a vigorous and
+sustained flight; they have a keen sense of
+smell and excellent vision. By exercising
+these latter qualities they quickly
+learn where food is to be obtained, and as
+they wing towards it they constantly utter
+their cry, as if inviting their companions
+to join them; this croak, as it is
+called, is harsh and dissonant. Their
+plumage being of a sombre black, and
+their voice so unmusical, have doubtless
+been the reasons why they have long
+been considered Birds of ill omen. When
+taken young, they are tamed with great
+facility, for they will neither rejoin their
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_235'>235</span>own race nor desert the neighborhood
+where they have been kindly treated.
+True, they may go into the fields to seek
+for food, but when the increasing shadows
+predict the approach of night, their
+familiar resting place in the house of their
+protector will be sought. They become
+much attached to those who take notice
+of them, and will recognize them even in
+a crowd.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h235' class='c006'>THE DIPPERS.</h2>
+</div>
+<div id='i234'  class='figcenter id023'>
+<img src='images/illus623.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>DIPPERS OR WATER WRENS.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>The Dippers or Water Wrens have
+straight and slender bills; large and stout
+toes, furnished with strong hooked claws,
+and short wings and tails. The decidedly
+aquatic habits of these Birds form a
+curious exception to the rest of the Sparrow
+family. They live constantly on the
+edge of the water, or in the water itself,
+hunting for the Insects which constitute
+their food.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Although their toes are not webbed,
+they may often be noticed diving and
+moving about under water, by extending
+their wings and using them as fins. They
+are frequently seen flying along streams,
+and catching the winged Insects skimming
+over the surface of the water.
+They build their nests along the banks of
+mountain streams, and thrive in great
+numbers in such rocky countries as the
+Alps, Pyrenees, and other mountain
+chains in the south, west and north of
+Europe.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_239'>239</span>
+  <h2 id='h239' class='c006'>Fishes.</h2>
+</div>
+<div id='i238'  class='figcenter id024'>
+<img src='images/illus628.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>FLYING-FISH.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='drop-capa0_2_0_6 c013'>THE numerous Fishes that inhabit
+the waters all over the globe are
+divided into two great groups—the
+Cartilaginous Fishes, with their framework
+made up of bones in the form of
+cartilage or gristle, and the Osseous, or
+bony Fishes. These large groups are
+sub-divided in a most puzzling manner
+by many Naturalists. The long Latin
+and Greek names used to classify these
+groups and smaller families are so much
+more difficult to remember than are the
+divisions of the great group of Mammals,
+that we will entirely discard all these derivations
+and explanations, using only
+the common English names for grouping
+them according to their peculiarities
+of form, the arrangement of the gills, the
+number and form of their fins, etc., etc.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The first great group of Cartilaginous
+Fishes is divided into three sections,
+which make in reality four families, as the
+second section comprises two. In the
+first of these we find the queer family of
+Lampreys, in which the mouth forms
+a sucker. In the second, are the family
+of Raias, and the Shark family, characterized
+by their mouth being furnished
+with jaws. The third includes the Sturgeons,
+which are distinguished by having
+the gills free.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Bony Fishes are divided into four
+great sections. The first is represented
+by the family of Globe Fish and Coffers,
+which have the jaw attached to the cranium.
+The second includes the queer
+family of Pipe-fish and Sea-horses, which
+have the gills divided into round tufts arranged
+in pairs. The third division includes
+the family of soft-finned Fishes,
+in which the rays of the fins are soft. In
+the fourth section are the various families
+of spiny-finned Fishes. And in some
+one of these groups with their distinct
+characteristics, may be classified all the
+numerous Fishes that are known to modern
+Naturalists.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h239b' class='c006'>CARTILAGINOUS FISHES.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h239c' class='c006'>THE LAMPREYS AND THE EELS.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>It is not usual to class these two families
+together, but they look so much alike
+until studied closely, all the different varieties
+having the appearance of serpents,
+with fins and curious forms of tails and
+heads, that it seems best to study them
+together and find the points of difference.
+The Lamprey is of a lighter color than
+the Eel, and is not so graceful, but of a
+rather clumsy form. But it differs most
+in its mouth, which is round, and placed
+below the end of the nose. It resembles
+the mouth of a Leech more than that of
+an Eel.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Lamprey has a hole on top of its
+head through which it spouts water,
+somewhat like a Whale, and the fins are
+formed by a lengthening out of the skin
+instead of having a set of bones or spines
+for that purpose. The mouth of the
+Lamprey is not only formed like that of
+the Leech, but it has the same property
+of sticking close to and sucking any body
+that is applied to it. It has a wonderful
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_240'>240</span>power of holding on to stones by sucking
+with its mouth, so that it is almost
+impossible to draw it away. We are told
+of one that weighed only three pounds,
+and yet it stuck so firmly to a stone
+weighing twelve pounds, that it remained
+suspended by its mouth, and it was almost
+impossible to make it loosen its
+hold.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>This wonderful strength of suction is
+supposed to arise from the power of the
+Lamprey to exhaust the air within its
+body by the hole over the nose, while the
+mouth is closely fixed to the object, and
+allows no air to enter.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>This adhesive or sticking quality in the
+Lamprey is somewhat increased by the
+slimy substance which is smeared all over
+its body. This substance serves to keep
+it warm in the cold water, and it also
+keeps its skin soft and pliant.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Every year, usually about the beginning
+of the spring, the Lampreys leave
+the sea, where they usually make their
+home, and make holes or nests in the
+gravelly bottoms of rivers. Here the
+eggs are laid, and the mother Lamprey
+watches near until the eggs hatch. Then
+she is often seen with her whole family
+playing about her until they have become
+well grown, when she takes the whole
+family back in triumph to the ocean.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>There are several different species belonging
+to the Lamprey family. The
+kind known as the Lesser Lamprey inhabits
+Europe, Japan and the lakes of
+South America. It measures from twelve
+to fifteen inches long. Then there is a
+still smaller member of the family called
+the Lampern, which lives in European
+rivers, and is about six or seven inches
+long. It hides itself under stones or in
+the mud, but does not have the same
+power of suction as some of the larger
+ones.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Sea Lamprey belongs to the Mediterranean.
+When full grown it is about
+three feet long, and its light yellow body
+is marbled with brown. The Lampreys
+feed on worms, molluscs and small
+Fishes. The larger ones often seize
+Fishes of great size, and suck them like
+a Leech.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>All the different kinds of Lampreys
+are considered very fine and delicate
+food, and horrible stories are told of how
+kings and emperors used to raise the best
+kinds of Lampreys in ponds and feed
+them by throwing into the ponds live
+slaves who had displeased them; as they
+considered the Lamprey had a finer flavor
+when fed on human flesh. But only
+one man, a senator of Rome, was really
+known to do such a dreadful thing, and
+we are told that when Augustus, the emperor,
+heard it he ordered all these ponds
+to be filled up; but not until after many
+poor slaves had met this awful death,
+simply because they did not happen to
+please their wicked master.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE EELS.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Eels belong to the family of bony
+Fishes, although the Lampreys which
+they resemble in general appearance, belong
+to the family of Fishes whose framework
+is made up of cartilage, or gristle.
+The Eels form a very large family if we
+would include the different kinds of bony
+Fishes that have the same snake-like
+form of the common Eel. We find these
+smaller families classed under the name
+of Apoda; this word means without feet
+when applied to animals, but when used
+to describe Fishes, means without the
+ventral fins which serve in the place of
+feet.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'><span class='pageno' id='Page_241'>241</span>As the different kinds of Eels found
+under this family of Apoda are described
+by their Greek or Latin names, it will be
+well for us to understand the meaning of
+each of the four divisions. We would
+hardly recognize the plain Sand Eel,
+when we find him classed with “Osseous
+Fishes” under the name of “Ammodytes,”
+yet this is where the Naturalists
+place him, because this word in Latin
+means a sand-burrower, a kind of serpent,
+and is also derived from two Greek
+words meaning sand, and diver. The
+Electrical Eel is classed under fresh water
+Fishes under the name of Gymnotus,
+which comes from two Greek words
+meaning naked and back, showing that
+the back of the Electrical Eel is without
+fins. The Sea Eel is classed under the
+name of Muraenas, while Anguilla,
+which means snaky, serpent-like, is used
+to describe the plain Eels with smooth
+bodies and very few of the characteristics
+which distinguish the other Eels.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>We will simply give all these different
+kinds of Eels their plain common name,
+but when we read of wonderful fresh water
+Fishes called Gymnotus Electricus,
+who have strange electrical powers, we
+will know the word is used to describe
+the Electrical Eel.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>ELECTRICAL EELS.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>Very strange stories are told of these
+Eels, and its power to give an Electric
+shock to any person or animal who
+touches it. Alexander von Humboldt
+is said to have given the first precise
+account of this very curious Eel. This
+celebrated Naturalist tells of a voyage
+up the Orinoco for the purpose of
+studying the Electrical Eel, great numbers
+of which are found in the neighborhood
+of this river. Some Indians conducted
+the party to the Cano de Bera, a
+muddy pond surrounded by rich vegetation,
+Indian figs and beautiful flowers.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The party of Naturalists were surprised
+when they learned that it would be necessary
+to use about thirty half-wild Horses
+to help them fish for the Electrical Eel,
+and that the severe shocks of electricity
+given by the Eels must be expended upon
+the Horses before it would be safe to
+touch the Eels.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>While our hosts were explaining to us
+this strange mode of fishing, the troop
+horses and mules had arrived, and the
+Indians had made a sort of battue, pressing
+the horses on all sides, and forcing
+them into the marsh. The Indians,
+armed with long canes and harpoons,
+placed themselves round the basin, some
+of them mounting the trees, whose
+branches hung over the water, and by
+their cries, and still more by their canes,
+prevented the horses from landing
+again.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Eels, stunned by the noise, defended
+themselves by repeated discharges
+of their batteries. For a long time it
+seemed as if they would be victorious
+over the Horses. Some of the Mules especially,
+being almost stifled by the frequency
+and force of the shock, disappeared
+under the water, and some of the
+Horses, in spite of the watchfulness of the
+Indians, regained the bank, where, overcome
+by the shocks they had undergone,
+they stretched themselves at their whole
+length.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The picture presented was now indescribable.
