ALBERT R. MANN LIBRARY AT CORNELL UNIVERSITY THE GIFT OF Marvina Trussell \ "S'^'Hr^- -=;y Mi Copyright, 1917, by The University Society Inc. Ijrlyon ftLBANV NtWTORR CONTENTS MAMMALS OF OTHER LANDS PAGES Apes, Monkeys, and Lemurs . . . . 1 The Cat Tribe ... 33 The Fossa, Civets, and Ichneumons 74 The Hy/Snas and Aard-Wolf 80 The Dog Family 83 The Bears 109 The Smaller Carnivora 115 Marine Carnivora: The Seals, Sea Lion, and Walrus . 120 The Rodents, or Gnawing Animals 130 The Bats and Insect-Eating Mammals 143 The Elephant, Tapir, Hyrax, and Rhinoceros 150 The Horse Tribe 167 The Hollow-Horned Ruminants: Oxen, Bison, Buffaloes, and Musk-Oxen . . 185 The Sheep and Goats 196 The Antelopes 213 The Giraffe and Okapi 238 The Deer Tribe 245 The Camel Tribe and the Chevrotains 266 The Pig and Hippopotamus 274 The Dugong, Manatees, Whales, Porpoises, and Dolphins 291 Sloths, Ant-Eaters, and Armadillos 300 Marsupials and Monotremes 308 PREFACE HE concluding sections of this Library, dealing with animals of other lands, are not entirely new, but are revised reprints of an earlier successful work, " The Living Animals of the World." The chief change made in this text has been to eliminate, so far as possible, references to American birds and mammals. Some cutting down in' other directions was also necessary, with the result that the cream of five large volumes is here given in two volumes, and none of the matter duplicates what has gone before. The publishers feel justified in retaining this material from the fact that it has been widely sold and commended in its former shape It contains what is believed to be the finest portrait gallery of wild animals ever collected in the covers of one work. From every page they greet the reader, life and action showing in each pose. The materials, in respect to both pictures and text, have been gathered from the whole world, and represent the latest studies, much of which has never been poptilarly published heretofore. Specialists of distinction and renowned scientific travelers have contributed photographs and field-notes, often from remote regions where alone many of the most rare and interesting animals may be found. These unique con- tributions come from the most distant islands of the Southern Ocean, the deserts and coral reefs of Australia, the New Zealand hills, the Indian jungle, the African forest and veldt, and the wilds of tropical and South America. Wherever it has not been possible to get really good pictures of wild creatures in their native haunts, living examples have been sought in the great Zoological Gardens of the world — London, Berlin, Antwerp, Florence, New York, Calcutta, and Sydney. It is one of the most important functions of out-door photography, to-day, to preserve for posterity a record of passing conditions and of diminishing species; and a work like the present is of permanent interest, and will increase in historical and bibliographical value as time goes on. Such a book, covering in an entertaining style the whole range of zoology, carefully pj-epared by men of exact knowledge, yet avoiding technicalities, and wholly illustrated by precise reproductions of photographs, many in life colors, is not only novel and beautiftil but is also of high value as an educator; and it would seem to be as indispensable a part of the library of every family and school-room as is the dictionary or yearbook, since by its aid all reading may be illuminated, and perchance corrected, and the whole view of nature enlightened and enlarged. The editors have had the assistance of the most eminent authorities in other lands. Mr. F. C. Selous deals with the African Lion and the Elephants, with which he has had thrilling experiences ; and other sportsmen treat of other game animals of the Dark Continent. To Mr. W. Saville-Kent, author of " The Great Barrier Reef," has been assigned the Marsupials of Australia, and also the Reptiles generally. Sir Herbert E. Maxwell writes on the Salmon family, and so on ; while Dr. Richard Lydekker, Dr. R. Bower Sharpe, Mr. F. W. Kirby, and other specialists are editorial advisers in regard to the branches in which they stand as authorities [v] Photo by G. W. ff^ilson & Ce.^ Ltd.'] dinger [^Aberdeen A YOUNG CHIMPANZEE Pleasure Fear Mammals of Other Lands CHAPTER I APES, MONKEYS, AND LEMURS THE MAN-LIKE APES O' Phmo hj FrattlU Atinari, Fhrinci ARABIAN BABOON The Chimpanzee F all the great apes the Chimpanzee most closely ap- proaches man in bodily structure and appearance, although in height it is less near the human standard than the gorilla, 5 feet being probably that of an adult male. Several races of this ape are known, among them the True Chimpanzee and the Bald Chimpanzee. The varieties also include the Kulo-kamba, described by Du Chaillu, and the Soko, discovered by Livingstone, who confounded it with the gorilla. But the varia- tions in neither of these are sufficiently important to justify their being ranked as species. The first authentic mention of the chimpanzee is found in " The Strange Adventures of Andrew Battell," an English sailor taken prisoner by the Portuguese in 1590, who lived eighteen years near Angola. He speaks of two apes, the Pongo and the Enjocko, of which the former is the gorilla, the latter the chimpanzee. The animal was first seen in Europe in 1 641, and described scientifically fifty-eight years later, but we are indebted THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD to Dr. Savage, a missionary, for our first account of its habits, in 1847. The chimpanzee, Hke the gorilla, is found only in Africa. The range includes West and Central Equatorial Africa, from the Gambia in the north to near Angola in the south, while it oc- curs in the Niam-Niam country to the northwest of the great lakes, and has been discovered recently in Uganda. The new Uganda Railway, which will open out the great lakes to the east, will bring many travelers well within reach of the nearest haunv of these great apes. It is on the likeness and difference of their form and shape to those of man that the attention of the world has been mainly fixed. The chimpanzee is a heavily built animal, with chest and arms of great power. The male is slightly taller than the female. The crown is depressed, the chin receding, the ridges which over- hang the eye-sockets more prom- inent than in man, less so than in the gorilla. The nose has a short bridge, and a flat extremity. The ear is large, and less human than that of the gorilla. The hands and feet are. comparatively long ; the digits are, except the thumb and great toe, joined by a web. The arms are short for an ape, reaching only to the knees. The teeth are similar to those of man, and the canines of only moderate size. The chimpanzee has thirteen pairs of ribs, and, like man, has a suggestion at the end of the vertebrae of a rudimentary tail. It walks on all-fours, with the backs of its closed fingers on the ground, and can only stand upright by clasping its hands above its head. The skin is of a reddish or brown flesh-colour, the hair black with white patches on the lower part of the face. The bald chimpanzee has the top, front, and sides of the face bare, exceedingly large ears, thick lips, and black or brown hands and feet. The chimpanzee's natural home is the thick forest, where tropical vegetation ensures almost total gloom. But near Loango it frequents the mountains near the coast. It is a fruit-feeding animal, said to do much damage to plantations, but the bald race, at all events in captivity, takes readily to flesh, and the famous " Sally " which lived in the Zoo for over six years used to kill and eat pigeons, and caught and killed rats. The male chimpanzee builds a nest in a tree for his family, and sleeps under its shelter ; when food becomes scarce in the vicinity, a move is made, and a new nest built. This ape lives either in separate families or communities not exceedinp ten in number, and is monogamous. As to the animal's courage, it is difficult to get accurate information, as the sins of the FhtU by Schoiaslic t'htSt. Ci:.'\ [farian'i Grim "JENNY," THE WELL-KNOWN CHIMPANZEE A VERY CHARACTERISTIC POSE In this picture the rounded ear^ human-like lurinkle: on the forehead^ and length of the toes should be noted APES, MONKEYS, AND LEMURS 3 goFilla and baboon have often been laid on its shoulders, and information derived from natives is usually untrustworthy. Apparently the chimpanzee avoids coming into collision with man, although, when attacked, it is a formidable antagonist. Tales of chimpanzees kidnapping women and children need stronger evidence than they have yet obtained. The natives kill this ape by spearing it in the back, or by driving it into nets, where it is entangled and easily dispatched. According to Livingstone, the Soko, as the chim.panzee is called in East Central Africa, kills the leopard by biting its paws, but falls an easy prey to the lion. In captivity it is docile and inteUigent, but usually fails to stand a northern climate for more than a few months. It is easily taught to wear clothes, to eat &nd drink in civilised fashion, to understand what is said to it, and reply with a limij;ed vocabulary of grunts. Sally learnt to count perfectly up to six, and less perfectly to ten ; she could also distinguish white from any colour, but if other colours were presented her she failed, apparently from colour-blindness. Of this ape the late Dr. G. J. Romanes wrote with something more than the enthusiasm of a clever man pursuing a favourite theme : " Her intelligence was conspicuously displayed by the remark- able degree in which she was able to understand the meaning of spoken lan- guage — a degree fully equal to that pre- sented by an infant a few months before emerging from infancy, and therefore higher than that which is presented by any brute, so far at least as I have evidence to show." Romanes here speaks only, be it noticed, of ability to understand human speech — -not to think and act But this is in itself a great mark of intelligence on human lines. " Having enhsted the cooperation of the keepers, I requested them to ask the ape repeatedly for one straw, two straws, three straws. These she was to pick up and hand out from among the Utter of her cage. No constant order was to be observed in making these requests ; but whenever she handed a number not asked for her offer was to be refused, while if she gave the proper number her offer was to be accepted, and she was to re- ceive a piece of fruit in payment. In this way the ape had learnt to associate these three numbers with the names. As soon as the animal understood what was required, she never failed to give the number of straws asked for. Her education was then completed in a similar manner from three to four, and from four to five straws. Sally rarely made mistakes up to that number ; but above five, and up to ten, to which one of the keepers endeavoured to advance her education, the result is uncertain. It is PhuU hy G. W. Wilson Sg Co., £«/.] A YOUNG CHIMPANZEE This excellent photograph, by Major Nott, F.Z.S., is particularly good, as showing the manner in -which these animals use their hands and feet THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD evident that she understands the words seven, eight, nine, and ten to betoken numbers highei than those below them. When she was asked for any number above six, she always gave some number over six and under ten She sometimes doubled over a straw to make it present two ends, and was supposed (thus) to hasten the attainment of her task." By no means all the chimpanzees are so patient as Sally. One kept in the Zoological Gardens for some time made an incessant noise by stamping on the back of the box in which it was confined. It struck this with the flat of its foot while hanging to the cross-bar or perch, and made a prodigious din. This seems to bear out the stories of chimpanzees assembling and drumming on logs in the Central African forests. The Gorilla The name of this enormous ape "has been known since 450 b. c. Hanno the Cartha- ginian, when off Sierra Leone, met with wild men and women whom the interpreter called Gorillas. The males escaped and flung stones from the rocks,, but several females. were These animals could not have been gorillas, but, were probably baboons. Andrew He says it is like a photo bj A. S. Rudtand fe* Sons HEAD OF MALE GORILLA This is a photograph of one of the first gorillas enitr brought to England. It ivas sent by the famous M. du Chaillu captured. Battell, already mentioned, described the gorilla under the name of Pongo. man, but without understanding even to put a log on a fire ; it kills Negroes, and drives off the elephant with clubs ; it is never taken alive, but its young are killed with poisoned arrows ; it covers its dead with boughs. Dr. Savage described it in 1847. Later Du Chaillu visited its haunts, and his well-known book relates how he met and killed several specimens. But Mr. Winwood Reade, who also went in quest of it, declared that Du Chaillu, like himself, never saw a live gorilla. Von Koppenfels, however, saw a family of four feeding, besides shooting others. The late Miss Kingsley met several, one of which was killed by her elephant-men. The gorilla has a limited range, extending from 2° north to 5° south latitude in West Africa, a moist overgrown region including the mouth of the Gaboon River. How far east it is found is uncertain, but it is known in the Sierra del Cristal. In 1851-52 it was seen in considerable numbers on the coast. The Gorilla is the largest, strongest, and most formidable of the Primates. An adult male is from 5 feet 8 inches to 6 feet high, heavily built, with arms and chest of extraordinary power. The arms reach to the middle of the legs. The hands are clumsy, the thumb short, and the fingers joined by a web. The neck scarcely exists. The leg has a slight calf. The toes are stumpy and thick ; the great toe moves hke a thumb. The head is large and receding, with enormous ridges above the eyes, which give it a diabolical appearance. The canine teeth are developed into huge tusks. The nose has a long bridge, and the nostrils look downwards. The ear is small and man-like. In colour the gorilla varies from deep black to iron-gray, with a reddish tinge on the head ; old animals become grizzled. The outer hair is ringed gray and brown ; beneath it is a woolly growth. The female is smaller — not exceeding 4 feet 6 inches — and less hideous, as the canines By l^cniiisslon of Hcrr L'mhiiill. THE LARGEST GORILLA EVER CAPTURED. This huge ape, 5 feet 5 inches high, measures a distance of o\er S feet from finger to finger. APES, MONKEYS, AND LEMURS are much smaller, and the ridges above the eyes are not noticeable, a feature common also to the young. Timid, superstitious natives and credulous or untrustworthy travelers have left still wrapped in mystery many of the habits of this mighty ape, whose fever-stricken, forest-clad haunts render investigation always difficult, often impossible. Many tales of its ferocity and strength are obviously untrue, but we think that too much has been disbelieved. That a huge arm descends from a tree, draws up and chokes the wayfarer, must be false, for intelligent natives have con- fessed to knowing no instance of the gorilla attacking man. That it vanquishes the leopard is probable ; that it has driven the lion from its haunts requires proof. Nor can we accept tales of the carrying off of Negro women ; and the defeat of the elephants, too, must be considered a fiction. But we must believe that this ape, if provoked or wounded, is a terrible foe, capable of rip- ping, open a man with one. stroke of its paw, or of cracking the skull of a hunter as easily as a squirrel cracks a nut. There is a tale of a tribe that kept an enormous gorilla as Executioner, which tore its victims to pieces, until an Englishman, doomed to meet it, noticing a large swell- ing near its ribs, killed it with a heavy blow or two on the weak spot. Gorillas live mainly in the trees on whose fruit they subsist ; they construct a shelter in the lower boughs for the family, and as a lying-in place for the female. The male is said to sleep below, with his back against) the tree — a favourite attitude with both sexes — to keep off leopards. On the ground it moves on all-fours, with a curious swinging action, caused by putting its hands with fingers extended on the ground, and bringing its body forward by a half-jump. Having a heel, it can stand better than ;other apes; but this attitude is not common, and Du Chaillu appears to have been. mistaken when he de- scribes the gorilla as attacking upright. In captivity only immature speci- mens have been seen— Bai-rium's great ape being one of the larger forms of chimpanzee. Accounts vary as to the temper of the gorilla, sorne describing it as untamable, while others say it is docile and playful when young. There is a wonderful tale that a gorilla oyer 6 feet high was captured near Tanganyika, but nothing more has reached us about it. When enraged, a gorilla beats its breast, as the writer was informed by a keeper, who thus confirmed Du Chaillu's account. Its usual voice is a grunt, which, when the animal is excited, becomes a roar. The Orang-utan This great red ape was mentioned by Linnaeus in 1766, and at the begin- ning of the last century a specinlen living in the Prince of Orange's col- lection was described by Vosmaer. There are three varieties of the Orang, called by the Dyaks Mias- By fermission of Herr Omlauff^ A MALE GORILLA \^Hamburg This photograph of the largest gorilla knoivn ivas taken immediately after death by Herr Paschen at Yaunde^ and gi'ves an excellent idea of the size of these ani- mals as compared 'with Negroes. The animal iveighed ^oo lbs. THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD PAPPAN, MiAS-RAMBi, and MiAS-KASSu, the third of which is smaller, has no cheek-excrescences, and very large teeth. Some naturalists recognise a pale and a dark race. Most of our information is due to Raja Brooke and Dr. Wallace. The species is confined to Borneo and Sumatra, but fossils have been found in India of this genus, as well as of a chim- panzee. The orang is less man-like than the chimpanzee and gorilla. In height the male varies from 3 feet lo inches to 4 feet 6 inches, the female being a few inches shorter. It is a heavy creature, with large head — often a foot in breadth — thick neck, powerful arms, which reach nearly to the ankles, and protuberant abdomen. Its legs are short and bowed. The forehead is high, the nose fairly large, the ears very human. The throat is ornamented with large pouches, and there are often callosities on the cheeks. The fingers are webbed, the thumb small, the foot long and narrow, the great toe ' small and often without a nail. The brain is man like, and the ribs agree in number with those of man ; but there are nine bones in the wrist, whereas man, the gorilla, and the chimpanzee have but eight. The canine teeth are enormous in the male. The hair, a foot or more long on the shoulders and thighs, is yellowish red : there is a slight beard. The skin is gray or brown, and often, in adults, black. The orang is entirely a tree-living animal, and is only found in moist districts where there is much virgin forest. On the ground it progresses clumsily on all-fours, using its arms as crutches, and with the side only of its feet on the ground. In trees it travels deliberately but with perfect ease, swinging along under- neath the branches, although it also walks along them semi-erect. It lives alone with mate and young, and builds a sleeping place sufficiently low to avoid the wind. Its food is leaves and fruit, especially the durian ; its feeding-time, midday. No animal molests the mias save — so say the Dyaks — the python and crocodile, both of which it kills by tearing with its hands. It never attacks man, but has been known to bite savagely when brought to bay, and it is very tenacious of life, one being found by Mr. Wallace still alive after a fall from a tree, when " both legs had been broken, its hip-joint and the root of the spine shattered, and two bullets flattened in neck and jaws." In captivity young orangs are playful and docile, but passionate. Less intelligent than chimpanzees, they may be taught to eat and drink nicely, and to obey simple commands. One in the Zoo at present has acquired the rudiments of drill. They will eat meat and ego-s and drink wine, beer, spirits, and tea. An orang described years ago by Dr. Clarke Abel was allowed 'J-^- Photo by Ottomar ^nschtitx,'] YOUNG ORANG-UTANS CBgrlin It •will be seen here, from the profile, that the young anthropoid ape has only the upper part of the head at all approaching the human type 8 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD the run of the ship on the voyage to England, and would play with the sailors in the rigging. When refused food he pretended to commit suicide, and rushed over the side, only to be found under the chains. The orang is the least interesting of the three great apes ; he lacks the power and brutality of the gorilla and the intelligence of the chimpanzee. " The orang," said its keeper to the writer, " is a buffoon ; the chimpanzee, a gentleman." It is worth remark that, although all these apes soon die in menageries, in Calcutta, where they are kept in the open, orangs thrive well. The Gibbons Next after the great apes in man-like 'characters come a few long-armed, tailless apes, known as the Gibbons. Like the orang-utan, they live in the great tropical forests of Asia, especially Photo by Ottomar AnichUtx} ^Berlin TWO BABY ORANG-UTANS. THE TUG-OF-WAR the Indian Archipelago ; like the latter, they are gentle, affectionate creatures ; and they have also a natural affection for man. But it is in mind and temperament, rather than in skeleton, that the links and differences between men and monkeys must be sought. It will be found that these forest apes differ from other animals and from the true monkeys mainly in this — that they are predisposed to be friendly to man and to obey him, and that they have no bias towards mis- chief, or " monkey tricks." They are thoughtful, well behaved, and sedate. The SiAMANG, one of the largest of the long-armed, tailless gibbons, lives in the Malay Archipelago. The arms of a specimen only 3 feet high measured S feet 6 inches across. This, like all the gibbons, makes its way from tree to tree mainly by swinging itself by its arms. But the siamang can wa/k upright and run. One kept on board ship would walk down the cabin breakfast-table without upsetting the china. The White-handed Gibbon is found in Tenasserini, APES, MONKEYS, AND LEMURS southwest of Burma. This ape has a musical howl, which the whole flock utters in the early mornings on the tree-tops. In Northern India, in the hills beyond the Brahmaputra, lives another gibbon, the HuLOCK. One of these kept in captivity soon learnt to eat properly at meals, and to drink out of a cup, instead of dipping his fingers in the tea and milk and then suck- ing them. The Silvery Gibbon kept at the Zoological Gardens was a most amiable pet, and had all the agility of the other gibbons. It is very seldom seen in this country, being a native of Java, where it is said to show the most astonishing activity among the tall cane-groves. One of the first ever brought to England belonged to the great Lord Clive. The Agile Gibbon is another and darker ape of this group. The hst of the man-like ape closes with this group. All the gibbons are highly specialised for tree-climbing and an entirely arboreal life ; but it is undeniable that, apart from the modifications necessary for this, such as the abnormal length of the arms, the skeleton closely resembles none of these apes show any remarkable so simple a way, by plucking fruits and photo by Yori <5^ Son\ HULOCK GIBBON 'he great length of arm in comparison ivitfi the body and head should here be noted photo bf rork Sf Son] [Notting Hill WHITE-HANDED GIBBON This gibbon is found in the forests of the Malay Archipelago that of the human being. In their habits, when wild, degree of intelligence ; but their living is gained in leaves, that there is nothing in their surroundings to stimulate thought. They do not need even to think of a time of famine or winter, or to lay up a stock of food for such a season, because they live in the forests under the Equator. MONKEYS The Dog-shaped Monkeys After the gibbons come a vast number of monkeys of every conceiv- able size, shape, and variety, which naturalists have arranged in consecutive order with fair success Until we reach the Baboons, and go on to the South American Monkeys and the Lemurs, it is not easy to give any idea of what these monkeys do or look like merely by referring to their scientific groups. The usual order of natural histories will here be followed, and the descriptions will, so far as possible, present the INolling mil lO THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD habits and appearance of the monkeys specially noticed. This great family of true monkeys contains- the Sacred Monkeys, or Langurs, of India, the Guerezas and Guenons of Africa, the Mangabeys, Macaques, and Baboons. Most of them have naked, hard patches of skin on the hindquarters, and the partition be- tween the nostrils is narrow. Some have tails, some none, and they exhibit the most astonishing dif- ferences of size and shape. Per- haps the most grotesque and astonishing of them all is the Proboscis Monkey. It is allied to the langurs, and is a native of the island of Borneo, to which it is confined ; its home is the west bank of the Sarawak River. It is an arboreal creature, living in small companies. Mr. Hose, who saw them in their native haunts, i says that the proboscis monkeys kept in the trees overhanging the river, and were most difficult to shoot. " I saw altogether about 150 of these monkeys, and without a single exception all were in trees over the water, either lake, river, or in submerged forest. As long as they are in sight, they are very conspicuous objects, choosing the most commanding positions on open tree-tops. Once I saw thirteen in one tree, sitting lazily on the branches, as is their habit, sunning them- selves, and enjoying the scenery." They are very striking animals in colour, as well as in form. The face is cinnamon-brown, the sides marked with reddish brown and white, the belly white, the back red-brown and dark brown. Next to the orang-utan, these are the most striking monkeys in the Malay Archipelago. The greater number of the species intermediate between the gibbons and the New World species are called " Dog-shaped " Monkeys. We wonder why ? Only the baboon and a few others are in the least like dogs. The various Sacred Monkeys of India are often seen in this country, and are quite representative of the " miscellaneous " monkeys in general. Most of them have cheek-pouches, a useful monkey-pocket. They poke food into their pouches, which unfold to be filled, or lie flat when not wanted ; and with a pocketful of nuts or rice on either side of their faces, they can scream, eat, bite, or scold quite comfortably, which they could not do with their mouths full. The pouchless monkeys have only their big stomachs to rely on. The Entellus Monkey is the most sacred of all in India. It is gray above and nutty brown below, long-legged and active, a thief and an impudent robber. In one of the Indian cities they became such a nuisance that the faithful determined to catch and send away some hundreds. This was done, and the holy monkeys were deported in covered carts, and released many miles off But the monkeys were too clever. Having thoroughly enjoyed their ride, they all refused to part with the carts, and, hopping and grimacing, came leaping all the way back beside them to the city, grateful for their outing. One city obtained leave to kill the monkeys ; Phm if A. S. Rudland S" Sens HEAD OF j4 nati've of Borneo. PROBOSCIS MONKEY Next to the orang-utarij the most striding monkey in the Malay Archipelago APES, MONKEYS, AND LEMURS 1 1 but the next city then sued them for " killing their deceased ancestors." In these monkey- infested cities, if one man wishes to spite another, he throws a few handfuls of rice on to the roof of his house about the rainy season. The monkeys come, find the rice, and quietly lift off many of the tiles and throw them away, seeking more rice in the interstices. This is not the monkey commonly seen in the hills and at Simla. The large long-tailed monkey there is the Himalayan Langur, one of the common animals of the hills. " The langur," says Mr. Lockwood Kipling in his " Beast and Man in India," " is, in his way, a king of the jungle, nor is he often met with in captivity. In some parts of India troops of langurs come bounding with a mighty air of interest and curiosity to look at passing trains, their long tails Phots by A. S. Rudland & Sons CROSS-BEARING LANGUR AND YOUNG ^forest monkey of Borneo lifted like notes of interrogation ; but frequently, when fairly perched on a wall or tree alongside, they seem to forget all about it, and avert their heads with an affectation of languid indifference." In India no distinction is made between monkeys. It is an abominable act of sacrilege to kill one of any kind. In the streets holy bulls, calves, parrakeets, sparrows, and monkeys all rob the shops. One monkey-ridden municipality sent off its inconvenient but holy guests by rail, advising the station-master to let them loose at the place to which they were consigned. The station, Saharanpur, was a kind of Indian Chicago, and the monkeys got into the engine-sheds and workshops among the driving-wheels and bands. One got in the double roof of an inspection- 12 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD car, and thence stole mutton, corkscrews, camp-glasses, and dusters. Among many other inter- esting and correct monkey stories of Mr. Kipling's is the following : " The chief confectioner of Simla had prepared a most splendid bride-cake, which was safely put by in a locked room, that, like most back rooms in Simla, looked out on the mountainside. It is little use locking the door when the window is left open. When they came to fetch the bride-cake, the last piece of it was being handed out of the window by a chain of monkeys, who whitened the hillside with its fragments." From India to Ceylon is no great way, yet in the latter island different monkeys are found. The two best known are the White-bearded Wanderoo Monkey and the' Great Wanderoo. Both are grave, well-behaved monkeys. The former has white whiskers and a white beard, and looks so wise he is called in Latin Nestor, after the ancient counsellor of the Greeks. Nice, clean little monkeys are these, and pretty pets. The great wanderoo is rarer. It lives in the hills. " A flock of them," says Mr. Dallas, " will take possession of a palm-grove, and so well can they conceal themselves in the leaves that the whole party become invisible. The presence of a dog excites their irresistible curiosity, and in order to watch his movements they never fail to betray themselves. They may be seen congregated on the roof of a native hut. Some years ago the child of a European clergyman, having been left on the ground by a nurse, was bitten and teased to death by them. These monkeys have only one wife." Near relatives of the langurs are the two species of Snub-nosed Monkeys, one of which (see figure on page 1 8) inhabits Eastern Tibet and Northwestern China, and the other the valley of the Mekong. Fhotn ^? A. S, Rudland & Sont MALE HIMALAYAN LANGUR A king of the jungiij not often met ivith in captivity The Guerezas and Guenons Among the ordinary monkeys of the Old World are some with very striking hair and colours. The Guereza of Abyssinia has bright white and black fur, with long white fringes on the sides. This is the black-and-white skin fastened by the Abyssinians to their shields, and, if we are not wrong, by the Kaffirs also. Among the Guenons, a large tribe of monkeys living in the African forests, many of which find their way here as "organ monkeys," is the Diana, a most beautiful creature, living on the Guinea Coast. It has a white crescent on its forehead, bluish- gray fur, a white beard, and a patch of brilliant chestnut on the back, the belly white and orange. A lady, Mrs. Bowditch, gives the following account of a Diana monkey on board ship. It jumped on to her shoulder, stared into her face, and then made friends, seated itself on her knees, and carefully examined her GELADA BABOONS AT HOME This photorraph is probably unique, as a gelada baboon has been rarely seen. It shows them at home looking for food on the ground under the bamboos and palms. It ivas taken by Lord Delamere in the East African jungle ^3 A4 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD Pllote hy A. S. Rudland &= Seni MANTLED GUEREZA TAis group of monkeys supplies the '^monkey muffs'" once -very fashionable. The species "with white plumes is used to decorate the Kaffir shields hands. " He then tried to pull off my rings, when I gave him some biscuits, and making a bed for him with my hand- kerchief he then settled himself comfort- ably to sleep ; and from that moment we were sworn allies. When mischievous, he was often banished to a hen-coop. Much more effect was produced by taking him in sight of the panther, who always seemed most willing to devour him. On these occasions I held him by the tail before the cage ; but long before I reached it, knowing where he was going, he pre- tended to be dead. His eyes were closed quite fast, and every limb was as stiff as though there were no life in him. When taken away, he would open one eye a little, to see whereabouts he might be ; but if he caught sight of the panther's cage it was instantly closed, and he be- came as stiff as before." This monkey stole the men's knives, tools, and hand- kerchiefs, and even their caps, which he threw into the sea. He would carefully feed the parrots, chewing up biscuit and presenting them the bits ; and he caught another small monkey and painted it black ! Altogether, he must have enliv- ened the voyage. The Grivet Monkey, the Green Monkey, the Mona Monkey, and the Mangabey are other commonly seen African species. The Macaques The Macaques, of which there are many kinds, from the Rock of Gibraltar to far Japan, occupy the catalogue between the guenon and the baboon. The Common Macaque and many others have tails. Those of Japan, and some of those of China, notably the Tcheli Monkey, kept outside the monkey-house at the Zoo, and the Japanese Macaque, at the other entrance, are tailless, and much more like anthropoid apes. The TcheU monkey is large and powerful, but other macaques are of all sizes down to little creatures no bigger than a kitten. Some live in the hottest plains, others in the mountains. The Common Macaque, found in the Malay Archi- pelago, is a strong, medium-sized monkey. The Formosan Macaque is a rock-living creature ; those of Japan inhabit the pine-groves, and are fond of pelting any one who passes with stones and fir-cones. The BONNET Macaque is an amusing little beast, very fond of hugging and nursing others in captivity. The Bandar or Rl-IESUS MONKEY, a common species, also belongs to this group. But the most interesting to Europeans is the Magot, or Barbary Ape. It is the last monkey left in Europe. There it only lives on the Rock of Gibraltar. It was the monkey which Galen is said to have dissected, because he was not permitted to dissect a human body. These monkeys are carefully preserved upon the Rock. Formerly, when they were more com- APES, MONKEYS, AND LEMURS 15 Phmo by L. Midland, F.Z.S.'] DIANA MONKEY N(.-th Finthlfji One of the most gaiiy coloured monkeys of Africa The Baboons Far the most interesting of the apes in the wild state are the Baboons. Their dog- Hke heads (which in some are so large and hideous that they look like a cross between an ill-tempered dog and a pig), short bodies, enormously strong arms, and loud barking cry distinguish them from all other creatures. The greater number — for there are many kinds — live in the hot, dry, stony parts of Africa. They are familiar figures from the cHffs of Abyssinia to the Cape, where their bold and predatory bands still occupy Table Mountain. They are almost the only animals which the high-contracting Powers of Africa have resolved not to protect at any season, so mischievous are they to crops, and recently to the flocks. They kill the suckling lambs, and tear them to pieces for the sake of the milk contained in their bodies. One of the best-known baboons is the Chacma of South Africa. The old males grow to a great size, and are most formidable creatures. Naturally, they are very seldom caught ; but one very large one is in the Zoological Gardens, Regent's Park, at the time of writing. The keeper declares he would rather go into a lion's cage than into the den of this beast when angry. Its head is nearly one-third of its total length from nose to the root of the tail. Its jaw^power is immense, and its forearm looks as strong as Sandow's. mon, they were very mischievous. The fol- lowing story was told by Mr. Bidcup : " The apes of the Rock, led by one particular monkey, were always stealing from the kit of a certain regiment encamped there. At last the soldiers caught the leader, shaved his head and face, and turned him loose. His friends, who had been watching, received him with a shower of sticks and stones. In these desperate circumstances the ape sneaked back to his old enemies, the soldiers, with whom he remained." Lord Heathfield, a former Governor of the Rock, would never let them be hurt ; and on one occasion, when the Spaniards were attempting a surprise, the noise made by the apes gave notice of their attempt. Photo iy G. W. IVihon &= Co., Ltd.] BARBARY APE \.A beraeen The last of the European monkeys on this side of the Mediterranean.- andit is only found on the Rock of Gibraltar i6 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD Like all monkeys, this creature has the power of springing instantaneously from a sitting position ; and its bite would cripple anything from a man to a leopard. The chacmas live in companies in the kopjes, whence they descend to forage the mealie-grounds, river-beds, and bush. Thence they come down to steal fruit and pumpkins or corn, turn over the stones and catch beetles, or eat locusts. Their robbing expedi- tions are organised. Scouts keep a lookout, the females and young are put in the centre, and the retreat is pro- tected by the old males. Children in the Cape Colony are always warned not to go out when the baboons are near. When irritated — and they are very touchy in their tempers — the whole of the males will some- times charge and attack. The possibility of this is very unpleasant, and renders people cautious. Not many years ago a well-known sportsman was shooting in Somahland. On the other side of a rocky ravine was a troop of baboons of a species of which no examples were in the British Museum. Though he knew the danger, he was tempted to shoot and to secure a skin. At 200 yards he killed one dead, which the rest did not notice. Then he hit another and wounded it. The baboon screamed, and instantly the others sat up, saw the malefactor, and charged straight for him. Most fortunately, they had to scramble down the ravine and up again, by which time the sportsman and his servant had put such a distance between them, making " very good time over the flat," that the baboons contented themselves by barking defiance at them when they reached the level ground. They are the only mammals which thoroughly understand combination for defense as well as attack. But Brehm, the German traveler, gives a charming story of genuine courage and self-sacrifice shown by one. His hunting dogs gave chase to a troop which was retreating to some cliffs, and cut off a very young one, which ran up on to a rock, only just out of reach of the dogs. An old male baboon saw this, and came along to the rescue. Slowly and deliberately descended, crossed the open rhau b; C. Riid] RHESUS MONKEY ^ young specimen of the common Bengal monkey he descended, crossed the space, and stamping his hands on the ground, showing his teeth, and backed by the furious barks of the rest of the baboons, he discon- certed and cowed these savage dogs, climbed on to the rock, picked up the baby, and carried him back safely. If the dogs had attacked the old patriarch, his tribe would probably have helped him. Burchell, the naturalist after whom Burchell's zebra is named, let his dogs ctiase a troop. The baboons turned on them, killed one on the spot by biting through the great blood-vessels of the neck, and laid bare the ribs of Fhoto by A. S, Rudland dt' Sent RHESUS MONKEY AND SOOTY MANGABEY TAe sooty mangahey {to the right of the picture) is gentle and companionable, but petit- lant and active APES, MONKEYS, AND LEMURS / Photo hjt L Midland F Z i , North F n hley GREY-CHEEKED MANGABEY One of the small African monkeys Photo by A. S. Rudland &' S™i CHINESE MACAQUE This monkey li-ves in a climate as cold as ours another. The Cape Dutch in the Old Colony- would rather let their dogs bait a lion than a troop of baboons. The rescue of the infant chacma which Brehm saw himself is a remarka- ble, and indeed the most incontestable, instance of the exhibition of courage and self-sacri- fice by a male animal. If the baboons were not generally liable to become bad-tempered when they grow old, they could probably be trained to be among the most useful of animal helpers and servers ; but they are so formidable, and so uncertain in temper, that they are almost too dangerous for attempts at semi-domestication. When experiments have been made, they have had remarkable results. Le Vaillant, one of the early explorers in South Africa, had a chacma baboon which was a better watch than any of his dogs. It gave warning of any creature approaching the camp at night long before the dogs could hear or smell it. He took it out with him when he was shooting, and used to let it collect edible roots for him. The latest example of a trained baboon only died a few years ago. It belonged to a railway signalman at Uitenhage station, about 200 miles up-country from Port Elizabeth, in Cape Colony. The man had the misfortune to undergo an operation in which both his feet were amputated, after being crushed by the wheels of a train. Being an ingenious fellow, he taught his baboon, which was a full-grown one, to pull him along" the hne on a trolley to the " distant" signal. There the baboon stopped at the word of command, and the man would work the lever himself But in time he taught the baboon to do it, while he sat on the trolley, ready to help if any mistake were made. The chacmas have for relations a number of other baboons in the rocky parts of the Africai) Continent, most of which have almost the same habits, and are not very different in ap- pearance. Among them is the Gelada Baboon, a species very common in the rocky "highlands of Abyssinia ; another is the Anubis Baboon of the West Coast of Africa. The latter is numerous round the Photo bt rork &» Son. Notting Hill Portuguese Settlement of GRIVET MONKEY Angola. Whether the so- This is the small monkey commonly taken about ^^jj^j COMMON BaBOON of ivtth street-organs . tedii^fi". photo by A. S. Rudland &• Soni BONNET MONKEY, AND ARA- BIAN BABOON (ON THE kight) i8 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD the menageries is a separate species or only the young of some one of the above- mentioned is not very clear. But about another variety there can be no doubt. It has been separated from the rest since the days of the Pharaohs. It does not differ in habits from the other baboons, but inhabits the rocky parts of the Nile Valley. It appears in Egyptian mythology under the name of Thoth, and is constantly seen in the sculptures and hieroglyphs. Equally strong and far more repulsive are the two baboons of West Africa — the Drill and the Mandrill. As young specimens of these beasts are the only ones at all easily caught, and these nearly always [^North Finchle^ Pnott if L. Midland, F.Z.S.'] RHESUS MONKEYS nil f holograph h particularly interring. It -was actually taken hy another die whcn Cutting their SCCOnd tCCth whcn in monkey, -which fre^^ed the button of Mr. Medland's camera captivity, large adult mandrills are seldom seen in Europe. They grow to a great size, and are probably the most hideous of all beasts. The frightful hose, high cheek-bones, and pig-like eyes are the basis of the horrible heads of devils and goblins which Albert Diirer and other German or Dutch mediaeval painters sometimes put on canvas. Add to the figure the mis- placed bright colours — cobalt-blue on the cheeks, which are scarred, as if by a rake, with scarlet furrows, and scarlet on the but- tocks — and it will be admitted that nature has invested this massive, powerful, and ferocious baboon with a repulsiveness equaling in completeness the extremes of grace and beauty manifested in the roe-deer or the bird of paradise. The natives of Guinea and other parts of West Africa have consistent accounts that the mandrills have tried to carry off females and children. They live in troops like the chacmas, plunder the fields, and, like all baboons, spend much time on the ground walking on all-fours. When doing this, they are quite unlike any other creatures. They walk slowly, with the head bent downwards, like a person walking on hands and knees looking for a pin. With the right hand (usually) they turn over every stick and stone, looking for insects, scorpions, or snails, and these they seize and eat. The writer has seen Phiint bj/ A. S. Kudland &' Sont ORANGE SNUB-NOSED MONKEY This should be contrasted with the Proboscis Monkey APES, MONKEYS, AND LEMURS 19 baboons picking up sand, and straining it through their fingers, to see if there were ants in it. He has also seen one hold up sand in the palm of its hand, and blow the dust away with its breath, and then look again to see if anything edible were left. Mandrills kept in captivity until adult become very savage. One in Wombwell's menagerie killed another monkey and a beagle. Mr. Cross owned one which would sit in an armchair, smoke, and drink porter ; but these convivial accomplishments were accompanied by a most ferocious temper. One of the earliest accounts of the habits of the Abyssinian baboons was given by Ludolf in his " History of Ethiopia." It was translated into quaint, but excellent old English : " Of Apes," he says, " there are infinite flocks up and down in the mountains, a thousand and more together, and they leave no stone unturned. If they meet with one that two or three cannot lift they call for more aid, and all for the sake of the Worms that lye under, a sort of dyet which they relish exceedingly. They are very greedy after Emmets. So that having found an emmet hill, they Photo by Ottomar jinickiilsc] " Footing tht line. PIG-TAILED MONKEY Note hoiv the monkey uses its feet as hands luhen 'walking on a branch presently surround it, and laying their fore paws with the hollow downward upon the ant heap, as soon as the Emmets creep into their treacherous palms they lick 'em off, with great comfort to their stomachs. And there they will lye till there is not an Emmet left. They are also perni- cious to fruits and apples, and will destroy whole fields and gardens unless they be looked after. For they are very cunning, and will never venture in till the return of their spies, which they send always before, who, giving all information that it is safe, in they rush with their whole body and make a quick despatch. Therefore they go very quiet and silent to their prey ; and if their young ones chance to make a noise, they chastise them with their fists ; but if the coast is clear, then every one has a different noise to express his joy." Ludolf clearly means the baboons by this description. A more ancient story deals with Alexander's campaigns. He encamped on a mountain on which were numerous bands of monkeys (probably baboons). On the following morning the sentries saw what looked like troops coming to offer them battle. As they had just won a 20 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD victory, they were at a loss to guess who these new foes might be. The alarm was given, and the Macedonian troops set out in battle-array. Then through the rnorning mists they saw that the enemy was an immense troop of monkeys. Their prisoners, who knew what the alarm was caused by, made no small sport of the Macedonians. The Speech of Monkeys Something should be said of the alleged " speech of monkeys " which Professor Garner believed himself to have discovered. He rightly excluded mere sounds showing joy, desire, or sorrow from the faculty of speech, but claimed to have detected special words, one meaning " food," another " drink," another " give me that," another meaning " monkey," or an identification of a second animal or monkey.- He used a phonograph to keep permanent record of the sounds, and made an expe- dition to the West African forests in the hope that he might induce the large anthropoid apes to answer the sounds which are so often uttered by their kind in our menageries. The enterprise ended, as might have been expected, in failure. Nor was it in the least necessary to go and sit in a cage in an African forest in the hope of striking up an acquaint- ance with the native chimpanzees. The little Capuchin monkeys, whose voices and sounds he had ample opportunity of observing here, give sufficient material for trying experiments in the meaning of monkey sounds. The writer believes that it is highly probable that the cleverer monkeys have a great many notes or sounds which the others do understand, if only because they make the same under similar circumstances, otherwise they would not utter them. They are like the sounds which an intelligent but nearly dumb person might make. Also they have very sharp ears, and some of them can understand musical sounds, so far as to show a very marked attention to them. The following account of an experiment of this kind, when a violin was being played, is related in " Life at the Zoo " : " The Capuchin monkeys, the species selected by Professor Garner for his experiments in monkev language, showed the strangest and most amusing excitement. These pretty little creatures have very expressive and intelligent faces, and the play and mobility of their faces and voices while listening to the music were extraordinarily rapid. The three in the first cage at once rushed up into their box, and then all peeped out. chattering and excited. One by one they came down, and listened to the music with mtense curiosity, shrieking and making faces at a crescendo, shaking the wires angrily at a discord, anc^ photo by Ottomar Anichiitxi] CHACMA BABOON This photograph shoivs his attitude ivhen about to make an attack [Btrlln fl' Huts b) C. Riid] Ifishaw, N. B. A YOUNG MALE CHACMA BABOON Note tie frotruitwg tusk in tie upper jaw. A baboon atting in this position of rest can instantly leap six or seven feet, and inflict a dangerous bitii 22 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD Fhoto by A. S. Rudland &> Sons] HEAD OF MALE MANDRILL This is one of the most hideous of li'ving animals. The natives of West Africa hold it in greater dislike even than the large carni'vora, from the mischief it does to their crops trils, which are not mere slits human-looking rounded heads. PhoUby L. Midland, F.Z.S., North Flnchliy BROWN CAPUCHIN putting their heads almost upside-down in efforts at acute criticism at low and musical passages. Every change of note was marked by some alteration of expression in the faces of the excited little monkeys, and a series of discordant notes roused them to a passion of rage." At the same time a big baboon, chained up near, evidently disliked it. He walked off in the opposite direction to the farthest limits of his chain. The American Monkeys Mention of the Capuchins takes us to the whole group of the American Monkeys. Nearly all of these live in the tropical forests of Brazil, Guiana, Venezuela, and Mexico. They are all different from the Old World monkeys, and many are far more beautiful. The most attractive of the hardier kinds are the Capuchins ; but there are many kinds of rare and delicate little monkeys more beauti- ful than any squirrel, which would make the most delightful pets in the world, if they were not so delicate. To try to describe the Old World monkeys in separate groups from end to end is rather a hopeless task. But the American monkeys are more manageable by the puzzled amateur. Most of them have a broad and marked division between the nos- close together, but- like the nostrils of men. They also have Their noses are of the " cogitative " order, instead of being snouts or snubs with narrow openings in them ; and the whole face is in many ways human and intelligent. The Howler Monkeys, which utter the most hideous sounds ever heard in the forests, and the Spider Monkeys are the largest. The latter have the most wonderfully developed limbs and tails for catching and climbing of any living animals. As highly special- ised creatures are always interesting, visitors to any zoological garden will find The most intelligent of the common monkeys jt worth while tO Watch a of America. It uses many sounds to exfresr ., >. , emotions., and perhaps desires Spider monkey climbmg. rholo hy L. Midland, F.Z.S., North FinMt) DRILL Only less ugly than the Mandrill. Its habits art the same APES, MONKEYS, AND LEMURS 23 yhoto by A. S, Rudland d}= Sont RED HOWLER MONKEY Tie male possesses a most extraordinary voice just as it is always worth while to watch a great snake on the move. The tail is used as a fifth hand : the Indians of Brazil say they catch fish with it, which is not true. But if you watch a spider monkey moving from tree to tree, his limbs and tail move like the five fingers of a star-fish. Each of the extremities is as sensitive as a hand, far longer in proportion than an ordinary man's arm, and apparently able to work in- dependently of joints. The monkey can do so many things at once that no juggler can equal it. It will hold fruit in one hand, pick more with one foot, place food to the mouth with another hand, and walk and swing from branch to branch with the other foot and tail, all simultaneously. These monkeys have no visible thumb, though dissection shows that they have a rudimentary one ; but the limbs are so flexible that they can put one arm round behind their heads over on to the opposite shoulder, and brush the fur on their upper arm. The end of the tail seems always " feeling " the air or surroundings, and has hairs, thin and long, at the end, which aid it in knowing when it is near a leaf or branch. It is almost like the tentacle of some sea zoophyte. Gentle creatures, all of them, are these spider monkeys. One of them, of the species called Waita, when kept in captivity, wore the fur off its forehead by rubbing its long gaunt arms continually over its brow whenever it was scolded. The spider monkeys differ only in the degree of spidery slenderness in their limbs. In disposition they are always amiable, and in habits tree climbers and fruit-eaters. The Capuchins are, in the writer's opinion, the nicest of all monkeys. Many species are known, but all have the same round merry faces, bright eyes, pretty fur, and long tails. There is always a fair number at the Zoological Gardens. They are merry, but full of fads. One hates chil- dren and loves ladies ; another adores one or two other monkeys, and screams at the rest. All are fond of insects as well as of fruit. A friend of the writer kept one in a large house in Leicestershire. It was not very good-tempered, but most amusing, cHmbing up the blind-cord first, and catching and eating the flies on the window-panes most dexter- ously, always avoiding the wasps. This monkey was taught to put out a lighted paper (a useful accomphshment) by dashing its hands on to the burning part, or, if the paper were twisted up, by taking the unlighted end and beating the burning part on the ground ; and it was very fond of turning the leaves of any large book. This it did not only by vigorous use of both arms and hands, but by putting its head under too, and "heaving" the leaves over. In the private room behind the monkey- house at the Zoo there are always a number of the '' ' acts as a fifth hand A. S. Rudland &= Soni A SPIDER MONKEY This monkey is specially adapted for arboreal life. The tail 24- THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD Photo by ■ichoiastic Photo. Co,'] \_P anon'' s Green PATAS MONKEY Found in ff^est Africa. A large and brilliantly coloured sfeciei rare and delicate monkeys from America, which cannot stand the draughts of the outer house, Hke the Capuchins and spider monkeys. The greater number of these come from tropical- America. There, in the mighty forests, so lofty that no man can climb the trees, so dense that there is a kind of upper story on the interlaced tree-tops, where nearly all the birds and many mammals live without descending to earth, forests in which there is neither summer nor winter, but only the changes from hour to hour of the equatorial day, the exquisite Marmosets, whose fur looks like the plumage and whose twittering voices imitate the notes of birds, live and have their being. They are all much alike in shape, except that the Lion Marmoset's mane is like that of a little lion clad in floss silk ; and they all have sharp little claws, and feed on insects. The Pinche Marmoset from the Guiana forests has a face like a black Indian chief, with white plumes over his head and neck like those worn by a " brave" in full war-paint. Merchants who do business with Brazil very frequently import marmosets and the closely allied tamarins as presents for friends at home in England ; the Brazilians themselves like to have them as pets also ; so there is to some extent a trade demand for them. Among the most delicate of American monkeys are the OuKARis, which have somewhat human faces, exquisite soft fur, and are as gentle as most of these forest creatures. They seldom live long in captivity, a few months being as much as they will generally endure, even in Brazil. Perhaps the rarest of all is the white-haired Scarlet-faced Oukari. This monkey has long white hair from neck to tail, sandy whiskers, and a bright scarlet face. It lives in a district of partly flooded forest, and is only obtained by the Indians using blow-pipes and arrows dipped in very diluted urari poison. The White- headed Saki is a rare and very pretty little monkey of Brazil ; and there are a very large number of other species of this group v/hose names it would be mere weariness to mention. All these small monkeys are very quick and intelligent, while the rapidity of their movements, their ever-changing expres- sion, and sharp, eager cries heighten the idea of cleverness given by their general appearance. Other little imps of these forests are the Squirrel Monkeys. In the common species the face is like a little furry man's, its arms brilliant yellow (as if dipped in gamboge dye), the cheeks pink, and eyes black. In habits it is a quick-tempered, imperious little creature, carnivorous, and a great devourer of butterflies and beetles. The most beautiful and entertaining of all monkeys are Phola by C. R«W] WANDEROO ilVhhaw. N. B. MONKEY T/ie number of monkeys luhich ha-ve honine manes is large. The manes act as capes tc keep the dew andivet f*-om their chests and shoulderi. JPhoft br A, $» Rutland &» Sons COMMON SQUIRREL MONKEY The iguirrel monkeys have aft, bright-coloured fur, and long, hairy tails. They are found from Mexico to Paraguay 26 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD these New World species. No person clever at interpreting the ways of ani- mals would fail to consider them far more clever and sympathetic than the melancholy anthropoid apes, while for appearance they have no equals. Probably the most attractive monkey in Europe is a South American one now in the London Zoological Gardens. It was first mentioned to Europeans by Baron von Humboldt, who saw it in the cabin of an Indian on the Orinoco. These forest Indians of South America are gentle creatures themselves. Among other amiable qualities, they have a passion for keeping pets. One who worked for a friend of the writer, with others of his tribe, was asked what he would take in payment, which was given ^. mi- ^w,- .^^ mS^m ...-sicv ■-..