MAMMALIA RODENTIA DIAGRAM 3. 



45 



THE HARKS and BABBITS form one family ; and everyone knows 

 their habits. They appear at first sight to have only two 

 incisors in the upper jaw like other rodents, but 'on examining 

 them with care, two other small ones are visible behind the large 

 ones. Babbits breed amazingly fast when nothing interferes 

 with their multiplication, and can spread over a whole country. 

 The female produces from four to six litters a year; there are 

 five or six young ones in each litter, and the young in their turn 

 can produce young at the end of six months. It is therefore 

 easy to calculate the rapidity with which they breed. Con- 

 sequently it has been thought that it would be easy to make a 

 fortune rapidly by breeding rabbits. But this is a great mistake, 

 for as soon as they are much confined in a small space of 

 country, diseases ensue which destroy great numbers. 



ORDER PACHYDEEMATA. 



THE ELE- 

 PHAXT inhabits 

 the East Indies 

 and Africa. It 

 is the largest of 

 the Pachyder- 

 mata and of all 

 land animals. 

 It so'me times 

 reaches a height 

 of 9 or 10 feet. 

 Elephant. Its strength is 



great, and it is very intelligent. In the East Indies it is trained 

 to fight, to hunt, and to carry very heavy burdens, which it lifts 

 itself with its trunk, and arranges as is most convenient to it. 