+Groups of Indians surrounded
+the basin; the Horses with bristling
+mane, terror and grief in their eyes,
+trying to escape from the storm which
+had surprised them; the Eels, yellow and
+livid, looking like great aquatic Serpents
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_242'>242</span>swimming on the surface of the water,
+and chasing their enemies, were objects
+at once appalling and picturesque. In
+less than five minutes two Horses were
+drowned.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>When the struggle had lasted a quarter
+of an hour, the Mules and Horses appeared
+less frightened, the manes became
+more natural, the eyes expressed less terror,
+the Eels shunned, in place of attacking
+them; at the same time approaching
+the bank, when they were easily taken
+by throwing little harpoons at them attached
+to long cords; the harpoon, sometimes
+hooking two at a time, being
+landed by means of the long cord. They
+were drawn ashore without being able to
+communicate any shock.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Having landed the Eels, they were
+transported to little pools dug in the soil,
+and filled with fresh water; but such is
+the terror they inspire, that none of the
+people of the country would release them
+from the harpoon—a task which the
+travelers had to perform themselves, and
+receive the first shock, which was not
+slight—the most energetic surpassing in
+force that communicated by a Leyden
+jar, completely charged.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Electrical Eel surpasses in size
+and strength all the other Electric Fishes.
+Humboldt saw them five feet three inches
+long. They vary in color according to
+age, and the nature of the muddy water
+in which they live. Beneath, the head
+is of a fine yellow color mixed with red;
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_243'>243</span>the mouth is large, and furnished with
+small teeth arranged in many rows.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Electrical Eel gives the most
+frightful shocks without the least muscular
+movement in the fins, in the head,
+or any other part of the body. The
+shock, indeed, depends upon the will of
+the animal, and in this respect differs
+from a Leyden jar, which is discharged
+by communicating with two opposite
+poles. It happens sometimes that an
+Electrical Eel, seriously wounded, only
+gives a very weak shock, but if, thinking
+it exhausted, it is touched fearlessly, its
+discharge is terrible.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>SEA EELS.</h3>
+
+<div id='i242'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus639.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>SEA EEL.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Sea Eels are slender, serpent-like
+Fishes, that are very strong and active,
+and they swim with the same waving
+movements in the water, as the serpents
+use in creeping on dry land. These Eels
+feed on small Fishes, Crabs, etc., and
+are such hungry fellows that when other
+food fails they begin to nibble at each
+other’s tails.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>It is difficult to catch a Sea Eel; they
+are usually caught with rod and line, or
+with line and ground bait, but they are
+quick in making their escape. When
+they have swallowed a hook they will
+often cut the line with their teeth, or they
+turn upon it, and try, by winding it round
+some object, to strain or break it. When
+caught in a net they quickly choose
+some mesh through which their body can
+glide.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Like the Lampreys, these Sea Eels
+make excellent food, and are often raised
+in ponds and carefully fed to give their
+flesh a delicate flavor.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>SAND EELS.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Sand Eel is an easily frightened
+little fellow who buries himself in the
+sand. He is quite handsome, being silvery-blue—brighter
+on the lower parts
+than on the upper, with the radiating fins
+first white and then blue in color.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>This Eel is seldom seen swimming
+about. It hollows out a burrow for itself
+in the sand to the depth of fifteen or
+twenty inches, where it hunts out worms
+on which it feeds, while it shelters itself
+from the jaws of the hungry Fishes which
+eagerly hunt for its delicate flesh.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>COMMON EELS.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The plain, snake-like Eel classed under
+the name of Anguilla is found in
+European rivers, and in various parts of
+North America. Although it is sometimes
+eaten it is not considered especially
+good for food; it does not often
+measure much over two feet in length,
+and is covered with a soft, slimy skin, and
+sometimes with tiny scales almost too
+small to be seen.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>CONGER EELS.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Conger Eel of the United States
+which belongs to this family is often five
+feet or more in length, while the Conger
+Eel of Europe is very large, as thick as a
+man’s leg, and sometimes ten feet long.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h243' class='c006'>THE FAMILY OF RAIAS, OR FLAT-FISH.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>All the curious Fish of this family—which
+forms the second group of the
+Cartilaginous Fishes—are broad, and
+swim flat on the water, and they are distinguished
+by the spines or prickles
+which the different species have on various
+parts of their body, or on the tail.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>It is by these spines that the different
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_244'>244</span>members of this family are distinguished
+from each other. The Skate has the
+middle of the back rough, and a single
+row of spines on the tail. The Sharp-nosed
+Ray has ten spines that are situated
+towards the middle of the back.
+The Rough Ray has its spines spread
+over the whole back. The Fire-flare has
+but one spine but that is a terrible one.
+This dangerous weapon is placed on the
+tail, about four inches from the body,
+and is about five inches long. It is of
+flinty hardness; the sides are thin, sharp-pointed,
+and closely and sharply bearded
+the whole way.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The White Ray, the Lump-fish and the
+Torpedo or Cramp-fish are the most important
+of this family, and these curious
+specimens are worthy of special description.</p>
+
+<div>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_245'>245</span>
+<h3 class='c015'>THE WHITE RAY.</h3>
+</div>
+
+<div id='i244'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus647.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>WHITE RAY.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The mouth of this Fish is placed in the
+lower part of the head, and far from the
+extremity of the nose; it is furnished with
+many rows of hooked and pointed teeth.
+The eyes, which are on the upper part of
+the head are half projecting and are protected
+by an elastic skin which covers the
+head. <a id='imm'></a>Immediately behind the eyes are
+two blow-holes which are connected with
+the interior of the mouth. The Fish is
+able to open and close these holes at
+pleasure, by means of a membrane which
+acts as a sort of valve. Through these
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_246'>246</span>holes it ejects the surplus water that is not
+required for respiration. In its general
+color this Fish is ashy grey on its upper
+surface; and white, with rows of black
+spots below.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Its tail is long, flexible and slender and
+is used as a rudder, and as a weapon.
+When lying in wait for its prey at the bottom
+of the sea, and it has no desire to
+change its position, a rapid and sudden
+stroke of this formidable weapon, armed
+with hooked bones on its upper surface,
+arrests its victim by wounding or killing
+it, without disturbing the mud or sea-weed
+by which the Fish is covered. This
+species often grows to be quite large, and
+their flesh is firm and nourishing, but the
+larger specimens seldom approach inhabited
+shores.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE LUMP-FISH.</h3>
+
+<div id='i245'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus652.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>LUMP FISH.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>This is one of the largest of the Ray
+family. It sometimes reaches a length
+of twelve feet, and being excellent eating,
+is much sought after by fishermen. It is
+commonly seen with the Skate-fish in
+European markets, as it inhabits all the
+European seas.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>A ray of great curving spines extends
+all along the back of the Lump-fish, to
+the end of the tail. Two similar spines
+are above and two below the point of the
+nose. Two others are placed before, and
+three behind the eyes. In fact, the whole
+surface of this curious Lump-fish fairly
+bristles with large and small spines, and
+because of this it is sometimes called the
+Buckler-fish; for these spines are not
+merely for ornament, but for defence.
