Chapter X: Introduction: Science (9)

There are two families of Deer; that of the Mouse deer with its mouse-shaped head, and without horns, and that of the deer proper of which there are more than fifty species. There are five species of the mouse deer, genus _Tragulus_, all of which belong to Asia. They are found in Java, Penang, Sumatra, Borneo, Cambodia and Siam. The Indian Chevrotain (_Tragulus meminna_) is spotted. It belongs to Ceylon, though it is said to be common to the forests of all parts of southern India. Mrs. Bowdich says: "The smallest of the deer species lives in Ceylon; a lovely delicate 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." The deer proper, genus _cervus_, is found all over Europe, Asia and America, one or two species belonging to the Mediterranean coasts of Africa. Of these the Red Deer, the Reindeer, the Moose or Elk, the Fallow Deer and the Roe buck are the better known species, all of which chew the cud, have a divided hoof, and shed their horns annually.

The Red Deer.

The Red Deer (_Cervus elaphus_) is still found in Scotland as well as in the forests of Europe and Asia and is commonly hunted for sport. The stag is a timid and apparently highly sensitive animal, but when brought to bay has often shown a strength and courage which has cost its hunters dear. It is one of the most beautiful animals in nature, and combines with its beauty powers of speed and endurance which are little short of the marvellous. Full grown it measures four feet six inches in height at the shoulders, and about five feet six inches in length. The hunting of the stag in England has been a royal sport for centuries, though owing to altered conditions it has fallen into disrepute of late years. The overcrowded state of the country near London, and the half tame character of the royal stags have rendered the performances of the Windsor stag hounds an exhibition more honoured in the breach than in the observance. It would be difficult indeed to find anything noble or enobling in the following account of a stag hunt quoted by Captain Brown with deprecation, from the pages of "The Sporting Magazine."

A Stag Hunt.

"On Monday Nov. 20, 1820, the royal hounds met at Stoke Common, Bucks, where a remarkably fine deer was turned out. The field was extremely numerous. The deer, at starting, showed great sport, taking, at full speed, through the enclosures, making towards Slough, and afterwards for Datchet, where he crossed the Thames, and then took to the right, and again crossed the river. The deer proceeded up a lane at the back of Eton College, running with great swiftness into the yard of Mr. Castles, pork butcher. He boldly proceeded through the house into the street, with a cur-dog at his heels; and crossing Windsor Bridge, to the bottom of Thames-street, actually ran up the Hundred Steps, a steep and winding ascent to the Castle. On his reaching the top, he made a pause, and then returned into Thames-street, many of the sportsmen having rode round into the Castle, with the object of heading him as he came up the steps. The stag crossed Windsor Bridge again with great swiftness, and passed down Eton, entered the shop of Mr. Levy, an orange merchant, making his way in different parts of the house, till he got into the kitchen, where he remained some time: a great crowd was collected round the house. On his leaving the kitchen, he passed through the back way into gardens. At this time, many hundreds of persons joined in the chase. This excellent deer, after having performed these extraordinary feats, and afforded a charming day's sport, was at last taken in attempting to leap over the high wall between Eton College and the Fifteen-arch Bridge." In the open country and in the olden time a stag hunt was, of course, a very different thing, though the hunting of so sensitive and so timid an animal as the stag could never be other than a cruel pastime. Of the speed and endurance of the stag a remarkable illustration will be found on page 127. Many years ago the Duke of Cumberland thought to make trial of a stag's courage by placing him in an enclosure with an ounce, or hunting tiger, on Newmarket Heath. The enclosure was made by a net-work of about fifteen feet high, and the contest took place in the presence of some thousands of spectators. On seeing the stag, the ounce crouched down and prepared to spring, but the stag kept such a steady front that the ounce, turn as he would, was out-man[oe]uvred by the stag and could not get a chance of turning his flank. After a long time the ounce was goaded to the attack by the order of the Duke, whereupon it leapt, not upon the stag but over the enclosure and among the people, immediately crossing the road and entering the wood opposite, where it fastened upon the haunches of a fallow deer.

The Tame Stag.

Stags have been tamed and brought largely under control but they are said to be uncertain in their temper, probably from their timidity. Many years ago Lord Oxford trained four red deer stags to draw a phaeton, and Captain Brown tells an amusing story of an adventure which befell him while driving his unique team in the neighbourhood of Newmarket. It happened that as they were proceeding on the road to Newmarket they heard the cry of a pack of hounds and immediately the four stags made off at the top of their speed, followed by the hounds who had sighted them or scented them from a distance. The animals were quite beyond control, but on reaching Newmarket, they ran into the yard of the Ram Inn where Lord Oxford had been accustomed to take them, and they were safely housed in a barn when the pack of hounds came up. Stags have also been trained to play tricks of various kinds. A tame stag at one time marched with a Newfoundland dog, with the band of the 42nd Highlanders.

