Chapter XI: Part 11

If any of the herd see them, they stop, and the head is made to play its part by copying their movements. By these means the hunters get into the very centre of the herd without exciting suspicion; the hindmost man then pushes forward his comrade's gun, and both fire nearly at the same instant. The deer scamper off, the hunters trot after them; the poor animals soon halt to see what alarmed them; their enemies have reloaded their guns as they proceeded, and give them a second discharge. The consternation of the deer increases, they run about in the utmost confusion, and the greater number are frequently thus destroyed.

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

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

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

GIRAFFES.

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

The great peculiarity of the giraffes lies in possessing a very short body, and very long legs; which formation involves a multitude of awkward movements; for instance, when they walk fast there is a jerking in the pace, as if it were not easy to them; and when they gallop, the hind feet often project beyond the fore feet. Their very long neck is not arched, but bends obliquely from the shoulders, so that when they wish to drink from the ground, they are obliged to hold their fore legs very widely apart. They look best when going slowly, at which time their step is very stately, and their beautiful head is borne loftily above other animals; they have two short, bony horns covered with skin, and a prominence of bone on the top of the forehead; they have large, full eyes, with which, owing to their convex form, they can see immense distances in all directions; their ears are long and flexible, and they have a long, black, prehensile tongue; with this they drag down the branches of the trees on which they browse. Their upper lip is very flexible and projects over the under, which greatly assists them in procuring their food; their tail is long, and has a tuft at the end; their skin is very glossy, is covered with large angular spots, and is often an inch and a half thick. Their great enemy is the lion, who springs upon them when they are drinking, and the affrighted giraffes start with all the speed of a swift courser, their enemy on their back, nor stop till they fall from exhaustion or loss of blood. They were never heard to utter a sound, and therefore are supposed to be perfectly mute, even when wild.

I was living in Paris when the giraffe, sent to that country, arrived. She and her keeper, Ati, landed at Bordeaux, amidst most enthusiastic acclamations, which accompanied them all the way to the metropolis. A deputation from each large town through which she passed, formed of the municipal authorities, met her, and one of the most learned savants, went all the way from the Jardin des Plantes, and accompanied her on her triumphal march. "La giraffe," however, did not appreciate these honours, and she was often impatient under the etiquette imposed on her. On one occasion she broke loose from her cavalcade, Ati and all, and dashing among the horsemen, scattered them right and left, some on and some off their steeds; a dignified mayor lay in the dust, and by his side rolled the pains-taking savant who performed so long a journey in her service. The enthusiasm did not abate when she reached her destination. Thirteen thousand more than the usual weekly number passed over the Pont d'Austerlitz alone, and as the public curiosity did but increase for six weeks, steps were obliged to be taken to prevent the multitude from pressing upon her. There were several natives of the East at that time in the French capital; and they went among others to see her. The moment she beheld their turbans, she stretched her neck out and licked their foreheads, no doubt recognizing their head-dresses. Her love for roses was very great; and she eagerly snatched them from those who carried or wore them, to their great astonishment; for few could calculate on the distance which she could reach. I went one day into her park, holding some carrots in my hand, with some of which I fed her, then turning to the cows, lying at some distance, who had come with her to afford a supply of milk for her on the voyage, I began to give some to them. Without moving her legs from the place where I had left her, she stretched her long neck and head over my head, and hooking the carrots up with her tongue, surprised me not a little, for I could not tell what shadow was coming over me. She was as fond of onions as of carrots; and this is not surprising, for they are very sweet and mild in her native country. Her Darfur attendant, Ati, slept in a gallery at the top of her stables, and there was very little repose for him after daylight; she routed him up with her nose, and seemed to think because she was stirring he ought also to be on the alert. This was rather against his ideas on the subject, as he was apt to stay out late at the dances in the neighbouring _guinguettes_; and he used to complain, all the time loving her very dearly.

ANTELOPES.

