CURIOUS STRUCTURE OF A MOLE HILL
CURIOUS STRUCTURE OF A MOLE HILL
It consists: (1) Of thechief structure, which is about two feet deep, below the roots of trees or ruined walls. This consists again of an almost spherical sitting-room (a), about four inches square, which is stuffed with grass and hay, from which leads a descending passage (b). Round the sitting-room there are two circular galleries (c), the upper one of which is connected with the sitting-room. (2) Of a number of runs (d), which are twelve to sixteen inches long, and radiate in all directions; they are connected with each other by cross passages. (3) Of the chief passage, into which all the runs open in the form of arches, and which leads to the hunting grounds. (4) Of the hunting passages, which run in all directions.
In this burrow from four to six young ones are born between the middle of April and June. The mother nurses them with the greatest tenderness, carrying them away in her mouth whenever danger threatens. But as soon as they are able to take care of themselves the parents drive them out of their home, and begin to lead a solitary life again. The mole is a very useful animal, because it destroys so many injurious insects. Although it does some harm by means of its mining operations, it is, nevertheless, more useful than destructive, and ought, therefore, not to be destroyed unless absolutely necessary.
Mongoose.—A small carnivorous animal of India, noted as a destroyer of snakes, and accordingly encouraged. It does not hesitate to attack the most venomous serpents, killing them by agility and having no protection against their poison except its hair and ability to dodge the blows. The mongoose and its near relative, the ichneumon of northern Africa, are gray and a little larger than a rat. All make interesting pets.
Ocelot(Felis pardalis) is a species, with several varieties, which is confined to the New World, and ranges from Arkansas in the north to Patagonia. These animals are inhabitants of forests, and very expert in climbing trees. Their prey consists in great part of birds. They are beautifully marked and colored. The coloration varies considerably, but the ground tint is always a rich red or tawny color; the head, neck, and legs being also variously spotted or barred with dark brown or black.
Otter(Lutra vulgaris).—On the upper parts, the fur of the otter is dark brown, while on the lower parts it is lighter brown. Its body is about thirty inches long, and its tail eight inches; between its toes there are web membranes. The otter is rather a water than a land animal. On land it is clumsy and uneasy in its movements, but in the water quick and persevering. It hunts fish, and its sharp eyes greatly assist it in this hunt. It is very seldom seen, as it is very shy and constantly hiding, mostly committing its depredations during the night. Otter hunting is, therefore, difficult; but in winter, when the snow has just fallen, and the water has been frozen over, the spots may be found where the fish otter enters the water. There it can be killed with a spear.
Puma, Cougar or Mountain Lion(Felis concolor).—Generally distributed in North and South America, but rare in those parts which have been long settled. It is sometimes called the American “lion,” “panther” (painter), or “catamount.” The fur is thick and close, dark yellowish red above, lighter on the sides, and reddish white on the belly; the muzzle, chin, throat, breast, and insides of the legs are more or less white. Young pumas have dark brown spots in three rows on the back, and scattered markings elsewhere. The long tail is covered with thick fur, and is slightly coiled. They are agile in their movements, and can leap and spring well, but swim only under compulsion. Many kinds of mammals fall victims to the pumas, and they are the more disastrous to flocks and herds because of their habit of killing many more than they devour.
Raccoon(Procyon lotor).—The fur of the raccoon is a yellowish-grey-black; its body is about twenty inches long, and its tail ten inches. It inhabits North America, and feeds on fruit, birds’ eggs, etc. It has received its name because it is in the habit of rinsing dry and blood-stained food before eating it, rubbing it between its fore paws. The eagerness with which it is hunted is best illustrated by the fact that every year about half a million of its furs are brought into the market. The flesh of the raccoon is eaten, and its hair is used for paint brushes.
Sable(Martes zibellina), a species of Marten. The feet are covered with fur, even on the soles, and the tail is rather more bushy than in the martens. The length, exclusive of the tail, is about eighteen inches. The fur is brown, grayish yellow on the throat, and small, grayish-yellow spots are scattered on the sides of the neck. The whole fur is extremely lustrous, and hence of the very highest value. The sable is a native of Siberia, widely distributed over that country, and found in its coldest regions, at least wherever forests extend. It is a very wary animal, and not easily captured. It makes its nest in a hollow tree, or sometimes, it is said, by burrowing in the ground, and lines it with moss, leaves, and grass.
Shrew(Soricidæ), a family of insectivorous animals closely resembling, in general form and appearance, the true mice and dormice, but in reality widely differing from and not to be confused with those rodents. The shrews have the head small, muzzle long and pointed, eyes small but well developed, external ears usually small; body mouse-like, covered with hair; limbs short, nearly equal in size, the feet not adapted for digging; tail nearly naked and scaly. Along the sides of the body, or at the root of the tail, are peculiar glands, which secrete a fluid of a very strong odor. The shrews are very widely distributed, being found over North America and the whole of the eastern hemisphere except Australia.
TheDwarf-Shrew(S. pygmæus) is the size of a cockchafer; it is the smallest of the mammalia, and is so voracious that when hungry it attacks and kills its own kind.
Tiger(Felis tigris).—The tiger is the largest and most dangerous of all the animals of prey. It varies from a yellowish brown to a rust red in color. It has neither a mane nor a tuft to its tail. Its length amounts in all to about eight feet, of which thirty-two inches belong to the tail. It inhabits chiefly the southeastern part of Asia. The tiger displays neither courage nor pride; but cowardice, cruelty, and malice, with no trace of majesty. Its strength and rapidity are astonishing. Tigers, when driven by hunger, even enter the villages, and often force the inhabitants to retire altogether. They are especially fond of human flesh. When lying in ambush, their eyes sparkle through the darkness. Horses scent them from long distances; and fear of this terrible foe almost paralyzes them.
