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Popular history of animals for young people

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Title:
Popular history of animals for young people with 13 coloured plates and numerous illustrations in the text
Creator:
Scherren, Henry
Cassell & Company
Place of Publication:
London
Paris
Melbourne
Publisher:
Cassell and Company
Publication Date:
Language:
English
Physical Description:
376, 16 p.. [13] leaves of plates : ill. (some col.) ; 23 cm.

Subjects

Subjects / Keywords:
Zoology -- Juvenile literature ( lcsh )
Natural history -- Juvenile literature ( lcsh )
Animals -- Juvenile literature ( lcsh )
Birds -- Juvenile literature ( lcsh )
Insects -- Juvenile literature ( lcsh )
Worms -- Juvenile literature ( lcsh )
Publishers' catalogues -- 1896 ( rbgenr )
Prize books (Provenance) -- 1896 ( rbprov )
Bldn -- 1896
Genre:
Publishers' catalogues ( rbgenr )
Prize books (Provenance) ( rbprov )
novel ( marcgt )
Spatial Coverage:
England -- London
France -- Paris
Australia -- Melbourne
Target Audience:
juvenile ( marctarget )

Notes

General Note:
Publisher's catalogue follows text.
General Note:
Includes index.
General Note:
"Fifth thousand".--t.p.

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University of Florida
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University of Florida
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This item is presumed to be in the public domain. The University of Florida George A. Smathers Libraries respect the intellectual property rights of others and do not claim any copyright interest in this item. Users of this work have responsibility for determining copyright status prior to reusing, publishing or reproducing this item for purposes other than what is allowed by fair use or other copyright exemptions. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions may require permission of the copyright holder. The Smathers Libraries would like to learn more about this item and invite individuals or organizations to contact The Department of Special and Area Studies Collections (special@uflib.ufl.edu) with any additional information they can provide.
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232334731 ( OCLC )

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@
| Stradbroke House School,

TUNBRIDGE WELLS.

Sep: rove |
aay tee vel i Oe |
eae A Gade ee al |












Stuttgart

ger,

M.See





POET A Ee AE ELE RR eT

PLATE IV. (f7ontispiece).
x, Indian’ Elephant. 2. American Tapir. 3. Indian Rhinoceros.
4. Wild Ass. 5. Zebra. 6. Dromedary. 7. Llama. 8. Reindeer.
9. Giraffe. 10. Duikerbok. 11. Chamois. 12. Gnu. 13. European
Bison. 14. Walrus. 15. Seal. 16. Dolphin. 17. Whale.



POPULAR

HISTORY OF ANIMALS

FOR

YOUNG PEOPLE

BY

‘HENRY SCHERREN, F.Z.S.

AUTHOR OF ‘*PONDS AND ROCK POOLS”

WITH 13 COLOURED PLATES AND NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS
IN THE TEXT

FIFTH THOUSAND

CASSELL anpb COMPANY, “LIMITED
LONDON, PARIS & MELBOURNE
; 1896

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED





First Edition 1895; Reprinted 1896.



PREFACE.

—+e——

THE object of this book is to give a short account of the Animal
Kingdom in clear and simple language. The book being intended
chiefly for young people, no formal classification has been given,
and popular names have been used throughout. But the Pa
divisions of the Animal Kingdom have been _ plainly indicated ;
and modern classification has been practically followed. The
Author’s aim has been to write in such fashion that the book may
serve to waken, or quicken, interest in the observation of the habits
of the lower animals, and as an introduction to the study of their

relations to us and to each other.
H. S.






CONTENTS.

sia ats
PAGE
CHAPTER I.
How ANIMALS ARE CLASSIFIED : . 5 . : ‘ 5 F I
CHAPTER IL.
Man . : 5 : : ‘i : ‘ . 3 : . ; 3 . 7
CHAPTER III.
THE MAN-LIKE APES : . . . 2r
CHAPTER IV.
THE MONKEYS OF THE OLD WORLD 38
CHAPTER V.
New Wor.tp MONKEYS AND MARMOSETS ‘ . esate . . 54
CHAPTER VI.
LEMURS AND LEMUR-LIKE ANIMALS. “i . ee . . « 63
CHAPTER VII.
Bats AND INSECTIVORES . i "| ; 5 ; ” a ; »« 69
CHAPTER VIII.
CaRNIVoRES. THE Cat FAMILY. is . : : 4 i . a)
CHAPTER IX.
Tue Civet, Hy@na, AND Doc FAMILigs 104
CHAPTER X.
BEARS AND BEAR-LIKE CARNIVORES~ + 116
CHAPTER XI.
» 125

MARINE CARNIVORA



vi CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XII.
HooFreD MaMMALs

CHAPTER XIII.
RODENTS, OR GNAWING ANIMALS

CHAPTER XIV.
DOLPHINS AND WHALES

CHAPTER XV.

SLoTHs, ANT-EATERS, AND ARMADILLOS

CHAPTER XVI.
PoucHED MAMMALS .

CHAPTER XVII.
BIRDS. PASSERINE BIRDS

CHAPTER XVIII.
PICARIAN BIRDS AND PARROTS .

CHAPTER XIX.

PicEons, Fow.s, AND GAME Birps. BIRDS OF PREY

CHAPTER XX.
WADING AND SWIMMING BIRDS

CHAPTER: XXI.
THE RUNNING BIRDS

CHAPTER XXII.
REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS

CHAPTER XXIII.
FISHES

CHAPTER XXIV.
THE BORDERLAND “a

PAGE

129

155

169

174

184

208

221

241

260

263
288

315



CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XXV.
MOLLuscs

CHAPTER XXVI.
ARTHROPODS—INSECTS

CHAPTER XXVII.
ARACHNIDS AND CRUSTACEANS

CHAPTER XXVIII.
ECHINODERMS AND ‘‘ Worms”

CHAPTER XXIX.
STINGING ANIMALS AND SPONGES

CHAPTER XXX.

THE OLDEST AND SIMPLEST ANIMALS

vii

PAGE

317

327

344

358

366



LIST: OF 8COLOURED PLATES. =." :

- ee
PLATE

L8 ee. c - 1 6 4 Fo. face page 16

Te a Od
TH a oe
Iv... ; : : : : ‘ 2 . Frontispiece

Weck : : ‘ : ; : 7 To face page 192

Wie Z 2c8
TEVIL : : A Be ae 2 3 240
Si Ae ee s 272

Ix ” » 304,

» x 33 328
Xi. pees ' Z : oa 336
XI. i : 3 ‘ : z $ #6 344

A a 352

For the numerous Illustrations in the Text, see INDEX at the end.



POPULAR HISTORY OF ANIMALS

FOR

YOUNG PEOPLE.



CHAPTER I.
HOW ANIMALS ARE CLASSIFIED.

N dealing with Natural History, the first requisite is a classi-
fication or arrangement of some kind. This need not be
elaborate ; but, to be of real service, it must be based on
right principles.

Resemblance in external form and similarity in habits
were formerly taken as a guide, and led to many wrong conclusions—
such as classing the. hyrax among the Rodents and the kinkajou among
the Lemurs. Nor was the element in which an animal lived a safer
means of judging, for it led Pliny to put the whales, which Jeremiah*
knew to be Mammals, with the Fishes; and even down to the middle
of the seventeenth century naturalists classed. the Bats with Birds,.
till John Ray taught them better.

The principle now adopted is that of relationship, which teaches
that all forms of life at present existing have arisen from simpler
forms—these, in their turn, being derived: from other still’ more simple ;
and so backwards, till the period when the only life on this planet
was represented by forms as lowly-as-the Amceba.

Hence, schemes of classification now set forth ‘our iowiedge™ so”
far as it goes, of the relationship of animals to each other, and in
many cases take the actual shape of a genealogical tree, in which the
principal groups are represented by branches,. giving off smaller ones;
from which branchlets and twigs arise, reDEgsennne | the divisions of ;
the principal groups. : ‘

It was formerly the practice to divide all afiruals into two gfoups— .
Vertebrates and Invertebrates—according as they did, or did not, possess





a backbone. And for a long time this division seemed to work‘ very well, =e

till increase of knowledge made it clear that among the Invertebrates there:
were some which showed more or less definite ‘traces of a backbone,
* “Even the sea monsters draw out the breast, they give suck to their young ones.”—° .

Lamentations iv. 3.
BR



2 PoputAR HiIsToRY. oF ANIMALS.

or something very much like one; and that in some of the creatures
which had a backbone it was not divided into vertebre, or joints. In
others, again, as the Shark and the Skate, the spinal column is gristly
in substance, and not bony.

This gives us three groups, instead: of two, to deal with:— =»

‘Animals with a backbone (Man, Monkeys, Lions, Elephants,
Whales, Birds, Reptiles, Frogs and Newts, and Fishes).

Animals with. traces of a backbone (the Lancelets, Tunicates,
or Sea-squirts, and Acorn-worms).

Animals without a backbone or traces of one (Cuttle-fish, :
Spiders, Insects, Crabs and Lobsters, Starfish and Sea-urchins,

“Worms,” Sponges, Stinging Animals, and Primitive Animals,
or Animalcules).

Smaller groups of animals which, though they differ in many respects
from each other, possess some common character not found in the rest,
constitute CZasses. Thus, the Beasts of Prey, the Whales, and the Bats
agree in this, that the young are suckled by their mothers. These
animals, and all others whose young are nourished with their’ mothers’
milk, constitute the class of Mammals. Eagles, Ostriches,.and Pigeons
agree in that they are clothed with feathers; and, with all other animals
similarly clad, make up the class of Birds.

Then among thé Mammals it is easy to distinguish “several main
groups. The Cats, Dogs, and; Bears subsist chiefly by preying on animals
of ‘the same Class’: * Horses, Oxen, and*Deer have the toes encased
in hoofs; Beavers, Rabbits, and Mice have the front teeth adapted for
gnawing,..and ‘soon.’ This division gives us the. Orders—Flesh-eaters
or Beasts of. Prey, Hoofed Mammals, Gnawers or- Rodents, etc.

If we consider the structure and habits of the Cats (Lion, Tiger,
Leopard, etc.), and: ‘the Dogs and Wolves; “points of agreement will be
found common to the Tiger and Leopard, and théDomestic Cat,
which do not exist in the Dogs*and ‘Wolves’ . Hence the former are
“placed in the Cat family, and the.latter in the Dog family. Then
further, in the. ‘Cat family jis one form —the Cheetah, or Hunting
Leopard—whose relationship to the rest is more distant than that
subsisting between the other members. We may say that Lions, Tigers,
Leopards, Pumas and Jaguars, and thé Smaller Cats, are brothers, while
the Cheetah is only a cousin. This difference of relationship is ex-
pressed by putting the True Cats into the’ Cat genus, and the Cheetah
into another genus, and these two constitute tHe Cat family.

The final unit of classification is the Sgecies. ‘This term is difficult





VERTEBRATES. . 3

to define, but it may be taken to denote “a number of animals so closely
resembling each other that they might be supposed to be the offspring of
the same parents, and in turn giving birth to animals like themselves.”

VERTEBRATES.

Having’ thus mapped out the ground over which we are to travel,
our next step will be to gain some idea of the plan of a Vertebrate, or
- backboned animal.

Most children possess a strange fancy for covering slates and the
covers of copy-books with “drawings.” Many of these are “animal”
subjects, treated’ in what artists call a conventional manner : that is, itis
generally understood that such or such a figure represents such or such
an animal—for example, a horse or a lion. A few strokes on the top
of the head give it horns, and make it into a cow or a buffalo. Some-
times a legend is put beneath in clear print hand, “THis Is a cow,”
to prevent the possibility of mistake.

ae

PLAN OF A VERTEBRATE SKELETON,

Some of the earliest attempts bear close resemblance to the above—
a diagram rather than a picture. Nevertheless, it will serve our purpose
quite as well as, or even better than, the most..elaborate anatomical
drawing ; for while that, by reason of its correctness, would only serve
for an individual, our diagram, with a little imaginative modification, will
do duty for the skeleton of a Lamprey, a. Fish, an. Amphibian, a Reptile,
a Bird, or a Mammal. ee i

The horizontal line represents the backbone, or vertebral column,
which forms the chief internal support of the body, and which is called
the axial skeleton. It is made up of a number of separate bones, as
we may see for ourselves when a hare or rabbit, fowl, or ‘fish, is sent
up to table. These bones are, fitted together, with a gristly pad
between them, so as to allow of free motion; and this arrangement
enables us to bend our backs and turn our heads. Most of these bones
are perforated by a hole-or canal, through which runs the spinal cord,
terminating at the front end or top in a big mass—the brain, enclosed
tor protection in the brain-box, or skull. :

The four strokes, forming two angles, may well stand for the limbs,
which are never more than four in number in any backboned animal ;
though they may be reduced to two, as in some lizards and in the whales 5

nie



4 PorputAR HisTorY OF ANIMALS.

they may be altogether absent, as in the slow-worm, snake, and viper of
our copses and plantations; or of the two pairs, one pair may be but
partially developed, as in the so-called wingless birds of New Zealand.

The outstanding portion of the figure ‘at the end opposite the head
is, it is hardly necessary‘.to say, the tail, the bony framework for
which exists at some period of life, though this appendage is. not
possessed by Man, some monkeys, Manx cats, and guinea-pigs. The
dog uses his tail to show that he is pleased; horses and cows use the
tail-as a fly-flapper; birds and fishes as a rudder, and it also serves
the last-mentioned animals as a natural screw-propeller ; while to some
monkeys it is almost as useful as an additional hand would be.

We shall be able to test the truth of these statements by examining
our own bodies, or by handling the family cat, or a pet rabbit. It
will be sufficient to run the hand gently down the back from the
neck to the tail, to assure ourselves of the continuity of the backbone :
and in the same way we may feel that the limbs and skull are con-
nected with it. We must, however, notice that the limbs are turned
away from the main nervous system—running through the backbone,
and remember that this arrangement is universal in Vertebrate Animals.
But though ‘we shall generally find four limbs in a Vertebrate or Back-
boned Animal, they are not always of the same shape, nor are they
always used for the same purpose. The arms of a man correspond to
the forelegs of a horse, a lion, an elephant, a lizard, or a frog; to the
wings of a bird or a.bat;, and to ‘the’ spair’ of ‘fins that are called
pectoral, and generally bitnited near ‘the head, in. fishes, just as the
ventral pair correspond to his legs. The limbs differ also in their use
in the lower Vertebrates: generally they serve. for locomotion, to carry
their owner from place to place; but sometimes one pair and sometimes
another are modified into grasping organs,‘and fulfil the purpose of ~
hands. Everyone has seen a squirrel sit up and nibble a piece of
biscuit which he holds in his forepaws, while ya parrot will use its foot
to convey a dainty morsel to its mouth.

In some cases where, as in the Boas, there are no external limbs,
there are internal traces of one pair—foreshadowings of what was to
come; or these traces, as in the Whales and Dolphins, may represent
limbs lost through disuse. This question of loss through disuse is
very important; for it shows that, while movement upward is the
general law of Nature, there may also be degeneration, or movement
backwards and downwards. On this point it is well to read what
Kingsley says in his “Water-Babies” of the Doasyoulikes, who left
the. country of Hardwork for the land of Readymade, at the foot of
the Happy-go-Lucky Mountains, where flapdoodle grows wild. Of



MAMMALS. 4 15

course, “‘Water-Babies” is only a fairy tale: the author said so, and
he ought.to know. But it is a fairy tale with a good deal of truth
in it, and some excellent natural history into the bargain.

MAMMALS.

The importance.of Mammals to Man is greater than that of any other
group of animals, and chief among the class, in this respect; stand the
Ungulates, or Hoofed Mammals, containing the Horses, Oxen,’ Sheep,
and Goats. Some of these serve as beasts of draught and burden, others
for food, and when dead their
skin, hair, wool, hoofs, etc,
are all turned to good ac-
count.

_We shall get a good idea
of the bony framework of a
Mammal from the figure here-
with, which represents the
skeleton of a camel. The
general plan should be com-
pared with the rough diagram
on page 3, and the bones with
the human skeleton and its
parts on pages 8 to 11.

All Mammals have warm

. a@, Skull ; 1, shoulder-blade (scapula) ; 2, arm (Aemerus) ;
red blood, and- ‘breathe by 3 35 fore-arm (selna, or cubitus); 4, BCD 5s



SKELETON OF CAMEL.

< ° : a metacarpus, corresponding to the human palm; 6,
lungs 2 gills are -never de cigs: shcee ae ° the Singers) 7: Cul pone
ins Jemur); 8, leg (ti67a); 9, ankle (Zarsvs), the bone
veloped. Except _ 7 oy ¥ the that stands out behind is the heel; x0, metatarsus,
Duck Mole and Spiny Ant-. Corresponding to the sole of the human foot; 11,
ome digits, corresponding to the human toes : 12, cervical
eaters, the young are: brought, vertebra ; 13, dorsal vertebra ; 14, lumbar vertebra ;
g eke Nha ° 15, sacral vertebree, 16, caudal vertebra; 17, ribs;

forth alive, and during «their 18, pelvis,

growth they do not undergo

any change or metamorphosis, like that of frogs and newts: in other
words, there is no larval stage. The young of the Pouched Mammals
are not fully developed when they come into the world, and most of
them pass some.time in the pouch of the:mother.. But the new-born
young of all are nourished with milk, secreted by the mother, and
from this circumstance the name of the class is derived.

Another characteristic of this class is the hairy covering of the skin.
This is complete, or nearly so, in most Mammals, but extremely scanty
in the Whales, being limited to a few bristles round the mouth, and even
these disappear when the animals become full grown. Hair is often of two
kinds—one long and stiff, that appears on the surface; the other short,

\



6 oe PopuLar HisToRY oF ANIMALS.

“soft, and downy, and called fur. A very good’ example of the two kinds
“of hair is seen in. the fur seal, so many of which are killed that their
skins may be made into jackets and mantles forthe ladies ‘of Europe and
America. In Pigs, the hairs form stiff bristles, and in Hedgehogs and
Poreupines, they are so thick as to
form’ spines, those of the latter
animals being popularly ‘known as
“quills.” “In the Scaly Ant-eaters,
the ,body is covered with scales,
and in the Armadillos with bony’
plates;.\but." between these scales
' and »plates true hairs grow more
‘HAIR oF Fur SEAL or‘less thickly. Hair, like that of
s)Skin ; f, fur; 4, hairs. the Sheep, which “felts,” or forms
“a compact mass, owing to its
surface beingcovered with minute scales, is called wool. In Man, the
hairy covering, except onthe head, is generally scanty; but’ the natural
clothing of the Ainu of Yezo is so thick that they are generally spoken of
as the “hairy” Ainu. The object of this covering is, of course, warmth ;
“and its loss in the Whales is made up by a thick layer of fat, called :
“blubber,” immediately beneath the skin. In Mammals inhabiting cold
regions, the coat generally becomes much thicker in winter, falling off
again in summer, and there is in many cases a change in the colour at
this season. Thus, the Ermine, which yields such valuable fur, is white
in winter (at which time it is hunted for its skin), and brown in summer.
a
Concerning the remaining classes of Vertebrates, we have already
seen (page 3) that a common plan of structure runs through them all,
from the highest to the lowest.. What has been said about Mammals,
and comparison of the skeleton of the camel (page 5) with the human
skeleton (page 8), with the short descriptions prefixed’ to.:the: other
Classes and their Orders, will enable us to discover wherein Birds,
Reptiles, Amphibians, Fishes, and Lampreys agree with or differ from
the Mammals. ‘And this. also holds good with respect to the dwellers
in the Borderland. eG.













INVERTEBRATES.

With the Invertebrates’ ‘it is. quite different. This immense group
has no common type, but comprises a collection of sub-kingdoms
offering a strange diversity of ‘plan. Yet, even through these, relation-
ships can be traced ‘more. or less clearly, as will be, seen later. on
when dealing with each ‘sub-kingdom.,









CHAPTER II.

MAN.

PN Natural History it is usual to give to the separate parts
of all Vertebrate Animals the same names as are applied
to similar parts of the human body. For this reason,
we must examine the human skeleton on the next page
» rather closely.

This bony framework is a, very complicated piece of mechanism,
and: consists of more than 200 separate bones. There are two prin-
cipal parts—ther one corresponding to the straight line in our’ rough
diagram (page 3), and called the axial skeleton, because like an axis,
or rod, it runs down between the two halves (right and left) of the
body ; the other, corresponding to the A-shaped marks, and called the
appendicular skeleton, consisting of the appendages of the body—the
arms and legs, generally termed’ the limbs. At the top of the axial
skeleton is the brain-box, or skull, forming, with the bones of the face,
the skeleton of the head.

If a perpendicular line be drawn through the skull, backbone, oud:
pelvis, the skeleton would be divided into a right half and a left half,
the bones on one side corresponding to those of the other, This is
called bilateral symmetry, and will be found in all backboned animals.

» The limbs are not only in pairs—two arms and two legs—but there
is a correspondence in the bones of the pectoral pair (the arms) with
those of the pelvic pair (the legs). The arm and the thigh have each
a single bone, while in the fore-arm and leg there are two; the bones
of the wrist correspond broadly with those of the aniles and the
likeness between our fingers and toes is a matter of common knowledge.
These, of course, are five in number on each limb; and this is the
case with most Monkeys, many of the Flesh-eaters, etc. The foot is
planted flat on the ground; and the great toe (in civilised Man, at
least) is in a line with the other toes, and’is never used as a thumb. —

There is a similarity also in the method by which the pairs of limbs
aré joined to the trunk: the arms are jointed to shoulder-blades, which
are connected’ with ‘the breast-boné by the: collar- bones, and with the
trunk by powerful: muscles ; the thighs are received in. sockets on each
side of the ‘pelvis, the bones of which’ are: fused» together and united
with the sacral. vertebree (see SpinalColumn, page 9). These means
of attachment are ‘called the shoulder..and hip. girdles.







HuMAN SKELETON,

q, Skull (cranium) ; 2, thorax; 3, breast-bone 3¢, collar- bone
(clavicle): 3, pelvis a, @, haunch-bone; 4, arm (humerus);
5and 6, bones of fore-arm !zeéna and radius’; 7, wrist (car-
Pus); 8, bones Of palm (se¢acarpus\; 0, bones of fingers

Phalanges 317, thigh-by

12 and 13; bones of. leg (tibia and fibula) ; 14 ankle (¢arszs);
15, bones of foot metatarsus);16, bones of toes(phalanges;.

one | fer): 11, knee-pan! 'Datetla);

PorutAr History OF ANIMALS.

The backbone, or spine, con-
sists of a series of bones placed
one above another, and called
vertebrae, or turning-bones (from the
Latin verto=to turn), because each
can turn a little, as when we bend
the body from side to side. In early
life theré are thirty-three distinct
bones, each made up of separate
pieces, which become united in the
adult.

The spine is marked off into five.
separate parts or regions (page 9).
The region of the neck has seven
(cervical) vertebrae ; the region. of
the back: (dorsal) twelve; ‘and the
region of the loins» (lumbar): seven:
These twenty-four bones™can all’ be’
separated from eachother, and on
that account are called ¢7we vertebrae,
Those of the sacral and coccygeal
regions (both of which are fused
into distinct bony masses in the
adult) are called false vertebrae.
Thus, in the grown man the spine
consists of but’ twenty-six separate
bones. In, the infant this bony
support is straight, but as we
grow -older it is bent into a
series of curves, corresponding
to the regions into which it is
divided.

These curves are of great use:
(1) By their means the spine ‘can
bear a much greater weight on the
head and shoulders than it other-
wise could, the proportion’of ‘the
strength of this curved column to
one perfectly straight being as 9..to
1. (2) They render the movements
of the body, especially when: run-
ning, much more easy. (3) In the







“THE Spine in Man. - ; 9

movement of the column this arrangement protects the spinal cord,
which joins the brain above, and is continued below, giving off nerves on
each side in its course, as far as the lower part-of the first vertebra of
the loins, below which it dwindles into a’ bundle of white thread-like
nerves. The Man-like Apes approach Man most nearly in the curves
of the spine; but even in them the ;
curve of the loins is not so strongly
marked, and this is due to Man’s erect
position.

The regions marked in thé figure
correspond _to those of Mammals
generally; and in the neck region,
whether it be long as in the giraffes,
or short as in the whale or the ‘por-
poise, the number of vertebrae is always’
seven, excepting in » the three-toed ©:
Sloths, which: have nine, the Scaly —
Ant-eaters, .which sometimes” have’
eight, and. of a two-toed Sloth and
the Manatee, which have six. The
number of vertebree in the other regions
differs greatly in the lower Mammals.

The last region in the humanspine
is often. spoken of as the “coccygeal ”
region; the “term caudal (or , tail)
region .being reserved” ‘for. Mammals’
with a free tail. This is perhaps due
to the desire to mark off Man from
the rest of the class. to which, as
an animal, he belongs; or perhaps Back ‘view. Left side view.



“because “tailed” men are .not of __ | «SPINAL COLUMN,
5 ; 1, Region of ‘the neck (cervical); 2, region of
frequent. occurrence. A scientific ~ ‘the back (dorsad); 3, region of the loins

5 e (Zumbar) ; 4, region of the haunches (sacral):
journal, however, has said that there 5, region of the tail (coccygéal or pa :

are probably always a few men
living in whom a free tail has been developed; and in his last
book Dr. Oliver Wendell, Holmes tells us that during the session of
the Medical Congress at Washington, a distinguished London physician
showed him the photograph of a small. boy, some three or four years
old, “‘who had a very respectable little-tail, which would have passed
muster on a pig, and would have made a frog or a toad ashamed of
himself.” 5 ; \
The top, or highest vertebra is called the atlas, because it supports

\



10 PorputAR. History OF ANIMALS.

the head, just as the mythic leader of the Titans was supposed to
support the heavens. The bony groove on each side receives a cor-
responding projection or. pivot on the occipital bone (Human Skull, 0).
The vertebra just below is called the axis,
because in front is a strong bony peg, which
fits into the atlas, and serves to turn the head,
for when we look round, not only is the head
turned, but the atlas is turned with it. In Birds
and Reptiles there is but a single pivot in the
skull, while the Amphibians (Frogs and Newts)
have two like the Mammals. The rest of the
lower vertebree do not differ greatly from each
other, except in point of size, growing larger
and stronger until the last of the twenty-four
rests on the,solid mass of the vertebra of the
haunches, which forms the keystone of the
pelvic arch. Each of these vertebree consists
of a front portion, called the é0dy, and behind. of a ring of bone,
enclosing the spinal canal, through which runs the spinal cord. The
ring is furnished with various projections of bone, which form joints,
so to speak, with the other vertebree, and also serve for the attachments
of muscles. These spinous processes may be
. easily felt, if one puts his hand between his
shoulders and draws it downwards along the
spine. The prominent bone at the back of the
neck is the spinous process of the seventh
(and last) vertebra of that region, which ends
in a rounded knob.
The head has twenty-two bones, and its
skeleton is called the skull. Of these, eight
form the brain-box, or®skull proper, and the



SIXTH VERTEBRA
OF THE BACK FROM ABOVE.

,6, Body; sc, spinal canal;
s, spinous process.



HuMAN SKULL,

_ fF, Frontal bone; 4, parietal bone
(one on each side) ; z, temporal
bone (one on each side) 5 9,
occipital bone; s, sphenoid
bone (which forms part of the
floor of the skull, and also
projects on the right side); x,
left cheek-bone; 2, zygo-
matic arch; 3, bone of the
nose ; 4, left half of upper jaw ;
5) lower j jaw.

{the latter are marked with figures).
below the frontal bone, and at the back of the face, is hidden,
bones of the skull are fitted together. by uneven edges,

remaining fourteen make up the bones of the
face. Of all these only one is movable—that
of the lower jaw, which is employed in masti-

‘cating food,.and sometimes less usefully in

talking.

From the figure we shall be able to make
out the principal bones or the skull and face
The; ethmoid, or sieve-like bone,
The
somewhat

like the teeth of a saw, and the joinings, some of which may be







LeeTH or MAN. II

traced on the figure, are. called sutures..; The bony arch binds the face
bones to those of the skull, and serves for the attachment of muscles.
In. many Mammals the bones of the upper jaw are four instead
of two,'the parts carrying the cutting-teeth being distinct from the
parts carrying the other teeth. In Man and some Monkeys these
bones. form a single one on each side. The two branches of the
lower jaw in man are united to form a single horseshoe-shaped bone,
but in some Mammals they are bound together by ligaments. On the
lower jaw on each side is a projecting part, or pivot, which fits loosely
into a hole in the temporal bone, thus giving great freedom of motion.
The human jaw can be moved directly up and down as in the Flesh-
eating Mammals, backwards and forwards as in the Gnawing Animals,
or Rodents, and it has also the circular
motion so noticeable in sheep and mM M ;
cattle when they are chewing the cud. Qa" 2 te Rae)

Man has two sets of teeth. The appa yee B
first, called the milk set, consists ot j
- twenty teeth, and is replaced in later
life. by the permanent set, in which PaaS GARNI NUN gaunt
there are thirty-two. These teeth are HOAAAIeC A
of three kinds—cutting, or incisor pure als

3 i DIAGRAM SHOWING THE TEETH IN

teeth; tearing, or canine teeth—so THE UPPER JAW; A, IN CHILDHOOD;
called from their being of great size in = 'N MANHOOD,
the Dogs; and the grinding teeth, or mols mt Solars’? Sanne feeths Pre:
molars. .In early childhood we have
but two grinders, replaced by five in later life. The two nearest the
canine teeth are called premolars, and the three behind them molars,
or “true” molars. The figures on the teeth in the diagram denote
the age (in years above and in months below) at which ‘the teeth’
generally appear. With the teeth of Man those of most other Mam-
mals may be compared, and the same names are used for the teeth
of the lower animals. Gnawing Animals, or Rodents, have no canines ;
and the sharp-pointed molars of the Flesh-eaters differ greatly in shape
from those of the Hoofed Mammals, which live on vegetable food.

The chest, or thorax, is formed behind by the vertebre of the back,
and in front by the’ breast-bone, while the ribs connect these two.
columns. Of the twelve pairs of ribs, seven, called the ¢rue ribs, are
united to the breast-bone by gristly bands (called the costal cartilages).
Of the remaining five pairs, called /a/se ribs, three pairs are joined by
similar bands to the ribs immediately above, and the two lowest pairs,
which are quite free in front, are also called floating ribs. To the top
of the breast-bone: the clavicles are attached at one end, the other

’



12 PoputAR HISTORY OF ANIMALS.

being connected with the shoulder-blade, the whole forming the shoulder
girdle, which serves to connect the fore (or pectoral) limbs with the body.

The office of the chest is to contain the heart and lungs, two of the
chief centres of life—the former the engine which sends the blood
circulating through the body, and the latter the organs of breathing or
respiration. In the latter process the chest has important work to. do,
the front and side walls moving regularly up and down—that is,
becoming expanded and contracted as air passes into and out of the
nostrils and mouth. i

The pelvis: (so-called from its basin-like shape) serves to support the
trunk, and to give attachment to the lower limbs. The haunch-bones
are united in front, and between them, behind, the bony mass of the
five sacral vertebree is wedged in like the keystone of an arch. The
name ‘‘pelvis” is given not only to the cavity, but to the bones which
bound it, the latter being also called the pelvic arch or pelvic girdle.
This arch or girdle is universally present, though in different degrees of
completeness, in Mammals, and in the Whales and Manatees is repre-
sented by two small bones. In the Pouched Mammals, Duck Mole,
and Spiny Ant-eaters, two small bones project from the front part of
the pelvis, and in the females generally give support to a pouch.

Man belongs to the Order Primates, which also contains the Man-
like Apes, the Monkeys, and the Lemurs. The great characteristic of
the other members of the order is their more or less close resemblance
in shape to Man. There are usually five. fingers and five toes, but the
thumb may be small or altogether wanting. The great toe generally
bears a flat nail, and may very often be used as a thumb, so that the
foot becomes a grasping organ. It was formerly the fashion to mark
Man off in a separate order, named Bimana, or animals with two hands,
as distinct from the Man-like Apes, Monkeys, and Lemurs, which were
called Quadrumana, or animals with four hands; but this distinction
is now abandoned. The foot of a child is, to some extent, a grasping
organ, as it is also among adults of some of the lower races. The
Australian savage can pick up his spear with his toes; and Indian
workmen use the foot in hand-like fashion to hold their work. Euro-
peans, who have the feet covered, have lost the power of thus em-
ploying the foot; but very little practice will enable a boy of not more
than average patience to pick up a pencil from the floor with his
naked toes. There are three kinds of teeth, except in the Aye-Aye,
which has no canines.

Science tells us in pretty plain terms the animal origin of Man, but
she is silent as to how and when he made his appearance on this
earth, Two theories have been put forward: one, that all men have





Te II RT SO ne De ane Pee aE ee Rp ame ea pT:

LARLY Man. 13

descended from common. ancestors; the other, that each of the
different races of man developed, independent of the others, in its own
region. The first is that now generally held. All races, from the most
highly civilised to the lowest barbarians, resemble each other, not only
in general form and bodily structure, but in the working of their
minds, as is shown to some extent by the existence of similar beliefs
and folk-stories among widely different peoples—these being, in many
cases, the independent efforts of men in a low stage of civilisation to
account for natural phenomena—the rising and setting of the sun, the
succession of day and night, thunder and lightning, etc. In addition
to this, people of the most dissimilar races intermarry freely, and the



SKETCH OF MAMMOTH ON A PIECE OF MAMMOTH Ivory.
(From the Cave of La Madeleine, France.)

fact that offspring result from such marriages is another indication of
descent from a common ancestor.

We know what Man of the nineteenth century is like; but early Man
we know only by his flint weapons, the remains of his refuse heaps,
some artistic scratchings like the above, and a few bones. The early
home of Man is unknown, but the oldest remains known have been
found in Europe; though this may be due to the fact that the other
continents have not been searched so thoroughly. A French author
makes Asia the birthplace of the human race; but Dr. Brinton, when
lecturing on. “The Earliest Men,” before the American Association for
the Advancement of Science, in 1893, placed the first home of Man in
Southern Europe or Northern Africa, or on the continuation of these
latitudes in Western or Central Southern Asia. He does not think that
the upward course was gradual, but that Man was suddenly evolved
from the highest Man-like animal in the glacial, or possibly just
before the glacial epoch, giving an antiquity of 50,000 to 100,000
years. In his opinion the earliest men walked erect, had full foreheads,
red hair, and blue or grey eyes, were about of the same size and

,



14 POPULAR HisToRY OF ANIMALS.

general appearance as now, perhaps were not even hairy, were kind to
each other, social and artistic, had some sort of language, and knew
how to make fire.

Man, as an animal, is chiefly distinguished from the family next
below him by possessing a larger brain and a larger brain-case, or
skull, as compared with the bones of the face; by the fact that his
body is fitted for an upright position; by the small size of the canine
teeth, and by the absence of a space in the opposite jaw for their
reception. Occasionally one meets people in whom these teeth are
large and prominent. This is probably a throwing back to the condition



A.—STRAIGHT-JAWED SKULL OF B,—FORWARD-JAWED SKULL OF
EUROPEAN, AUSTRALIAN,

when our ancestors had these teeth largely developed, for use as
weapons, as they still are in the Man-like Apes.

Man is generally considered to consist of a single species, the
different races being taken as so many varieties:’ and from time to
time many systems have been adopted for classifying them. . Perhaps
the best is that put forward by Sir William Flower, who groups all
existing races round—

I. The White, or Caucasian type.
II. The Yellow, or Mongolian type.
III. The Black, or African type.

In these types there is considerable difference in the shape of
the skull (and consequently of the head), and in the position of the
jaws with respect to the bones of the nose. In looking at Fig. A,
it is evident that an upright line might be drawn to touch both
the bones of the nose and the chin. In Fig. B, a vertical line









RACES OF MAN. 15

touching the. chin will be at some distance from the nasal bones.
The first skull is said to be straight-jawed, or orthognathous, while the
second is forward-jawed, or prognathous—a term which, Professor’
Huxley says, “has been rendered with more force than -elegance by
the Saxon equivalent—snouty.”

I. The people of the Caucasian type. with whom we are best
acquainted—the people of the British Isles, Europe, and the United
States—form the highest branches of the human genealogical tree,
though many of the races ranged under this type hold by no means
such a lofty position. Professor Huxley divided the peoples of this
type into (1) Fair Whites and (2) Dark Whites; or, as one may say,
Blondes. and Brunettes. Of the first, a fair-haired Englishman is a
good example ; of the second, a Frenchman from Marseilles.

(1) The Fair Whites generally have white skin, ruddy complexion,
fine flaxen, brown, .or auburn hair, and blue or brown eyes. They
are above the average height, the majority’ being from 5 ft. 6 in. to
5 ft. ro in. and 6 ft.; though, of course, many individuals are shorter
than 5 ft. 6 in, and some few taller than 6 ft. In Scotland, Norway
and Sweden, and Denmark, and the North of Germany, the Fair
Whites predominate. Many live in England—as, indeed, do many Dark
Whites; and every intermediate grade may be met with, often during
a morning’s walk, if one keeps one’s eyes open. They occur, also in
North Africa and Afghanistan, and from the intermarriage of Fair
Whites with Mongols have sprung the Finns and Lapps of Europe
and some tribes of Asiatic Russia. It is to this branch of the
Caucasian type that America, Africa, and Australia owe the greater
part of their white population.

(2) In the Dark Whites the skin may be white, aie or shades of
brown, sometimes so dark as to be scarcely distinguishable from that
of the Negro. The hair is generally brown or black, usually straight,
but sometimes curly, and the eyes are black and sparkling. In height,
they are below the Fair Whites, ranging from little more than 5 ft. to
about 5 ft. 6 in., a man above that stature being considered tall. To
this branch belong the people of Southern Europe generally, of South
West Asia and the North of Africa (in Plate I, No. 1 represents a
Caucasian from Georgia, No. 2 an Arab, and No. 3 a native of the
Soudan). The intermarriages of this branch have left their mark on
some of the Indo-Chinese tribes; and to marriages with some of the
lower Dark Whites the Australian natives probably owe the peculiar
character of their hair. From a mixture of Dark White with Negro
blood spring the Copts and fellaheen of Egypt, some tribes on the west
of the Red Sea, and some other tribes farther south. Among the lowest



16 Porputar Hisrory or ANIMALS.

peoples of the branch are the Todas ot the Neilgherry Hills, the
Veddahs of Ceylon, and the Ainu of Yezo, recently visited by Mr.
A. H. S. Landor, who’ considers them to be “the farthest behind in the
great race of human development.” So that in the Caucasian type we
have the cultured European and American, ranking highest, and the
hairy Ainu, ranking (perhaps) lowest, among the peoples of the world.

So little is known about the Ainu that we give a few particulars
from Mr. Landor’s book (“Alone With the Hairy Ainu”). The skin is
light reddish, and they ‘are very hairy. .One he describes as resembling
an orang rather than a human being; and the Ainu themselves told
him that the country was. formerly much colder, and asked, “Why
should we be as-hairy»as bears if it were not to, keep out the cold?”
“The skin is greasy,” Mr. Landor tells us, “the natural result of many
years of an unwashed existence; and this gives to the hairy people a
peculiar and strong odour, much resembling that of monkeys. Many are
familiar with the peculiar odourof an uncleaned monkey’s cage, and the
same, intensified a thousand times, characterises an Ainu_ village.”
When actively angry the Ainu “sneer and snarl at one another,
frowning ferdciously and showing all their front teeth, but specially
uncovering their fangs or dog-teeth.” The author tells us that “their
toes are supplementary fingers, and they often hold things between
the big toe and the next..... Then, again, the toes are often used
to pick up small objects out of the reach of the hands, and also to
scratch the lower extremities.” It is remarkable that the Japanese have
a legend that, long ago, the Ainu women suckled young bears, which
gradually developed into men.

II. In peoples of the Yellow or Mongolian type, the skin varies in
colour from a sallow hue, such as is often seen in our own countrymen,
to lighter or darker shades of brown. The hair is black, coarse, and
straight, and among the North American Indians, very long. The face
is broad and flat, the cheek-bones are prominent, the eyes almond-
shaped and set obliquely. The jaws project more than they do in
peoples of the Caucasian, but less than in those of the Black type.
The upper lip is hairy, but the beard is scanty. In height they range
from a little less to a little more than 5 ft. 6 in., but the variation
is not great either way. Some of the North American Indians,
however, are very tall, while the Tibetans and Bolivians are short
and squat in figure.

Of these Yellow People we may count five subdivisions or
branches, the first of which is made up of the native inhabitants of
Northern and Central Asia, the Chinese (Plate I, No. 4) and Japanese,
and the people of Tibet, Burma, and Siam. The central tableland



PLateE I.
1. Georgian. 2. Arab. 3. Nubiau. 4. Chinese. 5. Negro.
6. Australian. 7. North American Indian. 8. Malay.
g. Polynesian.







Races or Man. | ‘ 17

of Asia was the home of the Mongolian races that have again and
again moved westward to attack and ravage Europe. And from
those who settled. in the parts where their arms were victorious,
have sprung the Laplanders, the Finns, the Hungarians, and the
Turks. :

The second branch is made up ofthe Malays, whose home is in
the Malay Peninsula (Plate I., No. 8) and the islands of the Archipelago
lying to the south and south-east of Siam. ‘The third branch consists
of the natives of Polynesia (Plate I., No. 9), New Zealand being included
in this term. In some respects many of the peoples of this branch
resemble the. Caucasian type; but their fine bodily frame is probably
due to intermarriage with the Negroes, and white settlers have no
doubt contributed to the same result. To the fourth branch belong
the descendants of the races that were native in North and South
America (excluding Greenland) before the conquest and colonisation of
the New World by Europeans. Here are included tribes differing
greatly from each other in stature, customs, mode of life, and in the
stages of culture to which they have attained. Best known to us—it
may be through Fenimore Cooper and Mayne Reid—are the so-called
Red Indians (Plate I., No. 7). The “noble savage,” however, is rapidly
vanishing from, the earth. The Indian wars of the United States have
utterly exterminated some tribes, while others have been driven away
from their hunting- “grounds, which have been appropriated by the white
man. On page 19 is represented one of the native Americans of the
coast of Brazil. They are seldom more than 4 ft. high, and are at a very
low stage of civilisation. The name of the tribe (Botocudos) is derived
from the Portuguese dofogue, which means a bung or a plug, and refers
to the pieces of wood worn in the ears and lower lip. To this
branch also belong the well-developed Patagonians and the stunted
Fuegians. The fifth branch consists of the Eskimo, probably Mongol
immigrants, who, having been hemmed in, as it were, by the ice on
the north and by the Indian population on the south, have to a great
extent preserved their peculiar characters, for between them and the
tribes to the south of them there has been but little intermarriage.
In the east of Greenland the Danes have brought many of the Eskimo
to some extent under the influence of civilisation.

The Chinese and Japanese stand highest among the peoples of
this type. The civilisation of the former is of very ancient date, while
the latter, who have quite recently adopted European habits and
customs, bid fair to equal,.if they do not outstrip, their teachers.
-Japanese names will be found: among the list of writers in many of
the scientific journals of Europe, and to them are due the solution of

Cc



18 Poputar History OF ANIMALS.

several vexed questions. It was a Japanese, trained in a European
college, who showed the error of supposing that a hydra, if turned
inside out, could make his skin do duty for a stomach (see Stinging
Animals). One scarcely knows which is the lowest race of this type.
Some of them are very low indeed.

III. In the peoples of the: Black or Negro type, the cheek-bones are
prominent, the eyes large, round, and black, and. the cornea—what we
call “the white”—has a yellowish tinge. The nose is broad and flat,
and the thick lips are turned outwards in a peculidr way. This cannot
be imitated by pouting; we must put the fingers at the corners of the
mouth and push the lips up and down so as to show the red skin
inside. The hair is black and short, generally ‘frizzly, or, to borrow a
term from the American Negroes, “woolly.” The skin is generally
black, cool and soft to the touch, and with a peculiar smell. In
stature they are for the most part above the average, ranging from
5 ft. 6 in. to 6 ft. in height, though some do not much exceed 4 ft.
The first branch of this type consists of the African Negroes (Plate I.,
No. 5), some of whom we have all seen in the streets. They live in
the central part of Africa, ranging from sea to sea; but many tribes
have sprung up from intermarriages with Dark, Whites. The Kaffirs of
South Africa are somewhat lighter in colour’ than the tribes to the
north of them; their jaws do not project so much, and their teeth
are smaller. Next come the Negrillos—among whom are Stanley’s
‘dwarfs ”—-with yellowish skin, and skull of the .round-headed form,
who dwell in the forests’ of Central Western Equatorial Africa,
and are the smallest of the human race, the average height
being little more than 4 ft. To the third belong the Bushmen of
South Africa, with yellow skin, eyes that resemble those of the
Chinese, and very short hair, much more frizzly than that of the
ordinary Negro, so that it looks as if the head were covered with a
number of tiny balls. From a mixture of this race with the true
Negroes came the Hottentots. The fourth and last branch—the
Melanesians, or Black People of the Islands—includes the Papuans
of New Guinea, with hair that grows into enormous mops—and the
natives of most of the islands of the South Pacific and (perhaps) of
Australia (Plate I., No. 6), though the proper place of these last is not
settled. They may be Negroes altered by an infusion of Dark White
blood from the South of India, or, as Sir William Flower suggests, “the
direct descendants from a very primitive human type, of which the
frizzly-haired Negroes may be an offset.” Their skins are of a dark
coffee-colour; in the form of the skull and the projecting: jaws they
resemble Negroes; but the nose is wide and not flat, and the curly



RACES OF MAN. 19

hair is very different from the “wool” of the true Negro. Here also
belonged the extinct natives of Tasmania:

We, have now run over the different types of Man, briefly
noticing some of the races that compose them. Lest we should be
unduly lifted up by our mental and material superiority over what we



BOTOCUDO, WEARING LIP AND EAR ORNAMENTS.

are pleased to call the “lower” races, it may be well to quote
some testimony showing that all the advantage is not on our side.
In a paper read before the Royal Society of New South Wales in 1882,
Mr. Frazer says of the aborigines, “who were regarded as among the
most degraded of the races of men”:—“They have or had virtues
which we might profitably imitate; they are faithful and affectionate to
those who treat them kindly.” And he quotes the: language of a friend

who says, “Naturally they are an affectionate, peaceful people, and
C2



20 PorutAR HisToRY OF ANIMALS.

considering that they have never been taught to know right from wrong,
their behaviour is wonderful. I leave my house open, with their camp
close by, and feel the greatest confidence in them.”

Yet one more witness. Dr. Alfred Russel Wallace, in the closing
chapter of ‘‘The Malay Archipelago,” after giving the notions of the best
thinkers as to a perfect social state, says: “I have lived with com-
munities of savages in South America and in the East, who have
no laws or law courts but the public opinion of the village freely
expressed. Each man scrupulously respects the rights of his fellow.
In such a community, all are nearly equal. There are none of those
wide distinctions, of education and ignorance, wealth and poverty,
master and servant, which are the product of our civilisation ; there
is none of that widespread division of labour, which, while it increases
wealth, produces also conflicting interests; there is none of that severe
competition and struggle for existence, or for wealth, which the dense
population of civilised countries inevitably creates. All incitements to
great crimes are thus wanting, and petty ones are repressed, partly by
the influence of public opinion, but chiefly by that natural sense of
justice and of his neighbour’s right which seems to be, in some degree,
inherent in every race of man.” He goes on to warn us that it is not
good to labour for intellectual and material advancement to the neglect
of the moral qualities of our nature; and that, if we do so labour “‘we
shall never, as regards the whole community, attain to any real or
important superiority.over the better class of savages.” It is remarkable
that much modern legislation is based on similar lines, and is intended
to secure a more equal distribution of this world’s goods, and so prevent
the rich growing richer, while the poor grow poorer and poorer.



















































































































































































































































































































































A MALAY VILLAGE,



21

"CHAP TE Ri LLL
THE MAN-LIKE APES,

| HESE animals, which closely resemble Man in bodily
structure, and more or less in outward appearance, are
confined to certain tropical regions of the Old World.
There is less difference between their bodily structure
and that of Man, than there is between them and the
lowest monkeys. This resemblance is much more striking when
young forms of both families (Man and the Man-like Apes) are com-
pared. The teeth are the same in both.

There are four genera:—(z1) The Chimpanzees ; (2) the Gorilla;
(3) the Mias, or Orang-utan ; and (4) the Gibbons. The first two are
African, the third and fourth Asiatic.

The Chimpanzee approaches Man in the characters of its skull and
teeth, and in the proportional size of the arms. The Gorilla is more
Man-like in the proportions of the legs to the body, of the foot to the
hand, in the size of the heel, the curvature of the spine, and in the
capacity of the skull. The Orangs come nearest to Man in the number
of the ribs, and in the form of the hemispheres of the brain; but they
differ from him much more widely in other respects, and especially in
the limbs, than do the Chimpanzee and Gorilla. The Gibbons are
most remote from Man on the whole, though there is much resemblance
in the form of the chest.

The highest of the Man-like Apes are the Chimpanzees. If a line
be drawn on the map of Africa from the mouth of the River Gambia
as far inland as 28° E. long. and another from the Portuguese
town of Benguela.to the same meridian, the space enclosed will show
the. home of these animals. There are probably two species—the
Common and the Bald Chimpanzee. Both are now fairly well known,
for specimens of each kind have lived a.considerable time in confine-
ment, and their habits have been closely watched by skilled observers.
The Common Chimpanzee does not exceed five feet in height, and the
Bald Chimpanzee is said to be somewhat shorter. But the -measure-
ments of young specimens of these two forms, probably about the same
age, living in the Zoological Gardens, Regent’s Park, in 1889, were
nearly equal. In the Common Chimpanzee, the forehead, cheeks, and
the whole of the body are covered with long, harsh, black hair; the
upper part of the face, the brows, nose, and muzzle are of a dirty





22 PorutAr HisToRY Ok ANIMALS.

flesh-colour. The hands and feet are of a brownish clay colour, much
the same as the general tone of.the skin of the Bald Chimpanzee, which
animal is thinly covered with dark hair, has a scanty crop of short.
blackish hair on the top of the head, and large naked ears standing
out nearly at right angles.

The Chimpanzees live in the forest, and pass much of their time
among the branches of trees, feeding on fruit and tender shoots
and buds; but this diet is probably sometimes varied by young birds
and small mammals. They live in separate families, or in small groups
of families. When upright, the gait is weak; they go generally on all
fours, supporting themselves with the back of the closed fingers rather
than on the palm of the hand. In their native forests, Chimpanzees
seem to romp and play as heartily as they do in confinement; and
Dr. Savage, an American missionary, tells how a hollow tree is used
as a drum to call the young ones to play, while the old ones sit round
in a ring to watch them. Garner confirms the account of the drum-
signal, but thinks that the “drum” is a spot .of sonorous earth laid
upon a soil resembling peat. So human’are the ways of the Chim-
panzees that the natives believe that they have been degraded from
Man’s estate; and similar hazy ideas as to the connection between
Man and his “ poor relations” are current elsewhere. The natives of
India have a tradition—versified by Rudyard Kipling—that the
ancestors of the monkeys came down to the cornland to teach the
farmers to play. But the farmers requited good with evil. They set
their visitors to work, and cut off their tails; and the wild monkeys of
the forest were afraid to speak tothe unfortunate prisoners, lest they
also should become the captives of the farmers, and be set to plough
and sow. English sailors sometimes say that monkeys can talk, but
are afraid to do so lest they should be made to work.

It seems that Chimpanzees are fond of human society. Mr.
Garner, who went to Africa to study what he calls the “speech”
of Monkeys, writes thus in Macure’s Magazine (September, 1893) :—
“Tt is not at all rare to find tame Chimpanzees on this coast, going
about the premises at large and quite as much at home as any resident.
With this short preface, I desire to introduce my own young friend,
who lives with me in my forest home. I call him Moses, because he
was taken out of a papyrus swamp of the Ogowe. He is devoted to
me, and cries after me like a spoiled baby, and follows me like a pet
dog. ... When I leave my cage I usually take him with me, and
when he sees me take my rifle he begins to fret, until I let him mount
my back, which he does with great skill, and hangs on to me like the
ivy to a church wall. A few days since we were returning from a



THE CHIMPANZEE, 23

short tour, I saw a young Chimpanzee crossing the path about thirty
yards from us, and I tried to induce. Moses to call his little cousin ;
but he declined to do so, and I accused him of being proud because
he was mounted, and the other was afoot, and hence he would not
speak to him. I am trying to teach Moses to speak English, but.
up to this time he has not succeeded. However, he has only been
in school a very short term, and I think he will learn by-and-by. .. . |
When he sees or hears anything strange, he always ‘tells me in a low
tone, unless it comes too
near, and then he an-
nounces it with a yell.
At times I refuse to pay
any attention to him, and
he will fall down, scream
and sulk like a very naughty
_ child) He is extremely
jealous, and does not want
any one to come near me.
I have made him a neat
little house, with hammock
and mosquito bar, and at
night I tuck him up, when
he sleeps quietly until late
in the morning. Then he
crawls out, rubbing his
eyes, and wants his break-
fast. He wants to try
everything he sees me eat.”
Unfortunately, Moses died YOUNG CHIMPANZEE,

before Mr.Garner left Africa.

Many animals of this. species have been brought to Europe, and
have lived for, some, time in confinement; but the change of climate
has generally caused disorders of the chest, and in many cases they .
have fallen victims. to: consumption. One that died from this complaint
in the Dresden ‘Zoological. Gardens, in her last moments put her arms
round the director’s neck when he came to visit her, looked at him
placidly, kissed him three times, stretched out her hand to him, and
expired. So that, even in death, there seems something strangely
human about these creatures. .A somewhat similar story is told on
good authority of the death of “Joey,” in the Zoological Gardens,
Regent’s Park. ; ‘ .

“ Sally,” the female Chimpanzee which lived in the Regent’s Park.



\



24: PoPULAR HISTORY OF ANIMALS.

Gardens for over eight years, was quite a celebrity. Crowds of visitors’
thronged the Sloth’s House, where she lived, to see her “ performances,”.
and learned papers have been written about her mental faculties. She
was not only friendly with her keepers, but recognised acquaintances
who visited her from time to time. She fed herself with a spoon from
a tin cup, a feat which has been taught to other Man-like Apes. The late
Professor Romanes describes her as somewhat capricious in disposition,
though on the whole good-humoured, fond of her keepers, and apparently
never tired of a kind of bantering play, which off and on they kept’
up with her continually. They. used to invite her to play by an
imitation of her own note, and then “she shoots out her lips into a
kind of tube, while at the same time she sings a strange, howling note,
interrupted at regular intervals ; these, however, rapidly become shorter:
and shorter, while her utterances become louder and louder, winding
up to a climax of shrieks and yells, often accompanied with a drum-
ming of the feet, and a vigorous shaking of the network that forms
the front of her cage. The whole performances ended with a few
grunts.” a

He was of opinion that “Sally” understood spoken language in a
higher degree than that shown by any other brute. She tried, but not
very successfully, to reply to what was said to her, for her “language”
consisted of three peculiar grunting noises—one that evidently meant
“yes”; another (very closely resembling the first) that meant “no”;
and a third (quite different from the other two) that meant “thank
you.”

But the great achievement was teaching “Sally” to count, though the
experiment would probably have been more successful could the animal
have been kept as a domestic pet, for the constant coming and going of
visitors distracted her attention, just as visitors to a schoolroom will
distract the attention of pupils.

Professor. Romanes: arranged that the ‘keepers should ask “Sally”
repeatedly for one straw, two straws, or three straws. These she was to
pick up and hand out from among the litter in her cage. No constant
order was observed in these requests, but when she gave a number not
asked for, her offer was refused ; while if she gave the right number, she
was rewarded with a piece of fruit. When she had learnt to count,
without mistake, as far as three, her education was extended from three’
to four, and from four to five, with favourable results. At this point
Professor Romanes allowed the matter to drop; but one of the keepers
then went on with the work of teaching on his own account, and tried!
to carry “Sally’s” powers of counting up to ten. The result was not a
success and to the end of her days she can only be said to have had

+



“ SALLY.” 2S

knowledge of numbers up to six, or perhaps seven, with some vague
perception beyond. She knew, however, that the words “ seven,” “eight,”
“nine,” “ten,” stood for numbers above six. This was shown by the
fact that, when asked for any number above six, she handed out more’
than six, and less than ten, straws.

An attempt was made to teach her the names of colours by means’
of white, black, red,
green, and blue
straws; but though
she quickly learnt
to distinguish be-
tween white straws
and those of any
other colour, she
could go no farther.
From these experi-
ments Professor Ro-
manes concluded
that her failure to
distinguish between
black, red, green, and
blue was \not from
want of intelligence,
but because she was,
in some sort, colour-
blind.



Next below the
Chimpanzee | stands
the Gorilla (PI. IL,
No. 2), the largest
and fiercest of the z :
group, though there “ SALLY,”
is every reason to bee
lieve that the stories formerly told of its ferocity were exaggerated. Gorillas
live, in families, in Western Equatorial Africa. The height of an adult
male is about 5 ft. 6 in.—something less than the stature of an average
Englishman; but they are much more strongly built than Man is.
Their legs are short, and their arms disproportionately long, for, when
half-erect, they can lay the palms flat on the surface of the ground,
though Mr. Garner says they do not do so in walking, but use the back’
of the fingers from the second joints as a support for the fore part of

\









20 PopuLtar History OF ANIMALS.

the body. The skin is black, and.covered with long hair, varying in
hue from a dusky red to dull black. :

From classic times’ down to about. the middle of this century strange
stories were told of large man-like apes that dwelt in the forests of
Western Africa, and were able to vanquish elephants; but very little
was known of these creatures. Now we know that these large man-like
apes do exist, for young specimens have been brought alive to Europe
and to London, and specimens of full-grown ones—male and female—
are to be seen in the Natural History Museum at South Kensington ;
but we also knew that some of the strange stories told of them.
were greatly ex.zgerated. These apes live more on the ground than
the Chimpanzees, but at night they climb up among the branches of
trees to sleep. It is generally said that the old male sleeps on the
ground, leaning against the trunk of the tree, so as to protect his
family from danger. Mr. Garner doubts this, and remarks that the
old male, or “king,” as the natives call him, “looks after his own
comfort and safety first, and lets his family do as they can.” The
same writer says that “every instinct of the Gorilla,seems to be averse
from human society; he delights in a life of seclusion in the most
remote and desolate parts of the jungle; and I have never heard of
but one gorilla that became even tolerant to man, much less attached
to him; and this one was a mere infant. Ihave seena few in captivity,
but all of them are vicious, and devoid of any sense of gratitude
whatever.”

The stories of gorillas attacking man are to be doubtéd. When
unmolested they seem to avoid the encounter; but if attacked, their
great strength makes them terrible foes. Koppenfels says that when
scared by man, the gorilla “sends forth a kind of howl or furious yelp,
stands up like an enraged bear, and advances with clumsy gait in this
position to attack his enemy. At the same time the hair on his head
and the nape of his neck stands erect, his teeth are displayed, and his
eyes flash with savage fury. If no further provocation is given, and
his opponent retreats, the animal does not return to the attack. In
other cases he parries the blows directed against him with the
skill of a practised fighter; he grasps his opponent by the arm and
crunches it, or else throws him down, and rends him with his terrible
teeth.” '

One that lived in the Berlin Aquarium from July, 1876, to November,
1877, is thus described by Dr. Falkenstein, who brought it to Europe,
. and in whose charge it had lived for some two years before: “In the
course of a few weeks he became so accustomed to his surroundings,
and to the people whom he knew, that he was allowed to run about at





THE GORILLA.



28 PoputArR HisTORY OF ANIMALS.

liberty without fear that he would make any attempt to escape. He
was never chained, nor confined to a cage, and was watched only in the
way that little children are ‘watched when they are at play. He was so
conscious of his own helplessness that he clung to human companionship,
and displayed in this manner a wonderful dependence and trustfulness.
He showed no trace of mischievous, malicious, or savage qualities, but
was sometimes self-willed. He expressed the ideas which occurred to
him by different sounds, one of which was the characteristic tone of
importunate petition, whilst others expressed fright or horror,”and in
rare instances a sullen and defiant growl might be heard.”

We are told that when he was anxious to obtain anything, no child ©
could express its wishes in a more urgent or caressing manner. If in spite
of this he did not obtain what he wanted, he had recourse to cunning,
and looked anxiously about to see if he was watched. If, for example,
he was kept prisoner in a room, he would, after several unsuccessful
attempts to get his own way, apparently submit to his fate, and lie
down near the door with assumed indifference. But he soon raised
his head to ascertain if luck favoured him, edging himself gradually nearer
and nearer, and then, looking carefully round, he twisted himself about
until he reached the threshold ; then he got up, peered cautiously round,
and with one bound galloped off so quickly that it was difficult to
follow him.

Dr. Hartmann gives us the results of -his own observations on the
animal at Berlin: ‘The creature generally slept in the bed of his keeper,
and ate at the man’s table, of plain but nourishing food cooked by the
keeper’s wife. He sometimes ate fruit, and bananas were occasionally
provided for him. . . . He was generally good-tempered, fond of play,
but rather mischievous; but he would snatch roughly, and occasionally
try the sharpness of his teeth. Sometimes he tried to seize from visitors
things which attracted his curiosity, such as the trimmings of ladies’
bonnets, lace veils, and the like. But on the whole he behaved with
propriety, playfulness, and good temper, and there was much that re-
sembled man in his look and bearing.” This gorilla died in 1877 of
a galloping consumption.

Since then another specimen was obtained for the Berlin Aquarium,
and in 1887 a young specimen, the first acquired by the Society, was
exhibited in the Zoological Gardens, Regent’s Park.

It is curious that the first gorilla brought alive to England was
exhibited as a chimpanzee in Wombwell’s Menagerie. It lived but a
few months; and when it died, in 1860, Mr. Waterton, who bought the
body, discovered what it really was. A likeness of this animal was
published in the Proceedings of the Zoological Society for 1877, and the



THE ORANG-UTAN. 29

‘original drawing now hangs in the Society’s meeting room in Hanover
Square.

The Orangs (Plate II., No. 1) are large red-haired apes, from the islands
-of Borneo and Sumatra. There is probably but one species, though the
orang of Sumatra was formerly considered distinct. There is, however,
a dark race, which the natives call Mias pappan, and a light race, which
they call’ A@ias.rambi. The males of the dark race have the skin of
the face broadened out into folds or ridges on each. side, while those of
the light race are without these outgrowths of the skin. A smaller
variety, also with a fairly smooth face, is called Jas assir. Mias
is the native name for all these apes; and the term orang utan, by
‘which they are known to us, appears to belong to a savage people
dwelling in the woods. A young specimen of this last variety, captured
near Sardwak, was presented to the Zoological Society in 1891. Unfor-
tunately, it lived but a short time in the Gardens at Regent’s Park.
“George” was on excellent terms with his keepers, and enjoyed a mild
game of play quite as much as did the more celebrated “ Sally.” ;

Wallace, who had good opportunities for studying the habits of this
great ape, and who brought home, more skins and skeletons than any
other collector, tells us that these animals are chiefly confined to the low,
swampy forests of Borneo, and he believes that a large stretch of unbroken
virgin forest is necessary to. their existence. They roam among the tree
tops with as much ease as the Indian on the prairie, or the Arab on the
desert, and without being obliged to descend to the ground. They live
principally on fruit ; and the small mountains which rise like islands out
of the swamps serve as plantations, where grow the trees yielding the
fruit on which the Mias feeds.

With regard to the way in which Orangs travel through this region,
he says:—“ It is a singular and very interesting sight to watch a Mias
making his way leisurely through the forest. He walks deliberately along
some of the larger branches in the semi-erect attitude which the great
length of his arms and the shortness of his legs cause him naturally to
assume ; and the disproportion between these limbs is increased by his
walking on his knuckles, not on the palm of the hand, as we should do.
He seems always to.choose those branches which intermingle with an
adjoining tree, on approaching which he stretches out his long arms, and
seizing the opposing boughs, grasps them together with both hands, seems
to try their strength, and then deliberately swings himself across to the
next branch, on which he walks along as before. He never jumps or
springs, or even appears to hurry himself, and yet manages to get along
almost as quickly as a person can run through the forest beneath. The



30 PorputAr History oF ANIMALS.

‘long and powerful arms are of the greatest use to the animal, enabling it
to climb easily up the loftiest trees, to seize fruits and young leaves from
slender boughs which will not bear its weight, and to gather leaves and
branches with which to form its nest.”

This nest is simply a lot of small green boughs and twigs broken
off by the animal, and piled loosely in the fork of a tree. .The mass is
about 3 ft. across, and on it the orang lies on his back and sleeps.
It seems a very rude affair for such a man-like creature to make. But
Professor: Hartmann reminds us that several of the lower races of men,
in the construction of .their huts, do not show much«advance beyond
the man-like apes. . The former, however, build some kind of “shelter”;
the latter seem only to make a “resting-place”; and it is doubtful if
there is any truth.in the stories that the Orang shelters itself from rain
with palm leaves and large ferns. ;

Hornaday, the author of “Two Years in the Tunale® thus describes
an old male which he shot. ‘His back was as broad, and his chest as
deep, as a prize fighter’s, while his huge hands and feet seemed made
with but one end in view—to grasp and hold on. . His arms were re-
markably long and sinewy, but his legs were disproportionately short’ and
thick. His body was large and heavy, with a chest both broad and full;
his eyes were villainously small, and his canine teeth were as large as
those of a small bear. His arms and legs were covered with long, coarse
brick-red hair, which grew also on his abdémen and sides, but the skin
which covered his breast hung in a loose, baggy fold. The face was
bare, except. for.a thin growth of hair on the jaws and chin, which in
pictures is usually magnified to a luxuriant beard. His skin was of a
shiny brownish-black colour, darkest on the face and throat.”

Wallace doubts the existence of Orangs more than 4 ft, 2 in. in
height. Sir William Flower, writing since Wallace, puts the greatest height
at 4 ft. 4 in., but Mr. Hornaday, who was collecting for an American
Museum, claims to have shot one an inch and-a half taller than that.

Hornaday notices the difference in the disposition of these animals.
Of a young one, about six months old, or eight at the most, he says that
it -had the temper of a tiger, and made such persistent efforts to pull
his hands up to its mouth to bite them, that he tied-its elbows behind
its back, fastened its feet together, and then bound the creature to the
side of the boat. Even then the orang managed to roll over, and bit
his captor severely in the calf of the leg. “I gave him,” writes Mr.
Hornaday, ‘“‘a sounding slap on the side of the head, which caused: him
to let me go; but for many days after I carried a large black-and-blue
mark in memory of him.” He had another specimen: which was not
only savage, but sullenly refused food ; while a third was quite peaceable,







THE ORANG AND ITS NEST. |



‘

32 PoprutAér HISTORY Ob ANIMALS.

“not even once attempting to bite, but whined softly when I approached
him, and rolled up his big brown eyes appealingly. His petition was
not to be refused. I cut the bark that bound his hands and feet, and
placed a pile of soft straw in the verandah for him, into the middle of
which he immediately’crawled and curled himself up. And thus began
a great friendship between ape and man.” ;

In the foregoing paragraph there are two remarkable statements.
The first is that there existed a great difference in the dispositions of
the two orangs kept by Mr. Hornaday. People generally are far too.
apt to forget that animals.are individuals. No two men were ever alike
in all points; and the same may be said of what we are pleased to
call the lower animals. The boy who keeps rabbits or white mice will
soon learn this by experience. The second statement to be borne in
mind is that about one orang’s habit, when angry, of seizing its master’s
hand, and trying to pull it up to its mouth so as to bite. One is
reminded of some lines of Lucretius, which may be rendered thus—

‘* At first men’s weapons were their fists and nails
And teeth; then stones, and branches torn from trees.”

Sometimes one sees an angry child act in a fashion somewhat like that
of Mr. Hornaday’s orang. Why should it so act? The answer to this
question may be read in the lines quoted above.

Hornaday closes his account of the Orang by advising any one who
doubted the close relationship between Man and the higher Apes to go
to Borneo. ‘Let him there watch from day to day this strangely human
form in all its various phases of existence. Let him see the orang walk,
build its nest, eat, drink, and fight like a human rough. Let him see the
female suckle her young, and carry it astride her hip, precisely as do the
coolie women of Hindostan. Let him witness the human-like emotions
of affection, satisfaction, pain and rage, and he will feel how much more
powerful is this lesson than all he has read on the subject.”

The Gibbons, or Long-armed Apes, are somewhat like dwarfish old
men, of slender build, and their arms are so long that some of them
can touch the ground as they walk. The head shows none of the coarse-
ness which is so marked in the Gorilla and Orang, but though they are
so man-like in appearance and walk upright, or nearly so, when on the
ground, their relationship to the lower monkeys is shown by the fact
that they possess seat-pads—thickened patches of hairless skin, which
seem to act as natural cushions when these creatures sit down. These
seat-pads are absent in the Chimpanzee, the Gorilla, and the Orang.

The Gibbons are natives of South-eastern Asia, and are most abundant







THE StAMAnG GrpzBon. ' 33

in the islands of the Malay Archipelago. They live chiefly among trees,
swinging themselves from bough to bough by means of their ‘long arms,
and feeding on fruit, young shoots and buds, insects, birds’ eggs,
and probably any birds that are luckless enough to come within reach

‘





















































































SIAMANG.

of their long arms. They all have a powerful voice, and the name of
more than one species is taken from its cry.

The largest species, the Siamang, is a native of Sumatra. Its
height is about 3 ft. and its extended arms measure nearly twice as
much. Its hair is jet-black, and it is distinguished from all other
Gibbons by having the second and third toes united by skin as far as
the first joint. Mr. H. O. Forbes often met with troops of them,
“some of them hanging by one arm to a dead branch of a high-ftuiting
tree, with eighty unobstructed feet between them and the ground, making

D



2

34 Poputar History oF ANIMALS.

the woods resound with their loud barking howls.” Its. singular cry is
produced by inflating a large sac below the skin of the throat, and ex-
tending to the lips and cheeks, and then suddenly expelling the air, so as
to produce the modulations of the voice. In his “ Naturalist’s Wanderings,”
he tells us how his hunter once shot a Siamang, and when the ape
fell to the ground a young one was discovered clasped in its embrace.
The hunter brought’ both to Mr. Forbes’s hut, when the latter found
that the young one was only stunned.

“Ina very short time,” he says, “it tamed down, and became a
most delightful companion. Its expression of countenance was most
intelligent, and at times almost human; but in captivity it often wore a
sad and dejected aspect, which quite disappeared in its excited moods.
With what elegance and gentleness it used to take what was offered
with its delicate taper fingers, which, like its head, are more man-like
(except for their hairiness) than any other ape’s. It would never put
its lips to a vessel to drink, but invariably lifted the water to its mouth
by dipping in its half-closed hand, and awkwardly licking the drops from
its knuckles. The gentle and caressing way in which it would clasp
me round the neck with its long arms, laying its head on my chest,
uttering a satisfied crooning sound, was most engaging. Every evening
it used to make with me a tour round the village square, with its hand
on my arm, apparently enjoying the walk as much as I did. It was a
most curious and ludicrous sight to see it erect on its somewhat bandy
legs, hurrying along in the most frantic haste, as if to keep its head
from outrunning its feet, with its long free arm see-sawing in a most
odd way over its head to balance itself.”

Mr. Forbes doubts if these Gibbons can .clear the great distances
they are said to do at a jump. He saw a colony of Siamangs, when a
forest was being’ cleared, scampering up and down a tree in abject
terror; even when the tree was falling. they did not attempt to
jump to the ground, but came down with it and perished among ‘its
branches.

The other Gibbons are subject to great variations, individuals often
differing greatly from each other in their colouring.

The White-handed Gibbon is found throughout the Malay Peninsula,
ranging as far north as Tenasserim, where it frequents the wooded hills
up to a height of from 3,000 ft. to 3,500 ft. above sea-level. Adult
males are about 30 in. high, and the females are a little less. ‘The
general colour of the fur may vary from black to yellowish-white, and
the back is often variegated. But the hands and feet are always of a
pale tint, generally white or yellowish-white above. The naked skin
of the face is black, and across the forehead is a white band which







HooLock GiBzBons. 35°

sometimes comes down on both sides and meets on the chin, so -as
to form whiskers and a beard. :

When this Gibbon drinks it scoops up the water in its hand. In
passing from bough to bough, the feet are seldom, if ever, used, but
are left free to pick up any plunder met with by the way; and a troop
of them has been seen making off, with their feet loaded with fruit
stolen from the
gardens of the
natives.

The Hoo-
lock, or White-
browed — Gib-
bon, is said to
take its native
name from its
cry. It is found
in North-east
India and Bur-
mah, and is
said to range
as far to the
south as Upper
Tenasserim.
The avetage
height is about
32 in., and the
colour is gener-
ally black, with
a white or grey
band across the
eyebrows ; the HOOLOCKs.
females are
sometimes of a lighter colour than the males. This Gibbon is good
tempered and easily tamed. It is probably no exception to the general
tule that when an animal is kept in confinement and does not become
tame, part of the fault lies with the keeper or owner.

Mr. Sterndale, the author of “The Mammalia of India,” says of his
pet Hoolock: “Nothing contented him so much as being allowed to sit
by my side, with his arm linked through mine, and he would resist any
attempt I made to go away.” The pet fell sick—for Gibbons are of
delicate constitution—and he was carefully attended by the author’s
brother, “who had a bed made for him, and the doctor came daily to

D2





36 Porutar HisToRY OF ANIMALS.

see the little patient, who gratefully acknowledged their attentions ; but
to their disappointment he died.” Mr. Sterndale says, there is but one
objection to these monkeys as pets, and that is “ their power of whooping
a piercing whoop-poo ! whoop-poo! whoop-poo! for several minutes till
fairly exhausted.” j

Closely allied to the Hoolock is the Hainan Gibbon, which is a
native of the island of Hainan, between the Gulf of Tonking and the China
Sea. Only one species has been brought alive to Europe, and that was
exhibited for a short time in the Zoological Gardens, Regent’s Park.
“Jemmy,” who was very tame, was quite black in colour, and nearly
full-grown. Before his journey to this country he lived for four years
in China, and must have been a greater curiosity to the Chinese than
he .was to us—if one can judge by their accounts of this species, for
a magistrate in Hainan told Consul Swinhoe that this Gibbon “had the
power of drawing its long arm bones into its body, and that when it
drew in one it pushed out the other to such an extraordinary length
that he believed they ‘were united.”

The Agile Gibbon, which runs into a number of varieties, some of
which have been described as distinct species, is found in Borneo,
Sumatra, and the islands of the Sulu Archipelago, with a range on the
mainland from Cochin-China to Siam. The general colour of the best-
known form is a dark brown, and the face is surrounded by a fringe
of whitish hair. Martin (“ Man and Monkeys”) says of one exhibited in
London in 1840, that when a “live bird; was let loose in her apart-
ment, she marked its flight, made a long swing to a distant branch,
caught the bird with one hand in her passage, and attained the branch
with the other hand, her aim both at the bird and the branch being as
successful as if one object only had engaged her attention. It may be
added, that she instantly bit off its head, picked its feathers, and then
threw it down, without attempting to eat it.”

The Tufted Gibbon, with a white patch on the crown, the Variegated
Gibbon, and Miiller’s Gibbon are probably varieties of this. Our
illustration shows the only specimen of the last-mentioned form yet
brought to England. It is not only an excellent portrait, but from it
one may see how justly Gibbons are called Long-armed Apes. The long
fur was ashen-grey, while the palms and soles were black, as was the
face, which was fringed with white.

The Silver Gibbon, like the Hoolock, owes its native name, Wow-wow,
to its cry. It is found in Java and, according to some authorities, in
Sumatra. The coat is thick, long, and woolly, and of a general dun
colour. The upper part of the head is black, and white (or lightish)
hair fringes the blackish face. The under-surface is lighter, and. the



GIBBONS. 37

palms and soles are black. Of one that lived for a short time in
the menagerie of the Zoological Society in 1828, Martin says that
it was usually gentle, but rather uncertain in temper, and would occa-
sionally attempt to bite a stranger. Forbes says, “On first hearing their
cries one can scarcely believe that they do not proceed from a band of
uproarious and shouting children. Their ‘ Woo-o0-tit——woo-ut——-woo-
oo-tit wut-wut-wut——wut-wut-wut,’ always more wailing on a dull
heavy morning, previous to rain, was just such as one might expect from
the sorrowful countenance of this group. They have a wonderfully human
look in their eyes; and it was with great distress that I witnessed the
death of the only one I ever shot. Falling on its back with a thud
on the ground, it raised itself on its elbows, passed its long taper fingers
over the wound, gave a woful look at them, and fell back at full length
dead—‘saperti orang’ (just like a man), as my boy remarked.” Forbes
kept one in captivity for a short time, and “it became one of the most
gentle and engaging creatures possible.” In habits the Wow-wow
‘resembles the Siamang.





MULLER'S GIBBON. (Photographed from Life.)



38

- CHAPTER IV

THE MONKEYS OF THE OLD WORLD.

_T was formerly the fashion to divide these into three groups—
those with long tails being called Monkeys, those with
short tails Baboons, while tailless forms were known as
Apes. This distinction cannot hold good, for among the
-Macaques are Monkeys with long tails, Monkeys with
short tails, and Monkeys with no tails at all. It is better to keep the
.word “Ape” for the Man-like. forms, ‘“Baboons-” for the Dog-headed
Monkeys and one or two others closely related to them, using “‘ Monkeys”
.for all the rest. In the Monkeys of the Old World the space between
the nostrils is narrow, and the tail is never prehensile—that is, it cannot be
.used asa grasping organ. All the species have seat-pads, and in some
there are cheek-pouches—that is, the skin of the cheeks is loose, so as
to form a kind of natural cupboard on each side, into which food can
be put for future use.



Most of the Slender Monkeys are natives of Asia. They have no
cheek-pouches, but to make up for this on each side of the stomach
are little bags, or pouches, in which the leaves and shoots, which form
their chief food, can’ be stowed and digested at leisure. In all of ‘them
the thumb ‘is well developed, and we shall see for ourselves how im-
portant this is if we try to pick any small object from the table or the
ground with the fingers only. The Indian species are called Jangiirs,
and the best known is the Common Langtir, or Sacred Monkey. The
average length of the body is a little over 2 ft, while the tail will
probably measure half as much again. The general hue of the fur is
greyish-brown, but the face, ears, soles, and palms are black. There
is no crest, but the hair of the crown spreads out in all directions from a
point on the forehead. Owing to the fact that this monkey is looked
upon by the Hindus as sacred, and has been protected for a very long
period, it has no fear of man, and is found in troops—males, females,
and their young—in groves quite close to villages, and even on trees
within the village itself; and they swarm in the sacred city of Benares.
“They frequently pilfer food from the grain-dealers’ shops, whilst the
damage they inflict on gardens and fields renders them so great a nuisance
that the inhabitants of the country, though they will not, as a rule, kill the
monkeys themselves, sometimes beg Europeans to kill the intruders.”
But it would be scarcely prudent to comply with this request.





THE Oxtp-Wortp MONKEYS. 39

Mr. J.-L. Kipling (“Beast and Man in India”) relates several
instances of the dire offence given to natives by Europeans shooting
monkeys, and tells an amusing story of a magistrate who, having’ shot
a monkey by accident, stole out by night with a lantern to” bury the

+

body, feeling as:
guilty as if he’
had been a
murderer try-
ing to hide the
evidence of his
crime.

The Wild
Langtirs _fre-
quent high trees
and rocky hills,
never far from
water. Jerdon
says, “They
leap with. sur-
prising agility
and precision
from branch to
branch, and
when © pressed
take mostaston-
ishing jumps.
I have seen
them cross from
tree to tree, a
space of 20 to
30 ft. wide, with



perhaps 40 GROUP OF SLENDER MONKEYS.
to 50 ft. in :
descent. They can run on all fours with considerable rapidity.”
But a man well mounted can easily run down a Langtr, and, according
to Blanford, it is their power of bounding, and the remarkable appearance
they present whilst leaping, with their long tails turned over their backs,
that convey the idea of speed rather than the actual rapidity of their
motions.

The Himalayan Langur is a little larger, and lives much farther to the
north. It has been seen near Simla sporting amongst the ‘fir-trees when
covered with snow,



40 Porutar History or ANIMALS.

The Purple-faced Monkeys are natives of Ceylon. The general colour
is brown. Hornaday says of them :—“ They literally lined the road for
seven mules, sometimes in the trees, and sometimes on the ground.
One troop of very large old fellows we found playing in the road like
schoolboys, galloping. up and down, or chasing each other about, with
their long tails held up at an angle of forty-five degrees. Their
favourite gait is a gallop unless the branches are too thick to permit
it, and ‘they can run almost as fast through the tree-tops as over the
bare ground. When hotly pursued, it is marvellous to see them run.
They head straight away, and gallop madly along the larger branches
without a second’s pause or hesitation, without a fall or even a false step,
spring boldly from one tree-top to the next, and, unless the ground below
is very open, they are gone from the hunter’s gaze like a flash.”

The Douc, from Cochin China, is more stoutly built than the True
Langurs, and more gaily clad. The general hue of the fur is a dingy grey,
darker on the upper surface of the body than beneath; the tail, and a
large triangular patch near its root on each side, are white; the upper
parts of: the limbs and the hands and feet are black; the legs are a
rich ‘red, and the arms are white. Nothing is known of its habits,
and it has not yet been brought alive to this country.

The Tibetan Langur comes from the Highlands of Tibet, ranging into
China, where it has been known from a very early date. _ The limbs are
shorter and stouter than in the Douc, but it is not so brilliantly coloured as
that monkey, the general hue being olive-brown above, yellowish beneath
and on the inner sides of the limbs, while the face is bluish-grey. The nose
is turned up so much that its tip is nearly on a level with the eyes.

Other species are the Madras Languir, the Malabar Languir, the Banded
Leaf Monkey, the Negro Monkey (the jet-black fur of which is valued for
saddlery and military decorations), the Crested Lutong, the Nilgiri
Langtir, and some few others.

The Kahati, or Proboscis Monkey, is a native of Borneo. These
monkeys are usually found near water, are swift climbers, and extremely
shy. The cry is “onk,” and occasionally “ hee-honk,” long drawn and
resonant, quite like the note of a bass viol. Of the prominent nose,
which gives the creature its name, Hornaday says :—* It hangs from —
the face—well, totally unlike anything else in the world—coming down
below the chin, and shaped like a pear, except for a furrow down the
middle; and the division between the nostrils being contracted, causes
the organ to terminate in two points. An adult male is about as large
as a pointer; the face is cinhamon-brown, and the body conspicuously
marked ‘with reddish-brown and white, the tails of old specimens being
white as snow.”





THE Ox1p-Woritd Moneeys. 4I

The Thumbless Monkeys are African. They are closely allied to, the
Langiirs, but the thumb is either absent or so small as to be useless. One
of the best known is the Guereza, a native of Abyssinia, ranging
southward into Somaliland. The fur is long and black, with a mantle
of long white hairs hanging down on each side, and the tail is tufted
with white; there are long white whiskers on each side of the face.
They are said
to live in small

|. troops, and to
| feed on fruit,
| seeds, and in-
sects. They are
hunted for the
| sake of their
i skins, which
| are used by the
| Abyssinian
troops to cover
their shields,
A variety, in
‘which the




: mantle and tail:

tuft. are ‘much
“more develop-
_ ed, is found at...
"an elevation of.
| 3,000 ft. on
| Kilima - Njaro-
aT en ot h er PROBOSCIS MONKEYS,

‘species are

known, two of which—the Bay Colobus, from Gambia and. the Gold
| Coast, and the King Monkey, from Sierra Leone—have been exhibited










| For the Monkeys of the next genus there is no ‘English collective.
‘name, but the French name “Guenons” (which means “ Grimacers ”)
lis generally employed for them. They are common in Africa, and

|especially soon the western side of the continent, Very many of
(them are to be seen in the cages of Zoological Gardens and travelling
'menageties, and all of them, when young, are lively and amusing, and they
'Tarely, if ever, even when old, exhibit the savageness shown by some of
‘the Macaques, and, to a greater degree, by the Baboons, They are mis-
chievous and destructive, and will often snatch at some article of dress or







\



42 Poputar HisToRY OF, ANIMALS.

ornament, and, if successful in the attempt, will promptly pick or tear it to
pieces on the spot. And they can bite sharply too, if teased or irritated,
and will pinch and scratch anyone who has offended them.

The Diana Monkey has greyish fur, with a long, pointed beard and a
crescent on the forehead of pure white. The name was given by Linnzus,
from the fancied resemblance of the white on the forehead to the crescent
worn by the Roman goddess. One of these monkeys that lived for some
time in the Zoological Gardens, Regent’s Park, was exceedingly friendly to
her acquaintances. On their approaching her cage and whistling, she
would manifest her delight by a series of jumps up and down on the floor
of her dwelling, and would finish her performance by turning two or three
somersaults, one after another. Then she would quietly sit down, holding
the netting with both hands, and open her mouth for any dainties her
friends might have brought her—raisins, grapes, bananas, Di would take
them all. Sometimes she would begin her somersault again of her own
accord, as if to show she wanted more ; but if she did not, a wave ot the
hand and “Now, Di,” were quite sufficient to. start her, and she seemed to
enjoy the fun quite as much as the spectators. She seemed to have
some faint notion of ‘ hide-and-seek,” for occasionally, at the end of
one of her acrobatic exhibitions, she would swing herself upon the
branch that crossed her cage and dive into her little sleeping-box at the
top, so as to be lost to sight for a minute or two; then she would come
down with a wild leap, and the “show” would begin ‘again.

The Mona Monkey, like the Diana, comes from West Africa. The
upper surface is dark, the under surface white, and near the root of the
tail on each side is an oval white spot. One that lived in the Jardin des
Plantes, at Paris, was allowed its liberty. Its cunning and activity were
very great, and its adroitness in performing any little theft was remarkable.
It could turn a key, and untie knots and search pockets with a delicacy of
touch so little felt that it was not remembered till the theft was discovered.
It was gentle and playful, and when caressed uttered a low cry, seemingly
an “expression of pleasure.

The Vervet has greyish-green fur, with black face, hands, and feet. It
is a native of South Africa, and is said to feed on the gum that flows from
acacias.. These monkeys are often seen in confinement, and one in
Regent’s Park was as adroit a pickpocket as the Mona Monkey mentioned
above. It was particularly pleased to put its hand and arm through the .
netting and pluck out the hairs from the back of the hand of its acquaint.
ances. But it could be fierce enough when it liked, and it had a command
of uncomplimentary language that was astonishing.

The Grivet, from the north-east of Africa, has the hair on the upper
surface ringed with black and yellow, which gives the animal a greenish







THE Orp-Wortd Monkeys. 43

appearance, while the under parts are white. Mr. Blanford met with them
in small droves in Abyssinia, and says that their habits appeared to differ
little from those of the Macaques, except that they were quicker and less
mischievous than the Indian monkeys.

The Green Monkey ranges from Senegal as far south as the Niger.

AA
ay
A

WY
SNP
SS
as

YY











DIANA MONKEY,

The fur is of a dark green hue above and yellowish below. It appears to
be voiceless, for it utters no sound in confinement, and seems to be equally
silent in 4 wild condition, for a French naturalist shot twenty-three out of
a large troop, “and yet not one screamed, although they often assembled
together, knitting their brows and grinding their teeth, as if they intended
to attack me.” A celebrated English naturalist adds, “I wish they had,
with all my heart.”