^Sv"-» ^m ^v- ^>^^i* % 1 : ^v^i***^^! p «/••'-■'• ■'' fc:^^ J^^^ ^ M\ %^ r-'..,^f,f. ^1 1 f^v ' 1 4 ^^^K. %^ nrv^^^^i ^ 1 nrth FInMey This is the most popular monkey in captimty. He looks for all the world like a Negro, and hi.s a most beautiful, soft, woolly coat. He is very tame, and loves nothing better than being petted APES, MONKEYS, AND LEMURS 27 almost entirely wanting. Egoism, which is a sign of humam dementia, is a very leading characteristic of all monkeys. There is no doubt that the baboons might be trained to be useful animals if they always served one master. Le Vaillant and many other travelers have noted this. But they are too clever, and at the bottom too ill-tempered ever to be trust- worthy, even regarded as " watches," or to help in minor manual labour. Baboons would make an excellent substitute for dogs as used in Belgium for light draught; but no one could ever rely on their behaving themselves when their master's eye was elsewhere. Taken as a family, the monkeys are a feeble and by no means likeable race. They are "undeveloped" as a class, full of promise, but with no performance. THE LEMURS The South American monkeys, with their forms and fur, are followed by a beautiful and of creatures, called the Lemurs, with their Maholis, and Pottos. Their resemblance to their hands and feet. These are real and hands, with proper thumbs. The second always terminates in a long, sharp alist, who kept them as pets no- themselves with. Some of them sensitive disk, full of extra " Unlike the lively squirrels hiding-places till the tropicaL when they seek their but by ascending to the and again, at the iirst ap- the light in the recesses The Ring-tailed Lemur most of the race are the light seems to they turn over same inarticu- But at night they fly from so that the whether they ghosts of their FhoU hy Ottomar jinichutx] \_Berlin PIG-TAILED MONKEY CATCHING A FLY Jllost of the smaller monkeys, asivell as the baboons, are fond of eating insects. Beetles, ivhite ants, and flies are eagerly sought and devoured squirrel-like ^ interesting group cousins the Lorises, monkeys is mainly in very highly developed toe on the hind foot nearly claw. " Elia," the Indian natur- ticed that they used this to scratch have the finger-tips expanded into a nerves. Lemur means " ghost." and monkeys, they do not leave their darkness has fallen on the forest, food, not by descending to the ground, upper surface of the ocean of trees, proach of dawn, seek refuge from of some dark and hollow trunk. is as lively by day as night ; but entirely creatures of darkness that stupefy them. When wakened, like sleeping children, with the late cries and deep, uneasy sighs. most are astonishingly active; tree to tree, heard, but invisible ; natives of Madagascar doubt are not true leiiiures, the unquiet departed dead. Though the lemurs are here treated apart from the other animals of Madagascar, it will be obvious that they are a curious and abnormal tribe. This is true of most of the animals of that great island, which has a fauna differing both from that of the adjacent coast of Africa and from that of India or Australia. In the Fossa, a large representative of the Civets, it possesses a species absolutely unlike any other. The Aye-aye is also an abnormal creature. Nor must it be forgotten that Madagascar was until recently the home of some of the gigantic ground-living birds. But, after all, none of its inhabitants are more remarkable than its hosts of lemurs, some of which are to be met with in almost every coppice in the island. There are also many extinct kinds. Exquisite fur, soft and beautifully tinted, eyes of extraordinary size and colour (for the pupi) shuts up to a mere black line by day, and the rest of the eye shows like a polished stone of rich brown or yellow or marble gray), are the marks of most of the lemurs. But there are other lemur-like creatures, or "lemuroids," which, though endowed with the same lovely fur, like 28 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD Phdii, by L. Midland, F.Z.S.'] RING-TAILED LEMUR [Nurlh FinchUf This hmur is often kept as a domestic animal^ and allotted to run about the house like a cat softest moss, have no tails. The strangest of all are two creatures called the Slender LoRis and the Slow Loris. The slender loris, which has the ordinary furry coat of the lemurs, and no tail, moves on the branches exactly as does a chameleon. Each hand or foot is slowly raised, brought, forward, and set down again. The fingers then as slowly close on the branch till its grasp is secure. It is like a slow-working mechanical toy. Probably this is a habit, now instinctive, gained by ages of cautiously approaching insects. But the result is to give the impression that the creature is, almost an automaton. Madagascar is the main home of the lemurs, though some of the related animals are also found in Africa and in the East Indies. But the dense forests of the great island are full of these curious nocturnal beasts, of which there are so many varieties presenting very slight differences of form and habit, that naturalists have some difficulty in giving even a complete list of their species. Add to this that nearly all of them are intensely and entirely nocturnal, and the scarcity of data as to their habits is easily accounted for. When seen by us, their faces all lack expression — that is to say, the eyes, which mainly give expression, seem' entirely vacant and meaningless. But this is due to their special adaptation to seeing in the dark tropical night. By day the pupil of the eye almost disappears. If only we could also see in the dark, the eyes of the lemur might have as much expression as those of a faithful dog. The change which night makes in their general demeanour is simply miraculous. By day many of them are like hibernating animals, almost incapable of movement. When once the curtain of night has fallen, they are as active as squirrels, and as full of play as a family of kittens. The Ring-tailed Lemur is often kept as a pet, both in Madagascar and in the Mauritius. It is one of the very few which are diurnal in their habits. When in a hurry it jumps along, standing on its hind feet, like a little kangaroo, but holding its tail upright behind its back. It will follow people up-stairs in this way, jumping from step to step, with its front paws outstretched, as if it were addressing an audience. The French call these day lemurs Makis. The ring-tailed lemur lives largely among rocks and precipices. Mo^t of these creatures live upon fruit, the shoots and leaves of trees, and other vegetable food. But, like the squirrel, they have no objection to eggs and nestlings, and also kill and eat any small birds and insects. Some of the smaller kinds are almost entirely insect-feeders. The largest kind of lemur belongs to the group known as the Indris. The Black-and- white Indri measures about two feet in length. It has only a rudimentary tail, large ears, and a sharp-pointed nose. The amount of white colouring varies much in different individ- uals. This variation in colouring— a very rare feature among ., , 1. .1 1 r ii /^ ,_ 1 1 1 Phito ty L. Midland, F.Z.S., North FlnMiy wild mammalia, though one of the first changes shown when . „,„ . „ „ t t^.tttt, ,.,.,r,--, -^ DWARF LEMUR animals are domesticated— is also found in the next three These ti«y animals take the place of the dor- species, called SiFAKAS. The Diademed Sifaka, the Woolly """'*« '« Madagascar APES, MONKEYS, AND LEMURS 29 Indri, and the Black Indri all belong to this group. The SiFAKAS, as some of these and the allied forms are called, are venerated by the Malagasys, who never kill one intentionally. Mr. Foster observes that " they live in companies of six or eight, and are very gentle and inoffensive animals, wearing a very melancholy expression, and being as a rule morose, inactive, and more silent than the other lemurs. They rarely live long in captivity. In their native state they are most alert in the morning and evening, as during the day they conceal themselves under the foHage of trees. When asleep or in repose, the head is dropped on the chest and buried between the arms, the tail rolled up on itself and disposed between the hind legs. The sifakas live exclusively on vege- table substances, fruits, leaves, and flowers, their diet i not be- PhM by L. Midland, F.Z.S.'] [^North Finchlej> BLACK LEMUR Found on the coast of Madagascar m, Phom 1} L. Midland, F.Z.S., North TinMiy COQUEREL'S LEMUR A lemur lohich strongly objects to being awakened in the day- lemur, and pushes out its sharp little face just above the thigh of the mother. The Woolly Indri has more woolly fur than the others of its tribe, a shorter nose, and a longer tail. The True Lemurs Of these there are several species, all confined to Mada- gascar and the Comoro Islands. One of the best known is the Ring-tailed Lemur, mentioned above. It is called Lemur Catta, the Cat Lemur, from being so often kept in domestication. The Weasel Lemur, the Gray Lemur, the Mouse Lemur, the Gentle Lemur, the Sportive Lemur, the 3 ing varied, as in the other lemurs, by small birds, eggs, or insects. Their life is almost entirely arboreal, for which the muscles of their hands and feet, as well as the parachute-like folds between their arms and bodies, and their peculiar hooked fingers, are well fitted. The young one is carried by the mother on its back, its hands grasping her armpits tightly." This is not the universal way of carrying the young among lemurs. The Crowned Lemur, a beautiful gray-and-white species, often breeds at the Zoo. The female carries its young one partly on its side. The infant clings tightly with arms and tail round the very slender waist of the />*»/. by L. Midland, F.Z.Jf.] [North Fimhliy RUFFED LEMUR Another of the nocturnal lemurs. It lives mainly on fruit and insects 3° THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD Photo by L. Midland, F.Z.S'] [Ncrih Finchliy GARNETT'S GALAGO One of the squirrel-like lemuroids Crowned Lemur, and Coquerel's Lemur, all represent various small, pretty, and interesting varieties of the group. The Black-and-white Lemur, one of the larger kinds, is capable of domestication. A specimen kept in a London house, where the present writer saw it, was always called " Pussy " by the children. The other small kinds are very like squirrels, mice, weasels, and other creatures, with which they have no connec- tion. It seems as though the curiously limited and primitive fauna of Madagascar tried to make up for its . want of variety by mimicking the forms of other animals, and something of the same kind is seen in Austraha, where the mar- supials take the place of all kinds of ordinary mammals. There are marsupial rats, marsupial wolves, marsupial squirrels, and even marsupial moles. The small squirrel and rat-like lemurs are called Chirogales. Coquerel's Lemur is really a chirogale. It is a quaint and by no means amiable little animal, sleeping obstinately all day, and always ready to growl and bite if disturbed. Its colour is brownish gray and cream-colour. A pair of these, rolled up tightly into balls in a box of hay, will absolutely refuse to move, even when handled. They only feed by night. The Galagos An allied group, confined to tropical Africa, is that of the Galagos. They are most beau- tiful little creatures, whose nearest relatives are the Malagasy lemurs. Generally speaking, they have even more exquisite fur than the lemurs. It is almost as soft as floss silk, and so close that the hand sinks into it as into a bed of moss. The colour of the fur is rich and pleasing, gener- ally some shade of brown. The head is small, the nose pointed, and the ears thin, hairless, and capable of being folded up, like the wings of a beetle. But the most beautiful feature of the gal- agos is their eyes. These are of immense size, compared with the head. The eye is of the richest and most beautiful brown, like a cairngorm stone, but not glassy or clear. Though quite translucent, the eye is marked with minute dividing-lines, like the grain in an agate — a truly exquisite object. When handled or taken in the arms, the little galago clasps the fingers or sleeve tightly, as if it thought it was holding a tree, and shows no disposition to escape. A family of three or four young ones, no larger than mice, with their large-eyed mother attend- ing to them, forms an exquisitely dainty little group. The galagos vary from the size of a squirrel to that of a small cat. The kind most often seen in England is the Maholi Galago from East Africa. Another species comes from Senegal, and others from Calabar and the forests of the Gold Coast. Garnett's Galago, another species, is shown above. They may be regarded as nocturnal tropical lemuroids, analogous to the chirogales of Madagascar. It ^.^. -..-^<-^^^-^^^ ^ ^_^ _^.; ^sses,^ ,.vi;i^=>v-===j has been suggested, with great probability, that '"'" " '■ """^^HoLl GALAGO ^""^ '"""" the intensely drowsy sleep of many of the Tim littk animal is a nati-ve of Ea,t Africa. It has -very large eyes, len^uroid animals corresponds to the hiberna- and fur as soft as the chinchilla's APES, MONKEYS, AND LEMURS 31 Fhttt b) L. Medlavd, F.Z.S.'] SLENDER \^North Finchley LORIS This extraordinary creature has the habits of a chameleontahen seeking insects for food. The photograph is unique tion of many northern mamnnals. Tropical animals often become torpid to avoid the famine caused by the hot season, just as creatures in cold countries hibernate to avoid the hunger which would otherwise come with winter. The Slow Lemurs or Lorises, and Tarsiers Another group of lemuroids is distinguished from the foregoing by having the second finger of the fore paws either very short or rudimentary. The thumb and great toe are also set very widely apart from the other fingers and toes. A far more striking distinc- tion to the non-scientific eye is their astonishingly deliberate and slow movements. They have no tails, enormous eyes, and very long, slender legs. The Slow Loris is found in Eastern India and the Malay countries, where it is fairly common in the forests. The Bengali natives call it sharmindi billi (" bashful cat "), from its slow, solemn, hesitating movements when in pursuit of insects. Of a slow loris kept by him, Sir William Jones, in the " Asiatic Researches," wrote : " At all times he seemed pleased at being stroked on the head and throat, and he frequently allowed me to touch his extremely sharp teeth. But his temper was always quick, and when he was unseasonably disturbed he expressed a little resentment, by an obscure murmur, like that of a squirrel. . . . When a grasshopper or any insect alighted within his reach, his eyes, as he fixed them on his prey, glowed with uncommon fire ; and having drawn himself back to spring on his prey with greater force, he seized it with both his fore paws, and held it till he had devoured it. He never could have enough grasshoppers, and spent the whole night in prowling for" them." The Slender Loris, an equally curious creature, is only found in Southern India and Ceylon. Its food consists entirely of insects, which it captures by gradual, almost paralysed approach. Its has been described as a " furry-coated chameleon." A group of slow lemurs, living in Western Africa, are known as Pottos. They are odd little quad- rupeds, in which the " forefinger " never grows to be more than a stump. The tail is also either sharp or rudimentary. They are as slow as the lorises in their movements. In the Malay islands a distant rela- tive, even more curiously formed, is found in the Tarsier. It has the huge eyes, pointed ears, and beautiful fur of the galagos, but the tail is long, thin and tufted. The fingers are flattened out into disks, like a tree-frog's. These creatures hop from bough to bough in a frog-like manner in search of insects. They are not so large as a good-sized rat. Our photograph does not give an adequate idea of the size of the eyes. P*»(o b) L. Midland, F.Z.S.'] INnrth Fimhliy SLOW LORIS Another of the slo'w-mo'ving loris group. These anima/s are not shoivn to the general public at the ZoOy but kept in a specially ivarmed room 32 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD r^r rholi by A. S. Rudland fe" Sont TARSIER These little animals kop about in the trees like frogs. seen They are nocturnal, and seldom The Aye-aye Last, and most remarkable of all these weird lemuroids, is the Aye-aye. It is placed in a group by itself, and has teeth like those of the Rodents, a large bushy tail, and most extra- ordinarily long, slender fingers, which it probably uses for pick- ing caterpillars and grubs out of rotten wood. It is nearly as large as an Arctic fox, but its habits are those of a lemur. In Mada- gascar it haunts the bamboo forests, feeding on the juice of sugar-cane, grubs, and insects. The fingers of its hands are of ^ V " . '''^|y^> •* ^"^i^..^-'^' ^^ ; different sizes and lengths, though all are abnormally long and slender. The second finger seems to have " wasted," but is said to be of the utmost value to its owner in ex- tracting grubs and insects from the burrows in which they dwell, or the crannies in which they may have taken refuge. Very seldom is this animal seen alive in captivity. Although com- monly called Aye-aye in this country, it is doubtful if this is really its native name. The aye- aye was long a puzzle to naturalists, but is now classed as a lemuroid. The living races of animals have thus far been reviewed along the completed list of the first great order — the Primates. Even in that circumscribed group how great is the tendency to depart from the main type, and how wonderful the adaptation to meet the various needs of the creatures' environment! The skeletons, the frames on which these various beings are built up, remain the same in character; but the differences of proportion in the limbs, of the muscles with which they are equipped, and of the weight of the bodies to be moved are astonishing. Compare, for instance, the head of the male Gorilla, with its great ridges of bone, to which are attached the muscles which enable it to devour hard tropical fruits and iDite off young saplings and bamboos, with the rounded and delicate head of the Insect-eating Monkeys of South Africa; or set side by side the hand of the Chimpanzee with that of the Aye- aye, with its delicate, slender fingers, like those of a skeleton hand. What could be more diverse than the movements of these creatures, whose structure is nevertheless so much alike ? Some of the lemuroids are as active as squirrels, flying lightly from branch to branch ; in others, as the Slow Lorises, the power of rapid move- ment has disappeared, and been replaced by a creeping gait which cannot be accelerated. Already, in a single order, we see the rich diversity of nature, and its steady tendency to make all existing Photo bj L. Midland, F.Z.S., N. FinMly HEAD OF AYE-AYE The aye-aye /i'ves mainly in the ivild things serviceable by adapting other parts of creation to their use '"Sf""!' f"^"- ""-^ /«''». »." '"«« *> ^ 1 o 1 ^jjj grubs, as ivell i or enjoyment. swrar-cane ' as on the juice of the Photo by Charles Knighl, Ahicrsliot. AFRICAN LION AND LIONESS. These animals are so numerous in East Africa that they are exempted from protection. Photo by Fratelli Minari] iFlof AFRICAN LION TAis lion is almost in the attitude of those sculptured by Sir Edwin Landseer for the Nelson Monument^ but the feet are turned in, not lying fat CHAPTER II T THE CAT TRIBE HOUGH only one species is entirely domesticated, and none of the Cats have flesh edible by man, except perhaps the puma, no group of animals has attracted more interest than this. Containing more than forty species, ranging in size from the ox-devouring tiger or lion to the small wild cats, they are so alike in habit and struc- ture that no one could possibly mistake the type or go far wrong in guessing at the habits of any one of them. They are all flesh-eaters and destroyers of living animals. All have rounded heads, and an extraordinary equipment of teeth and of claws, and of muscles to use them. The blow of the forearm of a lion or tiger is inconceivably powerful, in proportion to its size. A stroke from a tiger's paw has been known to strike off" a native's arm from the shoulder and leave it hanging by a piece of skin, and a similar blow from a lion to crush the skull of an ox. The true cats are known by the power to draw back, or " retract," their claws into sheaths of horn, rendering their footsteps noiseless, and keeping these weapons always sharp. The hunting-leopard has only a partial capacity for doing this. The characteristics of the Cats and their allies are too well known to need description. We will therefore only mention the chief types of the group, and proceed to give, in the fullest detail which space allows, authentic anecdotes of their life and habits. The tribe includes Lions, Tigers, Leopards, Pumas, Jaguars, a large number of so-called Tiger-cats (spotted and striped). Wild Cats, Domestic Cats, and Lynxes. The Hunting-leopard, or Cheeta, stands in a sub-group by itself, as does the Fossa, the only large carnivore of Madagascar, 33 By firmiisim of Hirr {.arl Uagmbiik, Hamburg AN UNWILLING PUPIL Thii is one of Herr Hagenheck' s famous perform- ing tigers 34 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD This closes the hst of the most cat-like animals. The next Hnks in the chain are formed by the Civets and Genets, creatures with more or less retractile claws, and long, bushy tails; the still less cat-like Binturong, a creature with a prehensile tail; and the Mongooses and Ichneumons, more and more nearly resembling the weasel tribe. THE LION Recent intrusions for railways, sport, discovery, and war into Central and East Africa have opened up new lion countries, and confirmed, in the most striking manner, the stories of the power, the prowess, and the dreadful destruc- tiveness to man and beast of this king of the Carnivora. At present it is found in Persia, on the same rivers where Nimrod and the Assyrian kings made its pursuit their royal sport; in Gujerat, where it is nearly extinct, though in General Price's work on Indian game written before the middle of the last century it is stated that a cavalry officer killed eighty lions in three years ; and in Africa, from Algeria to the Bechuana country. It is especially common in Somaliland, where the modern lion-hunter mainly seeks his sport. On the Uganda Railway, from Mombasa to Lake Victoria, lions are very numerous and dangerous. In Rhodesia and the Northern Transvaal they have killed hunters, railway officials, and even our soldiers near Komati Poort. It has been found that whole tracts of country are still often deserted by their inhabitants from fear of lions, and that the accounts of their ravages contained in the Old Testament, telling how Samaria was almost deserted a second time from this cause, might be paralleled to-day. The African Lion BY F. C. SELOUS When, in the latter half of the seventeenth century, Europeans first settled at the Cape of Good Hope, the lion's roar was probably to be heard almost nightly on the slopes of Table Mountain, since a quaint entry in the Diary of Van Riebeck, the first Dutch governor of the Cape, runs thus : " This night the lions roared as if they would take the fort by storm "—the said fort being situated on the site of the city now known as Cape Town. At that date there can be little doubt that, excepting in the waterless deserts and the dense equatorial forests, lions roamed over the whole of the vast continent of Africa from Cape Agulhas to the very shore of the Mediterranean Sea ; nor was their range very seriously curtailed until the spread of European settlements in North and South Africa, and the acquisition of firearms by the aboriginal inhabitants of many parts of the country, during the latter half of the nineteenth century, steadily denuded large areas of all wild game. As the game vanished, the lions disappeared too ; for although at first they preyed to a large extent on the domestic flocks and herds which gradually replaced the wild denizens of the photo by York &» Son] Imtting Hill LIONESS AROUSED The pose of the animal here shotus attention j but not anger or fear ..Ji'i .-•''-u,'^ ' ■ Jr^v^ . . ; ■' ..A-:=.^£!L_^^ i^?r:*»=l^:*... Flioto by M. Geiser] -^ ALGERIAN LIONESS This lioness, sifting under an olive-tree, was actually photographed in the Soudan by the intrepid M. Geiser {Algiers zs 36 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD once-uninhabited plains, this practice brought them into conflict with the white colonists or native herdsmen armed with weapons of precision, before whom they rapidly succumbed. To-day lions are still to be found wherever game exists in any quantity, and their numbers will be in proportion to those of the wild animals on which they prey. The indefinite increase of lions must be checked by some unknown law of nature, otherwise they would have be- A FOSTER-MOTHER TAis is a remarkable photograph of a setter suckling three lion cubs tuhich had lost their mother. It is reproduced here by permission of the Editor of the Irish Field come so numerous in the sparsely inhabited or altogether uninhabited parts of Africa, that they would first have exterminated all the game on which they had been wont to prey, and would then have had to starve or to have eaten one another. But such a state of things has never been known to occur; and whenever Europeans have entered a previously unexplored and uninhabited tract of country in Africa, and have found it teeming with buffaloes, zebras, and antelopes, they have always found lions in such districts very plentiful indeed, but never in such numbers as to seriously diminish the abundance of the game upon which they depended for food. Bjf permiiiion a/ Herr Carl UagenDet.t] A PERFORMING LION [_Hamburg ehM by G. U^. IVibun dr" (,»., Ltd.] LIONESS AND CUB Lion cubs thrive both in Dublin and Amsterdam, but not so ivelt at the Lonaon Zc Lions, it ivould seem, are capable of being taught almost anything, even tricycle-riding It is easy to understand that the increase of a herd of herbivorous animals would be regulated by the amount of the food-supply available, as well as constantly checked by the attacks of the large carnivora, such as lions, leopards, cheetas, hyaenas, and wild dogs ; but I have never been able to comprehend what has kept within bounds the inordinate increase' of lions and other carnivorous animals in countries where for ages past they have had an abundant food-supply, and at the same time, having \^Abirdiin THE CAT TRIBE 37 been almost entirely unmolested by human beings, have had no enemies. Perhaps such a state of things does not exist at the present day, but there are many parts of Africa where such conditions have existed from time immemorial up to within quite recent years. Since lions were once to be found over the greater portion of the vast continent of Africa, it is self-evident that these animals are able to accommodate themselves to great variations of climate and surroundings ; and I myself have met with them, close to the sea, in the hot and sultry coastlands of Southeast Africa ; on the high plateau of Mashonaland, where at an altitude of 6,000 feet above sea-level the winter nights are cold and frosty ; amongst the stony hills to the east of the Victoria Falls of the Zambesi ; and in the swamps of the Chobi. In the great reed- beds of the latter river a certain number of hons appeared to live constantly, preying on buffaloes Photo by FrattlU AUnar(\ A YOUNG LIONESS The sole of tit hind foot shows the soft pads on -which the Cats noiselessly approach their prey and lechwe antelopes. I often heard them roaring at nights in these swamps, and I once saw two big male lions wading slowly across an open space between two beds of reeds in water nearly a foot in depth. Although there are great individual differences in lions as regards size, general colour of coat, and more particularly in the length, colour, and profuseness of the mane with which the males are adorned, yet as these differences occur in every part of Africa where lions are met with, and since constant varieties with one fixed type of mane living by themselves and not inter- breeding with other varieties do not exist anywhere, modern zoologists are, I think, now agreed that there is only one species of lion, since in any large series of wild lion skins, made in any particular district of Africa or Asia, every gradation will be found between the finest-maned specimens and those which are destitute of any mane at all. Several local races have, however, been recently described by German writers. In the hot and steamy coastlands of tropical Africa lions usually have short manes, and never I believe, attain the long silky black manes sometimes met with on the high plateaux of the interior. However, there is, I believe, no part of Africa where all or even the majority 38 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD By ftrmission of Kerr Carl Hagenbeck'] A HAPPY FAMILY Here is a group of animals and their keeper from Herr Hagenbeck' s Thierpark. The animal in front is a cross bettveen a lion and a tigress; he lives on quite friendly terms ivith his keeper ^ and also ivith lions, tigers f and leopards, as seen in the photograph of male lions carry heavy- manes, the long hair of which does not as a rule cover more than the neck and chest, with a tag of varying length and thick- ness extending from the back of the neck to be- tween the shoulder-blades. Lions with very full black manes, covering the whole shoulders, are rare any- where, but more likely to be encountered on the high plateaux, where the winter nights are ex- tremely cold, than any- where else. In such cases, in addition to the tufts of hair always found on the elbows and in the armpits of lions with fair- sized manes, there will probably be large tufts of hair in each flank just where the thighs join the belly; but I have never yet seen the skin of a lion shot within the last thirty years with the whole belly covered with long, thick hair, as may constantly be observed in lions kept in captivity in menageries. There is, however, some evidence to show that, when lions existed on the high plains of the Cape Colony and the Orange River Colony, where the winter nights are much colder than in the countries farther north where lions may still be encountered, certain individuals of the species developed a growth of long hair all over the belly, as well as an extraordinary luxuriance of mane on the neck and shoulders. From the foregoing remarks it will be seen that wild lions, having as a rule much less luxuriant manes than many examples of their kind to be seen in European menageries, are ordinarily not so majestic and dignified in appearance as many of their caged relatives. On the other hand, the wild lion is a much more alert and active animal than a menagerie specimen, and when in good condition is far better built and more powerful-looking, being free from all appearance of lankiness and weakness in the legs, and having strong, well-formed hindquarters. The eyes of the ^^ ^,^^,„,„„ „^ ^,^^ ^^^, ^^^,„^„,^ ^^^^^^^^ menagerie lion, too, look brown and usually a CROSS BETWEEN LION AND TIGRESS sleepy, whilst those of the wild animal are This unique photograph shows a remarkable hybrid and its proud parents. yellow and extraordinarily luminous even l\' ff'-. {'" """e'^') "". /'■"". ""J the mother (»« ,he left) a tigress yciiuw, ttiiv-i >_vYi.it*w jf The offspring [in the centre) IS a fne, large male, now four years old ; it after death. When wounded and standing is bigger than an average-sixed Hon 0' tiger Photo by Ottemar Antchittxl [Btrlin A HUNGRY LION Notice that the mane, as in most ivilj lions, is -very scanty 39 40 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD B) ftrmhsion of Htrr Carl, Haginhecff] LIONESS AND TIGER \_Ham^urg The stratghtness of the Uotie s'j tail is here shoivn. It is not in the hast like that of the tiger or of the cat at bay, with head held low between his shoul- ders, growling hoarsely, and with twitching tail, even if he is not near enough to be observed very closely, a lion looks a very savage and dangerous animal ; but should he be wounded in such a way as to admit of a near approach — perhaps by a shot that has paralyzed his hind- quarters — his flaming eyes will seem to throw out sparks of living fire. Speaking generally, there is little or no danger in meeting a lion or lions in the day- time.- Even in parts of the country where fire- arms are unknown, and where the natives seldom or never interfere with them, these animals seem to have an instinctive fear of man, and even when encountered at the carcase of an animal freshly killed, and at a time when they may be supposed to be hungry, they will almost invariably retreat before the unwelcome presence, sometimes slowly and sulkily, but in districts where much hunting with firearms has been going on at a very rapid pace. However, I have known of two cases of Europeans mounted on horseback having been attacked by lions in broad daylight, and Dr. Livingstone mentions a third. In one of the instances which came within my own knowledge, a lion sprang at a Boer hunter as he was riding slowly along, carrying an elephant-gun in his right hand and followed by a string of natives on foot. The lion attacked from the left side, and with its right paw seized my friend from behind by the right side of his face and neck, inflicting deep gashes with its sharp claws,' one of which cut right through his cheek and tore out one of his teeth. My friend was pulled from his horse, but, clutching the loosely girthed saddle tightly with his knees, it twisted round under the horse's belly before he fell to the ground. Instead of following up its success, the lion, probably scared by the shouting of the Kaffirs, trotted away for a short distance, and then turned and stood looking at the dismounted hunter, who, never having lost his presence of mind, immediately shot it dead with his heavy old muzzle-loading elephant-gun. Besides these three instances of Europeans having been attacked in the daytime by lions, I have known of a certain number of natives having been killed in broad daylight. Such incidents are, however, by no means every-day occurrences, and, speaking generally, it may be said that the risk of molestation by lions in Africa during day- light is very small. It is by night that lions roam abroad with stealthy step in search of prey ; and at such times they are often, when hungry, incredibly bold and daring. I have known them upon several occasions to enter a hunter's camp, and, regardless of fires, to seize oxen and horses and human beings. During the year following the first occupation of Mashonaland in 1890, a great deal of damage was done by lions, which could not resist the attractions of the settlers' live stock. For the first few months I kept as accurate an account as I could of the number of horses, donkeys. THE CAT TRIBE 41 oxen, sheep, goats, and pigs which were killed by lions, and it soon mounted up to over 200 head. During the same time several white men were also mauled by lions, and one unfortunate man named Teale was dragged from beneath the cart, where he was sleeping by the side of a native driver, and at once killed and eaten. Several of the horses were killed inside rough shelters serving as stables. In the following year (1891) over 100 pigs were killed in one night by a single lioness. These pigs were in a series of pens, separated one from another, but all under one low thatched roof. The lioness forced her way in between two poles, and apparently was unable, after having satisfied her hunger, to find her way out again, and, becoming angry and frightened, wandered backwards and forwards through the pens, killing almost all the pigs, each one with a bite at the back of the head or neck. This lioness, which had only eaten portions of two young pigs, made her escape before daylight, but was killed with a set gun the next night by the owner of the pigs. When lions grow old, they are always liable to become man-eaters. Finding their strength faihng them, and being no longer able to hunt and pull down large antelopes or zebras, they are driven by hunger to killing smah animals, such as porcupines, and even tortoises, or they may visit a native village and catch a goat, or kill a child or woman going for -water ; and finding a human being a very easy animal to catch and kill, an old Hon which has once tasted human flesh will in all probability continue to be a man-eater until he is killed. On this subject, in his " Missionary Travels," Dr. Livingstone says : " A man-eater is invariably an old lion ; and when he overcomes his fear of man so far as to come to villages for goats, the people remark, ' His teeth are worn ; he will soon kill men.' They at once acknowledge the necessity of instant action, and turn out to kill him." It is the promptness with which measures are taken by the PhotQ by Ottomar Amchutx] TIGRESS Vere the grass seen here the normal height of that in the Indian jungles, the upright lines would harmonise with the strifes, and render the ti^er almost invisible 42 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD Phmt kj L. Midland, F.Z.S., Nurlh FimhUf TIGER CUB Note the great development of the legs and paius greater part of the natives of Southern Africa to put an end to any lion which may take to eating men that prevents these animals as a rule from becoming the formidable pests which man-eating tigers appear to be in parts of India. But man- eating lions in Africa are not invariably old animals. One which killed thirty-seven human beings in 1887, on the Majili River, to the north-west of the Victoria Falls of the Zambesi, was, when at last he was killed, found to be an animal in the prime of life ; whilst the celebrated man-eaters of the Tsavo River, in East Africa, were also apparently strong, healthy animals. These two man-eating lions caused such consterna- tion amongst the Indian workmen on the Uganda Railway that the work of construction was considerably retarded, the helpless coolies refusing to remain any longer in a country where they were liable to be eaten on any night by a man- eating lion. Both these lions were at last shot by one of the engineers on the railway (Mr. J. H. Patterson), but not before they had killed and devoured twenty-eight Indian coolies and an unknown number of native Africans. THE TIGER Tigers are the " type animal " of Asia. They are found nowhere else. Lions were inhab- itants, even in historic times, of Europe, and are still common on the Euphrates and in parts of Persia, just as they were when the Assyrian kings shot them with arrows from their hunting chariots. They survived in Greece far later than the days when story says that Hercules slew the Nemean lion in the Peloponnesus, for the baggage-animals of Xerxes' army of invasion were attacked by lions near Mount Athos. But the tiger never comes, and never did come in historic times, nearer to Europe than the Caucasian side of the Caspian Sea. On the other hand, they range very far north. All our tiger-lore is Indian. There is scarcely a story of tigers to be found in English books of sport which deals with the animal north of the line of the Himalaya. These Chinese northern tigers and the Siberian tigers are far larger than those of India. They have long woolly coats, in order to resist the cold. Their skins are brought to market in hundreds every year to the great fur-sales. But the animals themselves we never see. The present r„,„ ty yai.nun. &- s.«,, ud.^ writer was informed by a ^ ROYAL TIGER friend that in the Amur THU U an old Bengal Tmr. -with the smooth, short coat arawn in that hot clitntf [_Dundtt THE CAT TRIBE 43 Photo by FratelU Alinari] A TIGER BEFORE SLEEPING Tigersy 'when about to sleep, sit in this position j =" ^^i»v Jf^ ^y \^^^^ />^ ^ ' JkI 5^^ WS^ / ^^^^* *^^ pB^' ^^mw X^N ^f 1 rhtu h) A, S. RudUnd &» SonJ FISHING-CAT This ivild cat haunts the sides ofr'fvers^ and Is an expert at catching fish gray and spotted, and those which are gray and striped, or " whole-coloured." There is no wholly gray wild cat, but several sandy-coloured species. All live on birds and small mammals, and probably most share the tame cat's liking for fish. Among the gray-and-spotted cats are the Mottled Cat of the Eastern Himalaya and Straits Settlements and islands ; the Tibetan Tiger-cat; the Fishing-cat of India and Ceylon, which is large enough to kill lambs, but lives much on fish and large marsh-snails ; Geoffroy's Cat, an Ameri- can species ; the Leopard-cat of Java and Japan, which seems to have gray fur in Fhito by A. S. Rudland 67^ Sam CLOUDED LEOPARD // shares with the ocelot the first place among the highly ornamented cats being tickled and rubbed. On board ship there was a small dog, which used to play around the cage with the animal. It was amusing to watch the tenderness and play- fulness with which the latter came in con- tact with its smaller-sized companion." Both specimens were procured from the banks of the Bencoolin River, in Sumatra. They are generally found near villages, and are not dreaded by the natives, except in so far that they destroy their poultry. The number of smaller leopard-cats and tiger-cats is very great. They fall, roughly, into three groups : those which are yellow and spotted, those which are "1 MHph^ jj *: m ^ H- MARBLED CAT Another beautifully marked cat. The tail is spotted and very long, the marbled markings being on the body only Photo by Ottomar jinschutx] {^Btrlin GOLDEN CAT Sumatra is the home of this very beautifully coloured cat. The general tint h that of gold-stone . Sometimes the beily is pure lohitt 56 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD photo bji A. S, Rudland &j' Soni PAMPAS-CAT Note tic likeness of tie thick tail and barred legs to the English nvild cat. " Inexpressibly sa-vage in disposition" (^Hudson) Japan and a fulvous leopard-like skin in India, where it is also called the Tiger-cat ; and the smallest of all wild cats, the little Rusty-spotted Cat of India. This has rusty spots on a gray ground. " I had a kitten brought to me," says Dr. Jerdon of the species, " when very young. It became quite tame, and was the dehght and admiration of all who saw it. When it was about eight months old, I introduced the fawn of a gazelle into the room where it was. The little creature flew at it the moment it saw it, seized it by the nape of the neck, and was with difficulty taken off." Of the whole-coloured wild cats — which, include the Bay Cat, the American Pampas- cat, Pallas' Cat of Tibet and India — the most beautiful is the Golden C.-^t of Sumatra, one of which is now in the Zoological Gar- dens. It has a coat the colour of gold-stone. The nose is pink, the eyes large and topaz- coloured, the cheeks stripedwith white, and the underparts and lower part of the tail pure white. Four kinas of wild cats are known in South Africa, of which the largest is the Serval, a short-tailed, spotted animal, with rather more woolly fur than the leopard's. The length is about 4 feet 2 inches, of which the tail is only 12 inches. It is found from Algeria to the Cape ; but its favourite haunts, hke those of all the wild cats of hot countries, are in the reeds by rivers. It kills hares, Photo by A. S. Rudland & Sons EYRA CAT The lowest and longest of the cats, shaped more like a civet ; it is readily tamed, and makes a charming pet Photo by A. S, Rudland i^ ."loni BAY CAT rats, birds, and small mammals generally. The Black-footed Wild Cat is another African species. It is a beautiful spotted- and-lined tabby, the size of a small domestic cat, and as likely as any other to be the origin of our tabby variety, if tame cats came to Europe from Atrica. At present it is only found south in the Kalahari Desert and Bechuanaland. The Kaffir Cat is the common wild cat of the Cape Colony, and a very in- teresting animal. It is a whole-coloured tawny, upstanding animal, with all the indifference to man and generally inde- pendent character of the domestic tom-cat. THE CAT TRIBE 57 Photo by A. S. Rudland &= Sons KAFFIR The common ivild cat of South Africa, domestic cats CAT // ivtll interbreed ivitk It is, however, much stronger than the tame cats, with which it interbreeds freely. In the Colony it is often difficult to keep male tame cats, for the wild Kaffir cats come down and fight them in the breeding-season. The Egyptian cat is really the same animal, slightly modified by climate. A very distinct species is the Jungle-cat, ranging from India, ' through Baluchistan, Syria, and East Africa, and called in Hindustani the Chaus. The European striped wild cat extends to the Himalaya, where the range of the lion- coloured, yellow-eyed chaus begins. The chaus has a few black bars inside the legs, which vary in dififerent regions. The Indian chaus has only one distinctly marked ; the Kaffir cat has four or five. The Egyptian Fettered Cat has been said to be the origin of the domestic and sacred cats of Egypt. A male chaus is most formidable when ■• cornered." General Hamilton chased one, which had prowled into the cantonments on- the lookout for fowls, into a fence. " After a long time I spied the cat squatting in a hedge," he writes, " and called for the dogs. When they came, I knelt down and began clapping my hands and cheering them on. The cat suddenly made a clean spring at my face. I had just time to catch it as one would a cricket-ball, and, giving its ribs a strong squeeze, threw it to the dogs ; but not before it had made its teeth meet in my arm just above the wrist. For some weeks I had to carry my arm in a sling, and I shall carry the marks of the bite to my grave." The chaus, as will be seen from the above, wanders boldly down into the outskirts of large towns, cantonments, and bungalows, on the lookout for chickens and pigeons. Its favourite plan is to lie up at dawn in some piece of thick cover near to where the poultry wander out to scratch, feed, and bask. It then pounces on the nearest unhappy hen and rushes off with it into cover. An acquaintance of the writer once had a number of fine Indian game fowl, of which he was not a little proud. He noticed that one was missing every morning for three days, and, not being able to discover the robber, shut them up in a hen-house. Next morning he heard a great com- motion outside, and one of his bearers came running in to say that a leopard was in the hen- house. As this was only built of bamboo or some such light material, it s did not seem probable that a leopard would stay there. Getting his rifle, he went out into the compound, and cau- tiously approached the hen-house, in which the fowls were still making loud protests and cries of alarm. The door was shut ; but some creature — certainly not a leopard — might have squeezed in through the small entrance used by the hens. He opened the door, and saw at the back of the hen-house a chaus sitting, with all its fur on end, looking almost as large as a small leopard. On the floor was one dead fowl. The impudent jungle-cat rushed for the door, AFRICAN CHAUS, OR JUNGLE-CAT but had the coolness to seize the hen Jhe chaus is the InSan and African eqm-vakm of our -wild cat. hi, equally strong and sa'vage 58 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD as it passed, and with this in its mouth rushed past the owner of the hens, his servants and retainers, and reached a piece of thick scrub near with its prize. As the chaus is common both in India and Africa, a comparison of its habits in both conti- nents is somewhat interesting. Jerdon, the Indian naturalist, writes : " It is the common wild cat from the Himalaya to Cape Comorin, and from the level of the sea to 7,000 or 8,000 feet elevation. It frequents ahke the jungles and the open country, and is very partial to long reeds, and grass, sugarcane-fields, and corn-fields. It does much damage to all game, especially to hares and partridges. Quite recently I shot a pea-fowl at the edge of a sugarcane-field. One of these cats sprang out, seized the pea-fowl, and after a short struggle — for the bird was not quite dead — carried it off before my astonished eyes, and, in spite of my running up, made his escape with his booty. It must have been stalking these very birds, so closely did its spring follow my shot. It is said to breed twice a year, and to have three or four young at a birth. I have very often had the young brought to me, but always failed in rearing them ; and they always showed a savage and untamable disposition. I have seen numbers of cats about villages in various parts of the country that must have been hybrids between this cat and the tame ones." The late Sir Oliver St. John was more fortunate with his jungle-cat kittens. He obtained three in Persia. These he reared till they were three months old, by which time they became so tame that they would climb on to his knees at breakfast-time, and behave like ordinai-y kit- tens. One was killed by a greyhound, and another by a scorpion — a curious fate for a kitten to meet. The survivor then became morose and ill-tempered, but grew to be a large and strong animal. " Two English bull-terriers of mine, which would make short work of the largest domes- tic cat, could do nothing against my wild cat," says the same writer. " In their almost daily battles the dogs always got the worst of it." In Africa the chaus haunts the thick cover bordering the rivers. There it catches not only water-fowl, but also fish. According to Messrs. Nicolls and Eglington, " its spoor may con- stantly be seen imprinted on the mud surrounding such pools in the periodical watercourses as are constantly being dried up, and in which fish may probably be imprisoned without chance of escape." The chaus has for neighbour in Africa the beautiful Serval, a larger wild cat. This species is reddish in colour, spotted on the body, and striped on the legs. The ears are long, but not tufted, like those of the lynx. The serval is more common in North and Central Africa than in the South. But it is also found south of the Tropic of Capricorn. Messrs. Nicolls and Eglington say of it : " Northward through South Central Africa it is fairly common. It fre- quents the thick bush in the vicinity of rivers. The harasses, or mantles, made from its skins are only worn by the chiefs and very high dignitaries amongst the native tribes, and are in consequence eagerly sought after, on which account the species luns a risk of rapid extermi- nation. Its usual prey consists of the young of the smaller antelopes, francolins, and wild guinea-fowls, to the latter of which it is a most destructive enemy in the breeding- season. When obtained young, the serval can be tamed with little trouble ; but it is difficult to rear, and always shows a singular and almost unac- . .,...,.„,.-, countable aversion to black men. Its FhM hy L. Midland, F.Z.S.^ iNorth FlmhU, .1 • . , SERVAL otherwise even temper is always This is a spotted cat, -with long ears, hut m tufts on them, as in the true lynxes a-^OUScd at the sight of a HativC. photo hy Ottomar jinschStx] [Berlin MALE SERVAL The ierval is a link between the leopards and tiger-cats, quite large enough to kill the young of the smaller antelopes 59 6o THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD When in anger, it is by no means a despicable antagonist, and very few dogs would like to engage in a combat with one single-handed." The Common Wild Cat The Wild Cat was once fairly common all over England. A curious story, obviously exaggerated, shows that traditions of its ferocity were common at a very early date. The tale is told of the church of Barn- borough, in Yorkshire, between Doncastei and Barnsley. It is said that a man and a wild cat met in a wood near and began to fight; that the cat drove the man out of the wood as far as the church, where he took refuge in the porch ; and that both the man and cat were so injured that they died. Accord- ing to Dr. Pearce, the event was formerly commemorated by a rude painting in the church. Mr. Charles St. John had an experience with a Scotch wild cat very like that which General Douglas Hamilton tells of the jungle- cat. He heard many stories of their attack- ing and wounding men when trapped or when their escape was cut off, and before long found out that these were true. " I was fishing in a river in Sutherland," he wrote, " and in passing from one pool to another had to climb over some rocky ground. In doing so, I sank almost up to my knees in some rotten heather and moss, almost upon a wild cat which was concealed under it. I was quite as much startled as the cat itself could be, when I saw the wild-looking beast rush so unexpectedly from between my feet, with every hair on her body on end, making her look twice as large as she really was. I had three small Skye terriers with me, which immediately gave chase, and pursued her till she took refuge in a corner of the rocks, where, perched in a kind of recess out of reach of her enemies, she stood with her hair bristled out, spitting and growling like a common cat. Having no weapon with me, I laid down my rod, cut a good-sized stick, and pro- ceeded to dislodge her. As soon as I was within six or seven feet of the place, she sprang straight at my face over the dogs' heads. Had I not struck her in mid-air as she leaped at me, I should probably have received a severe wound. As it was, she fell with her back half broken among the dogs, who with my assistance dispatched her. I never saw an animal fight so desper- ately, or one which was so difficult to kill. If a tame cat has nine lives, a wild cat must have a dozen. Sometimes one of these animals will take up its residence at no great distance from a house, and, entering the hen-roosts and outbuildings, will carry off fowls in the most audacious manner, or even lambs. Like other vermin, the wild cat haunts the shores of lakes and rivers. Pheto by Ottomar Anschntx] SERVAL CLIMBING Note the acti've^ cat-like method of climbing iB^rlln THE CAT TRIBE 6i and it is therefore easy to know where to set a trap for them. Having caught and killed one of the colony, the rest of them are sure to be taken if the body of their slain relative is left in the same place not far from their usual hunting-ground and surrounded with traps, as every wild cat passing that way will to a certainty come to it." The wild cat ranges from the far north of Scotland, across Europe and Northern Asia, to the northern slopes of the Himalaya. It has always been known as one of the fiercest and wild- est of the cats, large or small. The continual ill-temper of these creatures is remarkable. In the experience of the keepers of menageries there is no other so intractably savage. One pre- sented to the Zoological Gardens by Lord Lilford some eight years ago still snarls and spits at any one who comes near it, even the keeper. The food of the wild cat is grouse, mountain-hares, rabbits, small birds, and probably fish caught in the shallow waters when chance offers. It is wholly nocturnal ; consequently no one ever sees it hunting for prey. Though it has long been confined to the north and nor'^hwest of Scotland, it is by no means on the verge of extinction. The deer-forests are saving it to some extent, as they did the golden eagle. Grouse and hares are rather in the way when deer are being stalked ; consequently the wild cat and the eagle are not trapped or shot. The limits of its present fastnesses were recently fixed by careful Scotch naturalists at the line of the Caledo- nian Canal. Mr. Harvie Brown, in 1880, said that it only survived in Scotland north of a line running from Oban to the junction of the three counties of Perth, Forfer, and Aberdeen, and thence through Banffshire to Inverness. But the conclusion of a writer in the Edinburgh Review of July, 1898, in a very interesting article on the survival of British mammals, has been happily contradicted. He believed that it only survived in the deer-forests of Inverness and Sutherlandshire. The wild cats shown in the illustrations of these pages were caught a year later as far south as Argyllshire. The father and two kittens were all secured, practically un- hurt, and purchased by Mr. Percy Leigh Pemberton for his collection of British mammals at Ashford, in Kent. This gentleman has had great success in preserving his wild cats. They, as well as others — martens, polecats, and other small carnivora — are fed on fresh wild rabbits killed in a warren near ; consequently they are in splendid condition. The old " tom " wild cat, snarling with characteristic ill-humour, was well supported by the wild and savage little kittens, which exhibited all the family temper. Shortly before the capture of these wild cats another By tiirmtssien of Percy Leigh Pemberton^ Esq. EUROPEAN WILD CAT The Brithh representati-ve of this species is rapidly becmitig extinct. The !-iiecimen whose portrait is given here -was caught in Argyllshire 5 62 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD By fiermisihn of Percj Leigh Ptmbtrton, Esq. SCOTCH WILD CATS These wild cats, the property of Mr. P. Leigh Pemberton, though regularly fed and well treated, show their natural bad-temper in their faces family were trapped in Aberdeenshire and brought to the Zoological Gardens. Four kittens, beautiful little savages, with bright green eyes, and uninjured, were safely taken to Regent's Park. But the quarters given them were very small and cold, and they all died. Two other full-grown wild cats brought there a few years earlier were so dreadfully injured by the abomi- nable steel traps in which they were caught that they both died of blood-poisoning. The real wild cats differ in their markings on the body, some being more clearly striped, while others are only brindled. But they are all alike in the squareness and thickness of head and body, and in the short tail, ringed with black, and growing larger at the tip, which ends off like a shaving-brush. It may well be asked, Which of the many species of wild cats mentioned above is the an- cestor of our domestic cats ? Probably different species in different countries. The African Kaffir cat, the Indian leopard-cat, the rusty-spotted cat of India, and the European wild cat all breed with tame cats. It is therefore probable that the spotted, striped, and brindled varieties of tame cats are descended from wild species which had those markings. The so-called red tame cats are doubtless descended from the tiger-coloured wild cats. But it is a curious fact that, though the spotted gray-tabby wild varieties are the least common, that colour is most frequent in the tame species. THE LYNXES In the Lynxes we seem to have a less specially cat-like form. They are short-tailed, high in the leg, and broad-faced. Less active than the leopards and tiger-cats, and able to live either in very hot or very cold countries, they are found from the Persian deserts to the far north of Siberia and Canada. The Caracal is a southern, hot-country lynx. It has a longer tail than the others, but the same tufted ears. It seems a link between the lynxes and the jungle-cats. It is found in India, Palestine, Persia, and Mesopotamia. In India it was trained, like the cheeta, to catch birds, THE CAT TRIBE 63 gazelles, and hares. The Common Lynx is probably the same animal, whether found in Norway, Russia, the Carpathians, Turkestan, China, or Tibet. The Canadian Lynx is also very probably the same, with local differences of colour. The Northern Lynx is the largest feline animal left in Europe, and kills sheep and goats equally with hares and squirrels. The beautiful fur, of pale cinnamon and light gray, is much admired. In some southern districts of America we have the Red Lynx, or so-called " wild cat," which is distinct from the lynx of Canada. The Mediterra- nean or Spanish Lynx seems likewise entitled to rank as a distinct species. Of the lynxes the Caracals are perhaps the most interesting, from their capacity for domes- tication. They are found in Africa in the open desert country, whereas the Serval is found in the thick bush. In Africa it is believed to be the most savage and untamable of the Cats. That is probably because the Negro and the Kaffir never possessed the art of training animals, from the elephant downwards. In India the caracal's natural prey are the fawns of deer and antelope, pea-fowl, hares, and floricans. The caracal is the quickest with its feet of any of the Cats. One of its best-known feats is to spring up and catch birds passing over on the wing at a height of six or eight feet from the ground. A writer, in the Naturalist's Library, notes that, besides being tamed to catch deer, pea-fowl, and cranes, the caracal was used in " pigeon matches." Two caracals were backed one against the other to kill pigeons. The birds were fed on the ground, and the caracals suddenly let loose among them, to strike down as many as each could before the birds escaped. Each would sometimes strike down with its forepaws ten or a dozen pigeons. " Caracal" means in Turkish " Black Ear," in allusion to the colour of the animal's organ of hearing. The Common Lynx is a thick-set animal, high in the leg, with a square head and very strong paws and forearms. It is found across the whole northern region of Europe and Asia. Although never known in Britain in historic times, it is still occasionally seen in parts of the Alps and in the Carpathians ; it is also common in the Caucasus. It is mainly a forest animal, and very largely nocturnal ; therefore it is seldom seen, and not often hunted. If any enemy approaches, the lynx lies perfectly still on some branch or rock, and generally succeeds in avoiding notice. The lynx is extremely active; it can leap great distances, and makes its attack usually Photo b/ Ottomar Anschutoi] {Berlin LYNX This animal is a uniformly coloured species common to India and Africa 64 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD Photo bj A, 5. Rudtand &> Sons EUROPEAN LYNX T/ie largest of the cat tribe left in Europe in that way. When traveling, it trots or gallops in a very dog-like fashion, Where sheep graze at large on moun- tains, as in the Balkans and in Greece, the lynx is a great enemy of the flocks. In Norway, where the animal is now very rare, there is a tradition that it is more mischievous than the wolf, and a high price is set on its head. In Siberia and North Russia most of the lynx-skins taken are sold to the Chinese. The lynx-skins brought here are mainly those of the Canadian species. The fur is dyed, and used for the busbies of the officers in the hussar regiments. These skins vary much in colour, and in length and quality of fur. The price varies correspondingly. The Canadian lynx lives mainly on the wood-hares and on the wood- grouse of the North American forests. The flesh of the lynx is said to be good and tender. Brehm says of the Siberian lynx : " It is a forest animal in the strictest sense of the word. But in Siberia it occurs only singly, and is rarely captured. Its true home is in the thickest parts in the interior of the woods, and these it probably never leaves except when scarcity of food or the calls of love tempt it to wander to the outskirts. Both immigrants and natives hold the hunting of the lynx in high esteem. This proud cat's activity, caution and agility, and powers of defense arouse the enthusiasm of every sportsman, and both skin and flesh are valued, the latter not only by the Mongolian tribes, but also by the Russian hunters. The lynx is seldom captured in fall-traps ; he often renders them useless j^ by walking along the beam and stepping on the lever, and he usually leaps over the spring-traps in his path. So only the rifle and dogs are left." The Red Lynx is a small American variety, the coat of which turns tawny in summer, when it much resembles a large cat. It is called in some parts of the United States the Mountain-cat. This lynx is 30 inches long in the body, with a tail 6 inches long. It is found on the eastern or Atlantic side of the continent, j^ p,rmt„ior, ./ Mr. s. b. Gund,-\ [r.