THE FELINE. 83 



his lands, until heavy rains fall. Every attempt ti> 

 save the cultivated fields, if they he not enclosed by 

 high and thick hedges, proves abortive. Heaps of dry 

 manure (the fuel of the Sneeuwbergen and other parts) 

 are placed close to each other round the fields, and 

 et on fire in the evening, so as to cause a dense 

 smoke, by which it is hoped the antelopes will be 

 deterred from their inroads ; but the dawn of day 

 exposes the inefficiency of the precaution, by shew- 

 ing the lands, which appeared proud of their pro- 

 mising verdure the evening before, covered with 

 thousands, and reaped level with the ground." 



In their uses also to man, this balancing of crea- 

 tion, as it were, is the most important. The more di- 

 rect benefits will be comprehended in the commerce 

 which is maintained with their skins, which alike form 

 comfortable protections from cold and the inclemen- 

 cies of the weather, and are beautiful and ornamen- 

 tal articles of dress. Immense numbers of various 

 skins are imported by the Chinese, where they are 

 worn as emblems of rank. Still greater numbers 

 are introduced into Russia, where they are worn 

 in winter as real necessaries ; and in the more tempe- 

 rate districts of Europe and Britain, perhaps the con- 

 sumption during the same season is little inferior an 

 ornamental dresses. 



The classification of these animals appears to have 

 been unsatisfactory to most naturalists, and so far 

 artificial that it separates allied species from each 

 other, and in one or two instances brings opposite 



