192 



THAT'S IT ; 



There still remain in England some of the 

 wild British cattle, and these are to be found 

 in Chillingham Park, in Northumberland. 

 They are of a creamy white, with black muzzles, 

 white horns, and black tips, bending upwards. 

 The cows hide their calves for a week or ten 

 days in some sequestered place ; and the latter, 

 when they are alarmed, lie with their heads 

 close to the ground, like a hare. Their wildness 

 renders the erection of a high stone wall around 

 the park necessary, and when they are killed 

 they are shot with the rifle. 



In nearly all parts of the 

 world cattle are employed for 

 their labour, their milk, and for 

 food. In Southern Africa, they 

 are as much the associates of the 

 Caffirs, as the horse is of the 

 Arab. They share his toils ; 

 they are even trained to battle, 

 in which they become fierce and 

 courageous. In Central Africa 

 the proudest women of colour 

 ride -upon their backs, which are 

 bedecked with gay trappings ; 

 they have drawn the plough in 

 all ages ; in Spain they still 

 trample out the corn ; in India 

 raise water from deep Veils to 

 irrigate the thirsty soils ; and in 

 America they still plough, and 

 are yoked as beasts of burden. 



The earliest importation of cattle to Amer- 

 ica was made by Columbus, in 1493 ; he 

 brought a bull and several cows. Others 

 were brought by succeeding Spanish settlers, 

 from which the wild cattle of Texas and South 

 America must have originated. In 1611, Sir 

 Thomas Gates brought from Devonshire 100 

 head to Jamestown. 



Cetacea — J. 



These constitute an order of 

 mammiferous animals, surpassing 

 in size all others in existence, and 

 inhabiting the sea. Like ter- 

 restrial quadrupeds, they are 

 viviparous, suckle their young, 



* Of the sheep an account will be found in "Our 

 I Walk in the Fields." _ 



have warm bloody and respire 

 through lungs ; for which pur- 

 pose they must frequently come 

 to the surface, to obtain fresh 

 supplies of air. 



Although their forms are dis- 

 tinct from those of fishes, they 

 have no hind limbs. They are 

 all carnivorous ; and it is re- 

 markable that the largest species 

 live chiefly upon minute mollusca 

 (small animals, having shells), 

 and medusce (jelly-like creatures), 

 of which the jelly-fish and sea 

 blubber are most commonly known. 



This order includes the whale, 

 114, 351, some of the porpoises 

 and dolphins, 116, the dugong, 

 grampus, narwhal, &c. 



The interest which attaches to the animal 

 creation is inexhaustible. We should never 

 look upon a creature of God's creation without 

 contemplating its form, enquiring into the 

 adaptation of its organs to the life allotted to it, 

 and thinking of the physical features and na- 

 tural productions of the country of which it is 

 native. By so doing we gather into one focus 

 various rays of knowledge, and discover an in- 

 'creased beauty in their mutual harmony. 



If at times we feel perplexed at what we can- 

 not understand, or are disappointed of that we 

 seek to discover, we may take this assurance 

 from those things we already know, that there 

 is a purpose in everything in creation, however 

 difficult it may be to solve some of the hidden 

 plans of the great Creator. 



The students of Natural History, and the ad- 

 mirers of Nature, have in the present day won- 

 derful advantages. Within the flowery borders 

 of the Zoological Gardens the kings of the forest, 

 the terrors of the prairies and the plains, the 

 eagles of the mountains, and camels of the de- 

 serts, are assembled. The caged carnivorous 

 lion looks out from the bars of his den upon the 

 ruminating antelope, railed in upon the green 

 sward before him. Although somewhat subdued 

 by confinement, here are living and beautiful 

 examples of the animals of Europe, Asia, Africa, 

 America, and the Oceanic world. Their occa- 

 sional growl, whoop, or bark, kindles in the 

 fancy the effect of their voices in the wilds of 

 nature ; while, as they crouch or spring in their 

 dens, we see, as it were in rehearsal, the stealthy 

 crawl that brings the predatory beast upon his 

 prey, and the bold spring with which he makes 

 the fatal attack ! 