™(. and by no means shuns the CANADIAN LYNX neighbourhood of settlements. Gr;a' mmhers of these are trapped every year fir the sake of their fur PAsfo ij- Ottomar Anschutx."] IBerlin CHEETAS Cheetas can be distinguished at a glance from the ordinary leopards by the solid black spots upon the back instead of the " rosettes. " 66 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD Pheto b/ Tork <5^ 5ofi] A CHEETA HOODED The cheeta is not unhooded until fairly near his ouarry, 'when he is given a sight of the game, and a splendid race ensues THE CHEETA The Non-Retractile-Clavved Cat The Cheeta, or Hunting-leopard, is the only example of this particular group, though there was an extinct form, whose remains are found in the Siwalik Hills, in the north of India. It is a very widely dispersed animal, found in Persia, Turkestan, and the countries east of the Caspian, and in India so far as the lower part of the centre of the peninsula. It is also common in Africa, where until recent years it was found in Cape Colony and Natal. Now it is banished to the Kalahari Desert, the Northern Transvaal, and Bechuanaland. The cheeta is more dog-like than any other cat. It stands high on the leg, and has a short, rounded head. Its fur is short and rather woolly, its feet rounded, and its claws, instead of slipping back into sheaths like a lion's, are only partly retractile. Mr. Lockwood Kipling gives the follow- ing account of the cheeta and its keepers : " The only point where real skill comes into play in dealing with the hunting-leopard is in catching the adult animal when it has already learnt the swift, bounding onset, its lNt>lllng Hill one accomplishment. The young cheeta is not worth catching, for it has not yet learnt its trade, nor can it be taught in captivity. . . . There are certain trees where these great dog-cats (for they have some oddly canine characteristics) come to play and whet their claws. The hunters find such a tree, and arrange nooses of deer-sinew round it, and wait the event. The animal comes and is caught by the leg, and it is at this point that the trouble begins. It is no small achievement for two or three naked, ill-fed men to secure so fierce a capture and carry it home tied on a cart. Then his training begins. He is tied in all directions, principally from a thick rope round his loins, while a hood fitted over his head effectually blinds him. He is fastened on a strong cot-bedstead, and the keepers and their wives and families reduce him to submission by starving him and keeping him awake. His head is made to face the village street, and for an hour at a time, several times a day, his keepers make pretended rushes at him, and wave clothes, staves, and other articles in his face. He is talked to continually, and the women's tongues are believed to be the most effective of things to keep him awake. No created being could withstand the effects of hunger, want of sleep, and feminine scolding ; and the poor cheeta becomes piteously, abjectly tame. He is taken out for a walk occasionally — if a slow crawl between four attendants, all holding hard, can be called a walk — and his promenades are always through the crowded streets and bazaars, where the keepers' friends are to be found ; but the people are rather pleased than otherwise to see the raja's cheetas amongst them." Later, when the creature is tamed, " the cheeta's bedstead is like that of the keeper, and leopard and man are often curled up under the same blanket ! When his bedfellow is restless, the keeper lazily stretches out an arm from his end of the coat and dangles a tassel over the animal's head, which seems to soothe him. In the early morning I have seen a cheeta sitting up on his couch, a red blanket half covering him, and his tasseled red hood awry, looking exactly Hke an elderly gentleman in a nightcap, as he yawns with the irresolute air of one who is in doubt whether to rise or to turn in for another nap." THE CAT TRIBE 67 This charming and accurate description shows the cheeta at home. In the field he is quite another creature. He is driven as near as possible to the game, and then unhooded and given a sight of them. Sir Samuel Baker thus describes a hunt in which a cheeta was used : " The chase began after the right-hand buck, which had a start of about 1 10 yards. It was a magnificent sight to see the extraordinary speed of pursuer and pursued. The buck flew over the level surface, followed by the cheeta, which was laying out at full stretch, with its long, thick tail brandishing in the air. They had run 200 yards, when the keeper gave the word, and away we went as fast as our horses could carry us. The horses could go over this clear ground, where no danger of a fall seemed possible. I never saw anything to equal the speed of the buck and the cheeta ; we were literally nowhere, although we were going as hard as horse-flesh could carry us ; but we had a glorious view. The cheeta was gaining in the course, while the buck was exerting every muscle for life or death in its last race. Presently, after a course of about a quarter of a mile, the buck doubled like a hare, and the cheeta lost ground as it shot ahead, instead of turning quickly, being only about thirty yards in rear of the buck. Recovering itself, it turned on extra steam, and the race appeared to recommence at increased speed. The cheeta was determined to win, and at this moment the buck made another double in the hope of shaking off" its terrible pursuer ; but this time the cheeta ran cunning, and was aware of the former game. It turned as sharply as the buck. Gathering itself together for a final effort, it shot forward like an arrow, picked up the distance which remained between them, and in a cloud of dust we could for one moment distin- guish two forms. The next instant the buck was on its back, and the cheeta's fangs were fixed like an iron vice in its throat. The course run was about 600 yards, and it was worth a special voyage to India to see that hunt." Pheto by Ottomar Anschutx] IBtrlin A CHEETA ON THE LOOK-OUT Cheeta! are common to Africa and India. By the native princes of the latter country they are much used for taking antelope and other game 68 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD Phota by 7*. Fait] [Baher Str»tt WHITE SHORT-HAIRED Most ivhite cats are not albinoes — that is to say, they ha've ordinarily coloured and not red eyes THE DOMESTIC CAT By Louis Wain ; Of the domestication of" the cat we know very little, but it is recorded that a tribe of cats was trained to retrieve — i.e., to fetch and carry game. In our own time I have seen many cats fetch and carry corks and newspapers, and on one occasion pounce upon a small roach at the end of a line and place it at its owner's feet. Gamekeepers whom I have known agree that, for cunning, craftiness, and tenacity in attain- ing an object, the semi-wild cat of the woods shows far superior intelligence to the rest of the woodland denizens. It is quite a usual thing to hear of farm cats entering upon a snake-hunt- ing expedition with the greatest glee, and showing remarkable readiness in pitching upon their quarry and pinning it down until secured. These farm cats are quite a race by themselves. Of decided sporting proclivities, they roam the countryside with considerable fierceness, and yet revert to the domesticity of the farmhouse fire- side as though innocent of roving instincts. They are spasmodic to a degree in their mode of life, and apparently work out one mood before entering upon another. It will be remembered that this spasmodic tendency — the true feline independence, by the bye — is and has been characteristic of the cat throughout its history, and any one who has tried to overcome it has met with failure. Watch your own cat, and you will see that he will change his sleeping-quarters periodically ; and if he can find a newspaper conveniently placed, he will prefer it to lie upon, before anything perhaps, except a cane-bottomed chair, to which all cats are very partial. If you keep a number of cats, as I do, you will find that they are very imitative, and what one gets in the habit of doing they will all do in time : for instance, one of my cats took to sitting with his front paws inside my tall hat and his body outside, and this has become a catty fashion in the family, whether the object be a hat, cap, bonnet, small basket, box, or tin. If by chance one of the cats is attacked by a dog, a peculiar cry from the aggrieved animal will immediately awaken the others out of their lethargy or sleep, and bring them fiercely to the rescue. They are, too, particularly kind and nice to the old cat, and are tolerant only of strange baby kittens and very old cats in the garden as long as they do not interfere with the "catty'' subject. The same quality obtains in Spain or Portugal, where a race of scavenging cats exists, which go about in droves or families, and are equal to climbing straight walls, big trees, chimneys, and moun- tainsides. Long, lanky, and thin, they are built more on the lines of a greyhound than the ordinary cat, and are more easily trained in tricks than home cats. The ToRTOiSESHELLhas long been looked upon as the national cat of Spain, and in fact that country is overrun with the breed, ranging from a dense rhttt hy r. Faiq [Baitr Strut LONG-HAIRED WHITE fyUte cats •with blue eyes are generally deaf, or at all e-vents hard of hearing Photo by Fratelli Alinart^ Florence MACKEREL-MARKED TABBY Tabbies are probably the best known and the commonest cats Photo by L. Midland^ F.Z.S.^ North Finchley CAT CARRYING KITTEN A unique photograph, shelving the ivay in •which the cat carries its young By permit sion of Lady Mexander ORANGE TABBY A champion ivinner of go first pri%es Photo by E. Landor^ Ealing BLUE LONG-HAIRED, OR PERSIAN Persian or long-haired cats are of 'various colours; this is one of the least common Photo by E. Landor^ Ealing SMOKE AND BLUE LONG-HAIRED Tivo pretty and 'valuable Persian kittens Photo by E. Landor, Ealing .ONG-HAIRED TABBY ^ pretty pose Photo by E. Landor^ Ealing SILVER PERSIAN A handsome specimen 60 Photo by E. Landor, Ealing SMOKE LONG-HAIRED, OR PERSIAN ^ neiv breed "* 70 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD SHORT-HAIRED BLUE This champion cat belongi to Lady Alexander^ by ivhose kind permission it is here reproduced black and brown to lighter shades of orange brown and white. The pure tortoiseshell might be called a black and tan, with no white, streaked like a tortoise- shell comb if possible, and with wonderful amber eyes. It is characteristic of their intelligence that they will invariably find their way home, and will even bring that mysterious instinct to bear which guides them back long distances to the place of their birth ; and, with regard to this cat, the stories of almost impossible journeys made are not one bit exaggerated. The tom- cats of this breed are very rare in England ; I myself have only known of the existence of six in fifteen years, and of these but three are recorded in the catalogues of the cat shows. The Black Cat has many of the characteristics of the tortoiseshell, but is essentially a town cat, and is wont to dream his life away in shady corners, in underground cellars, in theatres, and in all places where he can, in fact, retire to monastic quiet. The black cat of St. Clement Danes Church was one of the remarkable cats of London. It was his wont to climb on to the top of the organ-pipes and enjoy an occasional musical concert alone. A christening or a wedding was his pride ; and many people can vouch for a lucky wedding who had the good-fortune to be patronised by the black cat of St. Clement Danes, which walked solemnly down the aisle of the church in front of the happy couples. My old pet Peter was a black-and-white cat, and, like most of his kind, was one of the most remarkable cats for intelligence I have ever known. A recital of his accomplishments would, however, have very few believers — a fact I find existing in regard to all really intelligent cats. There are so many cats of an opposite character, and people will rarely take more than a momentary trouble to win the finer nature of an animal into existence. Suffice it to say, that Peter would lie and die, sit up with spectacles on his nose and with a post-card between his paws — a trick I have taught many people's cats to do. He would also mew silent meows when bid, and wait at the door for my home-coming. For a long time, too, it was customary to hear weird footfalls at night outside the bedroom doors, and visitors to the house were a little more superstitious as to their cause than we were ourselves. We set a watch upon the supposed ghost, but sudden opening of the doors discovered only the mystic form of Peter sitting purring on the stairs. He was, however, ultimately caught in the act of lifting the corner of the door- rug and letting it fall back in its place, and he had grown quite expert in his method of raising and dropping it at regular intervals until he heard that his signals had produced the required effect, and the door was opened to admit him. White Cats I might call musical cats, for it is quite characteristic of the albinoes that noises rarely startle them out of their simpering, loving moods. The scraping of a violin, which wilj scare an ordinary cat out of its senses, or the thumping of a piano, which would terrorise even strong-nerved cats, would only incite a white cat to a happier mood. Certainly all white cats are somewhat deaf, or lack acute quality of senses ; but this failing rather softens the feline nature than becomes dominant as a weakness. rhttt by r. falt\ SILVER TABBV A beautiful wariety of a typical cat [BaJier Strut THE CAT TRIBE 71 photo by E. LandorJ \_Ealing SHORT-HAIRED TABBY This is perhaps the most famous cat miv li-ving. It has -won m less than 200 prizes The nearest to perfection perhaps, and yet at the same time extremely soft and finely made, is the Blue Cat, rare in England as an English cat, but common in most other countries, and called in America the Maltese Cat — for fashion's sake probably, since it is too widely distributed there to be localised as of foreign origin. It is out in the mining districts and agricultural quarters, right away from the beaten tracks of humanity, where the most wonderful breeds of cats develop in America ; and caravan showmen have told me that at one time it was quite a business for them to carry cats into these wildernesses, and sell them to rough, hardy miners, who dealt out death to each other without hesitation in a quarrel, but who softened to the appeal of an animal which reminded them of homelier times. One man told me that upon one occasion he sold eight cats at an isolated mining township in Colorado, and some six days' journey farther on he was caught up by a man on horseback from the township, who had ridden hard to overtake the menagerie caravan, with the news that one of the cats had climbed a monster pine-tree, and that all the other cats had followed in his wake ; food and drink had been placed in plenty at the foot of the tree, but that the cats had been starving, frightened out of their senses, for three days, and despite all attempts to reach them they had only climbed higher and higher out of reach into the uppermost and most dangerous branches of the pine. The showman hastened with his guide across country to the township, only to find that in the interval one bright specimen of a man belonging to the village had suggested felling the tree and so rescuing the cats from the pangs of absolute starvation, should they survive the ordeal. A dynamite cartridge had been used to blast the roots of the pine, and a rope attached to its trunk had done the rest and brought the monster tree to earth, only, however, at the expense of all the cats, for not one survived the tremendous fall and shaking. A sad and tearful pro- cession followed the remains of the cats to their hastily dug grave, and thereafter a bull mastiff took the place of the cats in the township, an animal more in character with the lives of its inhabitants. Analogous to this case of the traveling menageries, we have the great variety of blues, silvers, and whites which are characteristic of Russia. There is a vast table- land of many thousands of miles in extent, intersected by caravan routes to all the old countries of the ancients, and it is not astonishing to hear of attempts being made r-—"" ^^.-^ -V Photo by E. Lartdor'} LONG-HAIRED A good . specimen of this -variety finely furrec lEaling ORANGE is aluuays large and 72 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD se^ ^ ^1 ■ bi ■r-'.yxm.--- -^ p^S ^m B y?^ -^ In 11 1 "lit 1 §M 1 :-- VJH P f ^ Photo by C. Reid] [Wishaw, N. B. thoto by E. Landorl \_Ealing MANX SIAMESE These tailless cats are luell inoiun ; they ivere formerly called *' Cornioall cats,^^ Note the length of the hind legs, ivhich is one of the characteristics of this variety of the domestic cat These strikingly coloured cats are notv fairly numerous, but com- mand high prices. They have white kittens, ivhich subsequently become coloured to steal the wonderful cats of Persia, China, and Northern India, as well as those of the many dependent and independent tribes which bound the Russian kingdom. But it is a remarkable fact that none but the blues can live in the attenuated atmosphere of the higher mountainous districts through which they are taken before arriving in Russian territory. It is no uncommon thing to find a wonderful complexity of blue cats shading to silver and white in most Russian villages, or blue cats of remarkable beauty, but with a dash of tabby-marking running through their coats. Their life, too, is lived at the two extremes. In the short Russian summer they roam the woodlands, pestered by a hundred poisonous insects ; in the winter they are imprisoned within the four walls of a snow-covered cottage, and are bound down prisoners to domesticity till the thaw sets in again. Many of the beautiful furs which come to us from Russia are really the skins of these cats, the preparation of which for market has grown into a large and thriving industry. The country about Kronstadt, in the Southern Carpathian Mountains of Austria, is famous for its finely developed animals ; and here, too, has grown up a colony of sable-coloured cats, said to be of Turkish origin, where the pariahs take the place of cats. The Tabby is remarkable to us in that it is characteristic of our own country, and no other colour seems to have been popular until our own times. If you ask any one which breed of cat is the real domestic cat, you will be told the tabby, probably because it is so well known to all. The complexity of the tabby is really remarkable, and for shape and variety of colouring it has no equal in any other tribe of cat. It has comprised in its nature all the really great qualities of the feline, and all its worst attributes. You can truthfully say of one of its BLUE LONG-HAIRED, OR PERSIAN This cat belonged to S^ueen Victoria SILVER PERSIANS Three of Mrs, Champion's celebrated cats THE CAT TRIBE IZ Photo by E. Landor] [Ealing LONG-HAIRED CHINCHILLA Note the beautiful ^^jiufiness''^ of this cat's fur specimens that it attaches itself to the indi- vidual, while of another in the same litter you will get an element of wildness. A third of the same parents will sober down to the house, but take only a passing notice of people. You can teach it anything if it is tractable, make it follow like a dog, come to whistle, but it will have its independence. The Sand-coloured Cat, with a whole- coloured coat like the rabbit, which we know as the Abyssinian or Bunny Cat, is a strong African type. On the Gold Coast it comes down from the inland country with its ears all bitten and torn away in its fights with rivals. It has been acclimatised in England, and Devon- shire and Cornwall have both established a new and distinct tribe out of its parentage. The Manx Cat is nearly allied to it, and a hundred years ago the tailless cat was called the Cornwall Cat, not the Manx. Siam sends us a regal aminal in the Siamese Royal Cat ; it has a brown face, legs, and tail, a cream-coloured body, and mauve or blue eyes. The Siamese take great care of their cats, for it is believed that the souls of the departed are transmitted into the bodies of animals, and the cat is a favourite of their creed ; consequently the cats are highly cultivated and intelligent, and can think out ways and means to attain an end. I have tried for years to trace the origin of the Long-haired or Persian Cats, but I cannot find that they were known to antiquity, and even the records of later times only mention the Short-haired. European literature does not give us an insight into the subject; and unless Chinese history holds some hidden lights in its records, we are thrown back upon the myths of Persia to account for the wonderful modern contribution of the long-haired cat, which is gradually breeding out into as many varieties as the short- haired, with this difference — that greater care and trouble are taken over the long-haired, and they will, as a breed, probably soon surpass the short-haired for intelligence and culture. One variety is quite new and distinctive — the Smoke Long- haired, whose dark brown or black surface-coat, blown aside, shows an under coat of blue and silver, with a light brown frill round its neck. All the other long-haired cats can pair with the short-haired for colouring and marking, but I have not yet seen a Bunny Long- haired. fhoto hy H. Trevor JeiSop THE "BUN" OR "TICKED' SHORT-HAIRED CAT Thh is one of the rarest of cats. It belongs to Miss K. Maud Bennett who has kindly had it photographed for this luork CHAPTER I I I THE FOSSA, CIVETS, AND ICHNEUMONS THE FOSSA I Phtito bj A. S, Kudland ^^ Sans FOSSA TAe only feline animal of Madagascar N the Fossa Madagascar possesses an altogether peculiar animal. It is a very slender, active creature,, with all its proportions much elongated. It is of a bright bay uniform colour, with thick fur, and has sharp retractile claws. It has been described as the natural connecting link between the Civets and the Cats, anatomically speaking. Thus it has , retractile claws, but does not walk on its toes, like cats, but on the soles of its feet (the hind pair of which is quite naked), like a civet. Very few have been brought to captivity ; indeed, the first time that one was exhibited in the Zoological Gardens was only- ten years ago. Formerly stories were told of its ferocity, which was compared to that of the tiger. These tales were naturally the subject of ridicule. The fossa usually attains a length of about 5 feet from snout to tail, and is the largest of the carnivora of Madagascar. A fine young specimen lately brought to London, and in the Zoological Gardens at the time of writing, is now probably full grown. It is about the same length and height as a large ocelot, but with a far longer tail, and is more slenderly built. The extreme activity of the fossa no doubt renders it a very formidable foe to other and weaker creatures. It has been described by a recent writer as being entirely nocturnal, and preying mainly on the lemurs and birds which haunt the forests of Madagascar. The animal kept at the Zoological Gardens has become fairly tame. It is fed mainly on chickens' heads and other refuse from poulterers' shops. Apparently it has no voice of any kind. It neither growls, roars, nor mews, though, when irritated or frightened, it gives a kind of hiss like a cat. 74 fhtto b) L. Midland, F.Z.S.} [_Ni:rth Finchlir LARGE INDIAN CIVET Ci-vets are nocturnal in their habit!. That shown here has jusi awakened in broad daylight THE FOSSA, CIVETS, AND ICHNEUMONS 75 THE CIVETS AND GENETS The Civets are the first marked deviation from the Cat Family. Their bodies are elongated, their legs short, their claws only partially retractile. Some of them have glands holding a strong scent, much esteemed in old days in Europe, when " The Civet Cat " was a common inn-sign even in England. The civets are generally beautifully marked with black stripes and bands on gray. But none of them grow to any large size, and the family has never had the importance of those which contain the large carnivora, hke the true cats or bears. Many of the tribe and its connections are domesticated. Some scholars have maintained that the cat of the ancient Greeks was one of then — the common genet. The fact is that both this and the domestic cat were kept by the ancients ; and the genet is still used as a cat by the peasants of Greece and Southern Italy. The African Civet and Indian Civet are large species. The former is common almost throughout Africa. Neither of them seems to climb trees, but they find abundance of food by catching small ground-dwelling animals and birds. They are good swimmers. The Indian civet has a handsome skin, of a beautiful gray ground-colour, with black collar and markings. It is from these civets that the civet-scent is obtained. They are kept in cages for this purpose, and the secretion is scooped from the glands with a wooden spoon. They produce three or four kit- tens in May or June. Several other species very little differing from these are known as the Malabar, Javan, and Burmese Civets. The Rasse is smaller, has no erectile crest, and its geographical distribution extends from Africa to the Far East. It is commonly kept as a domestic pet. Like all the civets, it will eat fruit and vegetables. The Genets, though resembling the civets, have no scent-pouch. They are African creatures, but are found in Italy, Spain, and Greece, and in Palestine, and even in the south of France. Beautifully spotted or striped, they are even longer and lower than the civet-cats, and steal through the grass like weasels. The Common Genet is black and gray, the latter being the ground-colour. The tail is very long, the length being about 15 inches, while that of the body and head is only 19 inches. Small rodents, snakes, eggs and birds are its principal food. It is kept in Southern Europe for PheU i/ A. S. Rudland 6^ Smt AFRICAN CIVET This is one of the largest of the Gvet Trite. The perfume kmiun as " ci-vet " Is obtained from it 76 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD fhoto by Scholastic Photo. Co.] AFRICAN CIVET This photograph shoivs thefnely marked fur of the specter and the front 'view of the head killing rats. Several other very similar forms are found in Africa. The;f »resence of such a very Oriental-looking ani- mal in Europe is something of a surprise, though many persons forget that our South European animals are very like those of Africa and the East. The porcupine, which is common in Italy and Spain, and the lynx and Barbary ape are instances. A tame genet kept by an acquaintance of the writer in Italy was absolutely domesticated like a tame mongoose. It had very pretty fur, gray, marbled and spotted with black, and no disagreeable odour, except a scent of musk. It was a most active little creature, full of curiosity, and always anxious to explore not only every room, but every cupboard and drawer in the house'. Perhaps this was due to its keenness in hunting mice, a sport of which it never tired. It did not play with the mice when caught as a cat does, but ate them at once. The LiNSANGS, an allied group, are met with in the East, from India to Borneo and Java. They are more slender than the genets, and more arboreal. Of the Nepalese Linsang Hodgson writes : " This animal is equally at home on trees and on the ground. It breeds and dwells in the hollows of decaying trees. It is not gregarious, and preys mainly on living animals." A tame female owned by him is stated to have been wonderfully docile and tractable, very sensitive to cold, and very fond of being petted. There is an allied West African species. The Palm-civets and Hemigales still further increase this numerous tribe. Slight differ- ences of skull, of the markings of the tail, which may only have rings on the base, and of the foot and tail, are the naturalist's guide to their separation from the other civets ; Hardwicke's Hemigale has more zebra-like markings. Borneo, Africa, India, and the Himalaya all produce these active little carnivora ; but the typical palm-civets are Oriental They are sometimes known as Toddy-cats, because they drink the toddy from the jars fastened to catch the juice. The groves of cocoanut-palm are their favourite haunts ; but they will make a home in holes in the thatched roofs of houses, and even in the midst of cities. There are many species in the group. The Binturong is another omnivorous, tree- haunting animal allied to the civets ; but it has a prehensile tail, which few other mammals of the Old World possess. It if a blunt-nosed, heavy animal, sometimes called the Bear-cat. Very little is known of its habits. It is found from the Eastern Himalaya to Java. The last of the Civet Family is Bennett's Civet, '*"'•*' ^- w«i/»"«'. r.z.s.^ [mnt, nmhu, the only instance of a cat-like animal with partly SUMATRAN CIVET , , , r , T- j-i.i.HTi n- 1 J- ji small and very beautiful member of the Civet Family webbed feet. Found m the Malay Penmsula and m it feed, largely on fish THE FOSSA, CIVETS, AND ICHNEUMONS -j-] Sumatra and Borneo, it is very rare, but is known to feed on fish and Crustacea, and to be semi- aquatic. The author of the chapter on the civets in the Naturalist's Library says, " It may be likened to a climbing otter." THE MONGOOSE AND ICHNEUMON FAMILY These are a numerous and useful race of small mammals, feeding mainly on the creatures most annoying to man within tropical countries. Snakes, the eggs of the crocodile, large lizard, rats, mice, and other creatures known generally as " vermin," are their favourite foX)d. It must be added that, though they are most useful in destroying these, they also kill all kinds of birds, and that their introduction into some of the West India Islands, for the purpose of killing rats, has been fatal to the indigenous bird life. The Indian Mongoose This universal favourite is one of the largest, the head and body being from 1 5 to 1 8 inches Thata by A. S. Rudland &= Sms GENET Tie genets are smaller than some cfvets^ but allied to mem. One ivas anciently domesticated like a cat long, and the tail 14 inches. The fur is loose and long, and capable of being erected. As in all the tribe, the tint is a " pepper and salt," the " pepper " colour being sometimes blackish and sometimes red, but a speckled appearance characterises the whole group. This is the animal supposed to be immune from snake-bite. It is possibly so to some extent, for it kills and eats the poisonous snakes, and it is now known that the eating of snake-poison tends to give the same protection as inoculation does against certain diseases. But it is certain that in most cases the mongoose, by its activity, and by setting up the hair on its body, which makes the snake " strike short," saves itself from being bitten. Many descriptions of the encounters between these brave little animals and the cobra have been written. Here is one of the less known : " One of our officers had a tame mongoose, a charming little pet. Whenever we could procure a cobra — and we had many opportunities — we used to turn it out in an empty storeroom, which had a window at some height from the ground, so that it was perfectly safe to stand there and look on. The cobra, when dropped from the bag or basket, would wriggle into one of the corners of the room and there coil himself up. The mongoose showed the greatest excitement on being brought to the window, and the moment 6 78 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD FhM b) L. Midland, F.Z.S.^ [Nerlh Finchltf TWO-SPOTTED PALM-CIVET This is a ff^est African sfecies, luhich^ itiith an allied form from East Africa, represents the palm-civets in the Dark Continent he was let loose would eagerly jump down into the room, when his behaviour became very curious and interesting. He would instantly see where the snake was, and rounding his back, and making every hair pn his body stand out at right angles, which made his body ap- pear twice as large as it really was, he would approach the cobra on tiptoe, making a peculiar humming noise. The snake, in the meantime, would show signs of great anxiety, and I fancy of fear, erecting his head and hood ready to strike when his enemy came near enough. The mongoose kept running backwards and forwards in front of the snake, gradually getting to within what appeared to us to be striking distance. The snake would strike at him repeatedly, and appeared to hit him, but the mongoose continued his comic dance, apparently unconcerned. Suddenly, and with a movement so rapid that the eye could not follow it, he would pin the cobra by the back of the head. One could hear the sharp teeth crunch into the skull, and, when all was over, see the mongoose eating the snake's head and part of his body with great gusto. Our little favourite killed a great many cobras, and, so far as I can see, never was bitten. The Egyptian Mongoose, or Ichneumon, has , an equally great reputation for eating the eggs of the crocodile ; and the Kaffir Mongoose, a rather larger South African species, is kept as a domestic animal to kill rats, mice, and snakes, of which, like the Indian kind, it is a deadly foe. There are more than twenty other species, most of much the same appearance and habits. The smooth-nosed mongoose tribe are closely allied creatures in South Africa, mainly bur- rowing animals, feeding both on flesh and fruit. The Cusimanses of Abyssinia and West Africa are also allied to them. Their habits are identical with the above. The Meekkats, or_Suricates ' Most people who have read Frank Buckland's Life will remember the suricate which was his chief pet in Albany Street. The SuRiCATES, or Meerkats, burrow all over the South African veldt, espe- cially in the sandy parts, where they sit up outside their holes like prairie- dogs, and are seen by day. They are sociable animals, and make most amusing pets. A full-grown one is not much larger than a hedgehog, but more slender. It barks like a prairie-dog, and has many other noises of pleasure or anger. A lady, the owner of one, writes in Country Life : " It gets on well with the dogs and cats, especially the latter, as they are more friendly to her, and allow her to sleep by their side and on the top of them. One old cat brings small birds ThM h) L. Midland, F.Z.S.'] MASKED PALM-CIVET A IV hole-coloured species of the group {Ntrih FInMr THE FOSSA, CIVETS, AND ICHNEUMONS 79 PhaU b) Rtbirt D. Carsmi BINTURONG The binturong is placed A.<. 4, i. Media„d, F.Z.J.] (■,,,„/, f,^^,,^ that Smelt of leather, were STRIPED HY^NA lyi„g ^bout. It was bright nis U th. Hy.na of N.nh.rn AJrua, PaUs,i„r, and India mOOnlight, and the air WaS calm. There was nothing to disturb the stillness. I was awakened from sleep by a light touch on my sleeve, and my attention was directed by my wife to some object that had just quitted our tent. I took my rifle from beneath the mat on which 1 lay, and, after waiting for a few minutes sitting up in bed, saw a large form standing in the doorway preparatory to entering. Presently it walked in cautiously, and immediately fell dead, with a bullet between its eyes. It proved to be a very large hyaena, an old and experienced depredator, as it bore countless scars of encounters with other strong biters of its race." The Striped Hy^na is found in India as well as in Africa. In portions of Abyssinia these animals are so numerous that on the Nile tributaries Sir Samuel Baker used to hear them crack- ing the bones after supper every night just as they had been thrown by the Arabs within a few feet of the deserted table. In this way they are useful scavengers. The Aard-wolf This small African hysena-like creature stands in a family by itself. The animal is like a small striped hyzena, with a pointed muzzle, longer ears, and a kind of mane. It is com- mon all through South and East Africa, where it lives on carrion, white ants, and lambs and kids. It has not the strong jaws and teeth of the dog or '"''"• *^ ^' *■ ''"■"""■^ ^ *'"• hysna family. The colonists com- ^^ ^ ,^ ^ AARD-WOLF , , ,,.,,.. ■,^ r . • The aard--woIf Stands w a family by itself . It is allied to the hyanas, but li a rai monly hunt and kill it With fox-terriers. -^ feebler animal CHAPTER V THE DOG FAMILY T Fhoto by Scholaitic Photo. Co.y Parson't Green A GROWING CUB Note hoio the ivolf cub de'vehps the long pasterns, large feety and long jaiv before its body groivs in proportion \HE tribe now treated is called the Dog Family, and rightly so, for our domestic dogs are included in the group, which comprises the Wolves, Dogs, Jackals, Wild Dogs, and Foxes. Their general characters are too familiar to need description, but it should be noted that the foxes differ from the dogs in having contracting pupils to the eye (which in bright sun closes like a cat's to a mere slit), and some power of climbing. The origin of the domestic dog is still unsettled. The Wolf 'Y^ " ' Ji^B "K. ^^ Td\% great enemy of man and his dependents — the creature against the ravages of which almost all the early races of Europe had to combine, either in tribes, villages, or principalities, to protect their children, themselves, and their cattle — was formerly found all over the northern hemisphere, both in the Old and New Worlds. In India it is rather smaller, but equally fierce and cunning, though, as there are no long winters, it does not gather in packs. In many lands the popular fear of the wolf has persisted for centuries, a momento of the time when this animal was man's most dreaded enemy. In Switzerland the ancient organisations of wolf clubs in the cantons are still maintained. In Brittany the Grand Louvetier is a government official. Every very hard winter wolves from the Carpathians and Russia move across the frozen rivers of Europe even to the forests of the Ardennes and of Fontainebleau. In Norway they ravage the reindeer herds of the Lapps. Only a few years ago an artist, his wife, and servant were all attacked on their way to Budapest, in Hungary, and the man and his wife killed. The last Bri'tish wolf was killed in 1680 by Cameron of Lochiel. Wolves are common in Palestine, Persia, and India. Without going back over the well-known history of the species, we will give some anecdotes of the less commonly known exploits of these fierce and dangerous brutes. Mr. Kipling's " Jungle Book " has given us an " heroic " picture of the life of the Indian wolves. There is a great deal of truth in it. Even the child-stealing by wolves is very probably a fact, for native opinion is unanimous in crediting it. Babies laid down by their mothers when working in the fields are constantly carried off and devoured by them, and stories of their being spared and suckled by the she-wolves are very numerous. Indian wolves hunt in combination, without assembHng in large packs. The following is a remarkable instance, recorded by General Douglas Hamilton : " When returning with a friend from a trip to the mountain caves of Ellora, we saw a herd of antelope near a range of low rocky hills ; and as there was a dry nullah, or watercourse, we decided on having a stalk. While creep- ing up the nullah, we noticed two animals coming across the plain on our left. We took them at first for leopards, but then saw that they were wolves. When they were about 500 yards from 83 84 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD photo by Scholastic Photo. Co."] {^Parson*' Green WOLF CUBS T/tese are e'v'idently the foster-brothers of Romulus and Remus the antelope, they lay down quietly. After about ten minutes or so, the smaller of the two got up and trotted off to the rocky hills, and suddenly appeared on the ridge, running backwards and forwards like a Scotch collie dog. The larger wolf, as soon as he saw that the antelope were fully occupied in watch- ing his companion, got up and came as hard as he could gallop to the nullah. Un- fortunately he saw us and bolted ; and his companion, seeing there was something wrong, did the same. Now, it is evident that these wolves had regularly planned this attack. One was to occupy the attention of the antelope, the other to steal up the water- course and dash into the midst of them. At another time a brother-officer of mine was stalking a herd of antelope which were feeding down a grassy valley, when suddenly a wolf got up before him, and then another and then another, until fourteen wolves rose out of the grass. They were extended right across the valley in the shape of a fishing-net or jelly-bag, so that as soon as the herd had got well into the jelly-bag they would have rushed on the antelope, and some must have fallen victims to their attack." They have been known to join in the chase of antelopes by dogs. Captain Jackson, of the Nizam's service, let his dogs course an antelope fawn. A wolf jumped up, joined the dogs, and all three seized the fawn together. He then came up, whipped off the dogs and the wolf, and secured the fawn, which did not seem hurt. The wolf immediately sat down and began to howl at the loss of his prey, and in a few moments made a dash at the ofificei*, but when within a few yards thought better of it, and recommenced howling. This brought another wolf to his assistance. Both howled and looked very savage, and seemed incHned to make another dash at the antelope. But the horse-keepers came up, and the wolves retired. The Indian wolf, if a male, stands about 26 inches high at the shoulder. The length of head and body is 37 inches ; tail, 17 inches. The same species practically haunts the whole of the world north of the Himalaya. It varies in colour from almost black to nearly pure white. In the Hudson Bay fur-sales every variety of colour between these may be seen, but most are of a tawny brindle. The male grows to a very great size. One of the largest ever seen in Europe was for years at the London Zoo. It stood 6 feet high when on its hind legs, and its immense head and jaws seemed to occupy one- third of the space from nose to tail. Horses are the main prey of the Northern Wolf. It will kill any living creature, but horse-flesh is irresistible. It either attacks by seizing the flank and throwing the animal, or bites the hocks. The biting power is immense. It will tear a solid mass of flesh at one grip from the buttock of a cow or horse. In the early days of the United States, when Audubon was making his first trip up the head-waterS of the Missouri, flesh of all kinds was astonishingly abundant on the prairies. Buffalo swarmed, and the Indians had any quantity of buffalo meat for the killing. Wolves of very large size used to haunt the forts and villages, and were almost tame, being well fed and comfortable. Far different was the case even near St. Petersburg at the same period. A traveler in 1840 was chased by a pack of wolves so THE DOG FAMILY 85 closely that when the sledge-horses reached the post-house and rushed into the stable, the doors of which were open, seven of the wolves rushed in after them. The driver and traveler leaped from the sledge just as it reached the building, and horses and wolves . rushed past them into it. The men then ran up and closed the doors. Having obtained guns, they opened the roof, expecting to see that the horses had been killed. Instead all seven wolves were slinking about be- side the terrified horses. All were killed with- out resistance. In Siberia and Russia the wolves in winter are literally starving. Gathering in packs, they haunt the roads, and chase the sledges with their unfaltering gallop. Seldom in these days does a human life fall victim; but in very hard winters sledge-horses are often killed, and now and then a peasant. Rabies is very common among wolves. They then enter the villages, biting and snapping at every one. Numbers of patients are sent yearly from Russia and Hungary to the Pasteur Institutes, after being bitten by rabid wolves. In Livonia, in 1823, it was stated that the following animals had been killed by wolves: 15,182 sheep, 1,807 oxen, 1,841 horses, 3,270 goats, 4,190 pigs, 703 dogs, and numbers of geese and fowls. They followed the Grand Army from Russia to Germany in 1812, and restocked the forests of Europe with particularly savage wolves. It is said that in the retreat Photo by L. Midland, F. Z.S ] ' WHITE WOLF {_North Fimhiey PhoiJ oy Oiiomar Ansthuf^] "THE WOLF WITH PRIVY PAW" The photograph shoivs admirably the slinking gate and long stride of the luolf {Strlin 86 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD fium iy J. !V. M'W.'.-n^ RUSSIAN WOLF iHiihburj This « a most ckafosisrsstsc pH^ograph of one of the so^aiied ^* greyhound wolves " of th*. Russian forest from Moscow twenty-four French soldiers, with their arms in their hands, were attacked, killed, and eaten by a pack of wolves. From very early times special breeds of dogs have been trained to guard sheep against the attacks of wolves. Some of these were intended to defend the flock on the spot, others to run down the wolves in the open. The former are naturally bred to be very large and heavy; the latter, though they must be strong, are light and speedy. Of the dogs which guard the flocks several races still survive. Among the most celebrated are those of Al- bania and the mountainous parts of Turkey, and the wolf-dogs of Tibet, generally called Tibetan Bloodhounds. The Tartar shepherds on the steppes near the Caucasus also keep a very large and ferocious breed of dog. All these are of the mastiff type, but have long, thick hair. When the shepherds of Albania or Mount Rhodope are driving their flocks along the mountains to the summer pastures, they sometimes travel a distance of 200 miles. During this march the dogs act as flankers and scouts by day and night, and do battle with the wolves, which know quite well the routes along which the sheep usually pass, and are on the lookout to pick up stragglers or raid the flock. The Spanish shepherds employ a large white shaggy breed of dog as guards against wolves. These dogs both lead the sheep and bring up the rear in the annual migration of, the flocks to and from the summer pastures. Colonel Theodore Roosevelt says of hunting wolves : "In Russia the sport is a science. The princes and great landowners who take part in it have their hunting-equipages equipped perfectly to the smallest detail. Not only do they follow wolves in the open, but they capture them and let them out before dogs, like hares in a closed coursing-meeting. The huntsman follows his hounds on horseback. (These hounds are the Borzoi, white giant greyhounds, now often seen in England.) Those in Russia show signs of reversion to the type of the Irish wolf-hound, dogs weighing something like 100 lbs., of remarkable power, and of reckless and savage temper. Now three or four dogs are run together. They are not expected to kill the wolf, but merely to hold him. . . . The Borzois can readily overtake and master partly grown wolves, but a full-grown dog-wolf, in good trim, will usually gallop away from them." Wolf cubs are born in April or May. The litter is from four to nine. There was one of six a few years ago at the Zoological Gardens at The Hague, pretty little creatures like collie puppies, but quarrelsome and rough even in their play. When born, they were covered with reddish-white down ; later the coat became woolly and dark. The European wolf's method of hunting when in chase of deer is by steady pursuit. Its speed is such and its endurance so great that it can overtake any animal. But there is no doubt that the favourite food of the wolf is mutton, which it can always obtain without risk on the wild mountains of the Near East, if once the guardian dogs are avoided. M. Tschudi, the naturalist THE DOG FAMILY 87 of the Alps, gives a curious account of the assemblage of wolves in Switzerland in 1799. They had, as it is mentioned above, followed the armies from Russia. Having tasted human flesh, they preferred it to all other, and even dug up the corpses. The Austrian, French, and Russian troops penetrated in 1799 into the highest mountain valleys of Switzerland, and fought sangui- nary battles there. Hundreds of corpses were left on the mountains and in the forests, which acted as bait' to the wolves, which were not destroyed for some years. Wolves will interbreed with dogs readily, which the red fox will not. The progeny do not hark, but howl. The Eskimo cross their dogs with wolves to give them strength. PAo/o bj Ottomar Anjchutx] [Btrlin WOLF OF THE CARPATHIANS TAis wolf is a siorlir and more heatiily huilt specimen than the Russian luolj on the pre-vious page 88 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD Phila fy L. Midland, F.Z.S.'] [North FinchU) INDIAN WOLF TAls photograph shonui the Indian ivolf alarmed. It has a reputation for stealing children as ivell as killing cattle Some years ago experiments were made at the Regent's Park Zoological Gardens to ascertain if there were any foundation for the old legends that wolves feared the sound of stringed instruments such as the violin. Every one will remember the story of the fiddler pursued by wolves. It-is said that as the pack overtook him he broke a string of his instrument, and that the sudden noise of the parting cord caused the pack to stand still for a minute, and so enabled him to reach a tree, which he climbed. Further, that when he improved on the hint so given, and played his fiddle,, the wolves all sat still ; when he left off", they leapt up and tried to reach him. Experiments with the Zoo wolves showed that there was no doubt whatever that the low minor chords played on a violin cause the greatest fear and agitation in wolves, both European and Indian. The instrument was first played behind the den of an Indian wolf, and out of sight. At the first sound the wolf began to tremble, erected its fur, dropped its tail between its legs, and crept, uneasily across its den. As the sound grew louder and more intense, the wolf trembled so violently,. and showed such physical evidence of being dominated by excessive fright, that the keeper begged that the experiment might be discontinued, or the creature would have a fit. A large European wolf is described in " Life at the Zoo *' as having exhibited its dislike of the music in a different way. It set up all its- fur till it looked much larger than its ordinary size, and drew back its lips until all the white- teeth protruding from the red gums were shown. It kept, silent till the violin-player approached it ; then it flew at him with a ferocious growl, and tried to seize him. There are instances of wolves having been quite suc- cessfully tamed, and develop- ing great affection for their owners. They are certainly more dog-like than any fox ;. yet even the fox has been tamed so far as to become a domesticated animal for the- lifetime of one particular indi- vidual. An extraordinary instance of this was lately given in Country Life, with a . photograph of the fox. It was taken when a cub, and m head of the male i, brought up at a large country house with a number of dogs. fheto by Ottomar Anschiitx] WOLFFS HEAD A very fine study of the head^ jaivs, and teeth of a female wolf, much larger THE DOG FAMILY 89 Photo by Scholastic Photo. Co.l (Parson's Green RUSSIAN WOLF Note the expression of fear and ferocity on the face of this wolf; also the enormously powerful jaw^ Among these were three terriers, with which it made friends. There were plenty of wild foxes near, some of which occasionally laid up in the laurels in a shrub- bery not far from the house. These laurels were, in fact, a fairly safe find for a fox. It was the particular sport of the terriers to be taken to " draw " this bit of cover, and to chase out any fox in it. On these ex- peditions the tame fox invariably accompanied them, and took an active part in the chase, pursuing the wild fox as far as the terriers were able to main- tain the hunt. In Central Asia the wolves lie out singly on the steppes during the summer, and feed on the young antelopes and the lambs and kids of the Tartar's flocks. The Kirghiz organise wolf-killing parties, to which as many mounted men and dogs come as can be brought together. In order to aid the dogs, the Tartars often employ eagles trained to act like falcons, which sit on the arm of the owner. As the eagle is too heavy to be carried for any time in this way, a crutch is fastened to the left side of the saddle, on which the bearer of the falcon rests his arm. When a wolf is sighted, the eagle is loosed, and at once flies after the wolf, and overtakes it in a short time, striking at its head and eyes with its talons, and buffeting it with its wings. This attack so disconcerts the wolf that it gives time for the dogs to come up and seize it. The habits of the Siberian wolf are rather different from those in West Russia, and the set- tlers and nomad Tartars of Siberia are far more adventurous and energetic in defending themselves against its ravages than the peasants of European Russia. Being mounted, they also have a great advantage in the pursuit. The result is that Siberian wolves seldom appear in large packs, and very rarely venture to attaqk man. Yet the damage they do to the flocks and herds which constitute almost the only property of the nomad tribes is very severe. Both the Russians and Siberians believe that when a she-wolf is suckling her young she carefully avoids attacking flocks in the neighbourhood of the place where the cubs lie, but that if she be robbed of her whelps she revenges herself by attacking the nearest flock. On this ac- count the Siberian peasants rarely destroy a litter, but hamstring the young wolves and then catch them when partly grown, and kill them for the sake of their fur. Among the ingenious methods used for shooting wolves in Siberia is that of killing them from sledges. A steady horse is harnessed to a sledge, and the driver takes his seat in front as usual. Behind sit two men armed with guns, and provided with a small pig, which is induced to squeak often and loudly. In the rear of the sledge, a bag of hay is trailed on a long rope. Any wolf in the forest near which hears the pig concludes that it is a young wild one separated from its mother. Seeing the hay-bag trailing behind the sledge in the dusk, it leaps out to seize it, and is shot by the passen- gers sitting on the back seat of the sledge. 90 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD Phsto bj L. Midland, F.Z.S] [Nirlh FlnchU^ NORTH AFRICAN JACKAL TAis is the common jackal of Cairo and Lo'wer Egypt The Jackal Of the Wild Canine Family, the Jackal is the next in nu'mbers and importance to the wolves. Probably in the East it is the most numerous of any. In India, Egypt, and Syria it regularly haunts the outskirts of cities, and lives on refuse. In the Indian plains wounded animals are also killed by the jackals. At night the creatures assemble in packs, and scour the outskirts of the cities. Horrible are the bowlings and weird the cries of these hungry packs. In Ceylon they live in the hills and open country like foxes, and kill the hares. When taken young jackals can be tamed, and have all the manners of a dog. They wag their tails, fawn on their master, roll over and stick up their paws, and could probably be domesticated in a few generations, were it worth while. They eat fruits and vegetables, such as melons and pumpkins, eagerly. In Africa two species are found — the Black-backed Jackal and the Striped Jackal; the lormer is the size of a large English fox. The young jackals are born in holes or earths ; six seems to be the usual number of puppies. They have nearly always a back door by which they can escape ; this is just large enough for the puppies to squeeze through, whatever their size. When fox-terriers are put into the earth, the jackal puppies fly out of their back doors, through which, as a rule, the terriers are unable to follow them. Should there be no one outside, the puppies race out on to the veldt as hard as they can go. . This jackal is terribly destructive to sheep and lambs in the Colony. A reward of $i.8o per tail is paid to the Kaffirs for killing them. The Side-striped Jackal is a Central African species, said to hunt in packs, to inter- breed with domestic dogs, and to be most easily tamed. Both in India and South Africa the jackal hdS been found to be of some service to the white man by providing him with a substitute for the fox to hunt. It has quite as remarkable powers of endurance as the fox, though it does not fight in the same determined way when the hounds overtake it. But it is not easy to estimate the courage of a fox when in diffi- culties. The writer has known one, when coursed by two large greyhounds, to disable both almost instantaneously. One was bitten across the muzzle, the other through the foot. The fox escaped without a bite from either. In India the hounds used are drafts from English packs The hot weather does not su. them, ^^^^^^ JACKAL and thev are seldom long-lived ; but while they m^- , ,■ ■ l , ■ l l ■ ■ /• i- • ■ ,., » j j r^- ciiivi ti.v,;i cv. V- .j>- V. & I J This Indian jackal might be sitting for hts portrait in Mr. Rudyard Kip- are in health they will run a jackal across the Hng' i tale of the "undertaken" — the jackal, alligator, and adjutant THE DOG FAMILY 91 Indian plains as gaily as they would a fox over the Hampshire Downs. The meet is very early in the morning, as the scent then lies, and riding is not too great an exertion. The ground drawn is not the familiar English covert, but fields, watercourses, and old buildings. A strong dog-jackal goes away at a great pace, and as the ground is open the animal is often in view for the greater part of the run ; but it keeps well ahead of the hounds often for three or four miles, and if it does not escape into a hole or ruin is usually pulled down by them. Major-General R. S. S. Baden- Powell has written and illustrated an amusing account of his days with the fox-hounds of South Africa hunting jackals. The local Boer farmers, rough, unkempt, and in ragged trousers, used to turn up smoking their pipes to enjoy the sport with the smartly got-up English officers. When once the game was found, they were just as excited as the Englishmen, and on their Boer ponies rode just as hard, and with perhaps more judgment. [Ncrth Finchlt) Photo h) L. Midland, F.Z.S.] TURKISH JACKAL This yackal is common in both Turkey in Europe and in Asia. Ne^ • Constantinople it feeds largely on the bodies buried in the cemeteries at Scutari Photo by A, S. Rudland &> Sons MANED WOLF A South American animal ^ its coat is a chestnut-red Jackals are said to be much increasing in South Africa since the outbreak of the war. The fighting has so far arrested farming operations that the war usually maintained on all beasts which destroy cattle or sheep has been allowed to drop. In parts of the more hilly districts both the jackal and the leopard are reappearing where they have not been common for years, and it will ' ftake some time before these enemies of the farmer are destroyed! The Maned Wolf This is by /ar the largest of several peculiar South: American species of the Dog Family which we have not room to mention. It occurs in Paraguay and adjoining regions, and is easily distinguishable by its long limbs and large ears. It is chestnut-red in colour, with the lower part of the legs black, and is solitary in its habits. 92 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD Photo by A. S. RudUnd &» Su WILD DOG TAese animals range from the plains of India and Burma to the Tibetan Plateau and Siberia, They hunt in small packs^ usually by day, and tire 'very destructive to game^ but seldom attack domestic animals The Wild Dog of Africa, OR Cape Hunting-dog This is a most interest- ing creature, differing from the true dogs in having only four toes on both fore and hind feet, and in being spotted like a hyaena. These dogs are the scourge of African game, hunting in packs. Long of limb and swift of foot, incessantly restless, with an overpower- ing desire to snap and bite from mere animal spirits, the Cape wild dog, even when in captivity and attached to its master, is an intractable beast. In its native state it kills the farmers' cattle and sheep and the largest antelopes. A pack has been seen to kill and devour to the last morsel a large buck in fifteen minutes. Drummond says : " It is a marvelous sight to see a pack of them hunting, drawing cover after cover, their sharp bell-like note ringing through the air, while a few of the fastest of their number take up their places along the expected line of the run, the wind, the nature of the ground, and the habits of the game being all taken into consideration with wonderful skill." The same writer says that he has seen them dash into a herd of cattle feeding not a hundred yards from the house, drive out a beast, disappear over a rising ground, kill it, and pick its bones before a horse could be saddled and ridden to the place. The Indian Wild Dogs Mr. Rudyard Kipling's stories of the " Dhole," the red dogs of the Indian jungle, have made the world famihar with these ferocious and wonderfully bold wild dogs. There is very little doubt that they were found in historic times in Asia Minor. Possibly the surviving stories of the " Gabriel hounds " and other ghostly packs driving deer alone in the German and Russian forests, tales which remain even in remote parts of England, are a survival of the days when the wild dogs lived in Europe. At present there is one species of long-haired wild dog in West Central Siberia. These dogs Photo by Scholastic Phot The ivild dog of Australia. DINGO /( was found there by the first discoverers, hut was probably introduced from elseiuhere 93 ,94 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD Fhoto by A. S. Rudland &' Sam CAPE HUNTING-DOG TAif animal Aunts in pach. It is -very active and most destructive to large game of many kinds killed nearly all the deer in the large forests near Omsk some years ago. Across the Himalaya there are several species, one of them as far east as Burma ; but the most famous are the Red Dogs of the Deccan. They frequent both the jungles and the hills ; but their favourite haunt is the uplands of the Indian Ghats. They are larger than a jackal, much stronger, and hunt in packs. They have only ten teeth on eaqh side, instead of eleven, as in the other dogs and foxes. There is no doubt that these fierce hunting-dogs actually take prey from the tiger's jaws, and probably attack the tiger itself. They will beset a tiger at any time, and the latter seems to have learnt from them an instinctive fear of dogs. Not so the leopard, which, being able to climb, has nothing to fear even from the " dhole." A coffee-planter, inspecting his grounds, heard a curious noise in the forest bordering his estate. On going round the corner of a thick bush, he almost trod on the tail of a tiger standing with his back towards him. He silently retreated, but as he did so he saw that there was a pack of wild dogs a few paces in front of the tiger, yelping at him, and making the peculiar noise which had previously attracted his attention. Having procured a rifle, he returned with some of his men to the spot. The tiger was gone, but they disturbed a large pack of wild dogs feeding on the body of a stag. This, on examination, proved to have been killed by the tiger, for there were the marks of the teeth in its neck. The dogs had clearly driven the tiger from his prey and appropriated it. The dread of the tiger for these wild dogs was discovered by the sportsmen of the Nilgiri Hills, and put to a good use. They used to collect scratch packs- and hunt up tigers in the woods. The tiger, thinking they were the dreaded wild pack, would either leave altogether or scramble into a tree. As tigers never do this ordinarily, it shows how wild dogs get on their nerves. Several South American wild dogs and foxes are included in the series with the wolves and jackals. Among these are Azara's Dog and the Raccoon-dog. These are commonly called foxes, though they have wolf-like skulls. The Dingo The only non-marsupial animal of Australia when the continent was discovered was the Wild Dog, or Dingo. Its origin is not known ; but as soon as the settlers' flocks and herds be- gan to increase its ravages were most serious, though doubtless some of the havoc with which it was accredited was due in a great measure to runaways from domestication. Anyhow, in the dingo the settlers found the most formidable enemy with which they had to contend, and vigor- ous measures were taken, to reduce their numbers and minimise their ravages, so that by now they are nearly exterminated in Van Diemen's Land and rare on the mainland of Australia. It is a fine, bold' dog, of considerable size, generally long-coated, of a light tan colour, and with pricked-up ears. It is easily tamed, and some of those kept in this country have made af- fectionate pets. Puppies are regularly bred and sold at the Zoological Gardens. The animal has an elongated, flat head which is carried high ; the fur is soft, and the tail bushy. In the wild state it is very muscular and fierce. THE DOG FAMILY 95 THE FOXES Foxes form a very well-marked group. They have very pointed muzzles, strong though slightly built bodies, very fine thick fur, often beautifully coloured and very valuable, bushy tails, pricked-up ears, and eyes with pupils which contract by day into a mere slit. They are quite distinct from dogs (although wolves are not), and will not interbreed, though stories are told to the contrary. The smell of a fox is disgusting to a dog, and quite sufficient to distinguish it. If the present writer takes a simpler view of the kinds and species of foxes than that adopted by many naturalists, he must plead to a study of the subject on slightly different lines than those usually followed. The skins of all foxes are valuable, some more than others. But they are sent in hundreds of thousands, and from all parts of the northern hemisphere, to London to the great fur-sales. There these differences can be studied as they can be studied fhatt hy C. Riid] iU^ilhaw, N. B, FOX CUBS Fox cubs are horn from March 2J till three weeks later, the time to hen young rabbits, their best food, are most numerous nowhere else. As the habits and structure of foxes are much alike, allowing for differences of climate, and the discrepancies in size, not more than can be accounted for by abundance or scarcity of food, it seems pretty certain that these animals are some of the few, almost alone among mammals, showing almost every variety of colouring, from black to white, from splendid chameleon-red to salmon-pink, and many exquisite shades of brown, gray and silver. In the East, from Asia Minor to China, red, gray, and yellow fox skins are the lining of every rich man's winter wraps. Splendid mixed robes are made by the Chinese by inserting portions of cross fox-skins into coats of cut sable, giving the idea that it is the fur of a new animal. The Common Fox, the foundation or type of all the above, is the best known carnivorous animal in this country. Abroad its habits do not greatly differ, except that, not being hunted much with hounds, it is less completely nocturnal. It drops its young in a dugout early in April. Thither the fnother carries food till late in June, when the cubs come out, and often move to a wood or a corn-field. There they are still fed, but learn to do a little on their own account by catching mice and moles. By late September the hounds come cub-hunting. 