44. PorutAk HisToRY oF ANIMALS.

Stairs’ Monkey was discovered quite recently. Dr..Molony brought
home a young female in 1892 from the delta of the Zambesi River.
It was a gentle, playful little creature, but did not live long in con-
finement. It was distinguished from other species by a chestnut-red
patch in front of each ear. Strange to say, this was not the first specimen
brought to England. An old male that had been kept for some years in
the open air in a garden in the North of London was presented to the
Zoological Society in 1893, but, unfortunately, only lived in the Monkey
House for about eight months. A writer in Zhe Sketch says :—“ He is
described by one of the keepers as a ‘nice’ monkey—that is, a well-
behaved creature, that gives little trouble. As the sole occupant of his
dwelling, he cannot quarrel ; he is not given to mischievous tricks, such as
snatching off the glasses of any short-sighted person who may come too
near the cage ; still less would he behave like his neighbour, the Barbary
Ape, who lives opposite, and. viciously scratch the hand that offers him
some toothsome morsel. But he does not gambol; his playing days are
over. Age sobers monkeys as-well as men, and he generally sits sedately
at:the bottom of his cage, from time to time mounting the traverse bar
to take the offerings of visitors, or to put his paw through the wires to
be caressed by those on friendly terms with him. But as he takes no
liberties, so he suffers none; and those who wish to see what terrible
weapons an old monkey has in his canine teeth should offer him a large
nut—a walnut for choice—and, as he pushes it back between the last
molars to get the better leverage for cracking it, there will stand out
prominently four gleaming ‘ivories’ that would not discredit a flesh-eating
animal.” ;

The Mangabeys, or White Eyelid Monkeys, also African, are some-
times placed in a separate genus, on account of some difference in the last
grinding-tooth. The Sooty Mangabey is the species most often seen in
confinement. Its colour is indicated in its name, and it has, like the
other species, white eyelids, which show up strongly against the dark
coloration of the body. They are larger than most of the Guenons, and in
confinement they are well-behaved and gentle. One in Wombwell’s
Menagerie was very lively and active, and very fond of putting herself
into extraordinary attitudes, so as. to attract notice. Some that are now in
the Gardens at Regent’s Park are equally gentle and well-behaved, and
offer.a decided contrast to the Macaques in a cage close by, who, when
teased, grin and show their teeth in a fashion that would bode ill for the
teasers if the monkeys were at liberty.

The Macaques are Indian, with the exception of one species, the Bar-
bary Macaque, from North Africa, with a colony, so to speak, at Gibraltar.
They have shorter limbs and are more stoutly built than the Guenons, and



THE Orp-WoriD MONKEYS. 45

the muzzle is more dog-like, though less so than in the Baboons. The
males are larger than the females, and have the canine teeth more fully
developed. Mr. Blanford says that “the species resemble each other in
habits. They are found in flocks, often of considerable size, composed
of old and young of both sexes. They are active animals, though less
rapid in their movements, whether among trees or on the ground, than
the Guenons. Most of them, if not all, eat insects, as well as seeds, fruit,
etc., and one feeds partly on crabs. They have occasionally been known
to devour lizards, and, it is said, frogs also.. All have the habit of cram-
ming food into their cheek-pouches, to eat at leisure—a practice that
must be familiar to anyone who has fed monkeys in confinement.”

Colonel ‘Tickell says that anger is shown by silence, or expressed by a
low hoarse ‘‘ Hew,” not so guttural as a growl; weariness or desire for
company by a whining “om,” invitation, deprecation, and entreaty by
a smacking of the lips and a display of the front teeth into a broad grin,
with a subdued chuckle, highly expressive, but not to be rendered on
paper. Fear and alarm are shown by a loud harsh shriek ‘ Ava,” or
“ Kraouk,” which serves also as a warning to others who may be heedless.

Now that.so much is written about the “speech” of monkeys, it is
interesting to recall the fact that Captain Burton worked at the subject.
Lady Burton, in her “ Life” of her husband, says that “ he collected forty
monkeys of all-kinds of ages, races, species, and he lived with them, and
used to call them by different names. . . . He used regularly to talk
to them, and pronounce their sounds afterwards, till he and the monkeys
at last got quite to understand each other. He obtained as many as sixty
words, I think twenty more than Mr. Garner—that is, leading words—
and he wrote them down and formed a vocabulary, meaning to pursue his
studies at some future time.”

The Bonnet Monkey is a native of Southern India. An adult male
is about 3 ft. 6 in. long, of which the tail counts for a little more than
half, the fur is brown above and whitish beneath, with the ears and face
flesh-coloured. The hair on the crown is long, and spreads out on the
top of the head, and this gives the animal its popular name. This is
the common monkey of Southern India; it is found wild in the jungles,
and particularly tame in the towns. The native shops are open to the
streets, and this affords these animals a good opportunity for plundering,
the chief sufferers being those who sell fruit and grain. It has been
described as the most inquisitive and mischievous of its tribe, with
powers of mimicry that cannot be excelled; but it is doubtful if it can
surpass the Bhunder for curiosity and mischief, and it is said to be more .
docile. Closely allied is the Toque Monkey from Ceylon, probably a
mere variety. Both these monkeys are trained by Indian showmen to

\



“46 PoputAr History or ANIMALS.

perform a variety of tricks. Mr. J. L. Kipling once saw a. travelling
showman with a band of performing monkeys. Some wild monkeys
which were near the spot where the man began his preparations for
the show, took refuge in the neighbouring trees; but when they saw
their fellows dance to his piping, and, clothed in strange raiment, ride
round and round on a goat, they crept closer with evident surprise and
disgust.

The Crab-Eating Macaque is the common Macaque of menageries
(Plate II, No. 3). The total length is about 44 in., and the tail is nearly
as long as the head and body together. Individuals vary in colour,
some being dusky or greyish-brown, whilst in others the brown is
tinged with red; the under parts are whitish. It is widely distributed
in Burma and Arakan, Siam and the Malay Peninsula., These monkeys
live in small groups among the mangrove trees in tidal creeks, feeding
principally on seeds, crabs, and insects. They take readily . to water,
and swim well. A writer in the /%e/d, in mentioning the -crab-eating
habits of this monkey, says that he has good reason to suspect that
the True Langtir does the same (near Bombay). Albinos of this
species sometimes occur. Some years ago there were a pair in the
Zoological Gardens ; they were very lively and full of fun, but on bright
days they seemed to suffer from the glare, and the male showed his
dislike of it by scowling fiercely when the sun was on his face.

The Rhesus Monkey or Bhunder is the common monkey of Northern
India, and is found in some places at an elevation of 8,000 ft. The total
length is about 32 in., of which the tapering tail is a little more than a
third. The general colour is brown, with a tinge of grey, and the
under surface is nearly as dark as the fur on the back. It is found
in large herds, more generally near the habitations of man than in the
jungle, and it varies its vegetarian diet with spiders and_ insects.
Though the Hindus do not regard the Bhunder as sacred, they do
not molest it, and in consequence it has grown to be as mischievous
as the True Langtir, and is more daring and impudent. The showmen
of the North of India train it for exhibition, and it readily learns to per-
form tricks. These monkeys are extremely mischievous and inquisitive,
and get savage as they grow old. In their wild state Blanford says
they “are very quarrelsome, perpetually screaming and fighting and
teasing each other; in fact, they behave very much like unruly children.”

The Pig-tailed Monkey, when full grown, is said to be as big as a
good-sized mastiff. It is found in the Malay Peninsula as far north
as Tenasserim, and in Sumatra and Borneo. The general coloration
is dark, and the shape of the head, especially in old males, approaches
that of the Baboons. In Sumatra it is said that these monkeys are



THE Oxrp-Wortp Monxeys. 47

trained to climb cocoa-nut trees and gather nuts for their masters, but
it is probable that only young animals are so employed.

The Lion-tailed Monkey is often wrongly called the Wanderoo, a
name applied by the natives of Ceylon to all monkeys. It is found in
troops of from twelve to twenty in the thick hill-forests near the Malabar
coast. The general colour is black, and a long ruff of light-coloured



LION-TAILED MONKEY,

hair runs round the face, but does not meet on the forehead. An
adult male will measure about 33 in., of which the tail, with a tuft
at the tip, counts for little more than a foot. Blanford says they are
sulky and savage in captivity. ‘This can scarcely be said of three now
in the Zoological Gardens, which share a large cage with two Gibbons
and are on friendly terms with all visitors, though they certainly know
how to take their own part. It was the writer’s custom to feed:
these monkeys, which generally sat in a row at the bottom of
the cage, grasping the netting with their hands, and opening their
mouths for grapes or morsels of banana. One morning while the
feeding was going on, a Gibbon stole slowly down the wire net-
ting that formed the front of the cage, and putting out its foot
seized the fruit intended for the Macaque. The latter jumped up,



48 POPULAR HisToRY OF ANIMALS.

and chattering loudly, hunted the Gibbon round the cage. The thief
swung from projection to projection, uttering cries of terror; but the
Macaque gained ground and caught the fugitive, and seizing it by the
loins bit it with a vigour that would have been dangerous had not the
assailant been so small.

The Japanese Monkey, with long, soft,. brownish fur and reddish
face, is remarkable. for living farther north than any other member of
the family. These monkeys live in troops and commit great depreda-
tions in gardens and plantations, for they feed on acorns, nuts, oranges,
date-plums, and any other fruit that fortune may throw in their way.
The Japanese showmen tame this monkey, and train it to walk the
tight-rope and to take part in acrobatic performances. Some of the
showmen are said to dwarf their monkeys, by arresting their growth;
and this is not unlikely, when it is remembered what marvellous posits
they can bring about in the way of dwarfing trees.

The Tcheli Monkey is found in the mountains to the east of
Pekin. The yellowish-brown fur is very thick, and enables these
animals to bear the bitter cold of the winters of ‘this part of China,
where the thermometer frequently falls to zero—that is, 32 degrees below
freezing-point. This species and the former have mere stumps of tails.
The Zoological Society possesses specimens of the Japanese and
the Tcheli Monkey, but both are kept in cages in the open air, as
the warmth of the Monkey House would be injurious to them. But
monkeys from much warmer climates can bear cold better than one
would think. The old specimen of Stairs’ Monkey lived for some years
in the open air in the North of London; and in 1893 two Toques just
brought home from Ceylon, escaped from the’ box in which they were
confined and remained at liberty for about eight weeks, and during
part of the time there was frost on the ground. Frank Buckland wrote
of “ Jenny,” a Barbary Macaque which he had given to a friend :—‘She
sits nearly all day on the top of a wall, and has only a common dog-
kennel;for shelter. She is out in frost, snow, and rain, and is none
the worse for it. Her fur is magnificent, and she has a beard, that
makes her face positively beautiful—for a monkey.” And thus “Jenny”
lived for sixteen years in the open air.

The Barbary Macaque (a better name than Barbary Ape), or Magot,
is found in the north of Africa, and on the Rock of Gibraltar is a small
colony of these monkeys. Shortly before the siege in 1779 a party of
Spaniards attempted to surprise one of the British outposts. As they
were advancing as noiselessly as possible, they came on a troop of
Magots, whose cries alarmed the sentinel. The guard turned out, and
the Spaniards, seeing that the British were on the alert, hastily retired.



T. HE OxrD-WorzpD M ONKEYS. AQ

General Elliot never allowed these monkeys to be molested, and-now
the small colony is under the charge of the signal-sergeant at the Rock.
The average length is a little over 2 ft., the general hue of the fur
on the upper surface is yellowish-brown, the under parts are whitish, the
face and ears fleshscoloured, and the tail is represented by a fold of
skin. It is not known how this monkey came to ‘Europe; it is perhaps
a descendant of forms

now extinct, which for-
merly lived in many
parts of the Continent
and even in our own
country.

The Black Ape is
confined to the Celebes
and the island of
Batchian, where it was
probably introduced by
the Malays. The fur
is of a deep black, as
are the face, hands,
and feet, the only ex-
ception being the flesh-
coloured seat-pads. On
the. top of the head is
a tuft of long hair,
spreading out behind
and at the sides so as
to form a crest. The
tail is scarcely an inch
long. These monkeys
feed on fruit, and live : BLACK APE,
in small: troops among
the tree-tops—two things that distinguish them from the True Baboons,
though the long muzzle shows relationship with that group.

The Gelada Baboon, a native of the south of Abyssinia, is the last link
joining the Macaques to the true Baboons, from which it differs in that
the nostrils are not at the extremity of the snout, but a little higher up,
nearer the eyes. The fur is dark coloured; the hair on the top of the
head and round the face is very long and turned backwards, flowing over
the shoulders so as to form a kind of mane, and the tail is tufted. at the
end. The Geladas live in troops, which come down from the mountains
and: rob the fields, for they feed principally on grain. When attacked,

E pies





50... Poputar History oF ANIMALS.

they roll down ‘from the: heights. large stones -on_ their enemies, in
much the same manner as men of hill-tribes do. They are occasionally
seen in confinement.; but “they have no manners, and their customs are
beastly.”

This brings us to the True Baboons, which are natives of Africa and
the country round the northern shores of the Red Sea. They differ from
the Monkeys of both hemispheres in being more dog-like, and less human
in bodily shape and in disposition. The Man-like Apes and. the Old-
World Monkeys live chiefly among tree-tops, and feed on fruit ; “the,
Baboons live among rocky mountains and in the open country, and
supplement the diet of grain with insects, centipedes, and scorpions, ,
occasionally taking lizards and frogs, and in one species, it is said,
waging war on flocks of sheep. They go on all-fours, and even on level
ground can travel as fast as a horse can trot. The limbs are nearly of
the same length, and the seat-pads are sometimes very brightly coloured.
They probably do not attack man, unless molested; but if interfered
with or roused to anger they are formidable foes, a bite from the larg
canine teeth being sufficient to kill a dog. :

The Arabian or Sacred Baboon was one of the sacred animals of the
ancient Egyptians. It was worshipped as the type or symbol of Thoth,
the god of letters, who was sometimes represented in the likeness of this
creature. But though these animals were held. to be sacred, the
Egyptians seem to have taught them to do some useful work. A
monument still exists in which some of these Baboons are represented,
gathering fruit, while slaves stand below with baskets to receive it,
The adult male is about the size of a large pointer, but of stouter build ;
the fur is ashen-grey, and the neck and shoulders of the males are
covered with a thick mane, making them look like something between,
a lion and a big French poodle. The tail is fairly long, and tufted at:
the end; the hands are. black, thé’ face and ears flesh-coloured, and the
seat-pads bright red. The females are nearly as large as the males,
but, like the young, have. no manes—those of. the-older males being,
probably developed as a defence. Darwin found, from inquiry at the
Zoological Gardens, that when baboons fought they tried to -bite the
back of the neck., These animals are now more common in Abyssinia
and the Soudan than in Arabia itself, and in Egypt they are no longer
found. Sir-Samuel’ Baker says that they “have a great variety of ex-
pressions that may perhaps represent their vocabulary. . A few of them.
I begin to understand,:such as the notes of alarm and the cry to direct.
attention ; thus when I-am sitting. alone. beneath the shade of.a tree to.
watch their habits, they are at first not quite certain what kind of. a,



BABOONS. 51%

creature I’ may be, and they utter a peculiar cry to induce me to:
move and show myself more distinctly.” :
Fierce as these creatures are when - attacked, and resolutely as they
defend themselves, they are capable of tender feeling. Professor Romanes
when in the Monkey House at the Zoological Gardens, once saw an
Anubis Baboon bitten by a neighbour: from whom it had attempted to
steal a nut. The cries of the victim brought the keeper to its rescue, and
by dint of “a good deal of physical persuasion ”—that is, the keeper’s iron
rod—the assailant was induced to let go. “The Anubis Baboon then
retired to the middle of his cage, moaning piteously, and holding the
injured hand against his
chest, while he rubbed it
with the other one. The
Arabian Baboon now ap-
proached him from the top
part of the cage, and while
making a soothing sound
very expressive of sympathy,
folded the sufferer in its
arms, exactly as a mother
would do under similar cir-
cumstances. It must be
stated, also, that this ex-
pression of sympathy had a
decidedly quieting effect BABOON,
upon the sufferer, his moans
becoming less piteous so soon as he was enfolded in the arms of his:
comforter ; and the manner in which he laid his cheek upon the bosom
of. his friend was as exptessive as anything could be of “sympathy
appreciated.” a
The Yellow Baboon (Plate II., No. 4); so called from the brownish-yellow’
colour of its fur, has long hair on the crown, and the hands, feet, and face’
are black. It is a native of Western Africa, ranging across the continent
to Kilima-Njaro, where, according to Mr. Johnston, “ they weré generally:
found on the outskirts of native plantations, where they almost subsisted
on the maize and other food-stuffs stolen from the gardens of their
more highly developed fellow-Primates. In the’ inhabited region generally.
known as the country of _Chaga, baboons were strangely abundant. © T hey
went generally in flocks of from fourteen to twenty, of all ages and ‘both’
sexes. They were so little molested by the natives that they showed small:
fear of man, and instead of running away would often stop to look at mie:
about twenty yards off, and the old males would show: their teeth and
E 2





52 PopultAr History oF ANIMALS.

grunt. I have frequently seen the natives driving them from the planta- .

tions as they might a troop of naughty boys, and the Baboons retreating
with swollen cheek-pouches, often dragging after them a portion of the
spoil. On one occasion, in the river-bed at the foot of Kilima-Njaro, my
Indian servant, ordinarily a very plucky boy, met a troop of these animals
which, instead of fleeing up the trees, came running towards him in a very
menacing manner, and he was so frightened at their aspect that he took
to his heels. The Baboons followed, and but that the boy forded the
shallow stream and put the water between him and - his pursuers, he might
have had an awkward contest. I killed a Baboon once in Chaga, one of
a troop who were rifling a maize plantation, and its companions, instead
of running away, surrounded the corpse and snarled at me. AsI had no
more ammunition I went back to my settlement to fetch some of my
followers, and upon the approach of several men the Baboons ran off.”

The Chacma, or Cape Baboon, lives in the mountainous districts of
South Africa. An old male is said to be as large as an English mastiff, but
it does not appear that any specimen approaching that size has yet been
brought to England. The general colour is greyish-black, and the hairs of
different length give the fur a shaggy appearance. They live in herds, and
generally feed on the bulbs of a lily-like plant, varied with worms, insects,
lizards, and birds’ eggs; but it is said that they are, in some cases,
becoming flesh-eaters. Mr. Tegetmeier, in the Fed, says: “It is main-
tained by some of the farmers that the animal. has become carnivororus,
leaving its original food and destroying sheep and goats. . . . Should
the habit become general it would necessitate very active measures being
taken against the Baboons, as their powerful canine teeth, great strength
and agility would’ render them most destructive enemies of sheep,
goats, and even calves.”

The Anubis Baboon, with olive-green fur, from the west of Africa,
lives principally on the stems of the Welwitschia, which it tears open
with its’ large tusks, and nibbles the roots just like a sheep does a
turnip. These animals are said to be a great plague to the native
cultivators, for they come down in bands and strip whole fields of
maize in a single night.

The Guinea Baboon, Sphinx, or Common Baboon is very ten
imported for zoological collections. It shows relationship to the
Mandrill, but though the cheeks are swollen, they are not brightly
coloured. The fur is yellowish-brown, shaded ‘with sandy or light-red
tints ; the eyelids are white, the hairless parts black, the tail about half
the length of the body and without a tuft. Nothing is known of its
habits in a wild state.

The Mandrill is one of the most. extraordinary looking animals it



BABOONS. 53

is possible to conceive. “ Hideous,” is an adjective commonly applied
to it. Its home is the tropical region of West Africa. The adult male,
said to be nearly as large as an Orang, is very stoutly built, with short
limbs, and an enormous head without a perceptible forehead. The
nostrils are a little behind the lips, and on each side of the face are
prominent swellings, covered with
skin, coloured light-blue, scarlet, and
purple.. The seat-pads are blood-
red, and the tail is a mere stump.
Mandrills are not often seen in
confinement. ‘‘Jerry,” that was
kept in the Surrey | Zoological
‘Gardens, was described by Broderip
as “‘a glutton, and ferocious in the
extreme. Most kindly he would
receive your nuts, and at the same
time, if possible, would scratch or
pinch your fingers, and then snarl
‘and grunt in senseless anger.” He
‘had learnt to drink tea and grog,
and to smoke, and he is said to
have dined. with George IV. at
Windsor. =
The Drill, also from West Africa, “Jerry?

but spread over a wider range of

country, has brownish fur above, and of a much Waner hue_ beneath.
There are roll-like swellings on the face, as in the Mandrill, but the
skin covering them is black, as is also the case with the Mandrill.
The females and the young have not the repulsive look of the old
males,







54

CHAPTER V.
NEW-WORLD MONKEYS AND MARMOSETS.

|, HESE animals differ in a marked manner from their cousins
of the Old World. All are forest dwellers, frequenting the
tree-tops, and most of them have a prehensile tail, which
serves in some sort as a fifth hand; but in none are there
cheek-pouches for the stowage of food, or those natural
cushions which we have described as seat-pads. The partition between
the nostrils is very wide ; in those monkeys that have a thumb, it cannot
be opposed to the fingers so as to pick up or grasp; and in all (except-
ing the Marmosets) there are four more téeth—that is, 36, against the
32 teeth of the Old-World Monkeys, which are the same in number and
‘kind as our own. Ee

The Capuchin Monkeys (Plate IL, No. 5) take their popular name
from the fancied resemblance of the long hair on the forehead to the cowl
of a friar. In their native forests of Central America they go about
in large troops, feeding on the tender shoots. and buds of trees, fruit,
birds’ eggs, and young birds. They are very intelligent, and bear confine-
ment and the climate of England well. They are common in menagéeries,
and itinerant musicians and showmen often train them to perform.

The White-fronted Capuchin, with reddish-brown fur, and white. on
the face and chest, is plentiful over the level forest-lands of Brazil, and
‘Bates saw large troops on the banks of the -Upper Amazon. They
spring from tree to tree with marvellous agility, and “grasp, on falling,
‘with hands and tail, right themselves in a moment, and then away they
“go, along branch and bough to “the next tree.”* Bates kept one. as a
pet, but it was not a success, as the Capuchin killed an owlfaced
monkey, of which its master was very fond. “ Upon this,” says Bates,
“T got rid of him.” Belt was more fortunate with “Mickey.” His White-
fronted Capuchin killed nothing more valuable than ducklings, and a
light switch taught him that he must leave off -such bad habits. He
was a sad thief. “‘When anyone came near to fondle him he would
never miss an opportunity of pocket-picking. . . | One day when
he got loose he was detected carrying off the cream-jug from the table,
holding it upright with both hands, and trying to move off on his hind
limbs. He gave the jug up without spilling a drop, all the time making
an apologetic grunting chuckle, which he often used when found out in
any mischief, and which always meant ‘I know I have done wrong;





-. AMERICAN MONKEYS. 2 55

-but don’t punish me; in fact, I did not mean to do it—it was acci-
dental.’ However, when he saw he was: going to be punished, he
-would change his tone to a shrill threatening note, showing his teeth,
-and trying to intimidate. He had quite an extensive vocabulary of
sounds, varying i és
from..a. gruff
bark to a shrill
‘whistle; and
we could tell,
-by them with-.
out seeing him
when it was
he was hungry,
eating, frighten-
ed, or mena-
‘cing; doubtless
one of his own
species .would
have —_under-
stood various
minor shades
of intonation
cand ‘expression
‘that’. we, ‘not
entering < into
his feelings and
‘wants, ; passed.
over as. unin-
telligible.”
There | are
many; spe-
cies. of ; Capu-
chins, or Sapa-
jous,, as they
are sometimes ©: = ~ 4 ( SPIDER MONKEYS,
called. : The ~ SE eh, | Shee
Brown Capuchin, from Guiana, is-often brought to’ this country, and it
was on this ‘species that Miss. Romanes made the observations given in
Professor Romanes’ “ Animal Intelligence.” ee
The Woolly Monkeys are Brazilian, and have an under coat of
woolly fur beneath the longer hairs. The tail is naked at the tip, on
the under side, which gives the animal a securer hold, and the thumb

’





56 Poputar HisToRY OF ANIMALS.

is well developed. Humboldt’s Woolly Monkey is stoutly built, with black
fur and face; its features resemble pretty closely those of an old negro,
whence it is often called the Nigger Monkey. They are good tem-
pered and docile in captivity. One that lived for a short time in the
Zoological Gardens, Regent’s Park, made many friends, and though his
greeting was never demonstrative, it was warm and affectionate. He
would fondle a hand or a finger, then spring upon the branch, and
hang thereon with his tail, bringing his head close to the netting and
putting out his lips for some fruit as a reward for his good behaviour.
They are among the largest of the American Monkeys. Bates took a
specimen of which the head and body measured 26 in., while the tail
‘was an inch longer.

The Woolly Spider Monkey, from South-East Brazil, probably links
the Woolly Monkeys to the True Spider Monkeys. It has the woolly
under-fur of the first, but the thumb is rudimentary.

The Spider Monkeys are found from Mexico in the north to
Uruguay in the south. Their popular name is due to their long,
slender limbs. They live principally on fruit, which is often conveyed
to the mouth with the tail, and the stomach is somewhat like that of
the Langurs. Their activity is very great, as one may often see in the
monkey houses of zoological gardens. One that shared a very large
cage with some Capuchins in Regent’s Park distinguished itself by
chasing them round and round the cage,. probably inviting them to a
romp. But the Capuchins did not enter into the game, and the. Spider
swung from rope to bar, and across the cage, without a playfellow.

The Red-faced. Spider Monkey, or Coaita, has a wide range in Brazil
and Guiana. It is of large size, clothed with coarse black fur, and the face
is flesh-coloured. Bates says that these monkeys are common pets among
the Indians, and he gives them a good character for temper and dis:
position. They display some ingenuity in breaking the case in which
what we call Brazil nuts are enclosed, by hammering it on a rock or hard
log. There seems to be little doubt that they do break off dead branches
with the intention of injuring a supposed foe. The author of “ Canoe and
Camp Life in Guiana” says :—‘“ On seeing us, they used frequently to
hurl down large dead branches, some of which came rather too close to
our heads at times to be comfortable. The manner in which they per-
formed this was singular: they held on by tail and hind feet to a live
bough in a tree-top, alongside of a dead one, and pushing with their hands
with all their force against the latter, generally succeeding in breaking it
off, when down it came.”

The Variegated Spider Monkey, from both sides of the Amazon, is
strikingly coloured. The long soft fur on the back is black. the cheeks aré



AMERICAN MONKEYS. 57

white ; there is a bright reddish-yellow band across the forehead, and the
under surface and the sides of limbs and tail are yellow. It is sometimes
called Bartlett's Monkey, because Mr. E. Bartlett brought home a specimen
in 1866, which was described as a new species. Other species are the
Hooded and the Brown Spider Monkeys, from Colombia, and the Black-
faced Spider Monkey, from Eastern Peru.

The Owl-faced Monkeys, Night Apes, or Douroucolis (as the natives
call them), are more active by night than by day, thus resembling
the birds from which they take their popular names. They are of small
size, with a large round head, short face, and very large eyes, generally
grey or brown; the fur is close, and the long tail can-only curl round
objects without clinging thereto, and in this respect they differ from. the
New-World Monkeys mentioned before, and agree with those that follow
them, with the exception of the Howlers. These animals are found in the
country from Nicaragua to the Amazon and Eastern Peru. There are three
or four species, which: probably differ little in their habits. Mr. Bates says
that they sleep all day long in hollow trees, and come forth to prey on
insects and eat fruit only at night. He met with two species—the Three-
banded and the Feline. In both the forehead is whitish, and marked
with three black stripes, which in the former go back to the crown, and in
the latter meet on the forehead. He kept one of the Three-banded Night
Apes as a pet. The animal preferred insect food, though it would eat fruit.
Bates was told that these monkeys cleared the houses of bats as well as
of insect pests. ‘When approached gently, it allowed itself to be
caressed ; but when handled roughly, it always took alarm, biting severely,
striking out its little hands, and making a hissing noise like a cat.”

The Squirrel Monkeys inhabit the tropical forests from Costa Rica to
Brazil and Bolivia, There are three species of these active, graceful little
creatures, which in a wild state live in large flocks, and feed in great part
on insects. The head is greatly elongated. The common Squirrel
Monkey is about ro in. long in the head and body, with a tail nearly
half as long again. The body is olive-grey, the arms and legs bright
red, the face white, with a blackish muzzle. Humboldt describes these
creatures as having quite child-like faces and being of a very gentle
disposition. He had many opportunities of watching their habits,
and says that they knew objects when they saw them in pictures,
even when they were not coloured; and when they represented their
usual food, such as fruit and insects, they endeavoured to catch hold
of them. One may be pardoned for doubting if the “endeavour to
catch hold” were prompted by anything more than the spirit of curiosity
which is common to all monkeys. If experiments were carried out by
showing these monkeys—or, for the matter of: that, far higher monkeys—



358 PoputAr HisToRY oF ANIMALS.

.pictures ‘representing some favourite delicacy, and then. others” repre-
senting, say, a landscape, a battle, or a shipwreck, one would probably
be snatched at as eagerly as the other.

The Titi (or Teetee) Monkeys differ from the Suuireel Monkeys in
_having the head round rather than long, the eyes smaller, and the hair. on
the tail much longer. They range over South America, from Panama to
the southern limits of the great forests of. the Amazon... Bates describes
them as dull; listless animals, going in small flocks of five or six individuals,
running along the main boughs of the trees. He obtained one specimen,
which “ was caught on a. low fruit-tree at the back. of our house at sunrise
-one morning. .... . As the tree was isolated, it must have descended
.to the ground from the neighbouring forest, and walked some distance, to
-get at it.”

The Sakis, or Saki Monkeys, also live in the great forests of South
America, Most. of them have long hair on the top of the head, which
-may show a kind of parting down the middle, or may spread from the top

so as to form a kind of wig; all have whiskers and a beard, the latter in
-some cases very long. One of the-best-known species is the Hairy Saki,
or Humboldt’s Saki—for it is called by both names. Bates. describes it as
a timid, inoffensive creature, with a long bear-like coat of harsh, speckled
grey hair. The long fur hangs over the head, half concealing the pleasing,
diminutive face, and clothes also the tail to the tip, which member is well
-developed, being 18 in. in length, or longer than the body. It is a
-very delicate animal; rarely living many weeks in captivity.” Of the
American monkeys, he considers this excels the rest in the ee of
showing strong personal attachment.
« The Uakaris have long hair on the body, but the beard is short,
as is the tail, which in some of these monkeys is scarcely more than
a’stump. They, like the Sakis, dwell in the equatorial forests, rarely
descending to the ground. There are several’ species, probably the
best known being the Bald Uakari, which Bates describes as about
18 in, long, clothed from neck to tail: with long, straight, ‘and
shining whitish hair. The head is nearly bald,:and the face glows with
the most vivid scarlet-blue; the bushy sandy ‘whiskers meet ‘under
the chin, the eyes are Headich yellow. It seems to be confined to the
western side of the Japuna,.near its principal mouth. It lives in small
troops among: the crowns of lofty trees, and feéds on fruits of various
kinds. i:It: is said to be pretty nimble, but- is not much given to
leaping, :pteferring to run up and down the larger ome in mavens
fu) tree ito. tree. -

: The “Howlers, .or Howling Monkeys, are aptly named.. To produce
thes terrible “noises which characterise them, they have on: the top of



American Monkeys. 59







HOWLER AND YOUNG,

the windpipe a hollow bony structure which intensifies their cries. » As
in the Spider Monkeys, the tail is prehensile; but, unlike them, the
‘Howlers have the thumb well developed. Their chief home ‘appears
to. be in Brazil, but some range into Central America. They «live
among the tree-tops, and are vegetarian in diet. For size they éarry
‘off the palm among the. monkeys of the: New. World, some being
nearly 6 ft. in total. length, of which the tail. counts for half.
‘There. are several species differing. little in habit, and all. of them
‘merit their distinctive.name. A traveller in Guiana says:— 9: .

“At early morning, at dusk, and through. the night, at all our
camping “places, we were accustomed to hear the Howlers ‘serenading.
‘To my: mind the sounds produced ‘by these. monkeys. - more: nearly
‘resembled ; a .roar than a. howl, and. when’ sufficiently far off. are. not
unpleasant to the ear. When heard from a distance’ of half a mile or

,



60 PoputAr HisTory oF ANIMALS.

so they seem to begin with low notes, swelling gradually into louder
and longer ones, till they merge into a prolonged roar, which dies
gradually away with a mournful cadence. When not more than one
or two hundred yards away, and consequently plainly heard, they
commence with a series of short howls, which break off into grunts,
and, at every repetition, become longer and longer till their voices
have got fairly in tune, when they give their final roar, which dies as
gradually away. Then, after an instant’s silence, a few deep grunts
are given, as if the remains of the compressed air in their throat
drums were being got rid of. Listening carefully to the performance,
one can detect a voice at a much higher key than the others,
especially in the dying-away portion. The Indians say this is made
by a dwarf monkey of the same family which accompanies. every
troop. I was of the opinion that it was the voice of a female Howler,
but the Indians, who are very careful observers, said it was not.”

The Red Howler and the Brown Howler have been brought alive
to England, but both died soon after their arrival at the Zoological
Gardens.

THE MARMOSETS AND TAMARINS.

These tiny creatures have their home in Central and South America.
The hands and feet are paw-like, the fingers and toes being armed with
claws instead of being furnished with nails; the number of teeth is the
same as in the Old-World Monkeys, though there is some difference: in
their character, The tail is never prehensile, and is often marked with
rings of light and dark hairs, and the ears terminate, in many kinds,:in
a small tuft of hair. They live in. small bands among trees, and feed
chiefly on insects and fruits. In disposition they are gentle, and they
seem to be very affectionate to each other. Accounts differ'-as to
their behaviour in confinement, some authorities asserting that they. are
easily tamed, others that their confidence is won with difficulty. This
may arise from difference of disposition in the animals kept ‘as. pets,'
or it may be the result of the method employed. There are two or
three young in a litter, a fact that shows these little creatures to be
lower than the Monkeys, which produce but one at a birth.

These little creatures are more like squirrels than monkeys in their
habits of climbing, and they confine themselves to the trunks and larger
boughs of trees, the long nails enabling them to cling securely to the
bark; and Bates saw one species passing rapidly round a tree-trunk.
As the tail cannot be used to twist round a branch and the thumb is
useless for grasping, the Marmosets are unable to leap from branch to
branch, .as' do ‘some of their relations and neighbours.



MARMOSETS. 61

_ The Common Marmoset is a native of Brazil. It has been described .
as “a little creature resembling a kitten, banded with black and grey all
over the body and tail, and having a fringe of long white hairs sur-
rounding the ears.” A South American traveller writes of one of these
animals which he kept as a pet :—‘ Nothing pleased him better than
to perch on my shoulder, when he would encircle my neck with his
long, hairy tail, and accompany me in all my rambles. His tail formed
a not very agreeable neck-cloth with the thermometer above one hun-
dred degrees, but he seemed so disappointed when I refused: to carry



COMMON MARMOSETS.

him that it was impossible to leave him behind. One reason of our
intimacy was that our pursuits were the same, inasmuch as both were
entomologists ;: but he was a far more indefatigable insect-hunter than
myself. He -would sit motionless for hours among the branches of a’
flowering shrub or tree, the resort of bees and butterflies, and suddenly
seize them when they little suspected danger.”
_ Some that were kept by a French naturalist would kill small birds
that were put into their cage. These they did not eat, though they
licked up the blood that fell on the bottom of the cage.

These animals are often seen in confinement’ in this country, and
they have bred several times here and on the Continent. A case was

\



62’ PoputAar HisTory oF. ANIMALS.

recorded in the Zizes in 1883, and the owner, in announcing the fact,
wrongly supposed that it was the first time such an event had happened.’

There are several: other species, differing somewhat in size: and’ more
in coloration from the Common Marmoset, though their habits are
pretty much the same. The name “ Ouistiti” is often applied to’ any of
them from their shrill, whistling cry.

The Tamarins live in. troops in the forests of Panama, Peru, and the
Brazils. They are restless little creatures, almost continually in motion,
and their food.consists of fruit, insects, birds’ eggs, etc. There are no’
hairy tufts to the ears, nor is the tail banded with different colours.

The Negro Tamarin is one of the best-known forms. It is a native
of Guiana and the lower part of the Valley of the Amazon. Bates says
that “in Paré it is often seen in a tame state in the houses of the
inhabitants. When full grown it is about 9 in. long, indepen-
dently of the tail, which measures 15 in. The fur is thick, and
black in colour, with the exception of a reddish-brown streak down the
back. When first taken, or when kept tied up, it is very timid and
irritable. It will not allow itself to be approached, but keeps retreating
backwards, uttering a twittering, complaining noise, its dark, watchful
eyes, expressive. of distrust, observant of every movement: which takes
place near it. . . . I once saw one as playful as a kitten, running
about the house after the negro children, who fondled it to their hearts’
content.” The same writer remarks “ their knowing expression,” which
must have struck many other persons. After stating that some anatomists
have compared the brain of the Tamarin to that of the Squirrel, he con-
cludes that this is an unsafe character by which to judge of their mental
qualities, and adds, “In mobility of expression of countenance, intelli-
gence, and general manners, these small Monkeys resemble the higher
‘Apes far more than they do any rodent animal with which I am
acquainted.”

The Silky Tamarin, or Lion Marmoset, owes its first name to the
character of its fur, and its second “to the long brown mane, which
hangs down from the neck and gives it very much the appearance of a
miniature lion. ° Bates says of a tame one: “The first time I went in,
it ran across the room straightway to the chair on which I had sat down,
and climbed up tomy shoulder; arrived there, it turned round and
looked into my face, showing its little teeth and chattering as though it’
would say, ‘Well, and how do yeu do?’” The colour is bright golden-
yellow and the length about 2 ft, of which the tail takes up the half.’

Thee

ee ea



63

CHAPTER VI.
LEMURS AND LEMUR-LIKE ANIMALS.

N .many respects the Lemurs and their allies resemble,
Monkeys, from which, however, they may be readily dis-
tinguished by their sharp, foxy-looking heads, large staring.
eyes, and the nostrils at the extremity of the snout, in form
like those of a dog or a cat. The index-finger in some of

them is a mere stump ;-the second toe always bears a claw, the other

digits being furnished with flat nails. The tips of the fingers and toes

are flattened. into disc-like pads, the skin of which is well supplied with

nerves, so that they not only serve as cushions to break the fall of

these creatures in the leaps, but as delicate organs of touch. The tail is -
never prehensile. Most of them are: nocturnal—that is, they are more

active by night than by day—and live for the most part among the

branches of trees, rarely coming down to the ground from choice, and

feeding on fruit, insects, reptiles, birds’ eggs, and small birds. The teeth

vary in number; but the back teeth resemble those of the Insectivores,

in. that they are furnished with points.

Madagascar is the chief home of Lemurs ; some are found in Africa,
and others are dotted here and there in the great forests as far east as
the Philippines and Celebes. To account for their being thus scattered,
it. has been suggested that there must have been “‘a large tract of land
in what. is now the Indian Ocean, connecting Madagascar on the one
hand with Ceylon and with the Malay countries on the other.”

The. Short-tailed Indris, from the eastern forests of Madagascar, is
active in the daytime. The head and body are about 2 ft. long,. while
the tail is a, mere stump. The general hue of the fur is sheeny black,
with some white on the back, forearms, and hind-quarters. These
animals’ are held in great veneration by the natives of some villages,
though European travellers have not been able to ascertain the reason.
A French naturalist has suggested that it may be on account of their
sad, wailing cries, not unlike those of a human being in pain. ;

The Diadem Indris gets its name froma band of white on the fore-
head, which, as the face is: black and fringed with grey, gives. the creature
a-strange appearance. .The fur of the upper surface is’ dark, with some.
lighter markings. In this animal, and two others’ closely allied to it, the:
hinder limbs are longer than the front pair, which, though well suited. for
a life among the trees, makes. walking :on, all-fours difficult. On the ,

1





64 PoputAar History oF ANIMALS.

ground they stand half-erect, and move forward by a series of jumps,
with the hands raised in the air and the long tail streaming behind.
There are two other species—Verreaux’s Indris and the Crowned Indris,
the former from the west and south, and the latter from the north-west,
of Madagascar.

The Woolly Lemur, or Avahi, is generally found alone or with a single
companion. It passes the day in sleep among the thick foliage, or in the
hollow of a tree, coming out at dusk to feed and gambol. The natives
give it a character for stupidity, which is probably not deserved, for the
brain is larger in proportion to its body than that of any other of the
Lemurs. The fur is distinctly woolly in character, and the ‘general hue is
reddish, though there is a great difference
in individuals. In all these animals the
second, third, fourth, and fifth toes are
joined by a web up to the first joint.
They feed chiefly on fruit.

The True Lemurs (Plate II., No. 6) are
found only in the island of Madagascar
and the Comoro Islands. They differ from
those before described in having the toes
free, the limbs more nearly of equal length,
and in all the tail is long. Some are
diurnal in habit and others nocturnal ; but
to the fruit diet of the Indris they add
eggs, insects, and young birds. Some of
them are always to be seen in zoological

LEMURS. collections, where they are great favourites

with visitors, for while they are active and

sprightly, and indulge in amusing gambols, they show none of the bad

temper that is manifested by their higher relatives the Monkeys. If

these latter rise above the Lemurs in brain power, they fall below them
in conduct.

The White-fronted Lemur, with brownish-red fur and a broad white
band across the forehead, is often brought to England. Mr. Broderip
kept one asa pet. It was sometimes allowed to wander about the house,
and its manifestations of joy when allowed to come into the room with
its master are thus described :—

“ His bounds were wonderful. From a table he would spring twenty
feet and more to the upper angle of an open door, and then back again to
the table or his master’s shoulder, light as a fairy. In his leaps his tail
seemed to act as a kind of balancing-pole, and the elastic cushions at the
ends of his fingers enabled him to pitch so lightly that his descent was





PraTE If,

I. Orang. 2. Gorilla. 3. Macaque. 4. Baboon. 5. Capuchin

Monkey. 6. Lemur. 7. Flying Fox. 8. Vampire Bat. 9. Mole.
10. Hedgehog. 11. Brown Bear. 12. Polar Bear, 13. Badger.
14. Marten. 15. Polecat. 16. Otter. 17. Wolf. 18. Fox.

19. Striped Hyzena. 20. Ichneumon,







LEMURS. 65

hardly felt when he bounded on you. He would come round the back of
my neck and rub his tiny head.fondly against my face or ear, and, after a
succession of fondlings and little gruntings, descend to my instep, as I
sat cross-legged before the fire, when he would settle himself down thereon,
wrap his tail round him like a lady’s fur boa, and go to sleep. When in
his cage he generally slept on his perch, rolled up with his head down-
wards, and his tail comfortably wrapped over all.”

The Ring-tailed Lemur is ashy-grey on the upper surface and’
white beneath, while the tail is banded with black and white. These
Lemurs live more on the ground than do any others of the group. They
do well.in confinement, and are generally gentle in disposition, though
one that was presented to the Zoological Society had a nasty trick
of making vicious snaps at the hand of anyone who attempted to
feed it.

The Mungoose Lemur, with reddish-grey fur; the Ruffed lemur,
generally with black-and-white fur, the colours being disposed in large
patches, but sometimes clad in reddish-brown; the Black Lemur, and
some others, have lived in the Zoological Gardens, where young Lemurs
have been born.

The Gentle or Grey Lemur has a more rounded head than the True
Lemurs. It lives in the bamboo forests of Madagascar, sleeping by day
and coming out at night to feed on the tender shoots and leaves.

There are two species of Weasel Lemurs, also nocturnal. They are
distinguished from the Gentle Lemurs by the fact that full-grown animals
have no front teeth, or quite rudimentary ones.

The Mouse Lemurs are so called from their small size; one of them
was called by Buffon the Madagascar Rat. The food is chiefly frut,
insects, and probably small birds. Most of them build nests, and some
of them estivate, or indulge in a long sleep during the hot season. Just
before they retire for their slumber, a large quantity of fat accumulates
at and round the base of the tail, and the tail itself is enlarged. ‘I his
fat nourishes them during their summer rest, and when they wake its loss
is shown by the small size of their tails. Like the Galagos, the Mouse
Lemurs have the bones of the ankle very long, thus giving great leverage
to the muscles of the leg and increasing the jumping power.’

The Galagos are confined to the continent of Africa. Some of the
species are no larger than Mouse Lemurs, from which, however, they may
be readily distinguished by their curious folding ears. The tail is long
and bushy.

Garnett’s Galago, from Eastern Africa, though it is often called the
Black Galago, has dark-brown fur, fading “into yellowish on the under
parts. These animals have been exhibited in the Zoological Gardens,

iT



66 PorutAR History oF ANIMALS.

and of one to which he gave its liberty in his room, Mr. Bartlett, the
superintendent, writes :—

“Judge my utter astonishment: to see him on the floor, jumping about
upright like a kangaroo, only with much greater speed and intelligence.
The little one sprang from the ground on to the legs of tables, arms of
chairs, and, indeed, on to any piece of furniture in the room; in fact, he
was more like a sprite than the best pantomimist I ever saw. What
surprised me most was his entire want of fear of dogs and cats. In bound-
ing about on the level ground his jumps, on the hind legs only, are very.
astonishing, at least several feet at a
spring, and with a rapidity that requires
the utmost attention to follow... . He
eats fruits, sweetmeats, bread, and any
kind of animal substance, killing every-
thing he can pounce upon and over-
power. This strong and active little
brute thus eats his prey at once, as I
had proof in an unfortunate sparrow,.
which he unmercifully devoured head
first.”

Other species are the Great or Thick-
tailed Galago, from West Africa, with a
bushy tail longer than the head and
body together ; the Senegal Galago, which

SRSA ON onTe has been known longer than any other;

(From Sketch by Cot. Tickell) and the tiny Demidoff’s Galago, from the

West Coast,with small ears and slender tail.

The Slow Lemurs, or Loris, have the tail short or absent. The thumb
and great toe stand out from the other digits, and the latter is directed
backwards. In those which live in Asia the first finger is small, while in
those from West Africa it is reduced to a mere pimple. All are nocturnal
and live among trees, amongst which they climb, and do not jump
or run.

The Common Loris is found in India, to the east of the Bay of Bengal ;
it lives also on the north-east frontier, and ranges southward through the
Malay Peninsula and Siam to Borneo and the neighbouring islands.
Colonel Tickell says: “ It inhabits the densest forests, and never by choice
leaves the trees. Its movements are slow, but it climbs readily and grasps
with great tenacity. If placed on the ground, it can proceed, if frightened,
in a wavering kind of trot, the limbs placed at right angles. It sleeps rolled
up ina ball, its head and hands buried between its thighs, and wakes up in
the dusk of evening to commence its nocturnal rambles.” The total





LORIS AND AVE-AVE, 67

length is a little over a foot, the fur is ashy-grey, with a chestnut stripe on
the back and dark rims round the eyes.

The Slender Loris, from Southern India and Ceylon, is much smaller,
and has dark-grey fur with a reddish tinge. The Singhalese use the eyes
of this creature in love-charms and philtres. To obtain them Sir Emerson
Tennent says they hold the little animal to the fire till the eye-balls burst.
Before we say hard things about the Singhalese it may be well to re-
member that living shrews were formerly plugged into ash-trees in this
country, and that some North Country fisher-folk “after having caught
nothing for many nights, keep the first fish that comes into the boat, and
burn it on their return home as a sacrifice to the Fates.”

The African species of Slow Lemurs are called by their native name
—Pottos. Bosman’s Potto was discovered on the Guinea coast early in
the eighteenth century, and then lost sight of fora hundred and twenty
years. The tail is short, and two or three of the vertebre of the neck
have long processes, which form little prominences, and are only covered
by a thin skin. In habits it resembles the Common Loris, but is said to
be even slower in its movements. Another species—the Awantibo—is
found: at Old Calabar.

The Tarsier, which lives in the forests of many of the islands of the
East Indian Archipelago, is about the size of a squirrel, which it resembles
in sitting up and ‘holding its food in its hands while eating. The face is
round, with sharp muzzle, large ears, and staring eye. The hind limbs are
longer than the front pair, the tail is tufted, and the general colour of the
fur is fawn-brown. It owes its name to the great elongation of the bones
of the ankle, technically called the tarsal bones. These animals are
nocturnal and.arboreal, leaping from bough to bough in pursuit of insects
and lizards. The natives regard them with superstitious dread, and if the
people in some parts of Java see one near their rice-grounds they will
Jeave them uncultivated.

The Aye-Aye is confined to the bamboo forests of Madagascar, where
it lives solitary or in pairs. This animal is about the size of a large cat,
has long, loose, dark-brown hair, with a woolly undercoat, and the long
tail is bushy. With the exception of the great toe, which is opposable and
bears a nail, all the digits are armed with long claws, and the middle finger
of each hand is so thin that one writer has compared it to a piece of bent
wire. The Aye-Aye builds a kind of nest of dried leaves in a fork of a
tree, with an opening at the side, at which to go in and out. This creature
is remarkable from the fact that its true position was long misunderstood.
From the number and the peculiar character of its teeth, it was
formerly placed with the Gnawing Animals. The resemblance was not
confined to the number of the teeth. The incisors grow from persistent

F2



68 PoreutArR HisToRY oF ANIMALS.

pulps—that is, they are pushed up from behind as fast as they are worn
away in front, as is the case in the rabbit and the mouse. Specimens
have lived in the Zoological Gardens, but have been seen by.few visitors,
for during the day they sleep in the little box at the top of the cage, only
coming out when the house is cleared at dusk. Dr. Sandwith, who kept
one of these creatures for some time, gives the following account of its
habits in captivity :—

“ The thick sticks I put into his cage were bored in all directions by a
large and destructive grub.
Just at sunset the Aye-Aye
crept from under his blanket,
yawned, stretched, and be-
took himself to his tree,
where his movements are
lively and graceful, though
by no means so quick as a
squirrel. Presently he came
‘to one of the worm-eaten
branches, which he began to
examine most attentively ;
and bending forward his ears.
and applying his nose close
to the bark, he rapidly tapped the surface with his curious second
digit, as a woodpecker taps. a tree, though with much less noise, from
time to time inserting the end of the slender finger into the worm-holes as
a surgeon would a probe. At length he came to a part of the branch
which evidently gave out an interesting sound, for he began to tear it with’
his strong teeth. He rapidly stripped off the bark, cut into the wood, and
exposed the nest of a grub, which he daintily picked out of its bed with
the slender tapping-finger, and conveyed the luscious morsel to his mouth.
But I was yet to learn another peculiarity. I gave him water to drink in a
saucer, on which he stretched out a hand, dipped a finger into it, and
drew it obliquely through his open mouth. After a while he lapped like
a cat, but his first mode of drinking appeared to me.to be his way of
reaching water in the deep clefts of trees.”

a



THE AYE-AYE,



69

CHAPTER VIL

BATS. AND INSECTIVORES.

|, HE Bats are nocturnal animals having the forelimbs specially
modified for flight. We can easily trace out on our own
bodies the general plan of this flying apparatus. If we
stand upright, with the feet a little apart, the extended
arms bent into a V-shape from the shoulder, with the
thumb pointing upwards and the fingers downwards, we shall have
some idea of the framework, so to speak, of the apparatus by which
Bats fly. From the point of the shoulder to the thumb there stretches
a thin sensitive membrane, the
fingers are immensely elongated,
and between these, and extending
from the little finger to the heel,
and running thence along the side
of the body to the arm-pit, is the
wing-membrane. Most Bats have,
between the legs, reaching nearly
or quite to the heel, a membrane,
supported by. the hind-limbs, and
often by a bony spur which. runs
backward and downward from each
heel. The wings are spread for Sek s (Cone SATh Me SADEION
flight by stretching out the arms, Showing Earlets and Nose-Leafs.
and opening the fingers, which, as
the bones of the palm are free, seem to start directly from the wrist,
something like the sticks of a fan. Bats have teeth of three kinds
like our own; the number varies, but never exceeds thirty-eight. The
ears are large, especially in the insect-eating Bats, which also have an
inner ear, or earlet; and they general'y have a “nose-leaf”—an out-
growth of skin on and round the nose. The ears, nose-leaf, and wing-
membranes are extremely sensitive, and serve as delicate organs of touch.
On the ground Bats walk badly, owing to the fact that the hind-limbs
are weak and the knee bent backwards. By means of the claws on
their toes and their thumbs, they can climb up sloping and upright
surfaces if there be any small projection for them to take hold of.
When at rest, they hang by their feet in caves, or old buildings, or







79 PoPutAR H1sTorRY OF ANIMALS.

to the branches of trees, and. sleep head downwards. In temperate
regions Bats take a long winter sleep. Even in India the insect-
eating Bats are rarely seen abroad in the cold season, though the
fruit-Bats are as active then as at other times.

There are two. sub-orders—the Large, or Fruit-eating Bats, from
the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the Old World, and Australia ;
and the Small, or Insect-
eating Bats, from the
tropical and temperate
regions of both hemi-
spheres.

The Flying-foxes of
the East, which owe
their popular name to
their long, sharp muzzle,
are good representatives
of the Fruit-eating Bats.
The average length is
a little over a foot, and
the wing-spread is about
four times as much,
There is no tail. The
general colour of the fur
is reddish-brown. Jer-
don says: “During the
day they roost on trees,
generally in large colo-
nies,hanging head down-
wards, wrapped in their

FLYING-FOXES AT REST, wings, and resembling

large dead leaves. To-

wards sunset they begin to get restless, move about along the branches, and
by ones and twos fly off for their nightly rounds. If water is at hand—a
tank, a river, or, the sea—they fly cautiously down and touch the water ; but
Icould not ascertain: if they took a sip or merely dipped part of their
bodies in. They fly vast distances occasionally to such trees as happen
to be in fruit, returning from their feeding-grounds at early morning.”
Colonel Tickell says that, on their arrival at their roosting-places, “a
scene of incessant wrangling and contention is enacted among them,
as each endeavours to secure a higher or better place, or to eject a
neighbour who presses too close. In these struggles the Bats hook
themselves along the branches, striking out with the long claw of the





Fruit Bars. 71

thumb, and shrieking and cackling without intermission. Each new-
comer -is compelled to fly several times round the tree, being threatened
from all points, and when he eventually hooks on has to go through
a series of fights, and is probably ejected two or three times before
he makes good his place.”

The Kalong, or Malay Flying-Fox (Plate II., No. 7), is the largest
_ Bat known, having a wing-spread of quite 5 ft. Wallace says: ‘These
ugly creatures are considered a great delicacy, and are much sought
after. At about the beginning of the year they come in large flocks
to eat fruit, and congregate during the day on some small islands in
the bay, hanging by thousands on the trees, especially on dead ones.
They can then be easily caught or knocked down with sticks, and
are brought home by basketfuls.
They require to be carefully pre-
pared, as the skin and fur have a
rank and powerful foxy odour ; but
they are generally cooked with
abundance of spices and condi-
ments, and are really very good
eating, something like hare.”

The Grey-headed Fruit Bat.
from Australia; the Egyptian Fruit eR A Ge ee ee Re
Bat, which fee among the ruins
of the ancient buildings and in the dark chambers of the Byrds:
and the Fulvous Fruit Bat, from India, Ceylon, and Burmah, -are
closely allied. The last is sometimes found in caves, near the sea-shore,
and is said to feed on molluscs.

White’s Fruit Bat ranges over Africa, from the Northern tropic to
Senegal. It represents a group, in which the males of most. of
the forms have, near the shoulder, pouches, from the mouth of which
long yellowish hairs project, whence they are called Epaulet Bats. They
live principally on figs. To this group belongs the Hammer-headed
Rat, discovered by Du Chaillu in Western Africa. There are many
other species, but they differ little in habit from those described.

The Small, or Insect-eating Bats, fall into two groups, which may
he distinguished by the character of the tail and the hair. In the first
the tail is generally long, and enclosed within the thigh-membrane. In
the second, the tail, when present, usually comes through the membrane.
The character of the hair is pretty constant in the two groups. ~The
figure @ on the next page shows the hair of one of the Covered-tail
Bats, while that marked 4 shows a hair of one of the Free-tailed group.
_ The Horseshoe Bats are so called from the fact that the nose bears





a4 8 te

72 . Poputar History oF ANIMALS.

leaf-like appendages, of which the front part surrounding the nostrils is
not unlike ‘a horseshoe ‘in shape: - The Greater Horseshoe Bat is found
in the southern counties of England, and ranges over Central and
Southern Europe, part of Asia, and the» whole African continent.
The total length is nearly 4 in., and thewing-spread 13 in. The
fur on..the upper’ surface is reddish-grey; below, the red tint
is lost. Its favourite haunts are deserted quarries, old buildings,
and natural caverns, preferring the darkest and most inaccessible parts.
*In some’ Such.situations it passes the winter-in a torpid state, coming
forth’at the approach of spring. Cockchafers, which do so much
“damage to. farm crops and plantations, are said*to be its chief food.
ie The Lesser Horseshoe Bat is also British, but has
a ‘wider range, and spreads to Ireland. Dr. Leach
described it»as “a very cautious animal; very easily
tamed, but fond of concealing itself.” It probably flies
higher than its larger relation, and there is great dif
ference in its manner of alighting from that of other
Bats. Mr. Bell, who turned one loose in a room, says
that “instead oftadhering by- its claws against an object,
it invariably sought for something from which it could
hang freely suspended. The leaf of a table which was
HAIR oF BATs, let. down was often tried, but the polished surface not
furnishing a suitable hold for its claws, was as often
relinquished for some fringe over a window, from which it would hang
suspended by one foot for some time, swinging about, and _ twisting
itself round, to watch those who were observing it.”

The Mourning Horse-shoe Bat is a native of India and the Asiatic
Islands. The fur is long and thick, and black in colour, whence the
popular name. The total length is a little under 6 in. There are
several other Eastern species; and one, the Australian Horseshoe Bat,
with mouse-coloured fur and very large nose-leaf, from Australia.

The Diadem Bat, from India, Ceylon, and Burmah, is from
32 ins to 4 in. long, with a wing-spread of about 2 ft. The fur
is light brown. Captain Hutton says that “this species may be
heard during its flight cracking and crunching the hard wings of
beetles, which in the evening are usually abundant among the trees ;
the teeth are strong, and the general aspect is not unlike that of a bull-
dog.” This genus also has many Eastern species.

In the Megaderms and the Nycterine Bats the ears are enormously
developed ; the earlet also is very large. These Bats live in the warmer
parts of the Old World. The best known of the Megaderms is the Lyre
Bat from India and Ceylon, from 3 in. to 4 in. in length, with a

be ok





Insecrivorous Bars. °° n73
wing-spread from 14 in. to 19 in.» The fur is ashy-blue above, and
yellowish below. Sterndale ‘says they are very abundant in old buildings,

at

and, undoubtedly, bloodsuckers. Blyth noticed one fly into his room one?

evening with a smaller bat, which it dropped. The latter was’ weak from
loss of blood, and the next morning, the Lyre Bat having been caught
and both Bats put into the cage, the little one was again attacked and
devoured. Sterndale also records the killing of two canaries by. this Bat,
and Sir William Flower thinks that the Megaderms feed," when ‘they can,
upon the smaller Bats and other small mammals. Po ee

The Nycterine Bats, of which there are seven, inhabit “Africa and



BARBASTELLE, WALKING.

Arabia, with the exception of one species found in Java. In all these
the nose-leaf is absent, but in its place there is a deep groove extending
upward from the nostrils. The Desert Bat, about 4 in. long, with grey
fur, lives in the desert regions of Egypt and Abyssinia, and owes its
popular and scientific names to the fact that it is found in the Thebaid,
the home of so many hermits in early Christian times..

In the True Bats the nostrils are at the end of the muzzle, and are
not surrounded by leaf-like appendages. They are widely distributed
throughout the temperate and warm regions of both hemispheres, and
here belong most of the European Bats and all the British Bats, with
the exception of the two already mentioned.

The Long-eared Bat, pretty generally distributed all over the country,
and found throughout the greater part of Europe and Asia, is nearly
4 in. long, including the tail. The fur is rather long, thick, soft, and
silky, lightish-brown above and brownish-grey beneath. According to

\



74 PoPutAr HISTORY OF ANIMALS.

Bell, it may be easily tamed. Its favourite retreat is in the roofs of
houses in towns and villages, and in the towers of churches. In moving
‘along the ground the foreparts are raised, and the body thrown forward
by successive jerks, first on-one side, then on the other.

In the Barbastelle the ears are of moderate size. The total length
is less than 4 in., of which the tail forms nearly a half. The long,
soft fur is. brownish-black. The Barbastelle ranges over great part of
Europe and the southern and midland counties of England. When
kept as a pet, not only does it shun its owner, but. declines to make
the acquaintance of other Bats that may share its cage.

The Pipistrelle is very common in Britain, and ranges to the Hima-
layas. ‘The total length is a little less than 3 in.; the fur on the upper
surface is reddish-brown, and dusky beneath. From the middle of
spring to October this Bat may be seen after sunset, skimming the
water like a swallow in search of insects, and instances are on record
of its darting at a fisherman’s fly and becoming hooked. Its close
ally—the Serotine, some 44 in. long, with rich chestnut-brown fur
above, and yellowish grey beneath—is the only Bat found in both
hemispheres. In England it is confined to the south-eastern counties.

The Great Bat, or Noctule, is widely distributed in the Eastern
hemisphere. With us it is found as far north as Yorkshire. The head
and body are 3 in. long, and the tail about half as much; the
fur is reddish-brown. A naturalist, who kept some of these Bats in
captivity, speaks of their voracious appetite. A female passed the
day suspended by the hind feet at the top of the cage, coming down
at evening to feed. Her weight was just two drachms, yet she managed
to consume a whole half-ounce of cockchafers—just four times her
own weight. She. was careful in cleaning herself, using the feet as
combs, with which she ‘parted the hair on each side down the middle.
A young one was born, but though the mother died the next day, ‘the
little thing lived for eight days on milk. The Hairy-armed Bat
. occurs in the Midlands and in Ireland. One specimen of the Parti-
coloured Bat (from North-eastern Europe) was found at Plymouth,
whither it had doubtless been brought by some ship.

The Tube-nosed Bats, of which there are seven or eight species,
are found in Java, Japan, Tibet, and the Himalayas. The nostrils
project on each side the muzzle, like tubes; and the lower part of the
wings and the thigh-membrane are hairy.

The Painted Bat is found in the forests of Tropical Asia. It is of
small size, but is very remarkable for its coloration—orange and black
—which is probably protective: that is, it harmonises so well with
the creature’s surroundings as to-render it difficult of detection. Of



INSECTIVOROUS BATS. 75

another species of the same genus, Swinhoe says: “The body of this
bat was of an orange-yellow, but the wings were painted with orange-
yellow and black. It was caught suspended head downwards on a
‘cluster of the round fruit of the longan tree. Now, this tree is an
evergreen, and all the year through some portion of its foliage is under-
going decay, the particular leaves being in such a stage partially orange
and black. This bat can therefore, at all seasons, suspend itself from
the branches and elude its enemies by its resemblance to the leaf.”

The Brown Pig-Bat, from South and Central America, is: nearly
3 in. long, including the tail. The fur is cinnamon-brown above,
paler beneath, and the wings are dusky. This “animal has suckers
on the feet and hands, something like those on the arms of the
cuttle-fish. These Bats are thus enabled to
climb over smooth upright surfaces ; and it
is supposed that they capture the insects
on which they feéd, while crawling over the
branches of trees.

The Thick-legged Bats are chiefly con-
fined to the tropical and sub-tropical regions
of both hemispheres. The Sack-winged
Bats derive their name from a pouch or !
sac on the lower surface of the arm- “Srowe wa bay (Gua
membrane, near the elbow. It secretes
a reddish substance with a strong smell. There are six species from
Central and South America.

The Tomb Bats owe their name to the fact that the first species
known was found in the ancient tombs of Egypt. There are some ten
species spread nr the Eastern hemisphere. The Egyptian Rhinopome



is also a tomb¢haunting Bat. The long slender tail is produced
beyond the tligh-membrane. Owing to the length of the hinder
limbs, and the fact that the wing-membrane does not extend the whole
length of the leg, these Bats can walk much more freely than do
others. :

In the Mastiff Bats the muzzle is short and thick and the tail stout.
Of the Smoky Mastiff Bat, which spreads from South America to
Jamaica, Mr. Osburn says that they swarmed in the roof of his house,
and passed. out under the eaves. Frequently small parties of them
would come in through the windows and take a short. flight round the
room, In hibernating, the males and females form separate groups,
and this habit is common in most species of Bats. The strangest of
the group is the Short-tailed Bat:from New Zealand, which resembles
the Brown Pig-Bat in the possession of special organs for climbing. It

\



76 Poputar History: or ANIMALS.

seems to go pretty well on all-fours. The thumb-claw bears a sharp
tooth, which probably increases its clinging power. The lower surface
of the hind limbs and the soles are covered with a soft, loose, wrinkled
skin, almost certainly adhesive. Dr. Dobson believes “that this’ species.
hunts for its insect food not only in the air, but also on the branches
and leaves of trees, amongst which its. peculiarities of erucute most
probably enable it to walk about with security and ease.’ ed

The Javelin Bat, from Tropical America and the West Indies,
about 5 in. long, with a wing-spread of nearly 2 ft, and fur eG a
uniform brown hue. Wallace charges this Bat with blood-sucking,
and other writers support him. On the other hand, the stomachs of
many of these Bats have been examined,
and found. to contain insects, but no
traces of blood. One of the strangest-
looking of this family is Blainville’s Bat,
the head of which surpasses any demon-
mask seen in a pantomime. There are
allied species which have the leaf-like
appendages on the chin.

The Vampirine Bats, long accused
of blood-sucking, have been proved to
mn be fruit-eaters, Of the Great Vampire Bat

FRA UO COURT LER ere el (Plate IL, No. 8), Bates says: “ Nothing

in aaa physiognomy can be more
hideous than the countenance of this creature when viewed from the front
—the large, leathery ears standing out from the top of the head, the erect
spear-shaped appendage on the tip of the nose, the grin, and the glistening
black eye—all combine to make up a figure that reminds one of some
mocking imp of fable.” He opened the stomachs of several of these
Bats, and found the contents to be fruit and insects.

The Soricine Bat, from the warmer parts of South America, may be
taken as the type of a small group in which the tongue is long, thickly
set with hairs, and capable of being protruded to some distance from
the mouth. These Bats were formerly considered to be bloodsuckers,
and the tongue was believed to be used in some way to increase the
flow of blood. These Bats have been kept in confinement, and have
been seen to use the long tongue to lick out the soft pulp of fruit.

In the Stenoderm Bats, which have a lance-shaped nose-leaf, springing
from a. regular horseshoe, the molar teeth have sharp points and a
cutting edge. They feed chiefly, if not entirely, on fruit. The Mont-
serrat Stenoderm, first described in 1894, is said to do great damage
to the. cacao-plantations in that island.





Broop-SucKkinG BATS. 77

The blood-sucking Vampires, or Desmodonts, have the teeth and
stomach fitted for a blood diet—a state of things found in no other
mammals. The Common Desmodont is some 4 in. long, and nearly
“four times as much in wing-spread. The fur is brown, but the tint

wT
i i le HH
ff a,



DESMODONT, OR BLOUD SUCKING VAMPIRE,

varies considerably in different individuals. This and an allied species
seem to be the only Bats habitually guilty of blood-sucking. Horses,
cattle, and man himself are the victims. The wound, which is difficult
to heal, is probably inflicted with the sharp cutting teeth, the skin
being shaved away till the small vessels are exposed and a constant
supply of blood kept up.

Some persons are particularly annoyed by these Bats, while others
are free from their attacks. Wallace tells of an Indian girl who was
bitten again and again, till she became quite weakened from loss of
blood, so that it was found necessary to send her to a distance where
these bloodthirsty animals did not abound.

INSECTIVORES.

These animals are in many ways related to the Bats, but the limbs
are organised for walking or burrowing, and in some few cases for
swimming. There are generally five digits, armed with claws, on each
limb; and in walking, the soles and palms are placed flat on the
ground. Some have an external resemblance to some of the Rodents,
and are often wrongly called by names that properly belong to
that order. Thus, the Common Shrew is often called the Shrew-
mouse, and some of the Indian Shrews are called Musk-ra¢s. The
teeth are of the ordinary three kinds—incisors, canines, and molars,
the latter: furnished with sharp points (see p. 85). Their chief food
consists of insects and their larvée, but some forms devour worms and
molluscs, and shell-fish; while others attack frogs, snakes, fishes, small



78 PoputarR History or ANIMALS.

birds, and even small. mammals. Some of them are found all over the
temperate and tropical regions of both hemispheres, with the exception,
of South America and Australia.

For a long time naturalists were uncertain where to put the Colugos.
They have been classed with the Lemuroids and called Flying Lemurs
—a name which contains as many errors as words, for these creatures
cannot fly, and are not Lemurs. They possess a parachute-membrane,
or patagium, extending from the wrists along the sides of the body to
the heels, as well as a thigh-membrane, like that of the Bats. But on
comparing the body and limbs of the Colugo with our own in the
same fashion that we compared those of the Bat (p. 69), we shall see
in’ a moment that true flight is impossible for these animals. Motion
of the forelimbs would never raise them from the ground.

The Common Colugo is a native of Malacca, Sumatra, and
Borneo. The general length is from 18 in. to 20 in. It has been
said to live principally on leaves, but it also relishes insects, and it
frequently captures and devours small birds. Wallace, in, his “ Malay
Archipelago,” says that the Colugo “rests during ‘the day clinging to
the trunks of trees, where its olive or brown fur, mottled with irregular
whitish spots and blotches, resembles closely the: colour of mottled
bark, and no doubt helps to protect it. Once, in a bright twilight, I
saw one of these animals run up a trunk in a rather open place, and
then glide obliquely through the air to another tree, on which it
alighted near its base, and immediately began to ascend. I paced the
distance from one tree to the other, and found it to be 70 yards;
and the amount of descent I estimated at not more than 35 ft. or
40 ft, or less than one in five. This, I think, proves that the
animal must have some power of guiding itself through the air, other-
wise in so long a distance it would have little chance of alighting
exactly upon the trunk.” Another species, of similar habits, lives in
the Philippine Islands.

The Tree-Shrews are natives of South-eastern Asia and the islands
of the Eastern Archipelago. They live among the branches of trees,
and are active in the daytime. In form and size they closely resemble
squirrels, for which they have been often mistaken. Their diet consists
of fruit and insects. The Burman Tree-Shrew is about 14 in. in
length, the tail being as long as the head and body together. The
general hue of the fur is a dusky greenish-brown. It is a harmless
little animal, in the dry season living in trees, and in the rainy season
entering the houses. One that lived in a mango-tree, near the house
of an Indian missionary, made itself nearly as familiar as the cat. It
would take up its quarters on the bed, and was very fond of putting its



TREE-SHREWS. 79

nose into the tea-cups immediately after breakfast, and acquired a taste
for tea and coffee. But at last it lost its life by walking into a
rat-trap.

In the same family is the Pen-tailed Tree-Shrew, a native of Borneo
and Sumatra. Its general colour is blackish-brown above, and yellowish
on the under surface. Its great peculiarity is in its tail, which is hairy
at the base, then black and scaly for some distance, and for about a
third of the length at the end furnished with white hairs arranged on







COLUGOS.

each side like the wings of an arrow or the plume of a feather. Its
habits resemble those of the Tree-Shrews.

In the next family are the Elephant-Shrews, from Africa. The
snout is prolonged into a kind of proboscis, which accounts for the
popular name. The hind-legs are more developed than the fore-limbs,
and they advance by a succession of leaps, thus resembling the Jerboas,
and causing some writers to call them Jumping Shrews. The Common
Elephant Shrew, from South Africa, is about 8 in. long, of which
the tail takes up 3 in. The colour is tawny-brown, becoming whitish
on the limbs. It is active by day, and lives in burrows, to which: it
retreats on being disturbed. ‘There are several other species.

\



80 : PopPutAR HisTORY OF ANIMALS.

The Hedgehogs are small, stoutly-built animals, with pointed snouts
and very short tails, and in most,of them the hair on the upper surface
is so thickened as to form spines. In this family we meet for the first
time with a mode of defence, or means of protection—that of rolling
into a ball, common among many of the lower Mammals.

The Common Hedgehog (Plate II. No. 10), when full grown, is
about ro in. in length; the spines of the upper surface are dirty-
white ringed with black, and about an inch long. The face is black,
and the hair on the spineless parts yellowish-white. It is spread over
Europe, except in the extreme North, and ranges into. the South-west
of Asia. It generally sleeps by day, coming out to hunt at night, and
hibernates in the winter, a habit which is not shared by the Indian,
nor probably by the African species. Its chief diet consists of insects
and beetles; and these creatures are sometimes kept in houses to kill
cockroaches (which despite their popular name are not beetles at all),
and so fond are they of this diet that some have died of: over-feeding.
Earthworms, slugs, and ‘snails are also eaten, as are frogs, toads, snakes,
vipers, and mice. Strange to say, the Hedgehog does not fear the bite
of the viper, and will crunch up the Blistering Beetles ar Spanish Flies
as if they were sweetmeats ; but the secretion from the skin of the toad
is disagreeable, and the Hedgehog rubs its muzzle on the ground after
each bite. From its habit of devouring slugs and snails, the Hedge-
hog must be reckoned as the gardener’s friend; but he has a bad habit
of feeding on birds’ eggs, and sometimes attacks poultry. A writer in-
the Field says: “I was going to bed, I heard a tremendous outcry
from a hen in an adjacent orchard. Hurrying out with a friend to
the rescue, and picking up some handy stones, we made for a coop
under which was the hen with her chicks. Overturning the coop, we
found a large Hedgehog hanging to the hen’s throat. The stone, of
which I expeditiously delivered_myself, caught the Hedgehog between
the eyes, and he rolled over dead.” When disturbed, the Hedgehog rolls
himself into a ball, with the head and legs tucked in, and only the
spiny surface of the back exposed. A jet of water poured on the part
where the head is concealed will cause it to unroll; and it is said that
foxes and some dogs will push a Hedgehog into a pond or ditch, so
that he must either unroll and be eaten, or be drowned. The young
are born blind and naked, but possessing the rudiments of spines,
which are then soft and flexible. There are several allied species.

The Collared Hedgehog, a native of India, “has the habit, when
~ touched, of suddenly jerking up the back with some force, so as to
prick the fingers or mouth of the assailant, at the same time emitting
a blowing sound like that from a pair of bellows.”



FTEDGEHOG AND SHREWS. ae

The Bulau, discovered by Sir Stamford Raffles in Sumatra, is a
Shrew-like Hedgehog, “with the body, and especially the head, more
elongated than in the Common Hedgehog, with flexible ‘hairs, and
furnished with a tail that is nearly as long as the body.” The general
colour is greyish-black; the head and body are about 14 in. long,
and the tail r2 in. It is more active by night than by day, and lives in
holes among the roots of trees. There is another closely-allied species

The Shrews constitute a numerous family of mouse-like or rat-like
creatures, spread over the Old World and North America. ‘rhe
snout is long and
pointed, the body
‘“mouse-like, and the
tail thick and tapering,
and more or less densely
set with hairs. Many
of them are furnished
with glands which se-
crete a strong-smelling
fluid.

The Common Shrew
is about 22in. long,
with a tail of rather
more than 13 in. It
feeds on insects, worms,
small snails, and slugs ; HEDGEHOG HAND YOUNG!
and it is preyed upon
by barn owls and weasels. It is said that cats will kill but not eat
them, owing to their strong-smelling glands. In the autumn. great
numbers of these little creatures are found dead, without apparent injury,
on roads and footpaths in the country—probably starved.

Some old superstitions still linger round the Shrew, which is, or was
till very recently, credited with causing cattle to fall lame if it ran over
their backs, while its bite made them “swell at the heart and die.”
The only cure was to stroke the part affected or bitten with a twig
from a shrew-ash—that is, an ash-tree, into which a hole had been
bored with an auger, and a Shrew. plugged up alive in the hole.

The Pygmy Shrew, which is also British, is rather smaller, though
the tail is longer in proportion to the body. There is also. more white
on the under-parts.

The Garden Shrew is common over nearly all Europe. The total
‘length is about 4 in., of which the tail occupies somewhat less than
Iz in. The fur is mouse-grey, shading into light ash-grey below. In

G \





82 Poputar History oF ANIMALS.











































BRITISH SHREWS,

habit it resembles the Common Shrew, and the same story of its injuring
cattle is told of it. Our illustration shows the three British Shrews. To
the left is the Common Shrew; the Water Shrew is on the right; and
the little creature at the top is the Pygmy Shrew.

The Tuscan Shrew, with ashy-red fur above and ash-grey beneath,
is probably the smallest living mammal. From the snout to the tip of
its tail (about 1 in.), it measures from 24 in. to 22 in.

The Indian Musk Shrew has bluish-grey or mouse-coloured fur; the
head and body together measure from 6 to 7 in, and the tail
nearly 4 in., so that, compared to the British Shrews, this is quite a
giant.. It has a strong musky odour, which it was (falsely) said to im-
part to wine and beer by running over the bottles in which these liquors
were contained... Mr. Sterndale champions these little creatures on
account of their insect-eating habits, and proved by experiment that
the mere passing of a Musk Shrew over a substance does not neces-
sarily impart a musky odour. While dressing for dinner one day he
saw a Musk Shrew in his room. Placing a clean white handkerchief
on the floor, he chased the Shrew till it had crossed the hand-
kerchief five times. At mess he asked his brother-officers if they
could perceive any peculiar smell about the handkerchief, but none of
them could. “Well, all I know is,” said he, “that I have driven a
musk-rat five times over that handkerchief just now.” From which it
seems that the Musk Shrew emits no odour except at certain seasons, or
when irritated. ;

The Water Shrew is a little more than 3 in. long, with a





WATER SHREWS.. 83

tail of ‘rather more than 2 in. The fur is black, or nearly black,
above, and white. below, the two being sharply marked off from, and
not shading into, each other; but there is great diversity in the colora-
tion. On the under-side of the tail is a long fringe of hair, and there
are comb-like fringes of stiff hairs on the feet and toes, thus making
the limbs and tail good swimming-organs. The Water Shrew forms a
burrow in the banks of ponds or streams; its prey consists of fresh-
water shrimps, insects, larvae, and the fry of small fishes; and it has
been seen feeding on a rat that had been killed in a trap. It is fairly
common in Britain, and ranges through Europe to the Altai Mountains.
The Himalayan Water Shrew is somewhat larger; and another species
is found in Japan.

The Tibetan Water Shrew is about 8 in. long, of which the tail
counts for half The feet are webbed, and furnished with sucker-
like discs, which probably enable the animal to cling to the stones
in the river-bed. It is said to feed on small fishes.

The Tailless Shrew, also from Tibet, is a burrowing animal. Like
the Mole, it has the fore-feet broader and stronger than those of the
hind-limbs. It is about 4 in. long, clad in grey fur with a greenish-brown
tinge.

The Desmans and True Moles are confined to the temperate parts
of Europe, Asia, and North America. The eyes are very small, and in
some forms covered with skin; the ears are short, and hidden in the
fur; and in most cases the forelimbs are modified into shovel-like
organs for burrowing.

The Desmans, which are aquatic in habit, are not unlike big rats,
but the nostrils are very long, and form a tube-like snout; the toes
are webbed, and
the scaly tail is
flattened from side
to side to aid the
animals: in swim-
ming. They fre-
quent standing water
and slow streams, in
the banks of which
they form their bur-
rows, which are
only used as resting-
places, the greater
part of their time : os ; =e
being spent in the PYRENEAN DESMAN.

G2







84 PoPuLtAr History oF ANIMALS.

water. They feed on worms, pond-snails, and insect larvee; and pro-
bably no small aquatic animals come amiss to them. “The Common
Desman is ‘a native of Southern Russia and South-western Asia. Its
length is about 18 in., of which the tail forms a little more than
a third. “The fur is reddish-brown on the back, ashy-grey below,
with a silvery lustre in certain lights. The Pyrenean Desman is
about two-thirds the size of its relative, and has chestnut-brown
fur on the back, and silvery-grey on the under-surface. It is said



COMMON MOLE,

to feed principally on trout. Both species have a strong musky
smell.

The Mole Shrews are small animals that connect the Shrews with
the True Moles. The Hairy-tailed Mole Shrew, common in mountain
regions of Southern and Eastern Japan, but rarer in the north, is about
the size of the Water Shrew, with velvety-brown fur. It burrows like
a Mole, but does not throw up heaps of earth. Gibbs’ Mole Shrew,
from North America, is closely allied. The Tibetan Mole Shrew differs
from the other species in not making a burrow. The fur is slate-
coloured, and the general appearance Shrew-like, but the ‘skull is like
that of a Mole.

The True Moles have the collar-bone (c) and the bone of the upper
arm (4) from the shoulder to the elbow, very short and broad, and,
consequently, of great strength ; and from the inside of each wrist there



Full Text







@
| Stradbroke House School,

TUNBRIDGE WELLS.

Sep: rove |
aay tee vel i Oe |
eae A Gade ee al |









Stuttgart

ger,

M.See


POET A Ee AE ELE RR eT

PLATE IV. (f7ontispiece).
x, Indian’ Elephant. 2. American Tapir. 3. Indian Rhinoceros.
4. Wild Ass. 5. Zebra. 6. Dromedary. 7. Llama. 8. Reindeer.
9. Giraffe. 10. Duikerbok. 11. Chamois. 12. Gnu. 13. European
Bison. 14. Walrus. 15. Seal. 16. Dolphin. 17. Whale.
POPULAR

HISTORY OF ANIMALS

FOR

YOUNG PEOPLE

BY

‘HENRY SCHERREN, F.Z.S.

AUTHOR OF ‘*PONDS AND ROCK POOLS”

WITH 13 COLOURED PLATES AND NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS
IN THE TEXT

FIFTH THOUSAND

CASSELL anpb COMPANY, “LIMITED
LONDON, PARIS & MELBOURNE
; 1896

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED


First Edition 1895; Reprinted 1896.
PREFACE.

—+e——

THE object of this book is to give a short account of the Animal
Kingdom in clear and simple language. The book being intended
chiefly for young people, no formal classification has been given,
and popular names have been used throughout. But the Pa
divisions of the Animal Kingdom have been _ plainly indicated ;
and modern classification has been practically followed. The
Author’s aim has been to write in such fashion that the book may
serve to waken, or quicken, interest in the observation of the habits
of the lower animals, and as an introduction to the study of their

relations to us and to each other.
H. S.
CONTENTS.

sia ats
PAGE
CHAPTER I.
How ANIMALS ARE CLASSIFIED : . 5 . : ‘ 5 F I
CHAPTER IL.
Man . : 5 : : ‘i : ‘ . 3 : . ; 3 . 7
CHAPTER III.
THE MAN-LIKE APES : . . . 2r
CHAPTER IV.
THE MONKEYS OF THE OLD WORLD 38
CHAPTER V.
New Wor.tp MONKEYS AND MARMOSETS ‘ . esate . . 54
CHAPTER VI.
LEMURS AND LEMUR-LIKE ANIMALS. “i . ee . . « 63
CHAPTER VII.
Bats AND INSECTIVORES . i "| ; 5 ; ” a ; »« 69
CHAPTER VIII.
CaRNIVoRES. THE Cat FAMILY. is . : : 4 i . a)
CHAPTER IX.
Tue Civet, Hy@na, AND Doc FAMILigs 104
CHAPTER X.
BEARS AND BEAR-LIKE CARNIVORES~ + 116
CHAPTER XI.
» 125

MARINE CARNIVORA
vi CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XII.
HooFreD MaMMALs

CHAPTER XIII.
RODENTS, OR GNAWING ANIMALS

CHAPTER XIV.
DOLPHINS AND WHALES

CHAPTER XV.

SLoTHs, ANT-EATERS, AND ARMADILLOS

CHAPTER XVI.
PoucHED MAMMALS .

CHAPTER XVII.
BIRDS. PASSERINE BIRDS

CHAPTER XVIII.
PICARIAN BIRDS AND PARROTS .

CHAPTER XIX.

PicEons, Fow.s, AND GAME Birps. BIRDS OF PREY

CHAPTER XX.
WADING AND SWIMMING BIRDS

CHAPTER: XXI.
THE RUNNING BIRDS

CHAPTER XXII.
REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS

CHAPTER XXIII.
FISHES

CHAPTER XXIV.
THE BORDERLAND “a

PAGE

129

155

169

174

184

208

221

241

260

263
288

315
CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XXV.
MOLLuscs

CHAPTER XXVI.
ARTHROPODS—INSECTS

CHAPTER XXVII.
ARACHNIDS AND CRUSTACEANS

CHAPTER XXVIII.
ECHINODERMS AND ‘‘ Worms”

CHAPTER XXIX.
STINGING ANIMALS AND SPONGES

CHAPTER XXX.

THE OLDEST AND SIMPLEST ANIMALS

vii

PAGE

317

327

344

358

366
LIST: OF 8COLOURED PLATES. =." :

- ee
PLATE

L8 ee. c - 1 6 4 Fo. face page 16

Te a Od
TH a oe
Iv... ; : : : : ‘ 2 . Frontispiece

Weck : : ‘ : ; : 7 To face page 192

Wie Z 2c8
TEVIL : : A Be ae 2 3 240
Si Ae ee s 272

Ix ” » 304,

» x 33 328
Xi. pees ' Z : oa 336
XI. i : 3 ‘ : z $ #6 344

A a 352

For the numerous Illustrations in the Text, see INDEX at the end.
POPULAR HISTORY OF ANIMALS

FOR

YOUNG PEOPLE.



CHAPTER I.
HOW ANIMALS ARE CLASSIFIED.

N dealing with Natural History, the first requisite is a classi-
fication or arrangement of some kind. This need not be
elaborate ; but, to be of real service, it must be based on
right principles.

Resemblance in external form and similarity in habits
were formerly taken as a guide, and led to many wrong conclusions—
such as classing the. hyrax among the Rodents and the kinkajou among
the Lemurs. Nor was the element in which an animal lived a safer
means of judging, for it led Pliny to put the whales, which Jeremiah*
knew to be Mammals, with the Fishes; and even down to the middle
of the seventeenth century naturalists classed. the Bats with Birds,.
till John Ray taught them better.

The principle now adopted is that of relationship, which teaches
that all forms of life at present existing have arisen from simpler
forms—these, in their turn, being derived: from other still’ more simple ;
and so backwards, till the period when the only life on this planet
was represented by forms as lowly-as-the Amceba.

Hence, schemes of classification now set forth ‘our iowiedge™ so”
far as it goes, of the relationship of animals to each other, and in
many cases take the actual shape of a genealogical tree, in which the
principal groups are represented by branches,. giving off smaller ones;
from which branchlets and twigs arise, reDEgsennne | the divisions of ;
the principal groups. : ‘

It was formerly the practice to divide all afiruals into two gfoups— .
Vertebrates and Invertebrates—according as they did, or did not, possess





a backbone. And for a long time this division seemed to work‘ very well, =e

till increase of knowledge made it clear that among the Invertebrates there:
were some which showed more or less definite ‘traces of a backbone,
* “Even the sea monsters draw out the breast, they give suck to their young ones.”—° .

Lamentations iv. 3.
BR
2 PoputAR HiIsToRY. oF ANIMALS.

or something very much like one; and that in some of the creatures
which had a backbone it was not divided into vertebre, or joints. In
others, again, as the Shark and the Skate, the spinal column is gristly
in substance, and not bony.

This gives us three groups, instead: of two, to deal with:— =»

‘Animals with a backbone (Man, Monkeys, Lions, Elephants,
Whales, Birds, Reptiles, Frogs and Newts, and Fishes).

Animals with. traces of a backbone (the Lancelets, Tunicates,
or Sea-squirts, and Acorn-worms).

Animals without a backbone or traces of one (Cuttle-fish, :
Spiders, Insects, Crabs and Lobsters, Starfish and Sea-urchins,

“Worms,” Sponges, Stinging Animals, and Primitive Animals,
or Animalcules).

Smaller groups of animals which, though they differ in many respects
from each other, possess some common character not found in the rest,
constitute CZasses. Thus, the Beasts of Prey, the Whales, and the Bats
agree in this, that the young are suckled by their mothers. These
animals, and all others whose young are nourished with their’ mothers’
milk, constitute the class of Mammals. Eagles, Ostriches,.and Pigeons
agree in that they are clothed with feathers; and, with all other animals
similarly clad, make up the class of Birds.

Then among thé Mammals it is easy to distinguish “several main
groups. The Cats, Dogs, and; Bears subsist chiefly by preying on animals
of ‘the same Class’: * Horses, Oxen, and*Deer have the toes encased
in hoofs; Beavers, Rabbits, and Mice have the front teeth adapted for
gnawing,..and ‘soon.’ This division gives us the. Orders—Flesh-eaters
or Beasts of. Prey, Hoofed Mammals, Gnawers or- Rodents, etc.

If we consider the structure and habits of the Cats (Lion, Tiger,
Leopard, etc.), and: ‘the Dogs and Wolves; “points of agreement will be
found common to the Tiger and Leopard, and théDomestic Cat,
which do not exist in the Dogs*and ‘Wolves’ . Hence the former are
“placed in the Cat family, and the.latter in the Dog family. Then
further, in the. ‘Cat family jis one form —the Cheetah, or Hunting
Leopard—whose relationship to the rest is more distant than that
subsisting between the other members. We may say that Lions, Tigers,
Leopards, Pumas and Jaguars, and thé Smaller Cats, are brothers, while
the Cheetah is only a cousin. This difference of relationship is ex-
pressed by putting the True Cats into the’ Cat genus, and the Cheetah
into another genus, and these two constitute tHe Cat family.

