Chapter XI: Introduction: Science (10)

The affection shown by elephants for each other has often had pathetic illustration. Two elephants, male and female, which had been brought separately to Paris, were placed in adjoining apartments divided by a portcullis. The male soon discovered that this was fastened by a bolt well within his reach, and hastily withdrawing it rushed into the other apartment. The meeting is described as indescribable. Their cries of joy, says Mrs. Bowdich, shook the whole building, and they blew air from their trunks resembling the blasts from smiths' bellows. The female moved her ears with great rapidity, and entwined her trunk round the body of the male. The male encircled her with his trunk and shed tears.

The Elephant's Sagacity.

The sagacity of the elephant has been said sometimes to equal that of the dog. A striking illustration of it is related in Pettit's work on the Tinnevelly Missions. "While the large chapel at Nagercoil was building the missionaries obtained the loan of a trained elephant for drawing the larger timber used in its erection. The late Mrs. Mault kindly saw the animal regularly fed, lest the food should be stolen by the attendant. One day the allowance of rice seemed very deficient in quantity, and the good lady expostulated on the subject with the keeper. Raising his hands to heaven, the man loudly, and with great apparent earnestness and sincerity, repudiated the idea of his having taken any of the rice. 'Do you think, madam, that I would rob my child? No, never! no more than I would deprive my own children of their daily food.' While he was speaking and gesticulating, the intelligent creature, slyly extending his trunk, unfastened the man's waist-cloth, spilling the missing rice, which had been concealed in a corner of the cloth, and exposing the dishonesty of the attendant."

A Centenarian Elephant.

Some years ago there was an elephant who was known to be a hundred years old, named Soupramany, or Old Soup as he was called, who lived upon the banks of the Ganges near the city of Cawnpore. On one occasion Old Soup was engaged with a number of other elephants and a party of soldiers, under the direction of Major Daly, in loading a ship with bags of rice. While the work was proceeding one of the elephants began to throw the bags into the river, and it was found that the animal had gone mad. Having killed his keeper the elephant started in pursuit of the major's children who with their nurses had been watching the elephants at work. Old Soup seemed to realize the situation at once. He dashed in between the mad elephant and the children and engaged the infuriated beast in mortal combat. The fight lasted for an hour and a half and when the mad elephant lay dying on the ground it was found that Old Soup had many wounds to remind him of the fray, his ears were badly torn, his head was bruised, and one of his tusks was broken off short.

An Elephant Nurse.

Elephants are most affectionate animals and can be trusted even to take care of children. Old Soup whose gallant fight recorded above gained him great fame, became the daily guardian of Major Daly's children, whom he had so heroically rescued. He would accompany them down to the riverside when they went fishing, and could himself hold a rod and line, which the children baited for him, watching the float and landing the fish as skilfully as an accomplished angler.

The Elephant's Intelligence.

As we have seen in the case of a dog and that of a monkey, animals sometimes rise to the intelligence of willingly submitting to painful surgical treatment in view of cure. Mr. Kingston tells of an elephant, which had been severely wounded, and which used to go alone to the hospital and extend itself so that the surgeon could easily reach the injured part. Mr. Kingston says: "Though the pain the animal suffered, was so severe that he often uttered the most plaintive groans, he never interrupted the operation, but exhibited every token of submission to the surgeon till his cure was effected." Another instance given by Mr. Kingston is even more remarkable if only for its analogy to human conduct. A young elephant had a severe wound in its head, which it had gained on the battle-field. "Nothing could induce it to allow the injury to be attended to. At length by certain signs and words, the keeper explained to the mother what was wanted. The sagacious animal immediately seized the young one with her trunk, and though it groaned with agony, held it to the ground, while the surgeon was thus enabled to dress the wound. Day after day she continued to act in the same way till the wound was perfectly healed." There is surely no stronger proof of intelligence than that afforded when present suffering is willingly endured for the sake of future good.

ORDER IX.

The Coney.

The Coney is a small animal, but it is an animal of distinction. It has been classed with the Rodents and with the Pachyderms but its characteristics are so unique that it is thought better to give it a separate order, and this is placed between the Elephants and the Rodents. The coney resembles the rabbit in size and general form, perhaps more than any other animal. There are a number of species belonging to one genus, the genus Hyrax: In Psalm CIV, 18, the writer says the rocks are a refuge for the conies, and Agur puts the coney with three other animals which are both little and wise. "The conies are but a feeble folk, yet they make their houses in the rocks (Proverbs XXX, 26). This description applies to the Syrian Hyrax of our day as truly as it did to that of the Psalmists time. The coney is found all over Africa. According to Dr. Kirk it lives in colonies at Mozambique, where it is often trapped and eaten.

ORDER X.

The Rodents: Animals that Gnaw.