The many characters which antelopes possess in common with deer, seem to place them together; but naturalists have ranked them among those Ruminantia who have hollow horns. They are some of the most beautiful animals in the world, and are sub-divided into sections, which depend on the shape of their horns, but into which classification the present work does not enter. The exquisite Gazelle, the type of Eastern beauty, the poet's theme, with her slight and graceful shape, her slender limbs, and her full, dark eyes, often meets with a fate which has no poetry in it; for she is the favourite morsel of the lion and the leopard. It might have been thought, that they would have preferred larger and more fleshy game, but, like true epicures, the high flavour of the gazelle is preferred to size. The falcon is often used by men for catching them, as even the swift greyhound cannot overtake them; they are also driven into traps, by surrounding them, in the manner of a battle. Their skin is used in making a peculiar sort of drum.

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

Antelopes are exclusively inhabitants of the Old World; and some idea may be formed of their immense numbers in South Africa, where the species are most varied and powerful, by reading the following quotations from Mr. Pringle, and Mr. Gordon Cumming. The former says--"We pursued our journey over extensive plains, still parched by severe drought, and undulating heights clothed with a brown and scanty herbage, and sprinkled over with numerous herds of springbok. Near the banks of the Little Fish river, so numerous were those herds, that they literally speckled the face of the country, as far as the eye could reach; insomuch that we calculated we had sometimes within view not less than 20,000 of these beautiful animals. As we galloped on, they bounded off continually, on either side, with the velocity from which they derive their colonial appellation. They were probably _part_ of one of the great migratory swarms which, after long-continued droughts, sometimes inundate the colony from the Northern wastes."

Mr. Cumming informs us, that, "When pursued, the springbok jumps up into the air ten or twelve feet, for which they curve their loins, rise perpendicularly, and the long white hair on their haunches and back floats about; they pass over a space of twelve to fifteen feet, come down, then rise again; and after doing this several times, they bound off, arch their necks, then halt, and face their enemy. If they come to a place over which men or lions have walked, they jump across it. They can only be compared to locusts; for they eat up every green thing, and always return to their haunts by a different road to that which they had previously passed. Their herds consist of tens of thousands; and where they have staid for some time, thousands of skulls strew the plain." In another part of his book, the same author tells us, that the ground was literally covered with them, forming a dense, living mass, marching slowly, and pouring like a great river for hours: hundreds of thousands scarcely tell their number. "I give you my word," said a boer, "that I have ridden a long day's journey, over a succession of flats covered with them as far as I could see, as thick as sheep standing in a fold."

Among the Antelopes of the same part of the world is the Oryx, or Gemsbok, a very beautiful animal, which has been supposed to give rise to the Unicorn of Sacred writings; "for its long, straight horns, always so exactly cover one another, when viewing them from a distance, that they look like one. They have an erect mane, a long tail, and are like a horse, with the head and hoof of an Antelope. Their bearing is most noble, they are the size of an ass, have black bands about the head, looking like a stall collar. They live in almost barren regions, never want water, are very swift, and only to be caught by riding down."

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

GOATS.

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

The Chamois, which is classed by many among goats, in some degree approaches the antelopes. Its horns shoot straight up, and then at the tips turn suddenly back, like a fish hook; it frequents all the mountain chains of Europe and western Asia; in summer climbing to the highest summits, and displaying the most daring agility. In the winter it comes down just below the regions of perpetual snow, for the sake of nourishment. Its smell, sight, and hearing, are very acute, and it will detect the approach of a hunter at the distance of half a league. When frightened, it bounds from rock to rock, making a strange hissing sound; dashes itself across the most fearful chasms, and throws itself down precipices of thirty feet. It feeds on herbs and flowers, and the young shoots of shrubs; seldom drinks, and is extremely fond of salt. As some of the rocks of the Alps contain saltpeter, the chamois has worn holes in them by constant licking.