Wolf(Canis lupus).—The fur of this animal is yellowish grey with blackish spots; in its lower parts its color is lighter. It is the size of a shepherd’s dog. Its whole appearance is[198]unprepossessing; its body is lean and long; its expression malicious; its ears erect. When it cannot obtain its favorite food, game or sheep, it feeds on mice, frogs, and carrion. It sometimes attacks even horses, attempting by a bold jump to seize them by the throat and pull them down. It knows how to avoid their kicks, and also how to secure itself against the horns of oxen. It is ordinarily a coward, like the hyena; but when hungry fears nothing. It carries away sheep under the very eyes of the shepherd, and even forces its way into stables. It is cunning and sly, and knows how to make use of the best opportunities. It is as strong as it is tenacious of life; with a sheep in its mouth it runs off at a trot; sometimes a dozen bullets are not sufficient to kill it.
The wolf was formerly spread over all Europe. At the present time it is still found in great numbers in Hungary, Galicia, Russia, and Scandinavia, in the Alps and Pyrenees, the Ardennes and Bosges, and in the northern parts of America, Africa, and Asia, also in central Asia. It sometimes becomes rabid.
Prairie Wolf, or Coyote (Canis latrans) has now been extirpated over large tracts in Kansas, Nebraska, etc., but it may still be found where the common wolf has disappeared, owing to its smaller size and less dangerous character.
The rodents are for the most part small animals, but their lack of size is made up by their great numbers. They have in the upper as well as in the lower jaw two chisel-like incisors, and from two to six molar teeth. The latter are separated from the incisors by a great gap. In the hares there are two little tack-like teeth behind the incisors. The incisors wear away on the inside more than on the outside, so that they are always very sharp.
The rodents feed chiefly on plants. Some of them collect food for the winter; others sleep during the whole of that period. They inhabit all parts of the globe, but are more numerous in North America than anywhere else.
Beaver(Castor fiber).—The true beaver is now found in only a few places in northern parts of Europe and Asia; but in North America a variety of this animal, the American beaver (Castor Canadensis), abounds in great numbers. It is now much hunted, as was formerly the European variety, and the number of beaver furs sold in the markets every year can be counted by thousands.
On the upper parts the fur is dark chestnut brown, while on the lower parts it is lighter; its tail is almost bare, scaly, and twelve inches long; the length of its whole body is thirty-two inches.
Beavers build lodges which contain many compartments, close to rivers and lakes. These lodges consist of branches, tree-trunks, and mud, and are divided into many different compartments. Such habitations are built in pairs, one above the other, and lead into the water. As tools they use their fore feet and their sharp teeth, by means of which they fell stems of the thickness of twelve inches. They are shy, and do not leave their homes before darkness in search of food, which consists of tender barks and other vegetable matter. For the winter they collect large stores of provisions. As the beavers are awkward on land, they try to save themselves by jumping quickly into the water when pursued. They are then in their own element, and are good swimmers and divers. They are caught by means of nets and traps, which are placed close to their lodges. Their soft furs are valuable. Though the subject of numerous stories, the sagacity of the beaver is much exaggerated.
Chinchilla(C. lanigera), a South American rodent, well known by its soft, gray fur. Two related animals form, along with the true chinchilla, a small family in the porcupine section of the Rodent order. All the three are somewhat squirrel-like animals, but have long hind legs, bushy tail, very soft fur, and complete collar bones. The chinchilla proper has a body about one foot long, and the tail measures fully six inches. They are extremely active animals, and climb among the rocks with the greatest agility. They are killed in thousands for the sake of their fur.
Dormouse(Muscardinus avellanarius) is a pretty little animal, about three inches in length, not including the bushy tail, which is almost as long as the body. The general color is a beautiful tawny yellow, but there is white on throat and breast. It is widely distributed and is especially fond of hazel-copses. It feeds on nuts, seeds, berries, buds, etc., grows very fat in autumn, sleeps intermittently through the winter in a round grassy nest a little above the ground. The loir or fat dormouse (Myoxusglis) is about twice the size of the common dormouse, and has the hairs of the tail in two rows, as in squirrels. It is ashen-gray, sometimes brownish above and white below. The favorite haunts are in oak and beech woods.
Hare(Lepus timidus).—Hares and rabbits are of various colors, some brown, some grey, while others are whitish; their ears are long; behind the two front teeth, in the upper jaw, are two little tack-like teeth; the small tail is black and white, and the body about sixteen inches long. The name “hare” is given to the large forms, or types and “rabbit” to the smaller. The hare is found in Europe and Western Asia. It is very timid, and a nocturnal rather than a diurnal animal; but in a quiet neighborhood it is also seen during the day. It does not leave the district in which it was born unless it is forced to do so.
Hares multiply very rapidly, for they bring forth two to five young four or five times a year, for which they construct a kind of nest. The old animals choose a somewhat hollowed-out spot as their habitation, where they are protected against the storms. As they are very fond of cultivated plants, such as clover, carrots, turnips, young corn, and the bark of young trees (especially of fruit trees), they do much damage in fields and woods.
TheRabbit(Lepus cuniculus) is widely distributed in North America, and there are numerous varieties. The Jack-rabbit of the west is the largest. The original home of these sprightly little animals was Spain and North Africa.