+The color of the upper surface of this
+Fish is brown with light spots. The tail,
+which often exceeds the body in length,
+has three small fins at the end.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Ray-fish of all kinds are inhabitants of
+the deep sea, but they change according
+to the seasons. While stormy weather
+prevails they hide themselves in the
+depth of the ocean, where they lie in ambush,
+creeping along the bottom. But
+they do not always live at the bottom;
+they rise occasionally to the surface, far
+from shore, eagerly chasing other inhabitants
+of the deep, lashing the water with
+their tails and fins, springing out of the
+water, and making it foam with their
+sport.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>When pursuing their prey they use
+their great fins which resemble wings,
+and with these and their tail, they beat
+the waters in order to fall unexpectedly
+upon their prey, as the Eagle swoops upon
+its victim.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE TORPEDO, OR CRAMP FISH.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Torpedo has no spines which can
+wound, but it has a much more powerful
+weapon of defence. Like the Electrical
+Eel, this Fish has the power of producing
+violent electrical shocks.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The electrical effects produced on the
+fisherman who seizes one of these Fish,
+were noted from early times; but Redi,
+the Italian Naturalist of the seventeenth
+century, was the first who studied them
+scientifically. Having caught and landed
+one of them with every precaution, “I
+had scarcely touched and pressed it with
+my hand,” says this Naturalist, “than I
+experienced a tingling sensation, which
+extended to my arms and shoulders, and
+which was followed by a disagreeable
+trembling, with a painful and acute sensation
+in <a id='the'></a>the elbow joint, which made
+me withdraw my arm immediately.”</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Other Naturalists have described similar
+sensations, and careful study has been
+made of this Fish to discover the cause of
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_249'>249</span>this shock, and the hidden power possessed
+by the Fish of storing up this animal
+electricity. It still remains a mystery,
+however, in spite of extensive experimenting.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The body of the Torpedo or Cramp-fish
+is almost circular, and it is thicker
+than others of the Ray family. The skin
+is soft and smooth, and of a yellowish
+color marked with darker spots. The
+eyes are very small, and behind them are
+two star-like spout-holes; the mouth is
+small, and the long tail tapers to a point,
+finished with a sort of caudal fin. These
+curious Fishes are found in the English
+Channel and along the shores of the Mediterranean.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h249' class='c006'>THE SHARK FAMILY.</h2>
+</div>
+<div id='i248'  class='figcenter id013'>
+<img src='images/illus658.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>Diver Battling with a Shark.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>The Sharks, like the Raias, have their
+mouth furnished with jaws, and for this
+reason they are classified in the same
+group of Cartilaginous Fishes, as distinct
+from the Lampreys and the Sturgeons.
+This family includes not only the Sharks,
+but the Dog-fishes, Hammerheads and
+the Saw-fish. All the species have a
+lengthened body, merging into a thick
+tail and a rough skin.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Shark becomes the terror of the
+sea almost as soon as it is born. At first
+it eats the Cuttle-fish, Molluscs, etc., then
+the Flounders and Cod-fish. But the
+prey which has the greatest charm for
+him is Man. He will even attack a diver
+in the strong diver’s costume, and in the
+waters where these “Hyenas of the Seas,”
+(as the Sharks are sometimes called) are
+to be found, the divers find it necessary to
+make special preparations for fighting
+them.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>When the diver is eagerly engaged
+with his work, he sees suddenly a great
+shadow fall on the bottom of the sea and
+he immediately recognizes with horror
+the <a id='spindle'></a>spindle-shaped body of the Man-eating
+Shark. The head is flat; the fore-part
+of the snout is projected forward;
+the wide mouth, pushed far back, is supplied
+with sharp triangular teeth.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The bold robber has seen the diver and
+comes at him. If he loses his coolness,
+he will be the spoil of the greedy Shark.
+He draws his dagger, which he carries
+with him for such an event. Dexterously
+he avoids the animal and stabs him deep
+with the dagger. A great stream of
+blood stains the water. In his death
+struggles the mighty animal threshes the
+water with his great fins and seeks safety
+in flight. Then another Shark approaches,
+and again must the diver fight
+a life and death battle. He is successful
+in making this enemy also incapable of
+fighting; then completely exhausted, he
+gives the signal to be drawn up. But
+the diver is not always fortunate enough
+to overcome the horrible animals. He is
+sometimes terribly torn by the daring
+Man-eaters.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The back and sides of the Shark are of
+an ashy brown; beneath it is faded
+white. The head is flat, and terminates
+in a nose slightly rounded. Its terrible
+mouth is in the form of a semi-circle, and
+of enormous size; the contour of the upper
+jaw of a Shark of ten yards length
+being about two yards wide, and its
+throat being in proportion to this monstrous
+opening.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>When the throat of the Fish is open
+we see beyond the lips (which are straight
+and of the consistency of leather) certain
+plates of teeth, which are triangular and
+white as ivory. If the Shark is an adult
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_250'>250</span>it has in the upper as in the lower jaw six
+rows of these murderous arms, an arsenal
+ready to tear and rend its victim. These
+teeth take different motions according to
+the will of the animal; and obedient to the
+muscles round their base, by means of
+which it can erect or retract its various
+rows of teeth, it can even erect a portion
+of any row, while the others remain at
+rest in their bed. Thus this far-seeing
+tyrant of the ocean knows how to measure
+the number and power of the arms
+necessary to destroy its prey. For the
+destruction of the weak and defenceless,
+one row of teeth suffices; for the more
+formidable adversary it has a whole arsenal
+at command.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The eyes of the Shark are small, and
+nearly round; its scent is very subtle; its
+fins are strong and rough. The tail is
+possessed of immense power, and is capable
+of breaking the limb of a robust Man
+by a single stroke.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>He seeks eagerly for human flesh, and
+haunts the neighborhood where it hopes
+to find the precious morsel. He follows
+the ship in which his instinct tells him it
+is to be found, and makes extraordinary
+efforts to reach it. He has been known
+to leap into a boat in order to seize the
+frightened fishermen; he throws himself
+upon the ship, cleaving the waves at full
+speed to snap up some unhappy sailor
+who has shown himself beyond the bulwarks.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>He follows the course of the slaver,
+watching for the horrors of the middle
+passage, ready to engulf the Negroes’
+corpses as they are thrown into the sea.
+Commerson relates a significant fact
+bearing on the subject. The corpse of a
+Negro had been suspended from a yard-arm
+twenty feet above the level of the sea.
+A Shark was seen to make many efforts to
+reach the body, and it finally succeeded
+in securing it, member by member, undisturbed
+by the cries of the horror-stricken
+crew. In order that an animal so large
+and heavy should be able to throw itself
+to this height, the muscles of the tail and
+posterior parts of the body must have an
+astonishing power.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The mouth of the Shark being placed
+in the lower part of the head, it becomes
+necessary to turn itself round in the water
+before it can seize the object which is
+placed above him. He meets with men
+bold enough to profit by this conformation,
+and chase this formidable and ferocious
+creature. On the African coast
+the Negroes attack the Shark in his own
+element, swimming towards him, and
+seizing the moment when he turns himself
+to rip him up with a sharp knife.
+This act of courage and audacity cannot,
+however, be said to be Shark-fishing.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The fishing operation is conducted as
+follows: Choosing a dark night, a hook
+is prepared by burying it in a piece of lard
+and attaching it to a long and solid wire
+chain. The Shark looks askance at this
+prey, feels it, then leaves it; he is tempted
+by withdrawing the bait, when he follows
+and swallows it gluttonously. He now
+tries to sink into the water, but, checked
+by the chain, he struggles and fights. By-and-by
+he gets exhausted, and the chain
+is drawn up in such a manner as to raise
+the head out of the water. Another cord
+is now thrown out with a running knot or
+loop, in which the body of the Shark is
+caught near the tail. Thus bound, the
+captured Shark is soon lifted on deck,
+where he is put to death with great precaution
+as there is still great danger from
+his bites and the fierce blows of his tail.</p>
+
+<div>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_251'>251</span>
+<h3 class='c015'>THE DOG-FISH.</h3>
+</div>
+
+<div id='i251'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus666.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>DOG-FISH.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Dog-fish, which sometimes attains
+the length of between three and four feet,
+is exceedingly voracious. It feeds upon
+other fish, of which it destroys great
+quantities; it does not hesitate to attack
+the fishermen, and especially bathers in
+the sea. It places itself in ambush, like
+the Raias, in order to attack its prey.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The flesh of the Dog-fish is hard, smells
+of musk, and is rarely eaten; but the skin
+becomes an article of commerce, and is
+known as shagrin, being, like the skin of
+the Shark, used for making spectacle-cases
+and for other ornamental purposes,
+for which its green color and high polish
+recommend it.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>There is a smaller species than the preceding,
+which haunts rocky shores, where
+it lies in wait for its prey. Its spots are
+larger and more scattered, and its ventral
+fins are nearly square. It feeds on Molluscs,
+Crustaceans, and small Fishes.</p>
+
+<div>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_252'>252</span>
+<h3 class='c015'>THE HAMMERHEAD.</h3>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Hammerhead is chiefly distinguished
+by the singular form of its head,
+which is flattened horizontally, and the
+sides prolonged, giving it the appearance
+of the head of a hammer. The eyes of
+this Fish are placed at the extremity of
+these hammer points of the head; they
+are grey, projecting, and the iris is gold-colored.
