Part 10

The Hare inhabits hilly or level regions, forest or field; but it is most frequently found in flat or slightly elevated districts. It does not burrow, but chooses a form or seat, the situation of which varies with the season. In summer it is on the hillocks exposed to the north, in the shade of heaths or vines; in winter, it is found in sheltered places facing the south. It is often found crouched in a furrow between two ridges of earth, which have the same color as its coat, so that it does not attract attention.

During the daytime, the Hare does not generally stir from its retreat; but as soon as the sun approaches the horizon it goes forth to seek food—consisting of herbs, roots and leaves. It is very fond of aromatic plants, such as thyme, sage and parsley. It is also partial to the bark of some varieties of trees.

No animal has so many enemies as the Hare. Snares and traps are set for it by poachers. Foxes, Birds of Prey, and sportsmen, aided by Dogs, are all its persecutors.

To guard itself against so many perils, the poor creature has ears endowed with extraordinary mobility, and which catch the faintest sounds from a great distance; four agile and very muscular limbs, which rapidly traverse space, and transport their owner quickly from its pursuers. In a word, its defence consists in perceiving danger and fleeing from it.

The Rabbit is closely allied to the Hare in its form and external aspect, the two differ greatly in habits. The Rabbit lives in societies, and retires into burrows. It is not found on the open plain, but chooses for its home places where there are hillocks and woody banks. Like the Hare, the Rabbit has not a preference for day; but towards evening it comes forth and gambols about in the glades or nibbles the dewy herbage.

It has also, like the Hare, many enemies, and to escape them it takes refuge in its subterranean dwelling. As it has not the speed of the Hare, it would be rapidly overtaken by Dogs if it trusted to its powers of flight. Its fear or anger is expressed in a singular fashion, namely, by striking the ground with its hind foot; some say it does this to warn its fellows of danger.

Besides our well known Wild Rabbits, many fine species have been imported from different countries and trained as pets.

The Wild Rabbit, also called the Warren Rabbit, is said to be a native of Africa, from whence it passed into Spain, then into France and Italy, and successively into all the warm and temperate parts of Europe and America.

Among the different breeds of domestic Rabbits must be mentioned the Angora Rabbit, originally derived from Asia Minor. Like the Cats and Goats bearing the same name, it is celebrated for the length and fineness of its hair. It is bred for its fur, which is of value.

Not only is the flesh and the hair of the Rabbit utilized, but its skin is also employed in the manufacture of gelatine.

The domestic Rabbit is, therefore, a valuable animal. Not so the wild Rabbit, for, by its rapid multiplication, its burrowing habits, and its herbivorous tastes, it is to the agriculturist a veritable scourge. For this reason it is hunted with perseverance, ferrets being frequently employed in some countries to drive it from the depths of its warren.

THE PICAS AND THE CALLING HARES.

These Rodents differ from the Hares and Rabbits in having ears of moderate length, and in the nearly equal development of all their limbs. They are principally inhabitants of Siberia and the north of Europe; their voice is sharp and piercing, and they are destitute of any tail; they are all of small size, none of them exceeding the dimensions of a large Rat.

The Pica is about the size of a Guinea Pig, and covered with yellowish-red hair. It inhabits the loftiest summits of mountains, and employs itself, during the summer, in collecting and drying a supply of herbage for winter use. The heaps of hay thus accumulated are of extraordinary dimensions, sometimes measuring as much as six or seven feet in height, and are invaluable to the hunters of Sables, affording fodder for their Horses at a period when no other provender is obtainable.

The Calling Hare inhabits the southeastern parts of Russia, and the slopes of the Ural mountains, and also the western side of the Atlantic chain. The head is long; the ears large, short, and rounded; there is no tail. There are twenty molar teeth, five on either side of each jaw. The body is only six inches in length. The fur is of a greenish-brown color, hoary underneath.

MARSUPIALIA—POUCHED QUADRUPEDS.