96 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD partly to kill off superfluous foxes, partly to educate the young hounds, and to teach the foxes to fear them and to make them leave cover easily. Four or five cubs in a litter are commonly seen. The distance which a fox will run is extraordinary. The following is a true account of one of the most remarkable runs ever known. The hounds were those of Mr. Tom Smith, master of the Hambledon Hunt. He was the man of whom another famous sportsman said that if he were , a fox he should prefer to be^s hunted by a pack of hounds rather than by Tom Smith with a stick in his hand. The fox was found in a cover called Markwells, at one o'clock in the /„ ^,7/j, „„„,„« tic fox becomes a po-werful and deslructme animal, killing not only gamt afternoon in December, near i"" i<"^^' Petersfield. It crossed into Sussex, and ran into an earth in Grafham Hill a little before dark. The fox had gone twenty-seven miles. The hounds had forty miles to go back to kennel that night, and three only found their way home four days afterwards. Dog-foxes assemble in considerable numbers when a vixen is about in spring, and at all times common foxes are socia- ble creatures, though not actually living in societies. Sometimes as many as five or six are found in a single earth. Two years ago five foxes and a badger were found in one near Romford. They eat mice, beetles, rats, birds, game, poultry, and frogs. Their favourite food is rabbits. If there arc plenty of these, they will not touch other game. They hunt along the railway-lines for dead birds killed by the telegraph-wires. In the New Forest they also go down to the shore and pick up dead fish. One in the writer's possession was shot when carrying away a lamb from a sheepfold near the cliffs of Sidmouth, in Devon. The shepherd thought it was a marauding dog, and lay in wait with a gun. rhut by G. ty. Wilson 6r= Co., Ltd.} MOUNTAIN-FOX The Fennecs Africa has a group of small foxes of its own. They have very large ears and dark eyes. Some of them remind us of the Maholis and other large-eyed lemuroids. Several are not more than 9 or 10 inches long; they are a whitish-khaki colour, but the eyes are very dark and brilliant. The Common Fennec is found over the whole of Africa. Its favour- ite food is dates and any sweet fruit, but it is also fond of eggs, and will eat mice and insects. It is probably the original hero of the story of the fox and the grapes. The large-eared fennec, which is sometimes called the Silver Fox, is found from the Cape to as far north as Abyssinia. It is 23 inches long, and lives mainly on LEICESTERSHIRE FOX insects and fruit. Phali by C. Riid] [rriihaw, N. 8. THE DOG FAMILY 97 DOMESTIC DOGS BY C. H. LANE The Dog, almost without exception, shows a marked liking for the society of human beings, and adapts itself to their ways more than any other animal. Fox-, Stag-, and Hare-hounds — the latter better known as Hariers and Beagles — have many points in common, much beauty of shape and colour, and great suitability for their work, though differing in some other particulars. Another group — Greyhounds, Whippets, Irish Wolf-hounds, Scottish Deer hounds, all of which come under the category of Gaze-hounds, or those which hunt by sight — are built for great speed, to enable them to cope with the fleet game they pursue. In the same group should be included the Borzoi, or Russian Wolf-hound, now very popular in this country, with somer thing of the appearance of the Scottish deer-hound about it as to shape, but with a finer, longer head, deeper body, more muscular limbs, and shaggier in the hair on body and tail. The Otter-hound is one of the most picturesque of all the hound tribe. This variety somewhat reminds one of a large and leggy Dandie Dinmont terrier, with a touch of the blood- hound, and is thought to have been originally produced from a cross between these or similar varieties. The Blood-hound is another, with much style and beauty of shape, colour, and character about it which cannot fail to favourably impress any beholder. The matches or trials which have of late years been held in different localities have been most interesting in proving its ability for tracking footsteps for long distances, merely following them by scent, some time after the person hunted started on the trail. By the kindness of my friend Mr. E. Brough, I am able to give as an illustration a portrait of what he considers the best blood-hound ever bred. Much valued by sportsmen with the gun are Pointers, so called from their habit of remain- ing in a fixed position when their quarry is discovered, eagerly pointing in its direction until the arrival of the guns. They are most often white, with Hver, lemon, or black markings ; but occa- sionally self-colours, such as liver or black, are met with. They have been largely bred in the Phito bj F. H. Dimbref] [Bristol STAG-HOUND PUPPIES TAis gives an inureiung group of hounds in kennel 98 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD Fhttt by T. Faiq iBaiir Street west of England. I have been fortunate in obtaining one of Mr. E. C. Norrish's celebrated strain as a typical specimen for illustration. The Setter group, which comprises three varieties, are all useful and beautiful in their way. The English are usually white, with markings or tickings of blue, lemon, or black ; they are rather long and narrow in the head, with bodies and sterns well feathered, and are graceful and active movers. Gordon setters, which are always black and tan in colour, and preferred without any white, are generally larger and stronger in build than the last-named. Irish setters are more on the lines of the English, being a rich tawny GREYHOUND ^ typical specimen of this elegant variety red in colour, rather higher on the leg, with narrow skulls, glossy coats, feathered legs and stern, ears set low and lying back, and lustrous, expressive eyes. Retrievers may be divided into flat-coated and curly-coated. Both are usually black, but other colours are occasionally seen. The coats of the first-named are full, .but without curl in them; while the latter have their bodies, heads, legs, thighs, and even tails covered with small close curls. The eyes of both should be dark, and the ears carried closely to the sides of the head. In an article dealing with retrievers, which appeared in the Comhill Maga- zine under the title of " Dogs which Earn their Living," the author writes : " There is not the slightest doubt that in the modern retrievers acquired habits, certainly one acquired habit, that of fetching dead and wounded game, are transmitted directly. The puppies sometimes retrieve without being taught, though with this they also combine a greatly improved capacity for further teaching. Recently a retriever was sent after a winged partridge which had run into a ditch. The dog followed it some way down the ditch, and presently came out with an old rusty tea- kettle, held in its mouth by the handle. The kettle was taken from the dog, amid much laughter ; then it was found that inside the kettle was the partridge ! The explanation was that the bird, when wounded, ran into the ditch, which was narrow. In the ditch was the old kettle, with no lid on. Into this the bird crept; and as the dog could not get the bird out, it very properly brought out the kettle with the bird in it. Among dogs which earn their living, these good retrievers deserve a place in the front rank." The illustration shows a good flat-coated retriever at work. The Spa:niel group is rather large, including the English and Irish water-spaniels, the former an old-fashioned, useful sort, often liver or roan, with some white or other markings, and a good deal of curl in the coat and on the ears. His Irish brother is always some shade of liver in colour, larger in the body and higher on the leg, covered with a curly coat, except on the tail, which is nearly bare of hair, with a profusion of hair on the top of the head, often hanging down over the eyes, giving a comical appearance, and increasing his Hibernian expression. They Photc fy C. J^eid'] RETRIEVER TAis represents a jiat-coated retriever at •work, and is remarkably true to life 99 \_lfiihiiw, N. B. 100 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD make lively, affectionate companions and grand assistants at waterfowl-shooting. Clumber Spaniels are always a creamy white, with lemon or light tan markings, and are rather slow and de- liberate in their movements, but have a stylish, high-class look about them. Sussex Spaniels are also rather heavy in build and of muscular frame, but can do i its W a day's work with most others. They are a J. j'**^^ a rich copper-red in colour, with low M /4?;/ 'j short bodies, long feathered ears, full eyes |r .' -' y of deep colour, and are very handsome. Black Spaniels should be glossy raven-black in colour, with strong muscular bodies on strong short legs, long pendulous ears, and expressive eyes. Good specimens are in high favour, and command long prices. I regret I cannot find room for an illustration of this breed, so deservedly popular. Cockers, which are shorter in the back, higher on the leg, and lighter in weight, being usually under 25 lbs., are very popular, full of life, and very attractive in appearance. Basset-hounds, both rough-and smooth-coated, are probably the most muscular dogs in existence of their height, with much dignity about them. In the Sporting Teams at the Royal Agricultural Hall there were some thirteen or fifteen teams of all kinds of sporting dogs, and of these a team each of rough and smooth bassets was in the first four. Dachshunds are often erroneously treated as Sporting Dogs. There are certainly not so many supporters of the breed as formerly. Their lean heads, with long hanging ears, long low bodies, and crooked fore legs, give them a quaint appearance. The colours are usually shades of chestnut-red or black and tan ; but some are seen chocolate and " dappled," which is one shade of reddish brown, with spots and blotches of a darker shade all over it. Great Danes, though mostly classed amongst Non-sporting Dogs, have much of the hound in their bearing and appearance. The whole-coloured are not so popular as the various shades of brindle and harlequin, but I have seen many beautiful fawns, blues, and other whole colours. BLOOD-HOUND This photograph shows 'what an almost perfect hlood-hound should be like ENGLISH SETTER A typical but rather coarse specimen of a beautiful "variety Photo by E, Landor] [Ealing SMOOTH-COATED SAINT BERNARD The illustration gives a capital idea of these handsome dogs THE DOG FAMILY lOI They are being bred with small natural drooping ears. One of the first I remember seeing exhibited was a large harlequin belonging to the late Mr. Frank Adcock, with the appropriate name of " Satan," as, although always shown muzzled, he required the attentions of three or four keepers to deal with him ; and at one show I attended he overpowered his keepers, got one of them on the ground, tore his jacket off, and gave him a rough handling. Non-sporting Varieties. Saint Bernards, although sometimes exceeding 3 feet at the shoulder, are as a rule very docile and good-tempered, and many are owned by ladies. The coat may be rough or smooth, according to taste; but either are splendid animals. They are sometimes seen sti ^coloured, but those with markings — shades of rich red, with white and black, for preference — are the handsomest. They are still used as " first aids " in the snow on the Swiss mountains. So far as I remember, this is the only breed of dog used for stud and exhibition for which as much as ^7,500 has been paid ; and this has occurred on more than one -J v.. Photo by Fratelli Alinart] t Florener GREAT DANE This shoivs a typical specimen of this breed, ivith cropped ears, 'which ivill be dis- continued in shoiv dops occasion. Newfoundlands have re- gained their place in popularity, and many good blacks and black-and-whites can now be seen. Numerous caseS: are on record of their rendering aid to persons in danger of drowning, and establishing communication with wrecked vessels and the shore. Mastiffs are looked on as one of the national breeds. Their commanding presence and stately manner make them highly suitable as guards, and they are credited with much attach- ment and devotion to their owners. The colours are mostly shades of fawn with black muzzle, or shades of brindle. I am able to give the portrait of one of the best speci- mens living, belonging to Mr. R. Leadbeater. Bull-dogs are also regarded as a national breed. They are at present in high favour. The sizes and colours are so various that all tastes can be satisfied. Recently there has been a fancy for toy bull-dogs, lirnited to 22 lbs. in weight, mostly with upright ears of tulip shape. In spite of the many aspersions on their character, bull-dogs are usually easy-going and good-tempered, and are often very fastidious feeders — what fanciers call " bad doers." \_Baiter Street DACHSUND The pfiotograph con-veys a fair idea of these qutunt dogs 102 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD ■ Rough Collies are very graceful, interesting creatures, and stand first in intelligence among canines. They are highly popular. Several have been sold for over ;^ 5, coo, and the amounts in prize-money and fees obtained by some of the " cracks " would surprise persons not in " the fancy." A high-bred specimen " in coat " is most beautiful. The colours most favoured are sables with white markings ; but black, white, and tans, known as " tricolors," are pleasing and effective. I quite hoped to give a portrait of one of the most perfect of present-day champions, belonging to H. H. the Princess de Montglyon, but could not find room. Smooth Collies are a handsome breed, full of grace, beauty, and intelligence, and very active and lively. A favourite colour is merle, a sort of lavender, with black markings and tan and white in parts, usually associated with one or both eyes china-coloured. Specimens often win in sheep-dog trials ; a bitch of mine won many such, and was more intelligent in other ways than many human beings. Old English Sheep-dogs are a most fascinating breed, remarkably active, possessed of much endurance and resource, and very faithful and affectionate. I have often made long photo by Kitchener Portrait Co, DALMATIANS uili art typical J but the first is thi best in quality and marking Fhots by r. Fair] NEWFOUNDLAND The dog shoii'n here gives a good idea of size and character, but is not in beat coat {^Baktr Street THE DOG FAMILY 103 journeys through cross-country roads accompanied by one or more of them, and never knew them miss me, even on the darkest night or in the crowded streets of a large town. The favourite colour is pigeon-blue, with white collar and markings. The coat should be straight and hard in texture. The illustration is from a portrait of one of the best bitches ever shown, belonging to Sir H. de Trafford. Dalmatians are always white, with black, liver, or lemon spots, the size of a shilling or less, evenly distributed over the body, head, ears, and even tail, and pure, without mixture of white. There is much of the pointer about this variety, which has long been used for sporting purposes on the continent of Europe. I can testify to their many good qualities as companions and house-dogs. To quote again from the article above mentioned : " It is commonly believed that the spotted carriage-dogs once so frequently kept in stables were about the most useless PS.to Sr T. Faiq BULL-DOGS Tie photograph is remarkably good and characteristic of this variety l,Baker Street creatures of the dog kind, maintained only for show and fashion. This is a mistake. They were used at a time when a traveling-carriage carried, besides its owners, a large amount of valuable property, and the dog watched the carriage at night when the owners were sleeping at country inns. We feel we owe an apology to the race of carriage-dogs. . . . While this dog is becoming extinct, in spite of his useful qualities, other breeds are invading spheres of work in which they had formerly no part." There is only one point in which I differ from the above, and that is contained in the last sentence. There are a number of enthusiastic breeders very keen on reviving interest in this variety, and I have during the last few years had large entries to judge, so that we shall probably see more of them in the future. Poodles are of many sizes and colours. They are very intelligent, easily taught tricks, and much used as performing dogs. They have various kinds of coats : corded, in which the hair hangs in long strands of ringlets ; curly, with a profusion of short curls all over them, something 104 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD like retrievers ; and fluffy, wlien the hair is combed out, to give much the appearance of fleecy wool. A part of the body, legs, head, and tail is usually shorn. Bull-terriers are now bred with small natural drooping ears, and should have long wedge-shaped heads, fine coats, and long tails. There is also a toy variety, which hitherto has suffered from round skulls and tulip ears, but is rapidly improving. I have bred many as small as 3 lbs. in weight. In each variety the colour preferred is pure white, without any markings, and with fine tapering tails. Irish Terriers are very popular, and should be nearly wholly red in colour, with long lean heads, small drooping ears, hard coats, not too much leg, and without coarse- ness. They make good comrades. Bedlington Terriers have long been popular in the extreme north of England, and are another fighting breed. It is indeed often difficult to avoid a difference of opinion between show competitors. Their lean long heads, rather domed skulls, with top-knot of Hghter hair, long pointed ears, and small dark eyes, give them a peculiar appearance. The coats, which are " linty " in texture, should be shades of blue or liver. Three breeds, all more or less hard in coat-texture, and grizzled in colour on heads and bodies, while tanned on other parts, are Airedale, Old English, and Welsh Terriers, which may be divided into large, medium, and small. The first-named make very good all round dogs ; the Old English, less in number, make useful dogs, and are hardy and companionable ; while Welsh terriers are much the size of a small wire-haired fox-terrier, but usually shorter and somewhat thicker in the head. I intended one of Mr. W. S. Glynn's best dogs to illustrate the last-named. Fox-terriers are both smooth- and wire-haired. Their convenient size and lively tempera- ment make them very popular as pets and companions for both sexes and all ages. The colour is invariably white, with or without markings on head or body, or both. Black-and-tan and White English OLD ENGLISH SHEEP-DOG This is a remarkably fine photograph of a 'well-knoiun specimen of this interesting -variety MASTIFF The photograph gives almost an ideal picture of this splendid breed, the colour being knoivn as black-brindle Terriers are built upon the same lines, differing chiefly in colour, the former being raven-black, with tan markings on face, legs, and some lower parts of the body, and the latter pure white all over. Both should have small natural drooping ears, fine glossy coats, and tapering sterns. The toy variety of the former should be a miniature of the larger, and is very difficult to produce of first-class quality. Scottish Terriers are very interesting, often with much "character" about them. The usual colours are black, shades of gray, or brindle, but some are seen fawn, stone- colour, and white. The ears should be carried bolt upright, the coat as hard as a badger's, Pholo by Lambert Lambert'] \ Bath DEER-HOUND .'All is a capital fortrait if mt ofihi bin tf this graciful variity Photo by H. Cornish'] [Criditon POINTER This is a young dog not yet shoivtiy but full of quality and type Photo by Filliers &r' Sans] \_Newport SKYE TERRIER The photograph is of a lueU-knonvn ivinner in shoiv form Br permtsiton of Mrs. Jdall-iValker POMERANIAN Probably about the best all-black Toy Pomeranian e-ver shown Fhoto by iJ. N. Taylor] ICowley Road .MALTESE TOY TERRIER ^ very excellent representation of one of the best specimens of the present day Photo by T. i'all] \_Baker Street CORDED POODLE The length of the cords ofivhtch the coat is composed is clearly shoion Photo by Kitchener & Salmon] iBond Street SCOTTISH TERRIER ^ smart picture of one of the best of these popular dogs Photo by E. Landor] \ Ealing BUTTERFLY-DOG The photograph gi-ves an excellent idea of this someivhat rare variety 105 io6 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD PSo(» by T. Fair] iBaker Strut HER MAJESTY QUEEN ALEXANDRA, WITH CHOW AND JAPANESE SPANIELS teeth even, small dark expressive eyes, fore legs straight, the back short. One I brought from Skye many years since I took with me when driving some miles into the country ; coming back by a different route, he missed me ; but on nearing my starting-point I found him posted at a juncture of four roads, by one of which I must return. He could not have selected a better position. The illu- stration is that of a first-rate specimen of the variety, " Champion Balmacrcin Thistle." Dandie Dinmont Terriers have many quaint and charming ways. They are very strongly built, being among the most muscular of the terriers, of high courage, devotedly attached to their owners, and admirably adapted for companions, being suitable for indoors or out, and at home anywhere. The colours are pepper (a sort of darkish iron- gray) and mustard (a yellowish red fawn), both with white silky hair on head, called the top-knot, and lustrous dark eyes, very gipsy- like and independent in expression. Skyes, both Prick- and Drop-eared, are another Scottish breed which well deserve their popularity, as they are thorough sporting animals. The colours are chiefly shades of dark or light gray, but sometimes fawn with dark points and whites are seen. The texture of coat should be hard and weather-resisting ; the eyes dark and keen in expression ; bodies long, low, and well knit ; legs straight in front ; even mouths ; tails carried gaily, but not curled over the back. Schipperkes are of Belgian origin. To those who do not know them, they are something like medium-sized Pomeranians, short of coat, but without tails. They are nearly always pure black in colour, with coats of hardish texture, fullest round the neck and shoulders, the ears standing straight up like darts, short cobby bodies, and straight legs. They make smart guards and companions. Chows originally came from China, but are now largely bred here. They are square-built sturdy dogs, with dense coats, tails carried over the side, blunt-pointed ears, and rather short thick heads. They have a little of a large coarse Pomeranian, with something of an Eskimo about them, but are different from either, with a type of their own. The colour is usually some shade of red or black, often with a bluish tinge in it. One marked peculiarity is that the tongues of chows are blue- black in colour. Pomeranians can be procured of any weight from 3 to 30 lbs., and of almost every shade of colour. At present brown of various shades is much in favour, but there are many beautiful whites, blacks, blues, sables, and others. They are very sharp and lively, and make charming pets and com- panions. Really good specimens command high prices. The illustration is of one of the best of his colour ever seen — " Champion Pippin." Pugs, both fawn and black, are old-fashioned favourites Phiu bf T. Fairy IBtiir Siriil SAND-DOG ^ quaint picture of a quaint -variety, quite hair- less J and much the colour of Castile soap THE DOG FAMILY 107 very quaint and peculiar in appearance. They should have square heads and muzzles, with small, ears, large protruding eyes, short thick bodies, and tails tightly curled over the back. The illus- tration, " Duchess of Connaught," is of a well-known winner. Maltese Terriers are very beautiful when pure bred. They have a long straight coat of silky white hair nearly reaching the ground, black nose and eyes, and the tail curled over the back of their short cobby body. Their beauty well repays the trouble of keeping them in good condition. The illustration, from a photograph taken for this article, is that of the high-class dog " Santa Klaus." Yorkshire Toy Terriers, with their steel-blue bodies and golden-tanned faces, legs, and lower parts, and long straight coats, require skilful attention to keep in order, but are very attractive as pets. Toy Spaniels are very old members of the toy division, dating from or before the time of King Charles: King Charles Spaniels being black and tan; Prince Charles Spaniels black, white, and tan ; another strain, the Blenheim, white, with shades of reddish-tan markings on the head and body, and a spot of same colour on forehead ; and the Ruby, a rich coppery red all over. They should be small and stout in size and shape, without coarseness, long in the ear, with large full protruding eyes of dark colour, a short face, a straight coat, and not leggy. Japanese Spaniels carry heavy coats, usually black, or yellow, and white in colour, shorter in the ears, which are carried more forward than in the last-named, broader in the muzzle, with nearly flat faces, dark eyes, and bushy tails carried over the back. They have very short legs, and their hair nearly reaches the ground as they walk. When I kept them they were much larger in size, but they are often now produced under 6 lbs. in weight. Pekin Spaniels, the last of the toy spaniels I need mention, come from China. They should have soft fluffy coats, tails inclined to turn over the back, short faces, broad muzzles, large lustrous eyes, and a grave, dignified expression. The colour is usually some shade of tawny fawn or drab, but I have seen them black and dark brown ; whatever colour, it should be without white. The illustration, Mrs. Lindsay's " Tartan Plaid," was one of the early importations. photo by County of Gloucester Studio^ Cheltenham PUG AND PEKINESE SPANIEL ji typical portrait of tiuo ivell-kno'wn luinners in these popular varieties Photo hj C. Reid'^ [K^iihaw, N. B. FOX-TERRIER A picture full of life and go — at present odds in favour of our friend with the prickly coat I08 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD Photo bj E, Landor\ \_Ealing BLENHEIM AND PRINCE CHARLES SPANIELS This little group ivill ser've to slww the appearance of these charming little pets Italian Greyhounds, another old-fashioned variety of toy dog, should not exceed 12 lbs. in weight, but in my opinion are better if they are some pounds less. Much like miniature greyhounds in shape and build, they are elegant, graceful little creatures, very sensitive to cold. Shades of fawn, cream, or French gray are most common ; but some are slate-blue, chestnut-red, and other tints. Of late years the breed has met with more encouragement, and there is less fear of its being allowed to die out. Griffons Brusselois have been greatly taken up the last few years. They are something like Yorkshire toy terriers in size and shape, but with a shortish harsh coat, generally of some shade of reddish brown, very short face, small shining dark eyes, heavy under-jaw, short thick body, and an altogether comical appearance. Imported specimens, particularly before reaching maturity, are often difficult to rear. The African Sand-dog occasionally seen in this country (mostly at shows) is remarkable for being entirely hairless, except a few hairs of a bristly character on the top of the head and a slight tuft at the end of the tail ; in colour, something in shape and terrier, and very susceptible to Having been supplied with an will say a few words about this numbers at Constantinople and roam about unclaimed, and act as to divide the places they inhabit into leader, and resent any interference cases where they have made a de- late at night ; but they are rather a with a little firmness on the part of the descendants of the dogs so often probrium ; and, among Eastern peo- now the most insulting epithet that ancient times, the dog never seems hunting and pursuing game and guardian of their flocks, herds, and photo bji thi Ducheis of Bedford, IVoburn Abbiy PARIAH PUPPIES This capital photograph of a variety seldom seen in this country will be 'very interesting it is chiefly blue-black or mottled size like a coarse black-and-tan cold. illustration of Pariah Puppies, I variety, which is seen in large other Eastern cities, where they amateur scavengers ; they are said districts or beats, each with its own with their authority. I have known termined attack on travelers out cowardly race, and easily repulsed the attacked. Probably these are mentioned in Scripture with op- ples, to call a man " a dog" is even can be used. By the Jews, in to have been used, as with us, in wild animals, but merely as a sometimes dwellings. CHAPTER VI THE BEARS LeS^ Photo by Ottomar Anichiitx.^ Berlin AN INVITING ATTITUDE The upright position is not natu- ral to- tha broivn hear. It prefers to sit on its hams, and not to stand EXCEPT the great cats, no creatures have longer held a place in human interest than the BEARS. Their size and formidable- equipment of claws and teeth give the touch of fear which goes with admiration. On the other hand, they do not, as a rule, molest human beings, who see them employing their great strength on appar- ently insignificant objects with some amusement. Except one species, most bears are largely fruit and vegetable feeders. The sloth-bear of India sucks up ants and grubs with its funnel-like lips ; the Malayan bear is a honey-eater by profession, scarcely touching other food when it can get the bees' store ; and only the great polar bear is entirely carnivorous. The grizzly bear of the Northern Rocky mountains is largely a flesh eater, consuming great quantities of putrid salmon in the Columbian rivers. But the ice-bear is ever on the quest for living or dead flesh ; it catches seals, de- vours young sea- fowl and eggs, and can actually kill and eat the gigantic walrus. Every one will have noticed the deliberate flat- footed walk of the bears. This is due partly to the for- mation of the feet themselves. The whole sole is set flat upon the ground, and the impressions in a bear's track are not unlike those of a man's footsteps. The claws are not capable of being retracted, like those of the Cats ; consequently they are worn at the tips where the curve brings them in contact with the ground. Yet it is surprising what wounds these blunt but hard weapons will in- flict on man — wounds resembling what might be caused by the use of a very large garden- rake. Against other animals protected by hair bears' claws are of little use. Dogs would never attack them so readily as they do were they armed with the talons of a leopard or tiger. The flesh-teeth in both jaws of the bear are 4, TraiMi AU THREE PERFORMING Those on the right and left are Himalayan black bears, collar is plainly seen BEARS The ivhite 109 no THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD unlike those of other carnivora. The teeth generally show that bears have a mixed diet. Bears appear to have de- scended from some dog-like ancestor, but to have been much modified. Except the ice-bear, all the species are short and very bulky. It is said that a polar bear has been killed which weighed 1,000 lbs. It is far the largest, and most formida- ble in some respects, of all the carnivora. The claws of the g;rizzly bear are sometimes S inches long over the outer curve. All bears can sit up- right on their hams, and stand upright against a support like a tree. Some can stand upright with no aid at all. Except the grizzly bear, they can all climb, many of them very well. In the winter, if it be cold, they hibernate. In the spring, when the shoots of the early plants come up, they emerge, hungry and thin, to seek their food. Bears were formerly common in Britain, and were exported for the Roman amphitheatres. The prehistoric cave-bears were very large. Their re- mains have been found in Devon, Derbyshire, and other counties. The species inhabiting Britain during the Roman period was the common brown bear of Europe. The Common Brown Bear. Only one species of bear is found in Europe south of the ice-line, though above it the white ice-bear inhabits Spitzbergen and the islands off the White Sea. This is the Brown Bear, the emblem of Russia in all European caricature, and the hero of innumerable fragments of folk- lore and fable, from the tents of the Lapps to the nurseries of American children. Except the ice- bear, it is far the largest of European carnivora, but varies much in size. Russia is the main home of the brown bear, but it is found in Sweden and Norway, and right across Northern Asia. It is also common in the Carpathian Mountains, in the Caucasus, and in Mount Pindusin Greece. In the South it is found in Spain and the Pyrenees, and a few are left in the Alps. The dancing-bears commonly brought to England and America are caught in the Pyrenees. The " Queen's bear," so called because its owner was allowed to exhibit it at Windsor, was one of these. But lately dancing- bears from Servia and Wallachia have also been seen about our roads and streets. In Russia the bear grows to a great size. Some have been killed of 800 lbs. in weight. The fur is magnificent in - jinuhiitx] EUROPEAN [Ber/in BROWN BEAR The specimen of the hroivn bear of Europe from 'which this picture ivas taken tvas an unusually light and acti-ve hear. Its flanks are almost flat THE BEARS III Photo by E. Lander] SYRIAN BEAR This is the bear generally alluded to in the Old Testament winter, and in great demand for rich Russians' sledge-rugs. The finest bear-skins of all are bought for the caps of the Grenadier and Coldstream Guards. In the Alps the bears occasionally visit a cow-shed in winter and kill a cow; but as a rule the only damage done by those in Europe is to the sheep on the hills in the far north of Norway. Tame brown bears are amusing creatures, but should never be trusted. They are always liable to turn savage, and the bite is almost as severe as that of a tiger. Men have had their heads completely crushed in by the bite of one of these animals. In Russia bears are shot in the following manner. When the snow falls, the bears retire into the densest thickets, and there make a half-hut, half-burrow in the most tangled part to hibernate in. The bear is tracked, and then a ring made round the cover by beaters and peasants. The shooters follow the track and rouse the bear, which often charges them, and is forthwith shot. If it escapes, it is driven in by the beaters outside. High fees are paid to peasants who send information that a bear is harboured in this way. Sportsmen in Petrograd will go 300 or 400 miles to shoot one on receipt of a telegram. A Siberian peasant who wished to do a little hunt- ing on his own account had a lively adventure. The bear had the best of it, knocked him down, and so frightfully mangled his arm that he fainted. Bruin then buried him in orthodox bear fashion ; and the man, when he came to, which he fortunately did before the bear came back, got up, and made his way to the village. There he was for a long time ill, and all through his sickness and delirium talked of noth- ing but shooting the bear. When he got well, he disappeared into the forest with his gun, and after a short absence returned with the bear's skin! The Syrian Bear. This bear, which figures in the story of Elisha, is a variety of the brown bear. It is found from the Caucasus to the mountains of Palestine, and is a smaller animal than the true brown bear, weigh- ing about 300 lbs. The fur in summer is of a mixed rusty colour, with a whitish collar on the chest. It Phot, by H^. D. DandoT, {Regent' , Pari stcals the grapcs ou Mouut Horcb, and feeds upon LARGE RUSSIAN BROWN BEAR ripe fruits, apples, chestnuts, corn, and the like. It The picture shows to what a size and strength the • .l j , j- ,i i • ^ i hrown hear attains 's then ready to face the long wmter sleep. 112 THE BEARS The Indian Sloth-bear. Few people would believe that this awkward and ugly beast is so formidable as it is. It is the commonest Indian species, seldom eats flesh, prefers sucking up the contents of a white ants' nest to any other meal, and is not very large ; from 200 lbs. to 300 lbs. is the weight of a male. But the skull and jaws are very strong, and the claws long and curved. As they are used almost like a pickaxe when the bear wishes to dig in the hardest soil, their effect upon the human body can be imagined. Sir Samuel Baker says that there are more accidents to natives of India and Ceylon from this species than from any other animal. Mr. Watts Jones writes an interesting account of his sensations while being bitten by one Pholit by C. Reld] [PThiaw, N.B. A BROWN BEAR IN SEARCH OF INSECTS The photograph shows a hear feeding on insects^ possibly large ants, 'which he licks up from the ground, after scratching them out ,.^ V ■>* ' 1* ** i - A if- ''-• • U.--1 ." > • ^,' ;^; \^.i^ ,. _*/ .^«, » W«^' "^-.^^s ^1 i 1 1 V r 'J Mtiu 1 III ' ^m f • .^^^BflMff-/' Li J' rs^^^-ifi wk :tm \ % ,-iJMm ? ^^^ P^'^C^ -"^em-Ut »^ ■-!?«&^ — By permission of Professor Su mfu,] [Niw Turk SEA-LION j4/I sea-lions are polygamous. The males guard their harems "very jealously^ and fight determinedly with any intruder MARINE CARNIVORA 123 been greatly reduced by whalers in search of skins and oil. The first sea-lion ever brought here was one of these. The Zoological Society did not import it; they found it in the pos- session of a Frenchman called Lecomte, who had taken it on the Patagonian coast, trained it, and brought it home, where he showed it in a caravan. Its training was long and difficult ; it bit like a bull-dog, and Lecomte's limbs were scarred all over with its bites. In spite of this it was the cleverest performing animal ever seen up to that time in England. This sea-lion died from swal- lowing a fish-hook concealed in some fish with which it was fed. Lecomte was then sent out by the Zoological Society to obtain some more. With the greatest difficulty several were secured, but all died on the voyage to New York. Lecomte returned and obtained others, one of which he succeeded in bringing here. The cleverness of these animals — or rather their power of understanding what they are required to do, and their willingness to do it— probably exceeds that of any other animal, except the elephant and the dog. Why this is so is not easy to conjecture, except that the brain is more developed. They have been taught to fetch and carry on dry land like a retriever, in addition to the well-known tricks exhibited by those at the Zoo. One be- longing to Barnum's Show caught strawberry-punnets on its nose when they were thrown to it, and waved a torch, which it held in its teeth and caught after tossing it into the air. The sea-lions are much more powerful animals than the fur-seals. The male of Steller's sea- lion attains a length of lo feet and a weight of i,ooo lbs. The Australian Sea-lion is even larger than that of the North Pacific. Some specimens are said to attain 12 feet in length. Cap- tain Cook mentions seeing male Patagonian sea-lions 14 feet long and from 8 to 10 feet in cir- cumference. Though none are now seen of such dimensions, skulls found on the beach show that anciently some of the sea-lions were larger than any now known. It should be noted that all these creatures are carnivorous, yet the supply of food for them never seems to fail, as undoubtedly it would were the animals dependent for their food on land. By fermiuion of Kerr Carl Hagenbeci] [ffamturg FEMALE WALRUS TAis is a photograph of the onlyiualrus ivhick has ever been tamed and taught to perform tricks. It 'was taken -when she ivas tzuo years oik and ^weighed j8o lbs. At that time she consumed yo lbs. of bonelets fish a day ; a year later not less than joo lbs. satisfied her. She is noio an inmate of the Roumanian Zoological Gardens 124 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD Bv ftrmiition of the Hon. Walter Rothsehlld\ \Tring MALE WALRUS The " tusks " of the iva/rus are put to many practical uses during life, and after death are much valued for the ivory The Walrus. The distinguishing features of the walrus have been mentioned in the introductory re- marks to this chapter. It should be added that it has an external ear-passage, though no external ears, and very thick and bristly whis- kers. It is practically confined to the Arctic wm^tmr- - ^ ^*'^|k Circle, though once its range extended to the ^^Hv^ y k0 ^ '"^^Igifl^^^^^^ British coasts (where its bones are found in W^Z^^^f^^'' tfr £■ ^^^''Siii^^^*^ the Suffolk Crag) and to Virginia. The skull 1^^ ^^^l^^^r^^r iStajHlHiH^ °f °"^ ^^^ found in the peat at Ely — evidence that it once ascended rivers. The walrus stands alone ; it is a real mon- ster of the deep. Strange and awful stories were told of it by some of the early voyagerS' to the Arctic Seas ; but Captain Cook gave a very different account of his impressions of the walruses which he saw on the north coast of America: "They lie in herds of many hundreds on the ice, huddling over one another like swine. (They lie just like a lot of pigs in a yard.) They roar and bray so very loud, that in the night, or in foggy weather, they gave us notice of the vicinity of the ice before we could see ■ it. We never found the whole herd asleep, some being always on the watch These, on the approach of the boat, would awaken those next to them ; and the alarm being thus gradually communicated, the whole herd would awake presently. But they were seldom in a hurry to get away, till after they had been once fired at ; they then would tumble over one another into the sea in the utmost con- fusion They did not appear to us to be that dangerous animal which authors have described, riot even when attacked. Vast numbers of them would follow us, and come close up to the boats ; but the flash of the musket in the pan, or the bare pointing of it, would send them down in an instant. The female will defend her young to the last, and at the expense of her own life, whether in the water or upon the ice ; nor will the young one quit the dam, though she be dead ; so that if one be killed the other is certain prey." The long pendent tusks, bristly whiskers, small bloodshot eyes, and great size lent colour to the terrifying tales of the walrus. But more ancient voyagers than Captain Cook told the truth — that the " morses," as they called them, were harmless creatures, which often followed the ships from sheer curiosity. They sleep on the ice like elephantine pigs, and dive and rout on the sea-bottom for clams, cuttle-fish, and seaweeds. Probably the long tusks are used to rake up mussels and clams ; they also help the walrus to climb on to the ice. A young walrus was kept for some time by the members of the Jackson- Harmsworth Expedition, and was found to be an amusing pet. One kept on board a Dundee whaler used to sleep with an Eskimo dog, and got into the same kennel with it. It ate blubber and salt pork, but liked the sailors' pea soup better than anything else ; it was most sociable, and could not bear to be alone — would tumble down the hatchway to seek the society of its beloved sailors, and scramble into the cabin if the door were open. When it fell ill and before it died, it seemed most grateful for any attention shown to it. The parent walrus shows the greatest cour- age in trying to defend the young one. Walruses are now scarce ; but as the ivory is the only part of them of much present value, there is a chance that they may not be killed off entirely. The True Seals. The True Seals, with their greatly modified forms, heads set almost on to their shoulders, with no neck visible, have well-developed claws on all the toes, and in the typical species have double-rooted and small cheek teeth. The number of the incisors is variable. The Gray Seal of the North Atlantic is a large species which visits the North British coasts and the Hebrides. MARINE CARNIVORA 125 One old male shot off the coast of Connemara weighed nearly 400 lbs., and was 8 feet long. It is found off Scandinavia and. eastwards to the coast of Greenland, and breeds off our coasts in October and November. This is the large seal occasionally shot up Scotch lochs. Its colour is yellowish gray, varied with blots and patches of dirty black and brown. The Common Seal. This seal is smaller than the preceding. It breeds on parts of the Welsh and Cornish coasts, and is found on both sides of the Atlantic and in the North Pacific. It assembles in small herds, and frequents lochs, estuaries, and river mouths. In the summer it is fond of following flounders and sea-trout up rivers. A few years ago one came up the Thames and was shot at Richmond. The young are born in June, and are grayish white. The adults are variously mottled with gray, brown, and , black. The fondness of seals for music is proverbial. Macgilli.vray, the Scotch naturalist, said that in the Hebrides he could bring half a score of them within forty yards of him by a few notes on his flute, when they would swim about with their heads above water like so many black dogs. A seal was captured by the servants of a landowner near Clew Bay, on the west coast of Ireland, and kept, tame for four years. It became so attached to the house that, after being carried out to sea |hree times, it returned on each occasion. The cruel wretches who owned it then blinded it, out of curiosity to see whether it could find its way back sightless. The poor animal did so after eight days. The common seal is still fairly numerous on the rocky western coasts of the British islands, though a few old seals, unable to forget their early habits, appear now and then in Morecambe Bay and in the Solway. It is not uncommon off the coasts of Caithness and Sutherland. It also frequents a sand-bank in the Dornoch Firth, though it has been much persecuted there. The common seal is gregarious, while the gray seal usually lives only in pairs, or at most in small com- panies. Two or three dozen like to lie closely packed on shore with all their heads turning seawards. The white hair of the young seals — which, as already said, are born in June — is shed in a day or two, when the young take to the .water. With regard to their reputed- mu- sical proclivities, some experi- ments made at the Zoological Gardens did not bear out this belief; but there is much evi- dence that in a state of nature they will approach and- listen to music. The common seal has a large brain capacity, and is a very intelligent creature. The upper parts of this seal are yellowish gray, spotted with black and brown, the under parts being silver-gray. The Harp-seal is an Arctic or ice-seal which sometimes finds its way here. The young are born 9 By ftrmiuion of Htrr Carl Hagenheek] [Hamburg WALRUS AND SEA-LION Another photograph of the walrus tamed by Herr Carl Hagenheek. Notice the sea-lion in the right-hand corner, ivhich also formed one of the same performing troupe 126 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD Phtta bf Turk and Sin] IKitllng Sill GRAY SEAL ^ais are not so ivell adapted as sea-lions for getting about on the dry landy andy except for their habit of coming ashore to bask in the sun^ are thoroughly aquatic on ice-floes. It is found in great herds in Davis Straits, on the coasts of Greenland and in the greater part of the frozen Arctic Ocean. It is the animal which the sealing-vessels which hunt seals for oil and " hair " — that is, the leather of the skins, not the fur — seek and destroy. In the old days they could be seen in tens of thousands blackening square miles of ice. They are still so numerous that in Danish Green- land more than 30,000 are taken each year. The Ringed Seal is a small variety, not more than 3 or 4 feet in length, found in great numbers in the Far North. Its flesh is the main food of the Eskimo, and its skin the clothing of the Greenlanders. The seals make breathing-holes in the ice. There the Eskimo waits with upHfted spear for hours at a time, until the seal comes up to breathe, when it is harpooned. The Bladder-nosed Seal is a large spotted variety, with a curious bladder-hke crest on the head and nose of the male. Unlike all other seals, it some- times resists the hunters and attacks the Eskimo in their kayaks. If any evidence were needed of the great destruction which the sealing and whaling industry causes, and has caused, among the large marine animals, the case of the Elephant-seals ought to carry conviction. These are very large seals, the male of which has a projecting nose like a proboscis. They were formerly found both north and south of the Equator, their main haunts being on the coast of California, and on the islands of the South Pacific and Antarctic Ocean. They are gigantic compared with the common seals, some of the males being from 16 to 20 feet long. Cuttle-fish and seaweed are the principal food of this ^eal, which was formerly seen in astonishing numbers. The whaling-ships which hunted both these seals and sperm- whales at the same time alriiost destroyed those which bred on the more accessible coasts, just as the earlier whalers entirely destroyed Steller's sea-cow, and their modern descendants destroyed the southern right-whales. The elephant-seal is now very scarce, and when one is killed the skin is regarded as something of a curiosity. In the records of the voyage of the Challenger it is stated that there were still great numbers of the elephant-seals surviving near Heard Island, and not a few round the shores of Kerguelen Island. Professor Moseley states that on the windward shore of Heard Island " there is an extensive beach, called Long Beach. This was covered with thousands of sea-elephants in the breeding-season ; but it is only accessible by land, and then only by crossing two glaciers. No boat can safely land on this shore; consequently men are stationed on the beach, and live there in huts. Their duty is constantly to drive the sea-elephants from this beach into the sea, which they do with whips made out of the hides of the seals themselves. The beasts thus ousted swim off, and often ' haul up,' as the term is, upon the accessible beach beyond. In very stormy weather, when they are driven into the sea, they are forced to betake themselves to the sheltered side of the island. Two or three old males, which are called ' beach-masters,' hold a beach for themselves and cover it with cows, but allow no other males to haul up. They fight furiously, and one man told me that he had seen an old male take a young one up in his teeth and throw him over, lifting him in the air. The males show fight when whipped, and are with ^'^ m > ^^^' ^^_ ^.^^.j^M^m. ' "'. ' 'S^hji"*: By parmu'iion If tht Ntw Tori Zoological Soclity CALIFORNIAN SEA-LIONS, OR EARED SEALS Seai-/ierdsfofm '* rookeriex" •when on land at tht breeding-seaion^ during which time they undergo a complete fast 127 128 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD great difficulty driven into the sea. The females give birth to their young soon after their arrival. The new-born young ones are almost black, unlike the adults, which are of a light slate- brown. They are suckled by the female for some time, and then left to themselves, lying on the beach, where they seem to grow fat without further feeding. They are always allowed by the sealers to lie like this, • in order to make more oil.' This account was corroborated by all the sealers I met, but I do not understand it. Probably the cows visit their offspring unobserved from time to time. Peron says that both parent elephant-seals stay with the young without taking any food at all till the latter are about six or seven weeks old, and that the old ones conduct the young to the water and carefully keep them company. The rapid increase in weight is in accordance with Peron's account. Goodridge gives a somewhat different story — namely, that after the females leave the young the old males and the pups proceed inland, as far as two miles sometimes, and stop without food for more than a month, during which time they lose fat. The male sea-elephants come ashore for the purpose of breeding about the middle of August, the females a little later.'' Formerly the elephant-seals were found as far north as the CaHfornian coast, where their capture was the main business of the sealing-traders. This species also formed the mainstay of the far southern sealers. As the elephant-seals were killed off, so the business became less and less profitable. It is to be hoped that the voyages of exploration to the Antarctic ice-fringe will not lead to the discovery of fresh sealing-grounds, for if this is the case there is little chance that any of the southern seals will escape entire destruction. Some form of close time has already been enforced in the pursuit of the hair-seals of Northern Europe ; but it is very desirable that the species still found on our own coasts should also receive protection. Except when they paid visits to the fixed salmon-nets, they never did any harm ; and fixed nets are now illegal. When a seal learned the use of the stake-nets, which these animals were very quick to understand, it would wait quietly till it saw a fish caught, and then swim up and carry it off before the fisher- men could take it. Two species — namely, the Common Seal and Gray Seal — still regularly visit our shores. The common seal breeds on our southwestern coasts, and the gray seal off the Hebrides. If the common seal were accorded a close time, its numbers would probably increase ; and the spectacle of such interesting creatures visible on our coast could not fail to be of great interest. All the old legends of mermaids and wild men of the sea are based on the capture of seals. Perhaps the most ancient is one which records such a capture in the river near Orford Castle, in Suffolk, in the reign of Henry II. The ignorant soldiers were persuaded that it was a man, and tortured it to make it speak. They then took it to the church, and showed it the sacred emblems. As it " showed no reverence," they took it back to the castle, and fed it on fish. It was al- lowed to go into the river, but re- turned to its captors of its own accord. Later it swam away to the sea. The monk who recorded the story stated his conviction that this seal was an evil spirit which had got into the body of a drowned sailor. A gray seal was taken not many years ago in the creek leading up to the little town , , ^^ « ,T, u D .1 l„J^ IT/. of Wells, in Norfolk. It was so tame Byfit'mtiiionoftheffon.ff^alterRothsthild] taring * HARP-SEAL ^^.^^ ^^^ fishermen caught it by throw- Tie harp-seal comes from Greenland ing COatS OVCr it aS it lay On the mud. B} ftrmiisim ofthi Hon. TVallir Rolhichili] ITring SEA-ELEPHANT Tiese enormous seals ( about 20 feet in length') are becoming -very scarce. When they come ashore, they are easily uffroachei, though not ■.0 easily tilled. They arc much valued for their oil. Note the trunk-like prolongation of the nose, which, when the animal is excited, becomes iistended 120 CHAPTER IX. THE RODENTS, OR GNAWING ANIMALS. T HE Rodents, or Gnawing Mammals, have all the same general type of teeth, from which the order receives its distinctive name. There are a very large number of families and of genera among the rodents, more than in any other order of mammals. All the rodents possess a pair of long chisel-shaped in- cisor teeth in each jaw. The ends of these teeth are worn into a sharp edge which cuts like a steel tool. In most rodents these are the only teeth in that part of the jaw, a wide gap intervening between them and the other teeth. The hares, rabbits, and calling-hares have a minute pair of teeth set just behind the large pair in the upper jaw. The grinding-teeth are set far back, and are never more than six in number, these being sometimes reduced to four. Rodents generally have five toes on the fore feet ; in the hind feet there are in some cases only four, or even three. None of the species are of great size ; the largest, the Capybara, a water-Hving animal of South America, is about the dimensions of a small pig. But the number of species of small rodents is prodigious, and their fecundity so great that they constantly increase in favourable seasons until they become a plague. Voles, lem- m i n g s , field-mice, and rabbits are constant sources of loss to agriculture in their seasons of extraordinary increase. Most rodents feed on vegetables, though rats and mice have developed carniv- orous tastes. No rodents have canine teeth. The Squirrels. Those of the order of Gnawing Animals which have only two incisors in each jaw, and no rudimentary teeth like those possessed by the hares, are called " Simple-toothed Rodents." Of these the family usually placed first in order is that of the Squirrels and their allies. The True Squirrels and Marmots have five molar teeth on each side of the upper jaw. Squirrels are found in nearly every temperate part of the globe, from Norway to Japan, and in very great numbers in India and the tropics. Everywhere they are favourites ; 130 Phtti hj W. T. Dandt] CAPYBARA TiiSf the largest of the rodents^ is found by the rivers of South America By permlsstan 0/ Professor Bumpus^ New York FLVING-SQ^UIRREL One of the small species of the group THE RODENTS, OR GNAWING ANIMALS 131 and though they do some mischief in highly cultivated countries, they are among the most harmless of crea- tures. Most of them live on wild nuts and the kernels of fruit ; they suck eggs occa- sionally, and in Canada will come to the traps in ex- treme cold and eat the meat with which they are baited. 'The Red Squirrel. This, the common squirrel here, is representative of the whole order. In old Scandi- navian legends the squirrel is represented as the mes- senger of the gods, who car- ried the news of what was going on in the world to the other animals. Together with its close relations, it is :ha most graceful of al] climbers of trees. With its long tail waving behind it, it races up or down the trunks and across the for- ests from branch to branch as easily as a horse gallops across a plain. It will de- scend the trunk head down- wards as fast as it runs up. Squirrels pair for life, and are most affectionate little creatures, always playing or doing gymnastics together. The squirrel builds a very good house, in which he shows himself far more sensible than the monkeys and apes ; it is made of leaves, moss, and sticks. The sticks come first as a platform ; then this is carpeted, and a roof put on. No one who has seen com- mon squirrels at work house-building has ever described exactly how they do it ; it is the best nest made by any mammal, thoroughly well fitted together and waterproof. In this nest the young squirrels are born in the month of June ; that year they keep with the parents, and do not " set up for themselves " till the next spring. The red colour is very persistent in squirrels. One Chinese variety, black and red, has even bright red teeth. In cold countries the red squirrels make stores of food, but spend much of the winter asleep. It is a great pity that in England no ones tries to tame the squirrels as they do in America ; there they are the greatest ornament of the parks of cities, coming down to be fed as tamely as our sparrows. The writer has known one instance in which a lady induced wild squirrels to pay daily visits to her bedroom for food ; they used to climb up the ivy and jump in at the open window. The great enemies of squirrels near houses are the cats, which kill all the young ones Fhoto by A. S. RudUnd & Sont FLYING-SQJJIRREL T^e large jiying-squirrels are mainly nocturnal. They can leap a distance of ^o feet with the aid of the parachutes of skin stretching from the fore to the hind limbs 132 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD when they first come down from the trees. In a garden in the country a pair of squirrels had a family every summer for five years, but none ever sur- vived the cats' persistent at- tacks. These squirrels were most amusing and improvi- dent. They used to hide horse-chestnuts, small pota- toes, kernels of stone fruit, bulbs of crocuses, and other treasures in all kinds of places, and then forget them. After deep snows they might be seen scampering about looking into every hole and crevice to see whether that happened to be the place where they had hid- den something useful. Much of the store was buried among the roots.