Picture Natural History

Introduction

In England a book that is called a “Natural History” is generally a book about every kind of living creature, but without noticing anything else; and yet, of course, the words Natural History really mean the history of all Nature’s works, both those which have not animal life and those which have. So, if we suppose that Nature herself were to write her own history—and a very delightful Natural History that certainly would be—we should expect to find in her book a charming account of trees, and plants, and flowers, as well as of beasts, and birds, and fishes, and insects, and, indeed, a great many other things besides.

This little book, which calls itself a Natural History , without attempting to describe all Nature’s works, does contain more than is usual in such books when they are written in English. This book has followed the example of foreign books of the same kind, which delight to bring together within one volume descriptions of those two great divisions of created things, one of which has life as animals have life, while the other has life as vegetables have it. This Natural History, then, is a History of Life. It does not, indeed, say anything about the highest and most perfect life that is known upon the earth, which is Human Life ; but it contains accounts of lives, first of the different kinds of animals, and then of the different kinds of vegetables ; so that here, in a single volume, are placed together what may be called two chapters taken from Nature’s great Book of Life. In each of these two chapters, one of them on animal life, and the other on vegetable life, Nature would have had a great deal more to say than has here been said, and she would have used much wiser words. We, however, have been content at this time to write what we hope may lead on youthful readers, as they grow older,

INTRODUCTION.

VI11

to inquire for larger and more learned books, such as may tell them the very many things that we have not attempted now.

The contents of this book are divided into ZOOLOGY and Botany. Zoology includes all living creatures, whether they live on the land, or in the water, or in the air ; therefore, it includes all birds, beasts, reptiles, fish, and insects. In each of these divisions of living creatures there are great numbers of different animals ; and of each kind of animal there are many varieties. Thus, for example, dogs are animals of a perfectly different kind from monkeys ; and there are many varieties of both dogs and monkeys. We have considered all the creatures of the same kind to form one animal family , such as the “ cat family,” and so forth ; and then we have described some of the chief members of each family, as in the “ cat family ” we have described the lion, and the tiger, and the leopard, and some others. It will also be seen that several animal families form a single group because they all agree in some one important particular ; thus, several animal families form one group because they all are “ beasts of prey ”—they all find their food, that is, by preying on other creatures weaker than themselves.

And Botany , which we have treated very much in the same way that we have treated Zoology, contains the history of what may be well distinguished as the vegetable world -—all those living works of Nature, trees, and plants, and flowers, which clothe the earth with varied beauty, and render such useful and valuable service, not to us human beings only, but also to all the other living creatures which inhabit the earth together with ourselves.

NATURAL HISTORY.

DIVISION I.—ZOOLOGY.

Part I.—ouadrupeds

ZOOLOGY is the History of all living creatures. As there are several varieties of living creatures, Zoology is divided into several parts, each of which treats of one great variety of living creatures.

The first of these parts contains all the families of those living creatures which are called Quadrupeds.

QUADRUPEDS are animals that have four feet; and, with the exception of a few which live both on the land and in the water, they all live on the dry land and breathe the air as men do. The young of Quadrupeds are born alive.

PICTURE NATURAL HISTORY.

No. i.—T he Lion.

No. I.

THE LION.

First amongst the quadrupeds, and for that reason styled the King of Beasts, comes the Lion ; and, with his stately form and his flowing mane, a truly royal-looking beast he is. The lion is like a king in being very strong and powerful, and he has a royal voice, too; not, indeed, that real kings of men roar like lions ; but the voice of a king, which always is dignified and com¬ mands the greatest respect, when he is angry may be very terrible ; so the loud fierce roar of a lion may be said to have a royal sound. Vet in his nature the lion is not kinglike, unless he be compared with some of the native kings of Africa, of India, Arabia, and Persia, where the lion lives, for he is a cunning, treacherous, and cruel beast, and not generous and noble—a true king of the cats . The lion is of a tawny colour; he stands about four feet in height, and is about eight feet long. The lioness is smaller and fiercer than her mate; she has no mane; her cubs are playful little things, and she has either two, three, or four at a time.