A CURIOUS pouch, or fur bag, in which they carry their babies while they are still too young to run about by themselves is the distinguishing feature of the members of this group of animals. The name of the order, Marsupialia, comes from the Latin, marsupium, meaning a pouch or bag.

When these babies are born they are the most helpless of all young animals, as they are not fully developed, and the mother places them in this pouch where they remain, like Birds in a nest, until they are strong enough to run about by themselves; and for a long time after that, they make use of this pouch, by hiding in it in times of danger or when the mother is escaping from an enemy; and the little ones could not keep up with her unless carried in this pouch.

There are several different animals that belong to this family of Pouched Quadrupeds, like the Wombats, Bandicoots, Phalangers, Dasyures, etc., but the most important are the Kangaroos and the Opossums.

THE KANGAROO FAMILY.

The Kangaroos vary in size, some being, when erect, as tall as a Man, while others are not so large as a Rabbit. They are remarkable for the small size of their fore-legs in proportion to their hind ones, and the slender make of the fore parts of their body. When eating, their fore-feet are placed on the ground, but they usually sit upright, resting entirely on the hind-feet and tail, with the body slightly bent forwards.

There are a few species, however, in which the body is in better proportion. In the Tree Kangaroos of New Guinea, for instance, the tail is very bushy, and the fore-legs almost as long as the hind ones.

The Great Kangaroo inhabits New South Wales, and Southern and Western Australia. It lives on low grassy hills and plains in the open parts of the country, feeding upon the low bushes and herbage, and sheltering itself in the high grass during the heat of the day.

The Jerboa Kangaroo is so called on account of the length and slenderness of its hind-legs similar to those of the Jerboa Rats.

“Like other members of this family, the Jerboa,” says Mr. Gould, “constructs a thick grassy nest, which is placed in a hollow, scratched in the ground for its reception, so that when completed it is only level with the surrounding grass, which it so closely resembles that, without a careful survey, it may be passed unnoticed.

“The site chosen for the nest is the foot of a bush, or any large tuft of grass. During the day it is generally tenanted by one, and sometimes by a pair of these little creatures, which, lying coiled in the centre, are perfectly concealed from view. There being no apparent outlet, it would seem that after they have crept in, they drag the grass completely over the entrance, when the whole is so like the surrounding herbage that it is scarcely perceptible. The natives, however, rarely pass without detecting it, and almost invariably kill the sleeping inmates, by dashing their tomahawks or heavy clubs at the nest.

“The most curious circumstance connected with the history of the Jerboa Kangaroo is the mode in which it collects the grasses for its nest, carrying them with its tail, which is strongly prehensile; and, as may be easily imagined, their appearance when leaping towards their nests, with their tails loaded with grasses, is exceedingly grotesque and amusing.

“The usual resorts of the Jerboa Kangaroo are low grassy hills and dry ridges, thickly intersected with trees and bushes. It is a nocturnal animal, lying curled up in the shape of a ball during the day, and going forth as night approaches in search of food, which consists of grasses and roots; the latter being procured by scratching and burrowing, for which its fore-claws are admirably adapted. When startled from its nest, it bounds with amazing rapidity, and always seeks the shelter of a hollow tree, a small hole in a rock, or some similar place of refuge.”

THE OPOSSUMS.

The Opossums were the first Marsupial Quadrupeds known to Naturalists. They are peculiar to the American continent. They have fifty teeth. Their tongue is rough, and their tail, which is partially denuded of hair, prehensile.

The Virginian Opossum is found in Southern States. It destroys poultry of which it sucks the blood, but does not eat the flesh. It feeds on roots and fruits, climbing the trees, and suspending itself by the tail from the branches; in this position it swings itself to and fro, and by catching hold of the neighboring branches, passes from tree to tree. It hunts after Birds and their nests, and when pursued, feigns to be dead, and will endure great torture without showing any sign of vitality.

The Opossum excavates a burrow near a thicket not far distant from the abode of Man, and sleeps there during the whole day. While the sun shines it does not see clearly, and therefore feeds and plays during the night. Although its mode of life resembles that of the Fox and the Polecat, it is much less cruel, and has also inferior means of defence. It runs badly, and although its jaws are large, they are not strong.

