CHAPTER II.

GOLDEN MOLES--MOLES--DESMANS--SHREWS.

General Description of the Golden Mole Family--Their Points of Difference from the True Mole--THE CAPE GOLDEN MOLE--Its Varieties--The Family of True Moles--THE COMMON MOLE--Described--Distribution--Teeth--Fore-limbs--Breast-bone--Not a Miserable Creature--Extreme Voracity--Diet--His Blindness a Popular Error--A Thirsty Soul--His Fortress--The Roads leading to it--Speed of a Frightened Mole--“Mole-hills”--A-wooing--His Strong Family Affections--His Persecution a Doubtful Benefit--THE BLIND MOLE--Several Allied Species--THE STAR-NOSED MOLE--Its Snout--THE COMMON SHREW MOLE--Other Species in the United States--The Family of Desmans--THE DESMAN--Its Otter-like Habits--Its Trunk--THE PYRENEAN DESMAN--THE HAIRY-TAILED MOLE-SHREW--The Family of Shrews--THE COMMON SHREW--Or Shrew-Mouse--Superstitions about it--DEKAY’S SHREW--THE GARDEN SHREW--THE TUSCAN SHREW--THE RAT-TAILED SHREW--THE WATER SHREW--Essentially Aquatic--Its Prey--Allied Species--THE TIBETAN WATER SHREW--THE TAILLESS SHREW--Concluding Remarks--Classification--Distribution--Affinities 365

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

PAGE

Orang-utan and Chimpanzees in the Berlin Aquarium _Frontispiece._

Group of Apes and Monkeys, and a Lemur 1

American Monkey, with Prehensile Tail 2

One of the Anthropomorpha--The Chimpanzee 3

One of the Cynomorpha--The Baboon 4

Group of Lemurs 5

Foot and Hand of a Monkey--A Catarhine Monkey--A Platyrhine Monkey--Monkey with Cheek Pouches 6

The Male Gorilla 8

Female Gorilla and Young 9

Front View of the Skull of the Gorilla 10

A Family of Gorillas 13

Face of the Gorilla 15

Palm of the Foot of Young Gorilla--Back of the Hand of Young Gorilla 16

Side View of the Skull of Gorilla 17

The Teeth of the Gorilla 20

Skeleton of the Gorilla 21

Throat of Gorilla 22

Forest in the Gaboon Country--The Land of the Gorilla 24

Bones of the Fore-arm and Arm of the Gorilla--Side View. Shoulder or Blade-bone 25