Lemmings(Muodes lummus).—These voracious little animals live in the far north of Europe, and sometimes make migrations in vast numbers, swimming across rivers and lakes, passing through towns and villages, and climbing over mountains and rocks. Troops of birds of prey fly above them, and they are followed by bears, foxes, martens, and weasels, so that their migratory flocks often disappear as rapidly as they make their appearance. They are about the size of a rat. The snowy lemming turns white in winter.
Marmot(Arctomys marmota).—The upper parts of the marmot are brownish black, its sides yellowish grey, while its lower parts are reddish brown. It attains a length of sixteen inches, and is found in both Europe and America. In North America, they are popularly termed woodchuck or groundhogs. The marmots live together in social troops in rocky caverns and feed on plants. In the autumn the marmots move into their winter quarters. There they sleep through the whole winter, huddled together in parties of three, five, and more, and apparently lifeless. In this state they can be rolled about like balls without being awakened until Spring, when they are usually hailed as weather prophets. Marmots are easily tamed, and can be trained to perform many tricks.
Miceare the best known of the rodents, which only too often do a great deal of harm by their predatory habits. Of these the domestic mouse (Mus musculus), a swift and pretty little animal, which is very much attached to our larder provisions. Even the elephant, the largest among animals, fears this tiny rodent.
The domestic rat (Mus rattus) became known in Europe in the twelfth century, and probably emigrated from Asia. The brown rats did not appear in Europe until the eighteenth century. They are stronger than the domestic rats, which they drive away or devour. Their food generally consists in kitchen refuse of all sorts. If driven by hunger they even eat their own kind.
Porcupine(Hystrix cristata).—This is quite a remarkable animal. It attains the size of a badger, and inhabits South Europe, Africa, and North America. Like the hedgehog, it is provided with a peculiar muscle, which enables it to erect a coat of spines whenever danger threatens, and it is thus protected against foxes and jackals, which often share the porcupine’s habitation, and would very much like to devour their fellow-lodger. In European porcupines, the spines or quills attain a length of from ten to twelve inches. Our American species has quills about three inches in length. The fore feet are supplied with sharp claws, which are very necessary to the animal for digging out its burrow. During the day the porcupines remain hidden in their burrows, but at night they go out in search of food.
Prairie Dog.—This small rodent animal of the squirrel family is found on the plains east of the rocky mountains. It resembles the marmot in appearance, and has well-developed claws on all the toes of the fore-feet; shallow cheek-pouches. The best known species is about one foot in length, and has a tail of about four inches. On the upper surface it is reddish-brown, variegated with gray. These animals live together in great societies on those portions of the prairies where the buffalo grass grows luxuriantly. Here they excavate burrows in the ground in contiguity to each other, and, when the little creatures are out, quite a busy scene is presented. The name is given on account of a resemblance between its cry and the bark of a small dog.
Rabbit.SeeHare.
Rat.SeeMice.
Squirrel(Sciurus vulgaris).—In the summer the squirrel is brownish red on the upper parts and white on the lower parts; in the winter, brown red and light grey mixed. The black, white, and spotted squirrels are rare. The tail of the squirrel is bushy and arranged in two lines of bristles; its ears are adorned with a tuft of hair. Squirrels prefer the forests of trees with pointed leaves to those with broad leaves, and are always in motion, being equally adept in climbing, running, and jumping from tree to tree. They feed on nuts, acorns, seeds of fir trees, young shoots, young birds, and birds’ eggs, and do a great deal of harm. They collect large stores for the winter, which they hide in hollow trees. Their nests are globular, and made of bark and leaves; they often build on the top of an old magpie’s nest. Their greatest enemy is the tree marten.
It is impossible to overestimate the importance of this order, because all the domestic animals which are used for food belong to it.
The name Ungulata is derived from the Latin wordungula, which signifies a nail, claw, or hoof. The Ungulates, which are all vegetable feeders except the pig and the peccary, include the largest of all the mammals, save only the whale and the sea elephant.
Antelope(Antilopidæ).—The family of antelopes is a very large one, and includes many important species. It belongs to the order of Ruminants in which the horns consist of a horny sheath, surrounding a bony process of the skull, and are permanent, not annually renewed. The body is slender and deer-like, the feet small and elegant, the tail short and tufted, the hair generally short, and the color often lively. Some species, however, have comparatively long hair; and a few which inhabit cold mountainous regions are clothed with wool mixed with longer and coarser hair, as in the chamois of the Alps, Caucasus, etc.; the Rocky Mountain goat of North America; and the chiru of the Himalayas. The females of many species, as of deer, are destitute of horns; and if they alone came under observation, it would be difficult to say to which genus they belonged. The size is very various; the guevi, or pigmy antelope of Africa (Antilope pygmæa), is only eight to nine inches high at the shoulders, while the largest forms measure five or six feet. Almost all the species of antelopes are peaceable, timid animals, and are distinguished by agility and fleetness. most of them are gregarious. Some inhabit plains; others are found only in the most inaccessible mountainous regions; others still, dwell in jungles and deep forests. Many, on the other hand, are water-loving forms, and frequent the banks of rivers.
North America possesses two species, found only in the western parts of the continent, the prong-horn (Antilocapra) and the Rocky Mountain goat (Aplocerus), which depart considerably from the typical character of the genus. The prong-horn sheds the horns annually like most species of deer. Europe produces only the Alpine chamois and the saiga (A. saiga), which inhabits the southern plains of Poland and Russia. Most species are African, and take the place of the true deer in that continent. The Springbok is goat-like in form and movement; the Gnu, with a body resembling that of a horse, but with forward-directed, hook-shaped horns; the Eland, or Cape Elk, with nearly straight backward-directed spiral horns; and the Gazelle, of north Africa, with nearly upright horns and noted for the luster of its eyes. In India is the curious Chickara, the females of which are hornless, while the males have four horns.
