44 



at Natural 



sisting of twelve white feathers ; the legs are 

 of a fine blue colour, naked and well cal- 

 culated for wading ; the feet are palmated, 

 but not so much adapted for swimming as 

 for supporting the bird upon the mud. It 

 feeds on worms, &c., which it scoops out of 

 the mud with its bill ; and it lays two eggs, 

 which are greenish, spotted with brown and 

 black. 



AXIS. (Cervus Axis.) A species of Indian 

 Deer, of which there are two or three va- 

 rieties. 1. The Common Axis is about the 

 size of a fallow deer, and of a light red co- 

 lour. The body is beautifully marked with 



white spots, and a line of white runs along 

 the sides, dividing the upper from the under 

 parts of the body. The horns are slender, 

 and tri-forked ; the first ramification being 

 near the base, and the second near the top, 

 each pointing upwards. It is extremely 

 docile, and possesses the sense of smelling in 

 an exquisite degree. Though it is a native 

 of the banks of the Ganges, it appears to 

 bear the climates of Europe without injury. 

 ! 2. The Great Axis. This animal, which is 

 a native of Borneo and Ceylon, is about the 

 ; height of a horse, and of a reddish-brown 

 ! colour. The horns are trifurcated, thick, 

 strong, and rugged ; about two feet nine 

 inches long, and two feet four inches between 

 I the tips. 3. The Lesser Axis is a gregarious 

 j animal, inhabiting Java, Ceylon, Borneo, 

 and some other oriental islands. It is hunted 

 with ardour, the sport affording the highest 

 diversion, and the flesh being esteemed ex- 

 cellent. 



j AXOLOTL. (Siren pisciformis.) A 



singular genus of Batrachian reptiles, being 



! perfectly amphibious, inasmuch as they pos- 



; sess both kinds of respiratory organs at the 



: same period, being furnished alike with gills 



and lungs ; and they can consequently 



| breathe air and water according to the cir- 



; cumstances in which they happen to be 



I placed. The Axolotl is about eight or nine 



inches long, the head is broad and flat, the 



nose blunt, the eyes situated near the muz- 

 zle, the tail nearly as long as the body, and 

 the toes unconnected by intermediate mem- 

 branes. The colour is brown, thickly mot- 

 tled both on the upper and under surfaces 

 of the head and body, as well as on the tail 

 and dorsal fins, with numerous small round 

 black spots. It is commonly sold in the 

 markets of Mexico : it is dressed after the 

 manner of stewed eels, and when served up 

 with a rich and stimulating sauce, is es- 

 teemed a great luxury. A second species 

 has been lately discovered and described. 



AYE- AYE. (Chclromys Madaguscarien- 

 sis.) A singular quadruped (which in some 

 descriptions has been confounded with the 

 Ai, or Sloth, whose habits it somewhat re- 

 sembles.) It is placed by Cuvier in the 

 order Jtodentia, but other naturalists have 

 classed it with the Monkey tribe, from the 

 hand-like structure of its hinder feet. It is 

 a native of Madagascar ; it burrows under 

 ground, is very slothful, and is altogether a 

 nocturnal animal. It has large flat ears, 

 like those of a bat, and a tail resembling a 

 squirrel's ; but its most distinguishing pe- 

 culiarity is the middle toe or linger of the 

 fore-foot, the two last joints of which are 

 very long, slender, and destitute of hair : 

 this, as M. Sonnerat, who describes the one 



A.XOLOTIJ. (SIREN PiaciroBMis.) 



(CHEIHOMTS MADAGASCARTENSia.) 



he had in his possession, remarks, is use- 

 ful to the animal in drawing worms out of 

 holes in the trees, and in holding on to 

 the branches. It measures about eighteen 

 inches from the nose to the tail ; and its 

 general colour is a pale ferruginous brown, 

 mixed with grey. 



BABOON. (.CtjnocepJialm.-) A genus of 

 Quadrumana, which forms the last link in 

 the chain that unites the Simiaj with quad- 

 rupeds ; comprising a large, fierce, and for- 

 midable race of animals, who, though they 

 in a slight degree partake of the human 