^ of trees and bushes, and quite hidden when the snow fell. Phtto by IV. P. Dand<,] [Reginl'j Pari DORSAL SQJJIRREL FROM CENTRAL AMERICA ^ most beautiful species. The main colour is red, but the back is French gray, and the tail French gray and red mingled. The Flying-Squirrels. One of the finest squirrels is the Taguan, a large squirrel of India, Ceylon, and the Malacca forests. It is a "flying-squirrel," with a body 2 feet long, and a bushy tail of the same length. Being nocturnal, it is not often seen; but when it leaps it unfolds a flap of skin on either side, which is stretched (like a sail) when the fore and hind limbs are extended in the act of leaping; it then forms a parachute. The colour of this squirrel is gray, brown, and pale chestnut. There are a number of different flying-squirrels in China, Formosa, and Japan, and in the forests of Central America. One small flying-squirrel, the Polatouche is found in Northeast Russia and Siberia. It flies from tree to tree with immense bounds, assisted by the "floats" on its sides. Though only six inches long, it can cover distances of 30 feet and more without diffi- culty. Wherever there are birch forests this little squirrel is found. In Africa, south of the Sahara, the place of the Oriental flying- squirrel is taken by a separate family. They have a different arrangement of the parachute from that of the flying- squirrels of India. This wide fold of skin is supported in the Asiatic squirrels by a cartilage extending from the wrist. In the South Afri- can flying-squirrels this support springs from the elbow, not from the phcm hy A. s. Rudiand s/ Sins wrist ; they havc also horny plates ASIATIC CHIPMUNKS o" the under-surface of the tail. ■^ Photi, by SchtUstk Phett. Co.] iParton'i GrccTi LONG-TAILED MARMOT The marmots live by preference on high and cold mountains just below the line if eternal snow in Europe. In Asia, where the snow-line is higher, they are found at altitudes of 12,000 feet are quite large animals, some being as large as a small cat. Mr. W. H. Adams says of Pel's Flying-squirrel, a West African species: "These squirrels come out of their holes in the trees some hours after sunset, and return long before daybreak. They are only visible on bright moonlight nights. The na- tives say that they do not come out of their holes at all in stormy weather, or on very dark nights ; they live on berries and fruits, being especially fond of the palm-oil nut, which they take to their nests to peel and eat. They pass from tree to tree with great rapidity, usually choosing to jump from a higher branch to a lower one, and then climbing up again to make a. fresh start. . . . They litter about twice in a year, once in September. The young remain in the nest for about nine weeks, during which they are fed by the old ones on such food as shoots and kernels. They do not attempt to jump or 'fly' till the end of that period, extending the length of their jumps with their growth." The Ethiopian Spiny Squirrels have coarse spiny fur ; the little Indian Palm-squikrel is marked with longitudinal dark and light stripes on the back; others have light bands on their flanks. The Alpine Marmot is a much larger species than the prairie-dog. It lives on the Alps just below the line of perpetual snow. From five to fifteen marmots combine in colonies, dig very deep holes, and, like the prairie-dogs, carefully line them with grass ; they also store up dry grass for food. In autumn they grow very fat, and are then dug out of the burrows by the mountaineers for food. Young marmots used to be tamed and carried about by the Savoyard boys, but this practice is now rare. The monkey is probably more attractive to the public than the fat and sleepy marmot. Marmots are about the size of a rabbit, and have close iron-gray fur. Tschudi, the naturalist of the Alps, says of the marmots that they are the only mammal which inhabits the region of the snows. No other warm-blooded quadrupeds live at such an altitude. In spring, when- the lower snows melt, there are generally small pieces of short turf near their holes, as well as great rocks, precipices, and stones. Here they make their burrows, outside which they feed, with a sentinel always posted to warn them of the approach of the eagle or lammergeir. The young marmots, from four to six in number, are born in June. When they first appear at the mouth of the holes, they are bluish gray ; later the fur gains a brownish tint. The burrows are usually at a height of not less than 7,000 or 8,000 feet. Winter comes on apace. By the end of autumn the ground is already covered with snow, and the marmots retire to sleep through the long winter. As they do not become torpid for some time, they require food when there is none accessible ; this they store up in the form of dried grass, which they cut in August, and leave outside their burrows for a time to be turned into hay. The Alpine Marmot is also found in the Carpathians and the Pyrenees. Another species, the Bobac, ranges eastward from the German frontier across Poland, Russia, and the steppes of Asia to Kamchatka. In Ladak and Western Tibet a short-tailed species, the Himalayan Marmot, is found, sometimes living at a height of nearly 17,000 feet. The Golden Marmot is found in the Pamirs. 134 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD The Dormice. There are a considerable number of animals, even here, which hibernate. Most of these feed largely on insect food, which in winter is unobtainable in any great quantity. Conse- quently the hedgehog and the badger, which hve largely on snails and worms, go to sleep in the famine months. So does the sleepiest of all — the Dormouse. This alone would show that this little rodent probably feeds on insects very largely, for if it only ate nuts and berries it could easily store these, and find a good supply also in the winter woods. It has been recently proved that dormice are insectivorous, and will eat aphides, weevils, and caterpillars. But a dormouse hibernates for so long a time that one might imagine its vitality entirely lost ; it sleeps for six months at a time, and becomes almost as cold as a dead animal, and breathes very slowly and almost imperceptibly. Mr. Trevor-Battye says that if warmed and made to awaken suddenly in the winter it would die in a minute or two, its heart beating very fast, " like a clock running down." Before their hibernation dormice grow very fat. There is a large species, found in Southern Europe, which the Romans used to eat when in this fat stage. In, winter dormice usually seek the nest of some small bird, and use it as a sleeping-place. They pull out^and renew the lining, or add a roof themselves. Into the interior they carry a fresh supply of moss, and sleep there in great comfort. Their great i tiny at i i:) time is i i; weasel. There are tuo main groups of the dormice, divided by natural- ists in reference to the structure of their stomach. The South African Graphiures have short tufted tails. The hibernating habit is confined to the more northern species. The Mouse Tribe. This family, which includes the Mice, Rats, and Voles, contains more than a third of the number of the whole order of Rodents. Some are arboreal, others aquatic ; but most are ground- living animals and burrowers. The number of known species has been estimated at 330. Among the most marked types are the Water-mice of Australia and New Guinea, and of the island of Luzon in the Philippines. The feet of the Australian species are webbed, though those of the Philippine form are not. The Gerbils form another group, mainly inhabitants of desert districts. They have very large eyes, soft fur, and tails of various length and form in different species. They have greatly developed hind legs, and leap like jerboas, and are found in Southern Europe, Asia, and Africa. The Philippine Rats, large and long-haired, and the Tree-mice of Africa south of the Sahara, form other groups. A very mischievous race of rodents is repre- sented in Europe by the Hamsters, and in America by a closely allied group, the White- footed Mice. The Hamsters. The Hamster is a well-known European species, and represents the group of pouched rats. Pheto by A. S. Rudland & Stnt POCKET-GOPHER The pocket-gophers are almost entirely subterranean. Their burroiuing foivtrs are remarkable. The teeth as ivell as claivs are used to aid them THE RODENTS, OR GNAWING ANIMALS 135 These creatures have cheek-pouches to aid them in carrying food. In addition they are most voracious and inquisitive, so that the hamster is a type throughout Central Europe of selfishness and greed. We are sorry to add that John Bull occasionally appears in German cartoons as the " Land-hamster," or land-grabber. Hamsters are numerous from the Elbe to the Obi. They burrow and make cellars in the corn- and bean-fields, and convey thither as much as a bushel of grain. As soon as the young hamsters can shift for themselves, each moves off, makes a separate burrow, and begins to hoard beans and corn. As the litter sometimes contains eighteen young, the mischief done by the hamster is great. Its coloration is peculiar. The fur, which is so thick as to be used for the linings of coats, is a light yellowish brown above. A yellow spot marks each cheek. The lower surface of the body, the legs, and a band on the forehead are black, and the feet white. Thus the hamster reverses the usual natural order of colour in mammals, which tends to be dark on the back and light below. The animal is lo inches long, and very courageous. Hamsters have been known to seize a horse by the nose which stepped on their burrow, and at all times they are ready to defend their home. Besides vegetables and corn, they destroy smaller animals. They spend the winter in a more or less torpid state in their burrows, but emerge early in spring. They then make their summer burrows and produce their young, which in a fortnight after birth are able to begin to make a burrow for themselves. Among the South American members of the group to which the hamster belongs are the Fish-eating Rats, with webbed hind feet. The Rice-rat, which is found from the United States to Ecuador, lives on the Texas prairies much as do the prairie- marmots, though its burrows are not so extensive, and often quite shallow. In these the rats make beds of dry grass. Thou I; A. S. RudUtid a Sans LONG-EARED JERBOA These curious little animals are mainly desert creatures. They mo-ve by a series of leaps The Voles. The Voles are allied to the preceding groups, but are marked externally by a shorter and heavier form than the typical rats and mice. Their ears are shorter, their noses blunter, their eyes smaller, and the tail generally shorter. They are found in great num- bers at certain seasons, when photo by A. S. Rudland & Sons CAPE JUMPING-HARE This animal is very common in South Africa. The Boers call it the " Sfringha, 136 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD Phato b} A. S. Rudland «f Stni OCTODONT Tbe octodanty so called because they baiie four molar teeth on each side of the jaw are a group of rodents found mainly in South America they often develop into a pest. The Short-tailed Field- vole is respon- sible for much destruction of crops in Europe. One of the latest plagues of these animals took place in the Low- lands of Scotland, where these voles devoured all the higher pastures on the hills. Nearly at the same time a similar plague occurred in Turkish Epirus. When a special commis- sioner was sent to enquire into the remedies (if any existed) there in use, he found that the Turks were importing holy water from Mecca to sprinkle on the fields affected. The Bank-vole is a small English species, replaced on the Continent by the Southern Field-vole. The Water-rat belongs to the vole group. It is one of the most commonly seen of all American mammals — probably, except the rabbit, the most familiar. Although not entirely nocturnal, it prefers the darkness or twilight ; but whenever the visitor to the waterside keeps still, the water-rats will allow him to watch them. The writer has had rather an extensive acquaintance with these cousins of the beavers, and, while watching them, has never ceased' to be struck with their close resemblance to those creatures. At Holkham Lake, in Norfolk, he no- ticed a willow-bush, in which a number of twigs had been gnawed off; and then saw the missing sticks lying neatly peeled, just like " beaver-wood," in the water below. Waiting quietly, he noticed a water-rat climb into the bush, gnaw off a willow twig, descend with it to the edge of the water, and there, sitting on some crossed boughs, peel and eat the bark, just as a beaver does. By rivers a sound is often heard in the round reeds as of something tearing or biting them ; it is made by the water-rats getting their supper. The rat cuts off three or four sedges and makes a rough platform. It then cuts down a piece of one of the large round reeds full of pith, and, holding it in its hands, seizes the bark with its teeth, and shreds it up the stem, peeling it from end to end. This exposes the white pith, which the rat then eats. Water-rats have been seen to swim out and pick up acacia blossoms float- ing on the water. When swimming under water, each hair is tipped by a little bubble, which makes the rat look like quicksilver When it comes out, the rat shakes itself with a kind of shiver, throwing all the water off its coat. Though so good a swimmer, its feet are not webbed. It is found from Scotland to the Bering Sea, but not in Ireland. In the Far North the Lemming takes the place of the voles. It is a very small, short-tailed creature, like a diminutive prairie-dog. Like the voles, lemmings have seasons of immoderate increase. They then migrate in enormous flocks, and are said never to stop till they reach the sea, into which they plunge. It is believed that they are following an inherited instinct, and that where there is now sea there once was land, over which they passed onwards. The Musk-rat inhabits the same waters as the beaver of North America. It makes a house, generally [N«r(* Flnchli) Pholc by L. Mtdttnd^ F.Z.S.'] COYPU This is u large aquatic rodent^ found on the South American rivers. Its fur, called '^nutria,** forms u •valuable export from Argentina THE RODENTS. OR GNAWING ANIMALS 137 of reeds piled in a mound, in the lakes and swamps. The body is only 12 inches long, but the fur is thick and close, and much used for lining coats and cloaks. The vast chains of rivers and lakes in Canada make that country the favourite home of the musk-rat. This crea- ture lives upon roots of aquatic plants, fresh- water-mussels, and stems of juicy herbs. Be- sides making the domed houses of grass, reeds, and mud, it also burrows in the banks of streams. There it makes rather an elaborate home, with numerous passages leading to the water. The odour of musk is very strong even skin. The tail is narrow and almost This species is the largest of the vole in the naked, group. Photo by A. S. Rudland 6* Sons SHORT-TAILED HUTIA The butias are another group of octodonts^ found in the West India , Islands The Typical Rats and Mice. These animals were originally an Old World group. Though the brown rat is now common in America, it is believed to have come originally from China. A very large number of animals are now almost dependent on man and his belongings. Such creatures are said to be " commensalistic," or eaters at the same table. They are often very unwelcome guests, whether they are flies, sparrows, or cockroaches ; but probably the least welcome of all are the rats and mice. The Brown Rat is the best known of any. It has come into worse repute than usual of late, because it is now certain that it harbours the plague-bacillus, and communicates the disease to man. Its habits and appearance need no description. The Black Rat is the older and smaller species indigenous in Europe, which the brown rat has almost extirpated from England. A few old houses still hold the black rat, and there are always a few wild ones at the Zoological Gardens which feed in the animals' houses. The Black-and- white Rat (not the albino white rat) kept tame in this country is probably a domesticated form of the Alexandrine Rat of Egypt. The House-mouse is now found in all parts of the world to which Europeans have access. In England its main home is in the corn-ricks. Were the farmers to thresh the grain, as is done in the United States, as soon as it is cut, mice would be far less common. Besides these parasitic mice, there are a host of field- and forest-mice in this and other countries. One of the best-known Eng- lish species is the Harvest-mouse, which makes a globular nest of grass in the wheat-fields, at- of corn or weeds. In this the In winter the mouse lives in and lays up a store of kernels Wood-mouse is larger than the the House-mouse. It is yellow- ish brown in colour, lays up a great store of winter food, and is itself the favourite prey of the weasel. tached to stems young are born holes in banks, and grain. The former, or than By fermiiiion of the Hon. IValter Rothschild^ Tring PORCUPINE The common porcupine is found in North America^ Italy, Spaitij and North Africa 138 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD photo hy j4, S. Rudland fe* SanI PORCUPINE This photograph shoivs the arrangement of the porcupine^ i defense of spines; hut 'when frightened it erects these f so as to form a complete protection to the body The Bandicoot. A very mischievous class of rats is represented by the various species of Bandicoot. They are found throughout Southern Asia as far as Ceylon, and in Kashmir and Turkestan. The Bandi- coot-rat of India is a large and de- structive species which is sometimes brought to the London docks in ships, but has not spread into the country. Other Murine Rodents. Among the numerous other rodents allied to the rat group are the Mole- rats, with short mole-like bodies. The largest is the Great Mole-rat, found in Southeastern Europe, Southwestern Asia, and Northeastern Africa. It is a sub- terranean creature, burrowing for food like a mole. The Bamboo-rats have minute eyes, small external ears, and a short tail partly covered with hair. In Somaliland a small, almost naked Sand-rat is found, which burrows in the sand of the desert, throwing up little , heaps like mole-hills. The Gophers. In North and Central America the Pocket-gophers form a curious group of small rodents with cheek-pouches opening on the outside. They spend their entire existence underground, and are said to use their incisor teeth as picks to open the hard earth in their tunnels. They push the loosened soil out by pressing it with their chests and fore feet. When a gopher has eaten enough to satisfy the immediate calls of hunger, it stores all spare food away in the large cheek-pouches. When gophers desire to empty the pouches, they pass their feet along their cheeks from behind, and press the food forwards on to the ground. The Jerboas, Springhaas, and Jumping-mice. The hopping rodents have an immense range, from Southern Europe, through Africa, Arabia, India, and Ceylon, and even in the New World, where the American Jumping-mouse is found throughout the northern part of the con- tinent. The latter is only 3 inches long. The true Jerboas are mainly found in Africa. All these, when excited, move like kangaroos. Their main home is the Central Asian steppe region, but they are found in Egypt, India, Syria, and Arabia. The hind legs are much elongated, the fore legs very small, and the body usually of a sandy colour. The American jumping-mouse, though a very small creature, can cover from 3 to 5 feet at each leap. It inhabits the beech and hard-wood forests. In winter it makes a globular nest about 6 inches under the surface of the ground. The Cape Jumping-hare forms a family by itself, with no near allies. It is of a tawny brown Thtit hy W. P. Dando] VISCACH A [Rrgtnl'l Park The Viscacba forms colonies like those of the prairie-dogs. , found on the pampas south of the ha Plata It is THE RODENTS, OR GNAWING ANIMALS 139 colour, becoming almost pure white be- low. The tail is long, and carried up- right as the animal leaps. The head and body are nearly 2 feet long, and the tail 20 inches. It is found both in the plains and mountains of South Africa, where it makes deep burrows, in which several families live. It is mainly nocturnal. The Octodont Family. America is the main home of this family of rodents, though there are sev- eral representatives in Africa. Their name is due to the fact that they have four molar teeth on each side of the jaw. The best-known species is the Coypu, or Nu- tria, of South America, an aquatic, fur- bearing animal. It is very plentiful in the large rivers of that continent, where its fur is a valuable commodity for export. When swim- ming, the female coypu carries its young on its back. The coypu is usually 20 inches long, with a tail two-thirds of the length of its head and body. The general colour is brown above and brownish yellow below. Coypus live in pairs in holes in the river-banks. In the Chonos Archipelago they frequent the seashore, and burrow near the beach. The HuTiA, another large octodont, is found in the West Indies. There are two species, both partly arboreal. The Tuco-Tucos, burrowing octodonts of the pampas and the far south of the American Continent, are rat-like animals, with large claws and very small eyes and ears. Photo b) W. P, Dando CHINCHILLA A small rodent of the Andes, possessing very soft and valuable gray fur The Porcupines. These animals are either tree-climbers or ground-dwellers. America, though one, the Canadian Porcupine, is found in the North; the latter are European and Asiatic. In Africa they are also common. The Canadian porcupine passes nearly all its life in trees, feeding on the leaves ; but it has not a prehensile tail. The Common Porcupine is abundant in Italy (where it is eaten by man), Greece, Spain, and Africa. It Hves in burrows or among rocks. In India a very similar species is found. The head and shoulders of these ground-porcupines are not protected by the larger sharp spines which guard the rest of their bodies. The tree-porcupines of the forests of Central America have long prehensile tails, and are very lightly built. The quills are short, the head rounded, and the appearance very different from that of the European or African species. The common porcupine of Europe and North Africa measures about 28 inches in length from the nose to the root of the tail. The head, neck, and shoulders are covered with short spines and hairs, and the The former are found in South Photo h, Tori & S.n] [trotting Hill AGUTIS The agutis are also a South American group, found bath in the forests and on the plains 140 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD shoulders and back by a crest of long spines, varying from 1 2 to 15 inches in length. The tail also carries spines ViSCACHAS AND CHINCHILLAS. Photo by A. S. Rudland & Sons PACA, OR SPOTTED CAVY The facas arc among the larger rodents^ found mainly in the northern part of the South American region On the plains of La Plata the com- monest large rodent is the Viscacha. It assembles in societies like the prairie-dogs, but is a much larger animal, from 18 inches to 2 feet long. Viscachas always set a sentinel to give warning of danger. They cut every kind of vegetable near and drag them to their holes ; they also have a habit of picking up and collecting round the burrows any object which strikes them as curious. Articles lost by travelers, even whips or boots, may generally be found there. The viscacha belongs to the chin- chilla family, but differs much from the beautiful creature of the high Andes from which chinchilla fur is taken. The Common Chin- chilla is about 10 inches long, and the Short-tailed Chinchilla rather smaller. The exqui- site fur is well known. Two other chinchillas are more like hares in appearance. All four creatures are found on the Andes. The Agutis and Pacas. South America also produces a family of rodents not unlike small pigs, but nearer to the mouse-deer in general appearance ; they are called Agutis. Mainly forest animals, but living also in the plains, they feed on grass, leaves, and plants of all kinds ; they are very swift in their movements, and have much the habits of the small South African bucks. The fur is long, olive- or chestnut-coloured, and thick. The Pacas are allied to the agutis, but are stouter ; they live either in burrows made by themselves, or in holes in the banks of rivers, or in old tree-roots. The pacas are spotted and rather ornamentally marked ; they are found from Ecuador to Brazil and Paraguay. The Cavies. The Dinomys, a spotted rodent known by one example from Peru, has been thought to form a link between the pacas and the cavies, of which the guinea- pig is the most familiar and the aquatic capybara the largest. The original of our guinea-pig is believed to be the Restless Caw, a small rodent common on the plains of La Plata. It is dark blackish, with yellowish -gray and white hairs of the domesticated species ; and it is suggested that the original of the present name was " Guiana pig." This cavy lives in thickets rather than in forests or plains. The Patagonian Cavy is a larger form, about twice the size of our hare. It burrows in the ground, and has a gray coat, with yellowish markings on the sides. It has been acclimatised successfully in France Thoto by rork & Son] [Nottlng Hill PACAS, OR SPOTTED CAVIES This photograph, •which represents young animals, shows in great perfection the linear arrangement of the stripes THE RODENTS. OR GNAWING ANIMALS 141 and England. The flesh is like that of the rabbit. The Capybara is the largest of all rodents. This species is, in fact, a gigantic water guinea- pig. It is found in all the great rivers of South America, from the Orinoco to the La Plata. It swims as well as a water-rat, though it is as large as a small pig. It feeds on weeds, water- plants, and grass. A capital photograph of this animal appears on page 146. PiKAS, Hares, and Rabbits. The last two families of the Rodents have a small pair of rudimentary incisor teeth be- hind the large ones in the upper jaw. The PiKAS, or Calling-hares, resemble the mar- mot tribe in general appearance. Their heads are short, their ears rounded, and, being tail- less, they still less resemble the common hare ; but their dentition marks them as allied. One species, about 9 inches long, is found in Si- beria ; and another, only 7 inches long, in the Rocky Mountains. The former has a habit of cutting grass and storing it in small stacks outside its hole for winter use; the Rocky Mountain species carries its hay into its burrows. The Hares are a widely distributed group. They are found from the north of Scotland (^ where the gray mountain species turns white in winter) to the south of India, in South Africa, and across the continent of Asia to Japan. The Mountain-hare takes the place of the brown species in Scandinavia, Northern Russia, and Ireland ; it is rather smaller, and has shorter ears and hind legs. As early as 54 b. c, Caesar, in his account of Britain, writes that the Common Hare was kept by the ancient Britons as a pet, but not eaten by them. It was protected by the Normans in the second list, or schedule, of animals reserved for sport. The first list included the Beasts of the Forest, the second the Beasts of the Chase, of which the hare was one of the first. The word " chase " has here a technical meaning, by which was understood an open park, or preserved area, midway in dignity between a forest and an enclosed park. " Hare parks " were also made, perhaps the most recent being that made at Bushey for the amusement of the sovereign 30 Ih tn by Scholastic Photo. Co. PATAGONIAN CAVY TAis large species of ca'vy has been acclimatised successfully both in England and in France By permiision of Prtfessor Bumpus] [WydD-\ OR "FLYING-FOX' 144 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD The wing-membrane serves yet another purpose, for its sense of touch is exceedingly delicate, enabling eveii blind bats (for bats are not blind usually, as is popularly supposed) to avoid objects placed in their path. Some bats, however, appear to depend also in some slight degree upon hearing. The sense of touch is still further increased by the development of frills or leaf-like expansions of skin round the nose and mouth, and by the excessive develop- ment of the external ears. Delicate hairs fringing these membranes proba- bly act like the " whiskers " of the cat. Insect-eating bats inhabiting re- gions with a temperate climate must in winter, when food supplies cease, either hibernate or migrate to warmer re- gions. The majority hibernate ; but two species at least of Canadian bats perform extensive migrations, it is supposed to escape the intense cold. The power of flight has made the bats independent of the barriers which restrict the movements of ter- restrial animals, and accordingly we find them all over the world, even as far north as the Arctic Circle. But certain groups of bats have an extremely restricted range. Thus the Fruit-bats occur only in the warmer regions of the Old World, the Vam- pires in America, whilst some of the more common insect eating forms are found everywhere. Those forms with a restricted distribution are, it should be noticed, all highly specialised — that is to say, they have all become in some way adapted to peculiar local conditions, and cannot subsist apart therefrom. It is the more lowly — less specialised — forms which have the widest geographical range. There are some spots, however, on the world's surface from which no bat has yet been recorded — .such are Ice- land, St. Helena, Kerguelen, and the Galapagos Islands. Photo by Henry Ki AUSTRALIAN FRUIT-BATS In their roasttng-p/aces these bats hang alt o'ver the trees in enormous numbers, looking like great black fruits. Although shot in thousands, on account of the damage they do to fruit orchards, their numbers do not appear to be reduced The Fruit-bats. These represent the giants of the bat world, the largest of them, the Kalong, or Malay Fox-bat, measur- ing no less than 5 feet from tip to tip of the wing. The best known of the fruit-bats is the Indian Fox-bat. Sir J. E. Tennent tells us that a favourite resort of theirs near Kandy, in photo by A. S. RudlandS'Sons TUBE-NOSED FRUIT-BAT The tubular nostrils distinguish this and a species of insect-eating bat from alt other living mammals THE BATS AND INSECT-EATING MAMMALS 145 Photo by Fratelli Alinari\ PIPISTRELLE BAT Tkh is one of the commonest bats. It is the first to appear in the spring-, and the last to retire at the fall of the year Ceylon, was some india-rubber-trees, " where they used to assemble in such prodigious numbers that large boughs would not infrequently give way beneath the accumulated weight of the flock." An observer in Calcutta relates that they occasionally travel in vast hordes, so great as to darken the sky. Whether they are performing some preconcerted migration or bent only on a foray to some distant feeding-ground is a matter for speculation. These hordes are quite distinct from the " long strings " which may be seen every evening in Calcutta on their way to neighbouring fruit-trees. One of the most remarkable of this group is the Tube-nosed Fruit-bat, in which the nostrils are prolonged into a pair of relatively long tubes. Strangely enough, a group of insect- eating bats has developed similar though smaller tubes. Except in these bats, such tubes are unknown among mammals. Their function is not known. Insect-eating Bats. The vast majority of the bats comprising this group feed exclusively on insects. Some, however, have acquired the habit of fruit-eating, like the true fruit-bats ; and a few have developed quite ogre- like habits, for they drink blood — indeed, they subsist upon nothing else. This they obtain from animals larger than themselves. Many of the bats of this group have developed curious leaf-like expan- sions of skin around the nose and mouth, which are supposed to be endowed with a very delicate sense of touch. In some, as in the Flower-nosed Bat, the nose-leaf is excessively developed, forming a large rosette. The upper border of this rosette is furnished with three stalked balls, the function of which it is surmised is probably orna- mental — from the bat's point of view. To our more aesthetic taste the whole effect is hideous. , Vhoto hy A. S. Rudland & Sons LEAF-NOSED BAT The leaf-nosed are the most highly organised of all the bats. The remarkable leaf-like folds of skin around the nose or chin^ as the case may be, serve as delicatd organs of perception. There are numerous species of leaf-nosed bats 146 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD Limited as is our space, we cannot pass over the Sucker-footed Bats. These are met with, strangely enough, in countries so far apart as Brazil and Madagascar. The suckers from which they derive their name, in the Brazilian species, are small circular, hollow disks, attached to the thumb and the sole of the foot, recalling the suckers of the cuttle-fish and brown water- beetle. By their means the animal is enabled to climb over smooth vertical surfaces. A white bat is a rarity in the bat world. We cannot therefore afford to pass without mention the fact that Centrai and South America possess two species of White Bats. This colour is probably developed for protection's sake, the bats being found nestling between the silvery leaves of a cocoanut-palm. Bril- liant coloration, on the other hand, is by no means so rare. Welwitsch's Bat, for in- stance — a West African spe- cies — is remarkable for its gorgeous coloration, the col- ours being orange and black. An Indian species, known as the Pointed Bat, is said to be so brilliantly coloured as to resemble a gorgeous butterfly rather than a bat. Ugliness is more common than beauty amongst the bats, and perhaps the ugliest of all the tribe is the Naked Bat of the Malayan region. It is absolutely repulsive. The skin is naked, save for a collar of hair round the neck ; whilst on the throat it gives rise to an enormous throat-pouch, which discharges an oily fluid of a peculiarly nauseating smell. On either side of the body is a deep pouch, in which the young are carried — a very necessary provision, for they would be quite unable to cling to the body of the parent, as do the young of fur-bearing bats, on account of the naked skin. Of the great group of the Vampire-bats we can only make mention of the blood-sucking species. These are natives of South America. It is to Dr. Darwin that we owe our first absolutely reliable information about these little animals. Before the account in his Journal, it was uncertain to which of the vampires belonged the unenviable distinction of being the blood-sucker. During the stay of the great naturalist in Chili one was actually caught by one of his servants, as evening was drawing on, biting the withers of a horse. In the morning the spot where the bite had been inflicted was plainly visible, from its swollen condition. These two species, it has been stated, " are the only bats which subsist entirely on a diet of blood, yet it is possible that . . . some of the Javelin-bats or their allies may on occasion vary their ordinary food with it." Phtu by H^. Savtlle-Kent , F.Z.S.l \Crayim COBEGO Back 'vteiv of the coUga, with the limbs extended^ shotving the great size of the fiying'mem- braneSf or parachute THE BATS AND INSECT-EATING MAMMALS 147 The Insectivora, or Flightless Insect-eaters. Some members of this group have departed from the traditional insect diet. Thus the cobego feeds upon leaves, a curious aquatic shrew — the Potamogale of West Africa — upon fish, and the moles upon worms. The group has a very wide geographical distribution, but there are nevertheless large portions of the globe in which they are conspicuous by their absence. They are never found in Australia or South America. Madagascar, Africa, and the West India Islands produce the most remarkable forms. The Cobego. This is a peculiarly inter- , esting animal, which lives in the forests of Sumatra, Borneo, the Malay Peninsula, and the Philippine Islands. It dwells among the trees, moving from one to another by taking flying leaps through the air, covering as much as seventy yards at a jump. Prodigious leaps like this would be quite impossible but for the fact that the animal, which is almost as large as a cat, is provided with a sort of parachute, formed by a broad web of skin stretched between the body on either side and the fore and hind hmbs, and between the hind limbs and the tail. Shrews, Hedgehogs, and Tenrecs. The variation in form presented by the members of this group is considerable. The most noteworthy ex- amples of this variation are Note the fumished by the pretty little squirrel-like Tree-shrews of India and Borneo and neigh- bouring lands, the mouse-Hke Jumping-shrews of Africa, the Hedgehogs, the Tenrecs, the ele- gant little Mouse-like Shrews of almost world-wide distribution, and the Water-shrews. Of these, hedgehogs and tenrecs have undergone the greatest transformation. By a curious modi- fication of their original hairy covering they have developed a formidable armour of sharp spines. When alarmed, the former roll themselves up into a ball by the contraction of powerful muscles, and so present an almost impregnable armour to an enemy. Stoats and foxes, however, appear at least occasionally to succeed in overcoming this defense and making a meal of the vanquished. Tenrecs are found in Madagascar. The Common Tenrec is the largest of all insect-eaters, PhtH b) W. Savllle-Kinl, F.Z.S ] [Criyd, COBEGO VtHtcal {^froni) vieiv of the cobego^ •with neivly born and naked young attached, extension of the membrane between the toes of the fore feet of the adult 148 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD and one of the most prolific, as many as twenty-one having been produced at birth. Of all living mammals it is the one most nearly aUied to the Marsupials. The Moles. The Common Mole shows a most perfect adaptation to its underground mode of life. The general form of the animal is long, cylindrical, and pointed in front, whilst the legs are exceedingly short, the foot only in the fore limb projecting from the body. This foot is very broad and spade-like and im- mensely powerful, its use being to force a way — often with incredible speed — through the soft, yielding soil, and not to support the body, as in running or walking. The hind feet are weak, but resemble those of its allies the shrews, for instance. The eyes have become reduced to mere vestiges, very difficult to find. The fur has become so altered in structure that it will lie equally smooth whether brushed towards head or tail, so that it should not be damaged when the animal travels backwards in its burrow. External ears have been dispensed with. Worms form the staple diet of the mole, but besides underground insects of all kinds are greedily devoured. This animal is one of the most voracious feeders, falling ravenously upon its prey. It has been said with truth that so great is the ferocity displayed by the mole that if it could be magnified to the size of the lion it would be one of the most terrible of living creatures. That a constant supply of food is necessary to satiate its enormous appetite is shown by the fact that a mole will succumb to an abstinence of from ten to twelve hours. Moles fight among themselves furiously ; and if two are confined together, the weaker will be attacked and devoured. They take readily to the water, and in- stances of moles observed in the act of crossing streams are numerous. It is a curious fact, but the mole is unknown in Ireland ; yet it ranges from England in the west through Asia to Japan. Careful observation seems to have shown that with the common mole w... */ i. m.^w, f.z.s.j [w.r.h F»■•' !> San] The largest of all the tapirs. MALAYAN TAPIR Is easily distinguished from the American tapirs by the patch of •white on the middle of its body partly, it is believed, that they may encase themselves with it as a protection against the an- noyance of flies. They feed on shoots of trees, bushes, leaves, and fallen fruits, forag- ing during the evening, and possibly far into the night. Tapirs are hunted by the natives for the sake of their thick hides, which are cut into thongs for reins and bridles. The flesh also is esteemed by some. There are three methods of capture. In South America the lasSo is used with occasional success. But when not foiled by undergrowth, the hunter often loses his victim by reason of the vio- lence and force of its rush, which snaps the thong. The Gauchos intercept it with dogs on its way to the water, when it will fight furiously, and many dogs may be killed before its dispatch is accom- phshed. Others imitate its peculiar, shrill call, and shoot it on its approach in answer thereto. Captives are easily tamed, and may be seen walking about the streets in many South American towns. They wander into the forest by day, returning in the evening to be fed, and are said to display great affection. On account of their great strength, it has been suggested that such cap- tives should be used as beasts of burden. Except the Malayan Tapir, which is black and white, tapirs are black or dark brown in colour, and but scantily clothed with hair; but the young, it is interesting to note, are spotted and striped with white or fawn-colour on a dark ground, a coloration recalling that of the wild pig. There are five different species of tapir. Their geographical distribution is remarkable, four species being South American, and one belonging to the Malayan region. But far back in the world's history, as we know from fossils, tapirs roamed over the warm and temperate regions of Europe, and their remains have been found m China and the United States. Thus the interve- ning gaps existing to-day have been made by the extinction of these intermediate species. By nature the tapir appears to be a harmless and inoffensive animal, flying even before the smallest dog. Occasionally, however, it displays great courage and ferocity, and this appears to be especially the case with females deprived of their young. At such times they will charge with great spirit, and knock down, trample on, and bite their victim after the fashion of wild swine. Man alone excepted, the most deadly foe of the American Tapir is the jaguar, as is the tiger of the Malay species. The American tapir often gets rid of the jaguar by rushing at full speed into the dense jungle, thus sweeping its assailant from its back, the jaguar's claws finding but an insecure hold on its victim's thick hide. Tapirs are often found bearing scars all over the back, witnessing the terrible nature of the wounds received at such times. That the tapir is a comparatively unknown animal is partly accounted for by the fact that it is but little sought after by the big-game hunter — who finds more excitement in pursuit of its larger relative the rhinoceros— and partly, perhaps, owing to its inhabiting regions comparatively little visited by Europeans. Nevertheless, the tapir is an animal of quite peculiar interest, having undergone but little change during long ages, whilst its ally the horse has effected in the same time a complete transformation, not only in its general shape, but more especially in its teeth and ELEPHANT, TAPIR, HYRAX, RHINOCEROS 159 feet. The gradual steps by which this transformation has been brought about we can trace through certain fossil forms, of which we can say little here. Amongst these fossils occur remains of an animal bearing a very strong resemblance to the Hving tapir, but which, strangely enough^ is not really so closely related thereto as to the horses. It does not, however, stand in the direct line of descent of these latter, but must be regarded as representing a collateral branch thereof The occurrence of this distinct tapir-like animal is of great scientific interest. The short, stout legs and spreading toes of the living tapirs, rhinoceroses, and ancestral horse are admirably adapted for plodding deliberately over soft and yielding ground, such as is afforded by reed-beds and banks of rivers, or the shady depths of forests. Speed in such surroundings is not necessary, food in plenty being always at hand, and escape from enemies being sought by concealment in thick herbage rather than flight. With a migration to drier and higher plains, the spreading foot has undergone a change. The short legs and numerous toes have given place to long ones, and of the several toes growth has taken place in one only — the third ; whilst the others have slowly dwindled, till eventually only traces of the second and fourth remain, as in the modern horse. Thus has a firmer support over hard, unyielding ground been brought about, and great speed gained. The animals with this type of foot (in which the third is the largest toe) are known as the Odd-toed Hoofed Animals. The pigs, sheep, deer, and oxen have gained an equally efficient foot, yet retaining four toes. Of these, the third and fourth are equal in size, and serve as a support to the body, whilst the second and fifth have' now become function- less, and do not reach the ground. This type of foot characterises that group of the hoofed animals known as the Even-toed. The Hyrax. ! This is one of the most remarkable of living mam- mals, and one of the greatest puzzles to zoologists, having no near living relatives. ' Though bearing some resemblance to an earless rabbit, it really belongs to the hoofed animals, and amongst them comes perhaps somewhat nearer the rhinoceros than to any other animal. It is the Coney of the Bible. It inhabits the rocky districts of Syria and parts of Africa. It is a vegetable-feeder, and very wary. About a dozen species are known. Phitt b) G. W. TVillan &■ Co., Ud\ COMMON AMERICAN TAPIR This tapir inhabits tropical America. It is a nocturnal animal^ frequenting the depths or shady forests in the neighbourhood of luater, to 'which it frequently resorts for the purpose of bathings or as a refuge from pursuit .l6o THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD Photo hy W. P. Dand^ HAIRY-EARED SUMATRAN RHINOCEROS Tbh species is found in Eastern Bengal and in the Malay Peninsula and adjacent large islands THE RHINOCEROS. BY F. C. SELOUS. Of the five existing species of Rhino- ceros, three are found in Asia, whilst two are inhabitants of Africa. Of the three Asiatic species, two, the Indian and the Javan, are one-horned, and have a single pair of broad incisor teeth in the upper jaw, and a pair of sharp-edged and pointed tusks in the lower, the nasal bones being long and narrow, and terminating in a point. In both these species the skin is hairless (except for tufts or fringes at the extremity of the tail and on the edges of the ears), and is arranged in shield-like folds over the body. The arrangement of these folds, however, differs somewhat in the two species, and the large round tubercles with which the skin of the great Indian rhinoceros is profusely studded are wanting in the Javan species. The Indian Rhinoceros inhabits the Terai at the foot of the Himalaya from Bhutan to Nepal, and is said to be very abundant in Assam and the Bhutan Dooars. It frequents swampy ground, and lives amongst jungles and dense growths of reeds and grass, which attain a height sometimes of 20 feet, and cover vast areas of ground in the valley of the Brahmaputra and other rivers. Owing to the nature of the country in which it lives, the Indian rhinoceros cannot often be hunted with much prospect of success, except with the aid of elephants, which sagacious animals are not only employed to carry the hunters, but are also used to beat the great grass jungles in which the rhinoceroses lie hidden, and drive them towards the guns. Despite its great size and strength, the Indian rhinoceros seems to be regarded as, in general, a timid and inoffensive animal, and even when wounded it seldom charges home. Elephants, however, appear to be as a rule nervous when in the near proximity of rhinoceroses, perhaps objecting to the smell of those animals. When the Indian rhinoceros does make good its charge against either man or elephant, it cuts and rips its enemy with its teeth, and makes little use of its horn as an offensive weapon. The Indian rhinoceros is said to live principally, if not entirely, on grass and reeds. As a rule it is a solitary animal, but sometimes several are found living in a comparatively small extent of grass-covered plain. Large males of this species will stand from 5 feet 9 inches to 6 feet at the shoulder, and they are enormously bulky. Both sexes carry well-developed horns, which, however, do not usually attain a length of upwards of 12 inches. There is a specimen in the British Museum measuring 19 inches, and it is believed that in very exceptional instances a length of 2 feet has been attained. The Javan Rhinoceros, though it has been called the Lesser Indian Rhinoceros, is said by a late authority — Mr. C. E. M. Russell — to stand about the same height at the shoulder as the Indian species. It is found in the Sunderbunds of Eastern Bengal, and has been met with in the Sikhim Terai and in Assam, ranging eastwards through Burma and the Malay Peninsula to Sumatra, Java, and Borneo. Photo by J. IV. MiLella GREAT INDIAN RHINOCEROS The largest land mammal of the East after the elephant i6t \liighburj l62 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD But little appears to be known of the habits of this species of rhinoceros. Although it is found in the swampy grass-covered plains of the Sunderbunds, its more usual habitat seems to be hilly forest-covered country, and both in Burma and Java it ascends to a height of several thousand feet above sea-level. It feeds principally upon leaves and the young shoots of trees and bushes. In disposition it is timid and inoffensive. Only the male carries a horn, which, being very short, is a very poor trophy for a sportsman. The third Asiatic species of rhinoceros, known as the, Sumatran, is the smallest of all living rhinoceroses. This species carries two horns, and its skin, which is very rough, is usually thinly covered with hair of a dark brown colour and of considerable length. The folds in the skin of the Sumatran rhinoceros are not nearly so well developed as in its single-horned relatives, and the one behind the shoulders is alone continued over the back. Although furnished with tusks in the lower jaw, the small pair of incisor teeth, which in the other two Asiatic rhinoceroses are always present in front of these tusks, are wanting in the Sumatran species. The Sumatran rhinoceros is rare in Assam, but is found in Burma and the Malay Peninsula, as well as in Siam, Sumatra, and Borneo. The two horns of this species are placed at some distance apart. Although they are as a rule very short, the front horn oc- casionally grows to a considerable length, sweeping backwards in a grace- ful curve. In height adult males of the Su- matran species stand on the average from 4 feet to 4^ feet at the shoulder, and females sometimes not more than 3 feet 8 inches. Like the Javan rhinoceros, the Sumatran species is by preference an inhabitant ot hilly, forest-covered country, and browses on the leaves and shoots of trees and bushes. It is a timid and inoffensive animal, soon becoming tame in captivity. Its flesh is said to be much appreciated by the Dyaks of Borneo ; and as its horns are of value for export to China, where they are used for medicinal purposes, it has of late years very much decreased in numbers in the province of Sarawak, but is more plentiful in Central and North Borneo. Living as it does in dense jungle, it is an animal which is seldom seen by European sportsmen, and its habits in a wild state have never been yet very closely studied. Turning to the two species of rhinoceros which inhabit the continent of Africa, both are double-horned, and neither furnished with incisor teeth, the nasal bones bieing thick, rounded, and truncated in front. Both, too, are smooth-skinned and entirely hairless, except on the edge of the ears and extremity of the tail, which are fringed or tufted. Of the two African species, the White or Square-mouthed Rhinoceros is the larger and the rarer. Until quite recently the range of this huge ungainly-looking animal, the biggest of all terrestrial mammals after the elephant, was supposed to be entirely confined to the southern portions of the African Continent ; for although from time to time horns had found their way to Zanzibar which seemed referable to the square-mouthed rhinoceros, the fact of the existence of the white rhinoceros in any part of Africa north of the Zambesi remained in doubt until a female was shot in the year 1900, in the neighbourhood of Lado, on the Upper Nile, by Captain A. St. H Gibbons, who brought its skin, skull, and horns to England. The fact, however, that the PhM by rcri if S«n\ [Nolting Hill GREAT INDIAN RHINOCEROS TAis species inhabits the grass jungles of Northeastern India ELEPHANT, TAPIR, HYRAX, RHINOCEROS 163 'Tii, ■k^i^.:--f'imi^^%i^^ kr i'hoto by C. B. Haushurg. Esq, ^-Skiif^!? '^*-S^3 BLACK AFRICAN RHINOCEROSES A splendid snapshot of tivo black African rhinoceroses taken on the open 'veldt. They ivere afteriuards shot by the party white rhinoceros has never been encountered by any other traveler in Central Africa seems to show that the animal is either very rare in those districts, or that it has an exceedingly limited range. In the early years of the nineteenth century the square-mouthed or white rhinoceros was found m large numbers over the whole of South Africa from the Orange River to the Zambesi, except in the waterless portions of the Kalahari Desert, or those parts of the country which are covered with rugged stony hills or dense jungle. Speaking of his journey in 1837 through the western part of what is now the Transvaal Colony, Captain (afterwards Sir) Cornwallis Harris wrote : " On our way from the waggons to a hill not half a mile distant, we counted no less than twenty-two of the white species of rhinoceros, and were compelled in self-defense to slaughter four. On one occasion I was besieged in a bush by three at once, and had no little difficulty in beating off the assailants." Even so lately as thirty years ago the white rhinoceros was still to be met with in fair numbers in Ovampoland and other districts of Western South Africa, whilst it was quite plentiful in all the uninhabited parts of Eastern South Africa from Zululand to the Zambesi. In 1872 and 1873, whilst elephant-hunting in the uninhabited parts of Matabililand, I encountered white rhinoceroses almost daily, and often saw several in one day. At the present time, however, unless it should prove to be numerous in some as yet unex- plored districts of North Central Africa, this strange and interesting animal must be counted one of the rarest of existing mammals, and in Southern Africa I fear it must soon become extinct. A few still exist amongst the wild loquat groves of Northern Mashonaland, and there are also a few surviving in Zululand ; but ONE OF THE SAME RHINOCEROSES DEAD I fear that even with the most rigid protection Ikis picture gives some idea of the size of the commonest survi-ving spiciet Phtta b) C. B. Hamburg, Esq l64 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD Photo br J. W. McLiHari] [Highbury RHIxNOCEROS BATHING ^// tAe Asiatic species of rhinoceros are fond of bathing and lual/oiving in mud they are too few in number to restock the country. They have a better chance, I think, of increasing in num- bers in Zululand than in Mashonaland, in which latter country it is at present impossible to afford them any protec- tion either from natives or Europeans. A full-grown bull white rhinoceros stands from 6 feet 6 inches to 6 feet 9 inches at the shoulder, and is very massively built, with short, stout legs. The head is very much elongated, and the mouth square, like that of an ox. When white rhinoceroses were still plentiful, very considerable differences were observable in the length and shape of their horns. The anterior horns of full-grown bulls might measure from i8 inches to 40 inches in length ; those of cows from 24 inches to 60 inches. The longest horn known — that of a cow — which was brought from South Africa by the well- known hunter the late Roualeyn Gordon Gumming, measures 62^ inches over the curve. As a rule, the front horn of the white rhinoceros curved slightly backwards, but was often straight or bent slightly forwards, and sometimes curved strongly backwards. The posterior horn varied from a few inches to 2 feet in length. The white rhinoceros lived in families, usually a bull, cow, and calf being found together; but there might be two or even three calves of different ages, and of which the youngest alone would be suckling, living with the father and mother. In the early South African spring (Sep- tember and October), when the young green herbage was just sprouting after the first rains, two or three families of white rhinoceroses might be seen feeding in close proximity, presenting the appearance of a herd ; but I fancy the several families of these animals had only been brought together for the sake of the young green grass. In Southern Africa the white rhinoceros lived entirely on grass, and I have never seen any evidence of their having eaten anything else. When either walking, trotting, or galloping, the white rhinoceros always carried its nose close to the ground. A calf always preceded its mother, and she appeared to guide it by holding the point of her horn on the little creature's rump ; and in all changes of pace, no matter how sudden, this position was always maintained. The white rhinoceros was easily killed by a shot through the heart or through both lungs, but would travel very long distances, and probably, as a rule, ultimately recover from wounds in other parts of the body. They could travel at a great rate and for a considerable distance with a broken fore leg or shoulder, but if a hind leg were broken they were rendered almost immediately helpless. In disposition they were sluggish and inoffensive animals, lying asleep in the shade of trees or bushes during the heat of the day, and coming to the water to drink at night or often before sundown in parts of the country where they had not been much molested. When disturbed, white rhinoceroses would go off at a swift trot, but if chased on horseback would break into a gallop, which they were capable of maintain- ing for a considerable distance, and at a wonderful pace for so large and heavy an animal. The meat of the white rhinoceros was most excellent, the part in greatest favour amongst hunters being the hump on the back of the neck in front of the shoulder, which was cut off whole and roasted in the skin in a hole dug in the ground. The colour of the so-called white rhinoceros is dark gray. The second species of African rhi- noceros, which is also dark gray in colour, is known as the Black or Prehensile- lipped Rhinoceros. ELEPHANT, TAPIR, HYRAX, RHINOCEROS 165 Less than a hundred years ago the range of this fast-disappearing species extended from the northwestern districts of the Cape Colony to Abyssinia, and at that time it must have been plentiful over almost the whole of the intervening country. It never seems to have penetrated into the equa- torial forest regions of West Central Africa, where the climate is probably too damp to suit its require- ments ; for both species of African rhinoceros appear to like a dry climate, and not to object to very arid surroundings. At the same time they never wander many miles from a river or pool, and drink regularly every night, and in hot weather probably very often a second time in the early morning. In Southern Africa the black rhinoceros appears to attain to a larger size than in the coun- tries farther north. To the south of the Zambesi large bulls of this species will stand 5 feet 8 inches at the shoulder ; whilst the height of an adult bull, as taken by Mr. F. Jackson at Naivasha. in East Africa, was 5 feet S inches ; and Mr. A. H. Neumann gives the standing height of another adult bull shot by himself still farther north, near Lake Rudolph, as only 4 feet 9 inches. It is now gener- ally recognised that there is but one species of prehensile-lipped rhinoceros in Africa, though the horns, and especially the hinder one, differ in length and shape to such an extent that it was long thought that there were at least two distinct species, those with both horns of equal or nearly equal length having been distinguished from the more common form, with a comparatively short second horn, as the Keitloa, this being the name in the Sechuana dialect for a prehensile-Hpped rhinoceros with horns of equal length. Speaking on this subject, Mr. A. H. Neumann, who has had great experience with the black rhinoceros in East Africa, writes : " Length of horn is a purely fortuitous individual trait ; and the extremely long horns (mostly of females) which have occasionally been obtained from traders on the east coast, and brought home, are merely exceptionally fine specimens, selected from among large numbers brought to the coast (the bulk of which, I am told, go to China to be ground up into medicine), and do not belong to any distinct species, nor come from any particular region. In proof of this contention I may mention that I have a 40-inch horn, the owner of which I myself shot at the northern base of the Jambeni Range (near Kenia), in a neighbourhood where I hunted a great deal and saw great numbers of rhinos, and shot a good many. The vast majority have quite short horns — under a foot — and anything over 18 inches is uncommon, while a length of 30 inches or upwards is extremely rare." The black rhinoceros, I believe, never eats grass, but browses on the young shoots of trees and bushes, which are often quite leafless and seem excessively dry. In this way it chews up and swallows great quantities of dry -looking twigs, much of which passes through its stomach undigested. Fhoto by Norman B. Smithy Esq. BLACK AFRICAN RHINOCEROS This photography taken by a sportsman in Africa^ shoivs a charging rhinoceros just before tt luas shot l66 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD PhoU bjt Tori Sf Son] There has been a good deal of controversy as to the character and disposition of the black rhinoceros, some hunters and travelers regarding it as most dangerous and aggressive, whilst others are inclined to take an almost opposite view. That some black rhinoceroses are certainly aggressive and therefore dangerous animals, the experi- ences of C. J. Anderson and W. Cotton Oswell in South Africa many years ago, and of many travelers and hunters in East Africa during the last few years, certainly prove beyond a doubt ; and as one never knows that any particular rhinoceros, when encountered, may not prove to be a vicious brute, a certain amount of caution should be employed in approaching one of these animals. In my own experience I always found that black rhinoceroses ran off at once on getting the wind of a human being ; whilst, on the other hand, if they only heard one approaching, they would come towards the noise, and I have often known them to trot up to within twenty yards of where I was standing, snorting and puffing loudly ; but as these animals always turned round and went off eventually without charging, I came to the conclusion that they were inquisitive and very short-sighted rather than vicious. When fired into, a black rhinoceros goes off at a gallop — his usual pace, when alarmed, being a very fast trot — puffing and snorting loudly. He can gallop at a very great pace, considering his size and weight ; but a South African shooting-pony can easily come up with hirri, or get away from him if pursued. In death a black rhinoceros will often sink down on its knees, and remain in that position, looking as if it were simply resting. When dying, it often gives vent to a pitiful squeal, the sound seeming very small and thin for so large a beast. The meat of the black rhinoceros is not ill-flavoured, and, if fat, very palatable ; but as a rule these animals are very lean, and their flesh tough and coarse. The tongue, however, if well cooked, is always good ; and the liver if first roasted under the ashes, and then, after being beaten up in a native wooden mortar, cooked with rice and fat, makes a dish which is good enough for a hungry man. During the making of the Uganda Railway the engineers came upon something like a pre- serve of this species of rhinoceros, especially in the thick and waterless thorn jungle near the coast. The rhinoceros was almost the only animal, except the lion, which was able