The Rodents are more numerous and various than other class of mammals: There are said to be 800 or more varieties. These are divided into two sub-orders: I, The Simplicidentati and, II, the Duplicidentati. Those of the first sub-order have two incisor teeth in the upper jaw; those of the second have four. The Simplicidentati include mice, rats, jerboas, beavers, squirrels, chinchillas, porcupines, guinea pigs, &c.; the Duplicidentati includes the numerous varieties of hares and rabbits.

Rats and Mice.

There are more than 300 varieties of rats and mice, and they are found almost everywhere. The rat is an irrepressible stowaway, and following toothsome cargoes on board ship has made his way nearly all over the world. This may be said, in a less degree, of the mouse. The better known varieties of rats are the Brown Rat, the Black Rat, the Water Rat, the Beaver Rat, the Musk Rat, the Lemming, the Pouched Rat, &c., &c. The principal varieties of the mouse are, the House Mouse, the Fieldmouse, the Harvest Mouse, the African Mouse and the Dormouse.

The Rat Family.

The brown rat is the species common in England, and best known throughout the world. It is said to have travelled from Persia to England less than two hundred years ago and to have spread from thence to other countries visited by English ships. It measures about nine inches, and is of a light brown colour. It multiplies very fast and once colonised is very difficult of extermination. It is larger and stronger than the black rat which it found in England when it came and which it has almost entirely destroyed and replaced. The brown rat is often mistaken for the water rat as it will take to the water on occasion and is often found in ditches and watery places. The water rat is common to central and northern Europe and is well known in England and Scotland. It differs little from the brown rat in appearance, and inhabits the banks of rivers and ponds. The black rat is of a deep iron grey, or nearly black. It is about seven inches long and in other respects bears a close resemblance to the brown rat. The beaver rat is a native of America and measures about fourteen inches exclusive of tail. It resembles the beaver in form, is fond of the water and swims well. At the approach of winter it builds itself little dome-topped houses, in which it hibernates in families. In the spring its flesh is good eating, but later it acquires a musk-like flavour which is disagreeable. It is easily tamed when young. The Muskovy musk rat is about the size of the common rat; it has a long and slender nose; no external ears; and very small eyes; the tail is compressed sideways, and its hind feet are webbed; it is of a dusky colour; the belly is of a light ash. It is a native of Lapland and Russia, in the former of which countries it is called the Desman; it frequents the banks of rivers, and feeds on small fish. The Hudson's Bay lemming is covered by very fine soft and long hair of an ash colour. In winter it is white. The limbs are quite short and the fore feet being formed for burrowing, are very strong. The Lapland lemming resembles the preceding and is remarkable for its extensive migrations. When a severe winter is approaching, the lemmings migrate southward, and move in a straightforward direction with such inflexible regularity, that, sooner than deviate from it, they will perish in attempting to pass over any obstacle which they may find in their way. The pouched rat belongs to America and is found in Florida, Georgia, and Missouri. It is brown in colour and lives in burrows under ground. The cheek pouches are external and are said to be used for the purpose of carrying food and also of removing sand loosened in the process of burrowing.

The Hamster.

The hamster is a curious little rat-like animal of the thrifty kind, that lays up store in the summer for winter use. It lives in burrows which it connects with various apartments, used as storehouses for food. On the approach of the cold weather it closes the entrance to its burrow, and makes a nest of straw in which it sleeps; becoming torpid in extreme cold.

Swarms of Rats.

The rapidity with which rats multiply, makes them troublesome and unpleasant neighbours. In the vicinity of the horse slaughter-houses at Montfaucon, near Paris, some years ago, they had become so numerous that the proposal to remove the slaughter houses was opposed on the ground of the danger that would accrue to the inhabitants from the rats being deprived of their means of subsistence. It was said that the carcases of thirty-five horses, if left unprotected, would be eaten by these rats in one night, the bones being picked clean. On one occasion, the carcases of three horses were placed in a high walled enclosure, small holes having been made in the walls for the admission of the rats, and subsequently stopped up. Several men armed with torches and sticks, then entered the yard, which was so full of rats that they could strike right and left without aim and yet be sure of destroying them. Two thousand six hundred and fifty rats fell victims to this experiment in one night. At the end of a month, the experiment having been several times repeated, sixteen thousand and fifty rats had been killed. The danger accruing from the burrowing of such enormous quantities of rats is by no means slight.

