*793' account of the fat rumped Jheep. 243 



giving powder of antimony, or the catkins, (amen- 

 tum,) of nuts, with their food, as is practiced in 

 Rufiia, to change a plain colour to a dapple. 



Amongst the natural causes of the change of co- 

 lour in animals, he calls in the authority of seve- 

 ral ancient writers to prove, that particular wa- 

 ters have that efFect ; and thinks that certain pas- 

 tures must have no lefs, if we are to believe a fact 

 af.erted in Rajus's philosophical letters, p. 245. 

 " That there is a hill named Haselhedge*, in the 

 peak of Derbyftiire, vsrhich changes the colour of a 

 cow from white to grey in three yearsf." 



* I cannot pat over the curious quotation of my learned friend Dr 

 Pallas as given above, vyithout takingnotice of the singular coincidence 

 between the name of the Derbyfhire hill, and the mode of changing 

 the colour of horses in Rufsia and Poland, with the catkins of nuts. 

 It would be curious to inquire if the said hill abounds in ha'x.el, as its 

 taame seems to have once indicated. Arcticus. 



t We must again regret that the disquisitions of this celebrated 

 naturalist on this very curious subject, have been curtailed. Though 

 I fear, that till experiments fhall have been made with the accuracyof 

 modern philosophers, we must pay little respect, to the ill ascertained 

 facts that have been accidentally preserved by natural historians; ma- 

 ny of which have been taken from hearsay alone, and we know that 

 iTJ this •way, wonderful changes have been effected. Has it ever been 

 proved, by v/ell ascertained experinents, that the colour of the hair 

 of animals can be changed at pleasure by the nature of the food ? I 

 have never fallen in with these experiments. At the same time there 

 is good reason to believe, that this may be pofslble; for it is well 

 known, that wc can artiticialiy change at pleasure the colour of the 

 bones, and in some instances particular parts of the flefli of animals* 

 by a particular kind of food. By analogy therefore we may believe tnat 

 the hair may also be thus affected ; but I have not heard of ay fact 

 that proves this. It .s known ihat one kind cf hares, an . any other 

 animals, change their colour in winter in coio regions. This has hi- 