+When the animal is irritated,
+the colors of the iris become like flame,
+to the horror of the fishermen who behold
+them.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Beneath the head and near to the junction
+of the trunk is the mouth, which is
+semi-circular, and furnished on each jaw
+with three or four rows of large teeth
+pointed and barbed on two sides.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The most common species in our seas
+is long and slender in the body, which is
+grey, and the head is black. It usually
+attains the length of eleven or twelve feet,
+weighing occasionally nearly five hundred
+pounds. Its boldness and voracity,
+and craving for blood, are more remarkable
+than its size. If the Hammerhead
+has not the strength of the Shark, it surpasses
+it in fury; few Fishes are better
+known to sailors in consequence of its
+striking form. Its voracity often brings
+it round ships and near the coast. Its
+visits impress themselves on the memory
+of the sailor, and he loves to relate his
+hair-breadth escape from the meeting.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE SAW-FISH.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Saw-fish is distinguished from all
+other known Fishes by the formidable
+arm which it carries in its head. This
+weapon is a prolongation of the nose,
+which, in place of being rounded off or
+reduced to a point, forms a long, straight,
+strong, sword-like termination, flat on
+both sides, and on the two edges furnished
+with numerous strong teeth, giving
+the appearance of a double saw, or
+one with teeth on both edges.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Thus armed, the Saw-fish—the length
+of which is from twelve to fifteen feet—fearlessly
+attacks the fiercest inhabitants
+of the ocean. With this threatening
+weapon, sometimes two yards in length,
+it dares to try its strength with the Whale,
+and in a combat between the two, the
+Saw-fish is usually victorious.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Saw-fish is sometimes called the
+Sword-fish because of the sword-shape of
+its long saw, but it should be remembered
+that these Fishes are entirely distinct, for
+the Saw-fish belongs to the class of Cartilaginous
+Fishes, while the real Sword-fish,
+whose sharp sword is strong and
+smooth—without the saw-like teeth—is
+found among the Osseous or bony
+Fishes in the Mackerel family.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h252' class='c006'>THE STURGEON FAMILY.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<div id='i253'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus672.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>STURGEON.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>The principal Fish belonging to this
+family are the different kinds of Sturgeon
+and the strange Chimaera, concerning
+which so many weird tales have been told.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Four species of Sturgeon are commonly
+known. The Caviare Sturgeon,
+the Huso or Isinglass Fish, the Great
+Sturgeon and the Common Sturgeon.
+The Caviare Sturgeon is the best known
+in this country, as well as in European
+waters, and it is the most eagerly sought
+after by fishermen because it is from the
+roe of this Fish that the noted delicacy
+called caviare is made, which until recent
+years was confined principally to Russia,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_254'>254</span>but which is now well known and consumed
+on both continents.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>What is known as the Isinglass Fish,
+besides supplying us with roe similar to
+that of the Caviare Sturgeon, also furnishes
+a valuable commodity known as
+isinglass.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Common Sturgeon abounds in the
+North Sea and the Mediterranean. It is
+usually about two yards to seven feet
+long, but has been known to attain the
+length of ten or twelve feet.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>It is remarkable for the number and
+form of the osseous plates or scales, which
+cover the body like so many bucklers.
+It has no less than twelve to fifteen of
+these rough bony plates, relieved by projections,
+which are pointed in the young,
+and soften down with age. On each side
+is a row of thirty to thirty-five of these
+triangular plates, separated from each
+other by considerable intervals. The
+head is broad at the base, gradually contracting
+towards the point, and terminating
+in a conical nose. The mouth is
+large and considerably behind the extremity
+of the nose, and its jaws, in place
+of teeth, are furnished with cartilages.
+Between the mouth and the nose are four
+slender and very elastic barbs, or wattles,
+like so many little worms. It is claimed
+that these wattles attract small Fishes to
+the jaws of the animal, while it conceals
+itself among the roots of aquatic plants.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>In the sea the Sturgeon feeds on Herrings,
+Mackerel, Cod-fish and other
+Fishes of moderate size. In the rivers it
+attacks the Salmon which ascend them
+about the same time. Mingling with
+them, however, it seems a giant. Its
+flesh is delicate, and in countries where
+they are caught in quantities it is dried
+and preserved.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Great Sturgeon, which sometimes
+exceeds a thousand pounds, is only found
+in the rivers which flow into the Caspian
+and Black seas. The Volga, the Don,
+and the Danube produce the largest
+species.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE CHIMERA.</h3>
+
+<div id='i255'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus677.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>CHIMERA</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>This curious member of the Sturgeon
+family resembles the Sturgeon only in
+the formation of the gills. Otherwise it
+seems distinct not only from the rest of
+the family with free gills, but from all
+other Fishes. Many strange tales have
+been told of it in the past; and the Arctic
+Chimera is the monster of mythological
+antiquity, which used to be represented
+with the body of a Goat, the head of a
+Lion, the tail of a Dragon, and a gaping
+throat that vomited flames. At a later
+period it was described simply as a monstrous
+Fish with a Lion’s head. But now
+that it has become better known, we are
+inclined to ridicule these old-time tales
+that surrounded this Fish with a fascinating
+mystery.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>But even now the strange form of the
+Chimera, the manner in which it moves,
+the different parts of its hideous mouth
+and nose, its mode of showing its teeth,
+its ape-like contortions and grimaces, its
+long tail which acts with such rapidity—reminding
+one of a Reptile—all work on
+the imagination with a horrible fascination,
+and we can understand how it influenced
+the superstitious fishermen of the
+past who noticed its queer antics in the
+sea, and were too cautious to give it close
+study.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>This strange Fish is usually from five to
+six feet in length, of a silver color, spotted
+with brown. The largest variety, known
+as the Arctic, or the Monster Chimera,
+inhabits the North Sea, and another species,
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_255'>255</span>which closely resembles it, but is
+somewhat smaller, known as the Antarctic Chimera, is found in the southern
+hemisphere.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h255' class='c006'>THE OSSEOUS OR BONY FISHES.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>Some Naturalists claim that these are
+the only inhabitants of the water that
+should be called Fishes—that the Cetacea
+or the Whale family are simply huge
+beasts that have taken up their abode in
+the ocean, and that the cartilagenous
+Fishes form an amphibious band by
+themselves.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Others have classed the whole of these
+three great groups under the name of
+Fishes. But modern Scientists have settled
+upon the classification which has
+been carried out in this little Natural History—the
+Cetacea are placed among the
+Mammals and kept entirely distinct from
+the Fishes (none of which feed and care
+for their young in the same manner as the
+Mammals); and the great tribe of Fishes
+are now divided into two groups of cartilaginous
+and osseous Fishes, with their
+numerous sub-divisions into families and
+species.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>We have studied the curious families
+of the cartilaginous Fishes and now we
+find more familiar varieties of our well-known
+Fishes among the families of bony
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_256'>256</span>Fishes, although even in this division
+some very rare and wonderful specimens
+are found.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The history of any one family of the
+bony Fishes very closely resembles all the
+rest—they breathe air and water through
+the gills. They live by devouring such
+Fish and the animal life of the great waters
+as their mouth is capable of admitting.
+They propagate not by bringing
+forth their young alive, like the Mammals
+and a few of the cartilaginous Fishes,
+nor by distinct eggs, like the remainder
+of the latter class, but by spawn, as their
+roe is called, which is made up of hundreds,
+and in some instances hundreds of
+thousands of tiny eggs.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The bones of these Fishes also makes
+them distinct from all others. They
+have the appearance of being solid, but
+when examined more closely they are
+found to be hollow and filled with a substance
+less oily than marrow. These
+bones are very numerous and pointed
+and to them the muscles are fixed which
+move the different parts of the body.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_257'>257</span>
+  <h2 id='h257' class='c006'>THE FAMILY OF GLOBE FISH AND COFFERS.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<div id='i256'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus682.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>COFFRE OR OSTRACION.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>This forms the first group of bony
+Fishes, which are distinguished by having
+the jaw attached to the cranium. In
+the Globe Fish the jaws have no apparent
+teeth, but they are furnished with a kind
+of beak in ivory, which represents them.
+In the group to which the Coffer Fish belong
+the nose terminates in a little
+mouth armed with true teeth. The first
+group includes the Globe-fish and the
+Diodons; in the second group we find the
+Coffers or Ostracions and the File-fish
+or Balistes.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The skin of the Globe-fish bristles
+with small slightly projecting spines,
+which repel their enemies, and even
+wound the hand that would grasp them.
+They enjoy, besides, a strange power;
+they can inflate the lower part of their
+body, and give it an extension so great
+that it becomes like an inflated ball, in
+which the real shape of the Fish is lost.