Invaded by Rats

The story of Bishop Hatto and the invasion of the "Mäusethurm" on the Rhine by rats, is well known if not entirely authentic. Some idea of what it would be to be invaded by rats, may be gathered from Mrs. Bowdich's graphic account of her own painful experiences. "When living in Cape Coast Castle, I used to see the rats come in troops past my door, walking over my black boys as they lay there, and who only turned themselves over to present the other sides of their faces and bodies when the rats returned, and thought it a good joke. The fiercest encounter which I ever had with them was during one of those terrific storms which are more furious between the tropics than elsewhere. I was then, however, under the Equator, in a native hut, and heard an exceeding rustling and movement all around me. To my terror I perceived that these proceeded from a number of rats running up and down the sides of the room in which I was to pass the night, and who shortly began to run over me, they being disturbed by the torrents of rain which were then falling. The only weapon I could find was a shoe, and curling myself into a large arm-chair taken out of a French vessel, and covered with blue satin damask, I sat prepared for my enemies, whom I dreaded much more than the lightning, which was flashing across the iron bars laid upon the floor. I felt that the silk of my place of refuge was some sort of protection against this; but my own arm could alone save me from my four-footed foes. Presently my husband came in, and saluted me with a shout of laughter, which, however, abated when he saw my antagonists. The storm lulled for a while, and the rats retreated. We then crept within the curtains of bamboo cloth which encircled a rude imitation of a fourpost bedstead, but I kept possession of my shoe. Weary with watching, I closed my eyes, but was awakened by a tremendous flash of lightning, immediately followed by awful thunder and a tumultuous rush of rats. Some of them scrambled up the outside of the curtains; but, arms in hand, I sat up, and directed by the noise, I hurled the invaders to the ground, till at length resistance and the passing away of the storm allowed me to sleep in peace." This was the brown rat so familiar all over the world.

Migrations of Rats.

The habit of rats to migrate in numbers, apparently well ordered, and under leadership, has often been noticed, and the way in which they will leave a burning house or a sinking ship has often been recorded. These companies will as a rule pass on their own way, and mind their own business if unmolested, but instances are recorded of their attacking and severely biting those who have opposed their progress. The Rev. Mr. Ferryman, who resided at Quorn in Leicestershire and who made somewhat of a study of rats, was walking in a meadow one evening when he observed a large number of rats in the act of migrating from one place to another. He stood perfectly still, and the whole assemblage passed close to him. His astonishment, however, was great when he saw amongst the number an old, blind rat, which held one end of a piece of stick in its mouth while another rat had hold of the other end of it, and thus conducted its blind companion.

The Intelligence of Rats.

Some remarkable illustrations of the intelligence of rats have been recorded from time to time. The following which occurred recently seems to show both thought and reason. A Burley rat found a dead hen in a field, one evening, and departed to inform his brethren of the discovery, when a gentleman, who afterwards reported the incident to the Leeds _Evening Post_--removed the prize, which the speedy return of half-a-dozen rats was too late to secure. The first rat plainly evinced his disappointment, but his friends suspected him of hoaxing them, turned upon him suddenly, and in a few moments he was as dead as the chicken which had disappeared, and was left lying on almost the same spot which it had occupied. Captain Brown tells the following story of the ingenuity of the rat in self-preservation. "During the great flood of September, the 4th, 1829, when the river Tyne was at its height, a number of people were assembled on its margin. A swan at last appeared, having a black spot on its plumage, which the spectators were surprised to find, on a nearer approach, was a live rat. It is probable it had been borne from its domicile on some hay rick, and, observing the swan, had made for it as an ark of safety. When the swan reached the land, the rat leapt from its back, and scampered away."

Saved by a Rat.

Perhaps no better example of the intelligence of the rat could be given than that afforded by the incident quoted by Jesse from Mr. Ferryman. Mr. Ferryman records that he had an old friend, a clergyman, of retired and studious habits. When sitting in his room one day, he saw an English rat come out of a hole at the bottom of the wainscot; and threw it a piece of bread. In process of time, he so familiarised the animal, that it became perfectly tame, ran about him, was his constant companion, and appeared much attached to him. He was in the habit of reading in bed at night; and was on one occasion awoke by feeling a sharp bite on his cheek, when he discovered the curtains of his bed to be on fire. He made his escape, but his house was burnt down, and he saw no more of his rat. He was, however, convinced, and remained so for the rest of his life, that his old companion had saved him from being burnt to death, by biting his cheek; and thus making him aware of his danger.

The Mouse.

The mouse is a much more popular animal than the rat, though taking its size and numbers into account it is scarcely less destructive. No one weeps when the rat suffers capital punishment, but many a tear has been shed over a "dear little mouse". The house mouse is too well known to need description. Like rats, mice appear to act in companies, either under leadership or by common consent. Mrs. Bowdich describes a number of mice which she observed during an illness frequently emerge from her bed-room closet and gravely form themselves into a circle and apparently hold a council. That they frequently combine to effect purposes which they are unable to accomplish singly is well known. Mrs. Bowdich describes an attempt made by a combined force of mice to get possession of the dainties provided for her as she approached convalescence. These were placed under tin covers upon a chest of drawers, and the mice were evidently of opinion that if they could only climb to the top of these covers they would find them open like a basin, and so effect an entry. Unable to gain a footing on the smooth metal sides, "they mounted upon each other's shoulders and so accomplished the feat", though like arctic explorers they failed to find an open sea and were compelled to return with disappointment. An organised attempt to remove a cover from the bottom, when, on one occasion, it had not been firmly set down, resulted in an accident similar to those incident to human engineering, for the cover slipped and many tiny hands were severely pinched. After this they abandoned their attempts though a single mouse would occasionally reconnoitre the scene, apparently unsatisfied with the defeat. Mice, like many other animals, are said to be much affected by music.