“The Opossum,” says Audubon, “is fond of secluding itself during the day, although it by no means confines its predatory rangings to the night. Like many other quadrupeds which feed principally upon flesh, it is both frugivorous and herbivorous, and when very hard pressed by hunger, it seizes various kinds of insects and reptiles. Its gait when traveling, and when it supposes itself unobserved, is altogether ambling—in other words, it, like a young foal, moves the two legs of one side forward at once. Its movements are rather slow, and as it walks or ambles along, its curious prehensile tail is carried just above the ground, and its rounded ears are directed forwards.”

There are several species of Opossum found in South America, but none in the Antilles or the West Indies.

Their method of hunting their prey is interesting. An Opossum is seen slowly and cautiously trudging along over the melting snow, by the side of an unfrequented pond, nosing as it goes for the fare its ravenous appetite prefers. Now it has come upon the fresh track of a Grouse or Hare, and it raises its snout and snuffs the keen air. It stops and seems at a loss in what direction to go, for the object of its pursuit has taken a considerable leap or has cut backwards, before the Opossum entered its track. It raises itself up, stands for a while on its hind-feet, looks around, sniffs the air, and then proceeds. But now at the foot of a noble tree, it comes to a full stand. It walks round the base of the large trunk, over the snow-covered roots, and among them finds an aperture, which it at once enters. Several minutes elapse, when it re-appears, dragging along a Squirrel, already deprived of life; with this in its mouth it begins to ascend the tree. Slowly it climbs; the first fork does not seem to suit it, for perhaps it thinks that it might be there too openly exposed to the view of some wily foe, and so it proceeds, until it gains a cluster of branches intertwined with grape-vines; and there composing itself, it twists its tail round one of the twigs, and with its sharp teeth demolishes the unlucky Squirrel, which it holds all the while in its fore-paws.

PACHYDERMATA—THICK-SKINNED QUADRUPEDS.

ALL the animals of this great order are classified under the name Pachydermata, which is derived from two Greek words meaning thick-skinned. In nearly all of them the toes are rendered motionless by a horny covering which surrounds them, called a hoof, which blunts them to the sense of touch; and the form of this hoof helps to divide the order into families. There are three divisions in the Pachydermata—the Elephant family, known as the Proboscidae (from the Latin word proboscis, meaning a trunk); the family of ordinary Pachydermata, including the Hippopotamus, Rhinoceros, Hyrax, Tapir, Wild Boar, Phacocheres and Peccari; and the family of Solipedes, the name of which is derived from the Latin words solus, alone, and pes, pedis, a foot, and includes the animals with undivided hoofs, like the Horse, the Donkey, Hemionus, Daw, Zebra and Quagga.

THE ELEPHANT FAMILY.

The Elephants are the largest animals that live on the earth, as the Whales are the largest that live in the water. And it is said that if size and strength conferred the right of dominion, these two creatures would be able to divide between them the empire of the world.

The proportions of the Elephant are clumsy, its body is thick and bulky, its gait heavy and awkward, but its general appearance is imposing and noble. These giants of creation have three especially remarkable features, their enormous development of skull; their curious trunk, which is in reality a marvellous nasal organ which performs the duties of arm and hand; and their great tusks, which are nothing but their incisive teeth wonderfully elongated.

These tusks protect the trunk, which curls up between them when the animal traverses woods in which there are many thorns, prickles and thick underbrush. The Elephant also uses them for putting aside and holding down branches, when, with its trunk it plucks off the tops of leafy boughs. The ivory obtained from the tusks of the Elephant is remarkable for the fineness of its grain, whiteness, hardness, and the beautiful polish that can be given to it.

Under the feet is a sort of callous sole, thick enough to prevent the hoofs from touching the ground, and the toes remain encrusted and hidden under thick skin.