Hand-bones of the Gorilla 28

Hunting the Gorilla 32

Bones of the Ankle and Foot of Man--Bones of the Ankle and Foot of Gorilla 33

Young Gorilla and Dog 38

The Nschiego Mbouvé 40

Skeleton of Nschiego 41

Skull of Nschiego 42

The Koolo-Kamba 44

Portrait of a Young Soko 47

A Soko Hunt 48

The Chimpanzee 49

A Village in the Gaboon Country 52

Sick Orang-utan 53

Brain of Chimpanzee 57

Orang-utans _To face page_ 61

Front and Side Face of the Orang 61

The Orang at Bay 64

A Family of Orang-utans 65

The Orang and its Nest 68

A Young Orang 69

The Air Pouches of Orang--The Brain of Orang 71

Wrist-bones of Orang 72

The Siamang 73

Skeleton of the Siamang 76

Group of Siamangs and Gibbons _To face page_ 77

The White-handed Gibbon 77

Skull of Hoolook 79

The Hoolook 80

The Wooyen Ape 81

The Agile Gibbon 82

Jaw of the Gibbon--Back of Jaw of the Agile Gibbon 83

Face of the Black-crested Monkey 85

The Negro Monkey 88

The Long-nosed Monkey 89

Young Long-nosed Monkey 90

Stomach of the Long-nosed Monkey 91

The Sumatra Monkey 92

The Douc 93

The Crowned Monkey 93

The Priamus Monkey 97

Colobus Verus 100

The Guereza 101

The Diana Monkey 104

Face of the Diana Monkey 105

The White-nosed Monkey 109

The Head and Shoulders of the Talapoin 110

The Gorilla _To face page_ 111

The Red-bellied Monkey 112

The Mangabey--The Foot and Hand of the Mangabey 113

The Common Macaque 116

The Toque 117

The Bhunder, and a Bonnet Monkey 120

The Moor Macaque 121

The Pig-tailed Macaque 124

The Magot 125

Wrist-bones of the Magot 126

Face of the Wanderoo 127

The Wanderoo 128

Cynocephalus 131

Judgment Scene from an Egyptian Monument 132

Baboons upon an Ant-hill 133

Brain of the Baboon 136

The Chimpanzee _To face page_ 137

View in Abyssinia 137

The Sacred Baboon 140

Young Hamadryas 141

A Village in Nubia 142

The Pig-tailed Baboon 145

Skull of the Chacma 147

Skull of the Anubis Baboon 149

The Anubis Baboon 152

The Common Baboon 153

The Mandrill 156

Young Mandrill 157

Skull of the Mandrill 158

The Drill 160

The Black Baboon 161

The Skeleton of the Mandrill 162

A Group of Howlers 165

Bones of the Tail of the Howler 167

Section of Head and of Air Sac of the Howler--Upper Part of Breast-bone and Collar-bones of the Howler--Brain of the Howler 168

Yellow-tailed Howler and Young 169

The Caparro 170

Group of Spider Monkeys _To face page_ 173

Brain of the Spider Monkey 173

Jaw of the Spider Monkey--Hand of the Spider Monkey 174

The Coaita 176

The Chameck 177

The Black and Variegated Spider Monkeys 179

The Hooded Spider Monkey 180

The Brown Capuchin 181

The Cai 184

The Callithrix Amictus 188

Arm-bone of Owl Monkey 189

The Red-footed Douroucouli 190

Brain of Monk 192

The Monk 193

The Couxio 194

The White-headed Saki 196

The Common Marmosets 197

Hand-bones of Marmoset--Foot-bones of Marmoset 198

Deville’s Midas 201

Skull of Marmoset 202

Head of the Black Howler 205

Young Orangs 209

Anubis Baboon _To face page_ 211

Lemuroids at Home in Madagascar 212

Head of Indris (Propithecus) Verrauxii, to show Lemuroid Nostrils 213

Eye of Lemuroid, showing Contraction and Dilatation of Pupil--Upper Surface Brain of Lemur Catta 214

Side View and Under Surface of the Tongue of a Lemuroid 215

Garnett’s Galago 216

Skull of Black Indris, showing Adult Dentition--Milk Dentition of Indris 219

The Diadem Indris and the Woolly Indris 220

The Black or Short-tailed Indris 221

The Weasel Lemur 224

The Grey or Broad-nosed Lemur 225

Ring-tailed Lemurs _To face page_ 227

The Mongoose Lemur, or Woolly Macaco 229

The Ruffed Lemur 230

Skeleton of the Ruffed Lemur 231

Head of the Black Lemur 232

The Forked-crowned Cheirogale 234

The Maholi Galago and the Senegal Galago 236

Ears of Maholi Galago, contracted and open 237

The Muscles and Tendons of the Tail of Grand Galago--Foot-bones of Grand, or Thick-tailed Galago 238

Monteiro’s Galago 239

Palm of Hand of Garnett’s Galago--Sole of Foot, with long heel, of Garnett’s Galago 240