The Reindeer.

The Reindeer belongs to the north of Europe Asia and America, where he is the chief source of comfort and wealth of the natives. In Lapland, as the author of "Tales of Animals" puts it, he supplies the place of the horse, the cow, the sheep, and the goat. "Alive and dead, the reindeer is equally subservient to their wants. When he ceases to exist, spoons are made of his bones, glue of his horns, bowstrings and thread of his tendons, clothing of his skin, and his flesh becomes a savoury food. During his life, his milk is converted into cheese, and he is employed to convey his owner over the snowy wastes of his native country. Such is the swiftness of the reindeer that two of them, yoked in a sledge, will travel a hundred and twelve English miles in a day." The reindeer will draw about 300 lbs. weight, though 250 lbs. is a sufficient average load. His ordinary pace is said to be about ten miles an hour and his powers of endurance are very great. His pace for a short distance is thus given by Pictet, who took the measurements and tested the speed of three animals yoked to light sledges. "The first deer performed 3089 feet, 9 inches, in two minutes, being at the rate of nearly 19 English miles in an hour, and thus accomplishing 25 feet, 9 inches, in every second. The second did the same in three minutes; and the third and last deer, in three minutes and twenty-six seconds. The ground in this race was nearly level." The reindeer is gregarious in its wild state, and retains its social instinct when in a state of domestication. When travelling, the hindmost animals follow their leader with dogged persistency, even though the leader may make a circuit which the followers might avoid by taking a direct cut. Nor will they accept the guidance of their drivers in such cases and if dragged out of their course by main force will return to it as soon as the force is removed. In his own way, however, the reindeer will follow unerringly though his leader may be out of sight, moving along with his nose close to the ground and tracing the way by his scent, which is very keen. The reindeer is much troubled in the summer time by the attacks of small flies. De Broke says "The poor animal is thus tormented to such a degree, that the Laplander, if he were to remain in the forests during the months of June, July, and August, would run the risk of losing the greater part of his herd, either by actual sickness, or from the deer fleeing of their own accord to mountainous situations to escape the gad-fly. From these causes, the Laplander is driven from the forests to the mountains that overhang the Norway and Lapland coasts, the elevated situations of which, and the cool breezes from the Ocean, are unfavourable to the existence of these troublesome insects, which, though found on the coast, are in far less considerable numbers there, and do not quit the valleys; so that the deer, by ascending the highlands, can avoid them." Reindeer are extremely timid when hunted, but if the hunter can get sufficiently near to strike panic into a herd they seem to lose all sense but that of fear, and are easily captured in numbers. Writing of the North American Reindeer, Sir John Richardson says:--"The Chippewayans, the Copper Indians, the Dog-ribs, and Hare Indians of the Great Bear Lake, would be totally unable to inhabit their barren grounds, were it not for the immense herds of this deer that exist there. Of the caribou horns they form their fish spears and hooks; the hide, dressed with the fur on, is excellent for winter clothing, and supplies the place both of blanket and feather bed to the inhabitants of these arctic wilds." Captain Franklin gives the following description of the manner in which the Dog-rib Indians kill the reindeer. "The hunters go in pairs, the foremost man carrying in one hand the horns and part of the skin of the head of a deer, and in the other a small bundle of twigs, against which he, from time to time, rubs the horns, imitating the gestures peculiar to the animal. His comrade follows, treading exactly in his footsteps, and holding the guns of both in a horizontal position, so that the muzzles project under the arms of him who carries the head. Both hunters have a fillet of white skin round their foreheads, and the foremost has a strip of the same round his wrists. They approach the herd by degrees, raising their legs very slowly, but setting them down somewhat suddenly, after the manner of a deer, and always taking care to lift their right or left feet simultaneously. If any of the herd leave off feeding to gaze upon this extraordinary phenomenon, it instantly stops, and the head begins to play its part by licking its shoulders, and performing other necessary movements. In this way the hunters attain the very centre of the herd without exciting suspicion, and have leisure to single out the fattest. The hindmost man then pushes forward his comrade's gun, the head is dropped, and they both fire nearly at the same instant."

The Moose or Elk.