to penetrate the bush. As many as five of these animals were seen in one day when the line was being made ; they did no injury to the coolies, other than by frightening them, and appeared to be stupid and by no means vigilant animals, perhaps because no other creature attacked them. The lion never meddles with a grown-up rhinoceros, though it might and probably does kill a call occasionally, when the latter is no larger than a full-grown pig. The horns of some of these East African black rhinoceroses were of unusual length and thinness. {Notung Hill SUMATRAN RHINOCEROS This species of rhinoceros is the smallest of the three Oriental forms. It has tivo horns CHAPTER XIL THE HORSE TRIBE, ZEBRAS AND WILD ASSES. BY F. C. SELOUS. Zebras. T HE Zebras have many points in common witli tlie asses, from which latter group of animals they are principally distinguished by their beautifully striped skins. Both asses and zebras carry short, erect manes, and in both the upper portion of the tail is free from long hair. In both groups there are naked callosities on the fore legs only, whilst the head is larger in propor- tion to the size of the animal, and the ears longer than in the horse. In Burchell's and Grevy's Zebras the hoof is intermediate between that of the horse and the ass ; for although narrower than the hoof of the horse, it is broader and more rounded than that of the ass. In the True Zebra, how- ever, the hoof is thoroughly asinine in character, and the ears very long. The True or Mountain Zebra appears never to have had a \ery extended range. It was once an inhabitant of all the mountainous regions of the Cape Colony as well as of the great Drakensberg Range, and fifty years ago was also found amongst the rugged hills of Great Namaqualand. The mountain -zebra is the smallest of the group, standing only from 12 to 12^ hands at the shoulder. It is a most beautiful animal, the whole of the head, body, and limbs, with the exception of the under-parts and the insides of the thighs, being striped. The ground- colour of the body is white, the stripes Phm bf G. W. IViUm &• Co., Ud. MOUNTAIN-ZEBRA The true or mountain zebra is nonv becoming scarcer than formerly . At one time h tvas to be seen in great numbers on the mountains of Cape Colony 167 l68 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD GREVY'S ZEBRA Tbh species of zebra come from the Galla country^ and has narrower and more numerous stripes than the mountain-zebra being black and the muzzle bright brown. Both hind and fore legs are banded down to the hoofs. The stripes on the neck and body are narrower and more numerous than in Burchell's zebra, and on the hindquarters the median stripe, which runs down the centre of the back from the mane to the tail, is connected with the uppermost of the oblique longitudinal stripes by a series of short horizontal bars. The ears in this species are much larger than in Burchell's zebra. The true zebra seems never to have been an in- habitant of the plains, like all its congeners, but to have confined its range entirely to mountainous districts. Speaking on this point. Captain (after- wards Sir) Cornwallis Harris wrote upwards of sixty years ago : " This beautiful and wary animal never of its own free will descends into the plain, as erroneously asserted by all natural- ists, and it therefore never herds with either of its congeners, the quagga and Burchell's zebra, whose habitat is equally limited to the open and level lowlands. Seeking the wildest and most sequestered spots, the haughty troops are exceedingly difficult of approach, as well on account of their watchful habits and extreme agility and fleetness of foot, as from the abrupt and inaccessible nature of their highland abode." An allied species, of which examples have been obtained by Mr. G. W. Penrice, occurs in Benguela, Portuguese West Africa. I once saw the carcase of a zebra stallion which had beeh sent by rail to the Cape Town Museum by a farmer living in the neighbourhood of the village of Worcester. This animal had come down from the mountains, and joined a troop of donkeys running on the farm. Its intrusion was, however, resented by a male donkey, which fought with and overpowered it, and, having seized it with its teeth by the back of the neck, held it fast until it was secured by the farmer and his men. The captured animal, however, refused food, and soon died, when its carcase was sent to the Cape Museum for preservation. Grevy's Zebra is the largest and perhaps the handsomest of all the zebras. This fine animal is an inhabitant of Eastern Africa, its range extending from the central portion of Somaliland southwards to the Tana River. It appears to be plentiful in the country between Mount Kenia and Lake Rudolph, but has not, I believe, been met with to the west of that lake. Full-grown specimens of Grevy's zebra will stand from 14)^ to 15 hands at the shoulder, with a girth of body immediately behind the shoulders of nearly 5 feet. The arrangement of the stripes in this species differs considerably both from that of the mountain-zebra of the Cape Colony and also from Burchell's zebra. The body-stripes are very narrow, numerous, and deep black in colour, and are separated by equally narrow white bands. The longitudinal stripes on the haunches are also shorter and finer than in any other species of zebra, and on the top of the centre of the back from the neck to the tail. The belly and insides of the thighs are white, and the legs banded right down to the hoofs as in the mountain-zebra, and the ears are as large as in that species. Photo by Percy Ashenden BURCHELL'S ZEBRA AT HOME Thii excellent photograph ivas taken in South Africa, and ihoios these animals in their native state 169 170 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD Grevy's zebra is, as a rule, an inhabitant of open or thinly wooded country, and it appears to avoid anything in the nature of thick cover. In Central Somaliland Major Swayne met with it on low plateaux some 2,500 feet above sea-level, the sides of which fell in broken ravines to the river- valleys. This country is described as broken and hilly, and here Grevy's zebras were met with in small droves of about half a dozen. In the country between Mount Kenia and Lake Rudolph, Mr. A. H. Neumann frequently met with herds of Grevy's and Burchell's zebras consorting together. The contrast between the two species when thus seen side by side was very marked, the former animals looking like horses among a flock of ponies. Mr. Neumann never observed stallions of the two species fighting together, but on the other hand he states that the stallions of the larger species fight viciously amongst themselves for possession of the mares. Grevy's zebras seem never to collect in large herds, more than twenty, or at the outside thirty, being very seldom seen together. Although this species is an inhabitant of arid plains and bare stony hills where the herbage is short, it requires is never therefore found at any great! distance from water. The cry of Grevy's , zebra is stated to be' quite different from that of Burchell's. Mr. Neumann de- scribes it as a very hoarse kind of grunt, ' varied by something approaching to a whistle, the grunts ; being long drawn out, and divided by' the shrill whistling sound, as if the latter 1 were made by draw- j ing in the breath which had been ex- pelled during the sustained grunt. Like all other species of the genus to which they belong, Grevy's zebras, especially the mares when in foal, become very fat at certain seasons of the year, and their flesh is much appreciated both by natives and lions, the latter preying on them and their smaller congeners, Burchell's, zebras, in preference to any other animal, now that the rinderpest has almost exterminated the great herds of buffalo which once roamed in countless numbers all over East Central Africa. Burchell's Zebra once inhabited the whole of Southwestern, Southeastern, Central, and Eastern Africa from the Orange River to Lake Rudolph ; and though it has long ceased to exist in the more southerly portions of its range, it is still the most numerous and the best known of all the species of zebra. The typical form of this species was first met with early last century by Dr. Burchell in Southern Bechuanaland. In this form the legs are white below the knees and hocks, and the body-stripes do not join the median stripe of the belly. In examples met with farther north the legs are striped down to the hoofs and the body-stripes join the belly-stripe. South of Pholtt l)v J. T. Newmari] [Berihamsted THji HON. WALI'ER ROTHSCHILD'S TEAM OF ZEBRAS Air. Rothschild was practically the first person to break in xehras to harness. At one time these animals ivere thought to be quite untamable THE HORSE TRIBE 171 the Zambesi all forms of Burchell's zebra seem to have faint markings, known as shadow- stripes, on the pale yellow ground-colour of the spaces between the broad black stripes. North of the Zambesi varieties are met with in which these shadow-stripes are wanting. As, however, the differences between all the various sub-species of Burchell's zebra are superficial and not structural, and as, moreover, the habits of these animals seem to be the same in every part of their widely extended range, I shall henceforth speak of them as one species. Burchell's zebra is without the small horizontal bars on the hindquarters, which in the mountain-zebra connect the dorsal stripe with the uppermost of the broad longitudinal bands running across the flanks. Its ears, too, are smaller than in the latter species, and its mane fuller. In size Burchell's zebra is intermediate between the mountain-zebra and Grevy's zebra, standing from thirteen to thirteen and a half hands at the shoulder. By permission of Mr. If^illiam Cross BURCHELL'S ZEBRA, CHAPMAN'S VARIETY Where they have not been shot down, Burchell's zebras often live in large herds of from fifty to over a hundred together. I have met with them almost at the level of the sea, as in the Pungwe district of South-east Africa, and all over the high plateaux of the interior up to a height of 5,000 feet above sea-level. They are partial to sparsely forested country intersected by open glades, but also frequent open plains entirely devoid of trees or bush, having been once numerous on the open downs of the Western Transvaal and Orange River Colony. They never live in dense jungle, but I have met with them frequently amongst broken rugged hills. Burchell's zebras are both fleet and enduring, but I have often galloped right amongst a herd of them when mounted on a fast horse, and in good ground. In broken, hilly, and stony ground, however, no horse can live with a Burchell's zebra. The hoofs of this species seem made for running in rocky ground, being deeply hollowed and as hard as iron. I have always found the presence of Burchell's zebras a sure indication that water was not 172 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD MARE AND FOAL OF BURCHELL'S ZEBRA These animals breed regularly in captivity far distant, and it is my experience that these animals require to drink daily, and never wander more than a few miles away from tne pool or river they frequent. This species of zebra may often be seen in Southern Africa in company with other animals, such as buffaloes, blue wildebeests, elands, gemsbucks, roan and sassaby ante- lopes, and ostriches, and I have upon several occasions seen them come up to domestic cattle and horses. They are naturally not very wary, and in parts of the country where they have not been much molested are often very inquisitive, and will come trotting quite close up to a caravan, provided they do not get the scent of human beings. Foals of this species are easily caught, and become at once very tame and confiding; nor do I believe that adult Burchell's zebras are such vicious animals as is generally supposed, since I have seen several which were very quiet and well broken, whilst even the half-broken animals, which were at one time used on one of the coach-lines in the Transvaal, did not appear very vicious. As with Grevy's zebra, the flesh of the species under consideration is much appreciated both by natives and lions. I have often seen the fat on the quarters of the mares quite an inch thick. It is of a dark yellow colour, and too rich to suit the stomach of a European: The meat is rather sweet in taste, but if fried with bacon not at all unpalatable. Professor Ewart has lately carried out a very interesting series of experiments on the hybrid- ising of zebras and horses. The results were very satisfactory. The zebra cross proved to be very hardy creatures, capable of wintering in the open on the hills of Scotland. The scientific data obtained were of singular value, as showing the effect of crossbreeding on subsequent generations of foals of the same mother. It has long been believed that the influence of the first sire was seen in foals cf which other animals were subsequently the fathers. Thus, if a white mare threw a foal to a black stallion, it was considered that her subsequent progeny would occasionally be black, and instances were freely quoted to support this theory. The scientific name of " telegony " was given to this supposed influence of previous sires on futureoffspring. Professor Ewart's experiments, in which pony mares were first mated with a zebra and afterwards with horses, show that this theory of telegony is erroneous. The foals sired ^.„,„ j, ^■„„^„ b. smi.K e,,. afterwards by ponies and horses showed no trace BURCHELL'S ZEBRA whatever of zebra stripes, but were normal pony j,^.^ ^^^^.^^ ,^ occasionally dmesticated and drivtn h South foals, and not altered either in shape or disposition. Africa, as it is not injured by the tsetse fly THE HORSE TRIBE 173 The QuAGGA, which became extinct about thirty years ago, never had a very extended range, but in the early part of the last century it existed in great numbers on all the upland plains of the Cape Colony to the west of the Kei River, and in the open treeless country lying be- tween the Orange and Vaal Rivers. North of the Vaal it appears to have been unknown. The quagga seems to have been nearly allied to Burchell's zebra — especially to the most southerly form of that species — but was much darker in general colour, being of a dark rufous brown on the neck and upper- parts of the body, becoming lighter on the sides, and fading off to white beneath and behind. Instead of being striped, too, over the whole body, it was only strongly banded on the head and neck, the dark brown stripes becoming fainter on the shoulders and dying away in spots and blotches. On the other hand, in size and build, in the appearance of its mane, ears, and tail, and in general habits, it seems to have nearly resembled its handsomer relative. The barking iieigh " qua-ha-ha, qua-ha-ha" seems, too, to have been the same in both species. The word " quagga " is pronounced in South Africa " qua-ha," and is of Hottentot origin, being an imitation of the animal's neighing call. To-day Burchell's zebras are invariably called Qua-has by both Boers and British colonists. Fhoto by Percy Ashenden ZEBRAS ON TABLE MOUNTAIN Another South African photograph. Notice Cape Toivn in the far distance Wild Asses Photo by York & Son QUAGGA This is, ive belietje, the only knoivn photograph from life of this "very rare animal. There loill probably never be another, for the quagga is generally tupposed to be extinct The true asses are without stripes on the head, neck, and body, with the exception of a dark streak down the back from the mane to the tail, which is present in all members of the group, and in some cases a dark band across the shoulders and irregular markings on the legs. In Africa the wild ass is only found in the desert regions of the north-eastern portion of that continent, being an inhabitant of Abyssinia, Somaliland, Gallaland, the Soudan, and the arid districts bordering the Red Sea. The form of wild ass found in Somaliland differs in some respects from its near relative of the Nubian Desert, in that it is of a paler colour, has the dorsal stripe but faintly marked, and is without a cross stripe over the shoulders, 174 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD whilst on the other hand it has numerous markings both on the front and hind legs. Naturalists are, however, agreed that, although there may be certain small differences in the colour and markings of the wild asses found in different localities of Northern Africa, such variations are of no specific value, and only one species is recognised. The African Wild Ass is a fine animal, standing between 13 and 14 hands at the shoulder. It lives in small herds or families of four or five individuals, and is not found in mountainous districts, but frequents low stony hills and arid desert-wastes. It is as a general rule an alert animal and difficult to approach, and so fleet and enduring that, excepting in the case of foals and mares heavy in young, it cannot be overtaken even by a well-mounted horseman. Notwithstanding the scanty nature of the herbage in the districts they frequent, these desert- bred asses are always in good condition. They travel long distances to water at night, but appear to require to drink regularly. Their flesh is eaten by the natives of the Soudan. The bray of the African wild ass is said to be indistinguishable from that of the domesticated animal, which latter is undoubtedly descended from the wild African breed. In Asia three varieties of the wild ass are found, which were formerly believed to represent three distinct species; but since the points of difference between these varying forms do not appear to be of specific value, all the local races of the Asiatic wild ass are now considered to belong to one species. These wild asses have a wide range, and are met with in the deserts of Asia from Syria to Persia and Western India, and northwards throughout the more arid portions of Central Asia. In Tibet and Mongolia the wild ass inhabits the high mountain-plateaux, and lives at elevations of 14,000 feet and upwards above the sea. This local race, know as the KlANG, approaches in size to the African wild ass, standing 13 hands at the shoulder. It is dark reddish brown in colour, with a very narrow dorsal stripe. The ONAGER of Western India and Baluchistan is a smaller and lighter-coloured animal, with a broader stripe down the back. In parts of its range it is found at sea-level. In Persia and Syria a third local race of wild ass is found, which, however, differs from the two forms already enumerated in no essential particular. Like their African congeners, the wild asses of Asia are inhabitants of the waste pfaces of the earth, frequenting desert plains and wind-swept steppes. They are said to be so fleet and enduring that, except in the case of a mare heavy with foal, they cannot be overtaken by a single horseman. The wild asses of the desert plains of India and Persia are said to be very wary and difficult to approach, but the kiang of Tibet is always spoken of as a much more confiding animal, its curiosity being so great that it will frequently approach to within a short distance of any un- familiar object, such as a sportsman engaged in stalking other game. Asiatic wild asses usually live in small families of four or five, but sometimes congre- gate in herds. Their food consists of various grasses in the low-lying portions of their FhM hy J. W. McLiHan BALUCHI WILD ASS This is one of the three leading ■varieties of the Asiatic wild ass. It is found in Western India and Baluchistan THE HORSE TRIBE 175 MALE KIANG The hiang conies from the Tibetan highlands. It is the largest and most horse-like of the luild asses of Asia range, but of woody plants on the high mountain-plateaux, where little else is to be obtained. Of wild asses in general the late Sir Samuel Baker once said: "Those who have seen donkeys only in their civilised state can have no conception of the wild or original animal; it is the perfection of activity and courage." DOMESTICATED HORSE, ASSES, AND MULES BY W. P. PYCRAFT, A.L.S., F.Z.S The Domesticated Horse Like the wild camels, genuine wild horses are very generally believed to be extinct. The vast herds which occur to-day in a wild state in Europe, America, and Australia are to be regarded, say those who believe in the extinction theory, as descended from domesticated animals which have run wild. So far as the American and Australian horses are concerned, this is no doubt true ; but of the European stocks it is by no means so certain. For Dr. Nehring — and he speaks with authority — assures us that the wild horses known as Tarpans, which occur on the steppes north of the Sea of Azoff, between the river Dnieper and the Caspian, are veritable wild horses, the last remaining members of enormous herds which occurred in Europe before the dawn of civilisation. These horses formed no small part of the food of the savage races of men then inhabiting this continent. This we know because of the quantities of their remains found in the caves of the south of France, for instance, associated with the remains of the men who hunted them. Further evidence of this we have in the shape of crude engravings on pieces of bone and deer horns, carved by the more artistic spirits amongst these early hunters. From these drawings we gather that the horse they hunted was small in size and heavy in build, with a large head and rough, shaggy mane and 176 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD tail — a horse, in fact, almost identical with the above-mentioned tarpan. But long before historic records begin these horses must have been domesticated ; man discovered that they could be even more useful alive than dead, and from that time forth the horse became his inseparable companion. " Csesar found the Ancient Britons and Germans using war-chariots drawn by horses.'' But the stock of domestic horses drawn from this tarpan breed appears to have died out almost entirely, the majority of horses now existing being probably descendants of the native wild horses of Asia, the product of a still earlier domestication. In Egypt the horse, as a domestic animal, seems to have been preceded by the ass; but about 1900 B.C. it begins to appear in the r6le of a war-horse, to draw chariots. Its use, indeed, until the Middle Ages was almost universally as a war-horse. From the time of its domestication till to-day the history of the horse has been one of progress. The care and forethought of the breeder have produced many varieties, resulting in such extremes as the London Dray-horse, the Racer, and the Shetland Pony. The coloration of our various breeds of horses is generally without any definite marking,, piebald and dappled being the nearest approach to a pattern. Occasionally, however, horses are found with a dark stripe along the back, and sometimes with dark stripes on the shoulders and legs. Darwin, discovering a number of horses so marked belonging to different breeds, came to the conclusion that probably all existing races of horses were descended from a "single dun-coloured, more or less striped primitive stock, to which [stock] our horses occasionally revert." " If we were not so habituated to the sight of the horse," says the late Sir William Flower, " as hardly ever to consider its structure, we should greatly marvel at being told of a mammal so strangely constructed that it had but a single toe on each extremity, on the end of the nail of which it walked or galloped. Such a conformation is without parallel in the vertebrate series." By the aid of fossils we can trace out all the stages through which this wonderful foot has passed in arriving at its present state of perfection : we can see how it has become more and more beautifully adapted to fulfil the requirement demanded — a firm support to enable its owner to cover hard ground at great speed. The .study of the structure of this foot, and a comparison with the intermediate forms, make it clear that this toe corresponds to the third finger or toe of the human hand or foot — according as we compare the fore or hind limbs — and that its development was at the expense of the remaining toes, which gradually dwindled and disappeared, leaving in the living one-toed horse only traces of the second and fourth toes in the shape of a pair of splint-bones, one on either side of the exces.sively developed third toe. The horses, it must be remarked, may be distinguished from the asses by the fact that the tail in the former is clothed with long hair throughout; in the latter long hair springs only from the sides and end, forming a tuft. Furthermore, the horses have a remarkable horny /•*«« *, T. Fall YEARLING ARAB COLTS N'ote the colts examining the photographer s bag. They are 'very inquisitive creatures^ hut easily frightened J3 :- Phote by Percy j4shender,'\ [_Capt Town BLESBOK A species formerly ijery numerous in South Africa, hut no'w ivell-nigh exterminated BONTEBOK AND BlESBOK GROUP Nearly allied to the hartebeests are certain other antelopes of which it will be sufficient to mention but two species — viz. the Bontebok and the Blesbok. These two antelopes, though doubtless distinct, since their points of difference are constant and unvarying, are nevertheless so much alike, and evidently so closely allied, that I look upon the former as a highly coloured and specialised race of the latter. The bles- bok once had a far wider range than the bontebok, and ran in countless herds on the plains of the northern districts of the Cape Colony, the Orange River Colony, the Transvaal, Griqualand West, and British Bechuanaland, whilst the latter animal has always been confined to the sandy wastes in the neighbourhood of Cape Agulhas, the extreme southern point of Africa. I think it, however, not improbable that ages ago the blesbok ranged right through Cape Colony to the sea-shore, and that subsequently the gradual desiccation of the south-western portions of the country — which is still continuing — or several years of continuous drought, caused the withdrawal of the species northwards from the waterless parts of the country. Those, however, which had reached the neighbourhood of Cape Agulhas, where there is plenty of water, would have remained behind and formed an isolated race, which, being influenced by local conditions, would naturally in course of time have become differentiated from the parent stock. Be this as it may, the bontebok of to-day is nothing but a glorified blesbok, being slightly larger and more richly coloured than the F latter animal. Its horns, too, are always black, whilst those of the blesbok are of a greenish hue. When they are in good condition, the coats of both these species of antelope, as well as of the Sassaby, another member of this group, show a beautiful satiny sheen, which plays over their purple-brown hides like shadows on sunlit water. Thefewbontebokswhich still survive are now all preserved on large enclosed farms ; but their numbers are very small — less than 300, it is believed. The pj,„ j, y_ ^ Mcuiia^i iHigUurj farmers of Dutch descent now do their best to preserve rare species WHITE-TAILED GNU AND CALF on their land. TUs " IVilJeheest " is believed to he practically exterminated as a wild animal THE ANTELOPES 215 A COW BRINDLED GNU This gnu, 'which is still found in great numbers in East Central Africa, indulges in the same curious antics as the •white-tai/ed species The Gnus These remarkable animals were once distributed throughout the greater part of Africa from the Cape to Abyssinia, and their range is even now very extensive, though what was once the most numerous and the most eccentric-looking species of the group has almost ceased to exist. The gnus are of large size, and at first sight appear to have the head of a buffalo, the tail of a horse, and the limbs and hoofs of an antelope. Their heads are very massive, with broad muzzles and widely separated, hairy nostrils ; their necks are maned, tails long and bushy, and both sexes carry horns. They are known as " wilde beeste," or " wild cattle," to the Dutch colonists of South Africa. The White-tailed Gnu, or Black Wildebeest, as it is more commonly called, was once found in great numbers on the kar- roos of Northern Cape Colony, and through- out the vast plains of the Orange River Colony, Transvaal, Griqualand West, and British Bechuanaland. Its range, in fact, was coequal with that of the blesbok. Even as lately as in 1875 ^"^ 1876 I personally saw very considerable herds of these quaint animals in the Orange River Colony and the Western Transvaal. When the present war broke out in 1899, there were only two herds of black wildebeest left alive. These animals numbered some 500 head altogether, and were protected by Dutch farmers. There Phtti) by Miss E. J. Btct RED-FLANKED DUIKER The duikers are for the mo't part diminuti've and graceful antelopes, with simple, spike-like horns 2l6 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD are probably very few of them left to-day, and it is scarcely possible that this most interesting animal will long escape complete extinction. Black wildebeests, before they had been much persecuted, were so inquisitive that, in the words of Gordon Gumming, they would " caper and gambol " round a hunter's waggon or any other unusual object, and sometimes approach to within a couple of hundred yards, when, whisking their long white tails, they would gallop off with loud snorts. They were always, however, very keen-sighted, and soon became extremely wary and almost impossible to approach on foot in the open plains they frequented, whilst their powers of endurance and fleetness of foot were such that they could only be overtaken by a well-mounted hunter. In spite of these advantages, however, the value of their skins, and the ever-increasing number of hunters, armed with long-range rifles, practically brought about the extermination of this species of gnu in a few decades. The Brindled Gnu is a larger animal than the last-named species, standing 4| feet and upwards at the shoulder. This animal once ranged from the Vaal River northwards, throughout Eastern and Gentral Africa, to the north of Kilimanjaro, where its range overlaps that of a closely allied form, the White-BEARDED Gnu, which is only found in certain districts of Eastern Africa. In general habits these two varieties seem to be identical. In the interior of Southern Africa, both north and south of the Zambesi, I have met with very large numbers of Blue Wildebeests. They usually run in herds of from ten to twenty individuals, but towards the end of the dry season collect in droves of 200 or 300. They are often found in company with zebras and sassaby antelopes. Their flesh resembles coarse beef, and, to my thinking, is not ill-flavoured. The Smaller Bucks In addition to the great number of antelopes of large size which inhabit the African Continent, there are also very many small species, the life history and habits of some of which are as yet but imperfectly known, since they are denizens of dense forests, and feed principally at night. All these small African antelopes are divided into two sub-families. The first comprises the African Duikers and the Indian Four-horned Antelope, and the second the DiK-DlKS, Oribis, KlipsPRINGER, and certain other small bush-antelopes. The African duikers are distributed throughout Africa south of the Sahara, and are represented by some twenty different species, the largest of which approaches a small donkey in size, whilst the smallest is not much larger than a hare. The majority of these dainty little antelopes are inhabitants of the dense tangled forests of the coast-belts of Africa, and are therefore but seldom seen by travellers and sportsmen. One species of the group however, the Common Duiker of South Africa, is a very well-known animal. This little antelope inhabits much more open country than most of its congeners, and has an enormous range, extending from Cape Agulhas to Somaliland, whilst V ^^c^s^_ •. k^ ^^^^^^^^B 1 thtti by Mill E. y. Biii KLIPSPRINGER The ** cliff-jumper " is as active in its habits as a chamois, and is found in most of the mountain-ranges of Africa '•'•"* '^-*^**-- —'■^' "S"**^ ^^^^'■■*^^'.. ..«*•■• C-«+^ /.•• v^ -. . ■->C.,'.,.:i,-:.i..V,.v .' , '-! Wofo 4y G. W. Wi/ion S" Co., Lid.l SING-SING WATERBUCK Zyitf sing-sing and its relatives differ from the true *«(« hy W. V. Dandi\ GAZELLES FROM EGYPT Seen in great numbers in the Bayuda Desert THE ANTELOPES 223 line of their advance, and causingconsiderable anxiety to farmers, whose flocks of sheep and goats are sometimes swept away by the migrating springbucks. In former years the migration of these antelopes in countless thousands from the deserts of Namaqualand to the countries farther south was a common occurrence, an unerring instinct guiding the wandering herds to districts where rain had lately fallen and caused a new growth of ' green grass. The animals composing these migrating herds were called by the Dutch settlers of the Cape Colony " Trekbokken," or " travelling-bucks." Two other antelopes, the DiBATAG and the Gerenuk, are included in the present group ; but both, whilst typically gazelline in certain respects, differ so much in other ways from all members of that group that each has been placed in a separate genus. The DiBATAG is a very remarkable- looking antelope, only found in certain districts of Central Somaliland, where it was first discovered by Mr. T. W. H. Clarke in 1890. This species shows the face-markings of the gazelles, whilst the horns, which are only present in the males, much resemble in shape those of a reedbuck. They are rather short, attaining a length of only 11 or 12 inches, and their basal halves are strongly ringed in front. The neck of this antelope is singularly long and thin, and the tail, which is held curved forwards over the back when the animal is in motion, is also much elongated, and only tufted at the tip. The dibatag frequents sandy ground sparsely covered with low thorn-bushes, and lives in small families, being usually met Fhiub) W. P. Dandi\ RED-FRONTED GAZELLE Inhabits Dongola and Senaar or threes, whilst than four or five it IS rare consorting Fhiti fy W. P. Dandel [Rtgmt^i Pari RED-FRONTED GAZELLE Another view of the specimen shoivn above with in twos to find more together. The Gerenuk, like the last-named animal, is an East African species, but has a more extended range, being found all over Somali- land, and thence southwards to the Tana Valley arid the Kilimanjaro district of British East Africa. The most remarkable external characteristic of this speties is the exces- sively long neck. The males alone carry horns, which attain an average length of 12 or 13 inches, and, though somewhat gazelle-like in shape, are more strongly crooked forwards at the points. The skull of this species is more dense and solid in structure than in the true gazelles, and the cheek-teeth are smaller in size. Coming now to the Sable Antelope group, we find an assemblage of antelopes which are all of large size and handsome appearance, and in all of which both the 224 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD Ph'jto bf Fircy Jihenden] [^Cafie Town MALE SPRINGBUCK Once the most numerous species in South Africa, ivhere it is still not uncommon. Its migrations, or ^^ treks,*^ at certain seasons ivere one of the sights of the njeldt males and females are horned. With the single exception of the BEATRIX ORYX, which inhabits Arabia, all these antelopes are denizens of Africa. One species of the group, the Kluebuck, which appears to have been entirely confined to the mountainous districts of the Cape Peninsula, became extinct during the first decade of the last century. Little is known as to the life history of this animal, but it was undoubtedly nearly allied to the larger and more handsomely marked ROAN ANTELOPE. This latter animal once had a more extensive range than any other antelope, as it was found in almost every part of Africa south of the Sahara, with the exception of the Congo forest region. It has now been exterminated in the more southerly portions of the country, but from the Limpopo to the Upper Nile, and thence to the Niger, it is still to be found wherever the surroundings are suitable to its requirements. A large bull roan antelope will stand 4 feet 9 inches at the withers. The general colour of the body differs in individuals, even in the same district, varying from a very light shade of brown to dark grey or red- roan. The front and sides of the face are jet-black in the adult male, and dark reddish brown in the female, with two long white tufts of hair under the eyes. The muzzle and extremity of the lower jaw are white. The hair on the under side of the neck is long and coarse, and a stiff mane about 3 inches in length runs from behind the ears to the withers. The ears are very long, and in the females and young males tufted. The horns are curved backwards, and in the male are very stout and strong, attaining THE ANTELOPES 225 a length of from 26 to 34 inches. In the female the horns are shorter and slighter, and not so strongly ringed. Roan antelope are usually met with in small herds of from six to a dozen members, and never congregate in large numbers. I do not think I have ever counted as many as thirty together. I have found them fairly common in certain districts, but nowhere very plentiful. They frequent open plains and thinly forested country, and are never found far away from water. Bucks often become savage when wounded, and will sometimes charge viciously if approached incautiously. They can use their horns with great dexterity, and play havoc with a pack of dogs. The Sable Antelope, though considerably smaller than the roan, is yet a handsomer animal. In colour the adult male, when in high condition, is jet-black all over with the exception of the white face-markings and the snow-white of the belly and insides of the thighs. The mane is longer and more bushy than in the roan antelope, and often hangs down on either side over the withers. The horns, too, are much finer, and, sweeping backwards in a bold curve, are commonly upwards of 42 inches long, and have been known to reach 50 inches. The striking colour, large size, and horns of this creature make it one of the most-prized trophies of the sportsman. The skin, when prepared and laid down as a rug in halls or dwelling-rooms, is far more handsome than that of any deer. The female of this species is usually of a rich red-brown in colour instead of black as in the male. South of the Zambesi, how- ever, old cows become almost absolutely black. North of the Zambesi both male and female sable antelopes are dark red in colour rather than black. The horns in the female are slighter and less curved than in the male, and are also consider- ably shorter, as a rule not measuring over 30 inches in length. The range of the sable antelope extends from the northern districts of the Transvaal to German East Africa. In the country be- tween the Limpopo and the Central Zambesi it used to be a very common animal, especially in the northern districts of Mashonaland. It is partial to open forests intersected by grassy, well- watered glades, and is never found, on open plains entirely devoid of bush. It is usually met with in herds of from twelve to twenty individuals, but I have often seen as many as fifty, and once Phato by S. G. Payne, Ayled rr, h permitsion of the Han. IValttr Rothschild SABLE ANTELOPE .rf near ally of the Roan Antelope, from ivhich it is broadly distinguished -by its striking colora- tion — black and lukite 226 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD Photo bj the Duchtjs of Bidford] ROAN ANTELOPE In common •with the Sahle Antelope and the Oryx group, both sexes of this species carry horns counted between seventy and eighty together. However large a herd of sable antelopes may be, it is very exceptional to find with it more than one fully adult male, from which fact I should judge that these animals are of a very jealous and pugnacious disposition. When wounded and brought to bay by dogs, a sable antelope defends itself with the utmost fury, using its long scimitar-shaped horns with most wonderful quick- ness and dexterity. If badly wounded it will lie down, other- wise it fights standing. Keeping its face to some of its foes, with a sideways twist of its head it will transfix and throw into the air any dog which attempts to attack it from behind. I have seen a wounded sable antelope, when lying down, drive one of its horns clean through a large dog deep into its own haunch, and I have had four valuable hounds killed and four others grievously wounded by one of these animals in less than a minute. I once knew a na- tive hunter who was stabbed through the kidneys and killed by asable antelope cow. The nearest allies of the sable and roan antelopes are the various species of the genus Oryx. In this group are included the WHITE Oryx, which inhabits the des- ert regions of the interior of Northern Africa from Don- golato Senegal ; the BEATRIX Oryx of Southern Arabia; the Gemsbuck of South- western Africa; the Beisa, which is found in North-east Africa from Suakim south- wards to the river Tana ; and the Tufted Beisa, which is photo by Norman B Smithf Eiq.] MALE OF GRANT'S GAZELLE This fine East African species is one of the handsomtit of its kind THE ANTELOPES 227 very nearly related to the last-named species, whose place it takes south of the Tana River in certain districts of British and German East Africa. In general appearance there is a strong family resemblance between the different species of oryx. In all of them both sexes carry horns, which are considerably longer, though somewhat slighter, in the females than in the males. In the white oryx the horns are curved backwards ; but in the other four species they are straight, or nearly so. In all the faces are conspicuously banded with black and white, and the tails long, with large dark terminal brushes. The two most desert-loving species, the white and the Beatrix oryx, are paler in general body-colour than the other three, and the latter animal is considerably smaller than any other member of the group, standing not more than 35 inches at the withers. The gemsbuck is the largest and undoubtedly the handsomest of the group, standing 4 feet at the shoulders; the horns of the females are often upwards of 40 inches long, and have been known to attain a length of 48 inches. In habits all species of oryx seem to be very similar. They are denizens of the arid sun- scorched plains of Africa, which are not necessarily devoid of all kind of vegetation, but are often covered with stunted bush, and carry a plentiful crop of coarse grass after rain. Oryx usually run in herds of from four or five to fifteen or twenty, though the beisa, the most abundant of the group, has been metwith in troops numbering 400 or 500 head. All the oryx are shy and wary, and in the open country they usually frequent are difficult to approach on foot. If pursued on horseback, they run at a steady gallop, which they can maintain for long distances, swinging their bushy black tails from side to side, and holding their heads in such a way that their long GROUP OF BEISA ORYX This most interesting photograph, taken by Lord Delamere, shows a group of these Jine antelopes on the East African plains straight horns are only sloped slightly backwards. Fleet and enduring, however, as oryx undoubtedly are, I am of opinion that in these respects the gemsbuck of South Africa, at any rate, is inferior to all other large antelopes living in the same country, with the single exception of the eland. I have often, when mounted on a fast horse, galloped right up to herds of gemsbuck, and on two occasions have run antelopes of this species to an absolute standstill. Oryx of all species should be approached with caution when badly wounded, as they are liable to make short rushes, and can use their horns with great effect. Nearly related to the antelopes of the Oryx group in many essential characteristics, yet at once distinguishable by its spiral horns and broad reindeer-like feet, the desert-haunting Addax has been placed in a separate genus, of which it is the sole representative. This remarkable animal stands about 38 inches in height at the withers, and varies in general colour at different seasons of the year, from brownish grey to a reddish hue. The forehead is covered with a thick growth of bushy black hair, beneath which there is a patch of white extending across the nose to under the eyes. The hindquarters, tail, and legs are white. The horns are spiral, and are present in both sexes. In the male they attain 228 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD Photo by S. a. Payncy jiyitibury^ by ftrminion of the Hon, iValttr Rothschild WHITE ORYX Found in Northern Africa from Dongola to Senegal those thirsty regions. It is killed in considerable its flesh and hide, and is either stalked or hunted on by Europeans. The last of the sub-families into which modern naturalists have divided the antelopes of the world comprises some of the handsomest species of the whole group, and includes the largest of all antelopes, the Eland, as well as such small and beautifully marked creatures as the Harnessed Bushbucks. With one exception — the Nilgai — all the members of this sub-family are denizens of the great African Continent. The Nilgai, or Blue Bull, is an inhabitant of India, and is found throughout the greater portion of the peninsula, from the base of the Himalaya to the south of Mysore. It is an animal of large size, standing about 4 feet 6 inches at the shoulder. In general colour the male is of a dark iron-grey, the female tawny fawn. White spots on the cheeks and just above the hoofs on the fore and hind feet are the outward signs of its affinity to the African harnessed antelopes. The male alone carries horns, which are nearly straight and very small for the size of the animal, rarely exceed- ing 9 inches in length. Passing now to the Harnessed Antelopes of Africa, our attention is first claimed by the BUSH- BUCKS. Excluding the Inyala and the Broad- a length of about 28 inches in a straight line, and about 36 inches following the spiral. In the female they are thinner and less spirally curved. The addax is confined to the desert regions of Northern Africa from Dongola to Senegal, and the broad, rounded hoofs, so unlike those of any other antelope, would seem to show that it inhabits countries where the soil is deep, soft sand. Very little is known of the life history or habits of this antelope. It is said to associate in pairs or small herds, and to be entirely independent of water, though it travels great distances over the desert in the track of thunder-storms for the sake of the young herbage which grows so quickly wherever rain falls in numbers by the Arabs for the sake of horseback, with the help of greyhounds, P*o(» by W. P. Dandi] iRtgint's Pari BEISA ORYX Tie ieisa is found in North-east Africa ; by some it is ielieved to have suggested the original idea of the unicorn THE ANTELOPES 229 horned Antelope, we find several forms of the smaller bushbucks recognised by naturalists: viz. the Har- nessed Antelope of the forest regions of Western Africa; the Cape BuSHBUCK of South Africa ; Cumming'S BuSHBUCK of Eastern Africa; and the Decula Bushbuck of Abyssinia. The various forms of bushbuck vary in general colour from very dark brown to various shades of grey-brown, yellow-brown, and rich red. In all species the young are more or less striped and spotted ; but whereas in some forms the adultanimals lose theirstripes and spots almost entirely, in others the adults are more richly marked than immature specimens. Formypart,Iam inclined to believe that, if largeseries of bushbuck-skins were collected from every district throughout Africa, it would be found that all the varieties of this animal at present accepted as distinct species would be found to grade into one another in such a way that only one true species could be recognised. The bushbucks vary in height at the shoulder from 28 inches to 33 inches, and only the males carry horns, which are nearly straight, with a close spiral twist, and measure in adult animals from 10 inches to 18 inches in length. Bushbucks are not found in open country, but live in forest or thick bush near the bank of a river, stream, or lake, and are never met with far from water. They are very partial to wooded ravines amongst broken, mountainous country, provided such districts are well watered; and are very solitary in their habits, both males and females being usually found alone, though the latter are often accompanied by a kid or half-grown animal. They are shy and retiring, and should be looked for between daylight and sunrise, or late in the evening, as they are very nocturnal in their habits, and lie concealed in long grass or thick bush during the heat of the day. Their call resembles the bark of a dog, and may often be heard at nights. The Broad-horned Antelope is only found in the forests of the West African coast range, from Liberia to Gaboon. The male of this species is a very handsome animal, standing about 43 inches at the withers, and is a bright chestnut-red in general colour, with a white spinal stripe extending from the withers to the root of the tail, and fourteen or fifteen white stripes on the shoulders, flanks, and hindquarters. The ears are large and rounded, and the horns very massive, and about 30 inches in length, measured over the single spiral twist. There are two or Phoio by S, G, Paynt, jiyltsbury^ by pirmtsiton oftht Hon. H^alttr Rothschild GERENUK A gazelh-Uke antelope 'with long neck and legs, inhabiting North-east Africa 230 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD Phito bj Ttri Sf Son] [Nilting Hill FEMALE NILGAI TAe largest of the anielofes of India, and a distant cousin of the Kudu horns, which are only present in the male, attain a length of about 2 feet in a straight line, and 30 inches along their spiral curve. The standing height at the shoulder of males of this species is about 42 inches. This most beautiful antelope has a very restricted range, being only found in a narrow belt of coastland extending from St. Lucia Bay to the Sabi River, in South-east Africa, and in a still smaller area in the neighbourhood of the Upper Shiri River, in British Central Africa. Before the acquisition of firearms by the natives in South-east Africa, the inyala was very plentiful in Northern Zululand and Amatonga- land, and was then to be met with in herds of from ten to twenty individuals ; whilst the males, which at certain seasons of the year separated from the females, were in the habit of consorting together in bands of from five to eight. Constant persecution by the natives in Amatongaland and the countries farther north very much reduced the numbers of inyalas in those districts a long time ago ; but in Zululand, where this animal has been strictly protected by the British authorities for the last twenty years, it was still plentiful up to 1896, when the rinderpest swept over the country, and committed such sad three large white spots on the cheeks, and a broad white arrow-shaped mark across the nose below the eyes. The female is similar in colorationto the male, but smaller and hornless. Little or nothing is known as to the habits of this very beautiful antelope. Du Chaillu, who met with it in the interior of Gaboon between 1856 and 1859, says that it is " very shy, swift of foot, and exceedingly graceful in its motions " ; but he does not tell us whether it lives in pairs like the bushbucks, or in small herds like some of its other near allies. The Inyala is another bush-loving ante- lope closely allied to the bushbucks. In this species the general colour of the adult male is a deep dark grey, that of the female and young male bright yellow-red, and both sexes are beautifully striped with narrow white bands on the body and haunches. In the male long dark hair hangs from the throat, chest, and each side of the belly, and fringes the front of the thigh almost to the hock, and the back of it up to the root of the tail. The ears are large and rounded ; and the , Hull b) Tart Sf Sml llfclllnf mil ADDAX Unfortunately, the specimen from which this photograph was taken had lost its splendid spiral horns rh,it ^^^^w wF ' ^ \ .''"" M ^^ ^r ^*«fc- ^ ^ ■ ; ■ J ■HNBUa/. ' . - ;M' «^ Mt^H ^^■■1 \^^^^^^BF*'Ws^' ^'(JI§ n^mm *' /■^ '^W^ fikiJiMn ^m m.- . n. ^Mh ^^^^HHrS^^^^^^PBIPS^^r^i^ ^ *»i7 wC^T^^S^k '^hI^IBI^^^Ii BRBw^^^*^^^*^itei^^^^^M^^^«'^2P%8 B^Bllf ^^^^^flH^^^^H^H t^^HI x^^^B^^^^^l ^M^»^^S||^''^gagm • ■ 'HvEiT^^V ^^ mtlrflfiZ i&Sii^ ■■yi^ll 1^ ■*^ffl^^^^M wSi kTrauL^S HHtf^gl ^ggamadmm sagsamag^m^m ^^^BUoL'jA^', " ^gBjEgH K gnn Hi H^H^^H hH IHHHl KBhHHI^hbHHi Thoto by C. Rtid] [If^ishaw, N. B. A YOUNG FALLOW BUCK OF THE BROWN BREED The fa'vounte park-deer of England but this is exceptional. The horns are strongly palmated. Originally this deer was not indigenous to Britain, but is often said to have been introduced by the Romans from Eastern Europe. The Common Fallow Deer is found in the wild state in Spain, Portugal, Greece, Austria, Rhodes, Sardinia, Asia Minor, and North Palestine. It is doubtful whether, as has been stated, this deer ever existed in modern times in the wild state in North Africa. This is a highly gregarious species, delighting to move in considerable herds. In some parts of Scotland fallow deer have reverted completely to the wild state, and afford excellent sport. And even park- 252 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD deer, once they are shot at, exhibit extraordinary wariness and cunning, so much so that curious tricks and disguises have often to be resorted to when a fat buck has to be shot for venison. The beautiful Mesopo- TAMiAN Fallow Deer, found in the mountains of Luristan, in Mesopotamian Persia, is somewhat larger than the common species, while its coat is much more brightly coloured. The antlers bear little resemblance to those seen in the park-deer of this country, being far less palmated and spreading, and more vertical. The enormous horns of the extinct deer once known as Irish Elk are now con- sidered by naturalists to be those of a gigantic species • of fallow deer. By the kind- ness of Mr. J. G. Millais, I am enabled to give the dimensions of a pair of antlers of one of these wonderful beasts from his museum. These antlers measure in spread, from tip to tip, 9 feet 4 inches; length round inside of right horn, 6 feet; round left horn, 5 feet 8 inches, — a marvellous trophy, truly. This specimen was dug up in County Waterford. These colossal fallow deer, which roamed the wastes of Ireland in prehistoric times, must have afforded fairly exciting sport to the feebly armed human beings who then existed. The Sambar, or Rusine Deer SaMBAR may be shortly described as large deer, having rough, shaggy coats, and big, rugged antlers of simple type, usually displaying but three tines. They belong to the group known as Typical Deer, although they are but distantly connected with the red deer. The colour of the coat is usually dark umber-brown, marked with chestnut about the rump and under-parts. The well-known sambar of India stands as much as 5 feet 4 inches at the withers, and weighs, before being cleaned, some 600 lbs. The longest pair of antlers yet recorded (Rowland Ward's " Records of Big Game") measure 48 inches in length over the outer curve. Usually to be found among jungly, wooded hills and mountains in many parts of India and Ceylon, this fine stag affords first-rate sport, and is much sought after by shikaris. It is to be met with in small rhala hy Mill E. J. Btck A SAMBAR STAG The only Indian deer of ivhick the faiuns are unspotted THE DEER TRIBE 253 troops of from four to a dozen, or singly, while during the rutting- reason the animals rove in more considerable herds. In jungle and thickly forested regions it, is a hard matter to come up with the_ sambar on foot,- and it is there usually shot from elephant- back, by the aid of beaters. In more open hill country it affords good stalking. In Ceylon it is hunted with hounds, and yields in this way also capital sport. These animals seem to revel in heat, and love to shelter themselves in hot, stifling valleys; they drink, only once in two or three days. It is a noticeable feature in connection with the antlers of the sambar that they are not invariably shed annually, as with most of the deer kind. In Ceylon, accord- ing to Sir Samuel Baker, they are shed '• with great irregularity every third or fourth year." Lieutenant-Colonel Reginald Heber Percy thus writes concerning the sambar, or sambur : " Compared with the Kashmir stag, red deer, or wapiti, he looks like an ugly. "m photo b^ the This deer is a 17 Duiheij 0/ Bedford] JAVAN RUSA STAG near relative of the sambar ^ hut has a somewhat different type of antler photo by Mist E. 7. Brrll FORMOSAN SIKA STAG Lih its Japanese kindred, this deer is spotted only in summer coarse, underbred brute. ... As the sambur is almost entirely noct rnal in its habits, it is most commonly shot in drives, and in many places it is almost impossible to obtain sambur otherwise ; but where it can be managed, stalking is, of course, far better fun. The sportsman should be on his ground just before daylight, and work slowly through the forest at the edge of the feeding-grounds, taking the bottom of the hill if there are crops on the plain below, or, failing these, the edges of the open glades in the forest. Presently, if there are any sambur about, he will hear their trumpet-like call, and, creep- ing on, see two or three dark forms moving among the trees. In the grey of the morn- ing it is often very hard to distinguish a stag from a hind, and the writer has on several occasions had to wr.It, after viewing the herd, till there was light enough to pick his stag. Even in broad daylight it is difficult to judge the size of a stag's horns as he stands motionless in the deep gloom of the forest, and what little can be seen 254 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD ilf^oburn Abbij of them makes them look three times their real size — the beam is so massive and the tines so long. The stag, too, is such a big beast, standing nearly a hand taller than a barasingh, that if seen in the open he looks as big as the Irish elk. . . . All driving should be done during the heat of the day, when the animals are lying down ; trying to drive when beasts are naturally on the move generally results in the game leaving the beat before the men are in their places. It may sound ridiculous for a man to get up a tree in a sambur drive, but he is far more likely to get an easy shot in this position, as the deer will neither see nor wind him; he commands more ground, and he runs no risk of heading back the wary old hind which often leads the herd, the chances being that if he is rightly posted the herd will come right under his tree. Another advantage is that, his fire being plunging, he can shoot all round without danger to the beaters. In some parts of the Himalaya native shikaris declare that they often shoot sambur by selecting a likely path and improvising a salt-lick, after the fashion of Laplanders when they want to catch their tame reindeer." The flesh of this deer is coarse and only moderately good eating. The Malayan Sambar, found from Assam, through Burma, to the Malay Peninsula, and in Siam, Hainan, Borneo, and perhaps Sumatra, is slightly less in size than its Indian prototype; the antlers vary somewhat, and are shorter and stouter. The longest antlers yet recorded measure 30J inches over the outer curve ; these come from Borneo. The FORMOSAN Sambar, sometimes called Swinhoe's Deer, is, again, closely connected with the Malayan sambar, and may be looked upon as purely a local race. The antlers appear to run smaller, the best recorded examples only extending to 19I inches. The Luzon Sambar (Philippines), a small sub-species, and the SzECHUAN Sambar (North- west China), are also local races of the same species. This last seems thus far to occupy the most northerly habitat of this group. The Basilan Sambar (Philippines) is, like its congener of Luzon, a small sub-species, standing no more than from 24 to 26 inches at the shoulder, of slender build, and with the hindquarters higher than the withers. The best antlers yet recorded measure no more than 15^ inches. It is interesting to note that as the island of Basilan is the smallest of the Philippines, so is this sambar by far the smallest of its group. Its restricted habitat has no doubt conduced, during long ages, to bring about this result. The Javan Sambar, or Rusa, is a distinct species, found, as its name implies, in the island of Java. The antlers are somewhat slender, but are, next to those of the sambar of India, the longest of the group The best recorded pair measure 35 J inches, while another pair from Mauritius, where this animal has been introduced, measure half an inch longer. This sambar is smaller than the great sambar of India, and is about on a par with a good red deer. The Moluccan Rusa, a sub-species somewhat smaller than the Javan deer, is found in Photo by the Duthess of Bedford'] HOG-DEER TAe smallest Indian ref>resentati've of the sambar group THE DEER TRIBE 255 Celebes and certain islands — Born, Batchian, and Amboina — in the Moluccan group ; while the Timor RusA, a closely allied congener, is found on the islands of Timor, Semao, and Kambing. It is possible — nay, even probable — that the Malays may, in times gone by, have introduced certain of these rusine deer from one habitat to another. Such, at least, seems to be the presumption among naturalists. Dr. Guillemard, in that charming book " The Cruise of the Marchesa " (p. 357), gives some interesting information concerning Moluccan sambar in the little-known island -of Batchian. The inhabitants, " living for the most part in the hills, kill and smoke the deer, and bring the meat into the villages for sale. We were fortunate enough to assist at one of their hunts, in which no other weapon than the spear is used. The side of a large ravine, which had been partially cleared, and presented a confused jumble of fallen trees and low brushwood, was assigned to us as our post, and, from the extensive view it commanded, we were able later in the day to watch one run almost from start to finish, although at first the sport appeared to be successful in every direction but our own. At length a stag broke covert about five hundred yards above us, and descended the slopes of the ravine, but shortly afterwards turned and made for the forest again. He was met by some of the hunters and driven back ; but the dogs were now in full cry, and pressed him hard, the hunters meanwhile racing at their utmost speed above, in order to prevent his regaining the jungle. He now altered his direction, and turned down once more towards us ; but the fallen trees were so thick that the dogs gained rapidly on him. He made one more effort for his life by doubling, but it was too late, and in another minute the dogs and hunters had fairly run him down." Deer were probably the earliest animals of the chase. Their bones are found in the cave- dwellings of prehistoric man, and some of the earliest efforts at drawing represent these animals. YOUNG MALE SWAMP-DEER Tiis species is the Barasingh of the nati-ves of India. It is by no means addicted to swampy localities INDIAN MUNTJAC Sometimes called the Barking-deer, The Indian species stands only 2 feet high 256 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD Other Typical Deer So numerous are the typical deer that they are not concluded even by the long list of animals already enumerated. We proceed now to glance briefly at the remainder of this important group. The Philippine Spotted Deer, or Prince Alfred's Deer, is a small but extremely handsome species, found in the islands of Samar and Leyte. The height is under 30 inches; the colour very dark brown, spotted with white, the under-parts, chin, and upper portion of the legs also white. Another small cervine from the Philippine group is the Calamianes Deer, a darkish brown beast, found in the island of that name. The little Bavian Deer, another island-deer, from the Bavian group, between Borneo and Java, should also be mentioned. Very little is known of the habits of these three deer, and few specimens even of their skins and horns have reached Europe. The Hog-deer, allied to the last-named species, is an animal much better known, found as it is in many parts of India and Burma. This handsome little deer stands from 24 to 28 inches at the shoulder, and carries antlers which average from 10 to 15 inches, and reach* occasionally as much as 21 or 22 inches — one specimen is recorded measuring 23^ inches. It has a yellowish or reddish-brown coat, minutely speckled with white. The summer coat is paler and marked with white or palish-brown spots. This sturdy little deer is found usually in long grass, and affords excellent snap-shooting; it is also run into with dogs and speared by mounted sportsmen. Major Fitz- Herbert thus describes a chase of this kind : " He [the little stag] stood at bay, with head down and bristles raised like a miniature red deer of Landseer's, but broke away when I came up. Once he charged the bitch and knocked her over. He stood at bay two or three times, but I could never get a spear into him for fear of hurting the dogs. At last one time, as he was break- ing bay, I came up, and he charged me with such force as to break one of his horns clean off against the spear. However, I struck him in the spine, and rolled him over." These little deer have quite extraordinary pluck, and have been known even to charge and wound a horse. The Chital, or Indian Spotted Deer, often called the Axis Deer, a very beautiful species, is the common jungle stag of India. Standing about 3 feet or a little over, its lovely coat of bright reddish fawn is thickly spotted with white at all seaisons of the year. The horns are somewhat of the sambar type, and measure as much as 36 or 38 inches in length in fine specimens. These YOUNG MALE CHINESE exquisite deer are often found in considerable herds, and WATER-DEER - are a forest-loving species. 