THE TIGER.

No. 2 .—The Tiger.

THE TIGER.

Th£ Tiger, which lives chiefly in India, is rather longer than his great rival the lion, but not quite so tall; he has no mane, and, accordingly, he may be considered to be a striped cat of immense size. His strength is truly astonishing, and so also is his agility. Like the lion, he is very cunning and cruel; but he is bolder and fiercer than the king of beasts. No beast is more beautiful than the tiger; and the dark stripes, which make his rich brown fur so beautiful, also are so like the tall jungle-grass of his Indian home, that it is most difficult to see him until his prey has come within the reach of his deadly spring ; and then his presence is felt. Tiger-hunting is a wild and dangerous sport; the hunters ride on elephants, and they now have such good rifles that they are almost certain to kill the tigers, when they have found them. In some parts of India, how¬ ever, the tiger is a terrible enemy of the people ; he prowls about the villages, and too often succeeds in carrying off some unfortunate man or child.

PICTURE NATURAL HISTORY.

THE WILD CAT.

With the exception of having a bushy tail instead of a tapering one, the only difference between the Wild Cat and that favourite and friend of ours his cousin the domestic cat is that while one creature is tame the other is wild. In all his ways and doings the wild cat is very cat-ish, particularly in every bad cat way; and we all know what that means. If a tiger is an enormous cat, a wild cat is a small tiger.

This crafty, cowardly, savage animal, belongs, not to the cat family, but to the dog tribe. Yet there is nothing

No. 3 .—The Wild Cat.

of the dog about him—nothing noble and faithful and generous. And the dogs themselves seem to know that; while they cannot deny him to be a member of their family, the Wolf has none of their qualities, and

THE LEOPARD—THE JAGUAR.

they hate him accordingly. Wolves hunt in packs; and, when on the track of their prey, they pursue the chase with a long gallop which appears never to tire them. The jaws and teeth of the wolf are very strong; and when he bites he gives several quick, short, wolfish snaps, with which he tears his prey. Until about the year 1350 wolves were common and very dangerous in England, but at that time they wefe all destroyed.

THE LEOPARD.

The Leopard is a large animal of the cat family. It is a beautiful creature, having its skin covered with spots. It is swift and fierce; and because it lives so much amongst the branches of trees, the natives of India and Africa, where it lives, call it Treetiger. Its movements are wonderfully graceful, and its activity and agility are quite equal to its grace. It is easily tamed, and when in this con¬ dition shows its pleasure by purring like a domestic cat.

THE JAGUAR.

This animal might be called the American Leopard , because America is its home. It differs from the leopard only in being considerably

No. 5. —The Leopard.

PICTURE NATURAL HISTORY.

I larger, and in having a black streak across its breast. Its skin is covered J with beautiful spots, which, like those 1 of the leopard and panther, are in little clusters ; so that these creatures may be said to be covered with rosettes. In the middle of each rosette the Jaguar has a black spot, lie is as clever a climber as the leopard, and is both a fierce and rapacious animal.

THE LYNX.

This very sharp-looking creature, which is quite as sharp as it looks, is one of the short-tailed members of the cat family, and is about three feet in length. It is found in the vast forests of the north of Europe, Asia, and America, where it is a terrible enemy to all animals weaker and smaller than itself, but it does not attack man. The Canada lynx moves in a very curious way, by a quick succession of jumps, with all its four feet oft* the ground at once, and its back arched. The skin is valuable, and about ten thousand of them are exported from Canada every year. _

THE WEASEL.

Small as the Weasel is, it is a passionate and also a very courageous animal. It makes a dash at its victim or enemy, always aiming at

No. 6 .—Thf. Jaguar.

No. &—The Weasel.

THE WHITE BEAR.

the throat; and, with its sharp, ' strong teeth, it is certain to inflict Ji dangerous if not a fatal wound.