The Moose or Elk is the largest of the Deer kind, and often attains to and even exceeds the size and bulk of the largest horses. He is less graceful than other members of his family, having a short thick neck, necessary perhaps to sustain his huge antlers, which sometimes reach five feet in length and weigh as much as sixty pounds. He escapes the torment of insects by taking to the water, in which he is an expert swimmer. Like the other animals of the Deer kind he sheds his horns annually. Year by year these huge growths increase in breadth and in the number of branches they bear, until there are sometimes as many as twenty on each horn. He is docile and easily tamed, and has been broken to run in harness. The Elk occupies much the same geographical area as the reindeer, though not travelling so far north.

The Fallow Deer and the Roebuck.

The Fallow Deer (_Dama vulgaris_) is smaller than the stag, but similar to it in colour, form, and habit. It is this species which is domesticated and kept in the parks of the wealthy in England. Fallow Deer often quarrel among themselves over rights of pasturage, the herd dividing into two and engaging in a pitched battle for the possession of the disputed land. The Roebuck is smaller than the Fallow Deer, his height being about two feet six inches and his length three feet. He is less sociable than other species of his kind, living alone with his family and not in herds like the Fallow Deer. He is found in Scotland and in the northern parts of Europe.

The Giraffe.

The Giraffe (_Camelopardalis giraffa_) belongs to Abyssinia, Nubia and South-Africa. It is the tallest of living animals, attaining to the height of eighteen feet. Its body has some similarity to that of the camel in form, and its head, which surmounts a neck seven feet long and bears two horns six inches long, resembles generally that of a horse. Its tongue, which can be extended seventeen inches, is very mobile and can be so tapered as to enter a small ring. It is used in tearing off the foliage of the trees upon which the animal feeds. Its neck, but for its length, is like that of the stag, and its legs are slender. The hide is spotted like that of the leopard and when young is of a light red colour, which becomes deeper with age, that of the female becoming a yellow brown and that of the male a dark brown approaching to black. In repose it lies on its side, resting its head on its hind quarters. Though only living in a wild state, the Giraffe is a mild and docile animal, only fighting in self-defence, and then making powerful use of its heels. The lion is its great enemy and if it succeeds in leaping upon its back there is not much chance for the giraffe, which usually runs until it drops from exhaustion. A blow from the heel of the Giraffe in the right place would probably kill any of its enemies, and even the lion has been known to pay dearly for coming within its reach.

The History of the Giraffe.

The Giraffe was known to the ancients, though, like the gorilla, it has been re-discovered in recent years. Le Vaillant saw and described the giraffe, but he was credited with having invented it, and it was not until a live specimen of it was brought to Paris that his credibility was established, Mrs. Bowdich, who happened to be in Paris at the time this animal arrived, gives an amusing description of its triumphal march from Bordeaux to the Capital. "A deputation from each large town through which she passed," says Mrs. Bowdich, "formed of the municipal authorities, met her; and one of the most learned savants went all the way from the Jardin des Plantes, to accompany her on her march. 'La giraffe,' however, did not appreciate these honours, and was often impatient under the etiquette imposed on her. On one occasion she broke loose from her cavalcade, keeper 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 painstaking savant who had 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 not but increase for six weeks, steps were obliged to be taken to prevent the multitude from pressing upon her. 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." Mr. Gordon Cumming describes a herd of ten giraffes which he saw moving together along an African valley, forming an imposing spectacle.

Hollow-Horned Ruminants.

We come now to a family of great importance to the human race, the family which includes among its members the Ox and the Sheep. These are grouped as hollow-horned ruminants, this one touch of nature making the whole family kin. The hollow-horned ruminants are divided into numerous sub-families, of which the Ox, the Antelope, the Sheep, and the Goat are the best known representatives. The horn by which the family is characterised, comprises a hollow horny sheath which covers a bony core, and which, except in one case, unlike the horns of the stag, which are shed annually, is permanent. Sir Victor Brooke divides the family of the Bovidæ into thirteen sub-families. I Bovinæ, II Tragelaphinæ, III Oryginæ, IV Hippotraginæ, V Gazellinæ, VI Antilocaprinæ, VII Cervicaprinæ, VIII Cephalophinæ, IX Alcephalinæ, X Budorcinæ, XI Rupicaprinæ, XII Nemorhedinæ, XIII Caprinæ.

The Bull, The Bison, and The Buffalo.