+This result is obtained by the introduction
+of an immense quantity of air into
+the stomach when it wishes to ascend to
+the surface. The species of Globe-fish
+are numerous. Some of them are common
+in the Nile, where they are frequently
+left ashore during the annual inundations.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>There is a smooth Globe-fish known as
+the Moon-fish. Its compressed, spineless
+body, being very round, has been
+compared to a disk, and more poetically
+to the moon, to the great circular surface
+of which the dazzling silvery white disk
+bears some resemblance. But it is especially
+during the night that it justifies the
+name given to it. Then it shines brightly
+from its own phosphorescent light, at a
+little distance beneath the surface.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>On very dark nights, this Globe-fish is
+sometimes seen swimming in the soft
+light which emanates from its body, the
+rays rendered undulating by the rippling
+of the water which it traverses, so as to
+resemble the trembling light of the moon
+half-veiled in misty vapors. When many
+of these Fishes rove about together,
+mingling their silvery trains, the scene
+suggests the idea of dancing stars. The
+Moon-fish is common in the Mediterranean,
+and sometimes reaches the markets
+of Europe. It is about thirty inches in
+length.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE DIODONS.</h3>
+
+<div id='i258'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus689.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>DIODON.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The curious Diodons differ from the
+Globe-fish in the form of their bony jaws,
+each forming only one piece. They differ
+also in their spines, which are much
+larger than those of the Globe-fish.
+These Fishes may be said to be the
+Hedgehogs and Porcupines of the sea.
+Like the Globe-fish, they can erect their
+spines and inflate their bodies.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE COFFERS.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Coffers or Ostracions, are without
+scales, but are covered with regular bony
+compartments which are so jointed to one
+another that the body seems to be enclosed
+in a kind of box or long coffer,
+which only reveals the fins and a portion
+of the tail. The body is usually of a triangular
+shape, although some species are
+quadrangular; but no matter what the
+form, this queer bony box gives the Fish
+an odd appearance, making it distinct
+from all others.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>These singular Fishes are found in the
+Indian Ocean and in the American seas.
+They are of moderate size, and of little
+value as food for mankind.</p>
+
+<div>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_258'>258</span>
+<h3 class='c015'>THE FILE-FISH.</h3>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>These have a compressed body, and the
+jaws are furnished with eight teeth arranged
+in a single row on each jaw. The
+mouth is small and the body is enveloped
+in very hard scales. The File-fish or Balistes
+are inhabitants of tropical seas, with
+one exception. They are brilliantly colored,
+and as they herd together in great
+numbers they form curious combinations
+of rare coloring in the equatorial seas.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h258' class='c006'>THE PIPE-FISH AND SEA-HORSES.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<div id='i259'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus694.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>PIPE FISH.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>The second division of the bony Fishes
+is quite small, including only the Pipe-fish
+and the Sea-horses. These are distinguished
+by having the gills divided into
+small round tufts and arranged in pairs—a
+structure that is peculiar and different
+from that of any other Fishes. These
+gills are enclosed under a large cover,
+which leaves only a small hole for the escape
+of water which has served the purposes
+of respiration.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Pipe-fishes belonging to this family
+possess a very strange organic peculiarity.
+Their bodies are long, slender,
+and slightly tapering, covered with plates
+set lengthwise; and the skin in swelling
+forms a pouch near the tail into which the
+eggs glide to be hatched, and which is afterwards
+a shelter for the young.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Trumpet Pipe-fish has a small
+head and a long cylinder-shaped nose,
+slightly raised at the end, and terminating
+in a very small mouth without teeth.
+It is generally found in the Atlantic and
+the Mediterranean.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>There is still another Pipe-fish—the
+Fistularia—not often classed with this
+family, but found among the spiny-finned
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_259'>259</span>Fishes, with an extremely long nose in
+front of the head; this forms a long tube,
+in fact, at the end of which is the mouth.
+This species is common at the Antilles.
+It reaches a length of about three feet.
+It feeds upon crustaceans and small
+Fishes, which it drags from the interstices
+of the rocks and stones by means of
+its long pipe.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE SEA-HORSE.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The queer little Sea-horses which are
+often found dried among a collection of
+sea-shells and ocean relics, are only a few
+inches in length. Their head bears some
+resemblance to that of a Horse, while the
+tail resembles the rings of a Caterpillar,
+and the body is covered with triangular
+scales. They keep in a vertical position
+when they swim, and the tail seems on the
+alert, to seize whatever it meets in the
+water, clasping the stems of rushes, etc.
+Once fixed by the tail, the queer little
+animal seems to watch all the surrounding
+objects, and darts quickly on any prey
+presenting itself. They live on Worms
+and Fish eggs and substances found at
+the bottom of the sea.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h259' class='c006'>THE FAMILY OF SOFT-FINNED FISHES.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>The principal character of the Fishes
+of this large family (which forms the third
+group of bony Fishes) is that the rays of
+the fins are soft, with very few exceptions.
+They inhabit both the sea and fresh water,
+and this group is found to include
+Fishes of the most importance as human
+food, such as the Herring, the Cod, Salmon,
+Carp, Pike, and many others.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>This family is usually divided into three
+groups: The Eels—which have already
+been described with the Lampreys—the
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_260'>260</span>various flat Fishes, like the Flounders,
+Turbot, Plaice, Sole, Halibut, etc., and
+third, the Fishes already mentioned as
+the favorites for food, with curious specimens
+of Flying-fish, etc.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>SOME STRANGE SPECIMENS.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>In the second division of this family we
+find several curious specimens before
+coming to the better known flat Fish
+which are used for food. The first of
+these is the Sea-snail, which has a long
+mucuous body without scales and front
+fins forming suckers, whereby it can attach
+itself to the rocks. A curious
+Lump-fish is also classified here which is
+very different from the Lump-fish of the
+Ray family. It has little to distinguish
+it, except that this also has a strong
+sucker formed by the disc of the ventral
+fins. And a third queer specimen is the
+Echineis—an inhabitant of the Mediterranean,
+which has a flat disk covering its
+head, which is formed of a number of
+movable plates of cartilage. Aided by
+this queer organ it attaches itself firmly
+to rocks, and even to ships and larger
+Fishes which it meets with in its wanderings.
+Its adhesion to these objects is so
+strong that the strength of a man often
+fails to separate them. It sometimes attaches
+itself to a Shark by means of this
+strange disk, and makes long voyages on
+this monstrous locomotive Fish, without
+fatigue or danger; for its enemies are kept
+a distance by fear of the fierce monster
+which carries it.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h260' class='c006'>THE FLAT-FISHES OF THE SOFT-FINNED FAMILY.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>These have peculiar flat bodies, greatly
+compressed, but in a direction different
+from the flat Fishes of the Ray family.
+In the case of the Raia, the body is flattened
+horizontally, but in the Fishes belonging
+to this family the bodies are compressed
+laterally—like that of the well-known
+Flounder. The head of the
+Fishes of this group are not symmetrical;
+the two eyes are placed on the same side,
+and the two sides of the mouth are unequal.
+These strange flat Fishes are always
+turned upon their side, and the side
+turned towards the bottom of the sea is
+that which has no eye. It is to this habit
+of swimming on their side that they owe
+their popular name of side-swimmers.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>They advance through the water very
+slowly compared with the motion of other
+Fishes. They can ascend or descend in
+the water very quickly, but cannot turn
+to the right or left with the same ease as
+other Fishes. This property of rapidly
+rising or sinking in the water is more useful
+to them, as they spend the greater
+part of their time at the greatest depths,
+where they draw themselves along the
+sands at the bottom of the sea, and often
+hide themselves from their enemies.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE SOLES.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>These flat Fish have an oblong body,
+the side opposite to the edges being furnished
+with shaggy, soft hairs; the nose is
+round and nearly always in advance of the
+mouth, which is twisted to the felt side,
+and furnished with teeth only on one side,
+while the eyes are on the right side. The
+Common Sole is from eighteen to twenty
+inches in length. It is brown on the
+right, and whitish on the opposite side.
+Its flesh has a very delicate flavor, and it
+is said to acquire a finer taste by being
+kept for several days.</p>
+
+<div>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_261'>261</span>
+<h3 class='c015'>THE TURBOT.</h3>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Turbot resembles a lozenge in
+general form. Its under jaw is more advanced
+than the upper one, and is furnished
+with many rows of small teeth.
+One side is marbled brown and yellow,
+and the other is white with brownish spots
+and points; the long rows of soft fins are
+yellow with brown spots. The true Turbot
+has always been the special delight
+of the epicure, and fabulous sums are
+said to have been paid at different times,
+in order to secure a fine specimen.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE FLOUNDERS AND PLAICE.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Flounders and Plaice inhabit the
+northern seas of Europe. They are also
+found along our coasts; the Flounders are
+fresh water Fishes of small size, abundant
+in the Thames and many other rivers;
+and they are desirable for food, although
+not so delicately flavored as the Turbot.
