32 



The marine Mammalia are the Monk Seal (Phoco 

 Monachus), the porpoise, and one or two species 

 of the whale tribe. Specimens of this cetacean are 

 occasionally found stranded, as was the case not 

 long ago near the General's Rock in Gozo. The 

 dolphin Delphis tursio is abundant but being natu- 

 rally timid does not often approach the shore. The 

 fishermen meet with it at a distance of some six 

 miles from the coast. 



Mules and asses which are employed to tread 

 out corn, and are yoked with cattle in the fields, 

 are of large size, and the Knights of St. John set 

 great store by a superior breed of these animals, 

 called Janets, which were formerly often exported 

 to America and elsewhere. A few specimens worth 

 about 20 may still be seen in Gozo. The live 

 stock, including some 6000 cattle number about 

 25,000. There are two well marked sorts of cattle. 

 One is a large, fawn-coloured, bony animal, which 

 was evidently formerly very powerful, though at 

 present of a very degenerate type. The cows, which 

 are frequently used in the cultivation of the soil, 

 give but little milk and often produce two calves 

 at a time. 



The Barbary ox is a smaller animal, which is 

 generally imported from Africa in a lean condition, 

 but after being stall-fed for a short time on green 

 barley and clover or at other seasons on bruised 

 pulse, or barley mixed with bran, and plenty of 