The final unit of classification is the Sgecies. ‘This term is difficult


VERTEBRATES. . 3

to define, but it may be taken to denote “a number of animals so closely
resembling each other that they might be supposed to be the offspring of
the same parents, and in turn giving birth to animals like themselves.”

VERTEBRATES.

Having’ thus mapped out the ground over which we are to travel,
our next step will be to gain some idea of the plan of a Vertebrate, or
- backboned animal.

Most children possess a strange fancy for covering slates and the
covers of copy-books with “drawings.” Many of these are “animal”
subjects, treated’ in what artists call a conventional manner : that is, itis
generally understood that such or such a figure represents such or such
an animal—for example, a horse or a lion. A few strokes on the top
of the head give it horns, and make it into a cow or a buffalo. Some-
times a legend is put beneath in clear print hand, “THis Is a cow,”
to prevent the possibility of mistake.

ae

PLAN OF A VERTEBRATE SKELETON,

Some of the earliest attempts bear close resemblance to the above—
a diagram rather than a picture. Nevertheless, it will serve our purpose
quite as well as, or even better than, the most..elaborate anatomical
drawing ; for while that, by reason of its correctness, would only serve
for an individual, our diagram, with a little imaginative modification, will
do duty for the skeleton of a Lamprey, a. Fish, an. Amphibian, a Reptile,
a Bird, or a Mammal. ee i

The horizontal line represents the backbone, or vertebral column,
which forms the chief internal support of the body, and which is called
the axial skeleton. It is made up of a number of separate bones, as
we may see for ourselves when a hare or rabbit, fowl, or ‘fish, is sent
up to table. These bones are, fitted together, with a gristly pad
between them, so as to allow of free motion; and this arrangement
enables us to bend our backs and turn our heads. Most of these bones
are perforated by a hole-or canal, through which runs the spinal cord,
terminating at the front end or top in a big mass—the brain, enclosed
tor protection in the brain-box, or skull. :

The four strokes, forming two angles, may well stand for the limbs,
which are never more than four in number in any backboned animal ;
though they may be reduced to two, as in some lizards and in the whales 5

nie
4 PorputAR HisTorY OF ANIMALS.

they may be altogether absent, as in the slow-worm, snake, and viper of
our copses and plantations; or of the two pairs, one pair may be but
partially developed, as in the so-called wingless birds of New Zealand.

The outstanding portion of the figure ‘at the end opposite the head
is, it is hardly necessary‘.to say, the tail, the bony framework for
which exists at some period of life, though this appendage is. not
possessed by Man, some monkeys, Manx cats, and guinea-pigs. The
dog uses his tail to show that he is pleased; horses and cows use the
tail-as a fly-flapper; birds and fishes as a rudder, and it also serves
the last-mentioned animals as a natural screw-propeller ; while to some
monkeys it is almost as useful as an additional hand would be.

We shall be able to test the truth of these statements by examining
our own bodies, or by handling the family cat, or a pet rabbit. It
will be sufficient to run the hand gently down the back from the
neck to the tail, to assure ourselves of the continuity of the backbone :
and in the same way we may feel that the limbs and skull are con-
nected with it. We must, however, notice that the limbs are turned
away from the main nervous system—running through the backbone,
and remember that this arrangement is universal in Vertebrate Animals.
But though ‘we shall generally find four limbs in a Vertebrate or Back-
boned Animal, they are not always of the same shape, nor are they
always used for the same purpose. The arms of a man correspond to
the forelegs of a horse, a lion, an elephant, a lizard, or a frog; to the
wings of a bird or a.bat;, and to ‘the’ spair’ of ‘fins that are called
pectoral, and generally bitnited near ‘the head, in. fishes, just as the
ventral pair correspond to his legs. The limbs differ also in their use
in the lower Vertebrates: generally they serve. for locomotion, to carry
their owner from place to place; but sometimes one pair and sometimes
another are modified into grasping organs,‘and fulfil the purpose of ~
hands. Everyone has seen a squirrel sit up and nibble a piece of
biscuit which he holds in his forepaws, while ya parrot will use its foot
to convey a dainty morsel to its mouth.

In some cases where, as in the Boas, there are no external limbs,
there are internal traces of one pair—foreshadowings of what was to
come; or these traces, as in the Whales and Dolphins, may represent
limbs lost through disuse. This question of loss through disuse is
very important; for it shows that, while movement upward is the
general law of Nature, there may also be degeneration, or movement
backwards and downwards. On this point it is well to read what
Kingsley says in his “Water-Babies” of the Doasyoulikes, who left
the. country of Hardwork for the land of Readymade, at the foot of
the Happy-go-Lucky Mountains, where flapdoodle grows wild. Of
MAMMALS. 4 15

course, “‘Water-Babies” is only a fairy tale: the author said so, and
he ought.to know. But it is a fairy tale with a good deal of truth
in it, and some excellent natural history into the bargain.

MAMMALS.

The importance.of Mammals to Man is greater than that of any other
group of animals, and chief among the class, in this respect; stand the
Ungulates, or Hoofed Mammals, containing the Horses, Oxen,’ Sheep,
and Goats. Some of these serve as beasts of draught and burden, others
for food, and when dead their
skin, hair, wool, hoofs, etc,
are all turned to good ac-
count.

_We shall get a good idea
of the bony framework of a
Mammal from the figure here-
with, which represents the
skeleton of a camel. The
general plan should be com-
pared with the rough diagram
on page 3, and the bones with
the human skeleton and its
parts on pages 8 to 11.

All Mammals have warm

. a@, Skull ; 1, shoulder-blade (scapula) ; 2, arm (Aemerus) ;
red blood, and- ‘breathe by 3 35 fore-arm (selna, or cubitus); 4, BCD 5s



SKELETON OF CAMEL.

< ° : a metacarpus, corresponding to the human palm; 6,
lungs 2 gills are -never de cigs: shcee ae ° the Singers) 7: Cul pone
ins Jemur); 8, leg (ti67a); 9, ankle (Zarsvs), the bone
veloped. Except _ 7 oy ¥ the that stands out behind is the heel; x0, metatarsus,
Duck Mole and Spiny Ant-. Corresponding to the sole of the human foot; 11,
ome digits, corresponding to the human toes : 12, cervical
eaters, the young are: brought, vertebra ; 13, dorsal vertebra ; 14, lumbar vertebra ;
g eke Nha ° 15, sacral vertebree, 16, caudal vertebra; 17, ribs;

forth alive, and during «their 18, pelvis,

growth they do not undergo

any change or metamorphosis, like that of frogs and newts: in other
words, there is no larval stage. The young of the Pouched Mammals
are not fully developed when they come into the world, and most of
them pass some.time in the pouch of the:mother.. But the new-born
young of all are nourished with milk, secreted by the mother, and
from this circumstance the name of the class is derived.

Another characteristic of this class is the hairy covering of the skin.
This is complete, or nearly so, in most Mammals, but extremely scanty
in the Whales, being limited to a few bristles round the mouth, and even
these disappear when the animals become full grown. Hair is often of two
kinds—one long and stiff, that appears on the surface; the other short,

\
6 oe PopuLar HisToRY oF ANIMALS.

“soft, and downy, and called fur. A very good’ example of the two kinds
“of hair is seen in. the fur seal, so many of which are killed that their
skins may be made into jackets and mantles forthe ladies ‘of Europe and
America. In Pigs, the hairs form stiff bristles, and in Hedgehogs and
Poreupines, they are so thick as to
form’ spines, those of the latter
animals being popularly ‘known as
“quills.” “In the Scaly Ant-eaters,
the ,body is covered with scales,
and in the Armadillos with bony’
plates;.\but." between these scales
' and »plates true hairs grow more
‘HAIR oF Fur SEAL or‘less thickly. Hair, like that of
s)Skin ; f, fur; 4, hairs. the Sheep, which “felts,” or forms
“a compact mass, owing to its
surface beingcovered with minute scales, is called wool. In Man, the
hairy covering, except onthe head, is generally scanty; but’ the natural
clothing of the Ainu of Yezo is so thick that they are generally spoken of
as the “hairy” Ainu. The object of this covering is, of course, warmth ;
“and its loss in the Whales is made up by a thick layer of fat, called :
“blubber,” immediately beneath the skin. In Mammals inhabiting cold
regions, the coat generally becomes much thicker in winter, falling off
again in summer, and there is in many cases a change in the colour at
this season. Thus, the Ermine, which yields such valuable fur, is white
in winter (at which time it is hunted for its skin), and brown in summer.
a
Concerning the remaining classes of Vertebrates, we have already
seen (page 3) that a common plan of structure runs through them all,
from the highest to the lowest.. What has been said about Mammals,
and comparison of the skeleton of the camel (page 5) with the human
skeleton (page 8), with the short descriptions prefixed’ to.:the: other
Classes and their Orders, will enable us to discover wherein Birds,
Reptiles, Amphibians, Fishes, and Lampreys agree with or differ from
the Mammals. ‘And this. also holds good with respect to the dwellers
in the Borderland. eG.













INVERTEBRATES.

With the Invertebrates’ ‘it is. quite different. This immense group
has no common type, but comprises a collection of sub-kingdoms
offering a strange diversity of ‘plan. Yet, even through these, relation-
ships can be traced ‘more. or less clearly, as will be, seen later. on
when dealing with each ‘sub-kingdom.,






CHAPTER II.

MAN.

PN Natural History it is usual to give to the separate parts
of all Vertebrate Animals the same names as are applied
to similar parts of the human body. For this reason,
we must examine the human skeleton on the next page
» rather closely.

This bony framework is a, very complicated piece of mechanism,
and: consists of more than 200 separate bones. There are two prin-
cipal parts—ther one corresponding to the straight line in our’ rough
diagram (page 3), and called the axial skeleton, because like an axis,
or rod, it runs down between the two halves (right and left) of the
body ; the other, corresponding to the A-shaped marks, and called the
appendicular skeleton, consisting of the appendages of the body—the
arms and legs, generally termed’ the limbs. At the top of the axial
skeleton is the brain-box, or skull, forming, with the bones of the face,
the skeleton of the head.

If a perpendicular line be drawn through the skull, backbone, oud:
pelvis, the skeleton would be divided into a right half and a left half,
the bones on one side corresponding to those of the other, This is
called bilateral symmetry, and will be found in all backboned animals.

» The limbs are not only in pairs—two arms and two legs—but there
is a correspondence in the bones of the pectoral pair (the arms) with
those of the pelvic pair (the legs). The arm and the thigh have each
a single bone, while in the fore-arm and leg there are two; the bones
of the wrist correspond broadly with those of the aniles and the
likeness between our fingers and toes is a matter of common knowledge.
These, of course, are five in number on each limb; and this is the
case with most Monkeys, many of the Flesh-eaters, etc. The foot is
planted flat on the ground; and the great toe (in civilised Man, at
least) is in a line with the other toes, and’is never used as a thumb. —

There is a similarity also in the method by which the pairs of limbs
aré joined to the trunk: the arms are jointed to shoulder-blades, which
are connected’ with ‘the breast-boné by the: collar- bones, and with the
trunk by powerful: muscles ; the thighs are received in. sockets on each
side of the ‘pelvis, the bones of which’ are: fused» together and united
with the sacral. vertebree (see SpinalColumn, page 9). These means
of attachment are ‘called the shoulder..and hip. girdles.




HuMAN SKELETON,

q, Skull (cranium) ; 2, thorax; 3, breast-bone 3¢, collar- bone
(clavicle): 3, pelvis a, @, haunch-bone; 4, arm (humerus);
5and 6, bones of fore-arm !zeéna and radius’; 7, wrist (car-
Pus); 8, bones Of palm (se¢acarpus\; 0, bones of fingers

Phalanges 317, thigh-by

12 and 13; bones of. leg (tibia and fibula) ; 14 ankle (¢arszs);
15, bones of foot metatarsus);16, bones of toes(phalanges;.

one | fer): 11, knee-pan! 'Datetla);

PorutAr History OF ANIMALS.

The backbone, or spine, con-
sists of a series of bones placed
one above another, and called
vertebrae, or turning-bones (from the
Latin verto=to turn), because each
can turn a little, as when we bend
the body from side to side. In early
life theré are thirty-three distinct
bones, each made up of separate
pieces, which become united in the
adult.

The spine is marked off into five.
separate parts or regions (page 9).
The region of the neck has seven
(cervical) vertebrae ; the region. of
the back: (dorsal) twelve; ‘and the
region of the loins» (lumbar): seven:
These twenty-four bones™can all’ be’
separated from eachother, and on
that account are called ¢7we vertebrae,
Those of the sacral and coccygeal
regions (both of which are fused
into distinct bony masses in the
adult) are called false vertebrae.
Thus, in the grown man the spine
consists of but’ twenty-six separate
bones. In, the infant this bony
support is straight, but as we
grow -older it is bent into a
series of curves, corresponding
to the regions into which it is
divided.

These curves are of great use:
(1) By their means the spine ‘can
bear a much greater weight on the
head and shoulders than it other-
wise could, the proportion’of ‘the
strength of this curved column to
one perfectly straight being as 9..to
1. (2) They render the movements
of the body, especially when: run-
ning, much more easy. (3) In the




“THE Spine in Man. - ; 9

movement of the column this arrangement protects the spinal cord,
which joins the brain above, and is continued below, giving off nerves on
each side in its course, as far as the lower part-of the first vertebra of
the loins, below which it dwindles into a’ bundle of white thread-like
nerves. The Man-like Apes approach Man most nearly in the curves
of the spine; but even in them the ;
curve of the loins is not so strongly
marked, and this is due to Man’s erect
position.

The regions marked in thé figure
correspond _to those of Mammals
generally; and in the neck region,
whether it be long as in the giraffes,
or short as in the whale or the ‘por-
poise, the number of vertebrae is always’
seven, excepting in » the three-toed ©:
Sloths, which: have nine, the Scaly —
Ant-eaters, .which sometimes” have’
eight, and. of a two-toed Sloth and
the Manatee, which have six. The
number of vertebree in the other regions
differs greatly in the lower Mammals.

The last region in the humanspine
is often. spoken of as the “coccygeal ”
region; the “term caudal (or , tail)
region .being reserved” ‘for. Mammals’
with a free tail. This is perhaps due
to the desire to mark off Man from
the rest of the class. to which, as
an animal, he belongs; or perhaps Back ‘view. Left side view.



“because “tailed” men are .not of __ | «SPINAL COLUMN,
5 ; 1, Region of ‘the neck (cervical); 2, region of
frequent. occurrence. A scientific ~ ‘the back (dorsad); 3, region of the loins

5 e (Zumbar) ; 4, region of the haunches (sacral):
journal, however, has said that there 5, region of the tail (coccygéal or pa :

are probably always a few men
living in whom a free tail has been developed; and in his last
book Dr. Oliver Wendell, Holmes tells us that during the session of
the Medical Congress at Washington, a distinguished London physician
showed him the photograph of a small. boy, some three or four years
old, “‘who had a very respectable little-tail, which would have passed
muster on a pig, and would have made a frog or a toad ashamed of
himself.” 5 ; \
The top, or highest vertebra is called the atlas, because it supports

\
10 PorputAR. History OF ANIMALS.

the head, just as the mythic leader of the Titans was supposed to
support the heavens. The bony groove on each side receives a cor-
responding projection or. pivot on the occipital bone (Human Skull, 0).
The vertebra just below is called the axis,
because in front is a strong bony peg, which
fits into the atlas, and serves to turn the head,
for when we look round, not only is the head
turned, but the atlas is turned with it. In Birds
and Reptiles there is but a single pivot in the
skull, while the Amphibians (Frogs and Newts)
have two like the Mammals. The rest of the
lower vertebree do not differ greatly from each
other, except in point of size, growing larger
and stronger until the last of the twenty-four
rests on the,solid mass of the vertebra of the
haunches, which forms the keystone of the
pelvic arch. Each of these vertebree consists
of a front portion, called the é0dy, and behind. of a ring of bone,
enclosing the spinal canal, through which runs the spinal cord. The
ring is furnished with various projections of bone, which form joints,
so to speak, with the other vertebree, and also serve for the attachments
of muscles. These spinous processes may be
. easily felt, if one puts his hand between his
shoulders and draws it downwards along the
spine. The prominent bone at the back of the
neck is the spinous process of the seventh
(and last) vertebra of that region, which ends
in a rounded knob.
The head has twenty-two bones, and its
skeleton is called the skull. Of these, eight
form the brain-box, or®skull proper, and the



SIXTH VERTEBRA
OF THE BACK FROM ABOVE.

,6, Body; sc, spinal canal;
s, spinous process.



HuMAN SKULL,

_ fF, Frontal bone; 4, parietal bone
(one on each side) ; z, temporal
bone (one on each side) 5 9,
occipital bone; s, sphenoid
bone (which forms part of the
floor of the skull, and also
projects on the right side); x,
left cheek-bone; 2, zygo-
matic arch; 3, bone of the
nose ; 4, left half of upper jaw ;
5) lower j jaw.

{the latter are marked with figures).
below the frontal bone, and at the back of the face, is hidden,
bones of the skull are fitted together. by uneven edges,

remaining fourteen make up the bones of the
face. Of all these only one is movable—that
of the lower jaw, which is employed in masti-

‘cating food,.and sometimes less usefully in

talking.

From the figure we shall be able to make
out the principal bones or the skull and face
The; ethmoid, or sieve-like bone,
The
somewhat

like the teeth of a saw, and the joinings, some of which may be




LeeTH or MAN. II

traced on the figure, are. called sutures..; The bony arch binds the face
bones to those of the skull, and serves for the attachment of muscles.
In. many Mammals the bones of the upper jaw are four instead
of two,'the parts carrying the cutting-teeth being distinct from the
parts carrying the other teeth. In Man and some Monkeys these
bones. form a single one on each side. The two branches of the
lower jaw in man are united to form a single horseshoe-shaped bone,
but in some Mammals they are bound together by ligaments. On the
lower jaw on each side is a projecting part, or pivot, which fits loosely
into a hole in the temporal bone, thus giving great freedom of motion.
The human jaw can be moved directly up and down as in the Flesh-
eating Mammals, backwards and forwards as in the Gnawing Animals,
or Rodents, and it has also the circular
motion so noticeable in sheep and mM M ;
cattle when they are chewing the cud. Qa" 2 te Rae)

Man has two sets of teeth. The appa yee B
first, called the milk set, consists ot j
- twenty teeth, and is replaced in later
life. by the permanent set, in which PaaS GARNI NUN gaunt
there are thirty-two. These teeth are HOAAAIeC A
of three kinds—cutting, or incisor pure als

3 i DIAGRAM SHOWING THE TEETH IN

teeth; tearing, or canine teeth—so THE UPPER JAW; A, IN CHILDHOOD;
called from their being of great size in = 'N MANHOOD,
the Dogs; and the grinding teeth, or mols mt Solars’? Sanne feeths Pre:
molars. .In early childhood we have
but two grinders, replaced by five in later life. The two nearest the
canine teeth are called premolars, and the three behind them molars,
or “true” molars. The figures on the teeth in the diagram denote
the age (in years above and in months below) at which ‘the teeth’
generally appear. With the teeth of Man those of most other Mam-
mals may be compared, and the same names are used for the teeth
of the lower animals. Gnawing Animals, or Rodents, have no canines ;
and the sharp-pointed molars of the Flesh-eaters differ greatly in shape
from those of the Hoofed Mammals, which live on vegetable food.

The chest, or thorax, is formed behind by the vertebre of the back,
and in front by the’ breast-bone, while the ribs connect these two.
columns. Of the twelve pairs of ribs, seven, called the ¢rue ribs, are
united to the breast-bone by gristly bands (called the costal cartilages).
Of the remaining five pairs, called /a/se ribs, three pairs are joined by
similar bands to the ribs immediately above, and the two lowest pairs,
which are quite free in front, are also called floating ribs. To the top
of the breast-bone: the clavicles are attached at one end, the other

’
12 PoputAR HISTORY OF ANIMALS.

being connected with the shoulder-blade, the whole forming the shoulder
girdle, which serves to connect the fore (or pectoral) limbs with the body.

The office of the chest is to contain the heart and lungs, two of the
chief centres of life—the former the engine which sends the blood
circulating through the body, and the latter the organs of breathing or
respiration. In the latter process the chest has important work to. do,
the front and side walls moving regularly up and down—that is,
becoming expanded and contracted as air passes into and out of the
nostrils and mouth. i

The pelvis: (so-called from its basin-like shape) serves to support the
trunk, and to give attachment to the lower limbs. The haunch-bones
are united in front, and between them, behind, the bony mass of the
five sacral vertebree is wedged in like the keystone of an arch. The
name ‘‘pelvis” is given not only to the cavity, but to the bones which
bound it, the latter being also called the pelvic arch or pelvic girdle.
This arch or girdle is universally present, though in different degrees of
completeness, in Mammals, and in the Whales and Manatees is repre-
sented by two small bones. In the Pouched Mammals, Duck Mole,
and Spiny Ant-eaters, two small bones project from the front part of
the pelvis, and in the females generally give support to a pouch.

Man belongs to the Order Primates, which also contains the Man-
like Apes, the Monkeys, and the Lemurs. The great characteristic of
the other members of the order is their more or less close resemblance
in shape to Man. There are usually five. fingers and five toes, but the
thumb may be small or altogether wanting. The great toe generally
bears a flat nail, and may very often be used as a thumb, so that the
foot becomes a grasping organ. It was formerly the fashion to mark
Man off in a separate order, named Bimana, or animals with two hands,
as distinct from the Man-like Apes, Monkeys, and Lemurs, which were
called Quadrumana, or animals with four hands; but this distinction
is now abandoned. The foot of a child is, to some extent, a grasping
organ, as it is also among adults of some of the lower races. The
Australian savage can pick up his spear with his toes; and Indian
workmen use the foot in hand-like fashion to hold their work. Euro-
peans, who have the feet covered, have lost the power of thus em-
ploying the foot; but very little practice will enable a boy of not more
than average patience to pick up a pencil from the floor with his
naked toes. There are three kinds of teeth, except in the Aye-Aye,
which has no canines.

Science tells us in pretty plain terms the animal origin of Man, but
she is silent as to how and when he made his appearance on this
earth, Two theories have been put forward: one, that all men have


Te II RT SO ne De ane Pee aE ee Rp ame ea pT:

LARLY Man. 13

descended from common. ancestors; the other, that each of the
different races of man developed, independent of the others, in its own
region. The first is that now generally held. All races, from the most
highly civilised to the lowest barbarians, resemble each other, not only
in general form and bodily structure, but in the working of their
minds, as is shown to some extent by the existence of similar beliefs
and folk-stories among widely different peoples—these being, in many
cases, the independent efforts of men in a low stage of civilisation to
account for natural phenomena—the rising and setting of the sun, the
succession of day and night, thunder and lightning, etc. In addition
to this, people of the most dissimilar races intermarry freely, and the



SKETCH OF MAMMOTH ON A PIECE OF MAMMOTH Ivory.
(From the Cave of La Madeleine, France.)

fact that offspring result from such marriages is another indication of
descent from a common ancestor.

We know what Man of the nineteenth century is like; but early Man
we know only by his flint weapons, the remains of his refuse heaps,
some artistic scratchings like the above, and a few bones. The early
home of Man is unknown, but the oldest remains known have been
found in Europe; though this may be due to the fact that the other
continents have not been searched so thoroughly. A French author
makes Asia the birthplace of the human race; but Dr. Brinton, when
lecturing on. “The Earliest Men,” before the American Association for
the Advancement of Science, in 1893, placed the first home of Man in
Southern Europe or Northern Africa, or on the continuation of these
latitudes in Western or Central Southern Asia. He does not think that
the upward course was gradual, but that Man was suddenly evolved
from the highest Man-like animal in the glacial, or possibly just
before the glacial epoch, giving an antiquity of 50,000 to 100,000
years. In his opinion the earliest men walked erect, had full foreheads,
red hair, and blue or grey eyes, were about of the same size and

,
14 POPULAR HisToRY OF ANIMALS.

general appearance as now, perhaps were not even hairy, were kind to
each other, social and artistic, had some sort of language, and knew
how to make fire.

Man, as an animal, is chiefly distinguished from the family next
below him by possessing a larger brain and a larger brain-case, or
skull, as compared with the bones of the face; by the fact that his
body is fitted for an upright position; by the small size of the canine
teeth, and by the absence of a space in the opposite jaw for their
reception. Occasionally one meets people in whom these teeth are
large and prominent. This is probably a throwing back to the condition



A.—STRAIGHT-JAWED SKULL OF B,—FORWARD-JAWED SKULL OF
EUROPEAN, AUSTRALIAN,

when our ancestors had these teeth largely developed, for use as
weapons, as they still are in the Man-like Apes.

Man is generally considered to consist of a single species, the
different races being taken as so many varieties:’ and from time to
time many systems have been adopted for classifying them. . Perhaps
the best is that put forward by Sir William Flower, who groups all
existing races round—

I. The White, or Caucasian type.
II. The Yellow, or Mongolian type.
III. The Black, or African type.

In these types there is considerable difference in the shape of
the skull (and consequently of the head), and in the position of the
jaws with respect to the bones of the nose. In looking at Fig. A,
it is evident that an upright line might be drawn to touch both
the bones of the nose and the chin. In Fig. B, a vertical line






RACES OF MAN. 15

touching the. chin will be at some distance from the nasal bones.
The first skull is said to be straight-jawed, or orthognathous, while the
second is forward-jawed, or prognathous—a term which, Professor’
Huxley says, “has been rendered with more force than -elegance by
the Saxon equivalent—snouty.”

I. The people of the Caucasian type. with whom we are best
acquainted—the people of the British Isles, Europe, and the United
States—form the highest branches of the human genealogical tree,
though many of the races ranged under this type hold by no means
such a lofty position. Professor Huxley divided the peoples of this
type into (1) Fair Whites and (2) Dark Whites; or, as one may say,
Blondes. and Brunettes. Of the first, a fair-haired Englishman is a
good example ; of the second, a Frenchman from Marseilles.

(1) The Fair Whites generally have white skin, ruddy complexion,
fine flaxen, brown, .or auburn hair, and blue or brown eyes. They
are above the average height, the majority’ being from 5 ft. 6 in. to
5 ft. ro in. and 6 ft.; though, of course, many individuals are shorter
than 5 ft. 6 in, and some few taller than 6 ft. In Scotland, Norway
and Sweden, and Denmark, and the North of Germany, the Fair
Whites predominate. Many live in England—as, indeed, do many Dark
Whites; and every intermediate grade may be met with, often during
a morning’s walk, if one keeps one’s eyes open. They occur, also in
North Africa and Afghanistan, and from the intermarriage of Fair
Whites with Mongols have sprung the Finns and Lapps of Europe
and some tribes of Asiatic Russia. It is to this branch of the
Caucasian type that America, Africa, and Australia owe the greater
part of their white population.

(2) In the Dark Whites the skin may be white, aie or shades of
brown, sometimes so dark as to be scarcely distinguishable from that
of the Negro. The hair is generally brown or black, usually straight,
but sometimes curly, and the eyes are black and sparkling. In height,
they are below the Fair Whites, ranging from little more than 5 ft. to
about 5 ft. 6 in., a man above that stature being considered tall. To
this branch belong the people of Southern Europe generally, of South
West Asia and the North of Africa (in Plate I, No. 1 represents a
Caucasian from Georgia, No. 2 an Arab, and No. 3 a native of the
Soudan). The intermarriages of this branch have left their mark on
some of the Indo-Chinese tribes; and to marriages with some of the
lower Dark Whites the Australian natives probably owe the peculiar
character of their hair. From a mixture of Dark White with Negro
blood spring the Copts and fellaheen of Egypt, some tribes on the west
of the Red Sea, and some other tribes farther south. Among the lowest
16 Porputar Hisrory or ANIMALS.

peoples of the branch are the Todas ot the Neilgherry Hills, the
Veddahs of Ceylon, and the Ainu of Yezo, recently visited by Mr.
A. H. S. Landor, who’ considers them to be “the farthest behind in the
great race of human development.” So that in the Caucasian type we
have the cultured European and American, ranking highest, and the
hairy Ainu, ranking (perhaps) lowest, among the peoples of the world.

So little is known about the Ainu that we give a few particulars
from Mr. Landor’s book (“Alone With the Hairy Ainu”). The skin is
light reddish, and they ‘are very hairy. .One he describes as resembling
an orang rather than a human being; and the Ainu themselves told
him that the country was. formerly much colder, and asked, “Why
should we be as-hairy»as bears if it were not to, keep out the cold?”
“The skin is greasy,” Mr. Landor tells us, “the natural result of many
years of an unwashed existence; and this gives to the hairy people a
peculiar and strong odour, much resembling that of monkeys. Many are
familiar with the peculiar odourof an uncleaned monkey’s cage, and the
same, intensified a thousand times, characterises an Ainu_ village.”
When actively angry the Ainu “sneer and snarl at one another,
frowning ferdciously and showing all their front teeth, but specially
uncovering their fangs or dog-teeth.” The author tells us that “their
toes are supplementary fingers, and they often hold things between
the big toe and the next..... Then, again, the toes are often used
to pick up small objects out of the reach of the hands, and also to
scratch the lower extremities.” It is remarkable that the Japanese have
a legend that, long ago, the Ainu women suckled young bears, which
gradually developed into men.

II. In peoples of the Yellow or Mongolian type, the skin varies in
colour from a sallow hue, such as is often seen in our own countrymen,
to lighter or darker shades of brown. The hair is black, coarse, and
straight, and among the North American Indians, very long. The face
is broad and flat, the cheek-bones are prominent, the eyes almond-
shaped and set obliquely. The jaws project more than they do in
peoples of the Caucasian, but less than in those of the Black type.
The upper lip is hairy, but the beard is scanty. In height they range
from a little less to a little more than 5 ft. 6 in., but the variation
is not great either way. Some of the North American Indians,
however, are very tall, while the Tibetans and Bolivians are short
and squat in figure.

Of these Yellow People we may count five subdivisions or
branches, the first of which is made up of the native inhabitants of
Northern and Central Asia, the Chinese (Plate I, No. 4) and Japanese,
and the people of Tibet, Burma, and Siam. The central tableland
PLateE I.
1. Georgian. 2. Arab. 3. Nubiau. 4. Chinese. 5. Negro.
6. Australian. 7. North American Indian. 8. Malay.
g. Polynesian.

Races or Man. | ‘ 17

of Asia was the home of the Mongolian races that have again and
again moved westward to attack and ravage Europe. And from
those who settled. in the parts where their arms were victorious,
have sprung the Laplanders, the Finns, the Hungarians, and the
Turks. :

The second branch is made up ofthe Malays, whose home is in
the Malay Peninsula (Plate I., No. 8) and the islands of the Archipelago
lying to the south and south-east of Siam. ‘The third branch consists
of the natives of Polynesia (Plate I., No. 9), New Zealand being included
in this term. In some respects many of the peoples of this branch
resemble the. Caucasian type; but their fine bodily frame is probably
due to intermarriage with the Negroes, and white settlers have no
doubt contributed to the same result. To the fourth branch belong
the descendants of the races that were native in North and South
America (excluding Greenland) before the conquest and colonisation of
the New World by Europeans. Here are included tribes differing
greatly from each other in stature, customs, mode of life, and in the
stages of culture to which they have attained. Best known to us—it
may be through Fenimore Cooper and Mayne Reid—are the so-called
Red Indians (Plate I., No. 7). The “noble savage,” however, is rapidly
vanishing from, the earth. The Indian wars of the United States have
utterly exterminated some tribes, while others have been driven away
from their hunting- “grounds, which have been appropriated by the white
man. On page 19 is represented one of the native Americans of the
coast of Brazil. They are seldom more than 4 ft. high, and are at a very
low stage of civilisation. The name of the tribe (Botocudos) is derived
from the Portuguese dofogue, which means a bung or a plug, and refers
to the pieces of wood worn in the ears and lower lip. To this
branch also belong the well-developed Patagonians and the stunted
Fuegians. The fifth branch consists of the Eskimo, probably Mongol
immigrants, who, having been hemmed in, as it were, by the ice on
the north and by the Indian population on the south, have to a great
extent preserved their peculiar characters, for between them and the
tribes to the south of them there has been but little intermarriage.
In the east of Greenland the Danes have brought many of the Eskimo
to some extent under the influence of civilisation.

The Chinese and Japanese stand highest among the peoples of
this type. The civilisation of the former is of very ancient date, while
the latter, who have quite recently adopted European habits and
customs, bid fair to equal,.if they do not outstrip, their teachers.
-Japanese names will be found: among the list of writers in many of
the scientific journals of Europe, and to them are due the solution of

Cc
18 Poputar History OF ANIMALS.

several vexed questions. It was a Japanese, trained in a European
college, who showed the error of supposing that a hydra, if turned
inside out, could make his skin do duty for a stomach (see Stinging
Animals). One scarcely knows which is the lowest race of this type.
Some of them are very low indeed.

III. In the peoples of the: Black or Negro type, the cheek-bones are
prominent, the eyes large, round, and black, and. the cornea—what we
call “the white”—has a yellowish tinge. The nose is broad and flat,
and the thick lips are turned outwards in a peculidr way. This cannot
be imitated by pouting; we must put the fingers at the corners of the
mouth and push the lips up and down so as to show the red skin
inside. The hair is black and short, generally ‘frizzly, or, to borrow a
term from the American Negroes, “woolly.” The skin is generally
black, cool and soft to the touch, and with a peculiar smell. In
stature they are for the most part above the average, ranging from
5 ft. 6 in. to 6 ft. in height, though some do not much exceed 4 ft.
The first branch of this type consists of the African Negroes (Plate I.,
No. 5), some of whom we have all seen in the streets. They live in
the central part of Africa, ranging from sea to sea; but many tribes
have sprung up from intermarriages with Dark, Whites. The Kaffirs of
South Africa are somewhat lighter in colour’ than the tribes to the
north of them; their jaws do not project so much, and their teeth
are smaller. Next come the Negrillos—among whom are Stanley’s
‘dwarfs ”—-with yellowish skin, and skull of the .round-headed form,
who dwell in the forests’ of Central Western Equatorial Africa,
and are the smallest of the human race, the average height
being little more than 4 ft. To the third belong the Bushmen of
South Africa, with yellow skin, eyes that resemble those of the
Chinese, and very short hair, much more frizzly than that of the
ordinary Negro, so that it looks as if the head were covered with a
number of tiny balls. From a mixture of this race with the true
Negroes came the Hottentots. The fourth and last branch—the
Melanesians, or Black People of the Islands—includes the Papuans
of New Guinea, with hair that grows into enormous mops—and the
natives of most of the islands of the South Pacific and (perhaps) of
Australia (Plate I., No. 6), though the proper place of these last is not
settled. They may be Negroes altered by an infusion of Dark White
blood from the South of India, or, as Sir William Flower suggests, “the
direct descendants from a very primitive human type, of which the
frizzly-haired Negroes may be an offset.” Their skins are of a dark
coffee-colour; in the form of the skull and the projecting: jaws they
resemble Negroes; but the nose is wide and not flat, and the curly
RACES OF MAN. 19

hair is very different from the “wool” of the true Negro. Here also
belonged the extinct natives of Tasmania:

We, have now run over the different types of Man, briefly
noticing some of the races that compose them. Lest we should be
unduly lifted up by our mental and material superiority over what we



BOTOCUDO, WEARING LIP AND EAR ORNAMENTS.

are pleased to call the “lower” races, it may be well to quote
some testimony showing that all the advantage is not on our side.
In a paper read before the Royal Society of New South Wales in 1882,
Mr. Frazer says of the aborigines, “who were regarded as among the
most degraded of the races of men”:—“They have or had virtues
which we might profitably imitate; they are faithful and affectionate to
those who treat them kindly.” And he quotes the: language of a friend

who says, “Naturally they are an affectionate, peaceful people, and
C2
20 PorutAR HisToRY OF ANIMALS.

considering that they have never been taught to know right from wrong,
their behaviour is wonderful. I leave my house open, with their camp
close by, and feel the greatest confidence in them.”

Yet one more witness. Dr. Alfred Russel Wallace, in the closing
chapter of ‘‘The Malay Archipelago,” after giving the notions of the best
thinkers as to a perfect social state, says: “I have lived with com-
munities of savages in South America and in the East, who have
no laws or law courts but the public opinion of the village freely
expressed. Each man scrupulously respects the rights of his fellow.
In such a community, all are nearly equal. There are none of those
wide distinctions, of education and ignorance, wealth and poverty,
master and servant, which are the product of our civilisation ; there
is none of that widespread division of labour, which, while it increases
wealth, produces also conflicting interests; there is none of that severe
competition and struggle for existence, or for wealth, which the dense
population of civilised countries inevitably creates. All incitements to
great crimes are thus wanting, and petty ones are repressed, partly by
the influence of public opinion, but chiefly by that natural sense of
justice and of his neighbour’s right which seems to be, in some degree,
inherent in every race of man.” He goes on to warn us that it is not
good to labour for intellectual and material advancement to the neglect
of the moral qualities of our nature; and that, if we do so labour “‘we
shall never, as regards the whole community, attain to any real or
important superiority.over the better class of savages.” It is remarkable
that much modern legislation is based on similar lines, and is intended
to secure a more equal distribution of this world’s goods, and so prevent
the rich growing richer, while the poor grow poorer and poorer.



















































































































































































































































































































































A MALAY VILLAGE,
21

"CHAP TE Ri LLL
THE MAN-LIKE APES,

| HESE animals, which closely resemble Man in bodily
structure, and more or less in outward appearance, are
confined to certain tropical regions of the Old World.
There is less difference between their bodily structure
and that of Man, than there is between them and the
lowest monkeys. This resemblance is much more striking when
young forms of both families (Man and the Man-like Apes) are com-
pared. The teeth are the same in both.

There are four genera:—(z1) The Chimpanzees ; (2) the Gorilla;
(3) the Mias, or Orang-utan ; and (4) the Gibbons. The first two are
African, the third and fourth Asiatic.

The Chimpanzee approaches Man in the characters of its skull and
teeth, and in the proportional size of the arms. The Gorilla is more
Man-like in the proportions of the legs to the body, of the foot to the
hand, in the size of the heel, the curvature of the spine, and in the
capacity of the skull. The Orangs come nearest to Man in the number
of the ribs, and in the form of the hemispheres of the brain; but they
differ from him much more widely in other respects, and especially in
the limbs, than do the Chimpanzee and Gorilla. The Gibbons are
most remote from Man on the whole, though there is much resemblance
in the form of the chest.

The highest of the Man-like Apes are the Chimpanzees. If a line
be drawn on the map of Africa from the mouth of the River Gambia
as far inland as 28° E. long. and another from the Portuguese
town of Benguela.to the same meridian, the space enclosed will show
the. home of these animals. There are probably two species—the
Common and the Bald Chimpanzee. Both are now fairly well known,
for specimens of each kind have lived a.considerable time in confine-
ment, and their habits have been closely watched by skilled observers.
The Common Chimpanzee does not exceed five feet in height, and the
Bald Chimpanzee is said to be somewhat shorter. But the -measure-
ments of young specimens of these two forms, probably about the same
age, living in the Zoological Gardens, Regent’s Park, in 1889, were
nearly equal. In the Common Chimpanzee, the forehead, cheeks, and
the whole of the body are covered with long, harsh, black hair; the
upper part of the face, the brows, nose, and muzzle are of a dirty


22 PorutAr HisToRY Ok ANIMALS.

flesh-colour. The hands and feet are of a brownish clay colour, much
the same as the general tone of.the skin of the Bald Chimpanzee, which
animal is thinly covered with dark hair, has a scanty crop of short.
blackish hair on the top of the head, and large naked ears standing
out nearly at right angles.

The Chimpanzees live in the forest, and pass much of their time
among the branches of trees, feeding on fruit and tender shoots
and buds; but this diet is probably sometimes varied by young birds
and small mammals. They live in separate families, or in small groups
of families. When upright, the gait is weak; they go generally on all
fours, supporting themselves with the back of the closed fingers rather
than on the palm of the hand. In their native forests, Chimpanzees
seem to romp and play as heartily as they do in confinement; and
Dr. Savage, an American missionary, tells how a hollow tree is used
as a drum to call the young ones to play, while the old ones sit round
in a ring to watch them. Garner confirms the account of the drum-
signal, but thinks that the “drum” is a spot .of sonorous earth laid
upon a soil resembling peat. So human’are the ways of the Chim-
panzees that the natives believe that they have been degraded from
Man’s estate; and similar hazy ideas as to the connection between
Man and his “ poor relations” are current elsewhere. The natives of
India have a tradition—versified by Rudyard Kipling—that the
ancestors of the monkeys came down to the cornland to teach the
farmers to play. But the farmers requited good with evil. They set
their visitors to work, and cut off their tails; and the wild monkeys of
the forest were afraid to speak tothe unfortunate prisoners, lest they
also should become the captives of the farmers, and be set to plough
and sow. English sailors sometimes say that monkeys can talk, but
are afraid to do so lest they should be made to work.

It seems that Chimpanzees are fond of human society. Mr.
Garner, who went to Africa to study what he calls the “speech”
of Monkeys, writes thus in Macure’s Magazine (September, 1893) :—
“Tt is not at all rare to find tame Chimpanzees on this coast, going
about the premises at large and quite as much at home as any resident.
With this short preface, I desire to introduce my own young friend,
who lives with me in my forest home. I call him Moses, because he
was taken out of a papyrus swamp of the Ogowe. He is devoted to
me, and cries after me like a spoiled baby, and follows me like a pet
dog. ... When I leave my cage I usually take him with me, and
when he sees me take my rifle he begins to fret, until I let him mount
my back, which he does with great skill, and hangs on to me like the
ivy to a church wall. A few days since we were returning from a
THE CHIMPANZEE, 23

short tour, I saw a young Chimpanzee crossing the path about thirty
yards from us, and I tried to induce. Moses to call his little cousin ;
but he declined to do so, and I accused him of being proud because
he was mounted, and the other was afoot, and hence he would not
speak to him. I am trying to teach Moses to speak English, but.
up to this time he has not succeeded. However, he has only been
in school a very short term, and I think he will learn by-and-by. .. . |
When he sees or hears anything strange, he always ‘tells me in a low
tone, unless it comes too
near, and then he an-
nounces it with a yell.
At times I refuse to pay
any attention to him, and
he will fall down, scream
and sulk like a very naughty
_ child) He is extremely
jealous, and does not want
any one to come near me.
I have made him a neat
little house, with hammock
and mosquito bar, and at
night I tuck him up, when
he sleeps quietly until late
in the morning. Then he
crawls out, rubbing his
eyes, and wants his break-
fast. He wants to try
everything he sees me eat.”
Unfortunately, Moses died YOUNG CHIMPANZEE,

before Mr.Garner left Africa.

Many animals of this. species have been brought to Europe, and
have lived for, some, time in confinement; but the change of climate
has generally caused disorders of the chest, and in many cases they .
have fallen victims. to: consumption. One that died from this complaint
in the Dresden ‘Zoological. Gardens, in her last moments put her arms
round the director’s neck when he came to visit her, looked at him
placidly, kissed him three times, stretched out her hand to him, and
expired. So that, even in death, there seems something strangely
human about these creatures. .A somewhat similar story is told on
good authority of the death of “Joey,” in the Zoological Gardens,
Regent’s Park. ; ‘ .

“ Sally,” the female Chimpanzee which lived in the Regent’s Park.



\
24: PoPULAR HISTORY OF ANIMALS.

Gardens for over eight years, was quite a celebrity. Crowds of visitors’
thronged the Sloth’s House, where she lived, to see her “ performances,”.
and learned papers have been written about her mental faculties. She
was not only friendly with her keepers, but recognised acquaintances
who visited her from time to time. She fed herself with a spoon from
a tin cup, a feat which has been taught to other Man-like Apes. The late
Professor Romanes describes her as somewhat capricious in disposition,
though on the whole good-humoured, fond of her keepers, and apparently
never tired of a kind of bantering play, which off and on they kept’
up with her continually. They. used to invite her to play by an
imitation of her own note, and then “she shoots out her lips into a
kind of tube, while at the same time she sings a strange, howling note,
interrupted at regular intervals ; these, however, rapidly become shorter:
and shorter, while her utterances become louder and louder, winding
up to a climax of shrieks and yells, often accompanied with a drum-
ming of the feet, and a vigorous shaking of the network that forms
the front of her cage. The whole performances ended with a few
grunts.” a

He was of opinion that “Sally” understood spoken language in a
higher degree than that shown by any other brute. She tried, but not
very successfully, to reply to what was said to her, for her “language”
consisted of three peculiar grunting noises—one that evidently meant
“yes”; another (very closely resembling the first) that meant “no”;
and a third (quite different from the other two) that meant “thank
you.”

But the great achievement was teaching “Sally” to count, though the
experiment would probably have been more successful could the animal
have been kept as a domestic pet, for the constant coming and going of
visitors distracted her attention, just as visitors to a schoolroom will
distract the attention of pupils.

Professor. Romanes: arranged that the ‘keepers should ask “Sally”
repeatedly for one straw, two straws, or three straws. These she was to
pick up and hand out from among the litter in her cage. No constant
order was observed in these requests, but when she gave a number not
asked for, her offer was refused ; while if she gave the right number, she
was rewarded with a piece of fruit. When she had learnt to count,
without mistake, as far as three, her education was extended from three’
to four, and from four to five, with favourable results. At this point
Professor Romanes allowed the matter to drop; but one of the keepers
then went on with the work of teaching on his own account, and tried!
to carry “Sally’s” powers of counting up to ten. The result was not a
success and to the end of her days she can only be said to have had

+
“ SALLY.” 2S

knowledge of numbers up to six, or perhaps seven, with some vague
perception beyond. She knew, however, that the words “ seven,” “eight,”
“nine,” “ten,” stood for numbers above six. This was shown by the
fact that, when asked for any number above six, she handed out more’
than six, and less than ten, straws.

An attempt was made to teach her the names of colours by means’
of white, black, red,
green, and blue
straws; but though
she quickly learnt
to distinguish be-
tween white straws
and those of any
other colour, she
could go no farther.
From these experi-
ments Professor Ro-
manes concluded
that her failure to
distinguish between
black, red, green, and
blue was \not from
want of intelligence,
but because she was,
in some sort, colour-
blind.



Next below the
Chimpanzee | stands
the Gorilla (PI. IL,
No. 2), the largest
and fiercest of the z :
group, though there “ SALLY,”
is every reason to bee
lieve that the stories formerly told of its ferocity were exaggerated. Gorillas
live, in families, in Western Equatorial Africa. The height of an adult
male is about 5 ft. 6 in.—something less than the stature of an average
Englishman; but they are much more strongly built than Man is.
Their legs are short, and their arms disproportionately long, for, when
half-erect, they can lay the palms flat on the surface of the ground,
though Mr. Garner says they do not do so in walking, but use the back’
of the fingers from the second joints as a support for the fore part of

\






20 PopuLtar History OF ANIMALS.

the body. The skin is black, and.covered with long hair, varying in
hue from a dusky red to dull black. :

From classic times’ down to about. the middle of this century strange
stories were told of large man-like apes that dwelt in the forests of
Western Africa, and were able to vanquish elephants; but very little
was known of these creatures. Now we know that these large man-like
apes do exist, for young specimens have been brought alive to Europe
and to London, and specimens of full-grown ones—male and female—
are to be seen in the Natural History Museum at South Kensington ;
but we also knew that some of the strange stories told of them.
were greatly ex.zgerated. These apes live more on the ground than
the Chimpanzees, but at night they climb up among the branches of
trees to sleep. It is generally said that the old male sleeps on the
ground, leaning against the trunk of the tree, so as to protect his
family from danger. Mr. Garner doubts this, and remarks that the
old male, or “king,” as the natives call him, “looks after his own
comfort and safety first, and lets his family do as they can.” The
same writer says that “every instinct of the Gorilla,seems to be averse
from human society; he delights in a life of seclusion in the most
remote and desolate parts of the jungle; and I have never heard of
but one gorilla that became even tolerant to man, much less attached
to him; and this one was a mere infant. Ihave seena few in captivity,
but all of them are vicious, and devoid of any sense of gratitude
whatever.”

The stories of gorillas attacking man are to be doubtéd. When
unmolested they seem to avoid the encounter; but if attacked, their
great strength makes them terrible foes. Koppenfels says that when
scared by man, the gorilla “sends forth a kind of howl or furious yelp,
stands up like an enraged bear, and advances with clumsy gait in this
position to attack his enemy. At the same time the hair on his head
and the nape of his neck stands erect, his teeth are displayed, and his
eyes flash with savage fury. If no further provocation is given, and
his opponent retreats, the animal does not return to the attack. In
other cases he parries the blows directed against him with the
skill of a practised fighter; he grasps his opponent by the arm and
crunches it, or else throws him down, and rends him with his terrible
teeth.” '

One that lived in the Berlin Aquarium from July, 1876, to November,
1877, is thus described by Dr. Falkenstein, who brought it to Europe,
. and in whose charge it had lived for some two years before: “In the
course of a few weeks he became so accustomed to his surroundings,
and to the people whom he knew, that he was allowed to run about at


THE GORILLA.
28 PoputArR HisTORY OF ANIMALS.

liberty without fear that he would make any attempt to escape. He
was never chained, nor confined to a cage, and was watched only in the
way that little children are ‘watched when they are at play. He was so
conscious of his own helplessness that he clung to human companionship,
and displayed in this manner a wonderful dependence and trustfulness.
He showed no trace of mischievous, malicious, or savage qualities, but
was sometimes self-willed. He expressed the ideas which occurred to
him by different sounds, one of which was the characteristic tone of
importunate petition, whilst others expressed fright or horror,”and in
rare instances a sullen and defiant growl might be heard.”

We are told that when he was anxious to obtain anything, no child ©
could express its wishes in a more urgent or caressing manner. If in spite
of this he did not obtain what he wanted, he had recourse to cunning,
and looked anxiously about to see if he was watched. If, for example,
he was kept prisoner in a room, he would, after several unsuccessful
attempts to get his own way, apparently submit to his fate, and lie
down near the door with assumed indifference. But he soon raised
his head to ascertain if luck favoured him, edging himself gradually nearer
and nearer, and then, looking carefully round, he twisted himself about
until he reached the threshold ; then he got up, peered cautiously round,
and with one bound galloped off so quickly that it was difficult to
follow him.

Dr. Hartmann gives us the results of -his own observations on the
animal at Berlin: ‘The creature generally slept in the bed of his keeper,
and ate at the man’s table, of plain but nourishing food cooked by the
keeper’s wife. He sometimes ate fruit, and bananas were occasionally
provided for him. . . . He was generally good-tempered, fond of play,
but rather mischievous; but he would snatch roughly, and occasionally
try the sharpness of his teeth. Sometimes he tried to seize from visitors
things which attracted his curiosity, such as the trimmings of ladies’
bonnets, lace veils, and the like. But on the whole he behaved with
propriety, playfulness, and good temper, and there was much that re-
sembled man in his look and bearing.” This gorilla died in 1877 of
a galloping consumption.

Since then another specimen was obtained for the Berlin Aquarium,
and in 1887 a young specimen, the first acquired by the Society, was
exhibited in the Zoological Gardens, Regent’s Park.

It is curious that the first gorilla brought alive to England was
exhibited as a chimpanzee in Wombwell’s Menagerie. It lived but a
few months; and when it died, in 1860, Mr. Waterton, who bought the
body, discovered what it really was. A likeness of this animal was
published in the Proceedings of the Zoological Society for 1877, and the
THE ORANG-UTAN. 29

‘original drawing now hangs in the Society’s meeting room in Hanover
Square.

The Orangs (Plate II., No. 1) are large red-haired apes, from the islands
-of Borneo and Sumatra. There is probably but one species, though the
orang of Sumatra was formerly considered distinct. There is, however,
a dark race, which the natives call Mias pappan, and a light race, which
they call’ A@ias.rambi. The males of the dark race have the skin of
the face broadened out into folds or ridges on each. side, while those of
the light race are without these outgrowths of the skin. A smaller
variety, also with a fairly smooth face, is called Jas assir. Mias
is the native name for all these apes; and the term orang utan, by
‘which they are known to us, appears to belong to a savage people
dwelling in the woods. A young specimen of this last variety, captured
near Sardwak, was presented to the Zoological Society in 1891. Unfor-
tunately, it lived but a short time in the Gardens at Regent’s Park.
“George” was on excellent terms with his keepers, and enjoyed a mild
game of play quite as much as did the more celebrated “ Sally.” ;

Wallace, who had good opportunities for studying the habits of this
great ape, and who brought home, more skins and skeletons than any
other collector, tells us that these animals are chiefly confined to the low,
swampy forests of Borneo, and he believes that a large stretch of unbroken
virgin forest is necessary to. their existence. They roam among the tree
tops with as much ease as the Indian on the prairie, or the Arab on the
desert, and without being obliged to descend to the ground. They live
principally on fruit ; and the small mountains which rise like islands out
of the swamps serve as plantations, where grow the trees yielding the
fruit on which the Mias feeds.

With regard to the way in which Orangs travel through this region,
he says:—“ It is a singular and very interesting sight to watch a Mias
making his way leisurely through the forest. He walks deliberately along
some of the larger branches in the semi-erect attitude which the great
length of his arms and the shortness of his legs cause him naturally to
assume ; and the disproportion between these limbs is increased by his
walking on his knuckles, not on the palm of the hand, as we should do.
He seems always to.choose those branches which intermingle with an
adjoining tree, on approaching which he stretches out his long arms, and
seizing the opposing boughs, grasps them together with both hands, seems
to try their strength, and then deliberately swings himself across to the
next branch, on which he walks along as before. He never jumps or
springs, or even appears to hurry himself, and yet manages to get along
almost as quickly as a person can run through the forest beneath. The
30 PorputAr History oF ANIMALS.

‘long and powerful arms are of the greatest use to the animal, enabling it
to climb easily up the loftiest trees, to seize fruits and young leaves from
slender boughs which will not bear its weight, and to gather leaves and
branches with which to form its nest.”

This nest is simply a lot of small green boughs and twigs broken
off by the animal, and piled loosely in the fork of a tree. .The mass is
about 3 ft. across, and on it the orang lies on his back and sleeps.
It seems a very rude affair for such a man-like creature to make. But
Professor: Hartmann reminds us that several of the lower races of men,
in the construction of .their huts, do not show much«advance beyond
the man-like apes. . The former, however, build some kind of “shelter”;
the latter seem only to make a “resting-place”; and it is doubtful if
there is any truth.in the stories that the Orang shelters itself from rain
with palm leaves and large ferns. ;

Hornaday, the author of “Two Years in the Tunale® thus describes
an old male which he shot. ‘His back was as broad, and his chest as
deep, as a prize fighter’s, while his huge hands and feet seemed made
with but one end in view—to grasp and hold on. . His arms were re-
markably long and sinewy, but his legs were disproportionately short’ and
thick. His body was large and heavy, with a chest both broad and full;
his eyes were villainously small, and his canine teeth were as large as
those of a small bear. His arms and legs were covered with long, coarse
brick-red hair, which grew also on his abdémen and sides, but the skin
which covered his breast hung in a loose, baggy fold. The face was
bare, except. for.a thin growth of hair on the jaws and chin, which in
pictures is usually magnified to a luxuriant beard. His skin was of a
shiny brownish-black colour, darkest on the face and throat.”

Wallace doubts the existence of Orangs more than 4 ft, 2 in. in
height. Sir William Flower, writing since Wallace, puts the greatest height
at 4 ft. 4 in., but Mr. Hornaday, who was collecting for an American
Museum, claims to have shot one an inch and-a half taller than that.

Hornaday notices the difference in the disposition of these animals.
Of a young one, about six months old, or eight at the most, he says that
it -had the temper of a tiger, and made such persistent efforts to pull
his hands up to its mouth to bite them, that he tied-its elbows behind
its back, fastened its feet together, and then bound the creature to the
side of the boat. Even then the orang managed to roll over, and bit
his captor severely in the calf of the leg. “I gave him,” writes Mr.
Hornaday, ‘“‘a sounding slap on the side of the head, which caused: him
to let me go; but for many days after I carried a large black-and-blue
mark in memory of him.” He had another specimen: which was not
only savage, but sullenly refused food ; while a third was quite peaceable,




THE ORANG AND ITS NEST. |
‘

32 PoprutAér HISTORY Ob ANIMALS.

“not even once attempting to bite, but whined softly when I approached
him, and rolled up his big brown eyes appealingly. His petition was
not to be refused. I cut the bark that bound his hands and feet, and
placed a pile of soft straw in the verandah for him, into the middle of
which he immediately’crawled and curled himself up. And thus began
a great friendship between ape and man.” ;

In the foregoing paragraph there are two remarkable statements.
The first is that there existed a great difference in the dispositions of
the two orangs kept by Mr. Hornaday. People generally are far too.
apt to forget that animals.are individuals. No two men were ever alike
in all points; and the same may be said of what we are pleased to
call the lower animals. The boy who keeps rabbits or white mice will
soon learn this by experience. The second statement to be borne in
mind is that about one orang’s habit, when angry, of seizing its master’s
hand, and trying to pull it up to its mouth so as to bite. One is
reminded of some lines of Lucretius, which may be rendered thus—

‘* At first men’s weapons were their fists and nails
And teeth; then stones, and branches torn from trees.”

Sometimes one sees an angry child act in a fashion somewhat like that
of Mr. Hornaday’s orang. Why should it so act? The answer to this
question may be read in the lines quoted above.

Hornaday closes his account of the Orang by advising any one who
doubted the close relationship between Man and the higher Apes to go
to Borneo. ‘Let him there watch from day to day this strangely human
form in all its various phases of existence. Let him see the orang walk,
build its nest, eat, drink, and fight like a human rough. Let him see the
female suckle her young, and carry it astride her hip, precisely as do the
coolie women of Hindostan. Let him witness the human-like emotions
of affection, satisfaction, pain and rage, and he will feel how much more
powerful is this lesson than all he has read on the subject.”

The Gibbons, or Long-armed Apes, are somewhat like dwarfish old
men, of slender build, and their arms are so long that some of them
can touch the ground as they walk. The head shows none of the coarse-
ness which is so marked in the Gorilla and Orang, but though they are
so man-like in appearance and walk upright, or nearly so, when on the
ground, their relationship to the lower monkeys is shown by the fact
that they possess seat-pads—thickened patches of hairless skin, which
seem to act as natural cushions when these creatures sit down. These
seat-pads are absent in the Chimpanzee, the Gorilla, and the Orang.

The Gibbons are natives of South-eastern Asia, and are most abundant




THE StAMAnG GrpzBon. ' 33

in the islands of the Malay Archipelago. They live chiefly among trees,
swinging themselves from bough to bough by means of their ‘long arms,
and feeding on fruit, young shoots and buds, insects, birds’ eggs,
and probably any birds that are luckless enough to come within reach

‘





















































































SIAMANG.

of their long arms. They all have a powerful voice, and the name of
more than one species is taken from its cry.

The largest species, the Siamang, is a native of Sumatra. Its
height is about 3 ft. and its extended arms measure nearly twice as
much. Its hair is jet-black, and it is distinguished from all other
Gibbons by having the second and third toes united by skin as far as
the first joint. Mr. H. O. Forbes often met with troops of them,
“some of them hanging by one arm to a dead branch of a high-ftuiting
tree, with eighty unobstructed feet between them and the ground, making

D
2

34 Poputar History oF ANIMALS.

the woods resound with their loud barking howls.” Its. singular cry is
produced by inflating a large sac below the skin of the throat, and ex-
tending to the lips and cheeks, and then suddenly expelling the air, so as
to produce the modulations of the voice. In his “ Naturalist’s Wanderings,”
he tells us how his hunter once shot a Siamang, and when the ape
fell to the ground a young one was discovered clasped in its embrace.
The hunter brought’ both to Mr. Forbes’s hut, when the latter found
that the young one was only stunned.

“Ina very short time,” he says, “it tamed down, and became a
most delightful companion. Its expression of countenance was most
intelligent, and at times almost human; but in captivity it often wore a
sad and dejected aspect, which quite disappeared in its excited moods.
With what elegance and gentleness it used to take what was offered
with its delicate taper fingers, which, like its head, are more man-like
(except for their hairiness) than any other ape’s. It would never put
its lips to a vessel to drink, but invariably lifted the water to its mouth
by dipping in its half-closed hand, and awkwardly licking the drops from
its knuckles. The gentle and caressing way in which it would clasp
me round the neck with its long arms, laying its head on my chest,
uttering a satisfied crooning sound, was most engaging. Every evening
it used to make with me a tour round the village square, with its hand
on my arm, apparently enjoying the walk as much as I did. It was a
most curious and ludicrous sight to see it erect on its somewhat bandy
legs, hurrying along in the most frantic haste, as if to keep its head
from outrunning its feet, with its long free arm see-sawing in a most
odd way over its head to balance itself.”

Mr. Forbes doubts if these Gibbons can .clear the great distances
they are said to do at a jump. He saw a colony of Siamangs, when a
forest was being’ cleared, scampering up and down a tree in abject
terror; even when the tree was falling. they did not attempt to
jump to the ground, but came down with it and perished among ‘its
branches.

The other Gibbons are subject to great variations, individuals often
differing greatly from each other in their colouring.

The White-handed Gibbon is found throughout the Malay Peninsula,
ranging as far north as Tenasserim, where it frequents the wooded hills
up to a height of from 3,000 ft. to 3,500 ft. above sea-level. Adult
males are about 30 in. high, and the females are a little less. ‘The
general colour of the fur may vary from black to yellowish-white, and
the back is often variegated. But the hands and feet are always of a
pale tint, generally white or yellowish-white above. The naked skin
of the face is black, and across the forehead is a white band which




HooLock GiBzBons. 35°

sometimes comes down on both sides and meets on the chin, so -as
to form whiskers and a beard. :

When this Gibbon drinks it scoops up the water in its hand. In
passing from bough to bough, the feet are seldom, if ever, used, but
are left free to pick up any plunder met with by the way; and a troop
of them has been seen making off, with their feet loaded with fruit
stolen from the
gardens of the
natives.

The Hoo-
lock, or White-
browed — Gib-
bon, is said to
take its native
name from its
cry. It is found
in North-east
India and Bur-
mah, and is
said to range
as far to the
south as Upper
Tenasserim.
The avetage
height is about
32 in., and the
colour is gener-
ally black, with
a white or grey
band across the
eyebrows ; the HOOLOCKs.
females are
sometimes of a lighter colour than the males. This Gibbon is good
tempered and easily tamed. It is probably no exception to the general
tule that when an animal is kept in confinement and does not become
tame, part of the fault lies with the keeper or owner.

Mr. Sterndale, the author of “The Mammalia of India,” says of his
pet Hoolock: “Nothing contented him so much as being allowed to sit
by my side, with his arm linked through mine, and he would resist any
attempt I made to go away.” The pet fell sick—for Gibbons are of
delicate constitution—and he was carefully attended by the author’s
brother, “who had a bed made for him, and the doctor came daily to

D2


36 Porutar HisToRY OF ANIMALS.

see the little patient, who gratefully acknowledged their attentions ; but
to their disappointment he died.” Mr. Sterndale says, there is but one
objection to these monkeys as pets, and that is “ their power of whooping
a piercing whoop-poo ! whoop-poo! whoop-poo! for several minutes till
fairly exhausted.” j

Closely allied to the Hoolock is the Hainan Gibbon, which is a
native of the island of Hainan, between the Gulf of Tonking and the China
Sea. Only one species has been brought alive to Europe, and that was
exhibited for a short time in the Zoological Gardens, Regent’s Park.
“Jemmy,” who was very tame, was quite black in colour, and nearly
full-grown. Before his journey to this country he lived for four years
in China, and must have been a greater curiosity to the Chinese than
he .was to us—if one can judge by their accounts of this species, for
a magistrate in Hainan told Consul Swinhoe that this Gibbon “had the
power of drawing its long arm bones into its body, and that when it
drew in one it pushed out the other to such an extraordinary length
that he believed they ‘were united.”

The Agile Gibbon, which runs into a number of varieties, some of
which have been described as distinct species, is found in Borneo,
Sumatra, and the islands of the Sulu Archipelago, with a range on the
mainland from Cochin-China to Siam. The general colour of the best-
known form is a dark brown, and the face is surrounded by a fringe
of whitish hair. Martin (“ Man and Monkeys”) says of one exhibited in
London in 1840, that when a “live bird; was let loose in her apart-
ment, she marked its flight, made a long swing to a distant branch,
caught the bird with one hand in her passage, and attained the branch
with the other hand, her aim both at the bird and the branch being as
successful as if one object only had engaged her attention. It may be
added, that she instantly bit off its head, picked its feathers, and then
threw it down, without attempting to eat it.”

The Tufted Gibbon, with a white patch on the crown, the Variegated
Gibbon, and Miiller’s Gibbon are probably varieties of this. Our
illustration shows the only specimen of the last-mentioned form yet
brought to England. It is not only an excellent portrait, but from it
one may see how justly Gibbons are called Long-armed Apes. The long
fur was ashen-grey, while the palms and soles were black, as was the
face, which was fringed with white.

The Silver Gibbon, like the Hoolock, owes its native name, Wow-wow,
to its cry. It is found in Java and, according to some authorities, in
Sumatra. The coat is thick, long, and woolly, and of a general dun
colour. The upper part of the head is black, and white (or lightish)
hair fringes the blackish face. The under-surface is lighter, and. the
GIBBONS. 37

palms and soles are black. Of one that lived for a short time in
the menagerie of the Zoological Society in 1828, Martin says that
it was usually gentle, but rather uncertain in temper, and would occa-
sionally attempt to bite a stranger. Forbes says, “On first hearing their
cries one can scarcely believe that they do not proceed from a band of
uproarious and shouting children. Their ‘ Woo-o0-tit——woo-ut——-woo-
oo-tit wut-wut-wut——wut-wut-wut,’ always more wailing on a dull
heavy morning, previous to rain, was just such as one might expect from
the sorrowful countenance of this group. They have a wonderfully human
look in their eyes; and it was with great distress that I witnessed the
death of the only one I ever shot. Falling on its back with a thud
on the ground, it raised itself on its elbows, passed its long taper fingers
over the wound, gave a woful look at them, and fell back at full length
dead—‘saperti orang’ (just like a man), as my boy remarked.” Forbes
kept one in captivity for a short time, and “it became one of the most
gentle and engaging creatures possible.” In habits the Wow-wow
‘resembles the Siamang.





MULLER'S GIBBON. (Photographed from Life.)
38

- CHAPTER IV

THE MONKEYS OF THE OLD WORLD.

_T was formerly the fashion to divide these into three groups—
those with long tails being called Monkeys, those with
short tails Baboons, while tailless forms were known as
Apes. This distinction cannot hold good, for among the
-Macaques are Monkeys with long tails, Monkeys with
short tails, and Monkeys with no tails at all. It is better to keep the
.word “Ape” for the Man-like. forms, ‘“Baboons-” for the Dog-headed
Monkeys and one or two others closely related to them, using “‘ Monkeys”
.for all the rest. In the Monkeys of the Old World the space between
the nostrils is narrow, and the tail is never prehensile—that is, it cannot be
.used asa grasping organ. All the species have seat-pads, and in some
there are cheek-pouches—that is, the skin of the cheeks is loose, so as
to form a kind of natural cupboard on each side, into which food can
be put for future use.



Most of the Slender Monkeys are natives of Asia. They have no
cheek-pouches, but to make up for this on each side of the stomach
are little bags, or pouches, in which the leaves and shoots, which form
their chief food, can’ be stowed and digested at leisure. In all of ‘them
the thumb ‘is well developed, and we shall see for ourselves how im-
portant this is if we try to pick any small object from the table or the
ground with the fingers only. The Indian species are called Jangiirs,
and the best known is the Common Langtir, or Sacred Monkey. The
average length of the body is a little over 2 ft, while the tail will
probably measure half as much again. The general hue of the fur is
greyish-brown, but the face, ears, soles, and palms are black. There
is no crest, but the hair of the crown spreads out in all directions from a
point on the forehead. Owing to the fact that this monkey is looked
upon by the Hindus as sacred, and has been protected for a very long
period, it has no fear of man, and is found in troops—males, females,
and their young—in groves quite close to villages, and even on trees
within the village itself; and they swarm in the sacred city of Benares.
“They frequently pilfer food from the grain-dealers’ shops, whilst the
damage they inflict on gardens and fields renders them so great a nuisance
that the inhabitants of the country, though they will not, as a rule, kill the
monkeys themselves, sometimes beg Europeans to kill the intruders.”
But it would be scarcely prudent to comply with this request.


THE Oxtp-Wortp MONKEYS. 39

Mr. J.-L. Kipling (“Beast and Man in India”) relates several
instances of the dire offence given to natives by Europeans shooting
monkeys, and tells an amusing story of a magistrate who, having’ shot
a monkey by accident, stole out by night with a lantern to” bury the

+

body, feeling as:
guilty as if he’
had been a
murderer try-
ing to hide the
evidence of his
crime.

The Wild
Langtirs _fre-
quent high trees
and rocky hills,
never far from
water. Jerdon
says, “They
leap with. sur-
prising agility
and precision
from branch to
branch, and
when © pressed
take mostaston-
ishing jumps.
I have seen
them cross from
tree to tree, a
space of 20 to
30 ft. wide, with



perhaps 40 GROUP OF SLENDER MONKEYS.
to 50 ft. in :
descent. They can run on all fours with considerable rapidity.”
But a man well mounted can easily run down a Langtr, and, according
to Blanford, it is their power of bounding, and the remarkable appearance
they present whilst leaping, with their long tails turned over their backs,
that convey the idea of speed rather than the actual rapidity of their
motions.

The Himalayan Langur is a little larger, and lives much farther to the
north. It has been seen near Simla sporting amongst the ‘fir-trees when
covered with snow,
40 Porutar History or ANIMALS.

The Purple-faced Monkeys are natives of Ceylon. The general colour
is brown. Hornaday says of them :—“ They literally lined the road for
seven mules, sometimes in the trees, and sometimes on the ground.
One troop of very large old fellows we found playing in the road like
schoolboys, galloping. up and down, or chasing each other about, with
their long tails held up at an angle of forty-five degrees. Their
favourite gait is a gallop unless the branches are too thick to permit
it, and ‘they can run almost as fast through the tree-tops as over the
bare ground. When hotly pursued, it is marvellous to see them run.
They head straight away, and gallop madly along the larger branches
without a second’s pause or hesitation, without a fall or even a false step,
spring boldly from one tree-top to the next, and, unless the ground below
is very open, they are gone from the hunter’s gaze like a flash.”

The Douc, from Cochin China, is more stoutly built than the True
Langurs, and more gaily clad. The general hue of the fur is a dingy grey,
darker on the upper surface of the body than beneath; the tail, and a
large triangular patch near its root on each side, are white; the upper
parts of: the limbs and the hands and feet are black; the legs are a
rich ‘red, and the arms are white. Nothing is known of its habits,
and it has not yet been brought alive to this country.

The Tibetan Langur comes from the Highlands of Tibet, ranging into
China, where it has been known from a very early date. _ The limbs are
shorter and stouter than in the Douc, but it is not so brilliantly coloured as
that monkey, the general hue being olive-brown above, yellowish beneath
and on the inner sides of the limbs, while the face is bluish-grey. The nose
is turned up so much that its tip is nearly on a level with the eyes.

Other species are the Madras Languir, the Malabar Languir, the Banded
Leaf Monkey, the Negro Monkey (the jet-black fur of which is valued for
saddlery and military decorations), the Crested Lutong, the Nilgiri
Langtir, and some few others.

The Kahati, or Proboscis Monkey, is a native of Borneo. These
monkeys are usually found near water, are swift climbers, and extremely
shy. The cry is “onk,” and occasionally “ hee-honk,” long drawn and
resonant, quite like the note of a bass viol. Of the prominent nose,
which gives the creature its name, Hornaday says :—* It hangs from —
the face—well, totally unlike anything else in the world—coming down
below the chin, and shaped like a pear, except for a furrow down the
middle; and the division between the nostrils being contracted, causes
the organ to terminate in two points. An adult male is about as large
as a pointer; the face is cinhamon-brown, and the body conspicuously
marked ‘with reddish-brown and white, the tails of old specimens being
white as snow.”


THE Ox1p-Woritd Moneeys. 4I

The Thumbless Monkeys are African. They are closely allied to, the
Langiirs, but the thumb is either absent or so small as to be useless. One
of the best known is the Guereza, a native of Abyssinia, ranging
southward into Somaliland. The fur is long and black, with a mantle
of long white hairs hanging down on each side, and the tail is tufted
with white; there are long white whiskers on each side of the face.
They are said
to live in small

|. troops, and to
| feed on fruit,
| seeds, and in-
sects. They are
hunted for the
| sake of their
i skins, which
| are used by the
| Abyssinian
troops to cover
their shields,
A variety, in
‘which the




: mantle and tail:

tuft. are ‘much
“more develop-
_ ed, is found at...
"an elevation of.
| 3,000 ft. on
| Kilima - Njaro-
aT en ot h er PROBOSCIS MONKEYS,

‘species are

known, two of which—the Bay Colobus, from Gambia and. the Gold
| Coast, and the King Monkey, from Sierra Leone—have been exhibited










| For the Monkeys of the next genus there is no ‘English collective.
‘name, but the French name “Guenons” (which means “ Grimacers ”)
lis generally employed for them. They are common in Africa, and

|especially soon the western side of the continent, Very many of
(them are to be seen in the cages of Zoological Gardens and travelling
'menageties, and all of them, when young, are lively and amusing, and they
'Tarely, if ever, even when old, exhibit the savageness shown by some of
‘the Macaques, and, to a greater degree, by the Baboons, They are mis-
chievous and destructive, and will often snatch at some article of dress or







\
42 Poputar HisToRY OF, ANIMALS.

ornament, and, if successful in the attempt, will promptly pick or tear it to
pieces on the spot. And they can bite sharply too, if teased or irritated,
and will pinch and scratch anyone who has offended them.

The Diana Monkey has greyish fur, with a long, pointed beard and a
crescent on the forehead of pure white. The name was given by Linnzus,
from the fancied resemblance of the white on the forehead to the crescent
worn by the Roman goddess. One of these monkeys that lived for some
time in the Zoological Gardens, Regent’s Park, was exceedingly friendly to
her acquaintances. On their approaching her cage and whistling, she
would manifest her delight by a series of jumps up and down on the floor
of her dwelling, and would finish her performance by turning two or three
somersaults, one after another. Then she would quietly sit down, holding
the netting with both hands, and open her mouth for any dainties her
friends might have brought her—raisins, grapes, bananas, Di would take
them all. Sometimes she would begin her somersault again of her own
accord, as if to show she wanted more ; but if she did not, a wave ot the
hand and “Now, Di,” were quite sufficient to. start her, and she seemed to
enjoy the fun quite as much as the spectators. She seemed to have
some faint notion of ‘ hide-and-seek,” for occasionally, at the end of
one of her acrobatic exhibitions, she would swing herself upon the
branch that crossed her cage and dive into her little sleeping-box at the
top, so as to be lost to sight for a minute or two; then she would come
down with a wild leap, and the “show” would begin ‘again.

The Mona Monkey, like the Diana, comes from West Africa. The
upper surface is dark, the under surface white, and near the root of the
tail on each side is an oval white spot. One that lived in the Jardin des
Plantes, at Paris, was allowed its liberty. Its cunning and activity were
very great, and its adroitness in performing any little theft was remarkable.
It could turn a key, and untie knots and search pockets with a delicacy of
touch so little felt that it was not remembered till the theft was discovered.
It was gentle and playful, and when caressed uttered a low cry, seemingly
an “expression of pleasure.

The Vervet has greyish-green fur, with black face, hands, and feet. It
is a native of South Africa, and is said to feed on the gum that flows from
acacias.. These monkeys are often seen in confinement, and one in
Regent’s Park was as adroit a pickpocket as the Mona Monkey mentioned
above. It was particularly pleased to put its hand and arm through the .
netting and pluck out the hairs from the back of the hand of its acquaint.
ances. But it could be fierce enough when it liked, and it had a command
of uncomplimentary language that was astonishing.

The Grivet, from the north-east of Africa, has the hair on the upper
surface ringed with black and yellow, which gives the animal a greenish




THE Orp-Wortd Monkeys. 43

appearance, while the under parts are white. Mr. Blanford met with them
in small droves in Abyssinia, and says that their habits appeared to differ
little from those of the Macaques, except that they were quicker and less
mischievous than the Indian monkeys.

The Green Monkey ranges from Senegal as far south as the Niger.

AA
ay
A

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SNP
SS
as

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DIANA MONKEY,

The fur is of a dark green hue above and yellowish below. It appears to
be voiceless, for it utters no sound in confinement, and seems to be equally
silent in 4 wild condition, for a French naturalist shot twenty-three out of
a large troop, “and yet not one screamed, although they often assembled
together, knitting their brows and grinding their teeth, as if they intended
to attack me.” A celebrated English naturalist adds, “I wish they had,
with all my heart.”
44. PorutAk HisToRY oF ANIMALS.

Stairs’ Monkey was discovered quite recently. Dr..Molony brought
home a young female in 1892 from the delta of the Zambesi River.
It was a gentle, playful little creature, but did not live long in con-
finement. It was distinguished from other species by a chestnut-red
patch in front of each ear. Strange to say, this was not the first specimen
brought to England. An old male that had been kept for some years in
the open air in a garden in the North of London was presented to the
Zoological Society in 1893, but, unfortunately, only lived in the Monkey
House for about eight months. A writer in Zhe Sketch says :—“ He is
described by one of the keepers as a ‘nice’ monkey—that is, a well-
behaved creature, that gives little trouble. As the sole occupant of his
dwelling, he cannot quarrel ; he is not given to mischievous tricks, such as
snatching off the glasses of any short-sighted person who may come too
near the cage ; still less would he behave like his neighbour, the Barbary
Ape, who lives opposite, and. viciously scratch the hand that offers him
some toothsome morsel. But he does not gambol; his playing days are
over. Age sobers monkeys as-well as men, and he generally sits sedately
at:the bottom of his cage, from time to time mounting the traverse bar
to take the offerings of visitors, or to put his paw through the wires to
be caressed by those on friendly terms with him. But as he takes no
liberties, so he suffers none; and those who wish to see what terrible
weapons an old monkey has in his canine teeth should offer him a large
nut—a walnut for choice—and, as he pushes it back between the last
molars to get the better leverage for cracking it, there will stand out
prominently four gleaming ‘ivories’ that would not discredit a flesh-eating
animal.” ;

The Mangabeys, or White Eyelid Monkeys, also African, are some-
times placed in a separate genus, on account of some difference in the last
grinding-tooth. The Sooty Mangabey is the species most often seen in
confinement. Its colour is indicated in its name, and it has, like the
other species, white eyelids, which show up strongly against the dark
coloration of the body. They are larger than most of the Guenons, and in
confinement they are well-behaved and gentle. One in Wombwell’s
Menagerie was very lively and active, and very fond of putting herself
into extraordinary attitudes, so as. to attract notice. Some that are now in
the Gardens at Regent’s Park are equally gentle and well-behaved, and
offer.a decided contrast to the Macaques in a cage close by, who, when
teased, grin and show their teeth in a fashion that would bode ill for the
teasers if the monkeys were at liberty.

The Macaques are Indian, with the exception of one species, the Bar-
bary Macaque, from North Africa, with a colony, so to speak, at Gibraltar.
They have shorter limbs and are more stoutly built than the Guenons, and
THE Orp-WoriD MONKEYS. 45

the muzzle is more dog-like, though less so than in the Baboons. The
males are larger than the females, and have the canine teeth more fully
developed. Mr. Blanford says that “the species resemble each other in
habits. They are found in flocks, often of considerable size, composed
of old and young of both sexes. They are active animals, though less
rapid in their movements, whether among trees or on the ground, than
the Guenons. Most of them, if not all, eat insects, as well as seeds, fruit,
etc., and one feeds partly on crabs. They have occasionally been known
to devour lizards, and, it is said, frogs also.. All have the habit of cram-
ming food into their cheek-pouches, to eat at leisure—a practice that
must be familiar to anyone who has fed monkeys in confinement.”

Colonel ‘Tickell says that anger is shown by silence, or expressed by a
low hoarse ‘‘ Hew,” not so guttural as a growl; weariness or desire for
company by a whining “om,” invitation, deprecation, and entreaty by
a smacking of the lips and a display of the front teeth into a broad grin,
with a subdued chuckle, highly expressive, but not to be rendered on
paper. Fear and alarm are shown by a loud harsh shriek ‘ Ava,” or
“ Kraouk,” which serves also as a warning to others who may be heedless.

Now that.so much is written about the “speech” of monkeys, it is
interesting to recall the fact that Captain Burton worked at the subject.
Lady Burton, in her “ Life” of her husband, says that “ he collected forty
monkeys of all-kinds of ages, races, species, and he lived with them, and
used to call them by different names. . . . He used regularly to talk
to them, and pronounce their sounds afterwards, till he and the monkeys
at last got quite to understand each other. He obtained as many as sixty
words, I think twenty more than Mr. Garner—that is, leading words—
and he wrote them down and formed a vocabulary, meaning to pursue his
studies at some future time.”

The Bonnet Monkey is a native of Southern India. An adult male
is about 3 ft. 6 in. long, of which the tail counts for a little more than
half, the fur is brown above and whitish beneath, with the ears and face
flesh-coloured. The hair on the crown is long, and spreads out on the
top of the head, and this gives the animal its popular name. This is
the common monkey of Southern India; it is found wild in the jungles,
and particularly tame in the towns. The native shops are open to the
streets, and this affords these animals a good opportunity for plundering,
the chief sufferers being those who sell fruit and grain. It has been
described as the most inquisitive and mischievous of its tribe, with
powers of mimicry that cannot be excelled; but it is doubtful if it can
surpass the Bhunder for curiosity and mischief, and it is said to be more .
docile. Closely allied is the Toque Monkey from Ceylon, probably a
mere variety. Both these monkeys are trained by Indian showmen to

\
“46 PoputAr History or ANIMALS.

perform a variety of tricks. Mr. J. L. Kipling once saw a. travelling
showman with a band of performing monkeys. Some wild monkeys
which were near the spot where the man began his preparations for
the show, took refuge in the neighbouring trees; but when they saw
their fellows dance to his piping, and, clothed in strange raiment, ride
round and round on a goat, they crept closer with evident surprise and
disgust.

The Crab-Eating Macaque is the common Macaque of menageries
(Plate II, No. 3). The total length is about 44 in., and the tail is nearly
as long as the head and body together. Individuals vary in colour,
some being dusky or greyish-brown, whilst in others the brown is
tinged with red; the under parts are whitish. It is widely distributed
in Burma and Arakan, Siam and the Malay Peninsula., These monkeys
live in small groups among the mangrove trees in tidal creeks, feeding
principally on seeds, crabs, and insects. They take readily . to water,
and swim well. A writer in the /%e/d, in mentioning the -crab-eating
habits of this monkey, says that he has good reason to suspect that
the True Langtir does the same (near Bombay). Albinos of this
species sometimes occur. Some years ago there were a pair in the
Zoological Gardens ; they were very lively and full of fun, but on bright
days they seemed to suffer from the glare, and the male showed his
dislike of it by scowling fiercely when the sun was on his face.

The Rhesus Monkey or Bhunder is the common monkey of Northern
India, and is found in some places at an elevation of 8,000 ft. The total
length is about 32 in., of which the tapering tail is a little more than a
third. The general colour is brown, with a tinge of grey, and the
under surface is nearly as dark as the fur on the back. It is found
in large herds, more generally near the habitations of man than in the
jungle, and it varies its vegetarian diet with spiders and_ insects.
Though the Hindus do not regard the Bhunder as sacred, they do
not molest it, and in consequence it has grown to be as mischievous
as the True Langtir, and is more daring and impudent. The showmen
of the North of India train it for exhibition, and it readily learns to per-
form tricks. These monkeys are extremely mischievous and inquisitive,
and get savage as they grow old. In their wild state Blanford says
they “are very quarrelsome, perpetually screaming and fighting and
teasing each other; in fact, they behave very much like unruly children.”

The Pig-tailed Monkey, when full grown, is said to be as big as a
good-sized mastiff. It is found in the Malay Peninsula as far north
as Tenasserim, and in Sumatra and Borneo. The general coloration
is dark, and the shape of the head, especially in old males, approaches
that of the Baboons. In Sumatra it is said that these monkeys are
THE Oxrp-Wortp Monxeys. 47

trained to climb cocoa-nut trees and gather nuts for their masters, but
it is probable that only young animals are so employed.

The Lion-tailed Monkey is often wrongly called the Wanderoo, a
name applied by the natives of Ceylon to all monkeys. It is found in
troops of from twelve to twenty in the thick hill-forests near the Malabar
coast. The general colour is black, and a long ruff of light-coloured



LION-TAILED MONKEY,

hair runs round the face, but does not meet on the forehead. An
adult male will measure about 33 in., of which the tail, with a tuft
at the tip, counts for little more than a foot. Blanford says they are
sulky and savage in captivity. ‘This can scarcely be said of three now
in the Zoological Gardens, which share a large cage with two Gibbons
and are on friendly terms with all visitors, though they certainly know
how to take their own part. It was the writer’s custom to feed:
these monkeys, which generally sat in a row at the bottom of
the cage, grasping the netting with their hands, and opening their
mouths for grapes or morsels of banana. One morning while the
feeding was going on, a Gibbon stole slowly down the wire net-
ting that formed the front of the cage, and putting out its foot
seized the fruit intended for the Macaque. The latter jumped up,
48 POPULAR HisToRY OF ANIMALS.

and chattering loudly, hunted the Gibbon round the cage. The thief
swung from projection to projection, uttering cries of terror; but the
Macaque gained ground and caught the fugitive, and seizing it by the
loins bit it with a vigour that would have been dangerous had not the
assailant been so small.

The Japanese Monkey, with long, soft,. brownish fur and reddish
face, is remarkable. for living farther north than any other member of
the family. These monkeys live in troops and commit great depreda-
tions in gardens and plantations, for they feed on acorns, nuts, oranges,
date-plums, and any other fruit that fortune may throw in their way.
The Japanese showmen tame this monkey, and train it to walk the
tight-rope and to take part in acrobatic performances. Some of the
showmen are said to dwarf their monkeys, by arresting their growth;
and this is not unlikely, when it is remembered what marvellous posits
they can bring about in the way of dwarfing trees.

The Tcheli Monkey is found in the mountains to the east of
Pekin. The yellowish-brown fur is very thick, and enables these
animals to bear the bitter cold of the winters of ‘this part of China,
where the thermometer frequently falls to zero—that is, 32 degrees below
freezing-point. This species and the former have mere stumps of tails.
The Zoological Society possesses specimens of the Japanese and
the Tcheli Monkey, but both are kept in cages in the open air, as
the warmth of the Monkey House would be injurious to them. But
monkeys from much warmer climates can bear cold better than one
would think. The old specimen of Stairs’ Monkey lived for some years
in the open air in the North of London; and in 1893 two Toques just
brought home from Ceylon, escaped from the’ box in which they were
confined and remained at liberty for about eight weeks, and during
part of the time there was frost on the ground. Frank Buckland wrote
of “ Jenny,” a Barbary Macaque which he had given to a friend :—‘She
sits nearly all day on the top of a wall, and has only a common dog-
kennel;for shelter. She is out in frost, snow, and rain, and is none
the worse for it. Her fur is magnificent, and she has a beard, that
makes her face positively beautiful—for a monkey.” And thus “Jenny”
lived for sixteen years in the open air.

The Barbary Macaque (a better name than Barbary Ape), or Magot,
is found in the north of Africa, and on the Rock of Gibraltar is a small
colony of these monkeys. Shortly before the siege in 1779 a party of
Spaniards attempted to surprise one of the British outposts. As they
were advancing as noiselessly as possible, they came on a troop of
Magots, whose cries alarmed the sentinel. The guard turned out, and
the Spaniards, seeing that the British were on the alert, hastily retired.
T. HE OxrD-WorzpD M ONKEYS. AQ

General Elliot never allowed these monkeys to be molested, and-now
the small colony is under the charge of the signal-sergeant at the Rock.
The average length is a little over 2 ft., the general hue of the fur
on the upper surface is yellowish-brown, the under parts are whitish, the
face and ears fleshscoloured, and the tail is represented by a fold of
skin. It is not known how this monkey came to ‘Europe; it is perhaps
a descendant of forms

now extinct, which for-
merly lived in many
parts of the Continent
and even in our own
country.