The Harvest Mouse.

The harvest mouse is a most interesting little creature; whose habits are thus described by White of Selborne:--"They build their nest amidst the straws of the corn above the ground, and sometimes in thistles. They breed as many as eight at a litter, in a little round nest composed of the blades of grass or wheat. One of these I procured this autumn, most artificially plaited, and composed of the blades of wheat, perfectly round, and about the size of a cricket ball, with the aperture so ingeniously closed that there is no discovering to what part it belonged. It was so compact and well filled that it would roll across the table without being discomposed, though it contained eight little mice that were naked and blind. As this nest was perfectly full, how could the dam come at her litter respectively so as to administer a teat to each? Perhaps she opens different places for that purpose, adjusting them again when the business is over; but she could not possibly be contained, herself, in the ball with her young, which moreover would be daily increasing in bulk. This procreant cradle--an elegant instance of the efforts of instinct--was found in a wheat field, suspended in the head of a thistle."

The Field Mouse.

There are two kinds of field mice, the long-tailed and the short-tailed varieties. The long-tailed field mouse is the mouse immortalised by Burns, and is found throughout Europe. The short-tailed variety occupies much the same geographical area, though it probably extends further. The latter are very destructive, and have sometimes increased to such an extent, that organised efforts have had to be made to exterminate it.

The Dormouse.

The common dormouse, and the greater dormouse are the principal varieties of this interesting little animal. They resemble the squirrel in appearance as well as in some of their habits. They live in trees, where they construct nests, on nuts, acorns, fruits, insects, birds and eggs, and squirrel-like rest upon their hindquarters when eating, holding their food between their forepaws. They lay up store for the winter and become torpid in the cold weather, rolling themselves into a ball, in which condition they may be handled without disturbance or injury. The common dormouse is found all over Europe, the greater dormouse occupying a still more extended area.

The Jerboa.

The Jerboa is a curious, little animal with the body of a mouse and hind legs which resemble those of the kangaroo in appearance. There are several varieties, one belonging to Southern Russia, one to the deserts of Egypt, Nubia, Arabia, Barbary and Tartary, and one to North America. They live in burrows which they construct with great care and industry. They are naturally timid and make for their holes on the slightest disturbance, leaping kangaroo fashion sometimes as high as five feet, and so swiftly as to be very difficult of capture. They have very long tails.

The Beaver.

There are two species of the beaver, the European beaver, and the American beaver. The former is most numerous in Siberia, Tartary, and the Caucasus but is also occasionally found in Central Europe. The American beaver is found throughout North America where it is eagerly hunted for the sake of its fur.

The European Beaver.

The following anonymous paragraph cut from a newspaper, but likely enough quoted from some standard Natural History, perhaps that of Messrs. Cassell and Co., throws some light upon the present condition of the European beaver.

"There are still some naturalists who assert that the beaver has ceased to exist in France. This, however, is a mistake; an animal of that species was caught a short time ago in the Hérault, and is now being exhibited at Montpelier. Beavers do not live in Europe in large companies or herds as they do in America, but only in solitude, and in this state they haunt secondary rivers, such as the Gard and the Gardon. There are a few on the banks and islands of the Rhone, but as these creatures are averse to noise, the splashing of the steamers plying to and fro has driven most of them away. They give a decided preference to such streams as are overshadowed by the willow, of the bark of which they are exceedingly fond. The beaver is also to be found as far north as the Saone, in those valleys where there is peat-ground. It lives in Spain, in Italy, and in Greece, but always solitary and fugitive. This curious animal is not only called _Castor Americanus_, but also _Castor Gallicus_, and not without reason, since the fossil remains of the genus are sufficient to attest their having been very numerous in France at some remote period. The little stream of the Bièvre derives its name from its having been the habitat of these creatures; its resemblance to the English name beaver need hardly be alluded to. In Europe this amphibious animal does not build those substantial and commodious dwellings which have rendered it so celebrated, because the rapacity and spirit of destruction so common in man have made it suspicious and cautious."

The American Beaver.

Writing of the American Beaver Dr. Godman says:--"Beavers are not particular in the site they select for the establishment of their dwellings, but if in a lake or pond, where a dam is not required, they are careful to build where the water is sufficiently deep. In standing waters, however, they have not the advantage afforded by a current for the transportation of their supplies of wood, which, when they build on a running stream, is always cut higher up than the place of their residence, and floated down. The materials used for the construction of their dams are the trunks and branches of small birch, mulberry, willow, and poplar trees. They begin to cut down their timber for building early in the summer, but their edifices are not commenced until about the middle or latter part of August, and are not completed until the beginning of the cold season. The strength of their teeth, and their perseverance in this work, may be fairly estimated by the size of the trees they cut down. Dr. Best informs us, that he has seen a mulberry tree, eight inches in diameter, which had been gnawed down by the beaver. The figure of the dam varies according to circumstances. Should the current be very gentle, the dam is carried nearly straight across; but when the stream is swiftly flowing, it is uniformly made with a considerable curve, having the convex part opposed to the current. Along with the trunks and branches of trees they intermingle mud and stones, to give greater security; and when dams have been long undisturbed and frequently repaired, they acquire great solidity, and their power of resisting the pressure of water and ice is greatly increased by the trees occasionally taking root, and eventually growing up into something of a regular hedge.

