Anecdotes of the Habits and Instinct of Animals Part 14

The Caucasian Ibex, is a goat which affords as much dangerous and exciting sport as the chamois, but is more savage; and has been known to turn round on its pursuer, and hurl him down a precipice. It has a remarkable way of throwing itself down these steep places, head foremost, so as to light upon its horns; which being elastic, bear the shock, and save the animal from injury. They pasture in the valleys at night, and return during the day to the mountains.

In countries where bulls and cows will not live, goats are invaluable.

Their flesh is like bad mutton; but long absence from South downs, makes the appet.i.te less dainty, and their kids are very delicate. However, it is chiefly for their good, nourishing milk that they are to be prized.

The horns of goats are often used by Mussulmans, as an antidote to the evil eye.

Bishop Heber relates the following anecdote. "A monkey came down from a tree to steal the breakfast of a shepherd, who was resting under it with his flock of sheep and goats. He drove the monkey away, who, in his hurry, upset a bee's nest. The insects flew out, and attacked not only the intruder, but the goats and sheep underneath. The curious part was to watch the different behaviour of the two species. The sheep crowded together, buried their noses in the sand, and did not attempt to resist, but bleated piteously. The goats all ran as fast as they could to an encamping party close by, seeking the a.s.sistance of man, as dogs would have done."

SHEEP.

IT is but little necessary to descant here on the different fleeces, and various flavours of mutton which the numerous breeds of sheep afford.

The least reflection and observation, teach us their unspeakable value as sources of food, clothing, and other purposes; my task therefore lies with their dispositions and comprehensions. The last anecdote related shews, that they have more patience, but less courage and resource, than the more lively companions with whom they are so frequently a.s.sociated, and whom they so much resemble. In many instances, however, maternal instinct has called forth their powers to a degree which has caused surprise; and they have been known to traverse considerable distances to seek the a.s.sistance of their own kind, or of their shepherd, when their lambs have been in danger. Moreover, a ram is sometimes a formidable enemy, when he thinks any mischief is intended towards the flock of which he is the proud leader.

Of the attachment of sheep to their native place, Captain Brown gives a very remarkable instance. "A ewe made a journey of nine days' length to return to her native place, with her lamb; and was tracked so completely, as to make her owners acquainted with her adventures.

Nothing turned her back, and whenever her lamb lagged behind, she urged him on with her impatient bleating. When she reached Stirling, it was the day of an annual fair, and she dared not venture into the crowd; she, therefore, laid herself down by the road side, with her lamb, outside the town, and the next morning early, stole through the streets, only terrified at the dogs which she encountered. She came to a toll-bar, the keeper of which stopped her, supposing she was a stray animal, and would shortly be claimed. She frequently tried to get through the gate, but was as often prevented, and she patiently turned back. At last she found some means of eluding the obstacle, for on the ninth day she reached her destination with her lamb, where she was repurchased, and remained till she died of old age in her seventeenth year."

Sheep have been known, when seized with an epidemic disorder, to absent themselves from the rest of the flock, and hide themselves; and many touching stories are told of the artifices of necessity practised to wean them from their dead offspring, and make them adopt others; also of the manner in which they remain and watch the inanimate objects of their affection.

A gentleman travelling in a lonely part of the Highlands, received a strong proof of sagacity in a ewe, who came piteously bleating to meet him. When near, she redoubled her cries, and looked up in his face, as if to ask his a.s.sistance. He alighted from his gig, and followed her.

She led him to a cairn at a considerable distance from the road, where he found a lamb, completely wedged in betwixt two large stones, and struggling with its legs uppermost. He extricated the sufferer, and placed it on the green sward; and the mother poured forth her thanks in a long and continued bleat. (Capt. Brown's Pop. Nat. Hist.)