The sub-family Bovinæ includes the Bull, the Bison, and the Buffalo. The antiquity of the ruminants shrouds their origin in obscurity. They are of frequent mention in the sacred writings as belonging to the earliest historic period, and as living in a state of domestication in all times. The Bull has a very wide geographical area, and is found in most parts of the world. In England, as the Rev. J. G. Wood puts it, there are almost as many breeds as counties, and they are generally distinguished by the length or shape of their horns. The "long-horned" breed belong to Lancashire, the "short-horned" to Durham, the "middle-horned" to Devonshire, besides which there is the "polled", a hornless breed. Of the Bison there are two species, one belonging to Poland and the Caucasus, and the other to North America. The Buffalo belongs to the south of Europe, to India, and to North Africa, the Cape Buffalo inhabiting the south of "the dark continent."

The Bull. The Ox. The Cow.

Few animals show as much difference of disposition in the male and female as the Bull and the Cow. The Bull is often excited to ungovernable fury, is generally unsafe and often dangerous. These characteristics have doubtless marked him out as the object of sport in the Roman Amphitheatre and the Spanish Bull fight. The Cow, on the other hand, displays a gentle and docile disposition, is placid, mild, and obedient to the will of those who govern it. The Bull is kept mainly for the purposes of breeding, being too uncertain for use as a beast of burden or for other employment. The Ox which is the subdued offspring of the Bull and the Cow, is much more amenable to control and therefore a much more useful servant to man. The Cow is invaluable for the milk it supplies, upon which mankind is dependent for butter and for cheese.

The Bull.

The Bull is a handsome animal and of great strength, especially about the head and neck. Its fierceness has often been turned to account by the farmer, for it is an excellent animal to dispute a right of way, the force of its arguments usually bearing down all opposition. It has been known also to use its strength for the protection of other animals. "Two robbers," says the author of "Domestic Animals and their Treatment," "took a pig, weighing fourteen stone, out of its sty, and drove it along a lane leading towards Rotherham. On coming to a lonely path across the fields they thought it would be better to kill the pig at once in this quiet place, where no one would be likely to hear the cries of the animal. One of the robbers accordingly took a knife out of his pocket, and commenced cutting the pig's throat. The poor pig struggled violently, and managed to escape from his hands, running squealing into the next field, with a fearful gash in his throat. The men ran after the pig, but found in the field a bull grazing, who seemed at once to understand the state of the case, and took upon himself the championship of the wounded animal. The bull ran furiously at the robbers, who fled for their lives, and only just managed to escape a toss from his horns. They lingered outside the fence, however, hoping that an opportunity would still offer of their catching the pig; but the pig wisely kept close to his new friend, and the men at last were under the mortifying necessity of going home without their booty. These men were afterwards convicted of stealing sheep and corn, when one of them confessed this affair of the pig, and thus explained what had been a great mystery to the owner, namely, how it was that his pig came to be in a field at some distance from the sty, with his throat partly cut, and keeping close company with the bull." Mr. Byam's "Central America" affords another illustration: "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."

The Brahmin Bull.

The Brahmin Bull of India, is a sleek, tame animal of a different species to the ordinary working ox. He is protected as sacred and allowed more liberty than is sometimes either convenient or pleasant, as he is apt to become obtrusive and his devotees fear to check or thwart him. Sacred as he is he does not believe in the eighth commandment and so helps himself without scruple to the wares of the fruiterer and the gardener's preserves.

The Ox.

The Ox is one of the most useful creatures of the animal world. It is used as a beast of burden and employed to draw waggons and to drag the plough in England, and in a variety of useful labours abroad. "Every part of the Ox is of value," says the Rev. J. G. Wood. "We eat his flesh, we wear shoes soled with his skin, our candles are made from his fat, our tables are joined with glue made from his hoofs, his hair is mixed with the mortar of our walls, his horns are made into combs, knife-handles, drinking-cups, etc., etc., his bones are used as a cheap substitute for Ivory, and the fragments ground and scattered over the fields as manure, and soup is made from his tail." The value of the Ox in drawing waggons abroad may be gathered from the following quotation from Mr. Gordon Cumming's "Hunting Adventures in South Africa." "They (the oxen) are expected, unguided by reins, to hold the rare-trodden roads, which occur throughout the remoter parts of the Colony, either by day or night; and so well trained are these sagacious animals, that it is not uncommon to meet with a pair of fore-oxen which will, of their own accord, hold the "spoor" or track of a single waggon, which has perhaps crossed a plain six months previously."

The Cow.

The Cow after supplying enormous quantities of milk during life is almost as valuable as the Ox when dead. It is from the Cow moreover that we get the lymph used in vaccination, which has proved such a wonderful safeguard against small-pox. In its quiet way the Cow sometimes shows sagacity. Mr. Bell gives us the following illustration:--"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, which, 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." Cows have been taught to graze close to forbidden crops without yielding to the temptation to eat them.

The Pride of a Cow.