Bison.—The name applied to two species of ox. One of these, the European bison, or aurochs, (Bos bisonorBison europæus), is now nearly extinct, being found only in the forests of Lithuania and the Caucasus. The other, or American bison, improperly termed buffalo (Bison americanus), is found only in the region lying north and south between the Great Slave Lake and the Yellowstone River, and is rapidly becoming extinct in the wild state, though formerly to be met with in immense herds. The two species closely resemble each other, the American bison, however, being for the most part smaller, and with shorter and weaker hind-quarters. The bison is remarkable for the great hump or projection over its fore-shoulders, at which point the adult male is almost six feet in height; and for the long, shaggy rust-colored hair over the head, neck, and forepart of the body. In summer, from the shoulders backward, the surface is covered with a very short, fine hair, smooth and soft as velvet. The tail is short and tufted at the end. The American bison used to be much hunted for sport as well as for its flesh and skin. Its flesh is rather coarser grained than that of the domestic ox, but was considered by hunters and travelers as superior in tenderness and flavor. The hump is highly celebrated for its richness and delicacy. Their skins, especially that of the cow, dressed in the Indian fashion, with the hair on, make admirable defenses against the cold, and are known asbuffalo robes; the wool has been manufactured into hats, and a coarse cloth. The American bison has been found to breed readily with the common ox, the issue being fertile among themselves.
Buffalo.SeeBison.
Chamois(Capella rupicapra).—This European representative of the Antelope family attains the size of a goat. It is red in summer, and dark brown in the winter, the lower portion of the body being lighter, while a dark, brownish-black band reaches from the corner of the mouth to the eyes. It has small, erect horns, which are curved backwards at the tips. The chamois is found in herds, numbering from five to twenty, in the Carpathian Mountains, the Pyrenees, and the Apennines; but most frequently in the Alps of Bavaria and Styria. It feeds on the buds of Alpine herbs and trees. When pursued it will leap down the most precipitous cliffs. The peculiar flavor of the flesh of these animals, especially of the young ones, is greatly appreciated by many persons. Out of their skin, a leather is manufactured noted for its softness. The horns are utilized for handles of various kinds.
Deer(Cervidæ) are animals of graceful form, combining much compactness and strength with slenderness of limb and fleetness. They use their horns for weapons of defense and offense; but in general they trust to flight for their safety. They have a long neck, a small head, which they carry high, large ears, and large, full eyes. Many have scent glands, usually beneath the eyes, which serve as sexual attractions. Deer are distinguished from all other ruminants by their branching horns (antlers), which in most species exist in the male only; they are solid, fall off annually, and are renewed with increase of size, and number of branches, according to the kind, until the animal has reached old age.
Deer are found in almost all parts of the globe except Australia and the south of Africa, their place in the latter region being supplied by antelopes; the greater number inhabit the warmer temperate countries, and they are chiefly found in wide plains and hills of moderate height. The flesh (venison) of most kinds of deer is highly esteemed for the table, and they have long been regarded as among the noblest objects of the chase. Only one species, the reindeer, can be said to have been fully domesticated.
Elk(Cervus alces).—This animal is the largest representative of the genus of stags. It is the size of a horse, and its head is adorned with large antlers. The elk inhabits the northern regions of Europe and America. It is hunted for the sake of its excellent flesh, but the hunting of this strong and swift animal is attended with many dangers. It swims across the largest rivers. The Elk of Europe is called Moose in America.
Fallow Deer(Cervus capreolus).—Nearly everybody has seen this graceful animal. It attains the size of a goat. The head of the male, the roebuck, is adorned with small but strong antlers, which are shed every year at the end of autumn. The fallow deer go about in troops, and feed on grass, clover, corn, and fruit. Their young are called kids, and the female, does. They are hunted for the sake of their flesh.
Red Deer(Cervus elaphus) is much larger than the fallow deer, and is the grandest animal of the higher species of game. The male carries large, branching antlers, which it loses in February of each year. The antlers of the one-year-old stag are like a spear, in the second year they are fork-shaped, and in those appearing later two more prongs are added each year. The stag has a greyish-brown fur. During the day it remains in the recesses of the forests; in the evening and night it roams in herds in search of food, which consists of various grasses and herbs, and the twigs and bark of trees. It runs with great swiftness when scenting danger, and will wade, or swim rivers and lakes.
Gayal(Bibos frontalis), a species of ox, which is found in the mountains of Aracan, Chittagong, Tipura, and Sylhet. It is about the size of the Indian buffalo, is dark brown, and has short curved horns.
Gazelle(Gazella Dorcas), is a species of antelope about the size of a roebuck, but of lighter and more graceful form, with longer and more slender limbs. It is of a light tawny color, the under parts white; a broad brown band along each flank; the hair short and smooth. The face is reddish fawn-color, with white and dark stripes. The horns of the old males are nine or ten inches long, bending outward and then inward, like the sides of a lyre, also backward at the base and forward at the tips, tapering to a point, surrounded by thirteen or fourteen permanent rings, the rings near the base being closest together and most perfect. The ears are long, narrow, and pointed; the eyes very large, soft, and black; there is a tuft of hair on each knee; the tail is short, with black hairs on its upper surface only, and at its tip. The gazelle is a native of the North of Africa, and of Syria, Arabia and Persia.
Giraffe(Camelopardalis giraffa).—This strange looking animal has the head of the horse, the neck and hoof of the stag, the callous breast of the camel, and the spotted skin of the panther. On its forehead it has two horny excrescences. It attains a height of sixteen feet.