The Potto in its Sleeping and Waking Attitudes 241

The Angwántibo 242

Hand and Foot of Arctocebus 243

The Slow Loris 244

Rete Mirabile--Slow Loris 245

The Slender Loris, showing its Attitudes and Habits 247

The Tarsius 249

The Aye-Aye 251

Forest Scene in Madagascar 253

Bones of the Hand and Foot of Aye-Aye 256

Skull of the Aye-Aye (side and front view) 257

Marsh Bat 258

Skeleton of the Mouse-coloured Bat 260

The Sternum of Flying Fox 261

Barbastelle Walking--Head of Long-eared Bat 263

Head of the Spectacled Vampire 264

Head of the Kalong 266

Fruit Bats of Ceylon at Home _To face page_ 267

Dentition of the Egyptian Fruit Bat 267

Representation of a Fruit Bat on an Egyptian Monument 269

Collared Fruit Bat with Young 270

Kalong 272

Head of the Maned Fruit Bat--Head of the Grey Fruit Bat 273

The Roussette 275

Head of the Margined Fruit Bat 276

The Hammer-headed Bat 277

Teeth of the Dwarf Long-tongued Fruit Bat 278

The Black-cheeked Fruit Bat 279

Hairs of Bats, Magnified 280

Head of the Greater Horseshoe Bat 281

The Greater Horseshoe Bat 282

Head of Lesser Horseshoe Bat 283

Head of the Mourning Horseshoe Bat 284

The Orange Bat 285

Head of the Male and Female Diadem Bat 286

Head of the Persian Trident Bat 287

Head of the Lyre Bat--Teeth of the Lyre Bat 288

Head of the Cordate Leaf Bat--Head of the African Megaderm 289

The African Megaderm--Head of the Desert Bat 290

The Desert Bat 291

Dentition of the Thick-legged Bat 292

British Bats at Home _To face page_ 293

Long-eared Bats in Flight 293

Long-eared Bat Sleeping 294

Head of Barbastelle 295

Ear and Head of Townsend’s Bat 296

Geoffroy’s Nyctophile 297

Pipistrelle in Flight 298

Head of Noctule 299

Head of Parti-coloured Bat 301

Head of Temminck’s Bat--Welwitsch’s Bat 303

New Zealand Bat 304

Head of Mouse-coloured Bat 305

Black and Orange Bat 307

Skull of Harpy Bat--Skull of Red Bat 309

Foot and Thumb of the Brown Pig Bat 311

Head of Straw-coloured Bat 312

Dentition of Striped Sack-winged Bat--Wing of Striped Sack-winged Bat, from below--Arm of Striped Sack-winged Bat, from above 313

The Mountain Bat 314

Skull of Tomb Bat--Dentition of Tomb Bat 315

Head of Male and Female Long-armed Bat--Head of Male and Female Black-bearded Bat--Skull of Rhinopome 316

Egyptian Rhinopome--Head of Great Hare-lipped Bat 317

Skull and Front Teeth of Cestoni’s Bat 318

Head of Cestoni’s Bat 319

Head of Collared Bat 321

The Collared Bat 322

Head of New Zealand Short-tailed Bat--Teeth of New Zealand Short-tailed Bat--Thumb and Foot of New Zealand Short-tailed Bat 323

The New Zealand Short-tailed Bat 324

Skull of Javelin Bat 325

Mouth of Spectacled Stenoderm--Head of Blainville’s Bat 328

Skull and Dentition of Blainville’s Bat--Blainville’s Bat 329

Head of Owl-faced Bat 330

Head of Javelin Bat--Head of Vampire Bat 331

Head of Soricine Bat 333

Redman’s Bat 334

Skull of Desmodus 338

Desmodus 339

Stomach of Desmodus--Stomach of Long-eared Bat--Stomach of Pteropus 340

Low’s Ptilocerque 342

Skeleton of Shrew--Dentition of Hedgehog 343

Hind Foot of Colugo--Bones of Hind Foot of Colugo 345

Lower Incisors of Colugo--Colugo 346

Skull of Colugo 347

Dentition of Ferruginous Bangsring--Tana, Golden-tailed Variety 348

Sole of Right Hind Foot of Elephant Shrew--Elephant Shrew 351

Sole of Right Hind Foot of Petrodrome--The Rhynchocyon 352

The Hedgehog 354

The Bulau 358

1. Tendrac; 2. Telfair’s Tendrac; 3. Tanrec _To face page_ 359

Dentition of Tanrec 359

The Agouta 362

Upper Jaw of West African River Shrew 363

Lower Jaw of West African River Shrew--The West African River Shrew 364

Skull of Golden Mole--Dentition of Golden Mole 365

Sternum of Golden Mole--Fore Foot of Golden Mole 366

The Common Mole 367

Dentition of Common Mole--Fore Limbs of Common Mole--Sternum of Common Mole 368

Mole’s Fortress 370

Side View of Snout of Star-nosed Mole--Front View of Snout of Star-nosed Mole 372

Dentition of Desman 375

1. Pigmy Shrew; 2. Common Shrew; 3 and 4. Water Shrew _To face page_ 377

Dentition of Common Shrew 377

Rat-tailed Shrew 379

INTRODUCTION.