The following history was related by one of the shepherds to whom the circ.u.mstance occurred. "We were seven of us, grazing the sheep of a rich Bulgarian, on the steppe of Atkeshoff, and had a flock of 2000 sheep, and 150 goats. It was the month of March, and they were just driven out; the weather was mild, and the gra.s.s had appeared, but the wind was bitterly cold in the evening, and it began to rain. The rain soon turned to snow, and our wet cloaks were frozen as hard as boards. A few hours after, came a Siberian _viuga_, or snowdrift, from the north-east, whistling about our ears till seeing or hearing was impossible. We tried to find our way home, from which we were not far distant; but the sheep would not face the wind, and even the goats, who will face anything but a _viuga_, began to run before the storm. To prevent the flock from scampering away was impossible, and all that could be done was to keep them together. We had to race all night, and in the morning there was nothing but snow all round us. The _viuga_ raged all that day, and the poor sheep were even more wild and frightened than in the night.

Sometimes we gave up all as lost, but roused ourselves again, and ran with the screaming, bleating flock, while the oxen trotted after with the wagon, and the dogs came howling behind. The poor goats were all lost, or frozen to death the first day, in which we ran at least fifty or sixty versts, leaving a track of dead sheep behind us. In the evening the poor beasts were less wild, being exhausted by hunger and fatigue. Two of our party reported themselves sick, and crept under the mats and skins in the wagon, and the rest had only time to take a little bread and snow to save life.

"Night came, no house was near, and this was worse than the preceding.

The storm was driving us upon the coast, and we expected to be blown with our stupid cattle into the sea. Another shepherd fell sick, and we thought that night would have been the last for us all. In the morning the wind shifted, and drove us towards some houses, which we saw through the drifting snow, but though they were not more than thirty feet away, it was quite impossible to make the foolish sheep turn aside. On they went before the wind, in spite of all we could do, and we soon lost sight of the houses. Their inhabitants, however, had heard the howling of the dogs, and about twenty came to our a.s.sistance. We then managed to turn the sheep, and drive them under sheds, and into houses. All the goats and five hundred sheep were lost. Many died after they got under shelter, for in their fright, they crowded so close together, that they were smothered. Half a verst farther, and we should have come to the coast, rising twenty-five fathoms above the sea."

The above gives a lively picture of sufferings which are unknown to us, and in which the dogs seem to have been less efficacious than our own excellent breed.

OXEN.

The widely distributed genus Bos, has horns in both s.e.xes, and in it we find the largest of the Ruminantia. They, generally speaking, have comparatively short legs, and heavy ma.s.sive bodies. The perfection of domestic oxen is said to be a resemblance to a box set upon four posts; but in some of the wilder species, an arched back is certainly a beauty.

Their foreheads are very wide, and mostly flat; their ears large, and projecting from the sides of the head; their muzzle broad, dest.i.tute of hair, and always moist. A long ridge pa.s.ses across the top of the forehead, from which proceed two horns, more or less curved, sometimes of great length, always tapering to a point, and having a bony core.

Their neck is thick, and from it hangs a dewlap, which pa.s.ses between the fore legs. The hoofs are cleft.

Of the origin of these Ruminants we know absolutely nothing, for they are spoken of as domesticated animals from the earliest times; and although there are such things as wild tribes now existing, we are not sure whether they were placed where they are with their present characters, or whether all are modifications of one pair, according to circ.u.mstances. The most conspicuous among them are the Zebu, the Buffalo, the Bison, and the bulls of various parts of the Old World.

Those cattle which roam about in a free state in South America, New Zealand, and Australia, have not very long escaped from the dominion of man.

In India some of the heathen natives make a certain ox a sacred animal; the Brahmins worship it; and it is a distinct variety from the common working oxen, who are by no means treated kindly. The cherished sorts are very sleek and tame, and even voluntarily go up to strangers who have gra.s.s in their hands, and eat it from them. They are, however, troublesome, as all pets are, and no one will dare to check them, for they must not be struck. Near Calcutta, they often break into gardens, put their noses into pastrycook's and fruiterer's shops, and have not the least hesitation, when they are affronted, in going up to the offenders and giving them a poke with their horns.

