40 BIPEDS AND QUADRUPEDS. 



A remark was made to me by a young lady, since 

 I began this essay, to this effect, that " she thought 

 the subject, and the promoting its being written upon, 

 was a singular idea in a female." " I grant," said 

 I, " it is singular, very singular, and I never paid so 

 bad a compliment to your sex in my life as admitting 

 that it is so ; nor would it ever have suggested itself 

 to one whose mind was not of a very high order, or 

 who did not possess the moral courage to be quite in- 

 different to the opinion of the crowd, when certain the 

 motive will challenge the approbation of the highly 

 gifted, as to talent, cultivated mind, and generous 

 feeling, and in most cases as to position in life." 



We will now see among what class of females a 

 want of knowledge of the management and habits 

 of animals exists in the greatest degree. It is 

 among those who, with a few hundreds a year, lead 

 a London life, enjoying certain comforts, super- 

 fashionable in dress and ultra-fashionable in ideas, 

 yet never being in a position to enjoy the possession 

 of animals (horses in particular), as objects of 

 pleasure, or show, (both proper for those of higher 