GIRAFFE(Page 201)
GIRAFFE(Page 201)
The giraffe lives in the wooded plains of central Africa, feeds on the leaves of trees, and is generally seen in small troops. Its rapidity is extraordinary; not even the Arabian horse can overtake it. It is often attacked by the lion, which lies in wait for it near the rivers and springs, where it comes to drink.
Gnu(Catoblepas), genus of antelopes of which the best known species has been often described as apparently made up of parts of different animals, not only of the antelope and the ox or buffalo, but even of the horse. This species (C. Gnu) is a native of South Africa; it has disappeared from the more settled parts of Cape Colony, but is to be seen in herds on the arid plains beyond these boundaries in company with small troops of zebras, and with flocks of ostriches. The size of the gnu is that of a large ass; the general color is yellowish-tawny. Both sexes have horns. The limbs are slender, like those of deer and antelopes. The gnu gallops with great speed. It has been usually represented as a very fierce[202]animal, and certainly shows much ability to defend itself with its horns, when unable to escape from danger by flight; but when taken young it is easily tamed, and readily associates with oxen, accompanying them to and from the field.
Elephant, rhinoceros, camel, tiger, bear
Ibex or Wild Goat(Capra ibex).—Different species of the ibex inhabit the mountain regions of Europe and Asia. It has a greyish-yellow, long fur, and powerful horns bent obliquely backwards. It frequently attains a weight of two hundred pounds. It is a true mountain animal, and was formerly spread all over the Swiss and Tyrolese Alps, but is at present found only in limited numbers.
Markhor(Copra falconeri), from Tibet, Cashmere, and Afghanistan, is a strong, powerful goat, with corkscrew horns, much larger in the males, which are also distinguished by a thick mane on the neck and breast.
Musk-Ox(Ovibos moschatus).—The Musk-ox, or Musk-Sheep, has its home in central Asia and Arctic America. The male has in its upper jaw two incisors in the shape of tusks, and in a gland of its abdomen the well-known, strong-scented musk. In the forests of the Himalayas it is found at elevations of upwards of eight thousand five hundred feet. A full-grown animal weighs about four hundred and fifty pounds. They live in herds, and feed on mosses, leaves and underbrush.
Okapi(Ocapia), a giraffe-like animal discovered by Sir H. H. Johnston in the Semliki forest in central Africa. Its neck and legs are shorter than in the giraffe, ears larger and broader. The general color of the upper parts is a slightly purplish chocolate-brown; buttocks and upper parts of fore and hind legs have wavy black stripes on a buff ground. The living okapi is classed with the giraffe group.
Sambur(Cervus aristotelis), a species of stag abundant in the forest-land of some parts of India, Burma, and China. It stands about five feet high, is a powerful animal, and is much hunted. The color is dark brown; the antlers are rounded, and belong to a type known as Rusine.
Tahr(Hemitragus jemlaicus), a goat-like animal, differs from the true goats, especially in the absence of a beard. The male is generally from three to three and a half feet in height at the shoulder; the horns seldom exceed fifteen inches in length. The doe is a smaller animal. The coat is fawn brown in color, and is long on the neck, chest, and shoulders. The home of the Tahr is chiefly in the elevated forest regions of the Himalayas; and it frequents almost inaccessible spots.
Vicuna(Auchenia vicugna) is a species of the South American animals allied to the camels. The vicuna lives wild, and frequents the most desolate parts of the Cordillera, at great elevations, delighting in a kind of grass, the yehu, which abounds there in moist places. The small herds commonly include from six to fifteen females with one male. When the females are quietly grazing, the male stands apart, and carefully keeps guard, giving notice of danger by a kind of whistling sound, and a quick movement of foot. The soft wool is much valued for weaving.
Wild Goats.—SeeIbex,Markhor,Tahr.
Gnu, tapir, anteater, yak, zebu, hippopotamus
Zebra(Equus zebra).—The true zebra is a native of South Africa; lives in troops, and is very swift and savage, and therefore difficult to tame. Its general color is creamy white, marked with black cross-stripes everywhere except the belly. The Quagga, its nearest relative, has legs and entire hind-quarters unstriped. It is hunted by the natives for the sake of its beautiful fur and its savory flesh and is also a favorite food of the lion.
The animals belonging to this division are mostly of immense size, and are very thick-skinned and scantily covered with hair; they are therefore called “Pachydermata.”
Elephant(Elephas).—There are two species of the Elephant: the African elephant and the Indian Elephant (Elephas Indicus). The elephant is the largest of the land animals. It has been known to live from one hundred to four hundred years, and weighs from six thousand to eight thousand pounds. Its height reaches ten feet, its length from thirteen to sixteen feet. Its thick, wrinkled skin is covered with a few bristles. The eyes are small, the ears large, and its nose is prolonged into a long, flexible trunk. In the upper jaw of the male animal are two tusks (or thrusting teeth), which are from three to six feet long, and from thirty to seventy pounds in weight; these furnish valuable ivory. The tail is long, and has at its end a tuft of coarse bristles. The elephant is a native of central Africa.
The Indian elephant lives in herds of from thirty to two hundred, and is fond of marshy districts. It feeds, in its wild state, on the leaves and twigs of trees, and is a harmless, peaceable animal, so long as it is not provoked. It does great harm to the plantations of rice, sugar, and coffee whenever it forces its way through them. Its docility and prudence are astonishing; its senses of smell and hearing are also greatly developed.
The first elephants are mentioned in the history of Alexander the Great. He brought three hundred of them from India to Babylon. At present they are little used as domestic animals, although many are still kept for that purpose in Ceylon and Burma. They are eagerly hunted for their tusks. About ten thousand are said to be killed annually.
