THE ANIMAL KINGDOM. 



6 9 



The three principal families forming the first section 

 may be distinguished by the form of their tails, which in 

 the Beaver (Fig. 25) is broad and scaly, in the Squirrel 

 (Fig. 28) is large and bushy, and in the Rat is round and 

 scaly. 



Every one has heard of the building powers of the 

 Beaver ; how he cuts off boughs of trees, makes a dam, 

 and builds a large and commodious house ; but before he 

 uses the wood he carefully strips off the bark, and lays it 

 up for food. Many of these animals, as the Hamster, the 

 Squirrel, the Dormouse, &c., have this same useful habit 

 of storing up provision for the future. 



The Hamster (Fig. 29) is provided with check- 

 pouches, which he fills with grain, and then trots off to 

 deposit it in his warehouse. Some of the rodents 

 hybsrnate that is, they sleep over the winter. Thus, the 

 Marmots (Fig. 30), of the Alps and Pyrenees, prepare a 

 couch of grass in their nest, and make a ball of hay, 

 which they place at the mouth of their burrow ; they then 

 go in backwards, drawing the ball in by their teeth ; they 

 thus effectually close or cork up the opening, and make 

 themselves cozy and warm, from about September to April. 



The Porcupine (Fig. 31) is a strange-looking animal. 

 It seems to owe its name to our French neighbours, who, in 

 consideration of its heavy, pig-like appearance, conferred 

 on him the polite designation of porc-epin a spiny hog. 

 Some people call these spines quills, but this is a mistake, 

 as they are nothing more than enormous hairs, which 

 the animal can erect when it chooses. The Porcupine 

 has its head covered with a bristly sort of mane, and has 

 some strange hollow quills on its tail, which make a noise 

 when they strike against each other. As a rule, this 

 animal only comes out at night, lying concealed all day ? 

 and becomes quite torpid in the winter. 