A writer in Frank Leslie's popular monthly gives an amusing instance of vanity as shown by a cow. This cow, he was told, claimed precedence in all cases; she always went ahead of the herd and claimed the best piece of pasture as her exclusive domain. So far did she carry her pretensions, that if any of the other cows entered the stable before her, she would refuse to follow. Anxious to see this with his own eyes, he desired to be taken to her stable at evening. The man, instructed how to act, drove in some of the other cows. The white cow drew up; not only did she refuse to advance, in spite of all encouraging words, but her whole frame swelled with anger and offended dignity. She kept lowing continually. At last the cows within, as though conscious that they had forgotten their place, began to come out, and as they were driven out, the proud white cow, with an evident air of gratified pride, strode in in silence. It is almost impossible to convey the impression produced by this exhibition of downright pride, Hidalgo pride, in what many would call a dumb brute.

The Bison.

The American Bison is a formidable animal when engaged alone, and when charging in a pack simply irresistible. He is about the size of an ox, one measured by Sir J. Richardson being eight feet six inches in length, without his tail, and more than six feet in height at his forequarters. He has an enormous head, surmounted by a huge hump on his shoulder which is covered in winter with shaggy mane-like hair. His hinder quarters are comparatively thin and small, and his colour is a dark brown approaching to black. Sharp piercing eyes and short powerful horns give him a fierce appearance and dangerous powers. He has enormous strength in his head and neck. The Bison is gregarious, associating in herds many hundreds strong. These herds have been greatly reduced during late years, but a herd seen by Captains Lewis and Clerk was numbered by them at not less than twenty thousand. "Such was the multitude of these animals, that, although the river, including an island over which they passed, was a mile in breadth, the herd stretched as thick as they could swim completely from one side to the other." When they join in a stampede, they are said to rush over the plains like a cataract, with a noise resembling that of thunder. Captain Brown says, "Bison generally prefer the open plains, and do not resort to woods, except when attacked; they seldom attempt to defend themselves, but almost invariably take to flight. They are extremely fleet, and their sense of smell is so acute, that they discover an enemy at a great distance, so that it is difficult to get near them. They are frequently hunted by the natives, who live principally on their flesh. When the hunters kill an old dam, they pay no attention to the calf, as it is sure to remain by its dead mother. Instances have been known of a mother entering the town of Cincinnati, followed by its calves. Many of them fall victims to wolves and grizzly bears. Their beef is of an excellent quality, and of a very superior flavour."

Hunting the Bison.

Hunting the Bison is both a popular sport and a lucrative commercial enterprise. The Indians hunt them for their skins, which they sell as "Buffalo robes," the Bison being commonly called a Buffalo by them, as well as for food. The Rev. J. G. Wood says, "The hunters take advantage of the gregarious instincts of this animal, and hunt them when they are collected together in their vast herds, which blacken the face of the prairie for miles. Sometimes they form in line, and drive the herd to the edge of some tall cliff, over which they fall in hundreds, those behind pushing on those in the van; or sometimes they form a large circle, driving the animals into a helpless and leaderless mass, into which the hunters spring, leaving their horses, and treading with the skill of rope-dancers on the backs of the bewildered bisons, whom they slaughter as they pass, stepping from one to the other, and driving the sharp blade of their spear through the spine of the animal whose back they have just quitted. When only wounded the Bison is a most dangerous antagonist, and rushes on its enemy with the most determined ferocity."

The Eastern Bison lives in the forests of Bialowesha in Lithuania under the protection of the Czar of Russia. The numbers are much smaller than those of North-America but they are said to be more fierce.

The Buffalo.

The Buffalo, which must not be confused with the Bison, is similar in appearance to an ox, which it often exceeds in size. It has no hump on its shoulder as the Bison has, but it has much longer horns, horns that often measure three feet in length, and is much fiercer in their use. The Indian Buffalo will attack the hunter when it is brought to bay, and unless the hunter can despatch him as he approaches, there is no chance for him at close quarters. These Buffaloes, however, may be tamed and are often trained to and employed in useful service.

Hunting the Indian Buffalo.

Captain Brown gives the following account of a Buffalo hunt which took place at Keshennagar, in Hindostan, when four gentlemen on horseback chased a herd of seven buffaloes and a calf for a long distance. "After having followed them 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, when they were overtaken in a high grass jungle four miles farther 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, and was pursued and wounded as before, carrying the spears sticking in his back and sides for several hundred yards. Lieutenant White, of the 15th Native Infantry, 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 material 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 the advice, fearful of the consequences; at length, in compliance with their entreaty, he arose; the buffalo instantly rushed forward, but Mr. White escaped by 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 upon the bank, the animal issued forth, and selecting Lieutenant White for the object of its vengeance, pursued him to a considerable distance. The animal was now rendered quite furious, and attacked everything within his reach, such as cows and dogs. Unfortunately, an old woman returning from market 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 cavalry being, from fatigue, _hors de combat_, could not renew the attack; and the buffaloes, whose system was retreat, having gained a victory, now continued their course without molestation."

