200 RUMINANTIA. 



residing among broken crags and precipices covered with pines 

 is yet eagerly, and often with peril of life, hunted for its perfume 

 peculiar to the male alone. Its habits are similar to those of the 

 Chamois, it climbs and bounds over the Alpine ridges of Cen 

 tral Asia with astonishing activity, assembling in herds, and 

 sometimes in considerable numbers. Occasionally, it is killed 

 with a cross-bow, a string having been set in the path of the 

 animal. The bag containing the perfume, is kidney. shaped, and 

 about the size of a hen s egg. It has two openings, the larger 

 one oblong, the smaller round, and covered with hair. The 

 musk, on the application of pressure, may be driven through the 

 openings, it is an unctuous, dusky red substance, and when dry, 

 is more or less granulated. The hunters cut. off the bag and tie 

 it up for sale ; but like many other articles of commerce, it is 

 often adulterated by the addition of blood and other matter, and 

 pieces of lead have sometimes been found enveloped in it for the 

 purpose of increasing the weight. The quality and quantity of 

 the musk in a given bag vary, according to the age of the ani 

 mal. To the taste, it is bitter, and somewhat acrid. No sub- 

 stance is known to have a stronger, or more subtle and perma 

 nent smell. It strikingly illustrates the extreme divisibility of 

 matter, for a single grain of it will perfume a whole room, and 

 its odor continue for days without any diminution. When once 

 introduced, it is exceedingly difficult to destroy its perfume. 

 Vessels of silver do not for a long time part with the scent of 

 musk that has been placed in them. When exposed in large 

 quantity, its effect is really violent upon the nervous system ; 

 blood has been forced from the nose, eyes and ears of those who 

 have imprudently inhaled a large amount of the vapor. Pur 

 chasers of the article sometimes secure themselves from the sud 

 den effects of the smell by covering the face with a handkerchief 

 several times folded. For nervous diseases and convulsions, it 

 has been used as a medicine. Orientalists make warm winter 

 dresses for themselves out of this animal s skin, with the fur 

 preserved; they also prepare from it a soft and shining leather. 

 The Romans and Tartars even eat the flesh, though that of the 

 male is highly flavored with musk. 



Moschus Meminna. The MEMINNA. 



This beautiful little Musk, about seventeen inches in length, 

 and weighing only five and a half pounds, is a native of Ceylon, 

 frequenting woods and groves, but never found in the plains. It 

 has large dark eyes, and smooth shining hair, of an olive color, 

 clouded with reddish about the limbs. The sides are dappled 

 with interrupted lines and irregular dots of white ; the throat 