+The Common Plaice attains the length of
+ten or twelve inches. It is brown,
+spotted with red or orange. On the
+eye-side of the head are some bony tubercles,
+but the rest of the body is smooth.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE HALIBUT AND THE DAB.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Dab is distinguished from the
+other flat Fish by having very hard scales
+on its body, and the Halibut has the distinction
+of being the largest of this class
+of flat Fish. It is occasionally caught in
+the seas of Northern Europe and Greenland,
+measuring seven feet, and weighing
+from three to four hundred pounds. The
+body of the Halibut is more elongated
+than that of the Plaice or Flounder, and
+its jaws are armed with strong and
+pointed teeth.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The natives of Greenland fish for the
+Halibut with an implement which they
+call gangnaed. It is composed of a
+hempen cord five or six hundred yards in
+length, to which are attached about thirty
+smaller cords, each furnished with a
+barbed hook at the end. The larger cord
+is attached to floating planks, which act
+as trimmers, indicating the place of this
+destructive contrivance. At the end of
+twenty-four hours these lines are drawn
+from the water, and it is not unusual to
+find five or six large Halibut caught on
+the hooks.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Another mode of catching this and
+other flat Fish is to spear them on their
+sandy beds. No rule is laid down for this
+method of fishing; in some places it is
+carried on successfully by means of a
+common pitchfork. In other places a
+fine spear is used for the purpose—very
+long and with sharp prongs.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <h2 id='h261' class='c006'>THE THIRD GROUP OF SOFT-FINNED FISHES.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>This includes the well-known Fishes—of
+which the Cod-fish is the type—so
+commonly found on our tables. They
+are characterized by their pointed fins,
+and grouped according to the position of
+these fins. The body is long and slightly
+compressed; the head well proportioned.
+Their fins are soft and their scales are
+small and soft. The majority of these
+Fishes are too well known to require
+further description. According to the
+position of their fins we find forming one
+of the smaller groups—the Cod, the
+Whiting and the Haddock. In another
+small group is the Salmon and the Trout.
+A third group includes the Pike, and several
+curious relatives—the Stomias, Flying-fish
+and the Chetedon. And a fourth
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_263'>263</span>includes the Herring, Ancovy, Pilchard,
+Sprat and Shad.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE CHEATODONS.</h3>
+
+<div id='i262'  class='figcenter id003'>
+<img src='images/illus703.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>CHAETODON.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>These Fish form a very curious species.
+They are brilliantly colored and marked
+with odd stripes. Their head is large,
+with small eyes placed near the top; the
+nose and the mouth of some species are
+very curiously formed; and the tail—which
+is not divided—also shows strange
+forms in some varieties.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>One of the best known is the Bow-banded
+Chaetodon. The ground color
+of this Fish is brown, which shades to
+black towards the back, and looks as
+though covered with velvet and inlaid
+with ivory, and the light stripes in the
+form of a bow, on both sides of the body
+give it still more showy appearance. This
+species inhabits the coasts of Brazil, and
+other parts of South America, and grows
+from three to six inches in length. Other
+varieties are somewhat larger, but they
+are all comparatively small Fish.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>In the winter or rainy seasons they lie
+deep in holes near the shore. During
+the summer, when the sun in that climate
+blazes the whole day, they keep at a depth
+of twenty to thirty yards, which protects
+them from its intense heat.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>FLYING-FISH.</h3>
+
+<p class='c016'>Strange tales have been told from time
+to time of the marvellous powers of flight
+possessed by certain Fishes; and while
+some of these have been greatly exaggerated,
+it is nevertheless true that some
+Fish do possess that power to a surprising
+degree, yet only on certain limited
+lines, unlike the upward flight of Birds.
+(See <a href='#i238'>colored plate</a>).</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The front fins of the Flying-fish are
+transformed into wings by which they are
+enabled to rise for a few seconds. These
+wings, however, are neither long nor
+powerful, for they act the part of a parachute,
+rather than wings.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>These curious fins of the Flying-fish
+are nearly as long as the whole body; the
+head is flattened above and on the sides,
+and the lower part of the body is covered
+with a long series of scales; and the
+mouth is filled with small pointed teeth.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Flying-fishes in their own element
+are harassed by attacks of other inhabitants
+of the ocean, and when under the excitement
+of fear they take to the air, they
+are equally exposed to the attack of
+aquatic Birds, especially the various species
+of Gulls. In their leap from the water,
+their fins sustain them like parachutes,
+with which they beat the air.
+Mr. Bennett’s description is clear on this
+point. “I have never,” he says, “been
+able to see any percussion of the pectoral
+fins during flight; and the greatest length
+of time I have seen this Fish on the fly has
+been thirty seconds by the watch, and the
+longest flight, mentioned by Captain
+Basil Hall, has been two hundred yards,
+but he thinks that subsequent observation
+has extended the space. The usual
+height of their flight, as seen above the
+surface of the water, is from two to three
+feet, but I have known them come on
+board at the height of fourteen feet and
+upwards. And they have been well ascertained
+to come into the chains of a
+line-of-battle ship, which is considered to
+be upwards of twenty feet. But it must
+not be supposed that they have the power
+of raising themselves into the air after
+having left their native element; for on
+watching them I have often seen them
+fall much below the elevation at which
+they first rose from the water; nor have
+I ever in any instance seen them rise from
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_264'>264</span>the height to which they first sprang, for
+I conceive the elevation they take depends
+on the power of the first spring.”</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The brilliant coloring of the Flying-fish
+would seem designed to point it out
+to its enemies, against whom it is totally
+defenceless. A dazzling silvery splendor
+pervades its surface. The summit of its
+head, its back, and its sides, are of azure
+blue; this blue becomes spotted upon the
+fins and the tail. This Fish is the common
+prey of the more voracious Fishes,
+such as the Shark, and also of the Sea-birds;
+its enemies abound in the air and
+water. If it succeeds in escaping the
+Charybdis of the water, the chances are in
+favor of its coming to grief in the Scylla
+of the atmosphere; if it escapes the jaws
+of the Shark, it will probably fall to the
+share of the Sea-gull.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Dolphin is also a formidable enemy
+to the much-persecuted Flying-fish.
+Captain Basil Hall gives a very animated
+description of their mode of attack. He
+was in a prize, a low Spanish schooner,
+rising not above two feet and a half out
+of the water. “Two or three Dolphins
+had ranged past the ship in all their
+beauty. The ship in her progress
+through the water had put up a shoal of
+these Flying-fish which took their flight
+to windward. A large Dolphin which
+had been keeping company with us
+abreast of the weather gangway at the
+depth of two or three fathoms, and as usual
+glistening most beautifully in the sun,
+no sooner detected our poor friends take
+wing than he turned his head towards
+them, darted to the surface, and leaped
+from the water with a velocity little short,
+as it seemed to us, of a cannon ball. But
+though the impetus with which he shot
+himself into the air gave him an initial
+velocity greatly exceeding that of the
+Flying-fish, the start which his fated prey
+had got enabled them to keep ahead of
+him for a considerable time. The length
+of the Dolphin’s first spring could not be
+less than ten yards, and after he fell we
+could see him gliding like lightning
+through the water for a moment, when he
+again rose, and shot upwards with considerably
+greater velocity than at first, and
+of course to a still greater distance.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>“In this manner the merciless pursuer
+seemed to strike along the sea with fearful
+rapidity, while his brilliant coat
+sparkled and flashed in the sun quite
+splendidly. As he fell headlong in the
+water at the end of each leap, a series of
+circles were sent far over the surface, for
+the breeze, just enough to keep the royals
+and topgallant studding-sails extended,
+was hardly felt as yet below.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>“The group of wretched Flying-fishes,
+thus hotly pursued, at length dropped
+into the sea; but we were rejoiced to observe
+that they merely touched the top of
+the swell, and instantly set off again in a
+fresh and even more vigorous flight. It
+was particularly interesting to observe
+that the direction they took now was
+quite different from the one in which they
+had set out, showing that they had detected
+their fierce enemy, who was following
+them with giant steps along the waves
+and was gaining rapidly upon them.
+His pace, indeed, was two or three times
+as swift as theirs, poor little things! and
+the greedy Dolphin was fully as quick-sighted;
+for whenever they varied their
+flight in the smallest degree, he lost not
+the tenth part of a second in shaping his
+course so as to cut off the chase; while
+they, in a manner really not unlike that of
+the Hare, doubled more than once upon
+the pursuer. But it was soon plainly to
+be seen that the strength and confidence
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_265'>265</span>of the Flying-fish were fast ebbing; their
+flights became shorter and shorter, and
+their course more fluttering and uncertain,
+while the leaps of the Dolphin
+seemed to grow more vigorous at each
+bound.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>“Eventually this skilful sea-sportsman
+seemed to arrange his springs so as to fall
+just under the very spot on which the exhausted
+Flying-fish were about to drop.
+This catastrophe took place at too great a
+distance for us to see from the deck what
+happened; but on our mounting high on
+the rigging, we may be said to have been
+in at the death; for then we could discover
+that the unfortunate little creatures
+one after another, either popped right
+into the Dolphin’s jaws as they lighted on
+the water, or were snapped up instantly
+after.”</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE HERRING.</h3>
+<div id='i247'  class='figcenter id003'>
+<img src='images/illus657.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>Herring Attacked by Whale.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>As this Fish is so commonly known in
+all parts of the world, it would not seem
+necessary to give it special mention or description,
+except for the fact of its congregating
+in such wonderful “schools” at
+various seasons, and the fact that it
+forms the principal food of the Whale
+family. Because of the great quantities
+in which it is captured in certain parts of
+the Old World, it has been called the
+most important of all Fishes for mankind,
+and the old Hollanders used to say
+that the Herring fishery was the greater
+and the Whale fishery the least.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Herring banks or schools are separated
+into two groups—the high sea and
+the coast schools. In each, the Fish are
+found in unbelievable masses; they extend
+over a vast space, and in some instances
+it is claimed that in these great
+schools the Fish swam so thick that an
+oar pushed into the midst, did not fall,
+but remained standing.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>It has been stated that about thirty
+years ago, when one of these great
+schools were passing, the fishermen of
+Lowestoft, a coast city of about fifteen
+thousand inhabitants, in the English
+county of Suffolk, caught in two days
+<a id='around'></a>around twenty-two millions of Herring,
+only a small part of which could be preserved.