"The dwellings of the beaver are formed of the same materials as their dams, and are very rude, though strong, and adapted in size to the number of their inhabitants. These are seldom more than four old and six or eight young ones. Double that number have been occasionally found in one of the lodges, though this is by no means a very common circumstance. When building their houses, they place most of the wood crosswise, and nearly horizontally, observing no other order than that of leaving a cavity in the middle. Branches which project inward are cut off with their teeth, and thrown among the rest. The houses are by no means built of sticks first and then plastered, but all the materials, sticks, mud, and stones, if the latter can be procured, are mixed up together, and this composition is employed from the foundation to the summit. The mud is obtained from the adjacent banks or bottom of the stream or pond near the door of the hut. Mud and stones the beaver always carries by holding them between his fore paws and throat.

"Their work is all performed at night, and with much expedition. As soon as any part of the material is placed where it is intended to remain, they turn round and give it a smart blow with the tail. The same sort of blow is struck by them upon the surface of the water when they are in the act of diving. The outside of the hut is covered or plastered with mud late in the autumn, and after frost has begun to appear. By freezing it soon becomes almost as hard as stone, and effectually excludes their great enemy, the wolverine, during the winter."

The Squirrel.

The family of the Squirrel is a very large one and with it are included the marmots, the prairie dogs, and the anomalures, the latter of which form a sub-family. The common squirrel, the variety familiar in England, is a pretty little creature with its bright piercing eyes, and knowing look, and its graceful bushy tail. It is one of the most agile of animals, ascending and descending trees with the rapidity of a flash and so sensitive, that it is said that if the tree upon which its nests is only touched at the bottom it takes alarm and seeks safety on another tree. It builds its nests in the forks of branches of trees,--of moss, twigs, and dried leaves,--and leaps great distances from tree to tree. The ground squirrel is characterised by fine longitudinal black bands on its back, which form a very pretty marking. It belongs chiefly to North America. "It lives in villages under ground," says an American writer, "and plunders the farmers worse than the gopher. Every two months the ground squirrel breeds and neither State premiums nor strychnine diminishes its numbers. It levies an assessment of thirty per cent. on the profits of a wheat crop in many sections."

The flying squirrel, also common in the United States, has a membranous skin which extends from the fore limbs along the body to the hind limbs by which its body is buoyed up as it descends obliquely through the air from the tree to the ground, the tail operating as a rudder. One species of the flying squirrel is found in Europe and several in India.

The Squirrel at Home.

Mr. Head gives a graphic description of his experiences with a squirrel in the Canadian woods. He says:--"I was waiting the approach of a large flock of wild fowl, but a little villain of a squirrel on the bough of a tree close to me, seemed to have determined that even now I should not rest in quiet, for he sputtered and chattered with so much vehemence, that he attracted the attention of my dog, whom I could scarcely control. The vagrant inattention of my dog was truly mortifying; he kept his eyes fixed upon the squirrel, now so noisy as to be quite intolerable. With my hand, I made a motion to threaten him, but the little beast actually set up his back, and defied me, becoming even more passionate and noisy than before, till all of a sudden, as if absolutely on purpose to alarm the game, down he let himself drop, plump at once within a couple of yards of Rover's nose. This was too much for any four-footed animal to bear, so he gave a bounce and sprang at the impertinent squirrel, who, in one second, was safe out of his reach, cocking his tail, and showing his teeth on the identical bough where he had sat before. Away flew all the wild fowl, and my sport was completely marred. My gun went involuntarily to my shoulder to shoot the squirrel. At the same moment, I felt I was about to commit an act of sheer revenge, on a little courageous animal which deserved a better fate. As if aware of my hesitation, he nodded his head with rage, and stamped his fore paws on the tree: while in his chirruping, there was an intonation of sound, which seemed addressed to an enemy for whom he had an utter contempt. What business, I could fancy he said, had I there, trespassing on his domain, and frightening his wife and little family, for whom he was ready to lay down his life? There he would sit in spite of me, and make my ears ring with the sound of his war whoop, till the spring of life should cease to bubble in his little heart."

Tame Squirrels.