Hippopotamus(Hippos amphibius).—There is only one species of the hippopotamus now living—that of Africa. It is nearly as tall as the rhinoceros—viz., about five feet; but it exceeds twelve feet in length. The eyes and ears are small, its neck short and thick, and its feet clumsy. Its incisor teeth grow from twelve to eighteen inches long, and weigh from two to six pounds. It is found in all lakes and rivers, and its principal food is grass; sometimes it commits great ravages in the plantations. It is by nature peaceful, but when provoked gets into a violent rage. Some consider its flesh savory. Its skin, when cut into strips, is manufactured into whips; its teeth are worked like ivory, and are especially used for the manufacture of artificial teeth.
Rhinoceros(Rhinoceros).—The Indian rhinoceros and that of Java have only one horn on the nose, while the African species has two.[204]The white rhinoceros of Africa is the largest, attaining to a length of over twelve feet, and a height of nearly six feet; but the black rhinoceros is best known. These awkward animals are enveloped in a wrinkled and bare hide, which may be compared to a coat-of-mail. They live either solitary or in small herds, in marsh and well-watered districts, and feed on grass, leaves, and roots. They only attack an enemy when provoked. Their horn is a terrible weapon. It is a bony excrescence, extremely sharp-pointed, and is used for ploughing up hard ground, or uprooting strong trees. When fighting with the elephant the rhinoceros attempts to rip up its enemy’s abdomen.
Tapir(Tapirus Americanus).—This denizen of South America lies concealed in the recesses of the forests during the day, but in the evening and early morning it frequents the marshes and rivers, where it wallows in the mud with its young. It feeds on the branches of trees, but also ravages the fields. All are bulky beasts, recalling somewhat the swine in appearance. They have the snout prolonged into a flexible proboscis with the nostrils at the tip. Their flesh is said to be good.
Wild Pig(Sus scrofa) lives in herds in the well-watered forests of central and southern Europe, in central and western Asia, and in north Africa. The adult males are called boars, the females wild sows, and the young shoats. They feed on the fruits of forest trees, roots, etc., and do great damage in the fields by raking up the earth for long distances. For this reason and also for the sake of their flesh they are hunted.
Some of the animals belonging to this division have no teeth at all, and all are without the front incisors. They are slow, stupid animals, and work only in the night-time. They are all inhabitants of Brazil with the exception of two species. Nearly all are provided with very long claws. They live in trees or in subterraneous passages.
Ant-eater or Ant-bear(Myrmecophaga jubata) attains a length of six feet six inches, of which its long-haired, plumy tail takes twenty-eight inches. The color of its hair is blackish brown; it can project its worm-like tongue to a distance of sixteen inches. The Great Ant-eater is a native of Brazil and Guiana, and much the largest of all the species.
The ant-eater inhabits the same regions as the sloth. It feeds on ants and termites. Raking up the habitations of these insects with its sharp claws, it inserts its proboscis, and begins to work with its viscous (sticky) tongue, to which hundreds of ants remain sticking.
Armadillo(Dasypus peba).—A mammal peculiar to South America, consisting of various species, belonging to a family intermediate between the sloths and ant-eaters. They are covered with a hard bony shell, divided into belts, composed of small separate plates like a coat of mail, flexible everywhere except on the forehead, shoulders, and haunches, where it is not movable. The belts are connected by a membrane, which enables the animal to roll itself up like a hedgehog. These animals burrow in the earth, where they lie during the daytime, seldom going abroad except at night. They are of different sizes; the largest,Dasypus gigas, being three feet in length without the tail, and the smallest only ten inches. They subsist chiefly on fruits and roots, sometimes on insects and flesh. They are inoffensive, and their flesh is esteemed good food.
Pangolin(Manis longicaudata).—There are several species of these scaly ant-eaters. They are found in Africa and Asia, and are covered with dark brown scales, which are arranged one above the other like tiles. When danger approaches the pangolin does not run away, but rolls itself together into a ball like the hedge-hog.
Sloth(Bradypus pallidus).—The general color of the sloth is reddish grey, its abdomen lighter. It is about sixteen inches in length, and has three long claws on each foot.
It inhabits the thickets of the virgin forests of Brazil, passing its life in laziness upon the tops of trees, the leaves of which form its food. During the day it hangs down asleep from a bough, and is then only discovered with difficulty. In the same position it creeps along the boughs, and does not leave the tree until the latter is stripped of all its leaves and fruits. When it descends to the ground it is very helpless, and can neither walk nor stand. It gives the best proof of its skill when climbing, hanging down from a bough by means of one of its feet, while it seizes the fruits with the other. It sometimes pierces the large snakes of Brazil with its long claws, so that they die from loss of blood. Its attachment to its young is very touching and the mother carries them on her back from bough to bough.
The marsupials have in the abdomen a pouch, a sort of bag or purse, in which they carry about their young. In some species the hind legs are developed to an extraordinary degree, whereby they are enabled to jump great distances. Their original home is Australia; but several species are also found in America. They feed partly on plants, partly on animal matter.
Kangaroo(Macropus giganteus).—The fur of the kangaroo is greyish brown, somewhat lighter on the sides, while the lower parts are whitish. Its body is six feet long, and its tail nearly three feet. It inhabits Australia, and is found chiefly in New South Wales and Tasmania. It is the largest quadruped of that part of the globe. The front of its body is extremely slim in proportion to its hind quarters, and its hind legs are five times longer than the front ones. The kangaroo is a peaceful, shy, grazing animal. When startled it tries to get away from its pursuers by immense bounds. Its swiftness is so great that, at least across flat country, the fastest dog cannot equal it. But when it is brought to bay it will defend itself most pertinaciously with its sharp claws, and with powerful strokes of its tail. It will seize even large dogs with its fore feet, and tear open their breasts and abdomens, often carrying them to neighboring water to drown them. The flesh of the kangaroo is eaten; its hair makes a good fur.
