THE EDINBURGH 



JOURNAL OF NATURAL HISTORY, 



AND OF 



THE PHYSICAL SCIENCES. 



APRIL, 1837. 



Z L O G Y. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATE. THE BULLS. 



Of the numberless varieties of the Domestic Ox, those peculiar to India and the 

 East coast of Africa, forming a race generallj' known by the name of Zebu or Indian 

 Ox, are among the most remarkable. They are more especially distinguished by 

 having a large tumour or hump, chiefly composed of fat, on the back between the 

 shoulders. Of this race there are numerous breeds, varying in size from that of our 

 largest Bulls to that of a Blastiff, and dispersed over Southern Asia, the islands of 

 the Indian Archipelago, and the coast of Africa from Abyssinia to the Cape of Good 

 Hopo, in which countries it supplies the place of the common Ox, being used as an 

 article of food, as a lactiferous animal, and as a beast of burden. In some parts of 

 India it is also employed for riding, as well as for drawing carriages, and is said to per- 

 form a journey of thirty miles a-day. Its flesh, although good, is inferior to that of the 

 European races ; but the hump is reckoned a great delicacy. It varies in colour like 

 the other domesticated breeds, the most common tints being ash-grey, cream-colour, 

 or white, but it is often red or brown, and occasionally black. Some of the breeds 

 are horned, others have pendulous or flexible horns, destitute of the core or bony 

 part, and some are entirely hornless. 



Fig. 1. Represents an individual of the largest kind. 



Fig. 2. One of the smaller horned breeds. 



Fig. 3. The smallest race. 



Fig. 4. An individual of the hornless variety. 



Fig. 5. The American Bison (Sos Americanus). This animal attains a much 

 larger size than our domestic breeds, and is peculiar to the American continent, where 

 it occurs in vast herds in the great plains or prairies extending along the Mississippi, 

 Missouri, Arkansas, and Saskatchewan rivers. It has a savage and ferocious aspect, 

 owing partly to the enormous size of its head, which it carries low, and partly to the 

 long shaggy hair with which its neck and the fore part of its body are clothed. The 

 shoulders are very high, but the protuberance formed by them does not consist merely 

 of flesh and fat, as in the Zebu, but also of the elongated spinous processes of the 

 dorsal vertebrae. Its flesh is excellent, and affords the principal subsistence of many 

 tribes of Indians. The Bisons are extremely fleet, and although possessed of enor. 

 mous strength, generally take to flight on the appearance of an enemy, seeking shelter 

 in the forests and swamps. But when wounded they manifest great ferocity, so that 

 it is dangerous for the hunter to show himself, as they are capable of easily overtaking 

 him. Dr Richardson mentions an accident of this kind which occurred while he was 

 residing at Carlton House, one of the Hudson's Bay Company's Stations. " Mr Finnan 

 ]\I'Donald, one of the Company's clerks, was descending the Saskatchewan in a boat, 

 and one evening having pitched his tent for the night, he went out in the dusk to 

 look for game. It had become nearly dark, when he flred at a Bison-bull, which was 

 galloping over a small eminence, and as he was hastening forward to see if his shot 

 had taken effect, the wounded beast made a rush at him. He had the presence of 

 mind to seize the animal by the long hair on its forehead as it struck him on the side 

 with its horn, and being a remarkably tall and powerful man, a struggle ensued, which 

 continued until his wrist was severely sprained, and his arm was rendered powerless; 

 he then fell, and after receiving two or three blows became senseless. Shortly after- 

 wards he was found by his companions lying hathed in blood, being gored in several 

 places, and the Bison was couched beside him, apparently waiting to renew the at- 

 tack had he shown any signs of life. Mr M'Donald recovered from the immediate 

 effects of the injuries he received, but died a few months afterwards." Individuals 

 of this species are sometimes seen in collections in this country, bein^r exhibited under 

 the classical name of Bonasus^ to which, of course, they have no title. The weight 

 of an old male is from twelve to fifteen hundred weight. The hair, b-imr remarkably 

 tine and woolly, has been manufactui'ed into coarse cloth, and the dressed skin with 

 the wool adhering forms an excellent blanket, and in Canada often sells for three or 

 f jur pounds, being there used as a wrapper by persons travelling over the snow in 

 cariols. 



its name from the plainness of its colours, which are dull greenish -brown on the upper, 

 and dark grey mixed with green on the lower parts. It lives in the forests of Brazil, 

 but nothing is known of its habits. The variety figured is remarkable for the white 

 patch on the occiput, indicating a tendency to albinism, wliich is of very rare occur- 

 rence in this family of birds. 