THE WHITE BEA

The White or Polar Bear live or Arctic 1^ the brown lb s, fish, an can bot rmidable e are cov that it can ke with ease.

ons; it is larger and feeds on 1 on the walrus ; nd dive, it is a he soles of its witfi long hair, so s footing on the ice

No. io.

THE BROWN BEAR.

Unlike its Polar cousin, the Brown Bear frequents the forests of Northern Europe, Switzerland, and the Pyrenees, and it is said to have been found in Scotland rather more than eight hundred years ago. It is very fond of honey; in fact, bears will eat both animal and vegetable food with equal appetite.

No. ii.— Fore- No. 12.—Hind-

foot of Bear. foot of Bear.

Nos. ii and 12 show us the fore-foot and hind-foot of the bear ; they differ from the feet of the cat family, both being suited to the different characters of the animals themselves. Cats being naturally quick in movement and light in weight, walk on their paws or toes; but bears are heavy, and walk with their feet flat on the ground.

Bear-baiting was a favourite amusement in the days of Good Queen Bess, the unlucky bear being tied to a pole, and dogs set at it. This most cruel sport is happily no longer in existence.

THE GLUTTON.

The Glutton, or Wolverine, lives in North America ; its name partly tells its nature, which prompts it to pursue its prey with unrelenting ardour. It is a sad enemy to the sable-hunter ; following him at a distance, it robs the traps, and destroys the sables. The glutton is very determined,

THE GLUTTON—THE HKENA.

and will often come off victorious when attacked by a dog, although it is a small animal, only two feet six inches in length, not including its tail.

THE HYHENA.

The Hyaena looks just what he is— a ferocious, cowardly, and ravenous creature. Its hind - quarters slope away very much, a consequence of which is that it has a strange shamb¬ ling way of walking, and an odd kind of trotting run. The hyaena inhabits Asia and Africa, and we may be very glad that he is a stranger to our part of the world, except when we can look at him through the bars of a strong cage.

No. 14 .—Tiie Hy/ena.

PICTURE NATURAL HISTORY.

THE SHREW MOUSE.

The nose of the Shrew Mouse is much longer than that of the common which, in the winter, its fur turns white, with the exception only of the tip of its tail, and this remains black as the whole of the fur used to be.

THE RACOON.

very clever, crafty-looking crearepresented in No. 17, is quite as clever and quite as crafty as he looks. About the size of a large

No. 15.—The Shrew Mouse.

mouse; its teeth are stronger, more pointed, and sharper ; and it has such a peculiar scent that a cat will not eat it, though she

will pounce on it and kill it.

-

THE ERMINE.

THIS is the same animal as the Stoat; and, indeed, it is called the Ermine only in those northern countries in

No. 16.— The Ermine.

No. 17.— The Racoon.

fox, his skin is of great value ; and he thinks so himself, and he takes great care to keep his own skin for his own use and comfort. However, wary as he is, the American hunters contrive to shoot the racoon in considerable numbers.

THE MOLE.

The Mole has very small eyes pro¬ tected with a mass of fur, and in every respect it is well provided for its

THE MOLE—THE FOX—THE HEDGEHOG.

curious underground life. Its fore¬ paws are formed like hands , armed with strong sharp nails, with which it burrows into the earth. It has a vo¬ racious appetite, and it lives chiefly on earth-worms; it eats every two hours, and this constant eating makes the mole a thirsty creature, so it is fond of burrowing near water, or else it scratches out little holes to catch the rain, and thus it may be said to dig wells for itself.

THE FOX.

One look at the picture of the Fox will tell us what a sly, cunning fellow he is ; and one look at a live fox would also tell us that the picture was a good likeness. He is a sleek, elegant creature, with a beautifully bushy tail. At night he creeps out of his hole, hides himself in the tall weeds and grass, or in some thick brushwood; and, should a roaming hare or rabbit come near him, he pounces on it in a moment, giving it no chance of escape; and he is also a sad enemy to all poultry. The fox has a very strong scent, by which dogs can follow him for many miles ; and from this, and because of his speed, fox-hunting is a favourite English sport. In the Arctic Regions the fox is white. He may be tamed sometimes ; and we ourselves once had a great friendship for a fine fox who was as tame as a cat, and’ would jump upon our lap and curl himself up there to be coaxed.