The Black Ape is
confined to the Celebes
and the island of
Batchian, where it was
probably introduced by
the Malays. The fur
is of a deep black, as
are the face, hands,
and feet, the only ex-
ception being the flesh-
coloured seat-pads. On
the. top of the head is
a tuft of long hair,
spreading out behind
and at the sides so as
to form a crest. The
tail is scarcely an inch
long. These monkeys
feed on fruit, and live : BLACK APE,
in small: troops among
the tree-tops—two things that distinguish them from the True Baboons,
though the long muzzle shows relationship with that group.

The Gelada Baboon, a native of the south of Abyssinia, is the last link
joining the Macaques to the true Baboons, from which it differs in that
the nostrils are not at the extremity of the snout, but a little higher up,
nearer the eyes. The fur is dark coloured; the hair on the top of the
head and round the face is very long and turned backwards, flowing over
the shoulders so as to form a kind of mane, and the tail is tufted. at the
end. The Geladas live in troops, which come down from the mountains
and: rob the fields, for they feed principally on grain. When attacked,

E pies


50... Poputar History oF ANIMALS.

they roll down ‘from the: heights. large stones -on_ their enemies, in
much the same manner as men of hill-tribes do. They are occasionally
seen in confinement.; but “they have no manners, and their customs are
beastly.”

This brings us to the True Baboons, which are natives of Africa and
the country round the northern shores of the Red Sea. They differ from
the Monkeys of both hemispheres in being more dog-like, and less human
in bodily shape and in disposition. The Man-like Apes and. the Old-
World Monkeys live chiefly among tree-tops, and feed on fruit ; “the,
Baboons live among rocky mountains and in the open country, and
supplement the diet of grain with insects, centipedes, and scorpions, ,
occasionally taking lizards and frogs, and in one species, it is said,
waging war on flocks of sheep. They go on all-fours, and even on level
ground can travel as fast as a horse can trot. The limbs are nearly of
the same length, and the seat-pads are sometimes very brightly coloured.
They probably do not attack man, unless molested; but if interfered
with or roused to anger they are formidable foes, a bite from the larg
canine teeth being sufficient to kill a dog. :

The Arabian or Sacred Baboon was one of the sacred animals of the
ancient Egyptians. It was worshipped as the type or symbol of Thoth,
the god of letters, who was sometimes represented in the likeness of this
creature. But though these animals were held. to be sacred, the
Egyptians seem to have taught them to do some useful work. A
monument still exists in which some of these Baboons are represented,
gathering fruit, while slaves stand below with baskets to receive it,
The adult male is about the size of a large pointer, but of stouter build ;
the fur is ashen-grey, and the neck and shoulders of the males are
covered with a thick mane, making them look like something between,
a lion and a big French poodle. The tail is fairly long, and tufted at:
the end; the hands are. black, thé’ face and ears flesh-coloured, and the
seat-pads bright red. The females are nearly as large as the males,
but, like the young, have. no manes—those of. the-older males being,
probably developed as a defence. Darwin found, from inquiry at the
Zoological Gardens, that when baboons fought they tried to -bite the
back of the neck., These animals are now more common in Abyssinia
and the Soudan than in Arabia itself, and in Egypt they are no longer
found. Sir-Samuel’ Baker says that they “have a great variety of ex-
pressions that may perhaps represent their vocabulary. . A few of them.
I begin to understand,:such as the notes of alarm and the cry to direct.
attention ; thus when I-am sitting. alone. beneath the shade of.a tree to.
watch their habits, they are at first not quite certain what kind of. a,
BABOONS. 51%

creature I’ may be, and they utter a peculiar cry to induce me to:
move and show myself more distinctly.” :
Fierce as these creatures are when - attacked, and resolutely as they
defend themselves, they are capable of tender feeling. Professor Romanes
when in the Monkey House at the Zoological Gardens, once saw an
Anubis Baboon bitten by a neighbour: from whom it had attempted to
steal a nut. The cries of the victim brought the keeper to its rescue, and
by dint of “a good deal of physical persuasion ”—that is, the keeper’s iron
rod—the assailant was induced to let go. “The Anubis Baboon then
retired to the middle of his cage, moaning piteously, and holding the
injured hand against his
chest, while he rubbed it
with the other one. The
Arabian Baboon now ap-
proached him from the top
part of the cage, and while
making a soothing sound
very expressive of sympathy,
folded the sufferer in its
arms, exactly as a mother
would do under similar cir-
cumstances. It must be
stated, also, that this ex-
pression of sympathy had a
decidedly quieting effect BABOON,
upon the sufferer, his moans
becoming less piteous so soon as he was enfolded in the arms of his:
comforter ; and the manner in which he laid his cheek upon the bosom
of. his friend was as exptessive as anything could be of “sympathy
appreciated.” a
The Yellow Baboon (Plate II., No. 4); so called from the brownish-yellow’
colour of its fur, has long hair on the crown, and the hands, feet, and face’
are black. It is a native of Western Africa, ranging across the continent
to Kilima-Njaro, where, according to Mr. Johnston, “ they weré generally:
found on the outskirts of native plantations, where they almost subsisted
on the maize and other food-stuffs stolen from the gardens of their
more highly developed fellow-Primates. In the’ inhabited region generally.
known as the country of _Chaga, baboons were strangely abundant. © T hey
went generally in flocks of from fourteen to twenty, of all ages and ‘both’
sexes. They were so little molested by the natives that they showed small:
fear of man, and instead of running away would often stop to look at mie:
about twenty yards off, and the old males would show: their teeth and
E 2


52 PopultAr History oF ANIMALS.

grunt. I have frequently seen the natives driving them from the planta- .

tions as they might a troop of naughty boys, and the Baboons retreating
with swollen cheek-pouches, often dragging after them a portion of the
spoil. On one occasion, in the river-bed at the foot of Kilima-Njaro, my
Indian servant, ordinarily a very plucky boy, met a troop of these animals
which, instead of fleeing up the trees, came running towards him in a very
menacing manner, and he was so frightened at their aspect that he took
to his heels. The Baboons followed, and but that the boy forded the
shallow stream and put the water between him and - his pursuers, he might
have had an awkward contest. I killed a Baboon once in Chaga, one of
a troop who were rifling a maize plantation, and its companions, instead
of running away, surrounded the corpse and snarled at me. AsI had no
more ammunition I went back to my settlement to fetch some of my
followers, and upon the approach of several men the Baboons ran off.”

The Chacma, or Cape Baboon, lives in the mountainous districts of
South Africa. An old male is said to be as large as an English mastiff, but
it does not appear that any specimen approaching that size has yet been
brought to England. The general colour is greyish-black, and the hairs of
different length give the fur a shaggy appearance. They live in herds, and
generally feed on the bulbs of a lily-like plant, varied with worms, insects,
lizards, and birds’ eggs; but it is said that they are, in some cases,
becoming flesh-eaters. Mr. Tegetmeier, in the Fed, says: “It is main-
tained by some of the farmers that the animal. has become carnivororus,
leaving its original food and destroying sheep and goats. . . . Should
the habit become general it would necessitate very active measures being
taken against the Baboons, as their powerful canine teeth, great strength
and agility would’ render them most destructive enemies of sheep,
goats, and even calves.”

The Anubis Baboon, with olive-green fur, from the west of Africa,
lives principally on the stems of the Welwitschia, which it tears open
with its’ large tusks, and nibbles the roots just like a sheep does a
turnip. These animals are said to be a great plague to the native
cultivators, for they come down in bands and strip whole fields of
maize in a single night.

The Guinea Baboon, Sphinx, or Common Baboon is very ten
imported for zoological collections. It shows relationship to the
Mandrill, but though the cheeks are swollen, they are not brightly
coloured. The fur is yellowish-brown, shaded ‘with sandy or light-red
tints ; the eyelids are white, the hairless parts black, the tail about half
the length of the body and without a tuft. Nothing is known of its
habits in a wild state.

The Mandrill is one of the most. extraordinary looking animals it
BABOONS. 53

is possible to conceive. “ Hideous,” is an adjective commonly applied
to it. Its home is the tropical region of West Africa. The adult male,
said to be nearly as large as an Orang, is very stoutly built, with short
limbs, and an enormous head without a perceptible forehead. The
nostrils are a little behind the lips, and on each side of the face are
prominent swellings, covered with
skin, coloured light-blue, scarlet, and
purple.. The seat-pads are blood-
red, and the tail is a mere stump.
Mandrills are not often seen in
confinement. ‘‘Jerry,” that was
kept in the Surrey | Zoological
‘Gardens, was described by Broderip
as “‘a glutton, and ferocious in the
extreme. Most kindly he would
receive your nuts, and at the same
time, if possible, would scratch or
pinch your fingers, and then snarl
‘and grunt in senseless anger.” He
‘had learnt to drink tea and grog,
and to smoke, and he is said to
have dined. with George IV. at
Windsor. =
The Drill, also from West Africa, “Jerry?

but spread over a wider range of

country, has brownish fur above, and of a much Waner hue_ beneath.
There are roll-like swellings on the face, as in the Mandrill, but the
skin covering them is black, as is also the case with the Mandrill.
The females and the young have not the repulsive look of the old
males,




54

CHAPTER V.
NEW-WORLD MONKEYS AND MARMOSETS.

|, HESE animals differ in a marked manner from their cousins
of the Old World. All are forest dwellers, frequenting the
tree-tops, and most of them have a prehensile tail, which
serves in some sort as a fifth hand; but in none are there
cheek-pouches for the stowage of food, or those natural
cushions which we have described as seat-pads. The partition between
the nostrils is very wide ; in those monkeys that have a thumb, it cannot
be opposed to the fingers so as to pick up or grasp; and in all (except-
ing the Marmosets) there are four more téeth—that is, 36, against the
32 teeth of the Old-World Monkeys, which are the same in number and
‘kind as our own. Ee

The Capuchin Monkeys (Plate IL, No. 5) take their popular name
from the fancied resemblance of the long hair on the forehead to the cowl
of a friar. In their native forests of Central America they go about
in large troops, feeding on the tender shoots. and buds of trees, fruit,
birds’ eggs, and young birds. They are very intelligent, and bear confine-
ment and the climate of England well. They are common in menagéeries,
and itinerant musicians and showmen often train them to perform.

The White-fronted Capuchin, with reddish-brown fur, and white. on
the face and chest, is plentiful over the level forest-lands of Brazil, and
‘Bates saw large troops on the banks of the -Upper Amazon. They
spring from tree to tree with marvellous agility, and “grasp, on falling,
‘with hands and tail, right themselves in a moment, and then away they
“go, along branch and bough to “the next tree.”* Bates kept one. as a
pet, but it was not a success, as the Capuchin killed an owlfaced
monkey, of which its master was very fond. “ Upon this,” says Bates,
“T got rid of him.” Belt was more fortunate with “Mickey.” His White-
fronted Capuchin killed nothing more valuable than ducklings, and a
light switch taught him that he must leave off -such bad habits. He
was a sad thief. “‘When anyone came near to fondle him he would
never miss an opportunity of pocket-picking. . . | One day when
he got loose he was detected carrying off the cream-jug from the table,
holding it upright with both hands, and trying to move off on his hind
limbs. He gave the jug up without spilling a drop, all the time making
an apologetic grunting chuckle, which he often used when found out in
any mischief, and which always meant ‘I know I have done wrong;


-. AMERICAN MONKEYS. 2 55

-but don’t punish me; in fact, I did not mean to do it—it was acci-
dental.’ However, when he saw he was: going to be punished, he
-would change his tone to a shrill threatening note, showing his teeth,
-and trying to intimidate. He had quite an extensive vocabulary of
sounds, varying i és
from..a. gruff
bark to a shrill
‘whistle; and
we could tell,
-by them with-.
out seeing him
when it was
he was hungry,
eating, frighten-
ed, or mena-
‘cing; doubtless
one of his own
species .would
have —_under-
stood various
minor shades
of intonation
cand ‘expression
‘that’. we, ‘not
entering < into
his feelings and
‘wants, ; passed.
over as. unin-
telligible.”
There | are
many; spe-
cies. of ; Capu-
chins, or Sapa-
jous,, as they
are sometimes ©: = ~ 4 ( SPIDER MONKEYS,
called. : The ~ SE eh, | Shee
Brown Capuchin, from Guiana, is-often brought to’ this country, and it
was on this ‘species that Miss. Romanes made the observations given in
Professor Romanes’ “ Animal Intelligence.” ee
The Woolly Monkeys are Brazilian, and have an under coat of
woolly fur beneath the longer hairs. The tail is naked at the tip, on
the under side, which gives the animal a securer hold, and the thumb

’


56 Poputar HisToRY OF ANIMALS.

is well developed. Humboldt’s Woolly Monkey is stoutly built, with black
fur and face; its features resemble pretty closely those of an old negro,
whence it is often called the Nigger Monkey. They are good tem-
pered and docile in captivity. One that lived for a short time in the
Zoological Gardens, Regent’s Park, made many friends, and though his
greeting was never demonstrative, it was warm and affectionate. He
would fondle a hand or a finger, then spring upon the branch, and
hang thereon with his tail, bringing his head close to the netting and
putting out his lips for some fruit as a reward for his good behaviour.
They are among the largest of the American Monkeys. Bates took a
specimen of which the head and body measured 26 in., while the tail
‘was an inch longer.

The Woolly Spider Monkey, from South-East Brazil, probably links
the Woolly Monkeys to the True Spider Monkeys. It has the woolly
under-fur of the first, but the thumb is rudimentary.

The Spider Monkeys are found from Mexico in the north to
Uruguay in the south. Their popular name is due to their long,
slender limbs. They live principally on fruit, which is often conveyed
to the mouth with the tail, and the stomach is somewhat like that of
the Langurs. Their activity is very great, as one may often see in the
monkey houses of zoological gardens. One that shared a very large
cage with some Capuchins in Regent’s Park distinguished itself by
chasing them round and round the cage,. probably inviting them to a
romp. But the Capuchins did not enter into the game, and the. Spider
swung from rope to bar, and across the cage, without a playfellow.

The Red-faced. Spider Monkey, or Coaita, has a wide range in Brazil
and Guiana. It is of large size, clothed with coarse black fur, and the face
is flesh-coloured. Bates says that these monkeys are common pets among
the Indians, and he gives them a good character for temper and dis:
position. They display some ingenuity in breaking the case in which
what we call Brazil nuts are enclosed, by hammering it on a rock or hard
log. There seems to be little doubt that they do break off dead branches
with the intention of injuring a supposed foe. The author of “ Canoe and
Camp Life in Guiana” says :—‘“ On seeing us, they used frequently to
hurl down large dead branches, some of which came rather too close to
our heads at times to be comfortable. The manner in which they per-
formed this was singular: they held on by tail and hind feet to a live
bough in a tree-top, alongside of a dead one, and pushing with their hands
with all their force against the latter, generally succeeding in breaking it
off, when down it came.”

The Variegated Spider Monkey, from both sides of the Amazon, is
strikingly coloured. The long soft fur on the back is black. the cheeks aré
AMERICAN MONKEYS. 57

white ; there is a bright reddish-yellow band across the forehead, and the
under surface and the sides of limbs and tail are yellow. It is sometimes
called Bartlett's Monkey, because Mr. E. Bartlett brought home a specimen
in 1866, which was described as a new species. Other species are the
Hooded and the Brown Spider Monkeys, from Colombia, and the Black-
faced Spider Monkey, from Eastern Peru.

The Owl-faced Monkeys, Night Apes, or Douroucolis (as the natives
call them), are more active by night than by day, thus resembling
the birds from which they take their popular names. They are of small
size, with a large round head, short face, and very large eyes, generally
grey or brown; the fur is close, and the long tail can-only curl round
objects without clinging thereto, and in this respect they differ from. the
New-World Monkeys mentioned before, and agree with those that follow
them, with the exception of the Howlers. These animals are found in the
country from Nicaragua to the Amazon and Eastern Peru. There are three
or four species, which: probably differ little in their habits. Mr. Bates says
that they sleep all day long in hollow trees, and come forth to prey on
insects and eat fruit only at night. He met with two species—the Three-
banded and the Feline. In both the forehead is whitish, and marked
with three black stripes, which in the former go back to the crown, and in
the latter meet on the forehead. He kept one of the Three-banded Night
Apes as a pet. The animal preferred insect food, though it would eat fruit.
Bates was told that these monkeys cleared the houses of bats as well as
of insect pests. ‘When approached gently, it allowed itself to be
caressed ; but when handled roughly, it always took alarm, biting severely,
striking out its little hands, and making a hissing noise like a cat.”

The Squirrel Monkeys inhabit the tropical forests from Costa Rica to
Brazil and Bolivia, There are three species of these active, graceful little
creatures, which in a wild state live in large flocks, and feed in great part
on insects. The head is greatly elongated. The common Squirrel
Monkey is about ro in. long in the head and body, with a tail nearly
half as long again. The body is olive-grey, the arms and legs bright
red, the face white, with a blackish muzzle. Humboldt describes these
creatures as having quite child-like faces and being of a very gentle
disposition. He had many opportunities of watching their habits,
and says that they knew objects when they saw them in pictures,
even when they were not coloured; and when they represented their
usual food, such as fruit and insects, they endeavoured to catch hold
of them. One may be pardoned for doubting if the “endeavour to
catch hold” were prompted by anything more than the spirit of curiosity
which is common to all monkeys. If experiments were carried out by
showing these monkeys—or, for the matter of: that, far higher monkeys—
358 PoputAr HisToRY oF ANIMALS.

.pictures ‘representing some favourite delicacy, and then. others” repre-
senting, say, a landscape, a battle, or a shipwreck, one would probably
be snatched at as eagerly as the other.

The Titi (or Teetee) Monkeys differ from the Suuireel Monkeys in
_having the head round rather than long, the eyes smaller, and the hair. on
the tail much longer. They range over South America, from Panama to
the southern limits of the great forests of. the Amazon... Bates describes
them as dull; listless animals, going in small flocks of five or six individuals,
running along the main boughs of the trees. He obtained one specimen,
which “ was caught on a. low fruit-tree at the back. of our house at sunrise
-one morning. .... . As the tree was isolated, it must have descended
.to the ground from the neighbouring forest, and walked some distance, to
-get at it.”

The Sakis, or Saki Monkeys, also live in the great forests of South
America, Most. of them have long hair on the top of the head, which
-may show a kind of parting down the middle, or may spread from the top

so as to form a kind of wig; all have whiskers and a beard, the latter in
-some cases very long. One of the-best-known species is the Hairy Saki,
or Humboldt’s Saki—for it is called by both names. Bates. describes it as
a timid, inoffensive creature, with a long bear-like coat of harsh, speckled
grey hair. The long fur hangs over the head, half concealing the pleasing,
diminutive face, and clothes also the tail to the tip, which member is well
-developed, being 18 in. in length, or longer than the body. It is a
-very delicate animal; rarely living many weeks in captivity.” Of the
American monkeys, he considers this excels the rest in the ee of
showing strong personal attachment.
« The Uakaris have long hair on the body, but the beard is short,
as is the tail, which in some of these monkeys is scarcely more than
a’stump. They, like the Sakis, dwell in the equatorial forests, rarely
descending to the ground. There are several’ species, probably the
best known being the Bald Uakari, which Bates describes as about
18 in, long, clothed from neck to tail: with long, straight, ‘and
shining whitish hair. The head is nearly bald,:and the face glows with
the most vivid scarlet-blue; the bushy sandy ‘whiskers meet ‘under
the chin, the eyes are Headich yellow. It seems to be confined to the
western side of the Japuna,.near its principal mouth. It lives in small
troops among: the crowns of lofty trees, and feéds on fruits of various
kinds. i:It: is said to be pretty nimble, but- is not much given to
leaping, :pteferring to run up and down the larger ome in mavens
fu) tree ito. tree. -

: The “Howlers, .or Howling Monkeys, are aptly named.. To produce
thes terrible “noises which characterise them, they have on: the top of
American Monkeys. 59







HOWLER AND YOUNG,

the windpipe a hollow bony structure which intensifies their cries. » As
in the Spider Monkeys, the tail is prehensile; but, unlike them, the
‘Howlers have the thumb well developed. Their chief home ‘appears
to. be in Brazil, but some range into Central America. They «live
among the tree-tops, and are vegetarian in diet. For size they éarry
‘off the palm among the. monkeys of the: New. World, some being
nearly 6 ft. in total. length, of which the tail. counts for half.
‘There. are several species differing. little in habit, and all. of them
‘merit their distinctive.name. A traveller in Guiana says:— 9: .

“At early morning, at dusk, and through. the night, at all our
camping “places, we were accustomed to hear the Howlers ‘serenading.
‘To my: mind the sounds produced ‘by these. monkeys. - more: nearly
‘resembled ; a .roar than a. howl, and. when’ sufficiently far off. are. not
unpleasant to the ear. When heard from a distance’ of half a mile or

,
60 PoputAr HisTory oF ANIMALS.

so they seem to begin with low notes, swelling gradually into louder
and longer ones, till they merge into a prolonged roar, which dies
gradually away with a mournful cadence. When not more than one
or two hundred yards away, and consequently plainly heard, they
commence with a series of short howls, which break off into grunts,
and, at every repetition, become longer and longer till their voices
have got fairly in tune, when they give their final roar, which dies as
gradually away. Then, after an instant’s silence, a few deep grunts
are given, as if the remains of the compressed air in their throat
drums were being got rid of. Listening carefully to the performance,
one can detect a voice at a much higher key than the others,
especially in the dying-away portion. The Indians say this is made
by a dwarf monkey of the same family which accompanies. every
troop. I was of the opinion that it was the voice of a female Howler,
but the Indians, who are very careful observers, said it was not.”

The Red Howler and the Brown Howler have been brought alive
to England, but both died soon after their arrival at the Zoological
Gardens.

THE MARMOSETS AND TAMARINS.

These tiny creatures have their home in Central and South America.
The hands and feet are paw-like, the fingers and toes being armed with
claws instead of being furnished with nails; the number of teeth is the
same as in the Old-World Monkeys, though there is some difference: in
their character, The tail is never prehensile, and is often marked with
rings of light and dark hairs, and the ears terminate, in many kinds,:in
a small tuft of hair. They live in. small bands among trees, and feed
chiefly on insects and fruits. In disposition they are gentle, and they
seem to be very affectionate to each other. Accounts differ'-as to
their behaviour in confinement, some authorities asserting that they. are
easily tamed, others that their confidence is won with difficulty. This
may arise from difference of disposition in the animals kept ‘as. pets,'
or it may be the result of the method employed. There are two or
three young in a litter, a fact that shows these little creatures to be
lower than the Monkeys, which produce but one at a birth.

These little creatures are more like squirrels than monkeys in their
habits of climbing, and they confine themselves to the trunks and larger
boughs of trees, the long nails enabling them to cling securely to the
bark; and Bates saw one species passing rapidly round a tree-trunk.
As the tail cannot be used to twist round a branch and the thumb is
useless for grasping, the Marmosets are unable to leap from branch to
branch, .as' do ‘some of their relations and neighbours.
MARMOSETS. 61

_ The Common Marmoset is a native of Brazil. It has been described .
as “a little creature resembling a kitten, banded with black and grey all
over the body and tail, and having a fringe of long white hairs sur-
rounding the ears.” A South American traveller writes of one of these
animals which he kept as a pet :—‘ Nothing pleased him better than
to perch on my shoulder, when he would encircle my neck with his
long, hairy tail, and accompany me in all my rambles. His tail formed
a not very agreeable neck-cloth with the thermometer above one hun-
dred degrees, but he seemed so disappointed when I refused: to carry



COMMON MARMOSETS.

him that it was impossible to leave him behind. One reason of our
intimacy was that our pursuits were the same, inasmuch as both were
entomologists ;: but he was a far more indefatigable insect-hunter than
myself. He -would sit motionless for hours among the branches of a’
flowering shrub or tree, the resort of bees and butterflies, and suddenly
seize them when they little suspected danger.”
_ Some that were kept by a French naturalist would kill small birds
that were put into their cage. These they did not eat, though they
licked up the blood that fell on the bottom of the cage.

These animals are often seen in confinement’ in this country, and
they have bred several times here and on the Continent. A case was

\
62’ PoputAar HisTory oF. ANIMALS.

recorded in the Zizes in 1883, and the owner, in announcing the fact,
wrongly supposed that it was the first time such an event had happened.’

There are several: other species, differing somewhat in size: and’ more
in coloration from the Common Marmoset, though their habits are
pretty much the same. The name “ Ouistiti” is often applied to’ any of
them from their shrill, whistling cry.

The Tamarins live in. troops in the forests of Panama, Peru, and the
Brazils. They are restless little creatures, almost continually in motion,
and their food.consists of fruit, insects, birds’ eggs, etc. There are no’
hairy tufts to the ears, nor is the tail banded with different colours.

The Negro Tamarin is one of the best-known forms. It is a native
of Guiana and the lower part of the Valley of the Amazon. Bates says
that “in Paré it is often seen in a tame state in the houses of the
inhabitants. When full grown it is about 9 in. long, indepen-
dently of the tail, which measures 15 in. The fur is thick, and
black in colour, with the exception of a reddish-brown streak down the
back. When first taken, or when kept tied up, it is very timid and
irritable. It will not allow itself to be approached, but keeps retreating
backwards, uttering a twittering, complaining noise, its dark, watchful
eyes, expressive. of distrust, observant of every movement: which takes
place near it. . . . I once saw one as playful as a kitten, running
about the house after the negro children, who fondled it to their hearts’
content.” The same writer remarks “ their knowing expression,” which
must have struck many other persons. After stating that some anatomists
have compared the brain of the Tamarin to that of the Squirrel, he con-
cludes that this is an unsafe character by which to judge of their mental
qualities, and adds, “In mobility of expression of countenance, intelli-
gence, and general manners, these small Monkeys resemble the higher
‘Apes far more than they do any rodent animal with which I am
acquainted.”

The Silky Tamarin, or Lion Marmoset, owes its first name to the
character of its fur, and its second “to the long brown mane, which
hangs down from the neck and gives it very much the appearance of a
miniature lion. ° Bates says of a tame one: “The first time I went in,
it ran across the room straightway to the chair on which I had sat down,
and climbed up tomy shoulder; arrived there, it turned round and
looked into my face, showing its little teeth and chattering as though it’
would say, ‘Well, and how do yeu do?’” The colour is bright golden-
yellow and the length about 2 ft, of which the tail takes up the half.’

Thee

ee ea
63

CHAPTER VI.
LEMURS AND LEMUR-LIKE ANIMALS.

N .many respects the Lemurs and their allies resemble,
Monkeys, from which, however, they may be readily dis-
tinguished by their sharp, foxy-looking heads, large staring.
eyes, and the nostrils at the extremity of the snout, in form
like those of a dog or a cat. The index-finger in some of

them is a mere stump ;-the second toe always bears a claw, the other

digits being furnished with flat nails. The tips of the fingers and toes

are flattened. into disc-like pads, the skin of which is well supplied with

nerves, so that they not only serve as cushions to break the fall of

these creatures in the leaps, but as delicate organs of touch. The tail is -
never prehensile. Most of them are: nocturnal—that is, they are more

active by night than by day—and live for the most part among the

branches of trees, rarely coming down to the ground from choice, and

feeding on fruit, insects, reptiles, birds’ eggs, and small birds. The teeth

vary in number; but the back teeth resemble those of the Insectivores,

in. that they are furnished with points.

Madagascar is the chief home of Lemurs ; some are found in Africa,
and others are dotted here and there in the great forests as far east as
the Philippines and Celebes. To account for their being thus scattered,
it. has been suggested that there must have been “‘a large tract of land
in what. is now the Indian Ocean, connecting Madagascar on the one
hand with Ceylon and with the Malay countries on the other.”

The. Short-tailed Indris, from the eastern forests of Madagascar, is
active in the daytime. The head and body are about 2 ft. long,. while
the tail is a, mere stump. The general hue of the fur is sheeny black,
with some white on the back, forearms, and hind-quarters. These
animals’ are held in great veneration by the natives of some villages,
though European travellers have not been able to ascertain the reason.
A French naturalist has suggested that it may be on account of their
sad, wailing cries, not unlike those of a human being in pain. ;

The Diadem Indris gets its name froma band of white on the fore-
head, which, as the face is: black and fringed with grey, gives. the creature
a-strange appearance. .The fur of the upper surface is’ dark, with some.
lighter markings. In this animal, and two others’ closely allied to it, the:
hinder limbs are longer than the front pair, which, though well suited. for
a life among the trees, makes. walking :on, all-fours difficult. On the ,

1


64 PoputAar History oF ANIMALS.

ground they stand half-erect, and move forward by a series of jumps,
with the hands raised in the air and the long tail streaming behind.
There are two other species—Verreaux’s Indris and the Crowned Indris,
the former from the west and south, and the latter from the north-west,
of Madagascar.

The Woolly Lemur, or Avahi, is generally found alone or with a single
companion. It passes the day in sleep among the thick foliage, or in the
hollow of a tree, coming out at dusk to feed and gambol. The natives
give it a character for stupidity, which is probably not deserved, for the
brain is larger in proportion to its body than that of any other of the
Lemurs. The fur is distinctly woolly in character, and the ‘general hue is
reddish, though there is a great difference
in individuals. In all these animals the
second, third, fourth, and fifth toes are
joined by a web up to the first joint.
They feed chiefly on fruit.

The True Lemurs (Plate II., No. 6) are
found only in the island of Madagascar
and the Comoro Islands. They differ from
those before described in having the toes
free, the limbs more nearly of equal length,
and in all the tail is long. Some are
diurnal in habit and others nocturnal ; but
to the fruit diet of the Indris they add
eggs, insects, and young birds. Some of
them are always to be seen in zoological

LEMURS. collections, where they are great favourites

with visitors, for while they are active and

sprightly, and indulge in amusing gambols, they show none of the bad

temper that is manifested by their higher relatives the Monkeys. If

these latter rise above the Lemurs in brain power, they fall below them
in conduct.

The White-fronted Lemur, with brownish-red fur and a broad white
band across the forehead, is often brought to England. Mr. Broderip
kept one asa pet. It was sometimes allowed to wander about the house,
and its manifestations of joy when allowed to come into the room with
its master are thus described :—

“ His bounds were wonderful. From a table he would spring twenty
feet and more to the upper angle of an open door, and then back again to
the table or his master’s shoulder, light as a fairy. In his leaps his tail
seemed to act as a kind of balancing-pole, and the elastic cushions at the
ends of his fingers enabled him to pitch so lightly that his descent was


PraTE If,

I. Orang. 2. Gorilla. 3. Macaque. 4. Baboon. 5. Capuchin

Monkey. 6. Lemur. 7. Flying Fox. 8. Vampire Bat. 9. Mole.
10. Hedgehog. 11. Brown Bear. 12. Polar Bear, 13. Badger.
14. Marten. 15. Polecat. 16. Otter. 17. Wolf. 18. Fox.

19. Striped Hyzena. 20. Ichneumon,

LEMURS. 65

hardly felt when he bounded on you. He would come round the back of
my neck and rub his tiny head.fondly against my face or ear, and, after a
succession of fondlings and little gruntings, descend to my instep, as I
sat cross-legged before the fire, when he would settle himself down thereon,
wrap his tail round him like a lady’s fur boa, and go to sleep. When in
his cage he generally slept on his perch, rolled up with his head down-
wards, and his tail comfortably wrapped over all.”

The Ring-tailed Lemur is ashy-grey on the upper surface and’
white beneath, while the tail is banded with black and white. These
Lemurs live more on the ground than do any others of the group. They
do well.in confinement, and are generally gentle in disposition, though
one that was presented to the Zoological Society had a nasty trick
of making vicious snaps at the hand of anyone who attempted to
feed it.

The Mungoose Lemur, with reddish-grey fur; the Ruffed lemur,
generally with black-and-white fur, the colours being disposed in large
patches, but sometimes clad in reddish-brown; the Black Lemur, and
some others, have lived in the Zoological Gardens, where young Lemurs
have been born.

The Gentle or Grey Lemur has a more rounded head than the True
Lemurs. It lives in the bamboo forests of Madagascar, sleeping by day
and coming out at night to feed on the tender shoots and leaves.

There are two species of Weasel Lemurs, also nocturnal. They are
distinguished from the Gentle Lemurs by the fact that full-grown animals
have no front teeth, or quite rudimentary ones.

The Mouse Lemurs are so called from their small size; one of them
was called by Buffon the Madagascar Rat. The food is chiefly frut,
insects, and probably small birds. Most of them build nests, and some
of them estivate, or indulge in a long sleep during the hot season. Just
before they retire for their slumber, a large quantity of fat accumulates
at and round the base of the tail, and the tail itself is enlarged. ‘I his
fat nourishes them during their summer rest, and when they wake its loss
is shown by the small size of their tails. Like the Galagos, the Mouse
Lemurs have the bones of the ankle very long, thus giving great leverage
to the muscles of the leg and increasing the jumping power.’

The Galagos are confined to the continent of Africa. Some of the
species are no larger than Mouse Lemurs, from which, however, they may
be readily distinguished by their curious folding ears. The tail is long
and bushy.

Garnett’s Galago, from Eastern Africa, though it is often called the
Black Galago, has dark-brown fur, fading “into yellowish on the under
parts. These animals have been exhibited in the Zoological Gardens,

iT
66 PorutAR History oF ANIMALS.

and of one to which he gave its liberty in his room, Mr. Bartlett, the
superintendent, writes :—

“Judge my utter astonishment: to see him on the floor, jumping about
upright like a kangaroo, only with much greater speed and intelligence.
The little one sprang from the ground on to the legs of tables, arms of
chairs, and, indeed, on to any piece of furniture in the room; in fact, he
was more like a sprite than the best pantomimist I ever saw. What
surprised me most was his entire want of fear of dogs and cats. In bound-
ing about on the level ground his jumps, on the hind legs only, are very.
astonishing, at least several feet at a
spring, and with a rapidity that requires
the utmost attention to follow... . He
eats fruits, sweetmeats, bread, and any
kind of animal substance, killing every-
thing he can pounce upon and over-
power. This strong and active little
brute thus eats his prey at once, as I
had proof in an unfortunate sparrow,.
which he unmercifully devoured head
first.”

Other species are the Great or Thick-
tailed Galago, from West Africa, with a
bushy tail longer than the head and
body together ; the Senegal Galago, which

SRSA ON onTe has been known longer than any other;

(From Sketch by Cot. Tickell) and the tiny Demidoff’s Galago, from the

West Coast,with small ears and slender tail.

The Slow Lemurs, or Loris, have the tail short or absent. The thumb
and great toe stand out from the other digits, and the latter is directed
backwards. In those which live in Asia the first finger is small, while in
those from West Africa it is reduced to a mere pimple. All are nocturnal
and live among trees, amongst which they climb, and do not jump
or run.

The Common Loris is found in India, to the east of the Bay of Bengal ;
it lives also on the north-east frontier, and ranges southward through the
Malay Peninsula and Siam to Borneo and the neighbouring islands.
Colonel Tickell says: “ It inhabits the densest forests, and never by choice
leaves the trees. Its movements are slow, but it climbs readily and grasps
with great tenacity. If placed on the ground, it can proceed, if frightened,
in a wavering kind of trot, the limbs placed at right angles. It sleeps rolled
up ina ball, its head and hands buried between its thighs, and wakes up in
the dusk of evening to commence its nocturnal rambles.” The total


LORIS AND AVE-AVE, 67

length is a little over a foot, the fur is ashy-grey, with a chestnut stripe on
the back and dark rims round the eyes.

The Slender Loris, from Southern India and Ceylon, is much smaller,
and has dark-grey fur with a reddish tinge. The Singhalese use the eyes
of this creature in love-charms and philtres. To obtain them Sir Emerson
Tennent says they hold the little animal to the fire till the eye-balls burst.
Before we say hard things about the Singhalese it may be well to re-
member that living shrews were formerly plugged into ash-trees in this
country, and that some North Country fisher-folk “after having caught
nothing for many nights, keep the first fish that comes into the boat, and
burn it on their return home as a sacrifice to the Fates.”

The African species of Slow Lemurs are called by their native name
—Pottos. Bosman’s Potto was discovered on the Guinea coast early in
the eighteenth century, and then lost sight of fora hundred and twenty
years. The tail is short, and two or three of the vertebre of the neck
have long processes, which form little prominences, and are only covered
by a thin skin. In habits it resembles the Common Loris, but is said to
be even slower in its movements. Another species—the Awantibo—is
found: at Old Calabar.

The Tarsier, which lives in the forests of many of the islands of the
East Indian Archipelago, is about the size of a squirrel, which it resembles
in sitting up and ‘holding its food in its hands while eating. The face is
round, with sharp muzzle, large ears, and staring eye. The hind limbs are
longer than the front pair, the tail is tufted, and the general colour of the
fur is fawn-brown. It owes its name to the great elongation of the bones
of the ankle, technically called the tarsal bones. These animals are
nocturnal and.arboreal, leaping from bough to bough in pursuit of insects
and lizards. The natives regard them with superstitious dread, and if the
people in some parts of Java see one near their rice-grounds they will
Jeave them uncultivated.

The Aye-Aye is confined to the bamboo forests of Madagascar, where
it lives solitary or in pairs. This animal is about the size of a large cat,
has long, loose, dark-brown hair, with a woolly undercoat, and the long
tail is bushy. With the exception of the great toe, which is opposable and
bears a nail, all the digits are armed with long claws, and the middle finger
of each hand is so thin that one writer has compared it to a piece of bent
wire. The Aye-Aye builds a kind of nest of dried leaves in a fork of a
tree, with an opening at the side, at which to go in and out. This creature
is remarkable from the fact that its true position was long misunderstood.
From the number and the peculiar character of its teeth, it was
formerly placed with the Gnawing Animals. The resemblance was not
confined to the number of the teeth. The incisors grow from persistent

F2
68 PoreutArR HisToRY oF ANIMALS.

pulps—that is, they are pushed up from behind as fast as they are worn
away in front, as is the case in the rabbit and the mouse. Specimens
have lived in the Zoological Gardens, but have been seen by.few visitors,
for during the day they sleep in the little box at the top of the cage, only
coming out when the house is cleared at dusk. Dr. Sandwith, who kept
one of these creatures for some time, gives the following account of its
habits in captivity :—

“ The thick sticks I put into his cage were bored in all directions by a
large and destructive grub.
Just at sunset the Aye-Aye
crept from under his blanket,
yawned, stretched, and be-
took himself to his tree,
where his movements are
lively and graceful, though
by no means so quick as a
squirrel. Presently he came
‘to one of the worm-eaten
branches, which he began to
examine most attentively ;
and bending forward his ears.
and applying his nose close
to the bark, he rapidly tapped the surface with his curious second
digit, as a woodpecker taps. a tree, though with much less noise, from
time to time inserting the end of the slender finger into the worm-holes as
a surgeon would a probe. At length he came to a part of the branch
which evidently gave out an interesting sound, for he began to tear it with’
his strong teeth. He rapidly stripped off the bark, cut into the wood, and
exposed the nest of a grub, which he daintily picked out of its bed with
the slender tapping-finger, and conveyed the luscious morsel to his mouth.
But I was yet to learn another peculiarity. I gave him water to drink in a
saucer, on which he stretched out a hand, dipped a finger into it, and
drew it obliquely through his open mouth. After a while he lapped like
a cat, but his first mode of drinking appeared to me.to be his way of
reaching water in the deep clefts of trees.”

a



THE AYE-AYE,
69

CHAPTER VIL

BATS. AND INSECTIVORES.

|, HE Bats are nocturnal animals having the forelimbs specially
modified for flight. We can easily trace out on our own
bodies the general plan of this flying apparatus. If we
stand upright, with the feet a little apart, the extended
arms bent into a V-shape from the shoulder, with the
thumb pointing upwards and the fingers downwards, we shall have
some idea of the framework, so to speak, of the apparatus by which
Bats fly. From the point of the shoulder to the thumb there stretches
a thin sensitive membrane, the
fingers are immensely elongated,
and between these, and extending
from the little finger to the heel,
and running thence along the side
of the body to the arm-pit, is the
wing-membrane. Most Bats have,
between the legs, reaching nearly
or quite to the heel, a membrane,
supported by. the hind-limbs, and
often by a bony spur which. runs
backward and downward from each
heel. The wings are spread for Sek s (Cone SATh Me SADEION
flight by stretching out the arms, Showing Earlets and Nose-Leafs.
and opening the fingers, which, as
the bones of the palm are free, seem to start directly from the wrist,
something like the sticks of a fan. Bats have teeth of three kinds
like our own; the number varies, but never exceeds thirty-eight. The
ears are large, especially in the insect-eating Bats, which also have an
inner ear, or earlet; and they general'y have a “nose-leaf”—an out-
growth of skin on and round the nose. The ears, nose-leaf, and wing-
membranes are extremely sensitive, and serve as delicate organs of touch.
On the ground Bats walk badly, owing to the fact that the hind-limbs
are weak and the knee bent backwards. By means of the claws on
their toes and their thumbs, they can climb up sloping and upright
surfaces if there be any small projection for them to take hold of.
When at rest, they hang by their feet in caves, or old buildings, or




79 PoPutAR H1sTorRY OF ANIMALS.

to the branches of trees, and. sleep head downwards. In temperate
regions Bats take a long winter sleep. Even in India the insect-
eating Bats are rarely seen abroad in the cold season, though the
fruit-Bats are as active then as at other times.

There are two. sub-orders—the Large, or Fruit-eating Bats, from
the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the Old World, and Australia ;
and the Small, or Insect-
eating Bats, from the
tropical and temperate
regions of both hemi-
spheres.

The Flying-foxes of
the East, which owe
their popular name to
their long, sharp muzzle,
are good representatives
of the Fruit-eating Bats.
The average length is
a little over a foot, and
the wing-spread is about
four times as much,
There is no tail. The
general colour of the fur
is reddish-brown. Jer-
don says: “During the
day they roost on trees,
generally in large colo-
nies,hanging head down-
wards, wrapped in their

FLYING-FOXES AT REST, wings, and resembling

large dead leaves. To-

wards sunset they begin to get restless, move about along the branches, and
by ones and twos fly off for their nightly rounds. If water is at hand—a
tank, a river, or, the sea—they fly cautiously down and touch the water ; but
Icould not ascertain: if they took a sip or merely dipped part of their
bodies in. They fly vast distances occasionally to such trees as happen
to be in fruit, returning from their feeding-grounds at early morning.”
Colonel Tickell says that, on their arrival at their roosting-places, “a
scene of incessant wrangling and contention is enacted among them,
as each endeavours to secure a higher or better place, or to eject a
neighbour who presses too close. In these struggles the Bats hook
themselves along the branches, striking out with the long claw of the


Fruit Bars. 71

thumb, and shrieking and cackling without intermission. Each new-
comer -is compelled to fly several times round the tree, being threatened
from all points, and when he eventually hooks on has to go through
a series of fights, and is probably ejected two or three times before
he makes good his place.”

The Kalong, or Malay Flying-Fox (Plate II., No. 7), is the largest
_ Bat known, having a wing-spread of quite 5 ft. Wallace says: ‘These
ugly creatures are considered a great delicacy, and are much sought
after. At about the beginning of the year they come in large flocks
to eat fruit, and congregate during the day on some small islands in
the bay, hanging by thousands on the trees, especially on dead ones.
They can then be easily caught or knocked down with sticks, and
are brought home by basketfuls.
They require to be carefully pre-
pared, as the skin and fur have a
rank and powerful foxy odour ; but
they are generally cooked with
abundance of spices and condi-
ments, and are really very good
eating, something like hare.”

The Grey-headed Fruit Bat.
from Australia; the Egyptian Fruit eR A Ge ee ee Re
Bat, which fee among the ruins
of the ancient buildings and in the dark chambers of the Byrds:
and the Fulvous Fruit Bat, from India, Ceylon, and Burmah, -are
closely allied. The last is sometimes found in caves, near the sea-shore,
and is said to feed on molluscs.

White’s Fruit Bat ranges over Africa, from the Northern tropic to
Senegal. It represents a group, in which the males of most. of
the forms have, near the shoulder, pouches, from the mouth of which
long yellowish hairs project, whence they are called Epaulet Bats. They
live principally on figs. To this group belongs the Hammer-headed
Rat, discovered by Du Chaillu in Western Africa. There are many
other species, but they differ little in habit from those described.

The Small, or Insect-eating Bats, fall into two groups, which may
he distinguished by the character of the tail and the hair. In the first
the tail is generally long, and enclosed within the thigh-membrane. In
the second, the tail, when present, usually comes through the membrane.
The character of the hair is pretty constant in the two groups. ~The
figure @ on the next page shows the hair of one of the Covered-tail
Bats, while that marked 4 shows a hair of one of the Free-tailed group.
_ The Horseshoe Bats are so called from the fact that the nose bears


a4 8 te

72 . Poputar History oF ANIMALS.

leaf-like appendages, of which the front part surrounding the nostrils is
not unlike ‘a horseshoe ‘in shape: - The Greater Horseshoe Bat is found
in the southern counties of England, and ranges over Central and
Southern Europe, part of Asia, and the» whole African continent.
The total length is nearly 4 in., and thewing-spread 13 in. The
fur on..the upper’ surface is reddish-grey; below, the red tint
is lost. Its favourite haunts are deserted quarries, old buildings,
and natural caverns, preferring the darkest and most inaccessible parts.
*In some’ Such.situations it passes the winter-in a torpid state, coming
forth’at the approach of spring. Cockchafers, which do so much
“damage to. farm crops and plantations, are said*to be its chief food.
ie The Lesser Horseshoe Bat is also British, but has
a ‘wider range, and spreads to Ireland. Dr. Leach
described it»as “a very cautious animal; very easily
tamed, but fond of concealing itself.” It probably flies
higher than its larger relation, and there is great dif
ference in its manner of alighting from that of other
Bats. Mr. Bell, who turned one loose in a room, says
that “instead oftadhering by- its claws against an object,
it invariably sought for something from which it could
hang freely suspended. The leaf of a table which was
HAIR oF BATs, let. down was often tried, but the polished surface not
furnishing a suitable hold for its claws, was as often
relinquished for some fringe over a window, from which it would hang
suspended by one foot for some time, swinging about, and _ twisting
itself round, to watch those who were observing it.”

The Mourning Horse-shoe Bat is a native of India and the Asiatic
Islands. The fur is long and thick, and black in colour, whence the
popular name. The total length is a little under 6 in. There are
several other Eastern species; and one, the Australian Horseshoe Bat,
with mouse-coloured fur and very large nose-leaf, from Australia.

The Diadem Bat, from India, Ceylon, and Burmah, is from
32 ins to 4 in. long, with a wing-spread of about 2 ft. The fur
is light brown. Captain Hutton says that “this species may be
heard during its flight cracking and crunching the hard wings of
beetles, which in the evening are usually abundant among the trees ;
the teeth are strong, and the general aspect is not unlike that of a bull-
dog.” This genus also has many Eastern species.

In the Megaderms and the Nycterine Bats the ears are enormously
developed ; the earlet also is very large. These Bats live in the warmer
parts of the Old World. The best known of the Megaderms is the Lyre
Bat from India and Ceylon, from 3 in. to 4 in. in length, with a

be ok


Insecrivorous Bars. °° n73
wing-spread from 14 in. to 19 in.» The fur is ashy-blue above, and
yellowish below. Sterndale ‘says they are very abundant in old buildings,

at

and, undoubtedly, bloodsuckers. Blyth noticed one fly into his room one?

evening with a smaller bat, which it dropped. The latter was’ weak from
loss of blood, and the next morning, the Lyre Bat having been caught
and both Bats put into the cage, the little one was again attacked and
devoured. Sterndale also records the killing of two canaries by. this Bat,
and Sir William Flower thinks that the Megaderms feed," when ‘they can,
upon the smaller Bats and other small mammals. Po ee

The Nycterine Bats, of which there are seven, inhabit “Africa and



BARBASTELLE, WALKING.

Arabia, with the exception of one species found in Java. In all these
the nose-leaf is absent, but in its place there is a deep groove extending
upward from the nostrils. The Desert Bat, about 4 in. long, with grey
fur, lives in the desert regions of Egypt and Abyssinia, and owes its
popular and scientific names to the fact that it is found in the Thebaid,
the home of so many hermits in early Christian times..

In the True Bats the nostrils are at the end of the muzzle, and are
not surrounded by leaf-like appendages. They are widely distributed
throughout the temperate and warm regions of both hemispheres, and
here belong most of the European Bats and all the British Bats, with
the exception of the two already mentioned.

The Long-eared Bat, pretty generally distributed all over the country,
and found throughout the greater part of Europe and Asia, is nearly
4 in. long, including the tail. The fur is rather long, thick, soft, and
silky, lightish-brown above and brownish-grey beneath. According to

\
74 PoPutAr HISTORY OF ANIMALS.

Bell, it may be easily tamed. Its favourite retreat is in the roofs of
houses in towns and villages, and in the towers of churches. In moving
‘along the ground the foreparts are raised, and the body thrown forward
by successive jerks, first on-one side, then on the other.

In the Barbastelle the ears are of moderate size. The total length
is less than 4 in., of which the tail forms nearly a half. The long,
soft fur is. brownish-black. The Barbastelle ranges over great part of
Europe and the southern and midland counties of England. When
kept as a pet, not only does it shun its owner, but. declines to make
the acquaintance of other Bats that may share its cage.

The Pipistrelle is very common in Britain, and ranges to the Hima-
layas. ‘The total length is a little less than 3 in.; the fur on the upper
surface is reddish-brown, and dusky beneath. From the middle of
spring to October this Bat may be seen after sunset, skimming the
water like a swallow in search of insects, and instances are on record
of its darting at a fisherman’s fly and becoming hooked. Its close
ally—the Serotine, some 44 in. long, with rich chestnut-brown fur
above, and yellowish grey beneath—is the only Bat found in both
hemispheres. In England it is confined to the south-eastern counties.

The Great Bat, or Noctule, is widely distributed in the Eastern
hemisphere. With us it is found as far north as Yorkshire. The head
and body are 3 in. long, and the tail about half as much; the
fur is reddish-brown. A naturalist, who kept some of these Bats in
captivity, speaks of their voracious appetite. A female passed the
day suspended by the hind feet at the top of the cage, coming down
at evening to feed. Her weight was just two drachms, yet she managed
to consume a whole half-ounce of cockchafers—just four times her
own weight. She. was careful in cleaning herself, using the feet as
combs, with which she ‘parted the hair on each side down the middle.
A young one was born, but though the mother died the next day, ‘the
little thing lived for eight days on milk. The Hairy-armed Bat
. occurs in the Midlands and in Ireland. One specimen of the Parti-
coloured Bat (from North-eastern Europe) was found at Plymouth,
whither it had doubtless been brought by some ship.

The Tube-nosed Bats, of which there are seven or eight species,
are found in Java, Japan, Tibet, and the Himalayas. The nostrils
project on each side the muzzle, like tubes; and the lower part of the
wings and the thigh-membrane are hairy.

The Painted Bat is found in the forests of Tropical Asia. It is of
small size, but is very remarkable for its coloration—orange and black
—which is probably protective: that is, it harmonises so well with
the creature’s surroundings as to-render it difficult of detection. Of
INSECTIVOROUS BATS. 75

another species of the same genus, Swinhoe says: “The body of this
bat was of an orange-yellow, but the wings were painted with orange-
yellow and black. It was caught suspended head downwards on a
‘cluster of the round fruit of the longan tree. Now, this tree is an
evergreen, and all the year through some portion of its foliage is under-
going decay, the particular leaves being in such a stage partially orange
and black. This bat can therefore, at all seasons, suspend itself from
the branches and elude its enemies by its resemblance to the leaf.”

The Brown Pig-Bat, from South and Central America, is: nearly
3 in. long, including the tail. The fur is cinnamon-brown above,
paler beneath, and the wings are dusky. This “animal has suckers
on the feet and hands, something like those on the arms of the
cuttle-fish. These Bats are thus enabled to
climb over smooth upright surfaces ; and it
is supposed that they capture the insects
on which they feéd, while crawling over the
branches of trees.

The Thick-legged Bats are chiefly con-
fined to the tropical and sub-tropical regions
of both hemispheres. The Sack-winged
Bats derive their name from a pouch or !
sac on the lower surface of the arm- “Srowe wa bay (Gua
membrane, near the elbow. It secretes
a reddish substance with a strong smell. There are six species from
Central and South America.

The Tomb Bats owe their name to the fact that the first species
known was found in the ancient tombs of Egypt. There are some ten
species spread nr the Eastern hemisphere. The Egyptian Rhinopome



is also a tomb¢haunting Bat. The long slender tail is produced
beyond the tligh-membrane. Owing to the length of the hinder
limbs, and the fact that the wing-membrane does not extend the whole
length of the leg, these Bats can walk much more freely than do
others. :

In the Mastiff Bats the muzzle is short and thick and the tail stout.
Of the Smoky Mastiff Bat, which spreads from South America to
Jamaica, Mr. Osburn says that they swarmed in the roof of his house,
and passed. out under the eaves. Frequently small parties of them
would come in through the windows and take a short. flight round the
room, In hibernating, the males and females form separate groups,
and this habit is common in most species of Bats. The strangest of
the group is the Short-tailed Bat:from New Zealand, which resembles
the Brown Pig-Bat in the possession of special organs for climbing. It

\
76 Poputar History: or ANIMALS.

seems to go pretty well on all-fours. The thumb-claw bears a sharp
tooth, which probably increases its clinging power. The lower surface
of the hind limbs and the soles are covered with a soft, loose, wrinkled
skin, almost certainly adhesive. Dr. Dobson believes “that this’ species.
hunts for its insect food not only in the air, but also on the branches
and leaves of trees, amongst which its. peculiarities of erucute most
probably enable it to walk about with security and ease.’ ed

The Javelin Bat, from Tropical America and the West Indies,
about 5 in. long, with a wing-spread of nearly 2 ft, and fur eG a
uniform brown hue. Wallace charges this Bat with blood-sucking,
and other writers support him. On the other hand, the stomachs of
many of these Bats have been examined,
and found. to contain insects, but no
traces of blood. One of the strangest-
looking of this family is Blainville’s Bat,
the head of which surpasses any demon-
mask seen in a pantomime. There are
allied species which have the leaf-like
appendages on the chin.

The Vampirine Bats, long accused
of blood-sucking, have been proved to
mn be fruit-eaters, Of the Great Vampire Bat

FRA UO COURT LER ere el (Plate IL, No. 8), Bates says: “ Nothing

in aaa physiognomy can be more
hideous than the countenance of this creature when viewed from the front
—the large, leathery ears standing out from the top of the head, the erect
spear-shaped appendage on the tip of the nose, the grin, and the glistening
black eye—all combine to make up a figure that reminds one of some
mocking imp of fable.” He opened the stomachs of several of these
Bats, and found the contents to be fruit and insects.

The Soricine Bat, from the warmer parts of South America, may be
taken as the type of a small group in which the tongue is long, thickly
set with hairs, and capable of being protruded to some distance from
the mouth. These Bats were formerly considered to be bloodsuckers,
and the tongue was believed to be used in some way to increase the
flow of blood. These Bats have been kept in confinement, and have
been seen to use the long tongue to lick out the soft pulp of fruit.

In the Stenoderm Bats, which have a lance-shaped nose-leaf, springing
from a. regular horseshoe, the molar teeth have sharp points and a
cutting edge. They feed chiefly, if not entirely, on fruit. The Mont-
serrat Stenoderm, first described in 1894, is said to do great damage
to the. cacao-plantations in that island.


Broop-SucKkinG BATS. 77

The blood-sucking Vampires, or Desmodonts, have the teeth and
stomach fitted for a blood diet—a state of things found in no other
mammals. The Common Desmodont is some 4 in. long, and nearly
“four times as much in wing-spread. The fur is brown, but the tint

wT
i i le HH
ff a,



DESMODONT, OR BLOUD SUCKING VAMPIRE,

varies considerably in different individuals. This and an allied species
seem to be the only Bats habitually guilty of blood-sucking. Horses,
cattle, and man himself are the victims. The wound, which is difficult
to heal, is probably inflicted with the sharp cutting teeth, the skin
being shaved away till the small vessels are exposed and a constant
supply of blood kept up.

Some persons are particularly annoyed by these Bats, while others
are free from their attacks. Wallace tells of an Indian girl who was
bitten again and again, till she became quite weakened from loss of
blood, so that it was found necessary to send her to a distance where
these bloodthirsty animals did not abound.

INSECTIVORES.

These animals are in many ways related to the Bats, but the limbs
are organised for walking or burrowing, and in some few cases for
swimming. There are generally five digits, armed with claws, on each
limb; and in walking, the soles and palms are placed flat on the
ground. Some have an external resemblance to some of the Rodents,
and are often wrongly called by names that properly belong to
that order. Thus, the Common Shrew is often called the Shrew-
mouse, and some of the Indian Shrews are called Musk-ra¢s. The
teeth are of the ordinary three kinds—incisors, canines, and molars,
the latter: furnished with sharp points (see p. 85). Their chief food
consists of insects and their larvée, but some forms devour worms and
molluscs, and shell-fish; while others attack frogs, snakes, fishes, small
78 PoputarR History or ANIMALS.

birds, and even small. mammals. Some of them are found all over the
temperate and tropical regions of both hemispheres, with the exception,
of South America and Australia.

For a long time naturalists were uncertain where to put the Colugos.
They have been classed with the Lemuroids and called Flying Lemurs
—a name which contains as many errors as words, for these creatures
cannot fly, and are not Lemurs. They possess a parachute-membrane,
or patagium, extending from the wrists along the sides of the body to
the heels, as well as a thigh-membrane, like that of the Bats. But on
comparing the body and limbs of the Colugo with our own in the
same fashion that we compared those of the Bat (p. 69), we shall see
in’ a moment that true flight is impossible for these animals. Motion
of the forelimbs would never raise them from the ground.

The Common Colugo is a native of Malacca, Sumatra, and
Borneo. The general length is from 18 in. to 20 in. It has been
said to live principally on leaves, but it also relishes insects, and it
frequently captures and devours small birds. Wallace, in, his “ Malay
Archipelago,” says that the Colugo “rests during ‘the day clinging to
the trunks of trees, where its olive or brown fur, mottled with irregular
whitish spots and blotches, resembles closely the: colour of mottled
bark, and no doubt helps to protect it. Once, in a bright twilight, I
saw one of these animals run up a trunk in a rather open place, and
then glide obliquely through the air to another tree, on which it
alighted near its base, and immediately began to ascend. I paced the
distance from one tree to the other, and found it to be 70 yards;
and the amount of descent I estimated at not more than 35 ft. or
40 ft, or less than one in five. This, I think, proves that the
animal must have some power of guiding itself through the air, other-
wise in so long a distance it would have little chance of alighting
exactly upon the trunk.” Another species, of similar habits, lives in
the Philippine Islands.

The Tree-Shrews are natives of South-eastern Asia and the islands
of the Eastern Archipelago. They live among the branches of trees,
and are active in the daytime. In form and size they closely resemble
squirrels, for which they have been often mistaken. Their diet consists
of fruit and insects. The Burman Tree-Shrew is about 14 in. in
length, the tail being as long as the head and body together. The
general hue of the fur is a dusky greenish-brown. It is a harmless
little animal, in the dry season living in trees, and in the rainy season
entering the houses. One that lived in a mango-tree, near the house
of an Indian missionary, made itself nearly as familiar as the cat. It
would take up its quarters on the bed, and was very fond of putting its
TREE-SHREWS. 79

nose into the tea-cups immediately after breakfast, and acquired a taste
for tea and coffee. But at last it lost its life by walking into a
rat-trap.

In the same family is the Pen-tailed Tree-Shrew, a native of Borneo
and Sumatra. Its general colour is blackish-brown above, and yellowish
on the under surface. Its great peculiarity is in its tail, which is hairy
at the base, then black and scaly for some distance, and for about a
third of the length at the end furnished with white hairs arranged on







COLUGOS.

each side like the wings of an arrow or the plume of a feather. Its
habits resemble those of the Tree-Shrews.

In the next family are the Elephant-Shrews, from Africa. The
snout is prolonged into a kind of proboscis, which accounts for the
popular name. The hind-legs are more developed than the fore-limbs,
and they advance by a succession of leaps, thus resembling the Jerboas,
and causing some writers to call them Jumping Shrews. The Common
Elephant Shrew, from South Africa, is about 8 in. long, of which
the tail takes up 3 in. The colour is tawny-brown, becoming whitish
on the limbs. It is active by day, and lives in burrows, to which: it
retreats on being disturbed. ‘There are several other species.

\
80 : PopPutAR HisTORY OF ANIMALS.

The Hedgehogs are small, stoutly-built animals, with pointed snouts
and very short tails, and in most,of them the hair on the upper surface
is so thickened as to form spines. In this family we meet for the first
time with a mode of defence, or means of protection—that of rolling
into a ball, common among many of the lower Mammals.

The Common Hedgehog (Plate II. No. 10), when full grown, is
about ro in. in length; the spines of the upper surface are dirty-
white ringed with black, and about an inch long. The face is black,
and the hair on the spineless parts yellowish-white. It is spread over
Europe, except in the extreme North, and ranges into. the South-west
of Asia. It generally sleeps by day, coming out to hunt at night, and
hibernates in the winter, a habit which is not shared by the Indian,
nor probably by the African species. Its chief diet consists of insects
and beetles; and these creatures are sometimes kept in houses to kill
cockroaches (which despite their popular name are not beetles at all),
and so fond are they of this diet that some have died of: over-feeding.
Earthworms, slugs, and ‘snails are also eaten, as are frogs, toads, snakes,
vipers, and mice. Strange to say, the Hedgehog does not fear the bite
of the viper, and will crunch up the Blistering Beetles ar Spanish Flies
as if they were sweetmeats ; but the secretion from the skin of the toad
is disagreeable, and the Hedgehog rubs its muzzle on the ground after
each bite. From its habit of devouring slugs and snails, the Hedge-
hog must be reckoned as the gardener’s friend; but he has a bad habit
of feeding on birds’ eggs, and sometimes attacks poultry. A writer in-
the Field says: “I was going to bed, I heard a tremendous outcry
from a hen in an adjacent orchard. Hurrying out with a friend to
the rescue, and picking up some handy stones, we made for a coop
under which was the hen with her chicks. Overturning the coop, we
found a large Hedgehog hanging to the hen’s throat. The stone, of
which I expeditiously delivered_myself, caught the Hedgehog between
the eyes, and he rolled over dead.” When disturbed, the Hedgehog rolls
himself into a ball, with the head and legs tucked in, and only the
spiny surface of the back exposed. A jet of water poured on the part
where the head is concealed will cause it to unroll; and it is said that
foxes and some dogs will push a Hedgehog into a pond or ditch, so
that he must either unroll and be eaten, or be drowned. The young
are born blind and naked, but possessing the rudiments of spines,
which are then soft and flexible. There are several allied species.

The Collared Hedgehog, a native of India, “has the habit, when
~ touched, of suddenly jerking up the back with some force, so as to
prick the fingers or mouth of the assailant, at the same time emitting
a blowing sound like that from a pair of bellows.”
FTEDGEHOG AND SHREWS. ae

The Bulau, discovered by Sir Stamford Raffles in Sumatra, is a
Shrew-like Hedgehog, “with the body, and especially the head, more
elongated than in the Common Hedgehog, with flexible ‘hairs, and
furnished with a tail that is nearly as long as the body.” The general
colour is greyish-black; the head and body are about 14 in. long,
and the tail r2 in. It is more active by night than by day, and lives in
holes among the roots of trees. There is another closely-allied species

The Shrews constitute a numerous family of mouse-like or rat-like
creatures, spread over the Old World and North America. ‘rhe
snout is long and
pointed, the body
‘“mouse-like, and the
tail thick and tapering,
and more or less densely
set with hairs. Many
of them are furnished
with glands which se-
crete a strong-smelling
fluid.

The Common Shrew
is about 22in. long,
with a tail of rather
more than 13 in. It
feeds on insects, worms,
small snails, and slugs ; HEDGEHOG HAND YOUNG!
and it is preyed upon
by barn owls and weasels. It is said that cats will kill but not eat
them, owing to their strong-smelling glands. In the autumn. great
numbers of these little creatures are found dead, without apparent injury,
on roads and footpaths in the country—probably starved.

Some old superstitions still linger round the Shrew, which is, or was
till very recently, credited with causing cattle to fall lame if it ran over
their backs, while its bite made them “swell at the heart and die.”
The only cure was to stroke the part affected or bitten with a twig
from a shrew-ash—that is, an ash-tree, into which a hole had been
bored with an auger, and a Shrew. plugged up alive in the hole.

The Pygmy Shrew, which is also British, is rather smaller, though
the tail is longer in proportion to the body. There is also. more white
on the under-parts.

The Garden Shrew is common over nearly all Europe. The total
‘length is about 4 in., of which the tail occupies somewhat less than
Iz in. The fur is mouse-grey, shading into light ash-grey below. In

G \


82 Poputar History oF ANIMALS.











































BRITISH SHREWS,

habit it resembles the Common Shrew, and the same story of its injuring
cattle is told of it. Our illustration shows the three British Shrews. To
the left is the Common Shrew; the Water Shrew is on the right; and
the little creature at the top is the Pygmy Shrew.

The Tuscan Shrew, with ashy-red fur above and ash-grey beneath,
is probably the smallest living mammal. From the snout to the tip of
its tail (about 1 in.), it measures from 24 in. to 22 in.

The Indian Musk Shrew has bluish-grey or mouse-coloured fur; the
head and body together measure from 6 to 7 in, and the tail
nearly 4 in., so that, compared to the British Shrews, this is quite a
giant.. It has a strong musky odour, which it was (falsely) said to im-
part to wine and beer by running over the bottles in which these liquors
were contained... Mr. Sterndale champions these little creatures on
account of their insect-eating habits, and proved by experiment that
the mere passing of a Musk Shrew over a substance does not neces-
sarily impart a musky odour. While dressing for dinner one day he
saw a Musk Shrew in his room. Placing a clean white handkerchief
on the floor, he chased the Shrew till it had crossed the hand-
kerchief five times. At mess he asked his brother-officers if they
could perceive any peculiar smell about the handkerchief, but none of
them could. “Well, all I know is,” said he, “that I have driven a
musk-rat five times over that handkerchief just now.” From which it
seems that the Musk Shrew emits no odour except at certain seasons, or
when irritated. ;

The Water Shrew is a little more than 3 in. long, with a


WATER SHREWS.. 83

tail of ‘rather more than 2 in. The fur is black, or nearly black,
above, and white. below, the two being sharply marked off from, and
not shading into, each other; but there is great diversity in the colora-
tion. On the under-side of the tail is a long fringe of hair, and there
are comb-like fringes of stiff hairs on the feet and toes, thus making
the limbs and tail good swimming-organs. The Water Shrew forms a
burrow in the banks of ponds or streams; its prey consists of fresh-
water shrimps, insects, larvae, and the fry of small fishes; and it has
been seen feeding on a rat that had been killed in a trap. It is fairly
common in Britain, and ranges through Europe to the Altai Mountains.
The Himalayan Water Shrew is somewhat larger; and another species
is found in Japan.

The Tibetan Water Shrew is about 8 in. long, of which the tail
counts for half The feet are webbed, and furnished with sucker-
like discs, which probably enable the animal to cling to the stones
in the river-bed. It is said to feed on small fishes.

The Tailless Shrew, also from Tibet, is a burrowing animal. Like
the Mole, it has the fore-feet broader and stronger than those of the
hind-limbs. It is about 4 in. long, clad in grey fur with a greenish-brown
tinge.

The Desmans and True Moles are confined to the temperate parts
of Europe, Asia, and North America. The eyes are very small, and in
some forms covered with skin; the ears are short, and hidden in the
fur; and in most cases the forelimbs are modified into shovel-like
organs for burrowing.

The Desmans, which are aquatic in habit, are not unlike big rats,
but the nostrils are very long, and form a tube-like snout; the toes
are webbed, and
the scaly tail is
flattened from side
to side to aid the
animals: in swim-
ming. They fre-
quent standing water
and slow streams, in
the banks of which
they form their bur-
rows, which are
only used as resting-
places, the greater
part of their time : os ; =e
being spent in the PYRENEAN DESMAN.

G2




84 PoPuLtAr History oF ANIMALS.

water. They feed on worms, pond-snails, and insect larvee; and pro-
bably no small aquatic animals come amiss to them. “The Common
Desman is ‘a native of Southern Russia and South-western Asia. Its
length is about 18 in., of which the tail forms a little more than
a third. “The fur is reddish-brown on the back, ashy-grey below,
with a silvery lustre in certain lights. The Pyrenean Desman is
about two-thirds the size of its relative, and has chestnut-brown
fur on the back, and silvery-grey on the under-surface. It is said



COMMON MOLE,

to feed principally on trout. Both species have a strong musky
smell.

The Mole Shrews are small animals that connect the Shrews with
the True Moles. The Hairy-tailed Mole Shrew, common in mountain
regions of Southern and Eastern Japan, but rarer in the north, is about
the size of the Water Shrew, with velvety-brown fur. It burrows like
a Mole, but does not throw up heaps of earth. Gibbs’ Mole Shrew,
from North America, is closely allied. The Tibetan Mole Shrew differs
from the other species in not making a burrow. The fur is slate-
coloured, and the general appearance Shrew-like, but the ‘skull is like
that of a Mole.

The True Moles have the collar-bone (c) and the bone of the upper
arm (4) from the shoulder to the elbow, very short and broad, and,
consequently, of great strength ; and from the inside of each wrist there
Tue More. 85

projects a stout sickle-shaped bone (/), which adds to the width of the
hand and renders it more serviceable for digging and burrowing.

The Common Mole (Plate II., No. 9) is found in Britain, but not
in Ireland, and ranges east-
ward through Central and
Southern Europe to India.
It is. about 6 in. long,
of which the tail counts
for a little more than r in.
The body is long and
cylindrical, with sharp-
pointed muzzle. There
appears to be no neck,

FORE-LIMBS OF COMMON MOLE, owing to the fact that the

fore-limbs are set so far

forward. The fur is soft and velvety, black or blackish-brown in colour, °

with more or less of a whitish tinge in certain lights; and the feet and

hands are naked and flesh-coloured. There are five clawed digits on
each limb, and the shovel-shaped hands are turned outwards.

The figure below shows the teeth of the Mole, and the sharp points
of the back teeth are capital tools for cutting up the animal food on
which the creature lives. The burrowing habits of the animal, and the
heaps of earth it throws up in its travels beneath the surface, are well
known. The beautifully regular plans of a Mole’s dwelling as gener-
ally given are probably imaginative, and have been copied into most
books on Natural History from
the work of a French writer, who
“figured the habitation of some
mole of genius, or improved on
Nature from his love of sym-
metry.” The underground home
of the Mole consists of a central
chamber, just below the surface,
and has several passages or runs
branching out from it. These: are’
generally connected by cross-runs, TEETH OF COMMON MOLE.
but Mr. Alston, who has paid much
attention to.the subject, says he has never seen anything like the regular
system of circles generally shown as the approaches to the dwelling
of the Mole. _ Moles are extremely voracious. The food consists of
worms, insects and their larve, snails and slugs, frogs, and even snakes.
One kept in’confinement ate within twenty-four hours.a large slow-worm,

1




86 PoPULAR HISTORY OF ANIMALS.

a large snail, two ‘chrysalids, and a snake 32 in. long. Of the latter
it only left the bones and skin. It seems also to be a provident
creature. _ A writer in the Gardener's Chronicle says that ‘“ Previous
to the setting in of winter the Mole prepares a sort of basin, form-
ing it in a bed of clay, which will hold about a quart. In this basin
a great quantity of worms is deposited, and, in order to prevent their
escape, they are partly mutilated, but not so much as to kill them.
' On these worms the
Moles feed in the
winter months.” This
account was con-
=. firmed by — several
mole-catchers near
Southampton, where
Moles are very
numerous. -Many
farmers consider
Moles’ do injury to
pasture-land. It is
probable that the in-
jury they do by eat-
ing the roots of
grasses is compen-
sated by the insects
— = = and insect larvee they
Sao B ee Nee devour. On this sub-
ject Frank Buckland
questioned a man in the employment of a large dairy farmer in
Hampshire. The-man’s reply is worth quoting: “The Moles are of
great service ; they eat up the worms that eat the grass; and wherever
the Moles have been, afterwards the grass grows there very luxuriantly.
When the Moles have eaten all the grubs and the worms in a certain
space, they migrate to. another, and repeat their gratuitous work. The
grass where Moles have been is always the best for cows.”

The Blind Mole lives in Southern Europe, and differs little from
the common species except that the eyes are covered by a membrane
pierced by a tiny hole, so that the animal can have but a faint
perception of light and no distinct vision. In India are found
several species nearly allied to our Common Mole, but they throw up
no mole-hills. The Woogura Mole, from Japan, has tawny fur, and
the snout is greatly elongated.

The Star-nosed Mole, a native of the United States and Canada,




































































































































AGOUTA AND TANREC. 87

is about 8 in. in length, of which the tail counts for 3 in. The fur
is brownish-black, and the hairless parts flesh-coloured. The snout
is elongated, and at its tip is a fringe of long, fleshy filaments sur-
rounding the nostrils, and probably
serving as organs of touch. It gener-
ally forms its runs. near water or
swampy places.

The Shrew Moles of North America
have the hind feet webbed, and were
supposed to be of aquatic habit. This
is now known to be a mistake, for " SNOUT OF STAR-NOSED MOLE.
their’ runs are scarcely ever found
near water, and in habit they agree with our Common Mole. Two
other species, also from North America, resemble the Shrew Moles in
habits, but are probably more closely akin to the Star-nosed Mole,
though the snout has no fleshy appendages.

: The West: African River Shrew, discovered by Du Chaillu, is about

2 ft. long, of which the tail forms a half. The fur’is dark brown
above and white beneath, the tips of the hairs on the back showing
violet metallic reflections. It burrows in the banks of streams, and
though the toes are not webbed, is well fitted for an aquatic life,
the strong tail forming a powerful swimming-organ. The nostrils can
be closed by valves when the animal is in or under the water. Like
the Otter, it feeds on fish, and lands its: prey before eating it. In
the family of River Shrews is included the Madagascar Shrew, a small
mouse-like form, with skull and teeth like those of the West African
River Shrew. Nothing is known of its habits.

The Agouta is a native of St. Domingo, and the Almique of Cuba.
Both are about a foot long, of which the tail forms more than half,
and differ chiefly in the colour and quality of the fur: in both the
snout forms a kind of proboscis, the tail long and naked, and the
feet are adapted for running rather than burrowing. In habit they ~
are nocturnal, and feed on insects, and probably birds and small
mammals. The Agouta is brown on the upper parts, lighter on the
head and neck, and darker behind and on the thighs, the belly and
feet tawny brown, the tail greyish with a white tip. In the Almique
the head, neck, and chest are a tawny yellow, and the rest of the body
dusky brown.

The Tanrecs are confined to Madagascar. In some the hair of the
back is mixed with spines. The Common Tanrec is of a tawny colour,
about 15 in. long, of which the head counts for a third: there is no
tail. These animals feed’ on worms, in search of which they turn up


88 PoputAr Hisrory or ANIMALS.

the ground with the snout like a pig. The flesh is eaten, and by
some it is esteemed a delicacy, though the musky odour is distasteful
to others. It is hunted with dogs trained for the purpose, and great
numbers are taken for the table. It is the largest Insectivore, and
probably the most prolific mammal, twenty being produced at one
birth. The Streaked Tanrec is much smaller, and is marked with
black and yellow.

The Tendrac has spines like those of the Hedgehog on the upper
surface and short tail, but it is probable that it cannot roll itself into
a ball. The spines
are black, with white
or reddish tips, so
that the general hue
is dusky. The Rice
Tendrac is greyish-
brown in colour and
molelike in form.
Its popular and scien-
tific names refer to
the damage it does
to the rice-crops by
burrowing in the
fields and rooting up
the young plants.

The Golden Moles

TENDRAC. are small burrowing

animals from Eastern

and Southern Africa. The fore-limbs bear four digits, and the hind-limbs

five. The head is conical, the tail rudimentary; the limbs are short,

and the eyes covered with skin; and, as in the Common Mole, there

are no external ears. The fur is fine and close, and in nearly all the

species (seven or eight) on the upper surface there is a brilliant metallic
lustre of golden bronze, green, or violet.

The Cape Golden Mole, from Cape Colony and Caffraria, has brown
fur with metallic reflections. Its habits resemble those of the British
Mole, and the farmers wage war on it, alleging that it does damage in
fields and gardens by its burrowing. The Blunt-nosed Golden Mole
is a native of Mozambique and Caffraria.


89

CHAPTER VIIL
CARNIVORES, THE CAT FAMILY,

j| ARNIVOROUS animals are, for the most part, large and fierce,
and generally feed on the flesh of warm-blooded creatures
which they have killed. They are armed with strong claws
and sharp teeth, admirably adapted for seizing and tearing
their prey. Their senses are keen, as one would expect in
beasts that live by rapine, and are, in their turn, hunted by man.
There are never less than four digits on each limb, the canine teeth
are well developed, and some of the back teeth are fitted for cutting
flesh. There is no part of the world in which some of the Flesh-eaters
are not found, with the exception of Australia, where the Dingo, or
wild dog, was probably introduced by man.’

The Cat family consists of a single genus, with about fifty species,
the most highly specialised of the Beasts of Prey. They do not
hunt, like the dogs, but lie in wait for and spring upon their victims,
which they seize and hold with their claws. There are five digits on the
fore limbs and four on the hinder ones—that corresponding to our great
toe being absent; and the claws can be drawn back, so as to preserve
them from being blunted in walking.

We may get a good idea of the structure of these animals by examining
the family cat, which, for several reasons, should be done as gently as
possible. If we take pussy into our lap, and hold her in the hollow of
the left arm, the right hand will be at liberty for the examination. The
spine, or backbone, and its connection with the skull or brain-box, may be
Jedi, and we may assure ourselves that the limbs are also connected with
the spine. We shall not be able to trace anything corresponding to our
collar-bones, owing to the small size of
these bones in the cat. We shall notice that
the head is short and round, very different
from the long head of a dog. The whiskers
‘are exquisitely delicate organs of touch, and
‘serve to warn the animal of any obstruction,
‘so that the popular notion that where a cat
can get its head it can get its whole body
is founded on a scientific fact. If the lips
be turned up, the small size of the cutting or
tncisor teeth (¢) will be noticed, and the fact TEETH OF CAT.




90 ~ Poputar History oF ANIMALS.

that between them and the canines (¢) in the upper jaw is a space into
which the canines (¢) of the lower jaw bite. In the upper jaw on each
side are four teeth, the first and last of which are very small; while
below, there are three teeth on each side. The tusk-like canines seize
and hold the prey—a mouse or a bird, while it is torn to pieces with the
claws, or cut with the last large tooth on each side, which for this reason
are called sectorial or carnassial teeth (s), and close on each other like the
blades of a pair of scissors.

If the finger and thumb of the left hand be inserted dehind the back
teeth, the mouth may be held open so as to afford a good look at the
tongue. The surface will be seen to be covered with rows of horny spines,
like tiny claws, bent backwards and in the larger cats these serve to rasp



A, DIGITIGRADE FOOT (OF LION). B, PLANTIGRADE FOOT (OF BEAR),
s, Shin-bone (¢zda); , heel (cadcaneum).

the flesh from the bones of their prey. You may easily test its roughness
‘by allowing the cat to lap a little milk from the palm of your hand.

The eye of the cat is that of a nocturnal animal. It cannot, of course,
see in absolute darkness, but the pupil of the eye can be dilated so as to
catch the faintest beams, which are reflected and intensified by the
brilliant, golden-yellow lining of the eyeball, called the ¢apefum. In a
strong light the pupil contracts to a mere slit—a fact you may verify
for yourselves.

It is an easy matter to examine the limbs. The shoulder-blades may
be readily made out, and the bones of the arms and legs. The elbow
and knee are situated close to the trunk, and what we call a cat’s “ foot”
corresponds to our fingers and toes, not to the palms of our hands or
the soles of our feet. f

This will be better understood from Figs. a and s. The terms (r)
Digitigrade and (2) Plantigrade were formerly used to denote (1) the
Cats and (2) the Bears and Dogs, because the first group walked on
their digits, and the second on their (palms and) soles. But as it was
Foor OF THE CATS. gl

found that there were very many intermediate forms linking the two
together, the names have been abandoned.

The “foot” of a cat deserves careful attention, for it shows how well
fitted the members of this family are for their work of destruction. Under-
neath each fore-paw are seven soft fleshy pads or cushions, one below
the end of each digit, a large one in part corresponding to the palm of
our hand, and a small one on the outer side of the wrist. The hind
“foot” carries only five of these pads, there being no great toe to need
one, and the outer one being absent. These soft cushions enable the
animal to approach its prey noiselessly, and serve to break a fall. It
is owing to these that the
domestic’ cat can jump
from a great height to the
ground. without sustaining
injury.

The great characteristic
of the family is the pos-
session of claws that can
be drawn back or put forth
at will. If the fore-paw
be held lightly between the
finger and thumb, and the
latter moved forwards and
backwards upon the skin DIGIT OF FORE-PAW OF CAT.
of the animal, the claws will A, With claw drawn back; 8, with claw put forth.
move forwards and_back-
wards also. Then we shall see that each issues from a horny sheath
or hood on the last joint of each digit. The bone marked mm is the last
in one of the four rows of bones in the human palm; 1, 2, 3 mark the
joints of the finger, the last .with its horny sheath enclosing the root of
the claw. When the animal wishes to draw back its claws, the tendon
(f) is relaxed, and the strain being thus taken off the elastic ligament
(e) that ligament contracts and draws the. third joint, carrying the ‘claw,
backwards till it fits into the hollow on the second joint. The contraction
of the tendon (/) has, of course, a directly contrary effect, stretching the
ligament (e), and bringing the first joint to a nearly upright position, so
that the claw is put forth ready for. use.

The colouring of the Domestic Cat may be black, white, tabby (that
is, grey striped with black), tortoise-shell (fawn-colour spotted with black),
sandy, and grey. There are numerous varieties, as the tailless Manx cat,
a capital mouser, the long-haired’Angora and Persian cats, generally kept
as pets, the bluish-grey Carthusian cat, and many others. A good deal

\


92 . Popular HisToryY oF ANIMALS.

has been written about a Chinese breed, with long ears hanging down like
those of a lop-eared rabbit, but Pére David, the French missionary, who
has travelled so.long in China, -was never able to find one, and _ thinks
the story a fable.

The habits of the Domestic Cat are too well known to need description.
Wherever civilised: man is found, the cat is an inmate of the house, though
rarely made such a pet of as the dog.. It is quite distinct from the Wild
Cat (Plate III., No. 4), which is extremely-rare in Great Britain, occurring
only in the Scottish mountains, and unknown in Ireland; it is. still found
in Central Europe. Our cats probably descended from the Egyptian cat,
a native of North Africa, smaller than the Wild cat of Europe,. with
yellowish fur, darker on the back, and fading into white below. There
are some obscure stripes on the limbs; and stripes or spots occur on
those of most cats, large and small, at least in early life, which seems
to show that they are all descended from'a striped ancestor.

The Wild Cat is larger and more stoutly built than the Domestic Cat,
and the tail, instead of tapering to a point, is of the same thickness
throughout. The colour is grey, striped with black, so that. it looks like a
large, fierce tabby. Its disposition is extremely savage, and when hard
pressed it is said to attack man, and inflict severe wounds with its teeth
and claws. The female makes a kind of nest in hollow trees or clefts of
the rocks, where she brings up her young—for cats are excellent mothers.

Having got some idea of the “make” of the cats—for our common
species is a very good example of the family—we may go on to the larger
species. In the Old World are found the lion, the tiger, the leopard,
the ounce or snow leopard, the cheetah or hunting leopard, a number
of smaller kinds known as tiger cats, and lynxes. Some tiger cats and
lynxes are found also in the New World, which has only two large species
—the puma and the jaguar, and some smaller cats. The colouring may
be sandy, as in the lion and puma, striped as in the tiger, or spotted as
in the leopard and jaguar. Black varieties are said to occur in many
species, but there is no black race of any wild form, though black indi-
viduals often occur in the same litter with cubs of the ordinary kind.
This unusual colour of the skin is called me/anism, and occurs chiefly in
leopards and jaguars, but even in these the spots appear of a deeper
black than the rest of the skin.

The Lion (Plate III., No. 1) is a native of Africa and South-western
Asia, but in both continents is being driven back by the advance
of civilisation. . In classic times it roamed over South-eastern Europe,
and remains have been found in bone-caves in this country which
show that at one time a lion closely allied to, if not identical with,
the living species, was native in Britain. The lion is distinguished












































































































AND GIRAFFE.

z
2
py


94. Porputar History or ANIMALS.

from all other cats by the presence of alarge, thick mane in the adult
male. A full-grown animal will measure rather more than eight feet
from the nose to the end of the tail, which counts for nearly half, and
is furnished at the end with a tuft of hair, in the centre of which is a
smail horny prickle, the use of which is unknown. The lion certainly
does not employ it, as was once thought, to excite himself to fury by
pricking his sides with it when he lashes his tail. The lioness is
smaller than her mate and without a mane. She bears from two to
four cubs at a litter, and native hunters. often steal them .to sell them
to the dealers in wild beasts who supply the menageries, for the capture
of a full-grown lion is rarely effected. The sire and dam both watch
over their young, and train them to hunt prey. Thus young lions are
more destructive than old ones; the former kill for the sake of killing,
the latter only to satisfy hunger and provide for their mate and her
cubs. ss :

Lions generally lie in wait for their prey, concealed in the reeds
near some place where other animals come to drink, and then; spring-
ing from their lair, leap upon the victim, striking it down with the
paws. The neck is generally broken with a violent wrench of the
powerful jaws, and the carcase is carried off to be devoured at leisure.
The lion does not disdain the flesh of animals killed by the hunter,
Gordon Cumming frequently saw lions feeding on antelopes that had
fallen to his rifle; and Stevens, who was sent by the Mew Vork Herald
to find Stanley, saw three ‘“‘bunched up inside the capacious carcase
of a rhinoceros, and feeding off the foulest carrion imaginable.” When
pressed by hunger the lion will approach a native village by night and
carry off goats and calves, but fires and torches will scare him away.

The lion has been called the King of Beasts, and a good deal has
been written about his courage and magnanimity. The former has
been exaggerated; the latter he does not possess. He will generally
fight savagely if brought to bay, and the lioness, when with cubs, is
still more dangerous; but as a general rule, the “king of beasts,” if
not molested, will bolt on sighting a man.

_ There are several varieties, differing somewhat in size and greatly in
colour—from red chestnut to a grey, so pale that at one time it was”
said that a race of white lions existed at the Cape. The Asiatic lion
was formerly supposed to have no’ mane, but one that lived, in the
Zoological Gardens, Regent’s Park, from 1854 to 1857, could show
as fine a mane as any lion from South Africa.

The roar of the lion is extremely grand and striking, and at times a
troop may be heard in concert, one taking the lead and three or four
others chiming in like persons singing a catch.
THE TIGER. 95

The lion is easily tamed if taken young, and is capable of strong
attachment. Most of the so-called “lion-tamers” who exhibit perform-
ing animals maintain their authority by the terrorism of the whip. This
was not the method of Van Amburgh, who subdued his troop of wild
beasts by personal influence, nor of the celebrated Frenchman, Henri
Martin, who never took a whip into the cage, and whose influence over































TIGERS ON THE PROWL.

savage creatures was so extraordinary that many people attributed to
him the power of fascination.

The Tiger (Plate III., No. 2) is confined to Asia, ranging from the
shores of the Caspian Sea to the island of Saghalien, but is not
found in Borneo or Ceylon. It equals, if it does not exceed, the lion
in size, and is an exceedingly beautiful animal. The fur is a reddish-
tawny, with black stripes ‘on the body, and bars of the same colours
on the limbs and tail. The under surface is white, and there is
some white about the face and ears. Tigers from the hot plains of
India are larger and have smoother fur than those from northern
localities. The unworn canine teeth in the upper jaw show faint serra-
tions, like those of the teeth of the extinct sabre-toothed tigers, one of

‘
96 PoputAR HisToRY oF ANIMALS.

which formerly lived in Britain, It is these jagged teeth that make
the tiger’s bite so dangerous as to give some colour to the native
notion that it is poisonous. :

The tiger is a very cowardly animal, but extremely savage and
dangerous when roused or wounded: in 1893 the Commander-in-
Chief of Madras was killed by one that he had wounded. It
delights in marshy places and thickets near rivers, and its striped
marking is a protection to it among the reeds of the jungle. It lives
chiefly on antelopes and domestic cattle, usually seizing the prey
with the teeth and using the paws to hold it and give a purchase
for a terrific wrench, by which the neck is broken. Like the lion, it
will feed on animals it has not killed; and Jerdon tells a story of a
wounded tiger being dragged off and devoured by another tiger. In
old age, when unable to take stronger and more active prey, some
tigers become “man-eaters,” and will then prowl round the villages,
carrying off victim after victim, till some English sportsman puts an end
to their career.