The Natural History of Animals has always been a most interesting and instructive subject, and its popularity increases year after year. It is a branch of knowledge which is entertaining at every age, and it is a favourite study with men of every race and country, and of every intellectual capacity. All children delight in having their little tasks associated with pictures of animals, and the alphabet is learned all the more readily by its being illustrated with spirited drawings of household pets and the terrible creatures of the woods. The marvels of the intelligence of the dog and horse are inexhaustible sources of delight to young readers; and there are few greater pleasures than those which are felt when living animals, whose descriptions and habits have been the subject of instruction and amusement, are seen in some large menagerie or zoological gardens. On the whole, it is probable that few books are so interesting to young men and women as those which relate to animals, and it is their study which, in the majority of instances, leads to the desire for further knowledge of Natural History. The young student soon begins to yearn for information regarding the manner in which different creatures live; how some breathe air, how others live in water; how it is that some fly and others crawl; and he desires to connect the peculiar construction of animals with their method of life. Or he may be content with endeavouring to understand the names of animals, and the reasons why they are arranged or classified in a particular manner by scientific men.

As years roll on, if the interest in Natural History has not diminished, the man, with increasing intelligence and scope of reading, masters the knowledge desired in his youth, and has the opportunity, should he care to grasp it, of the highest intellectual enjoyment. He can enter into the consideration and discussion of the mysterious problems of life: of its origin; of the reasons why animals differ; why they are distributed here and there, or limited in their position in the world; what connection there may be between those of the past and of the present, and of the relation between the creation and the Creator.

Besides this, even should he not aim so high, the man who has had a slight training in Natural History often employs his knowledge for the benefit of art and commerce. How beautiful are the representations of animals on some old coins, how grotesque are those on others! Yet the most correct, and, therefore, the most beautiful, were the result of the careful study of Nature. What benefits to men have resulted from the production of certain breeds of horses, sheep, and oxen! But it has been the study of Nature, and of the laws of the powers of inheritance, which led to most of these results: and thus the practical man is dependent upon the student for his success.

Notwithstanding the interesting nature of the study of the Natural History of Animals, there is certainly more interest taken in it during early life than later on. As a rule, men have no time for it, or they find that, after gaining a certain amount of knowledge, they must study hard if further progress is to be made. Moreover, the vast amount of useless things which had to be learned at school and college have no relation to Natural History, except, perhaps, to convey erroneous ideas and to teach fables, so that this important science has generally to be begun in earnest after the usual education has been completed. When the determination has been made to learn the Natural History of Animals, the student will have to study two separate, yet inter-dependent, branches of knowledge, namely, Zoology and Comparative Anatomy: for the one considers the external shape, habits, distribution, and classification of animals, and the other refers to their internal construction, anatomy, and physiology, and the relation which the internal parts bear to the external in the scheme of classification. These studies are evidently inseparable.

Now, it is the fact that, owing to the importance of Comparative Anatomy to those who study the Anatomy of Man, it is much more frequently learned than simple Zoology. Comparative Anatomy is useful to the medical man, but Zoology is not, and therefore the majority of students whose previous education has led them up to Natural History care but little for the classificatory part. It is equally true that the names and the apparently complicated methods of expression used by zoologists deter most people from the study. If this is a correct view of the relation of the Natural History of Animals to our education, and to the advance of our intellectual culture, it is evident that there is a weak point in the method of the instruction of this charming science during that age when young people begin to inquire for more solid information. The story-book has been read, and the heavy work on Zoology and Comparative Anatomy is as yet sealed, and hence books are required in advance of the one which will lead up to the other; books which--whilst they entertain--instruct and convey, in simple language, the results of the best and latest scientific inquiries. This kind of literature should, moreover, be sufficiently meritorious to attract the general reader who may desire information in any particular portion of the Natural History of Animals.

The book of which this is the Preface has been written in order to obviate the difficulties which have been alluded to, and to form a useful and entertaining Natural History of Animals. It is the result of the work of several English naturalists--of men who have felt the want of such a book in their own studies, and who have had to encounter the difficulties which it is trusted that it will remove. Every endeavour has been made to explain the most interesting facts simply and correctly, and to unite the studies of Zoology and Comparative Anatomy. The anecdotes of the instinct and habits, and of the methods of the capture of animals, have been given so as to illustrate particular gifts and the actions of important organs and structures.

The plan of this Work is not to open with a classification of animals, the majority of whose names and shapes are entirely unknown to the reader, but to describe the shape, nature, and habits of groups of creatures, and then, when they have become familiar, to arrange and classify them. In a popular work it seems more desirable to proceed upon a plan of this kind, than to lead off with an introduction dealing with the nature and importance of Natural History studies, with the abstract ideas of classification, and with the explanation of the necessity of dividing the Animal kingdom according to the principles of Comparative Anatomy. For, obviously, such an introduction would to a large extent defeat the very objects with which this Work has been undertaken.

