Natural History in Anecdote Part 28

The Puffin is a bird of singular appearance and interesting habits. It is sometimes called the sea parrot from the resemblance of its head to that of the Parrot kind. The bird measures thirteen inches in length, and its bill is a formidable weapon. The Raven seems to be its natural enemy, and when they come to close quarters a great deal depends upon which succeeds in getting the first grip. Naturally each bird has the best chance in its own element. It is a bird of pa.s.sage, visiting its customary breeding places in the summer and wintering in southern Europe. Mr. Rennie says, "In the breeding season, numerous troops of them visit several places on our coasts, particularly the small island of Priestholm, near Anglesey, which might well be called puffin land, as the whole surface appears literally covered with them. Soon after their arrival in May, they prepare for breeding, and it is said, the male, contrary to the usual economy of birds, undertakes the hardest part of the labour. He begins by sc.r.a.ping up a hole in the sand not far from the sh.o.r.e; and after having got some depth he throws himself on his back, and with his powerful bill as a digger and his broad feet to remove the rubbish, he excavates a burrow with several windings and turnings, from eight to ten feet deep. He prefers, where he can find a stone, to dig under it, in order that his retreat may be more securely fortified.

Whilst thus employed, the birds are so intent upon their work that they are easily caught by the hand."

ORDER X.

The Ostriches.

This order includes the Ostrich, the Rhea, the Ca.s.sowaries and the Emus.

The Ostrich belongs to Africa, Australasia, and South America. It is the largest of the birds, attaining to a height of six feet, and a weight of three hundred pounds. It is hunted for the sake of its feathers, but being very swift of foot has to be circ.u.mvented by strategy. It is said to run in large curves, which habit gives the hunter the opportunity of riding straight and intercepting it. "A favourite method adopted by the wild Bushman for approaching the Ostrich and other varieties of game,"

says Captain Gumming, "is to clothe himself in the skin of one of these birds, in which, taking care of the wind, he stalks about the plain, cunningly imitating the gait and motions of the Ostrich, until within range, when, with a well-directed poisoned arrow from his tiny bow, he can generally seal the fate of any of the ordinary varieties of game."

The eggs of the Ostrich are also much prized. "The nest," says Captain Gumming, "is merely a hollow scooped in the sandy soil, generally amongst heath or other low bushes; its diameter is about seven feet; it is believed that two hens often lay in one nest. The hatching of the eggs is not left, as is generally believed, to the heat of the sun, but, on the contrary, the c.o.c.k relieves the hen in the incubation. The eggs form a considerable item in the Bushman's cuisine, and the sh.e.l.ls are converted into water flasks, cups, and dishes. I have often seen Bush-girls and Bakalahari women, who belong to the wandering Bechuana tribes of the Kalahari desert, come down to the fountains from their remote habitations, sometimes situated at an amazing distance, each carrying on her back a kaross, or a net-work containing from twelve to fifteen ostrich egg-sh.e.l.ls, which had. been emptied by a small aperture at one end; these they fill with water."

The Ostrich and its Young.

The Ostrich shows the same affection for its mate, and the same devotion to the care of its young that we have noticed in other birds, and in animals. The female of a pair in Paris died through swallowing a three-cornered piece of gla.s.s which a glazier had dropped into their cage, after which the mate pined away and died in a few weeks. Of their care of their young Captain c.u.mming says:

"I fell in with a troop of about twelve young ostriches, which were not much larger than Guinea-fowls. I was amused to see the mother endeavour to lead us away, exactly like a wild duck, spreading out and drooping her wings, and throwing herself down on the ground before us as if wounded, while the c.o.c.k bird cunningly led the brood away in an opposite direction." Professor Thunberg once rode past the place where a hen Ostrich was sitting in her nest; when the bird sprang up, and pursued him, evidently with a view to prevent his noticing her eggs or young.

Every time he turned his horse towards her she retreated ten or twelve paces; but as soon as he rode again she pursued him, till he had got to a considerable distance from the place where he had started her.

The Rhea. The Ca.s.sowary. The Emu.

The Rhea is a beautiful bird of the ostrich type belonging to South America. There are several species, known as the Common Rhea, the Great-billed Rhea, and Darwin's Rhea, the latter belonging to Patagonia.

A Common Rhea bred some time ago in the Zoological gardens, when the male bird discharged the duties of incubation. The Ca.s.sowary and the Emu belong to Australia. The Ca.s.sowary resembles the ostrich in form, but is not so large. It stands about five feet. Like all these birds it is unable to fly, but is very swift of foot. It can kick too, with great violence, as dogs have sometimes found to their cost. The Emu is a very large bird and is said sometimes to exceed six feet in height.