The Zebus are spread over India, China, the Archipelago, Madagascar, and several parts of Africa. They are distinguished by a hump of fat between their shoulders, and they are as good for the saddle as for draught.

They are more active and agile than we can imagine them to be, accustomed as we are to the slow, heavy pace of others of the tribe; they go with ease at the rate of six miles an hour, and travel for fifteen or sixteen hours in the day. Their paces are very agreeable, being wholly without the circular motion of the hind legs, which makes ours so tiring to ride. They will go over a five-barred gate, as well as the best hunter; are equally good for the plough, or for threshing corn, and the white are the most esteemed.

The Gayal affords the richest milk, and prefers feeding on trees. It also comes from India; it is gentle even in its wild state, and runs away from, but never faces man.

The Gours are much more formidable than the preceding; and the Indians say the tiger has no chance with them when full grown. They also eat trees and gra.s.s, and will not live in captivity. They grow to an immense size; their back is arched, and a very thick ridge rises upon it, which subsides towards the tail.

The Yak has narrow nostrils, the ears small and pointed, the forehead covered with black curling hair, that on the back is smooth, and of a dark brown or black colour, with one white stripe on the withers, and another on the croup. The shoulders, sides, inside of thighs, and under part of the body, are covered with a mane of hair which almost reaches the ground and is of a grizzled black with a central line of white along the belly. The tail is a large ma.s.s of glossy, coa.r.s.e hair; quite white, and from eighteen to twenty inches long. The horns are small, pointed, and curve forwards. The animal is said to be very wild and mischievous; but it can be tamed. The tails were used by the Mongols and Tartars as standards, and throughout the East are now fitted into ivory handles, and form brushes for driving away the flies. The Yaks are dull-looking animals, and make a low, grunting noise, causing them to be known in Europe as the grunting cow. They are very useful when domesticated, and yield an abundance of milk. Not many years ago, they were objects of mystery, and those who travelled to collect the curiosities of nature, were ordered to ascertain their attributes, almost their existence, the tails alone having reached Europe.

Buffaloes are heavier and clumsier animals than the ox, and are covered with coa.r.s.er hair; they are very wild and savage, rush upon the tiger, crush, and trample him to death. They delight in those steaming marshes which are pestilential to other beings, and wallow in stagnant water.

Their hide is particularly tough, their flesh hard, and their milk delicious. They are sometimes trained to be very useful, especially where rivers are apt to be swollen; for they do not fear to breast any torrent, however violent it may be in its course. They are spread over India, China, and various parts of Africa, have been introduced into Spain and Italy, and wherever they live, malaria is sure to exist. The Cape Buffalo is said to be more than a match for the lion, who only overcomes him by some cunning stratagem, or springs upon him when he is drinking. If, however, others of the herd come to his a.s.sistance, the lion is either vanquished, or obliged to decamp.

A herd consisting of seven wild buffaloes, with one calf, was discovered in Hindustan, and four gentlemen proceeded to hunt them. After having followed them for three miles, the young one separated from the herd and joined some tame cattle belonging to a neighbouring village. It was killed by the party, who afterwards continued the pursuit of the old ones, and they were overtaken in a high gra.s.s jungle four miles further off. They were quickly driven from this place, and closely followed for more than six miles over a plain. At length the party succeeded in separating one buffalo from the herd. Here the encounter began. After receiving several wounds, he still continued his flight; he suddenly halted, and kept his pursuers at bay; after a short interval he again fled, was pursued, and wounded as before, carrying the spears sticking in his back and sides for several hundred yards. Lieut. White of the 15th N. I., rode up very close to him, threw his spear, and wounded the animal in the loins. His horse being much exhausted, was unable to wheel round before the buffalo turned about and charged with such vigour, that both horse and rider were overthrown, and lay many yards distant.