The Elephants live in the hottest parts of Africa and Asia, spending the greater part of their time in the swamps and forests. Their food consists mainly of herbs, fruit and grains.

For a long time it was asserted that Elephants could not lie down, and that they always slept standing. It is true that among Elephants as among Horses, are found some that can sleep standing, and only rarely lie down; but generally they sleep lying on their side, like the majority of quadrupeds.

The African Elephant has a head much rounder and less broad than the Asiatic Elephant. Its ears are very much longer and its tusks are generally stronger.

African Elephants live like those of India, in troops more or less numerous; yet they are sometimes found alone—these are called rovers or prowlers.

To these should be added the extinct species of the Elephant family, the famous Mammoth of the far north—a carcass of which was found under the ice in Siberia in 1799, and the wonderful Mastodon of Ohio. The bony remains of the Mastodon are found in America and in Central Europe. The tusks of the Mastodon have been found to be almost straight, while those of the Mammoth are curved round until they nearly form a circle.

THE HIPPOPOTAMUS.

The Hippopotamus is an enormous animal. After the Elephant and the Rhinoceros, it is the largest of terrestrial Mammalia. Its head is very bulky and its mouth extends very nearly from eye to eye. All who have seen in the menagaries this monstrous mouth opening for a little piece of bread, have been surprised at the frightful appearance of this living gulf, armed with enormous teeth. When it is shut, the upper lip descends in front and on the sides, like an enormous blobber lip which covers the extremity of the lower jaw, and partly hides the underlip; but on the sides it is the lower lip which stands up. The nostrils, which are in front of the muzzle, are surrounded by a muscular apparatus, which closes them hermetically when the animal is under water.

The Hippopotamus inhabits Southern and Eastern Africa; but everything announces that it will not be long in disappearing before civilization, that is to say, the sportsman’s gun.

These animals live in troops on the banks of rivers and in their waters. On land, their gait is clumsy and heavy, for their own enormous weight tires them; but they are very quick and active in water, where they lose, by the pressure of the water, a great portion of their weight. And so they pass all day in the water, in which they swim and dive with great facility. When swimming they only let the upper surface of their heads be seen, from the ears to the surface of the nostrils, which allows them to breathe, to see all round them, and to hear the slightest noises. In breathing, they spout out noisily, in the form of irregular jets, such water as has become introduced into their nostrils. This spouting announces to the hunter the presence of the Hippopotamus.

The Hippopotamus feeds on young stalks of reeds, little boughs, small shrubs and water plants, also on roots and succulent bulbs.

Its cry is hoarse, but of incredible depth, power and volume. The habits of this animal are peaceable; its disposition is, in general, mild and inoffensive; it only turns vicious when it is attacked.

Hippopotamus hunting is performed in different ways. Its enemies surprise it at night, on its leaving the water, when it comes to browse in the meadows and the neighboring plains; or attack it by day in the river, either with harpoons or guns, assailing it when it comes to the surface to breathe. The unfortunate animal tries to defend itself. In its sudden action it sometimes overturns the boats containing its enemies. Occasionally, desperate with rage at being wounded, it tries to tear the boats to pieces with its formidable tusks. With one bite it could cut through the middle of the body of a full-grown man.

The natives of Africa hunt the Hippopotamus, first to obtain the ivory furnished by its tusks—an ivory which, without being so good as that of the Elephant, is nevertheless very valuable. The skin, or hide, which is very thick, is also employed in the manufacture of various instruments. The flesh of the Hippopotamus is sought after in South Africa as a delicate morsel.

THE TAPIRS.

The American Tapir is of about the size of a small Donkey. Its skin is of a brown color and nearly naked, its tail of moderate length, its neck strong and muscular, and crested above with an upright mane. This animal inhabits swampy localities in the vicinity of rivers, and is peculiar to the tropical parts of South America, where its flesh is prized by the inhabitants as affording excellent and wholesome meat.