Mr. Bennett says:--"The length of its legs and the muscularity of its thighs enable it to run with great swiftness; and as it is exceedingly shy, it is not easily overtaken or brought within gun-shot. Captain Currie states that it affords excellent coursing, equalling if not surpa.s.sing the same sport with the hare in England; but Mr. Cunningham says that dogs will seldom attack it, both on account of some peculiar odour in its flesh which they dislike, and because the injuries inflicted upon them by striking out with its feet are frequently very severe. The settlers even a.s.sert that the Emu will break the small bone of a man's leg by this sort of kick; to avoid which, well-trained dogs run up abreast, and make a sudden spring at the neck, whereby the bird is quickly dispatched. Its flesh has been compared to coa.r.s.e beef, which it resembles both in appearance and taste." Mr. Jesse says, "The only instance I have met with in which the hen bird has not the chief care in hatching and bringing up the young, is in the case of the Emus, at the farm belonging to the Zoological Society, near Kingston. A pair of these birds bred five young ones: the female, at different times, dropped nine eggs in various places in the pen in which she was confined. These were collected in one place by the male, who rolled them gently and carefully along with his beak. He then sat upon them himself, and continued to do so with the utmost a.s.siduity, for nine weeks, during which time the female never took his place, nor was he ever observed to leave the nest.

When the young were hatched, he alone took charge of them, the female not appearing to notice them in any way. On reading this anecdote, many persons may suppose that the female emu is not possessed of that natural affection for its young which other birds have. In order to rescue it from this supposition, I will mention that a female emu belonging to the Duke of Devonshire at Chiswick, laid some eggs; and as there was no male bird, she collected them together herself, and sat upon them." The Apteryx, the wingless bird of New Zealand, belongs to this order.

CLa.s.s III--REPTILIA.

ORDER I.

The Tortoise and The Turtle.

This order introduces us to creatures differing very widely, in form and character, from those which we have been considering. There are more than two hundred species of the tortoise, and these are grouped into four families. The Common European tortoise is found in the South of France and Italy, as well as in Sicily and Greece. It feeds on vegetables, and under favourable circ.u.mstances lives a great number of years. It is slow in its movements but it burrows rapidly and is soon out of sight in the sandy soil it affects. Tortoises are commonly kept in a state of domestication in England, one known to the writer showing a great preference for pansies, eating the flowers and leaving the other parts of the plant. Mr. Wood describes the efforts made by a tortoise in his possession to attain the summit of a footstool, which shows that the reptile has some measure of intelligence. "Unfit as the form of the creature may seem for such a purpose," says Mr. Wood, "it did contrive to scramble upon a footstool which was placed by the fender. Its method of attaining this elevation was as follows:--First it reared up against the footstool in the angle formed by it and the fender, and after several ineffectual attempts, succeeded in hitching the claws of one of its hind feet into the open work of the fender. On this it raised itself, and held on to the top of the stool by its fore feet, while it gained another step on the fender, and so managed to raise itself to such a height, that it only had to fall flat on the top of the footstool. When once there, it could hardly be induced to leave the elevation which it had gained with such difficulty."

The Elephant Tortoise.

The gigantic tortoises of the Galapagos Islands came under the observation of Mr. Darwin, from whom we quote the following descriptive pa.s.sages: "These animals are found, I believe, in all the Islands of the Galapagos Archipelago. They frequent in preference the high damp parts, but likewise inhabit the lower and arid districts. Some individuals grow to an immense size. Mr. Lawson told us that he had seen several so large that it required six or eight men to lift them from the ground, and that some had afforded as much as two hundred pounds of meat. This tortoise is very fond of water, drinking large quant.i.ties and wallowing in the mud. The larger islands alone possess springs, and these are always situated towards the central parts and at a considerable elevation. The tortoises, therefore, which frequent the lower districts, when thirsty have to travel from a long distance. Hence broad and well beaten paths radiate off in every direction from the wells, even down to the sea coasts, and the Spaniards by following them up first discovered the watering-places. Near the springs it was a curious spectacle to behold many of these great monsters; one set eagerly travelling onwards with outstretched necks, and another set returning, having drunk their fill.

The tortoises when moving towards any definite point, travel by night and day, and arrive at their journey's end much sooner than would be expected. One large tortoise, which I watched, I found walked at the rate of sixty yards in ten minutes, that is three hundred and sixty in the hour, or four miles a day, allowing also a little time to eat on the road. During the breeding season, when the male and female are together, the male utters a hoa.r.s.e roar or bellowing, which, it is said, can be heard at a distance of more than a hundred yards. The female never uses her voice and the male only at such times. They were at this season (the month of October) laying their eggs. The female, where the soil is sandy, deposits them together and covers them up with sand; but where the ground is rocky she drops them indiscriminately in any hollow. Mr.