Captain Brown tells of a gentleman who had a tame squirrel, who used to run up his legs and enter his pocket when he saw him preparing to go out. From this safe retreat the squirrel often poked his head and peeped at the people as they passed, but never ventured to emerge until the crowded thoroughfares were passed. When they reached the outskirts of the city, however, the squirrel leaped to the ground, ran along the road, ascended trees and hedges, with the quickness of lightning, and nibbled at the leaves and bark. If the gentleman walked on, it would descend, scamper after him, and again enter his pocket. On hearing a carriage or cart, it became much alarmed, and always hid itself till it had passed by. This gentleman had a dog, between which and the squirrel a certain enmity existed. Whenever the dog lay asleep, the squirrel would show its teasing disposition, by rapidly descending from its box, scampering over the dog's body, and quickly mounting to its box again. Another squirrel who frequented his master's pocket, on one occasion rendered important service. One evening, as was his practice, when his master's coat was taken off and hung behind a door, the squirrel ran up the door and took up his quarters in the familiar pocket, carrying with him a supply of tow with which to make himself comfortable for the night. After all the family had retired to rest, a burglar made his appearance, effected an entrance, and proceeded to examine the pockets of the coat hanging to the door. Putting his hand rather unceremoniously into the squirrel's bedroom the robber received such a sharp and unexpected bite that he could not forbear to cry out and the master of the house, aroused by the unusual sound, entered the room, armed with a poker, just in time to secure the thief as he was escaping through the window.

The Marmot. The Bobak. The Prairie Dog.

Marmots are found in the northern parts of both the old and the new worlds. The Bobak belongs to southern Russia, the Prairie Dog to North America and the Woodchuck to Canada.

The marmot is easily tamed and is familiar to many from being made the companion of itinerant Savoyards who exhibit them when asking alms. The Bobak is also readily amenable to kindness. All these animals live in burrows and are exceedingly interesting in their habits. The anomalure is a squirrel with a membranous skin resembling to some extent that of the flying squirrels and used by it for the same purpose. It belongs to Fernando Po.

The Chinchilla.

The Chinchilla is about nine inches long, its tail being about five inches. Its eyes are full, like those of the rabbit, its hind legs are long, its fore ones short. It sits upon its haunches, and takes its food in its fore paws. It is found in Chili and Peru, and inhabits the open country, living in burrows, and subsisting on the roots of bulbous plants, which are abundant in those regions. Great numbers of them are killed for their skins, which furnish the most delicate and beautiful of furs. The Alpine Viscacha and the Viscacha of the Pampas, are included in the same family.

The Porcupine.

The Porcupine is found throughout Africa and southern Asia and also in the south of Europe. "Less completely covered with weapons of defence than the hedgehog," says Captain Brown, "the porcupine possesses them in greater strength, for its formidable quills are capable of inflicting severe wounds. When irritated or in danger it raises its quills on its back; but it is though fretful, not fierce in disposition but easily tamed." When cornered the porcupine turns its back to its assailant, who usually wounds himself by coming in contact with the quills. The porcupine lives in burrows by itself; it is a lonely animal. The Cavies and the Agouti of America are classified with this family. Among the former is the Capybara, the largest of the rodents, an animal which attains to from three to four feet in length. It belongs to Brazil, Guinea, and Paraguay. The Canadian porcupine, and the Brazilian porcupine, are tree porcupines and are only found in America.

The Guinea Pig.

The Guinea Pig (_Cavia Cobaya_) is said to be the domestic form of the _Cavia Aperea_ of Brazil and Peru. It derives its name from its supposed place of origin, as it was said to have been first introduced into England from Guinea. It is tailless, but clean and neat in appearance, being marked with black, white, and orange colours. It is said to lack intelligence and to be destitute of attachment, suffering its young to be destroyed without resistance. Perhaps this is due to the fact that it has so many; it breeds at intervals of two months and produces from three to twelve young ones at a birth.

Hares and Rabbits.

We come now to the second sub-order of the Rodents or animals that gnaw, the _Duplicidentati_, the rodents having four incisor teeth in the upper jaw. This brings us to the Hares and Rabbits, of which there are numerous species, the Common Hare, the Irish or Mountain Hare and the Common Rabbit being the best known. The Irish or Mountain Hare is somewhat larger than the common hare and changes from brown to white in the winter. The Sardinian, the Egyptian, the Polar, and the Sage hares are other varieties.

The Common Hare.

The Common Hare is a familiar animal and needs no description. It is found throughout Europe and is well known in England. The hare hides during the day under cover of low foliage, ferns, and the undergrowth of preserves, in spots known as 'forms'. Its habit of making a definite track from its form to its feeding grounds and of always following its own track makes it an easy sacrifice to those who know its ways. It is exceedingly swift in its movements, and it is well that it is so, for its only safety is in flight and in the sagacity and cunning it shows in eluding its pursuers. Many illustrations of the latter have been recorded. Fouilloux mentions a hare which he saw start from its form at the sound of a hunter's horn, run towards a pool of water at a considerable distance, plunge in and swim to some rushes in the middle, and there lay down and conceal itself from the pursuit of the dogs. Another hare, when closely pressed passed under a gate, the dogs leaping over it. The hare quickly perceived the advantage it had gained by this, and so doubled, returning under the gate, the dogs following over it as before. This was repeated several times until taking advantage of the exhaustion of the dogs the hare escaped. The hare will often run perfectly straight while in view of the hounds, but immediately on gaining the slightest cover will double, and redouble with astonishing rapidity, apparently to confuse the scent.