The Tapir is a solitary animal, resting during the day in the depths of the forest, and coming forth at night to collect its food, which consists of fruit, the young shoots of trees, or other vegetables. Its senses of smell and hearing are very acute and at the slightest alarm it can make its way with ease “through bush and through briar,” without the slightest danger of injuring its thick, tough hide. It swims and dives well, and can remain for some minutes beneath the water without coming to the surface. The Tapir is peaceable unless attacked, in which case it defends itself vigorously with its strong teeth.

Tapirs, although common in the Brazilian forests, are scarcely ever encountered by hunters during the day-time, so that there is little chance of travelers seeing anything more than the foot-marks of this largest of the tropical American Mammals. Their flesh is of a very rich flavor, something between pork and beef. The young are speckled with white.

The Indian Tapir is larger than the South American Tapir, which it resembles in the shape of its body. Its hair is short and it has no mane. It inhabits the forests of the Island of Sumatra and the Peninsula of Malacca.

THE RHINOCEROS FAMILY.

The Rhinoceroses are large animals, having but three toes on each foot. The bones of the nose are massive and conjoined so as to form a sort of vault of sufficient strength to support one or two solid horns, which are adherent to the skin of the face and constitute formidable weapons either for defence or attack. The structure of these horns is fibrous, as if they were composed of a mass of hairs glued together.

The natural disposition of these animals is stupid and ferocious. They inhabit marshes and other damp localities, and live altogether upon vegetable substances—grass, herbs, or the branches of trees.

There are two species—the One-horned and the Two-horned.

THE ONE-HORNED RHINOCEROS.

The One-horned Rhinoceros, as its name imports, has but a single horn, which is situated upon the middle of the snout; and as this weapon sometimes measures upwards of two feet in length, tapering gradually from the base to the point, sharp at its extremity, and slightly curved towards the back of the animal, it becomes when wielded by its herculean possessor a very deadly instrument; with which, at a stroke, it rips up the most powerful assailant, and is a formidable antagonist even to the Elephant itself.

The skin of this species forms a coat of armor, almost impenetrable by a musket-ball; it is in some parts nearly an inch in thickness.

The One-horned Rhinoceros is an inhabitant of the East Indies, more especially of that portion of the country situated beyond the Ganges; its range, indeed, extends from Bengal to Cochin, China. Slow and careless in his movements, this animal wanders through his native plains with a heavy step, carrying his huge head so low that his nose almost touches the ground, and stopping at intervals, to crop some favorite plant, or in playfulness to plough up the ground with his horn, throwing the mud and stones behind him.

THE TWO-HORNED RHINOCEROS.

The Two-horned Rhinoceros is a native of Africa. It differs remarkably from the preceding species, first by the possession of a second horn of smaller size, situated midway between the larger one and the top of its head, and secondly because its skin, more supple than that of the preceding species, is entirely destitute of folds.

Whether from a limited sphere of vision arising from the extraordinary minuteness of the eyes, which resembling the Pigs in expression, are placed nearer to the nose than in most other animals; or whether from an over-weening confidence in its own powers, the Rhinoceros will generally suffer itself to be approached within even a few yards before condescending to take the smallest heed of the foe, who is diligently plotting its destruction. At length, uttering a great blast or snort of defiance, and lowering its armed muzzle almost to the ground, it charges on its enemies; and bullets, hardened with tin or quicksilver, are used to kill it.

THE BOAR FAMILY.

The members of this extensive family are distinguished by having four hoofs upon each foot; but of these the two middle ones are much the largest, giving the foot much the appearance of being cloven. The lower incisors slant forward, and the canines project in the shape of long and formidable tusks. Their muzzle is prolonged into a snout of peculiar conformation—its margin being dilated and highly sensitive. Its use is to turn up the earth in search of roots, in which operation these animals seem guided by their sense of smell. They eat nearly all sorts of vegetable matter, and may be said to be omnivorous; even flesh not being rejected by their accommodating appetite.

To this family belong the Hogs Proper, the Peccaries, the Wart Hog and the Babiroussas.

THE WILD BOAR.