0«« ofthtjeiu dnr -which ha-ve m antlers ay permiiiion of the New J or A Zoological Society A STAG AXIS, OR INDIAN SPOTTED DEER One of the most common animals in an Indian jungle scene 25; Photo by Ottomar j4nschutx] FEMALE EUROPEAN ROE DEER Though common in the Scotch nvoodsj these deer are rarely seen, keeping close in cover all day 258 {Birlin THE DEER TRIBE 259 The Swamp-deer, the true Barasingh of India, as distinguished from the Kashmir stag, which is often loosely called Barasingh, is a plain-loving species, found in various parts of India, and characterised by hand- some antlers, bearing as many as from 10 to 16 points. This is a big, heavy deer, stand- ing nearly 4 feet at the withers, and weigh- ing as much as 560 lbs. The summer coat is light rufous, more or less spotted with white. The winter coat is yellowish brown. A near relative to this deer is Schomburgk's Deer, found in Northern Siam. The antlers of this stag are most curiously forked and bifurcated. The Thamin, or Eld's Deer, sometimes called the Brow-antlered Deer, is another plains-deer, found chiefly from Manipur, through Burma, to the Malay Peninsula. It is a good-sized species, standing about 3 feet 9 inches at the shoulder, and weighing as much as 240 lbs. The large antlers are MALE SIBERIAN ROE simple in type, the brow-tines curving down ^ ^^^y j^^^, ,^,„-„ of roebuck, -with more rugged amiers than t/u curiously over the forehead ; the tail is European roe sharp, and the neck provided witli a mane, the young being spotted. A Siamese race of Eld's deer, found in Siam and Hainan, differs somewhat from the Burmese type. The Muntjacs The Muntjacs, or Barking-deer, are a group of small deer found in India, Burma, and the Malay region. The Indian Muntjac stands about 2 feet in height, and weighs some 28 lbs. The antlers, which average 5 or 6 inches in length, bear two points — brow-tine and beam ; the lower portions, or pedicles, are curiously covered with hair, and the front of the face is ribbed or ridged in V fashion. The general colour is a golden bay, the face and limbs brown, and the lower parts white. The buck has sharp tusks in the upper jaw, and, at a pinch, knows how to make use of them. A shy, stealthy little creature, the muntjac loves dense cover, and the sportsman usually obtains but a quick snapshot at this active and wary little deer as it flashes across him much as does a bolting rabbit scuttling across a narrow drive. Local Indian names for the barking-deer are Jungle- sheep, Red Hog-deer, and Rib-faced Deer. Other muntjacs, varying somewhat from the Indian form, are the Hairy-FRONTED, the Tenasserim, the Tibetan, and the Chinese Muntjacs. female SIBERIAN ROE The absence of a tail, characteristic of all roes, is luell shoiun 26o THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD Br permistion of Herr Car! Hagenbeci'] Tufted Deer Near relatives of the odd little muntjacs are the TUFTED DEER, of which two species, the Tibetan and Michie's, are known to naturalists. The former, found in Eastern Tibet, is about the size of the Indian muntjac, and has a coat of dark chocolate-brown, curiously speckled on the face, neck, and fore parts ; the frontal tuft is nearly black. The antlers of the bucks of both this and Michie's deer are extremely small, scarcely observable at a first glance. Both species have long curving tusks projecting from the upper jaw. Michie's tufted deer is of a greyish-black or iron-grey colour, the face and neck dark grey. This animal is found in the reed-beds bordering the Ningpo and other rivers in Eastern China. Water-deer The Chinese Water-deer is another diminutive deer, standing no more than 20 inches at the shoulder. The body-colouring iHamturs '^ P^'^ rufous ycllovv, the head and the back < of the ears being darker in hue than the rest of the body. The males carry no antlers. This tiny deer is found in North-east China, and is well known on the islands of the Yangtse-kiang River. It loves thick cover, especially reeds and long grass. So apt is it at concealment, that in one park, where specimens are kept in a paddock of long tussocky grass, hours may be spent without catching a glimpse of it. When disturbed, it .scurries off with short, quick leaps, very much after the manner of the hare. The males of the Chinese deer, like the muntjacs, carry long curved tusks in the upper jaw. Roe Deer The European Roe, one of the handsomest of all the smaller deer, is still happily found in many parts of Scotland. In England, where it had at one time become well-nigh extinct, it has been here and there reintroduced with some success. In Ireland it seems never to have been found. On the Continent its range is wide, extending from the south of Sweden, through France and Germany, to Italy, Greece, Turkey, Austria-Hungary, and Spain. Found in Southern Russia and the Caucasus, it makes its way eastward as far as North Palestine and Persia. The roe stands, in good adult specimens, 26 inches at the shoulder, and weighs about 60 lbs. The handsome and very characteristic horns measure in good specimens from 10 to 13 inches over the outer curve. The summer coat of this beautiful little deer is a bright rufous brown ; in winter a darker and duller brown, with a notable white patch about the tail. The roe is always more or less a wood-loving creature. In winter, especially, it seldom cares to quit the shelter of the forest; in summer, however, the deer wander into more open localities. The fawns are born generally towards the end of May, and two young are usually produced. In the rutting-season the males fight savagely with one another. Mr. J. G. Millais gives an instance of a buck killed in one of these desperate battles, in which one antler of the victor, having penetrated the brain of the vanquished buck, had been SIBERIAN ROEBUCK Sko-ws a magnificent pair of antlers THE DEER TRIBE 261 broken clean off and remained embedded in the skull, firmly wedged between the ears and the antlers. " When wounded and brought to bay by a dog," says Mr. Millais, " a roebuck brings into play both head and fore legs in his defence, using his horns as described, and striking out with his legs, more as if to push off his antagonist than to cause a forcible blow, for he gives no shock, as a hind can. A doe, too, uses her fore legs and boxes with her head ; and Mr. Steel, who has had wide experience in roe-shooting, tells me that he has seen a doe use her hind legs as well. The bark of the buck is loud, sharp, and deep in tone, not unlike what a single call might be from an old collie. At this season, too, the female gives an amorous call when she wishes the male to come to her. If he is within hearing, he puts his neck out straight and comes full speed to her. In Germany many roebucks are shot by alluring them in this manner, and calls exactly imitating her voice are made for the sportsman's use. One who has shot roe in this manner tells me it is most exciting sport, for the buck comes straight PfeRE DAVID'S DEER Nineteen of these deer are in England; three are at Berlin. It is believed that these are the only deer of this species in existence for the sound at full speed, and will only stop startled for a second when he discovers the fraud, and as often as not he passes right on without giving a chance." Roe have a curious trick of chasing one another in play, and certain roe-rings in the woods near Cawdor Castle, according to Mr. Millais, demonstrate the fact that for ages the deer have been in the habit of disporting themselves in these strange circles over the same pieces of ground. The fact is very singular. " These curious circles are most used in early summer; and Sutherland, the head keeper, tells me," says Mr. Millais, " that hardly a morning passes without there being one or two roe playing in the n'ngs, and sometimes there is quite a party of them." Roe feed chiefly on grass ; they will eat also rowan (mountain-ash) berries, of which they are especially fond, as well as turnips, grain, heather tops, and various other roots and plants. Certain fungi, to which they are partial, they take much pains to dig out with their sharp hoofs. " A roebuck that I once kept," says Mr. Millais, " was a good Scotchman, though he had a beastly temper, for he liked nothing so much as oatmeal porridge." Roe make delightful pets, but the bucks are not to be trusted after the third year. One of these animals, supposed 262 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD ir !« t '1»l 1 h nr ' ' III 1 13 ' XI 1 •! ■' It 1 . 1! --J"- jr: to be tame, has been known to kill a lad. In Scotland and on the Continent roe deer are usually killed by driving, and large bags are often made. Even within recent times, as many as sixty-five roebucks and thirteen hinds have been shot during a day's driving. Shot-guns are employed for this kind of sport. Stalking the roe is not so much pursued in Scotland as it might be. It is a first-rate and most interesting form of sport, and in certain districts the rifle might very well be substituted for the shot- gun. " Roe-stalking," sajs Mr. Millais, " possesses many charms of its own. In the first place, you can enjoy it at a season when there is no other shooting going on ; secondly, it takes you out in» the early morning, when all nature is full of life and beauty, and before the heat of the day commences ; and, thirdly, where the chase of the animal is systematically conducted, as with red deer, the nature of the sport is everything that can be desired. I would therefore put forward a plea that tenants and owners of part-wood, part-forest lands in Argyll, Inverness, Ross, and Aberdeen should turn their attention to stalking the roe in preference to killing them during the usual winter wood-shoots." Roe deer are exceedingly abundant in the great forest regions of Germany and Austria-Hungary. In Austria alone, not including Hungary, during the year 1892, no less than 68,110 of these beautiful little deer were shot on various estates. The Siberian Roe, found from the mountains of the Altai and Turkestan to Siberia, is a somewhat larger species than its European cousin, measuring from 28 to 34 inches at the shoulder. The antlers are also larger, extending to as much as 16 and even 18 inches in measurement. As beseems its habitat, the coat of this species is also thicker and rougher than is the case with the European roe. Mr. Lydekker gives some interesting particulars regarding this animal: "When the snows of November fall, the roe themselves commence to collect in herds, which may number from 300 to 500 head, and soon after migrate southwards into Manchuria, whence they return about the end of March or beginning of April. On the Ussuri, which they must cross, they are at this season slaughtered in thousands by the hunters, without regard to age or sex." One other species, the Manchurian Roe, found chiefly in mountainous habitats, whence it never descends, should be noted. This is a smaller deer than the Siberian roe, and approximates in size and length of horn to the European race. GROUP OF VIRGINIAN DEER (TWO BUCKS, FOUR DOES) TAese are the common deer of the Eastern United States Pere David's Deer This remarkable animal, which apparently bears little or no resemblance to any of the other deer of the Old World, has been placed by some naturalists between the roe deer and the American deer. Its habitat is North China, and, strangely enough, it seems to be unrecognised THE DEER TRIBE 263 in the wild state, being apparently only known in China in the Imperial Park at Pekin. This deer, approaches in size the red deer of Europe. The general colouring is greyish brown, white about the eyes, ears, rump, and under-parts ; the horns, which lack the brow-tine, are very singular in shape, and measure as much as 32 inches in length; the tail is long, reaching to the hocks ; the gait is "lolloping" and mule-like. This is a marsh-loving species, and at a certain park, where specimens are kept, "they may be seen wading far into the lakes and even swimming in the deeper water." In South America are to be found several kinds of marsh-deer, of which the best "known is the handsome Marsh-deer, having its range from Brazil to the forest country of the Argentine Republic. Little is known of this and other South American deer of similar species. The marsh-deer is almost equal in size to the red deer of Scotland, but somewhat less stout of build; the colouring is bright chestnut in summer, brown in winter; the coat is long and coarse, as befits a swamp-loving creature ; the antlers usually display ten points, and measure in fine specimens as much as 23 or 24 inches. The Pampas-deer, a species closely allied to the marsh-deer, is of small size, standing about 2 feet 6 inches at the shoulder. The antlers, usually three-pointed, measure no more than from 12 to 14 inches in fine specimens. This deer is found from Brazil to Northern Patagonia. The Peruvian and Chilian Guemals are small deer, found on the high Andes, and are somewhat inferior in size to the Virginian deer. The males carry simple antlers forming a single fork, and measuring about 9 inches. The coat, yellowish brown in hue, is coarse, thick; and brittle. The Chilian guemal is found also in most parts of Patagonia; unlike its congener of Peru, which delights in altitudes of from 14,000 to 16,000 feet, its habitat lies chiefly in deep valleys, thick forest, and even the adjacent plains, to which it resorts in winter. The Brockets, of which seven species are found in South and Central America and Trini- dad, are small deer, having spike-like antlers and tufted crowns. The largest is the Red Brocket, found in Guiana, Brazil, and Paraguay, which stands 27 inches at the shoulder. The body-colouring is brownish red. Like most of the group, this brocket is extremely shy; although fond of dense covert, it is found also on open campos. The Pygmy Brocket, a tiny dark brown deer, less than 19 inches in height, found in Central Brazil, is the smallest of these very small deer. Two other diminutive deer, known as Pudus, closely allied to the brockets, are found in .South America. These are the Chilian and Ecuador Pudus, of which the former is no more than 13J4 inches in height, the latter about 14 or 15 inches. Little is known of the history and life habits of these charming little creatures, one of which, the Chilian species, has occa- sionally been seen in Zoological Gardens. The Musk-deer. This brief account of the deer of the world closes with the Musk-deer, which diflfer from almost all others of their kind — the Chinese water-deer being the sole exception — in the absence of antlers. In place of these defensive and offensive weapons, nature has provided the musk-deer with long canine tusks, projecting downwards from the upper jaw. The musk, from which these curious deer take their name, is secreted during the rutting-season — in the male only — in a pouch or gland contained in the skin of the stomach. The well-known Himalayan Musk-deer, is a stout, heavily made deer for its size, meas- uring 20 inches at the shoulder, about 2 inches higher at the rump, and having a coat of coarse, brittle hair of a dark brown colour. This musk-deer, which is nowadays by no means common, is found in the forests of the Himalaya, Tibet, Siberia, and Western China, often at altitudes of about 8,000 feet. These animals are extraordinary mountaineers, active, daring, and apparently quite unconscious of or indifferent to danger. 264 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD YOUNG MARSH-DEER A Tsr^- elegant South American species. The main colour is a bright chestnut^ luith the hni:tr part of the legs black. The insides of the ears are filed ivith ivhite hair, looking like sil'ver filigree A WORD should be said upon the subject of the accHmatisation of various members of the Deer Tribe in countries which are distant from their native ground, but in which they are found to thrive and breed, some with greater and some with less success. Several of the illustra- tions in this chapter are taken from deer living in natural conditions at an English country seat in Bedfordshire. Others were photo- graphed out of doors in zoological parks or pri- vate menageries. There is a considerable degree of transferability among deer, not only among those found in temper- ate or northern regions, but also those which inhabit the tropical jungles of Southern India. The Axis, or Chital Deer of India, is the most striking example. It lives in the hot jungles, where it is the usual food of the tiger. Yet it has been transferred to the forests of France and to English parks, and not only lives, but breeds and increases in numbers. In France and Germany herds of axis deer have been maintained long enough to observe a curious and noteworthy incident in acclimatisation. The axis deer breeds naturally in October,, after the Indian rainy season. This habit, if persisted in in Europe, would expose the fawn to the rigours of the French or English winter. Gradually and after some time the herds become irregular in the time of reproduction, and later produce the fawns in June, at the time which is best suited to their survival. This is a real instance of acclimatisation. The Japanese Deer, or Sika, was introduced into the park at Powerscourt by Viscount Powerscourt some thirty years ago. Novvf it is one of the commonest of recently introduced park-deer both in England and in France. The venison is excellent, and the herds are prolific. The stags are small, but very strong, and at Powerscourt always get the better of ihe red deer stags, and sometimes carry off their hinds. Wapiti Deer are kept in several English parks, but so far the Sambar has proved a failure. Hog-deer and Chinese Water-deer do very well both in England and France. But it is in New Zealand that the best results have been obtained with imported deer. The English Red Deer, some of which were originally sent out by the Prince Consort, reinforced by some of the same species bred in Australia, have become indigenous. They grow far faster and to a larger size than those on the Scotch moors, and rival the great stags of the Carpathians. The antlers also increase in size at an abnormal rate. Licences are regularly issued to stalk and shoot the.se deer, which, like the brown trout and the pheasant, are now among the stock of established wild fauna. Moose and a few Sam- bar stags and herds have also been turned out in New Zealand. The latter are said to be doing well. THE DEER TRIBE 265 There is no particular reason why the deer of cold countries should not be inter- changed ; they seem to have the natural adaptability of oxen. But it is not a little surprising that the species from warm climates should flourish in damp and cold ones. The axis deer would be a real addition to the fauna of the great European forests, if it is found that it survives the winter snows without some form of artificial shelter. No one seems to have considered the advisa- bility of introducing the mule-deer into the Central European woods. It is a much finer animal than the fallow buck, and the venison is excellent. In these woods where fallow deer are preserved in a wild state, as on many of the German Emperor's sporting- estates, the mule-deer would be a far more ornamental animal. Few people know what immense herds of red and fallow deer, as well as of wild boars, still exist, under careful preservation, in the forests of the great German, Austrian, and Russian princes, and in the royal forests of their respective countries. When the Kaiser holds his great Court hunting-parties, to which the guests all come dressed in the uniform of the Order of St. Hubert, as many as 200 deer are shot in a day. They are driven past the guns by beaters. After the day's sport is over all the antlers are wreathed with boughs of spruce fir, and the .stags laid out like rabbits after an English battue. It is rather surprising that only one species of deer has been entirely domesticated — vis. the Reindeer. Deer's meat is as highly prized as that of any other game, perhaps even more so. There is almost no part of the animal which is not useful. The horns are valuable for knife-handles, and always command a good price ; they were prized even by prehistoric man, who converted them into pick-axes, and made spear-heads and daggers of them. The leather of the hide makes the softest and best of all hunting-garments : the American Indian or trapper always wears, or used to wear, a deer-skin shirt and deer-skin leggings, made as exquisitely soft as chamois leather by a process known to the squaws. At the present time all the best gloves are made of doe-skin ; they are far the most costly of any gloves. Doe-skin breeches are also a luxurious garment to ride in. For ornamental rugs few skins beat those of the Dappled Deer, laid on the floor of some finely furnished hall or room. Thus we have the curious spectacle of the wild men of the Far North, the Lapps and Ostiaks, taming and keeping in domestication great herds of deer, milking them, using them as beasts of draught, and feeding on their flesh, while far more civilised races in the South have not taken the trouble to do so. The reason is not easy to surmise, unless it be that the idea of making use of the Deer Tribe solely as beasts of the chase was so rooted in the European ruling races, and their kings and nobles, that the agriculturist never had a chance of trying to tame and use them for other purposes. It is certain that during the Middle Ages law and custom made any such attempt quite impossible. The deer were a valuable sporting asset, so hedged round with an atmosphere of feudal privilege, that to convert them into something useful to the common people would have been regarded as an insult to the powers that were. YOUNG HIMALAYAN MUSK-DEER The male carries a pouch on the abdomen^ from which the musk is obtained. There are no antlers CHAPTER XVIII A WHITE CAMEL A light sandy is tht common colour, though "white, grey, bro^wn, and black occur ; but black camels are held by the Arabs to he worthless THE CAMEL TRIBE AND THE CHEFROTJINS BY W. P. PYCRAFT, A.L.S,, F.Z.S. THE Camels and Llamas, constituting the present group, form a very dis- tinct section of the great assem- blage of animals known as the Ruminants, or Cud-chevvers. The Camel Tribe are peculiar amongst the Ruminants in that they never possess horns, and in that the stomach is only divided into three instead of four com- partments — this division into compartments being intimately connected with the ruminat- ing habit. Furthermore, the upper jaw bears cutting-teeth, or " front teeth,'' as they are popularly called : though the full set (three pairs) is only complete in the young, in the adult but one pair remains,* the others being shed. The canine or " eye" teeth are also peculiar in their position, those of the lower jaw being separated from the cutting-teeth by a very considerable gap. In the structure of the feet the Camel Tribe are no less peculiar; indeed, it is on this character that the scientific name of the group is founded. Only two toes are present ; these are of equal size, and, instead of being protected by hoofs, are provided with a hardened skin, covering a cushion-like pad, which expands when the weight of the body is thrown upon the foot, as in walking. This is an admirable adaptation for walking on soft and yielding sands. Hoofs are represented only by a pair of broad nails. The three-chambered stomach is remark- , able because the chamber known as the I " paunch" lodges in its walls a large coUec- J tion of " water-cells," in which can be stored \ as much as a gallon and a half of water. This faculty of storing water is invaluable to an animal which has often to subsist for days on absolutely waterless deserts. Note the slit-like nostrils in the illus- tration of the Bactrian Camel on page 306. These can be closed at the will of the animal, a useful precaution against the entrance of sand during the violent sand-storms which often arise in the desert. The True Camels are distinguished by the possession of a hump or humps : there are never more than two. It is in these humps that the camel was popularly supposed Photo by Charlti Kyiight ARABIAN CAMEL This individual belongs to the heavy breed employed for carrying merchandise and baggage 266 THE CAMEL TRIBE AND THE CHEVROTAINS 267 to store water ; in reality they are huge masses of fat, serving as a reserve store of food. The accumulation of fat for this purpose is a common feature amongst the Mammalia. Most animals which hibernate, or lap up and sleep during the winter, store up fat; but, except in the camel, it is distributed more or less evenly over the body. With hard work or bad feeding the camel's hump dwindles almost to nothing. When on the eve of a long journey, the Arab looks anxiously to the state of this hump, for on the size of this depends the animal's condition and ability to undertake the march. The Arabian camel as a wild animal has long since been extinct. Of the hordes of so-called wild camels which abound in the desert regions of Central Asia (Gobi Steppe), some are probably descendants of domesticated animals which have escaped from captivity, but others may be aboriginally wild. From the evidence of fossil camels, there seems little doubt that this animal originated in North America — one branch of the family (the Llamas) migrating into South America, and the other (the Camels) crossing Bering Sea into the Old World. Phm *y rtrit Sf Sin A CAMEL ^ half-breed hetiveeii the Arabian and Bactrian species The True Camel Before proceeding further, it may be well to refer to the confusion which exists in the use of the names Camel and Dromedary. The latter name seems popularly to be applied to the two-humped species, the name Camel being reserved for the one with a single hump. This is a mistake. The DROMEDARY is a swift breed of riding-camel of the one- humped species, and is so called to distinguish it from its slower brother, the Pack-camel, or A STRING OF CAMELS NEAR PORT SAID These are the typical desrri camels of the East 268 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD Baggage-camel. The pack-camel, it is interesting to note, has been introduced into Australia, where it has proved invaluable in crossing the vast waterless deserts, on account of its power to exist for long periods without drinking. The True or Arabian Camel is found in a domesticated state in Africa and Asia, and, as we have just indicated, belongs to the one-humped species. It is a long-limbed, short-haired animal, standing as much as 7 feet high. As a wild animal it is extinct. Much mystery, indeed, surrounds the question of its origin. It has been suggested that the Arabian camel, or its immediate parent, may have sprung from an Indian ancestor, and thence made its way through Arabia and Syria into Northern Africa. Not only is the camel indispensable as a beast of burden, but it is esteemed also for its hair, its flesh, bones, and milk. The hair is woven into cloth. In some parts of India the bones are used instead of ivory for inlaid work. The milk is unusually thick and rich, so much so that it cannot be used for tea or coffee, as it curdles when mixed with either. The camel is popularly supposed to be a very docile animal; but those who speak, from experience declare it to be stupid, surly, and vicious to the last degree. It is, however, not entirely void of understanding, and apparently cherishes feelings of revenge, as the following* story shows : " A camel, working in an oil-mill, was severely beaten by its driver. Perceiving that the camel had treasured up the injury, and was only waiting a favourable opportunity for revenge, he kept a strict watch upon the animal. Time passed away; the camel, perceiving it was watched, was quiet and obedient, and the driver began to think the beating was forgotten, when one night, after the lapse of several months, the man was sleeping on a raised platform in the mill, whilst the camel, as is customary, was stabled in a corner. Happening to awake, the driver observed by the bright moonlight that, when all was quiet, the animal looked cautiously round, rose softly, and, stealing towards a spot where a bundle of clothes and a bernous, thrown carelessly on the ground, resembled a sleeping figure, cast itself with violence upon them, rolling with all its weight, and tearing them most viciously with its teeth. Satisfied that revenge was complete, the camel was returning to its corner, when the driver sat up and spoke. At the sound of his voice, perceiving the mistake it had made, the animal was so mortified at the failure and discovery of its scheme, that it dashed its head against the wall and died on the spot." It is said that when camels pass a mounted man in a narrow path they will turn their heads suddenly round and endeavour to inflict a bite on the rider's arm or shoulder. This is naturally much dreaded, as a camel's bite is particularly severe. Much care has been spent in the breeding of the camel. " In the Sahara Desert," says Canon Tristram, " the Tourareg is as careful in the selection of his breeding mahari (a fine race of the dromedary) as the Arab is in that of his horse. The pedigrees are handed down, and many a dromedary can boast a genealogy far longer than the descendants of the Darley Arabian " (page 202). The Bactrian Camel This species is often called the Dromedary ; but, as we have already remarked, this is an error. The dromedary is a swift breed of the Arabian camel. The Bactrian Camel may be HEAD OF BACTRIAN CAMEL The hair of this species is used to felt into material for tents. It is longest on the top of the head, neck, humps, and parts of the fore limbs i8 AN OLD MALE BACTRIAN This animal is a magnijicent representative of the tivo-humped species, 269 CAMEL \o ivldeiy distributed in Central Ana 270 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD Photo by Charles Knight'} Ijildershot BACTRIAN CAMEL Tic most useful transport animal of Central jisia THE LLAMAS The Llamas are humpless camels, and confined to the western and southernmost parts of South America. Two wild and two domesticated species are known. The name Llama, itshould be mentioned , properly belongs to the domesticated animal of that name. The Vicuwa This is the smaller of the two wild species. Vicufias live in herds in the mountain-ranges of Peru, dwelling during the wet season high up amid rocks and precipices, near the region of perpetual snow. In the dry season they descend to the higher valleys. Their capture is a matter of great difficulty; for, apart from the inaccessible nature of their haunts, they are exceedingly shy and vigilant. They are clothed in a woolly coat of extremely delicate texture, much in demand for weaving purposes. The baby vicuiia, it is interesting to note, is able to run swiftly directly after its birth, and possesses great powers of distinguished from its Arabian relative by the fact that it has two humps, is shorter in the leg and heavier, and has longer hair and stouter and harder feet. The shorter legs are distinctly advantageous, enabling the animal to get about with ease and safety over rocky and hilly ground. The hordes of wild camels found in Turkestan, in the neighbourhood of Kashgar, are believed by Major C. S. Cumberland to be descended from camels which escaped when the district known as Takla Makan was buried in a great sand-storm 200 years ago. From the fury of that storm it is said no human being escaped alive. Some camels apparently did, perhaps owing their survival to the power they possess of closing the nostrils, and thereby keeping out the sand. The Bactrian camel lives upon the salt and bitter plants of the steppes, which are rejected by almost all other animals. It is further able to drink brackish water from the salt lakes by which it is surrounded. When pressed by hunger, it will even eat felt blankets, bones and skins of other animals, and fish ! YOUNG BACTRIAN CAMEL The two humpi are just beginning to grow THE CAMEL TRIBE AND THE CHEVROTAINS 271 endurance. This is the more noteworthy since the young of the camel are exceedingly helpless. Vicuiias are hunted by the Indians and captured by driving them into an enclosure of perhaps half a mile in diameter. This is hung round with bits of coloured rag, which, fluttering in the wind, appear to deter the captives from breaking through. The Guanaco This is larger than the vicuna, and is described as an elegant animal, being possessed of a long, slender, gracefully curved neck and fine legs. It ranges from the highlands of the Andes to the plains of Patagonia and the islands of Tierra del Fuego. As Mr. Darwin points out, the behaviour of guanaco when alarmed is very contradictory. At one time they will sound the danger-signal, and put themselves out of harm's way long before the enemy has perceived them ; at another they exhibit the most extraordinary curiosity, and pay the death- penalty in consequence. " That they are curious is certain ; for if a person lies on the ground and plays strange antics, such as throwing up his feet in the air, they will almost always approach by degrees to reconnoitre him. It was an artifice that was repeatedly practised by our sportsmen with success, and it had, moreover, the advantage of allowing several shots to be fired, which were all taken as part of the performance. On the mountains of Tierra del Fuego, I have more than once seen a guanaco, on being approached, not only neigh and squeal, but prance and leap about in the most ridi- culous manner, apparently in defiance, as a challenge. These animals are very easily domesticated, and I have seen some thus kept in Northern Patagonia near a house, though not under any restraint. They are in this state very bold, and readily attack a man by striking him from behind with both knees. The wild guanacos, however, have no idea of defence; even a single dog will secure one of these large animals till the huntsmen can come up. In many of their habits they are like sheep in a flock. ^ Thus, when they see men approaching in several directions on horseback, they soon become bewildered, and know not which way to run. This greatly facilitates the Indian method of hunting, for they are thus easily driven to a central point, and are encompassed." Guanacos readily take to the water, and have been frequently seen swimming from one island to another. Here again the llamas differ from the camels, for these can swim but Httle, if at all. Like the Bactrian camel, the guanaco can drink salt water with impunity. One of the most remarkable traits of the guanaco is that which induces it, when it feels its end to be near, to seek out the dying-place of the tribe, and there breathe out its last. " The guanacos," says Mr. Darwin, " appear to have favourite spots for lying down to die. On the banks of the St. Cruz, in certain circumscribed places, which were generally bushy and all near the river, the ground was actually white with bones. On one such spot I counted Photc h; J. IV. McLtUan GUANACO The 'wild original of the llama and alpaca 272 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD between ten and twenty heads. . . . The animals in most cases must have crawled, before dying, beneath and amongst the bushes." The Llama This is the first of the two domesticated offshoots of the guanaco, the other being the Alpaca. The Llama is a larger beast than the guanaco, and variable in colour. The ancient Peruvians bred it as a beast of burden or for riding, and before the Spanish conquest kept it in enormous numbers. Soon after the Spanish conquest " it was not uncommon to meet droves of from 300 to 500, or even 1,000 llamas, each laden with silver ingots, and the whole in charge of a single native. . . . Only the male llamas were used as beasts of burden, while the smaller females were kept for their milk and flesh. In traveling along the roads, the droves marched in single file, under the guidance of a leader; and such a line would traverse the highest passes of the Cordillera, and skirt the most stupendous precipices with perfect safety. . . . The Spanish conquerors of Peru spoke of llama-flesh as being fully equal to the best mutton, and they established shops in the towns for its regular sale. At the time of the conquest it is estimated that upwards of 300,000 llamas were employed in the transport of the product of the mines of Potosi alone." The Alpaca This animal is bred solely for the sake of its wool, which is of great length and fineness. From it is made the well-known fabric which bears, in consequence, the name " alpaca." The alpaca is kept in herds on the high grounds of Bolivia and South Peru, whence it is annually driven down to be sheared. The Licas dyed the wool — which is of two qualities, a fine and a coarse — with bright colours, and made it up into cloth or blankets, as the occasion served. The earliest account of this animal is by Augustin de Zarate, the Treasurer-General of Peru in 1544. He speaks of the beast as a sheep; but since he describes it as camel-like in shape, though devoid of a hump, there can be no doubt that it is the llama he is describing. LLAMAS Largely used at beast! of burden in Peru, where these and the alpaca were formerly the only domesticated ruminants THE CAMEL TRIBE AND THE CHEVROTAINS 273 He says: "In places where there is no snow the natives want water, and to supply this they fill the skins of sheep with water, and make other living sheep carry them ; for, it must be remarked, these sheep of Peru are large enough to serve as beasts of burden. They can carry about lOO lbs. or more, and the Spaniards used to ride them, and they would go four or five leagues a day. When they are weary, they lie down on the ground; and as there are no means of making them get up, either by beating or assisting them, the load must of necessity be taken off. When there is a man on one of them, if the beast be tired and urged to go on, he turns his head round and discharges his saliva, which has an unpleasant odour, into the rider's face. These animals are of great use and profit to their masters, for their wool is very good and fine . . . and the expense of their food is trifling, as a handful of maize suffices them, and they can go four or five days without water. Their flesh is as good as that of the fat sheep of Castile. There are now public shambles for the sale of their flesh in all parts of Peru, which was not the case when the Spaniards came first.'' The particularly offensive habit of spitting in the face of people who may be obnoxious to it is well known to those who are in the habit of seeing much of this animal. Mil, E. J. Bid LLAMA The larger of the fwo domesticated forms descended from the guanacQ ALPACA A domesticated form^ bred solely for its luool^ nvhich is of a dark hroivn or black colour THE CHEVROTAINS Mention must be made, before passing to the Pig Tribe, of the smallest of hoofed mammals, the Royal Antelope excepted — theCHEVROTAlNS. These little animals are horn- less, and intermediate in character between the Deer, Camels, and Pigs. The males have large canine teeth, like those of the Musk-deer, with which the Chevrotains have long been confounded. The range of these animals, of which there are five species known, extends from India and Ceylon, through the Malayan countries, as far east as the island of Palawan, in the Philippine group. One species, the largest of the group, occurs on the west coast of Africa. CHAPTER XIX THE PIG AND HIPPOPOTAMUS THE PIG TRIBE BY H. A. BRYDEN MANY species and varieties of swine are found in different parts of the world, most of them exhibiting strong traces of a general family resemblance, although widely sundered as to habitats and often markedly differing in outward appearance. All are omnivorous ; all have the stomach simpler in type than in the Ruminants ; and all have front or incisor teeth in the upper jaw. The two great families of swine proper are the Pigs and Peccaries. There has been much discussion among scientists as to the early origin of the various breeds of domestic swine found in different parts of the world. There can be little doubt that, although selective breeding has produced extraordinary differences in outward appearance, even among the domestic pigs of our own islands, the origin of the numerous tame races is to be sought in the ancestry of the wild breeds of the countries in which they are found. Darwin has some very apposite remarks on the differences to be observed in domesticated swine. " The peculiar form of the skull and body in the most highly cultivated races is," he observes, " not characteristic of any one race, but is common to all when improved up to Phato by tV. Reid A DOMESTICATED SOW AND HER PROGENY The absence of siripes and sfots on the young is a feature in nvhich they differ from those of nearly all wild swine 274 THE PIG AND HIPPOPOTAMUS 275 ^ - -^'-W' photo bj> Ottomar Anschiitx] \_BirUn WILD BOAR In its iongj bristly hair and patuerful lotver tusksy the Tvi/d boar is a 'very different animal from its domesticated descendants the same standard. Thus the large-bodied, long-eared English breed, with a convex back, and the small-bodied, short-eared Chinese breeds, with a concave back, when bred to the same state of perfection, nearly resemble each other in the form of the head and body. This result, it appears, is partly due to similar causes of change acting on the several races, and partly to man breeding the pig for one sole purpose — namely, for the greatest amount of flesh and fat; so that selection has always tended towards one and the same end. With most domestic animals the result of selection has been divergence of character; here it has been convergence." The True Pigs True pigs are found only in the Old World, and even there in very widely different forms. Typical of these quadrupeds is the well-known WILD BoAR, found abundantly in many parts of Europe, North Africa, Asia Minor, and Central Asia. In the British Islands the wild boar must once have been extraordinarily plentiful, especially in Ireland, where its tame descendants still so greatly flourish. In the days of the Plantagenets wild swine fed and sheltered in the woodlands close to London. James I. hunted them near Windsor in 1617, and even down to the year 1683 these animals still had their haunts in the rnore secluded parts of England. Although now extinct in these Islands, the wild boar is to be found plentifully at the present day in France, Germany, Austria, Russia, and Spain, Greece, Albania, and other countries of the Mediterranean. In most parts of Europe the wild boar is shot during forest drives, but in the Caucasus and round the Black Sea the hardy peasants lie in wait for these animals by the fruit-trees on autumn nights or waylay them going to the water and shoot them single-handed. Many an old Cossack, writes Mr. Clive Phillipps-WoUey, bears the scars of some desperate encounter with these formidable foes. In Spain, where in the old days the boar was pursued by cavaliers with spear and pike, it is still, in the forests of Estremadura, followed with horse and hound, usually, says Mr. Abel Chapman, " during the stillness of a moonlight night, when the acorns are falling from the oaks in the magnificent Estremenian woods." 276 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD Photo by y. J'urntr-tumer^ "Esq. DIVING-PIGS Half-ivild pigij found in Florida^ luhere they li've on refuse Jish, (5« next page^ ' * In India the wild boar of Europe and North Africa is replaced by a closely allied species (distinguished by a crest of long black bristles upon the neck and back), which furnishes some of the finest and most exciting sport in the world to mounted hunters armed with a sharp spear. There is not a pluckier or more fearless beast living than the boar; and as he carries long and extremely sharp tusks, and never scruples to use them, he is an exceedingly dangerous opponent when wounded and enraged. Severe and even fatal accidents have happened in the pursuit of this determined beast of chase. When at bay, the boar is absolutely reckless of life ; and although pierced and mortally wounded by the spear, will yet force himself tip the shaft, and with his dying effort inflict gaping wounds on the horse bearing his attacker. Indian shikaris, to illustrate the courage of the wild boar, say that he has the hardihood to drink at a river between two tigers; and Colonel R. Heber Percy mentions, in the Badminton volumes on " Big Game Shooting," that " several cases are on record in which an old boar has beaten off a tiger, and some in which the latter has been killed by a boar. • The boar's extraordinary activity and sharp tusks make him no mean adversary, and his short neck makes it difficult for a tiger to seize it and give it that fatal wrench with which he likes to polish off his victims." A wild boar will stand as much as 3 feet at the shoulder — some sportsmen affirm considerably more — and weigh more than 300 lbs. The finest boar's tusk known, is one mentioned in Rowland Ward's " Records of Big Game." This measures 1 1^ inches over the curve. It came from the Caucasus, and is in the possession of Colonel Veernhof. It is worthy of note that, while the full-grown individuals of the various species of wild swine are uniformly coloured, their young are longitudinally striped and spotted. In India, besides the common boar, a tiny wild swine, known as the Pygmy Hog, is. found in tlie Bhutan Terai and the forests of Nepal and Sikhim. This pig, which is little bigger than a fox-terrier, runs in considerable troops, or sounders, and is said to attack intruders into its domain much in the same fearless way in which the peccary of America defends its sanctuaries. The height of this diminutive species is given as from 8 to 10 inches — the weight at 10 lbs. THE PIG AND HIPPOPOTAMUS 277 JAVAN WILD PIG One of several nearly allied species inhabiting the Malay Islands Wild swine are nocturnal in their habits, frequenting moist and marshy country, loving the shade of forests, and making their lairs in tall grass, reed-beds, and similar covert. They go far afield for their food-supplies, and do a great deal of damage to crops in cultivated districts. The European wild sow produces from six to ten young, and at least two htters are usually brought forth in the year. It is remarkable how quickly pigs, as well as other domesticated animals, revert to a semi-feral state of existence, and develop habits suited to a fresh environ- ment. Mr. J. Turner-Turner sends us the following interesting note in connection with this trait : " DlVlNG- PIGS. — These pigs live in an almost wild condition on certain of the islands off Florida, and subsist chiefly upon the refuse fish cast away by the netsmen. To obtain this, the pigs dive under water, walking on the land at a depth of 5 feet below the surface." Among other Asiatic wild swine are to be mentioned the Collared Pig, found in Java, Sumatra, and Borneo ; the White-whiskered Japanese Pig ; the Papuan and FORMOSAN Pigs; the Warty Pig of Java and Borneo; the Ceram PiG; the Celebes Pig; and the BEARDED PiG of Borneo, a species distinguished by a quantity of long hair carried upon the cheeks. In the Andaman Islands a small, shaggy wild pig, standing about 20 inches at the shoulder, is found in the forests. Although distinguished from the well-known wild boar of India by certain peculiarities, there is a strong family resemblance to that well-known species in most of these various Asiatic species and races. Among the many kinds of domesticated swine found in Asia, perhaps the strangest and most curious is the JAPANESE MASKED PiG. This animal is described by Darwin as having^ " an extraordinary appearance, from its short head, broad forehead and nose, great fleshy ears, and deeply furrowed skin. Not only is the face furrowed, but thick folds of skin, which are harder than the other parts, almost like the plates on the Indian rhinoceros, hang about the shoulders and rump. It is coloured black, with white feet, and breeds true. That it has long been domesticated there can be little doubt; and this might have been inferred even from the circumstance that its young are not longitudinally striped." In Africa, besides the Euro- pean wild boar, which there extends its range to Algeria and Morocco, a little- known wild pig is the Senaar Boar, found in Senaar, Kordofan, and the Soudan region. In the late Dr. Gray's " Catalogue of Carnivora " this wild pig is described as having the fur dense and bristly, and MALE AND FEMALE BABIRUSA The chief characteristic of this pig is the peculiar and enormous development of the tusks in the male, the upper pair of ivhich grow through the lips and curve hackivards 278 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD WART-HOG Shoius the great size of the head in proportion to the body being in rolour dull olive-black, varied with yellow. Possibly this little-known swine may prove to be merely a sub-species of the common wild boar of Europe and North Africa. Now that the Soudan regions have once more been opened up to Europeans, we may expect shortly to hear more of this wild swine, as well as of other rare and interesting animals. Still dealing with the true pigs, we come now to the Bush-pigs of Africa and Madagascar. These differ somewhat from the typical wild boars of Europe and India in the structure of the teeth, the long pencilled ear-tufts, the elongated snout, and other characteristics. The tusks are considerably smaller, and seldom exceed 6 or 7 inches in length. The RED RivER-HOG, or West African Bush-pig, is decidedly the most striking of this group. Smaller than the bush-pig of South Africa, and seldom exceeding 2 feet in height at the shoulder, the colour of this animal is a brilliant reddish brown, with tints of yellow. Noticeable streaks of white are found round the eyes and on the cheeks. The ear-tufts, forehead, and limbs are blackish ; more white markings are seen at the tips of the ear-tufts, along the thick mane, and round the margins of the ears. The under-parts are whitish grey in colour. This very handsome pig runs in considerable herds, and is found chiefly in forest and jungle near the banks of the various rivers in West Africa. Its range extends from Angola to Senegambia, and eastwards into the continent as far as Monbuttu. The well-known BusH-PiG OF SOUTH Africa, the Bosch-vark of the Boers, is a fine species, • having a wide range over much of the southern and south-eastern parts of the continent, extending as far north as Central Africa. In the Eastern Transvaal and Swaziland these animals attain their greatest size, an adult boar standing from 2 feet 4 inches to 2 feet 7 inches in height, and weighing as much as from 150 to 170 lbs. The usual colour is brownish red, the face and mane greyish; but in different specimens and at different ages great variations are to be noticed. Pale greyish brown or mottled brown are colours often to be found. These bush-pigs are formidable-look- ing creatures, with thick bristling manes, small deep-set eyes, and sharp if somewhat short tusks, which they know well how to use. Among the old fashioned Boers cured hams from these animals were, when they were more plentiful in Cape Colony, often to be found in up-country farmhouses. The bosch-vark is a beast of shy, nocturnal habit, and, loving as it does the shade and protection of dense covert and bush, is, unless care- fully sought for, not often seen by sportsmen. The herds range usually from half a dozen to as many as twenty in number. When once encountered and set up at bay, this wild swine Photo b) Scholastic Photo. Co, .ffiLIAN'S WART-HOG Displays the broad muzzle and huge lush, inhich are nearly as large in the i the boars THE PIG AND HIPPOPOTAMUS 279 Few men care to face a wart-hog on foot. will be found a most tough and courageous adversary, capable and willing to defend itself stoutly against all foes. "They are," says Mr. F. Vaughan Kirby, who has had much experience in hunting these animals, "expert swimmers and swift of foot, and can get over the roughest ground at a great pace. There is no pluckier beast in Africa than a bush-pig,, and even a leopard will hesitate before attacking a full-grown boar. Like all wild creatures, they have an instinctive dread of man, and will always make their escape from him if possible ; but if surrounded or wounded and brought to bay, they appear to accept the situation with stolid imperturbability, and die fighting with rare pluck, against all odds, grim and silent to the last. . . . Face to face in the middle of a ' fast ' bush, and only a Swazi ' stabbing-assegai ' with which to kill hini, ... I have seen an old boar, after receiving nine thrusts from those terrible weapons, two of which were still fast in him, make a charge that scattered us like chaff, and in three consecutive lunges lame one of our number for life, and disembowel two of the finest ' pig-dogs ' I ever hunted with. In such encounters a boar inflicts terrible wounds with his teeth, as well as with his tusks." Another bush-pig is found in Madagascar, and is known as Edwards' Bush- PIG. Its habits are very similar to those of its brethren in the neighbouring continent of Africa. The Babirusa Quitting the true pigs, -we come now to perhaps the very strangest and most singular of all the great tribe of swine. This is the Babirusa, that curious and grotesque creature found in the island of Celebes, in the Malay Archipelago. The name Babirusa signifies " pig- deer." It is of course a misnomer, and the animal has no kinship whatever with the cervine race. The babi- rusa is a wild swine, having a dark slate-grey skin, very sparsely covered with hair along the ridge of the spine. This skin is very extraordinarily wrinkled. The ears are much smaller than is the case with other members of the swine group, while the tail is short, straight, and /acks any semblance of tuft. The females have small tusks. In the boars the tusks are most singularly and abnormally developed. From the upper jaw, instead of curving from the side of the lips, the tusks grow from the centre of the muzzle, penetrate right through the skin, and curve backwards often till they touch the forehead. The lower tusks have also a strong curve, but are not so long as those of the upper jaw Although thus superabundantly provided with tushes, the babirusa is, as regards the rest of its teeth, less well off, having only thirty-four, as against the forty-four of the European wild boar. In their habits these singular pigs much resemble other wild swine, going in herds and frequenting forest, jungle, and the banks of rivers. They are excellent swimmers. The young are, unlike other wild swine in the infant state, unstriped. These animals are often found domesticated about the dwellings of native chiefs in Celebes. The weight of a good male is as much as 128 lbs.; height at shoulder, 27J inches. The longest tusk recorded measures 17 inches HEAD OF MALE WART-HOG Profile showing the large conical ivarty groivths on the side of the face these animals characteristic of 28o THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD Phtu kj If. V. Datidt COLLARED PECCARY over the curve. These animals are driven into' nets and speared by the natives of Celebes, and afford excellent sport, the boars especially charging viciously at their assailants. The Wart-hogs If the babirusa of the Malay Archipelago is a sufficiently bizarre-looking creature, the wart-hog of Africa yields to none of the wild pigs in sheer,, downright hideousness of aspect. The WART-HO& OF South Africa, the Vlakte-vark (Pig of the Plains) of the Boers, has long been familiar to hunters and naturalists. Standing some 30 inches- in height, this wild swine is distinguished by the disproportionate size of the head, extreme length, breadth, and flatness of the front of the face and muzzle, smallish ears, huge tusks, and the strange wart-like protuberances from which it takes its name. Three of these wen-like growths are found on each side of the face. The tusks of the upper jaw, unHke the teeth of the true pigs, are much larger than those protruding from the lower jaw. The lower tusks seldom exceed 6 inches in length ; those of the upper jaw occasionally reach as much as 20 inches over the curve. A pair from North-east Africa (Annesley Bay, on the Abyssinian littoral) measure respectively 27 and 26 inches — truly gigantic trophies. The skin of this wild hog is nearly naked, except upon the neck and back, where a long, coarse mane of dark bristly hair is to be observed. Wart-hogs, as their Dutch name implies, in the days wheii game was plentiful, were often found in open country, on the broad grass-plains and karroos. At the present day they are less often seen in the open. They run in small family parties, usually two or three sows and their litters. The old boars, throughout a great part of the year, prefer a more solitary existence. These animals, when pursued, usually betake themselves to ai» open earth, not of their own making, and, slewing round sharply just as they enter, make their way in hind end first. They afford no great sport to the hunter, and are usually secured with a rifle-bullet. The flesh is fairly good eating, especially that of a young and tender specimen. Speaking generally, wart-hogs are nothing like such fierce and determined opponents as the wild boars of Europe and India, or even the bush-pig. They will, however, charge occasionally, and have been known to attack and rip up a horse. A northern species- — ^Elian's Wart-hog — is found in Abyssinia, Somaliland, and other parts of East Africa, where — especially in Abyssinia — it roams the mountains and their vicinity, occasionally to a height of 9,000 or 10,000 feet. There is little difference between, this and the southern form. Wart-hogs produce usually three or four young, and the sow makes her litter in a disused burrow. Unlike those of the majority of wild swine, the young of the wart-hog are uniformly coloured, having no white stripes or spots. Peccaries an the American refresentati'ves of the Swine, and are characterised by a large gland on the back THE PIG AND HIPPOPOTAMUS 281 The Peccaries Peculiar to the American Continent, the Peccaries differ considerably from the wild swine of the Old World. They are of small size; the dentition is not the same, the stomach is more complicated in structure, and the hind feet have three instead of four toes. In general appearance peccaries are not unlike small dark-coloured pigs, well covered with bristles, and having, as well as a prominent mane, a deep fringe of hair beneath the throat. They are essentially forest-loving animals, roaming over large tracts of country and making considerable migrations in search of food. Two species have been distinctly identified by naturalists — the Collared Peccary, and the White-lipped Peccary. Of these, the former species is found from. Texas, in North America, as far south as the Rio Negro, in Patagonia. The habitat of the white-lipped peccary is more circumscribed, and the animal is seldom found except in that part of South and Central America lying between British Honduras and Paraguay. No members of the Pig Family are fiercer or more tenacious of their sanctuaries than the white- lipped peccary, which roams the dense forests of Brazil and Paraguay in large herds. A human being, attacked and surrounded by a herd of these savage little creatures, would indeed stand but a poor chance of his life, and many a hunter and traveler has been compelled to seek refuge in a tree and sustain some hours of siege. Of the two species, the white-lipped peccary is somewhat the larger, standing from 15 to ij^ inches in height. The collared, peccary averages from i^,^ to I5|- inches. The flesh of these wild swine is not in much repute, and unless the back-gland is at once cut out a freshly killed specimen will become quickly spoiled as a human food-supply. Young peccaries appear to be easily tamed, fierce as is their nature in the wild state. In contrast with the abundant litters of other pigs, wild and domesticated, only one offspring is ordinarily produced at birth. In fighting, the peccary does not rip like the wild boar, but inflicts savage and severe bites. " Untrained dogs," says President Roosevelt, " even those of a large size, will speedily be killed by a single peccary, and if they venture to attack a herd will be literally torn into shreds. A big trained dog, however, can, single-handed, kill a peccary, and I have known the feat performed several times." Azara, the eminent Spanish naturalist of the end of the eighteenth century, had considerable experience of the peccaries of Central and Southern America, where the Indians are much addicted to taming wild animals, and keep both the peccary and the tapir in a state of semi-domestication. The peccary