306 



ANIMALS OF 



But, before they were three months old, they 

 had strength and ingratitude enough to kill 

 and devour their nurse. Their succeeding 

 fierceness and malignity seemed to correspond 

 with their first efforts ; for no arts could tame 

 or soften their natures ; and while they con- 

 tinued in their cages, they still testified an un- 

 ceasing disposition for slaughter. When their 

 food was given them, the male always served 

 himself before the female ventured to touch 

 a bit ; and it was not till he was satisfied that 

 the other began. In their savage state, these 

 animals are still more destructive ; having 

 great strength and agility, they very easily 

 find and overtake their prey, which they pur- 

 sue among the tops of the trees, as well as on 

 the ground ; but what renders them still more 

 mischievous is, their unceasing appetite rather 

 for the blood than the flesh of their prey. 

 They suck this with the greatest avidity, but 

 frequently leave the carcase otherwise un- 

 touched, in order to pursue other animals for 

 the blood in like manner. They generally 

 continue on the tops of trees, like our wild 

 cats, where they make their nest, and often 

 bring forth their young. When they spy any 

 animal they can master, and there are but 

 few in the forest but what are inferior, they 

 dart down upon it with inevitable exactness. 

 The whole tribe of animals of the panther 

 kind, with long tails, are chiefly inhabitants, 

 as was said, of the torrid zone ; but those of 

 the short-tailed kind, and particularly the 

 lynx, is principally found in the cold countries 

 that are bordering on the pole. The lynx is 

 chiefly to be met with in the north of Germa- 

 ny, Lithuania, Muscovy, Siberia, and North 

 America. Those of the new continent, how- 

 ever, are rather smaller than in Europe, as is 

 the case with almost all their quadrupeds; 

 they are somewhat whiter also, but in other 

 respects there is scarce any difference to be 

 found among them." This animal has been 

 called by some lupus cervarius, or a creature 

 compounded between a wolf and a stag; but 

 for what reason is hard to guess ; it no way 

 resembles either in shape or in disposition. 

 In its nature, it exactly resembles the cat, 

 except that being bigger, and nearly two feet 

 long, it is bolder and fiercer. Like the cat, 



" Buflbn. 



it climbs trees, and seeks its prey by surprise; 

 like the cat it is delicate and cleanly, cover- 

 ing its urine with its paws; and it resembles 

 the wolf in nothing except its cry, which often 

 deceive the hunters, and induces them to think 

 they hear a wolf and not a lynx. This ani- 

 mal also is rather more delicate than the cat; 

 and after having once feasted upon its prey, 

 will never return to it again, but hunts the 

 woods for another. From hence may have 

 arisen the common report of the lynx having, 

 of all other quadrupeds, the shortest memory. 

 This, however, is not the only idle story that 

 has been propagated of it : as of its seeing 

 with such perspicuity, as to perceive objects 

 through walls and mountains ; as of having 

 its urine of such a quality, as to harden, and 

 becomea precious stone; with several others, 

 propagated by ignorance or imposture. 



The SIAGUSH and the SERVAL are both so 

 like all the rest of the cat kind in disposition, 

 that it is but repeating the same account once 

 more to give their distinct history. As the 

 lynx is found only in cold countries, so the 

 siagush is to be met with only in the warm 

 tropical climates. It is used, in the same 

 manner as the ounce, for hunting; but it seems 

 to have a property which the other has not ; 

 namely, that of being able to overtake its prey 

 by pursuing it. Wnether this is performed 

 by having a finer scent than the former, or 

 greater swiftness, we are not informed ; being 

 only told that when it overtakes either the 

 gazelle or the antelope, it leaps upon their 

 backs, and, getting forward to their shoulders, 

 scratches their eyes out, by which means they 

 become an easy prey to the hunters. Some 

 have called this animal the lion's provider ; 

 and it is said that when it calls him to pursue 

 his prey, its voice very much resembles that 

 of one man calling another. 11 From hence we 

 may conjecture that this animal pursues its 

 prey in full cry, and that the lion only follows 

 to partake or seize the spoil. The same ac- 

 count is given also of the jackal ; and very 

 probably it may be true, not only of these ani- 

 mals, but of some others, since it is natural 

 enough to suppose that the lion will pursue 

 whenever he is taught to discover his prey. 



We had one of those animals a few years 



*> Thevenot, vol. ii. p. 114. 