As with other domesticated animals, there are many disputes as to the original country of Goats; but most naturalists seem inclined to think that the first stock was placed in Persia; but it is a question involved in much obscurity. In very far-off times, when superstition and medicine went hand in hand, and charms were deemed more efficacious than drugs, a hard substance found in the intestines of goats, was greatly valued as a cure for most disorders. It was called the bezoar stone, and was a concretion chiefly of resinous bile and magnesia, and the rest inert vegetable matter. It was sold for ten times its weight in gold, and was said to come from some unknown animal, to increase the mystery belonging to it. Bezoars are now found in oxen, sheep, horses, porcupines, and even the human subject, slightly varying in their construction, and are often balls of hair, which has been licked off the animal's own coat.

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

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

A goat and her kids frequented a square in which I once lived, and were often fed by myself and servants; a circumstance which would have made no impression, had I not heard a thumping at the hall door, which arose from the buttings of the goat when the food was not forthcoming, and whose example was followed by the two little things. After a time this remained unheeded, and to our great astonishment, one day, the area bell used by the tradespeople, and the wire of which passed by the side of one of the railings, was sounded. The cook answered it; but no one was there save the goat and kids, with their heads bent down towards the kitchen window. It was thought that some boy had rung for them; but they were watched, and the old goat was seen to hook one of her horns into the wire, and pull it. This is too much like reason to be ascribed to mere instinct.

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

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

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

SHEEP.

IT is but little necessary to descant here on the different fleeces, and various flavours of mutton which the numerous breeds of sheep afford. The least reflection and observation, teach us their unspeakable value as sources of food, clothing, and other purposes; my task therefore lies with their dispositions and comprehensions. The last anecdote related shews, that they have more patience, but less courage and resource, than the more lively companions with whom they are so frequently associated, and whom they so much resemble. In many instances, however, maternal instinct has called forth their powers to a degree which has caused surprise; and they have been known to traverse considerable distances to seek the assistance of their own kind, or of their shepherd, when their lambs have been in danger. Moreover, a ram is sometimes a formidable enemy, when he thinks any mischief is intended towards the flock of which he is the proud leader.

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

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

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

The following history was related by one of the shepherds to whom the circumstance occurred. "We were seven of us, grazing the sheep of a rich Bulgarian, on the steppe of Atkeshoff, and had a flock of 2000 sheep, and 150 goats. It was the month of March, and they were just driven out; the weather was mild, and the grass had appeared, but the wind was bitterly cold in the evening, and it began to rain. The rain soon turned to snow, and our wet cloaks were frozen as hard as boards. A few hours after, came a Siberian _viuga_, or snowdrift, from the north-east, whistling about our ears till seeing or hearing was impossible. We tried to find our way home, from which we were not far distant; but the sheep would not face the wind, and even the goats, who will face anything but a _viuga_, began to run before the storm. To prevent the flock from scampering away was impossible, and all that could be done was to keep them together. We had to race all night, and in the morning there was nothing but snow all round us. The _viuga_ raged all that day, and the poor sheep were even more wild and frightened than in the night. Sometimes we gave up all as lost, but roused ourselves again, and ran with the screaming, bleating flock, while the oxen trotted after with the wagon, and the dogs came howling behind. The poor goats were all lost, or frozen to death the first day, in which we ran at least fifty or sixty versts, leaving a track of dead sheep behind us. In the evening the poor beasts were less wild, being exhausted by hunger and fatigue. Two of our party reported themselves sick, and crept under the mats and skins in the wagon, and the rest had only time to take a little bread and snow to save life.

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

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

OXEN.

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

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

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

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

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

The Gours are much more formidable than the preceding; and the Indians say the tiger has no chance with them when full grown. They also eat trees and grass, and will not live in captivity. They grow to an immense size; their back is arched, and a very thick ridge rises upon it, which subsides towards the tail.