The Intelligence of the Hare.

The following anecdote seems to show remarkable intelligence on the part of a hare. It is from a statement made by Mr. Yarrell in the "Magazine of Natural History":--"A harbour of great extent on our southern coast has an island near the middle, of considerable size, the nearest point of which is a mile distant from the mainland at high water, and with which point there is frequent communication by a ferry. Early one morning in spring two hares were observed to come down from the hills of the mainland towards the seaside, one of which from time to time left its companion, and proceeding to the very edge of the water, stopped there a minute or two, and then returned to its mate. The tide was rising, and after waiting some time, one of them, exactly at high water, took to the sea, and swam rapidly over, in a straight line, to the opposite projecting point of land. The observer on this occasion, who was near the spot, but remained unperceived by the hares, had no doubt that they were of different sexes, and that it was the male--like another Leander--which swam across the water, as he had probably done many times before. It was remarkable that the hares had remained on the shore nearly half an hour, one of them occasionally examining, as it would seem, the state of the current, and ultimately taking to the sea at that precise period of the tide called slack water, when the passage across could be effected without being carried by the force of the stream either above or below the desired point of landing. The other hare then cantered back to the hills."

A Hunted Hare.

The following story of a hunted hare is from "The Annals of Sporting," for May 1822:--"Two years ago, a doe hare produced two young ones in a field adjoining my cottage; and the three were occasionally seen, during the summer, near the same spot. But the leverets were, I have reason to believe, killed at the latter end of September of the same year; the old doe hare was also coursed, and making directly for my cottage, entered the garden, and there blinked the dogs. I repeatedly afterwards saw her sitting, sometimes in the garden, (which is one hundred and ten yards by forty-three,) but more frequently in the garden-hedge. She was repeatedly seen by greyhounds when she sat at some distance, but uniformly made for the garden, and never failed to find security. About the end of the following January, puss was no longer to be seen about the garden, as she had probably retired to some distance with a male companion. One day, in February, I heard the hounds, and shortly afterwards observed a hare making towards the garden, which it entered at a place well known, and left not the least doubt on my mind, that it was my old acquaintance, which, in my family, was distinguished by the name of Kitty. The harriers shortly afterwards came in sight, followed Kitty, and drove her from the garden. I became alarmed for the safety of my poor hare, and heartily wished the dogs might come to an irrecoverable fault. The hare burst away with the fleetness of the wind, and was followed breast high, by her fierce and eager pursuers. In about twenty minutes I observed Kitty return towards the garden, apparently much exhausted, and very dirty. She took shelter beneath a small heap of sticks, which lay at no great distance from the kitchen door. No time was to be lost, as, by the cry of the hounds, I was persuaded they were nearly in sight. I took a fishing-net, and, with the assistance of the servant, covered poor Kitty, caught her, and conveyed the little, panting, trembling creature into the house. The harriers were soon at the spot, but no hare was to be found. I am not aware that I ever felt greater pleasure than in thus saving poor Kitty from her merciless pursuers. Towards evening I gave Kitty her liberty; I turned her out in the garden, and saw her not again for some time. In the course of the following summer, however, I saw a hare several times, which I took to be my old friend; and, in the latter end of October, Kitty was again observed in the garden. Henceforward she was occasionally seen as on the preceding winter. One morning, in January, when I was absent, a gun was fired near my cottage; Kitty was heard to scream, but, nevertheless, entered the garden vigorously. The matter was related to me on my return home; and I was willing to hope that Kitty would survive. However, I had some doubt on the subject; and, the next morning, as soon as light permitted, I explored the garden, and found that my poor unfortunate favourite had expired; she was stretched beneath a large gooseberry tree; and I could not help very much regretting her death."

Tame Hares.

Though exceedingly timid creatures hares are readily tamed, and have often become as domesticated as cats and dogs. Cowper's experiments with hares will naturally occur to the reader, besides which there are cases recorded where tame hares have been associated in domesticity with cats and even sporting dogs. One possessed by Mr. A. S. Moffat was thus domiciled and would feed from the same plate with a cat and a dog. This hare would knock a book out of its master's hand to secure his attention.

The Common Rabbit.

The Common Rabbit is found all over the British Isles, as well as in France and Spain; and in the north of Africa where it is indigenous. It is smaller than the hare and lives in burrows, in large numbers, completely honey-combing sand hills which are covered with grass and vegetation. Before producing her young, the female forms a separate burrow where she conceals them after birth. This is done to protect them from the male who destroys, if he discovers them. The young are born blind and gain their sight after ten days. They are a month old before they are allowed to leave the burrow.

ORDER XI.

Toothless Animals.

Curiously enough this order, though denominated toothless, includes several animals which have well developed dental arrangements. In these, however, the teeth are not found in the front of the jaw, and those which are found are elementary and simple. Several families are classified with this order, of which the Sloth, the Pangolin, the Armadillo, the Cape Ant-Bear, and the Ant-Eater are the best known representatives.