Tiger-hunting is a favourite sport with native princes and Europeans
in India. The sportsmen are usually seated in howdahs—constructions
something like the body of a carriage—on the backs of elephants.
Beaters are sent forward to rouse the game, and the elephants follow in
line. But shooting a tiger from an elephant’s back is not an easy
task, and if the game be missed the tiger often carries the war into the
enemy’s camp and charges the nearest elephant, sometimes inflicting
severe wounds upon the head and trunk before it is trampled to death
by the mighty beast, or despatched with a shot. Cases are known in
which the infuriated tiger has sprung upon the elephant and carried off
the sportsman. The tiger is also shot from platforms in trees, a cow
or goat being tied up near as a bait to attract it within range; and
the natives take it in traps and pitfalls, or destroy it with poisoned
meat. ;

If not interfered with the tiger will generally run from, rather than
attack man. A recent writer in the Aie/d tells a story of how, having
sent his guns and luncheon on before him, his attention was arrested
by a rustle in the jungle, and, looking that way, he saw a tiger,
crouched low, coming rapidly towards him. He says: “My first feeling
was one of horror, for it seemed all up with me the tiger being very
close and in his rush. Of course, it was not me but the pony that he
wanted ; but had he knocked over the latter, his own fears at finding a
man under him would have made him maul me, too. There was but
one thing to be done—viz. to put a bold front on it and try to
frighten him; and I therefore instantly wheeled the pony’s head


Puare III.

1. Lion and Lioness. 2. Tiger. 3. Leopard. 4. Wild Cat.
5. Lynx. 6. Opossum. 7. Kangaroos. 8, Squirrel. 9, Marmot.
10, Hamster. 11. Beavers. 12. Porcupine. 13. Alpine Hare.

14. Sloth. 15. Armadillo, 16. Great Anteater. 17. Pangolin.
18. Duck. Mole.


M Seeger, Stutigart
THE LEOPARD. 97

directly towards him, snouting at the same moment. The tiger stopped
short and stared at me, but he did not offer to retreat. I, then moved
the pony towards him, shouting loudly as I did so, and the tiger then’
turned his tail to me and, having retired about thirty yards, he sat.
bolt upright on his haunches and stared at me. I was naturally de-
sirous of withdrawing from an interview so unpleasant to me in my
unarmed condition. I therefore rode straight in at the tiger, waving
my arm and; sternly ordering him off, and before I reached him. he





LEOPARDS IN THE FOREST.

decided to remove himself, this time somewhat hastily, and in marked
contrast to his previous orderly, not to say dignified, retreat ; and, having
at last routed him, I lost no time in cantering over the remaining
portion of the jungle cart-track until it emerged upon the high road.”
The Leopard (Plate IIL, No. 3) is found in Africa and the warmer
parts of Asia. It is about 6 ft. long, of which the tail forms a little
less than half The fur is reddish-fawn, marked on the body with
dark rosettes; the tail is tinged with black, and the under-surface is
whitish. It is arboreal in habit—that is, it lives much more on trees
than on the ground; in this respect differing from the lion and the
tiger, which rarely climb trees—so rarely, indeed, that some writers
have doubted if these larger cats have the power to do so. It is a
very destructive animal, and preys upon sheep, goats, antelopes, and
calves. Donkeys it leaves severely alone, because, to quote a recent
H 1
98 PorputArR History oF ANIMALS.

writer on Eastern Equatorial Africa, “it knows well that a donkey, like
an English football-player, is generally a good kick, and so prefers
to give it a wide berth.” —

It has a strange liking for dog-meat, and is always ready to dine off
a dog provided he be not too large. Dr. Pruen, in “The Arab and
the African,” tells an amusing story of the experiences of a leopard with
two English mastifis. His servant chained up the dogs in the verandah
at dusk, and little time elapsed before a leopard, who had smelt dog
from below, jumped in between them. * He was evidently’ surprised at
their size, and still more so at the treatment he received, for “one dog
got him by the head, the other by the tail, and the .two quickly bowled
him over. He lay perfectly still, astonished at the unexpected turn
which events had taken, whilst the dogs, evidently puzzled at his quiet:
behaviour, simply held him there and growled, but offered him no
further violence. Before the men who had been standing near could
return with their guns, the leopard had taken advantage of the dogs’ in-
decision to suddenly wriggle away and disappear in the darkness,
leaving them without even a scratch.”

It sometimes carries off old women and children, but rarely attacks
man, though when wounded it fights with great fierceness, and some-
times succeeds in killing its foe. In 1892 a high official in India
wounded a leopard, as he thought mortally, when the beast sprang
upon him, threw him down, and badly mauled his left arm. Fortun-
ately, a native hunter came up and pinned the brute to the ground
with a spear, when the Englishman scrambled to his feet, and killed:
the leopard with a shot through the head.

The Ounce, or Snow. Leopard, bears the same relation to the true .
leopard that the extinct mammoth did to the elephants of our own
day—that is, it is fitted for existence in cold climates. The wide
spreading feet, that seem disproportionately large, are admirably suited
for travelling over an expanse of yielding snow. It lives in the high-
lands of Central Asia and the Himalayas, rarely descending much below
the snow-line, and is clothed in thick fur as a protection against the
cold. The colour is yellowish-grey with irregular dark’ spots, and the
bars on the tail do not form rings. It is said to live on sheep, goats,
and dogs, and has never been known to attack man. Very little is
known of its habits in a wild state; and only two specimens have been’
brought alive to England. The first was exhibited at the Zoological
Gardens, Regent’s Park, in 1891; but, unfortunately, it only lived in
confinement for about a month. A second specimen was received in
1894. For some little time, when quite a cub, it was in the possession
of Mrs. Tyacke, and fed with milk from a spoon. . In ‘‘How I Shot my
THE Puma. 99

Bears,” she says :—‘“ He was never happy unless in my lap or arms, and
would cry bitterly if I left the room without taking him with me.” But
the animal passed into other hands, and when Mrs. Tyacke saw him
three months later “he was an exceedingly graceful little beast, sleeping on
the Mem Sahib’s bed, and answering to the name of ‘ Moti’ (pearl). He
followed her everywhere, even running along the road on a fifteen-mile
march. But he was already developing the natural ferocity and treacher-
ousness of his race, and learning to make pretty free use of his claws.
We gave him a wide berth, except when tired out with a long march, and
disinclined to mischief, for he had left the marks of his poisonous natural
weapons on the hands of his master, and even of his mistress... He
had already bitten a boy, and had taken to knocking down goats, so that
in a few months we saw that it would be necessary to consign him for life
to an iron cage, or sell him to some rajah with a fancy for a menagerie.”
His owner sold him to the Zoological Society, and it is only fair
to say that his behaviour towards his keepers in London is much better
‘than it seems to have been towards his friends in India.

The last of the Old World large cats is the Clouded Tiger, found in
some parts of South-eastern Asia. It is a very beautiful and graceful
creature, with brownish-grey fur, irregularly marked and striped with
black. The total length is about 6 ft. or a little more, and of this the
tail makes up some 30 in. This animal is arboreal in habit, and preys
upon sheep, goats, dogs, and pigs.

The Puma, sometimes called the American lion, is found as far north
as Canada and as far south as the Straits of Magellan. In shape it is not
unlike a small lioness, with short legs, and the colour varies from reddish-
brown to silvery-grey, so light as to be almost white. The young are
spotted, but when the cubs are about a year old the spots disappear. The
prey consists of monkeys, deer, calves, pigs, and wild colts ; indeed, it
destroys so many of the last-named animals, that wherever the puma
abounds wild horses are sure to be scarce. Hudson, in his “ Naturalist in
La Plata,” says that a native told him that while driving a troop of horses
through the thicket, a puma sprang out of the bushes and seized a colt
that was following behind. The puma alighted directly on the colt’s
back, with one foot grasping its chest, while with the other it seized
the head, and, giving it a violent wrench, dislocated the neck. The
colt fell to the earth as if shot, and the natives affirmed that it was
dead before it touched the ground.

The same author believes that there is no authenticated instance of a
puma making an unprovoked attack upon any, human being, though he
relates a case when it defended itself when attacked, and severely injured
its assailant before it was killed. The Gauchos call it by a Spanish name

H 2
100 PoputAr History oF ANIMALS.

which means “ the friend of man,” and to the native Indian the beast was
sacred. The Jesuit missionaries found little difficulty in making converts
of the Indians, but when they tried to destroy the pumas, that. preyed on
their domestic cattle, they met with great opposition from their spiritual
children, who thought that instant death would overtake anyone rash
enough to interfere with the sacred animal. But early in the eighteenth
century, when matters had become unbearable, owing to the depredations
committed by the pumas on the farm-stock of the mission, a Jesuit Father,
who had just come from Spain, determined to take strong measures to
remedy the state of affairs. After exhorting the Indians to hunt and
destroy the puma to no purpose, he waited till he encountered one, and,
having killed it, he put it on his mule, and brought it to the station. The
Indians expected to see him fall dead; but as no harm befell him, their
faith in the belief that some terrible harm would happen to him who
_ killed a puma was shaken, and they were at last persuaded to hunt the
beasts that so terribly thinned the flocks and herds of the mission-station.

The puma-not only refrains from attacking man, but some writers
tell us that it is unable to defend itself when &ttacked. “For then,”
says Gay, in his “ Natural History of Chili,” ‘fits energy and daring
at once forsake it, and it becomes a weak, inoffensive creature, and
trembling and uttering piteous moans, and shedding abundant tears, it
seems to implore compassion from a generous enemy.”

Between the puma and the jaguar a deadly feud seems to rage.
Whenever they meet there is sure to be a battle-royal; and though the
latter is the larger and heavier beast, he generally gets the worst of the
encounter. Hudson, whom we have quoted before, says that the puma
harasses the jaguar as the tyrant-bird harasses an eagle or a hawk,
moving about it with such rapidity as to confuse it, and when an
opportunity occurs, springing upon its back and _ inflicting terrible
wounds with teeth and claws.

Kingsley, in his “Standard Natural History” (of America) is respon-
stble for the statement that the puma of the Northern States wages as
deadly war with the grisly bear as the Southern variety does with the
jaguar, and generally comes off victor. The puma is easily tamed, and
there are numerous instances of its having been kept as a pet.

The Jaguar is somewhat larger than the leopard, and, like it, is
a spotted cat. Inthe Jaguar, however, the spots form dark rings with
smaller spots within them. It ranges from Texas and Louisiana to
Patagonia, chiefly haunting the wooded banks of rivers, and féeding on the
capybara, the largest living rodent, though it by no means confines itself
to this diet. Wallace (‘Travels on the Amazon”) says that “it appears
to approach very nearly in fierceness and strength to the tiger, and that
THE JAGUAR. IOI

many persons are killed every year by these animals, though they rarely
attack man when they can procure other food. The Indians say that the
jaguar is the most cunning animal in the forest: he can imitate the voice
of almost every bird and beast so exactly as to draw them towards him;
he fishes in the rivers, lashing the water with his tail to imitate falling
fruit, and when the fish approach, hooks them up with his claws. He



JAGUAR.

catches and eats turtles, and I have myself found the unbroken shells,
which he has cleaned completely out with his paws. He even attacks
the manatee in its own element, and an eye-witness assured me he ‘had
watched one dragging out of the water this bulky animal, weighing as
much as a large ox.

“A young Portuguese told me he had seen (what many persons
assured me often happened) a jaguar feeding on a full-grown live alligator,
tearing and eating its tail. On leaving off and retiring a yard or two?
the alligator would begin to move towards the water, when the jaguar

\
IO2 PoputAr History oF ANIMALS.

would spring upon it and again commence eating at the tail, during which
time the alligator lay perfectly still.) We had been observing a cat playing
with a lizard, both behaving in exactly the same manner, the lizard only
attempting to move when the cat for a moment left it; the cat would then
immediately spring upon it again, and my informant assured me he had
seen the jaguar treating the alligator in exactly the same way.”

Bates and his party once disturbed a jaguar that had come to a
water-hole to drink, and as they went on they found the mangled
remains of an alligator. ‘The head, fore-quarters, and bony shell were
the only parts which remained; but the meat was quite fresh, and there
were many footmarks of the jaguar round the carcass, so that there
was no doubt this had formed the solid part of the animal’s breakfast.”

The Indians believe that this
animal has the power of fas-
cination. Wallace was told by
a person who said he had wit-
nessed the scene, how a jaguar
stood at the foot of a high tree,
looking up into the branches,
—=€ = where was a howling monkey

OCELOT, making a piteous noise, and

gazing steadily at the great cat

below. The monkey descended slowly, branch by branch, still uttering

mournful cries, till at last it fell down at the very feet of the jaguar,

which seized and devoured it. The same author adds :—‘ Many

incidents of this kind are related by persons who have witnessed them,

but whether they are exaggerated or altogether imaginary, it is difficult
to decide.”

In both hemispheres there are found smaller striped, spotted, and
in a few cases, self-coloured animals of the Cat genus, which are generally
called tiger-cats, though some of them have distinctive names. Among
the most important are the Ocelot, a savage arboreal form, with a wide
range in America; the Margay, from Central America; and the Fishing,
Cat, from Southern and Eastern Asia. This species, which is very fierce,
and which has been known to carry off children, lives chiefly on fish,
which it dexterously hooks out of the water with its paw. The Serval
is a large long-legged African cat, of tawny colour spotted with black.
Of uniform coloration are the Jaguarondi and the Eyra, of weasel-like
shape, with a very long tail, from the New World; and the Flat-headed
Cat, with a long body and short legs and tail, the small Bornean Bay
€at, and the Egyptian Cat, from the Old World, Besides these, several
wild cats are found in both hemispheres. j


LYNXES—THE CHEETAH. 103

The Lynxes are cats with short tails, long limbs, especially behind,
and a tuft of long hair at the tip of the ears. They are found in all
four continents. The Northern Lynx (Plate III., No. 5) is about 40 in.
long, exclusive of the tail. Its colour is reddish-grey, more or less
spotted, and there is a fringe of hair on the cheeks. It is a native
of Scandinavia, Russia, and Northern Asia; and a few linger in the
mountainous ‘districts of Northern Europe. In winter it loses its
bright colour, and the fur becomes longer and thicker, as a protection
against the cold. Two or three varieties of this species are found in
America. The Pardine Lynx is a native of the South of Europe, from
Spain to Turkey. Lynxes may be considered as large wild cats; they
prey upon small mammals and birds, doing great damage to poultry-
yards. The Caracal from Asia and Africa is more like the tame cats in
form. The tail reaches to the heels; the colour is reddish or. yellowish-
brown, generally uniform on the back and sides, but sometimes with
darker spots. The under-surface is -paler and occasionally white. This
animal is used. by the Arabs and Persians for hunting small antelopes.

Last of the family comes the Cheetah or Hunting Leopard, which
differs so much from all the rest that some authorities put it in a
genus by itself—the Dog-like Cat. It is found in Africa and Asia,
and in the latter continent it is kept in a half-domesticated condition,
and used to hunt antelopes and deer. The legs are long, and the
general appearance, with the exception of the head, dog-like, and the
claws are only partially retractile. The length is about 4} ft. exclusive
of the tail, which is 23 ft. to 22 ft. The ground colour is reddish-
fawn, marked with black spots.



CHEETAH.
CHAPTER IX.

THE CIVET, HY#NA, AND DOG FAMILIES.

esa HE Civet family occupy a position between the True Cats

and the Hyznas. They have long, thin bodies, short limbs,

a long tail, and a sharp-pointed snout; and are clothed

with stiff, harsh fur. There are usually five digits on each

limb, but those corresponding to our thumb and great toe
may be wanting; and in walking the wrist and ankle are brought
much nearer the ground than is the case with the Cats. The claws
in most species can be but partially drawn back. The skull is longer
than that of the Cats, and there are more teeth; the canines are smaller,
and the back-teeth less scissor-like—bearing, especially in the Palm
Civets, little blunt projections, so as to crush or grind. There is a
pouch under the tail, in which an odorous substance is secreted. These
animals are confined to Asia and African regions, with the exception
of one species that is European.

The Foussa, from Madagascar, is about 5 ft. long, and has
soft, close fur of a reddish-brown
hue. Its reputation is a very bad
one.. In habit it is nocturnal, and
strange stories have been told of
its “fierceness when wounded or
molested. ' It feeds on flesh, and
is said to carry off kids and to

. attack and prey upon goats and
sheep. The illustration was sketched
from life from the first specimen
brought alive to England (in 1890),
and exhibited at the Zoological
Gardens. Since then some young ones have been exhibited. The
claws can be drawn back like those of the cat.

Next come the True Civet Cats, from which the musky perfume
called civet is obtained. The fur is coarse, yellowish-grey in colour, mare
or less spotted or striped with black, and forming an erectile mane on
the back. They feed chiefly upon flesh, but also on fruits and roots.

The African Civet is a native of those parts of the Dark Continent
lying between the tropics. It is somewhat larger than a Common Fox,





FOUSSA,.
.CIVETS., 5 BOS

and, like some other species, is kept in confinement for the sake of its
strong-smelling secretion, which is used in the manufacture of perfumery.
The odour is far too strong to be pleasant, unless the civet is diluted
with oil or spirit. . The Asiatic Civet, about the same size as the African,
has a wide range in the East, where the natives keep it in cages in
which it can hardly turn round, so that they may conveniently extract
the contents of the pouch. The Tangalung, from Java, Sumatra, Borneo,
and the Philippines, and the Burmese Civet, are of smaller size, but
similar in habits. The spots of the latter are large and distinct.

The Lesser Civet Cat, or Rasse, found over the greater part of
India and in the Malay Peninsula and China, is about 4o in.
long, of which the tail counts for 16 in. or 17 in. They are
generally solitary, a pair
being rarely seen together,
and feed on small mam-
mals, eggs, snakes, frogs,
insects, fruit, and roots.
The Chinese eat the
flesh, but the musky odour
is generally disagreeable
to. Europeans. They
often rob poultry-yards ;
and one kept by Dr.
Jerdon caught rats, squir-
rels, and small birds. APRICAN CIVET.

The Fossa—a very dif- a
ferent animal from the Foussa—is an allied species from Madagascar.

The Genettes are smaller than the Civets, less stoutly built, and
with shorter limbs. They emit a musky odour, but there is no pouch
in which the product of the scent-glands is stored up. The soft grey
fur is spotted with brown or black. All the species are African, but
one, the Common Genette, is also found in the South of France,
Spain, and South-western Asia. It is often domesticated as a-mouser.

The Linsangs are beautiful and graceful cat-like animals, with three
species from Asia and one from Africa. The body is long and slender,
the limbs short, the tail long and round, and ringed with black. In
the Asiatic Linsangs the ground colour is rich buff or greyish-white,
marked with oblong black patches. The African Linsang, by far the
largest, is marked with spots and small blotches. They are as much
‘at home in trees as on the ground, and prey on small mammals and
birds. They become gentle in confinement and are easily tamed.

The Palm Civets, of which there are nine or ten species, are

\


106 ' Poput4sar HisToRY OF ANIMALS.

confined to Southern Asia and the Malay Archipelago. They are about
the size of a domestic cat, and can draw back their claws.: They are
nocturnal and arboreal.in habit, are capital climbers, and feed more
on vegetable food than the True Civets do. The long tail, which is
ringed in the Indian species, is not prehensile, as was formerly sup-
posed, but it can be partially coiled, and in specimens kept in confine-
ment, this coiled condition sometimes becomes permanent. The pouch
is represented by a fold of skin, and the secretion has no musky smell.
The general coloration is dull. Mr. Sterndale kept one as a pet, and
thus describes it: “It used to sleep nearly all day on a bookshelf in
my study, and would, if called, lazily look up, yawn, and then come
down to be petted, after which it would spring up again into its retreat.
At night it was very active, especially in bounding from branch to
branch of a tree which I had cut down and placed in the room in
which it was locked up every evening. Its wonderful agility on ropes
was noticed on board ship. Its favourite food was plantains, and it
was also very fond of milk. At night I used to give it a little meat,
but not much; but most kinds of fruit it used to like. Its temper was
a little uncertain, and it seemed to dislike natives, who at times got
bitten; but it never bit any of my family, although one of my little
girls use to catch hold of it by the forepaws, and dance it about like
a kitten.” Those in the Gardens at Regent’s Park will come down
to the front of their cages if called, and a small piece of apple or
banana will serve to begin an aquaintance.

The Binturong somewhat resembles a raccoon in appearance,
though but distantly related to that animal. It is about 5 ft. long,
of which the tail, which is prehensile, counts for half; with stiff harsh
black or dark-greyish fur, and the ears bordered with white. In habit
it is nocturnal and arboreal, and eats anything that comes in its way.
One that has lived for some years in the Zoological Gardens, Regent’s
Park, knows its friends well, and howls reproachfully if they pass its
cage without noticing it. It ranges from Nepaul eastward to Sumatra
and Java.

The Cynogale, from Borneo and the Malay peninsula, is an “ otter-
like animal, with very broad muzzle, clothed with long bristles.” It is
as much at home in the water, feeding on fish and crustaceans,
as it is climbing trees and feeding on birds and fruit. It is about
30 in. long, of which the tail counts for 6 in, and has yellowish-
brown fur. ;

The Ichneumons are chiefly African, only the True Ichneumons
ranging into Asia and Europe. They vary in size from that of a large
cat to that of a weasel, which animal many of them resemble in form.
ICHNEUMONS. 107

They live mostly on the ground, and feed on small mammals, birds,
reptiles and their eggs, and insects. Some are domesticated as mousers
and snake-killers. The Common Ichneumon (Plate II., No. 20) of North
Africa, found also in Spain, was a sacred animal among the ancient
Egyptians. It is commonly domesticated at the present day, and
makes an affectionate pet, and a capital servant in killing rats, mice,
serpents, and lizards. The Indian Ichneumon, or Mungoose, is much
smaller, with pale-grey fur. It is noted as a snake-killer; and while





“by AE :
MC

2
ELS
MSs,
INDIAN ICHNEUMON.



A — “pe “LE,

(eS
ih
me

some maintain that it is proof against snake-poison, others declare
that when bitten the mungoose rushes away to feed on some herb that
acts as an antidote. Sterndale kept one as a pet for some time, and
says :—“It travelled with me on horseback in an empty holster, or
in a pocket, or up my sleeve; and afterwards, when my duties as a
settlement-officer took me out into camp, ‘Pips’ was my constant
companion. He was excessively clean, and after eating would pick his
teeth with his claws in. a most absurd manner. I do not know
whether a mungoose in a wild state will eat carrion, but he would not
touch anything tainted; and, though very fond. of freshly-cooked game,
would turn up his nose at high partridge or grouse. He was very
fond of eggs, and, holding them in his fore-paws, would crack a little

\
508 POPULAR HISTORY OF ANIMALS.

hole at.the small end, out of which he would suck the contents. He
was a very good ratter, and also killed many snakes against which I
pitted him. His way ‘seemed to be to tease the snake into darting
at him, when, with inconceivable rapidity, he would pounce on the
reptile’s head. He seemed to know instinctively which were the
poisonous ones, and acted with corresponding caution. I do not
believe in the mungoose being proof against snake-poison, or in the
antidote theory. Their extreme agility prevents their being bitten ; and
the stiff, rigid hair which is excited at such times, and a thick loose
skin, are an additional protection. I think it has been proved that
if the poison of a snake is injected into the veins of a mungoose it
proves fatal.”

The Crab Mungoose, extending from the South-east Himalayas
into Assam and Arakan, is iron-grey in colour, and about 18 in.
long, of which the tail counts for a third. In habit it is partially
aquatic, and feeds on crabs and frogs. The glands under the tail
secrete an ill-smelling fluid, which the animal can squirt to a con-
siderable distance. There are a few other forms, of which the best
known are the Kusimanse—a small burrowing animal with dark brown
fur—from West Africa, and the Suricate, or Meerkat, from South
Africa. We know little about their habits in a wild: state, but both
soon become tame in captivity. The Suricate is about the length
of a Crab Mungoose, but more stoutly built and stands higher on
the legs. The fur is greyish-brown, barred with dark stripes along the
back. They are commonly kept as pets at the Cape; but the Malays
use them for charms and love philtres, treating them in much the same
way as the Cingalese do the Loris. Of their habits when kept as
pets, Mr. Morgan Evans wrote recently in the Meld :-—“ They quickly
avail themselves of any opportunity of being nursed—climbing up one’s
legs and nestling in the lap. If they have the chance and are
allowed, they creep on to the breast and seek warmth and comfortable
quarters underneath the. coat or inside the waistcoat, whence they will
probably push on until they curl themselves up at your back, if your
garments are loose-fitting. I have several times carried one about with
me of winter nights in this fashion or in my pocket, to the houses of
friends who wished to interview one of my pets. They have a
“curious, low, throaty’ cry—a kind of croak which is by no, means
disagreeable.”

The Aard-Wolf (Earth-Wolf) is not much unlike a small Striped
Hyzena in form and colour, with a sharp muzzle and large ears.” Down
the back runs a line of stiff hair, which can be erected like a mane
when the animal is angry. South Africa is the home of this animal :
HIV ANAS. 169

it lives in a burrow, is more active by night than by day, and
feeds on carrion, insect larvee, and termites.

In the -Hyzenas the teeth are large and strong, and the muscles of
the jaws are so powerful that these animals can crush the thigh-bone
of a horse or an antelope. The hind limbs are shorter than the front,
and all have four digits, with stout claws that cannot be drawn back ;
the tail is short, and a pouch receives the unpleasant secretion from
the scent-glands.

The Striped Hyzena
(Plate IL., No. 19) is
about the size of a large
dog, with dirty grey fur,
marked on the body
with stripes and on the
limbs with bars of a
blackish hue, and stiff
and mane-like on the
back and shoulders.
It is found in North
Africa and Southern
Asia, and is thus de-
scribed by Mr. Stern-
dale :—“ This repulsive
and cowardly creature
is yet a useful beast
in its: way. Living
almost exclusively on HY/ENAS IN A BURYING-GROUND,
carrion, it is an ex-
cellent scavenger. Most wild animals are too active for it, but it feeds
on the remains left by the larger cats, and such creatures as die
of disease; and it can, on a pinch, starve for a, considerable time. '
The African hyena is said to commit great havoe in the sheep-fold.
The Indian one is very destructive to dogs, and constantly carries off
pariahs from the outskirts of villages. The natives declare that the
hyzena tempts the dogs out by its unearthly cries, and then falls upon
them: Dr. Jerdon relates a story of a small dog, belonging to an
officer’ ‘of the 33rd Madras Native Infantry, being carried off by a
hyena whose den was known. Some of the Sepoys went after it,
entered! the cave, killed the hyena, and recovered the dog alive, and
with ‘but little damage done to it. The -hyzna is of a timorous nature,
seldom, if ever, showing fight. Two of them nearly ran over me once

1


























































































































































































IIO PopuLtAr HisTORY oF ANIMALS.

as I was squatting on a deer-run waiting for sambtir, which were being
beaten out of a hill. I flung my hat in the face of the leading one,
on which both turned ‘tail and fled.”

Closely allied is the Spotted or Laughing Hyzena, from Africa,
south of the Great Saharan Desert. The fur is yellowish, marked. with
dark-brown spots. The tail is not so bushy as that of the Striped
Hyeena, and there is no mane. In habit it resembles its relative from
Asia and North Africa; but while that animal is solitary, silent, or
nearly so, this hunts in packs, and utters an unearthly cry, which,
according to the late Professor Kitchen Parker, is ‘enough to wake
the dead and madden the living.” a

The Brown Hyzena, or Strand-Wolf, is also South African, but less
common than the Spotted Hyzena, and of smaller size. The ground-
colour is reddish-grey, with blackish stripes and spots.

The Dog family contains, besides the creatures we commonly
call by that name, the Wolves, Wild Dogs, Jackals, and Foxes. Some
of these are found all over the world, with the exception of a few
islands; and wherever Man has settled, there the domesticated Dog
is sure to be. The animals of this group stand midway between
the Cats and the Bears. The skull is long, and the muzzle sharp
and pointed; the limbs are rather long, and the Dogs, like the Cats,
walk on the tips of their fingers and toes: the former are five, the
latter four in number, armed with curved blunt claws, which cannot
be drawn back. The great toe is absent, except in some Domestic
Dogs, where it is represented by the bones and claw, which hang
loosely in the skin, unconnected with the bones of the foot.
This is what fanciers call the “dew-claw.” The tail is rather long,
and generally bushy. The Dogs are less carnivorous than the
Cats, and the teeth are not so well adapted for cutting and ‘tearing
raw flesh. The larger Dogs feed by choice on the flesh of animals
they have themselves killed; many of them hunt in packs, and most
are, to some extent, sociable. Many of the smaller forms feed on
carrion, insects, fruit, and other vegetable substances.

The Wolves are the largest wild members of this family, though
some breeds of Domestic Dogs exceed them in size. They are found
in Europe, Asia, and America, from the extreme north as far south
as Mexico; but from South America and Africa they are absent, their
place being taken by Jackals and Foxes. With such a wide range, in
such different climates, they vary much in size, colour, and character of
the coat, and many have been described as distinct species which have
no real claim to that character. The Common Wolf (Plate II., No. 17)
Wot ves. III

is still found in Europe, being most abundant in the northern and
eastern parts. It is also widely distributed over Asia, where it runs
into varieties; and the Common Wolf of North America is probably
identical with it, though some naturalists give it a different name.
The fur is generally yellowish-grey; but specimens almost white and
others nearly black have been met with. Wolves from the northern
regions have longer and closer fur than those from the south.































































































































































WOLVES ON THE TRACK.

The Wolf was formerly common in the British Isles; and, as we
might expect, lingered longer in Scotland and Ireland than in England.
It is well known that King Edgar commuted the money-tribute of the
Welsh for three hundred wolf-skins, or heads, delivered year by year.
But as late as the reign of Edward II. these beasts infested the royal
forest of the Peak in Derbyshire; and they do not appear to have
been exterminated in this country till the reign of Henry VII. (1485-
1509). Wolves probably lived on in the North of Scotland till about
the middle of the eighteenth century, disappearing a little later from
Ireland—according to tradition, somewhere about 1766.

The Common Wolf is about 5 ft. long, of which the tail forms

Woy
112 PoputArR History oF ANIMALS.

nearly a third, and stands from 30 in. to 32 in. high at the

shoulder. Its habits are those of the group. Wolves generally hunt

in packs, and pursue their prey in the open, thus differing from the -
Cats, which lie in wait, or creep up, and attack with a sudden spring.

Deer, antelopes, and cattle are relentlessly run down; and in former days,

the mighty bison was often separated from the herd and pressed by
his pursuers till he dropped from sheer exhaustion,.and was torn to-
pieces by the yelling pack. Where their numbers have been thinned,
by man, they are obliged to hunt singly or in couples, and to content
themselves. with smaller game. When they break into a sheepfold
they kill, as it would seem, for the sake of killing, and not merely
to satisfy their hunger—a bad characteristic that also distinguishes the
larger Domestic Dogs that develop a taste for mutton. Wolves rarely
attack man, unless first molested, or hard-pressed by hunger; but in

India, according to Sterndale, “hundreds of children are carried off
annually, especially in Central India and the North-west Provinces.”

Wolves are tamed without much difficulty. Two cubs of the
Indian Wolf, kept by an officer, recognised him after an absence of
nearly three months, fawning on him, and licking his face and hands,
though always ready to growl and snap at a stranger. They soon
became so tame that they were turned out in the camp, where they
lived on excellent terms with the dogs.

The Prairie Wolf of America ranges from about 55° N. to Mexico.
It is smaller than the Common Wolf, the head and body together
measuring about 3 ft. and the tail about a foot. The hair is of
shades of grey, darker along the spine; the tail is bushy, and the
short, erect ears are white in front and brown behind.

Next to the Wolves come the Jackals. The head and body are
about 30 in. long, and the tail rather less than a foot; the height
at the shoulder is from 16 in. to 18 in. The fur is dark yellowish
or reddish-grey, lighter on the under-parts; and the tail, which is
moderately hairy, is reddish-brown, and ends in a darkish tuft.

Like the Wolves, they hunt in packs. Sterndale says that the Jackal
is well known “both as a prowler and a scavenger, in which capacity
he is useful, and as a disturber of our midnight rest by his diabolical
yells, in which peculiarity he is to be looked upon as an unmitigated
nuisance. He is mischievous, too, occasionally, and will commit havoc
among poultry and young kids and lambs; but, as a general rule, he
is a harmless, timid creature, and when ahjiial food fails, he will take
readily to vegetables.” The Jackal sometimes feeds on dead bodies,
which it digs out of the shallow grayes made by the natives; and
Sterndale says: “I once came across the dead body of a child in

4
Kinps or Does. 113

the vicinity of a jungle-village, that had been unearthed by one.” The
Indian species is also found in Asia Minor and North Africa. South
of the Sahara Desert it is replaced by the Black-backed Jackal, of
somewhat larger size. The Senegal Jackal has bright tawny fur and
dark bands on the back, sides, and chest.

Very closely: related to the Jackals are the Wild Dogs of Asia.
~The Common Indian Wild Dog ranges through Burma to the Malay
Archipelago. It is somewhat larger and more dog-like in appearance
than the Indian Jackal, of a fierce disposition, and is said to be un-
tamable. These Wild.Dogs hunt in small packs, and endeavour to
seize the quarry by the flanks and pull it down. They have often
been seen chasing deer and antelopes, and the natives assert that a
pack will run down and kill a tiger.

The Dingo, or Australian Wild Dog, has been partially domesticated
by the natives, and breeds freely with the dogs kept by the colonists.
The general colour is yellowish-brown, though this may be tinged with
red, or deepened till almost black. Dingoes hunt in small packs, and
commit great damage in sheepfolds and poultry-yards. On this account
the farmers do their best to exterminate them.

The Eskimo Dog is wolf-like in appearance, and, like the wolf, does
not bark. It is but partially domesticated; for though it is used to
draw sledges and carry burdens, and performs these duties very well, it
often lapses into savagery, and its master can keep none of the smaller
domestic animals lest his dogs should prey upon them.

The Hare Indian Dog takes its name from the tribe of American
Indians who domesticated it. It is found round the Great Bear Lake,
and seems to have been derived from the Prairie Wolf.

The Pariah Dogs of the East are domestic dogs that have escaped
from their masters and run wild; they have gone back to a partially
savage condition. They are, however, protected to some extent from
the fact that they act as scavengers in clearing the. streets of offal.

The Domestic Dogs run into more breeds than can be easily
counted. A recent writer estimated them at nearly two hundred. Mr.
Harting classes them all in the following six divisions:

Wolf-like Dogs, Spaniels, Mastiffs,
Greyhounds, : Hounds, Terriers,

and thinks that cross-breeding will account for the forms that do not
fall readily under any one of the classes.

Among the Wolflike Dogs he places the half-domesticated Eskimo
and Hare Indian Dogs, the Pariahs, the Sheep Dog, the Drover’s Dog,
the Collie, and the Spitz.

I
114 Poputar HuistoRY oF ANIMALS.

In the Greyhound Class are. our Coursing Dog, the Italian and
Persian Greyhound, the Scotch Staghound, the Irish Wolfhound, and the
Lurcher. :

The Spaniels form a-very numerous class. Many of them are
sporting dogs, used to flush game or bring it out of the water. . Here
also belong the Retriever, the Newfoundland, and the St. Bernard—
the last two well known for their life-saving services to man—and the
King Charles and Blenheim lap-dogs.

Chief among the Hounds is the Bloodhound, with its magnificent
power of scent. In this group are also the Staghound, with which the
red deer of Exmoor is hunted, the Fox-hound, the Harrier and Beagle,
the Otter-hound, the Dachshund and its relation the Turnspit. These
hunt by foot-scent; the Pointer. depends on body-scent, and the
Dalmatian, or Plum-pudding Dog, is purely ornamental.

Besides the English Mastiff there is a Tibetan breed. To the
Mastiffs belong the German Boarhound, the Great Dane, the Bull Dog,
'and the Pugs. .

The Terriers form the last group, and perhaps the most numerous.
We can only mention the Fox Terrier, which makes such a capital
companion, the rough-coated Irish Terrier, the long-haired Skye, with
its varieties, the short-haired English Terriers, and the Poodles.

These various breeds of Dogs need no description. The Dog was
probably brought into subjection by Man before the dawn of history,
and is one of his most useful conquests. When Man was a hunter, the
Dog helped him to track and secure his game; when he moved upward
to the pastoral stage, these animals guarded his flock and herds; and as
civilisation advanced, they became his companions and friends. In
some parts of Europe dogs are still used, as they formerly were in
England, to draw small carts; and they look none the worse for their
labour. In Continental armies they are trained to carry despatches and
to act as sentinels. During the German army manceuvres of 1893
five trained dogs—two Scotch and three German sheep-dogs—carried
despatches from outposts to headquarters and back again with speed and
certainty, distinguishing themselves especially by night. As searchers
for wounded men their keen scent and instinct were particularly valuable.
The Scotch dogs displayed the greater fidelity, while the German dogs
excelled in speed, one of them having covered nearly two miles in seven
minutes.

The Common Fox (Plate II., No. 18) would soon be extinct in Britain
were it not strictly preserved for the sport of fox-hunting. It is a good
type of the second group, distinguished by their smaller size, erect,
pointed ears, and brush-like tail. ‘The length is about 3 ft., 2 ft. of
FOXES. 115

which is taken up by the head and body. The fur is reddish above
and white beneath, and the end of the brush—for so the tail is called—
is white. The back of the ears and the front part of the limbs are black.
The muzzle is long and pointed, and the animal has a sharp, wide-
awake look, which is quite warranted by its character; indeed, the Fox
is proverbial for its cunning. And it has need of all its skill and
sagacity, for it lives by plundering game-preserves, poultry-yards, and
rabbit-warrens, and when taken in the fact is only spared that it may
become the prey of the hounds. Fox-hunting is a national sport, and
has been introduced abroad by
Englishmen wherever possible. In
America the Fox is shot. Its
habits are nocturnal, and the day
is passed in the burrow, which is
called its “ earth.” There are several
allied species spread over the world.

The Arctic Fox has a very large,
bushy tail, and the palms and soles
covered with fur. In summer the
fur is bluish-grey, changing to white -
in winter. Some of these animals
may be seen in the Zoological FENNECS.

Gardens, Regent’s Park, and their
mottled appearance when assuming the darker summer coat is very
strange. At that. time no two of these creatures are alike in colour.

The Fennecs are small African Foxes, with very large ears. Their
colour is fawn or sandy, as is that of most desert animals. Their food
is chiefly vegetable, and they are very fond of fruit. Some that were
sent to the Zoological Gardens in 1894 were very timid at first, but
with a little coaxing they would come down to the wires of their cage
and take a piece of fruit.

The Cape Hunting Dog, which is found in South and East Africa,
is about the size of a mastiff, and is marked somewhat like a Spotted
Hyzena, with white, yellow, and black. It hunts in large packs.

The Bush Dog, from Brazil and Guiana, is about the size of a fox;
the Long-eared Fox, from South Africa, is somewhat smaller, and ite
bushy tail is very short.


116 »

CHAPTER X.

BEARS AND BEAR-LIKE CARNIVORES.

| HE Bears form a well-known group. They are more stoutly
built than the Cats or the Dogs, have short limbs all with
five digits, armed with strong curved claws that cannot be
drawn back, and well adapted for digging. In walking, the

* soles and palms, which are generally hairless, are planted
flat on the ground; the tail is very short. The young are born blind
and naked, but there is no truth in the story that their mothers lick
them into shape. Flesh forms the principal part of the diet of the
larger forms, but many are, to a great extent if not entirely, vegetable
feeders, and their teeth are modified .accordingly.

The Polar Bear (Plate II., No. r2), a native of the Arctic regions of
Europe and America, is one of the largest of the group, attaining a length
of nearly 9 ft. Unlike the Arctic Fox, it is white all the year round. The
head is small, but long, and the soles and palms are hairy, giving the
animal a firm grip as it walks over the ice. This Bear takes a winter
sleep, and the young are born in a cave or hole beneath the snow. It
has a bad character for ferocity, but is rarely the first to attack. Dr.
Robert Brown says, “It does not: hug, but bites; and it will not eat its
prey till it is dead, playing with it like a cat with a mouse. I have
known several men who, while sitting watching or skinning seals, have
had its rough hands laid on -their shoulders: their only chance then
thas been to feign being dead and to shoot it while the bear was sitting
at a distance watching its intended victim. Though Eskimo are often
seen who: have been scared by it, oc unless attacked or rendered fierce
by hunger, it rarely attacks man.’

Like most other ‘wild animals, Polar Bears are diminishing in
numbers before the advance of man. They are hunted for the sake of
their skins, which make excellent rugs, their. flesh, and their fat. They
feed on seals, walrus, and fish, and in summer their diet consists
largely of seaweed, grass, and lichen.

The Brown Bear (Plate II., No. 11) is found in N orthern and Central
Europe, and is much more abundant in Asia north of the Himalayas ;
it formerly lived in Britain, but it is uncertain when it became extinct,
probably about the time of the Conquest. Bear-baiting was formerly
a popular sport in England, and lingered on till the beginning of the
eighteenth century. Bear-gardens were places of public entertainment


BEARS. Il7

o

where these animals were baited with dogs. At Berne, in Switzerland,
the name is still applied to the public bear-pit.

A large specimen will measure as much as 7 ft. in length, and
3 ft. in height at the shoulder; but 5 ft. may be taken as the length
of an ordinary European bear. In Europe the Brown Bear feeds



BEAR-HUNTING IN NORWAY,

more largely on flesh than the Asiatic form does. In the Himalayas
the animal subsists principally on insects and vegetable food, sometimes
plundering the gardens and orchards. of the natives, while in the north
of the continent it lives for a great part of the year on fish. The
Syrian Bear and the Isabelline Bear are local varieties.

It was, “nd perhaps still is, supposed that these bears attack by
“hugging.” In his ‘Mammals of India,” Mr. Blanford says that this
idea has probably arisen from the fact that a bear strikes round with

\
118 PorPuLtAR HISTORY OF ANIMALS.

its paws, as if grasping, and the blow of its powerful arm drives its
claws into the body of its victim, causing tettible wounds; but the
idea of its ‘hugging’.appears not confirmed by recent observers.” But
ina fight between brown bears some years ago at.the Zoological Gardens,
the conqueror undoubtedly killed his victim by hugging, as was shown
by the nature of the fatal injuries.

The Grizzly Bear ranges from Alaska to Mexico. Mr. Shields
puts the length at about 7 ft. from the snout to the tip of the
tail. The fur is brownish-yellow, with a dark stripe along the back
and one on each side; the muzzle is pale, and the legs are nearly
black. These animals prey chiefly on*moose deer, and often raid the
farmer’s stock-yards; but they will eat poultry, fish, roots, herbs,
vegetables; fruit, honey, and insects. When the snow is deep, the
grizzly retires to his winter quarters for his long sleep, during which
the fat it has put on during the summer furnishes heat and nourishment
sufficient to maintain life. Mr. Shields says that he has been “convinced
that some grizzlies, at least, will attempt to make a meal off a man,
even though he may not have harmed them previously.” He also tells
a story of a man being attacked by an old female grizzly, who “struck
a powerful blow at his head. . . Her claws caught his scalp, and laid
it open clear across the top. of his head in several ugly gashes.” He
says nothing about hugging, and the blow seems to confirm what Mr.
Blanford said about the Brown Bear’s method of attack.

The so-called Cinnamon and Brown Bears of America are only
varieties of the Grizzly Bear.

The Black Bear of America is now confined to some of the
mountain ranges south of the St. Lawrence, the Great Lakes, and to
the unsettled country east of the Mississippi. The length rarely exceeds
5 ft., and the fur is smooth and glossy-black in colour.

The Black Bear of the Himalayas has on its breast a white mark
shaped somewhat like a halfmoon. These animals, about 5 ft. in
average length, frequent forests and wooded districts, and though
they are principally vegetable-feeders, will sometimes attack sheep, °
cattle, and ponies. Sterndale says that, if cornered, they attack savagely,
as all bears will, and the face generally suffers.

Of the habits of the Spectacled Bear, in its wild state, nothing is
known. It is a small black bear, with yellowish rings round the eyes,
and white on thé throat and breast, and lives in the Peruvian Andes.

The Malayan Bear is also small, and has brownish-black fur, with a
yellowish mark on the chest. Its tongue is long and e&tensile, and
with it the animal scoops the honey from the nests of wild bees.

The Sloth Bear is found all over India, and a large specimen will
RACCOONS. IIQ

measure from5 ft. to 6 ft. in length. It is covered with long black,
shaggy hair, except on the chest, where there is a white U-shaped. mark.
The Sloth Bear carries her young on her back. | Mr. Sanderson shot
one that was carrying a cub as large as a sheep-dog. . Fruit, insects,
and honey are the chief food of these bears, and they are especially
fond of white ants. Colonel Tickell says that “the bear'scrapes away
with his fore-feet till he reaches the Jarger combs at the bottom of the
galleries. He then with violent. puffs dissipates the dust and crumbled
particles of the nest, and sucks,out the inhabitants of the comb so
forcibly as to be heard at two hundred yards’ distance or more. Large
larvee are in this way sucked. out from great depths under the soil.”

The Black-and-White Bear is a native of Eastern Tibet ; the length
is a little less than 5 ft., and the
height at the shoulders rather .more
than 2 ft’ The ground colour is
white, there are black rings round.
the eyes; the limbs are black, and
from each fore-limb a band of the.
same colour goes up across the
back: This animal is said to feed
entirely on vegetable food, but
nothing is known of its habits.

-The Panda, or Red Cat-Bear, is

a link between the True Raccoons ae
and the Bears, is the only one of "RACCOON,
the family found in the Old World.
It is a native of the South-eastern Himalayas. In size it resembles a
large cat; the fur is rusty-red; there is some white on thé face, and
the tail is light red with dark rings. The claws can be dfawn back
like those of a cat, but are only used for climbing, not for taking prey
or defending itself. Its food is chiefly vegetable, and it is said to steal
milk and butter from the villagers.

The True Raccoons are natives.of North America, and are generally
found in wooded places near running water. ‘They’ are flesh-eaters,
but do not object to birds’ eggs, shell-fish, fruit, and grain. The
Common. Raccoon is from 30 in. to 3 ft. long, of which the tail
measures nearly a foot. The fur is greyish-brown, and the tail is.
ringed with black. The palms and soles are naked; and though: these
animals cannot grasp, they will hold food between the palms closely
pressed together. They are excellent climbers, and those at the Zoo-
logical Gardens will generally climb up the wires of their cages for
biscuit, but .fruit will always tempt them. When at liberty, they are

1




Lea
on 2
ae




120 PoputaAr HisTorY OF ANIMALS.

said to dip their food in water before eating it. They will often do
this in confinement, but quite as often they will eat it without mois-
tening or washing it, especially if two of them are struggling for some
coveted dainty. -But even in this case I have occasionally. seen the
lucky possessor shuffle off to the basin in the middle of the den and
dip his prize in the water, and rub it between his palms before eating
it. The fur of these animals is commercially valuable.

The Crab-eating Raccoon—a native of South America—is of a
larger size and has shorter fur.

The. Coatis, from Central. and South America, may be known by
their long, tapering tail and upturned snout. The White-nosed Coati,
a native of Mexico and Central America, has long reddish-brown
fur. Its ‘total length is nearly 3 ft, the tail, which is sometimes
ringed, counting for about half. The Red Coati lives in South America,
has darker fur, and the tail is always broadly ringed with black ; but
the colour varies greatly in individuals of both species. These animals
are often seen in captivity, where they appear to be quite comfortable.
One now living in the Zoological Gardens knows those who feed him,
and will climb-up the wires of his cage for any dainty they may offer him.

The Kinkajou, from Southern and Central America, is not unlike
a lemur in general appearance, though the limbs are shorter, and is
clothed in soft yellowish-brown fur. It is arboreal in habit, and its
tail is prehensile. Bates kept one as a pet for several weeks. It grew
tame in a short time, and allowed strangers to caress it; but, as was
natural, was much more friendly with its master than -with them.

The Cacomixle (the x is pronounced as s¢), from Mexico and the .
United States, is about the size of a cat. The fur is greyish above
and white’. below, and the tail is ringed with black. These animals
live in woods and rocky places. They are said to do great damage in
poultry-yards, but are often tamed and kept to kill rats and mice.

The Wolverene, or Glutton, is a small bear-like. animal, with long
brownish-black fur, a short, bushy tail, and a snout like that of a dog.
It lives in the northern forests of Europe, Asia, and America, and
preys upon birds and small mammals, and is said to attack reindeer,
cows, and horses.. It climbs trees with ease; but there is no truth in
the stories formerly told of it, that.it lay in wait on the branches and
dropped down on large animals that passed below. It seems to be as
fond of stealing and secreting articles for which it can have “no pos-
sible use as is the magpie. Dr. Coues says that “A ‘hunter and
his family having left their lodge unguarded during their absence, on
their return found it completely gutted—the walls were there, but
nothing else. Blankets, guns, kettles, axes, cans, knives, and all the
WOLVERENES AND MARTENS. T2T

other paraphernalia of a trapper’s tent had vanished, and the tracks
left by the beast showed who had been the thief. The family set to
work, and by carefully following up all his paths, recovered, with some
trifling exceptions, the whole of the lost property.”

The Martens live among woods and rocks, and prey on squirrels,
rabbits, mice, snakes, lizards, and frogs, sometimes varying this. diet
with berries. They are bloodthirsty creatures, but less so than the True
Weasels, and, with one exception, are pretty much alike in size and

















































































WOLVERENE,

colour of the fur. Thirty inches, of which the tail occupies about one-
third, may be taken as the average length, and the colour is brown,
varying from an orange-tint to nearly black. There is generally some
white about the head. The Pine Marten (Plate II., No. 14) roams over’
the woods of Northern Europe and Asia. Probably some still live in the
North of Scotland, though they are extremely rare, if not extinct, in
England. There are several closely-allied species. .The Sable, from
Eastern Siberia, the fur of which is so highly valued, and the North
American Sable, of which over one hundred thousand skins are im-
ported every year, are probably only varieties of the Pine Marten.

The Beech, or’Stone Marten, widely distributed over Europe, was
probably the “cat” of the Greeks. Other animals of this group are
still domesticated as mousers and ratters. The Pekan, or Fisher
Marten, is the largest of the group, and has a fox-like appearance. It
is a native of North America, but is becoming scarce east of the
Mississippi. The fur is blackish, for which reason the trappers

’
122 PoPuLtAR HisTORY OF ANIMALS.

sometimes call it the Black Fox. It is said to steal the fish used .
to bait traps, whence its name of Fisher.

We have some of the True Weasels in Britain. They are smaller
than the Martens, with shorter limbs
and longer body. The Common Polecat
(Plate II., No. 15) is abundant in
Europe, but is becoming scarcer in
Britain. The total length is about 2 ft.,
of which the tail counts for a quarter. |
The long, coarse, brownish-black fur
changes little in the winter. These

FERRET. animals possess scent-glands of a most

offensive odour. During the day they

sleep in their holes and hiding-places, coming, abroad at night, and
preying on young rabbits, mice, birds, snakes, lizards, etc. Farmers
and gamekeepers destroy the Polecat whenever possible, for it kills far
more than it can eat. It generally carries off its prey to be devoured,
but has been known to kill all the birds, in a fowl-house, to gratify
its love of killing. A

The Ferret is an albino variety of thé Polecat, that breeds true.
It has been domesticated chiefly for its services in rabbiting, but is
also employed to kill rats. Ferrets are muzzled and put into a rabbit-
hole, whence they drive the rabbits, which, as they bolt, are caught in
nets at the mouth of the burrows. There are four other Polecats,
with the habits of the common species.

The Weasel is about 1o in. long, of which the tail measures
2 in. Its fur is reddish-’ :
brown above, becoming
lighter in winter, and
‘whitish below. It is quite
as bioodthirsty as the
Polecat, though its smaller:
size prevents its doing as
much damage. . In some
respects it is a “farmer’s
friend,” for it’ frequents
rickyards and destroys
large numbers of rats and
mice. The female is
smaller than her mate, MINK.
and has been sometimes wrongly taken for a distinct species.

The Stoat is not so comman in Britain as the Weasel, from which it








BADGERS. 123

may be distinguished by its larger size and the fact that the tail has a
black tip. This never changes colour, though the rest of the fur
becomes white in winter in Northern latitudes, and the creature is then
known as the Ermine. It is an exceedingly active animal,’ and some-
times hunts in family parties of six or seven.

The Minks are Weasels of aquatic habits. One is found in Eastern
Europe, and the American Mink is bred extensively. It is a capital
ratter, and when dead the sale of its skin leaves its owner a good profit
on its keep. The Grison and the Tayra are weasel-like animals, both
from South America.

Next come the Badgers, which
for the most part live on the ground
and in burrows. The Common
Badger (Plate II., No. 13) is found
in many parts of Britain, on the
continent of Europe, and in Asia.
The body is stoutly built, the limbs
are short and strong - and:.armed
with large claws. The length is from “===
30 in. to 3 ft., and the height at the Dian Rice eee
shoulder some 12 in. The general
colour is grey, but the head is white, with a black band on each side.
These animals feed on mice, snakes and frogs, insects, fruit, acorns, and
roots. They are-very fond of wasps’ nests. The cruel sport of badger-
baiting—now, fortunately, nearly extinct—consisted of putting a badger
in a barrel and setting on dogs to pull it out. There are a few other
species.

The Ratels, or Honey Badgers, are grey above and black below.
One is.a native of India, the other of Africa; in the latter the two
colours are sharply divided by a white line. These animals usually live
in pairs, and eat rats, birds, frogs, white ants, and other insects.. They
are quiet in confinement, and have an amusing habit of running round
their cage and turning ‘somersaults at pretty regular intervals.

The Teledu, or “Stinking Badger,” from Java and Sumatra, pos-
sesses very offensive scent-glands, as does the Cape Zorilla, from South
Africa. These two creatures seem to link the Badgers with the Skunks.

The Skunks are small nocturnal burrowing animals, confined to
America: their diet is similar to that of the Badger. The usual colour
is black, varied with white spots or stripes, and the tail is long and
plume-like. These animals have the disagreeable quality of being able
to discharge the secretion of their scent-glands to a considerable
distance: this secretion is so offensive as to cause nausea in many

\


124 PoruLAr HisToRY OF ANIMALS.

persons, and clothes tainted with. it will retain the vile smell for a long
period. The Common Skunk, about the size of a small cat, ranges
from Hudson’s Bay:to Guatemala. A writer in the /dzs ‘says that he
once saw a bird of prey attack a skunk. It seized the tail with its
claws and in an instant. began ‘‘staggering about with dishevelled
plumage, tearful eyes, and a profoundly woebegone expression. The
skunk turned and regarded his victim, as who should say, ‘I told you
so,’ and trotted off unconcernedly.” The other species differ little from
the Common Skunk.
The Otters are a small group of aquatic animals, with five webbed
digits on each limb. epecics occur in all the continents. Their home
id is generally near water, and fish
forms their principal food. .The
Common Otter (Plate IL, No. 16)
is a native of Europe and Asia,
and is pretty plentiful in Britain.
The total length is rather more
than.3 ft., of which the tail counts
for nearly half; the fur is a soft
= brown colour. These animals feed
ER chiefly on fish, which they bring
to bank to eat; they only con-
sume the choicest parts, unless pressed by hunger. Kingstey, in “The
Water Babies,” makes the old otter say, ‘We catch them, but we disdain
to eat them all; we just bite out their soft throats, and suck their sweet
. juice—oh, so good !—-(and she licked her wicked lips)—and then throw
them away, and go and catch another.” This habit very naturally makes
enemies of those interested in fishing, and the otter is trapped and killed
without mercy. Otter-hunting with dogs was formerly common. The beast
was brought to bay by the dogs, then speared by the huntsman, and
after being lifted up on the spear was broken up by the pack. Otters
are readily tamed, and make affectionate and playful pets. In India they
are trained to drive fish, and in China they fish for their masters.
There are some other species, the largest of which is the Canadian
Otter, regularly hunted for its fur. These Otters are remarkable for
indulging in a game of sliding. English Otters are equally fond of
play, and merit the description of being “the merriest, lithest, gracefullest
creatures you ever saw.” The Sea Otter, which is larger and more stoutly
built than the English species, is a native of the shores of the North
Pacific Ocean, and lives principally on shell-fish and sea-urchins. The
fur is .extremely valuable, and on that account these animals are se
hunted that in a short time the species will probably become extinct.


125

CHAPTER XI
MARINE CARNIVORA.

oa FTE, Fin-footed Carnivores are chiefly dwellers in the sea or
‘on the coast. Some ascend large rivers, and. a few others
inhabit inland seas, but all bring forth their young on
shore. There are. five digits on each limb, united by a
> web.

The Eared Seals have, as their name denotes, a small external ear;
and when moving on land the hind limbs. are turned forward, and aid
the animals in their progress. These Seals are called Sea-Bears or
Sea-Lions, or Fur-Seals and Hair-Seals, according as their skins do or
do not yield the sealskin used for jackets, etc. This consists of a fine
close under-fur, which is left on when the longer hairs are removed,
by shaving the under-side of the skin. The longer hairs are more
deeply set in the skin, and consequently this shaving process cuts off
their roots without touching those of the fur.

The largest of the Eared Seals is the Northern Sea-Lion, from the
North Pacific, which attains a length of about ro ft. But the best known
is the Patagonian Sea-Lion (Plate IV., No. 15), the first of these creatures
brought alive to England. Lecomte, a French sailor, captured one near
Cape Horn in 1862, tamed it, and brought it to England, where it was
bought for the Zoological Gardens. The animal was taught to perform
many tricks, and when it died Lecomte was sent out by the Zoological
Society to procure other specimens. ‘This creature has ‘a decided mane,
which is not ‘noticeable when the animal is wet, and some writers have
denied its existence. The feeding of the Sea-Lion at the Zoological
Gardens is always an attraction, the docility with which the creature
obeys the commands of its
keeper, the certainty with
which it catches the fish
thrown it, and its evolutions
in the water, are generally.
witnessed by large crowds.
The Californian Sea-Lion is
often brought to Europe.

From the Common Sea-
Bear or Fur Seal of the North
Pacific most of the sealskin
is procured, and to attain it SEA-LION. .




126 PopPutAR HIsTORY oF ANIMALS.















































































































































Ss SSsss

INES |=
AS SSS “NS

















































































WALRUS BULL.

these animals are slaughtered in such numbers that, although a close
time has been adopted and a limit put to the quantity allowed to be
killed, the number of fur seals visiting the Pribyloff islands is growing
less year by year.

These islands are their breeding-places, to which they come in
summer, the winter being spent in following the fish in their south-
ward journey. Those killed by the sealers are young, unmated males,
or “bachelors.” These herd by themselves, and are driven away to a
convenient place, where they are slaughtered by a blow on the head
with a club, and immediately skinned. So quickly is this work done,
that forty-five men drove away, killed, and skinned more than 72,000
seals in four weeks, or about 400. seals .a week for each man,
The Southern Fur Seals are far less important from a commercial
point of view. There are three or four species. The Cape Fur Seal
is at present living in the Zoological Gardens, where he affords visitors’
great amusement by his ceaseless gambols in his tiny pond.

The Walrus (Plate IV., No. 14) is confined to the Arctic region. It
has no external ear, but its hind limbs are turned forward, though less so
than in.Eared Seals, and they-form Jess effectual organs of locomotion.
There are long, stiff whiskers on each side of the short, blunt muzzle.
WALRUS AND SEALS. 127

The upper canines are developed into large tusks, used principally for
digging up the molluscs from the sea-bottom, on which the Walrus
feeds;. but they form terrible weapons of defence, which the animal
can use with great effect. Some writers say that they are also used. to
aid the animal in climbing up rocks and on to ice-floes, but this has
been denied. The adult male is of great bulk, especially about the fore-
quarters, and its total length may be from ro ft. to 11 ft. The hair is
yellowish-brown above and darker on the under-surface.

The Walrus is inoffensive unless first attacked, when a herd will
join in the defence. The mothers are affectionate and very courageous
in defence of their young. To the Eskimo and the neighbouring tribes
the Walrus is very important. Captain Scammon says, ‘The flesh supplies
them with food, the ivory tusks are made into implements used in the
chase and for domestic purposes, as well as affording a valuable article
of barter, and the skin furnishes the material for covering their summer
habitations, harness for their dog-teams, and lines for their fishing-gear.”
The Americans hunt the Walrus for its ivory, and probably it will

soon be numbered among the animals that were.

The True Seals have no external ear, and the hind line are
directed backwards, affording no- assistance in progression on land,
which is effected by short jerking movements, aided in some species
by the forelimbs. The palms and soles are hairy.

The Common Seal, from 4 ft. to 5 ft. long, yellowish-grey with dark
spots above and whitish beneath, is widely distributed. The larger
Grey Seal is confined to the North Atlantic. It is plentiful in suitable
localities round our coast, where it has not been driven away by man.
That it is becoming rare in some places is not to be wondered at, if the
following account (taken from the /e/¢) ok a Pembrokeshire seal-hunt
is correct :—

“The hunters are armed with bludgeons or mattocks. Where there
is a likely cave left high and dry, they land on the sand or shingle, a
gun is fired off in the mouth of the cave, and if there are any seals
there, they come tumbling out after. each other in close line, when
they are killed by a blow between the eyes. It is said they are so
close together that if you miss the first it is difficult to stop any of
them. There is no element of danger in the sport, except the possi-
bility of being struck with the pebbles scattered by the flippers of the
seals as they hurry down towards the sea for safety.” It is wrong to
call such slaughter “sport.”

The Greenland Seal is regularly hunted, as are some of the other
species, for its hides and oil. It occurs in vast numbers in the ice-
fields of the North, and the annual catch round Jan Mayen island is

y

a
128 PorPutAR HisTory¥Y OF ANIMALS.

estimated to be not far short of a quarter of a million. The colour is
very variable, differing in the males and females,,and the young undergo
many changes of hue as they grow up. The whalers recognise several
stages in the life-history of this seal, each of which has its own particular
name. In old males the ground colour is tawny grey, with dark head,
and two dark bands on the back, whence comes the name of Harp
or Saddleback. Seal.

Other species are the Bearded Seal, from the North Atlantic; the
Ringed Seal,.’ ex-
tending to the
North Pacific; the
Caspian Seal, from
the Caspian Sea
and the Sea of
Aral; and _ the
Siberian Seal, from
Lake Baikal.

There are two
species of Monk
Seal: one from
the Mediterran-
ean, the Talking-
fish of showmen,
the other from the
West Indies. The
Sea-Leopard, or
the Leopard Seal,

" SEALS... from the Southern

Seas, is about

12 ft. long, and owes its name to its spotted skin. The Crested, or Bladder

Seal, is a native of the Arctic and North Atlantic Oceans, coming as

far south as Norway in the Old, and Newfoundland in the New World.

It is the boldest and fiercest of the Seals, and will often turn upon

the native hunters. The head of the adult male is furnished with a
kind of sac, which can be inflated, so as to. form a kind of crest.

The Elephant Seal, from the Antarctic Ocean and the coast of
California, is the largest marine Carnivore—an adult male measuring
from 15 ft. to 16 ft. in length. The general hue of the fur is greyish
with a darker tinge above. The snout of the male is produced into
a kind of trunk or proboscis, which can be expanded at will.








































































































































































































































































































































































































































129

CHAPTER - XII.
HOOFED MAMMALS.

], HIS Order contains a large number of animals possessing the
common character that the toes are enclosed in hoofs.
.Most of them live on the ground; none burrow; but the
Hippopotamus is aquatic, and some of the Coneys are quite
‘at home among the branches of trees. Nearly all feed on
vegetable substances, though some few—like the Pigs—will eat any-
thing that comes-in their way. They are arranged in four groups: the
Elephants, the .Coneys, Odd-toed Mammals, and Even-toed Mammals
{the reference being to the number of digits on the hind limbs).



ELEPHANTS.

These are the largest living quadrupeds—of massive build, walking
softly and silently on the tips of their digits, of which there are five
on each limb, united by a cushion-like pad that forms a flat sole.
The head is: large and joined to the body by a short neck, and the
bones of the skull are filled with air-spaces divided by thin partitions,
thus securing lightness. The brain is comparatively small; and the
nose is, produced into a flexible proboscis, or trunk, divided down
the middle so as to form two tubes, at the ends of which are the
nostrils. There are no canine teeth, and no incisors in the lower
jaw; those of the upper jaw are very long, and are popularly called
“tusks.” They grow from behind as fast as they are worn away in
front, like the incisors of a mouse or a rabbit. Only one molar tooth
is in use on each side in each jaw at the same time.

The skin is very thick, and scantily covered with coarse, bristly
hair. The eyes are small; but the senses, especially those of hearing
and smell, are acute. The limbs are set on to the immense trunk
almost perpendicularly, and the great length of the thigh brings the
knee almost in the position of that of the horse’s hock. From this
formation of the limbs, it follows that elephants cannot jump either
over or across an obstacle. A trench 7 feet wide is impassable
to an elephant, though the stride of a large one is about 64 feet.

The trunk serves many of the purposes of a hand, and its extremities
act as lips. With it these animals gather food and convey it to the
mouth ; into it water can be drawn up and may be then blown into the
mouth or scattered over the body shower-bath fashion. Sand and dust

J
130 PoPutak HISTORY OF ANIMALS.

are strewn over the body by the same means; and by forcibly driving
air through the trunk, elephants make the noise known as trumpeting.

The Indian Elephant ‘(Plate IV., No. 1) is found also in Ceylon
(where most of the’ males are tuskless), Burma, Siam, and the islands
of Sumatra and Borneo. The height of a large male is about 10 feet,
while the female is about a foot less, and has smaller tusks. The head
is. oblong, the forehead concave, the ears small, the trunk ends on its
Upper surface in a finger-shaped lobe, and there are four nails on ,
‘the ‘hind foot. The enamel. of the molar: teeth forms parallel folds
(Fig. A).

_ This Elephant has long '
been partially domesticated
in the East; but the supply
is. kept up by driving wild
ones into enclosures, called
kheddahs, and taming them,
rather than by breeding. Ele-
phants are used as beasts of
draught and burden, and are
kept by princes and nobles
for purposes of display. They
are also employed in tiger.
hunting, the sportsmen being
mounted in a kind of car.



EAR, TRUNK, AND TOOTH OF THE ELEPHANT. riage on the’ back; and the

Ae Thdians "B, African. ‘animals sometimes, take part

in the sport, by trampling the

tiger, kicking it to and fro, flinging it to a distance, or pinning it to
the ground with the tusks.

The newly-captured elephant is first led between two trees, and
rubbed down by a number of men with long bamboos. It lashes out
furiously at first; but in a few days it ceases to act on the offensive,
and, as the natives say, “becomes ashamed of itself.” Ropes are tied
round the’ body, and it is mounted for several successive days as it
stands captive. It is next taken out for exercise between two’ tame
elephants, a man going before with a spear to teach it to halt when
ordered to do so. When the tame elephants wheel to the right or the
left, the driver presses its neck with his knees, and taps it on the head â„¢
with a stick to train it to turn. It is taught to kneel by taking it
when the sun is hot, into’ water about 5 feet deep, and pricking it
sharply on the back. Partly to avoid the pain, and partly from a
fondness for bathing, the beast kneels down, and the lesson is repeated
THe ELEPHANT. 131

in water that is shallower day by day, till the elephant learns to kneel
down on land. It is taught to pick up anything from the ground by
a piece of wood being dangled over the forehead by a rope. This
strikes against the trunk and fore-feet, and to avoid the annoyance, the
elephant takes the wood in its trunk and carries it.

The so-called white elephants, which are only albinos, sare sacred



CAPTURING WILD ELEPHANTS.

animals in Siam. One belonging to Barnum was exhibited in the
Zoological Gardens, Regent's Park, in 1883, before being shipped to’
America. ,

The African Elephant stands a little higher at the shoulder than the
Indian species. The forehead is arched; there is a lobe above and
below at the tip of the trunk, and these close like finger and thumb;
the ears are of immense size, and there are only three nails on the
hind foot, and the enamel ridges on the molar teeth are lozenge-shape
(Fig. B). The Indian elephant uses’ his tusks only as weapons of

jJ2
132 PoputAr. HisToRY. OF ANIMALS.

offence, while the African elephant uses his in’ ploughing up the
ground in search of roots and bulbs. ‘These animals were formerly
tamed and used in war, and were brought to Rome to take part in the
games of the circus. They are now being rapidly exterminated for the
sake of the ivory of their tusks.

European ‘hunters of course shoot these animals, and so do some
of the natives. But pitfall traps are still common, and the unhappy
beasts that tumble into them are soon killed with lances. Parker
Gillmore says that if an elephant has escaped from one of these traps,
it never forgets it, and is always on the look-out for a similar danger.
He believes in the wonderful stories told about the memory of these
animals, and says that after the lapse of years they will at once
recognise a person who has ‘treated them with cruelty or even
unkindness. A young elephant belonging to Mr. Gillmore was burnt
on the trunk-by a Kaffir blacksmith. Many months afterwards he
“returned to the neighbourhood where this wanton act was performed,
to have some repairs done to his waggons. His pet followed him to
the forge. He found the same man employed in his trade ; and while
“its master was explaining his wants, the elephant gave the blacksmith
a blow with its trunk that sent the man reeling for several yards.

CONEYS.

These are the “feeble folk” of the Bible, “that make their houses
in the rocks.” In general appearance they are not much unlike rabbits,
but are larger and more stoutly built. The molar teeth resemble those
of the rhinoceros in pattern, and the toes bear short broad nails.
There are several species, chiefly from Africa, though the one longest
known is from Syria. Some live on the ground in rocky places, and
others live in trees. Both ‘of them have the power of clinging to
upright surfaces by the soles of their feet, which are furnished with
suckers. The Dassie, or Cape Coney, is kept as a pet in South Africa, ©
though it is difficult to capture on account of the almost inaccessible
places in which it lives. Mrs. Martin says that “It is as pretty, soft-
coated, and gentle as you could wish, and in its mild, placid way gets
very tame.” Some of the many species are generally to be seen in the
Zoological Gardens. They make friends very readily with anyone who
will notice and feed them, and will come to the front of the cage
to be petted and to take biscuit or fruit, showing their joy by a little
whistling cry.

ODD-TOED MAMMALS.

The principal character: distinguishing this group, and giving it its

name, is that the third digit in each limb forms the chief support of
THE HORSE. 133

the body. The second and fourth digits may help in this task, as in
the Tapir and the Rhinoceros, or the limbs may end in a single useful
digit, as in the Horse, the Donkey, and the Zebra.

All the animals of the Horse family belong to the Old World.
Those that are wild, or have escaped from domestication, live in herds
or troops, and feed principally on grass. There is but a single perfect
digit on each limb, encased in a solid broad hoof.

The Horse has a: flowing mane and tail, the latter being hairy from
the root, and there is a wart on the inner side. of each limb. Horses
have been known from the earliest times, and in the Polished Stone
Age were hunted for their
flesh by the men who dwelt
in Europe in that period.
From carvings discovered in
the same cave with that
figured on p. 13, we know
that these horses were of
small size and heavy build,
and had shaggy manes and
tails. Horses must have been
domesticated before historic
times ; for the earliest litera-
ture speaks of them as used
for beasts of burden, and
drawing’ war-chariots and
carrying armed men.

It is. very doubtful whether there are any really wild horses, though
it is said that the Russian traveller Prejevalsky found one specimen
in the sandy desert of Central Asia, near Zaisan. It seems to stand
between the horses and the asses, having some of the characters of
both; and may possibly be a hybrid. Two other Russian travellers
also saw the animal in the desert of Dzungaria, and they brought back
with them four skins and a skeleton. Other so-called wild horses are
the descendants of animals that have escaped from captivity. Large
herds exist in Tartary, where they are called “tarpans”; in America
they are known as Cimarones or Mustangs; and similar herds exist
in Australia.

.. The horse was introduced into Europe from the East; the Arab
blood which has so improved our native breed was introduced at the
time of the Crusades; and from Arab sires imported in the seven.
teenth century our racehorses, hunters, and _ steeplechasers are
descended. The cart-horse was: originally a Dutch breed. The name



PREJEVALSKY’S HORSE.

\
134 Poputar History oF ANIMALS.

“pony” is given to horses less than thirteen hands (4 feet 4 inches) high
at the shoulder. Shetland ponies are generally much less than this.

Asses are smaller than horses ; the tail is covered with long hair for
only about: half its length, and there are no warts on the hind legs.
Our common Donkey, or Domestic Ass, is said to have been first
domesticated in Egypt. It was introduced into England as early as
the reign of Ethelred, though it did not become common till after
the time of Elizabeth. The horse and the ass breed together. The
offspring, which are called mules, partake of the qualities of both
parents, and are very serviceable to man. The Asiatic Wild Asses, the
ate the Onager (Plate IV., No. 4), and the Syrian Wild Ass, though
differing somewhat in size and
colour, closely resemble each
other in habit, and _ probably
belong to the same _ species,
The African Wild Ass is thought
to be the stock from which our
Donkey descended.

Sir Samuel Baker says:
“ Those who have seen donkeys
only in their civilised state have
no conception of the beauty of
je weet i the wilder original animal. It

SS ee ee is the perfection of activity and

QUAGGA. courage, and has. . . a high-

actioned step when it trots

freely over the rocks and-sands, with the speed of a horse when it
gallops over the boundless desert.”

The Striped Asses are all African. The Quagga, now nearly, if
not indeed quite extinct, as there is much reason to fear—having been
exterminated for the sake of its hide—had the body reddish-brown,
marked on the head and neck with dark stripes which grew fainter
and fainter till they disappeared on the flanks. The limbs and under-
surface were white.

The Zebra (Plate IV., No. 5) is white marked with black stripes,
and stands about 4 feet high at the shoulder. It is a native of Cape
Colony, but is becoming rare owing to the advance of civilisation. It
is said to be untamable, and in 1894 one in the Jardin des Plantes,
at Paris, attacked a workman who entered the enclosure where it was
confined, and would probably have killed him had not help arrived.
There is a warning notice, “THESE ANIMALS Bits,” on their stalls in
the Zoological Gardens, Regent’s Park. For all that, they seem on


TAPIR AND RHINOCEROS. 135

good terms with visitors, and will follow one all round the paddock
for a biscuit. In Cape Colony they have been broken to saddle
‘and ridden by a lady, and to harness, and a team of them driven
in a coach. The Dauw, or Burchell’s Zebra, is somewhat larger
‘and stronger. The ground colour is yellow, and the limbs and tail
_-are not striped, but individuals vary greatly in this respect.

The Tapirs are large animals, of pig-like form, with the. snout
produced into a short trunk, which is of great use in pulling down
and breaking off shoots of trees, etc, and in collecting roots or
plants from the ground. ‘There are four digits on the fore-limbs, and
three on the hind limbs. Tapirs are solitary, nocturnal animals,
frequenting the neighbourhood of water, for they are very fond of
bathing. The American Tapir (Plate IV., No. 2) is found in Brazil and
Paraguay, and the north of the Argentine Republic. It is about the size
of a small donkey, dark brown in colour when full grown, but when

‘ young it is marked with yellowish stripes and spots, as are all the other
species. It has a small, stiff mane. It is sometimes domesticated,
and becomes tame and familiar. Its flesh is eaten, and its skin makes
excellent leather. Roulin’s Tapir is found at great elevations in the

‘ Cordilleras, and there are two other American species. The Indian or

’ Malayan Tapir, from Sumatra, Borneo, and Malacca, is’ rather larger
than the American Tapir, and has no mane. Like the common
species of the New World, it is often domesticated. Its head, neck,
and limbs are glossy black, and the back, rump, and sides white,

' the two colours meeting without shading into each other.

The Rhinoceroses are only exceeded in size by the Elephant, and
have three digits on each limb. They are of timid disposition, but
when irritated or attacked become very formidable, using the horns
on the nose with great effect. Their diet is entirely vegetable; they
are more active towards evening and at night than during the day,
and are fond of bathing, and wallowing in mud. These are now
confined to Asia and Africa, and it is from the former continent that
the rhinoceroses in menageries and zoological gardens are chiefly
procured. They are distinguished from the African forms by the skin
being raised into folds, called “shields,” which make these creatures
look somewhat as if they were clad in armour: The “horns” are
composed of fibres, bound together in a solid mass,

The Indian Rhinoceros (Plate IV., No. 3), with’a single horn, is.often
seen in zoological collections. ‘Old Jim” has lived at the Regent’s Park
Gardens since 1864. He is said.to be 12 feet long, as much round,
and about 5 feet high at the shoulder. The Javan Rhinoceros, found
“from Calcutta to the Malay Peninsula, and in Java, Sumatra, and
136 Poputar History or ANIMALS.

Borneo, is smaller, and the folds of the skin are not so strongly
marked. The Sumatran Rhinoceros, with two horns, is the smallest of
the family, and there is a variety from Chittagong called the Hairy-
eared Rhinoceros.

There are two African Rhinoceroses, both with two horns. They are
generally called the Black and the White Rhinoceros, though the so-
called White animal is the darker-coloured of .the two. It, is_ better,
therefore, to call it the Square-mouthed Rhinoceros. Mr. Nicholson,



AFRICAN RHINOCEROS.

an old African hunter, says that the name “White was given because
albinos are very common, and that he himself shot three of a light
yellow or cream colour. A specimen of the Black Rhinoceros lived in
the Regent’s Park Gardens for twenty-three years. The latter is
almost extinct, and it is scarcely probable that another specimen. will
be brought alive to this country. ;

Mr. R. T. Coryndon, who shot two Square-mouthed Rhinoceroses
in 1893, and brought home their skins and skeletons, says that the
Black Rhinoceros has a prehensile upper-lip and a small head, and
feeds entirely on leaves and twigs. The calf always follows the mother.
The Square-mouthed Rhinoceros has a disproportionately large head,
with a jaw that looks as if it were cut off square in front, and feeds


THE Swineé FAMILY. oo SEF.

entirely on grass. The calf always runs just before the cow, . which
guides it by the pressure of her horn upon its flank. .

Other forms have been: described as species, but these have been
only varieties, or individuals showing some peculiarities in the horns.
Sir John Willoughby shot a Black Rhinoceros with three horns. These
were brought to England and exhibited at a meeting of the Zoological
Society. : ;

The natives take these animals in “game pits.” Sir John Wil-
loughby fell into one, and thus describes his mishap: “I was swinging
along.a pass between two small hills where the grass was dry and
smooth, and the path apparently well trodden by game. Suddenly the
ground gave way under me, and I found myself supported by my
arms, with my legs dangling in space, and vainly struggling to reach
something more solid. The gun-bearers rushed to my assistance, and
soon extricated me from my undignified and uncomfortable position.
‘This pit, unlike many others, was luckily free from spikes and stakes,
but the way in which the mouth was concealed by the smooth and
well-trodden grass was most creditable to the artist who had planned
and arranged it, and I should imagine quite capable of deceiving an
animal with four legs as well as one with only two.”

EVEN-TOED MAMMALS.

In this group the number of digits on each limb is even. In
most of these animals where four toes are present, two of them (the
second and fifth) are useless for walking on, as in. the Ox and the Pig.
A line drawn down the middle of the limb would pass between the
third and fourth digits. In the Odd-toed Mammals, a similar line
would pass down the third digit. Most of the Even-toed’ Mammals
‘‘divide the hoof and chew the cud,” and in all the stomach is com-
plex. Here belong the Pigs, Hippopotamuses, Cattle, Sheep and Goats,
Antelopes, Deer, Giraffes, and Camels, with their allies from the New
World.

The Pigs possess a short, generally cylindrical snout, at the end
of which the nostrils are situated, used to turn up the ground in
searching for food. There are four digits on each limb, two only of
which touch the ground in walking. The teeth are of three kinds,
and the incisors are developed in wild males into formidable tusks.
The Domestic Pig, which has run into many breeds, is too well known
to need description. The Wild Boar, from which it is descended, is still
found in many parts of Europe, the North of Africa, and Asia Minor,
but has been extinct in England for more than two hundred years. It
is driven and shot by European sportsmen. The Indian species is larger
"138 Poputar History or ANIMALS.

“and fiercer ; it is hunted by mounted men armed with spears, and the
sport is called “pig-sticking.” Instances are on record of tigers being
-killed by wild boars.- Sterndale says that “an old boar which has been
-driven from the herd is generally a match for a tiger; in fact, few
‘tigers, unless young and inexperienced, would attack one.” ‘There are
-some other species, and in all the young are dark brown, striped from
head to tail with a paler colour, as are those of the Pigmy and
“River Hogs.

The Pigmy Hog, from Sikkim and Nepaul, is about the size of a
-hare. These are said to go in herds, and the fierceness with which they
attack those who disturb them is out of all proportion to their size.

The River Hogs and Wart Hogs are natives of Africa. The Wart
Hogs are so called from the large fleshy lumps on the face. The
snout is broad and flat, and the upper canines are bent upwards, in
both sexes. It is said that these teeth are used to dig up roots and
plants for food. A®lian’s Wart Hog, from North Africa, is ashy-brown,
and the Ethiopian Wart Hog from South Africa is dark grey in colour.

The Babirusa, from Celebes and Buru, is nearly hairless. The
upper incisors in the male do not grow down into the mouth, but
upwards through the skin of ‘the face, and curve backwards like horns.
. Old writers suggested that these teeth served as hooks by which the
creature could rest its head on a branch. Others have supposed that
they. were developed to protect the eyes while the anmials hunted for
their food in the spiny thicket. But this explanation is not satisfactory,
for the females, which must seek their food in the same way as their
lords, do not possess these teeth.

~The Peccaries, found only in the New World, are small pig-like

‘animals, with but three toes on the hind limbs, the fifth being absent ;
-and the stomach is something like that of the Ruminants. In the
middle of the back is a gland that secretes a fatty substance with a
musky smell. If this is not removed immediately the animal is killed,
the flesh is rendered unfit for food. The White-lipped Peccary is met
with in large herds between British Honduras and Paraguay. In
disposition it is fierce and pugnacious, and it is no uncommon occur-
rence for hunters who meet with a herd to be obliged to take to a
tree as their only chance of safety. Peccaries do great damage to
cultivated lands. 5

The Hippopotamuses, or River Horses, are confined to Africa.
There are four digits on each limb, all used in walking; the head is
long, and the muzzle broad and rounded; the body is massive and
hairless, and the limbs and tail are short. The Common Hip-
popotamus is widely distributed in African rivers and lakes, on the
THE HIPPOPOTAMUS. 139

banks of which it lives in small herds, spending the day in the water,
and coming on shore at night to feed, doing more damage to crops by
what it treads down and. destroys than by what it consumes, though
this is no trifling matter, for the stomach will hold from five to six
bushels. The general colour is reddish-brown, and large specimens are
said to measure 14 feet in length, and 5 feet high at the shoulder.
“ Obaysch,” the first specimen brought to Europe in modern times, which
lived for about thirty years in the Zoological Gardens, Regent’s Park,
measured 12 feet from the
snout to the tip of the
tail. “Guy Fawkes,” born
in the Gardens (Noy. 5th,
1872), is nearly, if not
quite, as large.

Dr. Hugh Rayner, of
the Grenadier Guards,
writing in the Aze/d (Aug.
5th, 1893), says that “A
hippopotamus lives in
the water by day, and
only comes out, after the
sun is down, for purposes
of grazing.. Then in the
early morning, before the
sun reappears, he once
more makes his way to
the water, and remains
there until feeding-time
comes round again. Therefore it is whilst the animal is in the water
that the sportsman’s opportunity occurs. A hippo suddenly puts his
head above the surface, gives a ‘blow’ of air, and as suddenly
disappears. When frightened by the presence of man, his head is
rarely above the surface more than a couple of seconds, and it is
during this short period of time that one must shoot. Unless, too,
the animal be hit in some part of the head by which the bullet can
penetrate the brain, apparently no injury is done, and frequently
bullets will glance off the flat part of his head and whizz into space.

. . Once I thought an animal was coming out of the water to charge
me. He certainly looked like it, but he was either too badly hurt or
else he changed his mind.” These animals can stay under water for
some time. Dr.. Rayner says that he timed one, and “it remained
down fourteen minutes.” :



HIPPOPOTAMUS.
140 Poputsir History OF ANIMALS.

An infuriated hippopotamus has been known to bite a man literally
in two; and the late Sir Samuel Baker wrote of one that charged
a steamboat, and pierced two of her iron-plates as cleanly as if the holes
had been made with a sharp pick.

The Liberian or Pigmy Hippopotamus, from the West Coast of
Africa, is a much smaller. species.

The Ruminants, or animals that chew the cud, consist of the True
Ruminants (Sheep and Goats, Oxen, Antelopes, Deer, and Giraffes),
the Camels, and the Chevrotains, or Water Deer. Except in the
Camels, there are no incisor teeth in the upper jaw, their place being
supplied by a..horny pad, against which the lower incisors bite. The
lower. canines look like incisors; the upper ones are often absent,
but in the Musk. Deer and some few others. they are large and
“tusk-like. The Hollow-horned Ruminants (Sheep and Goats, Oxen and
Antelopes) never shed their horns, which are hollow, and borne on bony
projections from the skull, called horn-cores. Both sexes. generally
bear horns, but in some forms the females are hornless.

The stomach of the True Ruminants has four divisions. While
grazing, the animal fills the first stomach with partially masticated food,
and when it lies down to ruminate, some of this food is forced into the
~.second stomach, where it is formed into. a solid mass, and returned
-to: the mouth. After being thoroughly masticated, it. passes through the
second and third stomachs to the fourth, to undergo the process of
digestion. The Camels and Water Deer have no third’ stomach.

The Domestic Sheep is extremely valuable to man; its flesh yields
excellent food, and its fleece is made into various articles of clothing.
Its domestication must have taken place in prehistoric times, for it is
mentioned in the oldest literature that has come down to us. The
Domestic Sheep of the New World have been introduced since the
Spanish Conquest. Moseley says that he saw sheep used as beasts
of burden in South America—carrying barrels of water from a well to
houses in the town. The Tibetans also employ them to transport
goods over the mountains, and their load is from 20 to 30 lbs.

Asia is the home of wild sheep, and thence probably came the
stock from which our breeds have sprung, Many of them are of large
size; Marco Polo’s Sheep, from the Thian Shan Mountains, is said to
stand nearly 4 feet high at the shoulder, and to weigh nearly 600 lbs.
The Ammon, or Argali, from Tibet, is nearly as large, and its horns are
as much as 4 feet along the curve, and nearly 2 feet round at the base.
The Barbary Wild Sheep has the lower part of the neck and the
knees fringed with long hair. In Europe there is one wild sheep, the
SHEEP AND GOATS. 141

Mouflon of Sardinia and Corsica, and one in America, the Bighorn,
allied to the Argali, by which name it is sometimes called.

Goats differ from Sheep in having the horns flattened, and curving
backwards, or twisted in a spiral. There are several European Wild
Goats, of which the best known is the Alpine Ibex, which lives about
the snow-line, coming lower down at night to graze.. The Grecian Ibex,
ranging as far east as Persia, is probably the parent of our domestic
breeds. The Sinaitic Ibex has knobs on its large horns, which must be
formidable weapons of defence.

There are several Asiatic species, of which the Markhore, with



























































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































MUSK-OX.

spirally twisted horns, and the Thar, with short thick horns, ridged in
front, are the most remarkable.

The Domestic Goat is very serviceable to man. Its milk has
valuable properties, and is often made into cheese. In the East its
flesh is eaten, and the fine hair of the NEO and Cashmere goats is
made into cloths and shawls.

The Musk-ox is related to the Sheep and the Oxen: it is a native
of Arctic America. It is about the size of a small Welsh Ox,
stoutly built, with short legs, covered with long brown hair that reaches
nearly to the ground, and beneath this is a thick under-fur shed in
summer. Jt has a strong musky odour, the source of which is not
ascertained. The artist of the Schwatka Expedition tracked a herd
with some Eskimo and their dogs. He says:

“Standing huddled together, ‘with their heads outwards, the
142 PovutAk HisTorRY OF ANIMALS.

