AMPHIBIOUS QUADRUPEDS. 



30i) 



which are thrown dead into the water, and 

 which they are taught to fetch from thence. 

 From the dead they proceed to the live, until 

 at last the animal is perfectly instructed in 

 the whole art of fishing. An otter thus taught 

 is a very valuable animal, and will catch fish 

 enough to sustain not only itself but a whole 

 family. I have seen one of these go to a 

 gentleman's pond at the word of command, 

 drive up the fish into a corner, and seizing 

 upon the largest of the whole, bring it off, in 

 its mouth, to its master. 



Otters are to be met with in most parts of 

 the world, and rather differ in size and colour 

 from each other, than in habitudes or confor- 

 mation." In North America, and Carolina, 

 they are usually found white, inclining to 

 yellow. The Brasilian otter is much larger 

 than ours, with a roundish head, almost like 

 a cat. The tail is shorter, being but five 

 inches long ; and the hair is soft, short, and 

 black, except on the head, where it is of a 

 dark brown, with a yellowish spot under the 

 throat. 



THE BEAVER. 



IN all countries, as man is civilized and 

 improved, the lower ranks are repressed and 

 degraded. 13 Either reduced to servitude, or 

 treated as rebels, all their societies are dis- 

 solved, and all their united talents rendered 

 ineffectual. Their feeble arts quickly disap- 

 pear, and nothing remains but their solitary 

 instincts, or those foreign habitudes which 

 they receive from human education. For 

 this reason there remain no traces of their 

 ancient talents and industry, except in those 

 countries where man himself is a stranger; 

 where, unvisited by his controlling power, for 

 a long succession of ages, their little talents 

 have had time to come to their limited per- 

 fection, and their common designs have been 

 capable of being united. 



The beaver seems to be now the only re- 

 maining monument of brutal society. From 

 the result of its labours, which are still to be 

 seen in the remote parts of America, we learn 

 how far instinct can be aided by imitation. 

 We from thence perceive to what a degree 



Ray. 



t> Buffon. 



animals without language or reason, can con- 

 cur for their mutual advantage, and attain 

 by numbers those advantages which each in 

 a state of solitude seems unfitted to possess. 



If we examine the beaver merely as an 

 individual, and unconnected with others of 

 its kind, we shall find many other quadrupeds 

 to exceed it in cunning, and almost all in the 

 powers of annoyance and defence. The 

 beaver, when taken from its fellows, and kept 

 in a state of solitude or domestic tameness, 

 appears to be a mild, gentle creature, fami- 

 liar enough, but somewhat dull, and even 

 melancholy ; without any violent passions or 

 vehement appetites, moving but seldom, mak- 

 ing no efforts to attain any good, except in 

 gnawing the wall of its prison, in order to re- 

 gain its freedom; yet this, however, without 

 anger or precipation, but calm and indifferent 

 to all about, without attachment or antipa- 

 thies, neither seeking to offend, nor desiring 

 to please. It appears inferior to the dog in 

 those qualities which render animals of ser- 

 vice to man ; it seems made neither to serve, 

 to command, nor to have connections with 

 any other set of beings, and is only adapted 

 for living among its kind. Its talents are 

 entirely repressed in solitude, and are only 

 brought out by society. When alone, it has 

 but little industry, few tricks, and without 

 cunning sufficient to guard it against the most 

 obvious and bungling snares laid for it by the 

 hunter. Far from attacking any other ani- 

 mal, it is scarce possessed of the arts of de- 

 fence. Preferring flight to combat, like all 

 wild animals, it only resists when driven to 

 an extremity, and fights only when its speed 

 can no longer avail. 



But this animal is rather more remarkable 

 for the singularity of its conformation, than 

 any intellectual superiorities it may be sup- 

 posed, in a state of solitude, to possess. The 

 beaver is the only creature among quadru- 

 peds that has a flat broad tail, covered with 

 scales, which serves as a rudder to direct its 

 motions in the water. It is the sole quadru- 

 ped that has membranes between the toes on 

 the hind feet only, and none on the fore feet, 

 which supply the place of hands, as in the 

 squirrel. In short, it is the only animal that 

 in its fore parts entirely resembles a quad- 

 ruped, and in its hinder parts seems to ap- 

 3N* 