Koala(Phascolarctus cinereus), a marsupial, restricted to eastern Australia. The toes of[205]the fore-feet are in two opposable groups, of two or three, a characteristic not found in any other quadruped, but well adapted to grasping the branches of trees, on which the koala often hangs with its back undermost, like the sloth. There is scarcely any rudiment of a tail.
Opossum(Didelphys virginiana).—The American opossum is perhaps the best known and certainly not the least interesting of the pouched animals. It abounds in the warmer parts of North America, extending considerably north of Virginia. In form it is robust and in size about that of an ordinary cat. The color of its fine wholly fur ranges from white to black, and includes numerous varieties of intermixture. They have a long tail, which is almost destitute of hair, and is very useful from its prehensile nature, enabling the animal not only to hang by it, but also to climb and descend trees. They are sly and live chiefly in trees, lying up in the daytime, and at night roaming in search of their food, which consists of insects, small reptiles, birds’ eggs, etc. Caught red-handed in one of its marauding excursions, or captured under any other circumstances, the slightest blow causes it immediately to feign death, even to the extent of a protruding tongue and film-covered eyes. It may be battered almost beyond recognition and will lie where it has been flung without so much as the flicker of an eyelid. The moment, however, that its captor takes attention from it, the presumably dead animal regains its feet and effects its escape. “Possuming” is a slang term that has come into use to denote the acme of human artfulness and deceit.
A wonderfully pretty species of opossum which lives in Surinam is scarcely larger than a good-sized mouse, the body measuring only six inches from the nose to the root of the tail. It has scarcely a vestige of pouch, and so, robbed of this advantage, it carries its young on its back, curling its tail over, so as to allow the little ones to twist their tails around it. With her progeny thus secured from falling the mother can pursue her way in comfort. Even some of the larger opossums adopt this method of carrying their young.
A Bat is provided with true wings, with which it is able not merely to propel itself through the air for a longer or a shorter distance, but to fly like a bird by beating the air with its anterior members. The Colugo, in common with the Flying Squirrel and the Flying Phalanger, has the skin of the flanks extended in a manner capable of sustaining the animals, very much in the manner of a parachute, in an extended leap through the air. But bats possess the power of true flight. They move through the air with ease, and in pursuit of their insect-prey wheel and double and circle about with a nimbleness that the human eye can only follow with difficulty.
The bats are strange looking animals, being half mouse, half bird; their fore limbs are very long, and between these and the hind limbs, and also generally extending to the tail, there is a delicate membrane, which enables them to fly. Their eyes are small; their large ears erect; their teeth sharp. The flight of the bats is swift and noiseless, but not enduring. They could not, like the migratory birds, fly off in the autumn towards warmer countries. Therefore in the winter they retire into clefts and crannies, where they suspend themselves by the claws of their hind feet, and sleep until the rays of the spring sun warm their benumbed limbs. Our native bats feed upon insects, and are consequently useful. In the warm summer evenings they can be seen flitting around the blossoming trees in order to catch the honey-sucking moths. They do not build any nest for their young, but the latter cling between the folds of the wings of the parent animal, and are thus carried about by her on her excursions.
The best known of the foreign kinds are the vampire bat of South America and the colugo bat. In the flying lemur, or colugo, the hairy fold of skin begins behind the throat, includes fore and hind limbs as far as the claws, and extends along the tail to the tip. The animal has been observed to swoop over a distance of seventy yards. The flying lemurs are about twenty inches in length, are natives of the Indian Archipelago, inhabit lofty trees in dense forests, and feed chiefly on leaves and fruits, though said at times to eat insects, eggs, and even small birds. They are nocturnal in their habits, and very inoffensive, scarcely attempting to bite even when seized. Their voice resembles the low cackling of a goose.
In the seals the five toes of the limbs have become palmate, being joined together by a web; the hind feet have a backward, horizontal direction. Their food consists of small marine animals and plants.
Seal(Phoca vitulina).—The habitat of the common seal is spread over a large area, but it is chiefly found in the northern seas. It is nearly six feet long, and its fur is yellowish grey, sprinkled above with dark-brown spots. It has no exterior ear. To the inhabitants of the north the seal is a most useful animal; its flesh and fat form their chief food, with its oil they illuminate the long winter nights, its sinews they use as thread, from its bones they make various domestic implements, and with its fur they cover their tents and sledges. Seals are gentle animals, and when tamed exhibit great attachment to man. When wounded they snap savagely in all directions. Seal-hunting forms one of the most important branches of commerce among seafaring nations. Over a thousand vessels leave America every year to take part in seal-hunting; and as one vessel will sometimes capture nearly two thousand seals, some idea may be obtained of the immense number of these animals which are slain annually.
Walrus(Trichechus rosmarus).—This animal is from eighteen to twenty-two feet long, and weighs from two thousand to three thousand pounds. It is easily recognized by the long tusks in its upper jaw, which attain a length of eighteen to twenty-four inches.
The walrus lives in the northern Polar seas, where it is sometimes met with in herds of a thousand to two thousand head. They either swim about in the water or lie basking in the sun upon ice-floes. When they are about to sleep one remains awake as sentinel. They[206]attract whole herds to their assistance by their terrific roaring, which can be heard for several miles; in all directions their black heads, with red, dilated eyes, and gleaming tusks, emerge from the water. The walrus is hunted for its tusks, skin and oil.