+Neither people, nor casks, nor
+salt enough were at hand, and the greater
+part of these Herring were used for fertilizer.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The markings of the Herring are very
+peculiar in some instances, and have lead
+to curious superstitions. The back of
+the Fish is green during life, but after
+death it becomes an indigo blue color.
+Other parts vary in their color and markings,
+sometimes representing written
+characters, which ignorant fishermen
+have considered to be words of mystery.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>In November, 1587, two Herrings
+were taken on the coast of Norway on
+the bodies of which were markings representing
+Gothic printed characters. These
+Herrings had the signal honor of being
+presented to the King of Norway, Frederick
+II. This superstitious prince
+turned pale at sight of this supposed
+prodigy. On the back of these innocent
+inhabitants of the deep he saw certain
+cabalistic characters, which he thought
+announced his death and that of his
+queen. Learned men were consulted.
+Their science, as reported, enabled them
+to read distinctly words expressing the
+sentiment, “Very soon you will cease to
+fish Herrings, as well as other people.”
+Other savants were assembled who gave
+another explanation; but in 1588 the king
+died, and the people were firmly convinced
+that the two Herrings were celestial
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_266'>266</span>messengers charged to announce to
+the Norwegian people the approaching
+end of the monarch.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>This Fish abounds throughout the entire
+Northern Ocean in immense shoals,
+which are found in the bays of Greenland,
+Lapland, and round the whole coast of
+the British islands. Great shoals of them
+also occupy the gulfs of Sweden, of Norway
+and of Denmark.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>It was the favorite theory, not very
+long ago, that Herrings emigrated to and
+from the arctic regions. It was asserted,
+by the supporters of this theory, that in
+the inaccessible seas of high <a id='north'></a>northern latitudes
+Herring existed in overwhelming
+numbers, an open sea within the arctic
+circle affording a safe and bounteous feeding-ground.
+At the proper season vast
+bodies gathered themselves together into
+one great army, which, in numbers exceeding
+the powers of imagination, departed
+for more southern regions.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>This great Herr, or army, was sub-divided,
+by some instinct, as they reached
+the different shores, led, according to the
+ideas of fishermen, by Herring of more
+than ordinary size and sagacity, one division
+taking the west side of Britain, while
+another took the east side, the result being
+an adequate and well divided supply
+of Herrings, which penetrated every bay
+and arm of the sea.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Closer observation, however, shows
+that this theory has no existence in fact.
+Lacepede denies that those periodical
+journeyings take place. Valenciennes
+also rejects them. It is true that the
+Herrings have disappeared in certain
+neighborhoods in which they were formerly
+very plentiful; but it is also certain
+that, in many of the fishing stations, Fish
+are taken all the year round. Moreover,
+the discovery that the Herring of America
+is a distinct species from that of Europe,
+and that they do not even spawn in
+the same waters, is fatal to the theory.
+In short, there is a total absence of proof
+of their migrations to high northern latitudes,
+and recent discoveries all tend to
+show that the Herring is native to the
+shores on which it is taken.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>What seems most surprising is the fact
+that these harmless little Fishes, which
+live largely on small crustaceans and
+small Fishes just hatched, should continue
+to thrive in such marvellous numbers,
+when its enemies are the most formidable
+inhabitants of the ocean. All the
+different members of the Whale family
+destroy them by the thousands, and our
+illustration on Page <a href='#i247'>247</a>, where the
+Sword-Whales are feasting on one of the
+great shoals of Herring, gives a limited
+idea of the great quantities devoured by
+these great Fish. Then we must take into
+consideration that man, on the other
+hand, carries on a war which threatens to
+be one of extermination. In fact, the
+Herring <a id='fishery'></a>fishery has been to certain nations,
+the great cause of their prosperity.
+It was the foundation of Dutch independence.
+But in spite of this continual war
+against them, the Herrings continue to
+thrive and increase, and they are well
+worthy of the place they have long held
+as one of the greatest friends and helpers
+of mankind that has been found in the animal
+kingdom of the great deep.</p>
+
+<div class='chapter'>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_267'>267</span>
+  <h2 id='h267' class='c006'>THE FAMILY OF SPINY-FINNED FISHES.</h2>
+</div>
+
+<div id='i267'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus712.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>RED GURNARD.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c007'>This fourth large family of bony Fishes
+includes the Perch family, which is altogether
+a fresh water Fish; and many curious
+species which are found in the sea—like
+the Weevers, Mullets, Gurnards,
+Labrus, Frog-fish and Sword-fish. The
+well known Mackerel family is also included
+among the Fishes with spiny fins,
+with the Tunny and the curious Archer-fish.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Weevers are a good type of these
+spiny-finned Fishes. They bury themselves
+in the sand, and are dangerous to
+the fishermen because of the serious
+wounds which they inflict with their
+spines.</p>
+
+<div>
+  <span class='pageno' id='Page_268'>268</span>
+<h3 class='c015'>THE GURNARDS.</h3>
+</div>
+
+<div id='i268'  class='figcenter id008'>
+<img src='images/illus717.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>FLYING GURNARD.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>These fascinating Sea-scorpions are
+remarkable for the hideous appearance of
+their heads, quite as much as for the beautiful
+markings of their body. The head
+is mailed and cuirassed in a wonderful
+manner; it is very large in proportion to
+the body, broad in front and compressed
+at the sides, and completely covered with
+large spines and fringed barbs; the longest
+of these are over the eyes, and the
+broadest near the corners of the mouth;
+the jaws are furnished with a great number
+of small sharp teeth; the tongue is
+loose, thin and pointed at the end; the lips
+are also movable, and the upper lip is
+composed of two bones which form a furrow
+in the middle where they join; the
+nostrils are single and lie midway between
+the mouth and the eyes. The whole effect
+of these Fishes, so different from
+other species, gives them a disagreeable
+and even hideous appearance, and has
+procured for them various names, such as
+Sea-frog, Sea-devil, Sea-scorpion, and
+others equally significant. And whether
+we consider the curious and remarkable
+appearance of the Red Gurnard as he
+moves along the sandy bottom, seeming
+to walk on the strange projections that
+look like huge toes growing out from the
+front fins—or the still more startling effect
+of the Flying Gurnard—it is not surprising
+that superstitious fishermen have
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_270'>270</span>told remarkable tales of these strange
+Fish in the past.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Twelve species of the Trigula or Gurnards
+are known. The commonest species
+are the Grey Gurnard—a silvery grey
+Fish, clouded with brown, and speckled
+with black. This is found in British seas.
+The Red Gurnard is commonly found in
+the Mediterranean. This is a fine, bright
+red-rose color, paler beneath and more
+vivid about the fins. The Perlon or
+Sapharine Gurnard is a large species,
+handsomely marked with green and blue
+hues.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Flying Gurnard is much like the
+other Flying-fishes in the formation of
+the front fins into wings, and in the manner
+of their flight, but their appearance is
+very different because of their queer armored
+head and the large eyes, as well as
+the brilliant markings peculiar to the
+Gurnard family.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE SWORD-FISH.</h3>
+
+<div id='i269'  class='figcenter id025'>
+<img src='images/illus720.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>SWORD FISH SPEARING HIS PREY.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The Sword-fish, so called from the upper
+jaw being elongated into a formidable
+spear or sword, was known to the ancients,
+and has borne this name which recalls
+its important characteristic, from
+very early times. And while the Saw-fish,
+which belongs to the group of Cartilaginous
+Fishes, and a species of Sword-whale,
+have also been known as Sword-fishes,
+this species—scientifically known
+as Xiphias gladius—is the real, and the
+original Sword-fish.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>This Fish attains a great size, being
+found in the Mediterranean and Atlantic
+from five to six feet in length. Its body
+is covered with minute scales, the sword
+forming three-tenths of its length. On
+the back it bears a single long dorsal fin;
+the tail is keeled, the lower jaw is sharp,
+the mouth toothless, the upper part of the
+Fish bluish-black, merging into silver beneath.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>It seems to have a natural desire to exercise
+towards and against all the arm
+with which nature has furnished it; it
+darts with the utmost fury upon the most
+formidable moving bodies; it attacks the
+Whale; and there are numerous and well
+authenticated instances of ships being
+perforated by the jaw of this powerful
+creature, while the toothed spear of the
+Saw-fish has been found fast in the body
+of a Whale which it has pierced.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>In 1725, some carpenters having occasion
+to examine the bottom of a ship,
+which had just returned from the Tropical
+seas, found the lance of a Sword-fish
+buried deep in the timbers of the ship.