Fortunately the lieutenant received no injury, and when the animal approached, he had the presence of mind to lie flat on his back. The beast approached, but stood at his feet without offering any violence.

The other sportsmen called repeatedly to their companion to arise and escape. For some time, however, he disregarded their advice, fearful of the consequences. At length, in compliance with their entreaty, he arose. The buffalo instantly rushed forward, but Mr. White escaped by again throwing himself down; while the enraged beast, missing his aim, fell on the ground, his horns grazing Mr. White's back, as he pa.s.sed over him. After this lucky escape, he seized the favourable opportunity, and regained his horse. The buffalo then took refuge in a tank; and when his former opponent joined his companions, who were standing on the bank, the animal issued forth, and selecting Lieut. White for the object of his vengeance, pursued him to a considerable distance. The buffalo was now rendered quite furious, and attacked every thing within his reach, such as cows and dogs. Unfortunately an old woman pa.s.sed, and became the victim of his rage; she was taken up without any appearance of life, having her arms broken, and many wounds. The hors.e.m.e.n were too fatigued to renew the attack, and the buffaloes, having gained a victory, continued their course without further molestation. (Capt.

Brown's Pop. Nat. Hist.)

Mr. Pringle describes the Cape Buffalo to be "a very formidable and powerful animal, considerably larger than the domestic ox; the bony pad on his forehead making a complete helmet, and it is impossible to pierce him with bullets which have not been hardened by tin. He is said to be fierce, treacherous, and savage, and even when not provoked, will attack any man who strays near his haunts; skulking in the jungle when he sees then approach, and then suddenly rushing out upon them. If he kill a man, he stands over him for some time, trampling on him with his hoofs, crushing him with his knees, mangling him with his horns, and stripping off his skin with his rough and p.r.i.c.kly tongue. He goes away and returns again and again, as if he could not sufficiently glut his vengeance.

"A party of boers had gone out to hunt a herd of buffaloes which were grazing on a piece of marshy ground. As they could not get within shot of the game without crossing part of the marsh which was not safe for the horses, they agreed to leave them in charge of the Hottentots, and advance on foot, thinking that if any of the buffaloes should turn upon them, it would be easy to escape by retreating across the quagmire, which, though pa.s.sable for man, would not support the weight of a heavy quadruped. They advanced accordingly, and, under covert of the bushes, approached the game with such advantage, that the first volley brought down three of the fattest of the herd, and so severely wounded the great bull leader, that he dropped on his knees, bellowing furiously. Thinking him mortally wounded, the foremost of the huntsmen issued from the covert, and began reloading his musket as he advanced, to give him a finishing shot. But no sooner did the infuriated animal see his foe in front of him, than he sprang up and rushed headlong upon him. The man, throwing down his heavy gun, fled towards the quagmire, but the beast was so close upon him, that he despaired of escaping in that direction, and turning suddenly round a clump of copse-wood, began to climb an old mimosa tree which stood at one side of it. The raging beast, however, was too quick for him. Bounding forward with a roar, which my informant described as being one of the most frightful sounds he ever heard, he caught the unfortunate man with his terrible horns, just as he had nearly escaped his reach, and tossed him into the air with such force, that the body fell dreadfully mangled into a cleft of the tree. The buffalo ran round the tree once or twice, apparently looking for the man, until weakened with loss of blood, he again sank on his knees. The rest of the party, recovering from their confusion, then came up and despatched him, though too late to save their comrade, whose body was hanging in the tree quite dead."