THE HEDGEHOG.

The Hedgehog is the only English animal whose skin is protected by a kind of armour of sharp spikes.

When attacked, the hedge-

No. 19 .—The Fox.

No. iS.—T he Mole.

PICTURE NATURAL HISTORY.

hog rolls itself up, so that it looks like a large prickly ball; even the fox is puzzled to get at such a well-armed morsel, and can only do so by carefully rolling the hedgehog into a small pool of water, when the unlucky creature unrolls itself to see what is the matter, and is directly seized. In winter the hedgehog sleeps, curled up in a hole, comfortably lined with moss and dead leaves.

beautiful fur, which is almost as good as that of the sable.

No. 20.— The Hedgehog.

THE MARTEN.

In England there are two kinds of Martens, called the Pine and the Beech Marten, from their fondness for living in those trees. A poor little chicken is here seen in the clutches of the marten ; unfortunately, this small animal is far too fond of robbing fowlyards. It gets punished by being much valued for the sake of its

No. 2i.—T he Marten.

THE SKUNK.

The Skunk lives in the back-woods of North America. When it is hunted, it suddenly stops, and such an offensive smell comes from it that its pursuers are obliged to retreat. It is smaller than the fox, and its fur is beautifully striped; it has a fine bushy tail, which it curls over its back like a squirrel.

THE CIVET.

THIS little animal is found only in North Africa and Abyssinia ; it likes to live on the desolate hills, where there is neither grass nor small shrubs to shelter it. There is one very odd thing, or rather peculiarity,

THE Cl VET—THE OTTER.

about the civet: a perfume is hidden in a sort of little pouch under its tail. This perfume is much valued, and, when the civet is killed, the pouch is sometimes cut off whole, and then sold at a much higher price than when the scent is first taken out of the pouch, as people are apt to mix other things with it to make it more, which of course takes away from the real worth of the perfume. The civet, which can see in the dark like a cat, feeds on birds and small animals It is a very active little creature, and is only about two feet long.

THE OTTER.

The Otter is very nearly as much at home in the water as on the land ; its nature is almost exactly the same as that of the polecat, for it is very voracious, kills a great many more

No. 23 .—The Civet.

PICTURE NATURAL HISTORY.

No. 24 .—The Otter.

animals than it can eat, and is very dainty, only eating choice little bits. When in the water, the otter moves about most gracefully, twisting, turn¬ ing, and diving, as easily as possible. It is very fond of fish, and will destroy quantities, only caring to eat delicate morsels, and leaving the rest of the fish untouched. In Scotland otter¬ hunting is a very popular amusement, the creature being first tracked by its footsteps; then great is the excite¬ ment, for the otter is most difficult to catch; it dives, bites, and hides itself, and gives no small trouble to its hunters. It can be easily tamed, and is then sometimes taught to fish for the benefit of its masters.

THE GORILLA.

We now have come to a family of animals which have been called, not quadrupeds , but quadrnmans; that is, creatures having four hands\ instead of four feet; for not only have they hands rather than feet attached to their fore-limbs, but the feet of their hind-limbs also are strangely hand¬ like, and capable of grasping the branches of the trees amongst which many of them spend the greater part of their lives. Some of these singular animals might even be said to have five hands, since they have such very handy tails, that they are able to use the tips of them like fifth hands. There are three principal varieties of the animals of this class—apes, ba¬ boons, and monkeys. The first are ferocious creatures, and, unlike the lively and mischief-loving baboons and monkeys, they are sullen and dull. Apes for the most part live on the ground, and they find homes for themselves in hollow places amongst rocks, or in caves; they are long-lived, have immense strength, and some of them grow to be four or even five feet high. There is in all the ani¬ mals of this family something that is

THE GORILLA

No. 25 .—The Gorilla.