The Cape Buffalo.

The Cape Buffalo is the fiercest of the Bull family. He will charge a lion or a tiger and often come off victor in the strife. According to Mr. Pringle he is 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, to attack any man who strays near his haunts, skulking in the jungle when he sees him approach, and then suddenly rushing out upon him. Having tossed his enemy to his heart's content or thrown him down, he will trample and gore him, tearing off his skin with his tongue, until he is shockingly mutilated. He is one of the few animals which seem to cherish the spirit of revenge.

Hunting the Cape Buffalo.

Mr. Pringle gives the following description of a Cape Buffalo hunt. "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 a 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 copsewood, 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 Zebu.

The Zebu is found in India, China, Arabia, Persia and Africa. It is of about the same size as a cow, but is distinguished by the possession of a hump upon its shoulders, giving it some resemblance to the Bison. It is used both for riding and driving in India, where it admirably serves the purposes of a horse, travelling at the rate of six miles an hour for many hours at a stretch and leaping obstacles with the facility of a practised hunter. It is also used for ploughing land and threshing corn.

The Yak.

The Yak belongs to Western Thibet. It is of singular appearance, having the head of a bull and the hump of a Bison, and being covered with long hair reaching almost to the ground. In a wild state it is savage and dangerous, but it is brought under cultivation by the Tartars, who use it as a beast of burden and make ropes and garments from its hair. The female yields rich milk from which excellent butter is made; butter which is stored in bladders from which the air is excluded. It is then carried to market by the faithful animal which has produced it.

The Antelopes.

The Antelopes are numerous in kind and various in form, too numerous and various to be separately described. The Eland, the largest and heaviest of the species, belongs to South Africa; the Bosch-bok, to South and Central Africa, the Harnessed Antelope to West Africa; and the Nylghau to India. The Leucoryx and the Addax are found in North Africa, the Equine Antelopes in tropical Africa and the Cape. The Pallah herds in South Africa. The Prong-horned Antelope belongs to North America, inhabiting the Rocky Mountains and the districts both north and south. The Bay Antelope is found on the Gold Coast, the Four-horned Antelope in India. The Gnu or Wildebeest belongs to South Africa and the Chamois and the Izard to the Pyrenees.

The Gazelle.

The Gazelle, of which there are numerous species, belongs to Syria, Egypt and Algeria. It is a beautiful animal, resembling a roebuck, but more delicately and finely limbed, with hair equally short, but finer and more glossy. It has a small tuft of hair on each of its fore limbs. Of all animals in the world, gazelles are said to have the most beautiful eyes--extremely brilliant, and yet meek and expressive. Their swiftness is equal to that of the roe; they do not, however, bound forward like the roe, but run along in an even, uninterrupted course. Most of them are brown upon the back, white under the belly with a black stripe separating these colours. Their horns are annulated or ringed round.

The Sheep and the Goat.

The sheep, so useful to man, furnishing him with both food and clothing, is one of the most defenceless and inoffensive of all animals. The goat is more hardy, more playful, lively, and vagrant than the sheep. It delights in climbing precipices, for which nature has fitted it, by giving it hoofs hollow underneath, with sharp edges, so that it walks securely on narrow ridges. Both animals have been known from the earliest times, and are frequently mentioned in the Sacred Writings. Of the different kinds of sheep, the common sheep, the long-tailed sheep and the Wallachian sheep are typical varieties. The common sheep provides us with our chief supplies of wool. The wool of the Spanish sheep (the merino) is finer in quality, but much less in quantity. The long-tailed sheep belongs to Syria and Egypt, and the Wallachian sheep to Crete, Wallachia, Hungary, and Western Asia. This last has long horns, and its wool is mixed with hair. The musk sheep of Arctic America resembles the yak somewhat in appearance, though minus the hump and with horns more resembling those of the buffalo. It is sometimes called the musk ox. The goat is not much used in England, but it is practically the cow of Syria and Switzerland. The Cashmir goat produces the fine wool so much valued for shawl material; the kid, the materials so largely used by the glove makers. The ibex belongs to the Carpathians, the Pyrenees, and the Savoy Alps, though it is now but rarely found in places where it was once abundant.