Musk-oxen defied the attacks of the dogs; and when one dog, more
daring than the rest, tried to seize an old bull by the Te, he paid
dearly for his .rashness, and was savagely tossedin the. air. ~ But though
the oxen could ‘keep off the dogs, the guns of. the’ ‘hunters soon
thinned their numbers, and in afew minutes four-out of the small
herd had fallen, and.the rest galloped: off over the broken ground at a
pace that left the dogs behind.”

The Antelopes are chiefly found in Africa, though their numbers
are diminishing; Asia has many species; there are two in Europe,
while America has only one true Antelope and the Pronghern, which
is Deer-like in some of its characters.

The Elk-like Antelopes, of large size, and generally of uniform
colour, are natives of Africa and Syria. The head is long and narrow,
broadening out at the extremity. Both sexes are horned. The Harte-
beest, which stands about 5 feet high at the shoulders, is well known in
zoological collections.

- The Common and the White-tailed Gnu (Plate IV., No, 12) are strange-
looking creatures, ungainly enough when at rest, but really graceful
when in rapid motion, for their large heads and manes give the necks
the appearance of being arched, like that of a well-bred horse, while the
“flowing tails stream well out behind. They have a bad reputation for
ferocity, but the cows in the Zoological Gardens will come up when
called, and follow one round the paddock for biscuit or apple. A
young White-tailed Gnu was born in the Gardens in 1894.

The Duikerboks (Plate IV., No. 10) are small African Antelopes, one
of them no bigger than a rabbit. The Four-horned Antelope of India ~
belongs to this group; its horns are in pairs, those in front being
much the smaller.

In the next group, entirely African, only. the males are horned.;
Among these are the Royal Antelope from Guinea, the smallest known.
ruminant, and Salt’s- Antelope, from Abyssinia, which is very little
larger; the Rehbok, from rocky districts of South Africa; and some
others. The Water-bucks are large Antelopes with large horns and long
dark hair. They have bred in the Zoological Gardens. :

The next group may. be called Desert and Steppe Antelopes, from
the places in which they are found. Here belongs. the Saiga, a sheep-
like Antelope, with very large swollen muffle; it is a native of Eastern:
Europe and Western Asia. Here also belong the Gazelles, of small.
size, generally fawn or sandy-coloured, with some white on the face,.
and a white mark on the rump, that serves the same purpose as the,
upturned tail of the rabbit. The Springboks of South Africa are well-
known Gazelles. nay: j


























































































GEMSBOK AND’ LEOPARD.


144 Poputar History or ANIMALS.

The Equine Antelopes are African. They are large animals with
long horns, straight or curving backwards. The Gemsbok, the Beisa,
and the Oryx are rusty-grey with black markings, and have straight
horns; and to these three the name Oryx is often applied. The
Leucoryx is uniformly coloured, and has curved horns. These horns—
straight or curved—are terrible weapons. In attacking, these antelopes
lower the head and strike sideways and upwards with great force.
Gordon Cumming says.of a wounded Oryx: ‘‘ Lowering her sharp horns,
she made a desperate rush towards me, and would have inevitably run
me through, had not her strength at that moment failed her, when
she staggered forward and fell to the ground.” Andersson tells ,a
story of a fight between a Lion and an Oryx: the Antelope pierced the
' Lion with his horns, but was killed by the weight of his dying foe.
Boer hunters have also met with the skeletons of these animals and of
the great Carnivora, lying in such a position as to show that similar
conflicts must ‘have taken place.

The Bovine Antelopes are African, with the exception ofthe Nilghai,
which is Indian. Here belong the Harnessed Antelopes, pale bay, marked
with white stripes ; the Koodoo, slaty-grey, also marked with white
stripes ; the marsh-loving, mouse-coloured Speke’s Antelope, with long,
spreading hoofs; and the gentle, fawn-coloured Eland, the largest living
antelope. Livingstone’s Eland, a variety with white stripes, was first
brought to England in 1894.

In the last section are the Goat-like Antelopes, with horns in both
sexes. The Serow and the Takin are Asiatic. The Chamois (Plate IV.,
No. rr) is found in the mountains: of Europe, from the Pyrenees to the
Caucasus. It stands about 2 feet high at the shoulders, has long
chestnut-brown hair, and horns bending backwards at the tips. Chamois
live in smail herds, and post sentinels, which give an alarm on the
approach of danger. Chamois-hunting is attended with great danger,
on account of the almost inaccessible heights to which these animals
betake themselves when pursued. The Rocky-Mountain Goat, with
long, white hair, is closely allied. The Pronghorn, from the prairies of
~ North America, bears horns with a single branch, which are shed
annually. It is about the size of a Fallow Deer.

The Buffaloes are confined to the Old World. The Anoa of
_Celebes is a small animal, with black hair and short horns. It
resembles the young of the Cape Buffalo.

_ The Indian Buffalo is a large beast, with dull black skin, almost
hairless, and long horns that sweep upward and backward. The
domesticated race has been introduced into the South of Europe as
beasts of draught. Wild buffaloes exceed the domestic race in size,
THe AMerRIcAN BIson. 145























































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































AMERICAN BISON (1870).

standing 6 feet high at the shoulder, and measuring over 1o feet from
the nose to the root of the tail. A pair of horns of the Wild Buffalo in
the British Museum measure 6 feet 6 inches each; this in the living
animal would give a curve of nearly rq feet. Jerdon says that a wounded
wild buffalo will charge the elephant, and he had it on the authority
of many sportsmen that the charge was sometimes successful. The
domesticated animals are often used to drive a wounded tiger out of
cover, and Sterndale records an incident, from his own knowledge, of a
herdsman being seized by a tiger, when his buffaloes, hearing his cries,
tushed up, and so saved his life.

The Cape Buffalo is a larger and much fiercer animal than the
domestic Indian race. Its horns are very broad at the base, where
they almost meet, and they curve downwards and backwards. Varieties
occur in the more northern parts of Africa.

There are two Bisons, one American, the other European, and the
few that still survive are carefully protected, but in a few years both
species will be extinct. The head is carried low, and there is a hump.

K
146 PoputAR HisTORY* oF ANIMALS.

The horns are short and rounded. There is a thick shaggy mane, a
long beard, and a fringe of long hair on the forequarters. The height
at the shoulder is about 5 feet 8 inches, and the general colour is brown.
Within the memory of living men bison existed in America in
countless myriads. The numbers of the great southern herd killed
from 1872 to 1874 are estimated in millions, and Hamlin Russell says
that “Buffalo Bill and his kind, with English ‘sportsmen’ and
American army officers, vied with each other in the wanton slaughter.”
How the great northern herd disappeared. is not certainly known, but
since 1883 herds of bison—or “ buffalo,” as the Americans call them—
have disappeared. One consequence of their disappearance will be the
rapid extinction of the Red Indian. ‘With his food supply cut off,
the Indian became suddenly tame and easy to handle.”

The European Bison (Plate IV., No. 13), though somewhat larger
than the American, is not so heavily maned. It is preserved in the
forests of Lithuania, Moldavia, Wallachia, and the Caucasus.

The Yak, from the higher regions of Tibet, is allied to. the Bisons,
but though the withers are high, there is no true hump. ‘The size is
a ‘little less than that of the Ox, and the body is fringed with long
hair, which, Mr. Bartlett thinks, serves the purpose of a mat, on which
the animal can lie amid the snow. ‘There is a domesticated race, used
as beasts of burden.

There are three Asiatic Wild Oxen, all with high withers and-a
ridge down the back. . The Gaur is the largest, standingeé ft. at the
withers. Like the Gayal, it is dark coloured, with white ‘“ stockings,”
but there is a difference in the shape of the horns. The Banteng from
Java is much smaller; the females and young are bright epesue but:
the bulls become black with age.

Of our Domestic Cattle, with their numerous breeds, and their
importance to man, there is no need to speak. Everybody has drunk
milk, and eaten butter and cheese and veal and beef; and most people
have seen oxen ploughing and drawing carts. The nate skins, horns,
hoofs, bones, -and blood all have commercial value. Some breeds of cattle
said to be descendants of a wild race, are preserved in English parks.

Closely allied are the Humped Cattle of India, some of. which are
much larger than any English Ox, while others are smaller than a
donkey. They are used for ploughing, drawing carts, and riding on.
The white humped cattle are sacred to Siva, and Hindus think it
wrong to kill any of whatever breed.

Deer are found pretty plentifully in three of the continents.
Africa has but one species, which lives along its Mediterranean coast.
The males of nearly all bear antlers, which differ from horns in being
&

DEER. 147

bony outgrowths from the skull, and are shed and.renewed year by
year. The females of the reindeer alone carry them, and theirs are
smaller and slighter than. those of their lords) The young of most
Deer are spotted.

The Red Deer is found: in many parts of Europe, is still. wild on
Exmoor, in the North of Scotland, and the West of Ireland, and
ranges into the North of Africa, those living there being sometimes
called Barbary Deer. A full-grown Stag, for so the male is called, will
stand four feet high at the withers; the body-colour is reddish-brown,
the neck greyish, and there is a
white patch on the rump, present
also in most of the allied forms,
and serving as a mark or signal.
The females, which are smaller,
are called hinds, and the young
calves. The flesh of deer is called
venison. In Scotland Deer. are
stalked and shot; on Exmoor they
are still hunted with hounds, and
killed by the huntsman when
brought to bay. One took refuge
in a room where some ladies were : :
just sitting down to dinner. One YOUNG SAMBUR.
of the hunters described the scene
as resembling a football scrimmage by men in boots and breeches, a
frantic, struggling deer taking the place of the ball. The Persian and
Cashmere Deer are closely allied.

The Wapiti is a North American Deer resembling the Red Deer,
but of larger size and with finer antlers. Attempts are being made to
acclimatise these noble creatures in England. There is a small herd at
Haggerston Castle in Northumberland, and in 1893 six males and
fourteen females were brought to Osmaston Castle, near Derby.
Wapiti breed freely in the Zoological Gardens, and the small herd
there are very"tame, coming up to the bars to be fed by visitors. The
stag, however, will drive the hinds away, and they in their turn will
keep the calves at a distance, so as to secure the biscuit or bread for
themselves.

The Sambur is a large Indian Deer, standing about 5 feet 8 inches at
the shoulder, dark brown in colour, with an orange-yellow recognition
mark on the rump. The ears are large, and the neck is heavily
maned. Sterndale describes this deer, “with his proud carriage, and
shaggy, massive neck, sauntering slowly up the rise, stopping now and

K2















’
148 PorutAR History oF ANIMALS.

then to cull a berry or to scratch his sides with his wide-sweeping
antlers,” and applies to the animal the merited epithet “noble.”
Sambur are driven or shot as they come to drink, but the sportsman-
like way is to stalk them.

The Axis Deer, also Indian, stands 3° feet or a little more at the
shoulder. The colour is reddish-fawn, spotted with white. The Hog
Deer is closely allied. The Swamp Deer, smaller and lighter than the
Sambur, is found near water and in the open country. A sportsman
once had three herds in sight at the same time, the nearest not five
hundred yards away. He says: “There must have been at least fifty of
them—stags, hinds, and fawns feeding together in a lump, and outside
the herd grazed three enormous stags.” There
are some other species.

The Muntjacs are small deer from the south
.and east of Asia, with antlers borne on bony
stalks. They are solitary in habit, and are often
called Barking Deer ‘by sportsmen, from their
alarm cry.

The Fallow Deer stands about 3 feet high
at the shoulders, is marked with white spots, and
has the antlers spread out at the top like the

‘PALLOW SDEER: palm of one’s hand. It lives in many English

parks in a half-domesticated condition. There
is also a Persian species.

The Reindeer (Plate IV., No. 8) is a native of the northern regions of
Europe, Asia, and America (where it is called the Caribou). The general
colour is deep brown, but individuals vary. The size is about that of
the Red Deer, but the wild race is larger than that domesticated by
the Laplanders. These animals feed in the summer on the branches of
birch and willow, and in winter on lichens and reindeer’ moss, from
which they sweep away the snow with their broad deeply-cleft hoofs.
They make. partial migrations in search of food and to avoid the
attacks of a gad-fly. To the Laplander the Reindeer serves instead of
the Horse, Cow, Sheep, and Goat. It will draw a sledge, weighing
with its load 300 lbs., over the frozen snow at the rate of 100 miles
a day. Its flesh and milk are used for food; its horns and bones are
made into tools and weapons ; its skin, sewn together with the sinews,
serves for clothing and tent-covers. The Siberian race is used as a
beast of burden and for riding on.

The Elk or Moose is found in the regions inhabited by the Rein-
deer. It is the largest living deer, adult males often standing 6 feet at
the shoulder. The general colour is brown, and the hair on the néck


DEER. 149

and throat is long. The muffle is large and prominent; there is a
swelling on the throat, and the antlers are very large, and spread out
into a kind of shovel-shape, the two together forming a sort of basin.
These animals are very shy and wary, and to hunt them successfully is
a difficult task. They generally lie with the tail towards the wind,
trusting to their senses of hearing and smelling to warn them of danger
from that quarter, using their eyes to warn them of danger to leeward,
where hearing, and especially smelling, would be of little use. These













ELK OR MOOSE,

animals are naturally timid, but when roused the antlers and hoofs are
formidable weapons, and a blow from the latter has been known to
kill a wolf.

The Roebuck stands about 2 feet at the shoulders, and is reddish-
brown in colour, with a white patch on the rump. It is widely distributed
over Europe and Western Asia, and is found wild in the north of Britain.

The Chinese Water-Deer is small, and has no antlers, but the upper
canine teeth of the males are developed into tusks. The female has
five or six young at a birth, unlike other deer, which have but one, or

rarely two.
America has several species of Deer of uniform colour and medium
150 Poputar History oF ANIMALS.

size. The odour of the Pampas Deer is said to be fatal to snakes.
The Gauchos tie a strip of deerskin to their horses’ necks when turned
out to graze. All deer hate snakes, and have often been seen to leap
upon them and cut them to pieces with their hoofs.

The Musk-Deer is found in the highlands of Central and Eastern
Asia. It is a little smaller than the Roebuck, has no antlers, and the
long upper canines of the males project downwards and backwards.
The colour is brownish-grey, with patches of a lighter hue. The
animal owes its name to the highly-scented secretion of the male,
which is found in a sac, about. the size of a small orange, on the
abdomen. The sac is cut out, dried, and sold for making perfumes.

The Mouse-Deer, or Chevrotains, are the smallest living Hoofed
Mammals. ‘They are sometimes called Pigmy Musk-Deer, but wrongly.
They resemble the true Musk-Deer in the absence of antlers, and in
their long canines; and in little else. Sir William Flower tells us they
are intermediate in structure between the Deer, the Camels, and the
Pigs. There are four or five Asiatic species, with the habits and
appearance of Agoutis, and an African form, found near water and
having the habits of a Pig.

The Giraffe (Plate IV., No. 9) isa native of Africa. It is the tallest
living mammal, adult males having reached a height of 18 feet and
upwards. The colour is yellowish-buff, with large reddish-brown blotches.
There are two bony ‘‘horns,” covered with skin, and below these, in the
middle of the face, a third “horn,” also covered, The neck is immensely
long, the nostrils can be closed at will, and the tongue is prehensile,
and well adapted to pluck off the foliage on which these animals feed.
Giraffes generally occur in small herds of about twenty, but larger ones
have been met with.

Gordon Cumming thus describes his first adventure with these
animals :—‘‘ Before me stood a troop of ten colossal giraffes, the
majority’ of which were from 17 to 18 feet high. On beholding
me they at once made off, twisting their long tails over their backs,
making a loud switching noise with them; and cantered along at an
easy pace, which, however, obliged my horse to put his’ best. foot
foremost to keep up with them. My senses were so absorbed by
the wondrous and beautiful sight before me that I rode along like
one entranced, and felt inclined to disbelieve that I was hunting
living things of this world. The ground was firm and favourable
for riding. At every stride I gained upon the giraffes, and after a
short burst at a swinging gallop I was in the middle of them, and
turned the finest cow out of the herd. . .. In a short time I brought
her to a stand in the dry bed of a watercourse, where I fired at
THE GIRAFFE. - I51





eff
fj

fan

iN

AY GU oF * a

SE ANS
PANTS Gs UAE yf
ON

GIRAFFE.

fifteen yards, aiming at where I thought the heart lay, upon which
she again made off. Having loaded, I followed, and had very
nearly lost her: she had turned abruptly to the left, and was far
out of sight among the trees. Once. more I brought her to .a
stand, and dismounted. There we stood together, alone in the wild
1g2° PorpuLar FfistoryY oF ANIMALS.

wood. I gazed in wonder at her. extreme beauty; while her soft
dark eye, with its silky fringe, looked down imploringly at me, and
I really felt a pang of sorrow. in this moment of. triumph for the
blood I was. shedding. Pointing my rifle towards the skies I sent
.a bullet through her neck. On receiving it she reared high on her
hind legs and fell. backwards with a heavy crash, making the earth
shake around her.” :

The only mode of defence employed by ‘these animals is kicking,
and with their powerful legs they can deal terrific blows. The cows
are said to keep off in this fashion the larger beasts of prey that
attempt to. carry off their young. But if, as is often the case, the
lion springs upon a giraffe, all the victim’s efforts to dislodge its
assailant are unavailing, and it gallops off wildly with its cruel
enemy holding fast with claws and teeth, till it sinks exhausted on
the ground, and becomes an easy prey.

The first giraffes were brought to the Regent’s Park Zoological
Gardens in 1836. This small herd, consisting of three males and a
female, bred freely, and seventeen giraffes have been born in the Gardens.
The last of these animals, however, died in March, 1892, and the Society
was for several years unable to procure other specimens. There is
indeed great reason to fear that this noble animal is rapidly becoming
extinct.

In 1893 a variety from Somaliland was described. A herd of seven
was seen, and the bull was said to be “like a small Eiffel Tower.”
The female shot was marked with large patches of rich chestnut,
separated by white lines; the legs were creamy white. In February,
1895, a female Giraffe from South Africa was brought to Southampton,
and purchased by the Zoological Society. The animal, between two
and three years old, is nearly 12 ft. in height. Thus for nearly three
years there had been no Giraffe in the Society’s menagerie.

The Camels and Llamas are hornless. The upper lip is deeply
cleft; there are canine teeth above and below; the young have cutting
teeth in both jaws, but in the adults only the outermost on each side
remains. There are only two digits on each limb, the hoofs are small,
and the animals walk on broad cushion-like pads that form the sole of
the foot.

The Arabian or True Camel (Plate -IV., No. 6), often called the “Ship
of the Desert,” is domesticated inthe’ North of Africa, and South-west
Asia, and eastwards to India. It is a bulky animal, with long neck and
limbs, and a single hump on its back.’ The dromedary is a lighter,
swifter variety of this species. “The Camel prefers such plants as a
CAMELS. 153

horse would not touch to the finest pastures. He is satisfied with
very little, and if he should be stinted of this hard fare, the fat hump
contains a store of nourishment to sustain him till he reaches an oasis ‘
of prickly bushes. If the best of liquids be there, he fills the water-tanks
with which his interior is fitted up, and goes on his way rejoicing.”

ANON

SS



BACTRIAN CAMEL.

To the Arabs the Camel is not only valuable as a beast of burden ;
the milk is made into butter, the hair is woven into cloth, the skin is
made into leather, the flesh is eaten, and the droppings form almost
the only fuel to be found in the desert.

Camels have been introduced into Italy, and in Spain there are even
a few half-wild ones that have escaped from domestication. They
have lately come into use in the sandy deserts of Australia. Camels are
‘also used in the army as baggage animals, to carry light swivel guns,
and infantry are mounted on them, each animal also carrying a driver,

\
154 PorputAr History OF ANIMALS.

The Bactrian Camel, with two humps, is a larger animal, with
shorter legs and thicker coat of darker colour. It is domesticated
pretty generally throughout’ Central Asia. The “wild” Camels dis-
covered by a Russian traveller in 1879 are probably the descendants
of animals that escaped from domestication. Mr. Littledale shot three
near Lob Nor in 1893, and. brought home the skins, one of which has
been set up in the Natural History Museum.

The Llamas are confined to South America. There are four forms,
two wild and two domesticated, all smaller than the Camel and more
lightly built. The Guanaco (Plate IV., No. 7) ranges from Peru to Pata-
gonia. Its general appearance combines some of the characters of the
camel, the deer, and the goat. The body—deep at the breast, but small
at the loins—is covered with long soft hair, brown above, fading to white
beneath, and there is usually some black on the face. These animals
are generally met. with in herds, sometimes containing several
hundreds. The Vicugna is smaller and slenderer, and is confined to
the mountain regions as far south as Bolivia.

The Llama, a domesticated breed of the Guanaco, is found in the
south of Peru. It is larger than its wild stock, and is white marked
with brown or black, or altogether black. It is still used as a beast
of burden, as it was in the days of the Spanish Conquest, when the
ore from the silver mines was brought down from the mountains by
these animals.

The Alpaca, probably another breed of the Guanaco, is smaller
than the Llama. The colour is generally brown or black, and from its
long hair the fabric known as alpaca is made.


CHAPTER XIII.
RODENTS, OR GNAWING ANIMALS.



NeScza@7| HIS order contains a larger number of animals than any
4 other, and some of them are found in every country in the
globe, for in the few places where native species do not

é exist others have been introduced by man. They are

Toe generally of small size, and live on or burrow under the

ground, but some live among the branches of trees, and a few are

aquatic; many of them take a long sleep in cold weather. Their
food is principally vegetable, often bark and roots. There are no
canine teeth; and the incisors grow from behind as fast as they are
worn away in front. The limbs usually bear five digits, armed with
claws or hoof-like nails. Their name refers to their method of eating. |

There are two groups, of which the Simple-toothed Rodents, with two

incisors in the upper and two in the lower jaw, are by far the more

numerous. Of these there are three divisions, of which the Squirrel, the

Mouse, and the Porcupine are the types. :

The true Squirrels are found in most temperate and _ tropical
countries, but are absent from Madagascar and Australia. The largest
and most brilliantly coloured forms are natives of the East, where
some are as large as a cat, while others are no bigger than a
mouse. The tail is long and bushy, and the pointed ears are generally
tufted with hair.

Our English Squirrel (Plate III., No. 8) ranges over the greater part of
Europe and Northern Asia, and has many near relatives in the latter
continent. Its total length is about g inches, and the general colour
is brownish-red above, and white on the under surface. Squirrels live
for the most part among the branches of trees, and are exceedingly
active, leaping from bough to bough so quickly that the eye can
scarcely follow them. Their movements on the ground are also rapid.
They do not often take. to water, but can swim well, though there is,
of course, no truth in the story that they use. pieces of bark for
canoes and their tails outspread for sails. They feed principally
on nuts, acorns, buds, and. bark, etc., and the food is held in the
hands and gnawed with the incisors. They make a kind of nest
called a “drey,” and lay up stores of provision against the winter.

The Palm Squirrel, a common Indian species, has been known to
“carry off bits of lace and strips of muslin and skeins of silk for its
house-building purposes.”

1
156 Poputar History oF ANIMALS.

Though none of.the true Squirrels has a flying membrane, yet by
spreading their limbs: and tail they in some measure supply the want,
Mr. Burroughs, an American naturalist, while hunting, started a squirrel,
which his dog drove to take refuge ina tree. He says: “To see what
the squirrel would do when closely pressed I climbed the tree. As I drew
near he took refuge in the topmost branch, and then, as I came on,
boldly leaped into the air, spread himself out upon it, and with a
quick tremulous motion of his tail and legs descended quite slowly,
and landed upon the ground thirty feet below me, apparently none the
worse for the leap, for he ran with great speed, and escaped the dog
in another tree.”

The Spiny Squirrels are natives of Africa, and are clad in coarse
fur mixed with spines.

The Flat-tailed Flying Squirrels are chiefly! Asiatic, but one is found
in North America and another in eastern Europe. Like the Colugo
(p. 78), they have a flying membrane. The Round-tailed Flying
Squirrels, in which there is a membrane between the thighs, as in
some Bats, are mostly Indian. All the Flying Squirrels are nocturnal.

The Ground Squirrels are natives of America, where they are
called Chipmunks, but one species ranges through the North of Asia
into Europe. They have cheek-pouches, in which food is stored and
carried to their burrows.

The Pouched Marmots or Spermophiles are spread over nearly the
same limits as the Ground Squirrels. Like the latter, they have cheek-
pouches; but though their ordinary food is vegetable, they also prey
on small animals, the bones of which have been found in their
burrows. There is one European species, the Souslik, which is
considered a delicacy by the Russian peasants.

The Marmots are stoutly built, have no cheek-pouches, and the
tail is short. There are about a dozen species, which are confined to
the northern hemisphere.

The Alpine Marmot (Plate III., No. 9), found in the Alga Pyrenees,
and Carpathians, is nearly 2 feet long. Sir William Flower, quoting
from a German author, says that these animals “live high up in the
snowy regions, generally preferring exposed cliffs, whence they may
have a clear view of any approaching danger, for which a constant
watch is kept. When one of them raises the cry of warning, the loud
piercing whistle so well known to travellers in the Alps, they all
instantly take to flight and hide themselves in holes and crannies
among the rocks, often not reappearing at the entrance of their hiding-
places till several hours have elapsed, and then frequently standing
motionless on the look-out for a still longer period. Their food
MARMOTS. 157

consists of the roots and leaves of various Alpine plants, which, like
squirrels, they lift to their mouths with their fore-paws. For their:
winter-quarters they make a large round burrow, with but one entrance,
and ending in a sleeping-place thickly lined with hay. Here often
from ten to fifteen Marmots pass the winter, all lying closely packed
together, fast asleep, until the spring.” The
Bobac, the only other European species, is
confined to the eastern parts of the Conti-
nent.
The Woodchuck, the common American \ I
Marmot, shows great skill in forming his burrow
on a hillside, guarding himself against being
drowned out by making. his sleeping-place, at
the end of the hole, higher than the entrance.
He digs in slantingly ‘for 2 or 3 feet, then ~ woopcnuck.
makes a sharp upward turn, and keeps nearly

parallel with the surface of the ground for a distance of 8 or ro feet
further, and so sets rain: and flood at defiance.

The Prairie Dogs are so called from their cry, which somewhat
resembles the bark of a small dog. There are two species; the best
known lives in the prairies east of the Rocky Mountains, the other in
the western States as far south as New Mexico. The total length is
about 1 foot, of which the tail counts for some 3 or 4 inches,
and the fur is reddish-grey. Their chief food is the blades and roots,
of the buffalo grass. These animals live together in large groups,
dwelling in burrows pretty close to each other, and an assemblage of
these burrows is called a “town” or “village.” Burrowing Owls and
Rattlesnakes share these underground dwellings with their rightful
owners—the former probably because they are spared the trouble of
excavating a burrow for themselves, as they
do in some places; the latter because of the
plentiful supply of their favourite food.

The Sewellels are also American burrowing
rodents from the west of the Rocky Mountains.
They are of similar habits to the Prairie Dog,
but somewhat larger, and with darker fur.

The Anomalures, of which there are several
kinds, live in Western and Central Africa.
They have a flying membrane, which is sup-
ported by a gristly spur that projects from each elbow, and so gives the
membrane a greater spread. At the root of the tail are scales that over-
lap each other, and act as support to these animals in climbing. Mr.







Zee

PRAIRIE DOG.
153 PorutAr HisToRY oF ANIMALS.

Adams thus describes their habits in the Proceedings of the Zoological
Society (1894) :—

“They come out of their holes in the trees. some hours after sunset,
returning long before daybreak. They are only to be seen on bright
moonlight nights, and in fact the natives say they do not come out at
all in stormy weather or on very dark nights. They .live on berries
and fruits, being specially fond of the palm-oil nut, which they take to
their nests to peel and eat. The most I have seen in one hole is
three, though, according to the natives, five or six are sometimes found.
They pass from tree to tree with great rapidity, usually choosing to



BEAVER.

jump from a high branch to a lower one, and then climbing up the
tree to make a fresh start.”

The Beaver (Plate III., No. rz) is found in America ehveen the
Arctic Circle and the Tropic of Cancer, but its numbers are rapidly
diminishing, owing to the fact that it is trapped for ‘its fur, and it is
being driven from some of its old haunts by the increasing population.
These animals formerly spread over the northern hemisphere, including
our own country, where their memory lingers in such place-names as
Beverley, which means the Beaver-lake. In the Old World they are
now confined to a few of the larger European.rivers, where they live in
pairs. A full-grown American Beaver is about 30 inches long, with a
. flat, oval, scaly tail that may measure 12 inches in length and 5 inches
in breadth. The fur is reddish-brown above, paler below. The
THE BEAVER. 159

tail is used as a rudder, not, as some have thought, as a sledge to
carry. materials for building, or as a trowel to spread the mud with â„¢
which beaver-dwellings are plastered. The fore feet are much smaller
than the hinder ones, and the latter are webbed. The food consists of
the bark of trees, the roots of the water-lily, and sometimes grass.

The chief interest of these animals lies in their social habits—for the
American Beaver forms large communities—their lodge-like dwellings,
and their dams for keeping back water. Some of them, however, .
inhabit burrows, differing from those of other aquatic animals in little
except their size and in opening below the surface of the water.

Mr. H. P. Wells, writing in Harper's Magazine (January, 1889), says
of beaver-dams that they
“resemble a narrow pile. ,
of brushwood — thrown.
together higgledy-piggledy. —
The largest poles are per-
haps as thick as a man’s
wrist, the butt-ends sticking
up in the air, with the
brush ends inclined towards
the bottom and up stream.
On the up-stream side
these branches ,and poles
are weighted down with
mud, mixed with grass and
small stones, so as to form
a solid and_ water-tight HORMOUSES
bank.” He says that the
general feeling, when one sees a beaver-dam for the first time, is one
of surprisé: and disappointment at the rough character of the work;
and he has but a poor opinion of the Beaver’s engineering skill.

The tools’ of the Beaver are its sharp, strong, cutting teeth, with
which it can fell trees from 12 to 18 inches in diameter. This is
effected by gnawing a ring round the trunk, gradually working deeper
and deeper till trunk and stem resemble two sugar-loaves point to point. |
In the Zoological Gardens, Regent’s Park, you may see the short stems
of trees which have been cut down in this fashion. Beavers work only
at night, and will do much more when it is dark and rainy than in
bright moonlight.

The Dormice are the first of the Mouse-like Rodents to be men-
tioned, because they are more closely allied than the others to the
Squirrel-like forms. They are found ‘chiefly in the temperate parts of.



\
160 PorutAR HisToRY OF ANIMALS,

Europe and Asia, and a few live in Africa.. They are small creatures,
with large ears and eyes, and long bushy tail, living in trees or
thickets, and many build nests.) The common English Dormouse is
reddish-tawny in colour, nearly 6 inches long, of which the tail forms a
little less than half. It is often kept as a pet, and soon becomes very
tame. Dallas describes the Dormouse as living in thickets and hedge-
rows, where it is as active in its way among the bushes and under-
growth as its cousin, the Squirrel, upon the larger trees. Among the
small twigs and branches of the shrubs the Dormice- climb with wonder-
ful adroitness—often, indeed, hanging by: their hind feet from a twig
in order to reach fruit or nuts otherwise inaccessible, and running along
the lower surface of a branch like monkeys.

The Lophiomys, from North-east Africa, is somewhat like a small
Opossum in form and habit, and has a thumb-like great toe. The long
hairs in the middle of the back can be raiséd‘‘into a kind of crest.

The Rats and Mice and their close allies are very numerous, and
form more than a third of the whole order. In Britain we have two
Rats—the Black, or Old English, Rat, about 16 inches long, of which
the slender tail counts for rather more than half; and the Brown Rat,
with stouter body and shorter tail. The latter was probably introduced
from Asia, and is rapidly driving out the native species. The habits of
these animals are well known. They form burrows, and in_ their
burrowing often do considerable damage. They will eat almost any-
thing that comes in their way, and they increase with marvellous
rapidity. Many instances are on record of their undermining mason-
work, and by making passages through dams letting out the water
from reservoirs and canals to overflow the country. The White and Pied
Rats that are kept as pets are varieties of the Old English Rat.

The common Mouse follows man in his wanderings all over the
globe. Like the English Rat, it has white and pied varieties, well
known to most boys as pets. But the ordinary Mouse can be tamed
with a little trouble and patience, and is then just as amusing as his
white brother.

The Wood or Long-tailed Field Mouse. is about thesize of the
common Mouse, but the fur is reddish-grey above and white below. . It
lays up a store of seed and grains in its burrows, and rarely ventures
into houses, though it will sometimes pass the winter in barns.

The Harvest Mouse, the smallest European Mouse, is yellowish-red,
with short ears and tail. It builds an elegant nest, generally fastened
to cornstalks above the ground, or hung on to the heads of thistles.
Gilbert White describes one which he took as being “most artificially
plaited, and composed of the blades of wheat, perfectly round, and
Mice AND VOLEs. 16!

about the size of a cricket-ball, with the aperture so ingeniously closed
that there was 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.” These last two Mice feed also on insects and worms.

The Wood Rats, from
Southern Asia, are closely
allied to the true Rats and
Mice. The largest is the Indian
Bandicoot Rat, which often
reaches 2 ft. in length, of which
the tail forms a half.

The Voles differ from the
true Rats and Mice in being ‘ \
of stouter build, and having
shorter limbs and tails. They
are found in cold and temperate
regions of the northern hemi-
sphere. There are three British
Voles, the largest of which is
the Water Vole, often miscalled
the Water “Rat,” and it issome- /.
times blamed -for the misdeeds ,
of the Rat: It lives in the
banks of streams and ponds,
feeding chiefly on vegetable
substances, with insects, mice,
and small birds as occasional
delicacies, ‘ I}

The common Field Vole is HARVEST MICE AND NEST,
much smaller, and ranges over
Britain as fat north as the Hebrides. Quite recently this animal has
become so numerous in Scotland as to be a plague. A farmer holding
6,500 acres of land told the Agricultural Commissioners who were
inquiring into the subject that he estimated there were three million
Voles on his land during the great Vole-plague of 1891 and 1892; and
putting the damage done by them at twopence a head, the amount
would be £50,000 in two years. Greece was visited with a similar
plague about the same time. The Bank-Vole is also British, but the
fur, instead. of being brown, as in the other two, is rusty red. Other
Species are found on the Continent, and in Asia and America.

There are several Lemmings, of which the Norwegian species is the

L




162 PorputAR HISTORY OF ANIMALS.

best known. It is about 5 in. long, clothed in soft brownish-yellow fur
marked with dark spots. - The fore limbs are strong and well fitted for
digging. ‘This little creature is
remarkable for its periodical
migrations, probably in search
of food. The Lemmings ap-
pear so suddenly and in such
vast numbers in the cultivated
districts of Norway that one
cannot wonder at the old super.
stition, not yet extinct, that
they drop from the clouds;
and within recent times prayers
were offered in the churches as a PeotectOn against their ravages. One
strange part of this migration is that of the myriads that move onwards
till they reach the sea, none ever returns. When they come to the
seashore they plunge in as boldly as they crossed the streams that lay
in their path, and continue swimming till they perish in the waves.
Another strange circumstance is that though the advancing host is
preyed upon by numberless beasts and birds, and shot and trapped by
man, they actually increase while on the march, probably owing to the
abundant food-supply.

The Musquash, or Musk-Rat, is an American species, ranging from
the Barren Grounds to the Rio Grande. It is about 2 ft. long, the tail
counting for
a third; and
the furis dark
brown above
and grey
below. It
frequents
swampy
grounds and
the banks of
lakes and
streams, feed-
ing on roots,
shoots and =
leaves, and MUSK RATS.
fresh - water
mussels. The fur is valuable, and large numbers of these animals are
trapped or speared year by year. They generally live in a burrow in



LEMMING,










ALLIES OF THE RAT FAMILY. 163

the bank, but sometimes build dome-like houses, like those of the
beaver, rarely far from water.

The Hamsters are nearly allied to the true Mice and Rats, but have
large cheek-pouches. There are many species, all confined to the Old
World ; and the best known is the common Hamster (Plate III., No. ro)
of Central Europe and Asia. It is about 1 ft. long, of which the
tail forms a little less than a quarter. The fur. is thick. and ‘shiny,
yellowish-brown above, a reddish band on the neck,,and a yellow spot
on each cheek; the lower surface, limbs, and a band on, the forehead
are black, and the feet white. Itis a pretty little‘animal, and will defend
itself vigorously if attacked. It feeds mostly on vegetable food,. but
does not object sag
to small animals,
and in confine-
ment hardly any-
thing comes amiss
to it.

The Tree Mice
are small African
forms, of which not
much is known.

They are said to SN
resemble Dormice =i ES :

in habit. a ae ie Ras

The Gerbilles, : MOLE RAT.
or Kangaroo-Rats,
of South-eastern Europe, Asia, and Africa, have very long hind
limbs and long hairy tail. Most of them inhabit deserts and sandy
plains, and in one the nostrils are furnished with a lobe, which, Blanford
says, “is evidently to keep out sand and dust from the air passages.”
Of the common Indian Kangaroo-Rat Sir Walker Elliot says: “They
do not hoard their food, but issue from their burrows every evening,
and run and hop about, sitting on their hind legs to look round,
making astonishing leaps, and on the slightest alarm flying into
their holes.” The species are numerous. i

The Long-tailed Spiny Mouse, sometimes called the Spiny Dor-
mouse, is a native of India, living in clefts of the rocks and hollow
trees, and is said to hoard grain and roots. The hill-people call it the
“ pepper-rat,” because it destroys large quantities of ripe pepper. The
length is about 6 in. and the tail 3 in. The fur is light brown.
The hairs on the tail stick out like a bottle brush.

The Mole-Rats are so called from their form and burrowing habits.

L2

Â¥

Xs


























«
&

ty
164 POPULAR HISTORY OF ANIMALS.

é
The fore-feet are well adapted for digging, and the eyes are small
and sometimes hidden in’ the skin, asin the common Mole Rat of
South-eastern Europe. The Indian species are often called Bamboo
Rats, from their burrowing under old bamboo roots. The Strand
Mole Rat, from the Cape of Good» Hope,.is about the size of a
rabbit, with greyish-white fur. It lives in “sandy places near the
shore, and burrows to such an’ extent’ as to make the ground unsafe
to ride over.

The Pouched Rats, widely distributed. over America, have
cheek-pouches that open outside the mouth. The Pocket Mice, with
the hind limbs long and adapted for leaping, as in the Gerbilles

and Jerboas, belong to
this’ family.
The Jerboas constitute
a family, with representa-
tives in all the four con-
tinents, characterised _by
the wonderful way in
which they progress by
leaping, being better
adapted -for this than the
Gerbilles, which in many
ways they resemble.
; The American Jumping
Mouse ranges from Lab-
ee ete rador to Mexico. The
JERBOAS. , true Jerboas are confined
to the Old World, and the
Cape Jumping Hare is from the Cape of Good Hope. It is like
a tiny kangaroo, and is said to cover wenty feet at a bound.

The Porcupine-like Rodents- ” onsist'- of several families. In
the first are a number of small rat-like: ‘animals, chiefly from South
America. The Tuko-Tukos, of which there are four species, are named
from their cry. They are small burrowing animals from South America,
and on each of the hind feet is a kind of comb of bristles, used for dressing
the fur. ‘The Coypu is found on the shores of South American lakes and
rivers. It is about 3 ft. long, of which the round hairy tail measures
a third. Four of the five digits on the hind limbs are webbed. The
fur is valuable, and is;sold as South American Otter. The body is
dull brown, the muzzle” greyish, and there is a little warm brown on the
side of the head. Mr. Aplin says that the Coypu “swims with the
nose, the top of the head, and a narrow line of the back out of water,






PORCUPINES. 165

all on a dead level, or almost’so.; the nostrils being very high up in
the line of the skull, they are-kept out of the water without the nose
being poked up towards the: sky.”

The Porcupines form two’ groups, those from the Old World, which
live on the ground, and the ‘American forms, which live among the
branches of trees. The hairs are ‘converted into spines or quills.

The common Porcupine (Plate III., No. 12) is a native of Southern
Europe and the North and West of Africa,sand other species range
through India to the Malay Archipelago. The length is somewhat under
3 ft., including the short tail. THe skin is blackish-brown, hairy on the
muzzle, and with a
stiff bristly crest. The
large quills are mostly »
ringed with black and
white. These can be
erected by a con-
traction of the skin’;
but the old. notion
that the animal could
shoot them at its
foes is erroneous, and
probably arose from
the fact that they
drop out easily.
Sterndale, who kept
one of the Indian : COYEU.
forms, says that the
porcupine attacks by backing up against an opponent or thrusting
at him by a sidelong motion. When a dog or any other foe comes
to close quarters, the porcupine: wheels round and rapidly charges
back. These animals are nocturnal and solitary, living in burrows
during the day, and coming out at night to feed, often doing great
damage to gardens. The flesh is excellent eating.

The Brush-tailed Porcupines, of -which two: are Malayan and
one African, have the spines of the tail flattened at the base. The Tree
Porcupines, with’ one’ exception, use the tail as a grasping organ, and in
those of South America there is a pad on the hind feet, between which
and the toes objects °can be firmly held. These are more lightly built
than the Ground Porcupines, and the shortclose spines are mixed
with hair. They feed.on fruit and the buds and leaves of trees.

The Urson or: Canada Porcupine has a short tail, and the spines
are almost hidden by long hair. -


166 PoputArR, HisTORY OF ANIMALS.

In the Chinchilla family are three species, all South American.
The Chinchilla, valuable for its soft grey fur, is a squirrel-like animal
from great. elevations in the Andes.:, It is nocturnal in habit, and
very shy. It is often seen in captivity, but rarely becomes tame and
familiar. Cuvier’s Chinchilla, a larger species, is found over the same
range of country.

The Viscacha, which lives on the great plains from Buenos Ayres te
Patagonia, is about 2 ft. Jong, of which the tail counts for a quarter.
The general colour is mottled-grey, with some black and white on the
cheeks. easy are nocturnal in habit, and live in burrows in family
parties, large numbers of these
burrows being near’ each
other. They feed at night
on herbage, roots, and bark,
and often do great damage
in cultivated land. They
post sentinels to give notice
/of danger, and on the alarm.
being raised they scamper
away to their holes.

The Agoutis are natives
of South America and some
of the West Indian islands.
They have been compared
j to small slender-limbed Pigs,

CHINCHILLA. - andto Deerlets. The general

! colour above is a brownish-

olive, due to the mixture of black and yellow hairs. Agoutis live in the

forests or along the banks of rivers, and are solitary in habit. They are

vegetable-feeders, and from their habits, in confinement appear to store food.

Those living in the Zoological Gardens generally have pieces of biscuit

hidden under the straw, and I have repeatedly noticed that a piece

of the same kind of ‘biscuit given to these animals is added to the
store, while sweet biscuit or fruit is eaten immediately.

The Paca, of similar habits, is more stoutly built, and its brown fur
is marked with white spots forming lines on each side. It is found
from Guatemala to Paraguay.

The Restless Cavy, the stock from which our Guinea Pig sprang, is
a native of South America, and very common on the banks of the
La Plata River. In Uruguay, according to Mr. Aplin, it makes runs
among the grass, coming out chiefly about sundown to feed. He says
that Cavies are almost as destructive as rabbits; and where the foxes,


THE Cavy FAMILy. 167

their chief natural enemies, have been killed down, they are apt to
increase inconveniently. The grey mouse-coloured fur is long and
pretty, but generally seems loosely attached to the skin.

The Patagonian Cavy is somewhat hare-like in form, with long
slender legs. It is a burrowing animal, but where the Viscacha is
found it utilises the dwellings of that animal in preference to making
a burrow of its own. The long, thick fur is rusty-grey.

The Capybara is the largest living Rodent, being about 4 ft. in
_total length. The body is stoutly built and the hair long and coarse,

































































































































































































CAPYBARA,

reddish-brown above, lighter beneath. These animals are aquatic, and
frequent the borders of streams and lakes in South America, feeding
chiefly on water plants. Mr. Aplin says that “their skins tan into
splendidly thick soft leather. Like other thick-skinned animals, they
like to wallow in mud. They do not go to ground, but live in the
banks of the rivers, in such cover as they can find. They can remain
under water, proceeding for some distance below the surface; but
when a herd has been disturbed, the members probably lie low, by
putting just their noses above water, under the shelter of a bed of .
water-plants.”

The Double-toothed Rodents owe their name to the et that
behind the incisors of the upper jaw is a pair of very small teeth
(see figure on next page). To this group belong the Hares and Rabbits
and Pikas or Calling Hares. The Common Hare is a native of Britain
and the greater part of Europe, but is absent from Ireland. Its length is
168 PoeutAR HisToRY oF ANIMALS.

about 27 in., the tail'counting for 3 in. ; the fur is reddish-grey above,
and white. below. It lies in its “form,’.a mere depression in fern or
brushwood, or in the grass, coming. out towards dusk to feed on green
vegetables and root-crops, sometimes on the bark of trees. These animals
pair early in spring, and produce
three or four litters every year. The
young, called Leverets, can see,
and are covered: with hair when
born. - Hares are timid animals, but
the males fight fiercely at certain
seasons, standing upright on their
long hind legs, and striking down-
wards at their opponent. ‘This
d habit of theirs has been utilised
SECTION OF UPPER JAW OF HARE. by showmen and the keepers of
‘happy families,” who often exhibit
hares that engage in mock combats and beat tattoo on the tam-
bourine.

There are several closely-allied species. The Mountain Hare
(Plate III., No. 13), from Cumberland, Scotland, Ireland, and the
mountains of Central Europe and Asia, is of smaller size, and in cold
climates the greyish-brown fur becomes white in winter, but the tips of
the ears are always black. ;

The Rabbit is a burrowing animal; its young are born blind and
helpless, and it multiplies more rapidly than the Hare, from which it
may be readily distinguished by its smaller size, greyer fur, and the
absence or small size of the black tip of the ears. Spain is probably
its native country, but.it. is now widely distributed. Some years ago it
was introduced: into: Australia and New Zealand, where it has become
such a pest that rewards have been offered for keeping down its
numbers. There are various breeds of domestic rabbits, and in
Belgium these are bred for the table.

The Pikas, or Calling Hares, are small animals not much unlike
Guinea-pigs. The North of Asia is their chief home, but.one lives in
the Rocky Mountains and another in the South-east of Europe. They
are mountain-dwellers, living in burrows, and laying up large stores of
grass to. serve for food in the winter. ;



~ x a
PERI —








































































































































































































SCHOOL OF PORPOISES,

CHAPTER XIV.
DOLPHINS AND WHALES.

| HESE are aquatic mammals of fish-like shape, and generally
of large size. The body is spindle-shaped, and tapers from
the head backwards. to the tail, which forks into two
“flukes,” one on each side, thus differing from the tail of a
fish, which spreads out above and below. The fore limbs
are like paddles, and there are no hind limbs, though traces of them
“sometimes exist in the shape of small bones; and many of them
have a fin on the back. The body is hairless, except round the
mouth, but beneath the skin is a thick layer of, blubber, which
keeps these animals warm. All feed on other animals; most of them
on small crustaceans, some on cuttles, squids, and fish; while one
attacks and devours its fellows. In habit they are social, and are
found in schools. They come to the,surface to breathe, and the
vapour expelled ‘with the air condenses into spray, and sometimes
water is carried up also. The “spouting” of whales and dolphins
is, however, nothing more than their breathing. There are two groups,
one with teeth, and one in which teeth are replaced by whalebone.
The Toothed Whales have but a single blow-hole—that is, the nostrils
form but one aperture; in the others the nostrils are distinct.

The Dolphin (Plate IV., No. 16), a native of the North Sea and the
Mediterranean, is also found in the Atlantic, and has near relations in
many other seas. It is from 6 to 8 ft. long, black above and white
below, with the head produced into a kind of snout, and a fin on the


170 Porutar -HistoryY or ANIMALS.

back. This is the animal which is said to have borne Arion on its
back through the waves, and Dolphins were believed to have drawn
the car of Amphitrite over the foaming waters. It must be dis-
tinguished from the so-called Dolphin which exhibits a beautiful play of
colour when dying, for this last is really a fish.

The Porpoise is well known all round our ccasts, and it or some
closely-allied form is found in nearly every sea. From 4 ft. to 5 ft.
is the average length; the colour is bluish-black above, fading into a
lighter hue below. These animals feed on fish. Like the Dolphins,
they are very playful, and their-gambols often amuse voyagers at sea.























































































































































































































































































































































NARWHAL WITH BOTH TUSKS DEVELOPED.

The Killer-Whale or Grampus is found in almost every sea. The
size ranges from’18 ft. to 30 ft.; the colour is black above and white
below. From the great size of the dorsal fin, the Germans call these
whales “Sword-fish,” whence the true Sword-fish has been wrongly
charged with attacking whales: Killers feed on seals and members of
their own order, and they unite in herds to hunt: down the larger
whales, just as wolves and wild dogs hunt down their prey.

The Narwhal or Sea-Unicorn is only found in the’ seas round the
North Pole, where it is met with in herds of from fifteen to twenty.
It feeds on cuttles and small fish. There is no dorsal fin; the colour
on the back is grey, and white below, both marked with shades. of
grey. The so-called horn of’the males is really an enormously-developed
tooth on the left side of the jaw; it often reaches a length of 7 ft. or
8 ft, and is valuable as ivory. The tooth corresponding to it on the
right rarely pierces the jaw, but in some cases it is also ‘developed.
WHALES. 171

The purpose they serve is not known. Sir William Flower com-
pares them to the antlers of deer, which are both ornaments and
weapons. These teeth do not pierce the jaw in the female.

The Beluga, called also, from its colour, the White Whale, is about
12 ft. long. Its home is in the Arctic Seas, but it comes down as far
as the mouth of the St. Lawrence in the Atlantic, and has been seen
off the Scotch coast. From its hide “ porpoise” leather is made.

The Freshwater Dolphins, from the Ganges, Brahmapootra, and
Indus, the Amazon and the Rio de la Plata, have the jaws produced
into a long snout. There are only three of them—one from the Old
World and two from the New; the largest is about 8 ft. long, and the
smallest not more than 5 ft. ;

The Sperm-Whale is the largest and most important of this section.
It is met with in most tropical and sub-tropical seas, but stragglers
have been seen round our shores. An old male will reach from 56 ft.
to 60 ft. in length, while a female is not much above half that size.
The head forms about a third of the whole length, and the space
between the skull and the upper jaw is filled with the oil from which
spermaceti is procured. The long slender lower jaw bears about twenty
teeth on each side, which fit into hollows above. These whales are
hunted for sperm oil, procured from their blubber ; ambergris, obtained
from their intestines, and spermaceti. The Sperm-Whale fishery is often
attended with great danger. The author of “Stray Leaves from a Whale-

man’s Log” tells how, when the boats’ crews were waiting for the whale
to rise, “the immense glistening lower jaw, armed with two rows of
polished teeth, flashed from the water, and the gigantic beast leaped
into the air, carrying with it the head of the boat, which had been
snapped asunder, and the unfortunate harpooner, whose head and arms
were dangling from the corner of the monsehs mouth, within which
the body and legs were gripped as in a vice.” The appearance of the
slender lower jaw above the water before the ponderous upper jaw is
due to the fact that the Sperm whale turns on its back to seize
anything on or near the surface, though when below it swims with the
lower jaw hanging down at an angle of about 45 degrees.

The Short-headed ‘Whale, from Southern Seas, from 6 to to ft. long,
also yields spermaceti, as does the Bottlenose Whale, from 20 ft. to
30 ft. long, from the North Atlantic, and the oil from the Bottlenose
can scarcely be distinguished from sperm oil.

The Whalebone Whales are toothless, and the upper jaws are
furnished with plates of whalebone, fringed at the lower ends, and
forming a kind of sieve to prevent the escape of the small creatures on
which these animals feed. The whale opens its mouth, and so fills it

\
172 POPULAR’ HISTORY OF ANIMALS.

with water; then, closing it, allows the water to run out, and the small
crustaceans and molluscs are entangled in the whalebone, from which
they are swept off by the tongue.

The Greenland or Right Whale (Plate IV., No. 17) is a native of Polar
seas. The head is longer in proportion to the body than that of the
Sperm Whale, though not so deep and massive. The total length of a
large male is about 60 ft.; the skin is black, with some scattered white
markings, and cream-coloured on the throat. The animals swim in
small schools of from six to eight, and the females show great love for
their young, and are very bold in defending them when attacked.

A whale between 4o and 50 ft. will yield from sixty to eighty
barrels of oil and about half a ton of whalebone. The old method
of whale-fishing by harpoons thrown by hand is, to some extent,
superseded by harpoon-guns. As soon as the whale feels the wound,
it dives, and remains under water till forced to come to the surface,
when it is again attacked, and once more seeks refuge below. This
is repeated till the whale succumbs to its wounds and floats on the

«surface dead. It is then towed to the ship; the blubber is cut up

-and melted down into oil, the whalebone removed and stowed away,
‘and the skin and flesh abandoned to ‘the Killer-Whales, Sharks, and
sea-birds that are always found on the whaling grounds.

The Finners or Rorquals, of which there are several species, have
a long slender body and a small dorsal fin. They are found in all seas,
except those round the Poles.

The Humpback Whales, from the Atlantic and the Pacific, have
very long fore-limbs. The upper surface is black, while the limbs and
under surface are white, and the skin of the throat is so wrinkled that
it has been compared to corrugated iron used for roofing. From their
habit of lying on the surface and beating the water with their long
fore-limbs, some of the stories of “sea-serpents” have perhaps arisen.
The whalebone of the Finners and Humpbacks is of inferior quality,
and their blubber yields little oil, but both are hunted.

DUGONGS AND MANATEES.

These animals, often called Sea-Cows, are fish-like in shape, aquatic
in habit, and feed on water-plants and sea-weed. They have no hind
limbs or fins; the tail is flattened, and the nostrils can be closed
at will. J

The Dugongs are confined to the Old World. There are three
species: one from the Red. Sea, another from the Indian seas, and
the third from the coasts of Australia. The average length of an adult
is about 8 ft.; and the males have a pair of tusk-like teeth in the.
THe DUGONG AND MANATEE. 173

upper jaw. From their habit of raising the head out of the water,
and carrying their young pressed to the body by means of the fore-
limb, the stories of creatures half human, half fish-like, inhabiting the
Indian seas, possibly took their rise, and certainly gave the scientific
name to the order. The Australian Dugong is hunted for its oil, which
is said to be as good for consumptive patients as cod-liver oil.

The Manatees are found in the estuaries of the rivers that flow
into the Atlantic between the tropics. There are three species—two



















MANATEE,

from America, and one from Africa. The best-known form, generally
called the American Manatee, is about the same size as the Dugong,
from which it differs in frequenting rivers rather than the sea, and in
the incisor teeth being absent in adults. Both Manatees and Dugongs
have molar teeth.

This animal has lived in captivity at the Zoological Gardens
and at the Brighton Aquarium. At the Aquarium a pair lived for
several months, and their daily allowance was 30 lbs. of lettuce and
endive. Observations made upon these creatures show that the stories
told of their coming on shore to feed have little foundation. When
the water was drawn off they refused to feed, though vegetables were
put into their tank; and though the male would sometimes make
clumsy efforts at locomotion in the empty tank, his attempts were
compared by an observer to those of a man lying on his face, with his
feet fettered, and his elbows tied to his side.
174

CHAPTER. XV.
SLOTHS, ANTEATERS, AND ARMADILLOS.

| HIS group is sometimes called Edentates, or Toothless Animals.
Many of them have teeth, but in all they are imperfect,
and cutting and canine teeth are generally absent. All are
natives of tropical countries, and they are most abundant
in South America.
The Sloths live in the tropical forests of South America, east of
the Andes, feeding en-
tirely on leaves, which
they gather with the
mouth, not with the
paws. The body is
covered with long, rough
hair, which agrees with
the colour of the mosses
and lichens covering the
trees among which they
live, and a green vege-
table growth on the hair
itself disguises them still
more effectually. The
fore-limbs are longer
than the hinder pair, and
THREE-TOED SLOTH. all four are armed with
stout claws bent into a
hook-like shape, by means of which these animals travel along the
branches of trees with the body downward: They are nocturnal and
rarely leave the trees for the ground.

There are several species, none much larger than a cat, known as Two:
toed and Three-toed Sloths,*according as there are two or three digits
on the fore-limbs. Moseley bought a Three-toed Sloth (Plate III., No. 14)
at Bahia, and kept it alive in his workroom on board the Challenger
for some days, but as he could not get it to feed he had to kill it.
He says: ‘“‘The beast was the most inane-looking animal I ever saw,
and never attempted to bite or scratch; none of us could look at its
face without laughing. It merely hung tight on to anything within reach.
It showed, however, one sign of intelligence. I hung it on a brass rod
used for suspending a lamp beneath one of the skylights in our room.




ANTEATERS AND ARMADILLOS. 175

It remained there half a day, hanging head downward, and constantly
endeavouring to reach the bookshelves near by, but without success.
At last it found out an arrangement of its limbs by which this was
possible, and got away from the lamp-rod, and in future, whenever I
hung it up on the rod, it climbed to the bookshelves within five
minutes or so.”

The Anteaters, like the Sloths, are found only in Central America.
The long head tapers off to a small, narrow, toothless mouth, pro-
vided with a worm-like tongue. The tail is long, and in some species
prehensile. The third digit on the forelimbs is much larger than the
rest, and is armed with a huge hooked claw. Anteaters are covered
with long coarse hair. <

The Great Anteater (Plate III., No. 10) is about 6 f _ long, of which
the thick bushy tail amounts to a .
third. The general colour is grey, with =;
a black band, bordered with white,
passing backwards from the chest
to the loins, where it ends in a
point. These animals live on the ee eae eee
ground, and feed on ‘Termites, or GREAT ANTEATER.

White Ants, tearing open the ant-

hills with their claws, and sweeping up the insects with their extensile
tongue, which is covered with a sticky secretion. They are harmless

and inoffensive unless meddled with; but if irritated can use’ their
powerful claws with great effect, and they are difficult, beasts to kill.
A writer in the Medd (November 12, 1892) was told by some Spanish
planters that they had seen dogs killed on the spot with the claws of
the Anteater actually interlocked in their bodies. The Tamandua, much
smaller, and the Two-toed Anteater, about the size of a rat, live
among the branches of trees. In both the tail is prehensile.

The Armadillos derive their name from the armour-like shields
and bands with which they are covered. There are about twenty
species from temperate and tropical South America, one ranging as far,
north as Texas. They are generally nocturnal in habit, and feed on
anything that comes in their way, not excepting carrion. The body is
long, the limbs are short, and armed with strong claws, well adapted
for burrowing, in which all of them are very expert. Most of them
walk on the soles and palms. The Great Armadillo, the largest living
form, is nearly 5 ft. long, of which the tail is about one-third. It
is never found in open country, but keeps near the great forests.
This animal is said to dig up and devour the bodies of the dead,
but the story is not supported by trustworthy evidence.


176 Poputar History oF ANIMALS.

The Poyou or Six-banded Armadillo (Plate III., No. 15) is about 2 ft.
long, including the tail, and between the bands on the body are long bristly
hairs. The Hairy Armadillo, or Peludo, is smaller, and is nocturnal in
habit. The edges of the shield and those of the bands end in sharp
points. - Hudson had a tame one, which caught and ate mice. friend of his saw one kill a venomous snake by throwing itself upon it
and cutting up the body of the reptile with the sharp edges of its
bony armour. The Apar and some other of the same genus differ
from the rest in walking on the tips of the front claws; they have the
power of rolling themselves into a ball, like some of the wood-lice.
“In this state,” says Darwin, “it is safe from the attacks of dogs,

* for the dog, not
being able to take
the whole in _ its
mouth, tries to bite
one side, and the ball
slips away.” The
flesh of most of
these animals is
eaten, and is said
to be well-flavoured.
The armour-likeskins
of some, lined with
silk, are used as

PICHICHIAGO. work-baskets.

The Pichichiago
is a small animal. Its body is covered with long silky hair, and the
long, banded shell covering the upper surface is loosely attached to
the back along the spine.

The Scaly Anteaters from Africa and Asia, like the Hairy Ant-
eaters of America, are quite toothless, and have a long extensile
tongue. There are four African species, of which the Long-tailed
Pangolin (Plate III., No. 17) is a good example, and three from Asia.
They vary in length from 2 to 5 ft.; all of them are covered with
large scales overlapping each other, ending in a sharp point behind,
and have the power of rolling themselves into a ball. The tail is long,
and is used as a support in climbing trees. They walk with the long
claws closed, so that the back of the digits touch the ground.

Mr. Hornaday kept one: of the Asiatic species, and says that in
walking “the animal carried his back highly arched in the middle, and
the long curved claws of his forefeet he bent until they pointed
backwards, and literally walked on them. Whenever he: found a


THE AwntT-BEAR. 177

colony of ants he would begin to dig most industriously, and after
digging a little distance into the hill and exposing the interior, he
would thrust his slender gelatinous tongue into the passage-ways and
draw it out thickly covered with ants.”

When the Pangolin rolled itself up, Mr. Hornaday and his servant
tried in vain to unroll it; and though they called the dog to help,
they failed to effect their purpose. The Cingalese say that the
Pangolin often coils itself round the elephant’s trunk, and squeezes it
so tightly that the huge beast cannot breathe, and uy, soon drops dead
_ from suffocation.

The Cape Ant-bear, or Aardvark, from Cape Colony, is somewhat
pig-like in. form, with a long snout, erect ears, short limbs armed with
stout claws for digging, and long round tail. The light-coloured skin is
scantily covered with bristles, These animals, which feed entirely
on termites, are nocturnal, passing the day in their burrows. They
have the strange habit of rising to the surface in unexpected places.
Mrs. Martin, in her “Home Life on an Ostrich Farm,” says that
“during the war in Zululand a sentry was on guard at midnight, when
suddenly, close to him, the ground opened, and out of it rose a
ghastly living Jack-in-the-box. The moonbeams shone full on the
horrid form, long head, and deadly pale, calf-like face; and the man—
small blame to him—dropped his gun, deserted his eee and fled in
horror, shouting to his astonished comrades “the awful news that he
had seen Old Nick himself.” The Ethiopian Aardvark, from North-
eastern Africa, ranges into Egypt. »



AARDVARK.
-178

CHAPTER XVI.
POUCHED MAMMALS.

THe Mammals of this Order are distinguished by the possession

of a pouch, in which the yourig. are nourished
after birth, for the little creatures come into



KANGAROUS,

for a considerable time
the world in a very
imperfect condition.
Most of them are

“nocturnal animals, from

Australia and the

‘neighbouring _ region,

and live on vegetable
food. ;
At the head of the
Order stand the Kan-
garoos, of which. there.
are many kinds, one.
nearly as tall as a man,
while others are ‘no
larger than a rabbit.
The Great Kangaroo
(Plate III., No. 7), dis-
covered by Captain
Cook in 1770, is found
in the open grassy plains
of Eastern Australia and
Tasmania. The fore
limbs are short, the
hinder, pair are greatly
developed, and the long
powerful tail serves as
a weapon of defence,
and as a means of
support when the animal
raises itself nearly up-

right on its hind-quarters. When pursued it gets over the ground by
a series of jumps, and is said to be able to clear 15 feet at a bound.
In walking, the fore-feet are placed on the ground to support, the, body,
KANGAROOS. 179

while the long hind-legs are brought forward outside them. “These
animals do great damage to the pastures of the colonists, and are hunted
and shot in great numbers. When brought to bay, this Kangaroo will
often rip up a dog with a stroke of its long claws, or kill it with
a blow from its tail. The flesh is excellent eating, ‘and the ‘leather
finer than calfskin; and since these animals breed freely in confinement,
they might possibly be acclimatised in this country, and become a source
of profit to kangaroo farmers, though opinion is divided on this point.
There are several other species closely allied.

The Rock Kangaroos range over the mainland of Australia, and
derive their name from: the
situations they frequent.
Gould describes themas leap-
ing from rock to rock, often
alighting on ledges so narrow
that it appeared almost. im-
possible for. them to retain
their footing. The ‘Tree
Kangaroos are found chiefly
in New Guinea, only one
‘of the four occurring in
Queensland. They are
about the size of small
hares. Dr. Guillemard, who
kept two on board the
Marchesa, says that in the
Tree Kangaroo we have
“an instance of a ground animal which is, gradually becoming arboreal
in its mode of life. But although a tree-haunting animal, it is as yet a
tiro in the art of climbing, performing this “operation in the slowest and
most awkward manner. Our pets, for instance, would take a full minute,
or more in ascending the back of a chair, but their hold was most secure,
and if we wished to pull them off we had no little difficulty in doing
so.” The Hare Kangaroo, found over all Australia, resembles the hare~
in appearance, and in forming “seats,” like that animal. These
animals run well, and can take marvellous’ leaps. One that Gould
hunted leaped right over his head.

The Kangaroo Rats, none of which is larger than a rabbit, are
found in Australia and Tasmania.

The Wombats are small bear-like animals, living on the ground or
in burrows, and feeding on grass, roots, andthe like. There are three
species; one from Tasmania and the islands of Bass’s Straits, and

ME 2



,
180 POPULAR History OF ANIMALS.

two from South Ristalie The general colour is brownish-grey, and
the length about 3 feet. The incisor teeth resemble those of the
Gnawing Animals.

The Phalangers are stall woolly-coated nocturnal animals, from
Australia and the Papuan islands. The tail is often prehensile, and
the great toes can be used like thumbs. Some of them possess a
flying-membrane, joining the fore and hind limbs, and by its aid they
can take long leaps from above downwards.

The Woolly Phalangers range from Australia to Celebes. Wallace
tells us that they are opossum- -like animals, with a long prehensile tail,
of which the end is generally bare. They have small heads, large
eyes, and a dense covering of
woolly fur, often pure white, with
irregular black spots or blotches.
They move about slowly, and are
difficult to kill, owing to the thick-
ness of their fur and their tenacity
of life. A heavy charge of shot
will often lodge in the skin and
do them no harm, and even break- ,
ing the spine or piercing the brain
will not kill them for hours.

Of the Flying Phalangers there
are several species. Of the Short-
headed Flying Bhalanger Dr. Guillemard says: .““ These creatures are
common to New Guinea and Northern Australia, and are chiefly
nocturnal in their habits, haunting the thick foliage at the crowns of
palms. The tail is not prehensile, as in the true Phalangers, but the
stout sharp claws are well adapted for clinging to the smoothest bark.
The fur is exquisitely soft-and of a delicate shade of grey, against
which the black dorsal stripe and white under-surface show to advan-
tage. We quite failed to tame this little animal, whose loud note of
alarm and anger when its .cage was disturbed made the sailors: give it
the nickname of ‘the clockwork mouse.’ A whole page of description
would not more accurately convey. the nature of the sound.” The
Pigmy Flying Phalanger, from East Australia, is not so large as a
mouse.

The Koala, or Native Bear, from South-eastern Australia, is about
2 feet long, with ashy-grey fur. It lives among the branches of gum-
trees, on the buds and shoots of which it feeds. The mother carries
her young on her shoulders.

The Bandicoots, or Pouched’ Badgers, are found in Australia, Tasmania,



KOALA,
Various MARSUPIALS. 181

and New Guinea. They are burrowing animals, of small size, and feed
chiefly.on insects.

The Banded Ant-eater, from South and West Australia, is about
the size of a squirrel, and has a long bushy tail. The chestnut-red fur
is marked on the back with broad white bands.
It feeds on insects.

In the so-called Pouched Weasels the -
pouch is reduced to a few folds of skin.
These animals, which feed on insects, differ
in habit: some take their prey on the
ground, others live among the branches of
trees. They aré of small size, none of them

BANDED ANT-EATER, larger than a rat, with dark fur, and range

from Australia to New Guinea. In 1894 the

members of the Horn expedition to Central Australia were fortunate

enough to obtain several specimens of a rare form of Pouched Weasel,

which lives in holes among rocks and stones. Up to this time but
a single example of this animal was known. :

The Dasyures are small in size, and something like a Civet-Cat in
form. The fur is some shade of brown or grey, spotted with white.
They occur in Australia, Tasmania, and New Guinea, and feed on birds
and small mammals.

The Bear-like Dasyure, or “Tasmanian Devil,” owes its name to its
fierce temper and destructive habits. It is about the size of a Badger,
with black fur, marked with white on the chest. It lives in burrows,
and preys on sheep and poultry.

The Thylacine is a native of Tasmania. It is of dog-like form,
whence the colonists call it “Wolf.” The greyish-brown fur is marked
with dark stripes on the back, flanks, and root of the tail, whence it is also
called “Tiger.” Its ravages among the sheep-
folds have led to its extermination, except in _
the more mountainous part of the island.

The Mole-like Marsupial, recently dis-
covered, is a small burrowing animal from
the sand-plains of South Australia. Pro-
fessor Stirling, who described it, says:
“In penerating the soil free use as a borer ASRGAEARTA RD DEVIE:
is made of the conical snout, with its
horny protecting shield, and the more powerful, scoop-like fore-claws
are also early brought into play. As it disappears from sight, the
hind-limbs, as well, are used to throw the sand backwards, which falls
in again behind it as it goes, so that no permanent tunnel is left to




182 PoputAR HisToRY OF ANIMALS.

mark its course. Again emerging, at some distance, it travels for a
few feet along, and then descends as before. I could hear nothing
of its making or occupying at any time permanent burrows.”

The Opossums are found only in America. Most of them live
among the branches of trees and feed on birds, birds’ eggs, and
insects. In some the pouch for the young is well developed; in
others it is represented by folds of skin. The tail is prehensile, and
the great toe acts as a thumb, as in the Phalangers.

The largest species and one of the commonest is the Virginian
Opossum (Plate IIL,
No. 6). Its home is
in temperate North
America, and in the
Southern States a
variety is known as the
Crab-eating Opossum.
Azara’s Opossum is also
from the Southern States,
Like most of its fellows,
it feigns death when
hard pressed. A cor-
‘respondent of the Field
says: “TI rolled it over
and over, and as it did
not alter its position in
the least, I thought I
: had killed it; and as

OPOSSUM: a mulatto, whom I knew,

came up, I asked him

to keep it for me until the morning, when I purposed skinning- it

and then burying the body, with a view of obtaining a perfect

skeleton. But the man was far more conversant with the

beast’s ways than I, and said, ‘It is not dead, sir, but only

shamming.’ I then realised what was meant by the saying, ‘Playing
*possum.’”

In the pouchless Opossums the young are borne about on the
back of the mother, who carries her tail erect or arched over her
back, and round it the young ones twine their tails to steady them-
selves as she roams about.

The Yapock, or Water-Opossum, ranging from Guatemala to
Southern Brazil, is aquatic. Its feet are webbed, and it lives on fish,,
crustaceans, and insect larvee.






















































THe Warer-More AND ECHIDNA. 183

THE WATER-MOLE AND SPINY ANTEATERS.

These are the lowest of the Mammals, and possess some of the
characters of Reptiles and Amphibians. The young are produced
from eggs. '

The Water-Mole (Plate III., No. 18) is found near the banks of rivers
in the south and east of Australia and Tasmania, and feeds on insects
and molluscs. The bill is duck-like, the body is covered with soft brown

AG gry
\ i Vie se
a Tone N
ae

=

©

SAN































SS =

WATER-MOLES AND SPINY ANTEATER.

fur, and the feet are webbed. There is a horny spur on the hind
legs of the male, capable of inflicting a wound dangerous to man,
owing to the secretion from a gland in connection with it The
young have teeth, but these are shed and replaced in the adults by
horny plates.

The Spiny Anteaters are small, nocturnal, burrowing animals, feeding
on ants. The fur is dark, and mixed with strong sharp spines. The
snout is produced and the long tongue is thrust forth from a hole at
its extremity. The claws are long and powerful; the males have a
small spur. There are two species from Australia, Tasmania, and
New Guinea.
184

CHAPTER XVII._
BIRDS. PASSERINE BIRDS.

Neszeg/ HE chief character by which birds may be distinguished from
all other backboned animals is their clothing of feathers.
Like the mammals, they are warm-blooded ; the fore-limbs
are organised for flight, though in some the power of
flying has been lost, probably through disuse. The jaws
«are covered with a horny sheath, forming a beak or bill, and the feet
“are modified for walking, climbing, seizing prey, and scratching and
digging ; and the toes
may be greatly length-
ened for walking on
= floating vegetation, or
JAWS OF BIRD WITH HORNY SHEATH. webbed for swimming.

: No bird has more
than four toes—that corresponding to our fifth, or “little” toe, being
absent. The “great” toe is at the back; and the inside toe on each foot
when. there are three toes in front, corresponds to our second toe. The
foot of the Lark shows the arrangement of the toes in the Passerine Birds
Parrots and Woodpeckers have their toes arranged in pairs—two in front,
and two behind. In regard to Parrots, this fact-may be easily verified.







FOOT OF LARK. FOOT OF CASSOWARY. FOOT OF OSTRICH.

All birds lay eggs, and the vast majority build nests and sit upon
the eggs they have laid. Some few, as the Cuckoo, leave the! duty of
incubation to others; and a few others, like the Mound Birds, deposit
their éggs in the earth or in heaps of decaying vegetation, and leave them
to be hatched out by natural heat. The backbone in Man may be
toughly indicated by an upright stroke ], that of most of the lower
mammals by a horizontal stroke ==, but in birds it occupies a slanting
CHARACTERS OF Birps. 185
position 4. This will not seem strange if we remember that a bird is
a “glorified reptile”; and though no one can say how “the slow, cold-
blooded, scaly beast ever became transformed into the quick, hot-blooded,
feathered bird,” it is clear that when the fore-limbs left the earth, the
backbone must have moved upwards with them.

From the annexed figure one may get a general idea of the bony
framework of a bird. The different parts will be fixed in our minds
if we compare them with the corresponding parts of our own body
(p. 8), and with those of the Camel (p. 5).

Of Living Birds there are two sub-classes: (1) the Flying Birds, with
a keel, or ridge, on the breast-bone, for the attachment thereto of the
muscles that move the wings; and
(2) the Running Birds, with flat raft-
like breast-bone. ~

The Flying Birds are divided into
several orders.

PASSERINE BIRDS.

This is the largest order of the
class, and contains nearly 6,000
species of birds, arranged in about
fifty families, Dr. A. R. Wallace de-
scribes it as “comprising the most
perfect, the- most beautiful, and most
familiar of our birds. The feathered
inhabitants of our fields, gardens,
hedgerows, and houses belong to it.
They cheer us with their song, and
delight us with their varied colours,” |

The Thrushes are well repre-
sented in Britain. All boys know the
Common Thrush (Plate V., No. 16), and
very many have taken its eggs. It is
noted for its powers of song, and is
avery favourite cage-bird. Nor does
it seem to be unhappy in~ confine-



SKELETON OF PIGEON.



ment: it sings as loudly and cheerily
in its small cage as it does in the
open. A writer in the /7ze/d recently
told of one that his daughter took
from the nest fifteen years ago,
and says that “it still sings as much

1, Skull; 2, Shoulder blade (scafzla); 3, Arm
(humerus); 4, Fore-arm (ulna, 7 radius)$
5, wrist (carpus); 6, Metacarpus .(corre+
sponding to the human palm), d’, da”, d’”,
correspond respectively to the thumb, second,
and third fingers; 7, Merrythought (/urcula,
composed of the two collar-bones ne
8, Breastbone (sternum, showing keel):
9, Thigh-bone (esr); 10, Leg (¢zbia); x1,
Tarso-metatarsus (corresponding to the ankle
and sole) ; 12, Pelvis, (For the toes, see text.>
186 PopuLtar HisToRY OF ANIMALS.

as ever, and is apparently as contented as possible. Some years ago
I allowed it to go free,-but it came back to its cage.” The Thrush
feeds on worms, slugs, snails, and in some places on shell-fish. It breaks
the shells by hammering or dropping them on a stone. In autumn
it takes toll of fruit; but its services to the farmer and gardener
in destroying snails and slugs should be allowed to count against its
misdeeds. The length of the male is a little less than g inches. The
basin-shaped nest usually contains five bluish-green eggs, spotted with
brown, and there are generally two broods in the year.

_ There is a popular notion that if young Thrushes be taken from the
nest and put in a cage in the open, the old birds will bring them
poisonous food. In 1894 some young Thrushes which had been taken
from the nest died in their cage soon after the parent birds had visited
them; and their owner was told by his gardener that the old birds
poisoned their young when they found they could not get them out of
the cage. Their bodies were sent to the /ie/d office for examination,
so as to discover what the poison was, and their stomachs were found
to be quite empty. They had died from starvation.

The Missel-Thrush is larger than the Common Thrush, but has not
so sweet a song. Its food is pretty much the same as that of the last
species, except that it has a greater fondness for berries, especially for
those of the mistletoe, from which it derives its name. ‘This bird sings
in storm as well as in sunshine, whence it is known as the Stormcock.

The Fieldfare visits us in winter, returning northward in spring. : It
is about ro in. long, chestnut on the back, bluish-grey on the head
and neck; the reddish-yellow breast is marked with black, and the rest
of the under surface is white.

The Redwing comes earlier and stays longer than the Fieldfare. Of
these two visitors, Bishop Stanley says: ‘It is generally supposed that
they are hardy birds; but the very reverse is the case, for in severe
weather, should there be a dearth of food, they are the first to
suffer.”

The Blackbird (Plate V., No. 17), with its yellow bill, is familiar to every
one who has walked in the country with observant eyes ; though if disturbed,
it quickly betakes itself to the shelter of a hedge or bush, darting in
with a sharp, sudden turn. Its note is loud and clear, and is continued
from early in the spring till the breeding season.is over. It is a good
mimic, and has been known to imitate the song of the Nightingale
pretty’closely. Bishop Stanley tells of one that was in the habit of
crowing like a cock, and nearly as loud. ‘Perched upon the top-
bough of an ash-tree, it might be seen crowing away, occasionally
indulging in its natural song, but this only. for a second or two, for it
THE THRUSH FAMILY. 187

soon began again to crow, and when the cocks from a neighbouring
poultry yard answered, it seemed delighted, as if it was trying to rival
them in the shrillness of its note.” The bird was probably bres near
the spot, and learned to crow from imitating the cocks.

Gardeners wage war upon the Blackbird, thinking that it robs them
of their fruit. Professor Newton, however, says that when the enormous
numbers of insects, slugs, and snails injurious to vegetation, and eaten
by Blackbirds throughout a great portion of the year, are duly considered,
it is pretty plain that the value of the fruit, consumed during a few
weeks only, is counter-balanced by the services performed. In 1893,
a white Blackbird—not an albino—was shot at Hinton St. George,
Dorsetshire, and sent to Mr.
Rowland Ward for preserva-
tion. The bird had been
known in the district for two
years, during which period
many attempts had been made
to shoot or trap it.

The Ring-Ouzel, a little
larger than the Blackbird,
with blackish plumage and a
white halfmoon on the chest
visits Britain in the summer.
Its food is much the same eee
as that of the Blackbird ; but
it shuns cultivated or inhabited districts, preferring wild, hilly country.
When the young are hatched, the parents fly around with anxious
cries, and will venture to attack a dog or other animal.

The Mocking-bird is a North American Thrush about ro inches long.
The plumage above is grey marked with black and white, and brownish
white below. Its own notes are full, strong, and varied. It also has
the power of imitating the note of every bird it hears, the cries of
domestic animals, and other sounds. A caged Mocking-bird has been

‘known to call the hens together by screaming like a wounded chicken,
and to draw the dog from the fireside by imitating its master’s whistle.

The. Warblers, some of which are resident in Britain, while others
visit us regularly, have two moults in the year—one in spring, an one
in autumn. Insects form the chief part of their food.

At the head of the list stands the Nightingale (Plate V., No. 12) Aat is,
the Night-singer—though it is by no means the only British bird that
sings in the night-time. Its length is about 7 inches, and its plumage
is of various shades of brown. The male birds arrive about the middle



\
188 PoputAr HisTory oF ANIMALS.

of April, and the females some ten days or a fortnight later. The
males taken. during this interval often do well as cage-birds, but those
snared after they have mated generally.pine and die. The song _ lasts
from pairing time to-the hatching of the young, and is so sweet that
all who have written about it have been enthusiastic in its praise.
Izaak Walton wrote: “He that at midnight, when the very labourer
sleeps securely, should hear, as I have very often, the clear airs, the
sweet descants, the natural rising and falling, the doubling and redou-
bling of her voice, might: well be lifted up above earth, and say, Lord,
what musick hast Thou provided for the saints in Heaven, when Thou
affordest bad men such musick on Earth!” of this bird having bred in confinement.,

The Robin (Plate V., No. 13) lives with us—that is, some stay all the
year, while others leave in autumn for warmer climes, and the following
spring sees fresh arrivals on our shores, while even in this country there
are periodical movements from one part to another. The Robin seems
to be particularly fearless in approaching man, and in severe weather
will often venture into houses in search of food. Robins frequently
choose strange places in which to breed—an old tin teapot, that had
been thrown up in the branches of a poplar at Westgate-on-Sea, a
desk in a study at Tunbridge, and the eaves of a house at Balham
were recorded during one year as nesting-places of Robins.

The Wheatear, clad in grey and black plumage above, and white
below and on the tail, visits this country in March, and leaves by the
end of September. When these birds assemble on the South Downs
for the southern journey, vast numbers are snared. They are then in
excellent condition and highly valued for the table. The Stonechat,
which is resident, and the Whinchat, are closely allied.

The Redstart (Plate V., No. 14), or Firetail, visits us in the summer.
This bird feeds almost entirely on insects, which it takes on the wing
almost as readily as if it were a Flycatcher or a Swallow. It has fair
powers of imitation, and some have been taught to repeat tunes.

The Hedge Sparrow is a native bird, feeding on insects, worms, and
seeds. Its nest is one of the earliest, and it is probably from the little
care used to conceal it that it is so often chosen by the Cuckoo as a
good place in which to deposit an egg.

The Reed-Warbler and the Sedge-Warbler are summer visitors, the
former chiefly to the Eastern Counties. The Sedge-Warbler is well
known to all anglers. A writer in the Mew Review says :—“ He
seems to take a kindly interest in you, sits on a reed near and watches, ~
and begins his song when you come up; if you don’t see him or hear
him, it is only necessary to call his attention by pitching something
THE. WARBLER FAMILY. 189

into the reed-bed, and he will address his song to you at once, and.
a very curious medley it is, being made up of the notes and bits of
the song of other. birds.”

The Greater Whitethroat, or Nettle- -creeper, the Lesser Whitethroat,
the Garden Warbler, the Blackcap, the Wood Wren, the Willow- ‘Wren,
and some others, are summer visitors.

The Golden-crested Wren is a resident, though some leave this
country in the spring, and there is an arrival in the autumn. In some
places it is known as the Woodcock-pilot, from its arrival a few days
before that bird. The Golden-crested Wren is about 33 inches long.
The Fire-crested Wren, a rare visitor,
has the crest of a much redder hue.
The general plumage of both is olive-
green.

The Tailor-bird is Indian. The author
of “The Tribes on my Frontier” describes
it as a “most plain-looking little greenish
thing, but a skilful workman. Aided by
its industrious spouse it will spin cotton,
or steal thread, and sew together two broad
leaves of the laurel in the pot on your
very doorstep ; and when it has warmly lined
the bag so formed, it will bring up therein
a large family of little tailors, At present : a
it is burdened with no such cares, but still NEST OF ‘TAILOR-BIRD.
it is always busy, hopping from bush to
bush, and prying with its sharp eyes for spiders and little green
caterpillars.”

The Babbling Thrushes, are small, lively birds, generally of sober
plumage, abounding in Asia, and found less plentifully in Africa and
Australia. The breeding habits of one species, observed by Forbes in
Java, are curious. He says that the fledgelings were being tended by three
parents, and his “boy,” who on most subjects was well informed, told
him that the female had always two husbands.

The Dippers inhabit Europe and the alpine districts of North and
South America, with some close relatives of the True Dippers in Asia.
The Dipper, or Water-Ouzel, is British. In form and carriage the bird
is somewhat like a big Wren. The plumage is brown above and on the
flanks, and white on the breast. Rocky streams are the Dipper’s
home, and there it finds its favourite food—water-snails, aquatic insects
and their larve. Its diving powers have. been compared to those of
the Cormorant; and Montagu says, “Where we have been able to



\
190 PoputAr History oF ANIMALS.

perceive it under water, it appeared to tumble about in a very
extraordinary manner with its head downwards, as if picking up some-
thing; and at the same time great
exertion was used, both by wings and
legs.”

The Wrens are small birds widely
distributed. Our Common Wren (Plate
V., No. 15) is nearly as well known as
the Robin, and seems to have similar
confidence in approaching the dwellings
of man. Near the nest, which has a
dome-like top and a hole*in the side,
are generally some nests partially finished
or carelessly built. They are called
“cocks’ nests,” and country boys will
tell you the cock-bird builds them for
sleeping-places for himself... There are
several other explanations—no one
knows which is the true one.

a The Creepers are small, soberly-
clad birds, widely distributed. In habits and in their stiff tails they
resemble the Woodpeckers, but their toes are differently arranged—
three in front, and one behind. The Common Creeper, or Tree
Creeper, about 5 inches long, is clad in
brown, marked with white and black,
and has a curved bill. It feeds chiefly
on spiders and insects, which it picks
out from between the crevices in the
bark of trees. Beginning at the bottom,
it will work round and round a tree in
a spiral, and then fly to the next and
go over it in the same manner, generally
confining itself to the trunk, but some-
tires searching the larger branches,
under which it will occasionally travel
back downwards. There are allied
species on the Continent, in Asia, and
‘America. The Wall Creeper, from the
south of Europe, is a much larger
bird.

The Nuthatches have a_ short,
wedge-shaped bill, but the tail-feathers CREEPER.

E




THE NUTHATCH. TOL:

are not stiff like those of the Creepers and Woodpeckers. They are
chiefly found in the temperate regions of both hemispheres. The
Common Nuthatch is a little larger than the Tree Creeper, with the
plumage slaty-blue above and pale cinnamon below. It searches trees
for insects, but its mode of hunting differs from that of the Creeper,
for it begins at the top and works downwards, often coming down head
first. It will also prize up the bark to search for larvee, which the
Creeper cannot do, owing to its weak bill. Nuts form a large part of
the food of these birds; and from their habit of wedging nuts or beech-
mast into a chink and splitting them open
with their bill they are also called Nut-
hacks and Nutjobbers. If disturbed while
sitting, the hen bird will hiss like a snake,
and any attempt to remove the eggs
will probably convince the intruder that
the Nuthatch’s bill can be effectively
used for other purposes than splitting
nuts.

The Tits are noisy, lively little birds,
with loose, fluffy plumage, often of gay
tints, and short conical bill set at the
base with hairs. They are more abundant
in temperate than in tropical regions,
and most are insect-eaters. The name
Titmouse is sometimes given to these
birds ; but “mouse” is really the Old
English mase, which means a small bird,
and has nothing to do with the thieving NUTHATCH.
little rodent.

The Great Tit, or Ox-eye (Plate V., No. 11), widely distributed over
Europe, lives in Britain all the year round. Its length is a little less
than 6 inches. Its notes are varied, and some of them are more loud than
sweet, resembling the noise made in setting a saw, whence its local
name of “Sawsharper.” It is accused of killing smaller birds and feed-
ing on their brains; but it rarely indulges in this bad practice when at
liberty.. The Blue Tit, or Bluecap, about 43 inches in length, is unjustly
persecuted by gardeners as a fruit-destroyer, when its only object is
picking open fruit-buds in the quest of insects. Like most Tits, it is
fond of flesh and fat, and if one wishes to attract Tits to the garden
in the winter, it is only necessary to tempt them with food of this kind.
A writer in the Med says that for many years each winter he sus-
pended pieces of fat by a string to a stick, and on this numerous Tits.



\
192 PoputAar HistoRvY OF ANIMALS.

used to feed; but that winter he put an upright stick, with a cross piece
of wood, hanging the fat by strings at each end. The Tits, both |
Blue and Ox-eye, no longer took their meals hanging head downwards

on the string, but, perched on the cross-pieces, hauled up the string ~

“hand over hand,” and so fed at their ease. The Coal Tit, which,
may be distinguished by the white patches on the head, feeds largely
on vegetable diet, but has been seen devouring earthworms. The Marsh
Tit, black on the head and brown on the upper surface, is locally
distributed in Britain, generally near swampy places. The Crested
Tit is also local, preferring woods in which fir and oak occur, feeding
on the insects that haunt the
fir-trees, and when these fail, on.
the seeds of the fir. Holes in.