Bynoe found seven placed in a line on a fissure. The egg is white and spherical; one which I measured was seven inches and three-eighths in circ.u.mference. The inhabitants believe that these animals are absolutely deaf; certainly they do not overhear a person walking close behind them.

I was always amused when overtaking one of these great monsters as it was quietly pacing along, to see how suddenly, the instant I paused, it would draw in its head and legs, and uttering a deep hiss, fall to the ground with a heavy sound as if struck dead. I frequently got on their backs, and then, upon giving a few raps on the hinder parts of the sh.e.l.l, they would rise up and walk away, but I found it very difficult to keep my balance. The flesh of these animals is largely employed, both fresh and salted; and a beautiful clear oil is prepared from the fat.

When a tortoise is caught, the man makes a slit in the skin, near its tail, so as to see inside its body whether the fat under the dorsal plate is thick. If it is not, the animal is liberated; and is said to recover soon from this strange operation. In order to secure the tortoises it is not sufficient to turn them, like turtles, for they are often able to regain their upright position."

The Turtle.

The Green Turtle is the turtle of the famous soup. It is a large animal, measuring five or six feet in length and weighing from five hundred to six hundred pounds; it feeds on sea-weeds and is found in large numbers in the seas of warm lat.i.tudes. The species from which we get the h.o.r.n.y substance known as tortoisesh.e.l.l (_Chelonia Imbricata_) is sometimes called the Hawk's-bill turtle. It is a smaller variety, measuring about three feet and belonging to tropical seas. The Leathery Turtle is said to reach eight feet in length and a weight of a thousand pounds. The Loggerhead Turtle is even larger than this, and sometimes weighs as much as fifteen hundred pounds.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Crocodile and Tiger Fight]

ORDER II.

The Crocodile.

The Crocodile and the Alligator belong respectively to the Eastern and the Western Worlds. The former infests the rivers of Africa and Asia, one species at least belonging to Australia. Some of the best known varieties are those of the river Nile, the Gavial of the Ganges being also among the more familiar species. These formidable and unwieldy monsters grow to an immense size, sometimes attaining to a length of twenty-five feet. Their enormous jaws and innumerable sharp teeth (they sometimes number a hundred) give them a terrible appearance, while their hard scaly coats are invulnerable against ordinary attack. Their point of weakness is their unwieldy character, taking advantage of which the natives will dive beneath them and stab them with knives in vulnerable parts. The huntsman aims at their eyes as being the nearest approach to their brains. Mungo Park relates that one of his guides across the river Gambia was suddenly seized by a Crocodile and pulled under the water; upon which the negro thrust his fingers into the animal's eyes with such violence that it quitted its hold, but seizing him again, he resorted to the same expedient and with more success, as it again released him, appeared stupified, and then swam down the river. This man reached the bank bleeding very much, with long and deep wounds in his thighs, which incapacitated him for travel for six days. The crocodile lays an enormous number of eggs on the banks of its native rivers, but most of these are prevented from maturing by the birds and animals which prey upon them. Mrs. Bowdich tells an amusing story of a merchant who packed some crocodiles' eggs in sand for shipment to England and placed the barrel containing them with other goods in his warehouse. Strange and unaccountable noises, attracted attention to the spot, when it was discovered that the eggs had become hatched and the young crocodiles were quite ready to a.s.sume the responsibilities of life. The natives fled in terror, and the merchant had to take speedy measures for destroying his unexpected brood. Some species of the crocodile have been tamed or partially so, the sacred crocodiles being among these.

Accustomed to be fed regularly by the same hands they gradually become familiar with their priestly attendants, and to some extent obedient to their commands. Mungo Park says:--"The crocodiles of the Congo appear to be of a smaller species, and not so numerous as those at Old Calabar, where they continually float past the shipping like large grey pieces of timber, and are so bold that they frequently seize people in the small canoes. In Old Calabar river, I once observed a crocodile swimming with a large cat-fish in its mouth to the opposite sh.o.r.e. It held the fish by the head, whilst the body was thrown into a perpendicular position. I watched it with the spy-gla.s.s until it had dragged the fish upon the mud bank, and commenced its meal."

The Alligator.