PICTURE NATURAL HISTORY.

both ludicrous and painful—some¬ thing that causes us to be disposed to laugh, while at the same time it almost makes us feel sad. It is im¬ possible, indeed, not to be highly amused with the agility, the tricks, and the innumerable monkeyish ways of these strange animals; and yet, when we laugh the most heartily, we cannot help feeling that they have an uncomfortable likeness to human beings. But then, if this be so, we may remember that, while the monkey family shows us how animals may have a certain likeness to human beings, in these same creatures we have a warning that it is possible for human beings to make themselves like animals. Nature has made monkeys to be a little like men ; but when men resemble monkeys, the likeness is of their own making —it is because they are wilfully mischievous, and given up to follies and vices that degrade them to a level with the lower animals.

The Gorilla is the largest, strongest, and most fierce of all apes. It is covered with long hair, its face has a most brutal expression, and its cha¬ racter is in keeping ; for the temper of the gorilla is cruel, it kills for the sake of killing, and is a most for¬ midable enemy on account of its enormous strength. On its hindpaws it has short fingers and a very long thumb ; its fore-paws are just the contrary—the fingers long^ and the thumb short. On account of its dangerous nature, the habits of the gorilla are not very well known. The largest specimen ever brought to England was five feet six inches tall. This creature lives in Western Africa. _

THE CHIMPANZEE.

No. 26.— The Chimpanzee.

Chimpanzees are natives of Western Africa, and in their own country they exist in immense numbers; they also

THE ENTELLUS MONKEY—THE URSINE HOWLER.

1 7 delight to form themselves into great bands, when they are strong enougn and fierce enough to drive away even lions and elephants from the places where they themselves prefer to live.

THE ENTELLUS MONKEY.

Here we have a true specimen of a monkey, with all the qualities that we expect to find in a creature bearing that name. The Entellus, which is a

No. 27.—The Entellus Monkey.

little more than two feet long, is a native of India, and there are several varieties of it. This monkey is one of the most active of living creatures ; and such is its instinct that, certainly without intending any such thing, it is a friend to mankind in this way : the C

Entellus delights to catch and destroy venomous serpents. It watches a snake until it falls asleep, and then, as quick as a flash of lightning, it seizes it by the throat; but it does not kill its victim until after it has destroyed its poisonous fangs, which it does by grinding them down upon the first large and hard stone it can find, hold¬ ing the snake quite tight, and rubbing its head on the stone, grinning and chattering all the time. Then, when the snake has been made harmless, the Entellus tosses it to its young, who, apparently conscious that it can¬ not hurt them, play very rough tricks with it before they kill and eat it.

THE URSINE HOWLER.

This is one of the monkeys that are found only in South America, where they are abundant. In Brazil, forty or fifty of them have sometimes been seen in a single tree. When they set out on a journey, an old Howler takes the lead, and the rest follow in regular order, just as if they had been drilled ; but they do not move very quickly. They feed on fruit and vegetables ; and, as will be seen in the picture, they can use the tips of their tails to grasp branches. These creatures have very peculiar throats, which j 8 PICTURE NATURAL HISTORY.

enable them to utter a very loud and mournful cry ; and this they do at sunrise and sunset, also when anything

No. 28 .—The Ur 9 tne Howler.

all insects ; but it also eats fruit of almost every kind.

No. 29 .—The Marmoset.

THE NIGHT MONKEY.

excites or agitates them, one monkey beginning, and then all the rest howl¬ ing in a most dismal concert.

THE MARMOSET.

The Marmoset is the pet of all monkeys, and is a really beautiful and interesting little creature. It is brisk and lively, with brilliant eyes, and the softest of fur. It is very tender, how¬ ever, and in England it must be kept warm. It knows how to make itself snug, and is quite happy if it can nestle under a heap of cotton-wool. It is very fond of flies, and, indeed, of

This little creature gets its name from its habit of sleeping all day, for its eyes are so sensitive that it cannot

No. 30.— The Night Monkey, bear the light. As soon as darkness comes on, the Night Monkey is

THE DOG-HEADED MONKEY—THE LONG-EARED BAT. 19 activity itself; it eats small birds and insects, and is so quick in movement that it will strike down flies on the wing.