The Intelligence of the Sheep.

Mr. W. H. G. Kingston tells an interesting story of a ewe, bred in the neighbourhood of Sheep. Edinburgh who was driven into Perthshire, a distance of upwards of a hundred miles, to a place where she became the mother of a lamb. Not liking her new quarters, she evidently determined to revisit the old, and set off with that purpose, taking her lamb with her. Arrived at Stirling she found the place alive with the excitement of an annual fair. Not deeming it prudent to increase the excitement she rested on the north side of the town throughout the day, where she was noticed by many people, but molested by none. Early the following morning she crossed the town and proceeded on her journey. Arrived at the toll bar of St. Ninians, she was stopped by the toll keeper who supposed her to be a stray sheep. Unable to get through the gate, she turned back, made a circuitous detour and reached her old home after a journey of nine days. Her former owner rewarded her by repurchasing her and allowing her to remain on his farm until her death, which occurred at the mature age of seventeen years. The sense of locality noticed in the cat, the dog, the horse, and other animals is here seen to be characteristic of the sheep. Mr. Kingston tells another story of a ewe who, unable to extricate a lamb which had become entangled in a hedge, made her way through several hedges into a neighbouring field and fetched a ram to its assistance, thus effecting its liberation. Sheep have also been known to seek and secure the assistance of cattle when in difficulty.

Sheep and Music.

Haydn the composer tells a pretty story of the power of music over the mountain sheep in the neighbourhood of Lago Maggiore in Lombardy. "Having reached the middle of the ascent by daybreak," he says, "we stopped to contemplate the Borromean Isles, which were displayed under our feet, when we were surrounded by a flock of sheep, which were leaving their fold to go to pasture. One of our party, who was no bad performer on the flute, and who always carried the instrument with him, took it out of his pocket. 'I am going,' said he, 'to turn Corydon; let us see whether Virgil's sheep will recognise their pastor.' He began to play. The sheep and goats, which were following one another towards the mountain with their heads hanging down, raised them at the first sound of the flute, and all, with a general and hasty movement, turned to the side from whence the agreeable noise proceeded. They gradually flocked round the musician, and listened with motionless attention. He ceased playing, and the sheep did not stir. The shepherd with his staff now obliged them to move on; but no sooner did the fluter begin again than his innocent auditors again returned to him. The shepherd, out of patience, pelted them with clods of earth; but not one of them would move. The fluter played with additional skill; the shepherd fell into a passion, whistled, scolded, and pelted the poor creatures with stones. Such as were hit by them began to march, but the others still refused to stir. At last the shepherd was forced to entreat our Orpheus to stop his magic sounds; the sheep then moved off, but continued to stop at a distance as often as our friend resumed the agreeable instrument. As music was our continual employment, we were delighted with our adventure; we reasoned upon it the whole day, and concluded that physical pleasure is the basis of all interest in music."

ORDER VIII.

The Elephant.

Of the elephant there is now but one genus and two species; respectively the Indian and the African varieties. At least fourteen species are known to be extinct.

The elephant is the largest of the quadrupeds; his height is from eight to fourteen feet; his length is ten to fifteen feet. His form resembles that of a hog; his eyes are small and lively; his ears are broad, long, and pendulous. He has two large tusks, and a trunk or proboscis at the extremity of the nose, which he uses to take his food with, and, in case of necessity, for attack or defence. His legs are thick and long, and his feet are divided into five rounded toes. His colour is a dark ash brown. There are elephants, however, of a white or cream colour. The African is distinguished from the Indian variety by the size of its ears, which in the African species are very large. Dr. Livingstone gave the measurement of the ears of a female he killed, as four feet five inches in depth and four feet in horizontal breadth, and said he had seen a native creep under one so as to be completely covered from the rain. The ear of the Indian variety is not more than a third of this size. Generally the elephants of Africa and especially those of the south are larger than those of India. The most striking characteristic of the elephant is his trunk. "In this," says the Rev. J. G. Wood, "there are about forty thousand muscles, enabling the elephant to shorten, lengthen, coil up, or move in any direction this most extraordinary organ. The trunk is pierced throughout its length by two canals, through which liquids can be drawn by suction. If the elephant wishes to drink, after drawing the liquid into its trunk, it inserts the end of its proboscis into its mouth, and discharges the contents down its throat; but if it merely wishes to wash itself or play, it blows the contained liquid from the trunk with great violence. Through the trunk the curious trumpet-like voice of the elephant is produced. At the extremity is a finger-like appendage, with which it can pick up small objects." The elephant is thirty years old before he attains maturity. He lives on foliage, herbs, and fruits, having a special taste for those which are sweet.

