Anecdotes of the Habits and Instinct of AnimalsLee, R., Mrs.
General
Anecdotes of the Habits and Instinct of Animals
Lee, R., Mrs.
Animal behavior -- Juvenile literature
The smallest of the deer species lives in Ceylon; a lovely, delicate
little creature, with lustrous eyes, and of exquisite form. When full
grown it is only ten inches high, fourteen long, and weighs about five
pounds. Its throat, head, and neck, are all white; its body is grey,
striped with black, and spotted at equal distances with yellow. Although
very timid, it is to be tamed; but if angry, it kicks out its little
hind legs, and slender pointed hoofs, with great violence. One which was
domesticated was placed on a dinner-table, where it ran about and
nibbled fruit from the dishes; answered to its name, and returned the
caresses which were bestowed upon it. Its terror of dogs was at first
very great; but at last it allowed a small terrier to come close to it;
and heard the bark of others without being uneasy. A pair were brought
to England, but soon died from inflammation of the lungs; the common and
fatal disease which attacks almost all tropical animals in this climate.
GIRAFFES.
Some years ago, giraffes were thought to be fabulous animals; and the
ill-treated Le Vaillant was supposed to have _invented_ them, in spite
of the description which the Romans left of them. He was a little
poetical in his style of writing, which John Bull is not fond of when
facts are narrated, so John Bull begged to doubt his assertions. He
lived, however, to see his veracity established, which the kind old man,
a year or two before his death, assured me was a great happiness to him.
Lord Caledon brought a skin home from the Cape, and badly as it was
stuffed, it began to dawn on the minds of the Europeans, that such an
animal really existed. Then a live one was brought to Paris, and another
to His Majesty George the Fourth, who petted his till it died. Now there
are several living in our Zoological Gardens; some of whom were born in
the Menagerie.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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