The Long-tailed Tit, some-’ —
times called the Bottle-Tit from}
the shape of its nest, is the least
7 common of the British Tits,. Its:
7m length is about 54 inches, but its
body is very small; its supper’
surface is mostly black, with
some white on the crown. All
these Tits are native British .
birds. :

The so-called Bearded Titmouse belongs to another family. There’
is little to be added to the first description given of it: “A little bird
of a tawny colour on the back, and a blue head, yellow bill and black

legs.” Snails and insects form its chief food. It has its home in Central
and Southern Europe; but it bred, and perhaps still breeds, in some parts
of the fen-country. ‘ ai

The Hill-Tits are small birds, of delicately-tinted plumage, ranging
from ‘the Himalayas to China.

The Bulbuls, or Fruit-thrushes, are natives of Asia and Africa.
The Madras Bulbul is trained in Ceylon as a fighting bird. It is taken
young from the nest, and secured by a string to its perch. When
properly trained it is matched with another bird similarly fastened, and
the conflict would end in the death of one or both of the two if
their masters did not separate them when likely to do each other |
serious mischief.

The Orioles, or Golden Thrushes, are found chiefly in Africa and
Asia. The Golden Oriole (Plate VI., No. 17), with its brilliant yellow-and-
black plumage (which is not attained till the third year), is well known



COAL TIT. 3

the oaks are utilised for nests. -


PLATE V.

1. Golden Eagle. 2. Lammergeier. 3. Iceland Falcon. x» 4.
Egyptian Vulture. 5. Condor. 6. Horned Owl. 7. Goatsucker.
8. House Martin. 9. Swallow. 10. Great Grey Shrike. 11. Great
Tit.- 12. Nightingale. 13. Redbreast. 14. Redstart. 15. Wren.
16. Thrush. 17. Blackbird. 18. Lyre-bird.

THE. FLYCATCHERS. 193

oh the Continent, but is. the only species found in Europe. . These
birds. live in small flocks, fly well, and frequent high trees, amid the
foliage of which they seek for caterpillars, soft insects, and fruits. The
Golden Oriole. sometimes strays to Britain, and in some few instances it
seems to .have bred here.

The Cuckoo: Shrikes are insect-eating birds, from Africa, Asia, and
the Malay Archipelago. Many of them are soberly clad, but- some
Indian species are gay with scarlet and black plumage. The Drongo
Shrikes have nearly the same range as the Cuckoo Shrikes. Their
feet are formed ‘for grasping, and they rarely come down to the
ground. ‘They take their insect-food on the wing, and then return
to their perches to watch for more. The Black Drongo Shrike is a
handsome jet-black bird, with long tail-feathers, which, when it flies,
open and shut like the blades of a pair of scissors.

The Flycatchers have the base of the bill well set with bristles.
The species are numerous and widely distributed. They rarely feed on
the ground, but watch from some perch for insects, which they take
on the wing, and then return to their post. When insects cannot be
obtained these birds subsist on berries.

The Spotted: Flycatcher, plentiful all over Europe, visits Britain in
the summer, beginning to build as soon as it arrives, and it is generally
believed that the same pair return year after year to the same spot
to breed. The length of this bird is about 54 inches, and its plumage is
brown above, and dull white, with brown markings, below. It has been
accused of eating fruit, and in Kent is known as the “Cherry-sucker,”
but there is no evidence to support the charge of robbing gardens and
orchards. Facts point the other way, for the stomachs of Flycatchers
shot on fruit-trees have yielded nothing but insects. The hard cases of
the insects are rejected in the form of pellets. The Pied Flycatcher, a
rarer and rather smaller bird, with black and. white plumage, also visits
us in summer. The country round the lakes of Cumberland and West-
morland is’ its favourite resort.

The Red-breasted Flycatcher, from Central and Eastern Europe, has
strayed to England. Of the first specimen recorded, Mr. Copeland says:
“We first observed it on a dead holly tree; this tree and the ground
around the house were its favourite resort. It was particularly active,
skimming the grass to within about a foot, then, perching itself, darted
occasionally with a toss, resting either on a shrub or the wire fencing.”

The Thick-headed Shrikes are natives of Australia and New Guinea.
Their habits differ from those of most other insect-eating birds, par-
ticularly in their quiet mode of hopping about the. branches of trees
in search of insects and :their larve.

N
194. ; Popular HisToRY OF ANIMALS.

The Shrikes are most abundant in Africa, though many are dis-
tributed over the warmer and temperate regions of the globe. The feet
are strong and the bill hooked, and sometimes furnished with a tooth.

The Great Grey Shrike (Plate V., No. 10), about ro inches long, com-
mon on the Continent and in America, visits Britain in the winter. Yarrell
says that it “feeds upon mice, shrews, small birds, frogs, lizards, and
large insects. After having killed its prey, it fixes the body in a
forked branch, or upon a sharp thorn,
the more readily, as is supposed, to pull
off small- pieces from it. It is from
this habit of killing and hanging up their
meat, which is observed also in other
Shrikes, that they have been generally
called Butcher-birds.” The Lesser Grey
Shrike, which adds fruit to its flesh diet,
is an occasional visitor ; the Red-backed
Shrike comes regularly every summer,
and the smaller Woodchat, a rare visitor,
has bred here.

The Crows are a very large family,
with representatives in every quarter of
the globe. The bill is strong, and broad
at the base, and the nostrils are covered
with stiff feathers, directed forwards.
They are clever, cunning birds, many of
them possessing powers of mimicry, and -
their habit of storing food in a wild
state leads many of them, when tamed,
to carry off and hide anything that at-

tracts their attention.

The Piping Crows, from Australia, Tasmania, and the Malay
Archipelago, have long, conical beaks. They spend much time on the
ground, and eat nearly everything that comes in their way. Some are
distinguished by the flexibility of their voice, and all have great powers
of imitation.

The Jays are widely distributed. The Common Jay (Plate VI., No.
16), a little over a foot long, is one of the handsomest of our native
birds. Its home is in the woodlands, and it is rarely seen in open
country, and scarcely ever on the ground. Insects, worms, and slugs
form its chief food, but there is no doubt that it takes toll of fruit
crops, and there is some truth in the charge that it destroys eggs and
young birds, though the extent of this bad habit is probably exaggerated. -



RED-BACKED SHRIKE,
THE Crow Famicy. 195

Unfortunately, gamekeepers believe it, and consequently shoot Jays
whenever they have a chance. They are also killed for the blue
feathers of the wing, which are used in dressing artificial flies. Jays
have great powers of mimicry, and make amusing pets. The Blue
Jays represent in America the Jays of the Old World, which they
resemble in habits.

The Tree Crows are natives of Africa and Asia. In appearance
they are like the. Magpie, but in some the central tail-feathers are
much’ longer than the rest.

The True Crows are found everywhere except in South America.
There are several British species. The Raven, the largest of the
family, is a little over 2 feet long, and has blue-black plumage, with’, a
a green metallic gloss. eee
It is widely distributed
in the northern hemi-
sphere, but is becoming
rare in Britain, especially
inland, though there are
still many breeding-places
on the rocky parts of the
coasts, and some _land-
owners protect ‘these
birds. The Raven will
eat anything of an animal
nature that comes in Paras
its way, and attacks
sickly sheep and lambs. Professor Newton says: “No sooner does
an animal betray any. sign of weakness than the Raven is on the
watch for the opportunity, and begins the attack on the eye, especially
if the creature be large and still alive.” It will hunt and devour
the smaller mammals, as moles, mice, etc., and does not disdain to
feed on carrion, and, failing animal food, will put up with grain. This
bird is often kept as a pet, and it soon learns to “talk.” Dickens
was fond of Ravens as pets, and everybody will remember “ Grip”
in ‘Barnaby Rudge.”

The Carrion Crow may be described as a small Raven, and is
more detested than its larger relation; for while it has all the bad
habits of that bird, its numbers are so much greater in this country
that the damage it does to farmers and gamekeepers, and breeders of
poultry, is very considerable. :

The Grey, Hooded, or Royston Crow (Plate VI., No. 14), called in
Scotland the Hoodie, differs from the Carrion Chew only in its greys

N 2












































































196 Poputar History or ANIMALS.

back and under surface, It has all the Carrion Crow’s love of animal
food. Mr. Edward, the Scottish naturalist, says: “‘I observed a half-
grown rabbit emerge from some whins, and begin to frolic about close
by. Presently down pops a Hoodie and approaches the rabbit, whisking,
prancing, and jumping. He seemed to be most friendly, courteous,
and humorsome to the little rabbit. All of a sudden, however, as if
he meant to finish the joke with a ride, he mounts the back of the
rabbit. Up springs the latter, and away he runs. But short was his
race. A few sturdy blows about the head from the bill of the Crow
laid him dead in a few seconds.”

The Rook differs little from the Crow in size or colour, but adult
birds: have the skin of the forehead and at the base of the bill bare
of feathers. Rooks are, also, much better-mannered birds, and to a
great extent farmers’ friends, for they devour
immense quantities of worms, insects, and insect
larvee, though they take pretty heavy toll of corn
and fruit. They.are social birds, congregating
in large flocks, and breeding in company, generally
near the dwellings of man, sometimes in towns
and cities. Rooks, though less easily tamed than
Ravens, are sometimes made pets of, and may be

HEAD OF ROOK. taught amusing tricks, and even to repeat words

: and sentences.

The Jackdaw is a little over a foot long, and, with the exception
of a collar of smoky grey, has black plumage, with metallic reflections.
It builds in towers, steeples, and similar places in towns, and
frequents cliffs rather than the wooded districts which Rooks love. In
food and habits it resembles the Rook, and is much more often kept
as a, pet. ,

The Chough is a beautiful bird, confined to some of the bolder
cliffs of our southern and western counties. Its length is about 17 inches,
and its glossy-black plumage contrasts well with the curved bill and
legs, which are coral red.

The Magpie (Plate VI., No. 15) is more plentiful in the wild and
open parts of Britain than it is in the more cultivated districts. This is
accounted for by the persecution to which it is subjected by game-
keepers and farmers, both of them being mindful that the Magpie
destroys leverets, young rabbits, and chickens, but forgetful of the fact
that it also kills large numbers of rats and mice. The Magpie is a
beautiful bird about 18 inches long, boldly marked with white and black,
the latter glossed with metallic reflections of violet and green. It is
often kept as a cage bird—generally in a cage far too small for it—_


BirDs oF PARADISE. 197

and will soon learn to “talk” and play amusing tricks. Its fondness
for picking up and _ hiding glittering articles makes it a somewhat
dangerous pet, and its misdeeds in this way, and the sufferings of
innocent persons unjustly suspected of the theft, have been made the
subject of a play, an opera, and one of Canon Schmidt’s “Tales.”

The Nutcracker, about a foot long or rather more, clad in brown
spotted with white, is a rare British visitor from Southern Europe.

The Birds of Paradise, with ‘which are included the Bower
Birds, are natives of New Guinea and
the neighbouring islands, some few
living in the north and east of Australia.
The dress of the male birds is. exceed-
ingly beautiful, and large and brilliant
ornamental plumes are developed,
chiefly. from the wings and tail, But
despite their fine feathers, they. are
very near relations of the crows.
Old authors believed that they fed on
dew, but fruit and insects constitute.
their food. Very curious legends are
connected with these birds. Arabic
writers of the Middle Ages gravely
declared that there: were islands in
the East where grew trees bearing
fruit resembling men’s heads, that
cried, ““Wawk! wawk!” at sunrise OES an
and sunset. No one could find any
explanation of such a story till Mr. A. R. Wallace visited the Malay
Archipelago, and found that the Birds of Paradise settled on
the trees in flocks about sunrise, uttering this cry. It was also
believed that they had no feet, and some thought they had no wings.
This erroneous notion arose from the fact that the native traders
who prepared the skins always cut off the feet and wings of the birds
before selling them to Europeans. This seems to have been the
general plan down to the time of Wallace’s visit, though in some
cases he says the feet and wings were left attached to the skins.

The Great Bird of Paradise, the largest species known, has the
plumage of a rich coffee colour, while the long plumes, of a rich
golden orange, on each side of the body, can be erected at pleasure.
The Lesser Bird of Paradise (Plate VI., No. 18) is similarly clad, but of
smaller size. The King Bird of Paradise is a small species frequenting
the less lofty trees in places where the forest is most dense, flying strongly


198 Poputar History oF ANIMALS.

with a whirring sound, and continually hopping or flying from branch
to branch. It eats hard stone-bearing fruits as large as a gooseberry,
and often flutters its wings, at the same time elevating and expanding
the beautiful fans with which its breast is adorned.

The Red Bird of Paradise is rare, and found only on the small
island of Waigiou. Wallace obtained several specimens, in the hope of
bringing them alive to Europe. He says he had a large bamboo cage
made, and fed the birds on fruit and grasshoppers, but as most of



SUN-BIRDS,

his birds died within three days of their capture, he gave up the
attempt, and brought home preserved specimens.

The Plume Birds differ from the True Birds of Paradise chiefly in
their sickle-shaped bills, whence they are sometimes termed Long-
billed Birds of Paradise.

The Bower Birds owe their popular name to the fact that besides
their nest they make a kind of run or gallery in which to play,
and decorate it with shells, feathers, and any glittering objects they
can find and carty off.

The Honeysuckers, from Australia and the Malay Archipelago,
have an extensile tongue with a brush-like tip, with which they extract
the juices from flowers. The Sun-birds, with similar habits, range
from Africa, through Palestine, over the south of Asia to the Malay
Archipelago, and thence to Australia. From their small size and
brilliant plumage, they are often called the Humming-birds. of the Old
World.
SWALLOWS AND MARTINS. 199

A number of other foreign birds can only be mentioned. The
Chatterers, from the northern parts of both hemispheres, have a single
European representative—the Bohemian Waxwing, so called because
some of the wing-feathers are tipped with what looks like pieces of
red sealing-wax. The Hook-billed Creepers are confined to the Sandwich
Islands. From the feathers of some of these birds the magnificent
war cloaks of the kings of the Sandwich Islands were made. The
Flower-peckers are small birds of gay plumage from Asia, Africa, and
Australia. In habits they. are said to resemble the Tits. The Sugar-
birds, from tropical America, are small birds that live on fruits, seeds,
and insects. The Wood Warblers, which range from Panama to the
Arctic region, are allied to the Sugar-birds and to the Tits. The
Greenlets are small American birds, allied to the Shrikes. The plumage
is of various shades of green, and the food consists of insects, seeds,
and. berries.

The Swallows are distributed over the world, and few birds are
better known. ‘To us in Britain, the Common Swallow (Plate V., No. 9)
is always welcome, as its arrival betokens the coming of spring. An
old writer says of this bird :—“He lives a life of enjoyment among
the loveliest forms of nature; winter is unknown to him, and he
leaves the green meadows of England in autumn for the myrtle and
orange groves of Italy, and for the palms of Africa.” It is an insect-
eating bird, and everyone must have seen it hawking over water for
its winged prey.

A near relation is the House Martin (Plate V., No. 8), which arrives
in this country a few days later than the Swallow. The difference in
the plumage of these birds may be.seen from the plate; and the
legs and feet are feathered. Professor Newton says that the Laplanders
invite the Martin to breed near their houses by fixing narrow planks
to the walls, with just room enough between them for the nests, which
may be seen row upon row. They give it this accommodation because
it keeps down the gnats with which the country is infested.

The Sand Martin, the smallest of our three Swallows, is generally
the first to arrive in Britain from its winter quarters. The general
plumage is brown above and white below. These birds nest in com-
pany, usually in banks, forming a tunnel or gallery, at the end of
which the eggs are deposited.

The Hang-nests aré American, and most abundant in the tropical
regions.. Though many of them feed largely on insects, yet they are so
fond of fruit that they inflict considerable damage on the farmers’ crops.
The author of “Pepacton” says of the Baltimore Oriole, with its sharp,
dagger-like bill, that “(he has come to be about the worst cherry-bird
‘200 PoputArR. HisTORY. OF ANIMALS.

we have. He takes the worm first, and then he takes the cherry the
worm was after, or rather he bleeds it. ; .. He is welcome to all the
fruit he can eat, but why
should he murder every
cherry on the tree, or every
grape in the cluster? He
is as wanton as a sheep-
killing dog, that will not stop
with enough, but slaughters
every ewe in the flock.”. The
nests resemble those of the
Weaver-birds.

The Tanagers, beautiful

aes fruit- and insect-eating birds,

SAND MARTIN. are found in the warmer

=. peace aaa : parts of. America and in

some of the West Indian islands. Some of them have considerable
powers of song.

The. Finches,. with which the Buntings. are here included, are small
birds, differing chiefly. in the shape of their bills, and feeding principally
on seeds: They are widely distributed, and many build beautiful
nests. ; :

The Chaffinch (Plate VI., No. 8) is.a native bird, common also in
Europe, where it is more valued as a cage-bird than it is with us.
Its song is heard from spring to midsummer, and it is a pretty general
favourite. Probably. the Chaffinch more’.than repays the damage it
does to gardens by the numbers of insects it destroys.

The Goldfinch (Plate VI., No. 10) is a little smaller than the Chaffinch,
with more brilliant plumage. Its. chief food is the seeds of thistles,
dandelion, groundsel, and plantain. Owing to the better cultivation of
waste. lands, and still. more to the ravages of bird-catchers, Goldfinches
are less. numerous with us than
formerly. They do well as cage-
birds, and are often taught to draw .
‘water. for themselves, to’ open a
box in which. their seed is kept,
and other amusing tricks. The
Siskin, a near relation, with plumage
of a greenish hue, marked with BEAK OF FINCH. BUNTING.
black and yellow, comes from
the north to spend the winter with us, and has remained to breed.

.The Hawfinch is resident in Britain, and its numbers’ are on the




THE FincoH FAMILY. - 201

increase, but owing to its shy habits the bird is not often seen. The
counties round London seem to be its’ favourite abode. |The Gréen-
finch, or Green Linnet, soon becomes tame in confinement, and will
readily pick up the notes of any bird caged near it. The Linnet is a
very common British bird, congregating in flocks on waste lands, except
at the breeding season. The general plumage is brownish, and from
the presence or absence of, red on the head or breast, according to
the season, Red Linnets and Grey or Brown Linnets were distinguished,
though they are the same species.

The Bullfinch (Plate VI., No. 11) frequents wooded districts, and
does great damage in ae by picking s
the blossoms and buds off ‘fruit-trees and
bushes. The Bullfinch is valued asa cage- |
bird, because it can repeat a tune which
has been played to it repeatedly, the bird
being kept in the dark, without food, till
it begins to imitate the tune. It is capable
of great attachment, and. makes an affec-
tionate pet.

The Canary, brought originally from the
Canary Islands, is greenish-yellow in. its
wild state, the yellow plumage being due
to careful breeding in domestication, as are
also. the strange forms of many of the
breeds which are utterly unlike. a’ wild
Finch. Everyone knows what a charming
songster the Canary is.

The House Sparrow (Plate VI., No.
12) is a well-known, pert, lively bird, that
would be reckoned handsome if it were not so common. Opinions
are divided as to its utility, some maintaining that the bird
is a farmer’s’ friend; others that its depredations far outweigh the
good it does by destroying insects. Farmers seem to be of the latter
opinion, for Sparrow clubs, which pay so much.a. dozen for the heads
of these birds, exist in many parts of the country. The Tree Sparrow
is much’ less:common in Britain, and, unlike its relative, is. never
found in towns.

The Java Sparrow, or ‘Rice- bird (Plate VI., No. 9), is a large Finch,
with a wide range in Southern Asia. It is often Reve as a cage-bird,
but its notes are feeble. :

The Crossbills owe their name o the way in en the two halves.
of the bill cross at the. tip, forming an admirable tool for breaking up-



CROSSBILL,
202 PorutAr HisToRY oF ANIMALS.

pine cones, the seeds of which are extracted by the spoon-shaped
tongue. The Common Crossbill is a British visitor, and some remain
to breed. There is a legend that the red plumage (of the males) and
the crossed bill are due to the fact that when Christ was crucified, a
Crossbill tugged at the nails in the hope of releasing Him.

The True Buntings generally have a knob on the palate, used for
crushing seeds. The Yellow Hammer, or Yellow Bunting (Plate VI.,
No. 7), is an extremely handsome bird, but its song, “ Little bit o’
bread and no-o-o cheese,” is monotonous. The young are fed on
insects, and the old birds eat the seeds of many noxious weeds. In
Italy this bird is fattened like the Ortolan. The Reed Bunting, which
must be distinguished from the Sedge-bird, frequents marshy places,
and feeds largely on molluscs and crustaceans. When .the nest and
young are threatened, the old birds endeavour to draw intruders away
from the nest by feigning lameness. The Ortolan sometimes strays
to Britain in its summer visits to Europe. As it comes northwards,
and again on its return, vast numbers are netted and fattened for the
table. The Snow Bunting is an autumn visitor to Britain, and some
remain to breed. Saxby says: “Seen against a dark hillside, or a
lowering sky, a flock of these birds present an’ exceedingly beautiful
appearance, and it may then be seen how aptly the term ‘Snow-flake’
has been applied to them.”

The Weaver Birds are mostly African, though some range to Asia
and Australia. Many of them nest in company, building their flask or
bottle-like nests side by side. The Sociable Weaver Bird goes far
beyond this, and Le Vaillant called these birds “republicans,” from
their nesting habits. A company of them will select a large tree, and,
using the branches as supports, construct a compact sloping roof of
grass, underneath which the separate nests are built.

Some of the Asiatic species build nests in shape like a chemist’s
retort, the long tubular part serving as the entrance. When Dr. Forbes
was travelling in Java he met with a colony of Yellow Weaver Birds.
“Each nest was artfully suspended between the interlacing leaf-stems
of one or two reeds. . . . These nests were not made fast to, but
strung lightly on the leaves, sometimes passed through the fork of
another leaf to form a pulley, so as to permit of their retaining their
upright position, which they must do, weighted as they are by a layer
of clay in the bottom of the nests.”

The Starlings are widely distributed over the Old World, Australia
being the only region without them. The Common Starling (Plate VL,
No. 13) is a beautiful bird, and as useful to the farmeras it is beautiful,
its services in destroying insects far outweighing the harm it does to
STARLINGS. 203

gardens and orchards by eating fruit. Waterton was so convinced of
this that he fitted up in his gateway at Walton Hall a number of
holes, which were afterwards used as nesting-places for these birds.
Like the Beefeaters and Buffalo Birds, they will remove ticks from
the backs of cattle and sheep. The Starling has considerable power
of song. Professor Newton compares it to that of the Mocking



NESTS OF WEAVER BIRDS,

Bird, and it will readily learn to “talk.” The brutal and too common
practice of slitting its tongue can have no possible effect in enabling
it to “speak.”

The Rose-coloured Starling is an irregular summer visitor.

The Beefeaters,from Africa, and the Buffalo Birds from Asia, owe
their popular names to their habit of picking out grubs from the backs
of cattle. Mr.-H. O. Forbes says: ‘‘I was never tired of watching the
friendly relations between the Buffalo Birds and their bovine hosts.
They used to collectin impatient flocks about the hour of the return

,
204. Porputsar HisToRY OF ANIMALS.

“ofthe herd to their feeding-grounds, and as soon as the cattle arrived
they would alight on their backs in crowds, to the evident satisfaction
of the buffaloes, which they relieved of troublesome parasites. Although
the herd boys commonly lay dozing at full length on the buffaloes’
backs, the birds seemed to know that they were quite safe, and would































































BUFFALO. BIRDS.

even alight on the bare back of the sleeper, and from that hop on to
the haunches of the quadruped ; and when the herds were driven away
at nightfall the birds flew off to the forest.”

The Larks have their home chiefly in the Old World, and are
most abundant in Africa. The hind claw is generally long. The
Skylark (Plate VI., No. 6) is common all over Europe, and is well
known to everyone, in its wild state and in captivity. A good deal of
false sentiment has been indulged in about caging Larks. Captivity,
however, has some advantages—for birds, at any rate. In his cage the
Lark has no Sparrow-hawk to fear, and is. sure of good. treatment.
Cases are known of Skylarks living nineteen or twenty years in captivity,
and many instances of their breeding in that condition are recorded. The
Woodlark, a smaller bird, is also native, and some other species visit us.

The Wagtails and Pipits are found all over the world, but they
are most numerous in the Old World. The Pied Wagtail, with its
black and white plumage, is a. very common British bird of elegant
form and great activity. Insects and their larvee form its chief food,
though in confinement it has been seen to take minnows from the
WAGTAILS AND PIPITS.. 205

basin of a fountain in the aviary, only to be robbed by Thrushes and
Blackbirds that had developed a ‘taste for fish. Pied Wagtails have
bred in the Zoological Gardens. The Grey Wagtail also lives in:
Britain, but has a partial migration’ from north to south in winter.
It loves the water as much as the Dipper does, and’ water-beetles
and pond snails make up a large part of its food. The Yellow Wagtail
is a regular summer visitor. It has some of the habits of a Starling,
for it follows sheep and cattle fur the sake of the insects hovering
round these animals.

The Tree Pipit spends the summer with us. It is closely allied to
the Meadow Pipit, which lives with
us all the year, but the former fre-
quents woodlands and is fond of
perching on trees, while the latter
prefers waste and marsh lands. The
Shore Lark, with a tuft of feathers on
each ‘side of the head, visits us in
winter from the north of Europe.

The Tyrant Shrikes range over
America, from Patagonia to the Arctic
regions, and, in the shape of the bill
and the bristles at its base, they re-
semble the Flycatchers of the Eastern _
hemisphere. The Kingbird is one of
the best-known ‘species. Its name . :
refers to its crest, and to the boldness GREY WAGTAIL.
with which the male, during the
breeding season, will attack birds much larger than himself, though his
pugnacity is said to be exaggerated. The Fork-tailed Tyrant, or
Scissor-bird, derives its popular name from the fact that during flight
the long tail-feathers open and shut like the blades of a pair of
scissors. : s

The Manakins are South American, chiefly from the forest regions
near the Equator. They are small, shy birds, and little is known of
their habits in a wild state.

Among the South American Chatterers are some very remark-
able birds, mostly of brilliant plumage. The Cock of the Rock, about
the size of a small pigeon, is a shy, solitary bird, found in the districts
bordering the rivers of Surinam, Cayenne, and Guiana. The plumage
is orange-yellow, and: the head bears a semi-circular crest. The
Umbrella-bird, with black plumage, a large crest, and a pendent
tuft of feathers hanging down in front from the neck, is a native






206 Poputar HisToRY OF ANIMALS.

of the forests of Brazil. The Bell-birds, so named from their note—
like the clang of a church bell—have white plumage. In one species
there is a caruncle on the forehead, which, when extended, hangs
down on one side of the beak. The Broad-bills, with brilliant plumage,
allied to the South American Chatterers, range eastward from the
Himalayas to Java. The Plant-cutters, from the temperate regions of
South America, are said to associate with some of the Tanagers, to
which family they are perhaps allied.

The American Creepers live in tae tropics of the New World.
They are small birds,
generally with brown
plumage, and. the
stiff tail-feathers are
some help to. them
in climbing. Here
belong the Oven-
birds, so called from
the shape of the
; nests which some of
‘them build. One
species, which the
Spaniards call . the
Little Housebuilder,
makes its nest at

UMBRELLA BIRD. the end of a long

gallery, which some-

times runs 6 feet underground, arid’ a sandy bank is generally chosen

for the purpose. Sometimes, however, these birds bore into mud walls,

mistaking them for banks, though they were constantly flitting over them.

It is clear they have no notion of thickness, and Mr. Darwin says, “1

do not doubt that each bird, as often as it came to daylight on. the
opposite side, was greatly surprised at the marvellous fact.”

The Bush-Wrens, from South America, have very large feet, and
carry the tail upturned like our common Wren. One, species is known
to English settlers as the Barking Bird, from the fact that .its cry
resembles the yelp of a small dog. i

The Pittas, or Old World Ant-thrushes, are birds of brilliant
plumage, chiefly from the Malay Archipelago. Wallace describes the
giant Pitta as “one of the most beautiful birds of the East. It has
very long and strong legs, and hops about with such activity in the
dense tangled forest,. bristling with rocks, as to make it very difficult
to shoot.”


Lyre AND ScruB BIRDS. 207

The Lyre-birds are Australian. The common Lyre-bird (Plate V.,
No. 18) is somewhat larger than a pigeon, and feeds chiefly on insects
and their larve. The tail-feathers of the male are exceedingly beautiful.
They generally droop, like a Peacock’s train; but when the birds are on
their “dancing-beds” or playing-grounds, they are erected and expanded.
“ The Lyre-bird is a most wonderful mocker, not only of other birds,
for he will imitate to ‘the life the bullock-driver with his whip, the
step of the teamster’s horses, the rasping of the cross-cut saw, and
the blows of the axe and the tomahawk.” ;

The Scrub-birds, of which but two are known, are Australian.
They are like large Wrens, with a long tail. They are extremely shy,
and a naturalist who after long watching succeeded in catching sight
of one, says :—“ All of a sudden “it would begin to squeak and imitate
first one bird and then another, now throwing its voice over my head,
then on one side, and then again apparently from the log on which
I was standing. This it will continue to do for hours together; and
you may remain all day without catching sight of it.”


208

CHAPTER XVIII
PICARIAN BIRDS AND PARROTS.
| HE Picarian birds, grouped round the’ Woodpéckers, whence

they derive their title, are sometimes classed, with the
Parrots as “Climbing Birds,” from their habit and ‘the



most of them.

The Woodpeckers: are widely distributed, «and owe their popular”

name to their habit of making holes in trees in which to deposit: their
ges, and seeking their insect food on dnd under thé bark, which is
not infrequently stripped off,
the strong wedge-shaped bill
being used as a lever. The ex-
tensile tongue: is furnished. at
the end with barbs, and' covered
with a ‘sticky secretion, which
serves. to secure .their prey.
Many of them feed largelyon
ants, laying open the ant-hills
- with theirpowerful beak, and
gathering up the insects with
their tongue. ‘Lhe tail-feathers
are stiff and pointed, and are
of great . assistance to these
birds in climbing, supporting
them on the trunk of a tree,















ing a natural tripod, as do



















the kangaroo when it sits up-
right.
There are three British
species, of which the. most
abundant is the Great Spotted
GREEN. WOOD BeBe: Woodpecker, about the size
of a Thrush, with black and white plumage; the Lesser Spotted Wood-
pecker, about half the size, has a very similar dress. The Green







arrangement of the toes—two in front and two behind—in °

the legs and tail thus form-,

the hind. legs and tail of
PLATE VI.

1. Grey Parrct. 2. Yellow-crested Cockatoo. 3.. Rose-crested
Cockatoo. 4. Scarlet Macaw. 5. Blue and Yellow Macaw. 6. Lark. -
7. Yellowhammer. 8. Chaffinch. 9. Java Sparrow. “10.%Goldfinch.
11. Bullfinch. 12. House Sparrow. 13. Starling. » 14. Hooded
Crow. 45. Magpie. 16. Jay. 17. Golden Oriole. 18. Lesser Bird
of Paradise. 19. Humming Bird. 20. Hoopoe. - 21. Green Wood-
pecker. - 22. Great Hornbill. 23. Kingfisher. 24. Cuckoo. 25.
Toucan. 26. Woodpigeon. 27. Passenger Pigeon. 28. Crowned
Pigeon. —

‘WRYNECKS. — a 209

“Woodpecker (Plate VI.,.No. 21), about r foot long, with green and
: yéllow plumage and the head marked with crimson, is perhaps. the:
most often seen, for it is by no means a shy bird. Mr. Dixon says::
“JT often watch him fly from tree to tree in drooping flight, and either
settle on the bark at once, or perch among the slender twigs, usually
uttering his loud, laughing cry as soon as his wings are at rest.” This
bird becomes very. noisy before rain.

The Wrynecks are small tree-creeping
and the north of Africa. The tongue re-
sembles .that of the Woodpeckers, and
serves the. same purpose of procuring food.
The Common Wryneck, about the size
of a. Lark, with mottled plumage, is a
spring visitor, generally arriving a little
before the. Cuckoo, whence: it is. popularly:
known. as the Cuckoo’s Mate or Cuckoo’s
Leader. The name Snake-bird, also applied
to it, refers to the wavy. motion of the neck
and the loud hiss uttered by the female
when disturbed while sitting. | Wrynecks
do not make a hole for a. nesting-place,
but utilise one already made either in: a
tree or a bank. The Wryneck,, when taken’
young,, is. easily’ tamed, and soon becomes
extremely attached’ to its master, creeping
about. his: person: and nestling in his pockets
and sleeves.

The Honey-Guides are nearly all African,
and derive their name from their habit of
pointing, out or leading the way to bees’ WRYNECK.
nests: containing honey. ' There’ is a wide-
spread belief among’ the natives that these birds, from malice, will
lead’ a man to the lair’ of savage creatures; but for this there is no
evidence. They seem to guide men to bees’ nests, with the very natural
object. of getting some of the honey, or the grubs, which they greedily
devour:. These birds are’ allied tothe Cuckoos, and have the same bad
habit: of depositing their eggs in the nests of other birds.

The Barbets are tropical fruit-eating birds, living in the forest, and
generally’ keeping to the tops of trees. The plumage, especially on the
head and neck, is: brilliant. The bill is short but strong, and with it
they make holes in’ trees, in. which the eggs’ are laid, generally on a few
chips at the bottom... . :

oO



birds from Europe,” 2 si
210 PoputArR HisTory oF ANIMALS.

The Toucans are South American birds, with enormous bills,
generally richly coloured. Although of such great size the bill is very
light, being full-of air-cells; the edges are toothed, and the long, thin,
bony tongue is barbed at the sides like a feather. The body-plumage
is dark, with brilliant markings, and
the naked parts gaily coloured. They
live principally on fruit, which they
seize with the beak and throw
into the air, so as to catch it readily,
and it is swallowed whole. There
are many species. The flesh is
valued for food, and the feathers are

Soke ann Gonaue of Toucaw, © used for decorations and ornaments.
The Toko Toucan (Plate VI., No.25),
from Brazil, nearly 2 feet long, is dressed in glossy black, with some
white on the cheeks and throat, and red on the rump. The Prince von
Wied says that these birds near Bahia were very shy, from their having
been fired at by the inhabitants to drive them away from the fruit-trees ;
but their fondness for oranges and guavas induced them to approach
the town when these ene
fruit were getting
ripe, and many of.
them were killed. for
the table,

Toucans are often
kept as pets. Bates
met with oné, near
Ega, that had escaped
from its owner, and
as no one claimed it,
he made a pet of it.
He describes it asa
most amusing com-
panion, very intelli-
gent and. confiding.
It had the run of
the house, and al-
ways made its appear-
ance at meal times.
At last it took to
rambling about the Mf
streets,and was stolen. TOUCANS AND NEST.




THE CUCKoo. 211

““But two days afterwards he stepped through the open doorway at dinner
hour, with his old gait and sly magpie-like expression, having escaped from
the house where he had been guarded by the person who had stolen him.

The Aragaris have a smaller beak and long, conical tail. Some
smaller species are called Toucanets.

The Plantain-eaters, or Touracoes, are African. In general appear-
ance they resemble the Game Birds, but have a fine crest, which can
be raised or lowered at will. Most of them have some of the wing-
feathers brilliant red, and a heavy shower of rain will wash out the
colour and leave the feathers of a pale pink. In a few days, however,
the colour becomes as bright as it was before! At one time this was
thought to be a traveller’s tale, but experiments made on the feathers
of birds kept in confinement havé shown it to be true.

In the Colies, or Mouse-birds, also African, all the toes turn
forward. Captain Shelley says that they are fruit-eaters, living in small
bands and frequenting thick bushes, flying to some covert when dis-
turbed. “They place themselves in the most extraordinary attitudes
when they rest or scramble among the boughs, and they roost at night
in thickly-packed companies, generally, if not always, with their feet
above their heads. The general plumage is dull.”

The Cuckoos, of which there are nearly two hundred species, are
natives of the warmer regions. Many deposit their eggs in the nests
of other birds, and some are strangely like birds of other families.
The Common Cuckoo is very much like a Sparrow-hawk, and this
probably gave rise to the old belief that cuckoos turn to hawks in
winter, as it certainly does to some of the stories of the appearance of
the Cuckoo in this country long before the usual time. One of the
Bush-cuckoos from Borneo resembles a pheasant in gait and appearance.
The Common Cuckoo (Plate VI., No. 24) has its summer quarters in
Europe, the north of Africa, and in Asia, as far south as.the Himalayas ;
in winter it reaches Natal, some of the islands of the Eastern Archi-
pelago, Burmah and Ceylon. The length is about 1 foot, plumage
ash-grey above, white barred with black below. In Britain the males
arrive first, generally about the middle of April, and the females
follow a few days after. At the end of July or the beginning of
August the old birds go to their winter quarters; but the birds of the
year stay later, sometimes till October. The note cuck-oo is heard as soon
as the birds arrive, and the following lines sum up the history of the male

bird’s stay with us :—
In April, come he will;
In flowery May he sings all day;
In leafy June he changes his tune;
In August go he must.

\
212 PorputArk HisTORY OF ANIMALS.

The hen-bird returns to the same locality year after year. She lays
her egg on the ground, and taking it in her mouth flies with it to the
nest of the foster-parent. The young bird has a‘ hollow in its back ;
when it is about ten days old it gets the other nestlings, one after
another, into this hollow, and so literally heaves them out of the nest.
This cavity is filled up when it has served its purpose. These birds
feed on insects. and their larve.

The Puff Birds, of small size, with thick plumage of sober hues,
are natives of Central and Southern’ America, and feed on insects,
for which they watch patiently, perched on the lower branches of a tree,
darting on their prey and. returning to the same branch to devour it.
Their’ habit of raising their feathers has given them their popular name.

The Jacamars, from Central and South America, have the beak
puey the tail wedge-shaped, and the plumage generally rich metallic

= green. They feed on insects, and

sit motionless on a branch, often
over water, and dart upon their prey,
somewhat in the fashion of King-
fishers, for which they were formerly
taken. Waterton describes them as
BILL OF MOTMOT. indolent, and shunning the company

of other birds.

The Rollers are bright-plumaged birds confined to the Old World, |
and owe their popular name to the habit of the males of turning
somersaults in the air at certain seasons. Most of the species are
African; the Common Roller is abundant in Central Europe, and
sometimes visits Britain and Ireland. The male is about 1 foot long ;
the sexes are alike, with plumage of shades of blue and a chestnut-
brown mantle.

The Bee-Eaters are found over nearly the same countries as the
Rollers, and, like them, have one European species. The popular name
is rather misleading, for, though these birds do damage to bee-keepers,
they destroy a number of noxious insects, wasps,: locusts, and beetles.
They nest in colonies, in holes in banks, like the Sand Martin.
Mr. Howard Saunders says: “Sackfuls of birds are, taken in Spain
by spreading a net over the face of an occupied bank and pouring
water into a parallel trench, cut at some distance back; for the Bee-
eater is hated by the peasants, owing to the ravages inflicted upon their
numerous hives.”

The Todies are delicate, bright-coloured insect-feeding birds from the
West India islands, some of which have species not found in the rest.
The Green Tody, from Jamaica, is, Mr. Gosse tells us, “‘ conspicuous from


Curious’ faBir or Morsmors. 213

its bright grass-green coat and crimson velvet gorget.” He never saw
this bird on the ground, but hopping about on the twigs of low trees,
searching for small insects, and occasionally uttering a low, hissing note.

The -Motmots are natives of the New World, ranging from Mexico
southwards, and are most abundant in Central America. They are
forest-loving birds, and feed on insects and berries. Green is the
prevailing colour of their plumage, and the central tail-feathers have a
spatule or racket at the end, formed by the birds
themselves. Waterton says: “This bird seems to
suppose that its beauty can be increased by
trimming the tail, which undergoes the same
operation as one’s hair in a barber’s shop, only
with this difference, that it uses its own beak
(see the Figures) in lieu of a pair of scissors. As
soon as the tail is full grown, he begins about an
inch from the extremity of the two longest feathers
in it, and cuts away the web on both sides of
the shaft, making a gap about an inch long.” This
was confirmed by Mr. Bartlett, the Superintendent
of the Zoological Gardens, who says: “I have
seen the bird in the act of picking off the webs
of the central feathers of its tail, and have
taken from the bottom of the cage the fragments
of web that fell from the bird’s bill.”

The Trogons are forest-dwelling birds, with
thick loose plumage of pink, crimson, orange,
brown, or metallic green, often banded with white. TAIL OF MOTMOT.
The True Trogons are South American, and (Partly trimmed.)
feed mostly on fruit; but some other members
of the family teed on insects. One of the best known is the Resplen-
dent Trogon, or Quesal, from Guatemala, clad in golden green, except
on the breast, which is scarlet.’ Thé male bird has the tail-feathers
produced to a length of about 3 feet, and its head is crested. These
birds are met with in forests about 6,000 feet above sea-level, generally
resting on the lower branches.. They are shot for their tail-feathers,
which are valued as ornaments.’ °
: The Kingfishers are distributed all-over the world, in a scattered
kind of way. The sole is flat, and the three toes in front are joined
for the greater part of their length, thus giving these birds great
grasping power. There are two groups: in the first, of which : the
Common Kingfisher is a good type, the bill is long, compressed,:and
tidged on the top, and the birds feed chiefly on fish; in the second,



1
214 PoputAr History oF ANIMALS.

represented by the Laughing Jackass of. Australia, the bill is stout and
flat, and the birds indulge in a mixed diet, of which insects form a good
part. The Common Kingfisher (Plate VI., No. 23) is about 7 inches long,
with brilliant plumage of shades of blue, marked with black and white. It
is found nearly all over Britain, and frequents the ponds and gently-
running streams, perching on a branch over the water, whence it





































COMMON KINGFISHER.

plunges on its prey, which, however, is sometimes taken by hawking.
The nest is a hole in a bank near water, and the eggs are laid on the
ground or on a mass of fishbones. Minnows, sticklebacks, and fish-
fry form the chief food, but snails, water-beetles, and dragon-flies are
not despised. Instances are known of these birds’ being choked by
fish which they have taken but could not swallow.

The Hornbills range from Africa through India eastward to New
Guinea. They are large, heavy birds, in appearance not unlike Toucans
but in nearly every one the bill has a casque or helmet. The feet
rare like those of thé Kingfishers. The diet is chiefly fruit, but lizards
and fish are eaten by some of the species. The male plasters up the
hen-bird while sitting, and till: the young are, hatched, feeds her
H}0OPOES AND GOATSUCKERS. 215

through a small-hole left for the purpose. The Great -Hornbill
(Plate VI., No. 22), about 4 feet long; ranges from India eastward to the
Malay ‘peninsula. The African Ground Hornbills kill snakes.

The Hoopoes, from Asia, Africa, and the South of Europe, are
_insect-eating birds, allied to the Hornbills.. The Common Hoopoe
(Plate VI., No. 20) are about ro inches long, visits Britain in the spring,
and some few have bred in this country. It is a beautiful and graceful bird,
especially when the crest is raised, but
is extremely dirty. in its nest-building,
and its favourite food consists of the
insects found in cattle-droppings.

The Wood. Hoopoes are African birds
with the habits of Wood-peckers.

The Goatsuckers are. insect-eating
birds with soft, mottled plumage, and the
gape fringed with bristles. They come
out at dusk, and, with swift, silent flight,
take their prey on the wing. The
popular name refers to the erroneous
belief that they suck goats and cattle.
Their presence near the: udders of those
creatures is really to pick off the insécts
with which those parts are infested.
These . birds have a curious. way of
resting lengthways on, and not across, a
branch. The Common Goatsucker (Plate
V., No. 7), about to inches long, arrives
in England in May and generally leaves
in September. The Whip-poor-Will of
America, named from its cry, belongs to
the same family. Closely allied are the Oil-bird of Trinidad—killed for
the sake of its oil, which equals that obtained from the olive—and the
Frog-mouths of the Australian neeton, of the latter the best known is
the ‘“ More-pork.”

The Swifts are» Swallow-like in. appearance and abe but all the
toes are directed, forwards. The Common Swift, about 6 inches long, is
blackish-brown with a greyish patch under the chin. It arrives in the
south of England about the end of April, and departs southwards —
about the end of August. To this family belong the birds that form; o
from the mucus they secrete, the nests prized as delicacies in the East.’

The Humming-Birds are confined to America, from Cape Sitka to
Tierra del Fuego, and the West Indian islands. These birds rarely


216 PoPputArR HuisTOoRY oF ANIMALS.

alight on the ground. The plumage is extremely beautiful, generally
more ‘brilliant in the male, though in some species that of the females.
has a metallic gloss. There are over four hundred species, all of small
size, some no larger than a Hawk-moth.. Mr. Gould, to whom we owe
the magnificent collection. of Humming-birds in the .British Museum,
describes them as restless, irritable; and quarrelsome, and says that
“they not only fight persistently among themselves, but they will even
venture to attack much larger birds, and it is said that several of them
will combine and attack a Hawk and drive it away. People are often
attacked by them when they approach too near their nests. It is stated
that they have also a great dislike to
the large Hawk-moths, which they
themselves somewhat resemble in their
flight, the vibration of the wings pro-
ducing in both a similar humming
sound.” It is from this humming
that the birds get their popular name.
They feed on the juices of flowers, and
insects.

The Ruby-throated Humming-bird
(Plate VI., No. 19) is found in North
America during the summer, and migrates
southwards and to the West Indian
islands in winter. Gould brought some

HUMMING-BIRD, specimens with him on his homeward

voyage, feeding them with honey, or

sugar-and-water, and the yolk of egg. Only one reached London alive,
and it died on the second day after its arrival.



PARROTS.

In these birds the bill is large and strong, the upper half turning
down over the lower half, and it is often utilised as a climbing organ;
the tongue is usually large and fleshy, and the toes are arranged in
pairs, two in. front and two behind. They are most*abundant in the
tropics, but one ranges far north in America, and there are many
species in the Australian region. In most the plumage is brilliant, in
some glaring, and in a few dull and sober. Parrots differ greatly in
size, some being quite 3 feet long, while the Love-birds are not more
than.a few inches. Fruits, seeds, and leaves form their chief diet.
‘The voice is naturally harsh, but many have great power of imitation,
and soon learn to repeat words and sentences. This power varies in
PARROTS. - ris e4 Sct 217

individuals, and the skill and. patience of the, trainer ought to be taken
into account when a parrot-is a, good. talker.

The Cockatoos, from Australia and.some islands of the Malay
Archipelago, are large birds, having a crest that can be raised or
loweréd at will, They nest in hollow trees and in holes in cliffs and
rocks. As cage-birds. they soon become. tame and affectionate, but
their cry is harsh and their imitative power small, so that they rarely
learn more than a few words. The name is said to be derived from
their cry.

“The Yellow-crested. Cockatoo (Plate VI, No. 2), spread over he
Australian region, has white plumage, with a lemon or sulphur-coloured
crest. It is probably the best known of the Cockatoos, for it is the
species most often kept as a cage-bird in. this country. Wallace
met with these birds in his travels: in the Malay Peninsula, and
says that ‘their loud screams, conspicuous white colour, and
pretty yelow crests rendered them.a. very important feature in the
landscape.”

The Rose-crested Cockatoo (Plate VL, No. 3) is a native of the
Moluccas, has a red crest, and the plumage with a blush of rose-colour,
which is most apparent when the feathers are ruffled.

The Inca, or Leadbeater’s Cockatoo, from Australia, has similar
plumage, but a much more showy crest, the feathers of which are red,
spotted with yellow and tipped with white.

‘The Black Cockatoo, from New Guinea, is described by Wallace
as having “an enormously developed head, a magnificent crest, and a
sharp-pointed hooked bill of immense size and strength. The plumage is
entirely black, and the bare cheeks are of an intense blood-red.” Its
note is a plaintive whistle. The birds feed on the kernel of a nut “the
shell of which is so hard that only a heavy hammer will crack it,”
breaking a hole with their powerful bill, and extracting the kernel with
the tongue, which has been compared to a spoon.

The Large-tailed Parrots, principally from Australia and Tasmania,
are generally gaily clad, except some few that are ground-feeders, whose
plumage corresponds: with their surroundings. The Grass Parrakeets
belong to this group, and the Waved Grass Parrakeet, or Budgerigar,
is well known in England as a cage-bird. The general hue is green,
with black markings. Its note is soft and agreeable, and it soon
becomes tame in captivity.

The Parrakeets are found in India and the Eastern Archipelago.+
The Alexandrine Parrakeet was long supposed to be the bird brought
from India to Greece by Alexander the Great; but the Rose-ringed
Parrakeet answers the description better, and the home of the first-
218 PoputAr History oF ANIMALS.

named species is now known to be Java. The Rose-ringed Parrakeet
is about 16 inches long, and has green plumage with a black band
extending from the chin nearly to the nape, and a collar rose-coloured
in the male, but emerald-green and narrower in''the female. These
birds appear to have been common pets in Ancient Rome, and there
were schools in which these birds were taught to talk. he discipline
was of a stern kind: Pliny says that they were corrected with a rod of
iron, though, of course, it must have been very slender. Probably it
was no thicker than wire; otherwise it would have killed the bird,
rather than have taught it to mend its evil ways. In India the common
practice when teaching a Parrakeet, is to keep the bird in the dark,
which is often effected by lowering the cage into a well. These
birds are taught to perform many tricks by the native showmen. In
Mr. J. L. Kipling’s “ Beast and Man ‘in India” ‘is a picture showing a
Parrakeet with a lighted match in his claw, and about to fire off a
tiny cannon. The bird is on a T-shaped stand, the base of which
the showman holds between his naked toes (see p. 12).

The Lories, or Brush-tongued Parrakeets, have the tongue divided
at the tip into a bunch of horny fibres, with which they extract
from flowers the nectar on which they feed. The plumage is
brilliant, and the flight swift and powerful. Broderip says that one
of these birds, which was kept as a pet, but supplied with unsuit-
able food, “when a coloured drawing of a flower was presented to it,
applied its parched tongue to the paint and pasteboard, and even did
-this, in the extremity of its distress, to the ruder image on a piece
of flowered chintz.” — My

’ The Macaws are American, and distinguished by their long tails
and bare cheeks. They feed principally on fruit, and many of them
have very brilliant plumage. The Scarlet Macaw (Plate VI., No. 4), from
South America, is nearly 3 feet long. It frequents flat well-watered
forests, but is not found. in mountainous districts. The Prince von
Wied says that, except at pairing time, they fly in small companies
in search of different kinds of fruits; and that, notwithstanding the
noise they usually make on the wing, as soon as they have found a
tree with suitable food and have settled down on it, their presence
is only indicated by the fall of the husks which they bite off and
throw down. . The Blue-and-Yellow Macaw (Plate VI., No. 5), from the
banks of the Amazon, resembles the Scarlet Macaw in habit. It feeds on
-the ‘hard nuts of palms, which are crushed by the powerful bill. The
Caroline Macaw ranges into North America, and was formerly abundant
along the banks of the Mississippi. ts

The True Parrots have a short, square tail, and are crestless: species
PARROTS. 219

occur in Asia, Africa and America. The Grey Parrot (Plate VI., No. 1),
a native of Africa, is a common cage-bird, and its power of learning
and repeating words and phrases is well known. It is perhaps the
most intelligent of the Parrots: at any rate its powers have been more
highly cultivated than those of any other species. Sometimes its
remarks are so appropriate to the circumstances that the bird has
been credited—of course wrongly—with a greater share of intelligence
than it possesses, though there can be little doubt that it does attach
a meaning to some of the words it repeats. Jf



OWL PARROT, OR KAKAPO,

The Amazon Parrots from South’ America also learn to talk, but
less readily than the Grey Parrots. Their plumage is chiefly brilliant
green, and although conspicuous. against’ a. dry branch, conceals the
birds admirably when settled on a tree in full foliage. The sportsman
may watch a flock descend upon a tree, and hear their screams, though
unable to distinguish a single bird.

The Owl Parrot, or Kakapo, from New Zealand, generally lives on
the ground in holes or burrows, and is to some extent nocturnal. The
face is owl-like and the green plumage marked with black and yellow.
It is intelligent and good-tempered, and makes an amusing pet. A
gentleman who kept one says: “It will run from a corner of the
room, seize my hand with claws and beak, and tumble over with it,
exactly like a kitten, and then rush back to be invited to a fresh
attack.” ‘
‘220 Porutar History or ANIMALS.

The Kaka Parrot comes from New Zealand and Norfolk Island.
Its plumage is olive-brown above, crimson below, and light grey on the
crown. This bird is. remarkable for having developed flesh-eating habits,
probably owing to the abundance of scraps round the. slaughter-houses
-on sheep-stations, and the scarcity of their natural food. From picking
up offal, they have come to attack live sheep, and do such damagent to
the flocks that sheep-farmers shoot them without scruple.





























































































































































































KAKA PARROT,
221

CHAPTER XIX.
PIGEONS, FOWLS, AND GAME BIRDS. BIRDS OF PREY.

OVES and pigeons are widely distributed, but are most
numerous in warm countries. The bill, which is somewhat
like that. of a Plover in shape, is covered at the base with
a soft skin, which in many of the domestic breeds of the
Common Pigeon develops into wattles. They live much

among the branches of trees, but most of them take their food—chiefly |

grain and seeds—on the ground, and they are strong on the wing.

The crop is double, and from it food is forced into the mouth of the

young by the old birds. As this half-digested food. is curd-like in

appearance, it probably gave rise to the old joke about “ pigeons’
milk.” Pigeons drink, while all other birds scoop up water, and then,

raising the bill, swallow it. They pair for life, and the eggs in a

sitting are two in number, but there is more than one brood in a

season. The young are born helpless. There are three native British

species, and the Turtledove is a summer visitor.

The Ring-dove, or Woodpigeon (Plate VI., No. 26), owes the first
name to the white feathers of the neck. The length is about 17 inches;
the plumage of the upper surface is grey of different shade, the breast
is rich purple, and the sides of head and neck have a metallic gloss.
These birds are becoming more numerous, and extending their range in
Britain, probably owing to the destruction of their natural enemies, the
birds of prey, by keepers for the sake of game. They build in some of
the London parks, and in 1894 a pair nested in Finsbury Square. These
birds do great damage to the farmer, paying him the compliment of
preferring the produce of his fields to that of the woods and hedgerows.

_ The Stock-dove, so named from its favourite nesting-place in the

“stocks” or stumps of trees, is smaller than the Woodpigeon, which

it resembles in habits, being only about 14 inches long. ‘There is no

white on the sides of the neck, and the purple patch on the breast is
smaller. This bird: is generally found in woodland districts, and prefers
forests where the timber is old and decayed. It is not, however,
confined to such places, for it nests in crags and cliffs on the South

Coast, and keeps company with sea birds at Flamborough Head, while:

in the Eastern Counties and on the moors it breeds in rabbit burrows.

It visits the farmer’s fields, ‘and in winter ventures into his rick-yards,


222 Poputar History oF ANIMALS.

but, as Mr. Dixon tells us, “it makes ample amends for its depreaa-
tions in consuming millions of seeds of the most troublesome weeds;
such as charlock and dock, which if not kept in check, would soon
change fertile fields into unproductive wastes.”

The Rock-dove justifies its name. In a wild state it is only found
on the rocky parts of our- coast, preferring those places where the
cliffs are weather-worn into holes and caves, which afford convenient
nesting-places. The Rock-doves that breed in the inland cliffs in
some counties are probably not really wild, but have escaped from
domestication, or are descended from birds which did. ‘The bird
greatly resembles the Stock-dove in size and appearance, but has two
black bars on the wings and some white on the rump. It repays the
farmer to some extent for the grain it devours, by eating the roots of
couch-grass, the seeds of noxious weeds, and snails. From this species
are descended all the breeds of the Domestic Pigeon, of which our
fanciers are so proud, as affording proofs of their skill. How greatly
these differ from the parent stock may be seen from the picture.
In the Central Hall of the’ Natural History Museum, Cromwell
Road, is a large case in which the most remarkable of these breeds are
arranged round the Rock-dove, so as to show what may be effected by
judicious selection in breeding, so as to develop any variation. e

Of the domestic breeds the only one we can mention is the Homer
or Homing Pigeon, remarkable for the fact that it can be trained
to find its way home from great distances, and for swift flight.
The “pigeon-post” organised by the French during the siege of
‘Paris was carried on by these birds. Balloons carrying Homers left
Paris, and though no doubt a good many were shot by the Prussians, :
and still more lost their way or perished, about one bird out of every
four found its way back, and of these three out of four brought
messages rolled in quills and attached to the tail-feathers. These birds,
however, could not haver.taken a message out of Paris. The
reports ef matches for pigeon-flying show similar results. In no case
do all the birds return, and, as a rule, the longer the distance the
fewer the number that find their way home. Mr. Tegetmeier says:
“Pigeons must be regularly trained by stages, or they will be lost if
flown one hundred or two hundred miles from home.”

The Turtle-dove visits Britain in the summer in its northward
migration, probably breeding in the south-west of Scotland, as it has
been known to do in the north of England. Its length is rather less
than a foot; the upper plumage is bluish-ash, there is some black and
white on the neck, the tail-feathers have white tips, the throat and
breast are pale red and the belly white... The Collared Turtle-dove, so


DOMESTIC PIGEONS.
e 4. Barb. 5. Pouter. 6, Fantail. 7, Satinette.
8, Turbiteen. 9! Jacobin. 10. Trumpeter.

i

x, Homing Pigeon. 2. Tumbler. 3. Carriers)
224 PopuLtAr History oF ANIMALS.

often kept as a cage-bird, comes no: farther westward into Europe
than Turkey. :

The American Passenger Pigeon (Plate VI.,.No. 27) may be taken as
the representative of a group in which the tail is long and tapers: to a
point. Its length is about 16 inches ; with slaty-blue plumage. above and
reddish-grey below, and violet metallic gloss on the neck. These
birds make partial migrations. in immense flocks, from one part’ of the
country to another, in search of food. On these occasions: the pigeons
are destroyed! in immense numbers, and their abundance. over large
tracts of the: country has been greatly reduced.

The Fruit: Pigeons. are found. in the tropical parts of the Old World,
and their plumage is: generally green. Jerdon: describes them as gliding
about. the branches, like Squirrels, hunting for fruit: Some that
Wallace. described, from the Malay Archipelago, were: bluish-white
in colour, with the back, wings, and tail intense metallic green.
“These: pigeons have a very narrow beak,, yet their: jaws: and: throat are
so extensible that they can swallow’ fruits of very large: size.” Pe

The Ground Pigeons are named. from their habit of feeding on’ the
ground, nesting in shrubs or in trees at no great height. Grain forms
their principal food.. Here belong’ the Bronze-wing Pigeons:of Australia,
so named from the brilliant metallic gloss onthe wing-feathers.. Of
the Crested Bronze-wing, Gould says that the elegance of its form and
the graceful crest render this bird one of the most lovely members of
the family. It frequently assembles in very large: flocks, and when:
these visit the lagoons. or river sides for water, they generally select a
single. tree, or a particular branch, on which to congregate before
coming down to drink. Its. flight is extremely’ rapid, and after’ a few
flaps it goes sailing on, apparently without any further exertion. When
one. of these Pigeons settles on a branch, it raises its’ tail and throws
back its’ head, so as to bring them nearly together, at the same~-time
erecting its crest so as to show itself off to: the: greatest. advantage:

The Common: Bronze-wing is a plump, heavy’ bird. In the early
days: of the colony’ the settlers, when travelling’ with: their waggons, used
to watch for the Bronze-wing’s evening flight, which was always’ in
the direction of water, the habit of the: bird: being. to drink before
going: to: roost. RiP es

The Wonga-Wonga Pigeon, also: Australian, frequents the shades of
the forests, feeding upon seeds and the stones of the fallen fruit. When
disturbed these birds rise with a “whirr” like pheasants, but the’ flight
is not strong, and is only continued till a place of safety is reached.

The Nicobar Pigeon, a native of the islands of the Malay Archi-
pelago, is a remarkable looking bird, the long feathers of the neck and


FOREIGN PIGEONS. 225

breast forming a sort of collar. The general plumage is green with
metallic lustre, and the tail-feathers are white. Wallace, from whom
we have the best account of its habits, describes it as a very heavy,
fleshy bird, feeding on the ground, and only going upon trees to roost.
Its wings, however, are very large, and the muscles of the breast, by
which the wings are moved, of immense size. Consequently it is not
surprising to find that the bird can fly for a long distance. From a
small coral island about one hundred
miles north of New Guinea, with no
land between, “a bird was seen
flying from seaward which fell into
the water exhausted before it could
reach the shore. A boat was sent
to pick it up, and it proved to be
a Nicobar Pigeon, which must have
come from New Guinea, and flown
a hundred miles.”

The Hook-billed or Toothed
Pigeon, from the Samoan Islands,
has the lower part of the bill with
three tooth-like projections. This
bird is about 14 inches long, and the
plumage is for the most part glossy
greenish-black, and on the hinder
parts chestnut-brown.
mens have lived in the Zoological HOOK-BILLED PIGEON.
Gardens, Regent’s Park. Mr. Whit- :
mee, who sent one of these birds, brought it up from the nest,
feeding it for some time with bread-fruit till it was able to peck for itself.
He describes it as exceedingly savage, and capable of giving one’s
finger a severe nip with its toothed bill) He believes that these
birds are increasing in numbers, owing to a change of habit brought
about by altered circumstances. Formerly they fed upon the ground
and roosted low, having no enemies to fear. But the introduction
of cats, and probably rats, by European vessels caused such diminution
in their numbers that they were’ in danger of becoming extinct.
They appear to have learnt wisdom by experience, and now build in
lofty trees where no four-footed foe can reach them.

The Crowned Pigeons, from New Guinea and the neighbouring
islands, are the largest of the group, being about the size of a domestic
fowl. The plumage is skaty-blue, and the head is adorned with a. fan-
like crest. In habit they resemble pheasants, living upon the ground

P



\
226 PoPutArR HH rsTorv OF ANIMALS.

and. wandering about the woods in small parties in search of fallen fruit.
The Common Crowned Pigeon (Plate VI., No. 28) has the shoulders
chestnut-red and a white stripe on the wings. The Victoria Crowned
Pigeon has the. under-parts reddish. Crowned
Pigeons do well in confinement, and have fre-
quently bred in the Zoological Gardens. They
are fine, handsome birds, and walk their spacious
cage with stately dignity, which is immediately put
to flight if a visitor approaches and throws them
some-crumbs. Like the Passenger Pigeon and
some of the. Fruit HABeOnS these birds lay but
one egg.
FOWLS AND GAME BIRDS.
The Domestic Fowl is a well-known type of
this order, which is widely distributed. The
FEATHER OF FowL, . Lurkey is one of the largest forms, and some
(Showing Aftershaft.. Of the Quails, little bigger than a Sparrow,
are the smallest. The plumage is close, and of
gorgeous hue. and exquisite pattern in some of the male birds, and the
feathers bear an. aftershaft. This accessory plume is also present in many
other birds, but is most. highly
developed in the Cassowaries,
where it is nearly as long as the
main shaft. These birds obtain
their food chiefly by scratching
up the soil for grain, worms, and
insects. They generally nest on
the ground; in most cases the
males have several: mates, and
the young birds can run about as
soon.as they come out of the egg.
The hen-birds shelter their young
under their wings, and are very
brave in their defence.

The Sand Grouse have long,
pointed tails and sandy-coloured
plumage marked with black,
which corresponds well with their . ;
surroundings in the deserts of SAND GROUSE.

Africa and steppes of Asia. From
the latter continent there have been occasional nuertions of these birds in
great numbers into Europe. In 1888 some reached Britain and bred here.




THE GROUSE FAMILY. 227°

At the head of the True Grouse family stands the Capercaillie (Plate
VII., No. 3), or Wood Grouse. This handsome bird was formerly common
over the British Isles. It is not known when it became extinct in
England and Wales, but it disappeared from Scotland and Ireland rather
more than a hundred years ago. It was introduced into Scotland from
Scandinavia in 1837, and is now once more a native bird. The.length
is about 2 feet, but individuals vary greatly in size. Capercaillie feed
on the buds of trees, and berries, and in. winter on the “needles” ot
pine, fir, etc. The young are reared
on insects. ‘In this family the legs
are feathered to the toes.

The Black Grouse (Plate VII.,
No. 4) is spread over England as
. far south as Sherwood Forest,
Scotland, and the north of Europe,
and is found in Cornwall, Devon,
Somerset, and Norfolk, and in
Wales. It is smaller than the
Capercaillie, and the male is known
as a Black-cock, while his mate
is called a Grey-hen. Mr. St.
John says that “ where these birds
take well to a place, they increase
rapidly, and from their habits of
taking long flights, soon find out
the cornfields, and are very de-
structive, more ‘so probably than eS :
any other winged’ game.” — PTARMIGAN IN WINTER DRESS,

The Grouse, or Red Grouse, 3
is peculiar to Britain and Ireland: in England the Trent: seems to
form its southern boundary. The male bird is about 16 in. long,
with rufous-brown plumage marked with black. This is the “Grouse”?
of the sportsman, and is represented in Northern Europe and Asia
by the Willow Grouse, and there are allied species in America.

The Ptarmigan, ‘slightly smaller than the Grouse, is a native of
Scotland, and the colder parts of the northern hemisphere. -Mr,.
Dixon says: “Jn spring and summer it dons ‘a dress of mottled grey’
and brown, which absolutely shields: the bird from its enemies, and
as soon as the wild mountain tops begin to get covered with. the
wintry snows the Ptarmigan assumes a snow-white garb which renders
it invisible among the eternal whiteness of its dreary haunt.”

The ‘Partridges have their legs bare of feathers. The Common

P2




















































































































228 PopuLAR HisTorY OF ANIMALS.

Partridge (Plate VIL, No. 5) is a good type of the family. It is native
in Britain, and widely spread over Europe. The. male is about 1 foot
long, and may be distinguished from his mate by the dark horseshoe
mark on his breast. These birds frequent the open fields, and consume
great quantities of slugs and harmful insects. They are excellent
parents. Mr. Howard Saunders says that he saw “old birds show a
bold front to a Hen Harrier for several minutes while covering the
retreat of their brood to the shelter of a hedge.” Partridges very
rarely breed in confinement, but two instances were recorded in 1894.
The Red-legged or French Partridge has been introduced into England,
and is increasing in some parts. Its
flesh is not very highly valued.

The Quail is very much like a
small Partridge, but -has_ several
mates, and fights fiercely with his
rivals at the breeding season. Quails
arrive in Britain in the spring, and
most of them go south again in
October, but some pass the winter in
this country.

To the Pheasant family belong
the Peacocks, the Pheasants, the Fowls,
Turkeys, and Guinea-fowls. The legs
bear spurs, in some cases two on each
leg. No Grouse or Partridge has

DOCS spurs, though these are represented
by knobs in the Red-legged Partridge.

The Peacock is an Asiatic bird domesticated in this country, and
well known to every one. Its flesh was formerly eaten at state
banquets, the bird being sent to table with its train ‘spread, but
Peacocks are now kept only as ornamental birds. The long tail-
coverts, with which the male makes such a brilliant display, do not
appear till the third year. In India Peacocks are plentiful; in some
places they are venerated by the natives, and shooting them is
forbidden by law. A writer in the Field says: “I have known the
peacock shot by English soldiers in the following way. The men first
of all black their faces and hands, and then don the large white cloth
of a native. Thus disguised, they mount a camel, driven by a veal’
native, and enter the low scrub and jungle in which the peacock delights
to dwell. The birds, deceived by the clothes and blackened face, allow
a pear approach, when they are easily shot by the wily ‘Tommy.’”

The Argus Pheasant from Malacca has marvellously beautiful


THE Arcus PHEASANT. 229

plumage, of sober hue, with eye-like spots. Mr. H. O. Forbes says
that “the closer they are examined, the greater is seen to be the
extreme chasteness of their markings and their rich, varied, and
harmonious colouring. When alarmed, the Argus escapes by running
through the thick underscrub, when the brilliancy of the plumage,
by being gathered close about its body, is quite concealed.”





ARGUS PHEASANT,

He saw the lovedisplay of these birds, and says that the male
makes a large ring, ro feet to 12 feet in diameter, in the forest. On the
edge there is invariably a projecting branch or root a few feet above
the ground, on which the female perches, while in the-ring the male
shows off all his magnificence. The male is often trapped, but the
female invariably returns with a new mate, even if two or three times
in succession her lord should be caught, She avoids the snares and
traps by flying to her perch; the males walk into the ring, which is
barricaded by the natives, except at the spot where the trap is set.

\
230 Poputar History or ANIMALS.

. The Peacock Pheasant, from Burmah, has brownish mae with
green eye-spots on the: tail-feathers.

The Monaul, or Impeyan Pheasant, from the Himalayas is a large and
beautiful bird, with brilliant metallic plumage and the male is ‘crested.

The Eared Pheasants, from China and Tibet, have a tuft. of feathers
on each side of the head. These. bear some resemblance to the
plumicorns of the Horned Owls, but are directed backwards.

The Horned Pheasants, or Tragopans, from. India and China, owe .
their popular name to the fleshy appendages that project behind the head.
The naked skin on the throat hangs down like a lappet on each side.

The Common Pheasant is native in Britain. It was introduced
before the Norman Conquest, though how long before is uncertain. By
the end of the sixteenth century it was introduced into Ireland, and then
into Scotland, This bird
came originally from the
Asiatic shores of the Black
Sea, near the river Phasis,
now called the Rioni, and
is spread over Europe. It
is one of. the most highly
valued, as it is the most

EARED PHEASANT, beautiful of our game birds. HORNED PHEASANT.

The general plumage is

browe ed with black, the head and neck green, glossed with blue,
and the bare space round the eye is red. But no description can do
justice to the beauty of the plumage, -with which, however, most people
are well acquainted. Pheasants are woodland birds, and like damp
ground and the neighbourhood of water. They roost low, thus offering
an easy prey to poachers. They feed on grain, berries, acorns, insects
and their larve, and have been known to pick up a field mouse.
They generally try to escape from danger by running rapidly; when
pressed they rise suddenly, whence they are often called “ rocketers.”
They are very strong on the wing, and their flight is swift and long
sustained.

The Ring-necked Pheasant, from China, with a white collar, is now
also native in our woods, and breeds freely with the common species.
The Golden Pheasant (Plate VII., No. 2) is a gorgeous bird from China.
The Plate will give a far better idea of its form and brilliant colouring
than the most elaborate description. The feathers of the frill, ‘present
only in the males, can be raised, and the bird has been seen to do
this when showing himself off before the females. The Amherst
Pheasant, also Chinese, has a black and red plume on the head; the.


- Witd FOwLs.: 231

feathers of the frill are silvery with dark edges. The Silver Pheasant,
with white plumage, pencilled with black on the upper surface, and
‘black below; has no ‘frill, but the head bears a long black crest.

The Jungle Fowl (Plate VII., No. 1) is widely distributed in-India, and
‘is supposed to be the original stock whence our breeds of the domestic
fowl have descended. It is smaller than the Domestic Cock, which
it closely resembles in plumage. Among Eastern nations it was.





























WILD TURKEYS AT HOME.

domesticated at an’ early date, and was known to the Greeks and
‘Romans, who trained it ‘for fighting. Dr. Jerdon says that in a wild
state these birds are partial to bamboo jungle, ‘but also inhabit lofty
forests and dense thickets. When they are put up by dogs, they fly at
once to the nearest trees. When cultivated land is near their haunts,
they may be seen morning and evening-in the fields.

The Guinea Fowls, from Africa, have the head adorned with a crest
or helmet. The general plumage is bluish-grey marked with white spots.
The Common Guinea Fowl is a well-known domestic ‘species. Its
cry of alarm is “Come back /”

The Domestic Turkey was introduced into Britain from America
about. 1s41, and received its name from the mistaken notion that it
came from: Turkey. The general plumage is brown, marked with: black
232 Porutar History or ANIMALS.

above and darker below; the head and neck are wattled,. a tuft of
bristle-like hair hangs down from the breast, and the. tail can be
expanded like a fan. Most people have seen the display of the Turkey,
which may be in love or anger. “They spread out and erect the tail,
draw the head back on the shoulders, depress the wings with a quivering































































































































































































































































BRUSH-TURKEYS AND THEIR EGG-MOUNDS.

motion, and strut pompously . about, emitting at the same time a
succession of puffs from the lungs.”

The American Turkey is larger than the Domestic breed, which,
contrary to the general rule, has degenerated under domestication. The
wild species was formerly very abundant, but its numbers are lessening
as land is brought under cultivation. The Honduras Turkey has the
tail-feathers marked with eye-spots, cr achey

The Curassows are confined to South America, where they are
found from Mexico to the southern districts of Brazil. They do well
in confinement in this country, but they do not breed freely.

The Mound-birds and Brush-Turkeys are confined to the Australian
region, ranging from the island continent to the islands of the Malay
Archipelago. These birds do not sit on their eggs, but deposit them
in the sand, leaving them to be hatched by the heat of the sun, or on
a mound of decaying vegetable matter, large quantities of which are
heaped up over them, the heat of the decomposing mass acting as a
natural incubator. Several birds use the same hole or heap.
BIRDS oF. PREY. 233

THE HOATZINS.

'-'These birds constitute an order by themselves. They live among
the branches of trees on the banks of lagoons in South America.
There is but one species, which, owing to its loose feathers, appears to
be about the size of a Pheasant, but is really not so large. The
plumage is dark brown, variegated with reddish, and the head is
adorned with a long crest. The hind toe is on a level with the rest,
making the foot a good grasping organ. The bird is never seen on
the ground. Bates says that its voice is a harsh grating hiss, and that
its flesh has a mingled smell of musk and wet hides, which accounts
for its not being eaten. The young have little hooks at the end of
the digits of the fore limb, and with these they can, unaided, climb up
out of the nest when threatened with flood.

BIRDS OF PREY.

This order contains more than five hundred species, widely distributed
all over the world. They have strong bills, sharply curved at the point, and
large, strong feet, armed with powerful claws. Most of them feed almost
entirely on flesh ; some taking living prey while others prefer carrion.
The former have stronger beaks and claws than the latter, In most
cases the female is larger than her mate,

The Vultures are carrion-feeders; the head and neck are naked, or
clothed with down instead of feathers, and the claws are blunt.
Waterton says, “Providence has conferred a blessing on hot countries °
in giving them the Vulture, and in ordering it to consume that which,
if left to dissolve in putrefaction, would infect the air and produce
a pestilence.”

The Griffon Vulture is pretty common all over the south of Europe,
spreading into Africa and Asia. It is about 4 feet long, tawny yellow
in colour, with a white ruff round the neck. This bird was made the
subject of an experiment by Colonel Drayson, to test whether Vultures
discovered their prey by sight or by smell. He had shot an antelope
early in the morning and concealed it in a hole, and covered the
mouth of the hole with grass. Several vultures were flying at a great
height; and, thinking they would come down and attempt to drag out
the body, he rode off and kept watch. But they failed to follow the
scent to the spot where the body was hidden, and in the evening,
when Colonel Drayson came back from shooting, the antelope was
found undisturbed.

The Black Vulture, a rather smaller bird, with the head and neck
flesh-coloured, is found on both sides of the Mediterranean, ranging
eastward to China. The Eared Vulture, from Africa, and its relative
234 Poputar HisToryY oF ANIMALS.

the Indian Vulture, have folds of skin on the neck, standing up by the
side of. the head somewhat like large -ears.. Like the-King Vulture of
‘the New World, they do not allow .other carrion-feeding birds to
approach a carcass. till they themselves have eaten their fill, The
Egyptian Vulture (Plate V., No. 4), or Pharaoh’s Chicken, from Southern
Europe and the neighbouring parts of Africa and Asia, is about 30 inches
in length, with whitish plumage and dark brown quill-feathers. The































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































CONDORS ON THE WING.

4

bare parts of the face, the bill, and legs are yellow. This bird ‘is an
excellent scavenger, and for its services in this respect is protected by
law, a heavy fine being levied on any person who wilfully kills one.
Besides clearing the streets of offal and garbage, it consumes vast
numbers of rats, mice, and lizards.

. The American Vultures. have no bony partition between. the nostrils,
which are open from side to side, as shown in the Figure.

The Condor (Plate V., No. 5), the largest of these Vultures, has
its chief home in the Andes, where it breeds at great elevations, de-
_positing two white eggs on a bare ledge of rock. The general plumage
is black, with a soft, downy white ruff round the neck, the naked
parts of which are flesh-coloured. There is a comb on the head of
the male bird. A Condor that Darwin shot measured 4 feet from
beak to tail, and» 84 feet between the tips of the outstretched wings.
-These birds live principally on carrion, but they frequently attack young
‘goats and lambs. Condors are very. strong on the wing, and in
Tue Vutture FEAmMicy. 235

describing their flight Darwin says: “Neat Lima I watched several
for nearly half an hour, without once taking off my eyes: they moved
in large’ curves, sweeping in circles, descending and ascending without
giving a single flap.”

The King Vulture, from Central
and Southern America, is a very
handsome bird. Its body is about
as large as that of a Goose, and the
plumage of the adult is satiny white,
tinged with fawn on the back, pure

NOSTRIL OF AMERICAN VULTURE. white below. The long feathers of

the wings and tail are black, and
the bare head and neck: are brightly coloured. The young birds are
clothed in snow-white down. One that was sent to the Zoological
Gardens in 1893 was sketched by Mr. Frohawk for the /iedd, and he
thus describes the behaviour of the bird whilst sitting for its portrait :—
“The tameness, or rather the fearlessness, of the youngster is remark-
able. It is up to all sorts of playful tricks with me—snatching my
pencil away while I was sitting on the ground so as to be on a level
_ with it, sitting on my legs and feet trying to unlace my boots, tugging
at my breeches, and picking my pockets. It seemed perfectly happy
when I tickled it under the chin. It delighted in nestling down by my
side, and resting its head on my legs. It certainly is a delightful pet.”
The Turkey Vulture is so called from its resemblance to the Wild
Turkey, and it is said that it is frequently shot by inexperienced
sportsmen in mistake for the latter bird. It is a carrion feeder, and is-
protected by law for its services aS a scavenger. g
The Secretary Bird, from South Africa, about 3 feet long, with long,
Crane-like legs, and slate-grey plum-
age marked with black, derives its
name from its erectile crest, which
the early Dutch settlers compared to
pens stuck behind the ear of a clerk,
It is extremely serviceable in de-
stroying snakes, which constitute its
principal food. It is often tamed at
the Cape and kept in poultry yards, :
but it has a bad habit of snapping SECRETARY BIRD.
up young chickens ; and. there is a :
story that the whereabouts of a missing kitten was discovered by hearing
a faint mew as the pet Secretary Bird stalked to and fro, looking as
innocent as if it knew nothing at all about the matter.




236 PopPutaArR History oF ANIMALS,

The Caracaras of South America, are often placed here. They are
much smaller birds, clad in brown, striped and marked with white.
One of them has the habit, when
uttering its harsh cry, of throwing back
its head till the crown almost touches
the back, as in the Figure.

The Bearded Eagle, or Limmer-
geier (Plate V., No. 2) has some of the
habits of a Vulture. It is fairly com-
mon in the mountainous parts of
Central Asia, but in Europe is almost
entirely confined to Spain. It is about
40 inches long, with a wing-spread of
nearly three times as much. The
plumage is greyish-brown above, dashed
with white, the under surface is light,
and there are tufts of bristles round
the nostrils and at the base of the
bill. Strange stories are told of its
carrying off lambs, kids, and even children. Brehm, however, considers
it “a weak, cowardly bird of prey, gifted neither in mind nor body to
any great extent, and one that but rarely carries away small mammals.
Its food usually consists of bones and other carrion.”

The Golden Eagle (Plate V., No. 1) is found in both hemispheres, and
though extinct in England, still
breeds in Scotland, where it is pre-
served, An adult maie is about 3 ft,
long, and his mate some 6 in. more,
The plumage is dark tawny brown,
and the golden appearance of the
lighter feathers on the, head and
neck has given these birds their
popular name. These Eagles fre-
quent rocky places, and prey on
birds and small mammals. . Oc-
casionally they drive roe deer over
the rocks, and they have been seen
to beat the bushes for ground game. !
Sometimes they will stoop to feed GOLDEN EAGLE AND NEST,
on carrion. The Golden Eagle
is called the King of Birds. Macgillivray describes it as “powerful,
independent, proud, and ferocious, regardless of the weal of others, and



CARACARA,














THe Eacre FAMILY. 237

intent solely on the gratification of its own appetites; without
generosity, without honour, bold against the defenceless, but ever ready
to sneak from danger.” There are. allied species, two of which, the
Spotted. Eagle and the Imperial Eagle, occur in Europe.

The Bateleur Eagle is confined to Africa. It is about 2 feet long,
and the head is crested. The general plumage-is black, with maroon
patches on the shoulders and back, and the tail is of this same hue.
The bare skin of the face is red. Its name is French, and refers to
its habits of turning somersaults in the air like a tumbler pigeon.

The Erne or White-tailed Sea Eagle is found in Northern Europe
and Asia, and though becoming
rare in Britain, is more common
than the Golden Eagle. It is
somewhat smaller than ‘the
former species, and frequents
woody. places near water, for
fish forms a large part of its
food. There are several species,
which differ from the Golden
Eagles and its allies in the leg-
feathers not extending to the
toes.

The Bald Eagle, from
Northern Europe and America,
a little smaller than the British species, has the head and neck white as well
as the tail. This bird is the emblem of the United States; and owing
to its bad habits in robbing the Fishing Eagle, Benjamin Franklin
said, “For my part I wish the Bald Eagle had not been chosen
as the representative of our country. He is a bird of bad moral
character ; he does not get his living honestly. . . . Besides, he is a
rank coward: the little King-bird, not bigger than a sparrow, gicks
him boldly and drives him out of the district.”

The Buzzards have one representative in Britain—the Mion
Buzzard, about 20 inches long, clothed in loose brown plumage, the
shade and markings of which differ greatly in different birds. They
feed on mice, rats, snakes and insects.

Kites are small Birds of Prey, distinguished by their forked tail
and the absence of a notch on the Dill. The Common Kite was
formerly abundant in England, and till the sixteenth century seems to
have acted as a scavenger in the streets of London. It is about 2 feet
long, with reddish-brown plumage. The Honey-Buzzard, found all over
Europe, is really a Kite that feeds principally on insect larvee,



KITE AND NES?.

\
238 PorutaR History oF ANIMALS.

especially those of bees and wasps. It is subject: to great’ changes
in colour, fea uenuy assuming a blackish hue.

At the head of the True Falcons, dis-
tinguished by their strong curved beak, with a
tooth in*the top fitting into a notch in
the lower half, stands the Gyr Falcon, of which
there are species or. varieties from Norway,
Greenland (Plate V., No. 3), Iceland, and
Labrador.» ‘The plumage is white, more or
less marked with black. ‘These birds are
larger than the Peregrine Falcon, but not so.
highly valued for spotting. They prey chiefly
on other birds.

. The Peregrine Falcon is about 15 inches

GOSHAWK. long, bluish-grey barred with black above, and

reddish-white barred with black below.. Fal-

coners call the female a falcon, the male a dierce/, and a bird, taken wild

in full plumage a haggard. . The Falcon is very strong on the wing, and
its speed has been calculated at more than a hundred miles an hour.

The Goshawk, nearly 2 feet long, blackish brown above and reddish
below, feeds on birds and small quadru-
peds.. It is becoming rare in England,
but is sometimes employed to hunt hares,
rabbits, and rats. A correspondent of the
Field recently told how, when two rats
sprang out of a rick that was being
threshed, his Goshawk “instantly collared
the first one, and holding it in one foot,
flew after and caught the second one with
the other foot, and sat.on the ground
with a large rat in each foot, to Wie
great ‘admiration of the machine men.’

The! ‘Sparrowhawk is one of the com-
monest British birds of prey. It is about
1 foot long, and its plumage brownish-
grey above, and white marked with brown
below. ‘It flies with ease and rapidity.
Brehm tells of one that followed its prey.
into a railway carriage in rapid motion.
In some parts of Asia Sparrowhawks , MERLIN,
are trained to hunt small birds.

‘The Hobby and the Merlin are small British Glone: the former:




HAWKS AND: OWLS. 239.

feeds largely. on- beetles; the latter prefers flesh-food, and.is very bold
and daring, fearlessly attacking birds much larger than itself.

’ The Kestrel is fairly common in .Britain, and is often called the.
Windhover, from its remaining ‘poised in the air, head to wind.
Kestrels feed principally on mice,’ lizards, and beetles, but do not
disdain small birds. ‘Two were recently shot—right and left-—in Essex :
one was Carrying a blackbird, the other a starling.

The Fishing ‘Eagle, or: Fishing. Hawk, is about 2 feet long, with
brown plumage} varied with black, grey, and white. It is still found in;
Scotland on the’ coast, or by the
bank of some rivers. Mr. St. John
says : “This very beautiful bird. drops
like a stone on any unlucky fish that
-her sharp eye may detect, and I
believe she seldom pounces, in’ vain
Having caught a trout ‘or a smalt
salmon, «.she- flies with it to land, or
to some rock, and there tears it up.”
When fish is not attainable, no dead:
carcass comes amiss.

The Harriers, of moderate size,
have the. feathers of the face forming ;
a disk, though not so perfect as in. FISH HAWK.
the Owls, They take their prey
on the ground. The Hen Harrier and Marsh Harrier are British ;
they feed on reptiles and amphibians, and are destructive to game.
Mr. St. Joh saw a Hen Harrier strike a Grey Hen, and the head

of the victim “was cut as clean off by the single stroke as if done

With a knife.”
“The Owls “are distinguished by their soft, fluffy plumage, which
enables them to fly noiselessly, the position of the eyes in front of
the face, and the disk of feathers which surrounds them. The. body-
feathers bear no aftershaft, as do those of other Birds of Prey, except
the New World Vulture and the Fishing Eagle. In many the legs are
feathered to the toes.

The Barn Owl is rather over a foot long, and has buff plumage
marked with grey, white, and black, It is common in Britain, and
nests in old buildings, barns, and hollow trees. From the nature of
its food—rats and mice—this bird is one of the farmer's best friends,
but it is ruthlessly shot by gamekeepers in the erroneous belief that it is
destructive to feathered game. It is often called the Screech Owl, but
its cry is rather a hoot.


240 . PoputaR HISTORY OF ANIMALS.

The Brown, Wood, or Tawny Owl, with deep grey or reddish-brown
plumage, is common in the wooded parts -of Britain. It feeds on
small birds and -field-mice, and does not disdain caterpillars. It is
easily tamed, and makes an interesting pet. In‘defence of its young
it is very courageous, and fights fiercely with beak and claws. The
field records an instance in which a ‘pair of Brown ‘Owls killed a cat
which attacked their nest. i

The Snowy Owl, from Arctic and sub-arctic et is a day-flier.
It is over 2 feet long, and when adult has the plumage quite white. It
is an occasional visitor to Britain.

The “Horned Owls” owe their name to the plumicorn or tuft of
feather on each side of the head. The Great Eagle Owl (Plate V., No. 6)
is a native of Northern and Central Europe, but a rare visitor to Britain.
It is about 2 feet long, and has russet plumage, marked with black.
The Virginian Horned Owl is closely allied. The Long-eared Owl and
the Short-eared Owl are British, The latter was a rare visitor, but
since the plague of field-voles in Scotland (p. 161), numbers of these
birds have remained to breed.

The Fish Owls are natives of India and Africa. When fish is not’
procurable they feed .on small mammals, birds, and reptiles, and in
some cases on carrion.

The Burrowing Owls are American, and live in the .holes of the
Prairie Dog and the Viscacha. Hudson calls them thé most Darby-
and-Joan-like of birds, for the male is never seen without his mate.



BARN OWL.
PLATE VII.

1, Jungle Cock. 2. Golden Pheasant. 3. Capercaillie. 4. Black-
cock. 5. Partridge. 6, Ostrich. 7. Bustard. 8. Heron. 9.
Adjutant Stork. 10, Ibis. 31. Ruff. 12. Lapwing. 13. Coot.
14. Flamingo. | 1§. Eider Duck. 16. Swan. 17. Herring Gull.
18, Fulmar Petrel. 19. Pelican. 20. Crested Grebe. 21. Razorbill.
22. King Penguin.

241.





