275 



listens afar off, with an attentive ear, to the cackling of 

 poultry, directs his steps accordingly, arrives hy several 

 winding ways, squats himself down, passes along on his 

 belly, lies in ambuscade, and rarely iails in his attempt. 



If he is so happy as to penetrate into the inclosure, 

 he employs to good purpose every moment of his time, 

 and slaughters the whole stock. He immediately re- 

 treats, carries away with him one of the prey, conceals 

 it, returns in search of another, hides that like the 

 former, and does not cease from plundering, till he per- 

 ceives he has been discovered. 



He is amazingly skilful in hunting young leverets, 

 surprising the hares when laying down, in discovering 

 the nest, of'partridges, or quails, and seizing the mother 

 on her eggs. 



Equally 'bold as crafty, he has even the courage to 

 attack bees : he attempts to get their honey, which he 

 is very fond of. These warlike insects presently assail 

 him on all sides, and in a few moment^ he is entirely 

 covered with them. He retires some paces, rolls him- 

 self on the ground, crushes them by that means, returns 

 to the charge, and at length obliges this little laborious 

 people to abandon to him the fruits of their long la- 

 bours. 



I shall add but one more instance : if the fo* disco- 

 vers that his young have been disturbed during his ab- 

 sence, he transports them, one after another, to a new 

 place of retreat. 