+They declared that, to drive a pointed
+bolt of iron of the same size and form to
+the same depth, would require eight or
+nine blows of a hammer weighing thirty
+pounds. From the position of the
+weapon it was evident that the Fish had
+followed the ship while under full sail; it
+had penetrated through the metal sheathing,
+and three inches and a half beyond,
+into the solid frame.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The Sword-fish has obstinate combats
+with the Saw-fish, and even the Shark,
+and it is supposed that when he attacks
+the bottom of a vessel he takes that sombre
+mass for the body of an enemy.</p>
+
+<h3 class='c015'>THE ARCHER FISH.</h3>
+
+<div id='i271'  class='figcenter id023'>
+<img src='images/illus723.jpg' alt='' class='ig001' />
+<div class='ic001'>
+<p>ARCHER FISH.</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p class='c016'>The idea of a Shooting-fish seems quite
+as odd as that of a Flying-fish, yet the
+Archer-fish often uses this method of
+bringing down its prey. For this reason
+he is sometimes known as the Toxotes—the
+word meaning a bowman or archer.
+Although the Archer-fish belongs to this
+fourth family of bony Fishes—those with
+spiny fins—it is not only unlike any other
+<span class='pageno' id='Page_272'>272</span>species of this family, but unlike any other
+Fish known; in that it is the only one that
+goes out gunning for its prey. It possesses
+the power of spurting water from
+its mouth with such force as to bring
+down Insects from aquatic plants within
+its reach. As it lives almost entirely
+upon these insects, it may take rather
+tedious gunning at times to secure
+enough to satisfy its hunger, and it is decidedly
+interesting to watch this small
+archer on one of his hunting expeditions.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>In these four groups of cartilaginous
+Fish, and the four distinct sections of
+bony Fishes, with their numerous sub-divisions,
+may be classified all the different
+Fishes that have become known,
+through all the careful research of modern
+Naturalists. Not that they could all
+be described in this limited space; nor,
+in fact, even given separate mention.
+Very few have a clear idea of how many
+different kinds of Fishes there really are.
+In the long ago, when Naturalists first
+made a study of the inhabitants of the water,
+and began to write the results of their
+researches, it seemed surprising to them
+to discover nearly a hundred distinct species.
+In their different families, Pliny,
+the Naturalist, described ninety-four species
+of Fish. Later Linnaeus characterized
+four hundred and seventy-eight.
+And, marvellous as it may seem, the Naturalists
+of the present day know upwards
+of thirteen thousand, a tenth of which are
+fresh water Fishes. While all these numerous
+species may possess some distinct
+peculiarity, they are sure to possess other
+characteristics that will classify them with
+some of these families. And after becoming
+familiar with the characteristics
+of this limited number of groups and <a id='fam'></a>families
+we may feel acquainted, to a certain
+extent, with this whole great throng of
+nearly thirteen thousand Fishes.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>We often hear the fact regretted, that
+so many of the larger Fish live almost entirely
+by devouring smaller species. And
+taking into consideration the <a id='imm2'></a>immense
+quantities consumed by mankind each
+year, not only as they are caught fresh
+from the water, but the hundreds and
+thousands of barrels and cans of dried and
+pickled Fish that are shipped all over the
+world from the great Salmon and Cod
+and Herring fisheries, it is sometimes
+thought that, in time, the different species
+of Fish must surely be exhausted.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>But when we think of this marvellous
+number of species, and then remember the
+quantities of a single kind sometimes
+found in a single shoal (like that of the
+Herrings, quoted, in which twenty-two
+millions were caught in two days), there
+appears to be little danger of the Fishes
+becoming scarce; for it seems almost past
+belief that there can be so many finned inhabitants
+of the vast waters that comprise
+nearly three-fourths of the surface of the
+globe.</p>
+
+<div class='tnotes'>
+
+<p class='c008'><b>Transcriber's Note:</b></p>
+
+<p class='c007'>Some punctuation has been corrected without note, however inconsistent spelling and hyphenation were retained.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Some page numbers in the table of contents have been corrected and/or rearranged to match the actual page order.
+Many headings in the table of contents do not correspond directly to the headings in the text. These were left as printed.
+Such headings were linked to the heading in the text which was closest contextually.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Missing page numbers in internal references were added.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>The order of illustrations was changed in order to place
+the illustrations near to the text describing them.
+Links (in the list of illustrations and within the text) are therefore
+made to go to the illustration referenced rather than to the page number.
+The line 'Caracal Defending His Booty from' in the list of illustrations
+was moved to correspond to the correct illustration.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>On p. <a href='#Page_73'>73-74</a>, some out of order text was rearranged.</p>
+
+<p class='c008'>Further corrections are listed below:</p>
+
+<div class='lg-container-b'>
+  <div class='linegroup'>
+    <div class='group'>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#wand'>Table of Contents</a> Vanderoo -> Wanderoo</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#man1'>Table of Contents</a> Mongousts -> Mangousts</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#man2'>List of Illustrations</a> Mongousts -> Mangousts</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#quat'>p. 15</a> quator -> quatuor</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#pro'>p. 23</a> unpronouncable -> unpronounceable</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#moll'>p. 29</a> Molluses -> Molluscs</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#plant'>p. 33</a> Plantigrae -> Plantigrade</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#car'>p. 43</a> caross -> caress</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#from'>p. 47</a> form ancient times -> from ancient times</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#bit'>p. 49</a> but his thigh -> bit his thigh</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#through'>p. 52</a> throug -> through</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#growl'>p. 60</a> gowl -> growl</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#phys'>p. 61</a> physicial -> physical</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#turn'>p. 64</a> Turnsplits -> Turnspits</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#been'>p. 65</a> beeen -> been</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#aqua'>p. 74</a> acquatic -> aquatic</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#soon'>p. 74</a> soons -> soon</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#veg'>p. 79</a> vegetbles -> vegetables</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#prin'>p. 81</a> prinicpal ->principal</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#pliny'>p. 86</a> Fliny and other Naturalists -> Pliny and other Naturalists</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#con'>p. 93</a> considerale -> considerable</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#omni'>p. 98</a> omniverous -> omnivorous</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#pos'>p. 101</a> possesssors -> possessors</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#herb'>p. 113</a> herbivorour -> herbivorous</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#rum'>p. 127</a> ruminanting -> ruminating</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#brown'>p. 136</a> browinsh -> brownish</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#sexes'>p. 139</a> both sex -> both sexes</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#summer'>p. 141</a> sumer -> summer</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#use'>p. 152</a> little us -> little use</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#mol'>p. 152</a> Moluscs -> Molluscs</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#nar'>p. 153</a> Narwhale -> Narwhal</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#not'>p. 156</a> Nothwithstanding -> Notwithstanding</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#a-and'>p. 1566</a> without and -> without a</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#some'>p. 161</a> sime -> some</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#pyr'>p. 174</a> Pyranees -> Pyrenees</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#ex'>p. 174</a> exhaused -> exhausted</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#their'>p. 176</a> heir usefulness -> their usefulness</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#sur'>p. 192</a> surounded -> surrounded</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#wood'>p. 197</a> Woodcooks -> Woodcocks</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#slight'>p. 202</a> slighly -> slightly</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#they'>p. 207</a> the also resemble -> they also resemble</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#val'>p. 208</a> valeys -> valleys</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#indeed'>p. 208</a> in deed -> indeed</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#they2'>p. 209</a> hey -> they</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#plant2'>p. 215</a> Plantian -> Plantain</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#resist'>p. 217</a> resistent -> resistant</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#att'>p. 219</a> atractive -> attractive</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#neigh'>p. 219</a> neighhood -> neighborhood</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#prairie'>p. 222</a> Prarie Chickens -> Prairie Chickens</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#siege'>p. 224</a> seige -> siege (two instances)</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#middle'>p. 227</a> midde -> middle</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#consist'>p. 229</a> These consists -> These consist</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#imm'>p. 243</a> ImmIediately -> Immediately</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#the'>p. 246</a> the the elbow -> the elbow</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#spindle'>p. 264</a> spindel-shaped -> spindle-shaped</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#around'>p. 265</a> a round -> around</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#north'>p. 266</a> nothern -> northern</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#fishery'>p. 266</a> Herring fishers -> Herring fishery</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#fam'>p. 272</a> famlies -> families</div>
+      <div class='line'><a href='#imm2'>p. 272</a> imense -> immense</div>
+    </div>
+  </div>
+</div>
+
+</div>
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+<pre>
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of A Natural History for Young People:
+Our Animal Friends in Their Native , by Phebe Westcott Humphreys
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+</pre>
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+  </body>
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author	nfenwick <nfenwick@pglaf.org>	2025-02-05 05:10:15 -0800
committer	nfenwick <nfenwick@pglaf.org>	2025-02-05 05:10:15 -0800
commit	ef6c637b80eab5344517254ac892be0ed5c9ba3a (patch)
tree	09b87101f059f7ae0ee18991f3245a0486697b03