The Wild Elephant.

The elephant is naturally a quiet and inoffensive animal, and being gifted with an unusually keen scent and sense of hearing, will usually decamp on the approach of danger. If wounded, however, he will sometimes turn upon his aggressor with terrible vengeance. Mr. Burchell, the South African traveller, gives a painful illustration of this. He says:--"Carl Krieger was a fearless hunter, and being an excellent marksman, often ventured into the most dangerous situations. One day having, with his party, pursued an elephant which he had wounded, the irritated animal suddenly turned round, and singling out from the rest the person by whom he had been injured, seized him with his trunk, and lifting his wretched victim high in the air, dashed him with dreadful force to the ground. His companions, struck with horror, fled precipitately from the fatal scene, unable to look back upon the rest of the dreadful tragedy; but on the following day they repaired to the spot, where they collected the few bones that could be found, and buried them. The enraged animal had not only literally trampled Krieger's body to pieces, but did not feel its vengeance satisfied till it had pounded the very flesh and bones into the dust, so that nothing of the unfortunate man remained excepting a few of the latter, which made most resistance from their size." Another elephant seized a soldier of the Royal African Corps, threw him down, brought his four feet together and stamped upon him until he was dead; then seizing the body with his trunk, threw it into the jungle.

Elephant Herds.

Major Skinner in a communication made to Sir E. Tennant gives the following graphic description of the actions of a herd of elephants he watched on one occasion in the north of Ceylon. Knowing that from the scarcety of water at that time and place a large herd of elephants which he knew to be in the neighbourhood must visit a certain pool during the night he made his preparations accordingly. He says:--"Having ordered the fires of my camp to be extinguished at an early hour, and all my followers to retire to rest, I took up my post of observation on an overhanging bough; but I had to remain for upwards of two hours before anything was to be seen or heard of the elephants, although I knew they were within 500 yards of me. At length, about the distance of 300 yards from the water, an unusually large elephant issued from the dense cover, and advanced cautiously across the open ground to within 100 yards of the tank, where he stood perfectly motionless. So quiet had the elephants become (although they had been roaring and breaking the jungle throughout the day and evening) that not a movement was now to be heard. The huge vidette remained in his position, still as a rock, for a few minutes, and then made three successive stealthy advances of several yards (halting for some minutes between each, with ears bent forward to catch the slightest sound), and in this way he moved slowly up to the water's edge. Still he did not venture to quench his thirst; for though his forefeet were partially in the tank, and his vast body was reflected clear in the water, he remained for some minutes listening in perfect stillness. Not a motion could be perceived in himself or his shadow. He returned cautiously and slowly to the position he had at first taken up on emerging from the forest. Here in a little while he was joined by five others, with which he again proceeded as cautiously but less slowly than before, to within a few yards of the tank, and then posted his patrols. He then re-entered the forest and collected around him the whole herd, which must have amounted to between eighty and a hundred individuals, led them across the open ground with the most extraordinary composure and quietness till he joined the advance guard, when he left them for a moment and repeated his former reconnaissance at the edge of the tank. After which and having apparently satisfied himself that all was safe, he returned and obviously gave the order to advance, for in a moment the whole herd rushed into the water with a degree of unreserved confidence, so opposite to the caution and timidity which had marked their previous movements, that nothing will ever persuade me that there was not rational and preconcerted co-operation throughout the whole party, and a degree of responsible authority exercised by the patriarch leader.

"When the poor animals had gained possession of the tank (the leader being the last to enter), they seemed to abandon themselves to enjoyment without restraint or apprehension of danger. Such a mass of animal life I had never before seen huddled together in so narrow a space. It seemed to me as if they would have nearly drunk the tank dry. I watched them with great interest until they had satisfied themselves as well in bathing as in drinking, when I tried how small a noise would apprise them of the proximity of unwelcome neighbours. I had but to break a little twig, and the solid mass instantly took flight like a herd of frightened deer, each of the smaller calves being apparently shouldered and carried along between two of the older ones. In drinking, the elephant, like the camel, although preferring water pure, shows no decided aversion to it when discoloured with mud; and the eagerness with which he precipitates himself into the tanks and streams attests his exquisite enjoyment of the fresh coolness, which to him is the chief attraction. In crossing deep rivers, although his rotundity and buoyancy enable him to swim with a less immersion than other quadrupeds, he generally prefers to sink till no part of his huge body is visible except the lip of his trunk through which he breathes, moving beneath the surface, and only now and then raising his head to look that he is keeping the proper direction."

Elephant Friendships.