i26 NATURAL HISTORY IN ANECDOTE. 



The sagacious animal immediately seized the young one with 

 her trunk, and though it groaned with agony, held it to the 

 ground, while the surgeon was thus enabled to dress the 

 wound. Day after day she continued to act in the same 

 way till the wound was perfectly healed." There is surely 

 no stronger proof of intelligence than that afforded when 

 present suffering is willingly endured for the sake of future 

 good. 



ORDER IX. The Coney is a small animal, but it is an 

 The Ooney. animal of distinction. It has been classed with 

 the Rodents and with the Pachyderms but its characteristics 

 are so unique that it is thought better to give it a separate 

 order, and this is placed between the Elephants and the 

 Rodents. The coney resembles the rabbit in size and general 

 form, perhaps more than any other animal. There are a 

 number of species belonging to one genus, the genus Hyrax : 

 In Psalm civ, 18, the writer says the rocks are a refuge for 

 the conies, and Agur puts the coney with three other animals 

 which are both little and wise. " The conies are but a feeble 

 folk, yet they make their houses in the rocks (Proverbs xxx, 

 26). This description applies to the Syrian Hyrax of our day 

 as truly as it did to that of the Psalmists time. The coney 

 is found all over Africa. According to Dr. Kirk it lives 

 in colonies at Mozambique, where it is often trapped and 

 eaten. 



/"vn-riTT-D -v The Rodents are more numerous and various 



The Rodents- "^^^ ^^7 Other class of mammals : There are 



Animals said to be 800 or more varieties. These are 



that Gnaw, divided into two sub-orders: I, The Simplici- 

 dentati and, II, the Duplicidentati. Those of the first sub- 

 order have two incisor teeth in the upper jaw ; those of the 

 second have four. The Simplicidentati include mice, rats, 

 jerboas, beavers, squirrels, chinchillas, porcupines, guinea 

 pigs, &c. ; the Duplicidentati includes the numerous varieties of 

 hares and rabbits. 



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