^8 QJJ ADRUPEDS. 



Mr. Buffbn fays, one he had, ate four pounds daily, but fwallowed it fo 

 faft as to rifque chocking. After a long fad it gorges till incapable of 

 motion ; it lies torpid two or three days by the animal it has killed, pro- 

 teded even from the wolf and bear by its horrid fmell. Thus eating 

 and fleeping till its prey be devoured, bones and all, then returning to 

 its poft of expedlation. Seems to prefer putrid flefh ; is fo flow, 

 that moft quadrupeds efcape it, except the beaver, which it frequent- 

 ly purfues on land ; but the beaver generally makes good its retreat 

 by taking to the water ; often examines the traps laid for other ani- 

 mals i deals on the retreats of the rein-deer, whofe flefli it prefers ; 

 feeks animals wounded by the hunters ; purfues the ifatis while hunting 

 for itfelf J when that animal has run down its prey, comes in and feizes 

 the whole ; fometimes devours its provider j digs up graves, and de- 

 vours the bodies. 



Is a folitary animal, never feen in company except with its female in 

 the mid ft of winter; goes with young about four months, and brings 

 two or three ; burrows in holes. Male and female are generally found 

 together, and equally refolute in defence of their young. Linnseus in- 

 forms us, that it is very difficult to be flcinned. 



O F T H E 



HARE KIND. 



ANIMALS of the hare kind, like all that feed on vegetables, are in- 

 offenfive and timorous. Abundantly fupplicd by nature, they 

 have not that ravenous appetite remarkable in fuch as are often ftinted in 

 provifion. 



The hare, the rabbit, and the fquirrel, are placed by Pyer among 

 thofe that chew the cud j neverthelefs they chew their meat very much 

 before they fwallow it. They ufe their fore-paws like hands ; are fo 

 very prolific, that were they never molefted, they would quickly over- 

 run the earth. 



The Hare is the largeft, the moft perfecuted, the moft timorous; its 

 mufcJes and its fenlcs feem given only for flight ; by its large prominent 

 eyes, placed backward in the head, it can almoft fee behind it as it runs. 

 Thefe are never wholly clofed -, but the watchful animal fleeps with them 



open. 



