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The fur is often divided by distinct ridges, as in the dog and horse; and these, on the horse and hog, are sometimes elongated into a mane. In aquatic quadrupeds the hair is altogether wanting, except in such as are sometimes obliged to live on shore, lest it should absorb the wet."

That animals have organs of sense corresponding with those of man, is well known. They see, hear, taste, smell, and feel, as well as we do, and some of them much more acutely. Both the dog and the wolf have an exquisite sense of smell. The cat, and some others, can see in the dark. The lynx is acute both in sight and smell. The raccoon is peculiarly senIsitive in both smell and touch. Others are, in their quickness

of hearing, superior to man, and some appear to be impressible by musical sounds.

All the quadrupeds utter sounds of some sort or other, which they can vary into as many tones as are necessary to give vent to their feelings, to denote their wants, or to communicate with each other. The chamois, when alarmed, advertise each other of their feelings by a kind of whistle. The one on watch continues this as long as he can blow without taking breath. He then stops for a moment, looks round on all sides, and begins whistling afresh, which he continues from time to time. He leaps on the highest stones he can find, again looks round, leaps from one place to another, and when he discovers any thing seriously alarming, flies off. Many of the ape species, when beaten, will sigh, groan, and weep like children. The four-fingered monkey, when touched, utters a plaintive kind of cry; but has another sound by which it testifies delight at receiving any kind of food; and when female seals come out of the sea, they bleat like sheep for their young.

The monkey tribe give strong indications of mutual communication and comprehension by their vocal utterance. When they go in companies to a field of rice or sugar-cane one stands sentinel on a tree, while the rest plunder. If the

owners appear, he cries out, Houp, houp, houp, which the rest immediately understand, and throwing down the corn in the left hand, and retaining only what is in the right, scamper off on three legs as fast as they can. Marcgrave's account of the Ouarine monkey presents a curious picture: "I have frequently been a witness of their assemblies and deliberations. Every day they assemble in the woods to receive instructions. One then takes the highest place on a tree, and makes a signal with his hand for the rest to sit around. As soon as he sees them placed, he begins his discourse in a loud and precipitate voice; the rest observe a profound silence. has done, he makes a sign with his hand for the rest to reply. At that instant, they raise their voices together, until by another signal silence is enjoined. At last the assembly breaks up."

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Even the fiercest species of quadrupeds exhibit a remarkable degree of docility, especially when they are taken while young, and subjected to patient and gentle treatment. The tiger, which may be considered as the fiercest of the fierce, has exhibited this improvability. So has the savage and voracious hyena. Crocodiles have been made harmless and docile. The leopard and the wolf have also shown that they possess what we may term affectionate qualities. Cuvier describes a young wolf that was brought up like a young dog. It became familiar with every person whom he was in the habit of seeing, followed his master every where, was obedient to his voice, and differed in nothing from the tamest dog. Its owner gave him to the Royal Menagerie at Paris, and was affectionately recognized by it eighteen. months afterwards. When, after another absence of three years, he went to it, though it was dark, it knew him by his voice, placed its fore paws on his shoulders and licked his face, and became ill and pined because he went away.

The ounce may be trained to hunt, and become as tractable as a pointer. The large tiger cat is easily tamed.

The

mountain lynx has mild and gentle manners. The Egyptian ichneumon may be softened so as to be kept in a house, like a cat. The otter may be taught to catch fish for its master; the ferret is domesticated, and employed to catch rabbits; and the snow-weasel may be trained to follow a person any where. One of the directors of the African company at Senegal trained a lion, caught in the forest there, to be very tractable, and to live in amity with the other animals which his master kept. He slept in the same place with sheep, dogs, cats, monkeys, geese, and ducks. In a work on animal biography, we are told that at New Hargard, in Germany, the landlord placed on the floor a large dish of soup, and then gave a loud whistle; immediately a mastiff, an Angora cat, an old raven, and a large rat with a bell, entered the room. All four went to the dish and fed together. These facts prove that there is nothing in the nature of the wildest animals to prevent their being tamed and domesticated.

That animals have feelings and passions very analogous to our own, is well known to those who closely observe them. Our rugged or oppressive conduct towards them oftener puts their resentful emotions into action, than their better capabilities; and this has caused their angry humors to be most frequently noticed. In educating the ox for the plough, one who was well acquainted with the subject recommends that "all violence and rough language should be avoided. If he be stubborn, there should be no blows and no loud scolding. Stop; pat him; pat the other ox; and he will presently move on again. If he lie down, let him lie till he is tired; and when he chooses to get up, treat him very gently, as if he had been doing every thing that was right. By these means a young ox will in a few days be broken to his labor. With gentle treatment, he is always of the same temper; always of the same aptitude to labor."

It should be our endeavor, therefore, always to treat with humanity those domestic animals with which we are associated.

We thereby not only make them more subservient to our pur poses, but we thus most truly assert that superiority to the brute creation, which the Creator intended us to preserve; for one who will indulge in sallies of passion and cruel treatment towards the inferior animals that may be placed in his power, will not only be less likely to manifest a proper degree of selfcontrol in his intercourse with his fellow-men, but by indulging in such a habit, he, in a measure, degrades himself to a level with the animals which he oppresses.

LESSON LI.

Oviparous and Amphibious Quadrupeds. IDEM.

THE Oviparous quadrupeds constitute a class of animals very distinct in their figure, limbs, and functions from the other quadrupeds, yet associated with them by several striking analogies. They have a heart, though it has only one ventricle. They have blood; yet it is not the red, warm fluid, but a cold and pale one. They breathe, but with frequent and long suspensions, which no other class of animals could endure. Their senses are the same, but feebler, except that of sight. Their brain is proportionally smaller. Their muscular motion, in some, is far less vigorous. They require less food, and can remain a long time without any. Their manners are gentler; they exhibit no ferocity, and appear to enjoy a much longer and more tranquil life. They usually inhabit the sea or its shores, rivers and their banks, marshes, pools, and other wet and moist places. They live or herd together, are generally inoffensive, and can be tamed, and become tractable and amusing.

The Creator has made nothing that is not useful, nothing

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so insulated as to have no relations with any thing else, nothing which is not serviceable for other purposes besides its own existence, nothing that is not applicable to the benefit of his sentient creatures, in some respect or other. The mineral has a connection of this sort with both the vegetable and animal kingdoms, and these with each other. The same principle has been pursued throughout the animated classes of nature, and the amphibious order of animals is no exception to this general rule. They have their own gratification from their personal existence; they contribute by their substance to the maintenance of others of their fellow-creatures; and some of their genera serve to multiply the conveniences and pleasures of man.

The first order, the tortoise genera, are the most immediately serviceable to mankind. The flesh of the sea turtle is both a valued delicacy and a useful medicine; and the shell of one species furnishes society with that rich and beautiful material which forms our tortoise-shell ornaments and various articles of convenience. It is a gentle and harmless animal, without any means of hurting others. Its protecting shell forms both its house and its armor, and enables it to defend itself by a patient and passive resistance. It takes for its occasional subsistence grass, sea-weeds, and shell-fish; but, in general, requires little food, as it can subsist for many months without any. The green sea turtles like to be together, and therefore assemble in numbers in the same locality, content with their mutual vicinity, and seeking no further association. They can remain long under water, and sleep upon it. They travel periodically for the sake of depositing their eggs in convenient places; and sometimes, for other reasons, they journey to great distances; for they have been found on the coasts of France, and of England.

The land tortoise has the same gentle and peaceable manners. It can live without food, and probably does so, like many, if not most, of the fish, except at certain periods. It

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