Графични страници
PDF файл
ePub
[merged small][graphic]

WERE the race of horses to cease to exist, that of the serviceable but ill used Ass would soon acquire no trifling value. Though less beautiful than the horse, the Ass, when properly kept, is a handsome animal; he is much stronger, in proportion, and much more hardy than his favoured rival; and has the additional advantages of being less subject to disease, and capable of living upon very humble fare. It is only in the article of water that he can be said to be dainty; of that he will drink only the cleanest. He is three or four years in coming to perfection, and lives till twenty, or twentyfive; he sleeps much less than the horse, and never lies down for that purpose, unless greatly fatigued. The female goes above eleven months with young, and never produces more than one foal at a time, to which she is said to be so fondly attached that she will rush through fire or water to protect or rejoin it.

When very young, the Ass is sprightly, but he soon loses that quality through ill treatment; and becomes slow, stupid, and headstrong. He is sometimes greatly attached to his owner; whom he scents at a distance, and plainly distinguishes from others in a crowd. When overloaded, he shows his sense of his master's injus

tice

[ocr errors]

dr

e, by hanging down his head and lowering his ears; when too hard pressed, he opens his mouth, and aws back his lips, in a very disagreeable manner. He walks, trots, and gallops like a horse; but, though he sets out freely at first, he is soon tired of rapid motion, and then no beating will compel him to mend his pac. The Spanish Ass is the finest variety of the spec; ies.

[merged small][graphic]

THE Mule is an inte mediate creature, springing from the union of the ass with the mare; and it accordingly inherits the small legs and handsome shape of the latter, and the long ears, and cro terize the former. In obsinacy it surpasses its male 'ss on the back, which characparent; but it is valuable forts sureness of foot, which enables it to pass with safety along the most tremendous precipices, if left to the gidance of its own instinct. The Mule is fond of hand some trappings, and lives longer than either the horse the ass. Nature denies to it the power of continuing's race.

[merged small][graphic]

is

[ocr errors]

and the

mooth as

e ribbons, ound in the ite ground. 3 of a delicate

nought to have post horn. The parts of Africa;

in those extensive

THE Zebra is at once one of the most elegant most untameable of animals. Its skin is as satin, and adorned with elegant stripes, lik which are brown on a yellowish white gr male, and in the female are black on a w The body is round and plump, and the leg smallness. The voice of this creature a distant resemblance to the sound of Zebra is chiefly found in the souther whole herds are often seen grazing plains that lie near the Cape of Good Hope, and a penalty of fifty rix dollars is inflicted on any person who shoots one of them. Such of th em as are caught alive or. Several have been are presented to the govern brought to England, but, e- cept in one instance, they have all displayed great wildness, and even ferocity. at w ch was burnt some years The exception was in th ago at Exeter Change It would allow young children to be put upon its heck, and was once ridden from the Lyceum to Pimlic; but it was bred and reared in arents half reclaimed. In several Portugal, from other cases, Zeras have attempted to injure spectators, and have not even spared their keepers.

[merged small][graphic][ocr errors]

IN suture the Bull equals the horse, but he is much strong made in all parts of his body, particularly about the neck and head; his horns are thick and large, and when enraged, he gores and tosses both man and beast. The animal is very short-lived for its size and strength, sedom exceeding sixteen years. He arrives to the greatest perfection in this country, its climate and the verdure of our fields being most congenial to his constitution

The pains take by the English to bring their horned cattle to perfectio. has been attended with complete success; for by mixing them with foreign breeds, they have increased both their beauty and their strength. The Lincolnshire breed, so famous for their size, derive that perfection from'those of Holstein; and the large horned cattle thaife bred in some parts of Eng land, were originally imported from Poland

VOL. I.

[merged small][graphic]

THIS animal is the female of the bull, and resembles in respect to size and stature, but is shorter-live, of all quadrupeds she seems the most liable to altration from the quality of the pasture. Thus Afri is remarkable for the largest and the smallest catre of this kind, as are also Poland, Switzerland, and seral other parts of Europe. Among the Eluth Tartar, where the pastures are remarkably luxuriant, the Cow becomes so large that few men can reach the p of its shoulders: but in France, where the anim is stinted in its food, and driven from the richest pasturage, it greatly degenerates.

The Cow has seldom more than one calf at a time, and goes about nine months. There is scarcely a part of this animal that is not useful to mankind; and, of late years, benefit has been derived even from one of its diseases, by the introduction of vaccine inoculation, an antidote for that horrible and deadly disorder, the small pox.

« ПредишнаНапред »