ANIMALS OTHER THAN BIRDS THAT HAVE LEARNED TO FLY
Sea Lion(Otaria stelleri).—The home of the Sea Lion is Bering Sea, and as far South as the Kurile Islands on the one side of the north Pacific and California on the other. In the latter case a rookery of sea lions is strictly preserved by the American Government, or probably long ere this the animal would have been exterminated in those waters, as it has been in many other regions after a century and a half of constant persecution.
The male sea lion, of eleven or twelve feet in length and a thousand pounds in weight, is yellowish-brown in color with shaded darker patches. There is a distinct mane upon the[207]neck, which, with its upright posture, combines to give the creature its supposed leonine appearance. The males are fierce in aspect, and if hard pressed will turn and show fight. Old animals bellow like bulls; the younger ones bleat like sheep. They bolt their fish without mastication. The female is only about half the dimensions of the male, and is considerably lighter in color. The animal is useful only for its hide, flesh, and fat.
Under the general name of Cetacea,i.e., the Whales, are classed together a wonderful group of marine Mammalia, which includes not only the true whales, but also the Dolphin, Narwhal, Porpoise, and Grampus.
Notwithstanding their marked resemblance to fishes, the Cetacea possess the most indubitable mammalian character.
In the cetacea the bodies are elongated, fish-like, devoid of hair, and run out into a powerful caudal fin. The fore limbs are in the form of fins; there are no hind limbs. The cetacea are marine animals, and their food consists wholly of water animals and plants.
The whale is an astonishing animal, and in order that it may subsist a number of apparently contradictory conditions must be reconciled. It is a warm-blooded mammal, and yet spends its life wholly in cold water. In order to dive to great depths it must be able to make its body heavier than a corresponding bulk of water, and conversely at will make it lighter in order to reach the surface. Though breathing atmospheric air through nostrils, the animal can exist at a greater depth than where the pressure of the water would force its particles into solid oak, and yet no water can reach the whales’ lungs. It must be able to exist without breathing at all for at least the space of an hour. With the bones, ears, and eyes of a mammal it has to move, hear, and see as though it were a fish.
The “spouting” or “blowing” of the whale is simply an operation of purifying its blood. When the animal comes to the surface, it first expels the air in its lungs as it takes its first deep breath.
Dolphin(Delphinus delphis).—The dolphin is grey or greenish black on its upper parts, and white beneath. It generally attains a length of six feet, and lives in herds in all the northern seas. Hundreds of these swift animals are often seen around vessels, and amuse the passengers by their playful gambols. They feed chiefly on fish.
Greenland Whale(Balæna mysticetus).—This whale is greyish black on its upper parts, and white beneath. It is from forty-eight to seventy-two feet long, and weighs upwards of twenty thousand pounds. It is the largest of all living animals; a boat with six persons could enter its jaws. Its tongue is nine feet broad, eighteen feet long, and weighs about eight hundred pounds.
The whale inhabits the northern parts of the Atlantic and Pacific. It has been hunted for the sake of its blubber since the ninth century. A whale forty-eight feet long, and fourteen thousand pounds in weight, will furnish six thousand pounds of blubber, from which four thousand eight hundred pounds of oil will be obtained; there will also be over three thousand pounds of whalebone, which lies in the upper jaw in the place of teeth.
Narwhal,orSea Unicorn(Monodon monoceros), allied to the dolphins and porpoises. The male has one—almost invariably the left—of the teeth or tusks in the upper jaw extraordinarily developed into a spirally furrowed horn of pure ivory from six to ten feet long. This is the longest tooth found in the Mammalia. The adult animal is from ten to sixteen feet long. It has a grey back, mottled with black, the under parts being much lighter, but also spotted. It has a blunt, short head, no dorsal fin and very small flippers, but is very active and a rapid swimmer. It is peculiar to the Arctic Ocean, though it occasionally strays as far south as the British seas. The oil is valuable and the flesh edible. The ivory is very fine, and in the castle of Rosenborg at Copenhagen is a throne of the kings of Denmark made of this substance.
Porpoise(Phocæna communis).—The porpoise, five, six, or seven feet in length, is common in the North Atlantic. Often off the British coasts a shoal of porpoises may be seen frolicking quite near to the shore. Passengers on board ocean-going liners are always interested in watching the sportive “black pigs,” as sailors call them, race along the side of the ship. The animals are captured chiefly for their oil, and the skin can be converted into useful leather.
Rorqual(Balænoptera musculus).—The common Rorqual is a typical species of the “finners,” as sailors term them; the generic name means “Finned Whale,” in reference to the small back fin that lies near the region of the tail. It attains an enormous size; one caught in the North Sea was ninety-five feet in length, twenty-two feet in width, and weighed over two hundred and fifty tons. Rorquals are the most widely distributed of all the larger Cetaceans; they are found nearly everywhere outside the Antarctic regions.
Whale Fisheries.—With the older method of whale-fishing the chief products were oil and whalebone. Recently the industry has been revolutionized, principally by Norwegians, and practically every part of the animal is used. For the new method a suitable island is selected, a cutting-up station constructed, and all whales killed are towed to the station and there drawn upon land to be dealt with. The modern whaling-vessel is a small and powerful steamer with a heavy harpoon gun mounted in the bows. The harpoon is a special kind of barbed spear. No boats are used, the steamer following the whales when sighted. By dealing with the carcase on shore all parts are now used, including the bone, blubber (or fat), the soft parts after the oil has been expressed being prepared as fertilizers. The flesh is asserted to be palatable and may ultimately be sold for food.