6 WILD BEASTS OF THE WORLD 



habits, however, are, on the whole, more like those of some of that 

 order than any other beasts. The food is entirely vegetable, chiefly 

 the shoots of shrubs, and this is sought by the Dassies in the morn- 

 ing and evening. They inhabit cliffs and stony hills, taking shelter 

 when alarmed in holes and crevices in the rocks, for they do not 

 make burrows, their soft feet and blunt nails being quite unsuitable 

 for digging. In the day-time they may often be found basking in 

 the sun, and sometimes sitting up on their hind-legs to look round. 

 On these occasions, the cry of the animal may be heard if it is alarmed 

 a shrill prolonged note, variously described as a whistle and a 

 hiss. 



The Dassie is a very active animal, climbing over rocks and 

 clinging to them, even when almost perpendicular, in a very remark- 

 able manner. This it can do by virtue of certain peculiarities of its 

 feet ; the soles of these are naked, and very copiously supplied with 

 sweat-glands, producing a soft clammy surface eminently suited for 

 adhesion, while the muscles are so arranged that the soles can be 

 contracted and cause the foot to adhere like a sucker without any 

 effort, even dead animals remaining thus clinging. 



The young Dassies are born about the end of the year, in the 

 early summer of the Southern Hemisphere ; three was the number 

 in two litters observed by Moseley, who says they were very playful, 

 chasing each other about the rocks. These were of the size of very 

 large Rats. The Dassies are sociable animals, and live in family 

 parties ; although timid, they are inquisitive, and, after being startled, 

 will after a time come out to take another look at the disturber. 

 Their great enemies are Leopards and some of the large birds of 

 prey, especially the splendid Black Eagle of the Cape (Aquila 

 vulturina), which is locally called the " Dassie- vanger " (catcher) by 

 the Boers. 



The worthy Boers who colonised South Africa, by the way, seem 

 to have had a perfect genius for misnaming animals. " Dassie " 

 is a corruption for " dasje," a Dutch diminutive of the name of the 

 Badger, to which animal the present one certainly bears but the 



