by the Engli/h in Bengal. 32 1 



The hog, roebuck, and niiifk deer, conceal themfclves amongft 

 the ihickcft heath and herbage, and the antelope and large 

 deer rove on the plains. All thefe animals, however, refort 

 not rarely to the jungles (or very high coaife and implicated 

 grafs), with which the levels of Hinduttan abound, either to 

 graze, to browfc, or in purfuit of prey. 



A countrv of Afia abounding in fuch variety of game, is, 

 of courfe, not deftitute of wild beafts ; the principal of which 

 are the tiger, leopard, panther, tiger cats, bear, wolf, jackall, 

 fox, hyiena, and rhinoceros. The leopards are of three or 

 four kinds. 



Or the gentlemen divert themfelves with fliooting the fame 

 animals; as alfo common partridge, rock partridge, hurrial 

 or grten piireon.^, quail, plover, wild cocks and hens, cur- 

 lews; black, white, and grav peacocks ; florikens, ftorks of 

 feveral kinds and colours, together with water hens, Bra- 

 miny geeie, cranes, wild geeie and ducks, teal, widgeons, 

 fnipes, and other aquatic fowl, in infinite abundance; many 

 of them of extraordinary fliape, of glowing variegated plu- 

 mage, and of unknown fpecies; whofe numbers ahnoft cover 

 the water whillt they fwim, and, when alarmed, and fluflied 

 from the lakes, like a cloud, abi'olutely obfcure the light. 



The foxes are fmall, tlenderly limbed, delicately furred 

 with a foft brown hair, and by no means rank infmell; 

 feeding principally upon grain, vegetables, and fruit. They 

 are exceedingly fleet and flexible, though not ftrong or per- 

 fcvcring. When running, they wind in fuccefiivc evolutions 

 to efcapc their purfuers, and afford excellent fport. Their 

 holes are ufually excavated, not \i\ woods, but on hillocks, 

 upon a fmooth green fward or lawn, where, in a morning or 

 evening, they are fcen playing and frifking about with their 

 young. Thcv feed generally among^ the corn, and are often- 

 eft found within fields of muftard or linfced, when it has 

 fprouted up high enough to conceal them. 



A minor critic, on perufal of i^fop's or rather Pilpay's 

 fables, ridiculed the idea of foxes feeding upon grapes ; but, 

 had he confulted anv Alialic natural hiltory, he would have 

 learnt that they fubfift upon grain, pujfc, and fruit, particularly 

 grapes and piue-apples when uithui their range, much more 

 than upon fkfli or fowl. Or, had he turned to the Bible, he 

 would have there fourid the following paffagc in coiifirmalion 

 of ii:_" Take us the foxes, the liiiie foxes, that fpoil the 

 vines, for our vines have lender grapes." — Canticles, c. ii. 

 vcr. ic. 



.lackalls are rather larsrer tlian Englifli foxes; but of a 



\'')i,. Xl\'. N(-.. -/). " X Wrerwn 