It is necessary, however, to make a few observations on what is termed classification and its nature. Animals are classified by their resemblances and differences. Those creatures which resemble each other more than others are grouped together, and are separated from dissimilar groups. The first act in classification is to distinguish one animal from others by differences in the shape and internal construction, and the second is to group together the beings whose differences are small. A kind or species is a letter of the Zoological Alphabet, and it is usually said to refer to beings which produce others like unto themselves. A genus is a group of species closely resembling each other; a word in zoological language made up of few or many letters of the alphabet. There may be few or many species in a genus, and whilst some of them very closely resemble each other, others are not quite so much alike; and these link on one genus to another. The notion of a genus is to include a number of kinds in a group which has a character given to it: that is to say, certain peculiarities of shape and of anatomy. It will be obvious that the genus is an artificial affair, and is necessary for the purpose of making science easy.

In order to explain this, look at a domestic cat, a lion, a tiger, a leopard, and a cheetah, and it will be observed that there are differences between them in shape and colour which cause them to be separated into distinct SPECIES. They all have some points of construction in common; and, therefore, they are classified together as five species of a GENUS--the genus _Felis_.

Then consider the figure and colour of a hyæna, and of a civet, and study their internal anatomy, and it will be found that although there are differences between them which are sufficient to necessitate the placing of the hyænas in one genus (_Hyæna_), and the civets (_Viverra_) in another; yet the genera are closely united or allied, in consequence of their possessing many similarities.

On comparing the genus _Felis_ with the genera _Hyæna_ and _Viverra_, it will be noticed that the last two resemble each other more than they do the first, and thus two FAMILIES are formed--one the _Felina_, to comprehend the genus _Felis_; and another the _Viverrina_, to include the genera of hyænas and the civets. But the slight resemblance between these families is sufficient to cause them to be grouped in an ORDER which is called Carnivora, or that of carnivorous beasts.

Again, the Monkeys and Sloths do not resemble each other in shape and internal construction sufficiently to be placed in the same order even, but they and the Carnivora, and many other animals, suckle their young. They may, therefore, be separated, in a classification, from other animals which fly and lay eggs, and do not suckle: as the birds. The Birds form one CLASS, and the Mammalia, or animals that suckle their young, form another. Other Classes are formed by the Reptiles, Amphibia, Fishes, etc.

All the animals of these numerous Classes have a back-bone; but if we examine a nautilus, a snail, a beetle, a worm, a coral, or an animalcule, nothing like an internal skeleton made up of bones, some of which are placed inside the back, can be discovered. Hence all the animals can be arranged into two SUB-KINGDOMS, those with and those without back-bones, or the Vertebrata and the Invertebrata. (The name _vertebrata_ is taken from the Latin word _vertebra_, which means a turning-joint in the body, or a back-bone.) Those are the sub-kingdoms of the animal KINGDOM, which is so called in contradistinction to the _kingdom_ of plants.

It must be remembered, however, that the best classification is but an attempt of a finite understanding to arrange the infinitely variable things of Nature. It is but an artificial and arbitrary arrangement which is necessary for study: for were the whole truth before us, there would be no classification which would depend on marked differences in shape and internal construction. Were the figures and anatomy of every animal that has lived, and of every creature which is now living on the globe, placed before us, the gaps which enable one genus to be separated from another would be filled up, and even species would cease to be distinguished. But, in spite of the artificial nature of the classifications, there is this to be said of them: that they give some faint indications of the philosophy of creation. The differences and resemblances of animals relate to structures of the body which have been inherited from creatures that lived in the remote past; and we glean this when it is known that the young unborn of one genus resembles the old and fully-formed creatures of kinds belonging to other classes which preceded it in the history of the globe, and when it is shown by the microscope that some of the parts of the bodies of the most insignificant animals of the invertebrate sub-kingdom resemble those of the most gifted of animals.

A classification thus opens out a little of the scheme of Nature, and it proves that the resemblances and differences of animals are not matters of chance, but that there is a law which has produced them. Such a law, yet perhaps not fully comprehended, is Man’s idea of the action of the will of the Divine Creator.

CASSELL’S NATURAL HISTORY.

CLASS MAMMALIA.

ORDER I.--QUADRUMANA.--THE APES AND MONKEYS.