26 MARVELS OF THE ANIMAL WORLD 



however, a close observation is made of the animal, 

 it will be seen to open slightly one eye and cautiously 

 take a peep to see if the coast is clear. Should it 

 satisfy itself that such is the case, it then raises its 

 head, take a more thorough look around, and, if 

 the opportunity arises, bolts off as fast as possible. 

 That the creature will undergo a considerable amount 

 of suffering rather than exhibit signs of life has been 

 proved on many occasions, and the authority pre- 

 viously quoted states : '. ... I have seen gauchos, 

 who are very cruel to animals, practise the most 

 barbarous experiments on a captive fox without 

 being able to rouse it. . . .' 



Hailing from Australia is an animal known as 

 the cuscus, which shams death when captured ; 

 while, moreover, it is so tenacious of life that it will 

 continue to live for hours after a charge of shot has 

 entered its body, and even broken its spine or 

 pierced its brain. 



We learn also from the writings of Sir Stamford 

 Raffles that a certain species of mouse-deer or 

 chevrotain, known by the natives as the kanchil, 

 is in the habit of feigning death when made a captive. 

 Indeed, this trait in its character is so pronounced 

 that the expression ' as cunning as a kanchil ' is 

 commonly made use of by the populace to designate 

 a deceitful person. 



The kanchil is the smallest of the chevrotaina 

 and, with the exception of the royal antelope of 

 West Africa, is also the smallest of all ruminants. 

 Found in Java, Sumatra, Borneo, the Malay Penin- 

 sula, as well as in Cochin China and South Tenag- 