The Alligator of which there are some ten or twelve species known, is found exclusively in America. The Mississippi Alligator is one of the most familiar of these. The Alligator is smaller than the crocodile, which it much resembles in form and habit, though specimens have been met with which measure twenty-two feet in length. The Alligator is naturally most abundant in tropical regions. Captain Brown says: "In the height of the dry season in torrid regions all animated nature pants with consuming thirst. A party of wood cutters, English and Irish, went on one occasion to hunt in the neighbourhood of a lake called Pies Pond in Beef Island, one of the smaller islands of the Bay of Campeachy. To this pond the wild cattle repaired in herds to drink, and here the hunters lay in wait for them. The chase had been prosecuted with great success for a week, when an Irishman of the party going into the water during the day, stumbled upon an alligator, which seized him by the knee. His cries alarmed his companions, who fearing he had been seized by the Spaniards, to whom the island belonged, instead of affording a.s.sistance, fled from the huts which they had erected. The Irishman seeing no appearance of help, with happy presence of mind (a quality which the natives of that country possess in an eminent degree) quietly waited till the alligator loosened his teeth to take a new and surer hold; and when it did so, s.n.a.t.c.hed away his knee, interposing the b.u.t.t-end of his gun in its stead, which the animal seized so firmly that it was jerked out of the man's hand and carried off. He then crawled up a neighbouring tree, again shouting after his comrades, who now found courage to return." Mr. Waterton in his "Wanderings" says, "One Sunday evening, some years ago, as I was walking with Don Felipe de Ynciarte, governor of Augustura, on the bank of the Oroonque, 'Stop here a minute or two, Don Carlos,' said he to me, 'while I recount a sad accident. One fine evening last year, as the people of Augustura were sauntering up and down here, in the Alameda, I was within twenty yards of this place, when I saw a large Cayman rush out of the river, seize a man, and carry him down, before any one had power to a.s.sist him. The screams of the poor fellow were terrible as the Cayman was running off with him; he plunged in the river with his prey; we instantly lost sight of him, and never saw or heard him more.'"

A Tame Alligator.

That the Alligator is amenable to kindness is shown by the following account of a tame specimen, which we quote from Mr. Jesse. He says, "The most singular instance of attachment between two animals, whose nature and habits were most opposite, was related to me by a person on whose veracity I can place the greatest reliance. Before he took up his abode at Hampden-court, he had resided for nine years in the American States, where he superintended the execution of some extensive works for the American government. One of these works consisted in the erection of a beacon in a swamp in one of the rivers, where he caught a young alligator. This animal he made so perfectly tame, that it followed him about the house like a dog, scrambling up the stairs after him, and showing much affection and docility. Its great favourite, however, was a cat, and the friendship was mutual. When the cat was reposing herself before the fire, (this was at New York) the alligator would lay himself down, place his head upon the cat, and in this att.i.tude go to sleep. If the cat was absent, the alligator was restless; but he always appeared happy when the cat was near him. The only instance in which he showed any ferocity was in attacking a fox, which was tied up in the yard.

Probably, however, the fox resented some playful advances, which the other had made, and thus called forth the anger of the alligator. In attacking the fox he did not make use of his mouth, but beat him with so much severity with his tail, that had not the chain which confined the fox, broken, he would probable have killed him. The alligator was fed on raw flesh, and sometimes with milk, for which he showed great fondness.

In cold weather he was shut up in a box, with wool in it; but having been forgotten one frosty night, he was found dead in the morning."

ORDER III.

Hatteria Punctata.

Order III consists of a large reptile belonging to New Zealand which for anatomical reasons cannot be cla.s.sed either with the Crocodiles or the Lizards. It is rare if not almost extinct, but a specimen may be seen in the Natural History Museum.

ORDER IV.

The Lizards.

The lizards form an exceedingly numerous order. There are many hundreds of different species, large and small, of which we can only refer to the Chameleon, the Iguana, the Common Lizard, and the Monitor.

The Chameleon.

The Chameleon family belongs to Africa, the common variety being otherwise found in central Asia and Ceylon. There are several genera, and numerous species. They live on insects and possess tongues of unusual length, furnished with a sticky mucus, which they protrude and retract with such rapidity and certainty of aim that insects are caught, and conveyed to the mouth with a speed the eye cannot follow. The characteristic for which they are most famous is that of changing their colour, a power which has doubtless been much exaggerated but which no less surely exists. Mrs. Bowdich describes some she had in her possession; she says, "Mine became green and yellow, a.s.sumed lighter and brighter lines, but I could not see the bright blue or red substances on which I put them reflected in their skins." According to M.

d'Obsonville, who is quoted by Mrs. Bowdich, the original colour is green, the shades of which vary according to circ.u.mstances. When at liberty, and in health, it a.s.sumes gradations of brown, red, or light grey; when well-fed and in the open air, if provoked, it becomes a blue-green; but when feeble, or deprived of free air, the prevailing tint is yellow-green. If surrounded and teased or if one of its own species comes near, it exhibits all three tints of green. If dying, especially of hunger, yellow first predominates; and when dead, it is the colour of dead leaves.