Fi*^. 2. The Mango Humming Bird (Trochihi^ Mango). Male. This beautiful 

 species varies exceedingly in colour, according to age and other circumstances. In 

 the adult state, the general tint is a bright green, the throat and middle of the 

 breast black, part of the abdomen pure white. It inhabits Jamaica and other West 

 India Islands, and is said to occur on the Spanish Alain, and in Brazil and Guiana. 



Fig. 3. The Mango Humming Bird. Young Male. "With the upper parts glossed 

 with yellowish-brown. 



FiiT. 4. The Mango Humming Bird. Young. In this state, although consider- 

 ably different in colour, and having a large portion of the lower surface white, it. is 

 C(jually beautiful. 



Fig. 5. The White-eared Humming Bird {Trochilus leucofis). The delicate and 

 beautiful bird to which the name of " white-eared" was somewhat erroneously ap- 

 plied by M. Vieillot, seeing the region of the ears is deep blue, although a white line 

 passes over it, is one of the most common species in Guiana and Brazil, where it is 

 frequently met with in thickets near houses. 



Fig. 6. The Blue-throated Humming Bird (TrochUus Lucifer}. This diminutive 

 species is characterised chiefly by a tuft of scale-like feathers, coloured with the iri- 

 descent tints of the Elba iron ore, on the throat. The female is not known. It is 

 a native of Mexico. 



Fig. 7. Swainson's Humming Bird (Trochilus Swainsonii). BI. Lesson, who named 

 this species in honour of a well-known English Naturalist, states that it is extremely 

 rare, and that its native country is Brazil. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE PLATE. — THE HUMMING BIRCS. 

 Fig. 1 . The Modest Humming Bird, Trochilus modestvs, variety. The species 

 of which a variety, partially afpL'cted with albinism, is here represented, has obtained 



Organization of the Oran-Outan. — M. Geoffroy-St-Hlla!re has recently 

 presented to the Academic des Sciences the following observations on this subject :- — If 

 we compare the Oran-Outan with Man, we perceive the most remarkable conformity 

 in all their parts. There is not a vessel, nor a nerve, nor a muscular fibre, more or 

 less ; but, at the same time, each organic element presents modifications in the length 

 and thickness of the parts. The vertebral axis is comparatively shorter, not from the 

 absence of any of its parts, but on account of their vertical compression. The head 

 is generally larger, but this more in appearance than in reality. The neck seems 

 wanting, the parts which form it appearing to belong to the hind-head, and to pro- 

 long it to the shoulders. This is produced by the following mechanism. In the 

 Oran as in the Bat, the clavicles are extremely long ; and to be kept beneath the in- 

 teguments without occupying too much room, they are directed obliquely, so that 

 their outer extremity has, as it were, ascended towards the skull, and drawn with it 

 a certain number of muscles, which, adding to their thickness, that of the muscles 

 peculiar to the posterior region of the neck, fill up the wide groove formed by the 

 series of spinous processes, which are themselves very large. The action of this 

 strong layer of cervical muscles tends to throw the head backwards. The animal, in 

 consequence of this general modification, must keep its body and head parallel to the 

 trunk of the tree on which it resides, clinging to it by the extremities, and also fixing 

 itself by the hands to the branches which are small enough to be laid hold of. The 

 brain of the young Oran-outan bears a great resemblance to that of a child. The 

 skull might in fact be taken, at an early age, for that of the latter, and the illusion 

 would be almost perfect, were it not for the development of the bones of the face. 

 But it happens, in consequence of its advance in age, that the brain ceases to enlarge, 

 while its case continually increases. The latter becomes thickened, but in an un- 

 equal degree, enormous bony ridges appear, and the animal assumes a frightful aspect. 

 When we compare the effects of age in Man and the Oran-outan, the difference is 

 seen to be, that, in the latter, there is a super-development of the osseous, muscular, 

 and tegumentary systems more towards the upper than the lower parts, while the 

 development of the brain is entirely arrested. 



Quantity of Seeds eaten by Wild Birds.- — Rock Pigeons, which are very 

 abundant in the Hebrides, Shetland, and Orkney Islands, live chiefly on grain and 

 the seeds of various plants. We had the curiosity to count the number of seeds con- 