The Aurochs is the European Bison, and is one of the largest and n.o.blest of the genus. He stands six feet high at the shoulders, has two sorts of hair, one short, soft, and woolly, and the other long, rough, and covering the upper part and sides of the head; the chest, neck and shoulders, forming an enormous mane, sometimes a foot long. The tongue, lips and palate have a bluish tint, the eyes are small, and piercing; an odour resembling both musk and violets exudes from the skin, especially that part which covers the convex forehead, and which may be smelt at a distance of a hundred yards. Their flesh is much esteemed, they live in thickets near swamps, come out at night to eat the bark of young trees, lichens, and young shoots, carry their head low, are never completely tamed, detest the common bull, and their only attachment to human beings is bestowed on their keepers. They are now rare. A few are found in Lithuanian Poland; but they used to inhabit all the European forests.

The American Bison, now familiarly called a Buffalo, exists in vast herds in the prairies of the New World. A _mob_ of them, as a herd is called, is irresistible; destroys everything over which it pa.s.ses; numbers hundreds of thousands, and rushes like a cataract over the plains, with a noise resembling that of thunder. They are very dangerous animals to attack, hence the sport they afford is more exciting. For graphic pictures of it, I would advise my readers to peruse the pages of Mr. Catlin. They delight in salt springs and mora.s.ses; the bulls sometimes fight furiously with each other; their greatest enemy is the grizzly bear, who frequently brings them down; and they have no antipathy to the common ox, like their European brethren. Mr. Bryan shot one; and the bullet pa.s.sed completely through him, almost cutting his heart in two, and yet he ran half a mile before he fell.

The Musk Oxen live in the high lat.i.tudes of North America, are very small, but look larger than they are, from the quant.i.ty of long, woolly hair with which they are covered, and which often reaches the ground.

Their flesh smells strongly of musk; and they are easily irritated. Some stockings made from their long fleece, have been said to equal those manufactured with silk.

The Chillingham Park Cattle are very handsome, being white with red ears, and black muzzle; their horns are also white with black tips, and greatly resemble our Devonshire breed, which is thought to approach nearer than any other to the Welsh wild cattle of ancient times. They are fleet, bold, and active, hide their calves for the first week after they are born, and are at all times dangerous to approach.

Like the sheep, there are so many breeds of oxen in this country, that the plan of my work cannot embrace them. They are a most important item in the riches of England; and few are insensible to the merits of our cheese and roast beef. We are not exactly on the same terms with our oxen as the Swiss are with theirs, with whom they form a part of the family, and where they are adorned with gay trappings and expensive bells; but our cows are familiar friends, coming when they are called, of themselves returning to the farm at milking time, and evincing great affection. I have not seen it stated elsewhere; but I have been told many times, that it is necessary to milk the cow always on the same side, or she kicks and rebels. Our bulls are sometimes fierce, but are much under the influence of voice and gesture. Both s.e.xes will give notice of approaching rain after a drought, and are very inquisitive.

Mr. Bell gives us the following anecdote which was witnessed by one of his near relatives:--"A cow which was feeding tranquilly in a pasture, the gate of which was open to the road, was much annoyed by a mischievous boy, who amused himself by throwing stones at the peaceful animal; who, after bearing with his impertinence for some time, at length went up to him, hooked the end of her horn into his clothes, and lifting him from the ground, carried him out of the field, and laid him down in the road. She then calmly returned to her pasture, leaving him quit with a severe fright and a torn garment."

In Mr. Byam's "Central America" I find this interesting history, with which I conclude the present series of anecdotes:--"A bull had gored so many cattle that he was la.s.soed, and his horns blunted at the tips, to prevent further mischief. A few weeks after, a panther (jaguar) killed a cow, and from the torn condition of the bull's head and neck, and the trampled state of the ground, he had evidently done battle for the cow.

He was secured, his wounds plastered up, his horns made sharp again, and turned out into the Savannah. The wild dogs and vultures having been kept from the body of the cow during the day, the panther returned to his feast at night, and a furious engagement took place between him and the bull; for the former was found dead, close by the cow, the next morning, pierced through and through. The bull returned again and again to him with fury, and was himself again wounded; but his gashes were sown up, and he remained so fierce, that his horns were obliged to be re-blunted."

THE END.