The Yak has narrow nostrils, the ears small and pointed, the forehead covered with black curling hair, that on the back is smooth, and of a dark brown or black colour, with one white stripe on the withers, and another on the croup. The shoulders, sides, inside of thighs, and under part of the body, are covered with a mane of hair which almost reaches the ground and is of a grizzled black with a central line of white along the belly. The tail is a large mass of glossy, coarse hair; quite white, and from eighteen to twenty inches long. The horns are small, pointed, and curve forwards. The animal is said to be very wild and mischievous; but it can be tamed. The tails were used by the Mongols and Tartars as standards, and throughout the East are now fitted into ivory handles, and form brushes for driving away the flies. The Yaks are dull-looking animals, and make a low, grunting noise, causing them to be known in Europe as the grunting cow. They are very useful when domesticated, and yield an abundance of milk. Not many years ago, they were objects of mystery, and those who travelled to collect the curiosities of nature, were ordered to ascertain their attributes, almost their existence, the tails alone having reached Europe.

Buffaloes are heavier and clumsier animals than the ox, and are covered with coarser hair; they are very wild and savage, rush upon the tiger, crush, and trample him to death. They delight in those steaming marshes which are pestilential to other beings, and wallow in stagnant water. Their hide is particularly tough, their flesh hard, and their milk delicious. They are sometimes trained to be very useful, especially where rivers are apt to be swollen; for they do not fear to breast any torrent, however violent it may be in its course. They are spread over India, China, and various parts of Africa, have been introduced into Spain and Italy, and wherever they live, malaria is sure to exist. The Cape Buffalo is said to be more than a match for the lion, who only overcomes him by some cunning stratagem, or springs upon him when he is drinking. If, however, others of the herd come to his assistance, the lion is either vanquished, or obliged to decamp.

A herd consisting of seven wild buffaloes, with one calf, was discovered in Hindustan, and four gentlemen proceeded to hunt them. After having followed them for three miles, the young one separated from the herd and joined some tame cattle belonging to a neighbouring village. It was killed by the party, who afterwards continued the pursuit of the old ones, and they were overtaken in a high grass jungle four miles further off. They were quickly driven from this place, and closely followed for more than six miles over a plain. At length the party succeeded in separating one buffalo from the herd. Here the encounter began. After receiving several wounds, he still continued his flight; he suddenly halted, and kept his pursuers at bay; after a short interval he again fled, was pursued, and wounded as before, carrying the spears sticking in his back and sides for several hundred yards. Lieut. White of the 15th N. I., rode up very close to him, threw his spear, and wounded the animal in the loins. His horse being much exhausted, was unable to wheel round before the buffalo turned about and charged with such vigour, that both horse and rider were overthrown, and lay many yards distant. Fortunately the lieutenant received no injury, and when the animal approached, he had the presence of mind to lie flat on his back. The beast approached, but stood at his feet without offering any violence. The other sportsmen called repeatedly to their companion to arise and escape. For some time, however, he disregarded their advice, fearful of the consequences. At length, in compliance with their entreaty, he arose. The buffalo instantly rushed forward, but Mr. White escaped by again throwing himself down; while the enraged beast, missing his aim, fell on the ground, his horns grazing Mr. White's back, as he passed over him. After this lucky escape, he seized the favourable opportunity, and regained his horse. The buffalo then took refuge in a tank; and when his former opponent joined his companions, who were standing on the bank, the animal issued forth, and selecting Lieut. White for the object of his vengeance, pursued him to a considerable distance. The buffalo was now rendered quite furious, and attacked every thing within his reach, such as cows and dogs. Unfortunately an old woman passed, and became the victim of his rage; she was taken up without any appearance of life, having her arms broken, and many wounds. The horsemen were too fatigued to renew the attack, and the buffaloes, having gained a victory, continued their course without further molestation. (Capt. Brown's Pop. Nat. Hist.)

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

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

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

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

The Musk Oxen live in the high latitudes of North America, are very small, but look larger than they are, from the quantity of long, woolly hair with which they are covered, and which often reaches the ground. Their flesh smells strongly of musk; and they are easily irritated. Some stockings made from their long fleece, have been said to equal those manufactured with silk.

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

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

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

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

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CONTENTS. The story of