CHAPTER XxX.
WADING AND SWIMMING BIRDS.
eae HE distinguishing marks of the Wading birds are their
‘ long legs and toes: The latter are four in number, three
in front and one behind, rarely webbed. They frequent
é the shore or thick vegetation near the banks of rivers and
“2 lakes, and small aquatic animals constitute the bulk of
the food of many of them. The young
shift for themselves as soon as they
leave the egg.
The Rails have short wings that
fit close to the body, and can thread
their way easily and swiftly through
reeds and long grass.
The Jacanas, from the warmer
countries of both hemispheres, have
very long claws, which spread their
weight over such a large surface that
they can walk with ease over floating
vegetation, a lily pad affording them
ample support. The Pheasant-tailed
Jacana, or Water-Pheasant, owes its
name to its long tail.
The True Rails have short claws,
though the toes are long. These birds
are very numerous and widely dis-
tributed. In Britain we have several EAND RAIL.
species. The Water-Rail, ‘rather less
than a foot long, is brown, marked with black above, lead grey on the neck
and breast, and has the black flanks barred with white. It is a
marsh-loving bird, frequenting by choice water thickly fringed with
reeds, rushes and rank grass, in which it can skulk, or through
which it can slip into the stream and swim toa. place of safety.
The Land-rail,.or.Corn-crake, is rather smaller, with yellowish-brown
plumage marked with black above, and buff fading to white beneath ;
the flanks are barred with brown. These birds reach our. southern
coasts towards the end of April, and most of them have left again
Q
242 PoputAr Histcky or ANIMALS.

by the end of September for their winter-quarters in’ Africa. The
Corn-crake is very shy, .and much more ‘often heard than seen. The
note of the male, whence the name “crake” is derived, resembles the
noise made by drawing the
nail along the teeth of a
comb. Like some other Rails,
the Corn-crake will feign death
when taken or hard pressed.
* ‘The-Spotted Crake; the Little
ale Crake, and Baillon’s Crake




AY ‘two are rare.

The Moorhen, a little
more than a foot long, with
brownish plumage above and
dark grey below, has the base

MOORHEN. of the bill carried up on to

ae the forehead, there forming a

“frontal plate.” It frequents ponds rather than running streams, resorting

to the latter chiefly when the standing water is. frozen over. There

are two and sometimes three broods in the season, and the birds

of the first will help the parents in -nest-building and in caring for

the second brood. Allied to the Moorhens are the Purple Gallinules,

showy-looking birds with brilliant blue metallic plumage, contrasting
strongly with their red legs and frontal shields.

The Coot (Plate VIL, No. 13) lives..with us all the year round,
and differs from the Moorhen by its larger size, lobed feet, and the
white patch on the forehead, which has given rise to the proverb
‘““As bald as a coot.” In winter these birds
may be found on the coast. The Finfoots,
from’ Asia, Africa, and America, have lobed
feet like the Coots, but the bill is long.

In the Snipe family the bill is long, ,
slender, and- flexible, and with it the birds
probe mud and damp earth for worms,
insects, and molluscs. Many are highly valued .
for the table.” FOOT OF COOT.

The Woodcock is a winter visitor, generally
leaving in spring, though some remain to breed, and where there are
plantations of pine. and fir, and larch, the number increases year by year.
The length is about 14 inches, and plumage reddish-brown with small black
markings. These birds lie low during the day, the plumage harmonising



.
SM/PE AND W0OODCOCKS.

243

well with their surroundings ot dead and dying leaves, and come out
at dusk to feed. There is but one brood in the season, and the old
birds carry the young from place



WOODCOCK.

to place.
is a loud

‘The Common Snipe is a native

bird, and large numbers also arrive
in October and November, leaving
again in the spring. “It is a little
more than half the size’ of, the Wood-
cock, and has mottled plumage. The
“drumming” or “bleating” of the
Snipe, which serves as a call-note, is
produced by thé wings and the out- «.
spread tail-feathers.
and the Jack-Snipe are visitors.

The Curlew, about 2 feet long, with
mottled plumage of brown and white,
is a shore bird, with a long, curved

The Whimbrel, much smaller,
is a visitor, sometimes called the May-
bird, from the. month in which it
arrives.

bill.

The call-note of the male

The Great Snipe

The Sandpipers are shore-birds with straight bill, and the toes
joined at the base by a fold of skin. Here belong the Common
Sandpiper, the Knot, the Dunlin, the Greenshank, the Redshank,

the Curlew Sandpiper, and some others.

ing is the Ruff (Plate VII., No. 11),
which owes its name to the frill of
feathers developed on the head and
neck in the breeding-season. It serves
as an ornament to attract the females
(called Reeves, and having no such
adornment) and as a defence in his
battles with his rivals. These birds
formerly bred in England, but now
they are known only as visitors, chiefly
to the eastern counties. ‘The length
‘of the male is about 1 foot, and the
“ruff” is variously marked with black,

SNIPE,

Perhaps the most interest-



shades of brown, grey, and white, no two individuals being alike in
‘this respect. How great the difference is in the ornaments of these

Q2
244 PoPULAR F{ISTORY OF ANIMALS.

birds may be seen in the specimens exhibited in the Great Hall of
the Natural History Museum.

The Phalaropes, from the northern parts of both hemispheres, are
Sandpipers, with feet like those of the Coot.

The Stilt Plovers are distinguished by their long legs. The True
Stilts have the bill straight; in the Avocets it has an upward curve.
The Avocet, formerly numerous in England, has not bred here for
many years. The plumage is black and white; the feet are webbed,
but the bird does not take to water unless compelled... It feeds on
small aquatic animals, which it scoops up from the mud with a side-
long motion of its bill. '

The Plovers- are stoutly-built birds,
with short bill and pointed wings. The
Thick-knee, Stone-Curlew, or Norfolk
Plover, spends the summer in this country,
and frequents heaths and sandy places.
On the wide commons near Thetford
these birds were formerly very plentiful.
Mr. Trevor-Battye was fortunate enough
to see them sitting, and says that the
male and female relieve each other by
turns, and that the sitting bird rises
backwards off the eggs, so that its long
legs should not disturb them.

The Lapwing (Plate VIL, No. 12),
called the’ Pee-wit from its cry, loves
moors and marshy grounds, and is widély
distributed in the British Islands. Its eggs

GOLDEN PLOVER. ».-are collected and sold as “ Plovers’”
eggs. When disturbed while sitting the
hen-bird steals away, and the male bird does his best to attract the
attention of the intruder; but when the eggs are hatched she joins
him in his endeavours, and both will often feign lameness—a trick
generally successful, for one is sure to be led far from the nest if the
birds be pursued. The Grey Plover, the Golden Plover, the Ringed
Plover, and several more, are well known, and the first two are highly
valued for the table.

The Turnstone, with varied plumage of black and white, is a summer
visitor, and frequents the’ ’sea-shore and sometimes the banks of streams.
These birds derive their mame from the fact that they turn over
stones with their bill in search of insects, which form their chief food.
When the stones are too heavy to be moved with the bill, they push






TURNSTONE AND OYSTER-CATCHER. 245

-with their breast, and Mr. Edward says “it would seem that the birds
are willing to assist each other, just as masons or portets will do in
turning over a stone or a bale of goods.” He once saw two ‘Turnstones
J busily endeavouring to
Ss turn over a dead fish,
fully six times their size.
' They were boldly pushing
-at_ the fish with their
bills; and then with their
breasts. . Their ‘endeav-
ours, however, were in
vain; the object re-
mained immovable. On
Sk | this they went round: to
TURNSTONE, i a the opposite side, and
: scraped, away the sand
from beneath the fish, sine hep carried on their mining operations till
they were able to turn the fish over.

The Oyster-Catcher lives with us all the year round. Its boldly
marked black-and-white: plumage and long, orange bill make it a very
conspicuous object on the seashore,
where it picks up its living by probing
among the stones, or in the pools, and
scooping out limpets and mussels from
their shells.

The Bustards are confined to: the
Old World. . The Great Bustard (Plate
VII, No. 7) was formerly abundant
in Britain, but since about 1840 it
has only occurred as a visitor. The
breks or sandy commons of Norfolk
and Suffolk were the last places from .
which it was driven, and even now
the appearance of a straggler from the
Continent will generally bring out
all the guns in the neighbourhood.
The length is about 45 inches, and an
old cock-bird ‘will weigh 30 lbs. The
Little Bustard; a much smaller bird,
sometimes strays to this country. The
Australian Bustard is protected in Victoria ‘as’ an insect-destroying bird..

Cranes are natives of warm countries, and make long migrations.:



















































OYSTER-CATCHERS.
* 246 y PoPuLtArR HISTORY OF ANIMALS.

The legs are long and slender, and in many the feathers are plume-
like. They are noted for their extraordinary caperings in their love-
display,. always a great source of amusement to lookers-on. The
Common Crane, about 4 feet in length, with slate-grey plumage, is a
rare visitor to Britain, In the sixteenth century it bred in the fen-
lands, but the drainage of those parts deprived it of food and so put
an end to its regular visits. It feeds on grass, grain, seeds, and insects.
The Numidian Crane, or Demoiselle, and the Balearic Crane, with a
fan-like crest, are generally to be seen in zoological gardens.

The Sun Bittern, or Peacock Heron, from South America, with
brilliant plumage, is kept as a pet in Brazil. Bates says: “It soon
becomes tame, and walks about the -
floors of houses, picking up scraps
of food, or spearing insects with
its long, slender beak.”

The Kagu, from New Caledonia,
with ‘loose bluish ash - coloured
_plumage, is described by Wallace. as
partaking something of the ap-
pearance of Rail, Plover, and
Heron.

The Trumpeters, from the
Amazon, Valley, are named from
their cry.

: The Cariamas, or Crested

ee: STAND DATA to CRANE: Screamers, from the mountains. and

open plains of Brazil and La Plata,

in some respects resemble the Birds of Prey. There are two spurs on

the wings, and one of the two species has a horn-like protuberance on

the head. They are domesticated, and run with the poultry: which they
defend from rapacious birds,



HERONS.

The birds of this. order have the bill hard and horny. They
generally nest in trees, and the young need the care of the old birds
for some time after they are hatched. The True Herons have the hind
toe large and resting on the ground.

The Common Heron (Plate VII., No. 8) is found throughout the
British Islands. These birds breed in colonies, called heronries, more
common in England than in Scotland or Ireland.. Herons feed on fish,
reptiles, frogs, water-voles, mice, and young water-fowl ; and, failing these,
on snails, slugs, and insects. They may be often seen standing in the
BITTERNS. 247

water watching for any prey that may come within reach ot the sharp
spear-like bill, Some allied species are visitors to Britain; among
these is the Night Heron, which would probably breed’ here it
undisturbed.

The Egrets are distinguished by their white plumage, and in the
breeding season long crests and feathery plumes are developed. The
great White Egret, a rare visitor to this country, was formerly common
in the valley of the Danube, but its numbers have been greatly
reduced, these birds being taken for the sake of the plumes.

The Bittern is now a visitor which has no chance of breeding,
being generally shot
as soon as it makes
its appearance. Its
length is trom 27
to 30 inches, and
the buff plumage
with small black
markings § matches
well with the reed-
beds which these
birds frequent, and
in which they remain
during the day,
coming out at night
to feed... It is dan- ‘a .
gerous to approach STERTy,
a wounded bird, for
it will throw itself on its back and fight fiercely; and the long,
sharp bill and strong claws are capable of inflicting serious
wounds,

The Little Bittern is also a visitor, but occurs more rarely, Like the
larger species, its plumage is highly protective, as is that of the American
species. An American bittern, started by Mr. Hudson, flew into a reed- .
bed. He searched for nearly an hour, but did not observe that the
bird was sitting on a reed 2 feet from him, having postured itself so that
it exactly resembled the branch of a reed. Mr. Hudson tested the
instinct Of the bird by walking round and round it, and found that it
in like manner turned round on its perch, always keeping its reed-
coloured breast to the énemy, and its long bill shot up like a
spike in the air. He actually forced the bill down with his hand :: the
bird did not fly away; but resumed its original position when his hand
was removed. Finally it took an opportunity to slip off, like a flash of

\


248 PoPuLak HisToRY oF ANIMALS.

lightning, to another reed-bed, and it was a quarter. of an hour before
it was discovered.

The White Stork was formerly a much. more fiennenes visitor :than
it is in these days. It is common on the Continent, whither it comes
from its winter quarters in Asia and Africa to breed; and in Central
Europe ‘the people protect it and encourage it to nest :by setting up
cart-wheels or rough platforms, on which it may, place the huge
structure of twigs and sticks: on which the eggs are deposited. It also
builds in trees and towers, and on the ledges of. cliffs. | Canon
Tristram says that year after year—indeed, generation after generation—a
pair of birds return
every spring to
the. same place,
and rebuild ‘or
repair the old nest.
Insects, . worms;
snakes, frogs, mice,
and : birds, form
its diet, and the
old birds insert
their bills in the
mouth of the
young ones, ‘and
feed them with
half-digested food,
in somewhat simi-

STORK’S NEST. * lar fashion to that

Br BOE SE ihe adopted by the

Pigeons. In some parts of Europe the Stork is looked upon as a

public scavenger, and protected accordingly, as some of the larger
species are in India.

The Black Stork is a much rarer bird in this country than the
White ‘Stork; only about a dozen specimens have been met.with since
the first was noticed, in 1814. The plumage of the upper surface and
neck is black, with brilliant metallic reflections, and the under parts
white. It feeds chiefly on-fish, and nests in high trees, generally near
water. One of these birds lived in the Zoological Gardens, Regent's
Park, for thirty years.

The Adjutant (Plate VII., No. 9) is a gigantic Indian Stork, 5 feet
or more in height. It has a long pouch on the neck, and: another,
which is inflated: when the bird flies, on the back of the neck. Dr.
Jerdon. says that in Calcutta and other large towns. these. birds are










































































































































































STORKS AND THEIR ALLIES. 249

“protected by law, and become so tame as to walk about fearlessly,
lurking near the slaughter-houses and. burning-grounds of the Hindoos,
-or ‘examining the refuse heaped up in the streets, ready to be carted
away by the scavengers. Fish, frogs, and small mammals’ form part of
their diet. In the crop of one which he shot, Mr. Hornaday found a
dog, the weight of which he estimated at about 5 lbs. There is
an African’ species, and the tail-feathers of these birds are sold as
_ Marabou plumes for ladies’ head-dresses.

The Jabirus, or Giant Storks, are found in Africa, America,
and Australia; the Wood Ibises in Asia, Africa, and America;
the Boat-Bill lives
in tropical America,
and the Shoe-billed
Stork on the Upper
Nile.

The — Spoonbill
used to.” breed in
Norfolk, ‘on. the
tops of high trees,”
which. are favourite
nesting-places of the
birds in India and
Ceylon. In Holland
it breeds among the
rushes. Its length is
about 32 inches, the
plumage is white, and SPOONBILL.
the crest tipped with
yellow. A South American species has the plumage tinged with rose-
colour.

The Sacred Ibis (Plate VII., No. 10) about 30 inches long, with an
arched beak like that of the Curlew, is a native of Africa. It is now
rare in Egypt, where it was formerly a sacred bird, worshipped as the
herald of spring. Figures of it occur on the ancient monuments of
that country, and a pyramid is dedicated to it. The Scarlet Ibis, from
America, is a very beautiful bird. The Glossy Ibis, with dark
metallic ‘plumage, is an occasional visitor to Britain.

aes Flamingo (Plate VII., No. 14) is linked to the Waders by its
long legs, and to the Geese by its webbed feet and beak furnished
with straining-plates. These birds are natives of Asia and Africa, and
some parts of the south of Europe. In feeding, the bill, with the top
part undermost, is plunged into the mud, which is stirred up with. the






















































































































250 POPULAR HISTORY OF ANIMALS. .

feet. The small aquatic animals are retained, and the refuse allowed to
flow away through the straining plates on the edges of the bill.
Flamingoes build nests of mud, high enough to avoid. danger of
flooding, and sit on their eggs just like any other bird.

GEESE AND WATERFOWL.

_ These birds are web-footed, and the legs are.set far. back, which,
while it increases their power as swimming organs, makes them of less
use for walking; hence the gait of Geese and their relations on land
is an unsteady waddle. The bill is furnished at the sides with a fringe
of plates, serving to sift the mud in which these birds seek a great
part of their food—worms, insect larvee, crustaceans, and small molluscs.
There is an under garment of down, and the upper feathers lie close
and thick, and are almost waterptoof... Every-
body knows how easily water runs off a
Duck’s back.

Grey Geese and Black. Gees called,
from the prevailing hue. of their plumage,
are among our winter visitors. The Grey
‘Lag Goose, one of the rarest, is the stock
] whence the White Domestic Geese of our

_ HEADS OF SWANS. poultry-yards and commons. is descended.
A: Mute Swan. B. Whooper Swan Why they assumed a white coat no one

seems able to tell us; but there would
be no difaentey in keeping up the colour, and there is a motive for
keeping it up, for white feathers fetch a higher price than grey ones.
The Bernacle Goose and the Brent Goose both belong to the “ Black”
group; they are common winter visitors, often appearing in flocks in
severe weather. Both these birds were formerly believed to be hatched
from barnacles, attached to floating timber, and more than one. writer
has described the tiny birds which he had seen in the shells of these
crustaceans. The Snow Goose, from North America, has strayed to
Treland some few times. One was trapped, and put with some. tame
geese. Mr. Harting says that “this bird, after slaying a rival in a. fair
fight, paired. with one of the common geese, and afterwards assisted to
rear.a family of goslings.” :

The Swans are the largest birds of the order, and are known to
everyone for their graceful movements in the water. The Mute Swan
(Plate VII., No. 16), with which we are familiar as a half-domesticated
bird adding beauty to our lakes and rivers, is found wild in many
parts. of Europe. At.Abbotsbury is a swannery, with many hundred
birds; they breed freely in the Backwater at Weymouth, on the Exe,


Witp DUCKS. 251

on the Norfolk Broads, and in many. other suitable places. The
Whooper, Bewick’s Swan, and the Polish Swan are winter visitors, the
former by far the most plentiful. The plumage of all these birds is
white, and for ages it was thought
that no Swan could be dressed
in any other colour. Australia,
however, has a Black Swan, and
- the Southern American Swan,
with white body-plumage, has a
black head and neck.

The Mergansers are large
fish-eating sea-birds, having the
edges of the bill armed with
saw-like teeth, the points of which
are turned backwards, so as to

MALLARD. prevent the escape of their
slippery prey. They are British
visitors, and some remain to breed. From the nature of their diet
their flesh is rank. The stumps of trees near water are favourite
nesting-places, and of the common species, the Goosander, we are
told that “as soon as the eggs are hatched, the mother takes the
chicks gently in her bill, and carries and lays them down at the foot
of the tree, where she teaches them the way to the river, in which they
instantly swim with an astonishing facility.”

Of the Freshwater Ducks the most important is the Mallard or
Common Wild Duck, from which are descended all our domestic
breeds. Some of these birds ,
still nest in this country, but
the drainage of the fen lands
has destroyed many of the-
old breeding-places. Large
numbers, chiefly from Northern
Europe, visit us in winter,
when many are shot for the
table and market.

Under the general name
of Wild Duck are also to be
reckoned the Gadwall, or Grey: —

Duck, the Shoveller, with its - ret ae
spoon-shaped bill, the Pintail,
the daintily-marked Teal, and its near relation the Garganey, and the
Wigeon. All breed more or less freely in Britain or Ireland. Allied to






.252 PoruLaAR. HisTorRY OF ANIMALS. -

these are the American Summer Duck and the. Mandarin Duck, both’ of
which are domesticated in this country as ornamental birds. -

‘The Sheldrake, or Burrow Duck, is a large goose-like’ bird, ‘of
brilliant plumage, in which green, chestnut, white, and black are
broadly marked. It breeds in sand-hills snd rabbit-burrows on the
East Coast. In Orkney it is called the ‘Sly Goose,” because it feigns
lameness to decoy intruders away from its nest, and when it has led
them a safe distance it spreads its wings and takes to flight.

~The Eider Duck (Plate VII., No. 15) is- the most important of
the Sea Ducks. It isa native of some
yarts of Britain, and breeds from North-
umberland northwards. It breeds also
in some parts of the north of Europe,
where it is protected by law. Selby, in .
his account of the breeding of these
birds at the Farne Islands, says : “The
nest is composed of fine seaweed, and
as incubation proceeds, a lining of
down plucked by. the. bird from her
own. body is added ; this increases from
day to day,’and at last becomes so
considerable: in quantity as to envelope
and entirely conceal the eggs from ~
view.” In Iceland the yield of each

nest is between two and three ounces

of down, which is worth there from

SHELDRAKE. twelve to fifteen shillings a pound,

and about a pound and.a half is re-

quired, according to Mr. Howard Saunders, to ‘make a single coverlet.

The Icelanders pickle the eggs, and. the Greenlanders eat, the flesh of

this bird. The King Eider and Steller’s Eider have occasionally strayed
to Britain from their Arctichome.

Other Sea-ducks that visit Britain are the Pochards, the Scaup-Duck,
the Tufted Duck, the Golden Eye, the American’ Buffel-headed Duck,
the Long-tailed Duck, the Harlequin Duck, and the Scoters.



PELICANS.

In the birds of this order all the four toes are connected by. a web.
True Pelicans are found in tropical and temperate regions in both
hemispheres, and may be readily known. by their long. bill, from the
lower part of which there hangs down’ a large pouch, not noticeable
when the birds are at rest... This pouch is capable of great expansion,
TRE PELICANS. 253

and serves as a bag to stow away the fish, which is not eaten when
caught, but is brought on shore to be devoured. The Common
Pelican (Plate VII., No. 19) from Asia, Africa, and the south and east
of Europe, is common in zoological collections. Its habits are pretty
regular: a fishing excursion in some shallow in the early morning,
flight to land, where the catch is devoured, a.long doze, another turn











































































































































































































































































































































































































































































_ EIDER DUCKS AT HOME.

at fishing in the evening, supper, then to roost, make up the ordinary
day of a Pelican. There are several species, of which Due one, the
American Pelican, can dive for its prey.

The Darters, of which there are four from South America, Africa,
India, and Australia, haunt the banks of rivers and lakes. They
generally perch on trees overhanging the water, and dart down upon
fish as they pass by. ‘They are also excellent swimmers, as anyone
will allow who has seen a Darter in its tank in the Zoological Gardens
at feeding time.

Cormorants and Gannets, of which there are many species, are found
on every coast. The Common Cormorant about 3 feet long with sombre
plumage, is a familiar British sea-bird, «frequenting by preference rocky
parts of the coast. They feed chiefly on fish, of which they devour a
great quantity; and though they have no pouch like the True Pelicans,
the gullet is so elastic: that they can swallow prey of considerable size.
A fish 14 inches long, the body of which was 4 inches deep, was taken
from the gullet of a Cormorant shot in Plymouth Sound. Their skill in
dishing .was formerly utilised in this country, as it still is in China,

‘
254 PorputAr HHisToRY oF ANIMALS.

where ‘the birds, usually: with a collar round the neck to prevent their
swallowing, are sent into the water to fish for their master, being after-
ward, as a reward, allowed to fish for themselves. Of two-that bred
in the Zoological Gardens Mr. Howard Saunders. says that the task

of feeding the young ones was undertaken
‘entirely by the male bird. ‘After he had
been fed and retained the fish about an hour,
he mounted the side of the nest, and as each
young bird came out from under. the hen,
he opened his great mouth, and in went the
nestling as far as the outstretched wings would
allow, and helped itself io the now macerated
fish in the old one’s crop.”

The Shag is a smaller British species with

DARTER, green plumage, differing little in habit from
the larger bird, excepting in rarely venturing
inland or frequenting fresh water.

The Gannet or Solan Goose, breeds on Lundy, on the Scotch
coast, where its chief station is the
Bass Rock, and on some parts of the
Irish coast. The plumage of the
adults is white, that of the young
till their fifth year is dusky, but more
and more white is gained each year.
These birds: swoop down from” aloft
on their prey.

The Booby is a southern. species
from both hemispheres.. Mr. Forbes
saw. them in the Keeling Islands, and
remarks that. they were shamelessly
robbed by the Frigate-birds, who took
advantage of their industry. When
sailing landward with their fish-supper,
“they were often seized by the tail by
the Frigate-birds, and treated to a shake
that rarely failed of satisfactory results.”

The Frigate-birds are found be-
tween the tropics, and are noted for
their powers of flight. The Cocos Islanders eat them, and train
tame birds tO act as decoys for their fellows. The sportsman
takes out his decoy-bird, and throws some offal on the water, over
which the tame bird plays, without touching it. Soon the attention





“GANNETS,
GULLS.

255:



















ea



a

les

yet



1

<



























GULLS ON THE THAMES IN LONDON,

of the wild birds is drawn to the bait; and as they swoop down,
away flies the decoy, leaving its master free to fire.

GULLS, TERNS, AND PETRELS.
These birds have only the three toes in front webbed, and the hind
toe is small and raised. above the ground.

The wings are long, and
256 PoPuLAR HIsTory oF ANIMALS.

the flight consequently powerful. The general plumage is gréy abové,
and white below; but the clothing of some is dusky.

The Simmer are, tropical birds, about. thé size of a pigeon, with.
the under part of the bill longer than the upper. They procure their
food by skimming along the top of the
water, and so picking up the small marine
animals that live near the surface. With
the bill they also scoop out molluscs from
their shells.

The Gulls are a numerous group, some
of which are found in all seas and round
all coasts. The Herring Gull (Plate VIL.
No. 17), about 2 feet long, is a very common
British bird, especially on the South Coast.
These Gulls feed on fish, which they take
hovering over the water, and do not despise... NosrRILs OF VARIOUS PETRELS.
shell-fish, or even offal that may be picked x
up on the shore. In winter and spring they travel in bands over the

fields searching the pastures and ploughed land for worms, grubs, and
insects. The habit of feeding on land is shared by the Black-headed
Gull, especially in the breeding season, whence it is looked upon as a
farmers’ friend. There are many other species resident in, or visitors
to Britain.

The Skuas, or Robber Gulls, well deserve their popular name, for.

though they can fish for themselves, and |
will eat birds and their eggs, and small.
mammals, they prefer to live upon the.
labour of other diving birds, by forcing |
them to drop what they have caught,
swooping down upon it and _ snatching
it up before it falls into the sea.

The Terns, or Sea-swallows, are
extremely elegant birds, owing their
popular name to their forked tails
and their powers and mode of flight
’ Everyone who has been at the seaside
must have seen them skimming over

ALBATROSS... °. the water or hunting the rock- pools. on
the shore.

The Petrels are marked off from all other birds by their tube-
like nostrils above the bill. They are called Petrels, or Peter’s Birds,
because some of the smaller species appear to walk on the water.




THE Divers. 257

‘At the head of this group is the Albatross, remarkable for its great
size and its powers of flight. The Wandering Albatross, from the
Southern Ocean, is nearly 4 feet long; and has white plumage with some
‘black on the wings. Gould says that “ although during calm or
‘moderate weather it sometimes rests on
the surface of the water, it is almost con-
stantly on the wing, and is equally at.
‘ease during the stillest oa or the most
furious gale.”

Several’ Petrels visit Britain — the
commonest is the Fulmar (Plate VIL.,
‘No. 18) which breeds in St. Kilda, where :;
its flesh and eggs are eaten, and the
oil obtained from. it burnt in lamps. Its
home is in the Arctic regions, and it is =
always a constant attendant. on whale. GREAT NORTHERN DIVER.
ships for the sake of the ‘offal which
falls to its share when a whale is cut up. Scoresbyis says that when
carrion is scarce Fulmars follow the’ living whale, and sometimes, by
their peculiar motions when hovering at the surface of the water, point
out to the whaler the animal of which he is in pursuit. The Stormy
Petrel breeds in a few places in Britain, and in Sark.



DIVING BIRDS.
In all these birds the feet are placed very far back, so that when
standing they are nearly upright. They differ from the Penguins in
— being able to fly... Three species
of Divers visit Britain in winter, —
and of these:the Great Northern
Diver, or Ember Goose, is the
commonest. It is a very hand-
some bird from 30 to 33 inches
long, and the general plumage
above is black, with white ‘spots,
and white below. In all the beak
is long, straight, and pointed.
They live mostly. in the open
sea feeding on fish, for which
they dive, and rarely coming on
land except in the breeding season. Montagu had a tame one, which
would come at call and take food from his hand. Unlike the Guillemot
and Auks, these birds do not use their wings in swimming and diving.
R



RAZOR-BILL. ©
\

258 Poputar History oF ANIMALS.

The Razor-bill (Plate VII., No. 21), about 17 inches long, is a well-
known British bird, and has many breeding stations round our coasts.
A writer in the Zoologist describes how the mother teaches the young
bird to dive by taking it under
with her. “Up comes the
young one again, only to get
another dose; but the young
one cannot remain so long
under water as the mother, and
it often dodges her by diving
for an instant.”. The Guillemot,
rather larger than the Razor
. Bill, is more abundant in Britain.
Both birds have the same habits,

a ee eel and they breed in the same
localities.

The: Puffin, or Sea-parrot, is a droll-looking bird, about 1 foot long,
black above and white below, moulting not only its feathers but its bill,
which is larger and more gaily coloured in summer than in winter.
Puffins breed in holes, frequently using rabbit-burrows, and driving out

’ the rightful owners. :

The Grebes are Diving Birds,
principally frequenting fresh water.
They can dive well, and their feet,
though not webbed, are admirable
swimming organs. The Great Crested
Grebe (Plate VII, No. 20) is a
British ‘bird, and has a wide range
over the Old World.’. From the silvery-
white plumage of the under-surface,
ladies’ muffs are made. The Dab-
chick, or Little Grebe, is the smallest
and commonest British species. It
seems to bea greedy feeder, for speci-
mens are often found choked by the
Bullhead or Millers) Thumb. The
like fate often befalls Kingfishers.





PENGUINS. BURrET
These birds represent in the Southern
hemisphere the Auks and Guillemots of the North. The wings are useless
for flight, but are empioyed as fins in the water; and on land, when
PENGUINS. 259

alarmed, Penguins will throw themselves down, and push themselves
along with feet and wings so rapidly that a man would have difficulty
in overtaking them. The wing-feathers are short and scale-like, and
when the birds moult these flake off like the shedding of the skin of
‘a serpent. The King Penguin (Plate VII., No. 20) is found on the
coasts of the South Pacific. The Jackass Penguin of the Falkland
Islands is described by Darwin as “crawling, it may be said, or.
four legs, so that it might be easily mistaken for a quadruped, or
moving with such agility in the water as to resemble a fish leaping.”
Those who have seen these birds scrambling on the floor of the Fish-
house of the Zoological Gardens, Regent’s Park, and diving in their
tank for fish, will have some idea of their mode of progression on
land and in the water.



PENGUINS.
rom a Photograph.)
a i}
AI

& ue Ys
eA



Ute I

OSTRICHES ON A FARM.

CHAPTER XXL
THE RUNNING BIRDS.

O this order belong the largest living birds, © The wings are
small and quite useless for flight, though they may be
extended and raised so as to. form a kind of sail, and
help their owners in their course, thus adding considerably
to the speed with which these birds get over the ground.

This habit is referred to in the Book of Job (xxxix. 18), where the
Ostrich is described as “lifting up herself on high, and scorning the
horse and his rider.” The breast bone has no keel; the plumage is
hair-like, and in the feathers of the Ostrich and Rhea, there is no
plumule or aftershaft, as there is on those of the Emu and Cassowary.

The Ostrich (Plate VII., No. 6) is confined to the plains and deserts of
Africa and to some parts of Western Asia. Its height is from 6 feet to
OSTRICHES. : 261

8 feet; the head, neck, and thighs are naked, and it has only two toes.
The plumage of the body in the males is black, and in the females
ash-grey; the wing and tail plumes in both sexes are white, and it is
the plumes from the wings of the male that are most. highly prized.
For the sake of these feathers Ostriches have been partially domesticated,
and are now bred on Ostrich farms, where the feathers are regularly
cut from the time the birds are about eight months old; and the
operation is repeated at intervals of eight months, except during the
breeding season. In the wild state the Ostrich takes. several mates,
which have one nest between them, and the male sits during the night.
Ostriches are exclusively vegetable
feeders, but swallow stones to assist
the process of digestion. . In cap-
tivity. they have a bad habit. of
taking and_ swallowing whatever is
offered. One that died in the
Zoological. Gardens had ninepence
halfpenny in bronze money in its
stomach, given it by visitors who
certainly had more money than
sense.

These birds soon become: tame
and learn to recognise their ‘keepers.
If interfered with or irritated they
defend themselves by kicking, and eat eau
no one would care to be kicked
twice by an Ostrich. On the African farms the people who tend the
birds carry the branch of a native thorn, the dexterous use of which will
keep the birds off. Mrs. Martin tells of an Ostrich farmer who believed
all animals could be quelled by the human eye, and tried the experi-
ment on one of his own birds. “‘ He was presently found in a very
pitiable predicament, lying flat on the ground, whilst the subject . of the
experiment jumped up and down on him, occasionally varying the
treatment by sitting upon him.”

The Rheas, or South American Ostriches, of which there are three
species, have three toes, and the neck and head are feathered. They
are found from Brazil to Patagonia, and are much smaller than the
True Ostriches from Africa. The plumage is brown or grey above and
lighter below. These birds.are. hunted . for their plumage,gand their
stomachs, dried and powdered, are said to be a cure for indigestion.
The Gauchos used this medicine long ago.’ Hudson says that “science
has gone over to them, and the Ostrich hunter now makes one profit

1


262 Poputar History oF ANIMALS.

from the feathers, and one from the dried. stomachs, which he sells to
the chemists of Buenos Ayres. Yet he was once told that to take the
stomach of an Ostrich to improve his digestion was as wild an idea as
it would be to consume birds’ feathers in order to fly.” The Rheas
take readily to water and swim well,.as do the Emus.

The Emus, of which there are two species, are confined to Australia.
Large specimens may ‘attain a height of 6 feet. The head and neck
are feathered; there are three toes, all armed with claws, and the
general plumage is brown. These birds pair, and the male takes part
in sitting. The flesh of the hind-quarters resembles beef, and on this
account the Emu is hunted; its,
eggs are also valued for food.

The .Cassowaries, of which
there are eight species from New
Guinea and the South Sea Islands,
and another in North Australia,
may be known by the horny
helmet on the head and the
brightly coloured wattles. The
neck is short, and the average
height is about 5 feet. The plumage
is long and hair-like, and brownish-
black in colour. Like the Emus,
Cassowaries pair, and both sexes
sit on the eggs.

The Tinamous are small birds,
not much unlike Partridges in
appearance, and are confined to
South America. ©The flesh is valued for food, and shooting them is
a favourite form of sport.

The Kiwis, or Wingless Birds of ‘New Zealand, have short legs and
neck, and a_long bill with the nostrils at the tip. There are four toes,
three in front and one behind, armed with claws which. can be used
with effect if the birds are hard pressed, though they generally seek safety
in flight. .The Large Grey Kiwi is about 2 feet high, the other three
species being about the size of a domestic fowl. Of the habits of these
birds when at liberty little is known beyond the fact that they pass the
day in holes in the ground or among the roots of trees, coming out at
dusk to’ seek for the worms and insects on which they feed.



KIWI OR APTERYX.
263

CHAPTER XXII
REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS.

EPTILES and Birds, though so unlike in appearance, are
closely allied and are generally classed together in one
group. Reptiles are also connected with the Amphibians
lower down and the Mammals higher up in the scale of
life ; whence it has been thought that the upper part of the

genealogical tree might be represented thus—Y—where the upright

stroke stands for the class Reptiles, and the two arms for Birds and

Mammals respectively.

The skin is covered with scales or bony plates; there may be two pairs
or one pair of limbs, or they may be absent, or represented by small bones.
The blood is cold—that is, very little warmer than the air—and the young
are produced from eggs; in some few cases hatched with the body of the
parent. Reptiles never breathe by means of gills.



TORTOISES AND TURTLES.

Some of the members of this order live on the land, others in fresh
water, and others, again, are marine. All have four limbs, and the body is
enclosed in a kind of box, the rounded upper part of which is called the
carapace, and the flat lower part the plastron, or breastplate. There are
no teeth, but the edges of the jaws are sheathed in horn, constituting a
sharp beak, capable of inflicting a severe bite.

The Leathery Turtle is a native of the Atlantic Ocean and of the
Mediterranean. It differs from all the rest of the order in having the
carapace soft and leathery. The skin of the back ‘is raised in ridges
running from the head to the tail, and this has probably given rise to the
story that from the empty shell of this animal the Greeks derived the idea
of the lyre. The Leathery Turtle, when full grown, is from 6 to 8 feet
long. Its flesh is said to be unfit for food, and, if eaten, to produce
serious results. Specimens have been washed ashore on our coasts.

The Land Tortoises have some small representatives in Europe, of
which the best known is the Common Tortoise, from the southern parts of
the Continent. Leaves, grass, and roots form its food, and, like its
fellows, it takes a long winter sleep. Like the rest of its family, it has
club-shaped feet, with blunt claws.

Gilbert White says of the hibernation of his pet tortoise, which had
gone to its hole about the middle of the previous November: ‘“ ‘The moist
264. PoPutaAR HISTORY oF ANIMALS.

and warm afternoon (April 21st) brought forth troops of shell-snails, and at _
the same juncture the tortoise heaved up the mould and put out its head,
and the next morning came forth, as it were, raised from the dead, and
walked about till four in the afternoon. This was a curious coincidence,
to see such a similarity of feelings between the two house-bearing animals,
for so the Greeks called the shell-snail and the tortoise.” ;
Gigantic Land Tortoises are found in the Galapagos Islands and in the
Seychelles, but in both localities they are becoming scarce. Dampier,’
writing of the former, states a fact which will account for the decrease in’
their numbers since his day: “They are so extraordinarily large and fat,
and so sweet, that no pullet eats more pleasantly.” Whalers used to call.























































































































































































































































GIGANTIC GALAPAGOS TORTOISE.

at these islands to take tortoises on board for provisions for their crews} 5
and they are also killed for the sake of the oil obtained from their fat.

It is well to know, on the authority of Mr. Harold Baty, the agent for.
the lessee of the Aldabra Islands, that “the Administrator of Seychelles, |
when leasing the Aldabra Group, had a clause inserted by which the
lessees are bound to protect the land tortoises. They still exist in fairly.
large numbers, but are seldom to be seen, as they have a preference for
the most inaccessible spots. Large as are the tortoises that exist in the
Seychelles, there is every-reason to believe that there are some veritable
monsters amongst the patriarchs in Aldabra. One of my. overseers at
Aldabra informs me that several years ago he saw in the thickets at the
south end of the island two tortoises nearly seven feet long, and others not,
much shorter. A very interesting account of the Seychelles, or Aldabra,
Tortoise was written by the late General Gordon, who was here for some.
TORTOISES AND TURTLES. 265

“~.- “weeks before his last visit to Khartoum. He mentions one very intelligent

“tortoise that literally “flattened out” a sucking pig by which it had been
much worried. The tortoise raised its huge body as high as it could
“on its legs and watched. It was not long before ihe little pig was again
running round his foe, but the instant he tried to run underneath, down
came the tortoise like a sledge-hammer. Almost every bone in the pig’s
body was afterwards found to be broken. From Mr. Baty Admiral
Kennedy. received the two specimens which he presented to the Zoological
Society. : -

The Marine Turtles, which have the limbs fashioned into paddle-like
swimming organs, are found in warm seas, and only come to land to
deposit. their eggs in the sand.

The Green Turtle is the ===
animal from which is‘made the =
turtle soup that figures so largely
at State banquets. This animal
feeds on small marine creatures,
fish, seaweed, and zostera, the
single flowering plant found in
the ocean. It attains a length
of from 5 to 6 feet. Mr. Baty
says that since the British an-
nexation, the preparation and
export of calipee, or dried sea-
turtle’s fat, from Aldabra- has
very greatly increased.

The Hawksbill Turtle (Plate
VIII., No. 1) yields the “tortoise-
shell” of commerce. This animal is seldom more than 3 feet long, andi its
flesh is not good for food. Darwin says of the method of taking this tuntle
at Keeling Island: ‘The water was so clear and shallow that, although att
first a turtle quickly dives out of sight, yet in a canoe or boat under sail, the
pursuers, after no very long chase, come up to it. A man standing ready
in the bow at this moment dashes through the water upon the tuntle’s
back; then clinging with both hands by the shell of its meck, he is
carried away till the animal becomes exhausted and secured.” ‘Tortoise~
shell is the thin covering of the carapace, and to obtain it much
cruelty is often employed. -The natives of the Chagos Archipelago
cover the animal with burning charcoal, which causes the tortoiseshelll
to curl upwards; it is then. forced off. with a knife, and before iit
becomes cold, flattened between boards. The animal is then allowed
to. return to the sea,.where a new shell is gradually formed, but too

















































GREEN TURTLE.
266 PoputAr History OF ANIMALS.

thin to be of any commercial value. In the Celebes, whence comes
the finest tortoiseshell, the animals are killed, and the carepace soaked
in boiling water to detach the plates.

The Loggerhead Turtles belong to this group. Their flesh is not
used for food, except by some of the lower races, and their “ tortoise-
shell” is too thin to be commercially valuable.

The Freshwater Tortoises are amphibious rather than aquatic—that
is, they can live as well on land as in the water. Most of them are
natives of South America, but some live in Africa, and others in
Australia. They feed principally on fish, and have the feet armed
with sharp claws. Of this family one lives in the south of Europe,
and here also belong the Terrapins of America, valued for food. The
Bearded Matamata of South America is about 3 feet long, and has
outgrowths of skin on the head and neck. These are supposed to act
as decoys, or bait, to fish, which, mistaking them for worms, dart at
them, and are themselves snapped up. Here also belong the Alligator
Terrapin, with a long, crested tail, and Temminck’s Snapper, a specimen
of which ‘has lived for some years in a tank in the Reptile House of
the Zoological Gardens, Regent’s Park.

Some of these are commercially important. Their flesh is valued, as
food and oil is prepared from their eggs. . Wallace says that of one
species alone millions of eggs were used for this purpose every year,
and that these reptiles were consequently becoming scarce:

The Soft Turtles, which have the feet webbed and armed with
claws, live in or near the tropics of both hemispheres, and are
carnivorous in habit. The snout is produced into a kind of tube, so
that they can breathe without raising the head out of the water.
The Snapping Turtle, from North America, feeds on young alligators,
and old alligators return the compliment by devouring Snapping
Turtles wherever they can find them. An allied species is said to be
fond of young crocodiles.

CROCODILIANS.

These are large carnivorous reptiles, living in fresh water. ‘The
body is covered with bony plates; there are four limbs, and the long,
compressed tail is an admirable swimming organ. On land ‘their
motion is slow and clumsy. The nostrils are at the end of the snout,
and the eyes and ears near the top of the head, so that these reptiles
can see and hear with the head just above the surface. Moreover,
nostrils, eyes, and ears can be closed so as to keep out water when
the head is below the surface. Young individuals feed chiefly on fish,
while adults lurk near the edge of the water, and seize larger animals
as they come to drink, dragging them into the water and drowning:
THE ALLIGATOR. | 267

them, and. then tearing them to pieces and devouring them. Nor do
they despise carrion.: In 4893 the Bombay officer of health protested
against the decision of the authorities of that city to adopt means for
the utter destruction of the, crocodiles. He said they were the best
and only scavengers possible of the water reservoirs in which they
dwell, as they cleared away all obnoxious substances, which there were
no human means of removing.

Between Crocodiles and Alligators there is not a great difference in
appearance, but the head of the former is longer and narrower than
that of the latter, and the crest on the tail is larger.

Alligators are found in America, and there is one Chinese species,
specimens of which have been exhibited in the Zoological Gardens,
Regent’s Park. The fourth lower tooth on each side bites into a pit
in the upper jaw, and the hind feet are never completely webbed.
The best-known species is the
Mississippi Alligator. The fashion
of using alligator hides for travelling
bags and smaller articles, caused
such destruction of these animals,
which kept down the voles, that
the farmers raised an outcry, and S
in at least one State of the Union HEAD OF ALLIGATOR.
these creatures enjoy a close time. 5;

They are often called Pike-headed Alligators, from the resemblance
of the head. to that of.a Pike. South America has several species.

The Alligator never attacks man when the intended victim is on
his guard. According to Bates, it is cunning enough to know when
it may attack with impunity. On. one occasion, he tells us, when
the river had sunk very low,:a large one had been seen in the
shallow water. Most of the people were very cautious when they went
to bathe, but a tipsy Indian sailor, during the greatest heat of the day,
when nearly. everybody was. enjoying his afternoon’s nap, went down
alone to bathe. He was seen by a feeble old man, who, as he lay in
his hammock, shouted to him to beware of the alligator. Before the
warning could be repeated the Indian stumbled, “and a pair of gaping
jaws, appearing suddenly above the surface, seized him round the
waist and drew him under. the- water. The village was aroused, and
the young men seized their harpoons and hurried down to the bank ;
but, of course, it was too late. A winding track of blood on the
surface was all that could be.seen. They embarked, however, in
their canoes, determined on vengeance; the monster was traced,
and when, after a short lapse of. time, he came up to breathe


268 POPULAR HISTORY OF ANIMALS.

—one leg of the man sticking out from his jaws — was speedily
despatched.” 4

The Crocodiles are found in the rivers of Africa, the south of Asia,
Australia, Central America, and the West Indies. A few frequent
estuaries, and occasionally, go out to sea for a mile or two. The:fourth
lower tooth on each side bites into a groove in the upper jaw, and is
visible when the mouth is shut. There are about a dozen species.: The
Nilotic Crocodile (Plate VIII., No. 2), which may attain a length of
from 18 to 20 feet, has been known from very early times.. To some
of the ancient Egyptians it was a sacred animal, and Herodotus tells
us how.the priests kept and fed tame Crocodiles, just as in some parts
of India the Muggars, or Marsh Crocodiles, are tamed: and venerated
by the, Fakeers at the present day. It was of the Nilotic Crocodile
that Herodotus told the story of a bird entering its mouth to rid the
huge reptile of the leeches that infested it. The story was doubted for
a long time, but now it is certain that the “ Father of History” had
some foundation for what he wrote. Mr. J. M. Cook, of the celebrated
tourist agency, when in Egypt in 1876, “watched one of these birds,
and saw it deliberately go up to a crocodile, apparently asleep, which
opened its jaws. The bird hopped in, and the crocodile closed its
jaws. In what appeared to be a very short time, probably not more
than a minute or two, the crocodile opened its jaws, and we saw the.
bird go down to the water’s edge.” There were several of these birds
about, and Mr. Cook shot two of them, which Dr. Sclater identified as
Spur-winged Plovers; so that the question as to what bird enters the
mouth of the crocodile is now set at rest.

In habit these reptiles resemble the alligators, and no kind of animal
food comes amiss to them. Women and children often fall victims
to them, and even a strong man seized by their terrible jaws would
be powerless to escape.

Crocodiles are of some. commercial value. The skin is tanned for
leather, the glands of the lower jaw yield a musky ee and the
fat is rendered into oil.

The Gharials (or Gavials, as they were long called) are found in
the Ganges, in some of the rivers of Borneo and of North Australia.
They have the snout gréatly elongated, with the nostrils in a knob at
the end. They feed principally on fish. The Gharial of the Ganges is
said to reach a length of 20 feet.

SPHENODON.OR TUATERA.

This animal, the sole living representative of an order, is of lizard-
like form, from 1 foot to 2 feet in length. The upper surface is
THE Crocovite’s FRIEND. 269

dull olive-green, spotted with yellow, and the under surface whitish.
It is found on some exposed rocky islets on the New Zealand coast,
‘where it burrows among’ the rocks, and feeds on small animals.
These animals may be seen in a small enclosure containing rockwork,





























THE CROCODILE’S FRIEND.

just outside the Reptile House in the Zoological Gardens, and so
protective is their colouring that one may watch for some time before
detecting these creatures among the stones. "The New Zealanders have
a great horror of this little reptile, and will run away in abject fear if
270 PoputAr HisTory oF ANIMALS.

one is shown them. Yet it is quite harmless: it has no weapons
of offence or defence, nor energy to use them if it had them. In this
animal a third eye, on the top of the head, still represented in Man Py
the pineal gland, was first detected.

LIZARDS.

The animals of this order are most abundant in warm countries,
and absent from the Arctic regions. The body is usually covered with
scales, and though fore and hind limbs, bearing clawed digits, are
generally present, yet either pair, or both pairs, may be absent. The
tail is very brittle, and lost limbs may be regrown. . Most of them
take animal food, but some are vegetable feeders. ‘The majority live
on the ground, some among the branches of trees; a few are more or
less aquatic, and one is marine.

The Chameleons are chiefly African, but the Common Chameleon |
(Plate VIII., No. 3) ranges eastward to Ceylon and northward to Spain.
All are slow: arboreal animals, feeding on insects, which they take by
protruding the tongue, which is covered with a sticky secretion. The
eyes are large, and move quite independently of each other. The
tail is prehensile, and the digits are divided into two sets, something
after the fashion of the toes of a woodpecker or a parrot. They have
the power. of changing their colour.

Miss Marianne North says (in “Further Recollections of a Happy
Life”): “Another curious inhabitant of Smyrna is the chameleon,
which may be seen darting over any old heap of stones in search of
flies ; but it becomes very stupid and slow in captivity.. One was
given to me, which afterwards died at Athens, and was buried in the
Acropolis. While at sea I used ‘to catch flies for it. At the sight of
one it would open its mouth very wide, and very slowly take it in.
After a sufficient while I offered another, and again it opened its mouth
slowly and wide, when the first fly would walk out again! It was too
limp and depressed to swallow its food, poor thing, and died of starva-
tion diet; but it had not lost the power of changing its colour—black
..as, coal on the dirty floor, straw colour in its basket.”

The Skinks are a large family, absent only from the Arctic and
Antarctic regions. Their’ scales are smooth, and they frequent dry,
sandy places. Some are snake-like in form; others have one pair, and
the typical Skinks two pairs, of limbs. The Common Skink, from
6 to 8 inches long, reddish dun in colour with dark bands, is African.
It was formerly used in medicine.

The True Lizards, which are confined to the Old World, have
representatives in this country. There are five toes on each limb, the
LIZARDS. 271

tail is generally long, and the ‘tongue is cleft at the tip and extensile.
The Land Lizard (Plate VIII., No. 4) is about 7 inches, though larger
specimens are recorded, and varies in coloration. Professor Bell found
plenty of them round Poole, and they seem to be common on the
heaths near Bournemouth. They feed on insects, and are preyed on by
snakes and adders. One now in the Natural History Museum was
swallowed by an adder, which was killed and put into a bottle, its
captor being ignorant of what was in its stomach. The next day, spirit
was poured in to preserve the adder, when the lizard crawled out of its
mouth, only to be drowned in the spirit. The Viviparous Lizard, which
brings forth its young alive, is also British, and. extends to Ireland.
Professor Bell says''that its chief diet consists of flies, though it will eat
beetles, crickets, and grasshoppers.

The Green Lizard, common on the Continent, is found also in the
Channel Islands.

Simony’s Lizard, from the rock of Zalmo, at the east end of the
island of Ferro, is interesting on account of its habitat. A specimen
was exhibited for the first time in the Zoological Gardens in 1801.
The natives said that these animals lived on crabs, but the lizard
brought to London had no taste for such diet, and did very well on
raw meat and fish, with grapes and bananas for dessert.

The Teguexins are natives of the New World. Some of them live
in marshy places and take to water freely. The Common Teguexin is
a large lizard, with a wide range in South America. It frequents the
banks of rivers, and though it does not willingly go into the water, its
long, slender tail makes a capital swimming organ. ‘Fruit, insects, small
reptiles, birds and their eggs constitute its diet; and in captivity it
is fed principally on meat. This animal was formerly supposed to
give notice of the approach of wild beasts by a warning sound; but .
there is as little truth in the story as in a similar one told of the
Monitors. Bates says that the fat of these lizards “is much prized by.
the natives, who apply it as a poultice to draw palm spines, or even
grains of shot, from the flesh.”

The Iguanas are also natives of the New World. There isa crest”,
along the back and tail, and undet the throat a pouch that can be
inflated at will. They live chiefly among the branches of trees, but
take readily to water, and swim well. Many of them have the power
of changing colour like the Chameleons. The Common Iguana
(Plate VIII., No. 6) is widely spread over South America. It feeds.on
vegetable substances and insects, and is hunted for its flesh, It is of
gentle disposition, but if hard pressed can bite severely, and will use its
long, whip-like tail with considerable effect.
272 PoputArk HisToRY OF ANIMALS.

A writer in the edd says :—‘‘ On our way home the dogs came
‘across an iguana, which showed fight in the most determined manner,
looking for all the world like the pictures of the dragon done to death
by the brave St. George. . . . It is said that the bite of these reptiles is
severe enough to cut the tendons of a homes leg and ‘lame him for
life ; but this is possibly only a Gaucho yarn.”

The Basilisk has none of the evil qualities jeabited to the
fabulous monster which the ancients called by this name. It is a
‘harmless tree-lizard, with the habits of the family.

Two strange members of this family live in the Galapagos Islands.
One frequents rocky beaches, and
takes readily to the sea, though .it
objects to be driven into «the water.
Its food consists of seaweed. The ©
other species lives in burrows, which
were sO numerous on James’ Island °
that Mr. Darwin’s party, for some
time, could not find a spot free
from them on which to pitch their
tents. ;

The Horned ‘Lizard, often mis-
called the Horned Toad, from
Texas, has the power. of ejecting a
red fluid, like blood, from” the
region of the eyes. These reptiles
he buried in the sand, the spines
round the head closely simulating
‘the dry, thorny vegetation of the

NORRED TEAR! desert, while they are admirably
protected against both beasts
and birds of prey by their pride, armour.

The Moloch, or Thorn Devil, some 6 inches long, has the body
covered with stout spines, and the two long ones-on its head are
miniature copies of those of the rhinoceros. It is a harmless little
creature, confined to Australia.

The Heloderm is a Mexican lizard, about 2 feet long, of repulsive «
appearance. The skin is covered with tubercles, and the pale-salmon
ground colour is dotted with black. Its teeth are grooved, and its
bite is fatal to small mammals.

The Agamids are confined to the Old World, and to this family
belong the Flying Dragons of the East. They live among the
branches of trees, and leap from bough to bough by means of a,






Pate VIII. .

1. Hawk’s-bill Turtle. 2. Nilotic Crocodile. 3. Chameleon. 4.
Sand Lizard. 5. Flying Dragon. 6. Iguana. 7. Slowworm. 8. Boa
Constrictor. 9. Ringed Snake. 10. Viper. 11. Cobra.’ 12, Rattle-
snake. 13. Edible Frog. 14. Tree Frog. 15. Surinam Toad. 16.
Salamanders 17. Proteus. 18. Amblystome.

LIZARDS. 273

parachute, formed by the extension of the lower ribs and _ the.
erectile folds of skin about the head and throat. Many of them
are brilliantly coloured. The Common Flying Dragon (Plate VIIL.,
No. 5), from the Eastern Archipelago, is perhaps the best known. It lies
motionless on a branch, waiting till some passing insect comes within
reach, when it expands its “wings,” and with a sudden spring seizes
it, alighting on a branch below.

The Frilled Lizard of Australia has round the throat a large
membranous ruff, which can be opened and erected at will.

The Monitors, or Water-Lizards, are confined to Africa, Asia, and





sas Tr

aa






















































GECKO,

Australia. Their name refers to the popular notion that they warn
man of the fact that a crocodile is near. The only foundation
for this story seems to be that these animals are often found
in the same streams and lakes, and that the Nile Monitor, about
which the warning story was first told, devours the eggs of the
crocodile when it can find them. This lizard often grows to a
length of 6 feet, of which the tapering tail counts for a full half.
It frequents the shores of rivers and lakes, and if disturbed takes
to the water. The flesh and eggs of many of the species are
eaten.

The Geckos are found in all the warm countries of the globe.
The body is stout, and the leaf-like expansions of the toes enable them
to cling to and walk on upright surfaces. They may often be seen
running up the walls and on the ceilings of houses, -hunting for

z
274 PopuLtAR HisToRY OF ANIMALS.

spiders and insects. The name refers to the noise made by some of
the species. The Wall Gecko is'common in the South of Europe.
Of the Common East: ,Indian species, Sir Emerson Tennent says:
“In a boudoir where the ladies of my family spent their evenings,
one of these familiar and useful little creatures had its hiding-place
behind a gilt picture-frame, and punctually as the candles were lighted
it made its appearance on the wall to be fed with its accustomed
crumb; and if neglected it reiterated its sharp, quick call of chzc-chic-
chit/ till attended to. It was of a delicate grey colour tinted with
pink, and having by accident fallen upon a work-table it fled,. leaving
its tail behind it, which, however, it reproduced in less than a month.
This faculty of reproduction’ is doubtless designed to enable the
creature to escape from its assailants; the detaching of the limb is
evidently its own act.”

The Amphisbenas—the “Two-headed Snakes” of travelling show-
men—are found in Asia Minor, Africa, and South America, and one
of the African species lives in Spain. They are worm-like in appear-
ance, and with scales arranged in rings round the body, and the
largest is not more than 18 inches in length. Bates found several
species at Pard. He says that their peculiar form, added to their
habit of wriggling backwards as well as forwards, has given rise to
the fable that they have a head at each extremity. The South
American species live in the nests of the Saiiba Ant, probably for the
same reason that Rattlesnakes live in the burrows of the Prairie Dog
—to. be near an abundant food supply. The natives, however, say
that the ants treat the reptile with affection, and that if it be taken
away, they will forsake the nest.

The Slow-worms are also Snake-like Lizards, and of. these our
Common Slow-worm or Blind-worm (Plate VIII., No. 7) is a good
‘example. It is familiar to almost everybody, and though the spread of
cultivation is driving away our native reptiles, dwellers in the country
need not search long in spring and summer before finding one.
To my thinking, it is extremely beautiful; and its usefulness equals its
beauty, for it feeds on caterpillars, slugs, and insects that do harm
to the farmer and gardener. Both its names are, wrong: it is not a
“slaying” worm, for that is the meaning of “Slow” worm: but a
strange prejudice attaches to this little reptile, and in most places it
is killed, under the erroneous impression that it is venomous. Nor
is it blind: on the contrary, a single look at it will convince the
observer that it has a pair of very bright eyes. Like many
of the limbed Lizards, the Slow-worm will readily part with its
tail to save itself from capture, and the detached part will jump and
Venomous SNAKES. 275

twist about, while its late owner is making off with all speed to a

place of safety.
The so-called Glass Snakes, also limbless, are closely allied.

SNAKES.

The popular notion of a Snake—a long, limbless animal, covered
with scales, is fairly correct, though in some there are internal traces
of hind limbs, and even external hooks or “claws.” The widely
dilatable jaws, by means of which these creatures can swallow prey
much larger than the normal size of the throat, is a much safer mark
of distinction than the absence of limbs, which is found in some
Lizards, Amphibians, and Fishes. No snake is slimy.

The Vipers. constitute a group of venomous Snakes, of which most
bring forth their young
alive, the eggs being
hatched within the body
of the parent. The
head is more or less
‘triangular in shape, and
has been compared, not
inaptly, to an ace of
clubs. In each jaiv #
there is a large erectile ES ae Pech eee:
hollow fang, having a é A, Poison gland. B, Tubular fang.
little hole at the side,
through which the venom passes into the wound: The True Vipers
are. confined to the Old World, being most abundant. in Africa,
where the most deadly species are found.

The Common Viper (Plate VIII., No. 10) is widely spread over Europe,
and is common in Great Britain, frequenting dry -heaths and waste.
sandy places. The general length is a little under 2 feet. The ground
colour varies greatly, but in all there is a dark zigzag line, running.
from head to tail, by which this reptile can be readily distinguished
from the two harmless British Snakes and from the Slow-worm. The
story that in time of danger the young seek refuge in the throat of the
parent seems probable, but is not yet proved. The rapid disappearance
of the young when alarmed is beyond doubt, but they can easily
take refuge in any crack in the ground, or under a stone, and so
escape observation. The fat of the Viper is used as a remedy for
its bite, though probably olive-oil would do just as well; and viper-
broth, though no longer used, was formerly prescribed as a remedy
for ulcers.

S 2



\
276 Poputar History or ANIMALS.

_ Some Vipers have horn-like projections on the head. Of these the’
most notable is the Cerastes, from Africa, which is said to hold on
like a bull dog, its poison flowing into the wound all the while. The
Puff-Adder, which has the power of inflating its body when irritated, is
also African, as are some other species. There are some Asiatic Vipers,
of which the Daboia, or Russell’s Viper, is often seen in captivity.

The Pit-Vipers, so called from a depression on each side between
the eye and the snout, are confined to Asia and America, and of these

































CERASTES.

the Rattlesnakes are best known. The Common Rattlesnake (Plate
VIII., No. 12) is widely spread over the United States, and there are other
species, one of which ranges to Brazil. The rattle whence they derive
their name is formed from the skin, a portion of which is left behind
and hardens, every time the creatures cast their coats, which occurs at
irregular intervals, not—as was formerly thought to be the case—once a
year. Rattlesnakes are nocturnal, and rarely attack unless first provoked.
Their poison is exceedingly powerful, and generally proves fatal to man.

Bates met with Rattlesnakes on the Lower Amazon. When he was
collecting, a favourite dog of his rushed into the thicket and made a
dead set at a large snaké whose head was raised above the herbage.
“The foolish little brute approached quite close, and then the serpent
reared its tail slightly in a horizontal position and shook its. terrible
VireErs AND COBRAS. 277

rattle. It was many minutes before I could get the dog away, and
this incident shows how slow the reptile is to make the fatal spring.”

The Yellow Viper of Martinique, also called Fer-de-lance, may
attain a length of 6 feet. Of an allied species, the fierce Lance-Snake,
from the mainland and Trinidad, Messrs. Mole and Urich record the
fact that one, which was being irritated with a stick, ejected its poison,
and it fell on the face of a woman some 12 feet off.

The Asiatic Pit-Vipers, though smaller than those of the New World,
are equally venomous. Many of them live among the branches of
trees, and when disturbed attack fiercely. The tail is prehensile, and
aids them in their arboreal life.

The Poisonous Colubrines resemble our Common British Snake in
form, and have not the peculiarly shaped head of the Vipers. The
fangs are fixed in the jaw, and the poison passes down a groove, not
through a canal. They are natives of the warmer parts of both hemi-
spheres, but none is found in Europe.

The Snakes of the first family of this group have the power of
expanding the skin of the back so as to form a kind of hood. ‘In
none is this better seen than in the Cobra de Capello, or Hooded
Snake (Plate VIII., No. 11), widely distributed over India. These snakes
may attain a length of 5 feet or rather more, and there are many varieties,
some of which have a mark. on the hood like spectacles, or rather,
like the “eye” used as a fastening for ladies’ dresses. In habit it is
nocturnal, and does not attack man unless provoked or disturbed.
The Cobra can lift its head and the fore part of the body, but
when it does so the greater part still remains on the ground.

The poison of these snakes is very deadly, and if a person is bitten
by a Cobra whose poison-glands are pretty full, medical treatment is of
little use. The number of deaths every year in India from the bite of
these reptiles is very large, but the efforts of Europeans to diminish
the number of Cobras are rendered powerless by the natives, who regard
these creatures with veneration. It was formerly believed that the
natives bred them for the sake of the Government reward for their
heads. This seems improbable, though Dr. Guillemard tells a story of
a Dutchman in the Malay Archipelago who kept a kind of crocodile
farm. He had, staked off a small reach of the river, where these
animals multiplied at a rapid rate, and their heads brought him two
dollars apiece.

The Cobra is the serpent commonly carried about by the charmers
in India, and they seem to have strange command over these creatures.
With regard to these performers, Mr. E. C. Cotes, of the Indian
Museum, Calcutta, says (Maclure’s Magazine) :—“It is a mistake to
278 PoputaAr HisToRY OF ANIMALS.

suppose that he invariably removes the poison fangs from his dangerous
pets. Even if he did do so, it would not be a complete safeguard.
It is easy enough to break off a snake’s fangs, but as a general rule
fresh ones soon grow again; and, even without this, the poison glands
continue to pour their deadly secretion “into the creature’s mouth, where
it is ready to be inoculated into the scratches which a snake is quite
able to inflict by means of the numerous minute teeth which it
possesses in addition to its poison fangs.”

The Egyptian Cobra is an allied species, but has no “ spectacle ”
markings, nor are these found in the Ring Hals Snake from South
Africa. The Egyptian snake-charmers render the former species stiff as
a stick by pressing the back of the neck between the finger and thumb.

The .Hamadryad, or King Cobra, from India, is the largest of
the family. Fortunately it is not common, for it is much fiercer than
the Common Cobra, and the natives say that it will not only attack
man if irritated, but will also pursue an aggressor. This animal feeds
principally on other snakes, and is by no means particular whether
they are poisonous or not. There are generally very fine specimens
in the Zoological. Gardens, Regent’s Park.

India has other snakes of the same family equally deadly. Australia
has some, but these vary greatly in the power of the venom; some
are deadly, while the bite of one produces scarcely more effect than
the sting of a bee. Others are also found in South America, and are
remarkable. because their colouring of black and red or yellow rings is
mimicked by several harmless snakes.. The brilliant colouring of the
Coral Snakes probably acts as a warning, so' that the harmless snakes
similarly coloured derive advantage from the resemblance.

To the same group belong the Sea Snakes of tropical climates,
which may attain a length of from 1o to 12 feet. In all, the tail is
flattened from side to side, and serves as a swimming organ. The
sea is their native element, and if thrown on shore by the force of the
waves, most of them are helpless or nearly so. One, however, lives in
marshy ground. ‘The bite of all is intensely venomous.

The next group contains what are called “harmless” Snakes. Most
of them have solid ungrooved teeth .and are without poison glands,
but some of the Tree Snakes and Sand Snakes, and the Freshwater
Snakes of Asia, have grooved teeth of the same character as those of
some deadly species, but placed farther back. From the position of
these fangs, and the very small quantity of poison. secreted by them,
the bite of these Snakes is harmless to man; but it is certain that
some, and probable that all, paralyse or kill the small mammals, birds,
and lizards on which they feed.
FTARMLESS SNAKES. 279

The Whip-Snakes are so called from their long, slerider shape,
which has caused them to. be compared to the thong of a coach-
whip. They are generally green in colour, and are found in tropical
America, West Africa, and Asia. Mr. Whitehead, in’ his account of
the exploration of Mount Kina Balu, North Borneo, gives the following
interesting description of the method in which these Snakes ° hunt
their prey:—“I saw what I took to be a small red bird settle on
a tree-stump. After waiting a few minutes, one of those long green



HAMADRYAD.

;
whip snakes began to ascend the tree by the aid of the small
branches. The red bird, which proved to be a tree-frog, croaked in
alarm, but seemed quite unable to use its powers of escape. Slowly
the snake twined up the stem; the tree-frog, knowing its last moments
were near, seemed perfectly petrified with fear, and in one of its feeble
jumps the snake sprang at it and caught it by the hind leg; the snake
hung half its length in the air with the croaking frog in its jaws.
Having a natural antipathy to snakes, I shot it in this position,
when it immediately relaxed its hold of the frog, which dropped to the
ground. ‘Just what I have been. waiting for,’ said the snake’s spouse,
as she seized the poor little wretch before it had reached many feet on
the stem of a neighbouring tree. . The little frog, however, stuck so
firmly to the tree with its peculiar sucker-like toes, that I was able to
280 PoPULAR HISTORY OF ANIMALS.

approach near enough to administer a rap on the head to the snake,
and so ended this unequal conflict. That snakes hunt in pairs there
is little’ doubt. A friend in Sandakan showed me a snake 11 feet long
that he had-shot in the forest, whilst on its way to attack his dogs,
which were at the: moment busy worrying its companion.”

The Tree Snakes are found in all the tropical regions. Those
which are active by day are generally bright-coloured; the Nocturnal
Tree Snakes, which constitute another family, are more soberly dressed.

The Sand Snakes, or Desert Snakes, range from Africa, where they
are most abundant, to the Malay Archipelago. They live on the
ground, and one species has been seen swallowing a viperine snake. It
is not certain, however, whether this snake-eating is habitual or only
occasional.

The Freshwater Snakes, rarely found on land, are natives of tropical
and sub-tropical regions. They feed on fish and crustaceans. ‘The
Siamese Freshwater Snake is very strange in form. On the snout are
two flexible projections, covered with scales, and probably serving as
organs of touch, like the antennz of a lobster or of an insect.

The Rachiodont, or Egg-swallowing Snake, is a native of South
Africa. One received by the Zoological Society in 1894, lived for some
time in their Reptile House, where it was fed on pigeons’ eggs. The
mouth is almost toothless, and the eggs are passed down into -the
gullet, where the shell is broken by what are called the “gular teeth”
—really the-tips of the spines of eight or nine of the first vertebra.
The fluid nourishment passes down into the stomach, and the shell is
rejected in a pellet by the mouth. Dr. Andrew Smith, who kept
several of these Snakes in confinement, observed that they always
retained the egg stationary about 2 inches behind the head, and while in
that position used great efforts to crush it.

The Ringed Snake (Plate VIII., No. 9) is pretty common in this
country. It is much larger than the Viper, and has yellow markings -
behind the head, but lacks the lozenge markings on the back pos-
sessed by its venomous relative. These reptiles frequent warm, sunny
places near water, to which they take readily, for they are capital
swimmers. Mice, rats, frogs, lizards, birds, and their eggs form their
chief food, but they are by no means disinclined for small fish. The
female is larger than the male, and a Ringed Snake between 3 feet and
4 feet would be beyond the average size.

The Smooth Snake, somewhat smaller than the Ringed Snake,
frequents dry, sandy places, and feeds principally on lizards. It will
bite readily if irritated, and dislikes being handled. The first specimen
recorded as British was taken at Bournemouth in 1859. Since then


BOA STRANGLING A JAGUAR,
282 PoPutAaR HisToRY OF ANIMALS.

many have been caught in that neighbourhood, and these Snakes seem
to be confined in this country to. Hampshire and Dorset.
~_ To the same group belong the Indian Rat Snake, widely spread
over Asia, where it is freely admitted into houses, and wages ceaseless
war with the rats and mice; and the Black Snake, of America, which
preys on the Rattlesnake:

The Boas and Pythons kill their prey by throwing their coils
around it and squeezing it to death. Strange tales are told of the
size which these reptiles attain, but probably 30 feet may be taken as
the greatest length for which there is any evidence, and specimens of
that. size are very: rare. They are natives of the tropics—the Boas in
the western, and the Pythons in the Eastern hemisphere.

The Boa Constrictor (Plate VIII.,, No. 8) is well known, and may be
seen in any zoological gardens or pe eiliae menagerie. It is a common
species in South America, and. does not seem to be feared by the
people there. When Bates was living in Pard, he was roused one night
by a lamplighter, who had just captured a boa in the street and
' wished to show it. to the English naturalist.

. In October, 1894, a strange incident occurred at the Zoological
Gardens, Regent’s Park. .When the house was shut up at night there
were in one cage three Boas, two of which were feeding, each on a
pigeon. When the keepers came in the morning, one of the reptiles,
about 9 feet long, had disappeared. It needed but. a look at the °
larger Boa, about 11 feet long, to see what had happened. The larger
Boa (which died in April, 1895) had swallowed, his pigeon, and then ©
swallowed the second pigeon and the serpent to which it rightly belonged.

This seems extraordinary; but a still more: extraordinary’ feat was
recorded (in the /ie/d) from Singapore. Five Pythons were put into a
large enclosure together. One of these, a new-comer, was, about. 18 feet in
length and very thick in proportion. The others had been kept together
for some time, and had lived quite contentedly; but on the night
after the large one was put with them, it swallowed three of the smaller
snakes, each averaging 15 feet long. The remaining Snake, which was
the second biggest, had a slight. wound, as if there had been a fight
between the two.

It was at one time supposed that the Hamadryad was the only
Snake that devoured its kind, but the cannibal habit is now known. to
be much more common.

The Anaconda is the largest of the Boas. Bates, in his “ Naturalist
on the Amazons,” says that these Snakes live to a great age, and
attain an enormous size. He had measured skins over 20 feet, and
had heard of specimens double that length; 30 feet, however, is
AMPHIBIANS. 283

probably the limit. There is no evidence, though there are many
reports, of larger ones.

The Pythons do not differ in habit aon their relations in the New-.
World. They are found over Asia, as far as the Malay Archipelago,-
and the West and South of Africa. The largest nearly equals the
Anaconda in size. Some of these Serpents incubate their eggs, piling
them up and then coiling round them. This occurred in the Zoological
Gardens, London, some years ago, and again in Leipsic in 1894.

Australia has some Serpents of this family—the Diamond Snake
and the Carpet Snake, which are closely related.

w

AMPHIBIANS. .

The Amphibians are even more closely allied to the Fishes than the
Reptiles are to Birds. At one time Reptiles and. Amphibians were
grouped in one class, but there is this great difference between them :
the former breathe by means of lungs all their life; the latter always
breathe by means of gills when young, and in some this method of
breathing persists when they are adult, while others then breathe by
lungs, like their higher relatives the Reptiles. There is usually a
metamorphosis, and the larval form is called a Tadpole. Most of
them swim well. Those in temperate climates hibernate in winter,
generally at the bottom of ponds; tropical forms bury themselves in
the ground in the dry season.

The Frogs and Toads, in which the tail is lost when oe tadpole
stage ceases, are widely distributed over
the globe. Insects, slugs, and worms
form their chief food, but some of the
largest will eat mice and small birds. In
taking small prey, the tongue, which in
most Frogs and Toads is fixed in front
and free behind, is shot forth, and its free
end, covered with a sticky secretion, touches
the victim, which is then drawn into the



mouth and swallowed whole. _ HEAD OF FROG. —
The Common Frog, abundant . in Stowing, ‘he Zongue fred: at fone

Britain, belongs to a group in which

the digits are pointed, and its hinder toes are webbed. It needs
no description, for everyone has seen it lurking in the shade by
the side of a. river or pond, into which it will spring on the least
alarm. Most people, too, have heard its love-notes in the spring,
though few would call them musical. From ‘the quantity of noxious
insects it destroys, this creature deserves to be reckoned as a friend
284. PorutAr HisToRY oF ANIMALS.

to the farmer and gardener, The eggs of the Frog may be seen
floating on ponds in the spring. The tiny black speck is the
future tadpole, and the ball-like envelope in which each is set, is
nothing more than its glassy covering enlarged by the absorption of
water, for the eggs are always deposited below the surface.

The development of the tailed tadpole into the tailless Frog has
‘been so often described that here it is only necessary to say that
every boy may watch it for himself. One need only gather a lump
of Frog-spawn, and put it into a vessel with some pond-water and water-
weed. Light should be admitted from the top more freely than at the
sides, and‘ the vessel—a basin or pie-dish will do—kept in a cool
place. In due time the tadpoles will make their appearance, and go
through four well-marked stages, before becoming Frogs.

The Edible Frog (Plate VIII., No. 13), common on the Continent,
in North Africa, and Asia, has been introduced into England. It is
confined to a’ single county, and there called the ‘“‘ Cambridgeshire
Nightingale,” from its loud croak. Only the hind-quarters are eaten ;
in flavour they resemble spring chicken, and command a high price.

A large American species is called the Bull Frog, from its loud
note, which may be heard half-a-mile off. ;

The Common Toad is much more stoutly built than the Frog, and
has a warty skin. It frequents damp places, from which it comes
out at night to feed on insects and slugs. An acrid secretion exudes
from the skin, which would probably be injurious if introduced into
a cut or wound. It is on this account that few dogs will mouth a
Toad. But the old notion that Toads spit poison has no foundation
in fact. The Natterjack Toad, another British species, with a yellow
line running down the back, is more rare, and prefers dry places.

Strange stories are told of Toads being found in the heart of trees
and in the centre of blocks of stone, but none
will bear investigation. These animals can
live a long time without food, but experi-
ments have shown that imprisonment) in a

hole in a block of stone, covered with glass,
* killed them in less than two years.

The Tree-Frogs are related to the Toads,
and have on the end of each digit a sucker,
which enables them to cling to the surface
of leaves. Many of them are of a bright green, and some of the
tropical forms are still- more brilliantly coloured. The Common _ Tree-
Frog (Plate VIII, No. 14) is widely distributed in Europe.

Some of the American Tree Frogs—Tree-toads, they call them—



“TREE FROG.
FroGs AND ToaDs. 285

have no tadpole stage, and “they pass the winter in a torpid state
in the ground, or in stumps and hollow trees, instead of in the mud
of ponds and marshes, like True Frogs.” Bae

The Ceratophrys is a large American Frog, from South America:*'
Mr. Hudson considers them venomous, and in his “Naturalist in La
Plata” gives an account of two horses that were killed by them. The
small teeth in the upper jaw are not pierced or grooved, so that if the
horses were really killed by the frogs, the secretion from the mouth was
probably the cause of their death. Some of these animals have lived in
the Zoological Gardens, where doubt exists as to their venomous qualities.

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MIDWIFE TOAD.

The male of the Midwife Toad, a species common in some parts of
France, fastens the string of eggs to his legs, and then burrows in
damp ground. When the tadpoles are ready to come out, he betakes
himself to. a stagnant pond, and there the young burst through. the.
jelly-like covering and swim away. Some of the tadpoles of this toad
were born in the Zoological Gardens in 1893.

The female of the Pouched Frog, a native of Mexico, has a pouch
under the skin of the back, into which the eggs are conveyed, probably by
the female herself. Here the young tadpoles come out and undergo their
metamorphosis, leaving the pouch as perfect frogs. -

The Surinam Toad (Plate VIII., No. 1 5), when full grown, is nearly a
foot long, and has neither tongue nor teeth. It is aquatic in habit and

1
286 PoputAr HisToRyY oF ANIMALS.

repulsive in aspect. The‘ eggs develop in separate pouches, or pits, on
the back of the female, and are conveyed thither through a pipe-like
continuation of the egg-passages, which then protrudes from the body.
Some specimens were received at the Zoological Gardens in 1894; one
female carried eggs for some time, but none of the tadpoles came out alive.

In the Newts and Salamanders the tail remains throughout life, and
the general shape is lizard-like. In the Newts, which are aquatic, the
tail is flattened to form a swimming organ.

We have three Newts in Britain—‘“evvets,” country boys call them,
and stone them without mercy in the erroneous belief that they are
poisonous. In spring and summer the males may be distinguished by
the crest which runs’ from
the neck to the tail.

The Great Water Newt is
the largest and handsomest,
and if well supplied with
- earthworms or bits of meat,
may be kept, as may its
smaller relatives, in a vessel
of water in which some
aquatic plants, are growing.
On the surface should float
a piece of virgin cork, or
some rockwork should
allow the creature to
leave the water and
become for a time a
dweller on land. The

SURINAM TOAD. females generally de-

posit their eggs on

the leaves of water-plants, wrapping a leaf with her hind-legs round

each egg as it is deposited. The Newt tadpole is a very pretty

creature, and its development. may be watched as easily as that

of the Frog tadpole, and under similar conditions. The fore-legs of
the Newt and the hind-legs of the Frog are the first to appear.

‘The body of the Great Newt is warty; the smaller Smooth Newt
has no warts, and the Palmated Smooth Newt has the hind feet webbed
in the male.

The Salamanders live on land when adult, frequenting cool, moist
places, but bring forth their young alive in the water. The Common
Salamander (Plate VIII., No. 16) is found in Central and Southern
Europe, and its yellow-and-black coat probably acts as a warning to











NEWTS AND SALAMANDERS. 287

birds that it is not good to eat. This creature was formerly believed
to be able to live in the midst of flames.

The Axolotl is the tadpole of the Amblystome (Plate VIII., No. 18),
which has its home in the lake near the city of Mexico, and an allied
species is found in South Carolina. The larval and the mature form
do well in an aquarium. The former will breed readily, and the’ tad-
poles will develop rapidly if well supplied with food. The Axolotl will
grow to a length of g or ro inches, is stoutly built, of a dark slate
colour spotted with black. When it loses its gills the tail becomes
rounded, like that of a Salamander.

The Great Salamander, about 3 feet long, a native of China and
Japan, is the largest living Amphibian. It is aquatic in habit, and a
specimen may generally be seen in its tank in the Reptile House at.
the Zoological Gardens. Some’ American species are: closely allied.

A few Amphibians from the Southern United States lose their gills
when adult, but retain the gill slits. In others the gills are retained
throughout life. The Proteus (Plate VIII, No. 17) is found in the
underground lakes and streams of Carniola and Dalmatia. It is
about a foot long, and as thick as one’s finger. The eyes are rudi-
mentary and hidden in the skin. The Siren, a larger animal, of similar
shape, but of a dark colour, lives in the marshes and stagnant pools
of South Carolina. It has no hind limbs.

The Limbless Amphibians are small burrowing creatures like large
earthworms in appearance, peculiar to the tropics of both hemispheres.
The young of one species are born alive.



‘TADPOLE OF NEWT,
288

CHAPTER XXIII.
FISHES.

ISHES are the lowest class of Vertebrates with jaws. They
have cold red blood, and breathe the oxygen in the
water by means of gills. Most of them have a swim-
bladder, which lies under the back-bone. By compressing
it, or allowing it to expand, they can sink to the

bottom or rise to the surface without using their fins. In one

order—the Double Breathers—the swim-bladder serves as a lung,








k








ie AW GEG KEG ge QE
RAKE
he g Ww x
NS

SKELETON OF PERCH.
2g’, back-bone ; 2, pectoral fin ; z, ventral fin; % Z, dorsal fins; #2, anal fin; 2 %’, caudal fin.

and on that account they are sometimes classed with the Amphibians.
The ‘body is usually more or less spindle-shaped, and covered with
scales. The pectoral fins of fishes correspond with our arms, and the
ventral fins to our legs, though sometimes the. ventrals are in front
of the pectorals, as in the perch: these are called paired fins. The
unpaired fins are the dorsal fin (or fins), on the back, the caudal
or tail fin, and the anal fin, near the vent. The tail is the principal
swimming organ, aided by the dorsal and anal fins, which from their
position are called the vertical fins. The paired fins balance the fish
in the water, and direct its course. Fishes propagate their kind
by: means of eggs, but these in some cases are hatched within the
body of the parent.

The skeleton is more or less gristly in all except the Bony
Mub-FIsHEes. 289

Fishes, and even in these the internal’ framework is not so solid as
it is in higher animals. ;

The Double-Breathers, found in Africa, South America and . Aus-
tralia, are known as Mud-fishes. The African Mud-fish, which may ~
reach a length of about 6 feet, is found in’ the rivers of tropical
Africa, and feeds on other fishes, frogs, and water-insects. Its shape
is somewhat eel-like, but the body is flattened from side to’ side,
‘and the limbs are:mere filaments. During the dry season these



































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































AFRICAN MUD-FISHES,

creatures bury themselves in clay, leaving a breathing-hole, which
betrays their presence to, the natives, who dig them out for food.
Specimens brought to Europe are usually encased in clay., At one
of the meetings of the British Association in 1894, Dr. Forbes ex-
hibited some of these clay-cocoons, and then set the Mud-fishes free
by immersing the clay in tepid water. The hard covering fell away,
and the fish came out and swam round and round the jar. Some
of these Mud-fishes are in the Insect House of the Zoological Gardens.
The South American Mud-fish, from the Amazon, is closely allied.
The Australian Mud-fish is covered with large scales, and has paddle-
like limbs. Professor Spencer says that this fish lives only in the
Burnett and Mary Rivers in Queensland. It does not form a cocoon
T i
290 Poputar .H1sTORY OF ANIMALS.

and probably never leaves ‘the’ water. It comes continually to the
surface, and passes out and takes in air, making a faint ‘spouting
noise. The lung is probably of. the greatest service to the animal,
not during the hot, but during the wet season, when the rivers. are
flooded, and the water thick with the sand brought down from the
surrounding country. It appears to feed largely, if not entirely, on
vegetable matter, such as the seeds of gum trees which fall into the
water. The eggs, which are surrounded by jelly, are laid in strings.

The first division of the Bony Fishes have the bones of the throat
separate, and in both divisions the anal, dorsal, and ventral fins are
supported by spiny
rays.

The Perches are
widely distributed in
the streams and round
the coasts of temper-
ate and tropical re-
gions. The Common
Perch (Plate IX., No.
1) is a good example
of the family. It is
found over the north-
ern parts of both
hemispheres, and in
our own ‘country is
pretty plentiful, and

CHETODONT, generally swims in

shoals. From its bright

colouring it is a favourite fish for aquaria, and in confinement. will

soon become tame enough to take food from the hand. It is, however,

very voracious, and will often make a meal of smaller fish. Some

small American fish of this family build nests in company, and guard
their young. The Bass, or Sea-Perch, is a common British fish.

The Cheetodonts, chiefly from tropical seas, are brilliantly coloured,
and ornamented with spots and bands. Here belongs the Archer-
fish, from the East Indies, which owes its name to its habit. of pro-
pelling water from its mouth at insects, so as to ‘knock them into
the water, where they are quickly snapped up. The Malays keep it in
captivity and amuse themselves by watching its method of taking -its
prey. Some other fish ‘of the same family, with tube-like snouts,
have the same habit. Dr. Giinther thinks that they use their’ snouts
to capture small animals that have sought refuge in holes and crevices.














































































































ScoRPION AND S woRD-FISHES. 291

The Red Mullets are tropical Sea: fishes, with two long barbules,
or fleshy appendages under the lower jaw, ‘serving as organs of touch.
One, the Mullet prized by the Romans above all other fish, is British.
Like the Coryphene, -it undergoes a colour-change in death. The
_ . Romans. used to have this fish brought

living into “the banqueting-room, so that
the guests might enjoy the: spectacle of
its brilliant red colouring, which became
brighter in the death struggle. The
Striped Red Mullet is probably the female.

The Sea Breams, most of which are ©
used for food, are plainly-coloured shore



POISON ORGANS OF SCORPION

Roe aot fishes, from tropical and. temperate seas.
Bs: Suite andeacisonbag A few occur on our shores. The Gilt-

head, a native of the Mediterranean, some--
times found on the South Coast, is said to stir up the sand with its
tail, so as to discover the shell-fish concealed in it.

The Scorpzenoids are carnivorous sea fishes, having the head or
fins, or both, armed with spines. Some live at the bottom of the
sea, and these have appendages resembling seaweed, which may serve
for concealment, or as bait for their prey. These species are also
coloured so as to correspond with their surroundings. In one genus
from the Indo-Pacific the dorsal spines are perforated and furnished
with a poison-bag. These fish lie hidden in the sand near the .
shore, and when trodden on. by natives wading, the pressure on the
poison-bag as the spine enters the foot forces the venom into the
wound, and death has frequently resulted therefrom.

The Maigres are found round the coasts. of the Atlantic and
Indian Oceans, in and near the tropics,
especially near estuaries, up which many
species travel, and some have become natur-
alised in fresh water. Almost all are used
for food. The Common Maigre, — which
reaches a length of 6 feet, is plentiful in
the Mediterranean, and sometimes strays to
Britain. The Drum is an American species,
and owes its name to the sounds it makes by BOAR-FISH,
bringing the large teeth sharply together, or
by striking the hull of a vessel with its tail to free that organ from
the parasites with which it is infested. ’

The Sword-fishes frequent the open seas of warm climates. The
young at first differ very greatly from their parents, though it is not

T 2


292 Poputar HisToRY oF. ANIMALS.

long before the general form of the adult is assumed. The bones of
the upper jaw grow together and, projecting far beyond ‘the lower
jaw, constitute a formidable. sword-like weapon. In species from. the
Indian and Pacific Oceans the dorsal fin is very large, and it is said
: that by erecting .
this fin they can
sail before the
wind like a boat.
The Common
Sword-fish is found
in the Atlantic
Océan and in the
Mediterranean
Sea. It reaches
a length of about
12 feet, and swords
3 feet long and
about 9 inches
round at the base
are preserved.
The Tunny-fishers
take it in their
nets, and . the
SWORD-FISH, flesh, especially of
young fish, is
said to equal that of the Tunny. Sword-fish feed on smaller fish,
and the reason of their attacking whales is not clearly .made out.
Very often they mistake ships and boats for the creatures to which
they have such a dislike, and in many museums are ships’ timbers
which have been penetrated by the “sword,” the weapon being broken
off in the efforts of the fish to withdraw it

Of the Horse Mackerel family, which contains numerous species
living in temperate and tropical seas, the Scad, or Common Horse
Mackerel, is the best known British form. It occurs in large schools
on the Cornwall and Devonshire coasts, and its flesh is eaten, but is
inferior to that of the Mackerel. The Boar-fish, with short, compressed
body and peculiar snout, sometimes occurs on our southern coasts,

Perhaps the most remarkable of the family is the Pilot-fish, supposed
to pilot Sharks to their prey.’ Dr. Meyen says :—“ When we threw over-
board a piece of bacon fastened. on a great hook, the Shark was about
twenty paces from the ship. With the quickness of lightning the Pilot
came up, smelt at the dainty, and instantly swam back again to the