The Sloth.

The Sloth belongs to South America. "In its wild state," says Waterton, "the Sloth spends its whole life in the trees, and never leaves them but through force or accident, and, what is more extraordinary, not _upon_ the branches, like the squirrel and monkey, but _under_ them. He _moves_ suspended from the branch, he _rests_ suspended from the branch, and he _sleeps_ suspended from the branch." "In fact," says the Rev. J. G. Wood, "as Sydney Smith observes, he passes a life of suspense, like a curate distantly related to a Bishop. To render it fit for this singular mode of life, its long and powerful arms are furnished with strong curved claws, which hook round the branches, and keep the animal suspended without any effort. When on the ground, these claws are very inconvenient, and it can barely shuffle along; but when it is in its native element, it moves with exceeding rapidity, particularly in a gale of wind, when it passes from branch to branch, and from tree to tree, with an activity which its movements on the ground by no means portend."

The Pangolin.

There are two species of the Pangolin, or Manis, the long-tailed and the short-tailed, the former being a native of Africa and the latter of the East Indies. The long-tailed manis measures about five feet inclusive of the tail which is about three feet long, the short-tailed manis about four feet in all. All the upper parts of its body are closely covered with scales of different sizes, which, as they are attached to the skin only by the lower extremity, it can erect at pleasure, opposing to its adversary a formidable row of offensive weapons. They are sharp at the point, and so hard as, on collision, to strike fire like a flint. The moment it perceives the approach of an enemy, it rolls itself up like a hedgehog, by which means it covers all the weaker parts of its body. The Pangolins live on ants, which they catch by thrusting their long slender tongues into the midst of their prey, their tongues being covered by a gummy saliva to which the ants adhere.

The Armadillo.

The Armadillo is a native of South America, in which country there are several varieties. They are all covered with a strong crust or shell, resembling, as the Rev. J. G. Wood puts it, "the modified plate armour" worn by men in the 16th century. They eat vegetables and insects, and do good work as scavengers. They burrow with great rapidity and when rolled up, after the manner of the hedgehog, are invulnerable to their ordinary enemies.

The Cape Ant-Bear.

The Cape Ant-Bear belongs to the Cape of Good Hope. It differs from the ant-eaters of the western world in many ways, being a hairy animal without scales, its head resembling that of the deer kind, having long ears but no horns. The length of its body which is covered with bristles is about four feet, and its feet which are short, are furnished with strong claws which enable it to excavate the cavities in which it lives.

The Ant-Eater.

The true Ant-Eater is found in the South American tropics. The Great Ant-Eater belongs to La Plata, the Little Ant-Eater to the Brazils. The Great Ant-Eater is four feet in length, without its tail, which is two feet six inches long. The true ant-eater like the Pangolin already described inserts its long tongue into the nest of the ant, catching its little victims in large numbers by the sticky mucus which covers its tongue.

ORDER XII.

Pouched Animals.

Of the several families classed in this order the opossums and the kangaroos are the most familiar. The Dasyures of Tasmania and the Bandicoots of Australia and New Guinea also belong to this order, as do the many varieties of the Phalanger of Australasia and those of the Wombat of Tasmania. The pouch is one of the most remarkable provisions of Nature, the young of the pouched animals being small and of imperfect form at birth and requiring the protection of the pouch for their sustenance and development.

The Opossum.

The common Opossum, which is a native of Virginia, is about the size of a badger. It is provided with a pouch, in which it carries its young, and into which they leap on the approach of danger. Its covering is a coat of long fur, of a dingy white colour. It feeds upon fish, birds, insects, and reptiles. Its tail is very muscular, and by this it hangs from the branches of trees and, watching its prey, lets itself fall upon its victims with great precision. Its hind feet are formed something like hands, by which it is enabled to climb with wonderful facility. The opossum when caught often simulates death so admirably that he deceives his captors and ultimately escapes them.

The Kangaroo.

The Kangaroo belongs to Australia and New Guinea. The length of its body is from four to five feet six inches; its fore legs are very short; its hind ones very long. Its tail is from three to four feet in length, and its strength is such, that a stroke of it will break a man's leg. The Kangaroo moves by great leaps or bounds of from twelve to twenty feet. It is covered with a short soft fur, of a reddish ash-colour. It feeds on vegetables, and has a pouch for its young, like the opossum. Mr. Cunningham says: "The Kangaroos make no use of the short fore legs, except in grazing. When chased, they hop upon their hind legs, bounding onward at a most amazing rate, the tail wagging up and down as they leap, and serving them for a balance. They will bound over gulleys and deep declivities, and fly right over the tops of low brush wood." There are several varieties of this animal; one of which, called the Rat Kangaroo, is only the size of a rabbit; another, called the Tree Kangaroo, can hop about on trees in an extraordinary manner and is furnished with curved claws, on its fore paws, similar to those of the sloth, by which he can lay hold of the branches.

Kangaroo Hunting.