THE DOG-HEADED MONKEY.

BOTH in temper and habits this monkey is most unpleasing. In the picture we see the Dog-headed

THE CREEPING BAT.

This bat has a most curious habit of creeping; it drags itself along by'its

No. 31.— The Dog-headed Monkey.

Monkey in the middle of one of its favourite climbing expeditions in its native country of Africa.

No. 32 .—The Creeping Bat.

claws in the odd doublcd-up sort of attitude seen in the picture.

THE LONG-EARED BAT.

The Long-eared Bat is quite at home in England. His ears are about an inch and a half long, and they give him a very pert look. Like the rest of his race, he is dull and sleepy during the day, and brisk and lively as the evening comes on. Then he rouses himself, and is soon on the wing in pursuit of the insects on which he preys. He has a strange way of sleeping, hanging by the claws of his

PICTURE NATURAL HISTORY.

hind feet, with his head downward, its swiftness. Hares make for themand his film-like wings closely folded selves not very comfortable nests, or up, as he is shown in the picture forms> upon the ground, and there No. 33. they will lie crouching down, with

No. 33 .—The Long-eared Bat.

THE HARE.

This pretty, inoffensive, timid crea¬ ture, with its bright soft eyes and its long black-tipped ears, has more enemies than any other animal, because it is so very good to eat, and it has no means of self-defence except

No 34 —The Hare.

their ears stretched along their backs ; but, when they have been roused, they lift themselves up, with their ears erect, listening for every sound. In open places, such as parts of Salisbury Plain, Hares maybe seen in immense numbers; and a truly pleasing sight it is to observe their graceful gambols and their rapid movements. Hares are hunted, and also chased, or “coursed,” by greyhounds. In cold countries, the Hare, like the Fox its enemy, changes the colour of its tawny fur to white, and thus it escapes many a danger from being so like the snow which surrounds it.

THE RABBIT—THE MARMOT—THE GUINEA-PIG.

THE RABBIT.

We are as familiar with Rabbits as we are with Hares, and sometimes even more so, because there are so many varieties of tame Rabbits which are kept in great numbers, and made pets and favourites. Rabbits burrow in ground like a rabbit, and makes a house having two rooms in it; one room for itself, and one in which it may store up its provisions for the winter ; for the Marmot shuts itself into its snug underground dwelling when the winter months are coming near, and there it lies torpid until the sun is warm again. In the spring

No. 36 .—The Marmot.

No. 35 .—The Rabbit.

the ground, and live in holes which they have made for themselves, and in which they instantly take refuge when alarmed. Rabbits delight to dart and frisk about, and they can run very swiftly. They have a great many young ones, which soon grow up, and begin to dig burrows for themselves.

THE MARMOT.

This pretty little creature, which is common throughout the mountain¬ ous parts of Europe, burrows in the and summer, when they go out of doors to look for food, Marmots always have one of their number keeping watch, like a sentry, to give them notice should a dog or any other of their enemies come within sight; and if an alarm should be given by this faithful watcher, they all dart away into their holes, the sentinel Marmot seeing the rest in safety before he thinks about himself.

THE GUINEA - PIG.

The Guinea-pig is a pretty littl*

PICTURE NATURAL HISTORY.

animal, not very intelligent, but quiet and tame.

No. 37. —Tiie Guinea-pig.

THE BEAVER.

The Beaver, which is between three and four feet in length, might be called the Builder , for it is the master mason of all animals, so wonderful are the skill, ingenuity, and per- I severance which its instinct teaches it to display in constructing its dwel¬ ling. Beavers live in communities, and they place their houses in rivers, in such a manner that the

THE LEMMING.

Happily, the Lemming is only found in the northern parts of Europe. Small as this animal is—about six inches long—the mischief it does is very great indeed. The Lemmings travel about in enormous packs , lay¬ ing waste the country, eating their way through stacks of corn, and swimming rivers in spite of being eaten by the larger kinds of fish ; and they generally travel on till they come to the sea, where they perish.