he found to be domesticated more easily than might be expected. Though so fierce in its wild state, it soon becomes trouble- some from its" familiarity. Mr. Schomburgk, the explorer of Cen- tral America, whose travels were so con- stantly quoted during the Venezuelan arbitration, saw much of the white-lipped species in the forests. He found the animals in large troops under the leadership of an old boar. When attacked, they were ready to surround man, dog, or jaguar; and if there were no means of escape, the enemy was certain to be cut to pieces. He him- self had a narrow escape from an infuriated herd, the leader of which he shot in the act of rushing at him. As the herd ap- proached the sound was like that of a whirlwind through the bushes. P toto J it aiuc Fhoto Co A YOUNG COLLARED PECCARY In this specimen the 'white collar from tuhich the specie:^ takes its name is 'very clearly displayed 282 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD THE HIPPOPOTAMUS BY F. C. SELOUS Bj permijiion of Herr Carl Hagenbtck^ Hamburg A THREE-YEAR-OLD HIPPOPOTAMUS In this specimen the great lo'wer tusks are not yet de'veloped Two species of the Hippopotamus Family exist on the earth to-day, both of which are inhabitants of Africa, and are not found in any other country; but the remains of many extinct forms of this genus which have been discovered in various parts of Europe and Asia show that in Pleistocene and Pliocene times these strange and uncouth animals must have been widely distributed throughout the greater part of the Old World. The fossil remains of the large form of hippopotamus which once frequented the lakes and rivers of England and Western Europe cannot be distinguished from the bones of the common African species of to-day, which latter is possibly the only animal in the world which has undergone no change in form or structure since the prehistoric savages of the Thames Valley threw stone-headed spears at their enemies. The Common Hippopotamus, though it has long been banished from the Lower Nile, and has more recently been practically exterminated in the British colonies south of the Limpopo, was once an inhabitkiit of every lake and river throughout the entire African Continent from the delta of the Nile to the neigh- bourhood of Cape Town. Now it is not found below Khartum, on the Nile ; but in Southern Africa a few hippopotamuses are said still to exist in the lower reaches of the Orange River. When Van Riebeck first landed at the Cape, in 1652, he found some of these animals in the swamp now occupied by Church Square, in the centre of Cape Town, and the last in the district was only killed in the Berg River, about seventy miles north of that city, as recently as 1874. This animal, which had been protected for some years, was at last shot, as it had become very savage, and was in the habit of attacking any one who approached it. In my own experience I have met with the hippopotamus in all the large rivers of Africa where I have travelled, such as the Zambesi, Kafukwe, Chobi, Sabi, Limpopo, and Usutu, and also in most of the many large streams which take their, rise on the plateau of Matabililand and Mashonaland, and flow north, south, and east into the Zambesi, the Limpopo, or the Sabi. I have also seen them in the sea, at the mouth of the Quillimani River, and have heard from natives that they will travel by sea from the mouth of one river to another. Hippopotamuses live either in families of a few individuals or in herds that may number from twenty to thirty members. Old bulls are often met with alone, and cows when about to calve will sometimes leave their companions and live for a time in seclusion, returning, however, to the herd soon after the birth of their calves. Although, owing to the shortness of its legs, a hippopotamus bull does not stand very high at the shoulder — about 4 feet 8 inches being the average height — yet its body is of enormous bulk. A male which died some years ago in the Zoological Gardens of London measured 12 feet in length from the nose to the root of the tail, and weighed 4 tons ; and these dimensions are probably often exceeded in a wild state. The huge mouth of the hippopotamus (see Coloured Plate), which the animal is fond of opening to its widest extent, is furnished with very large canine and incisor teeth, which are kept sharp by constantly grinding one against another, and thus enable their possessor tluto b) J, If^. McLiUait HIPPOPOTAMUS DRINKING The enormous breadth of the muzzle^ as ivell as the small nostrils^ ivhich can be closed at ivilly are clearly displayed in this posture 283 284 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD to rapidly cut down great quantities of the coarse grass and reeds upon which these animals exclusively feed when living in uninhabited countries. When, however, their haunts are in the neighbourhood of native villages, they often commit great havoc in the corn-fields of the inhabitants, trampling down as much as they eat; and it was their fondness for sugar cane which brought about the destruction of the last herd of hippopotamuses surviving in Natal. The lower canine teeth or tusks of the hippopotamus grow to a great size, and in bulls may weigh from 4 lbs. to 7 lbs. each. They are curved in shape, and when extracted from the jaw form a complete half-circle, and have been known to measure upwards of 30 inches over the curve. In life, however, not more than a third of their length protrudes beyond the gums. During the daytime hippopotamuses are seldom met with out of the water. They lie and doze all day long in the deep pools of the rivers they frequent, with only their eyes, ears, and nostrils abovethe surface, or else bask in the sun on the tail of a sandbank, looking like so many gigantic pigs with their bodies only partially submerged. Sometimes they will lie and sleep entirely out of water amongst reeds. I have seen them feeding in the reed-beds of the great swamps of the Chobi just at sundov/n, but as a rule they do not leave the water until after dark. At night they often wander far afield, especially in the rainy season, in search of suitable food ; , and after having been fired at and frightened, I have known a herd of hippopota- muses to travel at least five- and-twenty miles along the course of a river during the ensuing night, in order to reach a larger and deeper pool than the one in which they had been molested. Although the hippopota- mus is thoroughly at home in the hottest parts of Africa, and appears to thrive in the tepid waters of all the rivers which flow through the malarious coast regions of the tropical portions of that continent, it is also found at a considerable altitude above the sea, and in quite small streams where the temperature of the water during the winter months cannot be many degrees above freezing-point. I have personally met with hippopotamuses in the Manyami River, not far from the present town of Salisbury, in Mashonaland. The country there has an altitude of about 5,000 feet above sea-level; and the water was so cold on the last occasion on which I came across the animals in question — July, 1887— that, if a basinful was left out during the night, ice quite an eighth of an inch in thickness would be formed over it before morning. There was, however, never any ice on the river itself During the rainy season, when the grass and reeds are green and succulent, hippopotamuses become enormously fat, especially in the higher and colder portions of their range, and retain a good deal of their fat right through , the driest season of the year. Old bulls are usually very lean ; but I have seen cows the greater part of whose carcasses, after the skin had been stripped off, was covered with a layer of fat from i inch to 2 inches in thickness. The meat of these animals is dark red in colour, and more like beef than pork. To my mind, that of a young animal is most excellent in flavour, and far preferable to that of a lean antelope. The fat, when prepared, is as good as the best lard, from which, indeed, it is hardly distinguishable. The skin of the HIPPOPOTAMUSES BATHING A hipfofotumm stays under -water for about 1]/^ minutes at a time, and then just shows part of its head abo-ve tvater ivhiie it draius a fresh breath THE PIG AND HIPPOPOTAMUS 285 By permission of Herr Carl Hagenbsc^"] BABY HIPPOPOTAMUS, AGED SIX MONTHS {_Hamhurg ' TAe flesh of a young hippopotamus is said to ha've an excellent fla-vour. Nati'ves often follotv shooting expeditions in order to secure some of its meat hippopotamus is smooth and hairless, and in adult animals quite i^ inch in thickness on the upper' parts of the body. Hippopotamuses are said to be capable of remaining under water for ten or twelve minutes. Should, however, a herd of these animals be watched but not fired at from the bank of ' a river in which they are passing the day, they will all sink below the surface of the water as soon as they become aware of and more or less alarmed by the presence of the intruder, but each member of the herd will come up to breathe at intervals of from one to two minutes. I have seen hippopotamuses so tame and unsuspicious of danger that they allowed me — the first human being probably with any kind of hat or clothes on him that they had ever seen — to take up a position within fifty yards of them on the edge of the deep rock-bound pool in which they were resting without showing any signs of alarm. They simply ktared at me in an inquisitive sort of way, raising their heads higher out of the water, and constantly twitching their little rounded ears; and it was not until a number of natives came ■'up and began to talk loudly that they took alarm, and, sinking out of sight, retreated to the farther end of the pool. I once took the length of time with my watch for more than an hour that a hippopotamus which I was trying to shoot remained under water. This animal, a cow with a new-born calf, had made an attack upon one of my canoes. It first came up under the canoe, tilting one end of it into the air and almost filling it with water. Then it made a rush at the half-swamped craft, and, laying its huge head over it, pressed it down under the water and sank it. There were four natives in the canoe at the time of the attack, all of whom swam safely to an island in the river — the Zambesi. After the accident — which caused me a good deal of loss and inconvenience — I tried to shoot this unprovoked aggressor, but unsuccessfully, as the river was too broad to allow me to get anything but a long shot at her. The shortest time she remained under water during the seventy minutes I was paying attention 19 286 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD to her was forty seconds, and the longest four minutes and twenty seconds — the usual time being from two to two and a half minutes. She always remained a long time under water after having been fired at. The capsizing of canoes by these animals is quite a common occurrence on most African rivers, and the great pains the natives will take in certain districts to give these animals a wide berth seem to prove that they have good reason to dread them. Solitary bulls and cows with young calves are the most feared. Such animals will sometimes, I have been assured by the natives, tear out the side of a canoe with their teeth, and even crunch up some of its occupants whilst they are trying to save themselves by swimming. Sipopo, a chief of the Barotse tribe, who was deposed by his nephew Mona Wena in 1876, was said to have been attacked and killed by a hippopotamus whilst lying wounded amongst the reeds on the southern bank of the Zambesi, but I cannot vouch for the truth of the story. Bull hippopotamuses must be rather quarrelsome, as I have shot several whose hides were deeply scored with wounds, no doubt inflicted by the tusks of their rivals. Once I killed a hippopotamus in a shallow lagoon amongst the swamps of the Chobi, whose enormously thick hide had been literally cut to pieces from head to tail. The entire body of this animal was covered with deep white scores, and we were unable to cut a single sjambok from its skin. We found, on examination, that this poor beast had been wounded by natives, and then in its distress most cruelly set upon by its fellows, and finally expelled from their society. It was in the last stage of emaciation, and a bullet through the brain must have been a welcome relief. On another occasion a hippopotamus bull, which I had wounded in the nose, became so furious that it dived down and attacked one of its fellows which had already been killed and was lying dead at the bottom of the pool. Seizing this latter animal by the hind leg, it brought it to the surface of the water with such a furious rush that not only half the body of the dead animal it had attacked was exposed, but the whole of its own head and shoulders came above the water. A bullet through the brain killed it instantly, and it sank to the bottom of the pool, still holding its companion's hind leg fast in its jaws. When a hippopotamus is killed in the water, the carcase sinks to the bottom, and in the cold water of the rivers of Mashonaland will not rise to the surface till six hours after death. In the warmer water of the Lower Zambesi a dead hippopotamus will come up in about half that time. When it rises, the carcase comes up like a submerged cork, with a rush as it were, and then settles down, only a small piece. of the side showing above the surface. As decom- position sets in, it becomes more and more swollen, and shows higher and higher above the water. When the body of a dead hippopotamus has been taken by the wind or current to the wrong side of a river, I have often climbed on to it and paddled it with a stout stick right across the river to a spot nearer camp. A dead hippopotamus is not the easiest or the DENTAL OPERATIONS ON A HIPPOPOTAMUS This and the next two photographs probably constitute the most remarkable series of animal photographs ever seen. No. l shoius a hippopotamus about to be trapped^ preparatory to having its teeth attended to THE PIG AND HIPPOPOTAMUS 287 pleasantest thing to sit on in deep water with crocodiles about, especially in a wind, as it is very much like sitting on a floating barrel, and unless the balance is exactly maintained one is bound to roll off. Although it is often necessary for an African traveler to shoot one or more of them in order to obtain a supply of meat for his native followers, there is not much sport attached to the killing of these animals. The modern small-bore rifles, with their low trajectory and great pene- tration, render their destruction very easy when they are encountered in small lakes or narrow rivers, though in larger sheets of water, where they must be approached and shot from rickety canoes, it is by no means a simple matter to kill hippopotamuses, especially after they have grown shy and wary through persecution. As these animals are almost invariably killed by Europeans in the daytime, and are therefore encountered in the water, they are usually shot through the brain as they raise their heads above the surface to breathe. By the natives hippopotamuses are killed in various ways. They are sometimes attacked first with harpoons, to which long lines are attached, with a float at the end to mark the position of the wounded animal, and then followed up in canoes and finally speared to death. Sometimes they are caught in huge DENTAL OPERATIONS ON A HIPPOPOTAMUS This shoius the process of filing one of the loiver tusks NO. Ill DENTAL OPERATIONS ON A HIPPOPOTAMUS Salving off one of the lo'wer tusks pitfalls, or killed by the fall of a spear-head fixed in a heavy block of wood, which is re- leased from its position when a line, attached to the weight and then pegged across a hippopotamus's path a few inches above the ground,, is suddenly pulled by the feet of one of these animals striking against it. A frieiid of mine once had a horse killed under him by a similar trap set for buflfaloes. His horse's feet struck the line attached to the heavily weighted spear-head, and down it came, just missing his head and entering his horse's back close behind the saddle. Where the natives have guns — mostly old muzzle- loading weapons of large bore — they often shoot hippopotamuses at close quarters when they are feeding at night. The most destruc- tive native method, however, of killing these monsters with which I am acquainted is one which used to be practised by the natives of Northern Mashonaland — namely, fencing in 288 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD Phdic b; JTeri &■ Son] INming Hill FEMALE HIPPOPOTAMUSES Exhibits a 'very characteristic attitude of the animal strengthened, and platforms some- times built to command naturally weak places, and from these points of vantage the poor animals were speared when in their desperation they tried to leave the pool. Gradually the whole herd would be speared or starved to death. Once, in August, 1880, I came upon a native tribe engaged in starving to death a herd of hippo- potamuses in a pool of the Umniati River, in Northern Mashonaland. When I came on the scene, there were ten hippopotamuses still alive in the pool. Eight of these appeared to be standing on a sandbank in the middle of the river, as more than half their bodies were above the water. They were all huddled up together, their heads resting on each other's bodies. Two others were swimming about, each with a heavily shafted assegai sticking in its back. Besides these ten still living hippo- potamuses two dead ones were being cut up on the side of the pool, and many more must already have been a herd of these animals and starving them to death. As there is a very- rapid fall in the country through which all the rivers run to the Zambesi from the northern slope of Mashonaland, these streams consist of a series of deep, still pools (called " sea-cow holes " by the old hunters), from a hundred yards to more than a mile in length, connected with one another by shallow, swift-flowing water, often running in several small streams over the bed of the river. A herd of hippopotamuses having been found resting for the day in one of the smaller pools, all the natives in the district, men, women, and children, would collect and Duild strong fences across the shallows at each end. At night large fires would be kept blazing all round the pool and tom-toms beaten incessantly, in order to prevent the imprisoned animals from escaping. Day after day the fences would be Ph.t.by nrtA- ,y.„J L,v.,„„4, Hill A HIPPOPOTAMUS FAMILY— FATHER, MO'lHER, AND YOUNG Hippopotamuses are very sociable animals, and are often to be met iiiith in large herds Photo by J. W. McLclla A HIPPOPOTAMUS GAPING. The position of tlie animal displays the enormous capacity, and lilcewise the powerful lower tusks: the shortness of the limbs is also well exhibited. THE PIG AND HIPPOPOTAMUS 289 PhM by G. IV H/ihan &' Lo , I HIPPOPOTAMUS The skin of the hipfiofotamus is often as much as an inch and a half in thickness on the upper parts of the body killed, as all round the pool festoons of meat were hanging on poles to dry, and a large number of natives had been living for some time on nothing but hippopotamus-meat. Altogether I imagine that a herd of at least twenty animals must have been destroyed. Much as one must regret such a wholesale slaughter, it must be remembered that this great killing was the work of hungry savages, who at any rate utilised every scrap of the meat thus obtained, and much of the skin as well, for food ; and such an incident is far less reprehensible — indeed, stands on quite a different plane as regards moral guilt — to the wanton destruction of a large number of hippopotamuses in the Umzingwani River, near Bulawayo, within a few months of the conquest of Matabililand by the Chartered Company's forces in 1893 These animals had been protected for many years by Lo Bengula and his father Umziligazi before him; but no sooner were the Matabili conquered and their country thrown open to white men than certain unscrupulous persons destroyed all but a very few of these half-tame animals, for the sake of the few paltry pieces of money their hides were worth! Gradually, as the world grows older, more civilised, and, to my thinking, less and less interesting, the range of the hippopotamus, like that of all other large animals, must become more and more circumscribed ; but now that all Africa has been parcelled out amongst the white races of Western Europe, if the indiscriminate killing of hippopotamuses by either white men or natives can be controlled, and the constant and cruel custom of firing at the heads of these animals from the decks of river-steamers all over Africa be put a stop to, I believe that this most interesting mammal, owing to the nature of its habitat, and the vast extent of the rivers, swamps, and lakes in which it still exists in considerable numbers, will long outlive all other pachydermatous animals. Hideous, uncouth, and unnecessary as the hippopotamus 290 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD may seem when viewed from behind the bars of its den in a zoological garden, it is nevertheless true that, when these animals have been banished from an African river by the progress of civilisation, that river has lost one of its highest charms and greatest ornaments. The Pygmy or Liberian Hip- popotamus is confined to Upper Guinea, and, compared with its only existing relative, is a very small ani- mal, not standing more than 2 feet 6 inches in height, and measuring less than 6 feet in length. In weight a full-grown specimen will scale about 400 lbs. But little is known of the habits of this rare animal, speci- mens of which, I believe, have never been obtained, except by the German naturalists Herrn Biittikofer and Jentink. When alive, the colour of the skin of the pygmy hippopotamus is said to be of a greenish black, changing on the under-parts to* yellowish green. The surface of the skin is very shiny. This species, unlike its giant relative, does not congregate in herds, nor pass its days in rivers or lakes, but lives in pairs in marshes or shady forests. It sleeps during the day, and at night wanders over a great extent of country, eating grass, wild fruits, and the young shoots of trees. Its flesh is said to be very succulent and much esteemed by the natives. A hippopotamus, apparently of the same species as that now found in Africa, formerly inhabited the Thames Valley. Great quantities of fossil remains of another species are also found in the island of Sicily. The bones found in England are mainly in the river gravel and brick earth of the south and midland districts of England. This seems to show that at the time when the animal existed our rivers must have been open all the year, and not ice-bound, for it is certain that no hippopotamus could live in a river which froze in winter. Yet among the remains of these animals are also found those of quite arctic species like the Musk-ox and the Reindeer, together with those of the Saiga Antelope, an inhabitant of the cold plateau of Tibet. The problem is : How could these creatures, one a dweller in warm rivers and the others inhabitants of cold arctic or sub-arctic regions, have existed together, apparently on the same area of ground ? The answer, which does not seem to have occurred to naturalists who have discussed the question, seems to be plain enough. Any one who knows the conditions of the great rift valleys of Central Africa has the key to the solution of the puzzle. There was probably a very great difference in the vertical plane. Deep in the rift was probably a warm river, while above it may have been mountains from 10,000 to 20,000 feet high, with snow on the summits and glaciers in their valleys. On these cold and arctic heights the reindeer and the musk-ox would find congenial homes. Thousands of feet below, in the hot and narrow valley, the hippopotamus would revel in a warm and steamy climate. This is what actually occurs in the rift valleys of Central Africa, where the hippopotamus swims in rivers that are at no great distance from snow-covered and ice- capped mountains. Fhtl« bj r,rl d- Son'] INolllrtg Hill MALE AND. FEMALE HIPPOPOTAMUSES ^ hippopotamus is almost inseparable from the ivater ,• it ne'ver goes farther aiuay than possible from a river or lake CHAPTER XX THE DUGONG, MANATEES, WHALES, PORPOISES, AND DOLPHINS BY F. G. AFLALO, F. Z. S. The Dugong and Manatees THESE curious creatures, which seem to have been the basis of much of the old mermaid legend, have puzzled many eminent naturalists. Before they were placed in an order by themselves, Linnaeus had classed them with the Walrus, Cuvier with the Whales, and another French zoologist with the Elephants. They are popularly regarded as the cows of the sea-pastures. Their habits justify this. I have often watched dugongs on the Queensland coast browsing on the long grasses, of which they tear up tussocks with sidelong twists of the head, coming to the surface to breathe at short intervals. Omitting the extinct Rhytina, otherwise known as Steller's Sea-cow, which was exterminated in the Bering Strait not very long after civilised man had first learnt of its existence, we have to consider two distinct groups, or genera, of these sirenians. The DuGONG is the representative of the first, and "the two MANATEES belong to the other. The dugong is found on the coasts of Northern Australia, in many parts of the Indian Ocean (particularly off Ceylon), and in the Red Sea. It is easily distinguished, by even superficial observation, from the manatees. Its tail is slightly forked, somewhat like that of the whales: the tail of manatees, on the other hand, is rounded. The dugong's flippers, to which we also find a superficial resemblance in those of the whale, show no traces of external nails : in those of the manatees, which show projecting nails, there is a considerable power of free movement (the hands being, in fact, used in manipulating the food), which is not the I'httti ly A. S. Rudlana &" Stmt DUGONG A •vegelable-feediig sea-mamma! from the Indian Ocean and North Australian waters 291 292 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD Plmlti ly A. S. Rudland Sfi Smt AMERICAN MANATEE Found in the Ama%om Riiicr. The Manatees differ remarkably from the Dugong in the number and structure of their teeth case in the limbs of the whale. The body of the dugong is almost smooth, though there are bristles in the region of the mouth : that of the manatees is studded with short hairs. The male dugong has two large tusks : in neither sex of the manatees are such tusks developed. Finally, a more detailed examination of the skeletons would reveal the fact that, whereas the dugong has the usual seven bones in the neck, that of the manatees has only six. When we come to the Whales, we shall encounter that very characteristic covering known as " blubber " ; and, though it is present in smaller quantity, these sirenians have blubber as well. Complex stomachs they also have, like the whales, only in their case both the nature of the food and the structure of the teeth point clearly to a ruminating habit, which, for reasons that will be given in the right place, seems inadmissible in the whales. In both dugong and manatees the mouth is furnished with singular horny plates, the precise use of which does not appear to have been satisfactorily determined ; and the upper hp of the manatee is cleft in two hairy pads that work laterally. This enables the animal to draw the grass into its mouth without using the lower lip at all. In their mode of life the dugong and manatees differ as widely almost as in their appearance; for the former is a creature of open coasts, whereas the manatees hug river- estuaries and even travel many miles up the rivers. Of both it has been said that they leave the water at night, and the manatees have even been accused of plundering crops near the banks. The few. however, which have been under observation in captivity have always been manifestly uncomfortable whenever, by accident or otherwise, the water of their tank was run off, so that there is not sufficient reason for believing this assertion. This group of animals cannot be regarded as possessing any high commercial value, though both natives and white men eat their flesh, and the afore-mentioned rhytina was in fact exterminated solely for the sake of its meat. There is also a limited use for the bones as ivory, and the leather is employed on a small scale, -a German writer has, in fact, been at great pains to prove that the Tabernacle, which was 300 cubits long, was roofed with dugong- skin, and the Red Sea is certainly well within the animal's range. DUGONGS, MANATEES, WHALES, PORPOISES, DOLPHINS 293 The Whales, Porpoises, and Dolphins Although anatomists have good reason for suspecting that all the members of the Whale Tribe are directly descended from river-dwelling forms, if not indeed, more remotely, from some land animal, there is something appropriate in the fact of the vast ocean, which covers something like three-quarters of the earth's surface, producing the mightiest creatures which have ever lived. There should also be some little satisfaction for ourselves in the thought that, their fish-like form notwithstanding, these enormous beings really belong to the highest, or mammalian, class of animal life. One striking feature all these many-sized cetaceans have in common, and that is their similarity of form. Though they may vary in length from 70 to 7 feet, their outline shows a remarkable uniformity. Important internal and even external differences there may be. A whale may be toothed or toothless ; a dolphin may be beaked or round-headed ; either may be with or without a slight ridge on the back or a distinct dorsal fin ; but no cetacean could well be mistaken for an animal of any other order. It is as well to appreciate as clearly as possible this close general resemblance between the largest whale and the smallest dolphin, as the similarity is one of some interest; and we may estimate it at its proper worth if we bear in mind that two species of cetaceans, outwardly alike, may not, perhaps, be more closely allied than such divergent ruminant types as the elephant, the giraffe, and the gazelle. Reference has already been made to the fact that the whales are true mammals, and we must now clearly set before us the justification for separating them from the Fishes — to which anyone with a superficial knowledge of their habits and appearance would unhesitatingly assign them — and raising them to the company of other mammals. Let us first separate them from the Fishes. The vast majority of fishes, with some familiar exceptions like the conger-eel, are covered with scales : whales have no scales. The tail of fishes, often forked like that of whales, is set vertically: in whales the tail is set laterally, and for this a good reason will presently be shown. Fishes have anal fins : whales not only have no anal fins, but their so-called pectoral fins differ radically from the fins of fishes. Fishes breathe with the aid of gills : whales have Photo by A. S. Rudtavd «&* Sons NARWHAL An Arctic whale, luith one or rarely two long spears of hove projecting from the head 294 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD no gills. Fishes, in the vast majority of cases, reproduce their young by spawning, the eggs being left to hatch out either in gravel-beds or among the water-plants, lying on the bottom (as in the case of the herring), or floating near the surface (as in that of the plaice): whales do not lay eggs, but bear the young alive. This brings us to the simplepoints of resemblance between them and other mammals. When the young whale is born, it is nourished ' on its: mother's milk. This alone would constitute its claim to a place among the highest class., Whales breathe atmospheric air by means of lungs. Hair is peculiarly the covering of mammals, just as scales are characteristic of fishes and feathers of birds. Many whales, it is true, have no PlieU b) A. S. Rudland <&» Sons GRAMPUS, OR KILLER A carnivorous cetacean with large teeth, often found in the North Sea hair; but others, if only in the embryonic stage, have traces of this characteristic mammalian covering. It must, moreover, be remembered that in some other orders of mammals the amount of hair varies considerably — as, for instance, between the camel and rhinoceros. Having, then, shown that whales are mammals, we must now determine the chief features of the more typical members of the order. The extremities of whales are characteristic : a large head, occupying in some species as much as one-third of the total length; and the afore-mentioned forked, or lobed, tail set laterally. The flippers, which bear only a slight resemblance to the pectoral fins in fishes, are in reality hands encased in swimming- gloves. In some whales these hands are five-fingered, in others the fingers number only four, DUGONGS, MANATEES, WHALES, PORPOISES, DOLPHINS 295 but many of the fingers contain more bones than the fingers of man. In some whales we find a dorsal fin, and this, as also the flippers, acts as a balancer. In no whale or porpoise is there any external trace of hind limbs, but the skeleton of some kinds shows in varying stages of degradation a rudimentary bone answering to this description. Perhaps, however, the most distinctive feature of whales is the blow-hole, situated, like the nostrils of the hippopotamus, on the upper surface of the head, and similarly enabling the animal to breathe the air without exposing much of its head above the surface of the water. The blow-hole (or blow-holes, for whalebone-whales have two) may be said to take the place of nostrils as regards the breathing, though perhaps no sense of smell is included in its functions. In the Sperm-whale, or Cachalot, there is a single (/)-shaped blow-hole near the end of the snout. The well-known spouting of whales is merely the breathing out of warm vapour, which, on coming in contact with the colder air — and it should be remembered that most whaling is carried on in the neighbourhood of icebergs — condenses in a cloud above the animal's head. I have seen many a sperm-whale spout, and the cloud of spray, often mixed with a varying volume of water if the whale commences to blow before its blow-hole is clear of the surface, drifts forward over the forehead. This is due to the forward position of the blow-hole. I never to my knowledge saw a whalebone-whale spouting, but its double jet is said to ascend vertically over its back, and this would in like manner be accounted for by the more posterior position of the blow-holes. Having filled its lungs, which are long and of simple structure, with fresh air, in enormous draughts that fill the great cavities of its chest, the whale sinks to the depths. There, in ordinary circumstances, it will lie for a quarter of an hour or more, but the pain of the harpoon and the knowledge that there is danger at the surface may keep it below for as much as an hour. When it has to breathe again, a few powerful strokes from the laterally set tail suffice to bring it quickly to the surface. This is not the place for a detailed anatomy of the whale, but no one can fail to notice with admiration such parts of its equipment for the battle of life as the structure of its windpipe, which enables it to breathe with comfort with its mouth full of water, the complicated network of blood-vessels that ensures the slow and thorough utilising of all the oxygen in its lungs while it remains at the bottom, and the elastic cushion of blubber that makes this gigantic animal indifferent to extremes of pressure and temperature. Thanks mainly to its coat of blubber, the whale exists with equal comfort at the surface or hundreds of fathoms below it ; in the arctic or in tropical seas. It is not perhaps in keeping with the plan of this work that we should consider in detail the soft parts of the whale's inside. One or two parts of its feeding and digestive mechanism may, however, offer some points of passing interest. The complex stomach, which is divided into chambers, like that of the ruminants already described, has suggested that the latter function Photo by j4. S. Rudland & Soni SHORT-BEAKED RIVER-DOLPHIN In tits type the head is produced into a beak, supported in the upper jaiu by a mass of ivory-like bone 296 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD may in a modified process be performed by whales. It is, however, evident that the teeth of toothed whales are in no way adapted to the act of mastication, which is inseparable from any conception of ruminating, while the toothless whales have as complicated a stomach as the rest Mr. Beddard, writing on the subject in his interesting " Book of Whales," takes the more reasonable view that the first chamber of the stomach of whales should be regarded rather as a storehouse in which the food is crushed and softened. The teeth of whales, the survival of which in the adult animal offers the simplest basis of its classification under one or other of the two existing groups, or sub-orders, are essentially different from the teeth of many other kinds of mammals. It cannot, perhaps, be insisted that the distinctive terms employed for these two categories of whales are wholly satisfactory. For instance, the so-called "toothless" whales have distinct teeth before birth, thus claiming descent from toothed kinds. On the other hand, the so-called " toothed " whales are by no means uniformly equipped in this respect, some of the porpoises having as many as twenty-six teeth, distributed over both jaws, while the bottlenoses have no more than two, or at most four, and these in the lower jaw only. Only the lower jaw, in fact, of the great sperm-whale bears teeth that are of any use, though there are smaller and functionless teeth in the gums of the upper. The teeth of whales, by the way, are not differentiated like our canines and molars, but are all of one character. Although, in " toothless " whales, the foetal teeth disappear with the coming of the baleen, or whalebone, the latter must not, in either struc- ture or uses, be thought to take their place. The plates of whalebone act rather as a hairy strainer. Unless we seek a possible analogy at the other end of the mammalian scale, in the Australian duck- bill, the feeding of the whalebone-whales is unique. They gulp in the water, full of plaiik- ton, swimming open- mouthed through the streaks of that substance. Then the huge jaws are closed, and the massive tongue is moved slowly, so as to drive the water from the angles of the mouth through the straining-plates of baleen, the food remaining stranded on these and on the tongue. The size and number of the baleen-plates appear to vary in a degree not yet definitely established ; but there may, in a large whale, be- as many as between 300 and 400 on either t!de of the cavernous mouth, and they may measure as much as 10 or 12 feet in length and 7 or 8 feet in width. An enumeration of such whales and porpoises and dolphins as have at one time or other been stranded on the shores of the British Isles may serve as an epitome of the whole order. Only one interesting group, in fact — the River-dolphins of the Ganges and Amazons — is unrepresented in the list. Whales, either exhausted or dead, are periodically thrown up on our coasts, even on the less-exposed portions — one of the most recent examples in the writer's memory being that of a large specimen, over 60 feet long, stranded on the sands near Boscombe, in Hampshire, and the skeleton of which at present adorns Boscombe Pier. It was one of the rorquals, or finbacks, probably of the species called after Rudolphi ; but the skeleton is imperfect, though its owner. Dr. Spencer Simpson, appears to have preserved some details of its earlier appearance. It should be remembered that many of the following can only be regarded as " British " with considerable latitude, the records of their visits being in ThtU hy A. S. Rudland & oorn SOWERBY'S BEAKED WHALE One of the rarest of ivhales. It probably inhabits the open seas DUGONGS, MANATEES, WHALES, PORPOISES, DOLPHINS 297 some cases as rare as those of the rustic bunting and red-necked nightjar among birds, or of the derkio and spotted dragonet among fishes. British zoologists, however, usually include the following : — Whalebone-WHALES : Southern Right-whale ; Humpback ; Finbacks, or Rorquals. TOOTHED WHALES : Sperm-whale, or Cachalot ; Narwhal; Beluga, or White Whale ; Grampuses; Beaked Whale ; Broad-fronted Whale ; Cuvier's Whale ; Sowerby's Whale ; Pilot-whale ; Porpoise ; Dolphin ; White-sided Dolphin ; White-beaked Dolphin ; Bottlenose. A selection may therefore be made of five of the most representative of these species — the Southern Whale, the Cachalot, the Narwhal, the Porpolse, and the Dolphin. The Southern Whale, which, in common with the closely allied polar species, whaling- ■crews call " right," seeing that all other kinds are, from their point of view, " wrong," is probably the only right-whale which has ever found its way to our shores. Some writers include the Greenland Right-whale, but their authority for this is doubtful. It is said to grow to a length of at any rate 70 feet, though 55 feet would perhaps be more common for even large specimens. In colour it is said to be dark above, with a varying amount of white ■or grey on the flippers and under-surface. The head and mouth are very large, occupying in some cases one-third of the total length, and the baleen-plates measure as much as 8 or 10 feet in length and 5 or 6 feet in width. The species has no back-fin, but there is a protuberance on the snout, known technically as the " bonnet." This whale appears to give birth to its single calf some time in the spring months, and the mother shows great affection for her offspring. The Humpback is distinguished from the right-whales externally by its longer flippers and the prominence on its back, and internally by the fluted skin of the throat. The FiNNERS, or RORQUALS, have a distinct back-fin. They feed on fishes and cuttles, and I have more than once known a rorqual, which looked fully 50 feet long (comparing it roughly with my 24-foot boat), to swim slowly round and round my lugger, •down on the Cornish coast, puffing and hissing like a torpedo-boat on its trial trip, rounding up the pilchards in a mass, and every now and then dashing through them open mouthed with a terrific roar, after several of which helpings it would sink out of sight and not again put in an appearance. The Sperm-whale, or Cachalot, may serve as our type of the toothed whales. It attains to the same great dimensions as the largest of the whalebone group. A more active Photo bj A, S. Rudland & Sons COMMON PORPOISE From A to sfi't /""^- ■'' ^''"" '" "retools," or companies, and pursues the herrings and mackerel 298 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD Fhiu iy A. S. Ruilanddfi Soul animal for its size could scarcely be conceived; and I have seen one, in the Indian Ocean, fling itself three or four times in succession out of water like a salmon, striking the surface each time as it fell back with a report like that of a gun. No one appears to have explained whether performances of this sort are due to mere playfulness, or, as seems more probable, to the attacks of parasites or such larger enemies as sharks or " killers." I have also seen four thresher-sharks leaping out of water, and falling with a loud blow on the whale's back ; but the victim lay quite still in this case, and may in fact have been worn out before we came upon the scene. I wish to add that I took the word of the skipper, himself an old whal- ing-captain, for their identity as threshers. The dazzling sun shone full on them, and on the sea between, and it was impossible, even with the ship's telescope, to recognise them with any accuracy. The cachalot has a very different profile from what any one who had seen only its skull in a museum would be led to- expect, for the sperm- cavity in the forehead is not indicated in the bones. The structure of the head enables the animal to drop the loweir jaw almost at right angles- to the upper; and Mr. Frank Bullen quotes, •in his fascinating " Cruise of the Cachalot," the current belief that it does- so to attract its prey by the whiteness of its teeth and palate. Although both fishes and cephalo- pods are very curious, even to their own destruc- tion, it is doubtful- whether the whale could not catch its food more rapidly by swimming open-mouthed through the acres of floating squid encountered all over the warmer waters of the ocean. The Narwhal, an arctic type, may be distinguished from all other cetaceans by the single spiral tusk in the left side of the head of the male. Sometimes the right tusk grows as- well, and either may attain a length of as much as 8 feet ; but in the female both teeth remain undeveloped. The Common Porpoise of our own seas, distinguished by its rounded head from the- equally common beaked dolphin, is too familiar to need much description. It grows to a length of 5 or 6 feet, and is dark in colour on the back and white beneath. Its conspicuous back-fin is always recognisable when it gambols with a herd of its fellows; and a line of these sea-pigs, a mile or so in length, is no uncommon sight, their presence inshore being indicative on some parts of the coast of the coming of east wind. The porpoise, which has* ELLIOTT'S DOLPHIN One oj the commoner Indian species Phttls by A, S. Rudland &• RISSO'S DOLPHIN About 13 feet in length, found in almost all oceans DUGONGS, MANATEES, WHALES, PORPOISES, DOLPHINS 299 like many of its group, teeth in either jaw, is a voracious feeder, preying in estuaries on salmon and flounders, and on more open parts of the coast on pilchards and mackerel. It is occasion- ally a serious nuisance in the Mediterranean sardine- fisheries, and I have known of the fishermen of Collioure, in the Gulf of Lyons, appeal- ing to the French Govern- ment to send a gunboat from Phots by A. S. Rudland if Sans BOTTLE-NOSED DOLPHIN From 8 to g feet long, found from the Mediterranean to the North Sea Toulon that might steam after the marauders and frighten them away. One of the most remarkable cases of a feeding porpoise that I can recall was thar of one which played with a conger-eel in a Cornish harbour as a cat might play with a mouse, blowing the fish 20 or 30 feet through the air, and swimming after it so rapidly as to catch it again almost as it touched the water. The Dolphin, which is in some seasons as common in the British Channel as the more familiar porpoise, is distinguished by its small head and long beak, the lower jaw always carrying more teeth than the upper. It feeds on pilchards and mackerel, and, like the porpoises, gambols, particularly after an east wind, with its fellows close inshore. There are many other marine mammals somewhat loosely bracketed as dolphins. RiSSO's Dolphin, for instance, a rare visitor to our coasts, has a striped skin, and its jaws are without teeth, which distinguish it from the common dolphin and most of the others. It cannot therefore feed on fishes, and most probably eats squid and cuttle-fish. The BoTTLE-NOSED Dolphin, a species occurring in the greatest numbers on the Atlantic coast of North America, is regularly hunted for its oil. HeavysIDE's Dolphin, which hails from South African waters, is a snialler kind, chiefly remarkable for the curious distribution of black and white on its back and sides. A word must, in conclusion, be said on the economic value of the whales. Fortunately, as they are getting rarer, substitutes for their once invaluable products are being from time to time discovered, and much of the regret at their extermination by wasteful slaughter is sentimental and not economic. For whalebone it is not probable that a perfect substitute will ever be found. It therefore maintains a high price, though the former highest market value of over $10,000 per ton has fallen to something nearer the half The sperm-oil from the sperm-whale, and the train oil from that of the right-whales, the sper- maceti out of the cachalot's forehead and the ambergris secreted in its stomach, are the other valuable products. Ambergris is a greyish, fatty secretion, caused by the irri- tation set up in the whale's in- side by the undigested beaks of cuttle-fish. Its market pi.(, hy A. s. R«dit.nd &= Sons pricc is about $25 per ounce. HEAVYSIDE'S DOLPHIN A lump of 240 lbs. sold for d -mall, peculiarly coloured species from the Cape nearly $100,000. CHAPTER XXI THE SLOTHS, JNT-EJTERS, AND ARMADILLOS BY W. P. PYCRAFT, A. L. S., F. Z. S. THE very remark- able assemblage of animals we are now about to consider includes many diverse forms, bracketed together to constitute one great group; and this on account of the peculiarities of the structure and distribution of the teeth, which are never present in the front of the jaw, and may be absent altogether. Of the five groups recognised, three occur in the New and two" in the Old World. All have undergone vefy considerable modification of form and structure, and in every case this modifica- tion has tended to render themmoreperfectly adapted to an arboreal or terrestrial existence. Flying or aquatic types are wanting. Whilst one great group — the Sloths — is entirely vegetarian, the others feed either on flesh or insects. The Sloths In the matter of personal appearance Nature has not been kind to the Sloth, though it is cer- tainly true that there are many uglier animals — not including those, such as some of the Monkey Tribe and certain of the Swine, which are positively liideous. The mode of life of the sloth is certainly remarkable, for almost its whole existence is passed among the highest trees of the densest South American forests, and passed, too, in 300 Fholo by A. S. Rudland dr* Sont NORTHERN TWO-TOED SLOTH (COSTA RICA) This is also knoivn as Hoffmann's Sloth. The appellation *' tnvo-toed^^ refers to the fore limb only. The hind foot has three toes SLOTHS, ANT-EATERS, AND ARMADILLOS 301 i a perfectly topsy-turvy manner, inasmuch as it moves from bough to bough with its legs up in the air and its back towards the ground. It walks and sleeps suspended beneath the boughs instead of balanced above them, securely holding itself by means of powerful hooked claws on the fore and hind feet. This method of locomotion, so remarkable in a mammal, coupled with the dehberate fashion in which it moves, and the air of sadness expressed in its quaint physiognomy — large-eyed, snub-nosed, and earless — ^on which there seems to dwell an ever-present air of resignation, led the great Buffon to believe that the sloth was a creature afflicted of God for some hidden reason man could not fathom ! His sympathy was as certainly wasted as his hasty conclusion was unjustified. There can be no doubt but that the life led by the sloth is at least as blissful as that of its more lively neighbours— the spider monkeys, for instance. Walking beneath the boughs comes as natural to the sloth as walking on the ceiling to the fly. The sloth sleeps* as we have already remarked, suspended from a bough. During this time the feet are drawn close together, and the head raised up and placed between the fore legs, as in the cobego, which we depicted asleep on page 170, as our readers will remember. In the sleeping position the sloth bears a striking resemblance to the stump of a lichen-covered bough, just as the cobego resembles a fruit. Thus is protection from enemies gained. The resemblance to lichen is further aided by the fact that the long, coarse hair with which the sloth is clothed becomes encrusted with a peculiar green alga — a lowly form of vegetable growth — whichlodges incertaingrooves or flutings peculiar to the hair of this animal. Such a method of protection is unique amongst the Mammalia. As the sloths sleep by day and feed by night, the usefulness of such a method of concealment is beyond question. The strange form of locomotion of the sloths renders separate fingers and toes unnecessary, and so the fingers and toes have come to be enclosed in a common fold of skin, extending down to the base of the claws. The sloths stand out in strong contrast to the volatile spider monkeys, with whom they share the forest; these have added a fifth limb in the shape of a prehensile tail, by which they may suspend themselves at will. The sloths, on the contrary, have no tail ; they move deliberately, and do not require it. The monkeys move by prodigious leaps, taken not seldom by gathering impetus by swinging on their tails. The great naturalist Bates writes of the sloth: " It is a strange sight to watch this uncouth creature, fit production of these silent shades, lazily moving from branch to branch. Every movement betrays, not indolence exactly, but extreme caution. He never loses his hold from one branch without first securing himself to the next. . . . After watching the animal for about half an hour, I gave him a charge of shot ; he fell with a terrific crash, but caught a bough in his descent with his powerful claws, and remained suspended. Our Indian lad Phott by L. MedUnd, F.Z.S. THREE-TOED SLOTH -i4 remarkable peculiarity about the three-toed sloths is the fact that they ha've no less than nine •vertebra in the neck, instead of seven, as is usual among mammals 302 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD tried to climb the tree, but was driven back by swarms of stinging ants ; the poor httle fellow slid down in a sad predicament, and plunged headlong into the brook to free himself." On another occasion the same writer tells us he "' saw a sloth swimming across a river at a place where it was 300 yards broad. I believe it is not generally known that this animal takes to the water. Our men caught the beast, cooked and ate him." In past ages gigantic ground-sloths roamed over South America. The largest of these, the Megatherium, rivalled the elephant in size. Descendants of these giants appear to have lingered on till comparatively recent times, as witness the wonderful discovery by Moreno, made during the year of 1900, in a cave in Patagonia. This was nothing less than a skull and a large piece of the hide of one of these monsters in a wonderful state of preservation, showing indeed undoubted traces of blood and sinew. That the hide was removed by human hands there can be no doubt, for it was rolled up and turned inside-out. Immediately after this discovery was announced, an expedition was dispatched from England to hunt, not so much for more remains, but for the animal itself Time will show whether these efforts will prove successful. _ The Ant-eaters Unlike as the ant-eaters are to the sloths, they are nevertheless very closely related thereto. This unlikeness at the present day is so great that, were it not for " missing-links " in the shape of fossils, we should probably never have discovered the relationship. The head of the typical ant-eaters has been drawn out into a long tubular muzzle, at the end of which is a tiny mouth just big enough to permit the exit of a long worm-like tongue, covered with a sticky saliva. This tongue is thrust out with great rapidity amongst the hosts of ants and termites and their larvae, on which they prey. These victims are captured by breaking open their nests. At once all the active inhabitants swarm up to the breach, and are instantaneously swept away by the remorseless tongue. The jaws of the ant-eaters are entirely toothless, and the eyes atfd ears are very small. The largest species of ant-eater is about 4 feet long. It lives entirely upon the ground. Generally speaking, it is a harmless creature; but at times, when cornered, it will fight furiously, sitting up on its hind legs and hugging its foe in its powerful arms. Bates, the traveler- naturalist, relates an instance in which a dog used in hunting the GREAT Ant-eater was caught in its grip and killed. The tail of this large species is covered with very long hair, forming an immense brush. The claw on the third toe of each fore limb is of great size, and used for breaking open ants' and other insects' nests. But besides the great ground ant-eater there are some tree-haunting species. These have a shorter muzzle, and short hair on the tail, which is used, as with the spider monkeys, as a: THE GREAT ANT-EATER In walking the ant-eater turns hi toes intvards, so that the clanvs turn upiuards and itiiuards the •weight of the body being home by a horny pad on the fifth toe, and the halls of the third and fourth toen SLOTHS, ANT-EATERS, AND ARMADILLOS 303 Photo by j4. S. Rud'and (5^ Sons TAMANDUA ANT-EATER This species, ivhich is a smaller animal than the Great Ant-eater , li'vcs almost entirely in the trees, instead of on the ground •fifth limb. Curled round the bough of a tree, its owner is free to swing himself out on to another branch. The smallest of the tree-dwelling species is not larger than a rat, and is a native of the hottest parts of the forests of South and Central America. The muzzle in this species is quite short, not long and tubular, as in the larger species. It is a very rare animal, or is at least very seldom seen, a fact perhaps due to its small size. It is known as the Two-TOED Ant- EATER, only the second and third fingers of the fore feet bearing claws. Von Sack, in his " Narrative of a Voyage to Surinam," tells us that the natives of Surinam call this little animal " Kissing-hand " — " as the inhabitants pretend that it will never eat, at least when caught, but that it only licks its paws, in the same manner as the bear; that all trials to make it eat have proved in vain, and that it soon dies in confinement. When I got the first, I sent to the forest for a nest of ants ; and during the interin\ I put into its cage some eggs, honey, milk, and meat ; but it refused to touch any of them At last the ants' nest arrived, but the animal did not pay the slightest attention to it either. By the shape of its fore paws, which resemble nippers, I thought that this little creature might perhaps live on the nymphse of wasps, etc. I therefore brought it a wasps' nest, and then it pulled out with its nippers the nymphae from the nest, and began to eat them with the greatest eagerness, sitting in the posture of a squirrel. I showed this phenomenon to many of the inhabitants, who all assured me that it was the first time they had ever known that species of animal take any nourishment.'' The Armadillos Readers of this book will doubtless have noticed long ere this how manifold are the devices for the purpose of defence adopted by the Mammalia. The Armadillos have certainly selected the most complete, having encased themselves in an impenetrable bony armour as perfect as the coat of mail of the warrior of the Middle Ages. Concerning this and the variations thereon adopted by the different members of the group we shall speak presently. Armadillos are mostly confined to South America, and occur both in the open pampas and the shady depths of the forest. They live in burrows, which they dig with incredible speed. These burrows are generally found in the vicinity of the nests of ants and termites, which form their staple diet. One species, however, at least feeds apparently with equal relish upon vegetable matter, eggs, young birds, mice, snakes, and carrion. 304 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD The bony armour is disposed over the crown of the head, back, and flanks. It is made up of numerous small, bony plates, buried deep in the skin, and each overlaid by a horny scale. The tail is protected by bony rings. The plates covering the shoulders and those directly over the hindquarters fuse into a solid mass, thus forming chambers into which the limbs can be withdrawn. In the region of the body, between these two shields, the plates are arranged in rows encircHng the body, thus permitting the animal to roil itself up as occasion may require. Hairs grow out between the plate.s, and in some cases give the animal quite a furry appearance. Speaking of the burrowing powers of the armadillo, Darwin, in his most fascinating "Voyage of the Beagle," tells us that " the instant one was perceived, it was necessary, in order to catch it, almost to tumble off one's horse ; for in soft soil the animal burrowed so quickly that its hinder quarters would almost disappear before one could alight. It seems almost a pity to kill such nice litde animals ; for as a Gaucho said, while sharpening his knife on the back of one, 'Son tan mansos' (They are so quiet)." As a rule, armadillos are regarded as animals loving dry, sandy wastes ; nevertheless, they are said to be able to swim both well and swiftly. The flesh of the armadillo is apparently by no means unpalatable. The Pichiciago One of the most remarkable of the armadillos is the PiCHlCIAGO, or Fairy Armadillo. It is a tiny creature of some 5 inches long, found in the sandy wastes of the western part of the Argentine Republic. The horn}' covering of the bony plates is pinkish colour, and the hair is silky in texture and snow-white. But it is not on this account that the fairy armadillo is remarkable : its claim to notoriety rests on the peculiar arrangement of the bony plates constituting the armour.- These bony plates are small and thin, and covered, as in other species, with a horny coat; but instead of being embedded in the skin, they are attached only along the middle of the back, and project freely over the body on either side, leaving a space between the shield and the body. The hinder end of the body is specially protected by a nearly circular vertical shield, firmly fixed to the hip-girdle. This shield, it is said, is used as a plug to fill up its burrow with. Pholi iy A. S. KitdUnd ir' i.nj TWO-TOED ANT-EATER A-though the fore feet have four toes^ only the second and third hear claivs ; hence the name Tnuo-toed ' ' Ant-eater The Peludo Armadillos of the normal type, wherein the body armour is embedded in the skin, are represented by numerous species. Of one, known as the Peludo, Mr. Hudson has given us some interesting details. " It feeds," he tells us, " not only upon insects, but also upon vegetable matter, eggs, young birds, and carrion. Its method of capturing mice was certainly ingenious. It hunted by smell, and when nearing its prey became greatly agitated. The exact spot discovered, the body was raised slowly to a sitting posture, and then flung suddenly forwards, so that the mouse or nest of mice was imprisoned beneath, and promptly dispatched." " Still more remarkable," says Mr. Lydekker, " is the manner in which a peludo has been observed to kill a snake, by rushing upon it and proceeding to saw the unfortunate reptile in pieces by pressing upon it closely with the jagged edges of its armour, and at the same time moving its body backwards and forwards. The struggles of the snake were all in vain, as its fangs could make no impression upon the panoply of its assailant, and eventually the reptile slowly dropped and died, to be soon afterwards devoured by the armadillo, which commenced the meal by seizing the snake's tail in its mouth, and gradually eating forwards." SLOTHS, ANT-EATERS, AND ARMADILLOS 305 f ■l''"""Tni7 WT^tmHTW^'^ ""r ffiW!?1'^rtmi!l''*WP^i Photo by Tori &^ Son WEASEL-HEADED ARMADILLO The nv easel- headed armadillos ka've from six to eight mo'vahle hands in the bony armour in ivhich they are encased fhulo by L. Mtdla d, /-.Z.o. HAIRY-RUMPED ARMADILLO T^is spedeSj like the Peba Armadillo^ varies its diet